“When a man's ways please the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.” (Prov. 16:7 ESV) 

Yesterday, I spoke about pleasing God and obeying His commandments to get your prayers answered. Another way to please him is to find out what he says he hates. Then make sure you don’t do any of those things! The following is a list of things he says he hates and detests. It’s very important to know what these things are and not allow them into your life, period! When you please Him, He will bless you with peace and even make your enemies to be at peace with you. What a promise!

Seven things the Lord hates and detests

“There are six things the Lord hates— no, seven things he detests: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent, a heart that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong, a false witness who pours out lies, a person who sows discord in a family.” (Prov. 6:16-19 NLT)

• Haughty eyes - Haughty is defined as arrogant, vain, conceited, snobbish, superior, self important, pompous, supercilious, condescending, patronizing; scornful, contemptuous, disdainful; full of oneself, stuck-up, snooty, hoity-toity, uppity and big-headed.

• A lying tongue – To lie is to deceive someone else and to be in agreement with the devil who is the father of lies! (John 8:44). Deception of any kind leads away from God because He is truth and will not associate Himself with liars and deceivers. The opposite of lie is truth, Jesus is the truth and the truth will set you free! (John 8:32).

• Hands that kill the innocent – To kill the innocent is to commit murder (Exo. 20:13). This is why abortion is wrong. It is killing the innocent. (Gal. 1:15 & Jer. 1:5)

• A heart that plots evil – Evil is defined as any of the following:  wicked, bad, wrong, immoral, sinful, foul, vile, dishonorable, corrupt, iniquitous, depraved, reprobate, villainous, nefarious, vicious, malicious; malevolent, sinister, demonic, devilish, diabolical, fiendish, dark; monstrous, despicable, atrocious, heinous, odious, contemptible, horrible, execrable; dirty “an evil deed".

• Feet that race to do wrong – Wrong is defined as not true, incorrect, mistaken, in error, erroneous, inaccurate, inexact, imprecise, fallacious, wide of the mark, off target, unsound, faulty. It’s to know what is good but then not to do it: “If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn't do it, it is sin for them.” (James 4:17 NIV)

• A false witness who pours out lies – One of the Ten Commandments is, “Thou shalt not bear false witness.” It forbids: Speaking falsely in any matter, lying, equivocating, and any way devising and designing to deceive your neighbor. Speaking unjustly against your neighbor, to the prejudice of his reputation. In other words, a righteous witness must tell only the truth and be trustworthy. “A trustworthy witness will not lie, But a false witness utters lies.” (Prov. 24:5 NIV)

• A person who sows discord in a family — Discord is defined as Conflict, friction, hostility, antagonism, antipathy, enmity, bad feeling, ill feeling, bad blood, argument, quarreling, squabbling, bickering, wrangling, feuding, contention, dissension, dispute, disunity, division, opposition, infighting.

Therefore

“But just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts.” (1 Thess. 2:4 ESV)

“And whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.” (1John 3:22 ESV)

I recently visited with a friend I’ve known for many years. He’s a Christian, a churchgoer, and doesn’t drink, smoke, or do drugs, but he recently started living with a woman he’s not married to. I asked him how his relationship is with God, and he said, “It’s all right." I asked, “Do you pray? And he said, "Yes." I said, “What does God say to you about living in sin? Does that ever come up in your conversations with Him?” He looked embarrassed that I had asked him that question. I told him that if you’re ever doing anything you know is sin, that will affect your relationship with God. It will affect your ability to pray effectively. And it will affect your prayers being answered and whether or not you are blessed by Him. It’s sort of like coming face-to-face with someone you owe money to but haven’t paid. It’s awkward and a barrier to the relationship until it’s paid back. And because you owe them, you avoid them. It’s the same with God.

The promise of answered prayers

The passage at the top, our promise for the day, says, “And whatever we ask, we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.” It’s clear that the promise of answered prayers is contingent upon two things: 1) keeping His commandments, and 2) doing what pleases Him. This begs the question: How do you please Him? First, you please Him by obeying His commandments! Begin with the Ten Commandments. And, as you daily read the Bible, seek to understand and obey the commands you see as you come across them.

“How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. With my whole heart I have sought You; oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!” (Psalm 119:9-10)

Therefore

“Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more.” (1 Thess. 4:1 ESV)

“The hand of the diligent will rule, while the slothful will be put to forced labor.” (Prov. 12:24)

Work like ants and don’t be lazy!

