Blog #76 January 5, 2024
Psalms 1:1-2
1:1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
1:2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
In our last discussion we found a way to grow in God by comparing our lives to what Christ would never do. This effective teaching tool is used many times throughout the scriptures. God at times will focus on evil that we might clearly define righteousness.
Genesis 6:57 And the Lord spake unto Adam, saying, Inasmuch as thy children are conceived in sin, even so, when they begin to grow up sin conceiveth in their hearts, and they taste the bitter, that they may know to prize the good.
In the world today we face the chaos of man and his many varied opinions. Do we have the right to believe and endorse these many varied opinions? We certainly do, but I will warn you that sometimes many of the right choices hide behind man’s failure to grasp fully the difference between our way and the ways of God. Many rely on logic, but in my opinion, logic is a problematic foundation on which to build dependable doctrines meant to support our wish to serve God and the ways of God.
Many would describe logic as a straight line from A to B to C and simplistically I would agree with them. The problem we face is that is logic has a starting point and the straight line it creates from that point can go in any direction. What I am trying to say is that good and evil both travel a logical path. Where their paths differ is their focus and their eventual goal. In effect, to evil truth is very illogical, because it leads us away from evil, its intent, and its final goal. Your have to consider the fact that many lies find their very proof in logical progression. But, thankfully God allows us a way to recognize evil and the judgment it employs. Logical lies base their strength on their ability to hinder our growth toward God. Such phrases as, “Everyone knows that”, or, “Well, that’s the way its always been done” are axioms that expose a logic whose goals are not the truths of God.
3 Ne 1:39-42
1:39 Insomuch that they began to be hard in their hearts, and blind in their minds, and began to disbelieve all which they had heard and seen, imagining up some vain thing in their hearts, that it was wrought by men, and by the power of the devil, to lead away and deceive the hearts of the people;
1:40 And thus did Satan get possession of the hearts of the people again, insomuch that he did blind their eyes, and lead them away to believe that the doctrine of Christ was a foolish and a vain thing.
1:41 And it came to pass that the people began to wax strong in wickedness and abominations; and they did not believe that there should be any more signs or wonders given;
1:42 And Satan did go about, leading away the hearts of the people, tempting them and causing them that they should do great wickedness in the land.
Today I would like us to investigate a passage from Proverbs 6. It centers on the ways of man that God describes as abominations. Because it is a powerful description of God’s relationship with humanity, I think it is important that we open our hearts to a common understanding of the meaning of the word abomination.
Webster’s 1828 Dictionary
Abomination
1. Extreme hatred; detestation.
2. The object of detestation
Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance:
Abomination: H8441-tôʿēḇâ {to-ay-baw’}
1.In ritual sense (of unclean food, idols, mixed marriages)
2.In ethical sense (of wickedness etc)
Webster’s 1828 Dictionary describes what an abomination is, whereas Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance leads us to recognize what affect an abomination can have on our labor to become a people of God. Between the two I think we have gained a common understanding of what God means when He uses the term abomination. Understand the full authority of an abomination. It creates a false ideal that if followed, can lead logical people on a path away from God and toward eternal death.
Proverbs 6:16-19
6:16 These six things doth the Lord hate; yea, seven are an abomination unto him;
6:17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
6:18 A heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,
6:19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.
Ponder each of these seven attributes and you will find that each abomination creates a situation or attitude that seeks to separate God from His children.
1. Proud look: We are meant to offer each other a love that humility allows us to share. Self-pride allows us to consider those who are different as less than us. He who looks down upon another is incapable and unworthy of Christ-like humility. A proud look testifies to the people we are trying to reach that basically, we are much more worthy of God’s love than they can ever be.
Psalms 10:5-6
5 Whoso privily slandereth his neighbor, him will I cut off; him that hath a high look and a proud heart will not I suffer.
6 Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me; he that walketh in a perfect way, he shall serve me.
2. Lying tongue: Truth is the foundation of all we believe. If we have been given truth and we pass along a lie, we have cheated those we were meant to help. This destroys trust, which is the doorway by which truth enters the hearts of mankind.
2 Ne 8:46-47
8:46 For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen: because their tongues and their doings have been against the Lord, to provoke the eyes of his glory.
8:47 The shew of their countenance doth witness against them, and doth declare their sin to be even as Sodom, and they can not hide it. Wo unto their souls, for they have rewarded evil unto themselves.
3. Hands that shed innocent blood: With complete trust comes the security of innocence. We seek this attribute, because without it, we will not understand God’s ways nor be recognized as His children.
3 Ne 5:39-41
5:41 And again I say unto you, Ye must repent, and become as a little child, and be baptized in my name, or ye can in no wise receive these things.
5:40 And again I say unto you, Ye must repent, and be baptized in my name, and become as a little child, or ye can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God.
