DAILY DEVOTIONAL | May 29th

May 29, 2023

📖 “We ought and indeed are obligated [as those in debt] to give thanks always to God for you, brethren, as is fitting, because your faith is growing exceedingly and the love of every one of you each toward the others is increasing and abounds." -2 Thessalonians 1:3 Amplified Bible Classic Edition

Two areas that we should be growing in are faith and love. Faith works by love, and faith is how we overcome the world. We should be improving in our love walk every day. We should be forgiving quicker. We should be dealing with negative emotions less and less. We should be growing in our love towards people, and our faith should be growing as well. We should be growing in what we are believing God for. We should be giving more. We should be standing in faith for more because it belongs to us. We have an inheritance that we should be standing for, and we shouldn’t settle for anything less. God wants us to experience His best, let’s not let Him down.

#lovewalk #devotionals #faithwalk #vcccharlotte

DAILY DEVOTIONAL | May 28th

May 28, 2023

📖 “But be doers of the Word [obey the message], and not merely listeners to it, betraying yourselves [into deception by reasoning contrary to the Truth]. For if anyone only listens to the Word without obeying it and being a doer of it, he is like a man who looks carefully at his [own] natural face in a mirror; For he thoughtfully observes himself, and then goes off and promptly forgets what he was like. But he who looks carefully into the faultless law, the [law] of liberty, and is faithful to it and perseveres in looking into it, being not a heedless listener who forgets but an active doer [who obeys], he shall be blessed in his doing (his life of obedience)." -James 1:22-25 Amplified Bible Classic Edition

The Word of God is the key to our success. God gave us His Word as a guide on how to navigate through this life. It is a guide on how to walk in victory on a daily basis. Reading the Word is not sufficient. It is important that we read the Word, but we must also be a doer of the Word as well. We must put into practice what we have read. Acting on what God says, is proof that we believe Him and that our trust is in Him. Our blessing is in our acts of obedience. If the Word tells us to tithe, we tithe. If it tells us to forgive and walk in love, that is what we do, regardless of how we feel about it. We obey the Word because that is what we are supposed to do. If we want to truly experience a blessed life, we must become doers of the Word.

#obedience #devotional #keytosuccess #vcccharlotte

DAILY DEVOTIONAL | May 27th

May 27, 2023

📖 “He who deals wisely and heeds [God’s] word and counsel shall find good, and whoever leans on, trusts in, and is confident in the Lord—happy, blessed, and fortunate is he." -Proverbs 16:20 Amplified Bible Classic Edition

If one wants to be considered wise, one must heed to God’s Word and counsel. The Word of God tells us that it is the doer of the Word that is blessed, not just the hearer (James 1:25). Obedience demonstrates confidence in God and His integrity. It is always wise to obey God. The fool ignores the Word of God. The Bible tells us that “there is a way that seems right, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Proverbs 16:25). We don’t want to take a way that seems right, we want to take the right way. God always has our best interest at heart. We should know and understand that it's in our best interest to heed, obey, and trust in the Word of God.

#trusstGod #devotional #wisdom #obedience

DAILY DEVOTIONAL | May 26th

May 26, 2023

📖 “He set himself to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the things of God; and as long as he sought (inquired of, yearned for) the Lord, God made him prosper. He went out against the Philistines and broke down the walls of Gath, of Jabneh, and of Ashdod, and built cities near Ashdod and elsewhere among the Philistines. And God helped him against the Philistines, and the Arabs who dwelt in Gur-baal and the Meunim. The Ammonites paid tribute to Uzziah, and his fame spread abroad even to the border of Egypt, for he became very strong.” -2 Chronicles 26:5-8 Amplified Bible Classic Edition

God’s will is for us to prosper. If He did not want us to prosper, He would not tell us how to do it. God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6). As we seek the face of God, we can expect provision. We can expect blessings and increase in our lives. We can expect our lives to get better. The Bible tells us that “the path of the just is a shining light, it grows brighter and brighter until the perfect day” (Proverbs 4:18). Serving God doesn’t cost, it pays. You can never go wrong in pursuing God. Pursuing God is not wasted time, it is time well spent. God will change your life. When you go after God, He will never leave you the way He found you.

