Are You Sick of Ever-Rising Gas Prices? - Apples of Gold - April 30, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for April 30, 2008

“Are You Sick of Ever-Rising Gas Prices?”

Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.

Tomorrow I will be praying with the governor at the capitol.

It’s the annual National Day of Prayer event*, and several of us will be praying, including the governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general.  We will be praying for specific areas including education, the economy, churches - and the topics I am supposed to pray for are business and the media.

Now I believe in prayer, and I prove that by praying a lot.  But as I prepare for tomorrow’s event I’m thinking, “Lord, what can I pray for that You will actually answer?”

Because if the Lord isn’t going to answer, then why bother?

So I’ve been praying for a prayer.  “Lord, please tell me what to pray; something that will work, that will actually do something, that will make a difference in our state and our nation.”

Is tomorrow’s public prayer at the capitol any different than what I prayed this morning closed up in a little room by myself?

Of course it is.  The more people you get praying together for the same thing, the better.

Do I have a scripture to back that up?  Not exactly.  I am drawing some conclusions.

For example, in Luke 18 Jesus told the parable of the persistent widow.  She received justice from the judge because of her persistence.  Then He said that principle applies to our prayers – that we should pray persistently.

Well if one widow finally got justice because she was persistent, how much more quickly might the judge have acted if 1,000 widows showed up at his door?

Abraham was just one man interceding for Sodom and Gomorrah, and God destroyed them.  But do you think God would have destroyed those cities if 1,000 of their residents would have prayed?  I think not.

So is there a difference between one person praying for something and 1,000 people praying for something?  I sure think so.

And it’s important what we pray for.  First John 5 tells me I need to pray according to God’s will – then I know the prayer will be effective.

The easiest way to pray according to God’s will is to pray according to the Bible.  For example, First Timothy 2 says we should pray for “kings and all those in authority.”  And what should we pray for them?  That they will rule in such a way that we can live “peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.”

The National Day of Prayer is a great day to pray for those in authority.  But really, we should do that every day.  Praying for our government should be one of our top concerns, because their actions have a tremendous impact on everyone.

Are you sick of the ever-rising gas prices?  Do you wish the government would step in and do something about it?  Well what should they do?  They probably don’t even know the best thing to do.  That’s why it’s a necessity that we pray for those in government.

First Timothy 2 actually gives us a pretty broad range of people to pray for.  Verse one says that we should pray for “everyone.”

Well tomorrow my assignment is not to pray for everyone, but to limit my prayer to the topics of business and the media.  So I’ve been praying for a prayer, and here is what I’ve come up with.  This is basically what I will be praying tomorrow, but you can go along and pray with me now.

“Lord, I am so excited to pray for the media.  It’s the industry You’ve placed me in, and I love it, and I thank You.  But Lord, there is a fatal flaw in our media today.  We want to make money, so we have to draw a crowd.  And to draw a crowd, we pander to our basest human nature.  And because the media is so influential, the stuff we peddle to draw a crowd ends up telling the crowd, “This is the way it is.”  But often that’s not the way it is, and that’s the problem.  Truth is not our measuring stick.  The measuring stick is how many people we can draw and how much money we can make off of them.  Lord, on behalf of our industry, I repent of the sin of clouding truth.  Lord, it is Your will that truth prevail, and as a member of the media, I ask that Your hand will guide our industry.  I pray that all of the editors and producers, the writers and the directors, the talk show hosts and the entertainers – I pray that every one of us will be Your tool to reveal truth to this nation and to the world.”

“Now Lord I ask You to turn Your attention to another topic, the topic of business.  God I am so thankful to live in such a prosperous nation.  What a blessing it’s been to me and my family.  We don’t know anything besides prosperity, and I know a lot of it has to do with the thriving business climate in America.  Because of our success in business, we have an abundance to share with the world.  We have programs for the poor.  Because of our success in business, our people can work and provide for their families.  And in America we can even dream up new businesses.  Lord, I thank you so much for all of that.  It’s business that keeps the wheels of the nation turning.  So Lord, I pray for prosperity for our businesses.  I pray for great, new ideas.  I pray for efficiency and wisdom.  And Lord, I pray for abundant blessings on all those businesses that are doing good.  And for any businesses that aren’t, for those businesses that prey on people and take advantage of them, I pray that they will either get it right, or get out of business altogether.”

“Lord, I love You and I thank You for this opportunity to lead all these people, even our governor, in prayer.  I am humbled.  And I pray all this in Jesus’ name.  Amen.”


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

May God bless you today!  With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.

*  If you can come to Tallahassee May 1st, the event is on the plaza between the old capitol and the new capitol.  The prayer service starts at noon and lasts for one hour.  There is a prayer walk for the children starting at 11 a.m., where they each receive a little prayer journal and walk around praying with various military and emergency personnel who will be there with their vehicles and equipment.

There will be live music from the Christian Heritage Church worship team, which is one of the best church music groups in the state.  They will start playing at 11:30 a.m.  The emcee will be former legislator and pastor Tim Ireland.  And Wave 94 will have a table set up on the plaza like every year, stacked high with free books!  Come and get ‘em.

© 2008 The Arrow’s Tip
To subscribe to your own daily “Apples of Gold” e-mail, write dougapple@wave94.com.
If you want to be removed from this e-mail list, simply click reply and type UNSUBSCRIBE on the subject line.
If you want to catch “Apples of Gold” in its original audio format, go to www.wave94.com
To search through the large archive of past articles, go here:  http://www.wave94.com/modules.php?name=Stories_Archive
If you have trouble reaching me at my main e-mail address, try this one:  douglas_apple@msn.com

(Proverbs 25:11 – “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”)

Why “The Arrow’s Tip”?  Each morning, after diligently seeking the Lord, I write Apples of Gold.  Then before I release it to the public I pray one final prayer, “Lord, send forth your arrows.”  I envision Apples of Gold as arrows, tips dipped in the river of the water of life that flows from the throne of God (Rev. 22:1), sailing toward the hearts and minds of men and women around the world.

Doug Apple
General Manager - Wave 94
Christian Radio for Tallahassee
PO Box 4105
Tallahassee, FL  32315
(850) 926-8000

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Like a Warrior, Stir Up Your Zeal - Apples of Gold - April 29, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for April 29, 2008

“Like a Warrior, Stir Up Your Zeal”

Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.

My son was a wrestler, so I spent many hours watching wrestling meets.

You ought to see how these guys get psyched up.  They jump up and down and slap themselves.  They do push-ups.  They jog in place.

And what was the most common form of pre-match self-motivation? 

Music.

There they would be, going through their gyrations, with music cranking from their iPods.

This is not unique to wrestlers.  Athletes in every sport use music to get pumped for competition.  For centuries, armies have used music to set the tone for battle.  What did they sing about during the Revolutionary War?  “Musket, fife and drum.”  That’s an odd set of items, but it illustrates the incredible motivating power of music.

