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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | September 13th

📖 "And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah: And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, To devise cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, And in cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of timber, to work in all manner of workmanship." -Exodus 31:1-5 King James Version

God has gifted us with talents and abilities. He has equipped us with these talents because there are things that He wants to accomplish through us. He anointed and equipped Bezaleel with all these talents so that he could assist with building the tabernacle and the furnishings within the tabernacle. What is interesting about this, is that God knew that he (Bezaleel) would be alive at this time so that he would be a part of erecting the tabernacle in the wilderness. God knew that the Israelites would be free from Egyptian bondage, and He knew what would need to be constructed while they were in the wilderness.

We serve an awesome God. God had the foresight to see what would take place in the future and then equipped people to be a part of what He was doing while He sent the people into the promised land. God has not changed. He still has knowledge of the future, and He is still equipping us. Once we recognize our talents and abilities, it is up to us to seek the Lord so that we can be where He has preordained for us to be. We can only experience fulfillment when we are where He wants us to be, doing what He has called us to do.

#purposedriven #followGod #talents #Godordained #dailydevotional

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | September 12th

📖 "A calm and undisturbed mind and heart are the life and health of the body, but envy, jealousy, and wrath are like rottenness of the bones." -Proverbs 14:30 Amplified Bible Classic Edition

The enemy wants you discouraged. Satan, our enemy, would love for you to stay frustrated, agitated, and discouraged. He wants you in fear. He wants you in a state of anxiety because he knows the effect it has on the body. Stress causes all kinds of sickness. It has led to heart attacks, strokes, and other ailments. God tells us in His Word to cast our cares on Him (I Peter 5:7). He tells us to cast our burden on the Lord, and He will sustain us (Psalm 55:22). God tells us these things so that we can remain calm. God wants us full of joy. The joy of the Lord is to be our strength (Nehemiah 8:10). God wants us to be carefree and full of joy not only because it is good for us emotionally, but because it is also good for us physically. Stay free from the cares and the worries of life and give them to the Lord. He wants you to be made whole: spirit, soul, and body.

#peaceofmind #calm #encouragement #bible #dailydevotional

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | September 11th

📖 "Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man whom You discipline and instruct, O Lord, and teach out of Your law, That You may give him power to keep himself calm in the days of adversity, until the [inevitable] pit of corruption is dug for the wicked. For the Lord will not cast off nor spurn His people, neither will He abandon His heritage." -Psalm 94:12-14 Amplified Bible Classic Edition

God has given us His Word to teach, discipline, and instruct us. When we read, study, and meditate on the Word of God, it causes faith to rise in our hearts. So, when adversity comes (and it comes to all of us), we can have peace in the midst of the storm because of the promises of God. His Word stabilizes us in the midst of any tumultuous circumstance that may come to disrupt our lives.

What a GOOD Father! He will never leave or forsake His children. When we trust in the Lord with all our hearts, we can rest assured that His way is the best. When we commit to being doers of the Word and not hearers only, we will be blessed in our deeds, because it is the doer that is blessed, not just the hearer only (James 1:25). So, rest. You don’t have to worry about a thing. Your Heavenly Father is active and watching over His Word to perform it. He is taking care of everything that concerns you. Rest in Him.

#rest #trustGod #psalm #dailydevotional #goodgoodfather

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | September 10th

📖 "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds [curing their pains and their sorrows]." -Psalm 147:3 Amplified Bible Classic Edition

God is not just a healer of the physical body; He is a healer of the soulish man as well. We are a tripartite being. We are a spirit. We have a soul. We live in a physical body. When you are born again, God doesn’t heal the spirit, your spirit is reborn. You become a new creature in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). Our soul which is composed of our mind, will, and emotions, did not become new, but the mind can be renewed to the Word of God. Because our emotions are connected to our souls, sometimes healing is needed in our souls. When a loved one passes, we may need healing in our emotions. Regardless of why we may need healing in our emotional arena, God is more than capable and more than willing to heal us. He is the healer of the body and the soul.

