Tag Archives: Spiritual

I Pray for You a Doorway of Grace – For God to Establish the Work of Your Hands

02 Tuesday Jan 2018

Posted by in #HolySpirit, Careers, Emotions, Fear, Grace, Holy Spirit, Jerusalem, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Prayer, redemption, Tracy Gatewood, Tracy Gatewood Prayer, TracyLGatewood, Wisdom

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Cover: Doorways of Grace; Photo Cred. Allison P. Adams


I Pray For You This Year  –

that a Doorway of Grace will open, which brings peace in your career. You will find the appropriate place in your current field, or a door will swing wide toward a better opportunity. You will transition to a place of abundant provision that embraces your unique Holy Spirit deposited skills, gifts and talents. I pray for a special welcoming place where you will be surrounded with like-minded people with whom you compliment.

That the beauty and delightfulness and favor of the Lord will confirm and establish the work of your hands. (Psalm 90:17) That you will prosper in the land and gain promotion and influence within your organization and throughout your community. That the skill and excellence in your craft will bring you before leaders, kings, and authorities in high places.

When you pray prayers of protection for Israel and Jerusalem and have understanding of the desire of God for its peace and prosperity (Psalm 122), He, too, will prosper you. The Blessing of God on your life will be evident as you walk in happiness, prosperity and admired by many.

That you learn to see Jesus Christ high above every circumstance, in the mountains and in the valleys. That you train your mind to instinctively default to Him in faith and with expectancy, until He activates and releases His covenant of supply and protection. That you will earnestly remember the Lord your God daily as He provides, as He is the One that gives the power to get wealth so that His covenant may be established by and through you upon the Earth. (Deuteronomy 8:18)

Through forces of Uncommon Favor, I pray for God to swing wide a door that gently delivers you with joyful clapping and singing into the field of your expertise (Isaiah 55:12) and into His heart’s desire for you. Through prayer and intimacy with Him, for you to have no fear and accept the signs of seasons ending and welcome new possibilities consistent with His design for your life.   AMEN  (So be it)

Psalm 90:17 AMP And let the beauty and delightfulness and favor of the Lord our God be upon us; confirm and establish the work of our hands – yes the work of our hands, confirm and establish it.

Tracy L Gatewood
2022 All Rights Reserved
Doorways of Grace

Website:  http://www.SacredRamblings.com
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Author:  Doorways of Grace: My Uncommon Journey to Healing, Wholeness and Meeting Jesus 

The Weapon of Praise

20 Sunday Aug 2017

Posted by in Christianity, Disasters, Emotions, God, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus, Blood of Jesus, New Covenant, redemption, soul, Transformational Leadership, Worship

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Driving home after a long day, my radio tuned to a worship music station, praise music saturated every inch of my vehicle’s interior. Despite the frustrations and strife of the day – the negative emotions clinging to my soul fell away, as a welcoming spirit of peace wafted through my mind, lifting up and away all the tensions of the day.  This effortless transference of peace was sent special delivery from the courts of heaven. Peace is a gift bequeathed to us from Jesus, by Jesus Himself, as reward when we focus on Him.

II Chronicles 20:21-25 AMP “When he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers to sing to the Lord and praise Him in their holy (priestly) garments as they went out before the army, saying’Give thanks to the Lord, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever’!

And when they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushments against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir who had come against  Judah, and they were (self) slaughtered; For (suspecting betrayal) the men of Ammon and Moab rose against those of Mount Seir utterly destroying them. And when they had made an end of the men of Seir,  they all helped to destroy one another. And when Judah came to the watchtower of the wilderness, they looked at the multitude, and behold they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none had escaped!

When Jehosophat and his people came to take the spoil, they found among them much cattle, goods, garments, and precious things which they look for themselves, much more than they could carry away, so much they were three days in gathering the spoil.

On the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Beracah. There they blessed the Lord. So the name of the place is still called the Valley of Beracah (blessing).

Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, Jehosophat leading them, to Jerusalem with joy, for the Lord had made them to rejoice over their enemies.

They came to Jerusalem with harps, lyres, and trumpets to the house of the Lord.

And the fear of God came upon all the kingdoms of those countries when they heard that the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel.”

I believe the Lord has provided a spiritual tactic designed to strategically dismantle dangerous mayhem.  This is an interior piece of the puzzle given just to believers who are forced to confront a unified tsunami of opposing forces that incite strife, division and evil across the globe.  The piece? The Weapon of Praise. A powerful tool that can be enacted outside of the four walls of the church, strategically positioned in external outposts at the forefront of the lines of battle.

In today’s society, the media is weaponized, some departments of our national intelligence community appear to be weaponized, and even certain members of the conservative movement are weaponized – but these are not spiritual weapons of warfare from heavenly places.

