Paul

For those of us who believe we can't find joy in God through Jesus because our horrible circumstances are too great, let's take a look at Paul's obstacles:

1. Remorse: Prior to becoming a Christian, he abducted, tortured, and murdered Christian men and women. (Acts 22 and 26)

2. Sinfulness: As a Christian, he struggled to be obedient to God. (Romans 7:15)

3. Enemies: Many people plotted against Paul, opposing his work. (Acts 9:23-25)

4. Loneliness: Most wouldn't trust him, let alone befriend him. In fact, he was generally disliked by many. (Acts 9:26)

5. Spiritual attacks: Satan really put pressure on him. (Acts 13:8)

6. Physical attacks: He was beaten several times. Once, he was struck with heavy stones nearly to the point of death. (Acts 14:19)

7. Imprisonment: He was tossed into jail for preaching several times. In fact, he wrote Philippians from prison. (Acts 16:19-24)

8. Humiliation: People regularly mocked him. (Acts 17:18)

9. False accusations: Many tried to destroy his name with false accusations. (Acts 24:5-9)

10. Disaster: He was once shipwrecked during a terrifying ocean storm. (Acts 27:14-20)


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