Foursquare Gospel Church Igbosere (Chapel of Blessing)

OUR DAILY BREAD April 5, Sunday THE ONE WHO SAVES James Banks They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna!”  John 12:13 John 12:12–18 1 Samuel 1–3; Luke 8:26–56 He was called “one of the bravest persons alive,” but he wasn’t what others expected. Desmond was a soldier who declined to carry a gun. As a medic, he single-handedly rescued seventy-five injured soldiers in one battle, including some who once called him a coward and ridiculed him for his faith. Running into heavy gunfire, Desmond prayed continually, “Lord, please help me get one more.” He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroism. Scripture tells us that Jesus was greatly misunderstood. On a day foretold by the prophet Zechariah (9:9), Jesus entered Jerusalem and the crowd waved branches, shouting, “Hosanna!” (John 12:13). Quoting Psalm 118:26, they cried: “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!...

OUR DAILY BREAD April 4, Saturday OUR DEEPEST LONGINGS Winn Collier  Whoever loves wealth is never satisfied.   Ecclesiastes 5:10 Ecclesiastes 5:10–12 Ruth 1–4; Luke 8:1–25 As a young man, Duncan had been afraid of not having enough money, so in his early twenties, he began ambitiously building his future. Climbing the ladder at a prestigious Silicon Valley company, Duncan achieved vast wealth. He had a bulging bank account, a luxury sports car, and a million-dollar California home. He had everything he desired; yet he was profoundly unhappy. “I felt anxious and dissatisfied,” Duncan said. “In fact, wealth can actually make life worse.” Piles of cash didn’t provide friendship, community, or joy—and often brought him only more heartache. Some people will expend immense energy attempting to amass wealth in an effort to secure their lives. It’s a fool’s game. “Whoever loves money never has enough...

OUR DAILY BREAD April 3, Friday WHAT COMES NEXT? Remi Oyedele There is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord . . . will award to me on that day.  2 Timothy 4:8 2 Timothy 4:1–8 Judges 19–21; Luke 7:31–50 On the night of April 3, 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King gave his final speech, “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop.” In it, he hints that he believed he might not live long. He said, “We’ve got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn’t matter with me now. Because I’ve been to the mountaintop. And I’ve looked over. And I’ve seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. . . . [But] I’m happy tonight. I’m not worried about anything. I’m not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.” The next day, he was assassinated. The apostle Paul, shortly before his death, wrote to his protégé Timothy: “I am already being pour...

OUR DAILY BREAD April 2, Thursday CHEERFUL GIVERS John Blase God loves a cheerful giver.  2 Corinthians 9:7 2 Corinthians 9:6–9 Judges 16–18; Luke 7:1–30 Years ago, my wife received a small rebate from something she’d purchased. It wasn’t something she’d expected, it just showed up in the mail. About the same time, a good friend shared with her the immense needs of women in another country, entrepreneurial-minded women trying to better themselves by way of education and business. As is often the case, however, their first barrier was financial. My wife took that rebate and made a micro-loan to a ministry devoted to helping these women. When the loan was repaid, she simply loaned again, and again, and so far has made twenty-seven such investments. My wife enjoys many things, but there’s rarely a smile as big on her face as when she receives an update on the flourishing taking place in the lives of women she’s never met. ...

OUR DAILY BREAD April 1, Wednesday PRAYING LIKE JESUS Elisa Morgan Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.  Luke 22:42 Luke 22:39–44 Judges 13–15; Luke 6:27–49 Every coin has two sides. The front is called “heads” and, from early Roman times, usually depicts a country’s head of state. The back is called “tails,” a term possibly originating from the British ten pence depicting the raised tail of a heraldic lion. Like a coin, Christ’s prayer in the garden of Gethsemane possesses two sides. In the deepest hours of His life, on the night before He died on a cross, Jesus prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42). When Christ says, “take this cup,” that’s the raw honesty of prayer. He reveals His personal desire, “This is what  I  want....

OUR DAILY BREAD March 31, Tuesday INHERITANCE ISN’T EARNED Julie Schwab He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.  Ephesians 1:5 Ephesians 1:3–14 Judges 11–12; Luke 6:1–26 “Thanks for dinner, Dad,” I said as I set my napkin on the restaurant table. I was home on a break from college and, after being gone for a while, it felt strange to have my parents pay for me. “You’re welcome, Julie,” my dad replied, “but you don’t have to thank me for everything all the time. I know you’ve been off on your own, but you’re still my daughter and a part of the family.” I smiled. “Thanks, Dad.” In my family, I haven’t done anything to earn my parents’ love or what they do for me. But my dad’s comment reminds me that I haven’t done anything to deserve to be a part of God’s family either. In the book of...

OUR DAILY BREAD March 30,  MONDAY BLESSED BREAD 裴格倫 Jesus took some bread and blessed it.  Matthew 26:26 nlt Matthew 26:26–29 Judges 9–10; Luke 5:17–39 When our oldest child became a teenager, my wife and I gave her a journal that we’d been writing in since her birth. We’d recorded her likes and dislikes, quirks and memorable one-liners. At some point the entries became more like letters, describing what we see in her and how we see God at work in her. When we gave it to her on her thirteenth birthday, she was mesmerized. She’d been given the gift of knowing a crucial part of the origins of her identity. In blessing something as common as bread, Jesus was revealing its identity. What it—along with all creation—was made to reflect: God’s glory. I believe Jesus was also pointing to the future of the material world. All creation will one day be filled with the glory of God. So in blessing br...