YOUR DAILY DOSE OF GOD

Good morning   Scripture reading: Matthew 24 Worship song: It's Your Grace   Meditation:      Look, listen, and observe the chaos on the land, and you will realize that we are living in the evil days. It seems as if the devil has been let loose and people are capitalizing on the opportunity to follow his leadership. In case you miss what is happening, the gospel is diluted to suit its congregation, and some pastors are delivering prosperity messages instead of preaching repentance and the way to salvation. The love of many has waxed cold, driving them to commit heinous crimes. The earth is saturated with the blood of the innocent, brutally slain by the evil-hearted. The love of money has replaced the love and desire for Almighty God, and queer people are vastly taking over, showcasing their lifestyle, flaunting themselves, and marching with dignity. People today are seeking riches, power, and fortune and gaining it dishonestly. Presumptuous sin is disr...

Good morning Scripture reading: St. Luke 8:27-33 Worship song: My Shackles Are Broken   Meditation:      To say that someone is chained means that they are bound or restrained by a controlling agent or force. We can become possessed or enslaved by any agent that invades our territory or by anything we choose or allow to control our behavior, mind, and actions. Many of us are bound by our circumstances but do not realize the impact it has on our lives. Jesus, while on his mission, stumbled upon a man possessed by a demon that tormented him constantly day and night. You can tell by reading the passage of scripture that the unclean spirit was comfortable residing in the man. The demon, upon realizing that Jesus came to cast him out, beseeched Jesus not to torment him. The task of demons, unclean spirits, is to capture and prevent us from becoming what God intends us to be. That is why we need to pray earnestly without seizing, asking God to cover, shield, and pr...

Good morning   Scripture reading: Matthew 5:14-16 Worship song: Carry Your Candle   Meditation:      Light plays an essential role in our daily lives and is considered the main source of energy for all living organisms. It is hard to imagine how dark and gloomy the world would be without the illumination provided by the light. The light illuminates the darkness, giving us the vision to carry out tasks and perform certain functions. In the beginning, at the period when the earth was void and there was only darkness, God, through his infinite power, commanded the light to appear, and then he separated the light from the darkness. Throughout the scriptures, light represents holiness, goodness, hope, and grace. Moses' life changed when he was drawn to the bright light in the bush; there, he encountered God. The children of Israel were led by a great light as they traveled through the wilderness. The light appears in the form of a pillar of cloud and a pillar...

Good morning Scripture reading: Zechariah 4:1-10 Worship song: Never lost   Meditation:      Zerubbabel, governor of Judah by the proclamation of King Cyrus, started to rebuild the city, but as they began to build the house of the Lord, the adversities of Judah and Benjamin rose against them. A letter of accusations was written against Zerubbabel and the builders of the city. The letter was sent to Artaxerxes, King of Persia, who gave a command stating that the men cease the building of the city. Zerubbabel and the assistant builders obeyed the command of the king and stopped the building of the house of God and the city. Several years after the command was issued, Zechariah was visited by an angel of the Lord and received a proclamation that the hand of Zerubbabel shall finish the work that he had started, and nothing will prevent its completion. You may have started a project, an assignment, or a task, and the adversities have risen against you and have f...

Good morning S cripture reading: Colossians 3:12-17 Worship song: Thy Word   Meditation:      One major factor that negatively impacts our lives as children of God is knowing what the word of God says but failing to apply it to our lives. Just knowing the word of God is not enough if we continue to walk as blind. The word we hear and know must be applied, and the way we apply it is by walking according to the will of God through his prophetic word. We know the word and we understand what it says, yet we seek after things that do not align with the will of God. We know what the word says, but we desire things that satisfy the flesh instead of the spirit. When we allow the word of God to sanctify and convict us, God will transform our hearts and minds in obedience to his will. James 1 says we must be doers of the word and not hearers only, lest we deceive ourselves. He further stated that those who continue to live by the word will be blessed in their deeds. Le...

