The Revelation of a Kingdom, Not a Denomination

On By Ashley GatewoodIn The Organic ChurchLeave a comment

God is not a Church, He isn’t a Denomination, nor is He a Religion

If you can understand the revelation Munroe is thowing out here, then you can understand why no denomination was God’s idea.

Denominations are not of God, they are of man.

The Catholic denomination is possibly the worst because they are prideful in saying they are the first church – and are blind to the fact that they are a denomination. Until we understand there is no such thing as denominations or brick and mortar churches in God’s Kingdom, we will never bring the Kingdom of God into the earth.

But I have faith in the true Church, the organic Bride of Christ, that she will bring the Kingdom of God into the earth in these last days.

Because there is nothing else that will be capable of rising up against the anti-christ in these last days.

It’s time to start reorienting ourselves in God, and bring the kingdom Christ taught and spoke of into the earth. And to prepare for much spiritual warfare when we do.

Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world; if it were, My servants would fight to prevent My arrest by the Jews. But now My kingdom is not of this realm.”

John 18

John 18 is one of the most fascinating conversations in the Bible, imo. And realizing what Munroe says, that Jesus didn’t even speak to the religious men who were ‘representing’ God, but did speak to a gentile sinner who was ruler over a kingdom just blows my spiritual mind.

The Kingdom of God Defined | Dr. Myles Munroe

My challenge I’m putting on myself this year is to live a fasted life and pursue the understanding and revelation of this Kingdom God is desiring to manifest into the earth. If I can channel His kingdom through my life, I’m here for it~

Featured Image by Johannes Plenio.

And The Sun Stood Still

On By Ashley GatewoodIn Bread & Butter MorselsLeave a comment

Moses struck a rock and water flowed from it. He lifted up his staff, parted the sea and the ocean floor became dry ground. Elijah called down fire from the sky and it burned up people and earthly things – or in other words, Elijah’s prayer manifested a power that was seen and had effect in this earthly dimension. He didn’t start a fire, he called an already living fire down from an unseen location at the sound of his words.

And Joshua. He looked up and charged the sun, ‘Stand ye still!’ and the heavenly body obeyed.

How by scientific calculation can the earth continue to rotate on its axis and the sun remain still? Did the sun move, for this one day through space at the speed of earth’s rotation? Or did the earth turn vertically on its axis so that for those 24 hours Israel was situated as the North Pole, the sun never having to set? Did the earth indeed stop rotating?

In The Beginning Was The Word, Living Word

Can we even begin to imagine charging the natural world by decree and it obeying our word?

“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians 3.21-21

When God spoke, creation listened. Whatever He speaks, His creation listens. ‘Be fruitful and multiply.’ God spoke once and the decree never ceased, but multiplied exponentially.

“So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55.11

What would happen if we took God’s words into our mouth and spoke His words out into this earthly dimension having the faith that Jesus had? Or better yet, Jesus said all we needed was faith the size of a mustard seed and we would see mountains moved.

God’s Word Transforms Our Relationship To The Earth’s Rules

Jesus defied physics. He spoke to weather patterns and changed them instantly, leaving His fishermen friends in awe. ‘Have faith in God,’ He continually told them.

Elisha defied physics in the strangest and weirdest of ways. A worker dropped their axe head into the water and Elisha threw a stick and the axe head floated to the surface. God made the human being out of the earth; Jesus spit in a clump of clay and molded it around the hallow edges of a blind man’s eye socket, told him to go wash with water from the lake and there it was formed, a human eyeball where there was nothing.

We think about Jesus reaching out and touching people. Or people, like the woman with the issue of blood touching Him and being healed. But Peter’s shadow fell on the sick and they were healed. The man’s shadow, a simple scientific understanding of how light shining on an object creates a shadow, but the shadow is now imbued with the power to transform ailing bodies.

“As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by impure spirits, and all of them were healed.” Acts 5.15-16

What Is Going To Mean The Most To Us?

I ask you Church; what are we missing? What’s missing behind the decree that if I spoke today, nothing would happen? What are we missing on our words? What are we missing in our lives, what do we need for our shadows to fall on a passer-by and they immediately are set free from oppression or chronic sickness?

A different focus? Paul said, ‘Covet earnestly the best gifts.’ I don’t deny his wisdom. But he did go on to say the greatest of all is Love.

