Healing and the Armor of God prayer

07 Sunday Jun 2015

Posted by Sacred Ramblings in Armor of God, Blood of Jesus, Bride of Christ, Christianity, Emotions, Fear, Gospel of Grace, Grace, Healing, Healing and the Armor of God, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Leadership, New Covenant, redemption, soul, the Spirit, Tracy Gatewood, Tracy Gatewood Prayer, TracyLGatewood

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Few of us live with the reality that there is a spirit realm that has an ability to impact our minds through thoughts, ideas and suggestions. All thoughts, good and bad, right and wrong are not all completely generated from within our minds. Because our flesh has actually been circumcised – cut away, made separate from us [ Colossians 2:11] we can, through the power of the Holy Spirit and because of Christ’s sacrifice take dominion and authority over our flesh and this disruptive spirit realm.

The Apostle Paul instructed the Church at Ephesus to put on the complete Armor of God as a primary source of resistance in combat against “spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) spheres” Eph 6:12 AMP. “ Therefore put on God’s complete armor, that you may be able to stand your ground on the evil day (of danger) and having done all ( the crisis demands), to stand ( firmly in place). Eph 6:13 AMP Notice the Apostle Paul says here to stand, so we must be able to do it. We must stand rooted from a position of victory, not pleading from a defeated stance. Our victory has already been won by Jesus.

A little known truth is that most disease begins from within the mind and travels through the body wrecking health – either through emotional spirits (ie fear, bitterness, condemnation, anxiety, trauma, shame, abuse) or generational spirits that repeat patterns of disease from prior generations. Through prayer, we can take authority over spirits of disease and infirmity and the Spirit of God will move forward to do His work [ Matthew 12:28 ]. Like prayer, the partaking of the Lord’s Supper should become a daily part of times of devotion; properly discerning the Body and expressing gratitude and appreciation to Jesus for the lashes that He took, to purchase health and healing. The blood spilled from His head by the crown of thorns purchased healing, and restoration for our minds to enable rest. Prayer and the Lord’s Supper are readily available and much easier than driving to a pharmacy.

Fear is enemy #1. The spirit of fear is the red carpet on which the enemy makes a grand entrance to walk out onto the stage of a person’s mind. Fear is like oxygen to the enemy, the atmosphere in which he thrives. Both fear and condemnation open portals from hell, allowing the sewage of paranoia, bitterness, anger, malice, mistrust, confusion and even lust, and addictions to pour forth into a person. It is for these reasons, Jesus commands us not to fear. If we remain free of fear, the enemy has nothing on which to grab hold to move us into poor decisions, and life altering reactions, or to damage our emotional or physical health.

The following is Ephesians 6:14 -18 from the Amplified version which highlights the key components of armor as described by Paul:

Eph 6:14
Stand therefore, (hold your ground), having tightened the belt of truth around your loins and having put the breastplate of integrity, and of moral rectitude and right standing with God.

The belt of Truth is Jesus Who is the Truth and the One who holds the armor together, keeping it securely in place. The breastplate of righteousness guards the heart and chest cavity. For those who have accepted Jesus as Savior, we are the righteousness of God by faith in Christ Jesus, so therefore in right standing with God. Righteousness is a free gift that cannot be earned, nor can it be lost. Guarding the heart, which is the gateway to the soul (the soul is comprised of the mind, will and emotions), could be second in importance only to the direct protection of the mind.

Eph 6:15 And having shod your feet in preparation (to face the enemy firm-footed stability, the promptness and the readiness produced by the good news) of the Gospel of peace.

Shalom is the Hebrew word for peace. This rich Jewish word also means wholeness, safety, completeness, perfection, prosperity. Strong’s Concordance further states that shalom means rest and the absence of agitation or discord. Jesus is Shar Shalom, the Prince of Peace and the Prince of Rest. Jesus bequeathed peace to His followers [John 14:7]. We possess it and own it by right as a gift from Him. When you are prepared you can be at peace – in peace there is no fear, and without fear, the enemy has nothing on which to grasp.

For many of us, it takes more than just the knowledge that Jesus gave us peace to actually be peaceful. Enter God’s Holy Spirit to bring a person into rest as the comforter.

Phillipians 4:6-7 AMP
Do not fret or have anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God. And God’s peace (shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort is, that peace) which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians vs 6:16
Lift up over all the {covering} shield of saving faith, upon which you can quench all the flaming missiles of the wicked (one).

As previously mentioned, our minds can become mine fields of thoughts, ideas and suggestions that are not our own nor are they from God. It is our responsibility to fix our focus on Jesus, keeping minds focused on things above and not beneath while standing on faith in His finished work. Faith defined in the Amplified as the leaning of the entire human personality on Him in absolute trust and confidence in His power.

Have you ever put out a candle with a wet paper napkin and heard that quick sizzle sound when the candle snuffs? That is a quench. Your faith acts as a shield around your mind, quenching harmful effects of negative thoughts, keeping them from penetrating further into your soul. Ask the Holy Spirit to apprehend every spirit that is not from the spirit of God out of your mind. This works.

Ephesians vs 6:17
And take the helmet of salvation and the sword that the Spirit wields, which is the Word of God.

Like Hebrew word Peace (Shalom), the word Salvation (Sozo) has multiple meanings translated from the Greek: healed, made whole, forgiven from sin, saved, deliverance, financial prosperity. It is a beautiful word of hope. We are seated in heavenly places and free in Christ Jesus, holding all hope; a confident expectation of good throughout any circumstance.

When the Holy Spirit revealed to you the truth about Jesus and you asked Him into your heart, that same revealed truth and your willingness to be healed can through that same action provide your healing. The word Sozo means salvation and healing. Your mind is made whole, and healed by putting on the helmet of knowledge that Jesus’ death and resurrection was all that was required for your restoration, and that the blood of Jesus will re calibrate your mind and emotions to a state of rest and freedom if it is applied.

The Sword of the spirit is the Word of God and one of the two offensive weapons in the Armor of God prayer. Reading the Word of God provokes a cleansing action over your mind, rinsing away dust, debris and toxic thinking that collects on a daily basis. Reading the Word aloud allows not only you to hear it but you-know-who hears it as well. Significant power is released into the atmosphere when speaking God’s Word aloud. In God’s Word there is Spirit and life! The Word, and the Blood and Name of Jesus are the most powerful tools of weaponry for a Believer. No foe or circumstance can withstand these three sources of Holy Spirit packed dynamite.

Ephesians vs 6:18
Pray at all times (on every occasion and in every season) in the Spirit, with all manner of prayer and entreaty. To that end, keep alert and watch with strong purpose and perseverance, interceding on behalf of all the Saints (God’s consecrated people).

Praying in the Spirit refers to a heavenly language, or a prayer language, that is only revealed to God and unlocks great mysteries in and by the Spirit. We are exhorted by the Apostle Paul to use our prayer language at every opportunity and to intercede for fellow Believers. To intercede means to stand in the gap for a person, nation, or organization. We are to be very intentional with our prayer habits and intercession. We live now under the Eternal Covenant of Grace, leaning with full confidence into Jesus and the blessed assurances that have been purchased for us.

Here are the verses in sequence without my comments: Ephesians 6:10-18 AMP

¹⁰In conclusion, be strong in the Lord [be empowered through your union with Him]; draw your strength from Him [that strength which His boundless might provides].

¹¹Put on God’s whole armor [the armor of a heavy-armed soldier which God supplies], that you may be able successfully to stand up against [all] the strategies and the deceits of the devil.

¹²For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the despotisms, against the powers, against [the master spirits who are] the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere.

¹³Therefore put on God’s complete armor, that you may be able to resist and stand your ground on the evil day [of danger], and, having done all [the crisis demands], to stand [firmly in your place].

¹⁴Stand therefore [hold your ground], having tightened the belt of truth around your loins and having put on the breastplate of integrity and of moral rectitude and right standing with God,

¹⁵And having shod your feet in preparation [to face the enemy with the ^[a]firm-footed stability, the promptness, and the readiness ^[b]produced by the good news] of the Gospel of peace.

¹⁶Lift up over all the [covering] shield of ^[c]saving faith, upon which you can quench all the flaming missiles of the wicked [one].

¹⁷And take the helmet of salvation and the sword that the Spirit ^[d]wields, which is the Word of God.

