The Last Word

In this week’s confession of a highly caffeinated Christian, I bring you the last sip from Fresh from the Brewer. It’s the last column for 2008. Being the self-professed weirdo I am, I tend to pay attention to otherwise strange things. About ten years ago I started collecting the last words of famous fictional characters and paying attention to the very end of my favorite movies and books. I like to break those out at this time of year.

Here are some examples of a few you might recognize: A River Runs Through It, "I am haunted by waters." Tombstone, “Tom Mix wept.” John Wayne in True Grit, “Come and visit a fat old man sometime." Captain Ahab in Moby Dick, "Thus, I give up the spear!" Captain James Tiberius Kirk of Star Trek Generations, "Well it was fun, oh my."

Then there are famous last words of real people. Despite the basic graveness, pardon the pun, of the situation individuals face at that moment, there have been those that sprang a joke and some of them really good ones.

King Louis the 14th told his wife he regretted leaving her but at her age he expected to see her shortly. He died before she could slap him. William Palmer, a man convicted in 1920 of poisoning his friend, was silent when they put the noose around his neck. The hangman instructed him to step up onto the trap door and Palmer asked, "Are you sure it’s safe?"

James Rodgers, a convicted murderer executed in 1960 in Nevada, was asked by the rifle squad commander if he had any last request? Rodgers replied, "Why yes...a bullet proof vest, please!”

Oscar Wilde the famous writer, died November 30, 1900 saying, “Either that wallpaper goes, or I do.” W.C. Fields, after falling to the floor and in terrible pain, calmed down, looked at the person trying to help him and said, "On the whole, I'd rather be in Philadelphia." Douglas Fairbanks died in 1939. When he fell down someone asked him if he was Ok. "I never felt better," he said with his last breath.

Georges Jacques Danton was a French radical became the leader of the 1789 revolution. Eventually out-radicaled by someone else, he was sentenced to death. As he placed his neck in the guillotine, he gave his final instructions to the executioner. "Show my head to the people. It really is worth seeing.”

One of my all time favorites are the last words of Wilson Mizner who died in 1933. Wilson Mizner was a U.S. writer, gambler and someone who put his trust in Jesus Christ towards the end of his life. On his deathbed, he briefly regained consciousness before dying and found a priest standing over him. Mizner waved the priest away saying, "Why should I talk to you? I've just been talking to your boss."

So here’s the last cup of Jehovah Java for 2008. It’s been a big year of change for all of us. From gas prices to the new president, we are all seeing things transition much more rapidly. It’s the year Michael Crichton, one of my favorite writers passed away. Two of my favorite guitarists, Bo Diddley and Jerry Reed also died as did three of my favorite voices, Don Lafontain, Tim Russert & Jim Mckay from Wide World of Sports. Oh the agony of defeat.

Four of my favorite actors met their maker this year. We lost Charlton Heston, Paul Newman, Bernie Mac and Heath Ledger. I’m going to miss them all.

I have personally seen several friends go this year I won’t see again until the great day. But I have also made friends that I think are lifetime hook-ups. I feel like I’ve progressed and was generally a good steward of this crazy life God is trusted me with.

We really are a blessed bunch aren’t we? I have thoroughly enjoyed writing these columns and meeting so many of you here and there that take the time to read it. Let’s do it again next year.

Let me close the same way the Bible does. There are 31,171 verses in the old King James and the very last verse is a great word and the Brewer’s prayer for you and yours,

“May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.” Revelation 22:21

KEEP THE CHANGE

The Brewer celebrated his 42nd Birthday last week. That’s right, I’m half way to 84.

I am still a ways off from sinking my teeth into a steak and seeing them stay there but I am closer to sixty than twenty now. I know that the days are coming when an all-nighter means I didn’t go to the bathroom once but that’s not here yet, thank God.

What is here is the healthy realization that my days are numbered. At the same time I really feel I’ve got lots of life to live. I no longer feel bullet proof but do feel like I had better hurry up and do something cool. Forty-two is fun. Forty-two as a progressive Christian means I passionately believe in mortality and eternity at the same time. I think that’s a good thing.

THE NEW THIRTY

I have never been afraid of getting older. I really enjoyed my teenage years, but my twenties were much better. As a teenager my life was full of snuff cans, football, shenanigans, girl friends and small town life. My twenties were full of marriage, ministry, having babies and learning how to live life in the big city.

My thirties turned out to be way better than my twenties and now I am full blown into my forties. So why would I not be optimistic? Leanna and I are about to celebrate twenty years of an incredible marriage, my oldest daughter is in college and the other three are in high school. It’s a neat time, really. It’s a time of closure for some things and wild possibilities for others things.

