Category Archives: Jesus, Blood of Jesus, New Covenant, redemption

The Urgency of Faith

12 Monday Jul 2021

Posted by in Christianity, Emotions, faith, God, God the Father, God's Plan and Purpose, Grace, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, Jesus, Blood of Jesus, New Covenant, redemption, Prayer, Purpose, The Bible, Tracy Gatewood, Tracy Gatewood Faith, Tracy Gatewood Prayer

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

,

” So faith comes by hearing (what is told) and what is heard comes by the preaching (of the message that came from the lips) of Christ the Messiah Himself.” Romans 10:17 AMP

“But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?”. Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.” Romans 10:17 NKJV

Recently (like very ……… this morning in fact) I heard a respected evangelist state that the ONLY way someone can have faith is through hearing the Word of God. This means that a person cannot have faith for anything unless they can attach a person (Jesus), or a scripture verse to their circumstance. I found this comment to be very interesting.


Faith is a very powerful force for without it, we cannot please God, in fact it is impossible. (Hebrews 11:6 ) Because we are living in such challenging, even urgent times, most all of us need to have an All Access Pass to Faith.

Well what is faith ? I use this definition from the Amplified: The leaning of the entire human personality on God in absolute trust and confidence in His power, Wisdom and goodness. The assurance, confirmation and title deed that are possessed when we trust Him.

So what do the unchurched have in their emotional arsenal since they cannot possess true faith ? They have HOPE. Hope is a confident expectation of good in every situation. Hope is a great thing to possess. Actually I believe that Hope is probably second only to faith however hope is based in emotion which is tied to the Soul. (Mind, Will, and the Emotions) Although very useful, being hopeful can still be like being ‘positive’ . No One paid a price for your Hope but a BIG price was paid for your Faith. Faith is tied to the Spirit. Hope Helps but Faith Wins.

Faith is actually anchored into someone real – JESUS. One can actually bolt themselves onto the knowledge that they are God’s Beloved and He is working behind the scenes to bring all circumstances to good for those that love Him and that are called according to His purposes. (Romans 8:28 ) (News Flash: We are all called according to His purposes if we have accepted His Son as Savior).


The understanding that the only way to obtain true faith is through hearing the Word of God should expose renewed urgency to the cause of sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As if it were not already urgent enough, for people to actually mentally survive natural disasters, losing homes, deaths of loved ones to Covid or other maladies, and economic misfortunes – the only way to survive these extreme challenges is to rest in an unwavering faith, secured by the most powerful substance available and that is the Blood of Jesus.

To gain understanding of the payment made with the Blood of Jesus is to realize the level of sacrifice directed by God the Father to the only One that could make the exchange for our sin to save me and you. Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of Mary, a virgin. (Luke 1:26-38) This allowed for a bypass of the blood line of Adam, which was a bloodline of sin. Jesus’ bloodline was required for Him to be without any sin – He had to be perfect. This was the only way that He could qualify to be the once and forever sacrifice to God on behalf of you and for me.

Jesus accepted this assignment while in Heaven from the beginning of time. He was not murdered, He laid down His life. He was/ is omniscient (all knowing) and knew exactly what would happen to Him. This is just one of the many, many reasons that we worship and exalt the name of Jesus. He is Lord and Savior of all and He earned the office of Christ – the Anointed One. This is why He was called Christ Jesus after the Resurrection, when He officially ascended into the office.

1 In many separate revelations [[a]each of which set forth a portion of the Truth] and in different ways God spoke of old to [our] forefathers in and by the prophets,

2 [But] in [b]the last of these days He has spoken to us in [the person of a] Son, Whom He appointed Heir and lawful Owner of all things, also by and through Whom He created the worlds and the reaches of space and the ages of time [He made, produced, built, operated, and arranged them in order].

3 He is the sole expression of the glory of God [the Light-being, the [c]out-raying or radiance of the divine], and He is the perfect imprint and very image of [God’s] nature, upholding and maintaining and guiding and propelling the universe by His mighty word of power. When He had by offering Himself accomplished our cleansing of sins and riddance of guilt, He sat down at the right hand of the divine Majesty on high,

4 [Taking a place and rank by which] He Himself became as much superior to angels as the glorious Name (title) which He has inherited is different from and more excellent than theirs.” Hebrews 1:1-4

Faith is a gift reserved for those in relationship with the Almighty. Let us remain acutely aware that the sharing of our faith in Jesus is the only conduit by which the people that do not know Him, may access the sustained promises of the Divine.


Tracy Gatewood
Sacred Ramblings
All Rights Reserved 2021
Sharing Link: The Urgency of Faith – https://wp.me/p1zoxs-2Vy
Anchor Podcast Audio Link: https://anchor.fm/sacred-ramblings/episodes/The-Urgency-of-Faith-e1ce6je
#TracyGatewoodPrayer #TracyGatewoodFaith

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

Jesus the Unlikely King

19 Monday Oct 2020

Posted by in Christianity, faith, God the Father, Gospel of Grace, How to find Peace ?, Jerusalem, Jesus Christ, Jesus, Blood of Jesus, New Covenant, redemption, Jew, Jewish, Leadership, Mercy, Nation, Prayer, Prayer University, Prophets, redemption, righteousness, Salvation, The Bible, Tracy Gatewood Prayer, Transformational Leadership, Wisdom

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

As we continue our study of Jesus in Prayer University it is important to understand this time of history, and factors that were influencing the culture and decisions of the day.

During the time of Jesus’ life, the Jewish people were looking for their Messiah, the saviour of their people, that would liberate from the grip of the cruel Roman empire and its Kings. This Messiah was frequently referenced in the Torah and spoken of by the Prophet Moses and the Prophet Isaiah. The Jewish Messiah was to be the One to save the nation of Israel and establish it in its rightful position in the world – restoring Israel to its former glory and prominence as in the days of King David and King Solomon. The Messiah would come from the line of King David.

Then there was the issue of the Jewish Law. Chief Priests and temple priests were experts and masters of the Rabbinical Law and were held in high esteem. The attributes of this law abiding Messiah for which the Jews were seeking was reinforced by the temple priests and their teachings. There were 613 laws required for adherence to proper Judaism – laws that pertained to most every aspect of life. We are all familiar with the “Big 10” but there were 603 lesser known laws of the day. These laws were burdensome and oppressive, making Jewish life unnecessarily challenging. Jesus came to fulfill the Law.

Jesus had grown up in Nazareth in a quiet, unassuming family, the son of a carpenter. At the age of 30 when Jesus was actively inviting men to become His disciples, He met and encouraged Phillip to “Come and see”. Philip then asked Nathanael to meet his friend Jesus who was from Nazareth. Nathanael stated, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth ?” (John 1:46) Jesus was seemingly a Man of no name from no where – certainly not a mighty political or military force or even perceived religious leader possessing qualities required to lead the nation of Israel out of bondage. Yet Jesus was the most powerful Man on the earth and no leader knew Him.

Jesus migrated quietly from city to city, “conquering” these cities through healing, delivering, prayer and teaching. He primarily taught through parables or stories illustrating truthful and righteous principles that He desired people to understand. As the Son of God, Jesus was a King and represented a powerful Kingdom. On earth, He had no authority to legislate or impose rules or laws. If people were instructed by law that they could not heal on a Sabbath day, the only way He could communicate that it was the Lord’s will was through demonstration, thereby raising the ire of the Rabbinic priests.

