People Can Smell the Slightest Hint of Unholiness - Apples of Gold - April 21, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for April 21, 2008

“People Can Smell the Slightest Hint of Unholiness”

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

When I was a little kid I was fascinated by cowboys.

They had the guns and the horses and, man, what a life of action!

I had my own six-shooters with leather holsters that tied around my legs; you know, so you could draw your guns lightning fast. 

Okay, so maybe I saw a few too many cowboy shows.  But you didn’t have to see many to know how they go.

The show starts peaceful enough in a little western town.  Then the bad guys ride in and start trouble.  The good townspeople are concerned, but divided.  Some want to appease the crooks, but the sheriff knows that won’t work, at least not for long.  Give in to the bad guys and they always come back for more.

Then there are the people who say, “Just shoot ‘em!”  Well, the sheriff is all about law and order, so he can’t shoot them.  He has to arrest them and give them a proper trial.

The sheriff has his work cut out for him.  He has to come up with a plan to catch the bad guys, and organize the citizens.  He has to keep some from cowering in fear, and others from forming a vigilante.

And you know the very first battle the sheriff has to fight?

With himself - because the same temptations the people struggle with also strike the sheriff.  Yes, he’d like to appease the bad guys and hope no one gets hurt.  Maybe they would even pay him off.  And he’s also thought about just shooting them.

But he has decided to live by a higher law, with no corruption - no matter what the crooks do, no matter what the people do, and no matter the personal cost.  He has a calling on his life, and he is going to live by that higher law.

Maybe it’s a guy thing, but that stirs me.  I want to be like that sheriff, a man who stands tall and strong and unmovable.  A rock.  Granite.

It doesn’t matter what the bad guys do.  It doesn’t matter what the fearful do.  It doesn’t matter which way the wind blows.  I have decided to live by a higher law, with no corruption.

And what is that higher law?

Second Timothy 1:9 says God has “saved us and called us to a holy life.”

First Thessalonians 4:7 says, “God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.”

First Corinthians 1:2 says we are “called to be holy…”

First Peter 1:15 says, “…just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do…”

This is the higher law:  holiness.

Here is one way to look at it, and I’ll use a phrase that I love from Ephesians 5:3.  It says, “not even a hint.”

Let me illustrate.  We have a fenced-in backyard.  The other day a young man came over for a visit.  He brought his dog, and turned it loose in the yard. 

That night my kids had some friends over, and they were in the backyard, so I asked the young man, “Did your dog ‘do’ anything in the yard?”  He said, “I’m sure he did, but I don’t know where.”

I kept waiting for one of the girls to scream.  They never did.

Then it came time for me to mow the yard.

Now I have a riding mower, so don’t get ahead of me.

Anyway, so I’m riding along, and all of a sudden I get a whiff of something, just a hint.  And I thought, “There it is.”

That’s the way unholiness is in our lives.  People smell it.  Even if they are unholy in every way, they can still smell the slightest hint of unholiness in us.

I don’t want that.  I don’t want even a hint of unholiness.  I want to be like the sheriff, who stood strong with no corruption – no matter what was going on or what anyone else did.

A sheriff with no corruption can save a town.  Just think what a Christian can do who has no hint of unholiness.

Like I said, people can smell unholiness a mile away.  And it’s wretched.  So let’s work to eliminate it.  Let’s do what we can to live up to the call of God on our life – the call to a life of holiness.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

May God bless you today!  With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
 
By the way, your children may be the very best at sniffing out unholiness in your life.

© 2008 The Arrow’s Tip
To subscribe to your own daily “Apples of Gold” e-mail, write dougapple@wave94.com.
If you want to be removed from this e-mail list, simply click reply and type UNSUBSCRIBE on the subject line.
If you want to catch “Apples of Gold” in its original audio format, go to www.wave94.com
To search through the large archive of past articles, go here:  http://www.wave94.com/modules.php?name=Stories_Archive
If you have trouble reaching me at my main e-mail address, try this one:  douglas_apple@msn.com

(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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Are You Desperately Praying for Someone? - Apples of Gold - April 18, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for April 18, 2008

“Are You Desperately Praying for Someone?”

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

So you are praying for someone.

You really want God to answer your prayers because, man, they really need it.

Now I’m going to challenge you.  How much do you love them?  How bad do you want God to work in their life?

If you want it bad enough, you will be willing to do whatever it takes to make your prayers more effective.

So what is the number one way to make your prayers more effective?

I think it is this.  Get rid of the sin in your life.  Stamp out sin, and be more righteous.

You won’t read this in an advice column.  You won’t see it on Oprah.  But bro, the sin has got to go.

James 5:16 says, “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”

Don’t you want your prayers to be powerful and effective?  Who doesn’t?  But there is a price to be paid, and that is to get rid of sin and be more righteous. 

Do you love that person you are praying for?  Do you want your prayers to be answered?  Then become a righteous man or woman of God.

Proverbs 15:29 says the Lord hears…whose prayer?  “The prayer of the righteous.”

First Peter 3:12 says the Lord’s ears are attentive to whose prayer?  The prayer of the righteous.

So the number one key to making your prayers more effective is to be righteous.

Now here is the number two key.  Believe.

Jesus made it clear that when we pray, we should believe that it will happen.  Matthew 21:22 and Mark 11:24 both say it.  If we believe, we will receive.

If not, James 1:7 says we shouldn’t expect to receive anything from the Lord.  So when we pray, it is important that we believe what we are praying.

“But Doug, what if my faith is weak, and I’m not sure if I believe?”

Then pray the Word of God.  You know that’s true.  You know you can believe the Word, so when you pray for someone, pray right out of the Bible. 

For example, Jesus said in John 6:44, “No one can come to me unless the Father…draws him…”  So this is a prayer I pray often for people – and I believe it when I pray – “Lord, draw this person to You.”  I pray it, and I believe it.

Now here is a third key to making your prayers more effective.  Pray, and keep on praying.

In Luke 18 is Jesus’ parable of the persistent widow.  The point of the parable?  That we should “always pray and not give up.” 

In our 8:08 prayer time, there are certain people we pray for every single day.  We will pray, and we won’t give up, just like Jesus said.

