A Heavenly Shed Raising

 

Photograph courtesy of Toronto Archives, "Barn Raising", (ca. 1911) from the William James Family Fonds, Fonds 1244, Item 3170.

I AM, the Lord God, over all the earth! I AM He who makes His enemies a footstool. I AM the One and Only God. There is no god above Me. There is no other! For I AM, a Jealous God, for you, Oh Canada! How you have moved My Heart. How you cause Me to swoon and extend My Hand towards you with love and affection. My Heart’s desire is to love you, to caress you and to lift you up higher. My desire is to save and to wrap My Arms around you as a husband comforts a wife. For the wife weeps for she is barren, lost her kin and her way.

For the Lord, your God, says to you this day, Oh Canada, I AM wrapping My Arms around you. I AM whispering in your ear, “You are worthy.” “I AM pleased with you.” and “I love you.” You are the love of My Heart, Canada. You hold a special place in My Heart and I burn for you. I shall encircle Myself around you. I shall lift you up. I HAVE BROKEN THE YOKE OF YOUR ABUSERS.

Canada, My love, there are those who have assaulted you. They have molested you and taken advantage of your innocence. They sought to degrade you and prostitute you out. They brought idols and other gods to distract you. They have tried with great might, power and diligence to seduce you away from your First Love but it did not work. For you, Oh Canada, you remembered Me. 

While they tried to pull you away and strip you. While they tried to dress you up as a harlot and lavish you with red lipstick and dark seducing eye-shadow, your heart cried out. It cried out against you. Then they tried to remove the wedding band. They tried to “yank” it off your finger but you pulled back. You remembered Me, My Covenant, and the Love I have for you. You called out to Me. You cried out to Me. “Lord, Lord save us!” “Lord, Lord save us from these wicked men!”

Ha, ha, like the Lone Ranger I AM has trekked across the desert, traversed mountains and dove through rivers. I came, like in your cowboy movies, I knocked down the saloon doors and with “guns-a-blazing!” For you, Oh Canada, are the apple of My Eye. There is no evil, decrepit and vile place I wouldn’t go to save you!

"'The Town Marshall' painting by John Innes.", [ca. 1900], (CU1205163) by Unknown. Courtesy of Libraries and Cultural Resources Digital Collections, University of Calgary. 

So I have come! I HAVE COME TO SAVE MY BRIDE! These evil wicked men from a serpent’s gang, cover their faces with bandanas and handkerchiefs of blood. They scatter as shots go off! Some shall die behind the bar and drown themselves in liquor and oil. Others will fall behind the card tables. Their sleeves will empty as cards and stolen chips fall out. Oh, how I will shake out their coat pockets. Oh, how I will force them to lay all their chips out. Some will try and run to the backstage. They will try to hide behind those women they victimized and they shall play the victim. They shall say, “I was just following orders!” “I was just doing what I was told!”

Oh, but I know their hearts. I AM the Just Judge. When the chaos breaks, a frenzy for power will begin, and they will shoot and scream aimlessly. Some will fire at each other. Others will not have enough ammo and will have to turn-tail and run. But there are those who would defiantly stand before Me. They dare to challenge the God Sheriff, the fastest and quickest shot in all the land! For they think they can cheat their way out. They believe they can throw dust in My Eyes and supplant a serpent in My Boots? Oh, how childish! I will pick them up by their breeches, I will shake them until they are exposed for all to see. Many will stand on trial before the whole town square and others will not live to see daylight again. 

The Great Sheriff has come and I AM lighting up your saloon and places of depravity. I AM saving the women and the children. I AM pulling you, Oh Canada, out of the dark places. I have come to save you and I AM building a New Life for you. 

The town will burn. The townsfolk will rant and rave but there are those, the Remnant, who will dance and sing about! They will sing praises and call on the Spirit. They will do a rain dance and the rain of My Spirit shall pour out. All the evil and corruption burnt to crisp! Amen and let it be so!

The townsfolk will cry and lament but then they will watch. They will watch and see as My Children, those who had praised, sung and celebrated during the Fire, begin to rebuild. They will watch as My children get to work!

Watch, Oh Canada! Watch as I have already prepared your new beginning. Watch as My Children build and work as a Body. I have gone before them. I have went out and leveled the land, cleared the rubble and the debris. Now is the time that they will dig. They will dig, dig, dig and continue digging deep beneath the surface. They will show and expose the Rock. For there is a Rockbed beneath you Canada. It was established by your ancestors and it shall be revealed again. Then they shall build walls, great walls of the Kingdom! Four walls shall be built and they signify East, West, North and South of you, Oh Canada. My Children, My Children, alone shall tie and tether strong ropes. Ropes that were woven from divine connections. They are ropes fashioned as a threefold cord. They shall coil around one another but the rope fibers. The rope fibers are My People’s prayers, their acts of faith, and the declarations that have gone out. These fibers have united together creating threefold cords: My Bride, My Spirit and Me, Oh Canada. For My Children are My Bride and My Son is the loving Bridegroom who has gone out into the wilderness and saved you.

