Foursquare Gospel Church Igbosere (Chapel of Blessing)

O UR DAILY BREAD April 9, Friday REFUGE FOR THE REJECTED Bible in a Year: 1 Samuel 13–14   Luke 10:1–24 Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me, for in you I take refuge. Psalm 57:1 Today's Scripture & Insight: Psalm 57 George Whitefield (1714–1770) was one of the most gifted and effective preachers in history, leading thousands to faith in Jesus. But his life wasn’t without controversy. His practice of preaching outdoors (to accommodate large crowds) was sometimes criticized by those who questioned his motives and felt he should speak only within the four walls of a church building. Whitefield’s epitaph sheds light on his response to others’ harsh words: “I am content to wait till the Day of Judgment for the clearing up of my character; and after I am dead, I desire no other epitaph than this, ‘Here lies George Whitefield—what sort of a man he was, the great day will discover.’ ” In the Old Testament, when David faced harsh criticism from others, he too entrusted himself to...

OUR DAILY BREAD April 8, Thursday  Love Reins Us In Bible in a Year: 1 Samuel 10–12   Luke 9:37–62 It is better not to . . . do anything . . . that will cause your brother or sister to fall. Romans 14:21 Today's Scripture & Insight: Romans 14:1–13 Most young Samoan boys receive a tattoo signaling their responsibility to their people and their chief. Naturally, then, the marks cover the arms of the Samoan men’s rugby team members. Traveling to Japan where tattoos can carry negative connotations, the teammates realized their symbols presented a problem for their hosts. In a generous act of friendship, the Samoans wore skin-colored sleeves covering the designs. “We’re respectful and mindful to . . . the Japanese way,” the team captain explained. “We’ll be making sure that what we’re showing will be okay.” In an age emphasizing individual expression, it’s remarkable to encounter self-limitation—a concept Paul wrote about in the book of Romans. He told us that love sometimes re...

OUR DAILY BREAD April 7, Wednesday THROUGH THICK AND THIN Bible in a Year: 1 Samuel 7–9   Luke 9:18–36 The cloud of the Lord was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the Israelites during all their travels. Exodus 40:38 Today's Scripture & Insight: Exodus 40:34–38 On January 28, 1986, the US Space Shuttle  Challenger  broke apart seventy-three seconds after takeoff. In a speech of comfort to the nation, President Reagan quoted from the poem “High Flight” in which John Gillespie Magee, a World War II pilot, had written of “the high untrespassed sanctity of space” and the sense of putting out his hand to touch “the face of God.” Although we can’t literally touch God’s face, we sometimes experience a stunning sunset or a place of meditation in nature that gives us an overwhelming sense that He’s near. Some people call these moments “thin places.” The barrier separating heaven and earth seems to grow a little thinner.  G...

OUR DAILY BREAD April 6, Tuesday COMPANIONS IN CHRIST Bible in a Year: 1 Samuel 4–6   Luke 9:1–17 I thank my God every time I remember you. Philippians 1:3 Today's Scripture & Insight: Philippians 1:3–8 The Harvard Study of Adult Development is a decades-long project that’s resulted in a greater understanding of the importance of healthy relationships. The research began with a group of 268 sophomores at Harvard University in the 1930s and later expanded to, among others, 456 Boston inner-city residents. Researchers have conducted interviews with the participants and pored over their medical records every few years. They discovered that close relationships are the biggest factor in predicting happiness and health. It turns out that if we surround ourselves with the right people, we’ll likely experience a deeper sense of joy. This appears to reflect what the apostle Paul is describing in  Philippians 1 . Writing from prison, Paul can’t help but tell his friends that he than...

O UR DAILY BREAD April 5, Monday ANCHORED IN TRUTH Bible in a Year: 1 Samuel 1–3   Luke 8:26–56 I will drive him like a peg into a firm place. Isaiah 22:23 Today's Scripture & Insight: Isaiah 22:15–20, 22–25 My family lives in a nearly century-old house with a lot of character, including wonderfully textured plaster walls. A builder cautioned me that with these walls, to hang a picture I’d have to either drill the nail into a wood support or use a plaster anchor for support. Otherwise, I’d risk the picture crashing to the ground, leaving an ugly hole behind. The prophet Isaiah used the imagery of a nail driven firmly into a wall to describe a minor biblical character named Eliakim. Unlike the corrupt official Shebna ( Isaiah 22:15–19 ), as well as the people of Israel—who looked to themselves for strength (vv. 8–11)—Eliakim trusted in God. Prophesying Eliakim’s promotion to palace administrator for King Hezekiah, Isaiah wrote that Eliakim would be driven like a “peg into a firm...

OUR DAILY BREAD April 4, Sunday IN THE GARDEN Bible in a Year: Ruth 1–4   Luke 8:1–25 Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” John 20:18 Today's Scripture & Insight: John 20:11–18 My dad loved to sing the old hymns. One of his favorites was “In the Garden.” A few years back, we sang it at his funeral. The chorus is simple: “And He walks with me, and He talks with me, and He tells me I am His own, and the joy we share as we tarry there none other has ever known.” That song brought joy to my dad—as it does to me. Hymn writer C. Austin Miles says he wrote this song in spring 1912 after reading chapter 20 of the gospel of John. “As I read it that day, I seemed to be part of the scene. I became a silent witness to that dramatic moment in Mary’s life when she knelt before her Lord and cried, ‘Rabboni [Teacher].’ ” In  John 20 , we find Mary Magdalene weeping near Jesus’ empty tomb. There she met a man who asked why she was crying. Thinking it ...