Harrison Hot Springs, BC
November 12-14, 1998
By Richard Long
Recognizing this as a very significant year for Canada, Watchmen for the Nations called a Gathering at Harrison Hot Springs in BC, November 12th to 14th. Over 500 pastors, leaders and intercessors from across Canada, gathered together for three days of prayer and supplication, to seek the Lord and repent before Him on behalf of Canada. Several leaders from other countries bearing the same heart and spirit joined in.
Believing that Canada is on the verge of a crucial time in which the Lord will test our nation, our response will determine our future. May we know the hour of our visitation. The destiny and end-time purposes for Canada as a nation are being weighed in the balance. The Lord is looking for a resting place, a habitation and a dwelling place (Is. 66:1), and we desire the Lord's Shekinah glory to come back to His church.
David Demian is one of the leaders of Watchmen for the Nations whom God has raised up at this time. An Egyptian medical doctor, David is now in full-time service to the Lord and has walked in partnership with Pastor Bob Birch of Vancouver for the last nine years. The vision the Lord has unfolded to David through a series of revelations and circumstances, is that Canada's destiny is somehow related to Israel in these last days, but that something is holding back the purposes of God. The story of how this vision came forth, and a report of what took place at the Gathering, is available here.
The Lord spoke to him and said, "David, here lies the root issue which is hindering My fulfilling the destiny of Canada. It has to do with Israel and the anti-Semitism of Canadians toward Israel. This must be addressed for the nation to fulfill its destiny. Even the internal conflict between the French and the English is not going to be resolved until a national repentance toward the Jews takes place in Canada."
Demian's commission at this time is, first of all, to alert the church, and secondly, to call intercessors to lay hold of God. It is believed that there will also come a time when the Lord will open the door for the church to address the political leaders and the nation of Canada as a whole regarding national repentance.
And so, the invitation was given as in Jeremiah 29:11-13 to, "Call unto Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you . . . you will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart." The Prophet Joel's admonition calls to the priests of today to "Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar" Joel 2:15-17)
Realizing that he was suddenly "in the fullness of time," David found himself responding with weeping, prayerful petition, fasting and sackcloth and ashes. Christians responded to the call and gathered in Harrison to seek the Lord and wait upon Him, and indeed, the Lord poured out a spirit of "grace and supplication" as in Zechariah 12:10.
The conference began on Thursday evening, Nov. 12th. The presence of the Lord was manifested as praise, worship, spontaneous song and intercession were offered up before Him. "Lord, hear our prayer and heal our land."
Demian shared his heart and burden for Canada and the vision the Lord has given him regarding Canada's destiny. He said that the time has come for Canada to fulfill its end-time purposes. "The Lord has spoken many times in the past but we've been silent. Now is the time."
He recounted how he and Pastor Gideon Chiu of Vancouver's Church of Zion, have spent the last six months traveling across Canada, sharing the vision with many spiritual leaders and leaders of the Jewish community. It has been acknowledged as from the Lord by many pastors and leaders in our nation. David said he felt that he and Gideon were like Joshua and Caleb, spying out the Promised Land. The good report is, 'We are able to go up and possess the land'. David spoke on the importance of the Lord's timing and His presence. As Moses said, "Lord, if your presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here" (Exodus 33:15). He said that the Lord's strategy comes from His presence.
Referring to II Samuel 21:1, David said, "King David inquired of the Lord regarding a famine in the land. The Lord replied that it was because of the bloody house of Saul. In like manner, we Canadians have blood on our hands because of our treatment of the Jewish people during WWII. We must not enter into the new millennium with blood on our hands. God was entreated for the land in II Sam.21: 14 and He heeded the prayer. Thus we have gathered together. Identification repentance is required for us as a nation just as Daniel, Jeremiah and Nehemiah all demonstrated. The Lord is looking for a body of intercessors who will stand in the gap for our Nation."
James Watt pointed out three key areas of intercession from Rees Howells' life that are necessary for us today:
We must IDENTIFY with the Holy Spirit and feel the heart of God for this nation and the Jewish people.
We must allow the Holy Spirit to pray through us -this is the AGONY of the intercessor.
After prevailing, we will be given the AUTHORITY of the intercessor.