Good morning  Scripture reading: Proverbs 22:24-25 Worship song: United   Meditation:      Birds of a feather flock together is an old English proverb that has been frequently used since the mid-16th century. This proverb means that persons tend to associate with those who share similar interests, ideas, values, characteristics, or behaviors, etc. Oftentimes, we are influenced by those around us, especially those with whom we spend a lot of time. Show me your company, and I will tell you who you are. Be careful in your choice and choose your companions wisely. Choose people with the characteristics you would like to develop in your own life. Hang around mentors who have positive influences and move away from those who have a negative view of everything. What are your goals in life? What percentage of the time do you accomplish the things that you want in life? If you seldom meet your goals and objectives, it probably is time to look at the people in yo...

Good morning Scripture reading: St. Luke 5: 37-38 Worship song: New Wine   Meditation:      Jesus, while teaching the multitude, spoke a parable unto them about pouring wine into a bottle. Jesus explained what would happen if new wine was poured into an old bottle. Reflecting on the parable about the wine and the bottle leads me to ponder about the Holy Spirit and the old man. For the Holy Spirit to dwell within us, the old man must be crucified. If any man is in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things become new. The Holy Spirit cannot dwell in dirty vessels, so we must put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of our mind; and put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. For the Holy Spirit to dwell in us, we cannot be conformed to this world, but we must be transformed by the renewing of ...

Good morning Scripture reading: Ephesians 3:15-21 Worship song: Press   Meditation:      Have you ever felt like the struggles of life are weighing heavily on you, pulling you in different directions so that you find it difficult to focus on what is important? We can become so caught up with what is going on in our lives, so focused on what is happening in the world, that we struggle to stay focused on what matters. No matter what we encounter and the challenges we face, we can overcome them all by shifting our focus from our problems to our problem solver. There is a promise of God for every circumstance in our lives, but we must first shift our focus and transform our minds by the Word of God. It is easy for us to get caught up in the worries and cares of this world, but we can shift our focus and fix our eyes on Jesus Christ, the only one who can change our circumstances. Many of us are disabled by our situations, but if we call upon the Lord, Jesus Chri...

Good morning Scripture reading: Matthew 9:9-13 Worship song: Softly and Tenderly   Meditation:      Matthew, a collector of internal revenue, was busy collecting taxes as is customary, but when Jesus called him, he immediately arose and followed him. The Pharisees saw tax collectors as enemies to be shunned. Jesus saw them as friends in need of spiritual healing. The Pharisees could offer nothing to the tax collectors except a list of rules, but Jesus offered forgiveness of sins and a better life. Jesus came to minister healing to the sick, sight to the blind, and redemption for sinners. The word of God in Ezekiel 33:11 says He has no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his evil way and live. If Jesus is calling you, do not hesitate, do not harden your hearts, turn from your wicked carnal ways, from your self-righteous ways, and you will receive pardon and access to the tree of life. Come to Jesus Christ without delay. Come ju...

Good morning Scripture reading: 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 Hymn: I need thee   Meditation:      If you should die tonight, where would you be? Where would you spend eternity? As I ruminated on this very provocative question, I thought of you as much as I thought about myself, my purpose, and the eternal well-being of my soul. As we move about, enjoying life, we should be mindful of how we spend our time here on earth, looking forward to the day when we will become face-to-face with the fuming judge. A day when we will have to give an account of how we spend the time allotted to us. We have been allowed to make choices and our choice will determine how we spend eternity. Knowing that the unrighteous, and those who are ungodly shall not inherit the Kingdom of God should stir our conscience and gear us toward changing our lifestyle so we are not left out of God's Kingdom. Change is inevitable, and therefore, if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old ha...

Good morning Scripture reading: Hebrews 13:7-18 Worship song: Good Good Father   Meditation:      Disobedience and lack of respect for those who are ordained to help us navigate through life's rugged terrain and keep us abreast of God's expectations are among the many issues affecting the effectiveness of leadership in our congregation. Hebrews 13 reminds us to obey those who have the rule over us and submit ourselves unto obedience to them, for they have a responsibility to watch for our souls, as they must give account to God. Pastors are chosen vessels whose responsibility is to lead the church here on earth with joy. They are representatives and followers of Jesus Christ, given to us according to the desires of the Lord's heart to feed us with knowledge and understanding by delivering sound, undiluted doctrines that will edify us. A pastor's task is difficult; hence, they must seek the Lord for wisdom to feed the church of God, which Jesus Christ has pu...

