Troy A. Brewer's Blog, page 139
April 14, 2022
INBETWEEN SWEETNESS AND SORROW
I declare in Jesus’ name, I will praise you in sickness and in health. You are good in plenty and want, and I will serve you in the place of defeat and believe for victory in that place today because you are good.
INBETWEEN SWEETNESS AND SORROWJesus is the master communicator and if you’re like me and like to search out the matter, you’ll see an incredible hidden promise in the Palm Sunday account that’s a real game-changer.
Now when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me.” – Matthew 21:1-2
While the Matthew account doesn’t name the other village, Luke’s account as likely told to him by Mary, mother of Jesus, says the other town was Bethany. Between Bethphage and Bethany. What’s that all about?
Well, Bethphage means “place of sweet figs” which is all about fruit bearing. Bethany sounds beautiful, but it means “place of sorrows.” That’s where you’ll find Jesus. Over and over again, he’s in that place between sweetness and sorrow—fruitfulness and barrenness.
This tension between the best things that can happen and the worst things that can happen is where you and I find ourselves every day. Where your finances are at their best, but your marriage is twisting off. Or your health is at it’s best, but your kids are out running where the dogs bark. Like Dickens’ “Tale of Two Cities,” it was the best of times, it was the worst of times.
My friend, I can testify that when I lay down my pride and I worship Jesus in that crazy tension between bitter and sweet, he shows up in a powerful way. Like that place between Bethphage and Bethany, he will come riding in on the gentle colt as your Prince of Peace. When you give him dominion over your whole life, you will not only say, “Hosanna! Save now,” you will be blessed as Jesus himself comes in the name of the Father and gives you shalom—the authority that binds chaos!
WATCH NOW: TELL THEM THE LORD NEEDS IT
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OWN THE IMPACT
I declare in Jesus’ name that I will fear the Lord. Break my heart for what breaks yours. I will love what you love and hate what you hate.
OWN THE IMPACTOh, how the Palm Sunday account of Jesus riding into Jerusalem as the Prince of Peace fills me with hope and breaks my heart all at the same time. As people shouted, “Hosanna! Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord,” they were really saying, “Save now! Save now!” They were literally losing their minds to Psalms 118:
Save now, I pray, O Lord; O Lord, I pray, send now prosperity. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! – Psalm 118:25-26
That could be just another scripture if that’s all you want it to be, or it can be something that really impacts your life today.
I want to tell you that Palm Sunday is the Christian holiday that always happens the Sunday before Easter or Resurrection Day, and it’s a setup. It’s a setup for you to posture your own heart and mind in a place where you say, “This week, I’m going to contemplate certain things. I’m going to look at and do certain things because I’m going to own the impact of this prophetic week.”
Let your mind run free over Jesus’ three year ministry with his disciples—his best friends and the men he trusted to take his message into the world. Let your heart grab hold of the weightiness of his knowing he was born to die, and that most of the people he was dying to save didn’t even believe in him.
Let your emotions wrap around his heart and pain, and him literally sweating blood in the Garden of Gethsemane as his best friends couldn’t even stand in the gap for him for even one hour. Consider the rejection he must have felt knowing the very people who called out “Hosanna! Save us! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord,” would just a few short days later be hissing with the demons, “Crucify him!”
This is a somber, sobering week where you need to look inside and see who you really are and how badly you need a savior every day. Be thankful, my friends. Allow your heart to get broken for the things that broke Jesus’ heart! Own the impact of his sacrifice and call out “Hosanna! Save me!” He will, you know. Not only will he save you, he’ll use you to save others when you own the impact. Hosanna!
WATCH NOW: TELL THEM THE LORD NEEDS IT
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April 12, 2022
THE PROMISED DONKEY
I declare in Jesus’ name that You are a promise keeper. You will bring every promise and prophetic word to pass in my life and bless me in the land of the living.
THE PROMISED DONKEYOne of the most interesting accounts of Palm Sunday is the place Jesus tells the disciples to steal a donkey and its colt.
“But, Pastor Troy! Jesus would never tell someone to steal!”
