AT SEASONS END

I love it when the first cold front blows thru in September and the temperature drops 30 degrees. It means the Summer season is over and the fall time is here.
I also love it when I look up at night and no longer see Scorpio’s tail in the heavens but Orion’s belt and sword in the east. It means the season has changed and winter is here. Just about the time my Wisteria begins to bloom, I tend to catch a giant V of Geese headed back north to Canada. And it is so much fun to sit down in my chair in the back yard, watch the sun go down and hear the locusts and crickets fire up for the first time. There is hope in seasonal changes.

God is the designer of times and seasons. He made sure that people can separate in their mind the difference between childhood and young adult life. He wants things to be different for us in our strong thirties than it is in our mellow seventies.

For the person who hates the hard work of summer, there is always the harvest of Fall. I love how God has such a value for Hope.

Today you find me at the end of a season. For the past seven years I have faithfully and joyfully hammered out my thoughts and theology in this column. I am hanging up my newspaper column hat today.

THE REASON FOR THE SEASON

Nothing negative what soever provokes me to make this change. Seeing my writings in newspapers everywhere has been a dream come true for me.
It’s just that at 44, I do not find things slowing down but much much busier. My recent move to Down Town Joshua and our incredible church growth has me stepping and fetching in a way like I never anticipated. My life has changed and so has my ability to meet another deadline.

I am about to start a school to train up people in ministry and once things settle down at Open Door, I will spend several days a month in foreign countries training Pastors and working on my orphanages. My Calendar of conference speaking is filling up and as grateful as I am to the Lord for that opportunity, I know it means saying good by to my love of writing this column.

I will still write it from time to time but I just can’t promise to keep a deadline anymore and my editors deserve better than that. So I don’t want to be like Bret Farve, I want to be like Michael Jordan and leave the game while people are still very happy with what I do.

Saying Good Bye

Just a moment ago My brother-in-law, Lonnie Applegate called me and said that my good friend John Smith is living his last day in a hospital in Ft Worth. John and I played in the same band, The Midnight Riders, as kids. we actually provided all the music for the Joshua Centennial, back in the day. Apparently John has suffered some kind of diabetic stroke and today his family has painfully and prayerfully decided to pull the plug on John’s machine.

I expect the next time I see him, he will be happy and young and funny like he was when he was a kid. I look forward to that and as I type this out I pray that John’s last moment in Texas will be peaceful and full of God’s presence. Its the end of a season for my friend John and the beginning of a new one.

I have to go guys. My daughter finished high school early and today, not unlike my friend John, is the day she graduates. Her older sister also graduated early from Burleson High and Rhema is walking the stage at TEAM school in Cleburne today. It is a time of celebrating what we have done and moving on to the next big thing.

Blessings and peace and a really fun life be yours in Jesus Christ.
Troy A Brewer
www.opendoorexperience.com

A WIMP FREE CHRISTMAS

Fear and Loathing in Las-Christmas

As a Church leader I am happy about the opportunity to use the Christmas season and the culture to reach people with the Good news that Christ was born. But truth be told, as an average guy I feel the same kind of feeling right before Christmas that I do right after a chili cook-off. Not that I hate Christmas, I love Christmas, I just hate my inability to do so much of the Christmas thing right.
For instance, I am fearful of phrases like, “Some assembly required.” As far as I am concerned, in most cases, you might as well have placed that sticker on a Jarvis mechanical heart. I know I’m not alone in this. The outside sound of slamming car doors sends terror into many hearts and signals the annual migration of the dysfunctional family members. People you can’t believe are in your same gene pool and proof that in some cases, cousins still kiss.
If there is anything I know about Christmas , it is that Christmas is not for wimps. Its always been like that.

Holi-daze

Two thousand years ago, a young girl had to tell her fiancée that she was pregnant, it wasn’t his child but not to worry because it was a “God thing”. From there things went rapidly down hill for Mary setting the first precedent that Christmas season would be marked with emotional trauma.
Nine months later she found her self seventy miles south in the middle eastern version of the Mardi Gras. Bethlehem was over ran with lots of stressed out people that didn’t want to be there. The houses were packed, the hotels overbooked and the traffic was horrendous. Sounds a lot like today, doesn’t it? From the very beginning Christmas has not been for the faint of heart.

Manger Danger

When you consider all the mess and stress that goes with Christmas time you might be tempted to wonder if the hassle is even worth it. That is until you catch a glimpse of the child whose birth splits time from BC to AD.
I know that Christ-o-phobes would love to haul baby Jesus off like the Lindbergh kidnapper but you cant take Christ out of Christmas When you do all you have is a big mas. For those of us who are silly enough to believe in the biblical version, Christmas time is the point on our calendars where we remind ourselves God has done what none of the rest of us could have. More than that, He did it for us.

Mission Impossible

When none other than Gabriel himself was sent on the special mission to announce the birth of Jesus. He said a whole lot of things to little Mary but one phrase stands out that makes Christmas worth shouting about “With God nothing shall be impossible.”
What couldn’t be pulled off had been pulled off. What couldn’t be made right had been made right. That which was impossible became tangible reality and it has been that way ever since.
Because Christ is born in my life, I can say what used to be impossible is no longer impossible. What couldnt be made right can be made right in an instant. Every Christian on the planet has the capacity to live life with constant awareness that nothing is impossible. All that started in an overlooked stable a few miles south of Jerusalem nearly two thousands years ago.

Tough enough for Christmas

So when you start to stress out I encourage you to know that it has always taken true grit to celebrate the impossible birth that hits home with us today. May you be blessed in spite of what is against you and because Christ is born, really believe that these are the days where anything is possible.
On behalf of the Brewer family and the congregation of Open Door Church, we wish you a very merry and wimp free Christmas Season.

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GET CONNECTED

This last week was Thanksgiving and for all my family, its not just a time to eat but a time to laugh. My sisters and brother sat at the table and played a game called Left-Center-Right with all of the in laws. It’s a dice game where literally anybody can end up with the prize at the end. As we laughed and made outrageous noises at each roll of the dice, I caught a glimpse of my mother and grandmother. They were sitting there quietly smiling and watching those of us at the table enjoy each other like only we can.

My mom is in her sixties, my grandmother in her eighties and all of us kids are in our forties now. I’m not sure how Mom and Nana thought our family would turn out but I think that one scene in mama’s house on Thanksgiving day was as much of a success story as any mama or grand mama can ever hope for. -They have kids that love each other.

This, in fact, is actually a picture of heaven. Everything in the Kingdom of Heaven is first about family and everything is relational. I think a lot of us bible thumpers have caused a lot of good people to miss the point of how it all works. Everything in the Kingdom is in relationship with the King or else it aint in the kingdom at all.
God is absolutely over the top about being a Father first and restoring his family so we can all sit at the same table.

I am not saying there will be a dice game, but the picture of success that He has as a Father is that same picture of success I described of my Mother and Grand mother.

When you really believe that everything in the Kingdom is first relational, you begin to come to some off the wall conclusions about how things work. Things like: God Values restoration over punishment. ( Turns out, he’s not Zeus, He’s Jesus. Who knew?)

God would rather call you family than call you a servant. ( yeah, it turns out he made angels to be servants and you and I to be Kings and priests and live in His house as family. Help me get the word out about that.)

God doesn’t move through a good church service He moves through good relationships in a church service. ( Believe it or not He wasn't faking when He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane that we would become one even as the father and Him are one. That’s a big shocker since most of us in the body of Christ think we are supposed to be the bloods and the crips. )


The great commandment is not the great commission which is to reach the world, the great commandment is found in Matthew 22:37 which says, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’

All of this kind of stuff gets you into big trouble because it means we actually have to love each other. I think most of us would rather have our knees drained than actually be held responsible for loving the people around us. We love John 3:16 which is all about how God loves us but very few of us want to quote 1st John 3:16.

By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
1st John 3:16

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ALLERGY ATTACK!

The weather has changed. All of us fat people rejoice at cooler temperatures as my angelic weather vein points north from the roof of my house. While the digits on the thermometer fall I also become aware of my nasal cavity like no other time of year. The wind is blowing and so is my nose.

I don’t know what has happened. I used to not be allergic to anything. I turned 40 years old about 4 years ago, and now I have to reach for my glasses as I fumble down the hall to the bathroom several times in the night while having a sneezing fit. What the heck?!

When I was a kid I used to make fun of my good friend Robert Copeland because he would have these horrific allergy attacks. He would sneeze for ten minutes without stopping. I would laugh my head off. Today, I cry as I sneeze my head off and repent for ever laughing at my life long friend.

The Mayo clinic, which has nothing to do with mayonnaise, says an allergy is an exaggerated immune response or reaction to substances that are generally not harmful. Its the whole “generally not harmful” thing that gets me. This week’s cup of Jehovah Java comes Brewing with an allergic reaction warning.

A Head full of Yuck

We are being conditioned in our culture these days to generally take in things that we never would of tolerated before. The point and click nature of Porn for example is teaching an entire generation to have no respect for intimacy and to see anything sexual as selfish, controlling, and even hateful. Rape scenes are becoming common in mainstream entertainment and the masses have no allergic reaction because its nothing compared to what they are privately watching.

When I went to the Department of Public Safety website and found the map for registered sex offenders there were no less than 35 within a three mile radius of my house. One labeled as “High Risk” three houses down from my own. These are not people molesting their kids and preying on teenagers, these are people who have been caught and convicted of sexual deviancy. The actual number is much higher.

