Category: Devotions

Glory to Glory (Manifesting Sonship Series Part V)

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And we all, with unveiled face, continually seeing as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are progressively being transformed into His image from [one degree of] glory to [even more] glory, which comes from the Lord, [who is] the Spirit,~2 Corinthians 3:18 (Amplified).

God’s glory is the external manifestation of His being. God’s glory is something that appears ( Exod 16:10), is revealed (Isa 40:5), or can be seen (Num 14:22)-source BibleStudyTools.

Holy Spirit is glorious! He is fully God and marks/seals believers as belonging to God (2 Corinthians 1:22). He works within us to reveal Jesus, righteousness, and to take us from glory to glory. 

I’ve heard some preach that since we are saved by faith and God loves us as we are, that means we are to stay as we are when God encountered us. This isn’t what the Bible teaches. It neglects the powerful work of the Holy Spirit.  When God encountered Paul (formerly Saul), he was persecuting and killing Christians. After his radical encounter with God, Paul became one of the most radical preachers of the Gospel. We see a murder and persecutor completely transformed.  

We worship a God who makes all things new. 

We too are called to transformation. It’s not transformation that is the result of striving. It’s a result of beholding Him and abiding (remaining) in Him (John 15:5).  

Our spirit is made new at conversion. Our soul (mind, will, emotions) and character are being transformed/sanctified. 

The Road to Tranformation…

Faith: It starts with believing God. My thoughts about God will determine what I become. If I believe God is harsh or critical, it will manifest in my behavior and response to Him. 

Believing the revelations of God’s word, nature, and character brings transformation. 

Truths I’d love for us to digest and meditate on today: 

  • God is love. It’s who He is, not simply what He does. It’s not based on our merit, behavior, or performance. 
  • God is truth. He cannot lie! Every word He speaks is truth. Every promise in Him is yes and amen. 
  • God is good. Every good and perfect gift comes from above from the Father of Lights who does not change like shifting shadows. 
  • God is holy. There’s no sin in God, and He will never lead you down a path of sin. We were born into sin; He paid the price to free us from sin. 
  • God is perfect in patience. God has infinite patience. He is not like humans who may toss you aside if you fail. Think of the prodigal son story. The Father was looking for the son! He ran out for his wayward son. If everyone else gives up on you, God will take you back. Come running…if you move an inch He will run miles. 
  • God cares for every detail of our lives. What matters to you, matters to Him. He knows every hair on our heads, every tear we have shed. He knows our thoughts, dreams, desires. He cares more than anyone else.  

His Word: I truly believe we are to be people of His Word. He gave it to us as food and a blueprint. We read, study, and seek Him with the Holy Spirit. I ask the Holy Spirit to teach me. 

Worship: Loving God, honoring God, celebrating God, and putting Him first in all things leads to such encounters. He inhabits the praises of His people. It takes the focus off who we are, what’s happening around us, and places the focus on Him. 

Intimacy with God: God invites us into relationship with Him. A deep, pure, growing relationship that’s life giving. It’s more than a Sunday morning activity. It’s a daily love relationship, more intimate than marriage.  

Obedience: Scripture tells us we are a slave to whoever we obey (Romans 6:16). We are either obeying God or the evil one. Obedience is better than sacrifice. Jesus perfectly obeyed the Father. I’m not suggesting perfectionism or striving. I’m stating there’s blessing in obeying God. If we miss the mark, we go to our Father and say sorry. He’s so eager to forgive. No shame and no condemnation (sentencing). 

What If What We See Isn’t Jesus? 

It’s a process. So the focus is God. If I sit down and look at the character of Jesus and my character, I have so far to go. He’s perfect. I am not. The objective isn’t a self help program or to try to make myself like Jesus. The objective is to remain in Him, let Him love me, and keep my eyes on Him. 

It’s not what we see. It’s what God sees and who He says we are. We are His image bearers in the earth!   
Photo credit Pinterest. 

You are so deeply loved friends! Lifting you up. God bless you. 

Love in Christ, 

Erin Lamb

God Esteem & Confidence (Manifesting Sonship Series Part IV-b)

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Sometimes WordPress behaves wacky. In the middle of my post on Moses it posted what was not finished. Hence getting more than one post today…😃

I left off talking about Moses letting God know about His weaknesses. God already knew. He knows everything. We are deeply loved by God, yet the story isn’t primarily about us…it’s about God. It’s about who God is. 

God has always existed. It’s His story for His glory, and we get to join His story. 

God had a plan to free His people, and He chose Moses to be His spokesperson. He knew when He chose Moses that he had a fear issue, fear of rejection, insecurities, and that Moses was not eloquent of speech. He didn’t walk up on Moses and say to Himself, “Hey I wonder what this guy is like? Can I use him?” 

God knows our flaws, fears, weaknesses, insecurities, wounds, shortcomings, and still calls us all to join His story. 

If you read the Bible cover to cover you will find only one who is perfect and He is Jesus. He perfectly represented the Father. 

What does that mean for us? 

1. It means we are who God says we are. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. He’s right in His assessment always. 

2. Our confidence is to come from our identity in Christ, nothing else. Jesus plainly said, “I am the Vine. You are the branches. If you abide in Me, you will bear much fruit. Apart from me you can do nothing,“~from John 15:5.

3. If God calls, He equips, and provides provision. It’s about Him being seen through us for His glory. We can’t take credit for what He has done when He works through our areas of weakness. We can’t take credit for our strengths either…

4. It’s not about our weakness, it’s about His strength! 

5. Even if we mess up, God has a redemptive plan. 

6. Low self esteem and insecurity are not the will of God, nor is it humility. 

a. Some today might applaud Moses for telling God he wasn’t qualified or worthy. God on the other hand rebuked him. He said to Moses, “Who made the mouth?” 

You may be thinking, “Easier said than done. This God esteem seems hard to walk out.” 

