Now What?

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Radical Christianity in a Politicized Environment.

I started thinking lately of all the people who are losing their jobs, health insurance, federal funding, support, and they do not know how they will feed themselves or their children. Last month when we were out in the streets, there were double to triple the homeless out. One lady informed me that based on a recent Executive Order, they lost the funding to support transitional housing. Transitional housing affords the homeless temporary living quarters until they can become gainfully employed and afford their own home. Now they are back on the street.

I have been working for the past 12-13 years in the community feeding and clothing the unhoused. We are not sponsored by a church. We do not solicit donations. We are a group of volunteers going out to take care of least of them. What I’ve learned in my years of serving is it is far easier to get people to sign up to volunteer to see a celebrity Christian or go sit in a comfortable building, than it is to get people to give up part of their weekend to go feed the homeless. It’s far easier to go into a private voting booth and take away the rights of another person than it is to go across the street to share the love of Jesus with a stranger.

I’ve listened as the group I like to call “politicized Christians” talk about how we need the separation of church and state removed. They have advocated for Christians taking over the government because then we would see radical positive change in the world. I’ve watched as these “Christian” government leaders voted to take food and healthcare away from our poorest citizens. I’ve seen the political leaders celebrate firing people and taking away much needed benefits because there could be someone exploiting the system. I’ve witnessed behaviors that I think would have caused Jesus to flip over tables. The words of Jesus fall by the wayside because religion plus the empire is more important than obeying Jesus. It is the epitome of taking the name of the Lord in vain. How we treat the least of them is how we treat Jesus. His words, not mine.

…I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink;  I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me [with help and ministering care].’ Then they also [in their turn] will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or as a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ Then He will reply to them, ‘I assure you and most solemnly say to you, to the extent that you did not do it for one of the least of these [my followers], you did not do it for Me.’ Then these [unbelieving people] will go away into eternal (unending) punishment, but those who are righteous and in right standing with God [will go, by His remarkable grace] into eternal (unending) life.”-Jesus of Nazareth (Matthew 25:42-46).

History has proven that when the religious control the government, they do not do the will of Jesus. They build an empire of the elite and are often more oppressive than the non believing. The religious were often a target of Jesus’ harshest words because they had an outward appearance of piety yet inwardly they were wicked and proud. They were harmful to others and not agents of heavenly justice.

I believe our current political climate presents an opportunity for people who claim they know Jesus to get up and go serve the people losing their jobs, healthcare, or funding. Churches are tax exempt because they are supposed to be agents of social justice and servants in the community. I listened to an economist a few months ago who stated we are about to witness the greatest wealth gap in American history. The wealthiest gaining the most and the a good chunk of the middle class slipping into what is considered borderline poor. It may not seem like a big deal to people who are not living paycheck to paycheck, yet interested to see how it all plays out.

The bottom line is radical Christianity is radical love. It is the ability to be so good to people and the community that they question why. Is that what people are encountering with American Christians, or are we indistinguishable from those who don’t claim to know Jesus? In times of crisis are Christians the ones the world desires to run to or are we avoided because we lack godly wisdom and compassion.

I challenge you to look for ways to love you neighbors!

I challenge you to think of ways to share the goodness of God with people who are overlooked, pushed down, cast aside, unloved, and negatively impacted by the choices of other humans.

Politics are not to be more important than revealing who Jesus is to our neighbors and our enemies. Why? Because anything else is idolatry. Idols will not save anyone. At the end of our lives, God is not going ask about our political stance or church denomination. God will examine how we received his son and how we loved!

God bless you!

Erin

Who Is Jesus Of Nazareth?

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Image source: Creativefabrica. I do not own the rights to this image.

I cannot think of a more controversial and misrepresented person than Jesus of Nazareth. He’s been white washed, Europeanized, modified to fit the religious narratives of oppression/racism/sexism, and his name used in vain to promote ungodly agendas. Jesus has plenty of fans and a committee of haters. He was the most hated when he walked the earth by the religious and political crowd. They were looking for a different kind of Messiah. They were seeking a king that would overthrow Rome and free them from all injustices. Jesus of Nazareth offended their religious mindsets because they thought they knew God and how dare he claim equality with God. How dare Jesus perform miracles on the Sabbath and break their religious traditions? How dare he be merciful to women and sinners? How dare he dine with the destitute and tax collectors? He did not fit their mold of who the King of the Jews should be.

Today, there are the same crowds that chant “Jesus is Lord,” while denying his lordship. Those who neglect the poor, widows, orphans, those in prison, the sick/dying, the immigrant and the refugee. How dare Jesus call us to love our neighbors and our enemies? How dare Jesus call us to deny our selfishness and to follow his example? It has always been easier to be a fan of Jesus than a follower. It has always been easier to seek another human being who is not the Christ to be our king. To seek out someone who who deal with all the injustices we perceive and outside of God’s ultimate will.

For thousands of years humans have pursued doing life our own way instead of God’s way. The end result has been wars, genocides, injustice, racism, sexism, abuse, brutality, gross selfishness and greed, lying, stealing, and compromising God’s will for our own way.

