MYSTERIES REVEALED

 

MYSTERIES REVEALED

IN MEMORY TO A CHRISTIAN WHO WAS AT THE GATE,

CLOVIS BYLER, MY VERY SPECIAL FRIEND

Copyrighted October 9, 2000

 

I had a discussion with my daughter not too long ago - she was struggling with a question, and the answer she had to know.

 

"Dad, I'm having a problem with a question concerning God - If I ask you this question, please don't think I'm odd."

 

She was twelve years old, Thirteen she was soon to be, and it was natural for her to wonder about what she cannot see.

 

So I shut out the noise around me, and gave her a ready ear, and said, "O.K. now I'm listening, ask me the question I need to to hear." 

"Well, the Bible says 'In the beginning', that God Who always Was, Created the earth and all that's in it - right down to a peach's fuzz…

 

If there was a start to everything, and yet there was always a God… well, the ideas contradict themselves, and that's what I find so odd."

 

My heart lept in my soul at the question just presented - I've heard it asked by others often, whose frustrations were thus vented.

 

With joy my ears were hearing the question I had often pondered When I was but a child and my mind so freely wandered

 

As I set my eyes on the stars above, and the heaven's mystery, through a maze of endless questions, unanswered by history.  

 

WHEN I WAS A CHILD…

 

No answers came from anyone that could satisfy my mind

So I set out on a quest of sorts, to see what I could find.

I turned to books of science, and men's philosophy,

I looked at some religions, and searched through history.

 

Still, no answers came from anyone, not priest nor friend nor foe

That satisfied my wondering mind, to the questions I had to know.

Soon I stopped my wondering, and settled for something less -

Pursuing after errors, and made my life a mess.

I went the way of the wisdom of man, which is foolishness to God,

But I had no way of knowing, as I walked on that road so broad

There was room for every person on the road I travelled down -

There were Paupers and philosophers and even kings with their royal crown.

 

I travelled with the drunken, and with the lustful crowd as well,

I brushed elbows with astrologers and bought what they had to sell.

I heard Christians speak of Judgement day, that one day their God would come -

"There is a road that's narrow, and it leads to the Holy One."

 

When I'd ask them all my questions, they'd begin to call me names,

With no answer to my queries, they would threaten me with Flames.

"Repent," said they, "You heathen dog, there is no more to tell -

With questions such as those you've asked, you're on your way to Hell!" 

 

I wandered down the road some more, with thieves and gurus, too,

Accepting their philosophy as pertinent and true.

"Do as thou wilt is the whole of the law" seemed to be their common creed,

It sounded good to me as well, and it appealed to my greed.

 

I wandered down the broad road, not considering where it led-

"Eat drink and be merry, because tomorrow you may be dead."

Reincarnation and self-deification were pleasant thoughts to me

My selfish inclinations were my sole philosophy:

 

"Morality is relevant and sin is a Biblical term

Exclusively for Christians whose God is exceedingly stern.

Your truth is your own, there are no absolutes,

Life is what you make it, we all dance to different flutes." 

 

For years I walked down the broad road, ignoring the question "why",

It was too difficult to answer as I watched life pass me by.

I filled my life with emptiness, and dined on vanitiy's fare,

The times when I would wonder "why" became increasingly rare.

 

 

 

 Then one day I encountered a Christian beside a gate

He was not like all the others whose words would oft berate.

He beckoned me to talk to him and I asked him my questions all,

With patience he would answer me, and explained humanity's fall. 

 

 

 He had not all the answers, as he was honest to admit,

But there was One Who had them, and to Him I must submit.

I resisted his persuasion, figuring soon he'd tire of me,

But he asked me please consider the One Who could set me free.

  

"Free?" I asked him, laughing, "I am free as a bird in the sky!

I do what ever I want to, and I will, until I die."

At that I lit a cigarette, and inhaled it deep and long…

"The nerve of all you Christians, telling me I'm wrong!"

 

 

 

Some others who were passing by, heard what I had to say

"Yeah, you tell him, we're all free!" and they waved their bottles our way.

Still others with drugs and some diseases acquired by sexual sin

Joined with us against him, and contributed to the din.

 

The astrologers I had bought from and the gurus I had known-

They all stopped by to help me, but I still felt alone.

