Gateway Ministries was formed in September 2000 and is based in Northern Ireland.

*********************************************************************************************************

PLEASE NOTE:

Gateway Ministries is NOT currently active but we are keeping this web site online in the meantime as there are resources, such as teachings and downloads that we would like to keep making available. This includes amalgamating archived posts from 2 blogs into the one blog.

*********************************************************************************************************

The vision is to see a literal 24 hours a day, 365 days a year Worship and Prayer Centre (like the Tabernacle of David [Acts 15]) established in Ireland.

In these End Times God is restoring the order of worship established in the Tabernacle of David as prophesied by the prophet Amos (Chapter 9). We are but one part of this restoration. There are many on this island who have the same vision. We seek to network with other ministries, individuals, groups and churches, and lead worship at other venues.

This web site will give you a feel of the vision, perspectives and goals.

We refer to our worship gatherings as Worship Watches.

Our Definition:

A Worship Watch is an extended time of worship, praise and prayer. Extended in the sense that it is more than a few minutes of random songs and prayers. The term ‘Watch’ comes from the Biblical concept of the Watchman. Perhaps the most well known verse using this concept is Isaiah 62 vs. 6-7:

“I have posted watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem;
they will never be silent day or night.
You who call on the LORD,
give yourselves no rest,
and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem
and makes her the praise of the earth. “

Whilst this verse does initially speak of God appointing Watchmen over the physical walls of Jerusalem’s ‘old’ city, we can apply this to what God is doing in restoring night and day worship and prayer all across the world today.

Jesus said in Mark 14 v.38 “watch and pray….”.

Colossians 4 v. 2 says: “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful”

(This article is reproduced from an e-mail sent by the Lawyers Christian Fellowship (www.lawcf.org) and Christian Concern For Our Nation www.christianconcernforournation.co.uk)

The Draft Human Tissue and Embryology Bill has now been published. Within it the Government propose to remove the requirement for doctors to have regard for the need of any child they assist in bringing into the world through assisted reproductive technology for a father (clause 21).

This proposal flies in the face of the wealth of research that demonstrates that a father is central to a child’s welfare. This role is different but complementary to that of the mother. Children deprived of a father often experience psychological, social and community disadvantages. This proposal is all about the alleged “rights” and demands of adults and nothing about the needs of children. In the Bible the “fatherless” are pictured as weak and defenceless, but our great and compassionate God “defends the cause of the fatherless” (Deut. 10:18). We are now called to do that too.
This Bill has many other concerning features as summarised below:

• The Bill will allow scientists to create any variety of animal-human hybrid embryos for research purposes (clause 17);

• It is proposed that the Reproductive Cloning Act 2001, which banned reproductive cloning, be repealed and replaced by something far less clear cut (clause 16, para 15.5);

• It is proposed that non-profit making bodies be allowed to advertise in order facilitate surrogacy arrangements (clause 66)

The Government has invited written evidence by 15th June. Please pray about this Bill and consider writing to the Government with your views. You can find the draft Bill and details of the Government’s request for evidence by following the link below:

http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsLegislation/DH_074718

Please choose one or two of the above issues that you feel most strongly about and make one or two points about each. Here are some suggested points you could make about the other issues:

• The human embryo is human life. It is unethical to use them as a means to an end

• The animal/human hybrid embryos are alleged to be needed to conduct embryonic stem cell research but adult stem cell research has far greater potential to create useful therapies and is ethically sound. It has already produced real medical advances when embryonic stem cell research has produced none (for further information, see the cloning and embryology pages of the Care website at www.care.org.uk/Publisher/Article.aspx?ID=58254 and www.bioethics.ac.uk)

• The mixing of human and non-human biological material involves an unnatural crossing of the species barrier. We do not know what the consequences could be in terms of tumour formation or disease transmission.

• The creation of animal/human hybrids is banned in many countries.

