Foursquare Gospel Church Igbosere (Chapel of Blessing)

OUR DAILY BREAD October 14, 2018 Sunday ASK THE ANIMALS Alyson Kieda Ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you.  Job 12:7 Job 12:7–10 Isaiah 43–44; 1 Thessalonians 2 Our grandkids, enraptured, got a close-up look at a rescued bald eagle. They were even allowed to touch him. As the zoo volunteer told about the powerful bird perched on her arm, I was surprised to learn this male had a wingspan of about six and one-half feet, yet because of its hollow bones it weighed only about eight pounds. This reminded me of the majestic eagle I had seen soaring above a lake, ready to swoop down and snatch its prey in its talons. And I pictured in my mind another big bird—the spindly legged blue heron I had spied standing motionless on the edge of a pond. It was poised to dart its long beak into the water. They’re just two among the nearly 10,000 species of birds that can direct our thoughts to our Creator. In the book of Job, Job’s f...

OUR DAILY BREAD October 13, 2018 Saturday HE CARRIED OUR BURDEN Marvin Williams “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”  1 Peter 2:24 1 Peter 1:18–25 Isaiah 41–42; 1 Thessalonians 1 It’s not unusual for utility bills to be surprisingly high. But Kieran Healy of North Carolina received a water bill that would make your heart stop. The notification said that he owed 100 million dollars! Confident he hadn’t used  that  much water the previous month, Healy jokingly asked if he could pay the bill in installments. Owing a 100-million-dollar debt would be an overwhelming burden, but that pales in comparison to the real—and immeasurable—burden sin causes us to carry. Attempting to carry the burden and consequences of our own sins ultimately leaves us feeling tired and riddled with guilt and shame. The truth is we are incapable of carrying this load. And we were ne...

OUR DAILY BREAD  October 12  2018 Friday SAFE IN HIS ARMS Arthur Jackson He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart.  Isaiah 40:11 Isaiah 40:9–11 Isaiah 39–40; Colossians 4 The weather outside was threatening, and the alert on my cell phone warned about the possibility of flash floods. An unusual number of cars were parked in my neighborhood as parents and others gathered to pick up children at the school bus drop-off point. By the time the bus arrived, it had started to rain. That’s when I observed a woman exit her car and retrieve an umbrella from the trunk. She walked towards a little girl and made sure the child was shielded from the rain until they returned to the vehicle. What a beautiful “real time” picture of parental, protective care that reminded me of the care of our heavenly Father. The prophet Isaiah forecast punishment for disobedience followed by brighter days for God’s people (Isaiah 40...

OUR DAILY BREAD October 11, 2018 Thursday STORIES OF JESUS Lisa Samra Jesus did many other things as well.  John 21:25 1 John 1:1–4; John 21:24–25 Isaiah 37–38; Colossians 3 As a girl I loved to visit my small local library. One day, looking at the bookshelves holding the young adult section, I reasoned I could probably read every book. In my enthusiasm I forgot one important fact—new books were regularly added to the shelves. Although I gave it a valiant effort, there were simply too many books. New books continue to fill more and more bookshelves. The apostle John likely would be amazed with the availability of books today since his five New Testament books, the gospel of John; 1, 2, and 3 John; and Revelation, were handwritten on parchment scrolls. John wrote those books because he felt compelled by the Holy Spirit to give Christians an eyewitness account of Jesus’s life and ministry (1 John 1:1–4). But John’s writings contained only a small fraction of all that Jesus ...

OUR DAILY BREAD October 10, 2018 Wednesday SINGING TO THE FIRING SQUAD Amy Peterson I trusted in the Lord when I said, “I am greatly afflicted.”  Psalm 116:10 Mark 14:16–26 Isaiah 34–36; Colossians 2 Two men convicted of drug trafficking had been on death row for a decade. While in prison, they learned of God’s love for them in Jesus, and their lives were transformed. When it came time for them to face the firing squad, they faced their executioners reciting the Lord’s Prayer and singing “Amazing Grace.” Because of their faith in God, through the power of the Spirit they were able to face death with incredible courage. They followed the example of faith set by their Savior, Jesus. When Jesus knew that His death was imminent, He spent part of the evening singing with friends. It’s remarkable that He could sing under such circumstances, but what’s even more remarkable is what He sang. On that night, Jesus and His friends had a Passover meal, which always ends with ...

OUR DAILY BREAD October 9, 2018 Tuesday MUCH MORE THAN WORDS Lawrence Darmani In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness.  Romans 8:26 Romans 8:22–30 Isaiah 32–33; Colossians 1 At a dedication ceremony during which a Bible translated into a local African language was presented, the area chief was presented with his own copy. In appreciation, he lifted the Bible to the skies and exclaimed, “Now we know God understands our language! We can read the Bible in our own native mother-tongue.” No matter our language, our heavenly Father understands it. But often we feel unable to express our deepest longings to Him. The apostle Paul encourages us to pray regardless of how we feel. Paul speaks of our suffering world and our own pain: “The whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth” (Romans 8:22), and he compares that to the Holy Spirit’s work on our behalf. “The Spirit helps us in our weakness,” he writes. “We do not know what we ought to pray for, b...

OUR DAILY BREAD October 8, 2018 Monday OUR SINGING FATHER Adam Holz The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will . . . rejoice over you with singing.  Zephaniah 3:17 Zephaniah 3:14–20 Isaiah 30–31; Philippians 4 No one told me before my wife and I had children how important singing would be. My children are now six, eight, and ten. But all three had problems sleeping early on. Each night, my wife and I took turns rocking our little ones, praying they’d nod off quickly. I spent hundreds of hours rocking them, desperately crooning lullabies to (hopefully!) speed up the process. But as I sang over our children night after night, something amazing happened: It deepened my bond of love and delight for them in ways I had never dreamed.  Did you know Scripture describes our heavenly Father singing over His children too? Just as I sought to soothe my children with song, so Zephaniah concludes with a ...