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The Peach Groves-Parable

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Photo Source: The Tutu Guru Australia

Parable: Stewardship

There was a wealthy peach grove owner who left his daughter acres and acres of fertile land. Each year the harvest was abundant, more than she could eat or sell. She chose to open the gates to the grove to those from her church, town, extended family, neighboring towns yearly to share the harvest. Some were grateful and respectful. Many vandalized the groves, took way more than needed, threw fruit on the ground, spit on the property, and cursed her for not providing for them year round. The daughter spent weeks to months cleaning up the damage they caused. Her father was deeply grieved by the excessive damage done to his property, gift to his daughter, and the damage to his daughter’s heart.

Local church people encouraged the girl to keep opening the gates because the hungry and needy were in desperate need of love. It was her responsibility to feed them. Though the local churches required money from the town’s people and paid no taxes, they were not feeding the people.

After years of opening the gates and suffering extreme damage, the father locked the gates. He sat down with his daughter and proclaimed, “The gifts and abundance I have given you were not solely to give away. I love and cherish you. It breaks my heart to see you treated this way. You do not owe everyone access to the groves. They were my gift to you. You must manage how you share what I have given you. I am not requiring you to be destroyed in the process of caring for other people. Keep the groves locked. During harvest time, let people know if there will be extra you will drop of what you feel led to give in your heart to the towns. They are not to set foot in the grove. This area is sacred and my gift to you. If they spit on your gift, shake the dust off your feet and do not return to that town. Steward the grove as though it has tremendous value, because it does. You have tremendous value to me.”

The daughter followed her father’s instructions and apologized to him for not stewarding well his gift to her. She kept the grove locked. When she gathered excess from the harvest, she took it to various towns. If they were hostile, entitled, ungrateful or abusive…she shook the dust off her feet and did not return. Her peach grove grew to be even more abundant because she did not spend weeks to months rebuilding what people destroyed. She ceased trusting the local church people who were exploiting the people rather than helping them. She kept the grove guarded! She flourished under the guidance of her father.

Moral of the story: Guard your heart, giftings, resources from God. You do not owe everyone access. Poor stewardship can destroy you! God cares about you and how people treat you. God bless.

Love in Christ,

Erin L. Lamb

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

Empowered-Free.com

OperationGodisLove.org

The Spirit of Christmas

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I confess that Christmas does not get as much hype in my life as it does for others. Mainly because after studying the life of Jesus and the Bible it makes no sense that He was born on December 25th. Jesus was most likely born in the autumn/fall season around the time of the Feast of Tabernacles-Sukkot. See the references at the end. I also hated as a child seeing the faces of children who did not receive what they asked for and they tried so hard to be good all year.

Then there were the parents and families I would see stressed out because of all the money they needed to spend on Christmas. Rather than their hard work celebrated, children chanted ” Thanks Santa.” It perplexed me the amount of effort spent on purchasing things and the statement this was the season of Jesus. One waitress I encountered a few years back was working double shifts to buy thousands of dollars worth of gifts for Christmas. I wondered about those who have no parents, no money, and no means to have such an elaborate gift exchange.

Jesus provided a way to engage with the world that did not focus on going into debt, telling little white lies, or adding copious amounts of stress to people’s lives. He said, “Those who are weary, come to me, and I will give you rest.” He stated that the way of His Kingdom was one of love, and that love does not require purchasing expensive gifts, going into debt, nor forced time with family who drive you crazy. I believe the greatest gift is Jesus and no matter the season of our lives there is blessing attached to Him.

I don’t have children, yet if I did, I could see me taking them to serve those without around the holidays so they could see that Christmas is not about them. It’s about God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son so whosoever would place their faith in Him would not perish, they could find everlasting life!! See John 3:16. That is The GIFT. God provided a way to Him that is eternal and beautiful.

There is a simpler way to live and I want to highlight a few.

  1. Choose kindness during the holidays. I am a proponent of doing this year round, yet if you want a great time to be kind-choose holidays. More people are depressed or commit suicide during the holidays.
  2. Focus on something that helps the needy and unloved in society. Maybe I have some bias because I serve in monthly outreaches to the homeless. Yet, have seen how giving them 1 gift lit up their entire world.
  3. Ditch entitlement and selfishness. It also amazed me that on Jesus’ supposed birthday people purchased gifts for everyone else and some people have horrible attitudes when they don’t get what they want. They feel entitled to something.
  4. Find someone outside your inner circle to love and encourage. As stated the holidays are sad times for plenty of people. I wrapped an abundance of gifts for our homeless friends and my friend Greg brought them coats and boots.

