Foursquare Gospel Church Igbosere (Chapel of Blessing)

OUR DAILY BREAD January 12, SUNDAY A LIFESTYLE OF PRAISE John Blase I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.  Psalm 146:2 Psalm 146 Genesis 29–30; Matthew 9:1–17 Wallace Stegner’s mother died at the age of fifty. When Wallace was eighty, he finally wrote her a note—“Letter, Much Too Late”—in which he praised the virtues of a woman who grew up, married, and raised two sons in the harshness of the early Western United States. She was the kind of wife and mother who was an encourager, even to those that were less than desirable. Wallace remembered the strength his mother displayed by way of her voice. Stegner wrote: “You never lost an opportunity to sing.” As long as she lived, Stegner’s mother sang, grateful for blessings large and small. The psalmist too took opportunities to sing. He sang when the days were good, and when they weren’t so good. The songs were not forced or coerced, but a natural response to the “Maker of heaven and earth” (146:6) and ...

Theme of the Year: A.D. 2020 Our Year of Divine All-Round Sufficiency. (2 Corinthians 3:5; 9:8) Theme of the Month: Divine All-Round Sufficiency Topic: Grace for Divine All-Round Sufficiency Grace is the distinct and unique characteristic that distinguish Christianity from other religions. Other religions may teach some doctrines very close to Christianity. But grace makes Christianity to be unique. Grace is at the foundation of Christianity. By grace the lost are found. By grace God’s children stand in confidence. This morning, I want to bring to your attention that you need grace to have Divine All-Round Sufficiency this year and for the rest of your life. This year is a season of turn around for good to those of us who key into this year’s theme – Divine All-round Sufficiency. In the Scriptures that offer us the theme, the Lord is drawing our attention to the fact that on our own we cannot achieve much but with Him there are enough provisions to meet our needs. ...

OUR DAILY BREAD January 10, FRIDAY HERE BE DRAGONS? Monica La Rose The Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.  2 Timothy 1:7 2 Timothy 1:6–14 Genesis 25–26; Matthew 8:1–17 Legend has it that at the edges of medieval maps, marking the boundaries of the world the maps’ creators knew at the time, there’d be inscribed the words “Here be dragons”—often alongside vivid illustrations of the terrifying beasts supposedly lurking there. There’s not much evidence medieval cartographers actually wrote these words, but I like to think they could have. Maybe because “here be dragons” sounds like something I might’ve written at the time—a grim warning that even if I didn’t know exactly what would happen if I ventured into the great unknown, it likely wouldn’t be good! But there’s one glaring problem with my preferred policy of self-protection and risk-aversion: it’s the opposite of the courage to which I’m called as a believer in Jesus...

OUR DAILY BREAD January 11, Saturday THE ONLY KING Anne Cetas They bowed down and worshiped him.  Matthew 2:11 Matthew 2:1–12 Genesis 27–28; Matthew 8:18–34 As five-year-old Eldon listened to the pastor talk about Jesus leaving heaven and coming to earth, he gasped when the pastor thanked Him in prayer for dying for our sins. “Oh, no! He died?” the boy said in surprise. From the start of Christ’s life on earth, there were people who wanted Him dead. Wise men came to Jerusalem during the reign of King Herod inquiring, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him” (Matthew 2:2). When the king heard this, he became fearful of one day losing his position to Jesus. So he sent soldiers to kill all the boys two years old and younger around Bethlehem. But God protected His Son and sent an angel to warn His parents to leave the area. They fled, and He was sa...

OUR DAILY BREAD January 9, THURSDAY THE LEANING TOWER Adam R. Holz Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  Matthew 7:24 Matthew 7:24–27 Genesis 23–24; Matthew 7 You’ve probably heard of the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy, but have you heard of the leaning tower of San Francisco? It’s called the Millennium Tower. Built in 2008, this fifty-eight-story skyscraper stands proudly—but slightly crookedly—in downtown San Francisco. The problem? Its engineers didn’t dig a deep enough foundation. So now they’re being forced to retrofit the foundation with repairs that may cost more than the entire tower did when it was originally built—a fix that some believe is necessary to keep it from collapsing during an earthquake. The painful lesson here? Foundations matter. When your foundation isn’t solid, catastrophe could ensue. Jesus taught ...

OUR DAILY BREAD January 8, WEDNESDAY A HUNDRED YEARS FROM NOW Tim Gustafson I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth.  Job 19:25 Job 19:21–27 Genesis 20–22; Matthew 6:19–34 “I just want people to remember me a hundred years from now,” said screenwriter Rod Serling in 1975. Creator of the TV series  The Twilight Zone , Serling wanted people to say of him, “He was a writer.” Most of us can identify with Serling’s desire to leave a legacy—something to give our lives a sense of meaning and permanence. The story of Job shows us a man struggling with meaning amid life’s fleeting days. In a moment, not just his possessions but those most precious to him, his children, were taken. Then his friends accused him of  deserving  this fate. Job cried out: “Oh, that my words were recorded, that they were written on a scroll, that they were inscribed with an iron tool on ...

OUR DAILY BREAD January 7, TUESDAY SECRET DELIVERY Xochitl Dixon When you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.  Matthew 6:3 Matthew 6:1–4 Genesis 18–19; Matthew 6:1–18 A clear, glass vase with bell-shaped lilies of the valley, pink tulips, and yellow daffodils greeted Kim at her front door. For seven months, an anonymous believer in Jesus sent Kim beautiful bouquets from a local flower shop. Each monthly gift arrived with a note filled with scriptural encouragement and signed: “Love, Jesus.” Kim shared photos of these secret deliveries on Facebook. The flowers gave her opportunity to celebrate an individual’s kindness and to acknowledge the way God expressed His love to her through His people. As she trusted Him through her battle with a terminal disease, every colorful blossom and handwritten note affirmed God’s loving compassion for her. The sender’s anonymity reflects the...

OUR DAILY BREAD JANUARY 6, MONDAY MYSTERIOUS HELPERS Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.  Hebrews 13:2 Hebrews 13:1–3 Genesis 16–17; Matthew 5:27–48 Louise suffers from muscular dystrophy. While trying to exit a train station one day, she found herself facing a large flight of stairs without an elevator or escalator. On the verge of tears, Louise saw a man suddenly appear, pick up her bag, and gently help her up the stairs. When she turned to thank him, he was gone. Michael was late for a meeting. Already stressed from a relationship breakdown, he started battling London’s traffic only to get a flat tire. As he stood helplessly in the rain, a man stepped out of the crowd, opened the boot (trunk), jacked up the car, and changed the wheel. When Michael turned to thank him, he was gone. Who were these mysterious helpers? Kind strangers, or something more? Th...