MetCPA

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

Romans 5

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Tuesday 18th July 2017

Today’s exhortation – forgiveness

Forgiveness is all about us and very little about the offender because ultimately it’s for our own good. Forgiveness doesn’t depend on the offender’s behaviour but on our desire to heal and be healed. (Romans 5:6-11). Also whilst we hold the offender in the prison of unforgiveness, we may find ourselves also held in the prison of bitterness and hurt. Sometimes the person is oblivious to our hurt and pain and we’re the ones who suffer. But it must be noted that Forgiveness is not the following:
1- “Excusing or condoning wrong!” It never approves or justifies evil, reprehensible or wrong behaviour. It’s not okay because everyone does it or they couldn’t help it.
2- “Treating a wrong as if it didn’t matter” or denying that we’ve been hurt.
3- “forgetting it,” as if we hit delete, our brains go blank. We can’t forget the evils of the past else we lose lessons from them

4- “it’s not given because the person deserves it or earned it.” Jesus forgave His executioners even though they didn’t repent or deserve it.
5- it’s also not necessarily “reconciliation or restoration”‘to one’s former position of trust or power. Eg, a wife who forgives her husband for abuse shouldn’t automatically be expected to return to him. It may not be the wise or safe thing to do depending on the circumstances. A real repentance on his part has to take place before a loving relationship is possible.
Having said all this, I believe forgiveness is letting go of a record of wrongs and the need for vengeance and releasing the associated negative feelings such as bitterness and resentment. It’s probably the most selfish thing we must do because it’s more for us than anyone else. I pray The Lord reveals to us areas of our lives we need to forgive so we can be free…..

Francis Hans-Jorie

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Lead Ambassador’s Easter Message

Easter – The beginning of the end

That my God should die for me

I can still remember the exact spot I stood a few years back, when I first heard the words from the Wesley hymn ‘And can it be’ (although it was the slightly more upbeat version by the band Phatfish).  I’d been a Christian for just under ten years by this time.  I understood grace, I was born again and I loved Jesus.  However, when I heard the words ‘That my God should die for me’ they hit me like a hammer, tears rolled down my face.  You see, I knew that Jesus the man had died for me, and believe me, I was grateful, but when it occurred to me that God himself had died for me, I was truly undone.

 

Mind blowing

Think about it.  The most powerful being that ever was and ever will be, He who can create a universe that we still can’t see the end of, who can create life itself, this ‘person’ dies for you and me.  Not only that, but we scorned Him, we laughed as He died and suffered and turned our backs on Him, spat at His feet (yes, if you have ever sinned then you have done all this).  So not only is he the most important being that has ever been, but we are the most hateful.  Would the Queen give her life to save a virus that was going to make her suffer? Not a great analogy I know, but it’s the closest I can think of.

 

I’m trying to express the enormity of what happened that first Easter and what happens each time a non-believer surrenders their life to Christ.  Each time I think about it, it leaves me speechless!  I utterly have no adequate response.

 

Ultimate leadership, ultimate God

I am shortly due to attend my inspector’s public order course.  The last time I attended shield training was at Hounslow about two decades ago!  My memories of the inspectors position in public order training then was somewhere at the back, well away from the action, barking orders at the sergeants, who, in turn, then barked orders at the PCs who themselves had all the bricks and petrol bombs thrown at them.

 

The Met is short of public order inspectors at the moment, so I volunteered thinking, well at least it won’t be as dangerous as when I was a PC.  Perhaps they even put inspectors in control rooms these days leading via the heli-telly!  Then I got talking to an inspector colleague, who, to my horror, informed me that nowadays, they put inspectors at the front of the serial! (I’m in my 50s, what was I thinking)

 

But this is like our God.  Easter separates our faith from all others.  In no other religion do their ‘gods’ step down into earth and die for the people they created and love.  This is true leadership, leading from the front at its ultimate extreme.  Not the demanding do, do, do of other religions but the done, done, done of the God of grace.  God not only leads his public order serial from the front, but he tells his PSU to go home and relax, he’ll sort out the riots himself and give his life in the process! Now that’s a God I can truly and freely love!

 

The apostle Paul sums it up in Romans 5:7-8

 

“Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us”

 

Not only death, but life also

As Paul put it, if Jesus never rose from the grave then we (Christians) are of all people to be pitied (1 Corinthians 15:19).  The hope of all those who follow Jesus is pinned to that one act of resurrection. If Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, then we are still in our sins and condemnation rests upon us.

 

But the truth is that Jesus did rise again! Death was defeated on that first Easter and hope reigns supreme.  And if you have turned to Jesus, all this is yours at no cost to you.  No more striving to keep a demanding law, we have guaranteed eternal life with Jesus.

 

Rejoice Always

Police officers sadly witness some of the worst depths that humanity can stoop to, and it seems like new depths are being invented daily.  But the truth is that everything, even the worst tragedies, pale into insignificance when you see your life in the perspective of Easter.  This is why Paul commands us to ‘Rejoice Always’ (Philippians 4:4 and 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

 

There is no greater event in history, we are now in end times and they are glorious.  So my brothers and sisters, this Easter and every day, Rejoice, I say again rejoice!

 

If you don’t yet know the joy of surrendering everything to the one who gave it all that first Easter, then ask Jesus into your heart today.  He won’t turn anyone away!

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Prayer Letter 13th January 2017

Hello everyone,

A message I have received this week, it is a reply to a comment I made. I felt that the writer is so busy at work, finding time to read the PL must be difficult to do, if not impossible

“Many thanks Alice- of course I find time to read the PL! Everything stops for a few moments of quiet reflection as I read the letter. Even just that minute or so taken out to focus on what is really important in life helps recharge my batteries so keep up the good work!”