Ummmm…yeah! It’s something I’m learning to walk out. Confidence hasn’t always been applauded in my life. Some Christians labeled me arrogant for thinking I could hear from God and I didn’t have great experiences walking confidence out. If I stated I was a filthy sinner or worm, there was applause for my humility. Yet the more I searched the scriptures, the more evidence I found that God wanted us to accept His assessment of who we are. We were (past tense) dead in trespasses and sin. We were (past tense) sinners on the way to hell. 

Even in my occupation other women and some men made it their mission to sabatoge efforts for success. 

I am still walking it all out with you because God calls me way, way, way out of my comfort zone. I had zero desire to lead, be known, teach, preach, be on platforms, etc…leave me in a room with God alone and I’m as happy as can be. I had zero, zero desire to be a spokesperson for God. None. And God has called me repeadily to do what I never thought I could and many things I had no desire to do. 

Life examples:

After years of being somewhat beat down in ministry and enduring some intense persecution at work and with Christians. I am not talking about people just being rude either. I’m talking about being stalked, falsely accused, publicly humiliated and lied on, people trying to get me fired, cussed out in public places, vandalized property, people I didn’t know contacting me about gossip they heard, being removed from “friend” circles without warning, destroying my work samples….on and on…God calls me after this 7 year period of testing-(lets call it that), to minister to a stranger I met one time at a conference. 

My first response was, “Are you serious? Um no thanks.” God didn’t rebuke me like He did Moses. He kept nudging. “Will you go for me?” I was still hurting, still tired, over ministry, seeking rest and restoration. I had zero desire to go minister to someone I didn’t know. And I would hold things God gave me until I had courage to send them. It was hard. I had to overcome plenty of fear. Or at least move past it long enough to bless someone else. He would state the timing was on point. God had figured in my lag time.

That one act of (delayed) obedience led to years of being obedient, faithful, facing fears, and just being a vessel God could use, even while broken. It was super challenging as I felt a truck had backed over my life, yet it brought about good things for that person and their family. It also helped me grow in God confidence.  

The purpose of me telling you is this…Sometimes, you’re going to be afraid. Sometimes you may feel really small or inadequate. Sometimes you may not be well received. Yet if you give it to God, He will do something beautiful. You may not be the benefactor. It may be someone else. It’s for His glory. I told God He could have all of my life. Since then I’ve had chances to walk it out. 

We are His workmanship created for His glory. Your reward for being faithful to God (He does like to give rewards by the way), may be in heaven where moths and rust do not decay. Some may be on earth, I can’t say. I do know it’s worth it to believe what God says about us and to step out of the boat! 

No one wins games by sitting on the bench. 

No one walks on the water by sitting in the boat! 

Papa God I thank You that Your strength is made perfect in our weakness. I thank You that all You say about us is true. I thank You that You are so powerful to heal us where we are afraid, weak, broken, and insecure. Our true confidence is in You! I bless everyone reading this with Godly esteem and God Confidence. In Jesus name. Amen. 

Love, 

Erin 

Adopted into a Royal Family (Manifesting Sonship Series Part II)

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Adopted children are chosen for love, desired, and given the same access to the Father as natural children. 

Beautiful friends, I’m so thankful you’re joining me on this exploration of sonship. Knowing who God is and who we are in Him is so crucial to living an abundant life and manifesting what He’s like to the world. 

I cannot love myself, love others, or fully love God if I do not first know His love for me. I also cannot imitate someone I do not know. It’s impossible to bear the fruit of His likeness without abiding (remaining in Him). See John 15:5. 

You and I were once unreconciled to God. Scripture tells us all but Jesus have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23). God however had a redemptive plan all along, to save the world through His Son. Through relationship with Jesus we have the opportunity like Him to call God Abba Father. 
Let’s dig into some scripture that talks about our adoption. 

Ephesians 1: 3-14 (Amplified)

Blessed and worthy of praise be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ, just as [in His love] He chose us in Christ [actually selected us for Himself as His own] before the foundation of the world, so that we would be holy [that is, consecrated, set apart for Him, purpose-driven] and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined and lovingly planned for us to be adopted to Himself as [His own] children through Jesus Christ, in accordance with the kind intention and good pleasure of His will— to the praise of His glorious grace and favor, which He so freely bestowed on us in the Beloved [His Son, Jesus Christ]. In Him we have redemption [that is, our deliverance and salvation] through His blood, [which paid the penalty for our sin and resulted in] the forgiveness and complete pardon of our sin, in accordance with the riches of His grace which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and understanding [with practical insight] He made known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Christ, with regard to the fulfillment of the times [that is, the end of history, the climax of the ages]—to bring all things together in Christ, [both] things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him also we have received an inheritance [a destiny—we were claimed by God as His own], having been predestined (chosen, appointed beforehand) according to the purpose of Him who works everything in agreement with the counsel and design of His will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ [who first put our confidence in Him as our Lord and Savior] would exist to the praise of His glory. In Him, you also, when you heard the word of truth, the good news of your salvation, and [as a result] believed in Him, were stamped with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit [the One promised by Christ] as owned and protected [by God]. The Spirit is the guarantee [the first installment, the pledge, a foretaste] of our inheritance until the redemption of God’s own [purchased] possession [His believers], to the praise of His glory.

I gave you lots of verses for a reason; we have a weighty inheritance. I encourage reading these verses again and again asking the Holy Spirit to root them deep into your heart and mind, soul and spirit. 

What can we take away from these verses. 

