True Health Comes from a Fit Mind on Anchor
31 Tuesday May 2022
Category Archives: Keys to the Kingdom
The Spirit of Truth
07 Sunday Feb 2021
John 14:17 AMP
“ The Spirit of Truth, Whom the world cannot receive (welcome, take to its heart), because it does not see Him or know and recognize Him. But you know and recognize Him, for He lives with you constantly and will be in you.”
In the Church today, there seems to be some confusion surrounding the role of the third person of the Trinity. Holy Spirit is not the Holy Beater, nor is He the Holy Chastiser – He is the Spirit of Jesus, Who raised Christ Jesus from the dead and Whom was released at Pentecost 50 days following the resurrection. In Acts, The Apostle Peter explains the how behind The Who:
Acts 2:38 – 39 AMP
“And Peter answered them, Repent (change your views and purpose to accept the will of God in your inner selves instead of rejecting it) and be baptized, every one of you, in the Name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of and release from your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise (of the Holy Spirit) is to and for you and your children, and to and for all that are far away, (even) to and for as many as the Lord our God invites and bids to come to Himself.”
The word ‘repent’ in Greek is described as Metanoia: to change course or direction. It does not suggest condemnation nor guilt which many modern churches teach. Jesus paid for guilt on the cross – Isaiah 53:5 ” ….. for He was bruised for our guilt and iniquities”. The Spirit of Jesus is a GIFT that is freely imparted through the acceptance of Christ. The Holy Spirit points us to answers held within Jesus. Jesus did not come to earth to condemn or judge, but only to save the lost. The reason people go to hell is not because of personal sin – Jesus has forgiven each of us. (1 John 2:1-2) People are condemned to hell because they do not accept Jesus as their payment for a sin debt they can never pay nor do they accept Him as their Lord and Savior.
John 15:26 AMP
“But when the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, Strengthener, Standby) comes, Whom I send to you from the Father, the Spirit of Truth Who comes (proceeds) from the Father, He (Himself) will testify regarding Me.”
There is a True North, or a “true Truth” that has been established on the earth by God the Father. This “True North” is available to all that hear the voice of the Shepherd and that will read God’s Word. The absolute truth of God’s laws and principles slice through clutter and confusion, clarifying difficult topics with application to all things past, present and future. God, in His mercy, also dispatches The Gift of His Spirit with periodic customized messages direct to our own spirit that bring clarity and truth to challenging circumstances, shining a light on the way forward. There is a reason that Jesus said that we should be glad that He was going away because something better was coming. The Cavalry has now truly come but you must get to know Him, spend time with Him and cultivate His presence.
So what is Truth ? Recently I had a discussion with someone that presented a narrative on circumstances of which I had observed at close range. What was true in his mind was 180 degrees from how I viewed the exact set of circumstances. He had crafted his own truth-narrative to cover for failures that he would not own. (We are all capable of espousing creative narratives to protect our egos and reputations.) To him, the facts he stated were unequivocally true – to me they were a ridiculous lie. It was pointless to challenge his story as it would only end in an argument and nothing I said would change his mind. I decided to pray that the Spirit of Truth would take care of the matter.
Another word for Truth is also “reality” – the Holy Spirit can be considered the Spirit of Reality, God’s kingdom reality – which is the only truth that matters. There is also a term called ‘universal truth’ which means what it says that a particular truth would be universally accepted by most people or a category of people (We’ll use Christians). For example: It is universally understood and accepted by all Christians that Jesus was conceived in the womb of Mary by the Holy Spirit, therefore bypassing the Adamic line of sin. Although we cannot ask Mary how this happened and discern for ourselves through first person testimony, we believe the Word of God and accept the account as being true. In the above illustration regarding the opposing narratives, there is no universal truth to which to refer and it comes down to character and perception. Fortunately, with the Spirit of Truth, we can always depend on the excellence of God’s character and His nature and trust that He is only delivering to us His “true Truth”.