Photograph courtesy of Toronto Archives. "Barn Raising, farm of Joseph Bales, Lansing, North York Township". [ca. 1905] from the Fonds 1568: Item 177; Alexander Galbraith fonds.

The Children shall tie the ropes on the walls, they shall pull, bringing up each corner to its corner and each side to its side. I AM the Great Craftsman and all will fit perfectly together so celebrate My Children! Celebrate for you are integral to the Heavenly Shed Raising. We are raising up a Heavenly Kingdom in you, Oh Canada! We are joining you all together Canada for Heaven’s purposes. You shall be united. Your four corners shall be brought together and My Children shall raise it up! On the Rock it shall not be shaken. A Holy Shed Raising. A Holy Kingdom it shall be!

The townspeople and religious preachers who stood and watched, many will jump for joy but there are those who will turn up their noses. They will snort and snicker and say, “We were expecting a palace! Where is the King’s palace? This is but a barn? What good is a barn and a shed?”

I say to the religious hypocrites, do not mock My Heavenly Kingdom. Do not hold yourselves in derision against My Plans for you will miss out. I have told you I AM breaking your boxes. I AM destroying your preconceived notions and eradicating religious pride. Who do you think you are, oh preachers? Oh, religious pharisees? For you have turned My Temple into a circus. You have made My holy places into a den of thieves. I AM DONE d forWITH MAN’S NOTION OF CHURCH! I AM STRIPPING AWAY EVERY LAYER, NOTION, AND THOUGHT OF WHO YOU THINK I AM AND HOW I SHOULD ACT! YOU DO NOT KNOW ME AND YOU NEVER KNEW ME SO HOW CAN YOU THINK YOU WOULD RECOGNIZE MY KINGDOM! MY WAYS ARE NOT YOUR WAYS SO HOLD YOU TONGUE RELIGIOUS MAN.I AM DOING AWAY WITH ALL RELIGIOUS SPIRITS! I AM DONE WITH YOUR CHURCH GAMES, FUNDRAISERS, SHEEP COUNTING, THEATRICS AND CHURCH CORPORATIONS. I AM DONE WITH IT!

You can sneer and scowl at the woman who gave Me a “measly” two copper mites but I rejoice in her willing and obedient heart! Amen. For those who are willing of heart, those who searched me out in the broom closets and gathered in living rooms and on lawns. They drew Me there, as well. I was welcomed, I was their heart’s cry and in return I drew them close to Me in My Secret Place. 

So, Oh Canada, Heaven’s presence and the Kingdom shall come in the form of a shed. Oh yes, a small barn. It will confound the wise, it will anger the religious but it welcomes all. I have come to save your nation and saving is what shall occur.

The Kingdom in Canada shall be rough and tumble. It will be humble and a haven for the hurting.Those who are wounded sheep. Those who are lost sheep shall come far and wide. My Servants shall bring them in, We will clean and wash them. We will pull off the ticks and parasites. We shall bind up their brokenness and they shall rest for I lead them to still waters. My rod and staff comfort them. I AM the Good Shepherd.

My Servants shall even lead and call in the wild rams and goats but once they are touched. Once they have been touched by My Goodness they shall change to sheep for they will know My Voice. And they too, will grow and feed until they have matured. I will send them out and they shall become Mighty Lions! Mighty Roaring Lions of GOD! Oh yes! These lions shall tread in the desolate places, they shall roam and cause any remaining jackals and hyenas to flee. With one ROAR DARKNESS SHALL FLEE!

From around the world, the people will call on Canada’s Mighty Lions! They will say, “Call on the nation of the Maple Leaf! Call on them for they have walked in darkness but prevailed. Call on their God for He has turned them over!” The Lions of Canada make Hell tremble and scream with terror!

So, I the Lord your God say, Canada, Canada! Do not cower back! Do not clamp your mouths shut. Do not fall back with fear. The enemy is rearing up. He is riling up his minions for one last bastion of control but it shall backfire. It shall fall back on them because their ropes are weak and the fibers have come loose. They are unwinding on themselves and the cage they sought to erect shall try to be lifted off the ground but the cords will snap and it will fall on them. Squish, splat, gone. A puff of dust shall rise up. Everyone shall hold their breath only when it settles shall they see, nothing of the enemy’s plans shall remain. Ha, ha, ha! I AM the God who laughs at their schemes! Ha, ha, ha! I AM the God of the Circle and I AM bringing everything to full circle. Amen. So be it. 

Yea, Oh Canada, I say to you look for the bees. Watch and look for a strange occurrence of honey bees. For they shall build and erect their nest in a strange place it will be a sign unto you. My Kingdom is as the Bees. Gentle, mild, and always steadfast. They are productive and produce rich, healing honey.

