於2013-07-08發佈

 

以「聖潔行伍」為主題的家人同行聚集,於7月3日晚上開幕。

「聖潔行伍」宣告 中日韓成為福音大軍

來自全球33個國家、接近二萬名信徒參與今年七月三至六日在香港亞洲國際博覽館舉行的「回家」聚集-「聖潔行伍」,其中一萬多人來自中國。

在首晚聚會的敬拜中,同心渴慕神的同在,唱著:「給那56個民族帶去和平,我們擁有一顆赤誠的中國心……」舞蹈員拿著天藍色扇子翩翩起舞,手舉紅心獻給天上的父神。「向我們的主唱新歌,阿爸父我們要得祢的心,我們是屬於祢的。」尋回阿爸父的心,對準目標,敬拜神,不為其他,只因神是神。

開幕前的一天,加拿大籍年老宣教彼德士發生意外,從高台跌下,進入休克狀態,幾百人在現場同心呼求主後,他奇妙地甦醒,身體完全驗不出損傷。

據台灣牧師寇紹恩在臉書發布的消息,79歲的宣教士在聚會中,一不小心便從1.5米高的台上跌下,後腦撞擊地面,立即休克。現場500多名參加者同心呼求主,幾分鐘後,他忽然恢復神智。後經醫生檢查,沒發現任何損傷。這名三代獻身中國的宣教士醒來時,第一句話是「我願為中國而死⋯⋯。」

「聖潔行伍」第二天(7月4日)早上,來自昔日八國聯軍中侵華國家之屬靈代表,同心向華人認罪並尋求寬恕。華人領袖團接受道歉,並為祖先曾殺害多名西方宣教士而認罪,呼求神醫治這歷史傷痕。最後,各國代表與中國信徒領袖互相擁抱,英國代表更致送一幅象徵復和的圖畫給中國信徒,中國領袖團隊亦送上具中國特色的絲綢,給列國代表留為紀念。

在「聖潔行伍」第二天(7月4日)早上,西方代表與華人代表互相認罪,處理昔日八國聯軍侵華的歷史傷痕;到了下午,寇紹恩牧師分享他對早上行動的領受,表示外國人帶有羅波安的影子 - 傲慢、有優越感,而華人則有耶羅波安的影子 - 自卑、感到被欺負,認為要靠己力才能站立。寇牧師指,早上彼此認罪使雙方都能從以上的轄制中得釋放。

「聖潔行伍」第二天(7月4日)晚上,日本「家人」為二次大戰期間侵華歷史,流著淚向華人道歉。勾起傷痛的回憶下,哀哭聲在場館此起彼落。

第三天(7月5日)早上,從內地和港台澳來的華人尊榮韓國「家人」,對韓國信徒多年來為華人禱告、來華宣教和培訓等貢獻,表示感謝。一名內地教會領袖引述別人的領受說,韓國人和華人的關係,猶如末底改與以斯帖的關係。

 (香港國度復興報於特會期間不定時發布簡短消息,詳盡新聞將於7月8日開始陸續登出。)
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「回家」 復和的旅程
回家 華人的命定(一)
回家 華人的命定(二)
守望 亞洲->耶路撒冷

從亞洲到耶路撒冷˙戴冕恩牧師

在十多年前,主開始告訴我華人在祂末後全球計劃裡的角色。

2001年7月,著名美籍華人領袖陳仲輝牧師邀請我到他在洛杉磯主辦的大型特會分享信息,很多來自世界各地的華人信徒都有出席。當我為所要分享的信息求問主時,主問了我一個問題。

「大衛,是什麼東西攔阻我在中東建立我的國度?」

對此我非常清楚,因為我出生及成長於埃及──一個穆斯林國家。

「是人們對逼迫與死亡的恐懼。」我回答。

「是的,但我預備了一群人。」主繼續說:「在我的身體中,有一群不懼怕逼迫和死亡的餘民,他們就是華人,在釋放猶太人和阿拉伯人進入末後命定的事情上,他們將會扮演一個非常特別的角色。」

這啟示令我驚訝。我一直心繫我的民族──阿拉伯人,在加拿大生活的年月裡,神亦給了我愛猶太人的心,但我從來沒想過這與中國人的關係。

當天晚上我在會上分享了主的啟示,神彰顯了非一般的同在。我們彷彿置身於神權能彰顯的神聖時刻。陳牧師聽後非常激動,更即場提出製作100萬張光盤,把此信息分享給華人世界,並鼓勵會眾透過奉獻來為此撒種,結果在當晚就籌得了所有經費。

可是當我們到了那負責把特會錄製成光盤的公司,竟發現我那段信息成了空白!只能聽到我一開始的祈禱,然後整段信息分享都是一片寂靜,直到我的結束祈禱。當我說「阿門」,聲音就恢復了。

我們以為那是機件故障,所以我的朋友趙仲權牧師建議從他的錄影機裡擷取那段錄音。可是當我們重播他的錄影帶時,同樣的事情又發生了。信息一開始,錄音就停了,直到整段信息結束,聲音又恢復了。

