I just love this stuff. Frankly most Catholics are too easily embarrassed. Heck, I know I would be. But not Baptist Pastor Mark Arnold of Lebanon, Ohio. Nope. Pastor Arnold regales us with the tale of a message from God that he delivered personally to John McCain and Sarah Palin.
After telling us how he miraculously ended up at the front of the crowd at a rally in Ohio, pastor Arnold says:
When they came around the podium and started on the other side, I knew they were coming right toward me. A little lady who stood by me, reached up and told the rep. that they had promised a picture with her because she was the one who had lost a son in Iraq recently. The rep. confirmed she would get a pic with them and they would talk to her.
When McCain came to hug her … he immediately shook my hand and following his moment with her, I shook his hand as he grabbed my hand, now for the second time, and I said, “God wants you to know that I’m praying for you, Sir!” He thanked me and kept smiling. I repeated that phrase to him five times. He grabbed my hands and looked right into my eyes and said, “I won’t make it without prayer. Sir, thank you for praying for me, and don’t let one day go by that you don’t pray for me. I need all the prayers that I can get. Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
As he moved to my right, Sarah Palin came over to my left side … standing over the crowd and then looking at the little lady who had lost the son. It took a moment for her to shake some hands and people were pushing in all around. Sarah came and got on her hands and knees on that side of the stage and hugged that little mom, telling her, “It was not in vain.” She promised her support.
It was at this moment Sarah Palin reached out for me to help her up, and as I was assisting her to stand, I was now face-to-face with her, and God said, “Open up your mouth and I will fill it.”
Here is what came out:
“God wants you to know that you are a present-day Esther!”
[She immediately began to cry!]
“God wants to tell you that you are chosen for such a time as this!”
“You are called, and chosen to be a leader.”
“Don’t lose heart and don’t fear man.”
“The news and naysayers and criticizers are going to be very hateful toward you … and in the days ahead they are going to turn up the heat … but do not fear.”
“You are a present-day Esther.” You are an Esther. You are an Esther!
“Keep your eyes on God and know that He has chosen you to reign!”
“Stay strong … be strong … don’t tire. Don’t be weary in well-doing. Be strong.”
Her husband, Todd, came over, and I told him what I told her. He began to cry.
I emphasized the fact that he was to guard her at this time … and know that “she is God-called and God-anointed.”
“This is a God-thing and your wife is a present-day Esther … she is for God to use at this time … she is an Esther … she is an Esther … she is an Esther.”
“You will be hated … but stand strong … God has called both of you to stand!”
“We are praying and I am praying for you!”
At this moment, McCain came right to where I was finishing talking to Todd, and I told Mr. McCain exactly what I told to Sarah and Todd Palin.
“Mr. McCain … they are called of God and she is an Esther.”
“Don’t lose hope and don’t lose heart.”
“We are praying for all of you!”
He shook my hand and with a deep look of understanding what I had just said, he said, “Thank you for your prayers and support … I really do mean that!”
And he turned and shook more hands … and I watched them as they went through the crowd.
When I got to my car I sat there for quite a long time … knowing the God of the universe had just used me to deliver a message confirming to Sarah and Todd to realize they are truly chosen vessels of God.
I wept. I have not stopped praying and crying. My heart is full knowing they had to have all the staging and all the hype and all the crowd … but the God of heaven and earth … wanted to give them a divine God-appointment!
Boy, I sure hope God didn’t mean Esther Williams and that Palin will be doing water dancing shows after their miserable defeat in November. Then there will be even more crying than we had here.
So let’s have some fun. What are some of the scenarios we could envision in which Sarah Palin would mimic the role of the biblical Esther? Remember, no Catholic embarrassment here, let’s let the speculation fly.
October 9, 2008 at 3:10 am
Of course God fills people’s mouths- what of the prophets?
St. John the Baptist was the last and greatest of the prophets.
October 9, 2008 at 4:17 am
I never claimed this dude is a prophet, nor that anyone else was. Don’t generalise from an example. God can speak through people – and as the scripture I quoted about shows, clearly the Church has believed this possible since the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
I’m not a theologian, I’m just your ordinary pew sitter, a sinner and, hopefully, a pentinent. But I know that some people have this experience as part of their spirituality. It is not a gift or a cross that God gives to everyone. This dude may be a nutter, or he may be authentic. I just don’t know why we should assume the former because he’s Protestant or we’re uncomfortable once we get outside the red words in the missal. Faith is comforting, not comfortable, and once you get beyond simplistic faith, the waters get really deep really fast, and the gifts of the Spirit are way down.
October 9, 2008 at 6:22 am
Nzie said…This dude may be a nutter, or he may be authentic. I just don’t know why we should assume the former because he’s Protestant.
We should assume this because Protestants follow the lies of Satan as their religion. God would not choose someone whose mouth is half full of lies to carry a message of truth, unless that person turned 100% to the truth. Otherwise, how would you know the difference?
