A Tribute to Officer Joel Campora. A believer who we tragically lost in the line of duty in 2013. Deputy Director Jeff Crow stated that "Joel was not ordinary. Joel was uncommon. He was an uncommon man. He understood the sense of sacrifice..."
Friday, October 25, 2013
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Disaster Relief Efforts In Oklahoma
I was three hours into a class yesterday when I noticed a little more cell phone activity than usual. I finally asked and one of the officers and he told me that “Moore had been leveled.”
It took a few minutes for that to reach me. Moore, Oklahoma was the victim of a devastating F5 tornado in 1999 that killed 41 people. It was hard to imagine anything like that could happen again.
Since that time, I had become involved in a Disaster Relief Team with a Ministry I was involved in called Ten-Four Ministries. In the last few years we had partnered with my good friend Scott Barthelmass and his organization, the Missouri Law Enforcement Funeral Assistance Team, when devastation his areas around us. We had been in Joplin & Alabama just two years ago and we had learned a lot about what was needed and we had also learned that many of the basic needs of the First Responders were not always met. It seems that these heroes in the ruble took care of everyone else and sometimes their own family needed that same help.
I walked out of class yesterday afternoon and my phone was in shock with all of the messages. After seeing the identical images I had seen a few years ago in other cities, it was time to do something. I knew Scott would be calling and he did.
It is early and the “fog” of the situation makes it not at all clear of the specific needs but we do know that one Moore Officer has lost his home and vehicles and we also know that many more will be affected as the information comes to us. We want to help as much as possible.
Monetary donations can be sent here.
http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/travis-yates-2/moore
Donations are tax-deductible and as we did in Joplin & Alabama, we will take the proceeds directly to the first responders in need. Many of us think that insurance companies or organizations set up tents and hand out money to those in need. That is simply not what we found weeks after other devastating events. We found the need great in those locations and being able to hand a first responder that has lost everything funds to help them with a hotel or groceries can go a long way.
We are also working with several great companies in providing BDU’s, boots, rain gear, safety vests and gloves to the first responders. This will help them do their job and we are thankful to Flying Cross, Blauer, Rocky Boots, Safariland and many others for helping us make this happen.
We also know that we will need much more in the days to come. If you would like to send Boots, Gloves or BDU’s to those in need please ship them to the following address:
Special OPS Uniforms
C/O Mr. Mitch McIntire
2921 NW 10th Street
Oklahoma City, OK 73107
I am thankful to be in a profession that takes care of our own & I am grateful to play just a small part in that. Thank you for your prayers and generosity for this horrible event in my home state.
It took a few minutes for that to reach me. Moore, Oklahoma was the victim of a devastating F5 tornado in 1999 that killed 41 people. It was hard to imagine anything like that could happen again.
Since that time, I had become involved in a Disaster Relief Team with a Ministry I was involved in called Ten-Four Ministries. In the last few years we had partnered with my good friend Scott Barthelmass and his organization, the Missouri Law Enforcement Funeral Assistance Team, when devastation his areas around us. We had been in Joplin & Alabama just two years ago and we had learned a lot about what was needed and we had also learned that many of the basic needs of the First Responders were not always met. It seems that these heroes in the ruble took care of everyone else and sometimes their own family needed that same help.
I walked out of class yesterday afternoon and my phone was in shock with all of the messages. After seeing the identical images I had seen a few years ago in other cities, it was time to do something. I knew Scott would be calling and he did.
It is early and the “fog” of the situation makes it not at all clear of the specific needs but we do know that one Moore Officer has lost his home and vehicles and we also know that many more will be affected as the information comes to us. We want to help as much as possible.
Monetary donations can be sent here.
http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/travis-yates-2/moore
We are also working with several great companies in providing BDU’s, boots, rain gear, safety vests and gloves to the first responders. This will help them do their job and we are thankful to Flying Cross, Blauer, Rocky Boots, Safariland and many others for helping us make this happen.
