Foursquare Gospel Church Igbosere (Chapel of Blessing)

OUR DAILY BREAD October 21, 2018 Sunday MY REAL FACE Xochitl Dixon I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service.  1 Timothy 1:12 1 Timothy 1:12–17 Isaiah 62–64; 1 Timothy 1 For years, feelings of unworthiness and shame over my less-than-godly past had an adverse impact on every aspect of my life. What if others discovered the extent of my blemished reputation? Though God helped me muster up courage to invite a ministry leader to lunch, I strived to  seem  perfect. I scrubbed my house spotless, whipped up a three-course meal, and donned my best jeans and blouse. I rushed to turn off the front-yard sprinklers. Twisting the leaking nozzle, I screamed when a gush of water drenched me. With towel-dried hair and smeared makeup, I changed into dry sweat pants and a T-shirt . . . just in time to hear the doorbell. Frustrated, I confessed my morning’s antics and motives. My new friend shared her ...

OUR DAILY BREAD  October 20, 2018 Saturday ALWAYS ACCEPTED Leslie Koh The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.  Luke 19:10 Luke 19:1–10 Isaiah 59–61; 2 Thessalonians 3 After several years of struggling to keep up in her studies, Angie was finally taken out of her elite primary school and transferred to a “normal” one. In Singapore’s intensely competitive education landscape, where being in a “good” school can improve one’s future prospects, many would see this as a failure. Angie’s parents were disappointed, and Angie herself felt as if she had been demoted. But soon after joining her new school, the nine year old realized what it meant to be in a class of average students. “Mummy, I belong here,” she said. “I’m finally accepted!” It reminded me of how excited Zacchaeus must have felt when Jesus invited Himself to the tax collector’s home (Luke 19:5). Christ was interested in dining with those who knew they were flawed and didn’t deserve God’s grace (v. 10)....

OUR DAILY BREAD October 19, 2018 Friday BRING YOUR BOATS Kirsten Holmberg Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act.  Proverbs 3:27 Proverbs 3:21–31 Isaiah 56–58; 2 Thessalonians 2 Hurricane Harvey brought catastrophic flooding to eastern Texas in 2017. The onslaught of rain stranded thousands of people in their homes, unable to escape the floodwaters. In what was dubbed the “Texas Navy,” many private citizens brought boats from other parts of the state and nation to help evacuate stranded people. The actions of these valiant, generous men and women call to mind the encouragement of Proverbs 3:27, which instructs us to help others whenever we are able. They had the power to act on behalf of those in need by bringing their boats. And so they  did . Their actions demonstrate a willingness to use whatever resources they had at their disposal for the benefit of others. We may not always feel adequate for the task at hand; often we...

OUR DAILY BREAD October 18, 2018 Thursday A PIERCING THORN Adam Holz But he was pierced for our transgressions . . . and by his wounds we are healed.  Isaiah 53:5 Isaiah 53:1–6 Isaiah 53–55; 2 Thessalonians 1 The thorn pricked my index finger, drawing blood. I hollered and then groaned, drawing back my hand instinctively. But I  shouldn’t have been surprised: trying to prune a thorny bush without gardening gloves was a recipe for exactly what just happened. The pain throbbing in my finger—and the blood flowing from it—demanded attention. And as I searched for a bandage, I found myself unexpectedly thinking about my Savior. After all, soldiers forced Jesus to don an entire crown of thorns (John 19:1–3). If one thorn hurt this much, I thought, how much agony would an entire crown of them inflict? And that’s just a small portion of the physical pain He suffered. A whip flogged His back. Nails penetrated His wrists and ankles. But Jesus endured spiritual pain too. Verse ...

OUR DAILY BREAD October 17, 2018 Wednesday THE PRAYER AND THE CHAIN SAW Linda Washington Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant.  Nehemiah 1:11 Nehemiah 1 Isaiah 50–52; 1 Thessalonians 5 I respect my Aunt Gladys’s intrepid spirit, even if that very spirit concerns me sometimes. The source of my concern came in the form of news she shared in an email: “I cut down a walnut tree yesterday.” You must understand that my chainsaw-wielding aunt is seventy-six years old! The tree had grown up behind her garage. When the roots threatened to burst through the concrete, she knew it had to go. But she did tell us, “I always pray before I tackle a job like that.” While serving as butler to the king of Persia during the time of Israel’s exile, Nehemiah heard news concerning the people who had returned to Jerusalem. Some work needed to be done. “The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire” (Nehemiah 1:3). The broken walls le...

OUR DAILY BREAD October 16, 2018 Tuesday TERRIBLE AND BEAUTIFUL THINGS Monica Brands Awake, my soul! Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn.  Psalm 57:8 Psalm 57 Isaiah 47–49; 1 Thessalonians 4 Fear can leave us frozen. We know all the reasons to be afraid—everything that’s hurt us in the past, everything that could easily do so again. So sometimes we’re stuck—unable to go back; too afraid to move forward.  I just can’t do it. I’m not smart enough, strong enough, or brave enough to handle being hurt like that again. I’m captivated by how author Frederick Buechner describes God’s grace: like a gentle voice that says, “Here is the world. Terrible and beautiful things will happen. Don’t be afraid. I am with you.” Terrible things will happen.  In our world, hurting people hurt other people, often terribly. Like the psalmist David, we carry our own stories of when evil surrounded us, when, like “ravenous beasts,” others wounded us (Psalm 57:4). And so we grieve...

OUR DAILY BREAD October 15 Monday TRUST HIM FIRST James Banks Praise the Lord; praise God our savior! For each day he carries us in his arms.  Psalm 68:19  nlt Isaiah 46:3–13 Isaiah 45–46; 1 Thessalonians 3 “Don’t let go, Dad!” “I won’t. I’ve got you. I promise.”    I was a little boy terrified of the water, but my dad wanted me to learn to swim. He would purposefully take me away from the side of the pool into a depth that was over my head, where he was my only support. Then he would teach me to relax and float. It wasn’t just a swimming lesson; it was a lesson in trust. I knew my father loved me and would never let me be harmed intentionally, but I was also afraid. I would cling tightly to his neck until he reassured me all would be well. Eventually his patience and kindness won out, and I began to swim. But I had to trust him first. When I feel “over my head” in a difficulty, I sometimes think back on those moments. They help me call to mind the Lo...