Foursquare Gospel Church Igbosere (Chapel of Blessing)

OUR DAILY BREAD November 22, Sunday AN OPEN, GENEROUS HEART Winn Collier Be generous and willing to share.  1 Timothy 6:18 1 Timothy 6:17–19 Ezekiel 18–19; James 4 After Vicki’s old car broke down with no option for repair, she started scraping together money for another vehicle. Chris, a frequent customer of the restaurant where Vicki works at the drive-thru window, one day heard her mention she needed a car. “I couldn’t stop thinking about it,” Chris said. “I [had] to do something.” So he bought his son’s used car (his son had just put it up for sale), shined it up, and handed Vicki the keys. Vicki was shocked. “Who . . . does that?” she said in amazement and gratitude. The Scriptures call us to live with open hands, giving freely as we can—providing what’s truly best for those in need. As Paul says: “Command [those who are rich] to do good, to be rich in good deeds” (1 Timothy 6:18). We don’t merely perform a benevolent act here or there, but rather live out a cheerful spir...

OUR DAILY BREAD November 21, Saturday INSTRUMENTS OF PEACE Bill Crowder Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.  James 3:18 James 3:13–18 Ezekiel 16–17; James 3 When World War I erupted in 1914, British statesman Sir Edward Grey declared, “The lamps are going out all over Europe; we shall not see them lit again in our lifetime.” Grey was right. When the “war to end all wars” finally ended, some 20 million had been killed (10 million of them civilians) and another 21 million injured. While not on the same scale or magnitude, devastation can also occur in our personal lives. Our home, workplace, church, or neighborhood can also be shrouded by the dark specter of conflict. This is one of the reasons God calls us to be difference-makers in the world. But to do so we must rely on His wisdom. The apostle James wrote, “The wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and s...

OUR DAILY BREAD November 20, ,  Friday TURNING FROM CONFLICT Patricia Raybon Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry.  Ephesians 4:26 Ephesians 4:26–32 Ezekiel 14–15; James 2 In his graveside tribute to a famous Dutch scientist, Albert Einstein didn’t mention their scientific disputes. Instead, he recalled the “never-failing kindness” of Hendrik A. Lorentz, a beloved physicist known for his easy manner and fair treatment of others. “Everyone followed him gladly,” Einstein said, “for they felt he never set out to dominate but always simply to be of use.” Lorentz inspired scientists to put aside political prejudice and work together, especially after World War I. “Even before the war was over,” Einstein said of his fellow Nobel Prize winner, “[Lorentz] devoted himself to the work of reconciliation.” Working for reconciliation should be the goal of everyone in the church as well. True, some conflict is inevitable. Yet we must do our part to work for peaceful resoluti...

OUR DAILY BREAD November 19, Thursday VALIANT ACTIONS Estera Pirosca Escobar I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me . . . and I lay down my life for the sheep.  John 10:14–15 John 10:7–18 Ezekiel 11–13; James 1 John Harper had no idea what was about to unfold as he and his six-year-old daughter embarked on the  Titanic . But one thing he knew: he loved Jesus and he was passionate that others know Him too. As soon as the ship hit an iceberg and water started pouring in, Harper, a widower, put his little girl on a lifeboat and headed into the chaos to save as many people as possible. As he distributed life jackets he reportedly shouted, “Let the women, children, and the unsaved into the lifeboats.” Until his last breath, Harper shared about Jesus with anyone who was around him. John willingly gave his life away so others could live. There was One who laid down His life freely two thousand years ago so you and I can live not only in this life but for all ete...

OUR DAILY BREAD November 18, Wednesday FALSE CONFIDENCE Glenn Packiam I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things.  Philippians 3:8 Philippians 3:2–8 Ezekiel 8–10; Hebrews 13 A few years ago, my doctor gave me a stern talk about my health. I took his words to heart and began going to the gym and adjusting my diet. Over time, both my cholesterol and my weight went down, and my self-esteem went up. But then something not so good happened: I began noticing other people’s dietary choices and judging them. Isn’t it funny that often when we find a scoring system that grades us well, we use it to lift ourselves up and put others down. It seems to be an innate human tendency to cling to self-made standards in an attempt to justify ourselves—systems of self-justification and guilt-management. Paul warned the Philippians about doing such things. Some were putting their confidence in religious performance ...

OUR DAILY BREAD November 17, Tuesday IF ONLY WE COULD . . . Anne Cetas The  Lord  is the strength of his people.  Psalm 28:8 Psalm 28 Ezekiel 5–7; Hebrews 12 The weeping Alaskan cedar tree whipped from side to side in the storm’s strong winds. Regie loved the tree that had not only provided shelter from the summer sun but also given her family privacy. Now the fierce storm was tearing the roots from the ground. Quickly, Regie, with her fifteen-year-old son in tow, ran to try to rescue the tree. With her hands and ninety-pound frame firmly planted against it, she and her son tried to keep it from falling over. But they weren’t strong enough. God was King David’s strength when he called out to Him in another kind of storm (Psalm 28:8). Some commentators say he wrote this during a time when his world was falling apart. His own son rose in rebellion against him and tried to take the throne (2 Samuel 15). He felt so vulnerable and weak that he feared God might remain...

OUR DAILY BREAD November 16, Monday BORROWED SHOES Kirsten Holmberg Serve one another humbly in love.  Galatians 5:13 Galatians 5:13–26 Ezekiel 3–4; Hebrews 11:20–40 In the chaos of fleeing his home during the California wildfires of 2018, Gabe, a high school senior, missed the state-qualifying cross-country race for which he’d been training. Missing this meet meant he wouldn’t have the chance to compete at the state meet—the culminating event of his four-year running career. In light of the circumstances, the state athletics board gave Gabe another chance: he’d have to run a qualifying time by himself, on a rival high school’s track, in “street shoes” because his running shoes were in the charred rubble of his home. When he showed up to “race,” Gabe was surprised by his competitors who’d come to supply him with proper shoes and to run alongside him to ensure he kept the pace necessary to be entered in the state meet. Gabe’s opponents had no obligation to help him. They could have ...