In the last few days I have felt an increasing urgency to re-highlight the key window of time that we are in currently for the nation and the importance of SIEZING it. There are a few prophetic windows that have been identified for Canada and are about to close. In the way of cursory insight, however, I would like to first of all share with you something the Lord spoke to me this past fall regarding the 5 CRYs mandate we have been stewarding.
WHY 5 CRYS IN THIS 12 MONTH WINDOW?
When the Lord spoke to us in the fall of 2006, about having 5 CRYs in 5 cities over a 12 month window (spring of 2008-2009) I did not completely understand the significance. All I knew is that we were hearing the voice of the Lord and that we needed to walk in radical faith knowing that it would make sense looking back. With 4 of the 5 CRYs completed, I am starting to see more clearly.
When we launched out with the first CRY, TheCRY Edmonton (March 15th, 2008), I began receiving many words from people regarding the prophetic significance of 5 cities. Some said they believed that this was prophetic for David and his 5 stones to slay Goliath, for ‘grace’ or for 5 fold government. In all honestly, though these were all encouraging words and perhaps had an element of revelation, I did not feel that they were totally hitting the mark. I knew there was something deeper. Around Rosh Hashanah I was in Israel seeking the Lord when spoke to my heart whispering, “Faytene, it is 5 CRYs because I am looking for the 5 who are AWAKE (Matthew 25). I am looking for the 5 virgins who are alert, discerning My coming, ready and available to prepare the way. This is TheCRY. TheCRY of the awake.” It was not that the Lord was saying these 5 cities were more awake than any others, but that He was going to call those who were ‘awake’ to rally there to these cities, in this window, to lift a CRY preparing Canada at another level for the return of the King. In Matthew 25:6 it says that, “At midnight the CRY rang out: ‘Here's the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!' (NKJV). I then realized that the song Kathy and Reynold Mainse had chosen for Heaven’s Rehearsal (the day after TheCRY Toronto) was a song by Misty Edwards that begins, “…people get ready, Jesus is coming….prepare the way….” When God is speaking, He is often speaking in many microphones at once. Recently when one of my advisors was asking me what I was sensing for TheCRYs prophetically I responded by saying, “To the undiscerning eye it will just look like a well attended young adults prayer meeting. To the discerning eye, they will see that it is the mobilization of an end time army.”
I want to say that I believe that this is a season in which we must, perhaps like never before, be ‘awake.’ There is always a spirit of slumber and unbelief that is contending not only for the attention of unbelievers but the Church at large – now is no different. Furthermore, I believe that we have entered into an end time season of great opportunity where God is calling us to arise and shine within our own nation and increasingly manifest our calling to bring healing in the nations of the earth. Like the 10 virgins, we have set out with good intent to be alert to greet the King in His coming. However, through this parable Jesus revealed that it is not enough to have good intentions but, like the 5 wise, it is essential that we have fresh oil to the finish line. We must be filled with His presence and His purpose. We must be awake. We must be alert to the times for our nation.
THE WINDOW OF TIME: 3 KEY PROPHECIES, 2 OF WHICH ARE ABOUT TO CLOSE
As I said just above, in the last few days I have been alerted with fresh urgency to 3 prophecies that are hanging over us in this season. Two of them were given by James Goll and have a window which is about to close. The third is by Stacey Campbell.
In the spring of 2006, as many of us know, James Goll had a vision of a door (representing Canada) and he saw the word SHIFT over it. He then prophesied that God was giving us a 3 year window of mercy to shift the nation into a decade of righteousness. He prophesied that if the church in Canada would align in prayer and dialogue with our governmental leaders God would shift us into a decade of mercy and righteousness. According to this word that window closes in the spring of 2009, just a few weeks after TheCRY St. John’s (the 5th of the 5 CRYs). As of the writing of this prophetic article, we only have about 8 weeks left on this prophetic window. Now is a good time to remember this word and finish strong. I believe TheCRY St. John’s is one of the ‘contact’ points the Lord is giving us as a platform to respond to this opportunity to shift our nation for the next decade.
