MetCPA

Supporting officers and staff to be the best that they can be

Kate

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30 Prayer Points for Week of Prayer for Police

See, I am doing a new thing!…” Isaiah 43:19

  1. Thank God He is in charge
  2. Thank Him that He hears our prayers and acts on our behalf
  3. Thank God for the Police Service
  4. Ask Him to bless each and every officer and member of staff
  5. Pray for hope in an often uncertain future
  6. Pray for strength to face the challenges of today
  7. Pray for wisdom to make good choices
  8. Pray for courage to stand up and be counted
  9. Pray for compassion for all who we connect with
  10. Pray for peace in the face of change
  11. Pray for rest in the midst of intense pressure
  12. Pray for commitment in marriages
  13. Pray for understanding in family relationships
  14. Pray for determination to do the right thing
  15. Pray for integrity and transparency in all we do
  16. Pray for confidence that God will win the battle against crime
  17. Pray for trust – that communities will have increasing trust in the police
  18. Pray for a change of heart in offenders
  19. Pray for comfort and restored confidence for victims of crime
  20. Pray for Senior Leadership, especially the Commissioner and Chief Constables
  21. Pray for wise use of resources at all levels
  22. Pray that the public will look with favour on the police and recognise their hard work and commitment
  23. Pray for Christians in the Police Service to be salt and light
  24. Pray for The Holy Spirit to stir up, refine and purify
  25. Pray for an outpouring of God’s grace
  26. Pray for many to have a change of heart towards Jesus and to seek Him
  27. Pray for God’s Kingdom to come in power
  28. Pray for soft hearts and open minds towards God
  29. Pray for countless testimonies of God’s goodness, mercy, healing and saving grace
  30. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and let all that is within me Bless His Name.

This link loads a PDF of the Prayer Points for Printing

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Christians in Government Prayer Event

Dear Friend,

I would like to invite you and others to our Christians in Government, Christians in Parliament and Christians in Politics week of prayer event on 1st July at Emmanuel Centre SW1. This event is an opportunity for people outside Parliament, Government and the Civil Service to come and pray for those on the inside. This year we have invited Kris Vallaton, Senior Pastor, Bethel Church and some of their worship team to join us. We will also have Christian MPs, civil servants and others involved in government sharing about their work.

The meeting will start at 7pm and last until 8.30ish. There will also be a social gathering with food at 6pm. Please sign up for the main event (with or without food) using the following link: https://eventbrite.co.uk/event/17006399599/

