Becoming Broken Bread     
"The Lord Jesus, on the night He was betrayed,
took bread, and when He had given thanks,
He broke it and said,
'This is My body, which is for you,
do this in remembrance of Me."
(1 Corinthians 11:23-24)
 
                                                                                                                 October 10, 2012

Dear Praying Friend & 40 Day Feaster,

For those of you who are joining us on our journey we are entering into the third week of our 40 days of prayer and fasting leading up to the national election. Whether this is your first 40 day fast or you are a seasoned faster, the first week or two is always the most difficult as you are disciplining your body and spirit to follow a new routine.  The challenge we face is surrendering to a process that is not natural, rather it is supernatural.  You have probably discovered that your head, stomach, and body have rebelled to some degree or another as you have pressed your fleshly appetite to submit to this new spiritual meal plan.  Weakness, frustration, and even anger at times may have set in and you have wondered if all the pain and difficulty are even worth it.  You may not be getting any support from your family, no one is offering any sympathy for your pain and weakness, and you may even get annoyed that nobody recognizes the sacrifice you are making. Caution! That is the flesh rising to the surface. This is exactly what the Lord is after - our fleshly impulses which gravitate towards self-centeredness, self-satisfaction, and self-preservation. All of these bring trouble and death into our lives.  God has given us His Spirit to put to death these sinful deeds of the body and to enable and empower us to walk in the fullness of life that Christ died to bring us (John 10:10).   The Lord wants our every thought, desire, and motivation to be fully yielded to the Holy Spirit's control.  "The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace" (Romans 8:6).  I pray you are up to the task as you continue to submit your body to the Spirit's leading in the coming days and weeks ahead and allow the Lord to press you, mold you, shape you, empty you, and refill you with more of Him so you can be made what Oswald Chambers calls: "the kind of bread and wine that will benefit His other children."
 
"For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved
and those who are perishing.  To the one we are the smell of death;
to the other, the fragrance of life.
And who is equal to such a task?"
(2 Corinthians 2:15-16)
 
A very wise woman of prayer, with whom I've had the distinct honor of praying with and  who has exhorted me to pray louder so everyone can hear, recently said this in one of our recent conversations: "God never called me to anything that I could do."  This simple statement, spoken from of the mouth of a 90-year old faithful servant of God, really resonated with me. Ruth Mizell's humility, heart for prayer, and availability to God has made her a powerful instrument in the hands of God through which He has used to impact the Bush and Reagan administrations, and with which He continues to use to impact our nations' capitol through prayer with the Capitol Hill Prayer Partners, and in helping to provide a Bible curriculum elective in our public schools.  Beloved, none of us are sufficient for the task before us.  Our sufficiency comes from Christ alone (John 15:5).  How vital it is that we offer ourselves fully to the capable, all-sufficient hands of God and allow Him to do the necessary work to produce a useful vessel through which He can pour His eternal blessings of grace, mercy, and love upon a spiritually starved and needy world.  May we all be found worthy and available for such a high and holy call.
 
"Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God.
Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything
for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.
He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant -
not of the letter, but of the Spirit,
for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life."
(2 Corinthians 3:4-6)
 
