Tag: Knowing God

Don’t Bypass Gethsemane (Abiding & Intimacy with God Part 1) 

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1 Peter 4:13 (NKJV)

…rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.

We live in a culture that promotes comfort. If you talk to people about suffering, sometimes they will check out of the conversation. 

Let’s be honest, I don’t enjoy suffering or persecution. 

I have learned and am learning that if we only eat dessert, we don’t grow. We need situations in our lives where we don’t get our way, we don’t understand, the answer is no or wait, there are obstacles or problems to overcome. If we don’t have them, we remain spiritually and emotionally immature. We don’t grow up. We stay on the same level. 

The idea God only wants us to feel good is toxic. Growth doesn’t always feel good. Do you recall being younger and experiencing growth pains, losing teeth so new ones could come, or homework? It didn’t always feel good. The end result was good. 

Is every hardship God growing us? No. I think it’s valuable to examine Godly challenges versus what’s of the devil. God can turn what’s of the devil into a blessing; that doesn’t mean He set up the suffering, challenge, or setback. 

There’s Godly suffering/challenges and evil suffering/challenges. Let’s lay these out on the table. 

Godly suffering, trials, or challenges: 

  1. It’s for the Gospel. The Bible says the Godly will suffer persecution and be hated (2 Timothy 3:12, John 15:18). 
  2. It produces Godly character and develops patience (James 1:3, Romans 5:4). 
  3. It leads to eventual blessing (Hebrews 12:2, Job 42:10, Genesis 50:20). 

What Godly suffering is not: 

  1. It is not a call to sickness, disease, or demonic oppression. Jesus healed the sick and delivered the oppressed (examples in Mark 1:34, Matthew 4:23-25). 
  2. It is not a call to poverty. Jesus told us to care for the poor (Proverbs 29:4, Proverbs 22:9, Galatians 2:10) . If I’m poor, how can I help you? 
  3. It is not a call to abuse or being abused/controlled/manipulatd.Those are demonic forces. Abuse is not love. Control is not love. Jesus stood up for the oppressed, and outcasts of society (John 4, John 8). 

Holy Spirit University Lessons

  
Have you been enrolled? It’s amazing if you do. I liken the work of Holy Spirit to being enrolled in a University. Salvation is our ticket into HSU. Everyone has a schedule, map (the Bible), and a mentor (Holy Spirit). The courses are designed to grow us into the character of Jesus and help us fulfill our destiny. 

No worries if you don’t do well in a course. You don’t get grades here. You can take a class as many times as you need. Even after you pass you will be tested on what you’ve learned or move on to the next level.  

Suffering 101-301: I did not enroll myself in this class. I was born into trauma. I have no space to tell you all my war stories. Just know this class is ongoing. 

What I’ve learned/am learning: 

  • The supernatural comfort and power of God. 
  • The power of God to heal and deliver. 
  • The great compassion, mercy, and goodness of God. 

Persecution 101-107: I don’t enjoy this class. Yet I have seen the most fruit from these challenges. I’ve been in this class for 7 years. 

What I have learned/ am learning: 

  • To allow God to defend me (work in progress). He is my defense.  
  • People are not my enemy. I have just 1 and Jesus beat him with two sticks. 
  • To rely solely on God’s love and acceptance. 

One coworker harassed me at work; regularly tried to get me fired. She eventually gave her life to Jesus. She said, “I knew the Spirit of God was in you.” I never retaliated, tried to hurt her, nor treated her poorly no matter how awful. Don’t get me wrong, there was lots of prayer. Years of being beat down without Human Resources help. People kept saying to quit. I just didn’t have the “Go” in my spirit. 

I am not advocating staying in an abusive or toxic situation. If it’s physical violence or sexual abuse, get help immediately. If it’s verbal abuse, get help. God does not approve of abuse or expect you to tolerate it. 
Rejection 101-301: I’m almost at home in this class. I’m growing accustomed to being misunderstood, left out, pushed aside, put in the back, or ignored, etc…sometimes it bothers me when it comes from Christians. I’m learning claiming Jesus and loving like Him are not the same. People (myself included) must receive God’s love in order to give it away. 

