Welcome to the Victory Blog

Lately, the Lord has been reminding me to raise my expectation of who He is. We serve an amazingly powerful and immense God. In order to give us some sense about how great and awesome He is, the Bible describes God as holding the universe in the span of His hands. Think about that. God created, and holds in His arms, the entire universe; that’s hundreds of millions of galaxies, each containing billions of stars, many of which are thousands of times bigger than our sun. God’s greatness is truly unfathomable to our small minds. And, not only is our God great, but He is also intimately loving and caring. He cares about the smallest details of our lives, even the number of hairs on our heads. God is great, and He is good. What problem or difficulty can He, or will He, not overcome?! The obvious answer is a resounding, “NONE!”

Yet, in difficult times, many of us have a tendency to magnify our problems until they far surpass God in our minds. Rather than focusing on God’s greatness and goodness, we start to focus on our problems. The more we do that, the bigger our problems get and the more fearful we become. And, the more fear overtakes our lives, the more we are motivated to try to take things into our own hands. We stop trusting in God and start relying on ourselves or other people and institutions. But trusting in anyone or anything other than God is idolatry, which opens the door to all kinds of curses. Besides that, no man or human institution has the answer to our problems or society’s ills. Only God does.

God wants us to walk in victory, even in the midst of difficulty – to have real peace; to be blessed and be a blessing to others; to be a shining light in the midst of the darkness. The only way this is possible is if we live by faith rather than by fear. And this, is one of life’s greatest battles. Will we live by fear, focusing on our problems? Or, will we live by faith, focusing on God’s promises?

If we want to be a part of the Remnant, we must be People of Faith. We must believe that God is. We must see the troubles that we face as really nothing more than an opportunity to put our faith to the test. No matter how difficult and confusing our circumstances may be, if we have faith, then we will certainly overcome.

And remember, God rewards those who seek Him diligently. Although our circumstances may be screaming in our faces that God is a liar, the truth is that He will come through – probably not like we want or expect, but He will work all things for good for those who love Him. He will provide all our needs if we trust Him. And, He will give us the victory in all things – we only need to follow Him.

This is the meaning of living by faith – we trust God and His promises. And this is what God is calling us to – to be a People of Faith, a part of The Remnant – those whom God is calling out to save, to bless and through whom to bless others in the midst of this troublesome time. I want that. Don’t you?!

(Learn more about being People of Faith and The Remnant here.)

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But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Hebrews 11:6 NKJ

I love talking about having a pure heart. The heart is such a fascinating subject. In the Bible, the heart is described as our inward man – the inside part of us that is the real us – our spirit. It is the hidden part of us where our deepest beliefs reside. It is through our heart that we connect with God, which in turn leads to answered prayers. The prevailing tone of the words we speak flows directly from our hearts. Moreover, the way we believe in our hearts is so important that our salvation depends on it. Finally, God favors those whose hearts are knit with His. Clearly, the state of our heart is very important.

Of all the people in the Bible, David was the only one about whom God said he was a man after God’s own heart. What a statement – especially in the light of David’s many failures! That gives me hope. If David can be a man after God’s own heart, then so can I; so can all of us. And, that’s what I want, don’t you? So what was it about David that made him a man after God’s heart? What are the characteristics of a “heart after God”? Well, in short, a heart after God’s own heart is submitted, repentant and humble. These three characteristics work together to produce a pure heart. And that is what David had that attracted God’s attention and favor.

Too many of us have gotten to the place where our hearts are cold, hardened, impure and unsurrendered to God. We have the choice to either continue along this path and face the consequences of not being a part of The Remnant. Or, we can surrender our will, seek to have a heart after God’s own heart and experience the favor and blessing that God pours out on The Remnant.

As we go forward into this year, I encourage you to find those places in your heart that are not repentant, submitted or humble before God. Then repent, asking God to help you to have a heart after His own heart – a pure heart. He will delight to honor your request and welcome you in as a part of The Remnant!

(If you want to know more about how to have a pure heart and what that means, I encourage you to listen to or watch this message.)

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“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (Matthew 5:8 NKJ)

As we read through the scriptures, we find a lot of references to “the fear of the Lord.” The fact that it comes up so much is evidence to the fact that it has a high priority in God’s eyes. But, have you ever wondered what it really means to have”the fear of the Lord”? Does it mean that we’re supposed to be afraid of God? The answer is: no, having the fear of the Lord doesn’t mean that we’re afraid or scared of Him. Rather, the fear of the Lord is about reverencing Him – showing Him the respect and honor He’s due. And this is an essential characteristic of those He has called out to be a part of The Remnant.

