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An Evangelical Manifesto: Open Discussion Forum

Stephen Macasil

According to the official website, "An Evangelical Manifesto is an open declaration of who Evangelicals are and what they stand for. It has been drafted and published by a representative group of Evangelical leaders who do not claim to speak for all Evangelicals, but who invite all other Evangelicals to stand with them and help clarify what Evangelical means in light of "confusions within and the consternation without" ...

Election and Predestination

Mario Herrera

Ouch! These are prone to be fighting words in today's modern evangelical church. Mention one or the other, and defense mechanisms come right on up! Why should this be the case? As Christians, are we not called to be like the Bereans? Are we not to search the Scriptures? We are to be imitators, of those men who follow after Christ, men who do not compromise the truth! ...

Jesus, Tradition, and Scripture

Stephen Macasil

Here's the scenario: the Pharisees and some of the scribes from Jerusalem had noticed something, and so they approached Jesus to discuss it with him.  They noticed that some of his disciples ate without washing their hands.  To the Pharisees, the disciples were eating with hands that were defiled!  Mark the Evangelist provides some insight from his commentary saying, "For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not ...

In Union with Messiah

Mario Herrera

As we take in what Paul has to say in His epistles, we find a treasure of blessings which flow out of the reality that we are in union with Christ. We, as followers of Messiah, must stop and realize that our union with Christ should not only be a knowledge that stops in the mind, but must penetrate to the inner most parts of the soul. The ...

THEOTHURSDAYS: Paul’s Prayer for the Philippians Pt. 1 (Phil. 1:3-11)

Stephen Macasil

Part 1 of a 2 part series on Paul's Prayer for the Philippians. "I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until ...

Avoiding the “Flat Bible” Problem - Part 2

Stephen Macasil

This is Part 2 of a 5 Part Series by Pastor Glenn Leatherman of Grace Covenant Community Church in Brea, CA.  Part 1 can be read here.  Part 2: A Flat Bible Perspective Erroneously Tries To Arrive At Interpretations And Definitions Independently From The Context Of The Verse In what sense does Jesus mean that he and the Father are "one"?: One in Person? Now how does our avoidance of the ...

Infant Baptism Revisited

Stephen Macasil

In the past I have discussed infant baptism ad nausium.  Since I used to be a Reformed Baptist (1689'er), the topic of baptism was in the forefront often.  We (the 1689'ers) have debated and exhausted just about every angle of the topic (so we thought) of baptism, and we waved the banner of victory over our opponents.  Of course these debates were "intramural," meaning, in an "in-house" sort ...

Discussing Baptism

Dr. Robert Morey

Note from Moderator: Participants in this discussion must not stray from the topic.  IOW, no rabbit trails!  Failure to adhere to this rule will result in your comment being deleted, and possibly, your permission to comment permanently revoked.  Introduction First task is to define the meaning of the word "baptism." a. O.T. Jewish background. b. Between the testaments. c. 1st century Judaism. d. Greco-Roman meaning of the word in secular and religious contexts. e. The ...

“Bless the LORD O My Soul.”

Mario Herrera

Let us take a look at the words of David in Psalm 103. David begins by commanding himself saying, “bless the LORD, O my soul, And all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul.” So often today, we hear the prayers of others asking God for a blessing. “LORD, bless my life and provide for my every need.” ...

THEOTHURSDAYS: JUDE 4-25

Stephen Macasil

Rather than writing a fresh post for this Theothursday, I decided to post my notes from a study I did a while back on Jude.  The article is old, but seems fitting to be released now.  At the risk of being too technical, I've included some of the minor exegetical notes while eliminating the tedious.  The following was written prior to any personal controversy, thus I cannot be ...

What about the Altar Call?

Mario Herrera

The song rings out, "come as you are, come and drink from the living water, that flowed from His hands, flowed from his side." The lights are dimmed, with everyone's heads bowed and eyes closed, the pastor calls out, "If you hear Christ, stand up like a man, come down to the altar." The pastor proceeds to let the song play out. He looks out and there are only ...

Orthodoxy or Orthopraxy?

Stephen Macasil

  Emergents love false antithesis.  They love to pit two non-contradictory concepts against one another in the form of a question.  They'll ask, "Experience or Truth?"  Or they'll ask, "Orthodoxy or Orthopraxis?"  To the Christian, these are stupid questions.  They're stupid because the question reveals a severe lack of biblical understanding.  Take, for instance: Experience or Truth?  I was so impressed with how D.A. Carson dealt with this, I blogged ...





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