The Centurion Law Enforcement Ministry Newsletter
&
Bible Study
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Dear fellow officers,
sheepdogs,
servant-
warriors, spouses and supporters:
I know you're all busy so I'll keep this short so you can get on to the Bible study (below).
Speaking of this week's study, the word "
meek
" as used in the Bible is often very misunderstood (especially in light of the fact that our Lord is also very much the ultimate "servant-warrior"). God has so much for us in this! Scroll down to "
The Lion and the Lamb
."
Finally, please take the time to review the new
prayer requests
,
resources
and
events
I've shared for you below.
Again, let's continue to stay front sight focused on Christ our Captain as we serve and protect under His leadership and authority.
MC
_____________________
RESOURCES
PRAYER REQUESTS
(1) Please pray for WI police chaplain and pastor,
Jeff Skinner
, as they plant a brand new FCPO chapter.
(2) Pray for fellow cop/chaplain
Jim Bontrager
and his family in the wake of his father's passing.
(3) Pray for our wounded (too many to even begin listing here -- 50,000 a year or more) and for the families of our fallen.
(4) Ask God to give you a "Code 3" (lights and siren) sense of urgency, boldness and Divine ops to share the hope you have in Christ with those who do not (backup of the eternal kind).
(5) Please pray for me and the ministries God has called me to (including this one). Like most Christians, I'm still very much a work-in-progress.
UPCOMING EVENTS
(1)
The
2019 Breaching the Barricade & Officer Appreciation Day
events are set for
October 18-19
in northern Indiana. This provides incredible, uplifting training for cops and a "bucket list" (as in a huge "bucket" of
FUN
)
event for officers and their families. Mark your calendars and plan on joining us in Indiana this October. Also please be in prayer for
Jim Bontrager
and his team...the effort is massive and the challenges overwhelming ("but God..."). I'll be serving there as well -- if you're coming and want a FREE Centurion t-shirt, email and let me know your size.
(2) In the Denver metro area, The Centurion Law Enforcement Ministry and FCPO-Denver is coming alongside police survivor
Gracie Parrish
(widow of slain DCSO Dep. Zach Parrish III) and
The Shelter Foundation
in two new
Bible studies
for (1) cops and (2) police spouses (click on the "Bible Studies" pages under the "About" link).
*Have a prayer request, event or announcement you would like included here? Need help/prayer?
Email me
!
I also post prayer requests on
my personal Facebook page
("friend" and message me).
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The Lion and the Lamb
Our Lord used "blessed are the peacemakers" and "blessed are the meek" in the same sermon. What is the proper meaning for us?
________
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Those who only see Jesus as the "meek" (I'll explain that word -- stay with me) and gentle
Lamb of God
(
John 1:29, 36
) forget that He is also the fierce and mighty
Lion of Judah
described in
Revelation 5:4-5
. How do we resolve the two? Let's start with stating that when Jesus said, "
I am meek and lowly
" (
Matthew 11:29
), He did not mean that He is soft, timid, or weak. Rather, He is "power under control!"
I'll be honest: humility and meekness is not always my strong suit (I'm working on it...in Christ). But Christ's
meek
ness and humility -- and the example we must follow -- reveals much about His matchless power, love and humility. When He took on flesh, Jesus restrained His power -- power that can create from nothing and utterly destroy everything -- choosing instead mercy, love and grace. When tempted, He remained without sin. When spat upon, He did not retaliate. Knowing His disciples would forsake Him, He washed their feet (the ultimate example of
servant-leadership
--
John 13:1-17
). What takes more power than to leave the glory of heaven and come to earth to save and serve undeserving sinners like you and I?
Don’t misunderstand: Jesus -- His three-year ministry on Earth as "God with skin on" -- also had moments where He expressed righteous anger. He rebuked the Pharisees for their religious legalism. He overturned the tables of those who had turned His Father’s house into a corrupt marketplace. Whenever we see Jesus respond in anger, it is always righteous and appropriate (the proper meaning of the words from
Proverbs 28:1
under the
lion on the National Law Enforcement Memorial
in Washington, DC -- see "
Bold as Lions
"). Moreover, His righteous
warriorhood
is repeatedly displayed both in the Old (
Exodus 15:3
, for starters) and New Testaments (see "
The Lord is a Warrior
").
Jesus is not a passive teacher, a detached guru, or a peace-loving hippie. In
Revelation 1:12-18
, we read that the glorified Christ has eyes of blazing fire, feet of bronze, a voice like rushing waters, a face like the sun, and a sword coming out of His mouth! This image made the apostle John fall at his feet as though dead, and it should fill us with awe and wonder that such a great and holy God would give His life for us. And what an example for us as modern-day servant-warriors (the God-ordained peace officers of
Romans 13:1-4
) to follow!
