Everyone's Blog Posts - New Foundation Fellowship2024-03-19T06:29:14Zhttp://nffquaker.org/profiles/blog/feed?xn_auth=noDo Nothing For The Lord By Earthly Policytag:nffquaker.org,2024-02-23:6286598:BlogPost:1473212024-02-23T14:29:59.000ZEllis Heinhttp://nffquaker.org/profile/EllisHein
<blockquote>Ye must do nothing for the Lord by earthly policy, nor trust to that; but wait in the power of the Lord God, and be ordered by that to his glory. Ye will never be right, till then, and that must keep peace among you.</blockquote>
<p>Epistle LXXV (75) is full of Godly wisdom, but this quote jumped out. Do our lives reflect being ordered by the power of the Lord God? are they the products of earthly policy? This and much more filled our more than an hour of discussion on this epistle.…</p>
<blockquote>Ye must do nothing for the Lord by earthly policy, nor trust to that; but wait in the power of the Lord God, and be ordered by that to his glory. Ye will never be right, till then, and that must keep peace among you.</blockquote>
<p>Epistle LXXV (75) is full of Godly wisdom, but this quote jumped out. Do our lives reflect being ordered by the power of the Lord God? are they the products of earthly policy? This and much more filled our more than an hour of discussion on this epistle. You can access the recording of our meeting at <a href="https://us06web.zoom.us/rec/share/9YoUwMM7CM99C8N1p-OPZ5UDZuAN8vy-p78zOzi12ZK_RtZoDH8Xr2LYqT--VCrJ.LKgszjPY8X-EVnPp">https://us06web.zoom.us/rec/share/9YoUwMM7CM99C8N1p-OPZ5UDZuAN8vy-p78zOzi12ZK_RtZoDH8Xr2LYqT--VCrJ.LKgszjPY8X-EVnPp</a> Passcode: 4=Tu4Wq^</p>Recording of today's study of the Journal of George Foxtag:nffquaker.org,2024-02-11:6286598:BlogPost:1473082024-02-11T03:00:00.000ZEllis Heinhttp://nffquaker.org/profile/EllisHein
<p>We were a small group this morning. The text, however, that we read and discussed I found to be quite powerful. Fox was just coming out from under a deep, spiritual and physical exercise, which many thought would be the cause of his death. As he was being released from burden of that exercise, he had openings into the heavenly Jerusalem and how those who dwell therein know Christ who is able and "of ability" to bring you up into the state of Adam and Eve before the fall and into a higher…</p>
<p>We were a small group this morning. The text, however, that we read and discussed I found to be quite powerful. Fox was just coming out from under a deep, spiritual and physical exercise, which many thought would be the cause of his death. As he was being released from burden of that exercise, he had openings into the heavenly Jerusalem and how those who dwell therein know Christ who is able and "of ability" to bring you up into the state of Adam and Eve before the fall and into a higher state, that of Christ Jesus, who never fell. Do you know this work to be going on within you? Do you find yourself willing for the work of God to go forward within you?</p>
<p>You can listen to or download the recording of our meeting from <a href="https://us06web.zoom.us/rec/share/MbZmjckPzImM0FWy2ULdtz44t76qzBz9l5fg4lxMhmXId1Ask2Do78SDNJExMV_z.7ECn27RIUMEZIFa3">https://us06web.zoom.us/rec/share/MbZmjckPzImM0FWy2ULdtz44t76qzBz9l5fg4lxMhmXId1Ask2Do78SDNJExMV_z.7ECn27RIUMEZIFa3</a> <br/> Passcode: B#6pA%kI</p>
<p>Enjoy! I would be happy to hear from you regarding your thoughts about our discussion this morning.</p>
<p>Ellis</p>An Epistle During A Time Of Persecutiontag:nffquaker.org,2024-01-14:6286598:BlogPost:1468012024-01-14T03:44:44.000ZEllis Heinhttp://nffquaker.org/profile/EllisHein
<p>We met on the 13th via Zoom to read and discuss Fox's Journal. I read from Vol. II, pp 100-104. It was a precious time, but I forgot to start the recording. However, I do want to copy out the letter Fox wrote to encourage Friends to stand faithful. We spent a good share of our time considering what Fox had to say.</p>
<blockquote>My Dear Friends--The seed is above all. In it walk; in which ye all have life. Be not amazed at the weather; for always the just suffered by the unjust, but the…</blockquote>
<p>We met on the 13th via Zoom to read and discuss Fox's Journal. I read from Vol. II, pp 100-104. It was a precious time, but I forgot to start the recording. However, I do want to copy out the letter Fox wrote to encourage Friends to stand faithful. We spent a good share of our time considering what Fox had to say.</p>
<blockquote>My Dear Friends--The seed is above all. In it walk; in which ye all have life. Be not amazed at the weather; for always the just suffered by the unjust, but the just had the dominion. And all along ye may see, by faith the mountains were subdued; and the rage of the wicked with his fiery darts, were quenched. Though the waves and storms be hign, yet your faith will keep you, so as to swim above them; for they are but for a time, and the truth is without time. Therefore, keep on the mountain of holiness, ye who are let to it by the light, where nothing shall hurt. Do not think that any thing will outlast the truth, which standeth sure, and is over that which is out of the truth. For the good will overcome the evil, the light darkness, the life death, virtue vice, and righteousness unrighteousness. The false prophet cannot overcome the true; but the true prophet, Christ, will overcome all the false. So be faithful, and live in that which doth not think the time long. G.F.</blockquote>What did George Fox mean by "And live in the spirit..."?tag:nffquaker.org,2023-12-19:6286598:BlogPost:1464332023-12-19T13:58:07.000ZEllis Heinhttp://nffquaker.org/profile/EllisHein
<p>Epistle LXXIV</p>
<p>Our discussion on 12/17/23 dwelt for some time on the sentence, "And live in the spirit, in which ye will have unity and peace, and the spiritual weapons, to cut down the spiritual enemies of your peace." There are many Christian groups who claim to make the Holy Spirit central. If you listen to them or read their writings you seldom hear Jesus Christ mentioned as a present influence. It is as though they say, "Jesus did His job some 2,000 years ago. We will see Him…</p>
<p>Epistle LXXIV</p>
<p>Our discussion on 12/17/23 dwelt for some time on the sentence, "And live in the spirit, in which ye will have unity and peace, and the spiritual weapons, to cut down the spiritual enemies of your peace." There are many Christian groups who claim to make the Holy Spirit central. If you listen to them or read their writings you seldom hear Jesus Christ mentioned as a present influence. It is as though they say, "Jesus did His job some 2,000 years ago. We will see Him again at the end of the world. In the meantime we have this substitute called the Holy Spirit." Is this what Fox meant when he said, "live in the spirit?"</p>
<p>You can hear our discussion on this and other parts of this epistle by going to <a href="https://us06web.zoom.us/rec/share/MYcXDC6sEwTZZBoaDK-FdsOEBGRCA66xTBa7xsHrcDfDVyQPLtsA-co5bLdPFYQO.kvDYEaa3cQYqpwQO">https://us06web.zoom.us/rec/share/MYcXDC6sEwTZZBoaDK-FdsOEBGRCA66xTBa7xsHrcDfDVyQPLtsA-co5bLdPFYQO.kvDYEaa3cQYqpwQO</a> <br/>Passcode: ?3L$8r?s</p>
<p>I would be glad to hear any comments you may have. If you would like to participate in our discussions you can find the schedule and link on our calendar page at <a href="https://nffquaker.com/pages/events">https://nffquaker.com/pages/events</a> or if you would prefer to receive notices of these meetings go to <a href="https://nffquaker.com">https://nffquaker.com</a>, scroll down and subscribe to our emails.</p>Meeting of the George Fox Project Trusttag:nffquaker.org,2023-12-12:6286598:BlogPost:1463452023-12-12T22:38:00.000ZAllistair Lomaxhttp://nffquaker.org/profile/1q0exj1yh6e79
<p>Dear Friends,</p>
<p>You are invited to a meeting of the George Fox Project Trust.</p>
<p>Trustees meet regularly to discuss how we can support the trusts aims of publishing the writings of Early Friends. We welcome attendance from New Foundation workers and supporters.</p>
<p>Our next meeting is on the 15-12-2023 @18:30 GMT.</p>
<p>You can use this link to join:</p>
<p><a href="https://meet.google.com/png-qehy-kfk">https://meet.google.com/png-qehy-kfk</a></p>
<p>Dear Friends,</p>
<p>You are invited to a meeting of the George Fox Project Trust.</p>
<p>Trustees meet regularly to discuss how we can support the trusts aims of publishing the writings of Early Friends. We welcome attendance from New Foundation workers and supporters.</p>
<p>Our next meeting is on the 15-12-2023 @18:30 GMT.</p>
<p>You can use this link to join:</p>
<p><a href="https://meet.google.com/png-qehy-kfk">https://meet.google.com/png-qehy-kfk</a></p>Sunday, 11-19-2023tag:nffquaker.org,2023-11-29:6286598:BlogPost:1461832023-11-29T03:47:35.000ZEllis Heinhttp://nffquaker.org/profile/EllisHein
<p>There are times when our meetings go above and beyond the usual. November 19 was such a meeting. We were reading a fairly short Epistle, (LXXIV or 74), but we only got half way through it in our discussion. We will consider the 2nd part in our December meeting. I will not offer a summary but encourage all to follow the link to the recording below.</p>
<p>You can listen to/download the reading and our discussion by going to …</p>