¹⁸Pray at all times (on every occasion, in every season) in the Spirit, with all [manner of] prayer and entreaty. To that end keep alert and watch with strong purpose and perseverance, interceding in behalf of all the saints (God’s consecrated people).

Tracy Gatewood

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Embracing the Gospel of Grace

04 Sunday May 2014

Posted by Sacred Ramblings in Blood of Jesus, Bride of Christ, Christianity, Emotions, Fear, Gospel of Grace, Grace, Healing, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Jesus, Blood of Jesus, New Covenant, redemption, Leadership, the Spirit, Tracy Gatewood, Tracy Gatewood Alabama, TracyLGatewood

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Tracy Gatewood

Since the summer of 2010, I have been held captive by this topic of the Gospel of grace. The true meaning of grace has powerful, paradigm shifting ramifications that are impacting the worldwide church by bringing new and deeper revelation and understanding to each triune member of the Godhead. Has God held back this revelation of grace to release it across the earth now as a final attempt at bringing the highest numbers of people into His Kingdom just before Christ’s return?

1. The complete understanding of true grace is imparted by the Holy Spirit and comes through divine revelation.

I believe this to be the essential piece to the grace-understanding puzzle and the primary missing piece for church leaders that are teaching this from the mixed grace perspective or a mixture of law-based grace. When this true understanding is revealed by God one is shown clearly first the complete truth of the finished work of Christ and immediately following, is given the revelation of the power of the blood of Jesus. The two go hand in hand and receiving this is the first step towards understanding true grace. It is the recipient’s “Damascus Road” experience where blind eyes are opened. Those that have experienced this will immediately relate. This divine process makes it more difficult for those that have received this revelation of true grace – it is hard to be a pioneer of truth – everyone kicks against it, but when this understanding is received, you know that it did not come from you because you had never heard it taught. Why the revelation of true grace has only been doled out to so few is unsure but God’s call is irrevocable and His appointed teachers must teach.

Studying this topic correctly takes ample time and requires the continual flow of revelation from the Holy Spirit. It’s not like studying for one stand-alone message or even a message series – the study that does this subject total justice requires immersion; not a sprinkle or even a dunk, you have to buy a snorkel and plan to stay underwater to study its depths for months into years to grasp the rich treasuries of the mysteries of Jesus and His grace.

Every leader is given particular insight into a subject or a category that entails an important assignment and task to complete. It is my observation that the teaching of true grace has been assigned to a very small number of people in this particular season to carry forward the work of the Apostle Paul, and they alone are the ones to teach it. Time is short and it is important that leaders remain in the lanes of their assignment.

2. If someone has correct knowledge of true grace, they understand the reality of living by the Spirit whom does not condone sin or evil behavior. Holy Spirit always reveals Jesus.

The primary argument that I hear repeatedly from people lacking grace revelation is something that I never witness happen among any true grace follower. They warn that a person walking in true grace (which they refer to as radical grace) has disregard for God’s laws and commands and because they do not adhere to God’s commands they consequently could never walk in the blessings of God nor could they ever live a Godly lifestyle and could be in grave danger of turning and walking back toward eternal damnation.

The Law, of which there were 613 including the Big 10, was given by God and all were good, holy and just but these Laws were not meant to govern Righteous people or those that believe in Jesus and are under the New Covenant. Jesus came to fulfill the Law and He did. The old law based covenant is obsolete and now there is a much better way. The righteous are to be governed and directed by the Spirit. God has written His laws on the tablets of our hearts and they are no longer written on stone.

True grace acknowledges Jesus’ finished work and from His resurrection was birthed the Holy Spirit who each of us have within to rely on as comforter, advocate, teacher, revelator and holy internal transformational leader. It is the work of the Holy Spirit to transform into the likeness of Christ.

He is the most underutilized and misunderstood member of the Trinity and He is there for us RIGHT NOW. Grace teaches us to live with Holy Spirit dominant in our minds, lives and hearts daily, asking Him to take over so we can fully live the gift of what God has given to us through the death and resurrection of His Son. Does this sound like a plot to instill spiritual anarchy throughout the ranks of Christendom across the globe? No – it is the highest degree of spiritual maturity, requiring an uncommon relationship with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

3. An understanding of true grace requires an understanding of the combination of faith and grace as the two work together and in balance.

Jesus cleared the way to the throne of God by His blood acting as the propitiation for all sin from the very beginning of the world to the very end of time and there is nothing we must add to this or can do to make God love us more. Any such action would rank higher than the blood of His Son, a Deity, whose blood was completely sinless. (Have you ever pondered where Jesus’ blood came from? It was the blood of God –) An action list includes fasting and tithing although these are healthy personal disciplines but never should be done in an effort to make God move or to get His attention.

For example, giving a first fruit tithe acts as a reminder to place the church first and places one’s confidence on God because of Jesus’ sacrifice and finished work. Provision was covered in the atonement. He is Jehovah Jireh the Provider. Don’t try to get God to move by giving the tithe. Tithing acknowledges in confidence that He will provide and in fact, He already has. By faith in His work, have an expectation that Jesus will “deliver the goods” and right on time. In fact, be expectant that He will deliver them exceedingly, abundantly more than could ever be asked for or thought. Now that’s faith.

As a personal illustration, my very first real estate sales transaction was $5,150,000 and that’s the truth.My very first transaction ever was a 7000 SF restaurant lease listing that was dropped into my lap that I leased to a respected, well-established concept. On the sales transaction, I received a hot tip on a corner lot from the Holy Spirit and acted upon it quickly and that is all the credit I can take for this event. Every conceivable novel-like twist and turn happened during the process for one solid year, but I remained steadfast in my belief that God had told me what to do and that Jesus had done the work for it to be delivered.

If I repeated, I am the righteousness of God by faith in Christ Jesus once, I prayed it a hundred times to drive that concept deep into my own spirit, ease the fear and to bring me back to rest. The righteousness of Jesus has been imputed from Him into me and I am blessed and favored by God not because of what I do because of what Jesus did for me what I could never do on my own. Pay day was a blessed event.

Learn how to listen to the Holy Spirit and gain understanding of your responsibility of resting in Jesus’ Finished work. God gives us the power to get wealth. Begin to leverage grace through faith in Jesus finished work in your own life and watch as God brings you through a journey of growth in the knowledge of His Son individually customized for you. God wants to bless your life so you can be a blessing to others which expands His Kingdom so none shall be lost. Ask the Holy Spirit for favor in the marketplace and favor in the ministry place – He is the one that grants it.

4. Living with grace consciousness rather than sin consciousness elevates God to His rightful status, the One who loves us without condition and calls us to Him as His Beloveds.

The gospel message (if told accurately and received confidently), can be enough to break yokes of bondage, drive out demons, heal sick, restore peace to minds and set people free. Teaching the people about their victory in Jesus, providing a clear explanation of how He conquered the devil, combined with teaching God’s promises in these areas works miracles. The Holy Spirit shows up when the Gospel message is preached and His presence is all that is necessary because He is the one with the power.

Jesus never condemned or struck fear in the hearts of those He healed because He is the embodiment of grace and truth. He walked the talk because He is the talk. He is the Word. The Word states you are seated with Christ Jesus in heavenly places. Could you be seated in heavenly places if you were a Sinner? No, God in His perfection cannot cohabit with sin. You are a precious, powerful Saint so embrace that and press through the fear and the condemnation and use this power given to you – you already have everything you need to be an overcomer. Your spirit was made righteous and perfectly holy when you accepted Jesus. You are a powerhouse! Isn’t this more effective than wallowing in the negative, shaming perception of seeing yourself as a sinner? Practically no one wants to remain in bondage. Faith and confidence supplies the grease on the wheel allowing you to turn faster from what you were doing, or repent – Metanoia – in the Greek, which simply means to change your mind. Move toward Jesus and get yourself out of the pit.

Aside from protecting the presence of God and guarding the Holy Spirit’s work within a church, it is a primary responsibility of a pastor to point always to Jesus – not to raise awareness of sin-consciousness, or modify behavior, but to put the focus on Jesus. Resting in Jesus and the truth of the gospel steers the mind around the condemnation that surrounds the sin. Perfect love, which God has for people, casts out fear – spend time focusing on God’s love and watch fear and condemnation dissipate, then move out.

