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The Line Officer and the Chaplain

[…]development classes and counseling sessions, in front-line combat, or in the day-to-day routines of office work — non-believers and Christians work together with the common goal of contributing to the security of our nation. The close relationships that grow out of these situations may offer opportunities for Christians to share spiritual truth. Many times they have been used by the Holy Spirit to draw people to Christ. Nonbelievers think of the chaplain as one who is “paid to talk about Christ.” They usually don’t perceive the Christian line officer as a “professional” Christian. For this reason, your testimony about God’s […]

Professional Perspectives for Senior Officers

[…]on the basis of principle, not by a fixed formula. So it is with God’s instruction. Application of principles, given the pressures, complexities and responsibilities of senior leadership, requires prayerful reflection and petition for godly insight. Leaders exist to serve others 2 TIMOTHY 2:10. The purpose of senior military leadership is to accomplish assigned missions by making subordinates successful, without seeking self-aggrandizement. The purpose of spiritual leadership is for “the sake of the elect, that they may obtain salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.” The true value of professional and spiritual leadership will be judged by its […]
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Members: Cast your vote now for OCF Council

[…]in the military. We need godly officers to pray, follow the Lord above all else, and be the best professional officers there are.  Nominated by: CAPT Bob Durfey, USCG (Ret.); Maj Jim Groves, USAF (Ret.); CAPT Gerald Hale, USCG; LT Andy Halvorson, USCG; 3/C Joshua Payne, USCG; CDR Vic Primeaux, USCG (Ret.); CDR Hank Teuton, USCG (Ret.)   Lt Col Amanda Birch, USAFR Education: USAFA, BS Mech Eng, Eng Science, 1996; MIT, MS Mech Eng, 1998; Air University, MS Mil Oper Art & Science, 2008 Present assignment: Commander (IMA), 4th Civil Eng Squadron, Seymour Johnson AFB, NC Ministry involvement: OCF […]

Unity of Command

[…]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 the line at each echelon for […]

I Only See Green

[…]military we’re spoiled by being able to worship with all races in our local post chapels. Too often when we look off the post in the local community we don’t see the same thing. We need to show the world how wonderful and color blind the grace of God really is. Racism is not a new problem; it has been in the world as long as there have been races. Within the faith, though, there was a time when racism vanished. “For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing […]

Two Greedy Institutions

[…]part of it. We need [especially from our spouse] recognition of the sacrifices we make as spouses of an officer-Christian. Examples: The cost to us of separations, temporary single parenting, sharing of the officer with his/her soldiers, the stress on the officer and its impact on the home, etc. The possibility that we might have to limit our career, education, or interests to fill our role as a military spouse. Recognizing that the officer’s service is a God-given calling and demands much of him/her, it is critical to the spouse that the officer at the same time show the spouse […]

Time, Talent, Treasure: ROTC

[…]we tried to demonstrate and teach as parents.  Enos: It has been a blessing to be a part of a community of believers in the military, able to connect graduating cadets with specific individuals or fellowships at their first duty station.  This foundation is a great launching place for new officers as they catch a vision of how God wants to use them throughout their military career and their lives. […]

With the Love of a Clanging Cymbal

[…]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 loud and clear. I wanted to show I was morally superior—I knew right from wrong while […]

What’s Your Altitude

[…]“nap of the earth,” we will model the attitude of Jesus. Ultimately the altitude and attitude of Jesus is one of our greatest quality of life steps. When we see ourselves as servants with no rights or privileges, dependent completely on our Heavenly Father we are postured to deal with the headaches, heartaches and unfairness of life in the best way possible. When you feel tempted to demand your rights or exert your will, lower yourself to Jesus’ level. Say to yourself, “I don’t deserve anything. Any good thing I receive I get by grace.” We belong to God and […]

Waging Another War

[…]purity is straightforward, “But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity”(Ephesians 5:3). Once the books arrived, via donations from my church, I began a weekly study at the FOB chapel. With only about three months left in theater, I wanted to help the soldiers prepare to be able to meet their wives with pure hearts. We discussed the previous week’s reading assignment and corresponding questions from the book’s study guide. Four other Every Man’s Battle study groups also started up at nearby Patrol Bases (PBs). This was the first […]

How Should a Christian Live?

