Troy A. Brewer's Blog, page 77
August 22, 2023
The Devil at Your Door
Romans 8:23 – Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.
Jesus was the first-fruits of all who have fallen asleep, leading the way in life after death. As His brothers and sisters, we have the same Spirit that rose Him from the dead, leading the way for others to redemption and salvation. All authority in Heaven and on Earth has been given to King Jesus and He has given authority to those His Spirit indwells. Don’t accept sickness, pain and death as part of life. Stand against it with the authority of Christ.
Declaration: I’m an agent of heaven. I bring the redemption of Christ. There is healing in my hands.
THE DEVIL AT YOUR DOORI’m not kidding when I say Satan is a cosmic punk. He only has the power we give him, so don’t give him any!
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” – 1 Peter 5:8
This powerless pretender is “like” a roaring lion and he needs our permission to attack!
Many believe this enemy to be a brilliant strategist. This is not true. He may be one of God’s most beautiful creations, but his hatred and pride have taken his power and morphed him into something pitiful and ugly–a relentless opportunist–a schoolyard bully, if you will.
Also notice that this verse warns us to be “sober” and “vigilant.” Beware so you don’t open the door for the devil. He’ll clean your clock every time. Just like Cain, God gave him the same warning thousands of years ago.
Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why is your countenance fallen? If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it .” – Genesis 4:6-7
The devil crouches in the shadows just outside the door of your mind, waiting for your guard to be down. When you are not vigilant in trusting God, you open the door for doubt—the devil’s weapon of mass destruction. It’s been that way for 6,000 years.
Friends, there is a devil of doubt at the door for every one of us, and if we don’t trust in Jesus’ love and provision, guess who’s coming to dinner? Stand at the door ready for the attack and let the enemy know he’s not invited.
From my book: Miracles with a Message
The post The Devil at Your Door appeared first on Troy Brewer Ministries.
August 21, 2023
From Here to Eternity
Matthew 8:22 – But Jesus said to him, “Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”
His words might sound harsh, but Jesus was not being disrespectful. The world is full of people who are physically healthy and successful, but they are the walking dead. They are not ready to leave behind the dead things of this world to truly follow Christ. Are there dead things in your life that keep you from following Him with all your heart, soul and might? Today is a good day to leave those things behind. They are dead weight.
Declaration: I’m follower of Jesus. I will not let anything to slow me down in my pursuit of Him.
FROM HERE TO ETERNITYHere is a concept I need you to understand: In the Kingdom of God, you do not fightfor victory. You fight from victory. You are already positioned in and for victory. Jesus is just waiting for you to step out and be the warrior He created you to be.
From faith to faith – Romans 1:17
You leap to the next level of faith from the victory of your current breakthrough in faith. When God heals you of a cold, you begin to reach for faith in healing a major disease. When you see someone healed of a major disease, momentum carries you to reach for faith to raise the dead. This momentum comes from encounter and personal experience only.
From glory to glory – 2 Corinthians 3:18
Glory is when your right relationship with God becomes manifest. Moses so wanted to see the glory of God and to see Him face to face. When you go from glory to glory, you move from deep to deeper places of relationship. That’s why the Bible says in Psalms 42:7 that “Deep calls unto deep…” God takes us into what is extraordinary and makes it a common way of life.
From everlasting to everlasting – Psalms 41:13
Eternity invades the temporary and heaven invades earth through the momentum of the last way you experienced eternity move into time. Momentum is so powerful! Just think how much time the enemy must spend trying to put the brakes on your progress. He doesn’t want you to be an unstoppable freight train of God’s goodness, generosity or power. He wants you to take a step, freeze up for a while, or forget to move forward at all. But that’s not you!
Today is a good day to let the principle and promise of momentum motivate you to fight for forward. When you do, God will give you permission to progress all the more!
From my book Living Life /Forward
The post From Here to Eternity appeared first on Troy Brewer Ministries.
August 20, 2023
Three Painful Truths
Genesis 8:21 – And the Lord smelled a soothing aroma. Then the Lord said in His heart, “I will never again curse the ground for man’s sake, although the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done.”
Every day, you produce an aroma before the Lord. The sweet smell of who He made you to be reminds the Lord of His everlasting covenant with you. If you preach the name of Jesus, let your life be a demonstration of His character. Be an imitator of God. When you choose His ways again and again, especially when it hurts or costs, your life begins to smell sweet. What aroma is your life producing?