My favorite kind of music, personally, is the kind that motivates me to serve the Lord, to serve Him with passion and zeal.

Romans 12:11 talks about serving the Lord, and it says we should serve Him with “spiritual fervor.”  And it says we should “never be lacking in zeal.”

So what do you do if you aren’t feeling the zeal today?  Well, what do all those athletes do?  They use music to stir it up!

And we can do the same.  We can use music to stir up our zeal for the Lord.

Think of all the songs that get you fired up for God.  Write them down, then get them all together.  Burn a CD.  Put them all in a folder on your computer or mp3 player.  Then when your zeal is lacking, crank up the music!

I was talking about Christian music with my son the other day.  I said, “I don’t like these Christian songs that talk about our weakness and frailty.  ‘Oh, I’m just so weak.  I’m being tempted.  I sure hope I don’t give in.  Uh-oh.  I might.’”  Oh please.  Give me songs with meat.  Give me songs about God’s glory and power, songs that “inspire the fire.”

I love this quote I read recently about songwriter Twila Paris.  It says, “She examined her priorities and determined that Christ had to be exalted in everything she wrote or sang.”*

Why sing about human frailty when you can sing about Christ’s power?

Some songs lead to wallowing in weakness when what we need are songs that motivate us to victory.

I love what Isaiah 42 says about the Lord:  “…like a warrior He will stir up His zeal…”

Isaiah 59:17 says He “wrapped Himself in zeal as in a cloak.”

Some of the Old Testament prophecies end with this phrase, “The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.”

Zeal gets things done - but it has to be stirred up.  Even the Lord Himself stirs up His zeal; like it says in Isaiah 42:13, “…like a warrior He will stir up His zeal.”

How does a warrior stir up his zeal?  One way is with music.

So make that list of songs that stir up your zeal for the Lord.  Write out the lyrics.  Find the recordings.  Fill your iPod.  Make a cassette if you have to.  Burn a CD called, “Songs That Fire Me Up!”  And if you don’t know any songs like that, ask around.  Every Christian has certain songs that pump them up.

Then when your zeal is lacking, or you feel less-than-motivated to serve the Lord, get out those songs and light the fire! 

Like a warrior, stir up your zeal!

 
Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

May God bless you today!  With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.

(fade out with song “Solid Rock” by Delirious)
 

*  “The Complete Book of Hymns” by William J. Petersen and Ardythe Peterson pp. 28-29 (2006).
 
© 2008 The Arrow’s Tip
To subscribe to your own daily “Apples of Gold” e-mail, write dougapple@wave94.com.
If you want to be removed from this e-mail list, simply click reply and type UNSUBSCRIBE on the subject line.
If you want to catch “Apples of Gold” in its original audio format, go to www.wave94.com
To search through the large archive of past articles, go here:  http://www.wave94.com/modules.php?name=Stories_Archive
If you have trouble reaching me at my main e-mail address, try this one:  douglas_apple@msn.com

(Proverbs 25:11 – “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”)

Why “The Arrow’s Tip”?  Each morning, after diligently seeking the Lord, I write Apples of Gold.  Then before I release it to the public I pray one final prayer, “Lord, send forth your arrows.”  I envision Apples of Gold as arrows, tips dipped in the river of the water of life that flows from the throne of God (Rev. 22:1), sailing toward the hearts and minds of men and women around the world.

Doug Apple
General Manager - Wave 94
Christian Radio for Tallahassee
PO Box 4105
Tallahassee, FL  32315
(850) 926-8000
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Ministry Starts at Home - Apples of Gold - April 28, 2008 -vi-

***Remember, you can always listen to the audio Apples of Gold on our website:  www.wave94.com***

 

 

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for April 28, 2008

“Ministry Starts at Home”

Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.

I know a man who loves the ministry.

He is all about the ministry.

But I keep reminding him, “Your first ministry is to your wife and children.”

What happens is, sometimes we confuse putting the Lord first with putting ministry first.

It is very tempting for Christian men to put their ministries ahead of their wives.  But I believe our first ministry is to our wives.  There is only one human being that the Bible says we are “one” with. 

First Timothy chapter three puts this in perspective.  One of the prerequisites for ministry leaders is that they do a good job with their families.  That comes first.  Verse five says, “If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?”

See, the family ministry comes before any ministry outside the family.  Until you have the family ministry on a good foundation, you have no business trying to do ministry anywhere else.

Ephesians 5 says, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her…”  Verse 28 says, “…husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies.”  Verse 29 says, “After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church…”

Ministers often quote the words of Jesus who said, “I will build My church.”  If husbands are to love their wives as Christ loves the church, then husbands should say, “I will build my wife, and the gates of hell will not prevail against her.”

But what happens is, many ministers take over Jesus’ job and start saying of themselves, “I will build my church,” and then the gates of hell end up prevailing against their families.

First Timothy 5:4 says if you really want to get into ministry, start by caring for your own family.  Verse 8 says that if you don’t provide for your own family, you have denied the faith and are worse than an unbeliever.

In Mark chapter seven we read about a Jewish tradition called Corban.  That’s when someone had the means to provide for their father or mother, but instead they put the money into ministry.  Jesus set them straight, reminding them of the commandment to “honor your father and your mother.”

Now let me tell you, there are Bible verses that seem to indicate that we should put ministry ahead of family.  For example, take a look at First Corinthians 7:29:  “What I mean, brothers, is that the time is short.  From now on those who have wives should live as if they had none…”

Now that sounds like a license to act like you aren’t married at all!  Why go home?  Why even have a home?  After all, you’re living as if you have no wife, just like it says in First Corinthians 7:29.

Well let’s look at the rest of that portion of scripture.  If you are to live as if you aren’t married, what does that mean?  Verse 32 says, “An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord’s affairs – how he can please the Lord.”  Verse 35 says, “that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord.”

It says the same thing for the unmarried woman, that she won’t be concerned about the affairs of this world, but that she will be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit.

First Corinthians 7:9 can’t mean that it’s okay to stop providing for your family because that contradicts other scriptures. 

So what are we to do?  We married men and women are to serve the Lord with an undivided passion – and that service starts at home.

Think about it.  Who steps over one person who needs ministry to get to someone else who needs ministry?  It makes sense to minister to the first person you come to, and that person is your spouse, then your children and the rest of your own family.

Now what about Luke 18:29, where Jesus talks about leaving your home and family for the sake of the kingdom of God?

There is obviously a time for that, but it must balance with First Corinthians 7:4 which says, “The wife’s body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband.  In the same way, the husband’s body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife.”

So if the husband wants to spend a year in ministry to the Aborigines, and the wife is not in agreement, I don’t think the husband should go.  His body doesn’t belong to him alone, so he can’t make the decision alone to leave like that.  They must be in agreement.

