HIS Way or "Highway" (UPDATED!!)

Dear “Band of Brothers” (and Sisters of course):

As previously announced, we’ll meet as scheduled this Thursday for our regular profession-relevant fellowship and Bible study: 1900 hours, Calvary South Denver, 9052 W. Ken Caryl Avenue in Littleton, Room #7. Don’t forget to bring your spouses and to invite your colleagues (just pass this email to others in your address book).

My topic for this week’s study stems from an email that I received in which the writer chastised me for suggesting that there is only one way to Christ/Heaven. The source was my asking for continued prayer for an officer we been praying for/supporting for the last six months and who has adopted an ideology that “everyone will go to Heaven” so long as they are “good” and believe in “something.” The writer went so far as to suggest that God’s way as detailed in the Bible is “oppressive” and no longer valid in this “modern world.” So how should we respond? Bottom line here is that many will criticize us for standing firm on God’s Word. The TRUTH is that there is in fact only ONE WAY to be saved, and therefore only ONE WAY to an eternity with the Lord. It has nothing do with what I or anyone else THINKS or “believes” is the “right” way. Rather, it is what God says is HIS way – we simply can’t “make up” our own path to salvation! Truly, it is His way or "highway!" (but with LOVE always being central). Here is part of my response:

“So what is the source of truth? It is God's breathed word, the Bible. There is insufficient time/space to go into this in detail but suffice it to say the that the Bible has NEVER been disproved and is, statistically speaking, the most accurate text ever written (although it is SO much more than a text). The TRUTH is that "God so LOVED the world (you, I) that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). The word "believe" as translated from the Greek pisteuo is so much more than simple "belief" as we use in English -- even Satan and his demons "believe" in God but are certainly not "saved." Moreover, our Lord tells us in Romans 3:10 that "There is no one righteous (good), no, not even one." This means that without a saving knowledge of Christ (being spiritually “born again”), NO ONE is “good” enough to enter into eternal life with Him. I am not teaching my way but rather God's perfect way. Your argument is with God, not me. There is in fact only ONE WAY and it is HIS way. Thomas asked Jesus, "How can we know the way? Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:5-6.”

Of course, God’s word also tells us that the alternative to God’s way, aka “YOUR own way,” is eternal separation from God – ultimately what some commonly refer to as “Hell.” Our goal as a ministry is to do all we can to share God’s love and plan of salvation (as opposed to the equally real alternative). In the end, the Truth is still truth and the choice is truly yours.

We’ll dig into this topic in depth on Thursday. Please join us!


MESSAGE RECAP

Retired Denver PD Officer and current police chaplain and pastor Manny Hays shared with us at our last meeting. Manny’s message centered around the importance of prayer – particularly WHY we should pray – along with a report on his invocation at the IACP Conference. As previously reported, Manny was initially told that he could not pray to God (To whom or what then – a light bulb??) before the “powers-that-be” relented with the proviso that he NOT pray in Jesus’ name!! God gave our brother a great alternative: Manny closed with “…in the Name of our Lord & Savior.” LOL – outstanding!!! Manny provided the following scriptural references – please make them part of your own study: II Cor. 13:9; Phil. 1:9; 1 Tim. 2:8; I Thes. 5:25.


FELLOWSHIP OF CHRISTIAN PEACE OFFICERS (FCPO) NATIONAL CONFERENCE!!

The 2009 FCPO National Conference will be held here in Colorado this November 6-8 at the famous Glen Eyrie Conference Center in Colorado Springs! Go to www.FCPO.org and click on the conference link at the top. Please join us for an unforgettable time in the Lord with other Christian officers from all over the world! Wives are strongly encouraged to attend. I will be in attendance as will our own TCLEF worship leader Matt Wallenburg (helping lead worship, of course).


OFFICER DOWN UPDATES

As many of you know, CPD Officer Densey Cole is now back in Chicago where he is undergoing continued rehab. Please continue to keep him in prayer (spiritual and physical).

Jason and I visited with Mahnomen County (MN) S.O. Deputy Chris Dewey and his wife Emily last week. They will remain here at Craig Hospital until at least January as Chris faces some very tough challenges – including more surgery. We serve a MIGHTY God -- continue to lift Chris and Em in prayer. Those wishing to follow Chris’s progress can do so by logging on to his Caring Bridge site at http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/chrisdewey (Emily provides daily updates).

Speaking of Chris, I received the following email from Mahnomen County Sheriff Doug Krier: "...I just want to thank you for taking care of Chris & Emily Dewey for us. I have been reading your updates and I have enjoyed everyone of them - It helps me get through the day sometimes. It's really nice to know the the brotherhood reaches throughout the country.
Thanks again Mike - Sheriff Doug Krier"

Reid McGrath from Englewood PD sent me an update on Denver PD Officer Allison Casias. I'll try to get by to see her/prayer with her family later this week. She is scheduled for surgery today. Please PRAY! Updates can be seen on her Caring Bridge site: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/allisoncasias.

I just found out that JeffCo Deputy/Investigator Art Peterson has been moved to a regular room (Swedish Hospital, Room 406) and can have visitors. I'll try to get by to see him as well. Continue to pray for this hurting brother as well.

In the future, I will post additional updates directly here on our website. I encourage everyone to check frequently.


PRAY REQUESTS & PRAISE REPORTS


(1) Be in prayer for the success of the upcoming FCPO National Conference.

(2) Pray for a brother officer who is testing for a leadership position this coming Wednesday.

(3) Pray for Erv Meyer who has been traveling and is due home in the coming week.

(4) Continue to be in prayer for a colleague on the mend from open-heart surgery.

(5) PRAISE REPORT: See our website for a report on answered prayer (October 16th entry). Praise God!!!

(6) A fellow warrior is suffering terribly from pancreatitis. Please pray for him.




See ya Thursday!