Secondly, at the Canadian Prophetic Council last April many of you will remember how James Goll called us when we were on route driving to Quebec City to visit the Ursuline Convent, the Quebec Parliament and the oldest French Church in North America. As a prophetic council we had discerned that it was important for us to take this day trip to Quebec City to pray and prophesy on site in light of the 400th year anniversary of the city. During the phone call Stacey asked James Goll if there was anything he was feeling to share with us. He said that there was and went on to recount a prophetic experience he had several months prior.
He explained how the Spirit of God woke him out of a dead sleep to two angels that were having a conversation at his bedside. They were talking to one another and said that over the next 2 year period the Lord was going to be sending groups back to the foundation points of the continent on assignment by God. He said they would go in the spirit of prayer and worship, they would close unrighteous gates, open righteous gates, bring an end to a 400 year cycle (he knew nothing about the 400th yr anniversary of Quebec City as the oldest incorporated city in North America) and that they would call forth the spirit of John the Baptist that would prepare the continent for the next great move of God. In response to this word we stood in the heart of Quebec City and did just this. We prayed for unrighteous gates to be shut, righteous ones to be open and for the spirit of John the Baptist to be loosed. We also called forth Canada’s destiny to bring healing to the nations. The very next day God used a Canadian to spark a global healing revival (Lakeland) that impacted millions from April to August 2008. Coincidence? Not likely. God does nothing unless He first reveals it to His servants the prophets (Amos).
Doing the calculation based on what James Goll told us this window basically coincides with the first one that he saw and will also close in the next several weeks. WE DID NOT KNOW any of this when we planned the last of the 5 CRYs to be in St. John’s this February. All we knew was that there was an urgency to move in this 12 month period and that God was highlighting St. John’s. St. John’s is not only the historical foundation point for Canada (the place where the first explorers planted a flag claiming it for God and for their king) but it is the historical foundation point for the continent. It is the oldest settlement (non-incorporated) in North America. Coincidence? Not likely.
Finally, the 3rd prophecy is Stacey’s prophecy from the summer of 2007 which she called I See Sickles. This is one of the most riveting prophetic words I have ever heard Stacey release. She released it while in a room filled with young leaders from all over the world who were, and are, leading mass prayer assemblies in their nations (The Call, TheCRY etc….). The spirit of prophecy fell on her and she began to prophesy that the nations that mobilized into mass prayer and fasting in this season would be given sickles for mass harvest. Nations in which the church was functioning with a 5 inch sickle (I believe this stands for an anointing for one to one evangelism) would be given a sickle that would go miles (I believe this stands for an anointing to take cities, regions and for mass evangelistic outreach). She then went on to say, “:…the reason many of you are receiving the call to mobilize for mass prayer and fasting is because you are end time evangelists…” I can remember the electricity shooting down my body as she said this. To explain, though I love TheCRYs and all we have been spearheading with MY Canada in all honestly, in spite of the favour and fruit, it has been a sacrifice. The reason is that my heart not only for justice and for my nation, but I burn for the harvest. One of the hardest things I ever had to do was transition from a season of harvest (on the streets in Vancouver and in Africa) to a season of prayer mobilization and works of reformation on issues like abortion. I believe the reason the Lord asked us to give this season to mobilizing prayer and dialogue with our leaders (as James prophesied) is because His desire is not only to shift Canada into a decade of righteousness and mercy, but, He is seeking to dispossess the principalities of unrighteousness that have been locking up the heavens over this nation and restraining our harvest, mass harvest I might add (Dt. 28:23,30).
In light of the alignment of all these words, I believe TheCRY St. John’s could be one of the most significant things we have stewarded in the nation yet.
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF ST. JOHN’S
Many people have been asking the question, “Faytene, why St. John’s? Why February?” Let’s face it, if you are looking at natural logistics going to a city of 180,000 in a northern region of the nation in February is not the smartest strategy for a mass national prayer gathering. However, I have noticed God is not usually interested in convenience – but obedience. Just ask Joshua, David, Moses or any hero of faith. The answer to that question has already been answered in part by the prophetic words recapped just above, but I do believe there is more.
