Heaven's gateway

The gateway into heaven is not forged from gold or pearls; 

It’s a trans-dimensional portal into another world. 

Transition from this finite time into that eternal realm 

is a sudden, one-way journey from which there’s no return. 

Transition is instantaneous; there’s no time to acclimatise 

as you watch your world transforming before your open eyes 

to colours unimaginable, beyond earthly comprehension, 

and time will cease to flow, inside that eternal dimension.

The laws of science and the laws of man will fade into oblivion, 

as souls fly to their destination in the beautiful Elysium. 

There, standing at the centre, above a sea of glass, 

is the throne room of the Ancient One, the future and the past

The Ancient of all Days, the Almighty God of old 

who reigns in glorious power in that City made of gold. 

Though anyone may enter, if they love the Risen One 

the gateway into heaven cannot welcome everyone.

Outside the walls are those who gamble with a loaded dice. 

The Redeemed are those whose trust lays in His final sacrifice. 

The Lamb of God will separate His sheep from the goats of sin 

on that final reckoning day, when the souls are gathered in.

Steve Wheeler © 9 July, 2021

Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. (Matt 7:13-14) 

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Epiphany

The epiphany that came to me 

transformed my outlook utterly; 

pervaded every part of me; 

became my divine odyssey. 

What first began as jamais vu

was all at once a bird that flew

as I saw what I hitherto

had found elusive, rarely viewed.

My vision came in dead of night

a dream of ethereal insight.

I saw a city, gleaming white

wherein the streets of gold shone bright.

My vision next changed to reveal

a vast meadow of flowering field,

with sparkling streams of life that heal

and fruiting trees of constant yield.

A wondrous pathway next I trod

toward the Great White Throne of God

and there I saw with awe and dread

the One from whom all darkness fled.

He had the radiant face of Christ

full iridescent, shining bright.

His mighty throne, the source of light,

made heaven's stratosphere ignite.

A million million voices sang

worthy is He, the spotless Lamb,

Creator God, the great I Am,

Jesus the King, the Son of Man.

This glorious epiphany

came to my dreams, inspiring me,

for as I glimpsed eternity

I saw through faith my destiny.

One day I'll kneel before His throne

and there I shall cast down my crown.

In radiant robes of white I'll stand,

protected by His nail scarred hands.

Steve Wheeler © 27 May, 2021 

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Paid on the nail

You can try to silence me but I’m still gonna praise Him / you can try to shut me down but I’m still gonna raise Him / you can put me in the corner, you won’t stop me saying His name / you can side-line me, but you can’t take me out of the game / you can take away my freedom, but I get to keep my faith / you can throw away the key, I’m a still gonna walk free / ‘cos He ain’t gonna let nobody lay their hands on me / you can keep me in the darkness, I’m a still see His light / I can see Him in His glory though you take away my sight / ain’t nowhere you can put me I can’t see Him on His throne / ain’t nowhere you can isolate me ‘cos I’ll never be alone / You can beat me try to break me I ain’t never giving in / you can leave me and forsake me but He took away my sin / whatever I’m in, He’ll see me through He’ll never let me down / He will even raise me up when I’m a six feet underground / in sickness or in health in riches or in despair / He’s the only one my mind’s fixed on ‘cos He’s the only one who cares / You can hate me you can doubt me but you’ll never grind me down / you can call me names, drop me the blame, I ain’t never turning round / try anything you like to ridicule who you think I am / but the truth is you can’t separate me from the Great I Am / There ain’t a thing in this world that can deviate my path / see, one plus one is four, but you can never do the math / He is the three in one, and I’m the Apple of His eye / He’s the Ancient of Days, and He will never ever die / I am bought with a price, I am paid for on the nail / and I’m standing on His promises, ‘cos they will never, ever fail.

