The Love You Show

2 Aug

Corporate Prayer

“For this cause I also, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which is among you, and the love which ye show toward all the saints, cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;” Ephesians 1:15-16 (ASV)

At some time in their lives most children feel unwanted and that they don’t belong in their family.  I don’t remember ever feeling like I belonged.  There weren’t hugs or kisses on the cheek or “I’m proud of you” comments.  I can often remember thinking that we kids were a chore to be dealt with, nothing more.  After my father’s death my mom remarried, and I had hoped it would change.  There were happier times in the family, when we spent time playing games and sharing stories – but I can only remember one time in my whole childhood that I received a hug and a kiss on the cheek from my mother.

When I gave my life to follow Jesus, He brought me something that I never expected – a new family.  I received hugs and encouragement and a feeling of belonging every time I stepped inside a church door.  It wasn’t an immediate transformation, but after a while I found that I was able to open up and share that same unconditional, “sister/mother” love with others.  A love without strings or expectations.  A love that came from being a member in the body of Christ.

Interestingly, it didn’t matter which church I entered, the acceptance was the same.  There was a strong feeling of family, an understanding that we all have our pains and wounds that we are working through, and a commitment of working together to try to help each other get to the place where we could heal and grow in the call that God had placed upon our lives.  There was a desired commitment to pray for others, known and unknown, to usher the healing balm from the Father’s hand into the lives others.  A delicious gift, freely given and humbly received, on a daily basis.  Through those times of prayer, mountains moved, faith grew, bodies were healed, love was shared, true compassion for others was felt, salvation went forward and people were set free – far more than anyone else – I was set free.

In Paul’s words in the scripture above, he recognizes the special circumstances and compassions that God put into the hearts of the believers (saints) that drew them toward each other in a common goal of sharing the message of the gospel and encouraging each other in love and prayer.  Through their faith they were able to bond together for a common goal of sharing a very unpopular and dangerous message and yet remained compassionate toward other’s frailties; holding each other tightly in prayer.  For the gift of that bond, that relationship, that family of Christ, Paul found strength and honored them all in thanksgiving and prayer.

I see what Paul is speaking of in this text every day.  I see it in today’s church – in the services, the Bible studies, the youth groups, men’s groups, and women’s groups.  There is a drawing together of the body of Christ that cannot be explained by any other term than “family.”  A family of imperfect, but striving and compassionate people, willing to take the time to encourage and pray for their “brothers” and “sisters”, to help them reach a newer and stronger level of faith.

Is it faith that brings us compassion, or is it compassion, birthed inside by a loving God, that gives us the foundation that faith stands firmly upon?  Is it faith that gives us confidence in prayer, or prayer that builds our strength in faith?  Is it the love of the saints that makes us want to pray and encourage others, lifting them up before the throne-room of God, or is it the time spent in the throne-room with God, in diligent and dedicated prayer, that brings us a love for people we may never meet; that breaks our heart for a people that we can only see in the Spirit, and gives us confidence for a true physical, emotional and spiritual healing for those who stand among us?  I don’t know, but I stand before my God with a heart filled with gratefulness for the gift of prayer and a heart filled with compassion for all mankind.

** A Journey Though Ephesians – Chapter 1, Part 9

Written by Linda J. Humes

9-14-14

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You Covered Me

28 Jul

To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: Ecclesiastes 3:1 KJV

God, this season has been the most difficult season of my life, But You covered me.

When scripture verses made no sense and chapters were just blurred words on a page, You reminded me that they never change, are never returned void, are always “Yes” and “Amen.”

When I searched for answers, only to find confusion and frustration, You sent me the right words through the voice of another.

When the weakness and fatigue overwhelmed me and all I could do was sleep or rest in my chair, I felt Your strong arms as You held me.

When loneliness started to creep in and I wondered what I had done to cause You to abandon me, You showed me that You were right there with me, every moment of every day.

