PMJ Fall / Winter 1995

Yes, we need to continue to provide excellent training for officers and of course we need to always strive to improve police relationships with our communities. We certainly should continue to screen for the best possible candidates who can hold up under this type of stress and scrutiny by the public and the media. I know that any of you reading this could sit down and assist in listing several other good ideas for finding and recruiting the best possible candidates.

Although these few suggestions are valid, there is only one true answer for the needs of law enforcement today. The men and women that POFC work with need to know Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord. A common question on entry level oral boards for the position of police officer is, "Why do you want to be a police officer?" The typical answer is, "I want to help people." You would be surprised at the number of officers who, in fact, have had some kind of evangelical church background while growing up. A personal relationship with Jesus Christ produces integrity in a person and provides the motivation to strive for excellence in our work. If the heart is not changed, the long term results of a career in law enforcement can produce alarming consequences. Divorce and suicide are common events in the law enforcement profession.

As my wife, Nancy, and I have been involved in counseling and speaking to officers and their spouses, we have seen a common need. That need is encouragement. There is nothing more exciting than seeing a marriage come back together through the encouragement and assurance that comes from the Word of God. Nancy and I, as well as the entire POFC board of directors would appreciate your prayers as we continue in this ministry.

Nancy and I would specifically appreciate your prayers as we strive to encourage police families, not just in the United States, but around the world. As you read this, we will have already returned from our trip to Kenya. It will be exciting to report to you soon the results of what the Lord is doing in individual lives half way around the world. It has been increasingly more difficult to meet the needs of the ministry while working full time as a police officer. As we speak in churches, many people at first assume that we are in full time ministry. They are surprised when we tell them that I also Fit in 40 hours of patrol work and that Nancy teaches a police wives Bible study along with home schooling our two daughters. Pray that the Lord will continue to direct us and allow us to endure for the tremendous joy of seeing officers added to His kingdom!

Ed Note: Dave McDowell is a full time police officer with the Westminster Police Department in Westminster, California. Shortly after submitting this article Dave was promoted to the rank of Sergeant, having placed second on his department's promotional exam. Congratulations Dave!

How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?

And how shall they Preach unless they are sent? As it is written: How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace. Who bring glad tidings of good things!"
Romans 10:12-15

The following prose was written by Terri Ann Miller, the daughter of H.A. "Hal" Fischer upon the occasion of his retirement as the Chief of Police of the Placentia Police Department in Southern California (See letters on page 4). Terri's reflections brought a tear to many of our eyes as we were reminded that the life of a police officer has a great impact on the lives of those closest to him or her. We chose to share Terri's thoughts in their entirety in the hopes of ministering to many who have been in either Terri's shoes or her dad's. We pray that Terri's memories of her dad as a cop will be as much of a blessing to you as they were to us here at POFC.

I've enclosed a copy of a prose written by my daughter, Terri Ann Miller, on the occasion of my retirement in July of 1990. She read it at my retirement banquet and it really touched my heart as well as those of the many law enforcement officials from Orange County and elsewhere that were in attendance. I thought you might want to publish it in the Peacemakers ' Journal. realize that it is rather long and would not object to some editing if necessary.

We enjoy reading the Journal and our prayer is that God will continue to bless each one of you involved in this ministry.

I work as a sergeant with the Arizona Department of Public Safety, Specific Investigations Unit. In Phoenix, our unit is responsible for investigations of all officer involved incidents for the Department of Public Safety and all other agencies throughout the state.

The Peacemakers ' Journal means a lot to us. I cannot help but share PMJ and the Lord with those around me after it arrives. Some day I would like to have a POFC group here in the Phoenix area. Thank you for the encouragement.

Would you please send the Peacemakers' Journal to my son (Jonathan Kaneshiro) who recently moved to a different island to complete his college education in the area of criminal justice. His aim is to be a police officer.

My husband is a police chaplain with the Maui Police Department and we enjoy reading your magazine. Thank you for your ministry. May God bless you!

