AUTHORITY AND ACTION...

Behold! I have given you authority and power to trample upon serpents and scorpions, and [physical and mental strength and ability] over all the power that the enemy [possesses]; and nothing shall in any way harm you. (Luke 10:19, Amplified Bible)
(The Words of Jesus Christ, My Eternal Captain...)

...We commend ourselves in every way as servants of God: through great endurance, in tribulation (trouble) and suffering (experience and sometimes pain), in hardships and privations, in difficult straits and calamities...  In beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless watching, hunger...  By innocence and purity, knowledge and spiritual insight, long suffering and patience, kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in unfeigned love...  By the word of truth, in the power of God, with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand [to attack] and for the left hand [to defend]...   Amid honor and dishonor; in defaming and evil report and in praise and good report. [We are branded] as deceivers (impostors), and [yet vindicated as] truthful and honest.

[We are treated] as unknown and ignored [by the world], and [yet we are] well-known and recognized [by God and His people]; as dying, and yet here we are alive; as chastened by suffering and [yet] not killed; As grieved and mourning, yet [we are] always rejoicing; as poor [ourselves, yet] bestowing riches on many; as having nothing, and [yet in reality] possessing all things. (1 Corinthian 6:4-10, Amplified Bible)
(The words of the Apostle Paul... God's Warrior.)

For civil authorities are not a terror to [people of] good conduct, but to [those of] bad behavior. Would you have no dread of him who is in authority? Then do what is right and you will receive his approval and commendation...  For he is God's servant for your good... But if you do wrong, [you should dread him and] be afraid, for he does not bear and wear the sword (carry his weapons) for nothing. He is God's servant to execute His wrath (punishment, vengeance) on the wrongdoer. (Romans 13:3-4, Amplified Bible)
(The words of the Apostle Paul... God's Warrior.)

This message is inspired by a series of message exchanges between a reader and myself.

Knowing that you have power and authority is one thing... Knowing how to apply it and exercise it is totally another thing.  We at some point in our lives received an impulse within us that impelled us toward being a Peace Keeper in either the military or in law enforcement.  That was the beginning of a process.  At each step from the first impulse to the consummation of going into active peace keeping some are certain that this is their path... Others may not be so sure and they have to make a new set of decisions all along the way until they are sure or leave the profession.  Anyone who can live and be happy without it should leave it and go into something else.  I say the same thing about spiritual ministry...

As we make the journey through all of this process we are being tested and molded... tried and directed... All of this is to bring us to the place where we are useful in the position of service that we have chosen... Or in some cases the position choose us long before we recognized it... It seems for some that the destination for our lives was always altering the course for us in a more and more narrow way until we recognized the direction and choose to follow it.  Did we decide to become Peace Keepers... Or did it just happen that one particular day it dawned upon us that this was our destiny and we surrendered to the call...?

In my own experience it was a life long influence that one day would no longer be denied...  It had to be.  Even when physical circumstances caused me to fail my first attempt I received inspiration and the discovery of a physical principle that allowed me to redirect my energies and the physical failure was overcome by the revelation and it's application... The best professional in the field of Opthalmology available to me told me there was no way for me to see well enough to achieve my dream... "Give up your dream and take these glasses!"...  I lived to prove that he was wrong because I discovered a principle and a method that he had no knowledge of... And it worked for me.

I sit here 46 years after that revelation and the achievement that it brought to me...
Having been a Peace Keeper in several phases...  Having lived the course and the service... Having survived... Never willing to quit even when forced to retire and give up my badge and gun... Still serving as a traffic safety officer and running the streets and roads for the purpose of peace and safety by day... Always on call to serve in crisis needs and spiritual matters 24/7 as a chaplain to and for Peace Keepers... This is just another phase of peace keeping for me...  Passing along messages to all who want to read them... Messages of encouragement and thankfulness that you are there.... Giving to you what has been given to me in plain, simple words... Giving to you what has seldom been given to me in peace keeping, encouragement and appreciation.

Having authority and not being familiar with how to apply it is like having a hammer and not knowing how to use it.  Both items are destructive in the hands of one who has not learned how to use them!

To learn how to skillfully use any kind of hammer takes training and practice.  First you have to get to know the tool itself... and know it well.... Know it's design and purpose... Know its parts and their uses... Know the hammer until it is an extension of the person using it.  Hammers are like people in the sense that there are many varieties for many different uses.  The skilled technician will learn all of the uses of the hammers that apply to their particular specialty.... And many different specialties have very specific hammers for very specific uses.  You cannot use a claw hammer to drive a spike... You cannot use a sledge hammer to drive a finish nail...

So it is with Peace Keepers... First we must recognize that is where we belong... All of you reading this have already done that... Yet some of you have been in peace keeping and are now out... And like me you do not want to be out... You are looking for ways and means to get back in!

Whether you are just coming in... Been in for a while... Been in, out and are back in or trying to get back in... It all started with the recognition of needing to be there... Going through the process of application and acceptance and then the orientation and basic training.  After basic training came the opportunity for specialization after you served a probationary period of duty.  At this juncture we begin to diverge into special duties and special units... Yet we are still Peace Keepers.  One learns one kind of specialty... Another learns another kind of specialty... Yet we are all still Peace Keepers.