In II Chronicles, The Lord provides for us an example of ‘battle’ in spiritual places, instructing us to ‘battle’ with praise to Him then promising to deliver us from our enemies. Seems simple. So why aren’t we using it?

With the clashing of swords in this Hebrew year 5782 , we are witnessing unprecedented levels of lawlessness and civil unrest, and not witnessed since the 1960’s. During the latter part of the Obama administration, the cities of Ferguson, Baltimore and Miami – were hosts to incendiary levels of rage and violence incapacitating city governments, in some instances, destroying the livelihoods of people that they purported to defend. The American people have been clashing over its very history and heritage and we watch helpless as a tyrant of one nation seeks to overcome Ukraine in a scenario not witnessed since 1938.

But are believers in Christ truly helpless? But what about praise? Jehosphat sent his worshippers praising God while walking ahead of these armies, each wearing priestly garments saying ‘Give thanks to the Lord for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever!’  I have a theory – and as yet untested on a modern-day battlefield;  to release praise music in advance of or during demonstrations to disengage these spirits of violence. Like opening a fireman’s hose on a raging fire, the aggressive flames of emotional spirits of anger, hatred, aggression, murder and rage, could go silent. and fall to the earth.

 I ponder why the impact of praise music would be any different within the atmosphere of my own vehicle than on any modern-day battlefield. Imagine the impact of Hillsong, Chris Tomlin, Kari Jobe, Christy Nockels songs released prior to a demonstration or during the fray in the heat of the battle – singing the name of Jesus over and over and over again – above these protests. It is Jesus Christ Himself that has bequeathed us Peace.  Would He not send us His Peace if we proactively sought it? Peace is a spirit.  [ July 2017  The Spirit of Peace:  http://wp.me/p1zoxs-24p ]

ll Timothy 1:7 AMP
“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but (He has given us a spirit) of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control. “

To effectively confront the societal enemies of our time we must come from a secret place of  ‘power, and of love, and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control’. The songs of praise set us into another dimension – apart from fear, self-righteousness, and our human tendency to dissect the what’s and how’s of every situation. Praising God is a declaration that He is trusted as our defender (Jehovah Nissi). Praise positions our minds for right instruction and divine strategy from Him in how to move ahead in these troubling and even dangerous environments.

Could Jehosophat have understood that the instruction from God to send the ‘Praise Team’ ahead of the armies would result in a strong confusion and in-fighting among the enemy camp? Could Jehosophat foresee that a win of his armies positioned his people for a significant wealth transfer? I doubt it. He simply followed God’s orders and won….. BIG.

We must engage in praise to God while listening for the the Holy Spirit’s direction for ourselves and our nation amidst the clamor and chaos of today.  He is surely speaking.


Tracy L. Gatewood
The Weapon of Praise Sharing Link: http://wp.me/p1zoxs-2iC
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Author: Doorways of Grace

The Soul’s Response to Righteousness

07 Monday Aug 2017

Posted by in America, Jerusalem, Nation, New Covenant, redemption, Sin, soul, Tracy Gatewood

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Jerusalem
Luke 19:41 – 44 AMP
“And as He approached, He saw the city, and He wept [audibly] over it. Exclaiming, Would that you had known personally, even at least in this your day, the things that make for peace (for freedom from all the distresses that are experienced as the result of sin and upon which your peace – your security, safety, prosperity, and happiness – depends)! But now they are hidden from your eyes.
For a time is coming upon you when your enemies will throw up a bank (with pointed stakes) about you and surround you and shut you in on every side.
And they will dash you down to the ground, you [Jerusalem] and your children within you; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, [all] because you did not come progressively to recognize and know and understand [from observation and experience] the time of your visitation [that is, when God was visiting you, the time in which God showed Himself gracious toward you and offered you salvation through Christ.]”

In this passage of scripture, Jesus grieved openly knowing what would be forthcoming for the people of Jerusalem. Despite what the people had personally witnessed, Jesus the Prince of Peace, Who had been presented to them as the living Son of God, would not be received into the hearts of the Jewish people.

What He knew for them: Know Jesus-Know Peace, No Jesus-No Peace

All Christians are commanded by God to pray for the peace of Jerusalem (PS122:6). The passage continues,”May they prosper who love you, May peace be within your walls, prosperity within your palaces”  To be a Christ-follower is to love and pray fervently, frequently for the entire nation of Israel. Although the peace of Jerusalem was not accomplished in Jesus’ earthly life, it has been left for us to cover His people in prayer and other means until His return. I fully believe that America’s first responsibility is to cover and protect Israel.

The following scripture describes the Peace that will come with God’s Reign:
Isaiah 32:15-18
“Until the Spirit is poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field, and the fruitful field is valued as a forest. Then justice will dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness will abide in the fruitful field. And the effect of righteousness will be peace [internal and external], and the result of righteousness will be quietness and confident trust forever. My people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, in safe dwellings, and in quiet resting places.”

