Imagine if you will, God’s kingdom is a place on earth. It is a city that we can visit. We can travel over land and sea and arrive at a physical destination, a city with high walls and gates, where God dwells. We could just walk up to the gate and go inside… maybe.
There will come a time when we will not have to imagine. One day heaven will be on earth. The new Jerusalem will come down out of heaven and Jesus will reign on an earthly throne over all the nations of the world. What a great time that will be!
If we read Isaiah Chapter 60, we will find a description of that time when all glory is restored to Zion. Particularly interesting is verse 18:
Isaiah 60
18 No longer will violence be heard in your land,
nor ruin or destruction within your borders,
but you will call your walls Salvation
and your gates Praise. (Tehillah) (NIV)
We all can see the city with the great walls surrounding it on all sides. We can envision the gathering of the kings of nations coming to serve our Lord. We can imagine the beautiful gates, but notice the names given here. Could this have significance for us today? I believe so.
It would appear that in order to go through the walls of salvation, you have to enter through the gates of praise. Could praise actually be a gateway to the presence of God? Let’s look at Psalm 24.
Psalm 24
Of David. A psalm.
1 The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it;
2 for he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the waters.
3 Who may ascend the hill of the LORD ?
Who may stand in his holy place?
4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not lift up his soul to an idol
or swear by what is false.
5 He will receive blessing from the LORD
and vindication from God his Savior.
6 Such is the generation of those who seek him,
who seek your face, O God of Jacob.
Selah
7 Lift up your heads, O you gates;
be lifted up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
8 Who is this King of glory?
The LORD strong and mighty,
the LORD mighty in battle.
9 Lift up your heads, O you gates;
lift them up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
10 Who is he, this King of glory?
The LORD Almighty—
he is the King of glory.
Selah (NIV)
Has anyone ever seen a gate that had a head on it? No! The gate in this passage is referring to us. As in verse 6, we should be the generation that seeks the face of the God of Jacob. We are the gates! We are the entrance that allows the King of Glory to enter in!
You see, the kingdom of God is within us. One day it will be an actual physical city, but for now… we are the kingdom of God on earth. If we will lift up our heads to Him, he will come in and dwell with us.
God, being all powerful and able to force His will and way on each of us has chosen not to do so. He longs for interaction with us… from the garden of Eden to this very day. He is willing to commune with us, if we are open to Him.
Revelation 3
20Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. (NIV)
God wants to come in, but he will not kick down the door… even to His own house.
So if we combine the references mentioned in these verses, our praises are the gateway to the presence of God. If we welcome Him, he will come in. Establishing a building and calling it a church does not attract the presence of the Lord. There are magnificent church building all over the globe that are spiritually dead. Their walls are not called salvation… because their gates are not called praise.
Many people are content in such settings. They feel at ease attending services and fulfilling their “duty” as a “believer”. The water is never choppy, the boat never rocks… the gates of praise are not open. The King of glory is not invited.
What is the big deal anyway? If I am happy doing things my way, what’s wrong with that? I’m not a bad person. I am a believer in Christ. I have been saved since I was ten years old. I don’t want to get involved in all this worship stuff. I am on my way to heaven and that’s all I am worried about…
What about those who are lost?
Isaiah 62
10 Pass through, pass through the gates!
Prepare the way for the people.
Build up, build up the highway!
Remove the stones.
Raise a banner for the nations. (NIV)
If we are the gates to the walls of salvation, we are preparing the way for others. We can choose to build a highway through the gates passed the walls of salvation into the presence of the living God. We are removing the stones from the path to make the way easier for others to reach their destination. We are raising a banner for all to see. Look! Our God is here!
Come and marvel at his majesty!
Isaiah 60
11 Your gates will always stand open,
they will never be shut, day or night,
so that men may bring you the wealth of the nations—
their kings led in triumphal procession. (NIV)
One day the gates will always be open. But for us, the presence of God is now. Eternity is now… forever has already begun. We are invited to come boldly into his presence. (Hebrews 4)
We have the key to the presence of God. We can unlock the gates and enter in for ourselves and to show the way for those who don’t know the way.
Or we can lock up the gates and go about our business. It is our choice.
PRAYER FOCUS
Lord, remove the lock from this gate! Let it never be shut, day or night. May I be a carrier of your presence… an open door to your realm wherever I may be that others may see your Glory and enter in.
DAILY DARE
Become a gateway for worship today. Do you know of someone who needs to get into the presence of God? Share with them something you have learned about worship. Maybe give them a worship CD that ministers to you. Open up the gates of praise. It could be that they were looking for a way inside all along.
The Worship Dare 