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I have never been the type of person to go with the crowd just because it is the thing to do. Some may see me as a bit of a rebel and that may be so. But, I have never been a “rebel” just for the sake of being a rebel. When I deviate from the crowd it is usually because I see the crowd as going the wrong way. I’m interested in right, not wrong, and truth, not tradition Often it has meant that I go it alone, at least for awhile, but there are always others that I find going the same way.  I’m not one to do things because “that’s the way it’s always been done.” Although, I realize the value of traditions in families, faith, and society when it is founded on truth. But when it is not, I’m a firm believer that we need to make whatever change is necessary. This is especially true in our faith walk, which is supposed to be founded on truth. Perhaps you, too, have questioned modern church practices, traditions, or trends, and dared to think apart from the crowd because you realize something isn’t quite right, or doesn’t measure up to what you see in scripture.

This blog site is a reflection of my own search for the truth in modern church practices and in life itself, going beyond tradition to find the core truths of the Kingdom of God and how it was intended to be lived out on this planet. I’m not alone on this journey. There are many more skillful and experienced writers that have published better works. I have read many of them. But this is my attempt to be one more voice in the wilderness of tradition challenging the way things have always been done. I have a firm belief that the modern church is not following the design that God laid out in scripture. There is a better way. I hope you will be challenged and encouraged as you read. Much of what I write has been topics that have challenged me over the years. And some are simply reflections from many years of experience in church ministry and urban mission work. I’ve been down the traditional road, but over the past almost twenty years, or so, however, I have been taken beyond tradition by some of the most simple truths of scripture. We cannot ignore two thousand years of church history, but we don’t have to make the same mistakes over and over again, either.

As I look back, my life has been anything but traditional. My move to the inner-city at the ripe age of 26 was far from understood by family and friends. The church I came from prayed for me, but really didn’t understand my choice to go the more dangerous route and simply bid me a fond farewell. If I were traditional, I would have sought out a Christian wife from a Christian school, settled in a Christian suburban community and went to church every week and did what everyone else did. That’s not what I chose to do. But this blog will not be all about the inner-city.  God has done many other things in my life as well over the years. But I can’t discount the insights from thirty plus years. I have learned how inter-woven life really is, and not as compartmentalized as we would like to think in the West.

In the Ekklessia pages there will be an ever-growing collection of articles and links regarding the changes going on in church structure and function. This is the first major change in 500 years, and is being labeled as the Second Reformation. This is significant and I want to create a place where people can learn about these changes and how to put them into practice. Articles like So You Left the Church–Now What? and Do Not Try This At Home explain a lot about the simple approach to gathering together as believers with some practical insights. But not all is rosy, as you can read in Another one Bites the Dust, where I lay out some important discoveries that arose out of my own home based church experiences.

Over the years I have seen the church often follow trends more than truth, even compromising critical doctrines. When I write about these things, it is to alert the reader to the problem and call them to examine the truth through scripture more clearly. At times I wonder Has the Church Lost It’s Way?. There are critical doctrines that should not be forgotten, like those discussed in The Only Begotten Son and The Lord’s Supper.

In 2015, I was privileged to visit a faith community in Cebu, Philippines. I kept a log of my trip, and that is kept in its own section entitled Philippines 2015.

Through all of it, I want to tell about the coming Messiah. Who Is This Messiah?  you may ask. He is hated by many (He said it would be that way), misunderstood by others, loved by some, and unknown by so many others.  Yet, His story must be told to all who will listen. Because it is the Truth.  He is life, the creator of all life and all things. He is the Prince of Peace that will bring true peace to this tumultuous world when He returns. He is all powerful, all-knowing, and everywhere present. 

All these years, it was He who has provided for me, sustained me, taught me, counseled me, loved me, and has never left me.  I know He will do the same for you if you will let him!  Who is He?  He has visited this earth before and will do so again soon!  He is the Messiah, the deliverer, the one who will make all things new again!  He is Jesus, Jesu, Yeshua, the Christ, the Anointed One.

Enjoy!

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