  • You and I are no mistake! We were on God’s mind before the foundation of the earth. Our earthly parents may have been confused but God wasn’t. 
  • God wanted and wants a personal and intimate relationship with us. We were chosen. Adopted children are wanted and chosen (hand selected). 
  • We have a spiritual inheritance in Christ. We are not orphans without an inheritance or future. This means we are not paupers, beggars, nor are we poor. Our Heavenly Father owns everything. He’s not poor.  
  • We have been given His name and His seal. In Christ, we are His. I was adopted. I took my Father’s name. Everything the natural children received because of my father’s name, I received. We are coheirs with Christ. Not beggars outside the gate. 
  • We become a Royal Priesthood! …you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a consecrated nation, a [special] people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies [the wonderful deeds and virtues and perfections] of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light,~1 Peter 2:9. 
  • We can boldly approach the throne of grace, our Heavenly Father (Hebrews 4:16). We have been given access in the Son (Jesus). 
  • We don’t have to beg God to do things. We are His children; He longs to do what’s right more than we do. Jesus told us to ask, believe, not beg (Matthew 7:7-11). He withholds nothing good (Psalm 84:11). Our idea of good doesn’t always match His, His timing, or His understanding yet He’s always working for good. 
  • We are unconditionally loved. God chose us in love before we ever said yes to Him. Therefore His love isn’t based on our performance. He loves us because He loves us. 
  • He chose us individually, therefore His love is not a cookie cutter love. 
  • We are not without family, purpose, or a divine destiny. When your Daddy is God you can dream big and bigger! He’s unlimited. Each person has a divine destiny and purpose. Your life matters. 
  • God likes you! He likes me! No one chooses something they don’t like or value. The value of something is determined by how much someone will pay for it. The Father gave His Son. Jesus gave His life. 

I will end by saying God longs to be with us. He’s not a cruel dictator or tyrant. He longs to be with us to love us. He actually enjoys our company. I struggled with this concept until my niece came along. I love her with my life and she makes messes, has mini tantrums, destroys flowers, and can’t communicate fully yet. I love being with her and doing what she likes to do. 

One day I asked God, “Why do You like being with me? I haven’t said anything remotely intelligent all day and even if I tried, I can’t match You.”

He responded, “I love you. I love you more than you love Naomi. You simply enjoy being with her. I enjoy being with you. You’re my daughter and if you do nothing I’m right here loving you.”

May you and I believe, accept, and bask in our identity as God’s child. If you’re not in Christ, have not repented and asked Him to be Lord over your life, He’s longing for you. Check out How to Know Jesus.

Papa God thank You for choosing us. I ask every lie about identity would be uprooted and replaced with Your truth. May we know the height, depth, width, & vast expanse of Your amazing love. Show us what it means to be Royal, and model Kingdom Royalty like Jesus-a humble servant. In Jesus mighty name, amen. 

Love,

Erin Lamb

Who’s Your Daddy? (Manifesting Sonship Part I)

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We act out of our identity- who we believe we are and who we believe we belong to. 

One of my favorite stories is about a member of royalty who is separated from her family at childhood. She doesn’t realize who she is, yet there’s a longing inside of her for more. She’s been made to believe her place is to stay secluded in this tower away from civilization. Yet every year she sees lights floating through the sky and it intrigues her to long for more. 

Our world is filled with people who don’t realize who their Father is. They live in towers of fear and insecurity. Some in cages of poverty, self hatred, anger, rage, hatred of others, perversion, lies, lost or misplaced identity, or abuse. 

We teach children in schools they evolved from apes and then wonder why they behave like wild animals. We removed the Creation story that taught children they were made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). Their father became an animal instead of the Creater of the Universe. 

If my identity is a wild animal instead of a child of God, then my behavior will model that of a wild animal. It’s no wonder we see story after story of people taking the lives of others. Wild animals don’t value life. God values life. 

Studies have shown father or daddy issues attribute to so many societal problems. Why? Because our fathers establish identity. Women can help shape and mold the identity of a child, yet God created the family to have a father and a mother. 

Fathers have a specific role. They give their name. The name ties back to origin. Where did you come from? When the Bible speaks of man being the head of woman, that word “head” speaks to the source or origin, like the head of a river. God pulled Eve out of Adam. She is wo-man. Her name reveals to you her origin. It was not a statement of male domination or to say Eve was inferior. God let us know where she came from. Both were created in the image of God. Children coming from Eve carried the DNA of their mother and father.  

You will notice in the Bible genealogy (God telling you where people originated from). 

When I visit my dad, the people in the town say, “That’s Mr. Lamb’s daughter.” What does it mean to be a Lamb? What are we known for? Well in my fathers case the Lamb’s are known for: 

  • Loving God 
  • Radical generosity 
  • Praying for the sick 
  • Preaching the Gospel 
  • Reaching the lost 
  • Caring for widows and orphans
  • Faith 
  • Hope 
  • Love
  • Mercy 
  • Extravagant forgiveness
  • Hospitality 
  • Gift giving 
  • Feeding people (naturally and spiritually)
  • Loving strangers and outcasts

Growing up, my father established through his words and actions what it meant to be a Lamb. As his daughter, I learned my identity as God’s child, as his child. When people call my name, they are expressing the name of my father- Lamb. My name tells the world my identity-who I came from. The people in my dad’s town sometimes say, “You’re so much like your parents.” It may seem silly but there are certain things that became the Lamb thing to do, like loving strangers. I saw my dad doing it and believed I was to do the same. 

Jesus only did what He saw the Father doing. If we are sons and daughters of God, then we will begin to do what we see God doing. It becomes a Kingdom of God thing to do. It happens through intimacy (knowing, proximity, abiding) with God.

So what if your earthly father was not around, unsaved, abandoned you, didn’t set a good example, or didn’t give you his name? What if he never affirmed you, didn’t encourage you, and did not or does not love you with the unconditional love of Christ? There’s good news. Really good news! You ready? 

God longs to be your Father. Even though all creation is created in His image, those not in fellowship with Him through His Son Jesus are not considered sons and daughters of God. They are yet to be grafted into His family. 

For you [who are born-again have been reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, sanctified and] are all children of God [set apart for His purpose with full rights and privileges] through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ [into a spiritual union with the Christ, the Anointed] have clothed yourselves with Christ [that is, you have taken on His characteristics and values]. There is [now no distinction in regard to salvation] neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you [who believe] are all one in Christ Jesus [no one can claim a spiritual superiority],~Galatians 3:26-28 (Amplified). Recommend reading all of Galatians 3. 