#healerofthebrokenhearted #Godlovesyou #healer #emotions #vcccharlotte

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | September 9th

📖 "I give you a new commandment: that you should love one another. Just as I have loved you, so you too should love one another. By this shall all [men] know that you are My disciples, if you love one another [if you keep on showing love among yourselves].” -John 13:34-35 Amplified Bible Classic Edition

Notice what distinguishes us as a disciple of Christ. It is our decision to love people the way Jesus loves us. Jesus loves us, regardless of our issues. Regardless of our mistakes, Jesus loves us no matter what. Now He doesn’t approve of what we do, when its wrong, but He still loves us. The Father still loves us. We must get to a point in our lives where we love everyone and treat everyone with dignity and respect. The Bible tells us that the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost (Romans 5:5). We can love our enemies. We can love our relatives. We can love our co-workers. We can love everyone we encounter because God’s love is on the inside of us, and He would not ask us to do something we were not capable of doing. Let’s represent the kingdom of God, let’s love people with the love of God all day, every day. It may not be easy, but we can do it. We can do all things through Christ who gives us strength (Philippians 4:13).

#disciple #devotional #Jesus #vccchaarlotte #lovewalk

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | September 8th

📖 "[For Abraham, human reason for] hope being gone, hoped in faith that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been promised, So [numberless] shall your descendants be. He did not weaken in faith when he considered the [utter] impotence of his own body, which was as good as dead because he was about a hundred years old, or [when he considered] the barrenness of Sarah’s [deadened] womb. No unbelief or distrust made him waver (doubtingly question) concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong and was empowered by faith as he gave praise and glory to God, Fully satisfied and assured that God was able and mighty to keep His word and to do what He had promised." -Romans 4:18-21 Amplified Bible Classic Edition

There are many people in the world without hope. They have been challenged financially, mentally, and physically, and they have no hope. They don’t see how their lives can get any better because of the difficulties that they face daily. As believers, we have hope. Even when it looks like we don’t have any hope, we can go to the Word of God and receive some. Abraham did not consider his circumstances when it came to believing God, he was convinced that God was able to keep His Word to Him. We can be the same way. We can ignore the circumstances and simply believe God’s Word because He cannot fail us. When we put our trust in the Word of God, we can have hope. It doesn’t matter what’s going on in the world, we can stay positive and have a cheerful countenance because we know that God is faithful to His promise. If He said it, He will do it. If He spoke it, He will bring it to pass.

#hope #devotional #encouragement #trustGod #verseoftheday

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | September 7th

📖 "And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ." -Galatians 4:6-7 King James Version

Sometimes we can take things for granted. According to Scripture, we are not considered servants of God, but we are called “children” of God. The Bible tells us that God “has pleasure in the prosperity of his servant” (Psalm 35:27). If God takes pleasure in the prosperity of His servant, how much more His children? Children have more privileges than servants. Many have called themselves servants of the most High, and they are not necessarily wrong. In God’s eyes, He sees us as His children. It was always His will for us to be His children. Sin separated us from God, and it was not until after the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, that we were able to be called the children of God (after receiving Jesus as our Lord and Savior). Children have access to everything their parents have access to.

As children of God, we have access to everything that God has. As we grow in the knowledge of God, we also grow in our knowledge of our inheritance, and as we act on the Word of God, we experience the reality of what has been promised to us as children of God. We do not have to go without, we only must look to the Greater One within.

#childrenofGod #JesusChrist #devotional #inheritance #verseoftheday

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | September 6th

📖 "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” -I Corinthians 10:31 KJV 

God wants our lives to bring Him glory. It is His desire for us to walk in the Blessing so that it will attract people to Him. When you give God the glory for all that is being accomplished in your life, it will cause people to want to know more about the God you are giving glory to. That is one reason it is important to do everything to the glory of God. You cannot sin to the glory of God. It is hard to listen to the wrong kind of music to the glory of God. It is hard to watch the wrong type of movie to the glory of God. It is hard to do wrong and attribute it to God. That just simply isn’t going to happen.