I don’t think for one second that any of these people grew up wanting to be child molesters or pedophiles. I just think they slowly conditioned themselves to consider those things generally not harmful that make the rest of us have a terrible reaction. You can not tell me pornography didn't have a huge part of that desensitizing process. There are people right now, who after long term exposure to that kind of filth, will cease to have a terrible reaction at the thought of abusing a woman or exploiting a child. Porno is getting into our heads and being shoved down our throats like the alien did John Hurt back in 1980, meanwhile America yawns.

If you are someone struggling with this kind of issue, I want to encourage you to seek help now. At what ever level pornography has you, there is a level of grace from God to overcome that mess. Make a stand for your family, your self and even your walk with God and turn away while you still can.


...But sin didn't, and doesn't, have a chance in competition with the aggressive forgiveness we call grace. Romans 5:20 (The Message)

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CHANGING NAMES

Several years ago, Leanna and I were working in children’s church. One of my favorite places to be in ministry is messing with kids and when we do kids church we want it to be fun, full of life and generally a place where everybody knows Jesus is the coolest person in the universe...a lot like how I do the main service come to think of it.

It was worship time and while the tapes were playing we would hand the microphone over to one little boy and then to another little girl. It was a hoot. When the tape ended, a little girl said, “I know a song” and she started singing into the microphone, “I want to be your hands, I want to be your feet, I’ll go where you send me....” everybody clapped, It was beautiful.

Then a little boy shouted “I know a song too.” He put his mouth on the microphone and busted out into his dramatic masterpiece. “Take this job and shove it! I aint ‘a working here no more.”

THE NAME GAME

You may or may not remember that song or Johnny Paycheck who made it a 1977 #1 hit, but it wasn't a hymn. Johnny Paycheck was the stage name of Donald Eugene Lytle and Donald Lytle had been the steel guitar player for George Jones for years before changing his name to Paycheck. The real Johnny Paycheck was actually a boxer who fought Joe Louis. You got all that?

Its hard to keep up with folks who change their names. Garth Brooks, the famous country singer of the 90’s wigged everybody out when he produced a rock album under the name Chris Gaines. I think he was just trying to bust out into alternative rock but instead of people appreciating his contribution, they were mostly disturbed by the name and change of persona. Garth isn't Garth’s first name anyway, its actually Troyal.

FRIENDS IN HIGH PLACES

This week’s cup of Jehovah Java comes cram packed with lots of names. The different names of Jesus, revealed throughout the bible, are different descriptions of who Jesus is to each one of us. So instead of just reading a description of Jesus as a scripture I try to look for who He actually is to me and you both. If you will allow me to be a bible thumper this week, I have included the scripture with some of the names I was able to dig up. getting to know Him in each of these ways is an incredible invitation. Its a gift so great it will take an eternity to unwrap.

Jesus Christ is your Alpha and Omega, Beginning and End. (Rev. 1:8; 22:13)
Jesus Christ is your Atoning Sacrifice for your Sins (1 John 2:2)
Jesus Christ is... Bread of God (John 6:33)
Jesus Christ is... Bread of Life (John 6:35; 6:48)
Jesus Christ is... Bridegroom (Mt. 9:15)
Jesus Christ is... Christ (1 John 2:22)
Jesus Christ is... Creator (John 1:3)
Jesus Christ is... Deliverer (Rom. 11:26)
Jesus Christ is... Eternal Life (1 John 1:2; 5:20)
Jesus Christ is... Faithful and True (Rev. 19:11)
Jesus Christ is... Faithful Witness (Rev. 1:5)
Jesus Christ is... God (John 1:1; 20:28; Heb. 1:8; Rom. 9:5)
Jesus Christ is... Good Shepherd (John 10:11,14)
Jesus Christ is... Head of the Church (Eph. 1:22; 4:15; 5:23)
Jesus Christ is... Holy and True (Rev. 3:7)
Jesus Christ is... Image of God (2 Cor. 4:4)
Jesus Christ is... King Eternal (1 Tim. 1:17)
Jesus Christ is... Life (John 14:6; Col. 3:4)
Jesus Christ is... Light of the World (John 8:12)
Jesus Christ is... Lion of the Tribe of Judah (Rev. 5:5)
Jesus Christ is... Living One (Rev. 1:18)
Jesus Christ is... Lord of All (Acts 10:36)
Jesus Christ is... Man from Heaven (1 Cor. 15:48)
Jesus Christ is... Our Holiness (1 Cor. 1:30)
Jesus Christ is... Our Husband (2 Cor. 11:2)
Jesus Christ is... Our Protection (2 Thess. 3:3)
Jesus Christ is... Our Redemption (1 Cor. 1:30)
Jesus Christ is... Our Righteousness (1 Cor. 1:30)
Jesus Christ is... Rock (1 Cor. 10:4)
Jesus Christ is... Savior (Eph. 5:23; Titus 1:4; 3:6; 2 Pet. 2:20)
Jesus Christ is... Son of God (John 1:49; Heb. 4:14)
Jesus Christ is... Source of Eternal Salvation for believers (Heb. 5:9)
Jesus Christ is... Truth (John 1:14; 14:6)

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THE BIG SEARCH

I am not really a huge techno guy but I am just as addicted as anybody to email, the web, texting and basically anything Mac related. Don’t hate me if you are a PC guy and haven't left the dark side for Mac yet. Someday, you too will see the light.

No, I am not a techno guy in the since that I understand how it all works, but my life requires that get a lot of mileage out of today’s gizmos and gadgets. What’s great is that you don’t have to know how it all works to use it.

However, there are people like you and me that still hang on to a lot of the old way of doing things while trying to keep up with the new. I know you are that way not because I am extraordinarily prophetic, and by the way sometimes I am, but because you are reading a newspaper. Sherlock Holmes calls that deductive reasoning.

SEARCH ENGINES
So when I was a kid, an engine was something that made a car or an airplane move around. Today and engine is a search tool that people all over the world use to find things on the internet.

The largest search engine in the world is Google. Untold numbers of people go there everyday to find websites on anything from movies, earthquakes or currency conversions to local weather reports and high definition maps of the entire globe.

This weeks top 20 Google searches include Black Friday ads, Guy Fawkes day and the shuttle launch. People are searching and searching more than ever before.

A SEARCHING LEGACY
As a Christian, Dad, Pastor and a guy just trying to make it through life like everybody else, I spend a lot of time thinking about what I am searching for. To me, a big part of living a victorious life in Christ is knowing I must be dedicated to a life of contemplation.

There are certain things I have to have a discipline to think about. Intentional thinking is a must if I don’t want to wander around like the mental nomads of our day. Unless I want to end up like the buffalo who used to be seen in this area by the millions, I cant be a wanderer or a marauder in how I live life. So I crank up the squirrel cage between my ears and serve God in my thinking.

I think that while we are not wanderers we are certainly searchers. All of us. I also think one of the greatest things we as Christians can hand down to the generation behind us is a legacy of searching after the deep things of God.

We have to be people who constantly seek out the heart of the King.

See, Google and search engines change the definition of searching to mean that instead of searching, you go to a place that searches for you. I think people are being trained today and we need to let our non Christians friends and family know that no one can search out God for us. It is the search that qualifies you for the find.

So where ever you are at, I am here to tell you, God himself is searching and He is searching for people who are searching for Him. You don’t need an engine, just a heart that is willing to seek after His Heart.


And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave their testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart...
Acts 13:22

Moving Day

When I was a very little kid I lived in Alvarado. I spent a few of my single digits in Burleson and then moved a few miles east of Joshua. That was about 35 years ago and I was not quite 9 years old. I have been here ever since.

Being a speaker and a Teacher, I have had the privilege of visiting 31 nations throughout the world and nearly all of them multiple times but for me, Johnson County feels the most like home.

Joshua was a 1 A school district when I was a 3rd grader, and H D Staples was not the name of the school building, it was the name of my principle. The reason the little street outside of that elementary school is called College street is because there used to actually be a college there. The remains of that three story building was still standing until I was a fifth grader.

Just two blocks north of HD Staples elementary school and in between College and Min street was the campus of First Baptist church. It was a church with great influence in our little town. In the 70’s and 80’s they were one of the only churches that hauled kids like me and my buddy Robert Copeland to Sunday School and the only church that was willing to put up with us.

In the sixth grade, they held some kind of kid’s crusade in the summertime, I think it was a vacation bible school. At the end of the week they asked me if I wanted to be baptized and since it was a hot day I was more than willing to get wet. I was so excited because I got to go swimming and go to heaven all on the same day.

All these years later I find my self typing this out from my new office on that same property. We just recently bought this building and this Sunday we are having our first service here. I have come back. Not as a little kid wanting to get wet or a teenager hiding my snuff can but as the guy who will be leading and doing the teaching.

This Sunday, when the praise band hits the first A chord and our 9 foot by 16 foot stage screen lights up like the 4th of July, look for a good looking fat man behind a Fender Strat with a custom, Texas flag paint job on it. I’ll be the guy with the bewildered look on his face wondering how in the world could I be on this stage and living the life I am living.

I will be the guy with no way to properly articulate how good God really is. I will be the one with no explanation as to why I get to be the one telling the stories instead of hearing about them. All I can say is that God is good and somehow that just doesn't do it.

