Troy A. Brewer's Blog, page 181

CELEBRATING WHAT HEAVEN CELEBRATES

TODAY’S PROPHETIC THOUGHT

I have called you to follow Me. Let becoming a servant of all be your highest goal for this day. Knowing that in My love for you, I will not withhold any good thing. Trust Me to meet every need you have today.

CELEBRATING WHAT HEAVEN CELEBRATES

The Bible says Jesus made Himself a man of no reputation. He didn’t care if He was a celebrity here on earth. He knew He was celebrated in heaven. And because He knew He was celebrated in heaven, He carried out the plan.

“But [Jesus] made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men…” –Philippians 2:7

I want you to think about all the forms Jesus could have taken: banker, rock star, earthly king – you fill in the blank. Why would He choose to move in the form of a servant? Because He needed favor and He needed to grow in favor. 

While He was 100 percent God, He was also 100 percent man. The things He did on earth He didn’t do as God. He acted as a man in perfect relationship with God. He came to show us what we could do. Amen. He had to obtain favor and how did He obtain favor? Through becoming a servant.

I have tested this and it has never failed me. The way to the throne room is through the servants quarters. People who hang around me have to be servants. My team does not have everything figured out. We are in way over our heads. We have to have favor. We have to have divine advantage. 

The way we grow and obtain favor is through serving.

Sometimes we think because we’re not much on this planet that we’re not much in heaven, and that’s not true. Heaven’s rockstars are servants. Here on earth, people celebrate stuff that just doesn’t matter. We don’t remember the last five people on the moon, or the last five Miss Americas because it doesn’t impact us personally. Make an impact. Serve someone and gain in favor today. 

“If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.” – Mark 9:35

 FROM MY SERMON SERIES SERVOLUTION

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MOTHER’S DAY: THE ALL TIME MAMA

SUNDAY, MAY 9, 2021
MOTHER’S DAY: THE ALL TIME MAMA
Pastor Troy Brewer, OpenDoor Church, Burleson, TX
There are six Marys in the New Testament and today I’m going to be talking about Mary of
Nazareth, the magnificent mother of Jesus.
Mary was a common female name in Israel during the time of Christ. Again, the New Testament
mentions six women with the name Mary. The Hebrew form of the name is Miriam (or Miryam),
also given to the sister of Moses.
However, the best-known Mary in the Bible is Mary the mother of Jesus. She was the virgin
chosen by God to bear His Son, the Savior of the world. Mary lived in Nazareth, a city of
Galilee, when the angel Gabriel made the announcement to her of the virgin birth (Luke 1:26,
56). She married Joseph, a carpenter, but remained a virgin until after Jesus was born in
Bethlehem (Matthew 1:25). Scripture reveals Mary as a humble, godly, and blessed woman.
Mary was also present at Jesus’ crucifixion. After Jesus’ death, she was cared for by the apostle
John (John 19:25–27).
A second Mary in the New Testament is Mary Magdalene.
This Mary was called “Magdalene” to help distinguish her from some of the other women named
Mary in the Gospels. Magdala was a city on the southwest coast of the Sea of Galilee. This
Mary was a follower of Christ, and Luke 8:2 says Jesus had cast seven demons from her. No
doubt this deliverance increased her dedication to and love for the Lord. When Jesus arose
from the dead, Mary Magdalene brought the news of the empty tomb to Peter and John, and
she has the distinction of being the first person to see the risen Christ (John 20:1, 18).
A third Mary in the New Testament is Mary of Bethany. This Mary was the sister of Lazarus and
Martha.
Bethany is a town near Jerusalem. Jesus and the disciples were frequent visitors in the home of
Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. Mary of Bethany was the one sitting at Jesus’ feet listening to His
words while Martha set up for dinner (Luke 10:38–42). Before Jesus’ arrest, Mary of Bethany
anointed Jesus’ head with costly oil. Jesus told those gathered in the room that Mary had done
so in preparation for His burial (Matthew 26:6–13).
A fourth Mary in the New Testament is identified as Mary the mother of James the younger and
his brother Joseph. She was the wife of Clopas (also called Alphaeus in Luke 6:15).
She is mentioned in Mark 15:40, Matthew 27:56, and John 19:25 as watching the crucifixion of
Christ. She is mentioned again in Mark 15:47 as seeing the place where Jesus was buried. And
this Mary appears again in Mark 16:1 and Matthew 28:1 (where she is called “the other Mary”)
in connection with the empty tomb, as she was one of the women who brought spices for Jesus’
body and met an angel instead.
A fifth Mary in the New Testament is Mary the mother of John Mark. She is mentioned in Acts
12:12.
She had opened up her home for believers to meet for prayer, and it was during one of their
prayer meetings that Peter was miraculously released from prison. This Mary’s son is the author
of the Gospel of Mark.
A sixth Mary in the Bible is mentioned as a member of the church at Rome (Romans 16:6).

