My Fellow Sheepdogs and Shepherds:
Many of us are working today – standing in the gap (Ezekiel 22:30-31) on both foreign and domestic soil -- so that those we serve and protect can spend this Thanksgiving holiday in peace and without being ravaged by the wolves. My thoughts and prayers are with each of you as you answer the call God has placed on your lives. At the same time, please join me in praying for the families of our brothers and sisters who “gave all” in 2010. The Officer Down Memorial Page (http://www.odmp.org/) now lists two more who died in the last couple of days: Weld County (CO) S.O. Dep. Sam Brownlee (I’ll attend his funeral on Monday) and Ft. Hood PD Ofc. Patrick Sirois. Pat’s ODMP page reads,
“Officer Sirois was traveling to Wagoner, Oklahoma, with his fiance for the Thanksgiving holiday when he witnessed an accident. He stopped his vehicle, put on a reflective vest, displayed his badge and firearm, and began to assist one of the drivers. As he spoke to the man on the shoulder he saw another car that was about to collide with the vehicle. He pushed the driver out of harm's way just as the vehicle was struck, pinning him between it and the guardrail. Officer Sirois was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. The driver who struck him was cited for a traffic violation.”
Pat’s story is our story – he willingly and unselfishly gave his life to save another. To date in 2010, the families of 148 of our fellow officers (not including our military brethren and those officers who have died in the line-of-duty serving oversees in DOD positions) will spend this holiday without their loved ones. When we give thanks to God today for all His blessings on us and our nation – founded on Christian principles – please ask Him to pour out an extra measure of love, peace and comfort on the families of those who died in the LOD. At the same time, let us first and foremost again thank God for the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ, who stood in the gap for us on the cross and thus took the “round” Satan intended for you and I.
Also on the subject of Thanksgiving, let me take this opportunity to remind our readers that it was President Abraham Lincoln who first instituted what we now celebrate as the Thanksgiving holiday. In the midst of a terrible Civil War, and shortly after he accepted Christ as his Savior, Lincoln wrote,
“The year that is drawing toward its close has been filled with the blessings of fruitful years and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the Source from which they come, others have been added which are of so extraordinary a nature that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever-watchful providence of Almighty God.
In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign states to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere, except in the theater of military conflict, while that theater has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union.
Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the field of peaceful industry to the national defense have not arrested the plow, the shuttle, or the ship; the ax has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than theretofore. Population has steadily increased notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege, and the battlefield, and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom.
No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.
It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged, as with one heart and one voice, by the whole American people. I do therefore invite my fellow-citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners, or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it, as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes, to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility, and union.”
Would that we would have such a man of faith and character leading us today!
Finally on the subject of Thanksgiving, take a moment to check out this great article written by a brother in Texas and posted on PoliceLink: http://policelink.monster.com/training/articles/147532-reflecting-on-the-meaning-of-thanksgiving.
We had a great turnout for last Thursday’s message on what is means to be Covered (see RECAP that follows). We also celebrated our first Communion service as a local fellowship. We’ll have another first this coming January – I’ll have the privilege of serving those in our LE fellowship who have accepted Christ as Savior but have not yet been baptized. I’ll have more on this in the coming weeks – stay tuned.
MESSAGE RECAP:
The God-inspired Covered concept comes to us from Chattanooga PD Officer Jonathan Parker (see http://www.coveredlawenforcement.org/). In preparing for this message, I attempted to stay true to what God gave Jon while at the same time seeking the Holy Spirit’s inspiration. In brief, our shared vision is for the Covered logo to become an internationally-recognized symbol of Christian law enforcement and an effective tool to evangelize the lost in our God-ordained profession.
The Covered logo (see above) represents the “thin blue line” of law enforcement meeting the thin red line of Christ’s blood that He shed for us as a “covering” for our sins. This line of blood represents evolution from the Old Testament sacrificial system first seen in Genesis 8 to the paschal sacrifice of the Lamb of God – Jesus Christ – in the New Testament (see Matthew 26:26-28). In Romans 4:7, Paul, quoting Psalm 28, says “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven and sins are covered.” Covered by what? The blood.
In law enforcement, we understand what is means to ask for and give “cover” to our brothers. Throughout Scripture, we find a plethora of examples of God providing cover (protection) for His people: Ezekiel, II Chronicles, Psalm 91, and many more. It should be noted that God’s “cover” was generally present when we walked in obedience with Him and was removed (lack of cover) when we are walked in sin and rebellion.
Quoting Acts 17:28, Jonathan writes, “In Him we life and move and have our being. We need His presence, His provision, His protection, His power, and His peace. We need every aspect of our lives to be covered by the immeasurable riches of the blood of Christ.”
Teaching on the “power of blood,” Alistair Begg writes, “When we contemplate the blood of the Son of God, our awe is greater, and yet we shudder as we think of the guilt of sin and the terrible penalty that the Sin-bearer (Christ) endured. Blood, always precious, is priceless when it streams from Immanuel’s side."
