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Apples of Gold
Radio Script for April 16, 2009
“The Night Stoned Guys Prayed”
Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.
Steve and his buddies were smoking pot.
A long night of partying stretched to early morning.
The subject of God came up, and there was some mocking.
Then, for some reason, they decided to pray.
It was kind of a joke, but they decided to just pray and see what would happen.
And guess what?
God showed up.
Steve said they just felt the Spirit of God move on them.
They started crying.
They knew that God was doing something, but they didn’t know enough to know what.
They stayed up all night, then called a pastor who shared with them the gospel and led them to salvation through Jesus Christ.
I know, I know. Some loaded guys getting saved doesn’t sound like a firm foundation, but the conversion was real. Steve has now been on fire for the Lord for several decades, and he currently pastors a church in Daytona Beach.
And it all started the night that, on a whim, they decided to draw near to God.
It reminds me of one of my all-time favorite Bible verses. James 4:8 says, “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you…”
I am a firm believer in this. This is something I pray all the time. “God, right now I am drawing near to You, and I know that You are drawing near to me.”
How can you go wrong with that? Do it often. Do it with friends and family members. Take time out to simply draw near to God.
Last night at church our pastor was talking about the first sermon he ever preached. He said it was terrible.
Of course it’s depressing to think God has called you to preach, then when you do it it’s terrible.
So he ended up out late that night, basically wrestling with God, or whining to God, or whatever you want to call it.
But the point is, he went to God. He drew near to God.
And he said that God drew near to him. He said that God taught him a lesson. God said something like, “That terrible sermon? Remember it. Remember that that is what you can do in your own power. But now I am going to show you what you can do in My power.” And he said it was after that that he was able to preach with the power of God, and not in his own strength.
Now if you aren’t a believer, that is going to sound like the flakiest thing you have ever heard.
Well if that’s you, then I want to challenge you to do something. I challenge you to simply take some time out and draw near to God.
Yes, that’s right. Just take some time with God. Pray to Him. Listen to Him. Ask to enter into His presence.
Just check it out.
And I have the same challenge for Christians. We say we believe in God and prayer and all that. But how much time do we actually spend drawing near to God?
It’s a shame if we spend more time drawing near to TV than we do drawing near to God.
But you know what? I don’t have to harp on it. I’m just saying hey, why not do it?
Just try it and see what happens.
I think what you will find is that your life will be forever changed.
You just can’t come into the presence of God and not be permanently altered.
So do it. Do what my pastor did late that night after his first sermon. Do what Steve did with his stoned buddies.
Do what I’ve done so many times, and that is simply what it says in James 4:8.
Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.
Comments?
E-mail me: dougapple@wave94.com.
May God bless you today! With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
© 2009 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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