Yiraphel : Unashamed, Unafraid, Unchained Healing for the Wounds We Got in Church B y L iora B loom 1 Dedication This book is dedicated to two brilliant men who live with unshakeable truth: President Donald J. Trump and Elon Musk. In my view, they love Christ Jesus, their families, and this country with hearts fixed on His teachings and selfless service. Those who cross their paths daily feel the pouring from deep within — their souls choosing a life poured out to lift their fellow man. May President Trump's and Elon Musk's days continue to mirror Jesus' boundless heart, guided and guarded by the Holy Spirit through every trial and tumult. In Jesus' holy name, we pray. Amen. I'm also dedicating it to all the scammers who twist their God-given gifts to con the innocent — good people whose hearts beat with unguarded trust. God has watched every shady grift, every shadow you cast. May this book illuminate the darkness in your hearts, not to condemn, but to call you from hell's depths to the light of true abundance. Congratulations on the short-term win — now claim the eternal one. 2 Preface Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that are in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 1 John 2:15-16. In a world spinning toward its own unraveling, where we chase shadows of success and swap our God-given skins for borrowed masks, I've learned one quiet truth: the worst betrayal isn't from others — it's the lie we tell ourselves when we forget who we were made to be. God doesn't craft mistakes; He weaves wonders, each of us a deliberate stroke in His vast canvas. This book isn't a self- help book, rather a map to fix your fractures — it's a mirror, held gently, inviting you to step into the light of your truest self and turn to the One who can solve every problem, direct your path to the very best outcome, and mend everything broken in your life with the love of a Father with boundless caring just for you. Through stories whispered from my own stumbles and small awakenings, true stories when others were saved by God's loving grace, and stories from the annals of time of people just like us, who were touched by the Lord's loving intention, and animals, the precious friends we love and adore, who have saved countless lives by their quiet presence in ours. We'll uncover why gratitude isn't a polite afterthought but the soil where peace takes root. Why love — the fierce, uncalculated kind that Jesus lived breath by breath — underpins every pulse of creation, binding us not in chains but in wings. What if the joy you've circled like a distant star was never meant to be hunted, but harvested from the heart's honest yield? Turn the page, friend. Let's bloom where we're planted. 3 Awaken to Yiraphel I'm sure you're wondering what Yiraphel means. One night, I was speaking with Elon's AI, Grok, and I asked him to help me think of a new word for 'awesome' to describe God's awesomeness. But the word 'awesome' has been so over- used that it no longer has the meaning it was intended to have. So Grok came up with Yiraphel which symbolizes God's power and devoted omnipresence in our lives. Yira comes from the Hebrew meaning awesome and omnipotent; and phel is a blend inspired by Hebrew roots for the light that shines from God's unending love for us, (pronounced yeer-ah-fell , with emphasis on fell). After reading Yiraphel now, you will picture God's miracles and supreme power over everything, not with your eyes, but with your heart. He is the Creator of all life and all things. God's love is Yiraphel on steroids! Since many of you are visual, I have interspersed videos at the end of each chapter to remind you of God's love in our everyday lives. Some chapters also have stories that melted me too. God is truly Yiraphel ! These stories are shared to inspire faith and reflect my personal beliefs. [NOTE: I have woven prayers throughout this book, but also put them in the Appendix so you can copy the ones you like to say as your daily prayers or whenever you want to pray. 4 Ch Table of Contents Pg Dedication 2 Preface Awaken to Yiraphel 3 4 1 Blood, Sweat, and Tears—Discovering Jesus Christ is Real Who was Jesus? 