We're Blessed, So Let's Just Dig Another Well - Apples of Gold - January 28, 2010 -vi-

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Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for January 28, 2010

“We’re Blessed, So Let’s Just Dig Another Well”

 

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

So you had this good-looking married couple, Isaac and Rebekah.

And they had a food problem.  No, it wasn’t Rebekah’s cooking.  It was a famine.

There was a famine in the land, and as the head of the household, it was Isaac’s job to find food for his family.

Well God made it easy for him.  In Genesis 26 we read that “the Lord appeared to Isaac” and told him where to go.

In verse three the Lord said, “Stay in this land for a while, and I will be with you and will bless you.”

So Isaac went, and when he got there he planted crops.  Now planting crops is always a step of faith.  You are basically taking grain and, instead of eating it, you are sticking it in the ground.

But Isaac had faith because, after all, God Himself said, “I will bless you.”

So Isaac planted crops, and look what it says in Genesis 26:12.  It says that same year he “reaped a hundredfold…”  And then it says why.  It says he “reaped a hundredfold, because the Lord blessed him.”

Isaac had faith to plant in the first place because he trusted the Lord to bless him – because the Lord had said He would bless him.  Then Isaac reaped a great harvest because, as he expected, the Lord did bless him.

And he lived happily ever after, right?

Well . . . no.

Yes, he had quite a winning streak.  Verse 13 says Isaac became rich and grew very wealthy.

But then his neighbors, the Philistines, turned on him.  They committed the sneaky and cruel act of filling in the water wells.

Then the king of that land told Isaac to move away.  “You have become too powerful,” he said.

So in a way, Isaac’s abundant blessings turned into a curse.  It made his neighbors jealous and the king nervous.

Did Isaac argue or fight back?  Did he make a big scene, or start a war?

No.  He did what they requested.  He moved away.

He ended up in a valley, and his servants went out digging, and – good news! – they discovered fresh water.

Then some of the locals came along and claimed the water for themselves.

Did Isaac fight about it?

No, he just went out and dug another well.

But the locals pitched a fit about that one, too.

And what did Isaac do?

He moved on.  Yes, he could have stayed and fought about it, but you know what?  I think Isaac thought to himself, “I know the Lord is with me.  He said He would bless me.  I’m blessed, so let’s just dig another well.”

And finally, no one bickered with him about this one, so he named it Rehoboth, which means “room,” and he said, “Now the Lord has given us room and we will flourish in the land.”

Now what about you today?  Do you feel like the Philistines have filled in your wells?  Do you see your provision drying up and enemies on the horizon? 

Well don’t fret!  Just say along with Isaac, “I’m blessed, so let’s just dig another well.”

“But Doug,” you say, “I’m not blessed.  You should see my position.  Plus, God said He would bless Isaac.  That doesn’t mean He’ll bless me.”

Okay, look at Romans 10:12.  “For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile – the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on Him.”

James 1:25 talks about hearing and doing the Word of God.  The man who does that, it says, “he will be blessed in what he does.”

I could go on and on about how the Lord blesses His people.  If you are His, then you are blessed!

We know Isaac was blessed, very blessed, and yet there he stood, more than once, looking at his hard work ruined, looking at once beautiful wells, now filled with dirt.

But he was blessed, and he knew he was blessed.  So he didn’t get all stressed out and start World War III. 

Instead, he just took the attitude that we can all take as God’s people facing difficult circumstances.

We can rise to the occasion.  We can stand in the face of adversity and declare, “Yes, we are blessed, so let’s just dig another well.”


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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


© 2010 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-

When We Work Together As a Unit - Apples of Gold - January 27, 2010 -vi-

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Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for January 27, 2010

“When We Work Together As a Unit”

 

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

FSU quarterback E.J. Manuel was here in the studio yesterday.

And I finally found out what happened on a particular play during the Gator game.

The video is all over the internet, and it’s been seen like a million times.  The play begins, bodies are flying everywhere, and yet one offensive lineman doesn’t move a muscle.  The entire play takes place with that lineman in the exact same position, as if frozen in time.

ESPN did a feature on it, basically mocking the lineman for not moving, for not helping out his scrambling quarterback.

And that’s all I knew about it, until yesterday.  So I asked the quarterback, “What was up with that play?”

“Oh,” he said, “he did what he’s supposed to do,” and went on to describe their special freeze play. 

See, the goal is to draw the defense offside, to get them to jump across the line before the ball is snapped.  So the quarterback shouts a few things, then the center yells “Go!” as if he is hiking the ball.

Then the center watches to see if the defense crosses the line.  If they do, he goes ahead and hikes the ball to the quarterback.  Now this should be what we call a “free play.”  The refs are going to throw the flag and call a penalty on the defense.  But if the offense can somehow make a big play, they would have the right to decline the penalty and take the big gain.  However, if they don’t make a gain, they can take the penalty and still gain yards.  It’s supposed to be a win-win situation.

