Category Archives: Tornado

The City of Heaven

18 Sunday Sep 2016

Posted by in Blood of Jesus, Christianity, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus, Blood of Jesus, New Covenant, redemption, the Spirit, Tornado

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city-gate

Cities are important to God. In the NIV, there are 669 references to the word ‘city’. Cities being built, cities being destroyed, cities being attacked, cities falling under God’s wrath, cities being blessed in fact, for those that believe that God’s Son’s sacrifice paid the debt for all sin – God has prepared for them a ‘city in heaven’ ( Hebrews 11:15).

The writer of Hebrews could have used another word to describe this heavenly place;  region, colony, parish (for the Louisiana Christians), state, even Heaven by itself with no other geographical term, leaving what Heaven really is like up to our imagination, but the author of Hebrews uses the word ‘city’. This ‘Holy City’ is described in rich detail in Revelation 21:2-22:19, and in the final chapter of Revelation, refers to the restoration of Eden, the Garden of:

Revelation 22:1-5
 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.

I don’t know about you but this reference to Heaven being a city brings me comfort. Many questions remain but I hope to be greeted by at least some familiar environments in my new ( Holy) City with admittedly a few superficial benefits; free shopping, restaurants serving large and flavorful portions with zero calories, bookstores with aisle after aisle of books, offering NO Harry Potter or any books pertaining to sorcery, vampires, death or blood other than the blood of Jesus. ( I also expect to have no need for any fitness enterprise). The thing I most look forward to is hearing Jesus teach and spending time with Him, maybe even sitting near Him in front row center section during very cool concerts in an outdoor venue in the City of Heaven listening to the  Hallelujah Chorus in surround angelic sound.

The Holy City of Heaven is certainly going to be a big step up – jasper walls, gold streets, and of course, pearly gates. There are frequent references in scripture to City  Gates. I have noticed that there is something consistently good about things that happen inside the walls of these gates – directly opposite of what can happen outside the gates: stonings  (way more deadly than the marijuana kind), crucifixions, visitations from the devil out in the count(r)y, those kinds of things. Scary stuff. Cities are good. Elders and local churches are there, leadership and structure are there, economies, commerce and opportunity for increase are there. Healthcare and medical services are there, too.

In 2011,  my city went through a catastrophic EF-4 tornado that vaporized 12% of all structures leaving a 6 mile long, 1 mile wide swath of destruction. I watched as the local church transformed into mini city halls becoming high level distribution centers leveraging its membership rolls, staff, all systems of communication and finances to save and secure lives and property. It was remarkable to witness the local church at its finest hour. A high concentration of strong churches is a highly desirable component of any city any time but particularly when disaster strikes. {Sacred Ramblings, June 2011: Equip the Bride: http://wp.me/p1zoxs-k}

Not only are cities on God’s radar but geography and placement for His People are extremely important to Him – where a person lives can dictate a high degree of favor if it is God’s chosen place to fulfill their destiny and purpose.  You should engage in times of prayer to hear from His Spirit when considering any move. God surely moved Abraham, Joseph, Joshua and in due time, establishing them securely in cities that utilized their highest potential. Being in the right city with the right people and a strong foundation can make – or break – your destiny. Being in the right city should be a high priority for every one that knows Jesus Christ as their Chief Shepherd. Listen, listen for His voice.

The Apostle Paul, as did other Apostles,  moved strategically from city to city, embracing each to preach the Gospel, igniting flames of the Spirit where ever He taught. He planned his journey from city to city – not from nation to nation. It was by transforming influential cities through relationship and teaching, that fueled the fire of the Gospel message throughout that part of the world which ultimately impacted the nations. God chose Paul, a Roman citizen, to bring the Gentiles to the knowledge of His Son – through the  portal of cities. As a man or woman of God, you have an eternal hometown, and forwarding address, a divine destination called the City of Heaven.


