Foursquare Gospel Church Igbosere (Chapel of Blessing)

OUR DAILY BREAD December 23, 2018 Sunday  IN ABUNDANCE OR AFFLICTION Kirsten Holmberg The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.  Job 1:21 Job 1:13–22 Nahum 1–3; Revelation 14 Ann Voskamp’s book  One Thousand Gifts encourages readers to search their lives each day for what the Lord has done for them. In it, she daily notes God’s abundant generosity to her in gifts both large and small, ranging from the simple beauty of iridescent bubbles in the dish sink to the incomparable salvation of sinners like herself (and the rest of us!). Ann contends that gratitude is the key to seeing God in even the most troubling of life’s moments. Job is famous for a life of such “troubling” moments. Indeed, his losses were deep and many. Just moments after losing all his livestock, he learns of the simultaneous death of all his ten children. Job’s profound grief was evidenced in his response: he “tore his robe a...

OUR DAILY BREAD December 22, 2018 Saturday HOPE OUR STRATEGY Adam Holz But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.  Micah 7:7 Micah 7:1–7 Micah 6–7; Revelation 13 My favorite football team has lost eight consecutive games as I write this. With each loss, it’s harder to hope this season can be redeemed for them. The coach has made changes weekly, but they haven’t resulted in wins. Talking with my coworkers, I’ve joked that merely wanting a different outcome can’t guarantee it. “Hope is not a strategy,” I’ve quipped. That’s true in football. But in our spiritual lives, it’s just the opposite. Not only is cultivating hope in God a strategy, but clinging to Him in faith and trust is the  only  strategy. This world often disappoints us, but hope can anchor us in God’s truth and power during the turbulent times. Micah understood this reality. He was heartbroken by how Israel had turned away from God. “What m...

OUR DAILY BREAD December 21, 2018 Friday DON’T BE AFRAID! Philip Yancey The kingdom of God has come near.  Mark 1:15 Luke 2:42–52 Micah 4–5; Revelation 12 Nearly every time an angel appears in the Bible, the first words he says are “Don’t be afraid!” Little wonder. When the supernatural makes contact with planet Earth, it usually leaves the human observers flat on their faces in fear. But Luke tells of God making an appearance in a form that doesn’t frighten. In Jesus, born with the animals and laid in a feeding trough, God takes an approach that we need not fear. What could be less scary than a newborn baby? On Earth Jesus is both God and man. As God, He can work miracles, forgive sins, conquer death, and predict the future. But for Jews accustomed to images of God as a bright cloud or pillar of fire, Jesus also causes much confusion. How could a baby in Bethlehem, a carpenter’s son, a man from Nazareth, be the Messiah from God? Why does God take on human form? The scene...

OUR DAILY BREAD December 20, 2018 Thursday FOLLOWING THE LEADER Patricia Raybon Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.  Luke 9:23 Luke 9:21–24 Micah 1–3; Revelation 11 In the sky over our house, three fighter jets scream through the sky—flying in formation so close together they appear to be one.  “ Wow ,”  I say to my husband, Dan. “Impressive,” he agrees. We live near an Air Force base and it’s not unusual to see such sights. Every time these jets fly over, however, I have the same question:  How can they fly so close together and not lose control? One obvious reason, I learned, is humility. Trusting that the lead pilot is traveling at precisely the correct speed and trajectory, the wing pilots surrender any desire to switch directions or question their leader’s path. Instead, they get in formation and closely follow. The result? A more powerful team. It’s no different for followers of Jesu...

OUR DAILY BREAD  December 19, 2018 Wednesday  A CHRISTMAS LETTER Amy Boucher Pye The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father.  John 1:14 John 1:1–14 Jonah 1–4; Revelation 10 Every Christmas, a friend of mine writes a long letter to his wife, reviewing the events of the year and dreaming about the future. He always tells her how much he loves her, and why. He also writes a letter to each of his daughters. His words of love make an unforgettable Christmas present. We could say that the original Christmas love letter was Jesus, the Word made flesh. John highlights this truth in his gospel: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). In ancient philosophy, the Greek for Word,  logos , suggested a divine mind or order that unites reality, but John expands the definition to reveal the Word as a  person : Jesus,...

OUR DAILY BREAD December 18, 2018 Tuesday THE GREAT AWAKENING David H. Roper God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.  1 Thessalonians 4:14 Deuteronomy 34:1–8 Obadiah; Revelation 9 I have a treasured memory of gatherings with family friends when our boys were small. The adults would talk into the night; our children, weary with play would curl up on a couch or chair and fall asleep. When it was time to leave, I would gather our boys into my arms, carry them to the car, lay them in the back seat, and take them home. When we arrived, I would pick them up again, tuck them into their beds, kiss them goodnight, and turn out the light. In the morning they would awaken—at home. This has become a rich metaphor for me of the night on which we “sleep in Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 4:14 kjv). We slumber . . . and awaken in our eternal home, the home that will heal the weariness that has marked our days. I came across an Old Testament text the other day that...

OUR DAILY BREAD December 17, 2018 Monday FROM SHAME TO HONOR Poh Fang Chia [The Lord] has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.  Luke 1:25 Luke 1:18–25 Amos 7–9; Revelation 8 It’s that time of the year again, when families gather to celebrate the festive season together. Some of us, however, dread meeting certain “concerned” relatives whose questions can make those who are still single or childless feel that there’s something wrong with them. Imagine the plight of Elizabeth, who was childless despite being married for many years. In her culture, that was seen as a sign of God’s disfavor (see 1 Samuel 1:5–6) and could actually be considered shameful. So while Elizabeth had been living righteously (Luke 1:6), her neighbors and relatives may have suspected otherwise. Nonetheless, Elizabeth and her husband continued to serve the Lord faithfully. Then, when both were well advanced in years, a miracle occurred. God heard her prayer (v. 13). He loves to ...