ryan.the.calvinist

Matthew 5:20 [Jesus said,] ”For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” My name is Ryan.  And I am a law breaker.  Yes, I have broken God's law.  I am a filthy wretch.  I am a liar, a hypocrite, and adulterer at heart... I am a murderer even. Yes.  A murderer.  As recorded in Matthew 5:21-26, Jesus explained the sin of murder is not limited only to the actual act of slaying someone with a blade.  "Everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment."  Have you been angry with someone?  You are liable to judgment by Almighty God, who is free to judge you as though you HAD murdered someone.  "Whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says 'You fool!' will be liable to the hell of fire."  I can say, with confidence, I have insulted others.  My parents... my family... my close friends... my enemies. Now, I COULD make a case that t

Titus 2:1 "But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine." I attend a university in Springfield, MO.  For those of you not in the know, Springfield, MO is smack in the Bible Belt.  We are just down the road from Southwest Baptist University... have the 2nd largest Assemblies of God church in America (James River Assembly... jokingly referred to by some locals as "Hillsong USA")... we even have the HQ of the Assemblies of God, a Protestant Pentecostal denomination.  And while this place is not like some I've seen in Northern Texas/Southern Arkansas, having a church literally on EVERY corner... it is filled with congregations galore. So then, you would think finding a church would be really simple... that all you would have to do is walk on into a church, sit down, and you've found one.  Well, that is true for finding a church.  However... finding a good church?... that takes a bit more doing. What constitutes a "GOOD CHURCH"?  One where so

The following is a slightly-altered response I made to someone on Facebook… concerning the topics of abortion, sin, the nature of God, and man’s need for a Savior.  I hope it is a blessing to those who read it. I have heard the desires to make exceptions when it comes to abortion for cases of rape or incest.  However, there is still a fundamental issue:  There is a living human being inside of the mother, with DNA and a heartbeat distinct from the mother's own.  Is rape a horrible crime and sin?  YES.  However, I think it is just as much of a crime/sin to slaughter the unborn child that results.  Truth be told, pregnancies resulting from rape are less common than those resulting from Tom and Linda not being able to keep it in their pants.  I would say the child deserves to live either way.  Adoption is always an option.  the 9 month journey is difficult, but having the blood of the innocent on the mother's hands is far worse.  "What about if the mother's life is in dan