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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | May 26th

📖 Jesus replied, “Your trouble is that you don’t know the Scriptures and don’t know the power of God. —Mark 12:24 The Living Bible

This seems to be the problem with a lot of believers. They do not know the Scriptures and they don’t know the power of God. There is a promise in the Word of God that can handle anything you may face in life. There is nothing the devil can throw our way that the power of God cannot handle. The power of God is found within the Word of God. Paul said, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth”. Believing the Word and acting on the Word, gives you access to the power the Word of God carries. The more acquainted you become with the Word, the more acquainted you become with the power of God. You don’t have to stay ignorant of the things of God. Let’s become more acquainted with the Word so that we can become more familiar with God’s power. It will change your life.

#powerofGod #vcccharlotte #believe #devotional #WordofGod

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | May 25th

📖 Then Jesus said to His disciples, If anyone desires to be My disciple, let him deny himself [disregard, lose sight of, and forget himself and his own interests] and take up his cross and follow Me [cleave steadfastly to Me, conform wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying, also]. 

For whoever is bent on saving his [temporal] life [his comfort and security here] shall lose it [eternal life]; and whoever loses his life [his comfort and security here] for My sake shall find it [life everlasting]. 

For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life [his blessed life in the kingdom of God]? Or what would a man give as an exchange for his [blessed] life [in the kingdom of God]? 
—Matthew 16:24-26 AMPC 

Jesus makes it very plain. If we are going to follow Him, we will have to disregard ourselves and our own interests. We will have to be willing to die to selfish ambition and to our own dreams and desires that are outside of the will of God. Walking this Chrisitan walk will not always be easy. Jesus told us that if they persecuted Him, they would persecute us. The student is not above his teacher. We must not be in love with this world. We are strangers, pilgrims just passing through. It is okay to enjoy yourself, but our comfort and security cannot be in this natural world. The Bible tells us that we are citizens of heaven, and once we have lived our lives out here on this earth, that is where we will live for eternity. We cannot jeopardize our salvation for the things of this world. What would it benefit us to gain the entire world and lose our soul? If we must choose between the world and Jesus, let’s choose Jesus. We don’t have to chase after the things of this world. Jesus told us that if we would seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, all those things will be added unto us. 

#Kingdom #devotional #chooseJesus #vcccharlotte

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | May 23rd

📖 But you, beloved, build yourselves up [founded] on your most holy faith [make progress, rise like an edifice higher and higher], praying in the Holy Spirit; —Jude 20 AMPC

God wants us to go higher and higher. He wants there to be progress in our lives. God not only desires for us to make progress, but He has provided the means by which we can go to another level in life. When we pray in the Holy Spirit, and when we pray using our prayer language, we are making progress in the Spirit. We are praying out mysteries (I Corinthians 14:2) and we know that all things are working together for our good because the Spirit of God is praying through us the perfect will of God (Romans 8:26-28). Praying with our intellect can be beneficial, but it is limited. When we pray in our heavenly language, the Spirit of God comes to our aid and assists us in our prayers, especially when we don’t know what to pray with our intellect. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit of God into the earth to be our Helper. When we allow Him to help, we can expect our lives to improve and get better. We can expect to make progress and rise like an edifice. We should be going higher and higher.

#HolySpirit #devotional #pray #prayerlanguage #verseoftheday #vcccharlotte

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | May 22nd

📖 [But] he who commits sin [who practices evildoing] is of the devil [takes his character from the evil one], for the devil has sinned (violated the divine law) from the beginning. The reason the Son of God was made manifest (visible) was to undo (destroy, loosen, and dissolve) the works the devil [has done].

No one born (begotten) of God [deliberately, knowingly, and habitually] practices sin, for God’s nature abides in him [His principle of life, the divine sperm, remains permanently within him]; and he cannot practice sinning because he is born (begotten) of God. 

By this it is made clear who take their nature from God and are His children and who take their nature from the devil and are his children: no one who does not practice righteousness [who does not conform to God’s will in purpose, thought, and action] is of God; neither is anyone who does not love his brother (his fellow believer in Christ). 
—I John 3:8-10 AMPC

Has anyone ever said, “You look just like your mother.”? Or maybe: “Your father used to act the same way” or “He used to do something like that in his younger days”? We all tend to have character traits that are like our parents, from a natural perspective. We can have the same tendencies as our Father from a spiritual perspective. If we are born again, we have God's nature. We can have a love nature. We can be extraordinarily patient, or kind, or peaceful. Those are just some of the fruits of the spirit that are in us because of the new birth. If one isn’t born again, he/she has the devil's nature. It's easy to lie, steal, or cheat. As believers, we must allow our Father God's nature to cause us to be the world's light or the earth's salt. The world should be able to tell that we are different because of our Father. We can all miss the mark, but we should strive to be more like Jesus, the ultimate example. He said that if you have seen me, you have seen the Father. That should be our goal. 

