Christ Has Set Us Free!

By, Rollie Dunnuck

This past week at Sky Rose Ranch, CA, twenty-two Veterans came together.  While none of them knew exactly what to expect or what they would get out of the week, they all stepped out in faith and traveled from different parts of country. After a long day of travel the men were met by staff who were excited to show them exactly what the week would entail.

It was obvious to the staff that the men had doubt, anxiety, and were lost in their spiritual walk.   After an amazing dinner, the men heard a team leader bare his soul, and show these lost men the only path to resiliency was through a personal relationship with the creator of the universe, Jesus Christ.  The first night most of the men claimed that they were there because they lacked purpose, direction, focus, and faith. Overall what was heard was the echoes of the cries of men separated from a true relationship with God and the hunger that came along with it, reminding me of Matthew 5:6, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.”  

Throughout the week the Warriors were shown the strength of the Lord working in men who have submitted and follow Him. They learned how to take every thought captive and make their thoughts obedient to Christ. They learned the difference between religion and relationship. They learned how and where to cast their anxieties, through true biblical replacement therapy:

Remove – Philippians 4:6-7, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made know to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Replace – Philippians 4:8-9, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me- practice these things and the God of peace will be with you.”

They were shown some of God’s promises, like restoration, renewal, forgiveness, peace, and joy. They learned about God’s love that is without end like in Roman’s 5:8 “but God shows his love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”  And Romans 8:38-39 “For I am sure that neither death, nor life, not angles or rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us form the love of God in Christ Jesus or Lord.” Through this love, they learned their true identity: heirs in Christ renewed by His sacrifice.    

The big take-away for several of the men was relationship VS religion. They learned that the needed to talk with God: Be in Prayer and hear his response and Be in the Word.  They learned that God’s word holds the truth that many of them were missing. There is a guidebook to life, and it’s called the Bible. These men also learned to study it, meditate on it, and use it to guide their life.  They were shown first-hand the reason we have Cornermen, and that they need other Christian men to live a successful Christian life. They were also taught about being in fellowship as part of the body of Christ: Be in Church. With these 4 pillars of communication they left the week recharged and ready to lead their family as the men Christ created them to be – free from the yoke of sin and alive in Christ!  Galatians 5:1 tells us, “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.”