Might we be missing the only purpose needed to gain the power of the Spirit of God on our lives? That being Agape love? In one fell swoop, love cradles all that is needed to bring the human being into subjection to the higher order of God and the proper alignment with our neighbors.

What else is needed?

Maybe less time in front of a manmade screen and more time in front of God’s living word, learning ancient secrets, words that hold within them, like seeds, the transformative power of a living Spirit?

God is love the Bible says. How can we possibly become anything without total dedication to it, much less if we are trying to embody the idea of God’s Agape love. There is much to learn and much to put away simultaneously in order to take hold of God’s heart in this manner.

Draw Near to God and He Will Draw Near to You

(James 4.8)

God is hiding from us. Not so that we cannot find Him and lay hold of the power to do all the wonders that have already been manifest in the earth, but instead so that we will seek Him for those wonders.

If someone’s shadow could fall on you and heal you, would you accept that as a good thing? Or would you say, no, let me avoid being healed so easily. Would it not be a good thing then if it was our shadows freeing people?

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free..” Luke 4.18

…..’all these thing I do you also will do, and greater things….’

The Question of Purpose Has to be Asked and Answered

But I have to ask myself, why would we seek Him for these things? There’s no need for our sun to stand still. So what do we need? It goes back to love, no? Maybe I’m not thinking it through properly. But what other aim would not be pure arrogance? Doesn’t love cap ego? If our hearts aren’t focused on people, then what are we doing?

And once we determine that, we have to ask: are we making a Kingdom of Heaven decree to change the world for the better? Or to just amuse ourselves.

‘Call those things that be not as though they were,’ and ‘Thy will be done on earth as it is done in heaven,’ and ‘..all these things that I have done you also will do, and greater than these will you do because I go to my Father.’

It seems to me that those who worked the greatest of signs and wonders were those God called the most humble and the meekest. So then, what can be done? What should be pursued?

An Important Key To Understanding A Woman

On By Ashley GatewoodIn Bread & Butter MorselsLeave a comment

This is the funniest thing to hear Myles Munroe deliver this message to the congregation, even the members couldn’t keep from laughing. It’s also dead serious and true. And that makes me laugh:) It doesn’t remove all responsibility from me, the woman, but it certainly doesn’t let the man off the hook either – I like that about God. He doesn’t let the man or the woman off the hook, as much as the man would love to blame only ‘this woman you gave me!’ for all his troubles:)

Life is serious, but sometimes, it’s best to take a step back, take a breath and learn to laugh, even the slightest bit, at ourselves. One of our family sayings is, ‘A family who laughs together, stays together.’ And it works for us.

We’ll live a far less anxious, fearful and offended life if we can let some beads of water run off our backs.

“Do not move an ancient boundary stone or encroach on the fields of the fatherless, for their Redeemer is strong; He will take up their case against you.…” Proverbs 23.10-11

The Man is the Father Figure

Munroe teaches that it is the man who is the father, since the woman came from the man – God formed one man from the dust of the earth and all other men and women came from that one man. God didn’t return to the earth again to create the woman – the woman came out of the man. And since he produced the woman, he is her father in essence. “A father sustains what he produces. If he’s not sustaining what he produces, then he’s not a father.”

So if he isn’t acting towards her as a father would, look out, proverbs tells us that God will take up her case against him. I like that I have a heavenly Protector who doesn’t let me off the hook, but who also defends me against those who would find it convenient for it to be all my fault….Adam…..

We’re all trying to figure this out together and for sure, a little bit of humor goes a long way dear brothers!

Listen to this, it’s just like a man to be completely taken aback by what a woman can do and then act surprised that he’s the reason for all his discomfort. Human behavior, including my own, makes me laugh:

Women Multiply What You Give Them

“Whatever you give a woman, she’ll receive it, multiply it, and give it back to you…..she’ll never give back what you gave to her, she’ll multiply it first. She’s designed that way….if you give her a house she’ll multiply it and give you a home. If you give her groceries she’ll multiply it and give you a meal. If you give her frustration she’ll multiply it and give you……right…….

“So brothers, if you don’t like what your getting, change what you’re giving.

