A TRUMPET IN THE WILDERNESS

Trumpet Blast #53

February, 2009

Jack Hunter, Editor

Blow a trumpet in Zion and sound an alarm on My Holy Mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble for the day of the Lord is coming; surely it is near.

Joel 2:1

Mailing Address:

P.O. Box 1752

Denton, Texas 76202

Telephone:

(940) 479- 2653

Internet:

trumpet1@airmail.net

www.atrumpetinthewilderness.org

OUR MISSION

We have a Gentile and Messianic-Jewish focus. We are calling the Church to be holy, and prepare for the Great Tribulation, for it is at hand.

We will trumpet out warnings of wickedness in the Church, our nation, and the world. We ask the United States to stand by the nation of Israel and to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. We stand by our brothers and sisters in the persecuted Church and warn that persecution is rapidly approaching this country. We focus on the cross life and living the life that reflects the life of Yeshua. We will proclaim the Word of God, calling all mankind to come to the cross and be washed in the blood of Yeshua.

The final assault came just before daybreak on the morning of March 6, 1836, when as many as 6,000 of Santa Anna’s soldiers marched toward the Alamo's walls. Cannon and small arms fire by the 186 Texans inside the Alamo beat back several attacks by the Mexicans. Regrouping again and again the Mexicans eventually scaled the walls and rushed the mission made into a fort. The desperate struggle continued until sunrise; the thirteen day battle had ended, the Texans were dead and Santa Anna had won.

This strategic battle was the key to Texas winning their independence from Mexico for it bought time for Sam Houston to gather enough strength and win the battle of San Jacinto which was basically the decisive battle. The Texans shouted out at San Jacinto “Remember the Alamo” as Santa Anna’s army was defeated.

I want to go back to those early mornings at sunrise, and that small brave group of 186 men, as they watched the Mexican army gather in strength each day, on that hilly terrain, among the groves of Cottonwood trees. I wonder how they felt? According to history books written before 1960 the Mexican army was estimated to be as large as 6,000.

What emotions did they cope with? Fear? Anger? Numbness? Denial? Was it an overwhelming sense of God’s presence, or lack thereof?

Today many Christians are facing an army of astronomical proportions. We are facing the army of satan. Theirs was a war of independence - Texas wanted freedom! But the war we are engaged in is a war to wipe out anything decent, including, and especially, Christians. The Bible-believing Christian will become a pariah in the eyes of the world and must be eliminated.

In the 20^th chapter of Exodus we are given the Ten Commandments and today, like then, we break them all - especially the first one.

I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before Me.

There were many false gods in Biblical times. Two of these false demon deities were Moloch and Baal. Moloch was a cruel and ruthless god that demanded children be sacrificed to him as was Baal a cruel false demon deity that demanded child sacrifice to him as well. Palestinian excavations have uncovered evidences of infant skeletons in burial places around heathen shrines. The worship of both of these false gods involved immoral, sexual rituals, especial homosexuality. . We are sacrificing our unborn daily on the altars of Moloch and Baal in our abortion mills. The evil homosexuality agenda is stronger than ever and finding more and more acceptance.

We read in 1 Kings 14:23-24 For they also built for themselves high places and sacred pillars and Asherim on every hill and beneath every luxuriant tree.

There were also male cult prostitutes in the land. They did according to all abominations of the nations which the LORD dispossessed before the sons of Israel.

I believe much of the current homosexual movement gets its power from these demon deities. Licentious and lewd sexuality are very prevalent in our country. The abortion and the homosexual issues will continue to divide this country. These two issues along with a couple of others will rip this country asunder. Christians must never be torpid, or indifferent on these two sins. If we are complacent we will find out we actually have taken a stand, for complacency falls in the household of satan.

God hated this kind of idol worship, but today they are still here. Baal, Moloch, Moloch, Baal all over again.

This current administration seems hell-bent on murdering as many unborn babies as it can.

Yet, there is still another false god mentioned in the scriptures. That god is mammon. Yeshua spoke of it.

