We Are The Tribulation Church

We have a vision, a calling, and a mission. We are in tribulation, and it's just getting started. Most of the churches I've known or been a part of are not ready. They have absorbed entirely too much of this age's false wisdom in practice and theology. Thus far, the subtle attack from inside. Soon, the churches will come under increasing attack from the outside. While the Body may be cleansed of those who don't truly belong, many true members of the Body are also at risk of losing faith and falling into deep sorrow. This shaking will be very disorienting because they aren't aware of the compromises. We who saw this coming have already made the changes, and are prepared to bear up those who aren't ready for what is coming.

Only those whom the Spirit calls can cross the vast divide between what they now have and what it should be. We have no desire whatsoever to use any sort of marketing, leverage, or even debate, as those are all tools of this world. The Spirit of God does His own work, but allows us to be on hand to see His glory. We simply offer the message of Truth, for Truth makes His own path in the soul. We who have already embraced these things will be seen as held by a solid anchor, riding above the storms, at peace on the Rock. There is no organization to join, no franchise, no membership or certification. If you are called to this, take what you need of my writings, and of others, and run with it on the path God lays for you.

Steal the ideas you find here; make them your own. The only real point in letting people know where you got them is so they can come get more for themselves. What I would beg of anyone who shares this teaching is you telling me how it works for you. Share with me the joy of His power at work in you, and help me better understand through the refinement of your experience. Anything and everything you feel moved to share, bring it -- email "eddie" at this domain.

A household of faith, a voice in the Emerging Church Conversation

What is this "household of faith" business? I have intentionally avoided capitalizing the words to avoid conflict with a few dozen religious organizations which use this as their official title. This site does not represent a denomination, per se, but household of faith is a handy label which helps portray the nature of the teaching and ministry you'll find here. A longer discussion can be found here.

Intellectual Ground -- Before building a biblical life, you have to select the proper site for your foundation. We offer a review of the intellectual assumptions of how men can know things (called "epistemology"), in particular from God's Word.

Knowing the Spirit -- Mysticism is not a religion by itself, but a way of arriving at decisions about serving the God of the Bible. In this Christian Mysticism HOWTO, I explain how faith and mysticism are inextricably linked.

Foundation -- From Darkness to Light, a Course in Bible Literacy. A site attempting to apply the Bible should naturally try to read the Bible from its own ground of understanding. This study course attempts to approach the Bible from the assumptions of the folks who wrote it.

Tribulation Is Here -- Tribulation Survival Manual. That we are facing difficult times is hardly in dispute. What we can and should do about it offers numerous opportunities for debate. I propose we should return to simpler and more biblical model of Christian living in world about to go crazy. This is a series of studies looking at what I believe is wrong, and how we can do better, with an eye to preparing for tribulation.

Kingdom Living -- A Biblical Rebellion takes a look at living Christ to the fullest. For the earliest disciples of Jesus in Jerusalem, embracing the Messiah was treason, a revolution against the established political order of their day. It can be no different for us, in some ways.

Repent! -- As with Jesus, our message to the fallen world is to repent, but most of them would have the wrong idea what that means. Taking our cue from the first Church Council in Jerusalem, we raise the call to obey the The Covenant of Noah. What might it look like if we were to embrace Noah today?

It's Not Working -- Studies in the Laws of Noah. One of best ways to understand our obligations under the Covenant of Noah is to study it by comparing it with things in our modern world which fail that standard.

Biblical Education -- The Bible has much to say about child rearing and education, but the ancient ways may be hard for us to bear: Biblical Human Development.

Dispensationalist Lies -- The best defense against The Heresy of Dispensationalism is to know where it came from, why, and how Modern Israel cannot possibly fulfill any part of biblical prophecy.

Prophet's Path -- A training manual for those who believe they are called to prophesy.

Laptop Oracles -- Western Civilization is doomed, and will be replaced with something else.

Oracles of Marriage -- The Laws of God say much of marriage, but we must first learn the true nature of fallen men and women.

Bible Studies

Isaiah the Prophet -- Isaiah was the quintessential Hebrew writer, whose prophecy can be quite confusing to those who don't understand Hebrew literary traditions.

Jeremiah the Prophet -- The adventures and prophecies of Jeremiah at the end of the Judean monarchy period.

Ezekiel the Prophet -- Carried off the exile in Babylon, Ezekiel rose to prominence as the voice of God calling the Exiles to repent.

Daniel the Prophet -- There is so much bologna out there about Daniel and his prophecies. When we establish just what things must have meant for Daniel and his intended readers, we can set ourselves free from false doctrines about eschatology.

Life of Christ -- A study of the life and character of Jesus as revealed by the Gospels. Rather than force an artificial harmonization, each Gospel is examined within its own context.

Getting it Right: The Parables of Jesus -- An attempt to clear up popular misconceptions about some of Jesus' parables.

Acts -- Luke continues his examination of the early church, written most likely as legal research in defense of Paul before Caesar.

Romans -- Paul's letter to the churches in Rome is considered one of the best outlines of Christian doctrine in the Bible.

Corinthians -- The letters Paul wrote to Corinth, a church which suffered too much from Western intellectual culture.

