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The "thin blue line" covered by the blood of Christ. |
Hope this finds everyone staying the course with a front sight focus on Christ our Captain.
This week's Bible study/devotional centers around a "hero of the faith" (
Hebrews 11) about whom I've taught many times. Given some of what we're dealing with of late, God is pressing me to do so again (albeit from a fresh perspective)...scroll down to "
Samson -- From Hero to Zero."
Here in metro Denver, we're "on" for our next FCPO Chapter (#217) "
cop church" fellowship this Thursday where we'll finish up
Acts 19:
Calvary Aurora, High School Room (top floor), 7 PM. Our meetings always include a great time of
iron sharpens iron fellowship and corporate prayer in addition to our Bible study. If you're in our area, bring your spouse, invite a colleague and join us. For the majority of my readers who are not here in Colorado -- stay tuned for NEXT week's newsletter for my written
recap of this study!
Also on the local (Denver) front, pastor and police chaplain
Lonnie Trujillo
leads a weekly Bible study for Denver officers (and any other officer who wants to attend) at Brooklyn's next to the Broncos's stadium (good food/cop hangout):
2644 W Colfax Ave.,
Denver, CO 80204. They start at 11:30 AM. Contact Lonnie for more. In all, that makes at least 3 different cop Bible studies taking place in the Denver metro area with a 4th (the future FCPO-Denver chapter) on the way -- scroll down for the 411!
As always, please take the time to review the new
resources,
prayer requests and
event announcements I've included for you below. Please reach out if you need prayer or other assistance -- we're here to serve you.
Finally,
if you missed last week's edition, here again is A Character Witness for Christ. Don't forget that these newsletters and Bible studies are also re-posted on our
website
and social media (Facebook and Twitter) feeds -- share and otherwise play it forward.
Stay safe on the street but radically bold in our walk and witness for Christ!
MC
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RESOURCES
(1) Alcohol has contributed to more police suicides, more destroyed cop marriages and more destruction of police careers than any other drug or issue combined. It is also the #1 "drug of choice" we deal with on the streets and one that negatively impacts the lives of Christians as well. Take a few moments for
6 Things to Consider Before That Next Sip of Alcohol.
(2) So many ask questions that begin with, "
Why would a loving God...?" On this subject, and the just consequences of one's rejection of Christ's incredibly LOVING offer of redemption and salvation, fellow speaker/writer/detective
J. Warner Wallace has this outstanding piece:
Why Would a Loving God Create a Place Like Hell? The way to avoid it (the ONLY way)? Go to "
Know God?" and discover how (or read through the study below to the end)!
PRAYER REQUESTS
(1)
Please pray for the family (blue and natural) of Denver PD Officer Eric Finks who passed away last week after a short but horrific battle with an aggressive form of cancer. He leaves behind a wife and family. This is from his wife Lisa: "It comes with great sadness to let you all know that today at 5:14 pm my wonderful husband and soulmate passed away from his battle with cancer. I am truly heart broken and sad. I will always love you Eric C. Finks and you will always be in my heart." Again, we who know Christ as Lord and Savior MUST have a "Code 3" sense of urgency to share the hope we have in Him with our own whilst they live.
(2) Be purposeful in praying for your law enforcement brethren and ask God to give you boldness in sharing the hope we have in Christ with others. Pray also for the families -- both blue and blood -- of our fallen (way too many of late -- see the Officer Down Memorial Page for the latest LODD notices).
(3) Prayer is requested for Colorado Bureau of Investigation Agent
Chris Schaefer (relationship with Christ, physical, provision). Read
Chris' story here and give if you can (and pray regardless).
Have a prayer request or announcement you would like included here? Need prayer?
Email me
! I also post prayer requests on my Facebook page ("friend" me).
UPCOMING EVENTS
(1) Here's the updated Sheepdog Seminars schedule (outstanding training for cops and sheepdog civilians alike): Sheepdog Seminars. I know the speakers (including Lt. Col. Dave Grossman, Officer Jimmy Meeks and Carl Chinn) -- rock solid and you'll come away blessed!
