The Murder of Jesus - Part III

The Jewish leaders wanted Jesus dead.  They had secretly arrested him in the Garden of Gethsemane, then tried him, found him guilty of blasphemy, and sentenced him to death.

Trouble was, the Jews were not allowed to administer capital punishment under Roman law.  So very early in the morning, Luke 23 says, “the whole assembly rose.”  They marched Jesus off to the Roman governor of Judea, Pontius Pilate.

Pilate began with the obvious question, “What charges are you bringing against this man?”

What could they say?  Pilate would not execute Jesus on charges of “blasphemy.”  So they avoided the question entirely. 

“If he wasn’t a criminal, we wouldn’t have brought him here.”

Pilate got the picture.  “Fine.  Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.”

“But we have no right to execute anyone.”

They needed a charge that would move Pilate to action, so they said, “We have found this man subverting our nation.  He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Christ, a king.”

Claims to be a king?  Now they had Pilate’s attention.  So he called Jesus aside to question him. 

“Are you the King of the Jews?”

Jesus responded with a question of his own.  “Are you speaking for yourself, or did others tell you this?”

“Am I a Jew?  Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you to me.  What have you done?

Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world…”

“You are a king then!”

“Yes,” Jesus said.  “For this reason I came into the world, to testify to the truth.  Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”

“What is truth?” Pilate said. 

Meanwhile, word was spreading and the crowd was growing.  The Jewish leaders were poisoning the well of public opinion.

Pilate announced, “I find no basis for a charge against this man.”

This riled the Jewish leaders, who began hurling accusations at Jesus. 

Pilate turned to Jesus.  “Don’t you hear what they’re saying?”

Jesus said nothing - and Pilate marveled.

What was Pilate to do?  He had already declared Jesus innocent, yet the Jewish leaders appeared ready to start a riot.

Someone shouted, “He stirs up people all over Judea by his teaching.  He started in Galilee and has come all the way here.”

“Galilee?”  Pilate suddenly saw a way to pass the buck.  Galilee was outside his jurisdiction.  That region was ruled by Herod Antipas.  So he sent them all to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem for the Passover.

Herod was glad to see Jesus.  He had heard of this miracle worker and hoped to see him do something spectacular. 

Herod peppered Jesus with questions, but he didn’t say a single word.  The crowd was shouting accusations, and for Herod the scene was getting ridiculous.  He began mocking Jesus, trying to get a rise out of him, to no avail.  The soldiers joined in, even throwing a kingly robe on him.

It all got old quickly, however, and Herod booted the mob back to Pilate.

Pilate desperately tried to defuse the situation.  He decided to take advantage of an old custom.  During Passover they offered to release one prisoner to the Jews.  Pilate gave them a choice between Jesus and a notorious killer named Barabbas. 

Meanwhile, a messenger showed up with an urgent message for Pilate.  It was from his wife.  “Don’t have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him.”

“Great.”

In the crowd, the priests were stirring the pot.  When Pilate asked which prisoner they wanted released they shouted, “Give us Barabbas!”

A frustrated Pilate shouted back, “What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?”

“Let him be crucified!”

“Why?  What evil has he done?”

“Crucify him!”

When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd.  “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said.  “It is your responsibility!

And the people shouted back, “Let his blood be on us and on our children!”

Then Pilate had Jesus flogged.  The soldiers beat him and mocked him with a crown of thorns and a purple robe. 

“Hail, king of the Jews!”

In one last ditch effort, Pilate paraded a bloody Jesus before the crowd.  He waved his arm toward Jesus.

“Behold the man!”

“Crucify him,” the shouted.

Pilate raged, “You crucify him.  As for me, I find no basis for a charge against him.”

One leader shouted, “We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God.”

“Son of God?”  Now Pilate was even more afraid.  He called Jesus aside. 

“Where do you come from?”

Jesus said nothing.

“You refuse to speak to me?  Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?”

Jesus said, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above.  Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.”

Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jews played their trump card.  “If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar.  Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar.”

Pilate sat down on the judge’s seat.  He motioned toward Jesus.

“Behold, your king.”

“Crucify him!”

“Shall I crucify your king?”

The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar!”

Pilate finally relented, and handed Jesus over to be crucified.

(As heard on Wave 94.1 FM)

dougapple@wave94.com

www.wave94.com

I was inspired by and gleaned information from one of my favorite books, “The Murder of Jesus” by John MacArthur.

The Murder of Jesus - Part II

As Jesus and his disciples gathered peacefully in the Garden of Gethsemane, the Jewish leaders were thrown into a frenzy of activity.

Judas had tipped them off to Jesus’ location, but they had to act fast.  They hastily called together captains of the temple guard.  They summoned a detachment of soldiers.  Matthew 26 says “a large crowd armed with swords and clubs” was gathered.  It was a mob ready for violence.

Judas led the throng under the full moon of Passover, into the darkened olive grove.  He told them, “Whomever I kiss, He is the one; seize Him.”

After agonizing in prayer, Jesus was alert and prepared.  He woke his disciples saying, “Rise, let us go.  Here comes my betrayer!”

Jesus boldly approached the advancing mob.  “Who is it you want?” he asked.

“Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied.

“I am He,” Jesus said, and John 18 says they “drew back and fell to the ground.”

Not to be deterred, Judas stood, looked at Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi.”  Jesus asked the rhetorical question, “Friend, why have you come?” 

Judas made a show of kissing Jesus, who said, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”

When the disciples realized the situation they said, “Lord, shall we strike with our swords?”  Suddenly Peter took his sword and struck the ear of a servant of the high priest named Malchus. 

Jesus rebuked Peter and told him to put his sword away.  Then he reached out and healed Malchus’ fresh wound. 

