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By David Wilkerson
May 1, 2006
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Some Christians tend to think of the apostle Paul as if he were superhuman because of his powerful writings and his wonderful ministry. But if Paul were not made of the same flesh and blood as we are - if he were not subject to the same temptations and tribulations - then he would have nothing to say to the church; all of his epistles would have been written in vain.
The truth is that Paul wrote many of his letters during the most difficult periods of his life. He openly confesses to the church at Corinth that he experienced deep tribulation and mental anguish: "Afflicted on every side: fights without, fears within" (2 Corinthians 7:5). In writing this, the great apostle was in Macedonia where he had gone feeling displaced, inefficient and completely rejected by the church.
How did Paul reach this point? Let us see what lay behind the situation. Paul had just written the first epistle to the Corinthians, a severe rebuke intended to correct a situation of immorality in the church. Despite containing a difficult message, Paul had written it in the midst of anguish and tears.
The reason for this letter was a shameful act of fornication that was being overlooked. Paul writes to the Corinthians something like this: "You are full of yourselves and proud, refusing to weep over this sin committed openly in your midst. You have not judged the situation correctly. You should have removed from your fellowship the one who committed this, until you saw genuine repentance in him." Paul then instructs them that such a person be "delivered to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the Day of the Lord [Jesus]" (1 Corinthians 5:5).
It was a strong and harsh message. And after some time, Paul regrets having sent it (see 2 Corinthians 7:8). In fact, from that day on Paul suffered, worrying about how the Corinthians would react to it. Would they not understand his motives well? Or would they know that he had written it in love, with deep concern for the ways of the church? He later writes to them saying, "I do not speak to condemn you" (7:3).
I know how Paul felt. Over the years I have had to bring what some might call hard messages by the instruction of the Lord, through His word. After that, I would fall on my face, praying, "God, have I gone too far? Your word commands that we not rebuke the righteous and not bless the wicked. Tell me, have I wounded Your righteous ones with this message?".
Paul also knew that false prophets had infiltrated the church at Corinth, causing them to "despise" his sufferings. In fact, such people were saying the following about him: "If God is truly with this man, then why are so many shameful accusations accumulating against him? Why is Paul being thrown into prison? And how can a man of God say that he is 'despairing of life'? It doesn't make sense how a man of prayer can be so attacked and diminished. If Paul truly had faith, he would not be living through these problems."
Such accusations are still being hurled today against dedicated servants who face suffering and criticism. How many times have you heard a Christian speaking like this about another Christian, "Something must be wrong in his life to face so much suffering." In Paul's case, the point was that his critics wanted to break his spiritual authority.
Yet Paul says that he does not regret having sent the letter to the Corinthians. Rather, he instructs his spiritual son Titus to go to Corinth and explain the purpose of the letter: "Tell them that I love them, and I don't want anything bad to happen to them, but this situation has to be addressed. Then, meet me in Troas and tell me what kind of effect the letter had."
When Paul Wrote the Second Letter to the Corinthians,
There Were Even More Reasons For Him to Be Troubled in Spirit
After sending Titus on this mission, Paul departs for Troas, stopping in Ephesus. God moves powerfully there through Paul, and his anointed preaching moves multitudes. Many who heard his message rush home to get their books of occultism, and then gather in the center of the city to burn them in a huge bonfire.
This angered the silversmiths of Ephesus, who made most of their income from selling idols of the goddess Diana. Suddenly, they see their livelihood turning to smoke before their eyes. They then rise up in anger against Paul, accusing him of religious fanaticism and saying that he wanted to destroy their worship. The accusations promote mass agitation, and Paul nearly loses his life. When he later writes that he "despaired of life," he was commenting on this incident, "I thought they would kill me."
We cannot be certain about what else happened in Ephesus, because Paul does not tell us. All we know is that his experience made him feel so troubled "beyond our strength, so much so that we despaired even of our own life" (2 Corinthians 1:8). Really, he speaks of the persecutions, of his perplexity, of his dejected spirit. Now, going to Troas, he desperately longs to see his devout son in Christ, Titus - who could lift up his spirit. Paul could pour out his heart to Titus, and know what impact his letter had.
