Troy A. Brewer's Blog, page 339
March 2, 2017
WAITING FOR GOD'S WILL?
Don’t think that doing nothing toward your dream will help God get you where you need to be. And don’t be afraid to take a step of faith. God will correct your course if you get off track, but doing nothing will get you nowhere! You have a green light, so go until God says otherwise!
THE FAILURE OF GAMALIELIt is a twisted way of thinking that if something is “God’s will, it will happen.” While this thinking is true, God’s will for your life, your family, ministry, health and financial success – doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It takes strategic planning, effort and partnering with the Holy Spirit to bring about a desired result.
Let’s take a look at one very smart man who had his thinking wrong. Gamaliel was one of the Jewish leaders in Jesus’ day. Paul, himself, was Gamaliel’s student before Jesus knocked Paul off his high horse and set him straight.
In the book of Acts, several apostles were thrown in jail for preaching the Gospel. The Jewish council had a hard time deciding what to do with them. As a result, Gamaliel, took the floor. Proving that the chief priests and Pharisees didn’t know God at all, he said the following nonsense:
“Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men. Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing. After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and led a band of people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered. Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God." –Acts 5:35-39
While this sounds like a wise answer, the Word never says that! This is the speech of a man who refuses to take decisive action and has a policy to not get involved! This is the classic thinking of religious people to justify doing nothing while the world around them goes to Hell in the proverbial handbasket. Don’t let that be you!
Let’s get this straight – vision is achieved through strategic action, aggressive moves and partnership with the Holy Spirit. Get a God-given plan and strategy. Get some God-given courage and grace, then make something happen to achieve your God-given vision.
TODAY IS A GOOD DAY TO RECOGNIZE THAT GOD BLESSES STRATEGY, COURAGE AND ACTION. PUT SOME THOUGHT AND WORK INTO THE VISION GOD’S GIVEN YOU AND SEE WHERE YOUR PARTNERSHIP TAKES YOU!
From my book Soul Invasion
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March 1, 2017
THE CURE FOR LONELINESS
Know your identity in Christ and the inheritance He has for you. When you see what Jesus thinks of you and how much He loves you, it will blow your mind! Imagine someone who keeps track of the number of hairs on your head. Well, that’s God! He knows you better than you know yourself!
THE CURE FOR “NOBODY LOVES ME”Do you really know how much you are loved by the only One who really matters? His name is Jesus Christ and the Bible says in Zechariah 2:8 that whoever touches you, “touches the apple of His eye.” Just so you know, that is the pupil, or “untouchable” part of the eye.
Jeremiah 29:11 says that when God thinks about you, His thoughts are of peace and plans to bring you to “an expected end” – a certain outcome or specific plan for your life. Wow!
Revelation 1:6 says that when God sees you, He sees you as a King or Priest. Yes, Daddy calls you royalty! If He has a wallet, your picture is in it! If God’s got a refrigerator, your accomplishments are displayed all over it!
You see, God likes to embarrass the devil by bragging on you the way He bragged on Job. He sees you through the eyes of love. In spite of this, you can’t really love other people until you truly understand how much God loves you. The greater your revelation of His love, the greater your capacity to demonstrate it for others.
Evangeline Booth, daughter of the founder of the Salvation Army, had a real knowledge of the Jesus-kind of love. As she sat in a filthy slum cleaning the sores of a drunk woman, a friend said to her, “I wouldn’t do that for a million dollars."
Amazingly, Evangeline Booth replied, “Neither would I.”
She really understood what love was all about. That is the way Jesus loves you.
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.
– Revelation 1:5-6
TODAY IS A GOOD DAY TO EMBRACE THE REVELATION OF GOD’S CRAZY LOVE FOR YOU! YOU DON’T DESERVE IT AND CAN’T BUY IT, BUT YOU CAN GIVE IT AWAY!
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February 28, 2017
Let me introduce you to Jehovah Sneaky
With every new vision comes a new mission He is trusting us with. Begin to seek God for ways to bless others. Who knows? It may become your ministry!
