Standing Strong in Christ

Fellow LEOs:

Please bear with me as I have quite a bit of information to post this week. Right off, we’ll meet as usual this Saturday: 0900, Calvary South Denver, 9052 W. Ken Caryl Avenue in Littleton. I have to go on duty right afterwards so will work hard to keep it to an hour or so. Please join us for some quality servant-warrior fellowship, profession-relevant Bible study and prayer.

We were truly blessed with a great fellowship last Saturday. While I was going to teach on “Knowing God’s Will” (we’ll continue with that this Saturday), God clearly had another plan as we ministered to a veteran officer who rightly wanted to dig deeper into what Joshua 1:1-9 means for LEOs. Bottom line is that this passage is aimed right at those of us serving in law enforcement. God commands us 3 x in the passage to “be strong and courageous” as He will be with us wherever we go! This ties-in closely with our calling in Romans 13 which tells us (as Grant Wolf of Fellowship of Christian Peace Officers reminded me earlier this week) that we need to be restored as God’s ORDAINED Ministers “unto justice.” Bottom line is that we can’t truly tap into the power God has for us unless we are constantly striving to draw closer to Him. How do we do that? Through prayer (“talking” with God), the study of His Word (Bible), regular worship and service in a Christian fellowship (church) that teaches from a solid historical Biblical perspective, and generally being “sold out” to Christ. Of course, we also strongly recommend that officers and their spouses be involved with a great mutual LEO accountability group like ours (The Centurion Law Enforcement Fellowship), POFCI, FCPO, PeaceKeepers, and/or related outreaches.

NEWS!!
(1) Lone Tree (CO) PD Sgt. Candace Mullins sends the following: Englewood PD Officer Shane Ellison’s four y.o. little girl, Taylor Ellison, has been diagnosed with brain cancer. Supporters are putting together a cookbook of recipes and her drawings as a fundraiser for this family who will have many expenses with treatment, co-pays, gas, etc. If you can forward this to people in your department, we are looking for recipes from different police agencies (wives, cops, dispatchers, etc.). Send recipes to Sandra Atkinson at tedpajamas@comcast.net and be sure to put your name and department on the recipe so we can include it in the book. We will also let you know when these books will be for sale. Most importantly, please keep this child in your prayers.
(2) I’ll be visiting with Lt. Col. Dave Grossman in Pueblo later. Dave is a strong Christian and one of the most dynamic speakers I know. He has also been a great friend to me and this ministry. Any agency wishing to book Dave for one of his outstanding programs or purchase his books can reach him through his new affiliate, Warrior Science Group (http://www.warriorsciencegroup.com/ and click on Dave’s link).
(3) FPD Officer Antonio Sanchez is safely back from National Guard duty in Iraq . We honour your service Brother -- welcome home!
(4) Just a reminder that Denver PD Chaplain and Legacy Christian Fellowship Pastor Lonnie Trujillo teaches a Bible study for metro area officers on Tuesdays from 1230-1330 at Brooklyn’s on Colfax near Invesco Field. Lonnie is a huge supporter of law enforcement and I hope to have him teach at one of our studies in the near future. You can reach him via www.legacychristian.org/contact.html.
(5) NM Federal law enforcement Park Ranger Krysia Baron sent the following: “I will be riding the Police Unity Tour this year. This time there will be twenty of us riding from the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Charleston , SC to Chesapeake, VA. There we will meet up with the Florida and Virginia Chapters for the last 250 miles (our full route isn't finalized, but it should put us at close to 1000 miles for the "long tour"). Along the route, we take part in memorial services and conduct wreath laying ceremonies in communities who have lost officers. Like the regular PUT, long tour riders will wear a bracelet for a particular officer that they are honoring. I also carry Shields of Strength ("Police" on one side, Joshua 1:9 on the other) and give them to survivors. While I don't have the official word yet, I hope to ride for Officer Kristine Fairbanks, our Forest Service K-9 officer who was killed in September. Even if I am not assigned to her officially, I'll be dedicating my ride to her.” Anyone interested in making a donation can log onto www.policeunitytour.org/. The rider name will be listed as " Christine Baron , US Forest Service."

Krysia needs to raise a minimum of $1500 and would certainly appreciate any help folks can give her. She can be reached at ravensar@hotmail.com for more information.

TRAINING SEMINAR:
Retired Denver officer and current DPD Chaplain Manny Hays will be hosting a training seminar on January 31st from 0830-1230 that will, in part, focus on how we as LEOs can be proactive in protecting our respective churches. Church shootings and related criminal behavior are all-too-real and very much a part of our homeland security responsibilities. We (local TCM folks) plan to attend and participate as this is a big part of my own area of expertise and a subject that I speak and write about on a regular basis. Contact Manny at 303-319-5759 or via email at hays58@msn.com for more information.

PRAYER REQUESTS
(1) I’ve learned that decorated Torrance County (NM) Sheriff’s Deputy Dominique Smith was killed in the line of duty on Monday (see http://kob.com/article/stories/S753019.shtml?cat=516). Please keep his family and area LEOs in your prayers.
(2) Please pray for our new President and all other government leaders. We need to support them so long as they are leading from a Biblical perspective. Remember that these folks work for US (just as we serve those we are commissioned to protect) and we need to hold them accountable.
(3) Please continue to pray for me as I seek God’s will and direction for this ministry. We will soon begin moving our studies around to various other location in the Denver Metro area on a regular basis so as to reach as many of our fellow officers as we can.
(4) Please pray for an Aurora officer who is struggling in his marriage and walk.
(5) An officer in another state has asked us to pray for a fellow LEO who has been diagnosed with kidney cancer. He also asked that we keep him in prayer regarding his own ministry and outreach to those in his community.

PRAISE REPORTS!
In case you’ve missed it, former President Bush, in one of his last official acts, commuted the sentences of Border Patrol Agents Compean and Ramos. They should be released in March. Praise God and thanks to all those who have been praying about this issue. In addition, the Aurora (CO) officer who underwent heart surgery last week is doing very well and has started physical therapy. Thanks to everyone who has been keeping this brother in prayer.

Finally, don’t forget that we still have some TCM apparel (polos, t’s and hoodies) left to give away. Hurry – we won’t be ordering more for some time. Only catch is that locals have to SHOW to get one!