<p>There are times when our meetings go above and beyond the usual. November 19 was such a meeting. We were reading a fairly short Epistle, (LXXIV or 74), but we only got half way through it in our discussion. We will consider the 2nd part in our December meeting. I will not offer a summary but encourage all to follow the link to the recording below.</p>
<p>You can listen to/download the reading and our discussion by going to <a href="https://us06web.zoom.us/rec/share/c9lSZBrhoi6piL8STqNWO0KFyHdJT5mxyi3a2GtHv0z-yYGS5QzWvt2cyuuGTDSA.v6d4PFWWFixxvW7q">https://us06web.zoom.us/rec/share/c9lSZBrhoi6piL8STqNWO0KFyHdJT5mxyi3a2GtHv0z-yYGS5QzWvt2cyuuGTDSA.v6d4PFWWFixxvW7q</a> <br/>Passcode: *7r&C2BX</p>Our meeting Saturday, 11-11-2023tag:nffquaker.org,2023-11-13:6286598:BlogPost:1464022023-11-13T03:31:58.000ZEllis Heinhttp://nffquaker.org/profile/EllisHein
<p>On Saturday we met to discuss Fox's Journal. We read again the passage beginning "Sound, sound abroad..." and went on from there. Fox finished up his tour in Ireland visiting meetings and discussing the gospel with other people. One discussion concerned election and reprobation. Fox laid out in clear terms how the election is in Christ who was before the world began while the reprobation is in the evil spirit which has been since the world began. </p>
<p>We read about a fake George Fox,…</p>
<p>On Saturday we met to discuss Fox's Journal. We read again the passage beginning "Sound, sound abroad..." and went on from there. Fox finished up his tour in Ireland visiting meetings and discussing the gospel with other people. One discussion concerned election and reprobation. Fox laid out in clear terms how the election is in Christ who was before the world began while the reprobation is in the evil spirit which has been since the world began. </p>
<p>We read about a fake George Fox, about Fox's marriage to Margaret Fell, and ended with a letter from Fox advising meetings to apprentice children of poor families to desirable tradesmen of the faith that they may become a help to their families.</p>
<p>You can hear our discussion at <a href="https://us06web.zoom.us/rec/share/pXtE3JlxLaNKlzMd2-uT1u0v6EnCpAnJhMEfDx7P3JPunIYyiYGWWXWmx6NuN21l.7JD6Wy5vfu3rBNt8">https://us06web.zoom.us/rec/share/pXtE3JlxLaNKlzMd2-uT1u0v6EnCpAnJhMEfDx7P3JPunIYyiYGWWXWmx6NuN21l.7JD6Wy5vfu3rBNt8</a> <br/>Passcode: @S8=19w+ </p>Sound, sound abroadtag:nffquaker.org,2023-10-16:6286598:BlogPost:1460792023-10-16T13:01:44.000ZEllis Heinhttp://nffquaker.org/profile/EllisHein
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">SOUND, sound abroad, you faithful servants of the Lord, witnesses in his name, faithful servants, prophets of the Highest, and angels of the Lord ! Sound ye all abroad in the world, to the awakening and raising of the dead, that they may be awakened and raised up out of the grave to hear the voice that, is living. For the dead have long heard the dead, and the blind have long wandered among the blind, and the deaf amongst the deaf. Therefore sound, sound, ye…</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">SOUND, sound abroad, you faithful servants of the Lord, witnesses in his name, faithful servants, prophets of the Highest, and angels of the Lord ! Sound ye all abroad in the world, to the awakening and raising of the dead, that they may be awakened and raised up out of the grave to hear the voice that, is living. For the dead have long heard the dead, and the blind have long wandered among the blind, and the deaf amongst the deaf. Therefore sound, sound, ye servants, prophets, and angels of the Lord, ye trumpets of the Lord, that you may awaken the dead, awaken them that are asleep in their graves of sin, death and hell, sea and earth, and who lie in the tombs. Sound, sound abroad, ye trumpets and raise up the dead, that the dead may hear the voice of the Son of God, the voice of the second Adam that never fell, the voice of the light, the voice of the life, the voice of the power, the voice of the truth, the voice of the righteous, and the voice of the just. Sound, sound the pleasant and melodious sound. Sound, sound ye the trumpets, the melodious sound abroad, that all the deaf ears may be opened to hear the pleasant sound of the trumpet to judgment and life, to condemnation and light. Sound, sound your trumpets all abroad, you angels of the Lord, sons and daughters, prophets of the Highest, that all that are dead and asleep in the graves, who have been long dreaming and slumbering, may be awakened and hear the voice of the Lamb, who have long heard the voice of the beast, that now they may hear the voice of the bridegroom, the voice of the bride, the voice of the great prophet, the voice of the great king, the voice of the great shepherd and bishop of their souls. Sound, sound it all abroad, ye trumpets, among the dead in Adam ; for Christ is come, the second Adam, that they might have life, yea have it abundantly. Awaken the dead, awaken the slumberers, awaken the dreamers, awaken them that are asleep, awaken them out of their graves, out of their tombs, out of their sepulchres, out of the seas! Sound, sound abroad, ye trumpets! ye trumpets that awaken the dead, that they may all hear the sound of it in the graves, and they that hear may live and come to the life, that is, the Son of God. He is risen from the dead, the grave could not hold nor contain him, neither could all the watchers of the earth, with all their guards, keep him therein. Sound, sound, ye trumpets of the Lord, to all the seekers of the living among the dead, that he is risen from the dead; to all the seekers of the living among the dead, and in the graves that the watchers keep; he is not in the grave, he is risen; and there is that under the grave of the watchers of the outward grave, which must be awakened and come to hear his voice, who is risen from the dead, that they might come to live. Therefore sound abroad, you trumpets of the Lord, that the grave might give up her dead, and hell and the sea might give up their dead ; and all might come forth to judgment, to the judgment of the Lord before his throne and have their sentence and reward according to their works.<br/> Away with all the chaff and the husks, and contentions and strife, that the swine feed upon in the mire, and in the fall ; and the keepers of them of Adam and Eve's house in the fall ; that lies in the mire, out of light and life. (Works of Fox, Vol. II, pp.88-89)</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Listen to our discussion of this passage at <a href="https://us06web.zoom.us/rec/share/2IGqnGugaWYYSNBwBpKBOLTQwKVNYf2lWhhLPAJngGF0rAVvJ4bGYZt466gtDDpL.8gt6F-PYK97nTRxP%20Passcode:%20@0jGyV5z" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://us06web.zoom.us/rec/share/2IGqnGugaWYYSNBwBpKBOLTQwKVNYf2lWhhLPAJngGF0rAVvJ4bGYZt466gtDDpL.8gt6F-PYK97nTRxP Passcode: @0jGyV5z</a></span></p>Experience the life and power of God within yourselvestag:nffquaker.org,2023-06-22:6286598:BlogPost:1454222023-06-22T02:23:11.000ZEllis Heinhttp://nffquaker.org/profile/EllisHein
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Epistle LXVIII.</span><br></br> <span style="font-size: 12pt;">Friends,—Know the life and power of God in yourselves, and one in another, and to that power be obedient, to thresh down all deceit within and without you in wisdom, and in that dwell which comprehends the world; and know the rest, which is for the people of God, which he that believeth hath entered into. So know the life that stands in God; and all know the power of God, for that power shall never be…</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Epistle LXVIII.</span><br/> <span style="font-size: 12pt;">Friends,—Know the life and power of God in yourselves, and one in another, and to that power be obedient, to thresh down all deceit within and without you in wisdom, and in that dwell which comprehends the world; and know the rest, which is for the people of God, which he that believeth hath entered into. So know the life that stands in God; and all know the power of God, for that power shall never be shaken nor change, but will shake down all that must be shaken and will change. So in that the Lord God Almighty preserve you, which giveth you to see, where there is no changing nor shadow.</span><br/> <span style="font-size: 12pt;">G. F.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">We had a very fruitful discussion regarding this short epistle from George Fox. Some key points from our discussion:</span><br/> <span style="font-size: 12pt;">"Know" equals experience. So Fox is saying "Experience the life and power of God...experience that life and power of God to thresh down all deceit witin and without...experience the rest...experience the life that stands in God...experience the power of God." How are you going to experience this? We encounter the life and power of God in the true light that enlightens every person born into the world. We experience the working of that life and power by yielding to the reproofs and promptings of the light within us.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Your thoughts?</span></p>Fundraiser for Marvin Michelotag:nffquaker.org,2023-02-06:6286598:BlogPost:1421812023-02-06T04:32:56.000ZEllis Heinhttp://nffquaker.org/profile/EllisHein
