July 28, 2009
Dear Friend,
As we read through the prayers of God's chosen servants, as recorded in the Holy Bible, we find that the Lord's response to their humble cries for mercy and help were often answered with a call to action. When Joshua fell on his face before the Lord after the defeat at Ai (Joshua 7) the Lord told him to, "Stand up!" (v.10a). The people had sinned and the Lord had given them the remedy, but they would be responsible for taking action. "I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy whatever among you is devoted to destruction" (v.12b). When Jehoshaphat called the nation to fast and pray and to seek the Lord's help from the invading nations surrounding them the Lord responded with a clear and decisive battle strategy: "You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you...Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you" (2 Chronicles 20:17). When Nehemiah, burdened over the disrepair of Jerusalem, sought the Lord's favor and help in approaching the king, the Lord provided him, not only the opportunity to submit his request to the king, but also the exact specifications he would need to accomplish the task and the necessary resources to fulfill the mission (Nehemiah 1, 2). "The God of heaven will give us success. We His servants will start rebuilding..." (v. 2:20a). And when Daniel, having come to the knowledge of the time of the exile through the Scriptures, sought the Lord with prayer and fasting, he received an immediate and direct response from the Lord regarding the future (Daniel 9): "While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel...while I was still in prayer...Gabriel...instructed me and said to me, 'Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding. As soon as you began to pray, an answer was given, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed" (vv.20-23).
If we are faithful to pray, our God is faithful to respond. He loves to show us "great and unsearchable things we do not know" (Jeremiah 33:3), if only we would take the time to listen and respond. The Scriptures declare, "Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins" (James 4:17). Edmund Burke restated this verse, saying: "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." The days we live in are evil, that is for sure, but evil has been around since the garden of Eden and the only reason evil continues to advance is because we, who know "good", remain silent. "From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked" (Luke 12:48:b).
Jesus called us (believers in Christ Jesus) "the light of the world" (Matthew 5:14a). We will be held accountable for the opportunities we missed while hiding our light under a bushel instead of letting the light of God shine brightly from its' lampstand. If the United States of America is to remain the "city on a hill" shining as the beacon of hope in Christ Jesus for all the world as our first settlers and founders declared it to be for the glory of God, then we, the children of God, must step out of the shadows and into His glorious light and give the people a reason to rejoice rather than groan (Psalm 33:12; Proverbs 11:10-11; 28:12; 29:2).
Our first responsibility is to seek God in His Word. Decidedly choosing to wield this powerful Sword we have been entrusted with will enable us to grow daily in the knowledge of our Lord and provide us greater insight and understanding into His will for our lives and the world we live in. United with the primary responsibility of every believer to pray, the Word of God will go forth and accomplish the work the Lord intends for it to do in the world (Isaiah 55:11), cutting through the lies and deception of the evil one and restoring the foundation of Truth this nation was built upon.
Our second responsibility is to make the most of every opportunity we are given to impact the world we live in for the glory of God. In the past few weeks you have probably become well aware of the many issues that are turning our nation on its head and causing many to question the direction this nation is heading and wondering if anything can be done to stop this impedding train wreck. As believers we know that God is Sovereign, nothing is beyond His knowledge or out of His control, but we must seek Him and be willing to respond when He provides the answer and calls us to action (Psalm 11:3-4; 75:3).
The Lord has established many faithful ministries who are tirelessly standing for truth during these challenging and uncertain times, believing God will use His people to make a difference in this world to accomplish His kingdom purposes on this earth, ulitimately achieving victory for the good of mankind, the salvation of all people, and the glory of God. Below you will find a few opportunities listed for your response. May you prayerfully consider taking action if you have not already done so. Our prayers are with you as you continue to seek the Lord for how He would use you as a soldier in this spiritual battle over the soul of America. May we not lose sight of, or be distracted from, our high calling to be "salt and light" in this tasteless and dark world, steadfastly remaining faithful and obedient as we boldly proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ with our every word and deed.
Be encouraged, "For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine powers to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:3-5). He is our Victor!
Prayerfully Yours,
Traci Alexander
Trumpet and Torch Ministries
"Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" (John 11:40)
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