There are people in my family who rejected me for sharing the Gospel or for no reason. I love them. I try not to allow their behavior to dictate my joy. 

What I’ve learned/am learning: 

  • My audience must be God. If He says thumbs up, it doesn’t matter if the world says thumbs down. 
  • God withholds nothing good. God sets up relationships that are mutual blessings.
  • Preference matters. I like mangoes. You may like peaches. Both are good. It’s a matter of preference. 
  • Don’t rely on or need the approval of man; it changes like the shifting tide. People can love you today and hate you tomorrow. 

Those are just some of the courses I’ve been in for a very long time. 

I used to lament, “Why me?” I came to the conclusion that I choose whether to be a victim or victor. How people behave is a reflection of their heart, experiences, or circumstances. People can only give the love they have first received from God. 

I found that our suffering helps us to have compassion for others and patience with them. 

More than sympathy…

I was praying with someone who just broke down, tears streaming. This person had endured horrific, sustained abuse. When I touched the person I felt it. I cried with them. Why? I understand abuse. I know what it’s like for people take out their rage or frustrations on me. I know what it’s like to blame myself instead of the other person. 

I know what it’s like to feel unloved, like the dog people like to kick. I told the person, “I know exactly how you feel. I was abused too. This is not your fault.” When those words were spoken, a glimmer of hope appeared in those tear filled eyes. 

The prayer time with this person was not a pity session, or I must make up sympathy for you. It was a “I’ve been here and I’m entering into this pain with you.” I just rocked the person, held them, and spoke out God’s love and affirmation; we cried. 

Let me tell you something sweet friends. God enters into our suffering. He’s not watching it trying to work up sympathy. His heart is pounding in His chest, “That’s hurting My child.” His heart is for us. Jesus suffered for us and suffers with us. There’s intimacy forged in suffering with Jesus. 

Some of the strongest bonds are forged between people who go through challenges together. 

Jesus did everything the Father told Him to do. It led to the cross. Jesus faced Gethsemane, the cross, all before His resurrection. Sometimes what feels like death is an invitation to glory. An olive is crushed before the oil flows. It’s not suffering for no reason. It’s a pressing, strengthening season. 

God wastes nothing. Once we overcome, we can then assist others in overcoming. The Spirit of Breakthrough begins to flows through us when we walk through the valley with God. We are released, through abiding, into new levels of understanding, compassion, and authority.

God bless!

Love, 

Erin 

Moving Past the “To Do List” (Abiding & Intimacy with God Intro)

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Photo Source: SwordSwag; used with permission. 

Can we talk as if we are old friends? I would love to spend time sharing with you. I love sharing experiences. The next series of posts will be on abiding and cultivating intimacy with God. I will share testimonies and experiences with God. 

The Bible is filled with the experiences of men and women who encountered God; they did life with God. They joined God’s story. God invites us to join His story. Are you excited to know God? I am. 

A peak into my walk with God… 

My mother said my first word was Jesus. She would pray and read the Bible with me beside her as an infant/toddler. I’ve been with God for decades. I gave my life to Jesus when I was a very young child; we’ve been on some glorious adventures and challenges together. 

If I speak to you about a topic, know I’ve either walked through it, I’m walking through it, and it’s been (being) tested in my life. I am not an expert. I, like you, am on a journey of cultivating intimacy with God. 

So to get us started, let’s examine the infamous “To Do List!”

I met with a friend a few weeks ago and we talked about the Christian “To Do List”. 

Are you familiar with the “To Do List”? 

The “To Do List,” contains all of the things we need “to do” to become more like Jesus or be a good Christian. 

We talked about the failures that arise from being told what to do without anyone modeling or showing you how to do something. We also talked about the stress involved with striving and self effort. 

