Foursquare Gospel Church Igbosere (Chapel of Blessing)

OUR DAILY BREAD NOVEMBER 24, SUNDAY GOD TALK Amy Peterson Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.  Deuteronomy 11:18 Deuteronomy 11:13–21 Ezekiel 22–23; 1 Peter 1 A study conducted by the Barna Group in 2018 found that most Americans don’t like to talk about God. Only seven percent of Americans say they talk about spiritual matters regularly—and practicing believers in Jesus in America aren’t that different. Only thirteen percent of regular churchgoers say they have a spiritual conversation about once a week. Perhaps it’s not surprising that spiritual conversations are on the decline. Talking about God can be dangerous. Whether because of a polarized political climate, because disagreement might cause a rift in a relationship, or because a spiritual conversation might cause you to realize a change you need to make in your life—these can feel like hi...

OUR DAILY BREAD November 23, Saturday THE APPROVAL OF  ONE Bill Crowder We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts.  1 Thessalonians 2:4 1 Thessalonians 2:1–4 Ezekiel 20–21; James 5 When the legendary composer Giuseppe Verdi (1813–1901) was young, a hunger for approval drove him toward success. Warren Wiersbe wrote of him: “When Verdi produced his first opera in Florence, the composer stood by himself in the shadows and kept his eye on the face of one man in the audience—the great Rossini. It mattered not to Verdi whether the people in the hall were cheering him or jeering him; all he wanted was a smile of approval from the master musician.” Whose approval do we seek? A parent’s? A boss’s? A love interest’s? For Paul, there was but one answer. He wrote, “We speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts” (1 Thessalonians 2:4). What does it mean to seek God’s appr...

OUR DAILY BREAD November 22 THE OLDER BROTHER Mart DeHaan [They] muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”  Luke 15:2 Luke 15:11–13; 17–24 Ezekiel 18–19; James 4 Author Henri Nouwen recalls his visit to a museum in St. Petersburg, Russia, where he spent hours reflecting on Rembrandt’s portrayal of the prodigal son. As the day wore on, changes in the natural lighting from a nearby window left Nouwen with the impression that he was seeing as many different paintings as there were changes of light. Each seemed to reveal something else about a father’s love for his broken son. Nouwen describes how, at about four o’clock, three figures in the painting appeared to “step forward.” One was the older son who resented his father’s willingness to roll out the red carpet for the homecoming of his younger brother, the prodigal. After all, hadn’t he squandered so much of the family fortune, cau...

OUR DAILY BREAD November 21, THURSDAY BEAUTIFULLY BURDENED Elisa Morgan My yoke is easy and my burden is light.  Matthew 11:30 Matthew 11:28–30 Ezekiel 16–17; James 3 I awoke to pitch darkness. I hadn’t slept more than thirty minutes and my heart sensed that sleep wouldn’t return soon. A friend’s husband lay in the hospital, having received the dreaded news, “The cancer is back—in the brain and spine now.” My whole being hurt for my friends. What a heavy load! And yet, somehow my spirit was lifted through my sacred vigil of prayer. You might say I felt  beautifully  burdened for them.  How could this be? In Matthew 11:28–30, Jesus promises rest for our weary souls. Strangely, His rest comes as we bend under His yoke and embrace His burden. He clarifies in verse 30, “For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” When we allow Jesus to lift our burden from our backs and then tether ourselves to Jesus’s yoke, we become harnessed with Him, in step with Him and ...

OUR DAILY BREAD November 20, Wednesday FRUITFUL TO THE END Arthur Jackson They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green.  Psalm 92:14 Psalm 92:12–15 Ezekiel 14–15; James 2 Although Lenore Dunlop was ninety-four years young, her mind was sharp, her smile was bright, and her contagious love for Jesus was felt by many. It wasn’t uncommon to find her in the company of the youth of our church; her presence and participation were sources of joy and encouragement. Lenore’s life was so vibrant that her death caught us off guard. Like a powerful runner, she sprinted across life’s finish line. Her energy and zeal were such that, just days before her death, she completed a sixteen-week course that focused on taking the message of Jesus to the peoples of the world. The fruitful, God-honoring life of Lenore illustrates what’s seen in Psalm 92:12–15. This psalm describes the budding, blossoming, and fruit-bearing of tho...

OUR DAILY BREAD November 19, TUESDAY TRUE , DEEP DESIRE Winn Collier “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him.  Mark 10:51 Mark 10:46–52 Ezekiel 11–13; James 1 A mouse with a shrill voice, Reepicheep is perhaps The Chronicles of Narnia’s most valiant character. He charged into battle swinging his tiny sword. He rejected fear as he prodded on the  Dawn Treader  toward the Island of Darkness. The secret to Reepicheep’s courage? He was deeply connected to his longing to get to Aslan’s country. “That is my heart’s desire,” he said. Reepicheep knew what he truly wanted, and this led him toward his king. Bartimaeus, a blind man from Jericho, sat in his normal spot jingling his cup for coins when he heard Jesus and the crowd approaching. He yelled out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” (Mark 10:47). The crowd tried to silence him, but Bartimaeus couldn’t be stopped. ...

OUR DAILY BREAD November 18, Monday LOVING THE STRANGER Patricia Raybon Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner, for you were foreigners in Egypt.  Exodus 22:21 Exodus 23:1–9 Ezekiel 8–10; Hebrews 13 After a member of my family converted to a different religion, Christian friends urged me to “convince” her to return to Jesus. I found myself first seeking to love my family member as Christ would—including in public places where some people frowned at her “foreign-looking” clothes. Others even made rude comments. “Go home!” one man yelled at her from his truck, not knowing or apparently caring that she already is “home.” Moses taught a much kinder way to act toward people whose dress or beliefs feel different. Teaching laws of justice and mercy, Moses instructed the children of Israel, “Do not oppress a foreigner; you yourselves know how it feels to be foreigners, because you were foreigners in Egypt...