Much as the biblical term "
peacemaker
" Jesus spoke of in His "Sermon on the Mount" in
Matthew 5:9
is
not
about us as cops (unless...see "
Blessed are the Peacemakers?
"), His use of the word "
meek
"
("blessed are the meek..."
) in
Matthew 5:5-9
is often much misunderstood as well. The Greek word Jesus used here is
"
praus
" (prah-oos). Frankly, it is nearly impossible to translate
praus
with just one English word (meek). Biblically understood, it carries the concept of "strength and power under control." Whose control? God's control!
Expanding on this further, the literal interpretation of "
praus
" was used to define a wild horse broken and trained for battle -- a cavalry war horse. In that time, wild horses were brought down from the mountains, broken for riding and trained for various tasks. Some were used to pull wagons or other labor; some were trained for racing; but the very best were trained for warfare. They retained their fierce spirit, courage, and power, but were disciplined to respond to the slightest nudge or pressure of the rider's leg or tug on a chariot's reins. A well-trained cavalry war horse could charge into battle at 35 miles per hour and carry an armored warrior to a sliding stop at a word or touch. They were not easily frightened by arrows, spears, fire or (later) explosions. In short, a properly BROKEN war horse was said to be "meeked."
Over the centuries, the secrets of "meeking" (training/breaking) such animals was passed from the Mongols to the Greeks, the Roman legions (thus "the Centurion"), the Moors (Muslims), the medieval knights, etc. Today, we still see this kind of trained "meekness" in police mounted units such as the one I worked with in New Mexico: incredibly disciplined and immensely powerful draft horses that can quickly quell riots, disperse unruly crowds and be used to control the worst offenders (they can pin a violent suspect against a wall or another horse and make them completely powerless without injuring them). Of course, we can also see this kind of meeked power in certain police K-9s and in sheepdogs (see the sheepdog link in the first line in this and every newsletter -- borrowed from my friend, Lt. Col.
Dave Grossman
).
To be meeked, then, was to be taken from a state of wild rebellion and made completely loyal to, and dependent upon, one's master. It is also to be taken from an atmosphere of fearfulness and made unflinching in the presence of danger. War horses were trained to run full speed into enemy spears and shield walls. Later they charged into the face of exploding cannon and gun fire (as Lord Tennyson expressed in his poem, "
The Charge of the Light Brigade
" at the Battle of Balaclava).
Like these "meeked" war horses, God is calling His faithful to be submissive but not spineless; to embody what pastor Samuel Whatley describes as "power under control and strength with forbearance." Likewise, when Paul speaks of the "...
meekness and gentleness of Christ
..." in
2 Corinthians 10:1,
he is describing this kind of obedient, loving and controlled power. That same call is extended to Christian LEOs (and believers in general) to submit to the leading of the Holy Spirit and demonstrate power under control -- to "meekly" love, defend and deliver the weak and powerless, and to rebuke the oppressor (
Psalm 82:3-4
and
Isaiah 1:17
).
Teaching on this, noted 16th Century Bible commentator Matthew Poole wrote, "The meek, who can be angry, but restrain their wrath in obedience to the will of God, and will not be angry unless they can be angry and not sin, nor will be easily provoked by others." Does this not sound like our role as well-trained, disciplined police officers?
Pastor and Bible teacher David Guzik adds to this when he writes, "To be meek means to show willingness to submit and work under proper authority. It shows a willingness to disregard one's own 'rights' and privileges. It is one thing for me to admit my own spiritual bankruptcy, but what if someone else does it for me? Do I react meekly?" He then adds, "They are meek before God, in that they submit to His will and conform to His Word. They are meek before men, in that they are strong -- yet also humble, gentle, patient, and longsuffering." Sounds like a well-trained (meeked) cop/sheepdog to me!
The whole context of God's Word revealed that Peter, and most of the men and women who were Biblical heroes of the faith, had to learn meekness. Again, and being transparent with you, I can relate to Peter. Meekness was not my strength an unbeliever or "make-believer" serving in law enforcement and the military, and it is not something that comes naturally for me since I've been born again in Christ (a Christian as God defines it). Instead, like a wild, stubborn horse, God had to break me -- to bring me under submission -- in order to "meek" me into a useful "war horse" or His Kingdom and glory. Have I arrived? Not even close! And I continue to seek His ongoing breaking and training (growing in the Lord -- the biblical process of a believer's
sanctification
) today.
Let me tell you -- that breaking (at least in my case) -- was and frankly
is
a long and painful process. Praise God, I -- like every true believer -- have the Holy Spirit to help train me, discipline me, guide me, intercede for me, and yes, comfort and encourage me.
And Peter? When he first met Jesus, Peter was not meek. He had his heart set on selfish ideas, but his submitted training and yes, breaking under the servant-leadership of "
The Lion and Lamb
" changed that, as did Peter's continuing sanctification under the direction of the Holy Spirit. Understand that Peter did not lose his sense of courage or confidence when he grew in meekness. Rather, God broke and re-molded Peter's heart so that he began to reflect the love, strength and mercy of God (power under control and quiet confidence in Christ).
