[…]for and a commitment to the OCF vision, purpose, and mission. (Ephesians 4:11-13, Colossians 3:23, Acts 4:13) Air Force Academy “firsties” sometimes ask: “Why should I have to attend the Basic Course at Maxwell? It just rehashes what I’ve spent four years learning.” Not true! You will build relationships that will last throughout your career, and for the last two weeks of the course, you will interact with NCOs from the Senior NCO Academy. Perhaps the right questions are: “Lord, what is it that You want to teach me while I’m at ASBC? Lord, to whom do You want me […]
[…]spiritual life? It is that which turns your focus away from the principal task of leading and distracts you with extraneous things. (A military deception plan seeks to accomplish this in the minds of the enemy commanders.) The world will set before you many other priorities. Some of them are good things in and of themselves. If they do not help you accomplish God’s purposes for you, however, they can lead you and those who follow you away from your true goal. Soon a confusion of commitments takes place, and a crisis arrives. You must set and sustain clear and […]
[…]tell us about human government? Prescriptively: (see Romans 13:1-7, Matthew 22:15-22, and Acts 5:29) Government is God ordained. Thus, anarchy is ruled out. Government rightly has a responsibility to reward good and punish evil, using force when necessary. Believers ought to obey the law, render respect to officials, and pay taxes. Government’s rightful authority is always subordinate to the authority of God, and in situations of clear conflict between the two “we must obey God rather than men.” This is about all I find prescriptive or direct in Scripture about the role of government. There are several roles implied by […]
[…]yet daily intake of God’s Word. Prayer Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication (ACTS). Also, make your prayer list realistic: split it into multiple parts and pray over one section per day. Ask God questions about your military leadership and everything on your heart; it reminds us to listen. When He answers it enables us to see His relevance in the practical aspects of our life. Journaling Capture God’s answers to prayer and His revelations of truth (Proverbs 29:18). This is how we actively listen, pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17), grow, and demonstrate to God that we can be trusted […]
[…]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 to those […]
[…]thing is getting a group started so there is a safe place where you can encourage one another to acts of love, service and Christian maturity. As commissioned officers and Christians in the Armed Forces of the USA, most every one of us can find a wingman to pray with about starting an OCF group. Once you have a meeting day/time set up, you’re ready for the next step. If the group consists mostly of peers (age/rank/job location, etc.) or specific demographics (sex/marital status/retired, etc.), you should be well attuned to needs and preferences. Check the OCF website home page […]