John 16:13 AMP
But when He, the Spirit of Truth (the Truth-giving Spirit) comes, He will guide you into all the Truth (the whole truth, the full Truth). For he will not speak His own message (on His own authority); but He will tell whatever He hears (from the Father; He will give the message [on His own authority]; but He will tell whatever He hears (from the Father) and He will announce and declare to you the things that are to come (this will happen in the future). He will honor and glorify Me, because He will take care of (receive, draw upon) what is Mine and will reveal (disclose, transmit) it to you.
Pray for a strengthening of your personal relationship with the Holy Spirit. Ask Him to make Himself known and shown to you. Honor the Spirit and acknowledge Him when He confirms or discloses (transmits Spirit to spirit) information from God to you. He is doing it for your betterment and to glorify the work of Jesus. He truly is a Gift from the Father and paid for with the Blood of the Son.
For further study: The Spirit of Truth | Reformed Bible Studies & Devotionals at Ligonier.org
Tracy Gatewood
Sacred Ramblings
Prayer University
Session #14
Sharing Link: https://wp.me/p1zoxs-2SM
All Rights Reserved 2021
On Earth As It Is In Heaven
29 Tuesday Dec 2020
Many Christians believe that the sole purpose of deploying the gospel message to an unbelieving world is to simply offer eternal life. Could there be more to what we accept as why Jesus returned to earth from Heaven? Most definitely yes. He returned to not only glorify His Father but to bring all people life and life to the full. (John 10:10 ) Eternal living begins at the point of acceptance of Jesus, not just at a person’s point of death. This is the game changing reality in which we live. The eternal life that Jesus came to give is to be walked out while here on the earth. What Jesus paid for holds significant benefit for the living and nothing for which He paid with His own body and blood should go un-utilized.
When we exercise the privilege to engage in prayer – we do so to attract the Kingdom of heaven on behalf of all on earth. We join hands with the Spirit that hovered over and formed the earth to partner with Him on behalf of the living to heal the sick, deliver the addicted, rescue the poor, rebuke and dismantle damaging negative emotions, and even pray to change the course of nations, directing these nations into their destinies and the divine will of God.
“Our Father, Who art in Heaven, hallowed by thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven …….. ”
When I embarked on this journey to write Prayer University it was to reveal the primary attributes of Jesus as: Our Peace, Our High Priest, Our Righteousness, Our Savior, Our Healer and more – so that when we participate in the discipline of prayer, words could flow emboldened through the empowerment of the knowledge and understanding of Him. Communion, fellowship and intimacy in times of prayer with the Father release the dunamis power of what Jesus died to give through the delivery system of His Holy Spirit. Intimacy and knowledge of the holy can only be developed through a consistent time of prayer. In its simplest form, prayer is fellowship and communion with God. There are no shortcuts to intimacy with Him or anyone.
One of the many benefits or attributes through Christ’s sacrifice that we possess while here is that God awarded us dominion over everything. In the garden, Adam lost dominion and authority for all but Jesus came to redeem them back from Satan’s hand. Jesus as The Redeemer, by His blood, exchanged our sin for His righteousness, redeeming everything lost and saving those that claim Him from eternal damnation. His sacrifice flung wide a gateway of access to health and healing, deliverance, provision, wholeness, peace and restoration. In fact, the word “salvation” in the Greek actually means: Material and temporal deliverance from danger and apprehension; preservation, pardon, restoration, healing, wholeness, and soundness. The acceptance of Jesus as Savior immediately unlocks access to kingdom life in the full. As Andrew Wommack states, “Its a present tense possession. ”
Dominion and Authority
Colossians 1:16
“For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. “
Genesis 1:28
“And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
Luke 10:19
“Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.”
It is challenging, perhaps impossible, to fully grasp the magnitude of all Jesus died to give. It would become one’s life work to comprehend and actually walk out what He has given. Few people take the time to explore and to plumb the depths of the mysterious treasury held within the sacrifice and resurrection of Christ or the gifts He offers from the permanent offices of the Divine. Make it your joyful duty to explore all that He has done. Accept the dominion and authority for which you have been rightly given. Use it to draw Heaven to earth, and to allow for the will and power of God in Christ Jesus to flow fully through you and for others.
