TO WATCH.....OR NOT TO WATCH

Frankly, I probably WON'T watch the Inauguration.

It has nothing to do with who is getting sworn in. I generally don't watch them. I don't like to watch debates or other "politically/newsy" type things. There are many other things I can be doing.....like watching my Martha or a Food Network something or other, scrubbing the toilets or even doing laundry.

I do wonder what tomorrow will bring. I am concerned....as many Americans are.

I hope and pray that Obama is good for this country. Of course, it remains to be seen. I don't expect the world to stop spinning as soon as he is sworn in.

As I said just now, I hope he is good for this country. I don't expect it, to be quite honest, but I hope. If everything is "peachy-keen/hunky dory" with him in office, then great. PLEASE, GOD, LET THAT BE THE CASE!

It worries me, though, if he is NOT good for us. What if so many of us who are worried are correct? I don't want there to be any "I told you so" statements. Just get him out of office. No, the thing that really worries me is if he DOES do something wrong....obviously wrong....and so many people DON'T realize it. I mean can someone be so bad and people not realize it because it (he) is sugar coated (poor word picture, I know) to be all sweet and benign?

Of course that can happen....you see it all the time. And more importantly, it is prophesied. A lot of the world WILL BE misled by one who brings peace...one who unites those who cannot be united...one who seems to be "THE ONE."

Yes, I'm talking about the antichrist. Now before anyone gets their knickers in a bunch, I am not saying that Obama is the antichrist. Please....we are close, but I don't think we are THAT close. I think timing is prime, but I don't think location is. But I digress.....All I'm saying is that so many will be misled.

I will say this...it bugs the dog outta me when I hear certain media refer to him as "The Messiah." To me, that is disrespectful to the Christian community. I know the point they are trying to make, but still...I find it inappropriate.

The fact is this....Obama, in less than 24 hours, WILL BE President of the United States.

Christians are to pray for their leaders....that is Biblical (not just wise.) We are to pray for all our leaders.

Oh well....this is just some of the crap I think about.

I rest in the fact that God is in control. We, as a country, will be judged for our choices. But, He rewards those who diligently seek Him. I will just continue to pray, seek His face and raise my children to do the same. My family will be OK.

WELL CRAP

This, too, shall pass....it'll only take 4 years.

BUT, God is still in control and sits on the throne.

Remember, we are to pray for those in authority, even if it's an authority figure we don't agree with.

A good friend of mine shared this: she said that during her prayer time, she suddenly felt a peace about the election. She felt that God was saying, "What is the bigger miracle? That McCain get into office? Or that I change Obama to influence nations for Me?"

Wow! Isn't that something?

Remember, good things come to those who diligently seek Him. As Christians, we have nothing to fear. We all know how it will end. We, as a nation/world, have to go through tribulation of some kind. God never said, "Easy." He said, "I AM."

"I AM your healer."
"I AM your provider."
"I AM living water."
"I AM the author and the finisher."
"I AM the alpha and the omega."
"I AM the beginning and the end."

SO much more that HE IS.....ALWAYS!

Isn't that comforting? It is to me, anyway....and that is what I am reminding myself, because I am quite disappointed in the results. (to the point that a great friend called me to make sure I wasn't laid out on the ground having a fit and my hubby asked if I was going to be in a funk for the next few days.)

Like I said, I am disappointed, but at the same time, I think He is telling all Christians to lean NOT unto our own understanding, but to lean on Him.

THE ELECTION

Hey, y'all. This letter was an email forward from a friend, from a friend. I don't know the author and frankly, it doesn't really matter. The words are powerful and they are good. The author has given permission to forward this at will...if you agree, please put it on your blog.

If you are like me, you have already voted. But, it's not too late to intercede for the country and to pray about the decision that others have to make.