I will state that I am not against the December 25th festivities. Once I get dressed-I am still in pajamas-I plan to head to my parents with a small bag of gifts for my family. They don’t simply receive from me on holidays, nor does Jesus. I don’t think Christmas is about me and getting something for myself. The Spirit of Christmas is to reveal who the Messiah is to a lost and hurting world. It does not matter how many church services or candlelight services I attend if my life does not reflect the goodness, peace, joy, love, kindness, hope, and beauty of the Messiah.

I do not believe Jesus was born in winter or December. I do believe he was born as a sign of hope in a hurting world. He was born in humble circumstances and lived a life of radical love and obedience to His heavenly Father. He made a tremendous impact on the world! He came and He served. He came and He loved. He came and walked in 100% truth. He loved deeply and sacrificed for us, for the entire world.

My hopes for Christmas is the world has a profound encounter with the real Jesus of Nazareth. My prayer is people move beyond worshiping themselves and consumerism to worship God in spirit and in truth. I pray people move beyond seeing a helpless baby in a cradle to seeing the King of kings sitting at the right hand of the Father, standing in full authority and power. He is the Lord over the Universe. Along with that, I pray that you and I reveal Jesus to others via our interactions with them. May they see the light of God through us year round. May our example be, “God is real and God is good.”

May God bless you, keep you, and His face shine brilliantly upon you. Blessing you, your family, and your new year. Shalom.

References:

Feast of Tabernacles https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/4784/jewish/What-Is-Sukkot.htm

Jesus was not born in December: https://www.ucg.org/the-good-news/biblical-evidence-shows-jesus-christ-wasnt-born-on-dec-25

This Thing Called Love

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Love is the word we hear in the media, in the movies, the songs, and campaigns around the world. “What the world needs now, is love sweet love, it’s the only thing, there is just too little of.” We talk about love as humans, yet I am not certain there is a full grasp or comprehension of what the word means. I, as a human, am stilling learning what love is and what it’s not. I will disclose some of what I have learned on my journey and maybe it will be inspiring for yours.

Love is more than feelings, for feelings can waiver and dissipate.

Love is more than admiration, fondness, and commonalities…for there may be moments of disappointment, misunderstandings, and grief.

Our culture promotes following our feelings, seeking people who make us feel good about ourselves, and looking for our own pleasure. Genuine love, God love, is interested in the best interests of the other person. It is an investment love. It does not require reminding us to do the right thing.

God love always seeks the highest good for the recipient of that love. Genuine love is not wishy washy, flakey or uncommitted. It does not leave you wondering where you stand. God love is demonstrative. It is internally motivated to give, to invest, to tell the truth, to honor, to connect, and provide support. This love is the greatest love of all. God love is compassionate and full of empathy.

Agape love is the love Yeshua (Jesus of Nazareth) told His followers to demonstrate to each other and the world. “By this (agape love) people will know that you are my disciples.” He stated plainly and more than once that those who know Him would imitate Him in love.

With billions of professing Christians on the planet, why is it rare to encounter God love?

These are simply my assessments and not law.

  1. Wounds surrounding God. People who believe God is hard, cold, punishing will have not issues being that way with others.
  2. Religion over relationship. Going to a temple, church, or parish and participating in religious activities does not equal intimacy with God. The only way to love like God is to know God personally.
  3. Love is hard, especially loving people who behave in unloving ways.
  4. It requires time to grow in love.

If you throw in life experiences, prior hurts, soul wounding, upbringing, and a host of other factors you’ll find that there is only one who is perfect in love-God. God is love. Humans are imperfect and some people give what they think is love and it’s not love at all. It requires grace and soaking in God’s love to navigate through life on this planet.

There may be people you believe should love you and they simply cannot. They cannot give you what they do not possess. Maybe their ideas of God and themselves is flawed. Maybe their love is in the toddler phase, “Me first. That’s mine. I love you when you do what I want and make me happy.” Mature love is unselfish. It’s focused on the best interests of another, not just it’s own interests.

