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| FCPO Newsletter and Bible Study |
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The "thin blue line" covered by the blood of Christ. |
With CHRISTmas (no "happy holidays" mess here) just a week away, I'll be brief. I can't encourage you enough to take in this week's special Christmas-themed/cop-focused Bible study: "
Mighty God."
As always, don't forget to check out the latest batch of
resources, prayer requests
and
announcements
that I've posted for you below!
Finally, and while I'll send out a message in next week's Christmas newsletter, let me take this time to wish all of you a safe and blessed CHRISTmas. If you're working, take extra care to be sure you get home safe to you're families, and yes, be sure you're "safe" as far as your eternal destination is concerned (often, those who say "I'm good" when I ask that question are anything but)!
MC and Diana Williams
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RESOURCES
(2) Friend and fellow former FCPO National Board member, Chief
Randy Brashears, has written a book that is a powerful resource for those both serving in our God-ordained profession of law enforcement and for all in general. Get your copy of
Connecting the Dots to Find Your Calling (again, another Christmas present option). Also please pray for how God will use this!
PRAYER REQUESTS/PRAISE REPORTS
(1)
Chicago PD has lost four officers in the line of duty so far this year -- including two last night. No, I don't know where they stood with Christ. Yes, that is perhaps the most important question we can ask -- while they live! Pray for their families and colleagues!
(2) Pray for all the law enforcement and military families who will spend Christmas without their loved ones (
8 in the last week alone), and ask God to help you step out in faith to share the Gospel with others. While we don't save anyone (God alone does that), the greatest Christmas gift and greatest backup we can give to the unbeliever is to share with them the
Plan of Salvation (scroll down to the end of this week's study for more on this).
(3) Here in Colorado, we will bury one of our own this Thursday. Please pray for the family and colleagues of Las Animas County Sheriff's
Sgt. Matthew Moreno who was killed in the LOD last week.
Have a prayer request or announcement you would like included here? Need prayer?
Email me
! I also post prayer requests on my Facebook page ("friend" me).
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The Centurion Law Enforcement Ministry
The Centurion Law Enforcement Ministry
is a national, FCPO-affiliated, evangelical Christian outreach to our own in law enforcement. These newsletters and Bible studies are part of this effort and past editions can be found on our
website
and our social media
(
Facebook
and
Twitter
) feeds. As always, feel free to adapt these messages for your own individual or group use and please share them with others.
The Centurion LE Ministry is lead by Police Officer and Chaplain/Evangelist Michael "MC" Williams, a 32-year (and counting) law enforcement veteran and sought-after instructor and speaker at churches [including the well-received Centurion Church Security Seminar], retreats and both law enforcement and civilian conferences and seminars around the country. Contact MC via email for more.
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Fellowship of Christian Peace Officers
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FCPO-USA exists to (1) be used of God to lead the unsaved in law enforcement to a genuine personal relationship with Christ, and (2) provide biblical support ("backup"), accountability and iron sharpens iron fellowship for Christian officers first in the U.S. and throughout the world as well. Our metro-Denver chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Peace Officers -- (aka FCPO Chapter 217) -- is a Centurion Law Enforcement Ministry affiliate.
We currently meet approximately twice a month in the south Denver-Metro suburb of Highlands Ranch for profession-focused and life-focused
Bible study, prayer and servant-warrior/sheepdog fellowship (the iron sharpens iron kind). Spouses are both welcome and encouraged to attend with their LEO. Contact me for details!
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"Mighty God"
The One whom we honor and celebrate at Christmas is indeed "
Mighty God" and the ultimate "Cop"
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon[d] his shoulder,
and his name shall be called[e]
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and of peace
there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
This prophetic passage from the
Book of Isaiah has so much for us both at Christmas and throughout the year. Moveover, there is also something very specific here for those of us who serve in the God-ordained (
Romans 13:1-4) profession of law enforcement. Let's open our Bibles and dig in!
"
Mighty God"
The Hebrew word
gibbor, meaning "strong, mighty," describes heroes like Nimrod, "
a mighty warrior...before the LORD" (
Genesis 10:8-9), and David's "
mighty warriors" in
2 Samuel 23:8. It's also a word with powerful law enforcement and military application in depicting bravery, courage, integrity and righteous action.
