Tag Archives: God

Regenerating Grace

14 Oct

“So I say this, and affirm in the Lord, that you are to no longer walk just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their minds, being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; and they, having become callous, have given themselves up to indecent behavior for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.” Ephesians 4:17-19 

Day to day life can seem like a simple “cruise control” event until we get up, out of bed, and look it directly in the face. Last night’s dishes are still in the sink (too tired), and the refrigerator was emptied of the breakfast meal by a hungry midnight snacker. Deep Breath. 

We begin our days with great expectations and realize that all things change! Some we have control over, some we don’t. Frustration only brings more frustration and coming to a common ground of grace is much more difficult than anticipated. 

When Paul wrote the book of Ephesians he keyed in on the human mind and how once committed mindsets were easily swayed and drawn toward human pleasure rather than to the committed promises of serving the Lord in Holiness. Paul charged the church of Ephesus with the call to Profess the Gospel and help their families and the people of Ephesus find a new life of righteousness and holiness. 

I suspect that they did go to the people of Ephesus with full intentions of helping them find the true life of a believer in Christ. I suspect that their intentions were consumed by the attractiveness of the lifestyle of the people and their intentions to help the people turned into their becoming more like those they were there to profess the gospel too. It was a slow falling away. One little “it won’t make a difference if I” moment, to a “nothing happened when I did the last thing,“ to a complete and unrecoverable fall. 

People started out fully committed to serving the Lord, to teach and be an example to the people of Ephesus by walking out scriptural truths and moral purity. Then, one “little” misdeed turned to daily misdeeds and the “Lord’s chosen” began to act like those very people they were sent to pull away from indecent and impure behaviors. They took on the behaviors of the people of darkness, those blinded by ignorance, walking in lewdness, impurity, and sexual sin. Instead of rising above and helping the lost, they fell deep into their pit and became like those they were sent to save. 

We see it in the church today! We see it in our homes. We see it on the streets. The news stories almost revel in telling  of dedicated people of faith falling into the very things they preach and teach against. Proverbs 14:12 warns them of that very trap, “There is a way which seems right to a person, But its end is the way of death.”  Yet, in those moments of “pleasure” they lose their way and their righteous walk. Their “day to day” faith filled walk took a deadly turn of unexpected distance from the Father. They became blinded by the lure of sin and the appearance of the joyous life that tore them from the hands of God. 

It didn’t happen all at once, it was a slow transition. An “attractive” move into worldliness. Like the the midnight refrigerator raider who didn’t consider anyone other than themselves by eating what was meant for the family for breakfast. It was an “I don’t care” attitude toward the graces and love of others, and of the Father. 

How do we help them get back to the New Man, the New Creation, and live by the New Principles set out by the scriptures of truth? How do we help them regenerate grace and righteousness and right living? We walk with them all the way back to the beginning! All the way back to when they first heard the voice of their Father and wanted nothing more than to please Him and care for His earthly children. We have to walk with them until they know how much they are loved and how their love towards others will change them. We have to take them back to the beginning when they first met Jesus and spoke their acceptance of Him as their Lord and Savior. We have to take them back.

** A Journey Through Ephesians – Chapter 4, Part 8

By Linda J. Humes, Written 8-25-25

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Fitly Joined Together

15 Apr

“From whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.” Ephesians 4:16 NASB

Did you ever feel like an odd one out? You didn’t feel like you fit in anywhere? Everyone else seemed to have it together and you had absolutely no clue what your life was about or where you were supposed to go with it? Other people found groups to join, friends to share with, a concentrated purpose to pursue, and you sat, at a distance, watching, trying to figure out why you didn’t or couldn’t join in. Even those few times when you did attend an event, or party, or interest group, you felt so out of place, distancing yourself, sneaking away. I was that kid! I was that teenager! I was that adult.

Walking past insecurities takes support, guidance, and a gentle hand. Having the desire to teach and share all that I had learned through time with the Holy Spirit in Prayer and Study was a strong drive. How? My desire to teach became greater than my fears. That desire could have hidden away many more years, but God placed a network of people in positions that brought strength to the church and to those who wanted to help that church grow and become all that God intended it to be. People believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself. It took a strong Pastor who simply said “I want YOU to do this. I want you to teach me so that I can teach the body.” 

As the Pastor walked away I remember the inner conversations that battled in my mind. “I can’t do this Lord. I am a new believer. How could I learn a scripture, subject or concept well enough to teach the pastor so that he could teach the body?” The reply came loudly and clearly – “I Will Teach You.”

