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!).
_________________________
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.
___________________________
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.
___________________________
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.
Showing posts with label the Cop at the Cross. Show all posts
Showing posts with label the Cop at the Cross. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Thursday, April 21, 2011
The Cop at the Cross
Fellow Servant-Warriors:
I’ve been on overload all month and – as we celebrate Resurrection Sunday (Easter) this weekend – I look forward to some much-needed “down” time to recharge my “batteries” and enjoy time with the Lord and family. That said, my travels to Oklahoma, Tennessee and Wyoming over the last two weeks have provided a plethora of blessings.
In Tulsa I had the privilege of assisting my brother-in-arms and ministry – TPD Captain and Ten-Four Ministries (www.TenFourMinistries.org) Director Travis Yates and Lt. Col. Dave Grossman (http://www.warriorsciencegroup.com/) at a ministry-sponsored Bulletproof Mind presentation that drew over 500 officers.
In Chattanooga I joined my Fellowship of Christian Peace Offices (www.FCPO.org) national board members for a special premier of the new film Courageous (Made by the same folks at Sherwood Baptist Church who produced Fireproof and Facing the Giants: http://www.courageousthemovie.com/.).
Finally, I was instructing a group of officers and chaplains at the Wyoming Law Enforcement Academy in Douglas this past Sunday and Monday. I must tell you that while I teach regularly, I have not spent the night at an academy since my own back in the 80’s. A new academy class was starting and I had a blast while at the same time being able to share a profoundly Christ-centered message.
__________________________
RESURRECTION SUNDAY & “The Cop at the Cross”:
Starting this Friday we remember the torture and death of our Savior on our behalf and celebrate His glorious resurrection in what most call “Easter.” While fellowship is always a must (fellowship with other Believers – commonly referred to as “church,” is not a suggestion but rather a command), I can’t begin to encourage you enough to join with others on this most special of weekends. Of course, our schedules as officers routinely interfere with “normal” church attendance but there are services held at solid fellowships almost every day of the week. In fact, I’ll be teaching my own warrior-relevant Easter message tomorrow (April 21st) evening starting at 7:00 PM at Calvary South Denver (www.calvarycsd.org) in Littleton. My message is entitled “The Cop at the Cross” (yea, there really was…) – please join us if you’re in the area and invite a colleague as well.
_________________________________
MESSAGE RECAP:
In my absence, legendary Colorado peace officer James “Jimmy” Wattles taught in my place at last Thursday’s Centurion Law Enforcement Ministry “cop church” profession-relevant Bible study and fellowship at Calvary Aurora. Jim’s study was entitled “Well Done, Good and Faithful Servant” from Matthew 25:23. Wanting to do it justice, I’ve posted an edited version of Jim’s study here on our website (next post below). Take a few minutes to read and apply it to your own life and walk with Christ. I think you’ll find it to be as outstanding as our locals did.
_______________________
PRAYER REQUESTS & MEETING SCHEDULE:
Speaking of our website, I’ve posted some new pics (scroll down) along with the latest PRAYER REQUESTS and updated Denver-area MEETING SCHEDULE. Please join us in praying for these pressing needs and remember that I update both the requests and schedule on a regular basis – check back frequently.
See updated April 11th post for additional!
** Pray for Art (Jefferson Co. S.O.) and Lonni Briles son who sustained a severe concussion after a rugby collision.
** Pray for an officer who was -- like way too many -- laid-off from his agency but is now a finalist with another department.
** Pray for a dear friend who is a finalist for an investigator position (God's will and provision).
** Pray for the spouses of retired Denver PD officers Manny Hays and Mark Roggeman who are both suffering from severe medical conditions.
** Today (4/20) is the 12th anniversary of the Columbine HS shootings. Prayers are still very much needed for the families of the slain, for the survivors, and for the officers who responded.
** Please pray for FCPO national board member Jim Stuermer's father who was injured in a fall.
** Please pray for Kalamazoo (MI) Public Safety Officer Eric Zapata's family, friends and fellow officers as they grieve the loss of Eric. As many of you know, Eric was shot and killed this past Monday night by a man who later took his own life.
** I have learned that Scott Warrington, the now former Mineral County (CO) Sheriff's Deputy who was severely injured in a fall last year and spent months of rehab at Craig Hospital (we visited regularly), was terminated as soon as he was finally cleared for duty. I don't know all the details but reportedly Scott was deemed a "hardship" to his agency due to his long rehab. Wow -- good to know that an agency and administrator will back its officers when they get hurt (NOT)! Please pray for Scott as he works through all this.
