Foursquare Gospel Church Igbosere (Chapel of Blessing)

OUR DAILY BREAD December 9, 2018 Sunday STEADFAST LOVE Amy Peterson Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever.  Psalm 136:1 Psalm 136:1–9 Daniel 11–12; Jude “I love you!” my dad called out as I slammed the car door and headed into school. I was in sixth grade, and for months we had played out basically the same scenario every morning. We arrived at school, Dad said, “Have a great day! I love you!” and all I said was “Bye.” I wasn’t angry with him or ignoring him. I was simply so wrapped up in my own thoughts that I didn’t notice his words. Nevertheless, my dad’s love remained steadfast. God’s love is like that—and more. It endures forever. The Hebrew word that expresses this steadfast kind of love is  hesed . It’s used over and over again in the Old Testament, and twenty-six times in Psalm 136 alone! No modern word can fully capture the meaning; we translate it “kindness,” “loving-kindness,” “mercy,” or “loyalty.”  Hesed  is a ...

OUR DAILY BREAD December 8, 2018 Saturday HOME Dave Branon In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.  John 14:2 nkjv John 14:1-6 Daniel 8–10; 3 John Recently a friend who sold homes for a living died of cancer. As my wife and I reminisced about Patsy, Sue recalled that many years ago Patsy had led a man to faith in Jesus and he became a good friend of ours. How encouraging to recall that Patsy not only helped families find homes to live in here in our community, but she also helped others make sure they had an eternal home. As Jesus prepared to go to the cross for us, He showed a keen interest in our eternal accommodations. He told His disciples, “I go to prepare a place for you” and reminded them that there would be plenty of room in His Father’s house for all who trusted Him (John 14:2 nkjv). We love to have a nice home in this life—a special place for our family to eat, sleep, and enjoy...

OUR DAILY BREAD December 7, 2018 Friday GOD’S HIDDEN HAND Poh Fang Chia All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.  Psalm 139:16 Psalm 139:13–18 Daniel 5–7; 2 John My friend was adopted by a missionary couple from the United States and grew up in Ghana. After his family moved back to the US, he began college but had to drop out. Later, he signed on with the military, which eventually helped him pay for college and took him all over the world. Through it all, God was at work, preparing him for a special role. Today, he writes and edits Christian literature that ministers to an international audience.  His wife also has an interesting story. She failed her chemistry exams during her first year of college due to the strong medication she had to take for epilepsy. After some careful deliberation, she switched from studying science to studying American Sign Language, which had a more manageable workload. Reflecting on that ...

OUR DAILY BREAD December 6, 2018 Thursday LONELY CHRISTMAS Lawrence Darmani My eyes are ever on the Lord.  Psalm 25:15 Psalm 25:14–22 Daniel 3–4; 1 John 5 The loneliest Christmas I ever spent was in my grandfather’s cottage near Sakogu, northern Ghana. I was just fifteen, and my parents and siblings were a thousand kilometers away. In previous years, when I’d been with them and my village friends, Christmas was always big and memorable. But this Christmas was quiet and lonely. As I lay on my floor mat early Christmas morning, I remembered a local song:  The year has ended; Christmas has come; the Son of God is born; peace and joy to everybody.  Mournfully, I sang it over and over. My grandmother came and asked, “What song is that?” My grandparents didn’t know about Christmas—or about Christ. So I shared what I knew about Christmas with them. Those moments brightened my loneliness. Alone in the fields with only sheep and occasional predators, the shepherd ...

OIR DAILY BREAD December 5, 2018 Wednesday A HAND UP Kirsten Holmberg If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.  Ecclesiastes 4:10 Ecclesiastes 4:8–12 Daniel 1–2; 1 John 4 My children have enjoyed the thrill of a backyard ice-skating rink during our cold Idaho winters. When they were young, learning to skate was challenging: persuading them to deliberately set foot on the hard, icy surface proved difficult because they knew the pain of falling. Each time their feet slid out from under them, my husband or I would reach out to pull them again to their feet, setting them upright and steadying their frames. Having someone there to help us up when we fall is the gift of a helping hand depicted in Ecclesiastes. Working with another makes our work sweeter and more effective (4:9), and a friend brings warmth to our lives. When we encounter challenges, it helps to have someone come alongside with practical and emotional support. These relationships can give us stre...

OUR DAILY BREAD December 4, 2018 Tuesday QUESTIONS AT CHRISTMAS Tim Gustafson “But what about you?” [Jesus] asked. “Who do you say I am?” Matthew 16:15 Matthew 16:13–21 Ezekiel 47–48; 1 John 3 Well before the calendar flips to December, Christmas cheer begins to bubble up in our northern town. A medical office drapes its trees and shrubs in close-fitting strings of lights, each a different color, illuminating a breathtaking nighttime landscape. Another business decorates its building to look like an enormous, extravagantly wrapped Christmas present. It’s difficult to turn anywhere without seeing evidence of Christmas spirit—or at least seasonal marketing. Some people love these lavish displays. Others take a more cynical view. But the crucial question isn’t how others observe Christmas. Rather, we each need to consider what the celebration means to us. A little more than thirty years after His birth, Jesus asked His discip...

OUR DAILY BREAD December 3, 2018 Monday THANKS FOR BEING YOU! Xochitl Dixon Enter his gates with thanksgiving. Psalm 100:4 Psalm 100 Ezekiel 45–46; 1 John 2 When I served as my mom’s live-in caregiver at a cancer center, I got to know Lori, another caregiver who lived down the hallway from us with her husband, Frank. I would chat, laugh, vent, cry, and pray with Lori in the shared living areas. We enjoyed supporting each other as we cared for our loved ones. One day, I missed the free shuttle that took residents to buy groceries. Lori offered to drive me to the store later that evening. With grateful tears, I accepted her offer. “Thanks for being you,” I said. I truly appreciated her for who she was as a person, not just for what she did for me as a friend. Psalm 100 demonstrates an appreciation of God for who He is, not simply for all He does. The psalmist invites “all the earth” (v. 1) to “worship the Lord with gladness” (v. 2)...