Category: God’s firefighters
Day 5–Fire of Eternal Punishment
Scripture reading for May 15: Matthew 13:38-42 “The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them in a fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Revelation 14:9-11 “”If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured full strength into the cup of His anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.”
The biblical teaching of eternal punishment and the lake of fire is not popular in the church today. Many think of it as a myth and a place that would never exist if Jesus is a God of love. But God’s Word gives us all a sober warning about its certainty and duration. It is part of God’s justice and divine retribution that in the end assures that each person receives a just punishment or a just forgiveness of all sins. There is no partiality or favoritism with God.
The parable of the weeds in the field was taught by Jesus to show how at the final harvest Jesus would send out the holy angels to gather them in bundles to be burned. These weeds, unredeemed people, were sown by the evil one, the devil, in the field of the world. They had promoted sin and lawlessness in rebellion to God’s Word. They had refused the cup of mercy offered them by Jesus through His sacrifice of blood and body. They would receive the cup of God’s wrath in the presence of the Lamb and holy angels.
Prayer: Father God, thank You for Your justice and mercy. We know that You have done everything You could to provide forgiveness of sins to all who would accept. Help us as faith first responders to share your plan of mercy with those still in danger of this eternal fire. Amen.
Day 4: Breach the door!
Scripture reading for May 14: Revelation 3:18-20 “I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him and he with Me.”
Our training officer brought a training aide to the station. It was a heavy iron door with a lock meant to help us learn how to breach a door to reach those inside needing rescue. We were divided into teams of two and put on our gear. We were given the assignment to open the door. We did inward opening doors one way, and outward opening doors the reverse. We used our axes as hammers and our halogen tool as a pry bar. Working together, we could gain access to this tough steel door with the proper technique.
Today’s passage, however, gives us a different perspective on how our Lord Jesus instructs us about breaching locked doors of the human heart. Each person has need to put on their spiritual gear. The gold refined by fire is our faith that comes from hearing and obeying God’s Word. Our faith is always tested by the fire of trial and persecution. It is meant to prove genuine like pure gold, reflecting the image of our Lord Jesus. We need the white robes of Christ’s righteousness which comes by faith through grace. Our Lord loves us and brings needed correction and discipline to help us, not harm us.
Next Jesus revealed how He breaches our heart door. He doesn’t use a halogen tool or an axe, but patiently knocks on the door, waiting for us to open to Him. If we willingly open, He will come in and share bread and drink with us in sweet communion. It’s His goodness that leads us to open our door. (Romans 2:4)
Prayer: Father God, we love to breach doors in our training and sometimes need that in rescuing those trapped in a fire. But help us to be gentle and knock when sharing Your love with others. Amen.
Day 3–Keep the Water Flowing!
Scripture reading for May 13: John 4:11-14 “The woman said to Him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? Are You greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.” Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never bet thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.””
Firefighting primarily depends on a supply of water. When called to a fire, we always bring a truck with a supply of water with us because we can’t depend on having a water supply handy. If out in the country, tankers holding two or three thousand gallons come to resupply the pumper engine. One fireman is designated to run the pump and insure the pressure is maintained for those fighting the fire on the hose or hoses. If in the city, hoses from the engine are run to the hydrant and a continuous supply can be maintained. If the water goes dry or runs out, firefighters and those who may be trapped are in grave danger.
In today’s devotional reading, Jesus is talking to a woman by a well dug hundred’s of years earlier by Abraham’s grandson, Jacob. The well was deep and getting the water out required a vessel and a rope and strength. Jesus asked a woman there for a drink. The woman was taken aback for Jews did not ask Samaritan women for help. Jesus drew her out of her cultural and ethnic box by inviting her to ask Him for ‘living water.’ She was curious and asked where she might find this water. Jesus again caused her to think by stating that the water He would give her would become a ‘spring of water welling up to eternal life.’ In other words, a never ending supply for eternity!
Firefighting can make us thirsty. Those caught in fires are usually dehydrated. Water is essential for fighting fires, but also for life itself. But Jesus Christ wants us all to enjoy our personal well of water that springs up inside our hearts.
Prayer: Lord, I need a continuous supply of water! Hydrants can run dry, tankers only hold a limited amount. Fill me with living water. Amen.
Day 2–Snatching them from fire
Scripture reading for May 12: Jude 19-23 “But you, beloved, building yourselves up in you most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.”
As a volunteer firefighter and a follower of Jesus, this verse has always caught my attention and given me a vision for the purpose of our department. We are here in our community to save lives of those who may be caught in a fire. Our first priority when arriving on the scene is to ascertain if there are any persons inside the structure and where they might be in relation to the fire. If we know that someone is inside, we make every effort to locate them and remove them from the smoke and fire that can quickly take their lives.
In doing this, we use the equipment provided to protect us as we go in to rescue the victims. We have fire-retardant suits that are designed to protect us to 600 degrees. We strap on air tanks with masks to supply smoke-free air and protect our lungs. We work in teams to watch out for our safety, often dragging a rope with us to guide us back out or a fire hose to suppress the fire. Our goal is to reach the trapped person and quickly remove them from danger and to make it out ourselves.
We can see the spiritual parallel in yesterday’s devotion and today’s passage. We, as God’s beloved, are to prepare ourselves to walk by faith each day and show God’s love to those we are sent to. Prayer in the Holy Spirit empowers us to intercede for those needing rescue from sin and fires of human passion apart from God. God empowers us by the Holy Spirit to show mercy on all and at times, to snatch the doubters from the fires that would destroy them. We must do this with humility and love, being careful not to get caught in the fire ourselves.
Prayer: Father God, build me up today as I pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep me in Your love and show Your great mercy by enabling me to snatch from the fire those caught by their bad decisions and flesh. Amen.
Week 20–Day 1-Fire Fighters as ‘God’s Angels’
Scripture reading for May 11: Genesis 19:24, 27-29 “Then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the Lord out of heaven. . . .And Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the Lord. And he looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah and toward all the land of the valley, and he looked and, behold, the smoke of the land went up like the smoke of a furnace. So it was that when God destroyed the cities of the valley, God remembered Abraham and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow when He overthrew the cities in which Lot had lived.”
This is the first mention of burning fire in the Scriptures. You may be thinking, how does this passage relate to firefighting? We know that fire can be beneficial as well as destructive. It is beneficial to keep us warm, cook our food, and even to worship God through sacrifice. Here, God sent burning sulfur on several small cities where their inhabitants had rebelled against God’s revealed plans. This fire was holy judgment from a just and righteous God.
But one man, Abraham, had stood before the Lord and interceded for his family who lived among those in the cities mentioned. Abraham appealed to God’s mercy and He responded to his plea by sending two angels to warn nephew Lot and his family. The residents of the city surrounded Lot’s home and resisted God’s mercy and mocked his messengers. The angels urged Lot to gather his family and leave. It is recorded that Lot lingered, but the angel took them by the hand and escorted them away before fire fell and consumed the cities. Abraham looked and saw the smoke rising, like the smoke of a furnace. He thanked God that He had remembered his plea for Lot and his daughters.
We in the fire service always stand ready to be sent to a fire. The first sign of a fire is usually smoke rising from an unnatural place. We are part of God’s emergency response service to save those involved. As Abraham prayed, we should be people of prayer who call on the Lord on behalf of those caught in fires. We offer ourselves as those who will go and take victims by the hand and lead them out.
Prayer: Father God, thank You for Your amazing mercy towards all made in Your image. Use first responders to rescue those caught in fire. Amen.