God longs for all of us to be reconciled to Him through His Son and also to know Him intimately as a loving Father. He longs to deposit His life, give us His name, redefine our identity, and help us to see who we truly are. Only He knows why each person was created. See Psalm 139 and Jeremiah 1:5. 

When we know who our Father is, cultivate intimacy with Him, the following begins to manifest in our lives: 

  • Confidence in who we are. Insecurity melts away when we fully believe we were carved out of the heart of God. We are His image bearers, His workmanship. 
  • Confidence He hears us. When we believe we are God’s child and truly have His backing, we don’t beg. We ask and believe He will answer. 
  • Confidence in His abilities. Worry and fear are manifestations of unbelief; God will not take care of this. Trust me I know what it’s like to deal with fear, doubt, worry, and have to repent for unbelief. 
  • We treat ourselves with respect, honor, and dignity. God doesn’t make junk so we begin to care for ourselves better when we see who He is. 
  • We treat others with respect, honor, and dignity. We place tremendous value on what’s created in His image. 
  • We long for the Light, to walk in the Light. He is holy. As we behold our Father, we begin to crave holiness. Sin doesn’t taste as sweet. 
  • We begin to walk out our destiny. Being is always to proceed doing. Jesus was with the Father for 30 years learning obedience before He stepped into ministry. 

I leave us with this prayer. 

Papa God I ask for all of us to know You! To truly know who You are and have our beliefs align with heaven. I ask for hearts, minds, spirits, and bodies to be restored to Sonship. May we live out what Jesus paid for. Every father wound be healed in Jesus name. Every orphan spirit be bound in Jesus name. I loose the Spirit of adoption over every person. Every lie placed to inflict wounds of inferiority, rejection, or hurt be uprooted and replaced with God’s truth. I declare you are wanted, pursued, cherished, adored, celebrated, desired, significant, important, God’s workmanship, created for Glory, and God is proud to call you His own! In Jesus powerful name, amen.

Love & hugs, 

Erin Lamb 

Come Up Higher (Manifesting Sonship Series Intro)

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Photo Credit: Pinterest 

Beautiful friends, I am starting a new series on manifesting sonship. What does this mean? Glad you inquired. 🙂  It will be a series devoted to dissecting God’s words on identity, praying, and activations in identity. 

What does it mean to be a son or daughter of God? Who are you in Christ? What were you created to do? How does God see you? What do you have access to in the Son? How do you appropriate and activate (walk in) what’s already given? What is Kingdom authority? How do you win spiritual battles?

Once we know who God is, we find out who we are. Once we find out who we are, we begin to manifest the likeness of God in the earth. All of creation is groaning for the sons and daughters of God to arise, come up higher, and take their rightful place in the earth. 

We were created for dominion. We were created to bring heaven down. We were created to bring God glory and manifest what He’s like. 

The disciples did more than learn the teachings of Jesus. They did what they saw Him doing; preach the Gospel, heal the sick, cleanse lepers, deliver the oppressed, feed the poor…we can and are called to do those things as well. 

I wanted to start this series with some tools. 

One of the enemy’s greatest tools/objectives is to pull you and I down to his level. He’s on the ground under the feet of Jesus. He’s defeated. Don’t let him fool you. He has authority surrendered to him by humans. He’s not God’s equal. He’s not even on the same playing field as God. It simply looks that way if you don’t know God or have been pulled down to the evil one’s level. 

Intimidation is powerful. If you can convince someone they are powerless or weaker than you, you can beat them every time. 

Important note: the evil one is not bigger or more powerful than God. He’s not more powerful than the Holy Spirit in you! 

Come Up Higher:

Life from God’s perspective is SO much sweeter. 

I learned in Krav Maga (Israeli Street Fighting/Self Defense) you never want to fight on the ground. Ground fighting gives your enemy an advantage over you. Don’t fight on his level. Come up higher, keep him on the ground. 

God tells us we are seated in heavenly places in Christ, that’s far above principalities and powers. He says we have authority in His name and power in the Holy Spirit. He says we are above and not beneath. Need scriptural references, check out  Ephesians 1 and Ephesians 2.

We don’t ground fight with a defeated enemy. We rise above him and stomp on his head. How? 

  • Intimacy with God (stay connected to the Vine in every season). Apart from Him we can do nothing (John 15:5). 
  • Through worship & praise (true worship opens the heavens and attracts the glory of God)
  • Through declaring God’s words (Heaven responds to declarations aligned with God’s will). The power of life and death is in your tongue (Proverbs 18:21). Say what He’s saying. Words are seeds that once you plant them they are growing something for heaven (good) or hell (death, discouragement, evil). Toss the gossip, back biting, complaining.
  • With joy (joy is a weapon).The Bible says, “Rejoice, again I say rejoice!” (Phil 4:4).
  • By maintaining peace (peace and patience are mighty). Be still and know He is God. He will be exalted in the earth (Psalm 46:10)
  • Through forgiving others & releasing offense (harboring unforgiveness and offense gives the evil one prime access to your life.)
  • Through rest (abiding in God is powerful). 
  • By walking in agape love (God’s love is the most powerful force in the Universe!)
  • By obeying God and doing what we see Jesus doing. Jesus listened and watched for what the Father was saying and doing. He maintained alignment with heaven. 
  • Release what you carry. Pity parties don’t bring breakthrough-focusing on the problem or solely inward. Found when my life is blowing up one of the best things to do is go be a blessing. Nothing angers hell more than you being like Jesus: share the gospel, pray for the sick, share God’s love. I send a message, “If you attack me, I’m simply going to keep releasing what God has deposited. I give more!” 

Sweet friends, I hope you’re excited about this new series. I am. I am cheering for you. I am praying for you! Leave a comment if you have specific prayer needs. You are deeply loved! You are God’s workmanship, created for glory. 

Papa God I ask You’d bless each of us with a deeper revelation of who You are, how much You love us, who we are in You, Your plans for the earth, and show us life from heaven’s perspective. Everything is infinitely small compared to You. Take us higher and deeper in Your love. In Jesus powerful name, amen. 

