HEALING CANADA’S WOUNDS
by David Demian
A few years ago, I was staying with good friends of mine while I ministered in their church. They are a godly couple but on the day I arrived, there had obviously been a misunderstanding between them and the tension in the air was palpable. I was being careful not to say anything that could inflame the situation, and after a whole day with them, I was completely exhausted. I loved them; I just needed a break from all the tension. As I asked the Lord how to tell my friend that I needed to leave for a while, He said, "David, this is exactly what I feel in the church. I like to visit, but I cannot stay. There are too many atrocities, too much jealousy, too much pain."
Then I really understood our journey in Canada. Our longing is to deal with the sins in our past that have caused divisions in the Church, so the Lord can feel comfortable to dwell among us. When we come into unity like the Father and the Son (John 17), unbelievers will see Jesus and they will run to Him. We will not need programs for evangelism once they see Him reflected in the Church.
Following the Lord's Steps
We must follow the Lord's steps, and not our own initiatives, if we want to see the nation healed. There have been many sincere attempts at reconciliation with French Canada and the First Nations People and yet wounds remain unhealed. When the Lord first revealed that anti-Semitism was the root sin holding back His favour from our nation, we realized two truths.
1) We cannot be reconciled with our brothers without the Lord's favour.
Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain.
Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain. (Ps. 127:1-2)
2) First we must deal with God Himself and our sin against Him, before He will bestow His favour for healing and reconciliation. Just as when David sinned with Bathsheba, he said,
Against you, you only have I sinned
And done what is evil in your sight. (Ps. 51:4)
This was our motivation for the Winnipeg Gathering in 1999 – to deal with God vertically. The Lord had given us one year to repent. The nation lay in the balance on July 1, 1999 as 2300 Canadians came before the Lord with the sacrifice of a broken spirit and contrite heart. (Ps. 51:17). When the Lord answered us saying, "I have received the sacrifice, now bring fruits worthy of repentance," spiritually the nation crossed the Jordan River, from a place of judgment to a place of favour. And we have seen a change. Even prophetic words that used to speak of judgment now speak of God's favour over Canada.
Now is the Time for Healing
Crossing the Jordan is not the end but the beginning of our journey to possess our inheritance and press on to Zion, the Lord's dwelling place. I fully expected that once we had the Lord's favour as a nation, God's first priority would be the healing of the First Nations People. But He has clearly directed our hearts toward French Canada, because we need both founding nations, French and English, walking in unity, to effect the healing of the host nation, the Aboriginal Peoples.
A Vision of Union
A few years ago, the Lord gave me a dramatic picture of His desire for English and French Canada. I was driving in Vancouver and as my eyes wandered to the license plate of the car ahead of me, it suddenly changed. I saw interlocking wedding rings on one side and the words "I do" on the other. Tears came to my eyes so fast that I had to pull over and when I did, the Holy Spirit said, "David, this is My desire for English and French Canada. The day is coming when English Canada will realize they have been asking French Canada to do something that they themselves were unwilling to do: leave and cleave."
Many French Canadians perceive Canada as still tied to a British model. So to speak of unity is like asking them to marry English Canada and come live at their parent's house. But marriage must be a leaving and cleaving for both parties.
I believe the grace of God is going to come upon this nation and make us fall in love with each other. I saw in my spirit a huge wedding between English and French Canada, in Quebec. And the Lord showed me that a representation from the church in England and the church of France would be present at the wedding. And like all good parents, they will cut the ties and say "Church of Canada, we release you to your own unique destiny for which the Lord is calling you." I am longing to see that day. But the Lord is taking the time to prepare us.
Counting The Cost
Our journey with the Jewish people required love, humility, brokenness, weeping and travail before they could walk with us. I believe the healing of French Canada will be a similar journey. There will be a cost. We cannot talk about healing age-old wounds and Spirit-birthed unity without a price to pay.
Love always means death. Sacrificial love is the foundation of any good marriage. But I believe there will be a grace as God leads us into this courtship between English and French Canada. He is going to give English Canada such a love for the French people that English Canadians will joyfully lay down their lives to see the healing, restoration and release of French Canada. He is going to give French Canada a grace to open their hearts to receive the love being offered by English Canada.
Preparing the Hearts of English Canada
However, English Canada is not yet ready for this step and so the Lord led the nation on a 40-day fast of preparation. On the second day of the fast, the remains of Louis-Joseph Marquis de Montcalm, the French General fatally wounded at the pivotal Battle of the Plains of Abraham in 1759, were moved to a place of rest and honour. This was an encouragement to us, signifying the Lord's determination to heal French Canada that they might find the honour and rest that will come only in His presence.
Taking a Stand
The bottom line is that we are not going to let the enemy hold French Canadians captive any longer. We will stand on the watch, listen to the Lord and move as He leads us. Intercessors, we must lay hold of God for French Canada. Let us ask God to fill the hearts of English-speaking Canadians with His love for French Canada and to supernaturally open the hearts of the French people to receive this love. Let us cry out for a spirit of adoption to be released over French Canada to counter the rejection they carry as a people.
We have a precious promise as the End Time Church: "the glory of the latter house will be greater than of the former". (Hag. 2:9). This is our inheritance. Let us commit to do whatever it takes until Canada, whose name means "a settlement", will be a resting place for the glory of the Lord.
END NOTE: In July 2005, the “One Heart” Gathering took place in Quebec City. This was the fulfilment of the picture David referred to in this article, in which the Lord showed him a huge wedding between English and French Canada.