We live in a culture that proclaims boldly that something is God without any biblical justification. We live in a culture that stands behind politicians and religious systems that are antichrist. The justifications are that “No one is perfect. God can use anyone. What else am I supposed to do.” I believe based on study of Jesus of Nazareth that we are to stand with God more so than culture. I believe we are to listen to and adhere to the teachings of Jesus, more so than our religious upbringing. I believe we are called to know the scriptures for ourselves and have a personal relationship with God. I believe one of the primary reasons Jesus came was to reconcile a lost and dying world to the Father.

People debate me on the teachings of Jesus online and in person, when they are clear as day in the bible. What did Jesus say? What did Jesus model?

What did Jesus say?

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.-John 14:6.

Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.-John 3: 1-36 (read the full chapter).

Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”-John 8:12.

I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.-John 10:11.

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies” John 11:25.

I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. John 15:5.

“If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father’s, and of the holy angels.”-Luke 9:23–26.

“I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance” (cf. Matt 9:13; 18:11; Luke 19:9–10; John 3:17; 12:47). Christ warned, “I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3, 5).

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name? ‘And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’”-Matthew 7:21–23.

There are no parts of scripture where Jesus winked at the sins of the people. Nor did he bow to the religoious and political agendas. He stood firm on the will of the Father. He told people to repent (change your mind about your sins) and turn to God. That the wages of sin is death and the gift of God is eternal life. No mere human stands before God perfect and without any sin. Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount brought even the self righteous to their internal sins of the heart. The beauty of Jesus of Nazareth is he provided a way for people to free of the penalty of sin and death. He said, “Repent. Place your faith in me and believe. Follow me.” He paid a price on that rugged cross that we could not pay. We cannot do enough good works to earn righteousness and holiness before God. There

London Book Fair & LA Times Book Fair

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Relationships 101: Foundational Wisdom for Better Relationships is a book that was a labor of love. As stated I was watching my father slowly decline while writing this book, and he passed away in June 2024. I’ve also endured sub par relationships with people hoping to reveal to them the love of God. I put up with mistreatment at times, connections with people who demonstrated they did not possess the same values, and I was known for giving far more than I received in connections with people. Relationships 101 not only provides insight from studying human behaviors and facilitating soul healing sessions with people, it is a journey through my own challenges with interpersonal relationships.

The good news from all of this is the book is receiving notable attention with publishers and agents. We were asked to participate in the London Book Fair and the Los Angeles Times Book Fair. I am in contract negotiations currently. I am thankful for the opportunity and for this book to reach the masses. If you have not picked up your copy, you can grab it here: https://a.co/d/bbxRSut. It has a 5 star rating and our editorial preview gave it a 10/10. People have stated it’s a must read!

What a journey!

I’ve been writing since I was a child. It’s been one of my dreams to share insight and hopefully wisdom with people through literary work. As I’ve grown into an adult, I became passionate about helping people heal from traumatic relationships and cultivate healthier ones. Relationships can elevate or derail our lives. We are not victims to toxic relationships or mediocre ones. We get to choose.

I truly believe one of my reasons for being alive is to speak to this area. A chunk of what I learned in communities of faith about relationships was based on the culture, not the actual teachings or lifestyle of Jesus. Therefore, I and others had sub par relationships and attributed it to God teaching us how to love. Suffering in relationships became the goal, not thriving in them. I heard people teach that the goal of marriage was to make you holy, and the bible says no such thing. The bible states it is the role of the Holy Spirit to make you and I holy. I’ve watched people I deeply care for suffer through divorce or abuse in relationships. We can have better!! God longs to give us better relationships.

I hope this book assists people with having a healthier view of themselves, a healthier view of relationships, and it helps to mitigate marrying/dating/befriending the wrong people. I hope women especially are helped to bypass settling for less than what God would give them. God does not give bad gifts. I sincerely believe it is not God’s objective that we suffer in every relationship. Suffering is a byproduct of sin. There is no sin in God, nor in heaven.

If you’re in London (UK) or LA (USA), you may see me in the months to come. If there is a book signing, please stop by and say hello. I would love to greet you in person. Thank you for your support of this blog over the years! You are appreciated. I plan to carve out more time this year to blog.

If you’d like to stay up to speed with what’s happening with new books, products, programs, please join us on https://www.empowered-free.com/. The link provided is my business website.

What else is upcoming?

I am launching an online wellness community for girls and women Feb 1 entitled “Healthy, Wealthy, Confident & Free!” There are 7 pillars of focus and they are as follows: healthy mindset, get wisdom, nourish the body, emotional healing, confidence, healthy relationships, and building wealth. We will meet monthly for 7 months-1rst Saturdays of the month. Also included in the program will be monthly focus workbooks, exclusive membership to a private Facebook community, and recordings of sessions. You may sign up here: https://www.empowered-free.com/product-page/healthy-wealthy-confident-free-program.