We were told to do the following: 

  • Confess Jesus 
  • Go to Church (worship gatherings)
  • Give 
  • Serve 
  • Read the Bible 
  • Worship 

We discussed how doing these things did not give us all the information needed to cultivate deep intimacy with God. 

It is possible to do the list and still not know God in deep ways. Say what? Yes, you heard me correctly. I did the list for years. I could quote to you all the things I knew about God. I could quote scriptures for you. I could regurgitate what I learned. 

There’s a vast difference between knowing things about someone and knowing them intimately. 

I wrote a book. People who read it or things I write on social media can say they know things about me. They can regurgitate what I say. They do not know me intimately. The people who know me intimately talk to me regularly, have lived with me, or we’ve done missions together; they have suffered with me, or they have walked with me through seasons of life. They have been with me through the good and challenging seasons. 

Intimacy, sweet friends, requires proximity. When we respond to the call of salvation, we are saying, “God come live in me. Abide in me. I am Your dwelling place. Be Lord over my life.” We open the door to our entire lives, and invite God to have access to it all. 

God is after a profound, life-giving, intimate relationship; a deeper and more intimate relationship than a human marriage. He longs to be first. He alone can fulfill the human heart. Jesus did life with the disciples.

Let’s back up to the “To Do List”; those are great disciplines. They are necessary. They do not substitute or replace the need for a personal, one-on-one relationship with God. I can read the Bible and miss God completely if my objective is to check a box instead of engage with the Author. 

How did I start the journey of deeper intimacy with God? I prayed. 

I was in a long term relationship that seemed as though it would lead to marriage. I prayed. I don’t believe in jumping into marriage without prayer, wise counsel, and weighing all aspects of the relationship. In hindsight I wish I had prayed before we started dating. Hindsight is 20/20 right? Lesson learned. 

God and I had the “To Do List,” relationship going. Yet something inside me (Holy Spirit), kept tugging for more of God. There had to be more. 

My focus of prayer initially was, “Should I marry this person?” My prayer wasn’t, “Lord take me deeper.” 

One afternoon I was in my bedroom praying. I was quite serious about this prayer time. I asked God directly, “Should I marry this man?” I was young, still in college, and had never lived on my own. I heard a voice as clear as day say, “No!” It was outside my head. 

I looked around for another source and could find none. You would think the audible voice of God would lead me to break things off. Nope. I kept praying. Why? I did not believe at the time God would speak directly to me. 

I thought God spoke only to pastors or only through His word. He spoke to people in the Bible, not directly to me about every day things. This lie kept me from going deeper in intimacy with God. His word says, “My sheep will know my voice.” 

The more I prayed, the worse things were in the relationship. We’d known each other 8 years, since we were kids. How do you walk away? You choose God. I will save the rest of the story for another day. 

After I ended the relationship, I began to seek God in more purposeful ways. I cried out for “More Lord!” Gosh that was over 12 years ago. I would steal away to be with God for hours and cry out to hear and know His voice. 

After salvation, and years of doing the “To Do List,” I wanted more. God responded in great ways. I prayed the following prayers. 

God I want to know You! 

I want to meet with You face to face; heart to heart. 

I want to be best friends. 

I want to know Your voice. 

I want to love like You love. 

I want the character of Jesus manifested in my life. 

I’m hungry for more of You…

He responded to those prayers in ways I cannot express in one blog post. I can say, if you pray these prayers, expect God to show up. He did not and has not answered these prayers in ways I thought He would. He did show up and invite me on this journey into the most glorious places of His heart. 

So stay tuned. I am praying for you, for us, to continually encounter the perpetual goodness and greatness of God. 

Key note: there’s always more to learn about God. There’s always more! 

Love in Christ, 

Erin Lamb 

Intimacy (God’s Love Letter)

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Intimacy (God’s Love Letter)

Written by Erin Lamb

January 11, 2016

All rights reserved. May only be reproduced with author permission. 