#TracyGatewoodPrayer
Session #12
Prayer University
On Earth as it is In Heaven
Tracy Gatewood
Sacred Ramblings
All Rights Reserved 2020
Sharing Link: On Earth As It is in Heaven – https://wp.me/p1zoxs-2R2
Jesus, Prayer and the Law of First Mention
14 Saturday Nov 2020
As we continue our study of Jesus, the Master Teacher of Prayer we will look at Jesus as our Healer (Jehovah Rapha) and how He was intentional with His earthly ministry to fulfill the Law of First Mention for the word Pray. In the 4 Gospels, 28 of 37 miracles that Jesus performed pertained to healing, deliverance, or raising from the dead. This affirms the emphasis and importance that Jesus placed on freeing people from the bondages of disease, infirmities and conditions impacting the body and the mind (mental illness and the story of the demoniac).
In the book of Genesis, immediately following the account of the destruction of the cities of Sodom and Gomorroh, the scripture details the story of Abraham’s journey toward the South country, where he briefly settled in the land of Gerar. There he and Sarah met the King of Gerar; Abimelech. Abraham told Abimelech that Sarah his wife was in fact his sister so as not be killed by the king. Abimelech took Sarah to be his concubine but was awakened in a dream by God who revealed to him that Sarah was actually Abraham’s wife. (Genesis 20:6) The next morning, Abimelech called his servants together to tell them and they were immediately filled with fear. He then held a firm discussion with Abraham about putting his life at risk. And Abraham responded through prayer –
Genesis 20:17-18
“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“
The account of Abraham praying for Abimelech is the first use or mention of the word ‘pray’ or ‘prayed’ in scripture. Abraham’s prayer resulted in a heal-a-thon within the King’s household and interestingly also a grace for conception for Sarah as she became pregnant with Isaac.
When the Law of First Mention (https://www.gotquestions.org/law-of-first-mention.html ) is utilized it points to prayer as a means of healing or deliverance. The Law of First Mention should probably be referred to as a principle rather than a law. This principle dictates that the first use of a word in scripture contains its purest meaning or form. The Hebrew word for healing is Sozo. This is a word rich with additional meanings: save, preserve, protect, deliver, be well, be made whole. Therefore the purest form of the act of prayer or to pray is to heal, save, protect, preserve, or restore. Clearly God was saving, healing, preserving, and protecting all of Abimelech’s household through Abraham’s prayer. To pray is to engage the Creator of the Universe into our circumstances through praise, worship and petitions. When we pray, we actively engage God, Jesus and Holy Spirit to execute their will on the earth. Here is an insightful article on the meaning of prayer: https://www.ministrysamples.org/excerpts/THE-MEANING-OF-PRAYER.HTML
As personal testimony to the healing powers and authority given to us, I have been healed by Jesus through prayer on 3 notable occasions; twice through my own prayer and once through the prayer of an astute intercessor. I have also experienced healing by Jesus through my own prayer in a number of lesser “heals” when illness tried to creep in but instead received a well-deserved rebuke. Sickness has no legal right to me. I am a Child of God and purchased by the blood of Jesus and hopefully so are you – (If in this current Covid climate, some well-meaning person gives you a hearty “Be safe!” respond with “Fear not – for God is with you / or ” I fear not, for God is with me.” This will get their attention. )
The kind Intercessor that received knowledge of a condition in my neck discs for which I had struggled for years, had no prior information of this condition. She simply yielded to God as He revealed to her the nature of my nagging structural issue. That evening, following the prayer, I felt no change in my discomfort level however I awoke the next day to a pain -free neck with a renewed range of motion. To this day, and 14 years later, I am pain free.
