Every Debt That You Ever Had - Apples of Gold - July 31, 2009 -vi-

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Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for July 31, 2009

“Every Debt That You Ever Had”

 

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

It’s a great thing to have your sins forgiven!

I know psychiatrists have their mumbo jumbo about, “Well, that’s nice for you.  If it makes you feel better to think some ‘god’ out there has forgiven your sins, well that’s just great.  More power to you.”

But have you ever tried to talk yourself into something you don’t believe? 

Like, try to talk yourself into believing that a relative just gave you a thousand dollars.  That’s ridiculous, right?  Unless they did just give you a thousand dollars.  And then you don’t have to talk yourself into believing it, because it really happened.  It may seem unreal.  It may be amazing and wonderful.  It may stir up a wide variety of emotions.  But you don’t have to talk yourself into some mind game about whether you got the money or not.  You got it.  You know you got it because you can look in your account and there it is. 

Well that’s what happens when you truly receive God’s forgiveness for your sins.  I have seen this happen to thousands of people, and I know it has happened to millions.  They bring their sins to the Lord, that heavy burden of their sins, and He forgives them. 

And it’s a glorious thing!  You can see the look on their face.  They brighten.  The load is lifted.  They weren’t forgiven before, and now they are. 

It’s not a mind game because before, when they looked at their account, they saw their sin.  It was big and black and heavy and ugly.  It was a ruiner, a destroyer. 

But then they come to Jesus and they lay it out before Him.

“Here is my sin, Lord.  I lay it before You.  I confess it.  I did it.  I am a sinner.  I need forgiveness.  Lord Jesus, please forgive me.”

And He does!  And then they look at their account, and their debt has been wiped clean! 

Oh yes, it has great psychological benefits, just as God designed it to have.  It’s a great leap toward mental health when your sins are forgiven.

Big sins.  Little sins.  Old sins.  New sins.  Accidental sins and on-purpose sins.  One-time sins and habitual sins.  Bring them all to Jesus.  Confess them.  Lay them out before Him, and He will forgive them!  The slate will be wiped clean.  “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be like crimson, they shall be as wool.”  “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us.”

This is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Yes, it’s the old fashioned Gospel, the Gospel that saved sinners in tents, at wooden altars, and on sawdust floors.  It’s the Gospel that saved St. Augustine and the Apostle Paul.  It’s the Gospel that rescued C.S. Lewis and Charles Colson.  It’s the Gospel that caused Kurt Warner to say, “Thank you Jesuuuuus!” when he won the Super Bowl.  

It’s the message that is still setting people free everyday, everywhere.  It’s so important that millions of people, after receiving it themselves, have dedicated their lives to spreading it around the world.

“What a message!” they say.  “I must tell everyone!  I must spread this to every soul I can!  Everyone must hear this wonderful news!”

Luke 24 says that repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in Jesus name to all nations.

This is the message to all nations, that Jesus Christ will forgive your sins!

You can be relieved of that terrible burden.

In Psalm 32 King David said, “Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.”

At the Last Supper Jesus said, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”

Acts 10:43 says, “All the prophets testify about Him that everyone who believe in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name.”

In Acts 2:38 Peter said, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.  And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

Acts 13:38 says, “Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.”

Ephesians 1:7 says “…we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.”

First John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

Oh, how many songs have been written about this free and wonderful gift of the forgiveness of sins through Jesus Christ?

One of my all time favorites was written by Michael Kelley Blanchard.  It says:

“Be ye glad, oh, be ye glad,
Every debt that you ever had,
Has been paid up in full by the grace of the Lord,
Be ye glad,
Be ye glad,
Be ye glad!”


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 
 
To subscribe to your own daily “Apples of Gold” e-mail, write dougapple@wave94.com.
If you want to be removed from this e-mail list, simply click reply and type UNSUBSCRIBE on the subject line.
If you want to catch “Apples of Gold” in its original audio format, go to www.wave94.com
To search through the large archive of past articles, go here:  http://www.wave94.com/modules.php?name=Stories_Archive
If you have trouble reaching me at my main e-mail address, try this one:  douglas_apple@msn.com

(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
-vi-

Calibrate Your Conscience - Apples of Gold - July 30, 2009 -vi-

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Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for July 30, 2009

“Calibrate Your Conscience”

 

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

The other day I pulled up behind a sleek sports car at a stoplight.

A heavily tinted driver’s window rolled down, and out came a pretty little feminine arm with a bright pink bracelet, and matching bright pink fingernails.

And then came the finishing touch.

She was holding a cigarette.

I know, I know.  Smoking these days is not a sign of intelligence. 

But it is a sign of wealth.

I saw a blurb in the Bradenton Herald that said in Florida the average cost of a pack of cigarettes is now over $5.00.

Over 20% of that is state taxes, which has sent some Floridians over the state line to buy their smokes.

A local TV station did a report on it, and they also said that more people were buying their cigarettes on the internet.

But here’s the thing.  If you live in Florida, and you buy cheaper cigarettes online, you are still liable for the state cigarette tax.

That’s what the reporter said, and then he wrapped up his story with something that made me laugh. 

He said, “If you feel guilty about not paying the state for cigarettes bought over the internet, you can download a form from the Florida Department of Business…”

I laughed out loud!  I’ll bet this is not one of those times when a website suddenly crashed from too many hits.

