Category Archives: Salvation

The Remnant and The Reset

26 Sunday Dec 2021

Posted by in Christianity, Emotions, faith, Fear, God, God the Father, God's Plan and Purpose, Grace, Prayer, Salvation, soul, Tracy Gatewood Faith, Tracy Gatewood Prayer, Uncategorized

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“Moreover, ( let us be full of joy now ) let us exult and triumph in our troubles and rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that pressure and affliction and hardship produce patient and unswerving endurance.
And endurance (fortitude) develops maturity of character (approved faith and tried integrity). And character produces salvation. ” Romans 5:3-4 AMP

An invisible speck has created a global hysteria that has impacted every breathing thing, bringing misery, destruction even death to many. The fallout has sown division between friends, families, governments, economy’s, universities; in fact every system of societal culture as defined by the seven mountains of influence: Religion, Family, Media, Arts and Entertainment, Business, Government, Education, have all been impacted. This “re-set” is rewiring many organizations, businesses, families, people and relationships while testing capacity.

Capacity defined is the maximum amount that something can contain. Consider a glass of water that is filled to capacity; straining against the top lip of the glass while appearing to overflow yet doesn’t. A high-capacity person confidently and successfully manages the tension between competing priorities, juggling a high number of urgent situations through an ability to expand and perform under extreme pressure. This person uses laser discernment coupled with innate wisdom to prioritize then execute solutions. I believe that God is developing the highest capacity in His remnant to illuminate the way to success for His people and His Kingdom. This swatch of Christ following set-aparts are trained to navigate rapids with no raft, compelled to identify then move securely onto the “big rocks” as these rocks arise in the river to provide safety. Prophetic Priest and King cartographers will be necessary to map the way through the deep caverns of the reset whose issues will be no match for metes and bounds focused in faith on Jesus, the knowledge of the love of God and prayer.

“And endurance (fortitude) develops maturity of character. And character produces salvation.” This section of Romans 5 could be interpreted to be eternal salvation, living with Christ in heavenly places for all eternity although one cannot earn their way to eternal salvation. Do Good – Get Good is not a formula for salvation. If we could be good enough, we would not need a Savior in the first place. When one authentically accepts that Jesus is the Son of God and paid a debt of sin that no one could pay they are rewarded with a grace gift from God called eternal salvation.

Salvation in the Greek holds a treasury of meanings. Biblical salvation is defined as material and temporal deliverance from danger and apprehension; preservation, pardon, restoration, healing, wholeness and soundness. Personally, I love this definition of salvation. Apprehension (or dread) is a subset of fear and involves the mind. Healing and soundness also relate to the health of the mind (the soul) and the physical body. Restoration could be physical, mental or even financial. Endurance, fortitude and grit works out the dross in overheated silver, allowing it to rise to the top and be seen for what dross is; impurities. Fear, anger, temptation to quit, debt accumulation, rage, resentment, jealousy, covetousness, are a good working list. As the building out of character purifies the soul when developing capacity, it allows negative emotions to burn off in an upper atmosphere that no longer has time or desire for nurturing negativity. When God is developing capacity, He is also building out the soul (mind / will / emotions).

Successful high-capacity living demands a whole and healed soul.

” Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in every way and [ that your body] may keep well, even as [ I know] your soul keeps well and prospers.” 3 John 1:2 AMP

The condition of the mind / will/ emotions has undeniable impact on the health of the physical body. The two are inextricably connected and this is scientifically proven. One cannot move at a pace required for a high-capacity lifestyle without a healthy body. Once character is firmly established, this provides for a quieted soul, which aids or even insures sound physical health and well-being.

The process of moving through a stretching that allows for ‘the greater’ requires super gluing your soul to faith. At its very core – this is the purpose for the capacity bootcamp. Being successful at Special Forces missions requires unwavering, steadfast levels of sustained faith. Not just flashes of hope; confident expectations of good, but a true leaning of one’s entire personality on God in all situations. This is faith.

