A Leader Must Show Himself To Be a Team Player
In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often.…
— 2 Corinthians 11:27
The phrase we are going to look at today is absolutely amazing to me. It reveals that the apostle Paul did not have a “movie star” mentality, thinking that he was too high and mighty to do a menial task. Even though he was a great apostle and was mightily anointed, he was also a real team member who was willing to pitch in and do what everyone else was required to do. If there was no one else to do a menial, mundane task, Paul would jump in to do whatever needed to be done.
The phrase “in watchings often” in Second Corinthians 11:27 reveals this phenomenal attitude in this great man of God. Today we will look at this phrase to discover the “team player” mentality that the apostle Paul possessed. I believe that you will be blessed to learn about Paul’s attitude to work as a fellow team member. But even more importantly, I believe that God’s Spirit will also speak to you about being a team player, no matter what position you hold in the organization where you work or at your church.
In Watchings Often
The word “watchings” is the Greek word agrupvia. It is most likely a reference to the long nights Paul lay awake to defend himself and his team against bandits and robbers who waited to attack them in roadside ditches and caves. The word “often” is the Greek word pollakis, which means many times, often, or frequently.
It was very common for a traveling group to take turns at “watching” during the night. If no one stayed awake and alert, plundering robbers would come and steal all the belongings of the traveling company while they slept. As noted earlier (see October 24), there were many highway robbers who lurked in the dark, waiting for travelers to pass their way so they could beat, rob, and plunder them.
This phrase “in watchings often” reinforces the fact that traveling was extremely dangerous back then, especially at night. And because Paul uses the word pollakis (“often”), we know there were times when he took a turn guarding the camp at night. In fact, Paul tells us that his turn to guard the camp happened “often” as his team traveled from place to place.
I think this little phrase “watchings often” gives us great insight into the willingness of the apostle Paul to act as a team player. Like everyone else on his team, he took his turn watching the camp while others slept. This may not sound like a spiritual part of ministry, but it was a necessary part of his job if he was going to get where he needed to go in order to preach the Gospel.
During the course of Paul’s ministry, he had to do many tasks that seemed unspiritual and unconnected to ministry. These tasks were often mundane, boring, time-consuming, and uncomfortable. Nevertheless, these obligations had to be fulfilled, for without them, the true spiritual ministry could have never occurred.
When God has called you to do something important, you must be willing to do whatever is required to complete that task. This may mean that if there is no one else to do the job, you will have to sweep the floor, lick and seal envelopes, take out the trash, or answer the telephone. When someone else is raised up to do these smaller tasks, you will be freed to concentrate more fully on your larger vision. But until then, you must have a willing heart to do whatever is required to keep things functioning well on the road to fulfilling your assignment.
The fact that Paul sat “in watchings often” emphatically tells us that he was willing to do anything required to preach the Gospel message God had entrusted to him. So follow Paul’s example. Don’t be so high and mighty that you can’t do a mundane, boring, time-consuming, or undesirable act along the way. It may not be something you relish doing. But if you don’t do it, you might fail to achieve the real dream God has placed on your heart.
Make yourself valuable to your organization or church by demonstrating a willingness to do whatever is needed. And don’t wait until someone has to ask you to do a job. If you see a need that no one else is meeting, show initiative by doing that job yourself. Demonstrate that you are willing to be a real team player.
Remember, whatever you sow is what you will reap. So if you willingly give of yourself as a faithful team player in this present season, the day will come when you’ll reap the team players you need to help you in fulfilling the vision God has given you!
My Prayer for Today
Lord, help me to have the attitude of a team player! I want to be of benefit to my organization or place of employment and my church. I ask You to help me recognize opportunities where I can serve; then help me serve in these positions with all my heart. Help me to have the initiative to pitch in and become a helper to the rest of the team rather than to sit on the sidelines and watch everyone else work. I never want to think I’m so high and mighty that I can’t do a menial, mundane task. Holy Spirit, help me to have the attitude of Jesus and to be willing to stoop low and do whatever is necessary in order to get the job done.
I pray this in Jesus’ name!
My Confession for Today
I boldly confess that I am willing to do whatever is required to finish the task that has been assigned to me. If there is no one else to do a job, no matter how menial, I am willing to do it — and I’ll do it with a happy heart. I don’t think of myself as so high and mighty that I can’t do a mundane, boring, time-consuming, or undesirable job along the way. I am valuable to my organization and church because I demonstrate a willingness to do whatever is needed. Since what I sow is what I will reap, I am going to give of myself and become a team player — and as a result, a day will come when I reap other team players to help me fulfill my own dream or vision.
I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!
Questions to Answer
1. If I asked you to think of one person who is a shining example of a team player in your organization, business, or church, who would that person be? What qualities does this person possess that cause you to see him or her as a good team player?
2. Do you show initiative in your organization, place of employment, or church? Do you pitch in to do whatever needs to be done, or do you linger, waiting and hoping that someone else will do those menial tasks so you don’t have to do them?
3. Would your coworkers agree that you show initiative, or would they say you’re always looking for a way to get out of a job? How would they describe your attitude in the workplace?
A Hard Worker Who Experienced God’s Sustaining Power!
In weariness and painfulness.…
— 2 Corinthians 11:27
It takes hard work to get anything done in this world. If you want to do something significant, you must do significant work.
Those who do the minimum — who continually think of how to contribute as little as possible in any given situation — always remain minimal in their impact on the world around them. If a person wants to be successful or impacting in life, he must be willing to do whatever is necessary to accomplish the task that he has been asked to perform.
Are you the kind of worker who is willing to do whatever is necessary to finish a job the way it ought to be done? Do you see yourself as a vital member of the team whose maximum cooperation is needed and valued? Or do you just put in the minimum that is required for you to get your paycheck?
As Paul continues to tell us about his life experiences in Second Corinthians 11:27, he lets us know that he was willing to do very hard work. For him, there was no clock to punch with his time card, nor any employee’s manual to specify how many days of vacation he got off each year. Paul’s whole life was his calling. He couldn’t separate who he was from what he was called to do. His identity and purpose for living was wrapped up in the life assignment God had given him. Because of this, every minute he lived and breathed was devoted to fulfilling his divine assignment. As you shall see, he was willing to do anything that was required to fulfill that call.
In Weariness
Paul uses the words “in weariness” to describe the incredible effort, toil, and physical exertion he put forth to fulfill God’s calling on his life. The words “in weariness” are taken for the Greek word kopos. This word was also used in Second Corinthians 11:23, where Paul told us that he worked harder than anyone else he knew.
As noted earlier (see October 18), the word kopos represents the hardest, most physical kind of labor. It often pictured a farmer who works in the field, enduring the extreme temperatures of the afternoon sunshine. Although the temperatures are hard to endure, he strains, struggles, and toils to push that plow through the hardened ground. This effort requires his total concentration and devotion. No laziness can be allowed if that field is going to be plowed. The farmer must travail if he wants to get the job done.
Many people have the false idea that ministry is comprised primarily of sitting around praying and reading the Bible. The truth is, however, that ministry is very hard work. This is why Paul referred to it as “the work of the ministry” (Ephesians 4:12). To fulfill one’s ministry effectively and responsibly, a great deal of hard work is required.
A minister must be willing to give his life to the task of pushing back the kingdom of darkness and establishing newly saved people into a stable and mature Christian walk. Effective ministry requires a person to work long hours, to be focused, to crucify his flesh, and to do whatever is necessary to see that God’s Kingdom is furthered. The minister must fight off the devil’s attacks, deal with people’s instability, deliberately decide not to be hurt or wounded by those who disappoint him, and spend enough time with God to always have a fresh word from Heaven. Let me tell you from personal experience, friend — to do all this effectively demands a minister’s entire life. This is why Paul called it the “work of the ministry.”
Paul goes on to further elaborate about the way he had given himself so entirely and had so thoroughly devoted himself to the work of the ministry. He uses the phrase “in painfulness” to tell us the extent to which he had worked to achieve God’s purposes.
In Painfulness
The words “in painfulness” come from the Greek word mochthos. This word has to do with the idea of struggle. The word mochthos is the picture of a person who has worked so hard that he is about to collapse. He is exhausted from physical labor.
You could say that this person is physically worn out because he has overdone it. His job demanded a level of physical commitment that was beyond what is considered normal. But the job needed to be done, so he kept pushing, pushing, and pushing himself further and further. Like it or not, it wasn’t a time to rest. It was a time to toil.
Paul uses this word to amplify the message of how hard he worked in his ministry. You see, ministry wasn’t a job that Paul worked from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Paul’s entire life was consumed with and committed to fulfilling what God called him to do. It was the driving motivation of his life and the purpose for his existence.
The King James Version calls this type of hard work “painfulness,” but that isn’t the best translation. The only thing “painful” about Paul’s consuming drive to obey God was what it doled out to the flesh, which always wants to take an easier, lazier course of action.