I truly believe love like this is rare. If you dare to allow God to love through you this way, it may cause tremendous heartache. People are not accustomed to this kind of love. It is a bright light that will warm some, frighten others, and infuriate those who have partnered with evil. It can evoke a full spectrum of responses and there are not all loving. You may feel it’s one sided as it’s rare to encounter this kind of love from a human. This love through Jesus led to the murder of Jesus.

I will tell you that though your heart may feel shredded in the process, and you may be misunderstood, it’s still worth it to give someone a glimpse of love.

I am still growing in this thing called love. It’s been costly and I don’t buy into the religious antics of “If you’re doing something for God, suck it up buttercup.” Jesus suffered greatly due to the actions of people and He was not singing worship songs in the Garden of Gethsemane. We can cut out the “Count it all joy,” and retain the humanity of Jesus. You may retain your humanity too. Love may cost you something.

I end this by saying, “Love is not lust,” for lust is self satisfying. “Love is not one sided,” for love desires to give. It is a flow of giving and receiving for both parties. “Love is not a consumer,” for it seeks to invest. “Love is not hidden,” it desires to be demonstrate itself. When someone loves you, it does not leave you guessing. When they love you, you don’t have to do all the work. When they love you, it is evident in actions. Obviously we cannot love every person we meet with the intensity we have for God and from God, it would take all our energy and focus. Only God can give people 24/7 care. We can choose kindness, patience, grace, mercy, truth, hope, compassion, justice, and to do no intentional harm.

I hope you choose to abide in the one who is love…You may be the first encounter someone has with real love in human flesh. Let God love through you.

Warm Regards,

Erin Lamb

Finding Blessing in Change

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2020 gave us waves and waves of change. Though people said 2021 would be the year to return to normal, it has not seemed “normal” to many people. Some have stated we are living in a “new normal” and things may never quite be as they were.

Change, especially when it’s unexpected, can be unsettling. There was or is no time to prep for this “new” thing. It can expose anxiety, fear, uncertainty, and anger. Not many people like the feeling of not being in control of their circumstances. The desire to be in control creates tension because despite our best efforts, we do not command the universe. For those who come from the camp of faith or belief in God, there can be frustration when their decreeing and declaring for God to do their will is not met with a manifestation of their will be done.

I watched in 2020 as people commanded who would be President, only to either recant their statements or blame it on sabotage. Last I checked, no one can thwart God. God has never ceased to get His plan fulfilled. People had to wrestle with either they heard wrong or God is not as powerful as they say He is. If you believe God can be sabotaged, then you are are saying God cannot stop mere humans from sabotaging His efforts. I will tell you in all my years of knowing God, God has not failed once to fulfill a promise or His plans.

Even before Adam sinned, God had a plan for redemption. Adam, nor Eve, nor the serpent could overthrow God’s ultimate plan which would be humanity would rule and reign with Him. God is never unprepared. God is never caught off guard. God is not sloppy in His execution. God always, always gets the plan right. Humans, however, do not always hear correctly. I did not sense from time with God that evangelicals were going to get their way and their chosen person would win. I heard differently than the platform prophets from around the USA. I heard words of caution to the church over their obsession with backing one person without looking at the impact it was having on the reputation of Jesus and the church. Some people listened to me, some ignored me. Either way, what I sensed from God is what happened and 2020 ushered in a new President.

Why bring this up now? Well, there was a shift in 2020 and this decade will continue (I believe) to expose who and what we trust. Are we like ancient Israel who trusted in almost everything and everyone but God, or will we be like Daniel who trusted in God and looked to God as the source? There will consistently be an alternative god that we can turn to as the source of our safety, protection, provision, and comfort. The only God I know who is worthy of full trust is the God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob.

Our reactions to change reveal who and what we trust. If we trust in God, then there is a level of supernatural peace that emerges for us. Jesus slept through storms. I am not stating there will not be a wave of emotion with change. I am saying that if our anchor is truly God, we will not be tossed all over the place like a rag doll in a tsunami. There is a settling that comes into our spirit (if we are united with God) where we proclaim, “I know God is good and can help me in this situation.”