[…]time, it’s probably because you’re not paying attention! If there is any poverty in the discipline of philosophy, it is in taking a purely intellectual approach to the subject, which never demands a personal commitment to any worldview. A variation of this poverty is to act the chameleon, being both double-minded and having a double set of ethics, depending on the situation. Questioning is not bad, it’s essential. Without reason, we have no legitimate basis for faith, let alone any claim that one system of beliefs is any better than another; all talk of God or religion would be senseless […]

Six Generations: 2

[…]He was at peace with the task that was before him. The three of us talked about the role of the Word of God in our lives and ended up having a very meaningful prayer time together.” Paul also remembered a Scripture verse that Jon sent him in a letter from Vietnam in which Jon shared what became Jon and Gail’s favorite verse–Romans chapter 8, verse 28: And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to those who are called according to His purpose (the verse on the plaque at Fort Shine). “I […]

Some Thoughts for Christians

[…]commander given the luxury of choosing a battalion commander. You have a choice between a secular officer of good character whom you know to be a top-notch leader, or a brother-in-Christ who is a good man and a hard worker, but just isn’t the natural leader the other man is. Which one would you select? In choosing leaders for the church, their beliefs and quality of Christian walk ought to be our first criteria. But in selecting leaders for our secular society they ought to be a factor we consider, but not the only factor. Finally, let us consider how […]

Finding certainty in an uncertain world

[…]answered the ringing phone awakening us at 0430 while on vacation years ago. On the other end of the line my vice wing commander quickly informs me to tear up the PCS orders I’ve had since March, orders that would have kept the Warner family in Colorado for another year. Now wide-awake, Lori and our two daughters are hanging on every single word of the one-way conversation they’re hearing. We’re to be at our new duty station in thirty days.   The impact of sudden change was overwhelming. Lori had to inform her school she wouldn’t be returning in the […]

The Five Myths of Mortgaged Rental Property

[…]maintenance. If you let repairs accumulate, they will come due when you can least afford them.  Bottom line: Unless you’re able to account for these losses over time, you could cumulatively lose thousands of dollars.  MYTH #3: I should not pay any extra on my mortgage because I will make more in the market Would you rather have a paid off rental property earning you $1000 a month or unpredictable mutual funds? Many people assume that by investing in the market, their investments will increase the historical average of 11 percent a year—which is far from the case in today’s […]

God, are you with me?

[…]whose tip pointed to a collection of words—one word on one line and two words on the following line. The rest of the respective sentences had been torn away, leaving the mystery of deciphering what else had been written. But, at this moment, his mind raced back—back to that moment his fists struck the cold locker door. He could hear the echo of the words he had cried out… “God, are you with me?!” He looked to the tattered letter more carefully and there, at the tip of the arrow, the answer appeared. A wedge-shaped ray of hope piercing the […]

Operation Iraqi Freedom

[…]supported them the best way we could–in prayer. It really meant a lot to me to see the picture of a group of people–arms around each other–gathered in prayer. God really is everywhere. How amazing to meet in a chapel on a multinational base in Saudi Arabia to celebrate Easter, play Australian songs in a praise band led by a Scotsman, hear the sermon from an American while sitting next to a Brit, and write about it from Japan to friends in Colorado. It was the beginning of some lasting friendships within the body of Christ, and that is why […]

TTP – Platoon Leader

[…]How do you share the Gospel with your platoon without crossing some EO line or offending someone? How do you stand up for Christ without standing on someone’s foot? It is such a fine line to walk. I started with the language issue. I simply made it clear that foul language and coarse joking were unacceptable around me. Folks still slip up, but they know to watch how they speak to others. Then I focused on being a servant leader and letting my feet do the talking. I don’t waste my soldiers’ time. I pay attention to their problems. I […]

