Tag Archives: Psalm 91

The City of Refuge

31 Sunday Jan 2016

Posted by in #HolySpirit, Armor of God, Blood of Jesus, Christianity, Jesus, Jesus, Blood of Jesus, New Covenant, redemption, Uncategorized

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Cityof RefugeHe who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall remain stable and fixed under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, you are my Refuge and my Fortress, my God on Him I lean and rely, and in Him I {confidently} trust!  Psalm 91: 1-2 AMP

Each morning when sitting before God in my quiet time, I pray Psalm 91 AMP and also read a prayer based on the #ArmorofGod. Both of these are spoken aloud because I desire (and need) for my mind, the devil and my body to hear God’s words of protection and safety being spoken and to get into alignment and agreement with these words. In times of uncertainty, it is essential to understand where security, refuge and covering lies for each of us.

On the day the Lord delivered David from the hand of the Philistine army,  he wrote a 51 verse Psalm that began:

” The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;
The God of my strength, in whom I will trust;
My shield and the horn of my salvation,
My stronghold and my refuge,
My Savior, You save me from violence.
I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised;
So shall I be saved from my enemies. “ 2 Samuel 22:1-4

In old testament times, the Lord commanded that there be cities as places of refuge for the Israelites and people dwelling among them (Joshua 20:9) that would act as Embassies for His people being pursued or in trouble. (Joshua 20:2) Unlike the Sanctuary cities the United States has chosen to be places of refuge for immigrants, these ancient cities of Refuge were to be safe havens for any Israelite that accidentally or unintentionally killed someone.

Joshua 20 v 1-4: ” The Lord said to Joshua. Say to the Israelites, Appoint among you cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you and Moses, that the slayer who kills anyone accidentally and unintentionally may flee there; they shall be your refuge from the avenger [Numbers 35:10] He who flees to one of those cities shall stand at the entrance of the gate of the city; they shall receive him to [ the protection of ] that city and give him a place to dwell among them. If the avenger of blood pursues him, they shall not deliver the slayer into his hand, because he killed his neighbor unintentionally, having had no hatred for him previously. And he shall dwell in that city until he has been tried before the congregation and until the death of him who is the High Priest in those days. Then the slayer shall return to his own city from which he fled and to his own house.” Each tribe of Israel chose one city in their territory to become a city of refuge (Sanctuary). This sounds like some Old Testament GRACE of God to me.

[ In the U.S. an immigrant arrives into a Sanctuary city as a safe haven, fleeing from religious or political persecution, where it is hoped that they do not have a criminal background or arrive with criminal intent. Repeatedly stories unfold of immigrants inflicting harm on the people within U.S. cities and more so around the world where they have been graciously allowed entrance. It is interesting that God designated cities of refuge with such different intent. If the pursuers of these present day immigrants showed up at these U.S. cities to capture them, would we hand them over ? Of course not. But some immigrants still bite the hands that save and protect.]

Now because of the sacrifice and finished work of Jesus, we ourselves are the temples where God’s Spirit dwells; the Spirit that provides comfort, counseling, guidance and teaching in needed times of refuge. We are led by His Spirit to places of refreshing and renewal, places of protection and security. The Lord who is our Fortress and our Refuge lives inside each of us who trust. We are a Kingdom filled with “temples” in the bodies of people living within cities who believe in Christ Jesus. Your body is the temple of God’s Holy Spirit cleansed, redeemed and sanctified one time and for all time by the blood of Jesus for the purposes of work for His Kingdom. Genius.

#Refuge  #Immigrant  #Migrant  #HolySpirit  #Jesus

Tracy L Gatewood Sacred Ramblings

Twitter: @TracyLGatewood
Website: tracygatewood.com

 

 

 

The Tabernacle – a Place of Protection

28 Monday Sep 2015

Posted by in Christianity, Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jew, Jewish, New Covenant, Tracy Gatewood

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I have lived all of my adult life not realizing that my birthday always fell within a time of great celebration and rejoicing! It always occurs within the 8 days of the Feast of Tabernacles.

September 28 marked the first day of Sukkot more commonly referred to as the Feast of Tabernacles (or Booths) The word Sukkot is the plural of the word Sukkah which means Tent (Hebrew). This feast traditionally ushers in the ingathering harvest at the end of the agricultural season as well as commemorated the Israelite’s and how they lived in the wilderness in booths or tents for 40 years. (Exodus 34:22). This is an 8 day celebration feast bearing witness to the goodness of God, and the will of God (Leviticus 23:42-43). This season always falls on the Jewish Sacred calendar in the 7th month of the year and in 2015 will run through October 5. Jesus was born during the Feast of Tabernacles. There are two recognized Jewish calendars: Sacred and Civil.