My other two conditions healed by Jesus through my prayer involved the straightening of an misaligned hip that was developing arthritis and the permanent expulsion of a virus causing tinnitus, vertigo and severe headaches, making me sick enough that I had difficulty working. The latter deliverance occurred in 2009 in dramatic fashion after I prayed a Derek Prince prayer for the release of a curse. Immediately I began to feel adjustments being made to my inner ear supernaturally – cracking and popping sounds all included in the healing show. The Divine Surgeon left as quickly as He came and from that day forward my head and ear have been healed. [ Derek Prince: Prayer for Release: https://youtu.be/Wdy2oAQ0aOI ]
The Gospels tell us about Jesus launching out day after day to heal, teach, deliver and save. All of the depicted miracle and deliverance methods illustrate healing through prayer or simply a firm directive to a spirit to come out. Healing also occurred when Jesus acknowledged an individuals display of extreme faith. There was rarely discussion – nothing about genetic dispositions, what parents died from, etc – it was always the same, a prayer, or a word and a healing result (and once alittle added mud with spit – ).
Our Jesus is a Healing Machine.
The practice of healing for those that pray and intercede for others must become more normalized throughout our culture. In many cases, we carry the solution to the physical and mental issues that plague millions of people. Christ Jesus our Commander and Chief Intercessor has paid the ultimate sacrifice to provide a pathway for our own healing and the healing of others. The lashes that He took on His body laid claim to His promise of divine health. By His stripes We ARE healed and we must pray like it –
Prayer University
Session #10
Tracy Gatewood
Sacred Ramblings
All Rights Reserved
I would like to add to this post my daily regime against Covid –
Pray aloud Psalm 91
https://sacredramblings.com/2017/05/29/psalm-91-amp/
Pray aloud the Armor of God
https://wordpress.com/posts/sacredramblings.com?s=The+Armor+of+God+
Receive the Holy Communion 3-4 times per week.
The Weapon of Praise
21 Monday Sep 2020
Posted in America, Armor of God, Christianity, faith, Fear, God, Holy Spirit, Keys to the Kingdom, Leadership, Nation, peace, Prayer, righteousness, The Bible, Tracy Gatewood Prayer, Unity, Worship
Tags
Driving home after a long day, my radio tuned to a worship music station, praise music saturated every inch of my vehicle’s interior. Despite the frustrations and strife of the day – the negative emotions clinging to my soul fell away, as a welcoming spirit of peace wafted through my mind, lifting up and away all the tensions of the day. This effortless transference of peace was sent special delivery from the courts of heaven. Peace is a gift bequeathed to us from Jesus, by Jesus Himself, as reward when we focus on Him.
II Chronicles 20:21-25 AMP “When he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers to sing to the Lord and praise Him in their holy (priestly) garments as they went out before the army, saying’Give thanks to the Lord, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever’!
And when they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushments against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir who had come against Judah, and they were (self) slaughtered; For (suspecting betrayal) the men of Ammon and Moab rose against those of Mount Seir utterly destroying them. And when they had made an end of the men of Seir, they all helped to destroy one another. And when Judah came to the watchtower of the wilderness, they looked at the multitude, and behold they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none had escaped!
When Jehosophat and his people came to take the spoil, they found among them much cattle, goods, garments, and precious things which they look for themselves, much more than they could carry away, so much they were three days in gathering the spoil.
On the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Beracah. There they blessed the Lord. So the name of the place is still called the Valley of Beracah (blessing).
Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, Jehosophat leading them, to Jerusalem with joy, for the Lord had made them to rejoice over their enemies.
They came to Jerusalem with harps, lyres, and trumpets to the house of the Lord.
And the fear of God came upon all the kingdoms of those countries when they heard that the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel.”
I believe the Lord has provided a spiritual tactic designed to strategically dismantle dangerous mayhem. This is an interior piece of the puzzle given just to believers who are forced to confront a unified tsunami of opposing forces that incite strife, division and evil across the globe. The piece? The Weapon of Praise. A powerful tool that can be enacted outside of the four walls of the church, strategically positioned in external outposts at the forefront of the lines of battle.
