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BREATH OF GOD

7 Aug

“Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord God; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.”   Ezekiel 37:9

While training to become a foster parent we were required to take CPR training. We learned the ABC’s of CPR, the step-by-step procedures of saving a life. The first step was to tip the head back, chin up, and make sure that the Airway isn’t obstructed. Second was to Breathe into the unconscious person, watching for the rise and fall of the chest. Third was the Compressions, encouraging the heart to begin beating, pushing the blood to the brain and extremities. A.B.C. Clear airway, breathe (count), breath (count), compress, compress, compress, compress. Correct timing and accurate movement can be the critical elements of sustaining life until the ambulance arrives and takes over.

While in worship one day it occurred to me that God has designed a Spiritual CPR for His children to follow. Divine steps that bring us into the throne-room of God.

Similar to clearing the airway, we tilt our face upward toward God, speaking our prayers and singing our worship. We clear our thoughts from the trials and temptations of daily life and focus completely on Him. Abba, Father, we cry out; Holy and Anointed One. We give You praise.

Then comes the breath of life; the Holy Spirit breathing the precious anointing into our lives. Like waves of the ocean, as we stand in worship, He breathes over us, refreshing, renewing, healing, preparing, speaking; wave after precious wave. Closer and closer we draw to the throne-room of God. Filled with the cleansing breath of truth. Filled with the cleansing breath of wisdom. Breathing in, breathing out, the life of God within us.

Then the foundation; the Word of God, pumping into us the strength of life with the flow of faith brought by the Blood of Christ, covering our past, our daily frailties, our mistakes of tomorrow. Challenging us with parables, psalms and proverbs. Building, pumping, encouraging, pumping, feeding, pumping. The very truths we base our lives upon.

Clear – breathe – breathe – compress – compress – compress – live.

Prayer – worship – indwelling of the Spirit – the Word of God – life.

Prayer – worship – indwelling of the Spirit – the Word of God – stronger life.

What if we choose to walk away when someone needs immediate CPR? What if we wait for another to come along and do the life-saving steps that are needed? The longer the person remains unhelped, the greater the risk of death, multiplying in risk by the second.

Unlike physical CPR, the Christian must take the steps toward Spiritual CPR themselves. Steps that will give them a confident, joy-filled, eternal life in Christ. No one else can take the steps for you. No one else can breathe in the anointing for you.

What if we walk away when God calls us to relationship with Him? What if we don’t cry out to Him in prayer and worship? What if we quench the Spirit, discouraging His life-filling breath? What if we refuse to fill our heart, our mind, our soul, with His Word? What if?

Dear God, remind me daily of the eternal death that awaits those who walk away from you. Help me to help them to take the steps toward life – forever.

 

 

Written 6-24-04

 

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A HEART OF FREEDOM

7 Aug

And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands.   Acts 12:7

I have had the privilege of becoming friends through Christ with many inmates. I find their faith strong, their dedication immeasurable and their Christian love pure. Their desire to have all that God has for them is so powerful – I feel inadequate to mentor and encourage them. I find myself envying the time they have to study God’s word and sing His praises.

What a perfect God cherished testimony. Here are people with lives completely restricted; only allowed to move about if shackled, and yet they have a found a heart of peace and a spirit of freedom that I could only pray to have. They are bound completely on the outside – yet completely free through Jesus on the inside. They have replaced anger with joy, strife with study, cursing with prayer and praise. Many still have decades to complete before I will meet them face to face, I look forward to that day when we can share the joy of Jesus over a cup of coffee. They have so much to teach me.

I pray for their safety, peace and joy and I receive letters from them stating that they are praying daily for me. They express as much concern for my well being as I have about theirs. Once Jesus steps into the heart of any person, the chains of life begin to fall away. Some remove them a little at a time and some miraculously loose them all, in one fell swoop.

I’ve learned through my many years with Jesus that everything in life is shadowed and paralleled. I too am restricted to a regimented schedule – by work, family obligations and church events. I’m shackled by stress, obligation, bills, illness and weariness. Their incarceration is tangible and they have risen above it. My incarceration is self-imposed and enforced with self-set unrealistic expectations. I strive daily to rise above my circumstances, not always with true success. So, Jesus, which of us is truly bound?

Lord, give me the courage to say “No” to time that unnecessarily takes me away from you. Teach me to set boundaries and set a Jesus appointment in every day – at least twice a day please! Help me to remember the true reason I’m here – to share the treasure of YOU with all that I meet. And always keep my heart open to learn from a new friend, no matter the path they have walked.

 

Written 6-15-07

 

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WHEN GREAT MEN FALL 

5 Aug

  

“And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.”  Mark 9:42 (KJV) 

    

“Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive,” Sir Walter Scott. 

