Troy A. Brewer's Blog, page 248

IF IT’S GOD’S WILL…

TODAY’S PROPHETIC THOUGHT

It’s time to partner with God and come up with your strategic blueprint for your new place of dominion. Take steps to move toward the dream that God has given to you today. Don’t put it off any longer!

IF IT’S GOD’S WILL, IT WILL HAPPEN – REALITY CHECK!

We’ve all heard people say “If it’s God’s will, it will happen.” You may have even said it yourself. While there is truth to this statement, many of us have been fed these words along with a big fat lie that we’ve swallowed whole.

Get this straight – it is always God’s will for you to prosper. He wants you to take new territory, whether in ministry, friendships, family, health or your job. However, the vision God has given you can only be achieved by strategic and aggressive action. Want new territory? Make a plan and go after it. God will back you up!

Let’s look at somebody who just said, “If God wants it to happen, it will” and left the results up to fate. You will find this gentleman in the book of Proverbs.

I went by the field of the lazy man, And by the vineyard of the man devoid of understanding; And there it was, all overgrown with thorns; It’s surface was covered with nettles; Its stone wall was broken down. When I saw it, I considered it well. I looked on it and received instruction; A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to rest; So shall your poverty come like a prowler, and your need like an armed man. – Proverbs 24:30-34

Just hoping that good things would happen caused this man to miss many God-given opportunities. As a result, he became poor with “need like an armed man.” Armed men steal, kill and take prisoners, and that’s what this man was – a prisoner to wrong thinking.

So what was wrong with the passive man’s vineyard? Three things.

1) Thorns: It had become painful instead of valuable. I know of many marriages that are like that because of lack of decisive action. They hope things will get better, but don’t act to change things.

2) Nettles: Their territory had grown ugly and was no longer pleasant to look at. I’ve seen a lot of people with finances like this. They pray, “Lord, prosper me! I know it’s your will.” Then, take no decisive action. As a result, their debt becomes something they can’t bear to look at.

3) Broken down walls: Their territory is no longer protected. It is vulnerable to anyone who wants to steal and destroy it. I’ve seen a lot of families look like that simply because parents couldn’t get on the same page to take decisive action to lead their children in the right direction.

Do you have a vision? Do you want new territory? Or are you stuck and don’t know why? Don’t fall victim to the thinking that “if it’s God’s will,” it will magically happen without you putting tons of effort into it. It takes a plan, effort and partnership with Jesus Christ!

So get with God’s program and become the person He set you up to be!

TODAY IS A GOOD DAY TO LOOK AT YOUR TERRITORY. ARE THERE THORNS, NETTLES OR BROKEN DOWN WALLS? FIX THEM BY MAKING A PLAN, TAKING ACTION AND TRUSTING GOD TO BACK YOU UP — IT IS HIS WILL FOR YOU TO PROSPER, BUT ONLY IF YOU PARTNER WITH HIM!

FROM MY BOOK SOUL INVASION

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Episode 11 – Family in Ministry

Pastor Troy and his bride, Pastor Leanna discuss the challenges of raising kids in the ministry.

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INFLUENCE OF GOOD

TODAY’S PROPHETIC THOUGHT

You are salt to the world that is filled with unseasoned herbs. Stand with Jesus and be known as “the salt of the Earth.” This is a time to show the flavor of the Lord to your circle of influence.

THE INFLUENCE OF GOOD

I like good food and, over the years, have become a bit of a gourmet snob when it comes to eats. Sure, I like my down home southern favorites – gravy is a beverage at my house – but I’ve learned to appreciate the nuances of the flavors in fine dining.

One thing I’ve discovered over the years is that a little too much seasoning, or not enough of a certain ingredient, can really affect the flavor of a dish. It can smell good and look pleasing to the eye, but if it doesn’t taste good, it’s missed the mark altogether.

It’s like that with kingdom living. You are supposed to love good and hate evil. If you practice goodness, you should be seasoning every aspect of your life with it. Home, work, church, school, Facebook, the grocery store or the stop light, all are places where you have the opportunity to influence the world for good in the mighty name of Jesus.

Be a thermostat, not a thermometer. A thermometer has no other function than to measure the temperature of the room. A thermostat, however, changes the atmosphere for the better! Wherever you go, change the atmosphere. Influence it with praise, thanksgiving, kindness and generosity. 

And whatever you do, don’t be famous for what you stand against. That’s what religion does and religion does not have a love for God or even for what God deems important. Instead, be known for how you stand with Jesus. 

Flavor everything you do with Jesus so a world starving for goodness can “taste and see that the Lord is good!” 

“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.” – Matthew 5:13

TODAY IS A GOOD DAY TO BRING LIGHT INTO DARKNESS. BE A THERMOSTAT AND TURN UP THE GOODNESS IN PLACES WHERE EVIL ABOUNDS.

FROM MY BOOK GOOD OVERCOMES EVIL

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WHAT’S THE PRICE OF YOUR FUTURE?

TODAY’S PROPHETIC THOUGHT

There is no bad time to seek progression in your life. The Lord will provide you with that progression. As you seek, you will find.

THE PRICE OF YOUR FUTURE

Can you pay a big price for something that is not even mapped out yet? For something you haven’t seen, and maybe can’t even explain or define?

Can you sell out for something simply because you do not have the option to remain where you are? If you are going to follow Jesus, that’s exactly what you will have to do. Abraham did.

Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, From your family, And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you. And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” – Genesis 12:1-4

The Bible tells us Abraham was 75 years old when he left the only home he’d ever known for a land and a destiny he really couldn’t even wrap his mind around. He just knew he couldn’t stay where he was. He trusted that God was good and had something better for him in that unknown.