• Cloning human embryos is unethical because it uses human life as a means to an end

• Reproductive cloning or the creation of “designer babies” is totally unethical

• Adult stem cell technology has already made great advances in providing therapies and is an ethically sound alternative to embryonic cloning

• Surrogacy involves risks to all involved and is not the simple solution to childlessness that it may appear.

For further information on these issues the website of the Christian Medical Fellowship is highly recommended (www.cmf.org.uk).

Your letters should be addressed to:

Kate Lawrence
Clerk to the Joint Committee on the Draft Human Tissue and Embryos Bill
House of Lords
London SW1A 0PW
and preferably by email to htedraftbill@parliament.uk

If you would like to write to individual members of the committee, they are as follows:

In the House of Commons (write to them at the following address: House of Commons, Westminster, London, SW1A 0AA )

Phil Willis (Chair), David Burrows MP, Katie Clark MP, Dr Ian Gibson MP, Chris Mole MP, Dr Doug May Smith MP, Geraldine Smith MP, Dari Taylor MP

In the House of Lords (write to them at the following address: The House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW)

Baroness Deech, Baroness Hollis of Heigham, Lord Jenkin of Reading, Lord Mackay of Clashfern, Baroness Neuberger, Bishop of St Albans, Lord Selsdon, Lord Turnberg, Lord Winston

Test your knowledge on photo journalism bias.

http://www.honestreporting.com/quiz/takeQuiz.asp

Check this out - photograph manipulated by Reuters to make the situation look worse. http://www.honestreporting.com/articles/45884734/critiques/Bold_Distortions_and_Outright_Lies.asp
As Christians, who believe in truth, we must be prepared to expose lies in the media!

Are you fed up with the world media’s biased coverage of the current Middle Eastern situation? Want to know the truth? Check out this short video http://www.aish.com/movies/JP/Lebanon.asp

Please read this amazing article: http://www.breakingchristiannews.com/articles/display_art.html?ID=2813.

The title on the web site says it all:

While Rabbis Make Call to Pray Psalm 83 - Ancient Book of Psalms Found in Ireland Bog, Open to Same Psalm

We were excited by the way that God blessed this time of 72 hours of worship. Before this the longest that we had run a worship gathering was 24 hours. Yet when we had been planning this many months ago we prayed and asked God what he wanted us to do. The clear answer was “3 days”

It started at 8pm on Friday night and finished at 8pm on the Monday night. The worship started with an hour of very anointed, intimate devotional worship led by Diane Hill from Athlone. Diane has organised Prayer Watch Ireland - a period of 40 days of night and day prayer - over the last few years. The worship ended on the Monday night in a similar vein with very prophetic, yet devotional worship from Joy Ryan.

A time of extremely anointed breakthrough high praises came on the Sunday evening (after 50 hours of worship). This was led by Shelton Brown, who is from Alabama, USA, yet has been living in the Christian Renewal Centre with his wife, Samantha, and their 3 children for the past 9 months. He was accompanied by Samantha and 2 friends from Colorado, Nori and Barbie Kelly, who had flown over specifically to be here for the worship weekend. There was a very deep level of intercession that came forth during this time, to the point where Shelton’s 2 hour session lasted 3 and a half hours!!! The presence of the Holy Spirit was very tangibly there.

There was an ebb and flow during the worship throughout the whole 72 hours, ranging from intimate, devotional worship to dancing, exaltation and intense warfare. There were also times of weeping and deep intercession, which seemed to take us by surprise and led us to intercede for Ireland. There was prophetic worship and new songs released. We had planned to do some structured times of intercession but this didn’t happen as there was such an anointing for intercession throughout the worship that structured prayer wasn’t necessary. Prayer flowed from themes that emerged during worship, often just from a line in a song.

Worship was led in either 1 or 2 hour sessions. There was a wide variety and range of styles, from single acoustic guitar or keyboards to full bands with drums, bass, electric guitars and trumpets. There was a good mix of young and older worship leaders involved. It was also a time of stretching for many. Some worship leaders commented afterwards that they had enjoyed the opportunity to lead worship for extended periods. Leading worship for 2 hours was a new experience for some.