I hope you either join us in the wellness community or pick up Relationships 101 on Amazon.com (https://a.co/d/jdq3i96https://a.co/d/iCP111t).

Once again thank you and God bless you! God bless you, keep you, and his face shine brilliantly upon you.

Love,

Erin Lamb

Understanding Mutual Love in Relationships

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Photo: Erin Lamb Author 2024

If you’re like me, you were taught to love other people-even at the expense of yourself. Love was modeled in a sacrificial way; it was viewed as selfish to desire anything in return. We were taught to be the “givers” in relationships. No one taught me directly that God desired mutuality in my relationships with other people or at church. The more you offered of yourself, the more people clapped. God was to meet your needs while you were meeting the needs of others. One day it dawned on me, “If I am to get all my needs met by God, why can’t these other people do the same?”

I’ve encountered a number of women in my lifetime who view themselves as “the help” or “the helper.” People read Genesis and tell women they are the “helper” to man. From the translation of the Bible into English until today, women have been considered “the help.” Actually, it began the moment Adam sinned. God warned Eve that Adam would seek to rule over her (because of sin) and she would seek to please him (because of sin). It was not God’s original design. Nor did God name Eve “the helper.” He called her ezer kenegdo. Which has a far more meaningful and powerful definition.

Ezer kenegdo: [Genesis 2:18 can be translated as “I will make a power [or strength] corresponding to man.”…What God had intended, then, was to make a “power” or “strength” for the man who would in every way “correspond to him” or even “be his equal.””]-God’s Word to Women.

I’ve worked with countless women in relationships with men who treat them as their subordinate or they use weaponized incompetence (they pretend they are unable to do certain tasks so their wives are overwhelmed with household tasks or caring for their kids). Mistreating women, treating them as inferior is seen as “normal” or “God’s idea,” when it’s not. The mistreatment of any human being can be tied back to sin. Selfishness is sin. Sexism is sin. Treating people like they are our slaves is not love. God is love.

I love that Jesus told his disciples to not be like the leaders in the world who seek to rule over others, that the greatest among them would be a servant. Jesus encouraged MUTUAL love, MUTUAL respect, and agape love (unselfish, sacrificial love). The intention was not that in all our relationships we would behave and love like Jesus while everyone else gets to be Judas. Jesus had genuine friendships: Mary, Martha, John and several women supported his ministry financially. He loved the entire world, yet only a few demonstrated that love in return.

I had to learn from God that the desire of His heart was not for me to have more people similar to Judas and Saul sitting around my table. He actually desired there would be people who value me the person, not how I can mentor them for free, invest in their lives with zero reciprocation, give while they consume, or to be in cycles of mistreatment. I had to learn that love without wisdom can be likened to foolishness. I endured relationships with people who should have only been ministry opportunities, not friendships. People violated my trust, heart, time, investments in them, and then could easily skip off into the sunset. Some left quietly, while some insulted me on the way out the door.

I had to make a choice to keep enduring those types of relationships, or to step away from tables where I was either starving to death or being poisoned. It does not mean all those people were bad human beings. It means they were not and are not the right people for me. I made the decision that I desired God’s best in relationships. I continued to do ministry, and separated people I serve in a ministry capacity from my friends.

I changed. I had to change. I did not desire to get to the end of my life and not experience the best God had to offer. I was also tired of wishy washy, fair weather friends, people who only showed up for their needs/prayer, and when it was convenient for them. I wanted better. I desired better. I wanted to experience genuine God love in numerous relationships before I died. I also no longer wanted to waste the gifts or time God gave me on people who would not value what was given to them.

What has been the outcome? I have people in my life now or those who remained who show up simply to bless me. People who reach out to say, “How are you? What can I do for you? How can I pray for you?” I’ve been invited to beautiful luncheons, given free suite/box seats at sports events, promoted numerous times at my newest job, and my office has an entire section with cards from people with kind notes. I am valued. I am loved. I am appreciated. I am not “the help.” I don’t have to beg for respect, love, attention, affection, or support. It’s freely given. More doors of opportunity have opened. My health has improved. The warfare in my life has lessened. I have zero relational drama. I have fun! I feel a level of safety in the connections around me. I do not believe they are smiling in my face while discussing me negatively behind closed doors. I am not traumatized or in cycles of being mistreated and them asking for forgiveness. They know how to steward my heart.

If you genuinely love people, trust God desires to place people in your life who KNOW how to love you. Trust that God desires His best for you, not just for you to be the best for everyone else. God is good. I had to learn that God did not orchestrate every relationship I had-even with professing Christians. Some of the Christians I’ve encountered in my lifetime have treated me the worst. Then they show up years later with a sad apology. Are they forgiven? Yes! Do I desire them back in my life. NO! I’d prefer to be set on fire or run over by a bus 50 times. There are people we are called to pray for, forgive, and then MOVE ON!