Declaration: God’s ways are better than my ways. I choose to obey even when I don’t understand.
THREE PAINFUL TRUTHSWhen it comes to pain, there are three truths you can count on:
Life is painful — even for believers. Sometimes it is good to feel pain.Pain is only temporary.It is a lie from the pit of hell that God doesn’t want us to feel pain. In fact, hoping to help unbelievers make a decision to follow Jesus, many well-meaning Christians resort to false advertising. They actually tell people once they become a believer, their problems will vanish and Jesus will make everything great.
Now, this is the truth, but not here on this earth and not right now. What is true of life on this earth?
“In this world you will have trouble, but take heart! I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33b
Jesus, himself, warned there would be pain in this life. He experienced physical, emotional and spiritual pain every day He was here on earth. He was aware of the human condition before He became an embryo in a Jewish teenager’s womb, yet He came anyway. Why?
To establish an end point for your pain through salvation!
I can’t help but think the main reason God is a jealous for His throne–that He doesn’t want you and I to follow the devil’s example and want to be our own god–is because the job of God is so painful, He’d never wish it on any of us!
As a parent, it is painful to watch your children struggle. It’s painful to watch them be sick, hurting, lost, lonely, prideful, angry, imprisoned or addicted. This is what God feels watching us, His kids. He is the perfect Father, yet we rebel against Him. Oh, how we grieve Him!
So, don’t buy into the lie that the Christian life should be painless. As long as you’re walking this earth, you will continue to experience, and even cause, pain as sure as sparks fly upward. Just make sure your prayers fly upward too because Jesus has overcome this world.
From my book: Soul Invasion: Supernatural Sanity for Your Messed Up Mind
The post Three Painful Truths appeared first on Troy Brewer Ministries.
August 19, 2023
Malfunction to Missionary
1 Samuel 8:20 – “…that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.”
Comparison makes you forget what you have and who you are. Israel wanting a king like the nations around them caused them to forget God was their King. He went before them and fought their battles. When they put their trust in a man, that man let them down. Stop looking at the blessings of others and give thanks for what you have: a God who fights for you. Comparison kills. It’s that simple.
Declaration: I’m blessed. The Lord is my King and I’m satisfied in Him.
MALFUNCTION TO MISSIONARYNo matter how messed up you are, this I promise you: there is always someone who’s more of a malfunction than you. I know what I’m talking about because when you start taking steps toward upgrade, God will bring you some of the most colorful characters to practice on.
The Bible gives us an account of woman who was truly the walking wounded—just the type of person God will send your way when you’re learning to step out.
Jesus was traveling from Jerusalem in the south to Galilee in the north. The quickest route was through Samaria. Know this: Jews hated Samaritans. There were serious racial and cultural tensions between the groups. The disciples were not happy about traveling through what they considered a ghetto. Jews did not speak to lowly Samaritans.
Tired and thirsty, our Lord sat by Jacob’s Well and sent the disciples to a nearby village to buy food. It was the hottest part of the day when a Samaritan woman came to draw water.
First off, nobody draws water in the heat of the day unless they don’t want to be seen, and this major malfunction was sick of the disapproving looks and nasty comments. She endured a blast furnace to avoid the gossips, that is, until Jesus came along and blew her mind with a simple question:
“Will you give me a drink?” – John 4:7
In His encounter with the famous “woman at the well,” Jesus broke three major Jewish customs: First, He spoke to a woman; second, she was a Samaritan; third, when He asked for a drink of water, He would have to use her cup or water jar, making him ceremonially unclean. She knew this and queried, “How can you ask me for a drink?”
Jesus replies she should ask Him for “living water” so she won’t be thirsty anymore because it leads to eternal life. He then tells her all about her miserable life: five divorces, shacking up with a man who won’t commit, lonely and shunned with a dry heart in need of refreshment. She doesn’t deny it, but makes a statement that must have made the Savior’s heart leap:
“Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”
Translate that as “Where is God?” Holy smokes! A fallen woman from the wrong side of the tracks is looking for God! She recognizes Him as the man asking for a drink, then rounds up those nasty gossips to hear what Jesus has to say. Malfunction to missionary in one short conversation. The Bible says Jesus stayed in Samaria two more days and “many came to know Him because of the woman’s testimony.”
Don’t be afraid of failure or rejection. Don’t be ashamed of your past or your circumstances. The woman at the well wasn’t and her testimony led her enemies out of darkness. Just move forward and see who Jesus brings your way. They might just ask, “Where is God?”