** Another police suicide! Please pray for the officer's family and colleagues -- and be proactive in "being there" for each other. See http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/news/local_news/euclid-police-officer-commits-suicide-at-police-station.
** Praise Report from Hank Harley: I'm home with medication, apparently had fluid on the lungs and there was a small amount of pneumonia within that "mess", thanks for your prayers and support. If things come in threes, maybe I getting ahead of the game.
** Ofc. Nathan Bickerstaff with the Red Oak PD writes, Pray for my daughter-in-law Bria she has been told she has stage 3 breast cancer. Her husband David my son works from the Sheriffs Office as a transport officer. Also pray for Sgt. Sims' wife Brenda who is dealing with cancer.
** Pray for my Chief's family in Alabama who lost property in the tornados yesterday but -- praise God -- were not injured.
Updated FCPO-Denver Meeting Schedule:
-- Thursday, April 21st, 7:00 PM, Calvary South Denver in Littleton (www.calvarycsd.org) in the High School room (all the way past the sanctuary -- last room on right).
-- Thursday, April 28th, 6:30 PM at Calvary South Denver in Littleton. This will be our chartering event for FCPO-Denver and Fellowship of Christian Peace Officers National Executive Director Lamar Moore from Chattanooga, TN will be our very special guest speaker. Please make a point of joining us for a free (well, for you guys) meal and more. Stay tuned for additional details!
-- Thursday, May 5th, 7:00 PM, Calvary South Denver in Littleton.
______________________________
ANNOUNCEMENTS & Denver-area News:
(1) After 3.5 years of surgeries and grueling rehab following the incident that resulted in the death of fellow Trooper Zach Templeton, Colorado State Trooper Scott Hinshaw has returned to full active duty! No small miracle this -- Praise God indeed! Scott sends the following:
Hello everyone. I wanted to let everyone know about the upcoming Bicycle Tour of Colorado that I’ll be participating in. I really just want to start getting the word out about this. Yes, I will be riding the whole thing. I will have two other State Troopers with me along with a doctor, a Colorado State Senator and a member of the media. My team is training hard and we have only a couple months left but we will be ready. I really want the word to start getting out as we have several of our public servants and their families who are hurting. I experienced the hardship first hand and have identified several things that WE can all do to help. You all have been such a wonderful support to my family but the struggle is just beginning. I really have a passion to stand in the gap for our public servants and help them and their families through difficult emotional and physical times.
One thing that I am learning is that we all know someone that would like to support this great cause. There are allot of charities out there and I know first hand what this will do for some one that needs it. It is as real as it gets. Please if you know some one that you think may be even remotely interested make sure they get this, or you yourself. It has been a long three years but I have beaten the odds and am currently fighting to get my badge back. I will never be the way that I was before but I will be full filled and happy with my life. Thank you again for all the support and prayers over the years and as the story goes on you will be able to get updates.
If you have any questions feel free to contact MC (that’s me folks) and he will forward your contact information to me.
Information on the Bicycle Tour of Colorado charity event can be found at: http://bicycletourcolorado.com/index.php?module=htmlpages&func=display&pid=58
(2) Firestone (CO) Chief of Police David Montgomery sends the following:
Our mission is to build a Peace Officer Memorial in Weld County in honor of our fallen heroes throughout Weld County. Our goal as it stands, is to partner with civic organizations, members of the community as well as business corporations, to make this dream a reality. For more information, please contact me and thank you for your support.
Chief Montgomery can be contacted at:
Firestone Police Department
151 Grant Ave. Firestone CO 80520
303-833-0811
dmontgomery@ci.firestone.co.us
(3) FCPO-Denver to be chartered!!
Our local Centurion Law Enforcement Ministry fellowship – also called FCPO-Denver (see http://www.fcpo.org/locations.html and scroll down to CO) will be chartered as an official Fellowship of Christian Peace Officers chapter (#217) on Thursday, April 28th at Calvary South Denver. Diana and I will be serving dinner starting at 6:30 PM (free to guests and regulars) and FCPO Executive Director Lamar Moore will be flying in from Tennessee to charter us and deliver a great message. Most of you know by now that I serve as the FCPO National Board Vice President and being a part of FCPO has been a real blessing to me personally and to The Centurion Law Enforcement Ministry in general. Please bring your spouse and join us if you’re in the Denver area. However, PLEASE RSVP to me at fullarmor911@yahoo.com so we can get a proper headcount.
_______________________________
That’s it for this week folks. I’ll have a full recap of my Resurrection Sunday message (The Cop at the Cross) in next week’s newsletter. In the meantime, please keep me in prayer as we strive to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ to our hurting profession locally, nationally and worldwide. Be safe out there, train hard, carry off-duty and watch both your “six” and that of our colleagues.