He told His disciples, “Do you think I cannot call on my Father and He would immediately put twelve legions of angels at my disposal?  But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled?”

Then Jesus said to the mob, “Am I leading a rebellion?  Every day I taught in the temple courts and you did not arrest me.  But this has all happened to fulfill the writings of the prophets.”

At this point Matthew records, “Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.”

Jesus was arrested in the middle of the night in the Garden of Gethsemane and taken to the home of Annas.  Annas was a powerful man, a former high priest.  Five of his sons had also been high priest, and now the position was held by his son-in-law Caiaphas. 

Annas was sort of a like a Jewish “godfather.”  Exactly two years earlier when Jesus had cleansed the temple of the money changers during Passover, it was the business of Annas that He was messing with.

A hasty trial was organized.  The Sanhedrin was convened.  The mob hung around to see some action.  Peter and John were back on the scene, keeping a low profile out in the courtyard. 

The court officials called for testimony against Jesus, but the witnesses contradicted one another.  Finally two came forward who agreed on something. 

“This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’”

Jesus did not respond to the charge.  The high priest stood up and demanded an answer, but Jesus remained silent.

The high priest must have grown tired of this fishing expedition.  He knew of Jesus’ claims, so he decided to ask him point blank.  “I charge you under oath by the living God – tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.”

Jesus finally spoke.  “Yes, it is as you say.”

Before the crowd could react to this confession Jesus added, “But I say to all of you – in the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming in the clouds of heaven.”

Bedlam ensued.  The high priest, in direct contradiction of Leviticus 21:10, tore his own clothes and declared, “He has spoken blasphemy!  Why do we need any more witnesses?”

The high priest turned to the council and called for a verdict.  He got the verdict, and the sentence.

“He is worthy of death.”

At this point their barely restrained hatred of Jesus was unleashed.  They spit in his face.  They slapped him.  They turned it into a vile game by blindfolding him, then punching him and mocking, “Prophesy to us, Christ.  Who hit you?”

Meanwhile Peter was in the courtyard.  He was repeatedly questioned about being one of Jesus’ disciples.  He vehemently denied it.  In exasperation he finally began to call down curses on himself and swore, “I do not know the man!”

Immediately a rooster crowed.  At this point Peter looked toward Jesus, and Jesus looked out, directly into the eyes of Peter.  He remembered Jesus’ prediction, and went out and wept bitterly.

When Judas saw that Jesus was condemned to death, he was filled with remorse.  He brought back the 30 pieces of silver to the elders and said, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.”  They answered, “What is that to us?  That’s your responsibility.”

Judas threw the silver down and left the scene of the crime.  Unable to cope with what he had done, he killed himself.

The Jewish leaders had given Jesus the death penalty, but they had a problem.  The Romans had rescinded their right to carry it out.  All capital punishment had to be approved and implemented by Roman authorities.

The Roman governor was in Jerusalem for the Passover, so they decided to take the case directly to him. 

They bound Jesus, led Him away, and delivered Him to Pontius Pilate.

(As heard on Wave 94.1 FM)

dougapple@wave94.com

www.wave94.com

I was inspired by and gleaned information from one of my favorite books, “The Murder of Jesus” by John MacArthur.

 

The Murder of Jesus - Part I

To murder someone and get away with it, you need a good plan. 

That’s what the leaders in Jerusalem needed, a good plan to do something about this Jesus who was stirring people up.  Nothing but trouble was ahead if they didn’t address the Jesus problem.

So they got together at the palace of the high priest, Caiaphas.  Other leading priests were there, along with some Pharisees.  The ruling council in Israel was the Sanhedrin, and they were there, too.

“Here’s what we need to do.  We need to secretly arrest him, then do away with him.”

“Yes, but not during the Feast.  The people might go crazy.”

During the Passover, hundreds of thousand of Jews were in Jerusalem.  Hundreds of priests sacrificed hundreds of thousands of lambs.  The place was a zoo.  Even the Roman governor Pontius Pilate came to Jerusalem during the Passover.

Those leaders precisely did not want to arrest Jesus during the Feast.  That’s why they didn’t arrest Him during what we now call His “Triumphal Entry” into Jerusalem.  They simply wanted to make Jesus quietly disappear.

They knew what they wanted to do, but not exactly how to pull it off.  So they put the word out, “If you find out where Jesus is, report it so we can make plans to arrest him.”

Meanwhile, their secret meeting was no secret to Jesus.  In Matthew 26:2 Jesus told His disciples, “As you know, the Passover is two days away – and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.”

Now look at what happened in the spiritual realm.  About the same time the leaders hatched their plot to murder Jesus, Luke 22 makes this ominous statement, “Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot…and Judas went to the chief priests…and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus.  They were delighted and agreed to give him money.  He consented, and watched for an opportunity to hand Jesus over to them when no crowd was present.”

How fortunate.  At the very time they were fishing for a way to arrest Jesus in secret, an insider comes forward offering to betray Him.  Now all they had to do was wait to hear back from Judas.

Soon enough the time came.  The disciples gathered in an upper room to commemorate the Passover, just like so many others were doing that night.  It was a ceremonial meal which included the passing of a common cup of wine.  Early in the meal, Jesus dropped a bomb.

“Assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me.”

This is the first time Jesus said anything about being betrayed by one of His own disciples, and they were shocked.  Matthew 26 says, “They were exceedingly sorrowful, and each of them began to say to Him, ‘Lord, is it I?’”  Judas played along, and the meal continued, but with a more somber tone.

Eventually Jesus told Judas, “What you are about to do, do quickly.”  So Judas left, but the others did not know what he was doing.