Finally, I expounded on the relevant teaching in Hebrews 9:1-28. V. 20 says, “This is the blood of the covenant that God commanded for you.”
Ofc. Parker writes, “The Thin Blue Line” is a colloquial term for police and the unique law enforcement subculture. Symbolized by a thin blue line surrounded on top and bottom by black, the suggestion is that a thin line of police officers is all that prevents civilized society from descending into chaos. But there is another force that separates good from evil and order from chaos. That “force” is the blood of Jesus Christ that was shed when He died on the cross to overcome death, hell, and the works of our adversary, Satan. Christians oftentimes pray to be “covered” by the blood, a prayer that recognizes the power of Jesus’ blood to cleanse us from our sins, overcome spiritual wickedness, heal disease, and provide protection from harm."
So where is YOUR cover today? Is it Christ? If not, then turn (repent) and come to him today. How can we do that? What does it mean to be “saved?” On this topic Jonathan writes,
The Bible is a story of God and His love for humanity. It begins with God walking through the Garden of Eden every night with Adam and Eve. When they sinned (you know…the “eating the apple thing”), God’s sadness is sensed when He comes looking for them and they are hiding. Sin is separation from God and the relationship He desires with us.
Salvation is much more than a one-time prayer or an escape from Hell. God’s Son Jesus died for our sins so that there would be no more separation. God wants us to experience His love, grace, protection, and friendship on a daily basis – just like the relationship He had with Adam and Eve.
Salvation is an experience, a journey, a relationship with God that begins by asking Him to forgive our sins so that there is no more separation. The journey begins in this life and continues into eternity…heaven for those who are in relationship with God and hell for those who choose to remain separated.
To begin this relationship with God – to experience salvation – say a prayer like the one that follows and then get connected with other Christians who can help you on this new journey.
Father God, I know that I have sinned and I believe your Son Jesus died for my sins. I ask you to forgive me and remove the separation between us. Help me to live each day in a way that does not offend you in this new relationship. Amen!
See www.coveredlawenforcement.org for more. I’ve also linked the Covered website here on ours.
I’ve added new prayer requests and announcements on our website (see following posts) as well. Please check back frequently and take the time to join us in praying for our colleagues.
I’ll close this week’s newsletter by wishing each of you a blessed day of Thanksgiving. It is an honor to both serve you and serve with you. Stay safe in Christ!
Many of us are working today – standing in the gap (Ezekiel 22:30-31) on both foreign and domestic soil -- so that those we serve and protect can spend this Thanksgiving holiday in peace and without being ravaged by the wolves. My thoughts and prayers are with each of you as you answer the call God has placed on your lives. At the same time, please join me in praying for the families of our brothers and sisters who “gave all” in 2010. The Officer Down Memorial Page (http://www.odmp.org/) now lists two more who died in the last couple of days: Weld County (CO) S.O. Dep. Sam Brownlee (I’ll attend his funeral on Monday) and Ft. Hood PD Ofc. Patrick Sirois. Pat’s ODMP page reads,
“Officer Sirois was traveling to Wagoner, Oklahoma, with his fiance for the Thanksgiving holiday when he witnessed an accident. He stopped his vehicle, put on a reflective vest, displayed his badge and firearm, and began to assist one of the drivers. As he spoke to the man on the shoulder he saw another car that was about to collide with the vehicle. He pushed the driver out of harm's way just as the vehicle was struck, pinning him between it and the guardrail. Officer Sirois was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. The driver who struck him was cited for a traffic violation.”
Pat’s story is our story – he willingly and unselfishly gave his life to save another. To date in 2010, the families of 148 of our fellow officers (not including our military brethren and those officers who have died in the line-of-duty serving oversees in DOD positions) will spend this holiday without their loved ones. When we give thanks to God today for all His blessings on us and our nation – founded on Christian principles – please ask Him to pour out an extra measure of love, peace and comfort on the families of those who died in the LOD. At the same time, let us first and foremost again thank God for the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ, who stood in the gap for us on the cross and thus took the “round” Satan intended for you and I.
Also on the subject of Thanksgiving, let me take this opportunity to remind our readers that it was President Abraham Lincoln who first instituted what we now celebrate as the Thanksgiving holiday. In the midst of a terrible Civil War, and shortly after he accepted Christ as his Savior, Lincoln wrote,
“The year that is drawing toward its close has been filled with the blessings of fruitful years and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the Source from which they come, others have been added which are of so extraordinary a nature that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever-watchful providence of Almighty God.
In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign states to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere, except in the theater of military conflict, while that theater has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union.
Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the field of peaceful industry to the national defense have not arrested the plow, the shuttle, or the ship; the ax has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than theretofore. Population has steadily increased notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege, and the battlefield, and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom.
No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.