“It’s ridiculous to say to a woman, ‘where did you get this from?’ He’s receiving back – multiplied – what he gave….tell your husband, ‘if you don’t like what I’m giving you, change what you’re giving me.'”

-Myles Munroe, The Azusa Fire Conference, 1994

Link to referenced section of quote: Myles Munroe – The Responsibility of Freedom (Azusa ’94)

I’ll be sharing much more from Munroe in the coming days, God has opened a floodgate of word through this man of God. Prayer and fasting for sure opens doors, opens our hearts and provides keys to receive from God.

Have a wonderful week all, be free, look up at the night sky, take up journeys~

Featured Drawing: Untitled by Ashley Gatewood, ~2014

2024: Finding God In Your Cooking Pots

On By Ashley GatewoodIn Bread & Butter MorselsLeave a comment

Diligence

What has God given you to do? Whatever it is, no matter how menial it may seem to you, it is tied into your purpose in the kingdom of God. Despise not small beginnings the Bible says. I like that. So we can get busy doing what God has put before us no matter how small, knowing we are building and investing in a much higher purpose for the future.

Be ardent in your work, and you will find God in your cooking pots.

from the film ‘Séraphine’ (2008)

This was first spoken by Teresa of Ávila whom Seraphine requoted.

I like the literary term for ardent: burning; glowing

I like the idea that even through the darkest of nights, if I’m tending diligently to what God has entrusted to me, His glowing fire will be upon my work, be evident in the results of my work, and will light the way of many who are without His light.

And we all know the world is growing darker day by day~

Prayer Is The Honeypot That Reveals Incoming Information

Nothing gets done on earth for the kingdom of God without prayer. There may be people who don’t even believe in God who are fulfilling the plans of God – that’s because there is an intercessor somewhere on their knees praying fervently, being led by the Holy Spirit. I’ve heard it said like this: God will not do anything without us, and we cannot do anything without Him. And isn’t it comforting to know we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.

Remember this, what God has ordained no one can stop. It doesn’t matter what it looks like right now. I promise you, He is faithful.

Psalm 103: Bless the Lord all ye His angels that excel at the sound of His word. The Archangel Gabriel is a messenger. So he brings answers, visions, prophecy from the throne of God. I’m sure there are others who do this, and I’m also sure we hear directly from God and I know He speaks to us through other people as well. So there’s no lack of avenues to gain revelational knowledge and wisdom. I like the one below from Benny – he is speaking right into my heart.

Paying the Price: Is God in your Cooking Pots?

If we’re going to pay a price, let’s make sure we are paying the right price for the right thing. People are constantly paying the wrong price for the wrong thing because of ignorance. If you’re not praying, what price are you really paying and is what you’re getting rendering a net gain to your life? If we suffer for the sake of suffering, we gain nothing at all. And we do this all the time, it’s the human condition. ‘Why are you cast down, oh my soul? Hope in God.’But prayer causes the answer to excel to our understanding. THIS is the power of God’s divine word when its revelation becomes known to us through prayer.

Let prayer be your cooking pot for 2024. “I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” Psalm 27.13-14

I’ll find my answers in disciplined prayer. Where else? He reveals all knowledge to those who ask.

“…never give up. You pray everyday, don’t miss one day because the day you miss is the day you lose. Stay in contact with God, daily.”

Coupling prayer with fasting and you’ll be on a fast track to God’s heart.

May your 2024 be brighter than ever, burn more fervently for the Lord, and may God dance among your cooking pots, all you beautiful people~

Featured Photo by Robson Hatsukami Morgan

Don’t Hold Back What God Has Asked For: Release God’s People When He Calls for Them

On By Ashley GatewoodIn The Organic ChurchLeave a comment

The Privilege of Learning Under Great Ministers

There are certain ministers that in years past have imparted great things to me concerning God and His word. I’ve learned much from them. But there are those with whom God has called us to partner with indefinitely, and those for only a short while.

God, the skillful tapestry Weaver, threads people in and out of our lives at just the right times and seasons. We may have garnered much from those whose thread only remained for a short while, but unless we move where the Spirit moves us, we’ll never grow into the fulness of Christ. 

This is why it’s important that ministers not get offended when people leave and move on with other congregations or ministries. God’s people have grown up under your care and watchful attention. Don’t take it out on His sheep because He is calling them to another field to graze.

