Foursquare Gospel Church Igbosere (Chapel of Blessing)

OUR DAILY BREAD March 25, Sunday WHO IS THIS? Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!  Luke 19:38 Luke 19:28–40 Bible in a year: Joshua 19–21; Luke 2:25–52 Imagine standing shoulder to shoulder with onlookers by a dirt road. The woman behind you is on her tiptoes, trying to see who is coming. In the distance, you glimpse a man riding a donkey. As He approaches, people toss their coats onto the road. Suddenly, you hear a tree crack behind you. A man is cutting down palm branches, and people are spreading them out ahead of the donkey. Jesus’s followers zealously honored Him as He entered Jerusalem a few days before His crucifixion. The multitude rejoiced and praised God for “all the miracles they had seen” (Luke 19:37). Jesus’s devotees surrounded Him, calling out, “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” (v. 38). Their enthusiastic honor affected the people of Jerusalem. When Jesus finally arrived, “the whole city was stirred and asked, ‘Who is ...

OUR DAILY BREAD March 24, Saturday THE POWER OF DEMONSTRATION David C. McCasland All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.  2 Timothy 3:16 2 Timothy 3:10–17 Bible in a year: Joshua 16–18; Luke 2:1–24 My attempts at fixing things around the house usually lead to paying someone else to undo the damage I caused while trying to fix the original problem. But recently I successfully repaired a home appliance by watching a YouTube video where a person demonstrated step by step how to do it. Paul was a powerful example to his young protégé Timothy who traveled with him and watched him in action. From prison in Rome, Paul wrote, “You . . . know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, sufferings” (2 Timothy 3:10–11). In addition, he urged Timothy to “continue in what you have learned and have become convince...

OUR  DAILY BREAD March 23, Friday A DOUBLE PROMISE Leslie Koh In perfect faithfulness you have done wonderful things, things planned long ago.  Isaiah 25:1 Isaiah 25:1–9 Bible in a year: Joshua 13–15; Luke 1:57–80 Since she suffered with cancer several years ago, Ruth has been unable to eat, drink, or even swallow properly. She has also lost a lot of her physical strength, and numerous operations and treatments have left her a shadow of what she used to be. Yet Ruth is still able to praise God; her faith remains strong, and her joy is infectious. She relies on God daily, and holds on to the hope that she will recover fully one day. She prays for healing and is confident that God will answer—sooner or later. What an awesome faith! Ruth explained that what keeps her faith strong is the secure knowledge that God will not only fulfill His promises in His time, but will also sustain her until that happens. This was the same hope that God’s people had as they waited for Him...

OUR DAILY BREAD March 22, Thursday  PASSING ON THE LEGACY Elisa Morgan Then we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will praise you forever; from generation to generation we will proclaim your praise.  Psalm 79:13 Psalm 79:8–13 Bible in a year: Joshua 10–12; Luke 1:39–56 My phone beeped, indicating an incoming text. My daughter wanted my grandmother’s recipe for Peppermint Ice Cream Pie. As I thumbed through the yellowed cards in my aged recipe box, my eyes spotted the unique handwriting of my grandmother—and several jotted notes in the small cursive of my mother. It occurred to me that with my daughter’s request, Peppermint Ice Cream Pie would make its entrance into a fourth generation within my family. I wondered,  What other family heirlooms might be handed down generation to generation? What about choices regarding faith? Besides the pie, would the faith of my grandmother—and my own—play out in the lives of my daughter and her offspring? In Psalm 79, the...

OUR DAILY BREAD March 21, Wednesday WALKING ON WATER Lisa Samra Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”  Matthew 14:27 Matthew 14:25–33 Bible in a year:  Joshua 7–9; Luke 1:21–38 During an especially cold winter, I ventured out to Lake Michigan, the fifth largest lake in the world, to see it frozen over. Bundled up on the beach where I usually enjoy soaking up the sun, the view was breathtaking. The water was actually frozen in waves creating an icy masterpiece. Because the water was frozen solid next to the shore, I had the opportunity to “walk on water.” Even with the knowledge that the ice was thick enough to support me, I took the first few steps tentatively. I was fearful the ice wouldn’t continue to hold me. As I cautiously explored this unfamiliar terrain, I couldn’t help but think of Jesus calling Peter out of the boat onto the Sea of Galilee. When the disciples saw Jesus walking on the water, their response was also fear. Bu...

OUR DAILY BREAD March 20, Tuesday A GOOD SEASON Dave Branon There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.  Ecclesiastes 3:1 Ecclesiastes 3:1–11 Bible in a year: Joshua 4–6; Luke 1:1–20 Today is the first day of spring in the northern half of the world. If you live in Australia, it’s the first day of autumn—the vernal equinox in the northern hemisphere and the autumnal equinox in the southern hemisphere. Today, the sun shines directly on the equator, and the hours of daylight and nighttime are nearly equal around the world. New seasons are important for many people. Some count down the day because of what they hope the new season will bring. Perhaps you’ve been marking off a calendar for spring in Wisconsin to signal the end of another winter. Or maybe you live in Melbourne, and you can’t wait for autumn to bring relief from the Australian sun. We also go through seasons of life that don’t have to do with the weather. The author of Eccle...

OUR DAILY BREAD March 19, Monday THE ART OF A GRATEFUL HEART Joe Stowell Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.  Psalm 118:1 Psalm 118:1–14, 26–29 Bible in aa Joshua 1–3; Mark 16 On our wedding day, Martie and I gladly vowed to be faithful “in good times as well as in bad, in sickness as well as in health, for richer or for poorer.” In a way it may seem strange to include vows about the bleak reality of bad times, sickness, and poverty on a cheerful wedding day. But it underscores the fact that life often has “bad” times. So what are we to do when we face life’s inevitable difficulties? Paul urges us on behalf of Christ to “give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). As difficult as that may sound, there is good reason why God encourages us to embrace a spirit of gratitude. Gratitude is grounded in the truth that our Lord “is good” and “his love endures forever” (Psalm 118:1). He is present with us and strengthens us in the mid...