RCCG Victory Temple Chantilly's Podcast

"Let God transform you... by changing the way you think." Ro 12:2 NLT

When you think creatively, you're thinking like God your creator. But not everybody will welcome your creative ideas. Jesus wasn't crucified because He worked miracles; He was loved and applauded for those. He was crucified for having ideas that challenged the status quo. God is the giver of great concepts, truths, and ideas. So when He gives you one, don't let anybody talk you out of it. Don't let the fear of rejection or failure kill your idea either.

After all, you can't do something new and exciting if you force yourself to stay in the same old rut. Don't just work harder at the same old thing; make a change. And the first thing you will have to change is how you think, what you listen to and believe.

Take a look at the following phrases: "I'm not a creative person. Follow the rules. Don't ask questions. Don't be different. Stay within the lines.

There is only one way to do it. Don't be foolish.

Think of your image. That's not logical. It's not practical. It's never been done. It can't be done. It didn't work for them. We tried that before. It's too much work. We can't afford to make a mistake. It will be too hard to administer. We don't have the time. We don't have the money. Yes, but..." Paul writes, "Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect" (v. 2 NLT). The word for you today is-change your thinking, change your life.

God is the giver of great concepts, truths, and

ideas.

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"Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."

1C0 10:31 NKJV

When you're about to do something and you're not sure if you should, ask yourself, "Will doing this glorify God?" If you follow that rule, you won't go wrong in life. Let's get specific. If you earn your money honestly, then it's yours to spend as you wish. Once you give God His portion, which begins at 10 percent, you get to choose what you will do with the rest. However, your financial decisions have consequences that affect not only you but your family. When you go into debt you can't repay, they suffer with you. So does your reputation with others. The question is not even can you afford it, but will it bring glory to God? Will He be pleased?

And how about your relationships? You're single, lonely, and longing for companionship. So, you find someone you really like. Today when unchecked passion leads to sex before marriage, society doesn't blink at it. But as a redeemed child of God, you are different. Jesus said we are in the world, but not of it. That means we live by a different set of rules: scriptural ones. Perhaps your partner will see your refusal of sexual intimacy as rejection. And they may even decide to leave you. What should you do? Ask yourself, "Will this glorify God? Will He be pleased?" You say, "Pleasing God isn't easy." It never has been. And the Bible doesn't say it will be.

But if you want to live with joy, self-respect, confidence, and integrity, you have to choose the right path. And that's the path which always brings glory to God.

You have to choose the right path.

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"The winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell." Mt 7:27 NKJV

Today about 50 percent of all marriages end in divorce. Sadly, that's true whether you're a Christian or not. Sometimes the reasons are circumstantial, such as a job layoff or a home foreclosure. Other times it's relational, such as a betraval of trust or an addiction to drugs and alcohol. If you're committed to rebuilding your marriage, you must learn how to reconnect and work to restore what you once had. In order to accomplish this, you must both be willing to enter into the process and commit for the long haul. For the next few days, let's look at four key areas. First, you must know the other person. It's a mistake to try and figure out your spouse, put them in a box, and label them for the remainder of their lives.

Knowing someone is an art in progress, not a static science with unchangeable data. You must view your mate as a mystery who requires ongoing scrutiny and lifelong learning. The Bible says, "Treat your wife [and your husband] with understanding as you live together" (1Pe 3:7 NLT). In order to restore your marriage, take a new look at your partner. They may not be who you assumed they were-but neither are you. So you must allow room for each of you to evolve, and resolve! And be sure to include God in the process. Jesus said that a house built on the solid foundation of God's Word will stand strong in the storm while others around it are falling apart (See Mt 7:24-27). So today begin the process by recommitting to God-and each other.

I Take a new look at your partner.

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"You husbands must give honor to our wives."

1Pe 3:7 NLT

Second, you must listen to each other. This requires time, patience, and focused attention. Too many couples give each other a monologue, without leaving room for genuine dialogue. This is where marriage counseling is effective. It forces both of you to slow down, interpret your spouse's language, understand their feelings, and discover their needs.