When God plants the building of a church in the hearts of men He sets those people in positions to draw the most out of everyone involved. They become a living organism. They encourage, lift up, pray for and prefer one another over themselves. They see in others what those others cannot see in themselves. All of the people fitly joined together, a smooth running machine, oiled by Grace, powered by prayer, and guided by God. 

God’s “synergy” always amazes me. He births gifts and callings into babies, before they are even born. He guides them in those skills and places mentors in their lives to help them grow.  He moves people around and gets them into the perfect position of ministering together. Brainstorming. Creating a vision together. Birthing a church. Then drawing those people in that God has been preparing to carry the armor and shield. An intricately working Holy Ghost Machine!! 

I didn’t think I could do it, but I did!! God taught me and helped me find the right people to guide my steps to stay on task. Has God been speaking to you about something He needs you to step into? Are you ignoring it as “impossible” and not taking the challenge. Are you afraid that you might fail? Dear one, you will always fail the challenges you don’t try. But, what if you succeed? What if something you say, or sing, or preach, or teach, touches the heart of someone and their life is forever changed? What if . . . . ?

Step forward. God says “I Will Teach You!” What an amazingly wonderful gift.

** A Journey Through Ephesians – Chapter 4, Part 7

By Linda J Humes – Written 4-12-2025

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

FEAR NOT

13 Apr

“And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.” Luke 1:30

—

In the bosom of innocence lay a mighty seed,

Kissed by Deity,

Torn from the safety of Heaven,

Planted by the hand of God.

—

Fear not, Mary, for within you rises a mighty nation,

Within you rests the end of death,

The keys to life.

—

Ten tiny fingers, ten little toes,

A mind that reads the multitudes,

A soul absent of sin.

—

Innocence bearing innocence,

Purity rising forth,

In humble servitude.

—

Fear not, Mary,

For the walk of faith,

The sacrifices to come,

Will be met with Grace,

Sent from the Father above.

—

Fear not for the pain so deep,

That only a mother could know,

That only a mother could bear.

—

Fear not for that one small child,

Held up by the arms of the father,

Given back to God.

—

Fear not, Mary, for the blood to be shed,

For the wooden tree,

That holds Him up to God,

In a mocking, cynical taunt.

—

Fear not, Mary,

For the tears and confusions of the day,

Make way for the joy of the risen savior,

Untouched by death,

Sitting at the right hand of the Father.

—

Rejoice, Mary, for the precious times,

You held Him close,

For the pride you felt,

As He touched the crowds.

—

Rejoice, Mary,

That for all His attempts,

Satan was bruised,

And banished,

To rule the dead.

—

Rejoice, Mary,

For the precious Grace,

That met your need,

And the needs of the generations,

Because of the innocence sacrificed,

To the hand of God.

—

Written 6/18/98

By Linda J Humes

 

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Faith Beginnings

9 Mar

“As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of people, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; 15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, that is, Christ,”      Ephesians 4:14-15

I will never forget the day a friend asked me if I wanted to go to a faith Crusade. I hadn’t gone to church since I was a child and didn’t know where to start looking for a church that I thought I would fit into. So many different churches to choose from and I had no idea what any of them believed in. I trusted my friend and that night my entire life changed. 

My immediate family weren’t church goers, but I knew that my aunts, uncles and cousins on both sides of the family were. When my brother and I were in grade school we would walk to a little church a few blocks away from our home. It was okay for a little while, but then, one Sunday, something happened in the classroom that scared us and we never went back again. Even though we were afraid of going back to a church, I always felt a connection to Jesus, I just didn’t understand what it was all about.

That day, the day that I went to the Crusade and gave my heart and soul to Jesus, everything began to change. Things in my life started to make sense. What a joyous moment that changed my life into an unbelievable faith walk of trust, joy and peace.  But in those beginning moments of my walk of faith I was not expecting the challenges of becoming a new believer. Thankfully, I grew through that season to a person of confidence and understanding.

Becoming a new believer comes with a whole list of feelings, rules, expectations, self regulations, and so much more that I was very confused about. Eph 4:14 talks about how we are “no longer children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine”. We start out only understanding how to ask Jesus into our heart and then comes the overwhelming amount of scriptures, church denominations, church doctrines, what to wear, what not to wear, earrings or no earrings, dresses or pants, shoes that hide your feet or shoes that let your toes show – and that whole long hair – short hair issue.  **sigh**  In what chapter and verse does the Bible explain it all?!?!?! Is this part of becoming Holy???

