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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | October 15th

📖 However, brethren, I could not talk to you as to spiritual [men], but as to nonspiritual [men of the flesh, in whom the carnal nature predominates], as to mere infants [in the new life] in Christ [unable to talk yet!] 

I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not yet strong enough [to be ready for it]; but even yet you are not strong enough [to be ready for it], 

For you are still [unspiritual, having the nature] of the flesh [under the control of ordinary impulses]. For as long as [there are] envying and jealousy and wrangling and factions among you, are you not unspiritual and of the flesh, behaving yourselves after a human standard and like mere (unchanged) men? 
—I Corinthians 3:1-3 AMPC 

Are you carnal or are you spiritual? As we continue our walk with God, we should be maturing in the things of God. We should be growing in our faith and our love walk. As we mature, our flesh is not dominating us like it once did. Our spirit man (which is one with God) should be dominating and controlling us. The key phrase is that it “should be”. That is why there must be spiritual growth and development. People need to see us getting better. They need to see us being more patient and understanding. We are spiritual men and women. When we make important decisions, we depend on the Holy Spirit. We trust in the Lord with all our hearts, and we don’t lean to our own understanding. There should be fruit in our lives. There must be evidence that change is taking place. We are no longer carnal, but spiritual. We are no longer babes in Christ. We feed on the meat of the Word, no longer milk. We no longer behave after a human standard and like mere (unchanged) men. We are growing in the things of God. 

#spiritualmaturity #vcccharlotte #growth #devotional  

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | October 14th

📖 Jesus replied with this illustration: “A man prepared a great feast and sent out many invitations. When all was ready, he sent his servant around to notify the guests that it was time for them to arrive. But they all began making excuses. One said he had just bought a field and wanted to inspect it, and asked to be excused. Another said he had just bought five pair of oxen and wanted to try them out. Another had just been married and for that reason couldn’t come. —Luke 14:16-20 The Living Bible  

What is your excuse? Why aren't you where you are supposed to be. Why aren't you pursuing what God has placed on the inside of you? Every day we must decide if we are going to do one of two things; we are either going to make excuses, or we are going to make it happen. Nehemiah was a man that made it happen. While they were repairing the gates to the city, they were mocked and threatened. Nehemiah did not let that stop them. They had a tool in one hand and a weapon in the other. Nothing was going to stop them from completing their mission. Jesus did not make excuses either. He constantly had to deal with the Pharisees and the Sadducees. They were always questioning him and his authority and ability. They lied on him. They tried to throw Him off a cliff, but Jesus kept going. He kept teaching, preaching, and healing. Paul finished his course. They stoned him. They beat him. They imprisoned him. He did not make any excuses. He finished his course. We must get rid of our excuses as well. We must finish our course. If God is for us, no one can be against us. 

#noexcuses #vcccharlotte #keepgoing #devotional

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | October 13th

📖 Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord. —Psalm 27:14 KJV 

Do you like waiting? Alot of us don’t. We don’t want to wait at the doctor’s office. We don’t want to wait in line for coffee, or to get something to eat. However, if we are to experience God’s best, we must learn how to play the waiting game. We will play the waiting game for the rest of our lives. When we move prematurely, it can cost us a lot. Abraham and Sarah couldn’t wait on God and produced Ishmael. Saul couldn’t wait for Samuel and he sacrificed without him. That cost him dearly. Sometimes we don’t want to wait on God. We know that He is working behind the scenes, but it appears as if He is taking too long. Would you like to experience God’s best, wait on the Lord. Are you waiting for an answer to prayer? Wait on the Lord. Waiting is good for us. It causes the fruit of the spirit to kick in. God may not move when you want Him to, but He is always on time. Don’t force the process, allow the process to do its job. Wait on the Lord and be of good courage, wait I say on the Lord. 

#waiting #vcccharlotte #beofgoodcourage #devotional #waitontheLord 

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | October 12th

📖 The satraps, the prefects, the governors and the king’s counselors gathered around them and saw that in regard to these men the fire had no effect on their bodies—their hair was not singed, their clothes were not scorched or damaged, even the smell of smoke was not on them. 

