The Centurion Law Enforcement Ministry Newsletter
&
Bible Study
|
Greetings, fellow officers,
sheepdogs,
warriors and supporters!
First, thanks for your patience in getting out this this latest edition: I took a week off (a much-needed break) to celebrate our anniversary with my bride. That being said, this week's profession focused Bible study strikes a biblical blow for victory on the very real "
War on Cops
" -- scroll down for THE
battle plan for victory
.
Miss the previous edition? Here again is "
Servant Leadership
." As always, I re-post past editions on my social media feeds (buttons below) and on our
website
as well.
Once again, please take the time to review the new resources, prayer requests and upcoming events I've posted for you here below.
MC
_____________________
RESOURCES
The issue of police suicide continues to vex us (and yes, the "War on Cops" contributes to it). Here are two additional OUTSTANDING, faith-based resources to help us in "the battle":
PRAYER REQUESTS
(1) Pray for those impacted by the tornadoes in Alabama -- including of course many First Responders.
(2) Pray for Jim Bontrager, Kevin Bernard and I (and the team as a whole) as we prepare and plan for our
2019 Police Week Outreach
in DC. The need is so great, and the time so short!
(3) Ask God to comfort those left behind in the wake of police suicide, and to pour out His Spirit on those considering taking their own lives.
*Have a prayer request or announcement you would like included here? Need help/prayer?
Email me
!
I also post prayer requests on
my personal Facebook page
("friend" and message me).
UPCOMING EVENTS
(2) Time to start getting the word out about the
2019 Breaching the Barricade/Officer Appreciation Day
events (October 18-19 in northern Indiana). Incredible training for cops and a "bucket list" event for officers and their families. Mark your calendars and plan on joining us in Indiana in October, and pray for
Jim Bontrager
and his team...the effort is massive and the challenges overwhelming ("but God").
(4) The
Sheepdog Training Seminars
led by my friends
Lt. Col. Dave Grossman
, retired Officer
Jimmy Meeks
and
Carl Chinn
carry my highest recommendation.
|
|
Winning the War on Cops
We're at war, but God has THE battle plan for ultimate victory.
|
In her groundbreaking book,
The War on Cops,
Heather Mac Donald lays out the truth (FACTS) that throw a giant air tanker load of water on those seeking to attack and even destroy our God-ordained (
Romans 13:1-4
) profession (and what is essentially a terrorist attack on those of us who comprise the "thin blue line" between order and chaos). Yes, there is a "War on Cops" that is based on lies, misinformation and frankly, lawlessness in general. That being said, this is not a war that can be won using facts, truth, "reform" or what passes for "community oriented policing." On the contrary, the war we're fighting is ultimately a spiritual one being led by an incredibly crafty, wicked and dangerous enemy. Praise God, there is incredible "good news" and hope (ultimately, the ONLY hope) for us!
First off, let's understand the nature of the warfare we're facing. Our common enemy does not care about truth, facts or reform "programs." On the contrary, our enemy -- the devil -- sows the seeds of warfare through deception, lies, hate and fear for which there is -- in the end -- only one lasting solution. His name is Jesus Christ (the greatest "cop" in history). Do you know Him? Have you embraced His sure "battle plan" for victory?
Can it really be that simple? Am I actually blaming our woes on "the devil?" God repeatedly addresses this issue in His Word, the Bible. Moreover, famed theologian and author, C.S. Lewis, addressed this issue in his acclaimed work,
The Screwtape Letters
in which he reveals how Satan assigns evil spirits to attack us with doubt, deception and discord with the goal of separating us from God (what can be rightly called a "war").
Scoffers -- even scoffers serving in law enforcement and the military -- demand, "Show me the evidence!" Folks, as my friend and fellow police detective and author
J. Warner Wallace
(along with
Lee Strobel
,
Ken Ham
and others) has clearly proved with overwhelming EVIDENCE, the Bible is true and without error.
So with this foundation in place, what is our
battle plan for victory
both in the "War on Cops" and for life in general?
