Grapevine Ministries
Messages from the bible to uplift and encourage those that need a word from the Lord, to strengthen their faith. Ps Phillip Barker is an itinerant pastor in Perth, Western Australia.
Grapevine Ministries
Overcoming Life's Valleys
The valleys of life can feel overwhelmingly dark—those moments when you feel discouraged, misunderstood, helpless, and hopeless. What do you do when everything seems to be falling apart? The answer might lie with an unlikely ancient hero.
The Apostle Paul faced an almost unbelievable litany of hardships: multiple beatings, repeated imprisonment, three shipwrecks, constant threats, false accusations, ridicule, and eventual execution. Yet through it all, he maintained an unwavering commitment to purpose that continues to influence millions today. How did he do it? What internal resources allowed him to write from a prison cell that he had "learned to be content whatever the circumstances"?
This episode unpacks three key elements that kept Paul going through his darkest moments: his transformative encounter with Christ that served as an anchor point, the supernatural courage that came from the Holy Spirit's presence, and the vital companionship of fellow believers who surrounded him. Paul never ministered alone—Acts and his letters mention dozens of associates who traveled with him, encouraged him, and stood by him even in prison.
The ultimate lesson from Paul's life isn't about superhuman strength but supernatural empowerment—the same Holy Spirit that empowered him dwells in believers today. What matters isn't how many times you're knocked down but that you get up one more time than you fall. As Paul demonstrated, everything is "temporal, subject to change"—your current struggles, no matter how overwhelming, are temporary.
Whether you're facing minor setbacks or major crises, reach out through Great Vine Ministries or your local church. Remember, there's no distance in the spirit—we can support each other through prayer and encouragement no matter where we are. Whatever has you down today doesn't have to keep you down.
Good morning, good afternoon, wherever you are in the world - Welcome to Grapevine Ministries.
Do you remember the last time you felt discouraged, misunderstood, helpless, hopeless and wondering just what is happening in your life? Or are you going through some struggle just today, right, this very moment, as you're listening to this? So what to do when these situations happen? Let's look at the life of the Apostle Paul. He had all sorts of circumstances to be down and out about and yet lived a very purposeful life, even though Paul, on the odd occasion, made the Lord aware of his struggles. But the Lord reminded him that his grace was sufficient for him.
Speaker 1:Paul has been an encouragement to me and, I believe, to a lot of other believers all over the world. So if we look at the New Testament and the character of Paul and the historical footprint that he has made, and you look at the planet, how it has endured over time, you sometimes wonder how someone like Paul kept going. Now I mean, I could go through the story and tell you about okay, his name was Soul of Tarsus and he had an incredible encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus and that sort of like set him up. But in saying that, I think that a lot of the times you just automatically assume that he had such a great encounter with God, that he was in that situation where he had nothing else to do but be a follower of Jesus Christ. And not all of us experience that sort of Damascus Road encounter. But I was reading this book once, and it was a German scholar by the name of Adolf Deiselman, and in his book he actually made this statement there is no single person since Nero's day who has left such a permanent mark on the souls of men as Paul, you know. So the Apostle Paul is still able to have an impact today and you're still able to mould our situation from him being a shining light for us and the reason I say this I mean okay, you think one person can't make a difference. I totally disagree with that.
Speaker 1:The Roman Empire came close to occupying and controlling one third of the known world in that period of time, and nobody could stand against him. Yet come along Jesus and then someone like Paul, because the Romans thought they'd done the right thing and they'd got rid of Jesus by crucifying him on the cross. But all they did was that just embedded even a greater understanding how one person can make a difference. So I'm just going to go through some things about Paul and see what he went through and how he struggled and how he managed to do things. Now and you're thinking to yourself oh yeah, but that was Paul. He was different. But then if you look at, say, luke, for instance, luke was only a teenager when Jesus was crucified and he never ever got the opportunity to meet Jesus, but he still also had a powerful impact as well.
