Here is the link to my third book, The Road To Emmaus, It is currently available through all major bookstores as a paperback book and as an ebook.
I pray that you will find quiet time to enjoy the journey in the pages of this book.
God Bless You and those You Love!
Linda
But unto each one of us was the grace given according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherefore he saith, When he ascended on high, he led captivity captive, And gave gifts unto men. Ephesians 4:7-8
In America gifts are a big thing – Christmas, Birthdays, Anniversaries, Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Graduations, and so many others. As heartfelt as each of these gifts are they are often discarded, given away, or tossed out with time. Few remain as treasured heirlooms as cultures and tastes change. They are temporal.
My favorite gifts as a mom have come in a HUG, an “I LOVE YOU,” a smile, and a prayer. The blessings of love, deep from the heart. More precious than gold. My gifts came in chubby little fists from the front yard or a neighboring field – a dandelion, flowering weed, beautiful rock, a regifted toy car or a project made in school or Sunday school. Treasures of love, spilling over with pride. I still have nearly all of them! These are treasures from my family, but there are Gifts more precious, more valuable, that never fade with memory or time, they are eternal! These are the Gifts of Christ (Ephesians 4:7-8).
Each and every person who has received Jesus into their heart receives what are called Salvation Gifts. These are gifts from the Father for our individual lives, specifically designed for each person and the life they have lived. God gives each and every confessed believer: Access to Him, Adoption into the Kingdom, a Free Basic Life, a Church Family, Faith, Forgiveness, Grace, Healing, Heaven, Hope, Joy, Mercy, Motivation to do more, Peace, Power, Prayer, Purpose, Salvation, Sanctification, Separation from the world, a place to Serve, Sonship, Subjection to the benefits of the Kingdom, and Understanding of the Suffering of Christ. These aren’t earned gifts, these are freely given to every believer.
As wonderful as these gifts are they are only the beginning of what each believer can receive, if they choose to go further in their walk with Christ. Each and every person, whether they become a believer or not, have been called from birth to a Spiritual Gift and a Calling in the Kingdom, it is their choice whether they will accept Jesus and receive the Gifts and Callings awaiting them, working towards the skills necessary to receive them.
The gifts that follow the Salvation Gifts are received when we begin walking out our faith as requested by The Father. As we grow and understand our belonging in the Body of Christ we find ourselves living out the Fruits of the Spirit: Faithfulness, Forbearance, Gentleness, Goodness, Joy, Kindness, Love, Peace, and Self-Control (Galatians 5:22-23, John 15:16). We find our lives are being molded by the examples God gave to each an every one of us and we “gentle” in our thoughts and behaviors. As we walk out the Fruits of the Spirit we see a difference in how we perceive things, how we interface with others, a calm enters our lives and the strife of daily life seems to dissipate (Ephesians 4:1-6, Jeremiah 29:11).
If a believer chooses to go deeper into the study of God in their faith walk, and they choose to receive the Baptism of the Holy Ghost, they may receive one or more of the 9 Gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:7-11). These are assigned by God to individuals based upon the depth of their faith and their specific abilities to handle those powerful gifts and accomplish the assignment they are given for each individual they are sent to, when that individual is needing a specific deep touch of the Holy Sprit. There are 3 aspects of these 9 gifts, the Revelation Gifts, the Power Gifts, and the Inspiration Gifts. Within these Gifts are the Gift of Discerning of the Spirits (R), the Gift of Faith (P), the Gift of Tongues (I), the Gift of Healing (P), the Gift of Interpretation of Tongues (I), the Gift of Knowledge (R), the Gift of Prophecy (I), the Gift of Wisdom (R), and the Gift of Working of Miracles (P). These Gifts are given to a chosen group of people, not for their own benefit, but to help build up other church members when they in times of illness, turmoil and confusion.
Some believers are given the gift of a specific Calling, ordained before their birth, by God the Father. These are those called to the 5 fold ministry (Ephesians 4:11). These are those who will become: Apostles, Evangelists, Pastors, Prophets, and Teachers. These ordinations require deep study specifically in the arena of the ministries that they have been called to. The believer working towards this area of ministry must have a the strength, determination, and abilities fitted to the particular position they are working towards. These positions require the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and the manifestation of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. These are the deepest Gifts and Callings of the body of the Church.