How He loves us so! Hope this encourages your hearts. 

In the collection of My imagination, there you were, there you are.

You are My chosen one. 

You were and are of divine design. 

As I gathered My thoughts, as I smiled with delight, I was thinking of you.  

You are the one I love, the one I gave My most treasured possession for.

I gave My Son, My image bearer.

He is the physical manifestation of My steadfast love and overflowing compassion.

How I love Him!

How I love you! I exchanged My love for your love. 

I gave My highest, My best, for your freedom, for relationship. 

My Son gave His life to set the record to rest. 

Not guilty, not guilty in My Son. 

For His sacrifice pays the penalty that once separated you from Me.

He paid for compete liberty; liberty from the bondage and strongholds of sin. He paid for intimacy. 

I’m daily pursuing intimacy.

The deep longing of My heart is for you and I to be one, together in complete and unbreakable unity.  

I so desire to unveil to you My glorious mysteries.  

I’ve laid a pure and rich path before you that leads directly to Me. 

Come dwell here. 

Come rest here.

Come find your true identity here; for I know who you truly are.  

Do you know Me?

Do you know who I am?

I see more than the world’s sin and tragedies.

I see people I love, those I adore, those I paid the highest price for.

I see those adopted into My family and those who’ve chosen to live independent of Me, those I cannot yet call My own.

Some will choose to live without Me for all of eternity, separated from My love, peace, presence, and joy. 

I so long to embrace the entire world through My Beloved Son. 

Yet many will reject My love, and choose to leave Me forsaken. 

However, won’t  you come? 

Come through faith in My Son. 

Come through the torn veil straight into My arms. 

Won’t you come? 

Come dance to the marvelous melodies that the angels sing. 

Come sing along. 

Won’t you come? 

Deeper and deeper down the winding staircase of My love. 

As you continue your journey you will find your heart softening again and again. 

Come with Me! 

Allow Me to reveal love’s true meaning. 

My love will overtake you, saturate you, bathe you, cleanse you, and most of all My love will free you.

Free you of every shackle and every chain. 

Free you of every insecurity and pain. 

Won’t you come? 

Come frolic in the ocean of My love and compassion. 

Allow the tidal waves of My relentless love to crash against the worn shores of your heart and soul. 

Come feast from My banquet table. 

Here you will never grow hungry and you will thirst no more. 

For I fill to overflowing…

I give and then I give abundantly more. 

There’s no end to My provision. 

You cannot exhaust My resources or My love. 

It has no end. 

I have no end. 

I am eternal and so is My love for you. 

I am the One who loves you with an everlasting love, a love that will never cease to love. 

Won’t you come? 

Rest your head on My shoulder, find peace in My arms. 

I long to love you, and to be known by you.  

I desire for your heart to beat in tandem with Mine. 

I long to never be apart.

Intimacy is My heart’s cry.  

Oh for you to sincerely know Me, as your best friend who will endure with faithful, unending love. 

I want to be with you more than you could ever want to be with Me. 

This is My heart’s cry for continual intimacy. 

A habitation where My Spirit occupies every part of you and reveals My truth, My wisdom, My nature, My love. 

So won’t you come? 

Come away with Me into the deep recesses of My heart. 

You were made for Me. 

Let Me love you and fill to overflowing every empty place. 


Created Not Cloned (Manifesting Sonship Series Part VIII)

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Oh yes, you (God) shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother’s womb.

I thank you, High God—you’re breathtaking!

Body and soul, I am marvelously made!

I worship in adoration—what a creation!

You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body;

You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something.

Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you,

The days of my life all prepared before I’d even lived one day,~Psalm 139:13-16. 

If I asked you what is the most common and destructive tool of the evil one, what would you say? 

I believe the answer is getting humanity to fail to see who they are from God’s perspective. Insecurity and a fractured identity are crippling.