Now part of the strategy is to make sure the offensive lineman don’t move, don’t even flinch.  If they do, the penalty may go against them instead of the defense.  So, on the freeze play, the lineman are supposed to freeze, to not move a muscle.  That way it will be obvious to the refs who should get the penalty.

So that’s what the Seminoles were doing in the game against the Florida Gators.  The freeze play was on.  The problem was, the center hiked the ball early, messing up the play.  Everyone began scrambling at that point, except one lineman.

And E.J. Manuel said, “He was just doing what he was supposed to do, what they’re all trained to do.”  He said, “He was exercising extreme discipline.”

Well, on that play it didn’t work out.  But I went back and watched film from the North Carolina game and, sure enough, you can see all the linemen, stock still like statues for the freeze play.

That is a great illustration of what can be done when we work together.

In football we call it teamwork.  In the church we call it unity.  As Christians, we are called to unity.  Jesus prayed in John 17, “May they be brought to complete unity…”

Romans 15:5 says, “May…God…give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ…”

Verse six says, “…so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Glorifying God in a spirit of unity.  It reminds me of when I went to Promise Keepers at the Georgia Dome.  There were thousands of men, glorifying God in unity.  And not just in the dome.  Afterwards men spilled into the streets and trains – and broke out in songs of praise!

Ephesians 4:3 says, “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit…”

Verse 13 gives one goal of the church, that we all “reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God…”

This is hard enough to do in one little local church, let alone the entire body of Christ.  But it is God’s desire for us, that we may be brought to complete unity.

We could accomplish so much more if we could just operate in unity! 

Unity is when we operate like a unit.  Think of your body as a unit – lots of pieces, but all moving in the same direction.

Ephesians 4 describes the church as a body, and it says the body thrives as “every part does its share.”

The Seminole offense is called the “offensive unit.”  When they work together as a unit, great things can happen.

And when we work together as a unit in church, great things can happen.  But like the Seminole linemen, it takes great discipline.  Each of us has to exercise discipline, to restrict ourselves to our part of the unit, and to play our part to the best of our ability.

So think about unity today.  It’s God’s desire for the church, the body of Christ, to operate in unity.

And what can we do about it?  We can make sure that we are exercising discipline, to be the best part we can be in this unit we call “the body of Christ.”


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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


© 2010 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 Say God Unless You Are Talking to Him or About Him - Apples of Gold - January 26, 2010 -vi-

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Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for January 26, 2010

“Don’t Say God Unless You Are Talking to Him or About Him”

 

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

Don’t say “God” unless you are talking to Him or about Him.

That is a line I have repeated many times. 

I say it when I hear people using the word “god” casually or profanely.

There is a god, one God, only one, and anytime we use the word god in a casual way, we bring the whole concept down a few notches.  It lowers who God is in the minds of people when we throw that word around.

I like what it says in Exodus 20:7, in the Amplified Bible.  “You shall not use or repeat the name of the Lord your God in vain [that is, lightly or frivolously, in false affirmations or profanely]; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.”

Now I know, some will say, “That’s in the Old Testament.  We are no longer bound by the Old Testament law.”

I even know a guy who makes a case for using the name Jesus like a swear word, simply because there is no specific chapter and verse that forbids it.

But come on, do you really need a chapter and verse to keep you from taking the Lord’s name in vain? 

Okay, well how about Hebrews 2:9, which says that Jesus was “crowned with glory and honor”?

How about Acts 19:17 that says, “…the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor”?

When the Lord Jesus changes your life, when the Holy Spirit takes up residence inside you, that will be your reaction.  You will hold the name of Jesus in high honor.  God will became very special to you.  Words like God and Lord and Jesus and Christ become words to hold in high esteem – because they represent the Most High, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

So please don’t toss around those words unless you are talking to Him or about Him.

Please don’t say, “Oh my God,” or “Sweet Jesus,” or “Lord, Lord.”  I don’t even like, “lordy, lordy, look who’s forty.” 

Sound extreme?  What is the reluctance to being extreme when it comes to honoring God?

If someone died for me, I would defend the honor of their name.

Think about it.

First Peter 2:17 says, “…fear God…”  You might interpret fear in that verse in a few different ways, but all of them cover the concept of not misusing His name, or any word that points to Him.

I’ve heard preachers and evangelists say, “My God, people, you need to read the Bible.”

I can’t believe they do it.  It sends a powerful message to everyone in the pews that it’s okay to exclaim, “My God!”

Please.  Don’t do it.  Don’t bring Him up unless you are talking to Him or about Him.  In my book, casting His name or any word that points to Him in any other light is profane.

First Timothy 1:17 says, “Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever.  Amen.”

The Lord is that wonderful, that awesome, that incredible.  He is worthy of all of our praise, worthy of all glory and honor.  How dare we bring Him down by using certain words about Him casually?

Yes, I know it’s common.  That’s why I’m bringing it up. 

It doesn’t surprise me when it’s common among non-Christians.  Of course it’s common among them.  Ephesians 2 says there is a spirit, the prince of the power of the air, that works in them.  That spirit urgently desires to downgrade the concept of God.  To me, that is great explanation of why the words that apply to God are such prolific curse words. 