Watch! Watch the flies for they are parasites. They do nothing and are nothing. They feed off others and defecate on everything and anything like the Lord of the Flies! The flies shall rise up and destroy but I shall move My Hand and thwart their plans. I shall move and they will not be able to hatch and destroy the precious crops. No! No, they shall not! Amen.

Watch, watch, Oh Canada for in your news. Yes, in your news there are those who shall make slips of the tongue. Yes, watch as your officials and even your judges shall make slips of the tongues. Though they will try to cover it up it will only make it worse for the Host are already unwinding their thread of lies.

Yes, I the Lord God, AM, moving. I AM moving upon the people. I AM moving upon the people who are ignorant, brainwashed and gullible. I AM moving upon them so do not fret. I have heard your prayers, Oh Canada! Do not worry, I AM waking up those who have slumbered. Those that have been mummified. I AM removing the web of lies, I AM opening up their coffins so the light comes in. Those who have locked themselves up in coffins, Oh, they shall hear the lions’ roars! Even if they cover their ears it will still be heard. The bells of Freedom shall ring out. The Song of Truth sung. There shall be no excuse. No, not one excuse shall stand before Me. 

For I AM the Humble Farmer. I AM a God who farms. I strap on overalls. I, too, wear a straw hat and I enjoy planting and harvesting. For My Eyes move to and fro across your land, Oh Canada. I look across the fields, scanning them for willing and obedient soil. But I AM going before you and lighting up the field. For your fields, Oh Canada, they are filled with briars, burdocks and weeds. They steal, steal, steal your nutrients. So I shall set you aflame. And water you with My Spirit. I will till this land and churn it up. I will churn you up and plant in you Mighty Seeds of My Gifts. Oh, how you will grow. A beautiful field of wheat. I AM raising up the farmers for their time has come. I AM turning up the dial. I AM revving up the tractors, things are about to get loud.

Trudeau may say, “cut the nitrogen by 30%”! BUT I SAY TO YOU, OH TRUDEAU, I AM CUTTING OUT THE EVIL, CORRUPTION, AND DARKNESS 100%! There is no room for your stench and emissions. You and your cabinet of people, oh, how you wreak of depravity. I AM cutting you and your plans down 100% I AM DECLARING A NET ZERO OF DARKNESS! HA, HA, HA!

Your boat is sinking Trudeau. Many have already jumped ship but just you wait. You thought one of your orange puppets was in your control. Oh, watch, as I cut his strings and he shall turn on you! Oh, yes! Watch as he follows the money. The money you no longer have. The backing you no longer have. 

Push, push, push everything through. You are running out of time and you scurry around to push evil through but the funnel. The funnel of evil that has worked with you. It has taken from many and funnelled it through a narrow way. I AM placing My Hand over that funnel. Ha, ha! I AM placing My Hand over that funnel. Let US see what you will do, Trudeau? Where are your bribes? Where are your backers? Oh yes, they are having a meeting about you. They are doing an annual report about you. Should we keep him or scrap him? Yes, they sit in a circle, clouds of cigar smoke and filth wafting above them. They are discussing your usefulness and it doesn’t look good. They are doing away with you. You are too big of a collateral to take. Yes, the pressure is on you! Not the Canadian people. 

Watch as you will soon see tantrums begin to manifest. Watch, Canada, because your leaders are feeling the pressure and they will break character. Watch, as I move My Hand and Trudeau, like Pharaoh, throws slips of the tongue and eventually tantrums. For he is a spoilt child and he is so unyielding that his arrogance will not allow him to admit defeat. He refuses to humble himself and so he has been given over to a reprobate mind. You will watch slowly, as little by little he loses his mind like that of Nebuchadnezzar. Watch and see.

Pray! Pray! Pray My Remnant for the leaders that I have prepared. Pray a hedge of protection for those that have refused to be silent. Pray for Leslyn Lewis for there are plans to silence her. Yes, they wish to place a gag order on her. They want to tie her up in legal fees and they want to mar her reputation with lies. Pray for her and like Daniel in the Lions’ Den I will shut the mouths of these evil scheming lions who seek to devour her. Lions of media, lions of so-called courts and lions of politics.

I say to you, I have called up leaders. I have called up kings and priests. I have called up helpers, advisors, prophets. I have called up the “everyday” citizen. I have called up the retired, the forgotten and the elderly. I have called up the rustic and the Little Ones. I AM appointing them with mantles of authority, badges of honor and rings of command. They will lead this nation, riding on the winds of My Spirit, sailing on uncharted waters but I will carry them on Waves of Glory. Amen.

Do not be disturbed, Oh Canada, neither be dismayed. I say, Vengeance is Mine, says the Lord and I will take care of those who have bowed the knee to Baal, Marduk, Ishtar and the Devil. Do not hold onto it. Do not allow anger, resentment, bitterness to fester in your hearts. I say to you forgive, let go and I will heal your hearts. I will bring perfect Justice. Do not fear.

