the Root of Jesse - 

          the Root of Freedom

by Kathi Pelton

Dream Encounter - a New Root System

Early in the morning of January 1st, about three hours after we rang in the New Year, I experienced a very vivid dream. I was with a number of people I knew who had caused me pain in my past. One was a person I loved very much, but who had bitterly disappointed me in my childhood. In the dream this person was once again causing me deep pain and I was becoming deeply upset. This continued to the point that the pain and betrayal I felt in the dream were almost overwhelming. At one point in the dream I had the opportunity to tell this person how badly they had hurt me, and when I opened my mouth all I could do was moan and cry with bitter fury.

Sometimes, when I am dreaming, it is as though I am watching a movie and can comment on what I am seeing, and that was my experience this time. I began asking the Lord: "Why am I so bitter, angry and hurt when I chose to forgive this person many years ago?"

Immediately after asking the question I was back in the dream again. I started looking at each person in the dream and saying: "I forgive you once again and release you from the bitterness that has remained deep within my heart."

As I spoke these words, I was taken into a visionary experience with the Lord. He took me to a tree in a garden that I knew was the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. While there, I saw a generational taproot of bitterness that had been holding both me and my bloodline captive. Though I do not completely understand how these generational things hold us captive, even after we have asked for forgiveness and release, this experience was very real-and so was the "root of bitterness" that I saw holding my generational line.

Since the dream made me aware of the depth of the pain and bitterness I still carried hidden deep within my heart (too deep to be conscious of), and since I had, in the midst of that pain and awareness, released and renounced that bitterness, the Lord was ready to remove this taproot. At that point I began to repent and renounce the root of bitterness in my generational line and asked the Holy Spirit to sever the taproot of bitterness.

Immediately the Lord responded and I could feel myself (and my children and bloodline) being separated from this root of bitterness that had held us captive. As He tenderly lifted me, He carried me to another tree that I knew was the Tree of Life, and as He set me down at the base of the tree, He spoke these words: "I now place you into the Root of Jesse."

I immediately became aware of a flow of "Life" that I had not known before. It was like having something sweet flow through my being, and the words, "Taste and see that the Lord is good" flowed through my mind. I was aware that I had become fully connected to His root system. I could feel the purity of His breath and life flowing through me. I was also aware of my entire family receiving this life flow and release from a generational root that was holding us. I also was immediately aware of bearing fruit; His fruit was now my fruit. This fruit was heavy with sweet juice, unlike the fruit that I had experienced in the past-fruit that often felt as though it fell from the branch prematurely, leaving a bitter taste, or in some cases, never ripening at all. This has often confused my husband and me.

I came out of this experience literally aware of beginning this new year (and new decade) in a new root system, aligned in the spirit right where I needed to be.

The Root of Jesse

A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him-the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord-and he will delight in the fear of the Lord. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist.      Isaiah 11:1-5

The illustration of the "root of Jesse" is used only in Isaiah 11, and is quoted once by Paul in Romans 15. I was quite surprised at the wording the Lord used when He said, "You are now grafted into the root of Jesse." I knew that this was not wording that I would have ever used, so I took note of it because it seemed unique. When I came out of this experience I shared it right away with my husband, Jeff. As I shared it with him he also was struck by the words, "the root of Jesse." Immediately he felt that we needed to pray together, and as he prayed he began to say these words, "God, give me eyes to see and ears to hear only what is truth and what You see and hear."

Upon hearing about my experience, Jeff was moved to pray that he would no longer see others with his natural eyes or hear them with his ears but rather with God's eyes and ears, because what God sees is truth. I found it interesting that my encounter with the Lord brought forth these prayers from him because I didn't see how they fit together, although I was moved by his heart. After we prayed, Jeff got his Bible to look up verses that spoke of the Root of Jesse. When he found Isaiah 11 and saw the words, "...He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears..." we were both amazed. Neither of us had known that these words were used in connection with the root of Jesse.

As we read through Isaiah 11 (I encourage you to read the entire chapter), both Jeff and I felt to share this experience with all of you because we sense that God is releasing His people from any root that is not receiving life from the taproot of Jesus. I believe that generational roots (as well as any unrighteous roots that have held many of His people captive) are being cut off, and as they are rooted into "the Root of Jesse" (Jesus) there will be a release of the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. I also believe that our eyes and ears will begin to see as He sees and hears and that many unrighteous judgments in the Body of Christ will come to an end. Righteousness, faithfulness and justice will flow from the Church with a new level of anointing and truth. It will be like a "sash around our waist."

Though I do not believe that every experience I have is for the entire Body of Christ, I do believe that this particular experience is for the Body. I believe that what we read in Isaiah 11 will come upon us during this new season. If we are grafted into Jesus-He is the vine, we are the branches-then all that is in Him is also in us.

I know that Isaiah 11 speaks specifically about the Messiah and Israel, but God purposefully used this term-the root of Jesse-to get my attention and to speak a message of hope and encouragement to us this new year. I am not attempting to bring forth some sort of "new interpretation" of the clear and unambiguous meaning of the chapter; nor do I mean to imply that all Christians are dealing with the same issues that were troubling me. But I would encourage anyone reading this article to be open to seek Him and ask what He would say personally to you.

Let's Pray: Lord, I pray that every root in my life that is not a righteous root would be severed from me. I give You permission to show me any unrighteous root in my life or within my bloodline. I repent of and renounce all unrighteousness that has a hold on my life and ask You to let the Root of Jesse be my taproot. Jesus, I want to receive the fruit that comes from Your vine. I ask that the same Spirit that rested upon You would rest upon me; the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.

Open my eyes and ears to judge rightly and to walk in justice and truth. I ask, both for me and for Your Church, to have righteousness be our belt and faithfulness to be the sash around our waist. Thank you for the past season of refining, testing, exposing and deliverance. Thank you for loving us enough to align us. We receive Your righteousness alone. In the name of our Messiah, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Kathi Pelton
Light Streams Ministries
Email: jkpelton@sbcglobal.net