ALL of these qualities of
gibbor
are found in the name for God,
El Gibbor
--
Mighty God
.
Another example? Deuteronomy 10:17 says, "For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty [gibbor], and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe." (part of our Law Enforcement Code of Ethics is found right there -- pointing us to the ultimate Cop in God Himself).
Sadly, in our "PC" (not probable cause but rather "politically correct" -- an oxymoron if there ever was one) world, many, including many even in the "church" today, don't want to teach on the truth of who are Savior actually is. Here, in this prophetic and powerful passage (along with many others), God again reveals himself to us as a
mighty warrior.
Both physical and spiritual battles have raged across human history, with conflicts touching everyone who has ever lived. And the name
El Gibbor, "
Mighty God," points to the day when all of God's enemies, physical and spiritual, will be vanquished and all of creation will bow at the feet of Jesus, the "
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace" (all names for God the Son, Jesus Christ). As believers, can there be any greater comfort and confidence as we engage in the battles (hurts, pain, trials, tribulations, death, etc.) of our daily lives?
Whenever God allows us to experience circumstances we "feel" (emotion) are overwhelming us, we need to again have a "front sight focus" on Mighty God,
the author and perfecter of our faith (
Hebrews 12:1-3), so that we may not grow weary and lose heart. He is now and forever the One (and ONLY one) who is eternally "
mighty to save" (
Zephaniah 3:17) -- our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Do YOU know Him and thus have that assurance?
Later, in
Isaiah 61, the prophet again points us to the coming Savior as "Mighty God" --
The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified
(vs. 1-3).
The New Testament provides us with an opportunity to see the fullness of the "Mighty God" Isaiah predicted (taken as a whole, what we call overwhelming, irrefutable "evidence"). Sadly, there are still so many (including most of those serving in law enforcement) who continue to reject this clear evidence and, in doing so, are rejecting "Mighty God" Himself. Is that you?
Brothers and sisters, the saving power of our Mighty God -- the very hope of CHRISTmas -- is not "
universal" or automatic. While God
calls us to repentance so that "
none should perish," the nature of God's love requires a choice on our part as to who we will follow and serve (ultimately the "god" of this world -- Satan, or the Mighty God who has
overcome the world --
John 16:33). Who will you choose? With the understanding that this is the most important decision you can make, please consider the following:
(1) Again, do you still cling to the false hope that you can "earn" or otherwise "badge" your way into heaven and escape just eternal sentence in hell because you are a so-called "good" cop or "good" person? Again, take
the
Good Person Test
and see how you do.
(2) J
esus' first recorded words in His earthly ministry were and remain, "
Repent and believe in the Good News
" (
Mark 1:15
).
To
repent
is a "180" -- a complete, radical change of mind and heart as it relates our sin. To
believe
(pisteuo in the original Greek) as Jesus intends it here is to cry out to Him for your salvation and wholeheartedly
surrender to Him in faith
in the same way we have "faith" that our body armor will do its job against the rounds it is intended to stop, that our weapons will function properly when facing criminals intent on destroying us or others, or that our parachute will open when it is supposed to (we stake our very lives on it)! And the "Good News"? That is simply the Gospel of Christ!
(3) This same concept of "
believe
" (the saving kind) is further revealed in
John 3:1-21
where Jesus says, "...
you must be born again.
" Note our Lord's emphasis on the word "
must
" (not "may" or "should"): this is ultimately the
life-saving/life-changing
personal relationship (and NOT "religion") with Jesus Christ that I stress here every week (see
What does it mean to be a born again Christian
?). Folks, it is through this miraculous event that we are made "righteous" before a just and Holy God (and become part of His family).
(5) Need more? Then check out this powerful, short video message by my friend, fellow officer and noted trainer,
Travis Yates:
Cops and Salvation.
(6) Have you now said "yes" to Jesus but are wondering what to do next? Then
click on,
Now what?
Understand that the "Now what?" MUST include regular "iron sharpens iron" fellowship with other believers, including (for us cops) other mature Christian officers who can help support you, encourage you, disciple (help you grow) you in the faith and yes, hold you lovingly accountable. Message me for how you can do that!
Praying you all have a safe and blessed
CHRISTmas season!
MC
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