My prayer and thought for you today is that you are so blessed you are unable to really define how it has all happened. I call that living an unexplainable life. I hope your blessing and your walk with God goes beyond what you are able to figure out.

The Miracle Mile

It has been a long haul for us but a glorious one. This coming sunday we will actually have one service instead of three and it will start at 10:00 am. We are holding off our grand opening until November 21st where we will have two identical services, 9:30 am and 11:00 am.

One of these days, I hope to see every one of you face to face. When I do, I hope we both look like dummies because we just cant find the words to describe how Good God has been to both of us.

Ephesians 3:20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us...

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ARTFUL EXCUSES

Benjamin Franklin said a lot of things and one of the things he said was about the character of people. “He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else.”

In seven years of writing this column I have very seldom missed my deadline. In fact, I think I can count on one hand how many times I failed to deliver my finely written masterpiece of opinion, muse, yarns and Kingdom insight on anytime other than ontime. But this week is different I am typing this up late.

Yes I am moving my offices and my church to a whole new location. Yes a friend of mine died and it is also true we had a massive food outreach this week. While those things are as right as rain they are also just excuses when presented in terms of why I couldn't do this job right.

So I thought I might come up with some better ones. Way past the dog ate it I would say something like, “The dog ate my keys and I am having to hitch hike to the vet.”. Those kinds of things are excuses that I think show more intelligence than lack of character. If you are going to look stupid in giving excuses you might as well be smart about it.

If your late for something you can send a text and say things like
this. I am blocked by a presidential motorcade or I’m stuck in the blood pressure machine in HEB.

If you had to pull your kid out of school and your worried about truancy issues I suggest a note like this. Please excuse Mary, she was sick and I had her shot.

Maybe the teacher will think your an idiot and feel sorry enough for your kid to let her pass. Or maybe something like this, “Please excuse Jennifer for missing school yesterday. We forgot to get the Sunday paper off the porch, and when we found it Monday, we thought it was Sunday.

If you get pulled over by a police officer that asks you where the fire is. Bat your eyelashes and say something like “Oh officer, in your eyes!”

One time a friend texted me and asked me if I could come over and pray for his house. I replied, “I don’t know, my stigmata is acting up.” Thank you I am here all night.

The bottom line is that there is no excuse for living a life of making excuses. I don’t want to be like that. I am as guilty as anybody I am afraid, but I am consciously fighting it.

Laziness is the lack of action or the lack of the will to act. The I-don’t-wannas and the blahs come from a lack of a priorities and vision. Here’s a big time word of encouragement to get your self moving and not to settle for an excuse when you can take advantage of what God has handed all of us.

Give us the grace Lord.

For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. Romans 1:20

WALKING ON WATER

Ten years ago, Leanna and I decided to do something really radical. It seems silly to me now that it was so far out of our box back back then but we decided to host a ladies conference on a five day cruise in the Caribbean. At that time we had never done the cruise thing and our Ladies meetings had been land locked. I had only been on the ocean a couple of times to fish and although I had caught a 9 foot 7 inch sailfish, I brought it on board while loosing my lunch. The Brewer tends to get sea sick.

So I wasn't sure if a long cruise would have me making a technicolor tribute to Disney or inspire me into talking to God on the big white telephone, but I was afraid it would. I hate to be sea sick.
Nearly a dozen cruises later, I can tell you, my fears were unwarranted and a big waist of valuable brain space.

CASTING BREAD

So we began to save up for that first big trip and the Lord put it on my heart to send another couple too. We were honored to have them with us and they would not have gone unless we had paid for them to go. They had a time and we had a time. The next year we did it again and again Leanna and I secretly paid for a couple to go the cruise. See, we started doing marriage retreats after that and every year Leanna and I would prayerfully consider a couple to sponsor for a week long cruise. We did this for at least seven trips without telling anybody. There is a reason I am telling you now.

About six months ago, a couple in our church Approached me and asked me I would be willing to remarry them for their 20th anniversary as the renewed their vows. When I told them I would, they then told me they wanted to get married in Greece on a twelve night cruise through the Mediterranean. They would pay for Leanna and I to go and even for the plane tickets to Rome and back. A few minutes later, I woke up to smelling sauce and yes it was a true. A dream come true.

SMOKE ON THE WATER

Two days ago, I returned from this trip and let me tell it, it was far better than any trip I had given to anyone else. We toured the colosseum in Rome and threw coins in the fountain. We saw mount Vesuvius and walked the ruins of Pompeii. I got my girls and my mom a Cameo near Naples. Went to the Isle of Capri and I’m not talking about the one in Shreveport.

I also went to Athens Greece, ancient Corinth and even Ephesus in Turkey. I married my friends in Lindos bay on the Isle of Rhodes where Paul also preached and where they filmed the guns of Navaron. I mean come on! Not only had Paul the apostle been there but Gregory Peck and David Niven too!

Leanna rode a camel at the Pyramids in Giza and I ate Pizza in Sicily. On top of all this, we had a balcony stateroom on the Navigator of the seas and perfect weather all the way. A hundred dreams came true for me on this trip because of the generosity and love of some very selfless friends and I tell you it all started with God hearts for us to give a trip to some of our friends.

You are not going to out give God. You can’t out God -God. You can’t be nicer than Him or more generous than Him. Take it from a guy that has tasted and seen the Lord is good, give in a radical way when he tells you too. And believe me when I tell you, It won’t make you sick like you are afraid that it will.

2 Corinthians 9:7 Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver

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TO BE FREE AND KNOT TO BE

The ability to tie knots can be a really big deal. When I was a kid, I was always amazed at how my step dad could tie knots — which he learned how to do in the Navy. I also remember Julius Reinach, an old German immigrant, teaching us Cub Scouts how to tie a slipknot. What a hard job that brother had!

I didn't learn how to tie my shoes until I was 34, so it took me a while to learn knots. I am still learning.

A Honda Knot is the knot all the cowboys use to form a lasso. It makes a nearly perfect circle. A Trucker’s Knot is one of those knots that, once you learn to use, you wonder how you ever got a long without it.

If you go to netknots.com there are animated videos of more than 50 knots, and step-by-step instructions. You can also download an iPhone app and take several thousand years of rope knowledge with you everywhere you go.

Last week, a friend of mine sent me a poem she had written and I thought it good enough to include in this week’s sip from the Carpenter’s cup. Rest is a weapon and anything we can do to help each other get untied and unbound is worth doing. Enjoy.

DEAR GOD,

Please untie the knots that are in my mind, my heart and life.
Remove the have-nots, the can-nots and the do-nots that I hang on to.
Erase the will-nots, may-nots and might-nots that find a home in my heart. Release me from the could-nots, would-nots and should-nots that obstruct my life.
Most of all, Dear God, I ask that you remove from my mind, my heart and all my life the am-nots that I have allowed to hold me back.
Especially that thought that I am not good enough to go forward. Untie me Lord.

Amen

Troy Brewer is the pastor of Open Door Ministries, and can be found on the web at www.freshfromthebrewer.com, www.troybrewer.com and www.opendoorministries.org.

THE ART OF CELEBRATION

Godly people celebrate things. The creation story of Genesis not only gives us a glimpse of how things got started, but also of the heart of the Creator Himself. At the end of every day, even though things were not finished being made, God celebrated each accomplishment. Without a group of friends and family to help Him, He still put on a little party hat, threw some confetti in the air, and said, “It is good.”

God celebrates accomplishment. God celebrates life, even though it is a long way from being perfect. It doesn't have to be perfect, it merely has to be good for God to stop and throw a party at the end of the day.

I was thinking about this principle last week. So I decided to list some little things in life worth celebrating, things that make me do a little dance and say, “It is good.”

Last week I sent out a list of the Top 15 things I had learned in 15 years of pastoring a three ring church circus. People like lists, but more that that, people like good lists. There are things I love about life and I have listed some them because my list may help you make your own list. It’s a good day to be happy.

THINGS I LOVE TO CELEBRATE
I love to sing the guitar solos of my favorite songs.

I love to drive on hot summer nights with my windows down.

I love to scratch my back with BBQ utensils while cooking.

I love to correctly guess if the door is a push or a pull and just go right through . It confirms that I have a prophetic gift.

I love an upgrade--any kind of upgrade or comp thrown in. It convinces me I am still God’s favorite.

I love it when the Cowboys play on Monday Night Football.

I love it when the weather changes drastically, especially when a cold front blows in.

I love getting all the way through customs at DFW and hearing the officer say, “Welcome home.”

I love it when it rains right after I, or preferably one of my boys, have cut the grass.

I love to let go of the gas pump and see it land on exactly the dollar amount I wanted it to. It means that I still have cat like reflexes.

I love making fun of the picture on your driver’s license.

I love eating the cookie dough instead of waiting for it to be baked.

I love different accents and the way people talk.

I love climbing into a warm bed on a cold night.

Once I start making this list, I can’t stop. I didn't even get into boat docks, sunsets or puppy breath. The bottom line is that there are things in all of our lives worth celebrating. I think when we fail to make a big deal out of the right things, we make an even bigger deal out of the wrong things.

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. Collosians 2:6-8

15 YEARS AND COUNTING

There are some strange traditions when it comes to anniversaries. Some traditional person, a mindful female who had her act together I’m sure, decided once and for all to put the order of required anniversary gifts into stone. Of course, this is a bane for those of us, especially men, who do not have our acts together. I have no idea what the story is behind every year’s traditional anniversary gifts but they seem a little, well . . . odd.

