Splinters of Silver Scripture declares that the Words of God are pure, as silver tried in a furnace [Psalm 12:6], that God proves us as silver is tried [Psalm 66:10], and refines us as silver is [Zechariah 13:8-9]. I pray through this blog, not my words but, through the reading of the scriptures, through the presentation of thoughts and of comments, splinters of silver may prick and stay with us throughout our lives. Statistics Unique Visitors: Total Unique Visitors: Outgoing: Total Outgoing: 12 1147 70 7774

Articles from Splinters of Silver

A Pro-Choice Lawyer Misquoting Scripture 2007-02-15 10:08:00 In response to a posting of the following by www.2theadvocate.com:Letter: Retain abortion as legal choice [click to read article]Published: Feb 15, 2007 Coming from someone in the line of work surrounded by dealing with the facts and context of situations, this is a most embarrassing example of talking outside of the boundary of ones own knowledge of an issue.Anyone that takes just a few minutes to read Leviticus 27 can clearly see that abortion is neither the context nor even remotely related to anything in the chapter. The writer also fails to mention that the male is ?worth? more than the female here and the poor person is mentioned as to a priest giving their worth.On to the writer?s clearly misrepresented version of Numbers 3, we find that only ?every male from a month old and upward shalt thou number them?. Incase of argument here, the following list of the count all begin with ?the sons? and one may read verse 22. Please read for yourself, the context has nothing to do with the ...

Custom Built Idols 2007-02-14 21:54:00 Have you ever been to the store that allows you to custom make a bear? You start with an empty shell of a bear [or other animal] by picking a style and color, you put in a heart, you add the amount of stuffing that you want, and then you pick out the clothes. Then you are proud as a peacock about your little creation. Okay ? maybe not you, but your kids would love it! They have just gotten to make a bear exactly the way they want it.According to a Washington Post article, it appears that a Texas company [Abraham Center of Life LLC] has grasped this same concept but on a much higher [or lower] level for adults. Their opening line to their website is ?Dreams? do come true? and they even use the Bible in their advertisement:They pride themselves in being ?THE ONLY SERVICE in the United States that offers egg donors, traditional and gestational surrogacy, frozen embryo donation AND adoption services.? They also make sure to promote that the eggs will only be from young, intelligent, and at ...

Have You Read This Book? 2007-02-13 21:25:00 I would just like to ask you one question.You call yourself a Christian and you haven?t even read the entire Bible from cover to cover yet?What does that say about you?----------This is the question I asked myself today. I am personally ashamed.Why is it that we can spend the majority of our time reading all kinds of books, but do not find time to read God?s Word all the way through? We complain that ?It is really big?, but we don?t have a problem with all of the ?Lord of the Ring? series. We even find time to read books about Christianity. Why do we spend more time reading books about the Bible instead of just reading the Bible? What?s even worse is most of the Christian books we read are really a waste of money. Not that they do not teach us truth, but honestly how often do we buy a book to really learn something? Usually we pick a book [1] that teaches what we already believe, [2] that gives us ammunition to attack another, or [3] that we really only want to read to criticize and sa ...

?I am a Christian, I just don?t act like it.? 2007-02-12 22:20:00 I served in the United States Army from 1993 to 1998. My first duty station was in Vilseck, Germany in September 1993. I roomed with a follow soldier [2 to a room] that never once mentioned Christ to me. Around the summer of 1994 I met a Christian by the name of Mark Powers that brought me to a Bible believing church that he traveled an hour each way to hear the Word of God preached.September 25, 1994 Christ saved my soul after the Sunday morning preaching service.I later ran into the soldier I was roomed with in the beginning and after talking a moment about Christ, he said, ?I am a Christian, I just don?t act like it.?The comparison of the above [assuming the first guy was indeed saved] shows two completely different examples of Christians. One never went to church or said a word about Christ until confronted by another Christian, whereas the other was a godly example and actively witnessing.Have you ever sung the song entitled ?I Have Decided to Follow Jesus?? [Variation]Pay close a ...