Good morning Scripture: Isaiah 41:9-13 Worship song: The Struggle Is Over   Meditation:      Whenever we met to socialize, my sister would jokingly utter, 'Why struggle when help is here?' which would often be followed by an uproar of chuckles. As I sat and pondered her words, I thought of the things we struggle to accomplish or cope with every day. Many of us are facing challenges that are stressful and overwhelming, yet we try to handle them on our own without seeking help. Whatever struggles we are encountering, whether financially, mentally, physically, spiritually, or emotionally, help is always available. God tells us that we will face trials but that we should not lose hope, for He is with us. You might not realize it, but our greatest helper is Almighty God. All of our help comes from the Lord. God is saying to us, come unto me all that labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take your worries, your anxiety, your sins, your problems, yo...

G ood morning Scripture reading: 2 Corinthians 5:18-21 Worship song: There Is None Like You   Meditation:      Substitute, according to the dictionary, is a person or thing acting or serving in place of another. In the game of sports, there are always selected, qualified players on standby to replace a team member in case of injury or inability to function as required. When you think of education, there are substitute teachers ready to teach when the regular teacher is unavailable. When it comes to the body of Christ, there is a substitute pastor prepared to fill the void and deliver the message if the bishop of the household is unavoidably absent or requires help. In the twinkling of an eye, one who falters is replaced by another because life goes on, and the work must continue. There is always a substitute ready to fill the void whenever the need arises. Abraham, upon the profession of his faithfulness to God, was given a ram caught in the thicket to subs...

Good day Scripture reading: St. Luke 5:17-26 Song: His eye is on the sparrow Meditation:      The men who brought the sick of the plague to see Jesus in Capernaum while he was preaching and healing the sick was an example of faith implemented through works. Their faith led them to carry an immobile, palsy-sick man lying on his bed to seek healing for his condition. When they arrived at Capernaum and realized that the crowd was too thick for them to gain entrance, they went on the roof, removed a section of it, and then lowered the bed with the sick man on it in the presence of Jesus. They were determined to receive healing for their brethren no matter the cost. Their faith caught Jesus's attention, and he turned away from what he was doing and attended to their needs. Jesus first forgave the sick man of all his sins before commanding him to take up his bed and walk. The man immediately rose from the bed, took up his bed, and walked away rejoicing. His faith had made him w...

Good morning I will sing of the mercies of the LORD forever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations. Psalms 89:1 Worship song: What a God Testimony:      As I listen to my friend relating her struggles, I notice her enthusiasm and how she rejoices about the goodness of God. If you hear her story, you will marvel. How can someone who has been through so much still be able to give thanks, honor, worship, praise, and trust God? For 18 years, she has been battered by an illness that requires treatment three times a week, but her faith in God never wavers. Her demands are many, including financial deficit due to her inability to work because of her condition, but she continues to rejoice because God has not failed her. Her bills are paid on time, and her barns never run dry. As she relates her story, I realize her faithfulness to God and that God has been faithful to her throughout her years of struggles. The word of God in Matthew 6 says, ...

Good morning  And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us. 1 John 5:14. Praise song: I Am the Lord That Healeth Thee   Let us pray:      Healing Jesus, Father to the Fatherless, I raise a hallelujah to you, O King, for you are worthy to be praised. There is none as great and powerful as you, Lord. You deserve all the glory and the honor. Faithful Father, bind me closer to you and let me feel thy cleansing power. Sanctify my tongue by the power of the Holy Spirit, O God, and let it be used to uplift, encourage, bless, and inspire others, Mighty God. Merciful Father, purify and cleanse every part of me. Rabboni, the balm in Gilead, my great physician, I look to you, O Lord, for healing of our soul, mind, and body. Father, I pray you will heal and deliver us from infirmities, sickness, carnal weaknesses, and spiritual poverty. Heal, O God, those who are ailing and those suffering heartaches a...

