9 Steps of God pleasing Worship

The unquenchable flame of passion for Christ burning in the hearts of the saints spreads a sweet aroma of worship before God in Heaven. A true worshipper's heart and head is deeply engaged with God uninterruptedly. Worship always sanctifies the true worshipper, with great joy he redefines his commitment to God by always seeking and obeying the perfect will of God in his life. The more deeply you worship like this, the more Christ like you becomes. You can write a thousand books about worship in truth and spirit and can still completely fail to please God in your personal worship. If you are driven by a desire to stay in love with Jesus for ever, your worship will always stay in the glory of God. A true worshipper will always connect and enter the throne room of God to celebrate His presence. When churches fail to do this, God stops rejoicing in them, there the house of prayer becomes a den of thieves.

Thankless hearts do loveless worship and create lifeless churches. These days, on a Sunday you see more pretenders than worshippers. The manifest presence of God never visits such places and people, because their hearts stay far from GOD, they worship in vain without meeting up with God face to face. If you have lost your joy in worship, you can return to God with true repentance and rebuild your worship as a lifestyle.

* 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.
* Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matt 5:3-12

Meditating the beatitudes in Matthew chapter 5, I found nine spiral steps that takes you higher and closer to the presence of God. Nine steps complete one circle and takes you to the top of one floor and you see step one in the next floor again.

The first step: Climb With A Humble Heart

Blessed are the poor in the spirit. In worship people never meet up with God, if they ignore the first step humility. If our hearts are filled with pride and arrogance, we will fake worship. Without humility, you will worship yourself and get deceived. To receive God’s favor and grace, humble yourself, give God the glory and now make His praise loud and glorious. Thank God with all your heart, remember God exists without your worship, but your existence depends on worshiping Him. Jesus said "take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart"... [Mathew 11:29] . Humility is about denying yourself to live the mind of Christ till the end.

The second step: Climb With A broken Heart

Blessed are those who mourn. A broken heart about disappointing God can renew your mind to please God as you climb step two. A hard hearted Cain will only produce unacceptable worship. Remember Jesus and His sacrifice for you. Come to Him; let your love and devotion produce the thanksgiving tears kissing the nail pierced feet of Jesus. Break the alabaster jar of worship, let your Lord rejoice in you. To bear the fruit of repentance, stay broken. Brokenness is the key to enter into deeper intimacy in worship. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart [Ps 51:17]. Ps 109: 22 says "my heart is broken within me".

The Third Step: Climb With A Gentle Heart

Blessed are the meek. Gentleness is the outward expression of the true inner humility. Gentleness is also power under control. Gentleness is your commitment to stay humble without misusing your position in Christ. Gentleness is the fruit of awareness about your citizenship in heaven so you stay calm or stand still and show maturity even in trouble. Gentleness will give God the glory regardless of what you are going through. Climb step three gentleness with sensitivity, because worship can be loud and explosive or calm and silent. A gentle heart is filled with peace that surpasses all understanding, it makes you inherit the earth. A calm and undisturbed heart is health to the body [Pr14: 30].

The Fourth Step : Climb With A Hungry Heart

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. In the presence of the living God there is fullness of joy. Lack of hunger and thirst can lead you to emptiness and dryness because there is no filling with the indwelling presence of God. Worship is a real encounter with God. Be aware of God's promises to a worshiper.
"Come!" And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires let him take the water of life freely [Rev 22:1.7Listen, believe and claim your inheritance from GOD. The kingdom of heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force. Climb step four hunger and thirst to receive more of Him every time when you worship. Lord sets a grand full course meal before the worshiper's enemies .Are you hungry?!!!

The Fifth Step: Climb with a compassionate heart.

Blessed are the merciful for they shall receive mercy. A embittered person should renew his mind to put on a heart of compassion and kindness [Rom 12:1, Col 3:12]. Bitter and unforgiving nature disconnects you from God, it distorts your focus on Jesus badly. Staying longer like that with a hard and stubborn heart can kill your sensitivity to feel the tenderness of the sweet presence of the Holy Spirit. Forgive and reconcile with your brother before you start your worship. Climb the fifth step to receive the fullness of God's mercy and grace.