By way of personal illustration, I have worked on a multi million dollar commercial transaction since 2018. Due to Covid, the entire deal went offline for all of 2020, then in early 2021 made a miraculous return to the stage, front and center. After a grueling 7 months of city meetings, planning, back and forth – the deal collapsed in mid November and with it my well-earned six figure commission. Three years of work, down the drain and financial devastation all around. After a few weeks of turmoil and despair, during my morning quiet time I had a “Come to Jesus” with God over this transaction that had failed by no fault of my own. This was a calamity by any measure financially and professionally.

Every morning I pray Psalm 91 (https://sacredramblings.com/2017/05/29/psalm-91-amp) in its entirety aloud. The Psalm clearly states that “because you have made the Lord your refuge, and the Most High your dwelling place, There shall NO evil befall you, nor any plague or calamity come near your tent” AND “Because he has set his love upon ME, therefore I will deliver him, I will set him on high, because he knows and understands my Name” AND lastly, “He shall call upon Me and I will answer him, I will be with him in times of trouble, I will deliver him and honor him, with long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation.” I reminded the Father of all of these things then stated that I was not going to accept calamity – that His Word stated that I would not have calamity come near me and that His Word could not return void. I said much more but you get the picture. Respectful but authentic, frustrated, desperate.

Within one hour, my phone rang with a broker resurrecting a high dollar transaction that I had considered long gone – good money and enough to throw out a significant lifeline. I smiled and hung up the phone, thanking God for His goodness, mercy and dedication to fulfilling His Word. Although there is much work ahead, the call stirred my faith and showed me once again that God hears every word. “My God will supply ALL of my needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus“. Philipians 4:19 This is my sure confession.

“For I am the Lord, I do not change; that is why you, O sons of Jacob are not consumed” Malachi 3:6

Tracy Gatewood
Sacred Ramblings
The Remnant and The Reset
All Rights Reserved 2022
Hear a reading: https://anchor.fm/sacred-ramblings/episodes/The-Remnant-and-The-Reset-e1c68ko

On Earth As It Is In Heaven

29 Tuesday Dec 2020

Posted by in #HolySpirit, Christianity, God, God the Father, Jesus, Journey of Life, Keys to the Kingdom, Prayer, Prayer University, redemption, righteousness, Salvation, Tracy Gatewood Prayer

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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.

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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 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

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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
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Author: Doorways of Grace: My Uncommon Journey to Healing, Wholeness and Meeting Jesus









Jesus as Savior

05 Sunday Jul 2020

Posted by in Blood of Jesus, Christianity, God, God the Father, Jesus, Jesus Christ, peace, Prayer, Prayer University, righteousness, Salvation, The Bible, Tracy Gatewood Prayer, Unity, Wisdom

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“But when the goodness and loving-kindness of God our Saviour appeared to man (as Man), He saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we had done, but because of His own pity and mercy, by the (cleansing) [bath] of the new birth and renewing of the Holy Spirit, Which poured out so richly upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. [ And He did it in order ] that we might be justified by His grace (by His favor, wholly undeserved ). and that we might become heirs of eternal life according to our hope.”  Titus 3:4 -7 AMP

Jesus, Who was with the Father from the beginning, (John 1: 1-3) was sent to earth to save all mankind through the bringing forth of the knowledge of the immutable love of God, the importance of the turning away from sin and the understanding that His own sacrifice would pay a sin debt for which no person could ever personally pay.

Most hearing the Gospel message are aware that Jesus made a way for their salvation, allowing them to spend life eternally with God the Father.  Most are unaware that the word ‘salvation’ has more benefit than re-birth and a punched ticket through the Pearly Gates. (Revelation 22:21)  To refer to someone that has accepted Jesus as Saviour as being “saved” is in fact accurate. A “saved person” receives the added special bonuses of deliverance from danger, access to the pathway of restoration, deliverance from shame for wrong decisions, divine healing and wholeness, and the right to possess a strong, stable (sound) mind. Canva - Drowning

A good working definition of Salvation: material and temporal deliverance from danger and apprehension; pardon, preservation, restoration, healing, wholeness and soundness.