When a marriage breaks down, couples are often so busy trying to get their own point across and win the fight that they don't listen for solutions and places of negotiation. Divorce would be less common if we would listen with open hearts rather than closed minds. Jesus pointed out that the law of Moses permitted divorce "because of the hardness of your hearts" (Mt 19:8). This means their hearts would not melt to the level of understanding and place of negotiation for the relationship to work.

Some couples find it simpler to write each other letters revealing their feelings as they relearn how to communicate at a deeper level. Counselors and marriage enrichment seminars use this technique, and sometimes it works wonders. By putting your feelings down on paper before expressing them, you get to ask yourself, "Is this how I really feel? Is this how want to express my feelings? Am I saying too much? Or too little?" Unloading on your mate may be a catharsis for you, but what if it buries them?

These are some of the questions you must ask in order to rebuild your marriage. And if you both pray and keep your hearts open, God will help you to do it.

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"Many waters cannot quench love, nor can rivers drown it." SS 8:7 NLT

You must be open with one another. You must be transparent, sensitive, responsive, and willing to trust one another. Stop and think about how you feel when the doctor is about to give you a shot. Your first reaction is to tighten up, right? Similarly, our hearts naturally tighten up after the pain of rejection, or betrayal, or neglect. It's a reflex mechanism in the soul; a way we protect ourselves subconsciously. And it's a great attribute anywhere else, except in marriage. If you don't turn off this mechanism, you will close your soul. This is the state where vou love the person and vou still come home to them every night, but you are braced, apprehensive, and no longer present in the moment.

You have closed yourself off, for fear of disappointment and hurt. Marriage is an open covenant consummated by physical intimacy, which removes all barriers and celebrates the joy of having nothing between the two of you. And it's difficult to attain and maintain such intimacy both emotionally and physically if you have experienced betrayal and disappointment. But there is good news. The central theme of the Bible is resurrection; that which is dead can live again. So if you have lost the closeness, you can get it back if you are willing to relax your soul and open your heart toward the other person. Solomon writes, "Love flashes like fire, the brightest kind of flame. Many waters cannot quench love, nor can rivers drown it" (vv. 6-

7 NLT). If you seek God's help and you are willing to work at it, you can rekindle your love and rebuild your marriage.

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"I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me." Php 4:13 AMPC

Paul writes: "I have strength for all things in Christ

Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ's sufficiency]" (v. 13 AMPC). Paul believed he could handle whatever life threw at him. Do vou believe that too? What are the things that trigger your fear and cause you to say, "I could never do that"?

Suddenly losing a loved one? Facing an unexpected illness? Having your adult child with two toddlers move into your fastidiously clean and tranquil house after you have had an empty nest for years? Going on a stringent diet because vour life depends on it?

Putting yourself on a budget to prevent foreclosure of your home? Suddenly having to take care of a disabled, elderly parent? Most people have some sort of situation that truly seems impossible to them, something they are unsure they can handle.

The truth is, while some situations may be extremely undesirable or challenging for you, God says you can do whatever you need to do in life. He doesn't say everything will be simple for you; He doesn't promise you will enjoy every little thing you do, but that you can enjoy life in the middle of doing them. How? Through the power of the One, "Who infuses inner strength into you." When you need money, you make a withdrawal from your bank account. When your car is empty, you make a withdrawal from the gas pump. So when life gets overwhelming, pray and make a withdrawal on God's grace, love, strength, power, and guidance.

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The day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief." 2Pe 3:10 NLT

Don't let "date-setters" make you cnical about Christ's soon return. When the founder of a major church denomination predicted in print the date of Christ's second coming, his successors faced the embarrassment of having to publicly acknowledge that they were wrong. Do you remember the alarmists of Y2K? Declaring to a scientific certainty that the year 2000 would bring the end of the world and the return of Christ, they caused people to leave their jobs, sell their homes, stock up on food, and head for the hills. And because of such embarrassments, many preachers today have silenced or toned down the truth of Christ's second coming. Yes, when some folks hear the message, they roll their eyes and say, "Not again!" But doubt about Christ's return is one of the signs that guarantees it will happen. The Bible says: "In the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth...