I hope you pick up Relationships 101: Foundational Wisdom for Better Relationships. I put my heart and soul into this book. My two favorite chapters right now are “Get Wisdom,” and “A Healthy Relationship Starts with You.” We can have better. We can have genuine love. We can have thriving friendships. We can experience God love through another person. The first step is to receive God’s love for ourselves. The second is to stop settling for less than God’s best! I’ve yet to meet anyone grateful they settled in life. You don’t have to settle.

If you don’t know how to treat people, the book provides tools for you too.

Get your copy of Relationships 101 today: https://a.co/d/6XFZvyj

Love,

Erin Lamb

Founder & CEO of Lamb Enterprises LLC

Relationships 101 Book Release

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This book has been a labor of love. Mainly because it contains stories from my own relationships and journey, as well as some from soul health clients. I cannot think of anything that can negatively or positively impact a life more than relationships. I believe we were created to have thriving relationships, yet it can be the most stressful parts of a person’s life. I had to learn some lessons the hard way and I call those wisdom bumps. You don’t need to learn everything via suffering. You can learn from my experiences and those of my clients.

Several of my favorite chapters are, “A Healthy Relationship Starts with You,” “Stop Talking to Snakes,” “Are You Watering Dead Plants,” and “Where is He Leading You.” I have an entire section devoted to the interesting characters. It focuses on the “God told me,” people and narcissists. It covers the breadcrumbers (the people who do just enough to keep you connected, yet they invest nothing substantial in you). There is a section on green flags and how to spot a healthy relationship. I put my heart and soul into this book. It covers family, work, friendship, dating, and marriage.

I’ve worked with countless couples in soul healing to see their marriages restored. All but 1 reconciled. The one couple that did not reconcile was because he preferred to be with men. I believe numerous relationships can be restored. Those that cannot, we can learn from them.

I learned I was an overinvestor. I desired to love people the way God loves me and in the end it left me with major deficits in my life. I invested in people while receiving little to nothing in return. I am worth more than that. I also forgave people over and over who mistreated me, yet they were not repentant nor of high quality. I accepted less than what I wanted in relationships. I was a blessing to people who were not a blessing in return. It sounds noble to be selfless, yet I will tell you confidently that God desires more for you!

There is a chapter called Pivot and I had to pivot. I changed. I removed some connections, changed my phone number, stopped being the initiator, ceased giving people countless chances to use/abuse me, and I stopped settling (there is an entire chapter devoted to settling). It’s vital we know what we want, know our own value/worth, and we stop settling for less!

The eBook was released last week and the paperback will be available within the next week. I hope you grab a copy and share with friends.

Link to pick up the eBook: https://a.co/d/5Mryfc4

With Kind Regards,

Erin Lamb

Founder & CEO of Lamb Enterprises LLC and Operation God is Love

Hospital or Hospice

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I love Yeshua. I love the person of Jesus and all He represents. I have been challenged over the course of my life by what people call “Christianity” vs. what I read in the Bible regarding the ministry of Jesus, the operations of the early church, and the guidance provided to followers of Jesus on how to behave. My heart is not to judge other Christians, nor the church. The assessment of who belongs to Jesus vs. who is going through the motions is not my job. I am not the Holy Spirit. What I will say is there is a great turning away from the organized religion of Christianity because many people are struggling to encounter Jesus within the culture.

I have heard people over the years judge people who leave churches with various statements and I desire to address some of those.