For 3 years, The Teacher taught openly in the temples, to large masses of people in the countryside, one on one to those in need and to the 12 disciples so they could spread His Good News. The only aggression was what emanated from city leaders that resisted His teachings. His disciples were flogged, beaten and imprisoned. Following Jesus’s crucifixion, they were all individually put to death, except John the Revelator, who was exiled to the Island of Patmos. There was no violence recorded for which they were involved with the exception of Peter slicing off the High Priest servant’s ear but Jesus’ immediately restored Malchus and rebuked Peter.

Jesus’ esteem and influence grew and grew as He taught the principles that God the Father instructed Him that would reveal His true heart. Without one military strategy or tactic or any political maneuvers – Jesus and the 12 humbly and without fanfare, walked, taught and saved thousands in their surrounding region, sparking a spiritual revolution that began a new way to consider God – a way that showed Him as a loving, caring Father, merciful and full of grace for His people.

Jesus’ lowly entrance on a donkey into Jerusalem must have confounded and enraged the priests even more as they heard the citizens yelling, “Hosanna ! Hosanna!” Hosanna means “Save us, Rescue Us, Deliver Us! “. Surely this could not be the Messiah that they have been waiting for, for centuries – coming in on a donkey ? What kind of liberator of a nation arrives to save on a donkey? And He is calling Himself the Son of God – how does He know to respond I AM ? This is heresy. We MUST get rid of Him – this is what the priests had to have been thinking.

And we surely know the rest of the story. Pontius Pilate gave the people a choice between Jesus and Barabbas and the priests were wildly yelling for Jesus to die. Pilate had Jesus severely flogged first, thinking that this would assuage the thirst for His death but it did not. What they could not know was that this was the plan from the beginning of time, and part of the final assignment. After Jesus was hung on the cross, He dismissed His own Spirit and announced to the world; “Tetelestai!” All is accomplished! The temple curtain tore from top to bottom signifying no more separation between God and man. And then they knew.

Christ Jesus, the true Messiah, as prophesied, came from the line of David. His father Joseph, was a descendant of King David however Jesus’ true bloodline, was the blood of deity; the blood of God. Jesus came to earth to fulfill God’s plan to redeem His people back to Himself. He is still today seen through the eyes of those that want Him, those eyes and hearts that are opened by His Spirit – the Spirit of Truth. If you have not prayed to receive Jesus as your Messiah, and personal Lord and Saviour – You can do so today.

Lord Jesus, please forgive me for my sins. I repent and turn from my sins and with your help, I will overcome them. You exchanged my sins for Your righteousness, and paid a debt on my behalf to God that I could never pay. I acknowledge that You are the Son of God and I receive You now as my Lord and Saviour. Amen

Prayer University
Session #9
Sharing link: https://wp.me/p1zoxs-2ND

Tracy Gatewood
Sacred Ramblings
All Rights Reserved

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









Christ Jesus Our Hedge

13 Sunday Sep 2020

Posted by in Blood of Jesus, Christianity, Emotions, Fear, God, God the Father, How God Answers Prayer, Jesus, Blood of Jesus, New Covenant, redemption, Keys to the Kingdom, New Covenant, Prayer University, righteousness, Sin, the Spirit, Tracy Gatewood Prayer

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

As we continue to look at prayer through the understanding of Jesus the Master Teacher we must consider that now He has been installed into the office of High Priest, making constant supplication to the Father on behalf of the one’s that He has been given. Notice that I did not say, all of mankind. Jesus specifically intercedes for the people that God gave to Him as a gift (John 17:9 ). This does not just only refer to the disciples but in fact, God knows Who will come to His Son. Every believer is a precious and distinct gift given to Jesus. Isn’t it beautiful to consider that you are a gift to the Lord ?

In the story of Job, the writer initially portrays him as a successful man protected by God and goes onto state that Job was ‘blameless and upright, and one who reverently feared God and abstained from and shunned evil’. So why was Job allowed access by Satan – the Accuser ?

Job 1:9-11 AMP
” Then Satan answered the Lord, Does Job (reverently) fear God for nothing? Have you not put a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have conferred prosperity and happiness upon him in the work of his hands and his possessions have increased in the land. But put forth Your hand now and touch all that he has, and he will curse You to Your face. “

We know that Job constantly focused on the potential sins of his daughters and sons, making offerings for them to cover any sin in which they even might have been engaged.  Job’s incessant fear that his family had sinned could have been the very thing that brought down his hedge of protection. The spirit of fear and the emotion of fear is the rope on which the enemy uses to swing into the minds of God’s people. Fear (and unforgiveness) is the great key that unlocks demonic force.


Job 1:5 AMP
“And when the days of their feasting were over, Job sent for them to purify and hallow them, and rose up early in the morning and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed or disowned God in their hearts. Thus did Job at all times.”

Recently, I was listening to an audiobook of a highly respected evangelist who is now deceased. This is a man from whom I have learned much, particularly as it pertains to prayer and deliverance. He, too, addressed the passage on Job but his interpretation of the result of Job’s constant prayers on behalf of the sins of his family was completely different. His belief was that Job’s intercession was what brought him a multiplied blessing following the loss of everything he owned; children, livestock and money.  No mention was made of the negative consequences of the constant fear that potentially opened the initial door to the enemy’s oppression.

The Bible states that it was when Job turned to God in faith, acknowledging that the Lord “can do all things and that no thought or purpose of Yours can be restrained or thwarted”  (Job 42:2) was when Satan’s curse began to reverse.  God asked Job to pray for his doubting friends. It is then that He healed Job, blessing his latter days more than the former, living to 140 years.  God restored all that Job had lost and actually received double!

Our truth today is that we now walk in something else, a no longer new normal that was made permanent and ratified by the resurrection of Christ Jesus. Today we walk in a New Covenant or Agreement.

The cornerstone of this truth is to understand that Jesus paid for all of our sin and even guilt (condemnation) through His sacrifice. This means ALL sin from the beginning of mankind to the end of life. Christ Jesus ( Christ is an office meaning the Anointed One ) has made a covenant with God on our behalf and is now installed at the right hand of the Father as our High Priest, Mediator of this Eternal Covenant, Chief Shepherd as well as the Chief Intercessor. His sacrifice opened a way to a new and better covenant, one not built on the blood of bulls and goats, but one that was built on the Surety of Himself.

Hebrews 9:15 AMP
“[Christ the Messiah ] is therefore the Negotiator and Mediator of an [entirely] new agreement (testament, covenant) so that those who are called and offered it may receive the fulfillment of the promised everlasting inheritance – since a death has taken place which rescues and delivers and redeems them from the transgressions committed under the old first agreement. “

Hebrews 9:18-20 AMP 
“So even the (old) first covenant (God’s will) was not inaugurated  and ratified and put in force without the shedding of blood. For when every command of the Law had been read out by Moses to all the people, he took the blood of slain calves and goats, together with the water and scarlet wool and with a bunch of hyssop, and sprinkled both the Book (the roll of the Law and covenant) itself and all the people. Saying these words: This is the blood that seals and ratifies the agreement (the testament, the covenant) which God commanded me to deliver to you. ” 

The Law given to Moses was the Old Covenant. The Israelites wanted written rules to live by but this was not God’s best for them. The good was traded for the best which was for the laws to be engraved onto their hearts and minds, that they would know by the Spirit that they were engaging in right or wrong actions.

When we remain in right standing with God, we are secured in the ark of Jesus. We are given protection based on His righteousness and not through our works but through His perfect right standing to the Father. This is not of anything that we can boast or perform to attain, it is a gateway that was opened by the blood of Jesus.