<p>Marvin Michelo is a young Quaker minister, in the true sense of the word, in Zambia. <span> You can read a brief description of his need, his call to proclaim the gospel preached by George Fox and early Friends, and make a donation by going to <a href="https://gofund.me/d3e6c8df." target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://gofund.me/d3e6c8df.</a> Thank you for prayerfully considering this opportunity to extend a helping hand to Marvin.</span></p>
<p>Marvin Michelo is a young Quaker minister, in the true sense of the word, in Zambia. <span> You can read a brief description of his need, his call to proclaim the gospel preached by George Fox and early Friends, and make a donation by going to <a href="https://gofund.me/d3e6c8df." target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://gofund.me/d3e6c8df.</a> Thank you for prayerfully considering this opportunity to extend a helping hand to Marvin.</span></p>Praise for the NFF's new publication, the Sermons of Stephen Crisptag:nffquaker.org,2022-12-09:6286598:BlogPost:1412672022-12-09T14:19:55.000ZJohn Jeremiah Edminsterhttp://nffquaker.org/profile/JohnJeremiahEdminster
<p>With the publication of these sermons, the "library" of Quaker classics readily available to the reading public gains a completeness it had previously lacked. Oh, we'd had the writings of George Fox, Isaac Penington, James Nayler, Robert Barclay, and William Penn in print; but none of these had fully penetrated the armor of my complacent world-view until I'd read Stephen Crisp's Sermon No. 14, "The Kingdom of God Within," made available by the NFF a generation ago, and been struck by Crisp's…</p>
<p>With the publication of these sermons, the "library" of Quaker classics readily available to the reading public gains a completeness it had previously lacked. Oh, we'd had the writings of George Fox, Isaac Penington, James Nayler, Robert Barclay, and William Penn in print; but none of these had fully penetrated the armor of my complacent world-view until I'd read Stephen Crisp's Sermon No. 14, "The Kingdom of God Within," made available by the NFF a generation ago, and been struck by Crisp's query, "How do we like the government of Satan?"<br/> At first I laughed bitterly, thinking of the civil governments of this world, which "call evil good, and good evil" (Isa 5:20), and routinely reason, "Let us do evil, that good may come" (Rom 3:8). I was particularly angry with the U. S. Government at the time, and took a perverse pleasure in imagining a horned, goateed red-skinned giant sitting in the Oval Office, calling the shots.<br/> But then I realized that that wasn't what Crisp was talking about. He was talking about ME: <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>I</strong></em></span> was enslaved to fear, anger, and lust; <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>I</strong></em></span> had sins on my conscience, some of them as ancient as my childhood, that still had the power to send me into paroxysms of self-loathing. Did a satan actually exist? If one did, then I was ripe for his capture. If one did not, then there might as well be one. Fortunately, I had already heard the voice of my Savior by then, so I knew there was a refuge.<br/> Friend, let Stephen Crisp shake you up as he's shaken me up. The query I referred to is on page 93: <a href="https://nffquaker.com/products/scripture-truths-demonstrated-in-thirty-two-sermons-or-declarations-of-stephen-crisp">https://nffquaker.com/products/scripture-truths-demonstrated-in-thirty-two-sermons-or-declarations-of-stephen-crisp</a></p>New Website for NFF literature, books and downloadable materialtag:nffquaker.org,2022-11-08:6286598:BlogPost:1411632022-11-08T13:11:42.000ZEllis Heinhttp://nffquaker.org/profile/EllisHein
<p><strong>Our new website, <a href="https://nffquaker.com/">https://nffquaker.com/</a>, is now live.</strong> Please take a moment to visit. We have a selection of books and an expanding selection of items for download. There is a small charge for each download. There is also a blog page. Feel free to subscribe to our emails by leaving your email address, (see the bottom of the home page). If you subscribe, you will receive periodic updates regarding the site, you will receive notice of new…</p>
<p><strong>Our new website, <a href="https://nffquaker.com/">https://nffquaker.com/</a>, is now live.</strong> Please take a moment to visit. We have a selection of books and an expanding selection of items for download. There is a small charge for each download. There is also a blog page. Feel free to subscribe to our emails by leaving your email address, (see the bottom of the home page). If you subscribe, you will receive periodic updates regarding the site, you will receive notice of new blog posts, and you will receive announcements of our zoom meetings for reading and discussing the Works of George Fox.</p>
<p>If you would like to be more directly involved in our work of reproclaiming the gospel preached by George Fox, feel free to contact us via the contact form.</p>
<p>Thank you for visiting. Leave a comment here to let me know what you think of the new site.</p>
<p></p>George Fox and Shakespeare per Walt Whitmantag:nffquaker.org,2022-09-19:6286598:BlogPost:1401312022-09-19T14:00:00.000ZPeter Glasshttp://nffquaker.org/profile/PeterGlass
<p>Excerpt from November Boughs: "Strange as it may sound, Shakespeare and George Fox (think of them! compare them!) were born and bred of similar stock, in much the same surroundings and station in life - from the same England - and at a similar period." Mulling over this observation of Whitman's, I think on their lack of formal education - Shakespeare had "little Latin, less Greek" after all. Both used language in ways that seem to defy formal conventions but yet with considerable power,…</p>
<p>Excerpt from November Boughs: "Strange as it may sound, Shakespeare and George Fox (think of them! compare them!) were born and bred of similar stock, in much the same surroundings and station in life - from the same England - and at a similar period." Mulling over this observation of Whitman's, I think on their lack of formal education - Shakespeare had "little Latin, less Greek" after all. Both used language in ways that seem to defy formal conventions but yet with considerable power, albeit in very different ways.</p>Salvation: Do We Know What It Means?tag:nffquaker.org,2022-08-29:6286598:BlogPost:1400342022-08-29T12:39:27.000ZEllis Heinhttp://nffquaker.org/profile/EllisHein
<p>The following excerpt from Lewis Benson's Six Disciple Church Lectures details some of the changes that have come about in the concept of salvation. Today we still use words like forgiveness, sanctification, justification, the cross, etc., but our understanding of those words are not the same as when used by the writers of the New Testament or the preachers of the gospel in the days of the early church. The full text of Lewis Benson's Disciple Church Lectures will be available for download…</p>
<p>The following excerpt from Lewis Benson's Six Disciple Church Lectures details some of the changes that have come about in the concept of salvation. Today we still use words like forgiveness, sanctification, justification, the cross, etc., but our understanding of those words are not the same as when used by the writers of the New Testament or the preachers of the gospel in the days of the early church. The full text of Lewis Benson's Disciple Church Lectures will be available for download from our new literature website, which will be made live soon.</p>
<blockquote>But even though the church before Constantine had lost much of its unique charismatic character it yet remained a community in tension with the world. Its members refused to bear arms or perform the required acts of obeisance to the emperor. It did not think it strange when it had to suffer.</blockquote>
<blockquote>But after the establishment of universal infant baptism the church became composed of all the subjects of the emperor organized for religious purposes. Tension between the church and the world had become impossible. Before this the new Christian had had the experience of passing from one community to another over a definite frontier. He had passed from the old world into the new world where the rule of God, into which the whole race of mankind will finally be brought, was already experienced by faithful Christians. In the fourth century this frontier was destroyed. A church that included everyone in the land, both pure and impure, saints and sinners, could no longer think of itself as a “holy nation!” or a “people of God’s own possession”. In this mixed multitude in which the good and the bad were all thrown together the church no longer consisted of those who had accepted the conditions of discipleship, including the first condition of discipleship, namely, cross-bearing. In a church not wholly or even principally composed of disciples there could be no fellowship in sharing the sufferings of Christ. The church had ceased to be the suffering community of the suffering servant.</blockquote>