But when Paul arrives in Troas, Titus is not there. He waits for his spiritual son to arrive, but Titus does not appear. In the meantime, doors for ministry open to Paul in Troas, but by this time the apostle's heart was already exhausted. Paul speaks of his experience: "Now when I came to Troas for the gospel of Christ, and a door was opened to me in the Lord, I did not have rest in my spirit, because I did not find my brother Titus; therefore, taking leave of them, I departed for Macedonia" (2 Cor. 2:12-13).
Paul did something he had never done in his life, something that was contrary to everything he had preached. Instead of ministering when doors were opened to him, Paul left. Yes, he moved restlessly to Macedonia. What an image of this wounded soldier of the cross: the great apostle was dejected, weakened and helpless, fainting before a crisis of mind, body and spirit. Why? What led Paul to this point? The apostle himself explains: "I did not have peace of spirit because I did not find my brother Titus." He was alone, and desperately needed the comfort of someone.
I know something of what Paul went through, from my own experiences and from others who faced the same situations. Satan always comes to attack us when we are exhausted and tired from battles. It is at this time that we are most vulnerable to his lies, and I believe the enemy battered Paul with two terrible ones. First, I think he told him, "Titus has not come because he rejects you." And then came this lie: "Titus is not here because you have become inefficient, Paul. You have wounded the believers in Corinth too much and driven them away. Your ministry simply does not bear fruit."
I Can Only Imagine the Other Lies
That Satan Hurled at Paul
I hear the Devil whispering, "God is no longer with you, Paul. Everyone rejected you in Asia. No one is with you anymore. Even your spiritual son Titus has been contaminated with doubts by your opponents in Corinth."
"Face it, Paul - you have lost the anointing. Look at Apollos, whose preaching attracts enormous crowds. Everyone praises the efficiency of his ministry, while you only have small numbers. You have only stirred up riots where you preached, and the revivals you promote end up closing, just like in Ephesus. You are not loved, Paul - and no one needs you anymore. It is clear that you are being punished by God. Somehow you offended the Holy Spirit, and the Lord has removed His hand from you."
If you have walked with the Lord in intimacy, you know very well what Paul was facing. Satan is the father of lies, and truly at this very moment he may be sending you the same lies he hurled at Paul: "You have been rejected by everyone. You have no ministry, no place in the work of God's kingdom. You are just taking up space." This comes from the depths of hell.
David knew what it is to be suffocated by demonic lies. In Psalm 140 he speaks of being "in the day of battle" both physically and spiritually. This devout man prays to the Lord speaking of the "violent man, whose heart devises iniquities and constantly stirs up strifes. They sharpen their tongues like a serpent; under their lips is the venom of a viper...they have spread a net for me by the wayside" (Psalm 140:1-5).
Yet, despite the situation, David exults, "O Lord, You have covered my head in the day of battle" (140:7). This is basically David's testimony: "God, You were a shield for my mind, protecting me from demonic lies. The powers of hell sharpened their tongues against me. But You protected my thoughts so that Satan's lies would not destroy my comings and goings."
How God Brings Comfort and Renewal to His People
In the Hour of Dejection
How did the Holy Spirit bring comfort to Paul? The apostle himself tells us: "But God, who comforts the dejected, comforted us by the coming of Titus" (2 Cor. 7:6). Titus arrives in Macedonia with a spirit of renewal, and suddenly Paul's heart is lifted up. With fellowship between the two, joy flows through Paul's body, mind and spirit, and the apostle writes, "I am greatly comforted and overflowing with joy in all our tribulation" (2 Cor. 7:4). Paul was declaring, "I continue to face problems, but the Lord gave me what I need for the battle. He renewed me through Titus."
Throughout all my years of ministry, I have seen men and women of God reaching the limits of their endurance, dejected and completely lost. I have grieved over these dear brothers and sisters in their pain, asking the Lord, "Father, how will these Your servants be able to get out of this abyss of suffering? Where is the power that will lift them out of there? What can I say or do to help them?".
I believe the answer is right here, in Paul's testimony. Here is a man who reaches such deep exhaustion that he ceases to be himself. Paul was in the darkest moment of his ministry, sunk like never before. Yet hours later, he had come completely out of that black pit and was rejoicing in joy and gladness. Once more, the beloved apostle felt loved and useful.
