Cops Pounding Nails: TCLEM/FCPO Newsletter for Week of April 1, 2012

This week I'm sharing the recap of Part 2 of Denver PD Officer Rob Parks' presentation at our March 22nd "Cop Church" fellowship. I've entitled it "Cops and Marital Communication 101" (from God's perspective, of course). Scroll down for more.

In addition, we're back "in the fight" for our Thursday, April 5th fellowship meeting where I'll share my annual (but always different) warrior-relevant Easter message that I've entitled, "Cops Pounding Nails" (Yes "Virginia," law enforcement/military officers played major roles in Christ's arrest, trial, crucifixion and resurrection). We start at 7 PM at Calvary South Denver in Littleton (not sure which room yet -- just follow the signs).

I'll of course include a detailed recap and perhaps even an audio file in next week's newsletter for our readers all over the US, Canada and the world to use, apply and pass-on to your fellow law enforcement and military colleagues.

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Cops and "Marital Communication 101" -- from God's Perspective

As part of their message to us at our March 22nd "cop church" fellowship, Officer Rob Parks and his bride Angela shared the following based on Ephesians chapters 4 and 5 (Rob recommends reading those chapters in their entirety). Entitled Talk the Talk: Genuine Communication and Countering the Culture of the "Ball and Chain", this part of their message centered around two major issues in marital communication:

(1) How we (cops and anyone else for that matter) communicate WITH our spouse.
(2) How we communicate ABOUT our spouse.

In speaking on communication, the Parks used a lego piece from their kids' extensive collection and pointed out how every harsh word WITH our spouses adds a proverbial lego piece to the point that we've built entire walls between us. Rob also presented a few short rules aimed at keeping the lego pieces (and "keeping the peace") to a minimum:

(1) No harsh talk between spouses.
(2) No talk of divorce -- EVER (not even joking -- and it is not an option for Christian couples).

Rob further pointed out that we cannot discuss marital issues without considering the kids -- "...they are an inextricable part of life." (now I'll have to find a way to use "inextricable" in a police report :). Moreover, Rob stated that our kids will "learn to treat their future wives by how you treat mommy" and that we routinely wound our children with our choice of words. In addition, Rob shared the following two quotes from Paul Lewis and Frederick Douglass, respectively: "A father's words are like a thermostat that sets the temperature in the house." "It is easier to build strong children than to fix broken men."

In terms of communicating ABOUT our spouses, Rob used the "ball and chain" expression as an example of what NOT to do in front of our peers (especially within the law enforcement "culture of cool") and that "trash talking" about them is representative of a lack of character (foundational beliefs) while adding yet another "lego" to the proverbial "wall."

Rob and Angela concluded by asking a number of thought and prayer provoking questions, including but not limited to:

(1) When we are with our spouses, are we really listening or just waiting for our turn to speak?
(2) Do we admit when we are wrong? Do we both forgive and ask forgiveness? Are we willing to change our behavior (God can and will give us the power to do so)?
(3) Have or will you genuinely ask your spouse if there are any "lego" pieces that need to be addressed (removed) in your marriage? What "walls" need to be torn down?
(4) How do you talk about your spouse in front of others? What kind of witness are you presenting when you talk about your spouse/marriage? Are you developing any self-fulfilling prophesies based on how you view, think or talk about your spouse?

The bottom line is that God has a plan for successful marriage. Are you seeking and following it? If not, seek His forgiveness and ask Him to help you be the loving spouse and parent He has called you to be (and know that we're here to help).

We're looking forward to having Rob and Angela back again soon.

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National News, Prayer Requests & Announcements...


...are posted on this website and updated regularly. This newsletter was also re-posted on our Facebook pages (don't forget to "LIKE" and share with us there). That said, here are just a few more pressing announcements:

(1) If you've not yet signed up for the Sgt. John Baker Golf Classic (a Fellowship of Christian Peace Officers national charity event) in Chattanooga (TN), let me again encourage you to do so. Yes, I know what my friend Lt. Col. Dave Grossman says about golf (I concur) but this is a tremendous op to both have some fun and at the same time support our national outreach to law enforcement personnel and their families.

(2) WEST COAST NEWS: Greg Laurie' s church in CA has started a new outreach to law enforcement that saw some 75 first responders come for their first meeting -- including 7 who recommited their lives to Christ! I've posted a link to the Badges Ministry here on our website (left side under "Additional Christian Law Enforcement Sites...") and/or simply click here on Badges Ministry.


