[…]and ask for forgiveness. Think the best of your spouse’s motives and intentions. In the Book of Acts, we are introduced to a married couple that moved in tandem, seamlessly serving others with humility and excellence-Priscilla and Aquila. “When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately” (Acts 18:26). They worshipped, studied, encouraged others, and even taught together. How exciting that on any given day God could use them individually or together for His purposes. In essence, this couple hosted an OCF fellowship in their home (1 […]
[…]the best results. They know that God has a specific purpose and plan for their lives (Eph. 2:10) and that promotions come from God, regardless of any human actions connected therewith (Ps. 75:6-7). The Christian can rest assured that God oversees life and career (Matt. 10:28-31; Rom. 8:28; Phil. 4:19; 1 Thess. 5:18). The Christian therefore need not worry about a particular assignment or promotion, nor, practically, should one fret or worry in general. The Christian’s first duty is to glorify God. If we accept this duty, we will be single-minded and able to concentrate on the work to be […]
[…]world, we can draw the same analogy-our defense-in-depth measures include fellowship, which acts as our perimeter defense, surrounding us with brothers and sisters to hold up our hands and protect us from outside evil influences. Prayer acts as spiritual anti-virus protection, culling out evil thoughts and evoking the Holy Spirit to keep the “hard drive” of our inner man unpolluted. And by feasting on the Word, we password-protect our heart and mind with Scripture, locking and protecting our thoughts. As you continue to serve our nation, know that OCF was tailor-made to come alongside and provide you with the defense-in-depth […]
[…]the good news of God’s love and holiness. Like those the Apostle Paul encountered in synagogues (Acts 9:20, 13:5) and in places of prayer (Acts 16:16), these people may be open to the loving witness you offer concerning the grace and truth that can be found only in Jesus Christ. That may be why God drew them to your chapel! The chapel ministry offers you an open door to the personnel in your command. We sometimes overlook the potential for ministry of this rather obvious fact. Christian ministries authorized by the military allow a means for the gospel to be […]
[…]heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened” (Acts 5:5). A close reading of Acts 5:1-11, the account of Ananias and Sapphira’s deceit, should lead one to conclude that truth is the essential thing. In this perplexing story–which takes place as the early church was forming–maintaining a standard of truth and honesty proved to be the bedrock for the church and our Christian faith. Those endowed with leadership responsibility needed to set and safeguard ethical standards. Many are shocked at the decisive, harsh response to the couple’s duplicity. Yet neither Peter […]