No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. Matthew 6:24

The word “mammon” is derived from the Aramaic term for wealth and possessions. God wants to be totally God, i.e., Lord, and He cannot be divided among things. You can take away our rights, take away our freedom, but keep your hands off our money. Do you remember on “Black Friday” when an employee of a New York Wal-Mart was trampled to death by shoppers who broke down the doors to hunt for bargains? We are driven by the lust for money. Mammon is lord in almost every household, and I certainly include Christian households.

"The love of money is the root of all evil.” Money is the god of many, including many preachers. This is why the prosperity teaching is one of the most evil and damning teachings that has ever been introduced into the church. I can assure you the prosperity message would never be taught or accepted by believers in the 53 countries where persecution is taking place.

We all are concerned about the economic crash of this country. I have corresponded with many of you lately. Some of you have lost your jobs and several are in need of employment.

There is a certain strange unrest that many of us are currently experiencing. Socialism is knocking at our doors and she will invite her communist relative to enter in as soon as she is settled.

While money is important to all of us, it must never, never be our source of power or protection. This entire economic crash is all part of God’s judgment.

Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to deliver them on the day of the LORDS wrath; and all the earth will be devoured in the fire of His jealousy, for He will make a complete end, indeed a terrifying one, of all the inhabitants of the earth. Zephaniah 1:18

By the way, satan will use these false deities to attack even our minds. I believe there is an all-out war in the heavenlies for the control of our very minds. How is your thought life? Some of the unclean thoughts can and do come from our own carnal nature, but others are from the demonic activity that is so prevalent today.

The United States has more false religions than any country in the world. Islam is growing daily and becoming more and more accepted. We have drunk the philter of the demon gods to its dregs; while we savor the taste, its toxin is killing us.

It’s like the Alamo all over again. We are facing an oncoming enemy so large it cannot be counted. But the enemy is not human; we are fighting a war in the heavenlies. The enemy is certainly using humans and humans are certainly submitting to the enemy’s will. But the war is real and it appears the Christian is out-numbered.

What are we to do? We need the Most Needed Thing! We need to discover and rediscover what it means to pray - I mean really pray.

When we spend time with the LORD others will see a change. We are told in Exodus 34:29-35 that when Moses had come down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of stone after spending 40 days and nights with Yahweh, that he did not know that the skin of his face shone - it shone because of the glory of Yahweh.

Why didn’t Moses realize that his skin shone? It was because his focus was totally on Yahweh. For 40 days he had been fasting. He had been alone with Almighty Yahweh. Moses was not aware of how he looked, he was not aware of himself, he was only aware of Yahweh. Moses had to put a veil over his face because Aaron and the sons of Israel saw how Moses’ face shone – it was aglow. When you and I spend real quality time with Yahweh God there will be a change. Others will see that change. Your face may not glow like Moses’ face did, but your countenance will be different. You may change so much others will avoid you. I am not talking about a “holier than thou attitude” but a reflection of the Most High in your life.

When one spends quantity and quality time with the Father, a change in behavior will indeed manifest itself. As you spend time, quality time with the Lord, you will change, and that may prove to be more important than the circumstances changing.

Why are we told that Yeshua rose early to pray? Why are we told Yeshua prayed all night? Why are we told Yeshua went to a deserted place to pray? He was spending time with His Father because He loved His Father and His Father loved Him. I also believe the Holy Spirit was present during each prayer. I would have loved to have been present during those many times of prayers with our Savior. If Yeshua had to spend time with the Father, how much more time should we spend?

This is where we become equipped to fight the enemy – on our face on the floor, Bible in hand, praying in the natural and in the Spirit, and reading His Word.

Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, 'Why could not we cast him out?’ And Jesus said unto them, 'Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; nothing shall be impossible to you. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.’ Matthew 17:19-21

I do not enjoy fasting. Why? Because I get hungry. Fasting is not exactly exhilarating, but desperately needed.

The late Bill Bright said: Combining fasting with prayer can result in a spiritual atomic bomb that pulls down spiritual strongholds and releases the power of God in your life and the life of your church, its pastor, its leaders, and its members.

It is through prayer and fasting that faith is exercised, then develops and matures, which enables us to enter into a Divine fellowship with the living God. Real faith can only live by feeding on what is Divine, on God Himself. When prayer is accompanied with fasting, the armor is put on more efficiently, the sword is sharper, and our mind is closer to becoming like the mind of Christ.

