Foursquare Gospel Church Igbosere (Chapel of Blessing)

OUR DAILY BREAD January 31, Sunday A FUTURE WITH FORGIVENESS Monica La Rose Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.  Romans 12:21 Romans 12:9–21 Exodus 25–26; Matthew 20:17–34 In 1994, when South Africa made the transition from government by apartheid (imposed racial segregation) to a democracy, it faced the difficult question of how to address the crimes committed under apartheid. The country’s leaders couldn’t ignore the past, but merely imposing harsh punishments on the guilty risked deepening the country’s wounds. As Desmond Tutu, the first black Anglican Archbishop of South Africa, explained in his book  No Future Without Forgiveness,  “We could very well have had justice, retributive justice, and had a South Africa lying in ashes.” Through establishing the Truth and Reconciliation Committee, the new democracy chose the difficult path of pursuing truth, justice, and mercy. Those guilty of crimes were offered a path to restoration—if they were willing...

OUR DAILY BREAD January 30, Saturday WEARING OUR COURAGE Mike Wittmer If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven.  2 Kings 1:10 2 Kings 1:9–15 Exodus 23–24; Matthew 20:1–16 Andrew lives in a country that’s closed to the gospel. When I asked how he keeps his faith a secret, he said he doesn’t. He wears a button that advertises his church, and whenever he’s arrested he tells the police that “they need Jesus too.” Andrew has courage because he knows who’s on his side. Elijah refused to be intimidated, even when the king of Israel sent fifty soldiers to arrest him (2 Kings 1:9). The prophet knew God was with him, and he called down fire that consumed the platoon. The king sent more soldiers, and Elijah did it again (v. 12). The king sent more, but the third platoon had heard about the others. The captain begged Elijah to spare his soldiers’ lives. They were more afraid of him than he’d ever been of them, so the angel of the Lord told Elijah it was safe to go with them (vv. 13...

  January 29 Out of Breath Sheridan Voysey Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the L ord  your God.  Deuteronomy 5:13–14 Deuteronomy 5:12–15 Exodus 21–22; Matthew 19 There’s a home-improvement store near me that has a big green button in one of its departments. If no assistant is present, you push the button, which starts a timer. If you’re not served within a minute, you get a discount on your purchase. We like being the customer in this scenario who enjoys the speedy service. But the demand for fast service often takes a toll when we’re the one expected to deliver it. So many of us today feel rushed doing our jobs, working long hours, checking email multiple times a day, and feeling pressured to meet tighter and tighter deadlines. The customer service tactics of the home-improvement store have seeped into all our lives, creating a culture of rush. When God told the Israelites to keep a Sabbath, He added an important reason: “R...

OUR DAILY BREAD January 28, Thursday A MIGHTY STREAM Lisa M. Samra But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!  Amos 5:24 Amos 5:21–24 Exodus 19–20; Matthew 18:21–35 Among the many exhibits and artifacts exploring the harsh reality of slavery and its aftermath in the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington DC, I was grateful to discover the Contemplative Court. This tranquil room features translucent walls of bronze glass, and water appears to rain down from the ceiling into a pool. As I sat in that peaceful space, a quote on the wall from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. caught my eye: “We are determined . . . to work and fight until justice rains down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.” These powerful words are drawn from the Old Testament book of Amos. Amos was a prophet living among a people who were involved in religious activities, such as celebrating festivals and offering sacrifices, but whose hear...

OUR DAILY BREAD January 27, Wednesday FREE AT LAST Patricia Raybon If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.  John 8:36 John 8:31–36 Exodus 16–18; Matthew 18:1–20 Twenty long years passed before British journalist John McCarthy—a five-year hostage during Lebanon’s grueling civil war—met the man who negotiated his release. When McCarthy finally met U.N. envoy Giandomenico Picco, McCarthy simply said, “Thank you for my freedom!” His heartfelt words carried great weight because Picco had risked his own life during dangerous negotiations to secure freedom for McCarthy and others. We as believers can relate to such hard-won freedom. Jesus gave up His life—enduring death on a Roman cross—to secure spiritual freedom for all people, including each of us. Now as His children, we know “it is for freedom that Christ has set us free,” the apostle Paul boldly declared (Galatians 5:1). The gospel of John also teaches of freedom in Christ, noting, “If the Son sets you free, you will...

OUR DAILY BREAD January 26, Tuesday THE PROBLEM WITHIN Glenn Packiam Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!  Matthew 21:9 Matthew 21:1–9 Exodus 14–15; Matthew 17 A few years ago, a woodpecker began tapping on the siding of our home. We thought the problem was only external. Then one day, my son and I climbed up a ladder into the attic only to have a bird fly past our startled faces. The problem was worse than we’d suspected: it was  inside  our house. When Jesus arrived in Jerusalem, the crowd was hoping He would be the one to fix their external problem—their oppression by the Romans. They went wild, shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!” (Matthew 21:9). This was the moment they’d been waiting for; God’s appointed King had come. If God’s chosen Deliverer was going to begin reforming things, wouldn’t He start with all the w...

OUR DAILY BREAD January 25, Monday RIPPLE EFFECT Tim Gustafson Because the hand of the L ord  my God was on me, I took courage and gathered leaders from Israel to go up with me.  Ezra 7:28 Ezra 8:15–21 Exodus 12–13; Matthew 16 The little Bible college in northern Ghana didn’t look impressive—just a tin-roofed cinder-block building and a handful of students. Yet Bob Hayes poured his life into those students. He gave them leadership roles and encouraged them to preach and teach, despite their occasional reluctance. Bob passed away years ago, but dozens of thriving churches, schools, and two additional Bible institutes have sprung up across Ghana—all started by graduates of that humble school. During the reign of King Artaxerxes (465–424  bc ), Ezra the scribe assembled a band of Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem. But Ezra found no Levites among them (Ezra 8:15). He needed Levites to serve as priests. So he commissioned leaders to “bring attendants to us for the house of ...