Tag Archives: Christ

Grafted

29 Mar

And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again. For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree.  Romans 11:23-24

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.

olive-branch

Written 3-9-1999

By Linda J Humes

**A Walk To Gethsemane**

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ANGRY MEN

12 Mar

Angry Man Tattoos

“And in that day thou shalt say, O LORD, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me.”      Isaiah 12:1 (KJV)

When my oldest son came home from prison a year ago he sported full arm and leg tattoos.  I knew that all tattoos have a story behind them, but I could not understand what all the faces, combined and linked together with tubes, meant.  I asked my son to explain it all to me; he said that they were angry men linked together by a lifeline.

I found myself studying the tattoos as we watched TV at night.  I didn’t see angry men, I saw something very different in each face.  I saw the artist’s inner turmoil, stirred by years in prison, coming out on a living canvas.

Some faces showed fear, some faces showed pain, some faces showed sorrow, some rage – all hopelessness.  One appeared to be a demon swallowing a child, its eyes stitched closed; childhood lost.

The tubes between seemed to be the tubes of nourishment that kept them all alive and also the chains of incarceration that prevented them from finding freedom and hope.  Years of addictions and bad choices added faces to the lines, banding them together as brothers through their lifeline tubes gave them some small amount of security.  They depended on each other not to sever the tubes that kept them all alive.  All manifested fear of possible disconnection in different ways.

When I look at the tattoos I see the inmates in prison, struggling to survive without losing their identity.  I see the artist’s renditions of the faces surrounding him every day.  I see the emotions he feels himself, flowing from his needle.  Hopelessness.  Aloneness.  Unwantedness.

The sad thing is, these emotions aren’t only an attribute of inmates, but are found in grocery stores, movie theaters, classrooms and in our own children.  The pressures of everyday life are overwhelming people to such proportions that they lose hope, fall to despair and give up on life.

How sad that we, the body of Christ, for fear of ridicule and rejection, keep back the very solution to their problems.  We hide the light given freely to us through our love of Christ.  We crimp off the true lifeline that would bring them peace, joy and hope.

What if we just took a chance?  What if we took a moment to offer prayer to someone in despair?  What if we wrapped our arms around the homeless and shared the gospel along with a hot meal and a warm jacket?  What if we comfort a crying child while the mother regains composure, and then offer to help by prayer and child care and taking them to church.

What if we stepped past our own insecurities and showed the love of Jesus to a hurting world, mentoring another as we do?  What if we could bring hope to just one?  The whole world could be changed – one person at a time.

——

By Linda J. Humes

Written 7-14-2013

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A Habitation of God

26 Aug

Uplifted Hands

“So then ye are no more strangers and sojourners, but ye are fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God, being built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief corner stone; in whom each several building, fitly framed together, groweth into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom ye also are builded together for a habitation of God in the Spirit.” Ephesians 2:19-22 (ASV)

Have you ever walked into a building or a home and felt complete peace?  It felt like home – warm, open and caring.  The people feel like family you’ve known for your entire life.  You don’t want to leave.  You don’t want to walk back out the door into the confusion and uncertainty of everyday life.  That’s what the “Household of God” feels like.

Have you ever felt like something was missing?  In the happiest of times, in the saddest of times, in the quiet times, in the times of nothingness when you stare blankly into space – something is missing.  Something that you can’t grasp, something just out of your reach of understanding; there is just something missing.

People search for their “inner self” or something to complete them, but they don’t really understand what it is that they are searching for.  They are searching for the period at the end of the sentence.  They are searching for the thing that says “this is home, you belong here.”  They are searching for relationship with God.  Not a church, not a religion, but a relationship that can only be filled by the love of God.

You don’t have to be in a church building to be in the Household of God; you don’t have to be in an organized religion.  The “Household” is the “Temple,” we are the Temple.  The Household of God is within us once we find relationship with our Abba Father.  Scripture says that we are the Temple of God and that the Spirit dwells in us (1 Cor 3:16).  It says that our body is the Temple of the Holy Spirit and that we are from God, we are no longer our own (1 Cor 6:19).  It says that God dwells in us and walks in us, we are His people – the Temple and Household of God (2 Cor 6:16).

We, as believers are lead spiritually (built upon), by the foundation of the apostles and prophets who preached the gospel of Christ, and that Jesus Himself is the Chief Cornerstone; the very piece that holds everything together and in place.  Scripture says that we are fitly framed together, each person having a place, a calling, a position, in the whole Household of God, no one person being greater than another, but all being called to a specific position that supports all of the rest of the body.