Now I know some men will rebel at that.  They will say, “Hey, this is the ministry the Lord has called me to, so I’m going.  I can’t help it if my wife doesn’t hear the Lord like I do.”

Well, you should have thought of that before you got married.  But once you are married, you have given yourself to your wife, and now those decisions are not yours alone, because your body is not yours alone.

If you leave and she doesn’t want you to leave, how are you loving your wife like Christ loves the church?  What happened to, “I will build my wife”?

Now someone might quote Jesus’ words in Luke 14:26, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters – yes, even his own life – he cannot be my disciple.” 

Some will quote that as a reason to put ministry before family.  Yes, it’s true that Jesus comes before everyone else.  But then, as His disciples, we take up our cross, and we immediately begin pouring ourselves out for other people – starting with the people in our own home.

So do you have a passion for Christian ministry?  That’s a wonderful thing.  And while you think about your ministry, think about this: 

Ministry starts at home.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

May God bless you today!  With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
 
A skeptic wonders about Luke 14:26, why Jesus would say that we should “hate” people.  That statement contradicts so many others in the Bible that say we should love people.  So why did He say it?

It was not literal.  It was a figure of speech, just as the next verse about carrying our cross was a figure of speech.  It was hyperbole.  We all know that Jesus didn’t tell us to literally pick up a real cross and start carrying it around.  He said we should “hate” other people to show the sharp contrast we should have in our devotion.  We should be so devoted to being His disciple that every other relationship seems despicable by comparison.

 
© 2008 The Arrow’s Tip
To subscribe to your own daily “Apples of Gold” e-mail, write dougapple@wave94.com.
If you want to be removed from this e-mail list, simply click reply and type UNSUBSCRIBE on the subject line.
If you want to catch “Apples of Gold” in its original audio format, go to www.wave94.com
To search through the large archive of past articles, go here:  http://www.wave94.com/modules.php?name=Stories_Archive
If you have trouble reaching me at my main e-mail address, try this one:  douglas_apple@msn.com

(Proverbs 25:11 – “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”)

Why “The Arrow’s Tip”?  Each morning, after diligently seeking the Lord, I write Apples of Gold.  Then before I release it to the public I pray one final prayer, “Lord, send forth your arrows.”  I envision Apples of Gold as arrows, tips dipped in the river of the water of life that flows from the throne of God (Rev. 22:1), sailing toward the hearts and minds of men and women around the world.

Doug Apple
General Manager - Wave 94
Christian Radio for Tallahassee
PO Box 4105
Tallahassee, FL  32315
(850) 926-8000

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An Encouraging Thought: There Is a Plot Against Me - Apples of Gold - April 25, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for April 25, 2008

“An Encouraging Thought:  There Is a Plot Against Me”

Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.

Here is an encouraging thought.

There is a plot against me.

Now why on earth is that encouraging?

Because when things don’t go perfectly, I am neither surprised nor disappointed.  I don’t let it rock my boat because, after all, there is a plot against me. 

Our life on earth is like a garden.  You can plan the nicest garden in the world, but just watch.  There will be many “enemies” pop up to ruin it, from weeds to bugs to small mammals.

Jesus said this world has “weeds.”  In Matthew 13:38 He said, “The weeds are the sons of the evil one…”  In John 8:44 Jesus indicated that, for some people, their father is the devil, and their desire is to carry out their father’s plans.

Yes, the devil has plans, and they flow from his core nature, which Jesus said is to deceive and destroy.  And the devil uses people, his “children,” to do it. 

The devil sows his bad seed to try to ruin things for God’s good seed.  And what is God’s good seed?  Back to Matthew 13:38.  Jesus said the good seed represents the “sons of the kingdom.”

I am one of the sons of the kingdom, and that’s how I conclude that there is a plot against me.

So does Satan really have a “plot”?

Both Ephesians 6:11 and Second Corinthians 2:11 talk about the devil’s “schemes.”

First Timothy 3:7 mentions “the devil’s trap.”

The devil even had the nerve to try to tempt Jesus.

In the Old Testament, First Chronicles 21:1 says that “Satan rose up against Israel…”

We know a lot of the details about Satan’s plot against Job.

In Luke 22:31 Jesus talked about Satan’s plot against Peter, to sift him as wheat.

In Second Corinthians 12:7 Paul said that “a messenger of Satan” was sent to torment him.

First Peter 5:8 says our enemy, the devil, “prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” 

Sounds like a plot to me.

“But Doug, what about James 4:7 – ‘Resist the devil and he will flee…’?”

Yes, we like to hear about the devil fleeing, but the pesky word in that verse is the word “resist.” 

Ask a retailer about “resisting” shoplifters.  Yes, you can resist them and they will flee.  But the job of resisting is never really done.  A shop owner must constantly resist shoplifters.  A gardener must constantly resist weeds.  And we must constantly resist our enemy the devil, because he has a plot against us.

Paul told the people in First Thessalonians 2 that he wanted to go visit them, but that Satan stopped him.  He didn’t do what he wanted because Satan had a plot against him.

Keep in mind that the devil uses people to carry out his plot.

Second Timothy 2:26 says that the devil has taken some people captive to do his will.

Acts 10:38 says many people were “under the power of the devil.”

First John 3:10 describes some people as “children of the devil.”

In Luke 13:16, Jesus said that a certain woman had been kept bound by Satan for 18 years.

In Acts 5:3, Ananias is described has having a heart full of Satan.

John 13:2 says the devil prompted Judas Iscariot to betray Jesus.  Verse 27 goes on to say that Satan even “entered into” Judas.

The devil not only uses people to carry out his will, he also has his own angels.  You can read about them in Matthew 25 and Revelation 12. 

And remember what Jesus constantly ran up against in town after town?  People possessed by demons.

First Timothy 4:1 indicates that demons actually teach people certain things.  It also talks about “deceiving spirits.”

So there is the devil and demons, the devil’s angels and the devil’s people.  Their plot is to deceive and destroy.

First Corinthians 7:5 says that Satan will try to tempt us.

Second Corinthians 2:11 says Satan will try to outwit us.

Second Corinthians 11:14 says one of Satan’s special tricks is to make himself look like an angel of light.

In Luke 8:12, Jesus talked about the devil coming and actually plucking the word right out of people’s hearts to keep them from believing and being saved.

So we have enemies, and there is a plot against us.  Knowing this, we shouldn’t be surprised when life isn’t just happy-go-lucky all the live-long day.

But remember.  Just as there is a plot against us, there is a plan for us.  For the devil’s every maneuver, the Lord has a counter-maneuver.  After all, we are the Sons of the Kingdom!

I know it sounds odd, but to me, it’s encouraging to know that when things don’t go so well, it’s not because God has vacated or that life is just bleak.  It’s because, yes, there is a plot against me.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

May God bless you today!  With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
 
Some “Bible-believing” Christians say there is no actual “Satan.”  It’s more like a metaphor for evil, that is, our sin nature.

For them I have one question.  Who tempted Jesus? 