Well, He did and it’s in the Bible. Check this out:
Now when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me. And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.” All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: “Tell the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your King is coming to you, lowly, and sitting on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey.’ (Zechariah 9:9)” – Matthew 21:1-4
I cannot prove it, but in my heart, I know this is similar to Simeon or Anna at the birth of Jesus. These two faithful old folks had promises from the Lord that they would see the Messiah before they died, and they did at his circumcision ceremony.
In my mind’s eye, I can see a man who raises donkeys and he loves these animals and thinks they’re crazy cool. I can even imagine that he knew this verse and thought, “Cool! The Messiah loves donkeys too and maybe, just maybe, He’ll be riding one of my donkeys.”
In Hebrew culture, if a king was riding a donkey, he was coming in peace to bring peace or “Shalom.” If he was riding a horse, it was a sign he was coming in conquest to start a war. While many wanted Jesus to be a great military commander, I’ll bet this donkey rancher was banking on peace. I’ll even bet that Zechariah 9:9 was his favorite scripture.
That’s why in the book of Luke, when the disciples said, “The Lord has need of it,” the owner of the donkey just said, “Take it!” I have a feeling he had talked to the Lord in his heart and mind, knowing that scripture and hoping he would be asked to fulfill this prophecy.
Just like that, there are promises you hold in your heart that God Almighty has spoken to you through scripture, a prophetic word or the sound of His still, small voice. You know there are, and just like this man, you are not foolish for believing God will answer you. He will!
Today is a good day to hold onto the promises of God that He’s put in your heart no matter how crazy they are. Maybe you are the donkey! If you are, I promise you someday soon you’ll hear Him say, “The Lord has need of you.”
WATCH NOW: TELL THEM THE LORD NEEDS IT
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April 11, 2022
WHAT IF YOU’RE THE DONKEY?
I declare in Jesus’ name that You, Lord, are not ashamed of me. You never leave me nor forsake me, and see me as a conqueror, not a victim.
WHAT IF YOU’RE THE DONKEY?I love the account of Jesus telling his disciples to go to the next town to steal a donkey and its colt so he can ride into Jerusalem on what we call “Palm Sunday.” His disciples are stunned, but Jesus says, the following:
And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.” – Matthew 21:2
The Lord has need of them. My friends, there is not a lot Jesus needs. As a matter of fact, scripture tells us he only “had need” of something three other times. Twice he asked for a drink and both times never got it. He also needed to go through Samaria (for that first drink he never got) so that woman at the well could become the first Gentile missionary.
What if the Lord has need of you? What if you’re the donkey? What if you’re like me: the common thing that’s really no big deal at all and the Lord shows up and grabs your reins?
“Pastor Troy, I’m not a donkey. I’m a horse. I’m all about conquest and taking territory. I’m a warrior and I’m not a donkey. No, sir!”
Can I tell you something? It’s OK to be the donkey. We all have some embarrassing things in our lives. Admit it! You have some things that look more like a donkey than a horse in your finances, your relationships and your walk that you’re not proud of. Places that aren’t pretty or dignified. Places that look more like defeat than victory. We all do.
Let me tell you this, though: if you will treat Jesus like the King in that place—if you will worship him as the Lord of Lords and praise him in that place—Jesus will show up and he’ll redeem it. Why? Because the Lord is not ashamed of you.
While some religious folks may have some things to say about that—and they are never nice things—Jesus himself will show up and say, “I love you and I’m not embarrassed of you. I’m right here, right now and things are going to change for the better.”
Can you be the donkey when the Lord has need of you? When you carry the presence of the Lord into that place, you’ll see redemption and that’s worth waiting for!
FROM MY SERMON PALM SUNDAY 2022
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April 10, 2022
GOOD OVERCOMES RELIGION
God has a blessing waiting for you as you bless those less fortunate than yourself. He will fill your heart to overflowing as you give in the area of your greatest need.