In fact, until one requires, yes really needs a Saviour to pull their personal wagon from out of a ditch, then and only then can the fullness of the word SALVATION by a loving Saviour be fully appreciated by a “Save-ee”. The word salvation in the Greek is ‘Sozo’ which also means to heal, to rescue or save, to deliver.  Jesus has become our Savior by paying our debt of sin to God, by becoming our righteousness so that a perfect God could look upon us, hear our prayers and be gracious to us, thereby Jesus removed all separation between mankind and God. No study on prayer and how to pray would be complete without the full embrace of Jesus in His role as Savior.

“And [besides] we ourselves have seen (have deliberately and steadfastly contemplated) and bear witness that the Father has sent the Son (as the) Saviour of the world. Anyone who confesses (acknowledges, owns) that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides (lives, makes His home) in him and he (abides, lives makes his home) in God.”  1 John 4:14 AMP

Just as Jesus exhorted His followers to “eat His flesh and drink His blood” to be saved (John 6:56), a person that is His follower must be willing to confess that Jesus is the only Son of God and that it was only His broken body and spilt blood that paid for their debt of sin and nothing they accomplished in their own strength.

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“So when the Samaritans arrived, they asked Him to remain with them, and He did stay there two days. Then many more believed in and adhered to and relied on Him because of His personal message. And they told the woman, Now we no longer believe (trust, have faith) just because of what you said; for we have heard Him ourselves (personally) and we know that He truly is the Savior of the world, the Christ.”  John 4:40-42  AMP 

Although we are not told what Jesus said in those two days while with the Samaritans, we know that His words were compelling enough to persuade them that He was truly the Son of God. The word ‘Christ’ means Anointed One. Jesus used His anointing to heal, and to teach, and deliver. Two-thirds of Jesus recorded actions while on earth were of healing. He traveled from town to town, breaking off yokes of physical and mental illness and even raising the dead. (See Lazarus: John 11: 38-44) Jesus was a Healing Machine. 

It was through these healing miracles that were witnessed and testified that spread the Good News that the true Son of God was “in the house”. But it was His own personal  raised from the dead story that solidified His place as the Son of God in the minds of the Apostles and His inner circle. These first hand witnesses became messengers that took Jesus’s actions far and wide, even at the expense of their own personal safety and eventual horrific deaths. The only Apostle not murdered, the Apostle John, was exiled to the island of Patmos where he was left alone to die.  It was on Patmos that he wrote    1 John as well as the Book of the Revelation. Canva - Angel

” I, Jesus, have sent my messenger angel to you to witness and to give you assurance of these things for the churches (assemblies). I am the Root (the Source) and the Offspring of David, the radiant and brilliant Morning Star  (Isa.  11:1,10 AMP) 
The Holy Spirit and the bride (the true Christians) say Come! And let him who is listening say, Come! And let everyone come who is thirsty and whoever earnestly desires to do it, let him come, take, appropriate and drink from the water of Life without cost.”   (Revelation 22: 16 AMP)

Oh what a Savior!

Lesson #6
#Prayer University

Jesus as Savior
Sacred Ramblings
All Rights Reserved 2020

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

 

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

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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.

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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
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Author: Doorways of Grace: My Uncommon Journey to Healing, Wholeness and
Meeting Jesus
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Ministry Matters: Why the Marketplace Should Incorporate Ministry Leaders into Their Sphere

14 Wednesday Nov 2018

Posted by in Disasters, Fear, Leadership, Prayer, Purpose, Salvation, the Spirit, Tracy Gatewood, Tracy Gatewood Prayer, Wisdom

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Dr. T.L. Lowery

From the beginning of opening business social media accounts, as a marketplace professional, I have been intentional about incorporating pastors and para church ministry leaders into my communities as “followers”. The Why is very simple. We need each other. The Marketplace needs and benefits from the influence and insights of mature spiritual leadership, ministry leaders depend on the skills and resources delivered from an innovative Marketplace to move their visions forward.