With the betrayer gone, Jesus veered from the traditional Passover ceremony.  At this point He instituted what we now call the Lord’s Supper.  He took the cup and said, “…this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins…”

Meanwhile, Judas was about to earn his money.  The officials had been alerted.  Judas knew where Jesus was going next, to one of their favorite spots, an olive grove called the Garden of Gethsemane.  It was private and secluded, the perfect spot for a secret arrest.

Jesus knew what would happen there that night, but the disciples did not.  Jesus tried to warn them.  In Matthew 26, apparently as they walked along, He said, “This very night you will all fall away on account of Me.”

Peter replied, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.”

And Jesus answered, “This very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.”

It was likely about midnight when they arrived at the Garden of Gethsemane.  They were no doubt physically exhausted, not to mention the mental strain added by Jesus’ cryptic warnings. 

When they entered the garden, Jesus asked most of the disciples to stay closer to the entrance while He took Peter, James and John further in.  The heaviness of the moment began to settle on Jesus.  He said, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful.  Stay here and watch with Me.”

Then alone He went deeper into the garden, fell on His face and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup pass from me.  Nevertheless, not My will, but Your will be done.”

Luke 22 says, “His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground…” as He contemplated the “cup.”  The cup was not the arrest or the torture or even His death.  The cup was the outpouring of divine wrath He would endure, the cup of God’s judgment on the sins of the world.

Three times Jesus came back to his disciples, and three times he found them sleeping when they were supposed to be praying.  He said to Peter, “Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?  Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.  The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”

Jesus Himself must have felt that weakness of body as He kept praying the same thing, wishing to avoid what was coming.  Yet He did not give in, concluding, “Not My will, but Your will be done.”

The third time He returned to His disciples He declared, “Are you still sleeping and resting?  Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.  Rise, let us go!  Here comes my betrayer!”

(as heard on Wave 94.1 FM)

dougapple@wave94.com

www.wave94.com

 

The Plot – Matthew 26:3-5, John 11:47-57

The Garden of Gethsemane – There is still an olive grove there today, reportedly with a few trees still around from the time of Christ.

I was inspired by and gleaned information from one of my favorite books, “The Murder of Jesus” by John MacArthur.

 

Stop Stealing From Your Spouse

I almost never dream.

But last night I had not one, but three very vivid dreams.

In the first one I had friends who owned a large ATV dealership.  They showed me a pair of customized “four-wheelers” designed to go together, perfect for some romantic couple for Valentine’s Day.

Now these owners trusted me a lot.  I even had keys to their dealership. 

Well I thought of the perfect couple for those romantic four-wheelers.  So I let myself in, hitched them together and drove them off to show this other couple. 

Somehow (you know how dreams are) the four-wheelers got lost.  We couldn’t find them anywhere.  I thought, “How can I face my friends?  They trusted me completely, and I was just trying to help, but look what I’ve done.”

Then immediately came my second dream.

It was halftime at a college basketball game.  The band was playing, and I was out in the hall.  A band from another school, all dressed up, came down the hall.  They said they wanted to hear the band that was playing, and wanted to know if it was okay if they went in and watched.  I said, “Sure, why not?”

I held the door while they funneled in.  Then to my horror they started playing, blasting their horns louder than the actual halftime band.  The halftime show was ruined, and I was to blame.

Then came my third dream.

I was alone in a friend’s garage.  He was restoring a really old pickup.  I got in, and immediately the truck began to roll.  I hit the brakes, but they weren’t hooked up.  I jumped out and got it to stop, but not before it bumped into a work bench, putting a big dent in the hood.

I woke up, and it was all so vivid I prayed, “Lord, is this just nonsense, or is there something to it?”

Immediately I thought of the person who told me recently about an “emotional affair,” and I thought of this phrase, “Stop stealing from your spouse.”

What do my dreams have to do with stealing from your spouse?

Your spouse has put their trust in you.  You probably share houses and cars and bank accounts.  They sacrificed all future romantic possibilities just to be with you.  They have put all their eggs in your basket.

Like my friends who owned the dealership.  They trusted me completely, even with the keys to their business.  I didn’t mean to steal from them, but that’s what I did.  I took what belonged to them and lost it.

Your heart and emotional energy belong to your spouse.  They are trusting you.  If you are giving your emotional energy to someone else, you have stolen from them, even if you didn’t mean to.

In my second dream, I gave that band permission to go where they did not belong.  I thought it was no big deal, but I was wrong.  As soon as I opened that door, the situation was out of my control. 

In an emotional affair, you let someone go where they do not belong, into your heart.    You think you have it under control, but you do not.  That band will begin blasting so loud it will ruin what the rightful band is playing.  What seemed so innocent, even helpful at the beginning, will turn into an obnoxious, discordant mess. 

In my third dream, no one knew I was in that garage.  No one knew I slipped into my friend’s old truck.  But what I didn’t know was that once it began rolling, I couldn’t stop it. 

Maybe you are having an emotional affair, and no one knows.  Your secret is safe, and you can stop it anytime you want.  My friend, you have been deceived.  Those brakes don’t work.  Once an emotional affair gets rolling, it’s hard to stop.  And here is one thing you can bet on, there will be damage.

This may not sound like a nice, romantic story.  But for someone, it will be the best thing you can do for your spouse.  Sure, you may not be involved physically, but if you are giving your emotional energy to someone else, then stop it.  Make it a gift.  Decide today to stop stealing from your spouse.

(as heard on Wave 94.1 FM)

dougapple@wave94.com

www.wave94.com

 

Who Do You Love?

“I can’t wait to retire,” she said.

“What are you going to do then?” I asked.