#likefatherliveson #GodsChildren #dailydevotional #vcccharlotte

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | May 21st

📖 I do not consider, brethren, that I have captured and made it my own [yet]; but one thing I do [it is my one aspiration]: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the [supreme and heavenly] prize to which God in Christ Jesus is calling us upward. —Philippians 3:13-14 AMPC

God wants us to experience new things in the new year. God wants to do great things for us in the new year, but we must move forward if we are going to walk in all that God has for us in the new year. I am sure that in this past year, there were some great moments, and I am sure there were some not so great moments. Regardless of what we experienced, we must be willing to move on from the past. Some people’s past will always be greater than their present or future, because that is all that they want to focus on. They always talk about their high school years. They talk about their college years, but that is all that they want to talk about. They have no goals for the future. They have no future aspirations. They have not sought the Lord when it comes to His plans for their lives, so they are stuck in the past. God does not want us to be stuck. The past is to be a reference point, not a place to stay. Let’s not get stuck in the past. God has so much more in store. He wants to do exceedingly, abundantly above all that we can ask or think, if we would just let Him. 

#moveforward #devotional #trustGod #vcccharlotte 

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | May 20th

📖 When Jesus came down from the mountain, great throngs followed Him. 

And behold, a leper came up to Him and, prostrating himself, worshiped Him, saying, Lord, if You are willing, You are able to cleanse me by curing me. 

And He reached out His hand and touched him, saying, I am willing; be cleansed by being cured. And instantly his leprosy was cured and cleansed. 
—Matthew 8:1-3 AMPC  

God wants you well. He desires for you to be strong and healthy. Unfortunately, many people still aren't sure whether it is the will of God for them to be healed. They think the sickness is supposed to bring them closer to God. Some think the sickness will keep them humble. Nowhere in the Bible does it tell us that sickness will humble you. The Bible tells us that we are to humble ourselves and that God will exalt us in due time (I Peter 5:6). We accurately represent the kingdom when we are healthy and strong. We can pursue the will of God when we are totally strong and healthy. The leper was unsure about the will of God concerning his healing. Jesus made the will of God plain. God wanted the leper healed. God has not changed. He has always desired His people to be well. He demonstrated His desire by sending Jesus to the cross to redeem us from sickness and disease. The issue has been settled: God wants us well. 

#healing #vcccharlotte #willofGod #devotional  

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | May 19th

📖 When the other ten heard of this conversation, they lost their tempers with James and John. Jesus got them together to settle things down. “You’ve observed how godless rulers throw their weight around,” he said, “and when people get a little power how quickly it goes to their heads. It’s not going to be that way with you. Whoever wants to be great must become a servant. Whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave. That is what the Son of Man has done: He came to serve, not to be served—and then to give away his life in exchange for many who are held hostage.” —Mark 10:41-45 The Message 

Two of Jesus’ disciples requested to sit on the right and left side of Jesus when He established His kingdom here on the earth. They wanted a position of greatness. Jesus eventually gave them a key to greatness. He told them that if they wanted to be great, they must first be willing to serve. Jesus even gave Himself as an example when He told the disciples that he did not come to be served, He came to serve. God has a purpose and a plan for all our lives. Regardless of how big the plan is, the plan is not self-serving. The plan is not to elevate you. You may be elevated in the eyes of the people, but the plan is ultimately to help people.  

God loved us so much that He gave us Jesus. Jesus was treated like a king (and rightfully so, He is the king of kings) and yet He came to serve the people. God sent His best, and His best came to serve. We should follow His example. We have been sent into this world, equipped with gifts and talents that will be a blessing to humanity. Don’t keep them to yourself. Don’t be selfish. The world is waiting on the manifestation of the sons of God. The world is waiting on you! 

#greatness #vcccharlotte #followHisexample #devotional 

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | May 18th

📖 However, the Lord, the God of Israel, chose me before all my father’s house to be king over Israel forever. For He chose Judah to be the ruler; and of the house of Judah he chose the house of my father; and among the sons of my father He was pleased to make me king over all Israel; 

And of all my sons, for the Lord has given me many sons, He has chosen Solomon my son to sit upon the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel. 