From my book: Living Life /Forward
The post Malfunction to Missionary appeared first on Troy Brewer Ministries.
August 18, 2023
Hook, Line and Sinker
John 8:19 – Then they said to Him, “Where is Your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither Me nor My Father. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also.”
Before Jesus, the Jews had never thought of God Almighty as a father, let alone a good father. But Jesus came to display the heart of the Father–gentle, generous and always kind. Not just nice, because that requires falsehood and pretending, but He is truly kind, which speaks truth in love. You can rest in His care because God is a good Father all the time.
Declaration: I have a kind Father and a rich inheritance for the Kingdom.
HOOK, LINE AND SINKERI was a very young man when Pastor Howard Richardson called me by name at a tent meeting in Grand Prairie, Texas. He had been praising and seeking the Lord, then said the words I will never forget.
“Troy,” he said, “when I see you, the Lord shows me something really off-the-wall. I see you catching a great big fish somewhere and when you catch it, the Lord is saying it’s a sign that your ministry is not going to be a little bitty ministry, but a great big ministry.”
That was an off-the-wall word. Months passed and I began to forget the prophecy that would forever shape my life.
At that time, there was a huge perk at the company I worked for–an all-expense paid vacation to Las Hadas, Mexico. For a young couple, it was a real Godsend!
The food was fabulous, the beach beautiful and the accommodations five star. One of the days, they let us pick an activity. We could either go scuba diving or deep sea fishing. Leanna was excited about the fishing, but I was not. My last fishing trip was a 12-hour pukefest, but I agreed. I’m so glad I did.
There were six of us in the boat and the sailfish were biting. The captain said he had never seen anything like it–fish on all six lines! With only one chair, we had to take turns. It took hours and hours and when my turn came, I began reeling and my line snapped. Bummer!
However, my tired bride gladly handed me her pole and I pulled in a 9-foot, 6-inch sailfish.
I never will forget that night as I lay in bed exhausted. We were both almost asleep when Leanna calmly said, “Troy, do you remember the prophecy Howard gave you about catching the big fish?”
I nearly fell out of bed. I came back from Mexico knowing that God had a world-wide mission for us. Our ministry began to take shape and God began to bless Leanna and I, showering us with favor.
While OpenDoor Church and the OpenDoor Food Bank have exploded over the years and are now world-wide, I believe we are just getting started and so are you. What ministry has the Lord put in your heart? Throw your line in today and see what King Jesus has for you to reel in!
From my book: Miracles with a Message
The post Hook, Line and Sinker appeared first on Troy Brewer Ministries.
August 17, 2023
Don’t Be a Soul Man
Deuteronomy 8:18 – “And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.”
Money is here today, gone tomorrow. But wealth is abundant and it’s generational. Jehovah Jireh is your God who provides all you need. He freely gives and trusts you to steward what He has given you so it can become wealth you can pass on. Even if your bank account is in the red, the Lord wants to give you more and make you a blessing to others. King Jesus desires to increase your territory and entrust you with His wealth. Are you trustworthy?
Declaration: I can be trusted with worldly wealth and true riches.
DON’T BE A SOUL MANI remember the late John Belushi of The Blues Brothers standing on the edge of a stage in a white-hot spotlight singing, “I’m a soul man!” As much as I love that song, I don’t sing it anymore and I’ll tell you why: it’s a bad testimony.
You see, you and I are not supposed to be soul men and women. We are supposed to be “Spirit of God” men and women.
And so it is written, the first man, Adam, was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. – 1 Corinthians 15:44-45
The last Adam was, of course, Jesus.
People say the difference between an animal and a person is that an animal doesn’t have a soul. This is wrong. Animals have souls just like we do. According to the Bible, the soul is the thinking realm, and get this–it is animalistic in nature. Let’s just call it what it is: the beast within.
A beast has a mind, will and emotions. It goes after what it wants and runs away from what it’s scared of. It meets its impulses by whatever opportunity comes its way. The word calls this a brute beast.
But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves. – Jude 1:10
What makes someone like an animal? What they do and don’t know naturally. Look at what Peter says on the subject:
But these, like natural brute beasts made to be caught and destroyed, speak evil of things they do not understand, and will utterly perish in their own corruption. – 2 Peter 2:12
The bottom line is this: the soul is your thought life; your emotions and we know they are liars. According to these verses, beasts will be caught in the snare and put into bondage, often by their own corruption. Most people, even believers, don’t understand this.
