Me First? .......?

      My wife bought me Foxes Book of Martyrs. I haven't read this for many years. Mans cruelty to man never ceases to amaze me. What astonishes me the most, besides mans astonishing cruelty to his fellow man, is the base realization of the reasoning behind it. Belief defining and defying and then reviling another belief berthing retribution by means of exterminating competing ideology. As primitive a form of exclusionary and cowardly means of controlling societal conformity, it's usage comes close to being universal even in the most politesse of societies. Ten reigns of terror executed on Christians in the most obscene and horrific demonstration of methods for the preservation of exclusionary conformity to another's realm of totalitarian inclusion. 

     Universalism is one of those words that carry frightening allusions of control to me personally. Another, that carries almost the same aversion to me is reforming. Both contain a versioning alignment of thought that to me will predesignate the same destination of control. Getting past the ten reigns of persecution we end up with one controlling Christian ideology that uses the same horrific tactics of control that the pagan systems employed. They refer to this part of history the "Dark Ages."  Controlling the dialogue seems to be in vogue wherever we land in historical examination. Yet, truth has to reside in and of its self. We may try to control it and define it; modify it to our preference and codify it to advance a defining conditioning goal of our own or submit to it and let it lay us bare. Judgement comes first to the house of God of which we are. Who wants to be first in line? Time won't even be a consideration, only eternity will prevail. I'm starting to sound like a Baptist now. Still, we will all meet the Truth. I'm going to be transparent before it whether I like it or not; but I'm not writing about that now, because now is all we ever have in time. The strangest part of all this is that I can't wait to be there, at His feet, waiting for the cleansing of my soul; not reformation, not universalism, just myself with the Truth, the Word, and the Life.

1 Peter 4:17 For the time is come that judgement must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?

A question to be asked.

Assumptive Consumption

     Sometimes I awaken with a thought that leads me on a sort of rabbit trail chase with hopes of catching some sort of resolution. Idolitive creedal worship bordering on the fringes of fanatical reasoning for the sake of exclusion of reasonable inclusion seems to be more of a marketing ploy that employs somewhat intimidating tactical methodology while betraying objective reasoning. Pick and choose this day whom you will serve. A person or group will often  radicalize to employ a means of marginalizing competing ideology; many times to the point of dying for. I can find myself definitively saying there are beliefs worth dying for, but with the obvious implication that this implies the obverse. I've seen that this will steer many people to simply employ an "I'm not religious stance", all the while betraying their position with religious zeal. This also manifests itself in politics now as to be the norm and not the exception. This raises all sorts of questions apart from how we arrived to this debacle. While all don't always search for a peaceful reconciliation; we all should long for it; but how can we achieve it? When do we pick up the sword and when do we lay it down? Is there ever a point when being right can be blinding reason all along, or to be right for corrective rationale, or just right for elevating an ingratiating ego? When does motive dominate or interfere with objective rationale? Can being right for a wrong reason still be justifiable? 

     We've all heard the transparency word thrown around a lot lately. The thought of it landing at our front door, so to speak, is somewhat frightening and rarely a consideration for strategic gain. The thought that we're already transparent before God is considerably more concerning or it should be. A fig leaf has already been proven a poor cover. My desire is to be right. One of the major roadblocks is assumption where it doesn't belong. A conclusion derived and conceived, aided by an assumption, may make for a tantalizing consumption, but can deliver undesired side effects to a persons ethical constitution. If there's a hill to die on, and many have already died on, don't make it on an assumption. I can't just assume I'm alright, when I know I'm not. I need the substitutionary atonement that Jesus provides, so I want to be right. That's my desire, but more importantly, I want to be right with God. That's the hill I'll die on. 

     I'm assuming you've been consuming an assumptive remedial tactical revolutionary conceptualizing epiphany now from my morning ramp. Time for a nap.

A Country Dance

Achieving this their end, 

They create a cause, 

Berthing thoughtless thoughts

They arm their aim

Mindless vessels to create, 

A voice, a role, clueless debate

Rebuttal defined, awaits it's prey, 

Roaring chorus secured in the fray

A rage to ensure, a position, a stance 

A tuneless tune to which they may dance

Bend-less roads that seek to ease

Or circular travails that feeds disease

Blinding, blindness never sought

An inviting host so easily got

And this we say to our dismay 

I thought, I think, We found our way