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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
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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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