Psalm 125: 1-2 (TPT)

Those who trust in the Lord are as unshakable,
    as unmovable as mighty Mount Zion!
Just as the mountains surround Jerusalem,
    so the Lord’s wrap around presence
    surrounds his people, protecting them now and forever.

What helps us in seasons of change or transition?

  1. Knowing God is with us.
  2. Leaning into God instead of away from God.
  3. Asking God what is the lesson we can learn in the season.
  4. Pursuing God to highlight the opportunity made available to us in the season or with the change.
  5. Seeking God for His vantage point instead of our own.
  6. Looking to the promises and character of God.
  7. Asking God to reveal what we are not seeing about what He’s doing.

If I use the election as an example, one thing I noted was charismatic Christians (some not all) rely WAY too heavily on platform prophets for knowing what God is supposedly doing. There can be this “group think” that happens and a lack of testing what is shared. I saw way too much over confidence in the “prophetic” and far less of, “God maybe you are doing something else, I pray your perfect will be done.”

I take a neutral approach to quite a bit with “God needs to do this.” Do you want to know why? God sees fully, and I see in part. I may think something is an incredible idea and God can see that 10 years down the road it will be a hot mess. I learned to pray for God to show me what He’s doing and to increase my level of understanding, not pray-“God, this is what you need to do.” God can also tell me things I do not desire to hear. I am not stating I jump up and down when He does. I am saying God can trust me with the news that does not tickle my ears.

I saw God exposing what the church loves. I saw God giving the church an opportunity to reach the people turned off by church and the political climate. I saw God highlighting a great need to leave the church buildings and go serve the community. I saw God providing opportunity to build bridges, not burn them with a political spirit. I saw God highlighting a new era and a new way of doing “church.” I saw God exposing there is way too much dependence on the platform prophetic people. I saw God revealing a deep need for the church to preach Christ, not “Vote for Trump.” I continue to encourage those who claim to know Jesus to 1. Know His voice for yourself 2. Love your neighbor as yourself (even if they vote differently) 3. Seek first the Kingdom of God. It fits with the guidance of Jesus.

I challenge church people to consider that church as it was may not be church as God desires it to be. One must seek God to know. The world needs a relevant church that cares about them, and not the fake Christian nice stuff. The world needs to see the Jesus we talk about is the same one we imitate. They need to see something different in us. They need to see us moving like our Messiah. In the middle of change or even adversity, we are the walking billboards for the God we claim to worship.

I get that change can bring a host of emotion. I was laid off from my job in 2018, then decided to launch a business, and then another. Owning a business was a huge change. I went from that back to working in the corporate sector while running the businesses on the side, this after 18 months of not working for someone else. From 2018 forward my friendship circle drastically changed once again and people I invested in for large chunks of my life departed. Some were unkind in their exits without me doing anything negative to them. My job titles have changed rapidly in the corporate world. This year we moved my grandpa/papa here and I help out some with him. My life has been a roller coaster of change for a few years now. Throw into the mix I took a team to Cambodia to help with human trafficking and I am trying to help solve the housing issue with the homeless in my city. I had to make a decision to ride the wave with Jesus or sink. I prefer to surf than drown.

Change is inevitable. Life does send us curve balls, and some are not fun ones. We get to choose to focus on who God is or our lack of control. We can ride the waves, or let them crush us. God promises to help us rise above the waves.

I leave you with this promise from God that has sustained me over and over.

Psalm 84: 11 (TPT)

For the Lord God is brighter than the brilliance of a sunrise!
    Wrapping himself around me like a shield,
    he is so generous with his gifts of grace and glory.
    Those who walk along his paths with integrity
    will never lack one thing they need, for he provides it all!

I get that change can be irritating, nerve racking, and create a source of tension. I can tell you in all the changes that have occurred in my life, God was perpetually working things together for the highest level of good. God can be trusted. We can give God all the emotions and concerns, then leave them at God’s feet. He’s not going to fail. He has not before, and will not start today!

You are greatly loved by Jesus! May this week flood your heart with peace.

Shalom,

Erin Lamb

empowered-free.com

empoweredandfreemerch.com

operationGodislove.org

P.S I am hosting a Masterclass Reboot course on soul healing/deep inner healing Oct 23rd, 2021 via Zoom and I will teaching people what I do to help clients step into freedom in their soul. Empowered-free.com/book-online. I would love to see some of you in class!