I was working on a painting a bit ago and it reminded me of the importance of negative space, and how that can apply to us in all aspects of our lives. As I started thinking about the church and the dynamics of the Pastors, seasoned believers and the new believers I wondered if sometimes we don’t recognize the new believers because of their hesitancy to speak to anyone, sit towards the front, or make themselves recognizable. They fell into the negative space. They are there but not recognized, staying quiet and to the back.  Are they just “someone” there that we expect to grow on their own and make a way out of the confusion into wisdom? Do we see them being “tossed here and there” in complete confusion? Do we realize that they may have left the church without our recognizing it because they didn’t know what to do and felt as if they didn’t belong?? Hard questions. 

Father, I pray that when someone feels their call to come to You that we will make them a priority. Father, help us to bond with them, pray with them, make them a part of what the church is all about – an integral part. Help us help them feel like they belong to this wonderful family of Christ; growing, moving, every present. Father, help us to be the family who helps them feel Your precious love, as well as the love of Your children, firmly rooted and grounded in Your Holy Word. Nurtured. Guided. Taught. Prepared. Ready to receive the gifts that the Holy Spirit is holding for them to request.

** A Journey Through Ephesians – Chapter 4, Part 6

By Linda J Humes 3-7-25

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Make Us One, Lord!

28 Jan

And He gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. Ephesians 4:11-13 NASB

When I first dedicated my life to the Lord and began studying I wondered how long it would take me to start making sense of my Bible. Everything seemed so complicated, and the King James Version Language had a whole learning curve of its own. Everyone around me in the classes and services seemed to have it all figured out. I was truly at a loss. Little by little things became clearer and the scriptures started to come alive. The detailed stories of the Old Testament and the promises and journeys of the New Testament. Bible reading first thing in the morning, Bible reading last thing at night, and pondering it all during the day.

How did I fit in??

I remember when I first read Ephesians 4 and all that it teaches about the”Business Management” of the church, so to speak, I was in awe of the thought of how it all worked and how “special” those people must be for God to choose them to lead. I was convinced that they had to be very spiritual, anointed and wise to be placed in those positions. I never, ever thought that I could measure up to any position in the church. Clearly, it was for the favored of God!

I loved the scriptures and God’s presence so much that I studied, studied, studied. Hours every day. I quit my full time job and found work that I could do in my home so that I could spend the entire day and part of the evenings studying. When I wasn’t studying I was praying. I wanted to get closer and closer to understanding everything about the scriptures and the nature of God. I wanted to know where I fit in this mighty Kingdom of God.

I remember people talking about the 5 fold ministry. Apostle. Prophet. Evangelist. Pastor. Teacher. Each with their own specific duties to bring the perfect message to the Kingdom of God. I needed to find out what that was all about.

The Apostle is to Govern the church, be the visionary for growth and balance. He is the envoy, the one commissioned to go forth as a representative of a body with a specific mission planted in his spirit by God.

The Prophet is to hear the voice of God and guide the other 4 ministers in what they are being called to do in that particular season. The prophet is one who speaks forth, is divinely inspired to communicate with God’s will and give that message to others. They are seen as God’s spokespersons, delivering warnings, guidance or revelation. Sometimes they foretell future events or provide insight into God’s plans and purposes.

The Evangelist is to gather people into the church through powerful messages and direction. The Evangelist is a missionary, a bearer of good tidings, a herald of the Gospel. The Evangelist is someone specially gifted and called to spread the message of salvation through Jesus. The Evangelist directs them toward the Church and the body who can lift the people up and help them understand the place they have in the Kingdom.

The Pastor is the Shepherd, He is the feeder, protector, and ruler of the flock. He cares for those who come into the church and keeps the day to day workings of the church running smoothly. He is the presiding officer, manager, director, overseer and Head of the Church.

The Teacher works throughout the week, preparing lesson plans and bringing the Gospel to the body in a format that is accurate and easily understood. The Teacher is an instructor of the divine truth of the Scriptures, teaching spiritual and doctrinal concepts.

Each function of the 5 fold ministry is critical and equally important! Each function is like the gears in a watch, all of the gears are needed for the clock to show accurate time. But – what about the rest of the verse???? “For the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ.” Who are the Saints and what is their function?? And who are the Body and what is their function?