MIRACLE ON A HOT TIN ROOFThere’s no way I would ever have signed up to be a pastor. I was going to be a professional musician, tour the world, have lots of fans and live big. God knew my plan, and He knew it was going to take a bit of bait and switch to get me with His program. This is why I call Him “Jehovah Sneaky.”
It all started with an 80 year-old man trying to put new shingles on his lady friend’s leaky roof. He only had the strength to climb the roof with a single shingle each day. He would nail it down, rest, then climb down. It was all he could do.
My father-in-law saw this and decided I needed to climb that roof and help that old man get the job done. Still wanting to impress my beautiful bride’s daddy, I beat feet over to the house and got to work.
When I finished, the old lady offered a glass of lemonade to thank me. Leanna had come over, so we went inside. When she opened her refrigerator, we saw that lemonade was about all she had. Leanna made a run for the store and we filled her fridge and cupboards.
While the old lady was thankful, the old man wasn’t. “What about me? I need food too,” he said, noting several of his friends needed help with groceries. So Leanna and I loaded up the back of my truck with bread and other essentials and took them back on Saturday thinking that about five or six people would show up. He brought over 30.
Within a few months, we were visiting over 50 houses every weekend to deliver food and pray with the people we were blessing. It was the start of the OpenDoor Food Bank, which was the start of OpenDoor Church as we know it.
God knew I wouldn’t sign up to be a pastor, but I’d say yes to helping a hungry neighbor. Today, that food bank feed thousands of people each year and our church blesses even more. I’d say that’s a miracle on a hot tin roof!
What is God’s plan for you? Have you been running from a blessing?
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.
– Jeremiah 29:11-12
From my book: MIRACLES WITH A MESSAGE
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February 27, 2017
God's will vs. fate
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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February 26, 2017
WHAT IS THE PRICE OF PROGRESSION?
The Lord has the progression for your upgrade all mapped out. Step out in faith by taking a step forward and walk in your destiny.
THE PRICE OF PROGRESSIONYes, my friends, there is a price to pay for moving forward and progressing. If the price is right, you could get the deal of the century. Thomas Jefferson did.
The largest land deal in history doubled the size of the United States at the stroke of a pen and the raising of a flag. The Louisiana Purchase was made in 1803 by Thomas Jefferson. He paid $15 million for 800,000 square miles of land.
To Jefferson, Louisiana meant the next step in expansion. The rally cry for America’s “manifest destiny” to span from “sea to shining sea” was his motivation. If he didn’t take the next step, the North American continent would eventually become Western Europe.
This deal was arguably the greatest achievement of Jefferson’s presidency for many different reasons, but there is one I especially want to point out: the price of discovery.
Progress has a price. The Louisiana Purchase was made before anyone even knew what it was. The land had never been explored or surveyed. Everything west of Missouri was a mystery, but Jefferson gambled $15 million in borrowed money that it was going to be worth it.
Can you do that? Can you pay the price for something that has not been mapped out yet? Can you sell out for something simply because you do not have the option to stay where you are?
If you can, I promise you will get your upgrade. Heaven applauds when you go after bigger and better. Go after your own manifest destiny in Jesus. It’s worth the price of progress!
And the Lord will grant you plenty of goods, in the fruit of your body, in the increase of your livestock, and in the produce of your ground, in the land of which the Lord swore to your fathers to give you.
– Deuteronomy 28:11
From my book: LIVING LIFE /FORWARD
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February 25, 2017
IS YOUR FAITH DEAD?
Commit to doing good and sharing the love of the Lord. Stay the course on your Kingdom commitment. God loves your faithfulness!
THE CATALYST OF TRANSFORMATIONThe Bible tells it straight up: faith without action is dead.
For goodness to be a catalyst for kingdom transformation in a person’s life, there needs to be action. We need to take that action.
You and I, as Christians, need to do things that matter. When you do something good, do it with excellence and make it sustainable so that goodness continues on.
Years ago, when Leanna and I started bringing groceries to a group of about 70 senior citizens, I could have gotten tired or distracted. I could have said, “Let somebody else do it. I’ve done my part.”