You Are Not Forgotten

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Quite a bit of time has passed since I blogged. The main cause for this is the app for WordPress does not work any longer on my phone. The majority of my writing happened on the app. I will continue to trouble shoot. Please know that you are not forgotten.

Secondly, Happy Mother’s Day. I hope this day is filled with joy. Whether you are biologically a mom, you’re a step/foster mom, or you care for children in other ways who are not related to you by birth, I pray that you feel seen, loved, and celebrated. I pray Mother’s Day is not the only occasion you are celebrated.

For some people, this day is a joyous occasion. They celebrate being mothers or having exceptional moms. For others, this day is full of sadness. They are missing their mothers, or their children, or maybe they have not been able to have children.

In our city outreach yesterday, I met a lady who lost all her children. All three of them died. Mother’s Day was not a happy occasion for her. Therefore, I include a message to those hurting that they are seen by God and not forgotten.

I leave you with this poem for mothers.

“A Mother’s Love”


A Mother’s love is something
that no one can explain,
It is made of deep devotion
and of sacrifice and pain,
It is endless and unselfish
and enduring come what may,
For nothing can destroy it
or take that love away,
It is patient and forgiving
when all others are forsaking,
And it never fails or falters

— Helen Steiner Rice

“Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you.” (Isaiah 49:15)

“I, the Lord, made you, and I will not forget you.” (Isaiah 44:21)

I will write to you later this week regarding what’s new and upcoming!

Have a great start to the week.

Warmly,

Erin Lamb

2020 Awakened Me to How Deep Racism is in America

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One of the greatest awakenings for me in 2020 has been how many people connected to me hold racist views or are racist. Especially on Facebook, I have been racially gaslight or in writing attacked by people. Some took their rants off social media and emailed me or sent me direct messages that were racist. These people will tell you that they are Christians. I am not certain what this term means to some people. What they live and demonstrate does not reflect the Jesus I read about in the Bible at all. 

If I post about racism, almost without fail along comes someone with a negative stat or story about Black people (even if the post has nothing to do with racism towards Black people). Anti blackness is needed to support the lie of white supremacy. The focus cannot be on what a white person has done that was wrong or is doing wrong. 

The largest part of racism is that white is right (morally, ethically, etc). If there is a hierarchy of “races”, the lie of white supremacy says, “White people must be on top.” Someone is needed at the bottom to fuel the monster of narcissism and delusion. Yes, racism is demonic and rooted in narcissism, delusion, deception, pride/insecurity. It is anti christ. The first people on this planet were brown and black people who reigned for centuries and ruled empires. Jesus was a person of color. 

White supremacy and even “white” people as a classification of a race came later in time, and it was rooted in a desire to steal, loot, murder, conquer, exploit, and colonize. It lines up with the mindset of Lucifer. Stealing, killing, destroying, lying, forcing people to conform, and desiring to be worshipped above God. 

In our current society, we normally do not hear about history until a white person showed up and quite a bit got changed to fit the European narrative. They repainted people from the Bible white, including Jesus. They taught that indigenous people were savages they saved. They hid accomplishments of people of color. Horrors committed against people of color were removed from history books. In America, the Daughters of the Confederacy rewrote southern history to promote the lie of white supremacy. Our media in America paints things to hold up the lies of racism. 

That’s why even when I post on things that are current or not even in current news, there is someone that pops up with “Well, what about black on black crime!” Or “The looters and riots,” or “A black person did this to me.” It is racist. It is racism rearing it’s head! People may not know that what they are doing is racist. 

White on white crime is higher, the media just does not talk about those statistics. White people do commit crimes against humanity, we simply do not normally mention their race in the story, the media often makes excuses for them, it’s marketed as mental illness or a one off situation, or they person may be offered leniency. All ethnic groups have areas of improvement. 

In a society built on racism, white people are treated like individuals, while people of color are treated like a monolith (group) and their race is constantly brought into the conversation because white is seen as the normative. 

I posted something earlier this year about Native Americans and someone jumped in my comments talking about something they felt Black people did wrong. Sometimes I think they subconsciously do it to try to slap my face, since I have African in my DNA. It is like, “How dare you expose something white people have done wrong, let me share this stat with you about Black people to try to put you in your place.” It is racist. It is racial gaslighting. It is being a bully. 