In fact, I bet that – out of the over 18 million people who live in Florida – not one single person has downloaded that form to pay their buck-thirty-four cigarette tax.

Can you see the pink bracelet girl sitting in Starbucks with a friend?

“I feel so guilty.”

“Why?”

“I’ve been buying cigarettes online and not paying the state tax.”

Now go back to what that newscaster said.  He said, “If you feel guilty…”

If you think about it, that’s an odd thing to say about the law of the land. 

I mean, shouldn’t he have said, “You must fill out this form and pay your taxes”?

But instead he said, “If you feel guilty…”

Now think about this.  A bunch of people breaking the law, and probably no one feeling guilty about it.

What does it mean? 

Well get this picture in your head.  I work in radio and we have control boards with meters.  The meters are supposed to tell you exactly what’s going on, but sometimes they get out of whack.  The needles might be barely bouncing, but the sound is really loud. 

What that means is that the meters need to be calibrated.  So you send a test signal through the board, and you reset the meters.  Only then will the meters give you accurate readings.

Our conscience is like that.  It’s like a meter that measures guilt. 

When our conscience is properly calibrated, we will feel guilty when we do wrong.

When our conscience is out of whack, we can do wrong and not feel guilty.  Or we can feel guilty when we don’t do wrong.  Either way it’s messed up.

First Timothy 4:2 talks about having a seared conscience.  It loses its accuracy. 

So we need to calibrate our conscience.

Now think of the Word of God as the test tone.  Scripture tells us what’s right.  It is the pure, unwavering tone that we can set our meters to.

So we go to the Word, and as we receive that pure tone, then the Holy Spirit goes to work inside of us. 

John 16:8 indicates that the Holy Spirit’s expertise is the proper use of guilt. 

Guilt is a good thing.  It’s a meter that warns us when we do wrong.  It’s like a red alert at a nuclear facility.  It must be working properly to avoid a meltdown.

When we do wrong, our conscience should warn us so that we can repent, turn from it and turn back to the Lord.

But our conscience can be seared.  It can give false readings.

That’s why we need to stay in the Word.  It’s that pure test tone that the Holy Spirit uses to make our guilt readings accurate and useful.

So get in the Word.  Be open to the Holy Spirit.

And if you ever find yourself doing wrong and not feeling guilty about it, then you know it’s time – time to calibrate your conscience.


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 
 
To subscribe to your own daily “Apples of Gold” e-mail, write dougapple@wave94.com.
If you want to be removed from this e-mail list, simply click reply and type UNSUBSCRIBE on the subject line.
If you want to catch “Apples of Gold” in its original audio format, go to www.wave94.com
To search through the large archive of past articles, go here:  http://www.wave94.com/modules.php?name=Stories_Archive
If you have trouble reaching me at my main e-mail address, try this one:  douglas_apple@msn.com

(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
-vi-

Church Is Not Some Place You Go - Apples of Gold - July 29, 2009 ***Happy Birthday to my baby sister Jennifer!!!*** -vi-

To listen to the radio version, click here.

 

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Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for July 29, 2009

“Church Is Not Some Place You Go”

 

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

Church is not some place you go.

It’s not a little weekend sliver of your life.

“What are you doing tomorrow?”

“I’m going to church.”

“You go to church?  I didn’t know that.  Why?”

“I don’t know.  I was raised in church and I still like it.  It helps keep my head screwed on straight.  And it’s nice to just have a little peace once in a while.”

See, when we think about church, we think about going to church.

Then we mature a little bit and we think about joining a church, by which we mean that non-profit organization that meets in that building over there.

What I’m saying is, we think about church as a time-on, time-off kind of thing.  It’s like we clock in and clock out, I’m on the church clock, now I’m off the church clock.

But the church is not like a theatre you go to, then leave.  It’s not like the Rotary or the Lion’s Club.

When you become a Christian, you become a member of the body of Christ.

That’s what the church is, according to several passages including Ephesians 1 which says, “…the church, which is His body…”

So the church is the body, and Jesus is the head.  Colossians 1:18 says Jesus “…is the head of the body, the church…”

Ephesians 5:23 says, “…Christ is the head of the church, His body…”

Now this is something we can all relate to!  We all have a body.

Now think about this.  The parts of your body don’t clock in and clock out.  It’s not a part-time gig. 

The same is true for the parts of the body of Christ.  If you are a Christian, then you are part of the body of Christ, and that is a full-time, 24/7 position.  There is never a time when you are not part of the body.

And there are advantages to being part of the body of Christ.

Think if you were a kidney.  Would it be better to be the kidney of a health nut or the kidney of a drug addict?  The health nut, of course, because that person would feed and care for you properly.

Well that’s what Christ does for His body, the church.  Ephesians 5 says He feeds and cares for it, “…for we are members of His body.”

Colossians 2:19 says God causes the body to grow.  The New King James says it “grows with the increase that is from God.”

And now listen to this.  First Corinthians 12:12 says, “The body is a unit…”

Have you ever seen a baseball player make a great catch?  His whole body must work together as a unit to make that catch.  They eyes have to watch the ball.  The feet and legs have to run to it.  The inner ears have to keep his balance.  The arm has to stretch out and the hand has to squeeze.

The body, as a unit, made that catch.

Back to First Corinthians 12.  It says, “The body is a unit…made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body.  So it is with Christ.”

So here we are, full-time members of the body of Christ, no clocking in and out.  We are different parts, but we make up one unit.  And we need to work together, in unity.