“I’m gonna move way out in the country, where I can be near God’s creation.”

“ And away from people…” I added for her.

“Yes, away from all these crazy people,” she said.

“But people are the CROWN of God’s creation!” I said. “If you want to be near God’s creation, you need to surround yourself with people, then love them like God loves them.”

We get so busy with our duties that we forget our supreme duty - to love people.

One time I was driving home from church with my teenage son. You know how sometimes you have to pry things out of your teenagers? In this case I pried it out, then wished I could put it back!

So we’re driving along in the dark, and my son suddenly says, “When I move out, the first thing I’m going to do is get my lip pierced.”

“Why on earth would you do that?” I said.

“Just over on the side,” he said, as if that would make me feel better.

Then he said, “Well, what would you do if I did that?”

I said, “First of all, I would still love you. I will love you no matter what.”

Jesus calls us to love everyone. But being finite, I can’t really get to everyone in order to love them, so I made up this priority list about who to love first.

It starts with my wife. If you are married, there is only one person you are “one” with. So at the top of your “love list” must be your spouse.

If you are married with children, remember your spouse comes before the children, even though the children can be more demanding and time consuming. The children need to move out and move on someday, but you are “one” with your spouse - ’til death do you part. Make sure your husband or wife is at the top of your love list everyday. Have you done something special for your spouse lately? This would be an excellent time.

Second on my love list is my children, especially while they are growing up. Of all the people on the planet, I am most responsible for my own kids. Our pastor reminded us recently that we are to be our kid’s parents, not their best friends. Yes, sometimes you just have fun with your children, like a friend would. But other times you have to lay down the law. When they are toddlers, you may have to exert authority to keep them from hurting themselves. And that holds true until they grow up and move out. But it’s always done with love as the motivation.

So, you love your spouse first, and your children second.

Now, what if you don’t have a spouse or children, or if you do, who is next on your priority list of whom to love? Your parents. The Bible offers specific instructions about how we are to treat our parents. They must be high on our love list. Then come other family members, including siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, even in-laws.

And after our family members, for Christians the call is clear. We are to love our fellow believers.* Then after that we are simply called to love our “neighbor,” meaning anyone we happen to encounter on any given day.**

So here is my priority list again:

First is my spouse, then my children. Next are my parents, followed by other family members. Then come my bothers and sisters in Christ. And finally just loving anyone God brings into my life today.

I know dealing with people can be the most aggravating and irritating part of the day. That’s why we need to work on it, and keep our priorities straight.

“But wait a minute, Doug. You didn’t mention friends.”

Yes, we should love our friends, obviously. But I compare that to making sure you eat your favorite food. You don’t have to make a point to do it.

So take a look at your schedule. How do you spend your time? Who is getting your emotional energy and resources? Ask yourself the tough question, “Am I doing what I need to do to love the people I’m supposed to be loving?

Comments? E-mail me: dougapple@wave94.com.

* Galatians 6:10 “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”
** Luke 10

Get Wisdom - No Matter What It Costs You

I was more judgmental as a young man.

When I saw a weakness in someone I judged them to be weak.

Then along came an older man whom I respected highly.  He was a successful businessman and outspoken about his faith.  He had a nice family.  He was very gracious and loving, and when he smiled you thought “Now there is the true joy of the Lord.”

I’ll never forget the day he told me that he and his wife had gone for marriage counseling. 

I wonder if the shock showed on my face.

I had always held him in high esteem, and now I find out that his marriage is crumbling?

The shock must have shown, because he said, “Oh, it’s nothing bad.  Just some things we are working on to make our marriage stronger.”

That was quite a few years ago, and over time I have grown to respect what he did more and more.

I guess I’m the typical American male.  And one thing we don’t do is admit to having weaknesses.  Oh, we know we have them, but we work on them in private.  We try to fix things ourselves before anyone finds out.

The thing is, if we don’t ask for help, we don’t get any.  And if we think we are smart enough to handle everything alone we are wrong – and dumb.

This man saw some weaknesses in his marriage.  Instead of trying to solve them alone, he knew enough to know that a wise counselor could help them be much stronger.  He was willing to humble himself.  That humbling was a price he was willing to pay in order to get some wisdom for his marriage.

His action reminds me of Proverbs 4:7 which tells us to get wisdom, no matter what it costs.

In his case it cost him the humbling of asking for help, the money for the counselor, and the time spent in counseling when he could have been conducting business.

But what if he hadn’t paid that price?  Think of the cost of a wrecked marriage.  Think of the cost of a divorce.  Or even the emotional toll of a dysfunctional marriage.  Those are all much higher prices than the cost of getting some wise counsel.

That’s why the Bible places the value of wisdom so high.  King Solomon said, “Get wisdom…though it cost you all you have…”

Then he explains the value.  “When you walk, your steps will not be hampered; when you run, you will not stumble.”*

Do you feel like your walk is hampered?  Does it feel like just as you begin to run, you stumble? 

Maybe it’s time to stop trying to handle it by yourself.  Get some help.  Seek some wise counsel. 

Yes, there is a price.  Yes, it will be humbling.  It will cost you time and money.  But think of the time and money wasted every time you stumble.  Get those stumbling blocks out of the way. 

Think about this, you would have already removed your stumbling blocks by yourself, if you could.  So whatever stumbling blocks are still tripping you up are probably stumbling blocks you need help with.

Why wait any longer?  Get the help you need and get them out of the way. 

It’s time to get wisdom, whatever it costs you.

(as featured on Wave 94.1 FM)

dougapple@wave94.com

www.wave94.com

 

Get Your Goat

Radio Script for November 30, 2006

“Get Your Goat”

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

Have you ever heard the phrase “Get your goat”?