GOOD OVERCOMES RELIGIONGod called me to give away food to the needy when I was just 19-years-old. Though there is no money or glory in giving away food, there is the blessing of God’s favor. The Bible tells us God loves a cheerful giver. Leanna and I have been cheerfully giving to people all over the world for over three decades and I can honestly say, we walk in the crazy favor of God.
The kids were little when our food outreach really started to grow. I was getting more food than I had clientele for, so I went to one of the largest denominational churches in my hometown and made them an offer I was sure they couldn’t refuse.
Let’s call this church First Big. First Big had a beautiful building with a congregation every pastor dreams of. Respectable, influential people who faithfully attended. I admired their reputation so I attended a board meeting and made my pitch: me, Leanna and the kids would bring food to the church twice a month and do a free outreach to the poor. We would wear our First Big hats or T-shirts and represent them well – no muss, no fuss and glory to God!
The pastor looked me in the eye and told me no. WHAT??
He turned and pointed to the fine fellows behind him, the First Big board of directors, and said, “Young man, you see these men here? They are never going to allow that to happen because when you give away food to the poor, they want to attend your church. They don’t tithe and generally want and need more. Pretty soon, all the people who do support the ministry and tithe well are gone.”
My jaw hit the floor. I left ashamed, not of me, but of them. God must have been too, because a few years later, He spoke a revelation into my head. I went back to that church. The pastor and board were still there, but the people were not. First Big was not so big anymore.
I walked in and told them, “I’m going to buy this building from you for $200,000 and you’ll need to be out of here by the start of the month so OpenDoor Church can start meeting here.”
It was a major lowball price. The board was outraged, but the pastor put up his hand to quiet them.
“I remember the first time this man came to us. He offered us an outreach to the poor and we turned him down,” he said. “I can mark, to the day, when this church began to decline, that God took His hand of favor away, and it was the day we turned this boy down. Give him what he’s asking for.”
Give. Serve. Be joyful about it.
TODAY IS A GOOD DAY TO BECOME A CHEERFUL, CRAZY GIVER. GOD LOVES THE POOR AND THOSE WHO BLESS THEM – SO BLESS THEM IN THE NAME OF JESUS!
From my book: Good Overcomes Evil
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THE VIEW FROM THE TOP
God knows your heart, and knows you can handle change. Be prepared to accept this change and use it for His Kingdom.
THE VIEW FROM THE TOPMost people can’t handle a fast rise to the top because instant change is required. This is the reality of upgrade and forward.
It is one thing for God to reveal His wonderful plan for you. It is another thing for you to conform your life to the image of that plan. Let’s go back to the example of Saul.
Saul was the king of Israel in title, but not in his heart. He was made king instantly and never conformed his way of thinking or sought after the will of God. That’s why God went and found a man “after God’s own heart.”
You see, David was willing to go through a very difficult process to conform his life to the image of the Lord’s plan to be a Godly king. And, he had to do it before he ever saw the plan manifest.
David was ostracized by his family and sent to tend sheep – a thankless and dangerous job. He faced and killed an evil giant, something no man in Israel, including Saul, would attempt. He endured Saul’s jealousy and numerous attempts to hunt him down and kill him. He endured years of exile in the wilderness surrounded by snakes, scorpions and scoundrels. He was shamed, slandered and scorned publicly by those who should have respected him. Yet, these things prepared him for his upgrade to king.
Poor Saul was exactly the opposite. He ended up begging for death on the bloody slopes of Gilboa. It wasn’t his upgrade that killed him. It was his inability to change once the upgrade happened that cost Saul his life. There was a whole new life of responsibilities required of him, but he never embraced or owned up to them, or the God who made it all possible.
That’s not you!
TODAY IS A GOOD DAY TO GO AFTER GOD’S OWN HEART. BE PREPARED TO EMBRACE YOUR UPGRADE THROUGH HARD THINGS. FIRE IS NEEDED TO REFINE PURE GOLD SO ASK JESUS TO TURN UP THE HEAT AND HANG ON!
From my book Living Life /Forward
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April 9, 2022
PALM SUNDAY 2022 – Tell them, “The Lord has need of it”
Sunday, April 10, 2022
Pastor Troy Brewer, OpenDoor Church, Burleson, Texas
It’s in all four gospels with some different details.
