When Sam Houston took 910 frontiersmen onto the San Jacinto battlefield, they faced a professional army and superior numbers that had recently pillaged and murdered anyone who opposed them. While Houston’s men were rugged outdoors men, they were no match for the educated generals and trained solders of the Mexican army. It was April 21st, 1836 and for more than a month, Houston had been chased by this army of 3000-5000 men across several hundred miles of unforgiving Texas badlands.
Remember the Alamo
The army at their heels had a nasty reputation for proficient and ruthless killing. This was the very same army which had besieged the Alamo and killed the 180 men who defended it. They mutilated their bodies for sport and burned such great men as David Crocket and William Travis beyond recognition. Just over the rise from Houston’s view and only about 1000 yards away was the same terrible tyrant who had ordered the execution of all those men plus the men at Goliad.
Remember Goliad
Fannin and his men at Goliad were prisoners of war and were helpless when Santa Anna ordered them to be massacred. Fannin had personally petitioned Santa Anna that if he was to be executed that he would not be shot in the face, his personal items be sent to his children and that he should have a Christian burial. Santa Anna obliged Fannin by having the firing squad shoot him directly into the face, stealing his property and then had his body burned with the other 500 prisoners of war.
As Houston prepared to take his men into battle he knew all too well that this was the only army left to represent 40,000 people and the new government called Texas.
If this one battle was lost, so would the war be lost. He knew what would happen to the families of all these men if they failed. He knew what would happen to any survivors of the battle if they lost. They could not loose.
So just before He pointed his sword towards the enemy and rode his literal white horse into the fray, he took note of the place where this battle was about to be fought. The San Jacinto and Buffalo River surrounded the battleground and the only way off the Island was by two small bridges behind them. Houston turned to a man hard of hearing named Deaf Smith and ordered. “Burn the bridges!”. There was no going back and there would be no more delay. It was going to happen today and everyone had to be totally committed to victory.
Forget the Past
That’s where you and I stand today. It’s a brand new year and a new season in your life. The lord works a different and exciting new purpose in every new season of life and sometimes we have to ram our destiny down the devil’s throat like Houston went after Santa Anna. Sometimes you have to burn bridges and say there is no going backward, only forward. We have to be totally committed to victory and put aside all delay.
With every new beginning comes a new goal and a new requirement for commitment to victory. I want to encourage you to decide that there is no way you are going to be outclassed by your opposition this year. Burns bridges and decide you are the winner God has called you to be. The prevailing attitude of heaven is that your destiny is much greater than your history. So go it my friends!
“Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it?” Isaiah 43:18-19
Troy Brewer pastors Open Door Ministries near Joshua and can be reached through opendoorministries.org, freshfromthebrewer.com or troybrewer.com
Troy Brewer
The next KINGDOM MECHANICS conference starts January 25th and will be better than ever. sign up now www.freshfromthebrewer.com or www.opendoorministries.org
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