I recently received the latest POFC magazine dated July/August 1995. I would like to hand out more copies to officers at our police department who have just become Christians. It is a wonderful feeling to know more and more officers are changing their lives by dedicating themselves to Christ. I would like to receive five more copies of the magazine.

Thank you for the recent article concerning officers witnessing on duty. God has placed us in this position for a reason. I have no problem doing His will while on duty. I have been subjected to criticism for several years because of my belief that God is the boss.

Many years ago, when becoming the first female deputy sheriff assigned to patrol in my county, I exited the squad car while out in the country during the night shift, looked up into the heavens and stated, "God, you are my backup, please guide me through this journey, help me to do your will." He has always been with me, no matter what situation I am confronted with during my shift and off duty time.

I received your most recent issue of Peacemakers' Journal and was thrilled with its content. I am proud to be a new member of Peace Officers For Christ International and commend you for the work that you are doing.

I would like to order one of your POFC Lapel pins to wear while on duty. I will look forward to receiving it and wearing it.

Would you please check your records and see if you have Craig Jansen in your files. Craig is my son-in-law and an officer with the Hazelwood, Missouri Police Department. He is a born-again Christian who seeks to share his faith at every opportunity and is excited about being a member of your organization.

The Lord recently impressed upon my heart that I needed more Bible intake than I was receiving. To supplement my time in the Word, I have begun to listen to the New Testament on tape in my car. In doing so, I'm able to hear God's word 30-60 minutes a day, driving to and from work and running errands. Recently, I was listening to the Gospel of Luke and heard the following parable of Jesus.

But He said to him, "A certain man was giving a big dinner, and he invited many; and at the dinner hour he sent his slave to say to those who had been invited, 'Come; for everything is ready now.' But they all alike began to make excuses. The first one said to him, 1 have bought a piece of land and I need to go out and look at it; please consider me excused."'

"And another one said, 1 have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out; please consider me excused.' And another one said, 1 have married a wife and for that reason I cannot come.'"

"And the slave came back and reported this to his master. Then the head of the household became angry and said to his slave, 'Go out at once into the streets and lanes of the city and bring in here the poor and the crippled and the blind and the lame."'

"And the slave said, 'Master, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.' And the master said to the slave, 'Go out into the highways and along the hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. For I tell you, none of those who were invited shall taste my dinner.'" Luke 14:16-24

After listening to this parable, I couldn't help but think of all the peace officers who remind me of the people who turned down the dinner invitation in the parable. Each of the people who turned down the invitation was symbolic of the people in Jesus' time. They are still symbolic in today's society.

The first person who turned down the invitation said, "I have bought a piece of land and I need to go out and look at it; please consider me excused." Peace officers are never paid enough for what they do. However, most peace officers, especially in Southern California, are paid well. The real estate game is a high priority for many officers. Getting one's piece of the American dream is a borderline obsession for many today. Once they attain their piece of the pie, their focus often turns to making their piece the most ornate on the block.

The second person who refused to come said, "I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out; please consider me excused." The five yoke of oxen could equate to the new "toys" so many officers work so hard to get. My guess is that the man in the parable had perfectly good oxen. But he probably saw his neighbor with the latest breed of oxen and just had to have some of his own. When he got the new oxen, he was too anxious to "try them out" to attend a dinner party.

The third person's response to the invitation was, "I have married a wife, and for that reason I cannot come." The point Jesus is trying to make in the parable with this man's response is best described in II Corinthians 7:33. "But one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how he may please his wife."

Obviously this analogy is not specifically intended just for peace officers. Unfortunately, most people are more concerned with what the world thinks of them than what God thinks of them. The Lord wants us to be devoted to our spouses. But no one deserves more devotion than the Lord.

The master in this parable is God. The master's slave represents anyone who shares the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the gift of salvation, with the unbelievers of this world. The big dinner being given by the master represents the banquet that will be enjoyed by believers when they fellowship with Jesus in heaven. In order to accept the invitation to the banquet, one must First accept the free gift of salvation, which is only of the Lord.