5:41 Verily, verily I say unto you, that this is my doctrine; and whoso buildeth upon this, buildeth upon my rock; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against them.
In our humility to God, we become His children. God offers protection for the child that will accept it.
Mark 9:39 And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.
4. A heart that deviseth wicked imaginations: Again, we speak of the importance of truth. Truth once received must be allowed to overtake the heart of the believer. They must trust in God, His promises, and His ways or they will cause themselves to be given over to corruption. The vain thoughts of man differ from eternal truth, because man is short lived and temporal. Today he shall be and tomorrow he shall be gone. The righteousness of God is eternal and will live to grow forever.
Romans 1:20-25
1:20 For God hath revealed unto them the invisible things of him, from the creation of the world, which are clearly seen; things which are not seen being understood by the things that are made, through his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse;
1:21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were they thankful, but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
1:22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.
1:23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
1:24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, through the lusts of their own hearts; to dishonor their own bodies between themselves;
1:25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
5. Feet that be swift in running to mischief: In God we walk the path to Him that we might learn, ponder, and understand. When we run, we risk losing plain and precious truths that we need. This is a maxim for the growing believer and we must not waiver in our steadfast patience with God. It is not so with the churches of the world for they struggle with the fear of being mediocre, and we know that fear destroys both trust and love, the principal testimony of the Kingdom. Anything that is less than the ways of the Kingdom is hypocrisy before the Lord and leads us away from His truth, His justice, and His mercy.
Job 15:34-35
15:34 For the congregation of hypocrites shall be desolate, and fire shall consume the tabernacles of bribery.
15:35 They conceive mischief, and bring forth vanity, and their belly prepareth deceit.
6. A false witness that speaketh lies: Those who seek to run in the Lord are often victims to lies. In their haste, they fail to ponder and seek understanding. They make assumptions that are less than truth. Though pure in their faith, their failure to seek the fullness of truth can cause others to stumble and fall. In their hurry to spread the word they treat it as a commodity needing to be sold. In their haste and poor judgment they fail to bring God with them. The words of the hypocrite seem to be the foundation on which the churches of the world grow. Their presence and their affluence denies truth, hinders our testimonies of the Kingdom and corrupts the truth of the Gospel.
2 Nephi 11:90-94
11:90 And the Gentiles are lifted up in the pride of their eyes, and have stumbled, because of the greatness of their stumbling block, that they have built up many churches;
11:91 Nevertheless they put down the power and the miracles of God, and preach up unto themselves, their own wisdom, and their own learning, that they may get gain, and grind upon the face of the poor;
11:92 And there are many churches built up which cause envyings, and strifes, and malice;
11:93 And there are also secret combinations, even as in times of old, according to the combinations of the devil, for he is the foundation of all these things; yea, the foundation of murder, and works of darkness;
11:94 Yea, and he leadeth them by the neck with a flaxen cord, until he bindeth them with his strong cords for ever.
7. He that soweth discord among brethren: Our efforts to fortify the bonds of fellowship should not be neglected. If we are to be one, all should have a voice, but that voice should be clear, honest, and unified. All should seek the truth and none should contend with another. If there is contention, it should be a matter of discussion among all of the fellowship that a common understanding compatible with the ways of God is the outcome. We are to be one in God.
DC 38:6a Behold, this I have given unto you a parable, and it is even as I am: I say unto you, Be one; and if ye are not one, ye are not mine.
Our labor together as God’s children is to open the hearts of the world to the truth of God and the righteousness it brings to our lives. Am I against using logic to help us in our growth? Absolutely not, logic is essential when either building or growing. As much as the churches of the world want it to be so, the Kingdom of God here on earth and particularly Zion are not some fairytale magic filled with incantations and rituals. They are a construct built by God and His children. The ability to realize that in the natural order of God’s creation A begets B, which in turn begets C is not only essential, it is fundamental. Without this concept the Adversary wins and chaos reigns. In logic’s most simple and basic form, without God there can be no Son or His sacrifice. Without His sacrifice the Holy Spirit would have no way to abide in our life. We would be lost.
Genesis 7:69 And great tribulations shall be among the children of men, but my people will I preserve; and righteousness will I send down out of heaven, and truth will I send forth out of the earth, to bear testimony of mine Only Begotten; his resurrection from the dead; yea, and also the resurrection of all men.
Brethren, this verse describes our labor and us. Logically to create the Kingdom requires the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, and us. If one is absent we have no Kingdom.” Kinda’ like” A+B cannot equal D without C being present. It really is a straight and narrow path but it must be founded in the truth of God and carry with it the full intent and purpose of the Kingdom. Three of the four are on-board and ready for action. Think of what it will be like when we as a people finally get our act together. To quote one of my favorite movie characters, “To infinity and beyond”.
Matthew 6:10-11
6:10 Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
6:11 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is done in heaven.
Our labor
Our choice
FRED