I didn’t. That food ministry became sustainable because I didn’t fall out or lose focus. And today, OpenDoor Food Bank not only feeds thousands of people each year, I believe we do it with excellence, the same way Jesus would – no questions asked.
We don’t shame people or judge them. We don’t make them prove their financial need or scoff at their nice car. We don’t know how long they’re going to have that car. We welcome, bless and pray for every person who comes to us for help, plus we load their car with some of the best food around.
It’s time you made a difference and made it much, much bigger than you. In the short time we have on this earth, you and I should make changes that far outlast all of us. Changes that glorify the King of Kings.
Let’s you and I remain faithful and committed to working toward real, tangible transformation through the goodness of God. Let’s advertise His goodness in ways that nobody has dreamed of. Let’s take action!
And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.
– Galatians 6:9-10
From my book: GOOD OVERCOMES EVIL
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February 24, 2017
WHY I'M NO DONALD TRUMP
Sometimes you need a miracle because of a mess you made for yourself. Other times, you need one because of circumstances. Either way, our God is a god of miracles and He will never run short of provision. If you need a miracle, keep believing! If you don’t, be a miracle to someone else.
I'M NO DONALD TRUMPIt’s true, the Lord has had to bail me out of some big financial messes at different times in my life and ministry. Who knew there was no money in feeding and clothing the poor and orphaned? Leanna and I have mortgaged our home seven times to keep food on the tables of strangers, roofs over orphans heads and give freedom to those in bondage. It’s not a financial plan Trump would approve of.
The book Oliver Twist famously starts out, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” Well, that pretty much sums up 1995 for me and Leanna. The cable man had shut off the “hell-a-vision,” I was on a first-name basis with our bill collectors and, yes, our electricity was cut off for lack of payment. We had lots of candlelight dinners and told the kids we were playing “olden days” to explain the lack of power.
We agreed to let all payments go, except the house. It had been a special gift from the Lord and we were believing He was going to let us hang on to it somehow. With an income of $7,000 our first year in ministry, even those payments came to an end.
We were praying for an angel of the Lord, but instead, the mortgage company showed up. A man in a suit walked around our home, inspecting it before informing us our note was due. “Unless you have a check for just over $1,700 at the mortgage company in Memphis, Tennessee, by 5 p.m. next Friday, you will have 30 days to evacuate the premises,” he said, pain behind his eyes.
He didn’t like being the bad guy. I talked to him about Jesus and explained that we knew he was just doing his job. I had been a repo-man in the past, and knew the feeling well.
For days we prayed and trusted. We checked the mail for a miracle each day. Day after day, nothing came. Then, Wednesday came. It was the 11th hour and a letter showed up that nearly caused me to lose my sanity. To my horror, it was from the IRS. Knowing it was an audit, I opened the envelope with a sigh.
BOOM! It was a check for overpaid taxes several years prior. Do you hear what I’m saying? The IRS was voluntarily sending me money without me knowing they owed me! Now, if that doesn’t spell MIRACLE, call your doctor!
In that same batch of mail was a check for just over $1,700 — the amount we owed. Jesus showed up in our mailbox. We Fed-Exed the payment and it arrived in Memphis at 1:11 p.m. Friday.
We never missed another house payment. The Lord made sure.
God bailed us out. He rescued us from shame and set us in a place of honor for loving, serving and trusting Him. Has he done that for you?
“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
– Matthew 7:9-11
From my book: Miracles with a Message
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February 23, 2017
WHAT IS THE PRICE OF YOUR FUTURE?
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 FUTURECan 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
From my book: LIVING LIFE /FORWARD
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February 22, 2017
God's Cure for Depression
Never say, “never.” Your words are powerful. If you say them enough, you will start to believe them whether they are the truth or a lie. It’s time to listen to what you say and speak the truth instead of a lie.
“THINGS WILL NEVER GET BETTER” BLUESDepression is real, and the devil loves to exploit it.
Though some of us are more prone to depression, what’s real is that every one of us has to make a stand against that mental malfunction.
