Jun 24
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philsantillan added a text contribution Knowing the Lord vs Knowing "about" the LordThere is a big difference from really knowing the Lord and knowing about him. There is a difference from knowing what God's standards are, to understanding God's heart. And what I take away from this is that I cannot assume that just because my children grow up in the church, know HOW to worship, know HOW to live Christ-like, or know a lot ABOUT the Lord, I can never be satisfied until I hear them say, "Dad...I really feel like I'm getting to know the Lord...like for real… Read more »
May 22
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philsantillan added a text contribution NO...I'm not going to do a study on the book of RevelationsDisclaimer: I am about to get on a soapbox. So if it sounds like I'm on one, you won't be surprised. In the years I've been in Pastoral ministry, I've noticed a pattern. There are usually two types of people who dawn the doors of the church that call themselves believers. (I know...you can't categorize people, but this is a soapbox and you agreed to read on after finding out the fact.) 1. People who believe in Christ because they realize they are sinners in need of… Read more »
May 15
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philsantillan added a text contribution Everything comes to an ennEven great leaders have and end. The questions is whether or not they leave a legacy through a new generation of leaders. Read more »
May 14
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philsantillan added a text contribution Embrace the MysteryEphesians 3:6 This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus. The Jews could not see how God would love gentiles. -Their culture repulsed them. -Their traditions left them aghast. But what the Jews held against the gentiles the most was their lacked the knowledge of God's truth, which made the Jews feel self-righteous. And this not only bred judgmental, legalistic th… Read more »
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philsantillan added a text contribution A misunderstanding of the titheI understand that some may read this and say, "I knew it!!! I KNEW that the bible didn't instruct me to give 10% to the church." I'm not trying to bash anyone's personal convictions on this subject, but as John 8:32 says, "...you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." I can understand how a limited understanding of Levitical laws and practices can lend someone to do what is called "proof-texting." Again, I'm not coming down on… Read more »
May 13
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philsantillan added a text contribution Be content, Be responsible, Be generousPaul didn't plan on seeing the people of Ephesus again. I would believe that his last words were not just inspired by the Holy Spirit but were words that he had great conviction in sharing. Of the things he mention in his parting words, these stuck out to me. 1. Be content. I could go on and on with scripture reference after reference about God's desire for believers to be content. But the question is, "What is content?" Specifically, when it comes to possessions as Pa… Read more »
May 12
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philsantillan added a text contribution Good Idea // Bad IdeaGood Idea: Using the name of Jesus Bad Idea: Using the name of Jesus You follow? If you think I'm going to start going into reasons why we shouldn't use God's name in vain, you might as well move on. While you can use this historical account as an example of why you shouldn't just toss the name of Jesus around like it's an expletive for moments of outbursts, this passage speaks to me in a different way. ...It's not about building a name of recognition among de… Read more »
May 11
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philsantillan added a text contribution Holiness or Selflessness?It's always interesting to hear how Christians in America have divided themselves among different camps concerning what lifestyle choices are holy and are not. For instance, you will find believers in Christ who both agree ad disagree with the notion that Christians are able to: - get tattoos - allow men to wear earrings - drink wine or other alcoholic beverages - listen to "secular music" Every person is entitled to their own opinion, but when people begin to confuse holiness… Read more »
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philsantillan added a text contribution It's time to take a dump...go outside!If you grew up in the church, you probably remember sitting next to your friends during church and finding obscure passages of scripture that made you giggle during the sermon. Well, I don't have this passage memorized, but over the years I've "run into" it and have laughed to myself. But in the midst of the comic relief, I have to ask myself..."What is this passage supposed to mean? Read more »
May 8
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philsantillan added a text contribution Divorce is not an optionReading this verse hits a nerve in a number of different ways. Of course I can make a point against pre-marital sex here, but I'd like to start a conversation about how this verse applies to divorce. I will admit that I have personal bias going into this. My parents recently got divorced a few years ago after almost 25 years of marriage. They professed to be believers, but when they met they were not. The truth is that I am secretly wanting a reason to tell my parents that they shouldn… Read more »
May 7
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philsantillan added a text contribution When everything doesn't mean everything.Acts 13:22 But God removed Saul and replaced him with David, a man about whom God said, "I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart. He will do everything I want him to do." -NLT I want to be known as a man after God's own heart. It's the highest goal of my life. I also want to be known as the man who "will do everything I want hum to do" or as another translation puts it, a man "who will do all my will." (NASB) While that is understandab… Read more »
May 4
