Ezekiel Explored: Judgement, Remnant, Repentance

In Today's episode of Reflective Hour with Tammy Toney-Butler, we will explore Ezekiel.

First-time guest Desiree Cubias, a mighty woman of God, will join us to reflect on this book of the Bible.

Ezekiel chose to obey God. For 22 years, he was a "Jewish Street Preacher" in Babylon. He spoke of God's judgment and salvation and called for the people to repent and obey God (Life Application Study Bible New International Version).

Ezekiel was a watchman and Prophet called by God during Israel's darkest times.

Ezekiel spoke of judgment but ended with a focus on hope. The love of God, mountain-moving faith, and God's power were central themes. God is sovereign, and His will be done.

God's judgment against idolatry, rebellion, and indifference to His Word are inevitable.

"Then you will know that I am Lord" was mentioned 65 times in Ezekiel.

Today's idols are money, sex, and power.

What strongholds have you bound? Want to be set free?

Listen in to Today's episode.

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Transcript

Welcome to today's episode of Reflective Hour with Tammy Toney-Butler. But we all know who the real host of this show is: Christ. 

Holy Spirit, come have Your way in this time we have together. Today, we are doing something new. 

We have a special guest, and I've never had a guest on Reflective Hour, but when you flow with the Holy Spirit, you flow. 

And He wanted Desiree on the program. 

So we have a mighty woman of God coming on the program, Desiree Cubias. 

And I hope I did not say her name wrong. So I'm going to move her in onto the stage. And we are just going to go ahead with whatever God will do in this time that we have together. 