We also know that we will need much more in the days to come. If you would like to send Boots, Gloves or BDU’s to those in need please ship them to the following address:
Special OPS Uniforms
C/O Mr. Mitch McIntire
2921 NW 10th Street
Oklahoma City, OK 73107
I am thankful to be in a profession that takes care of our own & I am grateful to play just a small part in that. Thank you for your prayers and generosity for this horrible event in my home state.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
TUTS To Creation Museum
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
This article is written by Pastor Shane Kastler, a friend of our ministry and we are grateful that he is permitting us to share it with you.
(NOTE: This is my "Seeking Higher Ground" article for this week's newspaper).
“For the land is full of blood; and the city is full of injustice.” (Ezekiel 9:9)
When you look over the course of world history, you will discover that Americans have a very rare privilege by being allowed to elect our leaders. It is an honor that we should not take for granted, realizing that many lives have been lost to gain us the freedoms we enjoy. The wise American will study issues and candidates, as time permits, then go to the ballot box and cast votes that honor the Lord.
The idea of voting was fairly foreign to Biblical times, so you won’t find the Bible commanding you to embrace one political party over another. With that said, Christians should make all decisions in life (including voting) with a Biblical mindset and worldview. Some issues might be nothing more than personal preference, with no moral imperative at stake. Economic and tax issues might simply boil down to whether or not you think the extra taxes you’ll pay are justified for what the money will be spent on. Other issues are blatantly moral and Christians should take these issues into account when voting.
For example, no Christian has any business giving unfettered support to a political candidate that embraces the murder of innocent children. Though this murder might be legal in our depraved nation; and though supporters like to use words like “choice” or “abortion” the truth is too plain to miss. Abortion is state sanctioned murder of our most innocent and helpless people.
So feel free to debate issues all day long; as long as the issues are truly debatable. Abortion is not. Abortion is vile. Too many politicians in our nation have exploited this issue to gain votes from those too ignorant to see they’re being exploited. Scare tactics that would encourage a woman to avoid any candidate that would dare take away her right to “choose” are all too common. And the result is too many political leaders who have strolled into office by walking over the top of the corpses of millions of dead babies. When politicians loudly espouse this “right” to kill the young as a virtue, then the citizenry needs to seriously give pause before granting political support to such a candidate. If the President of the United States doesn’t have the backbone to defend the most helpless people in his nation, what makes you think he’ll defend you when the chips are down? If the President of the United States is more concerned with appeasing radical feminists than he is pleasing Almighty God, there is a problem in the land. And while you might not be able to fully embrace or endorse any candidate, you can clearly disqualify some based on common morality and decency.
To the American voter, I simply say this: prayerfully vote for whomever you wish. But know that when your life ends, you will not stand before a Democrat or Republican to give an account. You will stand before the Lord Jesus Christ. Be prepared to stand with the assurance that you followed Christ and made all decisions in life based upon His Word and what He would have you do.
.
(NOTE: This is my "Seeking Higher Ground" article for this week's newspaper).
“For the land is full of blood; and the city is full of injustice.” (Ezekiel 9:9)
When you look over the course of world history, you will discover that Americans have a very rare privilege by being allowed to elect our leaders. It is an honor that we should not take for granted, realizing that many lives have been lost to gain us the freedoms we enjoy. The wise American will study issues and candidates, as time permits, then go to the ballot box and cast votes that honor the Lord.
The idea of voting was fairly foreign to Biblical times, so you won’t find the Bible commanding you to embrace one political party over another. With that said, Christians should make all decisions in life (including voting) with a Biblical mindset and worldview. Some issues might be nothing more than personal preference, with no moral imperative at stake. Economic and tax issues might simply boil down to whether or not you think the extra taxes you’ll pay are justified for what the money will be spent on. Other issues are blatantly moral and Christians should take these issues into account when voting.
For example, no Christian has any business giving unfettered support to a political candidate that embraces the murder of innocent children. Though this murder might be legal in our depraved nation; and though supporters like to use words like “choice” or “abortion” the truth is too plain to miss. Abortion is state sanctioned murder of our most innocent and helpless people.
