Chaplain's Page

Merry Christmas, 2009

During the holidays, take time to remember the real reason for Christmas.  God sent His Son to be an atonement for sin, yours and mine.  If we believe that God raised Jesus from the dead, we shall be saved.  Jesus had to come as a man, first, before he could become the sacrifice for me.  That little baby in Bethlehem's manger grew to be quite a man.  But he was also God.  And... He was also God's only Son.  Confusing as it may seem, the Gospel is actually very simple.  If you believe that God raised Jesus after 3 days from the grave, and ask Him to come into your heart, you will have eternal life.  May not sound like much now, but when you get to be 57 years young, like me, you begin to appreciate God's tender mercies.  Hope you take this Holy Season to ask Jesus into your heart.  I don't say it will be light grey smoke from now on, but He will always be there and He will never forsake you. So, keep believing... keep 'faithing'...     Your friend in Y'shua - Jesus ,   Chaplain of the Dept. Jim

Watchmen & Firefighters

Nehemiah worked to rebuild the Jerusalem wall. Although he was working for people, he was really working for YHWH, Jehovah, King of the Universe.  We know Him as God.  Nehemiah worked towards rebuilding the wall that the secular world was hanging on to, but he was actually building it for God's Chosen folk.  Sanbalat and that bunch thought it was futile and foolish to rebuild the wall, said it would never be accomplished; they even ridiculed Nehemiah and those who had returned from Captivity. So, not everything was smooth going. Nehemiah was often influenced by the world, just like what happens to me when the Lord says do something, and I balk about it. I need to remember that it's really the Lord who fights the battles. I'm just another Watchman.  Nehemiah, in Chapter 1, talked about when he was "... fasting and praying before the God of heaven."  He, just like me, was vulnerable to attack until the wall got put back up.  However, there were Watchmen on the wall, up there watching from the battlements for the enemy.  In Chapter 4, he said: "Don't be afraid of them; remember the Lord who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses."  We, likewise, as volunteer firefighters, fight for our brothers, our sons, our daughters, our wives and our houses, and even our neighbor's houses and property.  Remember, we are the Watchmen on the wall, making sure that fire or motor vehicle accidents don't get the better of any of our citizens.  In Duet. 1:29-30, it is written: "...Do not be shocked, nor fear them.  The Lord who goes before you will Himself fight on your behalf, just as He did for you in Egypt before your eyes."  So, on the fire scene, don't be alarmed; let the Lord fight for you, because you're just the Watchman... doing your best to watch out for the people in your community, and God is providing you with the tools to fight with and the wall to fight from. [Drawn from Mark Estep's message to the Believers at FBC GateCity, and Johnny Sheppard at the home church in Kingsport. Thanks, Mark and Johnny.]

Praying for Safety

Often, as Chaplain, I try to pray for the safety of those Firefighters that go out in the middle of the night and fight fire or respond to an accident, or go to a sick person's house.  I pray for their safe return to their family in a timely manner, with no injuries, in good health, and in good mental condition.  It is important to pray for Firefighters.  I ask that all Believers who follow the Lord Jesus as their Lord and Savior help me to pray for Scott County's Bravest as they respond to someone else's problem.  Pray, believing, that they will come to know Lord Jesus as their Savior. Pray, believing, that they will be safe and stay safe... on the road... at the fire scene... at the EMS call.  Some really good scriptures to quote as you hear them go out on their calls are : "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength and mount up with wings of eagles".  "...surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." "Not unto us, O Lord, but unto Thy name give glory..."  "They will run through a troop and leap over a wall." ... "The blessings of the Lord it maketh rich and it addeth no sorrow to it."  I would appreciate your prayers and support for these volunteer firefighters, and if you would help me remember to pray for them. 

Wrongs Suffered

There are many times when a person who follows the Lord Jesus, who actually believes that He is, and that He cares for us, comes in contact with a person who doesn't believe. You can pray for that person and look for opportunities to mention Jesus' Name and what He has done in your life, and eventually lead that person towards the Truth of His coming, the Truth of His nature, and Jesus' love and sacrifice for everyone. However, that can sometimes be easier to say than to do.  Case in point, when I am "wronged" I sometimes get very indignant, and look for ways to "pay back".  With my type of personality, often called passive-aggressive, I sometimes wait for opportune times to "pay back"; but, the Lord intervenes and reminds me that I was bought by His blood, and "what are you trying to do, Jim!?"  I have to stand back and repent/turn the other cheek/stop doing that.  I tend to hold stuff in, and that ain't good. I have to let it out.  Maybe that's why I took up jogging, firefighting, EMT, instructor, ham radio, and a second job after "retirement", so I could let it out when it started to build up.