Why does God make us keep on praying for something?  I don’t know.  But He said do it, and that’s good enough for me.  Just keep on praying and don’t give up.

The clear theme in Scripture is that we should be people of prayer.  I love what David wrote in Psalm 109:  “I am a man of prayer.”

Various verses say we are to be faithful in prayer and devoted to prayer.  We are to pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers.  Philippians 4:6 indicates that we are to pray about everything.  First Thessalonians says to “pray without ceasing.”

So there you have three keys to make your prayers more effective:
Get rid of sin in your life and be more righteous.
Believe what you are praying for, and
Be persistent in your prayers

Now here are some bonus prayer points.

Acts 1:14 says, “They all joined together constantly in prayer…”  This is a hallmark of strong Christians.  They get together and pray.

The Bible doesn’t require a certain posture for prayer, but several times it points out that people got down on their knees to pray.  Acts 21 even describes a time when they knelt down out on the beach to pray.  Like I said, it’s not required, but some mighty strong Christians did it.  Paul wrote in Ephesians 3:14, “…I kneel before the Father…”

Almost no one does this next point in the American church, and maybe they write it off as cultural or something, but you know what?  If I had someone I was desperate to reach the Lord for in prayer, I would just do it. 

First Corinthians 11 says, “Every man who prays…with his head covered dishonors his head.  And every woman who prays…with her head uncovered dishonors her head…”  Verse 13 says, “Judge for yourselves:  Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered?”

“Oh, Doug, come on!”

Look.  I don’t know.  I’m just saying, if I was desperate to get a hold of God for someone, I would cover this base.*

And if that sounds like it’s picking on the gals, then here is one for the guys.  First Timothy 2:8 says, “I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer…”

So, anyway, the point is, if you love someone and are praying for them, do what you can to make your prayers more effective, and that means:
Get rid of sin in your life and be more righteous.
Believe what you are praying for, and
Be persistent in your prayers


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

May God bless you today!  With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
 
*  One additional thought on this subject.  It is interesting that men already do this.  Most men, when it comes time to pray, will take off their hat.  Why?  Out of reverence for the Lord.  Even men who never darken the door of a church will take off their hat during a prayer.  But in America today, a woman who covered her head during prayer would, at best, be looked at sort of strangely.  Why have the men retained this pattern but not the women?  I haven’t studied this at all, but it is a curiosity.

Now if you are looking for a verse that targets the men, look at First Peter 3:7, “Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.” 

According to that verse, how a husband treats his wife directly influences the effectiveness of his prayers.

© 2008 The Arrow’s Tip
To subscribe to your own daily “Apples of Gold” e-mail, write dougapple@wave94.com.
If you want to be removed from this e-mail list, simply click reply and type UNSUBSCRIBE on the subject line.
If you want to catch “Apples of Gold” in its original audio format, go to www.wave94.com
To search through the large archive of past articles, go here:  http://www.wave94.com/modules.php?name=Stories_Archive
If you have trouble reaching me at my main e-mail address, try this one:  douglas_apple@msn.com

(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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I Just Want Good Things to Happen to Me - Apples of Gold - April 17, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for April 17, 2008

“I Just Want Good Things to Happen to Me”

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

“Look, Doug.  I just want good things to happen to me.  Is that too much to ask?”

Not at all.  I want good things to happen to me, too.  Who doesn’t want a “lucky break” now and then?

Well, I don’t believe in luck, but I do believe in God’s favor.  God makes good things happen to us when we find favor in His eyes.

So how do we find that favor?

Look at the example of Noah.  Genesis 6 says, “Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.” 

How did he do it?  Verse 9 says, “Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God.”

There’s our example.  If we want God’s favor, then we need to walk with Him, and live righteous and blameless lives.

Psalm 5:12 confirms this.  It says that the Lord blesses the righteous, and surrounds them with His favor.

Psalm 84:11 indicates that the Lord will bestow His favor on those whose walk is blameless.

So do you want good things to happen to you?  Then live a righteous life.

Daniel also talks about God’s favor.  Daniel 9:13 even gives us a little formula for finding God’s favor.  In order to seek the favor of the Lord we must do two things:  Turn from our sins, and give attention to God’s truth.

Samuel had the favor of the Lord.  Jesus’ mother Mary was “highly favored.”

Proverbs 12:2 indicates that all good people obtain favor from the Lord.

So if you want good things to happen to you, then be a good person.

In the Old Testament, Joseph is a great example of God’s favor.  Genesis 39:2 says, “The Lord was with Joseph and he prospered…” 

“Yes, Doug, the Lord was with Joseph.  Of course He was with Joseph.  But I’m not so sure He’s with me.”

Remember what it said about Noah?  It said that he “walked with God.”  If you walk with God, then you know the Lord is with you, because you are walking with Him.  And when we walk with Him, good things happen.

Joseph walked with the Lord, and Genesis 39: 3 says, “…the Lord gave him success in everything he did…”

That could have made his boss, Potiphar, really jealous.  But instead, his boss showed him favor. 

I picture a sort of “favor zone” around Joseph.  So how can we get in that favor zone?  By walking with the Lord.  That means we turn from our sins, give attention to God’s truth, and live righteous lives.  When we do this, we will enter God’s Favor Zone.

“Was Joseph always in the favor zone, ‘cause you know, some bad things did happen to him…”

Great question.  When Potiphar’s wife falsely accused Joseph, he went to prison.  That doesn’t sound like God’s favor, does it?

But did Joseph do anything to put himself outside the favor zone?  The Bible doesn’t mention anything, no sin, no corruption, nothing.  So I think Joseph was still in God’s Favor Zone, even in prison. 

Joseph never stopped walking with the Lord, and Genesis 39 says, “…in the prison, the Lord was with him…”

Now Joseph could have said, “Gee, Lord, thanks a lot.  I walk with You, and this is the thanks I get?  Forgettaboutit!”

But he didn’t.  No matter what happened, he kept walking with the Lord – and he kept walking in God’s Favor Zone.

Now I’ve heard some people say that if we just believe in good things, God will send them.  I don’t believe that.  If you believe good things are coming, but you don’t turn from your sin, you will not receive God’s favor.