Welcome, Desiree. How are you? I'm doing wonderful. Thank you so much. Oh, absolutely. You know, Desiree is a mighty woman of faith. She is someone who has truly been pivotal in my growth as a Christian and my faith walk. And she's like a powerhouse to me, scripturally based in so many different ways. And I believe that we are just going to start in prayer. And Desiree, I think you're going to open us in prayer. Let's pray. Father, we just come before you in confidence. I mean that we come before you through your heart. And that through your ears, you know us through our heart. And Lord, we are here for you because your Holy Spirit is so available to guide us in this conversation that we're about to have. Because it is your role for us as we're here to know you, to know who you are, so that we are who we are. And Lord, there is a mighty word that you have prepared for today, a word that will transform us, a word that will continually renew our minds and align us to your will and your ways so that your kingdom ways would be done here on earth as you will it in heaven. So God, I am thanking you for the words that you are giving us today. I'm thinking that your presence right now is filling every space of this conversation. And those who are listening, God, I know that you are bringing forth those that need to hear this word, be encouraged by this word, be transformed by this word, because your word does not return empty. Your word is mighty and it is powerful. Your word is the nourishment that we need. Your word is what will give satisfaction to our thirst and our hunger. It is your word that is above all things. So I'm thanking you, God, for this moment, this hour that you are giving to your word and you are allowing us to receive who you are so that we would be completely transformed by it. God, and I thank you that you have anointed Tammy for this reflective hour where people are being impacted by your word and your presence. Holy Spirit, have your way right now. Have the freedom and the liberty to just direct and order each step that we take in this afternoon and in this evening. And God, may your will be done right now. And we're so grateful, God, and we give you the glory and the honor. And God, I'm just sensing even right now at this very moment, those who are in desperation of knowing you, those who are in desperation of a word of hope and encouragement, those who are in desperation of saying, Lord, speak to me now. And Lord, would you just meet them where they are right now? Every listener, every person who is in their living room, in their car, wherever they are, God, that you would just meet them where they are. that you would be the provision of every need that they have within their hearts and their minds. Would you be the provision that they are calling out to God because you are more than enough. Your grace is sufficient for us and you fill every void inside of our lives. And God, when we have strayed away, you're so loving that you bring us back into alignment. You are so timely, so gentle, so patient. And we thank you, God, that in this hour, you meet us where we are. and you transform our minds, God. I just hear a transformation of thought happening today, a transformation of thought and mind and ways to draw us near to the throne of grace, to draw us near to the Father. We thank you, Spirit, for that word. We thank you, Jesus Christ, for the sacrifice on the cross that has cleansed us from all things that separate us from God. We thank you that you have made us one again with the Father. We thank you, Lord, for this word that you are delivering. And we ask that you take any weapon that the enemy is trying to use to discourage us, to distract us, be broken, silenced in the name of Jesus. Because this is time for God. This is our time to be at the feet of Jesus. We thank you for that. In Jesus' name, amen. Amen. Boy, that is powerful, powerful, powerful. And we just thank you for that timely word. We thank you for everything that God is doing in and through us. And also, Desiree, we have the privilege of you being bilingual. So I don't I like I said, I would love for you to to even pray a little bit in Spanish for all those that are listening as the Lord directs. So just have your way, Desiree. There's even if the 99 are safe, he goes after the one. And even if this entire program is designed for that one that's going to listen to this now or listen to this later. We just exalt him and let him have his way. So go ahead and pray in Spanish. Padre, te damos gracias por entrar a tu trono de gracia. Te damos gracias porque tu presencia está aquí en esta hora con nosotros. Señor, pedimos que toda palabra que hablen en este momento sea tu gloria, tu honra. Sabemos que es tu palabra transformando cada mente, cada corazón, porque es tu palabra que expande vida, es tu palabra que ancla a nuestras almas, es tu palabra que rompe, Señor, todo yugo. Es tu palabra que nos hace reflejar en ti y conocerte. And your word is a revelation of who we are, and we know who you are. Oh, Jehovah, in this moment, do your will. Move wherever you want, using or dedicating the word that you want to say in this moment. We ask that every heart, every person who is listening, can receive the revelation of your word. pueda ser transformado, pactado. Señor, cada cosa que el enemigo ha tratado de hacer para destruir, para traer desacuerdo, sea silenciado ahora mismo en el nombre de Jesús, porque, Señor, esto es su tiempo. Señor, estamos en tus días para discutir tus enseñanzas, para estar en tu presencia, para conocer mucho más. Para tener esas palabras para esperanza que nos da aliento de vida. Que nos hace recordar que tú estás con nosotros como poderoso gigante. Señor, al alma afligido, que tú llegas a esas almas, a esas vidas afligidas que necesitan una palabra de esperanza. Al que está en necesidad, Señor, que tú seas la provisión de sus vidas. Espíritu Santo, llegue a corazones ahora mismo. wherever they are, that they can feel those rivers of living water within themselves, that they can feel your presence, that they can feel your presence of comfort, your presence of hope, your presence of love, your presence of peace now in the name of Jesus, that you reach every body that is afflicted and healthy right now in the name of Jesus, y escucho la palabra de Dios sobre aquel que está enfermo, que necesita una palabra de esperanza en contra del reporte que ha recibido, que hay esperanza, el Señor está atento, es de entregar su corazón a Él y estar alineado a la voluntad de Dios. Te damos gracias, Señor, por esa sanidad. Te damos gracias, Señor, por renovar nuestras mentes, nuestros corazones, para estar cerca de ti, para