Foursquare Gospel Church Igbosere (Chapel of Blessing)

OUR DAILY BREAD May 26, Sunday THEY CALL TO  COURAGE Winn Collier Be strong and courageous.  1 Chronicles 28:20 1 Chronicles 28:8–10, 19–21 1 Chronicles 28–29; John 9:24–41 Among a display of male statues (Nelson Mandela, Winston Churchill, Mahatma Gandhi, and others) in London’s Parliament Square, stands a lone statue of a woman. The solitary woman is Millicent Fawcett, who fought for the right of women to vote. She’s immortalized in bronze—holding a banner displaying words she offered in a tribute to a fellow suffragist: “Courage calls to courage everywhere.” Fawcett insisted that one person’s courage emboldens others—calling timid souls into action. As David prepared to hand his throne over to his son Solomon, he explained the responsibilities that would soon rest heavy on his shoulders. It’s likely Solomon quivered under the weight of what he faced: leading Israel to follow all God’s instructions, guarding the land God had entrusted to them, and overseeing the mo...

OUR DAILY BREAD May 25, Saturday SHACKLED BUT NOT SILENT Arthur Jackson About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.  Acts 16:25 Acts 16:25–34 1 Chronicles 25–27; John 9:1–23 In the summer of 1963, after an all-night bus ride, US civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer and six other black passengers stopped to eat at a diner in Winona, Mississippi. After law enforcement officers forced them to leave, they were arrested and jailed. But the humiliation wouldn’t end with unlawful arrest. All received severe beatings, but Fannie’s was the worst. After a brutal attack that left her near death she burst out in song: “Paul and Silas was bound in jail, let my people go.” And she didn’t sing alone. Other prisoners, restrained in body but not in soul, joined her in worship. According to Acts 16, Paul and Silas found themselves in a difficult place when they were imprisoned for telling others about Jesus. But di...

OUR DAILY BREAD May 23, Thursday THROWING STONES Alyson Kieda Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone.  John 8:7 John 8:1–11 1 Chronicles 19–21; John 8:1–27 Lisa felt no sympathy for those who cheated on their spouse . . . until she found herself deeply unsatisfied with her marriage and struggling to resist a dangerous attraction. That painful experience helped her gain a new compassion for others and greater understanding of Christ’s words: “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone” (John 8:7). Jesus was teaching in the temple courts when He made that statement. A group of teachers of the law and Pharisees had just dragged a woman caught in adultery before Him and challenged, “In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” (v. 5). Because they considered Jesus a threat to their authority, the question was “a trap, in order to h...

OUR DAILY BREAD May 22, Wednesday THE HEART OF FASTING Tim Gustafson The fasts . . . will become joyful and glad occasions and happy festivals for Judah. Therefore love truth and peace.  Zechariah 8:19 Zechariah 7:1–10 1 Chronicles 16–18; John 7:28–53 Hunger pangs gnawed at my nerves. My mentor had recommended fasting as a way to focus on God. But as the day wore on, I wondered:  How did Jesus do this for forty days?  I struggled to rely on the Holy Spirit for peace, strength, and patience. Especially patience. If we’re physically able, fasting can teach us the importance of our spiritual food. As Jesus said, “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). Yet, as I learned firsthand, fasting on its own doesn’t necessarily draw us closer to God! In fact, God once told His people through the prophet Zechariah that their practice of fasting was useless since it wasn’t leading to service for the poor. “Was it...

OUR DAILY BREAD May 21, Tuesday MARVELOUSLY UNIQUE Marvin Williams I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.  Psalm 139:14 Psalm 139:1–14 1 Chronicles 13–15; John 7:1–27 Human beings are not special—at least according to the London Zoo. In 2005, the zoo introduced a four-day exhibit: “Humans in Their Natural Environment.” The human “captives” were chosen through an online contest. To help visitors understand the humans, the zoo workers created a sign detailing their diet, habitat, and threats. According to the zoo’s spokesperson, the goal of the exhibit was to downplay the uniqueness of human beings. One participant in the exhibit seemed to agree. “When they see humans as animals, here, it kind of reminds them that we’re not that special.” What a stark contrast to what the Bible says about human beings: God “fearfully and wonderfully” made us in “his image” (Ps...

OUR DAILY BREAD May 20, Monday DIVINE ESCAPE Remi Oyedele So from that day on they plotted to take his life.  John 11:53 John 11:45–53 1 Chronicles 10–12; John 6:45–71 Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot mystery  The Clocks  features antagonists who commit a series of murders. Although their initial plot targeted a single victim, they began taking more lives in order to cover up the original crime. When confronted by Poirot, a conspirator confessed, “It was only supposed to be the one murder.” Like the schemers in the story, the religious authorities formed a conspiracy of their own. After Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead (John 11:38–44), they called an emergency meeting and plotted to kill Him (vv. 45–53). But they didn’t stop there. After Jesus rose from the dead, the religious leaders spread lies about what happened at the grave (Matthew 28:12–15). Then they began a campaign to silence J...