The Centurion Law Enforcement Ministry Newsletter
&
Bible Study
|
Fellow officers,
sheepdogs,
warriors, sp
ouses, supporters and
ALL:
As I shared in last week's newsletter, we are living in some very challenging times -- the likes of which we've not seen in our lifetimes. As such, please know that I'm here for you all if you need prayer or related "backup."
Also in keeping with what we're all dealing with, I can't encourage you enough to take in the Bible study/devotion I've shared for you below:
A Code 3 Sense of Urgency.
Here's the
April FCPO Dispatch
(the official newsletter of the Fellowship of Christian Peace Officers).
Let's stay safe on the street (as best we can) but radically bold in Christ! Take good care of yourselves and your families!
MC
_____________________
RESOURCES
A little different this week in that most of the resources are posted with the Bible study below.
That said, and as a follow-up to my frequent studies showing God's clear position that
"blessed are the peacemakers"
(Matthew 5:9)
is
NOT
about cops unless it just happens to be a Christian officer who is sharing the hope and peace found only in genuine, personal relationship with Christ -- the King of Peace, check out,
Stop Calling Cops "the Peacekeepers."
PRAYER REQUESTS
Again, where to start!? Praise God, our call is to just pray and then pray some more.
(1) Pray for our nation's leaders -- and our President and Vice President (Mike Pence is a rock solid Christian and an outstanding servant-leader) in particular -- in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
(2) Pray for all those who have been put out of work (with bills to pay and families to feed) in the wake of this trial. And of course pray for the sick.
(3) Pray for one another as we work on the front lines of this epidemic. Many of our brethren are ill, and others have passed away after having been infected with this virus (NYPD and Detroit PD have been hit very hard, among other agencies).
(4) Speaking of, Adams County (CO) Sheriff Rick Reigenborn is seeking prayer for retired Officer
Barry Kittay
who is in critical condition with the virus. Please pray.
(5) Retired Federal Agent Krysia Baron, a COPS widow and police chaplain, writes, "
A law enforcement Ranger,
Sean Beasley,
from the Arch in Saint Louis had a heart attack on duty today. Was revived 3 times! Please pray for his full recovery. He has a wife and child."
* And many more not shared here...just pray!
UPCOMING EVENTS
(UPDATED)
*Have a prayer request, event 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).
|
|
A "Code 3" Sense of Urgency in this Crisis
“...The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the gospel."
(Mark 1:15)
Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
(Matthew 28:18-20)
_______
|
This week's Bible study hits "center mass" in terms of our current situation. However, this study is also a call to prayer, faithfulness, holiness and yes, ACTION -- a call-for-service to share the hope we -- born again believers -- have in Christ with the lost (thus the
"Code 3"
-- lights and siren -- sense of urgency).
Let me start by stating that while I do not believe that God sent this pandemic as one of the 7 plagues described in
Revelation 16-17
(see link below), I DO believe He has allowed it, in part, for the same reason He has done so in the past:
to get our attention
(a call for revival, obedience, repentance and salvation).
Yes, this crisis is ultimately the result of sin -- staring with the original version in
Genesis
. Yes, we are are living in a fallen and wicked (growing wickedness)
"end times"
world. But, as I've shared so often of late, for those of us who have been born again in Christ (Is that you?), we can both live
without fear
(knowing where we'll spend eternity) AND be emboldened to share the hope we have
"in Christ"
with those who are currently WITHOUT hope.
After 9/11, many flocked to churches and, praise God, many came to a saving faith. Sadly, there were also many "make-believers" who soon fell away when things in America got more "comfortable" again. Now, with this pandemic upon us, things are most definitely NOT "comfortable" and yes, it is scary for many. But this is also OUR time as Christians to shine -- to step out in faith (perhaps only electronically right now...) and be lights of hope in this current "darkness." To be the real
"peacemakers"
of
Matthew 5:9
-- meaning those who share with the lost the peace found only in a right relationship with God Christ (and NOT because of our service as cops).
Let's take a brief look at our two main passages of Scripture I shared above:
(1) Jesus stated emphatically in
Mark 1:15,
"...the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe..."
The context.denotes a very strong sense urgency. First, take note of what it means to
repent.
Secondly, understand that the word
"believe"
as Jesus meant it in original Greek is
synonymous with saving faith, to wit, our complete and total surrender to Him as Lord and Savior (and not just the "simple" kind of belief that even the demons have (and
"tremble"
over it -- James 2:19).
For more on this, click on this wholly biblical article from John MacArthur's ministry:
Repent and Believe.