God bless,

Aidan Mews, Christians in Government UK

Download the Prayer Guide here

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Suffering Part 2

Hi Everyone
The next instalment of Nicky Gumble’s (and God’s!) wisdom on suffering:​
MATTHEW 17:14-18:9
2. God uses suffering to save us
Jesus came to deal with suffering (17:22–23), and ultimately to remove all suffering, through the cross and resurrection.
At the heart of the universe is the suffering of God on the cross: ‘ “The Son of Man is about to be betrayed to some people who want nothing to do with God. They will murder him – and three days later he will be raised alive.” The disciples felt terrible’ (17:22–23, MSG). They did not understand that what humans intended for evil, God intended for good – the saving of many lives. You could say that Jesus ‘lost the battle to win the war’.
What the devil meant for evil, God meant for good. He was able to take the greatest evil ever committed (the killing of the Son of Man) and use it for good (the salvation of humankind).
The healing of the boy with epilepsy (17:18) is a foretaste of a time when there will be no more sickness or suffering. The death and resurrection of Jesus means that no one need ‘be thrown into the fire of hell’ (18:9).
How do we respond?
The importance of faith
There is so much suffering in the world. In this passage we see the terrible suffering (17:15, MSG) of a child with sickness and the resulting suffering of a parent. In this particular case, the disciples’ inability to heal came from their lack of faith (although this is not always the case – some people have prayed for healing with enormous faith but without obvious results). Jesus says that if you have even a tiny bit of faith you can move mountains. ‘Nothing will be impossible for you’ (v.20).
The importance of not causing unnecessary offence
Jesus explains that though he is exempt from paying the tax for the temple (God’s house) because he is God’s own Son, he makes a miraculous payment for both himself and Peter, ‘So that we may not offend them’ (v.27). Although Jesus was willing to cause offence if necessary, he did not want to cause unnecessary offence.
The importance of humility
Greatness in the kingdom of heaven is not about achievement, it is about humbling ourselves like a child (18:4).
The importance of being radical
Jesus calls you to be radical about sin (vv7–9), not in order to earn your salvation but in gratitude.
Lord, thank you that at the heart of the universe is the event where you turned evil into good. Help us to trust you and to put our faith in you. Help us to live with child-like humility, depending upon you. Help us to be radical in our avoidance of sin in gratitude for all that you have done for us.
Matthew 17:14 – 18:9
Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Boy
14 When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. 15 “Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. 16 I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.”
17 “You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” 18 Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment.
19 Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”
20 He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” [21]
Jesus Predicts His Death a Second Time
22 When they came together in Galilee, he said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. 23 They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised to life.” And the disciples were filled with grief.
The Temple Tax
24 After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma temple tax came to Peter and asked, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?”
25 “Yes, he does,” he replied.
When Peter came into the house, Jesus was the first to speak. “What do you think, Simon?” he asked. “From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes —from their own children or from others?”
26 “From others,” Peter answered.
“Then the children are exempt,” Jesus said to him. 27 “But so that we may not cause offense, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours.”
The Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven
18 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
2 He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. 3 And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.
Causing to Stumble
6 “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. 7 Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come! 8 If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.”
New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc
Provided by BibleGateway.com
God knows us.  He knows all that we go through, and He promises He will give us the strength we need for every situation.  Cling to Him with all your strength, however feeble it may seem.  He never drops the ball, fumbles or makes a mistake.  I guarantee He will get you through anything if you will let Him!
Every blessing
Kate Henry
Leadership Team
London Christian Police Family

www.LCPF.org.uk

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Suffering!

 Hi Everyone
I read this today and it made a lot of sense to me – Nicky Gumble and the Alpha Bible in One Year on suffering:
“A young New Yorker named Glenn Chambers had a lifelong dream to work for God in Ecuador. At the airport on the day of departure, he wanted to send a note to his mother but he didn’t have time to buy a card. He noticed a piece of paper on the terminal floor and picked it up. It turned out to be an advertisement with ‘Why?’ spread across it. He scribbled his note around the word ‘Why?’ and put it in the post box. That night his aeroplane exploded into the 14,000 foot Colombian peak El Tablazo. When his mother received the note after the news of his death the question burned up at her from the page … ‘Why?’
Why does God allow such suffering? We are constantly confronted by suffering. It outrages and bewilders us. It is the single greatest challenge to the Christian faith. The amount of suffering and its distribution seem to be random and unfair.
Theologians and philosophers have wrestled for centuries with the mystery of undeserved suffering, and no one has ever come up with a simple and complete solution. Today and tomorrow’s passages are only part of the answer, but each of them gives us some insight. In today’s passages we see that although suffering is never good in itself, God is able to use it for good in a number of ways. God loves you. Your suffering is also God’s suffering. He suffers alongside you. Yet he does not always simply remove suffering from your life; he sometimes uses bad things to bring about his good purposes.
PSALM 15:1-5
1. God uses suffering to transform us
Are there times in your life when, because of circumstances, you have felt shaken? Times when you have lost your bearings and felt tempted to give up?
Today’s psalm reminds us that we need not be shaken, even in times of suffering. David describes the kind of life that God intends us to lead. The guidelines he gives are things we can hold on to during the difficult times.
Act right
‘Those whose walk is blameless, and who do what is righteous …’ (v.2a).
Tell the truth
‘… who speak the truth from their hearts’ (v.2b).
Do not gossip
‘… who have no slander on their tongue’ (v.3).
Do not hurt your neighbour
‘… do their neighbours no wrong’ (v.3).
Keep your word
‘… who keep their oaths even when it hurts’ (v.4b). This means doing whatever we have committed to do even when it does not suit us (a particular challenge for our generation, when a simple text message can cancel an arrangement at any moment).
Be generous
‘… who lend their money without usury’ (which is excessive interest) (v.5a).
Be honest
‘… who do not accept bribes against the innocent’ (v.5b).
As our character is formed more and more into this description, difficult circumstances and suffering have less of a destabilising impact upon us. As the psalmist notes, ‘Those who do these things will never be shaken’ (v.5c) and we will dwell in the sanctuary of the Lord (v.1a).
Paul explains in Romans that as times of suffering lead to character formation, so that character formation leads to knowledge of secure hope and experience of God’s love (Romans 5:3–5). The truth is that hope and love are the greatest stabilising forces that we can know in the face of suffering and uncertainty.
Lord, thank you that you accept me as I am, but you do not want me to remain that way. Help me to live a holy life. Help me to see the trials and difficulties I face as part of my character formation.”
Psalm 15
A psalm of David.
1 Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent?
    Who may live on your holy mountain?
2 The one whose walk is blameless,
    who does what is righteous,
    who speaks the truth from their heart;
3 whose tongue utters no slander,
    who does no wrong to a neighbor,
    and casts no slur on others;
4 who despises a vile person
    but honors those who fear the Lord;
who keeps an oath even when it hurts,
    and does not change their mind;
5 who lends money to the poor without interest;
    who does not accept a bribe against the innocent.
Whoever does these things
    will never be shaken.
Every blessing
Kate Henry
Leadership Team
London Christian Police Family