<blockquote>These vast changes in the church’s constitution created the need for a re-interpretation of the church’s gospel and especially a revised understanding of its moral and spiritual implications. One direct consequence of the new conditions was the rise of monasticism. As the church itself came to be no more than a cross section of the whole population the quest for the holy community began to be carried on in monastic communities. The institutional church endeavored to keep such communities within her framework. These monastic communities did not seek to restore the gospel order of the early church. Their conception of holiness and purity was largely dominated by an asceticism that did not have its roots in the Christian revelation. Their communities were governed by abbots and their internal structure was not essentially different from the structure of similar communities in other religious traditions. They sought to create opportunities for seeking the holy life in community without challenging or questioning the institutional character of the state church. But not every Christian in search of a holy life was to be found in monasteries. Although the church as a whole was no longer a spiritual house built of spiritual stones, the Christian could still seek holiness as an individual. The Christian gospel of salvation now began to be reinterpreted in individualistic terms. In [the] early church the “new life was not thought of simply or even chiefly as a particular inward experience of each individual, rather it was manifested in the agape which animated the whole of the new community and joined its members in fellowship with one another and with God.” [9] But the vision of the redemptive community of the redeemed began to fade and after the 5th century the church no longer anticipates in its own life the promised “new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness.”</blockquote>
<blockquote>The nature of salvation itself was radically reinterpreted. In the apostolic age repentance meant a turning to righteousness, not just sorrow for wrong doing; forgiveness implied the gift of new life, not just absolution for past sin; justification meant a restoration to righteousness and holiness, not just restoration to God’s favor; and sanctification was not a state of extraordinary holiness but the state of all who had truly repented and been forgiven. In the New Testament “the saints” is not a term for a special category of Christians but included everyone in the church. In the 11th century Anselm’s doctrine of salvation becomes limited to release from the guilt and penalty of past sin and there is a corresponding de-emphasizing of the miraculous new heart, new mind, new righteousness, new personality, and new community. Salvation is no longer connected with the gospel of the new world.</blockquote>
<blockquote>The church is not the recipient of fresh energies by which it is “made alive with Christ” and “made to sit in heavenly places with Christ.” [10]</blockquote>
<blockquote>In medieval thought, says Oliver Quick, “atonement is a means of purgation rather than an instrument of redemption.” The cross has become divorced from the resurrection and forgiveness has become divorced from receiving redemptive power.</blockquote>
<blockquote>Thus far we have reviewed in briefest outline the beginnings of the New Covenant Community and the three stages of its decline. From this point onward we will attempt to trace the course of the movement toward reform and restoration which began with Luther in the early 16th century and concluded with George Fox and the Quakers in the 17th century. This movement can best be described in terms of three lines of historical development. First, the Reformation of the 16th century led by Luther, Zwingli and Calvin; second, the Anabaptists of the 16th century; and, third, the Quakers of the 17th century. (The relationship between Anabaptists, Quakers and the English free churches calls for some further distinctions which will be dealt with in the next lecture.)</blockquote>
<blockquote>9 - Oliver Quick, The Gospel of the New World, p.66.</blockquote>
<blockquote>10 - Ephesians 2:5,6.</blockquote>
<p>Taken from Lewis Benson' Six Disciple Church Lectures, pp 31-34</p>Announcing the DQC-QBI Kittag:nffquaker.org,2022-05-09:6286598:BlogPost:1391642022-05-09T18:12:08.000ZJohn Jeremiah Edminsterhttp://nffquaker.org/profile/JohnJeremiahEdminster
<p> I think my presentation yesterday about the Digital Quaker Collection and the Quaker Bible Index went well. Then I went home and made up a kind of "kit" out of it, that any Friend (with some familiarity with using the DQC and the QBI) is welcome to use to make a similar presentation at their own Meeting. Here it is:<br></br> My approximately 45-minute hybrid presentation at West Richmond Friends Meeting began with an account of how I found the “Browse by Author” utility in Earlham School of…</p>
<p> I think my presentation yesterday about the Digital Quaker Collection and the Quaker Bible Index went well. Then I went home and made up a kind of "kit" out of it, that any Friend (with some familiarity with using the DQC and the QBI) is welcome to use to make a similar presentation at their own Meeting. Here it is:<br/> My approximately 45-minute hybrid presentation at West Richmond Friends Meeting began with an account of how I found the “Browse by Author” utility in Earlham School of Religion’s Digital Quaker Collection (DQC) daunting, and so created “A Simplified Index to the Digital Quaker Collection” with a view to helping others find their way to the old books and tracts they might want to access. (The Simplified Index, though still a work in progress, is now published online at <a href="https://among.wordpress.com/a-simplified-index-to-the-digital-quaker-collection-alphabetically-by-author/">https://among.wordpress.com/a-simplified-index-to-the-digital-quaker-collection-alphabetically-by-author/</a>.)<br/> A how-to sheet then walks the searcher of the _Works_ of George Fox in the DQC through the process (using the DQC's "Search" function) of finding out where Fox wrote his famous advice to “walk cheerfully over the world, answering that of God in every one.” It’s in his 1656 “Exhortation to Friends in the Ministry,” a handout of which is included in this packet.<br/> Another how-to sheet describes how to find that elusive quote from Scripture — “now where does the Bible say ‘love your enemies?’” — using the Searchable King James Bible on the University of Michigan Library website. Once “love your enemies” has been located (at Matthew 5:44 and Luke 6:27), another handout shows how the Quaker Bible Index (QBI) gathers quotations from early Quaker writers that illustrate what uses (exegetic or protreptic) they made of Jesus' command to love our enemies.<br/> A final handout provides a preview of a biblical verse (Colossians 1:13) that has not yet been added to the Main Scripture Indexes of the Quaker Bible Index, showing how early Quaker writers made use of the announcement that God "hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear son."<br/> Finally: — Yes, you can! If you've ever been moved by reading George Fox, or John Woolman, or Margaret Fell, or Isaac Penington, you can easily fill 45 minutes witnessing to the value of early Friends' writings for modern Friends, while you walk your listeners through learning the use of these research tools!<br/> HANDOUTS (available in PDF format on request, if you give me your email address):<br/>• A Simplified Index to the Digital Quaker Collection (11 pp.)<br/>• Find It in the Works of George Fox (1 p.)<br/>• George Fox, “An Exhortation to Friends in the Ministry” (1 p.)<br/>• Find It in the King James Bible (1 p.)<br/>• Early Quaker References to Antitheses 5 and 6 in the Sermon on the Mount, as displayed in the QBI (2 pp.)<br/>• Four Pages on Deliverance and Translation, from the QBI for Colossians 1:13 (4 pp.)<br/>— John Jeremiah Edminster, 5/9/2022</p>Announcing: A Simplified Index to the Digital Quaker Collection hosted by Earlham School of Religiontag:nffquaker.org,2022-05-04:6286598:BlogPost:1391582022-05-04T22:19:59.000ZJohn Jeremiah Edminsterhttp://nffquaker.org/profile/JohnJeremiahEdminster
<p><strong><a href="https://wordpress.com/page/among.wordpress.com/1141">https://wordpress.com/page/among.wordpress.com/1141</a>.</strong></p>
<p><strong><a href="https://wordpress.com/page/among.wordpress.com/1141">https://wordpress.com/page/among.wordpress.com/1141</a>.</strong></p>spammer at worktag:nffquaker.org,2022-05-03:6286598:BlogPost:1394232022-05-03T03:01:42.000ZEllis Heinhttp://nffquaker.org/profile/EllisHein
<p>My apologies to all who have received a comment added to their profile from one A. Maris. Earlier, I admitted into membership someone representing herself as Christina Florand. Immediately, said Christina's profile became A. Maris and people began getting this comment: "How is everything with you, I picked interest on you after going through your short profile and deemed it necessary to write you immediately. I have something very vital to disclose to you, but I found it difficult to express…</p>