#devotional #pursueGod #vcccharlotte #proverbs4v18

DAILY DEVOTIONAL | May 25th

May 25, 2023

📖 “For let him who wants to enjoy life and see good days [good—whether apparent or not] keep his tongue free from evil and his lips from guile (treachery, deceit).” -I Peter 3:10 Amplified Bible Classic Edition

All throughout the Word of God, God gives us keys to enjoying “the good life”. He gives us one key in this scripture reference: He admonishes us of the importance of our words. He equates the good life with what we do with the tongue. If we want to experience good things, we must talk good. We must speak blessings over our lives. We must talk about the Word on a consistent basis. We must discipline ourselves when it comes to the words we speak. There is creative ability within our words, and we must fully maximize our words. We can’t always choose what happens to us, but we can always choose our words. Our words will change what happened to us. Our words will change whatever is negative in our lives. Proverbs 18:20 tells us that we must be satisfied with the consequences of our words. When it comes to our words, we must choose wisely. The quality of our lives depends on it.

#wordsofwisdom #devotional #vcccharlotte #wordofGod

DAILY DEVOTIONAL | May 24th

May 24, 2023

📖 “And the Lord your God will clear out those nations before you, little by little; you may not consume them quickly, lest the beasts of the field increase among you." -Deuteronomy 7:22 Amplified Bible Classic Edition

God is so much smarter than we are. Many times, things aren’t as clear cut as they appear. Many times, there are things that we have not considered. Sure, the Israelites would have loved to have wiped all their enemies out in a short period of time. Sure, they wanted God to take care of them all at once instead of fighting multiple battles. God’s plan was better than what they could possibly desire. They probably did not think about the animals in the wilderness with them, nor did they consider that the animals could potentially consume them had they done things differently. God said He would clear them out little by little because this was the best way. When it comes to our lives, we must allow God’s thoughts to take precedence over our thoughts. We must recognize that His ways are higher than our ways. God knows what is best for us. We must simply trust Him if we are going to experience His best for our lives.

#Godsbest #devotional #vcccharlotte #trustGod

DAILY DEVOTIONAL | May 23rd

May 23, 2023

📖 “But some Jews arrived there from Antioch and Iconium; and having persuaded the people and won them over, they stoned Paul and [afterward] dragged him out of the town, thinking that he was dead. But the disciples formed a circle about him, and he got up and went back into the town; and on the morrow he went on with Barnabas to Derbe. When they had preached the good news (Gospel) to that town and made disciples of many of the people, they went back to Lystra and Iconium and Antioch” -Acts 14:19-21 Amplified Bible Classic Edition

Paul could have quit the ministry. He had been stoned right after a crippled man was healed, listening to him preach. Paul could have been frustrated. He could have allowed his emotions to get the best of him. Instead, he kept on preaching. After preaching in Derbe, he returned to the same place where he was stoned. He did not allow a negative experience to deter him. He demonstrated by his actions that nothing would stop him from walking in the will of God. We all have negative things happen to us. We have all had things happen to us that weren’t fair. However, we don’t allow those things to stop us. A just man falls seven times, but he rises again. As believers, we just keep on getting up. We continue to move forward, regardless of the obstacles. We keep going forward because if God is for us, no one can successfully be our enemy. We always triumph. We always win. Jesus is Lord, and there is nothing the devil can do about it.

#JesusIsLord #nottodaySatan #wewin #devotional

DAILY DEVOTIONAL | May 22nd

May 22, 2023

📖 “When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities [those supernatural forces of evil operating against us], He made a public example of them [exhibiting them as captives in His triumphal procession], having triumphed over them through the cross." -Colossians 2:15 Amplified Bible

There are certain things in our lives we will not experience without God. Sometimes it takes God opening doors for us. Sometimes we have to depend on him to close doors that no man can open. As we embark on the will of God, we must place our total dependency on Him. When God closed the door on Noah’s ark, no one else could get in. It did not matter what they said, how hard they banged on the door, God would not open the door once Noah and his family were inside. Man cannot open what God closes. Man cannot close what God wants to open. No man can stop the Hand of God. We must look to God and keep Him first in our lives. As we do, we will see His Hand move on our behalf, and we will continue to be where He has preordained for us to be. We will do what He has prearranged for us to do.

