The Testimony of George Fox

A faith I have come to greatly admire is that of Mr. George Fox. This is the man accredited with starting "The Society of Friends" or otherwise know as "Quakers". Quaker was a deragotory term used to describe the Society of Friends because men would quake when they would preach or Friends would quake themselves in meetings.

George Fox live in 17th century England (1624-1691). This was a time of great political turmoil. Governments switched from being Republics to Monarchies. One thing to be said about the man was that he was greatly loved or hated. Oliver Cromwell himself knew Fox was peaceful and godly, and gave him space to minister.

George Fox never took oaths to names of kings in court. This got him in big trouble. He was thrown in prison because of it. He was convicted by the command of Christ.

Matt. 5:34-36
"But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God,
or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. "

His boldness and conviction for Truth (note with capital T) is certainly to be noted. His testimony has impacted me personally. A man I greatly admire said of Fox that he was one of the few Christians since the first few centuries of Christendom to live like an actual apostle. I would concur.

This quote is a staple to Foxe's conviction. The quote came at a time when Cromwell had died in England, and the uncertainty of the times made men fear new political arenas. Fox was resolute with his office and calling regardless of the ruling pontiffs.

"Stand in fear and dread of the Lord God; His power, life, light, seed and wisdom, by which ye may take away the occasion of wars, and so know a kingdom which hath no end, and fight for that with spirtual weapons, which takes away the occasion of the carnal; and there gather men to war,as many as ye can, and set up as many as ye can with these weapons."

Foxe's weapon was the Word of God. He had no need for gun powder. This generation will do best to take note.

Rethinking the Amorphous Blog

Perhaps blogs are not intended for poetry. I don't know who sets the guidelines for blogs, but I do intend to write more about personal events and happenings. I guess I am going to begin to use this as a journal of sorts. Lord willing this will ensue.

Egyptian Dreams

Nevermind the forgetful times
O Sleeper
Awake, Awake I will be your dreamer

Faces wax cold ebb and flow
with iridescent glow
Awake, Awake, I will be your dreamer

The pulleys take ancient lifts
of slave master, in and out, up and down
sliding loads all around
falling sands on grounds
Shakeable and Shaking
in damp chills when
hard rains call
The slave and master
make ruin in Egyptian towns

Whose heritage? Tis the question lingering
The dry winds blow the fortress down
on conquerable kingdoms
What remains? Tis the question everlasting
Whose Arbiter? mortal pharoah must give momentary
edicts and answers

Edwardville Cops....a Haiku

Well we went on a road trip, and we did get pulled over by Edwardsville, Kansas cops. My friend had double registration tags on his van, hence the suspicion. They wore their badges alright. We did nothing wrong. No arrests and/or tickets. Praise God.

The lords know their space
Territorial is sane
Flashing red and blue

Cowritten by Dylan Gatton and Ben Sojka

On a War Memorial Day

Sometimes justice is further from reach than you think
It is antiquated in an assortment of General drink
Myriads of color flashing in the sky
Some white, some pink, and some purple dye

Falling judgment rain on the face
Will the grave feel its pain?
When fallen slain is projected on semi-tall places
Can white-washed masses grab the pain?

Crowds enjoy the fire works and flies
It is the sundry night mood of summertime
Maybe this will help seclude our senses
And exchange our visions with better lenses

Death awaits at your stoic door
Will Adam tremble at the news?
When their symphonic stench is felt in every place
Can death himself speak at the news?

Always hope is fleeting if you view him down the gun
The barrel still sounds louder than life rays of sun
Adam from the dust you came and fall
beating against the wind in military call

A Poem, An Answer, A Dark, Remedial Solution

Sport and Jest, Sport and Jest, Sport and Jest
The Thrice cup of lightness drink down
And splosh the laughter all around
While babies' blood wails from the ground

Sport and Jest, Sport and Jest, Sport and Jest
Continual parties for your ales
But you ensue your own driven nails
On coffins for young, sturdy males

Sport and Jest, Sport and Jest, Sport and Jest
The Games are played in arenas
Yet are won by blood thirsty hyeanas
Whose stripes always bleed through

Progressive Seasons of Lent on the forehead
Will light shine through?
Will light shine through?
Will light shine through?

A Judgment, An Council, A Dark, Remedial Solution

Testing the Spirits......

The church needs more pairs of eyes to see the obvious. The eyes I have in mind are spiritually discerned in nature. In charismatic circles many unusual things in times past have flown under the radar to the forefrunt. The Lakeland "Revival" was a disaster because men chose to believe hype instead of testing claims or the spirit behind the event. If we are to see true revival today, men and women will need to be equipped by the Spirit in order to test the spirits in our churches. If testing the spirits is a higher gift from the Holy Spirit, it has almost been completely neglected today. Those who may have had the gift in these circles have been pushed aside to push the agenda of men or fallen angels at worst.

I have in mind one human activity that could have three different entities on it. The human activity is laughing. Laughing could represent much either for righteousness or unrighteousness. In Zecheriah 9:15-17, we see the people of God rejoicing as if drunk with wine. I would have to say this would imply laughter. It reads as follows-

"The LORD of hosts will protect them, and they shall devour, and tread down the sling stones, and they shall drink and roar as if drunk with wine, and be full like a bowl, drenched like the corners of the altar. On that day the LORD their God will save them, as the flock of his people; for like the jewels of a crown they shall shine on his land. For how great is his goodness, and how great his beauty! Grain shall make the young men flourish, and new wine the young women."

In Genesis, I believe we get three different vantage points of spirits behind the activity of laughter. Three different events of laughter are recorded in the testimonies of Hagar and Sarah.

Laughter in unbelief/flesh
Gen. 18:11-15
Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years. The way of women had ceased to be with Sarah. 12 So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, "After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure?" 13The LORD said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh and say, 'Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?' 14 Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son." 15But Sarah denied it,[saying, "I did not laugh," for she was afraid. He said, "No, but you did laugh."

Laughter given by God in the birth of promise
Gen. 21:6-7
6And Sarah said, "God has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh over me." 7And she said, "Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age."

Laughter of the enemies of the promise and perhaps demonic?
Gen. 21:9-10
9But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, laughing. 10So she said to Abraham, "Cast out this slave woman with her son, for the son of this slave woman shall not be heir with my son Isaac."

The laughter of Hagar is seen as a laughter of mockery or provocation. Hagar's spirit of laughter provoked Sarah to despise Hagar and her child Ishmael.

I believe these three texts cast their light on just one human activity, and the spirits associated behind each event. The question that needs to be asked more often would have to come from the Lord Jesus himself. When he saw the disciples inquiring to call fire down from heaven to kill the Samaritans, he told them, "Ye know not what manner and spirit are ye of." (Luke 9:55)

And that would be the issue and question still to this day.