II Corinthians 5:21 AMP
“For our sake He made Christ [virtually] to be sin Who knew no sin, so that in and through Him we might become the righteousness of God “[ what we ought to be, approved, and acceptable, and in right relationship with Him, by His goodness].

As we see ourselves established in faith that we are in right standing with God through the blood of Jesus, Jesus becomes our hedge. We become the righteousness of God in Christ.

So my friend, see Christ Jesus as your hedge paid for by His blood and give testimony today of what His blood has done for you. As you pray, do so knowing that your Lord Jesus has made the ultimate down payment to become your eternal hedge of protection.

Isaiah 54:14 “You shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear; and from terror , for it shall not come near you.”


Tracy Gatewood
Sacred Ramblings
#PrayerUniversity
Session 8
All Rights Reserved 2020


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




Christ, Healing, and the Power of Words

20 Monday Jul 2020

Posted by in #HolySpirit, Armor of God, Christianity, God the Father, Healing, Healing and the Armor of God, Jesus, Blood of Jesus, New Covenant, redemption, Law of First Mention, Leadership, Prayer, Prayer University, redemption, Sword of the Spirit, The Bible, the Spirit, Tracy Gatewood Prayer, Unity, Wisdom

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , ,

heritageofsaints

“In the beginning was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself. He was present originally with God. All things were made and came into existence through Him; and without Him was not even one thing made that has come into being.”   John 1:1-3 AMP 

Words have Power. With no access to devices, medications, or advanced technology equipment, while moving from city to city, Jesus as The Word used His words to communicate a release of healing into the infirmed, the possessed and the diseased. The Greek word “Logos’ (lo-gaas) is translated ‘word, speech, principle or thought’. In Greek philosophy it is also translated into ‘the mind of God’ or ‘divine reason’.

“And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the Good News (the Gospel) of the kingdom and curing all kinds of diseases and every weakness and infirmity.”  Matthew 9:35 AMP

Christ came to earth to reveal the will of the Father. It is interesting to note that two thirds of Jesus’ ministry involved healing. It was the perfect will of God for His Son to heal. When praying for healing, that oft used qualifying prayer phrase, “If it be thy will” can only be met with an emphatic “Yes!”

When learning to pray like Jesus – it is imperative to know the Word of God. Aside from the blood of Jesus and the Name of Jesus – the Word of God is power packed and the required dunamis or dynamite needed to move out negative circumstances and redeem, deliver, and heal. To pray effectively for oneself or for other’s in healing – there must be agreement with the Word of God.

The first mention of the word “prayer” was in relationship to healing when Abraham prayed to God on behalf of Abimelech, King of the Philistines so that God would forgive Abimelech for taking Sarah. His words, spoken in faith to God, produced a powerful result.

Canva - Abraham praying

“So Abraham prayed to God and God healed Abimelech and his wife and his female slaves, and they bore children, For the Lord had closed fast the wombs of all in Abimelech’s household because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.”  Genesis 20: 17-18 AMP

We have no record of the actual words in Abraham’s prayer for Abimelech but Abraham operating as Priest released Abimelech of sin thereby restoring his entire household.

It is widely accepted by Christians that nothing occurs on the earth unless it is prayed into action by a Believer. God as Jehovah Rapha, is the God Who heals. It is in this knowledge of His desire and willingness to heal by covenant that we can pray boldly, and speak aloud with confident expectation. It is because of the eternal sacrifice of Jesus Christ Who defeated, death, hell and the grave – the One whom took lashes on His Body for our healing, and thereby allowing access to His Name. He has enabled us to take authority and dominion over every sickness, disease, infirmity, even accidents: “and with the stripes that wounded Him we are healed and made whole”.  Isaiah 54:5 AMP

There is power in every word of God.

“He sent forth His Word and heals them and rescues them from the pit and destruction. ” Psalm 107:20 AMP

It is important to note that there is a difference between power and authority. Power is the ability to exercise one’s will in the way needed to impact a situation and authority is exercised by someone holding a position or title. There is a legitimacy or at least perceived influence by a person that holds authority.  Because of the sacrifice of Christ Jesus, we have both power (dunamis) and authority to influence and alter negative behaviors, patterns and circumstances in order to bring heaven to earth. We use prayer and the Word of God to accomplish His will upon the earth.

Canva - Authority gavel

Lucas Pols, a contributor to Forbes, describes secular servant-led authority this way – “Authority is about who you are as a person, your character how you interact with others and the influence and empathy you build with people.”  While this is accurate, one has a God-given authority that comes with power; ratified by the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus who was raised from the dead by the very Spirit that now lives in you.

“Behold! I have given you authority and power to trample upon snakes and scorpions, and (physical and mental strength and ability) over all the power that the enemy (possesses); and nothing shall in any way harm you.”  Luke 10:19 AMP

It is important to highlight that all confidence and power must be placed in the authority of God, Jesus and God’s Word and not in the actual pray-er. The Word of God is oiled with the Spirit of God and referred to as “the Sword of the Spirit” in Ephesians 6:17 AMP “And take the helmet of salvation and the sword that the Spirit wields, which is the Word of God.”

Luke 10 continues – “Nevertheless do not rejoice at this that the spirits are subject to you but rejoice that your names are enrolled in heaven.”  This confirms that we do have power over the spirits of the earth including virus’.  To be specific, the Covid-19 virus is a spirit of infirmity. Virus’ have an intelligence. Covid seeks to aggressively insert itself into cells in order to explode in growth and then mutate, thereby causing “infirmity”. In scripture “weakness and infirmity” are almost always used together. When praying for someone with Covid 19, pray in the authority that Christ has given you to dismantle and decree that this spirit of infirmity and all associated weakness must leave in Jesus’ Name.

Session 7
#PrayerUniversity

Tracy Gatewood
Sacred Ramblings
All Rights Reserved 2020

Related Article:  https://sacredramblings.com/2015/06/07/healing-and-the-armor-of-god-prayer

Prayer and the Blood of Jesus

17 Sunday May 2020

Posted by in Blood of Jesus, Christianity, faith, God, How God Answers Prayer, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus, Blood of Jesus, New Covenant, redemption, New Covenant, Prayer, Prayer University, righteousness, The Bible, Tracy Gatewood Prayer

≈ Leave a comment

2017-08-09 10.40.34

Each week I am providing a teaching on prayer and for the next few weeks will single out a quality pertaining to the life of Jesus. Last week was His Righteousness and today is the Blood of Jesus. For many years, into decades in fact, I attended churches and engaged with ministries that taught very little about Jesus although some have now gained the understanding. Knowing Jesus and to understand His qualities, His nature, and what we have been given through Him is foundational to a powerful prayer life.

Hundreds of times, I have heard the term ‘Prayer Warrior‘  A ‘warrior’ is defined as a person skilled in combat or warfare especially within the context of a tribal or clan-based society that recognizes a separate warrior class. (reference: Freebase)  So for our purposes a warrior is a division, if you will, of people highly skilled in prayer and intercession. Using the Church as the tribe or clan, a Prayer Warrior would be skilled in principles of spiritual war, including strategy and tactics but most importantly a knowledge and applied understanding of the authority that they possess by being in Christ. These principles can impact the outcome of circumstances for an individual, a city, nation or really anything, through petitions to God and through the realm of the spirit. There can be no one truly worthy of being called a ‘prayer warrior’ that does not understand Christ’s sacrifice and the meaning of His blood.