Serious words regarding spiritual matters have been profaned, have been lowered.  God, Jesus Christ, Lord – even hell and damnation – have had the serious edge filed right off them by using them profanely.

Even some of the names of the old saints are used profanely – Peter, Mary, Joseph, even Nicodemus.

And, of all the oddities, the names referring to Satan are not used profanely.  Have you ever heard someone whack their thumb and explain, “Ah devil!” or even “Hitler.” 

They don’t spew out “Hitler, Rommel and Goebbels,” but they will say, “Jesus, Mary and Joseph.”

Why is that?  There is a reason, and I think it’s that spirit of the prince of the power of the air that works in the sons of disobedience.

But that’s them.  It should not be us.  It should not be Christians.

We should honor the Lord God and everything that points to Him.  We need to keep Him high and lifted up. 

Romans 13:7 says we should give respect and honor to whom it is due.  And at the top of the list is the one and only God.

So please, don’t say God unless you are talking to Him or about Him.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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


© 2010 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 Most Important Question You Can Ask Someone - Apples of Gold - January 25, 2010 -vi-

To listen to the radio version, click here.   

To search archives, click here.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for January 25, 2010

“The Most Important Question You Can Ask Someone”

 

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

Mike buzzed me a week ago today.

I’m talking about Mike Floyd, the owner of Wave 94.

He buzzed me through the intercom, from his office to mine. 

“Doug?  Hello.  You know that little thing on people’s radios that says Wave 94 when they tune in?  See if you can make that show our website, Wave 94.com.  Okay?  Thanks.”

Little did I know that those would be Mike’s last words to me. 

That night Mike collapsed unexpectedly.  At the hospital, doctors discovered an aneurism, and before it could be treated, he died.

Five pastors spoke at the funeral Saturday, to honor this great man of faith.  And, fittingly, the service closed with an altar call for salvation.  

I say “fittingly” because that is what Mike would have wanted.  Mike was an evangelist at heart, always sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. 

He shared the gospel during the 12 years he was a pastor himself.  Then as a business owner he shared Christ with people he did business with.  He was even prone to witness to waiters and waitresses and anyone else he came in contact with.

And he went about it with such ease and grace.  He wasn’t condemning or “preachy.”  He would simply slip the Good News into the conversation.

Mike also believed in the power of sharing the Gospel through the mass media.  He had his own radio and television programs, and in 1998 he bought Wave 94 and turned it into a fulltime Christian radio station.

Mike himself was a product of mass media evangelism.  When he was only 13, he trusted in Christ while watching a minister share the Gospel on television.

So in honor of Mike, and for the sake of the souls in attendance, there was an altar call at the funeral.

And then they took it up a notch.  The preacher asked everyone to turn to their neighbor and ask them if they were right with God.  We were to ask those next to us if they were saved, if their sins were forgiven, if they were ready for eternity.

And you know what?  That is the most important question you can ask someone. 

Recently I was talking to a young man and he told me about his life, how he was ready to make a new start, to get back in church, things like that. 

Well I just point blank asked him, “Would you say that you are a born again Christian?  Have you repented of your sins and asked God to forgive you?  Have you accepted Christ as your Savior?”

“Oh yes,” he said.

“So you’ve had a born again experience,” I said.  “There is a time in your life that you can point to and say, ‘Right there.  That is when I became a Christian, a follower of Christ.’”

“Yes.”

“And the Holy Spirit is at work in your life?  You can sense Him leading you and teaching you and convicting you of sin?”

“Yes.”

And then we went on with our conversation.

You see, those are very important questions – eternally important questions – and we can’t be afraid to ask them.

It’s not something we do to condemn people.  We aren’t judging them or being “holier than thou.”  We do it out of love, really caring for them and the condition of their soul.

My son-in-law is a youth leader, and we were talking about the teenagers he picks as leaders under him.

I said, “Do you ask them if they are saved?”

“Well…”

“That’s a question you have to ask,” I said.  “You have the right to ask, you need to ask – if they are going to serve in ministry under your authority.  You must ask them about their salvation, and the current work of the Holy Spirit in their life.”

Pastors, ministry leaders, don’t be afraid to ask your people about the condition of their soul. 

We can’t just assume that people are saved because they go to church or because their religion says Christian on Facebook.

Instead of assuming, we can simply and lovingly ask them.

And we must, because here’s the thing.  A week ago today we had no idea that Mike Floyd would not be with us the next day. 

The same is true about Trey Watson, an 18 year old football player at Lincoln High School here in Tallahassee.

And Jimmy Kalfas, a 59-year-old businessman in Tallahassee.

These were all well-known local people who died unexpectedly in the last few days.

And their passing reminds us, tomorrow is not guaranteed. 

So start with yourself.  What is the condition of your soul?  If you die tonight, do you know where you will spend eternity?

And if you are right with God through Christ, then turn to your neighbor, turn to your family members and friends.  Then follow the example of Mike Floyd and turn to those you come in contact with and ask them, “Are you saved?  Are you right with God?  Are you ready to meet your Maker?”