 “Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn from their ways and become wise! Though they have no prince or governor or ruler to make them work, they labor hard all summer, gathering food for the winter.” (Prov. 6:6-8 NLT)

When you watch ants, you can tell they aren’t lazy. Each one has an important job to do in the colony, and they work continuously to do it. That’s why the Bible tells us to take a lesson from them. We can and should learn a lot from them because ants are truly amazing creatures. They faithfully do their jobs, work hard, cooperate together, and prepare for the winter. Ants are very social insects, and they divide jobs among different types of ants in each colony. The queen’s job is to lay eggs. The other worker ants feed the larvae, take out the colony's trash, forage for food, and supply or defend the nest.

Don’t be slack in doing your job

“Whoever is slack in his work is a brother to him who destroys.” (Prov. 18:9)

 Wake up, get to work!

“But you, lazybones, how long will you sleep? When will you wake up? A little extra sleep, a little more slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit; scarcity will attack you like an armed robber. (Prov. 6:9-11 NLT)

Therefore

“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,” (Col. 3:23)

“For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.” (Matt 16:27)

Welcome home!

I heard a story about a missionary who had spent his entire life on a remote mission field, working tirelessly to help the poor people there. Eventually his body got old, his health failed, and he could no longer carry out his duties. So, he had to return to America to live out his final days. After the long ship ride, they finally arrived at the sound of a band playing and a crowd of cheering people carrying signs saying, “Welcome home!” But none were for him. It was for some famous person they were greeting. No one was there to welcome him as he slowly made his way off the ship towards the small, sparsely furnished room where he would be staying. He put away the few little items he had been able to bring, and then sat quietly alone. He thought of all the hard work he had done over his lifetime in a faraway land and the toll it had taken on his life. He thought about the big band and the cheering crowd with welcome home signs, which were not for him. And he became very sad, with a heavy heart. He cried out to God in anguish, “Have I not done a good and faithful job serving you all my life, Lord? And yet, not one person was there to welcome me home! Why?” And he heard a small voice say, “You’re not home yet, my son!” He then understood the wonderful truth. He will one day actually be arriving home, and that arrival will be far above anything he could imagine!

“Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done.” (Rev. 22:12 NIV)

“That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” (1 Cor. 2:9 NLT)

Therefore

“But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,” (Phil. 3:20 ESV)

“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” (Rev. 21:4 ESV)

“Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you: “God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands.” (Acts 17:23-24 NKJV)

What church did Jesus promote?

Recently, I listened to a religious commentator who answered questions from his audience. One person asked, “What church did Jesus promote?” I thought that was a very interesting question. I can understand why the person asked because there are so many different churches. In most large cities, you see them everywhere, even next to each other. The simple answer is found in the verse at the top, which says God does not dwell in temples made by hands.

So, what exactly is the church?

According to the New Testament, the name of a city served as an identification for the churches there as a whole. “Church” is the translation of the Greek term ekklesia, and is used in the New Testament to identify the community of believers in Jesus Christ. It literally means “assembly,” “congregation,” or “meeting.” Another term was used in the Old Testament to refer to experiences such as “the day of the assembly,” “the Lord’s congregation,” or “meeting before the Lord.” In the New Testament, no synagogue, temple, chapel, tabernacle, building, or any other meeting place was ever called a “church.” The term always referred to the Christian assembly, and in the New Testament, it was used for both the local community of believers and the overall collection of Christians.

Therefore

 The church is never a building or type of denomination, the church is a group or congregation of fellow believers and followers of Jesus Christ. So, the answer to what church did Jesus promote is simple—it’s all of them!

“So we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.” (Rom. 12:5 ESV)

“For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” (Matt. 18:20 ESV)

“Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.” (Acts 20:28 ESV) 

“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” (Heb. 10:24 ESV)

Jesus declared: “I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (Mt 16:18 ESV). And that is a wonderful promise!

“Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble.” (Prov. 21:23 ESV)

The above promise is golden to those who obey it. It simply says that if you don’t say anything you will stay out of trouble. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? But in practice this is very hard to do, especially if you are angry.

I should have kept my mouth shut!

A few days ago, I stopped by a local store to buy something. The clerk, an older woman, asked me what I was looking for. She had it. I then told her where I had previously purchased the product online. As soon as she heard the name of the place, she launched a verbal attack on the business and told me they were terrible, sold only inferior products, and no one should ever purchase anything from them. I told her I had bought many items from them without issues. And she said I was totally ignorant and didn’t understand like she did, and I should be better educated. As her voice raised, so did mine. The conversation went back and forth and escalated as each of us responded to the other. Pretty soon we were shouting at each other, and there was nothing I could do but turn and leave. Afterwards, after calming down and revisiting our conversation in my mind, I realized I could have avoided the entire problem early on by simply remaining quiet. I did not have to respond to her negative comments, period. If I had only kept my mouth shut, I would have completely avoided trouble. I then tried to look at the issue from her side. I then realized she obviously cared about her products and did believe the online place was inferior, and they were ripping off people with poor substitutes, which was why she was angry with them. So the next day, I stopped into the store again to speak with her. I told her I was sorry for my behavior the previous day, which was rude and despicable. I told her I realized she obviously cares passionately about her products, and that is to be commended. When she heard this, she puddled up and said a few kind words. We parted as friends. 

