The Centurion Law Enforcement Ministry Newsletter
&
Bible Study
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Fellow officers,
sheepdogs,
warriors,
spouses, supporters and ALL:
As we continue to keep plugging along in the midst of the C-19 mess (know we're praying for you all), this week's Bible study is one the Lord laid strongly on my heart (He pressed me to change what I was going to share -- thus the delay in this week's newsletter). Accordingly, I can't encourage you enough to scroll down to
"A Warrior's Training"
(sadly, it is sure to hit too close to "home" for some -- let the unsubscribing begin <sigh>).
As always, I re-post these newsletters on my social media feeds, including Facebook (both my
personal
and
Centurion Ministry
pages and
group
sites),
Twitter,
and on our
website
as well (usually some delay with the latter). I also encourage you to share these with others as part of our Great Commission "call for service" (note: as I've shared in the study below, the
Great Commission
is NOT the "little suggestion").
Let's all commit to
training
hard and staying the course
in Christ
our Captain, and please
reach out
if I can be of service.
MC
_____________________
RESOURCES
(1) My friend
Lt. Col. Dave Grossman
's new devotional book he wrote with Adam Davis --
On Spiritual Combat: 30 Missions for Victorious Warfare
-- has been released and serves as a powerful resource on multiple fronts (including for this week's Bible study). Order your copy today!
(2) My "brother-from-a-different-mother," fellow officer/chaplain
Jim Bontrager,
will be teaching his entire Sun Tzu online class starting early next month. Can't encourage you enough to sign up (FREE) for this tremendous resource:
Sun Tzu and the Art of Warrior Resiliency.
PRAYER REQUESTS
(1) As if the C-19 restrictions were not enough, folks in central Michigan are now dealing with flooding on a massive scale. Please pray.
(2) Pray for our wounded and ailing, including but not limited to the following sent to me by retired DPD Officer Emery Esse: "
This is for a Brother In L.E. (and former military),
Jimmy Carter,
who is still in the hospital with a broken back. A few weeks ago he had to have his foot amputated and now, because of some type of infection Jimmy has to have open heart surgery. Please pray for Jimmy and his family."
(3) Pray for our elected representatives (our employees in our Constitutional Republic), and for our fellow officers who are being asked to violate their oaths in the midst of this crisis.
UPCOMING EVENTS
(2) Our next
FCPO-Denver
(Centurion Ministry) "cop church" chapter meeting and Bible study is set for Tuesday, June 2nd at 6:30 PM.
Email me
for the 411.
*Have a prayer request, event or announcement you would like included here? Need help/prayer?
Email me
and I'll include them here.
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A Warrior's Training
All athletes are disciplined in their
training
.
They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize.
So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete,
training
it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.
(1 Corinthians 9:25-27, added emphasis)
Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who
trains
my hands for war, and my fingers for battle
(Psalm 144:1, added emphasis)
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While I was going to share a different message, God used last night's departmental firearms qualification to press me into focusing on our
training
as Christian
warriors.
With that, let's start by defining some terms from God's perspective as revealed in His Word (our
God-breathed
"policy and procedure manual" for life):
WARRIOR:
I am constantly writing and speaking on God's calling to us as both peace officers and Christians to be SERVANT-warriors. As LEOs (law enforcement officers), we have a genuine WARRIOR calling in the physical sense and a spiritual warrior (no silly, lukewarm "guardian" mess) calling as born again believers. Now again, this word "warrior" gets a bad rap on multiple fronts in this
last days
"age of compromise" but I assure you, God is calling us to nothing less. While I've taught on this many times before, take few moments to read one of the previous messages I wrote on this topic (scroll down to the study):
"Warriors or Guardians?"
(b)
TRAINING (to TRAIN)
: Training -- physical, mental and spiritual -- should be a regular part of what we're about as both LEOs and Christians in general. The two verses I shared above (two of many on the subject) speak directly to our dual roles. Paul likened our spiritual training to that of an Olympic-style athlete (more on this in a bit). And then there is King David writing to us (under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit) in
Psalm 144:1
(one of my signature passages of Scripture that I've also taught on several times before).
David was a remarkable
warrior,
who in today’s terms would be an elite special forces operator or SWAT officer. David killed many men in hand-to-hand combat, as described in
1 Samuel 17:48-50
and
18:26-27
.
Training
is an essential part of success in both law enforcement and in the military, and David understood that it was the LORD who had trained his hands (and ours) for war and his fingers for battle (both physically and spiritually).
In his commentary, Pastor David Guzik wrote, "If a man or woman feels that God is training him or her to use spiritual weapons – such as the sword of the Spirit and the word of God – then training must
always continue.
