By Steve Strang

If you’re like me, you’ll be glued to the television tonight to watch the first vice- presidential debate, which is being held at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo. The 90-minute debate between Gov. Sarah Palin and Sen. Joe Biden will begin at 9 p.m. EST and will be broadcast on all major television networks.

I’ve publicly endorsed Sen. John McCain and Sarah Palin, so you know for whom I will be rooting. I’ve reported in the Strang Report how unfair the media has been to Gov. Palin, even ridiculing her Pentecostal background. Now we’ve learned that tonight’s moderator, Gwen Ifill of PBS, has written a pro-Obama book. So much for objectivity.

This is a call to pray for Sarah Palin. Read the incredible prophecy quoted below that is going around the Internet. At the end I tell about attending a huge Palin rally in Florida 10 days ago. Below, read about an important new book we just published by Perry Stone.

Pastor Mark Arnold in Lebanon, Ohio, wrote this true account. He first sent it out to a small handful of friends and relatives, never dreaming that, thanks to e-mail, it would travel around the world. As of today, he’s heard back from 50 states, 36 nations, and several major Christian ministries and news networks, and he has received more than 11,800 e-mails.

When Arnold was asked what he felt the value was in letting this story go public, he said he is seeing people moved and coming out of the “caves” they’ve been in, coming alive and realizing that they need to get involved in the affairs of the nation and not sleep through this season as the church did when believers allowed prayer to be removed from schools.

Pastor Mark Arnold of Lebanon, Ohio, writes:

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.

I struck up a conversation with an agent on the ground. He simply said, “I can’t allow you to stand here!” Here is where the bus was going to actually pull up to. They had to make a much larger perimeter, so the entire area was now being moved back several blocks. The only other thing he told me to do was to go through the metal detector zone and just watch from the back. So, that’s what I did.

Due to [the] sensitivity of the Internet, I can’t share much of the story. As to what happened next, [it] was a definite God thing all the way.

Looking over the shoulders and backs and heads of all those people … I knew it would take a miracle for what God told me to do.

As I was standing there, two Boy Scouts came running up my back. Literally, they almost knocked me to the ground because they were running so fast behind me, up my back and over to the right. These Boy Scouts were about Junior High age. Their Scout Leader and several others were behind them, but as the two out front [were] trying to push through the crowd, saying they were late, the smaller scouts were left in their dust. The Scout Leader, who was with a McCain rep. from the State, grabbed me and told me [to] bring the other Scouts up front as they try to keep up with the first two that just came through.

I just became the leader of the rest of the Scouts to lead them right up front and center. As the rep. was shouting back at me to bring the Scouts forward, the people parted just like God parted the Red Sea.

I marched those boys right up front and to the right of the stage as one was looking from the back. When I got there I was fifteen feet from the podium. God said, “Stand here, and don’t move from this spot.”

Within five minutes the bus pulled up, and around the other side McCain, Sarah Palin and her husband, Todd, stepped up and the speeches took off. I was where God placed me … and even Sarah Palin and Todd were standing on my side of the stage. I made eye contact, I gave them thumbs-up gestures … and I knew they were just happy to see me standing there. Ha ha.

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!

To God be all the glory and honor.

If anyone wants to know if I believe God can speak. Yes … absolutely, is my answer!

Be praying for me … and let me know what you think about all of this.

Pastor Mark Arnold
www.agreeinprayer.com
MEA31975@aol.com
MEA31975@gmail.com

My own experience of hearing Gov. Palin speak at The Villages about 80 miles north of my home near Orlando on Sept. 21 was not nearly as dramatic. It was a hot Sunday afternoon, and we went two hours early and waited in the heat for Palin to come. Estimates of the crowd range from 30,000 to 60,000. It was impossible to know for certain how many were there because it was in a “town center” area, and people were up and down the streets in all directions.

I was able to get near only a large-screen TV, not the stage, and my wife and I settled down in our portable chairs to watch. The crowd was so thick you couldn’t move around to look for a better place. From our vantage point you couldn’t even see the stage, and we never saw Sarah Palin or her family except on the large screen. But it was interesting to see the level of excitement for her candidacy.

Now it will be interesting to see how the debate goes tonight. Be sure to add your thoughts in the blog below.

Steve Strang