In the spring of 2011, I witnessed this relational need during a time of total devastation. In the transition back to my hometown of Tuscaloosa, AL, I watched, stunned, as meteorologists began frantically broadcasting during a “perfect storm” of atmospheric collisions resulting in an EF-4 tornadic holocaust that cut a 6 mile long swath of devastation killing 56 and taking out 12% of the physical buildings in the city. Immediately, church and lay and marketplace leaders moved into overdrive to save lives and rescue thousands of citizens. It took 3 years for the city to recover. Observing this concert of ministry and marketplace blending forces to create unified chords of hope, healing and restoration was a breathtaking, life altering event. (May 2011: Sacred Ramblings, Equip the Bride:  https://wp.me/p1zoxs-k )

I witnessed the church and para church ministries immediately respond to citywide trauma by creating individual “city halls” each with their own leadership structure, and systems of communication and distribution channels to serve the recovery efforts with speed and efficiency for each “embassy”.  Its Ambassadors; spiritual and marketplace leaders worked in different capacities;  the spiritual leadership moved quickly to provide an efficient platform of infrastructure from which to work providing staff, physical space, communication and distribution channels while marketplace (and then government) moved with speed and agility, providing vital resources of people, time and money through this stabilized infrastructure to create, innovate, and restore order as quickly as possible.

If you are a business person and feel that a church or para church ministry leader may not be a fit for your Linkedin account, I respectfully submit – this is misguided. Incorporating these leaders into your “sphere” is not just for the purposes of disaster prep. You need them and they need you. People in ministry have accepted the highest call. It’s far easier to become a University professor, a real estate practitioner, an attorney or a business owner, than walking out the vigorous testing journey required for accepting and walking out a ministry career call.

Most spiritual leaders are highly educated, but more importantly – they hear from God and have the ability to move and operate from a spirit driven perspective. This form of operating system is crucial for survival now and will be more so in the days ahead. If you had someone on your board that could accurately provide advice that could avert a really bad decision saving thousands would it not be worth it, even if it did not appear they possessed the technical experience to make those decisions?  You can have this.

Job 32:8 “But there is (a vital force) a spirit [ of intelligence ] in man, and the breadth of the Almighty gives men understanding. ”
Proverbs 2:8  “He hides away sound and godly Wisdom and stores it up for the righteous (those who are upright and in right standing with Him): He is a shield to those who walk uprightly and in integrity, That He may guard the paths of justice, yes, He preserves the way of His saints.”
Proverbs 24:5-6 “A wise man is strong and is better than a strong man and a man of knowledge increases and strengthens his power. For by wise counsel you can wage war, and in an abundance of counselors there is victory and safety.”

But this relationship model goes both ways. In 2013-2015, I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. T.L. Lowery multiple times as well as attend his 70 years of Service Celebration at the T.L. Lowery Foundation in Cleveland. A stream of internationally known pastors stepped to the podium to praise and thank him for his many achievements. Dr. Lowery was a prolific healing evangelist in the 50’s and 60’s, using a “canvas cathedral” housing 10,000 people in every city that he reached during a 17 year period. ( Impartation video:  https://youtu.be/FsIXkxT578I  )

T.L. Lowery, Ph.D, held one earned doctorate, and was awarded two more.  He pastored two churches, one in his home town of Cleveland TN, the other in Washington DC. (The latter, the National Church of God, is currently led by his son, Stephen). Dr. Lowery built a Christian school, started a bible college and seminary, built homes for the elderly and established the T.L. Lowery Foundation. He authored 87 books, edited 3 magazines, wrote multitudes of teaching articles and traveled to over 100 nations.

