Bragging On Jesus

Jesus told this parable in Matthew 13:44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

Paul said it like this:

Philippians 3:8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ

"You shall have no other gods before me.” (Exodus 20:3)

Mark 10:21 And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”

Do you think this young mans wealth bought him great joy and satisfaction. No, verse 22 says:

22 Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

Jesus is infinitely greater than all the treasures of the earth combined. And look, we don’t get to have two great treasures in our life… only one.

Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

So if the world is your Carnival, Drug, Buffet… if you seek to find joy in wealth or possession… I pray today you see Jesus as the greatest treasure in the Universe… Delight, Joy, Happiness, Peace… Up against Jesus everything else is rubbish.

Christian Hedonism

There are many “-ism’s” in the prism of schisms,

Like egotism, feminism, legalism and criticism,

But today, won’t you listen, to my optimism,

And the wisdom of Christian Hedonism.

Take the best endeavors of the human life,

There’s something far better than all their delights,

A treasure past measure like what day is to night,.

A pleasure fully suited for mans appetite.

Wikipedia has officially registered Christian Hedonism,

Compared now, all else might be called Dung-ism,

People locked in prison by things that glisten, Rubbish-ism,

Lust-ism, smut-ism, the whole world is in derision.

Because Jesus lived, died and now has risen,

He is my precious, my riches, my vision,

My fortune, my mission, for now I’m forgiven,

My treasure, my pleasure, my true Hedonism.

Proverbs In 365 Devotions

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Proverbs 19:27 Cease to hear instruction, my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge. 28 A worthless witness mocks at justice, and the mouth of the wicked devours iniquity. 29 Condemnation is ready for scoffers, and beating for the backs of fools.

Mock Justice Or Delight In Jesus

Alright, so today we take a look at this individual who refuses to hear words of knowledge and instead believes the so called knowledge from the darkness of the world… Solomon says they devour iniquity… Selfishness, lust, sinful obsessions… This is his daily food… this is where he gets his nourishment… this fuels his life. Sin is quite the motivator isn’t it. It’s so easy to become obsessed with it. It can easily become the last thing we think about at night and the thing that gets us out of bed in the morning… So this person Solomon speaks of has set their heart fast after sin and nothing will stop them… What if trouble comes their way? Will it cause them to quit seeking their own glory and realize they need God? No. What if they loose their job? No. What if they are in a car wreck and are laid up in the hospital for a month? No. Solomon says they mock justice. You see, their heart is set on sin for the long haul.

I suspect this person in our text will want to defend himself on judgment day. Like the serial killer who defends himself in court and laughs at the Judge and all his accusers.

In verse 29 our text in Proverbs says: Condemnation is ready for scoffers, and beating for the backs of fools.

You see we will not have the last word… God will. He is Judge and he is just.

1st Peter 4:3 For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. 4 With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you; 5but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.

But for those who delight in Jesus, the promised one who would provide righteousness for all who hope in him from the time of Adam and Eve and their sin to ours today… He took the wages for our sin in his death on the Cross and he defeated death on the third day… His righteousness is applied to all who joyfully look to him with the rest of our life… and God gives us the same power that raised him from the dead to be victorious over sin in this world as we walk with him… and by his power will raise us up incorruptible to be with him forever.

Pray

Proverbs In 365 Devotions

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Dealing With The Scoffer

R Aylor

Proverbs 19:25 Strike a scoffer, and the simple will learn prudence; reprove a man of understanding, and he will gain knowledge.

This verse has been a puzzle for me to some extent… not so much standing alone but in parallel with other verses in Proverbs.

Well let’s take a closer look. For starters the word scoff carries with it the idea of mocking someone with ridicule. There are some people who just enjoy putting others down… In public they try to make them look foolish and ignorant and thereby hoping to look superior to them.

In this verse striking a scoffer is put in parallel and contrast to reproving a man of understanding. Doing both can be beneficial. It does not indicate that the scoffer will gain instruction… I assume this is a hardened habitual scoffer and in him being stricken is instruction for those who have been watching him belittle some other person publicly. There are surly times we should stand up for the defenseless… and there are even systems within our laws that do this kind of protecting for the vulnerable and helpless. We should never stand by when someone is being abused… And the type of striking we administer should not begin with our hands but we must be discerning and when we correct others it should be done towards them in love. All things should be done in love and lawfully to the glory of God. So then our correcting is at least mainly for the benefit of those in the world who are watching that they might learn righteousness and truth. Now though a scoffer may not admit their wrong… though they may refuse to humble themselves and learn what is right… the man of understanding… when reproved will gain knowledge… He humbles himself in repentance and learns truth and righteousness and justice.

