HOUSTON’S SHAME AND VICTORY

April 21st is the day the battle of San Jacinto was fought. One hundred and seventy four years ago, Texian rebels under General Sam Houston routed a much larger force led by Mexican president and bonafide tyrant, Santa Anna. On that one single day, in one single decisive battle, everything changed. Mexico moved south, The tyranny and murder of Santa Anna was eliminated, The nation of Texas was born and the United States was now open for western expansion and would soon be a nation from sea to shining sea.

I had an ancestor who fought at the battle of San Jacinto . His name was Henry Brewer. No doubt he personally met and had some contact with Houston himself.

That fascinates me because I am such a Sam Houston fan. If you cut me, I will bleed red, white, and blue with a little white star in it. I love Texas.

This weeks cup from a highly caffeinated Christian comes brewed with a story about our states founding father.

Mr. Houston goes to Washington

In 1832 Houston visited Washington to expose the frauds practiced upon the Cherokee Indians by terrible government agents. He was outraged at how the Cherokees were taken advantage of and lied to. His attention and argument were not welcomed on Capital Hill. While Houston was there in April, a Congressman from Ohio by name of William Stanbery, made accusations about Houston in a speech on the floor of Congress. Stanbery blatantly accused Houston of being in league with several men known to be fraudulent.

Stanbery, who now decided it was smart to carry two pistols and a dirk, refused to answer Houston's letters and this did not set well with Houston. Infuriated, he later confronted Stanbery on Pennsylvania Avenue as Stanbery left a boardinghouse, and beat him upside the head with a hickory cane.

In the fight, Stanbery managed to draw one of his pistols, place it at Houston's chest, and pull the trigger—the gun misfired and Houston poured his wrath out on the coward.

On April 17, Congress ordered the arrest of Houston, who pleaded self-defense, and hired Francis Scott Key, none other than the writer of our national anthem, as his lawyer. Houston was found guilty, but was only lightly reprimanded. Stanbery then filed civil charges and Judge Cranch found Houston liable for $500 in damages. Houston did not pay it, and left the country for guess where? -Texas.

San Jacinto

Four years later, Houston lay on a bloody battlefield having a 2nd horse shot out from under him. A musket ball had torn through his ankle as he rode out front of the army he was now leading as Commanding General. Having studied Alexander’s attack and win over the superior numbers of the Persians, Houston rode out front and specifically attacked toward the personal tent of Santa Anna. Like Xerxes, Santa Anna ran like a scared jack rabbit. It got Houston shot but it also gave him the victory. The battle only lasted for about 15 minutes, but the gunfire continued for more than an hour as the Texans chased the remaining Mexican army into oblivion.

So for a little while, Houston lay there knowing he had won the day and in fact the entire war. His defeat in Washington had brought him to a victory in Texas. His shame in court had brought him to honor on the battlefield. His embarrassment of how he had acted on Pennsylvania Avenue had brought him to be the respected father of our great state and he lay there on the battle field, listening to the gunfire in the distance, knowing everything had changed.

The battle you are fighting

History gives lots of examples like this but let’s talk about your story. God Almighty knows you and He’s really good at turning water into wine. He loves to give beauty for ashes and replace tears with confidence. He won’t drive you anywhere but like a shepard, he will lead you into better and better. You just have to follow Him.

I have seen a lot of transformation in my life. In the very town where I was a boy, God has made me to be a like a father to many people. I have been terribly poor but now I getting to bless and help poor people. He changed me from a young man who loved a good fight, to a peace maker and from shame to honor. He’s still working on me and I have confidence that the finished product is much, much better than the stage I am at right now. God knows how to turn bad things into things that are good. You can go for years in a big mess and then finally in one day everything can change because of Jesus Christ. I don’t know if Houston was a Christian or not, but San Jacinto taught me that.

2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new

Troy Pastors Open Door Ministries near Joshua and can reached at www.opendoorministries.org and troybrewer.com

Decisive Battles

Saints at San Jacinto
The Brewer is a sixth-generation Texan and dang proud of it. I have an ancestor, Henry Brewer who actually fought along side Sam Houston at the Battle of San Jacinto.

I was there, if only in microscopic form and really glad (for my sake) that Henry Brewer was with Houston, instead of Travis at the Alamo.

San Jacinto is the decisive battle that won Texas her independence. To wrap your head around what a big deal it really is, it’s important you read the inscription carved into the monument that stands on the battlefield today.

"Measured by its results, San Jacinto was one of the decisive battles of the world. The freedom of Texas from Mexico won here led to annexation and to the Mexican-American War, resulting in the acquisition by the United States of the states of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, California, Utah and parts of Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas and Oklahoma. Almost one-third of the present area of the American Nation, nearly a million square miles of territory, changed sovereignty."

In other words, there is a reason why people in Ft worth, Salt Lake, and Los Angeles don’t have to live the lifestyle of our neighbors in Matamoras, Juarez and Tijuana. That reason is because of a handful of heroes, not even trained solders, who chose to oppose and defeat a dictator back in 1836.

The Fight Is On
Some battles are so strategically important that everything afterwards hinges upon the results of that single event. I wonder if those Texans knew how important that one single battle actually was. I wonder if you know how important it is that you win the battles you are fighting. Unseen spiritual battles in brutal mental and emotional arenas you are choosing to oppose.

There is a lot more on the line for what you think then what you might think.

“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5)

Every Christian has to fight in order to hang on to and posses the land or to have victory with the territory God trusts us with. Our fight is first spiritual and most of that fight goes on between our ears.

God has given us weapons to fight with and they are “mighty in God”. Powerless in and of themselves, but in God they are mighty, powerful and able to bring those thoughts under control. They break down the mightiest stronghold. These weapons include the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17), prayer (Ephesians 6:18) and the anointing of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8).

One of the ways you use the Word of God as a weapon is to personalize it for you. It is no good as black ink on a white page but actually in your hand, it’s a sword that kicks mental butt!

Declare What the Word Says About You While God Works on Your Problem

Personalize Jeremiah 29:11 by saying, "I know that God has plans to prosper me. I know that God has a hope and a future for me and I know those plans are good and I know that they will come to pass because God said they would."

Let it be said of you, the reason why those behind you live in victory is because you chose to oppose and defeat an oppressive enemy in the battle between your ears.

The Big Head

Don’t you love being a fan of somebody? I’m a big fan of a lot of people, in lots of different fields, some of them living but most of them gone. Davey Crocket, Sam Houston, Tom Petty, Spurgeon, William Tyndale.

I recently had the chance to listen to a guy who I instantly became a fan of. He was somebody that told stories about himself, and one really stood out.

HUMBLE PIE
When Rick Green was elected for the Texas State Senate he was only 26 years old. Yes he was a Christian and he knew better, but pride soon became a problem. By his own account he admits that he got the Big Head so bad that very quickly he looked more like the Jack in the box clown than the man his wife had married.

He didn’t want people to know how young and naive he was so he asked his doctor friends to give him all of their scientific American magazines and medical books. He perfectly situated text books and law documents so that when you stepped into his office you had to notice those titles. He hoped that folks would think he was a really smart guy.

On one of his first days in his new district office, a man walked in and up to his desk. Rick immediately picked up the phone and started acting like he was having a conversation. “No, I’m sorry I’m all booked up!” he said as he winked at the guy standing in front of him. “I would love to meet with you but I’ve got appointments every day of the week. How about a week from next Thursday...yeah that’s fine….ok Ill see you then, thank you.”

Rick green hung up the phone, took a deep breath, like he was exhausted, and addressed his visitor. “Can I help you, sir?”

The man looked disgusted and said. “No, I’m just here to hook up that there telephone.”

Eating Korn
Rick told this story about himself and added, “God sure knows how to humble a guy.”

God deals with Rick Green the way he deals with me. I can’t get away with nothing.

This last week my wife and I read a book called “Save Me From Myself”. It was written by Brian “Head” Welch, who is the former guitarist for the screaming band Korn. I am not a big fan of Korn at all but this book rocked my world. It’s the story of total transformation that comes when somebody gives their life to Jesus Christ. It’s a story about what happens when somebody really humbles himself.

Brian’s whole life went from “what was in it for him’ to “what was in him for everybody else”. He left the destructive world of self indulgence for service and the love of God. His orphanage in India and his personal testimony are making a difference that is worth drinking a cup of coffee to.

Brother Head doesn’t have the big head any more. Brian would agree with Rick. God sure knows how to humble a guy.

Humility heals. Humility helps. Humility is compatible with an awesome God that wants to heal and help. So when you are in need of healing, help or a touch from God himself, the Brewer recommends a healthy dose of humble pie. Preferably before it gets crammed down our throats.

Proverbs 11:2 “When pride comes, then comes shame; But with the humble is wisdom.”

Let me know your thoughts on this weeks “Brew” at FFTB@OpenDoorMinistries.org.