一開始我認為這是從仇敵來的攻擊。但後來主清楚地告訴我:「大衛,現在還沒到廣傳這信息的時候。」

從那次特會結束時,我已知道華人有一個重要的命定,只是我不知道下一步會在何時何地發生。幾個月後,陳牧師邀請我一起參加十一月在亞洲舉行的一些會議。我禱告後覺得主要我去。雖然在這之前,我已經安排了到以色列一個國際特會分享信息。

然而九一一事件發生了!飛機航班一片混亂,機場實施的新保安措施也造成了極大的延誤。那時候一個埃及人要飛到以色列真不容易。所以我求問主我是否應該取消旅程,可是主卻說我必須去,因為我要到那裡見一個人。

在特會裡我和很多人見了面,但我並未清楚地意識到誰就是「那個人」,所以我懷著困惑回家了。幾天後,陳牧師來電,說他收到一個剛在耶路撒冷跟我見過面的台灣牧師的信息,想請我在十一月到他的教會分享。

突然我記起這個人──他本來應該在我到達會議前就離開了,但由於九一一之後的航班問題,延遲了幾天才能回程。所以我演講的時候,他「碰巧」在場。我分享完後他過來見我,但因為他不諳英語,我們要通過翻譯才能溝通。當他跟我說他來自台灣時,我提起我會在十一月去那裡,他就邀請我到他教會的一場領袖會議分享。我那時候沒想太多,因他看起來人很好,我想他可能是個小教會的牧師,盼望我去激勵一下他的領袖們。

「大衛,你知道這個人是誰嗎?」陳牧師後來說:「周牧師建立了一個在全球擁有過百間分堂的運動,並是那運動使徒性的監督。他是全台灣最受尊重和信任的領袖之一。」到了那一刻,我才明白神的計劃是遠超我的理解。

我永遠不會忘記在台北的那次特會,該運動的領袖來自世界各地聚首一堂,當我開始分享華人的命定,我的翻譯突然哭不成聲(我後來才知道他就是曾國生,全世界唯一全天候華人基督徒電視台「好消息」的總裁)。其他在場的人同樣被深深觸動,紛紛走到台前俯伏、痛悔、哭泣,為華人的命定呼求神。

在這一切發生的時候,主告訴我,必有一日祂將召聚華人敬拜尋求祂的面,等候神尋求華人的命定成就的步驟。當他們這樣做的時候,不僅華人蒙福,也祝福了神對中東和全球基督身體末世的旨意。

旅程開始

我相信我們正活在一個華人命定與神的時間對接的時刻。在2009年猶太新年期間,主開門使第一次華人聚集在加拿大溫哥華舉行。一千個信徒聚集敬拜和等候主,聚會並未按人的議程或時間表進行。華人都是很擅於籌劃和安排事情的,但在這聚會裡面,他們都把天然人的才幹放在一邊,完全讓聖靈完全帶領聚會。主彰顯祂的同在來尊榮他們的順服,也使用這次聚會播下種子,結果在2010年5月,香港舉辦了第一次全球華人聚會。

第一次在香港的聚會,主使5000位來自亞洲和世界各地的華人連結,成為一個身體,成為一個先知性的標記,表明神對更大規模的華人教會的渴慕。在聚會裡,當神的餘民一同順服等候祂,祂就釋放一個悔改的靈,突破了傳統上因宗派與國家而造成的隔閡,讓人心結連,成為真正的一家人。在聚會的尾聲,所有參與聚會的家人都站立起來,代表更大華人基督的身體作出了先知性的宣告:「華人都是一家人!華人回家了!回到天父的家了!」

接下來的那一年,主對亞洲及世界各地的信徒釋放了另一個呼召,召聚他們在五旬節期間(2011年6月8-11日)聚集在香港,並賜給我們應許:「我要使他們彼此同心同道。」(耶三十二39) 一萬二千個來自三十多個國家的信徒回應了這個呼召,在聚會中,主挑戰華人放下自己的議程與計劃,無條件地將生命降服於祂。祂渴望這個集體的降服能成為一顆種子,藉此施行神蹟,使全球教會能恢復合一,讓新婦預備末後的日子,使主更快回來。當在場的人都憑信心站立、立約,我相信我們在靈界裡已經為全球的基督身體成功搶灘。

2012年,一萬五千名來自各國的信徒再次齊集在香港,在2012年8月1-4日參加「神國降臨」聚集。若神的國要在世上建立,祂必需先能先在祂百姓中間掌權。神使用華人作為整個基督身體一顆先知性種子,宣告神是萬王之王,萬主之主,各膚色、各種族、各國的基督新婦都要承認祂超然的主權。恰克.皮爾斯牧師代表西方教會領袖將一把刻著以賽亞書二十二章二十二節的鑰匙交給中華人教會領袖,先知性象徵著西方教會確認神如今賜給華人的角色,來領導教會下一波的浪潮。