Proverbs 21:11 goes along nicely with todays verse. It also seems to say how punishing a scoffer is good because it makes the simple onlookers wise: When a scoffer is punished, the simple becomes wise; when a wise man is instructed, he gains knowledge.

But there is another passage that on first glance may seem to counteract todays verse… but lets look a little closer and see if it actually supports it: Proverbs 9:7-8… Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse, and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury. 8 Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you.

So which should you do? Correct and reprove a scoffer or not.

I think the answer can be found in asking a couple of discerning questions: 1 - Is the scoffer in question is a hardened proud mocker or does he still think he does not know it all? Can he learn wisdom? If so he still may benefit from reproof. But if he is proud to the core… Jesus words in Matthew 7:6 come to mind: “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you. In this case we should not instruct a scoffer with correction.

2 - However if others have been watching and learning from a scoffer as he belittles others… there are times he should be rebuked publicly. Not for his instruction but for those who may have been watching and learning bad habits from the scoffer.

Proverbs 12:25 Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad. 26 One who is righteous is a guide to his neighbor, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.

Everyone surly agrees there is anxiety in the world… all the time no doubt but today as the corona virus tops 315,000 infected it’s clear as day. People are worried about getting sick… and for loved ones… and what will be the impact on their job and paycheck… if you have stocks… Do I have enough food, water, toilet paper? We are tempted to dwell on all the possible outcomes of the coronavirus. But in truth it’s just another day in the life of a broken world. People all over the world live our their lives in different kinds of suffering. Many live in unsanitary areas that are slums. For example you might google photos of the slums in India. There is just so much brokenness in this world. So many are diseased with things from leprosy to cancer to the coronavirus. Probably millions suffer with depression that is biological in nature… and likely billions suffer from depression related to brokenness in relationships and we all suffer in relation to sin in our lives.

The point is that there is anxiety in a mans heart and it weighs us down. But Solomon says a good word makes him glad. “Good word” sends my thoughts to “Good News”.

If you don’t know the Lord it’s still a good thing to listen to the gospel again… You see, many of us had heard the gospel lots and lots of times before God opened up our eyes to actually see Jesus as beautiful and good news. He is the good word that makes a person glad… one who is weighed down with the anxiety of a broken world…

The original man and woman that God created; Adam and Eve, were tempted by satan who said God was a liar. They believed satan over God and followed satan’s advice. Adam and Eve fell out of fellowship with God who is perfect and has nothing in common with sin. All Adam and Eves descendants were born out of fellowship with God.

God did not leave mankind without hope. After Adam and Eves sin God promised one of the offspring of the woman would come who would succeed where they failed. God kept reminding them of this promise down through the ages by Prophets and by direct revelation. He made this promise to Abraham, Issac, Jacob, has a Hezekiah and king Ahaz to name a few. Before this Messiah’s coming people could be accepted by God again by believing the words and prophecies concerning him and his coming… by placing their hope in him.

Then God sent his only Son as a man born of a virgin. He lived a perfect life so where Adam and Eve and you and I failed, he succeeded. He imputes his righteousness to all who delight in him. He went further than that… he bore our sin in his body… He was paid the wages of our sin… Romans 6:23 says: For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

But he was not done yet… he went further. He defeated death itself to give us power over the temptations of sin in our daily life as we walk with him. And there is more… he will one day raise us up as he was raised up, incorruptible to be with him and never experience death or any of the anxieties of brokenness brought on by sin again.

So this is the gospel… If you are an unbeliever I hope you will whisper a prayer that if there is truth in these words God will open your eyes to see Jesus as good news… the greatest treasure in the Universe… worth turning away from seeking after the promises sin to delighting in Jesus the rest of your life.

Lets close with the second verse in todays text: 26 One who is righteous is a guide to his neighbor, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.

