"Before his downfall a man..."

Though the four month mark is coming up since Josh's death, I felt that I should write now as well as Tuesday. First of all, the last subject still doesn't make me feel as good having it up in the forefront, and I feel as if there's been to large space in between posts. So I'm going to post on something I think is important and can be found in the Proverbs.

"Before his downfall a man's heart is proud, but before honor comes humility." Provebs 18:12

If you look at every sin ever invented, done, redone or thought of, all of it will link back to this one thing: pride. Basically we just say that we know better than God and can make a better decision than Him. When I decide steal something I decide that God isn't fulfilling my needs. He said He would, but we decide He isn't. Same with any sin, it all links back to pride. Which is interesting, but is kind of broad for this verse.

This verse talks more along the lines of testing the heart. If your attitude is to be proud a downfall is sure, simply because that's a law that God has set in place. You try to take God's place you will be a contender against the true God, and He's pretty good at games. Another verse that comes into mind when I hear this is: "A man sees right in everything he does, but God tests the heart." I don't know if that's word for word, but you get the general idea.

Jesus speaks many times in the gospels about being humble, but have you ever wondered why? The example He makes of Himself by taking the place of the least servant and washing the feet of His disciples, why is it such a big deal? I know that when I hear it the message kind of goes over my head, or the in-one-ear-out-the-other deal. It doesn't seem to me to be that big of a deal, but it is. All sin is founded in this one problem we each have, it's pride.

Think way back before Adam and Eve, back to where Lucifer was the biggest and baddest angel around, I mean, you just didn't even mess with this dude. He was the angel "that covered." He was the most beautiful of God's creations and because he was the best God appointed him as the angel that would cover God's glory. This sounds to me that God gave Lucifer a physical position that was higher than God, over God, covering God. By all practical standards God didn't have to more than flinch and Lucifer would be toast, but still Lucifer was allowed this position. It was a position that allowed for pride.

Do you think this was a mistake? Did God give Lucifer this position because He didn't think Lucifer would betray and make a rebellion in heaven? I doubt it. First of all, at any point God could just end everything. He's God who started this whole thing, He doesn't need to justify anything to anyone...move a finger and He could wipe the whole slate clean. There was war in heaven, and Satan was cast down with the third of the heavenly hosts. Mistake? God allowed it to happen just like He allowed us to be tempted. But that's getting off topic.

Think now about the figures in the Bible that we most often talk about: Noah, Abraham, David, Peter...and I can name more but lets just start here. Noah doesn't take too much visualization since we have the movie Evan Almighty, but take it a step further and imagine a whole bunch of people that don't mind killing someone just for the heck of it. No moral code whatsoever, anything goes. Noah was taking big steps trying to minister to these people as well as building an ark unmolested. God definitely did some stuff with him, and Noah was more than willing to listen to direction while risking his life for it.

Abraham, a humble, righteous man. Talk about moving out on a hunch. When we move from say Michigan to say Texas, it's like taking a stroll compared to what Abraham was going to do. He was basically moving a small kingdom and they were walking from Michigan to Texas, with Egypt and a whole lot of nastier things in between the two spots. God makes good on what He says He will, He just needs someone who doesn't think he knows better what God is talking about.

David...ah David. Now you could argue he was not a humble man, but I still think he was, he just isn't perfect. That's okay, not many of us are. But he was an extremely bloody King. When God told him to attack David did, then he sat back and played the harp and wrote a poem about it. It doesn't sound to me like it was that big of a deal to him, but he didn't make war without consulting God. It wasn't like he was looking around like, "That land over there looks good, take it for me Gamlealebaba (or whatever the officers were called) and bring me back the head of the leader by nightfall." It wasn't anything like that, although his faith in God's ability to give them the battle was just about the same. Mustering men together and sending them somewhere is a huge order, especially in those days with the amount of men that they sent. You'd think some of the people would balk at the amount of sacrifice they would have to make for it all. David couldn't have done all that he did without the direct help of God, and David took no credit for what he did. Read the Psalms any day and you'll find a lot of talking about how God delivered, and God was amazing...etc.

And finally Peter. It was always amazing to me to hear how Jesus called Simon to become Peter. With such subtle work he transforms a fisherman into a legend of Christianity. Peter was the one who denied Jesus three times, he was a zealot who was ready to destroy the Roman forces. Up until a certain point his heart was set on himself and the victories he was going to accomplish with Jesus. Only after Jesus' crucification do you see a change in Peter to where he really starts to get wall this humility stuff. There is a noted change, and from there Peter is basically the leader of the movement like Jesus was the start of it.

Power is in humility because God is the holder of power. Those who want to be like God won't be getting any help from God, He doesn't need another contender. If you think you're good enough to take on the world you obviously don't need my help. But in humility you will find amazing things happen. People naturally want to be better than you, but when you step below them and make them feel as if they are better than you. You'll find in the end, after everything is done, they will be the ones feeling regret, not you.