A better understanding of mochthos would be to work yourself until you physically feel depleted of strength. This is the picture of an individual who is dog-tired and drained and who feels like his physical strength is nearly used up. But by using this word, Paul isn’t complaining! He’s rejoicing that in his weakness, God’s power has enabled him to push beyond the normal capacity of human strength.
Because Paul had a heart to never fail or give up, God’s power came upon him and empowered him to do what other men and women could not physically do. Even physical weariness was not a strong enough impediment to stop this man of God.
It is just a fact that it takes hard work to do anything that is going to be successful. Those who try to avoid going the extra mile in doing their work with excellence will never reach the pinnacle of success.
Do you want to be super-successful in life? Then you must go above and beyond what everyone else is doing. If you continually put in only the minimum amount of work and effort that is necessary, you’ll produce nothing more than the minimum with your life. In order to achieve something spectacular, you have to do something spectacular and unique to make it happen.
I urge you today to take a good look at your work habits and to evaluate what kind of worker you are. If you continue at the same pace and level of excellence you are working at today, where will you be in five years? To get to a place of greater responsibility, authority, and blessing, what changes do you need to make in the way you work?
My Prayer for Today
Lord, help me to be a good employee! I know I can do more than I’ve done and perform at a much higher level. And if I give 100 percent of myself to my place of employment, I know I can help my employer make a better profit and become more efficient. Please forgive me for taking a salary for work that hasn’t been done with a full commitment to excellence. Jesus, I want to change in this area of my life. I ask You to help me become conscientious about the way I perform at my job.
I pray this in Jesus’ name!
My Confession for Today
I confess that I am a good employee. I am so faithful at the tasks given to me that my employer or supervisor trusts me completely when I am assigned a new task. Because I work with all my heart, I bring blessing to my place of employment and to my employer. Every day the Spirit of God is showing me how I can improve in my work skills. Because I am a blessing at my place of employment, I give a good testimony of Jesus Christ to everyone I work with.
I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!
Questions to Answer
1. If you were the boss, would you be pleased with your work performance? Would you want to hire someone who has your work habits?
2. If your employer was specifically asked to describe your attitude and level of production as one of his employees, what do you truthfully think he would have to say about you?
3. If you were the boss, would you consider a worker like you to be an asset who can help take the company to a higher level of success? Or would you conclude that such a worker is just a low-level wage earner who will never add anything of much value to the company?
Dealing With False Brethren
In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren.
— 2 Corinthians 11:26
Throughout the years I have lived and worked in the former Soviet Union, I’ve had numerous encounters with false brethren. When I say “false brethren,” I am not only referring to unbelievers who pretend to be believers, but also to real brothers who are “false” in the way they have projected themselves. They portrayed one image when, in fact, they had ulterior motives behind the mask they wore so professionally.
As a result, I have often pondered Paul’s words in Second Corinthians 11:26 when he wrote about “false brethren.” Let’s delve into the phrase “false brethren” today to see what it means.
In Perils Among False Brethren
For the eighth time in this chapter, the apostle Paul uses the word “perils” (the Greek word kindunos, meaning extremely dangerous). This time the danger he describes is connected with “false brethren.”
The Greek word for “false brethren” is pseudadelphos. The first part of the word is pseudes and carries the idea of something that is untrue. It could be translated pretend, phony, fake, or bogus. The second part of the word, adelphos, is simply the word for a brother. Compound these two words together, and they describe phony, fake, bogus, pretend brethren.
Paul remarks about these bogus believers in Galatians 2:4,5: “And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage: To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.”
These “false brethren” in Jerusalem were in fact genuine brothers who had deceptive motives in their dealings with Paul. They projected one impression, but in reality, their intentions were very different from what they projected. They were “false” because they pretended to be in agreement with Paul’s doctrine. In actuality, they wanted to take Paul’s converts and revert them back to legalism. Paul’s emphasis is not that they were unsaved, but that they were “false” with him.
It is heart-breaking to discover that someone you’ve trusted has been presenting a false image before you in order to gain some advantage over you. If this has happened to you, take heart, for it happened to Jesus too. Judas Iscariot claimed to be a disciple, but in reality, he had a secret agenda. Those who operate with secret agendas and undeclared motives are “false” in the sense that they are feigning to be something they are not. This would qualify them in a certain sense as “false brethren.”
But I want you to also notice the phrase “came in privily” in Galatians 2:4, because it describes how these bogus believers behave. It comes from the Greek word pareisago. This word is a triple compound, comprised of the words para, eis, and ago.
The word para means alongside. It denotes something that is very close, such as in the word parasite. The second part of the word — the word eis — means into and conveys the idea of penetration. Finally, the third part of this compound is the word ago. It simply means I lead.
When all these words are compounded together, the word pareisago (“came in privily”) conveys the idea of smuggling something in undercover. Literally, it is a picture of someone who is leading (ago) something into (eis) the Church alongside of themselves (para). It is the idea of covert activity.
The first part of this compound — the word para — indicates that the deceptive motives of these false brethren are held so secretly that they are able to sneak right into the midst of the Church undetected. By keeping their hidden agenda close to themselves, they are able to worm their way right into the Church leadership. Once they gain position inside a particular group, they start their destructive work from deep within the Church itself.
We know that Paul was constantly accosted by Judaizers, who came to spy out his light in Jesus Christ. It is also known that both the government and the religious leaders of the day would specially train and disguise agents to invade the Church. Using tactics similar to those used by the more recent Soviet KGB, these agents of biblical times would be so well camouflaged that they sounded like believers, looked like believers, and were often perceived to be true brethren in Christ. But in reality, these individuals were imposters who had been sent to discover the location of church meetings. They would inform the local authorities of the location; then the next time the church met, the police would arrest those who had gathered for worship.
Whoever these “false brethren” were, Paul said they were perilous to him. They created a situation that was extremely dangerous and highly volatile.
You can imagine how this situation could have driven Paul into a pattern of fear and suspicion. Paul knew that pretenders were out there, constantly trying to secretly hurt him and those he loved. But instead of becoming suspicious of everyone he met, Paul relied on the Holy Spirit to give him clear discernment so he could recognize who was real and who was not. In the example given in Galatians 2:4 and 5, Paul was able to recognize the deceptive motives of the false brethren and therefore didn’t even give them a single hour of his time.
Living in these types of stressful circumstances, Paul had a choice. He could either back up into insecurity, or he could take hold of the Holy Spirit’s help and press forward toward his goal.
Paul chose the latter. He refused to let these “false brethren” become a stumbling block in his life and ministry. He didn’t stop entering into new relationships just because some of the individuals he met might turn out to be “pretend brothers.” Instead, he trusted the Holy Spirit to help him make right choices. This impasse didn’t stop him from continuing to work closely with people, nor did it stop him from establishing the Church in various locations.
Likewise, you have to determine that regardless of whether people please you or disappoint you, they are not going to stop you from staying on track with the assignment God has given you. You are not going to allow Satan to knock you out of the race through the disappointments you experience with other people. If they prove to be false or you find that their motives were not what they portrayed them to be, you must learn to forgive them, let go of the offense, and turn your eyes to the future.
If you will listen to the Holy Spirit, He will help you develop a better sense of discernment about the people who are trying to get close to you. After all, there is nothing the Holy Spirit doesn’t know. So if you’ll allow Him to lead you in your relationships, you’ll find that your discernment about people will become more and more accurate as you grow in your walk with God.
If you’ve been disappointed and hurt by false brethren in the past, ask the Lord today to help you stop dwelling on it. Let the Lord heal your heart as you choose to forgive that person who deceived you and get back on the path toward God’s destiny for your life!
My Prayer for Today
Lord, I admit that I’ve been misled by certain people on several occasions. It has shown me that I need a better sense of discernment about those I allow to get close to me. Yet at the same time, I don’t want to become hardhearted or callous because of what I’ve been through. So today I choose to turn from bitterness against those who have misled me. I make the decision to forgive them, to release them from the wrong they have done, and to turn my attention toward my future. Holy Spirit, I can only do this with Your help, so I am looking to You to empower me!
I pray this in Jesus’ name!
My Confession for Today
I confess that the Holy Spirit is helping me to develop a keener discernment about people. I am able to recognize those who are genuine, and I can detect those who have ulterior, undeclared motives for getting close to me. Because the Holy Spirit sees and knows everything, I rely entirely on Him to lead and direct me in my relationships. As a result of being Spirit-led, I am making fewer mistakes in whom I choose to be my friends and close associates.
I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!
Questions to Answer
1. How many times have you been misled into thinking someone was a friend who turned out to be more of an enemy?
2. If this has happened to you on repeated occasions, what does this tell you about your sense of discernment about people? Do you think it may indicate that you need to go slower and be more careful about committing your heart to someone?
3. What steps can you take to improve your sense of discernment and to learn how to be more careful in giving your heart to others?
Challenges in Town, Out of Town, and in the Sea!
