MetCPA

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

Hebrews 12

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Prayer Letter 25th May 2018

Good afternoon All

Given the recent re-launch of the Christian Association within Surrey, it was suggested to us that those involved should write the following prayer letters. You received Nick’s last week, and now it’s my turn. As I start I want to acknowledge the work and service of PC 1945 Nick Sharpe. I have been involved in the CPA here in Surrey since 2008,; Nick has been branch secretary of the CPA in Surrey since 1999. Since I have known him, and since being asked to be involved in the CPA I have never known him complain, and he has always been an example to look up to. I admire Nick a lot. Nick, I know, has seen this only ever as a great privilege. In my very early years Nick came to my assistance after I had been assaulted in Guildford [ one of my less glamorous moments!] and he sat with me up in A&E. I know that some of you will have similar stories to tell. I feel fortunate that Nick is still heavily involved with the running of the CPA, and I am delighted that Bert, amongst others, have joined the team.

This year I am going to the Big Church Day Out at Wiston House in West Sussex for the first time. At the beginning of the week it looked like a great idea, I’m less sure now because of the weather! I am serving on the safeguarding team.
“Could I ask that one of the prayer requests is for fruitful, key connections, that will help advance the work of Faith and police together.”
I have also had another request for this event, “That it will be a great success and also for the Police who will be attending from Surrey, Sussex and The Met, working in various areas of Safeguarding.” Thank you.
For those attending and serving I look forward to catching up over the weekend. 🙂

So my thoughts that I wanted to share with you this week is to do with teaching I have received recently. I am/have been attending a course in Bedford for the last 8 months every Thursday on Supernatural Ministry.[ Great course if you are interested, drive is a killer!] I have been really challenged by teaching that essentially says, that regardless of the sin that can be committed against us, our sin is greater. To my mind that’s a tough one and you may not agree, or even think the teaching is skewed! I think there is truth in it but I am wrestling with the fact that we all know stories of people who have had it really tough, or been victims of crime, and had untold harm caused them. I know that “Jesus… is the Author and Perfecter of faith…”[Hebrews 12:2]and with Him I will work this one out.

In a way, this is what I see the CPA in Surrey doing/being, and in the wider region. We can’t do it alone, but we can do it together. We are a broad church[forgive the pun!] and our communality is our faith in Jesus and our work for the police. I can’t think of a better bunch I’d rather do it with! 🙂

If I[we] can help, please do get in touch – that goes for those in the Church and not.

My thoughts and blessings are with you all. I hope that you have a great bank holiday weekend, and half term if off work with family.

Simon

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Tuesday 25th July 2017

Today’s exhortation – bitterroot judgement

Over the last month we’ve covered various areas of inner healing, but no inner healing can be complete without addressing the areas of bitterroot judgement and bitterroot expectancy. What is bitterroot judgement? They’re our sinful reactions to hurt; condemning judgements we place on other people and refusal or inability to forgive someone. The bible says, “Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.” (Hebrews‬ ‭12:14-15‬). Having bitterroot judgements has the power to contaminate not only ourselves, but also those around us.

In a physical sense, they can change our perspective of everything that people do in relation to us and by doing so, change our reactions to them. In a spiritual sense, it’s often referred to as holding someone in spiritual bondage. What we don’t realise is we are also in the prison next to them. If we don’t deal with our bitterroot attitudes, we become like a porcupine. We allow people to get close, then we show them our prickly side. We seem so nice in one instance, but then turn prickly at the drop of a hat and push people away. Let’s begin to deal with our bitterness against others so we can live abundantly in peace and love. This is the desire of our Lord Jesus and should be ours too. To be cont..

Francis Hans-Jorie

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Prayer Letter 23rd April 2017

Hello everyone,

Thank you for the expressions of gratitude for last week’s PL.
Amongst them came this one –

I am working today (Good Friday) and it’s busy busy busy!! I’m juggling about eight things at once, never sure whether I’m doing any of them justice. Your verses made me pause, made me think and reminded me of the meaning of Easter …Thank you. x

Prayer needed for the following please –

· Patrick is the Force Chaplain in Surrey. He is as I write many miles away caring for his Dad who is seriously ill. Patrick away from his family, working remotely for Surrey Police and a big heart ache as he watches alongside his Dad’s hospital bed.

· A number of Officers/Staff with very complicated medical issues.

I arrived in my Office on Friday to write the PL, but the good Lord had other plans for me. I was unexpectedly asked to take on a task outside the Office for SP, so I left and no PL written. That is until now – Sunday morning. I am at home with the Marathon on, on the TV, no sound I may add!
From time to time I glance at the screen and see people in wheel chairs, a male without arms, older people, and young people with their lives still ahead of them, ordinary people, the elite runners and people stopping to help each other. Royalty started the race and thousands are cheering everyone on.