The September Feasts are the Lord’s fall feast days; Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah), Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) and Tabernacles. The bible documents Jesus observing the Feast of Tabernacles during His ministry in John 7:1-52. The Feast of Tabernacles is observed as a season of great celebration and joy because God Himself protected the Israelite’s as they wandered in the wilderness. In addition to the celebration of Tabernacles, September 24, 2015 marked the beginning of a new seven year cycle and and the end of the Shmita, or Sabbatical or Sabbath year. Also beginning on Sept 24, Israel embarked into a Jubilee year recognized every 50 years. Please see more information here:
http://www.oasischristianchurch.org/jubilee/jubilee_calendar.pdf

Tabernacle is defined as both Noun and Verb: the latter, “to take up residence; especially: to inhabit a physical body”, and as Noun: “a place of worship, a tent used as a place of worship by the ancient Israelite’s during their wanderings in the wilderness with Moses “. We can take this beautiful word TABERNACLE and know that we can commune with the Godhead because, if one has accepted Jesus as Lord, the Holy Spirit of God has taken up residence within us. Technically, we are constantly “tabernacle-ing” with Christ because He lives within us as the Spirit.

A Psalm of King David – Psalm 15 AMP:
“Lord, who shall dwell (temporarily) in Your tabernacle? Who shall dwell (permanently) on Your holy hill? He who walks and lives uprightly and blamelessly, who works rightness and justice and speaks and thinks the truth in his heart, He does not slander with his tongue, nor does evil to his friend, nor takes up a reproach against his neighbor: In whose eyes a vile person is despised, but he who honors those who fear the Lord (revere and worship Him): who swears to his own hurt and does not change; (He who) does not put out his money for interest (to one of his own people) and who will not take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved.”

The Book of Exodus introduces us to the concept of the Tabernacle. Moses was commissioned to establish by explicit instruction from God how to construct the original Tabernacle that would house the Ark of the Covenant. The Tabernacle of God protected the Israelite’s by showing the way through the wilderness with Fire by Night and Cloud (Shekinah Glory of God)  by Day. “And Moses was not able to enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud remained upon it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. In all their journeys, whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the Israelite’s went onward; But if the cloud was not taken up, they did not journey on till the day that it was taken up. For throughout all their journeys the cloud of the Lord was upon the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel.” Exodus 40: 35-38

The Old Testament Tabernacle built by the hands of man as described in Exodus was merely a type and shadow of the better things that have now been given to us by God through Jesus and the New Covenant.

Hebrews 9:11
“But (that appointed time came) when Christ ( the Messiah) appeared as the High Priest of the better things that have come and are to come. (Then) through the greater and more perfect Tabernacle not made with (human) hands that is, not a part of this material creation, He went once for all into the (Holy of) Holies of (heaven) not by virtue of the blood of goats and calves (by which to make reconciliation between God and man), but His own blood, having found and secured a complete redemption (an everlasting release for us). For if the mere sprinkling of unholy and defiled persons with blood of goats and bulls and with the ashes of a burnt heifer is sufficient for the purification of the body, How much more surely shall the blood of Christ, Who by virtue of (His) eternal Spirit (His own pre-existent divine personality) has offered Himself as an unblemished sacrifice to God, purify our consciences from dead works and lifeless observances to serve the (ever) living God?

When we inhabit our Secret Place to dwell with and Tabernacle with the Godhead, it puts into motion a list of things on our behalf by God as stated in Psalm 91: makes us stable and fixed under His shadow, makes Him our refuge and fortress, He delivers us from the snare of the fowler and deadly pestilence, also from destruction and sudden death. A thousand may fall but none shall come near you. No evil will befall, nor any plague or calamity come near your tent. He will give His angels especial charge in all your ways of obedience and service. You will be enabled to trample on snakes and scorpions ( demons). You will be inaccessible in the Secret Place – tabernacle-ing with the Most High, because you have made the Lord your refuge and your dwelling place. Glory! What more could you ask for during these end times. Supreme protection lies in the secret place. Remain close to God and read your bible – read, know and allow the word of God to be established in your heart and mind.

You yourself are now the Tabernacle of God having been cleansed and purified by the blood of Jesus once and for all to house His eternal Spirit.

Hebrews 10:14
“For by a single offering He has forever completely cleansed and perfected those who are consecrated and made holy.”

Twitter: @TracyLGatewood
Website: http://www.tracygatewood.com
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