Blogosphere Madness: Dogmasphere 2010

About the Book

Continuing the extract from the Blog (http://s201453435.onlinehome.us/); these are More Ravings of a Religious Fanatic. These topics are edgy-while maintaining spiritual accuracy-analyses of religious principles, practices and doctrine: Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. (Matthew 10:34) Our destination is this: Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: . . . (Ephesians 6:14-17) These are tools to strengthen the thrust of the sword of the Spirit. However, you cannot just repeat what you read here; rather, you must also apply Scripture: Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. (1 John 4:1) Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth . . .

About the Author

Who am I? I guess phrases like, "Beats me," and, "Who really knows who they are," will not be sufficient for you to understand what possesses me to present books to you; so, I guess I have to go a little further. As a young man, I received my calling to the Gospel ministry: as a graduate of the University of Chicago, I increased my intuition for analytical thinking. With this combination, the direction was set: to educate others in the deeper truth of the Bible, through exhortation to reasoned worship. As described here, reasoned worship is: Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. (Hebrews 6:1-2) My specific training at the University of Chicago is in Special Studies, History and Philosophy of Religion. As a result of the discipline obtained, I became very accustomed to asking God, "Why?" This is consistent with the Bible. Moses is one among many that illustrated a pattern for such inquiries: And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? (Exodus 3:13) In the pattern of Moses and the prophets; after the inspiration arose, I, too, asked, what shall I say unto them? To some, I am perceived as being a religious maverick. No, I am not a maverick; just one of many. Though, sometimes, I do feel a weight of isolation in bearing certain ideas. This feeling is not allowed to linger; for, in a brief amount of time, I am reminded of the aloneness felt by the prophet Elijah. And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away. (1 King 19:14) Like so many others, I could have subordinated my ideas to one of the established religious expressions of Christianity. Instead, the words of the LORD, as sent to Elijah, was implanted in my mind: Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him. (1 King 19:18) As is probably obvious to anyone who has glanced at the Christian religion, as a whole; in the myriad attempts at practicing Christianity, there is contradiction among various power centers. The contradiction among the centers pushed me back to the original source, the Bible. Starting from the Bible, I sought to glean truth and peace; for, All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. (2 Timothy 3:16) I know that truth and peace are not the norm in the present day--the maladies of duplicity and war seem to be the state that mankind prefers for itself. I needed to know that those two maladies are not a necessary part of our existence. To begin, I set my mind to achieving an understanding of the origin of these forces, as described in these questions. From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? (James 4:1) Despair must not be allowed to prevail: hope must be present in all things. Rest in the fact that the journey to needed answers is a short one: the Bible is where they are. As is written: Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. (James 4:6-8a) We must not submit our self to the angst that produces discord. The understanding of truth and peace is retrievable. Pointing the way back is what I do; and, therefore, who I am.