Harvesting the Legacy of Faith

It's that time of year again. Garden's are being planted, plentiful rain has been watering the garden and we will start to see the plants sprout and grow to maturity and the fruit of the the labor of those that planted will be seen.

I remember watching my grandparents and their dedication to their garden, knowing that this would fill their food pantry and would be food on their table for the upcoming year. The planting of the seed was the most important part.  It is where it all begins, the germination of that seed and the beginning of that new life. 

So too in our spiritual lives the seed is planted, must be fed and watered before it begins to grow. The weeding, the watering, the tending to the garden are totally necessary to ensure that the garden will grow and produce..  Without the care of the gardener, the fruit will never come forth. Without attention the vegetables would be eaten by pesky squirrils and rabbits, run over by deer, choked out by weeds and ultimately not provide the produce.

The proper planting, care and harvesting of that garden determines the amount of produce or fruit that will be born out of that labor.

The same is true of our Spiritual sustenance.  At one point, someone who loved us planted the seeds hoping for a great harvest of Faith.  I know for my brothers and I, that was our parents.  And before them, their parents.  They cared for us physically, but probably even more spiritually.  They planted many things.  They planted sound doctrine for an enduring Faith.  They planted the foundation of love and relationships that could nurture that Faith.  They protected the bounderies of that garden by teaching us about the body of Christ and coming together of believers to share in the celebration of Jesus. 

They planted the Word of God in our heart. Just like the soil that is so crucial to the growth of a garden, needing to be rich and filled with vitamins, so the Word of God is the richness and the nutritional foundation for all other things that are planted subsequently.

Finally, and most importantly they taught us how prayer and worship is the watering of the seeds of Faith and the Word of God which must be ever present to grow the Faith and keep the Word alive in our hearts. 

I have asked myself many times, what was it about my childhood that so strongly kept me grounded to the Faith that was planted in my heart and nurtured by my parents?  What is it that I hold so fondly in my heart and seek to have in my life now?  Being a pastors daughter, I thought at first that it was simply that lifestyle,  the life of living daily at church with my parents, always being in a church service, singing hymns.  Or was it the serving at nursing homes and the congregants? 

After years of wondering what had captured my heart and gave me the strength to push forward in my Faith, I realized it was instead the quiet nights of prayer and worship sitting on the living room floor in my parents house.  We would come together to pray and worship, holding hands and lifting our voices. Typically during times of trial, but often just to be a family and to keep the presence of the Lord as our safe haven and our focus. Seeking the Face of God and His heart for our lives.

Those times of fellowship and relationship, intimate and transparent, I believe were similar to what the disciples walked out with Jesus.  They shared in the Word together, discussing and asking for further revelation.  They shared in lifting their voices in praise and adoration to their heavenly Father.  They asked questions of their teacher who was the living Son of God, and they sat quietly in prayer, seeking the keys to the Kingdom of God so that the Kingdom could be grown and increased.

I wonder, is the fruit of the labor of those that have gone before us, those who have handed down their spiritual legacy to us being seen in our lives? Is the Fruit that Jesus says must be seen, being seen in our lives? Are we tending the garden where our Faith has been planted ensuring that the Fruit will be there?

John 15:5 

I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

Are we honoring the Faith of those that have gone before us?    In order for us to fulfill the promise of Hebrews 12:1, we must be faithful to the Gift of Faith that has been passed down to us, planted in us.

Hebrews 12:1 (Hebrews 12)

Jesus, Founder and Perfecter of Our Faith

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

That cloud of witnesses are those that had the courage and the strength and the Faith to persevere and continue on in the Faith knowing that the race would end with the crown of victory, the crown of life. But they also knew that the promises they had received would come to fruition in another generation.

Our grandparents, parents, brothers and sisters planted  seeds un Faith believing that someday there would be a great harvest. Believing that those trees and plants would bear fruit that would go to seed for even another generation. 

Are we being faithful? Are we bearing the fruit that we are called to bear? Are we being faithful to the furthering of the Kingdom of God?  Pressing on toward the mark, completing the race, harvesting the garden.

Hebrews 11 says that

These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.

Without us taking up the plow and continuing to plow, tend and care for the seed that was planted, the great harvest will not be as great a it should be. Our part of this legacy must happen so that the promises that were given yet not fulfilled will finally be seen in the natural. 