When the illness made me doubt my faith, and all I know to be true, You wiped my tears and held me closer.

As I get stronger I can see the many miracles you provided along this journey, I am so grateful.

How do I thank a mighty God who holds a universe in His hands and knows the needs of every falling sparrow? By being an instrument of Your love. Knowing that You will always be there, Covering Me.

—

Written by Linda J. Humes

5-16-18

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THE GADSDEN

27 Jul

“Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” Romans 6:4 -KJV

We recently made a trip to Douglas, Arizona to visit my son. Motel choices in that little town are few and our experience during our last trip was more than unpleasant. We did not want to revisit the same motel and the huge black bugs that came under our door in droves and up into our beds.

There were three motel choices, two of them appearing quite unhealthy, one was $20 more per night. We were on a shoestring budget but decided to eat cheaper and spend the money for a nicer room at the Gadsden Hotel.

The Gadsden Hotel is a colorful hotel with wonderful history and lots of character. Being built in 1907 will give you a clue to the character; being in a poor border town will give you another. The strong walls and structure will stand forever, but the amenities leave much to be desired. The rooms are functional and fairly clean, but the walls and ceiling are cracking and what could be an amazing stay in historical elegance was just a room in an old hotel that was once elite.

All around the hotel were little ghost icons. I asked our waitress, with a “cute” little ghost icon on her apron, whether she had ever seen the “ghost”.

“No,” she said in an eerie voice, “but I know they are all around us!” I told her that I had read an article which said that the Gadsden “ghost” was most seen in the basement.

“Yes,” she said, “I hate to go down there, it’s creepy.”

Not wanting to go into a religious teaching on spirits versus ghosts, I stifled a chuckle and headed for my room. The thought crossed my mind – I wonder what they would do if I decided to head to the basement for a little demon casting – bet I’d be ushered out of town on a rail, all tarred and feathered.

This hotel was using a “ghost” as a marketing tool, clinging to their “ghost” and creating an exciting atmosphere for the supernaturally curious. Sad.

How many of us not only cling to the “ghosts” of our past, but thrive on retelling our “ghost stories” for attention? Do we create cute little “ghosts” or bigger than life horrific “ghosts”? Can’t we see that with these stories, repeated over and over again, that we give the demons of our past strongholds to grow larger and stronger? Don’t we realize that we give life to the words we speak; good or evil, love or hate, truth or lie?

Lord, always help me to recognize when I cling to a demon of the past I resurrect it bigger than life. Remind me not to “bury” the ghosts of the past, only to exhume them so I can “one up” another tale of misfortune. Instead, let me bury the hurts of my past for good. Help me to always speak life and leave the buried past under the Blood of Jesus.

By Linda J. Humes

Written 7-1-11

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True Purity

20 Mar

But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. James 3:17

In this world of sexual explosions and the pressures of looking sexy instead of wholesome, it’s tough. Nearly every television program promotes casual sex and nearly ever TV commercial tries to convince you that purchasing their product will guarantee absolute “sexiness”.  Movies not only indicate that casual sex is acceptable, but that “everyone” does it, AND they show you how it’s done – in living explicit color. Secular music not only encourages sexiness and casual sex, but violence to go with it.  In this culture of 2010, purity takes on a whole new meaning, if you follow the cultural mores. But, being bombarded with cultural “rights and wrongs” isn’t the hardest part of purity.

Purity is a state of mind. Purity is recognizing what is Biblically acceptable and building up from there. Purity not only involves the sexual area of our lives, but the mental and spiritual areas of our lives. Purity is how we perceive everything.

I believe thoughts are the most difficult area of our live to draw into purity. We watch the impoverished and judge . . . “if they would only” . . . they wouldn’t be in that mess. We see the rich . . . “if they would only” . . . other people could have a chance. Race prejudice, wealth/poverty prejudice, religious prejudice, regional prejudice, birth defect prejudice, hair color prejudice – prejudice for prejudice sake. Impure thoughts toward a person or group of people we don’t even know, yet we judge them and call it righteous.

