Bragging On Jesus

Proverbs 14:2 Whoever walks in uprightness fears the Lord, but he who is devious in his ways despises him. 3 By the mouth of a fool comes a rod for his back, but the lips of the wise will preserve them. Today's passage talks about walking and talking and overall ways of people. Solomon speaks of one who walks in uprightness. Now, I know that means being holy and righteous… loving our neighbor as ourselves and God supremely… However in my mind I see this picture of a man standing upright along side of a man crawling on all fours like an animal. I think there might be a correlation between this picture of a man crawling on all fours… debase, feeding the desires of the flesh, following after his senses… not contemplating his life and purpose… one with a degraded sense of morality who has a corrupted discernment between right and wrong… no capacity for love… the kind that shares experiences, goals, dreams, hopes or aspirations. This man is not walking upright and does not fear the Lord but despises him and re

Proverbs In 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com Proverbs 14:25 A truthful witness saves lives, but one who breathes out lies is deceitful. The Witness We Breathe Out R Aylor It is quite unusual to see a guilty person who takes the witness stand begin by being truthful and making a confession. Most seem to lie and deceive and manufacture stories and tell half truths that point the finger of guilt at others instead of themselves. But deceit doesn’t wait to get on the witness stand before it winds up destroying other people’s lives… The thing is... this deceit in the hearts of man... it usually begins like a cancer eating away in the very families of the one who spirts out lies. This cancer doesn’t pause or go into remission. Although sometimes the lies seem harmless and benign they are in fact malignant. They hurt a lot of people… including our loved ones and close friends… and wind up destroying our own selves in the worst way possible for eternity away from all that is good. But on the oth

Today's reading is a sermon from the Anglican Preacher George Whitefield (1714-1770) He was blessed with some unique talents in communication and vocalization as well as spiritual insights which he used for the glory of God. He was surly not a perfect man... Whitefield publicly renounced slavery early on. However, he participated in this horrible practice after he won plantation owners to the Lord and they entrusted him slaves. He advocated for legalization of slavery in Georgia possibly that they might help him maintain and operate his orphanage. He vocalized the good treatment of slaves and evangelized them. Beware reader... the end does not justify the means and we all have to give account to the Lord for how we rationalize the morals that come out of our brokenness. Whitefield's connection to slavery stands out as possibly being his most grievous sin . With that being said, history is a difficult thing to judge generally much less and yet more dangerously the intents of a heart individually... with the

Proverbs In 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com Proverbs 14:29 Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly. 30 A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh, but envy makes the bones rot. What's Your Go To? R Aylor Do you have a “go to” in any area of life? I think most people do. Even when someone is asked a soft question like “How are you?” or “Whats been going on?”… or a something about the weather we usually choose from a few basic quips in our bag to respond with like:”I’m doing well, how are you?” or “Not much”, “same old same old”. If it’s been windy I usually comment how today I’ve had a bad hair day… (even though I am bald)… LOL. When I ask my brother what he’s been up to… I don’t know how many times… a lot!… he has answered me “about 5 10 1/2”. We have “go to’s” for clothes we wear… where and what we eat… who we seek counsel with… even things like were we go to first on line to get answers for various questions. The thing is… we also ha

Proverbs In 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com Proverbs 14:11 The house of the wicked will be destroyed, but the tent of the upright will flourish. 12 There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death. At first glance it may seem a bit discouraging that Solomon says the wicked get to live in a house while the upright only live in a tent. Well, that doesn’t seem fair… but hey… the thing is… the possessions of the upright consist of a little bit more than a tent. See, those who have been given the righteousness of Christ and so are upright… they don’t really live here… Maybe we could put a bumper sticker on our tent that says “my other house is a mansion” because we’re just passing through and will soon come to the place that Jesus went to prepare for us. Its the Spiritual Kingdom of God…Thats our homeland now. If you know Christ there is a sense in which you were actually born in that kingdom… It is your birthplace and homeland. Look, there is a full inheritance waiting

Proverbs in 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com Proverbs 14:10 The heart knows its own bitterness, and no stranger shares its joy. In todays verse I think we see another truth Solomon has witnessed in his… well, study of human behavior… and likely experienced in his own life. As usual, the obvious truth he sees carries underlying principals that can be used for application in other areas of life. First, he mentions the personal bitterness unique to each persons heart. Of course physical trials can be bitter in the way a cold wind is bitter upon the face. An accident that one never fully recovers from is a difficult ordeal. A long bout with cancer that ends in death can be a strenuous hardship on the one who is sick as well as many family members. Each one of us has their own unique experience of bitter troubles in the body that can be as distinct as a fingerprint. However; I really don’t think Solomon is referring to these kinds of physical things... at least not detached from another k