In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea.…
— 2 Corinthians 11:26
Many years ago, I visited a city in the north of Russia where we were scheduled to hold a large evangelistic camapaign to reach the lost. We had been broadcasting our television programs in that region for many years; now we were coming to put the sickle into the harvest field and to reap souls for the Kingdom of God.
When our team arrived, we discovered that there was immense opposition to our arrival in that city. The religious leaders of the city were furious that we were coming to that region to preach. Their opposition was so hostile that they printed pamphlets and brochures filled with derogatory fabrications about us and then distributed them by the thousands throughout the city.
After arriving in the city, I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw the large billboard that had been erected to announce our upcoming campaign. The billboard had a picture of my face on it, and the religious leaders of that city had put ladders up to the billboard, crawled up the ladders, and painted horns on the top of my head to portray me as a devil!
The day our meeting was to begin, I looked out my hotel window and saw these religious leaders, dressed in their flowing gowns, standing on the steps of our rented facility. They were using a sound system to blare out the message that anyone who came to our meetings was in danger of eternal damnation. I’m telling you, the opposition to that campaign was intense.
Because those religious leaders had authority in that city, they were able to get negative articles printed about us in the newspaper and make sure the local city magistrates were also opposed to our message. Suddenly the prices for the auditorium changed as those who controlled the city turned against our meetings and decided to demand that we pay higher prices.
But when it was finally time for the meetings to begin, the religious leaders moved off the steps as we walked right past them into the auditorium. That evening we watched the auditorium fill up with the bold, the brave, and the spiritually hungry of the city who came despite all the attempts that had been made to keep them away. We saw many people come forward to give their lives to Jesus Christ.
When Paul was ministering in his day, he faced similar predicaments in his ministry. This is why he wrote that he and his team were “…in perils in the city…” (2 Corinthians 11:26).
In Perils in the City
Think about it for a moment. How many cities was Paul chased out of during his ministry? You would think a city would be a little more civilized, but some of Paul’s worst confrontations occurred right in the heart of the world’s most advanced and cultured cities.
Paul most often labored in larger metropolitan areas. As an apostle, his primary calling was to establish the Church in every place he went. Therefore, the Holy Spirit usually sent Paul into large population centers, where there were many people and the potential of a huge harvest.
As is true in large cities today, such as New York, London, Moscow and Chicago, there were dangers in the ancient cities that didn’t exist in the smaller towns and villages. Paul faced these challenges courageously with the power of the Holy Spirit. I’m certain some of those challenges were in the financial, political, and religious realms, not to mention the normal stress a person faces when he attempts to do business in a big city.
However, none of these roadblocks ever kept Paul from doing what he was supposed to do. He pressed forward and completed his responsibility in every place to the best of his ability. He was a good soldier of Jesus Christ who kept marching forward, regardless of what the enemy tried to throw at him. But in addition to opposition in the city, Paul also said that he and his team experienced “…perils in the wilderness….”
In Perils in the Wilderness
When Paul writes about his experiences in the wilderness, he uses the word “perils” again (the Greek word kindunos, meaning extremely dangerous) to explain the events he faced in the wilderness. We don’t have any information from the New Testament to alert us as to what Paul is talking about. We can only make assumptions. The word “wilderness” is the Greek word eremia. It describes a remote, isolated location in the middle of nowhere.
Paul’s travels no doubt took him through remote areas where thieves and plunderers could have easily victimized him and his companions. It is very possible that wild beasts confronted them as they walked from place to place. The roads had deep ruts where deadly snakes and venomous scorpions hid.
Just as they faced certain dangers that were unique to the city, Paul and his team also faced dangers unique to the wilderness. Yet Paul faced these challenges with the assurance that God’s power would enable them to conquer each peril successfully.
In Perils in the Sea
In addition to dangers in the city and in the wilderness, Paul tells us that he also faced “…perils in the sea…” (2 Corinthians 11:26).
For the seventh time in this chapter, Paul uses the word “perils” (the Greek word kindunos, meaning extremely dangerous), this time to describe his experiences of traveling by sea. As we’ve already seen, Paul survived three different shipwrecks. Only one of these is recorded in the book of Acts. In addition to the shipwreck Luke tells us about in his account in Acts, Paul encountered two other sea catastrophes during the course of his ministry.
Most people who have been in an airplane crash are hesitant to ever get back on another airplane. It leaves such a mark in one’s mind that the traumatic impact of this memory is hard to overcome. Sea catastrophes in the ancient world were just as dramatic and memorable. It was surely a horrible experience for someone to be adrift at sea, not knowing whether or not he’d survive or be rescued. Paul went through this type of ordeal three separate times.
I’m sure these devilish attacks at sea were designed to put such a fear of sailing in Paul that he would never get back on another ship. But if Paul was going to get to the various places where God had called him to minister, he had no choice. Therefore, he didn’t allow these occurrences to steal his joy or to determine whether or not he obeyed God. Even if it meant he had to get back on another ship and sail through dangerous waters again, he’d do it, if that was required of him in order to successfully fulfill his God-given assignment in life.
Do you understand that you have to be spiritually tough in order to do what God has asked you to do? It takes guts to do the will of God. You have to be totally convinced of what God has told you, or the devil will throw enough blockades in your way to make you turn around and permanently go back home.
Jesus showed this kind of spiritual fortitude. The religious leaders of His day were opposed to Him; the Cross and three days in the grave were before Him. Nevertheless, Jesus moved ahead in the power of the eternal Spirit and obtained our redemption for us (see Hebrews 9:14).
What has God called you to do? Are you committed enough to keep going, regardless of what the enemy throws at you? It’s going to take a solid commitment on your part to do anything significant, so I want to encourage you to take a serious look at your commitment level and make sure you have what it takes to make it to the conclusion you desire.
If you don’t establish a firm commitment in your heart to make it through to the end, then you won’t. So I urge you to take time before God today to thoughtfully examine your true level of commitment to God’s call on your life. Make sure you are absolutely committed to do what God has told you to do!
My Prayer for Today
Lord, I know I need to deepen the level of my commitment if I am going to accomplish the vision You have placed in my heart. To complete the task You’ve given me is going to require much of me, for I’m sure that Satan will try to resist Your plan for my life. I will have to stand strong and firm in order to obtain my goal; therefore, Holy Spirit, I am asking You today to show me every place in my spiritual foundation that needs to be fixed, strengthened, or repaired. I want to be completely fit and fully equipped to finish my race and win my prize!
I pray this in Jesus’ name!
My Confession for Today
I confess that I am strong in the Lord. I am strong enough to do anything God will ever tell me to do. The Word of God abides in me, and the power of the Spirit works through me. Therefore, I am well able to overcome the strategies of the enemy. The future is mine because I have the promises of God’s Word and the power of the Spirit on which I can rely.
I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!
Questions to Answer
1. Would you say that your level of commitment is strong enough to take you all the way to the goal that is in your heart?
2. If your answer to the above question is no, what do you need to do to upgrade your level of commitment? Would a more regular diet of the Word of God in your life make you stronger?
3. If you aren’t spending time in the Word of God on a daily basis, is there a reason you haven’t made this a priority? What does that reason reveal about your level of commitment?
Religious Hypocrites And Pagan Idol Worshippers!
In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen.…
— 2 Corinthians 11:26
Often atheists say, “Religion is an evil force. It is the main source of hatred and war in the world.” And if we carefully examine the regional conflicts in the world today, we would have to admit there is a certain degree of truth to that accusation. A large number of the wars that have been fought through the centuries were connected to differing religions, as is much of the hate that exists in the world today.
But the majority of what is done in the name of religion has nothing to do with God. First John 4:8 declares that “…God is love.” As the Source of love, God would never initiate the wars, the hatred, the bloodshed, or the conflicts that are so often performed in the name of religion. These various conflicts may be done in the name of religion, but they have nothing to do with God, for God is a Restorer, Redeemer, Savior, and Deliverer, and there is no darkness in Him at all.
From the very beginning of time, religion without God has proved to be disastrous. That’s why I say that to a certain degree, atheists are correct when they assert that religion is the source of mankind’s problems. It was even the religious leaders of Jesus’ day who failed to recognize that He was God’s Son and demanded that He be crucified on a Cross. By studying the Gospels, you will see that the religious leaders of Jesus’ time were very mean, callous, cruel, malicious, spiteful, and malevolent.
The biggest enemies to the Gospel during the past two thousand years have been religious leaders. Acting in a spirit of fear, they attempt to stamp out any move of God that is not under their control. This has always been and is still the case. Religion will always be the biggest opponent to the declaration of the Gospel.
Certainly during Paul’s ministry this was true. The greatest opponents to his ministry were the religious Jews who followed him, harassed him, stirred up trouble for him, and even tried to kill him. This is why Paul tells us that he was “…in perils by mine own countrymen…” (2 Corinthians 11:26).