The concordance says that the Saints are holy, set apart, for a special religious or spiritual purpose. Were they the Disciples?? The concordance says that the Disciples are followers who most commonly learned from the teachers. Disciples follow a teacher or philosopher to learn their teachings and way of life. Or were the Disciples the Body??

The concordance says that the original meaning of the word Body was to save or preserve. Taken metaphorically it could indicate the Saved Ones or the Preserved Ones. Saved by Grace!! Preserved for God the Father’s use in the Kingdom, perhaps to, one day, become an Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor or a Teacher!!

Therein still remains the question – where do I fit? Which cubicle do I fit into?? If I am part of the Body then I can aspire to be a Disciple! If I am a Disciple I can aspire to be a Saint! If I am a Saint I can aspire to be a Teacher! I can aspire to be a Pastor. I can aspire to be an Evangelist. I can listen for the voice of God and see if I am called to be a Prophet or an Apostle. I am a part of the BODY of God! That’s where I fit. There are so many opportunities for growth and so much honor to be chosen for ascension. That’s where YOU fit too. We are the Body – we are Kingdom Disciples. We Are One!!!

Through all of that study and dividing and interpreting there is really only one thing that is important, one place where we all fit, one place where we are all equal! We are, first and foremost, a Child of God – and that is priceless.

** A Journey Through Ephesians – Chapter 4, Part 5

By Linda J. Humes – 1-25-2025

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Butter Rum Lifesavers and Black Jack Gum

26 Dec

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.   1 Corinthians 13:4-5 NLT

Sometimes Heroes come into our lives, not the SuperHeroes with magical powers, but the person who can see into your smallness, aloneness, fearfulness, and breathe peace, hope and true love into your situation. That hero was my Grandfather!

Harold Zimmerman Paddock 2/15/1906 – 1/20/1980

My life began with a wonderful, delightful circumstance that I wish every toddler could experience. My parents and I lived in the house directly behind my grandparents, they were always present in my young life. In the morning I would have breakfast with my mom, then walk over to Grandma and Grandpa’s place and have breakfast with them. Lunch worked the same way. I spent as much time, perhaps more, at my grandparent’s home than I did at mine.

My grandfather was very ill all the years that I knew him. He could not breathe well, always wheezed, sometimes gasping for air. His emphysema kicked up at the least amount of dust, even from baby powder in a blanket. He lost 1 ½ lungs to Black Lung from working in a coal mine when he was younger. He had a corkscrew scar that wrapped around his body and he wrapped an elastic cloth tightly around his scars to keep the pain down. I don’t remember his ever complaining. 

When I was little he was in bed a lot. I would climb up on the bed and take him my books. He would read them to me, over and over again. One time, I am told, he was very, very sick and he could not read to me. So, I climbed up in that bed, as close as I could get without hurting him, and with my book upside down I read to him. Word for word! I had memorized them from all the times that he had read to me.   

Some time later we moved away for my birth dad’s work. Every time we came back to visit my grandparents, my grandfather would take my little hand and we would walk a block to a house on the corner that had a little store in one of its rooms. He would always buy me a package of Butter Rum Lifesavers and a pack of Black Jack Gum, for as many years as I can remember. I have a pack of Black Jack gum on my kitchen table near my computer so I can see it every time I work. Butter Rum Lifesavers and Black Jack Gum. Memories, it always makes me smile.

He always wore Flip Flops, what we called Zorries back then, and in the summer he wore Hawaiian shirts (loose and flowing) In the winter he wore Flannel Shirts, usually blue. Over the last 10 years I have collected a few Hawaiian shirts, and most recently, well over a dozen flannel shirts. I sit and run my hands along the flannel as I work. I knew collecting them was tied to a memory, but I couldn’t make it out for the longest time. It was Grandpa! 

Grandpa had a warm infectious smile that turned you sad moments around without a word. Just being near him you knew it would all be ok. No matter what the battle was. Grandpa always lit up when he saw my grandmother. Making her smile was his joy. Grandpa grew flowers and roses for my grandmother, a special gift. He would work in the garden to be sure there were always flowers blooming. Grandma loved them. He made sure that she had a fresh flower in a little juice glass on the kitchen table where she set her plate to eat. Over the last few years Ihave bought myself small bouquets and I always cut a few out of the bunch to put in a tiny vase near my computer. I’m pretty sure how having those flowers made grandma feel, I feel it too.

