All Things Skin, Wellness & Faith

BREADCRUMBS OF FAITH 33: The Spiritual Wake-Up Call

• Natasha Dias

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This episode delivers a spiritual wake-up call for believers to examine if their faith is truly equipped to withstand coming challenges, emphasizing that casual commitment to Christianity won't be enough in difficult times ahead.

• Three critical questions to examine: Are you spiritually equipped? Are you rooted in the Lord or riding on inherited beliefs? Can your faith withstand major life crises?
• The danger of putting more faith in doctors, natural remedies, or worldly solutions than in God first
• True repentance means turning away from compromise, not just saying sorry
• Complete surrender gives God access to every area of life, not just Sundays
• Faith isn't proven during easy times but through our response when challenges come
• Being spiritually prepared means being in complete relationship with Christ, not just having enough faith to avoid hell
• The call to examine if you're merely attending church or truly in love with God

Take time in your personal prayer to explore these questions with the Holy Spirit and determine what areas need surrender.


Speaker 1:

Hey, there you're tuned into another episode of All Things Skin Wellness and Faith, a podcast where you'll learn simple ways to implement skin care and wellness techniques from a holistic approach. On this podcast, we'll explore practical ways to address skin health and overall holistic spiritual well-being, while deepening your faith. I'm your host, natasha Diaz, a licensed holistic esthetician, day spa owner and a faithful believer and follower of Christ, and it's time to get ready to get encouraged and empowered as we dive into all things skin wellness and faith, to all things skin wellness and faith. Hello and welcome back to this week's episode of Breadcrumbs of Faith by All Things Skin Wellness and Faith. This is our weekly encouragement, where we drop in and just give you a few brief moments to encourage you.

Speaker 1:

However, this week is going to be a little bit different. While it is going to be encouraging an encouraging episode it could also be an episode that is going to how should I say it basically just poke at you a little bit. Not that any of my messages are feel-good messages. Although encouragement can feel like a feel-good message, this message is more so of a clarion call. This is something that the Lord has just really been tugging at my heart with, I want to say over the past few months, even maybe the few years, but as time goes on, it's just getting stronger and stronger and I feel that I have a duty to you know bring you guys, not just, you know, faith filled encouragement messages, but, more so, spiritual awakenings. And that's what this is Like. I said, this is a clarion call. This is a clarion call, this is a spiritual wake up alarm for every listener listening on here today. And if you found this podcast, if you found this episode, if this is your first time tuning in, I do welcome you. But I do believe that this is not by accident. I do believe that the Holy Spirit has led you here. The Holy Spirit has sent you here because what is coming will not be survived by the casually committed.

Speaker 1:

I just want to start off by asking you a few questions. Let me ask you this to you know take a few minutes just to ponder on, take a few minutes to really reflect, and don't just give your answers, you know quickly, but just really think about what I'm about to say to you and the questions that I'm asking you, because it's very, very important. And the first question I'd like to ask you is number one are you spiritually equipped? And if you do consider yourself spiritually equipped, go through a breakdown of what that looks like. Number two are you securely rooted in the Lord or are you writing on inherited beliefs from Sunday morning sermons? And then number three if the ground shakes tomorrow and a financial collapse comes, a health crisis, persecution, can your faith really withstand that and what does that look like? And I really, with the last question, invite you to just really dive in deep with that, because I, in my business, in my walk, in my life, I deal with a lot of Christians and, like I said, this is not to bring condemnation, this is not to step on any toes, but this is just to give you a spiritual shake up, a little rattle, an invitation to just really take a look at your faith walk, because I hear a lot of people say that we have faith. I hear a lot of people say that they believe in the Lord, but the responses or the comments that come after that show a little bit differently from what they have really said. I'll give you an example in the area of health, I have a particular person and I'm going to try and protect you know, and use discretion, because I don't know who's listening to this. I don't know if it's the person themselves that are listening to it, but these are just everyday examples.

