“May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.”  Colossians 1:11-12

When I played football for the Pacific University Boxers back in the old days there was a campus tradition called the Boxer Rebellion.  There was a small metal replica of a dog that would appear someplace on campus and everyone would fight to try and get it to their fraternity, dorm, club, or team.  It was like a giant melee and there was no telling when it would happen.  The group that had it would figure out some ingenious way of making it appear and a battle would immediately ensue.  Once, the boxer appeared while I was crossing campus, and I actually got to run a few steps with it before I was crushed under a host of other students. My football coach, who was watching the proceedings, started yelling and pulled everyone off.  (He had told the team that we could never be in a boxer rebellion).  He took the dog from me and tossed it to someone else who was immediately chased down and disappeared in a pile of arms and legs.   This was the last time a boxer rebellion took place at Pacific University.  It was the volatile 60’s-70’s era and the boxer that was taken that day in 1969 was never seen again.  Some say it was melted down in protest of Vietnam, but only those who took it really know.

Our boxer rebellion was an aggressive but fun event on a college campus. But there was an historic boxer rebellion in 1900 China that was very violent and very cruel.  In that year insurgents captured a mission station, blocked all the gates but one, and in front of that one gate placed a cross flat on the ground. Then the word was passed to those inside that any who trampled the cross underfoot would be permitted their freedom and life, but that any refusing would be shot. Terribly frightened, the first seven students trampled the cross under their feet and were allowed to go free. But the eighth student, a young girl, refused to commit what she saw as an act of denying Christ.  Kneeling beside the cross in prayer for strength, she arose and moved carefully around the cross, and went out to face the firing squad. Strengthened by her example, every one of the remaining ninety-two students followed her to the firing squad.

We will probably never be asked to face a firing squad, but every day we must face series of decisions regarding our relationship with the Lord.  Everyday there seems to be a story in the news about how believers are expected to go against their convictions about homosexuality, abortion, prayer, even Christ Himself.  As we get closer to Christ’s return, our challenges will grow more and more difficult.  In our country we are almost isolated from the rest of the world in the area of persecution, but it could come some day.  Voices of Martyrs tracks the world-wide attack on Christianity and we are in a bubble here in the US compared to the rest of the world. It makes a person wonder how the softened Christians in America today would react in the face of true persecution.  In Romans Paul tells us to “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” (Romans 12:12)  The people in the countries around us are probably stronger than we are because tribulation strengthens us and prepares us for greater trials, and we don’t go to the spiritual gym as much as the rest of the world.

A while back I came across an poem by an unknown author.  I think it catches some of the truth about our tribulations.

“Lord, I’ve never moved a mountain and I guess I never will. All the faith that I can muster wouldn’t move the smallest hill.

Yet, I’ll tell you, Lord, I’m grateful for the joy of knowing Thee, and for all the mountain moving through the years You’ve done for me.

When I needed help you lifted me from the depths of great despair. And when burdens, pain and sorrow have been more than I can bear,

You have always been my courage to restore life’s troubled sea, and to move these little mountains that have looked so big to me.

“Many times when I’ve had problems and when bills I’ve had to pay, and the worries and the heartaches just kept mounting every day,

Lord, I don’t know how you did it. Can’t explain the wheres or whys, but I know I’ve seen these mountains turn to blessings in disguise.

“No, I’ve never moved a mountain, for my faith is far too small. Yet, I thank you, Lord of Heaven, you have always heard my call.

And as long as there are mountains in my life, I’ll have no fear, for the mountain-moving Jesus is my strength and always near.”

The Bible is full of mountain-moving promises from God.  We just need to rely on Him and realize that after every storm, the sun will return.  How we act during difficulties shows what is inside of us. If we fill a sponge with water and press down on it the water comes out.  If we are filled with Christ and are put under pressure, He should appear.

“We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.” 2 Corinthians 6:3-10

As we face our daily difficulties, we need to lean upon Jesus.  Shortly after missionary Joe Scriven’s fiancé died in a terrible accident, he penned these words: “What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer! Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere? We should never be discouraged. Take it to the Lord in prayer.”  Joe was on his way to healing.  We can be, as well.  We tend to be a stiff-necked people.  Just as the blacksmith heats the shoe to make it more malleable, sometimes we need to be heated so that God can shape us.  Let’s let Him do His work.