Love in Christ, 

Erin Lamb 

  

 

It’s a Journey (Notes from the Wilderness)

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Photo credit: Pinterest, Tony Evans

Beautiful friends, I might have one more post in me for the Spiritual House series. However, stay tuned for a new series upcoming-Abiding & Walking out Sonship. We need to know who we are as children of God. 

Today, I hope to impart hope from my journey. You’re reading words from a person who understands brokenness and the wilderness. I walked through abuse (verbal mostly), sickness, loss, betrayal, persecution, persecution from Christians, abandonment from my biological father, rejection from peers, rejection from family members, and so many things I won’t drudge them all up. My heart has been broken so many times; by family, in ministry, by friends…by people who claimed to love God. 

When people say to me, “I wish I had your relationship with God or your life is so good,” I want to say to them, “You don’t want to go where I’ve been and walk through what I have walked through with God.” 

My life has been walking through whatever I have been called to minister to. Like Jesus, I’ve had to walk it out. I went through many years of devastation…Needing miracle after miracle…Cheating death over and over…Living under persecution for almost a decade, praying, fasting…crying out for a miracles. 

God didn’t always deliver me from. He delivered me through. There’s so much of my story you’ll have to hear in the Suffering with Christ book I’m working on. There’s not enough space here.

I don’t glorify suffering. I do think people need to know all of life with Jesus isn’t skipping through parks of roses. If you suffer, it doesn’t mean you don’t love God or have enough faith. 

I feel I walked out of the wilderness in late 2012. Battered, bruised, tired, over trauma and near death experiences, over phony church love (yes I said it-I was tired of being beat up by Christians and imitation love), exhausted, wounded, discouraged, grief striken, and fed up. I had walked through both parents having cancer, my own sickness, too much church drama, losing a parent, losing “friends”, perpetual harassment at work, and so much more. I was done…

How do/did those wounds heal? God. 

Crucial Keys/Notes 

1. Forgiveness: forgive the people who’ve hurt you. Many of them don’t know God’s love. There are people in your church community/life who do not know the love of God. They can’t give what they haven’t received. You forgive (release them to God-don’t gossip, don’t seek revenge) and keep connection with God. If you’re upset with God, talk to Him. He’s not afraid of pain or you. 

Pray for those who hurt you. Their greatest sin is against God. They need Him and to know Him.

2. Seek God. 

My major healing didn’t happen with a SOZO, a pastor, a conference, counseling, or reading a book. 
The healing began with God. Over and over He would meet with me and heal one part of me then another. Some progress was quick. Others slow and painful. I was like a person who had been backed over repeadily by a semi truck and every bone broken. 

I was saved and sad. My soul was sick. Abundant life is in His word, yet I wasn’t seeing it in the people around me. 

The mentality was, “As long as my spirit is okay. I’m saved. I am okay.” This is false. We can be saved, on our way to heaven and miserable because we are filled with unbelief, fear, anxiety, depression, despair, insecurity, without lasting joy, or hope. 

Jesus paid for the whole person to be healed and restored!-Saved, healed, and delivered. 

God is the Source of abundant life. Get to know God personally. Intimacy with God is crucial. 

Quite a bit of my wounding came from other Christians who were either insensitive, ignorant (unlearned about dealing with people who had lived through trauma or abuse), unloving (let’s throw a scripture on it), wanted to be grief buddies (let’s be broken together), critical (if you were truly saved, this would not be happening  to you), or they avoided or ignored me (this isn’t my problem-go see a counselor-I’m only called to love those in my circle-get your needs met elsewhere). 

So I’m a huge proponent of going straight to God.  

There are some great Christian counselors, pastors, people. I’ve peer counseled, led people through deliverance/inner healing. Yet I tell people to continually seek God. I’m only human. I am limited. God is not limited. He can do more in a moment than I can in a lifetime. 

Recommend: 

Pray and ask God who you should confide in. Some people aren’t concerned, they are nosey or miserable too and want company. Some are not equipped to handle other’s brokenness. 

3. Learn the voice of God. 

This key kept my mind. You have no idea the warfare that raged on for years because I didn’t know how to fight. Fight from victory! God already won. 

In life I need His voice.  God saved my life so many times through communicating with me. 

I learned through His still small voice, dreams, visions, impressions, etc…He encouraged my heart, mind, emotions, spirit. His word is incredible. That’s where we started. He would speak the word to me. 

The most comforting thing He showed me during a horrible time was an open vision of me sitting on His knee. In the vision He pulled up movie scenes from my life. He pointed and He acknowledged He was there. He showed me that no matter what I faced, my Papa God was always going to be there. Some things in the last few scenes nearly tore my world apart. He stood with me. He let me know ahead of time, “This will hurt. This will shake your world, yet I am there.” In that vision I was a little girl. And that’s how I view myself now, a little girl on her Father’s lap. 

I live under the waterfall of His voice! Intimacy; listening…abiding. 

What is He teaching me about Himself during this trial or season?

4. Forgive the Process

I’d love to say through it all I’ve been this fierce warrior of faith. I’d love to say I’ve applauded God every second of the process. Nope. After my discipleship group (some of them) turned on me, lied, gossiped, betrayed my trust…and my pastor at the time eluded to the fact I had an idolatry problem because I was wounded from being betrayed by people I’d given my entire heart to for 3.5 years….Not to mention both my parents got cancer during that time, and I was being persecuted at work. I completely shut down. I closed my life off to anyone other than God and my immediate family. 

During that time with God, I had to forgive the process. Did God cause all these things? No. Did He allow them? Yes. Is He using it for His glory? Yes. 

5. Soak in His love; Find hope in His word. 

Soaking is my favorite thing. It’s focused time with God. It’s resting in His love. I soak with worship music or none at all. I invite God to speak, minster to my heart. Wow! He deposits so much. 

His word is filled with life. I do declarations and pray the word of God. I speak to my soul. I speak to my spirit. I highly recommend investing in saying what God is saying over your situation. 