In Perils by Mine Own Countrymen
Now for the third time in this chapter, the apostle Paul uses the word “perils” (from the Greek word kindunos, meaning extremely dangerous). The phrase “mine own countrymen” comes from the Greek word genos. The word genos is where we get the word “genes.”
This word would only be used to denote someone with whom one shares a common ancestry. Paul is referring to the Jewish people who constantly opposed him everywhere he went. They opposed him in Salamis (Acts 13:8), Antioch Pisidia (Acts 13:45,50), Iconium (Acts 14:2), Lystra (Acts 14:19), Thessalonica (Acts 17:5-9), Berea (Acts 17:13), Corinth (Acts 18:12-16), and so on.
Paul tells us that what he faced from his own natural kinsmen was extremely dangerous. They persecuted and hunted him down everywhere he went. They were the primary tools Satan used to pester Paul. Angry, unbelieving Jews were the thorn in Paul’s flesh that he later wrote about in Second Corinthians 12:7. These were the messengers of Satan who were sent to constantly buffet him.
But in spite of the endless persecution of these religious Jews, the apostle Paul pressed onward toward the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. He wasn’t going to let any group of angry religious people keep him from doing what he was assigned to do. This particular impasse wouldn’t stop him any more than the others had.
Let’s pray that we never demonstrate the nasty attitude so many have paraded before the world in the name of religion. We must never forget that Jesus died for people — even for the religious leaders who hated Him and demanded His death. Like Jesus, we must make it our aim to walk in the love of God just as Jesus did.
If you are being harassed by religious people who don’t understand your stance of faith, don’t get too upset with them. They are operating in the same spirit of religion that has operated since the beginning of time. The devil wants to use them to upset you, steal your joy, make you angry, and get you into the flesh. However, you don’t have to let the enemy get the best of you. Just make the decision to walk in love and to respond to them in the spirit of Jesus.
In Perils by the Heathen
The religious leaders weren’t the only ones the apostle Paul had to face. He tells us that he was also “…in perils by the heathen…” (2 Corinthians 11:26).
The apostle Paul uses the word “perils” for a fourth time in this chapter. Again, it is the word kindunos, denoting something that is extremely dangerous. The word “heathen” is actually the Greek word ethnos. It specifically refers to Gentiles or to anyone not Jewish.
The Gentile world was a strange and curious world. It was filled with wild religious beliefs, customs, and a pagan culture opposed and adverse to the knowledge of a righteous and holy God. The religion of the Gentile world promoted the grossest, most depraved, and most perverted sort of sexuality. Thousands of different gods were worshiped in pagan temples, each with its own particular style of worship. Most of these religious orders involved the use of wine and drugs to induce the worshiper into wild, mindless debauchery as a part of his or her act of “worship” to the gods.
These religions were filled with demons. As the wine, drugs, music, drum-beating, and sexual perversion of temple worship intoxicated those participating in the pagan ceremony, demonic activity became stronger and stronger in the temple. During a moment of such intensity, things could have easily gotten out of control.
At such moments, an act of aggression against Gospel preachers could have freely occurred. This environment was extremely dangerous, especially to Paul and his team as they confronted the powers of darkness and commanded these idol worshipers to repent.
The travels of the apostle Paul took him to some of the world’s most pagan and demonic cities. In fact, Thessalonica, Athens, Corinth, and Ephesus are listed among some of the most pagan, demonic cities in the history of mankind! Yet these cities were the places where the Holy Spirit led Paul. They were also where he experienced his most successful periods of ministry.
Going where it is safe and secure is not always what God wants us to do. The Gospel must be taken into every country, every city, and every village in the world. If we go only where it’s comfortable and safe, none of us will ever go very far from where we live right now. Thank God for those who went before us and who pushed the powers of darkness out of the way so we can now know the glorious light of the Gospel!
Paul faced extremely dangerous situations in both the Jewish and Gentile world, but it didn’t stop him from going where God had called him. No danger was so terrifying that he couldn’t conquer it with the power of God. Paul, whom history says was small in stature, was so mighty in the Spirit that he challenged and pushed his way through some of the most wicked, spiritually dark conditions known to man to do exactly what God had asked him to do.
When you allow God to infuse you with His power, you will also become a mighty force for God. The question is, will you determine to take the power and the love of God into every place He leads you to go so others can hear the Good News?
My Prayer for Today
Lord, help me to demonstrate the love of Jesus Christ and to never allow the unkind, cruel spirit of religion to operate in me. Help me also to love those who operate in this mean spirit and to counter their attitude with the love of Jesus Christ. And, Lord, when I am confronted by godless unbelievers, give me the wisdom to demonstrate the love of Jesus to them in a way that will touch their hearts. Both the religious and the irreligious need Jesus, so show me how to be an instrument of life to both types of people when I encounter them along the way.
I pray this in Jesus’ name!
My Confession for Today
I confess that I will take the Gospel anywhere God tells me to take it! That means I am willing to go to every country, every city, and every village in the world. Nothing — no force, no group, no religion, and no godless, pagan influence — can stop me from going where God has called me. No danger is so terrifying that I can’t conquer it by the power of God. I am mighty in the Spirit and can push my way through the most wicked, spiritually dark conditions using the power and the love of God.
I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!
Questions to Answer
1. Can you think of anyone you’ve met in the past who was very “religious” but who related to others with a cruel, mean spirit? When you encountered that spirit, were you able to love that person with Jesus’ love, or did you allow him or her to make you angry and get you in the flesh?
2. Has there been a time in your life when you felt surrounded by godless unbelievers who laughed at you and made fun of you because of your faith? How did you respond to that situation? Were you able to love them with Jesus’ love?
3. Have you ever witnessed a time when God’s love melted the heart of such a godless person and that person’s life was changed forever? How long did it take for the love of God to break through the hardness of that individual’s heart?
Highway Robbery!
In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers.…
— 2 Corinthians 11:26
When you live and preach the Gospel in volatile regions of the world, you deal with issues that believers in more civilized nations never have to think about. Some of these challenges simply go with the territory of working on the front lines of the Gospel, and there is nothing that can be done to change it. This is why God gives special grace to people whom He sends to difficult parts of the world. His grace empowers them to successfully live, preach, and minister in environments that others would consider chaotic and even bordering on the insane.
On occasion, representatives of other very large ministries have come to the other side of the world to look at our work. After seeing what we have accomplished and obtaining a better understanding of the many problems we face in fulfilling our divine assignment, they leave amazed that we are able to do what we do. But we are able to do it only because we’re recipients of God’s grace and anointing. Without these two factors, it would be impossible to make such a major impact. All the glory goes to Jesus!
One of the issues we have faced is the criminal element that exists in the vast expanse of the former Soviet Union. Because the region is so huge, it is very difficult for the government to control the “mafia” that works in every area. Thus, many parts of this precious nation where God has called us is controlled by hoodlums and bandits. These criminals try to invade every sphere of life and get their hands into everyone’s pockets.
Several times these very dangerous criminals have attempted to beset our own organization. But as we listened to the voice of the Holy Spirit and carefully obeyed His promptings, God enabled us to circumvent meticulously laid plans that the devil was inspiring these thieves to execute against us. Had these plans worked, it would have robbed us of ministry finances and seriously affected our ministry. But thanks be to God, we successfully survived each of these planned attempts to destroy our ministry!
The situation I just related to you is not something you probably have to think about in your city or town. You live in a civilized system where police are available to help and where the mafia doesn’t hide in the shadows, devising sinister plans to take advantage of you. But for people who live in other, less civilized parts of the earth, such criminal activity is part of the norm of life that must be dealt with, considered, and taken into account when making plans.
When the apostle Paul wrote to us about the things he endured as he traveled to take the Gospel to new places, he let us know that thieves and bandits were also a constant concern to him and to his fellow travelers. He wrote that they were “…in perils of robbers….”
In Perils of Robbers
I want you to notice that the apostle Paul uses the Greek word kindunos for the second time in this text. As noted in yesterday’s Sparkling Gem, it is the Greek word for extremely dangerous.
Paul faced many dangers as he went about fulfilling his ministry, but one danger he constantly faced as he traveled was the threat of robbers. The word “robbers” is the Greek word lestes. It refers to a plunderer, robber, highwayman, or bandit. This was a bad breed of bandits who were very cunning in their thievery of others and who used weapons and violence to achieve their wicked ends.
In the ancient world, robbers and thieves hid in the ditches and caves along roads that led from city to city — particularly along main routes of travel. This is why some Greek expositors translate the word “robbers” as “highwaymen.” This term especially applied to bandits who ambushed those who traveled by roads. Considering how frequently Paul and his companions walked, we can easily see why Paul faced “perils of robbers.” This gives a whole new idea to the phrase “highway robbery”!
Just imagine for a moment that you are traveling to the farthest ends of the earth by foot. You are physically carrying everything you need for that journey. The luggage piled on your back is filled with the clothing and cash you need for your journey. You know that pillaging, predatory plunderers are hidden in the ditches and caves along the roadside as you pass by, just waiting for the right prey to come by. You also know that these bandits are famous not only for stealing, but for wounding and killing their victims. Yet there is no other road for you to take if you are going to get where you need to go.