Amen and amen. Glory to God in the Highest for He comes down to save man. All honor be to Him. All Grace, Mercy, Joy be to Him. He is a Just and Righteous God and He cares for His people. We sing to you, Oh Father, We sing to you, Oh Holy Spirit and We sing to you, Oh Lord Jesus! Let our praises come before the gates of Heaven. Let them ring through the streets of heaven and be before you a well and good-smelling fragrance. For you alone are worthy! You alone are deserving! YOU ARE THE ONE TRUE GOD ON HIGH! Amen!

A Holy Fire and Pine Trees

Photographed by: Matt Howard from Unsplash.com

“For our God is a consuming fire.” - Hebrews 12:29

Pine trees! Pine trees! The Canadian people have stood like pine trees. They stretch and grow from East to West and North to South. I the Lord of Hosts, the God Adonai, say to you, Oh Canada, woe, woe to you and all that you know. Woe to your leaders and the corruption that has seeped and saturated itself into your soil. The land on which the pine trees grow has been polluted with much wickedness, sin and abominations!

I, the Lord God, AM reigning down a Holy Fire! Like volcanoes that erupt and shake the earth, it shall come with great impact! It will set aflame the pine trees. It will burn across the land in people’s hearts. For the people of Canada know not! They do not see the depravity and wickedness in which they sit. A Sodom and Gomorrah lay just around the corner and it was enticing you, Oh Canada!

The perversions, wickedness and darkness called out to you and some have embraced it. But the Remnant, MY REMNANT, stood on guard and called Me in so I SHALL WORK! I AM has come and He comes like blazing white FIRE!

Fire so pure! Fire so Holy and full of Light that darkness CANNOT be tolerated! You called for My glory, Oh Canada! You call for My Ways! But I cannot reside where there is sin! For what does Light have in common with darkness? NOTHING! One must leave and it shall not be ME!

A Holy Fire shall spread across this land. The pine trees will all be aflame! Many will say, “Stop! Stop!” and “Enough! Enough! Our world is on fire! All is being destroyed!” But you do not see that the pine trees have been covered in scales and blight! The forest has been decrepit, sick and producing nothing. Your branches are dry and brittle, the pine trees swoon with sickness. Even the very soil in which they grow has been polluted and tampered with. Your roots have been rotting and the forest in which you call your nation shall continue to die if darkness continues any longer. For the blood of innocence has been spilled and the earth cried out to Me and rejects and reviles the trees so they cannot grow and produce.

I have come so that they may have Life and Life in abundance. I have come to save and rescue but those who have lived in darkness for so long do not know the muck and mire in which they stand. So I come! I COME WITH FIRE, JUSTICE AND MERCY! I COME TO SAVE, TO LOVE AND TO RESCUE!

But some will only see destruction! They will only see what the FIRE consumes. They wail, cry and grind their teeth because they despise change and love sin. They enjoyed and were comfortable living in darkness. BUT I SAY ENOUGH! I SAY ENOUGH OF THE EVIL! ENOUGH OF THE BLOOD OF INNOCENCE BEING SPILLED! I say to you, Oh Canada, the FIRE is here to burn up the dry brush! To eliminate the corruption from the inside out and to turn over the soil and make it new.

I AM ridding this nation of sickness, corruption and sin! It will be uncomfortable, it will shine light in darkness and yes, it is absolutely necessary! You cannot have the Glory without holiness! You cannot continue to grow and accelerate when the land is polluted. SO I HAVE COME! Blazing like fire to burn out ANY and ALL WICKEDNESS!

The dust will settle. The FIRE will consume all and though some will only see scorched pine trees they do not see that it shall grow back double. It shall grow double its size and be accelerated. When all has been purified then the rain comes and covers the pine trees. It is the Spirit and He shall move across the land and bring healing, restoration and show the Goodness of God which leads to repentance. 

The rain shall wash over the land and pine trees that were purified. The pine cones will fall, the resin burnt up and the seeds of Greatness and Destiny shall be released. Seeds that have been laid up dormant and protected can now be released because the soil, sickness and sin was finally removed! 

Glory to God in the Highest who shines and whose Light shall never cease. He is the beginning and the end. He is the spark of Life, a Holy Fire and the giver of all Life! Amen! Be Glory to God in the highest and bring forth your Holy Fire Oh, Lord! Bring it down and purify these hearts. Search them and bring everything into the Light. Even those things which we do not know nor do not want to know. Bring it all into the Light and turn us over! Amen.

