"Old Rules about Worship"

   "That first covenant between God and Israel had regulations for worship and a place of worship here on earth. There were two rooms in the Tabernacle. In the first room were lampstand, a table, and sacred loaves of bread on the table. This room was called the Holy place. Then there was a curtain, and behind the curtain was the second room called the Most Holy Place. In that room were a gold incense altar and a wooden chest called the Ark of the Covenant, which was covered with gold on all sides. Inside the Ark were a gold jar containing manna, Aaron's staff that spouted leaves, and the stone tablets of the covenant. Above the Ark were the cherubim of divine glory, whose wings stretched out over the Ark's cover, the place of atonement. But we cannot explain these things in detail now. 

  "When these things were all in place, the priests regularly entered the first room as they performed their religious duties. But only the high priest ever entered the Most Holy Place, and only once a year. And he always offered for his own sins and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance. By these regulations the Holy Spirit revealed that the entrance to the Most Holy Place was not freely open as long as the Tabernacle and the system it represented were still in use.

  "This is an illustration pointing to the present time. For the gifts and sacrifices that the priests offer are not able to cleanse the consciences of the people who bring them. For that old system deals only with food and drink and various cleansing ceremonies - physical regulations that were in effect only until a better system could be established." (Hebrews 9:1-10 NLT)

"Come and hear, all ye that fear the God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul. I cried unto him with my mouth, and he was extolled with my tongue. If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: but verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me." (PSALMS 66:16-20 KJV)

 I know that there are certain times I might drift outside the lines; that has pretty much been my way of thinking, pretty much my whole life. Whenever I was given instructions, for whatever I might have been told to do, I would almost instantly think of a way make it bigger, easier, or better to understand. The real danger in that, is that there are sometimes rules, principles, and standards that get overlooked; sometimes things just remain the same, no matter how hard we try to alter them. 

 Amazingly, there is something extraordinary about what we think about, and why it really matters...

"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." (Philippians 4:8 KJV)