To the people out there who feel the need to attack, deny, or throw people of color under the bus when racism is brought up, ask yourself why? Why can I not objectively listen to information without feeling the need to gaslight this person? It could be because you hold racist viewpoints and part of you aligns with the lies of white supremacy. When someone says something that exposes the lie, you feel the need to defend it or attack the person who provided the information. 

Repeating racist talking points does not get rid of racism. Blaming someone else does not get rid of racism. There needs to be deliverance and coming out of agreement with the lies. What we believe, we empower. And it is possible to have friends, a spouse, or multiracial children and STILL hold onto racist views. At the root of racism is the lie that white is superior to other people. It’s not always manifested in violence or murder, though it can be. 

Anti blackness does not just come from white people. I have heard it from non white people of color. The bottom line is it’s from hell. It’s Lucifer’s work. Unfortunately, there are Christians who do a better job of promoting the work of evil than those who do not claim God. 

Why do I care so much? It is not just because I am a part of the BIPOC community, which stands for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (it includes Naives/Indigenous, Black or African Americans, Asians, Polynesians, Middle Easterners, Latinos/Hispanics). It is because Jesus said, “Love thy neighbor,’ and racism is not rooted in love. It is rooted in pride, narcissism, and self centeredness. Racism is demonic. It is the worship of self. Racism is anti Christ. He was a man of color, and how can any person claim to be superior to Christ and be a Christian? Yet, that is what racism says. It says that those who have European ancestry are the norm and superior to all others; it affirms the lie that, “white” traits are moral and good, and all others are bad. It invalidates 90% of the world’s population and the millions of people who ruled and reigned before white people existed. 

The race categories we have today are fruits of racism. There is truly one race, the human race with variations in cultures and ethnicities. We are not separate species. I believe we called to do more than talk about racism and protest. I think those who claim to know Jesus are called to fight against racism, to be anti racist because racism is anti-Christ. 

Books to Consider for helping with join team anti racist: 

-White Rage 

-How to Be Anti Racist 

-White Fragility 

-The Color of Law 

Watch the documentary 13th 

Watch the movies Selma and Just Mercy 

Study! Research. Renounce the lies. And if you find yourself needing to gaslight others, ask why. It’s not enough to simply denounce racism, we must be anti racist.

Warmly, 

Erin Lamb

Jesus, The Resurrected King!

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They look for you in a tomb,

yet you are not there.

They look for you in a temple, cathedral, or building,

yet they are not your home.

You dwell in the hearts of those who believe in you,

place their faith in you,

and have received the gift of salvation.

You did not remain on a cross,

nor are you bound by our earthly realm.

You rose with all power.

You took possession of the keys of death and hell.

You are the omnipresent one,

fully abiding in those who believe.

You are also seated at the right hand of our Father.

You reign supreme!

Who on the earth or in the second heaven can contend with you?

Though mankind puffs up their importance,

and parades themselves in pride,

without the breath of God,

we cease to be alive.

We are not the center of it all,

you are.

The centrality of the Gospel is you!

You are more than an expression,

more than a historical figure,

You are LORD!

King of kings.

Lord of lords.

Almighty God.

Holy and majestic you are.

There is nothing

and no one on earth more powerful than you!

I praise you with exuberant praise!

Not just today,

every single day.

My heart cries out,

“I love you. Thank you. I praise your glorious name.”

Yeshua.

Jesus.

Messiah.

Everlasting and eternal God.

You are the Alpha and Omega.

You will return and judge the world.

You are perfect justice and mercy combined.

You will come and set all the wrong things right.

Jesus,

anointed one,

I give thanks to our Father for all that you are.

May we turn our eyes towards you,

the author and finisher of our faith.

May we cast our idols at your feet,

for there is no god besides you.

Jesus,

the RISEN one!

Death could not hold you.

The grave could not keep you.

You are the risen King and Lord!

Reign over our cities, states, and nations.

Pour out your glory over our world.

Forgive us for our many transgressions,

let heaven invade our world.

It only takes one word from you,

to shift dead things into living things.

Revive us again.

Awaken us to the Father’s love and purposes again.

