Joseph Herrin (09-07-08)

Dear Family in Christ,

I have been given much grace in writing this message, and I know the Lord has wonderfully helped me with insight and to know His thoughts. If you will read this writing, I believe He will also impart to you some revelation of His mind that He zealously desire for His children to receive. This impartation of the thoughts of Christ is for the purpose of placing all of the people of God upon a solid footing that will serve them well in coming days, as well as in this hour when deception and lying spirits are abounding.

Note: Some people have written to me and stated that they are not getting answers to the e-mails they send me. I answer every e-mail I get that requires a response, and many others where I feel an acknowledgement is called for. If any write me asking for counsel, or an answer to a query, I always send a reply. If you have written me and have not gotten a reply, I urge you to check the spam filter settings on your e-mail program. If you have a folder where spam gets directed, check the folder to see if my e-mail response to you has been directed there. I have found that there are many e-mail providers whose spam software is overly diligent in discarding e-mails from sources it does not recognize. Yahoo Mail and AOL Mail are two services with whom this happens the most frequently. It is impossible for me to get a letter through to you if your spam filter is blocking it, and it causes me some discomfort that some might conclude that I have simply ignored their e-mails.

Sarah Palin, Champion of Christianity?

I want to tell you how the Spirit has directed my thoughts in this writing. It had been upon my heart to write a third and final post on the topic of Christian involvement in the political world systems. There has been an ecstatic embracing of Sarah Palin by the evangelical community, and many are looking at her as God’s anointed in this hour to champion the cause of Christianity and to set America back on a course of righteousness and economic stability.

When I got around to checking my correspondence I found that I had two e-mails, both of which were centered on the topic of Sarah Palin. One of the e-mails was a discussion of a prophetic word given by Dutch Sheets to the members of his church. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Dutch Sheets, he has been endorsed as an apostle by Peter Wagner’s group International Coalition of Apostles. This is the same group that recently sent 13 “apostles” to endorse and align Todd Bentley as an evangelist in the church. Dutch Sheets refused the invitation to join in this ceremony, however. There have been many other failures of discernment manifested by Dutch Sheets. Both he and Wagner both spoke out against those who were suggesting that the events of 911 were an act of judgment from God. I was very disappointed with these men’s counsel at the time and even wrote a refutation of what they were teaching.

One thing that has been very lacking from those who are calling themselves apostles in this hour is an understanding of sound doctrine and the ways of God. There is a great emphasis on mystical phenomena, feelings, emotional highs, and impressions received that are not properly tested against against the Word of God. What Dutch Sheets shared with his congregation is marked by this same dependence upon feelings and an absence of sound doctrinal discernment.

This correspondence was written by a member of Dutch Sheets church. The man has a wife named Peg, but he does not mention his own name. What I was sent includes the following words:

Dutch was traveling to Texas on Friday and when he landed in the airport, his wife called and told him to get to the TV asap. He watched McCain introduce Governor Palin and said he began to weep, even though he knew nothing about her. (I experienced the very same thing and we have had reports of many others including Newt Gingrich.) He asked what the significance of this 44-year-old woman was and he saw the clock said 4:44. He asked the Lord what that was and the Lord said, “Ezekiel 44:4.” “He brought me by way of the north gate to the front of the temple; so I looked, and behold, the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD; and I fell on my face. NKJV North gate representing Alaska… Dutch then decreed she will enter the White House… He continued to declare that she will be the Margaret Thatcher of America including that she would be President one day. Many other things came forth. I literally thought I would explode because the Lord had shown me many of these same things yesterday.
[End Quote]

Interestingly, Sarah Palin is 44, which is a multiple of 22. Those who read this blog will immediately recognize the relevance of this number and even as 44 is 22 times 2, I believe it speaks of a double portion of flesh cutting that is coming to this nation. If you look at the following picture you will see another remarkable symbol.

Much has been made of the fact that Sarah was a leader even on her High school basketball team. You will note that her jersey reveals that her number was 22! Having written so much in the past five months about the Lord returning to remove flesh from His people, and having witnessed the tremendous sign in the Constellation Bootes, seeing this connection with Sarah Palin does not lead me to experience the same euphoria, or arrive at the same conclusion of opinion as Dutch Sheets.