Then there are the spiritual impurities. We feel it is okay for us to judge, banish, and ridicule those who have faith in areas that are not the same as ours. We feel that it’s okay to judge people with our same faith and beliefs, but who aren’t part of “our” church, so they must be less spiritual, less valuable, and perhaps they aren’t “saved” because they aren’t “US”, AND they are making the same comments about us and our church.

How do we get to the point that Mother Theresa was at, where she saw Jesus in the eyes of every person; no matter that the state of their life was? How do we get to the point that Billy Graham was at when he went into the prison and hugged Jim Bakker, when the entire world was condemning him for using God’s people to build his own kingdom? I think of the pictures of soldiers in Iraq who are rocking dead children covered in blood. How do we see past the “enemy” to the child God made; past the outside that is filthy and drug ridden; past the hooker walking the streets, aged well past their years. How do we step into their lives, for just a moment, and see the pain in their lives that caused them to make the choices they have. How do we see past the outside? Purity.

Purity allows us to see through the eyes of Jesus.

Purity allows us to love for the sake of the broken.

Purity allows us to give people chance after chance, even after they have failed many, many times.

Purity is HOPE.

Purity is LOVE.

Purity is Jesus inside of us.

I pray daily for Purity.

Written by Linda J Humes

Written on 3-19-2010

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When the Storms Rage . . . Turn Up The Worship Music!

16 Mar

Dust Storm - turn up the worship music

O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.    Psalms 95:6 (KJV)

—-

We make occasional trips between our home in Chino Valley and Snowflake, a city we are going to relocate to on the exact opposite side of the state.  To get there we have to travel several hours along a highway with barren land on both sides.  On one of our trips we left Chino Valley with light breezes, not realizing that light breezes on our side of the state meant heavy winds along that stretch of the highway (now we understand why there isn’t any growth along the road).

Half way into the trip, as we drove along side other cars and big rigs, we saw heavy dust crossing the road.  Drivers’ heads turned from side to side and the dust disappeared.  Looked like a single incident; no big deal.  All of the sudden the big rig to my right started to rock and sway; the cars ahead of us were hit with a wall of dust and they had a hard time staying in their lanes.  We were in the left lane, following other vehicles, watching carefully the line of big rigs in the right lane.

Everyone slowed; no one dared to stop.  While watching for taillights and misdirected vehicles, stress levels built, prayers were loudly spoke; we could barely see the front of our car at times.

My son anxiously shouted, “What are we going to do, Mom?”

Holding the steering wheel tightly with both hands I shouted back, “Turn up the worship music!”

Nothing brings peace faster than worship music.  The storm didn’t stop, people were still having trouble controlling their vehicles against the wind, the dust still obscured the road ahead, but the music calmed us.  That was the longest 45 minutes in my life; but it didn’t overtake me.  We were able to thank Jesus for our safety with a peaceful heart.

There are many times when tests and trials come; some small, some overwhelming.  Every time I feel the storms rising I turn on the worship music and fall into prayer.  Worship – prayer, two aspects of the same entity, communicating with God; what a delight.

Father, never let me forget to worship you, even in the rage of a storm.

Written by Linda J. Humes

Written on 4-19-2010

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Rich in Faith

9 Mar

“I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.” Revelation 3:18 (KJV)

—

When my youngest son was in grade school, he took great pride in telling people that he was going to be a millionaire. We all smiled, cheered him on, and knew that in light of the failing economy, his dream would probably always remain that . . . a dream.

My son was dogged determined to believe in his wealthy future, even though his friends and acquaintances laughed at him. At home we let him dream. Every week he had a new plan on how he was going to make it happen; logistics aside, he had it all figured out.

One day he began to question me, “When I’m a millionaire, what kind of house do you want me to buy you?”

“A small house on an acre; easy for me to clean and yet room for all of my animals,” I said.

