Monthly Archives: November 2017

Observations From A Soul Dive

24 Friday Nov 2017

Posted by in #HolySpirit, Armor of God, Blood of Jesus, Christianity, Emotions, Fear, God, Gospel of Grace, Healing and the Armor of God, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus, Blood of Jesus, New Covenant, redemption, New Covenant, Prayer, Salvation, soul, the Spirit, Tracy Gatewood, Tracy Gatewood Alabama, Tracy Gatewood Prayer, TracyLGatewood, Wisdom

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , ,

Duck DivingThe study and understanding of the soul; the mind, will and emotions needs a fresh look. How we calibrate our souls to the rhythm of the Spirit and away from the insanity of the world determines the trajectory of the success of life. How do we get and stay happy? This is a deep dive into the issue of soul management –  an expedition into how to intentionally acquire and maintain a still and quiet soul.

The following is an excerpt from a booklet by George Muller, who directed until his death in 1898, the Ashley Down orphanage, Bristol England.

“It has pleased the Lord to teach me a truth, the benefit of which I have not lost, for more than fourteen years. The point is this: I saw more clearly than ever that the first great and primary business to which I ought to attend every day was, to have my soul happy in the Lord. The first thing to be concerned about was not how much I might serve the Lord, or how I might glorify the Lord; but how I might get my soul into a happy state, and how my inner man might be nourished. For I might seek to set the truth before the unconverted, I might seek to benefit believers, I might seek to relieve the distressed, I might in other ways seek to behave myself  as it becomes a child of God in this world; and yet, not being happy in the Lord, and not being nourished and strengthened in my inner man day by day, all this might not be attended to in a right spirit.
Before this time my practice had been, at least for ten years previously, as a habitual thing, to give myself to prayer, after having dressed myself in the morning. Now, I saw that the important thing I had to do was to give myself to the reading of the Word of God, and to meditation on it, that thus my heart might be comforted, encouraged, warned, reproved, instructed, and that thus, by means of the Word of God, while meditating on it, my heart might be brought into experiential communion with the Lord.”  ……….
–  George Muller 1805-1898,  Soul Nourishment First

George Muller, a man that depended totally on donations to feed and educate thousands of children, positioned himself daily by first being strengthened by the Word of God, so that he might get his soul into a “happy state”. He then relied on meditation to bring his heart into communion with God – he did these two things before engaging in prayer. This was eye opening and confirming at the same time. There are certainly mornings where my mind will not quiet into a state of rest, distracting me from focusing on prayer and hearing from the Lord. Muller’s order of   1) Reading the Word  2) Meditation on the Word  3) Prayer – steadied his soul first before launching out into the spirit depths of his morning prayer.

The Ashley Downs Orphanage in Bristol England served over 10,000 orphans in Muller’s lifetime while also establishing 117 schools, mostly educating orphans. George Muller opened orphanages to prove to the world that God not only hears prayer but answers prayer.The Autobiography of George Muller, Amazon.

Settling the mind, and emotions into a state of rest must become an intentional act

The Lord Jesus bequeathed to all that believe in Him the Gift of Peace – John 14:27
Peace I leave with you, My [own] Peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid, [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.]

Ephesians 6 also makes reference to peace:  vs15And having shod your feet in preparation (to face the enemy with the firm-footed stability, the promptness, and readiness produced by the good news) of the Gospel of Peace. 

This verse implies an intention on the part of the Believer, that they should be #StableandFixed and in total awareness of  the Gospel. The Amplified frames the Gospel as the “Gospel of Peace.”

Yet there is even one more mechanism for the acquisition of peace. This very Peace that is guaranteed through the Blood of Jesus still available and direct deposited into the soul, Special Delivery, through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. This is a peace that erupts from the inside out, pressing away the ‘screaming critters’ of fear, condemnation, hopelessness, rejection, shame and effects of traumatic incidences. It is only His ministry that quiets the soul, and can apprehend and supernaturally route-out thoughts, ideas and suggestions that arrive like nuclear warheads into the mind, derailing the will and emotions creating distraction and at times, destruction.

Holy Spirit is given to us as our internal healer and power supply while living on earth yet He is the most underutilized and least understood of the Godhead.

In managing our own souls, our very first duty is the recognition and identification of strong negative emotions. These “hinges” have the  ability to swing wide a portal into the soul from the enemy. The following hinges are what release unwanted and involuntary –  Thoughts, Ideas and Suggestions.

1) Protracted Fear
2) Unforgiveness
3) Resentment
4) Anger/ Rage / Hatred
5) Trauma
6) Rebellion
7) Envy / Jealousy
8) Shame

Thought, idea and suggestion warheads are preceded by allowing one of these 8 hinges to swing. We have a responsibility to keep our emotions in check but as mere mortals – all of us swing a hinge from time to time. Our first duty is to identify the hinge for what it is and then allow the Holy Spirit to Clorox the soul from the offending spirit(s). We can verbally and spiritually place the Helmet of Salvation  (ref: Ephesians 6) on our heads through the Holy Spirit which will deflect emotional darts – the word ‘salvation‘ (Greek) is all encompassing and means deliverance, wholeness, restoration, preservation , safety.