A prolific Apostolic and prophetic teacher, he brought multitudes to Christ through his life’s work which was more than enough but not for him. In addition to pastoring, teaching and writing; T.L. Lowery was a leader in civic organizations, serving faithfully in his community and nationally –  an Ambassador to Project One for the United Nations, and in local leadership roles for the Cleveland Chamber of Commerce, the United Way and Rotary. Yes, the great T.L. Lowery was also a Rotarian! He died at the age of 87 on February 21, 2016.  Interestingly, this date was one year to the day Rev. Billy Graham died as well as Doug Coe, founder of the National Prayer Breakfast. Three American evangelical leaders died within a 12 month period on the same date.

Marketplace professionals with access to ministry leadership should ask themselves how they can incorporate these leaders into the business realm. Ministry leaders – how can you incorporate yourself into the business arena as well as become proactive in your efforts to build relationships within and outside of your current sphere of influence? How can you establish yourself as a community leader outside of your “embassy”?  The strength of the fabric in our community’s is dependent on the number of threads effectively sewn between ministry and marketplace leadership.

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Dr. T.L. Lowery and Tracy Gatewood following a fiery preaching session in 2013.  On that day, the devil didn’t have a prayer anywhere in Mississippi!

Tracy Gatewood
Sacred Ramblings  All Rights Reserved

Related Article: Equip the Bride: https://wp.me/p1zoxs-k&nbsp

This article appeared on Marketplace & Ministry  (WordPress)
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Author: Doorways of Grace: My Uncommon Journey to Healing, Wholeness and Meeting Jesus  (Amazon 2015 )

Observations From A Soul Dive

24 Friday Nov 2017

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How does this work ?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Author: Doorways of Grace, My Uncommon Journey to Healing, Wholeness and Meeting Jesus
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Eternal Life Gives Eternal Living

04 Sunday Dec 2016

Posted by in Christianity, Healing, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus, Blood of Jesus, New Covenant, redemption, New Covenant, Salvation, Tracy Gatewood

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Do you need a bit of Good News today ? If so, I have something for you. If you have accepted Jesus as your Savior, you are already blessed with the experience Christians refer to as Eternal Life. Here is something to consider – you don’t have to wait until you have passed onto Glory to experience this gift, you have a gift card to use and redeem right now – your card was activated by Jesus when you became born again. There is no expiration and no black out dates ! You are now walking in Eternal Living!

John 17:3 AMP Now this is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true [supreme and sovereign] God, and [in the same manner know] Jesus [as the] Christ whom You have sent.

Eternal life is a reference to Eternal salvation. The word Salvation in the Greek is Sozo and is the same word used for Healing. God uses the same spiritual mechanism to save as He does to heal, and that is the acceptance of His Son and everything that Jesus died to give. When experiencing sickness, disease, or infirmity, make a decision to focus on the cross and the body of Christ and the physical aspects of His sacrifice. Thank Jesus for everything that He did on the cross to purchase your healing from ______  illness.  I can tell you from experience that the illness will quickly begin living on borrowed time.

Jesus has paid all sin debt – He was the only one that could. Your authentic acceptance of Jesus as the perfect sacrifice is what saves you from Eternal damnation, scooping you away from the edge of the cliff and placing you back onto firm standing on the rock.

John 3:36 AMP  “He who believes and trusts in the Son and accepts Him [as Savior] has eternal life [that is, already possesses it]; but he who does not believe the Son and chooses to reject Him, [disobeying Him and denying Him as Savior] will not see [eternal] life, but [instead] the wrath of God hangs over him continually.”

 

Tracy Gatewood
Twitter: @TracyLGatewood
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Author: Doorways of Grace: My Uncommon Journey to Healing, Wholeness and Meeting Jesus – available on Amazon.