ryan.the.calvinist

(Originally written in early March, 2012.  The final two paragraphs were written on 6.30.12, to fittingly end the post.) My wife and I are continuing to read through the entire Bible in chronological order ... to varying degrees of success.  I have already had some milestones, reading some books I had never read completely - including Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.  Though I grew up in church, I have yet to read all of God's Word.  Sad state of not only myself but education and chatechesis of Christians. In reading these books, I did not find them to be at all what I had expected. I was under the impression that these books were dry, without value for the 21st century Christian, and too difficult to "get through."  I don't recall anyone telling me this directly; I arrived at this perception from hearing how others had tried to read the Bible through and got hung up past Exodus.  I am happy to proclaim, however, this was not my experience.  I ...

And when the priests came out of the Holy Place (for all the priests who were present had consecrated themselves, without regard to their divisions, and all the Levitical singers, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun, their sons and kinsmen, arrayed in fine linen, with cymbals, harps, and lyres, stood east of the altar with 120 priests who were trumpeters; and it was the duty of the trumpeters and singers to make themselves heard in unison in praise and thanksgiving to the LORD), and when the song was raised, with trumpets and cymbals and other musical instruments, in praise to the LORD, “For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever,” the house, the house of the LORD, was filled with a cloud, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the house of God. (2 Chronicles 5:11-14 ESV) While my wife and I are still using the Chronological Bible reading plan ... we are not very good at consistency and staying on ta...

Recently, my father-in-law asked me a rather unusual question last weekend while we were picking blueberries. "Is there such a thing as the 'spiritual prosperity gospel', and if so, what does it   look like?" "Spiritual prosperity gospel"?  It did catch me off guard.  At first, I had thought he was just asking about the prosperity gospel.  I started explaining how people will claim that if you sow a seed then God will bless you with money or physically... but he eventually stopped me and informed me that is not what he was asking about. After some clarification, though I am not sure I even fully understand what he was/is asking, I think I have a slightly better understanding as to what he was inquiring about.  Is there freedom from the power of sin, in this life, through prayer, worship, Bible-reading, or other spiritual disciplines as such?  AND Why do Christians still sin? Having never been actually asked this before, I admit I was ...