#handofGod #devotional #mightyGod #vcccharlotte

DAILY DEVOTIONAL | May 21st

May 21, 2023

📖 “This is what you must write to the angel of the church in Philadelphia: I am the one who is holy and true, and I have the keys that belonged to David. When I open a door, no one can close it. And when I close a door, no one can open it. Listen to what I say. I know everything you have done. And I have placed before you an open door no one can close. You were not very strong, but you obeyed my message and did not deny you are my followers." -Revelation 3:7-8 Contemporary English Version

There are certain things in our lives we will not experience without God. Sometimes it takes God opening doors for us. Sometimes we have to depend on him to close doors that no man can open. As we embark on the will of God, we must place our total dependency on Him. When God closed the door on Noah’s ark, no one else could get in. It did not matter what they said, how hard they banged on the door, God would not open the door once Noah and his family were inside. Man cannot open what God closes. Man cannot close what God wants to open. No man can stop the Hand of God. We must look to God and keep Him first in our lives. As we do, we will see His Hand move on our behalf, and we will continue to be where He has preordained for us to be. We will do what He has prearranged for us to do.

#handofGod #devotional #mightyGod #vcccharlotte

DAILY DEVOTIONAL | May 20th

May 20, 2023

📖 “What actually took place is this: I tried keeping rules and working my head off to please God, and it didn’t work. So I quit being a “law man” so that I could be God’s man. Christ’s life showed me how, and enabled me to do it. I identified myself completely with him. Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not “mine,” but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I am not going to go back on that.” -Galatians 2:19-21 The Message

Our identification is in Jesus Christ. When Jesus was crucified, we should see ourselves on that cross. We should see our “old man” on that cross. We should our undesirable character traits and our shortcomings on the cross. The “old man” that was dominated by the sin nature should be on the cross, and now we allow Christ to live big on the inside of us. His nature should control us now. The fruit of the spirit should be manifesting in our lives. Our lives should be sustained by the life of God that is on the inside of us. We must allow people to see less of us and more of the Christ that is living on the inside of us. The more we act like Jesus, the more appealing Jesus is to the world. We are His representatives. We are His ambassadors. We should strive to be more like Him. Less of us and more of Him.

#moreofGodlessofme #devotional #vcccharlotte #jesuschrist

DAILY DEVOTIONAL | May 19th

May 19, 2023

📖 “Examine and test and evaluate your own selves to see whether you are holding to your faith and showing the proper fruits of it. Test and prove yourselves [[a]not Christ]. Do you not yourselves realize and know [thoroughly by an ever-increasing experience] that Jesus Christ is in you—unless you are [counterfeits] disapproved on trial and rejected?” -2 Corinthians 13:5 Amplified Bible Classic Edition

We should constantly evaluate ourselves. We must continue to see if we are still holding on to the faith. We must examine our mindsets. Is our thinking in line with the Word of God or is the world shaping our mindsets? Do we still have the fire we once did? Are we reading the Word like we used to? Are we still attending church, in person, like we have always done? We must evaluate ourselves and ask ourselves these tough questions. We should be tougher on ourselves than anyone else. We must ensure our decisions are taking us closer to heaven and away from the world, not vice versa. The Bible even tells us to judge ourselves, so that we won’t be judged. It can be difficult sometimes, but we can do it. We must do what we must do so that we won’t miss heaven.

#heavenbound #devotional #introspection #salvation

DAILY DEVOTIONAL | May 18th

May 18, 2023

📖 “And may the God of peace Himself sanctify you through and through [separate you from profane things, make you pure and wholly consecrated to God]; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved sound and complete [and found] blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah).” -I Thessalonians 5:23 Amplified Bible Classic Edition

God is the same. There is no shadow of turning in Him. His desire for us has been for us to be holy and separated unto Him. He has always desired for His people to be whole in every area of their lives. III John 2 tells us that He desires “that we prosper and be in health even as our soul prospers”. When God created the earth and everything in it, He saw that it was good. When man fell in the Garden, and sin entered in, God sent Jesus so that we could have life and have it more abundantly. God wants His children to experience His best. He has given us every spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 1: 3). He has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:4). God has done all He could so that we can be whole and experience His goodness here on the earth. What a good Father He is to us!

