The Centurion Law Enforcement Ministry: Gambling with God: The Centurion Law Enforcement Ministry Newsletter

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Gambling with God: The Centurion Law Enforcement Ministry Newsletter

Greetings Fellow Servant-Warriors!

With the annual Fellowship of Christian Peace Officers (www.FCPO.org) annual conference in Chicago just days away, this week’s newsletter comes with the wondrous anticipation of what God will have for us. I’m hoping to meet a good many of you and that in turn you will pass-on what you take from the conference to your fellow officers in your various jurisdictions around the country.

COURAGEOUS News & More:

No recap this week as we had last Thursday off so that we could gather and attend an opening night showing of Courageous. My hope is that you too made the effort to see it and were moved to change.

Also on the topic of Courageous, my friend Travis Yates of Ten-Four Ministries (www.tenfourministries.org) had Kyle Thompson (Provident Films) and I on his weekly Centurion Radio program last week to discuss Courageous from a law enforcement perspective. Check it out via the September 29th post here on our website or go to www.blogtalkradio.com/ten-four-ministries/2011/09/30/centurion-radio-29-courageous-movie

Travis has also authored a PoliceOne article on Courageous that I strongly encourage you to check out: www.policeone.com/off-duty/articles/4448140-On-courage-Honor-begins-at-home/.

While talking about Travis, my very busy brother is also hosting our mutual friend Lt. Col. Dave Grossman for a very special faith-based Bulletproof Mind presentation in Oklahoma City on October 14th. For more to go http://warriormissions.org/ -- make plans to attend!

Other News and Info:

 Bill Rhetts in California sent me the following that I’d like to share with you:
http://hi-caliber.blogspot.com/2011/10/harvest-crusade-2011-dodgers-stadium.html

 The Ministry of Law Enforcement: www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhEYpTHPxpw&feature=related

Local (Denver-Metro/Front Range) Happenings:

 This week’s meeting (Thursday, October 6th, 7:00 PM, Calvary South Denver in Littleton) will feature the teaching of law enforcement legend James “Jimmy” Wattles. Jim’s message is entitled “Gambling with God” and I really encourage everyone in the Denver-metro area to join us. All others around the country will have to wait for my recap next week…stay tuned!

 TRAINING! A FREE Church Safety & Security Seminar is being hosted by the Monument (CO) Police Department on Saturday, November 19th in Colorado Springs. Topics include:

(1) Laws as they pertain to you, your security team, and those that may come to your service.
(2) What every church should know about potential threats in our community.
(3) Computer security and ID theft, is your church computer safe?
(4) When bad things happen and the news media show up, what are you going to say?
(5) Local, State, and National resources available pre-disaster and when disaster strikes.
(6) Faith Based Readiness – what that means to each of us.

More Info? Contact Chief Jake Shirk at (719) 481-3253 or jshirk@TownOfMonument.net. Also please RSVP to the Monument Police Department by calling (719) 481-3253.
Jake shares my heart for protecting our places of worship (I teach regularly on this topic) and have participated with Jake in the past – highly recommended!

 Colorado Christian University is launching their new Criminal Justice program. For more info go to www.ccu.edu/admissions/news/news_story.asp?iNewsID=1032 or email Gabe Knipp at gknipp@ccu.edu.

 This week’s PoliceOne Training Article (Great warrior/sheepdog story with a reminder about carrying off duty – all the time!): http://www.policeone.com/off-duty/articles/4448404-Off-duty-officer-thwarts-robbery-shoots-4-suspects/?fb_ref=homepage

That’s it for this week! Short, sweet and lots of 411 to check out. Don’t forget to scroll down to the FCPO Newsletter as well. Hope to see you in Chicago for our FCPO National Conference but if not, we’ll connect next week on the World Wide Web! Stay the course and stay vigilant – in God’s strength and power (II Samuel 22:33).

Our Core Verses

COPS -- God's ministers for good and a terror against evil. We do not bear the sword in vain.

(Paraphrase...for full text, see the Bible in Romans 13:1-4)

Psalm 82:3-4

Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.

Isaiah 1:17

Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.ressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.he widow.

Colorado Law Enforcement Ministry Meeting Schedules

The Centurion Law Enforcement Ministry (FCPO-Denver)

On the local front (meaning Colorado Front Range) we typically meet for iron sharpens iron fellowship and Bible study every 2nd and 4th Tuesday evening of each month at Calvary Castle Rock. Email me for details at thecenturionministry@gmail.com or give me a shout at 720-371-1022

Men of Courage Law Enforcement Ministry

Buena Vista (CO) PD Sgt. Dean Morgan is leading a law enforcement fellowship/Bible study in Chaffee County and the surrounding area. Contact Dean at interceptor@policeone.com for more info.

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TCLEM Mission Statement

The mission of The Centurion Law Enforcement Ministry (TCLEM), is to educate law enforcement officers (police, deputies, troopers, investigators, parole/probation, corrections, military, etc.) about God's unique call on their lives as outlined in God's word (Bible) and to lead officers and their families to a saving knowledge of and close personal relationship with our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ. Through same, we also seek to positively impact our profession by raising up Christian servant-leaders and reduce our historically high rates of divorce, alcoholism, depression, suicide and related issues.

Law enforcement is a God-ordained ministry of service and protection for our society as outlined in the Bible in Romans 13. Inasmuch as our very authority as peace officers is given to us by God, TCLEM seeks to affirm our calling as servant-warriors ("sheepdogs") and leaders while at the same time developing the our spiritual, family and personal lives through Bible study, peer fellowship, and group accountability along with active involvement in a solid Christ-centered/Bible-based church. We also seek to infuse our profession with godly leaders who will in fact LEAD (serve) from a biblical world view.