It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged, as with one heart and one voice, by the whole American people. I do therefore invite my fellow-citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners, or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it, as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes, to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility, and union.”
Would that we would have such a man of faith and character leading us today!
Finally on the subject of Thanksgiving, take a moment to check out this great article written by a brother in Texas and posted on PoliceLink: http://policelink.monster.com/training/articles/147532-reflecting-on-the-meaning-of-thanksgiving.
We had a great turnout for last Thursday’s message on what is means to be Covered (see RECAP that follows). We also celebrated our first Communion service as a local fellowship. We’ll have another first this coming January – I’ll have the privilege of serving those in our LE fellowship who have accepted Christ as Savior but have not yet been baptized. I’ll have more on this in the coming weeks – stay tuned.
MESSAGE RECAP:
The God-inspired Covered concept comes to us from Chattanooga PD Officer Jonathan Parker (see http://www.coveredlawenforcement.org/). In preparing for this message, I attempted to stay true to what God gave Jon while at the same time seeking the Holy Spirit’s inspiration. In brief, our shared vision is for the Covered logo to become an internationally-recognized symbol of Christian law enforcement and an effective tool to evangelize the lost in our God-ordained profession.
The Covered logo (see above) represents the “thin blue line” of law enforcement meeting the thin red line of Christ’s blood that He shed for us as a “covering” for our sins. This line of blood represents evolution from the Old Testament sacrificial system first seen in Genesis 8 to the paschal sacrifice of the Lamb of God – Jesus Christ – in the New Testament (see Matthew 26:26-28). In Romans 4:7, Paul, quoting Psalm 28, says “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven and sins are covered.” Covered by what? The blood.
In law enforcement, we understand what is means to ask for and give “cover” to our brothers. Throughout Scripture, we find a plethora of examples of God providing cover (protection) for His people: Ezekiel, II Chronicles, Psalm 91, and many more. It should be noted that God’s “cover” was generally present when we walked in obedience with Him and was removed (lack of cover) when we are walked in sin and rebellion.
Quoting Acts 17:28, Jonathan writes, “In Him we life and move and have our being. We need His presence, His provision, His protection, His power, and His peace. We need every aspect of our lives to be covered by the immeasurable riches of the blood of Christ.”
Teaching on the “power of blood,” Alistair Begg writes, “When we contemplate the blood of the Son of God, our awe is greater, and yet we shudder as we think of the guilt of sin and the terrible penalty that the Sin-bearer (Christ) endured. Blood, always precious, is priceless when it streams from Immanuel’s side."
Finally, I expounded on the relevant teaching in Hebrews 9:1-28. V. 20 says, “This is the blood of the covenant that God commanded for you.”
Ofc. Parker writes, “The Thin Blue Line” is a colloquial term for police and the unique law enforcement subculture. Symbolized by a thin blue line surrounded on top and bottom by black, the suggestion is that a thin line of police officers is all that prevents civilized society from descending into chaos. But there is another force that separates good from evil and order from chaos. That “force” is the blood of Jesus Christ that was shed when He died on the cross to overcome death, hell, and the works of our adversary, Satan. Christians oftentimes pray to be “covered” by the blood, a prayer that recognizes the power of Jesus’ blood to cleanse us from our sins, overcome spiritual wickedness, heal disease, and provide protection from harm."
So where is YOUR cover today? Is it Christ? If not, then turn (repent) and come to him today. How can we do that? What does it mean to be “saved?” On this topic Jonathan writes,
The Bible is a story of God and His love for humanity. It begins with God walking through the Garden of Eden every night with Adam and Eve. When they sinned (you know…the “eating the apple thing”), God’s sadness is sensed when He comes looking for them and they are hiding. Sin is separation from God and the relationship He desires with us.
Salvation is much more than a one-time prayer or an escape from Hell. God’s Son Jesus died for our sins so that there would be no more separation. God wants us to experience His love, grace, protection, and friendship on a daily basis – just like the relationship He had with Adam and Eve.
Salvation is an experience, a journey, a relationship with God that begins by asking Him to forgive our sins so that there is no more separation. The journey begins in this life and continues into eternity…heaven for those who are in relationship with God and hell for those who choose to remain separated.
To begin this relationship with God – to experience salvation – say a prayer like the one that follows and then get connected with other Christians who can help you on this new journey.
Father God, I know that I have sinned and I believe your Son Jesus died for my sins. I ask you to forgive me and remove the separation between us. Help me to live each day in a way that does not offend you in this new relationship. Amen!
See www.coveredlawenforcement.org for more. I’ve also linked the Covered website here on ours.
I’ve added new prayer requests and announcements on our website (see following posts) as well. Please check back frequently and take the time to join us in praying for our colleagues.
I’ll close this week’s newsletter by wishing each of you a blessed day of Thanksgiving. It is an honor to both serve you and serve with you. Stay safe in Christ!