#motivation #consistent #trustGod #devotional #vcccharlotte

DAILY DEVOTIONAL | May 17th

May 17, 2023

📖 “Joshua did what Moses ordered in order to fight Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went to the top of the hill. It turned out that whenever Moses raised his hands, Israel was winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, Amalek was winning. But Moses’ hands got tired. So they got a stone and set it under him. He sat on it and Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on each side. So his hands remained steady until the sun went down. Joshua defeated Amalek and its army in battle." -Exodus 17:10-13 The Message

Every organization needs the right kind of help. Every ministry needs the right kind of help. When it comes to the church, the pastor cannot do it by himself/herself. The members must uphold the pastor’s arms for the church to function successfully. The members are to be the door greeters, the ushers, the nursery workers, the audio team, and fulfill any other roles and duties that must be carried out within the church. The pastor cannot do it all, and the pastor needs help. As members of the local church, we must endeavor to be the right kind of help. We must get involved. We must work in excellence. We not only want to make our pastor look good, but we also want God to look good. Our desire should be to make the kingdom of God look good in the eyes of the world. We must be the right kind of help. We must make God look good; we are all He has.

#goodhelp #vccharlotte #pastor #devotional

DAILY DEVOTIONAL | May 16th

May 16, 2023

📖 “Tell them, ‘As sure as I am the living God, I take no pleasure from the death of the wicked. I want the wicked to change their ways and live. Turn your life around! Reverse your evil ways! Why die, Israel?’ -Ezekiel 33:11 The Message

God has no pleasure in the destruction of the wicked. He sent His Son so that no person would have to go to hell. God never intended for His man to be sick, poor, or oppressed. These were all results of the Fall. Sin entered into the earth because of the Fall, and mankind has paid the price for it ever since. God desires for humanity to not only receive salvation, but He also desires that humanity lives a life free from the curse. This is one reason God desires for His people to prosper so we can finance the Gospel. We can also send missionaries and support Christian radio and television outreaches. People must hear the Gospel, and we must all do our part. God takes no pleasure in the wicked perishing; He desires that they change their ways and live.

#John3v16 #Godlovesyou #devotional #vcccharlotte

DAILY DEVOTIONAL | May 15th

May 15, 2023

📖 “Like a bird that wanders from her nest [with its comfort and safety], So is a man who wanders from his home." -Proverbs 27:8 Amplified Bible Classic Edition

We must endeavor to never allow the enemy to tempt us into thinking there is a better place than "home". Many young people backslide because the enemy entered their thinking and gave them the impression that there is a better place than home. When we say “home”, we simply mean the Christian faith. Sometimes the devil can give the false impression that the world is fun, and that Christianity is lame. He is a liar and a deceiver. The prodigal son fell for his lies and asked his father for his inheritance. He left home and went out into the world. He spent all he had and found himself in the pig pen. He finally came to himself and realized it was better at home. Don't be like the prodigal son. Don't be deceived. It is always better in our Father's house.

#prodigalson #comeback #devotional #vcccharlotte

DAILY DEVOTIONAL | May 14th

May 14, 2023

📖 “A man from the family of Levi married a Levite woman. The woman became pregnant and had a son. She saw there was something special about him and hid him. She hid him for three months. When she couldn’t hide him any longer she got a little basket-boat made of papyrus, waterproofed it with tar and pitch, and placed the child in it. Then she set it afloat in the reeds at the edge of the Nile. The baby’s older sister found herself a vantage point a little way off and watched to see what would happen to him. Pharaoh’s daughter came down to the Nile to bathe; her maidens strolled on the bank. She saw the basket-boat floating in the reeds and sent her maid to get it. She opened it and saw the child—a baby crying! Her heart went out to him. She said, “This must be one of the Hebrew babies.” Then his sister was before her: “Do you want me to go and get a nursing mother from the Hebrews so she can nurse the baby for you?” Pharaoh’s daughter said, “Yes. Go.” The girl went and called the child’s mother. Pharaoh’s daughter told her, “Take this baby and nurse him for me. I’ll pay you.” The woman took the child and nursed him.” -Exodus 2:1-9 The Message

Many are familiar with the story of Moses. Pharoah had given the order that every male baby born should be killed. Moses’ mom wasn’t having it. She knew that there was something special about her son, and she refused to let her son perish. She placed her son in the basket and put Moses in God’s Hand. God’s Hand stayed on Moses for the rest of his life. Thank God for praying mothers. Thank God for mothers who refused to allow the devil to have their children and put their children in God’s Hands. We have a responsibility to raise our children in the fear and admonition of the Lord and while we are doing that, we place them in God’s Hands. We place them in His Hands of guidance, nourishment, and protection. As we honor the mothers all over the world today, we remind you to keep your children in God’s Hands, there is no better place for them to be.

