YHWH

That all the Earth May Know

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Tim A.'s avatarShiloah Baptist Church

Reading for this Resurrection Sunday is 1 Samuel 17 – 19…

“…That all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.” 1 Samuel 17:46 (KJB)

This is the story of David and his defeat  of the Philistine giant Goliath who was defying the army of God – Israel – thus defying God Himself.  David loved God.  God especially loved David.

David was determined that Goliath was as good as dead, with no head.  He was especially determined that “All the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.”  David’s faith is inspiring, and gives us courage to face whatever lies ahead.  Unlike King Saul who sat in his tent shaking in his sandals.

Something everyone needs to understand about faith is is that faith is not believing something so strongly  that we make it so; it is believing that what God says and directs us…

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When the Preacher Goes Home

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Tim A.'s avatarShiloah Baptist Church

Please read 1 Samuel 14 – 16…

“Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.” 1 Samuel 16:13 (KJB)

Saul had proven himself to be a disobedient, arrogant king.  He rejected the word of the LORD and more. A king who would be god himself; so GOD chooses another.  Saul’s kingdom would end with him: there would be no dynasty.

The Scripture text for today is on the day of the anointing of a young shepherd as the next king of Israel – David.  Saul would not have a dynasty.  His son Jonathan, nor any other would carry it onward. David’s descendants would reign in Israel forever on the throne of Israel.  God sought out a man “After My own heart”…

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The Issue of Anger

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Tim A.'s avatarShiloah Baptist Church

Reading today from 1 Samuel 11 – 13…

“And the Spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard those tidings, and his anger was kindled greatly.” 1 Samuel 11:6 (KJB)

The person who is never angry never truly loves.  I can just about hear some readers here saying, “Wait just one minute.” In a tone of anger probably.

Reading the text from Scripture above caused me to think about anger.  I have heard some say that anger is bad.  I certainly cannot agree with that statement because God is angry with evil everyday (Psalm 7:11); Jesus was angry at least twice at the temple – the first time early in His ministry (John 2:14) and the second time, possibly in His final week before He was crucified (Matthew 21:12).

I heard a pastor a few years ago say, “You can tell the character of a man by what makes…

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Serve the LORD Only

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Tim A.'s avatarShiloah Baptist Church

Reading today from 1 Samuel 5 – 7…

“And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, ‘If ye do return unto the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the LORD, and serve Him only: and He will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.’
Then the children of Israel did put away Baalim and Ashtaroth, and served the LORD only.” 1 Samuel 7:3-4 (KJB)

When a people group or one person get away from God that group or person needs to return to the Lord.  The people of Israel had drifted away from God and worshiped false gods of the people of the land that they had won.

These were snares and thorns to their lives; from loving God the LORD, and being blessed by Him.  There is no mixing of…

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He Trembled for the Ark of God

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Tim A.'s avatarShiloah Baptist Church

Please read 1 Samuel 2 – 4 for today’s reading…

“And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes rent, and with earth upon his head. And when he came, lo, Eli sat upon a seat by the wayside watching: for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city, and told it, all the city cried out.”  1 Samuel 4:12-13 (KJB)

The ark of God for the children of Israel was the presence of God in their midst. They had, sadly, gotten to the state of mind that it was more an object of superstition; a rabbit’s foot; than it was the presence of God.  Yet Eli’s heart trembled for the ark of God.  It had been carried onto a battlefield which was going to be lost to the Philistines, and…

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Going Home with the King

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Tim A.'s avatarShiloah Baptist Church

Please read 1 Samuel 8 – 10 for today…

“And Saul also went home to Gibeah; and there went with him a band of men, whose hearts God had touched. But the children of Belial said, ‘How shall this man save us?’ And they despised him, and brought him no presents. But he held his peace.” 1 Samuel 10:26-27 (KJB)

I will let the words of Alexander MacLaren speak for today devotion…

The ‘manner of the kingdom,’ which Samuel wrote and laid up before the Lord, was probably not the same as ‘the manner of the king’ (1Sa_8:9-18), but a kind of constitution, or solemn statement of the principles which were to govern the monarchy. The reading in 1Sa_10:26 should probably be ‘the men of valour,’ instead of ‘a band of men.’ They were brave men, ‘whose hearts God had touched.’ Now that Saul was chosen by God, loyalty to God…

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Give Your Child Away

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Tim A.'s avatarShiloah Baptist Church

Reading today from Ruth 2 – 1 Samuel 1…

“And she said, ‘Oh my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the LORD. For this child I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of Him: therefore also I have lent him to the LORD; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the LORD.’ And he worshipped the LORD there.” 1 Samuel 1:26-28  (KJB)

Give your child away?  Really!  Is this for real?  It is real, but not in the sense of giving them to someone who is going to mistreat them, and not love them, or to leave them without instruction for life.