We can be sure that Paul and his traveling companions were alert the whole time they traveled on those roads. They most certainly took authority in the Spirit and bound the evil forces influencing the bandits who lay in the ditches and caves, waiting for them to come along. But because Paul uses the word kindunos (“perils”), we know this was an extremely dangerous predicament.
Yet even this danger was not strong enough to stop Paul from doing the will of God. He and his companions exercised authority in the Spirit and courageously walked on, traveling through regions so dangerous that others dared not even venture there.
You may not live in regions of the world where you have to think about highway robbers, members of the mafia, and other criminal elements, but God might be calling you to venture into new areas of ministry or business that seem to entail risks and dangers. You may feel like there are hidden dangers awaiting you at every turn. In these cases, don’t allow yourself to retreat in fear! You must do your best to faithfully follow God’s call. Use the common sense God has given you; gird yourself with the power of the Holy Spirit; and head in the direction where God is calling you.
It doesn’t matter how difficult the task is that lies before you — if God is the One leading you, you can do it. God isn’t going to give you an assignment you can’t do. Remember, many others have had to fight the same fight of faith before you. They have faced the same questions you face. They have walked the same road you are walking. They followed the call of God, and they victoriously accomplished God’s plan. If those believers could do it, so can you!
So put fear aside, and get ready for a journey of faith. Think soberly and stay alert as you let the Holy Spirit lead you down the path toward your destination, allowing nothing to deter you from your goal. As you do these things, the day will come when you produce more fruit for the Kingdom than ever before!
My Prayer for Today
Lord, I ask You to help me put aside fear and to believe that You will protect me as I follow Your call on my life. I know that You would never give me an assignment that You didn’t think I could do. The fact that You’ve asked me to take this path means You are confident that I am capable of succeeding. Naturally speaking, I would feel fear at the prospect of taking such a step of faith. So please help me to permanently put away that fear and to trust that the Holy Spirit will carefully lead me past every danger and risk that lies along the way.
I pray this in Jesus’ name!
My Confession for Today
I confess that I am fear-free and ready to follow the Lord wherever He calls me. Even though there are dangers and risks along the way, the Holy Spirit will carefully lead me so I can circumvent every area of danger and move forward safely toward my goal. The Holy Spirit sees everything; He knows everything; and He has my best in mind. Therefore, He supernaturally leads me down the right path, alerting me along the way when there is something that could hurt or hinder me. Because I am led by Him, I dodge every attack the enemy has planned for my life.
I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!
Questions to Answer
1. Have you ever sensed the Lord leading you to take a step of faith that was risky?
2. When you knew that God was asking you to do something that moved you out of your comfort zone, were you excited to follow the Lord’s leading, or were you fearful?
3. Did the Holy Spirit guide you past dangers that were secretly lying in wait for you? How did He safely lead you past those dangers so that you remained uninjured?
Walking Thousands of Miles, Crossing Wild and Dangerous Rivers
In journeyings often, in perils of waters.…
— 2 Corinthians 11:26
When my family first moved to the territory of the former Soviet Union, it was at the worst economic time that part of the world had known since the events of the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution. It seemed there was a deficit of everything. Store shelves were empty. Pharmacies had no drugs to offer medical patients. There was little fuel available for automobiles or planes.
In those early days, I was traveling continuously across the eleven time zones of the USSR to obtain contracts for the television programs we broadcast on our television network. Often the pilot of the airplane would announce that the plane was landing because there wasn’t enough fuel to reach our destination. Once we deboarded, we had to get very creative in order to figure out how we were going to get from where we were to the place where we were headed. It usually meant we had to travel by train or by car — and we often had very, very long distances still to go to reach our destination.
But even with all these inconveniences, our situation didn’t begin to compare to what the first-century preachers had to do in order to get to hard-to-reach places and preach the Gospel. Cars and trains were slower than airplanes, but at least we weren’t walking to get where we needed to go! In Second Corinthians 11:26, however, Paul tells us that he had no choice but to walk in order to reach many of his destinations. He said, “In journeyings often.…”
In Journeyings Often
The word “journey” in Greek is odoiporia. This word describes a walking journey. The word “often” is the word pollakis, and it refers to many times, often, or frequently. Paul used this phrase to tell us that he had walked to most of the destinations where he had been called upon to preach.
For instance, he walked from Antioch Pisidia to Iconium (Acts 13:51); he walked from Iconium to Lystra (Acts 14:6); and he walked from Lystra to Derbe (Acts 14:20). From Derbe, he walked back to Lystra (Acts 14:21); and from Lystra he walked back to Iconium (Acts 14:21). From Iconium, he walked back to Antioch Pisidia (Acts 14:21); from Antioch Pisidia, he walked throughout the whole region of Pamphylia (Acts 14:24); and then he walked all the way to Perga (Acts 14:25).
For a brief period, Paul and his team traveled by ship to Antioch (Paul’s home base). But then they walked to Phenice and Samaria (Acts 15:3). From there, they walked to Jerusalem (Acts 15:4); and from Jerusalem, they walked back to Antioch (Acts 15:22).
From Antioch, Paul walked throughout the regions of Syria and Cilicia (Acts 15:41). He walked back through the cities of Derbe (Acts 16:1) and Lystra (Acts 16:1). Then he walked to Phrygia (Acts 16:6) and walked throughout the regions of Galatia (Acts 16:6). After that, he walked to Mysia (Acts 16:8) and then walked all the way down to Troas (Acts 16:8).
After seeing a vision of a man in Macedonia calling to him for help (Acts 16:9), Paul took a ship from Troas (Acts 16:11). His ship ported in the city of Samothracia (Acts 16:11) but departed the next day to Neapolis (Acts 16:11). From there, Paul and his associates sailed to Philippi (Acts 16:12), a chief city in that part of Macedonia.
From Philippi, Paul walked through Amphipolis and Apollonia (Acts 17:1); then he walked to the city of Thessalonica (Acts 17:1). From Thessalonica, Paul walked to Berea (Acts 17:10).
Paul took a ship from Berea to Athens (Acts 17:14,15). From Athens, he walked to Corinth (Acts 18:1). He sailed from Corinth to Syria (Acts 18:18). Then from Syria, he walked to Ephesus (Acts 18:19). From Ephesus, he sailed to Caesarea (Acts 18:22); but from there, he walked to Antioch (Acts 18:22). From Antioch, he walked all over the regions of Galatia and Phrygia (Acts 18:23), and then he walked along the upper coastlines to Ephesus (Acts 19:1). The list of places where Paul traveled to fulfill his calling is amazing. Paul did a lot of walking during the course of his ministry!
If you add up all the miles/kilometers Paul walked, he probably spent more time walking than he did preaching. No wonder he could say, “I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than you all” (1 Corinthians 14:18). Paul had a lot of time to pray in tongues as he walked across the east and northeast side of the Mediterranean countries to preach the Gospel and to establish the Church.
This also gives us insight into the kind of relationships Paul had with his fellow travelers. It would have been impossible for him to travel so far, so regularly, and through such difficult circumstances without really getting to know his traveling companions. No wonder he could tell Timothy, “But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience, persecutions, afflictions…” (2 Timothy 3:10,11).
Keep in mind that the man who did all this walking was the same one whose feet had been beaten with rods three times (see October 21)! Paul could only have walked this extensively if he enjoyed a healthy body. A sick man could never have attempted this kind of physical exertion. Therefore, we know that although Paul’s feet had been beaten with rods, he suffered no remaining effects from those hideous beatings. Here again, we see that Paul knew how to draw upon the resurrection power of God to quicken his mortal flesh.
In today’s society, many people circle parking lots for twenty minutes just to look for a closer parking space. But the truth is, if they parked farther away, it still wouldn’t take but five minutes to walk to their destination! People are often simply too lazy to walk unless they are forced to do it.
Paul had no car, train, or airplane to ride in order to get where he needed to go. Yes, traveling that far by foot meant he had to face incredible hardship and difficult circumstances. But nothing was so difficult to bear that it was going to stop Paul from fulfilling the call on his life. He had made up his mind. Even if it meant walking around the world by foot in order to fulfill his call, that is precisely what he would do.
If modern transportation had been available, Paul would have used it. Today cars, trains, and airplanes permit us to travel farther and faster and to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth. But the lack of these conveniences didn’t stop Paul.
Yet how frequently does lack of convenience stop us today? If we allow lack of convenience to hinder us from doing the will of God, there is a serious flaw in our level of commitment.
I’m sure that as Paul traveled on these roads, he encountered literal impasses on roads that forced him to take unexpected, unplanned detours, costing him more time, effort, and money. Still he pressed onward to take the message of God’s Kingdom to the Gentile world.