#HappyMothersDay #devotional #powerofprayer

DAILY DEVOTIONAL | May 13th

May 13, 2023

📖 “Trusting an unreliable person in a difficult time is like a rotten tooth or a faltering foot.” -Proverbs 25:19 Christian Standard Bible

Have you ever asked someone to carry out a task, and the person dropped the ball? They did not follow through. They did not follow instructions. They simply did not do what you trusted that they would do. This is what this proverb is referring to. We must be careful who we are assigning tasks to. Everyone isn’t faithful. Everyone isn’t reliable. We must make sure that as Christians, we are reliable and trustworthy, and that we do all things well. We are representatives of the kingdom of God, and we don’t want to misrepresent God. We must represent the kingdom of God accurately because we are all that God has in the earth. Let’s make God look good.

#dependable #trustGod #devotional #vcccharlotte

DAILY DEVOTIONAL | May 12th

May 12, 2023

📖 “Jesus said to her, Did I not tell you and promise you that if you would believe and rely on Me, you would see the glory of God?" -John 11:40 Amplified Bible Classic Edition

Believing plays a vital role in receiving. Jesus said this about prayer: “For this reason I am telling you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe (trust and be confident) that it is granted to you, and you will [get it]. (Mark 11:24). The devil is constantly trying to get us to doubt the integrity of His Word. He did it with Eve in the Garden of Eden. He asked her “Did God really say...?” The devil hasn’t changed his methods. The Word of God is the one thing that can defeat him. If he can get you to doubt the Word, he knows that can cause you not to use it. We must not doubt the integrity of the Word. God is not a man that He should lie. If we will stand on and believe on the Word, we will see the glory of God.

#gloryofGod #vcccharlotte #devotional #imabeliever

DAILY DEVOTIONAL | May 11th

May 11, 2023

📖 “The Lord does not delay and is not tardy or slow about what He promises, according to some people’s conception of slowness, but He is long-suffering (extraordinarily patient) toward you, not desiring that any should perish, but that all should turn to repentance.” -2 Peter 3:9 Amplified Bible Classic Edition

Thank God for His mercy. Thank God that He is long-suffering. Aren’t you glad that God isn’t like some of us? We tend to give up on and write people off. We can sometimes become impatient. God is ever merciful. He is aware of what is taking place on the earth. He is aware of the sin, crime, and atrocities that are taking place. Instead of allowing judgment to take place, God has been extraordinarily patient. He is waiting on us to get our act together. We must be the same way towards people and the promises of God. We must not give up on the promises of God, and we cannot give up on people. We must be like our Father, extraordinarily patient. When we are, it's just a matter of time before we experience the fulfillment of the promises of God.

#Godspromises #devotional #vcccharlotte #mercy

DAILY DEVOTIONAL | May 10th

May 10, 2023

📖 “The men of Israel looked them over and accepted the evidence. But they didn’t ask God about it. So Joshua made peace with them and formalized it with a covenant to guarantee their lives. The leaders of the congregation swore to it. And then, three days after making this covenant, they learned that they were next-door neighbors who had been living there all along! The People of Israel broke camp and set out; three days later they reached their towns—Gibeon, Kephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath Jearim. But the People of Israel didn’t attack them; the leaders of the congregation had given their word before the God of Israel. But the congregation was up in arms over their leaders.” -Joshua 9:14-18 The Message

Have you ever made a major life-changing decision without consulting God and then ended up regretting moving forward without His wisdom? That is what Joshua did. Joshua made a decision based on what was presented to him. He made a covenant with men that he was supposed to conquer. The men presented themselves as a people who came from a faraway place when they were from up the street. They deceived Joshua, and then because of their agreement, they could not be conquered; they were now considered Joshua’s subjects. This was not the will of God, but because Joshua had made the decision to make the covenant, there was no going back. We must all learn from Joshua. When it comes to the significant decisions of our lives, we must seek the Lord. When someone comes to us with a business proposition, we must seek the Lord. Everything that sounds good isn’t always good. When you seek the Lord, He will always endeavor to lead and guide you in the way that you should go. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

#spiritled #devotional #devotional #vcccharlotte