“God Your word says, where Your Spirit is there is liberty!”

6. Understand it will hurt and you will grieve. 

I mostly grieve with God because He understands how to deal with me. I sometimes grieve with others but not very much. Sometimes people, though well meaning, leave you feeling worse. 

7. Pray for healthy, loving community. 

The worst thing I found in seasons of pain and suffering was the wrong community. It’s worse than no community. We tell people to be in community, yet if it’s not rooted in true agape love and centered on Jesus it can be a disaster. 

I hate it when people say, “hurting people hurt people” so don’t stay away from those who do bad things. If every time I see you I punch you in the face and say, “Hurting people hurt people,” you’d stop coming around me. At least I hope you’d confront me and say, “I love you but this behavior is not okay. Stop or I am distancing myself until you learn self control.” There’s a huge difference between being easily offended and staying in an unhealthy place. 

God longs to connect you with believers who will love you! 

I’m super thankful for my current church. There have been times I’ve gone in hurting and without me asking someone would come pray for me, share a word of hope, or prophetic word. 

There are great churches everywhere. Find your tribe! Pray for God to bring in people who love like Him. There are some. 

God longs to be the primary person to meet our needs. He also wants to love us through people. He sets the lonely in families. You are not alone. 

Well, I’ve given you lots of words. I hope you know you are loved! I’m praying for you (not just saying that). If I can make it, and it was so challenging, you can too. I have more JOY today than I’ve ever had. I laugh more than any of my friends. 😄 God heals! Yes indeed. 

Love,

Erin 

The King’s Table (Love Poem for The Bride of Christ)

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The King’s Table (written by Erin Lamb inspired by Jesus)👑

My Bride, My love. 
I’ve invited you to a continual feast at My Table. 

To dine with Me.

To meet with Me. 

To be with Me. 

My Beloved,

The one I gave My life for,

And the one My heart beats passionately for.

I made you for Me. 

You are of an elegant design.

Handcrafted.

An original masterpiece. 

I see great beauty when I look into your heart. 

I see a treasure

Made for Me. 

I love you with an everlasting love. 

It is a love that existed before you 

And it will continue on into eternity!

I am rejoicing over you. 

Singing you love songs.

Songs the Angels also sing. 

My Bride, My love.

I have prepared a place for us. 

Here in Paradise. 

Where the radiance of My Father 

Fills every crevice with His Brilliance and beauty. 

I have prepared a table for us.

It is decadent.

I ask that you come away…

be with Me. 

Come away with Me.

Lay aside the troubles of today, 

Come feast at the Banquet Table.

My heart erupts with joy,

When you look My way, 

When you seek My face.

I am overflowing with love for you. 

I am relentlessly pursuing you to love you. 

I am moving mountains for you that you cannot see. 

I am praying for you continuously. 

I gave My life so you and I could be, 

Closer, 

One,

Together for all of eternity, 

Here I am My Beloved,

Desiring you, 

Loving you, 

Craving more profound intimacy. 

I long for you to know Me,

Truly experience all that I am. 

I long for you to be with Me. 

I don’t take My eyes off you. 

You are covered in My Robe of Righteousness. 

I gave you My name. 

I sealed our covenant with My blood. 

Eternal love,

It’s what I pursued you for. 

No human being can love you more. 

No human being can fill your voids. 

It is I who completes,

Who fills to overflowing.

Come drink of My cup and you will not thirst. 

Come feast of My bread and you will hunger no more. 

Come rest your head on My chest, 

Feel My heart beat.

Can you hear it pounding? 

It’s a sweet melody. 

My love for you is custom to you. 

I know everything there is to know about you. 

And I am offering you all of Me. 

Come My love…

Come…

My Beloved, My Bride, My love…

Come and feast with Me. 
You are all so deeply loved. 

Papa God I thank You for each person reading this. I ask Your love would saturate each heart. Give us all (myself included) an even deeper revelation of Your incredible love…the height, depth, width, and breath of it. I ask for miracles in our souls. Healing to every single wound. A saturation of Your peace, love, joy, hope, goodness, and mercy. I bind fear, insecurity, worry, doubt, and unbelief. I bind the orphan and pauper spirits. I loose freedom to know our identity in Christ. We are Your beloved children, You said You’d meet ALL our needs according to Your riches in glory. We are not orphans, we are children. We are deeply loved, chosen, set apart by You. Holy Spirit fall afresh on each of us today and everyday, draw us deeper into the secret place…the deep reservoirs of Your heart. In Jesus powerful name, amen. 
Love, 
Erin Lamb

You’re Never Too Broken for God (Spiritual House Series Part V)

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Beautiful friends, I hope this post deposits hope and seeds of faith in your hearts. God loves you with a deep, pure, and everlasting love. 

God’s love is not based on performance or merit. He loves us as we are; while sinners, while broken, while messed up, while self righteous and prideful, while scornful, while we are rejecting Him or trying to use Him, while immature…God is love. 

You and I are never so broken or too broken for God. As we receive His love, we are transformed from the inside out. We are made whole through relationship with Him. 

One of my favorite passages is from Isaiah 61. I taught on this passage Sunday. Why did Jesus come to earth? It wasn’t simply for our forgiveness of sins and to get us into heaven. God longs to get heaven into us so we are restored, renewed, and full of His glory. He came so we could have life, and life abundantly (John 10:10). 

Here are verses 1-3. 

“THE SPIRIT of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed and qualified me to preach the Gospel of good tidings to the meek, the poor, and afflicted; He has sent me to bind up and heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the [physical and spiritual] captives and the opening of the prison and of the eyes to those who are bound, [Rom. 10:15.] To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord [the year of His favor] and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, [Matt. 11:2-6; Luke 4:18, 19; 7:22.] To grant [consolation and joy] to those who mourn in Zion–to give them an ornament (a garland or diadem) of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, the garment [expressive] of praise instead of a heavy, burdened, and failing spirit–that they may be called oaks of righteousness [lofty, strong, and magnificent, distinguished for uprightness, justice, and right standing with God], the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭61:1-3‬ ‭AMP‬‬

http://bible.com/8/isa.61.1-3.amp

What if your life right now is a mess? What if you hurt every day? What if those around you just want you fixed so they don’t have to deal with your brokenness, depression, grief, heartache, or pain? What if people would rather ignore you than walk with you? What if grief is your bedfellow? Well, dear hearts, I know Someone who is close to the broken hearted. No matter the pain, sorrow, grief, or sin…God moves towards not away from the hurting and sinful. 