Paul includes her as one of the many people to greet at the end of his letter and describes her
as one “who worked very hard” on behalf of the church.
The number one and most famous of all the Marys is the the all time greatest Mama. Mary of
Nazareth, wife to Joseph and mother to Jesus.

Mary had four other sons, Joseph, James, Jude, and Simon.
(Matt. 12:46; 13:55; Mark 6:3)

Luke 1:5-58
5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the
division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And
they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the
Lord blameless. 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well
advanced in years.
8 So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division,
9 according to the custom of the priesthood, [c]his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the
temple of the Lord. 10 And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of
incense. 11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of
incense. 12 And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.
13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your
wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. 14 And you will have joy
and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. 15 For he will be great in the sight of the Lord,
and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from
his mother’s womb. 16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God.
17 He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to
the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for
the Lord.”
18 And Zacharias said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is
well advanced in years.”
19 And the angel answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God,
and was sent to speak to you and bring you [d]these glad tidings. 20 But behold, you will be
mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe
my words which will be fulfilled in their own time.”
21 And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he lingered so long in the temple.
22 But when he came out, he could not speak to them; and they perceived that he had seen a
vision in the temple, for he beckoned to them and remained speechless.
23 So it was, as soon as the days of his service were completed, that he departed to his own
house. 24 Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid herself five months,
saying, 25 “Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away
my reproach among people.”
Christ’s Birth Announced to Mary
26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named
Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David.
The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly
favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”
29 But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of
greeting this was. 30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found
favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall
call His name Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord
God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob
forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”
34 Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I [g]do not know a man?”

35 And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power
of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be
called the Son of God. 36 Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her
old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing
will be impossible.”
38 Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your
word.” And the angel departed from her.
Mary Visits Elizabeth
39 Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah,
40 and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And it happened, when
Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled
with the Holy Spirit. 42 Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among
women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 But why is this granted to me, that the mother
of my Lord should come to me? 44 For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in
my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. 45 Blessed is she who [h]believed, for there will
be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.”
The Song of Mary
46 And Mary said: “My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
48 For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;
For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
49 For He who is mighty has done great things for me,
And holy is His name.
50 And His mercy is on those who fear Him
From generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength with His arm;
He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
52 He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
And exalted the lowly.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things,
And the rich He has sent away empty.
54 He has helped His servant Israel,
In remembrance of His mercy,
55 As He spoke to our fathers,
To Abraham and to his seed forever.”
56 And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her house.
Birth of John the Baptist
57 Now Elizabeth’s full time came for her to be delivered, and she brought forth a son. 58 When
her neighbors and relatives heard how the Lord had shown great mercy to her, they rejoiced
with her.
She was a Mama of all seasons
She was there at the announcement of the birth of Jesus.
She was with Elizabeth and when the Holy Ghost hit both of them as pregnant women.
She was there at the birth of Jesus.
She was there when the wise men from the east gave gifts.
She was there when the demoniac Herod killed all the babies in his attempt to kill the promise of
the messiah.
She was there when Joseph had his dream and moved them to the foreign land of Egypt.
She was there when he taught the teachers at the age of 12.
She was there when he performed His miracle at Galilee.
She was there when he was performing other miracles in his three-year ministry on earth.
She was there at the crucifixion.