Sure, sometimes good things happen to bad people and bad things happen to good people.  Joseph went to prison and Potiphar’s wife did not.  But you can’t judge things on isolated incidents.  It’s when you look at the broad spectrum of Joseph’s life that you see God’s favor, and the same is true for us.

My wife and I both have stories of applying for jobs we really wanted, and then being disappointed when we didn’t get them – only to discover that those businesses ended up closing, which would have left us out in the cold.  So we can’t judge by isolated incidents.  We have to look at the big picture over time to really see God’s favor at work.

So do you just want good things to happen to you?  Here’s how.  Walk with the Lord by turning from your sin, giving attention to God’s truth, and living a righteous life.  When you do that, the Lord will be with you, and you will find yourself right in the middle of God’s Favor Zone.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

May God bless you today!  With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
 
 
© 2008 The Arrow’s Tip
To subscribe to your own daily “Apples of Gold” e-mail, write dougapple@wave94.com.
If you want to be removed from this e-mail list, simply click reply and type UNSUBSCRIBE on the subject line.
If you want to catch “Apples of Gold” in its original audio format, go to www.wave94.com
To search through the large archive of past articles, go here:  http://www.wave94.com/modules.php?name=Stories_Archive
If you have trouble reaching me at my main e-mail address, try this one:  douglas_apple@msn.com

(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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The Things Some Parents Do for Their Children - Apples of Gold - April 15, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for April 15, 2008

“The Things Some Parents Do for Their Children”

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

 Joey was going to be tall.

His parents weren’t, but Joey was shooting up there and, hallelujah! he liked basketball.

Mom and Dad invested in Joey’s future.  They sent him to basketball camps, and it became a year-round focus. 

Then there was that little school break-in episode.  School officials made the hard decision.  They banned their star from basketball.

Joey’s parents took some action, too.  They moved.  They took Joey to a school that would let him play. 

The things some parents do for their children.

I recently finished “The Innocent Man” by John Grisham.  It’s the true story of Ron Williamson, who was raised in a devout Christian home.  Ron was a natural at baseball.  To enhance his chances of playing professionally, Ron’s parents moved to a nearby town where the high school team was the state champ.

The things some parents do for their children.

Neither Joey nor Ron went very far in athletics.  Yet their parents made major sacrifices for the cause.

Was it a worthy cause?  I guess that depends on your goals for your kids.

So what are your goals for your kids?

Here is what I think is the most important goal – that our children have their own relationship with God.  That is valuable to them from now until the day they die, then on into eternity.  Your child’s spiritual health is a most worthy investment.

Now listen to this.  There are some parents who need to do what Joey and Ron’s parents did.  They need to move.

Take a good, hard look at the spiritual climate your child is in.  Is it conducive to your spiritual goals for them?  If not, then move.

Listen, if people can uproot and move for the sake of sports, and that happens a lot, then surely people can move for something vastly more important.

Here is my advice.  Get your kids involved in the most fired up, Godly, Christ-centered youth group you can find.  Not just a big youth group.  Not just a fun group or an active group, but a fired-up-for-God group.

Is your church youth group dead?  If you keep sending your kids to a dead youth group, it will be like throwing water on their spiritual fire.

Just once I would like to hear someone say, “Yes, we moved our family so that our kids could be part of this dynamic youth group.”  A group like that will radically alter your kids’ lives.

Every night our family gathers together at 8:08 for prayer.  We stand in the living room, hold hands in a circle, and pray.  I have heard some of the most passionate, on-fire prayers come out of my kids, and I think, “Man, where did that come from?”

Yes, we’ve raised them in a good, Christian home.  They went to Christian school, and they’ve always been in church.  But still, you can’t force a teenager to be fired up for Christ.  You just can’t make them do it. 

So where did those passionate prayers come from?  They come from their own fire for the Lord – which is stoked continuously by a great youth group. 

And you know what?  I wouldn’t trade it for anything.  Not for a scholarship.  Not for a pro contract.  Not for fame or fortune or any worldly success for my children.  None of that comes close to the value of my kids walking with the Lord.

So what should you look for in a youth group?  I like what Andrew Large said on the www.youthpastor.com website:  “The effective youth ministries in America are those in which the youth minister and youth leadership spend hours on their knees seeking God’s plan for the local church.”*

So find a youth group where the leaders actively seek the Lord’s will, and their ministry shows it.  Find youth leaders on fire for Jesus, and you will find a worthy youth group.

Yes, some parents go to great lengths for their children.  The question is, what will you do to get your kids into a good youth group?


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

May God bless you today!  With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
 
*  http://www.youthpastor.com/lessons/index.cfm/Philosophy-A_Youth_Ministry_Philosophy_150.htm

One great piece of advice I read for youth leaders – “Student ministry should be built on the team principle, not on the gifts of one individual.” – Ryan C. Nielsen
 
© 2008 The Arrow’s Tip
To subscribe to your own daily “Apples of Gold” e-mail, write dougapple@wave94.com.
If you want to be removed from this e-mail list, simply click reply and type UNSUBSCRIBE on the subject line.
If you want to catch “Apples of Gold” in its original audio format, go to www.wave94.com
To search through the large archive of past articles, go here:  http://www.wave94.com/modules.php?name=Stories_Archive
If you have trouble reaching me at my main e-mail address, try this one:  douglas_apple@msn.com

(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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Where Do Preachers Get Their Sermons? - Apples of Gold - April 14, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for April 14, 2008

“Where Do Preachers Get Their Sermons?”

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

Here is an interesting question:  “Where do preachers get their sermons?”

The answer varies from preacher to preacher.  Some will follow their denomination’s outline.  Some will use books of sermons, and these days you can find thousands of sermons on the internet. 

Most of the pastors I know personally – they pray and ask God to lead them in their sermon preparation.  I have heard at least two pastors over the years say that they preached about whatever was going on in their personal life.  They believed that God allowed things in their life so that they could then preach on those things to their congregation.

Last week I read a very sad article about pastors who became atheists, yet they still stood in front of congregations each week and delivered sermons.  Their topics included things like “social responsibility” and “care for the planet.”  They preached more from the newspaper than from the Bible.

Last week as I studied the book of Jeremiah, one particular verse hit me straight between the eyes.  Out of the entire book, this one verse stood out the most. 

