The Centurion Law Enforcement Ministry: How to Know and Do God's Will

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

How to Know and Do God's Will

Fellow Servant-Warriors:

I can’t even begin to express what an awesome meeting we had last Saturday as we joined in with the CCSD Men’s Prayer Breakfast. In addition to a great meal of steak and eggs for a measly $5, Gino’s (FBI Chaplain and Pastor Gino Geraci) gave an outstanding message that spoke directly to us as LEOs. Those who did not/could not attend certainly missed something special!

Our text was Joshua 1:1-9, which reads, in part, 5 “No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. 6 “Be strong and courageous... 7 “Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go. 8 “This book of the law (God's Word, the Bible) shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. 9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

Note that the words “be strong and courageous” are used three times and once with an emphasis on “very” (v. 7). This passage has great significance to us a peace officers and I would encourage you to spend time meditating on it and asking God to reveal His meaning and purpose for you through it. Joshua is a great role model for those of us called to serve in the military and/or in law enforcement and particularly for those of serving in leadership positions.

As I see it, here are the highlights of Gino’s message from this passage as it applies to us as leaders in our homes and our profession:
(1) Our nation and our profession are desperate for true servant-leaders (we are in the midst of a leadership catastrophe -- a vacumn no less).
(2) Our power comes “not from the sword but from the Lord.”
(3) Joshua made himself AVAILABLE to be used by God. Have you asked God to use you according to HIS purpose? Are you seeking HIS will for your life?
(4) Joshua needed to hear from God just as you and I need to hear from Him. Hearing from God should be at the top of our priority list. How do we hear from Him? We ask in humility and, as the passage directs, be in His Word (see below for more).
(5) God’s plan is to glorify himself in you and our prayer, as we seek His will, should be, “Lord, glorify yourself.”
(6) We will struggle to have victory and success in our lives (to “occupy the land”) until we have a true right relationship with Jesus Christ.
(7) For those of us who are called to be warriors, we need to remember that we are saved by Grace and NOT by violence (being a LEO in and of itself will NOT save us or get us into Heaven). Our marching orders are abundantly clear: “Be strong and very courageous” in Christ!
(8) Finally, we can take great encouragement from this passage by trusting God according to His Word: He will NEVER leave us or forsake us so long as we are seeking Him first in all things.

MEETING SET FOR THIS SATURDAY (01/17/09):
God had a plan for Joshua’s life and yes, He most definitely has a plan for each of us. We will explore the concept of God’s will for our lives in depth this Saturday starting at 0900 hours at Calvary South Denver in Littleton . If you live in or are visiting the Denver area, please join us for a great hour of LEO fellowship, prayer and profession-relevant Bible study. I’ll have our Centurion Ministry apparel items (polos and our remaining sweats and t’s) as well: FREE to LEOs! Don’t forget to pass-on this newsletter and our website address to others (no matter where you are) as what we do here most certainly not limited to Colorado .

FCPO CHALLENGE COIN:
Grant Wolf and the Fellowship of Christian Peace Officers are marketing a really cool challenge coin. Contact Grant at grant@fcpo.org for more information. I would also encourage you to sign up for his email devotionals that are a great source for this ministry as well. The whole challenge coin idea has a great history that started in WWI: ask Grant to share it with you.