Lack of identity in Christ leads to horrible decisions in many cases. Insecurity can lead to pain, shame, fear, comparison, competition, putting others down, racism, sexism, prejudice, jealousy, envy, abuse, control, manipulation, relational problems, low self worth… 

The evil one started with Eve, he spoke a lie to her which implied she wasn’t already created in the image of God. He’s worked throughout the course of history to sow insecurity, shame, and pervert identity. He tried again with Jesus and failed (Matthew 4:6-8). 

In order to know the purpose or identity of something, one must ask the One (God) who created it. God creates. He did not clone humanity. Each person is a unique expression of His heart and creativity.

God created mankind. We did not create ourselves. Nor do I believe we evolved from another animal life form. If we don’t believe we were created by a loving, caring, wise, and good God, then where does our worth come from, what is it’s source? 

In our world a person’s worth is often measured by their performance+people’s opinions. Another scenario is beauty/outward appearance+people’s opinions. What’s the issue with the formulas? People’s opinions of us can change like the shifting sands. One minute you are loved, the next you’re not. Performances can fall flat or someone more talented or gifted comes along. The standard of beauty changes. What’s hot today may not be tomorrow. If each person is trying to be someone they are not, or trying to prove their worth, we have a life of striving and mini replicas. 

The original is always more valuable than a copy. 

When I was a kid I loved puzzles and art. I spent hours either creating or putting together puzzles. What if all my drawings were exactly the same? Here are 30 drawings of the same picture. Each one is exactly the same. You might think, “She’s not very creative! Wow, this is boring!!” 

What if the puzzles had a box full of the same identical piece? Well, I’d be frustrated. Who didn’t do their job right? Seriously, you had one job (insert laugh here). 🙂 You would not see the picture the artist intended. You’d also be bored. All the different shapes and colors make up a bigger picture. 

God is the artist who created all the different colors, shapes, personalities, giftings, etc…it’s His picture. It’s His canvas; God is not boring. 

I paint. I paint collections. Each piece by itself I love. When you see them together it takes on a new meaning. God created humanity with diversity. He did not create one type of person and then clone them. 

Our attempts to change His design don’t bring Him glory. Our put downs of what He’s made don’t bring Him glory. Our arguing with God about our existence doesn’t bring Him glory. God likes what He made. Who are we to argue with God?  

I used to want to be someone different. I wanted to be like my dad. He always had something good to say. I wanted to be like my mom. She was effortlessly beautiful and overflowing with kindness and grace. I wanted to be tall. As I got older I wanted a different brain. I process through logic then emotion, which confused and bothered some people. Women are supposed to be super emotional right? Not all of us are. I realized I was insulting God by wanting to be like someone else. 

Insecurity is actually sin. It’s a fruit of unbelief. It’s refusing to accept that God doesn’t make mistakes. We make them, that doesn’t mean we are a mistake. Behavior does not equal identity. We are who God says we are. Our behavior is a result of what we believe about ourselves or God. 

There are many things God wants us all to know and believe:

1. We were God’s idea. Parents may not have loved well or chosen a child, but God wants every single child conceived (not just the ones born or wanted by their parents). 

2. We are unique. Every human being has unique markers. No two human beings are exactly alike. Even identical twins have different fingerprints and personalities. 

3. We are gifted differently to reflect His creative genius. We can’t take credit for natural talents or giftings. They are given by God to bless the world and reflect His creativity; bring Him glory. 

4. God created what was really good! When God created humanity He said, “It is very good.” Go back and read Genesis 1. 

5. God values diversity! The Bible tells us in the book of Revelation that every tribe, nation, people group, and tongue will be represented in heaven (Revelation 5:9). 

6. God establishes true identity that cannot be shaken. If I listened to everything people said about me, about who I am, I’d be a mess. Don’t allow people who don’t know or like who they are to define who you are. What does God say? What He says is truth. 

I leave you with this poem God wrote on my heart years back. 

Do You Know Who You Are?

