The Centurion Law Enforcement Ministry Newsletter
&
Bible Study
|
Fellow officers,
sheepdogs,
servant-
warriors, spouses and supporters:
This week I'm sharing a special Bible study/devotional on the life, character and example of
Caleb "the Cop."
God has so much for us in this -- scroll down!
Again, please take the time to review the new
prayer requests
,
resources
and
events
I've shared for you below.
Let's continue to stay safe on the street with a "front sight" focus on Christ our Captain!
MC
_____________________
RESOURCES
PRAYER REQUESTS
(1) Not a law enforcement request but prayers requested for my pastor and team headed to Israel (safety, protection, traveling mercies...).
(2)
Emery Esse (Detroit PD, Ret.) writes, "I received a call from a good Brother in Christ and blue,
Phil Braga
(Ret. DPD) asking for prayer for his daughter
Amy Dadich
(45) who was diagnosed with a brain tumor and will have to have surgery on Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2019. Brother Phil said, "Amy is not saved, and I seek prayer for her salvation and God's will be done in healing her and giving the doctors wisdom during surgery in removing the tumor. All for Jesus and His glory! Thank you so much for your prayers! Please add Amy to your prayer chain. God bless you all!
UPCOMING EVENTS
(1)
The
2019 Breaching the Barricade & Officer Appreciation Day
events are set for
October 18-19
in northern Indiana. These events provide incredible, uplifting training for cops (day 1) and a "bucket list" (as in a huge "bucket" of
FUN
)
event for officers and their families on day 2. 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 me
and let me know your size.
(2) In the Denver metro area,
The Centurion Law Enforcement Ministry
and
FCPO-Denver
is helping get the word out about police survivor
Gracie Parrish
(widow of slain DCSO Dep. Zach Parrish III) and
The Shelter Foundation
concerning
two new
Bible studies
for cops AND our spouses in the south Denver metro area (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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Caleb the "Cop"
In Caleb, God presents us with a powerful example for servant-warriors (sheepdogs/cops) today.
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|
In Old Testament Israel, calling someone a "dog" was an insult, not a nickname for a bounty hunter or some kind of street slang. In the Hebrew, the name Caleb could be translated as "dog." Yet God's plan for Caleb was certainly no insult. Through Him, the mighty Caleb of Israel was transformed into a powerful, godly example for all of us who "serve and protect" and frankly, for Christians in general (Caleb is one of my greatest heroes of the faith).
What God's Word (the Bible) reveals to us in Caleb is a courageous servant-warrior and a man of incredible faith in and love for the God of Israel, the LORD of Hosts. To be sure, Caleb was no mere dog but was instead a valiant
sheepdog
in every sense of
Lt. Col. Dave Grossman
's meaning! Moreover, like Christ, Caleb came from Judah. And like Christ (but of course not Christ), he was a (not "The")
lion of Judah!
Caleb, of course, had been one of the original "secret service agents" (or special forces, if you prefer) sent by Moses into Canaan (the "Promised Land") more than forty years earlier. Along with Joshua, Caleb had great faith and trust in God while everyone else cowered in fear. Clearly, the fearsome giants and wicked inhabitants of Canaan were a powerful force to be reckoned with, but Caleb and Joshua believed in God's power and trusted in His promises (faith in action).
Caleb -- "
with Joshua
" -- didn't buy into the grasshopper logic of
Numbers 13:33
("
We are like grasshoppers in their sight! We will surely be defeated!
"). Rather, they bought more into Paul's Holy Spirit-inspired proclamation: "
If God be for us, who can be against us
" (
Romans 8:31
).
Yes, from the very beginning Caleb appeared as a man of courageous faith. Because he trusted in and wholeheartedly obeyed God, Caleb did not die with the other spies. Joshua replaced Moses as "Chief" and led the people into the Promised Land. Caleb -- much like a police SWAT Captain -- was "
all in
" for God and in his support of Joshua.
Finally, once in the
Promised Land
, after four decades of wilderness wandering, Caleb approached Joshua about the mountain he had been dreaming of since the Lord first showed it to him (I can relate to that).
With this foundation in place, Scripture reveals the following
Christlike attributes (FAITH, CHARACTER, STRENGTH
and
LOVE)
of Caleb the
"cop"
(true servant-warrior)
that have powerful application both for Christians in general and also specifically for those of us who have answered God's call to "serve and protect."
CALEB'S FAITH
"
Then the people of Judah came to Joshua at Gilgal. And Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, 'You know what the LORD said to Moses the man of God in Kadesh-barnea concerning you and me. I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh-barnea to spy out the land, and I brought him word again as it was in my heart. But my brothers who went up with me made the heart of the people melt; yet I wholly followed the LORD my God. And Moses swore on that day, saying, "Surely the land on which your foot has trodden shall be an inheritance for you and your children forever, because you have wholly followed the LORD my God'
" (
Joshua 14:6-9
).
Here we see Caleb's faith -- the same faith that first pulsed through him forty years earlier. With bold passion, Caleb reminded Joshua of Moses' promise to him. According to Moses, Caleb had "
wholly followed the LORD
," a phrase oft-repeated about our hero. He was a a wholly devoted man whose faith and trust in God never wavered.
With every battle fought and victory won, Caleb saw God's promises unfolding while his faith grew. Now 85 years old, Caleb saw how God had kept His word. Caleb's faith was astounding. It was a faith that had been tested. It was a faith that was alive, bold and vibrant! What an example for us today! And out of that faith, Caleb asks for his ("my") mountain!
