Cops and Christmas

Fellow Sheepdog Warriors:

This Saturday marks the fourth Christmas for The Centurion Law Enforcement Ministry (TCLEM) and no doubt a great many of us will be working the holiday as sheepdogs guarding the sheep we are called to serve and protect under the direction of the Great Shepherd. Our mission is to preserve “peace on earth” by the strength and grace of our Supreme Chief of Police. That said, it is vital that we have a proper understanding of the holiday we are about to celebrate. Rest assured, God did not send His only Son into the world with the mission of ultimately being tortured and killed on the cross – literally taking the “bullet” intended and deserved by you and I – to see it become a “happy holidays” abomination. So what then is CHRISTmas? In all truth, it is a Cop’s Story, the title of last week’s TCLEM/FCPO-Denver study. As promised, here’s the MESSAGE RECAP:

Our text came primarily from Luke 2:8-20. What does this and all other passages concerning the coming of the Christ child truly mean? Taken as a whole, the true meaning of CHRISTmas is love. Our Lord tells us in John 3:16-17 that He (God) loved us so much that “…he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him." The true meaning of CHRISTmas is therefore the celebration of this incredible act of love -- the celebration of God incarnate coming to us as a human being in the Person of Jesus Christ. Why? Because He loves us and because we needed a Savior! Why do we celebrate Christmas each year? To celebrate and honor our Lord for what He did for us -- to remember His birth in such ways as giving each other gifts, worshipping Him, and being especially conscious of the poor and less fortunate.

Out of His love for us, God provided a way -- the only Way -- for us to spend eternity with Him. He gave His only Son to take our punishment for our sins. He paid the price in full, and we are free from condemnation when we accept that free gift of love. "But God demonstrated His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).

Moreover, Christ’s story is truly a “COP’S STORY.” “Huh” you say? Read on!

-- Christ’s calling is a cop’s calling: Jesus, like us, answered His Father’s call on His life. Like us, He ran TO the battle instead of away from it.

-- Christ came into the world to battle evil head on and receive the “gunfire” rightfully intended for you and I because of our sin. He personified love in its purest form: Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:13)

-- Finally, note that Christ not only died for us, but He came back for us (He won’t leave His “true believers” behind).

So in what way can we truly honor and remember Christ’s birth? Our Lord came for one primary purpose – to make a way for you and I to be able to live a truly meaningful existence in this life followed by spending eternity with Him in paradise. Let’s honor His sacrifice by turning (repenting) from our sin and asking Him into our lives as Lord and Savior – what it means to be “born again” (see http://www.gotquestions.org/born-again.html). If you’ve already taken this all-important eternal step but have not been following Him as you should, then seek His forgiveness today and get on fire for our Lord.

Dr. Michael Youseff, a gifted Bible teacher whom I truly respect, taught a short message on the real meaning of Christmas (The Wonder of His Love) that goes right along with mine. Check it out at http://www.leadingtheway.org/site/PageServer?pagename=sto_feature.


FCPO-Denver NEWS

-- Don’t forget that we are NOT meeting this Thursday (Dec. 23rd) but we WILL be meeting for the last time in 2010 next on Thursday, December 30th, starting at 7 PM at Calvary South Denver in Littleton. We will be discussing both where we’ve been as a ministry and where we’ll be heading in 2011. Invite a friend or colleague and join us.

-- Don’t forget to check the latest meeting schedules, prayer requests, and other news and updates posted here on our website.

-- Baptism!! We are planning our first annual baptism event! We’re set to go on Saturday, January 15th, at Southern Gables Church in Littleton. If you’ve come to Christ but have not been baptized since then, please plan on joining us at our January 6th meeting where I’ll be teaching on this act of obedience and going over the details.


TCLEM and COVERED!

Chattanooga (TN) PD officer and fellow ministry leader Jonathan Parker has featured us on his outstanding website! Check it out at
http://coveredlawenforcement.wordpress.com/read-the-blog/. Are YOU covered? Go to http://www.coveredlawenforcement.org/ to learn more.


SPEAKING OF CHRISTMAS GIFTS…

If you’re not made your end-of-year gift to The Centurion Law Enforcement Ministry, then let me lovingly and respectfully encourage you to do so. Your offering will do much to help us spread the Gospel message to our fellow warriors who do not yet know Christ as Savior as well as supporting and encouraging those who either fallen away or are seeking the deeper things of God.