So feel free to debate issues all day long; as long as the issues are truly debatable. Abortion is not. Abortion is vile. Too many politicians in our nation have exploited this issue to gain votes from those too ignorant to see they’re being exploited. Scare tactics that would encourage a woman to avoid any candidate that would dare take away her right to “choose” are all too common. And the result is too many political leaders who have strolled into office by walking over the top of the corpses of millions of dead babies. When politicians loudly espouse this “right” to kill the young as a virtue, then the citizenry needs to seriously give pause before granting political support to such a candidate. If the President of the United States doesn’t have the backbone to defend the most helpless people in his nation, what makes you think he’ll defend you when the chips are down? If the President of the United States is more concerned with appeasing radical feminists than he is pleasing Almighty God, there is a problem in the land. And while you might not be able to fully embrace or endorse any candidate, you can clearly disqualify some based on common morality and decency.
To the American voter, I simply say this: prayerfully vote for whomever you wish. But know that when your life ends, you will not stand before a Democrat or Republican to give an account. You will stand before the Lord Jesus Christ. Be prepared to stand with the assurance that you followed Christ and made all decisions in life based upon His Word and what He would have you do.
.
Saturday, September 01, 2012
Monday, August 20, 2012
"Creed" Memorial Message
The below message was delivered by Travis Yates, Director of Ten-Four Ministries, at a Memorial service for "Creed", a Police K9 on August 15, 2012.
I want to thank Justin Adams for asking me to participate today and I want to thank the Panama Police Chief for permitting this Memorial.
I think most of us thought a couple of different ways this tragic event should go because it certainly isn’t what most of us are used to but I am grateful we have had the opportunity to do this.
Chief, thank you…this was the right thing to do.
I stand up here in awe of the relationship that a K9 has with his handler. I will not pretend to understand that relationship but anyone that has had the privilege to patrol with a four legged partner will tell you it is special beyond comprehension and that in of itself makes this event all the more tragic.
Pets have a special place in all of our hearts and much of that is because of their innocence and their loyalty. We all have stories, whether when we were kids or of today of a special place animals have in our life and when you talk about a K9 and its handler, it is so much more.
It is a special bond. It is a special relationship and in times like this, it is especially difficult.
But in that pain and sorrow, I want you to know this.
Creed has left Andy with memories that can never be taken away.
Creed has left Andy’s family with thoughts and joy that can never be removed.
Creed has left an impression on this community that will never be forgotten and I’m certain there are a few criminals that have some memories of Creed they would like to forget but they won’t be able to.
My friends, these are gifts from an animal to us and I will take that even farther and tell you the gift that Creed gave you and will continue to give you through remembering those happy times is a gift from almighty God and for that we are blessed.
In Genesis 1, God details the formation of this earth and everything on it and Day 5 even before man was made, we get the account of God Himself making animals and some just like Creed and God said something very important at the end of verse 25.
“And God saw that it was good”
Now that is a powerful statement. The Sovereign God of the Universe took the time to provide us with animals such as Creed. You see God is all knowing and despite what the evolutionists will tell you, God Almighty, on Day 5 of creation, knew the gift that Creed was going to provide us.
We need to understand this. That God did not have to provide Creed to us but He chose to do that very thing and we should be thankful and praise Him for that.
Job 12:10 tells us that “In his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind.”
Think about that. God holds the life of every animal and every human being in His hand. The Lord gives and the Lord Takes away and in all that, our command is to praise the Lord.
With that said, I want you to know that with all the love and the memories and the great times that Creed gave us, he continues to give us a gift today.
This K9, this protector of His community, has brought all of us together today. There will be friendships that form, there will be fellowship among our brothers and sisters that wear the badge and more importantly, Creed’s sacrifice has brought you in this church at this very moment in time that God Himself has ordained.
With God there are no coincidences. Everything and absolutely everything happens for a purpose and Creed’s very name demands the message of eternal life.
The word “Creed” means a statement of belief and Wikipedia describes this statement of belief as a “statement of faith”.
Whether you are a believer in Jesus Christ or not, we all have a Creed….We all have something that we believe.
• Some of you may not believe in God. And that is a belief, that is a creed.
• Some of you believe in God but it is not the God of the Bible. Maybe it is the God that the Mormons talk about or the God that Muslims talk about or even a false God that any particular religion has discusses and all of that would be a Creed…it would be a belief.