5. Using true grace in intercession means you are always standing firmly from a position of victory already won and never from a defeated stance. Hallelujah!

Pray like you have already won what you are praying for. That’s right – you now have a duty to focus on God and praise Him for what He has already done for you based on the atonement and the finished work of His Son. Stop begging God to make you well, whole, provided for, peaceful or free. Jesus died to pay for what you need then went down to hell and beat the devil on his own turf. The proof of ratification of this new covenant was Jesus’ resurrection. It truly is Finished. Offense, think offense Could there be a stronger offensive line than Jesus, God and the Holy Spirit? Stop making yourself crazy. Continue to pray against demonic hindrances and wait for the need to manifest. Picture yourself as a Knight with armor, fully protected, with large bugs flying against your armor and bouncing off – that is what you are in the spirit realm as you remain covered in the blood of Jesus. Stop giving the demons more credit than the blood of Christ. They are defeated nuisances that can only harm if you allow them to harm which typically comes through attacks in the mind.

Take communion every day, thanking Jesus for His great sacrifice while recognizing that His body and His blood are within you providing every single thing necessary to protect and defend, provide, heal, make whole, and make right. Fear is a destroyer and is the devil’s favorite hiding place. When he makes a Grand Entrance, it is always walking on the red carpet of fear. Guard your heart and your mind by bringing back to daily remembrance the finished work of Christ Jesus and walk in faith of the grace He has placed on your destiny.

Tracy Gatewood #Prayer #GospelofGrace #Grace

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The Spirit of Life

07 Friday Mar 2014

Posted by Sacred Ramblings in Blood of Jesus, Bride of Christ, Christianity, Emotions, Grace, Healing, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Jesus, Blood of Jesus, New Covenant, redemption, Leadership, Sin

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The Spirit of Life

Galatians 5:4-6 If you seek to be justified and declared righteous and to be given a right standing with God through the Law, you are brought to nothing and so separated (severed) from Christ . You have fallen away from grace (from God’s gracious favor and unmerited blessing). For we (not relying on the Law but) through the Holy Spirit’s help, by faith anticipate and wait for the blessing and good for which our righteousness and right standing with God (our conformity to His will in purpose, thought, and action, causes us to hope. For (if we are) in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision or non circumcision counts for anything, but only faith activated and energized and expressed and working through love.

There is nothing more that you can do to earn higher degrees of God’s love, to gain more of His awareness, His attention or His Favor than to be devoted to His Son; truly grasping the ramifications of Jesus’ sacrifice on your life and believing that it is through His body and blood that you are completely, and perfectly situated in Him. If there was anything you could do, then it would be more powerful and more important than what Jesus did for you. Favor from God (grace) and right standing with God (righteousness) are not based on your works. These are secured when you exercise your faith and believe that Jesus has paid not only for your sin debt, but that He died for you to have all the blessings given to Abraham; an uninterrupted supply of healing, provision, protection and peace. Access to this comes through unwavering faith and a rest in His finished work.

At times, I need information drilled down for me to a level of relevancy – I grasp and retain concepts best if done so experientially by walking them out. In junior high and high school, I struggled terribly with the math requirements; Algebra, Trigonometry and all manner of related evil. My school counselor, in his mercy, gave me the option to take Consumer math; a curriculum that provided mathematical problem solving with practical application to issues that were relevant, mostly related to business and very unlike algebraic equations. It was somewhat remedial but I did not care and excelled. As I teach and write on spiritual concepts, I must first bring them to a point of personal relevance by examining them, breaking them apart and putting them back together. Through personal experiences, I have broken down specific concepts and walked out truth regarding Jesus that has fortified me in ways that are relevant and life changing.

Galatians 3:20-21 AMP I have been crucified with Christ ( in Him I have shared His crucifixion); it is no longer I who live, but Christ (the Messiah) lives in me; and the life I now live in the body I live by faith (in adherence to and reliance on and complete trust in) the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. Therefore, I do not treat God’s gracious gift as something of minor importance and defeat its very purpose); I do not set aside and invalidate and frustrate and nullify the grace (unmerited favor) of God. For if justification (righteousness, acquittal from guilt) comes through (observing the ritual of) the Law, then Christ (the Messiah) died groundlessly and to no purpose and in vain. (His death was then wholly superfluous).

Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection terminated the Adamic line and His death marked the end of the Law. Since His death, we have been afforded a new way, a New Covenant (Agreement) solidified between Himself and God on our behalf – we are no longer bound by a sin-based nature. We must set our belief on the foundation of the sacrifice of Jesus, and His work that cleared the way. Hebrews 8:13 When God speaks of a new (covenant or agreement), He makes the first one obsolete (out of use). And what is obsolete (annulled because of age, out of use), is ripe for disappearance and to be dispensed with altogether.

Do you still use your 8-track to play your music? My guess is that you don’t. You listen to music on a CD player or MP3 or Sirius or internet streaming. 8 track players are no longer in use because there are better ways that are more efficient and provide higher quality sound. No more bulky tapes to store that take up too much space. Nothing to bang your knee against in your car because your 8 track was installed underneath your factory radio. The 8 track player is obsolete. Why? There is a new and better way to play your music! The same principle is true about the New Covenant Jesus has made with God for you which did away with an older covenant that was law based, focusing on sin consciousness and condemnation. When you listen to the Spirit, He will guide you into life, all truth and aid you in making decisions, shape your character and give you guidance into God’s will. The life of Grace is all about listening to the voice and direction of the Spirit. The life of a Christian is all about listening to the voice of the Spirit.

I AM FREE, FREE, FREE FROM THE CONDEMNATION OF LAW-BASED LIVING.

GLOSSARY
Justified – Just As If You Had Never Sinned – Gal. 3:23 we are justified by faith
Righteous – In Right Standing With God – Rom. 3:21 righteousness cannot be earned, it is a gift and comes through faith in Jesus. Gal 3:17 if righteousness could be gained through law, then Christ died for nothing.
Grace – Undeserved, unmerited Favor (one definition) Eph 2:8 AMP For it is by free grace (God’s unmerited favor) that you are saved by (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ’s salvation) through [your] faith.
The Law – 10 Commandments given by God to Moses for the Israelites plus 603 additional Rabbinical Laws. The Law was given to the unrighteous, not to the righteous. To fulfill the Law – all had to be kept, or none were kept. Focusing on rules results in focusing on sin-consciousness and condemnation. We are made righteous by faith not rules or law. All Christians are to focus on Jesus and listen to the Holy Spirit.
New Covenant – What we have with God as Believers after the death/resurrection of Christ. Heb. 8:13 When God speaks of a New Covenant, He has made the first obsolete.

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I am going to make a bold statement. Life as we know it is about to become extremely difficult globally and in order for us to survive – despite its counterintuitive feeling, we must understand Grace, where we first look only to Jesus and without fear, recognize what He has purchased and that He provides the supply for our needs. Our systems and the ways we are accustomed to operating will not continue to work. This does not at all mean we sit down and stop doing our careers, and our ministries but the mindset is different. We depend on our supply from Jesus, because of His sacrifice and we then depend on the Spirit to administrate our lives and make our paths plain. This is God’s Way. People that are not saved will perish for they do not know, trust or understand Jesus and will not look to Him.

Recently, I have noticed that the Holy Spirit is prompting many teachers to step out and teach on Fear and give the public an understanding of its DNA. Unless we understand that fear is a spirit and how to manage it, many will not make it emotionally through the upcoming trials and tests. It is essential that people gain an understanding of the Gospel of Grace, the truth of the power of the blood of Jesus and learning practical application of both in their lives.

Keys to Freedom from Fear

27 Monday Jan 2014

Posted by Sacred Ramblings in Blood of Jesus, Bride of Christ, Christianity, Emotions, Grace, Healing, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Jesus, Blood of Jesus, New Covenant, redemption, Sin, Transformational Leadership, Tuscaloosa

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JESUS
Artist Martha Beadle, Florence, AL

From October 2009 to early summer of 2012, I earned a PhD in FEAR during a remarkable season of transition. From the time that I made a commitment to move back to my hometown in July 2009 until 3 years later – I white knuckled my way through a lengthy list of peaks and (far and away mostly) valleys. If you have ever walked through a Job season, then you can clearly relate to what I am referring. My family and close friends watched in disbelief as a series of extreme circumstances came in wave after wave over several years, but in the fullness of His time, but by His grace, God redeemed my desperate and bleak situation, opening up new avenues of hope and restoration.

