A Testimonial from Canada
Australia Report, July 1-16, 2014
Generation Fire, Tasmania July 7-10, 2014
The Messengers of Fire gathering was primarily about gathering together those who would come and through prophetic worship, teaching and impartation would be anointed and sent out with a new sense of the call of God on their lives, in the nations and for this generation. The nations that were represented were part of the Commonwealth, comprising Australia, New Zealand, Canada, There was a broad leadership team with a variety of gifts coming from a variety of ministries all over Australia. Together, their function was to provide spiritual oversight and guidance for our time together.
The leaders spoke publicly about the significance of Canada being represented at this gathering for such a time as this. In their overall care, the leaders created a culture of honour and a place of safety. We were impressed at how they flowed together as a team, consulting each other to discern where and how the Spirit was leading. On one occasion, just before a morning session, the leadership team had gathered to pray. When they entered the sanctuary, the sense of hush and the holiness of God’s presence was so strong that they knew they could not continue with the scheduled speaker. We all waited on the Lord together as the leadership consulted with one another, laid down their own agendas, and allowed the Holy Spirit to take over. It was an amazing time of prophetic worship with the Lord, choreographing our worship into warfare prayer for Israel. Banners were used proclaiming God’s protection over Israel’s borders. During this profound time, following the lead of the Holy Spirit we felt like we had been lifted into the very throne room of heaven. It was a beautiful sight as each one moved in harmony with one another as they raised and lowered their banners, and moving as one through the space that had been set aside.
Now, we would like to share with you some of the things we gleaned from our time in Tasmania.
1. Kris Schlyder, is the director of the Australian Prayer Network, who coordinates focused prayer for the Indigenous Peoples and Israel. He shared with us a historical perspective of how the relationship between Israel and Australia was first established during WW1. At that time, eight hundred Australian and New Zealand Light Horsemen (ANZACS- Australian and New Zealand
Army Corps) were responsible for winning an amazing battle against incredible odds (losing only 32 men) which led to the overthrow of the Turks and the opening up of Palestine. They rode across desert with parched horses right into the face of huge enemy guns (which could not be lowered in time) to secure and release the wells in Beersheva. The success of the Battle of
Beersheva soon led a ride to set Jerusalem free. A miracle had occurred, for after 1000 years of Muslim rule the nation was about to come under the British Mandate leading to the birth of the
As Australia and New Zealand had a part to play to release Israel from her physical captivity, so they have been called to release them in prayer from spiritual captivity. Today, there remains a strong bond between Israel, Australia, and New Zealand and a network of intercessors has continued in the spirit, the breakthrough work of the ANZACS. Rick Joyner stated in a 2003 conference in Melbourne “Australia and New Zealand are two of the most strategic nations on earth and you don’t even know it!”
2. Pete and Kathryn Yaxley from Tasmania oversee a ministry called Kingdom Presence. They provide valuable equipping resources for personal growth for mentors and for emerging leaders. They also facilitate a small group which is for the support and encouragement of people in ministry. They are also the Tasmanian Representatives for the Walk to Emmaus Pilgrim Journey. During a main session, Kathryn shared a number of prophetic words that had been declared over Australia.
Historically, Australia is known as “The Great South Land of the Holy Spirit”. Both mainland Australia and Tasmania are called to Watchman prayer over the nations. Tasmania is literally at the corner of the earth which makes it a strategic and valuable place to observe without obstruction, a key position not unlike that of a rook in a chess game. As watchmen in the nations, Tasmania carries a responsibility to receive and discern heaven’s strategies for nations and release them in prayer. They also have a special calling to anchor and secure God’s purposes over Israel and the other nations through prayer.
Kathryn also shared a vision/dream that she was given in 2005 regarding God’s calling on the nation of Australia. In this vision, both Australia and South Africa were positioned as “bridesmaid” nations helping Israel reach her destiny in the Lord. (If you would like this information, please let us know and we will forward by email). She elaborated on the call over Australia to righteous leadership in the nations and a mantle of authority to birth God’s purposes over the nations in prayer. Partnership and kingdom friendships/connections were key elements which involved supporting and helping other nations find their place and destiny in the Lord and spurring other nations to do the same. It was a very inspiring message.
3. Bob Crockford is a Pastor, Youth Worker and Missionary who lives in Australia and led a workshop entitled Kingdom Communities. Here is an excerpt from his hand-out:
The culture of church is in transition. A new wineskin is merging with the shaping of things to come. Our Father is preparing a beautiful Bride for His worthy Son. Kingdom Communities
then are agents of change. Their focus is the Kingdom of Heaven and they have moved away from the old static positions of religious faith built around a church service. They journey together towards the realization of a covenant family who express and exhibit God through a
Kingdom lifestyle. This lifestyle has core values and is relational with a culture of honouring love that may be expressed in diverse ways. The common focus is correct identity as sons and daughters, shared responsibility, and together recognizing and celebrating the priesthood and
discipleship of each believer. (For more information, you can request a handout) During this 4 day gathering, we BOTH experienced a taste of this, inspiring us to inquire as to how God will form this type of kingdom community on the Sunshine Coast.
During the course of our 4 days in Tasmania, we were literally bathed/soaked with prayer. It would be impossible to list the number of times we were prayed for and/or prayed for others.
However, we would like to highlight a few significant times of prayer for you.
