As mentioned last week, we are going to be studying the above verses and learning about GOD's personal protective gear. The SOG for Life, The Bible, calls this PPE 'the whole armor of GOD.' Last week, we began the series by talking about putting on 'the whole armor.' This week, let's talk about "taking a stand."

'Taking a stand,' I believe, is something that comes from training, from knowledge and from our REAL CHIEF. By that, I mean that I believe that having the courage to take a stand comes from HIM. I'll give you an example. Think back to when you first started. You went to your very first working fire. You were scared to death. But, you didn't back down. You 'stood your ground,' just as you were trained to do in the academy... you faced the enemy. And, by putting on all of your PPE and your using your nozzle, you defeated the enemy - fire. The more times you have repeated that scenario, the more courage you have developed... the more confident in GOD you become to attack the situation.

Thus it is with our verses this week. GOD teaches us to put on all of our armor (as we learned last week) and then to take our stand. Then, HE says, to stand firm. This applies if we are fighting a structure or we are doing battle with the flames of Satan. We are to take a stand with courage. With conviction. With HIM.

Matthew 14:27 - But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."

1 Corinthians 16:13 -  Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.

That courage that comes from GOD is recognizable by others. Acts 4:13 says - When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.

And, finally, where does that strength, that ability to take a stand, come from? From CHRIST, of course. Perhaps this is best summed up in Psalm 23:4 - Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

Take a stand, fellow warriors, as we learn to serve together...

...On HIS Shift,

Every shift we work, every call we make - we put on protective gear. You may be familiar with the term 'bunker up.' In other words, "put your gear on... we're goin' in."

Well, did you know that our REAL CHIEF issues PPE, also? That's right - GOD's personal protective gear. The SOG for Life, The Bible, calls this PPE 'the whole armor of GOD.' Over the next few weeks, let's talk about this Holy gear. This week, let's talk about putting on the "whole armor."

We wear helmets, which have cushioned inserts, chinstraps and face shields. We wear a turnout coat that has a liner. We wear turnout pants that have a liner. Even suspenders have a purpose… the alternative is that we would be tripping over our bunker pants. We wear rubber or leather boots. The boots, themselves, have protective properties… they keep our feet dry, they are tall to keep embers and water out, and they have steel toe protectors. We wear fire gloves to protect our hands and fingers. We wear nomex hoods and “Reed” hoods. We wear air packs. At EMS scenes, we wear rubber gloves and sometimes goggles and masks. On Hazmat incidents, crews wear specialized suits.

The point is this; we are in a business, as firefighters and EMTs where all of it must be worn all of the time. By that, I mean, you wouldn’t go into a working fire wearing everything except your boots, would you? Or everything except your gloves? Or your helmet? You get my point.

And, so it is with our GOD-given PPE. We must learn to use each and every piece every time we go out to serve...

...On HIS Shift,

How many times have you been asked, "What do you do?"

What's your first response? "Well, I'm a firefighter."

What's my first response? Sometimes I say, "I'm a paramedic." Sometimes I say, "I'm a Chaplain." And, other times, I might say, "I'm a Chaplain and a paramedic."

What we do for living seems to define who we are sometimes, doesn't it?

But, the truth is, when we become followers of our REAL CHIEF, we become new people... we are to become servants. Therefore, whatever our job is, we are, first and foremost, servants to CHRIST.

So, our response to the question, "What do you do," should be, "I am a servant." What a great conversation starter! What a great way to evangelize! What a great opening to give someone your personal testimony. You see, the most likely response to 'I am a servant" is for the other person to ask, "What do you mean?" It is your opportunity to say, I serve GOD, my REAL CHIEF, by being a ________________ (insert your job title here).

Try to stop identifying yourself by what you do to make a living. Instead, start identifying yourself in CHRIST. Start seeing yourself as a deeply-loved, totally-devoted servant of our REAL CHIEF as you serve...

...On HIS Shift,