The Sixth Step: Climb With A Pure Heart

Blessed are the pure in heart. Unclean thoughts can blind you. It can block your vision against seeing the beauty of His holiness, remember God is holy and He has called you to live holy. You are the temple of the Holy Spirit; flee from sexual immorality and all impurity .Guard your heart with all your strength, and worship GOD with reverence and awe. Climb the sixth step with a pure heart and clean hands.

“Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart…” Ps 24:3-4

The Seventh Step: Climb With A Peaceful Heart

Blessed are the peace makers. A quarrelsome person cannot worship God, because his heart is continuously disturbed. Lord Jesus said "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give it to you, do not let your heart be troubled" [Jn 14:27]. Peace has a major role in worship. Your heart will not condemn you when you stay right with God. You keep peace with every one as much as you can. The Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost, the greatest peace maker became our peace by carrying all our sins on the cross for us. Peace is your security. Peace is the fruit of your commitment to stay silent even when you are absolutely right and your persecutor is completely wrong. You have peace when you know deep within you are hidden in Christ. Peace making has a price, its about giving away your rights willfully. Gospel reconciles the listeners with God and gives them peace.

The Eighth Step : Climb With A Persevering Heart

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness. We need to put on a heart of gentleness and patience [Col 3:12].Impatient people never enter the throne room of God and kiss the Son. Persecution is there inside and outside the church. Have mercy, show patience, do God’s will and earnestly wait upon the Lord, don’t give up till he shows up. Climb step eight patience with a persevering heart. Imitating someone is the greatest form of worship. While showing patience you imitate Jesus and worship Him in truth and spirit.

The Ninth Step: Climb With A Joyful Heart

Blessed are those who rejoice in their sufferings for the kingdom of God. Jesus said "you too have grief now, but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice and no one will take you joy away from you" [Jn16:22].When you are mocked, criticized, persecuted or rejected you consider it as a blessing to partake in the sufferings of Christ. Paul and Silas when locked up in prison, in stead of complaining, in distress they rejoiced in the Lord and worshiped Him. A joyful heart makes a cheerful face [Pr 15:13]. Climb the ninth step with a rejoicing heart even in unfavorable circumstances. Let the heart of those who seek the Lord be glad [Ps 105:3].

Going Higher

Climbing these nine steps in true worship can change life and take the worshiper face to face with God . These nine attitudes of the heart can bear the fruit of the Spirit with its nine attributes like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control [Gal 5:22]. True worship always renews your mind. It sanctify you and make you do the perfect will of God. In Proverbs we read, "Give me your heart son and let your eyes delight in my ways" [Pr 23:26]. By the grace of Jesus let your worship eternally remain acceptable and pleasing to the heart of God. True worship makes every man perfect in Christ. Amen Amen.

Temple of God and the Five Gates

In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. All things came into being through the Word, He said "let there be light" and there was light. He is the light of life. He gives life to the dead and calls into being what does not exist. He sustains all things by the power of His word. There are three witnesses in Heaven, the Father, the living Word and the Holy Ghost. Two thousand years ago, right in this world the same living Word manifested in flesh. The power of God Almighty came on Virgin Mary, she conceived and gave birth to Jesus the Son of God. In Jesus we saw the radiance of the glory of God. He came to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself to rebuild the Temple of God.

The first manifestation of His glory and power turned water into wine in the wedding of Cana. Later Jesus came to Jerusalem the city of the King; there He entered the man made temple of God. It took 46 years to build that beautiful Temple. But Jesus saw the presence of sin degraded the house of prayer into a den of thieves. Jesus could not stand the degradation of His Temple. The burning zeal for the temple inside Him exploded, Jesus said "destroy this degraded Temple, in three days I will build it again".

Lord kept His word; at Calvary the sinless Christ carried the sinner's shame. He died on the cross to save you from the eternal consequences of sin. When your heart believes and mouth confesses that God raised His crucified Son from the dead in three day's, you are saved. You are justified and considered righteous by God through your act of faith in the sacrifice of Jesus. The Holy blood of Jesus cleanses you and brings the forgiveness of sins and healing. By the stripes of Jesus we are healed.

Resurrected Jesus is the builder of the Church, so the gates of hell cannot destroy His Church. Christ did not die for a building; His Church is not a building. His Church has left the building. When Jesus died on the cross, the old Temple curtain was torn into two. And Jesus became the corner stone of the New Testament Temple of God; there God dwells in the hearts of His saints. God abides on the praises of His Holy people. Now you are the temple of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God dwells in you. You are the only creation God bought back for Himself with the blood of Jesus. Remember now you are no more your own.

