RCCG Victory Temple Chantilly's Podcast

"Be of good cheer: I have overcome the world." 
Jn, 16:33
In the mid-eighties, Steven Patrick Morrissey, better
known as "Moz," dominated the British rock charts.
Known for his melancholy as much as for his music,
Morrissey's songs had predominantly depressive
themes. They dwelled on fractured relationships,
lonely nightclubs, and the hopeless weight of the past.
In short, Morrissey was a singer who lived a cheerless
life in a minor key. How different from the life Jesus
called his followers to live! On three different
occasions He encouraged his disciples to "be of good
cheer." Bible teacher Philip De Courcy calls them "the
three cheers of The New Testament." The first reason
to be cheerful is because your sins are forgiven and
forgotten in Christ (See Mt 9:2). Because of Calvary,
your faults and failings will never be used in judgment
against you (See Jn 5:24). The second reason to be
cheerful is because we're not fighting for victory but
from the vantage point of victory. "In the world you will
have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have
overcome the world" (Jn 16:33 NKJV). And the third
reason to cheer is because Jesus will be with you no
matter what life throws at you or who comes against
you. Like the terrified disciples on board a storm-
tossed boat, He will be there when you need Him. You
have His word on it: "They were troubled...But
immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, 'Be of good
cheer! It is I; do not be afraid'" (Mt 14:26-27 NKJV).
Peace isn't the absence of storms. It's knowing Christ
is with us and "nothing…will..be able to separate us
from the love of God…in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Ro
8:39 NLT).

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Changing Lives | Building Strong Family | Impacting Our Community For Jesus Christ!

"You will keep in perfect peace..all whose thoughts are fixed on you!" 
Isa 26:3 NLT

Have vou heard of stress dots? They are little pressure-sensitive dots that you place on your hand. As adrenaline changes in your body, the dots change color and reveal if you are under stress. Wouldn't it be great if we had a tiny internal warning light that informed us every time our focus was off the Lord? Or if we had a small beep or signal light that cautioned us we were out of tune with God? We do! It's known as tension, or stress. Becoming tense is a sure indication that we have taken our eyes off the Lord and set them on circumstances. We are staring at the problem
rather than the solution. And when we do that, we are going to get tense. When you think about it, stress can be God's way of saying, "Get your focus in line: Look at me." 

The Bible says, "You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!" You have the choice of focusing on your troubles or focusing on the One who holds the solution. Corrie ten Boom wrote: "The blacker the night around us grew, the brighter and truer and more beautiful burned the word of God. If you look at the
world, you'll be distressed. If you look within, you'll be depressed. But if you look at God, you'll be at rest.!" It's what you concentrate on that decides your amount of peace. So when trouble comes, focus on God's
presence: He is with you, and He has promised that He will never leave you (See Heb 13:5).

When trouble comes, focus on God's presence.

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Changing Lives | Building Strong Family | Impacting Our Community For Jesus Christ!

"I chose you...[to] bear fruit-fruit that will last." Jn 15:16 NIV

Ever wonder how some people are able to accomplish
so much? What makes them so productive? Fast-
forward to the end of vour own life. What will it take
for you to be able to say, "I led a productive life.
accomplished what I set out to do"? What do you
consider to be a productive life? More importantly, do
you know God's definition of a productive life? Let's
consider what it means to be a fruitful Christian. The
word "fruit" occurs sixty-six times in the New
Testament. Three different kinds of fruit are referred
to: the kind we eat-figs and grapes; biological fruit-
infants; and spiritual fruit-Christlike character. The
Bible defines this spiritual fruit as nine things: love,
joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, and self-control (See Gal 5:22-23 NLT)
Now you know the kind of fruit that God wants
produced in your life. That's how He defines a
productive life. Jesus said, "This is to my Father's
glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to
be mv disciples" (Jn 15:8 NIV). The proof that vou are
a disciple of Jesus is that you bear spiritual fruit.
Perhaps you're a good "fruit inspector" when it comes
to examining the lives of others. But what kind of fruit
is growing in your own life? Are you growing more
carnal or more Christlike? To know how fruitful you
are, examine what's growing in your life. If you like
what you see, keep doing what you're doing. If you
don't, get down on your knees and pray, "Father, help
me to bring forth fruit that glorifies you."

Examine what's growing in your life.

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Changing Lives | Building Strong Family | Impacting Our Community For Jesus Christ!