You are deeply loved sweet ones! Lifting you up and expecting great things in your lives in 2016! The best is yet to come. 

Love, 

Erin Lamb 

Happy New Year! 

Releasing What You Carry (Manifesting Sonship Series Part VI)

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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,~Ephesians 1:3-4 (Amplified).  

“Dwell in Me, and I will dwell in you. [Live in Me, and I will live in you.] Just as no branch can bear fruit of itself without abiding in (being vitally united to) the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in Me. I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. However, apart from Me [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing. If a person does not dwell in Me, he is thrown out like a [broken-off] branch, and withers; such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire, and they are burned.”~Jesus. ‭‭John‬ ‭15:4-6‬ ‭(Amplified).‬‬

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control,~Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV).

How do we manifest what God is like to the world? How do we walk in the Spirit, being led by the Spirit, and continually bear good fruit? How do we release what He’s deposited?

It Starts with Saving Faith

We are saved by faith in Jesus, by grace, as a gift of God through repentance (confessing our sins and changing our mind about sin). If you have not accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior, check out How to Know Jesus. 

It Continues on with Relationship…

Fruit bearing is a manifestation of connection and relationship. How do we cultivate relationship with God? We can only release what we carry. 

For each person it may look a bit different. I am not suggesting you follow a formula or feel bound. There’s so much holy freedom in Christ. These are simply some things I do. 

  • Worship God. Worship is more than singing songs. Worship is a posture of the heart that says, “God You are greater than all things. You are worthy. All that I am is in awe of all You! I give you thanks, praise, adoration, my entire life! It’s all Yours!!“
  • Make time with God a priority. I have worship parties with God. It’s just us and sometimes there’s singing, dancing, laughing (lots of laughing), praising, or face down on the floor time. 
  • Study the word with God. God and I have study dates. Normally these are Sunday afternoons in the war room (prayer room). I study with His input. I learn the Bible with God. It’s our time. 
  • Talk to God daily. He loves to be with us. 
  • Listen to God and jot down what you believe He’s saying. I carry a prayer journal with me everywhere with documented prayers, words, impressions, etcetera…I have some that are over 10 years old. Wait 15 years old. I can go back and reference our time together and answered prayers, prophetic words fulfilled, and encouraging words He has spoken. 
  • Ask God for deeper revelations of His love, His Presence, and His care. He loves to answer this prayer.
  • Ask God what His agenda is for the day. Who does He want to bless? If we pay attention He will highlight someone or multiple people each day.
  • Obey God. Some have taught that obedience is legalism. It is not. Jesus perfectly obeyed the Father and I dare anyone to call Him legalistic. Obedience is better than sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22) and a manifestation of our love for God (John 14:15). We are a slave to whoever we obey (Romans 16:6). We are not saved by obedience. We are saved by faith. However to claim Christ and practice lawlessness is not something God celebrates or approves of. See Matthew 7:21-23. God hates what damages us. Sin is damaging.

What if you say, “My tree does not have abundant good fruit! Or I don’t have anything good to offer the world. I am barely making it.”

 
If I go out to an orange tree and it has no good fruit. I don’t curse the tree. I look at the root system. Only a tree planted in good soil, watered, receiving light from the sun will produce good fruit. Only a tree free of disease will produce good fruit. 

If I am not producing the good fruit of God’s likeness, it’s because I’ve disconnected from the Vine (God), forsaken intimacy (watering (Holy Spirit) and His Presence (Light)), forsaken fellowship (community), and chosen to live by my flesh instead of being led by His Spirit. If I’m still not producing good fruit, there are wounds/hurts (disease) in my soul that need healed. The spirit is saved, new at conversion. The soul is being sanctified (changed, cleansed, purified over time with God). 

God can and does heal the wounded soul. I will post more about that later. Our pride and rebellion can also block the flow of the Holy Spirit. It’s easy to confess those things to God and get the flow moving freely again. 