First Corinthians 12:27 says, “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.”

So here is your question today.  Are you working properly as a full-time part of the body?

Remember, you are not part of the body sometimes.  No, you are a part of the body always.

Romans 12:5 says, “…so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.”

So we each belong to one another as parts of the same body.  Ephesians 4 indicates that we are to serve one another, and this builds up the body. 

Verse 16 says the body “grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.”

So the question is, are you doing your work?  Are you holding up your end of the deal?

The body of Christ, the church, grows more healthy, it grows bigger and stronger, as each part does its share of the work.

So remember, church is not some place you go, then leave.  You don’t clock in and out. 

No, the church is the body of Christ, and you are a full-time member of that body.

And the question is, are you doing your work as your part of the body of Christ?


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 
 
To subscribe to your own daily “Apples of Gold” e-mail, write dougapple@wave94.com.
If you want to be removed from this e-mail list, simply click reply and type UNSUBSCRIBE on the subject line.
If you want to catch “Apples of Gold” in its original audio format, go to www.wave94.com
To search through the large archive of past articles, go here:  http://www.wave94.com/modules.php?name=Stories_Archive
If you have trouble reaching me at my main e-mail address, try this one:  douglas_apple@msn.com

(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
-vi-

Who Does Jesus Think He Is? - Apples of Gold - July 28, 2009 -vi-

To listen to the radio version, click here.

 

To search archives, click here.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for July 28, 2009

“Who Does Jesus Think He Is?”

 

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

The instruments of death were in their hands.

“We are going to kill you, right here and right now.”

“Why?”

“For the crime of blasphemy.  You, a mere man, claim to be God.”

“So you accuse me of blasphemy because I claim to be God’s Son?”

At this, they rushed Him, but He slipped away.

It wasn’t the first time the Jewish leaders tried to stone Jesus.

They were proud descendants of Father Abraham, so Jesus said, “Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.”

In John 8:57 they replied, “You are not yet fifty years old, and you have seen Abraham!”

“I tell you the truth,” Jesus said, “Before Abraham was born, I am!”

And once again, the instruments of death were in their hands.  They were going to kill Jesus, by stoning, but Jesus “hid Himself,” the Bible says, “slipping away from the temple grounds.”

Well, in a way, I guess you can’t blame the Jewish leaders.  Jesus certainly did make some whopping claims about Himself; but instead of being blasphemous and worthy of death, they were actually true.

So let’s take a look at some of these whopping claims.

In John 3:13     Jesus said that He came down from heaven.

In John 8:42     He said He came from God.

In John 3:16     He said He was God’s one and only Son.

In John 17:5     He said that He had glory with the Father before the world began.

In John 16:15   He said that all that belonged to His Father was His.

In John 14:10   He said that He was in the Father and that the Father was in Him.

In John 10:30   He said that He and the Father are one.

In John 14:9     He said that anyone who had seen Him, had seen the Father.

In John 3:17     He said that God sent Him here to save the world.

In John 12:49   He said that God commanded Him both what to say and how to say it.

In John 15:10   He said that He had obeyed His Father’s commands.

In John 8:54     He said that God glorifies Him.

In John 4:26     He said He was the Messiah.

In Mark 2:10    He said that He has authority on earth to forgive sins.

In Matt. 26:28 He said His blood was poured out for the forgiveness of sins.

In John 10:18   He said that He had authority to lay down His life, and to take it up again.

In John 14:6     He said that no one comes to the Father except through Him.

In John 5:23     He talked about people honoring Him just as they honor God the Father.

In John 6:27     He said that God the Father had placed His seal of approval on Him.

In John 17:4     He said that He completed the work God gave Him to do.

In John 17:2     He said that God gave Him authority over all people.

In Matt. 28:18 He said that all authority in heaven and on earth had been given to Him.

In Matt. 11:27 He said that all things had been committed to Him by His Father.

In Matt. 16:27 He said He is going to come in His Father’s glory with His angels.

In Matt. 24:30 He said He will come on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory.

In Matt. 19:28 He said He will sit on His glorious throne.

And In Matthew 25:32 He said He will sit on His throne in heavenly glory, and all the nations will be gathered before Him.

And just who does Jesus say that He is?

In Matthew 23:10         He is the Teacher.
In John 10:14               He is the Good Shepherd.
In John 3:13                 He is the Son of Man.
In John 14:27               He is the Peace Giver.
In John 15:11               He is the Joy Giver.
In John 6:33                 He is the Life Giver.
In John 15:1                 He is the True Vine.
In John 6                      He is the Living Bread, the Bread of Life and the Bread of God.
In Matthew 12:8           He is the Lord of the Sabbath.
In John 8:12                 He is the Light of the World.
In John 4:25                 He is the Messiah.
In John 11:25               He is the Resurrection and the Life.
In John 14:6                 He is the Way, the Truth and the Life.
In John 10:28               He is the Giver of Eternal Life.
In John 3:17                 He is the Savior of the World.
In John 18:37               He is the King.
In John 5:27                 He is the Judge.
In Matthew 16:16         He is the Christ, the Son of the Living God.
In Revelation 1:8 and 22:13 He is the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End, who was and who is and who is to come, the Almighty!

And that, my friend, is who Jesus is!