1. Personal Ministry: As many of you know, we went to Tasmania carrying a number of wounds, burdens, and pain due to recent situations in our locality. On the second night of the gathering, a couple (Pete and Kathryn Yaxley) asked if they could pray for us during the personal ministry time. They ministered to both of us prophetically and in healing prayer
2. Wednesday Prayer Time during the Fire starters Workshop led by Donny McGregor: This time was predominantly Donny sharing from his heart, his calling, the birth of Generation Fire, and its mandate. As part of this time, we were asked to form small groups to discern what the Spirit was saying for the future of Generation Fire. Through the sharing afterwards, the phrase “corridors of fire” was highlighted and defined as being strong relational connections between nations.
From this background, Donny began speaking about the Lord’s presence, referring us to when David returned the Ark of the Covenant to Israel. Connecting this scripture with John 10: 2-3a (The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him..), he defined and gave a call for national gatekeepers. After a quiet time of waiting, Karen and I consulted one another, and then stepped forward requesting
Sue (a spiritual mother/ANZAC intercessor) to stand with us – connecting the generations and covering us with a ‘Parental authority”. Once we stepped forward, the team of 5 from
New Zealand took their place beside us. As we connected through holding of hands and embrace, we were prayed for as one with prayers releasing the full identity and position of gatekeepers for our respective nations. Donny saw three fires, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, merging into one flame.
Just before the evening session, Sue had arranged with other ANZAC intercessors to pray for us, Jacky our host being one of them.
3. ANZAC prayer with Intercessors: Before we could receive this ANZAC calling, we first had to stand in the gap for Canada, repenting for prejudice from the English toward the French, for prejudice and harm caused to our Aboriginal peoples, and for pockets of anti-Semitism.
Forgiveness was released. We were anointed and told to yell “CHARGE” which we did!
4. Immediately after the above prayer, the evening session began. The internationals were
called up to share and be prayed for. When it was Canada’s turn we came up, and after we shared, the whole gathering came up, surrounded us and began to move around us in a circle. One woman handed me (Cathy) the Anzac banner and said RUN. I ran out of the circle and Karen followed running full tilt as people watched and clapped. We circled the area 10 times and then came to a stop raising the flag high. Following this there was an intense time of worship. Since that time, we have learned that 10 is a significant number for waiting on the Lord for strategies and power. (eg, 10 days of Awe before Pentecost)
5. On Thursday morning, there was a time of impartation and commission. The Joshua
generation and the Internationals went forward and we were anointed by Generation Fire leaders and commissioned as fire-starters. We were then instructed to form a prayer tunnel with the Joshua Generation on one side and the Internationals on the other. Everyone else went through, and as they did they were prayed for, given words and blessed. Both Karen and I experienced and unprecedented release; for me (Cathy) prophetic words/pictures, and for Karen, the Father’s heart for His people. Shortly after this time, we all formed a large circle and held out our hands to be anointed for healing by a young man. Donny was
anointing hands as well, so we both asked for a double portion! Steve Woods, part of the leadership team, came over to us and prayed powerfully over Karen in a quiet but authoritative manner. His prayers confirmed, cut off, and released us.
His prayer for me (Cathy) was for “more fire”. Marty, the worship leader came over and spoke to me (Cathy) regarding songs of deliverance and needing to sing the songs whether or not anyone hears them, as they have impact in the spiritual realm.
6. After lunch, the Lord orchestrated a time of prayer with a couple from Tasmania and a gentleman from New Zealand. We had brought two wooden handmade “tent pegs” with us and a scripture in Isaiah 54:2-3. We asked each of them to discern if this was indeed the place and time to present to them (as representatives from Aus and NZ) the tent pegs as a symbol of our “covenant relationship” with one another, thus connecting our nations relationally, and through prayer and worship, inviting and perhaps even “carrying the Lord’s presence between our nations” (corridors of fire).
(Throughout the four days, the Lord had been drawing us and positioning us together).
They both discerned that it was, and we presented each with one of the pegs and the scripture. Each peg was then anointed with the “oil of fire” from South Africa, Global Day of Prayer 2010. (This used up the rest of our last bottle). Next, on their own prompting, the New Zealand and Tasmania representatives exchanged pegs as a symbol of their partnership and commitment to one another. It was noted that the scripture given was highly significant to each of them.
Isaiah 54:2-3 2 “Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes. For you will spread out to the right and to the left; your descendants will dispossess nations and settle in their desolate cities.
The Lord works in mysterious ways, and we eagerly wait to see how He will unfold His purposes through these significant connections. Together we felt highly honoured to be used of the Lord for the growing of spiritual unity.
The first worship time on the first evening we ended up joining a number of people who had gone to the prayer room to pray and worship quietly. We had the most wonderful and intimate time of worship together as Ruth, the director of Tabernacle of David, began to minister to the Lord on the piano. The Lord ministered to each of us in a profound way.
Overall, the times of worship in the main sessions were led by the Spirit, and orchestrated by the Spirit as the leadership gave room for Him to work and move among us. Agendas were frequently set aside as the Lord led the leadership team through the rest of the time together.
The worship team was quite sensitive to the moving of the Spirit.
1. Lengthening cords, strengthening stakes:
a. Keeping regular contact by email/skype with those with whom the Lord wants to
b. Third Ring of Fire Prayer Tour over Rosh Hashanah Sept 24-26, 2014
2. Looking into the Pilgrim Journey – Walk to Emmaus
a. Washington Location - http://www.pswte.com/#/about-us
3. Inquiring about Kingdom Community and what that looks like on the Sunshine Coast
4. Going to the high places for worship/prayer continue relationship