Releasing What You Carry…

Possession proceeds releasing. We can only give what we have first obtained from God. We receive by faith. 

  • We can only release by doing something. 
  • Faith requires activation. 

A couple years ago I was talking to God about wanting to see more sick people healed. He responded, “Go pray for more sick people.” I’ve seen God heal more sick people in the past 12 months than I have in  my entire walk with God. Mainly because when someone is ill, I jump to pray. 

Want more, release more! Find people to encourage, pray for, share the Gospel with, teach, mentor, disciple…pay it forward. 

God is a wise investor. If we use what’s given to bless others, He adds more. So, we stay connected and share what’s given. We love God for who He is, not to gain things from Him. If we spend time with Him, we will overflow with more than enough to share. 

Final Notes: 

There’s no fear in love. If I’m not producing good fruit in an area, I go to the Source (God). I abide in Him. I submit myself to Him and allow God to work in my soul that which is pleasing to Him. I deepen our connection. Good fruit is not produced by striving. It comes only through intimacy with God, abiding. 

Papa God, You are incredible and holy. I ask for all of us to be saturated with Your steadfast love, power, wisdom, and thoughts. Heal any wounds in our soul. Uproot unbelief, fear, pride, rebellion, insecurity. Plant us in good soil. Help us to stay under the waterfall of Your unfailing love. Keep our eyes on You! In Jesus mighty name. Amen. 

You are deeply loved and prayed for often. 

Love in Christ, 

Erin Lamb 

Orange tree photo courtesy of Pinterest. 

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 

Identity Crisis (Manifesting Sonship Series Part III)

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“Before I shaped you in the womb, I knew all about you. Before you saw the light of day, I had holy plans for you: A prophet to the nations that’s what I had in mind for you,“~Jeremiah 1:5. 

Those are beautiful words spoken by God about the prophet Jeremiah. God affirms it is He who shaped Jeremiah in the womb. He is also the One who had a plan for Jeremiah’s life before he was born. You and I are no different from Jeremiah. God knew us before we were ever conceived and has a great plan for our lives. 

We matter to God. Every life has a purpose. You were not a mistake. If you were born male, God intended you to be male. If you were born female, God intended you to be that way. Your skin color, nationality, ethnic origin, place in history were all seen and known by God. He doesn’t make mistakes. Humans make poor choices or mistakes. Because of Adam and Eve we are born with a sin nature, yet God even took care of the sin issue through His Son. We may be born with issues, that doesn’t mean God intended for us to keep them. Nor does He wish for us to sin or have a perpetual identity crisis. He longs to restore humanity to the first estate. 

The first estate of Adam and Eve was God’s plan. Man and woman made in His image, without sin, linked together in the first human covenant, to be representatives of Him in the earth. He made mankind in His image (Genesis 1:27). They (man and woman) together represent what He is like. They were given a purpose; be with God, love God, love one another, have dominion on the earth, rule, subdue, be fruitful and multiply (procreate). 

“Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother’s womb.

I thank you, High God—you’re breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration—what a creation!

You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something.

Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you. The days of my life all prepared before I’d even lived one day,“~Psalm 139:13-16 (The Message). 

Our society has redefined identity. Even in the church. Everyone gets to be who they want to be. Our culture says if you feel like a duck, then you can become a duck and everyone around you must approve and applaud. If you dress like a duck, I’d still love you. God still loves you. That doesn’t mean you are a duck. Your DNA will still say human. No matter the pills we take, clothes we wear, or what we place on our drivers license/birth certificate, or what we call ourselves, our identity was selected by God and written on our DNA. 

On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, “Why did you make me like this,” will it?~Romans 9:20. 

You may be saying you’ve never argued with God about your identity. Have you ever wished you were someone else? Wanted their gifts, talents, skills? Wished you could look like someone else or have what they have? Tried to change who you are to fit in, so people like and approve of you? Defined yourself by success, family, marriage, or associations instead of as a beloved child of God? Defined yourself by your sin instead of what God says? Allowed others to tell you who you are? Felt discontent because you couldn’t compete with others? Allowed the opinions of others or lack of approval/acknowledgement to steal your joy?

