The beauty of holiness

And the answer is....Psalm 96:9!

Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness!
Tremble before Him, all the earth.
(If you want to know how to solve it, scroll to the bottom of this post)


One of God’s most defining attributes is that He is holy. "Holy" according to Webster’s 1828 dictionary means "Hallowed; consecrated or set apart for consecrated use." God is set apart from creation. He is infinitely above it in truth, goodness, purity, wisdom, knowledge. He is "set above" it because He is the ruler of it.

When God instructed the Israelites to build the tabernacle, He designed it to be a beautiful place. They used blue, purple, and scarlet embroidered fabric (Ex. 26:1); lampstands were decorated with gold almond blossoms (25:33); and the Ark was overlaid with gold and embellished with gold cheribum (25:19). Doesn’t that say something about what God thinks of beauty? He wanted the Israelites to worship Him in a beautiful place because He is beautiful. Along with making the Tabernacle beautiful was making it holy. Everything had to be consecrated and set-apart to God. Even the High Priest wore a sign that said "HOLINESS TO THE LORD" (Ex. 39:30). Everything about the Tabernacle was designed to reflect God’s beauty and holiness–the beauty of His holiness–so His people could worship Him in the beauty of holiness.

Christians today are still told to follow this command. 1 Peter 1:15-16 says, "but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy." We are supposed to live lives that are set apart to God. We were rescued from the sin of the world, and we need to continue living differently from the world. Several days ago, I was talking to a friend about movies and books. He couldn’t understand why I wouldn’t watch, read, or listen to certain things; he said I could watch them without participating in them myself. That contradicts the idea of being holy to the Lord. As Christians, what we do, say, and think is different from what the world does, says, and thinks. We are called to "be holy as He is holy." Even though we can never attain to God’s standard of holiness, we still need to strive after who He is. When people say a Christian’s life is beautiful, it’s because he has tried to follow God’s command to live a holy life. After Christ died to save us, we gave our lives to Him. They are set apart to God. Just as the set-apart Tabernacle was beautiful, our lives also become beautiful when they become sanctified to the Lord.

The world doesn’t like the beauty of holiness. The more beautiful and holy Christ is, the more dirty and sinful they look. While Christians can worship the Lord in the beauty of His holiness, the world trembles before. A holy God is a terrifying thought to sinful people. But in the end, every knee will bow to Him, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Phil. 2:11). All the earth will one day be worshiping the Lord in the beauty of His holiness.







Key: Count the letters; take the squares of the numbers 1-18 (1 squared=1; the first letter is P. 2 squared=4; the second is s. etc.) Answer: Psalmninetysixnine

A mystery...

This post is a little different from the usual Bible studies posted on here. But the concept behind it–something hidden–is repeated throughout the Bible. The Bible is full of mysteries–some revealed, some yet to be made known. There is the mystery of the kingdom of God (Mark 4:11), the mystery of the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 2:7), the mystery of the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:51), and so many more! In fact, forms of the word "mystery" occur 32 times in the NKJV. And that’s not even including all the Old Testament prophecies which must have been quite a mystery before Jesus came!

The answer to this "mystery" is going to be a Bible reference.   If you can break the code behind the poem and find the answer, I’ll have a post about it ready next week!

(If you need a hint to get you started, you might want to know that I like numbers a lot!)

Pressing anxiously ahead,
Remembering lands in time past
Imbedded deeply in memory.
How I long ne’er again to leave
Where true honor reigns
In the mysterious lore of old.
Knights and dragons, elves an’ fairies
In stories of myths forgotten,
Mixed with childhood dreams my own.
Conquering evil with sword and shield,
Singing the song of the victor's return,
Finding peace in the glade and glen
Of children’s land.

The key to happiness is.........right here!

My family learned a lesson in thankfulness yesterday. There are some things we never think twice about and have very little appreciation for them...well, until they’re missing.

Since my older sister is home for spring break, we decided to hop in the car and drive to a nearby park to take a walk by the river. It was a beautiful spring day–60 degrees, sunny, breezy–you couldn’t ask for prettier weather. Since we were all together, we decided to leave all our cell phones behind and forget about technology for an hour. We had a lovely walk. Being together as a family and enjoying God’s creation at the same time was a wonderful way to spend a Sunday afternoon. As we pulled into the garage though, the beauty and peace of the afternoon vanished. We couldn’t find any house keys. My mom thought my dad had them, my dad thought my older sister had them, my sisters thought I had them, and we all assumed my mom would have at least one. But alas, there was no key to be found. We walked over to the neighbor’s house (they have a spare), but they weren’t home. Since we didn’t have any cell phones, we couldn’t even call someone for help. So, we got back in the car, drove to my dad’s office, and spent several hours calling friends on the office phone until someone was able to help us find a key. By that point, our quick excursion had turned into a four-hour long adventure. All because we forgot a little piece of carved metal.

