Overcome Evil With Good

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ROMANS 12:21 NIV “Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good.”

There is no shortage of evil in the world we live in today. The devil is running riot everywhere. However, despite the evil abounding, there is still much good around. There is abundant opportunity to overcome evil with good. We will be offended or hurt, and we will be tempted to repay evil with evil, to strike back at those who hurt us. But that will not be a Godly choice, and it can lead to pain and misery. The answer is to walk in divine love. The love of God is in our hearts (Romans 5:5), and with God’s love inside us we can return good for evil done to us. That will restrain the power of evil to affect us. Love is stronger than hate. Good is more powerful than evil. You can walk in victory no matter what anyone does to you, if you walk in love. Remember the instructions of Jesus ” But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;” (Matthew 5:44). Hear the counsel of Apostle Paul “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay, says the Lord. On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” (Romans 12:18-20). With God’s love you can overcome evil with good! Let us love indeed, without pretence (Romans 12:9-10 NLT).

 

 

You Have Authority Over The Enemy

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LUKE 10:19 NKJ “Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”

Jesus defeated the devil for you (Colossians 2:15). According to Matthew 28:18, all authority on Earth now belongs to Jesus. As His earthly representatives, Jesus has delegated His authority to us. All believers have authority to use the Name of Jesus Christ. In Jesus’ Name, or authority, we can cast out devils (Mark 16:17, Luke 10:17). After Jesus’ resurrection, Scripture clearly puts responsibility on the believer to exercise the delegated authority of Jesus to resist the devil, and all his works (Philippians 2:10; Ephesians 4:27; James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:8-9).  The devil’s plan is to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10a), and one of the ways he carries out this plan is by inflicting people with diseases. Our mandate, through the delegated authority of Jesus Christ, is to stop the devil from carrying out his plan. In Christ, you have authority over the devil, all his forces, all his agents, and all his works.  You can resist the devil and not allow him any place in your life, because you have authority over him, in Christ! As believers we should not be afraid of the devil, although we should be aware and on guard against his schemes (2 Corinthians 2:11). The way to exercise your authority is through words – speaking the words of God with faith in the Name of Jesus Christ!

Build A Godly Relationship With Your Children

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Ephesians 6:4 NKJV “And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.”

How would you describe your relationship with your children? Strained? Exciting? Heartbreaking? Enjoyable? Amicable? If you want a real revelation, ask them to describe their feelings about you and the family. What they would say may be shocking to you! And having a Christian home does not necessarily exempt you from conflict with your children. The flesh still rears its ugly head from time to time, and consistent bad habits can lead to broken communication, even in a Christian home. There will be resultant pain and strain in the family when Biblical principles are disregarded.  There are examples of such families in the Bible:  Rebekah loved her son Jacob more than his brother Esau, so she set him up him to deceive their father, Isaac, and cause division in the family (Genesis 27); Eli, the high priest, allowed his boys to run wild, and in the end it cost him his life (1 Samuel 3-4);  David preached one thing but practiced another, and his children were more influenced by what he did than by what he said (2 Samuel 11, 13, 15-16, 1 Kings 11). Nobody is immune from family pain and strain; not David, not Rebekah, not Eli, and not you! So, evaluate the state of your family and take necessary corrective action to remove any pain and strain. Take time to get close to your children. Deal with the barriers between you. You cannot change anything unless you are willing to acknowledge it, and sometimes change must begin with you. For example, does your lifestyle need adjusting? How about your priorities? What about the example you have been setting all along? Be honest and intentional in building a Godly relationship with your children!

 

VRC Newsletter 1st Quarter 2023

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A blessed 2023 welcome to our extended Victory Royal Church family. This is our first quarter newsletter and our “VRC Theme” for 2023 is “BEHOLD HIM.” We hope the holiday period was abundant with God’s blessings and you are all feeling renewed for the continued journey of “PREACHING THE GOSPEL & PREPARING THE PEOPLE.”

Eternal Purpose

Galatians 2:20 KJV “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

The eternal purpose for every true believer in the Lord Jesus Christ is to die to self and live for Christ. To die to self is synonymous to self denial (Matthew 16:24). The Lord Jesus Christ said any believer who is not ready to deny himself to follow after Him, is not worthy of Him (Matthew 10:38).

God is constant (Hebrews 13:8). His power has not diminished. What He did yesterday, He can do today, and forever. We humans are the ones who can change and be tossed up and down by our emotions. God wants every true believer to experience the exceeding great and precious promises available through our faith in Christ Jesus.

However, there is one over-riding motive that stands to pollute a Christian’s walk and keep him or her from entering into the fullness of God’s rest and empowerment, and that is serving self above Jesus Christ. Self is standing in God’s way to bless us, to the fullest. If we hope to live a fruitful life, we must die to the self-life.

This will require us to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, and to constantly renew our minds with God’s word for transformation (Romans 12:1-2). We must also lay aside every weight and sin that we constantly fall prey to (Hebrews 12:1).