Todays verses point us to the two fold mission of every believer. To keep seeing more of Gods glory in Jesus and his word… In so doing he takes away all our hearts anxieties… and secondly to share his awesomeness with our neighbor.

Proverbs In 365 Devotions

For more go to braggingonjesus.com

Proverbs 12:27 Whoever is slothful will not roast his game, but the diligent man will get precious wealth.

Slothful is not defined as slow

It does not mean one doesn’t know

It’s not another word for fun

Slothfulness never hit a home run

Like the man who doesn’t roast his game

Or fix his roof that leaks in rain

Its like he just does not care

When wet he’ll simply move the chair

This lazy dude will hardly move

Grumbling he microwaves his food

With a “what’s it to you” attitude

He lives his life in such a dreadful mood

But the diligent man will get precious wealth

He cooks what he hunts, he paints both sides of the shelf

He exercises, eats right and takes care of his health

He loves his neighbor as his self

So herein my friend, take the slothfulness test:

Have you lost your zest?

Except to rest?

Have you lost the desire to do your best?

Does your house stay a mess?

Do you think: why should I dress?

Are your mind and body both in digress?

How many questions did you answer yes?

The slothful seed sprouts a sweet smelling weed

Its taste is sweet but its thorns make you bleed

Its leaves make you slumber, you hear sounds of a lute

But waken a zombie, you have become this seeds fruit

Now what are these riches of the diligent man?

In the flesh he’ll find gold if he persistently pans

But spiritually, Ahh there are treasures galore

As we see Gods glory in Jesus more and more

Proverbs in 365 Devotions

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Proverbs 11:30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and whoever captures souls is wise.

We Are All Fruit Trees

R Aylor

We are all fruit trees…. or like them… Did you know that?

Today let’s think about what kind of fruit our life produces.

Hmmm… why don’t we start by going through our daily routines and see if there are any opportunities for fruit built in to our routines.

Your basic day might begin with an alarm clock dinging or singing some silly song… or you may usually get up without an alarm… Even when I set an alarm many times I get up before it goes off.

Question: Do you begin your day with a prayer before you rise from your bed? If so then the first fruits of your day is to rejoice in Gods mercy, ask him for help in his mission… The fruit of him brings you life in the morning… thats what our text says right? “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life”. And the fruit shines out with worship, praise and joy even before you rise to meet the day. Thats pretty awesome!

On the other hand to lay in bed and think about those who have hurt your or other ungodly things and rising with a “woe is me” and full of grumpiness are the first fruits of many.

And so you get up… maybe you get a cup of coffee and a cracker and begin coming alive… Is the Lord a part of that? Do you have an intentional time with Gods word and a time for reflection? Maybe you write out a devotion you have drawn from reading Gods word. Many people simply read a devotion someone has written and don’t look at Gods word for themselves… Is that really enough for us? Devotions are good to read but it is amazing when God enlightens your eyes directly from his word… connecting scriptures and applications and internalizing words of life to our soul.

Maybe you have an intentional time of prayer… it could a list for every day of the week… In your mind you may trace the houses in your neighborhood or your fellow employees at work… God may lead you into another routine of intentional prayer.

You may tell yourself you don’t have time in the mornings to commit to intentional prayer and bible study. Someone once said Gods math is much different than mans. Martian Luther said:

"I have so much to do today that I'm going to need to spend three hours in prayer in order to be able to get it all done.” 

It’s worth it to get up an hour earlier to spend intentional and quality time with God.

So… Solomon has told us that the fruit of the righteous is a tree of life… We have been looking at what fruit comes from just a couple of our daily routines and we have started the day… For many of us we begin waking up our children and planning our day or heading to work… I’ll leave the rest of your daily routines for you to consider with this note… Most of us will be interacting with others in some fashion through our day… and in the second half of todays verse Solomon has told us “whoever captures souls is wise”.

You see, this these things are the duty and mission and joy… the fruit of every Christian. First to see more and more of Gods glory and be transformed… as we said we do that in connection to Gods word and prayer… I hope you have an intentional time for that in your life… and secondly, to share his glory with others… as Solomon put it “whoever captures souls is wise”.