• But as I close, none of those Creeds matter. You see the only thing that matters is truth and we live in a day and age where everyone seems to be seeking for the truth and all along it is right here (The Bible).
The truth is this. There is a separation between us and God. That separation was caused with Adam and Eve in the Garden and their sin was passed on to you.
The Bible says that we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God but the Bible goes much deeper than that and I would be remiss if I didn’t explain that to you in detail. We are in the Bible Belt and all of us have heard that statement, “we’ve all sinned”, but do you know what that means?
You see it wasn’t until I really understood my sin and what it looks like to a holy, righteous, God that I knew I needed a Savior. You would not go to a Doctor if you didn’t know you were sick and you definitely aren’t going to care about Jesus until you know you need Him.
Well, just a few verses explain the judgment and wrath we are under as sinners.
Ephesians 2:3 tells us that by nature we are “children of wrath”.
Romans 3 tells us that none of us seek after God and that none of us are good and I could continue and I would tell you it doesn’t get any better for us.
Dr. A.W. Pink states that “A study of the concordance will show that there are more references in Scripture to the anger, fury, and wrath of God than there are to his love and tenderness.”
Indeed, everyone can cite John 3:16, “that God so loved the world that he gave His only son and anyone that believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life”
But what about John 3:18? Just 2 verses later, we are told that if we do not believe, we are “condemned.”
These are not words that should make us feel good. These descriptions of God’s wrath and anger and fury are the truth but there is another truth that is so important.
God is good, He is perfect and he demands perfection and anyone violating God’s Standard will be punished. You see, God would not be good if he did not punish.
When we catch this criminal that did this to Creed and marched him in front of a judge, we would expect punishment if the judge was any good. We expect that until it comes to our judgment in front of God.
Your human nature can tell you that you are a pretty good person and in the eyes of society, you no doubt are. After all, you stand in the gap between good and evil and that is heroic in every sense of the word but according to Isaiah 64:6, your good deeds are nothing more than filthy rags to God.
There is nothing we can do to please Him and if you haven’t figured it out yet, that means we are all in trouble. The penalty for this sin is an eternity in hell. The Bible describes it as a place where there will be weeping and knashing of teeth…a place where the worm never dies.
If the story ended there we are indeed in trouble but praise God that while he is a God of judgment and a God of wrath, He is also a God of love.
He is a God that before the beginning of time, he knew Creed would bless your life and He is a God that has saved some of you into salvation before today and he is a God that has permitted some of you to come here today and to hear his message of redemption.
I’ve been asked since the death of Creed if dogs go to heaven and while I would like to stand here today and tell you many things, it is my responsibility to tell you what the Bible says and God has chosen not to reveal that answer to us. We simply don’t know.
The answer to that question is not given to us but there are many answers to many questions that God chose not to reveal to us on this side of eternity but
we know that heaven is a place where there will be no tears and it will be all joy and heaven is described to us in great detail and there is something else described to us in great detail.
And that is the redemption of man kind. You see, earlier I gave you the bad news and that is we are fallen and left on our own, we are walking towards a cliff of death and if it was not for a God of mercy and redemption, we would of all walked off of that cliff.
But God is good and over 2000 years ago he sent our redemption. His name was Jesus Christ. Both God and man, walking this earth just as we do today but this Jesus was different.
Jesus claimed He was God but many through the years and even today have made a similar claim but Jesus Christ was different.
Unlike you and I, Jesus was sinless…He was perfect and His claim to be God was just one of the reasons He was nailed on a tree and murdered in the most brutal fashion.
It was called a Cruxifiction and it was nothing unusual. This method of death was reserved for the most vile of criminals and the Romans were experts in this style of death penalty.
Jesus Christ, the perfect, sinless, lamb of God, hung on that tree and breathed His last breath, looking up into the sky and saying that “it is finished.”
Now the death of Jesus would have just been another execution with the exception of an event that will change the course of history forever.
Three days after Jesus was buried, He rose from the dead and He didn’t rise without anyone seeing Him. He was seen by hundreds and if you march a few hundred eye witnesses into any courtroom today, those jurors would believe it without a doubt.
Now believing those facts are not enough. The Bible tells us that demons believe and most of you know people that claim to believe but they live like the devil. The Bible tells us that the requirements for redemption of our sin is repentance and faith.