Joel 2:23-26 AMP Be then glad, you children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord, your God; for He gives you the former or early rain in just measure and in righteousness, and He causes to come down for you the rain, the former rain and the latter rain as before. And the (threshing) floors shall be full of grain and the vats shall overflow with juice (of the grape) and oil. And I will restore or replace for you the years that the locust has eaten-the hopping locust; the stripping locust, and the crawling locust, My great army which I sent among you. And you shall eat in plenty and be satisfied and praise the name of the Lord, your God. Who has dealt wondrously with you. And my people shall never be put to shame.

During this season I had well-meaning friends, say to me any number of things, “Tracy, where’s your faith?”, I had never struggled with my faith, actually I always believed that I had very strong faith but no amount of faith was turning around these problems or “Why don’t you just get a job!”, like I had not been looking under every rock for one for over a year, or telling me that I was going in the wrong direction in returning back to my home town – even after I had explained exhaustively that God had told me to move back. One couple whom I mistakenly trusted, successfully convinced me that I had waited too long to move after being called by God to do so and I was obviously being chastened. Unfortunately, I allowed this latter remark to seep into my soul, and this was one of 3 primary reasons that I slipped into a downward, even vertical spiral of total condemnation that almost destroyed my mind. Condemnation will kill you. Fear will kill you, too.

A Description of Fear
Fear is an evil spirit. That’s right, what most people associate with horror movies or witches, fear spirits are in the unseen realm that surround us. Just like Angels are in the unseen (Recommended: Angels: God’s Secret Agents; Billy Graham, author), a person cannot see an evil spirit. If you accept one you should accept the existence of the other. Fear is also an emotional response to a real and undesired situation however it is when fear is left to run rampant and unabated, continually flailing around in a person’s mind, is when this spirit has the ability to lodge into a soul and wreak havoc in the life of anyone. All people are made up of (3) things: Spirit, Soul and Body. If you have accepted Christ, then your spirit is connected to the Holy Spirit which is how you hear the will of God, your soul is comprised of (3) things: your mind, your will and your emotions.

Throughout this season of fear, I had the choice of either learning how to combat this spirit or allow it to kill me. I decided I wanted to fight and to live. After observing the effects of extreme fear at a very close range for a prolonged season, I concluded the following:

1) The enemy always enters a person’s mind or soul cloaked in a spirit of fear or cloaked in a spirit of condemnation. Even the slightest root of fear can open the door to a full-blown attack. Keep the fear door closed tightly.
2) Fear acts as a portal into a person’s soul through which every negative emotion can and will flow: confusion, depression, suicide, insecurity, greed, envy, jealousy, trauma, abuse, shame, and terror. Its always Fear (or condemnation) First before the associated negative emotion kicks in.
3) The immediate response to a spirit of fear must be trust in God (belief versus unbelief). Keep faith building scripture verses close at hand to combat fear, just as you would keep Vitamin C and Zinc close at hand if you have a cold. Faith is the antidote to fear. Speak these verses ALOUD.
4) Fear is the enemy’s heaven – fear is like oxygen to the demonic.
5) If the spirit of fear is not present, the enemy has nothing to convert to evil – he has nothing on which to “latch” himself to a person. This is an essential point to grasp in the understanding of the subject of fear and strategy of the enemy.

Jesus, Your Great High Priest
Hebrews 8: 6-7 “But as it is now, He (Christ) has acquired a (priestly) ministry which is as much superior and more excellent (than the old) as the covenant (the agreement) of which He is the Mediator (the Arbiter, Agent), is superior and more excellent, (because) it is enacted and rests upon more important promises. For if that first covenant had been without defect, there would have been no room for another one or an attempt to institute another one. “

This might be your first exposure to New Covenant terminology, and if so, I wish that I had the time to completely round out this wonderful topic in its entirety but this article is blog length. When Jesus was sacrificed on the cross, His resurrection served as ratification of a New Covenant (agreement) with all people that have accepted Him as their Savior. There are many, many things that shifted from the Old Testament over to the New following the crucifixion; Jesus’ death and resurrection. Specifically, His blood, redeemed back from the enemy, our ability to walk in total freedom. You have been given the ability to self deliver – you have the ability to pray for healing for yourself and call on God’s power to answer your prayer. If you are struggling with any emotional issue in your mind -(1) picture yourself standing firmly rooted and grounded in the love of God – God’s perfect love will cast out fear. Drawing on God’s love for you will bring confidence.(2) Understand that Jesus has purchased your right of ownership to a sound mind (He is Jehovah Shalom-the Prince of Peace), and your mind can now be calibrated into rest and to the perfect mind of Christ. This was won for you at The Cross.

Binding and Loosing
Although rarely taught, the scriptural way to eradicate a spirit; fear, depression, suicide, confusion, condemnation or anything previously mentioned is a technique that is so simple, and it is how Jesus Himself instructs us to control things we choose to declare to be unlawful or improper. In fact, He states in Matthew 16:19 that He is giving us the ” keys to the kingdom “.

Matthew 16:19 AMP “I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind (declare to be improper and unlawful) on earth must be what is already bound in heaven: and whatever you loose (declare lawful) on earth must be what is already loosed in heaven.”

When you bind, and rebuke a spirit – you send it packing. Binding it up, renders it null and void. Conversely, you can loose or release an opposite spirit (joy, hope, a sound mind), right back into yourself or another person for whom you are praying. It’s right there in the bible. Jesus Himself holds the Key of David:
Isaiah 22:22 “And the key of the house of David I will lay upon His shoulder: He shall open and no one shall shut, He shall shut and no one shall open.”
This is Jesus. Jesus is the literal Tree of Life.

The Gospel of Grace allows us to be transformed by Jesus from glory to glory and it also allows for some tactical “moves” that are administrated by the Holy Spirit. If you want to free yourself from fear – declare it aloud and speak to the fear like it was a person (actually it is a thing). Tell that spirit that you are binding and breaking it in the name of Jesus and by the blood of Jesus. Acknowledge the work of Jesus on the cross in Isaiah 53. Stand firmly planted in the love of God and believe that you are standing firm from a victorious stance, never fighting from a position of defeat. You are not your emotions, and these things cannot continue to remain if you identify them, carefully bind them, rebuke them and ask God to send them away. Although you are speaking the words, this is a work of the Holy Spirit and Jesus holds the keys to close the door on these offenders.

It is so simple – no process – and it is God’s Recipe for Success and Freedom From Fear and Condemnation.

Tracy Gatewood
Keys to Freedom from Fear
All Rights Reserved 2022

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Superman, Jesus, and the Justice of God

20 Wednesday Nov 2013

Posted by Sacred Ramblings in Blood of Jesus, Bride of Christ, Christianity, Gospel of Grace, Grace, Healing, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Leadership, New Covenant, redemption, the Spirit, Tracy Gatewood, Tracy Gatewood Alabama

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Man of Steel trailer http://youtu.be/T6DJcgm3wNY?t=2s
Click the Trailer Link First

Psalm 91:17: May the Favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands ~ yes, establish the work of our hands.

Superman (not his given name which was Star Trek-ish) was sent to Earth as an infant by his scientist father just before their home planet of Krypton was destroyed. His father’s remark upon releasing his son was, “My hopes and dreams travel with you.” The story recounts that the son was discovered and adopted by a Kansas farmer and his wife. They raised the child with the name, Clark Kent, who grew as a youth possessing good character and a strong moral compass. His parents began to feel that their child was the answer to society’s problems and that he was sent to them for a very special purpose. The young man aspired to something greater than his peers and much more than what society intended for him. Very early in life he began to display superhuman abilities, which upon reaching maturity, resolved to use for the benefit of humanity in the make believe American city of Metropolis. This bi-vocational crusader worked as a journalist for the Daily Planet, providing Clark a first hand view of crime scenes and a closer proximity for impromptu tussles with arch villain Lex Luthor. His compassion and love for people were evident to all. He possessed an underlying passion that made him known for Justice. Psalm 89:14 Righteousness and Justice are the foundation of God’s throne.