Nebuchadnezzar responded and said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, who has sent His angel and rescued His servants who believed in, trusted in, and relied on Him! They violated the king’s command and surrendered their bodies rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.
—Daniel 3:27-28 AMPC 

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had gone all in for God. They refused to bow to the statue of the king, and they were willing to sacrifice their lives rather than to disobey God. Because of their commitment to God, God came through for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Not only did God protect the three young men from the fire, but He also sent His angel to deliver them. Not only were those young men rescued, but they were promoted as well. We must realize that when we take a stand for God, He will take a stand for us. He will do the miraculous. He will send an angelic host. He will do whatever it takes to put His stamp of approval on us. God showed the king that those three Hebrew boys belonged to him, and when we stand for righteousness, God will do the same for us. God will always look out for His own. It pays to be in the household of faith. 

#ambassadors #represent #Godisgood #dailydevotional

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | October 10th

📖 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 AMPC

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 | October 9th

📖 But I will hope continually, and will praise You yet more and more. —Psalm 71:14 AMPC

Hope is important. The Bible tells us that “hope deferred makes the heart sick” (Proverbs 13:2). We should never deprive people of hope. Faith is the substance of things hoped for... (Hebrews 11:1). You could look at it like this: hope is the blueprint, and faith is the materials to make the blueprint a reality. We must not belittle hope. The Bible tells us that Abraham “against hope believed in hope” (Romans 4:18). Abraham had to hope when the circumstances told him that what he was believing for was impossible. He had to find hope in what God had told him. That is how we maintain our hope. We keep our faith in what God has told us, and we believe it because it is impossible for God to lie. Hope is to be the anchor to our soul. We must hope continually and continue to praise Him more. We must praise Him because He is the God of hope. He can turn every negative situation around.

#Hope #trustGod #dailydevotional #vcccharlotte

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | October 8th

📖 My enemies, don't be glad because of my troubles! I may have fallen, but I will get up; I may be sitting in the dark, but the Lord is my light. —Micah 7:8 CEV  

When we get knocked down, we must get back up. The Bible tells us that, "a just man falls seven times and rises up again" (Proverbs 24:16). Sometimes in life, challenges come. Things can happen that are unexpected. Challenges may happen in your marriage. You may have a wayward child. You may lose your job. The devil may attack us in many ways. When he knocks you down, you must get back up. There's nothing wrong with getting knocked down; the problem is when we stay down. God expects for us to not only get up, but He also expects us fight back. We don't fight for twelve rounds; we fight until we win. The devil should get tired of seeing us get up. We must get up. We have the Greater One on the inside of us, and He won't let you stay down. He will remind you that you are more than a conqueror. He will give you the strategy. He will lead and guide you to victory. Remember II Corinthians 2:14, "Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ". 

#theGreaterOne #vcccharlotte #victory #devotional #theWord    

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | October 7th

📖 Guard and keep yourselves in the love of God; expect and patiently wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah)— [which will bring you] unto life eternal. 
—Jude 1:21 AMPC 

We must keep ourselves in the love of God. Regardless of the challenges we face, we must continue to walk in love. It does not matter who likes us or dislikes us; we must love everyone. Faith works by love (Galatians 5:6). Satan wants to keep your faith from working because he knows that faith is what defeats him. It is the shield of faith that quenches all the fiery darts of the wicked one (Ephesians 6:16). The love of God has been shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5). The love of God enables us to love people the way that God loves them. It may not be easy, but it is doable. Guard your emotions. Don't allow them to control you. Your emotions will cause you to think that you can't forgive, but you can. You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. It may seem impossible, but guard and keep yourselves in the love of God. God will never tell you to do something that you were not capable of doing. 