In today’s society, the media is weaponized, some departments of our national intelligence community appear to be weaponized, and even certain members of the conservative movement are weaponized – but these are not spiritual weapons of warfare from heavenly places.
In II Chronicles, The Lord provides for us an example of ‘battle’ in spiritual places, instructing us to ‘battle’ with praise to Him then promising to deliver us from our enemies. Seems simple. So why aren’t we using it?
With the clashing of swords in this Hebrew year of 5777 (Authors Note: we are now in 5781, this post was written in 2017) , we are witnessing unprecedented levels of lawlessness and civil unrest, and not witnessed since the 1960’s. During the latter part of the Obama administration, the cities of Ferguson, Baltimore and Miami – were hosts to incendiary levels of rage and violence incapacitating city governments, in some instances, destroying the livelihoods of people that they purported to defend. Now the American people are clashing over its very history and heritage.
But what about praise? Jehosphat sent his worshippers praising God while walking ahead of these armies, each wearing priestly garments saying ‘Give thanks to the Lord for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever!’ I have a theory – and as yet untested on a modern day battlefield; to release praise music in advance of or during demonstrations to disengage these spirits of violence. Like opening a fireman’s hose on a raging fire, the aggressive flames of emotional spirits of anger, hatred, aggression, murder and rage, could go silent.
I ponder why the impact of praise music would be any different within the atmosphere of my own vehicle than on any modern day battlefield. Imagine the impact of Hillsong, Chris Tomlin, Kari Jobe, Christy Nockels songs released prior to a demonstration or during the fray in the heat of the battle – singing the name of Jesus over and over and over again – above these protests. It is Jesus Christ Himself that has bequeathed us Peace. Would He not send us His Peace if we proactively sought it? Peace is a spirit. [ July 2017 The Spirit of Peace: http://wp.me/p1zoxs-24p ]
ll Timothy 1:7 AMP
For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but (He has given us a spirit) of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.
To effectively confront the societal enemies of our time we must come from a secret place of ‘power, and of love, and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control’. The songs of praise set us into another dimension – apart from fear, self righteousness, and our human tendency to dissect the what’s and how’s of every situation. Praising God is a declaration that He is trusted as our defender (Jehovah Nissi). Praise positions our minds for right instruction and divine strategy from Him in how to move ahead in these troubling and even dangerous environments.
Could Jehosophat have understood that the instruction from God to send the ‘Praise Team’ ahead of the armies would result in a strong confusion and in-fighting among the enemy camp? Could Jehosophat foresee that a win of his armies positioned his people for a significant wealth transfer? I doubt it. He simply followed God’s orders and won….. BIG.
We must engage in praise to God while listening for the the Holy Spirit’s direction for ourselves and our nation amidst the clamor and chaos of today. He is surely speaking.
** The Weapon of Praise is a repost and was originally written in 2017.
Tracy L. Gatewood
Sacred Ramblings
All Rights Reserved 2020
The Weapon of Praise Sharing Link: http://wp.me/p1zoxs-2iC
Twitter @TracyLGatewood
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
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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
29 Sunday Mar 2020
Posted in Christianity, Emotions, Fear, Healing, Jesus, Keys to the Kingdom, peace, soul
A Story of Salvation: A Marketplace Mini Miracle
07 Sunday Jul 2019
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.
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
A Merry Heart is Divine Medicine
27 Monday May 2019
Posted in #HolySpirit, Christianity, Emotions, Fear, God, Healing, Jesus Christ, Keys to the Kingdom, New Covenant, peace, Prayer, soul, The Bible, the Spirit, Tracy Gatewood, Tracy Gatewood Prayer, Wisdom
“All the days of the desponding and afflicted are made evil [ by anxious thoughts and forebodings ], but he who has a glad heart has a continual feast [regardless of circumstances ] ” Proverbs 15:15 AMP
” A happy heart is good medicine, and a cheerful mind works by healing, but a broken spirit dries up the bones”. Proverbs 17:22 AMP
” Attitude is a little thing that can make a big difference“. Winston Churchill
Many of us will agree there is a direct, undeniable connection between the mind and the body. It is how to calm and tame the soul (mind, will, emotions) – bringing it to cheerful joy and peace despite circumstances – is what eludes so many.