Paul's Letter to the Galatians -- Paul makes it clear the name of "Israel" has forever taken on a new meaning after Christ.

Paul's Letter to the Ephesians -- The ultimate manual on human relations.

Paul's Letter to the Philippians -- A personal message to one of his favorite churches as his first trial in Rome comes to a close.

Paul's Letter to the Colossians -- Encouraging a church he did not plant, but grew from his ministry with others.

Paul's Letters to the Thessalonians -- A miracle church which managed to grow after a mere three weeks with Paul, but still needed some guidance.

Pastoral Letters -- Paul's letters to associates serving in apostolic roles: 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus.

Paul's Letter to Philemon -- A short personal message from Paul to the host of a house church in Colosse.

The Letter to the Hebrews -- Reviewing the text of this grand study from the eyes of a Hebraic mind.

The General Letters -- A collection of letters from John, Peter and others.

John's Revelation -- Just another study of the Apocalypse, but seeking to show the plain meaning it had for John and his audience.

Application Articles

Ramblings: Single articles covering a wide range of topics, attempting to apply the principles of the Word.

The Secular Birth of the US -- One of the most pernicious heresies of modern America is the notion that the US is somehow in a special covenant with God.

Anatomy of Confession -- What does it mean to "confess"?

"Be Ye Separate" -- How far do we go in promoting unity and at what cost?

Bordering Reality -- In all the crazy conspiracy theories regarding a New World Order, there is a kernel of truth. This outlines my best estimate of what's real, and what you can do about it.

Character Is Holiness -- Principles of Manhood.

Convictions -- Everyone should seek to know those beliefs which are built deep into the soul, the bedrock of who and what we are. Here's mine.

Christians and Human Government -- There are certain immutable realities in the mere act of governing in a fallen world. We see these unchangeable tendencies, by observing the sweep of human history, and realize Christians in government can hardly change the nature of the beast.

Christian Dating -- I suppose just about every preacher has his own lessons on teenagers and dating. These are mine.

Christian Romance -- How is romantic love different under Christ?

A Christian Violent Response -- The world assumes Christians are supposed to espouse non-violence. For the most part, we do. Christ calls us to absorb acts of violent persecution without responding in kind. However, simplistic rules can fail to offer a truly Christlike response in some rare cases.

Courting -- "Dating" for adults implies mere social activity. Christian romance has a more focussed intent, and is often distinguished by the term "courting."

Corporate Rule -- The path to a one world government is paved with corporate profits.

Ed's Testimony -- The story of how Ed became a Christian.

Emotions: Pro and Con -- What part should our feelings play in our spiritual lives?

Ethical Computing -- How to glorify Christ by how you use your computer.

The Fruit of the Tree of Knowledge -- Exploring the meaning of the Forbidden Fruit.

Independent Partisan -- Good reasons for divorcing oneself from any political party affiliation.

E-Missions -- An examination of applying the concept of "the Lord's will" to such issues as choosing computers and software.

Hating Middle Class -- There is little to be gained by noting the sins of the Middle Classes if we do nothing to offer God's remedy.

The Meaning of Babylon -- As a biblical symbol, Babylon portrays the mercenary spirit.

A New Reformation -- This is a new challenge to churches and religious institutions to consider changes which bring us back closer to the Bible.

Nature of Sin and Temptation -- We examine Scripture, from Genesis to 1 John, and see a distinct pattern describing the nature of temptation shows up.

No Whining -- What stands in the way of total surrender? Maybe it's something that blocks even a moderate surrender to Jesus' Lordship.

Omnisexual -- Too often we miss the real issue in our pursuit of public policy debate. The Bible was based on a wholly different concept of human sexuality than prevails in the West today.

Oppression in Modern America -- Government oppression is not simply something that happens in other places. Nor is it merely the catch-phrase of whining political hucksters seeking to divide the US. This nation is already deeply and truly divided -- between citizens and unaccountable government employees. My own case provides anecdotal evidence.

Political Church -- A comedy of errors the modern Evangelical churches make regarding political involvement.

The Powers That Be -- It comes as no surprise to Christians Satan has a hankering to rule this world. He has plenty of willing help, and we take a look at who some of these might be today.

Reading Hebrew -- It requires entering a whole new mindset to begin understanding the way Hebrew was written, and how it should be read.

Resistance Theology -- How far can we go in resisting tyranny without sinning? Not as far as most would like to believe.

Seventy Times Seven -- This is an example of how we can so badly twist the Word by forcing our worldly rationalist viewpoint on a spiritual-mystical body of literature, which the Old Testament is.

Sex, Pornography and Children -- Major taboo topic. We can't ignore it, nor can we afford to let the world make decisions for us on this.

Simplified Theory and Theology of Government -- What is a proper Christian view of government? What constitutes a government that Christians can support biblically?

The Sin of Expertise -- Tyrants often rely on bogus expertise to keep us together under their control.

Summary of Contention -- Outlining the primary differences we have with mainstream Western Christianity.

Sword of the Kingdom -- Our assumptions of what constitutes normal Christian living are often built on sand.