Steve Wheeler © 3 April, 2021

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The world, reset

The world hung in a blue screen

suspended functionality 

Keyboard dead, flashing red 

no hope, no possibility

A planet silent running

its connection not detected

The world a broken terminal

its program mass infected

Then came a vital reset 

The manufacturer appeared

The world was placed in quarantine

its hardware re-engineered

He died and He was buried

and the planet was shut down

But he rose up from the grave

and Earth rebooted back again

'cos he dealt with every virus

that had invaded our system

He deleted the infection

that was holding us to ransom

He emptied out this planet

of the things beyond our control

and offered us a vaccine

to the virus in our souls

There's now a simpler algorithm

to improve our spiritual health:

Love God with all your strength and soul

and your brother as yourself

Steve Wheeler © 3 April, 2021

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You and whose army?

Napoleon riding on his horse 

The British Expeditionary Force 

The Vikings and the Visigoths 

An Airforce flight of Tiger Moths 

Attila’s sweeping horde of Huns 

The French artillery at Verdun 

Erwin Rommel’s Afrika Korps 

The Russian Navy’s ships of war 

The Argentine Pucara planes 

Arabs attacking Turkish trains 

Hitler’s armoured Panzer groups 

Ten regiments of paratroops 

The Armada of the Spanish king 

The soldiers of the Emperor Ming 

A squadron of the boys in blue 

Every elephant that ever lived in a zoo 

America’s nuclear submarines 

All of England’s kings and queens 

and every army at their command 

none could pluck me from Your hand 

None of these is tough enough 

to trouble you at any hour 

None of these is strong enough 

to overcome Your resurrection power

Steve Wheeler © 10 February, 2021

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Nailed

You can nail a shingle to your office wall 

Screw a photo frame secure so it won’t fall 

You can nail a horseshoe up above your door 

Nail a hundred objects high, or even more 

You can pin your pictures to an album page 

or secure a backdrop to a drama stage 

You can fasten any object as you will 

but Christ climbed willingly up that hill 

The nails did not secure Him to that tree 

The spikes did not prevent Him being free 

but love became His sole constraint 

and Christ died for the sinner, not the saint 

Steve Wheeler © 14 January, 2021

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Innocent

Yeah, He died a criminal’s death

Even though He was innocent to His final breath

They hung Him up between the earth and the sky

And He carried our sins and our debts and our failures and our lies.

It wasn’t the iron nails that held Him there

It was His love for you and me that fixed him on the tree

Yeah, he was the sacrificial lamb

Who spilt His blood, the great I Am

He was the bridge between humanity and the Creator

The incarnation of love, He was not a hater.

And as His blood flowed down and drenched the soil below

He said forgive them ‘cos they really do not know

What they’re doing and they act as though they are blind

To the truth that I am doing this for all mankind.

But it won’t even make a difference to you

Unless you decide his promises were true

And that He was who He said He was

And that He died in your place on the cross.

Listen what you’re hearing is not a fairy story

And I’m not telling you this just to get some glory.

He gave up His life for you, and I’m not gonna lie

When I say that if you don’t even try

To understand the magnitude of what He’s done

That He’s not only real, but He’s also the promised One,

You gonna miss out on everything He’s got planned for you

And that’s still much more than you’re entitled to.

Yeah He was innocent

And it was His sole intent

To buy us all back from the malcontent

To redeem us, ‘cos that was exactly why He was sent.

That if it wasn’t for all the blood He spilt

You and I would still be standing in our guilt

To save you and me from Hell and outer darkness and to prevent

Us from deviating from the way that was meant.

And this is not some story that the weak invent

To be a crutch for them when they cannot be content

With their lives and the trouble they get themselves in.

No, the bloody execution on that hill was a real event.

Yeah He was innocent

But the authorities managed to invent

A lot of lies and fake news that sealed his fate

And they sent Him to an early grave in their hate.

But it wasn’t for long ‘cos three days later

He was seen alive and walking in the neighbourhood.

‘Cos He conquered death just like He said He would

And even if you don’t believe this is true

And if you deny it with everything you do

And everyone who’s in your crew

Uses His name like it’s nothing new

Or some cuss word to throw around

Just because they like the way that it sound

He still gonna hold his hand out to you

And call your name like He always will do

Cos He’ll never give up on you

No He’ll never stop from calling out to you

He’ll never turn His back on you

He’ll leave the ninety-nine to come find you

No He’ll never give up on anyone,

No not even you.

He was innocent

Steve Wheeler © 15 April, 2020

Image from Public Domain