I’ve been there. Maybe not in the same exact place, yet I understand suffering and prolonged suffering. I recall being sick in my body, losing my hair, being mocked for losing my hair, told by relatives I wasn’t truly sick or I could do more than I could, and I recall hurting day after day-night after night. Some nights the pain was so bad I’d cry out for numbness, to feel nothing. 

I know what it’s like to hurt beyond the capacity to pray. There was no one there but me and God in some dark moments. I can say with confidence God didn’t turn away. He didn’t remove all pain. He did walk me through the pain that wasn’t immediately healed. 

There was excruciating pain and agony in seasons. God was there. He never left. He never said, “You’re too sick to heal. You’re too broken to deal with right now or ever. You’re a mess! You’re not worth my time.” I have had people in Church and family/”friends” do those things, God never has. 

God stayed right with me in hospital rooms. God kept me from dying. God spoke words of encouragement when others were super discouraging. Even when I couldn’t hear His voice, He didn’t let me die. He was and is a miracle worker.

So my encouragement to you is this…

If you’re hurting today, that doesn’t mean your condition is permanent. I never thought I’d have lasting joy or relief from chronic pain. I spent many years waiting for the next bad thing to happen. Yet God gave me joy for mourning. 

If you’re severely broken or struggling, God isn’t looking down His nose at you in disdain or disgust or trying to run from you. He’s longing to heal and restore. He reaches down low and lifts up the broken. 

No matter what is happening in you or around you, God longs to be an Advocate, Comforter, Lover of your soul, and Healer for you.  You are SO deeply loved (John 3:16). 

Please don’t give up!

Please don’t run from God, run towards Him! 

No one loves you more!

Papa God, I ask for the souls of everyone reading this to prosper and be in good health. I ask for healing of the mind, body, soul…restoration and renewal. I ask for freedom from shame, excessive hurt, comfort for grief, and freedom from all sickness, disease, depression, hopelessness, despair, infirmity, and pain. In Jesus powerful name, amen. 

Love to you all…you’re continually in my prayers. Yes indeed. 

Love in Christ, 

Erin Lamb 

I AM Here (Love Poem from Papa God)

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Sweet (dulce) friends…I’ve been doing this series on healing the soul. For once the soul is healed, the body receives healing as well. Beloved, I would love for you to prosper even as your soul prospers. 

The One who’s produced the greatest healing in my life is God. When people failed to demonstrate the love of God to me, God stepped right in and loved me to health. I know the profound rejection from people truly did me a favor, it pushed me deeper into the arms of the One who truly loved me. I tell you this because maybe you’re still hurting. Maybe your soul aches and you’re tired of advice from people who have no clue the depths of what you’re going through. Maybe you’re wondering, “Why God? Or when God? Or will this pain, suffering, or trial end? Or will I ever be healed?” 

Oh dear ones…I’ve been there. Agony that lingered for days, to months, to years…enduring things that at moments made me feel I might just die. Then I’d wake up the next day, with the residual of tears dried to my face. No one but God saw the depths of grief, sorrow, or pain. People love to applaud the overcomer, yet I’m here to say, “God will get you through this. Hang on! I’m praying for you.” 

I can’t be with you all and wipe your tears. Yet know I’m thinking of you, praying for you, loving you through intercession, and I hope this poem encourages you. God will get you through this. He did it for me and there were days I had no hope and He’d give me His. Such a Best Friend!

Here I Am 

Standing

Overflowing with passionate love

Reaching out for you 

The one I love 

While you slumber

I’m wide awake 

Eagerly anticipating 

Meeting with you face to face 

I’m singing you love songs 

The sweetest melodies 

My Son has been praying for you 

He loves to intercede 

Here I Am 

In your storms 

In your trials 

In your fears 

In the midst of your uncertainties

And I’m reaching out 

For you to cast your cares on Me 

You see I’m stronger 

I can handle it all 

I’m strong enough 

And here when you call 

I’m never too busy 

My heart is soft towards you 

Trust if you move a millimeter in My direction

I’m running miles in yours 

I AM here 

Today

Every day 

Loving you 

Wanting you 

Seeking you 

Pursuing you 

Desiring the closest space in your heart 

It’s Me 

Your loving Father

There’s no one and no love that can take My place 

Other loves make promises they cannot fulfill 

They promise you love and pleasure 

Leaving you emptier still 

I AM here 

My love will not disappoint you 

Or leave you with regrets 

Oh for you to know Me…

To know My loves’ great width and depth

You cannot exhaust the magnitude of My love

It existed before you 

It’s who I AM 

I AM love 

I’ve seen the end from the beginning

And you cannot change who I AM 

I AM here standing 

Standing in love for you 

Wanting what’s best for you 

Cheering My heart out for you 

Singing my song over you 

Collecting those tears for you

Moving mountains in love for you 

Setting up divine appointments to bless you 

Setting up opportunities to grow you 

I AM here 

And if the entire world turns on you 

If they walk away 

If they refuse to see the gift

The treasure I’ve created in you 

Know you are not alone or abandoned

I AM here 

Papa God, I ask for Your unfailing love to flood each heart and soul. Bathe sorrows in Your comfort. Deposit hope for a better tomorrow. I bind every lie of the enemy, for this too shall pass. You are the God of new beginnings. The One who gives life, abundant life and joy. I ask for miracles for each one reading this. I ask for surprises from above! Bless them richly and abundantly. Let them know tangibly that they are deeply loved, seen, heard, and You’re working for their good. I’m Jesus powerful name, amen. 