Matthew was actually one of the disciples of Jesus. He was there when this happened.
Matthew 21:1-9 – Now when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me. And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.” All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: “Tell the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your King is coming to you, lowly, and sitting on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey.’ ” So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them. They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him on them. And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road.
Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: “Hosanna to the Son of David! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ Hosanna in the highest!”
Palm Sunday is the Christian holiday that occurs on the Sunday before Easter. This celebration commemorates Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, mentioned in each of the four Gospels. Jesus entered the city knowing He would be tried and crucified, and welcomed His fate to rise from the grave and save us from sin! Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week–the remembrance of Jesus’ last days to the cross.
Bethphage and the village opposite is called Bethany.
Matthew just called it the “other” village but Mark called the other village Bethany.
Bethphage means “house of sweet figs”
Bethany means “house of sorrow”
In the same streets where they are singing their praises and shouting Hosanna, Jesus will hear the horrible cries of “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” in the same exact week.
The prophecies and promises of God are always fulfilled in the tension of the sweet things of life and the sorrows of life.
Can you praise Him in the time when you are seeing the best and the worst at the same time?
The Old Testament prophesied of Palm Sunday in Zechariah
Zechariah 9:9 – “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”
The fulfillment of prophecy:
Jesus fulfilled over 400 Old Testament prophecies. This one prophecy was written by Zechariah over 550 years before this event happened.
A donkey or a colt?
Colt not a filly.
In the ancient Biblical world, a leader rode on a horse if he was coming in war and a donkey to signify peace.
When Jesus comes back, He will not be on a donkey but on a white horse!
Jerusalem donkeys have crosses on their backs.
In Israel, there is a term called “The Messiah’s Donkey.” It’s really a political modifier for how God employees common, everyday and secular things to come riding in to show us Glory.
How many times has Jesus come riding into your life on a donkey?
He showed up in your divorce. He shows up in the place where you can’t pay your bills. Basically, he shows up in the common places that just don’t look cool.
“The Lord has need of them.”
“Tell them, ‘The Lord needs it.’”
The One who owns everything, (The Lord) needs this lowly created thing to show that He keeps His promises. And to show that He is the King.
Jesus isn’t very needy.
John 4– I need a drink (He didn’t get it)
John 19–I thirst (They ignored Him)
Why does Jesus need a donkey?
The Father needed Jesus to show them who He is.
The Holy prophesy needed to be fulfilled.
Jesus needed to be received as The King in order to show up at all.
What if you are the Donkey that Jesus needs?
Neighbor, the Lord needs you!
2 Samuel 6:14-22 – Then David danced before the Lord with all his might; and David was wearing a linen ephod. 15 So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting and with the sound of the trumpet. 16 Now as the ark of the Lord came into the City of David, Michal, Saul’s daughter, looked through a window and saw King David leaping and whirling before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart. 17 So they brought the ark of the Lord, and set it in its place in the midst of the tabernacle that David had erected for it. Then David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord. 18 And when David had finished offering burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts. 19 Then he distributed among all the people, among the whole multitude of Israel, both the women and the men, to everyone a loaf of bread, a piece of meat, and a cake of raisins. So all the people departed, everyone to his house. 20 Then David returned to bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, “How glorious was the king of Israel today, uncovering himself today in the eyes of the maids of his servants, as one of the base fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!” 21 So David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord, who chose me instead of your father and all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the Lord, over Israel. Therefore I will play music before the Lord. 22 And I will be even more undignified than this, and will be humble in my own sight. But as for the maidservants of whom you have spoken, by them I will be held in honor.”
John 12:12-13 – The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, 13 took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out: “Hosanna! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ The King of Israel!”
Hosanna is the combination of two different words and it literally means “SAVE NOW”
Psalms 118:25-26 – Save now, I pray, O Lord; O Lord, I pray, send now prosperity. 26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
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THE BITTERSWEET
The bittersweet experience that you are in will move you into that new level the Lord has set for you. Know that Jesus will take you places you never wanted to go, and He will always be with you when you are in that place. With God, even that bitter taste is a sweet blessing.
