Foursquare Gospel Church Igbosere (Chapel of Blessing)

OUR DAILY BREAD July 14, Sunday IN LIVING COLOR Remi Oyedele The one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby.  Revelation 4:3 Revelation 4:1–6 Psalms 10–12; Acts 19:1–20 When Xavier McCoury put on the glasses Aunt Celena sent for his tenth birthday, he burst into tears. Born colorblind, Xavier had only ever seen the world in shades of gray, white, and black. With his new EnChroma glasses, however, Xavier saw color for the first time. His euphoria at witnessing the beauty around him made his family feel like they’d beheld a miracle. Witnessing God’s colorfully radiant brilliance also evoked a powerful reaction in the apostle John (Revelation 1:17). After encountering the full glory of the resurrected Christ, John glimpsed “a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne. . . . From the throne came flashes ...

OUR DAILY BREAD July 13, Saturday BEAUTIFUL TO GOD Leslie Koh What is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?  Psalm 8:4 Psalm 8:4–9 Psalms 7–9; Acts 18 When Denise began dating her boyfriend, she attempted to maintain a slim figure and dress stylishly, believing she would be more attractive to him in that way. After all, it was what all the women’s magazines advised. It was only much later that she discovered what he really thought: “I liked you just as much when you were heavier and didn’t worry about what you wore.” Denise realized then how subjective “beauty” was. Our view of beauty is so easily influenced by others. It’s often focused on the external, forgetting the value of inner beauty. But God sees us in only one way—as His beautiful, beloved children. I’d like to think that when God created the world, He left the best for last—us! Everything He created was good, but we’re extra special because we’re made in the image of Go...

OUR DAILY BREAD July 12, Friday SON FOLLOWERS Patricia Raybon The seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.  Luke 8:15 Luke 8:11–15 Psalms 4–6; Acts 17:16–34 Sunflowers sprout in a carefree manner all over the world. Pollinated by bees, the plants spring up on the sides of highways, under bird feeders, and across fields, meadows, and prairies. To produce a harvest, however, sunflowers need good soil. Well-drained, slightly acidic, nutrient-rich soil “with organic matter or composted,” says the  Farmer’s Almanac,  finally produces tasty sunflower seeds, pure oil, and also a livelihood for hard-working sunflower growers. We also need “good soil” for spiritual growth (Luke 8:15). As Jesus taught in His parable of the farmer scattering seed, God’s Word can sprout even in rocky or thorny soil (see vv. 6–7). It only thrive...

OUR DAILY BREAD July 11, Thursday FOOTBALL AND SHEPHERDS Bill Crowder I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.  John 10:11 John 10:11–15 Psalms 1–3; Acts 17:1–15 An intriguing element of English football is the team anthem sung by the fans at the start of each match. These songs range from the fun (“Glad All Over”) to the whimsical (“I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles”) to the surprising. “Psalm 23,” for instance, is the anthem of the club from West Bromwich Albion. The words of that psalm appear on the façade inside the team’s stadium, declaring to everyone who comes to watch the “West Brom Baggies” the care of the good, great, and chief Shepherd. In Psalm 23, David made his timeless statement, “The Lord is my shepherd” (v. 1). Later, the gospel writer Matthew would tell us, “When [Jesus] saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36). And in John 10,...

OUR DAILY BREAD July 10, Wednesday UNSEEN REALITIES Poh Fang Chia Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.”  2 Kings 6:17 2 Kings 6:8–17 Job 41–42; Acts 16:22–40 Stephen Cass, an editor at  Discover  magazine, was determined to investigate some of the invisible things that are part of his daily life. As he walked toward his office in New York City, he thought: “If I could see radio waves, the top of the Empire State Building [with its host of radio and TV antennas] would be lit like a kaleidoscopic flare, illuminating the entire city.” He realized he was surrounded by an invisible electromagnetic field of radio and TV signals, Wi-Fi, and more. Elisha’s servant learned about another kind of unseen reality one morning—the invisible spiritual world. He awoke to find himself and his master surrounded by the armies of Aram. As far as his eyes could see, there were soldiers mounted on powerful warhorses (2 Kings 6:15)! The servant was afraid,...

OUR DAILY BREAD July 9, Tuesday NO MORE RUNNING Adam Holz In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me. From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help, and you listened to my cry.  Jonah 2:2 Jonah 2:1–10 Job 38–40; Acts 16:1–21 On July 18, 1983, a US Air Force captain disappeared from Albuquerque, New Mexico, without a trace. Thirty-five years later, authorities found him in California.  The New York Times  reports that, “depressed about his job,” he’d simply run away. Thirty-five years on the run! Half a lifetime spent looking over his shoulder! I have to imagine that anxiety and paranoia were this man’s constant companions. But I have to admit, I also know a bit about being “on the run.” No, I’ve never abruptly fled something in my life . . . physically. But at times I know there’s something God wants me to do, something I need to face or confess. I don’t want to do it. And so, in my own way, I run too. The prophet Jonah is infamous for...

OUR DAILY BREAD July 8, Monday SOVEREIGN INTERVENTION Ruth O’Reilly-Smith God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them.  Exodus 2:25 Exodus 3:1–9 Job 36–37; Acts 15:22–41 Barbara grew up under the care of the British government in the 1960s, but when she turned sixteen, she and her newborn son, Simon, became homeless. The state was no longer obligated to provide for her at that age. Barbara wrote to the Queen of England for help and received a response! The Queen compassionately arranged for Barbara to be given a house of her own. The Queen of England had the right resources to help Barbara, and her compassionate assistance can be seen as a small picture of God’s help. The King of heaven knows all of our needs and sovereignly works out His plans in our lives. As He does, however, He longs for us to come to Him—sharing our needs and other concerns—as part of our loving relationship with Him. The Israelites brought their need for deliverance to God. They were ...