Foursquare Gospel Church Igbosere (Chapel of Blessing)

OUR DAILY BREAD June 10, 2018 Sunday A WARM WELCOME Dave Branon Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.  1 Peter 4:9 1 Peter 4:7–11 Bible in a year: 2 Chronicles 34–36; John 19:1–22 “Who will hug everybody?” That was one of the questions our friend Steve asked after he got the news that he had cancer and realized he would be away from our church for a while. Steve is the kind of man who makes everyone feel welcome—with a friendly greeting, a warm handshake, and even a “holy hug” for some—to adapt an application from Romans 16:16, which says, “Greet one another with a holy kiss.” And now, as we pray for Steve that God will heal him, he is concerned that as he goes through surgery and treatment—and is away from our church for a time—we will miss out on those welcoming greetings.  Perhaps not all of us are cut out to greet one another as openly as Steve does, but his example of ca...

OUR DAILY BREAD June 9, 2018 Saturday THE PERFECT FATHER Xochitl Dixon Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me.  Psalm 27:10 Psalm 27 Bible in a year: 2 Chronicles 32–33; John 18:19–40 Standing in the crowded store aisle, I struggled to find the perfect Father’s Day card. Although we had reconciled after years of a strained connection, I had never felt close to my dad. The woman next to me groaned and shoved the card she’d been reading back into the display. “Why can’t they make cards for people who don’t have good relationships with their fathers, but are trying to do the right thing?” She stormed off before I could respond, so I prayed for her. Thanking God for affirming only He could be a perfect Father, I asked Him to strengthen my relationship with my dad. I long for deeper intimacy with my heavenly Father too. I want David’s confidence in God’s constant presence, power, and protection (Psalm 27:1–6). When David cried out for help...

OUR DAILY BREAD June 8, 2018 Friday FACES David H. Roper We all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory.  2 Corinthians 3:18 Galatians 5:22–26 Bible in a year: 2 Chronicles 30–31; John 18:1–18 When our granddaughter Sarah was very young, she explained to me what happens when you die: “Only your face goes to heaven, not your body. You get a new body, but keep the same face.” Sarah’s concept of our eternal state was a child’s understanding, of course, but she did grasp an essential truth. In a sense, our faces are a visible reflection of the invisible soul. My mother used to say that an angry look might someday freeze on my face. She was wiser than she knew. A worried brow, an angry set to our mouths, a sly look in our eyes may reveal a miserable soul. On the other hand, kind eyes, a gentle look, a warm and welcoming smile—despite wrinkles, bl...

OUR DAILY BREAD June 7, 2018 Thursday AND IN TRUTH Tim Gustafson In his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.  Zephaniah 3:17 Zephaniah 1:1–6; 2:1–3 Bible in a year: 2 Chronicles 28–29; John 17 Years ago, I attended a wedding where two people from different countries got married. Such a blending of cultures can be beautiful, but this ceremony included Christian traditions mixed with rituals from a faith that worshiped many gods. Zephaniah the prophet pointedly condemned the mixing of other religions with faith in the one true God (sometimes called syncretism). Judah had become a people who bowed in worship to the true God but who  also  relied on the god Molek (Zephaniah 1:5). Zephaniah described their adoption of pagan culture (v. 8) and warned that as a result God would drive the people of Judah from their homeland. Yet God never stopped loving His people. His judgment was to show them their need to turn t...

OUR DAILY BREAD June 6, 2018 Wednesday SIDE BY SIDE Keila Ochoa Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor.  Ecclesiastes 4:9 Nehemiah 3:1–12 Bible in a year: 2 Chronicles 25–27; John 16 In ancient times, a city with broken walls revealed a defeated people, exposed to danger and shame. That is why the Jews rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem. How? By working side by side, an expression that can well describe Nehemiah 3. At first glance, chapter 3 might appear to be a boring account of who did what in the reconstruction. However, a closer look highlights how people worked together. Priests were working alongside rulers. Perfume-makers were helping as well as goldsmiths. There were some who lived in nearby towns and came to give a hand. Others made repairs opposite their houses. Shallum’s daughters, for example, worked alongside the men (3:12), and some people repaired two sections, like the men of Tekoa (vv. 5, 27). Two things stand out from t...

OUR DAILY BREAD June 5, 2018 Tuesday A BLIND MAN’S PLEA Arthur Jackson Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!  Luke 18:38 Luke 18:35–43 Bible in a year: 2 Chronicles 23–24; John 15 Some years ago a traveling companion noticed I was straining to see objects at a distance. What he did next was simple but life changing. He took off his glasses and said, “Try these.” When I put his glasses on, surprisingly my blurred vision cleared up. Eventually I went to an optometrist who prescribed glasses to correct my vision problem. Today’s reading in Luke 18 features a man with no vision at all, and living in total darkness had forced him to beg for a living. News about Jesus, the popular teacher and miracle worker, had reached the blind beggar’s ears. So when Jesus’s travel route took Him by where the blind man was sitting, hope was ignited in his heart. “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” (v. 38) he called. Though without sight physically, the man possessed spiritual i...

OUR DAILY BREAD June 4, 2018 Monday OPEN MY EYES Keila Ochoa The Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things.  John 14:26 John 14:23–31 Bible in a year: 2 Chronicles 21–22; John 14 The first time I went to the gorgeous Chora Church in Istanbul, I was able to figure out some Bible stories from the Byzantine frescos and mosaics on the ceiling. But there was much I missed. The second time, however, I had a guide. He pointed to all the details I had previously missed, and suddenly everything made perfect sense! The first aisle, for instance, depicted the life of Jesus as recorded in the gospel of Luke. Sometimes when we read the Bible we understand the basic stories, but what about the connections—those details that weave Scripture into the one perfect story? We have Bible commentaries and study tools, yes, but we also need a guide—someone to open our eyes and help us see the wonders of God’s written revelation. Our guide is the Holy Spirit wh...