Speaker 1:So I want you to look at this from face value and don't look at it as being Paul, the Apostle or Jesus. You know the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. I want you to just look at how you, as an individual, can make a difference and, irrespective of what you're going through, you know you go through things and you come out the other side. I'm experiencing this myself and I'm preaching myself more these days that I am to whoever is listening to my podcast, because I keep reminding myself that there is a light at the end of the tunnel and, no matter how bumpy the road is, you know it says in the scriptures that, yea, though I walk to the valley of shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for they are with me now. Okay, there's a lot of people out there that maybe die and and they need to deal with this situation a certain way. But it is a metaphor to say that we go through things and we come out the other side, because it also says in the scriptures that we will endure trials and tribulations. Now, if we endure them, that means the same thing. It means we are overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony. So this is just a quick little overview of Paul. Let's get back to our message at hand here and, for those that have taken notes, are you Struggling? Today is the title of my message. Now, this is Paul.
Speaker 1:Paul was born a Jew in Tarsus in Sicilia, which was one of the top cities of the time. He studied under Gamaliel and was persecuting the Christians and the church well before he came to know Christ, but then brought about him having this very dramatic transformation on the road to Damascus and when he was going over to Damascus to persecute the churches. This brought him an absolute change of life, change of mind, change of action. Now he started working for Christ and his church. Now he started working for Christ and his church, where he faces persecution himself and yet he finished his race, fulfilling his purpose and he starts out as a great example for us. So what are some of the troubles Paul faced? Wow, now, have I got a week? Probably not.
Speaker 1:I'm going to just mention a few scriptures. I'm not going to go into them in detail, but listen to this over and over again, write these down, read the scriptures and say, wow, paul endured this. Oh, paul went through this. Oh, paul endured this. Oh, paul went through this. Oh, paul did this. But he still was prepared to preach the kingdom to come. Acts 20 to 28 mentions the suffering of Paul's faith. I only know that in every city, the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardship are facing me. See, now, he knew that there was trouble ahead at every point, but he still wanted to do what he wanted to do and to be able to actually serve our Heavenly Father.
Speaker 1:Now he was beaten in Acts 21.31 and 22.3. He was threatened. Well, that's not too bad, better than being beaten. Acts 22-22 and 27-42. How many times was he arrested? Wow, okay. Acts 21-33. Acts 22-24. Acts 31,. Acts 23, 35, and 28, 16.
Speaker 1:Accused of unlawful, unlawful suits, as in basically he was because he was a Jew. Okay, he was actually basically under the Jewish law. These were unlawful acts. Right? Where are we Accusing lawsuits? Okay, acts 21.34 and 22.30, 24.1-2 and 25.2, 7, 25.7 and 28.4. Interrogated that means that he was captured, he was questioned and then they let him go.
Speaker 1:Acts 25, 24 and 27. Ridiculed Acts 26, 24. Ignored Acts 27, 11. I bet you he was asking to be ignored. Shipwrecked wow, he was shipwrecked three times. Acts 27.11. Acts 27.41. He was bitten by a viper in Acts 28.3.
Speaker 1:Paul eventually was beheaded in Rome. But even when he was in a Roman prison, despite facing all his troubles, paul never gave up. He faced everything that he'd come across in life and fulfilled his call. This okay. In acts um 28, 30, 31 and 30, it says for two whole years paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. 31, it says he proclaimed the kingdom of God, taught about the Lord Jesus Christ, with all boldness and without hindrance.
Speaker 1:So what do you do when you are down as a Christian? What would have motivated Paul? I want to give you a couple of characteristics of Paul, the Apostle Paul, about how he managed to keep going. See, this is the thing you need something to inspire you, to help drive you forward and to keep you going. Now, we know all about Paul's conversion experience.
Speaker 1:Now, even though that was so profound in the way that it actually happened, you sense that that experience alone would have kept him going through all of his difficulties. But we are finical people, we are creatures of habit and we forget very, very easily. So there are bound to be things that have happened in your life that have actually inspired you, motivated you to do something, or to just keep driving you forward in, perhaps, a chosen profession or chasing after a woman who you want to be your wife or whatever. But it only lasts for a short period of time. Now what you've got to realize is that everything you know falls by the wayside. It says in the Word of God everything is temporal, subject to change, so not everything lasts forever. It's the same with your conviction. It's the same as with your emotions. It's the same with whatever is driving you forward can only keep going for so long.
