Foursquare Gospel Church Igbosere (Chapel of Blessing)

OUR DAILY BREAD September 30, 2018 Sunday UNLOCKING A MYSTERY Dave Branon This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel.  Ephesians 3:6 Ephesians 3:1–12 Isaiah 9–10; Ephesians 3 When I came home from work one day and saw a pair of lady’s high-heel shoes next to the driveway, I was sure I knew whose they were. So I put them in the garage to give to my daughter Lisa when she returned to the house to pick up her children. But when I checked with Lisa, I found they didn’t belong to her. In fact, no one in our family claimed them, so I put them back where I’d found them. The next day, they were gone. Mysterious. Did you know that the apostle Paul wrote of a mystery in his letters? But the mystery he described was so much more than some kind of “whodunit.” In Ephesians 3, for example, Paul spoke of a mystery that “was not made known to people in other generations” (v. 5). This mystery is that, while in the past God revealed Himself through I...

OUR DAILY BREAD September 29, 2018 Saturday GLEANING THE FIELDS Amy Boucher Pye Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor.”  Ruth 2:2 Ruth 2:1–12 Isaiah 7–8; Ephesians 2 A Tanzanian friend has a vision for redeeming a piece of desolate land in the capital city of Dodoma. Recognizing the needs of some local widows, Ruth wants to transform these dusty acres into a place to keep chickens and grow crops. Her vision to provide for those in need is rooted in her love for God, and was inspired by her biblical namesake, Ruth. God’s laws allowed the poor or the foreigner to glean (harvest) from the edges of the fields (Leviticus 19:9–10). Ruth (in the Bible) was a foreigner, and was therefore allowed to work in the fields, gathering food for her and her mother-in-law. Gleaning in Boaz’s field, a close relative, led to Ruth and Naomi ultimately finding a home and protection. Ruth used her ingenuit...

OUR DAILY BREAD September 28, 2018 Friday ASKING GOD FIRST Leslie Koh Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.  Psalm 37:4 Psalm 37:3–7, 23–24 Isaiah 5–6; Ephesians 1 Early in our marriage, I struggled to figure out my wife’s preferences.  Did she want a quiet dinner at home or a meal at a fancy restaurant? Was it okay for me to hang out with the guys, or did she expect me to keep the weekend free for her?  Once, instead of guessing and deciding first, I asked her, “What do you want?” “I’m fine with either,” she replied with a warm smile. “I’m just happy you thought of me.” At times I’ve wanted desperately to know  exactly  what God wanted me to do—such as which job to take. Praying for guidance and reading the Bible didn’t reveal any specific answers. But one answer was clear: I was to trust in the Lord, take delight in Him, and commit my way to Him (Psalm 37:3–5). That’s when I realized that God usually giv...

OUR DAILY BREAD September 27, 2018 Thursday WHEN WE’RE WEARY Alyson Kieda Let us not become weary in doing good.  Galatians 6:9 Galatians 6:1–10 Isaiah 3–4; Galatians 6 Sometimes trying to do the right thing can be exhausting. We may wonder,  Do my well-intentioned words and actions make any difference at all?  I wondered this recently when I sent a prayerfully thought-out email meant to encourage a friend, only to have it met with an angry response. My immediate reaction was a mixture of hurt and anger.  How could I be so misunderstood? Before I responded out of anger, I remembered that we won’t always see the results (or the results we desire) when we tell someone about how Jesus loves them. When we do good things for others hoping to draw them to Him, they may spurn us. Our gentle efforts to prompt someone to right action may be ignored. Galatians 6 is a good place to turn when we’re discouraged by someone’s response to our sincere efforts. Here the apos...

OUR DAILY BREAD September 26, 2018 Wednesday IT’S NOT ABOUT THE FISH Tim Gustafson When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented.  Jonah 3:10 Jonah 3:10–4:4 Isaiah 1–2; Galatians 5 Sighted numerous times off the coast of Australia’s South Queensland, Migaloo is the first albino humpback whale ever documented. The splendid creature, estimated at more than forty feet long, is so rare that Australia passed a law specifically to protect him. The Bible tells us about a “huge fish” so rare that God had provided it especially to swallow a runaway prophet (Jonah 1:17). Most know the story. God told Jonah to take a message of judgment to Nineveh. But Jonah wanted nothing to do with the Ninevites, who had a reputation for cruelty to just about everyone—including the Hebrews. So he fled. Things went badly. From inside the fish, Jonah repented. Eventually he preached to the Ninevites, and they repented too (3:5–10). Great story, right? Except i...

OUR DAILY BREAD September 25, 2018 Tuesday MANY BEAUTIFUL THINGS Keila Ochoa She has done a beautiful thing to me.  Mark 14:6 Mark 14:1–9 Song of Solomon 6–8; Galatians 4 Just before her death, artist and missionary Lilias Trotter looked out a window and saw a vision of a heavenly chariot. According to her biographer, a friend asked, “Are you seeing many beautiful things?” She answered, “Yes, many, many beautiful things.” Trotter’s final words reflect God’s work in her life. Not only in death, but throughout her life, He revealed much beauty to her and through her. Although a talented artist, she chose to serve Jesus as a missionary in Algeria. John Ruskin, a famous painter who tutored her, is said to have commented, “What a waste,” when she chose the mission field over a career in art. Similarly, in the New Testament, when a woman came to Simon the Leper’s house with an alabaster jar and poured perfume on Jesus’s head, those present saw it as a waste. This...

OUR DAILY BREAD September 24, 2018 Monday WALKING GOD’S WAY Adam Holz Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”  Isaiah 30:21 Isaiah 30:15–21 Song of Solomon 4–5; Galatians 3 “We’re going  this  way,” I said as I touched my son’s shoulder and redirected him through the crowd to follow his mom and sisters in front of us. I’d done this more often as the day wore on at the amusement park our family was visiting. He was getting tired and more easily distracted.  Why can’t he just follow them?  I wondered. Then it hit me:  How often do I do exactly the same thing? How often do I veer from obediently walking with God, enchanted by the temptations to pursue what I want instead of seeking His ways? Think of Isaiah’s words from God for Israel: “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it’ ” (...