#loveofGod #vcccharlotte #mercy #devotional #eternallife   

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | October 6th

📖 Do everything readily and cheerfully—no bickering, no second-guessing allowed! Go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society. Provide people with a glimpse of good living and of the living God. Carry the light-giving Message into the night so I’ll have good cause to be proud of you on the day that Christ returns. You’ll be living proof that I didn’t go to all this work for nothing. 
—Philippians 2:14-16 The Message 

As believers, we should stand out. There should be a difference between the way we act and the way the world acts. Our responses to trials and tribulations should be different. Christians should be a breath of fresh air. We don’t complain like the world. We walk with a different spirit. As believers, there is a difference in our countenance. Our job is to provide people with a glimpse of good living and of the living God. As Christians, we are God’s ambassadors. We carry the light giving Message wherever we go. Not only do we carry the Message, but we must also live the Message. We are living proof that Jesus is alive and His Word is true.  

#standout #vcccharlotte #different #devotional  

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | October 5th

📖 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 | October 3rd

📖 Then I said to them, You see the bad situation we are in—how Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates are burned with fire. Come, let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer be a disgrace. 

Then I told them of the hand of my God which was upon me for good, and also the words that the king had spoken to me. And they said, Let us rise up and build! So they strengthened their hands for the good work. 

But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they laughed us to scorn and despised us and said, What is this thing you are doing? Will you rebel against the king? 

I answered them, The God of heaven will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build, but you have no portion or right or memorial in Jerusalem. 
—Nehemiah 2:17-20 AMPC 

No matter how things may look, you can rebuild your life. It doesn’t matter what storms you might face. It doesn’t matter what obstacles you must overcome; God can make it better. Nehemiah had taken up the task of rebuilding the wall. There were people who ridiculed and criticized the project. There was the threat of people coming to destroy their efforts. Nehemiah knew that the Hand of God was with them. He knew that the God of Heaven would prosper and protect them. They would eventually rebuild the wall, and the people would recommit themselves to God and His Word. As impossible as things look, the first step must be to rise and build. You must get started. The lepers asked each other a question in II Kings chapter seven- “Why are we sitting here until we die”? (v3) You don’t have to be great to start, but you cannot be great until you get started. With God involved, it will be better than it was before. 

#rebuild #HandofGod #vcccharlotte #devotional

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | October 2nd

📖 So the Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?" He said, “A rod.” And He said, “Cast it on the ground.” So he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Reach out your hand and take it by the tail” (and he reached out his hand and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand), “that they may believe that the Lord God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.” —Exodus 4:2-5 NKJV

When pursuing the will of God, we must understand the importance of trusting in Him. He may ask you to do something that isn’t what you normally do. He may ask you to do something that will cause you to have to overcome fear and anxiety. Moses was obviously afraid of the snake, but God told him to pick it up by its tail. Moses had a decision to make. He was either going to let fear control him, or he was going to obey God. Moses chose to obey God, and the snake turned into a stick. We must be willing to obey and trust God no matter what. God wants us to become totally dependent upon Him. As we obey His orders and commands, we will develop an unshakeable confidence in Him. One that will help us to fulfill the will of God for our lives. 

#trustinGod #pursue #devotional #vcccharlotte #confidence

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | October 1st

📖 Neither give place to the devil. —Ephesians 4:27 1599 Geneva Bible 

If we don’t give the devil access, he can’t get to us. The devil wants to steal, kill, and destroy us. He cannot defeat us if we never give him place. Don’t give the devil an opening in your life. If someone upsets you, forgive them. If someone offends you, forgive that person. Guard your eyes. Guard your ears. Guard your heart. An insect will find a way to get into your house. They will crawl under the door. They will find an opening somewhere outside that will allow them to come inside the house. Sometimes we have to tell our children to close the front door because we don’t want to let a fly in. We must be just as vigilant when it comes to keeping the devil out. Keep him out of your health. Keep him out of your finances. Keep him out of your marriage. Don’t give him any place in any area of your life. Do not give place to the devil. 

