Tag Archives: The Church

Prayers of Grace – Day 2

06 Tuesday Sep 2016

Posted by in Blood of Jesus, Christianity, Jesus, Keys to the Kingdom, the Spirit, Wisdom

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Whitedove

Most  Precious Heavenly Father,

Thank you for your mercy and great kindness.  Your love endures forever.  When I ask, you impart gifts from your Holy Spirit and as needed,  the gifts of love, patience, kindness, self-control are brought to me without delay. Through my failures and successes, you have equipped me with sound wisdom, but your correct time and seasons are without fault or error to impart this wisdom.  I seek timing, leading and most importantly, even more of your wisdom.

Because I walk in undeserved, unmerited favor, I live expectant  that doors of great opportunity unlock on my behalf and in their correct time and season. The favor of the Lord opens doors that no man can shut. The favor of the Lord is upon me, and He confirms and establishes the work of my hands. Because of the New Covenant and the finished work of Jesus, my career is blessed, my family is blessed and my ministry work is blessed. I have been granted the keys to the Kingdom. Because I have dominion on the earth, what I bind on earth will be bound in heaven.

I decree that the favor of the Lord surrounds me like a shield against all enemies. When I call forth the blood of Jesus as protection – I speak into existence an impenetrable fortress.   I am always above and I am never beneath. I am always the head and I am never the tail. Jesus has acquired all heavenly wisdom and because I am in Him and He is in me seated in heavenly places at the Father’s right hand – His Spirit counsels and teaches me skillful and Godly wisdom for any circumstance. I have the Spirit of Jesus Christ living in me and possess the identical power that raised Him from the dead and back to life. Thank you, God for the gift of your Spirit to me.

In the Name of Jesus I Pray – AMEN  (So Be it)

Prayers of Grace –
Tracy Gatewood

Twitter:  @TracyLGatewood
FB:  Tracy Gatewood Christian Writer and Teacher
Author:  Doorways of Grace, available on Amazon

 

Sound the Trumpet – A Call to Action for Apostolic Leadership

23 Monday Feb 2015

Posted by in Blood of Jesus, Christianity, Gospel of Grace, Grace, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Leadership, New Covenant, the Spirit, Transformational Leadership

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The Apostles and Jesus

Sunday morning in response to the appeal on 21martyrs.com, I prayed for the persecuted church and Christians around the world that are falling into the hands of extremist murderers.  My big question to God was, Where are the Apostles? Where is Apostle Peter, Where is Apostle Paul, Where is Apostle John – We need them, What would they do in this situation? If they don’t show up, I’m yelling, “Come Lord Jesus and Come …. Now! ” Anybody out there with me?

Where are modern day Apostles; global Generals of The Church of Jesus to condemn these practices, and convene other leaders of the Church for calls to action as its people and churches are under attack by these devils? Where is the voice for the zero tolerance on these atrocities by Christians worldwide? We need our global Christian leaders with Apostolic callings that hear from the Holy Spirit to step forward to devise effective global solutions, partner with governments and lead the spiritual sectors of the world. We no longer live in a time where we can prioritize Small Group member numbers and volunteer headcounts as the focus of our churches.

I’m not a prophet, but I do have an educated theory that Satan has unleashed these devils at this time upon the earth because he too believes that Jesus’ return is very close. These tyrannical practices are a last ditch effort to subdue the earth. I further believe that this outpouring of evil fueled by Satan is occurring as a direct reaction to the preaching of the gospel of Grace that is pouring across the entire world. Grace is the true gospel message based on the Love of God for all mankind, and the power held in the sacrifice of Jesus; in His body and His blood. The true Gospel is built on the foundation of the blood of Jesus and not in identity or performance. The blood of Jesus simply enrages Satan. I guess by now he has read the end of the book.

Every church in the world can be engaging in weekly, Jesus-focused, unified prayer over these atrocities. God responds to the prayers of His people – He is listening. Prayer is the most powerful source of communication that we have as Believers. Praying back these devils and showing gratitude to Jesus who by His blood and mercy, has put ALL demonic power under His feet. Jesus has provided His people with the authority and devices to put these forces out of business by using the creative power and understanding given by the Holy Spirit. Are we listening to the Spirit on what to do? I have to believe He is Speaking.

Every church in the world can have an ISIS / Extremists line item in their budget to earmark toward prayer rallies, funds for refugees, and programs like Congressman Frank Wolf’s Wilberforce Initiative. The combined Protestant and Catholic churches have practically limitless financial resources and human capital if we can agree together on objectives that will have the strongest impact and stop depending upon the governments of the world to figure it out. For the moment, we need global Christian leaders to step forward that have the power, the influence and the courage to convene other Christian leaders and all Christian people around the world. I can call them out in this article will let the Holy Spirit speak to them individually and in His own way, but we as Christians know who they are across the globe.

