TODAY WE FIND GREAT HEROES

Emperor Constantine with political motivation legalized Christianity in the Roman Empire in A.D. 320 to consolidate his power by bringing an ecumenical union between paganism and Christianity. He achieved this by dictating the decision to implement trinitarian doctrine at the First Council of Nicaea.  However, Marcus Licinius Crassus, who controlled the Eastern half of the empire, broke allegiance with the West and continued to suppress Christianity.

When Licinius demanded that every soldier under his command sacrifice to the Roman gods, the forty Christian men of the “Thundering Legion” refused. Their general, Lysias, had them whipped, torn with hooks, and then imprisoned in chains. When they still refused to bow down and give up their worship of God, he ordered them stripped of their clothing and left in the middle of a frozen lake until they relented.

A warm bath was poured for any who would give up their convictions. The men prayed together that their number would not be broken. However, as it grew dark, one could not bear the cold any longer and ran to the warm bath.

One of the guards who had watched the forty brave soldiers sing to Christ became angry that one would give in to Lysias’s orders. His anger turned to conviction, and then his conviction turned to faith. He tore off his clothes and ran out on the icy lake, fulfilling their promise to be “forty brave soldiers for Christ!”
The forty died together that day. The one who gave up his faith for a warm bath also died.

Today We Find Great Heroes

We’ve all heard the story

Of the soldiers 40 strong,

Who were put out on the ice to die

Because others thought they were wrong.

Valiantly they stood for Christ

Unbending with conviction.

In agony they froze to death

Because of interdiction.

In admiration we look back

But stop and think a while

Bring it forward to now

Apply it to your trial

Despite discomfort to the flesh

They knew exactly why they died,

But now we’re killed the whole day long

Not knowing why we’re tried.

To make amends unable

Disallowed to make defense.

Not sure why such small thing

Could make such great offense.

Apologies make no difference

And the good that you have done,

In their bitterness evaporates

Like water in hot sun.

To die upon the ice

Might be easier you’ll find,

Than to bear this persecution

And the battle of the mind.

So today we find great heroes

They lay their lives down for the Lord,

Crucified they bear the cross

But are faithful with the Sword.

For the Word they’ll stand regardless

Though they stand alone,

And pray God forgives their enemy

And that grace for sin atones.