Foursquare Gospel Church Igbosere (Chapel of Blessing)

OUR DAILY BREAD January 19, Sunday WHEN GOD INTERVENES Remi Oyedele Do not touch my anointed ones; do my prophets no harm.  Psalm 105:15 Numbers 23:13–23 Genesis 46–48; Matthew 13:1–30 In a poem titled “This Child Is Beloved,” Omawumi Efueye, known affectionately as Pastor O, writes about his parents’ attempts to end the pregnancy that would result in his birth. After several unusual events that prevented them from aborting him, they decided to welcome their child instead. The knowledge of God’s preservation of his life motivated Omawumi to give up a lucrative career in favor of full-time ministry. Today, he faithfully pastors a London church. Like Pastor O, the Israelites experienced God’s intervention at a vulnerable time in their history. While traveling through the wilderness, they came within sight of King Balak of Moab. Terrified of their conquests and their vast population, Balak engaged a seer named Balaam to place ...

OUR DAILY BREAD January 18, Saturday INSTEAD OF REVENGE Estera Pirosca Escobar If your enemy is hungry, feed him.  Romans 12:20 Romans 12:17–21 Genesis 43–45; Matthew 12:24–50 After Jim Elliot and four other missionaries were killed by Huaorani tribesmen in 1956, no one expected what happened next. Jim’s wife, Elisabeth, their young daughter, and another missionary’s sister willingly chose to make their home among the very people who killed their loved ones. They spent several years living in the Huaorani community, learning their language, and translating the Bible for them. These women’s testimony of forgiveness and kindness convinced the Huaorani of God’s love for them and many received Jesus as their Savior. What Elisabeth and her friend did is an incredible example of not repaying evil with evil but with good (Romans 12:17). The apostle Paul encouraged the church in Rome to show through their actions the transformation that ...

OUR DAILY BREAD January 17, Friday STORM CHASERS Bill Crowder He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed.  Psalm 107:29 Psalm 107:23–32 Genesis 41–42; Matthew 12:1–23 “Chasing tornadoes,” says Warren Faidley, “is often like a giant game of 3D-chess played out over thousands of square miles.” The photojournalist and storm-chaser adds: “Being in the right place at the right time is a symphony of forecasting and navigation while dodging everything from softball-sized hailstones to dust storms and slow-moving farm equipment.” Faidley’s words make my palms sweat and heart beat faster. While admiring the raw courage and scientific hunger storm chasers display, I balk at throwing myself into the middle of potentially fatal weather events. In my experience, however, I don’t have to chase storms in life—they seem to be chasing  me . That experience is mirrored by Psalm 107 as it describes sailors trapped in a storm. They were being chased by the con...

OUR DAILY BREAD January 16, Thursday BRING WHAT YOU HAVE Cindy Hess Kasper “Bring them here to me,” [Jesus] said.  Matthew 14:18 John 6:4–14 Genesis 39–40; Matthew 11 “Stone Soup,” an old tale with many versions, tells of a starving man who comes to a village, but no one there can spare a crumb of food for him. He puts a stone and water in a pot over a fire. Intrigued, the villagers watch him as he begins to stir his “soup.” Eventually, one brings a couple of potatoes to add to the mix; another has a few carrots. One person adds an onion, another a handful of barley. A farmer donates some milk. Eventually, the “stone soup” becomes a tasty chowder. That tale illustrates the value of sharing, but it also reminds us to bring what we have, even when it seems to be insignificant. In John 6:1–14 we read of a boy who appears to be the only person in a huge crowd who thought about bringing some food. Christ...

OUR DAILY BREAD January 14, Tuesday SLOWING DOWN TIME Patricia Raybon Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.  Psalm 90:12 Psalm 90:4, 12–15 Genesis 33–35; Matthew 10:1–20 A lot has changed since the electric clock was invented in the 1840s. We now keep time on smart watches, smart phones, and laptops. The entire pace of life seems faster—with even our “leisurely” walking speeding up. This is especially true in cities and can have a negative effect on health, scholars say. “We’re just moving faster and faster and getting back to people as quickly as we can,” Professor Richard Wiseman observed. “That’s driving us to think everything has to happen now.” Moses, the writer of one of the oldest of the Bible’s psalms, reflected on time. He reminds us that God controls life’s pace. “A thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night,” he wrote (Psalm 90:4). The secret to time management, therefore, is...

OUR DAILY BREAD January 13, Monday EVERYONE NEEDS COMPASSION Alyson Kieda When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.  Matthew 9:36 Matthew 9:27–38 Genesis 31–32; Matthew 9:18–38 When Jeff was a new believer in Jesus and fresh out of college, he worked for a major oil company. In his role as a salesman, he traveled; and in his travels he heard people’s stories—many of them heartbreaking. He realized that what his customers most needed wasn’t oil, but compassion. They needed  God . This led Jeff to attend seminary to learn more about the heart of God and eventually to become a pastor. Jeff’s compassion had its source in Jesus. In Matthew 9:27–33 we get a glimpse of Christ’s compassion in the miraculous healing of two blind men and one demon-possessed man. Throughout His earthly ministry, He went about preaching the g...