Troy A. Brewer's Blog, page 178

MISTAKEN IDENTITY

TODAY’S PROPHETIC THOUGHT

I have known you from the beginning of time. Before I formed you in your mother’s womb, I had a plan for you.  I have a purpose and a destiny for you to be My beloved child for eternity. Though I have a plan, you have the free will to fulfill that plan or deny it. Humble yourself and I will lift you up.

MISTAKEN IDENTITY

The greatest story ever told starts off with something so miraculous that people all over the swingin’ globe still talk about to this day. It starts off with Gabriel the angel of the Lord showing up. He didn’t knock. This was not an expected visit. The brother just stepped in. 

“Now in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, ‘Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; Blessed are you among women!’”  – Luke 1:26-28

Sometimes God does that. Sometimes He decides to step into things at an entirely different level and that’s what we see here. The Bible says, “Mary didn’t think too much of herself”. She was likely excited about this time in her life because she was in the engagement process. She and Joseph are already betrothed. This means she’s 100 percent committed to him and everyone knows they’re going to get married. 

It’s in this interim time that Gabriel shows up and says these amazing things to Mary about being “blessed and highly favored.” The Bible says that “she cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.” Literally, she’s thinking the brother has the wrong address and the wrong girl. She doesn’t feel blessed and highly favored. I’m sure she just feels ordinary. 

Gabriel recognized that, so he called her out by name in the next verse, telling Mary she is the one he’s there for.

“Then the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call his name Jesus.’” – Luke 1:30-31

Isn’t that the way it always is? The Lord will show up and He’ll tell us something amazing and we always think He’s mistaken us for somebody else. He hasn’t. You and I mistake ourselves for somebody less. We don’t see ourselves as God sees us and that’s the mistake of the whole thing.

Just like Mary didn’t see herself as highly favored, you probably don’t see yourself as God’s friend, child or even His favorite. But hear me on this – you are. You are His very favorite. You have all His love and all His attention because it is limitless. 

Hear the words He literally sings over you, “This is my beloved child in whom I Am well pleased.” He knows who you are even if you’ve mistaken your own identity as someone less.

FROM MY SERMON SERIES INDESCRIBABLE GIFT

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TRANSPARENCY IN TESTIMONY

TODAY’S PROPHETIC THOUGHT

You are a needed and necessary part of My body – the body of Christ. As such, remember to exercise your love for Me through confession. Confessing your love for Me, and Mine for you, to those around you builds them up. It brings unity to the fellowship of believers.

TRANSPARENCY IN TESTIMONY

There is a lot of confusion over confession. Of course, we see the example of those who confess to an earthly priest, but that’s not a Jesus thing. Jesus Christ has never set up a model that every time we sin, we have to remember that sin and confess it or we will go to hell. If that were the case, you know what? We are all destined for hell. 

There’s a place that you come to where you need to move from the wrong side of the cross to the right side of the cross. Amen. That doesn’t mean you don’t confess your sins anymore because certainly, you do. 

Matter of fact, one of the things you do is confess your sins “one to another” as the New Testament says. 

“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” – James 5:16

Think about that. Why would God want you and I to confess to one another? Transparency, unity, and intimacy are just a few reasons He calls us to confess to one another. One thing is sure, He’s not talking about a ritual listing of sins.

Actually, what you’re confessing is every single part of your heart – the bad and the awesome. That brings right relationship with God and powerful intimacy with Him. Acknowledging His love for you and reminding Him of your love for Him is a big part of confession.

When you and I confess to one another, we also learn how to live life with people who are also living life with Christ. We don’t have to put a mask on. We don’t have to pretend like we’re somebody else. We don’t have to act like we’re some kind of Marvel-comic superhero because all of us are beautifully flawed people.

So, confess that you love Jesus and you know He loves you. Tell your brothers and sisters. There is transparency in that testimony. It brings us closer together and closer to Christ.

FROM MY SERMON SERIES FIRST THINGS

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YOUR BEST SELLER

TODAY’S PROPHETIC THOUGHT

Until the day when My books will be opened, your calling on earth is to tell the story of how I showed up in your life. Do your words and actions paint a picture of a God who loves you? Testify of love. Testify of Me.

