[…]economy of growing unemployment, declining productivity, and the unfathomably ballooning debt is the least of America’s problems. At a period in our nation’s history when we should be calling on and returning to follow God the most, our country as a whole is increasingly treating the Lord of All as some uninvited pest needing to be permanently shooed from our lives. Jesus declared in the Sermon on the Mount, “But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the […]
[…]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 nor the disciples brought about this speedy demise. They lied to the Spirit of the Lord. He acted as He saw fit. How might […]
[…]of OCF group needs to be at this location and what should I do about it?” rather than “Where is the OCF group I can join?” Remember—you are OCF. Your level of involvement and leadership is the determining factor in the success of OCF where you are now. Here are some suggestions on how an OCF fellowship group might look in differing environments: Home Bible study—officers, enlisted, retirees, or civilians meeting in someone’s home, using DVD, inductive, or topical Bible studies. Deployed group—an ad hoc group who meets for prayer/Bible study, often ending when deployment ends. Lunchtime workplace—a mixed group […]