A really healthy attitude and a bi-product of victorious Christian living is the willingness to embrace transition. I think a blessed life is one that is growing and transforming. I also know I would not only be cursed but would be a curse to everyone around me if I was still the same person at 42 as I was at 21.

THE NEXT LEVEL

So transition is not about getting older, it’s really about advancing. It’s living from faith to faith or from everlasting to everlasting. It’s learning how to hope for big things and remain confident through constantly having to deal with closure. It’s about bitter/sweet goodbyes and hopeful/expectant new beginnings. One thing I am convinced at the end of 2008 is constant change is here to stay.

I am not going to change someday, I already have and I will again and again. So why fear it? It’s a lot like the world we live in. We need not fear the world is going to change. It already has. You and I will live in a whole other world ten years from now, some for the better, a lot for the worse. So since we have no control over the direction of the world we might as well be determined to be better and better people. To be more and more hopeful, thankful and happier. I also want to be more and more useful to the Lord and more and valuable to those around me.

I love this life God has trusted me with. I don’t really think I own anything; I’m just a steward. Part of being a faithful steward of the life I live means an adventurous willingness to embrace transition in growing, advancing and seeing how far the rabbit hole goes. So I think I’ll keep the change.

A big Thank You goes out to everyone that plays such a key part in enriching my life, especially my 84-year-old Grandmother. After all these years, she is still a hottie and somehow still sees me as a very good boy. I love you, Nana. I am half way there to you in age, but a million years away in goodness of heart.

So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom

Psalm 90:12

Contact the Brewer @ www.FreshFromTheBrewer.com

Small Beginnings, Big Government and Dairy Queen

About as close as I get to getting in touch with my feminine side is to love on my bride as often as possible. After all these years we still hold hands, and send each other notes and cards. Believe it or not, we actually like being around each other. I still write her a song every now and then and she still sits there and smiles while I sing it to her. It’s a lot like Pepe Le Pew wooing an alley cat. Maybe ridiculous to others but to us it’s cool.

I love the whole romance thing. When we were kids I didn’t have enough money to take her to any place nice so I would say, “let’s me and you go to the Dairy Queen.” Several hours later we pulled into the Dairy Queen parking lot in Wichita Falls. This was back when gas was really cheap. She would say, “why would you drive me all the way out here?” and I would answer, “Because I want to spend the day with you”. Like the ice cream we were eating, I was smooth. Those were fun days for us.

After a while our Dairy Queen World Tour took us to further and further places. I promised her I would take her to see the world even if we had to start out eating DQ Dudes and Hunger Busters. It was fun and for a couple of very poor kids and in a funny kind of way, it was actually romantic. See, we both wanted to travel but I couldn’t afford to take her to London. So I was faithful to take her where I could. She loved it and God blessed it.

Twenty-two years latter we can officially be called world travelers. We have been to every state except for 12 and stomped all over the globe. Our missionary journeys have taken us to London more than twenty times now. We have orphanages and family in India, Uganda and in Mexico. Leanna goes to our orphanage in Uganda so much that sometimes she goes without me, if for nothing else but to love on the kids. While it’s hard work and a huge responsibility, its one of the greatest privileges of our lives.

It all started by traveling to Dairy Queens. I think you have to be faithful in little things before you graduate to bigger things. I know this concept is going to sound stupid to a lot of readers because most people think they have an infallible right to better things. When it comes to getting your upgrade, the Bible has lots to say about it and so does common sense. Kingdom promotion and advancement is all about the practical reality of how faithful you are with what little you have.

You want a Cadillac? Take care of your Volkswagen. You promise you’d manicure the lawn of your mansion? Clean up your trailer park first. You’ll do really good in college you say? Do really good in High School first.

The way to the throne room is through the servant’s quarters and it’s a principle that’s unknown to this generation. Instead of small beginnings we look to big government and say give me a loan for my mansion and a grant for my education. This kind of a mindset spins great nations off into terrible recessions.

I just want to encourage you in your small beginning. You’re not stupid for going the extra mile with what little you have. Continue in it and do it as unto the Lord because you believe he sees you and that how you get your promotion. You secretly serve him in being outwardly excellent.

If your house is little bitty, it’s really neat that you clean it and doll it up. If you only have a small front yard, it’s just awesome how you keep it mowed and make it look nice. If your job is to push carts at a big store, may the Lord bless you for being on time, well dressed and courteous to the rest of us. If you only have two or three friends in this world, its inspiring how you go out of your way to bless them and help them. It’s a big deal and the world needs more people that are faithful in the little things and less people who think they are owed bigger. Since God is more faithful than us, The Brewer believes your small beginning will soon turn into a better new beginning.