In Perils of Waters
After referring to these long walking journeys, Paul also says, “…In perils of waters…” (2 Corin-thians 11:26). The word “perils” is the word kindunos. It is the Greek word for an extremely dangerous or highly volatile situation. Paul uses this word eight times in Second Corinthians 11 to tell us that much of his ministry required him to live in extremely dangerous situations. He basically lived in danger all the time. Danger wasn’t something he sought. It simply went with the territory God gave him.
The word “waters” is the Greek word potamos, which is the Greek word for a river. By using these two words kindunos and potamos, Paul tells us that as he traveled, he was occasionally forced to cross extremely dangerous rivers to get to the places where the Holy Spirit sent him.
Crossing rivers was a very serious act in the ancient world. It’s a vivid example of the hazards a traveler encountered in Paul’s time. Bridges were few and far between, especially in remote areas. This presented awkward problems, especially during times of flash-flooding, which was a frequent occurrence. Although Paul does not mention the exact rivers he had to cross, we know that they would have included the Jordan River (Judea), the Orontes River (Syria), the Cydnus River (Cilicia), the Meander River and Cayster River (Asia), and the Strimon River and Axios River (Macedonia).
During Paul’s journeys, he crossed “badlands,” climbed cliffs, scaled bluffs, and passed through some of the most dangerous rivers of his time. We don’t usually think of these kinds of hazards when remembering Paul’s ministry. But these were daily risks Paul faced to do God’s will.
How many people do you know who would put their lives at such risk to do God’s will?
I am always amazed at the number of people who write to my family with concern when they hear of political unrest in our nation. They often tell me, “You and your family need to get out of there before it gets too tough! God doesn’t want you to get caught in a difficult situation!” But if the Early Church and other God-called people through the last two millenia had taken that approach, none of us would know of the Gospel today!
Regardless of what you face or what you cross through to fulfill God’s plan, nothing takes God by surprise. Certainly He didn’t plan those problems. But when He called you, He equipped you with all the power, wisdom, and insight you would ever need to get across the hurdles Satan tries to put in your way. There is no impasse you cannot get through on your way to achieve God’s will for your life!
My Prayer for Today
Lord, help me to stay absolutely committed to the assignment You’ve given me, ready to do whatever is necessary to finish the job. Forgive me for giving up so easily in the past when I ran into barriers. Help me to get more creative the next time I hit an impasse so I can find a way to do what You’ve called me to do. I know that by the power of Your Spirit, I can show much more fortitude in the face of obstacles than I’ve done in the past. Forgive me for being so easy on myself. I ask You now to teach me how to operate in Your strength and wisdom when I encounter impasses so that I can forge ahead to finish the job You’ve given me to do!
I pray this in Jesus’ name!
My Confession for Today
I confess that regardless of what I face or what I cross through to fulfill God’s plan, nothing takes God by surprise! When He called me, He equipped me with all the power, wisdom, and insight I will ever need to get across the hurdles Satan tries to put in my path. There is no impasse I cannot get through on my way to achieve God’s will for my life!
I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!
Questions to Answer
1. Has there been a time in your life when it looked like there was no way to do what God wanted you to do, but you got creative and found another way to do it? What was that instance in your life?
2. Looking back on that situation now, what would your life be like today if you had taken no for an answer and walked away from that opportunity? What if you hadn’t gotten creative but had instead given up, concluding that your situation was impossible?
3. If you are facing a roadblock in any area of your life now, have you taken the time to pray about it and to ask the Holy Spirit to show you a way around this hindrance? If not, don’t you think it would be a good idea to take it to the Lord today and let Him speak to your heart about it?
Turn Your Memories Around!
Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep.
— 2 Corinthians 11:25
Sometimes people get the impression that they have to be absolutely perfect before they can step out in faith to do something new and adventuresome. But there is rarely a perfect or easy environment in which a step of faith needs to be taken! The reason we call it a “step of faith” is that it requires us to move out of our comfort zone or to do something that is challenging!
So rather than wait for a perfect situation before you step out in faith, listen to the Holy Spirit for His timing. If the Holy Spirit says to do something now, you need to do it now, even if the surrounding environment seems difficult or unfavorable at the moment. And when you step out in faith, don’t be surprised if you are met with obstacles and difficulties, at least at first.
Some people say, “I tried to step out in faith once, and I was met with all kinds of horrible circumstances! What happened to me is such a terrible memory that I don’t know if I have the courage to ever step out in faith again!”
That’s why I’m writing several Sparkling Gems to tell you about Paul’s experiences. I want you to know that everyone runs into obstacles and difficulties — even the apostle Paul with all his God-given revelation and anointing!
You see, the devil will do his best to hinder what God puts in your heart because he doesn’t want God’s will to be accomplished through your life. The enemy is terrified at the thought of you actually doing what God has told you to do. But like the apostle Paul, you have to determine that one way or another, you’re going to get the job done. Paul didn’t throw in the towel and quit just because he ran into obstacles along the road to his goal. He just found ways to get around the obstacles and keep going until his divine assignment was fulfilled!
I guarantee you that if you freeze every time the devil throws a roadblock in your path, you’ll spend most of your life frozen. Perfect circumstances are terrific if it’s possible to line them up, but don’t depend on it. Whether or not the circumstances are the way you’d like them to be, you have to decide to take hold of God’s power and move ahead. God will show you how to get around that impasse so you can finish the job He’s given you to do.
Thrice I Suffered Shipwreck
In Second Corinthians 11:25, Paul tells us about one roadblock the devil devised to hinder him. He writes, “…Thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep.”
This verse is a bit of a mystery. The book of Acts only records one shipwreck. Yet as we have already seen from this list, too many significant events occurred during Paul’s ministry for Luke to have included all of them in his written account in the book of Acts.
Traveling by sea was a perilous and risky undertaking. Ships were not always reliable. The routes often took them through waters cluttered with sharp rocks, reefs, and debris. Even if the vessel was guided by strong and skilled leadership, currents were so strong that even the best ships could be carried directly into rocks and other dangerous obstacles.
In Acts 27:14-44, we read that Paul was traveling aboard a ship that ran into rocks and broke into pieces in the midst of a great storm. In that moment of crisis, Paul became God’s man on board ship! He spoke the word of faith to the crew and passengers, and soon he was in charge of the entire situation.
In addition to this shipwreck, Paul testifies that he has been shipwrecked on two other occasions as well. What are the odds that one person would be on three different ships that shipwrecked? This would be the equivalent of one person surviving three different plane crashes!
I think you can see that the attacks that assailed Paul’s life were simply remarkable in their scope and nature. Satan tried to create all kinds of “impasses” to stop him and his work. These events were definitely inconvenient, but they were unable to permanently hinder him from getting to his destination.
A Night and a Day I Have Been in the Deep
The phrase “a night and a day” refers to a 24-hour time period. The word “deep” is the Greek word bathus, and it refers to the deepest parts of the sea. Because Paul mentions this event immediately following his recollection of shipwrecks, we may assume that this night and a day in the deep was the result of one of the other shipwrecks of which we have no knowledge.
It is impossible to make much comment on this, as we know only what Paul says in this verse. Whenever and however it occurred, it was a horrific event in Paul’s life. The Greek tense shows that the experience is still fresh and vivid in Paul’s mind as he writes about it. The language even suggests that this is a recent occurrence.
Paul spent a 24-hour period treading water in the deepest parts of the sea. Yet it didn’t scare him away from getting on the very next ship to continue his trip and go where God ordered him to go. It was just another impasse on the journey, but it didn’t stop his trip!
Likewise, you can’t let past bad experiences determine your future actions. Consider what would have happened if Paul had said, “That’s it! I’m never getting on another ship!” If he had taken this approach, the devil would have stopped Paul from traveling by sea to get to areas where he needed to go. But instead of letting fear grip his mind, Paul put away all thoughts of fear and boarded the next ship when that form of transportation was required in order to reach the destination where God was leading him to go.
Instead of thinking how horrific it was to go through that past experience, why don’t you turn that memory around and reflect on how faithful God was to you in the midst of it? You didn’t die! You survived! God’s mercy intervened, and you came out all right! Even though the devil would love to paint a horrible memory for you about that event, the truth is, God was faithful to bring you through that ordeal, or you wouldn’t be reading this Sparkling Gem today!
You’re not defeated! Other people dropped out of sight or didn’t survive after the devil assaulted them — but you are still here! So hold your head high, throw back your shoulders, and be proud of the fact that God’s power enabled you to overcome in the past. And He will continue enabling you to overcome in the future if you’ll make the decision to keep moving forward by faith!
My Prayer for Today
Lord, I admit that I’ve allowed some bad memories to paralyze me and keep me from taking the step of faith I need to be taking right now. I forgot to consider how You saved me, delivered me, and rescued me from the events that caused those painful memories. I only reflected on the bad part, failing to recognize how faithful You were to help me in that situation. Today I am making the choice to turn my memories around. Holy Spirit, help me see my past bad experiences in the light of God’s goodness and faithfulness. Fill my mind with the good things God has done for me and the knowledge that He will continue to be faithful to deliver me, no matter what opposition comes my way!
