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Apples of Gold
Radio Script for January 27, 2011
“Here’s Something That Really is ‘of the Devil’”
Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.
Have you ever heard someone say that something is “of the devil”?
For example, “Communism is of the devil,” or “rock music is of the devil” or “television is of the devil.”
Some people see the devil behind everything they’re against, and others don’t believe in the devil at all.
The Bible, though, talks a lot about such an entity, calling him Satan, the devil, the evil one, the wicked one, the “serpent of old.” What you won’t find in the Bible is a neat laundry list of things that are “of the devil.”
But here is one thing that Jesus flat out stated is “from the evil one.” It’s from the Sermon on Mount, in Matthew chapter five. Listen closely to Jesus’ teaching.
“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.’ But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.”
There it is, something that is of the devil. Jesus said it’s “from the evil one.”
What is? Listen again to the end of that teaching. “Let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.”
When you boil it down, He’s talking about the truthfulness of what we say. When we say “yes,” it better mean yes, and when we say “no,” it better mean no. Anything beyond that is actually of the devil.
You can point your finger at a lot of things out there and say, “That is of the devil,” but here is something that really is of the devil, and that’s when your word isn’t rock solid true.
When you say something, it better be true. When you commit to something, it should be as good as done. When you give your word, people should be able to count on it as final, a done deal. He said it, and that’s that.
Sometimes people say to me, “Oh, you should meet so-and-so. He’s a powerful man of God.”
Good! And I have a question. Does he keep his word?
If someone doesn’t keep their word, you better take a good, long look to see if they really are a man or woman of God.
“Oh, Doug, that’s just the way some people are.”
Of course it is! That’s just the way a lot of people are, and it’s of the devil, so listen. Isn’t it a strange mix, to say that someone is a powerful person of God, but they don’t keep their word?
“Well Doug, have you ever not kept your word?”
Yes I have, and I repent of it. I know how easy it is to just babble off any old thing in the moment; but it’s not right, and I despise it. I turn from it. I ask God’s forgiveness.
There’s an old fashioned saying that says, “My word is my bond.”
Say it out loud and see if you don’t feel the strength of it: “My word is my bond.”
Let your yes be yes and your no be no…period. Anything beyond that is of the evil one.
“Doug, I have a friend who says a lot of stuff, but I know they don’t really mean it. They just talk a lot.”
So, what you’re saying is that their very reputation is that their word is no good, is that what you’re telling me? Because if that’s the case, that’s sad.
Oh wait. It’s more than sad. It’s of the devil.
Now some of you think that sounds funny, me saying “it’s of the devil.” Why am I saying that?
Because Jesus said it, and here’s where I think He was coming from. In John 8:44 Jesus said that the devil is the “father of lies.”
Satan is the father of deception, and we act like his children when we don’t keep our word. When we are untruthful – anytime we step off that straight and narrow path of speaking only what is true – we are like the devil.
Ephesians 6:11 talks about “the wiles of the devil.” One of the wiles of the devil is to make us think keeping our word isn’t all that important.
Well it’s important to God! Look what Jesus said in Matthew 12:36: “But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.”
We’ve all spoken errant, idle words, so we need to repent. We need to put off the old man with his deeds, like it says in Colossians three, and be renewed in the spirit of our mind.
We can do this, through the power of the Holy Spirit inside of us!
We can become men and women of God, who always speak the truth, whose yes is yes and no is no, and who never, ever say those things which really are of the devil.
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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