Move us past seeking you for selfish gain,

to surrendering all that we are,

to all that you are!

Give us heavenly perspectives,

and courage to move as you move,

and speak as you speak.

Move us past comfortable and passive Christianity.

Revive us again,

with heavenly fire and passion.

Renew our first love,

may you be primary

and seeking your Kingdom

which is superior to all.

May our praise and adoration of you be continual,

not just during feasts or holidays.

May we bow our hearts before you,

and love you more than anyone or anything!

Love in Christ,

Erin Lamb

Painting: Artist Justine Peterson (Source Pinterest)

Following Jesus

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Sunday Devotion: Following Jesus

Jesus did not invite people to pray a prayer, join a local church, and attend meetings (though connecting with other faith filled people is encouraged in Hebrews 10:25). He said, “Place your faith in me, deny yourself, and follow me.” To follow means to link hearts with Jesus and move in the direction Jesus is going.

It’s easy to be a fan of Jesus that gathers in buildings or stadiums to cheer for Him. It is quite another to yield our entire lives to God; to yield the time, the way we spend our time, resources, what we take into our eye gate, money, what we eat, and what we do with our bodies to God.

Over the years I have encountered numerous fans of Jesus, and fewer disciples of Jesus. Disciples are intimate with God. Disciples apply what they learn and see Jesus as King (Lord). He is not an add on in crisis, someone to turn to just to get needs met, someone to claim, but not do anything He says.

When we truly receive God’s love, and fall in love with Jesus, then the desires of His heart become the desires of our heart. Imagine being married and you mainly saw your spouse 1 or 2 times per week. Imagine only pursuing them in crisis. Imagine mainly talking to them to get your needs met. Imagine along with your spouse you have multiple other relationships that take priority. Imagine your spouse letting you know what they like and their desires, you in turn do nothing they desire unless it benefits you. I do not see that relationship thriving.

The covenant with God is supposed to be more important than a human spouse relationship. It is eternal, whereas an earthly covenant is temporary. God desires to lavish us with a love that is deeper and more profound than anything in this world. As we receive His incredible love, we are then able to pour that love back onto God and love our neighbors as we love ourselves.

Is God first? Are we fans or followers? Following Jesus produces good fruit, purity, an aroma of heaven, Christ likeness, and joy. There is far more to gain than what is left behind. Denying our flesh does not feel good at first, yet once we link hearts with Jesus we begin to see the fullness of His beauty. We are transformed from the inside out by His great love.

Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me,~Luke 9:23.

“What good does it do for you to say I am your Lord and Master if what I teach you is not put into practice? Let me describe the one who truly follows me and does what I say. He is like a man who chooses the right place to build a house and then lays a deep and secure foundation. When the storms and floods rage against that house, it continues to stand strong and unshaken through the tempest, for it has been wisely built on the right foundation. But the one who has heard my teaching and does not obey it is like a man who builds a house without laying any foundation whatsoever. When the storms and floods rage against that house, it will immediately collapse and become a total loss. Which of these two builders will you be?”~Luke 6:46-49 (TPT).

Beloved friends, what should be our proper response to God’s marvelous mercies? I encourage you to surrender yourselves to God to be his sacred, living sacrifices. And live in holiness, experiencing all that delights his heart. For this becomes your genuine expression of worship.Stop imitating the ideals and opinions of the culture around you, but be inwardly transformed by the Holy Spirit through a total reformation of how you think. This will empower you to discern God’s will as you live a beautiful life, satisfying and perfect in his eyes,~Romans 12:1-2 (TPT).

God loves you! Blessing you and praying for you. Let’s seek the King (Jesus) in this season and every season.

A short skit that demonstrates how being a fan of Jesus looks. https://youtu.be/7EofsF61kcU

Love,

Erin Lamb

Arise & Shine!

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I believe this can be the global churches finest hour to rise up and demonstrate to the world who God is. God is love.

We can go love our neighbors. If we cannot leave the house, we can reach out online. If we can go to the grocery store/pharmacy, we can leave care packages on porches. We can be kind. We can refuse to hoard because God is our provider. We can check in on people. “How are you? I heard you were laid off, do you need anything?” We can pray for the sick. My dad cannot go in hospitals or nursing homes right now as a Chaplain so he has been going to the parking lot to pray. We can pray over businesses and if we have money get gift cards from them. We can share Jesus online and gather people to worship through technology. If we have enough, we can share. We can cease spreading negativity and look for ways to lift others up!! We can look for ways to be a blessing in word and deed.