I seem to fellowship with God best in what I call the morning watch. The morning watch is an old term for an early morning quiet time for prayer, meditation, and Bible reading. I realize it is impossible for everyone to have a “morning watch”. America and most of the world is on a 24 hour clock, but I still believe the early morning is the best time to communicate with our Father.

He who runs from God in the morning will scarcely find Him the rest of the day. John Bunyan

If I fail to spend two hours in prayer each morning, the devil gets the victory through the day … Martin Luther

So if it is possible, I strongly recommend rising early to seek the Lord. This is a work of discipline, and for many a struggle, but it will pay off. A person who has the time to spend the morning with the Lord, but chooses to lie in bed, or worse watch television, is defeated, lazy, and will never be used by the LORD as he was intended to be.

Television has robbed Christians not only of time spent with God but physical and intellectual growth as well.

My voice shalt Thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto Thee, and I will look up. Psalm 5:3

Faith is the requirement for Divine power to enter into man and work through him. Many need to pray: “Lord I believe, now help my unbelief.” How does faith grow? How is belief developed? By prayer! By prayer and fasting. Prayer needs fasting to foster its maturity and development.

I believe our only hope as a nation is for Christians to return to prayer and fasting as never before. Prayer keeps our mind and our thoughts on the Father. Did you know that God is thinking about you all the time? The Lord desires to spend time with you; our desire and our aim should be the same.

How precious also are Thy thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them!

If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand. When I awake, I am still with Thee. Psalms 139:17-18

Regardless of the time of day it is imperative that you spend time in close communication with the Father. Prayer is not a monologue, but a dialogue. When we talk - He listens. Likewise when He talks - we must also listen. The deepening and depth of our listening will determine the deepening and depth to which we learn to speak in the voice and language the LORD hears.

I have called upon Thee, for Thou wilt answer me, O God; incline Thine ear to me, hear my speech.

One can have much head knowledge about God, but little or no fellowship with God Himself. The Word is the Word and it must be read in the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. Then the Word becomes the very breath of God, and Divine communication takes place.

Prayer, I mean real prayer, can be a time of dying so that we can really live. The more the believer sees his own undoneness, the more real Yeshua becomes. It is imperative to confess your sins, for unconfessed sin is sin that is not combated. The Light that gives you vision to see your unconfessed sin, is the same Light that gives you victory to overcome those sins. When we confess our sins we point out to Him where we are wounded and thus healing can and will take place. This is where many take grace as a permission slip to sin, and some never realize that it’s this permission slip that will destroy them.

Now in closing, let’s look reverently into the final hours Yeshua spent on planet earth as a human. Peter and John had prepared the Passover meal. The meal had been eaten and strong statements had been made by our Master. He had stooped low, girded Himself, and washed the disciples’ feet, including the feet of Judas Iscariot. Then He prayed the real Lord’s Prayer - often referred to as the High Priestly Prayer, left the upper room, crossed the Brook Kidron, saw the blood of the slaughtered lambs from the temple, and proceeded to the Mount of Olives and to the Garden of Gethsemane. It is here we will pitch our spiritual tents if we dare to spend time where the most transcendental event in all mankind took place. This monumental phenomenon had the potential to be the very antithesis of anything holy, but before the night ended it was indeed holy ground. It was here that Yeshua mentally atoned for the original transgressions of Adam and Eve, and it was here in this garden He felt the gravity of sin that would be thrust into His Holy body hours later at Calvary. Actually the Father’s judgment was birthed here in the garden.

Ah listen, if you dare, as He falls to the ground, blood and sweat mixed with tears and cries out a prayer of desperation: Father, if You are willing remove this cup from Me… What cup? This is the cup of judgment Isaiah spoke of: …You have drunk from the LORD’s hand the cup of His anger; the chalice of reeling you have drained to the dregs. Sin, all the sin, would be thrust on Him, and then His Father’s judgment. He had never experienced either of these. No words can describe their gravity. The first part of His prayer goes unanswered, only silence from the Father, but it was the second part of the prayer, Yet not My will but Yours be done that gave Him the strength to pray hours later on the cross Father forgive them for they know not what they do.