No one seems to know exactly where it came from, or if it might actually be “get your goad,” but either way it means the same thing. If someone “gets your goat” it means they got to you. They got through your defenses and upset you.

So the question is, what does it take to get your goat?

If you have a short fuse, you’re easy. Anybody can get your goat. Your personal peace is paper thin, and the first drop of rain spoils it.

Maybe you pride yourself on being stable and rational. But you know how it goes. Along comes someone who will not give up. They keep pushing buttons until they find the right ones.

What is the sign that someone has “got your goat?” When you overreact. Your reaction is not calm and measured, but it suddenly bursts forth in an irrational display of emotion.

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick is in the news this week because someone got his goat. His team played poorly, and as they walked off the field a fan yelled something offensive to Michael Vick. That was it. He had had enough. He flashed the single digit sign language for “you got my goat.” And the league fined him $10,000.

Sure he was frustrated. Sure the fan was offensive. But Vick reacted as if he and the fan was all there was. Obviously the league didn’t see it that way. There is a much larger picture that Vick ignored, and it cost him 10 grand.

Usually when someone gets our goat and we overreact, it’s because we are not seeing the big picture. If we saw the big picture, we would react differently.

In driver’s ed we were taught not to swerve for small animals. “Why not? We don’t want to murder the cute little bunny.” Because you and the bunny is not all there is. The bigger picture shows the wreck you might have if you jerk the wheel.

Another lesson from driver’s ed. We were taught to look further down the road in order to keep the car steady. If you only look at the road directly in front of you, you will constantly turn the wheel, reacting to every little thing.

The same is true in life. To be steady and stable, we need to look further down the road.

When Paul wrote the book of Ephesians, he said he was “a prisoner for the Lord.” He could have focused on the walls of his confinement. It could have gotten his goat. I mean, how unfair is it to be in prison for serving God and loving people?

But he looked beyond the walls and saw the bigger picture. He wrote things like, “…how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ…” He wrote, to God be the glory “…throughout all generations, forever and ever!”

Talk about seeing the big picture! Paul saw beyond the walls, beyond his own life, out through all the coming generations. And it brought him incredible peace and stability, in spite of all the people trying to get his goat.

Michael Vick was “had” as soon as he focused on that fan and got caught up in the flurry of the moment.

The same happens to us at school, at work, at home. Our peace is lost when we let someone get to us. We focus on them, when we need to look beyond them, to the bigger picture.

What is the bigger picture? The bigger picture is beyond our little situation, beyond whatever we are struggling with. The bigger picture goes beyond our little lives to the grand, eternal scheme of things under the control of the Lord God Almighty.

HE is the big picture. HE is our motivation. HE is our focus in life. Paul writes that we can be “filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” *

I don’t know about you, but I want that. I want to be “filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

Then I know that I will be stable and strong in all circumstances. I will see past the flurry of the moment. And I’ll know that no matter who comes along, and no matter how many buttons they push, they will not be able to “get my goat.”

Comments?

E-mail me…dougapple@wave94.com.

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

* Ephesians 4:19

© 2006 Darling Child al Fine

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“Freely we have received…freely we give.”

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(Proverbs 25:11 – “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”)

Fine (pronounced "feenay') is the Italian word for "end." D.C. al Fine tells you to go back to the beginning of the piece and repeat until you come to the marking Fine. In the Christian life, we must keep coming back to the beginning…our childlike faith in the forgiveness freely given by our Heavenly Father…at the foot of the cross.

Do You Have a Little Pet Sin?

Are you a Christian?  Are you one of God’s people?

O.K.  Now…do you have a little pet sin that you are allowing in your life?

Just one little area that you are holding back from complete surrender to God?

Why would you do that?  Because it’s exciting?  Because it’s fun?  Because God will make you give it up and you don’t want to?

My friend, remember the thrill of being close to God!  There is no higher high than being close to your Creator, your Heavenly Father, your Savior.  There is no sin, no suspect activity, nothing on the fringes that will do you any good.

If you are toying with this certain sin in your life, beware.  It will destroy you.  If you think it’s O.K.  If you think this one little thing won’t destroy you because everything else in your life is generally in line…good job…good home…don’t be fooled…one drop of poison poisons the whole drink.

Sin is not to be toyed with.  Plus…it is a lie!  It is not what you are making it out to be.  It will thrill you, then the thrill will quickly turn to torture…and if you don’t surrender it to God, it will eventually kill you.

Stop and think…this sin in your life…can’t you feel its corrosive nature?  With Christ you are like stainless steel…His forgiveness and grace make you clean and strong.  But when you harbor a sin in your life, rust begins…and weakness.

We are not strong people.  Sin is a temptation for everyone.  That is why we must fall on our knees in surrender to Christ our King each day.  Have you fallen on your knees today in surrender to Christ your King?  Don’t be too “big” to lift your hands to God and say, “I give up.  I surrender.”  Remember the old hymn, “All to Jesus, I surrender, all to Thee I freely give…”

Give it all up to Jesus now…and that includes this pet sin of yours.  I mean…listen to me…even if it is fun…don’t you feel the dark side of it?  Don’t you see the looming crash in the future?  Listen and heed this warning today!  

Now God is gracious and kind…but he hates sin and He does not put up with it.  Some people think God is so loving that He will let a little sin slide.  Not at all!  It is precisely BECAUSE He loves us so much that he is so hard on sin.  Sin kills.  Sin maims.  It hurts people.  It destroys marriages.  Sin crushes families.  It wipes out businesses.  It splits churches….it never does a bit of good…never!  That is why God hates it so much, and when push comes to shove, He will use explosive means to wipe it out.  