There are Gifts known as Callings. Positions that God has been preparing us to receive all of our lives, even though we may not have recognized them. Callings are positions in the church that meet the needs of every area of the church and the people of the community that the church witnesses too. These are the back-up support positions for the 5 Fold Ministry and serve as a critical foundation for all the 5 Fold Ministry is called to do. This could be a training arena for those who are called to the 5 Fold Ministry, but haven’t had the hands on experience to take a fulltime position. These Callings/Gifts include: Administrations, Apostleship, Celibacy, Charity, Craftsmanship, Evangelism, Exhortation, Giving, Hospitality, Intercession, Leadership, Martyrdom, Pastorship, Prophetic, Serving, Special Graces, Spiritual Writing, Teaching, and Witnessing.
What God has given to each and every believer, the Gifts of Christ, are gifts that give and give and give, becoming more and more valuable each day. They aren’t gifts that we keep, they are gifts that we give away through our every day workings in the body of the church. They aren’t tangible gifts, they are Spiritual gifts, sent through us to a specific person for a specific time and place, to encourage and enable them to take these particular gifts forward to another. Building up each other along the way (Romans 12:4).
These are Anointed gifts of Life, and Breath, and Hope, and Peace, and a Spiritual Assignment in the body and family of God. These are precious gifts that never deteriorate, never go out of style, never diminish or fade. These are gifts assigned by the Holy Spirit as we mature in our faith in Christ, given to us to help others receive their gifts and assignments “all these worketh the one and the same Spirit, dividing to each one severally even as he will.” (1 Corinthians 12:11). All Gifts and Callings, working together through the Holy Spirit, each person given a specific role, if they will receive it, to accomplish the works of God on this earth (Romans 11:29).
Pray to hear God’s Gifts and Callings for your life. Meet with your Pastor or Church Counselor to begin the steps of preparation for where God has called you to. Are you ready? Your Gifts are awaiting! (Isaiah 6:8-9, 1 Corinthians 7:17, 2 Peter 1:10)
The Damascus Road – A Journey Through Ephesians – Chapter 4, Part 3
Written by Linda J. Humes
9-27-2023
“There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” Ephesians 4:4-6 (KJV)
Our scripture reference states: “There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.”
There is “One Body,” the Body of the Church of God. We are all one, each with our own special gifts and callings, fitting together with each other to complete the needs of that body. We are all important, critical, and melded together for the purpose of sharing the Gospel to the hopeless. When one person moves away from the body it creates an empty spot. The Body will compensate and fill gaps, but it will never be the perfectly planned Body God intended until every person stands faithfully in their spot.
There is One Spirit, the Holy Spirit that came after Jesus ascended to Heaven (Acts 1:9-12), after spending time with the Disciples to prepare them for the journey that they were about to take. In the Second Chapter of Acts (Acts 2:1-4) the story explains of the first time the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples and filled them with spiritual fire and a language we call Tongues. This new language was what the Disciples used when they prayed, which we continue to use today, the Heavenly Language of Angels. It is difficult to explain the intellectual and emotional feeling a person has when praying in Tongues, but once you have received that gift, walking away from it is very difficult.
There is One Hope of your Calling. Scripture tells of the many callings (1 Corinthians 12:27), administrations, and gifts in the Body of Christ. Some are major callings to the faith (Ephesians 4:8-12), and some are not (Galatians 5:22-23, Romans 12:6-15), but all are critically important to the Body of Christ. No two people exhibit those gifts in the same way; each reaches another person in a different way based on the gift they are best at.
There is One Lord, One God and creator of the entire universe, which includes every person. Scripture says that God knew us before the world was created. He had a specific plan for each and every person born to this world (Ephesians 1:4). Scripture says that when we were yet in our Mother’s womb He knew us (Jeremiah 1:5). He had a plan for us to fulfill, each and every one. He chose our parents and the environment in which we would live and grow. He chose for some of us to have physical challenges, mental challenges, and emotional challenges that would mold and build us into an integral part of the Body of Christ. Some of us may have only been brought to earth to stay a short time, and during that time we are called to impact the lives of many, many others. There were no errors, there are no errors, we are what He called us to be. Yes, man’s permission of Free Will can change our direction, but our end result will be God’s expected end.
There is One Faith, the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Romans 1:17). The Gospel directs us to live a life of holiness, bound in love, caring for others with compassion and sacrifice (Romans 12:10, Ephesians 4:32, Ephesians 4:2). We are to live honestly, with humility, causing no harm to others, caring for the widows, orphans, and the poor. We are to be the hands and feet of Jesus on earth. Through that faith, we believe that Jesus died for our sins and by believing on Him and His Gospel we will live with Him in eternity (John 3:16-17). No other faith is based solely upon forsaking self and living for the betterment of others.
