AGAPE Online Christian Fellowship

09/23/2021

A Diamond in a World Full of Rhinestones

A few months ago, I performed at Dollywood, an amusement park in East Tennessee named after Dolly Parton. I noticed a t-shirt in a gift shop window with this quote from Dolly written in shiny sequins across the front, “Be a diamond in a rhinestone world.” The quote made me smile, but it also made me think.

Here are a few differences between diamonds and rhinestones that will help us better understand what the great philosopher, Dolly Parton, is trying to tell us. A diamond is real while a rhinestone is fake. A diamond is strong, the hardest natural substance known to exist. A rhinestone is synthetic and more easily destroyed. A diamond has a clear brilliance, allowing light to shine through it. A rhinestone has a dull shine and light bounces off a rhinestone, not through it.

Matthew 5 says, “You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! (14-15 MSG).”

God has big plans to shine brightly through your life. This world can make you fearful of being the “light bearer” you are called to be, and you will be tempted to blend in with this rhinestone world. But if your life has been changed by the love of Jesus, then let your light shine! Here’s how…
Be real - You are who God created you to be. The bible says you are God’s handiwork. He didn’t create you just for you to try to be like everyone else.
Be strong - Stand up for what you believe even when it’s not popular. Build your life on the firm foundation of God’s word and you can withstand the pressure to conform.
Be brilliant - God’s perfect love shines brightly through imperfect people like us.
So, thanks to Dolly Parton for inspiring today’s Day One Devo! Want to live a “no what if” life? Be real. Be strong. Be brilliant.

Matthew West

DO SOMETHING:
Are you a rhinestone or a diamond?
Ask God to fill you with His love, strength and help you to “be the real deal.”
Read 2 Corinthians 1:12, 1 John 1:6, Ephesians 6:14.

09/10/2021

09/15/2020

Scripture: Isaiah 55:9; Psalm 57:2; Galatians 2:20

What is God after in you? Is God stripping you of your agenda? Maybe for some of you it’s already stripped away. For others, you and God may be in a wrestling match or around the corner from one. Let me save you some energy and time—just let him win. The quicker you let him win and release control, the easier life will be. Now that’s easier said than done, but the premise still remains true.

I may not know what your specific struggle is, but I do know one thing for sure: that struggle can be broken off of your life by the healing, saving power of God. As my friend and mentor Pastor Jeff Henderson likes to say, “When your story connects with God’s story, it leads to a greater story.”

That line of Jeff’s has become my approach to everything. “Connect to God’s story!” I now tell youth groups and schools and church congregations. “It’s only by connecting to God’s story that your story will come alive. It’s only then that your story will become.”

Despite what you believe your story is about—abandonment, addiction, graduating from high school, getting a promotion, finding true love, being adopted, reconciling with a loved one, or getting fit at the gym—I believe your real, ultimate, story is God’s plan. Only when you decide to connect with him intentionally, meaningfully, and enthusiastically, will you find true purpose.

In Psalm 57:2, the psalmist says, “I cry out to God Most High, to God who will fulfill his purpose for me.” God created us to seek him for our identity.

I truly believe that God is redeeming a broken world. When we forfeit our plans and join him in his magnificent work, we experience fulfillment, for the first time in our lives.

In what ways do you find identity in the circumstances of your story rather than in God’s purpose for your life? How could you change your perspective on which story matters most?

08/20/2020

A 7-Day YouVersion by Sam Collier

Control. We do a lot to hold onto it, don’t we? Maybe, though, control is something God is asking us to give to him—because he has something much better in mind for us. In this week’s devotional we take a look at what it means to sacrifice for God and end up with more than we ever imagined.

https://youtu.be/EOrLqerj-Kc

Day One

The Only Way to Win

Scripture: Matthew 8:23–27

As a teenager, I wanted to grow up to be a Christian Usher. But as I tried to make it as a musician in my twenties, I faced one rejection after another.

Nothing was working for me. Was God even real? Was he here? Did he see me? Did he care?

“I’ve surrendered everything to you,” I told God. “I’ve tried to grow the gifts you’ve given me. I’ve worked my tail off, chasing the opportunities you’ve put in my path. And nothing—nothing!—has panned out. I’m broke. I’m still living with my parents. I’m completely lost. Theologically, none of this makes sense to me anymore. None of this works. Is this what you wanted for me?”

I was mad at God. I was mad at the church. I was mad at this thing called life.

Somewhere in the recesses of my mind, I was taken back to a scene in the Bible where Jesus’s disciples were lower than low.

