Sid: My guest comes from Japan his name is Tatsuo Akamine and I met Tatsuo at a meeting for America for Jesus. And for those that are not familiar with America for Jesus on the mall in Washington D.C. on October 22 there is going to be a gathering of believers for one purpose to pray and fast that America will remain the greatest country in the world. The country that can literally proclaim the gospel to the four corners of this earth. We are at the most critical juncture of the history of the United States of America. If politicians get in that are for death, it’s called the nicer term is called abortion. If they are for murdering the babies in the womb; if they are for homosexual marriages; if they are for what Hollywood’s agenda is, then this country doesn’t stand a chance. This is our final warning. So when I was at the coordinator’s meeting for America for Jesus I met a young man from Japan Tatsuo Akamine, and Tatsuo has been called from Japan to the United States sovereignly, supernaturally. Just briefly Tatsuo how does someone that’s raised a Buddhist, the short version become a believer in Jesus?
Tatsuo: Well Sid my whole story is absolutely supernatural. I was raised as a Buddhist you know Japanese kind of almost synonymous with each other. And I was taught that Christianity Jesus was simply the western religious institution and I was a son of the east. Therefore, I was Buddhist I never went to church in my life and never read the Bible. But I had an encounter with Jesus that just revolutionized my life.
Sid: Well, you got to tell me how?
Tatsuo: Well, it was near death experiences there in high school and we were kind of messing around in the showers and like a lot of young teenage boys during that time you get very mischievous we kind of flooded the hallway showers. As I was running to slide 10 to 15 feet and on to my belly, instead I fell backwards and slammed the back of my head on that tile floor. Went into a coma and doctors had very little to say to my mother in terms of maybe I’m coming out. And if I did recover I would be a vegetable. But two days later by the grace of God I did recover. And it was during a two week period that I had to stay home out our shear boredom and just kind of boredom I read this tract this Bible tract and it talked about Jesus. And I said “Lord, I don’t know if you’re really out there but if you are I ask you to come into my life and if you died for my sins come into my life and save me.” And Sid I can’t explain it other than if you know Jesus you know what I’m talking about. A presence of another world, I never had any experience like this invaded my heart and my mind and my soul. I knew at that point that Almighty God existed and my life has never been the same since and has never been the same till this day and never will.
Sid: Now you have in the natural an impossible call from God. You are calling for a million, no I take it back 20 million Christians to be involved in corporate fasting worldwide 200 million Christians starting on Yom Kippur that ‘s September 24th for a 40 day fast. Number 1 why are you doing this? Why does someone have to come from Japan to tell us American believers to fast at the most critical point of the history of America?
Tatsuo: Well God’s ways are above our ways and you know one thing that I want to make mention Sid is that you know when something is of God it’s never 1 individual…
Sid: Is that because He can’t trust individuals (Laughing)
Tatsuo: (Laughing) I don’t know it’s His sovereign choice. And I’m just simply just one of many that God has spoken to. There have been people such as Ray Brigham of World Prayer Summit, and Gary Bergel, and Allen Copeless of Intercessors for America. Chuck Pierce, you got people like Bill and Beth Morocco of Community Prayer Watch, Lou Engle that God spoke to simultaneously. And when the Lord began to speak to my heart on the West Coast calling for a national 40 days of corporate prayer and fasting for National repentance it just resonated with these other individuals. And soon I mean within weeks it has turned into a firm storm, I mean from west coast all the way to eastern seaboard states. This is nothing but a hand of God and the way we see it I mean none of us really have any money. It started on my side with a phone call to Vanette Brights office back at the end of April. Mary, her assistant, had given me Ray Brigham’s telephone number. And we connected and he had the similar vision to call for this most critical time in our nation’s history. We are at that cusp to either coming to God in either whole sale repentance because that is the only hope of the nation, or to face the inevitability of His holy severity.
Sid: Now let me as you a question. A lot of people have been saying things like you’re saying for many years now what makes you think that this is not just another bump in the road?
Tatsuo: Well, you got to look at where we are in the nation here in America. As you mentioned briefly, I was in a missionary in Japan for 15 years. You know coming back here the Lord placed on my heart as well as other missionaries for revival in America. And revival is always proceeded by repentance, and repentance is always proceeded by a massive ground swell of prayer that moves into our nation. And one of the things that I noticed as I speak with other leaders, I was speaking with Gary Bergel this morning. The rate in which this thing is spreading across the nation is beyond human capability. It is not like another time; in fact as I look at what’s taking place here in the nation and the enthusiastic response of God’s people and the dictates of 2nd Chronicles 14. The response is not just going nationally but is going internationally. I believe that we are at the beginnings of the greatest prayer movement in the history of Christianity. As it impacts the United States and simultaneously around the world.
Sid: Okay, you’re talking… your calling… God is calling for a 40 day fast from September 24th which is the beginning of Yom Kippur until November 2nd which just happens to be election day in the United States for president. Help me out, some people are going to fast with just water, other may fast one meal a day. What are your suggestions?
Tatsuo: You know we’re just trusting the Holy Spirit, if you know the Lord Jesus I want you to pray. Ask God, Almighty God how is it You want me to respond during this solemn time. Do you want me to fast one day a week, there are people who are diabetic and physically cannot fast from food and that’s fine. Well they can fast from television and instead read the word of God, get together with others that are praying. There will be others that God will be called for an extended 40 days others for 2 days a week; I don’t know were not putting…
Sid: Alright your spiritual hunch if we get the proper prayer from believers, and by the way that includes you. If we get the proper prayer from believer paint me a picture of what could happen to America.
Tatsuo: Well, you know the solution to our nation, the solution to our family, to the solution of our region is us coming back in brokenness in genuine repentance to almighty God. When that happens our lives are transformed, a new obedience and from that obedience it impacts our society, it will impact those around us. You see this is not a program, it’s not a man made program; this is something that God is calling us to. And we can see this nation completely turned around and it’s happened in history. And in fact Sid this year is the centennial of the Walsh revival back in 1904. Evan Roberts message was simple it was repentance we must turn from all known sin. We must obey the promptings of the Holy Spirit.
Sid: And isn’t it amazing because you wanted to have the fast for 40 days before the presidential and it just happened to begin on September 24th which just happens to be Yom Kippur. A Jewish day of atonement in which we Jewish people go in the synagogues beat on upon our chest and say “God we’re sinners forgive us.” Do not remove our name from the book of life.
Tatsuo: Absolutely.
Sid: And that’s what we Jews and look how Jews and Christians are going to come together on this repentance. And after all isn’t that the reason the book of Ephesians says that ‘s the reason that Jesus came? He came to break down the middle line of separation between Jews and Gentiles to form the One New Man. Now if people what to get some additional information they can go to your web site and what is that?
Tatsuo: The national website is: www.40daysusa.org
Sid: Mishpochah if you’ve never done anything like this before I don’t want you to pray about it I want you to do something. Something means whatever God shows you. It maybe one meal a day, it maybe deserts, it maybe sugar. It maybe TV it maybe something and when you do that repent. You know Tatsuo a lot of people could fast and go on their merry way and miss the purpose of the fast if they’re not repenting along with fasting.
Tatsuo: Absolutely.
Sid:Once again on September 24th of all days the holy day of Yom Kippur when Jewish people are praying and fasting that our names will be inscribed in the book of life that our sins will be forgiven; this is the date that has been called to start this 40 day fast, then on October 22nd America for Jesus. A million Christians are going to gather on the mall in Washington, DC. If you would like more information on America for Jesus their web page is www.AmericaforJesus.org.
