ryan.the.calvinist

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...

Question:  Would you join a local congregation knowing you would be excluded from holding either office of deacon or elder? I am asking this question from a complimentarian view.  That is, I am against "eldressess" or "pastrixes" and see no biblical support for women holding such roles.  While on the topic, I *do* see the capacity of women to hold the role of deaconess.  But that is not what I am referring to.  The issue is not one of gender requirements; it is one of belief or conviction. I am Reformed (NO! REALLY?!??!).  I am also a convinced credobaptist, wishing to bestow the visible sign of the New Covenant to those who are actually members of that covenant - namely those who repent of sin and place their trust in Christ Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins.  Are there false converts? Yes.  Credobaptists baptize many many many who are not truly of the the New Covenant, though they profess to be.  This is due to our inability to kn...

This continuing series is a look at C.S. Lewis’s views on Predestination and Free Will… Consulting the Old Testament A discussion of any Christian theology necessarily requires consultation with an authoritative text: the Bible. Throughout the biblical narrative, there are numerous examples of God sovereignly electing individuals for his purposes. An early example, found in Genesis 6, is that of God showing grace to Noah. God’s choice to spare Noah and his family from his righteous judgment was not the result of any first action on Noah’s part. God did not save Noah because he was a righteous man who kept God’s commands. While the text records “Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God” [1] , it does so only after first declaring that God had given grace to Noah. [2] Several other examples are prevalent throughout the Hebrew Bible – from Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, to Joseph. Having been sold into slavery by his older brothers, Joseph was truly on the r...

Malachi 4:1-3 For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble.  The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the L ORD of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch.  But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings.   You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall.  And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the L ORD of hosts. Thanks to a good friend of mine named Jim , Kacey and I learned of a church down here in Springfield that is attempting to join the OPC - Orthodox Presbyterian Church.  The congregation is fairly small; even smaller than the Sovereign Grace church in town or South Creek... and considerably smaller than Boulevard Baptist.  But it is also full of people who love God... and who use the Trinity hymnal. ;-) The sermon text today...