Gently Instruct

"Again I say, don’t get involved in foolish, ignorant arguments that only start fights. A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people. Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth. Then they will come to their senses and escape from the devil’s trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants." - 2 Timothy 2:23–26

With the recent events happening in the City of Houston, there are a lot of mixed feelings and emotions in the department. A lot of those are negative and are affecting those around us. Being in the service of taking care of others, we need to focus on continuing to do just that. We should thoughtfully and gently take care of each other and those who call on our help. Gentle truth may not necessarily come in the form of words. It can be shared though kindness, hospitality, actions, teaching and sacrifice. Continually encourage others and yourself to be patient (especially with difficult people), kind, and thoughtful.

Keep the faith that the sacrifices you've made for this city and your family will pay off later, and that God will take care of your every need. Know that honoring God in everything we say and do is vitally important.

-FF Sam Hascek

Rescue 42B

Love and Honor

"Love one another deeply. Honor others more than yourselves." -Romans 12:10

Let's take a look at a couple of the key words in the verse above. 

     Deeply (Intensely) - with extreme force.
     Honor - high respect; adherence to what is right or to a conventional standard of conduct;

        fulfill an obligation or keep an agreement.

A Biblical story that I believe coincides with the above scripture is the story of Daniel. Even though Daniel was a captive in another nation, he didn’t stop following the laws of God. He still only ate the things he was supposed to, and he prayed three times a day. Because Daniel listened to God, others noticed his wisdom, and he soon gained a position as one of the king’s advisors. Daniel served Nebuchadnezzar for many years and was later chosen to serve under the new king, Darius.

It was King Darius who threw Daniel in the Lion's Den for praying to his God. In spite of the extreme adversity Daniel was facing under a new regime, he remained faithful, displaying intense honor and a deep love for God by praying only to Him. He continued to do so even with the threat of death by lion looming over his head.

Each of us and our families are facing some type of pressure. It is easy to give in to the flesh and make decisions strictly based on our emotions. Pressure tends to place strain on our marriages, health, finances, and work performance. If we're honest, the pressure does get to us from time to time. Lets face it- only Jesus is perfect. Staying in the Word helps us deal with adversity. Dwell in the word, instead of the adversity. As Christians, we need to stay the course and display HONOR and LOVE to God and others for the world to see. Let's be more like Daniel. After all, we have been in the lion's den and held captive for quite some time now. 

Kind Regards,

Senior Captain Jacob Sandlin, 55B