conocerte más, para gozarnos. Y no importa lo que está pasando ahora mismo, este es tu tiempo, Dios. Te damos toda honra y toda gloria en el nombre poderoso de Jesús. Amén. Boy, I felt that in my spirit. I that was powerful. I just I'm tingling all over. I know that that that reached someone and it was beautiful. And your heart even reached me then. So that was just powerful, just powerful. Thank you, Desiree. Oh, Holy Spirit. Have your way. Have your way. So the Holy Spirit put on me Ezekiel. And we know that Ezekiel chose to obey God. For 22 years, he was even labeled as a Jewish street preacher in Babylon. He spoke of God's judgment and salvation. And he called for the people to repent and obey God. And he was a watchman and a prophet called by God during Israel's darkest times. He spoke of judgment, but ended with a focus on hope, the love of God, mountain moving faith, and God's power were central things. God is sovereign and his will be done. God's judgment against idolatry, rebellion, and indifference to his word were inevitable back then and they are inevitable now. Then you will know that I am Lord was mentioned 65 times in Ezekiel. And the idols that we're facing today are money, sex, and power. And I ask you this question. What strongholds have you bound? Want to be set free? Listen in to our episode today, because I believe that the Lord is going to speak in and through me and in and through Desiree. We have not rehearsed this. We are going live. That's the most notes that I have right there. This started with me having a word from the Lord and just Ezekiel being on my heart and as a seer and a prophet. I had a vision of Ezekiel even in the clouds. And I just knew that we were to discuss this this time in this hour. I'm believing that the Lord has placed a word with Desiree and a word to all of us during this time that we need to look at the book of Ezekiel. and look at the transition, the call for national repentance, the call to come back to God, the call to turn away from idolatry, the call to come forward and to focus on what truly matters, which is God almighty, the love of Jesus, the hope that Jesus offers and the freedom and redemption of the cross. Because when we say we follow him, When he's living in us and dwelling in us, that dictates a changed lifestyle. That dictates that we turn away from sin and that we love the sinner, but we don't love the sin and we don't compromise with the sin. And I was the biggest sinner and Christ set me free. I'm a survivor of child sex trafficking and I coped through addiction and he broke every chain. And that is what was powerful with me and what he was laying upon my heart was that it is a time now that we need to turn inward. We need to look inward. We need to unite as a body of believers, as a church, and that we need to say no more, that we will walk in the light and turn away from the darkness. And that was what was in my heart. And Desiree, I believe that he is going to give me a question and I'm going to just ask you. So just bear with me as I just sit and just still for a minute and listen. Ezekiel 11, Desiree, what was Ezekiel 11 speaking to you? Right, so reading through Ezekiel, I think it's very parallel to what we're seeing today. And what would get lost in translation a lot of times is the words that use like idolatry. And that's not language that we normally speak in today. And Ezekiel calls out idolatry of the people. And he's talking about the people of God. He's not talking about people who don't know God. And many times as believers, we get lost in translation and we don't realize that we fall into that same trap of idolatry today. And we see that you mentioned money. And there are things that we as believers in Christ have tolerated. And we're even misrepresenting God with the way we talk about sin, the way we talk about idolatry. I had a recent person that I was mentioning, mentioned to me, God, because God loves sinners, there is no exception to your sin. We need to take directions like God has never said, oh, it's okay to say this thing. He has loved us, and out of his love, he calls us to repent it, to turn away from it, to say not saying what separates us from God needs to be removed. It needs to be turned away from it. And so it's time for us as people of God to be like David. Search my heart, O Lord. Point out to me anything that offends you. And that's so challenging for many believers to ask God because it's a conflict. It's a confrontation with ourselves. of those things that we have allowed into our lives. Where are the areas of pride? Where are the areas where our love is not patient or kind? Where are the areas where our response doesn't represent the love of Jesus Christ? And as the day draw nears for Christ, we need to be attuned to hearing God for that correction. Ezekiel was a voice, a messenger for the people. To go and say, this is what God is saying now. But we live in a time, but because of Jesus Christ, we have direct access to the Father. We have direct access to his spirit. Are we inviting the spirit in to speak to us, to point out in us those things that are drawing the line where God can't reach us because we're too prideful? We're too full of pride that we don't want to hear him when he's correcting us and calling out to us because he wants us to be a holy people. He wants us to be separated for him. He wants us to represent him well. He wants us to love as Christ loved. So talking about that areas of idolatry, what are the areas where we're falling short, where we're missing the mark? And that's what sin is, missing the mark. of what God wants. And that is a tough question for the believer to ask themselves, because I think any believer would want to say, well, I'm good before the Lord. But we have to be mindful, as the apostle says in the New Testament, we can't get too comfortable with grace. But it would be the reason we excuse ourselves and say, well, it's okay. When we start to ask how far is too far, that's when it's gone too far. And we need to go and because we're seeing a lot of things happening in this world, Tammy, we've talked about it in our private conversations. There are so many things happening in our education system, in politics, in economics, in sociological atmospheres, things that we are allowing to come in and just wreak havoc. in our lives, influence who we are. We're allowing that to dictate the decisions that we're making. We're sitting back and when we sit back and we're silent, we're giving a silent approval to the very things that God has called us to stand against, to resist the enemy. And resistance means I am not going to lay down and just allow these things to happen in