© 2008 The Arrow’s Tip
To subscribe to your own daily “Apples of Gold” e-mail, write dougapple@wave94.com.
If you want to be removed from this e-mail list, simply click reply and type UNSUBSCRIBE on the subject line.
If you want to catch “Apples of Gold” in its original audio format, go to www.wave94.com
To search through the large archive of past articles, go here:  http://www.wave94.com/modules.php?name=Stories_Archive
If you have trouble reaching me at my main e-mail address, try this one:  douglas_apple@msn.com

(Proverbs 25:11 – “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”)

Why “The Arrow’s Tip”?  Each morning, after diligently seeking the Lord, I write Apples of Gold.  Then before I release it to the public I pray one final prayer, “Lord, send forth your arrows.”  I envision Apples of Gold as arrows, tips dipped in the river of the water of life that flows from the throne of God (Rev. 22:1), sailing toward the hearts and minds of men and women around the world.

Doug Apple
General Manager - Wave 94
Christian Radio for Tallahassee
PO Box 4105
Tallahassee, FL  32315
(850) 926-8000
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Being Right With God vs. Walking With God - Apples of Gold - April 24, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for April 24, 2008

“Being Right With God vs. Walking With God”

Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.

I don’t want to just be “right” with God.

I want to walk with God.

I see being right with God as a kind of legal standing.  Though my sins were as scarlet, they have been made white as snow.*  I had a debt, but it was paid.  I am right with God.

Our sin stood between us, but through Christ that sin is washed away.  So here is how I look at it.  Being right with God clears the way for me to walk with God.

What does it mean to walk with God?

I compare it to walking with my wife.  For over 20 years we have walked together.  Not literal walking; it’s a figure of speech for sharing our lives.  We make our decisions together.  We share our money.  We share responsibilities.  We are in constant communication. 

Now let me sum all that up into one word:  communion.  As my wife and I walk together through this life, we have communion.

Now compare that to just being “right” with my wife.  To be right with my wife means I don’t cheat on her, I don’t steal from her, I don’t do her any harm or damage.  Now take it up a notch.  It can mean I’m a good provider and a good father to our children and set a good, moral example.  I even remember her birthday.

In all these ways I can be “right” with my wife.  But do you see how that is not the same as walking with my wife?  The difference is the communion.

I think communion has two parts:  communication, and going through things together.

See, my wife and I can go through things together, but it’s not full communion unless we communicate.

On the other hand, two people can communicate a lot, but it’s not full communion unless they go through things together.

So to me, full communion means a lot of communication, and going through things together.

And that is exactly what I want with the Lord – full communion.  I want us to communicate a lot, and I want us to go through everything together.

As we raised our children, we had full communion with them.  There was plenty of communication, and we went through things together.  But as each of them hit their teen years, they started cutting back on the communication.  I remember asking my son questions and he would say, “That’s my stuff, Dad.”  In other words, they were things he didn’t want to talk to his dad about. 

Now get this.  We do the same with God.  Yes, we may be “right” with Him, but are we walking with Him?  Do we hold back communication?  Do we leave Him out of decisions?  If so, it’s our way of saying, “That’s my stuff, God.”

But you know what?  For me, that’s no good.  I need full communion with the Lord.  That means open communication all day long, and it means we go through everything together.

Second Corinthians 13:14 talks about the “communion of the Holy Ghost.”  That’s the King James.  The NIV says, “…the fellowship of the Holy Spirit...”  Or check out what The Message says, “…the intimate friendship of the Holy Spirit…”

That is full communion with God, and that is what I want.

Now what about you?  Which best describes your life?

Are you satisfied just being right with God, or do you want the full communion of walking with God?


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

May God bless you today!  With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
 
*  Isaiah 1:18

© 2008 The Arrow’s Tip
To subscribe to your own daily “Apples of Gold” e-mail, write dougapple@wave94.com.
If you want to be removed from this e-mail list, simply click reply and type UNSUBSCRIBE on the subject line.
If you want to catch “Apples of Gold” in its original audio format, go to www.wave94.com
To search through the large archive of past articles, go here:  http://www.wave94.com/modules.php?name=Stories_Archive
If you have trouble reaching me at my main e-mail address, try this one:  douglas_apple@msn.com

(Proverbs 25:11 – “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”)

Why “The Arrow’s Tip”?  Each morning, after diligently seeking the Lord, I write Apples of Gold.  Then before I release it to the public I pray one final prayer, “Lord, send forth your arrows.”  I envision Apples of Gold as arrows, tips dipped in the river of the water of life that flows from the throne of God (Rev. 22:1), sailing toward the hearts and minds of men and women around the world.

Doug Apple
General Manager - Wave 94
Christian Radio for Tallahassee
PO Box 4105
Tallahassee, FL  32315
(850) 926-8000
-vi-

To Do Your Best at Something, Measure It - Apples of Gold - April 22, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for April 22, 2008

“To Do Your Best at Something, Measure It”

Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.

I do some work for the Radio Forecast Network.

I’m not a meteorologist, just an announcer, but each day I produce weather forecasts for stations around the country.

And I do them as fast as I can.

Not that I do the Speedy Gonzales.  I just don’t want to take any more time than I have to.

So I measure how long it takes.  And let me tell you, since I started measuring, I have cut my time in half.  I just kept finding ways to do it quicker. 

I think it is important that we measure what we do.  When we want to do our best at something, we need to measure it.

In my early days as a disc jockey I made a lot of mistakes.  I didn’t want to, but they just happened; things like starting a record at the wrong speed, or not having all my commercials ready.  Then one day I got the bright idea to start writing them down.  I wrote down every mistake I made.

See, writing them down brought them out of the nebulous void and into a tangible reality where I could actually see them and correct them.  And I did.  Once I saw them tallied up on paper, I began eliminating them. 

I know some DJ’s find this hard to believe, but you can get to the place where you make almost zero mistakes on the air.  But to do your best, you have to measure what you do.

My daughter wants to get her money under control.  What is her first step?  Write up a budget, of course.  She needs to write down her income, then write down her expenditures. 

Then what?  Then she needs to measure her spending.  Where exactly does the money go?  Money has a way of slipping into that nebulous void – until you start writing it down.

My youngest daughter is a volleyball player.  I always harp on her, “Get your serves in.  Every single serve should go in.”  The great thing about sports is all the statistics – they measure exactly how you are doing. 

My son has a new job, and he gets a bonus for certain things.  That’s a great idea, because now he can easily measure his success by how many bonuses he gets.

Professors measure published articles.  Dentists measure the number of patients.  A-Rod measures home runs.  The Cubs measure years since 1908.

Anything you want to be successful at, you can measure.

“But Doug, some things are intangible.”

Yes, but you can still find ways to measure them. 

Take marriage.  There are many little things you can measure to improve your marriage.  For example, how many meaningful touches do you and your spouse share each day?  They say you need something like a minimum of eight.  So count them.  And whatever it is, improve it.