The apostle Paul wrote these words of assurance at a time when all his plans seemed to be falling apart and the battle seemed destined for defeat rather than victory.  Beloved, the internal struggle we have subjected ourselves to during this season of fasting is challenging enough without all the external forces arrayed against us.  Some of you have already been faced with a few trials, tests, and temptations in these first couple of weeks.  We, at Trumpet and Torch  Ministries, have not been immune to the attacks as our website was attacked by a muslim hacker at the onset of our fast, and last weeks video message to you was completely scrambled (we apologize that you did not receive your weekly encouragement email!).  God often allows uncomfortable, and out of control  circumstances, disappointments, and difficulties so we will learn to trust  Him more fully and recognize that He is in complete control of all things.  We must remember that He is preparing us for even greater success, not failure.  May the challenges we face in the coming days cause us to press deeper in to our all-sufficient Source of strength so we can find the confidence we need to advance the faith! "In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us" (Romans 8:37). May you take encouragement in the work the Lord is doing in you in preparation for the greater work He will do through you as you press on into this week with greater perseverance and prayer!
We'd like to extend a special thank you to all the pastors who, this past Pulpit Freedom Sunday, boldy preached the Word of God without compromise, and who exhorted their congregations to take a stand for righteousness, encouraging them to use their God-given freedoms to vote their biblical values in this years election.  There are 3 clearly defined non-negotiables in the Scriptures that are at stake in this years election:
1. The Sanctity of Human Life - all stages of life (Genesis 1:26-28; 2:7; Genesis 9:6; Exodus 23:7; Psalm 139:13-16; Proverbs 6:16-17).
2. Marriage between one man and one woman (Genesis 2:18-25; Leviticus 18:22;  Malachi 2:14-16; Matthew 19:4-6; Romans 1:26-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9).
3. The Nation of Israel (Genesis 12:2-3; 17:1-8; Exodus 19:5; Psalm 122:6-9; Isaiah 42:6; 49:6; 62:1, 6-7).  Pray for the Peace of Israel - click HERE!
 
May we be found faithful, as ambassadors of Christ, to not allow His Light to go out on our watch (Ezekiel 3:17; 22:30; Matthew 25:1-13; 26:40-46; Revelation 2:4-5).  May we use the time we have been given to faithfully abide in Christ, willingly surrendering to the pressure of His hand, so His oil will flow freely to light our torch so we can lead others into the Presence of God, when He has not clearly provided a leader, like Moses, who will take us there (Exodus 33:12-16).  Our God is our faithful Guide and He alone will lead us to the victorious end!  May we use godly wisdom to choose from among the leaders those who will not be an obstacle in our path, but rather work to protect our religious freedoms so this and future generations will experience the blessing of a  nation whose God is the Lord (Psalm 33:12)!
Pray!  Pray louder, longer, more fervently...and vote!
 
"Now it is required that those who have been given a trust
must prove faithful"
(1 Corinthians 4:2).
  
  
Heavenly Father,
"I lift my eyes to the hills-
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth."
Our help is in You Lord.
To You belongs all glory, honor, and praise.
We come to You in complete humility
knowing we can do nothing apart from You.
We are overwhelmed and grateful for this
precious and intimate time You have chosen to spend
with us as You prepare us to further do Your will.
Draw us closer, using whatever You deem necessary
to take us deeper still, until our heart
beats one with Yours and You alone become
our hearts desire.
Transform our wordly appetites into a
 deep hunger and thirst for righteousness,
that we might fully experience Your abundant life.
Fill us to the overflow with an endless supply of
Your love and grace so we can breathe Your life
upon the dry, dead bones of this lost and fallen world.
Give us sufficient courage for the task
so that now as always Christ will be exalted in our bodies,
whether by life or death.
In the mighty, powerful, all-sufficient name
of Jesus Christ, we pray.  Amen!
 
If you are just joining us you can read past emails here:
For Spiritual Nourishment while you pray and fast these next 40 days consider using one of these meal-by-meal prayer and fasting devotional journeys available for your free use online in the Temple at www.trumpetandtorch.org or click HERE:
                    EAT sealWellspring imageHarvest image  


May these next 40 days lead you to a renewed satisfaction in Christ alone, and may the entire Body of Christ be strengthened because of your obedience to spend this time nourishing the life of Christ within.  Savor every morsel He puts on your plate!

Living on Christ,
 

Traci Alexander

Traci Alexander
Trumpet and Torch Ministries

[email protected]

www.trumpetandtorch.org 

 

P.S. For our Southern California "Feasters" who would like a copy of EAT at the Table of the King please visit the Chapel Store at Calvary Chapel Chino Valley.  For serious "feasters" who are ready for a good soaking In the Belly of the Whale is also hot off the press and on the shelf - click HERE for a description! 

 

 

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