It Didn’t Surprise God

[…]that he could see no remnants of cancer. Glory to God! I skip forward because I prefer the BLUF (bottom-line up front) over suspense. But skipping forward neglects the many blessings we experienced as we walked the road of cancer treatment. Along the way, God gave us abundant life. The earliest available date to remove Heather’s thyroid allowed us to go ahead with the ski trip to Canada we had planned. It was great! God allowed us to put our fears aside and fully enjoy our children’s first ski trip. Soon, the doctors removed both sides of Heather’s thyroid. The […]

Professional Excellence (Durfey)

[…]leaders must remember to acknowledge the Lord in all their tasks and decisions. The bottom line is that we want to go in the right direction-or better yet, follow the Lord as He leads us. The more we get to know the Lord, the more we know He is always right. We also learn over time that He is always good and He always has our best in mind. With that knowledge, we learn to trust Him as we go through our personal trials and hardships. Trusting in the Lord is another key ingredient in a leader. Trust brings stability […]

Christian Leadership for the Junior Officer

[…]the Battalion XO of my mistake, I immediately informed my Battalion Commander (now a General Officer) of my error and my plan to fix the problem. In return for a few minutes of discomfort, I gained the trust of my Commander–and I determined not to mess up again. I cannot guarantee that following these simple principles will bring you career success. But following them will allow you to serve effectively while preserving your good name. Who knows, maybe your good name will open doors for you to share your faith from time to time (I Peter […]

Speak my language

[…]happier for him to spend time with friends. I confess, I didn’t recognize 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 […]

Stretchmark Sorority

[…] categories. Only the former receives prompt medical attention. And there are principles of good nutrition. If you drink all of your milk, it will make your hair curly (or straight, depending on which style you don’t have but want very badly). Cleaning your plate somehow keeps a starving child in a distant country from going to bed hungry that night (think of the starving Martians and eat your spinach!). Developing strange dietary habits throughout the years, moms hide in bathrooms to eat chocolate, and they test out special “treats” on Mother’s Day. I remember the year our girls decided […]

Do you have a PCS sponsor—to heaven?

[…]history—and ultimately to Almighty God.   Bill served thirty years active duty as a Navy line officer and then as a chaplain at Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard commands, including combat. He led many to Christ and was with others PCSing to their ultimate homecoming. Now serving at a Florida retirement community chapel, Bill and his wife have two sons and five […]

Finishing Strong, in Iraq and Life

[…]this Scripture passage: “I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:3-6). Whether a military mission or in life itself, who doesn’t want to finish strong? Like the Iraqis, we have choices to make to ensure we finish our race with strength and dignity. There are some […]

Leadership Q&A

[…]be the best possible. The quality of your work and expertise should be so good that it provides proof of your faith. To put it plainly, your credibility as a Christian is on the line if you are a substandard officer. Take pride in your work, walk your talk, and thereby bring glory to God. Q: What are the must-have tools you suggest for keeping sharp as a military officer and as a Christian? A: Every Christian officer needs a friend in the faith to hold him/her accountable, hear confession, offer prayer cover, and encourage us through the struggle. Even […]

Let His Light Shine!

[…]nothing had slipped through to do damage, steal information, or render you useless. The last line of defense was the user who employed a password or other measures to encrypt and protect their information.  In the spiritual 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 […]

Reality Check

[…]in community with others, but does our agenda cloud our thinking? The desire of the children of Israel, returning home after seventy years of exile, was to see the temple rebuilt. As far as Israel was concerned, restoration of the temple was job one-a goal which the governmental heads and the spiritual leadership were willing to cooperate to achieve. Despite man’s best intentions and even focused passion, we are reminded that God has a divine perspective: not by might, nor by power, but by His power. So where do we, in our leadership zeal, draw the line when it comes […]

Reignited Service

[…]you. What other lessons can we draw from Paul’s comments to Timothy? God has entrusted each of us with a treasured, indwelling gift (verse 14) Sometimes we need the help of another to reignite our gift (verse 6) Though we may have backed away from what God called us to, He is always willing to reenlist us in His service. He wants us to keep our faith on the line (verse 8) From what fear do you need to be delivered? Rescue is yours for the asking! Trust Him to reignite your gift in faithful service to Him.   Copyrighted […]

