“When the people of the land come before the Lord at the appointed festivals, whoever enters by the north gate to worship is to go out the south gate; and whoever enters by the south gate is to go out the north gate. No one is to return through the gate by which they entered, but each is to go out the opposite gate." (Ezekiel 46:9 NIV)
Sounds like God is even managing the worship traffic... Imagine instructions for getting up to the altar during Holy Communion in your congregation. Go up the middle and back to your seat by going around the side. Stay on the right side of the aisle as you go the altar and return on the left. I'm thinking that crowd control is the basic reason for this direction from God.
Have you ever found yourself on a one way street going the wrong way? It does cause a bit of a problem, doesn't it? It delays your arrival at the place that you were intending to go. God reminds us to keep going forward in the way that that He's set before us. As you worship the LORD, keep moving forward. Do not take side roads. Do not go backwards. Keep your heart and your mind on the goal that has been set in front of you. One step at a time, move forward to receive the Kingdom of God.
"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:12-14)
And... may the peace of the LORD be with you on your journey, as you press toward the goal of the Kingdom in Christ Jesus. Pr. J
Sounds like God is even managing the worship traffic... Imagine instructions for getting up to the altar during Holy Communion in your congregation. Go up the middle and back to your seat by going around the side. Stay on the right side of the aisle as you go the altar and return on the left. I'm thinking that crowd control is the basic reason for this direction from God.
Have you ever found yourself on a one way street going the wrong way? It does cause a bit of a problem, doesn't it? It delays your arrival at the place that you were intending to go. God reminds us to keep going forward in the way that that He's set before us. As you worship the LORD, keep moving forward. Do not take side roads. Do not go backwards. Keep your heart and your mind on the goal that has been set in front of you. One step at a time, move forward to receive the Kingdom of God.
"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:12-14)
And... may the peace of the LORD be with you on your journey, as you press toward the goal of the Kingdom in Christ Jesus. Pr. J
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