 We can experience His Peace Prior to His Reign Through the Understanding of  Righteousness. Righteousness means in right-standing with God and in conformity to His will and purposes. We cannot be righteous, or in right standing with God without understanding and accepting the working power of the blood of Jesus. The Blood is Heaven’s Clorox, its only cleansing agent.

It is impossible to work or perform our way into right-standing with God. Churches may teach that by watching our words, making our vessels (our bodies) more holy [yet holiness is important to God], or praying lengthy prayers every.single.day, or confessing sin can put us in right standing. This is erroneous. True righteousness welcomed by God comes by complete acknowledgement that His Son’s sacrifice fully achieved everything necessary to remove the dividing wall between God and You. This puts the focus (and responsibility) totally on Jesus for this achievement, one that no mortal could ever accomplish. To assume that one could actually be made righteous by a person’s own merits, clearly illustrates a lack of understanding of the magnitude of the Cross. This positioning creates ‘self-righteousness’ There may be nothing more noxious to God.

The Book of Romans could easily be named ‘the Book of Righteousness’, providing more information on this subject than any other chapter in the Bible. Romans 4:3 refers to Abraham, the Father of our Faith –
“For what does the Scripture say? Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness.”

Have you ever exhibited ungodly behavior? Yes ____  No ____ Is it comforting to know that your behavior has already been justified by God through the blood of Jesus?  Yes_____ No _____Does this make you want to sin more? No ______  (of course not)

One cannot be justified by works – God imputes His righteousness ASIDE FROM OUR WORKS in exchange for our sin. This is called Grace – undeserved, unmerited favor which is freely given. We are only made righteous BY FAITH in Jesus and His sacrifice. His resurrection served as ratification for a New Covenant.  This is the only way pleasing to God. Does this soothe the soul (mind, will, emotions) bringing a quietness and a confident trust? (Isaiah 32:17).  That peace you may feel is the result of  Jesus’ righteousness and the acknowledgement, by resting in faith, that He (not you) has paid it all on your behalf.

Copyright 2019  All Rights Reserved Doorways of Grace

Tracy Gatewood
#TheWriterWhomJesusLoves

Twitter: @TracyLGatewood
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Amazon: Doorways of Grace: My Uncommon Journey to Healing, Wholeness and Meeting Jesus  (2015)

RELATED POSTS
The Spirit of Peace   http://wp.me/p1zoxs-24p
We Have Not Been Given A Spirit of Fear   http://wp.me/p1zoxs-1VW

Psalm 91 AMP

29 Monday May 2017

Posted by in Christianity, Disasters, Emotions, Fear, God, Jesus, Nation, Prayer, the Spirit

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CherubsandWoman
He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High,
shall remain stable and fixed under the shadow of the Almighty.
[ Whose power no foe can withstand.]
I will say of the Lord, His is my Refuge and my Fortress, My God;
on Him I lean and rely, and in Him I (confidently) trust! 
For (then) He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and the
deadly pestilence.
(Then) He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings shall
you trust and find refuge;  His truth and His faithfulness are a shield
and a buckler.

You shall not be afraid of the terror of the night, nor of the arrow (the
evil plots and slanders of the wicked) that flies by day,
Nor of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor of the destruction
and sudden death that surprise and lay waste at noonday.
A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand but
none shall come near you, only a spectator shall you be, yourself inaccessible
in the Secret Place of the Most High as you witness the reward of the wicked.

Because you have made the Lord your refuge, and the Most High your
dwelling place, there shall no evil befall you, nor any plague or calamity
come near your tent.
For He will give His angels (especial) charge over you to accompany and defend 
and preserve you in all of your ways [of obedience and service].
They shall bear you up on their hands, lest you dash your foot against a stone,
You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, the young lion and the serpent shall
you trample underfoot.

Because he has set His love upon Me, therefore will I deliver him; I will set him on
high, because he knows and understands my name [has a personal knowledge of My mercy, love, and kindness – trusts and relies on Me, knowing I will never forsake him, no never].
He shall call upon Me and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble,  I will deliver him, and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him My salvation.

Embracing the Gospel of Grace

04 Sunday May 2014

Posted by 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

Twitter: @TracyLGatewood
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Keys to Freedom from Fear

27 Monday Jan 2014

Posted by 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 by Martha Beadle

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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Faith, Forgiveness, Favor

02 Sunday Dec 2012

Posted by 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
Twitter: @TracyLGatewood
Amazon Author: Doorways of Grace, My Uncommon Journey to Healing, Wholeness and Meeting Jesus
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Related Articles on Sacred Ramblings:
The Assignment   http://wp.me/p1zoxs-4C
Canceling The Code  http://wp.me/p1zoxs-19
The Crimson Flow of Freedom   https://wordpress.com/post/sacredramblings.com/122

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.