But you can destroy the temple, by continuing your life in sin. Presence of sin can degrade your body. A sinful heart fails to obey and worship God in truth and spirit. And God will always convict you about your sins. God's voice sanctifies those who truly reconcile with Him. Paul said "If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is Holy, and that's what you are".

For the last two thousand years King Jesus is building His glorious Temple. Ps 24: 7… says "Lift up your heads, oh gates, And be lifted up ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in ! Who is the King of glory, the Lord Strong and Mighty, the Lord Strong and Mighty in the battle"… After the resurrection of Jesus, we became the temple of the Holy Spirit. And our senses became the gates of the Temple.

Through these gates the King of glory can enter your heart and abide in you. Under the dominion of the Holy King you can sin no more. Let your senses be always open for God and let it stay forever closed to all the shades of evil. If you give a foothold to the devil, that can become a stronghold that destroys you.

Five Gates

Human beings are created with many senses like sense of time, speed, balance, heat…etc etc. Here we are looking at the 5 senses responsible for our spiritual lives in this world.

1. The Eye Gate

The sense of sight deals with our visual perception.

When your eyes read, perceive and believe God's word, and God's glory enter and illuminate you through the eye gate. Jesus said, you are the light of the world. The eye is the lamp of the body, if your eye is clear your whole body is full of light. In Job 31:1…To stay as a glorious light that shines in this world you should remember what Job said, "I have made a covenant with my eyes, how then could I gaze at a virgin".

Every one who looks at a woman with an evil desire has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Lucifer's sin was committed in his mind. So Jesus said "If your eye make you stumble, tear it out or this can make your whole body end up in hell". Guard your heart with all your strength, sin can contaminate your visual perception through an impure eye gate and give a foothold to the devil who steal, kill and destroy. Don’t let the Temple degrade into a den of thieves. Remember you are the temple of the Holy Spirit, you are bought with a price and Jesus won’t die once again for you.

First stage of temptation came to Eve through the eye gate, the forbidden fruit looked good. Mt 13:15 says …if you close your eyes without seeing the word, you will remain in darkness. Mt 6:23 says …if your eye is bad your whole body will be full of darkness. Ps 34:5…but "those who look unto Him are radiant and their faces will never be ashamed"…. Like Heb 12:2 says... Fix your eyes on the resurrected King, the author and finisher of faith.1Jn 2:15-17 says ….Do not love the world or the things of the world. Lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and boastful pride of life is not from the father, but it is from the world.

2. The Ear Gate

The sense of hearing gives you the perception of sound.

Your Ear gate is another entry point for the King of Glory. God is a Spirit; Jesus said the words He spoke are the Spirit and life. In EZE 2:1-2 God says "son of man, stand on your feet that I may speak with you…as He spoke to me, the Spirit entered me "… Rev 3:13 says ….He who has ears, let him hear what the Spirit says to the Churches. Ex 10:2…Tell in the ears of your sons what I have done. Rom 10:17 says…Faith come from hearing and hearing by the word of God. Without hearing the good news of Jesus, salvation of your soul is not possible. Grace and truth came through Jesus. Faith in the truth sets you free, but ignoring it puts you in the lake of fire with the father of lies.

So Ps 1:1…..says "Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked…he will be like a tree planted by the streams of water". Eve's second stage of Temptation came through the Ear gate. She gave foot hold for the devil by listening to His demonic doctrines. She meditated the words of the deceiver and rejected what God spoke and got cursed. Apostle James says, Jam 1:22… Do not merely listen to the word, do what it says. Beware of the false teachers.

Pro5:1 says…My son, give attention to my wisdom, incline your ear to my understanding. Pr 1:23 says…Turn to my reproof. I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you. God's wisdom, His understanding, His reproof, His Words and His Spirit keeps His sons pure and Holy.

In Jn 15:3…Jesus said," you are clean because of the word I spoke to you "… No other word has the power to cleanse your whole being. To remain glorious as a temple, in…Jn 15:7…Jesus said, if you abide in Me and My words abide in you, what ever you wish; it will be done for you. Again Jesus said… in Jn 14:23…If any one loves me, he will keep My word and My Father will love him and We will come to him and abide with him.

