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A day in the life of OCF

[…]the cadets to cook breakfast.   0400 Sometimes God wakes Steve Wade at night, so he goes to the living room to pray and listen to Scripture online. His Skype rings in and he sees the tear-stained face of a former cadet on the other side of the world. Loneliness, the stress of working and living in a war-torn area, and anguish over personal relationships is almost more than this young officer can bear. Steve listens—for hours—and will finally pray softly until he sees this defender of our nation’s freedoms relax and fall asleep. Good night. Good morning. Recover, repeat. […]

Superhero’s Faith

[…]faster than a speeding bullet! He dreams and he laughs and he’s unusual. That’s what I want. Living Life Fully in Christ I finally hit rock bottom soon after I came to that understanding. Lying in a hospital bed fighting for my life from the prior night’s alcohol poisoning, I surrendered and turned my eyes upwards to find Jesus. Through a series of events, I heard the gospel message and a light instantly came on in my mind. For the first time, I understood that my sin eternally separated me from living in communion with God, and the only way […]

Six Generations: 3

[…]toward Him. One of those trail markers Jon left us was an example of total reliance on the Holy Spirit, our Comforter and a true Friend we all can have as Christians. Robert “Doc” Jackson, the brave Army medic who heard Jon Shine’s last words, now understands why–coming from his platoon leader lying five feet from him with a serious wound to his head, and enemy fire all around–they were so amazingly calm and full of assurance and peace. In F.B Meyer’s David, the author traces this young warrior’s life through the steps by which he became king…those steps in […]

Six Generations: 2

[…]but somehow I could hear Jon very clearly. It was for me a very special moment, it was holy, and I realized it even then. I had just been saying the name of Jesus out loud, over and over as I worked on Roberts, and I hear Jon say, ‘Doc, I’ve been hit in the head but I’m OK. Just throw me some bandages and I’ll stop the bleeding until you finish with Roberts and get back.’ That’s very close to verbatim. Over the years I’ve told the story many time and I always include how remarkably composed he was… […]

Unity of Command

[…]principles in Air War College, I found all of them in the Bible. Later I applied them to Christian living. The military definition of Unity of Command (UOC) is: “For every objective, one person is responsible for war-fighting decisions.” 1 Our military has a Commander-In-Chief (CINC), the President of the United States. As CINC, he is ultimately responsible for war-fighting decisions. However, he does not personally make all war-fighting decisions. He delegates decision-making down through the chain of command; this is called centralized control with de-centralized execution. The theory is that there is control at the top but freedom down […]

Implicit Trust

[…]trust shall live eternally. In this manner a sinner becomes a saint. It is not by prayer or holy living, not by deeds of kindness, labors of love, or works of any kind. These, like the officer’s uniform, follow after. They manifest installment in the new position. Just as the Emperor’s word gave the private the assurance that he had become a captain, so the Word of God provides the sinner who believes and trusts in the Lord Jesus the assurance that he or she has become a child of God, has passed from darkness into His marvelous light, from […]

The Line Officer and the Chaplain

[…]with you. I hope you’ll see them as exciting opportunities! A chapel congregation can provide a living demonstration of our unit in Jesus Christ. Often nonbelievers are confused by the fact of many denominations and the competition that sometimes occurs between them. Believers working together in a chapel program can proclaim the essential teachings of the gospel. John 17:21-23 tells us that all Christians are united in Christ. This includes Christians in all denominations, of all theological shades and spiritual persuasions. In the chapel the focus tends to be on the essential doctrines of Christian faith rather than on denominational […]

Wrestling with Depression

[…]and new natures. Our flesh always wants to be in charge, but as Christians with the Holy Spirit living within us, God gives us the power to overcome and win. Wearing our country’s uniform, or being a family member of one who does, can be stressful. The sacrifices, separations and situations we face can change us. I recently heard Chaplain (Major General) Douglas Carver, U.S. Army Chief of Chaplains, say that the three main reasons soldiers are killing themselves are because of personal shame, failed relationships, and being isolated from community. Honesty is a common value of all the services. […]

Let His Light Shine!