These are the most important questions we can ask someone.  So, in honor of Mike Floyd, and for the sake of the souls around us, let us not be afraid to ask.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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


© 2010 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-

Compromise Loves to Call on the Weekend - Apples of Gold - January 22, 2010 -vi-

To listen to the radio version, click here.   

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Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for January 22, 2010

“Compromise Loves to Call on the Weekend”

 

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

Okay.  It’s the weekend.

And you’re a Christian.  You’ve experienced God’s cleansing and God’s presence in your life.  You know His forgiveness and His grace.

You are the real deal, a follower of Christ.

And yet…sin is knocking on your door.  Compromise is calling, and it sure sounds like fun.

So why shouldn’t you?  You can always ask for forgiveness later, right?

Well, there is the guilt.  And there is being a hypocrite.  It’s hard to live with yourself when your actions don’t line up with your words.

But what kind of misery is that?  There are things you want to do, but you can’t because you also believe they are wrong.

And then a little voice says, “Well, they’re not THAT wrong.”

Okay, stop right there.  Don’t start justifying and compromising!

Do you want to be strong or do you want to be weak?  Compromise bring weakness. 

Now I know your goal is not to compromise.  Your goal is to enjoy yourself.  You just want to relax and have a good time, and now you are toying with compromise to do it.

Well don’t!  Don’t compromise your righteousness.

And don’t think that kicks you off the good thing train, because listen.  Righteousness itself will give you a lot of good things, far better things.

For example, righteousness will give you stability.  Instead of being tossed here and there by every wind that blows, you will be able steer a steady course.  Your life will be more stable as you become more righteous.

Righteousness will give you more respect.  Compromise doesn’t bring respect, but righteousness?  Even those who don’t like what a righteous man stands for tend to respect him.

Jesus said to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness.  That’s pretty high on the list, when He says to seek that first.  We are to seek His righteousness.

First Timothy 6:11 uses what I call a power word, and that’s the word “pursue.”  It says, “…pursue righteousness…”  It says the same thing in Second Timothy 2, “Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness…”

Romans 6:13 says, “Do not offer the parts of your body to sin…”  Instead we are told to offer the parts of our body to God as instruments of righteousness.

First John 3 talks about practicing righteousness.  And verse 10 says, “Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God…”

I believe deep down all Christians want to practice righteousness, but sometimes it’s hard to do when the payoff for a quick compromise seems so tempting.

But let me tell you, the rewards of righteousness are far better.

Proverbs 11:18 says, “…he who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward.”

That’s what righteousness will bring you, a “sure reward.”

The Bible mentions a lot of rewards for righteousness.

Proverbs 11:5 says righteousness “makes a straight way” for us.

Proverbs 11:6 says that, while the unfaithful are trapped by their evil desires, we are delivered by our righteousness.

Proverbs 13:6 says that our righteousness guards us.

Isaiah 32:17 says, “The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever.”

The Bible even says that righteousness exalts a nation, and that a throne is established by righteousness.

Romans 8:10 says that if Christ is in us, our “spirit is alive because of righteousness.”

The Lord loves righteousness, and Proverbs 15:9 says He loves those who pursue righteousness.

Zephaniah 2:3 says, “Seek righteousness…”

Jesus said in Matthew 5:6, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”

I have always loved that verse because it makes righteousness so accessible.  If I simply hunger and thirst for it, I will be filled.

So, it’s the weekend.  Compromise loves to call on the weekend, but don’t answer!  The payoff is short lived and not worth it.

Instead, seek and pursue the very thing that God loves and rewards.

And all you have to do is just really want it.

For Jesus Himself said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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


© 2010 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-

Training Doesn't Stop at the Potty - Apples of Gold - January 20, 2010 -vi-

To listen to the radio version, click here.   

To search archives, click here.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for January 20, 2010

“Training Doesn’t Stop at the Potty”

 

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

Seventeen years ago this month we added child number four to the family.

They’re all two years apart, and when people asked their ages I would say, “6, 4, 2 and new.”

And each year, when the January baby has her birthday, I just go ahead and roll all their ages up.  So starting next week, when people ask how old my children are, I will say, “23, 21, 19 and 17.”

Now if you’re a parent with little kids at home, my kids sound ancient.  But it wasn’t that long ago they were little tykes like yours, so I want to share with you one little parenting tip that worked for me.  Here it is.

Training doesn’t stop at the potty.

I mention potty training because every parent knows how important that is.  It’s your job, and no one is going to do it for you.  You can’t send your child to kindergarten in diapers, and you’re sick of buying diapers, so you finally buckle down and potty train, and you don’t give up until it’s done.  We all understand the vital importance of potty training.

But somewhere along the line a lot of parents give up training their children.  They leave it up to the school and the church and, heaven help us, their peers. 

So my message today is, training doesn’t stop at the potty.

Now don’t get all knotted up about it, like I just put a 500 pound gorilla on your back.  Training your child doesn’t have to be some terrible burden.  In fact, it can be quite entertaining.