Anti-Christ is a spirit and we are watching in real time this demonic spirit seduce people into believing that crucifying children, repeatedly raping women and beheading men for their beliefs is justified. We watch as they overtake city’s, regions and soon nations. To date, the nation of Israel has not been overrun by these devils. They know they will get their teeth kicked in when they cross Israel’s borders, and will be in for the fight of their existence. The United States must send aid to Israel to fight these extremists. In case you need an idea, sending Israel money to combat terrorism is another objective that can be considered under your church’s budget line item of Extremists. Israel will need aid and lots of it to fight this accursed plague that is swarming its neighbors in the Middle East. Israel requires our support to win.

As a New Covenant intercessor, I am committing my prayer time and focus to the global Church, the Kingdom Government and all Apostolic Christian Leaders around the globe that will hear from the Spirit and move on their specific role in these final days of fortress building around the Saints and the innocents of the world. It’s time to move.

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Today is George Washington’s 283rd birthday: 2/ 22/ 1732

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 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
Twitter: @TracyLGatewood
Wordpress: https://tracylgatewood.wordpress.com
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An updated version of this article has been posted to my Hubpages.com account.

The Spirit of Life

07 Friday Mar 2014

Posted by 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. 

Happy Independance Day

04 Thursday Jul 2013

Posted by in Blood of Jesus, Bride of Christ, Christianity, Emotions, Grace, Healing, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Jesus, Blood of Jesus, New Covenant, redemption, Sin, Tracy Gatewood, Tracy Gatewood Alabama, TracyLGatewood

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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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Purify the Bride

24 Monday Oct 2011

Posted by in Jesus, Tuscaloosa

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Revelation 19: 6 – 10 AMP
Let us rejoice and shout for joy (exulting and triumphant)!  Let us celebrate and ascribe to Him glory and honor, for the marriage of the Lamb (at last) has come, and His bride has prepared herself.
She has been permitted to dress in fine (radiant) linen, dazzling and white – for the linen is the righteousness (the upright, just and godly living, deeds, and conduct, and right standing with God) of the Saints (God’s holy people).
Then the angel said to me, Write this down: Blessed (happy, to be envied) are those who are summoned (invited, called) to the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he said to me, these are the true words (the genuine and exact declarations) of God.
Then I fell prostrate at his feet to worship (to pay divine honor) to him but he said,” Refrain! I am (only) another servant with you and your brethren who have the testimony borne by Jesus. Worship God! For the substance of the truth revealed by Jesus is the spirit of all prophecy.”

In a few days, Tuscaloosa will reach the 6 month anniversary of The Storm.  Questions have been answered, and much has been revealed but  spiritual questions remain in the wake of this undesired natural  renovation. Where will Tuscaloosa be spiritually in one year? 3 years? or beyond and has this experience moved Tuscaloosa Forward – spiritually? For now the city remains in the fires of purification and in a period of time that many esteemed pastors worldwide believe to be on the precipice of Christ’s return to retrieve His Bride, the Church.  Are we ready? A.W. Tozer writes in The Wisdom of God,  “Wisdom, among other things, is the ability to devise perfect ends and to achieve those ends by the most perfect means.”  Are we walking out from this perfect storm our perfect means to achieve the perfect end – for as many Tuscaloosa residents and churches as possible?

It would be derelict to allow to go unnoticed the degree of  neglect  exposed by this direct hit, acres of city and county blocks tormented by poverty and blight.  God would be  indignant if any city espousing to be spiritually tightly woven and “together” would tolerate this degree of poverty and neglect.  Has the city been purified to pay closer attention to these issues?  This question has certainly received  my attention. Purification is painful, and worse, ugly, it is difficult to have weaknesses  exposed by a loving God  (the scriptural term is “chastening”  experienced by King David which does not seem to adequately describe the term “being purified” ) but it is this  “gift”  that exposes the bad and enables us to be and receive His very best.  The New Covenant redemptive benefit correlation is Jehovah M’Kaddesh God Our Sanctifier. We are being sanctified to become more in the likeness of Jesus.  Sanctification is the gift no one wants but the gift everyone needs.  This storm, as method of purification, was an act of grace from a loving God, a divine awakening and an opportunity to leverage  tragedy to its highest and best use for His glory.

A sanctified and purified city is better positioned to be the true shining city on a hill that other cities yearn to emulate. We have the leadership in place at all levels and across city churches to come through this stronger and better prepared. Last week, city pastors met at the annual Pastor’s Prayer Summit to pray for Tuscaloosa, each other and God’s direction for their churches – unified, corporate prayers of agreement that are coveted by the Holy Spirit. These powerful threads of prayer are woven into a rich, unified brocade of denominations, races, and ages protecting the city walls from spiritual onslaughts of which most live unaware.  God, who is infinitely wise, all knowing and the Chief Strategist would not have allowed this storm without a higher and better purpose. He loves us and has an eternal covenant with us through His Son, our Mediator. We have the right municipal and pastoral framework in position to arrive on the other side like mighty warriors for His Glory.

