This Thanksgiving is more than just eating turkey and cranberry sauce. It's about the Christian pilgrims' legacy that led to the founding of America.
Christian media leader Stephen Strang devoted an episode of The Strang Report to pointing Christians to the importance of commemorating America's Christian roots during Thanksgiving.
At the 400th anniversary of the signing of the Mayflower Compact, Strang highlighted that Thanksgiving is a meaningful and prophetic gesture. Despite the fact that the first Thanksgiving is more well-known, he felt that the events of that year were more meaningful.
When the government cut off the activities intended to honor the 400th anniversary of the arrival in 1622, the COVID-19 pandemic, two ladies felt it couldn't go unnoticed, so they erected a Mayflower Compact sign in front of the shore.
One of them, Michelle Bachman, who was a former Minnesota Congresswoman and co-chair of the Jerusalem prayer breakfast, determined they couldn't let the historic event pass without recognizing it.
In under two weeks, the two ladies prepared a private three-day celebration, which included a worldwide broadcast from the first location where the Pilgrims assembled, prayed, and voted on the Mayflower.
They also asked prominent leaders like Kevin Jessup, head of Global Strategic Alliances and co-chair of The Return: A Global Movement of Prayer & Repentance, to join in. Co-founder of Lamplighter Ministries John Hamel was also featured.
On Strang's fascination with the early pilgrims, he revealed that he is descended from both William Brewster, who helped organize the Plymouth colony and served as its senior elder and spiritual leader, and the French Huguenots, who arrived in the new world in 1688.
Since his forefathers had endured the harshest forms of religious persecution that Europe had ever seen, he explains, "I feel strengthened to stand because of the example of my own great ancestors. Few Americans will recall that the Mayflower Compact was the first document to establish self-governance in the New World and represents an early successful attempt with democracy. It shaped the colonist's view of themselves and pave the way for future colonists to seek permanent independence."
Strang then briefly reviewed the involvement of all the signers of the Mayflower compact, which also proclaimed the philosophy that would underpin the United States Constitution. One of its most well-known expressions was "All men are created equal."
In the presence of God and each other, they penned the Mayflower Compact, expressing their gratitude to God for sending them "apostolically" across the oceans to create a new nation and liberty.
According to Mike Bickle, whom Strang interviewed, what is happening now is part of God's plan, as foreshadowed in Psalm 240 years ago, long before the escalating persecution in the United States. While the works of darkness will increase, he prophesied of a day during which a great harvest of souls will be reaped and God's marvelous might will be released over the earth.
"As Thanksgiving approaches, we can thank God because of our Christian heritage that forms the basis of our country," he said. "I know that no matter how bad things may look, prayer is powerful. God's not going to let our country go down."