PRAYER

  • I have become aware over the Christmas period that there are a number of Officers who are dealing with ill health amongst their families. Prayer please for those that are left behind when Officers and Staff go out on duty. Also that good medical support will be available to them.
  • Again this year we are being asked by Sussex Police to encourage Officers from the Met, Surrey, and Sussex to be available to support in the area of Safeguarding at the Big Church Day Out being held in Sussex in May. Two attachments added to below for further information.

On Sunday last at Church, one of our Leaders told us that during the previous week; he had made tea for himself and one of his Colleagues. Colleague likes “proper” sugar in his tea, but he the Leader always had a sweetener. As he walked away with the two mugs of hot drinks, he could not recall which was which. So he tasted both, the first one was OK but then he tasted the second one. He realised that that one was his Colleague’s, the taste of real sugar was obvious and wonderful.
That happening stayed with him during the week. A substitute is OK, but the real thing is so much better. He encouraged us not to place substitutes in the way of us getting to God. This so spoke to me – “I’ll Pray shortly but I will stop and have something to eat first”. “Mustn’t forget my Bible Reading, I’ll do it later”. I am so good at doing God’s stuff, but only “once I have done this”. Inevitably “coming to God” often does not get done.
Thankfully the following is true. “Even though God knew we would be sinners, He still sent Jesus to die for us” Rom 5.8.

If you wish to make contact with me please do so by clicking here, or by adding a comment in the comment section below.

Many Blessings as you press on into another week.
My Prayers are with you daily.

Alice.
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Monday 5th December 2016

Today’s exhortation – The CROSS

“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.”” (I Corinthians‬ ‭1:18-19‬). God turned the cross which was the biggest symbol of fear in the known world for the excruciating way people were made to die on it and made it the biggest symbol of love and of hope! The image which once inspired fear and defeat now inspires faith and victory. It was at the cross that, God erased the charges that were brought against us by the written laws God had established. He took the charges away by nailing them to the cross. He stripped the rulers and authorities of their power and made a public spectacle of them as He celebrated His victory in Christ. (Colossians‬ ‭2:14-15‬).

The sight of the cross screamed “Guilty!” But now it screams “GRACE!” The power of the cross is that we know that we’re no longer slaves to fear and to death, because we are children of God. It was at the cross that demonstrated His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans‬ ‭5:8‬). And because of the cross, the weak can say, “I am a mighty man.” (Joel‬ ‭3:10‬). Because of the cross, “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.” (Romans‬ ‭16:20‬). Amen

Francis Hans-Jorie

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Lawlessness

I recently heard a sermon from a pastor from Hawaii who relayed the story of his travels through Indonesia.  He was walking through remote hill tribes to bring the Gospel to the people, many of whom had never heard the name of Jesus.  On one day he passed a Buddhist temple and one of the monks walked by.  The pastor’s interpreters explained that he was a Christian.  The Buddhist had heard of Christians and asked the question “Is it true that you Christians can do whatever you like and you are forgiven?”  The pastor was taken aback for a short while at the simplicity of the question but shortly realised that it required a simple answer “Yes, it is true” he replied.

This Buddhist monk seemed to have grasped the concept of grace more that most Christians that I have met!  Could it be true, that as a follower of Jesus Christ I am free to do whatever I like without fear of judgement?  Well, shockingly, the simple answer, just as the pastor told the Buddhist monk is “Yes it’s true”.  Christianity truly is the most lawless faith on the planet!

Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

Romans 5:17 “For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.”

2 Corinthians 12:8-9 “ Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”

Romans 6:14 “For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.”

The bible is stuffed full of verses about grace.  We are told that we no longer live under the law, the law has been nailed to the cross once and for all.  Did you know that in the secular UK the only person who is not under the law is the monarch (for now the Queen).  She actually could never be prosecuted for anything.  It’s only recently that she started paying tax, but this is entirely voluntary.  Even her car doesn’t have a number plate and our fine traffic officers can do nothing about it!  The same applies for us in the spiritual.  If I am not under the law as the bible tells me, then I can’t break the law, and just like the queen, I cannot be prosecuted or judged.

You see the problem of sin between us (followers of Jesus) and God was dealt with at the cross of Calvary once and for all.  Thanks to Jesus, sin can never be a block between us and God, ever!  If sin still blocked the followers of Jesus access to the Father then Jesus utterly wasted his time on that cross.  The big issue post Calvary is whether we trust in God or not, that’s where the true blockages come in.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I am not in any way condoning sin, or suggesting that we crack on with anything we like.  No, our Father in heaven is a good, good Father.  He knows what is good for his kids and he knows what will harm us.  The law, even though no longer applying to us, has always been, and always will be good.  If we as Christians ignore the law, even though it won’t make a jot of difference to our salvation (and it really won’t!) we will live appalling lives.  All the ills of the world will inevitably be visited upon us and those around us as a natural and spiritual consequence (spiritual not from God but from Satan).  So, yes, sin is bad and hugely unhealthy and damaging and will lead us to misery.  If you are not saved (not born again), then even a single sin will also lead you to eternal separation from God (a place Jesus referred to as Hell).

So if you are a follower of Jesus, then as the bible tells us, you are free indeed.  As the Holy Spirit lives in you from the day you put your trust in the Lord, He will be your guide to the life your Father in Heaven wants you to have, free, free, free!  So shake off your guilt and condemnation because these are worldly things and you are no longer of the world.

It is truly wonderful to have the revelation of just how vast grace is, your walk with Christ will never be the same again as you enter into His rest.

If you don’t have a relationship with Jesus yet and would love the unbounded freedom this brings, then please contact us and we’ll be happy to show you how easy it is to break your chains!