The Third Gate of Obedience

The third gate is not easy at all.

It is the hardest gate to pass through,

For it requires surrender

And submission,

Words we do not like to hear

But need to hear.

Help us put our way aside, Lord,

And lay our understanding

On the altar of our God.

Going on our own understanding

Makes this path difficult

And dangerous.

For the third gate,

At the heart of the seven gates,

Is obedience.

And obedience is more than compliance.

It must be sincere, honest,

From the heart.

We can comply outwardly

Yet not obey inwardly.

We can check every box

Of every good deed,

While our hearts remain far from you.

We may honor you with our lips

And with our actions,

But our heart may wander.

We want to build you a temple,

We want to go on pilgrimage,

But is there a temple in our hearts?

Are we pilgrims inwardly?

The church may bear your glory,

But is our heart living for your glory?

Are we living for your glory?

Or only complying outwardly,

Without placing our will

On your holy altar?

Amen

The Seven Gates to Christ

Love, honesty, obedience, kindness, compassion, gentleness, and truth

These are the seven gates our souls must pass through

To understand God more.

The more we understand God,

The closer we become to Christ.

For knowledge can be good or bad

Good if it leads us to Christ,

Bad if it leads us away.

So let our knowledge become truth,

Shaped by You, O God.

Teach us to be a light to the nations,

To those we meet each day.

Christ, help us walk Your path

Through each gate of Your holy will,

For each gate must be entered to be passed,

And each one leads to the next.

These seven gates of knowing Christ

Draw us closer to God

In all we think, say, and do.

And every intention of the heart

Is shaped by the God who made us

In His image and likeness.

Because we seek God’s understanding, not our own,

We walk the path to holiness.

For His understanding is greater,

His wisdom is higher than ours.

If we rely on ourselves,

We risk doing the wrong thing,

For lack of knowledge destroys.

But not all knowledge is good knowledge

There is knowledge from God

Through revelation,

Through Scripture and its meaning.

And there is knowledge from the world,

Anything or anyone opposed

To the Creator of the universe.

Amen.

Your Heart Belongs to Him

Remember, whatever draws you deeper into the mind of Christ

Is truly from God: good, pure, and forever holy.

Let nothing hold you back from His mind,

For anything that hinders you becomes a stumbling block

Keeping you from His heart.

We do not need stumbling blocks in our path,

For our steps should lead us closer to Jesus.

Anything that pulls you from the mind of Christ

Leads you away from His teachings and His gospel.

Whatever brings you deeper into Christ is good,

For your mind and heart belong to Him.

If you desire Him as Savior, He will be your Savior.

If you desire Him as Messiah, He will be your Messiah.

But those who do not desire Him

Will not find Him.

For though He is near,

He will not violate our free will.

So if you belong to Him,

Let your heart become worthy day by day

Through all you think, say, and do

For His glory.

For He will not ask where you worshiped Him,

But whether your heart was worthy of His glory.

And you cannot make your heart worthy alone

You need Christ,

For Christ is Teacher, Healer, Lord, and Savior.

Amen

Blasphemy Is Not a Slip of the Tongue

Yes, we should try and control what we say,

And think about our words before we speak.

But blasphemy is not a slip‑up.

It is done on purpose.

When we say something that sounds blasphemous

Because we have a speech impairment,

That is probably not blasphemous,

For the fault is in the impairment, not the intention.

We must try to control our tongues,

And not let our tongues speak filthy language

As much as we are able.

But still, real blasphemy is done on purpose,

Not by accident,

Not by speech impairment,

Not by mental illnesses.

In other words,

True blasphemy is deliberate.

It requires thinking about it

Before it is said.

It requires planning

To say the Lord’s name in vain

Not just an accidental slip‑up

Or a speech impairment

But thinking about saying the Lord’s name in vain,

Then saying it.

Amen 

Flowers That Wilt, Glory That Lasts

Many use their talents to gain glory and fame,

But the only glory you should be chasing

Is the glory of Jesus.

For in the end, our glory disappears

Like flowers—fresh, when picked,

Beautiful to look at,

Beautiful to smell,

But they wilt in the sun

And their look and smell vanish.

So use your talent well,

Whether singing or writing,

Whether you know how to play

A piano or a harp

Not to glorify yourself,

But to glorify Christ.

If you are good at painting,

Then use that

To glorify Christ.

Amen

Daily Need, Daily Obedience

You want Jesus without his teachings?

What you want is a sacrifice to cover your sins,

But without obedience to God

And compassion toward your neighbor.

You want Jesus without his gospel?

What you want is the bread of life,

But without the word of life.

Many people take Jesus as Savior,

But not as boss or teacher,

But as healer

Can we live the way we want

And still gain heaven?

Once we are safe,

Are we always safe,

Or do we need God daily?

If we don’t need God daily,

We don’t need him at all.

If we need him,

We need him daily.

Amen

Through Beads to Christ

If one would talk to beads,

It might seem strange and odd,

As though the beads could do something for us.

But the prayer beads cannot do anything.

They hold no power of their own.

We use them to meditate,

To enter a frame of mind

That helps us learn the story of Jesus

And grow in his grace and knowledge.

They help us grow in Christ consciousness,

And draw closer to Christ

In mind and heart.

For the beads focus our mind

On the one we are praying to...

Jesus Christ our Lord.

It may look like we are praying to Mary,

But we are going to Jesus through Mary,

The same way Jesus came to us through her.

Yes, it looks like we are talking to beads,

But we are not.

We are meditating on the life of Jesus

Through prayers to Mary. 

Amen