We’re all prone to forget how much we appreciate something until it’s gone. Good health, family, friends–unless something happens and we no longer have them, we rarely forget to say "Thank you" to God for them. Sometimes, the only time we think about these blessings is to complain that they’re not as nice as we want them to be! Instead of rushing to the next thing, we should rejoice in the present and thank God for everything He’s done for us. There are so many we should be thankful for, yet we often fall into the trap of seeing only the annoyances in life. When we can be praising God for the sun, we’re complaining that it’s too hot or bright. Maybe we should invest in a special pair of thanks-tinted sunglasses that will allow us to see things from God’s perspective. There is never a time when you can’t be thankful for at least one thing. When we’re surrounded by a whole universe of God’s creation–what He called good–why don’t we remember to thank Him for His gifts?

His name is holy

A few hours ago, I was sitting in a room with a group of other highschoolers. For the most part, the conversation was light-hearted and friendly. But at the same time, it wasn’t. The conversation was peppered with expressions that took the Lord’s name in vain. Whenever this happens, I start to get really upset–God’s name is holy; we shouldn’t use it flippantly! On the other hand, how are my friends supposed to know that it’s wrong to take the Lord’s name in vain if they don’t first know that He is holy? When we’re with Christian friends and they start talking wrongly, then we should lovingly remind them what the Bible says. If we’re with a group of people who don’t know or care much about God, we should first be telling them about who God is. He is holy, just, and good...a God of truth and without injustice...righteous and upright is He...how does anything else make sense until you first understand that? Creation, the Fall, the Law, Jesus’ Death and Resurrection–how can they understand any of that until they first know what it’s all built on? Before anything else, they need to know that God is holy, holy, holy a million times over, the Lord God Almighty, merciful, mighty, glorious...that He is God.

"No one is holy like the Lord, For there is none besides You, Nor is there any Rock like our God" (1 Samuel 2:2)

"Let them praise Your great and awesome name–He is holy" (Psalm 99:3)

"Glory in His holy name; Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord!" (Psalm 105:3)

"For He who is mighty has done great things for me, And holy is His name" (Luke 1:49)

"Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. For all nations shall come and worship before You, for Your judgments have been manifested" (Revelation 15:4)

..."and they do not rest day or night, saying: Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!’" (Revelation 4:8)

Could you please pray for me to be able to lovingly and wisely handle these situations?  Have you been in a similar position before?  How did you respond?

You can't collect $200 without first passing Go

"You shall have no other gods before Me.

"You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

"You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.

"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.

"Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.

"You shall not murder.

"You shall not commit adultery.

"You shall not steal.

"You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

"You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s." (Exodus 20:3-17)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
　
"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn,
For they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the meek,
For they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
For they shall be filled.

Blessed are the merciful,
For they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart,
For they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers,
For they shall be called sons of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven."(Matthew 5:3-10)

Which do you prefer–the Law or the Gospel? The one that results in punishment, or the one that results in salvation? When you think of it that way, it’s a no-brainer. Of course we want the one that saves us instead of the one that condemns us!

Many people today want just the Gospel. But how can you have the Gospel without the law? The verb "save" requires an object. You were saved from something. You were saved from the punishment you deserved by breaking the Law. You can’t enjoy the salvation of the Gospel without first realizing that you are condemned to death by the Law. Then the news of the Gospel is indeed good news. First comes the Law, then comes the Gospel.

While the Law is generally represented by the 10 Commandments, much of the Gospel is summarized in the Beatitudes. The Law applies to all people; everyone is judged by the perfect standard of God’s Law. The Beatitudes, on the other hand, are God’s blessing to those who love and follow Him. 1 Peter 3:9 says, "knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing." The blessing is a special benefit that applies to the believer. All are judged, but only a few are given the blessing. Only the Christian can inherit the kingdom of heaven and become a son of God.

You can have the Law without the Gospel, but you can’t have the Gospel without the Law. You can have punishment without grace, but you can’t enjoy grace without knowing that there was a punishment.

