Revival Born out of Repentance in a Cornfield

Revival Born out of Repentance in a Cornfield

by Rusty Thomas

Dear Champion of the Lord and the Pre-born,

The Lord richly bless you! Many of you have responded to the e-mail messages that we have sent concerning the outpouring of God's Spirit upon our children. Some of you have been moved to the point that you requested prayers for your children. I have passed on those requests to my kiddos and they have gone to the cornfields to intercede on the behalf of the broken-hearted parents who have wept and prayed for their prodigal children. I want you to know they take these requests seriously and have diligently cried out for their deliverance.

Yesterday, a lady we once pastored in Florida, called and asked for prayer for her precious three year old down syndrome daughter whose name is Grace. She may need her neck fused. It is a risky operation. As I began to pray for her I looked up at my board and noticed a ziploc bag pinned to there. This is a special bag that contains the remains of corn husks from Wichita, Kansas. These are not just any corn husks one could find in Wichita. These are ones that were part of a "strange rain" that fell from the sky all over the city a few years ago. This occurence took place immediately after our national event in Wichita, July 2001.

To those of you who are not familiar with this phenomenon the following newspaper article will explain.

Husks of corn rain from sky

By Suzanne Perez Tobias and Sara Shepherd The Wichita Eagle

For residents in some east Wichita neighborhoods Friday afternoon, the weather was particularly strange: Partly cloudy, with a chance of corn husks. People in homes near 13th and Woodlawn reported seeing what looked like extraordinarily large, dried corn husks spiraling down from the sky about 6 p.m. Paul Corn (yes, that's his real name) was playing host to a family reunion in his back yard in the 1000 block of Vincent Lane on Friday afternoon. He said the family stopped swimming when they noticed something strange spiraling down from the sky. They waited for it to land to see what it was, but the frond came to rest just over the fence in a neighbor's yard. Then there were more. And more. Each one, about 30 inches long and 3 inches wide. "They just kept coming down," he said. "There had to be, I don't know, a thousand of these things." The family was curious enough to jump out of the pool and into the car, driving a short distance around the neighborhood to find more, which they did.

There is no telling how many of the leaves fell, but several were seen lying along Armour Street, between Central Avenue and 13th Street. Officials with Weather Data Inc., a local forecasting service, said they had received no reports of the corn-husk shower. But meteorologist Jeff House seemed intrigued. "Corn husks falling from the sky. Hmmm," he said. "That is odd." Could they have been stirred up by a tornado in some Iowa cornfield? Blown hundreds of miles through thick summer air, only to billow down on back yards and driveways in east Wichita? "That's a good thought," House said. "But no chance. Not today." Our region -- in fact, the whole country -- was tornado-free on Friday. It wasn't even particularly windy, House said. Just really hot. So maybe August turned that Iowa corn into popcorn, and the remnant husks exploded into the atmosphere? "Doubtful," House said. "Whatever it was, it was probably caused by man."

Some residents speculated that the leaves fell from a plane. Air traffic authorities could not be reached for comment Friday night. One more theory: University of Nebraska fans were behind it. Gearing up for another Cornhusker football season, they decided to blanket their southern rivals in a giant -- and ingenious, we might add -- Cornhusker Practical Joke.

Bill Harper is a member of the Wichita-based Kansas Cornhusker Club. "We may live in the heart of Kansas," says the group's Web site. "But our hearts belong to the HUSKERS!!" Harper denied having anything to do with Friday's incident. "Oh, not that I know of. I don't think any of us are behind it," Harper said. He noted, however, that the group's annual picnic is scheduled for 5 p.m. today, at the Sedgwick County Extension building at 21st Street and Ridge Road.

Mike Nieman, a witness to the mysterious corn episode, was visiting Wichita from Los Angeles. He said it seemed fitting for such a strange thing to happen in Kansas. "It's just a magical place," he joked. "It's the land of Oz."

Just mere days before this uncanny event transpired, Operation Rescue/Operation Save America conducted a Solemn Assembly as we commenced our national event in that city. On that fateful night, local Wichita pastors led us in prayers of repentance. Six primary areas were covered as we went to God's throne room of grace. They included, the Doctrine of Bloodguiltiness, the Compromise, Indifference, and Apathy of the Church, The Failure of Men, The Fear of Man and a Man-pleasing Spirit, The Squandering of our Costly, Godly, Heritage, and a Return to God's Law as the Standard that is Binding upon all Men, at all Times, and in Every nation.

The one particular prayer offered by Pastor Daniel Thompson that brought about the desired brokenness we were seeking dealt with the Squandering of our Costly, Godly Heritage. Remember, this prayer was uttered mere days before the corn husks fell from the sky.

The Squandering of Our Godly Heritage
A Prayer at the Solemn Assembly - July 15, 2001, OSA Wichita
By Pastor Daniel Thompson

"Lord, we come to You this evening from a place where swine feed. Our country is a prodigal…we left Your house many years ago. Unlike our forefathers, we took the gift of our godly heritage that "fell to us"…"gathered it all together"…and took our "journey into a far country."…a strange country…a place a great distance from you and your house.

Our forefathers who remained in your house, were moved by your Spirit and framed the foundation of our country… Other forefathers who remained in your house, were moved by your Spirit to live and die for this foundation and this great building… Forty years ago, moved by our own spirit of rebellion…thinking You to be our debtor…demanded of you the "portion of our goods that should fall to us." We "gathered all together"…our heritage…it's foundation…and its building…and we left you and your house and took our journey. And while we journeyed, we joined ourselves to every harlot philosophy that came along side us…and we squandered our heritage on selfish and "riotous living." And we spent it all! It is virtually all gone!