First, we must embrace the FACT that we have a
sin problem
and that this problem does not just lie with those who oppose us. God reveals to us in His Word that all descendants of Adam and Eve are born with sin (ultimately anything that breaks God's law) in their hearts. He tells us in
Romans 5:19
, "
As through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners
." Clearly, we can't start winning "the war" until we deal with our own sin problem (ultimately, eternal separation from God in a very real "prison" called hell from which there is no escape -- see
Romans 6:23
).
Secondly, part of dealing with our sin problem is allowing God to redeem and change us -- cops and civilians alike -- before we can effectively have victory over the leader of those who stand in opposition to us (Satan -- the devil). I share how that takes place in the closing points of every Centurion Bible study, to wit, that we must first be radically "born again" in Christ -- a "CHRISTian" as God alone gets to define it) before we can truly be used of God.
1 John 5:4-5
reveals, "
For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
Thirdly, as genuine Christian officers (and Christians in general) serving under the ultimate "cop" in
Christ our Captain
, God has given us a strategic and tactical "battle plan" for ultimate spiritual victory against both the devil and all who align themselves with him (all enemies, both within and without our profession). While
whole books
have been written on the topic of spiritual warfare, consider the following based on the "Armor of God" in
Ephesians 6:10-18
:
RECOGNIZE & REPLACE DESTRUCTIVE THOUGHTS
"
Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth
" (
Ephesians 6:14
)
Satan tries to lure (tempt) us into disobedience and sin through destructive mind games. Examine your thoughts and ask if what you're thinking/believing is true (if your "feelings" don't line up with the Word of God, they are NOT from God). Does it motivate you to trust God? If not, secure any deceptive thoughts with the "
belt of truth
" (akin to an officer's duty belt). Refuse, in the power the Holy Spirit, to allow wrong thoughts to linger and instead replace them with the thoughts God reveals to us through prayer and the study of His Word.
DO THE RIGHT THING!
"...
put on the breastplate righteousness
"
(
Ephesians 6:14
)
Just as our police and military body armor is designed to protect our heart and vital organs, we must likewise protect our spiritual hearts with the body armor of God's righteousness. Replace harmful and sinful habits that create an opening for the enemy with daily disciplines of prayer and Bible study, along with regular
iron sharpens iron
(
Proverbs 27:17
) fellowship and accountability with other believers (why we come together for at our FCPO chapter meetings, small group Bible studies, etc.).
MAKE GOD'S BUSINESS YOUR BUSINESS
"...
as shoes for your feet, put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace
" (
Ephesians 6:15
)
What are the shoes (duty boots) Paul refers to here? The Roman "peace officers" of Jesus' and Paul's day wore special sandals with
metal studs
(essentially nails) on the soles so that when they went into battle -- often in their tank-like
tortoise formation
-- they would be able to stand their ground against almost any attacking force (imagine competing in a life or death tug-of-war contest wearing flat-soled shoes on a wet, grassy field against powerful, highly-trained opponents wearing cleats). With this in mind, what Paul is teaching here is not just our mandate to share the Gospel (the "Good News"), but that doing so also keeps our focus on God instead of Satan's schemes and attacks. Make enlarging God's Kingdom your business every day, including seeking ways to live out and share your faith even with your human enemies (a spiritual picture of Sun Tzu's famous quote, "
supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance
without fighting
").
MOVE FORWARD (advance) DESPITE YOUR PAST FAILINGS
"
Hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil
" (
Ephesians 6:16
)
With the understanding that the devil will seek to use our past failings and "BC" (before Christ) sin against us, the adage "the best defense is a good offense" is most applicable here. Advance! Keep moving forward with the shield of faith instead of retreating in fear in much the same way we don't (or shouldn't) retreat in combat or in law enforcement (I've never lead or participated in a SWAT raid in which we retreated). When you trust that God will do what He has promised to do, your Holy Spirit-powered faith will extinguish Satan's fiery darts of doubt and fear.
REMEMBER YOUR POWER TO WIN
"...
and put on the helmet of salvation
..." (
Ephesians 6:17
)
One of most effective ways that Satan attacks us is by planting doubts about whether or not we are truly saved. Accordingly, God gives us His "
helmet of salvation
" to protect our thoughts from what would otherwise be mortal blows from our common enemy. When we have truly repented of our sins and have been born again in Christ, we can be assured that there is NOTHING the enemy can do to take our salvation from us.