John the Baptist, The Apostles and Jesus repeat this throughout the New Testament. This repentance is a turning away from sin; a change of attitude about sin and a turning to Jesus Christ unto salvation.
Repentance doesn’t mean you are perfect but it means that your attitude and your life is a turning to God and away from sin.
Now you may say to yourself, “I don’t want that truth” and you can say that but I submit to you the truth does not consist of what you want….the truth is what God has declared. It’s not exactly popular to bring a message of wrath and hell and repentance but never the less, my duty is to tell you this.
And today, we are brought together by a four legged hero and God has declared His truth and the call for you today is to celebrate the life of Creed and to examine your own life in regards to the Creed that matters eternally…repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.
In closing, I want to personally express my sorrow to Sgt. Andy Bevel, the handler of Creed and to his family. Andy, I speak for everyone here that:
• We will not stop until this coward is brought to justice.
• We will not stop until Creed’s successor is patrolling the streets of Panama.
• And we will not stop until the State of Oklahoma recognizes the murder of a Police K9 as exactly what it is…a heinous, violent crime where nothing short of multiple years in prison shall be required.
Thank you and May God Bless You.
I want to thank Justin Adams for asking me to participate today and I want to thank the Panama Police Chief for permitting this Memorial.
I think most of us thought a couple of different ways this tragic event should go because it certainly isn’t what most of us are used to but I am grateful we have had the opportunity to do this.
Chief, thank you…this was the right thing to do.
I stand up here in awe of the relationship that a K9 has with his handler. I will not pretend to understand that relationship but anyone that has had the privilege to patrol with a four legged partner will tell you it is special beyond comprehension and that in of itself makes this event all the more tragic.
Pets have a special place in all of our hearts and much of that is because of their innocence and their loyalty. We all have stories, whether when we were kids or of today of a special place animals have in our life and when you talk about a K9 and its handler, it is so much more.
It is a special bond. It is a special relationship and in times like this, it is especially difficult.
But in that pain and sorrow, I want you to know this.
Creed has left Andy with memories that can never be taken away.
Creed has left Andy’s family with thoughts and joy that can never be removed.
Creed has left an impression on this community that will never be forgotten and I’m certain there are a few criminals that have some memories of Creed they would like to forget but they won’t be able to.
My friends, these are gifts from an animal to us and I will take that even farther and tell you the gift that Creed gave you and will continue to give you through remembering those happy times is a gift from almighty God and for that we are blessed.
In Genesis 1, God details the formation of this earth and everything on it and Day 5 even before man was made, we get the account of God Himself making animals and some just like Creed and God said something very important at the end of verse 25.
“And God saw that it was good”
Now that is a powerful statement. The Sovereign God of the Universe took the time to provide us with animals such as Creed. You see God is all knowing and despite what the evolutionists will tell you, God Almighty, on Day 5 of creation, knew the gift that Creed was going to provide us.
We need to understand this. That God did not have to provide Creed to us but He chose to do that very thing and we should be thankful and praise Him for that.
Job 12:10 tells us that “In his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind.”
Think about that. God holds the life of every animal and every human being in His hand. The Lord gives and the Lord Takes away and in all that, our command is to praise the Lord.
With that said, I want you to know that with all the love and the memories and the great times that Creed gave us, he continues to give us a gift today.
This K9, this protector of His community, has brought all of us together today. There will be friendships that form, there will be fellowship among our brothers and sisters that wear the badge and more importantly, Creed’s sacrifice has brought you in this church at this very moment in time that God Himself has ordained.
With God there are no coincidences. Everything and absolutely everything happens for a purpose and Creed’s very name demands the message of eternal life.
The word “Creed” means a statement of belief and Wikipedia describes this statement of belief as a “statement of faith”.
Whether you are a believer in Jesus Christ or not, we all have a Creed….We all have something that we believe.
• Some of you may not believe in God. And that is a belief, that is a creed.
• Some of you believe in God but it is not the God of the Bible. Maybe it is the God that the Mormons talk about or the God that Muslims talk about or even a false God that any particular religion has discusses and all of that would be a Creed…it would be a belief.