YOUR BEST-SELLER

In Matthew 13, Jesus tells 10 parables, or stories that paint a picture to compare and contrast heaven with ordinary things. It’s like pointing to a farmer working a field and saying, “The Kingdom of heaven is just like that!” 

When Jesus is finished with the parables, He asks the disciples if they understand and they tell Him, “Yes.” Then he says something very strange: 

“Then He said to them, ‘Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old.’” – Matthew 13:52

A scribe is someone who studies, interprets, and copies the Word of God word for word. That’s you and I, my friend! So, when Jesus says the Kingdom of heaven is like a scribe who reaches into his bag and pulls out things old and things new, what does that mean? 

Every time the Word of God is taught, there are two things that ought to happen: the old thing and the new thing. The old thing is something God is already talking to you about. And every time you come to church, hear a Word preached, and you submit to it, you ought to go, “Ah-ha! It’s the Lord who’s been telling me that.” That’s called a word of confirmation. The Bible says every word is established by the mouth of two or three witnesses.

The new thing the scribe pulls out is the next level Jesus wants to take you to. What dream or vision has He planted in you to go after? What people has He brought your way to lead and guide you? The new thing is where you’re going and let me tell you, it’s awesome.

Scribes study and write God’s Word. The Bible calls you and I “living epistles” or “living books”. We’re writing the story of Jesus through our lives and it’s unique to each of us. Make sure your life is a best seller – for Jesus!

FROM MY SERMON SERIES JESUS UNVEILED

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Episode 85 – Spiritual Warfare & Supernatural Encounters

Hello friends today I’m bringing y’all a special session of my Prophetic Life. This is Session 120: Join me and Darren Stott as we dive into spiritual warfare and pressing into supernatural encounters.

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ARE YOU DRUNK?

TODAY’S PROPHETIC THOUGHT

I Am the God who sends the rain. I am also the God who reigns in your life, but only if you will allow me to. I’m not a rude God. Your worst day with me is better than your best day without me.

ARE YOU DRUNK?

I can name four people who have personally prophesied to me that a revival is coming and that our church will have an impact on it. I’ve been told the revival will spill out of our church, affect the region and ultimately the church all over the United States.

People have said, “Pastor Troy, you’re drunk. That can’t happen here.” To those people, I say, “remember the three different classes of people on the day of Pentecost: people who were filled with the Holy Spirit and were all the way in, people who liked what they saw but weren’t sure if they were in or not, and people who were offended and thought those filled with the spirit were drunk.”

Sadly, the vast majority of Christians are in that third category. Those are “outer court Christians.” They know where the church is and they might even come to visit on Easter.

There’s another group of people that are “inner court Christians.” They may come on a regular basis, but their Bible stays in their car and is picked up on Sundays.

Then, there are a few people who are in the “Most Holy Place” – the presence of God – the inner circle. I want to be in that Holy Place.

Now, the folks in the first two groups may be just as “saved” as anyone else. Their spot in heaven is secured. But I gotta tell you, when you dig into His word and commune with the Father daily, your life will never be the same!

God will have you doing things, blessing people and serving in ways that make you feel like you may just be drunk. Drink in His spirit as He uses you to bless those around you. You’ll be blessed for it.

Amazed and perplexed, they asked each other, “What does this mean?” Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.” – Acts 2:12-13

FROM MY SERMON SERIES PRAY FOR RAIN – REVIVAL

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A WHOLE NEW WORLD

TODAY’S PROPHETIC THOUGHT

You are My child and I love you. I love you not because of what you do or don’t do, but because I have made you My own. I have created you to bear fruit. Keep your eyes on Me, trusting in Me to produce that good fruit.

A WHOLE NEW WORLD

What happens when Jesus calls you off your map into unsafe places? You know, places where you don’t have people’s approval. Look for Jesus there, and you’ll find Him in that place. But first, you have to go.  

You have the opportunity to learn His goodness toward you by following Him. In some parts of your life, you’re following Him and learning to trust Him. In other parts of your life, you’ve already graduated and He’s saying, “Go, go, go, and I’ll back you up.” Do you see the difference between these two?

