Wednesday, January 26, 2011

11 Shot in 24 Hours: A Time To Evaluate

By now, many of you have heard of the unspeakable tragedy that law enforcement encountered in a 24 hour period this week. I want to put details to each one of these tragedies and give you an opportunity to pray for those involved and their families.

2 Kitsap County Deputies shot in Washington
Gunman opens fire in Detroit Precint, shooting four officers
Shooting leaves Oregon Officer Critical
Two St. Petersburg Officers Killed & U.S. Marshall injured
Indianapolis Officer Shot In Face. Expected To Die.


"I have never seen anything like it" stated Craig Floyd of the National Law Enforcement Memorial. There have been several well known writers explain the last 24hours and what we need to do as a profession to prevent this in the future.

Dave Smith says that we must develop a "Conspiracy of Safety" and Floyd stated that "we must do everything in our power to stop these senseless and heinous crimes against our law enforcement personnel."

I agree with all of that. It is absolutely true. We have lost 14 officers since January 1, 2011 and that trend must be stopped but as a Christian there is something much more pressing to consider.

A Christian Officer's Response
As a Christian Peace Officer, there should certainly be an effort to prevent line of duty deaths. We should be vigilant, safe and protect those around us but there is a much more pressing issue. One that makes the tragedy's between Sunday and Monday of this week seem like it never happened.

What are we doing to reach those around us with the Gospel?
If the first month of 2011 does not wake us up to the reality that death could be any minute, I'm not sure anything will. We must take an urgent approach to proclaiming the Gospel to those in our profession. Nothing else matters...period. You can spend days upon days of training to protect yourself and your co-workers in Officer Safety (and you should do that) but if you never have an effort to protect those around you in regards to "eternity", your efforts in the "here and now" are nothing more than a cruel, temporary effort to a path full of destruction and death (Matthew 7:13) to those around you.

Your efforts now will no doubt be seen as commendable but if you are a Christian and you are not faithfuilly proclaiming the Gospel to the same people you are trying to make safe than you are not only unfaithful...you are keeping the greatest survival secret ever given to man to yourself.

Why Aren't We Witnessing?
I think there is a pretty straightforward answer to this. Jesus tells us that if the world hates you, it hated Him first (John 15). We are told in 2 Timothy 3:12 that "all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." If we are faithful in telling others about Christ (Matthew 28) than it will be uncomfortable. Trials and even persecution will come. You see, when we choose not too witness because it is not comfortable or we are afraid of the very words of Jesus Christ, we are loving the world more than we love Jesus. Jesus had something to say about that as well.

My good friend and Director of the Centurion Law Enforcement Ministry, Sgt. M.C. Williams, found out exactly how unpopular speaking about Christ and salvation was. Recently following a line of duty death, he questioned whether the dead officer knew the Lord and he was squarely blasted for doing so. Keep in mind, he did not do this in a disrespectful fashion or in an unloving manner. He simply proclaimed the truths of salvation and that it had nothing to do with someone's profession. The words of Jesus were true that day for M.C. and if you proclaim truths, rest assured they will be true for you but you must understand the alternative.

Nobody spoke more about hell in the New Testament than Jesus did. He used words like “outer darkness” (Matthew 8:12) and “gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 22:13) and “torment” (Luke 16:23) and unquenchable fire (Mark 9:43) and eternal punishment (Matthew 25:46). It is, in His mind, eternal, conscious, and horrible. That makes the deaths of the nearly 19,000 officers killed in the line of duty throughout U.S. history, seem like nothing.

If you believe what Jesus said (and if you are saved, you believe every word), than that makes any consequences of sharing your faith seem like nothing.

The Struggle
Don't get me wrong. I don't write this as someone that proclaims the Gospel every chance I should. I don't and I mourn for the times I have not been obedient but let's not let the fact that we haven't done it in the past be an excuse to not do it in the future.

The good news is that there is information available today like no other time in history. There are resources for you like no other Christian Officer has ever had the opportunity to use. I realize you may not be able to personally speak to every officer around you but there are a wide range of things you can do to overcome that.

Resources
Let me encourage you to study and ensure that your Gospel Presentation is Biblical. I recommend The Gospel & Personal Evangelism (Mark Dever), Hells Best Kept Secret (Ray Comfort)and the School of Biblical Evangelism. Here is a resource that will be sent to you for free.