II Corinthians 3:2 No you yourselves are our letter of recommendation (our credentials), written in your hearts, to be known (perceived, recognized) and read by everybody. You show and make obvious that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, not written with ink but with (the) Spirit of (the) living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

For it is by and through an accepting Father when we accept His Son that we are loved with a depth and a height and a width we cannot fathom, an infinite love like the deepest ocean. As those who know Jesus, we are individual testimonies for God; testimonies to His goodness and the message of His grace – a human sign and wonder for everyone in a sphere of influence or community to see as a flashpoint of light in a surrounding darkness. Imagine if you had that much influence over someone’s soul and spirit that everywhere they went they were a walking billboard for who you are and what you could do for them. You would wish to insure that they were seen as nothing less than Royalty, walking in favor and blessing, because after all ~ they represent your creation and your Kingdom.

Enter Jesus. In this great mystery, God Himself divested all of His glory and Godliness, and took on human form to be born of a woman. The true Man of Steel fed 5000 with 5 small barley loaves and 2 fish (Mark 6:30-39), turned water into (alot of) wine (John 2:1-10), miraculously healed multitudes of suffering people and ratified an Eternal (permanent ) Covenant made between He and God by being resurrected from the dead (John 20:1-21). Try that one on Superman! Although our beloved Super-hero had a strong moral compass, and a deep passion for justice, Superman could only save but could never be a Savior. Jesus’ full power for us comes through His death, as He releases His Spirit to all that will believe and rest in Him. The truly powerful understand that His work is Finished and equally, that they have been made righteous ( meaning in right standing) and holy in the sight of God through the blood of the Son. Everything given to Jesus by His loving Father has now been given to us. Remarkable.

Yep, there’s a new Sheriff in town, the Holy Spirit lives inside each one of us now. Our new moral compass is embedded with a direct line to the will of God, we need only to learn how to hear what He is saying. God’s laws are now written on the soft tablets of our hearts by His Spirit, not on stone or paper. His peace and rest have been paid for, owned by us all along when we met Jesus. A peace and rest accessed confidently through the Holy Spirit’s power and the Finished work. This is a Grace (verb) gift and undeserved, unmerited favor (Amen, she says.) We have inner justice that displays as radiance outwardly as we lean and rest all of our defenses on God’s promises to fight our battles and to make our crooked places straight. When we remain transfixed on Jesus (this takes some time and a new perspective) He smooth’s out the way. We look not to the left nor to the right, and give up our right to battle circumstances on our own, listening for direction, understanding that what He will do for us is a better way than our own.

Luke 2:46-52 NAS Then, after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. 47 And all who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers. 48 When they saw Him, they were astonished; and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You treated us this way? Behold, Your father and I have been anxiously looking for You.” 49 And He said to them, “Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’s house?” 50 But they did not understand the statement which He had made to them. 51 And He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and He continued in subjection to them; and His mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

Our Father’s Houses serve as Embassies for His Kingdom; local churches, that are extensions of heaven on earth, and places of refuge for His “Ambassadors”. Churches are protected places of common ground for renewal and refreshing, where people who live for Kingdom purposes are fed, tended and nurtured by Pastor-Shepherds that have been appointed and called by God. It is in our local churches where God’s Kingdom should truly live as we calibrate to Christ as our High Priest (read Hebrews) and Great Shepherd while understanding or learning to walk out our Kingdom purposes, and where we can be gently reminded of God’s promises as well as our authority in Christ Jesus. We must each find our own “embassy” of fellowship that best undergirds our Kingdom purposes and enables us to make His name Known.

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Happy Independance Day

04 Thursday Jul 2013

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Blood of Jesus, Christianity, forgiveness, Grace, Healing, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Religion, The Church, the Cross, Tracy Gatewood, Tracy Gatewood Alabama, TracyLGatewood

HEBREWS 8:10-12 AMP For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will imprint their laws upon their minds, even upon their innermost thoughts and understanding, and engrave them upon their hearts; and I will be their God and they shall be My people. And it will nevermore be necessary for each one to teach his neighbor and his fellow citizen or each one his brother saying, Know (perceive, have knowledge of and get acquainted by experience with ) the Lord for all will know Me, from the smallest to the greatest of them. For I will be merciful and gracious toward their sins and I will remember their deeds no more.

The Lord is describing the New Covenant, and that we no longer must live with the aid of the Mosaic laws, but that He Himself has put in each of us an innate ability to know right from wrong, and that understanding will come through His Spirit. The Holy Spirit is imparted to us by Jesus Himself when we accept by faith that He is the Son of God and understand that His sacrifice was required to pay our sin debt. Equally important for us to note in this passage, not only are we being given the Holy Spirit but God’s statement that He will remember our sins no more. God has established a higher and better, and more fair approach for those that believe in Jesus. We are not to be sin-conscious, but filled by and with faith as righteous children of God, our righteousness paid for by Jesus Himself. Righteousness could mean Right Living – but like the Ten Commandments, we could never live right enough so we look again to Jesus who paid for our righteousness. Romans 1:17-19 AMP – For in the Gospel a righteousness which God ascribes is revealed, both springing from faith and leading to faith. As it is written, The man who through faith is just and upright shall live by faith. For God’s (holy) wrath and indignation are revealed from heaven against ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who in their wickedness make it inoperative. For that which is known about God is evident to them and made plain in their inner consciousness, because God Himself has shown it to them.
In other words, live by faith in the Gospel and stop your sinning because you know that you are doing it.

Colossians 2: 13-15 AMP And you who were dead in trespasses and in the un-circumcision of your flesh (your sensuality, your sinful, carnal nature), (God) brought to life together with (Christ) having (freely) forgiven us all our transgressions, having cancelled and blotted out and wiped away the handwriting of the note (bond) with its legal decrees and demands which was in force and stood against us (hostile to us). This (note with its regulations, decrees and demands) He set aside and cleared completely out of our way by nailing it to His cross. God disarmed the principalities and power that were ranged against us and made a bold display and public example of them, triumphing over them in Him and in it (the cross).

Most calling themselves Christians have a clear understanding that when Christ was crucified, that He paid for their sins. God being Holy and Perfect, can never look upon sin so He placed all of the sin of the entire world committed from its beginning to its end on His Son. Jesus took all of His Father’s wrath so that we would never be judged for our own sin. Colossians 2 refers to the nailing of laws to the cross of Jesus, because they were hostile to His people. These refer to the Laws of Moses. How could laws that seem so perfectly just be viewed as hostile to God’s people by God Himself? Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy, Honor your Father and Your Mother, Do Not Murder, Do Not Commit Adultery, etc… you know them. Remember, the Holy Spirit wrote the bible and this is all in there. It is not the laws themselves that were hostile, but that for them to be fulfilled – ALL of them had to be adhered to perfectly for us to remain out of God’s judgment. This was an impossible exercise for His people to accomplish making these decrees and demands HOSTILE and also making His people SIN conscious rather than GRACE conscious. (Grace is undeserved, unmerited FAVOR)

And because God is God, He knew we would miss this one, and so planned from the very beginning in agreement with His Son (before the earth was formed in fact) that Jesus would return and walk out this agreement on earth that would complete a new, more perfect and everlasting covenant. This is the Gospel and the (very) Good News – because what Jesus gave us as the gift of grace, no man can boast. He freely gave up His life of His own volitional will (now if that’s not more grace, I do not know what is) to open the door so that all the blessings promised to Abraham, as his seed, are given to us.

Because God recognizes a legal system, His covenants can only be ratified through blood which always results in death. A person’s Last Will and Testament only becomes activated at the time of that person’s death, and the same with God’s New (and Final) Covenant for His people, which too became active at Christ’s death. His resurrection signified that the actual exchange at the cross took place proving to everyone that He had completed His assignment. After showing His disciples that He was ok and that His work was finished, He filled them with His Holy Spirit, giving them passion and momentum to forward what He had taught but now with holy, dunamis power. He then went back to Heaven, to hang out and rest next to His Daddy where He prays for us and mediates His covenant. His return to earth after his crucifixion demonstrated to all of the (now former) powers and principalities that previously ruled the earth that He had successfully completed the job of disarming them and He was now heading Home, but not before He released His Spirit which would give them an additional kick in the pants. There was no one ranking higher than Jesus, the sinless, blameless Son of God, that could pay for our iniquities; addictions, adultery, thefts, lies, envies, lusts, slanders, unforgiveness ….. you get the picture. It had to be Him – this was a very big job!!!