What about “I love you’s,” or kisses or gifts or honey-do jobs or friendly e-mails.  These are all measurable.

This applies to raising children.

It also applies to our spiritual lives.  Some people get squeamish when they think of measuring their spiritual lives.  Some people cry, “Legalism!”

But I think it’s time we bring our spiritual growth out of the nebulous void.  We can measure how much time we spend in prayer.  We can measure our Bible study and our witnessing.  We can measure our giving and our good deeds and our help for the poor.  We can measure acts of service to our neighbors.  We can measure how much we honor our parents.

Some people don’t like this, but I don’t know why.  Maybe they think it’s putting God in a box.  Maybe they think it will lead to pride or bragging.

But what it should lead to is growth.  You measure something so that you know where you stand and how much you are growing.

In the parable of the talents, those that grew, with a measurable growth, were rewarded.

Colossians 1:10 talks about bearing fruit in every good work.  How do you know if your good works are bearing fruit unless you measure them?  And the good thing about measuring your good works?  It will help you bear even more fruit!

Colossians also talks about growing in the knowledge of God.  Second Peter 3:18 says we are to grow in the “knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”  How do we know if we are?  By measuring it. 

One way I measure my knowledge of God is by how much I know of His Word.  I measure that by how much I learn in Bible study.

How can we know for sure we are growing unless we are measuring?

We measure our sports.  We measure our money.  We even measure our weight!  Measuring is what we do when we are serious about something.

So if you want to bring something out of the nebulous void and get serious about it, if you really want to improve an area of your life, then learn this simple but important rule:  measure what you do.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

May God bless you today!  With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
 

© 2008 The Arrow’s Tip
To subscribe to your own daily “Apples of Gold” e-mail, write dougapple@wave94.com.
If you want to be removed from this e-mail list, simply click reply and type UNSUBSCRIBE on the subject line.
If you want to catch “Apples of Gold” in its original audio format, go to www.wave94.com
To search through the large archive of past articles, go here:  http://www.wave94.com/modules.php?name=Stories_Archive
If you have trouble reaching me at my main e-mail address, try this one:  douglas_apple@msn.com

(Proverbs 25:11 – “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”)

Why “The Arrow’s Tip”?  Each morning, after diligently seeking the Lord, I write Apples of Gold.  Then before I release it to the public I pray one final prayer, “Lord, send forth your arrows.”  I envision Apples of Gold as arrows, tips dipped in the river of the water of life that flows from the throne of God (Rev. 22:1), sailing toward the hearts and minds of men and women around the world.

Doug Apple
General Manager - Wave 94
Christian Radio for Tallahassee
PO Box 4105
Tallahassee, FL  32315
(850) 926-8000
-vi-

People Can Smell the Slightest Hint of Unholiness - Apples of Gold - April 21, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for April 21, 2008

“People Can Smell the Slightest Hint of Unholiness”

Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.

When I was a little kid I was fascinated by cowboys.

They had the guns and the horses and, man, what a life of action!

I had my own six-shooters with leather holsters that tied around my legs; you know, so you could draw your guns lightning fast. 

Okay, so maybe I saw a few too many cowboy shows.  But you didn’t have to see many to know how they go.

The show starts peaceful enough in a little western town.  Then the bad guys ride in and start trouble.  The good townspeople are concerned, but divided.  Some want to appease the crooks, but the sheriff knows that won’t work, at least not for long.  Give in to the bad guys and they always come back for more.

Then there are the people who say, “Just shoot ‘em!”  Well, the sheriff is all about law and order, so he can’t shoot them.  He has to arrest them and give them a proper trial.

The sheriff has his work cut out for him.  He has to come up with a plan to catch the bad guys, and organize the citizens.  He has to keep some from cowering in fear, and others from forming a vigilante.

And you know the very first battle the sheriff has to fight?

With himself - because the same temptations the people struggle with also strike the sheriff.  Yes, he’d like to appease the bad guys and hope no one gets hurt.  Maybe they would even pay him off.  And he’s also thought about just shooting them.

But he has decided to live by a higher law, with no corruption - no matter what the crooks do, no matter what the people do, and no matter the personal cost.  He has a calling on his life, and he is going to live by that higher law.

Maybe it’s a guy thing, but that stirs me.  I want to be like that sheriff, a man who stands tall and strong and unmovable.  A rock.  Granite.

It doesn’t matter what the bad guys do.  It doesn’t matter what the fearful do.  It doesn’t matter which way the wind blows.  I have decided to live by a higher law, with no corruption.

And what is that higher law?

Second Timothy 1:9 says God has “saved us and called us to a holy life.”

First Thessalonians 4:7 says, “God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.”

First Corinthians 1:2 says we are “called to be holy…”

First Peter 1:15 says, “…just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do…”

This is the higher law:  holiness.

Here is one way to look at it, and I’ll use a phrase that I love from Ephesians 5:3.  It says, “not even a hint.”

Let me illustrate.  We have a fenced-in backyard.  The other day a young man came over for a visit.  He brought his dog, and turned it loose in the yard. 

That night my kids had some friends over, and they were in the backyard, so I asked the young man, “Did your dog ‘do’ anything in the yard?”  He said, “I’m sure he did, but I don’t know where.”

I kept waiting for one of the girls to scream.  They never did.

Then it came time for me to mow the yard.

Now I have a riding mower, so don’t get ahead of me.

Anyway, so I’m riding along, and all of a sudden I get a whiff of something, just a hint.  And I thought, “There it is.”

That’s the way unholiness is in our lives.  People smell it.  Even if they are unholy in every way, they can still smell the slightest hint of unholiness in us.

I don’t want that.  I don’t want even a hint of unholiness.  I want to be like the sheriff, who stood strong with no corruption – no matter what was going on or what anyone else did.

A sheriff with no corruption can save a town.  Just think what a Christian can do who has no hint of unholiness.

Like I said, people can smell unholiness a mile away.  And it’s wretched.  So let’s work to eliminate it.  Let’s do what we can to live up to the call of God on our life – the call to a life of holiness.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

May God bless you today!  With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
 
By the way, your children may be the very best at sniffing out unholiness in your life.

© 2008 The Arrow’s Tip
To subscribe to your own daily “Apples of Gold” e-mail, write dougapple@wave94.com.
If you want to be removed from this e-mail list, simply click reply and type UNSUBSCRIBE on the subject line.
If you want to catch “Apples of Gold” in its original audio format, go to www.wave94.com
To search through the large archive of past articles, go here:  http://www.wave94.com/modules.php?name=Stories_Archive
If you have trouble reaching me at my main e-mail address, try this one:  douglas_apple@msn.com

(Proverbs 25:11 – “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”)

Why “The Arrow’s Tip”?  Each morning, after diligently seeking the Lord, I write Apples of Gold.  Then before I release it to the public I pray one final prayer, “Lord, send forth your arrows.”  I envision Apples of Gold as arrows, tips dipped in the river of the water of life that flows from the throne of God (Rev. 22:1), sailing toward the hearts and minds of men and women around the world.