(2) As you know, writing, speaking and teaching on leadership (and SERVANT-leadership in particular) in law enforcement is a big part of what I do both in ministry and "on the job." Accordingly, I give strong support to Law Officer editor, friend, and fellow cop/law enforcement instructor, Travis Yates' latest seminar offering,
Courageous Leadership
.
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The Centurion Law Enforcement Ministry
The Centurion Law Enforcement Ministry
is a FCPO-affiliated, evangelical Christian outreach to our own in law enforcement. These newsletters and Bible studies are part of this effort and past editions can be found on our
website
and on social media
(
Facebook
and
Twitter
) pages. Feel free to adapt these messages for your own individual or group use and please share them with others.
In addition, I regularly speak at churches, retreats and both law enforcement and civilian conferences and seminars around the country -- please shoot me an email if I can be of service to your church, agency or organization.
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Fellowship of Christian Peace Officers
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FCPO-USA exists to provide biblical support ("backup"), accountability and iron sharpens iron fellowship to Christian officers first in the U.S. and throughout the world as well. My metro Denver chapter -- FCPO #217((FCPO-Aurora), typically meets every 2nd and 4th Thursday at Calvary Aurora (High School Room, 7 PM) for "cop church" Bible study, prayer and servant-warrior fellowship
. Spouses are both welcome and encouraged to attend with their LEO! Our next meeting is set for THIS Thursday, August 10th.
Information on the other
FCPO chapters
meeting around the country (including the new Chapter #242 here in Arvada, CO) can be found on the
Chapter Locator
pages on the
FCPO-USA
website.
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"Samson -- From Hero to Zero"
Samson's story is one that cops (and folks in general) can both relate to and take warnings from.
(for full context, read
Judges 13-16)
Over the years since I was born again into a genuine personal relationship with God in Christ (to wit, a "Christian") and answered God's call to ministry, the biblical story of Samson has been a regular in my preaching, teaching and writing. Frankly, his story is one that I (and those like me -- especially those of us who are athletes, police officers, soldiers, etc.) can relate to. Given some recent happenings (more akin to "re-happenings") in our profession, the world and life in general, God is pressing me to once again share a message on Samson from from a fresh perspective (fresh insight and new life-lessons).
Samson is among a rare fraternity of those whose births were foretold by angels. Moreover, an examination of God's Word reveals that he was physically the strongest man who ever lived (a real-life "Superman"): Judges 14:5,6; 15:4; 15:15; 16:3; 16:29, 30). More importantly, God reveals to us that Samson's super-human strength came from God alone (Judges 14:6; 15:14) for a very specific purpose: to be used by God to His glory and to "deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines" (Judges 13:5). Sadly, Samson is remembered not so much for His "super powers" but rather for his foolishness and pride (sin/disobedience). In the end, his life was not as much about the
great things that he accomplished for God was it is a lesson in wasted potential. Though Samson ruled (judged) Israel for twenty years (Judges 15:20), he never accomplished all the things God intended for him and the people he was called to "protect and serve." Still, praise God, his life is also a picture of God's love and forgiveness in that he is still listed in the Bible's "Hall of Heroes" (Hebrews 11).
In terms of application for us, Samson's life presents both a warning and a sad picture of today's "typical" Christian and, in many ways, of serving in our God-ordained profession of law enforcement. All of us who have been genuinely born again in Christ have the indwelling Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9, Galatians 2:20), who empowers us (Colossians 1:11, 29) to do all that God wants to accomplish through us (Philippians 4:13). Yet, like Samson, a great many "Christians" are still living as if that power was either MIA ("Missing in Action") or was theirs alone. Likewise, most cops serve with little or no understanding that ours is a God-ordained profession with immense God-given powers to serve and protect those who cannot protect themselves and the power to defeat evil (Romans 13:1-4). With this in mind, I'm led to share four main points from Samson's life that we should apply to our own in order to help us "finish the race" God has for us (and not wasting away our potential as he did):
(1) Source of strength: Samson's strength was not from his physique, genetics, training or diet. Rather, it was a gift from God Himself (the power of the Holy Spirit as revealed in Judges 14:6, 15:14, 16:20). In other words, he was an ordinary man who had the infinite gifting and resources of the indwelling God! Though he was an Old Testament child of God, in many ways he is also a picture of a New Testament Christian acting under God's power in accordance with His will.