God is love. Love looks like something. It looks like someone-Jesus.

I find no where in the Bible where it tells me to think only of myself and go sit down idle waiting on Jesus to return. I find passages that encourage me to GO be light, GO love my neighbor, GO be a blessing, GO share the Gospel, GO be an example. We lead by example. Our sermons may make people feel good, yet the way we demonstrate what we believe leaves a lasting impression on people.

I told my brother last night that loving Jesus, following Jesus transforms the way we live. We begin to care about who and what God cares about. God cares that people are hungry, scared, uncertain, in great need. If I claim to love Him, what moves Him moves me. We are united in love.

Yesterday for We Will Rise worship gathering we did reverse offerings. They received money, not me. I do not take up offerings for me for teaching the Gospel. What good am I taking money from people who may not be able to eat when I have enough? Blessing them was the priority. It warmed my heart they nominated others in the community instead of just themselves. Love is looking out for others.

Arise and shine!
Arise and shine!!
Arise and shine!!!

We cannot do everything; we can do something!


If you have a grocery need, or know someone in need, the giveaway is this evening. My not for profit is doing a grocery giveaway. Go to http://www.OperationGodisLove.org.

Love,

Erin Lamb

Happy Thanksgiving!

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From my heart ❤️ to yours, “Happy Thanksgiving!” I hope in the hustle and bustle of every day life that gratitude is a regular occurrence and not just on special occasions.

I give thanks for you. Thank you for reading this blog and being a part of the journey to know God intimately. Thank YOU!

I recognize there are plenty of things we can find wrong on a given day, yet if we look hard enough, I think we can find at least three things to give thanks for daily. Do you have your three? I can give you some things I am thankful for today. I would love to hear your gratitude list.

  • God. God is my best friend. God says nothing can separate us from His great love. Knowing God, getting to know God, is the greatest joy of my life. P. S God LOVES you and longs to be your friend.
  • I am not homeless. Yesterday on the way to work I saw people begging in the cold for food. It was cold, windy, and unpleasant. Some people have no home to go to today and no hot meal prepared for them. If we are not homeless, that is a blessing.
  • Clean water and food to eat. I spent time in South America and Asia on mission. I also minister to the homeless here in America. I have seen people eating out of the trash, starving to death, and drinking polluted water. If we have clean water and food, that is a mega blessing.
  • A few amazing friends and some family. There are lonely people all over this planet who do not have great friends or loving family. I thank God for what I do have. It is not the quantity, it is the quality that matters. My mum used to say, “Erin, if you have one person who genuinely loves you and you can trust, you are richer than most.”
  • Health. I am healthy. If you are sick today, praying total healing over you! If you are healthy, that is cause for thanks.
  • Ability to work and have income. I thank God I can work and have income. I thank God for the businesses and ability to share resources. I am blessed to be a blessing and benefactor for those who cannot help themselves. If you have income, that is a blessing.
  • Freedom of faith. In my country I can share about Jesus without the severe consequences of those in Nations with less freedom. If you can worship without persecution, that is a blessing.

This list is not exhaustive. It is simply a snap shot of what I am giving thanks for today. What is on your list? Feel free to borrow some of mine. As you look around today, may there be blessings highlighted everywhere. You are so greatly loved and appreciated!

Have a wonderful holiday! Praying you are overwhelmed by the goodness, love, hope, beauty, joy, and wonder of God today. Oh how He loves you.

Oh…and don’t forget to swing by Empowered-Free.com and EmpoweredandFreeMerch.com tomorrow for the Black Friday sales. Save 45% off all inventory. Part of the proceeds will go towards the mission to South Africa next year and efforts to end human trafficking.

Black Friday is the best time to grab one of the books, audio teachings, devotionals, or check out our t-shirts, girls t-shirts, or other merch! Confident & Free the book and Overcoming Church Hurt & Abuse the book both have 5 star ratings with readers. A greater freedom and confidence awaits you!!

Help us change the world! Use the code: BlackFriday

Love,

Erin Lamb

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