Unexpected with Hannah Love

Amber Smith is a Christ follower, wife and mama, podcaster and now author. She married her husband, Granger (country music artist) in 2010 and now live on a little farm with lots of animals in central Texas with their kiddos, London, Lincoln and Maverick. Their lives were forever changed when their youngest son River went to be with Jesus in June of 2019. Amber started Arise with Amber to share their journey through grief and how Jesus saved their lives. Amber’s  passion since their loss has been to bring good from the pain, to find meaning and purpose instead of reasons and to share the hope they have in Jesus to a lost, hurting and broken world. Amber and Granger started the River Kelly Fund in honor of their son and since its inception, they have given back over half a million dollars to other non-profit organizations and those in need. Amber’s message is to tell you that grief and joy can co-exist. 

Today, we are talking about a topic that a lot of people may consider controversial, but if you are a Christian, I don’t believe this should be something that is controversial. Our prayer today is that anyone who hears this receives in love what we are saying today because our utmost wish is that we can speak God’s truth in love. There is no condemnation; that is not our place here. There is love, and there is grace, and there is redemption for all, no matter where you are in your story, no matter what you’ve done in your past. God loves you, and it’s all covered by the blood and his forgiveness. So just know going into this conversation, if this is something that been a part of your history or your past, we love you and are not condemning you. What we want to do today is bring God’s heart into a topic that is just, so prevalent.

Laney Crowder is a mother, wife, speaker, coffee lover, and bible study leader.

While attending a Women’s Conference in 2017, God gave Laney a vision that would change her life. It was a vision of a woman standing in a wheatfield praising God. Since wheat is symbolic of abundance, in response to her vision, Laney wrote a bible study based around living the abundant life that God has promised no matter what season of life you are experiencing. 

After leading women’s bible study groups throughout Nashville, TN, in 2020 she launched Life In the Wheatfield, an online community to encourage women along in their daily journey of seeing God’s abundance. 

In 2022, after 15 years in Nashville, Laney and her family relocated to Lake Oconee Georgia to be closer to family. In addition to running Life in the Wheatfield online, she holds Women’s retreats centered on encouraging women to fully pursue the abundant life promised in John 10:10.

If you’re a mom, or really, if you’ve ever been around small children for a given amount of time, you have probably come across this phenomenon. Speaking from experience, I can tell ya, I can only take so many calls for “Mom!” Or “Mama!” before my eye starts to twitch.. You know the insistent calling I’m talking about where they call for you and you respond with a calm “yes, baby?”, to which…they say it again. Another reply of “yes, honey?”. Annnnnd again, “Mama!”. At this point the response becomes a polite but annoyed, “Yes…?”. And this can go on indefinitely. Honestly after 3 rounds I usually lose my cool and raise my voice with an impatient, “Baby, Mommy has answered you three times already! What do you need?!”. 

I hate to admit it, but lets be honest, most of us have lived this. It can be SO frustrating when our kiddos are literally begging for our attention and we give it to them only to find they aren’t even paying attention! 

Leave it to me to see such parallels in the Bible. After all, God gave us lessons for ALL of life if we look in His word.. So, what is today’s lesson, you may ask? Well, it’s this: Sometimes we beg God for something without ever actually giving Him our attention! Just like the kids calling your name over and over… needing something from you while simultaneously being so wrapped up in their own things that they aren’t giving you their own attention in return! Allow me to read the brief excerpt from the Bible that teaches this valuable lesson.

Acts 3:1-10 TPT

This account is so short and sweet. I actually love this translation of the story because of the wording. The two things that jumped out to me were this: the man begged them for something…and then, OUT OF EXPECTATION, he GAVE THEM HIS ATTENTION. Why is this important, you may ask? I feel like this crippled man is modeling to us an important aspect of prayer life. It is not enough to simply ask God for something. And I’m sure we are all guilty of it from time to time. Life is busy. We have needs. We quickly toss up an ask to our Heavenly Father and resume life. Consumed with the goings on. So wrapped up in our lives and circumstances, we aren’t actually living in expectation that God will answer! Nor are we giving him our due attention! 

If you think of it like that, its a wonder God ever answers us at all! BUT. He is a good Father. And just like good parent when asked over and over…perhaps even in an impolite fashion, and without due attention… we answer. We still meet the need. Thank Goodness for the love of a Father for His children. 

