Foursquare Gospel Church Igbosere (Chapel of Blessing)

OUR DAILY BREAD March 15, Sunday THE BILL IS PAID Amy Boucher Pye You shall give it to the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow.  Deuteronomy 26:12 Deuteronomy 26:12–15 Deuteronomy 26–27; Mark 14:27–53 “What happened to you?” asked Zeal, a Nigerian businessman, as he bent over a hospital bed in Lagos. “Someone shot me,” replied the young man, his thigh bandaged. Although the injured man was well enough to return home, he wouldn’t be released until he settled his bill—a policy that many government hospitals in the region follow. After consulting with a social worker, Zeal anonymously covered the bill through the charitable fund he’d earlier set up as a way to express his Christian faith. In return, he hopes that those receiving the gift of release will one day give to others too. The theme of giving from God’s bounty pulses throughout the Bible. For instance, when Moses instructed the Israelit...

Theme of the Year: A.D. 2020 Our Year of Divine All-Round Sufficiency. (2 Corinthians 3:5; 9:8) Theme of the Month: Unlimited Mercy (Mathew 27:51; Hebrew 4:16) Topic: The Sure Mercy of God (Lamentations 3:21-22) (Part 1) "It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassion fails not.  they are new every morning:  great is Thy faithfulness."  Lamentations 3:21-22. The time or setting in which Jeremiah penned the words of this passage is immediately after the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar and his powerful army.  Jeremiah and a few other elderly people have been left behind.  Amazingly the prophet sings a song that extols the mercy of God even as he sits amongst the ashes of the holy city!  Here, as elsewhere in Scripture, divine mercy stands closely related to God's pity, compassion, tenderness, and lovingkindness. If we review the occurrences of this word in the Bible, we see that mercy is an attribute of God. God i...

OUR DAILY BREAD March 14, Saturday BETTER THAN LIFE Arthur Jackson Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.  Psalm 63:3 Psalm 63:1–8 Deuteronomy 23–25; Mark 14:1–26 Though Mary loved Jesus—life was hard, real hard. Two sons preceded her in death as did two grandsons, both victims of shootings. And Mary herself suffered a crippling stroke that left her paralyzed on one side. Yet, as soon as she was able she made her way to church services where it wasn’t uncommon for her—with fractured speech—to express praise to the Lord with words like, “My soul loves Jesus; bless His name!” Long before Mary expressed her praise to God, David penned the words of Psalm 63. The heading of the psalm notes that David wrote it “when he was in the Desert of Judah.” Though in a less than desirable—even desperate—situation, he didn’t despair because he hoped in God. “You, God, are my...

OUR DAILY BREAD March 13, Friday WHACK-A-MOLE Anne Cetas Godliness with contentment is great gain.  1 Timothy 6:6 Philippians 4:10–20 Deuteronomy 20–22; Mark 13:21–37 You might know what it’s like. The bills keep arriving after a medical procedure—from the anesthesiologist, the surgeon, the lab, the facility. Jason experienced this after an emergency surgery. He complained, “We owe thousands of dollars after insurance. If only we can get these bills paid, then life will be good and I’ll be content! I feel like I’m playing the arcade game Whack-a-Mole”—where plastic moles pop up from their holes, and the player hits them wildly with a mallet. Life comes at us like that at times. The apostle Paul certainly could relate. He said, “I know what it is to be in need,” yet he’d “learned the secret of being content in any and every situation” (Philippians 4:12). His secret? “I can do al...

OUR DAILY BREAD March 12, Thursday EVERY OPPORTUNITY Adam R. Holz Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.  Colossians 4:5 Colossians 4:2–6 Deuteronomy 17–19; Mark 13:1–20 Ever caught a dragon? I hadn’t until my son convinced me to download a game on my phone. Producing a digital map mirroring the real world, the game allows you to catch colorful creatures near you. Unlike most mobile games, this one  requires  movement. Anywhere you go is part of the game’s playing field. The result? I’m doing a lot more walking! Anytime my son and I play, we strive to maximize every opportunity to nab the critters that pop up around us. It’s easy to focus on, even obsess over, a game that’s crafted to captivate users. But as I played the game, I was convicted with this question:  Am I this intentional about maximizing the spiritual opportunities around me? Paul knew the need to be alert to God’s work around us. In Colossians 4, he a...