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 
 
To subscribe to your own daily “Apples of Gold” e-mail, write dougapple@wave94.com.
If you want to be removed from this e-mail list, simply click reply and type UNSUBSCRIBE on the subject line.
If you want to catch “Apples of Gold” in its original audio format, go to www.wave94.com
To search through the large archive of past articles, go here:  http://www.wave94.com/modules.php?name=Stories_Archive
If you have trouble reaching me at my main e-mail address, try this one:  douglas_apple@msn.com

(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
-vi-

The Cost of Moving to Dallas - Apples of Gold - July 24, 2009 -vi-

***I recommend you listen to the radio version of this one.***

 

To listen to the radio version, click here.

 

To search archives, click here.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for July 24, 2009

“The Cost of Moving to Dallas”

 

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

My heart was pounding through my chest.

I could hear Dad in the kitchen making breakfast.

“Easy,” I told myself as I stepped down the creaky old stairs. 

At the bottom, the front door was open, and laying up against the screen was Banjo.

He jerked to look up at me.

“Shhhhh!” I said with my finger to my mouth.  “Quiet boy.”

I loved Banjo, my dad’s Irish Red.  Dad always said, “He’s the best hunting dog on God’s green earth.”

It was kind of sad, actually, knowing I wouldn’t be seeing Banjo everyday.

But I just couldn’t take it anymore, not one more boring weekend in Dumbtown U.S.A.

My cousin had gone to Dallas, and all I heard about was how much fun he was having.  Girls.  Parties.  Did I say girls?

Plus he had a good job, he said, and he could get me on.

But I needed money, and that’s where Dad came in. 

“Son, I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Dad said as he refilled his coffee.

“But Dad, I hate it here.  I can’t stand it.  And it’s only fair.  You gave Lou a thousand dollars when he got married, and that’s all I’m asking for.  Just give me my thousand dollars.”

“Well I don’t have a thousand dollars.”

“Dad, you’re always talking about doing what’s right.  And the right thing is to give me my money.  That’s all I’m asking for.  I’ll never ask for anything else again, I swear.”

That was Monday.  By Friday I was on a bus to Dallas, Texas; home of the Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders!

I crashed at my cousin’s, and he did get me a job.

And best of all, he introduced me to Cowboys Red River, a huge country dance bar. 

So it was drinking and poker and girls.  I had died and gone to heaven. 

My cousin turned out to be kind of a dud, though.  He only wanted to go out on the weekends, but I wanted to party every night!  Why wouldn’t you?

Well I met some guys at the poker table at Cowboys, and we started hanging out all night. 

Then one day I got in this big fight with my cousin about nothing and he told me to get out.  Man, he was not the cool guy I thought he was.

So I moved in with a couple of the guys from Cowboys, and that’s when the party really started.  They were teaching me how to make money at the poker table, and when that didn’t work, well we had other ways to bring in some bucks.

So everything was going great, except for the job. 

I called in sick a few times, and I really was sick, believe me.  But then one Friday the manager called me in and told me not to come back.

That night I got pretty drunk.  Actually, and I can hold my liquor, but I was dancing and I got a little crazy and I ended up hurling on myself.  I just wanted to go home, but the guys . . . no one would take me. 

They started shoving me around for kicks, and someone even punched me in the back of the head.  I felt my stomach cramping up again and I was too messed up to even turn my head, so I just laid there in it.  And I could hear the guys laughing and all the girls were just saying how gross I was.

Finally someone, I guess a bouncer, grabbed me and dragged me outside. 

It was raining, and it actually felt good.  I tried to stand up, but everything was swirling, so I crawled.

I finally just crashed there on the edge of the parking lot, with a little muddy spot for a pillow.

I heard a truck pull up beside me and stop.  I opened my eyes and saw a man in a long black rain coat and cowboy hat. 

“Sure,” I thought, “Steal the drunk guy’s wallet.  Well ha ha, there’s nothing in it.  Joke’s on you my friend.”

I just closed my eyes, resigned to the next terrible thing.  My cousin hated me.  My friends weren’t friends at all.  I was broke.  I was drunk.  I smelled like puke and I was laying in the mud.  “Just kill me,” I thought.

The man slowly rolled me over.

“Dad?”

“Here, let’s get you in the truck.”

He helped me up, wiped me off, then spread out a sleeping bag on the seat and wrapped it around me.

I don’t know how long it was before I sobered up a little.  I just sat there with my head against the window as we drove through the rain in the dark.

“Thirsty?” he said.

“Yes.”

“Here, I brought you some water and some tea, whatever you want.”

“Why are you here?”

“Your cousin called.  He was worried.”

“Oh.”

I started fiddling with the dog collar on the seat.

“How’s old Banjo doing?”

I smiled a little bit thinking about Banjo – probably the only creature left on earth who would still be glad to see me.

“About Banjo.  I had to sell him.”

“What?  You sold him?  You said he was the best hunting dog on God’s green earth.  Why did you sell him?”

“Well son, you asked for your money and…”

I turned away.

The wipers.  The truck’s motor.  The countryside passing by.  The water trickling down.

And then Dad’s reassuring hand.

“I love you,” he said.

And I bowed my head . . . and cried.


