The Centurion Law Enforcement Ministry
Newsletter & Bible Study
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Fellow officers, sheepdogs, servant-warriors, spouses and all who support us:
First, let me say that getting this week's newsletter and Bible study to you has been a battle (spiritual warfare) from the start. But what God has again laid on my heart for us as Christian officers and Christians in general has been certain (and thus the battle). I can't encourage you enough to open your Bibles and embrace what God would have for us on the subject of "Christian Servant-Leadership" (the need has never been greater).
Secondly, Diana and I want to take a quick moment to express our gratitude to all of you who continue to support this vital ministry with your prayers, words of encouragement and your finances! "Thank you!" just does not seem to be enough, and please know that the work of this ministry continues ("Here am I, send me" -- and no "stinkin" pandemic, unbiblical decree or anti-Christian "leader" is going to stop it -- so help me God)!
And on the subject of thankfulness, we wish you all a safe and blessed Thanksgiving (especially to those who will be on duty over the holiday) -- a subject I hope to cover in NEXT week's newsletter/Bible study.
Here locally (Colorado Front Range), the next meeting of our Centurion Law Enforcement Ministry chapter (FCPO #217) is set for Tuesday, Dec. 1st, at Calvary Chapel Castle Rock from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM in the 4th and 5th grade classroom (follow the signs). Shoot me an email for more info. Friends, this is where we come together to armor-up and seek the Lord to equip us for the battle. Again, our "cop church" fellowships are open to all current, former and future officers and their spouses.
Looking for a past newsletter and Bible study? I always re-share them on our social media feeds (Facebook, MeWE [new] and Twitter) and eventually on our website as well. I also strongly encourage you to share these newsletters with others (with a "Code 3" sense of urgency, mind you) as part of our Great Commission "call for service" to WIN the lost to a saving faith in Christ; DISCIPLE the born again believer and SEND the trained-up Christian back out to "repeat." That being said, here's last week's edition:
Let's get in the fight and "HOLD THE LINE" together behind Christ our Captain! And, as always, reach out if we can be of service.
MC
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RESOURCES
Their are a PLETHORA of them in the Bible study below, but The Book on Leadership (based on the life and ministry of Paul the Apostle) is a powerful resource.
PRAYER REQUESTS
(1) Please continue to pray for our nation. For our children's sake, ask God to have mercy given the demonic forces being arrayed against us.
(2) Pray for one another in law enforcement, and especially for those of us who are on the front lines. "But God," we're in for the fight of our lives with the incoming Administration.
(3) Please pray for those battling this pestilence (COVID-19) and pray for those seeking to develop and distribute a viable vaccine.
(4) Pray for a young deputy who is recovering from surgery (PAINFUL).
How can I pray for YOU? Just reach out and I'll share your requests here (or not -- just let me know what and how much you want me to share).
UPCOMING EVENTS
YES -- we're meeting -- in person! The next meeting of our Centurion Law Enforcement Ministry (FCPO Chapter #217) fellowship and Bible study is set for Tuesday, December 1st at Calvary Chapel Castle Rock from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM, We meet in the 4th and 5th grade classroom (follow the signs). Shoot me an email for more info. And we will be bringing snacks to share! This is also pretty much the only way to get a FREE (well, for you) Centurion Law Enforcement Ministry t-shirt!
*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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Christian SERVANT-Leadership
Both in law enforcement and in general, the need for genuine, biblical SERVANT-leadership has never been greater.
So Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Mark 10:42-45
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So why again on this topic? Well first, because God put it on my heart to teach on it (I strive to be a "good soldier" and follow the marching orders of the ultimate Servant-Leader). But secondly, and especially in light of the added stressors that the current pandemic, anti-police "pundits" and civil unrest (lawlessness) have added to our lives and careers, the need for genuine, biblical SERVANT-leadership has never been greater (especially in our God-ordained profession).
As we dive back into this topic, let me preface it by saying that no small inspiration for teaching on servant-leadership comes from having having had both all-too-few genuine LEADERS who served as examples for me (Patrick Mooney and Frank Rupp -- thank you!) but also far too many truly horrific and even cowardly NON-leaders ("bosses"). Let me also add that inasmuch as God establishes all leaders, His call and command for all who lead (and EVERY officer -- regardless of rank -- has been called to be a godly leader), is to first be a SERVANT.
So are you serving your people or are you one of those who expects to be served instead? Who (sadly and even tragically) epitomize Jesus' statement in Mark 10:42? Folks, the only way we're going to fix our issues in government and in general (including the church) is by replacing ungodly dictators (bosses) with godly, biblical SERVANT-leaders.. Let's dive in:
The biggest stressors and causal factors for PTSi ("injury" -- not "disorder) and suicide in our profession come from WITHIN our ranks!
If we're honest, my quote here is our sad truth. The public wants to believe it is all the stuff we see and deal with on "the street." While some of that is true, most of us who have answered God's call (it is and must be a "calling") to "serve and protect" in law enforcement are drawn TO the things that rightly repel those outside of the "thin blue line" (for example, we run TO the sound of gunfire and chaos whilst other run AWAY from it). After all, ours is in fact "The Greatest Show on Earth." No, it is not so much what we see outside the metaphorical police "ivory tower" that negatively impacts us but rather those who "rule" from within those walls. .