We were outnumbered by the Truth of One and it was so very plain to see

As I beheld the chains of those my helpers, I knew I needed free.

 

 

The Christian knew I could hear no more, because of all the voices

So he left me with this word to hear, "Life is full of choices.

If you choose to walk this narrow road, you must enter at the gate

But you need to choose while you still live, or else it is too late."

 

I left him there beside the gate, and I continued on down the road

Suddenly enlightened to the reality of my load.

He'd sown a seed that was planted in ground that was fertile still,

And eventually I bowed my knee and embraced the Master's Will.

 

I found my way back to the narrow gate, but the Christian was no longer there

In his place was Jesus, and I asked Him the price of the fare

He extended a palm to show me where a nail had made a hole,

"Please enter into my joy," he said, "I've paid the price in full." 

 

Now I'm standing next to that narrow gate and I'm working that Christian's spot

Explaining to the wanderers that they can have the peace I've got.

I'm answering many questions now that were once great mysteries-

The answers all rest in the King of kings - the Author of History. 

 

WHEN I BECAME A MAN-

 

She was twelve years old, Thirteen she was soon to be, and it was natural for her to wonder about what she cannot see.

 

So I shut out the noise around me, and gave her a ready ear, and said, "O.K. now I'm listening, ask me the question I need to hear."

 

"Well, the Bible says 'In the beginning', that God Who always was, Created the earth and all that's in it - right down to a peach's fuzz…

 

If there was a start to everything, and yet there was always a God… well, the ideas contradict themselves, and that's what I find so odd." 

 

I looked at my lovely daughter, and gave her a commendation: "That's a question that has been asked by every generation

 

The problem we have as human beings is that we judge by what we know, and since we are mere mortals, we follow the status quo.

 

We relegate the things of God to the world that we can see, and we deem that our existence should provide the hidden key,

 

Some say He is an alien from a galaxy far away, From a super race of scientists who developed our DNA

 

Others say He was like us all, and evolved to something more, They say this is our destiny, it's what we are living for.

 

Still others in their ignorance deny that He is at all - we evolved from cosmic chaos into a person standing tall.

 

But God is high above our ways, and our logic is very flawed - Since He made us in His Image, we deduce that we are God.

 

We watch the clock impatiently when we are told that we must wait - But God needs no clock to remind Him, for Time He did create.

 

Since the Creator is not the creation, He needs no start nor end - He was Always there before us and yet chose to be our Friend.

 

He desires every person to enter His Presence now, To step inside the Narrow Gate, and before Him humbly bow

 

He is Love beyond imagining - such Love we have never known - To be moved with such Compassion as to leave His Royal throne

 

To clothe Himself with human flesh, and then to give His Life for all - it defies all comprehension that He would help us when we fall.

 

He is Holy and Most Righteous and the Perfect spotless Lamb - He is the Judge of all Creation, the Almighty Great I Am

 

He is Worthy of our worship, He is Worthy of our love, He is Worthy of our reverence, as He watches from above.

 

And yet He thinks us worthy of His Presence in our lives, to help us with our struggles when the Comforter arrives.

 

Life is full of mysteries, and all their answers rest in One - The One Who created everything, and for everything gave His Son.

 

She looked at me, and thanked me, and I knew she understood, And I thanked God for that Christian who by the Narrow Gate once stood.

 

 

2 Tim 2:24-26

24 And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,

25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;

26 And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will. (KJV)

 

THIS MATERIAL IS COPYRIGHTED. IT IS INTENDED FOR THE EDIFICATION OF OTHERS, NOT FOR THE GAIN OF SOME. YOU MAY USE THIS MATERIAL FREELY, BUT YOU CANNOT ALTER IT IN ANYWAY WITHOUT THE EXPRESS PERMISSION OF THE AUTHOR. THIS DOES NOT GIVE YOU THE RIGHT TO SELL, MARKET OR IN ANYWAY TO COMMERCIALIZE THIS MATERIAL FOR PROFIT. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. GOD BLESS YOU.

RETURN TO THE INDEX PAGE

 

GO TO THE NEXT PAGE

 

E-MAIL ME

 

SEND ME A LETTER:

 

LANCE ROWE

6519 OOL-GEORGETOWN RD

OOLTEWAH, TN.

37363