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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | March 6th

📖 Now look at me: God has kept me alive, as he promised. It is now forty-five years since God spoke this word to Moses, years in which Israel wandered in the wilderness. And here I am today, eighty-five years old! I’m as strong as I was the day Moses sent me out. I’m as strong as ever in battle, whether coming or going. So give me this hill country that God promised me. You yourself heard the report, that the Anakim were there with their great fortress cities. If God goes with me, I will drive them out, just as God said.” 
⎯Joshua 14:10-12 Message

Caleb was one of the original twelve spies that were chosen to spy out the Promised Land. He and Joshua brought back a good report. They believed that the Israelites could take the Promised Land. The other ten spies did not believe that they were able to take the land. God told Joshua and Caleb that they would enter the Promised Land because of what they believed. Forty-five years had passed, and Caleb still believed the same thing. He wasn’t moved by how long it had been. He was still as strong as he was forty-five years earlier. He did not give up on what God had promised him. We must have the same determination. It doesn’t matter what it looks like, we must stand on God’s Word regardless of how long it takes. We know that it’s just a matter of time before God comes through. As one minister put it, “if you’re willing to stand forever, it won’t take that long”. 

#standtall #trustGod #devotional #vcccharlotte  

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | March 5th

📖 Stay clear of pious talk that is only talk. Words are not mere words, you know. If they’re not backed by a godly life, they accumulate as poison in the soul. ⎯II Timothy 2:16-17 The Message

Words are not just mere words. Words bring life, and they can also bring death. Words can cause blessings, or they can bring calamity into our lives. Our words can take us on a path of abundance and surplus, or they can take us down a road of scarcity and lack. Jesus told us that we can have what we say if we don’t doubt it in our hearts (Mark 11:23). If you want to change what you have, you must change what you’ve been saying. What you have today is a result of what you said yesterday. The things that you will have tomorrow will depend on what you say today. We must take our words more seriously. Our words are not just mere words. What we choose to do with them could be the difference between life and death. Choose wisely.

#wisdom #wordshavepower #devotional #vcccharlotte #JesusChrist #godly #motivation

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | March 4th

📖 At the crack of dawn on Sunday, the women came to the tomb carrying the burial spices they had prepared. They found the entrance stone rolled back from the tomb, so they walked in. But once inside, they couldn’t find the body of the Master Jesus. 

They were puzzled, wondering what to make of this. Then, out of nowhere it seemed, two men, light cascading over them, stood there. The women were awestruck and bowed down in worship. The men said, “Why are you looking for the Living One in a cemetery? He is not here, but raised up. Remember how he told you when you were still back in Galilee that he had to be handed over to sinners, be killed on a cross, and in three days rise up?” Then they remembered Jesus’ words. 
⎯Luke 24: 1-8 The Message

Jesus is alive! Jesus came to the earth, and He fulfilled His mission. The grave could not keep Him. After Jesus paid the price for the sin of humanity, God raised Him from the dead. The people that would receive Him, would no longer be subject to Satan. The people that received Him would no longer be subject to the curse of sickness and disease. The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ sealed our victory. Jesus took the keys of hell and death. We are now seated with Him at the right hand of the Father. We are now His joint-heirs. We are now the children of God. Praise the Lord, our Savior is alive! 

#Heisrisen #devotional #JesusChrist

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | March 2nd

📖 Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?” ⎯Job 1:8 NKJV

In this scripture, we see that the Lord is bragging on Job for his excellence in godliness and his stand for righteousness. Can the same be said of us? Are we living and standing up for God? Christians have started to compromise on the things they once stood firm on. We are a peculiar people, and we are always to stand out from the world. When we compromise on the standards of God, we lose what makes us different. God told us to come out from among them and be separate. Job was separated from the world and its way of life. God is so pleased when we decide to live the same way. In Genesis 6, it talks about how the wickedness of man was great upon the earth and God was sorry that he made man, but God said Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. Why did Noah find favor in the eyes of the Lord? The answer is in Genesis 6:9. It says “This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect in his generation. Noah walked with God.” Noah took a stand for God in an ungodly society, and we can do the same thing. Let us make the firm decision like Noah and Job to live for God so that He will be able to brag on us. 