front of me. I'm not going to lay down in sin and just allow these patterns, these bondages to take over my life and to govern. And I see that in Ezekiel time and time again. And God is so loving. He's so loving. that he's like, I'm not a punisher, but I'm letting you know what the consequences are. I'm letting you know that this brings destruction. I'm letting you know that this brings separation. I'm letting you know that this very thing is hurtful and grieving for me because I know that it leads to death. I know that it's not going to bring success to your life. I know that it will never be filled by this. I know that it will never bring meaning to your life. There's your choosing. I'm feeling this in my spirit. I know that you're choosing and allowing In our lives. That are seemingly insignificant. Yet gratefully. Yes. Boy that is powerful. And I felt that in my spirit as well. I've done a lot of turning inward and a lot of self-reflection. And a lot of times I'm saying, God, is this something in me that's good? Is this something as a result of my trauma and living in survival mode? How do I change and have the heart of Christ and the mind of Christ? Because that's our goal, right? Because he's the head and we're to be the body of believers. And maybe you're the arm and I'm the leg. But when you talk about the separation, you talk about death, I lived that because I had this heavy weight. And even though I was a nursing professional making lots of money and successful by society standards, published author, all those things, I was dead inside, spiritually dead, and I had a spiritual famine. And I was hungry for all the wrong things, hungry to feed that hunger, searching for the love of a father that I never had, an earthly father, searching for the love of a mother, and my mother only opened me up to being victimized, searching for things and searching for meaning and purpose. And I thought if I threw myself into being a wounded healer, then that would fix things. But the anxiety attacks came, the panic attacks. I still used alcohol to cope and Ambien to get to sleep. And I still was addicted to sex and other things. And it was through the shedding of the layers and Christ coming in and filling that void and me confessing that sin, but me letting him take control, me surrendering in my heart. that he could, and he did. And he removed that separation and gave me almost, it's almost like I was attached to his umbilical cord again, but it was to the cord of the Father. And I'm attached to the hem of his garment now, forever changed. And it's just a peaceful thing. And it was that separation that sin does. And also, It can destroy us. It can destroy us physically. Obviously, drugs have consequences. Obviously, sex has consequences. You know, we can destroy families, relationships, and you can go to jail. There's so many different things that can happen. And Christ came to give us life, to live it more abundantly and to be fulfilled. And that's what we have to understand is that sin can we can not live life to the fullest because we we partner up with sin. We can't hear the whisper of the Holy Spirit because we're in this cloud of deception. And right now I bind and break every veil that is on your eyes, anything that is on your ears. And I call forth the spiritual eyesight that you need to see and the spiritual ears that you need to hear in this hour, in this time so that you can know God to the fullest. And I break off every generational tie to addiction and anything that is holding you hostage. I break off those strongholds in your life now by the power and the blood of Jesus of Nazareth. Lord Jesus, our savior, our healer, our redeemer. And that is what that speaks to me, Desiree. That is what that speaks to me. And you so eloquently put that into words and formulated it and put it in there. And I know that there is just another area that God is speaking to my heart now and another question that I'm to ask you. So again, as I listen to the whisper and see what Father has for us. He said, what do you think that's saying for our nation? What is the message for our nation right now, Desiree, in our world through the lens of Ezekiel and the times that Ezekiel lived and walked the earth? I think it's a great call to repentance. And so what is repentance? It is turning. We've talked about repentance. leaders, influencers. I'm sorry. And we've overused, I'm sorry, that it has been no weight. It has been no weight on how we relate to people in situations. But repentance was a weight. There was an understanding that I desire not to engage in that type and that thought and that relationship because I fear losing my relationship with God. And that's part of repentance, understanding God, understanding His sovereignty, that He's the ultimate being, that He's the maximum authority, that He's the same as yesterday, today, and forevermore, that there is no variance between His and that characterist, pedagogy, and conscience. Therefore, he tells me that he is holy and that he is pure and that he is clean and that what can abide in him is the very thing of holiness and the fear of God saying, I don't want to be away from him. He's everything that I need. Every portion of my being, every part of my being calls out to him. And we feel that conviction and conviction tells us there's something wrong. There's something wrong here. And it is, it's like, it's very interesting to watch God danger coming on. And so it's that there is a danger, there's something that's going to bring a hindrance with me hiding a beautiful relationship with God. Therefore, I am choosing to know, separate myself completely, create guards to resist the temptations that are going to come at me. Repentance has nothing to do with the temptation. It has everything to do with the act of sinning and saying, wait, I need to stop. I need to stop right here. I cannot allow that thought to continue to have a home in my mind. I cannot continue to allow that feeling. I cannot allow that behavior. I am resisting and saying no more. And then I'm going to take the appropriate actions and to not continue to live habitually. And I think he is calling us to respond. The influences we're giving to our children where social media and TV is raising our children, yet they have no principles, no morals. And the principles we find in the word of God, we find it knowing who he is. It comes down to the most vulnerable people, our children, where we as a nation have neglected their needs to know the truth. Church doesn't start in the building of a church, it starts in our homes. And as a nation, our families draw back and repent from our ways. Now, I'm not saying don't watch