Have You Seen My New Shoes? 2007-02-11 21:04:00 Do you know where your child?s sneakers are? For about $350.00 you can, according to news reports from Fox News [here & here], dated 2/9/2007. But you better hurry. There is a limited number of only 1000 being sold and 750 are already accounted for.A man by the name of Isaac Daniel has been working on a prototype tiny ?Global Positioning System? 2 inch by 3 inch chip, he calls ?peace of mind?, that would be located inside of a pair of sneakers, available in six designs, with the ability to be tracked ?anywhere in the world with the press of a button?.Apparently a children?s line will be available this summer.The article notes that these chips, or similar ones, can already be found in cell phones, watches, bracelets, and other items people wear. Shoes are just easier to keep up with.The GPS system in the shoes will work when the wearer presses the ?on? button, and the users [or their parents] pay the monthly service fee of $19.95.But before you say, ?We can just turn it off when we want ...

When is Abortion Murder? 2007-02-09 14:49:00 I have just finished reading an article [here] from the Baptist Press and can?t help but comment.The article begins with ?Mississippi's Senate easily passed a bill Feb. 7 banning most abortions?, so my very first question then is what does ?most? mean? They tell me in the second paragraph, ?abortion except in cases of rape, incest and to save the mother's life?.There are many which would applaud this effort, as in the example of Tanya Britton, president of Pro-Life Mississippi. She says [as reported] ?Mississippi needs to go on record about its position on abortion so that there is no question that people in the state, No. 1, are pro-life and No. 2, do object vehemently to the taking of the life of any child?.What exactly is the message that is being sent? The message being sent is not ?Mississippi is pro-life?, but ?Mississippi is conditionally pro-life?. There is a difference. If one is pro-life then we must also include being pro-life to the children of ?rape, incest and to save t ...

Perspective 2007-02-08 20:26:00 Reference: Natalee Holloway, Missing in Aruba, May 30, 2005.A young girl comes up missing, in a foreign landThere are those of us who could care less, and those that lend a handA momma?s crying, and a daddy weepsAnd praying people, fall to their kneesTo talk to God about, one lost soulYet across the miles sit those that judge, she deserves what she gotShe shouldn?t have been there or did what she did, they use words that hurt a lotTo a parent that has lost, a soulPerspective moves our emotions, and causes us to thinkFor one thing or against another, it can drive us to the brinkTo the edge of hatred or the line of love, it can pull us acrossWe can judge another with curse or praise, without even a causeWe sit in comfort as we talk about, things that happen to anotherWould we be so cold or so ambitious, if it were our sister or brotherWould we call them a sinner, or saint out loudDo any of us deserve any better, for decisions we?ve made in our livesHave we lost all compassion for one ano ...

What Can "little ole' me" Do? 2007-02-08 17:36:00 Many times we see the world around us and have a desire to do something for God, but then we begin to compare ourselves to Evangelists, Missionaries, Pastors of our churches or on television, and we may wonder what can little me do.Regardless of one?s age, IQ, and physical condition, we can all do something for the service and glory of Christ. Remember Christ used simple fishermen to walk with Him and lead His church as He returned to the Father till He returns to gather His children home forever.Scriptures declares that every saved man, woman, and child, at the very moment one is saved by faith in Christ, the Spirit of truth is given to us to guide us and seal us in Christ till the day of redemption. [John 16:13; Ephesians 1:12-14]A Christian also has Christ in them [Colossians 1:27] and God the Father working in us to do His will that is well pleasing to Him. [Hebrews 13:20-22]When a Christian feels lead to pray for someone or something, moved to witness to any and every one that nee ...