Six Generations: 1

[…] harder right” over the easier wrong. Attracting attention to himself to take the “heat” off of his fellow classmate was certainly a choice he made that was risky and much harder than choosing to remain silent–smug in his self-confidence and ability to memorize all required Plebe knowledge–and watch his classmate suffer at the hands of upperclassmen. Time and again, as a new cadet, as an upperclassman, as a new Army lieutenant, and as a combat platoon leader in Vietnam, Jon would choose the harder right–even during the last hours of his life. Love for God, love for his fellow […]

Six Generations: 3

[…]article please use the following copyright notice: “Downloaded and reprinted by permission of Officers’ Christian Fellowship of the USA, Englewood, Colorado. Authored by Colonel Barry Willey, USA (Ret.). All rights reserved.” Copyright Information 2004 Colonel Barry Willey, USA (Ret.), by special arrangement with Officers’ Christian Fellowship of the USA. No portion of this article may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any way–electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or other–except for brief quotations in printed review, without prior permission of the publisher. Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible: New International Version. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International […]

Starting an OCF Small Group Fellowship

[…]book of the Bible works best. You can quickly learn (as a group) how to conduct an inductive study of one of the books of the Bible. Start with an easy one that is not too theologically challenging or too long-like one of the Gospels. Sometimes there is a topic of immediate interest that warrants searching the Scriptures to see what the Bible says. Here are some other potentially helpful resources. Once Established 1. Connect. Let the OCF Home Office (303-761-1984) know you have a new group started. 2. Continuity. Train your wingman or someone else to take over when […]

The Jungles of War

[…]as I might, I couldn’t make sense of my calling, my feelings, my day-to-day actions as a front line infantry officer. In June of 1966 this came to a head as we were briefed on an upcoming operation that threatened a large number of casualties on both sides. I went to the Lord the night before we were to land on top of a North Vietnamese Army (NVA) regiment. I insisted before the Lord that I had to know what to pray for regarding the enemy. I had no problem praying for my men, for myself and for others on […]

Therefore We Will Not Fear

[…]the many dangerous assignments which were to be his. I heard later that Russell was the means of leading at least three of his buddies to the Lord. He was killed in the Gothic Linc in North Italy, and as a result of his last moments, when he exhibited great heroism and Christian faith, two men accepted Jesus as Saviour. I was glad for the witness in that blacked-out house, the promise to God in the crowded […]

War on Spiritual Terrorism

[…]We are engaged now in a global war against this form of terrorism. This is a new application of an ancient form of warfare devised by our adversaries to counter our greater conventional strength. Many of us will be directly involved in training, equipping, employing, planning, and leading soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines to fight this new adversary. But in order to “win” in this protracted conflict, we must recognize that there really is a fight between good and evil. Irregular warfare has been raging since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden. In his book Behind Enemy […]

We Know This Place Too Well

by CDT Peter Dyrud, USAFA “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! ‘Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor? Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?’ For from him and through him and to him are 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 […]

Superhero’s Faith

[…]else was doing, thinking it would take me somewhere. Now, I look back, and I long for that life of fun, of adventure, of true faith. I realize that in my attempt to recreate the “exciting life” that I had forgotten, I entered a life of drinking, status, and popularity, but it was actually making me more miserable. I would constantly return to that Clark Kent-like person, a lame, robotic person of whom I wasn’t really fond. I was never fulfilled-I needed to go to party after party and pump myself up by acting cool and buying cool things to […]

The View from the Top

[…]was out-of-this-world, and the fresh water in our faces was invigorating. We got a great view of the Royal Gorge — from the bottom looking up. My RMH adventure was fun, exciting, and took place in stunningly beautiful scenery. But much more than that, it was a close-up encounter with God and a great time with fellow Christians. I met God on the mountaintop. Will you? There is room for you at one of the RMH weeks this summer — including the first-ever RMH for couples! Find more information about dates, programs, and scholarships or tap into the RMH blog […]
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