Take a minute to read Matthew 8:23–27.

The disciples had witnessed Jesus perform back-to-back miracles that fulfilled prophecies from long before, and yet now, when they needed him most, they felt abandoned. With a word, Jesus reminded them that all was well. His silence didn’t equal his absence. He was still in complete control.

During that time of confusion and disappointment in my life, I often cried out, “God, I feel like I’m losing! I need you to make sense of this now! Bring me to heaven to be with you, because life here on earth feels like death.”

It was as if I was in the boat screaming at Jesus, “Save me!”

And God was saying, “Oh, ye of little faith.”

Then one night, in a voice barely above a whisper, God spoke a statement that saved my life and rocked my world.

God said, “Son, if you can lose, then you can also win.”

I realized that control that God was after in me. God was stripping me of my agenda. He was at work.

Take some time to think on the phrase, “If you can lose, then you can also win,” in light of your life right now. What does it mean to lose in order to win?

A Greater Story with Sam Collier: Our Place In God's Plan - Day 1

08/06/2020

Living in Peace With Others

It’s a challenge we each face regularly: How can we live in peace with other people and restore peace when conflict erupts?

The fact is, God desires for us to live in peace with others. He also knows that we’ll not always be at peace with others. Conflicts occur. At times, conflicts aren’t easily resolved. In fact, there are occasions when conflicts cannot be resolved. However, God wants us to do all we can to be at peace with everyone.

We who are followers of Christ know full well that when God isn’t in full control of our lives, we can act just as despicably as an unbeliever. Our salvation doesn’t automatically keep us from being mean, jealous, hateful, or angry. It’s only as we ask the Holy Spirit to work in us and through us, only as we yield our nature to His nature, only as we seek to be His representatives on this earth in every relationship we have that we’re going to move beyond pride into the behaviors that establish peace.

So how do we deal with conflict when it arises and establish a peaceful outcome?

First, determine the value of the relationship. If you’re going to live in peace with another person, you have to decide, “Is this relationship valuable enough to me to preserve it? Am I willing to compromise on some things to make the relationship work?” I firmly believe that those who are saved by grace and indwelled by the Holy Spirit can find genuine peace in their relationship when both value the maintenance of the relationship.

Second, start talking … and keep talking. When two people are talking—and willing to keep talking and listening to each other—they’re much more likely to quickly find resolution to their conflicts and live in peace with each other.

Third, be transparent. You can’t have a hidden agenda or a manipulative scheme at work in the back of your mind and hope for a peaceful relationship. Being open and honest with others when conflicts arise helps you to reach peaceful solutions in your relationships.

Finally, get to the core of the problem. As you communicate openly with others, taking an honest look at what is at the root of the conflict, you’ll be better able to work through any difficulty and establish peace.

As you strive to live at peace with others, standing on the truth of God’s Word, know that God stands with you. He will turn any conflict or persecution you experience to your eternal benefit. He’ll bring about spiritual growth, greater faith, and stronger enduring power within you.

07/30/2020

Giving Up Anxiety

Anxiety is a problem we all will deal with at one time or another. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said:

Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? (Matt. 6:25-26)

The Greek word for “anxious” in this passage means “distracted.” It’s a word that refers to uncertainty. That’s what anxiety produces in us. It gives us a feeling of, What next? It’s a feeling that the rug has been pulled out from underneath us and we have no idea if we’re going to fall, how hard, in what direction, or onto what.

The word “anxious” is also translated as “worry” in the Bible. For many people, worry has become a way of life. If that describes you, I encourage you to read again the words of Jesus. His words are not a suggestion—they’re a command.

You may say, “I can’t help feeling anxious, I’ve always been a worrier.” I’ve heard that from many people through the years. My response is, “Yes you can.”

There’s nothing about a circumstance that automatically creates anxiety. Anxiety occurs because of the way we respond to a problem or troubling situation. Your ability to choose is part of God’s gift of free will to every human being. You can choose how you feel. You can choose what you think about, and you can choose how you will respond to a circumstance. It certainly isn’t God’s purpose for you to feel anxious—He doesn’t allow situations in your life so you’ll have anxiety. The Father may allow a situation in your life to develop stronger faith, grow and mature, or change a bad habit or negative attitude. But God doesn’t set you up for anxiety. He’s always at work to bring you to a place where you’ll trust Him more, obey Him more fully, and receive more of His blessings.