Not too many mothers would give the child they had plead with the LORD for back to Him as Hannah did. Her husband was Elimelech.  Of course, this is…

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BREAKING NEWS: President Trump orders expulsion of 60 Russian diplomats & spies, orders Russian consulate closed. Good move — but here are 5 more things President Trump must do, and soon.

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joelcrosenberg's avatarJoel C. Rosenberg's Blog

whitehouse

UPDATED:(Denver, Colorado) — To his credit, President Trump took further steps today to toughen his approach towards Vladimir Putin in light of a growing series of reckless and dangerous actions taken by the Russian dictator, specifically using chemical weapons against civilian individuals on NATO soil.

Mr. Trump is expelling 60 Russian diplomats and spies — 48 from the embassy in Washington and 12 from the Russian mission to the U.N. He’s also closing the Russian consulate in Seattle.

It’s not enough to truly get Putin’s attention and affect his behavior. But in combination with other actions President Trump and his administration have taken in recent weeks, it’s movement in the right direction, and that’s encouraging.

UPDATES:

  • 17 countries have also ordered the expulsion of Russian intelligence agents on Monday: US (60), UK (23), Ukraine (13), Canada (4), Germany (4), France (4), Poland (4), Czech Republic (3), Lithuania (3)…

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When There is no Rule of Law

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Tim A.'s avatarShiloah Baptist Church

Please read Judges 17 – 19 for today…

“Then came the woman in the dawning of the day, and fell down at the door of the man’s house where her lord was, till it was light. And her lord rose up in the morning, and opened the doors of the house, and went out to go his way: and, behold, the woman his concubine was fallen down at the door of the house, and her hands were upon the threshold.”  Judges 19:26-27 (KJB)

It is stated at least three times in Judges that there was no king in Israel.  Chapters 19:1 and 21:25 are two of those references.  Since there was no king there was no direct human guidance for any law.  We must remember the people of Israel did have God’s law, and they had strayed in horrible fashion.

When there is no rule of law people become a a…

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From Whence does Your Strength Come?

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Tim A.'s avatarShiloah Baptist Church

Read about Samson in Judges 14 – 16…

“And Samson called unto the LORD, and said, ‘O Lord GOD, remember me, I pray Thee, and strengthen me, I pray Thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.'”  Judges 16:28 (KJB)

The man knew from whence his strength came.  Do you?  We often give credit to our physical health, and weight lifting, and exercise. We have even been known to give all the credit to doctors and such. Samson may have thought it came from his hair.

Samson was probably a strong man physically, but he was not a “Super power”.  He had been give a gift from God, and from birth.

His parents only child.  He was promised to them by the LORD, and they took the Nazarite vow for him, which included never cutting his hair, and…

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His Name, Wonderful

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Tim A.'s avatarShiloah Baptist Church

Please read Judges 11 – 13…

“And the Angel of the LORD said unto him, Why askest thou thus after My name, seeing it is secret?” Judges 13:18 (KJB)

“And the Angel of the LORD said to him, ‘Why do you ask My name, seeing it is wonderful?” (NKJB)

The Angel of the LORD had appeared to the woman who was the wife of Manoah, and he was working in the field.  They had no children, now, the Man had came and told her they were going to have a son.

This Man was none other than the pre-incarnate Son of God, God the Son with all power, wisdom, and knowledge of the Godhead.  He is worshiped.  Manoah is directed, commanded to offer the sacrifice to God, and it seems that He was inferring to Manoah that He was more than a man.

What is the deal about His name? …

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Much Needed Repentance

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Tim A.'s avatarShiloah Baptist Church

Please read for today Judges 9 – 10…

“And the children of Israel said unto the LORD, ‘We have sinned: do Thou unto us whatsoever seemeth good unto Thee; deliver us only, we pray Thee, this day.'” Judges 10:15  (KJB)

Since the death of Gideon the tribes of Israel had grossly strayed from the path the LORD had laid out for them, and had turned to the worship of foreign gods, which means they had turned their backs on the LORD.  The LORD God was the One who had delivered them from Egypt, gave them deliverance through crossing the Red Sea, provided water from the Rock, given them manna for bread in the wilderness, and protected them from many enemies in their journey.  Yet they had gone astray in the land of Promise.