[…]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 measures needed to keep your light shining brightly–the light of Christ so desperately needed in these dark days.  For the past sixty-eight years OCF fellowships have kept us in communion with Christ as we gather […]

Part of an amazing lineage

[…]a life for Christ. Now a mother of two beautiful daughters, she and her husband are committed to living a life worthy of the call of Christ. With autumn’s arrival on the horizon, as you settle into the routines of school and work, I challenge you to carefully consider where the Lord has you, who He has brought into your life, and then answer if you are living each day for Christ. Rejoice that you have been bought at a price and are now part of this amazing lineage.  As we stand at the foot of the Cross, have we […]

Six Generations: 1

[…]sacrificial life. To the Christian believer, life is all about serving the living Christ and living one’s own life in a sacrificial way–serving others, leading others, helping others, providing for and protecting others…and if called to do so, dying for others. While on earth, believers want to seek first His Kingdom, to be a disciple and to help others become disciples. When those are our priorities, all other necessary and needful things in life are generously provided (see John 16:33). But when other things push God and His priorities aside, then one’s perspective becomes temporal and shallow–well-meaning as it may […]

Follow Me

[…]served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). By the power of the Holy Spirit and through prayer, we too can have a humble heart and serve others, as Christ would have us do. Seek the Father’s Will The second part of Jesus’ leadership lesson was that he constantly sought to do His Father’s will. He continually sought secluded places in order to pray and to seek His Father’s will. Jesus was accountable to His Father and had to get one-on-one time with His Father to ensure that He, Jesus, did His Father’s […]

How Shall We Pray?

[…]Office we have devotions and a time of prayer to honor the requests from OCF members and families living and serving around the world. This is our most important work of the day and we are committed to honor each request. Because our prayer ministry is so important and foundational to what we do in OCF, I have asked myself, how should we pray? There is not an easy answer simply because so many people are stressed, attacked, wounded, separated, or discouraged. My first inclination is to ask, “Is this from you Lord? Is it fair? Why? and, Would you […]

Reignited Service

[…]certainly has not given those who trust Him a spirit of fear. What He has given us, though, is His Holy Spirit, Who guides us to apt responses or actions that quell our concerns and calm our anxious hearts. Further, He has given us power, love, and self-control (discipline). It is hard to imagine an earthly matter these three cannot surmount. Beware! As with Timothy, fear can cause us to stifle the gift God has given. Do not allow shame (verse 8) or any form of apathy to keep you from living out your call to serve according to His […]

Time, Talent, Treasure: OCF small group fellowships

[…]like you’re surrounded by darkness,” and instead trusting in Christ’s promise that, “the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say” (Luke 12:12). And just as submariners have unique opportunities to illuminate Jesus Christ to others in the ocean depths, opportunities abound as well once back on dry land. Up in the often-overcast Pacific Northwest, Naval Base Kitsap OCF is a single snapshot of all the other OCF small groups whose military, civilian and family member attendees balance their ever changing, demanding schedules and constant deployments by regularly meeting for Bible study, and often times, meals. […]
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War on Spiritual Terrorism

[…]that they may have divine protection and be spared from injury or death. Both pray that the Holy Spirit will speak to the hearts of those they mentor and lead to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Common Ground Both of these leaders recognize that they are fighting both a physical foe and a spiritual enemy. As one officer noted, “The well grounded Christian has prepared to be a brave, compassionate and unselfish fighter. We are at war. The closer we are to God, the more the enemy [in this case Satan] wants to separate and weaken us. […]

Laborers and Laboring as Unto the Lord

[…]workforce–the United States achieved the greatest productivity and resultant highest standard of living the world has ever known. Which is all now precariously teetering on the edge of total collapse. National uncertainty, much as ants or wasps, will be showing up as the uninvited guest to backyard barbecues this Labor Day. But the wobbly 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 […]

Operation Iraqi Freedom

[…]of our day, and to witness the wonders He was working at Prince Sultan Air Base, where I was living. Shortly after we arrived, someone questioned why this part of the world never seemed to calm down from all these wars and skirmishes. I don’t know how to describe the feeling we had that there was a spiritual element to what we were doing. I did a double take when I looked at the maps in the back of my Bible and recognized cities we were flying over–Ur is now An Nasariyah; Dur-Kurigalzu became Sippar which became Baghdad; Tekrit is […]

Professional Perspectives for Senior Officers

[…]expects us to respond. You have two choices, as follows: Will I choose to be obedient to God in living out my faith? A positive response is unquestionably God’s will. This is the most important choice. We are convinced, from almost fifty years of ministering to military men and women, that if you consider your career to be more important than faithfulness to God, you will be unfulfilled. Will I be actively involved in the OCF as I live out my faith? We are asking you to honestly consider this before God. The six sections that follow address the topics […]
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Situational Awareness