God's in His heaven, All's right with the world

One of the greatest gifts God has given believers is peace. "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid" (John 14:27). While the rest of the world worries about the future, we’re told, "Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things" (Matthew 6:34). While the world frets over all the evil it causes itself, God says, "Do not fret because of evildoers nor be envious of the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass and wither as the green herb. Trust in the Lord..." (Psalm 37:1-3). But perhaps one of the most vivid pictures of peace comes from Psalm 2:1-4
Why do the nations rage,
And the people plot a vain thing?
The kings of the earth set themselves,
And the rulers take counsel together,
Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying,
"Let us break Their bonds in pieces
And cast away Their cords from us."
He who sits in the heavens shall laugh;
The Lord shall hold them in derision.

God laughs at man’s "vain" plans. He’s in control of everything! Don’t worry about tomorrow–why? Because God is sovereign. Nations raging and people plotting don’t take Him by surprise. He who sees when a sparrow falls knows the outcome of the battle before it happens. When we look around our world and shake our heads over the mess we’re in–the evil, ungodly, iniquitous mess–we can still have confidence that God is in control; yesterday, today, and forever. The world we’re in has a problem. It’s not taxes, government, or war. It’s sin. And it’s not going to leave until God re-creates the world and restores it to perfection. We don’t have to despair of sin (or its results), though, because God is still here, and He’s still in control. He still sits in the heavens and laughs. Man can’t plot anything against God–He had the first word, and He’ll have the last word, because He is the Word.

Psalm 2:10-12–Now therefore, be wise, O kings;
Be instructed, you judges of the earth.
Serve the Lord with fear,
And rejoice with trembling.
Kiss the Son, lest He be angry,
And you perish in the way,
When His wrath is kindled but a little.
Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.

Are you willing to trust the Lord even when the nations rage and everything seems hopeless from our perspective?

Why I'm not memorizing the Bible

Yes, you read that correctly. I’m not being sarcastic–it is possible for Bible memory to be a stumbling block for Christians.

Bible Bee opened my eyes and taught me something about myself: I was capable of memorizing huge portions of Scripture. Before 2009, I struggled getting through my one verse a week for school. After the 2009 National Bible Bee, I began memorizing verses, chapters, books "for fun" during my personal devotions. I learned so much and developed a love for Scripture unlike anything I had ever known. Yet at the same time, I began falling into the dangerous trap of turning Bible study into an academic exercise.

Eager to learn more, I continued to keep a vigorous memory schedule during the months I was not participating in Bible Bee. Last year, as a 10^th grader, I made it my goal to have the entire New Testament memorized by the time I finished college. I figured out approximately how many verses I needed to learn per month and fulfilled my quota. If I continued my plan, I would have all but two epistles memorized by the end of the school year. I could definitely do this.

The past few weeks have been extremely busy for me. School and extracurricular activities all managed to coincide their deadlines. In between a few hours’ sleep and a cup of coffee, I continued my memory work, loving the Word but struggling to keep up.

My mom had warned me before not to speed-memorize the Bible. We’re supposed to meditate on it. Feed on it. Not just slurp it down. I justified my method, feeling that the constant read, memorize, review that I did every single day was anything but speedy.

Then, I realized I had fallen into the trap. Bible memory was becoming something I do. It’s not supposed to be that way. It’s supposed to be God working in us, not cramming facts into our minds as a mental exercise. God still worked in me as I crammed the facts, but I was so busy "just getting through" that I didn’t leave time to listen to Him.

Here are a few "traps" that I fell into:

• I love challenges.  I enjoy training my mind to do something new and love the thrill of accomplishing it.
• I’m being a good Christian.
• We’re supposed to meditate on His Word day and night, so the more words knew the better. Forget the quality as long as there’s quantity.
• I want to do well at Bible Bee. Memorizing more would give me a better foundation when competition season starts.
• I do everything fast (well, not when I’m driving. Apparently I’m too slow then...). Talking, reading, playing piano–everything’s best at top speed. Naturally, Bible memory also became a game to see how quickly I could memorize.
• And, of course, there’s that little giant called pride. It makes me feel good to know how devoted I am to the Bible (obviously there’s a problem with that. It’s called self-justification. It doesn’t work. Memorizing words won’t save you, but meeting the Word will).

I’m going to continue studying and memorizing Scripture, but I think I will change my goal. Rather than aim for memorizing huge hunks of the Bible, I’m going to slow down and focus on each individual verse. I’ll keep reviewing old verses; hopefully, I will fully learn them! Oh the depth of the riches–who can fully know the glorious mysteries of Christ? When Bible Bee starts, I’ll do more new memory work again, but for now, I think I will slow down and learn to quiet my heart and meditate on the wonder of God. Eventually, I would like to have the whole New Testament–or, Lord willing, the entire Bible–memorized, but for now, I will slow down and take it verse by verse, step by step; always pressing toward the goal, but not being consumed with the prize; running steadily with endurance rather than running quickly and stumbling.