Sabbath, 04/22/06, 10:45 AM EST USA
Proverbs 17:5
He who mocks the poor shows contempt for their Maker; whoever gloats over disaster will not go unpunished.God humbles the proud and raises the humble.

I have seen this verse literally fulfilled in myself hundreds of times. If I say "I did that" or "I will do that." it turns out that it will not happen. I forget that God is our strength and that only with God are all things possible. My hope is that one day God will bless me with obedience to Him alone, in Jesus' name, amen.

Another instance of this verse being fulfilled is in sports and even in something like "Monster Garage." While Jesse James is a gentleman, his crew during the build of a car into a "monster" funeral car started to brag about one thing or another. Indeed, in the end, the build was a failure.

Later there was a build of a stock Volkswagen into a "monster" Volkswagen (people race sup'd-up versions of the old VW's) and for the whole show the mechanics were very professional. Towards the end one of them boasted about how this car will tear up all the competition. With fear in his words Jesse said: "Don't jinx it." (I think someone else echoed that same sentiment with "Now you jinx'd us." BTW, people use the word "jinx" to explain this occurence. But now you know in reality what it is about.)

Not surprisingly the car had a sudden engine problem that required, not only the entire finished car to be dismantaled, but the entire engine as well! (I felt there was a nervous tension among the mechanics because of what had just been said and this sudden problem. Remember, they just got the car built, the comment was made, and then this horrendous problem was discovered.) Nonetheless, by God's grace, the dismantling eventually was completed through to the end and in the absence of bragging. Eventually the car put in a decent time, but not the "killer" time they hoped for and 1 of them bragged about.

So look for this in your own lives - on live TV shows - in interviews. It may be the one thing that turns you around to see that only God is Sovereign and you have no strength in and of your self.

May God richly bless you with faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, in Jesus' name, amen.

Sabbath, 12/09/06, 3:10 PM
Here is evidence of what God has said about the proud and the humble, i.e. that only He raises the humble and lowers the proud.

I play an internet card game called "Spades." During the game the opposing team member laughed at my team when we missed making a nil (we lost points). He said: "Nice nil," then "Good job," and then printed a "smiley face." I was incensed and wanted to retaliate. By God's Grace I held off. I waited and let God pay this fellow back. As we were playing the game I was first to bid and thought I had a good opportunity for a nil. So I bid it. Unfortunately so did my teammate. I realized that this was God's will and accepted it. We played and I fully expected to be set for 100 points, or maybe even 200 points.

The opposing teammate bid 4 tricks and his computer partner bid 7. I thought even though the total was high, it was still only 11 - leaving him and the computer to set us easily. But then it occurred to me - maybe this is the way this guy is going to be repaid? So I played and waited.

Trick after trick I thought we were going to be set. After a few that were easy to pass because the computer was playing to make the 7 tricks it bid. The computer played a low club (I had high clubs and knew I was in trouble) but the opposing teammate threw a high enough club that I could avoid taking it. Then he threw a low heart, but the computer opponent (his teammate) threw a trump on it so my partner was held safe when he threw a high heart - each time! This went on for like 3 tricks in a row (it was "hair-raising").

Towards the end of the hand, the computer always holds on to its high trump. It played a Queen of Spades, I threw my Ten of Spades. On it went until it was abundantly clear that, one of the most rarest of all Spades events - a double bid of nil (one from each teammate) was going to be made. When this guy saw that he left the game before finishing it. It was so clear, so concise, so surgical that ... I only hope that you see it was indeed God's hand in this simple game. But just in case you think I am telling you a story, just look at the following image. It is a "Print Scrn" image I captured just immediatley after the computer played the last trick with the highest trump in the game. Thus giving both my teammate and myself the very rare of rare events - a two single nil bids in one hand.

Sabbath, 01/05/08, 9:29 AM EST USA
I was thinking about pride last night as I kept playing checker game after checker game. I lost all of them except for 1. That was approximately 30 loses in checkers and 1 win. I was playing at the "Intermediate" level. I was very frustrated but then realized that there is no boasting ... and then it occurred to me - then there is no admiring! Indeed, since we do nothing on our own, and God does it all for us, then where is our boasting? Misplaced. So then anyone who does well is not to be admired for the same exact reason - everything is God's will and that person did none of it on their own. So indeed there is no admiring of anyone in any field at any time. From Einstein to Reagan - all of it was allowed by our Sovereign LORD God Almighty.