2022 heralded many milestones, one of which was our beloved Pastor Bayo’s 70th Birthday which was commemorated with the publishing of his book “Legacy.” If you don’t have your copy as yet, you can order it at legacy70yr@gmail.com. Or you can email us at vrcministries@gmail.com and we will expedite your copy to you ASAP.

For this 2023 first quarter edition, we will expound on our “Weekly Bible Study Classes”, our interactive social “Family Night” and also explore our aspirations for physical expansion.

Our interactive Bible Study classes are hosted on Wednesdays: 7pm-8pm, Fridays: 7pm-8pm for evangelism discipleship, and Sundays: 9am-9:45am. The ministers who host these classes, go deep into the exploration of the Bible text in order to educate and expand participants functional relationships with their Biblical worldview.

Our essential congregation activity “Family Night” is back. This is an exciting social gathering scheduled to be hosted twice per year, with the first one on February 11. The entire family will be able to come together in a party-like atmosphere and engage in a closer nurturing interaction with the families of fellow church members.

Victory Royal Church is growing. Hence, we are aspiring for a more spacious home so we can more adequately meet the needs of our diverse ever growing congregants, especially for our Youth and Children’s Ministry.

Members are encouraged to prayerfully and financially commit to this worthy project. Let us know if you have any ideas.

Remember, you can now watch our live stream services on mobile devices and big screens on YouTube. Please click on the respective icon below to subscribe to our YouTube channel and you will be notified whenever we are live. Also connect to our other social media portals by clicking on their respective icon below.

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We wish for you a blessed and prosperous year, and our next quarterly edition is scheduled for May 2023.

Build A Godly Relationship with your Children

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Ephesians 6:4 NKJV “And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.”

How would you describe your relationship with your children? Strained? Exciting? Heartbreaking? Enjoyable? Amicable? If you want a real revelation, ask them to describe their feelings about you and the family. What they would say may be shocking to you! And having a Christian home does not necessarily exempt you from conflict with your children. The flesh still rears its ugly head from time to time, and consistent bad habits can lead to broken communication, even in a Christian home. There will be resultant pain and strain in the family when Biblical principles are disregarded.  There are examples of such families in the Bible:  Rebekah loved her son Jacob more than his brother Esau, so she set him up him to deceive their father, Isaac, and cause division in the family (Genesis 27); Eli, the high priest, allowed his boys to run wild, and in the end it cost him his life (1 Samuel 3-4);  David preached one thing but practiced another, and his children were more influenced by what he did than by what he said (2 Samuel 11, 13, 15-16, 1 Kings 11). Nobody is immune from family pain and strain; not David, not Rebekah, not Eli, and not you! So, evaluate the state of your family and take necessary corrective action to remove any pain and strain. Take time to get close to your children. Deal with the barriers between you. You cannot change anything unless you are willing to acknowledge it, and sometimes change must begin with you. For example, does your lifestyle need adjusting? How about your priorities? What about the example you have been setting all along? Be honest and intentional in building a Godly relationship with your children!

 

Keep Yourselves from Idols

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1 John 5:21 “Little Children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.”

An idol is anything or anyone that takes the place of God in our lives. It is anything that substitutes for the true faith; any human idea that claims to be more authoritative than the Bible; any loyalty that replaces God at the center of our lives. The worship of that thing or person that replaces God at the center of our lives is idolatry. God emphatically commanded us to flee from idolatry (1 Corinthians 10:14). In biblical terms, idolatry is worship of anything other than God. Colossians 3:5 links idolatry with covetousness; when we want something so much that we covet it, the thing has become an idol (Luke 12:15). We seek it rather than God. God instructed His people, “You shall have no other gods before me (Exodus 20:3-5).” That is why idolatry is such a sin. People are possessed by possessions. We put our trust in the “created” rather the Creator. There is nothing wrong in possessions as long as they do not possess us.  Our modern-day idol (object of worship) is money, power, pleasure, prestige, stuff, and even self. These are modern-day parallels to ancient idolatry, and when we understand that fact, Paul’s words “flee from idolatry” in 1 Corinthians 10:14 become much more instructive. It is not wrong to have godly ambition or have things. But the pursuit of the ambition or the things should not take place of God in our lives or be at the expense of losing our souls (Matthew 16:26). The story of the young, rich ruler in Mathew 19:16-23, is an example of man possessed by his many possessions at the expense of losing his soul. We should not follow after the lifestyle of the heathen, whose idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands (Psalm 135:15).

When Storms Arise  

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2 Corinthians 4:8-9 ESV “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.”

