Being a "Rich" Cop: TCLEM Newsletter

Fellow Servant-Warriors:

We had a great turnout for our tactical, profession-relevant Bible study in Aurora last week. One of our new Aurora regulars had the courage to keep “bugging” an unsaved fellow officer who showed up and had the courage to admit he does not know Christ as Savior and Lord. We are working on that…please keep this warrior in prayer! Our study topic – Slaying Your Giants – was right on target for all of us and I’ve laid-out the RECAP below. I encourage you to adapt it to your own personal or group studies.

This week’s study asks the question, “Are you a Rich Cop?” and is adapted from the upcoming film Courageous. We’re meeting at 1900 hours at Calvary South Denver in Littleton and of course I’ll have a yet another detailed recap for everyone else serving all over the US and world-wide. Stay tuned!

With that, please take the time to check out the latest PRAYER REQUESTS, announcements, meeting schedules and more right here on our website. In addition, I encourage you to avail yourself of the following:


TRAINING CORNER:

(1) Running TO the Battle! Have you been trained to run away or TO the sound of gunfire? Go to www.policemag.com/Channel/Patrol/Articles/2011/08/Are-We-Teaching-Cops-To-Run.aspx?ref=OnTarget-Tuesday-20110823&utm_source=Email&utm_medium=Enewsletter

(2) Fellowship of Christian Peace Officers (FCPO) National Conference! October 7-9 in Chicago. Outstanding speakers and Christian servant-warrior fellowship (Bring your wives!). Go to www.FCPO.org and click on the Summer 2011 Newsletter link at the top for details. Hope to see you there!

(3) Denver-area TRAINING:

(a) Colorado State Investigators Association (CSIA) Conference. October 5-6 in Highlands Ranch. Go to www.CSIAinc.org and scroll down to the conference info and registration links.

(b) Colorado Police Protective Association (CPPA) Conference. CPPA Conference: Sept. 16-17 in Lone Tree. Go to www.cppa.net and click on the conference link at the top.


DENVER-AREA NEWS:

(1) COURAGEOUS Update: KRKS 94.7 FM is giving away FREE TICKETS for a September 20th showing (10 days before official release)! Go to www.947krks.com/ and click on the link in the upper left corner.

(2) Rock the Range (www.billygraham.org/specialsections/rocktherange/RockTheRange.asp) is seeking uniformed, sworn officers to volunteer some time to provide security at this special event this weekend. Shoot me an email if you’re interested and I’ll put you in touch with the right people.

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Message RECAP: “Slaying Your Giants”

Essentially the sequel to the study I did previously on how God used David to slay Isreal’s evil giant (Goliath – I Samuel 17:31-58), II Samuel 21:15-22 reveals a group of David’s warriors (cops/soldiers) who go on to take out Goliath’s kids – equally imposing giants – by the same power with which David defeated their father. Goliath and his children are metaphors for the giants (evil, trials, etc.) we all face in our lives today on a daily basis and the fact that it was God who actually won the victories. It is safe to say that it was ONLY through God’s power that these giants were slain and it is ONLY through that same power that you can overcome your own giants today. God’s inerrant word – the Bible – is replete with the truth that He takes care of His own (those of us who have turned to Him as Lord and Savior) so long as we rely on Him and Him alone. By the same token, defeat and disaster was (is) always the result of folks who are in sin or insist on doing things by their own "power" without His blessing and support.

Rest assured, we are at war against the powers of darkness from a law enforcement and military standpoint but also spiritually as well. In addition, we face our own self-imposed giants of sin along with the giants God sends to test us, grow us and force us to look to Him for THE winning battle plan. That said, the devil and his legions want nothing more than to see those of us standing “in the breach” be defeated on a personal level.

(1) 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 reads, For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in GOD, for pulling down strongholds...