Living a life that glorifies God will cause you to be more aware of your actions and the consequences of your actions. When your desire is to bring God glory, you will not want to do anything that will cause embarrassment to the kingdom of God. God desires for our lives to bring Him glory, so let’s not let Him down. He is counting on us to do so.

#forthegloryofGod #dailydevotional #motivation #ambassadorsofChrist

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | September 5th

📖 "The [uncompromisingly] righteous shall flourish like the palm tree [be long-lived, stately, upright, useful, and fruitful]; they shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon [majestic, stable, durable, and incorruptible]. Planted in the house of the Lord, they shall flourish in the courts of our God. [Growing in grace] they shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be full of sap [of spiritual vitality] and [rich in the] verdure [of trust, love, and contentment]. [They are living memorials] to show that the Lord is upright and faithful to His promises; He is my Rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.” -Psalm 92:12-15 Amplified Classic

God expects us to flourish as we get older. We are to bring Him glory by standing on His Word and demonstrating that He is faithful to His promises. The world will try to paint a different picture. The world will have you thinking that you are to become increasingly dependent on people as we get older because you cannot take care of yourself. The world will have you seeing yourself declining physically and becoming a burden on family members. God sees things differently. He sees you flourishing in every area of your life and becoming a living memorial of His goodness. Do not allow the world to tell you how you are supposed to age. God’s Word tells us that our lives are to get better and better as we get older. Stand for the promises of God and watch Him honor His Word in your life. God is not a man that He should lie. 

#trust #Godspromises #psalm #dailydevotional 

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | September 4th

📖 "He will rescue you in six troubles; in seven nothing that is evil [for you] will touch you. In famine He will redeem you from death, and in war from the power of the sword. You shall be hidden from the scourge of the tongue, neither shall you be afraid of destruction when it comes. At destruction and famine you shall laugh, neither shall you be afraid of the living creatures of the earth." -Job 5:19-22 Amplified Classic

This is a Scripture that shows us God’s desire to “keep” us regardless of what the enemy may try to bring against us. He will rescue us from all types of trouble. Our God will cause us to laugh at destruction and famine. He will keep us if we had to go to war, He will keep us from the power of the sword (or any weapon). God is our Deliverer and our Protector. As believers, we do not fear death, or destruction, or anything that is under the curse. Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, and He causes us to win in every situation and every circumstance when we stand on His Word. God took care of his people in the middle of famine, and He has protected His people in war. If He has done it in the past, He will do it now. He has not changed. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

#faithful #motivation #devotional #redeemer #vcccharlotte

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | September 3rd

📖 "Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour. Withstand him; be firm in faith [against his onset—rooted, established, strong, immovable, and determined], knowing that the same (identical) sufferings are appointed to your brotherhood (the whole body of Christians) throughout the world.” -I Peter 4:9-10 Amplified Classic

The devil is doing what he does best. He is going about as a roaring lion looking to steal, kill, and to destroy. The good news is that as believers, we have authority over the devil, and he cannot destroy us. Satan is the god of this world, and the whole world is under his influence (2 Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 2:2). We have been separated and consecrated unto our God. We are in this world, but we are not of this world. Satan is not our Lord, and we can say what Jesus said: “He has nothing in me” (John 14:30). The devil is going to do what he does. So, as believers, let's do what we do as well. Let’s resist him and having done all to stand, let’s stand, knowing we have the victory.

#victory #devotional #vcccharlotte #roaringlion #sundayfunday

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | September 2nd

📖 "For not from the east nor from the west nor from the south come promotion and lifting up. But God is the Judge! He puts down one and lifts up another.” -Psalm 75:6-7 Amplified Classic  

God is the source of our promotion. We do not look to man to promote us; we look to the Lord. The Bible even tells us that we are to work as unto the Lord (Colossians 3:23). God promoted Joseph while he was a slave and a prisoner. Daniel was promoted while he and his people were taken into captivity. Nebuchadnezzar even commented that “the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will” (Daniel 4:25). Our job is to work as unto the Lord and to walk in a spirit of excellence. As we do those things, we can rest assured that promotion is on the way. Promotion does not come from men; promotion comes from the Lord. Be encouraged.

