As the missionary stood looking up at the utterly charred remains of the huge sorceror's tree, there came a soft inner-stirring.

A wind whose Voice was so familiar said, “Take this fire back to America. I have also called you as a missionary to America.” Born in East Africa to a devout, aristocratic line of Hindu warriors, Mahesh had come to Christ as he read a New Testament that a tiny American woman, serving as a Baptist missionary to Africa, had given him in exchange for a drink of water. An excellent student, Mahesh earned a full scholarship to college in America and, once completed, went on to pursue advanced degrees in Literature and History. After being miraculously saved from death in the famous Lubbock Tornado, Mahesh was baptized in the Holy Spirit and began his ministry of healing while working in a state school for profoundly retarded children, many of whom had been abandoned by their parents and left as wards of the state. There Mahesh first experienced the truths of adding fasting to prayers. Later during a return trip to preach the gospel to his native Africa, Mahesh experienced dramatic manifestations of God’s power. While leading a campaign in an open field, Mahesh bound the spirit of witchcraft, employed by regional sorcerers to hold the population in fear through curses and power to bring physical death. Declaring the Name of Jesus, Mahesh broke the strongholds oppressing the people. Eyewitnesses watched as a stream of fire appeared in the sky.

This river of fire traveled from the crusade grounds to the location where sorcerers and witchdoctors from the whole region had gathered. The fire flowed like a river and fell down on the tree around which the servants of Satan cast their spells and initiated others into satanic service. When the sorcerers present experienced the fire, several repented in terror of God and came to the crusade to testify of the things that had befallen them. Standing under the blackened remains of the sorcerer’s tree, the Spirit of God spoke to his servant: “I have also called you as a missionary to America.” It was the same Voice that had come in a gentle wind before fifty thousand people one morning in June saying, “There is a man here whose son died this morning, Call him up for today I am going to do a great thing.” The Spirit that raised Katishinyi Manikai from the dead was commissioning his servant to remember his adopted America and turn his heart toward that homeland.

In 1607 a landing party from three ships commissioned by the Virginia Company carried a rough hewn wooden cross ashore in the New World. The company charter read: “First, to preach and baptize into the Christian religion and by the propagation of the Gospel to recover out of the arms of the devil a number of poor and miserable souls wrapped up into death.” Reverend Robert Hunt, a humble Anglican priest ordained to shepherd the company’s first mission to America, gathered sailors and colonists aboard ship for 3 days of prayer, repentance and fasting before allowing a foot to be set upon the new continent. Afterwards they came ashore and planted the cross. On their knees with hands raised, the landing party gave thanks and dedicated the land saying, “From these very shores the gospel shall go forth not only to this New World but to the entire world.” Hunt pronounced the words of Jesus: “Every planting not planted by My heavenly Father shall be rooted up.” And so began the history of the nation that in less time than any other nation in the history of the world would rise to become the leader among free and prosperous men.

It is common to find Americans who claim a missionary call “to the nations.” It is rare to find the same who realize their call as missionaries to America. Perhaps you may be one who has never realized the burden of your heart to bring the light of Christ to those who sit in darkness. You may have been waiting for your ship to some foreign land to appear. Perhaps your call to missions is “mission America.” Whether or not you have longed to be used by God in missionary labor if you are reading this message you are being called as a missionary to America now. If America is given up to the powers of darkness threatening to destroy her from within and from without, the vision to carry the gospel from here will never be realized. The children and grandchildren whose future we are now responsible for shall be given over to captivity of our adversaries within our own land. So you may ask, “Where do I start?” “How can my life or my gifts make a difference?” Psalm 107 provided the early visionaries with prophetic mission: “O that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! Those who sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, bound in afflictions and irons because they rebelled against the words of God and despised the counsel of the Most High…They cried out to the Lord in their trouble, He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and broke their chains in pieces. He sent His word and healed them and delivered them from all their destructions.”

Four hundred years ago men who listened to the Voice of the Lord carried out His mission. The physical cross planted on these shores in 1607 was the ensign of the spiritual vine planted by our Heavenly Father. Their obedience and faith brought forth a fruitful vineyard that has been a supply of food and seed for many nations. It’s time to tend that vine again. America is strategic to the mission of God among nations. The attacks of 9-11, devastation of terrible storms, difficulties in the economy and the ever widening river of poor coming to drink from the river of America’s grace are all prophetic indicators calling each of us to our knees. The trumpet blast is a still small Voice urging each of us to turn our hearts toward home and rally in unified consecration to meet the enemy already in the gates. If the watchmen fail their mission in this hour our children shall harvest thorns and briars. But the darkness hanging like an ominous invasion can be penetrated and turned back: “Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death upon them a great light has shined. You have multiplied the nation you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you according to the joy of harvest…You have broken the yoke…For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given and the government shall be upon His shoulder. And His Name shall be called Wonderful Counselor”(Isaiah9:2-6).