Samson used his God-given strength to defeat a lion (Judges 14:6). In this case, the lion is a symbol of the enemy (Satan) as shown in 1 Peter 5:8. While acting outside of God's will, the Lord still empowered Samson to take out a 1000 of Israel's sworn enemy (another picture of Satan -- Judges 15:15), the Philistines. He went on to use his God-given strength to rip out a huge city gate -- 2-stories high (including the posts) of wood, stone and metal -- and then carry them uphill for 36-38 miles (Judges 16:3)! Of this, noted Old Testament scholar Dr. William Barrick computed the weight of the gate and posts to be between five and ten tons! Moreover, the elevation gain from Gaza to the top of the hill outside of Hebron is some 3,200 feet! In short, Samson's super-human feat was nothing less than a miracle of Superman-esque proportions (meaning that it was accomplished through the power of God alone versus anything Samson did on his own).
(2) Separation for strength: As long as Samson was obedient to God in abstaining from wine (alcoholic beverages -- Judges 13:7) and did not shave his head (Judges 16:17), he had God's gifting of immense physical power to carry out the Lord's will for his life. These were the outward marks of a Nazarite, i.e., one who had separated from the world and consecrated to God. These two "marks" identified the Nazarite to others while also reminding the Nazarite that he belonged to God (something that Samson clearly set aside).
Humanly speaking, there is great power in consecration. When a Christian consecrates his/her life to God and depends on the power of the Holy Spirit to do God's work, for God's glory and in God's will, he is indeed able to "...do all things through Christ who strengthens" him (Philippians 4:13). Sadly, Samson was openly and repeatedly disobedient while pridefully claiming God's glory and Divinely-imbued strength for himself.
(3) Suspension of strength: As soon as Samson's hair was shaved off while he slept "peacefully" (unaware) on Delilah's lap, "his strength went from him" (Judges 16:19) and he became absolutely ordinary. Obviously, hair does not increase bodily strength (it actually draws nutrition away from the body). However, the shaving of a Nazarite's hair was symbolic of intentionally ceasing his separation from the world and his consecration to God. In Samson's case, the consequences of his pride-filled disobedience on multiple fronts left him depending utterly on his own strength and living for his own personal "glory." Sadly, many "Christians" today (and I was one) have given up their God-given spiritual power by wickedly living for "the world" instead of for God. Moreover, like Delilah's (an unbeliever whom Samson had no business being with) lap, Satan has many different "laps" to offer us, including: for those of us who love ease and pleasure, He uses the "lap of pleasure" to lull us as we lose our consecration; for those of us who are focused on acquiring the "things" of life, he uses the "lap of surplus" to lull us; for those who have been blessed with repeated success, he uses the "lap of success."
One of the most amazing and sad facts about Samson's story is that God gave him numerous warnings and chances to repent (all of which he ignored) before finally allowing the consequences of his sin to take their course. Likewise, we have seen/are seeing countless examples of miserable, helpless and powerless "worldly Christians" who have repeatedly ignored God's warnings and eventually suffer the just consequences.
(4) Sensitivity to strength: After Samson's hair is shaved off, "his strength went from him" (Judges 16:19) and "he knew not that the LORD had departed from him" (Judges 16:20) before he was captured, bound and blinded (significant word...stay with me) by the Philistines -- an exceedingly wicked people who were Israel's (and thus God's) sworn enemy and a picture of the ultimate enemy -- Satan himself (Judges 16:21). Outwardly, Samson looked exactly the same and the Philistines continued to be terrified by him. Likewise, when God removes His power (including what Paul -- writing under the power of the Holy Spirit -- described as turning them over to a "debased mind" in Romans 1:18-32) from so-called Christians, they may temporarily retain their position, honor and spiritual habits while not realizing their loss of their God-given spiritual power. Such was the case with Samson who realized that his hair was gone but still expected to have "his" supernatural strength. In other words, he had pridefully and presumptuously come to believe that he was the source of his own strength (that it was not from God). It is so easy to be spiritually proud and presumptuous (spiritual blindness) when we take our eyes off of our Savior.
Finally, while we find no indication that Samson ever truly repented (he only called out to God in order to take vengeance on his oppressors), our Lord remains the "God of Second Chances" when we turn away (repent) from our sin and surrender to Him in faith (like with the prodigal son being welcomed home in
Luke 15:11-32
).
The application we can take from Samson's life is that if we willfully and repeatedly walk into temptations which lead to sin, we will suffer the consequences of our disobedience even though God may still use us to accomplish His will. In the end, Samson finally understood that God was the true source of his strength in the same way that it is God who gives us as peace officers immense power and authority (see again "A Cop's Power") to carry out His mandate for us be "a minister [the word is translated "servant"] for good and a terror against evil" (Romans 13:4). Sadly, even tragically, Samson pride was such that he never embraced God's true purpose for his life.
"Then Samson prayed to the LORD, 'O Sovereign LORD, remember me. O God, please strengthen me just once more, and let me with one blow get revenge on the Philistines for my two eyes'" (Judges 16:28). We see from this verse that Samson was more concerned about personal revenge than about doing God's will, and it cost him his life (more wasted potential). "Thus he killed many more when he died than while he lived" (Judges 16:30). God's will was accomplished (at least in part), but the many blessings Samson might have seen were never realized.
Do we not see other examples of "Samsons" (the "heroes" who've fallen to "zeroes") today? While they don't come anywhere close to Samson's incredible giftings, do we not again and again see those to whom God has given incredible talent throw away their fame and potential in lives of unrepentant sin? How about: OJ Simpson, Bill Cosby, Michael Vick (some evidence of repentance and partial restoration in his case), Tiger Woods, Lance Armstrong, Babe Ruth, Mike Tyson, Jim Bakker and so many more.
So where do YOU stand today? God-made "hero" or prideful, sin-weakened "zero?" Understand this, unless we are in fact born again in Christ, we will NOT receive the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit to live lives worthy of our calling (Ephesians 4:1 and Colossians 1:10). If you're reading this today and have fallen way from the path our Lord set for you, NOW is the time to repent and get back on track (no, it is NOT too late for God to use you -- I'm living proof). Likewise, if you have never truly placed your whole trust in Christ as Lord and Savior, NOW is the time to do so. Here's how:
(a) Jesus' first words in His earthly ministry were: "
Repent and believe in the Good News
" (
Mark 1:15
). To
repent
is a "180" -- a complete, radical change of mind and heart as it relates our sin. To
believe
as God intends it to
completely and radically surrender to Him in
faith
("believe" and "faith" have the same Greek root meaning) in the same way you have faith that your body armor will stop the rounds it is designed to stop or that a skydiver's parachute will open (we stake our lives on it)! The "Good News" of course is the Gospel of Christ. Moreover, the words repent and believe are literally two sides of the same coin in meaning and intent (see the "Are you really a Christian" link below for more).
(b) In
John 3:1-21, Jesus says, "...
you must be born again." Note our Lord's emphasis on
must (not "may" or "should"): this is the
life-saving/life-changing personal relationship (not "religion") with Christ that I stress so often. See "
What does it mean to be a born again Christian?" Then go to:
(1) Think you can "earn" heaven (or escape hell) by simply being a "good person" (or a "good cop")? Then take the
Good Person Test
and see how you do.
Need prayer, counsel or more info? Feel free to
contact me
! Finally, don't forget to pass these newsletters on to others in keeping with our Great Commission mandate.
MC
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