This banquet is described throughout the Bible, Here are a couple of passages. And the Lord of Hosts will prepare a lavish banquet for all peoples on this mountain; a banquet of aged wine, choice pieces of marrow, and refined, aged wine. And on this mountain He will swallow up the covering which is over all peoples, even the veil which is stretched over all nations. He will swallow up death for all time, and the Lord God will wipe tears away from all faces, and He will remove the reproach of His people from all the earth; for the Lord has spoken. And it will be said in that day, 'Behold, this is our God for whom we have waited that He might save us. This is the Lord for whom we have waited; let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation."' Isaiah 25:6-9

Song of Solomon 2:4 says, "He has brought me to his banquet hall, and his banner over me is love." What a feast it will be on that day for those who believe!

The response of the invited guests is indicative of a society that is more concerned with its land, lavish toys, and loves, than it is with the condition and future resting place of its souls. The master's response to those he invited was not to beg them to come. Rather, he sent his slave out to gather those who were not preoccupied with the alleged riches of this world - "the poor and crippled and blind and lame," those who recognized and admitted their need.

After doing this, the slave told the master that there was still room for additional guests. Did the master send his servant out to re- invite the original guests? No! He sent his servant out into the streets and the bushes to gather more of the people who, by now, were seated at the table. In fact, the parable ends with this chilling statement by the master. "For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste of my dinner." That dinner is eternal life. Salvation.

So what does this all mean to the peace officer who does not yet know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior? I think the answer is simple. One day, someone is going to invite you to Christ's table. Someone is going to invite you to accept the invitation that can only be given by a living God, a risen Lord, a loving Savior. Guess what? If you are reading this article, consider yourself invited. Your real estate holdings cannot save you. Your toys cannot save you. Your spouse cannot save you. There is only One who can forgive your sins. There is only One who can insure you of eternal life and a place in heaven. He is the Son of God, Jesus Christ! "He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." John 3:36

Now that you have been invited to dinner, I hope you haven't made other plans.

I was working a B line, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., in Queensbury, a large township in the southernmost part of Warren County in Upstate New York. As most sheriffs' departments do, we frequently get called to transport prisoners. On this particular day, I received a radio call to transport a prisoner from the Glens Falls City Police Department to the Warren County Jail. I picked the man up, put him in the back of the car and began the journey. Immediately he began telling me his story. He had been arrested for pointing a gun at a Glens Falls Police Officer during a dispute. The clincher was that the gun wasn't loaded. "Oh brother!" I thought. "He wants to kill himself." After a little verbal prodding, I learned that this was the case. He had wanted that city patrolman to end his life for him. The ironic part about that was that the suicidal man and the patrolman had known each other quite well. Gradually, I felt the prodding of the Holy Spirit to witness to the man. I fought it. "God, please, I'm not up to this. Please send someone else!" I resisted. Knowing full well the man was suicidal and would definitely have to go to the local hospital's mental health unit, I dropped him off at the jail. "Whew!" I thought. "I got rid of him!" Then I thought, "If he's suicidal, I need to get as far away from here as possible so that when they call for our locations, I won't get the call to transport him to the mental health unit." Away I went. I got to the very edge of the county and felt oh so proud. "There," I thought. "That should do it." No location call came. What did happen floored me. "Headquarters to 533." "Oh no, it's the shift sergeant!" "533 is on," I replied. "Return to the jail for a transport."