• But as I close, none of those Creeds matter. You see the only thing that matters is truth and we live in a day and age where everyone seems to be seeking for the truth and all along it is right here (The Bible).
The truth is this. There is a separation between us and God. That separation was caused with Adam and Eve in the Garden and their sin was passed on to you.
The Bible says that we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God but the Bible goes much deeper than that and I would be remiss if I didn’t explain that to you in detail. We are in the Bible Belt and all of us have heard that statement, “we’ve all sinned”, but do you know what that means?
You see it wasn’t until I really understood my sin and what it looks like to a holy, righteous, God that I knew I needed a Savior. You would not go to a Doctor if you didn’t know you were sick and you definitely aren’t going to care about Jesus until you know you need Him.
Well, just a few verses explain the judgment and wrath we are under as sinners.
Ephesians 2:3 tells us that by nature we are “children of wrath”.
Romans 3 tells us that none of us seek after God and that none of us are good and I could continue and I would tell you it doesn’t get any better for us.
Dr. A.W. Pink states that “A study of the concordance will show that there are more references in Scripture to the anger, fury, and wrath of God than there are to his love and tenderness.”
Indeed, everyone can cite John 3:16, “that God so loved the world that he gave His only son and anyone that believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life”
But what about John 3:18? Just 2 verses later, we are told that if we do not believe, we are “condemned.”
These are not words that should make us feel good. These descriptions of God’s wrath and anger and fury are the truth but there is another truth that is so important.
God is good, He is perfect and he demands perfection and anyone violating God’s Standard will be punished. You see, God would not be good if he did not punish.
When we catch this criminal that did this to Creed and marched him in front of a judge, we would expect punishment if the judge was any good. We expect that until it comes to our judgment in front of God.
Your human nature can tell you that you are a pretty good person and in the eyes of society, you no doubt are. After all, you stand in the gap between good and evil and that is heroic in every sense of the word but according to Isaiah 64:6, your good deeds are nothing more than filthy rags to God.
There is nothing we can do to please Him and if you haven’t figured it out yet, that means we are all in trouble. The penalty for this sin is an eternity in hell. The Bible describes it as a place where there will be weeping and knashing of teeth…a place where the worm never dies.
If the story ended there we are indeed in trouble but praise God that while he is a God of judgment and a God of wrath, He is also a God of love.
He is a God that before the beginning of time, he knew Creed would bless your life and He is a God that has saved some of you into salvation before today and he is a God that has permitted some of you to come here today and to hear his message of redemption.
I’ve been asked since the death of Creed if dogs go to heaven and while I would like to stand here today and tell you many things, it is my responsibility to tell you what the Bible says and God has chosen not to reveal that answer to us. We simply don’t know.
The answer to that question is not given to us but there are many answers to many questions that God chose not to reveal to us on this side of eternity but
we know that heaven is a place where there will be no tears and it will be all joy and heaven is described to us in great detail and there is something else described to us in great detail.
And that is the redemption of man kind. You see, earlier I gave you the bad news and that is we are fallen and left on our own, we are walking towards a cliff of death and if it was not for a God of mercy and redemption, we would of all walked off of that cliff.
But God is good and over 2000 years ago he sent our redemption. His name was Jesus Christ. Both God and man, walking this earth just as we do today but this Jesus was different.
Jesus claimed He was God but many through the years and even today have made a similar claim but Jesus Christ was different.
Unlike you and I, Jesus was sinless…He was perfect and His claim to be God was just one of the reasons He was nailed on a tree and murdered in the most brutal fashion.
It was called a Cruxifiction and it was nothing unusual. This method of death was reserved for the most vile of criminals and the Romans were experts in this style of death penalty.
Jesus Christ, the perfect, sinless, lamb of God, hung on that tree and breathed His last breath, looking up into the sky and saying that “it is finished.”
Now the death of Jesus would have just been another execution with the exception of an event that will change the course of history forever.
Three days after Jesus was buried, He rose from the dead and He didn’t rise without anyone seeing Him. He was seen by hundreds and if you march a few hundred eye witnesses into any courtroom today, those jurors would believe it without a doubt.