I pray this in Jesus’ name!
My Confession for Today
I confess that God is good! He has been faithful to me. He has never failed me. He will never fail me in the future. Even when bad things tried to come against me, God saved me, delivered me, and brought me out with no permanent harm. It is a miracle I survived everything that happened to me in the past. But from this moment on, I choose to turn my memories around and to reflect only on how good God has been to me through all of life’s events. I will trust in Him to show me how to get around every impasse so I can finish the job He’s given me to do!
I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!
Questions to Answer
1. When you reflect on the bad things that have happened to you in the past, can you see God’s faithfulness to bring you through each difficult situation? Have you ever pondered those past events in your life from the perspective of how good God was to deliver you, or have you only meditated on how terrible those situations were to go through?
2. I want to encourage you to take a sheet of paper and to write down the times God has delivered and rescued you in the past. As you do, stop to meditate on each instance and to thank God for His goodness before proceeding to write down the next instance when He preserved your life or rescued you from a bad situation.
3. Do you know someone who has been paralyzed by some past event? Don’t you think you could encourage that person and help him turn his memories around by sharing how God has intervened and rescued you so magnificently on many occasions?
Even Beatings and Death Cannot Stop a Man Who Is Determined!
Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned.…
— 2 Corinthians 11:25
I’ll never forget the day one of our workers came to see me with deep gashes running across his cheekbones and nose. When I saw the condition of his face, I was completely taken aback. The sight simply broke my heart.
It was this young man’s task to carry copies of our television programs to one of the most dangerous regions reached by our television broadcast. We all knew that this man was risking his life to travel every month to that region carrying the actual programs and the cash to pay for the broadcasting of the programs. However, we were all committed to the goal of reaching that region so the Word could be sent via television into the homes of millions who had never heard the Gospel before.
Because this man traveled extensively to a very hostile Muslim region of the world, he knew that each trip placed his life in jeopardy. Yet because he was so committed to getting the Word to the unreached people of that region, he was willing to even lay down his life if necessary as he continued to fulfill his assignment. His passion to see the lost saved had spilled over to his wife. She understood the seriousness of his job but rejoiced with him at the thought of people hearing the Good News of Jesus Christ.
As this young man stood before me that day with a battered face, a black-and-blue eye, and that ugly, deep gash that ran across his cheekbones and nose, I knew he had been attacked on one of his trips to that region to deliver our television programs. He was such a young, handsome man; it just broke my heart to see his face so marred.
When he saw that the gashes on his face deeply troubled me, the young man said, “Brother Rick, don’t worry about me. I’ll be all right. I’m so thankful they didn’t get the television programs or the cash I was carrying to pay for the broadcasts. The Lord was with me, and I know that now He will heal me.” Although he had obviously been severely beaten, he was still full of the joy of the Holy Spirit.
As I heard the whole story of what happened to him, I came to understand what a miracle it was that he was still alive. The trap these gospel-haters had set for him could have killed him. But instead of being afraid to go back to that region again, he had come to our office to pick up the next set of television programs and the cash to pay for them. As he walked out of my office, I wanted to salute him! In my mind, he was and continues to be a true hero of the faith!
Don’t think that persecution is something that happened only in New Testament times. It is still happening today all over the world, and the believers who live and work in these dangerous regions need our prayers! Please remember to pray for them when you spend time with the Lord.
But just as the apostle Paul was energized to get up and get moving again, those who lay claim to God’s power today are also energized to get past the times of intense persecution or opposition they endure. These believers know they’re not destined to live in defeat or despair as long as they don’t waste time bemoaning what happened to them. They also know that crying about the attacks of the enemy doesn’t change the fact that they happened; therefore, they just grab hold of God’s power and adamantly refuse to let the devil stop them or slow them down!
In Second Corinthians 11:25, Paul tells us about similar events that happened to him. Although these events could have been devastating to someone else, they had almost no effect on Paul. He was determined to do his job and not to let anything hinder him! In this verse, he says, “Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned.…”
Thrice Was I Beaten With Rods
In the ancient world, a beating with rods was a horrible, ugly form of torture. A strong man would bind the victim’s arms tightly around his body, incapacitating the victim’s ability to move in much the same way as a straightjacket would do. Then while the victim’s upper chest and head still lay on the ground, his legs would be pulled up into the air.
At this point, a man with a huge rod — normally made of metal — would begin whacking the bottom of the victim’s feet. He would whack and whack and whack until the feet of the victim were bleeding, broken, and maimed. At times this beating was so severe that the victim would afterward never be able to walk again.
It’s interesting that the book of Acts never gives us a specific example of Paul being beaten with rods in such a manner. However, as we continue to look at the entire list of what Paul encountered (2 Corinthians 11:23-27), we see that many events occurred during Paul’s ministry that Luke never recorded in the book of Acts. But Paul never forgot any of them, and he tells us here about some of those events into which the book of Acts gives us no insight.
We don’t know when Paul’s feet-beating experiences occurred, but he tells us that he was beaten with rods three different times during the course of his ministry. It’s obvious that the devil didn’t want this Gospel preacher to take the Gospel anywhere else! Satan attempted to maim Paul’s feet to permanently knock him out of the race.
You see, the feet of a Gospel preacher are threatening to the devil. Paul quoted Isaiah 52:7 when he wrote, “…How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!” (Romans 10:15). This attack on Paul’s feet was an attack against the Gospel.
It is evident that rather than throw in the towel and quit because of this experience, Paul grabbed hold of the power of God, put his shoes back on, got up, and went on his way to keep doing what God called him to do. This was a man the devil couldn’t keep down!
No wonder Paul wrote about the resurrection power of God! He was writing from personal experience when he said, “But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you” (Romans 8:11).
Once Was I Stoned
This event occurred in Acts 14:19. After a successful campaign among the Gentiles in Lystra, Jewish opposers came from Iconium to stir up trouble for Paul’s ministry. They were so effective in distributing bad information about Paul that the entire city turned against him. In a moment of fury, the people of Lystra stoned him and “…drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead” (Acts 14:19).
It may well be that Paul was dead. Stoning was a malicious act. The stoners aimed their sharp rocks at the victim’s head in order to deal a fatal blow. To assure the victim’s death, the people didn’t usually stop the stoning until his head was crushed. When it was apparent that there was no possibility of survival, the remaining rocks were dumped and the victim’s corpse was dragged out of the city and left for the dogs and wild beasts to eat. So when Acts 14:19 says the people of Lystra “supposed” Paul was dead, there is no reason to think he was not dead at that moment.
Acts 14:20 tells us that as the disciples came and stood near Paul’s corpse, “he rose up.” Is it possible that these disciples joined hands and prayed for Paul’s resurrection? This is precisely my view.
Later Paul gave testimony of a visit he made to Heaven (see 2 Corinthians 12:1-4). He explained that he heard and saw things that he had never been given permission to speak. When did Paul make this visit to Heaven? Could it have been at the time he was stoned in Lystra? Yes, I personally think so.
No wonder Paul could write with such conviction: “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life…shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38,39). Even death cannot stop a man who is determined to keep on going!
Paul could have resigned himself to his fate as the people were stoning him and thought, Well, I guess this is the end of the road. I guess I’ll give up and die now. If he had done that, I’m sure stoning would have been the end of him. But I’m just certain that as they stoned Paul, he thought, I’m not dying now! My job isn’t done! If they kill me, I’ll just have to be resurrected!
Being stoned was never a part of Paul’s plan. It was an unexpected roadblock that the devil orchestrated to try to stop him from fulfilling his call. But although the experience stole time and delayed Paul’s plans a little, it did not permanently hinder him from going on. God can join Himself to this kind of person! God knows this is the kind of person who is really going to get something done!
Are you this kind of person? Does God emphatically know that you will never surrender to any attack of the devil? Have you demonstrated that you are going to keep forging ahead to finish your assignment and that you will never quit until you can say the job is done?
Don’t get too upset if troubles come against you. It doesn’t mean you have a lack of faith; it just means you live in a world where the devil operates and hassles people. The fact that you do have faith means you never have to be overcome by these attacks of the enemy. If you’ll grab hold of victory — the way Jesus did, Paul did, and so many others before you did — you can overcome the world and everything in it.
So take heart, and be courageous! As you determine to keep on walking in God’s power, no matter WHAT comes against you, the victory really does belong to you!
My Prayer for Today
Lord, I want to be the kind of person who never allows the circumstances of life to stop me from accomplishing Your plan for my life. I am sorry for the times I’ve acted weak and complained that the circumstances I faced were too hard to deal with. The truth is, You have given me Your Spirit and Your power. That means there is no problem, no challenge, and no hardship I cannot conquer and overcome. If I take the power You make available to me, I can do anything You tell me to do. So today I am making my choice. I am reaching out by faith to grab hold of Your Spirit’s power so I can be supernaturally quickened to complete every assignment Heaven ever asks me to do.
