The Lord's Centurion

The namesake for our ministry (the centurions of Jesus' time) is the focus of this week's Centurion Law Enforcement Ministry Bible study: The Lord's Centurion</b>.

A Call for Courage

 The need for genuine, biblical courage has never been greater:  A Call for Courage.

MC

David, Goliath and You

So important that we get this right (the David and Goliath story is often misapplied).  

David, Goliath and YOU.

MC

Samson -- A Cop's Story

So much application for us in law enforcement through the life of Samson.

Samson -- A Cop's Story

MC

Our D-Day: Overcoming Lawlessness

Here's last week's Centurion newsletter and Bible study (D-Day special):  Overcoming Lawlessness (evil).

Cops at the Cross -- an Easter "Crime" Scene

Wishing all our readers a most blessed Resurrection Sunday (what most call "Easter").  Here then is my 2019 "Easter" newsletter and Bible study: "Cops at the Cross." 
HE HAS RISEN! 

MC

Mighty God!

I got a bit behind in my updating here (as always, the best way to get these newsletters/Bible studies is via email (contact me at thecenturionministry@gmail.com to get added to the list) and via my social media feeds (my The Centurion Law Enforcement Ministry page on Facebook, for example). That said, getting caught up now with "Mighty God."

Happy New Year!

MC

Rest in Peace?

So important that we understand what "RIP" (Rest In Peace) means and to whom (and ONLY to whom) it actually applies.  Here then is "Rest in Peace?" (pass it on).

MC

As Iron Sharpens Iron

And here's last week's Centurion newsletter and Bible study:  As Iron Sharpens Iron

God's Standard for Success

Here's the Centurion Law Enforcement Ministry newsletter and Bible study for week of June 3rd: God's Standard for Success (hint -- it's not the bogus, unbiblical "prosperity gospel" mess). 

MC

God's Standard for Success

Here's the newsletter and Bible study from the week of June 3, 2018: "God's Standard for Success."

MC

Blessed are the Peacemakers??

Important/updated post on a passage of scripture that is NOT about us in law enforcement (UNLESS...):
Blessed are the Peacemakers?

Questions?  Email at me thecenturionministry@gmail.com.

A Christian Warrior's Armor and Weapons of Warfare

Note yet on the email list?  Not following on Twitter or Facebook?  Here then is last week's warrior-focused newsletter and Bible study:  A Christian Warrior's Armor and Weapons.

Have a blessed Thanksgiving!

MC and Diana.

Called to Integrity

Miss an edition or not yet on the email list (just email me at thecenturionministry@yahoo.com and I'll get you added)? Then here again is "Called to Integrity."

Have a safe week on the street while being radically bold in Christ.

MC

Samson -- Hero to Zero

Not yet on our email list (just email me at thecenturionministry@yahoo.com and I'll get you added)? If so, here's last week's newsletter and Bible study with powerful application to all of us (and us guys in particular): Samson - Hero to Zero.

MC

A Cop's Power

Here's last week's newsletter and Bible study -- A Cop's Power. As always, the best way to get these is via email or following me on social media ("MC Williams" or "The Centurion Law Enforcement Ministry" on Facebook, for example).
Blessings!
MC

The Resurrection Crime Scene

Here's a re-post of our special Easter (Resurrection Day) newsletter and Bible study (a most important one): The Resurrection Crime Scene.

Blessings!
MC

Association vs. Transformation

As always, here's the repost of last week's Centurion Law Enforcement Ministry newsletter and Bible study (part 2 of our 2-part series on the salvation a 1st Century cop -- Cornelius the centurion): Association vs. Transformation. The "translation" short story? Religion (association) is not the same as a life-saving/life-changing RELATIONSHIP (transformation) with the risen Savior.

Be safe on the street but radically bold in Christ.

MC

A Centurion's (Cop's) Testimony

As before, this week's Centurion Law Enforcement Ministry/Fellowship of Christian Peace Officers (FCPO) newsletter and profession-focused Bible study has gone out to our email subscribers and via our social media pages but here it is again in this venue. Also don't forget to check out the prayer requests, resources, upcoming events and more. Here's "A Centurion's Testimony." Pass it on!