Now believing those facts are not enough. The Bible tells us that demons believe and most of you know people that claim to believe but they live like the devil. The Bible tells us that the requirements for redemption of our sin is repentance and faith.
John the Baptist, The Apostles and Jesus repeat this throughout the New Testament. This repentance is a turning away from sin; a change of attitude about sin and a turning to Jesus Christ unto salvation.
Repentance doesn’t mean you are perfect but it means that your attitude and your life is a turning to God and away from sin.
Now you may say to yourself, “I don’t want that truth” and you can say that but I submit to you the truth does not consist of what you want….the truth is what God has declared. It’s not exactly popular to bring a message of wrath and hell and repentance but never the less, my duty is to tell you this.
And today, we are brought together by a four legged hero and God has declared His truth and the call for you today is to celebrate the life of Creed and to examine your own life in regards to the Creed that matters eternally…repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.
In closing, I want to personally express my sorrow to Sgt. Andy Bevel, the handler of Creed and to his family. Andy, I speak for everyone here that:
• We will not stop until this coward is brought to justice.
• We will not stop until Creed’s successor is patrolling the streets of Panama.
• And we will not stop until the State of Oklahoma recognizes the murder of a Police K9 as exactly what it is…a heinous, violent crime where nothing short of multiple years in prison shall be required.
Thank you and May God Bless You.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Monday, August 13, 2012
Cross Encounters Radio Program
Tony Miano, the founder of Ten-Four Ministries, who went on to work for Living Waters/Way Of The Master, started a new radio program tonight. You can listen tothe first episode here.
Panama (OK) K9 Murdered: Memorial Service
On August 5, 2012, the Panama Police Department K9 Dog “Creed” was killed in the line of duty, while protecting the home of his handler. The investigation is ongoing and it is believed that Creed was targeted because of his service to the Panama Police Department.
A Memorial Service will be held on Wednesday, August 15, 2012, at 11 am. The Service will be held at the Panama First Baptist Church (107 Jones Street, Panama, OK).
Ten-Four Ministries, a non-profit organization that supports law enforcement across the country, has partnered with a local business to offer a $1000 reward for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of the suspect in this crime. CherryBerry Yogurt Bar in Fort Smith (AR), an adjoining city, has joined in the efforts.
Creed was a two-year old German Shepherd that became a member of the Panama Police Department in August of 2011. During his service with the community, Creed assisted in the search of illegal narcotics in both Panama and Wister Public Schools and also participated in demonstrations for educational purposes during Red Ribbon week. In his short but successful career, Creed had countless alerts to narcotics on vehicle traffic stops and aided in the tracking and apprehension of numerous suspects.
The Panama Police Department is not mourning the loss of Creed but rather celebrating his many accomplishments.
Creed was the only K9 serving the City of Panama and a fund has been set up by Ten-Four Ministries to provide the Panama Police Department with a K9 and training. Donations are tax-deductible and can be made here
Monday, July 09, 2012
What Is Regeneration?
We have just posted some sermons by Pastor David Miller and he is truly one of the best expository preachers of our day.
Thursday, July 05, 2012
A Scandalous Message
This message was preached by Travis Yates, Director of Ten-Four Ministries, on July 1, 2012.
Friday, June 01, 2012
Profile of Tony Miano
Timothy needed a Paul and in a very important time in my walk with Jesus, He sent me Tony Miano. Tony founded Ten-Four Ministries and a friendship quickly happened but Tony was much more than a friend. He was a mentor in the faith and I am privileged to have met him. In 2008, Tony stepped down from Ten-Four Ministries and began working with an evangelism ministry called Living Waters. It is ten years since Tony founded Ten-Four ministries and the profile of him below shows why I count it a blessing to know him.
Below 100: God Bless Brad
Travis Yates, Ten-Four Ministres, speaks at the Crime Museum in Washington DC about the issue of seatbelt use in law enforcement. The Below 100 Campaign became an outreach of Ten-Four Ministries in 2012.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Stand Up!
During my recent trip to Washington DC during Police Week, I had the opportunity to speak with Rob Carter with Code 3 International Ministries. Code 3 is doing some great stuff and this interview is well worth watching.
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
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