Good morning Scripture reading: Romans 5:1-11 Worship Song: Washed in the blood  Meditation:      One of my favorite telecast movies was The Crucifixion. Watching The Crucifixion every Easter as a child was my greatest delight, though I did not fully understand what it meant. Learning the significance of the death, burial, and crucifixion of Jesus Christ impacted my life immensely. As I grew older, I came to realize that the shed blood of Jesus Christ is not something we should take lightly. Jehovah God is always trying to get our undivided attention, to free us from the bondage of sin, and to redeem us from our detainer. Jesus Christ desires to bring us to a place where we can acknowledge Him as our Creator and King. In Jesus Christ, we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace. Jesus Christ took upon himself the punishment for our sins and iniquities so we could be forgiven. While we deserve death because...

Good morning Scripture: 1 Kings 18:41-46 Worship song: Let It Rain Meditation:      Elijah was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain, and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and heaven gave rain. Elijah had prayed the drought into existence. Now, it was time for the drought to end. He began to petition the God of the universe for rain. Not a little rain, but enough rain to quench the thirst of the land. After Elijah's seventh request, there came an abundance of rain. His earnest and sincere prayer for rain was heard, and God answered by sending rain upon the land. Elijah prayed until he received an answer. What might be your request today? Are you experiencing a drought or a dry season? Let your request be known to God; He still answers prayer. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.  Let us pray:      Eternal Father, ruler ...

Good morning Scripture reading: Proverbs 3:5-6 Worship song: Trust in The Lord Meditation:      We put our trust in a pilot, someone we know nothing about, and we put our trust in drivers, yet we don't know how capable they are to maneuver the vehicle. Consider the person who sails the ship; we trust him to navigate us where we need to go, and we believe he is experienced and capable of handling any situation as we make our way to our destination, yet we fail to trust the God who controls everything. How is it that we trust a total stranger to take us through storms in the air, on land, or at sea, yet we find it hard to trust God, who controls the wind and the storm? We fail to trust God, the one who made heaven and earth with his great power and stretched-out arm, who assures us there is nothing too hard for him to do. We can trust the person behind the wheel; surely, we can put our faith and trust in the God who forms us in our mother's womb. Surely, we can trust the Lo...

Good morning   Scripture reading: Psalm 139:1-3 Worship Song: Limitless God  Meditation:      We are all blessed with the ability to accomplish and achieve great things. Most times, our potentials are blocked by the barriers of our negative thoughts. We are afraid to launch out into the deep because we are afraid, we might fail to accomplish our desires. We become fearful of the unseen, unknown things. Most times, we are fearful of trying new things because we feed our minds with negative thoughts. Negative thoughts hinder us from exercising our faith. Almighty God is waiting to do great things in our lives, but he is waiting for us to take off the limitation barrier. He is just waiting for us to listen to His step-by-step instructions and believe that there are no limits to what He can do in our lives. There are some limitations that we allow to barricade our lives. If we continue to fear that we will fail, we will never accomplish our dreams. We often...

Good morning Scripture reading: St. John 2:12-17 Praise song: House of the Lord  Meditation:      The disregard for the temple of God was evident among some Jews in Jerusalem as they assembled in the house of God with their merchants, advertising and trading them for money. Their parade did not fascinate Jesus, for he was rather angry and disappointed with their display of disdain for his holy temple. Imagine how Jesus must have felt to witness his temple filled with animals for sale. Jesus made a scourge of cord (a whip) and drove the animals from the temple. He spoke with power and authority as he drove from the temple the traders who were engaged in self-gain rather than ministering to sinners. These Jews were making God's house a house of merchandise, having their minds filled with care about worldly business for the love of gain. How do you treat the house of God? Are you using it to parade your merchandise for your gain, or are you using it to worship, praise, ...

Good morning Scripture reading: Psalm 139: 23-24 Worship song: Search Me, Lord Meditation:      Jehovah God is equipped with a masterpiece search engine that no technologist nor technician will ever implement. He knows us and knows everything that we will do before we are formed in our mother's womb. Knowing that God is omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent should make us want to please Him in everything we do. The Psalmist David did not want to be influenced nor persuaded by evil persons. David did not like the sinful lifestyle, and neither did he want sin to dwell in his mortal body. He, therefore, pleads for God to search his heart and lead him in the pathway of righteousness and holiness. We, too, need to plead with God to search our hearts in depth. We also need the probing of the Holy Spirit to reveal the hidden sins in our lives. We should be willing to resist sin or surrender to God anything we are doing that grieves Him and His Holy Spirit. We should have the w...

