North and South Gate: A Tale of Two Voices

By Stephen A Ibeh

Compiled with psalms, prophecies, and short stories, North and South Gate is a tale of two voices that reveals each of man's final destination. The voice of God, the Northerner, to the righteous man as he continues to journey from the wilderness toward heaven in contrast with the voice of the adversary, the Grey Wolf, in his pursuit to lead the lost man away from God into eternal alienation. North and South Gate is inspired by the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it" (Matt. 7:13 NIV).

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Mar 1, 2018
• ISBN: 9781640798007

Book preview

Once a Fallen Man

There is now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.—Rom. 8:1-2 KJV

The cross, the place my Messiah laid down his life, a place he shed his blood for my sins.

I know not the pain he endured, though he bore the sins that I was supposed to bear.

Such sacrifice is too great for me to fathom. My mind still not able to comprehend such love, when I stood on solid ground, he fell.

When I drank, and ate, he thirsts. When he was scourged I was made whole, when he was in distress, I felt at peace.

When he took my poverty, I was clothed with his richness. Justified and made righteous, when he paid the penalty for all my sins.

Lord, what a fallen man, yet you saved me and such a fortune I do not deserve.

Stand up on your feet and shake the dust off. From today I will put a new song in you. Put on the garment of righteousness for you have been redeemed.

For a new birth is being given and the old creature has been renewed. Now forget the old and looked toward the new.

Eat from the king’s table, delicacies made with love. For today you shall live and live evermore.

For you are now a joint heir with Christ and among those who will inherit the kingdom of God.

The Mantle

I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against Him, until he plead my case and execute judgement for me; he will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold his righteousness.—Mic. 7:9

He is the One the Father once spoke about in the garden, in the place where man fell.

The seed will be given, a seed that will bruise the serpent’s head. The seed of the woman awaits until the set time.

Now in the stolen kingdom, the serpent sat on the throne to devourer mankind and to impede his will.

When the Kingdom entrusted to man has deteriorated, the serpent sat on the throne and filled up his cup of wrath.

He pours it to the earth to break down every structure, he fills the oceans and the land with blood. Captives were held in chains and a yoke of bondage around their necks.

The kingdom he stole, parading it in the eyes of his followers while sending their souls to Hades.

But in the house of David, a King arises, the Seed that will bruise the heel of the serpent.

The Son of Man, a root out of a dry ground, who is and was, the Messiah who came to redeem his people from the serpent’s thrust.

He had one message and the heart of man was his harvest. He had to die to live again so for men to have life.

He was life and was the antidote of the world that is dead in their trespasses and sins.

He became triumphant in his death to restore the mantle back to his friends and to offer to them eternal life

The Narrow Path

Come unto Me all you ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of Me: for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.—Matt. 11:28-30

Forsaking the lifestyle wasn’t an option, I was in the enemy’s camp, held captive against my will.

Surrendering to the slightest trap, my eyes full of adultery, with every stride that leads to nowhere.

Farewell, I said to this life and come into the new world. But to where? Is not all there is to this life? To eat, drink, and merry for tomorrow we will die?

The days of the Renaissance, that is what I remembered, the classical arts, the literature, music filled with pervasive rhythms, the humanist way of coping with the perverted world.

Masking my shame with more indulgence of sex, and alcohol, camping out with a companion of peasants, whose minds are forever fixated in strange idealistic notion.

Given too much wine, only drew me into deeper depression, the sounds and light, songs of a place, pictures of towns, crowds of happy couples, all filled my heart with sadness.

Where is God? I said.

Suffocating in my own lust, I saw no hope, no companion, all but me in a lonely room with the four walls gazing at me and laughing at my distress, a life full of nothingness.

Then I rose, must’ve missed the snooze button on my alarm clock, howbeit it was Sunday, a day I reserved for my hangover recovery.

What now? Go to church?

What is that? A place filled with old hags, little children, unhappily married folks, boring sermons that only make me yawn and fall back into my coma.

Nevertheless, at this stage, what do I have to lose?

Staggering toward the lighthouse, walking through a narrow path closer to an iridescent ray, in the place I hear familiar songs; songs of victory.

Songs of victory? Mind racing like a speed of light, I can hear my heartbeats as I take each step toward the altar, there I surrendered, there I found my place of rest.

Safely in His arms, safely in the arms of Jesus.

Above the Landscape

By Faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: For he looked for a city which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God.—Heb. 11:9-10

Does anyone look beyond the landscape? What has dulled our hearts? We staggered around all day in our own vomit while our eyes have been filled with worldly goods, luxuries, and good fortune.

In a bed of lust, where all the nobles come and feast their bellies, our cup is filled in all glitter and in abundance; greed, corruption, and violence.

Then I heard from the horizon, singing and dancing, strangers with ointments and offerings to a foreign god, gouging meats for the day with no regard for tomorrow, marrying and giving away in marriage; this they do all day long.

For I wondered where the end meets? And if when the singing and dancing ever stops, what happens next? What lies beneath the surface?

I have seen a city loved by many; a city with glossy festivities by the day, blinded by their good fortune. They all fell asleep while at night death came for a visit.

Sodom cries out from the grave! Her children are gone. Repent! You simple ones, learn from me you wicked degenerates, she cried.

Drink not the cup of abomination, for it will give you the buzz in the morning and eat up your flesh in the evening.

I also heard of a man who once was her neighbor, he built tents among the plains. He stood in light, giving thanks to the Almighty God. Though he was a stranger, he stood alone far from the city. For he longed for a City whose builder and maker was God.

The Northerner

But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. It was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.—2 Thess. 2:13-14

When I was a little boy with no knowledge of life, resting in my mother’s lap, a Northerner came to me, a hand that points to Him, showing me a path to walk on, fed me with songs of deliverance; treasures of Heaven.

What can I do with such knowledge, when as a child I only needed bread and milk for breakfast? And just like a child I ate my food and slept in the comfort of my mother’s lap.

Now as a young man out of my mother’s lap, still stretching my wings to fly, walking bare footed on a dusty road; threading unknown paths.

And just like a wild child who knows no boundary came another Northerner who approached me through the grasslands with a message from Heaven. And seeing that I have heard the same message before, I ran and hid behind the trees, far