For example, here is something I did a few times when my kids were about 9, 7, 5 and 3.  You know how kids are when you go to the store.  They want this and that and . . . everything.  So here is what I would do.  I would tell them they had five dollars, and they could buy pretty much whatever they wanted, but they all had to agree.

That is a great training exercise!  They are learning cooperation and negotiation and even sales. 

Well they would bicker, then appeal to me and I would say, “You have five dollars.  Buy what you want – but you all have to agree.  If you don’t agree, you don’t get anything.”

What I’m talking about is getting involved, and staying involved in your kids’ lives, and especially in their training. 

Proverbs 22:6 indicates that we are to train up our children in the way they should go.

See, there are ways they should go and ways they shouldn’t – and it’s our job to train them up to know the difference.

There’s another great proverb about child rearing, Proverbs 29:15.  The last part says, “…a child left to himself disgraces his mother.” 

Now let that phrase burn into your brain:  “a child left to himself.”

We are not to leave our children to themselves.  We don’t just let them go and learn things on their own.  It is our job to train them, and that includes all areas of life.

For example, when the kids were small, and I had to do a chore, I would often take them with me.  If I had to go to the basement to fix a pipe, I would grab the nearest child and have them watch. 

Then when they got older, I would actually put the tool in their hand and have them do it. 

Have you ever had to replace the parts inside the toilet tank?  Well yes, you could do it yourself, but why not get one of the kids in there to do it?  No, I’m in no way talking about slave labor.  I’m talking about training up our children.  They will have to fix their own toilet someday – might as well train them now.

My son wasn’t too happy the last time I had him do that, but guess what?  Now he is married and running his own household, and if something goes wrong, he has the confidence to jump in and fix it, instead of standing there helplessly while his wife calls the plumber.

My daughter replaced her own tail light the other day.  No, she wasn’t happy about it, but now she knows how it works.  Someday, if some guy tries to charge her big bucks to replace her tail light, she can simply say, “No thanks, I’ll do it myself.” 

Training our children gives them confidence.

I’ve even done it with other people’s children when they’re staying at our house.  One day I was taking apart something and wanted to save the boards.  There were two young boys at the house, so I got them outside and had them start taking nails out of the boards.  Well guess what?  They didn’t know how.  They had never pulled nails with a hammer before. 

One time there was a boy riding his bike at our house and his handlebars went crooked.  He asked me to fix them and guess who ended up holding the tools?  He did!  And he learned how to straighten handlebars. 

There are so many training opportunities, but we have to keep an eye out for them.  Instead of jumping in and doing everything ourselves, we need to ask, “Is this a training opportunity?”

Kids are all born knowing nothing, and how are they going to learn?

Well it’s our job to train them.

We train them to eat, we train them to walk and we train them to use the restroom.

But it doesn’t stop there, so here is your reminder today.

Training doesn’t stop at the potty.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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


© 2010 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 Kingdom of Heaven Is Like a Net - Apples of Gold - January 18, 2010 -vi-

To listen to the radio version, click here.   

To search archives, click here.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for January 18, 2010

“The Kingdom of Heaven Is Like a Net”

 

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

Jesus said, “…the kingdom of heaven is like a net…”

Have you ever gone net fishing?  You never know what you’re going to catch.  Net fishing is not very specific, you just put the net out and pull it back – then you sort out your catch. 

That’s what Jesus said the kingdom of heaven is like.  It’s like a net that is cast into the sea and catches all kinds of fish.

And inside the net are two categories of fish:  good fish and bad fish.

And don’t miss the point – the fish represent people.

Jesus is teaching about the end.  The King James calls it “the end of the world.”  The NIV says “the end of the age.”

So at the end, a net is cast and both good and bad are brought in.  And Matthew 13:49 says, “…the angels shall come forth…”

And, just like fishermen sorting their catch on the shore, the angels will separate the people into two groups:  good and bad.

Fishermen keep the good fish, you know.  The good fish stay with them, and the good people stay with the angels.

But the primary focus seems to be on the bad people, whom Jesus called “the wicked.” 

Jesus said, “The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” 

The King James says, “…the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”

That’s what will happen at the end.  It’s as sure as you are alive and breathing.  People will be separated, and some will be cast into the furnace of fire.

Those people are on the very, very bad end of the deal, and you don’t want to be one of them.

On the good end of the deal are “the just,” also called “the righteous.”

So, just be a good little boy or girl and you will avoid the fiery furnace, right?  Just as long as your good outweighs your bad – is that the way it works?

Well, there’s one problem with that.  Romans 3 says we are all “under sin.”  Verse 10 says, “…there is no one righteous, not even one…”

So how does that work?  The angels are going to rescue the righteous from the fire, and yet no one is righteous. 

Well here’s how it works.  No one is righteous . . . on their own. 

But thank goodness Romans 3 gives us another route to righteousness.  Verse 21 says, “But now a righteousness from God…has been made known…”

Verse 22 says, “This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.”

Verse 25 says it’s “through faith in His blood.”