I think we can all agree we had an amazing example of this in Josh.

Are ghosts real?

I had an interesting conversation with a friend of mine at work last night. She talked about how she and her sister see ghosts all the time in her home, which she quickly denoted as crazy and most people don't believe it. I came back and said I did believe what she said because I do know that ghosts are real, but are in no way as great or fantastical or unbelievable as we try to make them out to be.

I posted a lot more about this earlier, but God directly spoke to me and said I did not have what it took to make this move. Apparently speaking on this subject is much larger than I had first thought it was. Then just understand as I do that the spiritual realm exists and it is nothing to take lightly.

Remember to Follow, but always lead

At this point I've been going through a time where I've needed to think about stepping outside my comfort zone and embrace life. Real life as a man though doesn't mean to continue as a child and live at home. As Paul said, "When I became a man I put childish things behind me." In this way he became a leader and did not follow examples of other people. I've decided that it is best to embrace this new venture as necessary even though I at first may not have wanted it.

In life itself we are broken down by peers to follow example and do what is being done, the only time something new can be acceptable is when you happen to be "cool." The way to becoming cool is as fragile as sunshine on a cloudy day. We are taught in most cases to remain on the wayside while others that are more "qualified" act as a lightning rod for us simple minded.

If I were talking about everyday happenings I wouldn't have as much of a problem with it. I don't trust some "professionals" like others do, but on the whole I do trust those who have a few more years on me. In religion though the matter is different.

The apostle Paul understood how it was to lead in life, he didn't knuckle under anyone because he was not trying to impress anyone other than the Father. It is so easy though for us to step aside and forget that we are only supposed to be following God, and at that we are to follow nothing else. In the Commandments the God gives us in Deuteronomy it says to "Respect your father and mother" even "obey," but it does not say anything about giving your heart to them. It speaks of obedience and respect as an obligatory thing. A relationship with your parents is in fact a very good thing, and it is something that God does not discourage, but there is only One entity that God does tell us to follow wholeheartedly above all else, and that is Him.

In life we are commanded to follow God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength. Follow God, not the crowd, not what your grandma thinks is best for you. God and only God. In life we are to lead in this aspect. In all ways follow God, but also in all ways lead others towards Him.

This stage in my life where I expect to be embracing what adults call the "real world," I pray I will set the trend that when my heavenly Father gives me a commandment, that I will follow Him. That I would put away pride and the fear of embarrassment and simply follow as I should. I think the quickest way to becoming cool is when you stand up for what is right and no one else can step on you because of it. Make no mistake, that is also the quickest way to persecution, but after awhile, those people do come around when you seem to have this joy in you that no one else around seems to have.

In life always follow God no matter the cost, remember that people die for Him every day while we worry if we're going to miss our favorite show. In life also always remember that we should set the example and lead the crowd, not follow it. The crowd won't go to God on its own.

What is Right?

Do you ever wonder why it is that an Atheistic government is still seeking after a "Utopian" state? When denying all reference to God it seems to me that any acknowledgment of a moral standing is to actually do the exact opposite. Why should I do anything "good"? Why shouldn't I kill? Why shouldn't I steal? Honestly, why do we seek to do what is right?

For the sake of discussion I'm going to become an atheist, from this point I no longer believe in any kind of God, and now I want to know why I should listen to rules.

Why do we color inside the lines? Why do we drive on the right side of the road? Why do we listen to the authority which tells us we can't do these things? Why do they feel as if their job is something they have to do? Why don't we simply steal what we need rather than earn it through labor? Wouldn't true Utopia forgo the need to work? Why do I care what you think of me? Why do any of us care?

I'm back to believing in God now. But why are all these questions unanswered in the general public? I have questioned the existence of God. I've sat back and looked at it and said, "This is just too weird that any being could be in control of this." I've taken the time to block out any belief in God and see what it feels like. The questions then came to me, why does society follow the rules they are given?

God cursed man and said, "You will work the ground for your food, and it will produce thistle's..." That makes sense, even in a Utopian state the government still has people work.

God set down rules in the garden and said, "You may eat of each tree in the garden, but from the one in the center you may not eat of it's fruit or you shall surely die..." Makes sense again, in a Utopian state there are rules to which the breaking of said rules brings severe punishment. Even though not all punishments will be death, the basic reaction to the breaking of a rule still remains. Human nature still follows that pattern God created within us.

Consider how we decide to break rules. What do we feel when we decide we're going to break a rule? I personally get a nervous feeling, or when I decide to bend a rule that doesn't lend itself to being destructive I get a kind of rush. Both of these are because we don't want someone to know or to find out. After the act is done we have to act as if it never happened. In the garden of Eden something similar happened. When Adam and Eve sinned they wanted to cover it up, first with leaves and then with accusations.