"Okay, God, you got me." I returned. I knew God wanted me to witness to the man and He was going to make sure I did! I look back now and see the similarities to Jonah in the Old Testament book that bears his name. I didn't want to speak to the suicidal man about God. Jonah didn't want to speak to the Ninevites about God. I tried to run as far away as I could and God brought me back. The same thing happened with Jonah. My shift sergeant could have/should have called for the closest car, but he called for me. I know at least two other cars were closer than I was. The transport and witnessing went well. It turned out that the man's son had committed suicide and he had found him. His depression ran very deep. The suicidal man hadn't considered how his own death at the officer's hands would have affected everyone involved. Eventually, our stay at the hospital ended. I transported the man back to the jail and wished him luck. Several months later, I bumped into the man in one of our local malls. He thanked me and told me how his stay and experiences with our department greatly affected his life.

My brothers, God calls us to share our faith in Christ with others. He will use His vessels as he chooses. He knows who will say the right things at the right time. As law enforcement officers, we have to be open to the proddings of the Holy Spirit and look for the opportunities that He provides. Many people, including police officers, are afraid to share their faith because it violates their department rules. I say to you, don't be afraid. God will show you just how far you can go. All you have to do is plant a seed. God will water it and see that it grows. Our actions, no matter how small, may affect a person for the rest of his or her life.

When you have been a police officer going on fifteen years, every so often you have an experience that you just have to relate. The problem was that I did not know where to put this story. I decided it should not go in the General Director's message since it certainly had no spiritual application that I could find, and it obviously had nothing to do with the direction of the ministry. However, I believe that the Lord is interested in every area of our lives and is interested in everything that happens to us. I guess that is sort of spiritual but nevertheless, I did not know where to put it or what to call it. Thus, I present to you, "The BIG Dog Story."

It was a routine day in Orange County . . . the city was Westminster ... close to, but not Los Angeles... I'm a cop... working the day shift . . . it was hot. I'm not Friday . . . I'm McDowell. In fact, it was Thursday... 10:00 a.m. I was told to assist a city building inspector who was en route to condemn a residence as unfit for habitation. The job was simple . . . clear out any transients, if still at the location, and let the inspector pull out his official notice and hammer away.

As I approached the residence, I noticed that a sliding glass door was open about two feet with the curtain blowing in the breeze. I announced my presence, but received no response. The house indeed appeared unfit for habitation. ...I won't go into details. You know the story. I pulled back the curtain and cautiously entered the kitchen area. The house was dark. I was only a few feet inside the residence standing behind a kitchen counter. Something didn't feel right. With only the building inspector at the sliding glass door, I decided it would be better to back off and call for a backup to do a complete search of the residence. It was a good thought, but it was too late. I heard the distinct sound of something standing to its feet in the adjacent room. Why didn't it respond earlier? Was it an ambush? Then it happened!

In less than two seconds I saw the Rottweiler round the door. Only two seconds, but several things flashed through my mind. First thought. . . this is a BIG dog! Second thought. . . I've never seen a dog this BIG! (He was easily a six footer if standing tall). As these two thoughts flashed through my mind, the dog's muscles rippled as it began its upward ascent toward the very small, narrow kitchen counter that separated us. As the DOG started its five-foot leap through the air, I distinctly heard the theme song from National Geographic used for the background of some footage obtained from a jungle in Africa. I took one step back as I drew my Sig Sauer 9mm with my right hand, followed by my left hand pulling out my PR-24 to swing toward my attacker. Then it happened. . . .

The dog's front legs landed on the counter, and then he turned and retreated to the adjacent room as quickly as he had entered the kitchen. I thought of the movie, "Father of the Bride," where Steve Martin at pool side says, "Release!" I released several pounds of pressure which had just been applied to my weapon's trigger and looked over at the building inspector. His mouth was open wide. . . it appeared that he was trying to say something. I waited. The inspector then managed the words, "Do they train you to pull your gun out that fast!?"

One backup unit, an animal control officer, and a pound truck later, we had the dog in custody. I later learned that the dog was actually a runaway from Anaheim and that his name was "Messiah." (I'm not making this up). The rest of the day was pretty normal. A couple of burglary calls, an unattended death, and a few disturbance calls. Several times, while traveling to those calls, the thought crossed my mind . . . "That dog was really BIG! I've never seen a dog that BIG!" It was Thursday . . . not Friday . . . I'm McDowell . . . a street cop working a beat.