So, where does Jesus operate in you? The Bible tells us it’s in your Spirit, not your soul. Know the difference and don’t listen to your head or your heart. Call on the Spirit of Truth within you so you will not be a soul man.
From my book: Soul Invasion: Supernatural Sanity for Your Messed Up Mind
The post Don’t Be a Soul Man appeared first on Troy Brewer Ministries.
August 16, 2023
Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth
Esther 8:17 – And in every province and city, wherever the king’s command and decree came, the Jews had joy and gladness, a feast and a holiday. Then many of the people of the land became Jews, because fear of the Jews fell upon them.
Our Lord, the God if Israel, is full of joy and gladness. And His people, our Jewish brothers and sisters, know how to have a good time. God loves seeing the His kids celebrating His goodness and faithfulness. When people see your smiling face and your joyful attitude even in hard places, they are drawn to the Father’s heart. You are His sunshine in this dark day.
Declaration: I’m joyful and full of gladness. I proclaim the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
BASIC INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE LEAVING EARTH!It’s amazing to me that some of the smartest people on planet Earth aren’t very wise. Take this quote from the talented artist and songwriter Terry Riley for example:
“The incredible thing about the human mind is that it didn’t come with an instruction book.”
We’ve all heard the tired young couple with a newborn say, “Wish they came with an instruction manual!” Well, they do. The oldest, most distributed book in the world, the Bible, is a God-given book of instruction on how we are to live, think and what we are to think about. How do I know this?
The word “mind” appears 187 times in the Bible. The word “soul,” which is your thinking, will and emotions, appears 536 times, while “think” appears in 82 scriptures and “imagine” is written 46 times. “Consider” and “suppose” appear another 76 times. The grand total? 816 instruction to shape our thought lives. Why?
For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: – Proverbs 23:7
It’s true! We become what we think about! That’s why God is greatly concerned with our thought life. In specific, He instructs us with this truth:
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things. Whatever you have learned for received or heard from me, or seen in me – put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” – Philippians 4:8-9
Do you want the God of peace to be with you? Of course, you do. Then think about good, pure and excellent things because He is good, pure and excellent! Now there is some great instruction from the Word of God.
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August 15, 2023
Choosing Your Battles
Luke 8:16 – “No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a vessel or puts it under a bed, but sets it on a lampstand, that those who enter may see the light.”
Being uncovered, exposed and visible takes courage. So many in the body of Christ choose to be invisible. It’s safe but safety is not a virtue. God is not a coward looking for a place to hide and He didn’t make you to live in fear searching for safety. You are to be a world changer, to be courageous and stand tall. Do not hide the light He put in you. Be bold and blind the enemy with it.
Declaration: I’m not invisible. I’m known by my Father and I make my Father known.
CHOOSING YOUR BATTLESI have a friend who was an Emmy Award-winning television producer, yet for all her success, she was a failure at leadership. She was young and backslidden at the time, but Jesus shouted to her one day through the voice of an angry co-worker. It’s good that she listened.
“You argue over everything! Only you have the answer. Your opinion or idea is always best. People are tired of always having to fight with you. They’ve stopped listening to you because you don’t know what hill to die on— ou die on them all. You need to learn to choose your battles!”
Wow! That was a wake up call for my friend and an alarm that should be sounding in your ear. It’s true. Not everything is worth fighting over. And not everything is worth fighting for. Make no mistake, upgrade is worth fighting for.
“Then there arose a reasoning among them, which of them should be greatest.” – Luke 9:46
Jesus’ twelve best friends, His disciples, had it right. They fought over not only being great, but which one of them would be the greatest! Because they yearned for more of the greatness of Jesus, it started rubbing off on them—ordinary fishermen and tax collectors. People the world thought of as nothing special or, in the case of tax collectors, despised thieves, were suddenly wanting to not only be great, but good, like their leader.
In Jesus, we have the best example of greatness and goodness. I think He got a kick out of his friends trying to one-up each other for the crown of greatness. He would surely get a kick out of you deciding to go after it too. Now that is a hill to die on!
From my book: Living Life /Forward
The post Choosing Your Battles appeared first on Troy Brewer Ministries.
August 14, 2023
It’s Good to be Famous in Hell
Romans 8:15 – For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”
God Almighty has many names and titles that are powerful, majestic and true, but He wants to be known by His children as their Abba–their good Father. He delights in you and is never disappointed when you fail. He cheers you on and empowers you to get back up. Your heavenly Daddy understands and knows you. You are not an orphan, lost and alone. You have a home, family and a loving Abba Father.