We must hold fast to the Faith and finish the race fulfilling all that has been spoken to all of the generations. The Baton that was handed to us won't cross the finish unless we persevere in the race and cross into the Kingdom of God. Lets ensure that we have tended and harvested the garden that we were given to oversee. And then, we will be satisfied like a freshly watered garden. 

Isaiah 58:11 (Isaiah 58)
And the Lord will guide you continually
and satisfy your desire in scorched places
and make your bones strong;
and you shall be like a watered garden,
like a spring of water,
whose waters do not fail.

The voice of one crying in the wilderness

I asked the lord...what Word He would have for me for this year. Hear is the Word

Oh, my child.  How I desire that you cry out as you walk along the path in your own wilderness. Cry out not for your own needs in this wilderness, but cry out for my children who are walking along crooked paths and in deep valleys.  Cry out that they will align with the Mighty Word of God and not continue to walk along paths that will lead only to destruction, paths that will lead only to death, paths that will lead to depression and despair.

Only the path that I lay before my children is a path of peace, a path of joy and love.  Only the path that I can lay before a man is a path that will lead to the prosperity and favor that I have set before them. It is a choice, which path you choose is a choice.

It is only a path that Prepares the way of the Lord...a path that is building the Kingdom of God that can be made straight.  It is this path that will make every valley filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low. Every rough place shall be made level and ultimately all, that is all flesh shall see the salvation of God. 

This is the Cry with a loud voice as one in the Wilderness...my daughter...open your mouth and begin to cry out....the flesh of mankind is waiting for your voice.

I will honor your cry, I will bring forth favor on all that you do...just cry out.


As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,
“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight.
Every valley shall be filled,
and every mountain and hill shall be made low,
and the crooked shall become straight,
and the rough places shall become level ways,
and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’”
(Luke 3:4-6 ESV)

A Great Fire Surrounding Kansas City

My Children,

Know that I am about to send a great fire upon the city of Kansas City.  A fire unlike any other fire in history will come upon my children, those that are walking with me, and those that have not yet turned to me.  The things of this world that have hindered my children from walking fully in my ways will be burned off of as dross is burned off of precious metal.  As my fire, which is My Spirit, falls upon your hearts the things of this world will bubble up and be burned off.  These are things that have hindered you from your full purpose; greed, depression, distractions of this world, money, success, houses, cars, jobs, children, addictions, immorality, religion, lack of understanding, forgiveness.  All of these, as shackles around your feet, will be burned in the fire.  As the shackles were burned off in the fiery furnace, so shall these be burned from you and free you to follow me with your whole being.

My fire will consume this city as a wild fire consumes a forest. My Spirit will consume the hearts of these people, burning within them so intensely it will cause them to seek release, thus causing them to run to the refreshing waters that await them.  Seeking relief from the intensity of my love, they will run to the refreshing waters and find even more love.

The fire will multiply…it will multiply in this city, in this nation and in this world.  Refreshing  will multiply, in this city, in this nation and in this world. All of this for one purpose, to multiply my Kingdom, to multiply my people.

December 7, 2011

Increase in wisdom, in stature and in favor with God and man

Lord help us be a people that when others are looking for us, they will know to find us in our Father's house.  Lord, let us be a people that when we cannot be found, we are busy about your business and not our own.  Lord, help us be a people where we are more concerned with the welfare and growth of others than we are of ourselves.

Lord, teach us to sit at your feet and learn from you.  Teach us to gaze into your face and begin to realize the depth of who you are.  Lord, help us to sit quietly and wait on you to speak and to not be as concerned with the noise around us.  Lord, let your presence be as white noise, drowning out the distractions, the voices, the interruptions so that we too can increase in wisdom, in stature and favor with God and man


And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?” And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them. And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart.
And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.

(Luke 2:49-52 ESV)

You Will Not Surely Die

It is so obvious that satans tactic is to give us some truth wrapped in a lie.  To tell Eve, as he tells us that "You will not surely die" is telling Eve that sin does not cause death, but that she will have divine revelation and her eyes will be open to what He sees when she disobeys what her creator has told her to do.

Isn't that in essence what we do everyday when we sin?  We disobey our maker, our Father, our Savior, believing that we have better insight into life, believing that we have more wisdom than the Lord God almighty, when in fact the very thing that He has asked us not to do, He didn't ask us not to do out of law or authoritarian oppression, He asked us not to do because He loves us and understands that there are things that we simply don't want to see, there are things that having our eyes open to them creates an eyehold, foothold into an area of sin or bondage that could lead us away from Him  but will absolutely cause a barrier between us and Him.