  1. “You still go to work if your boss or your colleagues mistreat you, so you need to come to church regardless of how people treat you here.” What’s wrong with this statement? Well, work is where they pay you to show up and perform. You are free to find another job if your employer treats you poorly. If it’s not a safe place, you have means to address these issues such as Human Resources, OSHA, or agencies dedicated to fair business practices. Your employer is in a contract with you to perform certain services for you while you serve their business. I doubt many people would show up to work if they were not paid to do so. No one pays you to go to church. You give the church money! You serve for free at the church (unless you are on staff) and often little appreciation if you are a volunteer. You are told you are doing this for God and to fulfill his mandate to you. Yet, the church is not to be held accountable to God’s guidance for leadership or how people are to be treated. The church, ministers, lay members are to be given grace/mercy/forgiveness and little to no accountability. There are ways to legally hold employers liable for abuse. So, yes people will go to work over going to church if there is a abuse. People can meet with God in their homes and forgo being mishandled by Christians in a building. Instead of anger over people staying home, ask why they don’t want to come.
  2. “This generation simply hates God and tradition.” What’s wrong with this statement? Well, I interact with the “younger generations” and those who are jaded by church. 99.9% of them I have encountered do not hate God or the Biblical representation of Jesus. They hate the hypocrisy of the church. They hate the turning a blind eye to racism, sexism, bigotry, and the obsession with a certain political party. I will say it here even if I lose followers-the obsession church people have over presidential nominee Trump led millions of people out of the church. I know it it cleared out a good number of my relationships. Why? Because there are countless Christians who said, “God chose this for us! No matter what Trump says or does (even if it grossly misrepresents Jesus) we will stand by him. We are willing to ditch our friends, the teachings of Jesus, our family, and anything or anyone not in agreement with him.” Millions of people left the church. And when I have spoken to supporters of this movement, they do not seem to care. I promise Jesus cares. Additionally, some of what Christians call the “traditions of God” are nothing more than the traditions of the religious. It’s void of the actual heart and teachings of Jesus. There is no ambiguity in who Jesus is nor what he stood for. Our “traditions” are not more important than the work of the Holy Spirit in people’s lives. Jesus offended the religious of his day and their traditions. He called them blind guides. They led people into religious bondage. I’ve found people desire authentic Jesus of Nazareth, not the religion of the church.
  3. “You can’t say anything negative about God’s church because he will defend his bride.” Well, if you read the New Testament there are letters to the churches of CORRECTION. Say what? Though people love to pick and choose what parts of Apostle Paul’s letters they pay attention to-he sent letters of correction and rebukes to Christians and churches. “Who has bewitched you? Are you are servant of Paul or of Christ?” I’ve read the Bible from cover to cover numerous times. God corrects his own people. He sent prophets in the Old Testament and apostles in the New Testament times. God does not give the church a pass to do whatever they want with zero accountability. It is because of God’s love that we are offered correction. “God disciplines those he calls a child,” (Hebrews 12:6).
  4. “Church is just a hospital for sick people, do not expect people to treat you right here.” This is my least favorite of them all. I would like for people to stop saying this. Hospitals are places where the sick go with the intention of recovery. Nurses and doctors work to assist people with getting BETTER! You are supposed to get better. If the people at our churches come evil (sick) and leave behaving like the devil (sick), then it’s not a hospital-it’s HOSPICE. Hospice is the place where people go sick, they stay sick until they die. Churches are not hospitals nor should they be hospice. The ministry of Jesus radically transformed people’s lives. They left him either offended or better. The church is intended to be a place where people GROW UP! Where they spiritually, emotionally, and mentally grow up. It is supposed to be a place where people become more like Christ in their heart and behaviors. I want people to stop using this excuse and examine why there are toxic behaving people in our churches who are offered no accountability or mentoring.

I truly believe when God said, “Be imitators of Christ,” he meant it (see Ephesians 5:1). Christians are supposed to behavior better than the non believing! Our character is supposed to better. We are supposed to be more loving, honest, faithful, and compassionate. The people who do not know God calling the church to a higher standard is righteous. Jesus stated we would recognize his genuine disciples by their unselfish love (agape love).

Blaming people we mistreat for not desiring connection with the church or Christians is futile. Most are not running from God. They are running from people who claim to know God and behave nothing like Jesus. They are disinterested in being used, abused, mistreated, ghosted, gas lit, abandoned for no legit reason, experiencing apathy, and a genuine lack of God love. Expecting people to subject themselves to mismanagement of their heart, time, or resources is unjust. I believe there is an issue within Christian communities of entitlement (people owe me relationship/friendship or access while I provide nothing good in return) and a deep lack of abiding in God love.

I have been mishandled by countless Christians. Do I forgive them? Yes. Do I pray for them? Yes. Do I want to continue to engage in close connection with them? NO! I do not. Why? Because my time on earth is limited and I need to complete what God sent me here to do. I allowed way too many Christians to waste my time. What they need is therapy, counseling to deal with their bad relationship habits, to accept responsibility for their poor stewardship of people, and some may need an exorcism. I am not joking. I grew tired of being mishandled so I ceased initiating with people who did not reciprocate goodness. It’s unwise to keep pouring into people, opportunities, or organizations where you are not valued. Please don’t believe the lie I was taught that if I gave my all to Christians God would replenish me. It kept me trapped in cycles of unnecessary trauma, drama, and it was a distraction. God re-planted me with people who value who I am and what I offer. I am currently surrounded by people who mutually invest, they initiate goodness, and I don’t have to do all the work. God cares how we treat people and how they treat us! People need to choose to work on themselves.

How do we move into loving like God? We must know God’s love for ourselves. I hope there is a breaking away from the false teaching of “Love God, love your neighbor, and love yourself last.” I think it has crippled countless Christians. The Bible is clear we are to love our neighbor AS we love ourselves. The God centered pathway of love is as follows: Receive love from God, love God and yourself, then go love your neighbor AS you love yourself. Too many people are attempting to love people from their own well and it’s empty. A bankrupt person has nothing to offer you! If I do not love myself, I cannot love you or anyone else.

Religion and our religious traditions do not make us more Christlike. Relationship with Jesus of Nazareth and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit transforms us from the inside out.

How to treat people better:

a. Ditch entitlement. People don’t owe us relationship, access, connection, ministry, forgiveness, love, friendship, service to our church or ministry. These things are gifts. If improperly stewarded, you may lose a connection/relationship. The grass grows where you water it! Be grateful if someone is good to you.

b. Do not ask of people what you would not be willing to do! Please stop this. If you are not willing to give up your vacation to go serve someone, don’t ask them to do it. Yes, this has happened to me. People call me on vacation with their prayer needs or expect me to give up vacay to see them. They have a pastor, call them.

c. Show up as an investor instead of a consumer. Reciprocate. You serve instead of desiring everyone else serve you. Reach out when you don’t need prayer, help, support, or you’re bored or lonely.

d. Your politics are not more important than Jesus. I don’t care who you vote for, simply cease adding Jesus’ name onto your party or person of preference.

e. Work on you. Deal with soul wounds and bad habits. If you mistreat people, ask for forgiveness. Don’t just show up years later as though you have done nothing wrong. Be accountable for your choices and treatment of people.