I’ve been on overload all month and – as we celebrate Resurrection Sunday (Easter) this weekend – I look forward to some much-needed “down” time to recharge my “batteries” and enjoy time with the Lord and family. That said, my travels to Oklahoma, Tennessee and Wyoming over the last two weeks have provided a plethora of blessings.
In Tulsa I had the privilege of assisting my brother-in-arms and ministry – TPD Captain and Ten-Four Ministries (www.TenFourMinistries.org) Director Travis Yates and Lt. Col. Dave Grossman (http://www.warriorsciencegroup.com/) at a ministry-sponsored Bulletproof Mind presentation that drew over 500 officers.
In Chattanooga I joined my Fellowship of Christian Peace Offices (www.FCPO.org) national board members for a special premier of the new film Courageous (Made by the same folks at Sherwood Baptist Church who produced Fireproof and Facing the Giants: http://www.courageousthemovie.com/.).
Finally, I was instructing a group of officers and chaplains at the Wyoming Law Enforcement Academy in Douglas this past Sunday and Monday. I must tell you that while I teach regularly, I have not spent the night at an academy since my own back in the 80’s. A new academy class was starting and I had a blast while at the same time being able to share a profoundly Christ-centered message.
__________________________
RESURRECTION SUNDAY & “The Cop at the Cross”:
Starting this Friday we remember the torture and death of our Savior on our behalf and celebrate His glorious resurrection in what most call “Easter.” While fellowship is always a must (fellowship with other Believers – commonly referred to as “church,” is not a suggestion but rather a command), I can’t begin to encourage you enough to join with others on this most special of weekends. Of course, our schedules as officers routinely interfere with “normal” church attendance but there are services held at solid fellowships almost every day of the week. In fact, I’ll be teaching my own warrior-relevant Easter message tomorrow (April 21st) evening starting at 7:00 PM at Calvary South Denver (www.calvarycsd.org) in Littleton. My message is entitled “The Cop at the Cross” (yea, there really was…) – please join us if you’re in the area and invite a colleague as well.
_________________________________
MESSAGE RECAP:
In my absence, legendary Colorado peace officer James “Jimmy” Wattles taught in my place at last Thursday’s Centurion Law Enforcement Ministry “cop church” profession-relevant Bible study and fellowship at Calvary Aurora. Jim’s study was entitled “Well Done, Good and Faithful Servant” from Matthew 25:23. Wanting to do it justice, I’ve posted an edited version of Jim’s study here on our website (next post below). Take a few minutes to read and apply it to your own life and walk with Christ. I think you’ll find it to be as outstanding as our locals did.
_______________________
PRAYER REQUESTS & MEETING SCHEDULE:
Speaking of our website, I’ve posted some new pics (scroll down) along with the latest PRAYER REQUESTS and updated Denver-area MEETING SCHEDULE. Please join us in praying for these pressing needs and remember that I update both the requests and schedule on a regular basis – check back frequently.
See updated April 11th post for additional!
** Pray for Art (Jefferson Co. S.O.) and Lonni Briles son who sustained a severe concussion after a rugby collision.
** Pray for an officer who was -- like way too many -- laid-off from his agency but is now a finalist with another department.
** Pray for a dear friend who is a finalist for an investigator position (God's will and provision).
** Pray for the spouses of retired Denver PD officers Manny Hays and Mark Roggeman who are both suffering from severe medical conditions.
** Today (4/20) is the 12th anniversary of the Columbine HS shootings. Prayers are still very much needed for the families of the slain, for the survivors, and for the officers who responded.
** Please pray for FCPO national board member Jim Stuermer's father who was injured in a fall.
** Please pray for Kalamazoo (MI) Public Safety Officer Eric Zapata's family, friends and fellow officers as they grieve the loss of Eric. As many of you know, Eric was shot and killed this past Monday night by a man who later took his own life.
** I have learned that Scott Warrington, the now former Mineral County (CO) Sheriff's Deputy who was severely injured in a fall last year and spent months of rehab at Craig Hospital (we visited regularly), was terminated as soon as he was finally cleared for duty. I don't know all the details but reportedly Scott was deemed a "hardship" to his agency due to his long rehab. Wow -- good to know that an agency and administrator will back its officers when they get hurt (NOT)! Please pray for Scott as he works through all this.
** Another police suicide! Please pray for the officer's family and colleagues -- and be proactive in "being there" for each other. See http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/news/local_news/euclid-police-officer-commits-suicide-at-police-station.