往耶路撒冷的道路

當我們回想由基督降世開始整個教會的大圖畫,就會發現,教會的根基是由猶太人奠定的──包括十二門徒和那些早期改信基督教的信徒。在那時候,教會裡還沒有外邦人。

當神把門對外邦人打開,教會就被帶進全新的向度,也標誌著我們的旅程開始:將福音從耶路撒冷傳到地極。這一個階段主要由西方教會帶領,橫跨了過去二千年,並以佈道和宣教為主。但在下一個也是最後一個的階段裡,我相信教會將從地極回歸耶路撒冷,並帶來前所未有的聖靈澆灌、影響全球的復興。

許多人都在談論「回歸耶路撒冷」運動,華人教會也認同這是自己的命定的一部份。但「回歸耶路撒冷」到底是什麼意思?其中一個說法是要把福音傳到中東去,這誠然正確,我們有責任不斷在所到之處傳揚福音,使失喪靈魂蒙拯救。

但我認為,這其中還有另一個角度是我們未曾完全了解的。我相信主正差派華人帶領列國進入末後國度的匯合。這是什麼意思呢?全球的教會都會在靈裡「回歸耶路撒冷」,重新奪回主對祂身體的旨意。在這旅途上,神要對付那些歷世歷代以來囚禁教會的執政掌權者。

震動偶像

神的國度不是光停留於教導而已,而應該是教會活潑的真實。為了讓這個不能震動的國能透過並在基督的身體中間生出來,祂必須先震動這世界的國度,使教會從那些褻瀆祂名的權勢中被釋放出來。

從2008年猶太新年開始發生的金融風暴,動搖了許多國家的經濟,這是震動的第一個徵兆。神定意讓祂的子民從瑪門中得釋放,以致祂能藉著教會生出一個依據神的律法和原則所建立的新經濟體系,那就是約瑟和但以理的經濟體系。

過去幾年中東地區日益動盪,是兩個國度的衝撞的另一個主要徵兆。埃及、伊朗、伊拉克、敘利亞、土耳其等國家都在震動。為什麼?因為許多古老的堅固營壘都從這些國家誕生,時至今日許多掌控全地的邪靈仍住在那裡。神要對付這些邪靈,像波斯的魔君、巴比倫系統等,牠們借助人的私心建立自己的名聲。神也要對付那在以色列爭戰不休宗教的靈和埃及的眾神。

有些人認為,埃及的眾神在很久以前就已經消失了,事實卻不然──牠們只是在現代文化裡披上了新名:共濟會和新紀元。這兩個系統的根源都在埃及。因此,共濟會採用了方尖碑(即金字塔)和全視之眼。你有否想過為什麼許多全球主要的金融中心都採用方尖碑?那是因為共濟會的成員把它從埃及帶來,豎立在這些地方,好讓他們在靈界裡控制世界的金融系統。

按著我們西方的理性思維,我們會問:「你在說什麼?方尖碑不過是個雕塑,能有些什麼能力呢?」如果你想認識它的能力,請讀撒母耳記上第五章,當約櫃進入非利士人的神廟,裡面的大袞像就跌倒。假如那只是一塊石頭,為什麼會倒下?一塊石既不能思考,也不能看見,為什麼它會倒下?那是因為有一個靈住在那雕像裡面,而在神的同在裡,沒有權勢能站立得住,所以大袞像就仆倒在約櫃面前。到了第二天,非利士人看見它倒下,又把它扶起。猜猜他們再回來的時候,大袞像在哪裡?它不但仆下,而且破碎了。

以賽亞書第十九章提及了埃及和末世,預言的第一句就說主要乘駕快雲臨到,埃及的偶像都在祂面前戰兢。那些古老的「埃及眾神」,那些企圖透過政府和金融機關施行掌控的靈,全都要被震動。

建立不能震動的國

我們都必須謹記,這場國度衝撞之戰,不是我們能夠獨力面對的。這場爭戰乃屬於主,我們要做的就是與這位統帥對齊。神正在尋找一群人,一群在列國中願意讓祂掌權管治的餘民。主願意使用那些謙卑、破碎的人,他們不在乎自己的名聲,只在乎神的名被尊榮,祂的國被建立。祂會藉著這群人來對付這些靈。

因此,我相信在這個時刻,神正在呼召祂的教會進入另一個標準,因為祂要在我們的心上建立祂的國度。祂要在教會裡掌權、管治,為此我們要定意不再容忍生命中有任何污穢,也不容讓心思意念裡有任何摻雜。

假如你的生命正面臨震動,不要沮喪。這是主對你的預備。祂讓你經歷震動,不是為要拆毀你,而是為要預備你成為那不能震動的。你當為此而喜樂,不要回頭觀看!你活在此時此刻,是因為神對你有一個目的。你蒙召要成為祂那得勝國中的一名。

雁群的陣式

因為神要建立祂得勝的國度,所以祂命定了華人在此時此刻擔任帶領的角色。華人教會經歷許多震動、考驗和試煉,甚至面臨死亡的威脅,但他們仍然堅守、忠心,篤定不移的對王降服和委身。因他們願為神的緣故謙卑自己,擁抱破碎,神就如今興起他們,並賜給他們權柄,能生出一顆純淨的種子,代表整個基督身體來建立神的國度。