Speaker 1:See, paul in Acts 22 is recalling his salvation experience after almost 16 years of speaking to crowds as he was arrested. His conversion experience was an unforgettable experience in his life, but after three days his blindness was taken away. God later used Paul to preach Luke, when he writes Acts mentions this Damascus experience in three different places Acts 9, acts 22 and Acts 26. Paul's writing, his epistles, is again writing about that experience. In 1 Corinthians 9.1, it says this Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus, our Lord? Are you not the result of my work in the Lord? And 1 Corinthians 58 says and lost of all, he appeared to be also as to one normally born.
Speaker 1:Paul's salvation experience and the encounter that he had with God was a very vital point in Paul's life and that was what he could always look back on to gain encouragement from. See, you've got to look at it from this perspective. These are all of the things that basically Paul experienced in his transformation. There was faith in Jesus Christ. He became a new creation. There was a fervence in his supplication, he was filling of the Holy Spirit, he became a faithful servant and he had fellowship with the saints. He could always relate back to his incident that transformed him.
Speaker 1:Friends, your encounters with God is a vital point of your life. There must be a reflection back to those times, difficult times, and there must be, you know, an understanding, especially in our tough times. So when you're down, one of the first things that you must come to mind is that jesus saved you. You are a child of god. He did not save you to down, but he saved you so that you matter what you are going through in your life, you can get up, dust yourself off and keep going. Apostle Paul is a perfect example of that. Conversion or experience with the Lord that you had is rather unique to you. Now, we don't all have a Damascus Road encounter. You know, I remember when I got born again. The only thing that I remember about it is a gust of wind went through the house and slammed the door shut, but that didn't mean that there was anything less significant about what it did, but I was encouraged to know that it needed to have a type of courage built in me.
Speaker 1:Paul's courage cannot be passed over in silence. When we read about his life and his ministry, his courage and his boldness in the Lord just stands out from anything else. It is unrealistic to imagine that Paul was never afraid. See, in Corinth Paul was having a great time in ministry Cyprus and the synagogue leaders and his entire household believed in the Lord and many Corinthians believed and they were baptized, in spite of their great success in ministry. Paul was afraid. The Lord spoke to Paul in a night vision cautioning him in Acts 18.9. One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision Do not be afraid, keep on speaking, do not be silent, for I am with you, you know. So the thing is. Read through the book of Acts and get a better understanding of what Paul was on about and how he was going through things. Study him. That's what I've been doing. I've been going right through so many different things. I'll give you a couple of examples Acts 14, 20 to 21.
Speaker 1:But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe. They preached the gospel in the city and won large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, iconium and Antioch. Apparently, they worked in Derbe for some time, for many disciples were born from the Lord. They determined that they would return to Antioch in Syria, from where they had begun their gospel adventure.
Speaker 1:You see, paul did many things along the same lines as what Jesus did. He knew where he was going and he knew that he was going to find himself in danger when you and I get down, count on the courage that God has given us. It says you know, when you are weak, he is strong. See, we need to call on God, and that's what he wants us to do. Call on his strength because we are enduring things, we are going through things. So what is the basis of courage? The basis of our confidence is the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, who is the power of God. Acts 1.8 says this. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea, samaria and to the ends of the earth. It also says in 2 Corinthians 5.5,. God has given us the Spirit as a deposit. See, we have it deposited in us. So we know without a shadow of a doubt that God is with us and he's going to help us because he's our companion.
Speaker 1:And the third aspect of things which kept Paul going was, as Paul continued, all of these things taking place in his life. You see, when he was dragged out of Lystra after being stoned, his friends didn't abandon him. They come and stood around him until he got up. Friends, you need to have somebody or a group of people who you can really count on in the Lord. For that to happen, you need to develop good friendships in the Christian circles. Friendship is a two-way process. It is something that we take time to develop. It doesn't happen automatically and we all need encouragement. We need to have fellow believers come around us. As you're going through difficult times, you need to be able to call on them.
Speaker 1:Paul didn't do it alone. He was probably the first person other than Jesus that had a team of people around him. Are you a team player or are you a solo person? We all need to be team players. Paul's team that he had around him. He was a real church person. Paul was a people person.