In recent months, I confess, that I have pondered the practice of churches offering their attendees the opportunity to “nail to the cross” their unforgiveness, shame, porn addictions and various other muck and weaknesses. I am now so grateful to understand that Jesus has already taken away all of this JUNK on His own body. A person nailing an iniquity to a cross in their own strength may not be truly aware of the magnitude and the complete truth of what Jesus has accomplished. “It is Finished!” – their acts do not count against them as sin. What we are left to manage is our own emotional condemnation; guilt, shame, or a weakness of will (unforgiveness) etc but God is not seeing any of these iniquities (iniquity means to go your own way) because He now sees all of us through the lens of the Blood of His Son. Jesus’ perpetual flow of blood never stops, constantly cleanses, purifies and even sanctifies those that belong to Him. Christ is in you, you are in Him and you are the righteousness of God through Jesus. If there was anything you could do in your own strength – even nailing your bad actions to a cross – then that act would be more transformational and more effective than Christ’s own sacrifice. Turn by faith to God and speak His promises to yourself ALOUD and thank Him and Jesus for what they did for you. Ask the Holy Spirit to cleanse you from unclean spirits and torment that plague your soul and body. You yourself are a One Stop Deliverance Shop! Jesus has already released us from oppression! Freedom is in the simple Gospel message – Jesus has paid it all. Believe and you can receive. Happy Independence Day!

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Faith, Forgiveness, Favor

02 Sunday Dec 2012

Posted by Sacred Ramblings in Blood of Jesus, Bride of Christ, Christianity, Emotions, Gospel of Grace, Grace, Healing, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Jesus, Blood of Jesus, New Covenant, redemption, New Covenant, Sin, the Spirit

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https://soundcloud.com/tracylgatewood/a-time-to-dream-interview-tracy-gatewood
A Time to Dream radio interview Topic: Forgiveness Time: 28 Minutes

Hebrews 9:11-14 AMP
“When Christ came as High Priest of the good things that are already here, He went through a greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but He entered the most Holy Place once for all by His own blood, having obtained eternal (not temporary) redemption. The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!”

When Christ was crucified, His Blood served as the total redemption for every sin committed from the beginning of time to every sin that would ever be committed. God’s wrath was taken out on one perfect sacrifice in strategic points on Jesus’ body, redeeming every known sin; perfectly and completely. This sacrificial act also had the power to cleanse our consciences from actions that lead to death so we can get about the business of building His Kingdom. (read the verse). Jesus has sprinkled His own Blood on the Mercy Seat of Heaven, allowing us access to the power of Heaven to work through any obstacle. Now Heaven is actually in you – your bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. God’s Spirit does not simply vacation at your address ( you are not Aspen) He lives in you ALL THE TIME.

Jesus’ sacrifice was perfect and complete, it had to be done this way because we cannot purchase our own freedom from sin or acts of sin. There was no higher sacrifice than God’s own Son. Jesus never struggled with sin so we look to Jesus as our hope to destroy the power of sin (in this case unforgiveness) instead of our own willpower. Willpower could be renamed ‘Soulpower’ because our souls are comprised of our mind, will and emotions. It takes God’s supernatural grace to overcome unforgiveness and other sin. When partnering with your faith, God can transform and release you from unforgiveness and sin, when your soulpower will not. When we accept Christ, we access His nature; He is in us and we are in Him. We must have a higher degree of faith in His character and His willingness to heal, deliver and transform us, than faith in ourselves.

Romans 5:20 NKJV
Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more!
Romans 5:20 AMP
But then Law came in, [only] to expand and increase the trespass [making it more apparent and exciting opposition]. But where sin increased and abounded, grace (God’s unmerited favor) has surpassed it and increased the more and superabounded.

Jesus is seated at the right hand of God, resting in His own work, and praying for all of His Saints. If you are “in Christ” you are no longer a defeated Sinner but a very precious Saint in the eyes of God. His Spirit lives in you – would He call His Spirit a Sinner? Would God who created the Universe put His very Spirit in someone that was a Sinner that could still be sinning? Yes, He did. And that person, after accepting by faith that His Son paid for all sin, is now called A SAINT. If that is not grace, I do not know what is.

Ephesians 4:32 states, “And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.”

Bring each unforgiven person before the Lord and tell Him that because you are forgiven by Him through Jesus’ sacrifice without deserving forgiveness for your own sins, that the person that hurt you is now forgiven in your sight, then release all anger in Jesus’ Name and believe that God will do the transforming work. Forgiveness by faith (not through emotion), puts God in the driver’s seat. Forgiveness is not for people that deserve it. Extending forgiveness is simply extending grace ~ undeserved, unmerited favor.

Tracy Gatewood
All Rights Reserved Doorways of Grace
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I drove down to the Bay Revival in Mobile AL 11/30/2012 to hear Steve Hill teach on ( I assumed) the subject of healing because he has spent the last 3 years battling melanoma and appeared to be well. Instead Pastor Steve spent well over an hour talking about sin. Bummer. It was a good sin sermon but nonetheless, it left me flat. At the close of the service, he asked everyone to raise their hand that needed forgiveness from sin and then asked everyone that had raised their hand to come to the front for prayer for forgiveness of their sin. I started working through this;
(1) I am forgiven of all sin through Christ’s final sacrifice that also redeemed me back from Adam’s fall and an Adamic nature (2) That Holy Spirit lives and works in me as partner to conquer all sin (3) The veil in the temple was torn signifying that I can come into the very presence of God to speak to Him and repent from any sin issue. (4) I have Jesus Christ as my High Priest seated at God’s right hand advocating me to God. (5) When I have a sin issue, I can repent (change my mind/ change direction) with the assistance of accountability partners or in partnership with the assistance of the Holy Spirit. Certain pastors possess an anointing to break spirits and yokes that bind. It is beneficial for us to recognize them and take these opportunities for healing and deliverance. Sin is no small issue. Sin matters greatly to God because His Son had to die to defeat its power. Holiness matters greatly to God, too and
I AM FORGIVEN.

Tracy’s Prayer returning from the Bay Revival ~

Dear Father – I love you so much and thank you for this day. Thank you God for forgiving me for every sin I have or ever will commit because you see me through the lens of the sacrifice of your Son. Jesus, I am so grateful today for what you did for me on the Cross. I am filled with such joy and gratitude and hope because your actions defeated Satan, and sin cannot control me and your Father sees me clothed in a white robe of righteousness. I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus, an heir and Offspring of the seed of Abraham and every covenant blessing has been redeemed for me. I rest in the work of Christ and so very grateful that I am cleansed and protected by His holy blood. Holy Spirit, I ask you for favor today in every place I go – and thank you for being my teacher, my comforter, my counselor and best friend. Please administrate and coordinate every area of my life today in a way that is pleasing to God.
I pray all these things in the Mighty and Supreme Name of Jesus Christ My Lord – AMEN.

From The Beginning

18 Sunday Nov 2012

Posted by Sacred Ramblings in Blood of Jesus, Bride of Christ, Christianity, Grace, Healing, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Jesus, Blood of Jesus, New Covenant, redemption, Sin

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Agreement, Blood, Chrisitan, Christianity, Fear, finished work, Freedom, God's love, Grace, Healing, Jesus, New Covenant, remission of sin, the Cross

Psalm 89: 19-29 AMP
Once You spoke in a vision to Your devoted ones and said, I have endowed One who is mighty ; I have exalted one chosen from among the people. I have found David My servant with my holy oil I have anointed him, With whom My hand shall be established and ever abide. My arm also shall strengthen him. The enemy shall not exact from him or do him violence or outwit him, nor shall the wicked afflict and humble him. I will beat down the foes before his face and smite those who hate him. My faithfulness and My mercy and loving-kindness shall be with him, and in My name shall his horn be exalted (great power and prosperity shall be conferred upon Him). I will set his hand in control also on the (Mediterranean) Sea, and his right hand on the rivers (Euphrates with its tributaries). He shall cry to me, You are my Father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation! Also, I will make him the firstborn the highest of the kings of the earth (Rev. 1:5). My mercy and loving-kindness will I keep for him forevermore, and My covenant shall stand fast and be faithful with him. His Offspring also will I make to endure forever, and his throne as the days of heaven. (Isa 9:7, Gal. 3:16).