(4) Georgia State Trooper-turned-minister Brian Stewart of

Simple Message Ministries (LEOsforHIM) and his "Daily Armor for Cops" email devotions sends the following reference a special cruise for LEOs and their spouses. He writes,

"Its time you took a break! Bring your spouse and join us for a cruise to the Bahamas departing from Cape Canaveral FL August 17th - 19th, 2012. We will be aboard the "Monarch of the Seas" and ports of call will include Nassau and Cococay. The movie Courageous will be shown the first night and I will follow that up the next morning with a 2-3 hour teaching session on being the man God designed us to be in the home. The cost is only $379 per person which is strictly for the cost of the cruise (no money goes to our ministry). Book your cabin today. For more information contact us at 478-256-2497 or via email: info@reachingcops.com. "
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DENVER AREA NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS


(1) The 2012 Truth Retreat is set for April 13-14 in Estes Park, CO. Quite a few of those involved our Thursday TCLEM/FCPO-Denver fellowship also attend the warrior-relevant TRUTH service at Calvary South Denver on Tuesday nights and our annual retreat is a "game changer" (life-changing event) to say the least. We may still have a few spots left -- contact me for details --but hurry as payment is due by this coming Sunday (April 8th).

(2) Calvary Chapel Aurora News:

If you've not been to "church" in a long time (or ever) and you're in the Denver area, I can't recommend Pastor Ed Taylor and Calvary Aurora enough. They will be having a plethora of Easter events (Good Friday service, two Saturday services, and three on Easter Sunday). They are also hosting a marriage ministry, a marriage retreat in May and a "Men of Courage" retreat (from the movie Courageous) in June. Most importantly, Ed has a heart for leading the lost to Christ and offers that opportunity at EVERY service. For more click on Calvary Chapel Aurora.

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Time to go "10-8" again and Run to the Battle. Let's continue to stay battle focused and fully engaged in "the fight" while at the same time always training hard and exercising solid offficer safety in the field.

Please feel free to CONTACT me if I can be of service.


Det. Sgt. & Chaplain M.C. Williams
Director, The Centurion Law Enforcement Ministry
Vice President, Fellowship of Christiain Peace Officers - USA

On Cops and Marriage: The Rob Parks Story (TCLEM Newsletter for Week of March 25, 2012)

Veteran Denver PD Officer Rob Parks was our special guest speaker at last Thursday's Centurion Law Enforcement Ministry/FCPO-Denver "Cop Church" fellowship at Calvary South Denver in Littleton.

In the RECAP below, I've attempted to summarize Rob's presentation for all our readers throughout the country in the hope that you will prayerfully use/adapt these biblical principles to your own lives and devotions. We'll have Rob back again in the near future for "Part 2!"

As previously announced in last week's newsletter and here on our website (see schedules on left side), the is NO MEETING this Thursday (we typically take off the last Thursday of the month -- especially if we've got 5 of them in a given month)! That said, we'll be back at on Thursday, April 5th, at Calvary South Denver in Littleton. Stay tuned for more (next week's newsletter) and by all means read on for the RECAP, news and other announcements on the national level.

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Living a Life Worthy of a Cop's Calling


A number of recent events involving my fellow officers both here at home and across the country has served as a Holy Spirit-inspired prompt to share a brief devotion/reminder about both who we are in Christ (if we know Him as Lord and Savior) and as his ordained ministers for good and a terror against evil (Romans 13:1-4). Fellow servant-warriors, God has CALLED us to life a life worthy of the calling (Ephesians 4:1-6) both on and off duty. Are you leading others astray or into sin by your example? Are you leading others to Christ? Are you glorifying God in your work or are you a ROD ("retired on duty")? Are you spending time in fellowship with other believers ("church," Centurion Ministry and/or FCPO/POFCI fellowship)? Do you allow yourself to be held accountable by your brothers and sisters in Christ? Are you daily spending time in His Word (the Bible) and in prayer? Are you striving to be the godly father and husband our Lord has called/commanded you to be?

Rest assured, God is calling us to train like warriors and athletes in seeking/growing in our relationship (not religion) with Him (click on 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 for more on this).