This is a long post, yet I hope it helps someone!

Love,

Erin

Two Types of “Christians”

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One of the lies I was told as a child was that America was founded on Christianity and a Christian Nation. How can I call this a lie? I can call it a deception due to the study of what “Christian”means to God and was Jesus stated would mark the life of His disciples. Christian is supposed to mean-imitator of the Christ, Jesus of Nazareth. What America was founded upon does not mirror the heart, spirit, or nature of Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus stated you would know His disciples by their agape love-unselfish/sacrificial love. He stated you would know a tree by the fruit it bears. Meaning you will know the heart of a person and their character by their actions.

America was founded on stealing land from Indigenous persons and Mexicans in the west. Genocide occured here so that white men could establish their “kingdom.” There was brutality that occurred, murder, displacing of human beings who were not considered “white.” Research the Trail of Tears and Indian Boarding Schools (includes Canada’s history). Indigenous children were stripped from their families and many sexually assaulted. Aside from murdering, stealing from, raping, molesting children, and forced bondage on Indigenous persons…America participated in the human trafficking of African people. For over 400 years the United States of America brutalized, exploited, raped, and murdered black people. They built wealth off of free labor and even set up breeding farms to force black women into having countless children for free labor. Even after much revolt and a Civil War, America moved into Jim Crow. Setting up unjust systems to keep black persons from advancing in society. I have not even touched on the treatment of the Chinese and the rail roads and the interference in other countries affairs that led them into poverty.

None of these actions imitate Jesus of Nazareth. They were part of an empire called “white supremacy.” There is a form of Christianity that has nothing to do with Jesus other than putting forth a false image of piety while living opposite of the teachings of Jesus. It’s anti-Christ (in place of Christ). People bow before it, and worship a false blond haired and blue eyed Jesus who never existed. People pledge their allegiance to an idol that has nothing to do with Jesus. People scream they are Patriots of a system that has oppressed and murdered millions of people. It’s not Jesus of Nazareth.

The founding fathers of America, when they spoke of religious freedom, political freedom, and life/liberty/justice for all. They were speaking about those rights existing for white men only. They were not interested in equal rights for women, Indigenous persons (whose land they stole), black/African people, or anyone who do not belong to their “white male group.” That is not the character of Jesus. Jesus was not European. He was not a white man. He would have been considered an immigrant. The same “God” people think America was founded upon would not have had rights in America. He would have been treated horribly.

Hanging the ten commandments in our buildings and praying in school is meaningless if those same people go out and murder black people for sport, deny other humans their rights to choose, and it involves oppressing people to maintain power. It is what Jesus said to the Pharisees, “Outwardly you are pious, yet inside you are depraved. You are white washed tombs. You are blind guides and children of the devil.”

I have encountered two types of “Christians” in my lifetime. There are those fully devoted to Jesus and they seek to do the will of God. Then there are those who are in love with their religion/church/denomination/political party/ the power they can hold over people by using God’s name in vain. They do not bear the fruit (character) of Jesus. They can be brutal, controlling, manipulative, and the desire is to force people into their belief system rather than to live a life of a good witness. They are the poster children for hypocrisy. They speak of God they do not imitate.

Stating someone or something is a Christian does not mean it belongs to Jesus nor that it’s imitating Jesus. Jesus did not steal, murder, rape, commit genocide, promote violence of those deemed other. Jesus was not a white supremacist. Jesus did not bully people into compliance. Jesus did not use politics to force people into His way of life. Jesus did not oppress women. Jesus was not racist. Jesus was not abusive nor oppressive. Jesus was a thorn in the flesh of the politicized religious of His day. He called them out as belonging to the evil one and not His father.

My prayer is not that America turns back to who she was in former seasons. My prayer is America turns to Jesus for the first time. I pray America repents of her sins and knows Jesus for the first time. My prayer is people seek Jesus, know the real Jesus of Nazareth, and this country has a genuine revival that leads people to Jesus-not America’s version of Christianity.

The greatest commandment was and is to love God and then to love our neighbor as ourselves. I will say I have met an abundance of Christians who have religion and they are void of the love of Jesus. They are more into their political ideology and worship of America than they are obeying Jesus of Nazareth. I say this strongly and it’s written in the word of God, “No idolater has a place in the Kingom of Heaven,” those who love America, their political party, their church, their pastor or Pope more than God shall not inherit the Kingdom of God. Jesus stated, “If you love your mother or father or sister of brother more than me, you are not worthy to be my disciple.”

My encouragement is seek, know, and follow Jesus!