"Preach God's message…even if it isn't the
popular thing to do." 2Ti 4:2 CEV

Paul describes our generation: "People won't listen to
good teaching. Instead, they will look for teachers who
will please them by telling them only what they are
itching to hear" (v. 3 CEV). Popular thinking says,
"Tickle my ears, but don't step on my toes!" Sadly, we
have also lived to see many Christians get caught up
in political correctness. Political correctness dictates
we should avoid saying anything that offends others,
especially when it comes to God's Word. Count on it:
Christ's virgin birth, His miraculous power, His sinless
life, His death, burial, resurrection, soon return, and
the truth that salvation comes only through Him will
offend some people. The mention of a hell for
unbelievers, a heaven for believers, the absolute
authoritv of Scripture, biblical mandates concerning
sex, marriage, parenting, and the sanctity of human
life are guaranteed to bring a backlash from the
politicallv correct. Where does God expect us to stand
in such a culture? On the truth! Jesus often offended
His hearers, including those who claimed to be His
disciples (See Jn 6:66). Recognizing that young
Timothy would face rejection and ridicule from some
of his hearers, Paul told him, "Preach God's message.
Do it willingly, even if it isn't the popular thing to do.
You must correct people and point out their sins."
We're not called to be popular: we're told, "Be my
witnesses, telling people about me everywhere" (Ac
1:8 NLT). God's Word will aggravate some and liberate
others-so be it! (See Jn 8:32.) You must never be
arrogant or offensive, but you must always stand up
for the truth of God's Word.

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Changing Lives | Building Strong Family | Impacting Our Community For Jesus Christ!

"I always try to maintain a clear conscience before
God and all people." Ac 24:16 NLT

It's been said that our conscience was given to us
after the fall of mankind in the garden of Eden. In
other words, our desire to know the difference
between good and evil was granted through the
mechanism God placed within us known as a
conscience. So we must not ignore its promptings,
silence its voice, or allow it to become calloused,
because it's a built-in warning system that protects us
from danger and harm. That means you shouldn't be
troubled when your conscience bothers you; you
should be troubled when it doesn't. Here are ten
principles for keeping your conscience clear: (1)
Always pay attention to the inner nudging that makes
you stop and question your decisions. (2) Think of
your conscience as a God-given filter that helps keep
your heart pure. (3) Examine your motives in all
"giving" situations. (4) If you think you may have hurt
someone's feelings, ask for forgiveness. (5) Invite God
to examine your heart and reveal changes that need to
be made in your attitudes and actions. (6) To the best
of your ability, don't knowingly involve yourself in
compromising situations. (7) Consider others first, and
honor them with your words and actions. (8)
Remember that your conscience is your moral
compass. (9) Establish ethical guidelines in all your
business dealings. (10) When a thought leaves you
feeling unsettled, take time to pray and talk about it
with someone you trust. The word for you today is-
always maintain a clear conscience before God

Your conscience is your moral compass.

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Changing Lives | Building Strong Family | Impacting Our Community For Jesus Christ!

"Take a lesson from the ants." Pr 6:6 NLT

"Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn
from their ways and become wise! Though they have
no prince or governor or ruler to make them work,
they labor hard all summer, gathering food for the
winter. But you, lazybones, how long will you sleep?
When will you wake up? A little extra sleep, a little
more slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest-
then povertv will pounce on vou like a bandit: scarcitv
will attack vou like an armed robber" (vv. 6-11 NLT).
The winter season of your life is coming, and you need
to be prepared for it. Eighty-five out of one hundred
Americans end up with less than $1.000 cash in
savings by the time they're sixty-five. That's one-third
of what residents in Germany save, and one-tenth of
what people in Japan save. Any fool can spend money,
but it takes a wise person to save some as well. After
sitting at his calculator for about three hours and not
saying a word, a guy looked up and said to his wife,
"Honey, if we continue to save at our present rate, by
the time I retire, we're going to owe $700,000." The
key to getting ahead in life financially is to spend less,
save more, and avoid getting ripped off. Instead of
saying, "I'm going to start saving someday," start
giving God 10 percent, saving 10 percent, and living
off the rest. And one more thought: The word disciple
and word discipline sound alike-because they are
alike. When you discipline yourself financially, you're
practicing true discipleship, and God will bless you for
Spend less, save more.

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Changing Lives | Building Strong Family | Impacting Our Community For Jesus Christ!

"What I'm interested in seeing you do is..." Isa 58:7 MSG

Max Lucado writes: "Ours is the wealthiest generation
of Christians ever. We are bright, educated, and
experienced. We can travel around the world in
twenty-four hours or send a message in a millisecond.
We have the most sophisticated research and
medicines at the tips of our fingers. We have ample
resources. A mere 2 percent of the world's grain
harvest would be enough, if shared, to erase the
problems of hunger and malnutrition around the world.
There is enough food on the planet to offer every
person twenty-five hundred calories of sustenance a
day. We have enough food to feed the hungry.When
your grandchildren discover you lived during a day in
which 1.75 billion people were poor and 1 billion were
hungry, how will they judge your response?" More
importantly, what will God say? When the Israelites
complained that God wouldn't answer their prayer, He
told them: "What I'm interested in seeing you do is:
sharing your food with the hungry, inviting the
homeless poor into your homes, putting clothes on the
shivering ill-clad, being available to your own families.
Do this and the lights will turn on, and your lives will
turn around at once…Then when you pray, God will
answer. You'll call out for help and l'Il say, 'Here I am!..
If you are generous with the hungry and start giving
yourselves to the down-and-out, your lives will begin
to glow in the darkness...I will always show you where
to go. I'll give you a full life" (vv. 7-11 MSG). So instead
of focusing on your own needs, focus on the needs of
others. That's a key to answered prayer.