Right now, the world is being shaken. There’s a lot of turmoil. Our tendency, when we don’t have a healthy dose of the fear of the Lord, will be to fall away in times like these. On the other hand, as we learn the fear of the Lord, we begin to press in closer and closer when times of shaking come. As a result, those who fear the Lord experience great benefits like: peace, confidence in life and the future, protection, mercy, riches, honor, life and a blessed family, even in the midst of difficult times. I want all that. Don’t you?

So, what does it mean to have the fear of the Lord? Honestly, for many years I didn’t understand it. So I started studying it. As I did so, I began to understand that one of the key meanings is a willingness to obey the Word of Lord whether we agree with it or not. We have to decide whether we will go with our own will or trust in God’s. And frankly, God’s will may not always be appealing to us at first. However, it will always result in blessing and the benefits I mentioned above.

There are three primary areas in which we demonstrate the fear of the Lord: in our worship, in our resources and in our bodies. If you want to know what that looks like practically, I encourage you to listen to or watch the message from this last weekend – there’s too much to write here. Instead, I want to urge you to take a moment and seriously ask yourself,”Do I fear the Lord? Do I truly honor and reverence Him in my worship, my resources and my body?” If so, then you’re already on the right path and a part of The Remnant. If not, the Lord is inviting you start now. I say, don’t wait any longer!

Coming into this new year, there is a lot of uncertainty and fear in the air. This is such a critical time and season for our nation. Recently, I’ve been on a journey through the Old Testament, especially the prophets. As I’ve been studying, I’ve noticed that based on what the prophets of old had to say, there are some strong parallels between ancient Israel and our nation today. It seems that we are beginning to reap the consequences of some of the ungodliness we have sown as a nation.

Yet, as with Israel of old, God is once again raising up a remnant – a holy seed that will survive the impending judgment and become an instrument of blessing in these times of trouble. I want to be a part of that remnant, don’t you? As I studied this idea of a remnant, the Holy Spirit began showing me the characteristics of people who fall into the category of the remnant. In my message this last weekend, I focused on the first and foremost characteristic: Seeking the Lord. (Click here to listen to/watch this week’s message.)

As things get tougher in our lives, we go one of two ways, depending on our relationship with the Lord. If our relationship is only at the surface, shallow, or we are easily distracted by the cares of this world, our response to difficulty will be to pull away from God and be conformed to this world. But, if we have hearts that are focused on God, open and receptive to His Word and His Spirit, then our response will be to press through our problems and get closer to Him – to have a seeking heart.

What does that look like? Well, people with seeking hearts:

• Regularly read and meditate on God’s Word. They know that this is the only way to transform their minds so that they begin to see, hear and think like Christ.
• Connect daily with God through prayer. Not elaborate, eloquent, hyper-religious prayer, but the kind of real conversation that springs from humility, dependence on God, and a genuine faith/trust-based relationship with Him.
• Periodically add times of fasting to their prayer. They know the power of prayer combined with fasting to break sinful habits and usher in breakthrough.

I want to challenge you in this year to regain the areas of lost innocence, areas where you have lost ground. Identify the things in your life that you’d like to see broken, and then seek God through reading the Word, praying and fasting. Pursue freedom from everything that would get in the way of your relationship with Him. Be a part of The Remnant. Imagine how your life will be transformed if you do.

CORE, the singles ministry here at Victory World Church, threw a great New Year’s Eve party. I know what you’re thinking, “Hmmm, a New Year’s Eve party for singles…at church no less…no thanks! Hanging out with a pet rock would be more fun.” I admit I wasn’t exactly jumping up and down either. After all, I’m a New Yorker – cool, funky, edgy. New Yorkers spend New Year’s Eve on the cold streets of Manhattan, packed in like sardines, waiting to watch the ball drop from 10 blocks away. LOL!

(Truth be told, the one and only time I ever went to Times Square I didn’t actually see the ball drop – although I did hear it was beautiful that year. Instead, my friends and I spent the night trying to keep from being knocked down by skittish horses carrying none-too-celebratory NYPD officers and being trampled in a stampede caused by an ill-timed firecracker. As I limped down the stairs (to this day I have no idea where I lost my shoe) at Penn Station towards a commuter train waiting to whoosh us down 40 miles of track back to the peaceful tranquility of Long Island I swore I would never again venture out on New Year’s Eve.)

Fast forward 20 years. As 2008 wound down, I found myself wanting to bring in the New Year having fun, but as much as I wanted to end years of spending the evening with Dick Clark, the thought of ringing in the New Year with a bunch of single church people made me want to re-think the whole Times Square thing and grab a cheap flight back to the Big Apple. My past experiences with church-sponsored social events had left me doubting that the words “Christian” and “fun” could be used in the same sentence, but when some of the girls from my small group expressed interest, I decided to give it a shot. And I’m glad I did.