People of God, we are told to test all words of prophecy. Too many in the church are enthralled by big names and personalities. Just because the name of Dutch Sheets is well known, many will receive this word without seeking a witness from the Spirit of Christ on it. Both Dutch Sheets, and Chuck Pierce whom he often travels with, are proclaiming things for this nation that are contrary to the witness of the Spirit of Christ. Chuck has stated that America entered into a seven year period of war that began with the events of September 11, 2001, and this war will end on September 11, 2008 which is less than a week away. Dutch Sheets, in this same word I have quoted has declared that the United States has come into a new place of alignment with God the Father.

Both of these testimonies are contrary to the Spirit of Christ and the many witnesses Yahweh has been giving that testify that America is about to fall. Dutch Sheets and Chuck Pierce are themselves fulfilling a Scriptural prophecy.

I Thessalonians 5:3
While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then destruction will come upon them suddenly like birth pangs upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

These men are proclaiming peace and safety and a return to righteousness in this nation when the Spirit is proclaiming war, famine, destruction, economic collapse, and the disintegration of America as she is currently known. I want to speak of a matter that the Spirit drew my attention to as I read both the words of Dutch Sheets and another testimony that arrived around the same time. This was from another brother, one who is living in Israel, having recently moved there from the United States. He sent out a newsletter where he made the following statement.

I have never, ever become emotional over any politician. So, I was completely surprised when for no apparent reason as I was watching Sarah Palin’s acceptance speech as the Republican Vice-Presidential candidate, I was moved to tears. That kind of stuff, just does not happen to me in this arena.

Compare this with what we just read.

He watched McCain introduce Governor Palin and said he began to weep, even though he knew nothing about her. (I experienced the very same thing and we have had reports of many others including Newt Gingrich.)

Each one of these people have taken this emotional response as a witness of the Spirit, and they see it as a positive sign that God will use Sarah Palin in some significant way. Many evangelicals have set their hopes upon her as the champion of Christianity that God has raised up to advance His kingdom and His agenda in America. As I thought on this my thoughts immediately went to Lakeland, Florida, and I believe it is the Spirit of Christ who has led my thoughts in this direction.

Both the man from Israel and Dutch Sheets have recently sent out words decrying the events in Lakeland, Florida and the church and her leaders being caught up in the great carnival atmosphere surrounding Todd Bentley. In fact, in the very same newsletter this man from Israel wrote the following concerning Todd.

There are some other issues that have surfaced since publishing that article I was unaware of at the time of writing that had I known of, I would have included. I did not know about them because, frankly, I didn’t really care enough about what was going on in Lakeland beyond here was, yet again, another place for believers to get “goose bumps.”

This brother discerned the error of Christians relying upon feelings, and running after emotional highs, as it applied to Lakeland, Florida, and so has Dutch Sheets. Yet it seems that neither have realized that they are repeating the same error in relation to Sarah Palin.

Many people were so open to deception in Lakeland because they believed that Todd Bentley had a gift of healing and an ability to impart an anointing of the Spirit of Christ. Their belief led to an emotional excitement, and a tendency to interpret things according to that which their hopes had been set upon. Is not the church doing the precise same thing with Sarah Palin. The church has set their hope upon Sarah being one who is anointed of God to bring forth something their souls greatly desire. They want to believe that she has the ability to advance the kingdom of God in America, restore an atmosphere of morality, and bring government into alignment with the will of God. They are therefore manifesting great emotion when they see her speak, even as there was a similar atmosphere among those who came to see Todd Bentley.

Cheering Sarah Palin: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2E078i32I60

There are a lot of striking similarities between a political convention and a modern revival meeting. Both have cheering crowds, hands raised, lots of clapping, and the very obvious draw of a big name personality. Can you tell from the pictures above which event is taking place? People travel from all over to attend both, drawn by the promise of being a participant in some new movement. There are goose bump moments to be found at both.