Finally, and while it is covered in the links I shared above, understand that Jesus, as the
Lamb of God
, willingly gave up His life as a perfect, sacrificial lamb to pay the penalty for our sin (our "crimes"), thus ransoming us from Satan's grasp. Again, see "
Lamb of God
" for more.
Brethren, God is training (and, if need be, breaking) us for spiritual and physical use and warfare behind Christ our Captain so that we can both love/protect the hurting and lost while also charging into battle behind Him against the forces of this world (the lawless one -- the devil) and yes, even against our own flesh. May God break us and train us up to be as meek as war horses!
PRAYER:
"Lord, You are the lion and the lamb, holy and humble, just and merciful. Thank You that You care for me—that You exert Your power for my good out of Your grace. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen."
He made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, . . . Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name
, . . ." (Philippians 2:7, 9).
Believer, are you submitted unto God's training and breaking? If not, repent and come back into His "corral" to be re-broken and retrained under His gentle hand. Likewise, if you've never surrendered in faith to Christ as Lord and Savior, NOW is the time to do so (scroll down to the "
Know God?
" section below)!
_____________________
KNOW GOD?
(1) Do you still falsely believe that you can "earn" or otherwise "badge" your way into heaven and escape hell because you consider yourself to be a "
good
" cop or "good" person? That you can be "good" enough without God? Take the
Good Person Test
and see how you do!
(2) Jesus' first recorded words in His earthly ministry were and remain, "
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 to our sin (as God defines it). To "believe" (
pisteuo
in the original Greek) as Jesus intends it here is to wholeheartedly trust and
surrender
your life to Him in faith in the same way we have "faith" that our body armor will do its job against the rounds it is intended to stop; that a well-maintained weapon will function properly when used in defense against criminals intent on destroying us or others; or that our parachute will open when it is supposed to (we stake our very lives on it)! For more, see
What does it mean to believe in Jesus?
(3) This same concept of "
believe
" (the saving kind) is further revealed in
John 3:1-21
where Jesus says, "
... you must be born again
." Again, note our Lord's emphasis on the word "
must
" (not "may" or "should" or even "someday"): this is ultimately the life-saving AND life-changing personal relationship (and NOT "religion") with Jesus Christ that I stress here every week (see
What does it mean to be a born again Christian
? [hint -- there is no other kind]).
(5) Need more? Then check out this powerful, short video message from police servant-leader
Travis Yates
:
Cops and Salvation
(6) Have you now said "yes" to Jesus as Lord and Savior but are wondering what to do next? The "now what" is also an important part in dealing with the issues that can lead to suicide and sin in general. Click on,
Now what?
MC
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ABOUT US
The
Centurion Law Enforcement Ministry
is
a national, FCPO-affiliated, non-denominational,
evangelical
Christian outreach to our own in law enforcement. These newsletters and profession-focused Bible studies are part of this effort and past editions can be found on our website and our social media feeds. Our desire is (1) to be used of God to
WIN
the lost in our profession to a saving faith in Christ; and (2)
DISCIPLE
the Christian officer; (3)
SEND
out discipled officers to "repeat" 1 and 2; (4)
SUPPORT
police marriages; (5) transform our God-ordained profession by infusing it with all-in Christian officers; and (6)
IMPACT
(reduce) police suicides and PTSD with the Cure found in Christ Jesus alone. In keeping with these 6 points, please feel free to adapt these messages for your own individual or group use and
share
them with others.
We also seek both your prayers and your
financial support
for this ministry as the Lord leads.
The
Fellowship of Christian Peace Officers
(FCPO-USA)
exists to provide biblical support ("backup"), accountability and
iron sharpens iron
fellowship for Christian officers first in the U.S. and throughout the world as well. Our Denver-area FCPO chapter (
FCPO Chapter #217
) is a
Centurion Law Enforcement Ministry
affiliate. Locally, we meet approximately twice a month in the south Denver-Metro suburb of Highlands Ranch for profession-focused and life-relevant Bible study, prayer and servant-warrior/sheepdog fellowship. Spouses are both welcome and encouraged to attend with their LEO.
Contact me for details!
You can also give to our ministry by designating "
FCPO Chapter 217
" on the
FCPO donation page
.
The
Centurion Law Enforcement Ministry
and FCPO-Metro Denver (Chapter 217) are led by veteran Police Officer, Chaplain and Evangelist
Michael "MC" Williams.
MC is an active (32-years and counting) sworn police officer/investigator and sought-after instructor and speaker at churches (including the popular
Centurion Church Security Seminar
), retreats and both police and civilian training conferences and seminars around the country. Contact MC via
email
for details on how to book him for your event.
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