And He said to me, Solomon your son shall build My house and My courts, for I have chosen him to be My son, and I will be his father. 
—I Chronicles 28:4-6 AMPC

God has a destiny for all of us. He wrote the story of our lives while we were being formed in our mother’s womb (Psalm 139:16 AMP). God chose David to be king over Israel. Then He chose Solomon, out of all his sons, to take over the throne from David. It is important that we walk out what God has chosen for us to do and not what we have chosen for ourselves. God is smarter than us, and He loves us more than we love ourselves. He has equipped us for what He has chosen us for. The gifts and talents that God has blessed us with are irrevocable. Many times, we want to carve out our own paths, but we must travel the path that God has preordained for us. When we do, we know that He will go before us and make the crooked places straight. God’s ways are always higher than ours. 

#destiny #purposedriven #Godswaysarehigher #vcccharlotte #giftsandtalents

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | May 16th

📖 It was because of his faith that Enoch was promoted to the eternal world without experiencing death. He disappeared from this world because God promoted him, and before that happened his reputation was that “he pleased God”. And without faith it is impossible to please him. The man who approaches God must have faith in two things, first that God exists and secondly that it is worth a man’s while to try to find God. 
—Hebrews 11: 5-6 JB Phillips New Testament

It should be the desire of every believer to please our Heavenly Father. God is pleased when we walk by faith and according to His Word. God is pleased when we believe His Word above any circumstance. He is pleased when we speak what the Word of God says instead of our circumstances. God was displeased with the Israelites in the wilderness because of their constant complaining. They would not trust in God and put their faith in His integrity. This would cause the original generation to lose their lives and the next generation to receive their “promised land”. When we walk by faith, it not only pleases God, but it also brings Him on the scene. When this happens, things change, and circumstances begin to get in line with His Word. When we approach God, we must remember two things: first, that God exists, and secondly, it is always worth our while to seek Him out. He is a rewarder of those who do. 

#trustGod #faith #devotional #vcccharlotte

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | May 15th

📖 Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. —Philippians 4:11-13 NKJV

It does not matter where we find ourselves in life, we are to be content. You may not be in the ideal house. You may not be driving your dream car on the way to your dream job, but God expects you to be content. Don’t confuse contentment with satisfaction. Wherever you may find yourself, realize that it is only for a season. God will take you from glory to glory. Paul learned the power of contentment. He knew how to be full and how to deal with hunger. He knew that through Christ, he can overcome every situation that was contrary to the Word of God. If he was in prison, he knew it was temporary. If he was shipwrecked, he knew it was temporary. He wrote to the Corinthian church that the things seen are temporary. (II Corinthians 4:18) No matter what we face in life, we face it knowing that we will win. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. 

#wewin #glorytoglory #devotional #vcccharlotte

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | May 14th

📖 The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, that one may avoid the snares of death. —Proverbs 13:14 AMPC 

It is important which church you attend. It is also important who your teacher is. A teacher is someone you sit under and learn from. The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life. God wants us to experience life. It could be one of the reasons why he set the ministry gifts into the Body of Christ. He wanted the Body to experience more life, and life comes from hearing and doing what you hear, especially if it is from a man or woman of God. Jesus came so that we can have life and have it more abundantly (John 10:10). God expresses His will towards us all throughout the Word of God. III John 2 tells us that He desires that we prosper and be in health, even as our soul prospers. The Word of God was also given to us to avoid the snares of death. The Bible tells us the type of people to avoid and the behaviors that bring shame and embarrassment into our lives. We must lay hold and grasp the teaching of the wise. It is a fountain of life,and it is a path to abundance. That is the life that God desires for all His children. 

#God’swill #vcccharlotte #fountainoflife #devotional #abundance 

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | May 13th

📖 We know [positively] that we are of God, and the whole world [around us] is under the power of the evil one. —I John 5:19 AMPC

People of God are different. We are not to act like the world. We are not to talk like the world. We are not to imitate this world because the world is under the influence of the wicked one. The world is being run by God’s enemy. God tells us that if we are a friend of the world, then we are His enemy as well (James 4:4). God does expect there to be a separation between us and the world. He tells us to come out from among them (the world) and to be separate (II Corinthians 6:17). Once we do, God said that He would be a Father to us, and we would be legitimate children of God (II Corinthians 6:18). We have been delivered out of the kingdom of darkness and translated into the kingdom of God’s dear Son (Colossians 1:13). We ARE different: God expects us to look like and act like it.  