Doug Apple
General Manager - Wave 94
Christian Radio for Tallahassee
PO Box 4105
Tallahassee, FL  32315
(850) 926-8000

-vi-

Are You Desperately Praying for Someone? - Apples of Gold - April 18, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for April 18, 2008

“Are You Desperately Praying for Someone?”

Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.

So you are praying for someone.

You really want God to answer your prayers because, man, they really need it.

Now I’m going to challenge you.  How much do you love them?  How bad do you want God to work in their life?

If you want it bad enough, you will be willing to do whatever it takes to make your prayers more effective.

So what is the number one way to make your prayers more effective?

I think it is this.  Get rid of the sin in your life.  Stamp out sin, and be more righteous.

You won’t read this in an advice column.  You won’t see it on Oprah.  But bro, the sin has got to go.

James 5:16 says, “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”

Don’t you want your prayers to be powerful and effective?  Who doesn’t?  But there is a price to be paid, and that is to get rid of sin and be more righteous. 

Do you love that person you are praying for?  Do you want your prayers to be answered?  Then become a righteous man or woman of God.

Proverbs 15:29 says the Lord hears…whose prayer?  “The prayer of the righteous.”

First Peter 3:12 says the Lord’s ears are attentive to whose prayer?  The prayer of the righteous.

So the number one key to making your prayers more effective is to be righteous.

Now here is the number two key.  Believe.

Jesus made it clear that when we pray, we should believe that it will happen.  Matthew 21:22 and Mark 11:24 both say it.  If we believe, we will receive.

If not, James 1:7 says we shouldn’t expect to receive anything from the Lord.  So when we pray, it is important that we believe what we are praying.

“But Doug, what if my faith is weak, and I’m not sure if I believe?”

Then pray the Word of God.  You know that’s true.  You know you can believe the Word, so when you pray for someone, pray right out of the Bible. 

For example, Jesus said in John 6:44, “No one can come to me unless the Father…draws him…”  So this is a prayer I pray often for people – and I believe it when I pray – “Lord, draw this person to You.”  I pray it, and I believe it.

Now here is a third key to making your prayers more effective.  Pray, and keep on praying.

In Luke 18 is Jesus’ parable of the persistent widow.  The point of the parable?  That we should “always pray and not give up.” 

In our 8:08 prayer time, there are certain people we pray for every single day.  We will pray, and we won’t give up, just like Jesus said.

Why does God make us keep on praying for something?  I don’t know.  But He said do it, and that’s good enough for me.  Just keep on praying and don’t give up.

The clear theme in Scripture is that we should be people of prayer.  I love what David wrote in Psalm 109:  “I am a man of prayer.”

Various verses say we are to be faithful in prayer and devoted to prayer.  We are to pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers.  Philippians 4:6 indicates that we are to pray about everything.  First Thessalonians says to “pray without ceasing.”

So there you have three keys to make your prayers more effective:
Get rid of sin in your life and be more righteous.
Believe what you are praying for, and
Be persistent in your prayers

Now here are some bonus prayer points.

Acts 1:14 says, “They all joined together constantly in prayer…”  This is a hallmark of strong Christians.  They get together and pray.

The Bible doesn’t require a certain posture for prayer, but several times it points out that people got down on their knees to pray.  Acts 21 even describes a time when they knelt down out on the beach to pray.  Like I said, it’s not required, but some mighty strong Christians did it.  Paul wrote in Ephesians 3:14, “…I kneel before the Father…”

Almost no one does this next point in the American church, and maybe they write it off as cultural or something, but you know what?  If I had someone I was desperate to reach the Lord for in prayer, I would just do it. 

First Corinthians 11 says, “Every man who prays…with his head covered dishonors his head.  And every woman who prays…with her head uncovered dishonors her head…”  Verse 13 says, “Judge for yourselves:  Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered?”

“Oh, Doug, come on!”

Look.  I don’t know.  I’m just saying, if I was desperate to get a hold of God for someone, I would cover this base.*

And if that sounds like it’s picking on the gals, then here is one for the guys.  First Timothy 2:8 says, “I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer…”

So, anyway, the point is, if you love someone and are praying for them, do what you can to make your prayers more effective, and that means:
Get rid of sin in your life and be more righteous.
Believe what you are praying for, and
Be persistent in your prayers


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

May God bless you today!  With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
 
*  One additional thought on this subject.  It is interesting that men already do this.  Most men, when it comes time to pray, will take off their hat.  Why?  Out of reverence for the Lord.  Even men who never darken the door of a church will take off their hat during a prayer.  But in America today, a woman who covered her head during prayer would, at best, be looked at sort of strangely.  Why have the men retained this pattern but not the women?  I haven’t studied this at all, but it is a curiosity.

Now if you are looking for a verse that targets the men, look at First Peter 3:7, “Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.” 

According to that verse, how a husband treats his wife directly influences the effectiveness of his prayers.

© 2008 The Arrow’s Tip
To subscribe to your own daily “Apples of Gold” e-mail, write dougapple@wave94.com.
If you want to be removed from this e-mail list, simply click reply and type UNSUBSCRIBE on the subject line.
If you want to catch “Apples of Gold” in its original audio format, go to www.wave94.com
To search through the large archive of past articles, go here:  http://www.wave94.com/modules.php?name=Stories_Archive
If you have trouble reaching me at my main e-mail address, try this one:  douglas_apple@msn.com

(Proverbs 25:11 – “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”)

Why “The Arrow’s Tip”?  Each morning, after diligently seeking the Lord, I write Apples of Gold.  Then before I release it to the public I pray one final prayer, “Lord, send forth your arrows.”  I envision Apples of Gold as arrows, tips dipped in the river of the water of life that flows from the throne of God (Rev. 22:1), sailing toward the hearts and minds of men and women around the world.

Doug Apple
General Manager - Wave 94
Christian Radio for Tallahassee
PO Box 4105
Tallahassee, FL  32315
(850) 926-8000

-vi-

I Just Want Good Things to Happen to Me - Apples of Gold - April 17, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for April 17, 2008

“I Just Want Good Things to Happen to Me”

Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.

“Look, Doug.  I just want good things to happen to me.  Is that too much to ask?”

Not at all.  I want good things to happen to me, too.  Who doesn’t want a “lucky break” now and then?

Well, I don’t believe in luck, but I do believe in God’s favor.  God makes good things happen to us when we find favor in His eyes.

So how do we find that favor?

Look at the example of Noah.  Genesis 6 says, “Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.” 

How did he do it?  Verse 9 says, “Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God.”

There’s our example.  If we want God’s favor, then we need to walk with Him, and live righteous and blameless lives.