For example paper is the traditional gift for a first anniversary. I think this can be misinterpreted. I can see some hillbilly in Johnson County right now, “Here ya go honey, I got this here roll of Charmin for ya.” We might need to clarify.

Cotton is what you’re supposed to get your bride on your second anniversary. Here comes the hillbilly again, stomping in the house with his muddy boots holding a big rooted green plant with cotton balls on it. “I picked this up between Cleburne and Hillsboro, Baby.”

The traditional gift for a third year anniversary is leather. “I know we don’t have a horse, but you’ll look good on this saddle, Sweetie.”

The traditional gift for a fourth year anniversary is linen. “Heres a copy of the White Album by the Beatles. I know that John was always your favorite.”

I could go on, but when you get to number 15, it turns out to be crystal. The number 15 stands out to me this week and not because I’ve been watching Sesame Street. This time of year marks our anniversary at Open Door, and it turns out that this is 15 years.

HINDSIGHT
I’ve got a crystal clear view of the past 15 years: living from sermon to sermon. There are so many things I would love to do over and so many things that I don’t think I could ever make happen again. There is nothing boring about starting up a church, and I think ministry is a lot like getting old. It is not for wimps.

So here is my list of Top 15 things I have learned about life , church and surviving as a pastor for the past 15 years.

(1) Most of what we teach, isn't taught on purpose.

(2) Never compliment anyone on being pregnant unless they tell you they are pregnant.

(3) God did not put any of us here to change or control people. We have full time jobs judging ourselves.

(4) There is no correlation between the price of a brand of batteries and how long they last.

(5) You see people’s glory but you don’t see their story. Victorious people make it look easy to live that way.

(6) As long as there are zippers, Plexiglass pulpits can be a powerful tool for the devil.

(7) If you know lots of people, a lot of those people will be with you for only a season in your life.

(8) A little bit of Jesus can make up for a whole lot of stupid

(9) God doesn't do great things through a church service. He does great things through the relationships of the people in a church service.

(10) It takes hard work to be a blessing.

(11) Church doesn't make God love you more. A good church helps you love God more.

(12) The Great Commission is not the Great Commandment, and preaching is not a priority over loving God and loving people.

(13) It is necessary in Johnson County, Texas, to have no smoking signs on the church doors.

(14) If you tell your own stories people will not have anything on you.

(15) Every single one of us are in desperate need of a savior.

I have needed a lot of grace in my life and continue to need it all the more. A big shout out to everybody who has been a part of my personal journey. Wherever you are, whether we have ever met or not, I thank God for you, and may all of us remain teachable people willing to move forward.

www.openddoorministries.org www.freshfromthebrewer.com
www.troybrewer.com

WE NEED SOMETHING DIFFERENT OUT OF YOU

Fifteen years ago, when I was thinking about starting Open Door Ministries, my wife and I had a major disagreement. Oh, she was 100% supportive and on board with me starting the church, it was just that she didn't think she would be a very good Pastor’s wife.

“Why Not?”, I asked. “Your like the perfect Pastor’s wife. Heck, your the perfect any kind of wife.”

“No I’m Not.”, she said with tears. “I can’t sing or play piano.”

I thought that was hilarious. See, I didn't need her to play piano or sing because God gave me an awesome set of pipes and I can play guitar like Davey Crocket.
The bottom line is that Leanna didn't think she had any gifts or talents and of course she was drop dead wrong.

One of Leanna’s highest giftings has to do with kids. She loves kids. she works well with kids. She connects with kids and turns out, there has always been a greater need in our children’s church then on stage with musicians. The people at Open Door tend to be extremely fertile.

RECOGNIZING YOUR GIFTS
A big part of you and I fulfilling our destiny has to do with the recognition of how we are different. There is something about you that really stands out. There is something you are a ten at where the rest of us tend to be a two. There is something God has anointed you to do that He hasn't others. The rest of us need you to be different.

In this United Nations, cookie cutter day of political correctness and we are the world love songs, it is refreshing for you to be authentic and genuine. It is not your sameness to the rest of the world that causes people to be attracted to you, it’s what makes you different. You don’t have to be the same as everybody else, in fact, God didn't make you to blend in but to stand out.

There is something God has stored within you that He has not put within the rest of us and your contribution could be the missing piece that connects the rest of the dots for us.

NOW THATS DIFFERENT
Great crowds came out to see a man we know as John the baptist, not because he was like the Pharisees or the “Reverend Doctors” of his day, but because he dared to be different. He dared to be authentic and genuine and it was out of him being real that his greatest gift was exposed. Jesus himself talked about how brilliant John was and that his greatest contribution came from him not being like a common reed on the river bank or a prophet in an Armani suit. (Luke 7:24-25)

No, John was really different and his prophetic gift turned out to be the greatest contribution. Thats’ the way it is with you too. Discover how God made you different and you will discover some of the greatest ways you can make a difference. But you have to have the courage to be you in a world that wants you to conform to their....whatever.

Today my wife, is not just a Pastor’s wife. She heads up an orphanage Ministry that does amazing things throughout the world. It’s called Spark world wide. SPARK is an acronym for Serving, Protecting And Raising Kids. She has orphanages in Uganda, India, Mexico and the Amazon. The difference she makes is amazing and if she had not stayed true to who she was, she would of never discovered her greatest gift.

A man’s gift makes room for him, And brings him before great men. Proverbs 18:16

www.troybrewer.com www.sparkworldwide.org www.opendoorministries

A SPECIAL GUEST FOR SUPPER

Near downtown Honolulu, Fritz Vincken owned a bakery and handed out a smile along with hot buns and fresh bread to his loyal customers. He has lived in the Hawaiian islands for many years, but he is not just famous for his bread. He tells a story from his childhood that has since been told around the world.

December 1943 was a harsh winter in the Ardennes Forest near the German-Belgian border. Two months had passed since Hubert Vincken brought his wife and his son Fritz to the country for saftey after the family's home and bakery had been destroyed in a bombing raid.
"We were isolated," Fritz recalled. "Every three or four days, my father would ride out from town on his bicycle to bring us food." They could also tell the war was moving closer to their little house.

As suspected, The Germans surprised and overwhelmed the Allies on December 16, turning the nearby forrest into a killing field. It was a terrible time of fear and uncertainty. On Christmas Eve, Elisabeth and Fritz tried to block out the distant sound of gunfire as they sat down to their supper of oatmeal and potatoes.

"At that moment, I heard human voices outside, speaking quietly," Fritz remembered. "Mother blew out the little candle and we held our breath.

"There was a knock at the door. When my mother opened it, two men were standing outside. They spoke a strange language and pointed to a third man sitting in the snow with a bullet wound in his leg. We knew they were American soldiers. They were cold and weary.
"I wondered what in the world my mother would do. She hesitated for a moment. Then she motioned the soldiers into the cottage, turned to me and said, 'Get six more potatoes from the shed.'"

Elisabeth and one of the American soldiers were able to speak French, and both of them gathered as much news as the could. Separated from their battalion, they had wandered for three days in the snowy Forest, hiding from the Germans. Hungry and exhausted they decided to take a chance and knock on a door for help.

Not long after everyone began to warm up there was another knock at the door. Four more tired and frozen soldiers came to the cottage. The problem is that these men were German.

"Now I was almost paralyzed with fear," Fritz recalled. "While I stood and stared in disbelief, my mother took the situation into her hands. "Frohliche Weihnachten," Elisabeth said to the German soldiers, wishing them Merry Christmas. She then invited them to dinner. But before allowing them in, she told them, like only a German mama can, that she had other guests inside that they might not consider as friends.”

"She reminded them that it was Christmas Eve," Fritz said, "and told them sternly there would be no shooting around here." These soldiers, all four of them teenagers, listened respectfully and cautiously agreed.
The German soldiers agreed to store their weapons in the shed. Elisabeth then quickly went inside to collect the weapons from the American soldiers and locked them up securely.

"At first, it was very tense," Fritz said. “Every one just sat looking at each other.”
Two of the German soldiers were sixteen years old and another was a medical student who spoke some English. Fritz was sent outside to fetch the rooster he had captured several weeks earlier.

"When I returned," Fritz recalled, "the German medical student was looking after the wounded American, and one of the Americans presented instant coffee to share. The tension broke and by the time the food was ready, the men were more than eager to eat. Elizabeth invited them to the table and they all sat and said grace together.

"'Komm, Herr Jesus,'" she prayed, 'and be our guest.'
"There were tears in her eyes," Fritz said, "and as I looked around the table, I saw that the battle-weary soldiers were filled with emotion. Their thoughts seemed to be many, many miles away. They had been in war for long, they had forgotten what it was like to sit with a family.

"Now they were boys again, some from America, some from Germany, all far from home."

Soon after dinner, the soldiers fell asleep in their heavy coats. The next morning, they exchanged Christmas greetings and everyone helped make a stretcher for the wounded American.

"The German soldiers then advised the Americans how to find their unit," Fritz said. "My mother gave them back their weapons and said she would pray for their safety. They all kissed her as they left in separate directions. It was the last time Fritz or his mother would ever see any of them.
Throughout her life, Elisabeth Vincken would often say, "God was at our table that night" and I believe He was.

