Before the altar Part III

God in His infinite wisdom had another purpose. In being able to be in the temple, the worship was purer, simpler, with few accoutrements to distract men (because remember women were not to enter the temple proper but had their own court) This got people's minds focused on God. Similarly this calls us all to consider our bodies and minds temples of the LORD. What clutters my mind? When I look at the worship service, what is it that distracts me? And what am I going to do about it? The quietness and solitude of worship service is equated in Isaiah 30:29 as, "Ye shall have a song, as in the night when holy solemnity is kept and gladness of the heart as when on goeth with a pipe to come into the mountain of the LORD to the mighty One of Isreal." Do I hold His service in that same solemnity? Am I glad to be in His presence? Is it like a breath of fresh air to me? Worship was so much of the apostles' lives, every single day, that it was second nature to them. And when it came time for them to suffer in prison, it was not a problem to sing praises to God (Acts 16:25). Just as with Jesus, because worship was so much a part of His life, such that pryaing constantly to Him in any circumstance was not a problem (Luke 6:12), and He could sleep as the boat filled with apostles was slipping through a storm into certain doom. (Matthew 8:23-27) Am I on my knees before God? Is my face bowed to the ground, as Abrahma and Moses did so often in the Father's presence? Do I recognize Jesus and in doing so, recognize His Lordship?

Before the Altar part 2

One could then say that our fellowship is the most important element in our worship. But is this so? Is fellowship the only thing that is important? Should I fellowship for fellowship's sake? If I do that, I will be disappointed, most certainly and I could endanger my soul. (Galatians 6:1-2) I could do what Sir Thomas More warned against A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS, and consider if I fellowship now for fellowship's sake would I be willing to go to hell when that similar fellowship involves something shady, just for the sake of fellowship? I must remember that Christ is the root of my fellowship. That He is the one who will direct my paths. (Proverbs 3:5) and brings others into my life so that I will not be alone. The sole purpose for the church is to learn what our relationship with God. What OUR relationship with God is, collectively, to fellowship, surely, but commemorate why we are here to begin with. The church as it is evolves in several media, first at the temple. Then the Christian got away from the temple and worshipped in houses (Acts 20:7, Romans 16:5, 1 Corinthians 16:19, Colossians 4:15, Philamon 1:2) because homes were safe havens, and smaller groups fit in more locations. The work of Christ could be spread even further.