(2) 1 Pet. 5:8 tells us, Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

Just like the earthly offensive and defensive weapons we carry as cops, our Father has given us powerful weapons to combat evil in this world. But, like my own physical training and tactical study, we also need to be in training for spiritual warfare. How? Through Bible study, prayer, fellowship (iron sharpens iron), etc.

Psalm 144:1 reads, Praise be the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle.

Folks, know that we will never experience God in powerful ways by acquiring biblical knowledge alone. It is only when that knowledge is used in the heat of battle that you will know what you’ve learned in the Word. Otherwise, it remains only an exercise -- training that yields little fruit. We can train all we want but it is when we put that training into practice – with the added pressure of “real deal” combat – that we see how truly prepared we are. David became a great warrior and a LEADER of a nation at an early age. His training ground was his job protecting the sheep from wild beasts. That training ground prepared him for his combat with Goliath – and it served him well.

I remain convinced that God's true warriors long for the sting of battle but with the proviso that – for the Christian -- God fights the battle for us and calls us to STAND.

Bottom line is that God has given us the weapons and strength (Philippians 4:13) to slay the giants we face daily so long as we are walking in obedience and in accordance with His will.

Now note that I’m not talking about a false “name it and claim it” theology or the equally false “binding Satan” garbage (we don’t have that power but God does) but rather the understanding that if we know Christ as Savior and Lord, we need not fear an earthly death because have the assurance of our salvation. Save for rapture, we will ALL die and we can be assured that trials will come our way (see www.openbible.info/topics/trials_and_tribulations) but our Captain will go before us to help us overcome ANY giant that comes our way. Yes, we may (will) become ill, suffer injuries, face financial problems, and so much more. However, the true believer can trust that our loving and all-powerful Lord will always be with us and never forsake us (Hebrews 13:5-6, Romans 8:31-39, II Corinthians 4:7-11, Deuteronomy 31:6…)! In short, God is calling us to live a victorious, giant-slaying life despite the hardships we WILL face.

Examples of GIANTS:

(1) The giant of FEAR (doubt, insecurity, delusion, etc.) -- Numbers 13:33 and 14:11; Hebrews 3:12-19

(2) The giant of DIFFICULTY (financial issues, illness, family/marital problems, etc.) -- Genesis 18:14

(3) The giant of SIN (alcohol, drugs, pornography, anger, adultery/sexual sin, making a "god" of work/sports/hobbies, failure to lead/serve our wives and kids, etc.).


Slaying your Giants:

(1) The promises of God are true – Numbers 13:27, 14:8.

(2) Look at your giants from God’s perspective – Numbers 13:30, 14:9 (what an awesome example is Caleb).

(3) Approach your giants with boldness with Christ as our Captain – Numbers 14:9, I Samuel 17:45.

(4) Lean/depend on the Holy Spirit! Romans 8 and Acts 1:8. The Holy Spirit brings the power of God into our lives and says, “You are a child of God -- be a champion for Christ!”


Finally, it is ESSENTIAL to understand that defeating our giants is solely dependent on being in a right relationship with God in Christ! Take note -- you cannot defeat your giants or be victorious in battle without first knowing/walking with the Captain who fights the battle for us. You can’t have any true success at walking in obedience without the One who gives you the power – the Holy Spirit. You can’t have the Holy Spirit unless you know the One who sent Him: Jesus Christ!

Is that you? Have you entered into a life-changing/life-saving RELATIONSHIP (not religion) with the risen Savior? If not, then let me urge you to say “yes” to Him today. Go to www.fcpo.org/christian.html and take the “Good Person Test.” Don’t wait – there are giants in the land and God is waiting for you to step out into the field and be used by Him to do the slaying!

I’ll close by once again directing you to this Steve Camp’s Run to the Battle YouTube video set to scenes from Braveheart: www.youtube.com/watch?v=jL7cL_p5_84.

Run TO the battle! Get into the fight! Engage and slay your giants as you march forth with our true Commander in Chief, Jesus Christ! Do it NOW!