但這並不意味其他人,尤其是西方教會,能停觀不動。我們常常聽到人形容神的工作是一場接力賽,一位跑手完成自己的路程後交棒給下一位。若是形容一個世代的人離世交棒給下一代,這比喻的確是正確的。但在我們如今步伐加快的世代裡,神的工作並不限於一代,而是在多代中發生。因此,用加拿大常見的V形雁群來看世界各地領導位置的更換,或許較為貼切。雁群總是一起飛翔,總有一隻雁飛在V形的最前端,承受著最猛烈的風阻力,好讓飛在後面的雁能較為輕鬆。但承受風阻會令領頭雁很快疲倦,因此一段時間後牠就會飛移到雁群中,讓另一隻雁取代牠的領導位置。

我認為現在神在華人中的工作也是如此。在過去一段很長的時間裡,西方教會被放在雁群的最前頭,在許多個世紀中帶領教會經歷神的工作。我相信神現正在說:「西方教會,你做得很好。你曾多次為全球教會帶來一次又一次的突破,但現在我特別預備了我身體的另一部分──華人教會──帶領這一段跑程。他們將擁有足以面對未來抵抗的信心與堅忍,能夠剛強站立。」

面對這樣的領導位置轉換,雙方都需要某種程度的謙卑與恩典。首先,曾經長時間擔任領導位置的西方教會,必須願意承認神的手正在華人身上。我們也要明白,雖然我們的位置轉換,但這並不代表西方教會可以任意離群。我們仍要繼續保持隊形、一同飛翔、支持華人教會領導的位置。於此同時,華人也要謙卑的尊榮西方教會所栽種的,因為透過尊榮那些行在我們前面的父老,我們才能夠持守留在神的祝福中。

當我看見神如何在華人中間預備這顆願意尊榮的心,我實在被深深觸動了。當皮爾斯牧師在2012年8月將鑰匙交給中國大陸的領袖時,他們馬上跪下,感謝西方教會的犧牲,差派了像戴德生等數以千計的宣教士來中國,為了讓神的旨意成就在華人中間,甚至擺上自己的性命。他們也為華人在歷史上的罪悔改,他們的先祖曾拒絕、逼迫,甚至殺害這些宣教士。他們更作出了一個極美的宣告:「神現今如此厚待我們,讓我們有機會去帶領,我們將會興起來完成西方的屬靈父母親所渴望看見的一切。」然後又轉向站在台上的西方教會領袖,說:「請與我們同行,我們需要你們得智慧、支持和愛。我們是一家人。」

神掌權的計劃

因此我相信,因著華人的忠心與謙卑,神特別地將華人安置在這末後旅程──從地極回歸耶路撒冷──領導的位置。華人不但擁有不懼怕死亡的自由,還有另一個使他們有資格奔跑這段旅程的鑰匙:他們對以實馬利和以撒的後裔擁有同樣熱切的愛。

華人教會深愛猶太人,正如他們深愛阿拉伯人一樣。神藉著祂的智慧,讓華人在阿拉伯人與猶太人兩方面前極蒙恩寵,因而得以進入西方教會無法進入的領域,伸出膀臂去連結以實馬利的後裔、以撒的後裔和西方教會,使整個基督身體成為一家人。

萬物復興

使徒行傳三章二十一節告訴我們,在耶穌再回來之前,天父會首先復興萬事。神所應許的每一件事都必然成就,包括哈該書二章九節所提的:「這殿後來的榮耀必大過先前的榮耀」。我相信,隨著基督的身體「回歸耶路撒冷」,我們將見證的下一個重要的復還將是住棚節預言的成就──神將會用前所未有的方式住在祂的子民當中,這是自所羅門的日子以來未曾發生過的。

我可以再次看見神如何按著祂至高的智慧與時間,為全球教會的緣故,興起華人在此事上作先鋒。今天我在華人當中所看見的是言語所無法形容的。他們全然謙卑,徹底放下自己來順服神的旨意,讓主能迅速地帶領他們彼此合一,與祂對齊。我同樣相信,我在華人當中所經歷的神的同在,就是基督新婦將要在末後所得著的榮耀之預嚐。我相信主會使用祂在華人中間所彰顯的同在來激動其他基督身體的嫉妒,好叫每個國家中的餘民都起來呼求主,來預備他們成為祂榮耀的安息之所。

從東方來的智者

在二千年前,從東方來的智者跟隨那指向彌賽亞的徵兆。今天,主再次興起「東方來的智者」,在永恆裡命定裡成為先鋒,向全世界的教會吹號,使他們都認出那將再來君王的徵兆。

在神末後計劃的全球「棋盤」上,神將祂的「中國棋子」放在策略性的位置上,能在屬靈裡置敵人於死地,出奇制勝。

華人信徒們:聖靈正在呼召你擁抱你的命定──你是為著現今的時刻被帶進國度裡的。

亞洲的家人們:現在是「東方智者」如同一人步入謙卑與破碎的時候,好讓你能完成使命:喚醒全球基督身體,進入我們所處現今的時刻。

西方教會:神正在邀請你以信心和謙卑與華人信徒同行,跟隨他們帶領整個基督身體開展這段新的旅程,從地極回歸耶路撒冷。

願神賜恩典給我們,讓我們能如同一人地完全順服於元首基督,使父神的心歡喜,完成祂對全球基督新婦的旨意。

戴冕恩生於一個埃及的科普特基督徒家庭。在1984年,他順服主的呼召,毅然放棄行醫,轉而預備新婦迎接耶穌再來。他渴慕成為神的密友,而這也成為他的生命與事工的基礎。他的妻子路德是一位在加拿大執業的醫生,他們二人在埃及邂逅,並在1988年誕下第一名兒子後去加拿大。雖然他們數月後打算回到埃及去,但神卻清楚顯明祂的心意,要他們留在加拿大。現在他們仍定居於溫哥華,育有七名子女,路德仍然是位執業醫生。

