Pray for Sarah Palin

This evening, Sarah Palin will debate Joe Biden on national television. And, I would ask that you pray for Sarah Palin.

A dear friend of mine called me this afternoon regarding a revelation God had given him about how to pray for Sarah Palin prior to and during tonight's debate.

I'm going to share it with you as succinctly as possible and you still be able to understand it.

My friend said that God likened her situation to the story of David and Goliath.

Everyone told David that he could not defeat Goliath, but David knew that with God's help he not only could, but would defeat Goliath and the whole Philistine army.

1. Pray that Sarah Palin will be firm in her faith, go out with confidence, trusting in the Lord knowing that He will give her the victory.

Saul tried to get David to wear his armour and carry his sword, but they were too big and heavy for David.

2. Pray that Sarah Palin will not try to answer with the answers other's have given her, but to trust that God will provide the right answers and the right words for her to speak.

David went to a fresh water stream and found five smooth stones.

3. Pray that Sarah Palin will go the the Living Water which is the Holy Spirit of God and find the five points which God has for her to use tonight.

David went out against Goliath, loaded up the first stone in his sling and let it fly with all his might and it found the one spot on Goliath which was not covered - his forehead - and it knocked Goliath down and out.

4. Pray that Sarah Palin will deliver the first point with confidence and force so that it will knock Joe Biden off his feet and disarm him.

David then took the giant's own sword and cut off Goliath's head.

5. Pray that Sarah Palin will take the second point and attach with such force that it will destroy any ability for the opposition to fight back.

David then lead the charge to destroy the whole Philistine army.

6. Pray that Sarah Palin will use the other three points God will give her to open the eyes of this nation to the fact that John McCain will do the right things and lead this nation to where God desires it to be.

The last part of the revelation revealed to my friend was to:

7. Pray that Sarah Palin, as she walks off the platform tonight, will raise her hands, praise God and give Him all the glory!

I've already been praying about these 7 areas and will continue to pray until and through the debate tonight - and I hope you'll join me.

I really believe that Sarah Palin has been lifted up to be the Esther of our time - that she has been brought forward for just such a time as this!

Just as Esther lived in a foreign country where God's people were persecuted and looked down on, as Christians, we live in a country where more and more we are scoffed at, mocked and are even beginning to feel the first waves of persecution. There is no doubt we are under attach and that many in this country would like to see us destroyed, or at the very least, to see our influence destroyed.

I believe we have an opportunity to have, in Sarah Palin, an Esther in the inner court of government, to open the eyes of our leaders as to what is right and to make a way by which God's people will not be trampled on and destroyed, but lifted up and restored.

I was thrilled to see the video of her speaking before her home church. While many in the media and many in this country laughed and tried to portray her as a religious fanatic or nut, I saw a woman who is strong and unashamed in her beliefs and in her faith - and that is just the kind of person God can use in a place and time such as this.

Pray for Sarah Palin!

Love in Christ Jesus,

Jim

Why God Allows Bad Things To Happen

When I was a Pastor, and now as as Evangelist, I have often had people express their doubts about the effectiveness of prayer and, ultimately, their doubts about God, when bad things happen and God does not seem to answer their prayers.

Most often this happens when someone becomes stricken with a disease such as cancer, but it might be a financial situation or a child or other loved one who has become involved in drugs or alcohol or some other destructive and sinful lifestyle.

When we, as Christians, are faced with these kinds of tragic or crisis situations, we begin to pray in tears and with great passion and in faith and with belief that God will answer our prayers and we ask other Christians to pray with us. We pray for God to miraculously intervene in the situation and provide a resolution to the financial problem or a complete healing from the disease or that our child or loved one would change their life.

There are times when God does miraculously intervene, but there are many more times that it seems that God does not intervene - that He has not heard our prayers - or that He does not care. It is then a very short step to begin to question if God ever answers prayer or even if there is a God. We begin to ask "Why didn't God answer my prayers?" And, then we begin to even question if God has ever answered any prayer we've prayed or was it just happenstance or coincidence that seemed like an answer to prayer and the outcome would have been the same whether we prayed or not. We begin to ask, "What's the point?" And, it is not long before we become discouraged and disappointed and far too often our faith begins to fail.