Because Abraham was obedient and went after God’s promise of a future for him and his descendants, who weren’t even born yet and, let’s face it, were a long shot as his wife, Sarah, couldn’t have children, he was blessed. 

Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” And there he built an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him. – Genesis 12:7

All of heaven is ready to applaud your rare courage and your amazing vision for bigger and better when you go after your upgrade just like Abraham did. You have one, you know. God didn’t forget to give you a great big destiny. You just have to look for it, like an Easter egg that your loving Daddy hides for you to find. 

Let Him delight in your search for your life’s purpose – your Kingdom purpose – where you let heaven invade earth through your service. Your destiny is the place where His will can be done in and through you.

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. – Romans 8:28-30

TODAY IS A GOOD DAY TO SELL OUT FOR THE UNKNOWN OF YOUR NEXT UPGRADE. YOUR KINGDOM PURPOSE IS CALLING. IT’S TIME TO GO AFTER IT.

FROM MY BOOK LIVING LIFE FORWARD

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MAKING DEALS WITH GOD?

TODAY’S PROPHETIC THOUGHT

What Jesus did for you requires a reasonable service to the Lord – a life dedicated to serving Him and His Kingdom. He is always at your side to help you.

LET’S MAKE A DEAL…

God doesn’t own a just part of your life. He owns it all. He made you. You are His child, so you belong to Him.

Do your children belong to me? Certainly not! Same thing with my other possessions.

If I allowed you to drive my car and you complained because I asked for the back seat and all you wanted to give me, the owner, was a little trunk space, I would look at you like you were nuts. It is your privilege to drive my car, which is really nice by the way, but I have the pink slip.

If at the end of the day, you want to complain and bargain with me, and finally give me the entire trunk, you insult me. It’s my car so I tell you, “Hey, this is your reasonable service.”

That’s what God calls your life given in service to Him – “reasonable” service. 

Now, what’s real is that all of us bargain with God from time to time. It’s not just you, it is all of us, but God helps us to have a right mind on this issue. The cure to the destructive pattern of thinking that “God wants too much out of me,” is to do a proper assessment of whom owns your life.

For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s. – 1 Corinthians 6:20

Boo-yah! Jesus purchased you from the devil, a terrible tyrant, with His own blood. You are now a slave to Christ! But don’t worry, He has assured us His “yoke is not heavy” and His “burden is light.”

TODAY IS A GOOD DAY TO STOP BARGAINING WITH GOD. GIVE JESUS YOUR WHOLE LIFE TO FREE OTHERS FROM SLAVERY TO SATAN.

FROM MY BOOK SOUL INVASION

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UPGRADE IS A GOOD THING

TODAY’S PROPHETIC THOUGHT

All of God’s creation was “good,” except man, who was “very good.” When you are redeemed by the blood of Jesus, God sees you just as pure and good as the first man, Adam, at his creation. This is a time for God’s goodness to fill you up in areas you’ve never expected before.

UPGRADE IS A ‘GOOD’ THING

From a created earth with endless possibilities, God created us and coded our DNA, just like the universe, to be people attracted to the next level and generally happy with anything related to improvement. 

At each unfinished stage, God announces His goodness over you the way He did at the end of every day in the Genesis account. When he sees you complete one small step toward something better, at the end of the day, He declares it monumental and says,

“…it is good.” – Genesis 1:21

Yes, your universe is still expanding. So why would we dare think it’s OK to not progress and go forward?

TODAY IS A GREAT DAY FOR YOU TO TAKE A DELIBERATE STEP FORWARD AND CELEBRATE YOUR PROGRESSION WITH JESUS HIMSELF.

FROM MY BOOK LIVING LIFE FORWARD

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GIVING AWAY THE FATHER’S HEART

TODAY’S PROPHETIC THOUGHT

When you are hurt by the rejection of others, know that I feel and understand your pain. In the history of the world, nobody has been more rejected than Me. Don’t give your heart away; give mine. I can take the heartache because I first loved you.

GIVING AWAY THE FATHER’S HEART

Today, I have great news. The Father wants us to have everything that belongs to Jesus Christ. The role of the Holy Spirit is to reveal to us everything there is to experience and know in Jesus Christ. 

The Holy Spirit is trying to teach us how to stay in the space between the Father and the Son; how to abide in “first love.”

 “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.” – John 15:9 

What does it mean to be positioned in first love, between the Father and the Son? It means this: Do I need some resources today? They’re all mine. Those of you who don’t have money to pay your bills, maybe you need to check into first love. 

Those of you who are broken-hearted and hurt – or need a monster miracle – maybe you need to check-in to first love. Those who have no compassion for others – who have been so hurt by people and you disguise it by being part of the church because you were so wronged by others that you have no compassion – I’m talking to you.

Now, I’m not judging. Those of you who can’t truly love others, the reason you’ve been hurt is you’re not dead. Don’t get mad. I love you enough to drop this truth bomb: The only reason it hurts is you’re not in first love. 

If you were in first love, it’d bounce off you because it wouldn’t matter. If you’re standing in first love, you don’t give a piece of your heart because you give a piece of your Father’s heart away, not yours.

First love is all about relationship – yours with God and with others. Abide in His love and loving others becomes a breeze.

FROM MY SERMON SERIES PRAY FOR RAIN – ALIGNMENT

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WHAT CHANGED YOUR LIFE?

TODAY’S PROPHETIC THOUGHT

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. 

Twenty-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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WHERE DOES GOD WANT YOU TO GO?

TODAY’S PROPHETIC THOUGHT

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 BITTERSWEET

Remember 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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WAY TO THE TOP

TODAY’S PROPHETIC THOUGHT

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 TOP

Most 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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