Pray

Proverbs In 365 Devotions

For more go to braggingonjesus.com

Proverbs 12:12 Whoever is wicked covets the spoil of evildoers, but the root of the righteous bears fruit. 13 An evil man is ensnared by the transgression of his lips, but the righteous escapes from trouble. 14 From the fruit of his mouth a man is satisfied with good, and the work of a man’s hand comes back to him.

Satisfied Or Snared

R Aylor

Verse 12 mentions the root of the righteous and how it will bear fruit… and that is contrasted in the same verse with the wicked person coveting the spoils or fruit of those who do evil. Then in verse 13 we see how fruit begins bearing on the tree of the wicked man… that is… the fruit of his lips…which form traps. Solomon says he is ensnared so we find his words bring him into bondage. And then in verse 13 we find that the righteous is not snared by his own words but escapes from trouble… Finally in verse 14 Solomon continues referring to the fruit of a righteous persons lips and how this fruit which bears fruit in its root as verse 12 says, also bears fruit not only through the mouth but through the work of a mans hand.

So to summarize what I am seeing here… It’s a matter of the heart that determines the fruit that our heart produces… the fruit our mouth produces and the fruit our hands produce. And we can surmise I think our heart determines what we meditate on in our mind, where our legs take us and all the things we do in our body whether good or bad.

And since it’s all about the heart… You may remember a text we already looked at in Proverbs 4, verse 23-24 which says: 23 Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. 24 Put away from you crooked speech, and put devious talk far from you.

So these things are linked one with another. And in Luke 6:45 Jesus said it this way: The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

But of course as a bad tree cannot make good fruit we need a good heart if we are to produce good fruit… which we do not have.

Ezekiel 36: 26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.

Pray

Proverbs in 365 Devotions

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Proverbs:19:24 The sluggard buries his hand in the dish and will not even bring it back to his mouth.

When Your Head Splashes Down Into Your Oatmeal

Today Solomon is talking about a man who is just too lazy to even finish eating. Oh, it doesn’t begin that way does it? Maybe he struggled getting out of bed with faith to face the day… He lacked joy for life… Even the simple things of life… the beauty of Creation… a simple flower adorned in glory that surpassed King Solomon. How long had it been since a morning sunrise brought a smile to his heart? How long had it been since he had even been up early enough to see a sunrise? Or if he was… even if he unhappily drug himself out of bed with a feeble “woe is me”… though he may have seen the sunrise he didn’t really see it.

This is the man who finds his selfish desires not in getting rich or holding great power over a people… for he has likely tried those paths… In his eyes working for a living was not all it was cracked up to be. Now his selfishness has sought another path… he has considered that possibly doing the least work he can… letting the government pay his way if possible… if not then its ok… just to survive… lay around and take it easy… Every day go to all you can eat buffets… watch as much tv as possible… do whatever I want every single day… that was his motto. Guess what… Just like his old job… these things did not satisfy him… Now sitting alone at home he even dreads taking a shower… and seldom does… he no longer cleans his house or washes his dishes. Eating is not enjoyable to him as it once was; and here is where our text comes in… Solomon says: 24 The sluggard buries his hand in the dish and will not even bring it back to his mouth. Whats the use? I can imagine that this might be the end for that man… Maybe to his demise all of a sudden his head will plop down into his bowl and he will drown in his oatmeal. But it doesn’t have to end like that.

Just as the unsatisfaction with sin grows and grows until man realizes it was all a big scam… Even so the seed of faith grows in a mans life.

Jesus gives us this example in Luke 13:18 He said therefore, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? 19 It is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden, and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.”

20 And again he said, “To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? 21It is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, until it was all leavened.”

Pray

Proverbs 19:21 Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand. 22 What is desired in a man is steadfast love, and a poor man is better than a liar. 23 The fear of the Lord leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied; he will not be visited by harm.

Ok, there are a number of truths here… Let’s look at each one… at least what I see here briefly, and see how it fits together.

1 - 21 Many are the plans in the mind of a man,

We make many plans in life… even daily and though it didn’t say; our plans are often motivated by our own selfish purposes.

2 - but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.

What does it mean to stand? The Lords purpose remains in place… We might even say his purpose is sure to come to pass.