Speaker 1:Luke lists in Acts more than a dozen people as his associates. Even Luke, who wrote this book, is a companion. The wee passages in the book state that Luke was a travelling companion with Paul. In Romans 16, paul mentions more than 30 names of his associates. Paul never did ministry alone. He always travelled with people and on the flip side, christians companions also need people around them, because everybody has their own challenges, but with working with a team, we can get together. So are you still struggling today? Can get together. So are you still struggling today.
Speaker 1:Look at the book of Acts and see where things come. There's certain tips that I can give you from Paul's life in relation to working with companionship. Working with people can sometimes be painful. When one leaves, god brings another into your life. Those who leave us are not our enemies. Just because someone leaves your company doesn't mean that they are your enemies. You know, all through the writings of pa he mentions people that have come alongside him and have gone away and come back again. Like I was saying before, everything is temporal and subject to change. But the thing to remember is that as things happen in our life, as we go through certain things, we will always find ourselves in situations where things aren't always the way that we want them to be. Now Paul parted ways with John Mark, but see Paul's writing, one of his last letters and how he mentioned John Mark. 1 Timothy 4.11 says Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you because he is helpful to me in my ministry. Paul took time to reconcile with Mark. Paul also worked on reconciliation with Barnabas, because in 1 Corinthians 9.6 he mentions Barnabas in the passing, in a respectful way. On the other hand, paul has some good companions that refreshed him, develop good friendships.
Speaker 1:In conclusion to this, the one thing I want you to get out of this is that it doesn't matter how many times you get knocked down. All that matters is you get up one more time than when you were knocked down. Whatever has you down can't keep you down. Whatever has you down can't keep you down. If you respond the way that the Apostle Paul did, you have the same Holy Spirit to pick you up and to move you like the Apostle Paul. Now don't try and be the Apostle Paul, but just take examples from him and a lot of the disciples. The very first time when Jesus went to the cross, they all deserted him, but they came back knowing that they needed him in his life.
Speaker 1:If you're not saved, you cannot have this assurance. Without receiving the Lord Jesus Christ into your life, you can have forgiveness of sins and also get up from where you are down. If you are down this morning and you are a churchgoer, give those down feelings to God this morning. Receive his strength, confidence, assurance, boldness and courage so that when you walk out of the church today you'll be ready to face life and the world. But if you do not have a relationship with Jesus Christ. Find a local church or send me a text message. I read through Great Vine Ministries all the time. There's places for people who can sow into my ministry. There's places where you can leave messages for me. I will pray for you. It doesn't matter who you are or where you are in the world. There's no distance in the spirit and we can pray for each other as life goes on.
Speaker 1:Use Paul as one example. I spoke earlier on King David and look at the same thing, the things that he went through. And yet he was one of the greatest kings that the Jewish people knew. But from a very young age he was anointed to be king, but he did not get to be king for a long time. Joseph, you know the story of the coat of many colors. He was seeing visions from God and his brothers got jealous, beat him up, threw him into a pit, then sold him into slavery. A pit then sold him into slavery and the things that he went through. Yet then he rose to prominence in a foreign country and where he was able to see Pharaoh's dreams and interpret them, and everybody was drawn to him because he become the second, you know, most powerful person you know in egypt time and time again.
Speaker 1:There are many things. You can look through our own history and have a look at people that have done remarkable things, and nine times out of ten that you'll find out that these people have a relationship with our Lord and Saviour, jesus Christ. One can put a thousand to fight. Ten can put ten thousand to flight. There's unity in the body of Christ.
Speaker 1:A three-core string cannot easily be broken. We need to stand united. It's just like military strategy United we stand. Divided, we fall. We need people to come alongside us, we need people in our life, but most of all, we need a relationship with our Lord and Savior, jesus Christ. So reach out to your local church, reach out to me anybody that you know and you can't tell me that you don't know anybody that's a Christian, because there's plenty of us out there and pull on their strength and the strength of our Lord and Savior and get you through whatever is causing you to struggle at this particular time. But remember, everything is temporal, subject to change. Your struggles are temporal, what you're going through. You can come out of the other side, all right. Well, god bless, and we'll talk to you next week. Bye for now.