God is talking to you right now.  He wants to cleanse you of this sin.  Turn to Him right now and ask for forgiveness.  Repent…turn from all sin..and toward Him.  This is not a game.  God, your Heavenly Father loves you, but you are like a child standing in the middle of the street, and the truck of sin is bearing down on you.  He is calling to you to get out of the middle of the street…and He is raising His voice, can’t you hear it getting louder and louder?  And He is getting angry that you are not listening.  That’s right, God gets angry when He sees His children not listening and not obeying.  

There is a horrifying text in Ezekiel 24:13 – The Lord says to His people:  “I tried to cleanse you but you would not be cleansed…”

A Secular Workplace – Part Two

It’s Monday morning and, congratulations, you are starting a new job!  The question is, how do you conduct yourself, as a Christian?

“Let Them Know”

In a new job you always meet new people.  You don’t know them and they don’t know you.  There is something very important about you that they need to learn right up front.  One way or another, subtle or overt,  I think it is important that you let people know that you are a Christian.

“It Affects Their Conduct”

Why is there an urgency to let your new coworkers know about your faith?  First of all, it should set a standard of conduct for those around you.  Hopefully they will clean up their language and their jokes out of respect.  Hopefully they will refrain from taking the Lord’s name in vain.  They will know not to ask you to join them if they are making plans unfit for a Christian.  You won’t have to hear such things as, “You want to go to the bar after work?” or “Check out this racy website” or “We’re leaving early, can you clock us out at quitting time?”  I know it’s not always that simple, but at least your more civilized coworkers will respect where you stand.

“It Affects Your Conduct”

When you let people know you are a Christian, it forces you to live like one.  Immediately you have a higher standard of morality to live by.  They will expect you (and put pressure on you) to be honest and truthful.  You will have to keep your own language and jokes clean.  You can’t join in on certain office high jinx.  You will be forced to pass on various after-hours activities. Anything less than good Christian behavior and you will be labeled a hypocrite.  

“It Affects Their Lives”

When your coworkers want to live in the darkness, you (the Christian) will be an annoying light that ruins the atmosphere.  But the darkness is a terrible place to live.  Situations will arise in your coworkers’ lives, and they will seek you out for help.  They knew from day one that you were a Christian – a source of wisdom, love and mercy – and they will come to you when the time is right.  On that day you will be glad that you began your new job with the label “Christian.”

Follow the Bishop's Example

The crime? Stealing bread. That's what sent Jean Valjean to prison, where he stayed for 19 years in France two centuries ago. Even after his release he was marked as an ex-convict and found life very difficult. 

What Jean Valjean needed was a break. What he needed was mercy, but no one was offering him any. Desperate, he turned thief once again and stole. And once again he was caught. His chance of ever living a full life was over, if it were not for mercy.

In his famous “Sermon on the Mount” Jesus said, “Blessed are the merciful…” (Matt. 5:7) In Matthew 9:13 he is quoted as saying, “But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.'” 

What if we don't feel like being merciful? James 2:13 says, “…judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful…”

In Matthew 18 we read an excellent illustration of mercy in action, as well as the “judgment without mercy” that will be shown to us if we are not merciful:

“Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. 

The servant fell on his knees before him. `Be patient with me,' he begged, `and I will pay back everything.' The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. `Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded. 

His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, `Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.' But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened. 

Then the master called the servant in. `You wicked servant,' he said, `I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.” 

It is wise to show mercy. In fact, James 3:17 describes the “wisdom that comes from heaven” as being “full of mercy”. A truly wise person is a person truly full of mercy. Of course the Pharisees of Jesus' day fell short of that great wisdom. In Matthew 23:23 Jesus charged them with failing to be merciful. He considered showing mercy to be one of the “more important matters of the law”.

Another great example of mercy in the Bible is Jesus' story of the Good Samaritan. The Samaritan sees a man in need, and gives of his own money to take care of him. The Samaritan is described in Luke 10:37 as “…the one who had mercy…” 

Who are we to have mercy on? Like the Good Samaritan, we are to have mercy on whomever we come across who needs mercy. We are to be merciful, even when the person may not deserve it. God is merciful to the undeserving (like, you and me, for instance). He is our example, like it says in Luke 6:36, “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” 

I began with the story of Jean Valjean. He is a fictional character from Victor Hugo's classic “Les Miserables.” His last crime was committed against an old Bishop with whom he had just spent the night and enjoyed a meal. Jean Valjean stole the Bishop's silverware, was caught and hauled back to the Bishop's residence. Read now the Bishop's wonderful example of mercy: 

"Ah! here you are!" he exclaimed, looking at Jean Valjean. "I am glad to see you. Well, but how is this? I gave you the candlesticks too, which are of silver like the rest, and for which you can certainly get two hundred francs. Why did you not carry them away with your forks and spoons?" 

Jean Valjean opened his eyes wide, and stared at the venerable Bishop. "Monseigneur," said the brigadier of gendarmes, "so what this man said is true, then? We came across him. He was walking like a man who is running away. We stopped him to look into the matter. He had this silver -- " 

"And he told you," interposed the Bishop with a smile, "that it had been given to him by a kind old fellow of a priest with whom he had passed the night? I see how the matter stands. And you have brought him back here? It is a mistake." The gendarmes released Jean Valjean, who recoiled. "Is it true that I am to be released?” 

"My friend," resumed the Bishop, "before you go, here are your candlesticks. Take them." Jean Valjean was trembling in every limb. He took the two candlesticks mechanically, and with a bewildered air. He was like a man on the point of fainting. 