THE BITTERSWEETRemember that tasting the goodness of God is a personal experience? The Word, the heart of God or how we know Jesus always starts off sweet, but brings us to a bitter place. What the heck is that all about?
It’s the Lord leading us and directing us into places we would never otherwise dare to venture. He doesn’t tell us everything up front, but once we step out into that territory, we become committed to something we would have never committed to otherwise.
Example: God leading me to fix an old woman’s roof. This led to me finding out she had no food. When I bought her food, her boyfriend said he needed food and so did some of his friends. This led to a weekly grocery outreach which has now become the OpenDoor Food Bank. May wife and I have embraced it as our life’s work.
I’m no Noah. God said, “Build an ark.” Without even knowing what it was for or really what an Ark was, Noah did. Had God said, “Troy, build a food bank,” I don’t think I would have listened. Instead, Jehovah Sneaky let me take a step into the waters of the unknown, then wade in through the shallow end before immersing me neck deep in serving the poor.
The sweet part to feeding and taking care of the poor is that I get to see miracles, salvations and I experience great favor with God.
Now, here’s the bitter part. Feeding the poor cost my family dearly. Oftentimes, we gave away food when we didn’t have any ourselves. We went home to a house with no glass in the windows and no electricity. There’s no money in feeding the poor. For years, debt and doubt hounded me.
So now you understand why I say OpenDoor Food Bank is bittersweet for me. It is something wonderful that I had to pay a great big price for. Jesus perfectly explained this process to Peter like this:
“Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” – John 21:18
This is the bitter part of experiencing Jesus. It’s the part where we go where we never would have gone without Him.
WHERE DOES JESUS WANT YOU TO GO? TODAY IS A GOOD DAY TO STEP INTO THE SHALLOW END OF SWEET SERVICE AND SEE HOW FAR OUT THE LORD TAKES YOU.
From my book: Good Overcomes Evil
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April 8, 2022
Episode 120 – Continuing On Uganda
Blessings and peace on you my friend. Today I talk about more of what happened on my trip to Uganda. Would you like to donate to Troy Brewer Ministries to free girls and boys from sex trafficking? You can do that by clicking HERE or by texting “LIBERATED” to 77977.
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WHAT CHANGED MY LIFE?
Position yourself to hear from God. He has a word for you that will rock your world if you will take the time to be still.
WHAT CHANGED MY LIFE?I had only been saved a few months, when I found myself in the back row of a tent meeting in Grand Prairie, Texas. The long-haired preacher was wearing a white suit and fancy watch. He ranted revelation, preached and prophesied for three hours straight, an organ playing behind him and the crowd drenched in sweat on a hot August night.
About to bolt, the power of God rocked my 19-year-old world.
That preacher made his way back to my seat and said, “God showed me you’re involved in a court case.”
I was. He had my full attention. He went on to say he would give me a word on Friday that would totally change my life, but I had to come every night and sit in the presence of God because God was going to change me. It took some doing, but I made it there every night. I thank God that I did.
That preacher and prophet told me that I didn’t know it, but I was a preacher God was going to send all over the world. He told me to humble myself and love the people I was in court with because one day, they would be family.
Now, I had no notions of ministry and had only left the great state of Texas a few times in my life, but the Lord did His work through the Holy Spirit. And yes, the family I was in court with has been a big part of my life and ministry. My youngest daughter now shares their last name.
Over thirty-five years have come and gone and all that preacher prophesied has come to pass. Though the prophecy was powerful, it wasn’t what changed me.
It was the presence of the Lord that truly changed my life that week. I fell in love with Jesus. He pounded a word into my life about advancement and progression. Now I’m pounding it into you.
TODAY IS A GOOD DAY TO SIT IN THE LORD’S PRESENCE. ALLOW HIM TO CHANGE YOU AND REVEAL HIS PLAN FOR YOUR LIFE.
BE STILL AND KNOW THAT HE IS GOD AND YOU ARE NOT.
From my book Living Life /Forward
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