RCCG Victory Temple Chantilly's Podcast

"I pray that the faith you share will make you understand every blessing we have in Christ." Phm 1:6 ERV

If you're struggling with self-worth, the answer is knowing what you have and who you are "in Christ." Paul writes, "I pray that... you understand every blessing we have in Christ." Here are some practical steps you can take to increase your sense of confidence and self-worth: (1) Don't speak negatively about yourself. Instead of focusing on your weaknesses and flaws, start acknowledging and verbalizing every good thing you "have in Christ." Peter writes: "By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him...he has given us great and precious promises. These. promises... enable you to share his divine nature" (2Pe

1:3-4 NLT). (2) Avoid comparing yourself to others. One day Peter pointed to John and asked, "Lord, what about him?" (Jn 21:21

NIV). Jesus corrected him by saying, "What is that to you? You must follow me" (v. 22 NIV).

Instead of comparing yourself with others, work on being conformed to the character qualities of Christ. (3) Let God determine your worth. As His redeemed child, God sees you clothed in the righteousness of Christ;

therefore, you are always loved and accepted by Him (See 2Co 5:21). (4) Keep your flaws in perspective. It's okay to see where you need to improve, but make sure you appreciate your progress. (5) Discover the true source of confidence. If you place your confidence in God, you can't help but have a healthy attitude. So, do your best and leave the results to Him.

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"Get out of your country, from your family and from your father's house, to a land that I will show you. Ge 12:1 NKJV

The two parts to God's "go" are going from and going to. Ur, Abram's home, was considered the place to be. Setting out for ancient Mesopotamia, all the trading wealth from around the Mediterranean had to travel through Ur. It was a place of immense affluence, trade, education, and technology.

One author writes, "The first written legal code that began civilization was there in Ur." So, it would have been a hard place to leave-especially if you were going to Canaan.

Canaan was unsophisticated, unrefined, and underdeveloped. No one who had enough money to live in Ur, the great center of civilization, would move to Canaan. Here is the point: You must trust God with your future when the path He has called you to take doesn't look like the obvious one. But if you're willing to go, you will discover that God has blessings in mind you never dreamed of. He told Abram, "I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed" (vv. 2-3 NKJV). The reward God gives you will always be greater than any sacrifice He calls you to make. Has God called you to go, but you want to stay? Is He telling you to stay, but you want to go? Here is the score: If you obey God, you will never regret it. And that's a guarantee!

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"God led the people around by the desert road." Ex 13:18 NIV

The Bible says, "When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, 'If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt. So God led the people around by the desert road" (vv. 17-18 NIV). There is a lesson here for you. God knows where you are on your spiritual journey, and He is directing you accordingly, even when it seems like a roundabout way. "The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives" (Ps 37:23 NLT). The shortest route from Egypt to the promised land was through enemy territory, and God knew His people were not ready for battle. "God said, 'If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt. So God led the people around by the desert road." Getting God's people out of Egypt proved to be the easy part; getting Egypt out of God's people proved to be the hard part. After forty generations of depending on Pharaoh, they needed to know God, learn His ways, and trust Him. So, He arranged their journey accordingly. Are you having a wilderness experience at the moment? Be encouraged.

The fulfillment of what God promised you may be taking longer than you thought, but it's not time wasted. And God is not punishing you;

He is training you for your destiny. What should you do? (1) Spend time with Him in prayer and His Word. (2) Lean less on yourself and more on God. (3) Draw on His grace and follow His guidance.

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"I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me." Ac 27:25 NIV

Third, anchored by God's promises. The third anchor that gives us confidence in a crisis is found in Paul's words, "I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me." If you have ever been betrayed by an unfaithful spouse, you may have lost trust in marriage. If you were a victim of the subprime mortgage crisis, you may have lost your home and your trust in bankers. If you voted for someone you believed had integrity only to discover they were in the pocket of special interest groups, you may have lost your trust in government.