In Jeremiah 23:22, God is talking about false prophets, and He says this, “…if they had stood in my council, they would have proclaimed my words to my people and would have turned them from their evil ways and from their evil deeds.”

I especially love that opening phrase, “…if they had stood in my council…”

Now to me, this is where preachers should get their sermons.  This is where Bible teachers should get their lessons.  Anyone speaking or writing or singing for the Lord, this is where the messages should come from – standing in the council of the Lord.

Jeremiah 23:18 says, “…which of them has stood in the council of the Lord to see or to hear his word?  Who has listened and heard his word?”

So, practically speaking, how do we stand in the council of the Lord?

Because the Lord is spirit, I think we must get alone in a quiet place where we can tune out the physical things of the world. 

This is what Jesus did.  Luke 5:16 says, “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.”

Then when it came time for Jesus to preach and teach, He only spoke the words He heard while standing in the council of the Lord.  In John 12:50 Jesus said, “…whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.”  In John 8:28 He said, “…I do nothing on my own, but speak just what the Father has taught me.”

So we start by getting alone with God.  Then what?  James 4:8 says that if we draw near to God, He will draw near to us.

I have probably said that thousands of times, “Lord, right now I am drawing near to You, and I know You are drawing near to me.”

James 4:8 goes on to say, “…wash your hands, you sinners…”  We can’t truly draw near to the Lord with “dirty hands,” in other words, unrepented sin.

Psalm 24 says, “Who may stand in His holy place?  He who has clean hands and a pure heart…”

Verse 6 talks about seeking the Lord, about seeking His face.

When you have unrepented sin, you don’t want to seek the face of God.  You want to avoid the face of God. 

Sometimes you hear about a pastor’s fall into sin.  They were doing bad things during the week, but still preaching on Sunday.  How did they do that?  Well, I doubt they were standing in the council of the Lord, drawing near to Him in His holy place.  Yes, they could still preach a sermon.  It might even be a strong Bible sermon, but it didn’t come from their quiet time in the presence of God.

“What’s so bad about that, as long it comes from the Bible?”

Now let me bring up one hugely important word:  timing.

Jeremiah prophesied peace for Jerusalem, and so did the false prophets.  The difference was their timing.  The false prophets said the peace was coming right then, with no need for repentance.  Jeremiah said the peace would only come if they repented, or if not, then after they were judged and served their sentence in exile.

Same message, very different timing.

So, yes, a pastor could get up in front of his congregation and preach one of Charles Spurgeon’s sermons every week from now on.  Yes, they would be dynamic, Bible based sermons.  But the timing for his congregation could be totally off.  He could be preaching one message, when what they really need to hear is something quite different.

How do you know?  The only way to know is to stand in the council of the Lord, with clean hands and a pure heart. 

So where do preachers get their sermons?  Here is where I think the best sermons come from.  When the people of God get alone with God and stand in the council of the Lord.  They then hear His words, and proclaim His words to His people – turning them from their evil ways.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

May God bless you today!  With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
 
Paul also received messages from the Lord Himself.  In Galatians 1 Paul says he received the Gospel, not from any man, but “I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.”

In First Corinthians 11:23 Paul said, “For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you…”
 
© 2008 The Arrow’s Tip
To subscribe to your own daily “Apples of Gold” e-mail, write dougapple@wave94.com.
If you want to be removed from this e-mail list, simply click reply and type UNSUBSCRIBE on the subject line.
If you want to catch “Apples of Gold” in its original audio format, go to www.wave94.com
To search through the large archive of past articles, go here:  http://www.wave94.com/modules.php?name=Stories_Archive
If you have trouble reaching me at my main e-mail address, try this one:  douglas_apple@msn.com

(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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Bible Flyover: Jeremiah - Apples of Gold - April 11, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for April 11, 2008

“Bible Flyover - Jeremiah”

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

Have you ever read through the entire book of Jeremiah in one sitting?

If so, you read through, nonstop, the biggest book of the Bible.  Good job!

I like the various ways Jeremiah describes God.  He is:
--The Sovereign Lord
--The Lord God Almighty
--The King of Nations
--The True God
--The Living God
--The God of all mankind
--The Eternal King, and
--The Maker of all things.

Jeremiah calls Him “the spring of living water,” “my strength and my fortress, my refuge in time of distress.”  He said, “The Lord is good, His love endures forever.”

That’s quite a thing for Jeremiah to say, considering all the horror he witnessed.  In his lifetime he saw all the cruelties of war one can imagine.

He spent much of his life prophesying against his own country, which did not make him a popular figure around Jerusalem. 

So why did he prophecy against his own people?  Because instead of worshipping God, they turned to idols.

In Jeremiah 44:3 God said, “They provoked me to anger by burning incense and by worshiping other gods…”

Verse 4 says, “Again and again I sent my servants the prophets, who said, ‘Do not do this detestable thing that I hate!’”

Jeremiah prophesied that unless the people repented and returned to the Lord, the king of Babylon was coming to deliver God’s judgment.  And God said, “You know all those homes where people have been burning incense to Baal?  They are going to be burned down.”

Over and over Jeremiah says the Lord tried to discipline and correct His people, but they just wouldn’t listen.  And where discipline won’t work, judgment will.

Jeremiah 2:5 says, “They followed worthless idols and became worthless themselves.”

So how wicked was Jerusalem at this time?  So wicked that God said in Jeremiah 5, “Go up and down the streets of Jerusalem, look around and consider, search through her squares.  If you can find but one person who deals honestly and seeks the truth, I will forgive this city.”

He didn’t.

Jeremiah 6:6 says, “This city must be punished.  It is filled with oppression.”

Verse 13 says, “From the least to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; prophets and priests alike, all practice deceit.”

Chapter 34 reveals another facet of the city’s evil – slavery – and of their own people, no less.  At one point they do repent of that and set free their Hebrew slaves, only to turn right around and recapture them.

After that little incident Jeremiah delivered this scathing word from the Lord, “You have not proclaimed freedom for your fellow countrymen, so I now proclaim ‘freedom’ for you – freedom to fall by the sword, plague and famine.”

Jeremiah prophesied such things for many years.  The people had hundreds of chances to return to the Lord, but instead they just persecuted the prophet.  He was beaten and jailed a lot, faced death threats, and at one point was put deep into a cistern where he sank in the mud, but was eventually rescued.