Stormy seasons of life are inevitable (John 16:33). So, how do we handle storms of life, so the devil does not take advantage of us to expand and prolong the recovery period? First, draw your strength from the revelation that you are God’s beloved. Be aware and be convinced that God loves you (1 John 3:1, Jeremiah 31:3, Romans 8:35-39). Embrace the power of God’s word to bring comfort and strength (Romans 15:4, Psalm 119:28, Psalm 34:19, and Psalm 23:1-6). Engage in strategic prayers based on God’s word, to pull through the storm (Psalm 34:4-6, Psalm 61:1-3). Maintain a lifestyle and atmosphere of joy. Never lose your joy, which is the source of your strength (Nehemiah 8:10). Rejoice in the Lord not in your situation (Philippians 4:4).  Free yourself from a mindset of gloom and doom. No matter what you lose never lose your joy. Enter into the realm of thankfulness. No matter the situation, chose a life of joy. Never forget the ministry of angels to strengthen you during your lowest time. Angels are spoken of in the Scriptures as “ministering spirits,” sent forth to minister for those who are heirs of salvation (Hebrews 1:14). Angels can guide, protect, watch over, deliver, and strengthen believers in time of storm or “wilderness experience” (Matthew 4:11, Luke 22:43, 1 Kings 19:5, Acts 12:7-8, Psalm 91:11). It is also beneficial to seek Godly counsel, in times of storms (Proverbs 11:14; 24:6). Though stormy seasons of life are inevitable, remember that they are temporary and subject to change (2 Corinthians 4:18). Remember that a better season comes after the stormy one (Psalm 30:5). The greater ONE is in you (1 John 4:5); you are an overcomer!

 

 

Where Does Our Help Come From?

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Psalm 121:2 NKJV “My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.”

Sometimes no matter how we try, we encounter problems that are beyond our human capabilities even as believers in Christ Jesus. So then, what do we do in such a situation? Most times we look to someone else to give us help. But, although people are sometimes willing to give us help, they are not capable. The Psalmist had a better idea. He understood the key was not to look into himself or out to his friend, but to look up to the Lord. We need always to look up to the Lord to receive the very help we need in every problem. He is our ever-present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1).  Sometimes our problems seem really big. But that is because our perspective is wrong. Remembering that God from whom we seek help is the ONE who made heavens and earth should make our problems diminish, in the light of God’s power (Jeremiah 32:17,27). How great is God’s power? Look at the earth and the heavens He created. Few of us doubt the ability of God to solve our problems. But many of us struggle with God’s willingness to do so. But listen to what God says in Isaiah 41:10 NIV “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Sometimes we may feel sad, confused, and angry when we face problems; but we must never lose hope. There is always help from the Lord. He is faithful!

Surely

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Psalm 23:6 NKJV “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.”

 

The psalmist does not start off this scripture with words like “maybe,” or “perhaps,” or “possibly,” or “hopefully.” No, he says, “Surely,” which means absolutely, without a doubt! Certainly! There are a lot of things in life we cannot be sure of. People go for a physical checkup and suddenly discover they have a serious health situation. You work in the same company for years believing your job is secure, but they downsize, and you are let go. You pray for your children, live an exemplary life before them, and teach them what is right, and then you find somewhere along the way they slipped into unrighteous lifestyle. As a redeemed child of God, here are two things you can be sure of: God’s “goodness and mercy.” But what is your concept of God?  Your concept of God will determine your confidence in Him. David was far from being perfect considering his many wrong choices and antics. But he never doubted God’s goodness and mercy toward him: “This I know that God is for me” (Psalm 56:9) Jesus said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5 NKJV). He will be with you through thick and thin; He will be your rock and defense in times of trouble. God’s goodness guarantees every need you have can be met, and His mercy guarantees that every sin you commit can be forgiven. God’s goodness and mercy will drive you back into His loving arms every time. Surely, God cares about you!

 

Fear Not

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Isaiah 43:1 NKJV “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine.”

No one is exempt from temptation to fear, but we have a choice to not yield to the temptation. The first man God created was Adam, and the first recorded words Adam spoke were these: “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.” There are numerous areas of fear, but studies confirm that our seven greatest areas of fear are finances, health, career concerns, parenting struggles, family relationships, accomplishing personal goals, and death. Fear is not from God (2 Timothy 1:7). Fear is of the devil, and it has torment (1 John 4:18).  Fear means “sudden attack” or “ambush or snare.” That is what fear does; it attacks us and takes us captive. So, what is the answer to fear? Faith in God! Fear weakens, but faith strengthens. Fear imprisons, but faith liberates. Fear paralyzes, but faith empowers. Fear disheartens, but faith encourages. Fear sickens, but faith heals. The words “fear not” or “be not afraid” are recorded in Scripture many different times. God has given us sufficient “fear not” or “be not afraid” assurance to strengthen our faith to not fear or be afraid every day of the year. And here is one of them: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine” (Isaiah 43:1). Do not give in to fear, rather stand on God’s Word and He shall see you through your challenges and make you stronger. God is with you every day, and He promises to strengthen and guide you in every situation you face. For every fear you face, there is a faith promise against that fear!