Lion Of Judah

The Journey: 

In January of 1986 while I was training for the Manitoba Marathon in Winnipeg I heard the audible voice of the Lord saying, “Bruce, I want you to move to Victoria.” I went home and told my wife Lorraine. We were well established in Winnipeg with a house, successful roofing and Construction Company and both of our extended families nearby. We thought moving to Victoria would be years away, particularly after our children were older – The lord had other plans. The next day a friend of ours, Bonnie Inkster, phoned and told us that a friend of hers, a pastor’s wife, had had a dream that the Inkster’s and the Friesen’s moved to British Columbia. Then several people began to ask us if we were moving. One elderly lady at our church even asked if we were moving to B.C. We began to realize that the Lord meant our move to Victoria was to be much sooner than we first thought. Over a few days the Lord directed us to sell our home, give our business to my brother and move to Victoria. Within four months all our affairs were in order and we were ready to go.

In June 1986 with only a 4x8 trailer behind our car… we set out for Victoria, not knowing why God was calling us there, but believing He would take care of the details.

The Lord spoke told us to sell all our furniture and appliances. He said I was to not look for a home, furniture, or a job. He was going ahead of us to prepare. This was to be a new beginning. We were to walk the walk of Abraham. The only person we knew in Victoria was Esther Bennett who we had met at a conference in Manitoba. We had never even been to Victoria. In June 1986 with only a 4x8 trailer behind our car, and our three children Jenny 7, Rachel 6, and Caleb 4 we set out for Victoria, not knowing why God was calling us there, but believing He would take care of the details.

We contacted Esther Bennett before we left Winnipeg and told her we were going to visit friends in Quensel, B.C. We gave her their phone number and when we arrived in Quensel we had a message to call Esther. We got in touch with her and she told us that people from her church were moving and said they hadn’t found anyone to rent their home. She told us about the house and we told her we would take it! We arrived in Victoria as the people were moving out. The next day we moved in sleeping on camp mattresses as we had no furniture. The next day Esther phoned to tell us friends of hers were going to YWAM for six months and that their storage rental compartment for their furniture and appliances had fallen through. She asked if we would be willing to take care of their furniture for that time. All the furniture arrived, and the house was furnished, even with a nice piano that Lorraine had once hoped for!

Now that we were settled into a home I thought I should look into getting a job but the Lord said, “Bruce I want you to seek me.” I said, “Lord I can’t afford to seek you.” He said, “You can’t afford NOT to seek me.” So for the next six months I went away to fast and pray for one to three weeks at a time.

He said Haggai was my life call. I was to call people… to build His house for His glory.

The Lord spoke to me from the book of Haggai. He said Haggai was my life call. I was to call people individually and corporately to build His house for His glory. He began to reveal His spiritual architectural principles. The principles refer to our vertical relationship with Him (worship) and our horizontal relationship to one another (unity). He has continued to give revelation as to how we are to build. His promise is that whenever His house is built according to the pattern that He has revealed from heaven, He would fill it with His glorious presence. Then, from His presence, all His promises would be realized and we would see His power, provision, and protection.

God also explained that just as He had provided us with a house and then filled the house, He would build and fill His house.

The Lord explained to me why He had spoken while I was training for the Manitoba Marathon. This vision would be a long distance run. I needed to prepare to go the distance. God also explained that just as He had provided us with a house and then filled the house, He would build and fill His house.

Birthing Lion of Judah Ministries:

On January 28, 1995 the Lord woke me at 5:00 a.m. and spoke to me for two hours about the “Emerging Prophetic Church.” He told me from John 17: 25-26 revelation that would be revealed and about a global outpouring of the Holy Spirit, according to Acts 2:17-18 that was going be the final rain for the harvest.

He said I needed to prepare the church. Equip her to facilitate the prophetic and the flow of His Holy Spirit. He said it would start with a great release of prophetic revelation, which would pave the way for the restoration of end-time apostolic power. Then the Lord gave me a warning saying that only those who would prefer to minister before Him as Samuel did, would stay on track, but those who preferred to minister to the people in the outer courts would fall. Some would be restored and others would not recover.

On January 31st 1995 the Lord gave me a dream about a dry waterfall. Many churches and ministries were working building a high wall in order to channel the flow of water. The water level would be ten times greater volume than ever recorded in history. The water needed to make a right turn in order to get to the hydroelectric dam downstream. The water would turn the turbines and generate enough power to illuminate the church with a revelation of His glory. The multitudes within cities would begin to receive power and revelation to become son’s of God. The Lord said prophetic misuse and abuse had derailed many moves of His Spirit. We needed to build structures that would facilitate the prophetic and the flow of His Holy Spirit if we were to experience the fullness of His apostolic power released in and through the church.

The first vision my wife Lorraine ever received was of Jesus, the lamb, turning into a lion.

Why the name Lion of Judah?

As we sought the Lord for a name for the ministry he led us to Revelations 5:5 “Then one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”

The first vision my wife Lorraine ever received was of Jesus, the lamb, turning into a lion. It was from this vision she discovered Jesus was known as the Lion of Judah! Prior to this she had only known of the lion that seeks to devour whoever it can. Revelation 5:5 instantly became very precious to her.

The Lord also gave us Amos 3:8 “The lion has roared - who will not fear? The Sovereign LORD has spoken- who can but prophesy?” Then He gave us Hosea 11:10-11 “They will follow the LORD; he will roar like a lion. When he roars, his children will come trembling from the west. They will come trembling like birds from Egypt, like doves from Assyria. I will settle them in their homes, declares the LORD.”

“Lion of Judah Ministries” is to reflect the nature of Jesus, the Lion of Judah, and His end-time ministry. Amos refers to the lion in a prophetic nature and Hosea reflects bold evangelism.

Lion of Judah Church is Planted:

In September, 2002 we planted a church under the banner of Lion of Judah Ministries. The vision of Lion of Judah: to build God’s house on local, city, regional, and national levels. Our primary role is prophetic. We are to equip the body to be a house of prayer for all nations, to equip the church in building healthy relationships in marriages and families as well as local, city and national churches.

We started with small house meetings but soon started having Sunday morning meetings at the Goward House in Oak Bay. We quickly outgrew that location in November 2003 met for Sunday meetings at Lakeview Christian School. In September 2004 we negotiated a lease agreement with School District 63 for the former Durrance Elementary School at 6021 West Saanich Road, our current home. In December 2007, we purchased the facility (and the 5 acre parcel) and secured our first permanent home.

Our motto is upward, inward, and outward (UIO).

As a city church we are seeking to partner with other local churches to facilitate His presence and advance His kingdom. We also feel called to or region and nation in order to facilitate His presence and advance His kingdom. Our motto is upward, inward, and outward (UIO). Upward relates to worship and loving God, inward relates to equipping, building, loving ourselves and one another and outward relates to evangelism, missions, and loving the lost.

Shiloh Prayer Room:

In December 2007 the Shiloh Prayer Room was opened at Lion of Judah. This room is a house of prayer for our community, the city and the nations.

Shiloh was a place where God's presence was manifested in the Tabernacle of Moses when Israel came into the Promised Land. It was here that; the priests ministered to the Lord in worship and intercessory prayer the leaders gathered to hear the word of the Lord and receive God's strategy for advancing His kingdom as well as instructions regarding who would be given responsibility over regions the leaders got wisdom and revelation on important decisions. Shiloh Prayer Room has been designed with this same spiritual purpose in mind.