[…]for someone to stand in the gap…” (Ezekiel 22:30 NLT). If you’re in your thirties, you are living in a generational, social, and professional gap by no choice of your own. This positioning brings tremendous professional and spiritual challenges; and opportunities. My intent is to arm you with information regarding your unique situation. My prayer is that this will expand your understanding and increase your effectiveness as military leaders, spouses, and ambassadors for Christ. Others may want to read along to increase their knowledge of this gap.The Gap Described Culturally you are a pivotal element in our society. By chance […]

Spiritual Battle Plans

[…]3:20, Matthew 28:18-20). One facet of godly ambassadorship and of message carrying is godly living. Living a God-honoring life is even more difficult when separated from one’s normal Christian “life-support” structure: Sunday School, Chapel/Church, a weekly Bible study, a weekly or daily accountability partner, and so on. I didn’t fully realize what a difference these events made in my personal walk with the Lord until I went nearly four months in Iraq without them. I had only occasional, encouraging phone calls to family and to my Christian brother, Jonathan Shine, a fellow commander and believer of like heart. I found […]

The Jungles of War

[…]three sons born to a Marine who held every rank from private to major (some twice!), I’d decided living out of a sea bag (11 grammar schools and four high schools) was not for me. In 1955, when I was a 17-year-old boy living in Yokohama, Japan, I accepted Christ as Lord. Thereupon I told God I’d go anywhere and do anything He said. I soon discovered that “anywhere” meant the military and that “anything” meant, more specifically, the Marine Corps. I signed on for what seemed the logical “patriotic minimum” tour, but was soon to discover God’s plans were […]

The Space Between

[…]help people with their spiritual growth, as well as using the Alpha Course for discipleship, and living our lives the way the Lord wants. My second active duty station was the 2d Military Intelligence Battalion in Darmstadt, Germany. The Lord let me lead singles’ and family conferences there, which once again helped people get closer to each other and to Christ. God also opened the doors for me to preach at the Kelley and Cambrai Fritsch Kaserne Chapels. The Army sent me to Baghdad for four months, where I assisted in worship services and helped our deployed warriors in their […]

Time, Talent, Treasure: Retirees

[…]impacted for a lifetime by much-beloved OCF Bible teacher C.N. Tokatloglou (Mr. Tok), “a living example of Christ’s loving person-hood” possessing a “rare combination of great intellect and biblical wisdom with winsome humility,” said Jeff. The sharply pressed military uniforms Jeff Silliman, Joe Orosz, and Kit’s husband, Gwynn, once wore in their active duty days have hung in the back of the closet for years now. Retirement is in full swing. But in God’s economy, His call to serve Him never rescinds. It’s all about impacting future generation for Christ, and extending invitations to come along on the journey by […]

War Eagle, Iraq

[…]had just been shot outside of Ur — the very place Abraham left in obedience to follow the living God. The soldier who was shot was on a humanitarian mission — passing out soccer equipment to neighborhood children. While doing this, a sniper took aim and fired. The bullet penetrated the Kevlar helmet of the unaware soldier from the back of his head. The helmet exploded by the impact of the bullet, but the intended killing-round ricocheted through the helmet, above the soldier’s head, exiting through the front of the helmet, only grazing his scalp! The time of the shooting […]

We Know This Place Too Well

[…]all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen” (Romans 11:33-36). We know this place too well… Living in a State of Wonder When did we stop living in a state of wonder? Remember when we first got here for BCT, how we didn’t know where anything was and we were constantly surprised and we couldn’t wait for every last bite at Mitch’s? The surprises weren’t always good.  But there was mystery, excitement, apprehension, relief, joy, pain, hope, blood, sweat, and sometimes tears. Each day was definitely new. We were alive! Remember our smiles the first time we didn’t have […]

Texas – Huntsville

[…]to provide a meal and an overnight stay. Our guest accommodations include a guest room with living area and kitchenette. The guest room can accommodate 2 adults and the living area can sleep 2 adults or 2-3 children. We have 3 teenage children and 2 dogs. Our home backs up to Sam Houston National Forest and we live near Huntsville State Park, Stubblefield Lake, and Lake […]

Child Evangelism

[…]he use the term “compel” (see Luke 14:23). Do not compel children. 2. Remember that unless the Holy Spirit is speaking to the child, there will be no genuine heart experience of regeneration. Don’t get caught up in the idea that Jesus will return the day before you were going to speak to your child about salvation and that it will be too late. Look at God’s character–He is love! He is not dangling your child’s soul over hell. Wait on God’s timing. Pray with faith, believing. Be concerned, but don’t push. The Plan 1. God loves you. Recite John […]

