Wednesday, September 03, 2008

I Can't Believe People Still Read Horoscopes - Apples of Gold - September 3, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for September 3, 2008

“I Can’t Believe People Still Read Horoscopes”


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

I can’t believe people still read horoscopes.

I receive news alerts on my cell phone, and the other day one of them had an ad for a daily horoscope text message.

When you Google “horoscopes” you get over 44 million hits, which is more than “Oprah” and “Dr. Phil” combined.

How on earth did horoscopes make the leap into the new century? 

I’ll tell you how.  Because people still want help making decisions.

And they want hope.

A horoscope provides that. 

For example, when it says, “Play your hunches in November,” you think, “Wow, that’s it!  I was wondering when to start my new business.  I’ll do it in November!” 

See, you needed help making a decision, and you got it from the horoscope.

Or when it says, “A new soul will drift into the picture this month – someone you will never tire of,” you think, “Wow, that’s it!  I was hoping for something new and exciting, and there it is.”

Even if you don’t believe in astrology, even if you don’t believe in anything supernatural or metaphysical, you might still benefit from a horoscope just because any sense of direction is better than no sense of direction.

Otherwise horoscopes would have gone the way of…well, I was going to say séances and ouija boards, but they’re still around, too.  Come to think of it, I don’t know of any superstitious (or demonic) tools that have gone by the wayside.

It’s because people want answers.  They want advice.  They want hope.  And they will turn to the most unlikely places to get it.

And you know what?  Many Christians do the same. 

I’ve seen Christians use the Bible like it was some kind of magic 8 ball.  They need advice, so they flop open the Bible, close their eyes, and point.  And wherever their finger lands, that is their divine guidance.

Or they pray, “God give me a sign,” as they drive down the street.  And when they pass the Super China Buffet which is “now hiring” – that’s their sign to quit their job and join “Team Buffet.”

“So what are you saying, Doug?  God doesn’t use signs?”

I’m sure He does, but there is a superior way to receive divine guidance.  Look what it says in Colossians 3:16, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly…”

When I see that word “richly” I think of the word “plenty.”  To me that means to have plenty of the word of Christ within me.  It needs to take up plenty of my mind and plenty of my time.  For the word of Christ to dwell richly within me, it means a lot of my resources are dedicated to the word of Christ.

Then when you need guidance, you don’t dust off the Bible and try the pointing trick.  Instead, you turn to the wisdom of God that is dwelling within you.

So how do we let the word of Christ dwell in us richly?

Yes, you can read it.  You can study it.  But the best way I know is to memorize it.

For me, the Word of God never comes alive more than when I am memorizing it.  As I commit the Word to memory, I meditate on it.  As I dwell on it, it begins to dwell in me.

Now some people get all nervous when they think about memorizing.  It reminds them of some ghoulish school assignment. 

But let me tell you, this is different.  This is the Word of God, and you have the Spirit of God helping you.  Jesus said in John 14 that the Holy Spirit will teach us all things.

God has given you a wonderful brain, and no matter how you did in school, you can memorize the Word of God.  When we don’t, our only real excuse is laziness.  Our brains don’t want to do the work. 

But we must.  We are to let the word of Christ dwell in us richly, and the best way I know is to memorize it.

My son and I have started memorizing the book of Ephesians.  We hold each other accountable.  It’s not really a contest, just a joy to be learning the Word together.

My goal is to learn a new verse each weekday.  That’s not too hard, but by his birthday next March we should have the whole book of Ephesians memorized. 

Look, next March is going to come one way or another.  So think what you could commit to memory between now and then.

And nothing helps you comprehend the Scripture as a whole like memorizing it.  Then you are less likely to take things out of context, and far more likely to do what God wants you to do.

Yes, we all need advice and hope.  And the best place to get it is the Word of God.  And instead of plucking out a verse here and there, it’s best to follow the advice of Colossians 3:16.

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly…”


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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