I also say this, this day, woe to you, Oh Gerald Butts! Woe to you, for you shall be the BUTT of all jokes across this nation! Your secret rendezvous and your wanton ways shall be displayed and leaked. You have done well keeping under the radar and out of the camera’s view, butt there is coming a time when who you really are and what you have done shall be leaked. The dishonour in your family has run rampant. The sneers and snickers you make behind closed doors I shall bring to the forefront. The nation will laugh at you and you shall go down as the BUTT of all jokes. For you have hardened yourself against Me. Like a stubborn ass that kicks up and snorts at its master you have kicked up and made a childish fuss. The road before you was open but now it is coming to a close. You and all the other sneering pack mules shall come to the end of your road!

Soros, Soros, what a sorrowful man you are. How pitiful you are yet how depraved you are. A lonely, old man grasping for the little control he has in his life. Yet sin is your mistress and darkness your master. I AM turning you over and shaking you up. OUT, OUT, OUT shall come the deep dark secrets of your pocket book! OUT IT SHALL COME FOR I CALL IT FORTH! ENOUGH OF YOUR DEPRAVITY! ENOUGH OF YOUR SPITE! A FOOL YOU ARE FOR YOU HAVE SAID THERE IS NO GOD! LET US SEE ABOUT THAT! LET US SEE ABOUT THAT YOU OLD FOOL!

The monuments, the monuments are set to fall. They have built abominations in this land. In plain sight and some underground. I have set the timers and they shall FALL. Their high places and gardens of licentiousness shall fall and crumble. Even steeples shall collapse on themselves for they defile themselves before Me. Like that of Belshazzar (look up Daniel 5: 1-4) who stole the holy objects. Oh, how they have stolen and made a mockery of what I deem holy. I AM turning it around. I have set the timers and they shall fall. DOWN, DOWN, DOWN it shall come and they will know. THEY WILL KNOW THE LORD YOUR GOD IS NOT TO BE TRIFLED WITH!

My children, My children, I say to you, do not grow faint or weary. I say to you, give Me your burdens, share and cast off your load. I shall make your work light and easy. You are all weighed down by the troubles of the world but have I not said, you are not of this world? I say to you, keep your eyes on Me. Rest yourselves on My lap. In the coming days you need Me, you need to spend time with Me. I will refocus you. I will reset you. Like a compass that has lost its center and spins wildly around, I will reset you so that you always know to look to Me. Point to Me, seek out My Word and sit on high with Me.

There is coming a day when the Saints, My Remnant, will need to seek out My Presence continually and daily. I have called you Heavenly Lighthouses and I ask you what have you been stoking your light with? Is it wet, soggy wood of the world? Is it the lies and deceit of darkness that extinguish your flame? I say to you, WAKE UP and kindle yourselves with the VINE! I say to you ignite and stoke up your fires with the Fire of the Holy Ghost! For He speaks through you with Tongues of fire and no one builds up the spirit of man better than He.

Take heed for We are ALL here for you. We are ALL here to help you. To lift you up when you are down. To guide you when you are lost. And to embrace you when all seems hopeless.

We are so close now. We are so close! Do not look down and be afraid. Take up your seat next to Me. Take up your throne and sit in authority. Make your decrees. Wear those crowns and use those staffs. This is no time to give up. You are My kings and priests. Sons and Daughters that I hold dear. I AM pouring out My Spirit upon all flesh. Watch as the floodgates are opened and things shake! For this is the time of the unexplainable! This is the hour of “how did this happen!”

It is time to SHAKE, RATTLE, AND ROLL, Canada! For Heaven’s armies are on your side and the Fire and Glory of God have come and are here to stay!

The devil has no place! Hell has no chance! And sin shall run! 

For My judgements come down like fire. When it meets darkness and depravity it consumes but to those who are My children it is the light that warms you and shines for ALL to see. You have nothing to fear, you need not stammer back or hide for I love My children and I give Grace to those that call for it.

Oh, Ontario. Oh, My Ontario, how My heart breaks for you. What have they done? How could they plan such things for you. Doug Ford, listen and listen well. I AM NOT PLEASED. You and your underlings have become nothing more than a crooked mafia gang. You take bribes from here. You pay for silence there. All the while you shake down the people for money, money and more money. I say to you, it’s time to choose. It’s time to let it all go now or it will ALL be taken from you. You think I do not notice? You think you can shuffle papers, say a few prayers and “hope to God they don’t find out.” Well, Mr. Ford, God does know and they WILL find out!

Turn back now. Turn away now for sin crouches at your door. It calls out to you for a bigger favour. Turn back now before it is too late.

It breaks My Heart that money spoke louder than truth. Opportunity has come and gone but you did not take it. I urge you to turn around now. Darkness and those wicked men behind your strings will take everything from you. I can pull you out but all you have to do is call. Call out My Name and we can turn over this province. We can change your future before it is too late and all is taken away from you.

I say to you blessing and cursing is laid out before you. Choose Life, choose My Ways and I will lead you out. Just call on Me.