在過去十五年,戴冕恩牧師在萬國守望者(Watchmen for the Nations,一個連繫數百個事工的加拿大關係網絡)的遮蓋下,策動了一群加拿大教會餘民站在破口上,為贖回國家的命定而代求。在2006年,一班華人領袖參與了一個加拿大全國性聚集後,表示也渴望看見華人也能經歷像加拿大一樣的救贖旅程,自此戴冕恩開始往中國去。今天,戴冕恩主要與中國及其他亞洲國家的領袖同行,幫助他們開展各自的旅程,釋放列國的救贖性命定,預備基督新婦迎接耶穌再來。

更多有關華人與亞洲列國的旅程的詳情,請瀏覽http://www.asiagathering.hk。 


The Road From Asia to Jerusalem


It was more than ten years ago that the Lord first began speaking to me about the role of the Chinese in His end-time global purposes.

I was invited by Pastor Ernest Chan, a well-known American Chinese leader, to speak at a large conference he was hosting in Los Angeles in July 2001.  Many Chinese believers would be attending from all over the world. I was seeking the Lord about what to share in the meeting when He asked me a question.

“What hinders My kingdom from being established in the Middle East, David?”

Having been born and raised in Egypt, a Muslim nation, I knew very well.

“It’s the fear of persecution and the fear of death,” I answered.

“Yes, but I have a prepared a people,” He continued, “a remnant of My body who have no fear of persecution or death.  It is the Chinese people and they will have a very special role to play in seeing the end-time destiny of the Jews and the Arabs being released.”

I was stunned by this revelation.  My heart has always been for my people, the Arabs, and through my journey in Canada, God had also given me a heart for the Jewish people.  But I had never seen any connection between this and the Chinese.

When I shared what the Lord had revealed to me in the meeting that night, the presence of God came in an unusual way.  It was as if we were all captured in a divine moment of sovereign revelation.  In fact, Ernest was so stirred that he immediately encouraged the people to sow into printing one million CDs of this message, to be shared throughout the Chinese world. On the spot, all the money was raised.

But when we went to the professional company who was producing the CDs of the conference, the recording of my sharing was completely blank!  All you could hear was my voice praying at the beginning, then silence throughout my message until I came to the closing prayer.  As soon as I said “Amen” the recording began again.

We assumed it was an equipment malfunction, so my friend and pastor Gideon Chiu, who had been videotaping the meeting on his camcorder, suggested we could take the audio from his tape.  But when we looked at the tape it was the exactly the same story:  just as I began my message, the tape went blank and the recording never resumed until just after I finished.

My first thought was that this was warfare from the enemy.  But then the Lord spoke to me clearly saying, “It is not the time for this message to go wider yet, David.”

So I left this conference knowing there was something profound about the destiny of the Chinese, but I wasn’t sure what, where or when the next step would be.  A few months later, Pastor Ernest invited me to join him for some meetings he was having in Asia that November.  I prayed and I felt the Lord said to go.  Before this though, I was scheduled to speak in an international conference in Israel.

Then September 11th happened.  The airline schedules were in chaos and all the new airport security measures were causing huge delays.  It was not an easy time to be an Egyptian flying to Israel.  So I asked the Lord if I should cancel my trip.  But He answered that I must go because there was someone I was supposed to meet there.

At the conference I had many meetings with many people, but at no time did I get the clear sense “this is the person” I was supposed to meet.   So I came home mystified.

A few days later, Pastor Ernest called, saying he had received a message from Taiwanese pastor who had just met me in Jerusalem and wanted me to speak in his church during the November trip.

Suddenly I remembered this man – he was supposed to leave back home before I arrived, but the post 9-11 airline problems had delayed his return by a couple of days.  So he “happened” to be there while I was speaking.  After my sharing he asked to meet with me, but because he didn’t speak English we had to communicate through a translator.  When he told me he was from Taiwan, I mentioned I would be traveling there in November and he had asked if I would speak at a leaders meeting at his church.  I didn’t think much of it – he seemed like a very nice man and I thought maybe he was the pastor of a small church who would like me to encourage his leadership.

“David, do you know who this man is?” Pastor Ernest continued.  “Pastor Nathaniel Chow is the founder and apostolic overseer of a movement with more than one hundred daughter churches worldwide. He is one of the most respected and trusted leaders in Taiwan.”  At that moment I realized the Lord was up to more than I could understand.