Focus on the needs of others.

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Changing Lives | Building Strong Family | Impacting Our Community For Jesus Christ!

"'Bring the whole tithe...Test me in this.'" Mal 3:10 NIV

Gangaram Mahes became known in New York as the
"Serial Eater." This immigrant loved elegant dining but
didn't have the money to pay for it. Instead of denying
his appetite, he merely walked into a fine restaurant,
ordered the best meal on the menu, the finest wines,
and the costliest desserts, and ate and drank to his
heart's content. When the tab arrived, he simply told
the waiter that he wasn't able to pay the bill. The
police would arrive, arrest him, and he received at
least a few days of free meals in the local jail. Guess
what: Our churches are full of people who drink the
milk of God's blessing, eat the steak of God's
kindness, savor the dessert of God's love-and don't
even "tip" Him 10 percent. Don't be one of them!
When you give God the first 10 percent of your
income, a divine dynamic comes into play. God
blesses the 90 percent you have left, and it goes
much further than our 100 percent without His
blessing. Does that mean God will give you back more
money than you gave Him? Not necessarily, but He
does promise to bless you more than you have ever
dreamed possible. It may be with good health, or favor
with your boss, or guidance for your life, or protection
for you and your loved ones. God says: "'Bring the
whole tithe.Test me in this. see if I will not throw
open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much
blessing that there will not be room enough to store
it.'" Go ahead: take the tithe test.

More than you have ever dreamed possible

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Changing Lives | Building Strong Family | Impacting Our Community For Jesus Christ!

"You will not leave in a hurry, running for your
lives. For the Lord will go ahead of you…[and]
protect you from behind." Isa 52:12 NLT

Have you heard of "hurry sickness"? Those who have
it zoom in and out of lanes in congested traffic; try to
be the first off the plane, even though they must wait
forever at baggage claim; honk at you if you don't take
off like a racehorse when the traffic light turns green;
tap their fingers against anything they can find when
they have to wait; punch the elevator button
repeatedly to attempt to move it faster. Thev remind
us of hummingbirds. These tiny birds can fly forward,
then hover in mid-air going nowhere. Their tiny wings
can move up to seventy-five times each second! The
trouble is, their average life span is only three years
compared to an eagle that lives thirty years. What's
the difference? The eagle has learned to conserve its
energy by riding the God-given wind currents. The
message here is simple: When you draw on the
indwelling power of the Holy Spirit, you last longer and
go higher than you ever dreamed. One pastor said he
was a "stress-distributing machine" when he was
younger, and everybody around him felt it. One day
one of his kids said to him, "Daddy, I'll try to hurry up
and tell you this." He replied, "It's okay, honey, you can
speak slowly." After a long pause, he had an "aha"
moment when his child said. "Then-listen-slowlv!"
Deciding to move at a slower pace will definitely
improve the quality of your life and your relationships.

"Hurry sickness"

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Changing Lives | Building Strong Family | Impacting Our Community For Jesus Christ!

"I have prayed for you." Lk 22:32 NKJV

"Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for
you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have
prayed for you, that your faith should not fail;
and when you have returned to Me,
strengthen your brethren" (VV. 31-32 NKJV).
Are you involved in things you never thought
yourself capable of doing? You never thought
you would have an affair. You never thought
you would cheat, steal, and lie to get ahead
You never thought you would become jealous
and resentful of someone else's success. You
never thought you would neglect or mistreat
your family. You never thought you would get
hooked on pornography. You never thought
you would become addicted to drugs and
alcohol. You're not alone! Peter swore that he
would never deny Jesus, but he did. And not
just once but repeatedly. Did Peter love the
Lord? Absolutely. But because he was weak,
he turned his back on Him. What a load of
guilt to carry. No wonder he "went out and
wept bitterly" (v. 62 NKJV). But Jesus knew in
advance it would happen and told Peter that
He would be praying for him. Here is an
amazing thought: When you sin, Jesus
He would be praying for him. Here is an
amazing thought: When you sin, Jesus
prays for you! "Therefore He is also able to
save to the uttermost those who come to God
through Him, since He always lives to make
intercession for them" (Heb 7:25 NKJV).
Picture this: You're struggling with a sinful
habit, while at the same time, Jesus presents
His cleansing blood to the Father and
petitions Him for help and mercy on your
behalf. Will Jesus' prayers on your behalf be
answered? Of course. And like Peter, however
long it takes, He will work with you until you're
restored.

He will work with you until you're restored.

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Changing Lives | Building Strong Family | Impacting Our Community For Jesus Christ!