Hidden Treasures

While in Medicine Hat, the Lord spoke clearly to one of the team during worship the name “Grande Prairie” while another team member also heard the name “McLennan”.   As the team talked together there was a witness that God wanted us to travel to the north first.

In mid June a small team traveled north to meet the “family” in both communities.  In the meeting in Grande Prairie the Holy Spirit took over in an incredible way.  After a time of worship the Lord would not release us to share – just to wait.  As we did, those gathered began praying and making declaration by the Spirit.  To our amazement, what they were sharing was the same message the Lord has been given us.  Through this God confirmed something deep in our spirits:  This journey is in God’s hands and He is orchestrating each step.  We have only to obey Him wholeheartedly. 

The Lord surprised us again in McLennan. McLennan is a small community of 800 about 45 minutes south of Peace River. Yet, as we began to share with the believers gathered, the Lord told us to speak not just about His purposes in Alberta, but how they are linked to what He is doing in the nation and nations.  We felt there is a special birthing anointing on McLennan for the whole Peace Region – they are like a Nazareth, a place from which God's kingdom purposes are declared.

The following week some of the team visited Medicine Hat again – the Lord had spoken to us that there were specific individuals who were not able to make the meeting in May or who wanted to know more about the journey.   We had amazing times of connecting hearts and sharing our lives and passions with one another. 

The following week, a different team visited Vegreville.  We expected to meet with a few Gen Xers, but were surprised by a wonderful complement of seniors who also showed up – the faithful remnant who have been praying and standing for decades in Vegreville and the surrounding communities.  God visited us with a rich sense of His presence and He stirred us about the urgency of hour – of the importance of aligning with His purposes in our province. 

From Vegreville we again headed north to Fairview and Peace River. Again the Lord was speaking to us about the importance of the Peace Region and that He had specific members of the family that we needed to meet and connect with now.  “What if I ask you to travel up there for just one person – will you go?”  the Lord asked us. And we could feel the heart of the Father who would have given His Son if only to ransom one of us – and so we went.   We were so glad we did, as we sensed the pleasure of the Lord during  the whole trip and we had the opportunity to meet such faithful saints who have been contending for God’s kingdom to come in the northwestern part of Alberta! 

From the north we headed deep south to our final stop – Lethbridge.  What an incredible time we had with the body of Christ from the Southeastern region who packed the  King of Kings fellowship on that hot July evening.  It was during our sharing in Lethbridge that the Lord revealed something powerful to us.  He reminded us of  the story of the children of Israel crossing over into the Promised Land.   In Joshua 1 we see that because the inheritance of some of the tribes was actually east of the Jordan, they didn’t have to cross over in order to possess.  And yet the Lord gave them a very clear instruction in Joshua 1: 13 - 15:

"Remember the command that Moses the servant of the LORD gave you: ‘The LORD your God is giving you rest and has granted you this land.’ Your wives, your children and your livestock may stay in the land that Moses gave you east of the Jordan, but all your fighting men, fully armed, must cross over ahead of your brothers.

You are to help your brothers until the LORD gives them rest,  as He has done for you,  and until they too have taken possession of the land that the LORD your God is giving them.

 After that, you may go back and occupy your own land, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you east of the Jordan toward the sunrise.”

None of the tribes were supposed to be settled/find rest in their own inheritance until they had fought for and secured the inheritance of all their brothers.  This was the model the Lord gave them crossing over into the Promised Land – one family, one army, fighting for the establishment of the whole.

Many of us have fought in prayer for our own communities/regions faithfully for many years.  And yet we have been unable to beat back the giants and win the victory on our own.  Maybe that’s because the Lord never intended us to move independently, fighting our battles separately.  Maybe  the destiny of Vegreville is tied to the destiny of Medicine Hat and the destiny of Medicine Hat is tied to the destiny of Grande Prairie etc. 

The Lord really opened our hearts to this perspective as we traveled the province during these two months.  Before we went God spoke clearly to us that we had to go to different communities in a specific order that wouldn’t make sense to the natural mind, but after we were done we would look back and see a pattern.  And that’s exactly what happened.  Now we can see that each community/region has a specific different spiritual deposit and mantle on it,  and in each place we would receive revelation that was a unique piece of the puzzle that was sharpening for us the picture of God’s heart for the province. 

And if it is true that none of us on our own has the strength to win the battle for our own community, maybe that’s why, in the wisdom of God, He is reuniting His family in Alberta?

So with a renewed sense of faith and anticipation we prepared for our next step of obedience: the Family Reunion in Edmonton in August.