An indication that the Lord planned the execution of the New Covenant from the beginning of time is found in Psalm 89 which depicts David as a type and shadow of the New Covenant Jesus Christ. The terms of Jesus’ Agreement in walking out the covenant with the Father were agreed upon from the beginning. God would never allow Jesus to leave His sight or His Presence while He was on the earth, The Spirit was sent to assist Him without measure, (it is the Holy Spirit that conceived Jesus in Mary, empowered Jesus to walk to Golgotha and resurrected Him from the grave), and great reward and honor would be bestowed upon His return. Jesus agreed to be born of a woman; to become human in form, divesting Himself of His glory. He accepted the assignment of becoming a humble servant and understood before He came that wicked people would dishonor and attempt to destroy Him before His work was complete. Jesus, our Chief Advocate and Mediator of the New Covenant, faithfully agreed to walk out the terms of the agreement with His Father to ensure that His Offspring and Seed would be guaranteed all the benefits planned for them.

As we know, the Eternal Covenant made between God and Jesus for all Believers (accepting by faith His Sonship and understanding He is the required sacrifice for all sin ) was a blood covenant requiring His life. Jesus by His own volitional will, came in the volume of the Book it was written, and timed with perfect precision. (Hebrews 10:7 AMP Behold, here I am O God ( to fulfill ) what is written of Me in the volume of the Book . vs 9: Behold here I am, coming to do your will). We now have the ability to live a life pleasing to God, with that ability given to us by God Himself. John 6:32 NKJV Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world”. Does this confirm with you how much is the love of God?

Psalm 89: 30-37 AMP
If His sons forsake My law, And do not walk in My judgements, If they break My statutes And do not keep My commandments, Then I will punish their transgression with the rod, And their iniquity with stripes. Nevertheless My loving kindness I will not utterly take from Him, Nor allow My faithfulness to fail, My covenant I will not break, Nor alter the word that has gone out of My lips. Once I have sworn by My holiness; I will not lie to David: His seed shall endure forever, And His throne as the sun before Me: it shall be established forever like the moon, Even like the faithful witness in the sky.
This passage also represents a foreshadowing of the crucifixion: Isaiah 53: But He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities, The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.

John 17: 1-5 AMP
When Jesus had spoken these things, He lifted up His eyes to heaven and said, Father, the hour has come. Glorify and exalt and honor and magnify your Son, so that your Son may glorify and extol and honor and magnify You. Just as You have granted Him power and authority over all flesh (all humankind), (now glorify Him) so that He may give eternal life to all whom You have given Him. And this is eternal life: (it means) to know (to perceive, recognize, become acquainted with and understand) You, the only true and real God, and (likewise) to know Him, Jesus as the Christ (the Anointed One, the Messiah), whom You have sent. I have glorified you down here on the earth by completing the work that You gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify Me along with Yourself and restore me to such majesty and honor in Your presence as I had with You before the world existed.

The Agreement was struck in Heaven before the creation of the world, then Jesus walked out the terms of grace, by grace.

While walking out the Agreement, the Great Shepherd of the sheep ~
(1) showed the people they have access to divine healing/freedom by healing them
(2) showed the people they have access to God’s provision by feeding them
(3) showed the people that peace could be attained by focusing on Him
(4) admonished all people to Fear Not and removed their fear
(5) taught and cared for multitudes as their shepherd and teaching pastor / rabbi
(6) taught forgiveness and showed the people they must forgive
There is also every reason to assume that Jesus even knew the names of the people He would encounter while on earth, the ones that would be coming into His own body, The Church.

He finished the work of the New Covenant (new agreement) at the Cross. Jesus shed blood in 7 places; His back took lashes from a rod, both hands and both feet took nails, His head wore a crown of thorns, and His side was pierced by a Roman soldier. The Number 7 is the number for perfection and revelation.

2 Timothy 1:9 AMP
(For it is He) who delivered and saved us and called us with a calling in itself holy and leading to holiness (to a life of consecration, a vocation of holiness); (he did it) not because of anything of merit that we have done, but because of and to further His own purpose and grace (unmerited favor) which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began (eternal ages ago).

Twitter: @TracyLGatewood
WordPress: wordpress.constructionzon.com

Related Articles:
The Crimson Flow of Freedom http://wp.me/p1zoxs-1Y
Canceling the Code http://wp.me/p1zoxs-19
The Assignment http://wp.me/p1zoxs-4C

Jesus and the Two Trees

30 Sunday Sep 2012

Posted by Sacred Ramblings in Blood of Jesus, Bride of Christ, Christianity, Grace, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Jesus, Blood of Jesus, New Covenant, redemption, Sin

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Blood of Jesus, Christianity, Holy Spirit, Jesus, New Covenant, peace, redemption

Genesis 3:1-13 AMP Now the serpent was more subtle and crafty than any living creature of the field which the Lord God had made. And he (Satan) said to the woman, Can it really be that God has said, You shall not eat from every tree of the Garden?’ And the woman said to the serpent, We may eat the fruit from the trees of the Garden, Except the fruit from the tree which is in the middle of the Garden. God has said, You shall not eat of it, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’ But the serpent said to the woman,’ You shall not surely die, For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing the difference between good and evil and blessing and calamity. And when the woman saw that the tree was good (suitable and pleasant) for food and that it was delightful to look at and the tree to be desired in order to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she gave some also to her husband and he also ate, Then the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves apron- girdles. And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the Garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the Garden. But the Lord God called to Adam and said where are you? He said, “I heard the sound of you walking in the Garden and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself. and He said , who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?

The very first Law given by God to man was violated by the very first people made to dwell the earth, resulting in the very first sin (wilful disobedience) and with it, the very first mention of shame and condemnation. Genesis 3:23 AMP continues – therefore the Lord God sent him out of the Garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east corner of the Garden of Eden and a flaming sword which turned every way to guard the way to the Tree of Life. (Cherubim guard the holiness and righteousness of God). This is not only the Bible’s first account of sin but also the first account of sin conciousness and condemnation and attention to self.

For sin to have any strength there first must be a law, rule or commandment that can be violated – something that is forbidden. This was the only place that Satan could get to man because eating of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil was the only thing that was forbidden. As we know, Satan found his opening and thereafter Adam and Eve lived with the ever-present reality that they had unbroken fellowship with God and no access to His presence. There was no knowledge of faith, no hope through a Savior, no divine revelation available from the Holy Spirit – God dealt with them directly, and severely.

Enter Jesus …….
Hebrews 7:11 AMP Therefore if perfection were through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law) what further need was there that another priest should rise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be called according to the order of Aaron (or the law of Moses)? For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there is also a change of the law. For He of whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe from which no man has officiated at the altar. ….. And a Better Way.

Perfection and holiness had to be purchased for us through Jesus’ sacrifice – we could never attain perfection and holiness in our own strength or through our own consistently good behavior. We are now perfect and holy in the sight of God as He views us through the perfect lens of His Son. It is only through the glorious work of the Cross and the Exchange that allows us to be seen by God wearing white robes of righteousness; not draped in our perceived shame, our defeat or our condemnation. Condemnation, shame, defeat, fear occurs through the Knowledge of Good and Evil ; and a conciousness of sin. We can never be Good Enough to completely satisfy God – that is why He sent Jesus, the Tree of Life. Condemnation is defeated in the full understanding and knowledge of the perpetual cleansing flow of the Blood of Jesus that not only pardons us from sin but constantly sanctifies and transforms. The Blood of Jesus is nothing less than the eternal power of God Himself – and where He exerts His Almighty supernatural power to resurrect us from our sin and sin conciousness. We must look to and through Jesus as the Author and the Perfecter of our faith and lives. Only when we fully recognize what He has done for us and the fullness of the completion of the Finished work, can we understand the magnitude of our freedom. He is now seated at the right hand of God, at rest, because His work of purging sin is Finished and perfect!

John 20: 19 – 23 NKJV “Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When He had said this, He showed them His hands and is side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you. And when He said this He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

When Jesus showed the nail wounds on his hands and side to the disciples, and said, “Peace Be With You.”, he could have said that HE was Peace and with them and to rest in His finished work. Shalom! I am Peace in the middle of your Fear! We can now come with innocence and child-like faith, open our hearts to the ever-increasing experience of the sanctifying, delivering power of the finished work by simply asking Jesus to perform its effects in us. The Blood of Jesus is brought by the Holy Spirit to cleanse our consciences, cleansing us from all sin and even the stain of sin however this divine work cannot be separated by the choice of man to cease sinning. You must stop the sin.