For who hath despised the day of small things?...
Zechariah 4:10a

Contact the Brewer at www.FreshFromTheBrewer.com

Thinking on Thanks

So Thanksgiving has come again and found us abundantly blessed. Most of our abundance remains as an extra pant size or more junk in our trunk but I still buy into the abundance thing. I had some friends from east Africa staying with me and they found the whole Thanks-giving holiday a miraculous event. - That a nation would actually put together an official holiday where people give thanks. Amazing.

I of course explained that non-Christians are not obligated to be thankful to anyone in particular but have pretty much agreed to be generally thankful. It’s kind of like being generally married, I think. Weird I know but secular or sacred, I love Thanksgiving.

Anyway I would like to generally share some wide-ranging thoughts on thankfulness in general. Being thankful is not just a character trait but also an emotional and spiritual gold mine. These are points I consider worth sipping on in this weeks confession from a highly-caffeinated Christian.

(1) You can’t be thankful and miserable at the same time.

One of the neat things about an attitude of gratitude is a move towards thankfulness is a move away from misery. It’s a lot like trying to whistle and sing at the same time.

(2) The opposite of thankfulness is not being unthankful….it’s selfishness.

Being thankful turns your attention to how awesome God is and from what you don’t have to what you do have. It also launches you into a self-realization that none of us are self-made men or women. We are abundantly blessed.

(3) A huge key to being thankful is choosing to see the truth over the facts.

Jesus doesn’t say you shall know the facts and the facts will set you free. There’s a big difference and it takes intentional faith to choose the truth over the facts.

(4) Thanksgiving is the gateway to God’s manifest presence.

The Bible says over and over again that we enter into His courts and through his gates via thanksgiving. If that’s true, and I think it is, it is also true a sure fire pathway to the other direction is through griping and complaining. I can’t tell you how many times I have sent my thought life to hell by partnering with the enemy in refusing to be thankful.

(5) Learning to be thankful in all things, is knowing who is with you in all things.

When the disciples thought they were going to drown they woke up Jesus and asked why He didn’t care. He calmed the storm and asked them where their faith was. The point was not that he could calm the storm. The point was that if He was in the boat, the outcome was certain. If you can’t thank God for all things, we can at least thank Him in all things.

A word worth its weight in gold.

There once was a guy named Rudyard Kipling who lived from 1865 to 1936. He was English, yet born in Bombay, India. He eventually became a successful writer and is the author of books like Captain Courageous, How the Leopard Got His Spots, and The Jungle Books.

Kipling’s writings not only made him famous but also brought him a fortune. A newspaper reporter came up to him once and said, "Mr. Kipling, I just read that somebody calculated that the money you make from your writings amounts to over one hundred dollars a word.”

The reporter reached into his pocket and pulled out a one hundred-dollar bill and gave it to Kipling and said, “Here’s a one hundred dollar bill, Mr. Kipling. Now you give me one of your hundred dollar words.”

Rudyard Kipling looked at the money, put it in his pocket and said, "Thanks!"

It is in that vein that the Brewer says a hearty Texas “Thank You” to those of you who look to the Fresh from the Brewer column each week for your sip from the Master’s cup.

Contact the Brewer at www.FreshFromTheBrewer.com

*This article will appear in newspapers the week of 12/04/08

Classic Christianity

Revisiting a classic is always a little risky. I've lost count of the number of films that I was convinced would never date which seem kind of cheesy now. Not that the twist in the movie was cheesy, but the general coolness of the entire scenario. There are those that I enjoy just as much today as I did back then while hearing smaller minds scoff at them.

There are some classics that in the mist of tipping a few tacky meters -just have to be revisited and appreciated. How can you not love the jaw dropping wonder of a classic twist or ending? As a writer I do my best to avoid exclamation marks but there’s no way to properly express the following spoilers without animated written expletive.

Charlton Heston finds the Statue of Liberty and realizes he’s been on the earth the whole time. What?! Soylent Green is made out of people? You gotta be kidding me!!

Darth Vader is Luke Skywalker’s dad! How’s that work? Bruce Willis has been dead through the whole film and he doesn’t know it! Good-googly-moogly!!!

The Return of the Classic.

In 1985, Coke was starting to loose the cola war to Pepsi so they ditched the original for something a little more marketable. The outcry that followed was so incredible they halted production the same week they released it on the public. Twenty-three years later we can see a revival of classic things from movie remakes to the return of the American muscle car. Most of us love classic things.