OUR DAILY BREAD March 11, Wednesday HE KNOWS ALL ABOUT IT Jennifer Benson Schuldt His understanding has no limit.  Psalm 147:5 Mark 12:41–44 Deuteronomy 14–16; Mark 12:28–44 Finn, a Siamese fighting fish, lived at our house for two years. My young daughter would often bend down to talk with him after dropping food into his tank. When the topic of pets came up in kindergarten, she proudly claimed him as her own. Eventually, Finn passed away, and my daughter was heartbroken. My mother advised me to listen closely to my daughter’s feelings and tell her, “God knows all about it.” I agreed that God knows everything, yet wondered,  How will that be comforting?  Then it occurred to me that God isn’t simply aware of the events in our lives—He compassionately sees into our souls and knows how they affect us. He understands that “little things” can feel like big things depending on our age, past wounds, or lack of resources. Jesus saw the real size of a widow’s gift—a...

OUR DAILY BREAD March 10, Tuesday BROKEN TO BE SHARED You give them something to eat.  Luke 9:13 Luke 9:11–17 Deuteronomy 11–13; Mark 12:1–27 We met every Thursday after he lost his wife in a car accident. Sometimes he came with questions to which no answers exist; sometimes he came with memories he wanted to relive. Over time, he accepted that even though the accident was a result of the brokenness in our world, God could work in the midst of it. A few years later, he taught a class at our church about grief and how to lament well. Soon, he became our go-to guide for people experiencing loss. Sometimes it’s when we don’t feel like we have anything to offer that God takes our “not enough” and makes it “more than enough.” Jesus told His disciples to give the people something to eat. They’d protested that there was nothing to give; Jesus multiplied their meager supplies and then turned back to the disciples and gave...

OUR DAILY BREAD March 9, Monday WATCHED BY GOD Patricia Raybon The Lord watches over you.  Psalm 121:5 Psalm 121:5–8 Deuteronomy 8–10; Mark 11:19–33 Our little grandson waved goodbye, then turned back with a question. “Grandma, why do you stand on the porch and watch until we leave?” I smiled at him, finding his question “cute” because he’s so young. Seeing his concern, however, I tried to give a good answer. “Well, it’s a courtesy,” I told him. “If you’re my guest, watching until you leave shows I care.” He weighed my answer, but still looked perplexed. So, I told him the simple truth. “I watch,” I said, “because I love you. When I see your car drive away, I know you’re safely heading home.” He smiled, giving me a tender hug. Finally, he understood. His childlike understanding reminded me what all of us should remember—that our heavenly Father is constantly watching over each of us, His precious children. As Psalm 121 says, “The Lord watches over you—t...

Theme of the Year: A.D. 2020 Our Year of Divine All-Round Sufficiency. (2 Corinthians 3:5; 9:8) Them e  of the Month: Unlimited Mercy (Mathew 27:51; Hebrew 4:16) Topic:  The Place of Mercy (Romans 9:15-16) In this life, the only thing that is constant is the mercy of God. Literally, mercy could be seen as a kind or forgiving treatment of someone who  sh ould be treated harshly. It could also be seen as compassion or forbearance shown especially to an offender or to one subject to one's power. Mercy is an act of kindness, compassion or favour. It is something that gives evidence of divine favour and blessing. The journey to the top in life requires the mercy of God to be successful. We need the mercy of God in order to secure access to everything obtainable in the kingdom of God. A life without mercy is full of struggle and profitless hard labour. When mercy steps into such life, a new story of success begins. God said in Romans 9:15-16 “For he saith to...