Regional Reports

The first week in September I really felt a burden for the Baruta Police Department. As I was driving downtown to run some errands, the Lord impressed on my heart to go to the Baruta Police Department instead. When I went to the police headquarters I was approached by an officer (Jose Nieto) who I hadn't seen for a long time. We began to talk and, since he was off duty, we spent about two hours together. I was able to present the gospel to him and he told me that he would like to study the Bible with me. He also said that he would do all that he could to encourage other officers to have a Bible study with me at the police headquarters. As we talked, he told me that all the officers he knows need a lot of help spiritually and there is no one to help them in this area. He shared with me about several on-duty incidents that he was involved in that were bothering him. He seemed greatly encouraged that there was someone that he could talk to openly and honestly. He also set up a meeting so that he and I could talk to one of the chiefs about having a Bible study at police headquarters. Please be in prayer for Jose and our ongoing ministry to this police department. I have sensed prayers of many who have interceded for me as I reach out to the police in Venezuela with the gospel.

One of the definite answers to prayer that we have just seen came recently when all the governors of Venezuela met here in Caracas. The meeting was called by the governor of Zulia (a state in western Venezuela). He is apparently a believer. He submitted a bill staling that "Evangelicas" have the constitutional freedom and the opportunity to have chaplains programs in the police, military and other institutions in Venezuela. The bill was subsequently signed by all the governors. This bill will be important to show to the mayors and police officials that Evangelical Chaplaincy is supported by Venezuelan law. Our prayers are prevailing against the god of this world. Praise the Lord! Let us continue to pray!

Greetings from Colorado! The Colorado ministry of POFC is still very much in its formative stages. We have yet to make contact with all of those that God is leading to make up our initial steering committee, but we are continuing to meet with various individuals in this regard. The process has been slow due to a transition in ministry with us. As of this writing, I have become Associate Pastor of a large and growing church in the Denver area. Colorado Community Church is just two years old and has already reached attendance of more than eighteen hundred. I have been privileged to have been asked to help lead this congregation in active outreach and ministry. One of the specific focuses will certainly be our ministry to those in law enforcement, and with our partnership with Peace Officers for Christ this is sure to be an effective outreach for us. Please continue to pray for us in this process.

It has been exciting meeting new people from different police departments in the Denver Front Range area, as well as those from various branches of law enforcement. Our desire is to establish a steering committee for POFC Colorado from a multiplicity of departments and agencies. Eventually, the steering committee would become the board of directors. We know that this would greatly facilitate reaching as many with the gospel as possible. I have been invited to present POFC Colorado to Bible study groups, police chaplain groups, early morning gatherings of police officers, and the like. Many are voicing excitement about POFC Colorado and future plans to have banquets, retreat weekends, attending the annual POFC Couples Conference, and many other avenues of ministry to the law enforcement community. We all know that the need to reach more men and women "in blue" is growing, and there is a growing sense of urgency to see the gospel have its impact as lawlessness increases.

I have asked many veteran officers with more than 15 years experience if they would choose a career in law enforcement all over again if they had to do it today. Without hesitation, so far, the answer has been "no." Many cite the increase in violent crimes and the sophisticated weaponry in the hands of criminals today, against the backdrop of ever increasing bureaucracy limiting police powers. It is a tender balance to be sure between "appropriate police powers" and "brutality," and it is not altogether easy or clear to know where to draw the line in the heat of the moment. However, when your dependency is upon the Holy Spirit who lives within you, you can be certain that He will never withhold His wisdom from you to respond in a way that is "true" and "right." The Apostle Paul writes, "For our confidence is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in holiness and godly sincerity, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you." (2 Cor. 1:12) This is just part of the message of hope that we have. We are a people whose God is the Lord, and as such He is "sufficient" for whatever circumstance we may find ourselves in. For Paul says again, "But thanks be to God, who always leads us in His triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place." (2 Cor. 2:14) And again, "Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life." (2 Cor. 3:5,6) Remember, the life that God gives to each of them that trust in Him is a life that is not of this world, and is therefore adequate beyond the resources of this world. Pray for us as we will for you.