I will never forget this meeting in Taipei, which was a gathering of the movement’s leaders from all around the world.  As I began to share about the destiny of the Chinese, suddenly my translator (who I later found out was Tony Tseng, the president of Good TV, the only 7×24 Chinese Christian TV station in the world) started weeping to the point he could no longer continue. The rest of those present were also so overcome that they came out of their chairs weeping and travailing and lay across the altar and the platform calling out for the destiny of the Chinese.

As I watched this scene unfold, the Lord spoke to me that the day would come when He would gather the Chinese people to worship and seek His face, waiting on Him for His steps to see the destiny of the Chinese fulfilled.  And when they did, this would benefit not only the Chinese, but God’s end-time purposes for the Middle East and for the body of Christ globally.

The Journey Begins

I believe that we are now living in the days when the destiny of the Chinese is coming into collision with the timings of God.  In 2009 the Lord opened the door for the first Chinese gathering in Vancouver, Canada during Rosh Hashanah. One thousand believers gathered to worship and wait on the Lord without man-made agenda or schedule.  The Chinese are masters at planning and scheduling, but for this gathering they chose to lay aside these natural talents to allow His Spirit to completely direct the meetings.  And the Lord honoured their obedience by His manifested presence.  And He used this gathering as a seed to birth the first global gathering of the Chinese in Hong Kong in May 2010.

In the first Hong Kong gathering, the Lord focused on uniting the five thousand Chinese, attending from Asia and around the world, into one Body as a prophetic sign of His desire for the greater Chinese Church. As the remnant who attended obeyed and waited on the Lord together, He released a spirit of repentance that broke through traditional barriers between streams and nations and caused the hearts of all those present to be knit together as one true family.  At the end of the gathering, all those present stood and declared prophetically, on behalf of the wider Chinese Body of Christ, “The Chinese are one family!  The Chinese have come home!  Back home to the Father!”

The next year, the Lord released another call for believers, from Asia and around the world, to gather in Hong Kong during the Feast of Pentecost, June 8-11, 2011.  And He gave this promise from Jeremiah 32:39: “I will give them one heart and one way.” Twelve thousand believers from more than thirty nations responded to this call. During the gathering, the Lord challenged the Chinese to lay aside their own agendas and plans and surrender their lives unconditionally to Him. His desire was that this act of corporate surrender would become a seed through which He might restore the miracle of one accord (divine unity) into the Body of Christ worldwide, preparing the Bride for her end-time mandate and hastening the Lord’s return.  As all those present stood and covenanted by faith, I believe a beachhead was established in the spirit realm for the sake of the body of Christ worldwide.

In 2012, fifteen thousand believers from many nations once again met in Hong Kong for the “Kingdom Come” gathering, August 1-4, 2012.  Before God’s Kingdom can be established in the world, first He must secure His rule and reign over a remnant of His Body.  And the Lord used the Chinese as a prophetic seed for the whole Body as they declared His Supreme Rule as King of kings and Lord of lords over His Bride, from every colour and tribe and nation.  Then Chuck Pierce, standing on behalf of the Western Church leaders, presented a key, inscribed with Isaiah 22:22, to the leaders of the Mainland Chinese church.  This was a prophetic symbol of the West acknowledging and affirming the role God is giving the Chinese to lead the next wave in the Church.

The Road to Jerusalem

If we look at the bigger picture of the Church since Christ came to earth, we know that its foundations were laid by the Jewish people – the twelve apostles and faithful early converts.  There were no Gentiles in the Church at this time.

But when the Lord opened the door for the Gentiles, it brought the Church into a whole new dimension of our journey; the phase of taking the gospel literally from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth.  This phase, led primarily by the Western Church, has lasted almost two thousand years and was primarily evangelism and missions-oriented.   But the next and final stage of the Church I believe will be the Church returning from the ends of the earth to Jerusalem and it will lead to an unprecedented outpouring of the Holy Spirit and world-impacting revival,

Many people speak about the “back to Jerusalem” movement and the Chinese Church has recognized this is a part of their destiny as a people.  But what does this term “back to Jerusalem” actually mean?  One view is that it’s about preaching the gospel in the Middle East.  And there is truth in this as we will always have a mandate to preach the gospel everywhere we go and to see the lost saved.

But I think there is another angle that we may not have fully understood. I believe that the Lord is also entrusting the Chinese to lead the nations into the convergence of the end-time Kingdom.  What do I mean by that?  The Church worldwide is going to make its way “back to Jerusalem” in the spirit realm, reclaiming all the Lord originally intended His body to be.   And through this journey, God will confront the principalities and powers that have kept the Church captive for centuries.

Shaking the Idols

The Kingdom of God was never meant to just be a teaching, it was meant to be the living reality of the Church.  But in order for God to birth this unshakable Kingdom among and through the Body of Christ, first He must shake the kingdoms of this world and set the Church free from the powers that have defiled His name.

The financial meltdown that began on Rosh Hashanah 2008 and left the economies of many nations de-stabilized is a first sign of this shaking.  God is determined to set His people free from the control of Mammon so that through the Church, He can birth a new economy based on His laws and principles.  It will be the economy of the Josephs and the Daniels.