How does this work ?

Isaiah 53:5 “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our guilt and iniquities; the chastisement (needful to obtain peace) and well-being for us was upon Him, and with the stripes [that wounded] Him we are healed and made whole. ”

The word ‘Chastise’ in the Hebrew can mean to scourge (mastigoo) and punish (physically). The following passage is spoken by Pilate –

Luke 23:14-16 AMP  And said to them, You brought this Man before me as One Who was perverting and misleading and turning away and corrupting the people; and behold, after examining Him before you, I have not found any offense (crime or guilt) in this Man in regard to your accusations against Him; 15 No, nor indeed did Herod, for he sent Him back to me; behold, He has done nothing deserving of death. 16 I will therefore chastise Him and deliver Him amended (reformed, taught His lesson) and release Him. 17 For it was necessary for him to release to them one prisoner at the Feast. 18 But they all raised a deep cry saying, Away with this Man! Release to us Barabbas! 19 He was a man who had been thrown into prison for raising a riot in the city, and for murder. 20 Once more Pilate called to them, wishing to release Jesus; 21 But they keep shouting out, Crucify Him, crucify Him! 22 A third time he said to them, Why? What wrong has he done? I have found (no offense or crime or guilt) in Him nothing deserving of death; I will therefore chastise Him (in order to teach Him better) and release Him.

In this case, clearly the meaning of Chastise was violent, not merely a verbal chiding like warning a child, but a punishment that drew blood – and in this case ALOT of blood. Jesus was so violently beaten, He became unrecognizable.

The Blood and the Spirit are One and Inseparable. There are two primary places in scripture that reference that the blood of Jesus flowed from His head; the Garden of Gethsemane and when He wore that crown of thorns on the day of His crucifixion. The blood that He shed from His head purchased for us His peace for our minds. His blood releases the Spirit. The Blood is what allows the key of access to the soul and the Spirit is Who can turn the key to control the soul.

When we 1) acknowledge and affirm the sacrifice of Jesus  2) enlist the partnership of the Holy Spirit, inviting Him to apprehend every spirit that is not from the spirit of God from our mind 3) Focus on Jesus, standing in victory, in His completed work for our lives 4) And lastly – personally take authority over these “hinges”, rebuking and binding them in the spirit – WE ARE FREE. We walk liberated and in freedom through the Ministry of the Holy Spirit and the finished work of Christ Jesus.

Tracy L Gatewood
Observations from a Soul Dive
Sacred Ramblings – 2017-2022 All Rights Reserved
All scripture from Amplified version.

Author: Doorways of Grace, My Uncommon Journey to Healing, Wholeness and Meeting Jesus
Facebook:  Tracy Gatewood Sacred Ramblings
Soundcloud:  TracyLGatewood

Discerning the Will of God

12 Sunday Nov 2017

Posted by in #HolySpirit, America, Christianity, Disasters, Emotions, Fear, God, Gospel of Grace, Grace, Jesus Christ, Nation, New Covenant

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

,

Wooded Path

The phrase “the will of God” most frequently appears tied to a strategy to find God’s will and purpose in life. There is another reference to His will and that is of observing it, discerning His hand in times and seasons while trusting He is behind the scenes working from His own blueprint and specifications. Oftentimes God’s will comes as a counter-intuitive movement, springing forth from the mysteries of the heart and the mind of the Father, impossible to predict.

God’s actions frequently defy our own religious thinking and law – based assumptions: do good, get good – do bad, get bad. Although there are civil laws that must guide our governments,  this do good get good formula is no longer the way of God in the era of the sixth dispensation in which we now live, the Dispensation of Grace. Grace is dispensed as a gift from God, unable to be earned, worked for or performed. Grace is undeserved, unmerited favor. This word in Hebrew is Chen, and in Greek means Charis or literally favour.  When used in reference to God, it is the benevolent action of Him stooping down to us in His kindness to reach us in our need, and convey upon us a benefit. His grace has been termed ‘unmerited favour’ but it is more than an attitude of favour or mercy. His mercy is an expression of His compassion toward us, but His grace is an extension of benevolence translated into action that releases His enabling power into our lives. **

[ The greatest example of Charis or Grace from God is the gift of His Son, Christ Jesus – the Love of the Father is infinite and immutable and His presence is with us in every time of need. ]

We cannot know or comprehend the ways of God, but we can make every effort to be aware of the times and seasons, praying for discernment and for the recognition of signs and patterns that provide assurances of what is His will. Daniel praised God for giving him insight and understanding which was delivered through a dream – Daniel 2:21-23 

“Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
For wisdom and might are His.
21 And He changes the times and the seasons;
He removes kings and raises up kings;
He gives wisdom to the wise
And knowledge to those who have understanding.
22 He reveals deep and secret things;
He knows what is in the darkness,
And light dwells with Him.