Praise God that we have the blood to cover us and all of our sins have already been covered through His suffering, but that is not the point.  The point is that our love for Him should cause us to desire to obey all that He give us insight to so that we can know and understand the Heart of our Lord and Savior and walk in the cool of the day with Him all the days of our Life.

We can have the divine revelation, when we walk with Him daily and seek to know and understand His Heart.  And if, but only if, we Know Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior will we be able to say " we will not surely die".

Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made.
 He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.

(Genesis 3:1-6 ESV)

It Only Takes a Spark

I have recently begun to deal with the fact that my mother's life on this earth is coming to an end.  Knowing that the passing of my mother is immanent is hard enough, but the understanding that it is probably sooner than later has caused my heart to begin to ache for her inevitable passing.

It is very normal to enter into mourning prior to the passing of a relative with Alzheimer's.  As one begins to watch the very essence of who they are slowly begin to fade and a child begin to appear with their name. As the child of an Alzheimer's patient I have organically switched roles with my nurturing mother by becoming her caretaker. I am no longer the one that she provides for, but the one providing her with some of the comfort foods she desires... root-beer Floats and her favorite gum along with bringing her the latest fashions for nursing home residents.

The fact that we have switched roles as mother and daughter became even clearer this last week at my Christmas visit with mom. Mom couldn't remember my name and asked if I was her mother. Up until the last month or so, mom has continued to remember my husband and my names. She may not always understand who I am, but she usually knows my name.  Hearing mom ask me if I was her mother caused my heart to lurch as the weight of this question began to sink in. I have lost my mother here on earth before she has passed away.

Having to explain to your own mother, the one that gave birth to you, bandaged your knee, and kissed you goodnight, that she is in fact the mother, and you are the child is gut wrenching painful. Visiting her week after week, not knowing if she will remember my name, if she will be kind and welcoming or angry and belligerent is a difficult undertaking. There are many weeks where I simply wanted to stay home and not have to endure the pain, but I knew that it was important for her to have a connection with the outside world, to be touched, to be read to, to be loved.  For all of the years that she endured, suffered, sacrificed and felt pain for my sake, I had to honor my mother.

I have been very blessed with a Godly husband who has gone weekly with me, even when he didn't want to, because of his love for me and a desire to honor me and his mother-in-law. It has eased the pain to have him by my side during the sad times as I left in tears as well as laughing with me as we shared stories of her silliness and comical comments.

As I walk through this pain and this mourning, I have realized that not only am I losing my mother, but my family is losing a part of our legacy. I have determined in my heart that the legacy of Faith that was rooted in my parents marriage and relationship must be passed to the next generation.  The family connection that my parents were the essence of, will pass soon.  But it cannot die with them, it must be passed onto those that shared the Faith with them.  This is more than a family legacy, but a spiritual legacy that started in the upper room with Jesus and his disciples.  If we are not willing to take that torch and carry it forward, then the Faith that has touched so many will die with her.

I am reminded of the song " It only takes a spark" .  This passing of the legacy could seem somewhat overwhelming, but the Lord has spoken clearly to me that it only takes a spark, a spark  that was ignited in my parents, and must continue through our touching those that are around us, that the fire will continue to grow and spread for all eternity.

Oh my children, how I long to see you chase the things that move my heart.  There are so many things that fill your mind to the point of numbness and keep you from entering into the place of peace that I have for you.

If you would only seek the things that I have for you, all else would fall into place and you would know and understand a joy that passes all comprehension.

This is my desire for you.  For you to be rid of the things that crowd me out and to enjoy the things that are of me.  Reach deep into your heart and pull out the deep things that are there that line up with my Word.  Know that my desire is for your good, for your prospering, for your peace, for your hope, for your strength, for your justice, for your encouragmement, for you to live in place where life springs forth from the depths of your being and where the light radiates from you all day and night.

I will be with you each day, seek me as I can be found whenever you look my way. Look deep into my heart and you will find a strength that you have never known.  Look deep into my eyes and you will see a love that only I can give.

 Blessed is the man
  who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
 nor stands in the way of sinners,
  nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
 but his delight is in the law of the LORD,
  and on his law he meditates day and night.
(Psalm 1:1-2 ESV)