Apples of Gold
Radio Script for October 29, 2008
“Save the Date”
Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.
My son and his fiancé came by last night.
They showed us little cards they made with their cute little “couple” picture.
At the top it said, “Save the Date.”
Yes, there still may be other dates on the calendar, but they are all small and fuzzy. For them there is really only one date. If you took everything in their life right now and put it in a funnel, it would all pour out on that date.
Meanwhile, I talked to a boy last night who couldn’t care less about my son’s wedding date. His thinking was dominated by another date entirely – October 31st. He was literally giddy at the thought of collecting bags full of candy. Honestly, I think he had a sugar rush just thinking about it.
Another date dominates most people’s thoughts right now – November 4th – Election Day. Millions of dollars and man hours have been geared toward that one day.
And as soon as that’s over, millions of dollars and man hours will be geared toward Christmas Day.
But if you want to know the truth, none of these dates impress me too much. No, not even Election Day or my son’s wedding. My own wedding date didn’t impress me that much.
But there is one date that has my full attention. On my calendar, all other dates are small and fuzzy.
It’s the day that Jesus simply referred to as “That Day.”
Now “that day” is kind of a mystery. In Matthew 24:36 Jesus said, “No one knows about that day…not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”
But we do know a little. For example, in Mark 13 Jesus said, “At that time men will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.”
Jesus goes on to say that “Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. Therefore, keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”
Jesus went on to say, “Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. It’s like a man going away. He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch. Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back – whether in the evening or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: Watch!”
As you can see, Jesus made a big deal out of this point. This is a date above all dates. All other dates are fuzzy and out of focus. This one date stands out from them all. And it is simply known as “That Day,” the day when the Owner returns.
If you took everything in our lives and put it in a funnel, it should all pour out on that day. All of our planning, all of our thinking – all of it should be geared toward That Day.
So what should we be doing between now and then? Back to Matthew 24 where Jesus indicates that, when the master returns, it will be good for those servants who are taking care of their master’s business.
In Mark 13 Jesus said, “It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task…”
See, we all have assigned tasks. We all have our part in the body of Christ. Between now and That Day we need to be doing our duty, carrying out our assigned tasks.
Then he concludes with this warning. If the owner comes suddenly, “do not let him find you sleeping.”
That doesn’t mean we never sleep. It just means we never lose focus. We never forget that we are His servants, here to do His work until He returns.
No, we don’t know when that is, but it must be the primary date on our calendar. We are excited about it and looking forward to it. All of our life is geared toward it.
Yes, That Day is coming, so make sure it doesn’t sneak up on you. Make sure you don’t have anything else going on.
Make sure you Save the Date.
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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