  Heartbreaking.  Lives destroyed, families lost, everything gone.  How many times does the news report on the fall of great men?  Cities, states, and countries crumble with the fall of corrupt political leaders.  Companies close with the fall of unscrupulous officers.  Most devastating are the falls of pastors, evangelists or great religious leaders – taking down the faith and confidence of their congregations or followers.  Churches split, people walk away from the very beliefs that they drew strength from, never to return.  People become lost. 

  Falling men don’t have to be leaders, celebrities, pastors or figures of authority to cause the lives of others to be affected and destroyed.  Any man who has made a lifelong commitment to touching the lives of others, however big or small, can be the reason others lose their faith and trust in men.  A husband who chooses to quit work and leaves the responsibilities of caring for his family to his wife – as he sits and watches TV all day or plays for hours on the computer.  It could be a father who drowns his disappointments with drugs or alcohol, leaving his children and wife to fend for themselves.  It could be a good friend who betrays that friendship with deception and lies.  It could be a mentor who falls to temptation, either destroying the lives he’s dedicating to help grown strong or turning away from them at a critical moment in their lives, leaving them alone and afraid.  It could be a school teacher or a Bible study teacher.  How do you think they will feel about men in general when the very man who God placed in their lives to love and protect them causes them hurt and pain? 

  Truths turn to lies.  Laughter turns to tears.  Hope turns to despair. Trust turns to disappointment and distance.  Friendships are disrupted and not sought out again.  Families destroyed.  Strong futures lay ruin.  What happened?  How did temptation and pride override common sense and a strong moral system and lay waste the promises of a strong and fruitful life?  Lust.  Greed.  Pride.  Addictions.  Lasciviousness. 

  “Never happen to me,” you say?  What did they say not long ago?  “Not me” . . . “I would never” . . . so easy to say, and an open invitation for the enemy of our soul to take the challenge to find that weakness and chip away at it. 

  It is never a sudden decision, usually a little give and take over a period of time.  Things that were once so black and white become less definitive.  Priorities change.  Family and friends loose importance.  Everyone else in their world becomes collateral damage. 

  Can the fallen be restored?  Of course, if they have the desire.  Restoration can only come through a humble heart and a deep relationship through Jesus.  All other attempts are just vanities – a vapor in the wind – without substance. 

  The real question is, can they restore all those whose lives were damaged and changed because of the fall.  Can trust ever be completely returned to the hearts of all who know them?  I don’t think so.  Those lives have blown away like sand in the wind – you may be able to collect some of them back, maybe even most of them – but so many will be lost forever to the hurt that can only be healed through Jesus. 

  Dear Lord, let me always remember that my words and actions are being watched by far more people than I could ever imagine.  Help me to understand that if I should ever fall, I would be responsible for every person that may stray from you because of my actions.  Help me to always remain humble.  In Your Precious Name.  Amen.

 

Written 2-23-09

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Believing

28 Jul

“Believing is touching the sky with outstretched hands . . .

knowing you are caressing the face of God!”

 

 

Written  8/14/12

 

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Stolen Peace

14 Jul

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.  Isaiah 26:3 (KJV)

Not long ago an event shook our quiet little town.  It was an event that made national news and turned a happy community into a place of fear.

My husband and I were visiting our oldest son in a town 8 hours away, and for the first time, left our 18 and 20 year old boys at home by themselves.  The next evening my cell phone didn’t stop ringing and texting; a motorcycle gang war had broken out and my property was involved in the melee.  

My youngest son and his friend had just stepped into the front yard when the shooting started and they saw 2 people shot in front of them.  They ran back into the house and saw a vehicle park in our driveway with 4 men inside, assault rifles exposed when they opened all the doors.  They saw one man in our backyard. The police dispatcher told him to sit on the floor of a room with no windows, put a shotgun across his legs and if they come in . . . shoot!  My son was terrified, I was terrified; we were both helpless.

After the shooting stopped the police arrived and the kids were told to lock up and leave the area.  Helicopters and dozens of police vehicles were all through the area. Calls came from friends who knew where we lived and offered to take in the boys.  

By the time we arrived home we were permitted to go into our house.  Police cars and command posts remained for days. We called the police to come to the house when we found a bullet lodged in a lamp on our porch.  The police took pictures and told us to be prepared . . . the war wasn’t over.

The feeling of physical helplessness flowed into my emotional and spiritual life.  What if it happened again and I wasn’t home to protect my kids. What if no one was there and our animals were shot.  What if . . . 

Driving around town I noticed something that I’d never noticed before; guns.  An elderly man was raking the rocks in his driveway with a gun on his hip. A white haired elderly woman stood in the grocery check-out line with a gun on her waist.  Every motorcycle rider I saw had a gun strapped on. Someone came to our home to pick up a refrigerator, with a gun on his belt. We had a yard sale and those who came had guns strapped on.  Fear had permeated Chino Valley.

