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Apples of Gold
Radio Script for March 11, 2010
“James Is Dead”
Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.
James is dead.
My brother is dead and I grieve.
Unlike some brothers, James and I got along.
We were in the fishing business together with our father, Zebedee. And we were partners with Simon Peter, who has now also been arrested by King Herod, by the way, and I’m probably next on the list.
What does old Herod Agrippa have against fishermen, anyway? Oh, I know, it has nothing to do with fish. It’s the “fishing for men” they have a problem with.
But that’s what Jesus said to us that day when we were in the boat. He said, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
So we did. We followed. We left Dad and the fish and the boat and the nets, we left it all behind to follow Jesus. James and I, we did it together.
Jesus chose 12 of us as His disciples, but He gave James and I a special nickname. “Boanerges,” He called us, “Sons of Thunder!”
And sons of thunder we were, and I guess you could include Peter in our little group; a trio of fire that Jesus called out more than once. Like at the transfiguration on the mountain. Who was there? James and me and Peter.
In the Garden of Gethsemane, who did Jesus ask to pray with Him? James, me and Peter. Never mind that we fell asleep. That was bad, I know. But we really didn’t know what was going on or I assure you, we would have been wide awake.
Yes, we should have known. He told us ahead of time, sometimes blatantly, and sometimes it was more subtle.
Like the time – oh, I cringe just thinking about it now – but there was the time our mother went with us to Jesus and we asked – what were we thinking? – we asked if we could sit at His right and His left when He came into His kingdom.
He got that look in His eye, that look where it’s like He’s looking into your soul, and He said, “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?”
“What cup?” That’s what we should have said. You shouldn’t agree to drink a cup until you know what’s in it. But we were the Sons of Thunder, so what did we say? Of course we can drink the cup you’re going to drink!
And then He said something I’ll never forget. “You will indeed drink from my cup…”
We were so naïve. But now, my Lord, we are drinking from Your cup. James drank from Your cup. They arrested him and took him away. He drank from your cup. And now that cup is at my lips.
But oh, Jesus was patient with us! How many times He must have thought of tossing us aside for some “real” disciples! I know He didn’t really, but you know – how many times did we try His patience?
Like that time with the Samaritans. We sent messengers ahead of us into a Samaritan village to prepare for Jesus’ arrival. But when they found out we were headed for Jerusalem, they were just rude. Well James and I had had just about enough. I mean, why were we on the receiving end of Samaritan ignorance?
And you know what? We had seen God do some things through us. Being a disciple of Christ had some privileges, some power. And we were ready to unleash some of that power on the Samaritans. So James and I went to Jesus and said, “Lord, do You want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?”
Oh, did He cut us down to size! We went from feeling like giants to feeling like children in about two seconds.
So how did He deal with the Samaritans? We simply went to a different village. What grace! What humility! He modeled it for us so beautifully, and we were so much like children.
We ran like little children when He was arrested. We cried like children when He died. We rejoiced like children when He arose, and you know what? We had faith like children. When He said wait, we waited until we were filled with the Holy Spirit! And that’s when our world was really turned upside down.
And that’s when the world really took notice, and started taking names. What was that, ten years ago? Oh the miracles we have seen! The lives changed, the glory of God made manifest.
And oh, the enemies we have made. “Why do the nations rage?” David said, “And the peoples plot in vain against the Lord and against His Anointed One.”
They plot in vain against the Lord, and the gates of hell will not prevail against the church. But for some reason, God allows them the power to prevail against individuals; one of us here and one of us there.
And this time it was my dear brother James. Herod’s sword has taken his life.
Do I grieve?
Yes I grieve, but not as other men. He is taken from me now, but we are not separated for long.
My hope is firm in the words of our Lord Jesus who said, “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.”
(fade in The Coloring Song, beginning with the lyrics, “There is birth, there is death, there is a plan…)
Dedicated to the six World Vision workers murdered this week by Muslims in Pakistan.
© 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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