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. |
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Articles from Splinters of Silver |
I Am Sorry, BUT…
2007-08-14 10:46:00
How often do we say or hear an apology quickly followed by a conjunction?As long as we live among people here on earth, there will be times when we owe someone an apology and times when we are due an apology from someone. The fact is, we sometimes do things intentionally and/or unintentionally against others, and others do intentional and/or unintentional things against us during our lifetime.Sometimes we are confronted or confront others with the need of apology, while other times it is left unsaid, but dwells still in the mind of the persons none the less. The person that needs to apologize can dismiss its necessity, and fail to understand why the other person seems to be different or somewhat disconnected from them, and why they can’t simply forget about the issue. The person that needs or expects the apology can dwell in self pity and/or become bitter toward the person simply because they believe they are due the apology, but never receive it.What I want to ponder is the idea of ...
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Storks Don’t Bring Babies and Comets Don’t Bring Life
2007-08-14 09:09:00
Just incase anyone was wondering if life came to Earth by comets, “For the first time, there are solid data to refute a popular theory that life came to the Earth aboard a comet, Rutgers researchers said Monday.”I, for one, had/have no more belief that life came to Earth from comets than I do babies are brought by storks, but if one did/has, new research says you might have to drop that idea.“Deteriorated DNA from microbes, frozen for millions of years in the Antarctic ice, shows that organisms could not have survived the bombardment of cosmic radiation during deep space travel from outside the solar system, said Paul Falkowski, a Rutgers biologist and oceanographer.”“"It's almost an impossibility for comets to seed other planets with life after they've been in space for millions of years," Falkowski said.”*Notice the word “almost” is used. Is this due to the idea of “no absolutes” or to leave an out incase they one day find life hitching a ride on the back of a c ...
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Still Guilty Without Full Knowledge Of Good And Evil
2007-08-13 14:56:00
The Scriptural account of Adam and Eve and their original sin and initial innocence in the Garden of Eden gives rise to some questions from certain persons.The concern: “We were told that Adam and Eve were given the choice between good and evil, and chose evil by disobeying God... but at the time they did not know good from evil, not having eaten of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, so how could they possibly know it was evil to disobey God?”Actually, what Scripture claims is that Adam was faced with the command of God, whereby God said, “And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” [Genesis 2:16, 17]There is no mention of a good verses evil act, but of obedience verses disobedience. God tells Adam that he may freely eat of every tree of the garden, but the one known as the tree of t ...
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Richard Dawkins’ “Scarlet Letter”
2007-08-10 09:09:00
When I was growing up, we had to read and watch the story entitled, The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, published in 1850.In this story, “The scarlet letter "A" represents the act of adultery that she has committed and it is to be a symbol of her sin for all to see.” “She will not reveal her lover’s identity, however, and the scarlet letter, along with her public shaming, is her punishment for her sin and her secrecy.” “Dimmesdale, leaving the church after his sermon, sees Hester and Pearl standing before the town scaffold. He impulsively mounts the scaffold with his lover and his daughter, and confesses publicly, exposing a scarlet letter A seared into the flesh of his chest.” “When Hester dies, she is buried in "a new grave near an old and sunken one, in that burial ground beside which King's Chapel has since been built. It was near that old and sunken grave, yet with a space between, as if the dust of the two sleepers had no right to mingle. Yet one tombsto ...
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7 Points to Watch for in Imposters of Expositional Preaching
2007-08-09 15:03:00
Mike Gilbart-Smith covers 7 points of “Expositional Imposters” concerning expositional preaching.The points:1) The point of the passage is misunderstood: the ‘Unfounded Sermon’.2) The point of the passage is ignored: the ‘Springboard Sermon’.3) The point of the passage remains unapplied: the ‘Exegetical Sermon’.4) The point of the passage is applied to a different congregation: the ‘Irrelevant Sermon’.5) The point of the passage misapplied to the present congregation: the ‘Misfit Sermon’.6) The point of the passage is divorced from its generic impact: the ‘Doctrinal Sermon’.7) The point of the passage is preached without reference to the passage: the ‘Shortcut Sermon’ ...
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Do Recent Discoveries Support a Designed Universe?
2007-08-09 09:08:00
Recently I came across an article entitled, “Is There Scientific Evidence for the Existence of God? How the Recent Discoveries Support a Designed Universe”. (Updated: 10 June 2004)Dr. Walter L. Bradley claims, “My personal experience as a lecturer supports the growing openness to intelligent design theory in the academic world. Having given over 135 talks on this subject to more than 65,000 students and professors at over 65 major university campuses from 1986 to 2002, I have observed a dramatic change in audience receptivity to the idea that an intelligent designer of the universe may exist. I have noted a widespread acceptance (albeit begrudging in some quarters) that this growing body of scientific evidence demands an intellectually honest reckoning, as no exclusively naturalistic explanation seems capable of rising to the occasion.” (works sited)Feel free to draw your own conclusions… ...