Speaker 1:

And I have a person that I spoke with the other day, a person who is firmly and securely grounded in their faith per se, and we all, you know, fall short in certain areas. So, like I said, this is not for condemnation, but there's no condemnation because the Bible says there's no condemnation in Christ. But this is a particular person that has stated to me, basically, that they believe in the Lord, they trust in the Lord, they serve in the church. They are a PK which, if you don't know what that means, is a preacher's kid. And, while you know, just the fact that you're the son or the daughter of a preacher doesn't mean that your faith is securely grounded, because you have to build up your own faith yourself and not just from what your parents have taught in the church.

Speaker 1:

But this is a person that would appear, or claim to be firmly rooted and grounded in the Lord, and this person has had some troubles, some trials, some tribulations in their health. Now, in this particular person's walk I can definitely see not every single health ailment is due to this. But I can especially see in this person's life some open doors that have transpired, that may allow, that have transpired, that may allow, may have or definitely have allowed the enemy to work in their life, in areas of their health, and I've tried my best to guide the person and to lead the person and to let them know these different areas where they need to close these doors, different mindsets. I've done my best, you know, by the leading of the Lord, to try and point them in the right direction, to obtain some clarity within this area of their lives, and I've done it in love. So I've done it, you know, firmly but yet gently.

Speaker 1:

But what I can see with this person is is that there was more belief in the doctors and what the doctors say than belief in the Lord. What can I I can actually even see that this person operates in a holistic and a natural way, which is how I tend to, you know guide and lead people. But first and foremost, before you, foremost excuse me before you put faith and even natural remedies, the Lord needs to come absolutely first before you even go to these natural remedies. So a lot of the times, what I see is I see people that will seek even a doctor, or a person that will even seek a natural remedy, and while those are good, I would have to absolutely say that you need to seek the Lord first and I'm not really seeing that in this particular situation. So I've tried to, you know, guide this person to the best of my ability and what I keep hearing back is the doctor doesn't say this. The doctor says I have high blood pressure. The doctor says that I need this high blood pressure medication. The doctor says I need this surgery. I want to avoid the surgery, but it may be what I have to do and it's just the way that it's spoken.

Speaker 1:

There's not really a strong and solid faith and I understand that our faith needs to be built over time, but, like I said, this is a person that has walked us out for quite some time. This is a person that I've tried to guide, like I said, through the Lord, through fasting, and you know a lot of the times when it comes to fasting, I hear a lot of different things. Like you know, I have health ailments and I can't. I can't because of this, I can't because of that, I can't because of that, and while we do have some health issues.

Speaker 1:

I firmly believe that there is, when it comes to the Lord, that we can do anything with him. That includes fasting. That doesn't mean that you're called to do a 40-day. You know Jesus in the wilderness, you know water only type of fast. But there are certainly, definitely ways that you can fast as led by the Lord that will lead you to a clarity that would allow him to speak to you, and what I firmly believe is that you just have to have faith. These are the questions that I. These are the not the questions, but these are the areas that I would just ask you to just examine your faith to see are you spiritually equipped?

Speaker 1:

Becoming spiritually equipped comes with that time, that dedication, that fasting, that rooting in the Lord, and when things come to shake and rattle you, you have to know that you are grounded in these areas and where these areas are built up by exercising them. So what I'm asking you today is to more so examine your faith and, like I said, we all fall short. We all have areas that you know we're not strong. But it's just like exercising your body. If you find that your upper body is stronger than your lower body, then you're going to put more emphasis on that area and you're going to work to build up that area, to strengthen it, so that your whole entire body is in balance. And this is what we have to do as believers, because we are in the last days and we are going to be rattled and we are going to be shaken and the question is going to come does your faith really line up where it should be when these shaking and these rattlings come?