It wasn't until the story was featured on a March 1995 "Unsolved Mysteries" television episode that Vincken learned about a man at Northampton Manor Nursing Home in Frederick, Md., who had been telling family and friends the same story for years.

In January 1996, Vincken went to Maryland to meet Ralph Blank, who had served with the 121st Infantry, 8th Division, during World War II. "When he told me, 'Your mother saved my life,' it was the high point of my life," Vincken said of the reunion. "Now, I can die in peace.

Fritz Vincken died Dec. 8, 2002, in Oregon, 16 days before the 57th anniversary of well-publicized Christmas story but it was not the last time he sat down at a table with family. In the book of Revelation, Jesus Himself promises the same kind of sit down.

Rev 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.

www.troybrewer.com www.opendoorministries.org www.freshfromthebrewer.com

RWANDA IS RED

Rwanda, East Africa is a place of mountains and red dirt roads. There is no way you can drive from one place to another without having a layer of red dust on you by the end of your journey. Even the dust in the air gets so red the moon, when it is full, looks red. I was in Rwanda last week and, during the full moon, I looked up — it was blood red. A blood moon over Rwanda.

There is a lot of red in Rwanda.

My wife, youngest son Luke and I, met Freda, a native Rwandan, survivor of the recent genocide and co-pastor of a church called Rwanda for Jesus. On an excursion from a busy schedule of conference speaking, she took us to the genocide memorial. It was a well designed walkthrough of what made the Hotel Des Mille Collins so famous.

The same man who built the genocide memorial also built the Jewish holocaust museum in England. He is a British Jew and is married to a Rwandan woman. The exhibit was amazing and complete with an earphone devise with English narration throughout the building.

Our driver, John — a good looking, quiet Rwandan man — stood silently beside me as we looked around the grounds at the back of the building. I didn't understand what we were standing on until the narrator explained — it was a mass grave.

There were so many bodies on the streets of Kigali after the three months of murder, that they piled them all into a single giant hole in the ground. They carefully documented every skull and, at the end count, there were more than 256,000 people. I stood on a grave with more than a quarter of a million murdered people in it. A quarter of a million people.

What do you say to something like that? I can’t even describe the confused feelings that went through me as I heard the words and looked down at the ground under my feet. It felt like the wind left my lungs and, as I struggled to find a stable emotional place, I noticed John, quietly looking at the same mound of dirt.

“Do you have family buried here, John?”

John lifted his brows a little before his eyes did and softly nodded his head in affirmation.

“Pastor Troy, all of my family is buried here.”

John’s mother and father, both sets of grand parents, his brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews had all been murdered during the genocide — and somewhere under our feet was the proof they had once lived.

“Oh John I am so sorry.” I began to muddle. “I can’t even begin to imagine. I can’t even begin to imagine what to say.”

I put my hand on his shoulder, “After 16 years of seeing this and after 16 years of living side by side with the very people who murdered your family, what do you say to all of this?”

“What Can I say?” he asked.

John looked up, closed his eyes and a big tear ran down the side of dark brown cheek. After a moment of trying to regain his composure, he looked at me and said some of the most amazing words I have every heard.

“I can say that God is good. He really is Pastor Troy, God is good, and for 16 years He has been taking me from hatred and misery into a grace for forgiveness and happiness”

Out of all things I expected to hear John say, a testimony of God’s goodness was not on my list. The revelation he had of God’s goodness shocked me even more than the realization I was standing on a mass grave. It hit me like Freda's Hutu attacker had clubbed her over the head and left her for dead.

For John, the horror of the genocide did not define his life. It certainly would have, except for the present reality of life he had found in Christ. The death was real but the life was greater. The hurt was constant but the healing undeniable. The facts were a reality but the truth far superseded the facts and, like Jesus once said, the truth had set him free.

What I saw in John can not be faked. What I saw in John was supernatural. His destiny was much greater than his history.

Like the red dirt that was so familiar to me on this trip, there is no way you can see what I saw in John without getting it all over you. I never want to wash it off.

“Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God.” — 3 John 1:11

Troy pastor’s Open Door Ministries near Joshua and can be reached at troybrewer.com.

We all need favor

In the early 1900s, a 16-year-old girl, named Mildred, from Alabama gave birth to a baby girl and named her Julia Jean Mildred Frances Turner. As if all those names weren’t enough, she went by the nickname, “Judy.”

Judy’s daddy, John Turner, was a hard working, and hard living, miner from Tennessee who had a knack for gambling. Hard times eventually forced the family to relocate to San Francisco, but things weren’t any better on the west coast — John and Mildred soon separated.

John’s lack of work didn’t keep him from playing cards, and on December 14, 1930, he won a bit of money from some traveling gamblers.

“I’m gonna go buy my little girl a bicycle,” he said, holding up his wad of cash before stuffing it into his left sock. Before he left the table and hit the streets, the other gamblers took note of where he stashed the money.

Several hours later, John Turner was found dead on the edge of the Mission District in San Francisco — his left sock was missing, and the robbery and murder were never solved.

Judy, who was 9 at the time, was devastated. Mildred got sick and was advised by her doctor to move to a drier climate. So, one year later Mildred and Judy moved to Los Angeles.

Six years later, Judy was a sophomore at Hollywood High School. She decided to skip a typing class and headed to a drug store, where she sat at the counter drinking a Coke. She didn’t know it, but her life was about to change drastically — she had just entered, “the favor zone.”

As she sat at the counter, she caught the eye of the publisher for the Hollywood Reporter. He leaned over, introduced himself and said those famous words, “How’d you like to be in pictures?”

Several weeks latter she was connected with famous movie director Mervyn LeRoy, and he cast her in the first of her many great films. It prophetically was titled, “A Star is Born.” Melvyn changed Judy’s name to Lana Turner and, well, you may have heard of her.

The ability to get noticed and promoted into really cool places is something we Christians call “favor.” Brother Webster, the guy who wrote the dictionary, defines favor as, “approving consideration or attention.” Another understanding of favor could be “good will, acceptance, and the benefits flowing from these.”

The Brewer would define favor as the process of getting noticed and getting promoted.

This week’s confession from a highly caffeinated Christian comes flavored with favor.
You need favor. I need favor. We all need favor.

Did you know there were only 200 million people on the entire planet at the time of Christ? Today there are more than 300 million in the United States alone. More than 6 billion people are walking around right now, and scientist’s say that’s more people than have ever lived before us.

It’s hard to get noticed and promoted when every day is like the busiest day at Disney World. Sip on this and savor the thought, God sees you.

A little bit of favor goes a long way and contrary to the gospel according to Brooks and Dunn, God is not too busy. Not only do I believe God sees you, but I also believe He would love to call you his favorite.

We live in a very messed up world, but somehow God is perfectly right there in the midst. God’s presence is everywhere but his manifest presence is not. When you need Him to show up on your behalf, there’s a certain protocol for the King to arrive. It’s not about traditional religious ritual, it’s about the condition of your heart and how you position yourself.

You may have heard it said that God is no respecter of persons, but I promise you, He will favor certain people and things more than others. All you have to do to be God’s favorite is to walk in what God favors. When you walk in what God favors, you are in “the favor zone.”

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law." — Galatians 5:22 & 23

The Brewer pastors Open Door Ministries near Joshua, and can be found on the Web at www.opendoorministries.org.

Spartans, Texans and Warrior Kings

Almost 500 years before Christ, a Spartan army of only 300 men stood against a million or so Persians at a place called Thermopylae. The Brewer isn’t a particularly a big fan of ancient Spartans — besides destroying the fair city my mama named me after with a stinking wooden horse, they were also known to be racist and pagans who had no mercy for anyone. With that said, the Texan in me can’t help but love the astonishing quality of warriors they produced.

The king who is famous for Sparta’s military miracle was a guy by the name of Leonidas. What I love about king Leonidas is he wasn’t just a king, he was a warrior King. He didn’t sit on a golden thrown and order men to fight. He fought in front of all his men and invited them to fight beside him. I love the whole idea of a warrior king.

About 200 years later, another warrior king rose from the same part of the world — but this one would be remembered as “Great.” Alexander conquered the known world not for a righteous reason but just because he wanted to. Before it was over, millions would be dead and many more hurting because of Alexander’s ambition of conquest. Though I don’t much care for his empire any more than the Spartans, I can’t help but love the fact Alexander was a warrior king.

After Alexander and his army turned south on the Indus River, they encountered a warlike clan called the Mali. After building siege weapons and ladders, Alexander’s army attacked the walled city — and Alexander was the first over the walls. He was so far ahead of the rest of his men that he engaged the entire army by himself while his men scrambled to keep up. With an arrow piercing his chest and his lung and a sword in his hand Alexander the Great fought hand-to-hand combat until his men were able to subdue the enemy. I love a warrior king.

Almost 2,300 years later on holy ground that would be called Texas, a general with a righteous cause, raced across the San Jacinto battlefield. Though vastly outnumbered and in broad day light, Sam Houston was so far ahead of the rest of his men that he drew all the fire of the Mexican dictator’s troops. Having two horses shot out from under him, Houston limped towards the enemy with pointed sword yelling, “Remember the Alamo, Remember Goliad!”

Sam Houston would soon become the president of the nation of Texas. Though he was a political leader he was also a proven warrior. I love a warrior king.