I am not surprised that many were moved to tears while watching Sarah Palin, anymore than I was surprised that many were ecstatic about Todd Bentley. Yet, like with Todd Bentley, the excitement and emotion can be a very deceptive enticement for Christians to depart from sound judgment. Even as there was a great lack of discernment among a very large segment of the church, including those touted as leaders, Christians are poised to commit the same error through lack of scrutiny and sober judgment.

I John 4:1-2
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

Acts 17:11
Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily, to see whether these things were so.

I Corinthians 14:29-30
And let two or three prophets speak, and let the others pass judgment.

I Thessalonians 5:21-22
But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good…

From the very beginning of Lakeland there was an abundance of evidence of things being very wrong. Why did so many not perceive it? In large part it is because the church has departed from the practice of examining all things, testing them against the word of God and the witness of the Spirit of Christ. Emotional experience has become the substitute for truth, and the church is being devastated by the tragic consequences of her lack of discernment.

I was praying this morning about whether to proceed with this message when I received an e-mail in my inbox. When I checked it, I knew the Lord was telling me to proceed. There was a devotion by Os Hillman, and it is so excellent that I will include it here in its entirety.

Dying for Lack of Knowledge
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 1 by Os Hillman
Sunday, September 07, 2008

“The Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah, and He struck him down because he had put his hand on the ark. So he died there before God.” 1 Chronicles 13:10

A business friend of mine confessed that he did not like to read. He found it a difficult discipline. I replied, “If you do not commit yourself to knowing what is in God’s Word and following it, you will fail to know and experience God. God’s Word is life to our souls. It provides knowledge that leads to life.” The prophet Hosea tells us, “My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as My priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children” (Hos. 4:6).

God has given us His Word that has specific laws and principles that must be followed if we expect His blessing. King David forgot to follow one of those laws related to the ark. “…But they must not touch the holy things or they will die…” (Num. 4:15). When they were transporting the ark, Uzzah innocently reached to steady the ark but was immediately stricken dead when his hands touched the ark of God. Did David know this law or did he simply forget? Did Uzzah know this law? If so, did he really believe it? David thought it was okay to carry the ark the way Uzzah did. A man lost his life for his presumption.

Many workplace believers I know take God’s Word lightly. They believe they can violate His Word without consequence. This is not true; the Lord stands by to uphold His Word. It can be life, or it can bring death. When God provides instructions, we need to follow them.

Knowing this about God brings a healthy fear of the Lord. “David was afraid of God that day and asked, ‘How can I ever bring the ark of God to me?’ ” (1 Chron. 13:12) We must all have a fearful respect of God’s Word. For truly, it is life or death. Do you take God’s Word seriously? Is it life or death for you? Do you feed upon His Word daily so that you might know Him and know His precepts? Feed upon this knowledge and be blessed of God.

Let me say emphatically, knowing that the Spirit bears witness, that the days ahead for the people of God will absolutely require that they be grounded in the Word of God. Great deception is already in the earth as we witnessed in the Florida Outpouring, and many were caught up in it. The days ahead will see an intensification of the deception. Deceiving spirits will be given greater authority to sift the people of God.

It is true even this hour that the people of God must test all things. They must examine all things carefully. They must not be swayed by feeling or emotion. They must not judge things by appearances, or be moved by the opinion of the crowd. If they do so they will surely perish in days of great trouble. I wrote to the brother in Israel the following:

Satan is able to seduce people by feelings and emotions. We are called to test all things, and this testing is not done by sensing some emotion, but rather by examining all things carefully with the witness of the Spirit and the Word.

In this spirit, I would like to share some thoughts from the Scriptures that bring insight into this matter of Sarah Palin’s sudden appearance, and Christians’ hopes that she will somehow prove to be a champion of the faith. Truly, the world perform a greater due diligence in investigating a matter than a great many Christians do, and this should not be.

Those who know the Scriptures should not fail to examine what is a very fundamental matter concerning the activities of Sarah Palin. The Bible has much to say about the conduct and role of women who aspire to godliness. It is tragic that the church judges things more by societal values than by Scriptural instruction. Societies change, but the word of God abides forever.