There are some other promises and commands in God’s Word that are very helpful to remember.

A fool who keeps quiet will seem wise  

“Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.” (Prov. 17:28 ESV)

Don’t curse those who persecute you  

“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.” (Rom. 22:14 ESV)

The mouths of fools pour out folly  

“The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly.” (Prov. 15:2 ESV)

Restrain your words with understanding 

“Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding.” (Prov. 17:27 ESV)

“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” (Psalm 139:14 NIV)

God made you wonderfully!

So many people have negative self-identity issues. Maybe they grew up with criticism from their family. Or maybe they compared themselves to the models used in advertising and did not compare favorably. So many young people are unhappy with themselves, so they have expressed their unhappiness in many different, sometimes dangerous ways, resulting in eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia. Some even go so far as to reject the gender they were born with and go to great lengths to identify with the opposite sex, as unisex, or as none at all. All this confusion is because they don’t understand how special they are, just as God created them.

You are born a winner!

On the day you were conceived over a million of your “brothers and sisters” raced to reach your mother’s egg. And you got there first! You won! That’s right, you were truly the winner that day! And you are still a winner today! (Psalm 139:15 NKJV) 

God skillfully made you in secret

“My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.” (Psalm 139:16 NKJV)

Therefore

“How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; When I awake, I am still with You.” (Psalms 139:17-18 NKJV)

“Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.” (Prov. 13:20 ESV)

It’s truly wonderful to have good friends!

It’s fun to visit with them and talk about things you have in common that you both care about. If you’re down, they can encourage you. If they’re down, you encourage them. It’s a mutual exchange. True friends are the ones you can count on when you need some help. If your car breaks down, you can call them, and they will be there. And if you face a tragedy such as death in your family, they’re the first to show up to be with you. Friends have the power to negatively or positively change your life. That’s why it’s important to select good ones!

When I was a youth director many years ago, there was a nice young man who used to come to our events. He was enthusiastic, happy, and full of life. We always loved having him around, and everyone loved him. But one summer, he fell into a group of young men who were full of mischief. They started taking him to parties, where he discovered liquor and the lifestyle that goes with it. They mocked God, the Bible, and his earlier faith. Soon, we didn’t see him anymore. When we called to invite him, he didn’t come. He continued to go downhill, and if one of our group saw him, they said he was not the same person. He avoided all his old friends and only hung out with his new ones. One day, we heard the awful news that he had committed suicide. This is the power of bad (negative) friendships and where they can lead! They will entangle you in a snare.

“Make no friendship with a man given to anger, nor go with a wrathful man, lest you learn his ways and entangle yourself in a snare.” (Prov. 22:24-25 ESV)

The Bible has a lot to say about good and bad friendships, here are are a few passages about the pros and cons of good and bad friendships.

Bad friends spread strife

“A dishonest man spreads strife, and a whisperer separates close friends.” (Prov.16:28 ESV)

Bad friends aren’t faithful

“Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me.” (Psalm 41:9 ESV)

Good friends encourage each other to love and do good works

“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” (Heb. 10:24-25 ESV)

Good Friends use their gifts to serve one another

“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace.” (1 Peter 4:10 ESV)

“Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered. The people curse him who holds back grain, but a blessing is on the head of him who sells it.” (Prov. 11:25-26 ESV)

I really love the above promise because it’s a win-win for everybody. When you bless others, you get enriched in return. Some people call it the law of reciprocity—those you do something nice to will be predisposed to do something nice for you in return. Another passage puts it this way: you reap what you sow (Gal. 6:7).

The big success secret

One of my favorite conference speakers was the late great Zig Ziglar. He was fun to listen to. He was animated, enthusiastic, and passionate about everything he spoke about. He said the big secret to becoming successful at anything you do is to do everything you can to make others successful. He said that if you did this, you would automatically become successful as a result. It is the biblical principle of sowing and reaping at work; you always get yourself exactly what you do to others. He was so right! The verse below makes it clear with the command:

“Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” (Phil. 2:3-4 ESV)

Do to others what you wish they would do to you

The following verse tells you exactly what to do in a clear and concise manner. Just think what the world would be like if everyone did this.

“So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” (Matt. 7:12 ESV) 

Do as God would do

There was a bracelet that Christians used to wear with the initials WWJD to remind them: What would Jesus do? And they were to apply that question to everything they did. Basically, we are to imitate God as beloved children in the same way children normally imitate their parents. It’s as simple as that. And, yes, it would make a big difference in a lot of things we do. 

“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.” (Eph. 5:1 ESV)