We are all fitted together Spiritually into one body (Romans 12:4-8, 1 Cor 12:4-7) and all fitted together physically into one body (1 Cor 12:14-26).  We are all pulled together in a bond of peace and unity to continue to teach the message of Christ (Eph 4:4-7).  We are built together as a strong body, brought together through the relationship we share with God, made a Habitation of God, by the working of the Holy Spirit.

How do you know if the Holy Spirit and the deep relationship rests within you?  You can feel it.    How do you know if your Temple is right?  There will be peace.  There will be a feeling of being home.  You will feel the presence of God, working through the Holy Spirit, letting you know that you are in the Habitation / Household of God.

Surround yourself with people in the same place of peace.  Pray for your own spiritual growth as well as those who are struggling to get into right spiritual relationship with God.  Keep your temple clean so that God will want to remain and help you mature even farther.

“Here am I, Lord Jesus.  Here am I!”

**  A Journey Through Ephesians – Chapter 2, Part 9

Written by Linda J. Humes

7-26-2015

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Saved Through Faith

20 Aug

by grace

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:  Not of works, lest any man should boast.”  Ephesians 2:8-9 (KJV)

So many thoughts cross my mind when I read these scriptures.  Things like “there’s no such thing as a free lunch,” or “you never get something for nothing,” and even “you are no more a Christian because you sit in a church, than you are a cow because you stand in a barn.”

Over the years I have seen person after person come into the church and give all they physically have, but never find the true gift, the relationship with God.  I think that we have been “programmed” by the American culture to believe that if we work hard and “give it all we’ve got” we’ll get whatever we want.  Some have succeeded, many have failed.  But that “programming” does not apply to God’s culture and the plan He has set out for us.

The New Testament makes it very clear that no matter what we have done, said or caused, we have hope through Jesus for an eternal life in Heavenly places (Romans 4:7).  Through repentance and the forgiveness of sins, God wipes our slates clean and we become white and pure as snow (Isaiah 1:18).  We can’t work enough hours to receive that gift.  We can’t feed enough hungry people or clean enough church carpets or share the gospel in enough countries to receive that gift.  We can’t spend enough time in prayer or hours in the scriptures, memorizing – memorizing – memorizing, to earn that gift.  It isn’t possible.  The gift is free.  The gift is from God Himself, His “grace” card (1 Corinthians 1:4).  The gift of salvation is simply received through believing faith (Romans 3:22 & 25).  Faith!  No more, no less.

So, in God’s culture, there is a “free lunch,” eating daily of God’s Word (Matthew 4:4) and feeding the spirit that is growing inside.  In God’s culture, there is “something for nothing, there is grace, and through that grace there is faith, and through that faith there is eternal life in Heavenly places (Ephesians 1:3).

As far as the last quote, that’s a true comment, but with the love and acceptance and example of the saints, people who come seeking will find the true faith they desire.  Everyone starts coming to church as a non-Christian, but finds their way to the free gift of salvation, pre-paid by the Son.  Once we realize it took the blood of a perfect sacrifice (Hebrews 10:14) to bring us that gift, a life freely given on Calvary (1 Corinthians 2:12), how could we even consider boasting.

We are saved by grace through our faith in Christ.  Simple.  Easy.  Priceless.

* A Journey Through Ephesians – Chapter 2, Part 4

Written by Linda J. Humes

11-28-2014

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SACRIFICE

16 Sep

“By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.”  Hebrews 13:15  KJV

✝

The Ancient of Days,

cast Himself to the earth,

in the form of a seed,

in the womb of a virgin.

✝

Subject, now, to heat and cold,

to fatigue and illness,

to prejudice and ridicule,

to suffering and pain.

✝

The Ancient of Days,

became man,

flesh, blood and Spirit;

willingly giving,

the power of deity,

for the birth of a nation.

✝

The God of Jessie,

born through the sacrifice of blood,

to become the blood sacrifice.

✝

From the promises to Adam,

to the revelation shown John,

the blood of God coursed the earth,

changing strength and direction,

at the tributary called Christ.

✝

The new stream of Christ,

fed the trees of new life,

where the roots of the old,

were washed clean.

✝

The water, most pure,

chased the stagnant pools of red,

that once rinsed man’s hands,

but touched not the soul.

✝

The water, most pure,

flowed over and cleansed,

the wounds of the past,

refreshing the hope,

of a dark, tarnished dream.

✝

The water of life,

borne from the blood,

of an innocent man,

takes sweet revenge,

on the deepest of sin.