Unregenerate Spiritual Worth 2007-01-30 22:35:00 Today around the world we hear people call one another either a ?good person? or a ?bad person?, whether speaking about themselves or name calling another. When someone passes away a family member may be heard at the funeral saying, ?He was a good man?, ?She was a good wife?. When we turn on the television or radio we hear of the murderer, rapist, and child molester that they are ?bad?, ?evil?, and ?satanic?. What separates one into a category of ?good? and a category of ?bad?? Even in the Christian world, it is said of even a lost person, ?They are a good person?, so where does that leave us? Who then is good? Are you? Am I?Both the Old Testament and New Testament state that man is not good. Scripture claims man [and woman] is ?dead in sin? [Ephesians 2:1, 5; Colossians 2:13], ?there is none that doeth good, no, not one? [Psalm 14:3, 53:3; Romans 3:12], and even Christ said ?there is none good but one, that is, God? [Matthew 19:17; Mark 10:18; Luke 18:19]. Surely there were people of ...

Pray This Prayer And... 2007-01-21 21:11:00 I recently read a missionary?s prayer letter and they were speaking about the church knocking doors and street meetings. He tells of a lady that he handed a tract and asked whether she knew if she had forgiveness of sins or not. She replied that she did not. He shared 1 John with her. Then he writes, ?the woman understood clearly what she read, yet she would not pray and ask the Lord to save her?. [emphasis mine]The missionary will go unnamed because [1] I am not signaling out this missionary or judging their character or witness for Christ, and [2] this is but a small example of what it seems like I am seeing all over within the Baptist camp. The last few Baptist websites I have visited all have a similar page. The reader of the page is told, if they would like to accept Christ as their Savior or if they would like to be saved, please ?pray this prayer? or ?pray something like this?. They may even add, ?If you feel this way in your heart?. I have also heard similar things from pulpits ...

Has Anyone Seen Grace? 2007-01-17 17:26:00 When you think of grace, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Now that you have most likely thought of how and/or when you have received grace, can you think of a time when you have given grace? What about to that person you are mad at? You know, the one that has offended or hurt you, the one that doesn't deserve it? What about that sinner with the long hair or short skirt, the one with the foul mouth or with three kids out of wedlock, or the one that lives in a foreign land that serves a false god? Did you do something to deserve or merit it? Then why are you waiting on someone else before you give it? Do we really need to keep all the grace to ourselves and not share it? God isn't selfish. I think He will give us more when we need it. Do you think you can find a little grace to give to someone you don't think deserves it? You do? Give it! Make the effort! You don't? God help you! I hope God doesn't withhold it from you. ...

Does Scripture Bridle the Tongue of a Woman? 2007-01-16 21:28:00 Here in 2007 we find ourselves with a question of where do women belong in the church in comparison to what we find in scripture. By this I mean as in roles of leadership, etc. not in whether a woman should or should not attend or be actively involved in church.I realize that we have a multitude of churches and beliefs out there that all seem to declare that they believe and follow the Word of God, so why do we differ so much? We have women being ?called? as pastors, most likely also as deacons, and other roles that put them over not only men, but the local church of God. Is this biblical?Paul says in 1 Timothy 2:11, 12, ?Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.? Why? ?For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.? [13, 14]How far is this to extend? Is this just in the church? 1 Timothy 2 does not appear to be ...

Is There Any Way Around Limited Atonement? 2007-01-02 22:47:00 Realizing that the very mention of the words, election, foreknowledge, and predestination seem to bring with them great controversy, I pray with this topic to show what I find seems to be a similarity that few may wish to acknowledge exist. Maybe I am way off base or grasping at straws, but I find this very interesting and would indeed like to see the comments of those much more versed in Scripture and in the things of God than I.I will first define each word from Noah Webster?s 1828, American Dictionary of the English Language:· Elect ? One chosen or set apart· Election ? The act of choosing; choice; the act of selecting one or more from others· Foreknow ? To have previous knowledge of· Foreknowledge ? Knowledge of a thing before it happens· Predestinate ? To predetermine or foreordain; to appoint or ordain beforehand by an unchangeable purpose· Predestination ? The act of decreeing or foreordaining eventsThe definition of foreknowledge appears to be the pivot point within the argumen ...