Love, 

Erin Lamb♥️💯

Closing Doors Cont’d (The Spiritual House Series Part IV)

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Aloha friends, 

I wanted to finish up on the closing doors part of this series. We’ve talked about 4 of the open doors in series part 3 (Spiritual House Series III Closing Open Doors). 

Additional Open Doors: 

  • Unbelief
  • Choices of Entertainment
  • Occult Involvement 
  • Generational Sin (Your Ancestors Opened the Door) 

Unbelief: 

…without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him,~Hebrews 11:6. 

Unbelief opens the door to torment and fear in our lives. It ties into the open door of believing lies. Only God is truth. So, if we are not believing God, we are believing a lie. The devil is the father of lies (John 8:44-Biblehub of verse). 

Unbelief opens us up to…

  • Fear (God won’t protect me). 
  • Insecurity (I’m not enough, not good enough, not valuable…). 
  • Pride (I know better than God).
  • Deception (What I think or believe is superior to what God thinks or says).
  • Discouragement/despair  (God won’t bless me, God isn’t working out good plans for me, this will always be bad…)

And a host of other things…

Disclaimer: these prayers are written for those who have accepted Christ. If you don’t have a personal relationship with Jesus, please check out  How to Know Jesus. It’s important that a house be inhabited by Jesus before cleaning it. Also to be in a position to want to give up the behaviors that opened the doors. 

Prayer: 

Father thank You that You are faithful and everything You say is true. You are truth. Father forgive us for our unbelief. Help us to not only believe in You, to believe that everything You say is true. We confess and repent of our unbelief. Please cleanse our souls of any wounds caused by deception, unbelief, and pride. 

Choices of Entertainment: 

Guard your hearts for everything you do flows from it,~Proverbs 4:23. 

Our media is filled with immorality. I was bowling with my sister and a hamburger commercial came on. Two girls in bikinis were sliding across cars pretending to eat burgers. Every male in the bowling ally was drooling or gawking and I don’t think it was the burger that had them so into the commercial.

They say sex sells. One of the number 1 industries in our country is porn. The eye and ear gate is powerful. 

Images are tools. God gives visions to convey His messages. The evil one uses images to plant his messages. Messages that lead to lust, murder, materialism, and a host of things. 

Studies have shown images stick with us longer than what we read or even hear (unless it’s a song). 

Does this mean you never watch tv, go to the movies, or listen to non Christian music? I’m not saying that. Are the things you’re feasting on hurting your relationship with God, impacting your purity? Understand what is taken in is sowing a seed. Feed what you want to see grow. 

If you’re addicted to pornography or looking at it, I will advise counseling/inner healing/deliverance. It’s not holy, pure, good, and reaps no good fruit. It opens the door to unclean spirits. Check out Moral Revolution for more info (moralrevolution.com). 

Prayer: 

Father please forgive us for feasting on things You consider detestable. Please cleanse our hearts and minds of images and anything that promotes immorality. Anything attached to us that’s not holy we ask that it be evicted and replaced with whatever is pure, holy, noble, and good. Any wounds created in our souls from feasting on these things, I ask for healing and cleansing. In Jesus powerful name. 

For those who struggle with porn: 

Dear Lord please cleanse my soul from any attatchments to images. Please restore my hormone balance and purge me of lust, fantasy lust, addiction, sexual immorality, and porn. Wash me clean in Your Son’s blood. Break any physical/emotional dependency on porn for comfort or pleasure. In Jesus powerful name. Amen. 

Occult Involvement: 

Do not turn to mediums or necromancers; do not seek them out, and so make yourselves unclean by them: I am the Lord your God,~Leviticus 19:31 ESV.

God is firmly opposed to the occult. This includes mediums, tarot card reading, horoscopes, witchcraft, sorcery, attempting to gain information from the dead, fortune tellers, pacts with demonic spirits, magic, and any means to obtain information or power outside of Him. Occult sources are not from the Holy Spirit. It’s rooted in idolatry, worshipping something or someone other than God. It opens the door to a host of problems in a person’s life. For more information check out The Bondage Breaker by Neil T. Anderson. 

Prayer: 

Father we confess the sin of placing other gods in front of You, for seeking information outside of You, for desiring to control others or situations, for manipulation, for any and all occult practices. Please forgive us. We affirm it as sin and cut off all ties with demonic involvement. Come cleanse our souls. Heal our hearts and minds. We give up all sources of information or power sources that are not You. In Jesus powerful name. Evict any spirits that are not Your Holy Spirit. In Jesus powerful name. Amen. 

Generational Curses: 

Our DNA carries memories,~Dr. Caroline Leaf. 

Our ancestors Adam and Eve brought the original curses on humanity. We are still feeling the impact today. We also have generational sins that get passed down from our parents, grandparents, etc… The Bible is filled with examples. 

Jesus became the curse for us. So we are blessed in Him. Yet you still see families plagued with generational issues; poverty, debt, divorce, sickness, disease, mental illnesses, broken relationships. Some is just the result of individual sin. Some is familiar patterns of brokenness we are born into (generational sin). 

Prayer: 

Father we ask for the forgiveness of all our ancestors sins all the way back to Adam. We are sorry for the sins of our forefathers. We are sorry for our sins. Please forgive them and us. Any memories stored in our DNA that are not good or holy, I ask they be purged by the power of the Holy Spirit. We affirm our new identity in Christ and lineage with Christ. We renounce all ties that are unholy or ungodly and say they are covered by the blood of Jesus. Cleanse and purify our DNA, our minds, our souls, our emotions, and our bodies. In Jesus powerful name, amen. 

Father thank You for Your power to save, heal, deliver, cleanse, make new, redeem, and transform. Transform us from the inside out. I ask for total healing and restoration, what Jesus paid for to be completely appropriated to us. Lead us on a path of righteousness and purity. In Jesus name, amen. 

God bless you friends, praying for you. 

Erin