The Fire Chaplain                              

The Fire Chaplain deals with the traumatic experiences of Loss & Grief, as well as, the areas of Critical Incident Stress (CIS). The need for this Chaplain has been viewed as indispensable for the Loss & Grief of the victims of fire; only the last few years has it become evident that the value of the Fire Chaplain extends to Critical Incident Stress Debriefing as well. The knowledgeable Fire Chaplain is a natural Debriefing Team choice. Both Firemen & Ministers, the Fire Chaplain understands the CIS of the Fire Professional and is able to serve their debriefing need with professionalism & compassion.
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 Captain John Dellis has served the Amarillo Fire Department for over 28 years. He also serves the Amarillo Fire Department as their Chaplain. His Fire Department Chaplain training is through a 4 year coarse with The National Fire Academy. John has been elected by The Amarillo Fire Fighters Association to be the State Representative to The State Association of Fire Chaplains. John was kind enough to share the above information with the Spearman Volunteer Fire Department to post on this web page and he sent us a copy of his monthly newsletter to the Amarillo Fire Department shown below.

Subject: Oct 26, Verse & Prayer
Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2001 19:11:46 -0500

NIV  James 2:14 What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?
15  Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.
16  If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?
17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
18 But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.
19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that--and shudder.
20  You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?
21  Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?
22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23  And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called God's friend.
24 You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.
25  In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?
26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
Comment: Much has been written and can be written on James' statements that faith alone without works is dead.  Some have read this chapter and declared James wrong, saying that he contradicts Paul's writing.  J.Vernon McGee, a learned scholar whose powerful teaching is still heard on radio says, 'no.  He says that Paul & James are not standing toe to toe arguing against each other, but instead are back to back defending the faith against two misconceptions.  Paul was speaking against those who
said that only obedience to the law could result in salvation.  James was speaking against those who said that all they had to do was profess their belief in God to be saved.  Paul spoke against 'works of the law' and James spoke in favor of 'works of faith'.  A close examination of both men's writing will show that they agree.  We are saved by faith for good works, and faith lacking works is a dead faith or false faith.  True faith causes us to respond in obedience.
 Read what Paul wrote to the Ephesians...."Ephesians 2:8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--
9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.".

Prayer: Lord, keep me in Your word so that I won't wander off and create my own religion of convenience or follow man's ideas about religion. Keep me from a religion of dead rules.  Keep me from a false religion where I say one thing and do another.  Lord, I thank You that You have created me as a workman whose job was created for me before I was born. 
Lead me to do the work You've set before me.  Lead me to be faithful to give it all I have to give.  Let me believe in You, trust in You, and be obedient to You with all my heart.  In Jesus' name, Amen.
May God Bless all Firefighters and their families.

   John E. Dellis
Chaplain (Captain Amarillo Fire Department)

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