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Copyright © 1999-2001 Emergency Ministries. All Rights Reserved. |
April 2001 The "instruction book" for life is the Bible.
"Turning Up the Heat" April 29, 2001 "When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze." - Isaiah 43:2 (b) (NIV) Do you remember going into your first "live burn?" Your heart was racing and your eyes were wide open as you entered "the devil's playground." I saw a window sticker (made for firefighters) the other day that said "I go in to where the devil dances." Now, I'm not too sure I like envisioning ole' Satan having a good time. But, it is, I think, a way for us to tell others how close we get to the flames. Last week, we talked about the Personal Protective Equipment that God gives us... good thing. Yesterday, I was reminded of a couple of things. One was how old I am! hehehehehe. The other was; I was reminded how hot it can get inside the fire! You see, I got up at 4:30 in the morning to drive up to Texas A&M University (which is the location of the Texas State Fire Training School). It was Montgomery County "field day" and just about every department in the county was represented. They have live burn scenarios and rotate students through the evolutions all day long. One of the departments I am Chaplain for (Porter Fire and Rescue) asked me to help out as an instructor. Our scenario was a three story brick "apartment house." Fire is set on all three floors and the students are sent in with instructors and given a different challenge on each floor. One of my jobs was "stoking" the fires - keeping them as hot and as smokey as possible - we want the students to learn what it really feels like. Anyway, one of our Captains said to me beforehand, "remember, Chappie, you are an instructor today... get it hot in there!" So, I did. At one point, we had it up to 650 degrees! I came out of there with my gear so hot that I had to stand there a minute to let my gear cool off to the point where I could take off my helmet and air pack. It had gotten so hot that it melted the "Chaplain" rockers on the sides of my helmet. BUT, I didn't get burned! Before we went to the field yesterday, we stopped for breakfast. I prayed for God to bless our meal and also to watch over and protect everyone on the field that day. And that was when our REAL CHIEF reminded me of HIS promise given to us in this week's verse. When you ask HIM to be the CHIEF in your life, you give HIM the permission to protect you from the flames, too! Oh... I was reminded of something else yesterday, too. Fighting fire is as close to hell as I ever want to be! On HIS Shift,
"Personal Protective Equipment" April 22, 2001 "My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one." - John 17:15 (NIV) You and I know the term "P.P.E."- personal protective equipment. We also know how valuable and necessary PPE is for our survival in a hellish environment. I, probably like a lot of you right now, am busy helping write the grants proposals for a few of the departments I am Chaplain for. I am talking about the FEMA Fire Service grant. One of the six areas available for funding is PPE. As I am writing the narratives, I am amazed at the costs associated with PPE in the fire service. Have you really ever stopped and thought about all the stuff we don to protect us? There are;
You get the picture... that is a whole lot of equipment, especially when you multiply it by however many firefighters there are in the department. At an approximate cost of $3,500 per firefighter, we are not talking small change! Well folks, the truth is this; we live in a hellish environment. Every day we are bombarded with television ads that sell sex and pleasure more than any particular product. If you believed all those ads, you would believe that if you drank Pepsi, a scantily-clad Britanny Spears would dance into your living room. We are constantly bombarded with things that steal our time and our energy. You see, our REAL CHIEF knows that the world is easily influenced by satanic forces. That is why in this week's verse, you are seeing Jesus' prayer to God for you and for me.... a prayer that asks for the ultimate PPE for us... God's love and protection from the world! And you know what the best part of this PPE is? It is absolutely free for the asking! We only need to pray to HIM and ask for it! The only "grant" we need then, is for our REAL CHIEF to grant us our request! HIS love and grace are what will truly protect us from a real hellish environment; life in today's world. On HIS Shift,
"It Ain't About Eggs" April 15, 2001 "He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: `The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.' " - Luke 24:6-7 (NIV) We just got home from a good friend's home. They are like adopted family to us... or rather, they adopted us! heheheheh. Anyway, their whole family gathers at their place, which sits on about 30 acres, every Thanksgiving and Easter. One of their great traditions is that the kids have a huge Easter egg hunt. This is how they do it: the kiddos are all rounded up inside the house. The dads all grab a bunch of plastic eggs and go hide them in a large fenced in area. The kids are then turned loose and .... off they go! Of course, they let the littlest go first for a good head start. The Shields always stuff the eggs with candy, jelly beans and sometimes, coins! At the end of the hunt, just about every child wins a "prize", this year it was little, furry, bunny banks.... pretty cool idea, huh? Rabbits that save! hehehehehe. That is all great fun, but we know the real joy of Easter is not found inside a plastic egg... it is found inside an empty tomb. It is found on the bloodstained Cross on Calvary. Yes, joy is found when YOU find the risen Christ! After seeing the smiling, wide-eyed little faces today, it makes me think back to 2000 years ago. Think about what it might have been like if you had been one of the ones to peek into the empty tomb and to turn and see Jesus standing there with you face-to-face. Don't you know you would be like one of those little children today? Wouldn't you be standing there smiling and wide-eyed as our REAL CHIEF stood in front of you and said, "it is ME!" Because of the events of that Easter day 2000 years ago, we can stand, smiling and wide-eyed, before others and tell them "HE IS RISEN!" Happy Easter to each of you. Stay safe. On HIS Shift,