The Bishop drew near to him, and said in a low voice: "Do not forget, never forget, that you have promised to use this money in becoming an honest man. Jean Valjean, my brother, you no longer belong to evil, but to good. It is your soul that I buy from you; I withdraw it from black thoughts and the spirit of perdition, and I give it to God." 

As we begin a new year, may we all follow the Bishop's example. May we all follow the example of the Good Samaritan and even the example of our Father Himself. May we all be more merciful to our fellowman.

My New Prayer

“Lord, make yourself known…”  That is my new prayer, both for myself and everyone else.  I pray this for myself:  “Lord, make yourself known to me.”  I pray this for others:  “Lord, make yourself known to my wife.”  “Lord, make yourself known to my son.”  You get the point.  When I think of someone who needs prayer, this is my new prayer for them, “Lord, make yourself known to them.”

Lord, Make Yourself Known

My new prayer stems from a thought I had while reading in Isaiah chapter 19.  A prophecy is spoken concerning Egypt, that the time would come when “the Lord will make himself known to the Egyptians…”  I thought, “Man, I don’t want to wait for some prophetic or even apocalyptic point in time.  I want the Lord to make himself known to me now.”  

Wouldn’t we all be better off if the Lord revealed himself to us in greater and clearer ways?  Perhaps all that’s lacking is our desire.  Perhaps if we simply asked him to, he would, indeed, make himself increasingly more known to us.

I have been applying this prayer to everyone lately.  “Lord, make yourself known to our President.”  “Lord, make yourself known to the husbands and fathers around the world.”  Again, you get the point.

Worship the Lord

“They will worship…”  Isaiah writes that as the Lord would make himself known to the Egyptians, they would be drawn to worship him.  What other response might there be, anyway?  When God reveals himself - when we see him more for who he really is – our core being wants to bow before him and worship him.  This is one powerful result of praying this simple prayer, “Lord, make yourself known to me.”

Make Vows to the Lord, and Keep Them

The prophet saw this in the Egyptians’ future, that they would make vows to the Lord, and keep them.  It doesn’t say what those specific vows would be, just that they would make them, and keep them.  

As I ponder this, I think that we are not prone to make vows unless we must.  When was the last time you voluntarily promised something without being pressed or even asked?  When was the last time you made a vow to the Lord?  

To be honest, I’m a bit scared to make vows to the Lord.  It’s not something I want to mess around with, for fear of not fulfilling my commitment.  And yet I loathe making room for my weakness.  What I want to do is make a giant vow to the Lord, then do whatever it takes to fulfill it.  

But for now, my vow is simple.  I commit to keep praying, “Lord, make yourself known to us.”

What Does God Want?

“What does God want?”

The Bible reveals the heart of God, and I found some key points in the opening chapter of the book of Isaiah.

“Stop bringing meaningless offerings.”

The people were bringing their appropriate offerings to God, but they were fooling themselves into thinking this pleased God.  It did not.  Why not?  Doesn’t He desire, and even command us to bring offerings?  Yes.  But our offerings must flow out of our righteousness, out of our growing walk with the Lord.  Their offerings did not.  So this is the heart of God:  Offerings are meaningless to Him if we give them alone, without giving Him our own heart first.

What does God want?  Our hearts.  Our lives.  The complete surrender of our being to His Lordship.

“Stop doing wrong.”

This sounds simple enough, but what is “wrong”?  Right and wrong are defined by God and God alone.  If He says something is wrong, we must not do it.  We sometimes think of wrong as illegal, which means that if it’s legal, it’s O.K.  Not necessarily.  We need to define wrong exactly the way God does.

What does God want?  He wants us to stop doing what He says is wrong to do.

“Learn to do right.”

I like the point that we must “learn” to do right.  How do we learn something like golf?  We practice it.  We read about it.  We talk about it with others.  We even go to a teacher for help.  Likewise, how do we “learn to do right”?  We practice it.  We read about it.  We talk about it with others.  We even go to a teacher for help.  A lot of times, doing right just doesn’t seem to come naturally for us.  So we must work at learning to do right.

What does God want?  He wants us to go out of our way to educate ourselves in the art of doing what is right.

“Encourage the Oppressed”

How much do we go out of our way to encourage people?  I hear too much about people in depression and people on medication.  I think a better cure would be for us to encourage one another more.  One preacher said, “This is not a bump in the road, this is a bumpy road.”  With all the blows life has a way of dealing, we need to be there for each other.  We all know that trials are much simpler if someone is going through it with you.  

What does God want?  He wants us to find someone that’s in a rough spot and bring them some encouragement.

I’ll stop here, but I recommend you continue this study on your own by reading Isaiah chapters one through five and look for the heart of God.  

Take Your Turn on the Wall

“Take Your Turn on the Wall”

He rises early, before sunrise.  No need to bathe.  Where he’s going it doesn’t matter.  But there are other preparations necessary.  Guns.  Ammo.  Various other weapons and electronic wizardry to get the job done.  He’s packed.  He’s ready.  He heads out…for The Wall.

CONSTANT WATCH

As he approaches the wall, he doesn’t see the one whom he will soon relieve.  No words will be spoken.  There is no “clocking in” or “clocking out”.  Just a simple, silent transfer of responsibility.  He takes his place on the wall.  When he’s done, another will replace him, though silent and unseen.  Someone must always be on The Wall.

THE WALL

This is how I feel as I take my turn in the church’s Watchmen prayer schedule.  I take it very seriously.  It’s my time on The Wall.  So what is the wall?  For me it symbolizes the higher location, the clearer view, the place between God and people.  This is where I purposely come to pray for many things, and most purposefully, God’s will to be done in our church.  The higher location means I’m drawing closer to the Heavenly Father. 