#favor #devotional #vcccharlotte #liveforGod 

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | March 1st

📖 The Lord will not allow the righteous to hunger [God will meet all his needs], But He will reject and cast away the craving of the wicked. ⎯Proverbs 10:3 AMPC

The Lord knows how to meet our needs. He will not allow us to go hungry when we put our trust in Him. God fed Elijah by sending the ravens to bring him food in the morning and the evening. Jesus multiplied fish and bread and fed thousands of people. God fed the Israelites manna in the wilderness, and there were 2-3 million people. God is not moved by famine or our circumstances. God is moved by faith. He changes circumstances, and He will change yours if you believe Him to do so. His eyes are looking throughout the earth to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is perfect towards Him (II Chronicles 16:9). 

#perfectheart #israelites #Godprovides #devotional

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | February 29th

📖 And Moses said to the Lord, O Lord, I am not eloquent or a man of words, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; for I am slow of speech and have a heavy and awkward tongue. ⎯Exodus 4:10 AMPC

Have you ever felt insignificant? Have you ever felt as if you did not have enough talent or ability to walk out the vision that God has placed on the inside of you? Moses gave God one excuse after another on why He could not be Israels' deliverer. We must understand that God knows us inside and out. He knows our shortcomings, and He knows our faults. God knows our strengths and our weaknesses. If God has called us, then that means that He has equipped us. The things we may not know, God knows how to get that information to us. God even told Moses that He would teach Him what to say (v. 12). God knows what He is doing. When He selected you, He did not make a mistake. God believes in you and if He believes in you, then you should believe in you. You have the goods. Just walk with God every day and see what He does with your life. You can be all that God desires for you to be. You can have all that God wants you to have. 

#GodKnowsUs #devotional #vcccharlotte #listentoGod #verseoftheday

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | February 28th

📖 And He said, Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat? 

And the man said, The woman whom You gave to be with me—she gave me [fruit] from the tree, and I ate.

And the Lord God said to the woman, What is this you have done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled (cheated, outwitted, and deceived) me, and I ate. 
⎯Genesis 3:11-13 AMPC

Excuses came into the earth after the fall of man. After Adam and Eve ate of the fruit that God commanded them not to eat, they did not take responsibility for their actions. Adam blamed God and his wife. Eve blamed the serpent. Successful people take personal responsibility for their lives. They don’t make excuses for why they cannot succeed. Many people are playing the blame game. They blame everything and everyone for their lack of success. It is never them. It is never their fault. The key to our success is being a doer of the Word. It’s important that we get in the rhythm of obedience, taking the time to HEAR and DO/OBEY God's instructions. No one can do it for us. We must hear and do, over and over until it becomes a habit. Let’s not be like Adam and Eve. We can choose to free ourselves from excuses by simply obeying our Heavenly Father. He knows best. ⁠

#NoExcuses #devotional #vcccharlotte #obeyGod #verseoftheday #freeourselves

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | February 27th

📖 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 us. 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. 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 that were in the wilderness with them nor did they take into consideration 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 ours. 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 #verseoftheday #wisdom

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | February 26th

📖 Oh, that men would praise [and confess to] the Lord for His goodness and loving-kindness and His wonderful works to the children of men! ⎯Psalm 107:8 AMPC

God has been good to us. At the time that one makes Jesus the Lord of their life, they are adopted into the family of God. We are not just His children; we are heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. There is no reason that we should not be praising God on a consistent basis. Every promise that we read about in God’s Word reflects His goodness and lovingkindness towards us. The promises of God are enough to praise our God. The blessings of God are enough to cause us to praise God. The fact that God has a plan for our lives is enough to give God praise. Oh, that men would praise the Lord for His goodness and His lovingkindness toward us. 

#FamilyofGod #devotional #vcccharlotte #praiseGod

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | February 24th

📖 If your right eye makes you stumble and leads you to sin, tear it out and throw it away[that is, remove yourself from the source of temptation]; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.  