<p>My apologies to all who have received a comment added to their profile from one A. Maris. Earlier, I admitted into membership someone representing herself as Christina Florand. Immediately, said Christina's profile became A. Maris and people began getting this comment: "How is everything with you, I picked interest on you after going through your short profile and deemed it necessary to write you immediately. I have something very vital to disclose to you, but I found it difficult to express myself here, since it's a public site.Could you please get back to me on:( officialaishacbdd@gmail.com ) for the full details.<br/>Have a nice day<br/>Thanks God bless"</p>
<p>When I noticed what was going on with a couple of people, I suspended A. Maris AKA Christina Florand and all her comments should have disappeared from the site. </p>
<p>Please use caution in dealing with this person.</p>
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<p>Ellis Hein</p>Some Musings on Truthtag:nffquaker.org,2021-09-04:6286598:BlogPost:1375112021-09-04T02:34:13.000ZEllis Heinhttp://nffquaker.org/profile/EllisHein
<p>Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but by me." If you turn that around, we can say, "If you have come to the Father, you have come by the way, you have embraced the truth, you have life within you--you know and are known by Jesus. These three--way, truth, and life--are the most precious assets a human can posses. Allow me to put these three under one umbrella: Truth with a capital T.</p>
<p>In a 1965 paper published by Lewis Benson (Friends and the…</p>
<p>Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but by me." If you turn that around, we can say, "If you have come to the Father, you have come by the way, you have embraced the truth, you have life within you--you know and are known by Jesus. These three--way, truth, and life--are the most precious assets a human can posses. Allow me to put these three under one umbrella: Truth with a capital T.</p>
<p>In a 1965 paper published by Lewis Benson (Friends and the Truth) he states: "By listening to God and obeying his word man fulfils the basic law of his being. This basic conversational relationship between man and his creator is what Fox means by truth. Truth does not consist of particular propositions or a system of propositions. It is rather a dialogic relationship to God. When this dialogic relationship is broken man ceases to fulfil the purpose and destiny that God intended for him. This is the fall of man – the failure to hear and obey the creator." (see <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/313075679?profile=original">http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/313075679?profile=original</a>) Truth, in order to be Truth, must restore that broken relationship of hearing and obeying the creator. This is the significance of those opening words of John, "In the beginning was the Word (i.e. intelligible communication)...In him was life and the life was the light of men (male and female)...To as many as received him, even to those who believe on his name (i.e. the Word) to them he gave power to become sons of God...And the Word became flesh and dwells among us full of grace and truth."</p>
<p>Friends and the Truth is also included in the booklet, The Truth Is Christ (by Lewis Benson) In the introduction to this booklet, Ursula Windsor stated:</p>
<blockquote>"Friends and the Truth goes back in time to 1964, when Lewis Benson addressed a small group of Friends in Gloucester Friends Meeting House...'Truth', it states, 'comes by obedience in righteousness, and therefore the wisdom of "Friends in the Truth" in not the wisdom of the wise but the wisdom of the just.' But Lewis Benson also says in this address that `Truth is a person to person relationship to a living being—the risen and eternal Christ.' So when Jesus says that 'You are my friends if you do what I command you' (John 15,14), he is stating in personal terms that through obedience to Him we shall know the Truth. For, says Fox, 'the Truth is Christ.'</blockquote>
<blockquote>Friends and the Truth gives us much food for thought, but it is not just an academic discussion. It ends with the moving invitation to 'receive the baptism of Christ's spirit and to be brought out of many ways into the one way, and out of confusion into the knowledge of Truth.' Those of us to whom these words spoke when we first heard them, have found that over the years our lives have changed. We have learnt that single-mindedness is not to be confused with narrowmindedness, rather that commitment to the 'one Way' brings with it a new freedom to work for God. Thus George Fox in an unpublished manuscript of 1670: 'Christ says, "If the Truth makes you free, then you are free indeed"...free from false ways, false worships and teachers...so serve the Lord God as free men and women: there is your joy and peace and comfort...That which makes you free is the Truth, and the Truth is Christ...' This Christ may be a stumbling block to some and folly to others, but to the people 'in scorn called Quakers', who believed that they were called to be the people of God, 'Christ the Power of God and the Wisdom of God.'" (The Truth Is Christ, pp.7-8)</blockquote>
<p>"And let the weight and preciousness of truth be in your eye, and esteemed above all things by you." (Works of George Fox, Vol. VII, p.109) Truth--the way, the truth, and the life--is a treasure beyond all earthly possessions and earthly provisions. For a short while man can amass wealth and fame. The wealth deserts you at death and God pays no heed to worldly fame. Truth is your treasure in this life and in the next.</p>
<p>The weight and preciousness of Truth must overshadow all our earthly conduct and relationships. "You are my friends IF you do what I command you" is the foundation of fellowship--a shared experience of living under the guidance of Christ. The ministry of Jesus Christ has its rise in the fellowship of Truth. There can be no personal pronouns applied to this ministry. If it is "my ministry" or "your ministry" it is not the ministry of Christ. Christ shows the true minister what is needed, and Christ gives the resources to meet that need. The false minister sees an opportunity and records another personal triumph.</p>
<p>Many people argue against Truth on the basis of "Continuing Revelation." Under this guise we can say that the serpent's tempting words were continuing revelation. They certainly revealed something, but the results were disastrous! Continuing revelation does not mean that my revelation is substantially different than nor more sophisticated than what was revealed to the fathers. It means that God, who spoke in times past, has now spoken to me by his son calling me out of darkness into his light, out of death into his life--Truth.</p>
<p>If a minister of Christ speaks words arising in the life of Christ, you are presented with two choices on the menu: feed on the words or feed on the Truth. The result of your meal depends on which item you order. Come stand in the Truth for the love of it that you may live.</p>“[M]y yoke is easy and my burden is light” Matt. 11:30tag:nffquaker.org,2021-08-05:6286598:BlogPost:1372022021-08-05T15:30:14.000ZRebecca Heinhttp://nffquaker.org/profile/RebeccaHein
<p class="western">The voice of Christ frees us from bondage to rules. Focusing on the immediate, direct teaching of our Shepherd simplifies our task, because all we need to do is wait for guidance. With God’s voice comes the power to obey, something a focus on rules, even the right rules, can never provide.</p>
<p class="western"></p>
<p class="western">However, reading Scripture, especially the New Testament, can tempt us into focusing on Jesus’s precepts for living. This in turn siphons our…</p>
<p class="western">The voice of Christ frees us from bondage to rules. Focusing on the immediate, direct teaching of our Shepherd simplifies our task, because all we need to do is wait for guidance. With God’s voice comes the power to obey, something a focus on rules, even the right rules, can never provide.</p>
<p class="western"></p>
<p class="western">However, reading Scripture, especially the New Testament, can tempt us into focusing on Jesus’s precepts for living. This in turn siphons our attention off his living presence.</p>
<p class="western"></p>
<p class="western">In <i>Catholic Quakerism</i>, Lewis Benson discusses the early Quaker concept of how we hear God. Chapter 1 starts with the unprecedented nature of the New Covenant. In Chapter 2, “The Quaker Understanding of Christian Ethics,” under the section Righteousness and Community, he asks, “How does … [the] righteousness of God reach us through Christ?” Benson adds, “[George] Fox rejects most of the usual answers. The Bible he rejects because to make Jesus’ moral teachings into a new Torah would be no new way.”</p>
<p class="western"></p>
<p class="western">But even when we know better, we tend to get trapped in rules. For me, the most persistent is “I know I have to forgive my enemies.” (See Matt. 5:44) For others, it might be “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone.” Matt. 18:15, or “[D]o not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, or about your body, what you shall put on.” Matt. 6:25.</p>