I couldn’t sleep; thrashing all night.  Every time I left the house I locked every door and was uneasy until I returned.  My prayers seemed hollow. Our home had been on the market and we were told to take it off because no one would consider buying in our area for years.  Helpless. Overwhelmed. Fearful.

As I prayed one evening I told God that my whole life seemed out of control.  I asked what was wrong, what could I do. He spoke to me and quietly said that I’d let the war steal my peace.

I thought about all that had happened.  50 shell casings were found, but not one innocent person had been harmed.  Not one animal in the neighboring homes had been harmed. 60 people had been arrested.  Gang homes were ordered sold by the court. Gang awareness was clear in the community and people were prepared to fight back.  God had His hand on Chino Valley and everything surrounding it.

God forgive me for forgetting that even when it seems like chaos all around, You are there.  When nothing seems to make sense You reveal the big picture and Your perfect will. Thank You for not giving up on this worrier, but bringing perfect peace and rest.

 

Written 10-25-2010

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PARADISE

14 Jul

“And I heard a great voice out of Heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.”  Rev. 21:3

Recently I’ve been making weekly overnight trips for work.  I drive 3 hours in, work 8 and then off to rest. A friend has arranged for me to use her guesthouse on these trips, what a blessing.  This house is perfectly decorated, country comfortable. Everything perfectly matches, from the curtains to the coffee cups. It’s like walking into a paradise in the midst of a big bustling city.

You can see the love and care spent in providing every comfort, from aesthetics to bed pillows.  Drinking glasses are perfectly lined. Plates and bowls set in order. Every utensil is in its assigned spot.  Pictures of things that take you to a different place and time are placed just so, giving the feeling of home. It’s just exactly what I’ve always hoped to have.

I ate my take-out meal and headed for the luxury of a bubble bath, a precious commodity for any working mom.  Off I slipped to bed for a completely undisturbed sleep. AAAAHHHH!!!!

I woke early and brewed my morning coffee.  I sipped and listened for the signs and sounds of morning.  I had no idea that silence could be so loud.

There were no roosters crowing, no husband snoring, no dogs harmonizing.  There were no shoes to step over, no children squabbling over the bathroom, no cat curled in my spot on the sofa.  There was no peanut butter on the counter, no jelly on the floor sticking to the bottom of my feet. The radios weren’t playing and the washing machine wasn’t running.  There were no sounds of life. No laughter, no anger – no joy, no frustration. It was a beautiful, empty shell.

I packed up all my traveling gear and prepared to leave.  I went back through, room by room, to make sure I’d left this paradise in the same condition as when I’d arrived.  Picture perfect!

Picture perfect!  Hhhhmmm? Isn’t that what we can be?  We walk out of our homes perfectly attired; matching outfit, shoes and accessories – carefully primped and combed, not a hair out of place.  We even spray our favorite fragrance to make a perfectly, well-rounded picture of – of what?

So often we see people who seem so perfect on the outside, but inside they are going mad with the echoes of silence.  Some are tortured by the voices of the past, some by the enemy of their souls, telling them to give up their future – they’ll never be “perfect” enough.  They overcompensate with exterior perfection to try to fill the hole left inside – by the absence of Jesus.

How many times do we walk past those who seem to have it “all together” and reach out to those in obvious need?  How many of those “perfect people” long for someone to stop long enough to tell them how to fill their emptiness?  Do we only look at the outward perfection and miss the eyes that search for answers? Do we share a greeting and not listen for the cries of help in their passing replies?  

Jesus, help me to hear those cries.  Help me to see the emptiness you are ready to fill.  Let me never assume that a perfect house equals a home –  but that every vessel created by You can only be perfected when Your Holy Spirit fills it.  Come Lord Jesus.

 

Written 8-31-05

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COMPASSION

7 Jul

 

“But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.”  -Mark 10:14

Tonight I saw something that deeply touched my heart.  Not a well scripted show or a thought-out story. Tonight I witnessed two very young boys praying, sobbing and interceding for their friend – hands lifted upward toward Heaven.  Even after the music ceased they remained, praying – sobbing. When the sanctuary had emptied and the time threatened, they remained. At that moment I believe a pastor was born, an evangelist, perhaps an apostle.  Compassion was loosed and the anointing fell. The true tenderness of innocence released a pureness – no show, no pressure, no guilt drove their motives – just compassion – a Spirit lead appointment with Jesus.   

How many times have we adults seen the hurting at the altar, but pulled away because of schedules and pre-set agendas.  How many times have we been in serious prayer, only to turn it off as a household appliance when the music ceased? How many times did we seem sincerely concerned, as long as certain eyes lingered our way, hoping for a break and release with each prayer.