TV and don't do social media. I mean, we're using it right now, but it's being mindful, mindful of the things that are drawing us further away from God. What are those things in the nation? What are we allowing to influence, to drive who we are as a people, right? As a people, Ezekiel is speaking to a people. He's not saying you, Billy, Bob, you, Sarah. No, he's saying as a people, we have a responsibility. We are united and we have allowed things to happen. We have allowed sin to wreak havoc in all social structures of our lives as a nation. And he is calling us. He is calling the remnant. He is calling us to speak out, to say this isn't okay. It reminds me of a time I went on a mission trip, Tammy. I went to Guatemala. years ago. And there is this community that builds their homes on garbage fills, the landfills that they have there. They take those materials to build their homes. Many of them eat the food that's in the landfills. And we as missionaries went in and we partnered with an organization called that was there and the organization saw that there was a need and they were educating the children and bringing in resources to help the community that was there to break the cycle of poverty to break the cycle of shame to break all of these things but we also who had never partnered with their organization, never participated with missionaries. And here we are, and it becomes wrong. And one of the people who testified, they had seen the landfill this whole time, for years. They had seen the children in the landfill, they had seen all the things that happened, and it was so normal that they never saw... This is wrong. There's a problem. I can do something. Oh, and I said this to me, and then I think it meant the opposite of who we are as a people, as a family, as a church. We began to neglect the things that God is calling in us to come away from, to repent from, as we've grown so old to seeing it, that now the things that we once saw years ago that were wrong, you're like, oh, that's okay. That's okay, that's normal. And we live in the state of this sleepwalking, I call it, sleepwalking in. But Ezekiel was alert. He was looking and he was in danger. And we as people need to be alert of the things that are destroying us as a people. Not only as individuals, but as a people. To love my neighbor and call the neighbor and let them know that there's danger. with love to the neighbor, hey, there's danger in town. Come, I can show you something better. That's so true. And we have become desensitized to the plight of others and the uncertainty of poverty. Even our homeless crisis that we find ourselves in today with these tent cities and individuals, hundreds of them living in our forest and living in, you know, in abandoned lots. And, you know, we are called to step into those into their lives and to bring hope and healing and truth and to meet those maslow's basic hierarchy of needs so that they can think past survival and focus on healing and focus on truth and focus on the word of god because if you're trying to find your next meal or where you're going to sleep it's very difficult to heal it's very difficult to process the light when you're surrounded by the dark So we as a church need to step into those situations and help raise up the orphan and go in and wrap our arms around the widow and help the single parent and go into those impoverished neighborhoods, those marginalized societies in the populations that we see. And we need to step in and help. and help them. And we can love the sinner, but yet not partner with the sin. We can help the LGBTQI community not be victimized. We can help African Americans. We can help the Latino populations. We can help many different individuals. That doesn't mean that we are going to partake of their sin or that we say it's okay. Listen, I'm a sin. If I put up everything I did, there's still things I haven't spoken of that I didn't. hallelujah praise God social media and the camera wasn't the iPhone wasn't around we had those crazy flip phones when I was doing some of those things because it would be there as evidence so trust me people I'm not judging anybody because that comes back on you you know I don't want to cast a stone because that could come back at me and and praise God that Jesus when he looked at me he saw my heart He didn't see a person who was sleeping with so many individuals who was lost trying to find love in all the wrong places. He didn't see someone that was so covered in dirt and murk and mire and who hated herself and who barely could get out of bed. But yet I'd go put on this fake facade and go to work and throw myself into healing everybody else. He reached into my life and pulled me up and strengthened me. And he can do that for others. And imagine what we can do for a nation in a world. If we get involved in these situations and if we use social media for good, if we use and harness the power of technology. And I think that that's the, in Ezekiel's message that yes, it was judgment and yes, it was repentance, but it was also through the lens of love that, Turn back to your first love. Turn back to God. Turn back to the father and let him direct your steps. Let him guide us. And especially now, we need to hear the whisper of the spirit. We need to have the knowing. We need to have our guide, our cornerstone. our foundation now as we move through this difficult transition period, even around this election and what's going on in our world and the division that's even in our nation. And I'm a person, I don't see colors. I love everybody. I don't, I just see the heart of people. And I just believe the goodness in everyone. And I look through the lens of trauma and I say, I wonder what happened to that person. not why are they acting like that but what happened to that and so when we focus on that and look through the non-judgmental lens that christ looked at us through and remember he sat at tables with sinners And he had a problem with the Sadducees and the Pharisees, the religious leaders, where today we have a problem with the churches and not showing them the love and humility of Christ, but yet striking with that rod of fear. I fear the Lord, but I love the Lord. And it's different. I don't make people fear me, you know, or fear God. Like I don't, fear didn't do anything for me that that's not that wasn't going to bring me and make me better I mean I had been in a power and control abusive relationship and all these things all that was going to do was turn me away from the the love of the father and so by recognizing that we can love people and meet them where they are Point out their sin and say, you know, that's not going to end well. You