#promotioncomesfromtheLord #trustGod #humility #iamvictory #devotional

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | September 1st

📖 "The Scripture passage came true. It says, “Abraham believed God, and that faith was regarded as the basis of Abraham’s approval by God.” So Abraham was called God’s friend." -James 2:23 God’s Word

What a compliment! To be called a “friend of God”. This should be the goal of every believer, to be called a friend of God. The good news is that we have the characteristics of what made Abraham a friend of God. He simply believed God. Sound easy? Unfortunately, it isn’t as easy as it sounds. God’s Word says that we are healed, yet many are saying that they are sick. God’s Word tells us that we are righteous, and yet many Christians call themselves sinners ‘saved by grace’. You cannot be a sinner and a Christian at the same time. When we receive Jesus as Lord and Savior, we are no longer sinners. The Blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin, and sin has no more dominion over us. God is not a man that He should lie. Because of that, we can believe His Word and act on it. As we do that on a consistent basis, we’ll see change in our lives and in our status with God. You won’t just be a child of God; you will be considered a “friend of God”.

#friendofGod #devotional #tgif #inspiration #vcccharlotte #abraham

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | August 31st

📖 "As Jesus was walking by the shore of the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon [Peter] and Simon’s brother, Andrew, casting a net in the sea; for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, Follow Me [as My disciples, accepting Me as your Master and Teacher and walking the same path of life that I walk], and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed Him [becoming His disciples, believing and trusting in Him and following His example]." -Mark 1:16-18 Amplified Bible

If you were to look at these men, you wouldn’t think “men of God”. You would probably just see fishermen. When God sees you, He doesn’t see you as you currently are. He already knows what He has placed on the inside of you. He knows the path that He has for you, and He will place people along your path that will cause positive changes in your life. He will place people in your life that will help to influence you to develop new habits and to change your lifestyle. Peter witnessed so many things during the ministry of Jesus. I’m sure he did not know that he would be a pillar of the Church once Jesus ascended back into Heaven. Peter allowed Jesus to change him as He walked with him and followed his example, and the same thing will happen to us if we obey Him and follow His lead.

#fishersofman #Jesus #simonpeter #dailydevotional #vcccharlotte

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | August 30th

📖 "Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise." -Hebrews 10:35-36 King James Version

When pursuing the will of God, there will be hardships. There will be tests and trials. Regardless of what comes our way, we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. The Bible tells us that we are not just conquerors, but “we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us” (Romans 8:37). If we stay with it, we will receive the promise. The Word of God tells us not to get weary in well doing, for in due season, we will reap if we faint not (Galatians 6:9). Patience is a key characteristic in the race we are running. Many act as if life is a sprint, but life is not a sprint. Life is a marathon. We cannot get in a hurry, and we cannot allow ourselves to get frustrated. We must trust God and know that as we follow Him, we will walk in all that He has for us. Remember, “the path of the just is as a shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day” (Proverbs 4:18). 

#patience #devotional #morethanconquerors #vcccharlotte #brighterdays 

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | August 29th

📖 "I’ll show what it’s like when someone comes to me, hears my words, and puts them into practice. It’s like a person building a house by digging deep and laying the foundation on bedrock. When the flood came, the rising water smashed against that house, but the water couldn’t shake the house because it was well built. But those who don’t put into practice what they hear are like a person who built a house without a foundation. The floodwater smashed against it and it collapsed instantly. It was completely destroyed.” -Luke 6:47-49 Common English Bible

Jesus makes it very clear in His teaching. If you want to be successful, you must be a doer of His teachings and not just a hearer. Jesus compared the lives of the doer versus the hearer. The doer of the Word was like the man who built a solid foundation and when the storms beat against his house, it was able to withstand the winds and the rain. The hearer of the Word was like the man who built his house without a foundation and his house collapsed during the same storm. What we do with the Word of God will determine what will happen to our lives when the storm comes. The strength of the storm will not determine the outcome, the strength of the foundation will.