TRAIN TO FIGHT (and then FIGHT TO WIN)
"
Take the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God
" (
Ephesians 6:17
)
God has given us an offensive weapon to cut through the thick fog of Satan's deceptions and attacks (a spiritual "
fog of war
"). Wield the sword of the Spirit by studying (aka, "training") the Bible on a daily basis and committing Scripture to memory in the same way we train and develop muscle memory with our firearms (the modern day sword --
Romans 13:4
). The ability to wield God's Word skillfully is essential for spiritual victory. Example? Jesus Himself wielded the sword of His Word against Satan in
Luke 4:1-13
. Again, TRAIN with your sword and get in the fight!
ENLIST GOD'S HELP THROUGH PRAYER
"...
praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication
"
(
Ephesians 6:18
)
Prayer is perhaps our most effective technique for victory in the "War on Cops" and for life in general. Prayer is simply talking to God and bringing out needs and problems to Him. Ultimately, it is God who
fights our battles for us
(
Exodus 4:14
).
LOVE YOUR ENEMIES
Finally, God calls us to LOVE those who hate and despise us (not the devil mind you, but those human beings he is influencing). Does that mean we have to let up on officer safety and simply allow lawlessness to go unchecked? Absolutely NOT!
Romans 13:1-4
-- our mandate to be "
ministers for good
" (the law abiding) and a "
terror against evil
" (those intent on lawlessness) -- still stands. But when we allow God to radically change our hearts and empower us to truly love what the world says we should hate, He will begin an amazing work! (see
Loving Our Enemies?
)
Now then, with this battle plan in hand, imagine if you will the impact we can have in our families, agencies, communities and even our nation if we are policing, serving, loving and living God's way behind Christ our Captain. Yes, the war is raging, but, praise God Almighty, we know Who wins (and that, my friends, is "good news" indeed)!
In closing, it is vital you understand that we are powerless against the "general" (the enemy) in the "War on Cops" if we don't truly have a saving faith in the One who will ultimately defeat the devil and all our enemies. Do you know Him? Are you sure? If not, scroll down to the following points:
(1) Still think you can "earn" or otherwise "badge" your way into heaven and escape hell (a just and unending "death sentence" for your wickedness -- aka "sin") because you are a so-called "good" cop or "good" person? Take the
Good Person Test
and see how you do!
(2) Jesus' 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 (wickedness as God defines it). To believe (
pisteuo
in the original Greek) as Jesus intends it here is to cry out to Him for your salvation and wholeheartedly
surrender
your life 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 a well-maintained weapon will function properly when used against criminals intent on destroying us or others, or that a parachute will open when it is supposed to (we stake our very lives on it)! And the "Good News"? It is simply
the gospel of Jesus 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
." 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
? [hint -- there is no other kind]). Folks, it is only through this miraculous event that we can be made "righteous" before a just and Holy God and thus 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!
MC
|
|
ABOUT US
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 feeds. Our focus is (1) to be used of God to lead the lost in our profession to a saving faith in Christ; and (2) to disciple the Christian officer, support police marriages amd impact (reduce) police suicides and PTSD with the Cure found in Jesus. As always, feel free to adapt these messages for your own individual or group use and please share them with others. We covet both your prayers and your
financial support
at the Lord leads.
The
Fellowship of Christian Peace Officers
(FCPO-USA)
exists to 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 FCPO chapter -- aka
FCPO Chapter 217
-- is a
Centurion Law Enforcement Ministry
affiliate. Locally, we 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!
You can also give to our ministry by designating "
FCPO Chapter 217
" on the
FCPO donation page
.
The Centurion Law Enforcement Ministry and FCPO-Denver (Chapter 217) are led by Police Officer, Chaplain and Evangelist
Michael "MC" Williams
, an active (32-years and counting) sworn police officer/detective and sought-after instructor and speaker at churches (including the popular
Centurion Church Security Seminar
) retreats and both police and civilian training conferences and seminars around the country. Contact MC via
email
for details on how to book him for your event.
|
|
See what's happening on our social sites:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