In the basics we learn about peace keeping authority and how to apply it.  Upon it we build a foundation that will be the basis of all of our career.  While it is true that as we branch into specialties we learn different means, levels and types of authority, we are still building upon the initial authority granted to us when we raised our hands and took our oath of office... An oath that most of us concluded with the statement that was a prayer... "So, Help Me, God!"

Action is when we know the authority given to us and we apply it to the problems we encounter in our tours of duty to bring peace and good solutions... I will talk more on this in another message...

God designed a way to help us very specifically.  He is the designer of the authority that we use for peace keeping. Yet there is still a higher application of authority that He wants to  instill into us.   It is called Spiritual Authority.   If there are those of you out there who would like to learn further on this subject, I ask you to respond to me with a message that you want to learn further and tell me where you are in your spiritual growth... A testimony of your spiritual experience and how you arrived at where you are.  I will compile a list of the responders and begin a series of messages just for them on what spiritual authority is, how to cooperate with it and how to apply it where you are.  This series will be designed to assist you to expand into fullness of authority that works in mighty ways where you are... And into ways of which you may not know or recognize at this point in time.  There is always more that we may learn from Him.

I make this offer because one reader has exchanged messages with me that this knowledge is needed in peace keeping and he believes there are some out there who
will want to benefit from this series of messages.  The response is up to you... I do not want to force anything upon those who may not be interested.
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To all of you who have been reading CHAPLAIN CORNER and responding to me with messages I am deeply appreciative.  Occasionally I receive a negative message about something I have written or recommended.  I want you to know that I welcome the negative responses just as much as I welcome the positive responses.  I will respond to every message as best I am able.  Call or write if I may be of any assistance to you or if you want to unload something you are thinking onto me.  I will listen and I will respond.
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To every Peace Keeper... Thank you for who you are and for what you do.  There would be no world as we know it if it were not for people like you who stand up to be a warrior in the battle of overcoming evil with good... ETERNALLY, My Commander-In-Chief and I thank you.  There are no words that fully express the depth and strength of how we both appreciate your service.  THANK YOU... THANK YOU... THANK YOU...
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We are still in a major battle for my daughter's health.  Yesterday we had a meeting with the surgeon who is the leader in the treatment.  We discussed what was working and what was not working.  We recommended a course of treatment.  He examined the wound... He implemented some of our recommendations immediately... He agreed to discuss some other of our recommendations with the infectious disease doctors and come back to us.  There will be more on this saga as it unfolds.  She wants to get back to some semblance of her life as it was before all of this infection battle started.  We will keep you posted because so many of you responded with care, concern, prayers and well wishes.
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"BE CAREFUL OUT THERE!"  Be alert, watchful, suspicious and wary.  Take the very best of care of you as you care for and about others.  Please do not neglect your spiritual well being.  You must be strong spiritually to succeed.

As it has always been... So it still is...

"VICTORIOUS WARRIORS WIN FIRST...
AND THEN GO TO WAR,
WHILE DEFEATED WARRIORS GO TO WAR FIRST...
AND THEN SEEK TO WIN."  Sun tzu

ONLY LIVE PEACE KEEPERS SEE THE VICTORY!!!
THEY SEE IT ONLY BECAUSE OTHERS HAVE MADE THEIR ETERNAL
PAYMENTS OF SWEAT, BLOOD, TEARS AND LIFE FOR THAT VICTORY!

WITH THE DEEPEST OF APPRECIATION AND RESPECT...
BE BLESSED (A CONDITION TO BE ENVIED)...
BE SUCCESSFUL... BE SAFE...
[My injunction to be safe means doing all you know to do as you do your job... it means
doing the best you can with what you have where you are using all your faculties to get
the job done well and with good results conquering evil and keeping or restoring peace...
it does not mean to avoid duty and honor... it does not mean to cower or allow anything
to hinder you in the process of duty according to rules, law and ethics...  it means that if
the demand takes your earthly life you destroy as much evil as possible in the process. 
That is my definition of being safe... doing the best you can and leaving the rest to God
or whomever else is responsible... being best employed for the sake and protection of all
the things and people that we hold dear.]

I represent, write for... and give the credit to:
God the Father (my Commander-in-Chief),
Jesus Christ the Son (the Eternal Captain of my life) and
the Holy Spirit of God (my Eternal Teacher, Keeper and Guide).
In Christ I live... with Him and for you I serve...
And I rejoice that you are there whether you are Christian or not...
D. R. (Don) Staton, Chaplain to Peace Keepers,
Surviving Peace Keeper,
Virginia State Police Alumni,
RETIRED Police Officer Virginia Beach Police Dept.,
DCJS Certified Police Instructor,
Community Service Officer (Traffic Safety)
757-431-2190, chpln1@verizon.net
3709 Beacon Lane, Virginia Beach, VA 23452
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