Thus says the Lord God over Heaven and earth. The time has come for big change. The time has come to turn things over. Flip the coin and choose your side. For the Lion of Judah is the HEAD and He comes roaring! Roaring in like a torrent and raging wind. Enough! Enough! Enough! I AM shaking the kingdom of darkness. I AM shaking everything until it all falls down. No structure, policy, law, man or way of thinking shall be left standing. It will all fall and those that stood on the rock will remain. Amen! So shall it be! Victory to those who are the children of the Victor! Amen! Blessed is the Lord God for I stand on His Rock and shall not be moved.

“Nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the [unlimited] love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” - Romans 8:39 AMP

Interesting Facts About Pine Trees

*Note: On July 25, 2022 11:30 AM I sat down to spend some time with the Lord. I asked Him what was on His Heart and His response was, “Pine trees!” 

 

I scratched my head, “Pine trees…?” To be honest I was hoping for something more profound but all the Spirit kept repeating over and over was, “pine trees!” So, I did some research into pine trees and this is what I found: 

• Pines are commonly found in the Northern Hemisphere.1

• One of the longest living bristlecone pines in the Great Basin is a tree named “Methuselah”. About 4,800 years old.2

• There was a bit of a controversy with another tree being deemed the oldest. It was named “Prometheus” after the Greek god (a myth where Prometheus stole fire and gave it to man).3 

• When new pine branches grow, they typically produce one whorl of branches each year. These spiral growths of branches, needles and cone scales are sometimes called “candles”.4

• Pines are mostly monoecious, which means they have male and female cones on the same tree. (though some species are sub-dioecious). Male cones are small, often 1-5 cm long. Male cones often appear in the spring (sometimes autumn for a few pine species). They shed pollen which is fed into the female cones that can take up to 1.5-3 years to mature after pollination, with actual fertilization delayed one year.5

• The seeds are deep in the cone and are anemophilous (wind-dispersed), one helicopter wing per seed. However, some species of pine seeds are bird dispersed (e.g. Whitebark pine). Other seeds are “sertinous” where cones are sealed up waiting years for environmental triggers. The most common form of serotiny is pyriscence, in which a resin binds the cones shut until it is melted by a forest fire.6 

• Female cones are woody and sometimes armed to protect developing seeds from foragers.

• When mature, the cones will open up to release the seeds. They will not open if the weather is cold or wet. The cones will actually close up until it is warm and dry. It has to be a perfect atmosphere for the seeds.

• Trees in fire-prone areas develop thicker bark, in part, because thick bark does not catch fire or burn easily. It also protects the inside of the trunk, the living tissues that transport water and nutrients, from heat damage during high-frequency, low-intensity fires. Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa, also commonly known as the bull pine, blackjack pine or western yellow pine) is a great example.7

• This fire-survival strategy allows for the complete destruction of above-ground growth. Typically, species that regenerate by re-sprouting after they’ve burned have an extensive root system. Dormant buds are protected underground, and nutrients stored in the root system allow quick sprouting after the fire. Shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata, also occasionally called southern yellow pine or the shortstraw pine) employ this technique.8

• In environments where hot, fast-moving fires are frequent, some pine species have developed very thick, hard cones that are literally glued shut with a strong resin. These “serotinous” cones can hang on a pine tree for years, long after the enclosed seeds mature. Only when a fire sweeps through, melting the resin, do these heat-dependent cones open up, releasing seeds that are then distributed by wind and gravity. (E.g., Jack pine, Table Mountain pine, and Lodgepole pines).9

An example of a Lodgepole pine cone. Note the thick resin coating the seeds. (Image courtesy of https://nicksenger.com)

End Notes for Pine Tree Facts

---

[1] Pine Tree: Key Facts. (2022, February 24). Pine Tree: Key facts. Forest Wildlife. Retrieved July 27, 2022, from https://www.forestwildlife.org/pine-tree/

[2] Fulcher, J. (2022, May 17). One of the oldest trees in the world resides in the mountains of this U.S. state. One Of The Oldest Trees In The World Resides In The Mountains Of This U.S. State. Retrieved July 27, 2022, from https://www.travelawaits.com/2562735/methuselah-tree/

[3] Ibid.

[4] Pinus / Pine: Conifer genus. American Conifer Society. (n.d.). Retrieved July 27, 2022, from https://conifersociety.org/conifers/pinus/

[5] Ibid.

[6] Ibid.

[7] Mullen, L. (n.d.). How trees survive and thrive after a fire. How Trees Survive and Thrive After A Fire. Retrieved July 27, 2022, from https://www.nationalforests.org/our-forests/your-national-forests-magazine/how-trees-survive-and-thrive-after-a-fire

[8] Ibid.

[9] Ibid.

Historical Significance of Pine Trees

All the following information came from the following documentary source: New England Forests . (2020). Eastern White Pine- the Tree Rooted in American History. YouTube. Retrieved July 27, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQs7novlvtA. 

• England 1606, the world was fuelled by wood. At this time, England had already exploited and eliminated most of its accessible forests. Even firewood was scarce. 