Canva -Woman Praying Blog banner

The Blood of Jesus is a subject so vast that we can spend days studying it but for our purposes, I will provide highlights rather than a deep dive on the fullness of the magnificent power still held in the Blood of Christ Jesus. To begin, His blood and the resurrection served as the ratification for a New Covenant between God and Jesus and the Agreement that is a guarantee of a new and better way on behalf of all mankind.

Hebrews 7:22 AMP In keeping with (the oath’s greater strength and force) Jesus has become the Guarantee of a better (stronger) Agreement ( a more excellent and advantageous covenant). 

Hebrews 9:14-15 AMP  “How much more surely shall the blood of Christ, Who by virtue of [His] eternal Spirit [His own pre-existent divine personality] has offered Himself as an unblemished sacrifice to God, purify our consciences from dead works and lifeless observances to serve the [ever] living God? 15 Christ the Messiah is therefore the Negotiator and Mediator of an [entirely] new agreement (testament, covenant) so that those who are called and offered it may receive the fulfillment of the promised everlasting inheritance – since a death has taken place which rescues and delivers and redeems them from the transgressions committed under the (old) first agreement.”

I remember when I first began to study and learn about Jesus’ blood. I confess I had this thought, “Ugh blood ……. why blood”? Why cant it be anything else other than blood? The reason is that life –  life of all living creatures – is carried and held in the blood. But Jesus’ blood was different, it was very different because it carried within it NO SIN. So how did this happen? It is because the Holy Spirit “fathered” Jesus, forming Him in the womb of His mother, Mary,  thereby bypassing the Adamic line of sin. (Matthew 1:18) The final sacrifice for our freedom had to come from a sinless blood line because of God’s holiness.

Not only is Life in the Blood, the Spirit and the Blood are one and inseparable. That the outpouring of the blood of Christ was to make way for the outpouring of the Spirit – our internal teacher, comforter, healer, wisdom guide, and giver of spiritual gifts. Holy Spirit is the One that administrates and coordinates all of the gifts of the New Covenant on behalf of the Son and the Father.

The Blood of Jesus serves as the only true means of release from sin and guilt and the remission of the due and merited punishment for sin. That Christ’s Blood’s unending flow perpetually covers the sins of the Righteous and is the eternal substitute and propitiation to God. The Blood extends its grace over and above every personal sacrifice, performance based act, striving, or adherence to Law. There is no action or personal sacrifice that exalts itself above the blood of Jesus or can redeem any sin.

The Blood of Christ continually cleanses even from the beginning of our lives until the end of life. The word for this is “efficacious”. This once and for all sacrifice and the grace that has been shown to us should be respected and must be an intentional spoken action. Jesus’ blood has completely erased our sin. The devil’s biggest threat is the blood of Christ – whose continuous flow constantly reminds him that he has been defeated. When he walks about seeking whom he can destroy, he must pass you by when covered with the blood of Jesus. The Blood coupled with the unwavering knowledge that you are God’s Beloved is the greatest place of safety available to humanity. This once and for all sacrifice and the grace that has been shown to us should be respected and acknowledged by the turning away from sin. Blood is the eternal currency of Heaven.

Jesus said that “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you …. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in Me and I abide in Him”. (John 6:53-56) He spoke this in reference to the Holy Communion which is also known as the Lord’s Supper. There is no deeper or more powerful inward action that permeates the body like the taking of the Lord’s Supper which carries the very DNA of Christ. Christ stated that you have to take it.

Canva - Holy Communion

My final point is that His sacrifice, through the shedding of His blood, covers the scope of every human need:

Healing (Rapha, Exodus 15:26)
Provision (Jireh,Genesis 22:14)
God’s presence, Victory over darkness (Nissi, Exodus 17:15)
Peace (Shalom, Judges 6:24)
Pastor/Shepherd (Ra-ah, Psalm 23:1)
Redeemer of righteousness (Tsidkenu,
Jeremiah 23:6)
Sanctifier (M’ Kaddesh, Leviticus 20:8).

Your prayers must be spoken from victory and not from a defeated stance – the battle has already been won. Honor Him by embracing and walking out your benefits. What we have been given is a miracle. Decree, make declarations and approach the throne of grace with confidence and in ever present hope. Hope means a confident expectation of good in every situation. Remain hopeful in all times.

Session #4
#PrayerUniversity

Tracy Gatewood
Sacred Ramblings
Prayer and The Blood of Jesus
All Rights Reserved  2020

Facebook: Tracy Gatewood Sacred Ramblings
Author:  Doorways of Grace: My Uncommon Journey to Healing, Wholeness and Meeting Jesus
Wordpress:  http://www.sacredramblings.com

 

 

 

The Father That Answers Prayer

01 Friday May 2020

Posted by in #HolySpirit, Blood of Jesus, Christianity, Emotions, God, God the Father, Grace, Holy Spirit, How God Answers Prayer, Isaiah 54, Jesus, Jesus, Blood of Jesus, New Covenant, redemption, Prayer, The Bible, the Spirit, Tracy Gatewood Prayer

≈ Leave a comment

Canva - Child praying

“When the disciples saw it, they marveled greatly and asked, “How is it that the fig tree withered all at once”? And Jesus answered them, Truly I say to you, if you have faith (a firm relying trust) and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree but even if you say to this mountain, Be taken up and cast into the sea, it will be done. And whatever you ask for in prayer, having faith and (really) believing you will receive. ” Matthew 21:20- 22 AMP

“Ask, and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and it will open. For everyone who asks, receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” Matthew 7:7-11

“If you live in Me [ abide vitally united in Me } and my words remain in you, and continue to live in your hearts,  ask, whatever you will and it shall be done for you. When you bear (produce) much fruit, My Father is honored and glorified, and you show and prove yourselves to be true followers of Mine”.  John 15:7-8

The first recorded prayer teaching of Jesus was the Lord’s Prayer. Recently, I spent a great deal of time reading various books or chapters on the Lord’s Prayer. There is an almost dizzying amount of information.  In case you need a reminder of the Lord’s Prayer, please read further:

vs 8″ Therefore, do not be like them. For your Father knows the things that you have need of before you ask Him. In this manner  (boldface mine) therefore pray …….. ”
” Our Father Who art in Heaven, Hallowed be thy Name, Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will be Done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory for ever and ever AMEN. ”  Matthew 6:9-13

Canva- Lord's Prayer

My emphasis on the word ‘manner’ above is to illustrate that the intention of the Lord’s Prayer was to be used as a guide or template on prayer, and not a substitute for one’s own personalized prayer while communing with God. The Lord’s Prayer, as a guide, begins with praise and honor to the Father, asking that things that are in heaven will also be available to us here on the earth. The prayer acknowledges that God is Holy – uncommon, set apart and separate from the world. “Give us this day our daily bread” acknowledges that provision comes from His hand, followed by a request of forgiveness from God as we forgive those who have sinned against us. We ask to be protected from being lead into temptation (Pls note: God will never lead us to be tempted – Jesus was lead into the wilderness to negotiate with Satan but that was prior to His death and resurrection) and we are to ask to be delivered from all evil.

I greatly admire the works of several theologians and have numerous books written by Andrew Murray in my personal library. Here is an short excerpt on what Andrew Murray says on the Lord’s Prayer:

Give us this day our daily bread – When the child has yielded himself to the Father in the care for His name, His kingdom, and His will he has full liberty to ask for his bread. 
The Father in heaven will care for the child who has given himself up in prayer to His interests. Consecration to God and His will gives wonderful liberty in prayer for temporal things. The whole earthly life is given over to the Father’s care.