The truth about the devil is this: he’s extremely evil, but that does not make him big or extremely powerful. If you fight him on his turf, he’ll eat you for lunch. So fight him on the turf that Jesus gives you. It is there that you see the devil for the cosmic punk he is.
You see, the devil likes to work in darkness to bring doubt and depression into your life. In the dark, you can’t see how pathetic he really is. You envision him, and your problems, as horrible, undefeatable and unending. You believe the lie that “things will never get better.”
However, shine the spotlight of truth on him and you have the same revelation as Isaiah:
Those who see you stare at you, they ponder your fate: “Is this the man who shook the earth and made kingdoms tremble, the man who made the world a desert, who overthrew its cities and would not let his captives go home?”
– Isaiah 14:16-17
The fact is, we give the devil a lot more credit than he deserves. If you’ve seen “Star Wars” you know what I’m talking about.
Remember how scary Darth Vader was? Evil with a capital “E.” Big, strong, ruthless, destructive. However, Luke Skywalker stood up to fear. He went on the offensive and defeated him. As Vader was gasping for his final breaths, Luke took off the menacing helmet and unmasked a scrawny, ugly, pathetic creature. Vader loomed large only because he played on the fear of others.
Satan is like that. He’s not a brilliant strategist or a brutal general. He is a schoolyard bully – a child molester who preys on weak people, in their weakest areas, at the weakest time of their lives. That doesn’t have to be you.
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary, the devil, roams the earth like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
–1 Peter 5:8
He can only devour you with darkness and doubt if you let him. It says in James 4:7 “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” That’s the best advice for those dealing with depression. Resist it. Focus on God and all things good, and depression will flee.
TODAY IS A GOOD DAY TO REALIZE SATAN IS MERELY AN EVIL OPPORTUNIST. BE AWARE OF HIM, BUT DON’T FEAR HIM. HE HAS ALREADY BEEN DEFEATED, SO REMIND HIM OF THAT THE NEXT TIME HE TRIES TO DROWN YOU IN DEPRESSION.CHOOSE JESUS AND JOY WILL FOLLOW!
From my book: SOUL INVASION
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February 21, 2017
Why does God chase after you?
You are known in Heaven as a seeker of God. The Lord has His eyes upon you. Seek Him because He wants to be found by you. He is not hiding because He wants to stay hidden. He is hiding because seeking qualifies you for upgrade.
THE HOUND OF HEAVENGod loves it when you pursue Him because by chasing after His presence in your life, you are also chasing after upgrade.
You and I need to follow the example of our Lord in being what C.S. Lewis calls “the hound of heaven.” You see, Father God chased you, and called you blessed and holy before you were even saved. He said you were His before you ever cared anything about Him.
So be the hound of heaven. Here’s a practical example: If you think you are called to go on a mission trip, don’t wait until you have the money to go after it. Get a passport. Study the nation. Learn a new language. Get your shots.
If you are called to write a book, start writing a blog. Go to book signings, meet authors and get advice. Do whatever you can to step into the territory God is giving you.
Oh, that makes God happy!
The most famous verse in the Bible that speaks of God having a unique calling for each of our lives is found in Jeremiah. You and I know this one by heart.
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
– Jeremiah 29:11
Let’s be honest. You and I love this verse because it’s all about us and the good things God wants for us. But keep reading. There is a catch and it’s called pursuit.
Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back from your captivity…
– Jeremiah 29:12-14a
See, you and I need to chase after God in order to find His plan for our future and our hope. You need to call on Him, go and pray to Him, and seek and search for Him with your whole heart. If you do that, the Bible says He will be found by you.
It’s amazing to think that the maker of the universe enjoys playing hide and seek with His kids. Why? To lead us out of the captivity of a useless, selfish, wasted life.
TODAY IS A GOOD DAY TO PURSUE YOUR DESTINY LIKE A HOUND DOG CHASING A FOX. SEEK YOUR FATHER IN HEAVEN AND WHEN YOU DO, HE WILL REVEAL HIMSELF TO YOU.From my book: Living Life /Forward
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