#jesus #devotional #iamvictory #WordofGod #foundation

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | August 28th

📖 "Such a large crowd of witnesses is all around us! So we must get rid of everything that slows us down, especially the sin that just won't let go. And we must be determined to run the race that is ahead of us.” -Hebrews 12:1 Contemporary English Version

Have you ever watched a track meet? Have you noticed what they wear in track and field? The sprinters don’t run in a sweat suit. They don’t wear much because they want as little resistance as possible while they are running. As believers, we are running the race that God has set for us. Sin will slow us down and even take us off course if we stay in it too long. We must see to it that we keep sin out of our lives so that we can finish our course and finish it with joy. We don’t want to be disqualified and removed from running our race. We must be determined to finish our race. We want to hear, “Well done,” from our coach and Heavenly Father—our God.

#coach #trackmeet #motivation #dailydevotional #vcccharlotte

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | August 27th

📖 "Now, to show my commitment to the temple of my God, I donate my personal treasure of gold and silver to the temple of my God, in addition to all that I have already supplied for this holy temple.” -I Chronicles 29: 3 New English Translation

David had a commitment to God and to His temple. He was so committed that it has been estimated that he donated millions of dollars worth of gold and silver to be used for the building of the temple. That type of commitment begins with a commitment to God. It would take an individual who had a deep conviction and appreciation for God for him or her to make that type of donation toward the building of the temple. It’s baffling how stingy some Christians can be. Some argue about tithing and question how much one should give in an offering. The question should be asked, “How committed are you to the house of God”? How committed are you to God? How much do you love God? When you are in love with God and committed to God, there is no limit to what you are willing to give. You understand that when you take care of God’s house, He will take care of you. Our giving is not a demonstration of obligation, it is simply a demonstration of our appreciation for God and for the church.

#gratitude #tithesandoffering #devotional #bible #message

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | August 26th

📖 "As they continued their travel, Jesus entered a village. A woman by the name of Martha welcomed him and made him feel quite at home. She had a sister, Mary, who sat before the Master, hanging on every word he said. But Martha was pulled away by all she had to do in the kitchen. Later, she stepped in, interrupting them. “Master, don’t you care that my sister has abandoned the kitchen to me? Tell her to lend me a hand.” The Master said, “Martha, dear Martha, you’re fussing far too much and getting yourself worked up over nothing. One thing only is essential, and Mary has chosen it—it’s the main course, and won’t be taken from her.” -Luke 10:38-42 The Message

What are you doing with the Master? There were two sisters in the presence of Jesus, and yet we see two different actions. One sister sat at Jesus’ feet. She hung on to His every word. She could not get enough of the Word of God. On the other hand, her sister was concerned about being hospitable. She was concerned with serving the food. She became aggravated with her sister because she would not help her to cook and to serve their guests. Jesus had to correct her and tell her that Mary had chosen to do the right thing. She was concerned with the Bread of Life. Martha was concerned about natural bread. She allowed herself to be distracted by something that was not that important. Many of us are like Mary, and many of us are like Martha. Some of us have prioritized the Word of God and made it first place in our lives. Others of us have not made the Word of God a priority in our lives. We have focused on everything except the Word. We all must adjust our focus at times. We must examine ourselves and ask ourselves how much priority we are giving the Word. We will know when we have our priorities in order when we seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. When that is first, we will never lack anything in our lives.

#seekGod #priorities #devotional #focus #vcccharlotte

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | August 25th

📖 "[Earnestly] remember the former things, [which I did] of old; for I am God, and there is no one else; I am God, and there is none like Me" -Isaiah 46:9 Amplified Bible Classic Edition

There are times in the Bible when God tells us to forget things from the past, and there are times when He tells us to remember them. He may tell us to forget the past because there are better things ahead. He may tell us to remember the past because replaying past victories can strengthen our faith and strengthen our resolve. Past victories remind us of how God came through before when things looked impossible. Whatever God has done in the past, He can do it again. We must be willing to forget the past when it comes to our failures and shortcomings. We must also be willing to remember the miracles and the breakthroughs. They remind us that God has not changed. If He did it before, He can do it again.

#iamvictory #faithfulGod #devotional #vcccharlotte

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