You may note that Andrew Murray believes that there are conditions to having your prayer needs met – 

The following is another assessment of the Lord’s prayer – an excerpt from another Andrew, this time Andrew Wommack:

Notice that verse 11 is not a question, because there is no question mark. It’s not saying “Oh God, I know I don’t deserve it, but would you please give me a crumb so I won’t starve and perish today”?  No. This is a demand. Its not an arrogant demand in the vein of “God I’m forcing you!” but more like a child who comes into the kitchen asking his mother for something to eat. Give us this day our daily bread –

God wants His will to be done here on earth as it is in Heaven – His desire is for no sickness, disease, poverty, despair. God does not cause bad things to come upon His people – we have an enemy, the devil, that is the root cause of evil.  God wants His believers to be so bold that they just reach out and take their request by faith! He is a Father of love, a family man that seeks good for His family. When life does become challenging, we have His presence to walk us through it.

If I knew unequivocally how to have God answer all prayer, every one – I would be the most famous Christian leader of all time. I do not have that answer but I do know how to move the needle closer on the “acceptance” spectrum.
FBsizePraise
1) Change the focus of your prayer from primarily petitioning for your personal needs over to praise and loving God. He knows your needs. If you do incorporate personal petitions, do so confidently and declaratively, showing God that you understand that His Son has paid the ultimate price. You may be dying but praise God that He is healing you, because His Son has paid for it and thank Him.

2)  You must have a Sonship perspective on prayer rather than a servant perspective. With Sonship, you are an Heir with Christ (Romans 8:17) and the Father has made spiritual promises that He will not deny. You approach the Father’s throne of grace surrounded by and clothed in Christ Jesus and His righteousness. The Holy Spirit is within so you are approaching the throne accompanied by two of the Deity; one surrounding, and one within. This should build faith and provide encouragement in your prayer time. You are not praying alone.

3) We must come boldly and bravely to God’s throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16) to obtain mercy and find grace during every time of need. A confident expectation at the throne of God is a major condition for answered prayer.

1 John 19 – 23 AMP 
“By this we will know [without any doubt] that we are of the truth, and will assure our heart and quiet our conscience before Him 20 whenever our heart convicts us [in guilt]; for God is greater than our heart and He knows all things [nothing is hidden from Him because we are in His hands]. 21 Beloved, if our heart does not convict us [of guilt], we have confidence [complete assurance and boldness] before God; 22 and we receive from Him whatever we ask because we [carefully and consistently] keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight [habitually seeking to follow His plan for us].23 This is His commandment, that we believe [with personal faith and confident trust] in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and [that we unselfishly] love and seek the best for one another, just as He commanded us. ”

We are not to be weighed down by guilt and shame and were never designed to carry these emotions. All guilt and iniquity (iniquity means to go your own way – and presumably in a direction that was out of the will of God) was taken on the body of Jesus while on the cross. Shame and guilt strike at our identity, keeping us from believing that God will answer our prayers. This is a performance-based perspective and not a grace based perspective. Jesus has paid for your sin. Your flaws and sin have been washed and cleansed by the blood of Jesus.

Isaiah 54:5  “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”

“For as many as the promises of God , they all find their Yes (answer) in Him (Christ). For this reason we also utter the Amen (so be it) to God through Him (in His Person and by His agency) to the Glory of God. ” 2 Corinthians 1:20 

All the promises that God has given us pertaining to healing, health, provision, peace, purpose and power are found in Christ. Our responsibility is to say AMEN to Him and walk boldly as Sons and Daughters that will declare with Him in Agreement that He has given us everything that we need. We are to rest and live in the knowledge that Jesus has paid for us to have what is needed in our lives.

At the end of His life Jesus cried, Tetelestai – ALL IS ACCOMPLISHED – Tetelestai means the account has been reconciled. The debt has been paid.

Canvas - Christ Crucified

So if Christ has paid the way for your healing, your health, provision, peace, purpose and supplied the power – we now pray from a position of victory and never  from a defeated, begging, pleading stance.  We also must pray God’s Word, phrasing our petitions regarding our circumstances to align with His promise then allowing time for the manifestation of the promise.

After consuming volumes of information on this subject, I believe that God answers all prayer that is within His will. Why would God give us prayer to use if not to our full benefit? There are however times that our prayers are not in His will.  When Jesus prayed in the garden to have “this cup pass from Me” – the cup did not pass from Jesus, as it was not the will of His Father to stop what was going to happen involving His scourging and the crucifixion. If anyone had the power to have any prayer answered, it would be Jesus Himself. He submitted to the will of His Father which was to allow the crucifixion process to continue. The fact that Jesus prayed and even asked His Father, rather than command a legion of angels down to rescue Him, speaks volumes about His heart attitude toward God.

In this dark hour, Jesus could not stride boldly to the throne of grace because there was no throne of grace as it did not exist without Him. Jesus is ALL truth and ALL grace. (John 1:17) There was no grace until Grace Himself gave Himself – Tetelestai!

Doorways of Grace
Personal Testimony  and excerpt from Doorways of Grace: My Uncommon Journey to Healing, Wholeness and Meeting Jesus

 “I was in the living room of my friend’s condominium and simply walking across the room when suddenly and with no warning, an explosive impartation dropped into my spirit. I stopped in my tracks and watched as if a scene on a movie reel, a Technicolor Jesus, hanging from a cross, His head dropping. A saw His spirit leave His body. I somehow knew that He had released His spirit of His own will and that His life had not been taken from Him. No one person or culture of people had killed Jesus. It then began to be revealed to me by the Spirit that we had been given everything we all need in this life because it had been purchased for us at the Cross. This came to me like an impression in my spirit. God was unlocking His rich treasury and showing me a very great mystery on a divine movie screen.

The understanding that we already own our healing, our provision, our peace, and our sanctification, all through Him, that His body and His blood has paid for everything that we need was coming to me for the first time.  I later learned how He became our righteousness and made us to be righteous in the sight of God (Romans 3:22-26). We need only walk with expectation in receiving these benefits. Our only requirement is to pray, be diligent, rest and have faith in Him. I could not believe what I was seeing in the spirit and had never heard this taught before nor thought that I had read this in the bible. I had never been reading the bible through the lens of grace!”   (excerpt page 85 )

Prayer University
Session #2

Tracy Gatewood
Sacred Ramblings
All Rights Reserved  2020
Sharing Link: https://wp.me/p1zoxs-2I9

Facebook:  Tracy Gatewood Sacred Ramblings
Author: Doorways of Grace: My Uncommon Journey to Healing, Wholeness and Meeting Jesus  (2015) 
Twitter:  Tracy L Gatewood

Lord Teach Us to Pray !

22 Wednesday Apr 2020

Posted by in #HolySpirit, Christianity, God, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, Jesus, Blood of Jesus, New Covenant, redemption, New Covenant, Prayer, the Spirit, Tracy Gatewood Prayer

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

,

Canva- Lord's Prayer

“ Then He was praying in a certain place (boldface mine) and when He stopped, one of His disciples said to Him,  ‘Lord!  Teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.’ ”
Luke 11:1

To attempt to instruct on prayer without deferring and submitting to the Master Teacher would be the greatest disservice to anyone desiring to learn. Jesus’ teachings on prayer are foundational and after all, Who would have a better understanding? As the Chief Intercessor, He is now seated at the right hand of the Father and His primary role is to intercede on our behalf.