It is like the difference between Egypt, the wilderness, and the Promised Land. There’s an upgrade in relationship in each stage. In Egypt and the wilderness, you are called to follow. In the Promised Land, you are called to go and conquer.

Jesus Christ is going to call you to forgive people who do not deserve your forgiveness. He is going to call you to pray for and love people who despitefully use you. He’s calling you into dangerous places where there could be failure and into a deeper relationship with Him. 

Notice God has not called you to be successful in all things. He’s called you to be fruitful in all things.   

“You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit.” – John 15:16  

“Well Lord, I stepped off of the map and this is a big mess,” you say. Know this: God Almighty isn’t asking you to play it safe, so He isn’t going to be mad when things don’t go right. Jesus Christ did not come to make you safe. He came to set you free. 

So, go today and make mistakes knowing you are loved and free to follow Him. Not in your own strength, but by the power of the Holy Spirit. Let the Holy Spirit produce His fruit in you. Map out a whole new world where the King has dominion.  

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such there is no law.”   – Galatians 5:22-23

FROM MY SERMON SERIES UPGRADE

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GROWING IN FAVOR?

TODAY’S PROPHETIC THOUGHT  

Dare to rest all upon Me. Surrender all cares big or small at My feet and trust Me. For in a moment, through the name of Jesus, a new order of things can be brought in.

GROWING IN FAVOR?

If you’re looking for God – if you’re seeking Him – you will not only find Him as He promises, you will find the added bonus of favor as well. 

“For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favor of the LORD.” – Proverbs 8:35

Favor is when God causes things to line up for you. You aren’t just born with favor. I looked up the definition of obtain and it means “to come into possession of or to get, to acquire by effort or by request.’ It means that you grab it; You earn it. 

Favor is something you must increase in throughout your life. It is something you must grow in. Even Jesus had to grow in favor with the Lord. The Good Book says so. 

“And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” – Luke 2:52

He grew in favor. Favor is not an issue of God loving you. God loving you and God favoring you are two entirely different issues. There is no way God can love you any more than He already loves you. However, He can favor you a whole lot more than He favors you right now. That’s on us, not Him. 

How do we earn His favor? We have to walk in the things He loves and stay away from the things He hates. Amen. We have to be all about molding our heart to His heart.

Remember, favor is not the love of God. Favor is a supernatural blessing or advantage. If you’re going to walk in His favor, you’re going to have to walk with Him.

      “For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favor wilt thou compass him a s with a shield.”  – Psalms 5:12

We all need a shield around us, right? That shield is favor. Favor is how the Lord defends us. It is a shield of supernatural advantage. Are you dodging fiery darts from the enemy? Or falling into a trap laid by the in-a-me? You need the shield of favor. Go. Obtain it!

                                         FROM MY SERMON SERIES SERVOLUTION

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FINDING YOURSELF

TODAY’S PROPHETIC THOUGHT

What I have for you, is yours alone. Nobody else has your heart, your mind, your gifts or your purpose. Embrace what I have for you and take your eyes off the destiny I have for others.

FINDING YOURSELF

I’ve had firsthand experience of people who’ve come in among us at the church. Then, they left and told people terrible things about us. They joined into the intimacy of relationship with us only to break that bond of trust and trash whatever intimacy – and ministry – we had.

For example, I trusted a close friend to be part of the leadership team. I had been out of town, and for some reason, my friends were coming to me and asking to pray for my marriage. I was confused? What I didn’t know was that this person, on my team, whom I’d trusted had been telling my friends things that were not true. And, because they were close to me, they believed the lies. 

Let me tell you something, that changed our relationship. I had to tell him we had a place for him in one of our seats, but not in leadership. That bond of trust, once broken, can never be repaired.

“Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition…” – Titus 3:10

When you’re in relationship with somebody – whether family, a friendship, a work relationship or marriage – there’s a trust factor involved. Trust is a crucial component of relationship, especially in ministry. Ministry is all about trust.

There is no room in the church for these two things: envy and gossip. Envy often ends in theft. When you’re jealous of the gifts someone else has, when you want their relationships, contacts, and anointing, you not only want what doesn’t belong to you, you forfeit the good thing God has planned for you. 

