The Standard

Thom Vaught has provided background information to one of the most terrible fires in the history of the United States:

It was a chilly Sunday morning on February 7, 1904. The firemen of Engine Co. 15 were expecting a quiet day as they readied for inspection. Their routine was interrupted by an automated fire alarm at 10:48 a.m. in the John Hurst and Company building. These men were answering the first call of the Great Baltimore Fire of 1904.

Once the Fire Chief was on the scene, he quickly realized the danger. High winds were causing the blaze to spread quickly and efforts to douse the fire were hampered by the freezing temperatures. He called in nearly the entire Baltimore City Fire Department to fight the fire but even that was not enough to contain the persistent flames.

A plea for help went out to areas surrounding Baltimore and the response was astounding. Firefighters from Washington DC were the first to arrive. Upon arrival they were dismayed to find out that their fire hose couplings would not fit the fire hydrants. Baltimore, like most cities of that day, had their own standard by which fire hydrants and fire-fighting equipment were manufactured. As firefighters arrived, they tried to adapt to this different standard but the lowered water pressure and leaks continued to impact their ability to help. Firefighters from as far away as Philadelphia and New York City answered the call but each time the story was the same. The lack of a standard caused confusion and the resulting efforts were less effective.

The Great Baltimore Fire raged across the city for two days. Damage caused by the blaze was so extensive that it is hard to imagine. It destroyed over 1,500 buildings covering nearly 70 city blocks.

In a report presented to congress, the lack of a uniform standard was cited as a major contributing factor to the massive destruction. Congress tasked the fledgling National Bureau of Standards now known as the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to investigate the matter. They discovered around 600 different sizes for fire equipment in use throughout the nation. As a result, the organization established a national standard for fire equipment.*

Vaught makes a great application for us: “God recognized the need for a standard for US to follow."  

"Furthermore, our Lord has not confused man with a plethora of differing standards but gave us a SINGLE ONE. This heavenly standard is the God-breathed word
of the Bible and it is meant as our ONLY standard for life and worship.…
We have in Scripture everything necessary to understand and follow God's will.” 
(See 2 Timothy 3:16-17.)

In God’s Word, we have instruction on how to avoid the fire of hell reserved for the devil and the disobedient (Matthew 25:41; Mark 9:45).  We are also taught about the great love of God who gave His Son so that we can be saved from our sins and receive eternal life through the gift of His Son, Jesus, Who died on the cross for our sins (John 3:16; Ephesians 1:7).

The Scriptures teach us that in order to be saved from our sins we must: place our faith and trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from our sins in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and be baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of our sins (Acts 2:38; 22:16).

Don’t be confused by the different standards that are offered by the world. 

Accept THE standard for your life (God’s Word) and apply His truth to your life and be saved.

Won’t YOU?

David A. Sargent, Minister