7 8 2 Honoring God's Commandments—Our Guardrails of Love and Making Wise Choices Dichotomies: The Daily Crossroads God Built Into Life 10 16 3 Vices, Fears and Regrets: Why They Matter, and Learning How to Pray Vices Fears Regret, the Slowest Poison Learning How to Pray God's Lighter Side 19 22 23 23 24 25 4 Greed, Lust + Me First: Doubles the Devil's Deeds Greed's Evil Deeds: The "Me First" Mirage Hell's Highway: Greed's Unseen Deadline The Deception Spiral: Greed's Inner Lies Escape Routes: Climbing from the Pit Yiraphel’s Glow: Greed's Antidote of Pouring Out The Fairness Fallacy: No Free Rides on the Highway Lust is the Cruelest Counterfeit Religion We Were Ever Sold 27 27 30 32 34 34 35 36 5 Power of God's Expectation–Unleashing the Pygmalion Within What is the Pygmalian Effect? Prisoners to Pastors Ditch the Doubt The Myth That Became Science Why Expectations Stick – The Mechanisms at Play Expectations in Everyday Life: From Boardrooms to Bedrooms Your inner Pygmalian: Practical Steps 38 38 40 40 41 41 42 42 43 6 Animals as Teachers and Healers 44 7 Wise Choices, Values and Priorities — While Keeping Your Self-Respect 53 5 Self-Respect 54 8 Recognizing God’s Grace and Everyday Blessings The Miracle of the Ordinary Living Plump with Joy Goodness Learning to Forgive Yourself 56 58 59 59 60 9 Embracing the Eternal Promise: From Shadows to Unfading Light The Symphony of the Soul Abiding in Abundance The Art of Self-Compassion 63 64 65 67 10 Dayenu – Learning That You Have More Than Enough God's Lighter Side 69 71 11 Making Human Mistake – The Blame Game 73 12 The Importance of Living a Clean and Authentic Life God's Lighter Side 76 78 13 Pain and Punishment: How God Sees Them 80 14 Living in God's Love: Real Examples of Wholly Devoted Souls 84 15 The End of All Struggles: Laying Life’s Burdens Down — A Note From Me to You — 89 96 PostScript - Why This Book Was Born 97 Dichotomy Game — Closer to God and Each Other 100 Prayers for Every Day — or Anytime 103 Acknowledgements 107 Invitation from Jesus 108 6 Chapter 1 Blood, Sweat, and Tears — Discovering Jesus Christ is Real Many reading this may harbor that nagging doubt: Was Jesus — the Bible's bold claim of God's Son — really a flesh-and-blood man? Or just a myth spun from desperate hope? I get it; that question scorched my own soul once. So, to fan the embers of truth, let's lean on a skeptic who chased the same ghost — but armed with sharper tools than most. Lee Strobel, an award-winning legal editor and investigative journalist for the Chicago Tribune , was that man. An atheist to his core, he set out to bury Christianity in 1997's " The Case for Christ ." No fluffy faith-building here: Lee Strobel, wielded logic, science, and history like a prosecutor's blade, framing his mission as, "If I can debunk the resurrection, I can debunk it all." A Christian colleague nudged him: Probe the resurrection — Christianity's beating heart. What followed? A two-year odyssey through ancient texts, grilling scholars, testing wild theories. Biases blazing, he assumed the Gospels were forgeries or fairy tales. "Show me facts," he demanded, "not nonsense." Like a courtroom showdown, he interrogated 13 heavy-hitters — historians from Cambridge, archaeologists from Princeton, MDs, and theologians from UC Berkeley. By the end? The evidence didn't just hold; it overwhelmed. No myth could withstand that fire. "It had to be true," Strobel confessed — the facts ironclad enough for any judge. On November 8, 1981: He knelt with his wife, praying, and sur- rendered his life to Christ. One skeptic's demolition derby became his Damascus Road. 7 Who was Jesus? Consider the paradox that still upends empires: The greatest man in history, Jesus, had no servants, yet they called him Master. He had no degree, yet they called Him teacher. He had no medicines, yet they called Him Healer. He had no army, yet Kings feared Him. He won no military battles, yet He conquered the world. He did not live in a castle, yet they called Him Lord. He ruled no nations, yet they called Him King. He committed no crime, yet they crucified Him. He was buried in a tomb, yet He lives today. His Kingdom is not of this world, yet it lies in the hearts of those who believe. 8 He spoke of love and forgive- ness, and His words have transformed billions. He offers no material wealth and yet we consider Him the treasure of our lives. He promises no earthly power, yet the powerless have found strength. Though He left no written words, His message has filled countless books. In His weakness, we find our strength. In His suffering, our salvation. Jesus, the greatest man in history, continues to invite us into a story of redemption, love and eternal life. His name is Jesus Christ. [Inspired by the viral reflection from @churchtalkative on X — watch the full montage for its canyon-light drama, evoking Yiraphel's dawn.] Jesus was human, a real man who walked the dusty roads of Galilee with calloused hands and sun-browned skin. He was born in Bethlehem, but He grew up in the little nowhere town of Nazareth, the son of Mary