But never ever lose trust in the promises of God! Look in the face of your storm today and sing the words of this famous hymn by Russell Carter: "Standing on the promises that cannot fail, when the howling winds of doubt and fear assail, by the living Word of God, I shall prevail, standing on the promises of God." You may lose your cargo, you may lose your ship, you may even go overboard-but you're going to prevail because of God's promises to you. As the old saying goes, "God said it, I believe it, and that settles it!" If you're in crisis today, here are some Bible promises you can stand on: "The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms" (Dt 33:27 NIV). "You have given me your shield of victory. Your right hand supports me; your help has made me great" (Ps 18:35 NLT). "Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you" (Isa 46:4 NIV).

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"I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it." Mt 16:18 NIV

Gates are defensive devices, and storming those gates requires offensive measures.

Think of the church as a battering ram.

Instead of complaining about the culture, we need to present better options. We must produce higher-caliber movies and compose more extraordinary music, write more notable books, and start superior schools and form better businesses. The old aphorism indicates we should stop cursing the darkness and start lighting some candles. In Roaring Lambs, Robert Briner writes: "Why not believe that one day the most critically acclaimed director in Hollywood could be an active Christian layman in his church? Why not hope that the Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting could go to a Christian journalist on staff at a major daily newspaper? Is it really too much of a stretch to think that a major exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art could feature the works of an artist on staff at one of our fine Christian colleges? Am I out of my mind to suggest that your son or daughter could be the principle dancer for the Joffrey Ballet Company, leading a weekly Bible study for other dancers in what was once considered a profession that was morally bankrupt?" Paul didn't criticize the philosophers on Mars Hill and tell them they were going to hell. Pointing to their altar to the unknown God, he indicated, "I've come to tell you who He is, and His name is Jesus." What was the result? "Some mocked, while others said, 'We will hear you again on this matter'" (Ac 17:32 NKJV). 

Go ahead; take a faith-based risk and see what happens.

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"In My name they will...lay hands on the sick, and they will recover." Mk 16:17-18

NKJV

Here is an often overlooked part of the Great Commission Jesus gave us: "In My name they will….. lay hands on the sick, and they will recover." Research has revealed that touch has the power to fight viruses, reduce stress, enhance sleep, and assist us in recovering more quickly from injury. One study found that a thirty-minute massage three times a week lowers stress by 34 percent. The power of touch, even on a human level, is an astonishing thing. But when you add the power of God, it opens the way for something supernatural. "And it happened that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and dysentery. Paul went in to him and prayed, and he laid his hands on him and healed him" (Ac 28:8 NKJV). Laying hands on the sick or on those called to ministry was a regular practice in the New Testament church. And you don't have to be an ordained minister to do it. Jesus said, "These signs will follow those who believe" (Mk 16:17 NKJV). If you are a believer who has placed your trust in Christ, you're qualified. Could God do it without us? Of course. But He has given us the privilege of being conduits for His power.

By laying hands on someone, you do two things: You identify, and you impart. Who knows how many miraculous moments we have sacrificed because we haven't acted in a bold biblical way by praying for someone who is sick, commissioning someone who is called, or encouraging someone who simply needs a hand on their shoulder.

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"The goodness of God leads you to repentance." Ro 2:4 NKJV

Do you remember the woman who took an alabaster box of fragrant oil and anointed

Jesus with it? The Bible says: "Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, 'This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner'" (Lk 7:39 NKJV). Man-made religion condemned this woman because of her past, but Jesus cleansed her and made her whole. "Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little" (v. 47 NKJV). Jesus knew what this woman had done, but He also knew what she could become when His grace touched her life. The more you realize that you have been forgiven much, actually, of all your sins, the more you will love the Lord.

God's forgiveness does not lead to a sinful lifestyle; it leads to a life of glorifying the Lord Jesus. "The goodness of God leads you to repentance." The word "repentance" means to turn around and do the opposite.