Maybe you're in that kind of place right now. Maybe you've been praying and praying and it seems God is doing nothing and you are beginning to question if He hears your prayers, if He cares about you and your crisis, or even if God is even real. The fact is that all of us will be tested in this manner at one time or another. If you're not there now, you've been there or you'll be there sometime soon.

I wish I had a word for you that would remove all your doubts and restore your faith, but I don't. It is something each of us has to work through on our own. Each of us has to make the personal decision that even in those times when I can't see God working, even in those times God does not seem to hear, even in those times when it seems that God doesn't care - I'm going to keep praying and keep believing.

You see, there comes a point in faith, when the only way you can continue on is by faith. Does that make sense? We can try to figure it out logically, but, in the end, we have to continue on in faith, by faith. We can read our Bibles, we can review the miracles in answer to pray which God has previously done in our lives, but when faced with a crisis which only God can solve and He does not bring the solution we've prayed for, it is only human to question it all.

And, in that, I think we find the key. We have to stop looking at things through human eyes and stop trying to understand with human understanding and, instead, begin to see things through God's eyes.

I heard my Pastor, Dixie Pebworth, tell a mother who had for many years prayed that her son would be turn from the lifestyle he was living and, yet, he seemed only to get deeper and deeper in that lifestyle, "God is has not finished writing your son's testimony."

Another friend of mine, Jim Murphey, who was a preacher before the effects of a brain tumor caused him to have to step from the pulpit was once confronted by a man who was crying that he had prayed and prayed in belief and with great fervor that his wife would be healed from cancer and asked "Why did God let her die? Why didn't He answer my prayers? Why didn't He heal her?" And, Jim said, "Brother, God did heal your wife. She doesn't have cancer anymore. She is completely healthy and more alive then she has ever been." Jim passed away less than a year later, but we didn't have a funeral, we had a "home-going" celebration!

When we can move beyond seeing with our human eyes and begin to see with God's eyes, then we begin to see that God always answers our prayers, even when He doesn't answer with our preconceived and sometimes even selfish idea of how He should answer. When we can move beyond seeing with our human eyes and begin to see with God's eyes, we begin to realize how much He loves us and how He pours blessing into our life - even in the most tragic circumstance.

I have never seen such a great illustration of what I'm talking about then this video. Have some tissue ready, because I guarantee you will cry, but you will also see God's hand and God's blessing and God's love and God's eternal promise in what would be with human eyes the most tragic of situations.



Love in Christ Jesus,

Jim

Shall We Pray?

Stuart Shepherd, of Focus On The Family, does a weekly video commentary called Stoplight, which during this Presidential Campaign season is often political. If you are a conservative Christian, I think that you'll like his commentaries as much as I do.

His latest edition of Stoplight is titled, Pray for Rain.

Watch it and see what you think.




I don't know about you, but I think it is a pretty good idea and I'm going to join today with Stuart Shepherd and, hopefully, hundreds of thousands of other conservative Christians in praying that God will open the heavens and pour down a drenching, soaking, torrential, big time rain in Denver on August 28 just as Barrack Obama begins his acceptance speech.

Will it rain?

I don't know, but I'm going to pray, in faith, that it does, because as Caleb said when he, as a very old man, began the conquest of the promised land which had been given to him personally, a land which was mountainous and occupied by giants, "Who knows, God may be gracious!"

After all, we are not asking for God to send down fire and brimstone (although that might be appropriate), just a little rain on BO's parade!

Shall we pray?

Love in Christ Jesus,

Jim

Happy Father's Day, Dad!

The handsome gentleman above is my Dad - James King Rutherford!

