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Saturday, October 14, 2006, Senator Michele Bachmann at the Living Word Christian Center, in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota.
Pastor Mac Hammond: And uh, you know, we can't publicly endorse, as a church, and would not, any candidate. But I can tell you, personally, that I'm going to vote for Michele Bachmann. Because, you know, because: I've come to know her, what she stands for, and I want her to share her testimony with you tonight. Would you give her a warm welcome as she comes to share.
(Bachmann makes introductory remarks and begins to tell her life story--her testimony for Christ. Then:)
Bachmann: And then the Lord showed me that I needed to go to college, and so I went to college. And when I was in college He showed me that I needed to start pursuing Him in an even deeper way. And so I started to speak to others at our college and university about who He is, and started to lead others on my dorm floor to Jesus Christ.
And in the midst of that, I went to a Bible study. And in that Bible study I met a girlfriend. And that girlfriend led me to a man that's sitting in the front row right now. And the Lord then led me to this man, stand up, darling, this is Marcus Bachmann, my husband (applause).
Led me to him, and showed me that this was also part of my calling. That my calling was to marry this man.
And I tell you that, because, I hate to disappoint you, darling, but it wasn't a big romantic surge that led us to each other. It was His Word.
We were praying one night, a girlfriend and I, not Marcus, and the Lord gave each one of us the same, exact vision. And it was this: It was a picture of me, marrying this man, in the valley where his parents have a farm in western Wisconsin.
And we got that word, we were praying in the Spirit, I'd been baptized in the Spirit, we were praying in the Spirit and the Lord showed us that, and I just said, "Well, Lord, that's really strange, I'll just put in on the shelf."
And I put it on the shelf, put it in His hands, and said: "You make the calling sure."
I had no idea: at the same time, the Lord was speaking to my husband, and He showed my husband, he was repairing a fence on the farm where he worked, and the Lord showed him in a vision that he was supposed to marry me.
And my husband said, "I don't want to get married. I want to wait til I'm twenty-seven, I want to see the world, I want to have a great time in life, I don't want to marry this girl."
But he put it on the shelf. And by faith, he followed the Lord. And over the next two years, the Lord began romantically to knit these two hearts together, because we said "yes," to pursue His Word, in His perfect plan, in His calling.
And now twenty-eight years later, I think we might have a chance, this thing might actually work out (laughter).
And in the midst, of that calling, He began to create in us and perfect in us what His plan was going to be.
And during those dorm years, when I was busy studying, the Lord put in my heart, that if I would be diligent and I would be steadfast, He would take me to law school. And I thought, law school? I have no interest in going to law school. But I put that in His hands and I put in His plan, and I put it in His hands, and pursued that, and eventually He did, He took me to law school.
And I went to the first Christian law school that there was in the United States, down at Oral Roberts University, where they taught the law from a Biblical worldview.
And from there, my husband said "Now you need to go and get post-doctorate degree in tax law." Tax law? I hate taxes. Why should I go and do something like that? But the Lord says: Be submissive, wives, you are to be submissive to your husbands.
And so we moved to Virginia Beach, Virginia, and I went to William and Mary, to law school there, for a post-doctorate degree in tax law, and I pursued this course of study. Never had a tax course in my background, never had a desire for it, but by faith, I was gonna be faithful to what God was calling me to do through my husband, and I finished that course of that study.
We had our five biological children that God gave to us, and then He called us to take foster children into our home. We thought we were going to take unwed mothers in. And by faith we started taking teenage girls in. And one girl, after another girl, after another girl, we took twenty-three foster children into our home, and raised them, and launched them off into the world, and now they're off seeking their calling as well. And by faith, by coming to Him, very slowly, He began to use us, in our own little world, not just to bless us, but to pour ourselves out. Just like Jesus Christ did.
And in the midst of that faithfulness that God called us to, to raise five children, and raise twenty-three foster children, and as God called my husband to open the Christian counseling clinic, to reach out to others, He has blessed that calling in my husband as well.
And in the midst of all this, as if we didn't have enough to do, He called me to run for the Minnesota State Senate. I had no idea, and no desire to be in politics. Absolutely none.
You opened up your home to me here, on one Sunday evening, and we were able to share with you, a big issue that was happening in our state, with losing the definition of marriage, here in our day, and in our time. And you entered in with me, so I could share that with you.
And you acted. And you re-acted. And you did something down in Minnesota.
And even though we were not successful getting that on the ballot, guess what? Although we were attacked, the message remains the same. As Pastor Mac has said: He is the same yesterday, today and forever. And His word will always be true, that He created them male and female, and that he brought them together, and that's what marriage will be.
And in the midst of that calling, God then called me to run for the United States Congress.
And I thought, what in the world would that be for. And my husband said You need to do this." And I wasn't so sure. And we took three days, and we fasted and we prayed. And we said "Lord, is this what you want, are You sure? Is this Your will?" And after, along about the afternoon of day two, He made that calling sure.
And it's been now twenty two months that I've been running for United States Congress. Who in their right mind would spend two years to run for a job that lasts for two years? You'd have to be absolutely a fool to do that.
You are now looking at a fool for Christ. This is a fool for Christ (applause).
And in the midst of Him making this calling sure, what's occurred now, in this particular race, is that this Congressional seat, one out of 435 in our country, it has become one of the top five races in the country, and in the last week this has become one of the top three races in the country.
And you may have seen how God has, in His own will, and in His own plan, has focused like a laser beam, after this scandal that came up about a week or so ago, He has focused like a laser beam, in His reasoning, on this race.
The reason why this is one of the top three races, is because this race will probably decide which way Congress goes this fall. We could talk more about what that means for this nation, what this means for defeating radical Islam, what this means for what the future of the family is going to be, what this is going to mean for the future of freedom of religious expression,
But we will leave that at the foot of the Cross. Because as He has made each one of our callings sure, as He has poured Himself out for us, and as He has given His message, and as He was attacked and it remained the same, He was faithful, even to the cross.
And He asks that of you, He asks that of me, and He says: What's it gonna be? Are you gonna be hot? Are you gonna be cold? Just please, please, please, don't be lukewarm.
That's our charge from Pastor Mac tonight. Will we be hot? Or will we be cold? There's time yet to make a difference. So suit up! Sign up!
It's worth everything, because it will change you, and it will change our world. In the name of Jesus Christ, I thank you for this opportunity. "Amen."
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