Luke 14: 12 – 24 AMP
Jesus also said to the man who had invited Him, When you give a dinner or a supper, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or your wealthy neighbors, lest perhaps they also invite you in return, and so you are paid back. But when you give a banquet or a reception, invite the poor, the disabled, the lame and the blind.
Then you will be blessed (happy, fortunate, and to be envied), because they have no way of repaying you,  and you will be recompensed at the resurrection of the just (upright).
When one of those who reclined (at the table) with Him heard this, he said to Him, Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God! But Jesus said to him,  A man was once giving a great supper and invited many: And at the hour for the supper he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, Come, for all is now ready.
But they all alike began to make excuses and to beg off. The first said to him, I have bought a piece of land, and I have to go out and see it; I beg you, have me excused. And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to examine and put my approval on them: I beg you, have me excused. And another said, I have married a wife and because of this I am unable to come. So the servant came and reported these to his master. Then the master of the house said in wrath to his servant, Go quickly into the great streets and the small streets of the city and bring in here the poor and the disabled and the blind and the lame.
And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you have commanded me to do has been done, and yet there is room”. Then the master said to the servant, Go out into the highways and the hedges and urge and constrain (them) to yield and come in so that my house may be filled. For I tell you, not one of those who were invited shall taste my supper.

Are we ready?  We must not allow our attention to be distracted from  frequently and consistently teaching  faith, prayer and the meaning of Christ crucified.

Tracy Gatewood
Twitter  @TracyLGatewood
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Please continue to pray for Tuscaloosa

This is a follow up to the first article, Wisdom of God, May 2011.

Equip The Bride

23 Monday May 2011

Posted by in Blood of Jesus, Bride of Christ, Christianity, Disasters, Emotions, Fear, God, Grace, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Jesus, Blood of Jesus, New Covenant, redemption, peace, Prayer, Tracy Gatewood, Tracy Gatewood Alabama, TracyLGatewood, Tuscaloosa

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Tuscaloosa, Alabama – I have watched for weeks as churches put forth Herculean effort to resource and rescue thousands of Tuscaloosa citizens in the wake of one of the most devastating storms in our country’s history. Still The Body functions in excellence.  This week, a meeting of 40 Tuscaloosa pastors met for a time of unified, corporate prayer to seek God’s wisdom for each other, their congregations and the city. The wisdom of God will be a strong requirement to move forward with vision and fortitude in the months, and likely years, ahead.

Each day I observe the undeniable need for funding the local church as we become increasingly aware of these organizations as powerful centralized distribution hubs for stability, resource and counsel.  Churches, like mini City Halls, possess the infrastructure for financial disbursement and accountability, the ability to provide clothing, food and shelter, stability and healing as well as serving as points of access for connection to every conceivable vocation through its members. Churches are the finest “one stop shopping”  option for disaster relief.  In the days ahead, all churches will be utilized more frequently as access hubs for immediate stabilization, healing and disbursement of resources but first they themselves must be properly structured and resourced. This is serious, time -sensitive  business.

Genesis 41:38 states, “So Pharoah asked them, ‘Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the Spirit of God?’ ” Pharoah of course was referring to Joseph. This is the hour for marketplace Joseph’s to stand in preparation and walk in action to equip, fund and structure the Church, the bride of Christ, in anticipation of His return and enable Her to stand uprightly and majestically within every community served. (Not merely have Her stand with the aid of a cane or a walker – but properly financially resourced to function in full capacity. )

The need for funding has never been greater for churches and ministries in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. I am writing to simply sound the alarm because of what I see happening. The anointing is here, the people and hearts are here but it is time to move and equip these Brides. Do not let the Bride go hungry (food banks), dress shabbily (clothes closets) or be in ill health (health centers) or become in disrepair. Do not let the Bride become inadequately staffed and forced to turn from people who require healing and wise counsel – the type of counsel that is imparted from the wise and Godly as they hear from the Spirit of God.

Job 32:8
“But it is the spirit in a man, the breath of the Almighty,
that gives Him understanding”

Equip the Bride and Her Children, para church ministries that are not churches. Do not make them beg for discernment of their worth if you know they are set apart by God for His work and purposes. Tuscaloosa is no different from any other community – disaster will come to a city near you – each Bride in each community needs to be equipped and structured.

It is the responsibility of the Church through The Body to equip, educate and counsel people on El Shaddai (God Almighty, All Sufficient One, Genesis 17:1)and the meaning of the covenant, redemptive names purchased through the exchange at the cross and Jesus’ blood sacrifice which covers the scope of every human need : Shammah (His Presence, Ezekial 48:35), Shalom (Peace, Judges 6:24), Ra-ah (Shepherd / Pastor, Psalm 23:1), Jireh (Provision, Genesis 22:14),  Nisi, ( Banner of Victory over principalities and darkness, Exodus 17:15),  Righteousness (Tsidkenu, Jeremiah 23:6), Rapha (Healer, Exodus 15:26), and Jehovah M’Kaddesh (Sanctifier, Leviticus 20:8). A tremendous responsibility indeed but one in which The Church, the Bride of Christ is uniquely designed to deliver but must be adequately enabled to perform. Simply put, please give money to the churches, they will soon be serving entire cities, not just their own membership rolls.

The city lost 21 churches plus the Salvation Army buildings. Please pray for those people who have lost their places of worship, fellowship, resource and community. Thank you for your continued prayers that city and state government leadership and spiritual leadership hear from the spirit of God.

Tracy Gatewood
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