Reading chapters 9 – 10 of Judges we find departure, defeat, and chaos.  They are distressed by…

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The LORD Shall Rule

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Tim A.'s avatarShiloah Baptist Church

For your reading please read Judges 7 – 8…

“And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the LORD shall rule over you.”  Judges 8:23 (KJB)

It seems that the idea of having royalty or a monarchy is a romantic idea in many, if not most societies.  It was so in the very early days of Israel’s conquering, and divisions of Canaan.

We look at Gideon today, of whom Judges 8:23 speaks.  He was very successful because of God’s power and direction in his life, and for no other reason; as a judge – deliverer.  The people desired him to be their king, and his son, thus to establish a dynasty in the kingdom.  That, however, was not God’s will or intent for that time.

There is no need for royalty of men when men will submit to the rule…

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Women of Bravery

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Tim A.'s avatarShiloah Baptist Church

In your Bible Reading today please read Judges 4 – 6..

“So let all Thine enemies perish, O LORD: but let them that love Him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might. And the land had rest forty years.”  Judges 5:31 (KJB)

The above verse is the final verse of the Song of Deborah.  The song was sung by Deborah, one of the Judges-Saviors of Israel whom God called and used to deliver Israel from bondage of the surrounding enemies who caused them much sorrow and grief – in loss of crops, animals, etc..  This was due to Israel’s disobedience to the LORD’S commands to rid and destroy all the inhabitants of the land, and the cities.

Deborah was not the only woman involved in this story, this victory over this enemy, Sisera.  She had chosen Bara to go to war, but he did not feel…

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The Chastening of the LORD

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Tim A.'s avatarShiloah Baptist Church

Please read Judges 1 – 3…

“And they were to prove Israel by them, to know whether they would hearken unto the commandments of the LORD, which He commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.”  Judges 3:4  (KJB)

How the enemy gets his foot in our door, and into the house is evident from the reading of the morning.

It begins in an unbelieving heart; not believing what God has said, not practicing what He says, and teaching of the children is neglected (Judges 2:10); for they did not know the LORD.

These [children] not only neglected to rid the land and cities they had conquered of their evil inhabitants, but began practicing their evil religion and worshiped the false gods of the land.  It is a good thing to know that God will work in and with His children in disciplining them to get them where He desires…

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Love the LORD Your God

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Tim A.'s avatarShiloah Baptist Church

“Take good heed therefore unto yourselves, that ye love the LORD your God.”  Joshua 23:11 (KJB)

God desires that we love Him.  We show that love by hiding the word in our hearts that we not sin against Him (Psalm 119:11), and it becomes a part of our everyday lives.

The thought is often presented, or the question is asked about the Word of God whether it is applicable for Christian life and living in 2018.  For any of us the answer is, Yes!  Are we to live by Old Testament Law in 2018.  The answer to that is –  The people given the law could not  live and obey it completely.  Who are we to think that we can?  We are to hear, and live with love for God, and His word, and His laws will be dear to us.

We must understand that the law of God was…

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Trust

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Tim A.'s avatarShiloah Baptist Church

“There failed not ought of any good thing which the LORD had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass.”   Joshua 21:45  (KJB)

If there is any one thing the world needs today it is for substance, truth, integrity, and the fulfilling of words spoken.  Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one can come to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6), then, He went to the cross and died for us.

The very last phrase of our text above says, “All came to pass”.  Every word God had spoke through Moses had come to pass, just as He had said.

We can trust what God says because He has done all that He said, or it will be done in the not too distant future.  Some of the things He has said are, at this moment, being fulfilled.

“Not a…

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The Enemy and Us

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Tim A.'s avatarShiloah Baptist Church

“Yet the children of Manasseh could not drive out the inhabitants of those cities; but the Canaanites would dwell in that land. Yet it came to pass, when the children of Israel were waxen strong, that they put the Canaanites to tribute; but did not utterly drive them out.”  Joshua 17:12-13

God’s command for Israel when they entered the Promised Land was to deal strongly with the enemy, and destroy the inhabitants of the land of Canaan.  We must understand these Canaanites were given, by God, over 400 years to repent and change their ways, yet they did not.