Now there has arisen "a mighty famine in our land." "There is a desperate shortage of the truth of who we were, and who we are, and who you intended us to be.

There is an abundance of "tolerance" but a mighty famine of "truth." There is an abundance of "sensuality" but a mighty famine of "spirituality." There is an abundance of "information" but a great famine of "discernment." There is an abundance of "regard for temporal things" but a great famine of "regard for the eternal." There is an abundance of "compromise and mixture" but a mighty famine of "faithfulness, courage, loyalty and honor." There is an abundance of "talk and different opinions" but a great famine of "prayer and intercession." There is an abundance of "feasting" but a mighty famine of "those who mourn." There is an abundance of "preaching" but a mighty famine of "doing." There is an abundance of "lightness" but a mighty famine of "those that are serious, sober, and watchful." There is an abundance of "those professing to live for You" but a mighty famine of "those willing to suffer for You." There is an abundance of "love for ourselves" but a mighty famine of "love for others." There is an abundance of "value placed on one's own life" but a mighty famine "on the value of others."

And because of this great famine, there is nothing left for our country to eat! Only husks for food that are meant for swine. We have ended up where all prodigals end up, being nourished on a diet of swine's food. There is nothing to feed our people and the generations to come except the "husks" that swine eat.

We taste the "husks" throughout our culture. We taste the "husks" in our humanistic philosophies. We taste the "husks" in our government, judicial system, and in the public education of our children. We taste the "husks" in the recording of our history, in our sciences, literature, and medicine. We taste the "husks" in our media, arts, and entertainment. We taste the "husks" in our most sacred institutions, home, marriage, and even in the church. We taste the "husks" of our country's values, it's ideals, it's priorities, it's worship.

We taste the "husks" of our entire society…where Oprah Winfrey is our prophet; religion, our high priest; and money our king! The leaven has spread throughout the entire lump! And our bellies are full of swine's food! And we have filled the bellies of generations with this food…food that will never satisfy their longings, their desires, their ambitions, their hunger…or meet their deepest needs. The greatest evidence of our distance from you is found in a law that permits the murder of children…The greatest evidence of our country's diet of swine's food is that many are not even sure if it is wrong! "Truly the crown has fallen from our head…Our honor is brought to the dust."

It was once said by a very evil and powerful man, "If a people lose their heritage they can be persuaded of almost anything." We have been persuaded of almost everything…except truth! THAT WE REMAIN UNPERSUADED! "Truth has fallen in the streets," Because it slipped through our own hands. We your church would like to be excused from this matter…we would like your gaze to be upon others…but we know deep in our hearts that we are much to blame…your gaze is upon us…the cock is crowing…may we return to our homes and "weep bitterly."

King Hezekiah felt little concern that he was leaving his children an empty treasury of all that his forefathers had stored up, his greatest concern was peace and prosperity in his days. Surely our sin has found us out! It is known what your attitude is towards the man who hides his one talent…it is yet to be known what your attitude will be towards those that have hidden five. Years of self-interest, self-seeking, self promoting, self indulgence…all the eating, drinking, and making merry…the building bigger and bigger barns…has come at a great price…the lives of millions of innocent children.

We your people are "coming to our senses." We are beginning to think again of You and Your house…we want to begin our journey home. "Father, we have sinned against heaven and before You. We are no more worthy to be called Your son." We beg Your forgiveness. Please look upon us…even though we are a "great way off" help us to make our way back to You…to Your house…and our godly heritage.

In the name of Your Son….AMEN.

On a side note, another interesting phenomenon that took place that night was the actual timing of the Solemn Assembly. Unbeknownst to us, the word of God declared, "On the 15th day of the seventh month you shall have a holy convocation...(Numbers 29:12a)." Imagine our shock and great joy when Pastor Bill Shanks from New Orleans informed us of this Scripture and the fact that we had fulfilled it exactly on July 15th in the year of our Lord 2001. Holy Ghost pandemonium broke out as the shofars blasted the trumpet sound of revelation. Even in our ignorance, God was faithful to lead us to fulfill His word.

Brothers and sisters, the whole purpose I shared this with you comes down to the fact that I find it very interesting that this event took place in July 2001 and it centered on corn husks. And now in the year of 2005, my children are experiencing the power of God's Spirit in a cornfield that is beginning to spring up. I don't want to read more into this than is right before God, but wouldn't it be wonderful if it is truly related. Could we not press on in prayer beseeching God to end the captivity of our children who have borne the brunt of our disobedience, bloodshed, idolatry, and perversions? Could we not have a glimmer of hope that from the famine of our fruitless lives, a new day of God's visitation could come upon us?

Acts 3:19 declares, "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord." How I pray that what the Lord has done for our children would become contagious and spread to others. How I pray for God to continue to fan the flame and bring His refreshing upon our dry, weary, and desolate nation. Though you may not have a cornfield near by, how about joining the Thomas Nation in beseeching God to send streams of His life-giving water to the desert of our American wasteland.

Psalm 68:6b declares, "...the rebellious dwell in a dry land." We have literal drought growing across our nation and there is a spiritual drought amongst God's people. Oh! dear God, let it end and turn our dry place into a a watered garden once again in Jesus' Holy Name!

IN KING JESUS' SERVICE,

Rusty

P.S. Check out www.operationsaveamerica.org for information about our national event in Denver this year. Perhaps that can be a point of contact for us and our families to experience God's presence. Let us meet there to seek His blessing by turning each and every one of us from our iniquities (Acts 3:26).