The Brewer subscribes to Classic Christianity. You know the kind that says it’s not about your history but all about your destiny. A return of Spirit-breathed living that is focused around a real life, resurrected, everything changer. The hope for Heaven yes but the pursuit of abundant life like only the guy who has slapped death in the face can offer.

I think the original Classic Christianity is totally fixated on the intimate personal on-going encounter with the King of the Universe and the result is a never ending transformation into better and better and better. Oh how the Brewer loves to gulp on that! There’s another one of those exclamation marks I am not supposed to be printing.

Anyway, Classic Christianity says I have a problem and Christ is the solution. Classic Christianity also says through Him, I cease to be the problem and play a vital role in carrying out the solution. There are just so many things I love about this incredible journey of living life naturally supernatural.

Sadly, a lot of people think a return to classic Christianity would be a return to past methods and techniques. There are those among us that really believe living a Godly Christian life means to lock in on a lifestyle of a certain era of time. This kind of accepted wisdom spills over into the ideas of dress, language and the official size and conduct of a church service. The Brewer humbly submits such thinking, while well intentioned towards an attempt at holiness, comes from a demonic spirit called stupid. Something we have always struggled with.

It is the nature of an unredeemed mind to always be looking back. Jesus mentioned this when he spoke on ‘Lot’s wife’ and even He didn’t know her by name -that’s probably not good. I am not saying we should lock arms with the world, I am just saying that we should be free to go farther and dream a different dream than others before us.

Dave Crone from the Mission in Vacaville California says the Pharisees were the dream killers of Jesus’s day and he’s exactly right. If you see somebody today, thumping a Bible the same way we did a long time ago and doing everything within his power to put you in a religious box, know that he is the same kind of person who nailed Jesus to a board and hung him up naked. For your sake, run from him, for our sake run him over.

While I believe without apology that the church of Jesus Christ is the only boat afloat, I also believe a lot of us on board don’t understand the heart of the Captain. The Kingdom is progressive. Who knew? His kingdom is without end. There are no limitations and there is no place in the fullness of the world that doesn’t belong to him. Go figure.

As long as people make methods and function the priority of Christianity instead of relationship to God first and to other people 2^nd, the greatest threat to a new move of God will always be the last one.

God help us and save us from the futile attempt of doing Christianity. Propel us instead to live the adventure and responsibility of actually being Christians.

Contact the Brewer @ www.FreshFromTheBrewer.com

Crime And Punishment

I thought about writing a column this week on why I wish Sarah Palin had won the presidential campaign. I know she wasn’t actually running for president but I guarantee you the huge majority of us real conservatives that punched beside John McCain were not voting for him but the Alaskan governor.

Now, (just like the 1970 movie) instead of Sister Sarah we got two democrats headed to the Whitehouse.

God bless our new President and may he be a good one. I really didn’t want to write on politics today.

Jesus Held Hostage
Then I thought about writing on the cheesy statue of Jesus stolen from a Michigan house.

In an apparent case of "doo unto others" a neighborhood spat over dog droppings resulted in a statue of Jesus Christ being stolen from a yard, and a ransom note left in their mailbox.

The Nobel prize-worthy writers of the ransom note stated ,

“We are holding Jesus ransom until you clean up the poopie from your wieners and trust us, we see you take your wieners for long walks w/out picking up their poopie in our yards. This has upset us dearly so please clean up all the wiener poopie, if you want to see Jesus unharmed.”

Only people from Michigan would talk like this. I can hear the writer’s nasally accent like those North Dakota people from the movie “Fargo” so let me translate into Texan.....

“We are all tired of your wieney dogs making our yards a biohazard and will be holding your yard art hostage until you clean up ours.”

– or something like that I think.

Yes I was going to tie into how I think religion holds Jesus hostage. The Yankee verbiage in that ransom note was just too embarrassing to include in my quality column.

He-brews
These are the confessions of a highly caffeinated Christian and I typically just spout off on what’s perking my front burner. But with so many things going on it’s been hard to lock in on one subject. So after careful review and study of my copious journaled notes, the big theme for the week in my life is Forgiveness. Ta-da! I finally landed on a subject and it only took me 409 words.

A-D-D is a beautiful thing.

Essential service of forgiveness
Unforgiveness is a destiny killer and a misery maker. We have to have forgiveness, not only for our sins and offenses but also in our own hearts for those around us. God is trying to disconnect us from our history while attaching us to our destiny. The Biblical term for this process is called reconciliation followed by restoration, both of which follow forgiveness.