In 2009, I made a personal decision to return to my hometown after being away since 1979. I put my home on the market and began a job search, hoping to find something quickly as I had been a marketing freelancer which did not translate well in this new much smaller, college town environment. In the summer of 2009, I went on a spiritual retreat designed to free me of fears and habits that had accumulated over time. This was my hometown and a place in which I held unhappy memories and conflicts with family members were ongoing and troubling. In the natural, this did not seem like the right move however, I believed that God had a plan and a purpose for my return.
Following this 4 day retreat, I was attacked by something that I can only describe as a “spirit” as it was supernatural in its make up. Nothing I did would cause it to release. A trained Intercessor, I prayed, and then yes, begged God to remove this spirit that was causing me to stay awake at night – I only received at most 4 hours of sleep, and my heart raced uncontrollably as if I was literally having a heart attack. I felt like I was having what a nervous breakdown must feel like – but understood there was something very different about what was happening and I was correct.
During that 6 week period – I experienced a consistent feeling of terror, the highest degree of fear – that would never disconnect, day or night. It was not brought on by emotion, or circumstances but was supernatural in nature and demonic, a “thing” that tried to take my life and almost did. Suddenly, six weeks after the attack began, it released. I was standing in my living room praying and I felt it lift away – with no warning, just as quickly as it had come upon me. I had been praying for 6 weeks and believe there was nothing unique at that time as to what I said or prayed. Following that attack, I lived in an unfocused fog and detached confusion but months later thankfully that too lifted. This attack taught me survival training regarding prayer and how to hold peace in difficult circumstances. [A near death experience does have a way of gaining your attention. ] Your most important friend in time of great fear and distress is Holy Spirit. He is the Administrator and Coordinator of the Peace that was bequeathed to us from Christ Jesus.
Begin by embracing the Truth that God loves you and that He is for you, no matter what your circumstances. Even if you made a mistake you can always ask Him to turn your mistakes around for your good. He is there with you and sees everything. You must lean into Him and build your relationship with Holy Spirit so that you can hear His direction. He is speaking – you must learn how to hear Him and then do what He says. This is the fastest way out of your circumstances. Pray for Him to impart to you His discernment and skillful and Godly wisdom.
FEAR magnetizes all other unrighteous thoughts, drawing them towards an individual. FEAR is the Red Carpet that provides the jetway for jealousy, murderous rage, anger, covetousness, bitterness, shame, rejection and more – Get your mind under control and press out ALL fear. There are a several ways to tame the Fear dragon, and not one is difficult but each requires enough discipline to become a habit and better still – a default setting – whenever you are hard hit by a Fear Wall.
A) Read God’s Word. It acts as a water hose, rinsing off the dirt and grime that builds up from conversations, watching terror or violence laden TV, or just from being in the workplace. The Word of God is SPIRIT and is living and active. There is actual power in speaking aloud God’s Word – power that moves in the supernatural realm to accomplish our goals, and helps us take dominion over circumstances. There is a wealth of wisdom just in The Proverbs alone. There are 31 chapters of Proverbs, and one for each day. Commit to reading this powerful book.
The word “health” in Hebrew means ‘medicine’ and God’s Word is medicine that brings health to the soul. There is a difference between divine health and divine healing. John G Lake stated, ” Divine healing is the removal by the power of God of the disease that has come upon a body. But divine health is to live day by day, hour by hour in touch with God so that the life of God flows into the body just as the life of God flows into the mind or flows into the spirit.”