On June 6th, we celebrated his 78th birthday with a dinner prepared by his wife, Eva Jo, in their home. It was wonderful to see Dad, as it always is. Even though I only live about 45 miles from Dad, I don't see him nearly enough. Each time I see Dad, I always make a mental note that I need to see him more often, but, I am, as most of us seem to be, far too busy with life, to always make the time for the things I intend to do - even when if involves someone as special as my Dad.

Last spring, Dad retired from 50+ years as an evangelist, preacher and pastor. My Dad was a great preacher - one of the very best! I had the great privilege of preaching at the service to honor him, even though both his brothers, each great preachers in their own right, were present at the service. It was truly one of the greatest honors of my life.

I am so thankful that Dad has been able to witness the changes God has brought about in my life over the years. For many years I was a prodigal son, not so much from my earthly Dad as I was from my Heavenly Father, but still there were too many years when our relationship was not as close as it should have been and I wish now it had of been.

I am so thankful to my Dad for being the kind of Dad he was. Dad was busy as a minister, but he did lots of things with me. He taught me to hunt and fish and to play golf and lots of other stuff. While Dad was sometimes not very outwardly expressive in his love for me, I never doubted that he loved me or that he was proud of me. And, Dad never gave up on me or quit praying for me all those years I was away from God and the church. Most of all, Dad was an example of a preacher who had a passion for lost souls. Dad was not only a great preacher, but he was a great soul winner! I wish I was half the one on one soul winner as my Dad!

I know that it is in large part because of the foundation of faith and knowledge of Jesus Christ, that was build in my life as a boy and young man by my Dad (and my Mom) and the example of a Christian man I saw in my Dad, that has made me the man I am today.

So - Happy Father's Day, Dad! It is my great hope that we celebrate many more!!!

Jimmie

Cardboard Testimonies

I just saw this video this morning and was struck by how much it really said.

This is actually a video on tithing and giving by making the point that church changes people's lives and so it worth supporting with your tithes and offerings.

While there is no question that people's lives can be dramatically changed by the grace, love and power of God, this video, to me, raises the question which all of us should be asking ourselves - "Are people's lives being dramatically changed though MY church?"

I believe with all my heart that the Church of Jesus Christ was intended to be a dramatic and powerful agent of change -that people lives should be dramatically different because of what they experience in and through the Church.

I also believe that many, many churches in America today are NOT the powerful agent of change which our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ intended the church to be. Far too many churches are not much more than social clubs using ritual and religion to make themselves feel like they are doing something good for themselves and society. That is why polls show over and over again that the lives (the words and actions) of people who consider themselves to be good church-going Christians are not much different than the lives of people who never go to church and have little use for spiritual things.

So - I'd ask you today to take an objective look at YOUR church and to come up with an honest answer to the question - "Is MY church really being The Church?" Is the church you attend and support making a dramatic and powerful difference in people's lives. Are souls being saved? Are people living changed lives?

If the answer is "NO." - then you either need to change your church or change churches!

If you are in Tulsa, you need to check out God's Shining Light Church at 9897 E. 11th Street, if you are looking for a church that is being The Church of Jesus Christ - a church where souls are being saved and lives dramatically changed. I can promise you this - you may not be comfortable there, but you will marvel at all that is being accomplished for the cause of Christ.

Love in Christ Jesus,

Jim

Pastor George Nowlin

I had the great privilege of meeting George Nowlin, a pastor from Duncan, Oklahoma, several weeks ago when he was a part of a "Setting Captives Free" Revival at our home church, God's Shining Light in Tulsa.

I have always loved the singing of Al Green (who is now a pastor in Memphis, TN) and George reminds me a lot of Al Green - except, as I told George, there is a very special anointing on his singing that you find in very few people.

I'm not sure this is George at his very best, and you most certainly will not be able to sense the incredible anointing and power that you would experience hearing George live, but you will be very blessed by his music.

Check it out!

George Nowlin


Love in Christ Jesus,

Jim

The Cross Within Us

This is an amazing video, which will give you a new perspective on how much, not only God cares about your life, but of how and why you were created - how special your are to God - and what a wonderful plan He must have for your life.

Love in Christ Jesus,

Jim