The Trumpet and Torch Prayer Team
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"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 power
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) 
 
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Putting on the Armor of God
 
                                                                                                      September 8, 2009 
Dear Prayer Warrior,
 
As we come to our last piece of spiritual armor I find myself struggling through great sadness just to write these words the Lord has laid on my heart to share with you.  Only our loving God knew, that after weeks of preparation intentionally putting on the full armor of God, that I would be faced with a great personal battle that would put to test all that He has revealed through His Word.  This week we received the news that my brother died a tragic death.  My greatest prayer was for my brother to know and experience the love of Jesus, and my deepest desire was to be able to share with him the message of salvation.  The Lord gave me a wonderful opportunity to do just that three months ago when my brother came to visit us from Oregon.  I had no idea that when I hugged my brother tightly and told him how much Jesus and I loved him that it would be for the last time.  However, our Sovereign God knew, having divinely appointed and purposed that encounter to bring me comfort in this hour of sadness and to plant a seed that would be used by Him to yield a future harvest.  "Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy.  He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him" (Psalm 126:5-6).
 
"I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies,
it remains only a single seed. 
But if it dies, it produces many seeds."
(John 12:24)
 
My brother, Brian, was a paramedic and firefighter in Oregon.  His life's calling was to save the lives of hundreds of people - rescuing them from burning buildings and tragic accidents - saving them from the brink of death.  He dealt with death every day as he walked on the job and it caused him great emotional distress to see the fraility and struggle of human life. The answer to the questions that he, and so many others, have struggled with are found in only One - Jesus Christ!  Jesus put on a cloak of human flesh and died the ultimate death to win for all humanity the victory over that great enemy death so that we would not have to face that dark valley without the hope of eternal life.  As Christian soldiers, everytime we suit up in our spiritual armor and step onto the battlefield of life, our high calling is to shine the light of Jesus into the darkness of doubt and despair, bringing the awesome message of hope, healing, and salvation to all people.
 
Today, I would like to ask a favor of you, as faithful prayer warriors in the army of God, to pray with me for the Lord to prepare the hearts of the people, and for me, as I am seeking God for the strength that only He can give, to share this message of hope, in an hour of great sadness, to all those who will be attending my brothers memorial service on Wednesday, September 9th, at 11 AM at the First Baptist Church in Cottage Grove, Oregon.  May this great tragedy for our family and friends end in triumph for the kingdom of God, and may my brother's final call be used by God to achieve the ultimate rescue - the salvation of many souls!  "Do not be distressed...God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance" (Genesis 45:5a, 7).
 
As we pick up this last piece of spiritual armor - the Sword of the Spirit - the Lord is lovingly reminding us of what we have been saved to do - to wield His mighty sword and cut through the shackles that have left so many in bondage to sin and death.  Today we are being called to take a knee, as faithful servants of the Most High God, to bow before the Lord our God and Maker, as He rests His mighty sword on our shoulders and commissions us to go out clothed in the power of His Holy Spirit, wielding His Sword in defense of His Holy Name and for the glory of His Kingdom.  May today be the wake-up call we need to no longer waste another moment, but continue to do the work we have been called to do until every family member, neighbor, friend, co-worker, and acquaintance comes to experience the love and salvation of Jesus Christ.
 
"So do not throw away your confidence, it will be richly rewarded.
You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God,
you will receive what He has promised.
For in just a very little while,
'He who is coming will come and will not delay.
But my righteous one will live by faith.
And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.'
But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed,
but of those who believe and are saved."
(Hebrews 11:35-39) 
 
 
Article #6:  The Sword of the SPIRIT 
 
"Take...the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.  With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints." (Ephesians 6:17b-18).  The sword is an amazing piece of battle armor, for it is the only piece that can be used defensively and offensively.  When we wield the sword of the Spirit we are protected against the attacks of the enemy, causing him to retreat, and enabling us to move forcibly forward, overcoming the obstacles that are standing in our path, gaining ground and claiming the victory for the kingdom of God. The Scriptures tell us, "For the word of God is living and active.  Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12).  When we arm ourselves with an artillery of verses, through studying, meditating, and memorizing the word of God daily, we not only protect ourselves against the deceptive lies and tactics of the enemy, we also become a powerful weapon in God's arsenal to be used at His disposal to accomplish great feats and achieve amazing victories for the kingdom of God.  "I have put my words in your mouth and covered you with the shadow of my hand..." (Isaiah 51:16a).
 
"He made my mouth like a sharpened sword,
in the shadow of His hand He hid me;
He made me into a polished arrow and concealed me in His quiver."
(Isaiah 49:2)
 
We are to speak boldly, out loud, and without fear, the Word of God, allowing the powerful agent of His Holy Spirit to breathe life into His Word and achieving the victory He has purposed for it.  "...so is My word that goes out from My mouth:  It will not return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it" (Isaiah 55:11).  How vital it is that we pick up the mighty sword of His Word, feasting daily upon these life-giving words so we will be equipped to speak life and truth into the lives of so many who are trapped in the bondage of sin and death.  We have been saved just for this purpose:  To bring the hope of Christ Jesus to a lost and dying world.  We have limited time left to accomplish that which we have been called to do - we cannot waste the time or this precious resource - His Word - which we have been entrusted with.
 
The Lord is faithful to empower us with His Holy Spirit to accomplish His work and advance His kingdom.  The same power that came upon the church at Pentecost is available to the Church today.  "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be My witnesses..." (Acts 1:8).  However, we have lost much of our power today because we have neglected the importance of spending time in the Word of God and in prayer.  As one faithful saint has stated, "Prayer and the Word of God go hand and hand, the power of one is dependent upon the presence of the other."  We are dependent upon the Holy Spirit's enabling power - a  power that is activated only as we spend time in the Word of God and in prayer.  "The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him - the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD..." (Isaiah 11:2).  The Lord provides us all the power we need through the presence of His Holy Spirit to carry out the plans and purposes of God - our responsibility is to simply, "take the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God!"  You are equipped with all that you need, oh mighty men and women of valor, go forward now, clothed in His mighty strength and armed with His holy Word, and allow Hiim to use you to accomplish His kingdom purposes and bring glory to His name!
 
"Gird your sword upon your side, O mighty one;
clothe yourself with splendor and majesty."
(Psalm 45:3) 
 
 Heavenly Father, "O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.  I have seen you in your sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.  I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands...Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.  My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me."  "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me."  May the praise of our God be upon our mouths and a double-edged sword be in our hands.  Fill us with your Holy Spirit and use as a mighty weapon to advance your kingdom, we pray, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be used for the praise of your glory.  May your kingdom come and will be done, on earth as it is in heaven, so "never again will they hunger, never again will they thirst. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; He will lead them to springs of living water.  And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."  "Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!"  We exalt your glorious name.  In Christ Jesus we pray. Amen.
 
  
[Scripture references: Psalm 23:4; 63:1-4, 7-8; 149:6; Matthew 6:10; Ephesians 1:11-14; Revelation 7:12, 16a-17]
                                                         
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.
Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your
stand against the devil's schemes.  For our struggle
is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers,
against the authorities, against the powers of this dark
world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the
heavenly realms."  
(Ephesians 6:10-12)
                                                                                                       Trumpet & Torch Ministries 
Thank You for Standing in Prayer!
 
Read previous"Putting on the Armor of God"
devotional prayer emails:
Helmet of Salvation
 
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