Finally the Babylonians did come and build siege ramps to the wall around the city. 

But God was still merciful and gave them a way out.  Jeremiah 21 … “This is what the Lord says:  ‘See, I am setting before you the way of life and the way of death.  Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, famine or plague.  But whoever goes out and surrenders to the Babylonians who are besieging you, will live…’”

So why didn’t they take advantage of that opportunity?  One thing I haven’t mentioned yet – the false prophets.  These were guys who kept saying that Babylon would never attack.  Then when they did, they said Jerusalem would survive – just don’t surrender – the exact opposite of the word of the Lord through Jeremiah.

I love what God says about those false prophets.  Jeremiah 23 says, “I did not send these prophets, yet they have run with their message…  If they had stood in my council, they would have proclaimed my words to my people and would have turned them from their evil ways…”

That’s what a true man of God does – stands in the Lord’s council, then proclaims His words and turns His people from their evil ways.

So the people never did repent, and they suffered horribly inside the walls of Jerusalem.  They ran out of food and people began starving because they were surrounded.  Finally the Babylonians did break in, killed people, set the place on fire, and put many in shackles for the trip to Babylon – including Jeremiah, who was a senior citizen by now.

Then in an interesting twist, a commander found Jeremiah in chains, and had specific orders to set him free – to go wherever he wanted.  But where do you go in a war-ravaged land?

Jeremiah was a true man of God with a true calling of God on his life – and he suffered for it.  And he suffered through the very judgments he himself prophesied on the city.

But he also prophesied about the days when the Jews would return from captivity, and Jerusalem would be restored. 

And more than that, he prophesied about the coming of the Messiah.

Those are just some of the highlights I gleaned from the book of Jeremiah.  I recommend you read it yourself, and try it all in one sitting.  It will really help you wrap your brain around the whole book at once.  But I will warn you, it’s not in chronological order, so don’t let that throw you.

And what did I get out of it?  The reminder that the Lord is the Almighty, the maker of all things; that He wants us to worship and obey Him and no other; that sin will be punished, but that He always offers us the choice to repent and be restored.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

May God bless you today!  With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
 
 
© 2008 The Arrow’s Tip
To subscribe to your own daily “Apples of Gold” e-mail, write dougapple@wave94.com.
If you want to be removed from this e-mail list, simply click reply and type UNSUBSCRIBE on the subject line.
If you want to catch “Apples of Gold” in its original audio format, go to www.wave94.com
To search through the large archive of past articles, go here:  http://www.wave94.com/modules.php?name=Stories_Archive
If you have trouble reaching me at my main e-mail address, try this one:  douglas_apple@msn.com

(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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Cologne Guy - Apples of Gold - April 10, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for April 10, 2008

“Cologne Guy”

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

I’m not a cologne guy.

Sure, I wore a little Polo back when my wife and I were dating, but I don’t even know where it came from. 

As a producer, I am often shut up in the recording studio with people.  Then when they leave, you can still smell them.  Their fragrance permeates the studio.

Some people’s scent is so strong you actually smell them coming.  Have you ever walked down the hall…and you know so-and-so is in the building because you smell them.

My son used to be able to identify which of his little friends left their clothes at the house…just by picking up a shirt and smelling it.

My wife likes the smell of my pillow.  She says it smells like me.

But she also likes the smell of newborn babies, so what does she know?

My nose isn’t that good.  Unless someone bathes themselves in perfume, I’m not likely to pick up on it.

Maybe that’s why I’m not a cologne guy, because as soon as I put it on, I don’t notice it and I figure, “Why bother?”

But I would like to leave behind a nice fragrance.  I would love to have a certain scent that would brighten someone’s day when they smelled it coming, and that would leave behind good feelings when I left.

And I can tell you exactly the scent I want.  It’s described in Second Corinthians 2:14 – “the aroma of Christ.”

The notes in my study Bible describe a Roman army, marching back into the city after winning a war.  It was a victory parade with the soldiers as well as the captives.  It was a festive atmosphere, about like any of the civic parades in communities around America. 

But then it says those victory parades had a certain smell.  Apparently they would burn certain spices, filling the air with a sweet aroma.

Imagine growing up going to these parades.  You would soon identify that smell with all the excitement.  If you were a loyal Roman, it would be a wonderful smell, the smell of victory.

But what if you weren’t a Roman?  What if you were one of the captives?  Then to you that would be the smell of defeat.  You would hate it.

The same smell, but very different reactions.

That’s what we get when we have the “aroma of Christ.”  Second Corinthians two says that “to those who are being saved” we are the “fragrance of life.”  But to “those who are perishing…we are the smell of death.”

Sometimes I receive notes from an outspoken atheist.  Everything I say about the Lord irks him. 

Have you ever talked to someone about Jesus and they almost had a violent reaction?  It’s because they suddenly smelled something rancid.  They think it’s you (or Jesus), but it’s really them.  You are just the one who popped the lid on their sin-rotten soul.

From then on, they can smell you coming.  Yes, it’s a sweet smell, but they can’t stand it. 

I’ve heard people talk about witnessing in bars, but I’m skeptical.  Oh sure, it can be done.  But if you really have the aroma of Christ, most bar-attenders will smell you a mile off, and they won’t like it.

On the other hand, our fellow Christians love the aroma of Christ.  It’s better than their favorite coffee shop, or treats in the oven.

What exactly is the aroma of Christ?  Second Corinthians 2:14 calls it, “the fragrance of the knowledge of Him.”

In Christian radio I work with people from all denominations and backgrounds.  They disagree with one another on various points of doctrine.  But I have found such joy in those who truly know Jesus.  It’s not that they know about Him, or that their doctrine is perfect.  It’s that they walk with Him and live with Him.  He is their Savior and Lord.  He is their Shepherd and they love Him. 

These people have the aroma of Christ.  When they leave the studio, they leave behind the fragrance of Christ.  I’m not left thinking about them, but I’m left thinking about the Lord and how awesome He is.