Condemnation does not produce righteous living, but the knowledge of God's grace and goodness toward us does. Simon the Pharisee thought that his acceptance by God was based on his performance; hence he became self-righteous. But Jesus set him straight: "To whom little is forgiven, the same loves little." When you realize how much and how often God has forgiven you, you fall in love with Him and desire to please Him in all you do.

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He is able to aid those who are tempted."

Heb 2:18 NKJV

If you are serious about overcoming temptation, here are five things you must do:

(1) Think about the choices you are making, and the consequences, before you make them. Wisdom always looks ahead. (2)

Believe that you can resist temptation-because you can. "You are of God...and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world" (1Jn 4:4 NKJV). (3) Recall how you felt when you gave in to temptation before. Guilt, condemnation, shame. These are some of Satan's favorite weapons. When you give in to them, it's hard to get back on your feet again. (4) Don't put yourself in situations where you can easily fall. If you struggle with managing your money, don't go to the mall or shop online when you can't afford to buy anything. If you struggle with pornography, remove the source of it from your life. (5) Celebrate each victory, but be sure to give God the credit for it. You will never graduate from being tempted. It's easy to think you're beyond

stumbling, and once that happens, you make yourself an easy target for the Enemy. God wants you to trust Him for victory in every area of your life. Sheep are defenseless animals; they have no fighting skills. When they stray from the fold, they are quickly devoured by the wolf. So, they have learned that their safety and protection lie in staying close to the shepherd. And the same goes for you. Here is a promise you can stand on today: "The Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations" (2Pe 2:9 NKJV).

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"My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge." Hos 4:6 NKJV

Failing to unlearn irrational fears and misconceptions keeps us from becoming who

God wants us to be. The invalid man in John 5 is a great example of this. He had been crippled for thirty-eight years when Jesus asked if he would like to get well. However, the man believed there was only one way to be healed: "I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me" (Jn 5:7 NKJV). This man assumed something that may have cost him thirty-eight years! He thought, that in order to be healed, he had to be the first person into the pool of Bethesda when an angel stirred the water. In a sense, he was imprisoned by that thought. But Jesus uninstalled that inaccurate belief with one sentence: "Take up your bed and walk" (v. 11 NKJV). Jesus set this man free physically, and He set him free cognitively. Faith is unlearning the senseless worries and misguided beliefs that keep us captive. And that's what we do while we study Scripture. We literally upgrade our minds by a download of the mind of Christ (See 1Co 2:16). Unlearning something is twice as hard as learning it. Why? Because every mile you go in the wrong direction is really a two-mile error as you have to double back to get to where you need to be. Getting old thoughts out of your mind is harder than getting new thoughts into it. But it's worth it.

So, take time each day to renew your mind with God's Word.

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"My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest." Ex 33:14 NKJV

When you sense God's presence and know He is with you, you can handle whatever life brings. Try to imagine the assignment Moses had-liberating two million people from the grip of slavery; leading them through a wilderness where they were exposed to enemies and elements such as extreme heat and cold; feeding them, clothing them, settling their disputes, and keeping them moving toward their destiny. Here is what Moses prayed: "If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us" (V. 15 NKJV). Moses preferred to go nowhere with God than anywhere without Him. When his affair with Bathsheba was exposed, David didn't pray,

"Don't take my crown from me, or my kingdom, or my army." No, he knew what mattered most: "Do not take Your Holy Spirit from me" (Ps 51:11 NKJV). In order to grow spiritually, you must develop an increasing awareness of God's presence in your life. How do you do that? Instead of being a rock, become a sponge. When you place a rock in the ocean, its surface gets wet but its core remains hard and dry. But when you place a sponge in the ocean, the water alters the very essence of its being. Slow down and sense God's presence. Begin by reading this Scripture, writing it down, repeating it over and over, and opening every pore of your soul to God's presence: "The Lord your God is with you; his power gives you victory. The Lord will take delight in you, and in his love he will give you new life. He will sing and be joyful over you." (Zep 3:17 GNT).

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