Now, we learn of tribes of Israel opening the door to the enemy of good and right because of their fear of iron chariots and horses; and due to their own weaknesses and lack of faith in God.  I do not mean to judge Israel.  I find in them the same weakness…

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Faith and Courage

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Tim A.'s avatarShiloah Baptist Church

Reading Joshua 13 – 15 for today…

“Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite unto this day, because that he wholly followed the LORD God of Israel.”  Joshua 14:14  (KJB)

How is it that Caleb “Wholly followed the LORD God of Israel”?  When you hear of Caleb in reading Scripture he is always the one who seeks to do the will of God, to be used by Him to accomplish God’s purposes, and fulfill God’s promises in his life.  He does not go after those easy things.

The courage and faith of Caleb was to seek out the most difficult and trust the LORD for victory.

Caleb was one of the two who in the first viewing of Canaan by the twelve spies, returned with trust in God and victory in his heart to take the land (Numbers 13-14).  Joshua was the other, and…

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The Day GOD Heard a Man

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Tim A.'s avatarShiloah Baptist Church

Reading Joshua 10 – 12 today…

“And the LORD said unto Joshua, Fear them not: for I have delivered them into thine hand; there shall not a man of them stand before thee.”  Joshua 10:8 (KJB)

No one will believe this story unless they believe there is God who made all things, and will believe the Scriptures of Genesis through the Revelation.  There are probably many scientific reasons, and maybe quite reasonable reasons for saying this cannot happen.  However, it did.  There are many things science, neither the mind of men can explain.  Let us trust God, and believe His word.

Five kingdoms decided to team up against the inhabitants of Gibeon.  They (Gibeon – see chapter 9) had made, though  through deceit, a treaty with Israel.

Because Israel had promised in the name of the LORD to have this treaty they would stand by Gibeon and protect them as…

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Deception

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Tim A.'s avatarShiloah Baptist Church

Reading Joshua 7 – 9 today…

“…And now, behold, we are in thine hand: as it seemeth good and right unto thee to do unto us, do.” Joshua 9:25 (KJB)

Please be sure you read all of chapter nine.

Part of the responsibility of the deception lay in the hands of the leaders of Israel.  A deception from a people of the land of Canaan, Hivites from Gibeon, plotted this deception to be at peace with Israel.

God’s word was for Israel to destroy all the inhabitants of the land.  So far doing this had been no problem for them.  Now, however, some Hivites from no too far away in the land had come with deception of living far away – out of Canaan – and sought peace with God’s people for fear of destruction.

What could these people of Israel, Joshua and the leaders of Israel, have done?  The…

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You, O LORD, Are My Rock and My Fortress

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“In Thee, O LORD, do I put my trust; let me never be ashamed: deliver me in Thy righteousness. Bow down Thine ear to me; deliver me speedily: be Thou my strong rock, for an house of defence to save me. For Thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for Thy name’s sake lead me, and guide me.”  Psalm 31:1-3 (KJB)

Are you feeling down, dirty, discouraged, and in despair today? There is One in whom you can place your trust.  David found that trust in the LORD our God.

The Psalmist calls on the LORD to listen to him.  He request that the LORD be “My strong rock, for a house of defence…”  I am pretty certain that David faced those times like we have too.  Lonely, afraid, desperate, and in despair; and in those times he cried out to God;  and God hear him and answered his prayer.

Though David was looking for a hasty reprieve from his dilemma, he quickly realized that the LORD was his Rock and his fortress, and simply requested that God would lead and guide him.

In the not too distant past our Vice President was mocked and criticized by a lessor known individual who called him a mental case because he claims that Jesus speaks with him.  I was thrilled to hear our VP say that.  David spoke with our Lord, and the Lord spoke back, and because of this we have the Psalms which we can read and through them the Lord speaks with us too.  That is if we have a heart for Him.

He hears the cries of His people.  The question really is today; Do His people hear Him?

Hear the Lord GOD today through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus God Son, the God Man, in whom you can give your life – heart, mind, soul, and strength.

Raised Up

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“I will extol You, O LORD; for You have lifted me up, and have not made my foes to rejoice over me. O LORD my God, I cried unto You, and You have healed me. O LORD, You have brought up my soul from the grave: You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit”  Psalm 30:1-3 (KJB)

David was a man; a King who knew where to go when he was troubled, oppressed, and in dire straights.  He went to God, the LORD of hosts.  He feels in this Psalm like he has been dead, or nearly so.  His life has been threatened in the past, and he is giving the LORD the praise and worship He deserves for delivering David.