Declaration: I’m not an orphan. I’m a beloved child of God and I have a place in my Father’s house.
IT’S GOOD TO BE FAMOUS IN HELLI’ve had lots of prophetic things spoken to me through the years. Some by people of God. Some by the devil himself. This is the true story of one of Hell’s prophets.
I was invited to speak one-on-one with several inmates in solitary confinement in a prison just outside of Huntsville, Texas. When I went to introduce myself to one inmate, he interrupted me and said, “I know who you are, Troy Brewer. You are going to die a horrible death and blah, blah, blah…”
He proceeded to pronounce curse after curse at me and upon my family before spitting right into the glass where my face was! I had never seen this man in my life, but he was calling me by name and declaring things for me that, privately, I’m afraid of. He didn’t know me, but the devil within him did.
So I started yelling back, “You are not the author and the finisher of my faith, devil. No weapon formed against me shall prosper.”
He banged his head against the wall and started chanting my name over and over. I quoted every scripture I could think of at the top of my lungs. The two of us made so much racket that I was ushered back to the chaplain’s office.
While the slanderous outburst caught me off guard and gave me the heebie-jeebies, on my three-hour drive home, it occurred to me that it’s good to be famous in Hell.
The Bible records the seven sons of Sceva went to take on a demon-possessed man, but those fools went toe-to-toe with a demon without the power of Christ when they said, “We command you in the name of Jesus that Paul preaches…” Acts 19:15-17 records what happened next:
But the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?” And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, mastered all of them, and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.
The devil’s answer was that he had never heard of them. Not only did he beat the fire out of them, they left naked! I’ve determined from this scripture that it is a good thing when hell knows who you are and whose you are.
I hope the devil wakes up every morning cussing me and goes to bed cussing me! I hope your name is No. 2, just under mine, on the devil’s top 10 list of headaches. I hope the very mention of your name brings to mind terrible disappointment and thoughts of opportunity lost to that cosmic punk. Today is an awesome day to take on hell with a water pistol and make sure hell knows you’re in Jesus’ camp.
From my book: Miracles with a Message
The post It’s Good to be Famous in Hell appeared first on Troy Brewer Ministries.
August 13, 2023
A Troll Under the Bridge
Isaiah 8:14 – He will be as a sanctuary, but a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense. To both the houses of Israel, as a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
You might have a perfectly logical reason to choose offense, but when you partner with offense, it becomes a trap. King Jesus gave us a way out–an example of walking free of offense. Ask Him to heal any wounds others caused you, to restore your vision and to bring peace to your soul. Repent of choosing bitterness and see what the Lord will do.
Declaration: I’m dead to offense. Jesus is my defender and protector. I’m a peace maker.
A TROLL UNDER THE BRIDGEIn the late 1980s, I spent a lot of time under the I-45 bridge in downtown Dallas. It was a huge gathering spot for the homeless known as “Shanty Town.”
I sang and played guitar for a Christian rock band called Destiny. We rocked the area and handed out thousands of pounds of free food to people without jobs or hope. It was fun, powerful and unpredictable. Jesus loves to bless the rejected and the messed up.
So, I was not surprised when several messed up people unplugged my speakers in mid-song and actually pushed over the eight-foot tall wooden cross we had put up. I was greatly surprised to see those messed up people trying to stop us, and the message of Christ, were members of the church several blocks away!
These men believed they were doing the right thing in stopping us because they thought the devil was in control of our music. Why? People in the Old Testament and throughout the “good old days” didn’t have screaming guitars, tricked-out drum kits or amplifiers. Why, they just knew Jesus would be offended.
“We’re Methodists and we don’t do this,” said a man in a nice suit. “This is America and we don’t need missionaries. We also don’t need you feeding people and encouraging them to stay. They are not welcome in this part of town.”
Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. – 1 John 4:20
Now, I’m not bashing this church or any one denomination. The problem is not the church. The problem is when we partner with a spirit that isn’t the Holy Spirit–the spirit of religion.
Religion is always stuck in the past. Religious people just can’t imagine Jesus going to Shanty Town to save the lost because they are certain He’s always in their stained glass church patting them on the back and complimenting them on their expensive suits.
Do you recognize the spirit of religion in your past or in your current way of thinking? Turn away from it. Love God and love people. Period.
From my book Living Life /Forward
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