Lead Your Child to Christ

[…]he use the term “compel” (see Luke 14:23). Do not compel children. 2. Remember that unless the Holy Spirit is speaking to the child, there will be no genuine heart experience of regeneration. Don’t get caught up in the idea that Jesus will return the day before you were going to speak to your child about salvation and that it will be too late. Look at God’s character—He is love! He is not dangling your child’s soul over hell. Wait on God’s timing. Pray with faith, believing. Be concerned, but don’t push.   The Plan: 1. God loves you. Recite […]

OCF at Garden Tomb

[…]times at OCF’s conference center in White Sulphur Springs, PA, invite OCFers travelling to the Holy Land to contact them. The Meryons oversee the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem. “Rosalind and I greatly want to greet OCFers and their churches and groups. We will endeavor to welcome every one of you to this pinnacle experience during your time in Israel.” The Meryons were on the British Naval Staff in Washington, DC, from 1985-88 and back again from1992-1995 at the NATO headquarters in Norfolk, VA. Their son, David, who was born in 1987 in Fairfax County Hospital, plans to be the U.S. […]

Question Authority

[…]feel about an injustice, or of how merciful I think God should be, I would be wise to consider the Holy Scriptures and to pattern my questions and concerns after Jesus’ response while here on earth: Pray. When Jesus was anxious, He prayed. “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death” (Mark 14:34). Desire God’s will. “Abba! Father! Everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will” (Mark 14:36). Rest confidently in Him. “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always […]

Soldiers of Faith: Washington

[…]given me assurance of salvation, upon my repentance and sincere endeavor to conform my life to His holy precepts and example. These are not the words of a deist. These are the words of a man that walked and lived to honor God. Washington had an impact upon his men immediately upon his assumption of command. He knew that his men must have the inner faith of God to sustain them in the perilous times ahead. The day after assuming command, he issued the following order: The General most earnestly requires and expects a due observance of those articles of […]

Starting an OCF Small Group Fellowship

[…]starting a group, about who to invite, what to study, where to meet, time/place, etc. Let the Holy Spirit speak before launching on your own strength. 3. Invite initial participants. Face-to-face invitations work best. Using flyers, bulletin board announcements, or e-mail works better after you have an established group going. 4. Be prepared. Take a look at the many resources available on this OCF website to help you–so take your time and look around! After the First Meeting After the first meeting you’ll have a better idea of what the group prefers/needs. Is childcare an issue? Find a creative way to […]

Time, Talent, Treasure: Academies

[…]work, and join Him there. Conduct your own Pray, Discover and Obey, and be sensitive to what the Holy Spirit shows you in the ways you should minister with the military. And then do it.  Austin: Keep your contact information updated with the OCF home office so that we can network more easily. It really helps our new officers to link up at their next post with another officer in OCF.   Why OCF? Burt: As a midshipman, when I was asking questions about who Jesus Christ was and why He was important to my life, two OCFers thought enough […]

Two Greedy Institutions

[…]in their particular roles as officer or spouse-Christians. We sensed the definite leading of the Holy Spirit as we reconvened and shared responses from the two groups. The following is a brief summary of the comments. Obviously, the lists below are not all there is to be said on the topic, but we believe they include some important insights which, to some degree, are applicable to all members of the OCF family: All officers were male except one woman who was both reserve officer and spouse. She met with the spouses. The spouse group was all female, but one USAFA […]

Undivided Heart

[…]reflect spiritual wisdom and at other times seem void of anything resembling those guided by the Holy Spirit? At the heart of these queries is the consideration of the root of one’s conscious choices (actions). Our options are to allow the “spiritual self” or the “old nature” to dictate our decisions. David asked that he would know God’s ways and walk in His truth. Is it possible to discern right judgment without knowing the truth? James 1:8 says: A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways. Surely, as Christian leaders, our desire is to show compassion with an undivided […]

What Are Parents to Do?

