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STRESS RELIEF |
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JUNE 2005 |
The "Standard Operating Guideline For Life" is the Holy Bible.
"In The Heat of The Battle"
June 26th, 2005
"Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings."
- 1 Peter 5:8-9 (NIV)
We were sitting in church this morning, listening to our Pastor, Jeff Wells, teach from the book of Revelation. Jeff reminded us about the great Spiritual battle that is going on all around us.
This got me to thinking... scary, huh? heheheheh . Anyway, it made me think about being inside a working fire. There you are - you and your crew, on hands and knees, in "the heat of the battle." You inch your way forward... watching the movement of the fire, watching the smoke, watching for signs of potential flashover, watching for obstructions, watching for possible collapse zones, watching for signs of life...
In life, we should be like that... always watchful. Why? Because, as believers, we are truly in the heat of the battle... the battle for our spiritual lives. Our enemy, Satan, prowls around looking to trick us... to lie to us, to deceive us, in any way he can. That's his job. And, he is good at it. The devil is the one whispering in your ear, "You're not a Christian, you've done too many wrong things in your life." Or, "Go ahead and take that extra shift this Sunday, you can always go to church another time." Or, "Go ahead and go get drunk with your 'buddies' - it's no big deal."
Our verse this week gives us good advice -
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Be self-controlled - if you lose self-control in a fire, what happens? You panic. If you panic, someone could die.
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Be alert - drop your guard, even for a second, in a fire and, again, someone could die.
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The enemy is on the prowl - where there is smoke, right? Just because you can't see the fire doesn't mean it isn't there.
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Fight the battle - the verse says "resist" and to stand firm in the faith.
So, how do we fight this great battle? We fight it with prayer. And prayer. And some more prayer. We ask our REAL CHIEF to take over the battle command. You see, you cannot fight this battle alone. Period. Ask the Heavenly armies of GOD to come to your side... to protect your back. Read Ephesians 6:10-18....
"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints."
Put on the whole armor of GOD.
Be ready, be equipped for battle as you serve...
...On HIS Shift,
"Helping a Brother In Need"
June 22nd, 2005
"Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them."
- Matthew 18:19-20 (NIV)
I didn't send an article this past Sunday, as it was Father's Day and I got to spend the entire weekend with family and it was great!
Today, I got home from my regular 24 hour shift and read the following email asking for prayer. WE CAN DO THAT!
I wrote Sherri and asked if I could send you the email and she agreed. Let's show her and the firefighter in need that we are there with them in this spiritual and physical warfare!
...On HIS Shift,
To Whom It May Concern,
His name is Joey Adams. He works at the Mayfield Fire Dept. He is in his early 30's, with a wife and 2 small children. A couple weeks ago, he had a tumor removed from his brain. The kind of cancer that he has been diagnosed with, is the kind that spreads quickly.
My brother, Shannon Puckett, is an Assistant Chief, at our Mayfield Fire Dept. here in Kentucky. He works with Joey. He and all of the other firefighters are concerned and pray for Joey daily. We all want a miracle.
I believe that the acts of kindness that we do unto others will be repaid somehow by God. I believe that when we do it unto the least of these, then we do it unto God. I believe that when 2 or more gather together, great miracles are possible. And that's why I'm writing to other fellow firefighters. I think you believe in sticking together, in unity, which is what God loves.
Would you please pray for Joey? And if it's not too much trouble, would you and/or anyone else that wouldn't mind, write to Joey and encourage him? I believe that God is moved by our Faith and I think when friends and family and fire fighters stand in the gap and make a chain of faith around the world, then no telling what can happen. I think encouraging words will help Joey and his family. Most importantly, I think it will help boost their faith.
I will include my address & my email address. If I receive any letters I will see personally that Joey gets them. Or you may send them directly to him at the Mayfield Fire Dept.
Thanks so much and God bless you for blessing others!
Sincerely, A Friend who wants any or everyone to unite in Faith For a Fellow Firefighter
1665 St. Rt. 58 E.
Mayfield, Ky.
42066
"Don't Give In"
June 12th, 2005
"And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."
- 1 Corinthians 10:13(b) (NIV)
Have you ever been to Las Vegas? On the surface of things, it is a beautiful city... nestled in a desert valley with mountains all around. And lights. Lots and lots of lights.
But, you know what those lights are for? To entice you. To tempt you. Those millions and millions of flashing lights are meant to draw you into the casinos, the bars and the like.
Back in my non-Christian days, I used to love going to Vegas... or Laughlin, or Reno, or... well, you get my point. Driving along the "strip" or walking in downtown Las Vegas was really something. It was SO bright.
Nowadays, though, I wonder how followers of our REAL CHIEF handle all of that enticement. Then again, how do any of us handle enticement?
I think almost everyone has heard the expression "God won't give you anything you can't handle." That really is a mis-quote of our verse for the week. What the verse really says is that HE won't let you be tempted beyond what you can handle.
I think each of us is tempted by the enemy almost daily. Think about it. It could be an ad for fast food. It could be flashy lights outside of a casino. It could even be in the form of a friend. What? A friend? Sure. Have you ever had a friend who said, "Hey, let's go have a couple of drinks after shift and get blasted!"?
One good way to avoid temptation is to try not to place yourself in a position to be tempted. For example, stay away from Vegas if you have ever been tempted to gambling.
Another good way is to learn scripture. JESUS gave us that example. When HE was tempted by Satan, HE responded to each temptation by quoting scripture to Satan, thus thwarting Satan's attack.
Temptations, I'm afraid, will always be there. But, I have good news for you... so will our REAL CHIEF! And, HE promises that HE will give you "a way out" when you are tempted (notice that the BIBLE didn't say if you are tempted, but when you are tempted).
Watch out for the snares of temptation as you strive to serve...
...On HIS Shift,
"Bad Company"
June 5th, 2005
"Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?"
- 2 Corinthians 6:14-15 (NIV)
The past three months have been busy, as far as performing weddings. I have been averaging three per month, thus far.
I love performing weddings. If you stop and think about it, Chaplains perform way too many funerals. So, getting to perform a wedding is, I believe, our REAL CHIEF's way of letting us have some fun.
It is a blessing watching a couple being united as one.
On the other hand, I have seen a rash of break-ups occurring lately. There are always the "he said, she said" battles that occur during these trying times. However, you know what I see and hear a lot of? One person in the relationship serves our REAL CHIEF, the other doesn't.
The Apostle Paul uses the metaphor "yoked together." This refers to the oxen of those days who were yoked together with a wooden bar across their necks. You see, that way, if one ox turned left, the other would automatically also turn left.
Do you see? If you are in a relationship with a non-believer, if they "turn" to a particular sin, the believer might be led that way, too.
Look at your relationships now. Is your spouse a believer? Are the people you call friends believers?
Now, there is nothing wrong with "hanging out" with non-believers... I believe our REAL CHIEF wants us to do that, so that we might win them over.
The danger, though, is entering into a marriage relationship with a non-believer. While it is possible that you may be able to win them over, it is also possible that you may not. Or, you might think your partner is a believer, only to find out later, when it is too late, that they are not.
So, here is my suggestion, if you are considering marriage, seek pre-marital counseling with the Pastor/Priest who will be performing the ceremony. I always ask both people where they stand before GOD.
Give your marriage the best foundation you can... one that rests on our REAL CHIEF, with both persons serving...
...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.
The folks at the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation can also help if you have been involved in a Critical Incident.
Chaplain Skip writes STRESS RELIEF every week, usually on Sunday afternoon