** Praise Report from Hank Harley: I'm home with medication, apparently had fluid on the lungs and there was a small amount of pneumonia within that "mess", thanks for your prayers and support. If things come in threes, maybe I getting ahead of the game.
** Ofc. Nathan Bickerstaff with the Red Oak PD writes, Pray for my daughter-in-law Bria she has been told she has stage 3 breast cancer. Her husband David my son works from the Sheriffs Office as a transport officer. Also pray for Sgt. Sims' wife Brenda who is dealing with cancer.
** Pray for my Chief's family in Alabama who lost property in the tornados yesterday but -- praise God -- were not injured.
Updated FCPO-Denver Meeting Schedule:
-- Thursday, April 21st, 7:00 PM, Calvary South Denver in Littleton (www.calvarycsd.org) in the High School room (all the way past the sanctuary -- last room on right).
-- Thursday, April 28th, 6:30 PM at Calvary South Denver in Littleton. This will be our chartering event for FCPO-Denver and Fellowship of Christian Peace Officers National Executive Director Lamar Moore from Chattanooga, TN will be our very special guest speaker. Please make a point of joining us for a free (well, for you guys) meal and more. Stay tuned for additional details!
-- Thursday, May 5th, 7:00 PM, Calvary South Denver in Littleton.
______________________________
ANNOUNCEMENTS & Denver-area News:
(1) After 3.5 years of surgeries and grueling rehab following the incident that resulted in the death of fellow Trooper Zach Templeton, Colorado State Trooper Scott Hinshaw has returned to full active duty! No small miracle this -- Praise God indeed! Scott sends the following:
Hello everyone. I wanted to let everyone know about the upcoming Bicycle Tour of Colorado that I’ll be participating in. I really just want to start getting the word out about this. Yes, I will be riding the whole thing. I will have two other State Troopers with me along with a doctor, a Colorado State Senator and a member of the media. My team is training hard and we have only a couple months left but we will be ready. I really want the word to start getting out as we have several of our public servants and their families who are hurting. I experienced the hardship first hand and have identified several things that WE can all do to help. You all have been such a wonderful support to my family but the struggle is just beginning. I really have a passion to stand in the gap for our public servants and help them and their families through difficult emotional and physical times.
One thing that I am learning is that we all know someone that would like to support this great cause. There are allot of charities out there and I know first hand what this will do for some one that needs it. It is as real as it gets. Please if you know some one that you think may be even remotely interested make sure they get this, or you yourself. It has been a long three years but I have beaten the odds and am currently fighting to get my badge back. I will never be the way that I was before but I will be full filled and happy with my life. Thank you again for all the support and prayers over the years and as the story goes on you will be able to get updates.
If you have any questions feel free to contact MC (that’s me folks) and he will forward your contact information to me.
Information on the Bicycle Tour of Colorado charity event can be found at: http://bicycletourcolorado.com/index.php?module=htmlpages&func=display&pid=58
(2) Firestone (CO) Chief of Police David Montgomery sends the following:
Our mission is to build a Peace Officer Memorial in Weld County in honor of our fallen heroes throughout Weld County. Our goal as it stands, is to partner with civic organizations, members of the community as well as business corporations, to make this dream a reality. For more information, please contact me and thank you for your support.
Chief Montgomery can be contacted at:
Firestone Police Department
151 Grant Ave. Firestone CO 80520
303-833-0811
dmontgomery@ci.firestone.co.us
(3) FCPO-Denver to be chartered!!
Our local Centurion Law Enforcement Ministry fellowship – also called FCPO-Denver (see http://www.fcpo.org/locations.html and scroll down to CO) will be chartered as an official Fellowship of Christian Peace Officers chapter (#217) on Thursday, April 28th at Calvary South Denver. Diana and I will be serving dinner starting at 6:30 PM (free to guests and regulars) and FCPO Executive Director Lamar Moore will be flying in from Tennessee to charter us and deliver a great message. Most of you know by now that I serve as the FCPO National Board Vice President and being a part of FCPO has been a real blessing to me personally and to The Centurion Law Enforcement Ministry in general. Please bring your spouse and join us if you’re in the Denver area. However, PLEASE RSVP to me at fullarmor911@yahoo.com so we can get a proper headcount.
_______________________________
That’s it for this week folks. I’ll have a full recap of my Resurrection Sunday message (The Cop at the Cross) in next week’s newsletter. In the meantime, please keep me in prayer as we strive to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ to our hurting profession locally, nationally and worldwide. Be safe out there, train hard, carry off-duty and watch both your “six” and that of our colleagues.
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