Be Strong in the Lord - Part 8 Vespasian's Wrestlers

Thursday, August 6, 2020

Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil.   Ephesians 6:13

When a soldier has been properly outfitted, trained and pointed in the right direction, there is only one sensible thing left to do – Join the fight.  I don’t know what that means for you tomorrow, or even this afternoon; God is the one who defines and directs the strategy.  I suggest you keep an attitude of prayer, and an open heart.  He will bring you into the battle where you’re needed, and at the right time.  Good commanders know their troops.

In the days of the Roman Emperor Nero, there lived and served him a band of soldiers known as the "Emperor's Wrestlers."  Fine, stalwart men they were, picked from the best and the bravest of the land, recruited from the great athletes of the Roman amphitheater.

In the great amphitheater they upheld the arms of the emperor against all challengers.  Before each contest they stood before the emperor's throne.  Then through the courts of Rome rang the cry:  We, the wrestlers, wrestling for thee, O Emperor, to win for thee the victory and from thee, the victor's crown.

When the great Roman army was sent to fight in Gaul, no soldiers were braver or more loyal than this band of wrestlers led by their centurion Vespasian.  But news reached Nero that many Roman soldiers had accepted the Christian faith.  Therefore, this decree was dispatched to the centurion Vespasian; If there be any among your soldiers who cling to the faith of the Christian, they must die!

The decree was received in the dead of winter.  The soldiers were camped on the shore of a frozen inland lake.  It was with sinking heart that Vespasian, the centurion, read the emperor's message.  Vespasian called the soldiers together and asked:  Are there any among you who cling to the faith of the Christian?  If so, let him step forward!  Forty wrestlers instantly stepped forward two paces, respectfully saluted, and stood at attention.  Vespasian paused.  He had not expected so many, nor such select ones.  Until sundown I shall await your answer, said Vespasian.  Sundown came.  Again the question was asked.  Again the forty wrestlers stepped forward.

Vespasian pleaded with them long and earnestly without prevailing upon a single man to deny his Lord.  Finally he said, the decree of the emperor must be obeyed, but I am not willing that your comrades should shed your blood.  I order you to march out upon the lake of ice, and I shall leave you there to the mercy of the elements.

The forty wrestlers were stripped and then, falling into columns of four, marched toward the center of the lake of ice.  As they marched, they broke into the chant of the arena:  Forty wrestlers, wrestling for Thee, O Christ, to win for Thee the victory and from Thee, the victor's crown! 

Through the night Vespasian stood by his campfire and watched.  As he waited through the long night, there came to him fainter and fainter the wrestlers' song.  As morning drew near one figure, overcome by exposure, crept quietly toward the fire; in the extremity of his suffering he had renounced his Lord.  Faintly but clearly from the darkness came the song:  Thirty-nine wrestlers, wrestling for Thee, O Christ, to win for Thee the victory and from Thee, the victor's crown!

Vespasian looked at the figure drawing close to the fire.  Perhaps he saw eternal light shining there toward the center of the lake.  Who can say?  But off came his helmet and clothing, and he sprang upon the ice, crying, forty wrestlers, wrestling for Thee, O Christ, to win for Thee the victory and from Thee, the victor's crown! 

For You Today

My friend, it makes little difference where you live, or what epoch in history; the battle is the Lord’s.  Someday the battle will be in front of you.   The question to settle right now, right here – so that you will be ready on that day – is:

Will there be 39 or 40 when Christ calls?

That is the decision Christ invites you to make for Him.  And so the invitation is what it has always been: Christ bids us:  come and die, Christian – Come and die!

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road today.  Have a blessed day!

VIDEO

Title image:  Pixabay.com  Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation©

This devotion originally appeared 1/20/16 as Faithful Warriors - #8 Vespasian's Wrestlers

Be Strong in the Lord - Part 7 Prayer in the Spirit

 Wednesday, August 5, 2020

Note; this week we are re-visiting a series of devotions from 2016 entitled FAITHFUL WARRIORS.  It’s not something we do often, but this series bears repeating during times of crisis. 

Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion.  Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.   And pray for me, too.  Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God’s mysterious plan that the Good News is for Jews and Gentiles alike.  I am in chains now, still preaching this message as God’s ambassador.  So pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for him, as I should.   Ephesians 6:18-20 

Over the past week we have been looking at what it means to get dressed for warfare – spiritual warfare – that which every Christian faces every day.  So far, we have sized up the enemy, and begun to dress for the battle.  We have put on the:

       ·       Belt of truth

       ·       Body armor of God’s righteousness

       ·       Sandals of the Gospel preparation of peace

       ·       Shield of faith

       ·       Helmet of salvation

We will finish this series tomorrow, but today we add one more vital tool for the soldier, and that is communication with the Supreme Commander:

Prayer in the Spirit

Prayer is a matter of unending communion with our Lord.  In his book, Purpose in Prayer, E. M. Bounds quotes these words from former college professor and Confederate soldier, General Thomas Stonewall Jackson: 

I have so fixed the habit of prayer in my mind that I never raise a glass of water to my lips without asking God's blessing, never seal a letter without putting a word of prayer under the seal, never take a letter from the post without a brief sending of my thoughts heavenward, never change my classes in the lecture-room without a minute's petition for the cadets who go out and for those who come in.

If you are like me, troubling thoughts cloud my mind every time the subject of prayer arises.  It’s as if the enemy knows if he can’t keep my heart from wanting to pray, he’ll put enough obstacles in the way to make prayer a burden rather than a blessing.  Have you ever had these thoughts? 

How in the world can I develop a prayer-life?

I’ve got a zillion things to do – The kids won’t be quiet

The dog barks, the pot boils over, my boss hates me

My business and finances are in shambles

And April 15th is almost here!

Preacher – it’s not that the wolf is at the door…that wolf has moved in and had pups under my kitchen table.

And YOU want me to pray?

My experience has been that we do not pray because we have not grasped the importance of prayer. 

Chuck Swindoll tells in one of his books about a group of amateur climbers scaling part of the Matterhorn near Zermatt, Switzerland.  As they came to a narrow, hazardous passage, about to make a turn, a gust of wind swept down on them.  The experienced guide, knowing the danger this posed for the group, quickly shouted, Get down on your knees! You are safe only on your knees![3]

Let’s Pray Together:

Father, like the guys who followed Jesus, teach us to pray!

For You Today

My dear Christian friend – time never surrenders itself on a platter; you will never have enough time to do all you have to do, until you take the time with Jesus in prayer.

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road today.  Have a blessed day!

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Title image:  Pixabay.com  Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation©

This devotion originally appeared 1/18/16 as Faithful Warriors - #7 Prayer in the Spirit

Praying Always

[i]

Tuesday, August 1, 2017

Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil.  Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.  Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness.  For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.  In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.  Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion.  Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.  

Ephesians 6:13-18^(NLT)

After showing us the armor and weapons of the Christian, Paul lays-out how to stand our ground for Christ – praying in the spirit, always, and for all believers…everywhere. 

That is a tall order!

It may not be a tall order for you; I’ve found Christianity is not a one-size-fits-all coat.  Christianity is most certainly a come-all-to Christ blanket, but some things, like the kind of prayer-life Paul described are tougher for some people than others.  It’s not that prayer itself is that complicated; it is a conversation with God, who loves and saves you.  But, for me, just remembering all the people to pray for, and what their needs are, and who’s going in for surgery when, and the names of their families, and what hospital, and, and, and….  Well, it can be a bit overwhelming.

And then I remember…covering all the bases, doing everything, getting it all done…is not my circus.  Putting on the armor, praying in the Spirit (of Christ…that is with humility towards God), and staying alert and persistent in prayer…that is my job!

If seeing to the needs of every believer, naming them all, their needs, their relatives and cousins by the dozens  – even just the ones I know – well, if it’s up to me to be responsible for all that, I’d fail so miserably even my grandmother would fire me!

And Jesus, Himself would rebuke me for trying to be everything to everybody, and failing to trust in Him.  He never planned it that way; He planned for us to trust each other and be ready to serve each other with the strength God gives each day.  He doesn’t expect us to do what we can’t.  That is what He will do; it’s called walking by faith. 

Praying always is a neat way of saying walk by faith; it has to do with living in awareness of your dependency on Christ for everything, and being sensitive to the needs of others with whom you come in contact every day, so that, as Christ gives you the strength and prompts you in your spirit, you will respond to Jesus by reaching out to those around you.

For You Today

A thought that is good to keep on the front burner:

God’s army is to be fully prepared for the battle.  A soldier who is fully-clad in the armor, weapon in one hand, battle plan in the other hand, and never joins the fight is someone who is all dressed up and has nowhere to go.

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road…have a blessed day!

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NOTES

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[i] Title Image: Pixabay.com