[…]tougher than the days. Roz would frequently wake up in the middle of the night, compelled by the Holy Spirit to pray. Also Darren would often find his only time to call us was late at night our time. We, of course, would wake up and gladly listen and talk, pray with him, say good-bye, and pray again. As time went on we had fewer restless nights as we learned to lay even more of our parents’ burden at God’s feet. Darren’s homecoming was filled with a joy beyond description, a peace that passes understanding, and the pride that only […]

What’s Your Altitude

[…]the voice warns them, they respond accordingly. Followers of Jesus Christ need to listen to the Holy Spirit’s voice when it warns us, “Altitude. Altitude.” But as Christ’s followers, this is not a warning we are getting too low. It is a warning we are getting too high! When you hear that prompting through life’s challenges, consider it a warning that you are getting too high on yourself. Your attitude right now is not like Jesus’ attitude. Lower yourself, push forward on the stick, and get yourself back to “nap of the earth” flying where Jesus Himself flew as the […]

With the Love of a Clanging Cymbal

[…]type of love in my exchange with my friend?  My conscience, no doubt under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, drew me to the first verse of that chapter, “If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal” (1 Corinthians 13:1). Clanging cymbal—that was a perfect description of my actions as I “clanged” away about a friend’s moral failure without any concern for the how or why. I had no love for him, and it was the one thing that, unfortunately, came through […]

WSS Winter Retreat #4

Hous is WSS Winter Retreat #4 speaker, and will speak on “Living the Christian Life Unbalanced.” Description: An Air War College student declared this year that there are no good New Testament role models for how to live a balanced life in the military. He said that the apostles and writers of the NT books all seems to be a bit extreme. That got me thinking about what I encourage students and permanent staff and retirees to pursue. I am usually found reminding believers to not be ashamed, to share in suffering, to endure everything for the sake of the […]

First Bible Studies

[…]is to consider and design questions regarding the application of the truths discovered to everyday living. A rough guideline for time allocation during your preparation might be: – 70% for study – 20% for formulation of questions – 10% for the application phase. In the Bible study provided, some portions will be labeled “Leader Comments,” for the portions that the leader is likely to tell the participants, and other portions will be labeled “Leader Question,” for a question the leader will ask in order to help the participants discover the information. In italics, and contained within parentheses, will be the […]

It Didn’t Surprise God

[…]way of informing our three children there is important family business to discuss. We sat on the living room floor and explained the situation as best we could to our eight-, six-, and four-year-old kids. We discussed the future, reassured them (and ourselves) of God’s goodness, answered their questions, read the Bible, and prayed several times. Zac, my six-year-old, assumed the worst and asked me straight-up if I would remarry when Mom died. I don’t remember my response, but I remember how that question captured my fears. And so began a journey of rich blessing for our family. Skipping forward […]

Keep the End in Mind

[…]his son. Looking ahead motivates us to live, work, and plan while we wait–and it is the key to living in the present with energy and hope. When Larry and I had our pre-deployment talks, we focused on coming back together. We envisioned long walks, picnic lunches with the children, standing on the beach and holding hands as we marveled at God’s handiwork, silently and verbally thanking God for our reunion. This looking ahead perspective had its practical side, too. As we purposed to begin with the end in mind, we had to decide what that looked like in pre-deployment, […]

Leadership by Example

[…]also to do so rightly as they define it. Further, the American people are going to provide their living sons and daughters for you and your noncommissioned officers to develop into Army warriors and to lead in combat on their behalf, to defend this otherwise defenseless nation. Thus, morally, your obligation, very simply stated, is to do right by and for the American people in defending their Constitution, nation and way of life. And you will do that by winning the necessary battles and returning, as best you can, the whole lives of their children to them after combat. And […]

Mortal Enemies

[…]and change me from a bitter, disillusioned ex-pilot into a well-balanced Christian with purpose in living. On that day I became a new person. My complete view on life was changed by the Christ I had always hated and ignored before. Soon friends and family learned of my decision to be a follower of Christ, and they could hardly understand it. New Life in Christ Big headlines appeared in the papers: “Pearl Harbor Hero Converts to Christianity.” Old war buddies came to visit me, trying to persuade me to discard “this crazy idea.” Others accused me of being an opportunist, […]

On The Rock

[…]firm foundation. Act on the teaching of Scripture and help others to do likewise. Model biblical living and live out your faith in front of others. Serve as a ready testimony; realizing that in and of yourself, you cannot do anything, but through Christ, all things are possible. Display faithful actions that withstand the potentially destructive effects of adversity. Continue standing firm on the rock of your […]

Predictions for 2011

[…]and good. “I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living” (Psalm 27:13). His blood will still have the power to forgive sins and justify for eternity. “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace” (Ephesians 1:7). His love for you will still be an everlasting, unfailing love. “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with lovingkindness” (Jeremiah […]

Service Separations

[…]for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them” (New Living Translation). This doesn’t mean that everything that happens to us is good! I don’t think any of us would jump for joy when the washing machine breaks down, or break into a song of thanksgiving when our child comes down with the chicken pox! We may not feel like thanking God for the irritating things that happen to us, but we can thank Him for walking alongside us no matter what may come our way and for the knowledge that His […]

Speak my language

[…]Rob’s love language of Acts of Service either. Before we met I was fairly independent already, living on my own in Washington, D.C. But once married, I made a list of things for Rob to fix or do upon his return. My thought was, “He’s the husband. He should do these things.”  Rob: But my thought when I got back home after a few weeks out at sea was, “Oh great, I’m just a handyman now.” And I’m not very handy! If she had taken care of those chores without me—even if that meant hiring a plumber or electrician—I would […]

Test Me!