And verse 26 says that God “justifies those who have faith in Jesus.”

So we are not righteous on our own.  Under our own power we can never be good enough to make the cut.  At the end, at that great sorting of the fish, we will be cast into the fiery furnace.

Mark 16:16 says, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”

Believe what? 

Ephesians 1 calls it believing the word of truth, the gospel of our salvation. 

Romans 1 says the gospel is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.

So what is the “gospel”?

In First Corinthians 15, Paul wrote, “…I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you.”  And he followed with this summary of the gospel, “that Christ died for our sins,” “that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve,” and then to “more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time…”

And Paul concluded, “…this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.”

This is what we call becoming a Christian.  This is “getting saved.”  It is believing the Gospel of Jesus Christ for yourself.  It is receiving through faith God’s forgiveness of your sins through the blood of Christ, and becoming just and righteous before the Lord.

The believers are the righteous and just.  They are the good fish in that parable.

It’s the parable of the net.  At the end the net will be cast, people will be gathered, and then separated.

We believers, made righteous through Christ, we will stay.

And the wicked, they shall be cast into the furnace of fire where there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

It’s just like Jesus said. 

The kingdom of heaven is like a net. 


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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


© 2010 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-

Pharisee Swallows Camel - Apples of Gold - January 15, 2010 -vi-

To listen to the radio version, click here.   

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Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for January 15, 2010

“Pharisee Swallows Camel”

 

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

So you read about the Pharisees in the Bible, but who were those guys?  And what lessons can we learn from them?

Well the Pharisees were sort of like a religious club.  Warren Wiersbe says there were about 6,000 of them in Jesus’ day, and they were mostly middle-class businessmen. 

The word Pharisee comes from a word that means “to separate.”  The Pharisees prided themselves in being separate from the Gentiles, and from the less orthodox Jews.

And they basically created their own code of ethics, their own rules of conduct, and tacked them onto the Law of Moses.  It was a lot of hoops to jump through, and that helped keep the group elite.  Only the most special, the most “godly,” were Pharisees.

So why did they have such an adversarial relationship with Jesus?

Well Jesus summed a lot of it up in Matthew 23:24.  He called them “blind guides” and said, “You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.”

That’s sort of like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.  It’s missing the forest for the trees.  The Pharisees were a textbook case of missing the big picture.  They focused on what was less important and often missed what was truly important.

Now listen to what Jesus said in Luke 11:52.  He said, “…you have taken away the key to knowledge.” 

If true knowledge was locked up, and you thought the Pharisees would unlock it for you, you’d be wrong.  The Pharisees would actually keep you from finding true knowledge.

And one more sweeping statement Jesus said about them.  In Luke 12 He told His disciples, “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.”  How were they hypocrites?  Jesus said in Matthew 23, “…they do not practice what they preach.”

So the Pharisees were not exactly good role models, but we can learn some important lessons from their mistakes.

The biggest lesson, I think, is making the main thing the main thing.  At one point they asked Jesus, “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”  And Jesus said, “‘Love the Lord your God will all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’  This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it:  ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.’”

So that’s the big picture, love God and love people.  We can measure all we do and think against that standard.  Is it loving God and loving people?

But what did the Pharisees love?  Luke 16:14 says the Pharisees loved money.  And Luke 11:42 says they loved the “most important seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces.”

Yes, they did a lot of things that looked godly, but they didn’t do them out of love for God or people.  They did them to look good and be important.

In Matthew 23 Jesus said, “Everything they do is done for men to see:  They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them ‘Rabbi.’” 

They were all about exalting themselves, but what did Jesus say?  “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”

So that’s another lesson we can learn from the Pharisees.  Instead of thinking of ways we can exalt ourselves, we need to work on truly humbling ourselves.

The Pharisees constantly focused on what they looked like on the outside, because that’s what people can see.  They wanted to look good and look religious to other people.  But the heart is what’s important!  Once again they missed the big picture. 

Jesus told them, “You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.  Blind Pharisee!”  And He added, “You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean.  In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.”

Yes, Jesus had a real problem with the Pharisees!

And one of His major problems with them was their lack of love for people.  For example, they were all concerned about eating out of ritualistically clean dishes, but Jesus basically said, instead of getting all hung up about the outside of the dish, how about giving some of the food inside the dish to the poor?

Their little rules missed the bigger rule of love.  For example, they condemned Jesus for healing hurting people on the Sabbath.

And they criticized Jesus for eating with unclean people.  But Jesus said those were exactly the people He was trying to reach!  He compared it to going after lost sheep, and told of all the rejoicing that takes place in heaven when even one sinner repents.

Yes, there are many lessons we can learn from the Pharisees.

We need to be humble before God instead of proud before people.

We need to check ourselves for hypocrisy, making sure we practice what we preach.

And we need to keep the main thing the main thing, bring everything back to the two great commandments:  love God and love people.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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


© 2010 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-

There Stands One Among You - Apples of Gold - January 13, 2010 -vi-

***This is one best heard in the original audio version.  The music and effects make the difference.***

 

To listen to the radio version, click here.