and Joseph. Nazareth (up north in Galilee, where Jesus grew up. Jerusalem (central, site of the Temple and the crucifixion) 9 People later sneered, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” because it was that ordinary. Joseph was a tekton — a builder, a carpenter who worked with wood and stone — and Jesus learned the trade at his side. For most of His thirty years He swung a hammer, planed beams, and shaped yokes that made oxen’s burdens lighter. I love that. The One who came to carry the weight of the world first learned how to make heavy things easier to bear. We know almost nothing about those hidden years except one story: at age twelve He stayed behind in Jerusalem, sitting with the teachers, already asking questions about His Father’s business. Then silence again until He was thirty. Thirty years of sawdust and sweat, of neighbors and family dinners, of ordinary life lived perfectly. No miracles yet, no crowds — just faithfulness in the small things. Then, somewhere around His thirtieth birthday, He stepped into the Jordan River to be baptized by John. The sky opened, the Spirit came down like a dove, and the Father’s voice thundered, “ This is My beloved Son .” At thirty-one He began the public work that would change everything. For three short years He taught in towns all over Israel and Palestine (the Roman provinces of Judea, Samaria, Galilee (the main center of his ministry), and parts of surround- ing areas). Jesus didn't teach in classrooms as typical teachers do. He taught by speaking in public places, by performing miracles, by living by example, rather than telling people how to live. People were hungry to hear what he had to say because just like today, their life was a mess. Romans were heavily taxing the Israelites. Yet Jesus spoke of only peace and love every- where He went. He healed, forgave, and loved like no one ever had. He turned water into wine, fed thousands with a boy’s lunch, touched lepers clean, and looked into broken hearts and said, “ Your sins are forgiven .” He welcomed sinners, children, and outcasts while the religious elite plotted how to kill Him. And at thirty- three — just thirty-three — He let them. 10 He didn't just walk the dust of Galilee to drop parables like breadcrumbs; He came to shatter the mirrors we'd built, those shiny distractions of empire and ego, and point us back to the Father's face. " Seek first the Kingdom ," He said, because in that seeking, the rest — the freedoms we bleed for, the honors we chase — falls into sacred alignment. Without it, we're just wanderers clutching maps to nowhere. The Pharisees were incensed that some preacher would invade their territory and spread "lies" or so they asserted. But Jesus told no lies. Yet when the Pharisees couldn't drive him away, they devised an insidious plan to kill him. Jesus carried His own crossbeam (the kind of wood He once shaped with His carpenter hands) up the hill called Golgotha. There He stretched out those same strong arms and let nails pin Him to the timber. The Builder allowed Himself to be broken so He could rebuild us. The One who made yokes easy took the heaviest yoke of all — our sin — and carried it to death. His last words to God, "It is finished." He had fulfilled His promise to God, to bring people to love God. In just 3 short years, just one human being changed the world forever. 11 That’s who Jesus is: the carpenter from Nazareth who builds broken people into something eternal, one forgiven heart at a time. Let us discover the meanings in some of Jesus' timely comments from His day, and how they still hold the same meaning today, as well as our attitudes on how we see ourselves. The Pharisees were the ones who thought Jesus’ warnings were applied only to “those people over there.” “Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.” The “gnat” (or small insect) is a tiny flying insect (in Aramaic/ Jewish context, probably the smallest unclean creature they knew). People in that time sometimes drank wine through a cloth to filter out tiny insects (gnats) so they wouldn’t accidentally swal- low something unclean and break the purity laws, (and yet, it was okay to drink the wine the 'unclean' gnat had been in)? Hypocrisy anyone? Jesus is saying the religious leaders were extremely careful about tiny, insignificant rules (straining out the gnat), but completely ignored huge sins and injustices (swallowing a whole camel). Consider this in the context of our lives today. How often do we blame someone else, but when we stop to think about it, we're also guilty of the same sin we blamed others for? "Jesus didn’t spend His ministry hunting for private sins. He confronted the attitude that my sin is smaller, my purity is greater, my group is holier, my compassion is "optional." He confronted the failure to love. If I can’t see my own, I’m already halfway to becoming the thing He warned about." — A Poster on X. I discovered that Christianity was not a religion but a relationship with Jesus Christ. 