The increasing turmoil in the Middle East in the last few years is another major sign of the clash between kingdoms. Egypt is shaking and so are Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey to name a few.  Why? Because these are the nations that were the birthing places of many ancient strongholds, the habitations of powerful spirits that are still ruling in the earth today.  And God is looking to confront these spirits, like the spirit of the prince of Persia and the Babylonian system which, fueled by the power of human initiative, seeks to build a name for itself.  And He will also confront the spirit of religion that we see warring over the land of Israel, as well as the gods of Egypt.

Some people think the gods of Egypt are long gone. But they didn’t vanish – they just took on new names in our modern culture: Freemasonry and the New Age.  Both of these systems find their roots in Egypt. That’s why the Freemasons have adopted the obelisk, the pyramid, and the “all-seeing eye”.  Have you ever wondered why many of the major financial centers of the world have an obelisk? It’s because the Freemasons took them from Egypt and erected them in these places so that they could exert spiritual control over all the financial systems of the world.

Now in our Western rational mindset we think, “What are you talking about? An obelisk is just a statue.  What kind of power is in a statue?” Well, if you want to know the power, go back to I Samuel 5 when the Ark of the Covenant went into the temple of Philistines. There was a god in that temple in a statue form called Dagon. And when the Ark of the Covenant entered the temple of the Philistines that statue, Dagon, fell down. Why would a statue fall down if it’s just a rock?  After all, a rock can’t think or see.  So why did it fall down? It fell because there was a spirit inhabiting that statue and in the presence of God, there is no power that can stand.  So down Dagon went, bowing before the Ark. The next day the Philistines found him and pushed him back up.  But when they returned, what did they find?  Dagon was not only bowed down, now he was broken too.

Isaiah 19 is a prophecy about Egypt and the end times. And the first line of that prophecy says that the Lord is coming on a swift cloud and the idols of Egypt will tremble.  And the ancient “gods of Egypt”, these spirits that have tried to exercise their rule through governmental and financial authorities, are being shaken.

Establishing an Unshakeable Kingdom

But it is very important for us to remember that this battle, the clash of the kingdoms, is not something you and I can face on our own. This battle is the Lord’s and all we need to do is align ourselves behind the Commander-in-Chief.   God is looking for a people, a remnant from throughout the nations, over whom He can reign and rule.  And the Lord will use humble, broken people, who don’t care about their reputation, but only care about the Name of the Lord being honoured and the Kingdom of God being established.  And through these people, He will confront these spirits.

That’s why I believe at this hour, the Lord is calling the Church to another standard because He wants to establish His Kingdom over our hearts. He wants to reign and rule in His Church.  And for that to happen, we have to make the decision not to tolerate any more defilement in our lives.  No more mixture in our hearts, no more mixture in our thoughts.

If you have been enduring a time of shaking in your life, don’t be discouraged.  This is the preparation of the Lord for you. He is shaking you not to destroy you but to prepare you for the unshakable.  So count it all joy and don’t look back. If you are alive in this hour, it is because the Lord has a purpose for you. You are called to be part of His overcoming Kingdom.

The V-Formation

And I believe that it is because of God’s plan to establish His overcoming kingdom that He has destined the Chinese to take the lead in this hour.  The Chinese Church has been shaken, tested and tried, even to the point of death.  Yet they have remained steadfast and faithful, unswerving in their absolute devotion and surrender to the King.   And as they have embraced humility and brokenness for His sake, now the Lord is raising them up with an authority to birth a pure seed of the establishment of the Kingdom on behalf of the whole body of Christ.

But that doesn’t mean that the rest of us, especially those of us from the Western Church, can just sit back and watch them run.  Often we have heard the moves of God described like a relay race; one runner finishes his leg and passes the baton on to the next.  And this is a true picture when we are talking about one generation releasing the torch to the next generation as they pass away from the earth.  But in the accelerated times in which we are living, we are not only seeing one move in a generation, we are seeing many.  And so perhaps a better way of looking at these leadership transitions in the global body is to look at the V-formation that is common among the Canadian geese.  A whole flock of geese fly together, but there is one goose which is positioned at the very front of the V, to take the full force of the wind resistance and make it easier for all those behind him. But of course, facing that wind is exhausting, so after a period of time the lead goose will move back into the formation while another goose will take his place at the head of the V.

And that’s how I see what God is doing right now with the Chinese.  For a long time, the Western church has been positioned at the front of the V, leading the charge through many moves of God over centuries.  And I believe the Lord is saying, “Western Church, you have done well and you have broken through again and again for the rest of the Church worldwide.   But now I have specially prepared another part of My body, the Chinese, to take the lead for this leg of the journey.  And they will have the faith and perseverance needed to stand strong in the face of the resistance that is coming.”

This kind of shift in leadership takes a certain amount of humility and grace from both parties.   First, the Western Church, which have been used to leading for a very long time, has to be willing to acknowledge the hand of God upon the Chinese.  And we have to understand that, though our position may be changing, that doesn’t mean that we can leave the flock.   We need to remain in the formation, flying together, supporting the leadership of the Chinese.  At the same time, the Chinese have to have the humility to honour what the Western Church has sown, because honoring the fathers, those who have gone before us, is what keeps us in the flow of continuous blessing of the Lord.