Recently, the enemy has come after me because of my weakness in that area.  I can be easily offended in some areas, and hard as nails in other areas.  Probably that weird boyhood of mine.  Anyway, I asked the Lord Jesus what I should do, after asking forgiveness several times [mainly because I kept bringing it up and bringing it up and brining it up even after the Lord forgave me] [since Scripture tells me He is a very forgiving God when you are covered by the blood of His Son] and of course, He pointed me back to the Bible and showed me AGAIN what I should do.  Here's what the NIV version of the Bible says about Christian Ethics in that area:  "Don't be proud; instead, associate with the humble.  Do not be wise in your own estimation. Do not repay anyone evil for evil.  Try to do what is honorable in everyone's eyes.  If possible, on your part, live at peace with everyone.  Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for His wrath.  For it is written: Vengeance belongs to Me; I will repay, says the Lord.  But if your enemy is hungry, feed him.  If he is thirsty, give him something to drink.  For in so doing you will be heaping fiery coals on his head.  Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good."  [Romans Chapter 12, Verses16 to 21]

So you see, there ain't nothing new with human beings.  God's been there all the time.  He's seen it and operated in it for His people for millennia.  Think of Noah, of Ester, of David, of Hezekiah, of Paul: they have been there and done that and God was right in the middle of it.  He's been showing the way for a long time.  Good thing...  Anyway, I keep relearning that real important part about being a follower of Jesus: forgive folk when they do you wrong, or you think you've been wronged.  That way, you stay on the right path.

Forgiveness

I've made many mistakes in my life. One mistake I keep on making is when I talk about others.  You know the scripture where Jesus talks about taking "the big mote out of your own eye, you hypocrite?" Well, I always get in trouble with that one. I should first clean up my own shop, and then still not talk about other people. Well, I asked someone to forgive me for that stupid mistake [talking about someone].  Of course, it got around to another someone that I had been talking about their family.  Well, unforgiveness is an awful bag to carry around.  When my son died, I tried and tried to forgive the other driver.  You know, it was very difficult. I think I have truly managed to forgive, but the big thing is to ask the Lord to be involved ... you know, ask Him to forgive you of your sins, since "He is faithful and just to forgive us..."  It's not a bad idea to sit down and write the Lord a letter and list all your sins.  Then say, "Please, Lord, forgive me of that one."  And then, after you've gone through every cotton-pickin' sin you can think of, and you've asked the Lord to individually forgive you of each of those sins, then burn that letter.  Just as far as east is from the west, that's how far God forgives you; and He is not a liar.  What he says... goes. However, I will probably continue to make the same kind of mistake, but I always pledge to go before the Lord Jesus and ask Him for forgiveness.  It says you're supposed to clean your own house. Before you expect anyone else to clean up their house, clean up your own. Forgiveness is a two way street...and dumb ole' me: I still drive down one way streets in the wrong direction [spiritually]...  But, I know about forgiveness, from a personal point-of-view.  I don't want to be one of the many that said "Lord, Lord..." and the Lord said "department from Me, 'cause I don't know you."  That would be a killer... in more ways than one.  So, please forgive me, and you forgive them, just like your Father forgives you if you've given your heart to the Lord Jesus and made Him Lord of your life. [March, 2008]

Helpful Scripture

Rms. 5:8-9

{NAS} "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.  Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him."

{KJV} "But God commendeth his love towards us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.  Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him."

Is. 43:2

{KJV} "When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow theee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee, For I am the LORD they God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Savior..."

{NAS} "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, Nor will the flame burn you, For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior..."

Ps. 24:7

{KJV} Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lifted up, ye everlasing doors; and the King of heaven shall come in."

{NAS} Lift up your heads, O gates, And be lifted up, O ancient doors, That the King of glory may come in!"

Something to Think On

Anxiety, Worry, and Tension

 

 

For many people, Anxiety, Worry, and Tension, are ways of being concerned or troubled with bad thoughts of real problems.   Anxiety is the way human nature expresses itself when it believes that God can't handle the situation.  Anxiety, Worry, and Tension exist because we try to rely on our own strength rather than God and His Word.  We try to lean on our own understanding.  The Bible tells us to "Cast all your anxieties on Him for He cares about you." {1st Peter 5:7}  Remember that "no man can serve two masters". {Matt. 6:24} You gotta hate one and love the other or visa versa.  Also, remember that your heavenly Father knows what you need.  We gotta "seek first" {Matt. 6:33} His kingdom and not our own kingdom.  Phil. 4:6 says "Be careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God."  Well, Chaplain, what's that got to do with me? God wants you free from Anxiety, Worry, and Tension.  He wants you to become more mature in the Lord.  Our ability to use Faith when we deal with problems is build up by the Word.  So, don't neglect studying the Word [the Bible].  If your Faith is shut down by Anxiety, Worry, and Tension, then you become a target for that big ugly dude, satan. [Notice I don't give him capitalization.]  Meet your worry and anxiety [now also with no capitalization] head on through "prayer and supplication with thanksgiving".  Supplication is just asking God for what you want. Thanksgiving is being thankful in a happy way. In conclusion, here's my Fire House Prayer for you: "Dear Lord, help my {brother/sister} Firefighter cast all their cares on You.  Put yourself right now in all their problems.  I pray for the peace of God for them.  Now I praise you for meeting this need. We agree together that this need is real and this need is met. God promised me that when two agree about anything, it'll get done. [Matt. 18:19]  Help us Lord, in Jesus' Name I ask it for me and them, Amen.

 

See Links Listed Below for more Information about Following the Lord Jesus and Serving your fellow Firefighters: