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The Apostle Paul was a pillar of strength who saw the ways of God more clearly than any other individual. He had a unique boldness in his message because he had received the gospel directly from God: “The gospel I preached is not something that man made up. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ” (Galatians 1:11-12).

There is no doubt that Paul had a special blessing from God: “This man {Paul} is My chosen instrument to carry My name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel” (Acts 9:15). But if Paul would have remained attached to this highly favored position of strength and superior knowledge, his ministry would have been severely limited.

1 Corinthians 9:22
“To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.”

Paul was so devoted to preaching the Gospel that he could humbly minister to anyone! He was determined to reach every person God placed in his path – even if this meant lowering himself and becoming weak.

We must be careful to understand that weakness does not mean we engage in sin! God NEVER asks us to violate His commands in order to accomplish His will; we never need to sin in order to reach someone with the gospel. Rather, becoming weak means showing compassion without regard to a person’s status; it means having the “strength” to walk beside the weak, who may be living in terrible sin, and minister the love of Jesus without condemnation. Godly weakness means showing grace to others because we understand the grace we’ve been given.

As we minister to the lost – as we touch those without Christ – our message must focus on His saving grace. Without Jesus we are ALL lost and on our way to an eternal damnation; “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). We must never forget this basic truth. We must never let our position in Christ cloud the message of the cross. We have been saved and set free; “He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness” (Colossians 1:13). But now that we are free, we need to understand that the world around us is in desperate need of this same gracious Savior.

We each have a message to share – a message which can encourage and be used to draw others to faith in Jesus. Let’s begin to share this message with ALL. Let’s begin to step outside our select and “comfortable” group – outside the group we relate to and claim to understand. The Good News of Jesus is a precious life-saving gift! Let’s begin to share this gift with ALL – by ALL possible means.

Have a Christ Centered Day!

Steve Troxel
God’s Daily Word Ministries

Much of our Christian walk seems to involve searching for God’s will. We search for His perfect will for our job, home, school, church, and relationships; and we’re often frustrated because God seems silent regarding the details of our life. But God is not silent! His Word reveals much of His will, and a large portion of His will for our life today is the same as for every past generation.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

We often gloss over such passages, thinking we already understand and ought to search for “deeper” truths. But in God’s plan for us to be “conformed to the likeness of His Son” (Romans 8:29), there is no greater challenge to our faith. Do we really believe God is in control and can be trusted? Does the attitude of our heart reflect such a belief?

Our Heavenly Father desires us to live each moment with a thankful heart, full of joy – regardless of our circumstances. Why? Because this reveals our trust in a loving God. He wants us to continually commune with Him in prayer and refuse to leave His presence to pursue concerns or pleasures of the world. This portion of God’s will has been clearly revealed!

But some are facing situations which make following God’s will very difficult. They see absolutely no reason for rejoicing and can’t understand how God can be directing their path. How is it possible to remain by His side when being pressed down from all directions and when the pulls of the world seem relentless?

We must begin by viewing our life from an eternal perspective rather than the temporary nature of the world; “The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever” (1 John 2:17). All our trials will soon be gone (do we really believe this?). God is in control and, in the end, ALL will glorify His name; “In all things God works for the good of those who love Him” (Romans 8:28). As we trust and love Him with all our heart, He works ALL things for the good – no matter how bad our situation may appear or how difficult it may be to understand His plan. He IS in control! This level of trust is what Paul referred to as “the secret of being content” (Philippians 4:12).

There are certainly times when God will give us very specific direction, and this direction may very well call us to get out and change the world; but perhaps He’s waiting until we follow His general will for our life. Let’s come before Him today with a thankful and loving heart. Let’s enter His presence and refuse to be taken away by circumstances which will soon fade. Let’s trust Him without compromise and joyfully walk each step by faith according to God’s perfect will.

Have a Christ Centered Day!

Steve Troxel
God’s Daily Word Ministries

In the last two messages, we’ve seen how Barnabas was an encouragement in the lives of Paul and Mark. We considered how Barnabas must have seen the “Christ-potential” in others and discipled them at critical seasons of their life.

Discipleship involves prayer, teaching, compassion, commitment, and the ability to lead by a Godly example; but there is also an element of discipleship which is extremely active and intentional. When Barnabas saw how Paul was being rejected in Jerusalem, he “took him and brought him to the apostles” (Acts 9:27). When he may have been concerned that Paul was discouraged; “Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Paul” (Acts 11:25). And when Mark was facing rejection and almost certain discouragement for future ministry; “Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus” (Acts 15:39).

Each of these events involved much more than a kind word as Barnabas continued on his own path. They involved evaluating the need, and then making the necessary changes in his own path to help meet the need – they involved being intentional.

There was certainly no better example of how to disciple others than Jesus. During His ministry on earth He was an example to all who saw or heard of Him. He taught large groups and ministered to individuals at every opportunity. But with a specific group of twelve, Jesus gave an extra measure of His time and energy to help them grow closer to God and equip them for future ministry.

Luke 6:12-13
“Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, He called His disciples to Him and chose twelve of them, whom He also designated apostles.”

We ought to do more than encourage when it’s convenient; more than live a Godly life and hope others will follow. In Jesus, we are given a wonderful example of choosing, through prayer, individuals whom we intentionally lead closer to God. This is clearly His command when Jesus says, “go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19).

I wish I could say it’s easy to “go and make disciples,” but it’s not. And I wish I could say I’m good at it, but I’m definitely not! Getting schedules and desires to match up seems to get harder all the time, and the process can often become quite discouraging. And yet, we must not give up. Jesus showed us the way and commanded us to follow – this is the only true plan for discipleship!

Let’s continue to lead through the example of a devoted and holy life and encourage those in need at every opportunity. But let’s also take the next step and prayerfully identify those who will receive our special attention for an extended period of time. Let’s pour ourselves into others and help them grow closer to Jesus through intentional discipleship.

Have a Christ Centered Day!

Steve Troxel
God’s Daily Word Ministries

Prior to meeting Jesus on the road to Damascus, Saul (who would later be known as the Apostle Paul) was one of the greatest enemies of Christians: “Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison” (Acts 8:3). But Saul’s conversion to Christ was dramatic, and after a few years he tried to join with the believers in Jerusalem. However, with his reputation for hatred toward Christians, the disciples were not willing to accept him.

But one man saw beyond the past mistakes; saw beyond the slimy pit from which he had been removed; saw the grace of Jesus which had worked a miracle in Saul’s life – that man was Barnabas! Barnabas believed in Saul, comforted him, and defended him to the other believers.

Acts 9:27
“But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus.”

Saul was on fire for Jesus, ready to preach the gospel with the same energy he once used to persecute the church. But after just a short time in Jerusalem, Saul had to flee for his life back to his home in Tarsus. It’s not clear what he did for the next several years, but there’s no evidence of ministry work until Barnabas, once again, found Saul and provided the necessary encouragement.

Acts 11:25-26
“Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people.”

The Apostle Paul went on to have a greater impact in the forming of the early Church and in defining Church doctrine than any other follower of Jesus. But if not for Barnabas, Paul may not have ever preached beyond his own back yard. In the early days of the Church, Barnabas believed the absolute best in people and encouraged them at every opportunity. His encouragement of Paul resulted in more fruit for God’s Kingdom than anything else he could have possibly done or imagined.

We all know someone who can use a lift – someone in desperate need of a friend to believe in them – someone in need of a Barnabas! Let’s encourage others today by believing in the power of Christ working through their lives; by looking beyond what we can see, to what we know Jesus can do with a life completely devoted to Him. Let’s be the spark which reignites the fire in others and helps them return to the great race. Let’s look for opportunities to encourage our Brothers and Sisters according to the example of Barnabas.