There is One Baptism, the immersion of the believer in water as they proclaim their faith in God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost; sealed in the Name of Jesus. Baptism represents the burying of the person’s sins with Jesus Christ, cleansing them from their past lives. They become spiritually clean, receiving salvation and becoming a new creation.
There is One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. It is God the Father who created all things and lives in Heavenly places. He resides in all things, including every human being, who is created in His image (Genesis 1:26-27), His image is the very compassion and spirit that brought the world into being. He is the essence of Love, Compassion, Reason, Anger, Fellowship, Relationship, and so much more. We are to worship Him and only Him (Exodus 20:3-5, Exodus 34:14, Isaiah 45:5). However, even though He has placed His image and attributes inside of each and every one of us, He has also given us the free will to follow Him or to completely reject Him – and choose to become a Pagan or any other religion that is against His teaching and will.
We choose, no one chooses for us. We decide whether we want to receive that precious gift of an amazing life, or the life of darkness and strife. We choose to remain in that darkness, or to walk away from it. The amazing thing is, if we choose the life of darkness, even after following the ways of truth, we only have to call out to God the Father in repentance, asking for forgiveness, and we are once again welcomed back into the life God designed for us at the beginning of the world. God the Father welcomes us back with open arms. What a remarkable gift. What an amazing God.
**A Journey Through Ephesians – Chapter 4, Part 2
Written by Linda J. Humes
4-24-2017
“The stranger that is within thee shall get up above thee very high; and thou shalt come down very low.” Deuteronomy 28:43 (KJV)
There is a common saying, “The eyes are the window to the soul,” and it is absolutely true. A lot can be seen spiritually and emotionally when looking intently into the eyes of another. God gives us glimpses of the depth of a person’s weakness, pain and spirit. Every once in a while God takes us a step past the eyes and He shows us the demons that torment.
I remember, so vividly, the first time I saw the demon that controlled my father. My grandparents had come to visit and as we children went off toward bed the adults left the house. Not long after a storm kicked up, a strong desert wind storm.
I was 9 years old; my brother would have been 7, my sister 3, and the baby just a few months old. When the storm kicked up the electricity went off and all of us kids drew together in the bedroom that I shared with the baby. My brother and sister huddled against the wall as I rocked the baby in the rocking chair. Within the howling wind we heard a loud “crack” and a main branch broke off of the tree at the back of the house. My brother and sister were crying and holding each other as I did my best to quiet the baby.
Just a short time after I heard a tapping on my bedroom window and my name being called, “Linda, Linda, open the door.” The voice was that of my father, but when I pulled the curtain back what I saw terrified me. Instead of my father’s face I saw the head of a Ram with glowing red eyes on a very large body of a man. Its lips were moving as I heard my father’s voice again, angry. “Linda, open the door.”
I screamed and ran across the room, all 4 of us huddled against the wall crying. This repeated with my father’s voice becoming more and more agitated. Then I heard the voice of my grandfather, “Linda, it’s grandpa, we forgot the key, open the front door and let us in.”
I ran to the window and opened the curtain. There was the face of my grandfather, always kind and gentle. I laid the baby in his crib and ran to the front door, unlocking it. In came my family, drenched from the rain. My father was still very angry that I had delayed, but the creature I had seen in the window was gone.
I don’t know why God shows us the evil inside of others. I don’t know why we see it at some times and not others. I don’t know why some people can see the evil and others cannot. I don’t understand how some people can stand up to evil and quench it with a few spoken words and the voice of authority. I don’t understand why people are drawn toward evil and wicked ways more than they are drawn to the church and the laws of God, when the true power lies in the authority of scripture and death is in the path of evil.
I really don’t understand it all, but I know it is real; I have seen it myself. I do understand that we are called to do greater things than Jesus did in His time on earth. I do understand the authority we are given if we will draw close to God through the power of the Holy Spirit. I do know that we were given the ability to stand up to the sort of evil that torments a young man to the extent that he would walk into a school and kill 26 people, mostly young children.
Spiritual warfare can turn the evil before the demonic becomes so strong in a person’s life that they no longer hold life precious – their own life or the life of another. We must fight the Spiritual battle for the souls of the hurting before the soul is eternally lost.