How did all this happen? First, let us see what happened in Corinth. When Titus arrived there to meet with the church leaders, he received his own glorious refreshing. An awakening was taking place in the church because they had followed Paul's instruction, and now God was blessing them powerfully. If only the Lord had lifted the curtain at that moment and shown Paul what was happening! He would have seen Satan's lies being exposed, and remembered that God's thoughts toward him were thoughts of goodness, and that all this had been part of His plan.
Now Titus arrives in Macedonia with encouraging news: "Paul, the brothers in Corinth send their affection and love! They removed the sin that was in their midst and dealt with the false prophets. They no longer despise your sufferings, but rejoice in your testimony."
This word of refreshing, brought by a dear brother in Christ, immediately lifted Paul out of that pit of dejection: "God who comforts the dejected comforted us by the coming of Titus" (2 Corinthians 7:6). Do you see the example here? God uses people for the refreshing of His people. He did not send an angel to renew Paul. The comfort received by this man came through the renewal of Titus's spirit, which in turn brought refreshing to Paul's.
The Example of Paul and Titus
Illustrates a Pattern That Appears Throughout the Scriptures
In Acts 27, Paul was on a ship going to Rome when the vessel made a stop in Sidon. Paul asks permission from the centurion to visit some friends in the city, and "Julius... allowed him to go to his friends and receive care" (Acts 27:3). Here is another example of God using believers for the refreshing of other believers.
We see this also in 2 Timothy, when Paul comments about a certain believer, "May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he has often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains; but when he arrived in Rome, he searched for me diligently and found me...And...how much he served me" (2 Timothy 1:16-18).
Onesiphorus was also one of Paul's spiritual sons, and loved Paul so deeply and unconditionally that he sought him out in his sufferings. Once, when Paul was in prison, Onesiphorus went through the city searching for him until he found him. His motivation was simply: "My brother is suffering. He went through the terror of shipwreck, and now he is being beaten by Satan. I need to encourage him."
The ministry of assistance clearly includes seeking out those who suffer. Today there is much talk in the church about power: power to heal the sick, power to win the lost, power to overcome sin. But I say that there is a great and healing power that flows from a person who is revived and renewed. Depression, mental anguish or a troubled spirit can cause all kinds of physical illnesses, but a spirit that is revived and encouraged - a spirit that makes people feel accepted, loved and useful - is the healing balm that is most needed.
We find this ministry of refreshing in the Old Testament as well. When David was being persecuted by King Saul, he came to exhaustion and pain, forced to flee day and night. During this period he felt rejected by the leaders and people of God. Then, at a crucial moment, Jonathan, David's friend, goes to him: "Then Jonathan son of Saul arose and went to David...and strengthened his hand in God, and said to him: Do not fear, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you; for you shall be king over Israel, and I shall be with you" (1 Samuel 23:16-17).
This word of refreshing could not have been more timely for David. He had just suffered a horrible rejection after acting in a self-denying and kind manner. David and his men had risked their lives to save the city of Keilah - and for a time found refuge there. But later, when Saul was pursuing him, David prayed: "Lord, will these people deliver me to Saul?" God answered him, "Yes, they will reject you. Leave the city now."
The Psalms show exactly how far down David felt at the time. His soul was cast down, and he continually cried out, "God, where are You?" Consider also the painful trial of Jonathan in relation to his evil and demon-possessed father. Yet this devout friend "strengthened his hand in God," saying to him, "The Lord is with you, David, and you are still loved in Israel. You may not feel it now, but you will be king. Your work has only begun."
That was all David needed to hear - "God is still with you" - and immediately his spirit was renewed to go on. We see examples like this one after another in the scriptures: God does not send an angel or a vision, but another believer for the refreshing of His loved ones."
Paul Teaches Us That
There Is a Glorious Purpose in Our Many Tribulations
It is possible in the midst of tribulations to see ourselves within a void of lack of faith, without hope and giving up everything. This happening, we end up bitter and hardened in heart - unless we face the situation with the truth. The fact is that we will never come out of these times of confusion and feelings of rejection unless we understand why God allows such problems in our lives. I am convinced that for many readers, this is the word of healing for them from God.