Have a Christ Centered Day!

Steve Troxel
God’s Daily Word Ministries

Paul wrote his letter to the Colossians to show that Jesus is sufficient to supply every need of the believer. In the opening verses, Paul wrote that the Colossians had a reputation for great faith in Jesus Christ – their love, hope, and hunger for the Gospel was bearing fruit and had been growing “since the day you heard it and understood God’s grace” (Colossians 1:6).

Paul was thankful for their strong faith, but he wanted them to have even more and was committed to praying for their continued growth; “We have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding” (Colossians 1:9).

Paul then explained the purpose of his prayer.

Colossians 1:10-12
“We pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father.”

Though God’s gracious gift of Salvation is free, the cost is high. We can do nothing to earn or maintain this gift besides believe in His Son; but the faith through which His grace flows is a faith committed to Him without reservation – prepared to follow anywhere He leads and willing to honor Him in all we do.

Paul didn’t pray for the details of an honoring life; rather, he prayed for what truly produces change: “the knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.” We never please God by focusing on specific activities, we please Him by drawing near and allowing His blessings to flow in and through our life. This is a life which bears fruit and is filled with endurance, patience, and thankfulness.

The God honoring life is available for us today…regardless of our circumstances. But we must draw nearer to our Heavenly Father and hunger for a better understanding of His will. We must long for His presence and continue to grow in love and faith. God has infinitely more to give and will pour His blessings upon those who continue to seek Him with all their heart.

Dear Lord, we pray that You will give us a continued passion for You and an increased hunger for Your Word. We pray that You will strengthen our faith and use our life for Your glory. Heavenly Father, we pray that we will abandon ourselves to You and that You will fill us with the knowledge of Your will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.

Have a Christ Centered Day!

Steve Troxel
God’s Daily Word Ministries

In the message “Strong In His Grace” we considered God’s grace in the process of Salvation and saw we can do nothing to earn a right standing in His eyes. Our Heavenly Father freely gave and poured out His love when He sent Jesus; “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

God graciously gave us His Son and said, “Whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). We are allowed into an eternal relationship with God because of His grace and are strongly exhorted to live each day knowing our relationship is maintained by the same grace in which it began, not by anything we do or accomplish.

There are many things we are called to do as a Child of God, many ways to serve and honor our Heavenly Father, many ways to be obedient and seek after holiness. But we can NEVER fall into the trap of thinking, even for a moment, that what we do adds to our Salvation by grace. As much as faith in Jesus Christ is absolutely necessary for our Salvation, faith in Jesus Christ is also absolutely sufficient.

Paul delivered this message in many of his letters, but nowhere as strong as in his letter to the Galatian churches. He had preached the message of Salvation by grace, but they had been led into a false teaching which said they must earn their Salvation by first submitting to the Old Testament Law. Paul warned that if we fall into this same trap, “Christ will be of no value to you at all” (Galatians 5:2). There is value in the things we do, but the value is not in the religious activity or product we produce; rather, the value is in the true faith in our heart which ought to motivate ALL we seek to accomplish.

Galatians 5:6
“The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.”

We show our love for God through worship, thanksgiving, prayer, study, obedience, and faithful service; and we acknowledge His saving grace with a humble spirit which does not allow us to become puffed up or feel deserving of our Salvation. We demonstrate our love for others as we refuse to cause harm, in word or deed, refuse to harbor unforgiveness, and actively look for opportunities to serve. And we show an understanding of God’s grace as we express our love to others without requiring them to earn our love or even love us in return.

Let’s receive His grace with a thankful heart, knowing we bring nothing to the cross besides our sin which He then takes away. Let’s trust only in His grace, given to us through faith, and express our faith with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength as we love Him and love one another. Let’s begin to live this life like we truly understand His amazing grace.

Have a Christ Centered Day!

Steve Troxel
God’s Daily Word Ministries