This generation is the generation of Spiritual Warriors. A Warrior can only fight if they have the tools and they know how to use them. Jesus commanded us to teach – help me to teach these Warriors who they are and what authority they can possess. Help me to teach them to fight for the lost soul, the innocent children, and the evil that desires to destroy everything in its path. Please, help me.
“Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight:” – Psalms 144:1 (KJV)
By Linda J. Humes
Written 1-1-2013
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. Luke 4:18-19
…
Huddled mass, skin and bone,
Family gone, not a home.
Alcohol, to soothe the pain,
Curb the heat, repel the rain.
…
The future looks very bleak,
Live day by day, week by week.
Need to change, don’t know how,
Need it bad, need it now.
…
Little child, deep inside,
I am here, I am light,
Come to Me,
You’ll be free.
I am Jesus.
…
Every night, fight and steal,
Need the drugs, need to deal.
Seated deep, anger hides,
Worthlessness, fear inside.
…
Drugs help forget, take you high,
Just for today, it’s gone tonight.
Have to stop, too much strife,
I want to love, I want a life.
…
Little child, deep inside,
I am here, I am light,
Come to Me,
You’ll be free.
I am Jesus.
…
Daytime I sleep, nights work the street,
Sometimes it’s okay, sometimes I’m beat.
Don’t matter to no one, no one to care,
I can’t run away, I wouldn’t dare.
…
I still have a family, ran away from that mess,
Afraid to go back, they hate me, I guess.
I want to be wanted, want someone to care,
I need arms to hold me, someone to be there.
…
Little child, deep inside,
I am here, I am light,
Come to Me,
You’ll be free.
I am Jesus
…
Work all day, sometimes nights,
Work is tough, at home we fight.
Plagued by bills, how can we pay,
Sometimes I want to run away.
…
A wife and kids, they need to be fed,
Would they do better with me dead.
I can’t hardly cope with the pressure today,
There must be something, there must be a way.
…
Little child, deep inside,
I am here, I am light,
Come to Me,
You’ll be free.
I am Jesus.
…
Home all day, kids to tend,
House to clean, clothes to mend.
Screaming and fussing, night and day,
I want out, but there’s no way.
…
Husband’s late, if he comes home at all.
Drinking and fighting, never does call.
Don’t want today, don’t want tomorrow,
There must be some way to end this sorrow.
…
Little child, deep inside,
I am here, I am light,
Come to Me,
You’ll be free.
I am Jesus.
…
When it all seems to hard,
When there seems no way out,
When it all seems so hopeless,
Lives of anger and doubt.
…
There’s one who can help you,
He’s faithful and strong.
He’s waiting to greet you,
Whatever your wrongs.
…
He is Jesus.
Written 3/17/95
And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God. Zechariah 13:9 (KJV)
…
Have you ever been in a big store or gathering place and across the air you hear “Mom?” Automatically, anyone who has ever been a mom turns toward the voice. It doesn’t matter if all of your kids are grown and out of the house – it’s something you instinctively do. I have laughed at myself many times for turning around and saying “Yes” when I knew I had arrived at the establishment alone!! I guess I’m programmed to heed to the call of any child’s voice.
…
A few weeks ago I was in a restaurant when I heard a woman say “Jesus!” as part of her sentence of displeasure. My ears perked and I noticed that the party of 4 all used my Savior’s Name as part of their regular dialog, not in reverence, but as if it were a placeholder for the lack of a better swear word.
…
I wondered if He turned His head when His Name was spoken. Did He interrupt what He was doing to see if there was a problem or prayer He needed to attend to, only to find that there was no relationship to His Name, it was used only to emphasize a statement. Did it break His heart? It broke mine.
…
Are we in a culture so callous to our God and the preciousness of His Son that it is acceptable to use their name anyway one chooses? Will it cause Him to disregard those people’s voices, like the town disregarded the little boy’s voice in the story “The Boy Who Cried Wolf?
…
The language in our home is restricted – I like it that way. I don’t want to ever take my Lord for granted, not even in a daily phrase. When I call on His Name, I want Him to know it’s me. I want Him to know it’s because I need relationship with Him and perhaps an answer to prayer.
…
May I always speak His Name in Love. Jesus!
Written 12-30-2008
Here is the link to my second book, A Walk to Gethsemane – Touching the Master. It is currently available through all major bookstores as a paperback book and as an ebook.
