Foursquare Gospel Church Igbosere (Chapel of Blessing)

OUR DAILY BREAD July 8, 2018 Sunday MANY GIFTS, ONE PURPOSE Keila Ochoa Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.  1 Corinthians 12:12 1 Corinthians 12:4–14 Job 36–37; Acts 15:22–41 Corn, also called maize, is the staple food in my home country of Mexico. There are so many different types. You can find yellow, brown, red, and black cobs, even ones with a wonderful spotted pattern. But people in the cities usually won’t eat the spotted cobs. Restaurateur and researcher Amado Ramírez explains that they believe uniformity is a synonym of quality. Yet the spotted cobs taste good, and they make excellent tortillas. The church of Christ is much more similar to a spotted ear of corn than to a cob of just one color. The apostle Paul used the imagery of a body to describe the church, because even though we are all one body, and we have the same God, each of us has been given a different ...

Our DAILY BREAD July 8, 2018 Friday MANY GIFTS, ONE PURPOSE Keila Ochoa Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.  1 Corinthians 12:12 1 Corinthians 12:4–14 Job 36–37; Acts 15:22–41 Corn, also called maize, is the staple food in my home country of Mexico. There are so many different types. You can find yellow, brown, red, and black cobs, even ones with a wonderful spotted pattern. But people in the cities usually won’t eat the spotted cobs. Restaurateur and researcher Amado Ramírez explains that they believe uniformity is a synonym of quality. Yet the spotted cobs taste good, and they make excellent tortillas. The church of Christ is much more similar to a spotted ear of corn than to a cob of just one color. The apostle Paul used the imagery of a body to describe the church, because even though we are all one body, and we have the same God, each of us has been given a different gift. As Paul said, “There ar...

OUR DAILY BREAD  July 7, 2018 Saturday  DECLARING DEPENDENCE James Banks Apart from me you can do nothing.  John 15:5 John 5:16–23 Job 34–35; Acts 15:1–21 Laura’s mom was battling cancer. One morning Laura prayed for her with a friend. Her friend, who had been disabled for years by cerebral palsy, prayed: “Lord, you do everything for me. Please do everything for Laura’s mother.” Laura was deeply moved by her friend’s “declaration of dependence” on God. Reflecting on the moment, she said, “How often do I acknowledge my need for God in everything? It’s something I should do every day!” During His days on earth Jesus demonstrated continual dependence on His heavenly Father. One might think that because Jesus is God in a human body, He would have the best of all reasons to be self-sufficient. But when the religious authorities asked Him to give a reason for “working” on a legally ordained day of rest because He healed someone on the Sabbath, He responded, “Very truly...

OUR DAILY BREAD July 4, 2018 Thursday A PERFECT WORLD Poh Fang Chia He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!”  Revelation 21:5 Revelation 21:1–5 Job 28–29; Acts 13:1–25 Katie was given a school assignment to write an essay entitled “My Perfect World.” She wrote: “In my perfect world . . . ice cream is free, lollipops are everywhere, and the sky is blue all the time, with only a few clouds that have interesting shapes.” Then her essay took a more serious turn. In that world, she continued, “No one will come home to bad news. And no one will have to be the one to deliver it.” No one will come home to bad news. Isn’t that wonderful? Those words point powerfully to the confident hope we have in Jesus. He is “making everything new”—healing and transforming our world (Revelation 21:5). Paradise is the place of “no more”—no more evil, no more...

OUR DAILY BREAD July 6, 2018 Friday HIDDEN BEAUTY Lisa Samra People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.  1 Samuel 16:7 1 Samuel 16:1–7 Job 32–33; Acts 14 Our children needed a little coaxing to believe that it was worth putting on snorkeling gear to peer beneath the surface of the Caribbean Sea off the shore of the island of Tobago. But after they dove in, they resurfaced ecstatic, “There are thousands of fish of all different kinds! It’s so beautiful! I’ve never seen such colorful fish!” Because the surface of the water looked similar to freshwater lakes near our home, our children could have missed the beauty hidden just below the surface. When the prophet Samuel went to Bethlehem to anoint one of Jesse’s sons to be the next king, Samuel saw the oldest son, Eliab, and was impressed by his appearance. The prophet thought he had found the right man, but the Lord rejected Eliab. God reminded Samuel that He “does not look at the things...

OUR DAILY BREAD July 5, 2018 Wednesday GOD’S GREAT CREATION Dave Branon The birds of the sky nest by the waters; they sing among the branches.  Psalm 104:12 Psalm 104:1–6, 10–23 Bible in a year: Job 30–31; Acts 13:26–52 On a recent visit with some of our grandchildren, we enjoyed watching a web cam that focused on an eagle family in Florida. Every day we would check in on the mom, the dad, and the baby as they went about their daily routine in their nest high off the ground. Each day the parent birds would keep a constant, protective vigil over the eaglet, bringing it fish from a nearby river for nourishment. This little eagle family depicts for us one image the psalmist gave us of God’s magnificent creation in Psalm 104—an array of creation images, of scenes from the work of God’s creative hand. We see the majesty of God’s creation as it relates to the universe (vv. 2–4). We experience the creation of the earth itself—waters, mountains, valleys (vv. 5–9). We ...

OUR DAILY BREAD July 3, 2018 Tuesday I SEE YOU Xochitl Dixon The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.  Psalm 121:8 Psalm 121 Bible in a year: Job 25–27; Acts 12 When Xavier was two, he darted into one aisle after another in a small shoe store. Hiding behind stacks of shoeboxes, he giggled when my husband, Alan, said, “I see you.” Moments later, I saw Alan dash frantically from aisle to aisle, calling Xavier’s name. We raced to the front of the store. Our child, still laughing, ran toward the open door leading to the busy street outside. Within seconds, Alan scooped him up. We embraced as I thanked God, sobbed, and kissed our toddler’s chubby cheeks. A year before I became pregnant with Xavier, I’d lost our first child during the pregnancy. When God blessed us with our son, I became a fearful parent. Our shoe store experience proved I wouldn’t always be able to see or protect our child. But I discovered peace as I learned to ...

OUR DAILY BREAD July 2, 2018 Monday LIVING OUT LOUD David C. McCasland In your hearts revere Christ as Lord.  1 Peter 3:15 1 Peter 3:8–16 Bible in a year: Job 22–24; Acts 11 While staying at a hotel in Austin, Texas, I noticed a card lying on the desk in my room. It said: Welcome Our prayer is that your stay here will be restful and that your travels will be fruitful. May the Lord bless you and keep you, and make His face shine upon you. This card from the company that manages the hotel made me want to know more, so I accessed their website and read about their culture, strength, and values. In a winsome way, they seek to pursue excellence and live out their faith in the workplace. Their philosophy reminded me of Peter’s words to the followers of Jesus scattered throughout Asia Minor. He encouraged them to demonstrate their faith in Christ in the society where they lived. Even as they faced threats and persecution, Peter told them not to be afraid, ...