Foursquare Gospel Church Igbosere (Chapel of Blessing)

OUR DAILY BREAD August 30, Sunday SELF-CHECKING Dave Branon Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the  Lord .  Lamentations 3:40 Lamentations 3:37–42 Psalms 129–131; 1 Corinthians 11:1–16 Recently I read through a stack of World War II-era letters my dad sent to my mother. He was in North Africa and she was in West Virginia. Dad, a second lieutenant in the US Army, was tasked with censoring soldiers’ letters—keeping sensitive information from enemy eyes. So it was rather humorous to see—on the outside of his letters to his wife—a stamp that said, “Censored by 2nd Lt. John Branon.” Indeed, he had cut out lines from his own letters! Self-censoring is really a good idea for all of us. Several times in Scripture, the writers mention the importance of taking a good long look at ourselves to find what’s not right—not God-honoring. The psalmist, for example, prayed, “Search me, God, and know my heart . . . . See if there is any offensive way in me” (Psalm 139:23...

OUR DAILY BREAD August 29, Saturday THE ULTIMATE WAVE James Banks The gospel is bearing fruit and growing.  Colossians 1:6 Colossians 1:1–8 Psalms 126–128; 1 Corinthians 10:19–33 People love doing “the wave.” At sporting events and concerts around the world, it begins when a few people stand and raise their hands. A moment later, those seated beside them do the same. The goal is to have one sequential flowing movement work its way around an entire stadium. Once it reaches the end, those who started it smile and cheer—and keep the movement going. The first recorded incident of the wave occurred at a professional baseball game between the Oakland Athletics and the New York Yankees in 1981. I love joining in the wave because it’s fun. But it’s also occurred to me that the happiness and togetherness we experience while doing it is reminiscent of the gospel—the good news of salvation in Jesus that unites believers everywhere in praise and hope. This “ultimate wave” started over twenty c...

OUR DAILY BREAD August 28, Friday GOD OUR RESCUER Patricia Raybon I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered.  Ezekiel 34:12 Ezekiel 34:5–12 Psalms 123–125; 1 Corinthians 10:1–18 In the open sea, a rescuer positioned her kayak to assist panicked swimmers competing in a triathlon. “Don’t grab the middle of the boat!” she called to swimmers, knowing such a move would capsize her craft. Instead, she directed weary swimmers to the bow, or front, of the kayak. There they could grab a loop, allowing the safety kayaker to help rescue them. Whenever life or people threaten to pull us under, as believers in Jesus, we know we have a Rescuer. “For this is what the Sovereign  Lord  says: I myself will search for my sheep . . . . I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered” (Ezekiel 34:11–12). This was the prophet Ezekiel’s assurance to God’s people when they were in exile. Their leaders had neglected and exploited them, plundering their live...

OUR DAILY BREAD August 27, Thursday RESCUE THE WEAK Linda Washington Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.  Psalm 82:4 Psalm 82:3–4 Psalms 120–122; 1 Corinthians 9 Which would you choose—a skiing holiday in Switzerland or rescuing children from danger in Prague? Nicholas Winton, just an ordinary man, chose the latter. In 1938, war between Czechoslovakia and Germany seemed on the horizon. After Nicholas visited refugee camps in Prague, where many Jewish citizens lived in horrible conditions, he felt compelled to come up with a plan to help. He raised money to transport hundreds of children safely out of Prague to Great Britain to be cared for by British families before the onset of World War II. His actions exemplified those called for in Psalm 82: “Uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed” (v. 3). Asaph, the writer of this psalm, wanted to stir his people to champion the cause of those in need: “Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them fr...

OUR DAILY BREAD August 26, Wednesday SPIRITUAL DRIVING Adam R. Holz Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.  Ephesians 5:15–16 Ephesians 5:8–20 Psalm 119:89–176; 1 Corinthians 8 I don’t remember many specifics about my driver’s education class. But for some reason, an acronym we learned, S-I-P-D-E, remains firmly lodged in my memory. The letters stood for  S can,  I dentify,  P redict,  D ecide, and  E xecute, a process we were taught to practice continually. We were to  scan  the road,  identify  hazards,  predict  what the hazards might do,  decide  how we’d respond, and then, if necessary,  execute  that plan. It was a strategy for being intentional to avoid accidents.   I wonder how that idea might translate to our spiritual lives. In Ephesians 5, Paul told Ephesian believers, “Be very careful, then, how you live...

OUR DAILY BREAD August 25, TUESDAY WONDERFUL REWARD Anne Cetas Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.  Psalm 119:18 Psalm 119:17–24 Psalm 119:1–88; 1 Corinthians 7:20–40 Donelan, a teacher, had always been a reader, but one day it literally paid off. She was planning a trip and reviewing her lengthy travel insurance policy when on page seven she discovered a wonderful reward. As part of their “It Pays to Read” contest, the company was giving $10,000 to the first person to read that far into the contract. They also donated thousands of dollars to schools in Donelan’s area for children’s literacy. She says, “I’ve always been that nerd who reads contracts. I was the most surprised of anyone!” The psalmist wanted his eyes opened to “see wonderful things” about God (Psalm 119:18). He must have had an understanding that God wants to be known, and so he longed for a deeper closeness to Him. His desire was to see more of who God is, what He’d already given, and how ...

OUR DAILY BREAD August 24, Monday HOW DID I GET HERE? Mike Wittmer Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?  Job 2:10 Job 2:1–10 Psalms 116–118; 1 Corinthians 7:1–19 Tiffani awoke in the pitch-black darkness of an Air Canada jet. Still wearing her seat belt, she’d slept while the other passengers exited and the plane was parked.  Why didn’t anyone wake her? How did she get here?  She shook the cobwebs from her brain and tried to remember. Have you found yourself in a place you never expected? You’re too young to have this disease, and there’s no cure. Your last review was excellent; why is your position being eliminated? You were enjoying the best years of your marriage. Now you’re starting over, as a single parent with a part-time job. How did I get here?  Job may have wondered as “he sat among the ashes” (Job 2:8). He’d lost his children, his wealth, and his health, in no time flat. He couldn’t have guessed how he got here; he just knew he had to r...