<p class="western"></p>
<p class="western">However, God commands us to listen to the present voice of Christ. If this were insufficient guidance, then rules would make some sense. But we know his teaching is comprehensive and reliable; available to us at every juncture and indeed, must be our authority. The minute we start to stray into rules, we have begun to look to some other source of guidance for our behavior, and away from our teacher.</p>
<p class="western"></p>
<p class="western">This leads to a failure to listen, imposing our rules on others and, ultimately, killing our relationship with Christ. It also fosters spiritual pride, with the attitude, “This rule is for others, not for me.” Therefore, while highly valuing the words of Jesus, with all the wisdom they impart to us, we must stay focused on his living presence and voice.</p>
<p class="western"></p>
<p class="western"></p>Great Joy, Dreadful Dangertag:nffquaker.org,2021-06-30:6286598:BlogPost:1364672021-06-30T18:03:05.000ZJohn Jeremiah Edminsterhttp://nffquaker.org/profile/JohnJeremiahEdminster
<p>A Sermon preached at Mooresville (Indiana) Friends Church, Sixth Month 13, 2021, and previously blogged at <em>Brethren Life & Though</em>t (<a href="http://www.brethrenlifeandthought.org/2021/06/27/great-joy-dreadful-danger-a-sermon-by-john-jeremiah-edminster/">www.brethrenlifeandthought.org/2021/06/27/great-joy-dreadful-danger-a-sermon-by-john-jeremiah-edminster/</a>). Reprinted by permission</p>
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<p>“Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people,”…</p>
<p>A Sermon preached at Mooresville (Indiana) Friends Church, Sixth Month 13, 2021, and previously blogged at <em>Brethren Life & Though</em>t (<a href="http://www.brethrenlifeandthought.org/2021/06/27/great-joy-dreadful-danger-a-sermon-by-john-jeremiah-edminster/">www.brethrenlifeandthought.org/2021/06/27/great-joy-dreadful-danger-a-sermon-by-john-jeremiah-edminster/</a>). Reprinted by permission</p>
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<p>“Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people,” said the angel of the annunciation (Luke 2:10). Quaker theologian Robert Barclay (1648-1690) argued that “if this coming of Christ had not brought a possibility of salvation to<span> </span><em>all</em><span> </span>it should rather have been accounted<span> </span><em>bad</em><span> </span>tidings of great<span> </span><em>sorrow</em><span> </span>to<span> </span><em>most</em><span> </span>people”(<em>Apology</em>, Prop. 5, §6). And so it would have been! There’s other Scripture to support the idea of salvation’s availability to all, too. 1 Timothy 2:3-4 KJV speaks of “God our Saviour, who will have all men to be saved and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” The NIV puts it a little more forcefully: God “<em>wants</em><span> </span>all people to be saved,” and the NRSV, God “<em>desires</em><span> </span>everyone to be saved.” I’ve looked at the original Greek, which seems most forceful of all. There the word is<span> </span><em>thélei:</em><span> </span>God<span> </span><em>wills</em><span> </span>everyone to be saved! And since God is both almighty and supremely good, we can and should trust God to do all in God’s infinite power to get<span> </span><em>all of us</em><span> </span>saved, every Christian and every non-Christian. And what do we need salvation from? From everything we hate about ourselves, and about life – salvation from death, danger, sorrow, pain, and ignorance; from separation from hope and love!</p>
<p>But what stands in the way of our salvation is our sins and trespasses. If you’re at all like me, the best you can say about your own character is that you’re a sinner in recovery, and you have memories of things you’ve said and done that you look back on with shame and maybe disgust. But Jesus makes it very plain what you’re to do with those sins: forgive everyone else<span> </span><em>their</em><span> </span>sins against<span> </span><em>you!</em><span> </span>It’s right there in the Sermon on the Mount, right after Jesus teaches the Lord’s Prayer, after He’s said, “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us,” He<span> </span><em>reinforces the lesson</em><span> </span>by saying, “if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matt 6:14-15).</p>
<p>Now why should God withhold forgiveness? God gives most things unconditionally. Could God, who is beyond time and change, have sulky, unforgiving moods? No, God is “the Father of Lights, with whom there is no variation” (Jas 1:17), and 1 John assures us that God is Love Itself! (1 Jn 4:8, 16.) It can only be because our door of forgiveness swings both ways: lock it so that no forgiveness gets out, and neither can forgiveness get in!</p>
<p>I won’t pretend that forgiveness is easy. For people molested as small children, for concentration-camp and torture survivors, for family members of murder victims, I dare not “preach” forgiveness. I can only pray that Christ will make it possible. But I’m on fire with this message, Friends: that<span> </span><em>locking that door of forgiveness is the worst thing we can do. It’s how we damn ourselves.</em></p>
<p>Yes, Friends, I said “damn ourselves,” because I’m convinced that self-damnation is a real possibility, a real danger, and I feel called to warn sinners to repent while they can. I don’t know, or much care, whether hell is temporary or everlasting, because even a split-second of level-eleven pain is intolerable.</p>
<p>Jesus, who surely had more knowledge about such things than you or I do, foretold a coming judgment, with the potential of a terrible condemnation, in warning after warning: The Parables of the Wheat and the Tares (Matt 13:24-30), of the Unforgiving Servant (Matt 18:23-35), of the Wicked Husbandmen (Matt 21:33-46), and of the Last Judgment (Matt 25:31-46) put it unmistakably. Some of His accounts speak of an “outer darkness, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matt 8:12, 13:42, 13:50, 22:13, 24:51, 25:30; Luke 13:28), others, like the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus, warn of a never-quenched fire (Mark 9:44, 46, 48; Luke 16:19-31).</p>
<p>I’m alarmed to find that today the teaching is unfashionable, even among some Christian Quakers – as if God were too “civilized” to allow the cruelties of hell. A devout Friend once told me, “I can’t imagine that God would do that.” Yet God<span> </span><em>has permitted</em><span> </span>us to have terrible experiences in<span> </span><em>this</em><span> </span>world! Why not, then, in the next also? I showed my friend an account of a vision of souls in torment in a burning sea, witnessed by the young Quaker Joseph Hoag (1762-1846) (Hoag, <em>Journal</em><span> </span>(Auburn, NY: Knapp & Peck, 1861), 24-26). My friend dismissed it as a mere “projection” of Hoag’s internalized theology. I suspect that “the god of this world” was at work here, blinding the mind (2 Cor 4:4) of a good sheep he wanted to lead astray.</p>
<p>But we needn’t look back over centuries to the writings of our mystics, or across cultural fences to the doctrines of the Buddhists, Muslims, and Hindus, to find corroboration of biblical teachings about the fate of those who “die in their sins.” Today all it takes is an internet connection: go to your browser and key in “life review.” An estimated eight million Americans have come back from near-death experiences in which they’ve seen their life “flash before their eyes,” including the effects of their misbehaviors on others. It’s sobering. I’m not dealing here with questions of “is this<span> </span><em>The</em><span> </span>Judgment,” or “do we get second chances to repent after death,” but only “is there<span> </span><em>a</em><span> </span>judgment?” And there is. Count on it.</p>
<p>It’s of the utmost importance for lovers of God to trust in God’s kindness, and God’s willingness to forgive! We must remember that if God is all-knowing, God must experience every creature’s pain as well as every pleasure, so God cannot be allowing pain, in hell or on earth, beyond God’s own ability to tolerate. But the possibility of hell seems to be an inevitable by-product of human free agency, which in turn is part of our being made in God’s own image and likeness (Gen 1:26). If God had made us as robots that could<span> </span><em>only</em><span> </span>do God’s will, we could never become transformed into children of God. We must first be teachable creatures who can choose, then consciously sow, and then “reap whatever we sow” (Gal 6:7).</p>
<p>However, God has “no pleasure in the death of the wicked” (Ezek 33:11), but rather wishes, with all God’s heart, that we would repent of the selfishness that stains so many of our actions. For there can be no salvation without repentance, without a cleansing of our conscience, without letting ourselves be grafted into the body of Christ, where His lifeblood can be always keeping our conscience clean (Heb 9:14, 1 Jn 1:7), purifying our hearts to make them reliable sources of good! Above all we need to repent of that belief that we may “do evil, that good may come (Rom 3:8)”. If the boss asks us to do evil so that a good paycheck will come, it’s time to find a new job!</p>