I believe God manifests Himself to people in many ways, and indeed works through many people; heretics, Mohammedans, Pagans etc among them. But to say He would choose any of them to be a prophet is simply illogical.
October 9, 2008 at 4:21 pm
Unless one has the charism of discernment (and this is an authentic charism – see 1 Cor 12:10) then one should view anyone claiming to be God’s mouthpiece with a skeptical eye.
I hope Pastor Arnold is praying for Barack Obama as well given Our Lord’s warnings in Matthew 5:43ff.
October 9, 2008 at 10:26 pm
My aren’t all of you naysayers such sophisticated little theologians and wonderful examples of Christ’s love.
October 10, 2008 at 5:58 pm
KaziA – Christ preached love AND discernment. He was very clear when he said “beware of false prophets”.
Being Christian does not mean we must check our brains at the door (that would be Mormonism). You would do well to remember that.
October 11, 2008 at 8:29 am
“To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues,and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.”
I’d do better not to walk about in false pride belittling other believers who speak from a conviction that the Holy Spirit has compelled them to do so.
If I were you I’d also pay attention to Christ’s command to “Judge not lest ye be judged.”
October 18, 2008 at 10:09 pm
Why are you laughing? If she ends up as a VP or even a President, don’t you want someone who loves God and stands up for life to be on her knees in a position of power before God begging Him to spare our nation?
Don’t you think the Lord will hear the voice of a mother and a grand mother who loves Him above the noise of someone who hates and sneers at God and country?
Queen Isabella of Spain is up for sainthood. She was a mother and a ruler. God blessed and listened to her while many people also sneered and jeered at her stances. But history proved her right. Maybe some day you guys might have to eat your words too.
Go Sarah-the Princess of the Lord-and be a beacon of life and hope to a world filled with cynicism and bitterness. I believe in you because I believe in a God who uses the faith and dedication of the heart of His people to serve Him.
God bless you!
October 19, 2008 at 3:09 am
Trimelda:
For my part, I will also pray that she and her family return to the Catholic faith of her youth. That will embolden her all the more. If I didn’t think that, I wouldn’t be Catholic myself.
October 22, 2008 at 4:27 am
Just came across this post – I have to say I was disheartened and disappointed by the cynicism and self-righteousness of many of the comments here – including the flippancy of the original poster who looked at Pastor Arnold’s story as something to be laughed at.
Whether or not McCain wins, Sarah Palin is indeed an Esther for our times – she’s pro-life, she’s pro-traditional family – and she’s not afraid to say so, in spite of vicious attacks. Some of the commenters here are so full of spiritual pride, they remind me of the scribes and pharisees which Christ compared to whited sepulchres.
If Sarah Palin and her family ever rediscover their Catholic roots, it will be in spite of folks like these, not because of them.
October 22, 2008 at 6:33 am
Go ahead and laugh. God is proving you wrong.
October 29, 2008 at 2:32 am
You folks are so concerned with the “CATHOLIC perspective” that you have missed the beauty of the fact that God DOES STILL RULE planet earth and all His little people. If He wants one of His subjects to be encouraged, He can do that…and what an honor to be the deliever of a message for God!!! If you guys would pick up your Bibles and read it for yourselves, you would see numerous accounts of God delievering messages (warnings and encouragements) thru people!!! Guess what…our Sovereign God can still do that if He wants!!! Please, quit living so holier-than-thou and get excited about His Glory and Magnificence…and then spend time spreading THAT message, and less skeptisism of what He can or is doing among us!!!
October 29, 2008 at 2:48 am
“You folks are so concerned with the “CATHOLIC perspective” that you have missed the beauty of the fact that God DOES STILL RULE planet earth and all His little people…”
…and that He sent His Son to the planet in question, and who founded a Church. That would be the Catholic Church, as opposed to the ten thousand or more Protestant sects which all contradict one another. That can include “prophesies.” It doesn’t make us “holier-than-thou.” It does give us reason to believe.
October 29, 2008 at 1:09 pm
I posted on this, how Sarah paralells Esther.
By the way. I’m not Catholic. I’m Pentecostal. Came to Jesus in a Cursillo in a Catholic Church.
Never became a member of the Roman Church. BUT, I have more in common with Catholics than I do with most Evangelicals. It’s the belief in Miracles, Mystery, Angels, the Blood of Jesus and the Prophetic that connects us. Evangelicals don’t much believe in those things.
So, bless you, my brothers and sisters in Christ. I don’t know what to make of this story from Ohio either. BUT, it’s interesting.
November 5, 2008 at 3:22 pm
Obama Luring Rest Belt Evangelicals But Not Southerners
Obama seems to have made far more progress with Born Again Christians in rust belt states than in the South. Based on preliminary exit polls: Florida: 78%-20% (McCain-Obama) Virginia: 78%-21% Ohio: 70%-29% Indiana: 66%-32%
http://postedat.wordpress.com/2008/11/05/the-faith-factor-2008-vs-2004-exit-polls/