I stood outside and watched as they left the tabernacle, headed for their camp dorm rooms; bibles familiarly under their arms, pages worn, bookmarks poking out here and there.  Arm in arm they headed away, eyes still red, but a prominent glow surrounded them. I thanked God for that touch, for that innocence.

Still, I was ashamed.  Ashamed that these young boys had a relationship with My God that I so desired and a compassion for others that I strove for, but had not yet found.  

Thank you Jesus for that glimpse into a perfect moment dedicated completely to You.  Bless them Lord, for touching Your face unhesitatingly. Lord, help me to meet the challenge.

 

Written 6-24-2004

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New Life

30 Jun

That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: 1 Peter 1:7 (KJV)

Recently a fire broke out between the north and southbound lanes of the main highway through Arizona.  The fire had traveled a good mile and had jumped the freeway (2 lanes wide) on both the east and west sides of the freeway.  As I passed through, the smoke still lingered and firefighters were walking through with shovels and pick axes to be sure the smoldering embers didn’t reignite.

Each week the remainder of the all-consuming properties of fire played in my mind . . . except for that one green bush about a third of the way in from the south, just sitting there, green and untouched.  About a month after the fire the rains came and a most amazing thing happened; in the middle of the charred blackness sprouted small green leaves. Out of darkness came life.

Like our deadness, our pain, and our sin, when the Holy Spirit sprinkles us with the water from the river of life, we sprout and grow new life.  We become like the tree planted by the waters, bringing forth shade and good fruit.

As satan sends forth his fires of destruction, God’s children walk across the blackness sipping the water that will make them thirst no more.  As their heels lift from the ash strewn, blackened ground, tiny leaves sprout up in its shadow, before the next step is even taken; soon to provide good fruit.

Lord, let us never be afraid to speak Your refreshing Word to a dry and thirsty world.

Written 12-29-09

By Linda J. Humes

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ECHOES

27 Oct

 

Who remembered us in our lowly state, For His mercy endures forever;    Psalm 136:23

It is very humbling to live alone in your golden years.  Echoes of laughter and the scuffling of tiny feet play through your mind, as long ago fragrances of Sunday feasts and Holiday turkeys are still so fresh that you can taste the goodness.  Memories of wonderful blessings hang on the wall, shrouded with a coat of summer dust.  If you close your eyes you are transported sweetly back to the moments so carefully etched in your heart.

You thank God for those wonderful times of your life, and you thank Him, too, for erasing the “not so good” to a fading shadow.

With your prayer list you re-etch each name and need with your finger and heart, earnestly petitioning God for resolve.  Then with your closing Bible you dream and pray and wonder when those once small lives will come again, bringing new friends and loved ones to birth a new memory and added echoes.

I Praise you Lord for the echoes of yesterday – and for tomorrow!

 

Written 10-27-2018

Sore On My Palm

19 Jul

 

jesus hands hole with baby hand

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.      Isaiah 53:5 (KJV)

To say that we have had windstorms this year is a gross understatement.  We are getting to know our neighbor’s eating habits from the trash we’ve had to pick up in our yard – the hazard of being the last house before the cyclone fence!

Our poor trees took a beating and their branches covered an acre of yard.  So few trees, so many branches; I suspect some are visitors from neighboring yards accompanying the trash.

I grabbed a big bucket and went about collecting branches.  The smaller ones fit nicely into the bucket, but the longer ones had to be broken.  Most snapped in half easily, but one branch hadn’t dried out completely and gave me quite a challenge.  When it finally gave it snapped in my hand and dug into my palm – yikes, that smarts!

I babied that hand for days, the loose skin fell away and it left behind a perfectly round purple mark in the center of my palm.  As I reviewed it one day it took my breath away.  For just a moment I was looking into the hand of my Savior, a hole clean through and bloodied.  A sacrifice, just for me.

I fussed at my simple gouge; the soldiers drove nails through His hands and feet.  I jump at the smallest bump, He was hung on a cross; his side pierced.  How dare me to feel sorry for myself over a scratch when He gave His life without complaint so that I could receive eternal life.

The mark stayed on my palm for weeks, a daily reminder of how much God loves me.  Scars are reminders of choices made, good or bad, and always come with lasting memories.  I wish the mark had not gone away.  Like the cross hanging around my neck, I desire the simple daily reminders of who I am in Christ; someone just like you, a child of Christ.

Thank you Lord for making me ever aware of what You have done for me.  I could never repay You.  Don’t allow me to get so caught up in everyday life to forget that everything I have, every breath I breathe, every step I take, is made possible by You.  I praise You.

 

Written by Linda J Humes

Written 6-8-2010

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