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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 […]

Finding certainty in an uncertain world

[…]had flooded in, leaving in its wake a myriad of swirling emotions. Such is the military life. Many of you are facing multiple layers of uncertainty and the list is endless: Where’s my next assignment? Will I make the next rank? Am I on track for the next rung of the ladder? Will my spouse find a job? What school will the kids attend? Will they find friends there? Adding to that list of uncertainties are our contemporary culture’s changes to the make-up of our military. What will the military lifestyle look like five, ten, twenty or more years down […]

Finishing Strong, in Iraq and Life

[…]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 practical concepts for us from this passage in Philippians that can lead us to God’s finish line: remember each other; pray for one another; be joyous; be a partner; be confident; and do good work. We are all called to […]

Service Separations

[…]wife, frustrated and anxious because she hasn’t heard from her husband for some time, has fired off a letter of recriminations and complaints, only to receive several letters from him the next day, which had been held up along the way. Or she discovers he hasn’t written because of illness or a work schedule that allows only a few hours of sleep a night as it is. In other words, if you don’t hear from your husband as often as you’d like, give him the benefit of the doubt! There may be a legitimate reason.   Must I Be Both […]

The Role of Faith

[…]In addition to the strength and help you draw from your personal faith, your chapel or place of worship may offer a support group for encouragement. Military chaplains experience deployment and family separation too, and know what you’re feeling. The chaplaincy was the second-most deployed career field in the Air Force in recent years. Who could be better equipped to help you through tough times? God and His representatives stand ready to meet your needs. 1 USAF Chaplain Service Institute, Link, 29. 2 Beach, “Enduring and Prospering in Your Military Calling,” 5. 3 Paap, 29. 4 Ibid, 82. 5 Beach, […]

TTP – Character

[…]19:11 commands, “Do not steal. Do not lie. Do not deceive one another.” When we fall short of God’s standard of integrity, we must acknowledge the shortcoming and correct it as best we can. We should not hesitate to ask for forgiveness. Trust is built by demonstrating character that is above reproach. To influence others, a leader must have an unwavering commitment to integrity as the foundation for character, regardless of circumstances. William J. (Joe) Shirey, (Colonel, USAF, retired), was commissioned from the Air Force Academy in 1976. He was an F-16 Squadron Commander and served in various staff assignments […]
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Mortal Enemies

[…]my objective: to surprise and cripple the American naval force in the Pacific. I gave no thought of the possibility of this attack breaking open a confrontation with the United States. I was only concerned about making a military success. “Plunge in to Attack” As we neared, I made a preliminary check of the harbor, nearby Hickam Field, and the other installations surrounding Honolulu. Viewing the entire American Pacific Fleet peacefully at anchor in the inlet below, I smiled as I ordered, “All squadrons, plunge in to attack!” The time was 7:49 a.m. Like a hurricane out of nowhere, my […]

Rescue on the High Seas

[…]reading a novel. Nonetheless, God spoke to me in my sluggishness, catching my attention with the book of Joshua, “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong […]

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 […]

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 […]

Follow Me

[…]man has constantly sought to lead others in a manner that subjugates the weak. This style of leadership often resulted in rebellion and revolt. The conquered tribes of Northern Europe revolted against the Roman Empire, Protestant Reformers rebelled against the Church of Rome, the American colonies revolted against Great Britain, and the people of France revolted against the King, all as a response to “lording leadership.” How can we, as Christian leaders, apply Christ’s lessons to our own lives? First, we should see leadership and command as opportunities to serve the people who serve our Armed Forces and the country. […]

Keep the End in Mind

[…]looked like in pre-deployment, mid-deployment, and post-deployment. This minimized the emotion of departure and separation for both of us. It exposed the frightening unknown. Practically, looking ahead meant several things. Preparing for Deployment First, we would keep life as normal as possible. Attending church, helping the children with homework, making plans for purchases–we refused to put regular things on hold. Next, we forced ourselves to talk openly about concerns, anxieties, missed celebrations, and the “what ifs.” This included talking to the children, bringing them in on the vision for what God might want to do for us–and through us–in this […]
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Spiritual Battle Plans

[…]walk with the Lord suffered. I saw that God truly made us to be relational creatures. Hence, one of the natural effects of time spent with other Christians (whether realized at the time or not) is an increased ability to withstand temptation and walk victoriously in the Christian life. Because a robust Christian support network is often not available on deployments, godly ambassadorship during these times requires intentional vision and endurance. There are also other factors that cause godly ambassadorship on deployment to be more difficult: an increased operational tempo, less sleep, irregular eating habits, more demands/stress, and less alone […]

The Wounded Healer

[…]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, miserable nature and repented, he penned marvelous words […]
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What Works for New Officers?

[…]workplace is to complain. Do your job as unto the Lord (Phil. 2:14, 4:11). 8. Decide now what kind of SPIRITUAL COMMITMENT you will require of a future mate. Will he or she have the same vision for ministry as you? After coming to know Christ, choosing a mate is the most important decision you will ever make. TIP: Trust God that He will give you the right mate. Just because you find a Christian doesn’t necessarily mean he/she will be like-minded or share the same vision for the Lord that you have (2 Cor. 6:14). 9. Watch your ENTERTAINMENT […]
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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 […]

Fervent Desire for Peace

[…]for war. God changes them into tools of peace. That is at the heart of this promise in the Book of Isaiah. “Many peoples will come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD– He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths…’ They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore” (Isaiah 2:3-4). Today the world finds itself in the midst of a global war against terrorism. The enemy’s cowardly […]

Getting Intentional in Your Marriage

[…]Forgive and ask for forgiveness. Think the best of your spouse’s motives and intentions. In the Book of Acts, we are introduced to a married couple that moved in tandem, seamlessly serving others with humility and excellence-Priscilla and Aquila. “When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately” (Acts 18:26). They worshipped, studied, encouraged others, and even taught together. How exciting that on any given day God could use them individually or together for His purposes. In essence, this couple hosted an OCF fellowship in their home […]

How Shall We Pray?