 

To search archives, click here.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for January 13, 2010

“There Stands One Among You”

 

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

(begin music)

His eyes scan the crowd.

He’s here, somewhere.

Face to face to face – he looks but doesn’t see what he’s looking for.

Wait…was that him?

A group of men approach from his left.  He’s aware of them, but unconcerned.  He’s been expecting them.  It was not a matter of if, but when.

“May we have a word with you?”

“Go ahead.”

“We’re on official business.”

“So am I.”

He looks as if he’s looking at someone.  Their eyes follow his, but they see nothing.

(excerpt of preacher:  “John answered them saying, ‘I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know.’”)

(music transition)

In a hospital room, a mother leans over the bed and strokes the hair out of her little girl’s eyes – eyes that have been closed for days.  The family has gathered, waiting for the pastor.  The girl is still . . . and they wait.

(excerpt of preacher saying, “…but there stands One among you whom you do not know.”)

(music transition)

The men gather closer to the speaker in the wild clothes.

“We’ve been sent to ask you a question.  Maybe we should find a more private place.”

“Here is fine.”

One nods permission, and another man speaks.

“Our question is this.  Who are you?”

(excerpt of preacher saying, “There stands One among you whom you do not know.”)

(music transition)

After a grand introduction, a preacher takes a stage in New Delhi.  Friends are near the front, but there’s hostility on the edges.  He is not preaching to the choir today.  And a little buzz of fear grips him. 

Maybe he shouldn’t do this.  Maybe he just needs to go back to the States, to his little family.  He feels weak.  He feels dread.  But they have planned this.  They have called together this crowd, and the Gospel must go forth. 

But he can’t do it in his own power.

(excerpt of preacher saying, “There stands One among you whom you do not know.”)

(music transition)

In the wilderness, the man is prepared to answer his interrogators.  And he looks back through the people one more time.  And there he is.  They make eye contact.  He is there. 

The man looks back – John looks back – and now he is prepared to give an answer. 

“I am not the Christ,” he says.

“Then why do you baptize?”

“I baptize with water . . . but there stands One among you whom you do not know.”

(There stands One among you…)

And the pastor arrives at the little girl’s hospital bedside.  “The doctors offer no hope,” he says to the lost family.  “But there stands One among you…”

(There stands One among you…)

And the preacher takes the microphone in New Delhi.  “You’ve all come to get something, but I have nothing to offer.  However, there stands One among you…”

(There stands One among you…)

It was true for John the Baptist, and the pastor in the hospital, and the preacher in New Delhi, and it’s true for you today.  There is hope, and it’s found in “the One,” the One who stands among us even now.  Though unseen, and unknown by most, He is here. 

He is our Lord and risen Savior, Jesus Christ.

He is . . . The One.

(music out)



© 2010 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-

What Are You Doing With Your Raw Materials? - Apples of Gold - January 12, 2010 -vi-

To listen to the radio version, click here.   

To search archives, click here.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for January 12, 2010

“What Are You Doing With Your Raw Materials?”

 

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

So we had a bright young man in the studio yesterday.

He had written some inspirational scripts and he came in to record them.

He was excited.  “Yeah, it’s like God just gave me the ideas and I sat down and wrote them as fast as I could.  The words were just flowing.”

So we set him up, turned on the mic, and he started reading.  And he started stumbling over some of the words and phrases.  And he started mumbling under his breath.  And several times he just stopped and said, “This doesn’t make any sense.”

Were his ideas not so good after all?

No, that wasn’t it.  The ideas were good. 

Was he not a good writer? 

Oh I’m sure he can write just fine. 

So what was the problem?

The problem was that it was only a rough draft.  He mistook the raw material for a finished product.

Oh, he started well enough.  He felt inspired by God and got the ideas down on paper.  He did the right thing by writing and writing, furiously pulling the information from thin air and putting it into words.  When you are inspired like that, you’ve got to get the information down before you forget.

But then you have to step back and look at it.  What do you have?

Raw material.  The real work begins now – now that you have the raw material.

For the young man in the studio, getting the ideas was easy.  He said they just came to him.  So he did the easy part.  He received the ideas and got them down on paper. 

But then comes the hard part, which is turning the raw material into something beautiful.

So what he should have done was step back, take a look and say, “What do I have here?  What can I do with it?  How can I best present this information to the world?  What can I say to make them sit up and pay attention?  How can I say it so they will actually ‘get it’ and apply it to their life?”

Then he should have rewritten his scripts.  He should have taken that raw material, that lump of clay, and formed it into something both useful and beautiful.

And now here’s the point.  I think God has given us all raw material to work with.  We all have gifts and skills and resources, but they are not a finished product.  They are simply raw material.

So the question is – what are you doing with your raw material?

Now think about Jesus’ parable of the talents, in Matthew 25.  It says the kingdom of heaven is like a man going on a journey who left his goods in the care of his servants.

It says he gave one servant five talents of money, another servant two talents, and another one talent.