I have been genuinely touched to see how much God has deposited this heart to honour in the Chinese.  When Chuck Pierce presented the key to the mainland Chinese leaders in August 2012, their response was to fall on their knees, thanking the Western Church for their sacrifice in sending missionaries, men like Hudson Taylor and thousands of others, who gave their lives to see God’s purposes being fulfilled among the Chinese.   They also repented for their historic sins of rejecting, persecuting and even killing these missionaries.  And then they declared something truly beautiful:  “As God now gives us the privilege to lead, we will rise up and bring a fulfillment to everything the Western spiritual fathers and mothers had hoped for and longed to see.”  Then they turned to the Western Church leaders standing on stage with them and said, “Please walk with us. We need your wisdom, we need your support, and we need your love. We are one family.”

God’s Sovereign Plan

So I believe God has uniquely positioned the Chinese, through their faithfulness and humility, to lead in the Church in this part of our end-time journey – from the ends of the earth back to Jerusalem.  But the Chinese also possess a key something beyond their freedom from the fear of death that qualifies them for this journey: an equally fervent love for the sons of Ishmael and for the sons of Isaac.

The Chinese Church loves the Jewish people in the same way that they love and feel called to the Arabs.  And in His wisdom, God has even positioned the Chinese in the natural realm, to have major favour among the Arabs as well as respect among the Jews. So the Chinese are able to go where the Western Church cannot. They are able to stretch their arms wide to embrace not only the sons of Ishmael and the sons of Isaac, but also the Western Church, bringing the whole Body together into one family.

The Restoration of All Things

Acts 3:21 tells us that a time is coming before the return of Jesus when the Father will restore everything.  Every promise will be fulfilled, including the one spoken in Haggai 2:9 that the “glory of the latter house will be greater than the glory of the former.”  I believe one of the next major restorations we are going to witness as the Body of Christ heads “back to Jerusalem” will be the fulfillment of the Feast of Tabernacles – God dwelling among His people in a way unprecedented since the days of Solomon.

And I can see how again, in His sovereign wisdom and timing, the Lord is raising up the Chinese to be forerunners in this for the whole global body of Christ.  What I am witnessing today among the Chinese defies description. Their humility and complete abandonment to the will of God, is allowing the Lord to speedily bring them into unity one with another and alignment with his Headship.  And the presence of God that I have experienced when I am among the Chinese I believe is a foretaste of the glory that is the Bride’s inheritance in the last days.  And I trust the Lord will use this deposit of His presence among the Chinese to provoke jealousy in the rest of the Church, causing a remnant in every nation to begin to cry out to the Lord to prepare them also to be a resting place for His glory.

Wise Men from the East

Two thousand years ago, wise men from the East followed the signs pointing to the coming Messiah. Today, as part of their eternal destiny the Lord is once again raising up “wise men from the East” as forerunners to trumpet a call to the Church worldwide to recognize the signs of her soon-returning King.

In the global “chess board” of God’s end-time purposes, the Lord is now surprising His opponent by moving His “Chinese piece” into a strategic position, a spiritual “checkmate” that will assure His victory at the end of the game.

To the Chinese believers:  the Spirit is calling you to embrace your destiny – you have been brought into the Kingdom for such a time as this.

To all the Asian brethren:  the time has come for “wise men from the East” to walk in humility and brokenness together as one so that you might to fulfill your mandate to awaken the global body to the hour in which we are living.

And to the Western Church:  God is asking you by faith and humility to join with the Chinese believers as they lead the whole body of Christ in this new journey, from the ends of the earth back to Jerusalem.

May God grant the grace for us all to walk together as one man in complete submission to the Headship of Christ, bringing pleasure to the heart of the Father and the fulfillment of His purposes for the Bride worldwide.
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David Demian was born in Egypt to Coptic Christian parents.  In 1984, he left a successful career as a medical doctor when he obeyed the call of the Lord to begin to prepare the Bride for the Second Coming. His passion to be a friend of God, first and foremost, has led him on an amazing journey in life and ministry. In 1988, he and his wife Ruth, a Canadian medical doctor he met in Egypt, came to Canada for the birth of their first son. Though they intended to return to Egypt a few months later, God clearly directed them to stay in Canada.  Today they still live in Vancouver, BC where they raise their family of seven children and Ruth continues to practice as a physician.

For almost fifteen years, under the umbrella of Watchmen for the Nations (a relational network of hundreds of ministries in Canada) David facilitated a journey among a remnant of the Canadian church to stand in the gap to redeem the destiny of the nation.  He began traveling to China in 2006 after a group of leaders, who had attended a Canadian national gathering, shared their longing to see the Chinese walk in the same redemptive journey for their people that they had experienced in Canada.  Today David’s main focus is walking with leaders in China and other Asian countries, helping them to facilitate their own journeys to see the redemptive destinies of their nations released and the Bride of Christ prepared for Jesus return.