Even if we decide that God does not exist the signs of His designs permeate our bodies. Think of feelings that are in us and how we react to certain things. God made these things, and every pattern of a Utopian state still cannot escape the fact that they are still acting under the guise of God's design and man's rebellion against God.

The very idea of a Utopian state is an idea founded in Satan's camp. It's a setting aside of a people from the rest of the world to be better than the rest of the world. To create a "perfect" race and segment of society. That is why no government has ever been able to create a Utopian state and every story that has depicted it has shown it to be rightly problematic.

God alone can have the label of perfection. There is no man, or man created thing, that can take that label because no matter what we do or create we still conform to the physical and spiritual rules already in place. We react, we can do no else.

The purpose of this post is to give to you the questions of asked for a long time. It is also to perhaps enlighten someone else and give a point against Atheism. The belief in no God at all is simply an admission to cowardice. Sit and watch society for awhile. I've found that working at Meijer has given me this unique view into a portion of it. A portion that wishes to go on unbelieving and unchallenged simply because they think their current existence will last for good. The purpose of this post is to get you to ask the question to yourself:

What is right? And why do we want to do it?

A Christian shouldn't have too hard a time answering that question. To God be given all praise.

Responsibility of a Man

Originally I had only intentions of writing about the woman's side of this deal, but over the past two weeks I've come to the conclusion that I should write about the other half. Not only for those who view this blog, but also for myself, as I have found myself slipping from my responsibility.

The responsibility of a man is to lead.

I know that hurts to hear that, but it is his sole responsibility, as laid down by God. He is to lead the family. He is to have the role of leadership in society. I can be called sexist and biased, that's fine, God said if you're for what I say you'll be prosecuted, I'm okay with that. God meant for man to lead.

Back in Genesis, when Satan told Eve to take the bite of the fruit (it's not an apple...we don't know what it is), why did he go to Eve first? Wouldn't it be so much easier to get Adam first? Eve would've just done what he said then. Why did he go get Eve first? For one, he knew how God had chemically created Adam different from Eve and knew that Eve could use her ways to make Adam just go with it. But more importantly, it was because he wanted to begin a trend that would last throughout man's existence.

As men, we are not to let the role of leader in the home fall to the wayside for the wife to pick up. We shouldn't be at the point where we are giving up the role at all! Why do we get there? Why are we letting this be a problem in our society? Do we not believe we can lead? Are we afraid? Do we think we will lose what we love? Is that why we go with the woman again and again just like in the garden? Thinking that if we just go with her whatever happens will be alright because we're together. But did you ever stop and think what would have happened if Adam had not bitten into that apple?

Human nature pulls on us throughout our lives to return to the decisions made on that day in Eden. Whether we directly understand this or not we still act it all out day by day. Our nature as men is to let the problems we face fall to the wayside and let someone else take it upon themselves to do good.

In relationships, in marriage, in life, in family...we need to be men and lead.

Where I've been struggling recently in relationships is the how to lead. When a man takes his position as the leader and makes it look as if he is actually a confident sort of person, I might make a venture and say that's attractive. It is also our responsibility not to lead on girls in general, but to save ourselves for one, and one only. We should lead in purity, which will be hard, one because of our society, and two because our nature is to lead selfishly. In Eden, Adam fell because he did not want to be alone without his Eve.

Do you ever notice in relationships how it is so hard to do the actual break-up? I'm pretty sure you do, kind of a stupid question, but just notice it again now. Why? Why is it so hard to give up anyone, even when you understand fully that this person is a complete jerk? Why do you want to sacrifice to make it right? Because just like Adam, we think we will be alone forever. Not realizing that just on the other side of this is God, and His plan. It is our responsibility to fight against these human traits. If not for the one we love but as examples in this society that is so without any kind of good example.

Even at the price of being nerdy, even at the price of falling out with people you like...at the price of everything, be what God made you to be. Lead, be men. Real men. Not part man part woman. Be a man.

The responsibility of man is to lead His family according to the word of God.

One final note...ladies, when you get your man, do help him out, but don't take his job. He needs your support so badly. But he doesn't need you to be the man for him. These are large things to break in our culture. But God thought just One man was enough to do it for the entire world from beginning to end. We are nowhere near as good as that One, but He has called us to follow Him anyway. "Take up your cross and follow me..." Believe it or not, thems fightin' words.

Power of a Woman

Over the past week or two I've thought back to when I read two books: Paradise Lost and Wild at Heart. Both of them made an impression, but where the two of them link is in the explanation of our core reactions regardless of our own work against nature. The one I'd like to focus on in this post is the nature of a woman. I won't be going in depth, but rather I'd like to touch on a specific part of that nature. A responsibility.

