In 2005, Dennis Ignatius was our guest speaker at our church retreat. One of the most impactful memories of that weekend was the loud boom of thunder, almost like an emphatic punctuation and affirmation at the end of his prophetic declaration over Lifespring. With tears and a voice trembling in the fear of the Lord, he said: “You are going to walk in a new anointing and a new liberty that you have not seen before … He has been preparing a people for Himself. He’s bringing you to that place.” Dennis carried a fire in his heart which he caught from a revival in Argentina. And he passed on that fire to us that weekend – a fire to pursue God and to live in practical obedience to Him.
Not long after, our family was invited to visit him and his wife, Cherry, at their official residence in Ottawa. During our stay with them, what impacted me most was a huge nail on his home office desk – a constant visual reminder of the sacrificial love of Christ demonstrated by his death on the cross; a reminder of the gift of salvation that cost him nothing but cost Christ everything! His response to that kind of extravagant redeeming love was to love the Lord his God with ALL his heart, and with ALL his soul and with ALL his strength. There was nothing lukewarm about Dennis. He was all in for Jesus. The love of Christ compelled him to fill his home with visual aids and scriptures to remind him to live a life of holiness and purity out of gratitude to his Lord and King. Glued to his TV frame was this scripture: “I have made a covenant with my eyes.” (Job 31:1) Dennis carried a reverential fear of the Lord in his heart which he passed on to us.
Looking back, I realize “Kingdom Parenting” was happening in the passing on of fire and a reverential fear of the Lord. After Dennis and Cherry found Christ in their quest for the One True Living God, they modelled a life of gratitude and passionate love for their Savior, and a freedom to worship Him with total abandon, which to some may even appear undignified for someone in the office of Ambassador to Canada! Dennis and Cherry were not our biological parents, yet they shaped our spiritual DNA without even claiming to be our spiritual parents. They impacted us simply out of who they were, what they carried in their hearts and how they practically lived it out.
Dennis and Cherry are among many Jesus Lovers in our lives who have shaped and continue to shape our spiritual DNA – some intentionally like Pastor Ray and Fran (Church Renewal), others organically through relationship. In the course of daily living, God gives us opportunities in Kingdom Parenting to shape the spiritual DNA of others and future generations – Jesus Lovers who seek to be all that God is calling them to be for His Name’s Sake. But we need to be mindful of what we’re passing on because passing on the wrong thing can have a damaging intergenerational impact. We need to begin with cultivating our own intimate relationship with God and the fruit of that relationship. Is Christ evident in our character, our values, our priorities, our love for others? Obviously, all of us have growth opportunities in these areas as we continue our lifelong journey of abiding in Christ, learning His Word and learning to live in obedience to His Word. And learning to live in the fullness of His love and empowering grace when we make mistakes. Then passing on all that we carry for Christ and His kingdom to others who are at least one step behind us. Whether, or when, others take hold of what we pass on is not our responsibility beyond praying earnestly for them.
Kingdom Parenting calls us to fight the good fight, to finish the race, to keep the faith like Paul did (2 Tim. 4:7). Paul as a spiritual father charged Timothy, his true son in the faith, to “fight the good fight of the faith” (1 Tim. 1:2; 6:12). For Paul to have credibility in that charge, he had to do the same himself. And he did right to the end. Paul passed on to Timothy all that he carried in his life for Christ and His kingdom. Paul finished well. And we must help each other finish well too.
March has been designated as Grandparents Month at Lifespring. Timothy’s grandmother (Lois) and his mother (Eunice) passed on their faith and the Holy Scriptures to him and he took hold of what was passed on (2 Tim. 1:2; 3:15). Whether as parents or grandparents, biologically or spiritually, may we first be captivated by the extravagant, lavish love of God. Then respond in loving Him with ALL our heart and with ALL our soul and with ALL our strength. As Jesus Lovers, we have the responsibility to pass on to our children, grandchildren and others the Holy Scriptures and all that we carry for Christ and His kingdom, especially His love for the world. God’s longing from the beginning of creation was to be our God and for us to be His people. May we, through Kingdom Parenting, fulfill God’s longing for us to BE and to RAISE “a people for Himself”, willing to live in practical obedience to Him.