Being a fairly famous Jesus freak with an ever-growing popularity, I get a lot of letters and e-mail. Most of them cuss me but there are more and more asking me what denomination or nondenominational group I subscribe to.

I am for whatever in Christianity is wimp free.

Sign me up with the Christians who have the guts to be Christians in a day where men act more like women than men. Show me Christians who are not just talking about the love of God, but who are demonstrating it through the hard work it takes to make a difference in somebody’s life. Put me in line with the people who are living proof that God never consults your history before giving you a future.

Real Christians don’t just serve a King. They serve a passionate, warrior King — and those of us who follow Him live a lifetime of learning how to get out of His way and let Him fight like He wants to. Not only is Christ not scared of the battles you and I face, He actually gets excited about the prospect of another glorious scrap. That’s the way our King is, and He is unlike any we have ever seen before. He’s compassionate, ready to serve, approachable and full of mercy, but make no mistake about it — He is a warrior King.

“The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name.” — Exodus 15:3

Troy pastors Open Door Ministries near Joshua and can be found at www.opendoorministries.org.

FIGHTING BACK

We all know that in 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue. But did you know that at the same time he was leaving Spain to find the new world, thousands of Jewish families were leaving Spain to save their lives? On March first 1492 they were kicked out by the joint Catholic Monarchs of Spain ordering the expulsion of everybody jewish from Spain and its territories by July 31st of that year. From that day forward it was illegal to be a Jew and live in Spain and the law was called the Alhambra Decree. What is even more amazing to me, is the edict was not formally revoked by the Vatican council until December 16th, 1968. Let me say that again, 1968! Something I plan to take up with the Pope when I visit Rome this year.

FAST FORWARD REPEAT

470 years later the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, West Germany, was interrupted by an event that would be known as the Munich massacre. Members of the Israeli Olympic team were taken hostage and eventually murdered by a Muslim terrorist group backed by Yasser Arafat’s Fatah. By the end of the ordeal, the terrorists had killed 11 Israeli athletes and coaches and 1 West German police officer. Five of the eight terrorists were killed by police officers during a botched rescue attempt. The three surviving terrorists were captured, but later released by limp wristed West Germany following the hijacking of a Lufthansa airliner.

The bodies of the five terrorists killed during the gun battle were delivered to Libya, where they received heroes’ funerals and were buried with full military honors. As Muslim nations throughout the world celebrated the murder of the innocent athletes, King Hussein of Jordan — the only leader of an Arab country to publicly denounce the Olympic attack — called it a "savage crime against civilization… perpetrated by sick minds."

It was an unspeakable injustice.

FAST FORWARD VICTORY

Twenty years later, the 1992 Summer Olympics was held in Barcelona Spain. In contrast to the failures of West Germany, Spain had it’s act together. As expected, it was really an amazing event that you will probably remember if you were around and coherent back in 92. That was the year the “Dream Team” played basketball. The Line up and gold medal winners included names like David Robinson, Patrick Ewing, Larry Bird, Scottie Pippen, Charles Barkley, Magic Johnson and even Michael Jordan himself.

It was the year that Dereck Redmond tore his hamstring during the 400 yard sprint. He hobbled to a halt, and then fell to the ground. Stretcher bearers made their way over to him, but Redmond decided he wanted to finish the race and he jumped up on his left leg. He began to hobble along the track, when his Dad, Jim Redmond, barged past security and helped his son move forward. Jim and Derek completed the lap of the track together, with Derek leaning on his father's shoulder for support. As they crossed the finish line, the 65,000 crowd rose to give Derek a standing ovation. Remember?

The United States won 108 medals that summer and the nation of Israel, well the nation of Israel won 2, but they were bigger winners than you might think.

See, this was the 20th anniversary of the Munich massacre where Muslims murdered Jews at the olympics. This was also the 500th anniversary of the Alhambra Decree, where Spanish Catholics murdered and cast out Jews for over 450 years. And this was the olympics in Spain. It was at this event, in this location and on these anniversaries that Israel won its very first Olympic medal.

Yael Arad became the first Israeli to win an Olympic medal. She took the silver in, of all things, Judo. The next day, Oren Smadja became Israel's first male medalist, winning a bronze in the same sport.

I think this says something about taking the fight back to the place where you have been defeated. By the grace of God, all of us eventually find our selves on the winning platform in the very places where we have been hatted if we will just keep fighting. Know that God sees you today my friends, and know that if you will keep fighting, by the grace of God, the day will come your enemies will see you blessed.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Psalms 23:5

Troy pastors Open Door Ministries near Joshua and can be found at www.opendoorministries.org

Eating Grass

WIDE LOAD
Some people have the gut of a Billy Goat. The Brewer has historically been one of those people. Besides being a highly caffeinated Christian, it is a fact that I tend to over eat. I am trying hard to loose weight these days but I am a long way from being able to wear a belt buckle. When I do, it tends to turn over and disappear between my bladder and kidneys. It’s sad because I have to wear a belt now that I am older. If I don’t, what should be around my waist ends up south of my ankles.

My six-pack has turned into a keg but its not because I have a beer belly…it’s more like a chicken coop. Pray for me. Really I am working out every day again now and should have some kind of praise report about my weight loss soon but really I need a lot of prayer.

When it comes to food, not only do I not care what it is, (besides black liquorish or Rye bread) but I don’t really care how it’s cooked either. Like “Bubba” from the movie Forest Gump, I’ll eat it boiled, fried, baked, sautéed, grilled, en flambé etc., etc. I have eaten locusts in Uganda, monkey in Rwanda and a batter dipped, deep friend candy bar in Scotland. I have eaten things completely unrecognizable in India and something that looked back at me from a soup bowl in Costa Rica.

I proverbially have to eat crow often and have been known to insert my foot into my mouth on frequent occasion. Again, pray for me.

EATING GRASS
About five years back, I was on the Rio Ranchito near the YO Ranch in Kerrville, TX. I had gone on a “radical sabbatical” with a ministry called Fellowship of the Sword. A brother on staff there gave a testimony of how he had adopted five little girls from Russia. His eyes lit up like a blowtorch when he spoke of them.

Quite often his family likes to go to a little Italian joint near their house and not really for the spaghetti but because of the homemade vinaigrette. Being Russian born children they love salad and fruit so the local restaurant with the homemade dressing has become some kind of a staple for them.

While chowing down, one of the girls casually stated that her salad tasted like the grass in Russia. He thought it was a funny thing to say and asked her if she had fallen down and tasted grass. Over the next few minutes his daughter began to open up and relate that a big part of being an orphan in Russia was learning to cope with starvation.

In her tiny little voice she recalled that she and the other little girls would sneak out of the orphanage at night to eat grass in the fields. They were so hungry one Christmas that they had actually eaten the green off of the Christmas tree.
All of his daughters had stories of the things they had eaten while they were starving and helpless. This Mom and Dad sat crying as they patiently listened to each story and shook their heads in recognition. Their daughters are safe now, but there was a long period in their lives when they had eaten grass just to survive.

MENU CHANGE
Over the next few months the Lord did a work in my new friends life in that he decided as a Dad, his family would never eat grass again, naturally or figuratively. He said “It made me wonder how many times has my wife needed my encouragement, my love, my affection but because I was tired or mad I refused to feed her.”

I sat listening to him and it made me afraid that at times I have emotionally and spiritually forced my family to “eat grass”. My wife and kids have never starved for food, but there have been times when I should have fed them as the man I am supposed to be and didn’t do it. One more time, pray for me.

I came home and repented to my kids and said, “I am sorry for the times you should have been fed but were forced to eat grass.”

My thirteen year old boy at the time didn’t understand what I was saying and tried to encourage me by saying “Dad, it’s OK, I eat grass just because I like it.” Yes, he’s a little savage, but I’m proud of him.

Parents - don’t make your families eat grass. Give them what they need.

If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. 1 Timothy 5:8 NIV

The Brewer welcomes your input at: www.opendoorministries.org or troybrewer.com

The High Way of His Way

The Influence that West Texas rocker Buddy Holly had on the world, really cant be measured. It wasn't just American kids singing “That’ll be the day”. Across the pond, kids in England were becoming mesmerized by the beats and rhythms and the personality of a skinny kid with big black glasses. British rock and roll culture was being lived out, really before anybody had an amplifier.

In Beckenham, England. A young boy named Peter Frampton was a big fan of Buddy Holly. He had recently discovered his grandmother's ukulele in the attic and taught himself to play. He went from there to teaching himself to play guitar and later piano. At age eight he started taking classical music lessons.

By the age of ten, Frampton played in a band called The Little Ravens. Both he and and a guy named David Bowie were pupils at Bromley Technical School where Frampton's father, Owen Frampton, was an art teacher and head of the Art department.

Peter and David would spend time together at lunch breaks, playing Buddy Holly songs.

At the age of 11, Peter was playing with a band called The Trubeats followed by a band called The Preachers, produced and managed by none other than Bill Wyman of The Rolling Stones.

He became a successful child singer, and in 1966, he became a member of a band called The Herd. He was the lead guitarist and singer, scoring a handful of British teenybopper hits. Frampton was named "The Face of 1968" by teen magazine and thats how Peter Frampton made it to the big time.

Ten years later he was looking for a way to really break out into the American music scene. He had to find a way to sell albums in the United States. What could the way be?