I pray this in Jesus’ name!
My Confession for Today
I confess that I am the kind of person God can count on to get something done. God knows I will never surrender to any attack of the devil. I regularly demonstrate that I am going to keep forging ahead to finish my assignment and that I will never quit until I can say the job is done. Jesus overcame the world, and today He gives me the power to overcome it too. Like Jesus and other strong men and women of God before me, I will overcome the world and every form of opposition the devil puts in my way!
I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!
Questions to Answer
1. What is your initial reaction when you run into an especially difficult challenge? Do you immediately believe you can overcome it, or do you feel a stab of fear that you’re going to fail or that you’re not going to survive it?
2. What does your reaction to these challenges reveal about you and your level of faith?
3. When troublesome events occur to you, to your family, to your business, to your church, or to your ministry, what is the first action you take to repel Satan’s attacks against you? If someone you knew was being attacked, what steps would you tell that person to take to overcome the enemy’s strategies in his life?
Jesus Has Overcome Everything!
Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.
— 2 Corinthians 11:23,24
Once when I was teaching from Paul’s words in Second Corinthians 11:23-25, I especially emphasized the afflictions Paul overcame by the power of the Spirit. Later a young man came up to me and said, “It’s obvious to me that the apostle Paul had no faith!”
Shocked by his words, I asked him, “What do you mean when you say the apostle Paul had no faith?”
He answered, “If Paul had walked in faith, he wouldn’t have gone through any of those ordeals.”
The young man’s words made me think about the great number of people who have the wrong impression about faith. They think that if a person walks in faith, that somehow means he will escape all adversities in life.
But when you read the New Testament, you find that the early believers and the apostles faced many adversities. Certainly it wasn’t God who planned those hardships. The devil was the one who shrewdly planned those attacks in order to stop the preaching of the Gospel. And Satan is still working nonstop to prevent people from stepping into the glorious plan God has designed for their lives.
There is something very encouraging about studying the strategies the devil arrayed against the early believers. You see, regardless of what the enemy tried to do, he was unsuccessful in stopping them! Because they did have faith, they were unconquerable.
So I told the young man who talked to me that night, “Young man, the fact that Paul survived all those ordeals and continued his ministry to the end of his life is proof that he did possess faith. A man with no faith wouldn’t have survived those attacks.”
Don’t get the impression that walking in faith removes you from all challenges. Faith just gives you the ability to overcome the challenges that will attempt to assail you. Even Jesus said, “…In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
The word “tribulation” is the Greek word thlipsis, which describes a situation so difficult that it causes one to feel stressed, squeezed, pressured, or crushed. It can be translated as distress, affliction, or trouble, always indicating a level of intensity that is almost unbearable in the natural.
But Jesus tells us to be of “good cheer.” These two words are from the single Greek word tharseo, which literally means to be courageous. It is consistently translated, “Fear not,” but a better rendering would be “Take heart!” It is a word that would be spoken to strengthen someone who is facing some kind of hardship or difficult ordeal. Jesus was literally saying, “In this world you will go through some distressing times, but take heart and be courageous.…”
Then Jesus tells us, “I have overcome the world.” The word “overcome” is the Greek word nikos, which is also the word for victory. But the grammar used in this statement does not imply a single victory in the past, but a continuous and abiding victory. Therefore, the idea that this Greek word presents is this: “I have overcome the world; I am still overcoming the world; and I will always be in an overcoming position over the world!”
The word “world” in Greek is kosmos, the Greek word that is always used to depict the arena where Satan attempts to wield his influence and describes all the human systems of the world. It is the very word Paul uses in Second Corinthians 4:4 when he refers to Satan as the “god of the world.” Satan is not god of the earth, but he operates through the human systems in the world — and these systems are what the enemy usually uses to attack the Church and God’s people.
When we consider all the things that assailed the apostle Paul, we realize that most of the attacks came through the world systems of government or religion. These were the primary instruments Satan used in his efforts to curb Paul’s activities. But Paul learned to take heart in such situations. He never gave up! Paul had obviously grabbed hold of Jesus’ words in John 16:33, because he overcame everything Satan ever tried to use against him. The devil simply was unable to stop this man who was determined to finish the assignment Heaven had given him!
Five Times Received I Forty Stripes Save One
In Second Corinthians 11:24, Paul goes on to say, “Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.” This was a Jewish method of punishment, applied to Paul on five different occasions. Deuteronomy 25:2,3 refers to this method when it specifies how the wicked man should be punished: “And it shall be, if the wicked man be worthy to be beaten, that the judge shall cause him to lie down, and to be beaten before his face, according to his fault, by a certain number. Forty stripes he may give him, and not exceed….”
This was one of the most vicious treatments of the ancient world. The tortured person’s clothing was completely removed so he appeared before his persecutors naked. His arms were tied so he could not defend himself. Then the torturer would begin to lash the prisoner’s bare body with a whip made of three long cords, one from calf hide and the other two from donkey hide.
Pieces of glass, bone, and metal were often attached to the end of the cords to make the lashing more memorable. The torturer would hit so hard that the pieces of glass, bone, and metal would lodge into the victim’s skin. Then as the cords were jerked backward for the next lash of the whip, those pieces of glass, bone, and metal would rip out significant amounts of flesh. This left horrid scars on the victim’s body — permanently.
The first third of these lashes were given across the prisoner’s upper chest and face, while the remaining two-thirds of lashes were applied to his back, buttocks, and legs; meanwhile, the victim was forced to bend over to make it easier for the torturer to hit his body. Blood flew everywhere as the cords whipped wildly through the air, making snapping noises as they struck the victim again and again.
But let’s think a little deeper. If the whip was made of three cords and Paul received thirty-nine lashes each time, this means he received 117 lashes at each beating! And he went through this grueling exercise on five different occasions, which means 585 lashes were laid across Paul’s upper chest, face, back, buttocks, and legs. There wasn’t a place on his body that hadn’t been beaten or had pieces of flesh ripped out of it!
Paul was so committed to fulfilling his God-given call that he wouldn’t let anything stop him! After being repeatedly beaten in this terrible manner, he’d get up, put his clothes back on, and go right back to what he was doing before he was beaten. He had already made up his mind. He would not stop until his mission was complete!
Being beaten was an unpleasant experience. It was definitely a part of the journey that no one would relish. But Paul refused to let this experience become a permanent roadblock to his ministry. He pushed the opposition out of the way, got up, and went on. He overcame in the power of Jesus’ name and in the power of the Holy Spirit!
What are you facing today? I’m sure it isn’t a beating of thirty-nine lashes, yet it may still seem overpowering and overwhelming to you. How are you going to respond to these things? If you’ve been knocked down, are you going to stay there? Or are you going to get up, brush off the dirt, grab hold of the power of God, and start moving forward again?
Never forget that Jesus said, “In this world you will go through some distressing times. But take heart and be courageous, for I have overcome the world; I am still overcoming the world; and I will always be in an overcoming position over the world!”
If you’ll make the choice today to get up, brush off the dirt, tell your mind and emotions to be silent, and submit yourself to these words of Jesus, the Holy Spirit will begin to fill you with new strength so you can come through the difficult situations you are facing victoriously. And as you rely on God’s power to bring you to the place of victory you desire, you will learn how to overcome every challenge you will ever face in life!
My Prayer for Today
Lord, I am so thankful that You have overcome the world and given me the power to overcome it! I am so sorry for the times I’ve allowed my flesh to whine and complain when I should have been digging in my heels and latching on to the power of the Holy Spirit. I know that even though victory is mine, I must take it and make it my own. Please help me take charge of my whining, complaining flesh so I can reach out by faith to seize the power of the Holy Spirit — the very thing I need to make me a winner in my situation today. I thank You in advance for this inflow of power!
I pray this in Jesus’ name!
My Confession for Today
I confess that Jesus Christ has given me the power to be an overcomer in every situation in life! I am not a victim who has fallen to defeat. I don’t have to take what the devil tries to send my way. In the power of the Spirit and in Jesus’ name, I am well able to stand against each attack, to resist every devilish scheme that comes against me, and to maintain the victory of Jesus Christ in every part of my life. Jesus purchased victory for me, and I will not budge from my decision to have, to hold, to possess, and to enjoy His victory in my life!
I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!
Questions to Answer
1. Are you doing your best to walk in the victory of Jesus Christ? Or have you allowed your flesh to moan and groan and drag you down into the language of defeat?
2. What scriptures can you meditate on and confess daily that will take you to a higher place of victory? Why don’t you write those verses down and put them in a visible place where you’ll see them every day and be reminded to declare them over your life?
3. Can you think of any people in your life who are currently struggling with the temptation to give up in the midst of difficult circumstances? What are some things you could do to encourage these individuals to keep believing and to stand fast in faith for the victory they desire?