"Lay a Supply Line" April 8, 2001 "If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?" - 1 John 3:17 (NIV) Hmmmm. Interesting, huh? Most of us have heard the call from command over the radio, "Engine so-and-so, lay a supply line to..." Stop and think about that for a minute. We are "supplying" a need... that need being water at the time. Now, let's 'take it up a notch' to supplying different needs. As I sit down to write the Stress Relief articles each week, I stop and pray.... I ask our REAL CHIEF to give me the words to that HE wants me to give to you for that particular week. Yes, I know you're stunned, hehehehehe. You thought I was a trained writer.... LOL. No, it is God who gives these words to you. HE just uses me, I believe, as an instrument to relay those words. Anyway, this week I have just come from a house fire. The house was "rockin' and rollin'"upon arrival. Neighbors said one of the cars that belong to the owners was gone. Primary and secondary searches confirmed that. Thank goodness, too, as we learned that a young couple with two children lived there. After a while, the parents showed up. It turned out that their kids were at church.... the parents had been shopping. We stopped and thanked God together that everyone was okay. I then called the director of a local mission, called Mission Northeast, at home (as I set all this up for times like this) and she agreed to meet the couple later this afternoon and get the family some clothes and food to start helping them get on with their lives since the 'fire dragon' had destroyed their home. That then, is what led to our REAL CHIEF wanting me to talk about this verse this week... it is a verse on giving. In this case, on giving of material things. Think about it; if no one had been giving to Mission Northeast, they, in turn, wouldn't have been able to help this family of four. Today is Palm Sunday. Next Sunday is Easter. This is the celebration of the Greatest Gift ever: God gave us HIS only Son, Jesus, to die for you and me about 2000 years ago. So, this Easter week, do this... go through your closets, your attics and your basements and pack up the clothes, the toys and the furniture that you no longer use and take them to a local Mission. That way, you will be honoring our REAL CHIEF by helping HIM provide for the needs of others. On HIS Shift,
"Beyond Comprehension" April 1, 2001 "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." - Isaiah 55:9 (NIV) Two more times this week... two more times. Twice again reminded of the mysteries of life and death. Twice again reminded of the mysteries that our REAL CHIEF holds within HIS mind, HIS thoughts. Two more times of asking the question that I know cannot be answered until I stand face-to-face with HIM; "Why, God?" The first was a little baby boy who drowned in a bathtub. Mom had left him in a safety seat and had run out "just for a second." The baby tipped himself over. I went to the E.R. and watched as the staff fought in vain to save the young life. I watched as the E.R. doctor kicked a piece of trash across the room in frustration when he finally had to "call it" (a term used to say that the "efforts have ceased"). I watched the young mother as she was allowed to hold the lifeless body of her son in her arms. The second instance was a house fire early in the morning. The young child didn't make it out. Seven years old, I was told. So young. I attempted to comfort and watched as one firefighter cried. I watched the rest of the crew on the scene and saw the looks on their faces.... some very tired looks. They were the looks that non-verbally asked the same question we all ask when it comes to the death of a child; "Why, God?" It is a question I am often asked, "why would God let this happen?" Here is my answer: "I don't know." But, I do know this; I trust and believe wholeheartedly that HE knows why, that HE has HIS reasons and that provides me comfort. In our verse this week, our REAL CHIEF tells us that HIS ways and HIS thoughts are beyond our grasp. I believe that. And, if I believe that, I have to believe, also, that HE needed those two young children with HIM right now. The next time you find yourself starting to ask "that" question (Why?) ... STOP... pause and reflect on the fact that our REAL CHIEF knows why and that should be a comfort to your hurting soul. And maybe, just maybe, we will be able to stand before HIM in Glory and ask HIM, "God, do you remember that time when I was a firefighter and we went to that call.....?" On HIS Shift,
It is my prayer that the verses we discuss help each of you as it has helped me deal with the amount of stress we are all faced to deal with. If you are not yet saved, I have Good News for you. Jesus loves you very much and His Holy Spirit is drawing you to Him. To learn more, click here.
© 1999 - 2001 Emergency Ministries. All Rights Reserved. STRESS RELIEF is written every week, usually on Sunday afternoons. |
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