When grandpa was feeling stronger he loved to work in his shop making wooden gifts for the grandkids. He made me a miniature kitchen hutch, all working doors and a slide out cutting board. He made my youngest brother a beautiful rocking horse. And he made each one of the grandkids wooden chairs with hearts cut into the back. They matched the wooden table that he put together, one for each household. I remember how we all appreciated them back when he gave each one of us our chair – I think I appreciate it more now because I knew how difficult it was for him to even stand up in that shop and make them. 

Several years later Grandpa was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa and his eyesight failed. He could get around the garden and house, but couldn’t drive or read. My grandmother bought the entire collection of Zane Grey Westerns and every night she read those books to him. I never really thought alot about how that blessing did a full turn – first reading continually to us as children, and then her reading to him in his golden years. I think that’s rather beautiful.  

Grandpa loved music. I don’t remember him ever singing, but I remember him closing his eyes to listen and smiling, a very peaceful smile. Music played from the moment grandma woke up until they all went to bed. She had so many albums, played on the old HiFi/Record Player. Always music. Grandma loved to shuffle dance around the kitchen and living room when certain songs came on. I remember thinking those were the most peaceful times in my life. It was the love. It was the joy. It was them together. 

My strength came from my Grandmother who had to become the family provider and raise 3 strong-willed boys and a strong-willed daughter, my mother. She was the family Matriarch. But my compassion came from my Grandfather. Through all of his pain and illness he was Peace! He saw Hope. He saw Beauty in the sky, the flowers, the music, all of his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, but most of all in my grandmother.. Grandpa was love.

 My grandparents were C&E Christians, not real churchgoers. Easter, Christmas, Weddings and Funerals, that was about it. They said they were Methodists and that’s where they went when they attended. They never really spoke of God, but they prayed at every meal, prayers of thanksgiving. Grandma brought all of the family together every Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Their modest home was filled with card tables and folding chairs so that everyone had a place to sit. 

The family was very close and whenever there was a need they all came together. When I was 9 my birth father died and my grandparents and uncles drove to where we were, packed us into their cars and took us to live in my grandparents home. My Mom and 4 children moved into my grandparents 2 bedroom home with a Jack and Jill Bathroom. It was tight and it was cozy. I still remember the towering Oak and Walnut trees in the backyard and how we gathered walnuts into nut bags for what seemed like months. They were wonderful to eat, not as much fun to collect and sort. 

About 9 months later we all moved into a 3 bedroom home, all 6 of us. We didn’t stay together long, not as long as I had hoped, or as the adults expected. My mother remarried and my grandparents moved to a home of their own. A bigger home where our now rapidly growing families could all come together on Sundays and Holidays.

The family always moved together, always living just a few blocks apart, except for mine. My grandparents and all 3 uncles with their families moved to the small town next to the town we lived in. Several years later we followed my stepfather’s work and moved to another state. When we did the rest of the family moved to a very small town in another state, all of them except us. I missed them so much when we moved apart. I still miss them today, maybe even more than ever.

I came upon a Christmas book my grandparents gave me the year I was born. Such a precious inscription inside. They attended all of my plays, graduations and special events. Encouraged my art, my music and my writing. They were my encouragers. When being a teenager in the 60s was so crazy, they were my strength. Those smiles, the love, the encouragement when no one else did. 

They knew that I became a strong Christian, but never knew that I became a Pastor and taught so many, adults and children, about the Bible and Jesus. They never were able to see me publish my first 3 books. They aren’t here to encourage me as I am ½ way through my 4th book. But all I need to do is close my eyes, run my hand across the soft flannel of my shirt and I see their faces and amazing smiles. Everything will be okay!

Thank You God for blessing me with my Grandparents. Thank You for encouraging me to take their legacies forward.

———-

Written by Linda J. Humes – 12/26/24

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

THAT HE MIGHT FILL ALL THINGS

19 Dec

“Now this expression, ‘He ascended,’ what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might fill all things.”  Ephesians 4:9-10

Many years ago I visited a cavern in Arkansas. I had never been in a deep cavern before, just a few shallow caves where I was never more than 8 feet from the opening. This was very different.

I remember that cavern for many different reasons, and I’m not exactly sure why. I remember the path around the outside that we were instructed to walk single-file on and not veer from. I remember how damp it was and that I could hear the dripping of water from all around. I remember that it was dim inside and that at one point they turned out all of the lights. I remember that just for a moment I started to panic because it wasn’t just dark, it was pitch dark and you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face. I remember reaching to my husband standing in front of me, assuring myself that I was not alone. When the lights came I saw the stalactites above, the stalagmites below, the narrow path along the wall, the line of people, and I felt a peace I didn’t really understand.  

