O Canada - We Stand On Guard For Thee

OH CANADA – WE STAND ON GUARD FOR THEE

OPEN: On July 1st we celebrate Canada Day!

• Discuss trip to Ottawa in Summer 2006 for The Cry Prayer Rally on Parliament Hill - powerful experience!

QUOTE: “Every generation and every nation has had righteous radicals for God. These were mighty men and women who laid down their lives to see righteousness established in their generation, and, in their nation. Canada is no different. Our history is full of heroes of the faith who forged rough terrain, persevered long voyages, endured brutal persecution and overcame intense spiritual warfare for the sake of the Kingdom of God in this land. These ones sacrificed to see the gospel of Jesus Christ advanced and His name honoured at various stages of the nation’s growth… It’s (time) to (reclaim) the righteous foundations laid by generations past.” (Faytene Kryskow, Stand on Guard).

THE BIG IDEA: God is looking for a generation who will rise up and reclaim the righteous foundations in our nation of Canada.

KEY TEXT: “He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, And from the River to the ends of the earth…Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, Who only does wondrous things! And blessed be His glorious name forever! And let the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen and Amen.” (Psalm 72:8,18-19).

WHAT ARE THE RIGHTEOUS FOUNDATIONS OF CANADA?

1. OUR NAME: “He shall have dominion also from sea to sea.” (Psalm 72:8).

“Sir Samuel Leonard Tilley, then premier of NB, was one of the 33 Fathers of Confederation. He was a born-again Christian who started his day with prayer and a chapter of the Bible… When reading Psalm 72:8, the thought occurred to him, “What a splendid name to give Canada!” A letter signed by John A Macdonald explained to Queen Victoria that the name was a tribute to the principles they earnestly desired to uphold.” (Faytene Kryskow).

- declaring that Jesus will have dominion as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

2. OUR FLAG: Our nation’s flag is the only one in the world that has a leaf on it. The leaves “for the healing of the nations.” (Rev. 22:2).

3. OUR CREST: The motto is in Latin a mari usque ad mare (From sea to sea).

- also taken from Psalm 72:8 speaking of Jesus having dominion from sea to sea.

4. OUR FOUNDATION:

- John Cabot planted a Cross on Newfoundland’s shores in 1497 claiming it “For God and for England.”

- In 1533, Jacques Cartier sailed up the St. Lawrence River to Montreal. To commemorate the founding of this city, Cartier wrote in his diary, “We all kneeled down in the company of the Indians and with our hands raised toward heaven yielded our thanks to God.”

- This year, as we celebrate the 141st anniversary of Confederation, we also celebrate the 400th anniversary of Québec City (founded in 1608 by Samuel de Champlain who came to share God’s love with the First Nations peoples).

BIBLE STORY: Background Info

“29 In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab the son of Omri became king over Israel; and Ahab reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years. 30 Now Ahab did evil in the sight of the Lord, more than all who were before him. 31 And it came to pass, as though it had been a trivial thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took as wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians; and he went and served Baal and worshiped him. 32 Then he set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal, which he had built in Samaria. 33 And Ahab made a wooden image. Ahab did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him.” (1 Kings 16:29-33).

THIS STORY IS A PROPHETIC PICTURE OF OUR NATION OF CANADA!

Our nation, like Israel, has a godly Christian foundation, but we have forsaken those roots!

Our national anthem declares, “God keep our land, glorious and free! O Canada, we stand on guard for thee!” But we have not stood on guard for our nation, and wickedness abounds!

QUOTE: “All that is necessary for evil to prosper is that enough good men do nothing.” (Edmund Burke).

THE SPIRIT OF JEZEBEL: We need the spirit of Elijah that will say no to the spirit of Jezebel!

• Sexual perversion (legalization of homosexual unions & pre-marital sex)

• Rebellion (we live in one of the most rebellious generations of all time)

• Witchcraft (increase of interest in this - Harry Potter & more)

• Violence (from video games and cartoons, to movies and the news)