She was listed as one of the 120 In the Upper Room on the day of Pentecost.
She went on to be a huge influence in the early church and history tells us she moved to
Ephesus and lived with John, the disciple whom Jesus loved.
She walked in extreme favor in her role as a mama.
Grace is often identified as unmerited or underserved favor. Favor, however, can have a
broader definition, as favor can be released upon a person for obedience, hard work, or acts of
kindness.
THE LOVE OF GOD
THE BLESSING OF GOD
THE FAVOR OF GOD
Proverbs 8:34-35 (KJV)
Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my
doors. 35 For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favor of the LORD.
OBTAIN: to gain by planned action or effort
What is favor ?
The best definition of the word favor is
“Demonstrated Delight”
The favor of God can be described as “tangible evidence that a person has the approval of the
Lord.”
FAVOR IS HEAVEN’S AUTHORITY ON EARTH.
FAVOR IS GOODWILL. It is God’s kindness and benevolence given to those who love Him.
Favor will release great blessings, including prosperity, health, opportunity and advancement.
The Bible records numerous examples of God’s favor upon His people causing them to
experience many breakthroughs. Favor is God’s lovingkindness.
FAVOR IS WHEN GOD’S GOODNESS CAUSES YOU TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
Psalms 90:17 (ASV)
And let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us; And establish thou the work of our hands
upon us; Yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.
Make my enterprise successful. My project, my work, my business my parenting successful.
FAVOR.
Let the sum of His gracious acts, in their harmony, be illustrated in us, and favor our enterprise.

The word favor is found 70 times.

The Bible is filled with promises of favor for the believer:
Psalms 5:12
“For Thou, oh Lord, will bless the righteous: with favor you will compass him as a shield.”
Your shield is faith. His shield for you is favor.
Proverbs 8:34

“Whosoever findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favor of the Lord.”
Finding life in Christ brings favor.
Proverbs 13:15
“Good understanding giveth favor, but the way of the transgressor is hard.”
Wisdom and favor go hand in hand.
Solomon chose wisdom and with it came great great favor and riches.
Proverbs 22:1
“A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and loving favor rather than silver or
gold.”
Proverbs 14:9
“Fools make a mock of sin, but among the righteous there is favor.”
With new heights in faith and belief comes favor.

She was anointed for supernatural timing
in her role as Mama.
Luke 2: “Its time for me to do the Fathers business.”
She’s like, “No. It is not. Get home with me and your other dad.”
Her mouth was in service to the Lord
in her role as a Mama.
She kept quiet
Her last biblical words:
Luke 2:5
“Do whatever He tells you.”
She has been through the fire
but she didn’t smell like smoke.
She lost a husband.
She saw her child hated, tortured and murdered.
She was nearby throughout the passion and watched Him carry His cross. She watched as they
drove the nails through His hands and his feet. She stood agonizingly and helplessly by as He
was raised on the cross. For three hours she stood there watching every drop of blood leave her
boy’s body. She was at the foot of the cross when He died.
No Mom should ever have to witness such cruelty heaped upon her own child. Who could have
loved him more than she did?
A victorious and selfless mama makes it look easy to be her even tho it is not. God honors and
blesses that and that is why we honor and bless that.

But let me close by going back to the major point of this message: the way to be the right kind of
mother – indeed, the way for any of us to be the right kind of person – is to surrender to God. If
you’ve never done so, meet those two conditions set forth in
Acts 20:21
“…repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.”
If you’re already saved, this would be a good time to make any needed course corrections in

your life. A reset.
AS AWESOME AND GODLY A MAMA AS MARY WAS, EVEN SHE NEEDED A SAVIOR!

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WHO ARE YOU LISTENING TO?

TODAY’S PROPHETIC THOUGHT

I have not given you spirit of confusion. That “gift” comes from my enemy. Do not fall victim to false teachings. Develop a personal relationship with Me through My Son Jesus. I have many things to teach you. Are you ready?

WHO ARE YOU LISTENING TO?

Jesus is just so awesome. His goodness can show up in any situation. This whole thing about “if it’s God, it will happen and if it’s not God, it’s not going to happen” is a trick that the devil uses to make people reject God. 

Know this, and it’s very biblical: God does not always get His way. WHAT?!?

He will, once Jesus comes back and takes dominion over His creation. But right now, He’s turned all that over to us. He wants to partner through us to bring heaven into this earth. 