PRAYER REQUESTS!
In addition to last week’s requests (see our website if you missed them), please add the following to your list:
(1) A veteran officer in NM is facing some serious chronic pain issues stemming from duty-related nerve damage. He is also being tested for melanoma. Please pray for healing as well as direction as he contemplates retirement and where God would have him serve next.
(2) Continue to pray for an Aurora PD supervisor and Christian leader who is recovering from heart surgery. I believe that God still has much work for this brother to do for HIS kingdom. I plan to see him later this week.
(3) Pray for retired MI police officer Ryan Rought who is now serving as a missionary in earthquake-ravaged Costa Rica . Ryan’s story of helping the Costan Rican police in the disaster relief effort is inspiring and brings to mind the adage “once a cop, always a cop.” Shoot an email to Grant Wolf and ask him to forward you Ryan’s story and photos.
(4) Pray for Oakland transit (BART) officer Johannes Mehserle who has been charged with murder in the highly publicized subway shooting there. This truly appears to a training issue that ALL of us who carry a Taser need to be aware of. I believe this to be a tragic accident but one that has not only ended a career (and likely much worse) but one that has also caused much hardship for both that agency and the community it serves. Please ask God to grant mercy, justice and protection. Also ask that fellow officers who know Christ as Savior will rally around this officer and his agency as whole.
(5) Pray for Randy Green and his colleagues with Colorado-based Mission Mobilization (www.missionmobilization.org) as they reach out to LEOs in South America .
(6) Pray for this nation and our new President (yes, we need to be on our knees for God to touch him and that he will be the godly leader our Lord wants him to be).
(7) Finally, ask God to touch President Bush’s heart to grant pardons to imprisoned Border Patrol agents Compean and Ramos. I don’t know what to believe about this case but on the surface this appears to be a gross miscarriage of justice that must be righted. Time is running out for a pardon: pray that the truth is revealed and that justice is done. See http://ramos-compean.blogspot.com for further details.

Locals: hope to see you Saturday!

Our Core Verses

COPS -- God's ministers for good and a terror against evil. We do not bear the sword in vain.

(Paraphrase...for full text, see the Bible in Romans 13:1-4)

Psalm 82:3-4

Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.

Isaiah 1:17

Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.ressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.he widow.

Colorado Law Enforcement Ministry Meeting Schedules

The Centurion Law Enforcement Ministry (FCPO-Denver)

On the local front (meaning Colorado Front Range) we typically meet for iron sharpens iron fellowship and Bible study every 2nd and 4th Tuesday evening of each month at Calvary Castle Rock. Email me for details at thecenturionministry@gmail.com or give me a shout at 720-371-1022

Men of Courage Law Enforcement Ministry

Buena Vista (CO) PD Sgt. Dean Morgan is leading a law enforcement fellowship/Bible study in Chaffee County and the surrounding area. Contact Dean at interceptor@policeone.com for more info.

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TCLEM Mission Statement

The mission of The Centurion Law Enforcement Ministry (TCLEM), is to educate law enforcement officers (police, deputies, troopers, investigators, parole/probation, corrections, military, etc.) about God's unique call on their lives as outlined in God's word (Bible) and to lead officers and their families to a saving knowledge of and close personal relationship with our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ. Through same, we also seek to positively impact our profession by raising up Christian servant-leaders and reduce our historically high rates of divorce, alcoholism, depression, suicide and related issues.

Law enforcement is a God-ordained ministry of service and protection for our society as outlined in the Bible in Romans 13. Inasmuch as our very authority as peace officers is given to us by God, TCLEM seeks to affirm our calling as servant-warriors ("sheepdogs") and leaders while at the same time developing the our spiritual, family and personal lives through Bible study, peer fellowship, and group accountability along with active involvement in a solid Christ-centered/Bible-based church. We also seek to infuse our profession with godly leaders who will in fact LEAD (serve) from a biblical world view.

What We Believe (Statement of Faith)

(1) WE BELIEVE the only true basis of Christian fellowship is Christ's sacrificial agape love, which is greater than any secondary differences we possess, and without which we have no right to claim ourselves Christians.

(2) WE BELIEVE in all the fundamental doctrines of orthodox evangelical Christianity as detailed in God's word (Bible).

(3) WE BELIEVE the sixty-six books of the Bible (i.e. Old and New Testament) comprise the totality of Holy Scripture and is inerrant in the original text, and remains God-breathed/God-inspired and infallible in all its substance, and therefore, it is the supreme and final authority in faith, theology, and life. 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21; Psalm 119:11, 89, 105.

(4) WE BELIEVE that our Lord has called us to share the Word of God in such a way that its message can be applied to an individual's life and, in particular as it relates to our service in the God-ordained calling of law enforcement. We also believe that it is the responsibility and privilege of every Christian to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ and to seek to make growing disciples. Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8.

(5) WE BELIEVE there is only One true, eternally existent God. He exists in three co-equal persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The triune God is the Creator and Sustainer of all things, and is worthy of worship and obedience. Deut. 6:4-5; Genesis 1:31, Luke 3:21-22; Matthew 28:18-20, Rev. 4:11.