got a choice. He gives us free will. But you might want to understand that he helped me through that by this. And turning to the promises of his word and the cross and the redemption and freedom that it brings. And what other... message or what other point do you really want to drive home? I know that you do women's ministry. I know that you've gone on other mission trips. I know that you're a mighty woman of God and that, that, you know, you look at everybody with love and you bring that to the table, but you also bring that. I don't know if it's a firmness, but it's, you're rooted in the word, right? And if it doesn't align with the word of God, then you recognize that. And you say, well, but that's not really what the word of God says. And what's the Holy Spirit leading you now? You know, just talk at will, whatever you'd like to say. Right. As you were talking, I was reminded of God's compassion. His compassion. And I think that if we remind people... That the reason why he calls us to repent is God's compassion. It is his yielding to loving us. To reach out for us. To run after us. And to say, I love you. And I think that's the basis of his word. His father who loves his children. And wants to be safe. And wants to be whole. And wants to be reunited with them. and be in alignment so that they would delight in life, that joy. And I think there are so many things in this world that are distractions, that are distractions, that are discouragement. We've been fed a lot. We've been fed a lot. Some of the things that we're allowed in our lives make us feel better. that they're going to heal I have a child and we realize that it doesn't we try to And so right now they're in their void with alcohol and drugs, filling the void with a facade of love, but it's not real love. That have been filling the void with sex and pornography. They've been filling the void with drugs. There are those who are even secretly sinning. And there's hidden sin. where people have been filling the void and building idols in their lives, that they have been seeking desperately to stop the hurt and the pain that they have felt from their past or present. And that with God's compassion, this is not a judgment of death. This is a judgment of you have an opportunity to life because he is a good judge. In Luke 18, we are reminded in the parable that Jesus speaks that there is a woman who went persistently to a judge and this judge had no fear of God and did not care what the people thought. yet because she persisted in seeking that he would redeem her of her accusers, he said, lest she come again to bother me, I will answer her. And Jesus goes and says in there, if this being a judge who does not fear God, who does not care what the people think, how much more so a God, our God, our father who loves us, that when we come before him and say, I need help, I need help with this trauma. I need help with this sin that's been habitual in my life. I need help to overcome this. I don't know what to do. How much more will he listen attentively because he cares what you think. He cares what you feel. He sees you. He knows you. he created your being, how much more so that he has a love for us that is infinite and constant, that it is immeasurable, that it is as far as the East is from the West, that it continues to go and plant seeds of hope in our lives. How much more so God being that judge, a good judge, a good father, how he compassionately seeks us in this very moment. and finds us where we are and says, there is still hope. There's still hope for your marriage. There's still hope for your family. There's still hope for your children. There's still hope for the employers. There's still hope for your peers at work. There's hope for the students. There's hope for this new generation, Generation Z. There is hope for them. There is hope because it's not over. It's not over. And if we would choose, as it reminds us in the Old Testament in Chronicles, to turn from our wicked ways. to seek him to pray, then he would heal our land. And I'm believing that God wants to heal our lives. He wants to heal our nation. He wants to heal our families. He wants to heal our churches. He wants to make us successful and thrive. And by success, I mean the plentitude of God's will for our lives. His will is for us to walk in wholeness. His will is for us to walk in the clarity and not darkness. He wants to reach into the pit of darkness and take us out into his marvelous light, says Ephesians. And there is such hope in him. And it really just takes in and saying, Lord, I come to you. I turn away. I choose you because you are compassionate and loving. You are gentle and you are kind. You know my past, my present, and my future, yet you still love me. I come to you with all that I am and say, take me. Mold me, renew me, take all the old things inside of me, bury it into the depths of the dirt of the scum and make me new again. Wash me whole, cleanse my mind, my heart, my being, everything that I am belongs to you. And this isn't always an immediate thing. This is a process. And that's why he's gentle and patient and kind with us because he takes every layer of who we are layer by layer. My repentance today is not the same it was when it was 20 years ago when I gave my life to Christ. There are things 20 years ago, I repented from that, that now today God's saying, okay, but now we're gonna dig a little bit deeper, Miss Desiree. We're gonna go in with God. So this doesn't matter whether you gave your life to Christ yesterday or 10, 20 years ago, there is repentance. We are all susceptible to the things of this earth. We are constantly being inundated with things that are boggling our minds, our thought process, our behaviors that we need to say, God, have your way with me. Search my heart, oh Lord. Really digging deep. Excavate. I hear the word excavate my heart. And here's the thing about an excavation. It's not a reckless digging up of. You don't go in there with bulldozers and shovels and just start picking out. An excavation means I'm going to find the hidden things that are inside, but so gently going inside and removing everything piece by piece, gently, so that you're not completely destroyed in the process. That is God's compassion over our lives. that he excavates our hearts, reveals the hidden things that are inside of us and says, hey, you want me to help you with that? You want me to take that? Do you want me to show you my ways, to show you the ancient paths that will heal that? We're so used to microwavable remedies that we don't know that there is a beauty in process. There is a beauty in time. There is a beauty in allowing things to go and flow, streams