Some years ago, dear friend, mentor, pastor and fellow Chaplain Jack Crans, gave me a precious gift (see the image I shared above) that includes two powerful passages of Scripture central the message of Godly servant-leadership:
When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice;
But when a wicked man rules, the people groan.
Proverbs 29:2
I will stand my watch
And set myself on the rampart,
And watch to see what He will say to me,
And what I will answer when I am corrected.
Habakkuk 2:1
Let me start by sharing a short clip of Jack sharing his heart on this latter passage: What Is Your Calling? (AMEN).
So with this powerful foundation (and word from Jack) in mine, God is calling you and I to be SERVANT-warriors/leaders willing to "stand in the gap" on "the wall" (the ramparts) while crying out to God for our nation, profession and families. To be a "man" (a servant-leader/servant-warrior) "among them" (Ezekiel 22:30). "for such a time as this" (Esther 4:14)! And with that...
THREE MARKS OF A GODLY SERVANT-LEADER
God, through His Word (the Bible -- the greatest leadership "policy and procedure manual" of all time), instructs us to exercise due diligence in discerning someone's fitness to lead (see, for instance, 1 Timothy 3:1-13). What traits do we look for in a leader that suggest their fundamental orientation is Christlike servanthood? This list is by no means exhaustive, but here are just three (of many others) fundamental, biblical "forensic markers" (evidence) of a servant-leader (NOTE: "he" means both "him" and "her" -- <sigh>):
1. A servant leader seeks the glory of his Chief (his King) :
Jesus said, "The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood " (John 7:18). A Christlike leader is a bondservant of Christ (Ephesians 6:6), and demonstrates over time that Christ -- not public approval, position, or financial security -- has his primary loyalty.
2. A servant leader sacrificially seeks the highest joy of those he serves:
This does not conflict with seeking the glory of his "Chief" (Master). Jesus said, "Whoever would be great among you must be your servant . . . even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many" (Matthew 20:26, 28). Whatever his temperament, gift mix, capacities, or sphere of influence, he will make necessary sacrifices in order to pursue people's " progress and joy in the faith ," which results in the greater glory of God (Philippians 1:25; 2:9-11).
3. A servant-leader is not preoccupied with personal visibility and recognition:
Like John the Baptist, a servant leader sees himself as a "friend of the Bridegroom" (John 3:29), and is not preoccupied with the visibility of his own role. He doesn't view those with less visible roles as less significant, nor does he covet more visible roles as more significant (1 Corinthians 12:12-26). He seeks to steward the role he's received as best he can, and gladly leaves the role assignments ("calls for service") to God (John 3:27).
As I serve/teach/speak around the country, it is clearer than ever that ours is a profession and a nation desperate for biblical servant-leadership. This is why I continue to press Christians to prayerfully seek positions of authority as the Lord directs and to then lead as Christ-like servants.
As I stated above, our "dirty little secret" as a God-ordained profession (Romans 13:1-4) in terms of stress is not so much what we deal with on "the street" as it is about the fallout from poor leadership (bosses, wolves) from within our ranks. The solution, therefore, is to outlast and/or replace the "bosses" with godly servant-leaders who have been radically transformed by surrendering their lives to Christ as Lord and Savior! In the end, He alone is the "Cure" for all that ails us. Secondly, we must PRAY for those currently in positions of authority -- that they would yield to Christ and then allow Him to transform them from bosses to the servant-leaders He has called us all to be.
Finally, and as I stated earlier, we must understand that one does not need to hold rank in order to be a genuine servant-leader! But given our sinful nature, HOW then can we be the servant-leaders God has called us to be? Folks, it is all but impossible unless we are first radically born again in Christ and leading under the inspiration and direction of the Holy Spirit (a power available ONLY to genuine Christians!
So is that you? Do you know (really KNOW) and are serving under the ultimate Servant-Leader? Friend, if your answer is "no" or "I don't know" (or you're one of those deceived into thinking you don't need Him) I am pleading with you to NOW scroll down to the Know God? section below and make sure you're on the winning side!
If you're reading this today and have been placed in a position of leadership (rank), I implore you to lead with a servant's heart (be part of the solution vs. the problem). And for ALL of us -- pray for those in authority (1 Tim. 2:1-4). And know I'm here to SERVE as well -- please reach out if you need prayer or counsel, a speaker for your event, etc.
MC
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KNOW GOD?
(1) Do you continue to 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 (as our Lord, through James, tells us, "...even the demons believe, and tremble" -- James 2:19)? 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 -- a different word than James used in James 2:19) 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 from Maj. 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 vital in dealing with the issues that contribute to police suicide, PTSi and more. 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 generally meet every 1st and 3rd Tuesday evening of the month at Calvary Chapel Castle Rock starting at 6:30 PM for profession-focused, uncompromising Bible study, prayer and "iron sharpens iron" fellowship (and spouses are both welcome and encouraged to attend with their LEO). Contact me for further details.
The Centurion Law Enforcement Ministry is led by veteran police officer, chaplain and evangelist Michael "MC" Williams. MC is an active State Criminal Investigator, retired Police Detective (after 34 years) 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, select "Donation to a Local Chapter" from the drop-down menu, enter the amount, click "SUBMIT" and then designate "FCPO #217" or the "Centurion Law Enforcement Ministry" in the box. 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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