Apples of Gold
Radio Script for April 10, 2008
“Cologne Guy”
Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.
I’m not a cologne guy.
Sure, I wore a little Polo back when my wife and I were dating, but I don’t even know where it came from.
As a producer, I am often shut up in the recording studio with people. Then when they leave, you can still smell them. Their fragrance permeates the studio.
Some people’s scent is so strong you actually smell them coming. Have you ever walked down the hall…and you know so-and-so is in the building because you smell them.
My son used to be able to identify which of his little friends left their clothes at the house…just by picking up a shirt and smelling it.
My wife likes the smell of my pillow. She says it smells like me.
But she also likes the smell of newborn babies, so what does she know?
My nose isn’t that good. Unless someone bathes themselves in perfume, I’m not likely to pick up on it.
Maybe that’s why I’m not a cologne guy, because as soon as I put it on, I don’t notice it and I figure, “Why bother?”
But I would like to leave behind a nice fragrance. I would love to have a certain scent that would brighten someone’s day when they smelled it coming, and that would leave behind good feelings when I left.
And I can tell you exactly the scent I want. It’s described in Second Corinthians 2:14 – “the aroma of Christ.”
The notes in my study Bible describe a Roman army, marching back into the city after winning a war. It was a victory parade with the soldiers as well as the captives. It was a festive atmosphere, about like any of the civic parades in communities around America.
But then it says those victory parades had a certain smell. Apparently they would burn certain spices, filling the air with a sweet aroma.
Imagine growing up going to these parades. You would soon identify that smell with all the excitement. If you were a loyal Roman, it would be a wonderful smell, the smell of victory.
But what if you weren’t a Roman? What if you were one of the captives? Then to you that would be the smell of defeat. You would hate it.
The same smell, but very different reactions.
That’s what we get when we have the “aroma of Christ.” Second Corinthians two says that “to those who are being saved” we are the “fragrance of life.” But to “those who are perishing…we are the smell of death.”
Sometimes I receive notes from an outspoken atheist. Everything I say about the Lord irks him.
Have you ever talked to someone about Jesus and they almost had a violent reaction? It’s because they suddenly smelled something rancid. They think it’s you (or Jesus), but it’s really them. You are just the one who popped the lid on their sin-rotten soul.
From then on, they can smell you coming. Yes, it’s a sweet smell, but they can’t stand it.
I’ve heard people talk about witnessing in bars, but I’m skeptical. Oh sure, it can be done. But if you really have the aroma of Christ, most bar-attenders will smell you a mile off, and they won’t like it.
On the other hand, our fellow Christians love the aroma of Christ. It’s better than their favorite coffee shop, or treats in the oven.
What exactly is the aroma of Christ? Second Corinthians 2:14 calls it, “the fragrance of the knowledge of Him.”
In Christian radio I work with people from all denominations and backgrounds. They disagree with one another on various points of doctrine. But I have found such joy in those who truly know Jesus. It’s not that they know about Him, or that their doctrine is perfect. It’s that they walk with Him and live with Him. He is their Savior and Lord. He is their Shepherd and they love Him.
These people have the aroma of Christ. When they leave the studio, they leave behind the fragrance of Christ. I’m not left thinking about them, but I’m left thinking about the Lord and how awesome He is.
And that is exactly the fragrance I want to leave behind. I don’t want people thinking about me or what I wore or my cologne or anything. I want to leave behind one thing only, the sweet-smelling “fragrance of life” – the aroma of Christ.
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
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(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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