• English merchants had to sail the seas to trade with foreign countries. Building and maintaining all these ships required a steady supply of timbers especially, ship masts. At this point, England had to purchase Scots pine from the Baltic region. Spain, France and the Dutch competed with England for these resources.

• Gaspar Cortereal, Portuguese Explorer, had witnessed great coastal forests in Newfoundland and Labrador. 

• King James I needed ship masts, so he granted two charters to two companies to establish colonies. The London company started one in Jamestown in 1607, headed by Captain John Smith. The Plymouth company's first attempts failed. In 1620 they launched a second attempt and established a town near the Hudson River.

• This is where the Mayflower was loaded up with supplies and 101 colonists, some who were seeking refuge to practice their religion as they saw fit. However, others were motivated by economics. The ship was stranded off the coast of Cape Cod Bay landing at Plymouth. This land was outside the bounds of their charter so the Puritans figured they could do as they pleased. 

• 1630, the first sawmill was operating in the area of Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

• Pines are typically used for ship masts because of their light weight and their strength of their long fibers that give them flexibility to sway in the wind

• 1640’s masts were being shipped to England but it was 4x more expensive than if England could just purchase from the Baltic region. This left the colonists without industries, but they were resourceful and found they could sell White Oak barrel staves to numerous wine producing regions across the sea. 

• The Puritans were not only surviving but converting this wilderness into cash. However, parliament passed a series of navigation acts to prevent colonists from trading with other foreign nations. To facilitate its economy the colonists minted their own coin (symbolized with a White Pine). 

•  When England went to war with the Dutch, (Dutch blocked the trade route to get to the Scots pine in the Baltic region) they had to rely on New England ship making. King Charles II was angered that his colony was acting like an independent nation. They ignored navigation acts by trading with England’s enemies. Boston Puritans rejected his church, they were minting their own money and passing their own laws. 

• To reign them in Charles II revoked the Bay Colony Charter in 1684, asserted his ownership of the entire northeast, he appointed a surveyor of pines and timber. He would blaze the “king’s” trees with an arrow mark (arrow-straight trees for masts). Beginning the era of the Broad Arrow Policy. 

• These bans would hang over the colonists' heads until the American Revolution. 

• 1719 Portsmouth, New Hampshire had become the hub of pine logging. 1 pine mast is valued at $25,000 in today’s dollars. At this point, the King’s timber surveyors were tolerant of illegal logging until parliament passed the Naval Stores Act forbidding the cutting of White Pines outside of a township, even on private property and that lumber could be traded only with England. Jurisdiction was extended into Nova Scotia

• 1729 saw the passage of the Broad Arrow or Mast Act which reinstated the cutting prohibition on pines. To the colonists, who relied heavily on the lumber industry saw this as a declaration of war.

• Surveyor-General David Dunbar declared that a vast region of Maine was no longer part of Massachusetts but was to be a new crown colony that was part of British owned Nova Scotia (Kennebec River to St. Croix River).

• Dunbar was a hated man, he had spies reporting cutting violations. He burned down the homes of those who cut without a license. Mill owners were fed up and events such as the Mast Tree Riots took place. This is one of the first incidents where colonists came against the king’s servants.

• 1760’s pines came down faster than ever to build developing towns. England was deeply in debt from wars and began taxing the colonies heavily. 

• Stamp Act- Tax on every piece of paper in the colony.

• Townshend Act- Tax on essentials such as paint, led, paper, glass and tea.

• 1772-Pine Tree Riot

• Taxation without representation. Rebel colonists dressed up in blackface, disguised as “Indians” and boarded a merchant ship dumping 342 chests of British tea in the Boston Harbor. This was well over $ 1 million dollars worth of tea.

• 1775 Boston colonists begin storing up weapons and war breaks out. The Americans in defiance fly the Pine Tree flag also known as the New England Pine Tree flag.

New England Flag (image courtesy of Wikipedia)

A Word for Québec

 

Photographed by: M. from Unsplash.com

Québec! Québec! My Québécois!

Your leaders are plotting and planning in the secret places. In dark covert places. They are scheming and wanting to deal with the Québec people in a very heavy-handed way.

They are targeting the people. They are rifling through their pockets and squeezing their wallets. Their aim is to strangle the incomes and make you, Oh Québec, reliant. Reliant on evil wicked men and a burden to your fellow country men.

I the Lord God, Adonai, say “Enough!” Enough of your fear-mongering! Enough of the divisive spirit! Enough hatred and self-conceit! I shall blow their wicked schemes. I shall blow them up and they shall scatter like dust in the wind. 

Your leaders are so corrupt! Leaders in politics, leaders in medicine but especially your leaders in church. Oh, how they say, “We know Him!”, “We know the Lord God!” But I say, “I never knew them”. They are fake pretenders and wolves in sheep’s clothing. They do not care nor protect the sheep but instead they defile themselves and the so-called holy places. They practice witchcraft in the dark. Underground and beneath you all. Underneath the guise of church they submit themselves to their father the devil. Such atrocities are committed by the so-called one true church but they are not true and they are not one with Me!