Yahweh has established by His own counsel a governmental order among the creation. This order is set forth by the apostle Paul in his epistle to the church in Corinth.

I Corinthians 11:3-10
But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ. Every man who has something on his head while praying or prophesying, disgraces his head. But every woman who has her head uncovered while praying or prophesying, disgraces her head; for she is one and the same with her whose head is shaved… For a man ought not to have his head covered, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man. For man does not originate from woman, but woman from man; for indeed man was not created for the woman’s sake, but woman for the man’s sake.

If you are unfamiliar with the doctrines of Scripture pertaining to the high calling of women in the church to act as a helpmate to man, then I would recommend to you the book Sarah’s Children which the Spirit of Christ led me to write back in 2002. It can be read online at the following link: http://www.heart4god.ws/id242.htm
Please note that although many deceitfully argue that Paul’s instructions were merely pertaining to a certain period of time and a specific society, the very content of his words prove otherwise. Paul does not base his instructions upon any societal practice, but rather upon the order and purpose of creation for both man and woman. Man did not originate from woman. Woman originated from man. Neither was man created for the woman’s sake, but woman was created for the man’s sake. This is not a societal matter. It is an universal matter based upon Yahweh’s plan of creation.

Genesis 2:18
Then Yahweh God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.”

We see in these words that woman was created for man. Furthermore woman is told in the next chapter, “Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you” (Genesis 3:16). This governmental order has never been changed. Those who would suggest that in the church age that things are different are simply espousing what they want to believe, for the passage we just read from Paul’s epistle declares that this order remains unaltered. Paul states in another place:

I Timothy 2:11-14
Let a woman quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness. But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet. For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve. And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being quite deceived, fell into transgression.

Once again we see the apostle referring back to the creation to establish the basis for this commandment. Woman was made for man. Therefore woman is to remain subject to man, and not usurp the position of man by seeking to instruct or exercise authority over man. For a woman who is a Christian, this governmental order applies to all areas of her life. She is not to rule over men on the job, in secular government, in the home, or in the church. To do so would be unseemly. In the Old Testament we find a witness to the unseemliness of such a condition.

Isaiah 3:12
O My people! Their oppressors are children, and women rule over them.

Yahweh is lamenting through the prophet Isaiah over a tragic situation that has arisen among His people. Youths are oppressing their elders, and women are ruling over men. Both of these things are disgraceful in the eyes of Yahweh, and they should be viewed as judgments and calamity, rather than as something positive in nature.

Now, I have no objection should the world choose women to rule them. It is not the role of a Christian to judge those outside the church. We are called to judge those inside.

I Corinthians 5:12-13
For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church? But those who are outside, God judges.

Sarah Palin, being a confessing Christian (I suspect she truly has become a partaker of the Spirit of Christ, though not being submitted to the Spirit in all things), is among those whom the apostle describes as “within the church.” We are called to judge the actions of those in the church. Whereas I would not say anything in reproach to Hillary Clinton for seeking a position of authority over men, the Scriptures plainly reveal that a woman who is in Christ should not be seeking to rule over men.

How then can any Christian conclude that Sarah Palin serving as Governor of Alaska, or as Vice President of the United States is a position that the Spirit of Christ has chosen for her. Do not say that it feels right, or that you get goosebumps when you envision her as Vice President. We have been given the Scriptures to instruct us in the way of truth and righteousness.

II Timothy 3:16
All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness…

Dutch Sheets should know that feelings are not given to apostles to discern the will of the Father. Neither are they given to the rest of the church for this purpose. We have been given the Spirit and the Word.

John 16:13
But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth…

II Timothy 4:2-4
Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires; and will turn away their ears from the truth, and will turn aside to myths.