It was an interesting experience. I’m glad that I went inside and I saw, or didn’t see, the depths of the cave and the way it seemed to be untouched by anything happening in the outside world. I remember wondering what other things were hidden, untouched, beautiful, dangerous, unexplainable, but right there in the depths of the earth.

Over the last year I have heard God speak to me “Go Deeper!” “Go Deeper.” I have studied and prayed for hours every day. “Go Deeper.”

From the annals of time God has called His people to go deeper. When they couldn’t hear or understand what He meant He set them in circumstances that they could not ignore. 

  • Moses with the burning bush. 
  • Aaron with his rod. 
  • Marian in her dance. 
  • David with his Lyre, his jaw bone, his spear, his 3 smooth stones. 
  • Samuel being called in the night. 
  • Elisha with his fire called down from Heaven. 
  • Jonah in the depths of the water, in the belly of a whale. 
  • Noah building the first ship in a country that had never experienced rain. 
  • Esther, who called the Jewish people to prayer and fasting to save the nation. 
  • Deborah, made a judge and called as a prophet to instruct an army, at a time when women held no value. 
  • Daniel, with faith to disobey a king, tossed into a pit filled with lions, to honor God, and God honored him. 
  • Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, thrown into a fire for dishonoring a king and refusing to dishonor God. Walking out without a scorch or smokey smell. 
  • You and me . . . . . . . . . . . . . ??

Jesus, God the Son, sent to earth as a baby to bring salvation to all people. Jesus, crucified. Jesus, who walked again with his disciples for 40 days after He resurrected, so that they might understand and never doubt again! Jesus, descended into hades, took the Keys to death and hell, then ascended to sit at the right hand of God the Father. Jesus.

Why??

“So that He might fill all things.” So that the perfect will of God would be completed! So that all of the prophetic scriptures of the Old Testament would be fulfilled. So that all of the scriptures of the New Testament would be walked out and completed. So that Satan would lose all power over death. So that all of the human race could find salvation and a life of eternity with God, in Heavenly places! That everything would be Filled with Him!!! 

All we have to do is ask – and obey!

** A Journey Through Ephesians – Chapter 4, Part 4

By Linda J Humes – Written 12-7-24

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

The Blood

3 Jul

Christ with cross

 “And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood
crieth unto me from the ground.”    (Genesis 4:10  KJV)

 

The Blood of Jesus pools at the soldiers’ feet surrounding the whipping yard, spraying those nearby, spraying those ripping His flesh.  Were they ever the same?  Did Jesus’ drops of blood that touched them heal the afflictions of those who wielded the Cat of 9 tails, destroying His body?

When the soldiers ripped at His beard and slapped His face, when the blood transferred from God to Man, did they feel the change in their spirits?  Were they startled?  Were they ashamed?

Every step along the Via doloRosa was stained with blood.  Those who screamed “Crucify Him!” surrounded and followed after Him.  As their feet stepped on the bloody droplets on the ground did miracles change their lives?  Did the blood burn their skin?  Did it tingle?  Did it warm them to their souls? Did they understand what was happening?

When Simon of Cyrene lifted the cross, put it on his own shoulder and Jesus’ blood covering the cross transferred onto Simon’s face, were his eyes opened? Did he still see the battered face of a condemned man, or did he now see the face of God?

When the soldiers pounded the nails through Jesus’ wrists and they were sprayed by gushing blood, did they stop, even for a moment?  Did they feel the touch of anticipation in the dampness? Did they recognize that something was different?

When Mary and John sat at the foot of the cross, praying and weeping, the precious blood of Jesus was trailing down the wooden cross – dripping from His arms, dripping from His feet onto their clothing, onto their faces – did they feel the new life that was about to birth, or were they so torn by grief that they couldn’t see that each precious drop would birth to a new nation, strong in miracles and power?

Did Jesus’ last words pierce the sky like lightning, capturing the soul of anyone who heard?

When the soldier pierced Jesus’ side, being sprayed with water and blood that flowed from Him, did he feel the hand of God?  Did he step back and recognize that this blood, this water, wasn’t the same as the hundreds of other men’s that he had seen before?  Did the water of the spirit flow over him?  Did he hear the voice of God?

