The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.  I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.  John 10:10 NKJV

Have you ever played cops and robbers?  It’s a fun game of chase.  The last time I can remember playing cops and robbers was a rainy night when I was a bored teenager.  Along with several of my friends, we drove into a subdivision under development and four carloads played cops and robbers in our cars.  We even started killing our headlights so that the robbers wouldn’t see us closing in on them.  Fun times till the real police showed up.  Fortunately, they just ran us out of the area.

In our little game of cops and robbers, the only way we knew who was the cops and who were the robbers is that we decided that before we began to play so we knew which cars belonged to the cops and which cars belonged to the robbers.  Now in the real world, we know that a car that is marked with police on it and has a light bar is a police car.  We can recognize a police uniform, right?

The thief is the one crawling out your window with your tv and a bag containing your jewelry, right?

In our scripture passage today, Jesus is saying that the thief comes to destroy, but He comes that we may have life.  So, it kind of makes it a no brainer to trust in Him and not the thief.

Sadly today we see officers being killed in the line of duty.  Just this week, Ventura County Sheriff’s Sgt. Ron Helus was laid to rest after he gave his life saving others during a mass shooting in California.  Yesterday I watched an interview with his wife and his sons and his wife said that he loved God and loved his family.  A report from US News said that he was a devoted servant of God.  Sgt. Helus was clearly a good man, a hero willing to risk his life to save others.

On the flip side of this is that we have seen a rash of police officers being arrested as well.  This is when it’s hard to tell the cop from the robber.

My husband has been pushing to start a Fellowship of Christian Peace Officers chapter in our area.  Sadly, it has been slow going.  Only a handful of local officers have stepped up to say that they are willing to serve God and show God’s love in our community and law enforcement family.  But praise God we are getting there.  Thanks to those of you that are willing to join us.  We feel that this is important because like everyone else, police officers need God in their lives.  They need God’s help to bring them through the challenges they face on their jobs. Having God in their lives can keep the lines between right and wrong sharp.

I say this to remind you that when the lines get blurry, we have problems.  There are very distinct lines that separate the good from the bad.  In old western movies the good guy wore a white or a tan hat and the bad guy dressed in black.  It was very obvious who was the good guy and who was the bad guy.  Today not so much, we see this not only in law enforcement but in politics as well.  A few weeks ago, we went to the polls and will return in a couple of weeks for the run offs.  It seems as though genuine Christian candidates are few and far between these days.

We live in a world where it is some times hard to tell the good guys from the bad guys.  Now you may be sitting there nodding in agreement and wondering what you can do about it?  Well, I’m glad you asked.  You can start with you.  You can make a difference.  You can wear your Christianity like a newly pressed uniform.

You can talk the talk and walk the walk.  Stop and think about what you say before it rolls out of your mouth.  Are you saying something to glorify God or to glorify yourself?  Are you taking God’s name in vain?  That will cause you trouble on many levels for sure, but it will certainly destroy your witness.  Foul language will also cause someone to wonder what side you are on.  I am amused by people who invite someone to church in one minute and then just a few minutes later a string of profanity rolls from the same tongue and off the same lips, hmm.  The thief will be very happy when you make that screw up.  Are you gossiping and back biting with your words?  Be very careful.

We as Christians, must stand apart.  We must be that light shining in the darkness for those that are lost.  As my pastor says, “We may be the only Bible that some people ever read.”  Are your pages clear or is the ink smudged and blurry.

Turn to God today ask Him to help you to glorify Him and to stand out to those in need of salvation.  Ask God to help you to lead those that are lost and dying to Him. You don’t have to be a cop to save a life, just a good witness!

Have a great day!