I spent 20 years on a volunteer fire department, training, responding to and fighting fires. I have responded to almost every kind of fire call that a firefighter can respond.

I have been in a fire, and thought I would not get out alive. I have been blown through a doorway. I have crawled around in an unfamiliar house, looking for victims. Have been inside of a burning house without a fresh air pack, looking for kids, because Granny said they were in there; only to find out latter that they had gone to a movie with their Mom.

I have dealt with arsonist. Those who set fires in forest, or even houses while people were in them, to a mercantile which had an apartment on the second floor (while someone was sleeping).

When I retired on December 31, 1989, I thought my fire fighting days were over. I was very wrong.

When I accepted the position of an Elder, I found that I was battling a different type of fire. One that has a much deeper responsibility. The arsonist Satan is constantly setting fires in the Lords church. No Satan did not personally appear at the places of problems. However, he is constantly using my brothers and sisters to do his dirty work.

James wrote in James 3:6 "And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defiled the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell."

Notice what James says in the last part of that verse. The fire that is doing the burning is kindled from hell. This proves that Satan is the originator of the problems. How does he do the things that he does?

He knows how true James 3:2 is "If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body." This is how he accomplishes his work.

Have you ever offended anyone? Did you do it on purpose? I hope that if you have; it was not done intentional. If you have offended someone deliberately, you may have caused someone to stumble. Your soul may be in jeopardy. Paul said in Romans 14:13 "that no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brothers way."

I am of the persuasion that most people become offended, when someone says something which was not intended to be offensive. It may have been something that is hurtful to that person, but would not have been hurtful to the person making the statement. They have become offended, because they may be in a weaken state, or maybe they are just having a bad day.

A fire doubles in size every two minutes. When a Christian is offended, and the offending party is not aware of the problem, that fire also doubles very quickly.

This is the reason that Jesus said in Matthew 18:15 " Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother."

The sad thing is that some Christians refuse to obey Jesus. Others do not know of this verse. Just as fires double in size, the problems double when the offended brethren tell others. This is hurtful to the congregation, and even more so to the Lords church in whole.

If we have been offended, tell that person who has offended you, and if he does not correct the problem then do as Jesus has said in Matthew 18:16 "But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established."

Let us all practice fire prevention. Let us watch what we say, and then we will not have to worry about kindling a fire.

Fire fighters wear turnout gear to protect from heat and water. Let us likewise wear Christian attitudes, so we will not be offended so easily.

Brothers and sisters do not let Satan use you to kindle fires in the Lords church. Let us be obedient to all of the Scriptures.

J.C.