If you’re too busy trying to get to heaven, if you aren’t sure you’re even saved, you won’t be the kind of Christian that brings heaven to this earth. You’ll be sitting on your blessed assurance thinking that God is actively making things happen in your life when He’s not.

“Then one in the council stood up, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in respect by all the people, and commanded them to put the apostles outside for a little while. And he said to them: ‘Men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what you intend to do regarding these men…And now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it—lest you even be found to fight against God.’” – Acts 5:34-35, 38-39

People quote that and say, “See, it’s in the Bible.” And I say, “It’s in the Bible, but it’s a Pharisee saying that.” The enemy of God says, “If it’s a God thing it will happen. If it’s not a God thing, it won’t happen.”

Just because Joe Schmo or even that famous preacher says, “It’s in the Bible,” don’t be fooled by them. Get your Bible out. Dust it off. Read it for yourself. Read the context. Who’s speaking? Who’s he speaking to? Be led by the Spirit of God.

Proverbs 4:7 is clear, sort of. “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.” Chew on that for a bit.

FROM MY SERMON SERIES BEGAT

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BUTTER IS BETTER

TODAY’S PROPHETIC THOUGHT

Awaken, oh sleeper! I’m calling on you to pursue your passions – for Me and the purposes I’ve set aside for you. Seek Me and you’ll find deep revelation as well as deep meaning for your life.

BUTTER IS BETTER

There’s stuff you can do in summer that you can’t do in fall. There are things you can’t do in winter that you can do in spring. It’s all about timing. We need to be in alignment with God’s timing and seasons so we can be motivated for Kingdom purposes. 

You and I are not going to sit in the nose-bleed section and watch what God does from afar. We’re actually going to get engaged in ministry and people’s lives. The Bible says to “take up” things. That means to actually put your hands on it, walk in it, and to get engaged.

Because of this, at the beginning of each year, I seek the Lord for prophetic directives and phrases. The book of Psalms is full of prophetic phrases and dramatically crafted expressions of language. Why is that? Because God wants you to be able to take a phrase and use it like a headline or a bullet point. The more you chew on it, the more of the actual article you discover. You’re “taking it up.”

For me, a big prophetic phrase out of the book of Psalms is “my feet drip with butter.” What?! As I chewed on this, researched it, and “took it up,” I discovered what it means. Everywhere I go, I am leaving tracks that look like the goodness of God. Butter always represents goodness and the best things in life. 

When the Father showed everybody the Promised Land, He called it a land “flowing with milk and with honey.” The word “milk” is actually the word “butter.” It is a land flowing with butter and with honey. 

As I chewed on this further, I discovered butter has to be produced, and it is produced by human beings in cooperation with cows. That means “taking it up” or engaging in something. When we go after these things, when we pursue God and stay motivated in the right season, there is an alignment for our Kingdom assignment that cannot be stopped. 

Do you want that? Your alignment for your assignment? Consider the season you’re in. Seek the Lord and ask for a word. He’ll give you one, you know. He’ll speak and if you line up with Him, you’ll be neck deep in your destiny because butter is always better. Always.

“So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.” – Romans 14:19

FROM MY SERMON SERIES PRAY FOR RAIN – ALIGNMENT

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Episode 81 – Revelation Report: LIVE and uncensored with Pastor Troy Brewer and Jamie Galloway!

Revelation Report: LIVE and uncensored with Pastor Troy Brewer and Jamie Galloway! Join us as we enter into Revelation 5 and 6 to discuss the four horsemen and the 7 seals!

The post Episode 81 – Revelation Report: LIVE and uncensored with Pastor Troy Brewer and Jamie Galloway! appeared first on Troy Brewer Ministries.

GOD THOUGHTS

TODAY’S PROPHETIC THOUGHT

You cannot imagine or dream all the plans I have for. Plans for your good. Set your mind on Me this day, not on what you see. Walk by faith, not by sight with expectation of all I have planned for you.

GOD THOUGHTS

You get Jesus into any situation by serving Him in that situation. If you don’t feel like God is within your thought life, start actively serving God in it. Get very intentional about what you do and don’t allow your mind to dwell on.   

Every action is first a thought. Our thoughts decide who we serve. If I fill my mind with “me, myself and I”, who am I serving in my thoughts but myself? I can choose what thoughts I want to fill my days and I have decided to choose well. 