Donations can be made out to The Centurion Law Enforcement Ministry and mailed to my attention at:
P.O. Box 630854
Littleton, CO 80163

That said, support your church first...and then donate as the Holy Spirit leads you to do so. Thanks in advance for your support. Regardless, please include us in your prayers.


Also on the subject of Christmas and Christmas gifts…

I’ve received the much-anticipated devotional book Stories of Faith and Courage from Cops on the Street and I can’t recommend it enough. Some of our regulars who made it to last week’s FCPO-Denver meeting received a copy as my Christmas gift to them and I’ll have a few more to give out this week (you snooze, you lose). I had the honor of writing three of the published stories and an endorsement to boot. To learn more and order your own copy, go to http://www.copsonthestreet.com/.

The book includes a great story entitled “Cops, Christmas and Honor” written by Malverne (NY) PD Lt. Stan Kid that serves as a great way to close our CHRISTmas newsletter:

Psalm 116:15 Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.

In 1974, when I first joined the police department, I knew there would be special occasions my family would spend without me. Knowing that didn't make the task any easier. The celebrations I missed during those first years depressed me and sometimes made me feel bitter. Working on Christmas Eve was always the worst. It felt like a thankless job. On Christmas Eve in 1977, I learned that blessings can come disguised as misfortune, and honor is more than just a word.

I was riding one-man patrol on the 4:00 p.m. to midnight shift. The night was cold. Everywhere I drove I saw reminders of the holidays. Families were packing their cars with presents. Beautifully decorated Christmas trees in living room windows and roofs adorned with tiny sleighs made me feel even more sorry for myself.

The evening had been relatively quiet. There were calls for a barking dog, a minor auto accident, a false burglar alarm. There was nothing to make the night go faster. I thought of my own family and sank more deeply into depression.

Shortly after 10:00 p.m., I got a radio call to the home of an elderly cancer patient. I stopped in front of a simple Cape Cod style house. First-aid kit in hand, I walked up the path to the front door. As I approached, a woman who seemed about 80 years old opened the door. "He's in here," she said, leading me into the back bedroom.

We passed through a living room furnished in a style I had come to associate with older people. The sofa had an afghan blanket draped over its back and a dark, solid colored Queen Anne chair sat next to an unused fireplace. The mantle was cluttered with an eclectic mix of several photos, some porcelain figurines and an antique clock. A floor lamp provided soft lighting.

We entered a small back bedroom where a frail looking old man lay in the bed with a blanket pulled up to his chin. He wore a blank stare on his ashen, skeletal face. His breathing was shallow; he was barely alive.

The trappings of illness were all around the bed. The nightstand was littered with a large number of pill vials. An oxygen bottle stood nearby, its thin plastic hose, with facemask attached, rested on the blanket.

I asked the woman why she called for the police. She simply shrugged and nodded sadly toward her husband, indicating it was his request. I looked at him and he stared intently into my eyes. He seemed relaxed now. I didn't understand the suddenly-calm expression on his face.

I looked around the room again. A dresser stood along the wall to the left of the bed. On it were the usual memorabilia--ornate perfume bottles, a white porcelain pin case and a wooden jewelry tray. There were also several photos in simple frames. One caught my eye and I walked to the dresser for a closer look. The picture showed a young man wearing a police uniform. It was unmistakably a photo of the man in the bed. I knew then why I was there.

I looked at the old man and he motioned with his head toward the side of his bed. I walked over and stood beside him. He slid a thin arm from under the covers and took my hand. Soon, I felt his hand go limp. I looked at his face. There was no fear there. I saw only peace.

He knew he was dying; he was aware his time was very near. I know now that he was afraid of what was about to happen and he wanted the protection of a fellow cop on his journey.

A caring God had seen to it that His child would be delivered safely to Him. The honor of being his escort fell to me.

Since that night, I have considered it a high honor to be present at the moment of a person's death. As a cop, I have had that honor many times and feel I have been given a very special responsibility: ensuring someone's safe passage home to his or her Father.

I no longer feel sorry for myself for having to work on Christmas Eve. I have chosen an honorable profession. I pray that when my time comes to leave this world that there will be a cop there to hold my hand and let me know I have nothing to fear.


Finally, please take the time to remember and pray for our military brothers and sisters serving in harm’s way this CHRISTmas. Include their loved ones in your prayers as well.

My prayer is that all of you – my fellow servant-warriors – will have a safe and joyous celebration of our Savior’s birth and THE ultimate mission that came with it.
Merry Christmas!