Not only is St. John’s a foundation point for the continent and nation, and, not only is this a key window of time for
Canada but St. John’s is our national alpha and omega, it is our beginning and end in a historical sense. It is the place where the nation as we now know it began with the landing of the first settlers and Newfoundland was the last province to come into confederation. In retrospect is seems just as logical to have a national gathering here as it does to have one in front of the Peace Tower (Parliament). If Ottawa is the political epi-centre of Canada, St. John’s is a historical one.
Here are a couple other amazing facts about St. John’s and Newfoundland-Labrador (and I am sure even more can be said):
It is named after John the Baptist.
(I am told) When the first wave of explorers came near to the shores of Newfoundland the fish were so big and so dense in the waters that the boats got stuck (sounds like a picture of mass harvest)!
The main street, Water Street, is the oldest in North America (this is where TheCRY will be held).
The final battle of the 7 Year War between Britain and France was fought here in which the French surrendered to Britain.
It was the reception location of the first transatlantic message (media forerunner).
It was the starting point of the first transatlantic aircraft flight (the second was an American one in a replica Vickers Vimy aircraft). Interestingly the first of the 5 CRYs was on Canada’s first licensed airstrip. That CRY launched the 5 CRY mandated into Canada, this CRY will launch TheCRY to the nations (see the last section of this article).
It is the most eastern piece of land in North America (eastern gate) and the closest to Israel.
TEARING DOWN THE WALLS THAT DIVIDE US
In the journey of preparation towards St. John’s in February, I have also discovered that there is a deep historical divide between Newfoundland-Labrador and the rest of the nation. This was accented in the recent federal election with techno colour. I believe God wants to break something in the spirit realm that has been a wedge of division in our nation. It has nothing to do with politics, but with the truth that God has joined us together as one nation, from sea to sea. What God has joined together let no one tear apart. It is time for the rest of the nation to arise in humility and love – just as we have with French Canada and the First Nations - to embrace Newfoundland and honour her place as the historical foundation point of the nation. I believe that, in God’s divine wisdom, He is sending us there as a nation because He wants to heal us and display us as a healed nation to the nations of the earth at an even deeper level. It is time for Newfoundland to take her place, and, it is time for the rest of Canada to embrace her with love and honour. I believe God is about to break down some national walls that divide us. (We are currently talking with Premiere Danny Williams to see if he will come to TheCRY).
LEADING THE PLANET IN PRAYER AND MANIFESTING OUR DESTINY, HEALING TO THE NATIONS - THIS WILL BE THE LARGEST PRAYER MEETING CANADA HAS EVER HOSTED
Finally, with the attendance of GOD TV at TheCRY St. John’s we should state the obvious: in a time of global economic turmoil, political turmoil and nation rising against nation, God is giving us the privilege of leading the nations in prayer through mass media. GOD TV has an estimated viewership of 500 million (half a billion). I can’t help but think that the last 15 years of walking together as a national church under the leadership of Watchmen for the Nations and the last several years of building relationship through the CPC, TheCRYs and many other forums, have been preparation for such a time as this.On February 21st, 2009, the nations of the earth will meet Canada like they have never met us before – they will meet the Canadian Bride of Christ. It is totally mind blowing when you meditate on this in the context of the multiple prophecies, over the centuries, of our role in preparing the way for end time harvest (globally) and the return of the King. We are a John the Baptist nation and a John the Baptist generation CRYing out, prepare the way of the Lord.
As we ponder on these things may we respond as Mary saying, “Be it done unto us according to your word…” and as the Shulamite who said as her heart was awake on her bed, “…I will get up now …” (Song of Songs 3). In light of all this, and if it bares witness in your spirit, please pray about being with us in St. John’s for this key window of time and encouraging your people to as well. It is time to arise.