Psalm 5:12 confirms this.  It says that the Lord blesses the righteous, and surrounds them with His favor.

Psalm 84:11 indicates that the Lord will bestow His favor on those whose walk is blameless.

So do you want good things to happen to you?  Then live a righteous life.

Daniel also talks about God’s favor.  Daniel 9:13 even gives us a little formula for finding God’s favor.  In order to seek the favor of the Lord we must do two things:  Turn from our sins, and give attention to God’s truth.

Samuel had the favor of the Lord.  Jesus’ mother Mary was “highly favored.”

Proverbs 12:2 indicates that all good people obtain favor from the Lord.

So if you want good things to happen to you, then be a good person.

In the Old Testament, Joseph is a great example of God’s favor.  Genesis 39:2 says, “The Lord was with Joseph and he prospered…” 

“Yes, Doug, the Lord was with Joseph.  Of course He was with Joseph.  But I’m not so sure He’s with me.”

Remember what it said about Noah?  It said that he “walked with God.”  If you walk with God, then you know the Lord is with you, because you are walking with Him.  And when we walk with Him, good things happen.

Joseph walked with the Lord, and Genesis 39: 3 says, “…the Lord gave him success in everything he did…”

That could have made his boss, Potiphar, really jealous.  But instead, his boss showed him favor. 

I picture a sort of “favor zone” around Joseph.  So how can we get in that favor zone?  By walking with the Lord.  That means we turn from our sins, give attention to God’s truth, and live righteous lives.  When we do this, we will enter God’s Favor Zone.

“Was Joseph always in the favor zone, ‘cause you know, some bad things did happen to him…”

Great question.  When Potiphar’s wife falsely accused Joseph, he went to prison.  That doesn’t sound like God’s favor, does it?

But did Joseph do anything to put himself outside the favor zone?  The Bible doesn’t mention anything, no sin, no corruption, nothing.  So I think Joseph was still in God’s Favor Zone, even in prison. 

Joseph never stopped walking with the Lord, and Genesis 39 says, “…in the prison, the Lord was with him…”

Now Joseph could have said, “Gee, Lord, thanks a lot.  I walk with You, and this is the thanks I get?  Forgettaboutit!”

But he didn’t.  No matter what happened, he kept walking with the Lord – and he kept walking in God’s Favor Zone.

Now I’ve heard some people say that if we just believe in good things, God will send them.  I don’t believe that.  If you believe good things are coming, but you don’t turn from your sin, you will not receive God’s favor.

Sure, sometimes good things happen to bad people and bad things happen to good people.  Joseph went to prison and Potiphar’s wife did not.  But you can’t judge things on isolated incidents.  It’s when you look at the broad spectrum of Joseph’s life that you see God’s favor, and the same is true for us.

My wife and I both have stories of applying for jobs we really wanted, and then being disappointed when we didn’t get them – only to discover that those businesses ended up closing, which would have left us out in the cold.  So we can’t judge by isolated incidents.  We have to look at the big picture over time to really see God’s favor at work.

So do you just want good things to happen to you?  Here’s how.  Walk with the Lord by turning from your sin, giving attention to God’s truth, and living a righteous life.  When you do that, the Lord will be with you, and you will find yourself right in the middle of God’s Favor Zone.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

May God bless you today!  With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
 
 
© 2008 The Arrow’s Tip
To subscribe to your own daily “Apples of Gold” e-mail, write dougapple@wave94.com.
If you want to be removed from this e-mail list, simply click reply and type UNSUBSCRIBE on the subject line.
If you want to catch “Apples of Gold” in its original audio format, go to www.wave94.com
To search through the large archive of past articles, go here:  http://www.wave94.com/modules.php?name=Stories_Archive
If you have trouble reaching me at my main e-mail address, try this one:  douglas_apple@msn.com

(Proverbs 25:11 – “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”)

Why “The Arrow’s Tip”?  Each morning, after diligently seeking the Lord, I write Apples of Gold.  Then before I release it to the public I pray one final prayer, “Lord, send forth your arrows.”  I envision Apples of Gold as arrows, tips dipped in the river of the water of life that flows from the throne of God (Rev. 22:1), sailing toward the hearts and minds of men and women around the world.

Doug Apple
General Manager - Wave 94
Christian Radio for Tallahassee
PO Box 4105
Tallahassee, FL  32315
(850) 926-8000

-vi-

The Things Some Parents Do for Their Children - Apples of Gold - April 15, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for April 15, 2008

“The Things Some Parents Do for Their Children”

Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.

 Joey was going to be tall.

His parents weren’t, but Joey was shooting up there and, hallelujah! he liked basketball.

Mom and Dad invested in Joey’s future.  They sent him to basketball camps, and it became a year-round focus. 

Then there was that little school break-in episode.  School officials made the hard decision.  They banned their star from basketball.

Joey’s parents took some action, too.  They moved.  They took Joey to a school that would let him play. 

The things some parents do for their children.

I recently finished “The Innocent Man” by John Grisham.  It’s the true story of Ron Williamson, who was raised in a devout Christian home.  Ron was a natural at baseball.  To enhance his chances of playing professionally, Ron’s parents moved to a nearby town where the high school team was the state champ.

The things some parents do for their children.

Neither Joey nor Ron went very far in athletics.  Yet their parents made major sacrifices for the cause.

Was it a worthy cause?  I guess that depends on your goals for your kids.

So what are your goals for your kids?

Here is what I think is the most important goal – that our children have their own relationship with God.  That is valuable to them from now until the day they die, then on into eternity.  Your child’s spiritual health is a most worthy investment.

Now listen to this.  There are some parents who need to do what Joey and Ron’s parents did.  They need to move.

Take a good, hard look at the spiritual climate your child is in.  Is it conducive to your spiritual goals for them?  If not, then move.

Listen, if people can uproot and move for the sake of sports, and that happens a lot, then surely people can move for something vastly more important.

Here is my advice.  Get your kids involved in the most fired up, Godly, Christ-centered youth group you can find.  Not just a big youth group.  Not just a fun group or an active group, but a fired-up-for-God group.

Is your church youth group dead?  If you keep sending your kids to a dead youth group, it will be like throwing water on their spiritual fire.

Just once I would like to hear someone say, “Yes, we moved our family so that our kids could be part of this dynamic youth group.”  A group like that will radically alter your kids’ lives.

Every night our family gathers together at 8:08 for prayer.  We stand in the living room, hold hands in a circle, and pray.  I have heard some of the most passionate, on-fire prayers come out of my kids, and I think, “Man, where did that come from?”

Yes, we’ve raised them in a good, Christian home.  They went to Christian school, and they’ve always been in church.  But still, you can’t force a teenager to be fired up for Christ.  You just can’t make them do it. 

So where did those passionate prayers come from?  They come from their own fire for the Lord – which is stoked continuously by a great youth group. 