And that is exactly the fragrance I want to leave behind.  I don’t want people thinking about me or what I wore or my cologne or anything.  I want to leave behind one thing only, the sweet-smelling “fragrance of life” – the aroma of Christ.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

May God bless you today!  With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
 
 
© 2008 The Arrow’s Tip
To subscribe to your own daily “Apples of Gold” e-mail, write dougapple@wave94.com.
If you want to be removed from this e-mail list, simply click reply and type UNSUBSCRIBE on the subject line.
If you want to catch “Apples of Gold” in its original audio format, go to www.wave94.com
To search through the large archive of past articles, go here:  http://www.wave94.com/modules.php?name=Stories_Archive
If you have trouble reaching me at my main e-mail address, try this one:  douglas_apple@msn.com

(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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When a Warrior Lets Down His Guard - Apples of Gold - April 8, 2008 -vi-

To listen to the full audio presentation, click the Warrior link on our homepage:  www.wave94.com.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for April 8, 2008

“When a Warrior Lets Down His Guard”

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

(sfx:  music intro)

Jake was an old friend.

Hadn’t seen him in years. Hadn’t been in his neck of the woods.

Now I was headed west.  It was a long walk, but my mind was busy with memories of Jake and his wife and kids. 

Jake and I had fought together as young men.  He was a rock. 

Then he met someone and started a family.  Jake attracted people, and the last thing I heard was that they had started their own little settlement.  Jake was probably the village council and police force all in one.

Me?  I still had visions of being the great warrior.  I guess it took me longer to realize there is nothing great about war.

(sfx:  music transition)

The smell of smoke broke into my thoughts.  And it wasn’t just the smoke of wood.

It was coming directly from the west, so I ran up the little hill, weapons bouncing on my back.

In the distance I saw various fires in a little village, and I could hear people crying for help.

Now the scent was strong.  The trademark of the enemy.  The mark of his presence. 

Sulfur.

How did it happen?  The village – Jake had the high ground.  He knows the enemy.  Knows what to expect.  Knows what to do about it.

I scanned the horizon.

Nothing.

I ran for the village. 

Another mark of the enemy.  The main fire was at the center.  Not at the edges.  It had to be Jake’s place.

As I got close I saw people talking, but not panicked.  But the fire was still burning.

“What happened?”

“Same old thing.”

“Same old thing?  There’s a fire!”

“Yes, and it’s bad.”

“Let’s put it out!”

“The enemy will just start it again.”

“Well keep him out!  Keep the torches burning and stand guard.”

“Jake used to do that.”

“Used to?”

“He said he doesn’t need to anymore.”

“His house is on fire!  I smell the sulfur!”

“Yes, and his wife is comatose, and his children vomit blood.  His family and friends live close to him, and they’re all suffering.”

“Where’s Jake?”

“He’s inside.”

“Inside?  He’ll suffocate!”

“He is suffocating.”

“Well let’s get him out!”

“He won’t come out.  And he’ll fight you to stay in there.”

“Stay in there?  What’s he thinking?”

“I’ll tell you exactly what he’s thinking.  He’s thinking about…another woman.”

(sfx:  music out)

The Bible says we have an enemy on the prowl.*

One of his prime targets is your marriage.  If he can get at your marriage, he can get at your children and your friends and neighbors and everyone that knows you. 

The Bible says we are not ignorant of the enemy’s devices.**

And here is one of his most affective devices in destroying marriage.  To simply get you to think about someone other than your spouse.

As soon as you toy with this thought, you should get a whiff of sulfur.  The enemy is near.

If you let the thought linger, the smoldering begins.  The burn is slow, but the destruction is sure.

If you keep thinking about that person, the flame will ignite, and spread.  You will try to contain it, but it will instantly jump to your spouse and burn them.  The children won’t know where it came from, but they will begin feeling pain. 

Your family will bring it to your attention.  Your friends will warn you.  But if you do not heed their warning, the whole little village around you will suffer.  Everyone will choke in the sulfurous atmosphere you have created.

So, knowing this device of the enemy, what can we do?

We keep the torches lit and stand guard.  The torches represent the light, the light of God’s truth.  We keep God’s truth at the top of our minds at all times. 

And by standing guard I mean guarding our hearts and minds.  Proverbs 4:23 says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.”

Second Corinthians 10:5 says, “We…take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 

So you stand guard, and when any thought of someone other than your spouse shows up, you take it captive – and you kill it.  You put it to the torch of God’s truth.

This is how we keep the enemy at bay.  This is how we preserve our marriages and families.  There are some thoughts you simply cannot think, and among them are thoughts about anyone other than our spouse.

 
Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

May God bless you today!  With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
 
*  First Peter 5:8
**  Second Corinthians 2:11

I think Proverbs 25:28 goes along with this:  “Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control.”
 
© 2008 The Arrow’s Tip
To subscribe to your own daily “Apples of Gold” e-mail, write dougapple@wave94.com.
If you want to be removed from this e-mail list, simply click reply and type UNSUBSCRIBE on the subject line.
If you want to catch “Apples of Gold” in its original audio format, go to www.wave94.com
To search through the large archive of past articles, go here:  http://www.wave94.com/modules.php?name=Stories_Archive
If you have trouble reaching me at my main e-mail address, try this one:  douglas_apple@msn.com

(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
-vi-

Jesus Reaches Another Lost Sheep - Apples of Gold - April 7, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for April 7, 2008

“Jesus Reaches Another Lost Sheep”

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

This is a broken, messed up world.

Honestly, sometimes I just grieve for the hurt and pain people go through.

No, I don’t cry about it.  Not yet.  I just stuff it in my backpack, zip it shut, and keep walking.

What can I do anyway?  I am just one man.

Well, there are two things I do.  First, I pray for people.  I’m not sure what good it does, or exactly how it works, but I believe there is something to it, that God exerts His influence when we pray.

And second, I promote Jesus.  Jesus is the cure-all.  For all the hurt and pain in this world, Jesus is the answer.  There is not much I can do for people, but Jesus can.

Have you ever read the story of author Anne Lamott?  She is not exactly a fundamentalist, conservative Christian. 

Her parents were atheists, and they drilled it into her that there is no God.  She became a writer, and an alcoholic.  She used drugs and slept around.  Life was spiraling downward.

Now get this.  One night it crossed her mind to call a Christian pastor.

