While this site started out as a testimony about the prayer meetings that transpired from 1995 to 2000 in my home (i.e. The Prayer Shack), the site has since extended beyond this initial purpose to encompass a broader range of information and resource for those who visit. The most significant expansion of this site’s purpose has to do with the belief that God desires to revive His people with truth (awaken them from their slumber in religion) and draw us back to the passion that captivated the early Church. My heart is also that the lost will be introduced to real Christianity through a living relationship with Jesus Christ, not merely some “religious experience” or plugging into some rote routine. This is my heart and my personal pursuit as well – to live sincerely and follow Christ, without anxiety over religious agendas and quotas. I am just an ordinary person who is on a journey to know God deeply, live in His freedom, and to share this journey with anyone along the way who is willing.
I believe a restoration of first century Christiany (i.e. the mindset that motivated it) is in order and much needed today. Organized Religion has taken over and God’s people are distracted, weary, spiritually dry and some falling by the way side. Few truly know Christ intimately or what it means to connect relationally with other members of the body of Christ. Few think these things are possible outside of organized religion, but that is exactly the mind-set that needs to change! Christianity was never established as an organization or some religious order, governed by hierarchical rule and intended to be lived out in two hour weekly organized meetings and a slew of organized “evangelistic activities.” Christianity is a way of life. It is THE WAY of life! It is Christ in His people! That is, in actuality, the biblical concept of Christianity and the Church.
1 Peter 2:5-7 – And now you are living stones that are being used to build a spiritual house. You are also a group of holy priests, and with the help of Jesus Christ you will offer sacrifices that please God. It is just as God says in the Scriptures, “Look! I am placing in Zion a choice and precious cornerstone. No one who has faith in that one will be disappointed.” You are followers of the Lord, and that stone is precious to you. But it isn’t precious to those who refuse to follow him. They are the builders who tossed aside the stone that turned out to be the most important one of all.
Too many think that “church” is a building or a program. IT IS NOT THAT AT ALL! This involves a major shift in our thinking. We are trained to think institutionally and organizationally when it comes to Christianity. Our lives literally revolve around “church”, dare I say even more than it does around Christ Himself. If the “system” was removed completely, how many of us could say we really know Him enough to be able to stand fast and to continue to act like a body without all of the hype, glamour and organization of institutional Christianity? It is time we understand the relational, spiritual, and organic nature of the true body of Jesus Christ. When this revelation captivates us and we begin to see Christ as Lord (the only Lord) of His Church, not just the subject of our religious organizational meetings, then we can really start moving towards a mindset of revolution.
REVOLUTION (rev·o·lu·tion) – “a drastic and far-reaching change in ways of thinking and behaving” (WordNet ® 2.0, © 2003 Princeton University); “major change: a dramatic change in ideas or practice” (Encarta® World English Dictionary [North American Edition] © & (P)2005 Microsoft Corporation); “A total or radical change” (Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 Edition)
When Christ is actually permitted and trusted to be Lord of our gatherings (as well as our individual lives), rather than men being given the place of control and rulership over the body (thus negating the rulership of Christ and His ministry manifested through all the saints), then we will start to see the elements of real “revival” start to fall into place (and by revival I simply mean an awakening to the truth that brings freedom to live as Christ intended. This is not “revival” in the sense of a “movement” but in the sense of a total revolutionary mindset – where Christ is the only solid Rock on which we stand – thus removing all false securities and obstacles to sincere faith). Only a true focus on Christ as Lord (which, in turn, will produce sincere love for one another) can hope to bring about the kind of manifested Christianity that draws the lost to Him… Not with “evangelistic gimmicks” or clever manipulation, but the truth working through love.
The direction and purpose of this website is to emphasize the love of God and real life relationship with Jesus, completely unfettered by the mindsets of religion. While I am not promoting any particular style or pattern of “meeting” for Christians nor am I trying to advance some kind of “ministry” (in the way that “ministry” is generally comprehended), I do fully believe that God’s people are His Church. How we relate together and our pursuit of Christ together is far more important than the religious systems, programs and buildings man typically gets distracted with. I hope to encourage people simply in the direction of Christ, not religion. TruthForFree.com is not a church, a house church, a cell group, a formal ministry organization, or a religious club of any sort. The name “TruthForFree” is simply a statement identifying purpose. It is not the title of some organized ministry program.
You may notice that a number of the articles on this site speak favorably of some of the teaching present in the house church movement (although I am not directly involved in what would be considered a house church myself). It is encouraging to see that many believers are becoming more interested in primitive Christianity and I like the emphasis on gathering informally simply to share the fellowship of love with brothers and sisters in Christ and to minister to the Lord. Again, I do not personally believe that the “structure” of meeting is the most essential thing, but whether Christ is central however we meet, and that we continue to walk with sincerity before the Lord and each other in our daily lives.
While I personally am not crazy about the term “reformation” (for reasons I will explain in a moment), I have appreciated much of the perspective shared by sites like the 15 Thesis Towards A Reformation of Church by Wolfgang Simson and also the great majority of Robert Lund’s 95 Power Points of Restoration. I think that both of these articles (except for a very minimal variance of perspective on a couple of the points in each of their works) describe so well the stirring within my own heart and that burning desire that is shared among an increasing number of Christians today to see the Lord’s will and His heart embraced by His Church (His people); to see her flee religiosity and become intoxicated with Him only. My contention with the term “reform” is only with respect to the idea that men often think it is their duty or God’s will to “re-form” what man has developed by his own wisdom and strength rather that come to grips with the truth that JESUS BUILDS HIS CHURCH (Matthew 16:18) and therefore has little interest in helping man fix what God never created in the first place (Psalm 127:1). I believe it is God’s will that we embrace His kingdom (Luke 12:31) and His authority (Matthew 28:18) rather than simply what seems right in the eyes of religious tradition (Mark 7:6-9). For those that have ears to hear this, let them hear it.
Ultimately this site is about real life relationship with God and the desire to pursue this without the distraction and deception of getting caught up in religious ritual and performance (which I believe is actually a tactic of the enemy to keep up us passive and disconnected). If the devil can get a person to be religious, they are no threat to his kingdom… But watch out when a person discovers the living reality of Christ as Lord! My sincere heart’s intent is to provide whatever encouragement is possible to this end, so that Christians will come to know their Lord and His body in a real, vibrant and intoxicating way.
I am completely uninterested in mere religion and just following the same ol’ routine every week of my life. Religion is for the dead! Jesus is all about LIFE!!! And not just life, but life far more abundant than any religious program could hope to actuate, imitate or try to substitute. I don’t have all the answers and I don’t presume to think that only I am on the right track, for in all honesty, I am quite aware of my faults and my shortcomings and realize that I have yet plenty of maturing to do as a Christian. God’s grace is amazing and it motivates me to keep climbing, keep pressing, keep running to get closer to Him. I’ve had my share of dry spells and frustrations along this road. I’ve faced questions and struggle (and I’m sure there will more to come), but one thing has never changed; I WANT HIM!!! What’s exciting to me is that I am seeing I am not alone in this desire of my heart!