Speaker 1:

I mean, this is an hour where we really have to stop playing church and we have to start being the church. We have to prepare with true repentance and we have to start being the church. We have to prepare with true repentance and we have to prepare with true surrender. True preparation does not begin with stockpiling supplies. It begins with repentance and it begins with surrender. And repentance is more than just saying I'm sorry. True repentance is turning away from compromise. True repentance is turning away from pride, from sin, from distraction, and running into the arms of our Heavenly Father. Surrender what does surrender mean? Surrender means that you are giving God full access to not just your Sundays, but your Mondays, your Tuesdays, your Wednesdays, your health, your relationship, your thoughts and your overall will. You can't walk in authority over darkness if you're still dancing with it, and in secret. This is just really I just really can't stress it to you more, because it's like there's truly a shaking and a rattling that's coming and it's unfortunate, but it's like there's truly a shaking and a rattling that's coming and it's unfortunate, but it's true. Those of us that are in Christ are not completely in Christ, as you know, firmly, as we believe, and if we don't have a true faith that is grounded and rooted in him, we are simply just not going to make it.

Speaker 1:

I heard, I actually went to a Bible study and in this Bible study what I heard taught is that I'm trying to think of exactly how it was worded, that your, how exactly was it said? It was basically said that there's nothing you can do to keep you out of heaven and once you're saved, you're saved and that's it. And while there is some truth to that, I was just very disturbed because it was a message that was very I felt it was damaging because, although it had some truth to it, I really felt that it led people in the area where they could believe, that they could just kind of you know, just casually walk through. I believe in God and you know I'm saved, and so you know there's grace and so because of my grace, you know I can just easily walk with the Lord and he sees my heart and because he sees my heart and he knows who I am, I'm going to make it to heaven and that's it. And there's so much more depth to that than what meets the eye and it's just.

Speaker 1:

I felt like it was a very dangerous message, because it was a message that could really lead people in a place that will have them, on judgment day, just really disappointed when they go before the Lord. And they go before the Lord believing that you know I've done everything right and I've served you and I've done all these things, and the Bible even speaks to that. I mean, jesus says, you know, when we come before him, we say didn't I prophesy in your name? Didn't I cast out devils? Didn't I do this? Didn't I do that? And he clearly says depart from me. I never knew you.

Speaker 1:

This is about a heart posture. This is about really being radically in love with him. This is about seeking him every day, renewing your mind every day, and it's very dangerous to just believe that we can just have a really casual relationship with the Lord, and that's just going to allow us to make it. And the goal is just to you know, just to have just enough faith just to get into heaven. So I ask you again are you truly surrendered and what does that really look like to you? I mean, jesus isn't just calling us to believe, he's calling us to be in complete fellowship and complete relationship with him. He's calling us to be in love with him. And it's like, when you love him, do you love him with your whole heart or do you just love him just enough to avoid hell? Loving him looks like trusting him, trusting him with your diagnosis, hell Loving him looks like trusting him, trusting him with your diagnosis, trusting him with your rent, trusting him with your heartbreak. It doesn't. It means saying Lord, I'll obey you, even when it costs, and it's like that is the type of love that we really need to have. That's the type of relationship, the fellowship that we need to have with him in order to make it.

Speaker 1:

In these last days, I'm telling you guys, there is a shaking coming. There is a shaking coming and we really need to take heed. Like I said Earlier, this is a clarion call. This is a warning. There is no time to be mamsy-pamsy with your faith. I mean, what does real faith look like daily? And this is what we need to examine. Let's talk about what this walk really looks like practically.

Speaker 1:

When the doctor gives you a report, do you take it to the Lord first, or are we starting to even just you know and research? Yes, we can definitely research and we can see natural remedies and all these things. We can, you know, go and get a second opinion from another doctor, but the Bible says that he is a great physician. We take it to him and we don't just take it to him. We take it to him and we sit before him and we really listen to what he has to say. When your bills are due, do you panic? Do you go and get more extra hours, do you go and seek another job, or do you really press in and ask and ask God? What are you teaching me here? Ask and ask God, what are you teaching me here? Because a lot of the times and I even just said this again for the sake of, you know, keeping people's business private, but I even said this to someone.