If your right hand makes you stumble and leads you to sin, cut it off and throw it away [that is, remove yourself from the source of temptation]; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body than for your whole body to go into hell. 

⎯Matthew 5:29-30 AMPC

There is nothing in this world worth going to hell for. Nothing. Money isn’t worth it. Another person isn’t worth it. A better job. A better vehicle—none of these things are worth missing Heaven over. Jesus said in our text that if your right eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out. If your hand is causing you to sin, cut it off. Now Jesus isn’t telling us to literally cut out our eyes or cut off our hands. He is simply making a point not to let anything cause you to miss Heaven. The things of this earth are temporary. Eternity is forever. Don’t miss Heaven! 

#Heavenbound #devotional #vcccharlotte #message

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | February 23rd

📖 You are light for the world. A city cannot be hidden when it is located on a hill.

No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket. Instead, everyone who lights a lamp puts it on a lamp stand. Then its light shines on everyone in the house.

In the same way let your light shine in front of people. Then they will see the good that you do and praise your Father in heaven. 

⎯Matthew 5:14-16 God’s Word Translation

We are the light of the world. We are God’s representatives in the earth. Our behavior and deeds give people an example of the kingdom that we represent. Jesus told the people that when they saw Him, they saw the Father. He was a representation of what the Father was like. We are to do the same. People should watch our behavior and see that there is a difference between us and the world. Jesus even instructed us to do things differently. He told us to love our enemies. He told us to pray for those who despitefully use us. He told us that if someone hits us, we are to turn the other cheek. Doing those things will show people that you are peculiar. They will see that you are not of this world. They will see that you are a citizen of Heaven, a citizen of the kingdom of God. 

#KingdomofGod #devotional #lightoftheworld #vcccharlotte

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | February 22nd

📖 And if you hearken to these precepts and keep and do them, the Lord your God will keep with you the covenant and the steadfast love which He swore to your fathers.

And He will love you, bless you, and multiply you; He will also bless the fruit of your body and the fruit of your land, your grain, your new wine, and your oil, the increase of your cattle and the young of your flock in the land which He swore to your fathers to give you.

You shall be blessed above all peoples; there shall not be male or female barren among you, or among your cattle. And the Lord will take away from you all sickness, and none of the evil diseases of Egypt which you knew will He put upon you, but will lay them upon all who hate you. ⎯Deuteronomy 7:12-15 Amplified Bible Classic Edition

Notice the blessings that accompany obedience. God promised His people that if they would obey His commandments and His precepts, He would love, bless, and multiply them. God promised to bless them above all the people of the earth. He also said that He would take sickness and disease from the midst of them, including barrenness. God has not changed. This was a promise under the old covenant; so, how much more should we expect under a better covenant with better promises? It always pays to serve God. It does not cost to serve Him, it pays. It is always to our benefit to obey the Word of God. We do it out of love and respect, and we do it because it is the right thing to do. We obey God knowing that blessings always follow obedience. If we are willing and obedient, we will eat the good of the land (Isaiah 1:19).

#obedienceisbetterthansacrifice #devotional #verseoftheday #wordofGod #vcccharlotte #covenant

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | February 21st

📖 When the brothers started emptying their sacks of grain, they found their moneybags in them. They were frightened, and so was their father Jacob, who said, “You have already taken my sons Joseph and Simeon from me. And now you want to take away Benjamin! Everything is against me.” ⎯Genesis 42:35-36 Contemporary English Version

Have you ever had that type of feeling? Like the whole world was against you? If we don’t stay on top of ourselves, we can allow ourselves to get to a point where we feel like everyone is against us: our family, our boss, the government, even the dog. The Bible tells us that God is for us, and if He is for us, who can be against us (Romans 8:31). We must remind ourselves that we are children of God, and that He will intervene in our affairs when we ask Him to in faith. God can turn every negative situation around. There is nothing too hard or difficult for Him. We must stay in the Word of God, and we must stay in the presence of God through prayer, praise and worship. As we do those things, our perspective will change. Instead of seeing ourselves as losing, we will see ourselves properly. We will see ourselves as being more than conquerors.