12 Church represents belonging to a loving God and developing a relationship with God through love of Jesus. Jesus taught not only about love but exemplified people how to care for others simply by talking to them, and asking questions. If you examine our fast-paced, busy lives today we have become separated from one another, opting for texting rather than making a phone call. Does an emoji make you feel as warm and cared for as a conversation does? Do you hear laughter, joy, or sadness, and loneliness? When was the last time you touched someone? We've been taught that we all have a boundary that we circle around us to make us feel safe. Safety is important, indeed. But are we keeping safe at the sake of a loss of community and caring for one another...the part of us that makes us HUMAN Keeping in touch and remembering what is going on in someone's life, and just possibly being there for them when their life is falling apart. That's what being part of a small church does. People know YOU , not your status in life, not your work, but about your family, your roots, the person inside. How well do your friends know that about you? Or is it all just about doing things and having fun? Certainly, those matter...but is that all there is to you? What do you hope for? What are your dreams and aspirations? Where do you want to go; who do you want to be? What have you done? How big is your family? Are your parents alive and a part of your life? The list of questions is virtually endless. These are the things a small community church does for people who are alone. They show them they matter and they are loved, not just by Jesus, but by their fellow mankind. When I was young, around 6 or 7, I remember watching The Greatest Story Ever Told . It was a riveting movie about Jesus' life — Max von Sydow's piercing eyes, the dust of Galilee underfoot, that impossible resurrection glow spilling from the tomb. One single thought came to my mind, no man would ever give his life for another's sins; and yet that is exactly what Jesus did. That sacrifice was what stuck with me all throughout my life and why I loved Jesus from the first time I knew about Him. 13 Even then, as a kid dodging Sunday school, it hooked me: not a fairy tale, but the fire. That seed? It sprouted doubts, yes — but also a hunger for the Real. What's your first brush with His story? A film flicker, a whispered prayer, a midnight ache? A Marine is an example of what honor feels like and valor is given selflessly to save the lives of others who fight for the freedom everyone cherishes and deserves, in a country, a land we fight and have died for, to preserve truth and freedom. God doesn't ask for your sacrifice, Jesus already did that for all of us. But He does ask that you love His son that died so you could live without sin. We have all lost our focus and our foundation on the One we all serve...God, our Father, who art in Heaven, Yiraphel is your name, your shall Kingdom come (into my heart full of love), your will shall be done, on Earth, as it is in Heaven. Lord, forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation or allow us to sin, and deliver us from all evil and wickedness, for yours is the Kingdom, the power, and glory forever. I hope you are inspired by the true meaning of what it means to live freely in the one beautiful place in God's green Earth. Freedom is where you can do, say, think, breathe, and be the person 14 only You choose for yourself all that matters in life, and your own pursuit of happiness and joy in your life. Closing Prayer Gracious God, I am still but a child and a student to your word. I thank you for putting on this earth the men and women who strive to do your work day and night, and pray that you may watch over them Lord, and give them your blessing. In them I vow to listen, in them I vow to study your name. Give them strength in all they do Lord, for I am still but a child and a student, and they are our guides in knowing you better. Amen. Testimonies: Charlie Speaks About Jesus: https://youtube.com/shorts/kxD8g3-KgsI?si=qXtuWUbQf9z48ygL 7 Traits to be Closer to God: https://youtube.com/shorts/dEijTdduW7o?si=OfIKMutc0-MSIO5c First ride: https://youtube.com/shorts/ajFlI3yx0fY?si=1J_E5-d0bBfdfupG