We want to take this opportunity to thank each of you who committed to pray and give financially to support Dave and Nancy McDowell for the Operation Nairobi trip. Dave and Nancy also want you to know how much they appreciate those of you who agreed to pray for their two girls while their parents were away from home half way across the globe.

Many prayers were wonderfully answered on this trip. Upon landing in London on the way to Nairobi, Dave and Nancy were informed that they could not take their carry on onto the smaller connector flight from London to Amsterdam. This meant that a footlocker containing donated clothing they were taking to Andrew Temesi, a Kenyan pastor, would cost them $570.00 for over baggage! While walking from the ticket counter to the cashier's window Dave and Nancy prayed. The supervisor asked them what they were shipping. When they explained the locker's contents, the supervisor said that she would send it along with no charge! Praise the Lord!!!

Dave and Nancy's visit corresponded with the official opening of the Christian Police Officers Association of Kenya (CPAK). In Kenya, they joined thirty Christian police officers at the University of Nairobi. The Kenyan Police Commissioner had sent a "signal" to every police post in the country asking for a response from any Christians interested in attending the conference and participating in launching the Christian Police Association of Kenya. More than 250 officers responded. Thirty were selected to attend as representatives from their posts. These officers gave testimony after testimony of how God is working in their country. They were extremely excited to get together for the first time in the history of Kenya and to realize that they were not alone.

Dave spoke during several seminars and answered many questions about police chaplaincy and how to maintain one's faith in the work place. Nancy also addressed the group and was able to minister to the five female police officers in attendance.

The final day of the conference was tremendous. Almost every province in Kenya was represented along with many denominational church leaders and members of the press. The closing ceremony was also attended by Shedrach Kiruki, Kenya's Police Commissioner. The country's Attorney General was also present for the ceremony. Dave had the privilege of giving the keynote address during the ceremony. Commissioner Kiruki summed up the conference by saying, "Let me leave you with the truth that a police officer is not complete without Jesus Christ!"

It wasn't a dire emergency, but it certainly was inconvenient. The car had quit, leaving my wife and me, along with our 9-year-old son, our 16-year-old son, and his girlfriend, stranded in a small town in Vermont at one o'clock in the morning. Being a hundred miles from home, I did the only thing that made sense to me; I called the local police. Within a few minutes, the only officer on duty at that time of night came out to help us. After introducing myself as a police officer, he offered all his resources to us. He loaded us into his patrol car and took us to his station. From there, he called a local motel to locate some rooms for us. He told the motel owner that a "friend" was having car problems and needed a place to stay. The motel owner agreed to get up and give us rooms.

The sign in front of the motel said "NO VACANCY." I suspect that if the average person had called at that time of night, the owner would have quoted the sign and gone back to bed. I am sure that the police officer's statement that a "friend" needed a room was the only reason he got up and gave us the rooms. No businessman in a small town can resist helping out the local police officers.

The bottom line here is that cops have power. Some refer to it as "clout," "having juice," or "being connected." Whatever the words, the fact is that we can exert influence, open closed doors, or cut red tape when the need arises. We can also exercise this power on behalf of our friends. The brotherhood among police officers, making me instantly a "friend," allowed me a level of access to service and privilege that the ordinary person may not always have.

Jesus called his followers friends. "I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you." (John 15:15-NIV) He also tells us that we need to ask for things in His name, "And I will do whatever you ask in My name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father." (John 14:13-NIV)

If we are followers of Christ, we are his friends and He will use his resources for us if we will only ask. If a member of a five man police department, in a town of 3,000 people, can find two motel rooms in the middle of the night for one of his "friends," how much more can Jesus do for us with the resources available to Him? I know few police officers who hesitate to ask for "professional courtesy" when they need help. Why do we not make use of what Christ can do for us?