They will say, 'What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created...The Lord isn't really being slow about his promise, as some people think.

No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief...the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment...so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight"

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"The Lord is on my side; I will not fear." Ps 118:6

NKJV

God has created you for a life of growth, adventure, and acceleration. But vou must take bold steps of faith. And you can't do that if you're perfectly satisfied to live in "the safe zone." Even when you feel afraid, don't let it stop you! Feel the fear and do it anyway! You say, "Will I ever stop being afraid?" Yes, when you get to heaven. Feeling fear is part of being alive. You will experience fear when you try something for the first time, or when the obstacles in your path seem insurmountable, or when you feel like vour resources are not equal to the challenge.

None of this means you're a coward; it just means you're human. You are only cowardly when you let your fears control your actions and decisions.

Feeling fear is merely the temptation to flee from what you should confront. Feeling fear is not the same as being afraid, because being afraid means allowing fearful feelings to take control of you. But you don't have to. You can feel anger yet choose not to act on it, and instead respond with forgiveness and love. In the same way, you can feel fear and not let it make your decisions. "He Himself has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.' So we may boldly say: 'The Lord is my helper; I will not fear.

What can man do to me?'" (Heb 13:5-6 NKJV). Note those two phrases: "He...has said" and "we may boldly say." So, stand on God's Word today and declare, "I will not live in fear."

Feeling fear is part of being alive.

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"Perfect love casts out fear." 1Jn 4:18 NKJV

When God says, "Fear not," He is basically telling you, "You're going to have to deal with fear, but you can conquer it. You can act in spite of it." The Bible says, "Perfect love casts out fear." Sometimes we mistakenly think that Scripture means if we love God perfectly enough, we won't be afraid. No, the only perfect love is God's love for you. And it's unconditional. Knowing that He always loves you, walks with you, defends you, supports you, and has promised to bless you in all that you do is what casts out your fear. And it does one more thing: It strengthens your faith. "Without faith it is impossible to please [God]" (Heb 11:6). When you know that God is pleased with you, you begin to rise above your fears. When fear knocks on your door and finds you full of faith, it cannot enter. That's why you need to meditate continually on God's Word and let your conversation be filled with faith. If you're used to allowing your mind to go everywhere it pleases, meditating on God's Word will require making a new habit. Don't become discouraged if you discover you have good intentions but many failures. The Bible says, "We walk by faith" (2Co 5:7 NKJV). How did you learn to walk? By getting up one more time than you fell down, until you finally did it. When you set your mind to speaking fear-defying words of faith, the Holy Spirit will come to your aid and strengthen you. As one minister says,

"Courage is not the absence of fear, it is progress in its presence." So just keep progressing, and you will get there!

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"If God is for us, who can be against us?" Ro

8:31 NKJV

To overcome fear, you must believe that God is with you. It's the key to your ability to obey what He tells you to do. As you become confident that He is with you, your fear will lessen. When David volunteered to fight Goliath, King Saul said to him, "You are not able to go against this Philistine...for you are a youth, and he a man of war from his youth" (1Sa

17:33 NKJV). David replied, "The Lord...will deliver me from...this Philistine" (V. 37 NKJV). You're not in this battle alone; the Lord is with you. When you're convinced of that, your fear will subside. You may not always know what God will do, but you can relax in knowing He will do what needs to be done at the right time. When you think about the future and all the things that are unknown to you, it's easy to feel afraid. But you can view it two ways. You can either be pessimistic and fearful, or you can say to yourself, "The battle is the Lord's, and He has never lost a battle!" You may not always know what to do in a tense situation, but God does. He knows everything prior to it happening, and He has planned your deliverance in advance. Just put one foot in front of the other, confident that He is guiding you. You don't have to see God or feel Him in order to believe that He is with you. Faith is a matter of the heart instead of the natural senses.

God is with you! Believe it and refuse to live in fear.

You're not in this battle alone; the Lord is with

you.

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