#conquerors #devotional #motivation #Bible #trustGod #dontgiveup

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | February 20th

📖 That is why I would remind you to stir up (rekindle the embers of, fan the flame of, and keep burning) the [gracious] gift of God, [the inner fire] that is in you by means of the laying on of my hands [with those of the elders at your ordination]. ⎯2 Timothy 1:6 AMPC

In this verse, Paul was telling Timothy to stir up the gift of God that had been placed on the inside of him. There was a need for Timothy to stir the gift up so that he could begin to see those impartations in his ministry. We have gifts that God has placed on the inside of us as well so we in turn must stir up the gift. In 1 Cor 14:2 Paul talks about praying in the Holy Spirit and that is one of the ways we can stir up the gift. As we are communicating directly to God through tongues, we are fanning that inner flame. As we continue to fan the flame, we will start to see manifestations of those gifts that God has placed on the inside of us. If we don’t stir up these gifts, then they will lie dormant. The world needs our gifts. So let us please God by stirring up the gift!

#giftofGod #devotional #verseoftheday #paulandtimothy #vcccharlotte #holyspirit

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | February 19th

📖 When Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, “Son of David, have mercy on us!” 

And when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him. And Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” 

They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.” 

Then He touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith let it be to you.” 
⎯Matthew 9:28-29 NKJV

Can you believe that God can do whatever you need Him to do? Do you believe that He can pay your bills? Do you believe that He can heal your body? Do you believe that He can get your loved ones out of the world and back into church? Our believing will determine what God can do in our lives. The blind men received their sight because they believed that Jesus could heal them. Their believing caused them to follow Him and to cry after Him. Your believing will always cause you to act. Thank God for faith. Thank God that our faith can make us whole. It doesn’t matter what area of our lives it may be; faith can make us whole.

 #faith #devotional #believe #vcccharlotte

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | February 17th

📖 And Lot looked and saw that everywhere the Jordan Valley was well watered. Before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, [it was all] like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, as you go to Zoar. 

Then Lot chose for himself all the Jordan Valley and [he] traveled east. So they separated. 

Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelt in the cities of the [Jordan] Valley and moved his tent as far as Sodom and dwelt there. 

But the men of Sodom were wicked and exceedingly great sinners against the Lord. 
⎯Genesis 13: 10-13 AMPC

We have to make sure that we always consult the Lord before making major decisions in our lives. A separation needed to take place between Lot and Abram because their substance had become great, and they could no longer co-exist. Lot looked at Sodom and Gomorrah and chose that place because it looked like the garden of the Lord. He based his decision on what He saw. As believers, we are to be led by the Spirit of God when it comes to major decisions in our lives. God knows what we don’t know. He sees what we don’t see. We must always endeavor to be in tune with Spirit of God so that we can always be in sync with Him. He always knows what’s best for us. Every good Father will do what is best for their children. We can expect no less from God. 

 #consulttheLord #devotional #SpiritofGod #vcccharlotte 

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | February 16th

📖 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified. ⎯1 Corinthians 9:27 NKJV

Paul is saying here that he is making sure his body does not rule his spirit. We are spirit beings, and God created us to live out of our spirits. Sometimes our flesh is not in subjection to our spirits, and that can lead to us making bad decisions that, as Paul mentioned, can disqualify us. Some people have trouble sticking to their diet because they give in to their flesh every time it craves something that is not in said diet. The flesh is not mindful of spiritual things. All it cares about is pleasure and the things of this world. We must subdue the flesh and always keep our spirit man on top. Our spirit man is to run the show, and we can strengthen him by communing with God through the word and prayer. Looking upon the people who fell short of the destiny God had for them, Samson stands out because he did not control his flesh. Samson could have been used a lot more had he controlled his lust for women. Let’s continue to subdue our flesh and strengthen our spirits.