B) Call on the power of the Holy Spirit and invoke the Cross in Prayer. This is key. Fear is a spirit – as are the associated spirits of dread, terror, worry and anxiety. Before His death, Jesus bequeathed to all Peace as a gift from Him: “Peace I leave with you; My (own) peace I now give and bequeath to you“. John 14:27 AMP So if Jesus actually gave us His own peace – shouldn’t we have the ability to access it when needed ? Well…. yes we should. Ask the Holy Spirit to cover and protect your mind with the Blood of Jesus and the Helmet of Salvation – a helmet of hope. Pray and acknowledge the verses describing the sacrifice of Jesus: Isaiah 53:5 and place emphasis on the Crown of Thorns that caused the blood of Jesus to flow. This allows for the healing in our minds. I have personally experienced the effect of this many times. Imagine an etch a sketch pad with scribble across it and as you lift up that film, the scribble disappears. This is how thoroughly clean the Holy Spirit can remove unrighteous thinking in your mind when you partner with Him, the Paraclete.
C) Intensely focus your mind on Jesus who is ALL supply. There is no lack in Jesus unless you restrict His supply through your own lack of faith (your fear). Not only is He the bright radiant Son that lights up all of Heaven, He is the Mediator of the Eternal Covenant, our High Priest, the Chief Shepherd, and the Chief Intercessor. His sacrifice created an Eternal Covenant that ties back to the Covenant that God made with Abraham (father of a multitude) because Abram (high exalted father) believed in, trusted in, relied on and remained steadfast to the Lord Who counted it to him as righteousness (Genesis 15:6) Every citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven owns a title deed to the Covenant that God made with Abraham and with Jesus.
You, child of God, walk with favor, even if your present circumstances do not appear that way but you must hold fast to the hope that the Cavalry is coming because Calvary came!
Hope is a confident expectation of good, in every situation, praising God for His goodness.
Frequent drops of hope raining onto a person’s soul creates a consistent flow of faith. Remain in hope. Hope is much different than wishful thinking which is only based on man and not on God. Immerse yourself in hope-filled teachings avoiding teachers of behavior modification that do not understand that Jesus’ power is transformational through faith in Him.
C) Speak Words of Life during difficult circumstances. “Death and life are in the power of the tongue”. Proverbs 18:21 The rest of the verse states “and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof”. Watch your words. Your words set the course for your life and you will have what you say. “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34) If you guard your heart – and do not allow fear and emotion to penetrate, this is the surest way that words of hope and life pouring from your mouth.
Remain in innocence – understand that the Lord is your Defender and Avenger. Do not respond in kind to people that are harmful or hateful. The Lord will take care of them in due time. And lastly, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and understanding and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path.” Proverbs 3:5-6 Embracing this truth of trusting God will put your heart at rest then follow with prayer and ask the Holy Spirit to lead you to the next step of your journey.
Tracy L Gatewood
#TracyGatewoodPrayer
All Rights Reserved 2019
Twitter: Tracy L Gatewood
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Author: Doorways of Grace: My Uncommon Journey to Healing, Wholeness and Meeting Jesus – this book is available on Amazon
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The Fruit of Faith
11 Friday Jan 2019
Posted in #HolySpirit, Christianity, Fear, God, Grace, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Keys to the Kingdom, New Covenant, The Bible, Tracy Gatewood Prayer
The word Fruit is a popular biblical word; fruit, fruitful, fruits – bible verse references for fruit take up a page and a half in my (exhaustive) Strong’s Concordance. Fruit means “the effect, the product or the good things that result from work or activity.” Fruit is a result or byproduct of an action or a state of being. Could this be your year to bear much fruit?
By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit. John 15:8
Matthew 7:16 AMP ” You will fully recognize them by their fruits. Do people pick grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles? Even so, every healthy (sound) tree bears good fruit (worthy of admiration), but the sickly (decaying, worthless) tree bears bad (worthless) fruit. A good (healthy) tree cannot bear bad (worthless) fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear excellent fruit (worthy of admiration).” [ highlights mine ]
For a healthy fruit tree, bearing fruit occurs naturally. With proper conditions of soil and nutrients, fruit breaks forth effortlessly from branches, on which they are completely dependent. The work comes from the tree (or vine) through the roots as it must find the moisture and nutrients to send up through to the branches that bear and support the fruit. The sap flows continually to nourish and provide moisture to the branch.