#childrenofGod #devotional #vcccharlotte #notofthisworld

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | May 12th

📖 Let us look closely at our ways and examine them and then return to the Lord. 
—Lamentations 3:40 GWT 

Every now and then, we have to examine our lives. Sometimes, we can get off track and not realize it. Other times, we can find ourselves in a state of unbelief or in a place where we aren’t trusting God as we once did. We can become so busy that we aren’t praying or reading the Word like we used to. The good thing is that we can always get ourselves back on track. We can always return to the Lord. Returning to the Lord doesn’t always mean we are living a life of sin. It could also mean that we need a personal revival. We need to do things the way we once did. God is always reaching out to us; the key is how we respond. We can always come back if we have drifted away. 

#Godlovesyou #devotional #vcccharlotte #meditate

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | May 11th

📖 One of those days He and His disciples got into a boat, and He said to them, Let us go across to the other side of the lake. So they put out to sea. 

But as they were sailing, He fell off to sleep. And a whirlwind revolving from below upwards swept down on the lake, and the boat was filling with water, and they were in great danger. 

And the disciples came and woke Him, saying, Master, Master, we are perishing! And He, being thoroughly awakened, censured and blamed and rebuked the wind and the raging waves; and they ceased, and there came a calm. 

And He said to them, [Why are you so fearful?] Where is your faith (your trust, your confidence in Me—in My veracity and My integrity)? And they were seized with alarm and profound and reverent dread, and they marveled, saying to one another, Who then is this, that He commands even wind and sea, and they obey Him? 
—Luke 8: 22-25 AMPC

Jesus had said for them to go to the other side. Once he had spoken, He went to sleep. He fully intended for them to get to the other side. He was so sure they would get there that he went to sleep. He rested in what He said. When the storm hit, the disciples spoke words that were contrary to what Jesus said. All they had to do was agree with Jesus. All they had to do was agree with the Word that was spoken. Their words located them. Their words proved that they had more confidence in the circumstances than they did in what Jesus said. Jesus was obviously displeased with the disciples. He asked them why they didn’t trust him. We can’t look down on the disciples. We have done the same thing. We have believed more in our circumstances than what God has said. God’s Word will change our circumstances when we agree with Him. God expects us to say what He says. He expects us to trust in His Word. Circumstances will never change the Word of God. God’s Word will always come to pass. We can trust in His integrity and His veracity. 

#words #believeinGod #trustinGod #vcccharlotte #devotional

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | May 9th

📖 May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob set you up on high [and defend you]; 

Send you help from the sanctuary and support, refresh, and strengthen you from Zion; 

Remember all your offerings and accept your burnt sacrifice. Selah [pause, and think of that]! 

May He grant you according to your heart’s desire and fulfill all your plans. 

We will [shout in] triumph at your salvation and victory, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners. May the Lord fulfill all your petitions. 

Now I know that the Lord saves His anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven with the saving strength of His right hand. 

Some trust in and boast of chariots and some of horses, but we will trust in and boast of the name of the Lord our God. 

They are bowed down and fallen, but we are risen and stand upright. 

O Lord, give victory; let the King answer us when we call.  
—Psalm 20 AMPC

Do you can see the benefit of serving God? God will answer you in the day of trouble. The Lord will defend you. The Lord will send you help, angelic help. God will grant your heart’s desire and fulfill your plans (when your plans line up with His will and plan). This is the testimony of David, but keep in mind David wasn’t a child of God. He was a man after God’s heart, but He did not have the standing of “son” the way that we do today. David functioned out of his relationship with God, and it worked in His favor. It will always work in our favor when we serve God, when we love Him with all our heart. Like David, we trust in Almighty God. We don’t put in our trust in horses and chariots. We don’t put our trust in the things of this world. Our trust is in God. Trusting God is the starting point to victory. We can expect to walk in victory when we seek trust in the Lord. God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6) 

#serveGod #vcccharlotte #trustingGod #devotional #walkinvictory 

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | May 8th

📖 I answered them, The God of heaven will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build, but you have no portion or right or memorial in Jerusalem. 
—Nehemiah 2:20 AMPC

When you know that God has told you to do something, and you are obedient to whatever it is He has asked you to do, you can expect the God of Heaven to prosper you. When we are obedient to the Word of God and living a life that is pleasing unto Him, God promises to bless the works of our hands (Deut. 28:8). The Lord takes pleasure in our prosperity (Psalm 35:27), and it makes Him look good when we are excelling. It makes Him look good when we are the head and not the tail, above only and not beneath. III John 2 even tells us that God wishes above all things that we prosper and be in health, even as our soul prospers. As we walk with God, we can expect our lives to get better and better. He will take us from glory to glory. 

#glorytoglory #inspiration #devotional #vcccharlotte

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | May 7th

📖 For if you love those who love you, what reward can you have? Do not even the tax collectors do that?

And if you greet only your brethren, what more than others are you doing? Do not even the Gentiles (the heathen) do that? 