Our media is set up to bring confusion and discontentment. There’s no message that I can find of, “Be content with who you are and what you have.” Nor are there many messages stating God is the standard, the tuning fork we are to adjust our lives and thoughts to. 

Examples from life:

My personality is rare, the rarest among women according to Myers Briggs. People have told me, “You’re like a man.” I’m not a man. I’m 100% female and don’t wish to be a man. Yet it’s challenging when people try to define who you are by their standards instead of God’s. God gave me a mostly logical brain, and I am a thinker. I’m not into the same things many women are. Yet I am who God created me to be; created to display His creativity in the earth. 
Wait a minute! Don’t change my design…

There’s a comic artist I love online. Her comics bring such joy! One day she posted how people were taking her creations and chopping them off or changing them by only showing part of the image. She as the creator was livid that her original designs were being changed. She knew the message she wanted to send to the world. When her creation was changed, the meaning was lost and it no longer brought glory to her. She was no longer honored nor her true intentions seen. It wasn’t hers anymore. It was altered, changed, and the message confused. 

God handcrafted you! You were and are His design. 

I posted somewhere I had a vision a year or so ago with all these priceless hand cut gems from heaven. The Father was pouring them out into the world via a conveyor belt. They filled the earth perfectly. Each one different and unique, and perfectly cut so they fit together. He then lit up the world; it was the most brilliant scene. What if the diamonds decided to be rubies or the emeralds to be opals? They decide to make their own design and well, that’s where we get perversion. Which is something twisted, altered, and the wrong version. 

The evil one says, “Do what feels good to you. God made you different than what you appear. You can be who ever you want to be! It’s your world, your body, your ideas, your feelings, and passions that matter most.” Then he sits back and laughs at humanity like I believe he did with Adam and Eve. They forfeited God’s amazing plan for something that brought sickness, torment, disease, sin, pain, confusion, abuse, heartache…all the horrors we see in the world today go back to Adam and Eve choosing their way over God’s. The devil never told them the negative consequences of believing him over God. The devil never tells anyone that stepping outside God’s will cause eventual destruction. 

What’s the Good News?! The good news is God always has a redemptive plan. No matter how we feel or think about who or what we are, God can and will give us His lenses and perspective. He sent His Son Jesus to redeem humanity and reestablish broken, fractured, and lost identity. He takes what was broken in the Garden and makes it whole. 

God’s vision for humanity was represented in the Garden of Eden before Adam sinned. If Eve had truly believed she was made in the image of God, when the serpent tempted her with something she already had she may have resounded, “I am created in His image already. No thank you!” If she had fully grasped the goodness of God, maybe she would responded, “God withholds nothing good from me. He is good. I will not eat from this tree.” 

Sweet friends, God knew what He was doing when He created you. He has an amazing plan for your life. You are defined by heavenly standards and God sees someone He loves. He defines you by His book, His creative idea, by Himself. You were carved out of the imagination of God. God doesn’t define anyone by sin or the world’s standards. He looks at His children and calls forth their true identities as sons and daughters of God. It’s not about what we feel or what others say. It’s about what He says. Only the Creator can tell you the purpose and identity of His creation. You are a walking poem and billboard for God’s creative genuis. 

Papa God, please forgive us for trying to tell You who we are, for defining ourselves by the world’s standards or by our feelings/thoughts/passions/insecurities. Please cleanse us of pride, insecurity, deception, rebellion, perversion, and unbelief. Please forgive us for redefining who we are in ways that dishonor and disrespect You. Help us to seek You for identity because the greatest title we can carry is child of God. Help us to see ourselves through Your eyes. Show us what we were born for. In Jesus mighty name amen.

You are so deeply loved! 

Erin 

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

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Photo credit: Pinterest 

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