Tracy Gatewood
September 2016 Sacred Ramblings
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The Wisdom of God

18 Wednesday May 2011

Posted by in #HolySpirit, Disasters, Emotions, Fear, Healing, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, Tornado, Tracy Gatewood, Tracy Gatewood Alabama, TracyLGatewood, Tuscaloosa, Tuscaloosa Tornado

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“Wisdom, among other things, is the ability to devise perfect ends and to achieve those ends by the most perfect means. It sees the end from the beginning, so there can be no need to conjecture. Wisdom sees everything in focus, each in proper relation to all, and is thus able to work toward predestined goals with flawless precision. All God’s acts are done in perfect wisdom first for His own glory, and then for the highest good of the greatest number for the longest time. And all His acts are as pure as they are wise, and as good as they are wise and pure. Not only could His acts not be better done, a better way to do them could not be imagined. An infinitely wise God must work in a manner not to be improved upon by finite creatures.Oh Lord, how manifold are thy works! In wisdom thou hast made them all. The earth is full of thy riches!”
A.W. Tozer  Knowledge of the Holy

Job 38: 1-15
“Then the Lord answered Job out of the storm. He said, “Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge? Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? On what were its footings set, or laid its cornerstone while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?
Who shut up the sea behind the doors when it burst forth  from the womb when I made the clouds its garment and wrapped it in thick darkness, when I fixed limits for it and set its door and bars in place, when I said, “This far you may come and no farther, here is where your proud waves halt.’
Have you ever given orders to the morning, or shown the dawn its place that it might take the earth by the edges and shake the wicked out of it? The earth takes shape like clay under a seal; its features stand out like those of a garment. The wicked are denied their light and their upraised arm is broken.”

As the waves of life have struck then rolled over, I have found that life first happens in the natural then secondly in the spiritual. With each wave of “natural” has come a tsunami of revelation. I believe that we could have the same experience in store for #Tuscaloosa.  A.W. Tozer states, “Wisdom, among other things, is the ability to devise perfect ends and to achieve those ends by the most perfect means“.  Might God have allowed this storm in Tuscaloosa as the perfect means to devise a better, more perfect end?   Life is becoming more challenging across the globe – the Japan earthquake even shifted the earth’s axis. Could it be that we are appointed to mentor, assist and counsel and bring to salvation many others and become a beacon of hope and light across the world after we have walked through “perfect means”? Tuscaloosa has the spiritual, city and state government leadership in place to successfully position itself as a city on a hill for this time in our history.

After returning to Tuscaloosa in the spring of 2010, leaving it at the ripe old age of 17, I have spent the last year observing people in spiritual leadership and have witnessed an undeniably rich, bold spiritual fabric woven across this city – this fabric is mature, it is humble, it is confident in what it knows and most importantly, it has developed from a foundation of decades of committed prayer – pastoral prayer threads now woven into a beautiful and strong mosaic. These threads act as a protective network of unity that will sustain it in the days ahead. There is extraordinary power in unity. I can see why Tuscaloosa, Alabama could be the recipient of one of the most destructive storms in the history of our country. Few cities of this size could withstand this level of trauma and tragedy but Tuscaloosa’s citizens are securely braced within fabric covered walls.

It is difficult,  if not appropriately impossible,  to look past the urgency of the needs of people living in the Tuscaloosa communities of Holt, Rosedale, Alberta City and Wood Manor. This recovery will be a long process of restoration requiring dedication, determination and a decision to stay the course toward achieving a perfect end. I am convinced that God would not have allowed this storm to occur without a greater purpose in mind, after all, He is infinitely wise. A God that can see the beginning to the end working with predestined goals makes Him very strategic and the Chief Strategist – there are no accidents in His economy. Although God did not cause this storm, He also makes no mistakes.

Now is the time for The Body to move in its true identity and in the authority they have through the Finished Work of Jesus also recognizing the Holy Spirit as their new best friend (John 14:15). After all it was the Holy Spirit that conceived Jesus in Mary’s womb (Matthew 1:20). It will be through His power that He raises up Tuscaloosa,  enabling men and women of this city with His spirit of wisdom and might. Pray for this city, its pastors, city and state leadership. Prayer is the single most powerful action available to each of us because by doing so, we access God.

Tracy Gatewood
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