#theWord #vcccharlotte #noplace #devotional  

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | September 30th

📖 Dear friend, I pray that you may prosper in every way and be in good health physically just as you are spiritually. —III John 2 Holman Christian Standard Bible  

God has never changed His mind when it comes to His will for our lives. God desires for us to prosper in every area of our lives. He desires us to walk in divine health. He also wants us to prosper spiritually as well. God sent Jesus so that we can enjoy all these blessings in our lives. Jesus came so that we might have life and have it more abundantly. The abundant life includes divine health, divine wealth, and our names being written in the lamb’s book of life. Prosperity without a relationship with Jesus is not a prosperous life. Do you remember when Jesus asked, “What is it if a man gains the whole world and loses his soul”? A person is not prosperous just because they own a lot of things. Jesus is the key to our prosperity. Jesus became poor so that we may be rich (2 Corinthians 8:9). Jesus took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses (Matthew 8:17). Jesus completed His mission. We must now take possession of what belongs to us. It’s not enough for us to know about it. We must make the decision that we will walk in it. Prosperity is ours. Healing is ours. Will you take what is yours today? 

#christian #vcccharlotte #prosperity #devotional #healing 

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | September 29th

📖 And David perceived that the Lord had established him king over Israel and that He had exalted his kingdom for His people Israel’s sake. —2 Samuel 5:12 AMPC 

David was a gift sent by God to be a blessing to the people. He recognized that God had sent him for the benefit of the people. God’s people are to be a blessing to the world. We are His ambassadors and His representatives. When God sends us to a company, a job, a school, or an organization, we are a gift sent to them. Daniel was a gift to the people even though he was in captivity. He was a blessing to every king that he served under. Jephthah was a gift to the people. Nehemiah was a gift to the people. These men were leaders and helped to bring freedom and restoration to their respective people. Organizations should get better because of us. Sinners should desire the kingdom of God because of how we carry ourselves. We must understand that God sends us to have influence. This should not cause us to walk in pride. This should cause us to walk in humility because we have been chosen by God to represent Him. We did not choose ourselves. It is humbling to know that the God of the universe has chosen us to be His representatives. What a sobering thought! 

#God’speople #vcccharlotte #blessings #devotional #representatives 

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | September 26th

📖 Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. 

This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. 

And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord's, and he will give you into our hands. 
—I Samuel 17: 45-47 KJV

When David faced Goliath, He did not brag about his skills with a slingshot. He did not talk about his experience with the shepherd’s staff. He did not refer to any earthly weapons. David leaned on God’s ability and not his own. David was coming in the Name of the Lord of hosts, not his own. He was not fighting to make a name for himself, he was fighting so that the earth would know that there is a God in Israel. David knew that the battle was not his but the Lord’s. We could learn a thing or two from David. When the devil attacks, we cannot rely on our intellect or our resources. We must fight with the resources of Heaven. We must fight spiritual battles with spiritual weapons. We fight with the Word of God, the Name of Jesus, and with the whole armor of God. We fight from a place of victory. We fight knowing that the battle is the Lord’s. When we fight the way David fought, we can expect to win the way that he won. The battle is not ours; the battle is the Lord’s. 

#spiritualwarfare #devotional #vcccharlotte #davidandgoliath

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | September 25th

📖 So, convinced by him, they took his advice; and summoning the apostles, they flogged them and sternly forbade them to speak in or about the name of Jesus, and allowed them to go. 

So they went out from the presence of the council (Sanhedrin), rejoicing that they were being counted worthy [dignified by the indignity] to suffer shame and be exposed to disgrace for [the sake of] His name. 

Yet [in spite of the threats] they never ceased for a single day, both in the temple area and at home, to teach and to proclaim the good news (Gospel) of Jesus [as] the Christ (the Messiah). 
—Acts 5:40-42 AMPC 

What would you do in this situation? Would you have cried the blues? Would you have complained? The apostles were doing the Lord’s work. They were healing the people and setting them free from demonic oppression. These men were beaten and told not to preach anymore in the Name of Jesus. The apostles were not a bunch of cowards. They were not pushovers. They were not moved by what happened to them. These men rejoiced even after they were flogged. They continued to teach and preach the Word of God after they were told not to. The apostles were committed to carrying out the Great Commission. They were committed to the cause of Christ. God should expect nothing less from us. We rejoice when we are persecuted. We live the life of a Christian, regardless of the cost. We are not moved by the threats of men. If God be for us, who can be against us? 