In dedicating our homes, our families to the LORD we need to recognize from whence the LORD has brought us, and David did.  He was a shepherd boy who had faced a lion and a bear.  He was still that shepherd boy when he face Goliath the giant of the Philistines, and slew him with a stone and a sling.  David said that it was the LORD who delivered Him.

If we are faithful to the LORD we cannot hold our lives to be more dear to us than the LORD is.  Life is good, but it is not cheap.  We must not fear anything but the LORD our God, and do so through the death, burial, and bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ God’s holy Son.

The Lord Jesus Christ crucified, buried, and raised again can raise you up from whatever dilemma you face; and through your life to the end of your life give you eternal peace.

This song came to my mind as I was writing…  MY FAITH LOOKS UP TO THEE

My faith looks up to Thee, Thou Lam of Calvary, Savior divine!

Now hear me while I pray, Take all my guilt away,

O let me from this day Be wholly Thine!

and the final verse of the song…

When ends life’s transient dream, When death’s cold, sullen stream Shall o’er me roll,

Blest Savior, then, in love Fear and distrust remove;

O bear me safe above, A ransomed soul!

May our hearts and lives be always remembering the grace, love, mercy, and will of God each day we live.  Give your life to Jesus Christ and truly live.

Beauty and Holiness

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“Give unto the LORD, O ye mighty, give unto the LORD glory and strength. Give unto the LORD the glory due unto His name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.”  Psalm 29:1-2 (KJB)

For some folks they have a problem reconciling beauty and holiness.  We probably have the idea of “Beauty” mostly wrong.  Most of us marvel at the beauty of creation, all that God has made in the outdoors.  I fear that some see more beauty in the things which Adamkind (mankind) has made.  Some see beauty in city lights, and horizons of cities lit up in the night sky.

I see much more of beauty as I look at the stars above at night.  The lights of cities I see as “Light pollution”, polluting the sky with man made conveniences. Now, please do not get me wrong; I do appreciate those conveniences just as much as others do.

What is beauty?  There is an old saying which state, “Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder”.  That is probably true with some things, but not God things.  If God states that something is beautiful, then we need to see it as beautiful as well.  The heart right with God will see holiness as something of great beauty.

It anything is holy to the LORD, then, it is beautiful as well.

With God human life is holy.  The blood that flows through our veins and most living creatures, is sacred and holy to the LORD.  The LORD has stated in the book of Leviticus 17:11…

“For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.”

For one individual to haphazardly take the life of another individual that is that beauty, neither is it glory to the LORD.  It grieves His heart.  That is why He authorized human government the right of corporal punishment, or the death penalty. My life is no more important that another life.  To intentionally kill for one’s own personal gain, or pleasure is plainly murder, and deserves to die equally.

God created Adamkind in His likeness and after His image.  That has been tainted, and ruined by our sin.  It is restored through the redemptive work of Jesus God’s Son by His death on  the cross.  That is holiness in its beauty.  The Holy dying for the unholy, that we might be made the righteousness of God through Him (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Beauty and Holiness in Christ Jesus.

When GOD Seems to be Silent

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“Unto You will I cry, O LORD my rock; be not silent to me: lest, if You be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit. Hear the voice of my supplications, when I cry unto You, when I lift up my hands toward Your holy oracle.”  Psalm 28:1-2 (KJB)

This Psalm of David is the prayer of a man who is crying out to God; maybe even yelling out, shouting out to God for a hearing of his requests, or “supplications”, as he states it, which is his earnest prayer.  An individual who has a real need which they see, feel, or fear; one who knows the Almighty will go to Him with that need just as David, and plead, yearn, beg for an answer to their prayer.

In the New Testament we are told…

“Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”  James 5:16

Now, let us get something straight.  We do have someone to pray to.  It is not prayer that is the power.  It is the One who gives the power to whom we direct our prayers.  If our hearts are not of Him, His word, His way, His will, His heart and mind, then, we will not get an answer.

I have made a commitment to the Lord which may seem empty to some, maybe brave and bold and dangerous to others.  A few years ago I was praying, and said to Him, “If you never again answer a prayer of mine, I will still trust in You.”  I can still say that.  I know that He never fails to accomplish, to finish His word. He does what He says He will do.

What do you do when God is silent?  Keep on praying and keep on trusting in Him.