It was fantastic! Our V2 auditorium was transformed into a glittering nightclub complete with a D.J. After an opening prayer by Pastor Steven, the Fusion band to took the stage and created an atmosphere of praise, worship and celebration that had everyone on their feet and set the tone for the night. As the last hours of 2008 ticked by, we ate, laughed, took pictures and did the Electric Slide. When the D.J. threw on some Salsa rhythms, we discovered talent that rivaled Dancing with the Stars.

If you know Victory, then you know that no event would be complete without that “extra something,” and the CORE team did not disappoint – at midnight there was even a balloon drop! Talk about bringing it; the CORE team not only brought it but also rocked it. If you missed the CORE New Year’s Eve party, then you missed the party of the year! ~ Karla Eyre

Camels, hay and a live Nativity were the first point of contact visitors and members of Victoryencountered as they converged on the campus grounds Christmas Eve.

The special Wednesday evening service, which assembled parents and children to worship together in V1, featured a relevant and timely message from Pastor Colleen, a reflective candlelight proclamation and the dynamic music ministry of Fusion Band.

Victory corporately celebrated the birth of Christ on Christmas Eve, allowing employees and volunteers to rest and enjoy holiday time with their families throughout the remainder of the 2008 year.

May you have a very happy New Year!

(Click on the photos to see the entire gallery.)

Two and a half years and over fifty thousand dollars and we are finally debt free except for our mortgage. To some it might sound like no big deal, or to others it may seem like bragging, but to Torrey and me, it’s the most significant hurdle we have overcome, and it was only by the grace of God.

Three years ago, I was barely able to pay my bills, let alone tithe and give to others. I was 34 years old and had almost $25,000 in credit card debt. Not a proud moment in my life, but it’s the truth. When Torrey and I decided to get married we knew it had to be by God’s rules and not our own. That included our finances. What had to happen was a heart transformation that would put my total trust in God for his provision and blessing.

So I sold the car that I loved and started driving an older car that had belonged to my mother but was paid for. God put the idea on my heart to ask a dear friend if she minded a roommate until I got married five months later. I had never had a roommate before so this was new to me, but she immediately said, “Yes!!” I paid very little rent as Torrey and I saved to pay for our wedding in cash.

While we were engaged, Torrey and I attended the Crown Ministries (www.crown.org) class at Victory. (Click here for class registration and info.) This was more than a financial stewardship class. It was a heart-transforming lesson on what the Word of God says about how he desires for us to handle all that he has given us to manage; time, money, our jobs, future children, investments and so much more. This was the foundation.

First and foremost, we faithfully and cheerfully tithed and put ourselves on a budget and did not stray from it. We made sacrifices that were sometimes hard, but we never went without food, shelter or the basic needs. We sacrificed travel, entertainment, eating out, and new clothes and, sometimes, we ate peanut butter and jelly during the last week of the month when the food budget was gone. If something came up and it was not in the budget, we did not buy it.

But God was always there. We have had a lot of fun in these last few years. I have won tickets to concerts and sporting events, and people have given us tickets to events and blessed us in many ways. We were able to have people to our house to eat on many occasions. Our hearts’ desire was to go on a mission trip to Mexico, a first for both of us. We were left with only three weeks to try to raise the money and a few days before the trip, we were blessed with the exact amount we needed to go, plus a little spending money. We also found that things were going well for us. Our cars did not break down. We were not sick and things around the house were maintained and in good shape.

Now we are following the sound financial advice of Dave Ramsey from his book Total Money Makeover. This is a book that provides sound, common sense advice with a Christian value system. A theme in his book is “If you will live like no one else, later you can live like no one else.” Our goal is to be “supernatural sowers” in God’s Kingdom, as my husband says!

We don’t know the plan that God has for our life yet, but we want to be ready to carry it out when we are called. Our journey so far has shown us that God is faithful, and being obedient to His calling reaps huge rewards for the greater good.

Amy and Torrey Edwards

This week, we received the following updates and pictures from Pastor Mark in India:

Dear Victory,

Greetings to you in Jesus name! We had a wonderful Christmas together with all the children. [We have attached] pictures of the children enjoying Christmas programs and [receiving] the presents we distributed. We did invite local village children and some village elders too. [All of] the children send their greetings to you. Thank you very much for sending your support regularly from “Victory World Church.” We were able to use your donations towards Christmas presents and clothes for the children, etc. Thank you very much for all your help and prayers. We love you and we are praying for you. And [best] wishes for New Year 2009. God Bless.

Love and Prayers,

Pastor Mark and Francina Mark

Rays of Peace – India

 

Dear Victory,

Greetings to you in Jesus name! Attached are the Pictures of two new calves that the villagers donated. [These] two calves will be [very] useful in the future for the children for the milk. We all had a wonderful Christmas and hope you [did] too! We thank Victory World Church for all your help and prayers.

Love and Prayers,

Pastor Mark