Why did that happen?  Who knows, but I can tell you what I imagine.  I imagine people praying for Anne Lamott, and God responding to those prayers by whispering to her that she should call this pastor.

So she met with the pastor.  At one point she said, “I wanted to fall to my knees, newly born, but I didn’t.  I was not willing to give up a life of shame and failure without a fight.”

Meanwhile, she got pregnant and had an abortion. 

Some Sundays, hung over from alcohol or cocaine, she would walk to a flea market, and nearby was a church.  She was drawn by the music and would stand in the back of the church and listen, but she always left before the sermon.  To her, Jesus didn’t make any sense.  It wasn’t rational, and she didn’t want to hear about it.

I love the way she describes the effect of the Gospel music.  She said, “Something inside me that was stiff and rotting would feel soft and tender.”

One night, a week after the abortion, she had serious bleeding.  She was very drunk, and was too ashamed to ask anyone for help. 

After the bleeding stopped and she finally settled down, she had a cigarette, turned out the light and laid there in bed.  Then she said, “I became aware of someone with me, hunkered down in the corner.  The feeling was so strong that I actually turned on the light for a moment to make sure no one was there – of course, there wasn’t.  But after a while, in the dark again, I knew beyond any doubt that it was Jesus.”

“I was appalled,” she said.  “I thought about my life and my brilliant hilarious progressive friends, I thought about what everyone would think of me if I became a Christian, and it seemed an utterly impossible thing that simply could not be allowed to happen.  I turned to the wall and said out loud, ‘I would rather die.’”

“I felt him just sitting there on his haunches in the corner of my sleeping loft, watching me with patience and love…”

“This experience spooked me badly,” she said.  “I thought it was just an apparition, born of fear and self-loathing and booze and loss of blood.  But then everywhere I went, I had the feeling that a little cat was following me, wanting me to reach down and pick it up, wanting me to open the door and let it in.  But I knew what would happen: you let a cat in one time, give it a little milk, and then it stays forever.  So I tried to keep one step ahead of it, slamming my houseboat door when I entered or left.”

The next week she went to the church.  She was so hung over she couldn’t stand for the songs, but she did stay for the sermon.  At one point she began to cry and left before the benediction.  She said, “I raced home and felt the little cat running along at my heels.” 

She opened the door to her houseboat, stood there for a minute, hung her head…and said to Jesus, “All right.  You can come in.”

Don’t you love that story?  To me, that is so Jesus!

I’ve heard thousands of testimonies like that, and I’m always amazed.  It’s just like the parable in Luke 15.  The Good Shepherd goes out looking for lost sheep, and when He finds them, He joyfully puts them on His shoulders and brings them home!

So, yes, there is a lot of hurt and pain in this old world, but there are a couple of things we can do.  We can pray for people.  And when we get the chance, we can promote Jesus.  He can do what we are powerless to do. He will reach out to them no matter their condition, and save them.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

May God bless you today!  With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
 
Anne Lamott’s story is from her book, “Traveling Mercies.”

© 2008 The Arrow’s Tip
To subscribe to your own daily “Apples of Gold” e-mail, write dougapple@wave94.com.
If you want to be removed from this e-mail list, simply click reply and type UNSUBSCRIBE on the subject line.
If you want to catch “Apples of Gold” in its original audio format, go to www.wave94.com
To search through the large archive of past articles, go here:  http://www.wave94.com/modules.php?name=Stories_Archive
If you have trouble reaching me at my main e-mail address, try this one:  douglas_apple@msn.com

(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

-vi-

It Erodes the Integrity of the Game - Apples of Gold - April 4, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for April 4, 2008

“It Erodes the Integrity of the Game”

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

“What do you think of our keyboard player?”

“I heard he was living an immoral life.”

“Oh, well, I don’t know, really…but he sure can play the keyboard!”

No, this conversation wasn’t about a band at a nightclub.  It was about a church worship team.

Why would a worship team have a member that was living an immoral life?

Because it’s hard to put together a good worship team, and when you do, you don’t want to mess it up.  A good worship team will draw people to your church.  And, after all, you want to draw a lot of people, right?

Now let me ask you, does it matter?  Does it matter if someone on the platform at church is not living a moral life?

Think about it this way.  Why isn’t Pete Rose in the baseball hall of fame?  Because he placed bets on games.  Who cares, and why?  Major League Baseball cares, because it erodes the integrity of the game. 

Of course, Major League Baseball is so much more than a game.  It is big business.  And in what I’m about to say, don’t put undue emphasis on the word “game.”

Back to my question, “Does it matter if someone on the platform at church is not living a moral life?”  Yes, it absolutely matters, because it erodes the integrity of the game.

And ministry is not a game.  It’s not even big business.  Ministry is much more important, because we are dealing with the things of God and the deepest part of human lives.

We simply cannot let someone erode the integrity of our ministry just because they are talented.  Pete Rose has more hits than any Major Leaguer ever, but he is not allowed to have any part of Major League baseball.

Am I saying that someone can’t be in ministry, even if they repent?  That’s easy.  Someone who repents is actually a good example.  A repentant sinner, walking in the grace of God, actually builds up the integrity of a ministry. 

I am only talking about someone who is living an immoral life, is unrepentant, and yet is allowed to be in some form of leadership in the ministry.  And in a church, I think if someone is up on the platform in front of everyone else during a service, I think that person is in a form of leadership.

It is so tempting to use worldly standards.  What do we want people to see when they look at our ministry?  We want them to see talented people and good looking people, skilled and successful people.

Paul addressed this in Second Corinthians 5:12.  He mentioned “those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart.” 

I see this a lot in Christian radio and Christian music.  Talented singers are put on a pedestal, even when they are lukewarm about the Lord.  Some are there, not because of their fire for Christ, or their spiritual maturity, but simply because they sound good.

When we do this, we erode the integrity of the ministry.

So why do we do it?  Part of it’s because we have a worldly idea of success in ministry.  Drawing a crowd does not mean you are successful in ministry.  Looking good, or bringing in a lot of money, or building an empire do not mean you are successful in ministry. 

So how would I define success in ministry?

Success in ministry is when people are becoming more Christlike.

Second Corinthians 3:18 talks about people “being transformed into His likeness.”

Romans 8:29 talks about being conformed to the likeness of God’s Son.

