Foursquare Gospel Church Igbosere (Chapel of Blessing)

Theme of The Year: Covenant of Peace (Isaiah 54:10). Theme of The Month: A Son is Given (Isaiah 9:6). Topic: Celebrating the Given Son The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” – Luke 2:10-12. Christmas is a glorious season of the year. It is widely celebrated all over the world by believers and mostly unbelievers. It is also a busy time for most of us. It is my hope and prayer that we may not become so caught up in the pressures of the season that we place our emphasis on the wrong things and miss the simple joy of commemorating the birth of the Saviour of the world. Real celebration of Christmas comes not in the hurrying and the scuttling to get more done. We best celebrate Christmas when we make the given Son the focus of th...

OUR DAILY BREAD DECEMBER 22, SUNDAY THE FATHER’S BLESSING Winn Collier See what great love the Father has lavished on us.  1 John 3:1 1 John 3:1–3 Micah 6–7; Revelation 13 Recently, several people within our church—those who had experienced poor relationships with their fathers—asked me to stand in as a loving, father figure and offer a blessing over them. The blessing asked forgiveness for the ways a father can hurt his children by setting expectations that are too high or being distant or failing to offer tender presence and affirmation. It also pronounced delight, admiration, and abundant love. As I shared the blessing, I wept. I realized how I still needed to receive such words, and how much my children need them too. The Scriptures repeatedly speak of God as our Father, a reality reshaping the distorted father images we might have. God, our eternal Father, has “lavished on us” perfect love, making us “children of God...

OUR DAILY BREAD December 21, Saturday THE GIVER’S DELIGHT Remi Oyedele Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.  Luke 2:11 Luke 2:4–14 Micah 4–5; Revelation 12 Remember Tickle Me Elmo? Cabbage Patch Kids? The Furby? What do they have in common? Each rank among the twenty most popular Christmas gifts of all time. Also included on the list are familiar favorites such as Monopoly, the Nintendo Game Boy, and Wii. We all delight in giving gifts at Christmas, but that’s nothing compared to God’s delight in giving the first Christmas gift. This gift came in the form of a baby, born in a Bethlehem manger (Luke 2:7). Despite His humble birth, the Child’s arrival was proclaimed by an angel who declared, “I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord” (vv. 10–11). Fo...

OUR DAILY BREAD December 20, FRIDAY FAILURE IS IMPOSSIBLE Linda Washington This work had been done with the help of our God.  Nehemiah 6:16 Nehemiah 6:1–9 Micah 1–3; Revelation 11 “Failure is impossible!” These words were spoken by Susan B. Anthony (1820–1906), known for her immovable stance on women’s rights in the US. Though she faced constant criticism and later an arrest, trial, and guilty verdict for voting illegally, Anthony vowed to never give up the fight to gain women the right to vote, believing her cause was just. Though she didn’t live to see the fruit of her labor, her declaration proved true. In 1920, the nineteenth amendment to the Constitution gave women the right to vote. Failure wasn’t an option for Nehemiah either, mainly because he had a Powerful Helper: God. After asking Him to bless his cause—rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem—Nehemiah and those who had returned to Jerusalem from exile i...

OUR DAILY BREAD DECEMBER 19, THURSDAY WRITTEN ON THE HEART Amy Peterson You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone.  2 Corinthians 3:2 2 Corinthians 2:17–3:6 Jonah 1–4; Revelation 10 As a professor, I’m often asked by students to write letters of recommendation for them—for leadership positions, study-abroad programs, graduate schools, and even jobs. In each letter, I have a chance to praise the student’s character and qualifications. When Christians traveled in the ancient world, they often carried with them similar “letters of commendation” from their churches. Such a letter ensured that the traveling brother or sister would be welcomed hospitably. The apostle Paul didn’t need a letter of recommendation when he spoke to the church in Corinth—they knew him. In his second letter to that church, Paul wrote that he preached the gospel out of sincerity, not for personal gain (2 Cori...

OUR DAILY BREAD December 18, Wednesday WALK IN THE PRESENT WITH GOD Xochitl Dixon The children of your servants will live in your presence; their descendants will be established before you.  Psalm 102:28 Psalm 102:11–13, 18–28 Obadiah; Revelation 9 In  Mere Christianity , C. S. Lewis wrote: “Almost certainly God is not  in  time. His life does not consist of moments one following another . . . . Ten-thirty—and every other moment from the beginning of the world—is always present for Him.” Still, waiting seasons often feel endless. But as we learn to trust God, the eternal Maker of time, we can accept the reality that our fragile existence is secure in His hands. The psalmist, lamenting in Psalm 102, admits his days are as fleeting as “the evening shadow” and withering grass, while God “endures through all generations” (vv. 11–12). The writer, weary from suffering, proclaims that God sits ...

OUR DAILY BREAD December 17, TUESDAY LORD OF THE . . . NAILS? Adam Holz It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure.  Psalm 18:32 Psalm 18:30–36 Amos 7–9; Revelation 8 I was getting into my car when the glint caught my eye: a nail, embedded in my rear tire’s sidewall. I listened for the telltale whistle of air. Thankfully, the hole was plugged—at least for the moment. As I drove to a tire store, I wondered:  How long has that nail been there? Days? Weeks?   How long have I been protected from a threat I didn’t even know existed? We can sometimes live under the illusion that we’re in control. But that nail reminded me we’re  not .  But when life feels out of control and unstable, we have a God whose reliability we can trust. In Psalm 18, David praises God for watching over him (vv. 34–35). David confesses, “It is God who arms me with strength. . . . You provide a broad path for my f...

OUR DAILY BREAD DECEMBER 16, MONDAY WHAT YOU’RE WORTH Mike Wittmer The Lord said to me, “Throw it to the potter!”  Zechariah 11:13 Zechariah 11:4–13 Amos 4–6; Revelation 7 Now an accomplished writer, Caitlin describes the depression she battled after fighting off an assault. The emotional violence cut deeper than her physical struggle, for she felt it proved “how undesirable I was. I was not the kind of girl you wanted to get to know.” She felt unworthy of love, the kind of person others use and toss aside. God understands. He lovingly shepherded Israel, but when He asked them what He was worth, “they paid me thirty pieces of silver” (Zechariah 11:12). This was the price of a slave; what masters must be reimbursed should their slave be accidentally killed (Exodus 21:32). God was insulted to be offered the lowest possible value—look at “the handsome price at which they valued me!” He said sa...