Graham Cooke says, “If you have a thought that’s plaguing you, have a different thought.” “But Pastor Troy, I don’t have the power to do that.” Who told you that you don’t have the power to change your thoughts? You do!

“Well, Pastor Troy, I can’t help how I feel.” My friend, you might not be able to help how you feel, but you can help how you think – and how you think determines how you feel.

When I was a young man and noticed a beautiful woman, the Lord taught me very early to pray for her, “Save her from my lust, Lord.” You have authority within this stuff. You don’t have to just let it control you. 

Pray for the people you’re having a problem with whether it’s lust, anger, bitterness, jealousy – whatever!  Don’t try to hide your darker thoughts from God. Take them to Him so He can lock them away where they belong. 

“…casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ…” – 2 Corinthians 10:5

                                         FROM MY SERMON NOTES SERVOLUTION

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IT’S NOT ABOUT YOU

TODAY’S PROPHETIC THOUGHT

I sent my Son to sacrifice Himself for you. I call you to sacrifice yourselves for revival! It’s not about you. It’s about who I can touch through you. Be a way for Me to reach them. This is your purpose.

IT’S NOT ABOUT YOU

Revival is completely positioned around how awesome God is. So, if we’re going to bring on revival where all of a sudden the Spirit of God moves, something must be initiated with us that has everybody else wanting it too. 

Because revival is positioned around how awesome God is, it’s going to happen with the people whose hearts are positioned around His awesomeness. Your awareness of God’s goodness is a huge part of revival. If you don’t have a value for the Spirit moving now, you will miss the revival then. 

You have to have the power of God in your life. You have to be more in love with Jesus this week than what you were last week.

You focus on the presence of God. You protect the presence of God. Once this revival starts, you will have to protect it. The supernatural fire comes from heaven, but it’s the job of the priests of the house to keep the fire going. 

The Old Testament is clear: fire falls on sacrifice. What is sacrifice? It is selflessness. The opposite of revival is when the Philistine spirit rises up and wants us to dwell on our past and forget about what a big deal it is to be in the presence of God. 

The word “Philistine” means “to roll in the dust” or “to wallow in self.” Self-pity, self-promotion, self-righteousness, self-preservation – any word that starts with self – all equal in selfishness. There’s no such thing as revival falling on people who are selfish, so get over yourself and focus on getting people saved. 

“Do nothing out of rivalry or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves.” – Philippians 2:3

FROM MY SERMON SERIES PRAY FOR RAIN – REVIVAL

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The Mystery of the Will of God

The Mystery of the Will of God
Wednesday, May 5, 2021
Pastor Troy Brewer, OpenDoor Church, Burleson, TX

The revelation and mysterious will of God:
The two Greek words are boule and thelema.

Kenneth Wuest distinguishes “boule” from “thelema” noting that “boule is a desire based upon
the reason, but thelema is a desire based upon the emotions. God’s will or desire here
(Ephesians 1:9, 11), comes from His heart of love.”
His will according to strategy and His will according to His heart
The Meaning of Boule
The term boule has its roots in an ancient verb which meant a “rational and conscious desire,”
as opposed to thelema, meaning “an impulsive or unconscious desire.” The ancient subtle
distinction was between rational desire and impulsive desire. As the Greek language developed,
however, this distinction was softened, and eventually the words became used at times as
synonyms, with authors switching from one to the other for purposes of stylistic change.
In the New Testament the use of boule usually refers to a plan based upon careful deliberation
and is most often used with respect to the counsel of God. Boule frequently indicates God’s
providential plan, which is predetermined and inflexible. Luke is fond of using it this way, as we
read in the book of Acts:

Acts 2:23
“This Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan (determinate counsel KJV determined
purpose NKJV “boule”) and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of
lawless men.”
Strategy and prophesy: the the way it ultimately has to be.
Here the resolute decree of God is in view, which no human action can set aside. God’s plan is
impregnable; his “will” is unalterable.
Matthew 26:39
“My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you
will.”
What does the will of God refer to in this verse? It refers to the sovereign plan of God that will
happen in the coming hours. You recall how Acts 4:27–28 says this: “Truly in this city there were
gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius
Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your
plan had predestined to take place.” So the “will of God” was that Jesus die. This was his plan,
his decree. There was no changing it. Jesus bowed and said, “Here’s my request, but you do
what is best to do.” That’s the sovereign will of God.
The will of God is God’s sovereign governance of all that comes to pass.
Now the other meaning for “the will of God” in the Bible is what we can call his “will of
command.” His will is what he commands us to do. This is the will of God we can disobey and
fail to do. The will of decree we do whether we believe in it or not. The will of command we can

fail to do. For example, Jesus said,
Matthew 7:21
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who
does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”
Ephesians 5:17
Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
God’s Will of Decree or “Sovereign Will”
Not all do the will of his Father. He says so. “Not everyone will enter the kingdom of heaven.”
Why? Because not all do the will of God.
The word “thelema” is rich in its diversity of meanings. It refers to what is agreeable, what is
desired, what is intended, what is chosen, or what is commanded. Here we have the notions of
consent, desire, purpose, resolution, and command. The force of the various meanings is
determined by the context in which thelema appears.
2307 thélēma (from 2309 /thélō, “to desire, wish”) – properly, a desire (wish), often referring
to God’s “preferred-will,” i.e. His “best-offer” to people which can be accepted or rejected.
[Note the -ma suffix, focusing on the result hoped for with the particular desire
(wish). 2307 (thélēma) is nearly always used of God, referring to His preferred-will. Occasionally
it is used of man (cf. Lk 23:25; Jn 1:13.]
W E Vine – Man is able to resist the will, the thelema, of God, but whatever takes place God’s
determinate counsel, boulema, is never prevented from fulfillment. Thelema, when used of God,
signifies a gracious design (cp. Ro 2:18; 12:2; 15:32); the similar word boulema denotes a
determined resolve (see Ro 9:19). To do the will of God, then, is to yield ourselves to the
accomplishment of His designs for us by obeying Him in all that He has revealed to faith, cp. Ro
1:17; He 11:3. But since neither the desire, nor the power, to do the will of God, dwells naturally
in the believer, God works in Him “both to will and to work of His good pleasure,” Php 2:13,
cp. He 13:21 and 1Co 12:6. This, however, does not relieve the believer of his responsibility, for
he is to “understand what the will of the Lord is,” Ep 5:17, and understanding it, he is to do it
from the heart, Ep 6:6. (Vine, W. Collected writings of W. E. Vine. Nashville: Thomas Nelson)

Romans 12:2
…and do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that
you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect

May Prove – Wouldn’t it be nice to prove what God’s will is for you? Isn’t that what we all need
to know? Paul seems to suggest that the transformation process leads directly to proving God’s
will. That should spur us on to look at the deepest possible meaning here. But what we find
isn’t exactly what we expected.
Paul has a unique approach to Greek. He often constructs his own way of saying things. If we
aren’t aware of the subtleties of his use of the language, we miss out on the deeper meanings.
This translation is a prime example. The Greek is eis to dokimazein. This combination of Greek
words is translated “may prove,” but that isn’t quite right. You see, Paul uses the
construction eis to plus a verb infinite in a special way. Forty-three times Paul applies this
combination to indicate purpose. So, what Paul is really saying is this: “renew your mind with
the purpose that you prove what God’s will is.” Renewal has a goal. That goal is wrapped up in
the verb dokimazo.
What does this verb mean? Well, it’s not about offering proof. It’s about discerning, trying and
distinguishing. It is to examine (and therefore prove) by some method. Now we see that Paul is

