Foursquare Gospel Church Igbosere (Chapel of Blessing)

OUR DAILY BREAD December 13, Sunday THE CHRISTMAS GIFT OF SPEECH Tim Gustafson [Zechariah’s] mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God.  Luke 1:64 Luke 1:62–75 Hosea 12–14; Revelation 4 A post-surgical stroke had robbed Tom of his ability to speak, and he faced a long rehab journey. Weeks later, we were pleasantly surprised when he showed up at our church’s Thanksgiving service. We were even more surprised when he stood up to speak. Searching for what to say, he jumbled his words, repeated himself, and confused days and time. But one thing was clear: he was praising God! It’s possible to have your heart break and be blessed at the same moment. This was that kind of moment. In the “pre-Christmas story” we meet a man who lost the gift of speech. Gabriel the angel appeared to Zechariah the priest and told him he would be the father of a great prophet (see Luke 1:11–17). Zechariah and his wife were elderly, so he doubted it. That’s when Gabriel ...

OUR DAILY BREAD  December 12, Saturday PRAYERFUL WRESTLING Arthur Jackson Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak.  Genesis 32:24 Genesis 32:24–32 Hosea 9–11; Revelation 3 Dennis’ life was transformed after someone gave him a New Testament. Reading it captivated him, and it became his constant companion. Within six months, two life-changing events occurred in his life. He placed his faith in Jesus for the forgiveness of his sins, and he was diagnosed with a brain tumor after experiencing severe headaches. Because of the unbearable pain, he became bedridden and unable to work. One painful, sleepless night he found himself crying out to God. Sleep finally came at 4:30 a.m. Bodily pain can cause us to cry out to God, but other excruciating life circumstances also compel us to run to Him. Centuries before Dennis’ night of wrestling, a desperate Jacob faced off with God (Genesis 32:24–32). For Jacob, it was unfinished family business. He had wronged his...

OUR DAILY BREAD December 10, Thursday THE TRUE SERVANT Glenn Packiam Being found in appearance as a man, [Jesus] humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!  Philippians 2:8 Philippians 2:6–11 Hosea 1–4; Revelation 1 In 27  bc , the Roman ruler Octavian came before the Senate to lay down his powers. He’d won a civil war, become the sole ruler of that region of the world, and was functioning like an emperor. Yet he knew such power was viewed suspiciously. So Octavian renounced his powers before the Senate, vowing to simply be an appointed official. Their response? The Roman Senate honored the ruler by crowning him with a civic crown and naming him the servant of the Roman people. He was also given the name Augustus—the “great one.” Paul wrote of Jesus emptying Himself and taking on the form of a servant. Augustus appeared to do the same. Or  had  he? Augustus only acted like he was surrendering his power but was doing it for his own gain....

OUR DAILY BREAD December 11, Friday MORNING MIST Jennifer Benson Schuldt I have swept away your offenses . . . like the morning mist.  Isaiah 44:22 Isaiah 44:9–11, 21–23 Hosea 5–8; Revelation 2 One morning I visited a pond near my house. I sat on an overturned boat, thinking and watching a gentle west wind chase a layer of mist across the water’s surface. Wisps of fog circled and swirled. Mini “tornadoes” rose up and then exhausted themselves. Before long, the sunlight cut through the clouds and the mist disappeared. This scene comforted me because I connected it with a verse I’d just read: “I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist” (Isaiah 44:22). I visited the place hoping to distract myself from a series of sinful thoughts I’d been preoccupied with for days. Although I was confessing them, I began to wonder if God would forgive me when I repeated the same sin. That morning, I knew the answer was yes. Through His prophet Isaiah, God showed gra...

OUR DAILY BREAD December 9, Wednesday GOD’S GUIDANCE Marvin Williams Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers.  Psalm 1:1 Psalm 1:1–3 Daniel 11–12; Jude When their bank accidentally deposited $120,000 into their account, a couple went on a shopping spree. They purchased an SUV, a camper, and two four-wheelers in addition to paying off bills. Discovering the deposit error, the bank told the couple to return the money. Unfortunately, the husband and wife had already spent it. They were then charged with felony theft. When the couple arrived at the local court, the husband said to a reporter, “We took some bad legal advice.” The two learned that following bad advice (and spending what wasn’t theirs) could lead to making a mess of their lives. In contrast, the psalmist shared wise advice that can help us avoid messing up in life. He wrote that those who find genuine fulfillment—who are “blessed”—...

OUR DAILY BREAD December 8, Tuesday ON THE SAME TEAM Xochitl Dixon Encourage one another and build each other up.  1 Thessalonians 5:11 1 Thessalonians 5:1–11, 16–18 Daniel 8–10; 3 John When Philadelphia Eagle’s quarterback Carson Wentz returned to the field after healing from a severe injury, the NFL team’s backup quarterback, Nick Foles, graciously returned to the bench. Although competing for the same position, the two men chose to support each other and remained confident in their roles. One reporter observed that the two athletes have a “unique relationship rooted in their faith in Christ” shown through their ongoing prayers for each other. As others watched, they brought honor to God by remembering they were on the same team—not just as Eagles quarterbacks, but as believers in Jesus representing Him. The apostle Paul reminds believers to live as “children of the light” awaiting Jesus’ return (1 Thessalonians 5:5–6). With our hope secure in the salvation Christ has provided, w...

OUR DAILY BREAD December 7, Monday PRAYER OF THE BROKEN-DOWN John Blase Help me,  Lord  my God.  Psalm 109:26 Psalm 109:21–27 Daniel 5–7; 2 John “Dear Father in heaven, I’m not a praying man, but if you’re up there, and you can hear me, show me the way. I’m at the end of my rope.” That prayer is whispered by a broken-down George Bailey, the character played by Jimmy Stewart in the classic film  It’s a Wonderful Life . In the now iconic scene, Bailey’s eyes fill with tears. They weren’t part of the script, but as he spoke that prayer Stewart said he “felt the loneliness, the hopelessness of people who had nowhere to turn.” It broke him. Bailey’s prayer, boiled down, is simply “Help me.” And this is exactly what’s voiced in Psalm 109. David was at the end of his rope: “poor and needy,” his “heart . . . wounded” (v. 22), and his body “thin and gaunt” (v. 24). He was fading “like an evening shadow” (v. 23), and sensed himself to be an “object of scorn” in the e...