Today is in no way an admonishment. It is, however, a challenge to reflect how you are approaching our Father in prayer. Are we giving Him our attention? Are we even coming to Him in expectation?! This passage in Acts shows us a man who did. He begged. But he did so with expectation and furthermore, with his full attention. He didn’t call over the disciples shoulder to the next passers-by. He didn’t avert his gaze back to his lifeless legs and wonder about who was going to carry him home that day. He gave his attention. And I believe that is a lesson we could all use. God just wants our attention. He loves us beyond measure… Maybe today, we could all use the reminder to give God our time and attention. Give Him our expectation as we come to Him undistracted by life. Even if just for a few precious minutes. I think we owe Him at least as much.. 

Today, I pray each of you listening are able to consecrate some time in the day..setting it aside, just for Him. Leaving life and all of its crippling demands at the door. Drop them. Walk, instead, into His waiting embrace. He longs to answer you, sweet friends. Call out to Him in expectation and give Him your attention today… 

As older generations are graduating on to heaven, I find myself wondering if there are things they knew that we don’t! Things that may have been common knowledge to them but lost to those who are newer to the faith or simply belong to a younger generation. 

As I’ve been working through some material by one of my favorite teachers, (Billye Brim), I realized she was covering this very thing. Her research was taking her back to the ‘old-timers’ and their firsthand testimonies in waging warfare against the enemy. While Billie ultimately began a deep dive studying the glory of God, she began to uncover, instead, revelation on something she hadn’t been looking for. It really all revolved around the verse I shared two episodes ago: Revelation 12:11..

This is the point I want to pick back up today. Remember, I covered the part about how powerful our testimonies are… and moreso the testimony of Jesus, and what He did for us all! Well theres ANOTHER part that’s an even more powerful weapon we can wield in the face of the evil one. Not only could we wield it but we SHOULD. This is the blood of the Lamb. We know that Jesus was the lamb slain and that it’s His blood referred to in Revelation. We also know there are types and forerunners of this all throughout the Bible. In old testament times, were the old laws. The temple sacrifices were pure, blemish free animals. The tithes were the first fruits of all that was produced. Each of these things points to Jesus. 

The old testament also points to the use of the sacrificial blood to atone for sin and to protect against the evil one. For example, the blood on the doorposts of the Israelites in Egypt. The blood was a sign for the angel of death to pass over these homes and spare them the death that was coming. 

Funny enough, I also just happened to cover the story of Rahab in the old testament. In this story, there is a crimson rope dangling from her window that signifies where her home is and all who should be spared from death as Jerico was laid siege. This is yet another foreshadowing of the blood! 

The new testament marks the changing of an era. While Jesus was a Jew and practiced under Jewish law, His death altered the requirements for salvation. Indeed, His death and resurrection rendered the old testament laws to be unnecessary for salvation. His sacrifice brought victory over death and the grave. His blood became the atonement for all of humanity’s sins. This is the very blood mentioned in Revelation. The enemy was overcome by it. Since that is the case, we are ALSO able to overcome the enemy by pleading that very blood over us! As we have covered in past episodes, we know that we, as Christ followers, are co-heirs with Him. Meaning we can wield His name and His blood against the enemy. 

Now listen, I know at this point you may think I’m talking crazy but bear with me here… have you ever heard anyone pray something “In the name of Jesus”? Well… it’s because we have no authority outside of Jesus. The Bible tells us in John 14:12-14

Just as we are able to operate in His name, we are also able to apply His blood over our lives, our loved ones, and even our property. How, you may ask? Well, let me go back to by material here and share some amazing testimonies!

(And by the way, I highly recommend that you each go out and buy a copy of this book for more encouragement and insight into this topic…its SO good!) The name of the book is The Blood And The Glory by Billye Brim. I found mine on amazon and no, this is not an ad haha! I was genuinely so excited to get such solid material that I had to pass on a few of these passages she includes in her book. They are faith boosters. And again, I feel deeply that if we do not start sharing these insights from the older generations, we run the risk of losing them. With that being said, here is an excerpt and testimony from Dr. Brim’s book, The Blood And The Glory.

Demi is a founder of The Tebow Group, a talent management firm, family office, and creative agency. As an author, speaker, entrepreneur, and advocate Demi-Leigh Tebow utilizes her platforms as Miss South Africa and Miss Universe to educate and inspire on a global scale. While traveling the world and representing South Africa on an international stage, she witnessed the universal need for every individual to be heard, loved, and valued. 