Peter was so fascinated with the theme of “the way” it began to surface in the songs he would write. He recorded Baby I love your way and Show me the way on his live album which was released in 1976. It became an anthem for American teenagers and sold over 16 million records. That’s a lot of plastic and a lot of money.

Throughout the summer of 76 and 77, stadiums in America were cram-packed with young people singing the words from Frampton’s heart.

Who can I believe in,
I'm kneeling on the floor.
There has to be a force; who do I phone.
The stars are out and shining, but all I really want to know.
Oh won't you... show me the way.
I want you ...show me the way.

The Air Up There

I have been doing a lot of traveling lately. My wife and I set off on a high adventure for the nation of Guatemala last week. I spoke at a conference, did a small TV show and also preached a couple of church services. While all of that is awesome, you have to be be willing to cram your great big hiney into a little bitty seat on a metal tube being thrown 31,000 feet high into the air at 500 miles an hour. In other words, you have to fly.

I always ask for a window seat, partly because my fatness spills over into the isle but mostly because I genuinely gawk outside through the entire flight. The clouds, the citys, the flying saucers, -well thats typically from the Prozac I take before the flight. The rivers and oceans and islands, those are real. I love the view from thirty one to forty thousand feet.

I have flown over the Sahara Desert several times and it is a lot more comfortable being over it than on it. The beautiful colors blend into the horizon and because of the heat, you can’t tell where the sky ends and the ground starts.

On my way back from India once, I flew directly over the north pole and even though it was summer, there was nothing but ice as far as I could see. The top of the world is as white as you imagine. In contrast, last week I flew over the oil spill in the gulf between Miami and DFW. What a mess. Yes, it is as bad as you think it is. and it didn't look all black, it mostly looked red. The gulf is bleeding.

I have seen lots of things from the air, that I have never seen on the ground. The swiss Alps, the French Alps, the Statue of Liberty, Kabul Afghanistan and Baghdad Iraq. How does it go? I seen a peanut stand, heard a rubber band and seen a needle that winked it's eye. But I done seen ‘bout everything when I see a elephant fly.
Short View Vs. The Long View Psalm 37 is a wisdom psalm that tells the importance of maintaining the right perspective during our brief visit of this planet. We have got to have a different perspective.

The wisdom of this psalm is to adopt a long-run rather than a short-run perspective on life by embracing God's purposes for every part of our life. Trust in the Lord,
delight yourself in the Lord, commit your way to the Lord and rest in the Lord, it says.

The perspective from above is that, all of the mess we are going through is absolutely temporary. The view from above looks a lot better and takes a whole lot more into consideration. Sometimes we need to just stop what we are doing, take a deep breath and ask God to give us an eye to see things His way. Above the muck and the mire and the mess It’s a lot easier to breath. Get up there as quick as you can and as often as you can get there.


The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD,
And He delights in his way.
Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down;
For the LORD upholds him with His hand
Psalms 37:23 and 24

Troy Pastors Open Door Church near Joshua and can be reached at www.opendoorministries.org

ODD OBSERVATIONS

It is important for us to be aware our surroundings. It is also fun to know about the things going on around us. There are those among us who are such nerds, we actually accumulate knowledge and facts on subjects and people we probably should know nothing about.

As a highly caffeinated Christian, I tend to ponder and pick up things in a life of dedicated contemplation. This week’s sip from the Master’s cup comes blended with a different view of things we see everyday. Enjoy!

Kid’s stuff
Did you know that Walt Disney was afraid of mice? Turns out he had a phobia of mice and invented Mickey as a friendly and funny version of what terrorized him as a kid. I think that’s cool.

Donald Duck, another Disney invention, was at first banned from Finland because Donald doesn't wear pants.

The characters Bert and Ernie on Sesame Street were named after Bert the cop and Ernie the taxi driver in Frank Capra's "Its A Wonderful Life.”

The name Wendy was made up for the book Peter Pan. There was never a recorded Wendy before.

In comic strips, the person on the left always speaks first.

Mel Blanc, who played the voice of Bugs Bunny, was allergic to carrots and “That’s all folks” on cartoons and puppets I can think of. But speaking of bugs...

Bugs and Critters
Did you know you are three times more likely to be killed by a flying champagne cork than you are to be killed by the bite of a venomous spider, so you probably should not waste time worrying about it. On the same note, donkeys kill more people every year than plane crashes do. This bit of information, however, has not kept me from making a jackass out of myself on international flights. I hate airplanes.

A shrimp's heart is in its head. A bird chews with his stomach and some turtles can breathe through their butts. Eels have two hearts, elephants can’t jump, and bats always fly left when exiting a cave. By the way, did you know you can melt pearls and kill scorpions with vinegar? Oh yes, there's more.

People and Places
Did you know Marilyn Monroe had six toes on one of her feet? If she reminds you of a Barbie doll, I wonder if you know what Barbie’s full name is? Barbie's full name is Barbara Millicent Roberts.

Albert Einstein's parents were worried he was mentally slow, because it took him a long time to learn how to speak. Shakespeare invented the words "assassination" and "bump.” You share your birthday with at least 9 million other people in the world, and India has never invaded another country in the past 6,000 years of her history.

Paying Attention
While we might not need to know a lot of these things, we do need to know what’s going on around us. The Good Book says that as we move forward through life, we should see the timing and events of things so that we can cash in on the value of our day.

See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
Ephesians 5:15-17

A lot of us don’t know the will of God simply because we don’t see what is going on around us. We foolishly miss how God uses the things going on around us as the billboards through which He is speaking to us because we are so focused on selfish agendas.

The Brewer reminds you this week to stop and smell the coffee. Take a look around you and ask God to show you what He wants you to see. If you get real with Him on this issue, get ready for sensory overload.

Troy pastors Open Door Ministries near Joshua and can be reached at www.opendoorministries.org

LESSONS FROM THE AUTOBAHN

I am world famous for having a lead foot. It has always been hard for me to drive slow. Driving in a single lane behind someone who only wants to do 40 miles an hour has always felt something like having a tooth pulled. Worse yet is when someone drives slow in the passing lane. A sense of injustice overwhelms me as if an innocent person has been executed or land has been taken away by the government. Get out of the passing lane; It aint right!

I remember when the democrats moved the speed limit down to 55 on all national highways . Those were dark and terrible times for me. Then came the glorious day the republicans moved it back to 70. I had a party in the same way I think alcoholics did back when the prohibition ended.

A Need For Speed
Speed is dangerous, exhilarating, intoxicating and illegal beyond clearly set limits on every highway in the world. Every highway except one that is--The Autobahn.

Imagine a super highway designed for speed with thousands of miles of roadway where drivers can stand on their Porsches as fast as they want to. You might think this is Germany’s way of population control, but believe it or not it’s safe, even safer than the more conservative approach we have with our highway system. It seems to turn the premise that speed kills on it’s head. According to the World Wide Waste of time, The Autobahn has scored consistently lower in death rates than the US highway system for almost 20 years in a row now.

Sometimes, cars drive literally 200 miles an hour where traffic allows. In most places, typical cruising speeds for average drivers are between 80-90 miles an hour. That’s burning up the road on this side of the world but just heading to the store for some milk and eggs in Deutschland.

Drive Right
A big factor in its safety is a hardcore law that prohibits anyone driving in the passing lane unless they are actually passing somebody. The highways are patrolled and monitored not for speed but for improper use of the lanes.

While Germans are free to drive whatever speed they can, they are not free to drive in whichever lane they want to drive in. That is interesting to me. See you can drive fifty or one hundred and fifty on the Autobahn, but you can’t let your freedom cause someone else to have a wreck. You can’t drive fast in the slow lane causing people who want to drive slow to crash. You also can’t drive slow in the fast lane causing people who want to drive fast to crash. This is a responsible use of freedom, and I see Kingdom principles in this.

When it comes to the Autobahn or when it comes to life, you've got freedom. Jesus Christ offers us freedom, but you don’t use your freedom in a way that causes other people to get messed up. Yes, grace is real and so is the responsibility that goes with it.

Paul wrote 1 Corinthians 8: 9 “Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak.”

Rock on Paul, and thanks for giving us the word.

Another issue in Germany, that every driver deals with, is the responsibility of knowing the difference between life and death. You see, when it comes to the speed limit, it is all legal. So in Germany, instead of asking if it is legal, which is never the question, you should be asking, “Is this going to kill me?” which is always the question.

So it is in the Kingdom. Cigarettes for example will not send you to Hell, it will just make you smell like it. Eating too much and eating whatever you want is perfectly legal in Christianity, but that freedom is supposed to bless us, not kill us. So the issue for us as Christians is not is it legal, because we are not under the law. The issue for us is, is this smart?, is this kingdom advancing?, or is this reckless and stupid?

Are we using our freedom in a way that trips up other people? Are we using our freedom as an excuse to go back into some kind of bondage? Is it freedom, or is it bondage? Is it living life, or is it choosing death? Those are real issues even though the legality of the matter is not an issue.

No person or nation can remain free very long without such practices becoming widely accepted by its citizens. The same warning applies to the abuse of our spiritual freedom in Christ. As the Apostle Paul said and repeated:
“All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient” I Corinthians 6:12.

It’s all legal, but it is not all in our best interest. If our heart is after the King’s heart, we will make a choice that not only keeps us living but doesn't kill everybody else around us.

