Tag: 2020

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!

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

The Parable of the Diamonds

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Parable of the uncut diamond and the stranger.

There was man who prayed and prayed for blessings. He was defeated and poor. He cried out to God to bless him each day.

God heard his cry and began to send people to bless the man. He was suspicious of their kindness and refused help. He did not trust love, especially from someone he did not know.

One day God sent a stranger along the man’s path with a box, and inside was a bag of uncut diamonds. It was worth 77 million dollars.

The stranger approached the man during his lunch time meal. “Is your name John?” The man grumbled, “Yes!” He was frustrated because he could not see all the times/ways God tried to bless him.

The stranger asked to sit with him. John was already irritated and wanted nothing to do with the stranger. He was busy. His lunch break was only a half hour. He had people to see, things to do.

The stranger sensed John’s hesitation. “John, I know you are a busy man. I don’t want to take up much of your time. God sent me here to you to deliver this box.” John replied, “Can you just leave the box and GO! I am busy. I have work to do. I work 3 jobs just to pay my bills.”

The stranger honored the wishes and left the box. He walked away; John dismissed the box. He ate his lunch murmuring and complaining. “Why would God interrupt my lunch for this?! He knows I only have 30 minutes of peace.”

John’s attitude stunk like the garbage in the bin behind him. He never thought of the interruption as a potential blessing. He never saw the stranger as a gift. He saw him as a nuisance.

John opened the box before returning to his shift. “Rocks! God gave me a bag of rocks. Is this a joke?!!!” John was angry. He shoved the bag in his case and went back to work.

Years passed and John continued to pray and murmur against God.

God sent the stranger back to John. “It’s you again,” John exclaimed with roughness. “Yes, I am here for the bag I gave you. If you have no use for them, we have someone else who wants them.” “Sure take these stupid rocks.” John went into his room and pulled the bag out, brushed off the dust, and threw them at the stranger. “Thank you John. This bag of uncut diamonds worth 77 million dollars is going to help someone else.”

John stood there stunned and ashamed. For years he lived in poverty while millions of dollars sat in his bottom drawer collecting dust.

The stranger said to John, “For years God has been sending people to help you and you refused help. You were curt with me and so busy that you missed provision. I was sent to give you instructions on what you had been given and you dismissed me. Therefore, you forfeited your blessing. The lady several streets over has a great need and God told me she would listen and use these diamonds for good. John, God loves you. The lesson is to not dismiss something because you do not understand. Seek God for wisdom. Every interruption or person who wants to help you is not the devil. I hope you are you blessed. These diamonds were a gift to me from my father and I asked God for someone to give them to. I have more than enough. God sent me first to you. He chose you and you relinquished your blessing. Mary, the woman who will receive part of my inheritance will never have to work again. Good day John and God bless you.”

As the stranger walked away, John wept. He was so busy trying to make it by himself that he missed God.

It’s so easy to look with the eyes of the flesh and miss God. God works through people. God does set up divine interruptions. It is possible to miss what God is doing because we are so busy judging by what our natural eyes see. Wisdom pulls us deeper to say, “God give me your eyes and help me to walk in the Spirit of God not my flesh. God show me what you are doing? Is this you God?”

It is the glory of God to conceal a matter and the glory of kings to search it out-Prov 25:2.

I asked God to be a benefactor and partner with Him to bless the world. I cannot tell you how many people have forfeited what God wanted to give them through me because they did not recognize nor value the packaging. One minister I had thousands to offer them, they behaved so poorly and were so full of pride, “I don’t need any help.” I gave their gift to someone else. Treat people with respect, honor, dignity because it’s the right thing to do. Also understand you may be entertaining a person on assignment from heaven to bless you. Some have entertained angels unaware.

Keep your eyes open in 2020 for the blessings of God. It may not come in the way you expect.

Happy New Year! New Decade! New ERA!!

Love,

Erin Lamb

Empowered-Free.com

Empoweredandfreemerch.com

OperationGodisLove.org