<p><em>Have you asked Christ to make you perfectly repentant?</em><span> </span>Today is the day to do it! He can! Do you remember that Jesus said He had no will but to do the will of the one who sent Him?19 He can purify you till you have that same purity of motivation! – But start, I beg you, by identifying your grudges, your resentments, your areas of scorn and unforgiveness for the “others” you’ve wanted to feel superior to. Ask Him to lift them from you. And then<span> </span><em>remember</em><span> </span>this request you made<span> </span><em>whenever</em><span> </span>you say, “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.” You may feel God kissing you.</p>Juneteenth, 2021tag:nffquaker.org,2021-06-19:6286598:BlogPost:1366122021-06-19T20:19:42.000ZJohn Jeremiah Edminsterhttp://nffquaker.org/profile/JohnJeremiahEdminster
<p><em>I just posted this comment on a Facebook page, and it seemed important enough to tell the whole world. Whoever is moved to, share it freely:</em></p>
<p>The attitude I'd encourage in all my fellow enjoyers of well-educated, able-bodied, tall white male American-with-no-felony-record privilege, is this: everyone you know, everyone you meet is not your "equal," but Jesus Christ, your Lord, clothed in their skin. You have probably sinned against them in more ways than you realize, so you…</p>
<p><em>I just posted this comment on a Facebook page, and it seemed important enough to tell the whole world. Whoever is moved to, share it freely:</em></p>
<p>The attitude I'd encourage in all my fellow enjoyers of well-educated, able-bodied, tall white male American-with-no-felony-record privilege, is this: everyone you know, everyone you meet is not your "equal," but Jesus Christ, your Lord, clothed in their skin. You have probably sinned against them in more ways than you realize, so you ought to walk in such a manner as befits someone who wants their forgiveness. If they have sinned against you, you must forgive them if you want God's forgiveness (see Matt 6:14-15), and if they are behaving toward you like enemies, well, you're commanded to love them, which includes praying for their repentance and salvation if you think they're acting damnably (Matt 5:44). If they hurt you, weep rather than retaliate; God has promised to wipe away all tears from your eyes (Rev 7:17, 21:4), and theirs, too, if they repent so deeply of hurting you that they cry, too.</p>
<p>We are a world full of sinners. The sooner we learn to behave like repentant sinners, the sooner we'll find the solution to our problems, including the now intractable-seeming structural evils like environmental catastrophe, racism and "otherism" in all its forms, war and the insane proliferation of weapons, and capitalism itself. Then, and only then, might we hear "great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever" (Rev 11:15 KJV).</p>Convinced Friendtag:nffquaker.org,2021-02-22:6286598:BlogPost:1306922021-02-22T19:07:53.000ZRon Sirkelhttp://nffquaker.org/profile/RonSirkel
<p>In 1995, while seeking understanding regarding a previous spiritual encounter speaking about a sovereign Friend's revival, a spiritual voice said, </p>
<p>"The Friend's revival is the last revival and perfection of the church for God, the culmination of history as we know it. The next stage is the transformation of our mortal body and we will know as we are known."</p>
<p>I have shared elsewhere the Friend's revival encounter but the 1995 manifestation has not been shared with other…</p>
<p>In 1995, while seeking understanding regarding a previous spiritual encounter speaking about a sovereign Friend's revival, a spiritual voice said, </p>
<p>"The Friend's revival is the last revival and perfection of the church for God, the culmination of history as we know it. The next stage is the transformation of our mortal body and we will know as we are known."</p>
<p>I have shared elsewhere the Friend's revival encounter but the 1995 manifestation has not been shared with other believers to discern. A desired fellowship with all hearts clear is my hope, even if wisdom says be quiet.</p>
<p>Our mortal bodies now are not like His immortal body but a promise remains. </p>
<p>Prove all things hold fast to that which is good. Let the Elders judge.</p>
<p>Peace </p>
<p>Ron</p>hi , let me introduce myself ...tag:nffquaker.org,2021-02-01:6286598:BlogPost:1171842021-02-01T09:52:27.000ZGregoirehttp://nffquaker.org/profile/Gregoire
<p>Hi,</p>
<p></p>
<p>I'm french and 40' yo. I'm member of Nantes local assembly. I<span> feel that George Fox and the quaker vision is the best way to Christ. The early quakerism is so inspiring. </span></p>
<p>Hi,</p>
<p></p>
<p>I'm french and 40' yo. I'm member of Nantes local assembly. I<span> feel that George Fox and the quaker vision is the best way to Christ. The early quakerism is so inspiring. </span></p>Some reflections on God's lovetag:nffquaker.org,2021-01-11:6286598:BlogPost:1036642021-01-11T01:50:08.000ZDavid Raymondhttp://nffquaker.org/profile/DavidRaymond
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">God's love is like when a friend or family member tells you they love you, even after you hurt them or make the same mistakes over and over. They hold you, and tell you they love you, again and again; they make you believe it. I have been so blessed to have friends and family like this. People who have reflected what the love of the Creator is like to me.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">This love is like having a job, but one…</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">God's love is like when a friend or family member tells you they love you, even after you hurt them or make the same mistakes over and over. They hold you, and tell you they love you, again and again; they make you believe it. I have been so blessed to have friends and family like this. People who have reflected what the love of the Creator is like to me.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">This love is like having a job, but one which you cannot be fired from. No matter how many times you screw up, your boss keeps giving you not only projects, but priority projects of the highest order (even if they seem like little tasks). There is so much work to do all around us, and yet few who will take up the call. We can however quit our job. And yet the door is always open to come back. Many never return however. But you are always welcome back. And on the notice board, there are always new jobs to do.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">This love is freely given to us. We cannot earn it. No matter who you are, you are loved! No more and no less than anyone else, and yet it is the greatest love of all. This is such a relief! There is no need for anxiety or worry about whether we have done enough to be loved, and there is nothing we can do to lose it. But here is the thing. If we really come to know we are loved, will we not be changed? Surely we will. Love changes us. And it has demands on our hearts, responsibilities. Not that we must do anything to receive it, but once received, the world looks very different. Love breaks into every part of our being. What was once impossible is made possible.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Others have shown me this love, have kept it alive, until I was able to come to know the source of it all, and to be filled with its presence. Knowing this, it hurts my heart to think of the people who are no longer in my life, because of my selfishness. I may never get the chance to help them see this love as was done for me! The sorrow I feel is almost too much! But then I hear the Creator speak to me, saying, “Do not stay in your sorrow for long. There are many people still in your life! And there are many who you have yet to meet. There is no time to wallow in self pity! There is so much to be done.”</p>House Cleaningtag:nffquaker.org,2020-12-29:6286598:BlogPost:955642020-12-29T00:56:47.000ZEllis Heinhttp://nffquaker.org/profile/EllisHein
<p>Last night, in my dream, I was in a familiar neighborhood. As I walked, I came upon a house where a crew of people were busily cleaning. This crew was led by Lewis Benson. I readily joined in the effort of cleaning windows, cleaning eve troughs, sweeping the roof, and cleaning the inside. It was as thorough a cleaning job as I have ever witnessed! Nothing was left untouched.</p>
<p>I have had the clear understanding that I must share what I have seen. Even though I can't say precisely what…</p>
<p>Last night, in my dream, I was in a familiar neighborhood. As I walked, I came upon a house where a crew of people were busily cleaning. This crew was led by Lewis Benson. I readily joined in the effort of cleaning windows, cleaning eve troughs, sweeping the roof, and cleaning the inside. It was as thorough a cleaning job as I have ever witnessed! Nothing was left untouched.</p>
