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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | August 24th

📖 “We are hedged in (pressed) on every side [troubled and oppressed in every way], but not cramped or crushed; we suffer embarrassments and are perplexed and unable to find a way out, but not driven to despair;

We are pursued (persecuted and hard driven), but not deserted [to stand alone]; we are struck down to the ground, but never struck out and destroyed; Always carrying about in the body the liability and exposure to the same putting to death that the Lord Jesus suffered, so that the resurrection] life of Jesus also may be shown forth by and in our bodies.

For our light, momentary affliction (this slight distress of the passing hour) is ever more and more abundantly preparing and producing and achieving for us an everlasting weight of glory [beyond all measure, excessively surpassing all comparisons and all calculations, a vast and transcendent glory and blessedness never to cease!], Since we consider and look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen; for the things that are visible are temporal (brief and fleeting), but the things that are invisible are deathless and everlasting." -II Corinthians 4:8-10; 17-18 Amplifed Bible Classic Edition

In these verses, Paul mentions his hardships and the troubles he faced while he was on his missionary journey. Despite all the difficulties he faced, he referred to them as “light afflictions”. He called them momentary. Paul had the right perspective on the challenges he faced. He knew that it was temporary. He knew that the invisible things were deathless and everlasting. He was aware of the rewards that were awaiting him in heaven. He didn’t make the mistake that many Christians are making. We can become so fixated with our problems that we forget that the problems are temporary. We forget about what is waiting for us when this life is over. We forget about heaven. Let’s keep our eyes on what's important. Everything else is subject to change, for we walk by faith and not by sight.

#heaven #faith #verseoftheday #vcccharlotte

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | August 23rd

📖 “Are not my words as a fire, saith the Lord: and as a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?" -Jeremiah 23:29 Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition

Are there things in your life that you are having a hard time getting over? The Word will burn it out. The Word will separate you from everything that is displeasing to God. The Word will break in pieces every obstacle that stands between you and the good life that God has preordained for you to walk in. As you spend time in the Word, the Word will transform you. II Corinthians 3:18 tells us that “we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord”. As we continue to look into the glory of God (Word of God), we are changed into the same image. We will eventually look like what the Word says we are. We will be changed into His image. 

#glorytoglory #devotional #vcccharlotte #WordofGod 

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | August 22nd

📖 “The spirit of man [that factor in human personality which proceeds immediately from God] is the lamp of the Lord, searching all his innermost parts." -Proverbs 20:27 Amplified Bible Classic Edition

God wants to lead us by our spirits. He doesn’t want us led by our senses because Satan is the god of this world. He can manipulate and control things in this natural world, but he cannot manipulate our spirit man. This is because our spirit man is connected to God. As we develop our spirit through prayer and the Word of God, we become more sensitive to God. This enables us to hear Him more clearly. It allows us to sense His leading a whole lot better. God wants to reveal His plans for our lives to us, and He does so through our spirits by the Holy Spirit. (I Corinthians 2:11-13) We don’t have to be in the dark about anything in life. We can simply make it a priority to continue to develop our spirit. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God (Romans 8:14).

#sonsofGod #verseoftheday #spiritled #vcccharlotte

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | August 21st

📖 “"On that same day [when] evening had come, He said to them, Let us go over to the other side [of the lake]. And leaving the throng, they took Him with them, [just] as He was, in the boat [in which He was sitting]. And other boats were with Him. And a furious storm of wind [of hurricane proportions] arose, and the waves kept beating into the boat, so that it was already becoming filled. But He [Himself] was in the stern [of the boat], asleep on the [leather] cushion; and they awoke Him and said to Him, Master, do You not care that we are perishing? And He arose and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, Hush now! Be still (muzzled)! And the wind ceased (sank to rest as if exhausted by its beating) and there was [immediately] a great calm (a perfect peacefulness). He said to them, Why are you so timid and fearful? How is it that you have no faith (no firmly relying trust)? And they were filled with great awe and feared exceedingly and said one to another, Who then is this, that even wind and sea obey Him?" -Mark 4:35-41 Amplified Bible Classic Edition

No matter what storm is raging in our lives, we can rest when we know that Jesus in our boat. We don’t have to worry about going under when He is with us. Storms will come. Hard times may come, but regardless of what may come our way, we will get to the other side! We will outlast the storm. The wind will cease eventually. The rain will stop. All we have to do is walk by faith and not by sight. If we will stand on the Word of God, we can weather any storm. Jesus would not allow the disciples to go under, and when we put our faith and trust in Him, He won’t allow us to either. We will get to where God wants us to be: a place of victory. 