If ever there was a day when the church will not endure sound doctrine, it is this present hour. Personal Bible study has been abandoned by a great multitude in the church. The level of ignorance of the Scriptures is appalling. If you read some of the e-mail I get you would be shocked. Some who have been professing Christians for decades cannot set forth the simplest truths from the word of God. What will be the result when Satan unleashes a flood of deception? Will they not be carried away for they have no grounding in the truth? The apostle admonishes the believer with the following words:

I Corinthians 14:20
Brethren, do not be children in understanding…

Sarah Palin is a married Christian woman. She has children at home that need guidance, instruction, nurturing and support. She not only has a 17 year old daughter who is pregnant out of wedlock, but she has a young son who is only five months old. The further she rises in the area of national politics, the greater will be the demands upon her time taking her away from her family. This is contrary to the counsel of the apostles and the pattern of the early church.

Titus 2:3-5
Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips, nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be dishonored.

The church desperately needs spiritual mothers to come forward in this hour to instruct younger women in the path of godliness. Young women need the support of the church to devote themselves to being workers at home, to love their husbands and children.

Is there not present in Sarah Palin some personal ambition that has led her to choose a career over devotion to her family? Will God commend her for leaving her home and family to pursue a career in the world? Will He commend her for abandoning her duties at home to engage herself in activities outside the kingdom of God? Is it not possible that her own daughter’s pregnancy could have been prevented by a mother’s attentive counsel and oversight? How can Sarah Palin know her children intimately if she is away attending to matters of state? How could she know the dangers her daughter was facing, for of necessity there must be a lessening of a spirit of prayer and of involvement in the lives of her children as she pursues a career in the world. God will not commend her for this.

We need to return to judging things according to the Scriptures and the spirit of Christ rather than according to the course of this evil world. The world would say that a woman has as much right to a career outside the home as a man. The world would say there is no governmental order. A patriarchal society is greatly derided by a world that does not recognize God as sovereign over all. Tragically, the church embraces the principles of this world more than the principles of the kingdom of God. They are more led by their own souls than they are by the Spirit of Christ. They are not judging righteously in these matters.

I Timothy 5:14-16
Therefore, I want younger widows to get married, bear children, keep house, and give the enemy no occasion for reproach; for some have already turned aside to follow Satan.

Although Sarah Palin is not a widow, what is set forth here is the normal pattern for a married Christian woman. When they get married they are to bear children, keep house, and give the enemy no occasion for reproach. It may be hard to accept, but Paul’s words here that “some have already turned aside to follow Satan” apply to Sarah Palin. Satan was an usurper. He sought to attain to a position that God had not granted to him. We see this attitude in the words of Isaiah.

Isaiah 14:13-14
But you said in your heart,
‘I will ascend to heaven;
I will raise my throne above the stars of God,
And I will sit on the mount of assembly in the recesses of the north.
I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High.’

In each declaration of Satan we see him grasping to attain a position above that which he was granted in the governmental order of God. Keeping in mind the words of the apostle Paul to the church in Corinth, we understand that a man does the same thing if he fails to take Christ as his Head, and a woman transgresses if she fails to take man as her head.

Satan said, “I will make myself like the Most High,” and many Christian women today say, “I will make myself like man.” This is an act of usurpation, and we can see that in this Sarah Palin has fulfilled the words of the apostle in that she has “turned aside to follow Satan.”

Sarah Palin has four children at home, one is pregnant and one is a special needs child, having been born with Downs’ Syndrome. As her job has taken her increasingly away from home and family her husband has found it necessary to quit his job and stay home to care for the children. Is it not a sign of the lateness of the age that the government and roles in the home have been turned on their head and the church is applauding it?

As a teacher in the church I am told that I will be held to a stricter judgment than others. I must be careful to proclaim truth without fear, and without any regard to the opinions of man. Oftentimes this means I must proclaim a message that is unpopular, and there is little that is less popular today than the message of divine government and the role of women in the church. But let God be true and every man a liar, I must still stand with God.

Those Christians who rally behind Sarah Palin and vote for her are sharing in her transgression. Once more the discerning Christian should heed the words of the apostle Paul.

I Timothy 5:22-23
Do not lay hands upon anyone too hastily and thus share responsibility for the sins of others; keep yourself free from sin.

Any Christian who comes out in support of Sarah Palin, or who votes for her to attain to this office of ruling over men, becomes a sharer in her transgression. They have not only endorsed her behavior, but are giving hearty approval unto it.