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 
 
To subscribe to your own daily “Apples of Gold” e-mail, write dougapple@wave94.com.
If you want to be removed from this e-mail list, simply click reply and type UNSUBSCRIBE on the subject line.
If you want to catch “Apples of Gold” in its original audio format, go to www.wave94.com
To search through the large archive of past articles, go here:  http://www.wave94.com/modules.php?name=Stories_Archive
If you have trouble reaching me at my main e-mail address, try this one:  douglas_apple@msn.com

(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
-vi-

Be Strong and Work - Apples of Gold - July 23, 2009 -vi-

To listen to the radio version, click here.

 

To search archives, click here.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for July 23, 2009

“Be Strong and Work”

 

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

Professional discouragers.

That’s who you call in when regular discouragers aren’t getting the job done.

Sure, there are plenty of volunteer discouragers, but you know volunteers.  It’s hard to get them to show up. 

Plus they don’t have the best skills.  It’s more like a hobby.

So when it’s critical that you discourage someone, you have to call in the pros.

That’s a rare need, though, because most people, given enough time, will do it to themselves. 

Just watch.  People start things, work on them for a while, and then any old thing will discourage them – and they’ll just quit.

Well the Israelites weren’t like that when they started rebuilding the temple in 536 B.C.  They finished the foundation and threw a big party.  In fact, the people made so much noise that Ezra 3:13 says “…the sound was heard far away.”

But some didn’t like it.  Some of the neighbors decided to foil the plans, but how?  They decided to use the tool of discouragement. 

Ezra 4:4 says “the peoples around them set out to discourage the people of Judah…”

Then verse five says, “They hired counselors to work against them and frustrate their plans…”

And it worked.  The professional discouragers were quite skilled.  They wove their magic, and the last verse in chapter four says, “Thus the work on the house of God in Jerusalem came to a standstill…”

Have you ever done that?  Have you started on something, then got discouraged? 

Discouragement comes when we hit a rough patch.  We start out with a burst of excitement, but then, you know, storms pop up, the going gets rough, and we get discouraged. 

And one thing that really throws us for a loop is when we are doing something we think God wants us to do.  It’s a good thing.  It’s a God thing.  You’d think God would bless it and make things go smoothly.

Well if there was ever anything God really wanted done, He wanted that temple rebuilt in Jerusalem.  When they finished the foundation, that was definitely God’s will.

But then the going got rough, and they got discouraged. 

And I think they took that as a sign.  Listen to what they said, according to Haggai 1:2, “The time has not yet come for the Lord’s house to be built.”

Have you ever done that?  You started on something, you thought it was God’s will, but then it got hard and you took that as a sign, “Well, I guess this just isn’t the time.”

I knew a man who felt called to start a Christian radio station.  He enlisted another man to help him, and that man ran into a few roadblocks.  He got discouraged and took it as a sign – maybe this wasn’t God’s will after all.  Then the first man stepped in and said, “What?  We’re going to let a couple roadblocks stop us?  I don’t think so.  I believe God called me to do this and we are going to do it.  Period.”

So Ezra chapter four ends with everyone discouraged and the temple work halted. 

And then comes chapter five, and I love the first four words, “Now Haggai the prophet…”

Good old Haggai.  Haggai the prophet.

Haggai did not go with the flow.  Remember, the flow was saying to just wait, now is not the time to rebuild the temple.  That’s what all the neighbors said.  That’s what everyone in Jerusalem said. 

But Haggai had a word from the Lord, and he stood against the current. 

And, long story short, he told the people to get back to work.

This was a message from the Lord, and the Lord basically told the people, “Be strong and work, for I am with you.”

And I love that phrase, “Be strong and work.”

That is great advice when you get discouraged.  When you feel like quitting, when you are beginning to think, “Maybe this wasn’t God’s will after all,” – well wait a minute.  Was it God’s will to start with?  What changed?  Did it just get a little hard?  Did God not pave the way like you thought He would?

Well God doesn’t always pave the way.  Sometimes He just says, “Be strong and work.”

That was His advice to the people of Jerusalem, and they took it.  This time they looked the professional discouragers right in the eye and kept going.  They had resolve.  They were committed and they would not let discouragement stop them again.

And this time they finished the temple.

What a great example for all of us.

So is there some good thing, some God-called effort you are working on – but you are getting discouraged?

Well don’t quit just because you hit a rough spot.  Instead, see if this isn’t God’s word for you today.

Be strong and work.


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 
 
To subscribe to your own daily “Apples of Gold” e-mail, write dougapple@wave94.com.
If you want to be removed from this e-mail list, simply click reply and type UNSUBSCRIBE on the subject line.
If you want to catch “Apples of Gold” in its original audio format, go to www.wave94.com
To search through the large archive of past articles, go here:  http://www.wave94.com/modules.php?name=Stories_Archive
If you have trouble reaching me at my main e-mail address, try this one:  douglas_apple@msn.com

(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
-vi-

Which Comes First, the Christian Flag or the American Flag? - Apples of Gold - July 22, 2009 -vi-

To listen to the radio version, click here.

 

To search archives, click here.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for July 22, 2009

“Which Comes First, the Christian Flag or the American Flag?”

 

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

Gay adoption is banned in Florida.

This week Governor Crist is promoting adoption throughout the state, but some are criticizing him for supporting the ban on gay adoption.

People who declare themselves to be homosexual are not allowed to adopt children in Florida; however, they are allowed to have foster children.

In fact, according to today’s Tallahassee Democrat, the Department of Children and Families actively recruits homosexuals to be foster parents.

Now you can’t have it both ways.  How can you recruit them to be foster parents, but then tell them they can’t adopt?