Next he asked, “When I’m a millionaire, what kind of a car do you want me to buy for you?”

That was easy, “A car that holds my whole family and starts every time I turn the key.”

He sat there perplexed for a few minutes and then quietly said, “Mom, you’ve been poor for so long that you don’t know how to dream rich anymore.”

Dreaming about being financially rich was never something I did. I grew up in poverty and learned how to stretch a dollar at a young age. When we had a little extra, we shared. When we had a little less, we did without and we did just fine. Money was never something that defined me . . . my faith was.

My faith and trust in God has made me feel rich beyond belief. When my children chose to spread their wings and walk away from our home and our beliefs; I knew God was watching over them. When doctor’s reports came in with shadows of death, the faithful prayers of the Saints brought a miracle. When my job was gone and I had to search for a new job along with millions of other people; God provided a wonderful job and made provision for us as we waited. I could not buy the things that my God has given me . . . even if I had all the money in the world.

Thank you Jesus for being my provider, my healer, my Savior and my friend. Thank you for always making me feel abundantly, exceedingly rich!

—

Written By Linda J. Humes

Written on 3-4-2012

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The Flame Inside

13 Feb

“And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”   Acts 2:3-4

 

The flame that glows inside my soul speaks endless words:

  • Words of Joy for the brokenhearted,
  • Words of Peace for those caught in turmoil,
  • Words of Healing for those who suffer,
  • Words of Hope for those in despair,
  • Words of Patience for those who strive,
  • Words of Kindness for those who have suffered at the hands and words of others,
  • Words of Gentleness for those who have lived through trauma,
  • Words of Self-Control for those torn by addictions,
  • Words of Goodness to those who have felt the pains of rejection,
  • Words of Faithfulness for those who have been betrayed,
  • And Words of Love for every soul, young and old, pleasant and tormenting, with a deeper portion for the most unlovable.

 

Lord God, give me the power to unleash the flame,

Growing it large enough to cover every need with Warmth and Grace.

 

Let my words flow with the gift of Life.

Use Me . . . . .

————

Written by Linda J. Humes on 2-13-2018

Published 2-18-2018

Republished 10-13-2021

Republished 6-26-2022

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In Times of Crisis

2 Feb

“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”   John 16:33

—

There isn’t a person born who hasn’t faced crisis at some time in their life. Some people face crisis on a daily basis; some very rarely.

In my life I’ve experienced crisis in many, many forms. Each event was different, but had its own specific crisis impact on my future and the person I would become. Living in extreme poverty, sexual abuse, physical abuse, alcoholic husband, divorce, having a child trapped in drugs, having a child in prison, health failures, financial burdens, all of these set a tone for who I was, and by the way I dealt with each event, who I would become. I had to ask myself whether I was going to I allow the crisis to define my weakness or whether I would use the crisis to build my strength.

I have prayed many times to receive the understanding of why I went through so many difficult events. When I began to counsel people the answer became clear; I could relate to the pain of others and bring to them a testimony of hope. I don’t believe it was God’s plan for me to have to face so many difficult situations, I believe they came because of the choices of my parents, and later on, because of my own insecurities and poor resulting choices. I do believe that God took those situations and turned them into a God purpose, to help raise another out of the pit of despair.

I can testify that you can lay hands in prayer on an empty refrigerator and food will come to your door by the most unexpected means. I can testify that through prayer a seemingly lost child will return home and rededicated their life to Christ. I can testify that you can forgive a rapist and a child beater. I can testify that miracles happen every day, even in the midst of crisis, if you take a moment to look. I can testify that God answers prayer and moves mountains from your path, if that’s what it takes to solve a crisis in your life. I can testify to these, because I’ve walked those paths.

God never leaves us; He laughs with us and He cries with us. He holds us in the dark hours and sends angels to provide our needs. Sometimes the angel is you, sometimes it’s me, and sometimes it’s a complete stranger. God’s love will continue to hold us closes; as long as we let Him. When we are so angry at Him for allowing things to happen to us, He holds us close. His omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient presence understands our confused emotions and allows us to work it through, just as we do with our own children.