[…]by taking them as from God, and asking ourselves what reactions to them, and in them, the gospel of God requires of us; and second, by seeking God’s face specifically about them.” The Apostle Paul had a thorn in the flesh which the Lord addressed by saying, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” J. I. Packer frames our challenges in similar terms when he says, “They will have been sent us to make and keep us humble, and to give us a new opportunity of showing forth the power of Christ in […]

Letter to My Sergeant

[…]mercy through the pain and sadness. I don’t know where you are in the cycle of sin we see in the book of Judges (sin, suffering, seeking, salvation), but hopefully you noticed the witness of the Christians in your chain of command. We didn’t put you in a box. Rather, we encouraged and supported you and your family. We treated you with respect, since in America, you are innocent until found guilty. Your battery commander, who wasn’t required to attend the trial, was there all week. You need to know — it took a toll on him too. You asked […]

Operation Iraqi Freedom

[…]and pray openly from the middle of a Muslim country (Saudi Arabia). A group of us read through the book of Matthew and just discussed whatever stood out to us. It added a new perspective being this close to where all the events we were reading about happened. For example, it’s 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 […]
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Professional Excellence (Durfey)

[…]to completion. In other words, He will lead us in the way we are to go. King Solomon wrote in the book of Proverbs: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your path “(3:5-6). Trust God by acknowledging Him for who He is and following Him. The key to successful leadership is found in the person of Jesus Christ. His example of servant leadership is the model all Christian leaders should use. Ingredients that must be present for a servant leader to […]
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Speak my language

[…]marriage as any couple could be. Compatibility testing: check. Premarital mentoring: done. Stack of books on Christian marriage: read. Somehow, however, The 5 Love Languages by Dr. Gary Chapman was not on the list. We wish it had been. Though we never questioned each other’s faithfulness, between the separations and daily high-stress of Rob’s new position, we had a much harder time both showing and feeling love. The fact that I co-authored The 5 Love Languages Military Edition book with Dr. Chapman doesn’t mean I’ve always known how to express love effectively. Here are two things Rob and I wish […]

Starting an OCF Small Group Fellowship

[…]workplace, maybe a “brown bag” study during the lunch hour will help. Most often, studying a 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 […]

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 Chaplaincy

[…]them about the God who died for them. I think of our work much like the ministry of Phillip in the book of Acts. He was called to leave the comfort zone of fruitful ministry in Samaria. The Angel of the Lord told him, “Take a walk on a deserted dusty road” (my paraphrase). Phillip obeys the angel’s voice and he is vectored to an Ethiopian government official ready to hear the words of salvation. In much the same way, as chaplains walk among the tents, eat in the chow halls, and ride in the convoys, the Lord vectors them […]

Through A Glass Darkly

[…]they learn at this age, but later when they get older they’ll get to know him. As a result of this thinking, many of God’s delightful toddlers begin their framework of life without the security and knowledge of a God who’s bigger than any thunderstorm or imagined monster in a closet. Parents wait until they’re older, but no one is really sure when that time is. Suddenly they find out that when Jason or Jessie is older, he’s far too cool to be interested in our Father. As mothers and dads, we have a wonderful opportunity to begin introducing our […]

War on Spiritual Terrorism

[…]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 Lines, Charles Kraft states “as we Christians serve our Lord and Master in this world, we are living and working behind enemy lines.” In 1 John 5:19, we are assured that we are under God’s protection, but reminded too, “…that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.” The Bible’s message is clear–we operate in an environment of spiritual terrorism. As military leaders we must recognize and commit ourselves to train and […]

What Are You Reading?

[…]to me is the topic of leadership. I have an entire bookshelf devoted to the subject. Many of the books are dog-eared, highlighted, and well worn from frequent review. All have influenced my understanding and practice of the art and science of leadership. In more recent years I have become increasingly interested in the topic of Christian servant leadership. I believe there are at least three reasons why few servant leaders exist. First, most leaders do not spend sufficient time studying leadership — and many still subscribe to the concept of being born as a leader (or not). Second, servant […]
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What is Required of Me?

[…]do not require checking our own faith in Christ at the door. We live our faith through the profession of arms in a way that allows others to see Jesus through us: through our love, integrity, honor, courage in the face of danger, and our moral behavior. Jesus said, “Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl…. Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:15-16). Respect for others. Developing healthy relationships with non-Christian friends and associates and accepting them where they are in […]

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View our email archives

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Our Address

OCF logo
OCF Home Office
4050 Lee Vance Drive, Suite 330
Colorado Springs, CO 80918
Phone: 303-761-1984

OCF is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Our CFC number is 10531. OCF is also a member of these organizations:

Copyright © 2000-2023 Officers’ Christian Fellowship. All Rights Reserved.

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