My friends with the Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry have an outstanding short study on the concept of living a life worthy of the calling that I highly recommend. Click on LIVE WORTHY OF YOUR CALLING and ask our loving Lord to help you do just that.

Retired LAPD officer and fellow Bible teacher Bill Rhetts has produced a great short video (under 4 minutes) that serves as an excellent great conclusion to this concept: When Christians Help Others to Sin.

Finally, if you have not yet made a decision for Christ (what it means to become a "Christian" -- a follower of "The Way"), let me again encourage you to do so today -- NOW -- as tomorrow is promised to no one and there are NO SECOND CHANCES if you pass away without being in a right-relationship with God in Christ. How? Go to the left side of this website and scroll down to the links under How Can I Be Saved (aka True "Officer Safety"). Feel free to contact me if you need help in making this all-important life-changing/life-saving eternal choice.
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Message RECAP: On Cops and Marriage -- The Officer Rob Parks Story


Denver PD Officer Rob Parks is an eleven-year veteran who not only understands God's call on his life in law enforcement but also has a heart for biblical marriages. Last Thursday Rob shared with us what I've called "Part 1" of what we hope to be a series on law enforcement marriage and family issues.

Rob shared part of his powerful testimony (certainly not always a "boy scout") and rightly pointed out that God is calling husbands to evangelize their wives and to take a stand against the "police culture" that makes it "cool" to "slam" our spouses in front of our fellow officers (marriage is often de-valued or not valued at all in the law enforcement culture). Rob added, "How we talk about our spouses at work and in front of the kids has a direct impact on our marriages." He also asked the questions, "How do you talk ABOUT your spouse?" and "How do you talk TO your spouse?"

Rob talked about the importance of "debriefing" with our spouses during which we can identify spiritual attacks on our marriages and prayerfully develop a biblical, tactical defense and response to those attacks (rest assured, the enemy -- Satan -- will do everything in his power to undermine biblical marriage).

Rob concluded his presentation with this statement and question: "As cops we are willing to take a bullet for our spouses but are we willing to LIVE for them?"

Officer Parks shared the following passages from God's Word that I strongly recommend you study and apply to your marriages:

On taming (controlling) the tongue:
James 3
Proverbs 18:21
Proverbs 12:18
Proverbs 18:6
Proverbs 21:23

Finally -- on sacrificially loving and serving one another: Ephesians 5:21-33.

Next week I'll post some additional points from Rob's presentation dealing with marital communication -- stay tuned!

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News, Prayer Requests & Announcements...


...are posted here on our website and updated regularly. This newsletter has also be re-posted on our Facebook pages (don't forget to "LIKE" and share with us there -- see the FB links on the left side of this website). That said, here are just a few more pressing announcements and a great short video from Ron Moore about praying for your friends and family who either don't know Christ as Savior and Lord or who do are in a backslidden state.

(1) Sgt. John Baker Golf Classic (A Fellowship of Christian Peace Officers national charity event)

(2) Cops Fighting Cancer Benefit

(3) How to Pray for your Unsaved Loved Ones

(4) TRUTH (formerly "Tuesday Night Dialogue") Retreat, April 13-15 in Estes Park, CO. The remaining slots are filling rapidly. EMAIL me ASAP if you're interested in attending this life-changing event held in one of America's most beautiful places. Diana and I serve in this powerful ministry and can't recommend it enough!

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Time to once again go "10-8" and Run to the Battle. Let's continue to stay battle focused and fully engaged in "the fight" while at the same time always training hard and exercising solid offficer safety in the field.

As always, feel free to CONTACT me if I can be of service.

Det. Sgt. & Chaplain M.C. Williams
Director, The Centurion Law Enforcement Ministry
Vice President, Fellowship of Christiain Peace Officers - USA

The Rob Parks Story -- A Cop's Testimony: TCLEM/FCPO-Denver Newsletter for Week of March 19, 2012

We had a great turnout for last week's monthly foray to Aurora where I taught on the subject of "God, Cops & the Military." My RECAP follows below. As always, feel free to adapt for your own studies, devotions and your life in general.