Speaker 1:

Maybe it's not that there's a curse, or a generational curse, or a curse of poverty against you or a curse of poverty against you. Maybe the Lord is pressing you so that you can totally and completely trust, lean and rely on him. Maybe he's allowing your finances to wither and maybe you're not comfortable the way you used to be because you're used to relying on self instead of relying on him. So again, I have to say what are you? Ask the Lord? What is he teaching you in this? When the enemy hits hard and trust me, folks, he definitely will. Do you crawl into fear or do you stand on the word like a soldier, like a frontliner, like we are called to be?

Speaker 1:

Faith isn't just a feeling. Doing worship when you're feeling good and you know, you feel the awe of God and you're worshiping at church. It's your response when the lights go out. It's your response when the job is gone. It's your response when friends walk away. It's your response when the Lord calls you to separate from someone, to separate from a family member. Like I've told you in a previous episode, I was called to leave a very close person, a parent in my family. I was called to just shut them off completely and this is going.

Speaker 1:

I want to say, well over a year now, that I have been called and told by the Lord to completely shut them off and in my natural eyes that doesn't look like the right thing to do. But do I trust in what I feel or do I trust in what the Lord has called me to do, knowing that he is faithful, he is true, Knowing that, you know, he can see the bigger picture that I cannot see? And as we get on and on in time, you know he started to unravel more of this to me. But for a long time I was somewhat in the dark. A long time I was silent and he just said don't talk to that person, don't answer a phone call, don't have anything to do with them. And it was really hard for me to do.

Speaker 1:

Now, did I trust in my feeling? Did I trust in what the world deemed right, even other Christians, or do I trust in the instruction and am I obedient to the Lord? So these are some of the things that you know we really have to examine with our faith, with our obedience, with our dedication to the Lord. This is how we have to go into, you know, serving the Lord above all else when we we are not here to build our own brands or to climb corporate ladders. We are here to serve the living and the most high God.

Speaker 1:

Your job, your title, your schedule, it all bows down to the assignment that God gave you. That assignment is to spread the gospel, and yes, we are to spread the gospelatable parts. No, it's not just Jesus loves you, but it's also the hard truths that are behind it. The Bible says without holiness, no one will see the Lord, and he says that in Hebrews 12 and 14. If anyone will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. It's what it says in Matthew 6, 24. These are very important parts. These are hard components to digest, but this is what we are called to as true Bible believing Christians.

Speaker 1:

Are you ready to carry a cross or are you ready to just carry a cross of convenience? I mean, I want to wrap this up because this is supposed to be just a breadcrumb, but this is a call to you. This is a call to examine and to rise. So I leave you with this. How deep is your faith really? Are you spiritually flammable or are you rooted like an oak in the word of God, yes or no? These are things that we need to examine, and we need to examine them deeply. Have you fully surrendered to the Lord in all areas of your life? What does that look like, and what areas do you need to go before the Holy Spirit to help you improve?

Speaker 1:

The Bible says that the Holy Spirit is our teacher. He's our truth, he's our comforter. Whatever needs to be, he's the spirit of revelation. Whatever needs to be revealed to us, it is within the Holy Spirit. So I invite you to go in your personal time to climb into that secret place and explore these things. Take a Bible, take a journal and take some instrumental worship music and just sit before the Lord and fully surrender and answer these questions. And also are you in love? Are you just in attendance? Let's be ready, guys. Let's not just survive, but let's stand boldly in the day of trial.

Speaker 1:

This is the hour. The Lord is calling his remnant. Are you counted? Are you going to be counted among them? Are you going to be left behind? And, like I said, I know that this message may poke at you a little bit, I know that this message may be hard, but it is truth, guys. It is truth that we really have to examine, and the Lord is calling us to really look at these things. So until the next time, I invite you to stay rooted, stay awake and stay surrendered. I love you all. Thank you for lending me your ears. Bye for now, until the next episode.