As I shared with you last September I believe that last Rosh Hashanah (September 18-20,2009) marked a significant shift in seasons and we have now entered the era of the Kingdom being established where Jesus will reveal Himself not only as Saviour and Bridegroom but as rightful King and honoured Head of His church. (To read this full article, click here). I also mentioned how before the Promise Gathering the Lord spoke to us in Watchmen that, because of this shift, we were not to plan any gatherings and even to bring all of our operations and administration to a bare minimum while we waited on Him.
The picture that the Lord gave me at this time was a change in “operating systems”, which is the modern equivalent of changing wineskins (new ways of seeing things and functioning). One of the reasons for installing a new operating system is because new programs are coming out that can’t be read by the old operating systems. This doesn’t mean the old system was bad – in fact, it worked fine in its day. It’s just not capable of processing the new that is coming. And I believe this is what we are seeing in this shift in seasons – new blueprints and strategies are coming from the Lord “written in the new programs” and we must have the right operating system if we want to open and read them.
Another important thing to know about operating systems is that before you can install the new, first you have to clear your hard drive (remove all traces of the old system). Failure to completely clear the old can cause the new installation not to function properly. So if you have been feeling a bit “blank” in the last few months – unable to see clearly what was ahead – it’s nothing to be worried about. God is simply updating your operating system!
Since 2010 began, I personally have sensed an acceleration in my life with new doors opening and new mandates being revealed and at the same time, I have seen the grace of the Lord lifting from other areas of my life. In the last season, the Lord allowed me to be involved in many things and I knew not all of them were my primary calling. But I felt I was standing in the gap until the “right people” would arrive. Recently the Lord said to me, while He appreciated my heart to serve in whatever when in the last season, the time of “filling in” is over. Now He is positioning and mobilizing the whole body so that each part will carry the specific function and responsibilities for which they were designed And that’s exciting!
And I see something similar happening for us in our journey in the church of Canada. For the past ten years, a remnant of thousands of believers have walked together in one journey - with the goal of seeing the destiny of Canada redeemed and the nation becoming a resting place for the glory of the Lord. This journey had different phases – such as the repentance, reconciliation and relationship building with the Jewish community or the healing and release of French Canada or the First Peoples.
But now, I believe because of our faithfulness over the “little”, the Lord is about to make us the ruler over much more. Instead of one journey of consecutive phases, the Lord is now opening many doors to many journeys that will be walked out simultaneously. And the Lord is commissioning different members of His body in the church of Canada to carry and own each step in each journey.
The time has come for the manifestation of the Lord’s presence that we have seen in the national gatherings happening continuously in every city, in every town, in every province in Canada. I believe the Lord has been preparing and stirring a mighty remnant of people across the nation who have a heart to lay down their own agendas and plans to corporately seek His face for their cities, towns and provinces so that a canopy of the glory of the Lord might fill Canada as the water covers the seas!
The time has come to see the healing and release of the authority of the First Peoples in our nation. The Forgiven Summit this June in Ottawa (www.i4give.ca) is a very critical step in this ongoing journey for our nation. As we continue to be obedient to the steps the Lord is showing us – like the Journey to Freedom and the Summit this summer– one day soon the Lord will give the authority to the body of Christ in Canada to address the principalities and powers that are holding the destiny of the First peoples captive and say “Let my people go!” And the First Peoples of Canada will be released in their mandate to bring healing and reconciliation to aboriginal peoples in the nations of the world.
The time has come for Canada to walk in its destiny to bring healing to nations. This May we have the awesome privilege and responsibility to stand with the Chinese as they begin to take their place in God’s global end-time purposes. My prayer is that the Lord will release many Canadians, especially non-Chinese, to physically attend the gathering in Hong Kong, making a powerful statement both to the Chinese and to the spiritual realm of Canada’s heart to stand for God’s purposes, wherever and with whomever He is moving. For those that cannot be in Hong Kong, I encourage you to stand with this gathering with your prayers and your sowing. (Please see the bottom of this email for more information about gathering registration, prayer and sowing).
The time has come for Canada to own its unique role in the healing and reconciliation of the sons of Ishmael (the Arabs) and the sons of Isaac (the Jews). For years, recognized prophetic voices have been confirming this call; just the other day I was re-reading a word the Lord gave Cindy Jacobs for Canada in March 2001 in which the Lord said,
"I have been waiting for a nation which would have the anointing to heal Isaac and Ishmael. I have been waiting for one who will stand to begin to break apart the strategies of the enemy." And the Lord says to you, "Canada, will you take it? Will you take your name as a healer of nations and go into the stronghold of the enemy and begin to establish My Jerusalem? Will you do it?”