Would we be willing and available to be a living sacrifice for Canada? (Romans 12:1,2)
Friday morning, again without agenda or designated speakers, the Lord led the people to pray for the provinces and territories of Canada. Many came forward and rallied around provincial, Canadian and Israeli flags. Repentance and strong intercession were made on behalf of each province. Spontaneously, pastors and leaders led in a time of identification repentance for different people groups in Canada (French, English, First Nations, Chinese, Israeli, East Indian). Many prayers were prayed for the youth. A prophetic word came forth that the Lord's word would break the yoke of the enemy. "I have decided your destiny and you will be as those prepared for the next battle." There is new hope for the young people. They will make their way to the front lines of the battle. The Lord has equipped them for the nation for such a time as this.
Friday evening, historian Anne Coleman stirred hearts with some wonderful stories of our Christian heritage and encouraged us to pray that what God has planted in our land will indeed grow and bring forth fruit. James Watt led in Shabbat blessings and prayers for families. An invitation went out to those who would count the cost, stand together in intercession for this nation and the vision for national repentance. The church must be in unity and one accord as we travail for Canada and take Daniel's posture.
Much prayer and intercession was offered up to God on behalf of Israel, the peace of Jerusalem and for the crisis in the Middle East. There was prayer for Saddam Hussein of Iraq. As intercession took place that very evening, US aircraft were on their way to the Middle East, poised to strike. However, at the 11th hour, Hussein backed down and said he would allow the UN to carry out their inspections of Iraq's weapons plants without conditions and an attack was averted. A CNN newscaster said on live TV, "Perhaps prayer was answered." The Lord had His saints praying strategically all over the world, to bring about His will, just as He did in Rees Howells' day.
Saturday morning was a time of commissioning with Pastor Bob Birch leading in prayer. He and his wife Margaret passed the mantle and leadership role of "Watchmen for The Nations" to David and Ruth Demian. Many pastors and leaders rose up to make a public declaration of their commitment to pray for God's end time purposes to be fulfilled in Canada through these sacrificial lives. Pastor Richard Long of Ontario was commissioned to co-ordinate a networking of pastors and church leaders across the nation.
Some other important words that came forth at the conference:
A decree has been issued from Heaven to fulfill our destiny.
If leaders do not lead the way in repentance, we will miss our destiny.
Canada will be a plumb line to all the nations.
When we repent other nations and Israel will follow.
We were reminded that Pastor Yonggi Cho had prophesied over Canada on October 31, 1995, that Canada is the nation the Lord will use for His end-time purposes.
The conference concluded with great celebration, resounding shofars and a release of triumphant and jubilant praise with dance, banners, streamers and flags. A banquet was prepared and communion was shared before everyone departed for home. But this is really just the beginning.
"I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch and see what He will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved. And the Lord answered me, and said, "Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that reads it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it, because it will surely come, it will not tarry. For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea" (Habakkuk 2:1-3,14).
"He shall have dominion from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth" (Psalm 72:8). "Blessed is the nation who's God is the Lord" (Psalm 33:12).
"Thus saith the Lord, The Heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool: where is the house would will build for Me? and where is the place of My rest? (Isaiah 66:1)
A prophetic word given on November 11th, 1998 at the Gathering:
Midnight cry for the nations.
Trim your lamps, the time is short.
You will witness many changes that will change the map of this earth.
Very unexpected things will befall.
I will judge the nations who are not listening to My cry.
There is something special I will do through My wise servants.
There will be a national awakening. The time is short.
In the next 3 years unexpected events will happen.
Things will go very rapidly.Be ready because the time has come to declare My judgement on all who don't listen to My cry.
Be prepared. I will give to My wise servants a revelation and an ability to stand in the gap and build the wall.
I do not want to destroy this land but to build it up.
*** The "TOGETHER" network is a national network of Christian leaders in Canada who believe that God is calling the WHOLE Church to bring the WHOLE gospel to the WHOLE world.
*** Believing that the Lord has clearly spoken that as a nation we are in critical time, "TOGETHER" is calling pastors and intercessors to
seek Him together
listen together to what the Spirit is saying to the Church and
pray together in local and national gatherings across Canada, until we see the Lord having "dominion from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth".
*** Committed to obeying the Lord who prayed that His Church would have "complete unity", we are encouraging Christians in Canada to dwell TOGETHER in unity and keep the unity of the Spirit for there is only one body, one Spirit, one Lord and one God and Father of all.