not suggesting that renewal of your mind will give you divine insight into God’s perfect plan for
your life. What Paul says is that as a result of renewal, your transformed life will act as the
testing ground for God’s will. You will be the proof. The purpose of the will of God will be
demonstrated in you. The goal is not for me to get the inside scoop on what God is doing. The
goal is that I am the vehicle that proves what the will of God is.
Does this discourage you? Did you think that if you could just get the right frame of mind you
would suddenly have your life’s plan all mapped out for you? Do you see that thinking like this
is out of character with God? God never shows the cards before it is necessary. Why? The
answer might be that if He ever did show us His full plan, we would crumble. Imagine how Paul
felt when Ananias came to him to tell him “all that he must suffer” for Yeshua. Only a few of us
could take that kind of announcement. God graciously hides the truth until we are ready to
receive it. Furthermore, our preoccupation with knowing the future is idolatry. It denies the
sovereignty of God and blocks our practice of dependence. Since God wants us to have
constant communication with Him as Father, you can be assured that He will not reveal what
you don’t need to deal with now. He is training us to rely on Him, not to get tomorrow’s news
today. We read this verse as a secret door to the future because we want to be self-reliant and
independent even in the midst of a relationship with God. It’s time to see what it really says.
God’s will is showing itself in you. How? By the renewal of your mind. By submitting to Him in
every facet of your life. That includes your plans for tomorrow. When you take on God’s
perspective, you become the proof of God’s will. That is a moment-by-moment trust in His
reliability. “Give us this day our daily bread” is enough for the renewed person. Is it enough for
you?

That ye may prove – Εις το δοκιμαζειν, That ye may have practical proof and experimental
knowledge of, the will of God – of his purpose and determination, which is good in itself; infinitely
so. Acceptable, ευαρεστον, well pleasing to and well received by every mind that is renewed
and transformed.

“so that you may prove (dokimazein—prove, test) what is the good, well-pleasing (euareston—
well-pleasing), and perfect will of God “ (v. 2c). The renewing of our minds enables us to
“discern the will of God” (v. 2). The world is full of people who assume that God’s will mirrors
their own—people who try to force God into the mold of their own thinking. Republicans and
Democrats alike assume that God endorses their respective party platforms. Denominations
often assume that their particular slice of the church has discovered truths that make them
superior to other Christians. But these are examples of the ways that we allow this age (aioni) to
shape our thinking. If we are to discern God’s will, it will not be by trying to remake God in our
own image—by having God conform to our prejudices—but by allowing the Spirit to renew our
thinking—by becoming putty in God’s hands, so to speak—by allowing God to shape our
thinking and our lives.
Definition of the word WILL in Romans 12:2
Thayer’s
what one wishes or has determined shall be done
of the purpose of God to bless mankind through Christ
of what God wishes to be done by us
commands, precepts
will, choice, inclination, desire, pleasure

Ephesians 1:9
…having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He
purposed in Himself

There have been many things said about God’s will, and especially about God’s will for “my life”
but I think we have missed something in our quest to find “God’s will for me” or “my life”. The will
of God is God’s will, not mine. The will of God is what God Himself desires. Did you know that
God desires something? There is something that God has desired from before the beginning of
creation, this will and desire is actually the purpose of all eternity and all created things, and it is
well pleasing to God, it is: “His good-pleasure”. God’s will, the desire of His heart is the source
of His good-pleasure and His purpose for creating all that has come into existence. All of this,
God’s will, good-pleasure, and purpose have been hidden in God Himself, UNTIL He made it
known to us, and that is what this verse is saying!

Ephesians 1:11
“IN WHOM ALSO WE HAVE OBTAINED AN INHERITANCE, BEING PREDESTINATED
ACCORDING TO THE PURPOSE OF HIM WHO WORKETH ALL THINGS AFTER THE
COUNSEL OF HIS OWN WILL.”
Here the statement is made that God has made known “THE MYSTERY OF HIS WILL,” His
purpose. Note Ephesians 3:11, “GOD’S ETERNAL PURPOSE.” Then God’s will in His eternal
purpose should no longer be a mystery, that is, a secret. If God has made known His precious,
glorious secret, which He purposed for us in Christ before the foundation of the world, why
should any child of God be ignorant concerning the mystery of God’s will?
A “mystery” in the New Testament is something that had at one time been hidden but is now
revealed to God’s people. Jesus spoke of “the mystery of the kingdom of God” (Mark 4:11,
NAS) that He was at that point revealing to His disciples. The apostle Paul used the
word mystery 21 times in his Epistles. In each case, the “mystery” involved a wonderful
declaration of spiritual truth, revealed by God through divine inspiration. A mystery is that “which
was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to
God’s holy apostles and prophets” (Ephesians 3:5).
The mystery of God’s will is that “which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the
times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ”
(Ephesians 1:9–10; cf. 1 Corinthians 2:7; Revelation 2:7). The mystery of God is the
consummation of God’s plan in bringing His kingdom in Christ to fulfillment. The kingdom had
long been prophesied, but the how and the when and the by whom was not clear until the time
of Christ. It is in Christ that God has been manifested to all of mankind. As Jesus said, “Anyone
who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9).
Colossians 1:9 (NIV)
We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and
understanding that the Spirit gives…

One of the clearest is the way Jesus spoke of the will of God in Gethsemane when he was
praying. He said, your will be done.