If you are on a sincere journey to understand more about prayer, I encourage you to stop now and pray to Jesus in humility, asking Him to open your eyes on what He wants you to learn regarding HIS practice. This will require you and me starting over and learning afresh with no preconceived notions, templates or agendas.  Today,  I ask Christ to begin unlocking the rich mysteries and treasuries of prayer for us each day while we are meeting together in prayer school.

Canva -Woman Praying Blog banner

Luke 11:1 specifically mentions that Jesus was praying in a certain place –  our first duty will be to establish a place of quiet to commune with Jesus, to hear from Him, allow to be taught and thereby develop a trusting relational fellowship; one so close that you will hear and distinguish His voice. The goal is for you and for me to ABIDE and to learn to rest and perpetually DWELL in Him.

The unstated objective of prayer is having power with God more than men. This objective cannot be overstated nor minimized and prayer is what achieves this power. Powerful prayer moves mightily from a combination of relationship with Him and through our ever deepening revelation of the Father’s nature and characteristics. Christ is the Breath of Prayer and the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Prayer and they together will lead and guide us. Jesus sees our hearts and therefore what He desires to accomplish in and through us as we submit to His leadership and ask Him to teach us to pray but we must be able to listen.

” And when you pray, go into your (most) private room, and closing your door, pray to your Father, Who is in secret and the Father, Who sees in secret, will reward you in the open. “  Matthew 6:6

God wants us to dwell or abide (spend time from a position of rest) with Him in the secret place – the place that delivers from the storms of life. This is THE place of protection; where one Abides in the Shadow of the Almighty (Psalm 91:1) The Hebrew meaning of shadow is protection: from disease, terror, darkness, anything that comes against His children. Abiding with the Father is where you find true connection and will draw strength from Him. This only comes through acute focus on God, His Word and looking with expectation unto Jesus – the Covenant Son.

Canva - shelter in snow

But there is more, much more – His Spirit has been poured into your spirit so YOU now are the dwelling place of God, the Secret Place is YOUR spirit, secured by the death and resurrection of the Son. The Secret Place is contained by the boundaries of your spirit – the true secret place is deeply within where you sense or feel the faint movements of confirmation or His jolting warnings as He shows you the way and how to walk in it. This is only revealed by devoting time in building a relationship with Him yet even then, He sometimes will hide His pathway to have you seek His will with everything within you. Ask, seek, knock! Take heart, if you seek you will eventually find.

To understand God is to know Him as a receptor of Light. As an ear receives and understands sound and an eye receives and processes images, translating them into objects or people – God is a Receptor that receives on a frequency of thanksgiving, high praise, righteous petitions, repentance, acknowledgement of His Son and His Spirit, intercession for others and petitions for ourselves. God is a Spirit and our highest form of communication with Him is spirit to spirit.

When we accept that His Son, is His Son and the only payment for our sin debt, we pass through a glorious invisible veil to what He has for us and it is here that He delivers us the GREAT reward of His Spirit. He actually makes a way for us to have what He desires for us through Himself. God as The Triune, is completely contained in perfection.

Canva - Man with young son

In the secret place is where Christ Jesus, the Anointed, will breathe on The Spirit, instructing as The Truth, teaching you the fundamental attributes of His Father, your Father – His Fatherhood and His Fatherliness through demonstrations of His infinite and immutable devotion and love for you. This love for His children is the cornerstone from which all prayer must be grounded and established. While on earth, He was the only one that addressed God as Father and He returned to make known the truth that God was and is a family man. Without the knowledge and confidence of God’s deep love there can be no trust and assurance that He desires to answer all prayers of His will. Without the knowledge and confidence of His deep love, one cannot fully accept that He is truly working things to the good for those who love Him and will walk according to His purposes. (Romans 8:28)

Canva - Classroom and teacher

So in our opening session, we have learned the following truths:

1) We need a consistently quiet place to commune with God and to hear from Him
2) The journey of prayer is lengthy as it takes time to build and develop a relationship.
3) This prayer journey must occur with Jesus and the Holy Spirit and is not a solo flight.
4) Your own spirit is now the Secret Place where He dwells. (This is a New Covenant truth.)
5) God loves His children and is a true ‘family man’ (but really a Spirit but you know what I mean). #Godisafamilyman   #GodthefirstFamilyMan

And off we go ……………………………..

#PrayerUniversity
Session 1     4/20/2020
Lord Teach Us To Pray

Tracy Gatewood
Sacred Ramblings
All Rights Reserved  2020

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

 

Why Jesus Could Not Drain His Swamp

25 Wednesday Sep 2019

Posted by in #HolySpirit, Blood of Jesus, Christianity, Emotions, God, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Blood of Jesus, New Covenant, redemption, New Covenant, Prophets, redemption, Rejection, The Bible, the Spirit

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, ,

heritageofsaints


Luke 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me [the Anointed One, the Messiah ] to preach the good news (the Gospel) to the poor; He has sent Me to announce release to the captives and the recovery of sight to the blind, to send forth as delivered those who are oppressed [who are downtrodden, bruised, crushed and broken down by calamity], 19 To proclaim the accepted and acceptable year of the Lord (the day when salvation and the free favors of God profusely abound) (see also Isaiah 61:1.2). 20 Then He rolled up the book and gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were gazing (attentively) at Him. 21 And He began to speak to them: Today this Scripture has been fulfilled while you are present and hearing.  

These are words of Jesus teaching in the temple in Nazareth on the Sabbath to the priests and to His people.

Jesus proceeded to explain to the crowd that a prophet is not accepted in his own town or welcomed in his own town (country) and then provided examples: vs 4:26 Elijah the prophet overlooked the widows of  Israel during a 3 year period of famine and was sent to Zarephath in Sidon, and vs 4:27 Elisha the prophet did not heal the many lepers in his native Israel but chose instead to heal someone in Syria.

vs 28 And when they heard these things; all the people in the synagogue were filled with rage. 

In fact they became OFFENDED. Jesus was merely the son of Joseph and He was saying that He had come to deliver them as captives. “Is not this Joseph’s Son”?  Luke 4:22 The word Offense is Skandalon and in the Greek is defined as follows by Strong’s: 

(skándalon) is the native rock rising up through the earth, which trips up the traveler, hence, of Jesus the Messiah, to the Jews who refused him” (Souter); “properly, the bait-stick of a trap, a snare, stumbling-block” (Abbott-Smith); “the stick in the trap that springs and closes the trap when the animal touches it” (WP, 1, 46).]

Did you know that when people become offended at the works of Jesus; ie healing, deliverance, supernatural signs – this disconnects the flow of the anointing within the one who carries the anointing? It is a focus on and faith in what He has done that provides the conduit and pathway from one person to another. This is why the devil’s favorite play is to orchestrate offenses.

So even if you are a Christian and embrace the works stated in scripture of what Jesus did and what you as well have the power to release – if you reject the vessel that is carrying the message – you disconnect the vessel from the anointing  and the divine ability they have to pour into you.

Mark 6:3-6 Is not this the Carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James, Joses and Judas and Simon ? And are not His sisters here among us?  And they took offense at Him and were hurt (that is they disapproved of Him, and it hindered them from acknowledging His authority and they were caused to stumble and fall. But Jesus said to them, a prophet is not without honor (deference, reverence) except in his own country and among [his] relatives and in his (own) house. 5 And He was not able to do even one work of power there, except that He laid His hands on a few sickly people and cure them. 6 And He marveled because of their unbelief (their lack of faith in Him). And He went about among the surrounding villages and continued teaching.