Erin

Breaking Free…Relationships 101

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Of all the books I’ve authored, I am the most excited about the next book. Relationships 101 will hopefully assist people with stepping into incredible relationships and setting boundaries in the less than stellar ones. I hope the book sets people free from settling for the bare minimum in connections and the religious teachings that keep people stuck.

I wanted July 7th to be the official release date, yet I am most likely pushing out for a number of reasons. I prefer it’s exactly what it needs to be rather than pushed out the door swiftly.

One of my desires with this book is people easily learn lessons I learned the hard way or my soul health clients had to learn the hard way. I hope women especially take the lessons and apply them to their lives.

The people we choose to be connected to in ministry/church, friendship, dating, marriage, work…they matter! These connections can elevate or deflate a person’s life. These relationships can add value or subtract value. Every relationship, if we are invested, is requiring something from us. They require time, energy, love, support, encouragement, and more depending on the level of intimacy. Choosing the wrong person or people can change the trajectory of your life.

Despite religious people saying God works all things together for good, count it all joy, and God redeems the times…You and I should not have to be dragged into hell to know that fire is hot. God’s ability to turn a mess into a message should not be a reason to pursue a mess.

I cannot tell you the amount of unnecessary hell, irritation, frustration, stress, and confusion connections with the wrong people brought into my life. That time could have been spent enjoying life, resting, enjoying my youth, connecting with people and places that actually desired to value who I am as a human being. Instead, I was trying to reveal the love of Jesus to every person I met. Even if they were Judas in return or added no value to my life. I was seeking to add value to everyone while not asking for much in return. Therefore, what I received in return was minimal. People could call me one of their best friends, and I could not return the sentiment.

I had to learn that God desired the best for me in every area of my life, including relationships. It’s prudent to note that someone who is not best for us may be a wonderful fit for someone else. I don’t fit with everyone, nor will you. The key is figuring out what works best for you, loving yourself the way God does, and refusing to settle for less than what you’d like in a relationship.

Wisdom is a good thing, the principle thing. Relationships 101 is a foundational book of wisdom nuggets. I hope you pick up the new book and check out the first three books: I Thought I Knew What Love Was, Confident & Free, and Overcoming Church Hurt & Abuse. All three are available on Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.com.

The Bestseller of the three is Confident & Free. You can get yours here: https://a.co/d/8EPim9V

Warm Regards,

Erin Lamb

Relationships 101 Book Coming…

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Looking back over my life, I’ve made decisions to love people far more than they’ve loved or demonstrated to me. This sacrificial, never demanding reciprocation type, love was applauded by Christians around me. What I learned was (overall) there were not as many people looking out for my best interests on a consistent basis, nor my well-being, my mental/emotional health, or even what I desired out of relationships.

The guidance was, “If you do all these sacrificial things for the church, community, or other people…God will take care of you. God will meet all your needs. Therefore, you should be proud that you invest so much of your self in others while expecting nothing in return.”

It sounds so lovely! Part is true; another part forsakes wisdom.

Love is not selfish. Love pursues the highest good for others. Love does what is honoring. The part that is missing is God is not requiring us to be friends with, date, or marry people who are consumers in our lives. The “God is so proud of you, yet ask nothing of me in return,” is a way for people to make sure they or their church/ministry are benefited with little to no requirements to do anything in return. The lie told is that “you are doing this for God so it’s what God wants for you.”

I have learned throughout my life plenty of people put God’s name on what benefits their best interests and desires. God desires you serve until you’re burned out, instead of God provides you with a brain and wisdom. Therefore, examine what is reasonable and do not over extend yourself. God desires you give as much money as you can to the church and God will repay you. Truth is that church or ministry desires your funds and only if you give with the right motives will it be credited to you. You are not to give under compulsion.

The truth is as follows: God actually desires that we are in healthy, reciprocal relationships that are life giving. God desires we are loved in return. In a friendship, dating, or marriage there should be some reciprocation, mutual investment, mutual respect and care.

There is a difference between ministry, charity, and a friendship. Ministry and charity involve serving in many capacities without receiving anything in return. A relationship is a partnership of two people who mutually invest, support, and give love. It’s not intended to be persistent one sidedness in dating, friendship, or marriage. Yes, there may be a season or seasons where people cannot reciprocate; they are sick, deployed somewhere else, or they cannot invest any time/love/support. It is abnormal to be connected in relationships with people who do nothing but receive (unless it is a baby/child).

What about God? Does He give to us expecting nothing in return. People say “God expects nothing.” In relationship with God, God asks for faithfulness, faith, love, loyalty, that we listen to sound guidance, to go through His Son, and for our entire lives. God loves everyone! God is NOT in a relationship with everyone. Jesus ministered to many people with deep love who never chose Him. They never reciprocated love. They never turned towards Him. And while people will tell you that those people are in a relationship with Jesus, God does not force connection. Jesus said, “whoever desires to be my disciple must deny themselves, pick up their cross and follow me.” Meaning, “I am requiring something of you to be in relationship with me.”