Dear Friends in Christ,
Are you sensing that there is something
different about this presidential election? I was telling
someone just recently that it seems like this election is
far more serious than those in the recent past. Something
in my spirit is very uneasy. In the past I have felt the
need to pray for different elections but I have never felt
so strongly the urge to pray, and pray fervently, for an
election as I do for this one. I truly believe that if the
wrong person (Obama) is elected this nation will be changed
forever. We may not be able to undo the things that will be
unleashed during an Obama presidency. My concern about an
Obama presidency is not based on politics; it is based on
righteousness. Look at any of the major moral issues
(abortion, homosexuality etc.) and you will find Obama on
the wrong side of the issue, and Palin and McCain on the
right side of the issue. What makes this so disturbing is
that the Obama team has raised far more money than
McCain/Palin and the media is unabashedly supporting Obama
with every story and headline they write. Currently
McCain/Palin is behind in the polls and is having a very
difficult time. Some in the media have suggested that the
race is over and there is little or nothing McCain can do to
change the outcome. Oh how wrong they are!

Let me briefly share a story I recently read in
2 Samuel Chapter 5. David had just become king of Israel
and the Philistines went up to wage war against him. So
David inquired of the Lord and said, 'Shall I go and
attack the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?'
The LORD said, 'Yes I will surely hand them over to
you.' So David went and defeated them. He said,
'As waters break out, the LORD has broken out against my
enemies before me.' After suffering a great loss in the
first battle the Philistines must have thought they now knew
David defense strategy and they would be ready for him the
next time, because once more the Philistines came up to
attack David. So once again David inquired of the LORD, but
this time the Lord gave different instructions. He said to
David, 'Do not go straight up, but circle around behind
them and attack them in front of the balsam trees. As soon
as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam
trees, move quickly, because that will mean the LORD has
gone out in front of you to strike the Philistine army.'
David obeyed the Lord and was victorious.


This story holds a very important lesson for us
at this time. In most presidential elections a frontal
assault, a face-to-face battle, is what is needed. But this
is no ordinary election. McCain is trying all the normal
tactics but he is not prevailing. It seems no matter what
he says or does it is not effective. I am convinced this
election CANNOT be won using normal methods. Just as the
Lord told David to go around behind the enemy and attack him
there, so we must go around the face of this election and
wage war where the battle is truly raging...in the spiritual
realm! The fact that the normal physical methods are not
effective this time should tell us that this is a very
important spiritual battle and we can only win by using
spiritual methods.Prayer!


What about the sound of marching in the
treetops? What is that? I have read on the Internet
several accounts of fellow Christians being stirred up in
their spirits to pray. Many have been drawn into times of
deep prayer and weeping as they intercede for Palin and
McCain. Some have woke up in the middle of the night and
sensed a great need to pray, other have told of how when
they heard about Sarah Palin being chosen as VP that
something came over them and they wept and felt a need to
pray for Her and McCain. Many others are feeling the
calling and urging of the Spirit to enter into a time of
fervent prayer and fasting for Palin and McCain and our
nation. What is this unusually stirring that is occurring?
I believe it is the Sound of the Lord marching in the trees,
calling his children to act quickly to pray and fast for
Palin and McCain. Think about this, what would the marching
have sounded like to David? It may have sounded like the
rustling of leaves as when wind blows through them, but was
this time something was different and out of the ordinary.
Maybe it was like the sound of the great wind when the
Spirit moved on the day of Pentecost. Also, God's people
are referred to as Trees of Righteous in Isaiah 61. So the
sound of the Lord marching in the treetops in David's time
is a portrait of the Spirit of the Lord moving among and
stirring up his children today.