Okay, so are you going to tell them they can no longer be foster parents?  Does anyone see that happening?   

So if our current position is, as Joe Jackson would say, “a bunch of jive,” then which direction are we headed?

Do you think we are headed toward legalizing gay adoption?

Do you think we are headed toward full legalization of gay marriage?

Is it un-American to deny them their equal rights?

Now let me change gears in a big way.

I am an American, born and raised.  I don’t let the flag touch the ground, and I thank God for the freedom and peace I’ve enjoyed here my entire life.

But let me tell you, my first allegiance is to my Lord and Savior.  I am a Christian first, then an American. 

Now I know that makes me sound like a religious fanatic, but that’s okay because that’s what I am.  Jesus Christ saved me.  I have the Spirit of God.  I have His peace and joy and hope.  The Lord is the Creator who started this world and we all must answer to Him. 

I thank God I live in a country where I can express that belief freely, I can share it publicly, and I can openly spread the good news so that others can come into a right relationship with God.

So yes, I’m a Christian fanatic.  And that’s why this thing I saw the other day bothered me.

Let me tell you what I saw, and then what I thought about it, because I think it is very symbolic.

I saw a color guard that had both an American flag and a Christian flag.  And they did what they always do.  All other flags were dropped lower than the American flag. 

I understand that.  I’ve seen it many times.  That’s the way we were taught.  The American flag is preeminent.

But that’s not the way I feel about it.  This is going to sound like heresy to some, but I cringe when I see that Christian flag lowered below the American flag. 

To me it is symbolic.  I see Christians all over the country saying, “Well, my Christian beliefs are one thing, but they must bow before my country.”

What?  Just because we love our country doesn’t mean it comes before Christ.

Here is something else I see when that Christian flag is lowered.  I see us all saying, “Rights before righteousness.”

Think about it.  Do we stand up more for rights or righteousness?

I fully believe that righteousness comes first.  Righteousness does not bow down to rights. 

Now I know that having our rights is the American way, but if rights come before righteousness, then our foundation will crumble.

The more moral and righteous we are as a nation, the stronger we will be.  The more immoral and unrighteous we are, the weaker we will be.

So the more we change our laws to allow or approve unrighteousness, then the weaker the nation gets.

Am I picking on homosexuality?  Not at all.  If I had one hammer to swing, I would rather swing it at adultery.  People are right when they point out the hypocrisy of adulterous conservatives.  

But I am a sinner, too.  We are all sinners, separated from our Creator. 

But thank God, through Jesus Christ, we can all be made righteous in His sight!  And then, through the Holy Spirit within us, He will lead us to live in all righteousness.

It’s not rights that make this nation strong, but righteousness.  It’s not the American way that is so wonderful, it’s God’s way. 

America is great only to the degree that its people use their rights to pursue righteousness.

But when we use our rights to pursue unrighteousness, we lose the blessing of God, our family units break apart, and the nation decays.

John Adams said, “Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people.  It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”

Yes, we are nation of liberties and rights.  That will work great as long as people in general pursue righteousness.  But it is “wholly inadequate” when the people move away from righteousness.

So let’s stand for righteousness today. 

That is the solid foundation that our country must be built on.


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 
 
To subscribe to your own daily “Apples of Gold” e-mail, write dougapple@wave94.com.
If you want to be removed from this e-mail list, simply click reply and type UNSUBSCRIBE on the subject line.
If you want to catch “Apples of Gold” in its original audio format, go to www.wave94.com
To search through the large archive of past articles, go here:  http://www.wave94.com/modules.php?name=Stories_Archive
If you have trouble reaching me at my main e-mail address, try this one:  douglas_apple@msn.com

(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
-vi-

The New Guy Stands Out - Apples of Gold - July 21, 2009 -vi-

To listen to the radio version, click here.

 

To search archives, click here.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for July 21, 2009

“The New Guy Stands Out”

 

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

We had a young man over for dinner after church Sunday.

The house was lively with a lot of people, but he was the only newcomer.

All of a sudden my daughter screamed.  Someone had put something in her drink.

Now what this young man didn’t know is that, at our house, no one puts things in people’s drinks.

Oh, we do plenty of other things, but that’s one thing no one does.  So when it happened, well, it was pretty obvious who did it.

Have you ever noticed that?  When someone new comes along, and suddenly something very different happens, you can usually bet it’s the new guy.

Here’s another example from our house.  No one throws candy wrappers on the ground.  Well one day I started noticing candy wrappers and gum wrappers, seemingly just thrown down.  And wouldn’t you know it?  It was right after the arrival of someone new.

You’ve probably seen this at work, especially if you are in a smaller workplace.  You already know everyone’s quirks and habits. For example, my daughter always leaves pens lying on the computer keyboard.  For some reason she thinks that spot just above the “F” keys is a great place to keep a pen. 

To me that pen is just in the way, and at first it was annoying, but now I know – that’s what she does.

So after a while you get to know all the quirks of the people around you.

And then someone new comes along.  And suddenly you start seeing new things. 

Like, maybe the door on the microwave is left open.  Or you start finding magazines in the bathroom or coffee rings on the copier lid.

And it’s not always negative.  Maybe the coffee pot is clean everyday where before people just let the gunk build up.

I remember working at one radio station when we hired a new secretary.  Suddenly we had pretty flowers in the bathroom.

I’ve seen new employees bring their habit of supplying everyone with Germ-X.