✝

Released to be washed,

by the power of mercy,

by the treasure of grace,

it rises back up,

to the base of the cross.

✝

There, at the cross,

the blood and water,

of grace and mercy,

flows down to the earth,

as forgiven sin reaches up,

meeting at the feet of Christ.

✝

Running together they became one,

the earth shook with promise,

the sky darkened,

to reveal a new light,

and the rivers flowed,

with a new wine,

washing clean the weary souls,

of all that would reach forth,

in praise.

✝

 

 

Written 10-18-1998

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REVOLUTION

16 Sep

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)   2 Corinthians 10:3-4 KJV

✝

Firmly we stand,

with pure hearts,

and cleansed souls,

fire coursing through our veins,

exuding the power,

of the anointing within.

✝

Are you ready for a Revolution?

✝

At battle status,

with sword and shield,

we take our positions,

as warring spirits,

in the battle ground,

for man’s soul.

✝

The army of God,

is cleansing a path,

for the graceful steps,

of the Bride of Christ.

✝

No enemy can draw near,

no dart can reach its mark,

for the strength of David,

the wisdom of Deborah,

and the faith of John,

take authority,

over all principalities,

and powers of darkness.

✝

Stand up, child of God,

renew your mind,

take your place,

as a Christian heir,

in the righteous army,

called to demand peace,

at all costs.

✝

REVOLUTION!!

Written 10/23/1999

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Only By Faith

24 Nov

And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace. Luke 7:50

—

By faith stood Abraham,

in the promise of Isaac.

—

By grace it came to pass.

overcoming natural life,

birthing a child,

in a lonely golden year.

—

Faith took the promise,

and blew life into lifelessness.

—

Faith saw Isaac as the sown seed,

laughter come at last,

then grace matured it,

multiplying it.

—

Fourteen generations flowed,

from Abraham to David,

through Jacob and Obed,

and Jesse.

—

Fourteen generations flowed from David,

until the carrying away into Babylon,

through Solomon,

through Manasses,

through Josias.

—

Then fourteen more flowed,

from Babylon to Christ,

the Word manifest in flesh,

the Keeper of eternity.

Through Achim,

Eleazar to Jacob,

the father of Joseph,

the husband of Mary,

the mother of Christ.

—

By faith did Mary accept the promise,

that grew within her womb.

—

By faith did Joseph accept Mary,

heavy with child,

not of his loins,

not of his love.

—

By grace they stood as one,

on a destined night,

the sky brightened,

by the Glory of God,

in the shape of a star,

pointing down to the Son.

—

By faith Joseph took Jesus,

adopted now,

into the lineage of Abraham,

adopted now,

as a child of promise.

—

By grace Joseph watched,

as He grew to a man,

well before His years.

—

Our perfect pattern,

our Shepherd and King.

—

Now, by faith, we trust in His Word,

our heritage blessed by driven saints,

and tarnished by those who did evil,

in the sight of the Lord.

—

By faith are we accepted,

are we adopted,

into His kingdom,

joint-heirs with Christ,

children of promise,

just as He did,

so long ago.

—

By grace will we walk,

in His footsteps,

as best as we are able,

crying out for strength,

for peace, for love.

—

By faith we receive all,

grace has promised,

and more,

for only by our limited faith,

can we see into,

God’s limitless plan.

 

—

Written 11/8/98

 

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DEAD BRANCHES

19 Nov

 

”But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.” Matthew 18:6 (KJV)

 

Many years ago we experienced a winter far colder than any other I had experienced. Lakes frozen over, streets frozen over, chunks of ice were inches thick on the electrical and telephone wires all over town. People couldn’t drive their cars up the steep streets of Prescott, AZ. Police officers were turning lines of cars around in an attempt to reduce further accidents. It was COLD!

 On a warm afternoon, several months later, I was enjoying a quiet moment on my front porch. There was a light breeze blowing and suddenly a large branch fell out of our tree in the front yard. The tree was beautiful green and full with leaves. There wasn’t any sign of dead branches, until this one fell.

 I wandered over and looked up into the tree. It looked green and healthy. I looked from a different angle; green and . . . oh, wait, what was the brown in the middle? I brought over a ladder and looked closer – dead branches. There were a number of dead branches broken loose from the tree, being held in place by the new growth, waiting for a wind to set them loose. I suspect that these branches were broken loose by the heavy ice that had rested there in the months before. I pulled a few of the branches out and left those that were out of easy reach.