You, therefore, must be perfect [growing into complete maturity of godliness in mind and character, having reached the proper height of virtue and integrity], as your heavenly Father is perfect. 
—Matthew 5:46-48 AMPC

Do you really want to be like the Father? Do you really want to imitate Him? One way we can do that is by loving people the way He loves people. We can’t just love the people who love us. We must love the ones who mistreat us just as much as the ones who love and respect us. We must greet people with love even if they roll their eyes and act like they don’t want to speak to us. In verse forty-five, the Bible tells us that God makes “the sun to rise on the wicked and the good”. God is good to all. God pours His goodness out on everyone. If God can do it, so can we. We can be a blessing to everyone, the saved and the unsaved. We can treat everyone right, the saved and the unsaved. We can love everyone, the saved and the unsaved. We can be just like our Father. We can demonstrate His love to humanity. We can reach the proper height of virtue and integrity just like our Heavenly Father. 

#Godislove #vcccharlotte #Godisgood #devotional

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | May 6th

📖 Later war broke out with the Philistines at Gezer. That was the time Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Sippai of the clan of giants. The Philistines had to eat crow. In another war with the Philistines, Elhanan son of Jair killed Lahmi, the brother of Goliath the Gittite whose spear was like a ship’s boom. And then there was the war at Gath that featured a hulking giant who had twenty-four fingers and toes, six on each hand and foot—yet another from the clan of giants. When he mocked Israel, Jonathan son of Shimea, David’s brother, killed him. These came from the clan of giants and were killed by David and his men. 
—I Chronicles 20:4-8 The Message 

When the Israelites first saw the Philistine giant, Goliath, they fled from him. They were afraid of him because of his size and the size of his arsenal. He had men just to carry his weapons. When David killed Goliath, a shift took place. The fear of giants left. Instead of running from giants, the Israelites started killing more giants. It appears that the intimidation left, along with the fear. The more giants you kill, the less intimidating they are. That is how life is. When you face an overwhelmingly challenging situation, it can appear to be impossible. Once you experience victory and see God come through for you, you are not as intimidated the next time you face a “giant”. The more giants you conquer, the easier it gets. There may be some struggle, but it doesn’t take as long to get over it. There is nothing too difficult for God, and because you are His child, there is nothing too difficult for you. We can slay all the giants that come across our path. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. 

#victory #vcccharlotte #conqueror #devotional  

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | May 5th

📖 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also [utensils] of wood and earthenware, and some for honorable and noble [use] and some for menial and ignoble [use]. 

So whoever cleanses himself [from what is ignoble and unclean, who separates himself from contact with contaminating and corrupting influences] will [then himself] be a vessel set apart and useful for honorable and noble purposes, consecrated and profitable to the Master, fit and ready for any good work. 

—2 Timothy 2:20-21 AMPC 

What type of vessel would you like to be? A vessel of gold? What about silver? The good news is that it is not up to God to determine what type of vessels we will become. That responsibility is on us. We must cleanse ourselves from contaminating and corrupting influences. We must examine our lives and see what we need to remove to live a life that is pleasing unto God.  As we walk with God and fellowship with Him, He will show us the things that we need to get rid of. Sometimes being in His presence will burn up the things that need to be removed from our lives. God’s Word is another tool God uses to shape and mold us. His Word reveals what is displeasing to Him and shows us how we are supposed to live. God’s Word is like fire (Jeremiah 5:14). It will burn things out of us and purge us. If we hearken to His Word and spend time in His presence, we can become consecrated and profitable to the Master, fit and ready for any good work. 

#Godlyinfluences #vcccharlotte #cleanse #devotional #fellowshipwithGod

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | May 4th

📖 So they said to him, “Who are you? We must take back an answer to those who sent us. What have you to say about yourself?” So John said, “I am, as Isaiah prophesied: a voice that cries in the wilderness: Make a straight way for the Lord.” 
—John 1:22-23 Jerusalem Bible 

Initially the people thought that John the Baptist was the chosen one, the Messiah. He plainly told them that he was not the one. He knew who he was and without having to think about it, he quoted the prophecy from Isaiah. He did not let anyone put a label on him that did not belong to him. When people ask us, “What do you have to say about yourself,” we should automatically know who we are. We should know that we are more than conquerors. We should know that the gates of hell cannot prevail against us. We should know that we are overcomers, and the Greater One lives on the inside of us. John the Baptist knew what the Word said about Him, and it should be no different with us. We must know what the Word says about us if we are going to continue to walk in victory.  

#iamvictory #whoami #Jesus #devotional #verseofthemonth

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