On Friday I had a plan for this “Bible Slot”, it has totally changed because of the happenings that took place then and where I find myself today writing to you. My verse is-

· We are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. Heb: 12. 1-3.
No matter where you are, in Sussex, Surrey or the Met in London – as a Christian, you are running a race within your work. No matter how you class yourself, God has called you to the position in which you find yourself, to do this amazing work in caring for people in your community. Royalty – God Himself indeed started your personal race and today – you are still being cheered on.

May you this coming week, know His Enabling Power at work in you.

My Prayers are with you all, daily.
In Him
Alice.

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Reflection February 2017

Keep on running!

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3 12-14

 

I did something this week that I haven’t been able to do since September last year- I managed to get on my mountain bike and go for a decent ride! The reason I hadn’t got out till now was due to some problems caused by a seemingly straight forward operation that I had towards the end of September that meant I wasn’t able to ride my bike without it causing me some issues. I had tried two or three times to go for a ride but on every occasion I had had to out the bike away and think again! I had also tried going for a run- something that I don’t have much experience of- this also caused me some issues so I had to stop. In short I, have found it hard to do any exercise for a few months and it was starting to annoy me!

It was great to get out in the fresh air today- the sun was shining and it felt good to get moving again…… for about twenty minutes that is! I had clearly forgotten that I am not totally ‘match fit’ and having gone off at my usual pace I soon realised that I wasn’t going to beat my usual time for the route I cycle and that I was feeling very tired!

So, at the twenty-minute point I had a few of options-

•             Simply stop, phone Mrs Evs and get her to come and rescue me.

•             Turn around and slowly limp home.

•             Stop for a rest and then carry on.

•             Man-up and keep going!

 

It is clear that all of the above options were the one I could choose and in my own mind I would have been able to justify any of them- In the end I decided on option three; I stopped for a couple of moments had a drink of water and then got going again even though I knew I had around 45 minutes ahead of me. And even though my time around the usual route was about ten minutes slower than in September I was really pleased to get all the way around and reach home with a sense of accomplishment- now I know to some cycling for a little over an hour is nothing to some of you- but for someone who hasn’t been able to ride for around five months I was quite pleased!

For each of us there are times in our lives when it just seems too hard- too tiring or as if giving up is the only option for whatever reason. For some of us in our walk as Christians there will be days when we feel like it is too hard to carry on with what God has given us to do for him- there will be days when it is all too much and either turning around and going the other way or getting someone else to rescue us Is tempting!

These are the days when we need to focus even more on our walk with God and rely on the strength that he gives us- In Hebrews 12 we read:

 

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Hebrews 12 1-3

 

I have taken great encouragement from this piece of scripture in the past few weeks as I have had an increasing feeling of weariness. With more demands on me at home looking after the Small ones, work getting very busy because of an impending move to another station, demands on my time representing the CPA and my work for my own church I have had to choose option three from my list above ‘Stop for a rest and then carry on’. But I have definitely not given up or given in- I have just taken time to refocus on the Lord and not tried to do too much- this has given me a new energy and renewed focus to carry on with the work that God has given to me!

We can be inclined to believe that we simply have to keep going a record pace all of the time and that God doesn’t understand….. Well remember God knows us better than we know ourselves- and he understands that sometimes we do get a bit tired, but also when that happens he doesn’t abandon us- he is there for us!

From speaking to friends lately it is clear to me that I am not the only one who is feeling this way- whether it be the demands of a busy life or an issue or incident that has stopped you in your tracks I want to encourage you that God is bigger than that issue or incident and has your back- Give it to him, focus on him and if needs be ‘Stop for a rest and then carry on’ but don’t simply give in!

So this month if you are feeling weary or that everything is getting a bit much for you- be encouraged and don’t throw in the towel- if you need to take a rest then take it is Ok! Focus on spending time with the Lord and not doing too much and then when you are good to go again push onwards towards the goal, run with perseverance and do not grow weary

God Bless

 

 

 

Keith

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Friday 2nd December 2016

Today’s exhortation – power in The Blood

We have talked about the power of the Name of Jesus; we have talked about the power of The Holy Spirit and now we must talk about the power in the blood of Jesus! I know it’s a familiar subject, but no matter how many times we talk about it, it never ever loses it’s power! The blood is our protection and weapon. The blood of Jesus speaks for us. The bible says, “to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.” (‭Hebrews‬ ‭12:24‬). The blood of Abel cries out for vengeance, but The blood of Jesus speaks justification, mercy, grace, atonement, justification, forgiveness and protection for us.

We see around us that every warning sign is written in the colour red and I believe there’s a warning sign written over us in the blood of Jesus “Saying, “Do not touch My anointed ones, And do My prophets no harm.”” (Psalms‬ ‭105:15‬). When the enemy sees The blood, he passes over us. (Exodus 12:13). The blood of Jesus is also a hedge around us and satan himself said that he was unable to touch Job, his property or family because of the hedge God had put around him. We must never ever forget to cover ourselves, family and children with the blood of Jesus. Even as you read this, cover over all that concerns you with the blood of Jesus. Amen

Francis Hans-Jorie