<p>I have had the clear understanding that I must share what I have seen. Even though I can't say precisely what the vision means, I have the sense that this is the Lord's call. Have we need of cleaning? What debris has been collecting and rotting in un-used corners? Are we willingly open to the Lord's broom and dust-cloth? It is not enough to tot up a "I-have-done-this" list. To whom have we been listening? Whom are we following? What condition, what attitude have we been nursing? These are the questions that have sat with me throughout the day.</p>Recording of 11/15/2020 study of Fox's Epistlestag:nffquaker.org,2020-11-26:6286598:BlogPost:792262020-11-26T14:08:04.000ZEllis Heinhttp://nffquaker.org/profile/EllisHein
<p>On the 15th of November we again considered Fox's Epistle XXXVIII. You can access the recording at </p>
<p><a href="https://zoom.us/rec/share/dwzNCYm3qF_AKYK7dCes0u6WIuoMdvahWiApeyNSdCPCOWMrbVX8S8Qwp6FphCiN.Ez3nyZ_VA3XrBTzZ">https://zoom.us/rec/share/dwzNCYm3qF_AKYK7dCes0u6WIuoMdvahWiApeyNSdCPCOWMrbVX8S8Qwp6FphCiN.Ez3nyZ_VA3XrBTzZ</a></p>
<p>Access Passcode: @*2unN*q</p>
<p>On the 15th of November we again considered Fox's Epistle XXXVIII. You can access the recording at </p>
<p><a href="https://zoom.us/rec/share/dwzNCYm3qF_AKYK7dCes0u6WIuoMdvahWiApeyNSdCPCOWMrbVX8S8Qwp6FphCiN.Ez3nyZ_VA3XrBTzZ">https://zoom.us/rec/share/dwzNCYm3qF_AKYK7dCes0u6WIuoMdvahWiApeyNSdCPCOWMrbVX8S8Qwp6FphCiN.Ez3nyZ_VA3XrBTzZ</a></p>
<p>Access Passcode: @*2unN*q</p>Recording of our monthly, Saturday morning reading and discussiontag:nffquaker.org,2020-11-08:6286598:BlogPost:687322020-11-08T19:00:00.000ZEllis Heinhttp://nffquaker.org/profile/EllisHein
<p>This past Saturday morning was our regular time for reading and discussing Fox's Journal (Volume 1, p. 363 and following from the Works of George Fox). It was a good discussion regarding what Fox said about the seven things people could "sit down in." Today's list might be somewhat different, but the seventh, our sabbath rest, will always be sitting down in Christ Jesus who never fell. What does that mean, to sit down in Christ Jesus? This was part of our discussion which you can see by…</p>
<p>This past Saturday morning was our regular time for reading and discussing Fox's Journal (Volume 1, p. 363 and following from the Works of George Fox). It was a good discussion regarding what Fox said about the seven things people could "sit down in." Today's list might be somewhat different, but the seventh, our sabbath rest, will always be sitting down in Christ Jesus who never fell. What does that mean, to sit down in Christ Jesus? This was part of our discussion which you can see by going to </p>
<p>Topic: Ellis Hein's Personal Meeting Room<br/> Start Time : Nov 7, 2020 07:33 AM</p>
<p>Meeting Recording:<br/> <a href="https://zoom.us/rec/share/GviAJ1gsGtTGLUbZxYEMuxg0f9UGYWcAicbZPzeW26r6KZREojlltkfZHMe2vmxs.o-jXnjxrqQwqm91N">https://zoom.us/rec/share/GviAJ1gsGtTGLUbZxYEMuxg0f9UGYWcAicbZPzeW26r6KZREojlltkfZHMe2vmxs.o-jXnjxrqQwqm91N</a></p>
<p>Access Passcode: OvRF&3Jp</p>
<p><strong>This recording will be available until Sunday, the 15th of November</strong></p>
<p>If you would like to participate in these zoom meetings, leave me a comment or send an email to ebhein<at>vcn<dot>com</p>
<p></p>HISTORIC WILBURITE MEETING HOUSE REOPENS FOR WAITING WORSHIP IN PLAINFIELD, INDIANAtag:nffquaker.org,2020-11-04:6286598:BlogPost:659802020-11-04T00:48:18.000ZJohn Jeremiah Edminsterhttp://nffquaker.org/profile/JohnJeremiahEdminster
<p>2 P. M. FIRST-DAY MEETINGS NOW SET FOR THIRD FIRST DAY OF EACH MONTH: 11/15, 12/20, ETC.</p>
<p>A group of Indiana Friends have reopened the <strong>Sugar Grove Meeting House</strong> in Plainfield, just west of the Indianapolis Airport, for a monthly hour of waiting worship after the manner of Conservative Friends. The time was chosen with a view to letting Friends worship at their home meetings in the morning and then travel to Sugar Grove without pressure to hurry. The Meeting House, a…</p>
<p>2 P. M. FIRST-DAY MEETINGS NOW SET FOR THIRD FIRST DAY OF EACH MONTH: 11/15, 12/20, ETC.</p>
<p>A group of Indiana Friends have reopened the <strong>Sugar Grove Meeting House</strong> in Plainfield, just west of the Indianapolis Airport, for a monthly hour of waiting worship after the manner of Conservative Friends. The time was chosen with a view to letting Friends worship at their home meetings in the morning and then travel to Sugar Grove without pressure to hurry. The Meeting House, a sturdy brick building erected in 1870, was home to Western (Conservative) Yearly Meeting from the time of the Wilburite-Gurneyite separation of 1877 until the laying down of the Conservative YM in 1962, after which the Wilburites deeded it to Western YM (FUM) with an endowment for its maintenance. The Friends now reopening it express gratitude to the Trustees of Western YM for permitting its use for waiting worship again.</p>
<p>[For the general public, we have added the following explanatory note:] Waiting worship after the manner of Conservative Friends is much the same as the more widely-known “silent worship” of modern liberal Friends, but with the understanding that the One we seek to be gathered, guided, corrected, strengthened, and enlightened by is Jesus Christ, our Teacher, Ruler, and Savior. Whether we sit out the hour in silence, or preach, pray, prophesy or sing aloud, or hear others do so, we share the expectation that all are doing their best to be obedient to Him: “When gathered with Christ Jesus who is the Head of the Church, Friends expect that there will be no speaking unless it is oracular. No one is to speak except to speak the words of God and in the power of God." -- Wallace, Smith, Smith, and Berk, <em>Traditional Quaker Christianity,</em> p. 81. Here “oracular” is an allusion to 1 Peter 4:11, which in the New Revised Standard Version reads (in part), “Whoever speaks must do so as one speaking the very words of God,” but which the King James Bible translates “let him speak as the oracles of God.” People sometimes make mistakes in discerning whether their speaking is truly at God’s command. We generally trust God to correct them lovingly when they’ve made an honest mistake. God finds ways to do that.</p>
<p>The Meeting House is at 6998 East County Road 600 South. Exit northward from Interstate 70 at Exit 66 (State Highway 267, “Quaker Boulevard,” and turn left (westward) onto Hadley Road,,,.</p>Recording of Sunday Evening Fox Epistle studytag:nffquaker.org,2020-10-23:6286598:BlogPost:587952020-10-23T02:46:06.000ZEllis Heinhttp://nffquaker.org/profile/EllisHein
<p>On Sunday, the 18th of October, we read and discussed the first few paragraphs of Fox's Epistle XXXVIII. In this epistle, Fox calls us to abandon the great city of Sodom with its fascination of all things of this world. Even though we are not to reason with flesh, we live by a different reasoning. "Come let us reason together," says the Lord. It is in the council of the Lord that we see the victory of the Lamb against the great beast with 10 horns.</p>
<p>Listen in to our reading and…</p>
<p>On Sunday, the 18th of October, we read and discussed the first few paragraphs of Fox's Epistle XXXVIII. In this epistle, Fox calls us to abandon the great city of Sodom with its fascination of all things of this world. Even though we are not to reason with flesh, we live by a different reasoning. "Come let us reason together," says the Lord. It is in the council of the Lord that we see the victory of the Lamb against the great beast with 10 horns.</p>
<p>Listen in to our reading and discussion by following the link below:</p>
<p><a href="https://zoom.us/rec/share/sm5yDnmtbZzY56Pm4i_YP2316rdH3DtGltFrUFYD6HtQr6xLVtCYzt5E5WiT8O98.7MZxv3zcAi6U_yxi?startTime=1603066599000">https://zoom.us/rec/share/sm5yDnmtbZzY56Pm4i_YP2316rdH3DtGltFrUFYD6HtQr6xLVtCYzt5E5WiT8O98.7MZxv3zcAi6U_yxi?startTime=1603066599000</a></p>Recording of Saturday's Zoom Meetingtag:nffquaker.org,2020-10-11:6286598:BlogPost:518492020-10-11T19:38:52.000ZEllis Heinhttp://nffquaker.org/profile/EllisHein
<p>This past Saturday was our regular Zoom meeting for reading and discussing the Journal of Fox. Following is a link and the passcode to access the recording. It is one hour and 15 minutes long. The reading is from Vol. 1, page numbers are given at the beginning. This recording will only be available for 1 week when we will need to make space for the next session.</p>
<p>The link is …</p>
<p></p>
<p>This past Saturday was our regular Zoom meeting for reading and discussing the Journal of Fox. Following is a link and the passcode to access the recording. It is one hour and 15 minutes long. The reading is from Vol. 1, page numbers are given at the beginning. This recording will only be available for 1 week when we will need to make space for the next session.</p>
<p>The link is </p>
<p><a href="https://zoom.us/rec/share/HoCTOPt6hBVdzYRrbTz3SU49Jh0fljt6SBY_yLG33sv3ErL7COUSDzxkKMjfjZrj.P3ofI9Bm4IlMoZoJ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://zoom.us/rec/share/HoCTOPt6hBVdzYRrbTz3SU49Jh0fljt6SBY_yLG33sv3ErL7COUSDzxkKMjfjZrj.P3ofI9Bm4IlMoZoJ</a></p>
<p>The passcode is</p>
<p>fC+3G%HC</p>
<p>any questions or problems? leave a comment.</p>