You can fall into a downward spiral of anxiety. Or you can say, “Father, I bring this to You. It’s beyond my control. I feel helpless in this situation, but You have the power to change what I’m facing. You love me perfectly, and I’m trusting You to handle what concerns me in the way You see fit. I know whatever You’ve planned for me is for my good. I look forward to seeing the way You choose to express Your love, wisdom, and power.”

Friend, this is the way of peace—the road out of anxiety and worry.

07/27/2020

Learning to Live in Contentment

To live in inner contentment, the entire focus of your life must be the Lord Jesus Christ.

I’ve had short periods in my life when a particular problem or situation would cause me nights of tossing and turning, hour after hour, unable to sleep. I’ve discovered the best thing I can do when I can’t seem to let go of thinking about a particular problem, conversation, or criticism, is to get out of bed, get down on my knees, and cry out to God: “Please help me through this. Help me focus on You alone.”

Sleep comes when my focus is on the Lord and on how He’d have me think or respond in my emotions to a particular situation. Sleep is elusive when I allow my focus to shift to what others have said, all the things that might happen, or the difficulty of a challenge that lies ahead. The choice is quite simple—think about the Lord and His abundant provision, protection, and love, or think about all the people and circumstances trying to rob you of provision, destroy your life, or heap hatred upon you.

Thinking about the Lord brings a person peace. Thinking about anything else is usually a shortcut to anxiety, fear, or worry.

When you focus on the Lord, it’s important that you see Him as being in your situation with you, right at that moment. Too many people think of God being far away. They don’t see God as being accessible or available to them in the immediacy of their lives. The truth is, He’s present with us in every moment of every day.

I can remember the most peaceful place I’ve ever been—the Sea of Galilee. Years ago, I was at a spot by the sea that seemed to me the very definition of peace and tranquility. However, in today’s world, most people probably wouldn’t think of that area as being peaceful. It’s only a few dozen miles to Syria and Lebanon from there. People tend to think of Israel as a hot spot in the world, a place of virtually no peace.

But I felt great peace there. Why? Because I felt the Lord there. I sensed His presence.

It’s easy for me to close my eyes and see the Lord walking right beside me along the Sea of Galilee. I also find it easy and beneficial to envision the Lord walking right beside me in any number of beautiful natural settings I’ve experienced around the world.

It’s not these environments that give peace. It’s the awareness of God that I feel in my heart when I’m in these environments that produces peace. It’s that sense of “God with me” that’s important for me to recapture, envision, to see with spiritual eyes, when times of trouble hit my life.

Friend, no matter where you are at any given time, Jesus is the source of your contentment. See the Lord walking with you in peace. Sense His presence. Become aware of His awesome power and authority over your life. When by faith you enter into a personal relationship with Christ, living with the assurance of His presence and provision in your life, I promise you will experience true peace.

06/19/2020

now in the Bible App.
Why We Lose Our Peace

There’s only one way to experience an abiding peace that transcends circumstances—by faith. Faith is the foundation for living in God’s peace—an active, confident trust in His presence and power to sustain and comfort you, no matter the circumstance you face. There are, however, certain issues that can undermine our faith and rob us of our peace. Let’s consider a few of them:

1. Sudden Fear—Some people are so accustomed to responding to every little dip and rise of life with fear and small doses of panic that they can’t even imagine there’s another way to respond. They’re so upset by change of all types that it never dawns on them they can live with greater emotional stability.

2. The Enemy—We can be attacked by our enemy, the devil, who may use various means to cause us to doubt and lose faith in our God. But we must stand up to him. Scripture urges us to resist the devil, and when we do, he will flee from us (James 4:7).

3. Sin—Peace and rebellion cannot co-exist. The only recourse is to confess sin to God, surrender to Him, and ask for His help in turning from and resisting all temptation. Then, God’s peace can flow once again.

4. Giving Up Peace—In times of crisis, we sometimes lay down our peace willingly. We give it up. Concede it. Abandon it. Always remember that no one can take our peace from us; we have to surrender it. And as such, we’re the only ones who can take it back.

5. Losing Focus—We can allow the myriad of bad-news scenarios we hear and read about every day to cause us to lose our correct focus. Instead of having our minds set on God and trusting Him for His peace and presence, we allow our thoughts to get sidetracked and galvanized by the negative news and circumstances we see and hear.

Because God is with us, we don’t have to give in to, sink beneath, or become defeated by our troubles. We can face, confront, challenge, deal, and in the end overcome them in the power of the cross. Jesus taught His followers that all troubles are passing in nature for a season … and a reason. So “let not your heart be troubled” (John 14:27). Hold on to the peace that God gives, confident that He’s watching, directing, and caring for those who trust and believe in Him.