And you know what?  The new person doesn’t realize how these things stand out because they don’t know what things were like before. 

Now here’s the point.  You are a Christian and you are coming into a new situation.  And whether you like it or not, the new guy stands out.

This is true whether you are starting a new job, or a new school, or even moving into a new neighborhood.  Everyone around you has their ruts and habits, and then there is you, the new person.  You will stand out.

The question is, will you stand out in a good way?

A while back we moved into a new neighborhood.  We had lived there a few weeks before I finally spoke with the man next door.  When I finally did he said, “Yeh, I see a lot of activity at your house.  I guess you’re having a Bible study or something.”

Now what made him think it was a Bible study?  Because actually, even though we have done home Bible studies in the past, at that time we were not.  So why did he think that?

So I asked him, “What makes you think we’re having Bible studies?”

And I loved his answer.  It’s because he kept hearing people talking about “The Word” he said. 

We weren’t going out of our way to stand out.  We were just doing what we normally do and it stood out on its own.

That’s the way it is when we live for the Lord.  Unless we go out of our way to hide it, the light just shines.

In Matthew 5 Jesus said, “You are the light of the world.  A city on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.  Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”

So keep this in mind when you move into a new situation.  As the new person, what kind of new things will people notice?  Will they be negative things or positive things?  Will they be worldly or godly?

Well if we are living for the Lord, His light will shine through us.  We will stand out in our new situation as a point of light. 

So as a Christian, let your light shine!  Don’t hide it.  Yes, be tactful and appropriate, but when you arrive on the scene as the new person, this is what should happen.

At your new job, your new school or even your new neighborhood, this is what should happen.

They should see your good deeds, and praise your Father in heaven.


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 
 
To subscribe to your own daily “Apples of Gold” e-mail, write dougapple@wave94.com.
If you want to be removed from this e-mail list, simply click reply and type UNSUBSCRIBE on the subject line.
If you want to catch “Apples of Gold” in its original audio format, go to www.wave94.com
To search through the large archive of past articles, go here:  http://www.wave94.com/modules.php?name=Stories_Archive
If you have trouble reaching me at my main e-mail address, try this one:  douglas_apple@msn.com

(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
-vi-

Don't Quit Your Church Job - Apples of Gold - July 20, 2009 -vi-

To listen to the radio version, click here.

 

To search archives, click here.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for July 20, 2009

“Don’t Quit Your Church Job”

 

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

Don’t quit your church job!

I know you might be tired of doing it.  I know it might seem unrewarding.  I know people don’t appreciate you like they should.  I know it’s a lot of hard work.  But those are not good reasons to quit.

First Corinthians 15:58 says, “...Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord…”

I’m talking to those of you who work in the ministry, whether you get paid or not.  Most likely it’s at your church, or it might be in a parachurch organization or a missions group.  But right now you are surrendering your time to do the work of the Lord.

I want to encourage you today – keep up the good work!  Don’t grow weary in well-doing.

I know you could spend your time doing something that makes you more money.  I know you could do without the hassle, and you would enjoy the extra free time.

But please, don’t quit your work for the Lord.

I know, it might seem like all your efforts are in vain.  Maybe it just doesn’t seem to be doing any good. 

But let me tell you, you just do not know how much of an impact you might be having. 

Here is an illustration I often use to encourage myself.  My goal is to nudge people.  No, I can’t make people do anything, but if I can at least nudge them.

If I can nudge them even just one degree over in the direction of Christ.  I want to nudge them toward the light, toward truth, toward righteousness, toward the Gospel.

So I’m not judging my efforts by whether I’m making a radical change in everyone’s life.  To me, that is setting the bar impossibly high. 

But if I can consistently nudge people, to remind them of right versus wrong, to get them to take a deeper look into the things of God, then that encourages me to keep going.

So maybe you aren’t radically changing everyone’s life everyday, but that is no reason to quit.  Remember, a little nudge here and a little nudge there can make a radical difference over the long haul.

So be encouraged today, encouraged to keep working for the Lord!

I know hard times come.  I know your dealings with people can be a pain. 

And I also know you have an enemy that wants you to quit.  Anything to get you to quit, to stop working for the Lord.

And to be honest, I believe God tests us sometimes. 

I know I test my own children.  I will let them go through things that I could prevent.  I will let them make decisions that I would just as soon make for them.  But I will let them proceed as a test, to see what they are made of.

I think God does the same thing with us.  I believe He tests our dedication.  When the going gets tough, will we give up?

Hebrews 6:11 talks about showing diligence to the very end.  Verse 12 says not to become lazy, but instead it offers these two words:  faith and patience.

Patience is what you exercise when you feel like quitting.  Instead of quitting, just be patient; and put your faith in the Lord.

Now listen to this.  It might just seem unfair.  It might even feel like a bit of a rip off.  Here you are, throwing yourself into ministry, but others who don’t seem to care about the ministry are prospering more than you.

Maybe you should just quit and join them.  Go work for yourself for a change instead of all this ministry.

Like I said, it can seem unfair.

But then comes Hebrews 6:10.  “God is not unjust; He will not forget your work and the love you have shown Him as you have helped His people and continue to help them.”

Did you hear that?  God is not unjust.  He will not forget your work.

Then it says, “…as you have helped His people and continue to help them.”

So are you helping the Lord’s people?  Maybe you are even doing the most mundane things to help the Lord’s people.