THE CLEARER VIEW

The wall is always designed to offer the clearest view possible.  I find this to be true when I am praying on “the wall”.  My view of the world, my life, my family, my finances, my work – my view of everything becomes clearer when I am praying, drawing near to God, on the wall.

TAKE YOUR TURN

At the back of the church is a sign-up sheet for the Watchmen prayer schedule.  Our goal is to maintain a constant prayer watch.  Will you join us?  Will you take your turn on the wall?  It’s not as difficult as you might imagine.  All we ask is that on the day you sign up for, you spend at least 15 minutes in prayer.  That’s 15 minutes of drawing near to your Heavenly Father.  So, what are you waiting for?  The view is fantastic!

Go to the Grammys or Keep Your Word?

I write this the day after our church youth group went to a concert in the St. Louis area.  Several major artists were to appear, including two that were nominated for a Grammy award.  

The Grammys are the most prestigious music awards in America.  To win a Grammy means that you have reached the pinnacle of your craft as a music artist.  To be nominated alone is quite an honor, and it also gives you the opportunity to attend the awards show with all of the other top singers and musicians in the world.

So what do you do if you are nominated for a Grammy, but on the night of the awards show, you have already booked a concert?  Do you cancel your concert appearance in order to attend what may be a once in a lifetime chance?  Or do you keep your commitment, even though it was made before you knew about your possible Grammy opportunity?

For some this is a no-brainer.  You go to the Grammys!  It would be like passing up a free trip on the space shuttle, it’s something you just don’t miss.  

But what about that earlier commitment?  Well, surely everyone will understand…

Now let me rewind to our Sunday School lesson that same day.  Philippians 2:5 says, “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.”  What was His attitude?  “He humbled himself.”

And how!  Look at the amazing descent of His humility – from God to a man, to a servant, to a servant who died, not just any death, but the kind reserved for the worst people on the planet, capital punishment.

Our attitude should be like His.  He did not claim all of His rights.  Instead He gave them up in order to serve others.  

Yes, you could choose to go to the Grammys.  It’s logical and understandable.  But it’s not noble.

Of the two groups nominated, one chose to attend the Grammys, and the other chose to keep their commitment in St. Louis.  I smile as I report to you that the group that kept their commitment is now the proud owner of a Grammy Award!

Now what about us?  The lesson is easy to hear and challenging to put into practice.  Humble ourselves, in order to serve others.  Don’t claim all of our rights, but instead give them up.  I know there is at least one group of singers today that will attest to the truth of James 4:10, “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.”

The X-Man of Ephesians

The X-Man of Ephesians

As a child, a boy to be exact, I was always interested in comic book heroes and their special powers.  The Hulk.  The Thing.  Spider Man.  Thor.  Iron Man (Dave Calhoun’s hero!)  You get the picture.  

One comic book character that has been made more popular in the movies lately is Wolverine.  This man has two superhuman capabilities:  his body heals itself of all wounds, and when he is angry large claws come out as weapons.  Actually these claws are very long razor-sharp knives that extend from his knuckles.

I want to use Wolverine’s special powers to illustrate two principles.  First let’s look at his “claws”.  You know, we all have claws like this that can cause great harm to others.  They are our words, and they tend to inflict more pain when we are angry.

My goal is to eliminate all the claws from my words.  It’s a very difficult task, but I think God is for it and will help accomplish it.

Watch your words, and how often there are claws in them meant to do harm.  Look for little sharp comments that give a little “dig” at someone.  

Recently I was answering a complaint letter sent to the radio station where I work.  As a professional, I take great care to word such letters in exactly the right way.  I try to make sure there is not a single claw.  After I write a letter like that I often set it aside, then read it a little later from a fresh perspective, again trying to ensure that I am not simply “snapping back”.

Unfortunately we do not have that time luxury in most conversations.  When someone is speaking to us, a response is required immediately.  In the course of normal conversation, can we remove the barbs, the claws?  Can we sand off all the rough edges?  

Why should we “de-claw” ourselves?  Because the Bible says in Ephesians 4:29-32 that we should only say things “helpful for building others up” and words that “benefit those who listen”.  It also instructs us to get rid of “every form of malice”.

HURT PEOPLE HURT PEOPLE

I love that little phrase, and it’s so true.  When do our claws come out?  When we are hurt or threatened.  Recently someone said some less-than-kind things to me, and it caught me off guard.  As I pondered it later I think something I had done may have hurt their feelings.  When we are hurt, our claws come out and we strike back.  It’s human nature.  

But if it’s “hard-wired” into us, how can we avoid it?  Here is where Wolverine’s other super power comes in, the immediate healing.  

When a foe injured Wolverine, it was short-lived.  No matter how deep the cut, it didn’t last.  Soon the wound was completely healed, leaving no scars.

That’s the way we need to be when people wound us.  It’s called the power of forgiveness.

Back to Ephesians 4, where verse 32 says, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”  This is the foil to the mortal coil (that wording is just for you, Pastor John!)

People will wound us and hurt us.  That is a given.  But can we be like Wolverine and heal up instantly?  Yes, we can.  Forgiving brings the healing.  The sooner we forgive, the sooner we are healed from any wounds.

I imagine it this way.  Someone claws me with their words.  I feel the pain, followed by the desire to respond out of my own hurt.  But then, like Wolverine, the wound instantly heals as I instantly forgive.  Now, instead of responding with claws out of my own anger and pain, I can respond as Christ calls me to respond, with kindness and compassion.

So there you have it.  My goal for the year:  Remove all claws and barbs from my speech, and heal instantly when claws and barbs injure me.