Good morning  Scripture reading: Deuteronomy 24: 14-15 Worship song: Victory Belongs to Jesus   Meditation:      The seven-year bilateral contract agreement between Laban and Jacob was broken after Laban failed to fulfill his end of the bargain, but despite being disappointed by the outcome of their verbal agreement, Jacob dedicated his time and service to Laban as he worked relentlessly for fourteen more years. Realizing that Laban was a deceiver and unjust master, Jacob took his family and fled, dissatisfied that Laban had deceived him and had despitefully changed his wages ten times. No doubt there are still some Laban spirits operating as bosses in the workforce, deceiving and robbing the poor and needy of their hard-earned salaries. Be careful that you are not numbered among those who exploit the poor, the needy, and the have-nots, robbing and short paying them because their master is the Lord God, and their cries are being heard by the Lord God. Thos...

Good morning Scripture reading: Psalm 28:1-3 Worship song: My Defender   Meditation:      In the game of netball, each player has a specific position and responsibility. The role of a Goal Keeper (GK) and a Wing Defence (WD) on a netball team may not be the most important position, but having a strong defense is crucial to the outcome of the game. A Goal Keeper works closely with the Wing Defence to intercept passes, disrupt the flow of the game, and force turnovers. With their strong defensive skills and agile techniques, they are able to prevent the opposing team from scoring goals. As it is in the game of netball where the defenders are pivotal to block and prevent the opposing team from scoring, so the members of the body of Christ need the Holy Spirit, the Word of God, and Jesus Christ, our defender, to oppose our enemy. When we rely on and call on the name of the Lord, he intercepts demonic forces and blocks the fiery darts of the enemy as they are launched at ...

Good Morning  Scripture reading: Psalm 34 Worship song: Only A Look Meditation:      Life comes with many challenges and issues that cause chaos, confusion, sorrows, pain, disappointment, and frustration. Persons tried desperately to regulate intense negative emotions in whatever way or however they could to drown their sorrows and get relief, which is not the most effective strategy. Many are those who are overwhelmed by hurt, loneliness, rejection, mistakes, bad choices, financial debt, family crises, failures, etc., and are seeking solutions by turning to sources that only provide temporary support. Alcohol, drugs, gambling, smoking, sexual immoralities, lascivious indulgence, etc. are only temporary solutions and cannot fix the root causes created by your situation. These will only cause more harm than good, plunging you deeper into sin and a life rejecting the creator. If you are struggling with problems you can't handle, Jesus can fix them for you. If there...

Good morning Scripture reading: St. John 5:1-15 Worship song: You made me whole Meditation:      The story of the impotent folks waiting patiently on the porches surrounding the pool called Bethesda bears a similarity to the many persons who lie in the hospital beds waiting to recover from their illnesses, waiting for their healing and breakthrough. The impotent folks at the poolside had faith, and they believe that if they continue to wait, they will one day receive their healing. The patients who visited hospitals also believe and expect the doctors to administer the right remedy that will help in their healing process. The most intriguing part of the story as it relates to the scripture is the man who lived with his infirmity for thirty-eight years, yet he never lost hope. His faith and belief that there was still hope are evident in his consistent visit to the pool. His condition caused him to lose his ability to move swiftly to the pool, so he was never able to...

  Good morning   Scripture reading: Psalm 49 Worship song: I will boast in Christ   Meditation:      It is customary for humans to boast about their accomplishments, their successes, and their possessions. Being successful or being blessed with amazing talent and abilities are not bad things, but we so often seek these things above pursuing a relationship with God. The material things we possess and the things we accomplish are nothing compared to knowing and living for God. We can gain the world and be the most successful person, but that cannot compare to having a close connection to God. Solomon was wise and rich, yet he concluded that what he acknowledged was vanity and vexation of spirit. The more we strive to obtain and accomplish the things of the world, the less we seek after God. Matthew 6:33, Jesus implores us to seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness and other things will be granted unto us. Solomon had a desire to serve ...