Posts on Stephen Strang

Several weeks back, we noted that some of Sarah Palin’s more ardent right-wing supporters were comparing her to Queen Esther and declaring that she was “destined to be the matriarch of her people.”

Now, Sarah Posner in her latest FundamentaList points to this post by Stephen Strang in which Strange shares an email from Pastor Mark Arnold in Lebanon, Ohio who explains how God worked miracles so that he could meet Palin personally and “deliver a message confirming to Sarah and Todd to realize they are truly chosen vessels of God”: 

On Sept. 9, the McCain/Palin bus came through a little town called Lebanon, Ohio. The Lord allowed me to go to the rally [to give McCain and Palin] a message that He wanted me to personally deliver.

Sunday Night: A burden hit me that would only shake me to my knees--I prayed and wept for our nation. Never has my heart been so broken before God. I literally interceded for these wonderful people who do not deserve all the hate against them. The God-haters are going to try everything to stop them, but they will not succeed!

God is not pleased with the “bashing” in the news of this “anointed” person [Sarah Palin]. He has called her for this time! I promised God that I would pray and hold them up in prayer. I would “listen” out and be mindful of where they were. The following day is important in this time line ... because I didn't even know until God spoke to me.

Monday and into Monday night: The burden of prayer was so heavy that I was literally shaking and could not stop weeping. I didn't know that they were coming to Ohio. I prayed and walked and wept and walked. I prayed and prayed and wept and prayed.

Tuesday at 2:00 a.m.: God spoke these words to me: “Go turn the radio on!” Immediately the reporter's words were, “McCain & Palin bus to be in Lebanon later this morning for a 10:00 a.m. rally!”

Immediately on hearing that news, I heard God again. God said, “You are to go. You will meet them and give them a message for Me!”

I prayed as an intercessor and went to a place in prayer that I don't think I've ever been … because the Lord had just visited me … and I knew I was on a “mission.” I had now been up since Sunday night … and now it's Tuesday and I've got to go on the “Word of the Lord.” He sure became my strength as this unfolds.

I didn't stop praying until I drove over to the town and parked the car. The news would later report they were expecting 5,000 people, [but] the actual head-count of those who had been scanned was more than 10,000 people.

I simply obeyed … and God actually told me where to stand, who to talk to … and when to be on the move. I had sure learned on the mission field, when God wants to open a door, He will do it at the appropriate time. He always has someone to assist … and even those standing beside you may just be an angel.

…

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!

Early Mike Huckabee-backer and founder of Charisma Magazine, Stephen Strang announces that he and the magazine are now endorsing John McCain:

It will surprise no one that Charisma is endorsing John McCain for president of the United States. The actual endorsement will appear in our October issue, in the mail on Sept. 15. You are getting an advance copy here.

But what may surprise you is why we chose him over the other candidate.

Strang proceeds to then not surprise anyone at all by criticizing Barack Obama's views on abortion and his "sympathy toward those who are attempting to legitimize homosexuality," declaring it absolutely vital that America does not "not elect a leader who will support ... or aid the homosexual agenda in any way-because if same-sex marriage is ever legalized or protected on a national level, there will be no turning back."

Actually, amid Strang's littany of standard right-wing reasons for supporting McCain over Obama, he did actually manage to surprise us with this statement:

In an interview with Rick Warren at Saddleback Church in August, McCain and Obama gave answers that were polar opposites. When asked about evil, Obama mentioned Darfur and child abuse-both standard liberal answers.

So stopping the genocide in Darfur and child abuse are purely liberal concerns?

Strang goes on to say that he'll write about Sarah Palin later, once he gets a chance to actually figure out who she is, but for now, he's pretty happy:

Interestingly for a magazine that has served the Pentecostal/charismatic community for more than three decades, Sarah Palin has an Assemblies of God background. That's not reason alone to vote for her-just as John McCain's record as a war hero alone doesn't make him qualified to be president. But it does tell me something about her values and belief system.

The views of Pentacostals and Charismatics might be familiar to Strang and his readers, but for the rest of us, the AP has provided a helpful primer:

Sarah Palin often identifies herself simply as Christian.

Yet John McCain's running mate has deep roots in Pentecostalism, a spirit-filled Christian tradition that is one of the fastest growing in the world. It's often derided by outsiders and Bible-believers alike.

...

Palin identifies herself only as Christian in her biography on the National Governors' Association Web site. In an Aug. 14 interview with Time magazine, she once again described herself as Christian. When pressed, she said she attended a ''nondenominational Bible church.''

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Grant Wacker, an expert in Pentecostalism at Duke Divinity School in Durham, N.C., said he can understand why. He said the McCain campaign likely doesn't want Palin associated with the best-known Pentecostal to ever hold public office, former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft, an active member of the Assemblies of God.

''Though Pentecostals are diverse and rapidly mainstreaming themselves, the public still perceives them as sectarian and uncompromising, and those traits will not help Palin's image,'' Wacker said.

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Pentecostals are conservative in their reading of the Bible and, often, culture.

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Unlike most other Christians -- including most evangelicals -- Pentecostals believe in ''baptism in the Holy Spirit.'' That can manifest itself through speaking in tongues, modern-day prophesy and faith healing.

The Assemblies of God teaches that spirit baptism must be accompanied by speaking in tongues.

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Her current church, Wasilla Bible Church, stresses the inerrancy of Scripture.