What We Believe (Statement of Faith)

(1) WE BELIEVE the only true basis of Christian fellowship is Christ's sacrificial agape love, which is greater than any secondary differences we possess, and without which we have no right to claim ourselves Christians.

(2) WE BELIEVE in all the fundamental doctrines of orthodox evangelical Christianity as detailed in God's word (Bible).

(3) WE BELIEVE the sixty-six books of the Bible (i.e. Old and New Testament) comprise the totality of Holy Scripture and is inerrant in the original text, and remains God-breathed/God-inspired and infallible in all its substance, and therefore, it is the supreme and final authority in faith, theology, and life. 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21; Psalm 119:11, 89, 105.

(4) WE BELIEVE that our Lord has called us to share the Word of God in such a way that its message can be applied to an individual's life and, in particular as it relates to our service in the God-ordained calling of law enforcement. We also believe that it is the responsibility and privilege of every Christian to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ and to seek to make growing disciples. Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8.

(5) WE BELIEVE there is only One true, eternally existent God. He exists in three co-equal persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The triune God is the Creator and Sustainer of all things, and is worthy of worship and obedience. Deut. 6:4-5; Genesis 1:31, Luke 3:21-22; Matthew 28:18-20, Rev. 4:11.

(6) WE BELIEVE in one God who is Creator of heaven and earth, Spirit, personal, transcendent, sovereign, life, love, truth, almighty, simple (i.e. one without parts), timelessly eternal, unchangeable, wise, just, holy, relational, dynamic and infallible in all things.

(7) WE BELIEVE that Jesus Christ is fully God and fully human, possessing two distinct natures which are co-joined in one person, that He was miraculously conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, lived a sinless and miraculous life, provided for the atonement of our sins by His vicarious substitutionary death on the Cross, was bodily resurrected by the power of the Holy Spirit, physically ascended back to the right hand of God the Father in heaven, and lives to make intercession for us. After Jesus ascended to Heaven, He poured out His Holy Spirit on the believers in Jerusalem, enabling them to fulfill His command to preach the gospel to the entire world, an obligation shared by all believers today. John 1:1-3,14; Matthew 1:18-25; Philippians 2:5-9; Colossians 1:15; 1 Corinthians 15:1-8; Acts 1:11.

(8) WE BELIEVE that all people are by nature separated from God and responsible for their own sin, but that salvation, redemption, and forgiveness are freely offered as a gift by the Lord Jesus Christ to all based on His grace alone. When a person sincerely repents of their sin and enters into a life-saving/life-changing personal relationsship (not "religion") with Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, they are immediately born again and sealed by the Holy Spirit, all their sins are forgiven, and they become a child of God -- changed, and destined to spend eternity with Him. John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8-10; 2 Corinthians 5:21.

(9) WE BELIEVE in all the gifts of the Holy Spirit mentioned in the Scriptures, and that they are valid for today, and should be exercised within scriptural guidelines, seeking to exercise them in love that the whole Body of Christ might be edified. John 14:16-19; 16:7-15; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Romans 8:9,11; Titus 3:5.

(10) WE BELIEVE in the pre-tribulation rapture of the church, and we believe that the physical second coming of Christ with His saints to rule on the earth will be personal, premillennial, and visible. This motivates us to holy living, heart-felt worship, committed service, diligent study of God's Word, regular fellowship, and participation in the two ordinances the Lord gave the church - adult baptism by immersion and Holy Communion. Revelation 3:10, Thessalonians 5:9.

(11) WE BELIEVE there is a real personal devil of great evil, cunning, and power, who seeks to tempt, kill, steal, and destroy, yet his power is limited by God to only what God permits him to do; that the devil has been defeated positionally at the cross of Christ, and will be defeated practically at Christ's glorious second coming which will ultimately eventuate in the quarantine and punishment of the Satan (aka the Devil, Beast, and False Prophet, etc.) in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone where they will be tormented day and night forever (what has been traditionally called "Hell"). Luke 10:18; Matthew 4:10; John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11, etc.

(12) WE BELIEVE that our Lord is clear that there is ONLY ONE WAY to Christ and that is through a life-changing personal relationship with the Risen Savior. Jesus told his disciples, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6). He did not merely point the way to God. He himself claimed to be the only way to the Father and the source of eternal truth and life. The way to God is through personal faith in Jesus Christ. Intellectual acceptance of Christ is not enough. You must come to him determined to turn from what displeases him, with a total trust in Christ's saving power for you.

Are you ready to receive Christ today? If so, scroll up towards the top of this page to the links under How Can I be Saved (AKA True "Officer Safety"). Please feel free to contact me if you need help in this area -- it would be my honour to lead you "home" to Christ!

If you sincerely put your faith in Christ, God promises not only to forgive you, but also to receive you into his family. It's the greatest discovery you will ever make!

Donate to the Centurion Law Enforcement Ministry

We do accept donations to support our ministry and outreach, including but not limited to leading officers to Christ, support for wounded officers; "officer down" outreach; chaplain and counseling services; speaking engagements; website expenses; ministry apparel, etc. Donations can be made out to The Centurion Law Enforcement Ministry and mailed to

P.O. Box 630854
Littleton, CO 80163

That said, support your church first...and then donate if the Holy Spirit inspires you to do so. Thanks in advance for your support.