(2) Our second passage from our Lord in
Matthew 28:18-20
is of course what is commonly called the
Great Commission
(and not the "great suggestion" as so many treat it as). First, understand that you can't make a disciple until that person comes to a saving faith. Secondly, this is a "Code 3" call for service (a command) for
EVERY believer.
Are you sharing your faith with others? If not, why not? Notice also the words
"therefore"
(should be a "heads up") and
"go"
-- a word that in this context means to go NOW!
Let me leave you with two great resources to help you on this:
and
You can also just share these newsletters and, in particular, the links in the
Know God?
section below!
Let's be clear: those who die without Christ are indeed lost (ultimately in hell, forever, with no hope of "parole" or a "get out of jail" card). Let's not sit idly by and do nothing while the living are choosing are perishing for eternity without having every chance to
"repent and believe"
in the ONLY One who can save them.
Charles Spurgeon, who experienced at least one major pandemic (cholera) in his lifetime (killing 52,000 in England and Wales, and over 14,000 in London alone in 1858), said this:
“If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to Hell over our dead bodies. And if they perish, let them perish with our arms wrapped about their knees, imploring them to stay. If Hell must be filled, let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go unwarned and unprayed for.”
AMEN! So again, let's pray and ask God to give us a
Code 3 sense of urgency
for the lost
instead of a similar sense of urgency for toilet paper! Likewise, let's LIVE our faith OUTLOUD, both on and off duty (for example, by not hoarding or giving in to mob mentality).
Finally, take the time to read the following, wholly biblical article that should help bring this all home while answering some pressing questions:
In closing, and if you're reading this and have never surrendered in faith to Christ as Lord and Savior (or perhaps you've fallen away), NOW is the time to make the ultimate change in getting right with God: scroll down to the
Know God?
section below.
Praying/here for you all!!
MC
____________________
KNOW GOD?
(1) Do you hold to an utterly false hope that you can "earn" or otherwise "badge" your way into heaven and escape hell because you consider yourself to be a "
good
" cop or a "good" person (the "I'm good" mess)? That you can be "good" enough without knowing Christ as Lord and Savior? That mere "belief" is enough to "save" you? That you somehow "deserve" heaven because of your so-called "good" service in law enforcement? Take the
Good Person Test
and see how you do!
(2) Jesus' first recorded words in His earthly adult ministry included,
"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 to our sin (as God defines it). To "believe" (
pisteuo
in the original Greek) as Jesus intends it here is to wholeheartedly trust and
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 in against criminals intent on destroying us or others; or that our parachute will open when it is supposed to on a combat jump (we stake our very lives on it)! For more, see
What does it mean to believe in Jesus?
(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" or even "someday"): this is ultimately the life-saving AND 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]).
(5) Need more? Then check out this powerful, short video message that also comes to us from
Travis Yates
:
Cops and Salvation
(6) Have you now said "yes" to Jesus as Lord and Savior but are wondering what to do next? The "now what" is also an important part in dealing with the issues that can lead to suicide and sin in general. Click on,
Now what?
MC
|
|
ABOUT US
The
Centurion Law Enforcement Ministry
is
a national, FCPO-affiliated, non-denominational,
evangelical
Christian outreach to our own in law enforcement. These newsletters and profession-focused Bible studies are part of this effort and past editions can be found on our website and social media feeds. Our desire is (1) to be used of God to
WIN
the lost in our profession to a saving faith in Christ; (2) to
DISCIPLE
the Christian officer; (3)
SEND
out discipled (trained) officers to "repeat" 1 and 2; (4) to
SUPPORT
police marriages; (5) to transform our God-ordained profession by infusing it with all-in Christian officers; and (6) to
IMPACT
(reduce) police suicides and PTS with the
Cure
found in Christ Jesus alone. In keeping with these 6 points, please feel free to adapt these messages for your own individual or group use and
share
them with others.
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 Denver-area FCPO chapter (
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, sound (uncompromising) Bible study, prayer and servant-warrior fellowship (and spouses are both welcome and encouraged to attend with their LEO).
Contact me
for complete details.
The
Centurion Law Enforcement Ministry
and FCPO-Metro Denver (
Chapter 217
) are led by veteran Police Officer, Chaplain and Evangelist Michael "MC" Williams
.
MC is an active (32-years and counting) sworn police officer/investigator 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.
Finally, we covet your prayer and financial support for this vital ministry outreach. Reference the latter, you can give in two ways:
(1) Send a check to the address posted below.
or
(2) Go the the
FCPO giving page
and designate "
FCPO #217
" or the "Centurion Law Enforcement Ministry."
* All donations are tax-deductible.
The Centurion Law Enforcement Ministry
, P.O. Box 630854, Littleton, CO 80163 |
Email Address
| (720) 371-1022 |
Website
|
|
See what's happening on our social sites:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
