[…]foremost that the purposes of God be fulfilled and that glory be brought to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. For through God’s purposes and glory, we will be bound to the One who loves us, to love and worship Him for eternity. No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of […]
[…]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 death to life everlasting. Romans 10:9 (KJV) presents the Gospel succinctly: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” Years ago, returning by train from Baltimore to my duty station in Philadelphia, the spirit of God led me […]
[…]Office. Give without being high-pressured by the organization. We like to use the “What Would Jesus Do?” principle. Jesus didn’t use high pressure, and neither will we. Know that the organization is well managed. The Lord has blessed OCF with a wonderful council that sets the tone for and gives oversight to OCF. Know that there is a responsible governing board and know who those board members are. Elected from the general membership, the entire OCF Council meets twice a year. Know that all appeals for funds are truthful and accurate. The only way we can honor the Lord is […]
[…]cold at night in the middle of winter there. I’d always wondered if it were really cold when Jesus was born, being so near a desert and fairly far south. If He really were born around Christmastime as we celebrate it, yes, it would have been cold in that stable! And if the restrictive way they treat women in Saudi is anything close to the traditions of Jesus’ day, then it really did go blatantly against the culture when He honored women (such as Mary, the Samaritan at the well, and the woman who touched Him in the crowd). I […]
[…]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 hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people […]
[…]keeps no record of wrongs…. always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” Jesus summed up a life lived out in love as this: “Do to others as you would have them do to you” (Luke 6:31). And even if for no other reason, we love our spouses because Jesus tells us to. Marriage is far richer when we know how to love each other effectively! And when one spouse makes it a priority, the vast majority of the time the other spouse will follow suit. Jocelyn is an award-winning author of both fiction and nonfiction whose titles include Faith […]
[…]been going on for thousands of years, God produced the decisive person, place, action, and time: Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever. God accomplished His purpose. 2. Since that time, the enemy of our souls has been severely handicapped: his power is limited, his intelligence is limited, his time is limited, and his arrogance is unlimited. 3. We do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. Our weapons have Divine Power to demolish strongholds. 4. Satan is overcome by the Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. […]