MC

Undeniable Evidence (TCLEM Newsletter) and FCPO-Denver Chartering Announcement

Fellow Warriors:

Despite another incredibly rough week/Easter weekend for us in law enforcement (we're now up to 63 LODD so far in 2011 -- 30 from felonious gunfire), our hope -- our ONLY hope -- is in Christ and as such I hope you had a glorious celebration of our Savior's resurrection (He has risen -- He has riden INDEED!).
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MESSAGE RECAP: The Cop at the Cross

What is particularly noteworthy for us in law enforcement as it relates to Easter is the huge role police officers played in Christ's torture, crucifixion and resurrection. Yes -- police officers. Both those who arrested our Lord and those who crucified Him and then guarded His tomb fulfilled the role of police officers in Jesus' day. The Roman centurions and those under their command were both soldiers and peace keepers. Moreover, the Bible reveals a number of points that leads us to an inescable conclusion: that a number of the police officers present for Christ's death on the cross came to believe (life-changing/life-saving belief) in who He truly was -- God in the flesh. To support this position, check out the following eight main pieces of scripture-based EVIDENCE leading to the conversion of the centurion (cop) at the cross:

(1) Luke 23:23 and Matthew 27:24: Pilate (judge) declares Christ innocent but has him tortured and killed (murdered) anyway! The centurion who witnessed Christ's death was also very likely present for this miscarriage of justice and took note that condemning someone that the supreme "judge" of the land pronounced as innocent was was an exceedingly unusual event even in light of "typical" Roman chacanery.

(2) Luke 23:28: The centurion and his officers witness the concern that the unrecognizable (due to the extreme torture Christ was subjected to at the hands of other soldiers), condemned man displayed for a group of women. Given the totality of circumstances, they were undoubtedly dumbfounded by the repeated evidence that our Lord showed more concern for others -- and women in particular -- than he did for himself.

(3) Mark 15:23 reveals the fact that Christ refused to drink the wine mixed with myrrh (a strong narcotic) which would have certainly dulled his extreme pain (our Lord had work to do on the cross and would not allow Himself to be dulled by drugs). Anyone else would have begged for that relief. Again -- compelling EVIDENCE!

(4) Luke 23:34-43: Christ forgives the officers who have brutalized Him and then forgives the thief who repents and turns to Him as they both hang in agony on their crosses! This would have been shocking to the centurion and the offices with him -- such things had never occurred before (it is estimated that the Romans had already crucified some 30,000 men during the time of their occupation in Palestine).

(5) Luke 23:44 reveals the darkness that suddenly envelops them when it had only moments before been broad daylight (the "sixth hour" is NOON)! Again, the evidence was clear, overwhelming and undeniable.

(6) In Matthew 27:46 we learn that the centurion and his men hear our Lord cry out to the Father -- a clear fulfillment of David's prophesy in Psalm 22 revealing that Jesus was expressing the agony of separation with God the Father -- yet another powerful piece of evidence.

(7) From John 19:30 and Luke 23:46, we see that the centurion hears our Lord deliver a shout of completion. Not the expected "...I am finished" but rather a commanding, "It is finished!" Those present had never heard anything like that before or since.

(8) Finally, the centurion and the other peace officers experienced the violent, rock-splitting earthquake described in Matthew 27:51. In Jewish culture, earthquakes were a well-accepted sign of the presence of God and a Roman centurion's training would have prepared him in advance for such beliefs.

The evidence presented to the centurion and his men was overwhelming and undeniable: the man they had tortured, mocked and murdered (what we today would clearly interpret as an illegal order to kill an innocent man) was the Son of God (Matthew 27:54)! Note that the context in the Greek is exceedingly clear -- not "a son of God" or "a son of a god" but rather that Christ WAS God.

Based on the evidence, we see that it was a Roman peace officer(s) who is the first Gentile convert to Christ after His death. Note further that the evidence does not end there -- the resurrection reveals even more insurrmountable evidence (a message for another day...stay tuned)!

What about you? In the face of undeniable evidence, are you ready to finally say "yes" to the risent Savior? If so, go to the left side of this page and scroll down to the "Are you a TRUE Christian (How to be RIGHT with God)?" links.

* Special thanks to Dr. Stephen Davey for notes taken from his sermon on this topic.
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DENVER-AREA NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS:

(1) As previously announced, our Denver-area fellowship group will become an officially chartered Fellowship of Christian Peace Officers (FCPO) chapter this Thursday (April 28th) starting at 6:30 PM at Calvary Chapel South Denver (www.calvarycsd.org) in Littleton. A free dinner (to you guys anyway :) will be served and FCPO Exec. Director Lamar Moore from Tennesee will be sharing with us. All are invited but do me a huge favor and shoot me an RSVP to fullarmor911@yahoo.com if you're coming.

(2) The latest PRAYER REQUESTS and the FCPO-Denver MEETING SCHEDULE have been posted here on the website (scroll down) and are updated on a near-daily basis -- please check back frequently.
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That's it for this week's newsletter but I'll likely have another "APB" that I'll send out later this week as part of testing out our pending new email system...stay tuned.

Be safe out there and watch your brothers' and sisters' backs while at the same time carrying out the Great Commission (command, not suggestion) to the mission field of law enforcement.