Leaning on the love and understanding of God brings peace. God helps us to remain strong in faith by being who He is, faithful.

Letting go in a time of crisis is not easy. We hold fast with both hands to what we think we should keep. But, if we don’t release the left hand of yesterday and the right hand of today, we won’t be able to reach for the hand of God and His blessing for tomorrow.

What are you holding onto? Are you embroiled in a crisis at the hands of the enemy, or are you the empowerer of your own situation by not releasing the past and standing in faith of a new tomorrow? Let go!

By Linda J. Humes

Written 1-30-2011

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INTIMACY

31 Jan

“And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.” Genesis 1:31

…

The sweet breath of spring

rises up to greet the

pure, first light of dawn.

…

The fields dance,

stirring silent butterflies,

rising to decorate the sky.

…

The seas surge and recede,

calling to the waking earth,

It’s a new day!

…

Resting there,

receive the gift,

of the innocence born of God,

of the intimacy known with God.

By Linda J. Humes

Written 1/5/98

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Be Careful Little Ears . . .

29 Jan

Child Covering Ears

“It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of musick, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD; So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God.”
2 Chronicles 5:13-14 (KJV)

We recently moved to a small town in northern Arizona. It’s right next to another small town, 25 miles from a bigger town, and 35 miles from the small town I work in. In all of these small towns you can count the number of radio stations on one hand, and they all play Country-Western music. Once in a while a classical station fades in, and hightails out just as quickly.

There are wonderful Country-Western music artists and their songs depict hope and joy – and if it wasn’t for, well . . . let me tell you a story. When I was little, both of my parents were alcoholics. A paycheck meant for food, rent and utilities was spent at the Longhorn Bar. Many nights my brother (2 years my younger) and I huddled together on the floor of the car, windows up, doors locked, drunks banging on the side of the car yelling “Hey, there’s kids in there,” the red neon longhorn sign lit up the parking lot . . . and Country-Western music permeated the air.

When I was giving birth to my oldest son, things started going terribly wrong and I was wheeled into the operating room for an emergency C-Section. One of the technicians saw what was happening and took her cassette player, put the earphones over my ears and turned on the soothing music of a popular artist so I “couldn’t hear the cutting” that they were about to do. I suspect it was also so I could not hear the concerned conversations of the doctors as they struggled for 3 hours.

To this day, when I hear Country-Western music, or a song by that popular artist, I shake. The trauma has associated itself, deep in my subconscious, with that music.

I will never forget the years I spent in a large choir in a big church in Phoenix. Because of the spiritual relationship each choir member had with Jesus, even during practice the anointing fell and filled the building. The anointing chased away the daily worries, concern for unpaid bills, strained relationships and fear. The anointing bathed those who entered with peace and broke their hearts for more of Jesus.

That anointing built up during the service worship and it was common to see dozens of people at the altar, calling out to God. There were shouts of praise, sobs of release, prayers of forgiveness and a crescendo of peace.

I have made a choice to only listen to music that worships God; to music that brings the anointing, to music that encourages and bring peace. I’m so thankful that even though I live in a little town with limited radio choices, I have an MP3 player that sings to my spirit and orchestrates my day.

There’s an old song that starts “Oh, be careful little ears, what you hear. Oh, be careful little ears, what you hear. For the Father up above, is looking down in love, so be careful little ears what you hear.” Why? Because it gets deep down into our Spirit and attaches our soul to the . . . pain? Fear? Trauma? Or, to the anointing; hope, joy and faith?

My Jesus, my choice is to always bathe in your anointing. Please prick my heart if I am ever tempted to stray. Let me be an example to a hurting world of how to turn to You and Your presence through worship music and a humble heart. Selah!

By Linda J. Humes

Written 1-29-2012

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