When the sky turned dark and the earth trembled, did they feel God step down to touch the body and soul of His precious son?

When they lifted Jesus’ body down from the cross, did the last few drops touch the hands of the called?  Did they feel the burning and stirring inside of something miraculous about to happen?

Are there yet drops of His blood that have seeped deep into the soil at the place called Golgotha, that by its very presence makes the city Holy, not for what it is, but for who left His blood along a pre-ordained path?

Are my hands stained with Jesus’ Blood when I walk away from the path He pre-ordained me to, like the many who strayed back then, and in their ignorance and anger, drained the miracle giving, life healing, Blood of Jesus out onto the ground?

Do I stand on hallowed ground and cry “No, it’s too hard” or like Simon of Cyrene, do I pick up the cross and wrap an arm around my beaten circumstance and walk toward the word God spoken into my life?

If I had held one drop of Jesus’ blood in the palm of my hand, could I have seen the eternal face of God in its reflection?

Thank you God for a sacrifice I may never truly understand the ramifications of, for a gift of which I may never realize the full preciousness.

 

By Linda J Humes

Written 3-28-2009

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Into Every Hand

27 Nov

Into every person’s hand,

God brings life.

Sometimes they are the children of our passion;

Sometimes the children of our compassion;

Sometimes the hopes and dreams of our soul.

.

And with the honor comes obligation;

to breathe truth, to breathe love,

to breathe hope, to breathe light,

into that life.

.

With the guard of ministering angels, life can grow.

But tempted by the guard of the fallen,

they find anger, they find strife,

they embrace perversion.

.

We choose their angels, in their toddler years;

They choose their angels, in their teens;

All choose again, in the maturing of life.

.

Where have we sent them, these precious lives?

What have we shown them?

What example have we set?

.

Do the angels of our light,

war with the angels of their darkness;

Or do the angels of our darkness,

strive to drive away the angels of their light?

.

Into every hand, God places the gift of life.

Some are the children of our passion;

Some are the children of our compassion;

Some are the hopes and dreams,

of our soul.

Written By Linda J. Humes

10-11-98

Tags: , , , , ,

Dear Friends

25 Oct

”Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV)

We all have memories; some wonderful, some good, some bad, some nightmare grade. We don’t dwell on those memories, unless we get together with family and friends and the “remember when\s” start up. Once in a while something triggers a memory that takes you back; a smell, a touch, a glance at something similar, or maybe a dream.

I was looking at my one bookcase of books and study materials that remain in my small home. Books have always been dear friends to me. They took me away on incredible adventures, or to a world I would never be able to see in person. They answered questions that no one nearby could reasonably explain. They helped me see into the heart, mind or soul of a person, place or event; some imaginary, some real. They inspired me to think!

If it was a story book or a poetry book, the pages had to stay clean and unwrinkled. No folded corners or marks, except for a date on the front page indicating when I had read it, and my name and address if I had loaned it out. If it was a study book, the pages would be highlighted and notes in the columns and sides of the page of thoughts to remember. Notes to teach from, notes to write from. Books – dear friends and precious teachers.

Those memories that I spoke of are the root of every writer’s story. The memory that started this piece was how much I loved the first day of school. Stepping through the classroom door and smelling the fresh coat of wax on the floor, the stack of freshly sharpened pencils, the inky smell of the tan/brown paper with stout royal blue lines, and a new textbook. The first thing I would do is open the book and put my face deep into the pages, breathing in the rich printing press smell. Dear friends that take me far away from the trials and the challenges of today and into a place of hope and promise. Dear friends that took me places I could not go to and taught me things I did not know.

A little over a year ago I moved into the smallest house I’ve had. I made the decision not to keep a library. I kept my one bookcase of materials to teach and counsel from. I have been on an incredible faith journey since March 1988, when I met Jesus in an intimate and personal way. Books have helped me along the way.

I thank you Lord, for the words you have placed in people’s hearts to share with the world. Words they may never realize made a difference in the lives of others. Words of a tale, words of a concept, words of history, or words of encouragement, helping us to step forward a little stronger every day. Thank you, I am truly grateful.

——– Update:

Since this writing in 2012 I have moved into a much smaller home – and rebuilt my library. Not as large as it once was, but delightfully larger, and hope to build bookcases in my second bedroom to accommodate these books and more to come!!!

Written by Linda J. Humes

10-21-2012

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

← Older Entries