#liveinthespirit #devotional #verseoftheday #vcccharlotte

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | February 15th

📖 And the word of the Lord came to him (Elijah), saying, Go from here and turn east and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, east of the Jordan. You shall drink of the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there. So he did according to the word of the Lord; he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, east of the Jordan. And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning and bread and flesh in the evening, and he drank of the brook. ⎯I Kings 17:2-6 Amplified Bible Classic Edition 

Elijah was in a place where he had to trust God. He had obeyed God, and it was now time for God to come through. As we can see from the passage above, He came through. We can always count on God to confirm His Word. The Bible tells us that He is watching over His Word to perform it (Jeremiah 1:12). We can put our trust in God. We can trust that He will meet every need because He promised to (Philippians 4:19). He said He was our Healer so we can trust Him to heal us of every sickness and every disease (Exodus 15:26; 23:25). Regardless of what God tells us to do, we must be obedient and understand that if we are willing and obedient, we will eat the good of the land. Elijah obeyed God, and God came through. When we are obedient to the Word of God, we can expect the same.

#elijah #trustGod #verseoftheday #devotional #healer #bible

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | February 14th

📖 And when neither sun nor stars were visible for many days and no small tempest kept raging about us, all hope of our being saved was finally abandoned. Then as they had eaten nothing for a long time, Paul came forward into their midst and said, Men, you should have listened to me, and should not have put to sea from Crete and brought on this disaster and harm and misery and loss. But [even] now I beg you to be in good spirits and take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you but only of the ship. For this [very] night there stood by my side an angel of the God to Whom I belong and Whom I serve and worship, And he said, Do not be frightened, Paul! It is necessary for you to stand before Caesar; and behold, God has given you all those who are sailing with you. So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith (complete confidence) in God that it will be exactly as it was told me; ⎯Acts 27:20-25 Amplified Bible Classic Edition

Paul’s situation looked very bleak. It looked as if he and the other prisoners were going to perish at sea. Paul had every right to give up, but he received a word from heaven. An angel told him that he along with everyone on the ship would be saved. When Paul heard from the angel, he had a decision to make. He could have thought he was hallucinating and disregarded the message that he received. Instead, he chose to believe God. He chose to believe what the angel said, regardless of what it looked like. That is how we must respond when our circumstances contradict the Word of God. If God said it, then we believe. We believe that it will be exactly as it was told to us. If God said He would meet the need, the need is met. If God tells us that we are healed, we believe that we are healed. We are faith people of a faith God. We trust our Father. Our faith is in His integrity. 

 #integrity #faithgod #devotional #verseoftheday #vcccharlotte 

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | February 13th

📖 Going a little ahead, he fell on his face, praying, “My Father, if there is any way, get me out of this. But please, not what I want. You, what do you want?” When he came back to his disciples, he found them sound asleep. He said to Peter, “Can’t you stick it out with me a single hour? Stay alert; be in prayer so you don’t wander into temptation without even knowing you’re in danger. There is a part of you that is eager, ready for anything in God. But there’s another part that’s as lazy as an old dog sleeping by the fire.” He then left them a second time. Again he prayed, “My Father, if there is no other way than this, drinking this cup to the dregs, I’m ready. Do it your way.” ⎯Matthew 26:38-42 The Message

This is Jesus speaking in the Garden of Gethsemane. He knows it is time for Him to go to the cross and to suffer for humanity. He knows the price that He will have to pay to redeem mankind. He also knew what it would take to take mankind out of the domain of darkness, into the kingdom of God.  Although He was aware of what is about to take place, He was still willing to go through with it. It is the most selfless act that any individual will ever do in the history of mankind. The human or fleshly side of Jesus would rather have done it another way, but regardless of how He felt, He was willing to do it God’s way. God will never ask us to endure what Jesus did, but we should learn the lesson in His sacrifice. If Jesus was willing to do whatever the will of the Father was, we must do the same. We must have the same attitude that Paul had. Paul was told that bonds and afflictions awaited him, wherever he went, and his response was, “None of these things move me”. We cannot be moved by our emotions when it comes to walking out the will of God. We cannot allow our flesh to have a say so. We must be willing and obedient. We must be just as sold out to the will of God for our lives as Jesus was. We must embrace the same mindset that He had. God’s plans for us are good and never evil. We must trust His wisdom and embrace His goodness. God knows what is best for us, and that is His will for our lives. 

#trustGod #jesuschrist #gethsemane #jesussacrifice #godisgood 

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