There was never masses of people there at any one time but those who did come were struck by the presence of God. Some said that the weekend was a life changing experience. People came from many parts of Ireland, both North and South, from Waterford, Athlone, Omagh, Dublin, Dungannon, Belfast, Bangor, Portadown, Limavady to name but a few.

We need to say a very big ˜Thank You” to all at the Christian Renewal Centre as we couldn’t have done this without them. Also, a very special thank you to all the worship leaders who took part, to everyone who came to worship and all who have supported us in prayer. We are currently seeking God for direction for the way forward. We don’t believe God intends this to be a one-off event!

*********************************************************************

On Sunday 4th June 2006 the 2nd Global Day of Prayer in Belfast took place. I don’t intend to describe the full day’’s event, but seek to tell you about it from my perspective. I took part with the local Psalm Drummers group as we played the piece called ”Reconcile”.

The piece starts with a battle between a Lambeg drum and a Bodhran. For those of you who don”t understand the significance of this I shall briefly explain here - the Lambeg drum has come to be identified with the struggles of the Loyalist tradition in Northern Ireland, whilst the Bodhran has become identified with the Republican / Nationalist tradition. (That’s an over-simplification but there really isn’t time to expand it here). Each drum played a short rhythm and images associated with the tradition associated with it were displayed on screen. This took the form of a duel - who could be the loudest and proudest? Then for a few seconds the 2 drums played in unison, giving a glimmer of hope that played together they are stronger.

A poem was read out, after which I blew the Shofar, signifying a calling on God to come and bring about reconciliation in our land and as a breakthrough cry. The drums picked up a steady pulse, resounding a simple ”dum-dum” heartbeat in unison, signifying God’’s heartbeat for Ireland. This built up with a couple of other drummers sounding out a prayer “Our Father, who is in heaven. Hallowed be Your Name”. Then the Lambeg and Bodhran and all the drums played together in unity.

There was a real sense of breakthrough as we played. 2 drums that have been in many ways symbolic of sectarian division now stood together with a different heartbeat as a prophetic statement that God is able to do all things in bringing together that which in the natural seems impossible to reconcile.

Vision: “A Bowl of Fire”

In April 2005 I saw a vision of a large bowl of fire (like in the Olympic Games). From it people were running out with torches with fire burning from them.

There was a constant stream of them. Then I saw coming behind them skeletons. These too were holding torches. On the burning torches there was written “the fire on the altar must never go out (Leviticus 6 v.13)”.

The vision progressed. Now I saw the same bowl of fire but the people coming out of it were dressed like Roman soldiers in full battle dress - helmets, breastplates etc. In one hand they held burning torches, in the other hand a sword. The skeletons were the same.

Then the vision changed again. Now those who had come from the fire turned round towards the fire. From the fire rose a throne, on which was seated a king in full robes. The people bowed down to worship the king. As they did the light shone from the throne. The light touched the ground and made seed grow that had been previously planted. I saw small green shoots sprouting up and also fields of corn growing tall. I saw weeds that were planted among the corn shrivel and die and a hole appear in the black clouds above.

Interpretation:

I asked God what the skeletons represented. He said that they represent those whose vision and dreams had died but would be rejuvenated in the fire. They are the spiritually dead - both those who are part of churches, even active and involved yet their passion has gone, and those who have chosen not to follow the Lord anymore. They would come forth victorious with renewed vision, passion and dreams.

This vision came to me a few weeks after being at the European Worship Tabernacle gathering
in Switzerland in March 2005. I believe that God is looking for those who will worship Him night and day across Europe. Many now describe Europe as the ‘Dark Continent’ and God is longing that His light return to it. In this vision as people worshipped the King of Kings the light pierced the darkness and new life came. Many breakthroughs will come as we simply worship the Lord all across Europe.

Related Scriptures:

• Ezekiel 37
• Revelation 5

Jeremy Gadd
April 2005