I pray that you will find quiet time to enjoy the journey in the pages of this book.
God Bless you and those you love,
Linda
Here is the information about my first book, Moments with the Master – A Reflective Time. It is currently available as a paperback and an eBook through all major bookstores.
God Bless you and those you love,
Linda
“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down
his life for his friends.” John 15:13 KJV
I have three small finches. All three are of a different variety. They have nothing in common, except a bright white cage and the normal amenities. Bandit has a red mask across his eyes, Speckle is dark brown with a tan chest and brown speckles, Tangerine has a bright orange beak and legs. They were put together over different times and took turns getting used to each other.
On a normal day they disagree and sit as far apart as they can, tolerating the sharing of their space. But, sometimes the abnormal happens. On occasion Speckle will lay on the bottom of the cage and shudder. He’s unable to move one leg. He will fly if startled, but must lean against something to stay upright. He does this by gripping and balancing with one leg while pushing against a tray, bar or basket.
This will go on for days and, as unusual as it seems, it is not the truly amazing part. What is truly amazing is that when he’s on the bottom of the cage, shaking and shuddering, one of the others will sit against him, crying out, while the other flies around the cage, screaming and shrieking. At night, when I check on them, all three will be on the branch, one on either side of the ailing bird, propping him in place so that he can sleep in comfort and safety.
They are so protective and caring of the hurting friend that they take risks that they would not generally take. Several times I have reached into the cage to stroke Speckle, to pray for him, to hold him. The other two would sit right with him until I was close enough to touch him, then they would fly off until I removed my hand. Immediately they would return to their vigil. After a few days Speckle appears normal again and they all go back to “status quo”, fussing with each other and keeping their distance.
So often I see people tolerating each other, but not pull in to the troubled and hurting friend. We call each other brother, we call each other friend, but choose to be busy if we think there is the slightest possibility that our emotions may get caught up in another brother’s pain.
Shame on us, Lord, if we fail to have the love and compassion of a handful of caged finches. If I call you brother, if I call you friend, then I pray for the compassion to sit with you when you hurt, to cry out for help to carry on, and for the strength to hold you up until you are strong enough to stand alone once again – as often as you need me.
We moved out of a rental house and into our new home, 13+ miles out of town. On the day we received the keys I had a TIA (mini-stroke). To say I was disappointed to spend the evening in the ER instead of in my new home is an understatement. I’m finally getting back to normal healthwise, just a few memory issues and occasional dizziness and stuttering. Getting better every day. It has been a long hard delightful month.
I am sending out the Easter piece I send every year. The message never changes – God loves us so much that He sent His son as a sacrifice for us. I never let that leave my mind.
I have my computer set up again, finally, and hope to get back to writing soon. Praying God’s blessings over each and every one of you.
GRAFTED
By Linda J. Humes
It was a deep wound,
Intended to bring death,
Inflicted by the spear,
Of a Roman Soldier.
Gaping open,
It released blood and water.
The blood of the new covenant,
The water of the Holy Spirit,
Yet to come.
The precious liquids,
Oozing to the surface,
Were the precious nutrients,
To give food and strength,
To the nation to come.
Inside that wound,
Deep in the side of my Savior,
The wound Satan meant for evil,
God planted a seed,
A bud,
A grafted nation,
A place for me.
That wound,
And the seed inside,
Were anointed with myrrh,
With aloes, and with spices.
Wrapped so carefully,
With the finest linen,
Preparing a cleft,
Of most Holy foundation,
For the Gentile to join,
God’s chosen.
Then came the moment,
When the linens were left,
In the shape of a man,
But hollow and unaltered,
As a message of release.
The moment when Christ,
With the grafted children,
Tucked safely beneath his arm,
Faced Satan and conquered death.
Now this nation,
Birthed in the side of Christ,
As Eve was birthed,
In the side of Adam,
Sat in communion,
At the right hand of God.
Guided forth,
Performing greater miracles,
Exhibiting greater power,
Flowing in the Holy Spirit,
The seed branched forward.
Inside that graft,
With its roots entwined,
Deep into the Master,
There is a leaf,
Turning to the Son,
Preparing to break forth,
And follow the way,
Set forth by Him.
It’s just one leaf,
Of the many branches,
Just one small part,
Of a mighty tree.
But on that leaf,
Is a name,
And that name belongs,
To ME.
Linda J. Humes 