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philsantillan added a text contribution When "Who You Are" is not "Who You Were"As believers in Christ we have the awesome opportunity to be people who the Lord is continually "transforming" (Romans 12). The problem is that even those close to us will sometimes see us in the light of who we were instead of who we are. My Advice? Be patient with those who may not see the changes for good that God has done in your life. Yes, you may be different and God sees you for who you are, but people are people. They do not have the benefit of seeing as the Lord sees, and… Read more »
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philsantillan added a link contribution Modern Day False ProphetsI'm not witch hunter, but this one is way too obvious! Read more »
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philsantillan added a text contribution So I'm a Pastor...And what I am reminded of today is that the Lord is my possession. When I am tempted to point and stare at other people and the possessions they have, I need to know that the Lord is my possession. The Levites were the priest of the day - the "ministers" so to say. As a minister myself, it is encouraging to be reminded that my life isn't about getting all the stuff I want, because I have the only thing of worth. But then I got to thinking... Aren't all believers in C… Read more »
May 1
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philsantillan added a text contribution I like to appearI like to look in shape. So I wear the clothes that are tight in just the right spots and aren't tight in the spots that...well...would not be right. I talk about how much I can bench press and how many push-ups on an incline I can do. I like to show off how quick I am by demonstrating my agility in short little pick up games of basketball or football. I even eat a healthy meal in front of others and drink only diet soda. But the problem is not that I WANT to look in shape. The problem… Read more »
Apr 30
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philsantillan added a text contribution Where is the Love?When I think of Stephen, I think of one of the greatest examples of being totally committed to following Christ. I probably see Stephen's actions a lot different from some people, at least from the ones I see with bullhorns on the street corners, or the people who only want to "put Christians in their place." Sure, Acts 7:51 shows us what appears to be a Stephen who is calling out the religious leaders with strong, and with language that seems full of chastisement. If that'… Read more »
Apr 29
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philsantillan added a text contribution What are THEY afraid of?Today we find that there are many people who love the Lord but fear the church. We have people that profess a faith in Christ, but do not engage in a local fellowship of believers. While analysts of many types have sought to answer the "Why" of this modern day problem, I find that this was nothing new to even the New Testament church. I do truly believe that discipleship cannot exist outside being engaged with a local fellowship of believers, but the more I grow in my knowledge and… Read more »
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philsantillan added a text contribution Why serve the Lord Whole-Heartedly?Because we were once slaves to sin. Now that we are free to serve Christ, let us cling to God's Word and God's will for our lives! Romans 12:1-2 Read more »
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philsantillan added a text contribution The myth of "Ungodly Earrings"Growing up I always heard from people that the bible says that guys shouldn't wear earrings. I could never get anyone to give me a strong biblical reference concerning this issue. What I did get was the reasoning that earrings were a sign of slavery and as Christians we are free don't believe in slavery. Funny thing is that when you read this passage that some people quote to validate their social preferences, you find that this is less an example of slavery, but a wonderful example… Read more »
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philsantillan added a text contribution Give to give...not to get.The motivation to give is just as important as the giving. Though many people would say that Jesus was a socialist, I would say that Jesus was benevolent. It wasn't as much about "spreading the wealth" as it was giving to need from a willful heart. What if we gave of ourselves without expecting anything in return? What if we gave sacrificially without ever giving into the urge to wear our generosity like a badge? I think we'd look more like Jesus, who gave his life, no… Read more »
Apr 28
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philsantillan added a text contribution Why the Holy Spirit?There are some who would like to say that the initial physical evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit is speaking in tongues. I understand where they are coming from with their references to the upper room, Peter with at Cornelius' home, and such. But why isn't a physical evidence of the Holy Spirit a passion and boldness to preach the message of the Gospel? Read more »
Apr 27
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philsantillan added a text contribution The Great DebateSo simple is the description of what the Early New Testament committed themselves to, but so debated is how today's generation of church should conduct itself to be in accordance with the pattern of the Early Church. The questions are: 1. Are these patterns what we should EXACTLY be following? or 2. Are these patterns just guidelines for us to interpret in our setting and culture or 3. None of the above? I don't have an answer that I feel I can really tote as THE definitive posi… Read more »
Apr 24
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philsantillan added a text contribution Fear and wrong expecatiaionsI Samuel 28:5 I must recognize that in moments of fear and trembling - when the Lord does not answer my cries in the timing that I see fit - that it is natural human tendency to look elsewhere for answers, even if it means something as extreme as going to a medium. In 1 Samuel 28:15 you see that Saul is convinced that the Lord is ignoring him because God is not answering him in ways that he expects. Many times I think my fears concerning uncertainties in my life are direct results of either ha… Read more »