that are not rushing and loud, but streams that are soft and silent and take time. Some of the most beautiful things we will see in life will be the things that took time. Allow God to take time to sit with him. And when you've spent years in sin, it's going to take some time to heal that, to renew that, to change that. So give yourself some grace because the Lord reminds us that his grace is sufficient for every one of our weaknesses. He is made strong in our insufficiency. So I said, God, take my weakness. Yeah. Take my weakness and make yourself strong in me. Do the good work. Excavate my heart. See the hidden things that, and I think that's pride sometimes where we think that we know ourselves so well. I've gone through an adventure of falling in love with me and knowing me. And I'm like, yet still God knows me better than me. He knows the things. He knows the root. I see the tree up top. I'm a plant lover, Tammy. I'm a plant lover. And when I first got into plants, I did not know what I was getting into. I thought you take that plant, you water that plant once a week, you put it in front of a window, that plant is fine. I did not know what it took to tend to that plant. I did not know that there was a thing such as root health. that was going to affect the whole lifespan of a plant. So here I had plants dying, wondering what's going on and realizing later after doing some research that there's such a thing as root rottage, root bound plants, and it needs growth and space and fertilizer and feeding and nourishing. It was more intense than having a dog And the Lord was showing me our hearts are like plants. There's roots. There's things that are unseen by the naked eye that need the fertilization of the word of God. That need the water of his Son. That need the light of his Son. It needs delicate tending to. And God's God. We don't have to be on our own. His spirit is available to us. His spirit is able to help us through the process of cleansing, purifying, purging, and pruning, and also aligning and adding and multiplying in us and in himself. And that is the beauty of repentance. That is the hope in Christ that we have. That there is a whole nother world on the other side that's good for us. And the enemy came to us. He played us. He made us believe that these things were going to happen. That those things in this world were going to bring us joy. It doesn't. And the delight has been being with him. That now when I hear this, it's like hearing this voice where he says, Desiree, that doesn't give me glory. Desiree, you still need to work on this. And I'm starting to see as well, I really see something good in you. I really see something great in you. Because if you didn't, you wouldn't tell me. And that's a new fact. It's like a friend who sees when I have lipstick on my teeth. And I say a good friend to the tummy when I have lipstick on my teeth. A not so good friend who doesn't say anything to me. I go to the bathroom, I look in the mirror, and I realize I've been laughing and talking with a whole crowd of people. There's some lipstick on my teeth. And the Holy Spirit's a good friend because he's saying, hey, that's happening in your life, and it's endangering you. That's a good friend. That I can now look in the mirror and take care of what's been on me and I can continue to do life. Yes. The Holy Spirit. Yes. I remember when he spoke to me about my food addiction. And I always tell every woman or male that I work with, with their trauma, cut yourself some slack. It is a process. It has taken me a long time. I mean, I've been on this journey of truly healing and self-reflection. And with the Lord, maybe since around 2017 or a little bit earlier, And it was only about a year and a half ago that he started dealing with my weight because I used food to cope. And he didn't, he, he had to shed many layers and get me to a place to where I He could say, okay, now let's deal with this because it's affecting where I'm taking you. It's affecting your life. What are our bodies? The temple of the Lord. The Holy Spirit lives in us. We're the church. We're fluid. We move. We're not just in a building. And when he spoke through a friend of mine and I was like, oh my gosh, he wants me to like, that's it. Like I got to let him have that. And I said, well, how do I, that's defined my whole life, you know, diets and bouncing from being overweight to losing weight, yo-yoing. And I thought, I don't know how to be anybody different than who the trauma created, you know, when I was a victim of child sex trafficking. And so it took a while, but then when I said, okay, and I literally said, well, then you're going to have to help me. Okay. Because my way doesn't work. And he's like, well, every time you give it to me, you take it back because you are the God of your life and you think you can control things. And I'm like, oh, he's got to kind of got a point there. So I said, OK, and I gave it to him. And I tell you what, I'm down. I don't know, maybe 80, 90 pounds. I feel better than I've ever been. I'm still losing weight and I love my life. I'm eating healthy and happy. Totally. It's like, it just, it, it's easy because God did it and he transformed my mind and he took it away. He uprooted the thing that was driving me to cope through food. And that is why it takes time to heal. It is a process. Cut yourself some slack, but it starts by saying, you know what? Jesus is son of God. You died on the cross. And you rose again and by your blood, by your stripes, you were healed. I'm healed. And I surrender my life to you. I want you to be Lord of my life. Holy spirit, come in and make me fresh and new. Now, be careful when you pray that prayer because he will and he's going to start changing you. And sometimes a lot of times I have to go walk a difficult path and I want him to deliver me out of things. And it's difficult. And, you know, I did a message this morning for Reflective Spaces Ministry. You know, people can tune in and listen to it and and go check it out. And it is. You know, there were so many key passages from that. One of them was Jesus wept and he felt our infirmaries and he too had moments where his flesh kicked in and our flesh kicks in. And what do we have to do daily? Crucify our flesh, right? Not let it dictate us. Say, no, I'm going to walk by faith. I'm going to walk by the promises of God. And I'm not going to let my flesh dictate what I do. And I'm going to be in control. And it's hard for us to give up control to Christ, to let him take control of our lives, because many of us had no control. We were victimized and it's difficult for us. And most of us see God as a man, you know, Jesus is a man. So it's