[…]he had to learn to be a leader in God’s kingdom. An accurate view of authority and service JOHN 13:3-4. Before Jesus washed the disciples’ feet, He was fully aware of His authority and position in the kingdom. John takes pains to remind us that Jesus viewed His exalted position accurately. The magnificence of His act of service comes from the fact that He did not seek His own glory, but entrusted that to the Father. Instead, He used His authority and power to serve others. Submission to Christ’s authority JOHN 13:8-9. One way Christ taught His followers to be […]
[…]right arm while shattering his left foot. Fifteen major surgeries and countless minor ones later, John has gone from “being unable to walk and even care for myself to going hiking and climbing in Colorado.” “John has pushed himself through pain and agony that I have never experienced, “said Joe. “Seeing him do things such as rappelling, rock climbing and backpacking during this time of his healing motivated me to give up sniveling and to persevere.” For Jeff Silliman, the personal joy of sharing with his mother “the impact of OCF’s ministry on our lives and also meet Mr. Tok” […]
[…]church as having subordinate units too. Some Christians may want to identify with Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Wesley, T.D. Jakes, Rick Warren, or others. Those subordinate leaders should never get the fierce loyalty and following that belongs only to Jesus Christ. Therefore, their adherents should always see unity in the church as a primary goal over their own distinctiveness. Jesus prayed that we would all be one (John 17:21). One critical way believers live in unity is to pray for our leaders. In 1 Timothy 2:1-2 the apostle Paul exhorts us to pray for those in authority over us. […]
[…]and to let their lights “shine before men” (Matt. 5:13-16). However, John cautions us in 1 John 2:15 to, “…not love the world or the things in the world.” John goes on to describe more specifically those things he is referring to. “…the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life” (1 John 2:16 NASB). Avoid these areas; but don’t isolate yourself so that you are no earthly good. Those under your command need to see your light. Don’t get trapped in the office. We lead people, not things. Do what is right […]
[…]what I saw and that was the realness for Jesus Christ.” I knew at the time I contacted John that he was heading up a group of men at Fort Hood who were preparing to host a Central Texas-wide Christian Men’s Conference. They had planned it for 11 months and briefed the concept to the Garrison Commander, receiving his approval to proceed. When I re-established contact in April of 2002, John and his group had just completed the conference, whose guest speakers included author Stu Weber and pro-football great, Hershel Walker. His note to me: “…we just had a wonderful, […]
[…]a varied mix: second lieutenants, a retired Air Force general, medical professionals, and Rangers. John is at a chapel service that is just wrapping up, as part of a joint OCF-Valor ministry to the Army ROTC cadets attending Warrior Forge for field training. The voluntary chapel services are the only outreach opportunity available to the cadets, who train with no days off. The last of the sixty cadets at the 2100 service are beginning to filter out, but several of them linger behind to talk. The topic of Christians and killing often tops the list, with cadets seeking answers to […]
[…]going to have faith like a child.6 I’m going to be a Superman for Christ. 1 John 3:16, John 20:29 2 John 10:10 3 Michael Yaconelli, Dangerous Wonder: The Adventure of Childlike Faith, (Colorado Springs: NavPress, 2003), 58 4 2 Timothy 2:13 5 1 John 4:16 6 Mathew 18:4 Jim Freeze is a First Class Cadet at the United States Military Academy (USMA ’05) and the Cadet-In-Charge of OCF at West Point this year. He wrote this devotion to all of OCF at the beginning of the school year to encourage his fellow cadets to fall in […]