And you know what?  I wouldn’t trade it for anything.  Not for a scholarship.  Not for a pro contract.  Not for fame or fortune or any worldly success for my children.  None of that comes close to the value of my kids walking with the Lord.

So what should you look for in a youth group?  I like what Andrew Large said on the www.youthpastor.com website:  “The effective youth ministries in America are those in which the youth minister and youth leadership spend hours on their knees seeking God’s plan for the local church.”*

So find a youth group where the leaders actively seek the Lord’s will, and their ministry shows it.  Find youth leaders on fire for Jesus, and you will find a worthy youth group.

Yes, some parents go to great lengths for their children.  The question is, what will you do to get your kids into a good youth group?


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

May God bless you today!  With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
 
*  http://www.youthpastor.com/lessons/index.cfm/Philosophy-A_Youth_Ministry_Philosophy_150.htm

One great piece of advice I read for youth leaders – “Student ministry should be built on the team principle, not on the gifts of one individual.” – Ryan C. Nielsen
 
© 2008 The Arrow’s Tip
To subscribe to your own daily “Apples of Gold” e-mail, write dougapple@wave94.com.
If you want to be removed from this e-mail list, simply click reply and type UNSUBSCRIBE on the subject line.
If you want to catch “Apples of Gold” in its original audio format, go to www.wave94.com
To search through the large archive of past articles, go here:  http://www.wave94.com/modules.php?name=Stories_Archive
If you have trouble reaching me at my main e-mail address, try this one:  douglas_apple@msn.com

(Proverbs 25:11 – “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”)

Why “The Arrow’s Tip”?  Each morning, after diligently seeking the Lord, I write Apples of Gold.  Then before I release it to the public I pray one final prayer, “Lord, send forth your arrows.”  I envision Apples of Gold as arrows, tips dipped in the river of the water of life that flows from the throne of God (Rev. 22:1), sailing toward the hearts and minds of men and women around the world.

Doug Apple
General Manager - Wave 94
Christian Radio for Tallahassee
PO Box 4105
Tallahassee, FL  32315
(850) 926-8000
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Where Do Preachers Get Their Sermons? - Apples of Gold - April 14, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for April 14, 2008

“Where Do Preachers Get Their Sermons?”

Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.

Here is an interesting question:  “Where do preachers get their sermons?”

The answer varies from preacher to preacher.  Some will follow their denomination’s outline.  Some will use books of sermons, and these days you can find thousands of sermons on the internet. 

Most of the pastors I know personally – they pray and ask God to lead them in their sermon preparation.  I have heard at least two pastors over the years say that they preached about whatever was going on in their personal life.  They believed that God allowed things in their life so that they could then preach on those things to their congregation.

Last week I read a very sad article about pastors who became atheists, yet they still stood in front of congregations each week and delivered sermons.  Their topics included things like “social responsibility” and “care for the planet.”  They preached more from the newspaper than from the Bible.

Last week as I studied the book of Jeremiah, one particular verse hit me straight between the eyes.  Out of the entire book, this one verse stood out the most. 

In Jeremiah 23:22, God is talking about false prophets, and He says this, “…if they had stood in my council, they would have proclaimed my words to my people and would have turned them from their evil ways and from their evil deeds.”

I especially love that opening phrase, “…if they had stood in my council…”

Now to me, this is where preachers should get their sermons.  This is where Bible teachers should get their lessons.  Anyone speaking or writing or singing for the Lord, this is where the messages should come from – standing in the council of the Lord.

Jeremiah 23:18 says, “…which of them has stood in the council of the Lord to see or to hear his word?  Who has listened and heard his word?”

So, practically speaking, how do we stand in the council of the Lord?

Because the Lord is spirit, I think we must get alone in a quiet place where we can tune out the physical things of the world. 

This is what Jesus did.  Luke 5:16 says, “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.”

Then when it came time for Jesus to preach and teach, He only spoke the words He heard while standing in the council of the Lord.  In John 12:50 Jesus said, “…whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.”  In John 8:28 He said, “…I do nothing on my own, but speak just what the Father has taught me.”

So we start by getting alone with God.  Then what?  James 4:8 says that if we draw near to God, He will draw near to us.

I have probably said that thousands of times, “Lord, right now I am drawing near to You, and I know You are drawing near to me.”

James 4:8 goes on to say, “…wash your hands, you sinners…”  We can’t truly draw near to the Lord with “dirty hands,” in other words, unrepented sin.

Psalm 24 says, “Who may stand in His holy place?  He who has clean hands and a pure heart…”

Verse 6 talks about seeking the Lord, about seeking His face.

When you have unrepented sin, you don’t want to seek the face of God.  You want to avoid the face of God. 

Sometimes you hear about a pastor’s fall into sin.  They were doing bad things during the week, but still preaching on Sunday.  How did they do that?  Well, I doubt they were standing in the council of the Lord, drawing near to Him in His holy place.  Yes, they could still preach a sermon.  It might even be a strong Bible sermon, but it didn’t come from their quiet time in the presence of God.

“What’s so bad about that, as long it comes from the Bible?”

Now let me bring up one hugely important word:  timing.

Jeremiah prophesied peace for Jerusalem, and so did the false prophets.  The difference was their timing.  The false prophets said the peace was coming right then, with no need for repentance.  Jeremiah said the peace would only come if they repented, or if not, then after they were judged and served their sentence in exile.

Same message, very different timing.

So, yes, a pastor could get up in front of his congregation and preach one of Charles Spurgeon’s sermons every week from now on.  Yes, they would be dynamic, Bible based sermons.  But the timing for his congregation could be totally off.  He could be preaching one message, when what they really need to hear is something quite different.

How do you know?  The only way to know is to stand in the council of the Lord, with clean hands and a pure heart. 

So where do preachers get their sermons?  Here is where I think the best sermons come from.  When the people of God get alone with God and stand in the council of the Lord.  They then hear His words, and proclaim His words to His people – turning them from their evil ways.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

May God bless you today!  With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
 
Paul also received messages from the Lord Himself.  In Galatians 1 Paul says he received the Gospel, not from any man, but “I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.”

In First Corinthians 11:23 Paul said, “For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you…”
 
© 2008 The Arrow’s Tip
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To search through the large archive of past articles, go here:  http://www.wave94.com/modules.php?name=Stories_Archive
If you have trouble reaching me at my main e-mail address, try this one:  douglas_apple@msn.com

(Proverbs 25:11 – “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”)

Why “The Arrow’s Tip”?  Each morning, after diligently seeking the Lord, I write Apples of Gold.  Then before I release it to the public I pray one final prayer, “Lord, send forth your arrows.”  I envision Apples of Gold as arrows, tips dipped in the river of the water of life that flows from the throne of God (Rev. 22:1), sailing toward the hearts and minds of men and women around the world.

Doug Apple
General Manager - Wave 94
Christian Radio for Tallahassee
PO Box 4105
Tallahassee, FL  32315
(850) 926-8000

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