Foursquare Gospel Church Igbosere (Chapel of Blessing)

OUR DAILY BREAD March 18, Sunday LETTERS HOME Tim Gustafson They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people understood what was being read.  Nehemiah 8:8 Nehemiah 8:5–12 Bible in a year: Deuteronomy 32–34; Mark 15:26–47 Far from home and training for World War II, American recruits in basic training turned to humor and correspondence to cope with the challenges they faced. In one letter home a young man described the vaccination process with wonderful exaggeration: “Two medical officers chased us with harpoons. They grabbed us and pinned us to the floor and stuck one in each arm.” Yet one soldier began to realize that humor could only take him so far. Then he received a Bible. “I enjoy it very much and I read it every night,” he wrote. “I never realized you could learn so much from a Bible.” Long ago, the Jewish exiles returned home after years of slavery in Babylon to find their problems came with them. As they struggle...

OUR DAILY BREAD March 17, Saturday WHISPERING WORDS Anne Cetas [Build] others up according to their needs.  Ephesians 4:29 Ephesians 4:22–32 Bible in a year: Deuteronomy 30–31; Mark 15:1–25 The young man fidgeted as he sat down for his flight. His eyes darted back and forth to the aircraft windows. Then he closed his eyes and breathed deeply, trying to calm himself—but it didn’t work. As the plane took off, he slowly rocked back and forth. An older woman across the aisle from him put her hand on his arm and gently engaged him in conversation to divert his attention from his stress. “What’s your name?” “Where are you from?” “We’re going to be okay,” and “You’re doing well” were a few things she whispered. She could have been irritated with him or ignored him. But she chose a touch and a few words. Little things. When they landed three hours later, he said, “Thank you so much for helping me.” Such beautiful pictures of tenderheartedness can be hard to find. Kindness does not...

OUR DAILY BREAD March 16, Friday WONDERS IN FOCUS Mart DeHaan For from him and through him and for him are all things.  Romans 11:36 Job 38:1–18 Bible in a year: Deuteronomy 28–29; Mark 14:54–72 Some of us are inclined to look at the world and see only what’s wrong. DeWitt Jones is a  National Geographic  photographer who has used his profession to celebrate what’s right about the world. He waits and watches until a shaft of light or turn of perspective suddenly reveals a wonder that had been there all along. He uses his camera to find beauty in the most common faces of people and nature. If anyone had reason to focus on the wrongs of the world, Job did. After losing all that had given him joy, even his friends became his accusers. Together their voices taunted him for not admitting that he was suffering for sins he was hiding. When Job cried out to the heavens for help, God remained silent. Finally, from within the chaos of a whirlwind and the darkness of a stor...

OUR DAILY BREAD March 15, Thursday REVEALED TO BE HEALED David H. Roper Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths.  Psalm 25:4 Psalm 25:1–11 Bible in a year: Deuteronomy 26–27; Mark 14:27–53 As a boy, I watched my father plow fields that had never been cultivated. On the first pass the plowshare would turn up large rocks that he hauled away. Then, he would plow the field again, and then again, to further break up the soil. With each pass the plow turned up other, smaller rocks that he cast aside. The process continued, requiring many passes through the field. Growth in grace can look like a similar process. When we first become believers, some “big” sins may be exposed. We confess them to God and accept His forgiveness. But as the years pass by, and as God’s Word passes through us and sinks into our innermost being, the Holy Spirit brings other sins to the surface. Sins of the spirit once thought to be mere peccadilloes...

OUR DAILY BREAD March 14, Wednesday GIVING THE GIFT OF PRAYER James Banks You help us by your prayers.  2 Corinthians 1:11 Romans 8:28–34 Bible in a year: Deuteronomy 23–25; Mark 14:1–26 “I didn’t realize what a gift prayer was until my brother was sick and you all prayed for him. I cannot tell you what a comfort your prayers were!” Laura had tears in her eyes as she thanked me for the prayers of the people in our church for her brother, who was facing a cancer diagnosis. She continued, “Your prayers have strengthened him in this difficult time and have been an encouragement to our entire family.” One of the best ways to love others is to pray for them. Jesus is our ultimate example in this. The New Testament tells us about Jesus praying for others on many occasions, and even shows us that He continues to come to the Father on our behalf. Romans 8:34 says that He “is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.” Even after showing such selfless love at the...

OUR DAILY BREAD March 13, Tuesday PULLING TOGETHER David C. McCasland Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.  Hebrews 10:24 Hebrews 10:19–25 Bible in a year: Deuteronomy 20–22; Mark 13:21–37 Why do more than five million people a year pay money to run several miles over an obstacle course where they must ascend vertical walls, slog through mud, and climb up inside a vertical pipe with water pouring down on them? Some see it as a personal challenge to push their limit of endurance or conquer their fears. For others, the attraction is teamwork where competitors help and support each other. One person called it “a no-judgment zone” where people who are strangers will reach out to help each other finish the race (Stephanie Kanowitz,  The Washington Post ). The Bible urges us to pursue teamwork as a model of living out our faith in Jesus. “Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting tog...

OUR DAILY BREAD  March 12, Monday THREE -LETTERED FAITH Kirsten Holmberg Yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will be joyful in God my Savior.  Habakkuk 3:18 Habakkuk 3:17–19 Bible in a year:  Deuteronomy 17–19; Mark 13:1–20 With a tendency toward pessimism, I quickly jump to negative conclusions about how situations in my life will play out. If I’m thwarted in my efforts on a work project, I’m easily convinced none of my other projects will be successful either, and—even though utterly unrelated—I will probably never be able to touch my toes comfortably. And, woe is me, I’m an awful mother who can’t do anything right. Defeat in one area unnecessarily affects my feelings in many. It’s easy for me to imagine how the prophet Habakkuk might have reacted to what God showed him. He had great cause for despair after having seen the coming troubles for God’s people; long and arduous years lay ahead. Things really  did  look dismal: no fruit, no meat, and...

PASTOR'S CORNER THEME OF THE YEAR: OUR YEAR OF NEW HEIGHTS (Lev. 26:13 & Phil. 3:13, 14) THEME OF THE MONTH: FOUNDATION OF TRUTH (LUKE 6:45-49) TOPIC: SOLID FOUNDATION A solid foundation is important to the longevity of a building’s life. To build a sky scrapper there is need to really dig deep very well so as to lay solid foundation that will carry the weight of the structure. A solid foundation is also crucial to the life and health of a church and our life in Christ. In our theme text for the month, Luke 6:45-49, Jesus turns his focus to obedience and he rebukes those who claim to be his followers but do not obey his teachings.Jesus gives them a visual picture of what a God-exalting life is supposed to look like.He uses the example of a man building a house. He says that this person “dug down deep” and laid the foundation on rock.If we are going to have a strong foundation we need to dig down deep. What does that mean?To dig down deep is to get beyond surfa...