Ed Note: The author is an active-duty police officer with twenty years of service and is a deacon in an independent, fundamental church in New York State.

STRATEGIC LANDING
A pilot and his passenger were arrested last December when the pilot, flying a small plane loaded with methamphetamine, got confused and missed his intended nighttime landing at a small airstrip in Turlock, California. Instead, he landed at nearby Castle Air Force Base.

WHOOPS ...I MEAN . . .
A new attorney had filed suit on behalf of his first client against a man for stealing 24 of his client's hogs. In his attempt to make an impression on the jury, he said, "Can you imagine 24 hogs? Twenty-four! Why, that's double the number here in this jury box!"

READ ME MY RIGHTS!
In Gardena, California, a police officer approached a man who was loitering near a bank. After a brief conversation, the man told the police officer to "read him his rights because he was going to jail." When the officer asked the man why he would be going to jail, he told the cop that he was concealing a gun in his pants, and it was falling down his pants leg.

A MINT OF AN IDEA!
A woman in Columbia, Missouri, was arrested after trying to purchase some perfume with counterfeit $5 bills. The bills were black and white photocopies with the front and back taped together.

GOOD GOING, GARY!
Gary Blantz, 29, was arrested for kidnapping a bar owner near Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in February. Police reported later that Blantz shot himself in the foot with his .45 caliber revolver to show the victim what would happen to him if he didn't follow instructions.

OH WHAT A MISTAKE!
An Italian who turned to snatching handbags to finance his drug addiction robbed his mother by mistake, according to police in the southeastern port of Bari. They said the mother, who was walking along the street when her son sped past on a motorcycle and snatched her bag, was so angry that she immediately reported him to the police. He was arrested. (Wonder who he called to bail him out?)

NO, JASON, I DON'T THINK SO . . .
Ex student Jason Wilkins sued the University of Idaho for $940,000 to pay for the injuries he suffered when he fell through a third-story dormitory window while mooning students. Wilkins had climbed onto a three foot high heater to reach the window, but claimed the university should have posted warning signs. (Ya, Jason, OK.)

God, in His infinite wisdom, grace, and love, has given believers an activity to cherish. This activity is used by the Lord to strengthen, correct, and minister to the Body of Christ. This activity is fellowship.

I have been blessed over the years to be involved in both church and peace officer fellowships. Let me say at this point that POFC works closely with churches to encourage peace officers to not limit their fellowship to job specific groups. Granted,peace officer fellowships are an important part of the body - peace officers' needs and issues are unique in society.

Having said that, I believe it is every bit as important for Christian peace officers to be involved in deep fellowship with their church family. As a leader of a cell group in my church, I can attest from personal experience that my walk with the Lord and the trust of those outside the law enforcement family has increased tenfold because of the fellowship I enjoy within my church. At the same time, attending POFC board meetings has done a great deal for my walk too. I've often joked at the meetings that I feel like a Timothy in a room full of Pauls. And that's not just because I'm the youngest person on the board. Oops! Sorry guys. I've learned a lot about patience, wisdom, discernment, and perseverance during my times of fellowship with the board members of POFC.

Proverbs 15:22 says, "Without consultation, plans are frustrated, but with many counselors they succeed." Surround yourself with counselors, by way of fellowship, and you will find yourself walking closer to the Lord. But this is not an article about fellowship. My family and I attend the monthly fellowship meetings of Christian Peace Officer Fellowship in Burbank, California. The fellowship is led by John and Ann Howard. John is a Deputy Sheriff for Los Angeles County, and I have the privilege of working with him at Santa Clarita Valley Station. John is one of those brothers in the Lord who quietly leads by example. His relationship to his wife and children, his strong work ethic, his loyalty as a friend, and his devotion to the ministry God has given him are all testimonies to his faith in Jesus Christ. Now that I have successfully embarrassed John, we can move on.