You are called and appointed for a predestined purpose of God. For its fulfillment in your life, listen to the word, believe and do what it says. Let God's word manifest in your flesh, every day. Apostle Paul said " I die daily, I am crucified with Christ, it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me and I live in the body, by faith in the son of God".

3.The Lip Gate

The lip gate deals with your chemical senses and speech.

The third stage of temptation came to Eve through the chemical senses in the lip gate. She disobeyed God's instruction and failed to resist the Devil. The first act of sin was then committed in the Garden of Eden.

Regarding the lip gate, Jesus said [ Mt 15:11, 18-19], evil thoughts from the heart spoken by the mouth makes you unclean. But there is hope. Pr 28:13 says…He who covers his transgressions will not prosper, but whoever confesses his sins will obtain mercy. IJn 1: 8-9 …If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He will forgive us and purify us. Without purification no one can see God. The purification is the fruit of your confession and obedience of faith. Your faith confession and obedience of faith enable you to receive salvation. Rom 10:8…says the word is near you in your mouth. Every tongue will confess and acknowledge that Jesus is the Lord. Christianity is more than a "think so'' or "believe so" experience …it is a "speak so and do so" experience. Your lip gate welcomes the King of glory to enter the Temple of God. Be careful, Jam 3: 10, 11 says….out of the same mouth, the blessing and curse can come, so… 1Pet 3:10…says refrain your tongue from evil.

In…Dan 10:12, Angel of God tells Daniel, I have come because of your words. Pr 22: 11….He who loves purity and whose speech is gracious, the King is his friend. Saints devastate the devil with their testimonies and over come satan by the power of the blood of Jesus. Your communion with God has conversation. So keep your heart pure and lip gate holy, to do God pleasing prayer and worship. May the Bride groom say… Song 2 :14…"My dove in the clefts of the rock, in the hiding place on the mountain sides, show me your face, let me hear your voice, for your voice is sweet and your face is lovely''.

4. Nose Gate

Nose gate is also a door for your chemical senses.Nose gate is the 4th entry point for the King. Your nose gate can sense the presence of God. Job27:3 say…as long as I have life within me, the breath of God is in my nostrils. The glorious temple is always filled with God's presence. Song1: 3 says…pleasing is the fragrance of your perfumes, your name is like perfume poured out…. Take a deep breath, Jesus is the breath of life. If you come close to God, God will come close to you. Intimately listen to the deep calling the deep, get intoxicated by the pleasing fragrance of your beloved and stay in love with Him.

In Jn 20:22… Jesus breathed on His disciples and said receive the Holy Spirit. In Gen 2:7…God formed the man from the dust and breathed into His nostrils the breath of life. In Gen 7:15-16… We read the pairs of all that have the breath of life, came to Noah and entered the ark. Every thing outside the ark which had the breath of life died. With out Jesus the breath of life you are dead in eternity. Jesus is the oxygen of our spirit, with out oxygen we die.

5. The Skin Gate

The skin gate gives you the perception of pressure. God's glory and power can enter the Temple through skin gate, the sense of touch. Lady with the blood disease said to herself, if I touch the garment of Jesus I will be healed and it happened. In Luk 6:19…the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all. In Acts 8:17….Apostles laid hands on the people who heard the word of God in Samaria and Holy Spirit came upon them. Apostle wrote in 1Jn 1:1-3…we have heard, seen and touched the word of life.

To keep the skin gate holy, you need to keep your body holy, your mind holy and should live your life holy. Do the perfect will of God and celebrate His presence in the fullness of joy. Sexual immorality can degrade your body, and if you grieve the Holy Spirit, the Temple can get destroyed. There is no sin committed with out corrupting the senses of the human body. Only the training in righteousness by God's word can keep your senses spotless and pure before God. Heb12:4...says resist sin to the point of shedding blood. God says be holy as I am holy.

Apostle Paul wrote in Thessalonians 5:23…now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of Lord Jesus. Faithful is He who calls you and He also will bring it to pass.

The Lamb of God loved his bride with a love that is stronger than death. The resurrected King is building His glorious Temple. Yes His bride is preparing herself ready for the marriage to the King. One kiss opens all the senses of two bodies coming together as one flesh and one mind. In Song 8:3,1:1…the bride said…let His left hand be under my head and His right hand embrace me. She said "kiss me with the kisses of your mouth". Till you stand blameless and glorious for the King, kiss the Son and remain in Him. Be blessed. Amen