www.LCPF.org.uk
@ChristianPolice

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Keys of the Kingdom

Hi Everyone,

I was really inspired by the following – thought you might like it too.

From Nicky Gumbel, Alpha Bible in One Year:

Receive the keys of the kingdom by faith – Matthew 16:1-20 

The context of Jesus’ teaching about the keys of the kingdom is understanding and acknowledging who Jesus is. Just as we read in the psalm for today, God is looking for ‘any who understand’ (Psalm 14:2b), so Jesus is quite amazed at the lack of understanding of his disciples: ‘Do you still not understand? … How is it you don’t understand?’ (Matthew 16:9,11).

Then the penny drops for Peter that Jesus is ‘the Christ, the Son of the living God’ (v.16). It is within this context that Jesus gives Peter ‘the keys’ saying, ‘On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven’ (vv.18–19).

The words of Jesus are addressed to Peter. On the rock-like faith Peter has displayed, Jesus is going to build his church. Peter receives the keys of the kingdom. On the day of Pentecost, Peter opened the door for 3,000 people (Acts 2:41). He opened the door for the Gentile centurion, Cornelius, and thereby to the whole Gentile world (Acts 10).

But it is not only Peter who has the keys of the kingdom. Later on in Matthew’s gospel, Jesus gives the disciples a similar authority: ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven’ (Matthew 18:18).

This is the extraordinary responsibility and privilege that Jesus gives to us, his church. He gives us the keys of the kingdom. ‘You will have complete and free access to God’s kingdom, keys to open any and every door: no more barriers between heaven and earth, earth and heaven. A yes on earth is a yes in heaven. A no on earth is a no in heaven’ (16:19, MSG).

Jesus says, in effect, that the powers of hell will ‘not overcome’ the person who has faith in him (v.18). Rather, the church, armed with the keys of the kingdom, can storm the gates of hell and set the prisoners free.

Lord, thank you that you have given us the keys of the kingdom. Thank you for the amazing privilege of seeing people set free through the preaching of the good news of the kingdom. Thank you for the joy of seeing people set free from drug addiction, alcoholism, crime, and every other bondage. Thank you for your promise that whatever we bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever we loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

If you want to know more about the Alpha ‘Bible in One Year’ visit https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/bible-in-one-year/id504133402?mt=8CachedSimilar

Every blessing

Kate Henry Leadership Team London Christian Police Family www.LCPF.org.uk

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Christian Police Meeting NSY Thursday 6th May

​Hi Everyone
Our meeting tomorrow will be in the Ground Floor Press Briefing Room from 1 – 2 pm.  We will be focussing on praying for the General Election and its outcome (not party specific, but bringing it all under God’s authority).
Do join us if you are able to.  Prayer changes the direction of nations!
“I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.” 1 Timothy 2:2
Every blessing
​Kate Henry
London Christian Police Family – Leadership Team
Follow us on Twitter: @ChristianPolice