See, for those of us that love the idea of justice, we have to deal with the paradox of forgiveness. God loves justice but justice doesn’t always have to be punishment. He wants justice to result in restoration. I think the relational side of justice is restoration and the un-relational side is punishment. One of the core values in my life is to prefer restoration over punishment. I got this from God.

So if I am going to love justice and would prefer restoration over punishment then I have to condition myself in the art of practicing forgiveness. That’s where the trouble starts. For a guy with a bumper sticker that reads, “Keep honking while I reload,” forgiveness has been a big challenge. However, my robust attempt to wrap my size 7-5/8 hatband around this subject has churned out a significant discovery or two.

For instance, forgiveness is not natural but is an intentional act of faith. It is not a feeling but a choice we make in surrendering to God’s goodness. Forgiveness does not excuse the wrong done to us but rather relinquishes the right for punishment and looks for reconciliation.

I have also noticed that when I judge people its always on their actions while I expect everybody to judge me according to my intentions or circumstances. I fear that anyone would define me by one mistake or even one season in my life while I so easily file human beings into a “bad” category by the same flimsy standard.

While I very much know the need for prisons and am glad for my families sake we have them, I hate prisons. I hate it when a person’s entire life, whether the victim or the perpetrator of the crime, is defined by one act or one season in one’s life. That’s what you see in prisons whether it is a State jail or an emotional trauma. There’s no hope in prison at all, just anger and shame. Enter forgiveness, and things start to change.

So there’s my cup of Jehovah Java for the week. One you probably shouldn’t sip carefully but rather drink deep and let it change your morning to a good one.

Contact the Brewer at www.FreshFromTheBrewer.com

THE MONSTER IS BACK!

*Please note: The following article appeared in local newspapers as a prelude to this life-changing event and even though the date has come and gone, we add it here in the archives so you, our readers, can see the impact YOU are having by supporting this valuable ministry. Please make plans now to join us for next years "Monster Outreach" as we become like the Brewer likes to say, "Jesus with skin on!" Thank you for your continued support of Fresh From The Brewer." Blessings BIG TIME! Steve A.

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If you happen to be driving by the Joshua High school this Saturday around lunch time you will see what looks like a penned up tornado. A flurry of activity with lines of cars, people carrying boxes and general what-the-heck-is-going-on looks of excitement. No, it’s not a riot or a Hillbilly tractor pull. It’s the annual....

Open Door Ministries - Monster Food Give Away.

Every year we gather as many friends as possible for an enormous demonstration of radical help to those that need it. It’s all fun, all free and all you have to do is come and get it. On a first come first serve basis, we will be giving away at least 75,000 pounds of good groceries this year. We have about 5,000 pounds of fresh produce, free professional haircuts, and a free garage sale with brand new and good used clothes.

Our servers will be serving free hot dog lunches while people wait to sign up. Live music and fun stuff for the kids will be everywhere.

Pastor Andy Dally has worked hard to gather as many good things as he could muster including several pallets of paper goods like name brand name bathroom tissue and household cleaning supplies. Everything in the parking lot goes.

You probably already know it, but Open Door serves as the food bank for Johnson County and this event is good ways to let people know there is ongoing help available.

Our 13th year in operation, we currently provide food and different kinds of help to around 300 families every month plus we supply nearly 40 other local ministries with their food and supplies for the community outreaches they do.

There is a whole other reason why we do this too. We want to influence people for Christ. We want to love on people. We want to hug people, encourage people and pray with people. We want to overcome evil with good. We want to demonstrate God’s love.

This kind of hands-on practical ministry shouldn’t just happen in the big cities and over seas. It can happen right here in our small towns if we set our hearts to do it. The impact it makes is not just measured in the tons of food we give away but in the hope and encouragement seen in the faces of the thousands that come for it.

If you know someone, say an elderly person or a hard working family in need who would be blessed by a carload of help, send them our way. If you want to come out and help us or see for yourself what all the commotion is about, you are more then welcome.

The Bible says in Psalms 41, there is a special blessing for those who consider the poor. I consider it a great privilege to get to be the guy that tells these stories and not just hears about them.

When you do something, whatever that something is, that demonstrates God’ goodness towards other people, you have your own story to tell.

Where: Joshua High School Parking lot, in front of the Library, on Highway 174.
When: Event starts at high noon and will end at 3:00 pm
What do you have to do? Just come. In fact, you might think about coming early for sign-ups as all of this is on a first come, first serve basis.

For more information you can call us at 817-297-6911 or visit us on the world-wide-waste-of time at WWW.OPENDOORMINISTRIES.ORG.