So what are we to do when we sense this
stirring of the Spirit? Two things, first we are to take it
as the sign that the Lord is moving out in front of us.
Anytime the Lord calls us to do something he goes ahead of
us to prepare the way and fight for us. When Joshua
returned from spying out Jericho the Lord gave him insight
to see that the Lord had removed the Jericho 's protection
so Israel could defeat them. When the Lord calls us into
battle he goes ahead of us, removes the enemy's
protection, and fights for us to give us the victory.
Secondly, the Lord tells us when we sense the stirring of
the Spirit we are to act quickly and join Him in the battle
(through prayer, fasting, praise and obedience)

This election is by no means lost. For God
would not be stirring up his children all across this nation
and indeed around the world, to pray, if he did not want to
give us the victory in this election. And he wants us to
join him in the battle. God will hear the cries of his
children if we will only cry out to him with fervent,
earnest, prayers for this election and this nation. If
those who are being drawn to prayer by the Spirit will
indeed enter into a time of prayer and seeking His face,
then God will have mercy on America spare us from having an
ungodly leader, I'm sure of it!

One more thought, after the last debate,
so-called 'conservative' David brooks gushed about
Obama,

'I thought Obama had the night he needed to
have. You know, through this whole 20 month marathon, I
think what struck me is how incredibly even he is. And how
frankly reassuring he is. It is like you're camping, and
you wake up one morning, and there is a mountain. And then
the next morning, there is a mountain, and there's the
next morning, there's a mountain. Obama is just the
mountain. He is just there.. He is always the same, he
doesn't hurt himself. McCain can sometimes lob a
cannonball at the mountain, but the mountain doesn't
move, and the mountain doesn't care. And so I think his
steadiness, his temperament has been the dramatic theme of
this campaign, dramatic in being undramatic. And it was on
display tonight. And the good part of the mountain is that
he is reassuring and reliable.'

I'm really glad he used the word
'mountain' to describe Obama. It caused me to remember
what Jesus said about unmovable mountains. Jesus said, I
tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard
seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to
there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for
you.'
And it only takes a little faith!
This election can only be won by going around
the face of the election and attacking the enemy where he is
vulnerable, through prayer, fasting and praise. If you hear
the sound of the Lord marching in the tree tops, if you feel
the stirring of the Spirit calling you to pray, then move
quickly into a time of prayer, for God is moving ahead of
you at that time to give us the victory. May God give us
ears to hear the marching!

Together with you in the battle,

Scott Whitley

STUFF

I am no theologian. I haven't been to seminary. I only know what I read in the Bible and what I feel in my heart. There are certain things I KNOW will happen....I'm just not sure when. Lots of things are being said and I guess I just want to jump on the wagon and share my own thoughts. I have no doubt that this will bug some people, but I haven't (to my knowledge) made anyone mad in a bit, so.......

I thought about linking you to some specific articles, but I will let you research a bit. (Heh....I can't find what I'm looking for.) One site I like to look at every now and then is a gal on Xanga who goes by annamatrix. She looks into prophecy. I don't know if she is or considers herself to actually BE a prophetess. I think they exist, but I don't know if she is one. I do not necessarily agree with all she has to say....and I don't care for her language at all...so a disclaimer, should you look her up. She is a Messianic Jew and has said some interesting things. I don't read her all the time, but I have seen some interesting things on end-times.

Some think that Obama is the Antichrist. I don't know. Part of me....the "pre-trib" part of me....wonders if we will know for sure who the Antichrist is, or if we will just have a few "inklings" about certain people. The "mid-trib" part of me says that we WILL know. I am not ready to put money on anyone...YET. (Though Javier Solana has caught my eye.)

I do feel that Obama is totally wrong for this country, but honestly, I have a peace about it all. Keep in mind that NO MATTER WHAT....GOD IS IN CONTROL. He still answers prayers and there is a measure of protection over the saints (Christians). If you aren't comforted by this, you should be. It reminds me of the book of Judges. Israel fell into great sin and was appointed judges. It was a cycle of being away from God, being closer to God. I think that is what we, as a nation, are going through. We have to go through hard times. It is in the Bible. We will possibly go through tribulation. How much of it? We won't know until we go through it. Pray for the best, plan for the worst.