We have all heard of the spirit of Anti Christ. No one refers to this as the spirit of “Anti – Jesus”. Why? People in Jesus’ time were not against Jesus as a Man, but they became offended at Jesus in His position as The Christ – they were offended by the abilities that He displayed through the power of His anointing. This offense and absence of faith prevented Jesus from doing much to release them, leaving Him to teach and heal, not to His own countrymen, but across the surrounding areas. Christ Jesus, is a title, ‘The Anointed One Jesus’ which He was awarded following His death and His resurrection; the single act that ratified the new covenant. Christ Jesus now holds office in the triune Godhead.

Following His baptism by John and a 40 day wilderness journey where the devil showed up at the end to try to tempt Him in all number of ways (and failed), Jesus returned first to His own people, only to be rejected by the religious. The people of Israel had taken the bait of Satan, becoming hooked into unbelief through the bait of offense. Jesus threw in the towel to act on behalf of His own because the people refused to see who He was or acknowledge that He had been sent with an anointing to heal, deliver and restore. This act of disrespect was a tragic miscalculation.

A religious spirit is a counterfeit to the work of the Holy Spirit – the “religious” cannot duplicate the supernatural, nor can they understand it, so they seek to either discredit or even destroy a person that moves in this and that is Spirit-led. The religious are either puffed up or self righteous, believing that their own lengthy prayers, which are never spirit led, are working.  It was this same spirit of religion that was responsible for putting Jesus on the Cross, “Crucify Him, crucify Him!” screamed the religious rabbi’s of the day. They of course could not kill Jesus, no one could kill Jesus. He allowed Himself to be (for 3 days) and even then He dismissed His own spirit to return to His Father when His work was complete.

I am teaching on this subject so my readers will understand the power and consequences of remaining in a state of offense. Not only a prospective receiver of a gift through an anointing can deflect the gift through offense but a person carrying the anointing can have it blocked from release if they remain offended.

Moral of the Story: Remain Unoffendable.

Blessings!

Tracy Gatewood
Sacred Ramblings
2019  All Rights Reserved

Twitter: Tracy L Gatewood
Instagram: tgatewood1
Facebook: Tracy Gatewood Sacred Ramblings
Author: Doorways of Grace: My Uncommon Journey to Healing, Wholeness and Meeting Jesus

Did you learn something?  If so I would love to hear from you!  Please tell me what you learned and also what topics on which you would like for me to focus. 

A Story of Salvation: A Marketplace Mini Miracle

07 Sunday Jul 2019

Posted by in Christianity, Emotions, Fear, God, Gospel of Grace, Grace, Healing, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, Jesus, Blood of Jesus, New Covenant, redemption, Keys to the Kingdom, Prayer, Salvation, the Spirit, Tracy Gatewood, Wisdom

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,

MM signage

At the age of 51, my life started completely over in every conceivable way; new city, career seeker, little to no financial resources, no church home and no relationships. My 20 year marketing career had taken a vertical death spiral following a coup attempt by a disgruntled assistant who trashed me behind my back almost from the point of hiring. (FYI: The quiet ones, and the flatterers are always the most dangerous. ). After being terminated from a very public position, my career spun into a nose dive and stayed there from the ages of 48 – 50.   The Lord started closing every door, I believe, to “encourage” me to follow His leading of returning me to a place that I very much did not want to go.  At the age of 50, I relented, returning to my hometown confused, desperate, angry (very) hopeless, and near the point of nervous collapse.

A few years before this traumatic season, I had earned my real estate license but held it in inactive status considering to use it “one day”. Establishing a commercial real estate career can become an expensive proposition. That “one day” came when a family friend called 10 months after I had returned home, still unemployed, nor knowing where to turn.  This family friend, graciously and innocently threw a lifeline to a drowning person that was going under for the third time.  ” Tracy, this is Carl, don’t you have your real estate license?”  “Yes” I said neglecting to mention that I had never transacted one piece of property ever.  “Well, my #@%** restaurant tenant moved out in the middle of the night”, he explained “and I need someone to market my building and find me a new tenant as soon as possible.”  I agreed to meet with him then quickly placed a call to inquire of what was needed to activate my license. The same day, I gunned it over to a local broker’s office, I explained to the owner that I was in need of a desk, a phone and a place to hang my license asap. He gave me a private office, a laptop computer and paid for my first year of dues, nothing for which I had asked but glad to receive. I was so poor five hundred dollars was more than I had to spare.

Nine months later, Carl and his new premier tenant, executed my first lease transaction for his 5000 SF corner landmark downtown property. A divine grace door had opened for me through Carl providing a clear path for provision because God had placed me on Carl’s mind and connected all the necessary dots. The process of securing the tenant was not simple, and entailed hard work. The money did not fall from the sky but the opportunity presented itself, the door swung wide, and I was offered a choice to walk through its frame.

Billy'sExterior-1

Later in that same year, the Holy Spirit gave me a hot tip regarding a 5 AC corner parcel with an obsolete shopping center, strategically located 3 blocks from an SEC University stadium. Eighteen months later that property was under contract and closed for $5.1 million, at that time, the highest price paid per acre for any parcel in the city. That was my first sale. The broker that gave me the initial opportunity made $40,000 on that one deal for doing no more than investing in me.

It would be glorious to be able to say that every year has been just like these – and that year over year my production increased to such enormous heights that I would never have a financial concern for the rest of my life.  Seven years later after walking through the door of real estate – I have had highs and lows. My rags story is transforming into financial stability and prosperity while allowing me to give to non profit causes at higher and higher levels which brings me great joy. But the greatest highlight of this journey is what I am gaining in knowledge of the rich treasuries of the grace of God and of Jesus.  I am witnessing through my own personal experience the meaning of His salvation.

Salvation means “material and temporal deliverance from danger and apprehension, preservation, pardon, restoration, healing, wholeness and soundness“.  Coming out of trouble is part of the package guaranteed to us by being in God’s Kingdom and belonging to Him. He has delivered me from ‘material and temporal danger’ and accomplished everything else on this list. I can tell you with certainty it was Him and not me doing the delivering. If you have never had a need to be brought out of trouble, I feel sorry for you because it means you have never experienced the full power of His delivering hand of salvation. The great news is that we can all look at Him with expectancy for something good to come our way, even despite our mistakes. And I have made my share.

For a number of wasted years, I lived in a confused emotional stew, swirling in extreme levels of condemnation, fear, anger and unforgiveness that kept me bound and broken. I was so messed up and discouraged that I was working very little – if at all. This was a mistake. We are all to be working. God needs us to move out in a direction, and as we set out, He swings in as The Rudder, turning us in His direction but first we have to get in the water and set sail. We have to move.

No doubt, I missed a number of life preservers tossed out in my direction by having no confidence in the basic truth of TRUST. I continued to look inward finding more confidence in myself instead of outward or better still upward, without expecting that God was going to work all of this to my good.  Looking inward in prolonged introspection is self righteousness – a sinful action that dispossesses God from His rightful place in life and is based in pure pride. God loves our full dependence upon Him, where we are fully yielded and waiting expectantly for His best. This is the position of Abba and Heavenly Daddy – a Father God with arms wide open to heal and love us unconditionally.