This has been something I have carried deeply in my heart for many years. Recently the Lord spoke to me that the time has come when He wants to release more understanding in the body of Christ about His end-time purposes for the Middle East. So this July, we will be hosting a Convocation on the Destiny of Ishmael and Destiny of Isaac where seasoned international leaders who carry revelation concerning God’s purposes for the Jews and the Arabs will be invited to share. Like other gatherings, we will have extended times of worship and we will hold the program very loosely, all the speakers and other leaders discerning together so that the Holy Spirit has the full freedom to orchestrate the meetings as He wishes. I believe this will be a time when God will release new revelation and move with the critical mass of the remnant that He will gather in prophetic acts that will be significant in His journey to see the full healing and release of the descendents of Ishmael and Isaac. (More details on this meeting will be released in the next few weeks.)
In conjunction with this meeting, we will also convene the second 3G Summit (a Gathering of Global Gatekeepers). This is a meeting of a select group of key international leaders, who carry a heart for God’s kingdom bigger than their own ministries or even nations. Together we will posture ourselves in humility and brokenness that we might receive clear directions from the Lord as to how He intends to mobilize the global body of Christ to carry forth His purposes in the end-days assignments.
I know in my heart that this is a season of commissioning and activation for the whole body of Christ like never before. I believe that mandates and mantles are being released from heaven even now and that this will increase in the months to come. And these assignments are not only for people in the five-fold ministry or intercessors. I believe there are business people whom God has called into the kingdom for such a time as this, with gifts of wisdom and giving, who will be called not only to help finance different initiatives, but to transition the body of Christ into the new economy of the kingdom. I believe there are gifted artists who will be released to chronicle the days of God’s glorious presence in Canada and the nations in writing, in music, in dance, and in the visual arts. I believe there are anointed people to whom God has given authority in the realms of media and technology – television, film, radio, sound, graphic design, internet and computing technology. Programmers and sound techs, designers and producers all gifted by God will be released to serve His purposes in many spheres in our nation and the nations.
And as we talked about in the Promise Gathering, I believe this is a time like never before, where God is releasing the younger generations to run with the fathers and mothers, to fulfill purposes the Lord has held in His heart since the beginning of time. Many of the Gen X and Millennial generations carry extraordinary gifting and authority in the communications, technology and the arts and this is the time for these generations to rise up and walk in the mantle God is giving them in this hour for His name sake.
I believe the role of Watchmen in the next season will be to provide a protective spiritual covering over all these journeys by coordinating seasoned teams of mature fathers and mothers who will not only stand on guard for God’s purposes in Canada but who through their discernment, wisdom and counsel mentor and release the younger ones. I believe Watchmen will also continue in its vital role as a connecting point to bring together the family in Canada – all those in the body of Christ, regardless of denomination, age, culture or region, whose hearts are longing to see His Dominion being established from sea to sea to sea in this nation.
In the coming weeks and months, we will be releasing more details about the different journeys/tracks and how you can become involved in each. For now, ask the Lord if He wants you to attend the Hong Kong gathering in May, the Forgiven Summit in June or the Convocation on the Destiny of the Sons of Ishmael and Isaac in July. And if the Lord is already speaking to your heart that there are specific areas where He is calling you to serve with your unique gifts and talents, in these tracks or any other way, we would love to hear from you. To share your heart with us email us at: nextsteps@watchmen.org
We have been through an amazing ten-year journey as the church of Canada, but I truly believe all of this has only been a preparation for greater things that are yet to come. The Lord spoke to my heart that 2010 is not only the time to declare and proclaim but to start to possess the inheritances of the church that the Lord has reserved from ancient days for such a time as this. I want to exhort you, respond without hesitation to the call of the Lord on your lives in this season. Don’t allow anything to rob you from bringing yourself into deeper alignment with the Lord and entering into the rest that will allow you to be brought into your Promised Land. This is the race for which you were born and have been trained and prepared by the Lord to run. Press on toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus!
All my love
David
The Homecoming Chinese Gathering
More information about the gathering details, registration, hotels and travel information, will be sent by separate email later today. If you are planning on coming to Hong Kong, please register as soon as possible as we would like to know the team the Lord is sending from Canada.
To be included on the special Chinese gathering prayer mailing list, click here or send a blank email to praychinese-subscribe@watchmen.org.
To sow into the Chinese gathering, you can do so online on our secure website by clicking here and choosing “the Homecoming Chinese Gathering” as your giving option. To sow by cheque or money order, please mail your offering to the Watchmen office at PO Box 23125, Kelowna, BC, V1X 7K7 with a note clearly indicating that your giving is to be directed to the Homecoming Chinese Gathering.
To subscribe or unsubscribe or to change your email address to receive Watchmen mailings, please go to http://www.watchmen.org/JoinLists.asp.