To specifically target law enforcement, our ministry has some excellent resources. I was able to give out a copy of Take Up The Shield to every peace officer in my agency and many others around the country have done the same. We offer this book at a 50% discount if you order 80. We also offer a Challenge Coin that proclaims the Gospel and if you want to utilize technology, send those around you a link to this Gospel Presentation and ask them what they think.

Maybe you are concerned that you can't share your faith at work. Then join Facebook, ask those around you to "friend" you and then proclaim the Gospel on your Facebook account or send all of them an e-mail when you are off duty. Or let our ministry witness to them. Send us an e-mail at: "Cross (AT) tenfourministries.org" with the address of the officer and we will send them a Gospel Tract along with a free Cross medal. Do the words of Jesus come true when we do that? Absolutely but it's ok because we are fully aware of the alternative to our heroes in uniform.

3 comments:

lioneagle said...

Greetings -

Thank you sincerely for this. Your message is so vitally needed to go forth.

Relative to Law Enforcement:

Here is what the Lord gave me on Resurrection Sunday 2009 (it appeared on my blog on September 18, 2009):

Subject: Law Enforcement Spiritual Alert

The prophetic word that was dropped relative to those in law enforcement –

As was expressed, the opposition against law enforcement personnel shall increase. Many in the subject profession are not near ready for this new wave of evil that is soon to display and demonstrate hatred against the law. Nothing in the natural is prepared to contend with the diabolical evil that is poised to launch against the law enforcement community.

In the natural realm they are out-powered by the wickedness of Satan and his legion of devils. This is not a flesh war. It is a spiritual battle that will cause grown men to sob in despair. The so-called men in law enforcement are ill-prepared for the army who will do battle for the kingdom of Satan. The Devil gleefully anticipates vanquishing the power of those in the profession of law.

Alert! Law enforcement is a target in ways that are, to date, unprecedented. The criminal element is determined to show strength on levels that will baffle even the most seasoned law enforcement professionals. The criminal element largely succeeds because they are “packing” hatred whose source is the Devil himself.

Tried and true methods will certainly diminish in effectiveness. The level of this “beast” requires measures that have yet to be developed….

Law enforcement professionals will be caught unawares because the range of their training will prove inadequate against the vicious machinations formed and executed by the lawless.

At present, law enforcement does not have “ammunition” to conquer in the battles that originate in the invisible, and later manifest in the visible atmosphere, and environs. The criminal element has the advantage because….

What is the answer? Not what but WHO? God and those He sends to provide vital spiritual intelligence to quell the storms in places that are vulnerable due to pride, fear, compromise, and corruption.

Only the power of God can execute what is necessary to deal crushing blows of defeat that will most certainly significantly impact those who dare defy the laws of our lands!

The answer is God….

To obtain…His conditions must be met.

Meet, and submit to God, the Most High, and he will meet, and provide the solutions….

Amos 3:7

Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.

NOTE ADDED TODAY SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 18, 2010:

Of course, there are holy warrior police officers and others in law enforcement who have relationships with our Lord. Thank GOD for them and also GOD is to thanked for those in law enforcement who are not Christians. Those in said profession who walk as heirs of GOD and joint heirs of JESUS CHRIST are doing spiritual warfare indeed.

The Spiritual Alert that the Lord spoke on Resurrection Sunday April 13, 2009, is to have it on record for various reasons. One main reason is so that it will be better known that there is a most High GOD Who rules in the kingdom of men who speaks His Words to whosoever will...! It is in our best interest to heed what He speaks because His Words never return void.

Daniel 4:17

...to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men,...

Isaiah 55:11

So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

lioneagle said...

Greetings sir -

Thank you for posting my comments.

Today I made the subject words available for copy/printing/distribution on my blog FREELY RECEIVED FREELY GIVEN at www.giftsfromglory.blogspot.com.

You are certainly welcome to use the "LAW ENFORCEMENT SPIRITUAL ALERT" post to copy/print/distribute as our Lord leads you...and any other posts from the subject blog.

My prayer is that it will help others as we strive to advance the kingdom of our Almighty GOD.

Thank you, sir, for all of your labor for our Lord. May He reward you immensely for pressing on...

lioneagle said...

Hi -

Please forgive...

I forgot to inform where the subject post can be found on my blog FREELY RECEIVED FREELY GIVEN.

It is found under the SEPARATE TAB labeled, "PROPHETIC."