A Worshipper's Space

Bless the LORD, who is my rock.

He gives me strength for war

and skill for battle.

He is my loving ally and my fortress,

my tower of safety, my deliverer.

He stands before me as a shield, and I take refuge in him.

He subdues the nations under me. Psalm 144:1-2 (NLT)

David was a man who was pressed on every side by enemies, even some in his own household. But David knew who he was. He was anointed by God to be King of Israel and he was a warrior. He knew that it was God who gave him his strength. It was God who trained him. God was his ally and his shield and fortress. If things looked bad he always ran to the one who created him. Yes David failed at times, but he always got back up, repented and went on. He was a man after God’s own heart.

Like David, Paul was also pressed on all sides and this is what he wrote through the Holy Spirit in 2 Corinthians 4:8-12 "We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed and broken. We are perplexed, but we don't give up and quit. We are hunted down, but God never abandons us. We get knocked down, but we get up again and keep going. Through suffering, these bodies of ours constantly share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies. Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be obvious in our dying bodies. So we live in the face of death, but it has resulted in eternal life for you." (NLT)

And in Romans 8:31-39 "What can we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since God did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won't God, who gave us Christ, also give us everything else? Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? Will God? No! He is the one who has given us right standing with himself. Who then will condemn us? Will Christ Jesus? No, for he is the one who died for us and was raised to life for us and is sitting at the place of highest honour next to God, pleading for us. Can anything ever separate us from Christ's love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or are hungry or cold or in danger or threatened with death? (Even the Scriptures say, "For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep."No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us." (NLT)

The victory is ours! We have been made kings and priests and the bible tells us we are seated in high places with Christ. We need to rise up and seize the day! The things and cares of this world should never keep us from being what we truly are in Christ. We are warriors trained by the King himself. This world needs to see people who are bold in their faith no matter what circumstances they are facing. Yes you will be persecuted and mocked, but remember so was Jesus and many of the saints that have gone before you. You are in good company. Be bold and courageous and lift high the word of God which is your sword. Be prepared for battle at all times. Train yourself for war by studying and meditating upon the bible. Remember that we do our best fighting when we are on our knees.

Rise up my brothers and sisters, mighty men and women of valour and let’s move forward taking what the Lord has promised us. If ever there was a time we need to do this it is now. Be bold, be strong for the Lord your God is with you!

Paul said it best in Ephesians 6:10-18;

A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armour so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armour so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.  Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armour of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.

We are living in serious times and I believe Jesus will be returning for His bride very soon. Jesus said in Matthew 24:23-24; Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand. We are seeing these things happen now before our very eyes. Pray for the United States and their upcoming election, that Christians would use their God given discernment in voting for the next President. Pray that many people’s eyes would be opened to the Gospel and be rescued from the wrath to come. - Gerry

Friday, October 17, 2008

An associate editor of the campus newspaper at Massachusetts' Smith College has joined the chorus attributing to Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama messianic characteristics, but he has gone one step further, calling Obama her "Jesus."

"Obama is my homeboy. And I'm not saying that because he's black – I'm saying that in reference to those Urban Outfitters T-shirts from a couple years ago that said, 'Jesus is my homeboy.' Yes, I just said it. Obama is my Jesus," wrote Maggie Mertens in the Smithsophian's commentary section recently under the headline: "I Will Follow Him: Obama As My Personal Jesus."

"While you may be overtly religious and find this to be idol-worshipping, or may be overtly politically correct and just know that everything in that sentence could be found offensive, I'm afraid it's true anyway," she wrote.

(Story continues below)

The writing prompted P.J. Gladnick, in a posting on NewsBusters.org, to express concern about Mertens' dedication to her "Jesus."

He cited her conclusion: "I've officially been saved, and soon, whether they like it or not, the rest of the country will be too. I will follow him, all the way to the White House, and I'll be standing there in our nation's capital in January 2009, when Barack Obama is inaugurated as the 44th president of the United States of America. In the name of Obama, Amen."

"Saved, 'whether they like it or not.' That sounds like a threat to me," the NewsBusters report said. "What will you do, Maggie? Burn non-believers in your holy Barack at the Democrat party stake for being heretics?"

He said the problem is people turning Obama into a sort of spiritual savior, as WND reported radical Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan also has done with Obama.