Systemic Oppression -- Rather long piece examining how our American government and culture are slowly becoming the enemy of Christ.

The Other Side -- An exploration of human freedom and sanity.

Unchurch -- What is absolutely required biblically for a body of people to be called a "church"? If we force upon everyone the common, mainstream definition, then maybe some folks need an unchurch.

Urban Death -- A critical comparison and contrast of rural versus urban atmosphere.

Walking Wounded -- We do such a poor job of handling those who just aren't up to our level of perfection.

A Modern Wedding Ceremony -- I've always written my own ceremonies for weddings. This one is a generic modern ceremony, which anyone is free to use.

The West Is Ruled by Demons -- The fundamental nature of Western Civilization is a wish fulfillment for Satan.

Where Do You Start? -- What are the barriers to the gospel in hearts today?

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Articles in Series: Several collections of articles linked by a single topic.

Critical Issues -- A host of mistaken theology can be avoided if these concepts are understood.

Lessons in Christian Leadership

Bible History Series -- We attempt to follow a chronological order of events, noting where possible the richness of historical detail taken for granted by the various writers of Scripture.

The Rehabilitation of Peter -- A sample lesson from one of my current projects: to bring Scripture to life by dramatizing various passages. By no means is this a new translation, nor even so much as a paraphrase. It is but one man's view of what things might have been like.

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Fiction

Here I link my feeble attempts at writing fiction.

Sanity Subversive -- The tale of a man leading a high school peace club by refusing to lead at all.

The Chronicles of Misty -- Science fiction tale with mystery, faith, and little adventure.

A Redemption Story -- How a genuine Christian faith responds to tragedy.

Like A Drug -- Set a few years into the future, we see the torment of a Christian man facing the results of a sin few want to discuss, and even fewer understand.

Knowing My Place -- A work of fiction, novella length. It is a proof of concept for modern electronic formats for books, etc., including links to other works on the Internet, those links being mostly non-fiction.

Vengeance Is Mine -- A short story indicating possible future consequences of current trends. The story is seen through the eyes of a persecuted pastor.

The Fifth Day -- Military training in some imaginary future somewhere in what was once the USA...

In the Caverns of Madness -- A sympathetic portrayal of what it's like to lose your grip.

Not By Choice -- Leadership by example.

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High Morals in Computing

Free and Open Source! Most people who use computers are not likely to know what "open source" means. Essentially, it describes computer software built up from code that is wide open for inspection. Instead of being hidden away as some company secret, the software code is released to anyone who asks. Thousands of computer code writers all over the world voluntarily work together to create this computer software. It began as a hobby, but is fast becoming the best that's available. Not only is this software "free" as in liberty but is also available "free" as in no charge to get it from most sources.

The idea behind all this is not some hatred for capitalism, nor any particular animosity toward the idea of commercial software companies. Rather, the objective has always been the freedom of the user to decide for themselves. There is nothing inherently immoral about using any commercially produced software, if that is what you want. However, if you want something else, the Open Source Community wants you to have choices.

From the Christian perspective, having choices opens wide the door to service. It is the nature of our faith that we embrace freedom for others as well as ourselves, for it is the Blood of Jesus that sets us free from serving Satan. It is the nature of Sin to hold you in bondage. Those who would restrict your choices for their own personal gain refuse to recognize that gift from God, and do not trust God. While it is acknowledged that the Open Source Community is hardly Christian in nature, it is noteworthy that nothing else in the field of computers is, either. It remains for us -- Christian computer users -- to follow the lead of Our Lord in choosing what best fits us for His service. Free and Open Source software may well be that best choice. See "Ethical Computing" and "E-Missions" for a closer look at these issues.

As Needed -- Computer users should have a clear purpose in mind before deciding which computer Operating System is best for themselves. Then set aside all the hype of promotions and take a good look at which of the many choices will serve your needs in serving Christ.

The New E-Style -- Communicating openly means speaking the same language. A part of the language in electronic communications is the format. There is a standard for proper formatting of plain text documents for the computer. The document itself sets the example by actually being just such a plain text document. The guidelines are the same for e-mail, which should always be in plain text.

Spam Fighting Part 1: Morals and Ethics -- Here we explore the definition of "spam" and some of the underlying moral and ethical problems.

Spam Fighting Part 2: Sources and Causes -- How did we get into this mess?

Spam Fighting Part 3: HOWTO -- Outline of techniques for hammering spammers.

Spam Fighting Part 4: Unintended Consequences -- What can happen when an ISP is falsely accused of being a hard-core spamhaus?

Soul of Privacy -- As we read, debate, and consider our response to all the various attacks on our privacy, it's important we understand just how important it really is that we all retain some privacy. Here is why it matters.

Important Links

World of Ends: The absolute essential understanding of the nature of the Internet. Ignore this at your peril.

Any Browser Campaign: This website seeks to inform Internet surfers that there really is a major problem out there with the way some web pages are set up. A certain major corporation produces software for building websites which are often difficult to read with any web browser not made by the same company.

The Official RFC 1855 Netiquette Guidelines -- Anytime you see a document with "RFC" at the top, it's the official standard for Internet use.