CALEB'S CHARACTER
The key to our understanding of Caleb’s godly character is found in
Numbers 14:24
in the phrase, “
another spirit
” (
a different spirit
). We too must possess this different spirit in order to be pleasing and useful to God. Secondly, Caleb was "
wholehearted
" in following God -- he was
ALL IN
!
Does this describe you? God's people must come to terms with the fact that we are
not like (of) the world
but rather
set apart
. Standing "wholehearted" for God's truth is never popular in our modern culture, “
If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you … I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world … Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you”
(
John 15:19; John 17:14; 1 John 3:13,
KJV). Too many Christians are more concerned about what everyone else thinks than what God says.
CALEB'S STRENGTH
"
And now, behold, the LORD has kept me alive, just as he said, these forty-five years since the time that the LORD spoke this word to Moses, while Israel walked in the wilderness. And now, behold, I am this day eighty-five years old. I am still as strong today as I was in the day that Moses sent me; my strength now is as my strength was then, for war and for going and coming
" (
Joshua 14:10-11
).
Secondly, we note the strength of Caleb. The claim he made was incredible. Caleb was now 85 years old, but Caleb was not like other 85 year old men. On the contrary, Caleb was just as strong (mighty in the Lord) then as he was at 40!
Others died, but Caleb thrived (sorry, had to get that in). He was more than alive; he was living, battling,
training
and serving (Are you?). He literally radiated God's glory, for he was still as strong as the day he spied out that land originally.
Like Samson, Caleb's Holy Spirit-powered strength was astounding. But unllke Samson (prideful, disobedient), Caleb's strength remained and grew as he wholeheartedly
obeyed
and
loved
the LORD. Does this not remind us of the inward strength we long to feel increase within us? Do we not want to be 85 years YOUNG with an internal power that is more than we had in our youth? Though the outward man perishes, the Spirit can make the inner man renewed day by day. May this strength fall upon us!
CALEB'S LOVE
"...
I am as strong this day as on the day that Moses sent me; just as my strength was then, so now is my strength for war, both for going out and for coming in.
Now therefore,
give me this mountain
of which the Lord spoke in that day; for you heard in that day how the Anakim were there, and that the cities were great and fortified. It may be that the Lord will be with me, and I shall be able to drive them out as the Lord said.
” (
Joshua 14:11-12,
added emphasis mine)
Finally, we take note of Caleb's
sheepdog love
.
He loved the mountains (as do I)! That's what he wanted from the Lord through "Chief" Joshua: the hill country of Hebron. Others in the
book of Joshua
would faint at the sight of the mountains; they were occupied by powerful forces with heavy weaponry. The hill country was hard to overcome, hard to defeat; but Caleb wanted to take it for God's glory. Caleb was a mountain man, and he couldn't wait for Joshua and the Lord to release him upon it!
But it seemed there was more to Hebron than the difficulty of the terrain. Sure, Caleb looked forward to being used by God to crush the Anakim (God's enemies) there, but there may have been something else. Hebron was historical. Abraham had built an altar there after Lot's departure. Abraham and Isaac and Jacob all sojourned there. It seemed to have been a place of fellowship with God. Caleb wanted the mountain, but more so, Caleb wanted to be in intimate
fellowship
with God whom He
loved
and served without question.
In his seminars and in his book,
On Combat
(highly recommended)
, my dear friend, Lt. Col.
Dave Grossman
, also speaks our a warrior's love that is a picture of Caleb the Cop:
A Warrior's Love
.
Likewise, Caleb's love was astounding. It was a love and devotion rarely found. Hebron means "association" or "league.” Likewise, may we crave an association with God as Caleb did. Let us be in league with Him. Let us become a people whose hearts are captured by the mountain. Mount Calvary opened up Mount Hebron to us. The blood that made it possible for us to have a genuine personal relationship with God in Christ. May Caleb's love develop within us!
In conclusion, Caleb was a
"radical" for God
and a far cry from the lukewarm norms of his day (and ours). Caleb was bold, full of faith and in love with God. He did not war or fight for war's sake, but for God. He wanted to see God's kingdom advance. The likeness of Christ was found in Him. Like Caleb, Jesus had a "front sight focus" on His "mountain" -- the cross on Calvary hill!
Do you?
Caleb did not grow complacent or satisfied with what the way things were (the wickedness of his age). No, he
ran to the battle
in the hope of making a real difference for God's Kingdom. May we do likewise as we strive to "take the hill" (thanks
Jim Bontrager
) in lovingly, humbly and boldly living "all in" for Christ as we take His Gospel to a lost and hurting world!
"Lord God, give me my mountain!"
* Special thanks to Calvary Monterey Pastor Nate Holdridge whose teaching on Caleb served as a resource for my own.
So where do you stand today? Friend, do you truly know the One (the only one) who can give us the strength and courage of Caleb to "take your mountain" and make a lasting difference both on "the job" and with our families, churches and communities? Understand this can only come through a genuine, "all in" personal relationship (not "religion") with Christ as Lord and Savior. Do you have that? If not (or you're not sure), then I again plead with you to consider the following under
"
Know God?
"
below (and please
reach out
if you have questions or need counsel).
_____________________
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.
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, sound (uncompromising) Bible study, prayer and servant-warrior fellowship (and spouses are both welcome and encouraged to attend with their LEO).
Contact me
for complete details.
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.
Finally, we covet your prayer and financial support for this vital ministry outreach. Reference the latter, you can give in two ways:
(1) Send a check to the address posted below.
or
(2) Go the the
FCPO giving page
and designate "
FCPO #217
" or the "Centurion Law Enforcement Ministry."
* All donations are tax-deductible.
The Centurion Law Enforcement Ministry
, P.O. Box 630854, Littleton, CO 80163 |
Email Address
| (720) 371-1022 |
Website
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