That is in the back of my mind when I stockpile. I do not have my own cattle to butcher, nor do I garden enough to can and store. But I do buy a few extra staples every now and again. There are a few trains of thought about this. I have spoken to friends....just to get their ideas on this subject.

Matthew 6:34 says: Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.

BUT, Proverbs 6:6-8 says: Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.

What do I get from those verses? I get that I, as a follower of Christ, will be taken care of and that I shouldn't needlessly worry. I also get that I should not take a lackadaisical attitude about it all. Yes, what will be will be, but I shouldn't just sit back and watch it happen. I still need to take care of my family.

So, what are we (my hubby and I) doing? Well, we are still planning our future. We are about to open up more college funds. I still coupon. We are stockpiling, but not because we may, or may not, be in the first part of the Tribulation. We stockpile because when I shop correctly, I get twice the food for my money and don't have to go to the store as often.

We are making sure that our kids are brought up in the Word. Not because we are worried about the future, but because we are supposed to do that. We are still working in JBQ, which is a great way for us to teach the Bible to our children. We are training our children in the way that they should go....planning for another 50 years....though I personally give us less than 10. BUT like I said, I am no prophet. It is just my thought.

My friends, (heh...now I sound like McCain), if you are a Christian, then you are not to fear. WE have the Blessed Hope. We know that we know that we know that Jesus is coming back and that we will be taken up, in the twinkling of an eye. These are exciting times! Remember....GOD IS IN CONTROL!

LETTER

I got this through email. I did verify this through Snopes and read Brown's response to the check. I know that there are some out there who will disagree and probably try to rip me a new one. That's OK. Those of you who DO agree...please copy and post this letter on your own blog.

*I did not correct any spelling or grammatical errors.

Why I Can't Vote For Obama
By Huntley Brown

Dear Friends,

A few months ago I was asked for my perspective on Obama, I sent out an email with a few points. With the election just around the corner I decided to complete my perspective. Those of you on my e-list have seen some of this before but it's worth repeating... First I must say whoever wins the election will have my prayer support. Obama needs to be commended for his accomplishments but I need to explain why I will not be voting for him.

Many of my friends process their identity through their blackness. I process my identity through Christ. Being a Christian (a Christ follower) means He leads I follow. I can't dictate the terms He does because He is the leader. I can't vote black because I am black; I have to vote Christian because that's who I am. Christian first, black second. Neither should anyone from the other ethnic groups vote because of ethnicity. 200 years from now I won't be asked if I was black or white. I will be asked if I knew Jesus and accepted Him as Lord and Savior.

In an election there are many issues to consider but when a society gets abortion, same-sex marriage, embryonic stem-cell research, human cloning to name a few, wrong economic concerns will soon not matter. We need to follow Martin Luther King's words, don't judge someone by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I don't know Obama so all I can go off is his voting record. His voting record earned him the title of the most liberal senator in the US Senate in 2007. NATIONAL JOURNAL: Obama: Most Liberal Senator in 2007 (01/31/2008) To beat Ted Kennedy and Hillary Clinton as the most liberal senator, takes some doing. Obama accomplished this feat in 2 short years. I wonder what would happen to America if he had four years to work with.

There is a reason Planned Parenthood gives him a 100 % rating.
There is a reason the homosexual community supports him.
There is a reason Ahmadinejad, Chavez, Castro, Hamas etc. love him.
There is a reason he said he would nominate liberal judges to the Supreme Court.
There is a reason he voted against the infanticide bill.
There is a reason he voted No on the constitutional ban of same-sex marriage.
There is a reason he voted No on banning partial birth abortion.
There is a reason he voted No on confirming Justices Roberts and Alito. These two judges are conservatives and they have since overturned partial birth abortion. The same practice Obama wanted to continue.

