Fearlessly Courageous
11/30/2022
Desk of Dennis Piller
Pastor Brooks, what does it mean to lead a surrendered life?
-Services are December 8th-
Please walk with me as I continue to dwell on Pastor Brooks. I am certain through this experience that there is much more to learn about living than there is to know about dying.
I laid in bed yesterday morning just looking up at the ceiling, almost envisioning that was all I was able to do. Perhaps a glimpse of what the final days or the final hours looked like for Pastor. Man is made up of body, soul, and spirit. You can have the will or soul of a champion or a gladiator, but when your body is breaking down and is too weak to fight its own battles and your mind is struggling for coherency, all you have left is spirit. And I remember the message Jesus gave to Nicodemus. "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. Unless you are born again of the spirit you cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven”. John 3:13–21 Now, there is no doubt Pastor was born again of the spirit. But I am certain there is a crystallization of that truth in moments like this. A deeper truth that you can only know when you are there.
I tried to put myself in his place and saw that you have to completely rely on the doctors and their medicines to help you get stronger. All personal control has left me. And I sensed that I have come to this place of resignation, and real peace in my spirit of just giving this over to God…again…at an even deeper level. (I certainly wasn’t in a place of any personal control). But I was in a place where I wanted to trust God. And I have no doubt Pastor didn’t struggle in that area at all. He surrendered his cancer to God 13 years ago, for the first time. There was no reluctance in doing it again. Covid pneumonia? There's nothing that will happen to me that God is not in control of. Perhaps that’s what it means when some people arrive at this place and make peace with their maker. But Pastor, just entered into that Holy place deeper and deeper… resigning himself to the certainty of his destination. His name written in the Lambs book of life.
Some might evaluate a lifetime of self-sufficiency and doing it my way and perhaps making things right with God in those final moments. And others will prepare themselves to meet God Almighty. But Pastor, already knew him intimately because he walked with him in the garden for many decades. Jesus said to the Father when the time came to surrender his life, “not my will, but yours, be done” (Luke 22:42). Walking with Christ means continual surrender, trusting that the God who made your children and grandchildren has a plan for them and loves them more than you and giving up control is easy when you keep His promises close to you. Trusting God to care for the love he gave to you all those decades ago..
is easy when you know the love of the Father.
What does it mean to live a surrendered life?
Let's take a closer look at Pastor's life to answer that.
1. Start each day by giving it to God – Do not take yesterday's mistakes into the clean slate of today. … God’s mercies are new every morning, (Lamentations 3:22) so what happened yesterday, last year, or a decade ago is completely gone.
2. Give it to God by starting each day with prayer – Speak to God. … Acknowledge Jesus first. Tell Him that you love Him. Tell Him that you are thankful for Jesus’ sacrifice for your life. Invite God’s Spirit to guide you that day. Before you talk to anyone, talk to God. He will set your day on the right path.
3. Give it to God by starting each day with Scripture – Open your Bible and read where you left off from the previous day. Hebrews 4:12 “Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
4. Give it to God by surrounding yourself with encouragement –
You will never make it alone. You need to have people who speak truth into your life. Community and accountability.
5. Give it to God – Your Future. We can only change one day at a time. But it’s God whose in control. Living in the future robs us of the joy of today. Each day is a gift, and we miss it when we allow our minds to dwell on all the unknowns. We can trust God with our future so we can focus on today. Matt 6:34 “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself”
Pastor’s days were about all of this and more. He didn’t just preach it…he lived it. He seeded it in others. He was forever an encourager to walk with Christ and surrender it all.
As I looked up at the ceiling, In my inner man, I knew that Pastor was thanking God for all that he had done for him. He was worshiping in Spirit to God Almighty for all that he is. I could see him looking up at the light, seeing the Lord's extended hand, saying he had prepared a place for his faithful servant. I am certain he had that peace and the joy of what he had spoken about and preached about for so many decades. At last, at last… a whole new understanding of the meaning of “waiting on the Lord”. Not with fear and trepidation but with joy and anticipation. I surrender all oh Lord… I surrender all.
Let go and let God have control. Let go and let God have your worry and fears. Let go and let God have your finances. Let go and let God have your marriage, your children, and your future. Let God!
Services are December 8th at Grace Family Church Lutz Campus –
5 pm Visitation 6 pm Service
5101 Van Dyke Rd Lutz, FL 33558
In Lieu of flowers please consider making a donation to the missions dept. via Grace Family Church
It was Pastor's most true passion. In 60 years of ministry, he and Momma Kaye visited and spread the gospel in 39 different countries.
I surrender all Carrie Underwood
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iE3jyYhHluo