Oddly enough, this woman bears the same first name as the wife of Abraham whom the apostle Peter sets forth as an example for all godly women to emulate. She was not a usurper of man’s authority. She was fully submitted to the headship of man.

I Peter 3:5-6
For in this way in former times the holy women also, who hoped in God, used to adorn themselves, being submissive to their own husbands. Thus Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, and you have become her children if you do what is right without being frightened by any fear.

An insightful verse is found in the Old Testament concerning Sarah. When the angel appeared to Abraham we find this exchange taking place.

Genesis 18:9-10
Then they said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” And he said, “Behold, in the tent.”

Sarah was acting as a keeper in the home. Although she had no children, she was acting as a helper to her husband, devoted to him, remaining at home. In contrast, we find Solomon describing wicked women in the following way:

Proverbs 7:11
She is boisterous and rebellious; her feet do not remain at home…

Being a homemaker is an exceedingly high calling. Woman was created for man, yet few women today, even Christian women, have embraced the purpose of their creation. Satan has deceived women into despising their call to be in the home, seeking to please their husbands, raise their children, and be workers at home. He has used television to present an image of the homemaker as a drudge, wasting her life, and has in contrast magnified the woman who has a career, who is constantly outside the home in various worldly pursuits. The will and pleasure of God is presented as detestable, un-fulfilling, and ignoble while pleasing self is portrayed as exciting, fulfilling and the only noble choice for a woman of sophistication. Because Sarah Palin has been deceived by this lie is not a cause to applaud her. It is cause for regret.

I could share further about Sarah Palin’s involvement in beauty pageants, and the vanity of the world and the immodesty involved. I could share about the image that has arisen around this woman so that a slogan found across Alaska and on bumper stickers in her home state elevates her sexuality in an unseemly manner. The slogan reads: Alaska – Coldest State, Hottest Governor. These things are unseemly, not befitting a woman of righteousness.

Compare this image of Sarah Palin to the admonition of the apostle Peter:

I Timothy 2:9-12
Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments; but rather by means of good works, as befits women making a claim to godliness. Let a woman quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness. But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet.

Back in the 1990s when I was serving as a pastor of a church the Lord revealed to me something about the spirit of Jezebel. There were two women in the church who were sisters. They came from a line of dominant female matriarchs, and both manifested this spirit in different ways. One of the women was the wife of the head pastor. She had short hair, a stocky muscular build, and was very outspoken. Her demeanor was in strict contrast to the apostle Peter’s description below.

I Peter 3:3-4
And let not your adornment be external – braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God.

This woman was not quiet and gentle of spirit. She would attend the elder’s meetings, and had on a number of occasions sharply rebuked men who were elders in the church. She sought to intimidate by bullying them and acting in an unbecoming manner. This woman had a sister who was very different. This woman was a former beauty contestant. She had been a cheerleader in school and had long flowing blonde hair. She dressed in more feminine clothes, yet she also ruled in her home. She had learned how to induce men to do her will by allure and enticement. She manipulated subtly where her sister was anything but subtle.

The Lord revealed to me that these were two sides of the Jezebel spirit, and both were observed in the wife of Ahab.

I Kings 19:1-3
Now Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So may the gods do to me and even more, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.” And he was afraid and arose and ran for his life…

II Kings 9:30-31
When Jehu came to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it, and she painted her eyes and adorned her head, and looked out the window.

In the first Scripture we see Jezebel threatening and using intimidation against men. In the second we see her using seduction and sexual allure. It is not difficult to detect in Sarah Palin manifestations of the same spirit. She rules over men as Governor of Alaska. She is embroiled in a controversy where she sought to pressure the Public Service Commissioner to fire a state trooper who was the ex-husband of Sarah’s sister. When the Commissioner would not do so, and informed her that she should not be having this conversation with him, she subsequently fired him.

Sarah also is a former beauty queen, having come in second in the Miss Alaska competition. She plays up her alluring image, and uses it to acquire power over men. Consider the buttons that are now being made to promote her candidacy.