Let's take a look at the practice he wanted to continue The 5 Step Partial Birth Abortion procedures:

A. Guided by ultrasound, the abortionist grabs the baby's leg with forceps. (Remember this is a live baby)
B. The baby's leg is pulled out into the birth canal.
C. The abortionist delivers the baby's entire body, except for the head.
D. The abortionist jams scissors into the baby's skull. The scissors are then opened to enlarge the hole.
E. The scissors are removed and a suction catheter is inserted. The child's brains are sucked out, causing the skull to collapse. The dead baby is then removed.

God help him.

There is a reason Obama opposed the parental notification law. Think about this: You can't give a kid an aspirin without parental notification but that same kid can have an abortion without parental notification. This is insane.

There is a reason he went to Jeremiah Wright's church for 20 years. Obama tells us he has good judgment but he sat under Jeremiah Wright teaching for 20 years. Now he is condemning Wright's sermons. I wonder why now?

Obama said Jeremiah Wright led him to the Lord and discipled him. A disciple is one in training. Jesus told us in Matthew 28:19 - 20 "Go and make disciples of all nations." This means reproduce yourself. Teach people to think like you, walk like you, talk like you, believe what you believe etc. The question I have is what did Jeremiah Wright teach him?

Would you support a White President who went to a church which has tenets that said they have a ...
1. Commitment to the White Community
2. Commitment to the White Family
3. Adherence to the White Work Ethic
4. Pledge to make the fruits of all developing and acquired skills available to the White Community.
5. Pledge to Allocate Regularly, a Portion of Personal Resources for Strengthening and Supporting White Institutions
6. Pledge allegiance to all White leadership who espouse and embrace t he White Value System
7. Personal commitment to embracement of the White Value System.

Would you support a President who went to a church like that? Just change the word from white to black and you have the tenets of Obama's former church. If President Bush was a member of a church like this, he would be called a racist. Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton would have been marching outside. This kind of church is a racist church. Obama did not wake up after 20 years and just discovered he went to a racist church.

The church can't be about race. Jesus did not come for any particular race. He came for the whole world. A church can't have a value system based on race. The churches value system has to be based on biblical mandate. It does not matter if it’s a white church or a black church it's still wrong. Anyone from either race that attends a church like this would never get my vote. O

bama's former Pastor Jeremiah Wright is a disciple of liberal theologian James Cone, author of the 1970 book A Black Theology of Liberation. Cone once wrote: "Black theology refuses to accept a God who is not identified totally with the goals of the black community. If God is not for us and against white people, then he is a murderer, and we had better kill him.”

Cone is the man Obama's mentor looks up to. Does Obama believe this?

So what does all this mean for the nation? In the past when the Lord brought someone with the beliefs of Obama to lead a nation it meant one thing - judgment. Read 1 Samuel 8 when Israel asked for a king.

First God says in 1 Samuel 1:9 "Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will do." Then God says 1 Samuel 1:18 " When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, and the LORD will not answer you in that day." 19 But the people refused to listen to Samuel. "No!" they said. "We want a king over us. 20 Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles." 21 When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the LORD. 22 The LORD answered, "Listen to them and give them a king."

Here is what we know for sure. God is not schizophrenic He would not tell one person to vote for Obama and one to vote for McCain. As the scripture says, a city divided against itself cannot stand, so obviously many people are not hearing from God.

Maybe I am the one not hearing but I know God does not change and Obama contradicts many things I read in scripture so I doubt it.

For all my friends who are voting for Obama can you really look God in the face and say; Father based on your word, I am voting for Obama even though I know he will continue the genocidal practice of partial birth abortion. He might have to nominate three or four Supreme Court justices, and I am sure he will be nominating liberal judges who will l be making laws that are against you. I also know he will continue to push for homosexual rights, even though you destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah for this. I know I can look the other way because of the economy. I could not see Jesus agreeing with many of Obama's positions.

Finally I have two questions for all my liberal friends. Since we know someone's value system has to be placed on the nation,

1. Whose value system should be placed on the nation.
2. Who should determine that this is the right value system for the nation?

Blessings, Huntley Brown