#pray #jesus #iamvictory #devotional 

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | August 20th

📖 “Whoever has knowledge controls his words, and a person who has understanding is even-tempered" -Proverbs 17:27 God’s Word Translation

A person who has knowledge and understanding will control both their tongue and their temper. Sometimes when people get upset, they lose their temper and say whatever is on their mind. When they do, they have a tendency to regret what was said in a moment of anger. We cannot allow our emotions to get the best of us. The Word of God tells us to be slow to wrath (James 1:19). We must control our words, because our words have power. We don’t want to curse people or say things that we really don’t want to come to pass. We must walk in the fruit of the spirit. We must maintain our joy. We must stay in control of our words and our temper. 

#wordshavepower #devotional #understanding #vcccharlotte 

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | August 19th

📖 “A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.” -Proverbs 18:24 King James Version

Many of us have a best friend. We have people in our lives who we can call on whenever we need them. If we want people to be there for us, we must be willing to be there for them. We must show ourselves friendly. God wants to be our best friend. He wants to walk with us and talk with us. He wants to be there when we are down, and He wants to be there when everything is good. He loves us and cares about us. When it comes to this Scripture, we always think about our earthly friends, but let’s not forget about God. He will stick closer to us than any human being and He will never let us down. 

#faithful #inspiration #friendshipgoals #devotional 

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | August 18th

📖 “God made everything with a place and purpose; even the wicked are included—but for judgment." -Proverbs 16:4 The Message

God created everything with a place and purpose. The birds were not created to function underwater. The fish were not created to swim on land. Have you seen a shark that was swept on the shore and ended up out of the water? Do you know what happens? The people rush to get it back into the water because that is where it is supposed to be. We were created for the earth. We were created to have dominion on the earth and to be ambassadors of heaven, our future home. We all have a general purpose and specific purpose, a purpose just for you to fulfill. As we walk with God, we will realize and experience both. Let's walk in our purpose, and let's glory God by doing so. You will not be fulfilled until you do.

#theCreator #purposedrivenlife #vcccharlotte #devotional

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | August 17th

📖 “After Jesus had finished all that He had to say in the hearing of the people [on the mountain], He entered Capernaum. Now a centurion had a bond servant who was held in honor and highly valued by him, who was sick and at the point of death. And when the centurion heard of Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to Him, requesting Him to come and make his bond servant well." -Luke 7:1-3 Amplified Bible Classic Edition

The centurion was in a desperate situation. One of his servants, who was very dear to him, was about to die. The situation looked hopeless. It reminds you of the story of the woman with the issue of blood. She had been to several doctors and instead of getting better, she got worse. Just like the woman with the issue of blood, the centurion heard of Jesus. Something happens when you hear of Jesus. When you hear of Jesus properly, it is supposed to give you hope. When you hear the Word of God, it should give you hope as well. The centurion had so much confidence in who Jesus was (and is), he told Him that he didn’t have to come to his house. He only needed Jesus to speak the word only. He understood the authority that Jesus walked in. He understood the spoken word. We also must hear of Jesus properly. We must hear about God properly. Things change when we do. They will turn around for the better. 

#gamechanger #devotional #faithfulGod #vcccharlotte 

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | August 16th

📖 “Blessed (happy—with life-joy and satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation, apart from your outward condition—and to be envied) are you when people despise (hate) you, and when they exclude and excommunicate you [as disreputable] and revile and denounce you and defame and cast out and spurn your name as evil (wicked) on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice and be glad at such a time and exult and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is rich and great and strong and intense and abundant in heaven; for even so their forefathers treated the prophets.” -Luke 6:22-23 Amplified Bible Classic Edition

No one wants to experience persecution. No one enjoys being ostracized or ridiculed. The last thing one feels like doing is leaping for joy. However, we must realize that God’s ways are higher than our ways. We must understand that the servant is not greater than his master. The student is not greater than his teacher. Jesus was persecuted and all He did was set people free and teach the Word of God. They wanted to kill him. They wanted to throw him off of a cliff. They wanted to stone him. They conspired to kill him. Most of us haven’t experienced that type of persecution and probably never will. If we are persecuted, we should be glad about it. We’re in great company. Our reward is rich, great, strong, intense, and abundant.