It is never “who trained my hands for war,” but always in the present: "who
trains
my hands for war."
Secondly, Spurgeon wrote of the danger of using some weapons without adequate training – a danger in both the natural and spiritual realms: “Untrained force is often an injury to the man who possesses it, and it even becomes a danger to those who are round about him; and therefore the psalmist blesses the Lord as much for teaching as for strength.” How many times in our law enforcement careers have we had offices on the range or in field with us whose lack of skills make them a danger both to themselves and others?
The need for regular, intense physical
training
in our profession was brought home in the hardest of ways (for me anyway) at last night's departmental firearms qualification. Throughout my career I've generally done very well on the range (but I had
train
at it -- I'm not a "natural"). I was also a competitive shooter "back in the day," and regular training with my life-saving tools (firearms, etc.) has always been a constant. But with advancing age and the limitations (both mental and physical) of the current COVID-19 mess, I've not been able to do much in the way of training. Accordingly, and given that shooting -- like what we do in the gym or dojo -- is a perishable skill, I had my poorest outing to date at last night's qualification (talk about being humbled).
So now with this foundation in place, let me share with you the following 7-point
TRAINING program
with an emphasis on developing and maintaining our spiritual "muscles:"
(1)
Study and meditate on Scripture
(often -- daily, if possible). The Bible is our ultimate training manual.
Hebrews 4:12
speaks to Scripture's matchless power:
"For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart."
(2)
Pray continually.
Just as praying (reverently talking with God) daily is a critical way to keep your identity rooted in Christ, it's also a vital part of the Christian's daily
training
regimen. Jesus prayed often
(Matthew 26:36–44; Mark 1:35; Luke 3:21; 9:18)
and encouraged His followers (that's us) to
"always to pray and not lose heart"
(Luke 18:1).
Prayer helps us -- among many other things -- to draw spiritual
strength
from the proper source
(
Psalm 3:1–4
)
, and kill our pride.
(3)
W
orship God regularly!
Do you use your gifts and talents -- including your skills in law enforcement -- as an act of worship? Do you regularly seek Christian fellowship with other believers (aka, church, gathering with other Christian believers for
"iron sharpens iron"
fellowship and Bible study (what we do in our FCPO chapter meetings)?
Ephesians 5:18–21
provides a powerful model for practical worship:
"Be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ."
(4)
Serve others.
I am constantly teaching (pounding) on our call to SERVICE (thus "servant-leadership" and "servant" warrior-hood). Jesus -- history's greatest servant-leader, commanded us,
"
And whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
(Mark 10-44-45).
As you
train
for godliness, ask God to give you chances to serve others (and not just on duty).
(5)
"GO" and fulfill the
Great Commission.
Jesus COMMANDED (not a "suggestion") us to
"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations...teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you"
(Matthew 28:19–20).
Sadly, many Christians fail to share the Gospel with others out of fear of rejection, claiming they don't know what to say or that it's not their "spiritual gift." But this is a command to ALL of us, and Christ is dishonored when we choose to disobey (sin) Him by not sharing our faith with others. Accordingly, ask God to help you use your platform (every Christian has a platform -- especially Christian officers serving in the true mission field of law enforcement) to advance the gospel (even sharing these newsletters with others is a way to do that). Here's a great tool:
Sharing your Faith 101.
(7) Finally, there are
no shortcuts!
Did you notice I've not recommended any "new" or revolutionary practices here? God, through His holy,
inerrant (without error) Word,
has laid out clear, timeless instructions for what works. Technology might change, but our sinful condition and needs of the human heart -- apart from Christ -- do not. There are no shortcuts to becoming one of God's skilled servant-
warriors
(be it athlete, peace officer or Christian in general). Regular, progressive (you have to keep things fresh)
TRAINING
is imperative. It takes time, dedication, and hard work (with no small amount of blessings in the process)!
* Thanks to the work of Joshua Cooley whose work served as a resource for some of the points I've shared above.
So there you have it. Our
servant-WARRIOR
calling -- both as LEO's and Christians -- requires
TRAINING,
and I can help you on both fronts (just reach out). More importantly, if you are in fact truly
born again
in Christ (a Christian as God defines it), then you have the Holy Spirit dwelling inside you to emPOWER (help) you.
So is that you? Do you in fact know Christ as Lord and Savior? If not, no amount of "training," skills or "good deeds" will get you into heaven or out of hell. Turn to Him in faith today. How? Just scroll down to the
Know God?
section below!
Now let's
"go"
train!
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
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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
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