Proverbs 14:6 A scoffer seeks wisdom in vain, but knowledge is easy for a man of understanding. 7 Leave the presence of a fool, for there you do not meet words of knowledge. 8 The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way, but the folly of fools is deceiving. 9 Fools mock at the guilt offering, but the upright enjoy acceptance. These verses give a number of insights about two different kinds of people… two different hearts. Solomon shows us the contrasts between the knowledge that comes from God and the arrogance of the foolish person… 6 A scoffer seeks wisdom in vain, ... Why can’t the scoffer find wisdom? I suppose it is because he never admits he’s wrong about anything.... Then the last part of this verse; for a man of understanding… a man who knows he is broken and lacking. ... it’s an easy thing to seek godly knowledge... he hungers for it... 7 Leave the presence of a fool,... This one is pretty clear… the understanding person sees how a foolish person doesn't have good council to give and neith

Proverbs In 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com Proverbs 14:5 A faithful witness does not lie, but a false witness breathes out lies. People bear some kind of witness with their life. They proclaim something about who they are to others. We could even think about satan himself. He proclaims his own glory… He says his way is best for us. He says sin satisfies. In the Garden of Eden he told Eve God was a liar… and that the fruit of the tree God said would bring death would actually make her like God. But satan is a false witness. Solomon says that a false witness breathes out lies. In John 8:44, speaking of satan Jesus said this: …When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. That’s who satan is… even when he tried his hand at quoting scripture when he tempted Jesus in the wilderness his intent was deceit and he came to Jesus as a liar. What about us? Are we a faithful witness or a false witness? Of course a witness is someone who has actually saw

For more go to braggingonjesus.com Proverbs 14:4 Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean, but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox. This has been a fascinating verse to me for many years. Maybe because it seems that Solomon is just stating the obvious and somehow he must have believed that with every truth he observed in life no matter how apparent there must be something in it for him to learn… a foundational principal that he could carry with him into other areas of life for application. As for this verse, I think we’ve all seen some form of what Solomon is describing here. Right? I mean... if there are no tools in your workshop, it is likely clean and without clutter, but many engines can be repaired by the use of tools, and with that there is going to be a lot of grease and grime… theres just no getting around it. It’s proof that you have been working to accomplish something. Whether your desk is clean or dirty… your house… your clothes… they all tell a story. And to achieve something

Proverbs 13:18 Poverty and disgrace come to him who ignores instruction, but whoever heeds reproof is honored. 19 A desire fulfilled is sweet to the soul, but to turn away from evil is an abomination to fools. 20 Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm. 21 Disaster pursues sinners, but the righteous are rewarded with good. For the full transcript go to braggingonjesus.com and click on Proverbs in 365 Devotions. Thanks!

Proverbs 13:22 A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the sinner’s wealth is laid up for the righteous. 23 The fallow ground of the poor would yield much food, but it is swept away through injustice. It looks like both of these verses speak of some kind of increase or the lack thereof in a mans life. It seems Solomon is mentioning some of the insights he gained about people as he observed their everyday life in his kingdom. Maybe when he looked out his window or when he sat in judgment before individuals and heard their stories… You know… underlying every observation we make in life there is a truth where we can gain insight. But like Solomon, we must make our deductions with discernment. We need the Lords help with that. So let’s think about what Solomon has said… He tells us how a good man leaves some kind of inheritance to his children’s children… Inheritances usually consist of things like houses, money and land. He likely witnessed men who did this very thing. They were hone

Proverbs in 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com Proverbs 13:1 A wise son hears his father’s instruction, but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke.
 You know… there are two kinds of listening. And today it seems that Solomon really wants his sons to listen to his words of wisdom with the right kind of hearing. One kind is not sincere… This person may listen for a number of reasons but it is not genuine. If you have children then you surly know it’s possible for your instructions or scoldings to go on deaf ears… maybe hearing your words ever so faintly as background noise. A child may only listen to make a case against the rebuker and defend their own position either openly or as a way to rationalize in their heart. They’re really not interested in understanding why their father wants them to do this or that. They only care about justifying the argument for what they want in their heart. This is the scoffer whom Solomon says does not listen to rebuke. It makes since that the person who does not a

Proverbs 20:30 Blows that wound cleanse away evil; strokes make clean the innermost parts. What could Solomon be trying to tell us today? Well, I think we see Solomon giving an example of how discipline is to be used for the good in a person who is caught up in crime or and evil heart… sinful actions. We’ve touched on how one of the qualities of a good king should be mercy… but here the most merciful thing is discipline. We can see how this works when a child gets in a pattern of disobeying their parents. They don’t come to their parents and confess when they’ve messed up but they wait until they get caught to apologize... and then they disobey again and instead of repenting and confessing they hide their sin again until once again they are caught. These times clearly call for a spanking… but it’s a spanking for their good. Solomon may be alluding to criminals in Israel... thieves and murderers who break laws of the land… but this principle of discipline extends to others… for example we looked at how child