06/18/2020

Devotional
Listen to this audio devotional now in the Bible App.
The Peace God Gives

If you’re a student of the Bible, I’m sure you’ve noticed that God’s perspective is often given in the form of comparison and contrast. For example, He often contrasted the rich and the poor, the wise and foolish, darkness and light, and with respect to our topic, the peace that comes from God as opposed to the peace found in this world. Jesus said, “My peace I give to you; not as the world gives …” (John 14:27).

Clearly, the Master was stating that the peace He gave His followers was different from the peace they could find in the world. When Jesus referred to “the world,” He was speaking of the society and culture in which we humans live.

Have you ever been on a troubled sea? I’ve experienced storms at sea on several occasions and frankly, I’ve no desire to repeat the experience! On the surface, the winds can sweep across the sea at 40, 60, 100 miles an hour, with blowing rain, lightning, thunder, and an overpowering darkness. Waves can rise to 20, 30, even 50 feet high. A ship in such a storm can be tossed about like a toy boat. It’s easy for an oceangoing craft to be lost in such storms. But underneath the surface, just 100 feet down, there’s no storm. All is perfectly quiet. No sound. No tumult. Not even a ripple of turmoil.

This remarkable fact makes me think of God’s peace. It gives me an inkling of what our Lord must’ve been talking about when He promised His disciples His peace. He told them because they were His followers, they’d have trouble in this world. In fact, He claimed that some of them would be persecuted because they were His disciples. But in spite of this, He promised He’d never leave those who followed Him, and His constant presence would be the means whereby they could experience His peace.

When fears, anxieties, and troubles arise in your life, look for the following signs of God’s peace as it …

· Transcends circumstances. Often, peace is more readily seen and felt in the midst of trial and trouble. But regardless of what you’re experiencing, know this: God is your peace. Put your faith in Him.

· Surpasses understanding. The peace of God is not something we can always figure out. But it’s operative and available to us—far beyond our ability to understand it.

· Extends to all His followers. God’s peace is extended to every person who accepts Jesus as their Savior, turns from their sin, and pursues a life in obedience to the guidance of God’s Word and the Holy Spirit.

· Is an abiding state of being. In the difficult circumstances of life, the Holy Spirit is present to help. Peace—deep, genuine, God-given peace—can be the “norm” in which you live day to day.

As you move forward in the journey of life, trust and believe that God’s desire for you is to feel an abiding peace at all times—a peace that includes joy and a feeling of purpose in every area of your life.

06/17/2020

The Foundation for All Peace

Prior to a speaking event not so long ago, a staff member and I were enjoying a meal on the West Coast. While the young waitress attended our table during the meal, I asked her: “If you could ask God for anything in your life, what would you ask Him to do for you?”

Without hesitation, she answered: “I’d ask for peace.”

A tear made its way down her cheek as she shared with us about her beloved grandmother’s death a few days before.

As she shared her story, I learned no one in her family believed in God—and neither did she. She’d not consciously rejected Him. All she knew was there was a deep restlessness inside, but she had no understanding about how to resolve that inner turmoil, or even what lay at the root of it. Like many people, she was living day to day, not having much purpose or meaning in her life.

This young woman represents so many in our society today—going through the motions, striving to make ends meet, seeking a way where there seems to be no way, and trying to make sense of it all.

Too often, there seems to be no adequate answers to our human dilemma—especially to the question of why we feel so empty, void, and lacking peace. Furthermore, there appears to be no satisfactory reason for us to keep putting out our best efforts and still suffering with life’s adversities.

The young waitress serving us explained the issue in her terms by saying, “I need peace.” Others would say, “I’m so lonely.” Some would say, “If my spouse would only love me as he/she should, then I’d be happy.” Different variations but all the same melody: “There’s something wrong ... I’m not happy. I have no peace. What’s wrong with me?”

Most who are victims of the messages of our secular society experience this void and don’t equate their problem with God. We’re constantly bombarded with society’s claims: “If only you were thinner, dressed with more style, drove a Jaguar, lived in a better part of town, made more money …” the list goes on and on. But none of the aforementioned highly-prized answers to our problems or any of the hundreds of others offered to us can permanently and satisfactorily provide what we desperately crave.

The young waitress had it right: Most of us feel strongly that we need something more—and the all-encompassing word that so well describes it is peace.

And as a pastor for more than six decades, I can tell you that until you have peace with God, you will never experience true peace in this life.