The Internet and news is all abuzz over her sexy image. Is this the image a woman aspiring to godliness should be promoting? The Scriptures testify that it is not. Show me the woman who is devoting herself to her husband and children, who is manifesting a quiet and gentle spirit, who is devoted to prayer and a keeper at home, and I will show you a true champion of Christianity.

People of God, we live in an hour when the hand of God’s judgment is about to fall upon the church and the nations. It is not a time to embrace worldly values and lifestyles. Although the life of the Christian woman portrayed in the New Testament has become something foreign to the experience of most Americans, it has not always been so. We must remember that we are called to live as “aliens and strangers” in this land.

The world may view a career woman who is aggressive and outspoken as a champion, but in the kingdom of God the view is much different. The world may venerate the former beauty queen who dresses in stylish clothes, but God venerates the humble woman who serves her husband and raises her children, being a worker at home.

Doing just a little research on Sarah Palin on the Internet, I found the following information on the website wikipedia.

Gay unions Alaska was one of the first U.S. states to pass a constitutional ban on gay marriage, in 1998. Whilst campaigning for election as Governor of Alaska in 2006, Palin declared that she supported the 1998 constitutional amendment, although she said she has good friends who are gay and does not wish to judge gay people.
In December 2006, following long-running litigation and a 2005 ruling, the Supreme Court of Alaska ordered the state to begin paying health and retiree benefits to the same-sex partners of state employees. Declaring that there were “no more judicial options to pursue” to avoid paying the benefits, Palin agreed to comply with the ruling. At the same time, in her first legislative act, Palin signed a bill ordering a non-binding referendum for a constitutional amendment to deny the benefits.

Palin subsequently vetoed a bill that would have denied the benefits, declaring that “signing this bill would be in direct violation of my oath of office” due to the state Supreme Court ruling. Although the referendum passed in April 2007 with 53% of voters supporting a constitutional amendment, a bill to place such an amendment on the ballot in November 2008 stalled in the state legislature.
[Source: wikipedia – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Sarah_Palin]

People of God, when one enters into the politics of a corrupt society they find great pressure to compromise their beliefs in order to survive politically. God has testified that one of the reasons for judgment coming upon America is for her open support of a homosexual lifestyle which Yahweh describes as an abomination (Leviticus 18:22). Sarah Palin stated that she did not want to judge her homosexual friends, but God has judged them already.

Romans 1:24-28
God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, that their bodies might be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper…

When a society begins manifesting homosexual behavior it is evident that God has already judged that society. He has given them over to defile themselves and to act in a depraved manner because they would not acknowledge Him as God, but lived to serve their own selves. Homosexuality is a judgment upon a society that loves self. It is a parable of man being in love with his own image.

Sarah Palin by choosing for herself the role of governor was given the task of signing a law legitimizing homosexual unions by providing benefits to those in homosexual relationships. She then vetoed a bill that would have canceled these same benefits, elevating the authority of the state Supreme Court above that of the legislative body. Courts were not intended to legislate, but such an argument is outside the scope of this writing.

If Sarah Palin has already compromised with a sin God calls an abomination, then why do Christians believe she will champion a return to righteousness? We need to exercise sound judgment. If I were put in a position of having to endorse homosexuality, me fear of God would exceed my fear of man. I would have to refuse and accept the consequences. Is this not how godly men and women of ages past acted? Daniel risked being cast into the lion’s den when he was brought to choose obedience to God over obedience to man. His three friends in government risked being cast into a fiery furnace, but Sarah Palin has acquiesced to the pressure put upon her.

It should also be a great concern that she has yoked herself to a man who is running for President whose voting record is so abysmal that James Dobson declared that there was nothing that could induce him to support him. Will not Sarah Palin be pressured to support the agenda of the man she is sharing a political ticket with? And should there be any question about the gospel being promoted by the McCain camp, to entice many to support his election, I will end with a final picture.

Heart4God Website: http://www.heart4god.ws
Parables Blog: http://www.parablesblog.blogspot.com

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Joseph Herrin
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