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A Look at Young Church Drop Outs
2007-08-08 10:26:00
According to BPNews, “A new study from LifeWay Research reveals that more than two-thirds of young adults who attend a Protestant church for at least a year in high school will stop attending church regularly for at least a year between the ages of 18 and 22.” LifeWay Research conducted the survey of more than 1,000 adults ages 18-30 in April and May.Their findings: “According to the study, 70 percent of young adults ages 23-30 stopped attending church regularly for at least a year between ages 18-22.” But also, “Many of those who drop out do return eventually. Among former church dropouts who are now ages 23-30, 35 percent currently attend church twice a month or more. Another 30 percent attend church more sporadically. Thus, about two-thirds of those who leave do return at some level.”What is this telling us as Christian parents and members of Christian churches? Are we effectively ministering to the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of our children as we raise, an ...
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Apologists Give 20 Arguments for the Existence of God
2007-08-07 13:30:00
Located at Apologetics.com, there is a lengthy article entitled, Twenty Arguments For The Existence Of God.The claim is:A word about the organization of the arguments. We have organized them into two basic groups: those which take their data from without--cosmological arguments--and those that take it from within--psychological arguments. The group of cosmological arguments begins with our versions of Aquinas's famous "five ways." These are not the simplest of the arguments, and therefore are not the most convincing to many people. Our order is not from the most to the least effective. The first argument, in particular, is quite abstract and difficult. Not all the arguments are equally demonstrative. One (Pascal's Wager) is not an argument for God at all, but an argument for faith in God as a "wager." Another (the ontological argument) we regard as fundamentally flawed; yet we include it because it is very famous and influential, and may yet be saved by new formulations of it. Others ...
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Blogger Suggest: 17 Evidences Against Evolution
2007-08-06 16:16:00
I found an interesting list today, entitled 17 Evidences Against Evolution, which may have originated from here. I am fully aware of some of the rebuttals.The 17 topics are as follows:1. MOON DUST2. MAGNETIC FIELD3. FOSSIL RECORD4. EMBRYONIC RECAPITULATION5. PROBABILITY6. SECOND LAW OF THERMODYNAMICS7. VESTIGIAL ORGANS8. FOSSIL AND FOSSIL FUEL FORMATION9. PUNCTUATED EQUILIBRIA10. HOMOLOGY/MOLECULAR BIOLOGY11. DATING METHODS12. DINOSAURS13. SUN'S DIAMETER14. NILE RIVER'S OVERFLOW15. EARTH'S ROTATION16. WRITTEN RECORD17. THE BIBLEI realize that some of the readers of my blog may find fault with this idea (being supporters of evolution), but I believe these writers make some valid points. And I fully believe that if one disagrees with the presented information, they should be able to discuss civilly as to why they disagree, or simply dismiss what is presented. ...
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Seeing Our Sin In Others
2007-08-06 12:04:00
I initially thought of this concerning one point, but now I believe I have come to realize two observations which can be taken from this thought. Or, at least I have been thinking of the following:1] Scripture speaks about getting the beam out of your own eye before trying to get the mote out of another’s eye [Matthew 7]. With this in mind, and the observation that most of us find it easier to locate, examine, and point out another’s faults (sins) over our own, I would like to consider the idea that maybe we could actually use this to our own benefit.I realize, at first, this may sound contradictory to Scripture and that I might be suggesting that we should go around judging others and expounding to them concerning all of their sins that they need to repent of. Actually, what I am considering does include judging, but of self with the help of others.My suggestion to myself is that when I see what I believe to be sin (or more importantly what Scripture deems as sin) in another’s l ...
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A Few Brothers and Sisters
2007-08-03 09:06:00
LITTLE ROCK — An Arkansas couple had a baby daughter Thursday — their 17th child and seventh girl — and the pair say they're still not ready to give it a rest."We are just so grateful to God for another gift from him," said Jim Bob Duggar, a former state representative. "We are just so thankful to him that everything went just very well." ...
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Lust => Sin => Death
2007-08-01 14:24:00
A new study, as if we didn't already know this.James 1:13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.16 Do not err, my beloved brethren. ...
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A Discussion of God/Christianity/Scripture with BT
2007-08-01 13:31:00
Warning: This is lengthy.Carried over from my posts here and here, we have the following from a commenter, named BT. BT’s comments shall be in red and my reply in green for this initial post. All commenters are welcome to freely give their thoughts. All I ask is that we try to stay to the topic without name calling and unnecessary verbal slurs, and try to show a little respect for each other’s view, even if we completely disagree. This is to be a discussion and not a war. Let it be noted that I am by no means a Bible Scholar, so what one will receive here is my honest beliefs. I would hope that is what we are given by each commenter. Shall we agree, then, for the sake of a more focussed discussion, that we are discussing the Abrahamic god? (As an aside, if you have any insight into why that god is not referred to as the Mosaic or Adamic god I would genuinely appreciate your sharing it!)I am not really sure, as to I don’t think I have ever called God, Abrahamic God. Scripture seem ...
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