That includes cleaning the bathrooms at church.  That includes dusting the pews, or changing yucky diapers, or crawling under the sink to fix it with rust dropping down in your eyes.

There are so many jobs that help make a ministry go, and all of them are important.  They all play a part in helping the Lord’s people.

So if you are tired of doing them, please don’t quit.

Instead, with patience and faith, just keep going. 

And remember, God is not unjust.  He will not forget your work “as you have helped His people and continue to help them.”


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 
 
To subscribe to your own daily “Apples of Gold” e-mail, write dougapple@wave94.com.
If you want to be removed from this e-mail list, simply click reply and type UNSUBSCRIBE on the subject line.
If you want to catch “Apples of Gold” in its original audio format, go to www.wave94.com
To search through the large archive of past articles, go here:  http://www.wave94.com/modules.php?name=Stories_Archive
If you have trouble reaching me at my main e-mail address, try this one:  douglas_apple@msn.com

(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
-vi-

I Was Blind but Now I See - Apples of Gold - July 16, 2009 -vi-

To listen to the radio version, click here.

 

To search archives, click here.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for July 16, 2009

“I Was Blind but Now I See”

 

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

Don’t you hate it when people talk about you like you are not even there?

That happened to me a lot, but I guess I understand.

When you’re blind, people act like you can’t hear.  So they talk about you when you’re right there, and then when they talk to you, they raise their voice. 

“Look,” I want to say, “People, I’m blind, not deaf.  I hear everything you say.”

I used to be real edgy about it, but then, it was a moment just like that that changed my life.

There I was, just listening as always, and I heard a swell in the crowd.  There was excitement among the people.

The next thing I know, someone was talking about me, just like I said.  I heard a man say, “Rabbi, whose sin caused this man to be born blind?  Was it his sin, or his parents?”

I shook my head.  I had asked such questions all my life.  Why me?  Why did I have to be blind?  It certainly wasn’t anything I had done, because I was born this way.  But then maybe God knew it was something that I would do, I don’t know.  I had enough “whys” to make my head spin, but really, there are no answers to such questions.

But that doesn’t stop people from asking them.  And they apparently don’t have a problem asking them right in front of me.

So they asked the rabbi who had sinned, me or my parents.

There was a pause.  I guess everyone was interested in the answer.  And no one was more interested than I!

“Neither,” a man said.  “Neither this man nor his parents sinned…”

Wow, this was a voice I had not heard before.  It was like listening to the expert or the genius.  It was fascinating, you just had to listen, and you knew something good was coming.

“So why did it happen?” someone in the crowd said.  “Why was this man born blind?”

“This happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.”

What?  What did that mean?  How was the work of God displayed by me being blind?  What possible good could come from my blindness?

I heard someone spit at me.  Okay, here we go, spit on the blind guy.

I dropped my head so they at least wouldn’t spit on my face.

Then I felt a hand on my shoulder; a strong hand, but gentle.

“Here,” he said, and he lifted my head and pulled the hair back from my forehead.  Then he pulled his hand down over my eyes to close them, and I felt something warm.  He put something on my eyes.

Then he pulled his hands away and said, “Go, wash in the Pool of Siloam.”

Well some people were all too eager to take me there, so off we went.  On the way, they told me the rabbi was Jesus, and that he had spit on the ground, made a little mud, and put it on my eyes.

“Ewww,” I said.

“Oh no, that’s a good thing!” they said.  “Jesus is a miracle worker.  He has healed many blind people, and there is no doubt that when we wash this mud off your eyes, you will be able to see!”

And they were right!  I could see everything clearly, what joy!

So I went home, and yes, it was quite the spectacle.  People wanted to check me out.  I was the blind man who could see.  But then some said, “No, it just looks like him.”

Wow, I guess it’s not just blind people after all, because here they were again, talking about me like I wasn’t even there.

Finally I broke in, “Look, it’s me.  I am the man!”

“If so, then how did it happen?”

So I told them what Jesus had done.

“And where is he?”

“I don’t know.”

Now seeing was a real big deal to me, but I didn’t realize it was such a big deal to everyone else.  Next thing I know I was on trial before the Pharisees.  I told them the same story, and then they all started arguing in front me, saying things like, “Jesus is not from God.”

Finally they asked me, so I threw them a little zinger.

“He is a prophet,” I said.

Then they called in my parents, who didn’t really want to get involved, but at least they did admit that I was their son and that I really had been blind.

So they turned back to me.

“Give glory to God,” they said.  “This man’s a sinner.”

“I don’t know if he’s a sinner or not,” I said.  “But one thing I do know.  I was blind, but now I see!”

Then they wanted to hear the story again.  Now it’s a really great story, but I was tired of telling it to these guys.

“I already told you,” I said.  “Why do you want to hear it again?  Do you want to become his disciples, too?”

Then the insults started, so I piled it on.

“Look,” I said, “If he wasn’t from God, he could do nothing.”

“How dare you lecture us!” they said, and I guess they had had enough of me, so they threw me out.

Later I did meet Jesus, and for the first time I saw the face of my Savior.  And I too, became a believer.

I don’t know everything, that’s for sure.  And I still don’t really know why, out of all people, I was born blind, or why Jesus came to me.

But one thing I do know. 

I was blind, but now I see.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

May God bless you today!  With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.


Based on the story in John chapter 9.

© 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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