(6) WE BELIEVE in one God who is Creator of heaven and earth, Spirit, personal, transcendent, sovereign, life, love, truth, almighty, simple (i.e. one without parts), timelessly eternal, unchangeable, wise, just, holy, relational, dynamic and infallible in all things.

(7) WE BELIEVE that Jesus Christ is fully God and fully human, possessing two distinct natures which are co-joined in one person, that He was miraculously conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, lived a sinless and miraculous life, provided for the atonement of our sins by His vicarious substitutionary death on the Cross, was bodily resurrected by the power of the Holy Spirit, physically ascended back to the right hand of God the Father in heaven, and lives to make intercession for us. After Jesus ascended to Heaven, He poured out His Holy Spirit on the believers in Jerusalem, enabling them to fulfill His command to preach the gospel to the entire world, an obligation shared by all believers today. John 1:1-3,14; Matthew 1:18-25; Philippians 2:5-9; Colossians 1:15; 1 Corinthians 15:1-8; Acts 1:11.

(8) WE BELIEVE that all people are by nature separated from God and responsible for their own sin, but that salvation, redemption, and forgiveness are freely offered as a gift by the Lord Jesus Christ to all based on His grace alone. When a person sincerely repents of their sin and enters into a life-saving/life-changing personal relationsship (not "religion") with Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, they are immediately born again and sealed by the Holy Spirit, all their sins are forgiven, and they become a child of God -- changed, and destined to spend eternity with Him. John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8-10; 2 Corinthians 5:21.

(9) WE BELIEVE in all the gifts of the Holy Spirit mentioned in the Scriptures, and that they are valid for today, and should be exercised within scriptural guidelines, seeking to exercise them in love that the whole Body of Christ might be edified. John 14:16-19; 16:7-15; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Romans 8:9,11; Titus 3:5.

(10) WE BELIEVE in the pre-tribulation rapture of the church, and we believe that the physical second coming of Christ with His saints to rule on the earth will be personal, premillennial, and visible. This motivates us to holy living, heart-felt worship, committed service, diligent study of God's Word, regular fellowship, and participation in the two ordinances the Lord gave the church - adult baptism by immersion and Holy Communion. Revelation 3:10, Thessalonians 5:9.

(11) WE BELIEVE there is a real personal devil of great evil, cunning, and power, who seeks to tempt, kill, steal, and destroy, yet his power is limited by God to only what God permits him to do; that the devil has been defeated positionally at the cross of Christ, and will be defeated practically at Christ's glorious second coming which will ultimately eventuate in the quarantine and punishment of the Satan (aka the Devil, Beast, and False Prophet, etc.) in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone where they will be tormented day and night forever (what has been traditionally called "Hell"). Luke 10:18; Matthew 4:10; John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11, etc.

(12) WE BELIEVE that our Lord is clear that there is ONLY ONE WAY to Christ and that is through a life-changing personal relationship with the Risen Savior. Jesus told his disciples, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6). He did not merely point the way to God. He himself claimed to be the only way to the Father and the source of eternal truth and life. The way to God is through personal faith in Jesus Christ. Intellectual acceptance of Christ is not enough. You must come to him determined to turn from what displeases him, with a total trust in Christ's saving power for you.

Are you ready to receive Christ today? If so, scroll up towards the top of this page to the links under How Can I be Saved (AKA True "Officer Safety"). Please feel free to contact me if you need help in this area -- it would be my honour to lead you "home" to Christ!

If you sincerely put your faith in Christ, God promises not only to forgive you, but also to receive you into his family. It's the greatest discovery you will ever make!

Donate to the Centurion Law Enforcement Ministry

We do accept donations to support our ministry and outreach, including but not limited to leading officers to Christ, support for wounded officers; "officer down" outreach; chaplain and counseling services; speaking engagements; website expenses; ministry apparel, etc. Donations can be made out to The Centurion Law Enforcement Ministry and mailed to

P.O. Box 630854
Littleton, CO 80163

That said, support your church first...and then donate if the Holy Spirit inspires you to do so. Thanks in advance for your support.