An atheist: https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1CsyBxVVdQ/ This story runs over an hour, but it shows all the mistakes we make in life when we don't live with a heart full of love: https://youtu.be/9NvjJMqlJR0?si=4N9gq4x5ANhW-1Dd 15 Chapter 2 Honoring God's Commandments — Our Guardrails of Love and Virtues We Love Many people hear “The Ten Commandments” and immedi- ately think of a list of “thou shalt nots”—rules that forbid, restrict, and threaten punishment. In that sense, the commandments can feel primarily prohibitive. Yet Jesus gave us what is sometimes called the Eleventh Commandment: “ A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another .” (John 13:34; see also John 15:12, 17; 1 John 3:23) This commandment is different. It is not just another prohibition; it is positive, active, and all- embracing. When we truly love one another with the same self-giving love that Christ showed us, most of the “thou shalt nots” become unneces- sary. You don’t need to be told not to steal from someone you love sacrificially. You don’t need to be warned against bearing false witness against someone you cherish as Christ cherishes you. You won’t covet what belongs to a brother or sister you are ready to lay down your life for. In fact, many of the earlier commandments are fulfilled— and even surpassed — simply by keeping this one great command to love. 16 As St. Augustine famously put it: “Love God, and do what you will.” When love for God and neighbor truly rules the heart, the other commandments are no longer external restraints; they become the natural fruit of a transformed life. 17 If you crave God's favor — the kind that unshackles your soul — start by honoring His Ten Commandments, weaving them into your days like holy rhythm (some will get deeper dives later, as shadows reveal their light). 1. Thou shalt have no other gods before Me. Ditch the meaningless distractions clawing at your heart—fix on God, the only Anchor worth chasing. 2. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image. Idolatry? It's no harmless hobby; it's covenant betrayal, starving the intimacy God hungers for with you. 3. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. Blasphemy wounds the heart that named you beloved— worship His name, don't trample it in casual contempt. 4. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. (It's not Sunday, as we all believe, actually it's Saturday). We fumble this most: God paused on the seventh after crafting your world. It's your exhale, homage to the beauty He tailored just for you. 5. Honor thy father and thy mother. Their scars hold wisdom — life's hard-won maps, mirror- ing how God mentors you toward joy, not just survival. 6. Thou shalt not kill. Self-evident, yet ripples: Every life echoes His image— guard it fiercely. 7. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Purity isn't prudish — it's soul- guarding. God craves your wholeness; lust's glance poisons the well before the deed. 8. Thou shalt not steal. Love-starved hearts will hoard; but in abund- ance's flow, theft withers your own spirit alongside God's honor. 9. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. Truth shields reputations, and bends justice toward mercy. Flip it: Would you thrive under lies' lash? 10. Thou shalt not covet. Covet's whisper fuels wars — from boardroom brawls to soul-murders — because we chase wants without whisper- ing first to the Giver. I share these not to shame the forgotten or faltering, but to spark: Obeying them? It forges wholeness from fragments, trading survival's scramble for eternal joy's stride. See it yet — God's love language: "Choose Me wholly, and I'll flood you with the same." 18 What "modern idol" tugs at you — a screen's glow, a status chase? Wrestle it here, before vices sharpen the blade. Dichotomies: The Daily Crossroads God Built Into Life Every single day you are standing at a hundred forks in the road. God designed life that way on purpose. ➢ Light or darkness. ➢ Truth or lie. ➢ Humility or pride. ➢ Love or selfishness. ➢ Forgiveness or bitterness. ➢ God or ego. These aren’t accidents. They’re training. The Ten Command- ments are the big, eternal version; the daily dichotomies are the pop quizzes. Every choice is practice for choosing Him. When you pick the God-side of the dichotomy, you step deeper into the destiny He wrote for you before you were born. When you pick the ego-side, you take a detour — and detours always cost more than we think they will. Instead, try one of these virtues below and see if they don't make an immense and immediate change in your life. 19