This week's (Thursday, March 22nd, 7 PM, Calvary South Denver in Littleton) "Cop Church" fellowship will feature Denver PD Officer Rob Parks who will share his unique testimony and a biblical view of police marriages. If you're in the Denver area, bring your spouse, invite a colleague and join us for a great time of profession-relevant Bible study, prayer and outstanding servant-warrior fellowship. I'll of course post a detailed recap for our world-wide readership in next week's newsletter and of course we encourage you to pass on these newsletters to others on your email lists.
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Message RECAP: God, Cops & the Military


When God called me to lead an outreach to share the Gospel with my fellow servant-warriors (police, deputies, investigators, corrections, combat military personnel, etc.), my study of His inerrant Word, the Bible, revealed a plethora of EVIDENCE (as cops we're all about the evidence) that it is unquestionably, among many other things, a military and police "policy and procedure manual." Moreover, the signature passage for The Centurion Law Enforcement Ministry -- Romans 13:1-7 -- provides our commission as God's ordained "ministers for good and a terror against evil." In fact, a paraphrase of the first four verses of this passage would rightfully read, "Let every person be subject to the governing authorities (which includes but is not limited to law enforcement). For God establishes ALL government and law enforcement authorities, and the police officer is appointed by God. Therefore whoever disobeys the government and its enforcement officers resists the ordinances and laws of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. For the police are not a terror to those who obey the law and do good, but to those who do evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the police? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. For the police officer is God's minister to you for good and a terror against evil. The officer does not bear the sword (firearms in today's world) in vain; for he is God's minister, an avenger to execute wrath (including the death penalty) on evil doers. 1 Peter 2:13-17 conveys a similar message.

Secondly, many wrongly point to the word "kill" as translated in the King James Version of the Bible (Thou shalt not kill -- 6th Commandment, Exodus 20) as a prohibition against law enforcement and military service. However, the correct translation from the original Greek and Hebrew is actually MURDER, not "kill" (see the excellent GotQuestions.org article on same). Accordingly, the whole of Scripture directs God's servant-warriors to righteously stamp out evil and evil doers in accordance with His direction and will (and the law of the land).

Thirdly, is God calling us to obey the government, our supervisors, commanding officers, etc. without question or when asked to do something evil or unethical? Definitely NOT! Yes, Paul wrote Romans 13:1-7 when Roman Emperor Nero -- one of the most vile despots in history -- was in power and killing Christians in the most horrendous of ways. However, the whole context of scripture reveals that we can and even must resist authorities who compel us to go against God's Word (God establishes the government but those in authority still have to free will to govern biblically -- or not (sin). LAPD officer-turned-minister Bill Rhetts has an outstanding short video on this topic that I highly recommend. See Law Enforcement's Misused Verses.

Finally, many in our profession wrongly believe that because God has ordained us as His "ministers for good and a terror against evil," we are somehow granted a "get out of hell" card and a "free pass" into Heaven. WRONG! God is clear in His Word that spending eternity with Him comes ONLY from acknowledging and repenting of our sin and entering into a personal, life-saving/life-changing RELATIONSHIP (not "religion") with Him through His Son, Jesus Christ. Accordingly, if you have not yet made a decision for Christ, let me again urge you to do so now. Simply go to the left side of this website and scroll down to the links under HOW CAN I BE SAVED (True "Officer Safety") to learn how you can be obtain the gift of eternal life in Christ.

Please take a few minutes to review the following articles on this incredibly important concept and then prayerfully seek the Holy Spirit's guidance in applying it to your lives as Christian LEOs, military personnel and others in authority:

* God's word on the military

* Christians serving in Combat

* God, Government and Law Enforcement


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News, Prayer Requests & Announcements...


...are posted on here on our website (scroll down to next post) and updated regularly.

Please respond to God's COMMAND ("The Great Commission" -- not "The Great Suggestion") to share the "Good News" of the Gospel by passing on our newsletter emails and website info, inviting a colleague to church or a police Bible study in your area, taking them to lunch or -- as stated above -- to see a warrior-relevant film like Act of Valor. Since it's now out on video, we also strongly suggest passing along the Courageous DVD or other resource available via the Courageous website.

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That's it for this week -- time to hit the sack for a few hours before again going "10-8" and getting back in the fight. Don't forget to exercise solid officer safety out there while at the same time being bold, radical followers of Christ our Captain. As always, please feel free to CONTACT me if I can be of service.

Det. Sgt. & Chaplain M.C. Williams
Director, The Centurion Law Enforcement Ministry
Vice President, Fellowship of Christiain Peace Officers - USA (www.FCPO.org)