When Paul sat down to write the second letter to the Corinthians, he saw before him a multitude facing the same types of suffering that he had. He tells them, "I want you to know that the afflictions I have lived are of the same type as those you have experienced in your times of tribulation."
"If we are troubled, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is also for your comfort" (2 Cor. 1:6). Paul was saying, "God is using my tribulations to teach me the ways of comforting. Then, when you face your afflictions, you will know that my words to you have power, because I too have gone through them."
It was a wonderful revelation of the Holy Spirit. Paul became aware, "That is why God allowed all this beating. The Holy Spirit will quiet my soul and heal me through it, so that I can comfort and renew others in their struggles. "It is He who comforts us in all our tribulation, so that we can comfort those who are in any distress, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God" (2 Cor. 1:4).
Today there is an avalanche of books, tapes and videos on "how to overcome such a thing." It is a seriously necessary message, and many materials do well when taught by sincere and upright ministers. But I believe Paul is trying to tell us: "The only words that bring real refreshing and lasting healing come from what is learned in our many afflictions and tribulations."
Do You Think You Have No Ministry
Or That You Have No Usefulness in God's Kingdom ?
Not long ago I received a letter from a former nun who is now an ordained minister. This woman is fifty-nine years old, and after suffering a stroke recently, she fell into deep depression. Making a reassessment of her life, she decided to plan her funeral and wrote the following obituary for herself:
"Wife of no one. Mother of no one. Separated from family by salvation. Accomplished nothing of importance in life. Lived in poverty. Died a true failure." My heart broke as I read this, reflecting on the sad idea of coming before my Lord with nothing. But a pastor gave this woman a copy of my message "I Labored in Vain," and she wrote to me: "Brother David, your words encouraged and renewed me."
Do not be deceived: God uses people for the refreshing of other people. He loves this kind of ministry so much that He moved the prophet Malachi to speak of it as being the most necessary work in the last days. Malachi describes how, in his days, the people of God strengthened one another through building up one another: "Those who feared the Lord spoke to one another" (Malachi 3:16).
When did this happen exactly? Malachi's word came during a time of overwhelming ungodliness, when the "devourer" had destroyed much fruit of the land. The people of God became discouraged and began to doubt whether walking with the Lord was worth it. They began to think "We learned that it pays to serve the Lord, obey His word and interest ourselves in His things. But we see the proud, and those who make compromises - and they are the ones who seem happy. They aspire to prosperity, a carefree life, enjoying life to the fullest."
The Holy Spirit began to move in Israel, and soon the fear of the Lord came upon a people hungry for God. Suddenly everyone in Israel, young and old, became missionaries to one another. By the prompting of the Holy Spirit, people opened up to one another, strengthening, building one another up - and comforting those around them.
I am convinced that Malachi's word about this ministry is a mirror image of these present days. The Lord has given us a picture of an outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the last days as the people of God stop gossiping and complaining, and instead minister assistance. It is happening by telephone, by letter, email, and word of mouth. And God is so satisfied with this ministry that He is recording all of this as we learn. Every word of kindness that is spoken, every phone call, every letter that is written, every effort to comfort the dejected is recorded in the "memorial" (book). And the Bible says that each of us whose acts are recorded will be precious to Him: "They shall be Mine, says the Lord of hosts, in that day when I prepare them as a special treasure" (Malachi 3:17).
May God help those who complain of not having a calling, or of not having doors opened for ministry. I say to them: take your eyes off your situation, and stop worrying about being bothered. Stop trying to please God by planning a great and sacrificial work. Instead, rise up, seek out and revive a brother or sister who is suffering.
Be a Titus to someone who is dejected in spirit. Pray to have the spirit of Onesiphorus, who went out seeking those who suffered to bring them healing. Think about this: you have been given all the power of heaven to revive a believer in pain, someone who needs the comfort that God has given uniquely to you. Yes, there are people who need you, and the Lord intends that the comforts of your past bring refreshing to them. Call to that person or seek someone today and say, "Brother, sister, I want to pray for you, and encourage you. I have a good word for you."
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Used by permission granted by World Challenge, P. O. Box 260, Lindale, TX 75771, USA.
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