Always a community-minded leader, Tebow aims to leverage her platform to fight for those who cannot fight for themselves. After surviving an attempted carjacking, she founded the #Unbreakable Campaign to educate and empower women by equipping them with the skills and knowledge to be able to handle dangerous situations. Tebow shares her passion for living a values-driven life, her purpose inspired by her faith in God, and her insights about making an impact in sought-after keynotes and conversations.

Demi-Leigh lends her philanthropic vision to the Tim Tebow Foundation, raising awareness for the fight against human trafficking and supporting children with profound medical needs, among other impactful mission work. She is also an entrepreneur creating and representing products in the beauty, lifestyle, and wellness industry.

This year, Demi will release her debut book, A Crown That Lasts: You Are Not Your Label, coming August 13 via W Publishing Group. The book dives into her loss of identity after she gave back her Miss Universe Crown, and illustrates how the purpose of our lives is to love and serve others, finding the encouragement to focus not just on our own aspirations, but on our greater purpose and leaving behind a footprint of significance, not just success.

demitebow.com
https://a.co/d/iezqvZ4

Follow Demi on Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/demitebow/?hl=en

Lately, I have been studying up on the greatest weapons we have against the kingdom of darkness. The more I study and the more material I cover.. I am convinced that this is becoming a lost revelation to the body of Christ. My heart is, of course, to shout it from the rooftops, so we may all be better equipped in the good fight. The two points I want to cover, are simple but absolutely lethal against the enemy. You may have heard them before in song form, or even read the words yourself..but let me share a little bit today about why we, as Christ followers, should be wielding these things every. Single. Day. I am talking about Revelations 12:11 : They conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; for they did not love their lives to the point of death. 

Satan cannot overcome those two things. He cannot overcome the blood of the Lamb… Christ’s blood already shed for us, redeeming us from sin, and ushering us into the inheritance of victory. It has already happened. We have only to wield it! And secondly, Satan cannot overcome the word of our testimony. Satan cannot take the testimony of what God has done for us and in our lives. He cannot kill, steal, or destroy the testimony of the Word of God. Of the countless lives recorded in the Bible. Of the countless lives around the world and through the ages that have been transformed by surrendered hearts to Jesus. 

Yes, there will be skeptics and doubters; but the fact remains that the healing was done and the testimony lives to bear witness to Who Christ is and what He has done for us. THIS is why it is so powerful. The word of your testimony bears witness to who God is!!! And… this is also why it will always be fought so hard by satan. 

Just as Nehemiah was sent back to the broken and desolate city of Jerusalem. A place of pain from loss and grief of what had once been. Yet, he was sent back to rebuild in this place. And attack after attack came from the enemy as he obeyed the call to his assignment. God not only saw him through it but equipped him to complete the task in record time in the face of the enemy. 

Just as (in John 12: 9-10) the chief priests plotted to kill Lazarus because his TESTIMONY of being raised from the dead was threatening to their religious system. The enemy will always try to kill and steal and destroy. He’ll try to kill your testimony, steal your ministry, and destroy your calling to bring Glory to God.

And just like in John 9, when Jesus healed the man who was blind from birth… the enemy came in that very day throwing doubt, and fear, and intimidation at the healed man and his family. They spewed hate towards their testimony!

Our testimonies in this world are so much more powerful than you could imagine. Not only does it defeat the power of satan, but it also feeds faith and breeds belief! Belief that what has been done for one of God’s children can absolutely be done for another! God’s work in our lives has a way of superseding fear. It erases the fear of man’s opinion…because we know how much greater is the power of our God!

So today, sweet friends, let this be your encouragement. God has given us the greatest weapons of all. We have every right to wield them and should! Every  single person listening today has a testimony. Big or small. Be bold as you proclaim what God has done in your life! The kingdom of darkness would tremble in fear if all of God’s children began to raise their voices… proclaiming the word of their testimony. There will undoubtedly be attack..but we know the victory is already won. Let satan rage as we all share our stories. Let him wail as we conquer by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimonies… I love you all. Praying today that this stirs seeds of courage. May you use your voice for all to hear… 

We thought it would be interesting to ask AI some questions to answer for you. The question Erica plugged into ChatGBT was “Common questions Christian women have in today's culture.” I had no idea what to expect but I was honestly shocked and so excited to see the questions it pulled together. There were some hard-hitting questions in this episode, and we’d love to hear your thoughts and opinions. Here are the questions we tackled.