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POWER, PRESENCE, PROMISE AND POTENTIAL

TODAY’S PROPHETIC THOUGHT

I Am a merciful God. I love you way too much to cause you pain. I will never cause you heartache, but I will be there for you when life does. Stick close to Me. I’ve got you. I have a plan.

POWER, PRESENCE, PROMISE AND POTENTIAL

While God will always keep His promises to us, He does not always promise our potential. There’s a difference between the promises of God and our potential. He stays true to His promises because that’s on Him, but potential is on us. 

That right there makes religious people mad. This is in direct contradiction to what “religion” teaches. 

Know this: what the Bible teaches is not what religion teaches. The Bible teaches that the power, the presence, and the promises of God are in Heaven. The potential for those things to be made manifest is on earth.

What happens in heaven – God’s will – doesn’t always happen on earth. Also, there’s a lot that happens on earth that doesn’t happen in heaven. There’s no cancer in heaven. There’s no racism or slavery in heaven. 

Between heaven and earth, there is a whole lot of warfare over God’s will being done on this earth.

Religion will tell you, “If it’s God, it will happen” and “if it’s not God, it won’t happen.” People come to conclusions from that stinking-thinking that it’s God’s will for people to have cancer. It’s God’s will that slavery exists. It is not, my friends.

The Lord is teaching us through our storms and trials, but don’t blame Him for the bad things.

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” – Romans 8:28

Not “some” things, ALL things. God allows bad things to happen in our lives, but you can bet your money-maker He also provides the strength and endurance to make it to the other side. Give the devil a black-eye by using a bad situation to help someone else. He hates that.

FROM MY SERMON SERIES BEGAT

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MESSIAH IN THE MESS

TODAY’S PROPHETIC THOUGHT

I love you too much to leave you the way you are. I have so much more for you, but the only way to get it is to conform to the image of My plan. While this can be painful and challenging, the results will be worth it.

MESSIAH IN THE MESS

To say that Jesus shows up in a mess is an understatement. Not only did He show up at a time when Israel was ruled by an Edomite by the name of Herod, He makes His entrance in the middle of an epic scandal.

Because she’s obedient to her identity and purpose, Mary has to tell Joseph she’s pregnant, but it’s a God thing. And Joseph thinks that’s whack. Can any man imagine being engaged to somebody that shows up pregnant, says she didn’t cheat on you, but it’s a God-thing? Would that fly? 

No, it wouldn’t and it didn’t fly with Joseph. What we like to call “the greatest story ever told” has a whole lot of messes in it. The very first mess is that Mary is pregnant. Although Joseph gets on board after an angel backs Mary’s story, the entire thing is filled with shame and scandal.

Miraculously pregnant through supernatural circumstances and in very real danger, Mary’s family sends her off to visit her cousin Elizabeth. Elizabeth is an old woman miraculously pregnant through natural circumstances. 

So, they’re both miraculously pregnant and that’s another part of the Christmas story: sometimes it’s just as miraculous when God moves through natural things as when He moves supernaturally. Although one can be explained the other one can’t – both are supernatural.

And both of these miracles showed up in a messy time, in a messy place, when the nation was under godless, foreign rule. The rich should have been poor, and the poor should have been royalty. Having a child at Elizabeth’s age was scandalous, and being pregnant before the wedding was beyond scandal – shunning was a certainty and stoning was a possibility.

Just know this: God was in it the whole time and called it awesome. You see, you don’t get blessed without a mess. We grow, change, and find our destiny by going through the fire. We earn favor through difficulty. Whether Jesus shows up to you in a natural miracle, or a supernatural one, isn’t the point. The point is, He’ll show up.

“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” – Isaiah 7:14

FROM MY SERMON SERIES INDESCRIBABLE

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