Though people say you cannot waste time, any love you give cannot and is not wasted, I disagree. I do believe if we love with pure intentions there is reward from God. I also believe we can waste our own time by dating the wrong people, befriending the wrong people, and marrying the wrong person. I have had copious client’s suffering through horrible relationships; they are stressed, burned out, and depressed.

I do not believe God ordains all these tumultuous relationships to teach people something or break them down so far they cry out for help. I think humans, myself included, choose people or allow people to choose us who are not for our greatest good. Once in the relationship there is a desire for God to bless it. Yes, there is one known relationship I’ve read of in the Bible where God encouraged a prophet to marry someone we would not consider marriage material. I don’t believe God is ordaining every dysfunctional relationship.

I hope my next book, Relationships 101, helps people to forgo wasting their time, energy, gifts, heart with people who will not properly steward those things. The plan is to launch the book later this year!

God wants the best, not sub par relationships for you!

Warmly,

Erin Lamb

Christian Culture vs Jesus

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I have struggled the past 3.5 years, well a bit longer with American Christianity and the religious/political components. The more time I spend with Jesus, the less American Christianity makes sense to me. I have seen Christians betray the teachings of Jesus to adhere to their political ideology and religious traditions. I’ve encountered unjust and ungodly treatment at the hands of “Christians” claiming their ideology is the will of God.

All of it reminds me of the Pharisees. Mainly because they “thought” they were doing the will of God. They had their traditions and rules. They had their ideas of God. They were political and the expectation was to have a Messiah that came in like a war machine to free them of Roman rule. Jesus shows up in a completely different fashion. He is not involved in their politics. He challenges their religions customs. He calls out their hypocrisy. They are religious. They are political. They neglected what God valued more that their religious behaviors and self righteousness.

Sadly, I have witnessed the same behaviors in the past 8-10 years in what I call “Christian culture.” There are behaviors that have been made acceptable that have nothing to do with Jesus and they are stumbling blocks to evangelism.

I recall church focus on the Gospel of Jesus instead of “Here’s who you need to vote for,” or “If you don’t agree with us politically, you don’t belong here,” or “We will end all contact with you if you don’t vote our party.”

I also recall when people hid their racism at church, at least they used the phrase-“I don’t see color.” Which is not appropriate. I won’t go into why, look it up and do some research on cultural sensitivity. Fast forward to 2020 and Christians became quite vocal about their racism or demonstrated apathy regarding what was occurring in society to black and brown people. I would tell you to go back a few years and look at some of the responses by bible thumping Christians on my social media, yet some of it was so nasty I deleted and blocked people. I’ve also ceased having a public personal profile and removed thousands of people from my “friend” list. Not all removed were problematic, I simply decided it was time to simplify and modify my life .

I want to end on a positive note. There are profound revelations that came out of 2020 and even the 4 years prior. 1. Every person should place their faith and trust in Jesus-not the church. I believed people when they said, “We are family and I love you.” Now I understand that God loves me and I cannot place my confidence in Christians. I am not bitter. I am wiser. 2. Just because two people claim to know Jesus does not mean they can be connected in any way other than a shallow connection at church. 3. More religious people than I realized are racist or simply apathetic. 4. Politics matters more to some people than Jesus or how Jesus told them to treat you. 5. You cannot change the religious/political crowd. It is okay to pray for them and move along. I truly believe the political and religious spirits are antichrist and they were certainly involved in the murder of Jesus.

Shaking that leads to revelation may seem horrible at the time, yet it has benefits. I think every follower of Jesus has a moment where culture is moving differently than the Kingdom of Heaven. Follow Jesus. I am not telling you it’s wrong to vote, be involved in politics. I am stating just as the late Billy Graham said, “The church is unwise to link a political party to the Gospel of Jesus.” It’s not the job of the church to tell people who they need to vote for or they are going to hell (I heard a preacher say this). It is not the job of the church to shun people from God’s house because they don’t vote a certain way. It is not the job of the church to send out “prophetic words” to tell people God told them who to vote for!! The pulpit is not a campaign. Though it’s unpopular, it’s not the job of the church to control the lives of everyone and force Christianity on the world. God let’s people choose who they will follow.

My encouragement to all followers of Jesus is to actually follow Jesus. Treat people the way Jesus commanded you to regardless of their political views. Understand, the way you and I respond to the world impacts their views of God, the church, and Jesus. I don’t care how you vote, who you vote for, and have never mistreated someone because they held different beliefs than I do. Why? Because Jesus told me to love my neighbors and my enemies. I don’t view people who vote differently as enemies, even if I don’t agree with their choices.

The world is seeking an authentic Jesus. I don’t recognize the Jesus that is being promoted in Cultural Christianity. Yet history has continued to show us that people mix Jesus with their ideology and then find bible verses to supposedly authenticate it (examples: slavery, stealing land from Indigenous people, oppressing women and immigrants). My encouragement for people to seek to know God for yourself and please don’t allow modern day Pharisees to run you away from the One who genuinely loves YOU!

Warm Regards,

Erin