As for gossip, let’s just call that what it is – murder. You don’t get to murder someone’s reputation and God not take notice, especially in ministry. Rumors and lies not only kill intimacy, they destroy relationships and keep the church from being effective for the Kingdom.

Are you a thief or a murderer and you don’t even know it? Envy and gossip are not God’s plan for your life. What is His plan? If you don’t know, you’re not in intimate relationship with Him. Find that secret place and find yourself.

FROM MY SERMON SERIES PRAY FOR RAIN – INTIMACY

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EPIC WALK WITH JESUS

TODAY’S PROPHETIC THOUGHT

I have so many amazing plans for your life. Keep your eyes fixed on Me only. Do not be frightened by what surrounds you, for I will equip you to have victory over the giants in your life. Nothing is impossible when you place your trust in Me!

EPIC WALK WITH JESUS

The word ‘epic’ can be defined as “heroic, majestic, or impressively great.” However, the word ‘nominal’ can be defined as “existing in name only” or “very small.”

You are the only one who can make the decision between an epic walk with Jesus or a nominal, insignificant walk with Him. 

You must believe that God Almighty has empowered you to put your hands on the steering wheel of your life. Then, steer your life into the power of God in such a way that you partner with the Lord to have kingdom outcomes in your life. 

On the flip side, if you think you’re bound up and see yourself the way your giants see you, you will never cross over into the Promised Land. The Bible says the reason the children of Israel turned around the first time and didn’t enter the Promised Land is because they saw themselves as grasshoppers in the sight of the giants.

In other words, the enemy said to the Israelites, “Ya’ll are a bunch of bugs.” So, they turned to God and responded, “Sorry, God. We’re bugs.” They placed more value on the words of their enemy than they did on the voice of their God. This kept their focus more on their history than on their destiny.

The book of Luke says that no word of the Lord will ever fail, but because they did not believe this, they could never conform their lives to the image of His plan.

“Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep,equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” – Hebrews 13:20-21

Are you going to allow the circumstances in your life to determine your response? Or, will you become vulnerable and allow the author and perfector of your faith to guide you through each day? Will you settle for a nominal, easy going walk with God? Or will you push hard into the heart of God? Trust His ways. Live an epic life.

FROM MY SERMON SERIES EPIC

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BEGAT BY BLOOD

TODAY’S PROPHETIC THOUGHT

My love for you is so strong that I sent My Son to shed His precious blood to reconcile you to Me. I have filled you with that blood and now call you mine. You can only love Me because I first loved you.

BEGAT BY BLOOD

There are 14 generations from Abraham to David. From David to the captivity in Babylon, there are 14 generations. We also count 14 generations from the captivity in Babylon to Christ showing up as a six-pound Jew in a manger. Three sets of 14 generations give us the bloodline of King Jesus. 

The Bible stamps the number fourteen on this because numbers mean things in the Word of God and in the Kingdom. Fourteen is where God keeps His promises. The number 14 stands for bloodlines and generational promises. It’s a big-time Kingdom number where God says, “See, I did this by blood.” Generational promises and bloodlines are so interwoven.

Exodus 12:6 says, “it was on the 14th day of the month” when God kept His 400-year promise to bring Israel out of Egypt. It was the first Passover by the blood of the lamb. God kept his promise of freedom by the shedding of blood. 

From the beginning, blood has been regarded by God as a precious thing. Sadly, from our Western lens and the culture we grew up in, that doesn’t easily compute. 

I now understand that Jesus is a King, and I was brought into the Kingdom. His blood was applied to me as if His blood is my blood. The only way I can have access to His blood is by faith. I began to unpack that and it began to change my view. Because of this, I am called a king and a priest by His blood. 

When that happens supernaturally, it’s a whole different world. You and I need to understand what Jesus Christ has given to us by His blood. Because of His blood, we are forgiven, we are heirs, and we are family. Yes, we are God’s own children.

“All glory to him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by shedding his blood for us.” – Revelation 1:5

FROM MY SERMON SERIES BEGAT

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