#persecution #greatisourreward #unashamed #vcccharlotte

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | August 15th

📖 “You are snared with the words of your lips, you are caught by the speech of your mouth” -Proverbs 6:2 Amplified Bible Classic Edition

Many times, we are where we are because of the words of our mouths. In context, the verse is talking about giving a pledge or your word to do something or pay something for someone else. The verse tells us that when you do that, your own lips have gotten you in trouble. Your words have put you in a place you may later regret. The principle is still true. Your words can take you to a place where you did not want to be. Your words created boundaries in your life. Your words can take you down the wrong path. You are snared by the words of your lips. We must be careful when we give our word to people. We must be wise when we agree to cosign for someone else. We must not allow ourselves to be snared by our words or caught by the speech of our mouths. We must choose our words carefully.

#wordsofwisdom #verseoftheday #powerofwords #vcccharlotte

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | August 14th

📖 “So it shall be, when the Lord your God brings you into the land of which He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give you large and beautiful cities which you did not build, houses full of all good things, which you did not fill, hewn-out wells which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant—when you have eaten and are full—then beware, lest you forget the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage." -Deuteronomy 6:10-12 New King James Version

God desires for His people to have the best. He wants to provide for us so that we can be an example of His goodness to the world. God told the Israelites (who were His covenant people) that they were not to forget who gave them the cities that they did not build. They were not to forget who put them in a place where they would eat and get full. God did not just give them empty houses, but houses that were full of good things. He did not give them run down looking cities, but beautiful cities. God blessed His people immensely. Not out of obligation, but out of love. They didn’t determine the terms of the covenant, God did. All of this was God’s idea. God’s thoughts toward them were good, and He hasn’t changed. His thoughts toward us are good as well. He loves us and He wants to take great care of us. 

#Godlovesyou #devotional #vcccharlotte #covenant 

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | August 13th

📖 “This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” -Psalm 118:24 King James Version

Today is a special day. It is a day that you have never seen before. You have the opportunity to make the best of it. You can curate this day and make it what you want it to be. Every day that you wake up, you have the opportunity to make your life better. You have the chance to make your day count. You can receive benefits you haven’t received in the past because the Lord daily loads us with benefit. The Lord says that He will supply our daily bread. Today someone didn’t wake up, but you did! You have a chance to make an impact for the kingdom of God. Let’s not take life for granted. Let’s not take the day for granted. This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it! 

#thisisthedaythattheLordhasmade #Godisgood #sundayfunday #devotional 

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | August 12th

📖 "It is better to trust and take refuge in the Lord than to put confidence in man." -Psalm 118:8 Amplified Bible Classic Edition

Our confidence should always be in God and what His Word says. Man may let you down; he has limitations. God has no limits. He is faithful. God will never let you down when you put your complete trust in Him. He loves us and wants to handle every difficulty and every problem that we may encounter. A man may break his word, but God won’t. A man may change his mind, but God won’t. God’s Word is forever settled in heaven. His thoughts towards us will forever be good. His plan for our lives will always be good. Man may have ulterior motives. He may say one thing and mean something else, but God is always the same. There is no shadow of turning in Him. We can put our confidence in Him.

#Godisfaithful #devotional #encouragement #dependable

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | August 11th

📖 "The backslider in heart [from God and from fearing God] shall be filled with [the fruit of] his own ways, and a good man shall be satisfied with [the fruit of] his ways [with the holy thoughts and actions which his heart prompts and in which he delights].” -Proverbs 14:14 Amplified Bible Classic Edition

It always pays to serve God. It is always in our best interest to live a consecrated, sanctified life before God. One minister said, “Serving God doesn’t cost, it pays.” As we serve God and obey His commandments, we can expect to be satisfied with the fruit of our ways. We don’t obey God out of obligation, we obey God out of respect. We obey God out of our reverence and appreciation for who He is and what He has done for us. We don’t want to be like the backslider. They will be filled with the fruit of their ways as well. Their outcome will be different from ours. The Bible tells us that the wages of sin is death  (Romans 6:23). The payment for a lifestyle of sin is death. We don’t want the consequences of death in any area of our lives. We must serve the Lord and walk with Him. It's important that we delight ourselves in the Lord. When we do, we can expect to receive the desires of our hearts. (Psalms 37:4) We can expect it, because God promised it, and God cannot lie. 

