Foursquare Gospel Church Igbosere (Chapel of Blessing)

OUR DAILY BREAD May 17, Sunday WHAT’S IN A NAME? Tim Gustafson [Jesus] was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph.  Luke 3:23 Luke 3:31; 1 Chronicles 3:4–9 1 Chronicles 1–3; John 5:25–47 In God’s timing, our son Kofi was born on a Friday, which is exactly what his name means—boy born on Friday. We named him after a Ghanaian friend of ours, a pastor whose only son died. He prays for our Kofi constantly. We’re deeply honored. It’s easy to miss the significance in a name if you don’t know the story behind it. In Luke 3, we find a fascinating detail about a name in the ancestry of Joseph. The genealogy traces Joseph’s line backward all the way to Adam and even to God (v. 38). In verse 31 we read: “the son of Nathan, the son of David.” Nathan? That’s interesting. In 1 Chronicles 3:5 we learn that Nathan was born to Bathsheba. Is it coincidence that David named Bathsheba’s child Nathan? Recall the backstory. Bathsheba was never supposed to be David’s wife. Another Nathan—the prophet—brave...

OUR DAILY BREAD May 16, Saturday TELL ME A STORY John Blase He did not say anything to them without using a parable.  Mark 4:34 Mark 4:26–34 2 Kings 24–25; John 5:1–24 Once upon a time.  Those four words just might be among the most powerful in the entire world. Some of my earliest memories as a boy contain a variation on that potent phrase. My mother came home one day with a large, hardcover illustrated edition of biblical stories— My Good Shepherd Bible Story Book.  Every evening before lights-out, my brother and I would sit expectantly as she read to us of a time long ago filled with interesting people and the God who loved them. Those stories became a lens for how we looked at the great big world. The undisputed greatest storyteller ever? Jesus of Nazareth. He knew we all carry inside us an innate love for stories, so that was the medium He consistently used to communicate His good news:  Once upon a time  there was a man who scattered “seed on the ground” (...

OUR DAILYBREAD May 15, Friday In Tune with the Spirit Cindy Hess Kasper Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.  Galatians 5:25 Galatians 5:16–26 2 Kings 22–23; John 4:31–54 As I listened to the piano tuner work on the elegant grand piano, I thought about the times when I’d heard that very same piano pour out the incredible sound of the “Warsaw Concerto” and the rich melody of “How Great Thou Art.” But now the instrument desperately needed to be tuned. While some notes were right on pitch, others were sharp or flat, creating an unpleasant sound. The piano tuner’s responsibility wasn’t to make each of the keys play the same sound but to assure that each note’s unique sound combined with others to create a pleasing harmonious whole. Even within the church, we can observe notes of discord. People with unique ambitions or talents can create a jarring dissonance when they’re joined together. In Galatians 5, Paul pleaded with believers to do away with “discord, ...

OUR DAILY BREAD May 14, Thur sday UNDER CONSTRUCTION Adam R. Holz For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.  Hebrews 10:14 Hebrews 10:11–18 2 Kings 19–21; John 4:1–30 They just repaved this road,  I thought to myself as the traffic slowed.  Now they’re tearing it up again!  Then I wondered,  Why is road construction never done? I mean, I’ve never seen a sign proclaiming, “The paving company is finished. Please enjoy this perfect road.” But something similar is true in my spiritual life. Early in my faith, I imagined reaching a moment of maturity when I’d have it all figured out, when I’d be “smoothly paved.” Thirty years later, I confess I’m still “under construction.” Just like the perpetually potholed roads I drive, I never seem to be “finished” either. Sometimes that can feel equally frustrating. But Hebrews 10 contains an amazing promise. Verse 14 says, “For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are bein...

  OUR DAILY BREAD May 13, Wednesday PHOTOBOMBING JESUS Mike Wittmer He must become greater; I must become less.  John 3:30 John 3:26–36 2 Kings 17–18; John 3:19–36 When my pastor asked our class a difficult question about the life of Jesus, my hand shot up. I had just read the story, so I knew this one. And I wanted the others in the room to know that I knew it too. After all, I’m a Bible teacher. How embarrassing it would be to be stumped in front of them! Now I was embarrassed by my fear of embarrassment. So I lowered my hand.  Am I this insecure? John the Baptist shows a better way. When his disciples complained that people were beginning to leave him and follow Jesus, John said he was glad to hear it. He was merely the messenger. “I am not the Messiah but am sent ahead of him. . . . He must become greater; I must become less” (3:28–30). John realized the point of his existence was Jesus. He is “the one who comes from heaven” and “is above all” (v. 31)—the divine Son who ...

OUR DAILY BREAD May 12 OPEN ARMS Anne VEGAS In my distress I called to the  Lord  . . . . My cry came to his ears.  2 Samuel 22:7 2 Samuel 22:1–7, 17–20 2 Kings 15–16; John 3:1–18 Saydee and his family have an “open arms and open home” philosophy. People are always welcome in their home, “especially those who are in distress,” he says. That’s the kind of household he had growing up in Liberia with his nine siblings. Their parents always welcomed others into their family. He says, “We grew up as a community. We loved one another. Everybody was responsible for everybody. My dad taught us to love each other, care for each other, protect each other.” When King David was in need, he found this type of loving care in God. Second Samuel 22 (and Psalm 18) records his song of praise to God for the ways He had been a refuge for him throughout his life. He recalled, “In my distress I called to the  Lord ; I called out to my God. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came to...

OUR DAILY BREAD May 11, Monday LEARNING FROM LITTLE ONES Arthur Jackson From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise.  Matthew 21:16 Matthew 21:8–16 2 Kings 13–14; John 2 When a friend and I rode into one of the slums in Nairobi, Kenya, our hearts were deeply humbled by the poverty we witnessed. In that same setting, however, different emotions—like fresh waters—were stirred in us as we witnessed young children running and shouting,  “Mchungaji, Mchungaji!”  (Swahili for “pastor”). Such was their joy-filled response upon seeing their spiritual leader in the vehicle with us. With these tender shouts, the little ones welcomed the one known for his care and concern for them. As Jesus arrived in Jerusalem riding on a donkey, joyful children were among those who celebrated Him. “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! . . . Hosanna to the Son of David” (Matthew 21:9, 15). But praises for Jesus were not the only sounds in the air. One ...