The Brewer pastors Open Door Ministries near Joshua and can be reached at www.opendoorministries.org

Famous trees

Believe it or not there is a list of famous trees in Texas that some people, nerds like me, are willing to travel and to see firsthand. These trees mark incredible events that took place under or around them. Things that shaped our history, good and bad.

This highly caffeinated Christian would like to take you on a small tour of famous Texas Trees this week.

Philip Nolan’s Tree

On the south side of Hwy 174, about five miles south of Rio Vista, you will find a marker that heralds the death place of Phillip Nolan. A three hundred year old Post Oak marks the spot where Philip Nolan and a band of frontiersmen fought and lost a battle with 120 Spanish soldiers way back in 1801. Nolan’s death became the early seeds of rebellion against Spain, and later what would be Mexico, for western expansion.

Sam Houston’s Oak

A giant Live Oak tree just east of Peach Creek and 8.5 miles from Gonzales marks the spot where Sam Houston was on March 14th, 1836. Alamo survivor Susanna Dickinson found Houston there and personally reported her account of the horrific slaughter and that Santa Anna was hot on her heels.

The Dueling Oak

It was under this tree in Jackson County where two Generals in the the Nation of Texas’ army, decided to handle a dispute by blasting each other to pieces in a civilized manner. They both squared off, drew from the hip and shot three rounds apiece before one of them fell. The looser miraculously survived and later would become a confederate hero.

The Cowboy Tree

From January to March of 1871, more than 43,000 head of Longhorns moved through the town of Pleasanton, Texas. Can you Imagine? In just three months, herds bigger than anyone had every seen moved slowly through this tiny town and cowboys wanted to get wild and “see the elephant”. A local business man wanted to separate the rowdy behavior at his saloon from all of his other buildings so he built a new saloon as a tree house. This high rise casino served well until a drunken cowboy fell out and broke his neck. The tree is still there.


The Goose Island Oak

Texas' largest tree is found on the Lamar Peninsula within the Goose Island State Park just off highway 35 before you reach the Copano Causeway. It is known to be the world’s largest live oak with a trunk that is 43 feet around! The cannibalistic Karankawa indians used to eat their enemies under the shade of that tree and it is believed to be over 1000 years old.

Hanging Trees

Texas has more Hanging trees than I have ink to write about. You can find them and a plaque that tells its story in places like Evergreen, Bandera, Clarksville, Coldspring, Hallettsville, Kyle, Orange, Sequine and on countless private properties throughout the state. A lot of these trees are located just outside the courthouse because execution would usually take place within an hour of the verdict. Vigilante justice and injustice was carried out when cooler heads failed to prevail.

The most Famous Tree of All

Joyce Kilmer is famous for her flowery poetic ode first published in 1919.
“I think that I shall never see a poem lovely as a tree.” she wrote. It ends like this, “Poems are made by fools like me, But only God can make a tree.”

God made an amazing tree several thousand years ago and the Romans cut it down and made a cross out of it. Now we don’t know what kind of tree it was. Some say it was dogwood. There is an old legend with the dogwood that says Jesus himself changed the tree from the size of a mighty oak to what it looks like today. The old yarn says Jesus said. “...never again shall the dogwood tree grow large enough to be used for a cross. Henceforth, it shall be slender, bent, and twisted, and its blossoms shall be in the form of a cross–two long and two short petals.”

In the center of the outer edge of each petal looks like the print of nails. In the center of the flower it looks like a crown of thorns stained with blood. Pretty neat stuff, I think.

I don’t know if the old tale is true but I do know the cross is. The Cross of Christ is that place where God replaced my History with my Destiny. He became a curse for me so I could be blessed. Changing everything for my benefit, Jesus saved me in every way a man can be saved. Now thats a tree all of us should visit.


1 Peter 2:24 (NKJV)
Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.

The Brewer Pastors Open Door Ministries near Joshua and can be found at www.opendoorministries.org and www.troybrewer.com

LONESOME DOVE

The Brewer is a big fan of Lonesome dove. How could I not be? The book, something like a Texas version of Gone with the wind, is by all accounts an 843 page masterpiece. It seems to be loved by everybody, except for the guy who wrote it. More on that in a bit.

Well, believe it or not, it has been 25 years since the CBS mini series first hit the tube. This month, Texas Monthly is even doing a huge tribute to the show that made Texans proud to be Texan again. As if that was actually a problem.

I have read what the boys down in Austin had to say and I have a few thoughts of my own I would like to share.

“It aint dyin' I'm talking about, it's livin.”

About 15 years ago I was looking for a new hunting knife so I drove up to the house of Blades in Ft Worth. While wielding a scottish long sword, I looked up in time to see two guys going through expensive knives and several people clamoring to serve them. It was none other than Larry Mcmurty and his assistant. Larry, of course, is the Pulitzer Prize winning author of Lonesome dove.

As the good Lord would have it, we had occasion to carry on a hospitable conversation and it really surprised me what he had to say about his book. Turns out, he is not that big of a fan of lonesome dove.

He thinks he has written much better works and didn't even show up to claim the Pulitzer when awarded to him. He said that he didn't know how so many people could get such joy out of a story so sad. I read in another place that he said something about writing the book as a criticism of the west and it's existence as a "terrible culture." Ironically, its the very culture people fell in love with.

“Heres to the sunny slopes of long ago.”

I think what people love about Lonesome Dove is much more than the memorable quotes and the outstanding characters. It’s that there is something within all of us that wants to be over comers and conquerers and dreamers. It’s not about a cattle drive, it is about people, who against all odds, shaped the world into what they wanted it to be. Its about people, who have suffered tremendously but still love life and love to accomplish vision. Fragile people who can’t be stopped. Thats what all of us want to be. Independent, free, capable and unafraid. Such is the the lore of frontier Texas.

I guess you've been settin’ up all night reading the good book.”

It thrills me to tell you, these are the kind of people God wants us to be. This is the great offer from the hand of God and the benefit of surrendering to the King who makes everything brand new. As I type this week’s sip from the Master’s cup, I think about those fictional characters and the reality of who we are through Christ.

By the grace of God we are River crossing dreamers who have a vision that can not be stopped. We confront our enemies, mourn our losses and celebrate our lives. We have a strong since of right and wrong and there are certain injustices we will not tolerate on the way to our promised land. are overcoming people of faith with a pioneer spirit ready to map out our victory for those behind us. Highly independent in a hostile environment, we go with confidence knowing God has made us to be more than conquerors. people are going to talk about for years to come because of the way we lived and things we accomplished. That’s the life Jesus handed me.

Lonesome Dove is a fictional work but the Bible is not.

What else can I say? There isn't enough time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets. Their faith helped them conquer kingdoms, and because they did right, God made promises to them. They closed the jaws of lions and put out raging fires and escaped from the swords of their enemies. Although they were weak, they were given the strength and power to chase foreign armies away. Hebrews 11

Troy Pastors Open Door Ministries near Joshua. He can be reached at www.opendoorministries.org

THE HEAVENS DECLARE

If you happen to be outside at around 10:15 tonight, you can look nearly straight up and see a horseshoe shaped constellation called Corona. No, it’s not a giant bottle of Mexican beer in the heavens; Corona represents a crown.

I have spent many years of my life stretching my neck back as I gawked through the midnight sky at what shines from above. For a guy who loves to map out things, gazing at the stars is a perfect lifetime hobby. But for me, being a Jesus freak and a bible thumper, I can’t help but see the hand of God Himself as He shows off one more time and tells His amazing stories.

A TALE OF FIVE CROWNS
A crown represents dominion, reward and honor. God promises each one of us a crown; in fact, He promises us five different kinds of crowns. If you will allow me to be a teacher in this column, I want to show them to you.

There is the incorruptible crown: 1 Cor. 9:24,25. This crown is given to believers who faithfully run the race. Run whatever race that God has set out for you, and be the best you can be for God. You’ve got to know He sees you, and even though what you are going through is only temporary, your reward is not!

Then there is the crown of life: James 1:12. For those believers who endure trials, tribulations, and severe suffering, even unto death. Rev. 2:8-11. This crown is also referred to as the martyr's crown. You need to know God hates suffering and rewards people who stick with him even when it doesn't feel good to do so.

There is also the crown of righteousness: 2 Tim. 4:8. When God honors you and puts this crown on your head, He is saying there is nothing wrong between you and me. The Brewer is a big fan of this one.

There is also the crown of glory: 1 Pet. 5:1-4 and the crown of rejoicing: 1 Thess. 2:19, 20. & Dan 12:3. Both of these bad boys are connected to ministry and our willingness to advance the Kingdom and the King’s agenda.

A CULTURE OF HONOR
All of heaven has an amazing culture of honor. God gives us crowns, and we get to throw them back at His feet. He makes us powerful, and we get to sing songs that say “All Power belongs to you.” It’s just really cool!

One of the ways we bring Heaven to this Earth is that we become honorable people who honor the people next to us. We should make a big deal out of other people’s sacrifices. We should bless other people and recognize how they triumphed in the midst of suffering.

There is a crown in the heavens tonight. The Texas night sky will be lit up with all kinds of God stories this evening, and one of them is the promise of a crown. I double dog dare you to go outside, take a look up and give a big smile back to the One who is smiling on you. Even the bible says to look up be watchful because your redemption gets closer every day.

The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.
Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.
There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.
Psalms 19:1-3

You can reach the brewer at www.opendoorministries.org or at www.troybrewer.com