I laugh at their pretenses and how they play-act before the people. But it will be their undoing. I AM undoing their scheme and their century-old contracts. For My Glory and Justice are near and it shall expose you, Québec.

I AM lifting each one of your rocky foundations. Foundations of education, politics, arts, science, business and church. I AM lifting each rock and out shall scatter the little bugs and parasites. 

I AM especially coming down hard and fast to expose the church. Those that say they know My Name but I never knew them. Those that have acted piously, covetously and with lust. They have tried to falsify My Word and Who I AM! I AM tearing down their theater and I AM reaching out and plucking off the theatrical masks that they wear! I AM not pleased. Not in the least.

For they have offended the Little Ones and they have gone out before this nation hidden and undercover even protected but I AM stripping the shield of evil, wickedness that protects them. I AM severing financial ties and ending the curse upon this nation which began in you Québec. It started with you and how the church was the last safeguard but money spoke louder than My Word.

Québec prepare yourselves. Prepare for when your leaders will strike upon you with a rod of wicked injustice. I shall strike them down. They blaspheme Me! They scowl and snort at My Son and they dare, THEY DARE ASSAULT THE HOLY SPIRIT! Prepare for I AM not mocked and I shall come down to you first, Oh Québec!

 You were the first-born that came to this land. But like the prodigal son you squandered your inheritance and have stolen from your siblings. There has been much rivalry amongst all of you but I shall reign upon each of you with My Love and Mercy and century-old wounds, hurts and traumas shall melt away. Canada will then excel and run to her destiny.

Your leaders, Oh Québec, I AM dealing with them. There are many snakes and jackals amongst your leaders but I AM rooting them all out! I AM lifting the sledge hammer and fracturing your very foundations for they were built incorrectly and have grown like twisted and wicked bones. But I shall correct them. I shall reset them in the correct places and there shall be order, once again.

I say to you, your leaders are not to be trusted. There are few among them with good intentions and even fewer of those who would yield to Me. But I AM calling up an army, a special unit, of Holy-Spirit anointed individuals. I AM raising them up so pray them in and call in these anointed laborers who shall work on your behalf and listen to My Spirit. Now they… THEY I know (reference to these anointed leaders)! I speak to them and they yield themselves to Me. They shall lead you, Oh Québec, to the promised land. They shall carve a way out of ignorance and greed and into light and liberty!

For I say to you, Québec. You hold a special place in My Heart. You who were so young and small and were only a dream in a pioneer’s heart. I heard that desire and brought it into reality. But you veered off the path. There were those amongst you, who defiled you, and led you astray. And now they would do so, again. They would even tear down the ancient monuments and erase the history of your fathers but I say, nay! What they try to break and erase I shall erect double. I shall unveil the truth and True History of this nation. I shall make the covenants that I made with your forefathers to be remembered for they served Me well and I loved them.

It is time! Rise up, Oh Québec! Rise up from your sleep and slumber! For the Lord your God, Adonai, calls out to you! What shall be your response? How shall you reply?

Blessed is the Lord God on High who judges fairly and in true justice. He watches the scales and how they have been unbalanced. But He shall remove the faulty weights and trickery! He shall strip you down to rebuild you from the ground up.

Québec, you can only go up from here! You can only soar! So I say leap! Trust in Me and take flight! Ride on the wind of My Spirit. For many have cast you aside. Many have sought to abuse you but I AM cleansing you! Making you white again. And I shall reset your bones and they shall be corrected.

Like a bird whose wing is injured, you Québec, have limped and struggled. You hop around trying to reach the top of the pine tree but you fail every time. I shall place My Hands around you like the little owlet you are. I will scoop you up. I will cleanse you from the muck, mire and mites. I will rinse you with My Spirit of Love and Grace. When you have healed and been restored I shall release you and carry you on the Wind of My Spirit. I shall blow change through you.

You shall grow, accelerate and transform into the Great Snowy Owl. Boldness and Wisdom shall come from you. A fierceness and a great protector you shall be. Your eyes are golden, piercing and you see and discern. They shall come to you for wisdom, help and witty inventions and creations.

I AM reinvigorating your fashion district, once again. I AM speaking to the designers in dreams and calling them up. They shall create and set heavenly trends. I call it the Revival Renaissance! Let the Spirit revive what was once dead and let Us rebirth the great witty ideas and inventions! Amen!

For thus says the Lord God, Adonai, Creator of all the earth! I AM coming for you, Canada. I AM coming after your people and I shall surround each of you with My steadfast love. Let My Spirit of change move through you as He brings with Him Truth, Light and Revelation. I AM coming for you, Oh Canada! I AM coming to you with BIG change!

Amen.