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Apples of Gold
Radio Script for May 15, 2009
“Afflictions Eclipsed by Glory”
Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.
Have you ever read the letter to the church in Smyrna, in the book of Revelation?
It’s dreadful.
Go ahead. Read it and pretend you’re a guy in Smyrna.
It’s a letter from Jesus, and He begins with great empathy for His people in Smyrna.
“I know your afflictions and your poverty.”
He also says He knows about the slander being spewed out against them.
At this point, if I’m in Smyrna, I’m encouraged. “This is great! God knows about our problems. Now He’s going to sweep in and everything is going to be great from here on out!”
Now don’t miss what they were going through: afflictions…poverty…slander.
Okay, Jesus continues. “Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer.”
What? I thought our suffering was over! Now you say there is more?
Jesus says, “I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you…”
The devil? Wait a minute. You’re going to let the devil slip in here and “test” me? I don’t want to be tested. I want to be delivered!
And prison? Why would You allow that?
Okay. Let’s get away from Smyrna for a minute and talk about this. Why would God allow any of His people to end up in prison?
Well did you know that the apostle Paul was imprisoned when he wrote the book of Philippians?
And look what he wrote in Philippians 1:12. “Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel.”
See, advancing the gospel is a goal, and that goal was met by Paul being imprisoned.
Now listen to verse 13. “As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard…”
Okay, stop right there. “The whole palace guard.” Paul’s imprisonment has impacted the whole palace guard. The name of Christ has come to the whole palace guard because Paul is there.
And now verse 14. “Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly.”
Now wait a minute. Paul goes to prison because of Christ, and the others speak more boldly? You’d think it would have the opposite effect – scare everyone into silence.
But listen to this. Don’t miss it! This is the way God often works. There is one thing going on on the outside, but because of the Spirit of God in the mix, something else entirely takes place on the inside.
Someone goes to prison for Christ, but instead of being frightened, the others actually speak more boldly.
Meanwhile, on the outside, it looks like Paul’s ministry is chained down. Yet, for crying out loud, he’s in there writing big chunks of the Bible!
And at the end of Philippians, Paul writes, “All the saints send you greetings, especially those who belong to Caesar’s household.”
Well it sounds to me like Paul is palling around with people from Caesar’s household.
And he’s in chains, but somehow he manages to slip the word “rejoice” in there seven times in his letter to the Philippians!
How can you be in chains and still rejoice? That’s God, my friend, that’s God.
So back to the church in Smyrna. Jesus just told them that some of them would be put in prison, and He used this phrase, “suffer persecution.”
If I’m in Smyrna, this is not what I want to hear. Affliction, slander, suffering, persecution, prison and the devil.
And Jesus tells me, “Do not be afraid.” I don’t know about you, but when someone tells me not to be afraid, it means there is something to fear!
And then Jesus caps it off. “Be faithful, even to the point of death…”
Oh great! Not even a hint of deliverance! “Be faithful to the point of death.”
And finally some good news. Jesus says, “Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.” Then he concludes with, “He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death.”
Wait a minute. What about the first death? That’s the one I’m worried about.
So on the outside, as a guy in Smyrna, I have nothing to look forward to, at least not in this life. The news is dreadful until I die. One affliction on top of another.
Why would Jesus even send that message? It’s depressing.
But then I heard a song called “How He Loves” by John Mark McMillan. And in it is this little phrase, “afflictions eclipsed by glory.”
And at the moment I felt the Spirit of God, the presence of God sweep over me, and I thought, “That’s it. That’s what God did for the church in Smyrna. That’s what God did for Paul in prison, and for Stephen when he was stoned, and for saints throughout the ages. Sometimes He allows afflictions, but then He sweeps in and, in the middle of it all, He eclipses the afflictions with His glory!
I’ve been there. I’ve been in pain. I’ve struggled with money. I’ve been right in the middle of anguish over something that just wouldn’t go away. Then out of the blue…the Lord is there.
The Lord is there, and suddenly my afflictions are eclipsed by glory.
So the issue is not what’s going on on the outside. Like the church in Smyrna, sometimes the news is just not good.
But do not…do not discount the glory of God in your situation!
Draw near to Him! Enter into His presence! Open up to His light.
And I know that you will experience what so many of us have experienced over and over.
Afflictions eclipsed by glory.
Comments?
E-mail me: dougapple@wave94.com.
May God bless you today! With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
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Below are the lyrics to “How He Loves” by John Mark McMillan (also recorded by Kim Walker). By the way, John wrote this song the day after one of his best friends died.
He is jealous for me
Love’s like a hurricane, I am a tree
Bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy
When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory
and I realize just how beautiful You are and how great Your affections are for me.
Oh, how He loves us so
Oh, how He loves us
How He loves us so.
So we are His portion and He is our prize,
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes
If grace is an ocean we're all sinking
So heaven meets earth like a sloppy wet kiss and my heart turns violently inside of my chest
I don't have time to maintain these regrets when I think about the way
That he loves us,
Woah, how He loves us
Woah, how He loves us
Woah, how He loves
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© 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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