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Apples of Gold
Radio Script for October 19, 2010
“Seek the Honor That Comes From the Only God”
Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.
“My company is going out of business.”
“Oh really?” I said, as I looked around at the opulence of his home.
He noticed me looking and said, “Oh, don’t worry, I’m not going to lose anything. Actually I’m going to come out ahead.”
“How does that work?”
“Actually I’ve lost three businesses now, and each time I came out ahead.”
“How did you do it?”
“Well…” He grinned, then laughed a sly laugh and looked at the floor. Then he looked up toward the wall away from me and said, “You have to be careful.”
I said, “Was there deception? Because God won’t honor deception. If you profited through deception, your profit will crumble beneath you like sand.”
Now stop right there. Let me ask you this question. Whose honor would you rather have, God’s or man’s?
It’s quite natural to want the honor of man. People are all around us and we want them to admire us or at least approve of us. We often do things simply so other people will think more highly of us.
I read a commentary the other day about Facebook. The author pointed out how many people cleverly craft their image on Facebook, from their status updates, to the photos they post, even to the sheer numbers of friends that they add. Everything they do on Facebook is designed to make people admire them or covet their life.
People who do this are seeking the honor of men, which as I said, is perfectly natural. We all want people to like us.
But it’s much more important to seek the honor of God. Jesus pointed this out in John 5:44 when He said, “How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?”
It is more important to seek the honor that comes from God rather than the honor that comes from men.
It’s sort of like a Little League baseball player seeking the honor of his teammates rather than his coach. So he goes up to the plate and shakes his rear end, much to the delight of his teammates. Then he switches to bat left-handed (when he is actually a righty), and his buddies roll on the dugout floor with laughter. Finally he just turns his back to the pitcher and acts like he’s smoking a cigarette – and the team goes into hysterics.
He wanted, and got, the honor of his teammates, but will he receive anything but condemnation from the coach?
That’s a childish version of what we do. We are more grown up about it, but we are still more interested in pleasing people rather than God much of the time.
But Jesus said to seek the honor that comes from the only God.
How do we do that?
Here is one way. Serve Jesus. That’s what He said in John 12:26. “If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.”
Another way to seek the honor of God is by honoring Him first. In First Samuel 2:30 God said, “Those who honor me I will honor…”
Second Timothy 2:21 indicates that if we purify ourselves, we will be special vessels for honorable use.
Of course there is one obvious way to seek the honor that comes from God and that is simply this. Be honorable. Be an honorable man or woman of God.
My short version of First Thessalonians 4:4 says, “Possess your vessel in honor.” That means conduct yourself in an honorable fashion. That includes what you do with your body, what you say, even your attitudes. Be honorable in all things.
Hebrews 13:18 includes this phrase, “desire to live honorably in every way.”
First Peter 2:12 says, “…having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles…”
Now back to my story about the man who was losing his business but keeping the money through deception. That was a dream I had last night, a very vivid dream. I was sitting in a man’s house I have never met, confronting him about seeking to honor God in all he does, including his business practices.
And I want to challenge you to do the same today. It’s the same challenge Jesus presented in John 5:44 and here it is.
“How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?”
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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