As we come to our season of giving thanks we cannot but recall the origins of this national day we celebrate. A generation after the first mission a devastating drought threatened survival of that first planting in the land. What began in robust blessing and confidence gave way to leanness and doubt. As the people busied themselves with cultivating more land, building on to their houses and planting corn for trade, a prolonged drought overshadowed former abundance. What began in dry spring bled into hot summer and threatened there would be no food for harvest. Week followed week with no rain. Native peoples had no recollection of such a thing ever happening before. The sun-blasted corn withered on its stalks. The ground beneath was cracked, hardened and so dry a normal rain would be of no use. Heaven was brass. It was time to seek the Lord. Governor Bradford called the people together and declared a day of fasting, humbling and prayer. Gathering in the blockhouse church they searched their hearts. One after another was convicted of neglect, sin and pride. As they asked forgiveness of God and one another, hope and personal renewal refreshed their spirits. Late in the day the congregation emerged from the blockhouse. Overhead the sky that had been hard and clear every day for months was full of clouds! The next morning RAIN began to fall. Bradford wrote: “It came, without either wind, or thunder, or any violence, and by degrees in such abundance, as that the earth was thoroughly wet and soaked therewith. Which did so apparently revive & quicken our decayed corn & other fruits, as was wonderful to see, and made the Indians astonished to behold; and afterwards the Lord sent them such seasonable showers, with interchange of fair warm weather, as, through his blessing, caused a fruitful & liberal harvest, to their no small comfort and rejoicing.” The gentle soaking rain continued for fourteen days until the ground, the crops in the field and the water supply were all restored. The fall harvest was so plentiful as to yield a surplus and the Governor set apart “a day of thanksgiving.”

In 2006 American Christians celebrated 100 years of the Azusa Revival that brought spiritual rain upon this nation. The river flowed from America to the world is still bearing fruit. In that centennial year Death Valley bloomed in an explosion of color and variety not seen in that same 100 years. But the vine from which Azusa sprang languishes. The spiritual landscape of America and the land itself is surrounded by armies. Tares not planted by the Heavenly Father have taken root in the heart’s soil, beginning in the church. The bitter water of revolt against God threatens his vine. False “prophets” libel Christianity as a public menace and use vulgarities against conservative tradition and faith in high school textbooks. Legislators who refuse prayers to the Name we worship prohibit the very mention of that name by our children in our festivals. A year after the Azusa centennial, crises from fires to floods have whole regions reeling. The worst drought in 100 years has settled over the southeastern sector of the nation known as the “Bible belt.” These are signs the time has come for Americans to turn their hearts towards heaven and home as missionaries to their own land. Those healing miracles, that power to deliver captive souls and raise the dead extended to many nations  must also be stretched out over the homeland. Enemies of the gospel seek to uproot the vine of the church. Enemies of God set to cast this vine out of the public square and crush it out of our private lives. From house to schoolhouse, courthouse to White House, the Christian church and Christian faith are under siege in the very land ordained as a vineyard for the apostles’ faith where the nations could take refuge. We must not sleep. We must not be silent. Watchmen awake!

The revolt and bitterness of the antichristian spirit spilling out over America must be answered with true drink from heaven lest the land vomit out its inhabitants and an enemy possess our inheritance. It is time to return to our apostolic roots and look to the Dayspring from on high to visit this vine. “Let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare His works with rejoicing. Those who go down to the sea in ships, who do business on great waters, they see the works of the Lord, and His wonders in the deep…He calms the storm so its waves are still; He guides them to their desired haven; He turns wilderness into pools of water and dry land into water springs. There He makes the hungry to dwell, that they may establish a city for a dwelling place, and sow fields and plant vineyards, that they may yield a fruitful harvest.” Restoration of the altar of God in the land we have inherited is the honor and obligation of our generation. The sanctions ordained in the tradition, philosophy and practice of scripture handed down to God’s church are the security of a peaceful and happy society. He has said, “In every place where I record My Name, I will come to you and I will bless you” (Exodus 20:24).

As we prepare to gather around our feasting tables let us also prepare our hearts to return to the Lord. We are calling Christians across America to turn their hearts toward home and tend the vine of the gospel planted upon these shores so many years ago. We are asking believers everywhere to seek the Lord for America’s return, deliverance from her enemies and for outpoured blessing from heaven. We have initiated a corporate vigil to fast and pray the first Monday of every week from now until this time next year as we seek the Lord for a turn-around as the church and as a nation. The details of this call are on this web site under the heading “MISSION AMERICA.” Please contact us as you commit to do your part. We pray the Spirit of the Lord visit you and your family this holiday season and that thanksgiving and grace might fill your hearts and homes. May the words of an old hymn, penned to be sung during this time of feasting and thanksgiving, bless you, your family, your church and America:

We gather together to ask the Lord's blessing;
He chastens and hastens his will to make known;
The wicked oppressing now cease from distressing,
Sing praises to his name: He forgets not his own.
Beside us to guide us, our God with us joining,
Ordaining, maintaining his kingdom divine;
So from the beginning the fight we were winning;
Thou, Lord, wast at our side, All glory be thine!
We all do extol thee, thou leader triumphant,
And pray that thou still our defender wilt be.
Let thy congregation escape tribulation;
Thy name be ever praised! O Lord, make us free!
Amen
        --Traditional Thanksgiving Hymn, Theodore Baker (1851-1934)