Proverbs 20:29 The glory of young men is their strength, but the splendor of old men is their gray hair. Glory is something that defines us… it tells a story about not only people but also things. Paul tells us that the sun, moon and stars have glory. 1st Corinthians 15:41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory. Jesus said Solomon had glory when he compared him with the lilies of the field. Matthew 6:29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. In todays proverb we see how the glory of young mens strength sets them apart from old men who get grey hair. These differences tell a story that gives us clues that go into the make up of who these are. Solomon speaks generally about certain aspects that are common in both groups of individuals. These are only small parts of knowing a young or an old man. For us to know them better we would need to look at their glories close up, one

Proverbs in 365 Devotions Proverbs 10:11 The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence. "Two Wells" Robin Aylor There once were two wells flowing out waters. To nourish the souls of sons and daughters. One was alive, purified,The other looked clean, to the naked eye. But toxins like arsenic, venom and bane, Longed to flow through the children’s veins. Covered in Aspartame and Formaldehyde sweet, In hopes that the people would drink and eat. Lurking and hiding the poison it carried, Knowing partakers would soon be buried. Both wells cried out “I satisfy!”. But one shared the truth, the other a lie. I thought, how shall one know, which to partake? Then I looked all about, upon the landscape. Around one fountain, vegetation was dead. The people were crying, I heard what they said. Woe to us! They yelled out in pride. The waters they drank made them bitter inside. It had rotted their eyes and made them blind. It closed up their ears and hardened their mind.

John 4:13 Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” Two Wells R Aylor There once were two wells flowing out waters To nourish the souls of sons and daughters One was alive, purified The other looked clean, to the naked eye But it carried toxins like venom and bane Which longed to flow through the children’s veins Enveloped with Aspartame and Formaldehyde sweet In hopes that the people would drink and eat Lurking and hiding the poison it carried Knowing partakers would soon be buried Both wells cried out “I satisfy!” But one shared the truth, the other a lie I thought, how shall one know, which to partake? Then I looked all about, upon the landscape Around one fountain, the vegetation was dead The people were crying, I heard what they said Woe to us! They yelled out in pride The waters they dr

Proverbs 20:26 A wise king winnows the wicked and drives the wheel over them. 27 The spirit of man is the lamp of the LORD, searching all his innermost parts. 28 Steadfast love and faithfulness preserve the king, and by steadfast love his throne is upheld. ... The first; verse 26 tells us first how a wise king deals with the wicked. He winnows them and drives the wheel over them. A winnowing fan would blows the chaff off of the wheat… separating it from the edible grain. The grain is put into storehouses or sold in the market while the chaff may be disposed of by burning.Speaking of Jesus and judgment John the Baptist uses this same metaphor In Matthew 3:12: His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” Solomon says the wise king also drives the wheel over them. From what I gathered, driving the wheel over them refers to the threshing wheel which was a wooden frame with three or four rollers arm

Proverbs In 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com Proverbs 20:25 It is a snare to say rashly, “It is holy,” and to reflect only after making vows. What does holy mean? Strongs concordance says this word translated from means apartness or sacredness. As a believer God calls us to be set apart to the Lord. That includes our words. We are to keep our word both to God and man. James 5:12 says: But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation. So when we give our word to another we are accountable to God for our pledge. If you are a believer you are an Ambassador for Christ and so our words reflect upon the Lord. In that context our words are holy. We are not to give our word or make a promise flippantly to others. We say things like I will be praying for you… but what becomes of our words? We say I will be there or I will call you tomorrow morning… or I will c

Proverbs 20:24 A man’s steps are from the LORD; how then can man understand his way? Something about this verse makes me want to smile. I think part of it is acknowledging the sovereignty of God. It just does something for my heart knowing the Creator of all things loves me so much and cares to be involved in each step I take. And another reason I like this verse is because there’s a mystery here… Today's devotion is my pondering a small part of the journey. Please double check my musings. Why does God intervene in the oh so small steps that man takes from day to day? Actually, I think that if we acquaint ourselves with Gods word we can know what he’s doing our life… at least generally; but specifically well, not so much… It seems to me that Solomon is saying… The reason our plans in this world don’t always go the way we hope is because God channels our steps. I mean… at the time of trouble does anyone know the real reason why we experience hardships like a loss of job or 1001 other trials? And so we fig

Proverbs In 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com Proverbs 20:21 An inheritance gained hastily in the beginning will not be blessed in the end. Bad Love R Aylor The desire to have what we deserve and not have to wait seems to be the desire of all men... but it’s a false premise. This example Solomon gives concerning an inheritance is a great example. There's this hunger inside of men… this seed of greed that only needs a sprinkle of hope to feed it and the next thing you know it becomes an overwhelming obsession that controls us. 1st Timothy 6:10 acmes to mind: For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. Notice the object of the verse is not money but the kind of love that is associated with it. This is a powerful self serving kind of love that excludes love for others… Its a kind of love that is greedy for the inheritance and breeds distrust among siblings and causes famil