Foursquare Gospel Church Igbosere (Chapel of Blessing)

OUR DAILY BREAD June 7, Sunday IN NEED OF RESCUE Poh Fang Chia A Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.  Luke 10:33 Luke 10:30–37 2 Chronicles 28–29; John 17 A teenager named Aldi was working alone on a fishing hut anchored about 125 kilometers (about 78 miles) off Indonesia’s Sulawesi Island when heavy winds knocked the hut off its mooring and sent it out to sea. For forty-nine days, Aldi drifted in the ocean. Every time he spotted a ship, he turned on his lamp to try and get the sailors’ attention, only to be disappointed. About ten ships passed the malnourished teen before he was rescued. Jesus told a parable to an “expert in the law” (Luke 10:25) about someone who needed to be rescued. Two men—a priest and a Levite—saw an injured man as they were traveling. But rather than help him, both “passed by on the other side” (vv. 31–32). We aren’t told why. Both were religious men and would have been familiar with God’s law to love ...

OUR DAILY BREAD June 6, Saturday FOUND ON THE EDGES Lisa M. Samra For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.  Luke 19:10 Luke 19:1–10 2 Chronicles 25–27; John 16 In the middle of the crowd at a motorcycle demonstration where riders performed breathtaking tricks, I found myself needing to stand on my tiptoes to see. Glancing around, I noticed three children perched in a nearby tree, apparently because they also couldn’t get to the front of the crowd to see the action.  Watching the kids peer out from their lofty location, I couldn’t help but think of Zacchaeus, who Luke identifies as a wealthy tax collector (Luke 19:2). Jews often viewed tax collectors as traitors for working for the Roman government collecting taxes from fellow Israelites, as well as frequently demanding additional money to pad their personal bank accounts. So Zacchaeus was likely shunned from his community.  As Jesus passed through Jericho, Zacchaeus longed to see Him but was unable to see ove...

OUR DAILY BREAD June 5, Friday USEFUL TEMPTATION Monica La Rose Humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.  James 1:21 James 1:2–5, 12–21 2 Chronicles 23–24; John 15 Fifteenth-century monk Thomas à Kempis, in the beloved classic  The Imitation of Christ , offers a perspective on temptation that might be a bit surprising. Instead of focusing on the pain and difficulties temptation can lead to, he writes, “[temptations] are useful because they can make us humble, they can cleanse us, and they can teach us.” Kempis explains, “The key to victory is true humility and patience; in them we overcome the enemy.” Humility and patience.  How different my walk with Christ would be if that were how I naturally responded to temptation! More often, I react with shame, frustration, and impatient attempts to get rid of the struggle. But, as we learn from James 1, the temptations and trials we face don’t have to be without purpose or merely a threat we endure. Although givi...

OUR DAILY BREAD June 4, Thursday MY FATHER’S CHILD John Blase Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.  John 14:9 John 14:8–14 2 Chronicles 21–22; John 14 They looked down at the faded photograph, then up at me, then over at my father, then back at me, then back at my father. Their eyes were as wide as the proverbial saucers. “Dad, you look just like Papa when he was young!” My father and I grinned because this was something we’d known for a long time, but it wasn’t until recently that my children came to the same realization. While my father and I are different people, in a very real sense to see me is to see my father as a younger man: tall, lanky frame; full head of dark hair; prominent nose; and rather large ears. No, I am not my father, but I am most definitely my father’s son.       A follower of Jesus named Philip once asked, “Lord ,  show us the Father” (John 14:8). And while it wasn’t the first time Jesus had indicated as much, His response...

OUR DAILY BREAD June 3, Wednesday SACRED GATHERING Kirsten Holmberg Rejoice before the  Lord  your God for seven days.  Leviticus 23:40 Leviticus 23:33–36, 39–44 2 Chronicles 19–20; John 13:21–38 It was 2016 and our group of friends reunited for a long weekend together on the shores of a beautiful lake. The days were spent playing in the water and sharing meals, but it was the evening conversations I treasured the most. As darkness fell, our hearts opened to one another with uncommon depth and vulnerability, sharing the pains of faltering marriages and the aftermath of trauma some of our children were enduring. Without glossing over the brokenness of our realities, we pointed one another to God and His faithfulness throughout such extreme difficulties. Those evenings are among the most sacred in my life.  I imagine those nights are similar to what God intended when He instructed His people to gather each year for the Festival of Tabernacles. This feast, like many oth...

OUR DAILY BREAD June 2, Tuesday CHOSEN TO FORGIVE Elisa Morgan Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.  Luke 23:34 Luke 1:76–79 2 Chronicles 17–18; John 13:1–20 As a middle-schooler, Patrick Ireland first sensed God had chosen him for something. But what? Later as a survivor of the horrific Columbine (Colorado) High School massacre where thirteen were killed and twenty-four wounded, including Patrick, he began to understand an answer. Through his long recovery, Patrick learned that clinging to bitterness causes further wounding. God showed Patrick that the key to forgiveness is to stop focusing on what others have done  to  us and to focus on what Jesus has done  for  us. Christ’s words on the cross toward His tormenters, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34), fulfilled Zechariah the priest’s prophecy of Jesus’ forgiveness (1:77). Additionally, His example revealed a purpose for Patrick, a...

OUR DAILY BREAD June 1,  Monday NEEDING HIS LEADING Bill CROWDER From the ends of the earth I call to you.  Psalm 61:2 Psalm 61 2 Chronicles 15–16; John 12:27–50 Uncle Zaki was more than a friend to scholar Kenneth Bailey; he was his trusted guide on challenging excursions into the vast Sahara. By following Uncle Zaki, Bailey says that he and his team were demonstrating their complete trust in him. In essence, they were affirming, “We don’t know the way to where we are going, and if you get us lost we will all die. We have placed our total trust in your leadership.”  In a time of great weariness and heartache, David looked beyond any human guide, seeking direction from the God he served. In Psalm 61:2 we read, “From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” He longed for the safety and relief of being ushered afresh into God’s presence (vv. 3–4). God’s guidance in life is desperately needed for people ...