Another reason I love fellowship with other believers is that they are a constant source of new material for articles. At one fellowship meeting, the Lord used John to provide the inspiration for this article. We were discussing witnessing on duty and how God has called us to be the salt of the earth. John said something that instantly encouraged and convicted me. He said, "If I am the salt, then I should be making people thirsty."

During Jesus' great Sermon on the Mount, He said, "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how will it be made salty again? It is good for nothing anymore, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men." Matthew 5:13

For thousands of years, salt was the only preservative people had. It was also one of the few sources of taste in an otherwise bland diet. The same salt was often reused until it became useless as a preservative. Another characteristic of salt is that salted foods make one thirsty.

The Lord has called us all to be the salt of this world. God has provided the food by way of His word. "Like newborn babes, long for the pure milk of the word, that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord." I Peter 2:2,3

God's word, the food, needs no preservative. It needs nothing to improve its taste. God's word can, and does, stand alone. Yet the Lord has called us to be the salt for His food in order to make a dying world thirsty. We can accomplish this by being living examples of God's word. By this we will make the unsaved thirsty for more. The Lord, knowing all things, is waiting to provide the remedy for those who thirst. "Jesus answered and said to her, 'Everyone who drinks of this water shall thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life."' John 4:13,14

"If I am the salt, then I should be making people thirsty." Let's make people thirsty for eternal life in Christ by feeding them God's word and salting it with the way we live our lives. Let's sprinkle God's word with salt by loving our spouse, raising our children to serve the Lord, and having a work ethic that shows that God is our immediate supervisor.

Ed Note: Tony Miano is a deputy sheriff with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. He is currently assigned as a gang investigator at the Sheriff's Santa
Clarita Valley Station.

We get many calls from peace officers and their families inquiring about Bible Studies that they might attend. If you know of any peace officers' Bible Studies in your area, please drop us a note and let us know about it. We will then provide the information to the contact person in that area.

Dear friend:
Many people ask, "What does POFCI do?' Well, I thought about that and basically the ad that we have placed in a number of police magazines says it all.

The ad reads, "POFCI is an international organization of peer support and we offer free police training to police departments: domestic and foreign." That's it. Now, of course there is a little more involved. Upon request, we offer the Peacemakers Journal, our POFCI magazine, which is written by peace officers for peace officers. We ask officers to look through our WEB page for current information about our ministry and to look for other Christian police organizations and dates of different Christian meetings.

We are an information-clearing house where peace officers can read about other Christian officers in our magazine, WEB page, and newsletter. We encourage Christian peace officers to meet other officers at breakfasts, retreats, and finally for coffee over the hood of a police unit. Here they can share their frustrations about the job, the media, the joys of the chase and joys of their family.

It is our desire to show the world and the law enforcement community that a peace officer can do the job and still be a Christian the Bible teaches. The basic principle that "Jesus loves me this I know," is a start of a growing relation with the living God, not a one-time membership. This is a growing, living relationship that continues to grow daily. Graduating from the academy did not make you a police officer. That was just the start. Everyday you are becoming a better cop: there are bad days; there are good days, and sometimes even marvelous days. The Christian officer realizes that each day, good or bad, in another day to serve the Lord.

So what is a Christian law enforcement officer to do? I will give you a few simple basic nuts and bolts principles on how to serve God:

1. Read or hear the Bible daily.
The closer to God you get, the more Christ-like you become.

3. Worship God for who He is the giver of your every breath.
Thank him for giving you life.

4. Talk about Him with others.
Pick your battles, but standup for Moral and Ethical issues in conversations with co-workers at your department.

The POFCI board and I want to thank you for your interest in Peace Officers for Christ International. Please feel free to contact us with comments, questions, and inquiries.
In His Service,
Terry Hart
POFCI Outreach Director

Page last updated 13 May 2002

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Peace Officers for Christ International

Peacemakers Journal - Fall/Winter 1995

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