#Godcantlie #backslider #Godloves #vcccharlotte 

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | August 10th

📖 "The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O Lord, endureth forever: forsake not the works of thine own hands.” -Psalm 138:8 King James Version

God wants to handle everything that concerns you. He doesn't want you worrying. He doesn't want you anxious. You weren't created to take on all the cares of this life. God wants to handle your problems and even those of your loved ones. He wants to take care of the problems on the job. He wants to take care of you in every facet of life. It’s God’s desire to be a Father to you. Let's allow Him to. He's the best Father anyone could have.
#dailydevotional #trustGod #verseoftheday #vcccharlotte

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | August 9th

📖 "He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will be destroyed." -Proverbs 13:20 New King James Version

It has been said that “your future is in your associations.” It is important who our friends are. We must be mindful of who we are walking with. If we want to be wise, we must walk with wise people. If we want to be successful, we must be around people who succeeded the right way. We must endeavor to be around what we want to become. If you don’t want to be a fool, don’t hang around fools. If you don’t want to be poor, don’t hang around the poor. This is not to insinuate that we should be “snobby” or act like we are better than someone. It’s just imperative to keep in mind that if you hang around someone long enough, they will rub off on you. We want to make sure the right stuff is rubbing off us.

#ironsharpensiron #wednesdaywisdom #friendshipgoals #devotional

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | August 8th

📖 "Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever! My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths, so that they have not hurt me, because I was found innocent before Him; and also, O king, I have done no wrong before you.” -Daniel 6:21-22 New King James Version

God will fight for you. When you stand up for Him, He will stand up for you. The king made a decree that violated Daniel’s beliefs. Daniel was a man of prayer, and prayer was a lifestyle for him. He would not allow the king’s decree to alter his lifestyle. He would not allow anything or anyone to come between his relationship with God. Not only was Daniel protected in the lion’s den, he was also promoted. The men who were behind the king’s decree were devoured by those same lions along with their families. We cannot be ashamed of the Gospel. We cannot be ashamed of who we are. When we stand up for God, He will stand up for us. When we honor Him, He will honor us.

#standup #116 #Gospel #devotional ⁠

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | August 7th

📖 "Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing." -I Peter 3:8-9 New King James Version

God is love. Since we are His children, we should be ‘love children’. God desires for us to demonstrate His love toward others. When we are reviled, God wants us to bless. When we are mistreated, God wants us to love those who are mistreating us. God wants us to have His mind. He loves us no matter what we do. It does not matter how we may fall short; God still loves us. No matter what is done to us, we must be like God. We are to be tenderhearted and courteous. We are to treat people the way we want to be treated. No one said it would be easy—especially easy on our flesh, but we must be doers of the Word. We must be imitators of our Heavenly Father. ⁠

#childrenofGod #mondaymotivation #vcccharlotte⁠ #faith #bibleverse ⁠

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | August 6th

📖 "Your words are what sustain me; they are food to my hungry soul. They bring joy to my sorrowing heart and delight me. How proud I am to bear your name, O Lord." -Jeremiah 15:16 TLB

God's Word will sustain us when we are going through a storm. It will feed our spirit man and keep us strong. In fact, our spirit man is what will sustain us when we are overcoming a physical affliction (Proverbs 18:14). God's Word will give us hope in despair. It will give us joy in a time of sorrow. God's Word is vital in our spiritual walk. Let us always value the Word of God and never take it for granted. Let us always be proud to bear His Name. We are nothing without Him.

#innerpeace #dailydevotional #spirit #vcccharlotte

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | August 5th

📖 "For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame—who set their mind on earthly things. For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” -Philippians 3:8-10 New King James Version

Our citizenship is in heaven. When we understand and hold on to that, it helps us to keep things in the proper perspective. When we set our minds on things above, it keeps us free from the love of the world. We don’t want to be like those who are ‘enemies of the cross’. Those people have their minds on earthly things. They are consumed with the things of this earth and rarely discuss heavenly things. We are to seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness and all the other things will be added to us. We have been given all things that pertain to life and godliness. When that is on our minds, there will be no destruction in our lives. Our god won’t be our bellies, and we won’t be so earthly-minded that we are no heavenly good. We are ambassadors of Heaven, eagerly waiting for our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ!

#kingdomofGod #devotional #verseoftheday #vcccharlotte

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