The Centurion Law Enforcement Ministry Newsletter
&
Bible Study
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Fellow officers,
sheepdogs,
warriors, sp
ouses, supporters and
ALL:
Normally, I would be writing and sending this from our base in Washington, DC during our annual
FCPO Police Week Mission
there. As we know all-too-well, there is nothing "normal" about what we're all going through as a nation. Sadly, police Week in DC has been cancelled, including our National Peace Officer Memorial Service at the U.S. Capital (replaced instead by a FOP-lead video event -- see the
RESOURCES
section below).
So where does that leave us? Like many of you, I too will be on duty today carrying out my God-ordained
mission.
I too have been
"on call"
either before or after being on duty. Accordingly, being
"On Call and on Mission"
is the title for this week's Bible study/devotion -- scroll down.
As I'll expound upon in this week's message, let's stay "on call" and front sight focused on Christ as we carry our the missions He has called us to. And to all my brother and sister officers -- both current and past -- have a safe and blessed National Peace Officer Memorial Day.
Finally, in the spirit (and Spirit) of this newsletter, if you're reading this and have never surrendered in faith to Christ as Lord and Savior, it is with a "Code 3" (lights and siren) sense of urgency -- in keeping with my calling -- that I implore you to make that right today (scroll down to the message).
MC
* Miss last weeks newsletter and Bible study? Here again is
FREEDOM!!
_____________________
RESOURCES
PRAYER REQUESTS
(1) Please continue to pray for all those who have been put out of work or are facing layoffs (with bills to pay and families to feed) in the wake of the COVID-19 restrictions and overreach. And pray for the sick, but also pray that our elected reps will have the wisdom to open things back up sooner than later.
(2) 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. Others are still committing suicide, dying from other medical issues or being cut down in the line of duty (why we continue to minister to our own).
Update:
Praise God, many of the C-19 deaths are now being ruled
"line of duty"
(will greatly benefit their families).
(3) Pray that God would remove this pestilence from our country and world (but always in His timing and in accordance with His will).
(4) With our annual Police Week events in DC cancelled, the pain being felt by families of those we've lost will be even greater. Please pray.
(5) Retired Detroit PD Officer and fellow police chaplain, Emery Esse, writes, "
I just received a call from a dear Brother in Christ and blue,
Kenny Walker
(Ret. Sgt. DPD) who was diagnosed today with esophagus cancer. He will have a scan to see if it spread or not yet. Please pray it has not spread and God's healing hand, peace, comfort, hope and His will on Kenny Walker, Also pray for Kenny's wife,
Cynthia Walker.
This is hard on her and Kenny."
UPCOMING EVENTS
(2) Our next
FCPO-Denver
chapter meeting and Bible study is set for Tuesday, May 19th.
Email me
for the 411.
*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).
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On Call and On Mission
Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.
(Philippians 1:27-30)
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This being National Peace Officers Memorial Day during National Police Week, I would normally be sending this out during our annual
FCPO Police Week Mission
in Washington, D.C.
Sadly, and even tragically, this pandemic caused the cancellation of all organized Police Week activities in D.C. But what God has put on my heart for us this week (and beyond) is that no pandemic and no crisis should deter us from carrying out the
callings
and
missions
He has given us.
Paul clearly understood this issue when he wrote our central passage above. Paul's whole ministry was filled with one crisis after another, and much of his writing took place as he faced his impending execution (a "line of duty" death in every sense of the expression).
Likewise, our own callings and missions -- both in law enforcement and yes, in ministry (again, EVERY Christian is called to ministry, and the word "minister" in the NT Greek just means "servant"), continue in spite of our current crisis.
Throughout the more than three decades I've served in law enforcement, a big chunk of it has been spent "on call." Like many of you, I too have been called out in the middle of the night to deal with homicides (including "officer down" calls), officer involved shootings, sexual assaults and so much more. And regardless of the
call
outs, our overall
mission
continues.
The same occurs in our lives as Christians: God -- as repeatedly revealed in His Word, the Bible -- has given EVERY believer a CALLING(s) and a MISSION. Are you answering His call? Carrying out the mission He has called you to? Brothers and sisters, the need has never been greater and the "call" never more urgent.
A central theme of Police Week and our memorial day is the motto,
"Heroes Live Forever."
The meaning, of course, is that our fallen will "live forever" in our hearts. We must not forget. The names of the heroes who have died in the line of duty are immortalized on our Wall (the National Law Enforcement Memorial) in D.C. Those who follow me on Facebook have seen the photos I've been sharing from our annual missions there. But do they really "live forever"? And if so, where?
Again, the
truth
must cause us to embrace our mandatory call and mission to share the hope found only in a genuine, live-saving and life-changing personal relationship with God in Christ. The
Great Commission
is NOT "optional" for us. My "Code 3" (lights and siren) sense of urgency stems from the unchanging and eternal FACT that once this life ends, EVERYONE will go on to "live forever" in
only
one of two places: ultimately heaven for the born again believer, or hell for those who pass having rejected Christ as Lord and Savior (see
Where do you go when you die?).
Each time one of our heroes (fellow officers) dies, I ask the same question: Where they saved? Did they know Christ as Lord and Savior? And why is this so important? Because our service as peace officers will NOT save us unless we die having first been born again in Christ (a Christian as only God gets to define it). No, there are not "many ways" to heaven --
Christ alone is the ONLY way we can be saved.
Accordingly, part of my calling and mission is to do all I can (ultimate "backup") to help you make the most critical decision of your life. As I've shared in the past, Fairfax County (VA) Detective Mike Motafches understood his calling and mission when he kept sharing his faith with a very resistant colleague in fellow
Det. Vicky Armel.
Praise God, because of Mike's persistence and faithfulness, Vicky ultimately came to faith. In turn, she shared her story with others before she was killed in the line of duty on May 8th, 2006. Mike and Vicky's story is an important part of this message (carrying on her legacy):
A Police Officer's Courage
(scroll down to the message).
Finally, as I'm finishing this up, I'm also listening to our VIRTUAL <sigh> National Peace Officer's Memorial Service. Sadly, it began with another stream of lies (albeit well-intended) that are leading our fellow officers straight to hell (a poem that wrongly promises that all police officers will go to heaven, for starters). Friends, the most unloving thing I could do is leave you with that mess. The truth is much different:
ONLY
those who
"repent and believe"
(Mark 1:15)
-- those who are born again in Christ -- will go to heaven. Does that describe you? My ministry calling and mission ultimately comes down to showing you the way -- the ONLY way -- unto salvation. Please -- I beg you -- dive into the links in the KNOW GOD? section below and make a decision about where you will spend eternity.
Blessings!
_______________
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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