hard for us as women. And I would assume as men, too, to just say, OK, here you go. And I tell you, it's difficult for parents, too, because they don't want to give control to God for their children. But would you rather parent your children and love your children in your strength? Or would you rather an all-knowing, omnipresent God that can be with them in school, be with them when they go to camp, be with them? Would you rather surrender them to him and his control because he's going to watch out for them? And so it's in that release that we realize, wow, we have a friend in Jesus. He's my friend. He's everything. And he gave me life. And I'm so passionate because I want people to understand you don't have to die. You can live. You can live even in a dark world. There's hope. There's so much hope. And I think that's the power of Ezekiel is that there's hope. Repent, yes. Turn, yes. But God's not, he's not, he doesn't want any of us to fail. He wants us all to turn and repent and live and love and live life more abundantly. I mean, he sent his son to die on the cross. Who does that? And Jesus did it. I mean, he went through all of that for us. That's like a double portion of love. That's just a love thing. And that's what I know of the Jesus. I'm sold out for Jesus and I love him because he gave me life and he took the icky away. And he can break off depression. He can break off the things and the strongholds in your life. And so that was what today's episode was about. It was about, yes, repenting. Yes, turning. But look at the hope and the love and the truth that it brings. And I know that as a nation, we are turning. We are turning back to God, that we are turning back to the truth. And revival starts in the heart of the people. And I thank you for bringing us that word today. And what closing things do you have? Or do you want to pray us out? Whatever it is, you just go with it, Desiree. Yeah, I just feel that just to pray for those who are desperate. There's this like, I just want to get rid of it, like this moment of deliverance. And God is so available right now. So I just invite every listener right now just to walk in that, to see Jesus, to see him loving you, telling you you are fully accepted, fully known, fully loved. You have not been ignored. You're hurt. You're pained. And he wants us to step out of the left-wing democracy and knowing the wholeness, the richness of who he is, that he is exceedingly, abundantly, that we have to ask or even think of. He is the one who has breathed into us the breath of life. He is the one who revives us from death to life. He is the one who is majestic and all-knowing and loves us. He is creator. He is creator. he is friend if you are desperate friend if you are saying god I need a word god I need change Do this on my own. God, I need you to change this situation. God, I need you to show me that you're really real. God, I need you in this moment. I pray that God fill your heart, your mind, every fiber of your being in the name of Jesus, that you would feel his loving arms embrace you, that you would feel your mind strengthened and empowered. to walk in a new confidence in him, that you would know that the alpha and omega is fully for you. He is making you the more than conqueror. He is consuming the sin that is within us and wiping our slates. white as snow. It is clean. This is the year of Jubilee where every debt is paid. He is gone before us as our advocate. And the judge says, case is closed. The case is closed. I am here to help you. You are going to receive the wraparound care that you need to overcome your situation. You will never be the same again. This is the day of no turning back. to things and ways that we were before this is the new day this is revival when we can come into ourselves that we have been called we are a royal holy people of god special chosen and we walk in it today. Friend, if you have been doubting whether or not you're a friend of Jesus, this is him saying, you are my friend. I walk with you. There is nothing that could separate my love from you. There is nothing from your past, nothing from your present day and nothing from the future that will deter me from seeking you. I want you, says God. I want you and I want you now and I am for you. And we thank you, God, for your love. We thank you for your compassion. We thank you for your gentleness. We thank you. I just see a river of water just pushing against dark, dirty waters that have been stagnant. I feel like this clear water just rushing into the hearts of believers right now. And you are now feeling hope. weight being lifted off of your life because you thought that you were too far gone for god to do something good friend today is the day where god says I am doing a new thing do you not perceive it do you not know that he is the one that in the desert land he makes a way that there is no desert where he hasn't already given us an oasis of who he is Friend, today is the day. There is no more delay in waiting. He is available to us today. So we thank you, Father, for the lives that have been transformed and renewed and restored, reconciled to you, God. We thank you for your goodness. We thank you for your love and what you are doing through your word because your word never returns empty. and we are grateful god that you give us an opportunity to share your love to share your goodness thank you father for being a good father and for doing a good work in each of us And we pray all of these things in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. And you know, Holy Spirit, you always get the last word. And I just call forth healing, healing, healing. And I thank everyone that is tuning in and listening to us from every part of the world, from Pakistan, from Kenya. from Nigeria, everywhere, everywhere you're listening, from the United States of America. And I just want you to know that you can walk in total freedom, that you don't have to let what happened to you as a child define you. You don't have to let it define who you are. You can break off and break free of those strongholds that have held you for so long. You are not dirty. You are not shameful. You are beautiful. Focus on him. Reflect in his goodness, his grace and his mercy. Repent and turn back towards your one true and only love, Lord Jesus. That is today's episode of Reflective Hour with Tammy Toney Butler. And Desiree, thank you so much for joining us. Thank you for sharing your wisdom and your insight and your love of Christ. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. Everybody that's listening, go forth and conquer this week. Be strong. Know that you can and will break free. Thank you so much.