Foursquare Gospel Church Igbosere (Chapel of Blessing)

OUR DAILY BREAD March 10, Sunday THE GREATEST RESCUE MISSION Bill Crowder The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.  Luke 19:10 Luke 19:1–10 Deuteronomy 11–13; Mark 12:1–27 On February 18, 1952, a massive storm split the SS  Pendleton,  a tanker ship, into two pieces about ten miles off the Massachusetts coast. More than forty sailors were trapped inside the ship’s sinking stern in the midst of fierce winds and violent waves. When word of the disaster reached the Coast Guard station in Chatham, Massachusetts, Boatswain’s Mate First Class Bernie Webber took three men on a lifeboat to try to save the stranded crew against nearly impossible odds—and brought thirty-two of the seemingly doomed sailors to safety. Their courageous feat was deemed one of the greatest rescues in United States Coast Guard history and was the subject of the 2016 film  The Finest Hours. In Luke 19:10, Jesus declared His own rescue mission: “The Son of Man came to seek and to sav...

OUR DAILY BREAD March 9, SAT WELCOMING STRANGERS Amy Boucher Pye You are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt. Deuteronomy 10:19 Deuteronomy 10:12–19 Deuteronomy 8–10; Mark 11:19–33 When my friends lived in Moldova, one of the poorest countries in Europe, they were overwhelmed by the warm welcome they received there, especially from other Christians. Once they took some clothes and provisions to a couple from their church who were very poor, yet who were fostering several children. The couple treated my friends like honored guests, giving them sweet tea and, despite their protests, something to eat. As my friends left with gifts of watermelons and other fruits and vegetables, they marveled at the hospitality they experienced. These believers embody the welcome that God commanded His people, the Israelites, to exhibit. He instructed them “to walk in obedience to him, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all ...

OUR DAILY BREAD MARCH 8, FRIDAY GENTLE YET POWERFUL Dave Branon Let your gentleness be evident to all.  Philippians 4:5 Isaiah 40:10–11 Deuteronomy 5–7; Mark 11:1–18 As the enemy occupation of the Netherlands increased, Anne Frank and her family bravely prepared and then moved to a secret hiding place to escape the danger. They hid there two years during World War II before being found and sent to concentration camps. Yet Anne, writing in what became her famous  Diary of a Young Girl,  said this: “In the long run, the sharpest weapon of all is a kind and gentle spirit.” Gentleness can be a complicated issue as we deal with real life. In Isaiah 40 we get a picture of God that shows Him to be both gentle and powerful. In verse 11 we read: “He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms.” But that verse follows this: “See, the Sovereign Lord comes with power, and he rules with a mighty arm” (v. 10). Full of power, but gentle w...

OUR DAILY BREAD MARCH 7, THURSDAY ESCAPING THE NOISE Cindy Hess Kasper After the fire came a gentle whisper.  1 Kings 19:12 1 Kings 19:9–13 Deuteronomy 3–4; Mark 10:32–52 Several years ago, the president of a college suggested that students join her in “powering down” for an evening. Although the students agreed, it was with great reluctance that they laid aside their cell phones and entered the chapel. For the next hour, they sat quietly in a service of music and prayer. Afterward, one participant described the experience as “a wonderful opportunity to calm down . . . a place to just tune out all of the extra noise.” Sometimes, it’s difficult to escape “extra noise.” The clamor of both our external and internal worlds can be deafening. But when we’re willing to “power down,” we begin to understand the psalmist’s reminder of the necessity to be still so we can know God (Psalm 46:10). In 1 Kings 19, we discover as well that when the prophet Elijah looked for the Lord, he di...

OUR DAILY BREAD March 6, WED RETURN ON INVESTMENT Kirsten Holmberg We have left everything to follow you!  Mark 10:28 Mark 10:17–31 Deuteronomy 1–2; Mark 10:1–31 In 1995 US stock market investors received record-high returns—on average, a whopping 37.6 percent return on their dollars. Then in 2008 investors lost almost exactly as much: a negative 37.0 percent. The years between had varying returns, causing those with money in the market to wonder—sometimes with fear—what would become of their investment. Jesus assured His followers they would have an incredible return on investing their lives in Him. They “left everything to follow [Him]”—leaving their homes, jobs, status, and families to put their lives on deposit (v. 28). But they grew concerned that their investment might not pay off after watching a wealthy man struggle with the grip worldly goods had on him. Jesus replied, however, that anyone willing to sacrifice for Him would “receive a hundred times as much in this...

OUR DAILY BREAD March 5 WED WHEN YOU’RE NOT CHOSEN Mike Wittmer Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias. Acts 1:26 Acts 1:15–26 Numbers 34–36; Mark 9:30–50 My friend’s Facebook post announced he had finished a project. Others congratulated him, but his post knifed my heart. That project was supposed to be mine. I had been passed over, and I wasn’t sure why. Poor Joseph. He was passed over by God, and he knew why. Joseph was one of two men in the running to replace Judas. The disciples prayed, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen” (Acts 1:24). God chose the other guy. Then He announced His decision to the group, when “the lot fell to Matthias” (v. 26). As the disciples congratulated Matthias, I wonder about Joseph. How did he handle his rejection? Did he feel jilted, wallow in self-pity, and distance himself from the others? Or did he trust God and cheerfully rema...

OUR DAILY BREAD March 4 RIGHT THERE WITH US John Blase “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered. Matthew 14:17 Matthew 14:13–21 Numbers 31–33; Mark 9:1–29 She was completely focused on the top shelf, where the glass jars of spaghetti sauce sat. I’d been standing beside her in the grocery aisle for a minute or two eyeing that same shelf, trying to decide. But she seemed oblivious to my presence, lost in her own predicament. Now I have no problem with top shelves because I’m a fairly tall man. She, on the other hand, was not tall, not at all. I spoke up and offered to help. Startled, she said, “Goodness, I didn’t even see you standing there. Yes, please help me.” The disciples had quite the situation on their hands—hungry crowds, a remote place, and time slipping away—“It’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves som...