The first part of the prayer was a prelude to the world’s sins and His Father’s judgment, when Yeshua cried out on the cross the most despairing cry of anguish in the eons of time: “ELOI, ELOI, LAMA SABACHTHANI? which is translated, “MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?

This was the only time in prayer that Yeshua referred to His Father as God. He did not and could not say Father. He was being judged.

It was because the Father did not answer the first part of the prayer that Yeshua had prayed, but because He answered the second part that Yeshua was able to make this statement: It is finished. His work had been accomplished, i.e., dying for the transgressions of the human race. It was because the final part of the prayer was answered Yeshua was able to pray His final prayer on the cross: Father, into Thy hand I commit My Spirit.

On the eighth day of the thirteen days of glory at the Alamo, Travis drew a line in the sand with his sword and asked all those willing to die to cross over the line. All but one crossed over. The men at the Alamo all died because they did not receive the thousands of reinforcements they needed.

Today, we are facing an army of demons disguised in every manner. A line has indeed been drawn in the sand. We may or may not be called to die. Whose side are we on? Will we desert or fight? My brothers and sisters, we have all the reinforcements we could ever need. All we must do is believe and spend time on our faces and grow in strength so we can endure to the end. Texas wanted and deserved freedom, for Christians, the battle has already been fought and freedom given. However, many who claim to know the LORD are bound by demonic activity as well as by their own carnal nature. Freedom has been bought and paid for - first at Gethsemane, then at Calvary. This freedom entitles us to be bond servants to the King of King and Lord of Lords, Yeshua.

By my east window hangs a large banner my sister-in-law made for us several years ago. I see it every morning. On that banner are these words: God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. It’s a quote from Psalm 46:1. It faces the door I walk in. I can’t miss it, but I am sad to admit I do not see it every time I enter my study. I have grown so accustomed to seeing it, I sometimes miss it altogether. Sometimes we in the church are so exposed to the things of God that we miss Him altogether. There are 1,260 promises in the King James Bible. My brothers and sisters, we have all the reinforcements we need. The last promise Yeshua made to us should cause us to stand firm no matter the circumstances. This last promise should comfort us and cause every demon to tremble.

…and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Matthew 28:20.

Ah, shall we not lift our hands and rejoice evermore, pray without ceasing, and continue to trust in all circumstances, for we are more than conquerors through Christ Jesus our LORD!

My Father I come to You in the name of Yeshua. I ask You to forgive me; forgive me for not praying as I should. May I long to spend time with You, as much as You desire to spend time with me. Deliver me from these ears that are uncircumcised, give me ears to hear Your voice. It is Your voice I desire to hear and Yours alone. Lord Yeshua I beseech Thee, I long for the sound of Your voice; come and talk to me so I can receive Your blessing. The blessing is You My Lord, the blessing is You!

Forgive my slothfulness in not seeking Your presence daily and moment by moment. Take away all that which is alive; take it away and crucify it; kill it, so I can truly live! I now totally give myself to You as You gave Yourself to me. Set me free so I can become Your bond servant. I totally renounce every known and unknown sin. I by faith take on Yeshua as my holiness, my victory, and my strength. Who and what can come against me if I am in You? Teach me to abide, teach me to love, and teach me to walk in the power of our risen LORD. Amen.

1. Yeshua’s inner circle - why these three, Peter, James, and John? Do we need an inner circle?

2. Why did those seeking to arrest Yeshua in the garden of Gethsemane fall backward on the ground? What does falling backward mean?

I have several on the mailing list who are incarcerated. One of these individuals is a man by the name of Charles. Charles has been receiving our newsletter for around five years. I have never met Charles, but I have corresponded with him several times. Charles has expressed to me that he wants someone to write to and correspond with. He said that mail call in prison can be very lonely. I understand that Charles is going to be in prison a very long time and if the LORD leads you to write him then I pray you will follow His leading. Charles’ full name and address is printed below.

I wish to thank each of you for responding to my request to remain on the mailing list. I thank God for each of you.

Please feel to correspond with Barb or myself. Let us know of any prayer requests.