23 “I thank You and praise You,
O God of my fathers;
You have given me wisdom and might,
And have now made known to me what we asked of You,
For You have made known to us the king’s demand.”


When seeking to understand the will or direction of God,  watch for His clues. These clues are unable to be discerned through the usual ‘operating system’ of the soul  (mind, will, emotions). Discerning requires the removal of the glasses of regular reason and the placing on of spiritual-lenses.  When viewing from the stands, watch for the supernatural plays or the highly unusual to unfold.  Eventually the smoke clears and the direction becomes obvious, “Hey this is it – this is the direction, follow Me here.” Here are several clues :

1) God’s chosen person, organization or direction has strikingly different platforms or approaches running parallel to opposing themes that appear to be in the majority
2) The person or organization, or city, nation, etc that is involved as a choice of God’s will is almost always subjected to great, even unnatural resistance, and far greater resistance experienced by anyone else. Despite the resistance, doors open to allow God’s direction to prevail through each fire.
3) God’s knows the heart, He can discern the heart of a person – no matter their past mistakes and behavior. It is not unusual for God to make a choice that others do not see or understand.
4) Extreme circumstances can unfold as a pre-cursor to a great wave of favour and as introduction to a breakthrough.

One of the most powerful accounts in scripture of the grace of God is illustrated in the account of Moses. Moses, who’s name means ‘drawn out’ , was born into the family of Hebrew slaves. The King of Egypt ordered the Hebrew midwives to kill the Hebrew sons at birth. The Hebrew midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt ordered. (Exodus 1:18)  Moses’ mother who had seen he was beautiful, hid him for 3 months then placed Moses in a basket in the river to be found by another in order to save him.  Moses floated over to Pharaoh’s daughter who was bathing in the river. She reached for Moses and fell in love, taking Moses out of the water and raising him as a prince in the court of Egypt.

After becoming a grown man, he came upon an Egyptian beating a Hebrew slave. Enraged,  Moses murdered the Egyptian and then buried the body.  A man mentioned that he was aware of the murder, and Pharaoh shortly after learning, demanded that Moses life be taken. Moses fled as a fugitive, to the land of Midian where he was taken in by a tribe. From here – the story of Moses’  life takes a dramatic turn:

EXODUS 3: 1 -13 AMP
Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian; and he led the flock to the back and to the west of the wilderness and came to Horeb or Sinai, the mountain of God. The Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush and he looked, and behold, the bush burned with fire, yet was not consumed.
And Moses said, “I will not turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush is not burned. And when the Lord  saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the midst of the bush and said,” “Moses! Moses! And he said, “Here am I.”  God said, “Do not come near, put your shoes off your feet, for the place on which you stand is holy ground.” Also He said “I am the God of your Father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.”  And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.
And the Lord said, “I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters and oppressors; for I know their sorrows and sufferings and trials. And I have come down to deliver them out of the hand and power of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a land good and large, a land flowing with milk and honey  (a land of plenty) – to the place of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzitte, the Hivite, and the Jebusite. Now behold the cry of the Israelites have come to Me, and I have also seen how the Egyptians oppress them. Come now therefore I will send you to Pharoah, that you may bring forth My people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.”
And Moses said to God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelite’s out of Egypt?” God said, “Surely, I will be with you; and this shall be the sign to you that I have sent you; when you have brought the people out of Egypt; you shall serve God on this mountain. (Sinai)”

In one of the most stunning acts of grace, mercy and favour ever recorded in Biblical history,  Moses – a murderer and a fugitive – experienced a visitation from God Who Himself asked Moses to be the Deliverer of the Nation of Israel! “Surely I will be with you” states God to Moses who had executed one of the greatest of sins, taking the life of another.  How then can any single unrighteous man or woman attain promotion? It is because God looks at the heart. Despite sins and unrighteous acts – God’s grace still offers promotion and opportunity to the worst and to the least.

Recently I have pondered  how “Dis-grace” could truly be a word. To be a “disgrace” means that you have been extracted from Grace, or there is a reversing force removing a person from grace. There is no such word in the Kingdom of God.  If that existed,  grace itself,  could never exist. The very essence of grace is that it will always be extended for the repentant as an undeserved gift offered for unrighteous acts whose debt has been paid by the perfect and righteous blood of Jesus Christ.

Tracy Gatewood
Sacred Ramblings – All Rights Reserved

Follow Me in my #StableandFixed communities

Twitter: @TracyLGatewood
Facebook.com/TracyGatewoodWriterTeacher
Amazon Author: Doorways of Grace: My Uncommon Journey to Healing, Wholeness and Meeting Jesus
SoundCloud:  TracyLGatewood

Discerning the Will of God is the 60th published post on Sacred Ramblings!