This covers evangelism and discipleship and prayer and even fellowship.  All the things churches are so good at – all of them fit nicely under the overall plan of helping people be more Christlike.

And to effectively lead people toward Christlikeness, the leadership must be on the path themselves.

Paul made a bold statement in First Corinthians 11:1.  He wrote, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.”

That should be the mantra of all in Christian leadership.  We should be so passionate in our personal pursuit of Christlikeness that when others follow our example, they will become more Christlike themselves.

Please take this to heart if you are a leader in ministry.  And take a look around you, at all forms of leadership.  If you find someone who is living an immoral life, you must take action.  And if they are unrepentant, remove them from leadership. 

It doesn’t matter how talented they are, or how important they are.  If you don’t, you will erode the integrity of the ministry.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

May God bless you today!  With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
 
 
© 2008 The Arrow’s Tip
To subscribe to your own daily “Apples of Gold” e-mail, write dougapple@wave94.com.
If you want to be removed from this e-mail list, simply click reply and type UNSUBSCRIBE on the subject line.
If you want to catch “Apples of Gold” in its original audio format, go to www.wave94.com
To search through the large archive of past articles, go here:  http://www.wave94.com/modules.php?name=Stories_Archive
If you have trouble reaching me at my main e-mail address, try this one:  douglas_apple@msn.com

(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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Does God Have a Specific Plan for My Life? - Apples of Gold - April 3, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for April 3, 2008

“Does God Have a Specific Plan for My Life?”

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

What would you say if someone asked you,  “Does God have a plan for my life?”

You might say that God created them, and that God’s plan was that they get saved and live for Him.

But then what if they say, “I know all that.  But does God have a specific plan, a specific course of action for me to follow?”  What would you say?

Well, most of us probably believe God has a specific plan for us, but is that in the Bible?

A lot of people will bring up Jeremiah 29:11 which says, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”

Yes, I think that is true for all of us, but, you know, that verse was written specifically to the exiles in Babylon.  You really can’t prove that God has a specific plan for everyone based on that.

So anyway, I have searched the Scriptures, and I can’t find a definitive passage that plainly states that God has a specific plan for each person’s life.  If you know of one, please let me know.

Yes, God has many general plans that apply to us all.  But I’m talking about a specific plan just for me, and a specific plan just for you.  Does God have one, and does the Bible say so?

Here is what I found – two main points.

The first point is, God made us, each one, individually.  Both Romans 9 and Isaiah 29 indicate that God is the potter and each of us is the clay. 

Psalm 119:73 says, “Your hands made me and formed me…”  I think that is not only true of that Psalm writer, but it’s true of all of us.

In Jeremiah 1:5, God told the prophet that he “formed” him in his mother’s womb.

Job 31:15 calls God the one who “made me in the womb.”

A longer passage about this was written by David in Psalm 139.  “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made…your eyes saw my unformed body.  All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”

I think it’s clear that we are not just random accidents of chance in the womb, a product of our parents’ DNA.  God takes credit as the potter.  He formed and fashioned each of us in the womb.

That means if we are tall or short, dark or light, gifted in one way and not another – the Potter did that. 

“But Doug, what about children born with handicaps? Are you saying God did that?” 

You know what?  We are all handicapped, just in different ways.  None of us is the “complete package.”  I am handicapped when it comes to painting and drawing.  I have seen so-called handicapped people paint masterpieces with their feet, and I can’t even draw a good stickman.

I know it doesn’t sound fair to say that God made someone with a serious handicap.  But God’s ways are not our ways, and I believe that He fashioned each of us in the womb.  We are, each one, “fearfully and wonderfully made.”

Romans 9:21 says, “Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?”

Back to Jeremiah 1:5.  God specifically told Jeremiah, “…before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

Does that mean God has a specific plan just like that for all of us?  That verse doesn’t prove it, but we do know this for sure.  From the womb, each of us has a unique set of gifts.  So we can know this one thing for sure, God specifically created us this certain way. 

Obviously God’s plan was not for me to paint the next Sistine Chapel because, from the womb, I had no painting ability.  Meanwhile, there are small children who can already paint circles around me because God created them with that gift.

So yes, God has a specific plan for our lives, at least to the point that He formed us each differently in the womb.

Now here’s my second point. 

God has a specific plan for us as a part of the body of Christ.  First Corinthians 12 goes into great detail about how we are each a specific “body part” and it is God Himself who decided which part we would be.  Verse 18 says, “…in fact, God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as He wanted them to be.” 

It goes on to talk about how spiritual gifts are divvied up – and it’s not the same for everyone.  We are each given gifts that correspond with our part in the body of Christ.  Hebrews 2:4 confirms this by saying that the gifts of the Holy Spirit are distributed according to God’s will.

So the question is, “Does God have a specific plan for my life?” which is always followed by the question, “How can I find out what it is?”

The answer is yes, at least to a degree, God has a specific plan for your life.  And you can narrow down what it is by looking at how He formed you in the womb, and by discovering your spiritual gifts and your part in the body of Christ.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

May God bless you today!  With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
 
I realize the discussion of God forming handicapped children can get deep real fast.  What about babies born deformed because their mothers did crack?  Did God fashion them that way?  In such cases, God allows us all free will, even the free will to harm one another, both in the womb and out.

What about handicaps not caused by anything the mother did?  Did God form them?  Logically we can’t say that God formed some of us but not all of us.  Did He form any of us, or are we all just a result of our parents’ genes, or the wrong sperm getting there first?  I rely on the Scriptures that say God is the potter, and that He formed us in the womb.  Yes, the free will of our parents, and the fallen nature of our world play a part.  But God is the still the potter.  Counting that as truth, is there any other logical conclusion but that God formed handicapped children?  I don’t understand it, so I lean heavily on the truth that God’s ways are higher than my ways, and that I have a severely handicapped understanding of the big picture of life.

My research on this turned up some wonderful articles from people who work with severely handicapped children.  Many of them point out the blessings these children are, how many of them see the world in a much more Christ-like way than “normal” children.  Many of them lack the jealousy and envy and cut-throat competitive spirit that “normal” children display.  One writer asked, “Which group of children is actually behaving ‘normally?’”

© 2008 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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