April 1999
By Peg Byars
Dear Intercessors:
We are fourteen hours into the journey and one thing is clear - our spirits are willing, but our flesh is weak!
It was thrilling to see people standing along the railway at various points along the way, waving and blessing us. One of the dear Messianic Jews who had come to the Commissioning Service was now waiting to wave us on at Port Coquitlam, Alan Gilman, with his wife and eight children. A thought pierced my heart. In Nazi Germany during WWII, it was the Gentiles who would have been standing on the sidelines, the Gilman family would have been on the train. Sobering . . . As we passed by Matsqui, a man ran up to the train and gave our porter a stone to give us, his contribution to the altar to be built to the Lord in Winnipeg. We feel the unity of the body in a new dimension.
Bless those in Abbotsford area and Chilliwack for coming out to pray us through their territory. We are knit together in unity and purpose for the sake of the Son . . .
Let us take you back for a moment to the Commissioning Service. The flags of our Dominion of Canada framed the front of the sanctuary and the first ones who were introduced were from the first province of Confederation and the newest territory - Prince Edward Island and Nunavut. Then each of the 88 provincial and territorial representatives came forward and Alan Gilman's young son Daniel gave each one a badge to wear on the train - a yellow Star of David like that worn by the victims of the Holocaust, only this one had a red maple leaf in the centre, for the healing of this nation, and the words Prime Minister Jean Chretien spoke in Auschwitz this past January, NEVER AGAIN. The team was wonderfully blessed by three members of the Messianic Jewish community, Tai Mostovoy of Washington State, Pastor Albert Bonk of Surrey, BC and Alan Gilman. David Demian gave a stirring message.
The entire congregation came to the VIA Rail Station to see us off and our badges caused many questions to be asked by other train travelers, giving many an opportunity to share a story that needs telling, that we truly can be "one new man" in Christ.
Settling 88 people in two railcars takes time and it took about three hours for the team to flow together. We are divided into three shifts and designated red, blue and green. While red rests for two hours in the 2nd car (which has regular passengers as well as our people), blue team leads and green team prays and worships along. Then blue rests, green ministers and red worships and prays, etc.
The Lord led us into times of repentance for the cruelty to Chinese immigrants in the building of the railway like the one we are now on. In the 1,700 miles of track through the west, 1,500 Chinese workers died, victims of overwork and terrible living conditions, poor food and a lack of human compassion on the part of the Canadian men who drove them so hard for the sake of progress. Oh Lord. Forgive our forefathers and heal our land.
We have focused our hearts and prayers on returning to our first Love, repentance regarding the generations, between pastors and intercessors and asking God to raise up a spirit of David. The Lord spoke the following word and we are praying into this as we go.
Word spoken by Emiel Abidar – April 14, 1999:
The Lord showed me something very significant for such a critical moment in the history of the nations. The Lord is reminding His people that God's judgment is now released on earth. Nations should be alert and awake because the time is short and the next few months will witness horrible natural disasters in many parts of the world. And Canada will not escape unless she repents. And the Lord is calling His chosen ones all over the parts of Canada and we must know that the urgency of the hour is very critical.
The Lord says, I will ask some leaders of the church in this nation to respond to My calling to re-open the doors for the release and the overflow of My Spirit. And if these leaders will not respond, I will ask them to give account and if they don't respond, I will replace them with some other leaders who are according to My calling.
The Lord says be alert. I will raise up the faithful ones and I will reveal things never revealed before. And I'm calling the intercessors of this nation to take on the mission because I know quite well what kind of compromise and complacency, which led this nation to a spiritual degradation, and I am asking everyone to give account.
And it's a time to repent and there will be times that you will miss if you don't invest and redeem the time.
And I will shake many parts in this nation to be alert and be awake for the urgency of the hour, says the Lord. I don't need to see superficial repentance. I need to see genuine repentance.
You will not miss the time if you are faith to hear and listen and harken to My voice, says the Lord.
Prayer/Proclamation of Repentance – April 14, 1999:
Lord, we submit our hearts and admit and acknowledge our personal and corporate sins. There is no way to escape you. Lord, we feel our shame because we didn't fulfill the very thing you entrusted to us to do as your servant Nehemiah wept and fasted because the walls of Jerusalem were broken, the gates were burned with fire. Lord, we had to rebuild the walls, we had to rebuild the gates. Lord, forgive us. The gates are still burned with fire - the walls are still broken - no protection, no authority, no release, no release of your grace over unbelievers - the nation is getting worse and worse.
Lord, we come to you with a broken heart, a humble heart, knowing we've all come short of your glory. Have mercy on us. Help us to rebuild the walls of the city, the gates of our nation.
Let your grace be released for the homosexuals, the immoral ones. Let your grace be released. Restore our authority, our protection against the wicked strategies of the enemy. Lord, we have nothing to do but to come to you and recognize our sins. It is an historic moment in the history of our nation. We come to you and repent. In Jesus' name. Amen.
We are approaching Jaspar, AB so will sign off now, asking your continued prayers which we have felt through the night. May the Lord bless us all.
Peg Byars
Aboard the Train of Tears