#committed #vcccharlotte #wearenotmoved #devotionals 

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | September 24th

📖 Therefore then, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [who have borne testimony to the Truth], let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance (unnecessary weight) and that sin which so readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us, 

Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leader and the Source of our faith [giving the first incentive for our belief] and is also its Finisher [bringing it to maturity and perfection]. He, for the joy [of obtaining the prize] that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God. 

Just think of Him Who endured from sinners such grievous opposition and bitter hostility against Himself [reckon up and consider it all in comparison with your trials], so that you may not grow weary or exhausted, losing heart and relaxing and fainting in your minds. 

—Hebrews 12:1-3 AMPC 

The devil would love for us to get off track and not finish our race. We cannot allow that to happen. We must put off the things that will hinder us from giving our best. We must get sin out of our lives, and we must run our race with patience. Not only must we run with patience, but we must be willing to endure some things. We must endure every attack of the wicked one, knowing that he is defeated, and we have the victory. Lastly, we have to guard our minds. We cannot allow trials and tribulations to wear us down until we faint in our minds. Having done all to stand, we must continue to stand. We can finish our course. We can run the race that God has set before us. If we do not allow ourselves to get distracted, we can be all that God wants us to be and accomplish all that God wants us to accomplish.  

#accomplishyourgoals #vcccharlotte #runyourrace #devotional

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | September 23rd

📖 John replied, “God in heaven appoints each man’s work.” 
—John 3:27 The Living Bible 

What type of business are you in? Isn’t this a common question? Upon meeting a stranger, one of the first things we want to know is what they do for a living. Instead of asking what they do for a living, maybe the question should be asked, “Are you doing the work that God has appointed you?” A person may be successful in their field of endeavor, but are they in the field that God has selected for them? Are they doing the work appointed by God or are they doing the work they appointed for themselves? People select their occupation for many different reasons. Some are in their field because of the income it pays. Some are in their field because of the benefits. We want to be where God wants us to be because God knows what is best for lives. True success is in being in the will of God. We should constantly examine our lives and make sure we are in line with God. We want to be doing the work appointed by the God in heaven. 

#truesuccess #vcccharlotte #theLord’swork #devotional #God’sbest

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL | September 22nd

📖 I appeal to you for my [own spiritual] child, Onesimus [meaning profitable], whom I have begotten [in the faith] while a captive in these chains. 

Once he was unprofitable to you, but now he is indeed profitable to you as well as to me. 

I am sending him back to you in his own person, [and it is like sending] my very heart. 
—Philemon 1:10-12 AMPC 

The good thing about people is that they can change. One can be unprofitable one day, and over time, they can change and become an asset. People can grow up. They can mature. They can become a better version of themselves over time. That is why we have to be patient with people. That is why we extend grace. People can make mistakes as they mature. We must be patient with people the way God is patient with us. God is long suffering. We must be the same. There are examples all throughout the Bible of people who changed over time. John Mark was an example. In Acts 13, he left Paul after an encounter with a sorcerer. In Acts 15, Paul and Barnabas had a disagreement because Paul did not want John Mark to accompany them anymore on their missionary journeys.  Notice the change that took place with Paul concerning John Mark in II Timothy 4:11: “Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry.” Paul, at that time, requested John Mark's presence because he had become profitable for ministry. There was a change in John Mark’s life. God had brought him to a place where he was ready for ministry. God will do the same for us. Don’t focus on what you are now. Focus on what you can become. You can become a vessel, fit for the Master’s use. 

#focus #vcccharlotte #patience #devotional #grace 

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