[…]will choose to give us spiritual riches here on earth and/or eternal riches when we will be living with Him forever in His presence. The key issue is – what is your attitude toward your finances? Is God in charge, or are you in charge? The Bible tells us that God owns everything and that we are merely stewards of what God gives us.This includes not only our money, but also our possessions, and our time, and our health, and our career. Part of spiritual warfare is looking at all aspects of your life and seeing if God is in […]

The Heartbeat of OCF

[…]OCF Groups Caution: if the group gets too large to comfortably fit the venue (work meeting or home living rooms) the experience can become less personal and the motivation to bring in new participants diminishes.  If your group has more than twelve regular attendees each week, you should pray about dividing into two groups–if, when, and how. Knowing the importance of small, growing OCF groups to the lives of our military and their families should motivate us to overcome the temptation to let our OCF group become complacent.  The number of OCF groups at a civilian locale or a military […]

The Wounded Healer

[…]blot out my transgressions” (Psalm 51:1).  And sometimes suffering is simply the effect of living in a fallen world where evil can strike anyone. Yet none of the aspects of suffering limit God’s capacity to use pain in a redeeming fashion. Isaiah’s prophesy about the greatest Suffering Servant declares, “By His wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). Jesus’ wounds and suffering are the venue through which we have been redeemed. Believers can rejoice because through our own lives, God uses the mystery of pain and suffering through which His eternal work shines brightly. After David came face-to-face with his scarred, […]

Through A Glass Darkly

[…]good-byes as his plane disappeared into the clouds. Now it was time to get on with the business of living, at least for awhile. It reads like something out of a saga. Only I happened to be the heroine, and I surely didn’t feel like one. It was an awesome responsibility to raise two little girls alone for a year. Laura was almost three and Beki was then nine month old. Other mothers had shared with me some of the pitfalls they’d been through. Their advice was to prepare for the fact that our baby wouldn’t even know her daddy […]

Was it Failure or Success?

[…]this from a leadership perspective? Recognize that God has a master plan. Failure is a part of living. As leaders, however, we have the ability to serve as change agents–and what agents for change we can be! Having been bounced around from shop to shop, a young NCO once said to me, “At some point, someone has got to give me a chance.” Christ gives us chance after chance to demonstrate faith in His ability to make our lives productive. Christian leaders not only have a chance to help others live productive lives, but we also get to show that […]

What Works for New Officers?

[…]help. Make it fun, avoid controversial issues, and focus on simple truths for effective Christian living. Include prayer and praise. TIP: You can facilitate a study with those who are of higher rank than you. Just stay disciplined, and keep it professional (2 Tim 3:16, 17). 5. Set a GOOD EXAMPLE morally. Live in a way that is right. Treat people fairly, give respect to everyone, and listen to all ranks carefully. TIP: Improper language doesn’t cut it. What we say is what we are. Jesus talked about this in Matthew 12:34-37. Unless someone holds you accountable, you will pick […]

Whose Arm Doth Reach

[…]it first occurred to me that there were places in the ocean so dark that the creatures living there possessed their own bioluminescence as a substitute for sunlight.… We learned that there were many strange creatures in the deepest, uncharted parts of the ocean where no human had ever been. When my father brought me home a compressed styrofoam cup which had been subjected to the pressures of deep water, I began to see the ocean in the same way that I saw the moon: and I saw my dad as an astronaut…. There were a few habits my father […]

Will you embrace the Christ of Christmas?

[…]God you are sorry for your sins and that you are willing to have Him change your way of living. Ask Jesus to be your Savior and Lord. The Officers’ Christian Fellowship statement of faith serves as a simple, yet eternally profound prayer to use: Inasmuch as I am a sinner and deserve the wrath of God, and since Jesus Christ died for my sins, was buried, and has been bodily resurrected, according to the Scriptures, I have accepted Him as my personal Lord and Savior and am saved by His grace alone. Seek out other believers and a Bible-based church to help you grow […]
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