[097]. A Message From A Poem – Gates Of Hesitation

[097]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – GATES OF HESITATION

This poem tells a story. Jesus told His listeners something – {{Matthew 7:13-14 “Enter by the narrow gate for THE GATE IS WIDE and the way is broad that leads to destruction and many are those who enter by it, for THE GATE IS SMALL and the way is narrow that leads to life and few are those who find it.”}}. It was on those verses I based this poem looking at two gates.

There are two people in this poem, the one who takes entry through the wide/broad gate and the other who enter through the narrow gate. “Gates of Hesitation” is the picture leading up to the decision being taken. I hope you like this poem.

{{Matthew 12:30 “He who is not with Me is against Me and he who does not gather with Me scatters.”}}. Psalm 1 is often called “The Psalm of the Two Ways.” The godly man and the ungodly man. Every human being can be divided into these two camps. The redeemed and the unredeemed. The righteous and the unrighteousness. Sved and unsaved. It stresses me that so many show no interest at all about their eternal destiny. They don’t want to know about God. They don’t want to know.

In a previous poem called “Can We Understand His Goodness”, here are 4 lines from that poem –

[[Human minds can’t comprehend it;

They don’t know the reason why.

They don’t want to understand it.

They don’t even want to try.]]

https://sermoncentral.com/sermon-illustrations/102904/039-a-message-from-a-poem-can-we-understand-his-goodness-by-ron-ferguson

{{1 Kings 18:21 Elijah came near to all the people and said, “HOW LONG WILL YOU HESITATE BETWEEN TWO OPINIONS? If the LORD is God, follow Him, but if Baal, follow him,” but the people did not answer him a word.”}}. If any unsaved people hear this poem, do not hesitate. Time is very short and you will miss out. Enter into the blessings of the Lord while you still may.

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Can I say a word about the divisions I use between stanzas looking like the lines above and below this. SermonCentral does not keep the stanza formatting so I mark it with these lines so you see the stanza divisions.

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GATES OF HESITATION

Why do you, sinner, hesitate

Before this widely-opened gate?

Along this way that’s wide and clear

Are many pleasures that endear.

So hasten then and enter in.

Enjoy these full delights of sin.

There’s gluttony and greed galore,

Each signalled with an open door,

And revelling and journeying

And luxuries and partying.

What more could human beings need

While in this lustful world of greed?

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Before that bright, attractive gate,

I saw that sinner hesitate;

I saw him contemplate the case;

Saw indecision on his face.

But then he glimpsed a flesh delight

Which captivated full his sight.

The lust of flesh that had been eyed,

The pride of life with loud voice cried.

No longer did he hesitate,

But entered in through that wide gate.

And it was true, that each delight

That constantly vied for his sight,

Fulfilled the promise made to him.

He lived his life full to the brim.

============================

The years have slowly ebbed away.

I saw that man the other day.

He’d had his fill of pleasures all,

Available at beck and call.

But on the path of his own choice

No longer now does he rejoice.

At first he did not notice there,

That place was one gigantic snare,

And as his way progressed along,

No more he sang a cheerful song.

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For this is what his person gained -

A soul and body caught and chained.

Ensnared he is in sin’s desires,

And heading to destruction’s fires.

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That widely-opened gate, you see,

Is opening to eternity;

But one that’s horrible and sad -

To hell, where all contained is bad.

Eternal separation there;

Regrets of soul, and deep despair.

The pleasures of this life are nought,

And for that man, a hell they brought.

============================

Another gate stood wide ajar,

And from the other, not too far.

But this one was a diff’rent type -

A narrow gate, without the hype.

No boisterous music met the ears;

No worldly pride, or pleasure cheers;

No screening of these sinful sights

The other gate calls “true delights”.

But few there were who came too near,

And fewer still who tarried there.

The threes and fours who stood outside

Heard mention there of One who’d died.

They listened to a message strange

About a life direction change -

How through that gate, each one would find

A change of heart, of thought and mind.

The challenge that was issued there

Was to a life placed in God’s care.

There was a choice that must be made!

Would this gate’s challenge be obeyed?

============================

The threes and fours who heard that call

Reflected on the message all.

Just quietly then, one slid away,

And moved to where the broad gate lay.

============================

Another promised he’d return

And come again one day to learn.

The odd one entered through the gate,

When to the truth each did relate.

But in the main, most passed on by,

And at the broad gate did apply.

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All those who chose that narrow gate,

Found that their burdens lost their weight.

Inside that gate they gained a peace

They quickly learnt would never cease.

They understood so many things

That trust in God, with wisdom, brings.

And as they journeyed on through there,

They often breathed celestial air.

Sometimes the path quite rough became

Because of their adopted Name.

The best part was, that once inside,

The Lord their God, was their own Guide.

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One I perceived who entered in,

I knew was wild and deep in sin.

Yes, some observed with much surprise

And said it would be his demise.

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Here too, the years had passed along.

I later heard that one in song.

He sang of joy and triumph too.

He claimed that all he’d heard was true.

He spoke of faithfulness each day,

The Guide had shown along the way;

Of honesty and friendship real;

Of bearing with him, God’s own seal.

He spoke of laughter, joys and pain,

And of the heaven he would gain.

Those former years of sinful rage

Have passed forever from God’s gaze.

Some spoke out once of his demise,

But on he presses for the prize.

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Along life’s road are two main gates

That speak to you of two chief states:-

A widely-opened gate that leads

To hell’s destruction, with its deeds.

A narrow gate that guides the way

To God’s eternal, sinless day.

Too many folk, the broad gate choose -

Along that way, their souls they’ll lose.

But precious few are led within

The narrow gate, away from sin.

Now choose the gate that waits for you:-

The one that’s false! The one that’s true!

The narrow gate is Christ the Lord.

Can you another one afford?

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14 April 1999 R E Ferguson 8 throughout