Isaiah 46:8 …for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, 10 …‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’

3 - 22 What is desired in a man is steadfast love,

A man wants others to show him kindness right?. This is the purpose and plans man has for himself… He wants unwavering love… These seem like good plans on the surface but in his brokenness he is motivated by seeking a selfish love and glory that belong to God. You see, man wants others to not only love him that he might be popular but to provide him opportunity to gain wealth and influence for his own glory…

4 - and a poor man is better than a liar.

Rather than obtaining riches and popularity by lies and selfish purposes for our own glory… it is better to fear the Lord and be poor.

5 - Lets take verse 23 all together…

23 The fear of the Lord leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied; he will not be visited by harm.

To have the kind of fear that leaves us satisfied seems to me would mean to be trusting God and his word so much that we know if we stray from his loving commandments… if we trust the worlds promises… if we trust our own fleshly desires over him… it will bring us ruin… even harm. We should fear then greatly that we don’t drift or wander from his path. So this is a good fear that keeps us satisfied.

It says this satisfied person will “not be visited by harm”… Hmmm… even David who wrote this experienced harm at times in his life… and in old age he became feeble and sickly and died.

I think one clue to its meaning lies in the first part of 23…

“The fear of the Lord leads to life”

I am thinking about Genesis 50:20, remember when Joseph said this to his brothers: As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.

Joseph was one who I think feared the Lord in the right way and yet he experienced much harm… being sold into slavery… likely considered dead… later falsely accused of attempted rape and thrown into prison… But in one sense Joseph was not visited by harm… at least in this context: Remember when his brothers who had sold him came before him and feared for their life he said: “but God meant it for good”.

For Joseph all those troubles were not harm… but the opposite… they led to life… for himself and all of Israel.

One more thing about all this talk of not being visited by harm… let this settle it for you… here is the context Jesus spoke about such things.

He said in: Luke 21:16 You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death. 17 You will be hated by all for my name’s sake. 18 But not a hair of your head will perish. 19 By your endurance you will gain your lives.

In the end the right kind of fear of the Lord leads to life.

Remember we read earlier in verse 22 saying: What is desired in a man is steadfast love. Thats what Jesus gives to us. As John 3:16 says: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Pray

Proverbs in 365 Devotions

For more go to braggingonjesus.com

Love To Dicipline

R Aylor

Proverbs 19:18 Discipline your son, for there is hope; do not set your heart on putting him to death. 19 A man of great wrath will pay the penalty, for if you deliver him, you will only have to do it again. 20 Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future.

What Is The Commandment?

R Aylor

We see Solomon possibly speaking to his sons concerning their own sons; but clearly applicable to all. It’s interesting to me Solomon says not to set your heart on putting your son to death. I suspect most parents… even when their children break a precious item dear to you or if they almost burn down the house… (did you note the passion in my tone? I have done those things.)… Even in dire disobedience we do not want to put them to death. But if we do not give them discipline… then that is exactly what we are doing. When they disobey… If we say… no problem with no other instruction… that is not love... then again and again as we watch them stray from godliness and truth if we offer no instruction and discipline… We too are at fault. We are being a willing participant in bringing their life to misery and ruin.

I think of Gods priest Eli and his sons.

1st Samuel 2:12 Now the sons of Eli were worthless men. They did not know the Lord. …17 Thus the sin of the young men was very great in the sight of the Lord, for the men treated the offering of the Lord with contempt.

And then remember when God called the young prophet Samuel as a child and God spoke to Samuel about Eli and how he had not disciplined them in the Lord.

1st Samuel 3:13 And I declare to him that I am about to punish his house forever, for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them.

And it seems to me that today's verses from Proverbs are very timely for the generation and cultures of today where parents only discipline with anger when their children annoy them or hamper their style… When children interrupt them as they are seeking their own self centered desires. We see a lot of parents today more concerned about the tv programs they watch than what their children are doing or even where they are. We see parents consumed with alcohol and drugs and tv and smart phones and Facebook and pornography. Parents who do not have self discipline much less are they disciplining their own children in a loving godly way.

If we love our children we will work and do our best to provide them a loving home… with a clean bed and food to eat… We will teach them love by giving them the example of the giving of ourselves to them. We will discipline them in discernment with grace and mercy… and yes with things that bring pain…

God shows his love for us in the same way.

Hebrews 12:6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”

Proverbs 3:11 My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline or be weary of his reproof, 12 for the Lord reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights.

Pray

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