Like the fruit that bears from a healthy vine or tree with little effort, Believers can bear good fruit by becoming a conduit for “heavenly sap” to flow in and through by the Spirit. This comes from resting rooted and spending time – and plenty of time – in the rich and verdant soil of Jesus.
As His seed, Believers are expected to replicate and make disciples but first should look more like Christ themselves. All fruit has seeds and can self-replicate. Righteous living is an expected fruit for any believer – righteousness comes by faith. In fact righteousness is the Fruit of Faith.
Genesis 15:6 AMP “And he, Abram, believed in [trusted in, relied on, remained steadfast to] the Lord, and He counted it to him as righteousness. [right standing with God ]. ”
Genesis 15:18-22 AMP ” [For Abraham, human reason for] hope being gone, hoped in faith that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been promised, So [numberless] shall your descendants be. 19 He did not weaken in faith when he considered the [utter] impotence of his own body, which was as good as dead because he was about a hundred years old, or [when he considered] the barrenness of Sarah’s [deadened] womb. 20 No unbelief or distrust made him waver (doubtingly question) concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong and was empowered by faith as he gave praise and glory to God, 21 Fully satisfied and assured that God was able and mighty to keep His word and to do what He had promised. 22 That is why faith was credited to him as righteousness (right standing with God). “
Righteousness is a state of being (a fruit) and not a state of doing, successfully achieved through unwavering focus on the promises of God and faith in the final sacrifice of Jesus –
One cannot attain right standing with God without first acknowledging that righteousness occurs solely because we are in Christ Jesus. God sees you as righteous and in right standing with Him because He sees you through the lens of your acceptance of the sacrifice of His Son. Being “In Christ” starts a process of transformation. Once saved, the fruit of that decision begins to grow and flourish from the inside out. The moment that we believe Christ was the only one that could pay our sin debt as the Son of God – we are separated out by Him and considered righteous, but not by any of our own works. When you accepted Christ, did you work for it? No. You accepted Him BY FAITH.
In Christ
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 [ endued with, viewed as being in, and examples of ] the righteousness of God [ what we ought to be, approved and acceptable and in right relationship with Him, by His goodness.] “
Consider that your righteousness is actually imparted as a gift from a loving Father Who Himself provided the required sacrifice of His Son to achieve the righteousness that He demands. This understanding should act to circumcise “self”; internal self -condemnation and internal self-reflection – causing our default response to look upward instead of inward.
A true revelation of God’s goodness, mercy, love and kindness towards His people acts as the foundation from which a person walks-out a righteous existence. This foundational belief should create a desire to live a virtuous life of integrity, and to live pleasing to a loving Father Who provides through the same Covenant He established with Abraham and inherited by all of his descendants. see Genesis 15:5, 12:3
Being firmly planted in the soil of Jesus (the tree) brings forth excellent fruit (righteous living) on every branch (you). Its about The Who and not your Do.
Without Jesus as your tree, your Fruit is bound to turn rotten. There is enough rotten fruit in the world from people that have no relationship with God. As Godly people – we should be showing Godly results – Proverbs 12:30 “The fruit of the uncompromisingly righteous is a tree of life ……. “
This would be an example of bad fruit – https://youtu.be/BmPrt_gn-eM Mrs. Doubtfire 50 secs
It is imperative that we know and understand God’s word while also viewing chapters and verses in proper context. In these times, we can no longer be spoonfed information that is scripturally inaccurate. Know why you ” think a thing ” – and then be able to back it up with understanding. I implore you friends – #studytheword
Tracy Gatewood
The Fruit of Faith
All Rights Reserved 2022
Twitter: @TracyLGatewood
Facebook: Tracy Gatewood Sacred Ramblings
Amazon: Doorways of Grace: My Uncommon Journey to Healing, Wholeness and Finding Jesus
Tracy Gatewood 