In Paradise Lost you read how Lucifer rebels against God. "The cherub that covers," rebels against God thinking himself good enough to dethrone God. During the entire rebellion God could've twitched a finger and that would've been the end of Satan, but instead God allowed a war with Satan that ended in his expulsion. After the expulsion Satan realized another way to get at God was to get his creation to join the rebellion.

It's interesting how Satan worked right at the beginning. His normal tactic is to strike at the weakest link, in the context of Adam and Eve, Eve was the weakest of the two, made to be a helpmeet to Adam. Subservient and basically following like Adam would follow God. He put it into her mind and said, "You can be the leader," thus she became the leader into the fall. Satan's work was done.

Where I'm taking this post though is in the next move. Satan was done after Eve took the bite. He didn't stick around anymore, he doesn't come back into the picture at all until God talks about how the seed of Eve will crush his head. But Adam still falls. He sees Eve in her fallen state and is crushed...but the pull that God created in our nature to save the woman, to help her, to be her hero, takes hold of Adam and he decides that he would rather live in a fallen state for the rest of his life than live without Eve. Thus our human natures have come about as a result of the trend set at the fall.

This is not to direct fire at women who are working or that their real place is in the kitchen...I'm not like that. The discussion of men not leading though is a separate issue. I want to point out in this post that women have an unnatural pull on men, and they have a power over them in many contexts. Do not forget that you do, which I doubt that you will. But as with any power, there is responsibility, and an answering for with what you done with it.

Even in relationships now, where the thought of marriage perhaps has not even entered the discussions. Future life is not even an issue, the pull is still there. The way you dress, and the way you act around any guy can be harmful if you are loose in either category. On the other hand, modesty and seeking after God I think will take care of both, as well as score some pretty good points with the guys that are of real quality.

God made you the way you are...it's nothing to be afraid of, but it is something to watch for. Use discretion. You do more than you know when you're loose.

Innovation

What do you think would be considered moving in the Spirit? Does something spontaneous that someone says is spiritual count? I've had friends of mine begin to talk and link it together with "the Spirit." My question to you is, do you believe it is possible?

I know from my personal walk with Christ that when I step out in something Spiritual or if I'm making some sort of statement for him, I don't think about what I'm going to say that much, I just turn it over to Him. Do you believe in this?

When the disciples (which is different from apostles) of Jesus were in the room during Pentecost, do you think they were thinking about what they were doing? When they stepped out into the street, did they think? Another thing, how could they have spoken in all of those different tongues of the world if they were fully in control of their body? Do you believe in this?

When God opened up the heavens and let it rain uncontrollably during the flood and the fountains of the deep burst forth. Did Noah think? Was he like, "Boy am I glad I listened." Or did he just do what God told Him to. His decision changed the world. He believed in God, he had a relationship with God that was strong enough to convince him to take 150 years of his life to build a boat. Considering no one today ever lives past 110, and the average we live to is about 80, would you give up two lifetimes to build a boat that "God" told you to build while all of your neighbors and friends stood around and laughed about it? Do you believe in a God like this?

Is God spontaneous? Hmm... God is eternal, when did He decide to create us? In the beginning... but before that He didn't, but He still was there. Do you think, even when He knew what He was getting into, that "the beginning" was spontaneous? It was a part of His plan, but when you have eternity to do something you don't live by the calendar. He's a risk taker for sure, and He doesn't do things by the book. Esther? Rahab? Joseph and Mary nobody from Galilee? Do you believe God knows what He's doing?

Do you love God? Do you love Him enough to give your life for Him like He gave His son for you? No matter when you die, perhaps tomorrow? Do you love Him better than you think you'll love your future mate? I know that when I get married I'm going to have a love gush out that I've reserved for a long time. Does God deserve a love better than this? Would you stand up for Him? Would you be a Peter? A Noah? Esther? God is spontaneous, and the question is do you believe in Him without question.

You will have people in your life that question life itself, God included. Sometimes these will be dear friends that don't wait to talk to you alone. A human that doesn't believe in his stance will always seek the safety of numbers. Do you believe in God enough to stand up like Noah and say, "there is an end coming, much greater than the flood. And when I go to my father in heaven and sing 'to God be the glory' I don't want you to be singing 'the harvest is over and I'm not saved'." God gives you an entire life to accept Him, and from that point in your life He gives you each and every day to gather as many as you can to come with you. "For every thousand roads leading to Hell, there's not one road out."

Do you believe in a Spiritual realm that you can enter and take hold of? Do you believe that you can be a huge part of God's plan for this world? Do you believe that up until this day God has everything under control and that He is working things out for His glory and the salvation of his creation? Do you believe Him? The Spirit is spontaneous, and indeed very nerve racking to be in, but if you believe in God, love Him with a passion to leave behind the one with your mate, being in that Spirit is just another way to show your love to the world.

What do you believe?