And refrain from making excuses like it’s the sheep’s faulty hearing; that God couldn’t possibly call them away from one church and lead them to another. Different church ministries offer varying levels of bread as spiritual sustenance. Don’t be offended that someone has outgrown your level. You’ve done what has been required of you in God’s service. This is a beautiful thing; don’t get greedy or covetous.

God’s People Belong to Him

God’s people don’t belong to any one human being, minister or otherwise. His people belong to Him and He will chose who He wants to partner them with. Ministers need not be possessive over individuals in the Body of Christ. We are all one in Christ, not owned, not collected.

John the Baptist understood this and flourished. Until the day he stumbled and was offended. He ended up bound and cutoff. Is your ministry stagnant? Has it lost the life giving waters of the Holy Spirit? Think about this then and ask yourself seriously if you are not offended by those who have left. Then ask yourself why you feel the way you do and what God is saying to you about it. This is important to your growth and the growth of those presently in your care. 

Grow up the people God has given into your care. Teach and nurture them in the capacity God has graced you with, then let them go if God calls them. Don’t be caught holding on to what God has asked for. Joshua chapter 7 is a warning for those who, out of ill-gotten intentions, try to hold on to something that God has asked for. Don’t be that minister.

God’s People are the Focus, Not the Size of a Congregation or its Shepherd

I look back on all I’ve learned, such a rich dining table of God’s best teachers in my opinion, some of the greatest I had seen at that time. But after many years the chair doesn’t fit anymore, the cup’s too small and the yard isn’t long enough to stretch my legs

If only ministers would treat their congregations like growing up any child into a functioning adult, I think the Body of Christ would be far more developed, well-rounded and capable of stepping out in the fulness of Christ.

This is only one way that denominations have hurt the Body, it promotes exclusion and possession or collection of God’s people.

God’s people belong to no one but Him. The shepherds are caretakers, not gods to pledge allegiance to. This is how Lucifer fell from heaven, having taken the praise and glory unto himself and corrupting his merchandise.

Be gracious to God’s people, He does not without blessings from those who put Him first in the kingdom. All other things will be added to you, fear not. He is faithful.

Outside The Church Walls

On By Ashley GatewoodIn The Organic ChurchLeave a comment

Below is a quote I saw today on FB that speaks to the truth of unity in the Body of Christ. I think Christians are not realizing that God is moving outside of the church/noun/place. This next move of God will not be contained or defined by the church building sitting on the corner of Main and Broadway. And this shifting of His presence from inorganic to organic will continue until we are free of the ‘structure’ we’ve created as a mental image falsely defining who and where God is, and instead begin to embrace the truth that God is free of our manmade structures and died to dwell within us, His chosen temples, not those temples made by man’s hands.

“For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people.” 2 Corinthians 6:16

“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” 1 Corinthians 3:16

This is part of a continuation of signs I am seeing outside of the church doors: God moving through men and women who were formerly atheists or agnostic but who have come to know Jesus. These individuals are at different levels of their walk with God, seemingly nomads functioning under the anointing of the Holy Spirit in spite of being outside the church’s rigidity and formality of manmade doctrines; this, however, not in any way disqualifying them from being used mightily by God but by some irony of God, they are being used more so than those within the church establishment. Why would God not choose a vessel, one only He is able create to dwell within, as opposed to a manmade, inorganic structure that simply has not been chosen by God as a place of habitation since Pentecost?

People, not structures, are chosen by God. He will use anyone willing to yield their vessel, their mind and body, to the work of the Lord. I think many members of the church, church leaders especially are completely missing the move of God. Behold, I’m telling you He is doing a new thing…and here we are completely blind to it.

Facebook post (quote not cited, so unknown author):

“The body of Christ is God’s instrument in this earth to promote His kingdom purpose. In order to fully fulfill this, however, we are to be “one heart, one mind, striving together for the faith of the Gospel” (Philippians 1:27). Unity and harmony in the body of Christ should not be a question mark. It is the will of God. Unfortunately, we see the body of Christ constantly at odds with one another. Denominational differences are magnified and small wars are being fought in the body of Christ. Even more than that, in the local church environment, we see people taking pot shots at each other all of the time.