"A lot of the commenters to this article were hoping that this was just satire by Maggie Mertens, NewsBusters' Gladnik said. "Your humble correspondent knows satire and this was definitely not satire. Mertens was serious although, after the richly deserved mocking she is sure to receive over her belief in Barack, she might try to squirm out of it by pulling a Sheryl Crow. … She might claim she was really just joking as Crow claimed after she was widely ridiculed by claiming we could fight global warming by using just one square of toilet paper per sitting. Crow was serious and so is Maggie Mertens in proclaiming Barack Obama as her savior."

Mertens also described Obama as "my miracle."

Get "The Audacity of Deceit: Barack Obama's War on American Values"

"Barack Obama bore to me his testimony in 2004 at the Democratic National Convention, a testimony that included believing in concepts as simple and wholesome as the Constitution; a belief the current administration had done away with entirely. … I was intrigued. I would follow him," she wrote.

"I must admit, I questioned this myself. After all, would I have ever bought a T-shirt with Al Gore's face on it? Was this all he was, the newest pop culture fad? I questioned my newfound faith – was it all only a phase, like the time I thought I was Baptist in junior high? But my inner dogmatic struggle only helped cement my beliefs," she continued.

"Wait, this is satire, right," wrote one participant in the newspaper's forum.

"It's very telling that people have to ask if this is satire, don't you think," said another.

"Um … whoa. I hope this is a parody. … If it isn't, I just don't know what to say except that your conception of the appropriate place of government and politicians in our lives appears to have reverted 2000+ years," added another.

On the NewsBusters site, the concern level was ratcheted up a notch.

"This is actually quite frightening. There are a lot of stories out there where people actually look at Obama as more of a deity than a typical politician," wrote one forum participant. "And I have yet to hear him counter it."

This messianic image of Obama was highlighted by ABC's Jake Tapper

NewBusters managing editor Ken Shepherd had earlier commented on the "penchant" in some media corporations "for selecting photographs of Sen. Barack Obama that make him appear rather, um, messianic."

He cited an ABC blog, which featured a photograph of Obama with a halo around his head, and raised similar questions.

Accompanying the critique of media image uses there was the headline: "There is Born to You This Day in the City of Chicago a Savior."

WND reported less than a week ago on comments from Farrakhan, another powerful Chicago-based political figure associated with the Obama's longtime pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, who told an audience when Obama talks "the Messiah is absolutely speaking."

You can watch it for yourself on a newly posted YouTube video.

Addressing a large crowd behind a podium Feb. 24 with a Nation of Islam Saviour's Day 2008 sign, Farrakhan proclaims,

"You are the instruments that God is going to use to bring about universal change, and that is why Barack has captured the youth. And he has involved young people in a political process that they didn't care anything about. That's a sign. When the Messiah speaks, the youth will hear, and the Messiah is absolutely speaking."

 

WND also previously reported a website called "Is Barack Obama the Messiah?" captured the wave of euphoria that followed the Democratic senator's remarkable rise.

WND also reported when talk radio host Rush Limbaugh criticized Democrats who were comparing Obama to Jesus and Gov. Sarah Palin to Pontius Pilate.

"I know Jesus Christ. I pray to Jesus Christ all the time," said Limbaugh." I study what Jesus Christ did and said all the time, and let me tell you something, Barack Obama, you are no Jesus Christ."

Democrats, including party strategist Donna Brazile and Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., earlier made nearly identical biblical comparisons of the characters in this presidential election, which Limbaugh traced back to a Sept. 4 posting on a Washington blog.

"Barack Obama was a community organizer like Jesus," Cohen said during a one-minute speech on the floor of the U.S. House. "Pontius Pilate was a governor."

When the watchman sees the enemy coming, he sounds the alarm to warn the people. Then if those who hear the alarm refuse to take action, it is their own fault if they die. They heard the alarm but ignored it, so the responsibility is theirs. If they had listened to the warning, they could have saved their lives. But if the watchman sees the enemy coming and doesn’t sound the alarm to warn the people, he is responsible for their captivity. They will die in their sins, but I will hold the watchman responsible for their deaths.’ (Ezekiel 33:3-6)

In biblical times a watchman was a someone who was given the task of watching over a city or crops. If the watchman fell asleep or failed to give warning to an attack from an enemy, the results could be disastrous. The city could be overrun before anyone knew what hit them. The crops could be wiped out and people go hungry. It was a serious position and anyone who left his post or was caught asleep while on watch would pay a high price and could even be executed for it.

It was also a responsibility th