That was their raw material.  They were not all given the same raw material, but they were all expected to do something with it.

The first two went at once and put their money to work.  They took their raw material and doubled its value.

And when the master returned he told each of them, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.  Enter into the joy of your lord.”

But the third servant did nothing to increase the value of his raw material. 

And what did the master call him?  Wicked and lazy. 

Well I sure don’t want to be wicked and lazy!  I want to take the raw materials God gives me and turn them into something.  I want to take the muddy lumps of clay and turn them into objects both useful and beautiful.

When God gives me 2, I want to turn it into 4.

So think about it.  What do you have?  What raw materials has God given you?

Well don’t bury them.  Don’t sit on them and do nothing.

One day He’s going to ask about them, and what do we want to hear:  “wicked and lazy” or “good and faithful”?

Well I want to hear “Well done, good and faithful servant!” 

And that means I need to identify my raw materials, then do the work to increase their value.

So I’ll leave you with this question, one more time.

What are you doing with your raw materials?


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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


© 2010 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-

So You Just Can't Get Into Reading the Bible - Apples of Gold - January 11, 2010 -vi-

To listen to the radio version, click here.   

To search archives, click here.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for January 11, 2010

“So You Just Can’t Get Into Reading the Bible”

 

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

“Everybody says, ‘Read the Bible.  You’ve got to read the Bible.’”

“Well I read it, but I don’t understand it.  I don’t even know what I’m reading half the time.”

I hear this a lot, and I just heard it from someone over the weekend.

Some say, “I’m just not good at reading.”  Others say, “I can read, but I don’t get much out of it.”

And then we throw the Bible at them. 

So what about these people?  Are they relegated to being second class Christians?  Are they doomed to get all their Bible information second hand?

I don’t think so, and I have a plan for those people.  If you want to read the Bible but just can’t get into it, here is a plan for you.

First of all, you need to know that when you become a Christian, the Holy Spirit takes up residence inside you. 

Second Timothy 1:14 says the Holy Spirit “lives in us.”

Ephesians 3:16 talks about His Spirit in our “inner being.”

So the Spirit of God lives inside you, and Jesus said in John 16:13 that the Spirit “will guide you into all truth.”

In verse 15 Jesus said, “…the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.”

So what does that mean?  Well it means you can study the Bible and learn from it because the Holy Spirit inside you will guide you!

Okay, so I said I had a plan for you, and I do.  But it’s built on that foundation, that when you pick up the Bible to read it, the Holy Spirit is going to do something.

Now, when you pick up your Bible, start in the New Testament.  The Old Testament has a lot of good stuff, but you have to know the context, so it’s better to start in the New Testament.  And if you don’t have a better idea, I say start at the beginning, in the book of Matthew.

Before you begin, take time to pray.  Talk to God and surrender your study time to Him.  It’s sort of like coming respectfully into the presence of the Teacher.

Then it’s time to open up and start reading.  And now here is something that bogs people down.  They start reading and it starts to get foggy and soon they are just lost.  They don’t get it, they lose interest and they finally quit.

So, as a new student of the Bible, don’t worry about understanding every single thing you read.  And don’t worry about gulping down giant portions of scripture. 

Just start reading, and here’s what I want you to look for.  I want you to look for what I call “a bell ringer.” 

You can start with a prayer like this, “Lord, I’m going to read Your Word, and I’m going to read until I hit a ‘bell ringer,’ that particular truth that You want to leap out to me today.”

I have done this many times, and here is what will happen.  I will read a few verses, and it may run into a few chapters, but then all of a sudden a particular verse or phrase will leap out at me.  It’s like the clouds part and the sun shines on that one truth. 

It’s when you stop and say, “Mmmm, that’s good!”  And you read it again.  And again.

That, my friend, is the bell ringer!

I believe that is the Holy Spirit guiding you into all truth.  He is “lighting up” one thing for you, something for you to learn and to apply to your life.

Now you can stop reading.  It doesn’t matter if you’ve only read one verse, when the light comes on, you can stop. 

Write it down.  Put it on a card.  Tuck it in your pocket.  Stick it on your mirror.  Make copies and put it up everywhere.  Make it your Facebook status.  Meditate on it.  Memorize it.  Think about how you should apply it.

And then you can find out what others think of that verse.  Ask your pastor or a Bible teacher.  Read some commentaries.  These can help keep you from misunderstanding or taking a verse out of context. 

But this is the truth of God from scripture.  It’s food for the soul. 

See how that works?  You don’t have to understand everything you read.  And you don’t have to read page after page after page.  You just read until you hit that one thing, something I believe the Holy Spirit will guide you to.

I’m not saying this is a complete and comprehensive Bible study plan, but it’s a start.  It’s a way to get into the Bible when you just can’t get into it.

Hebrews 11:6 says that God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

With this plan, you are doing that.  You are diligently seeking Him through the study of His Word.

So do you want to read the Bible, but you just can’t get into it?

Then here is a plan for you.  Pray, then start reading until you come across that bell ringer.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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


© 2010 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
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