We need to realize that unity is one of the most basic truths about God’s will that nobody can misunderstand. Unity is vital. All believers have enough in common to be joined together because we have Jesus Christ. We have the basis for resolving challenges that face this world. We have to stop focusing on our differences and focus instead on what we know the world needs: Jesus. That’s when dramatic change comes to this earth. That’s when revival, awakening, and outpouring will come.”

-unknown

My thoughts were as follows:

…[this] points to something that is clear as day to me: God is not going to use a church/noun/place. He’s looking for His body in the earth today, the Church/noun/person. For whatever reason, there are many Christians who don’t agree with this, but there’s not much I can do about that. Until we understand that the Church is actually the Holy Spirit living within us, in unity, as one with God and Christ and each other, the Protestants will continue to denominate in vain. God always calls those He will use OUT of the greater whole. Gideon’s 300 men in Judge’s 7 is a type. ““There are still too many soldiers,” the Lord told Gideon…'” Be prepared for God’s move to happen outside of the church/noun/place. And one MAJOR confusion Satan will use is ‘unity among all religions’. This is antichrist in nature for God remains pure, not mixing with any other gods, not mixing salt water into spring water.

I’m unsure how the church remains blind to this truth. It’s like we say the words but don’t act out the reality. ‘yes we are one with Christ, the Holy Spirit lives within us’ but then we continue to denominate and say only ‘our church/structure’ will be the one chosen. No, no….God is leaving the church/structure behind. He didn’t die on the Cross so we could go back to temples in the desert where only priests could go into the holy of holies.

No.

Christ died on a Cross to make you and me and all Christians, His creation, His very own holy of Holies. This is the promise. This is what was delivered to us. This is truth. And God is getting ready to manifest this truth.

And my oh my, will it be a wonder to behold:):)

Featured Image by Nick Abrams.

Practical Matters: Houses and Writing Stories

On By Ashley GatewoodIn Bread & Butter MorselsLeave a comment

These past several weeks have been productive. I decided awhile back that it was time to move into a larger home, so I’m focusing on a few upgrades for this house before I sell. Finally the deck is finished, the landscaping completed and the shower retiled.

Mike did a fantastic job! He is the best at what he does and wow, an incredibly hard working carpenter.

I need to stain the deck now but I’m thinking I may hire a professional to do it. I don’t want to ruin it!

The shower tile was also completed.

Halloween Fan Fiction Stories

I think I shall do a small October story series this year on the blog. It’s a fan fiction story I wrote for fun in 2020. It is a retelling of the film, The Shining. There’s no magazine or online publication I’m aware of that publishes fan fiction. Or I couldn’t find it. So I might as well share it here.

The problem is, I want to post each small portion of the story throughout the month but this makes anyone coming to read at a later date view it backwards. Oh well, not sure how to manage that, lol.

Professional Publication Headwinds

Speaking of stories and publication, I’ve been working on submissions for the better part of this year and at least seven months back in 2021. I knew the landscape was quite dicey as far as ideology and political affiliations went. Some of the larger magazines I think are less concerned with pushing a political narrative though they will kill a story if it is a radical activist who wrote it (and it will be the publisher/editor who decides what side of radical that is).

So needless to say, they check blogs, social media and previous affiliations. I was worried about this for most of 2021/22 so I stayed off social media or was anonymous. It was exhausting to be honest. Now, I just post whatever I choose to post, share my thoughts on matters and get on with life.

What else can one do?

Sometimes you just have to give up being accepted in order to gain some small amount of success. The landscape politically, culturally and spiritually is so divided, I just gave up on it.

What really bothers me though is this: now I’m not sure if I’m being rejected due to how bad the writing is or due to my political and spiritual beliefs/affiliations. Ugh….

Future Focus

I’m still submitting but I’ll also submit to some of the Christian sci-fi magazine publications as well. I’ve found a few these past couple of months while using social media sites. And I always have the novel I’ve been randomly working on. Once I get bored of submitting to publications and writing short stories, I’ll switch back to the novel.

Another focus will be finding place to live that’s a bit bigger. And it’s a difficult real estate landscape out there right now. Prices are crazy considering all the interest rate hikes. My price range seems to be a sweet spot for inventory so for now it’s OK. But I’d say in 2024 things will likely change.

Have a great week everyone~

Featured Image by Josh Olalde