It was only when I learned to focus on Jesus and His finished work and to stop allowing my thoughts to turn inward is when I began to claw my way out of the fog. When my outward confessions began to align with the truth of God’s word –  I am the righteousness of God by my faith in Christ Jesus and in His blood and seated in heavenly places with Christ at the Father’s right hand – did the fear and condemnation begin to break apart and dissipate and my mind become clear from the fog. I began to acknowledge and embrace that my provision would definitely come because I Am In JESUS and that every good thing flows from and by the hand of God.

When I lean in and focus on Jesus – He brings clients to me in supernatural ways, He opens doors of favor (which is another word for grace)  It is difficult to articulate but activity just begins to happen. At times there is nothing that I am doing, no striving, but an effortless flow that is coming straight from the throne of God.

It has been seven years since I walked through the career door of real estate brokerage. The Hebrew number of completion and perfection is seven. My craft, like me, is still being perfected but after completing my first seven years working for other brokerages, last week, I decided to set sail and work for my own. If you had asked me 10 years ago or even 7 if I believed restoration was possible I would have said probably not or possibly even given a resounding ‘no’! But yes it is – it most certainly is – through the merciful heart of a loving Father that loves to deliver His salvation.

My personal story may not mean anything to anyone but me but it is my hope that in reading or sharing it will encourage someone that needs to understand this same power of which He so freely gives.

“May He [God] grant you out of the rich treasury of His glory to be strengthened and reinforced with mighty power in the inner man by the (Holy) Spirit [Himself ] – indwelling your innermost being and personality ….. that you may be filled (through all your being) unto all the fullness of God [that is] may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and become wholly filled and flooded with God Himself.

Tracy Gatewood

Sacred Ramblings
All Rights Reserved  2019

#TracyGatewoodPrayer

Twitter:  Tracy L Gatewood
Facebook: Tracy Gatewood Sacred Ramblings
Author: Doorways of Grace: My Uncommon Journey to Healing, Wholeness and
Meeting Jesus
Instagram: tgatewood1

Is There A Doctor in the House ?

20 Monday Aug 2018

Posted by in #HolySpirit, Blood of Jesus, Christianity, Emotions, Fear, Healing, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Blood of Jesus, New Covenant, redemption, New Covenant, Prayer, the Spirit, Tracy Gatewood Prayer

≈ Leave a comment

Swiss Red Cross

I think alot. This is probably what makes me a good strategist, non-fiction writer, master builder but for whatever reason God created me like this – to think ….. alot. It is sport for me to dismantle ideas and concepts; taking them apart and putting them back together in my mind to make them more efficient, faster, smarter. This “sport” also spills over into the way I consider spiritual concepts like prayer, healing, and the body, a subject that I have studied for two decades. There are few things that fascinate me more than prayer, emotional healing, the body and the mind. If I haven’t thought it I have probably read it from someone else. Thinkers tend to be voracious readers –

To that end, some of what I am about to write I can take little credit. The dots that were connected from the knowledge that I do have on this particular topic over to the Ah Ha! was a pure download from the Holy Spirit; a “Rolex Revelation” that floated into my spirit from The Spirit of Grace. I release it here now in hopes that it will help someone.

For many years I have had an active hobby of studying the mind, and negative emotions and how they impact the physical body. Not only have I walked through several seasons of illness into healing, but like everyone, I have watched at close range others struggle from trauma, fear, etc into disease. The primary culprits of long term emotional distress into physical impairment are: Trauma, Shame, Abuse, Protracted Fear / Terror, Rejection / Abandonment. These negative emotions typically emanate from harsh situations such as death, divorce, prolonged job loss, extreme financial lack, and shaming.  If left unchecked or remain unaddressed – these negative emotions begin to terrorize the physical body. You have the ability to bind these negative emotion “terrorists” – really spirits – before they become like metal balls in a pinball machine, bouncing throughout the body creating dis-ease, conditions and infirmities.

I have particularly noticed when a traumatic experience converts into a cancer as the human cells actually absorb or “take in” the trauma becoming damaged. I personally have walked through this in 2012 when a Stage 4 melanoma mole erupted onto my forearm following a highly traumatic season of protracted job loss and related rejection(s), even from a close fellowship with which I had been associated. It was a brutal season to say the least.

But this is not the Rolex Revelation – the Piece de Resistance that the Spirit laid on me regarding emotions, the mind and body and how to bind up / and control these spirits through The Spirit went much further and for the rest I am mostly a messenger –

When parents and grandparents experience significant seasons of trial and testing, oftentimes these valleys unsurprisingly hold the same result by producing severely negative impacts on their physical body. Unforgiveness, divorce, death of a spouse or child, bankruptcy or foreclosure, addiction cycles – parents go through situations at times of which even their children are unaware. These difficulties can and frequently do leave physical conditions. Arthritis, heart disease, cancer, colitis – an endless list of conditions spring from what started as a hardship that spawned negative emotions that lingered, and festered and lingered some more.

                Fear is the most damaging of all and is the root of the others.

These same illnesses are believed by the medical community to have the ability to be inherited, ie that same child is now “genetically pre-disposed” to a particular illness that a parent acquired when he / she refused to deliver their package of circumstances to Christ the Healer;  the Healer of all things; finances, relationships, health.

If a parent has onset of a particular condition, disease or infirmity that came through the mind (extreme negative emotions) and into the body, that child should not be pre-disposed to this same illness UNLESS the child mirrors the same negative reaction that moved their parent into that condition in the first place. If your parent or grandparent went through a divorce (trauma), or suffered an extreme loss of any kind (more trauma) and then developed a physical condition (unrelated to an accident and typically not structural but can be) then you are not at risk for developing this disease. Also, and even more importantly, if you are in Christ, then Christ is in You! You now possess the power to overcome severely toxic negative emotions through the Blood of Jesus and the Holy Spirit’s power.

So what is the solution? I realize what I am about to write will sound very simplistic given life’s extraordinary obstacles. Step #1 is the continual and persistent management of fear and other deadly emotions through new covenant prayer and the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus by the Holy Spirit over the mind of a righteous person to erase torment.  You must ask the Holy Spirit to sprinkle the blood over your mind. There is nothing more holy than the blood of Jesus nor more powerful.

Once the mind is stabilized, then and only then, the brain and spirit can begin to rein in the circumstances. One needs to listen to and follow the Spirit’s leading out of these woods and onto the correct path. The ever present understanding of the immutable love of God and belief that He is working on our behalf provides needed peace and security in every storm; Tropical or Category 5 hurricane.

I have walked through two Cat 5 level hurricanes of circumstances, both occurring within a 10 year span. These were life altering but over time – life improving. The first Cat 5 I was in boot camp learning God as Father as well as Phase 1 on how to hear from the Holy Spirit. Had I not gone through the first storm I would never have survived the second which was worse. I suffered PTSD after these two storms but with the help of God successfully navigated out.  I can say without reservation the most stabilizing stance for anyone is to have a very close relationship with Jesus, having Him as the very foundation of life where here there is always a doctor in the house.

#prayer   #emotionalhealing   #Jesus  #ChristtheHealer   #mindfulness  #healing  #pray

Tracy Gatewood
All Rights Reserved 2019  Sacred Ramblings

Join my #stableandfixed community !
Twitter:  @TracyLGatewood
Facebook: Tracy Gatewood Writer Teacher
Amazon Author:  Doorways of Grace My Uncommon Journey to Healing, Wholeness and Meeting Jesus
Instagram: tgatewood1
Soundcloud: Tracy Gatewood

Scroll through my posts for related articles on the topics of healing / fear / prayer