 It made me think about new Christians and how they have broken and wounded spirits that are hiding in their newly born lives. Lives full of enthusiasm and desire to grow with Jesus, covering over the brokenness and wounds that first drew them to Jesus. They look fresh and beautiful on the outside, hiding the pain inside.

 So many times we rejoice with their salvation and ignore the task set before us to help them grow. We often think they’ll find their own way to their faith and the truth. We might “toss” a scripture their way if they ask a specific question or two, but don’t get too involved in explaining what it means. After a while they become discouraged and disappear.

These “Babies” need someone to come along and embrace them, pray with them, teach them to let go and allow the pain and wounds to drop away through the healing of Jesus. Like us, they are called to be fountains of living water. They are to grow and be pruned by the Master, just like we were. They will be shaken clean by the winds of trial. Their roots will grow strong with dedicated study, prayer and intercession. But, only if we will teach them how.

 What sort of witness are we if we spend our time preening ourselves and not guiding them along the way? Do we allow them to be tossed by the winds of doctrine, or do we show them how to receive the wind of the Spirit and the healing Word of God? Do we allow them to wander and be confused by tempting spirits, or do we teach them to discern and recognize the truth? Do we brush away the dead branches we can easily see and leave the deepest, furthest away to remain? Or do we dedicate our works to intercession and instruction, so that they can recognize the things in their lives that they have the authority to cleanse away themselves. Do we care?

 God, help me to never forget how confused and lost I was when I first came to You. Help me to remember the outstretched hands and dedicated prayers that lead me to a strong knowledge of You. Help me remember how strong the pull was to give up and walk away when things just didn’t make sense, and the joy of breaking through with a well guided word and a moment of encouragement. Help me to be the example to help others find true relationship with You.

—

By Linda J. Humes

Written 10-1-2012

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Heritage of Hope

1 Sep

sprout in dry desert

“in whom also we were made a heritage, having been foreordained according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of His will; to the end that we should be unto the praise of His glory, we who had before hoped in Christ:”  Ephesians 1:11-12 (ASV)

Recently I was invited to a new friend’s home for lunch after church.  God has richly blessed this couple and their home was amazing.  Everywhere I looked was just . . . “Wow!”  When I returned home that evening I was flooded with memories of my childhood home.  For days I couldn’t shake it.  Depression set in.  It was a heritage that I could not shake, even though my life is so much different now.

Growing up in the 50’s in a small desert town is a whole world away from the way things are today.  No running water, outhouses (I’m still not very fond of those things), no cooling, only the kitchen stove for heating, bare cement floors, and the backseat out of an old Chevy for a sofa.  Bed was blankets on old steel springs, no mattress.  I remember, many mornings, getting up to my mom melting down icicles on the stove so we could have water.  There was a wind driven fan in the wall that helped bring air into the home during the summer.  We would lay on the cool cement floor under that fan to take naps; mom stuffed a wooden spoon between the blades to make it stop at night.  Meals were jackrabbit, catfish and pinto beans, unless a neighbor brought us a chicken.  My worldly heritage.

I remember telling God that I would never return to an area like that.  In recent years I have walked into homes with similar conditions and physically shook. I told God that I couldn’t be there, I couldn’t think there, I couldn’t breathe there.  His voice came gently, “how can you minister to them if you don’t see where they are from, if you don’t find common ground.”  It was my call to show them the heritage that God held for them, far beyond the physical conditions where they currently existed.

God’s Heritage, created for us before the foundations of the earth, is eternal life (John 3:15).  A life free from pain and illness.  A life free from tears, sorrow, worry and doubt (Revelation 21:4).  A heritage of being an heir with His son, Jesus Christ (Romans 8:17).  A heritage of a mansion, built specifically for us, at the hands of Jesus himself (John 14:2).

When we hear the call on our lives we become partakers with Jesus, reaching out to a lonely broken world (Ephesians 3:6).  We become workers of the gospel, sharing with all the promise of the heritage they have waiting for them, if they would only believe.  We testify and share the very gifts that God has given to us, as He has willed for us to do; as well as those who will follow after.  And in that labor we find fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11), praising and worshipping our God for the gift of His manifested glory in our lives (John 1:14), filled with grace and truth.

Lord, let us remember that we are your hands and feet to this world of hurting and wounded people.  Help us to walk past the difficult memories of our worldly heritage and share a story of hope with those whose lives rest in similar circumstances, giving them hope of a new and wonderful inheritance with You.  Let our testimony of rising above our circumstances be the key to their faith in a new life in You.  Please give us the strength.

**A Journey through Ephesians – Chapter 1, Part 7

Written by Linda J. Humes

8-31-14

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