When we understand and receive, by faith, Jesus’ finished work on Calvary, the Holy Spirit sprinkles Christ’s own blood on our hearts in response. Until we truly believe in His finished work at Calvary, there will be no transformative effect on our souls. Although we may struggle with condemnation or fear, if we believe with all of our heart that Jesus has paid the price of sin it will bring our conscience and soul into a state of rest. To be sprinkled by the blood of Jesus allows one to take full command of their conscience in the Spirit and know that only through the justifying power of the Blood can we even experience righteousness and fully rest in its cleansing – we can feel totally secure and our conscience should no longer condemn us. Freedom. This is the way …. walk in it.

Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience… Hebrews 10:22.

Sound the Trumpets

15 Sunday Apr 2012

Posted by Sacred Ramblings in Bride of Christ, Christianity, Grace, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Jesus, Blood of Jesus, New Covenant, redemption, Sin

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Blood of Jesus, Christianity, Covenant, Good News, Grace, Holy, Holy Spirit, Jesus, John the Baptist, preparation, Prepare, sacrifice, the Gospel

Joel 3: 10-17 AMP
“Proclaim this among the nations: prepare war! Stir up the mighty men! Let all the men of war draw near, let them come up. Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears; let the weak say, I am strong (a warrior)! Put in the sickle for the (vintage) harvest is ripe; come, get down and tread the grapes, for the winepress is full; the vats overflow, for the wickedness (of the peoples) is great. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision. The sun and the moon are darkened and the stars withdraw their shining. The Lord will thunder and roar from Zion and utter His voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth shall shake; but the Lord will be a refuge for His people and a stronghold to the children of Israel. So shall you know, understand, and realize that I am the Lord your God, dwelling in Zion, My holy mountain.

Mathew 3 gives an account of John the Baptist; clothed in camel hair with a leather girdle around his waist (sounds painful). A man that consumed a diet of locusts and wild honey, he was passionate about God, baptizing multitudes of people, and awaiting the Messiah. He noticed that many in the crowd were Pharisees and Sadduccees – “So he said to the crowds who came out to be baptized by him, ‘You offspring of vipers! (Luke 3 AMP) Who secretly warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Bear fruits that are deserving and consistent with (your) repentance (that is conduct worthy of a heart changed, a heart abhorring sin). And do not begin to say to yourselves, “we have Abraham as our father”; for I tell you that God is able from these stones to raise up descendants for Abraham. Even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees, so that every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire.” John was lacking in a few fruits himself namely gentleness and kindness but his bold approach got the job done. John the Baptist was a Gospel warrior and Jesus loved him stating” that no one greater had ever been born of a woman!” When the “viper-people” asked John what fruits “deserving and consistent with repentance” looked like – he gave the following answer (not an all encompassing list but helpful):

Luke 3: 7 – 14
He who has two tunics, let him share with him who has none – Clothe the Poor
He who has food, let him do it the same way – Feed the Poor
Exact and collect no more than the fixed amount appointed to you – Take no more than what is owed
Never demand or enforce by terrifying or wrongfully accusing – Do not intimidate or falsely accuse
Be satisfied with your rations (supplies) and your allowance (wages) – Be content with what you have

After that, the Bible records that John gave The Good News to them (taught the Gospel message).

A New Covenant Believer is a person that truly identifies, accepts, understands and acts by faith and with faith to claim benefits and authority purchased at the Exchange at the Cross by the blood of Jesus and one that exemplifies a changed life. (not a perfect life but one that is yielded to God). The belief in Jesus’ sacrifice serves as personal ratification of an eternal, unbreakable covenant, setting into motion a release of all of the redemptive covenant benefits that we now own. God is waiting for His people to believe in everything that His Son purchased for them at the cross, applying His blood by faith so that He can grant the redemptive benefits for which He paid with His life . (Why Blood? read: Crimson Flow of Freedom and Canceling the Code. ) Jesus said, “It is finished”. This is The Good News. This is what A BELIEVER should believe.

Although the Good News is in fact good – the Good News continues to be delivered in a negative, condemning manner by some internationally recognized, well meaning preachers (Special Note: Not mine). Repent means simply to ” change your mind or experience a change of heart” – change your mind, accept what Jesus did for you – because if you do not want to, you simply have never heard an accurate account of what He has done. Jesus is fabulous and among many other important benefits He provided, you would have a one-way eternal ticket to the hottest place on the planet without Him. It is interesting to note in Mark 1:4 that when J the B preached repentance it was defined as a change of one’s mind for the better, heartily amending one’s ways, with abhorrence of past sins AND in order to obtain forgiveness of and release from sins. After John was arrested in vs 14 Jesus began preaching this same Gospel Good News of the kingdom saying, “The (appointed period of ) time is fulfilled (completed), and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent (have a change of mind which issues in regret of past sins and in change of conduct for the better) and believe (trust in, rely on, and adhere to ) the good news (the Gospel)”. There is no mention of forgiveness and release here because He was to be their release . When He mentioned the Good News, you have to wonder if He really wanted to say – And that’s Me!

Our responsibility and opportunity is to embrace Jesus for what He has already paid on our behalf and to walk out the remarkable benefits and blessings that we now own. The news about Jesus is extraordinarily good, in fact it is great: we have already been forgiven by God. Jesus has completed that process which is why He proclaimed, “It is Finished.” He could have said any number of things; “Goodbye Mama! “, “Here I come Father”, “I love you all”, but He chose these very specific words to be recorded when He released (gave up) His spirit and laid His head down to finally rest. Our sin has already been remitted (forgiven) by God – Jesus was the eternal sacrifice for each of us. God now views those that BELIEVE in what His Son accomplished for them (people that have repented by changing their mind, andbelieving in Jesus) and embracing the truth in its fullness, seeing them clothed in the white robes of righteousness that have all been washed by the holy blood of the perfect sacrifice of His Son.

There are multitudes of people in the Valley of Decision. We need gospel warriors; John the Baptist wannabe BELIEVERS that will prepare the way of the Lord in great numbers. This is time sensitive. I listen for the trumpet to sound.

Tracy the Non-Denominational
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When I prepare to write, I pray for Holy Spirit to reveal what He wants me to communicate. The process is often the same: consistent word themes and experiences begin occurring repeatedly in a compressed timeframe leaving little guesswork. (He knows I need all the help I can get). As I am sure it does with you as you read your bible, the Holy Spirit will highlight something that He wants to reveal and you alone know what He is pointing out.

This past weekend, a song that I had listened to multiple times suddenly showed up in quadraphonic almost technicolor sound with more deeply enhanced clarity than ever before; “Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord, Prepare Ye The Way of the Lord” a clock ticks in the background of the lyrics. 7 minutes later, sitting in my car, I haphazardly opened the bible lying in my lap as I was about to walk into a prayer session. I looked down, my eyes landed squarely on Matthew 11:10 NIV

this is the one about whom it is written:
” I will send the messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way before you.”

That same Saturday evening, I returned home around 9:30 pm, sat down on the sofa and turned on the television which remains set on a christian channel. Before the picture even came on the screen, I began hearing through the black box, “Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord; make His paths straight, Every valley shall be filled, And every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight, And the rough ways smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God“ (Luke 3:4-6) and there was Charlton Heston as John the Baptist in the river baptizing people. I just started shaking my head and broke into a cold sweat. This was the third “prepare” message in a 10 hour timeframe. The following day, the first message I listened to focused on a description of what a church preparing for the return of Jesus looks like – then later that afternoon I witnessed massive numbers of people (hundreds) participating in spontaneous water baptisms. You can draw your own conclusion, but I believe Holy Spirit is quite serious about communicating preparation.

What does preparing the way of the Lord look like for you? How will you make His beaten paths straight?

Tracy Gatewood

~ Sacred Ramblings

Category Archives: Bride of Christ

Healing and the Armor of God prayer

Embracing the Gospel of Grace

The Spirit of Life

Keys to Freedom from Fear

Superman, Jesus, and the Justice of God

Happy Independance Day

Faith, Forgiveness, Favor

From The Beginning

Jesus and the Two Trees

Sound the Trumpets