Marriage Key: Soften Your Heart - Apples of Gold - May 9, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for May 9, 2008

“Marriage Key:  Soften Your Heart”

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

In Malachi 2:16 God says, “I hate divorce.”

If that’s true, then why did He make provision for divorce in the Old Testament?

Jesus answered that in Matthew 19:8.  He said, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard.”

Now I can think of a lot of reasons for permitting divorce, but I would not have come up with that one.  “Because your hearts were hard.”

What does that mean?

I scoured the Scriptures, looking for people whose hearts were hard.  What did they have in common?

First of all, when your heart is hard, it is not open to God.  You do not want to listen to God.  You don’t want to hear His word.  You don’t want to know about His plan or His design.  And you certainly don’t want to listen to any correction. 

A hard heart towards God separates us from God.  It separates us from His wisdom, which allows us to become ignorant.  It separates us from His light, which puts us in darkness. 

A hard heart loses its sensitivity.  It becomes insensitive to sin.  It starts to fill with pride and arrogance. 

When you have a hard heart, life is all about you, baby.  It’s about what makes you feel good. 

You don’t revere God or His word or His people.  You don’t care too much about anyone except yourself.

Now let’s go back to that divorce provision in the Old Testament.  Remember what Jesus said, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard.”

To me, Jesus is saying, “You want to know why that divorce provision is there?  It’s because you won’t listen to God.  You don’t care about His plan or His design.  You turn your back on His word, and you put yourself first instead.  You put your own plan ahead of God’s plan.” 

And what is God’s plan?  Well, it’s not even really a plan.  It’s a fact.  When a man and woman are married, Jesus said, “…the two will become one flesh.  So they are no longer two, but one.”

Then Jesus makes an awesome statement.  He says that when people get married, God joins them together.  God is the one who takes the two and makes them one.  And He concludes with this statement, “Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.”

Now I know that there a host of things than can happen in a marriage.  The list of problems is endless.  It ranges from capital crimes to bad breath. 

So no matter what your issues are today, let the words of Jesus echo in your soul.  What I hear Him saying is, “Don’t become hardhearted.”

And listen, it doesn’t start with your spouse.  It starts with God.

Don’t let yourself become hardhearted toward God.  How can we do that?

We must stay open to Him and His word.  We must listen and heed what He says.  We must take our eyes off of ourselves and fix our eyes on Him.  We must humble ourselves before Him, and say, “Lord, not my will, but Your will be done.”

Go ahead and pray this simple prayer, “Lord, let my heart be soft towards You.”

Then God will soften our hearts, and along with that He will give us greater wisdom and understanding.  We will see things in a new light. 

When we are hardhearted we become selfish, and minor things about our spouse irritate us.  But when we are softhearted, God gives us new vision, and we can easily separate what’s important from what isn’t.

When we are softhearted, God can easily show us our own sin.  Then we can repent and turn from our sin instead of allowing it to harden our hearts even further.  Any sin that we hold onto, that we don’t repent of, that sin will harden our hearts.

Now let me skip back to this idea of God making the two one.  Why did He set it up that way in the first place?  Malachi 2:15 gives the answer:  “Because He was seeking godly offspring.”

God put the husband and wife together and made them one so that they would raise godly offspring.  That was His plan.  The ideal is parents whose hearts are soft before the Lord, staying together and raising godly children. 

Now I know you can’t control your spouse.  But you can control yourself, and for your own good, and the good of your children, you must have a soft heart towards God.

So I don’t know what your marriage problems are today.  Everybody’s got them, so what are we going to do about them?

Here is one thing we must do, a key to a good marriage.  We must soften our hearts before the Lord. 


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

-vi-

Texting Says I Love You - Apples of Gold - May 8, 2008 ***Happy 17th Birthday Bethany Apple!!!*** -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for May 8, 2008

“Texting Says I Love You”

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

The light turned green and here came the cars.

Except one.  It just sat there.

Finally the big semi behind it blasted its horn.

I wondered if the car had died.  Kind of rude to blast your horn at a poor soul whose car died.

Then it moved.  As it passed me I saw the young man driving.  I could be wrong, but it looked like he was feverishly sending a text message.

Sometimes I run a TV camera at church.  From my perch I can look down on the congregation.  And what do I see people doing during the service?  Punching out text messages.  One woman had the fastest thumb I’ve ever seen, and she wasn’t even looking.

Me?  Yes, I text, but I’m no good at it.  Last night, before church, I was trying to text my wife and walk at the same time and I about plowed into a guy.  It’s the new measure of coordination, can you walk and text at the same time?

I apologized, told him what I was doing, and he said, “Well, I guess I’m just old enough that I haven’t learned it yet, and I probably won’t.”

But I hope he does.  Not because I’m promoting text messaging, but because I am promoting communication. 

I know some people don’t like it, the texting, the cell phones, the e-mails, the instant messaging, all of it.  But I do, and let me tell you why.

It helps us stay connected.  It keeps relationships alive.  When there is communication there are more chances for bonding, for encouraging, for loving, for caring and helping each other.

I have some old friends who only send me “forwards.”  In other words, I never hear a personal word from them, they just forward e-mails that they like. 

Some people hate that, but I don’t.  It’s just like seeing someone everyday and they say, “Did you see that show last night” or “Did you read that article in the paper?”  No, it’s not personal.  It’s just sharing life, sharing things you like.  That’s an important part of any relationship, and e-mail makes it easy.

Someone asked me this week for ideas on how to bring the generations together, especially when the young people don’t seem interested in the old people.  My advice was for the old people to reach out, to communicate.  And the best way is for the old people to use the same communication tools as the young people.

This week my dad and my daughter were e-mailing each other.  She wants Grandpa to buy her a car when she turns 16.  It was just good old fashioned teasing, but done in a new way, via e-mail.  That communication wouldn’t have happened if my dad hadn’t made the effort to learn how to use the internet.

My wife stays in contact with her friends back in Illinois through text messaging.  I asked her why she doesn’t just call them.  She said texting is better when you just want to share a little thing or two.

She stays in touch with her high school friends through e-mail.  Whenever they write a message, they CC all the other friends so that everyone gets every e-mail.  It’s an easy way to stay in touch, even though they are scattered across the country.

One feature I love is the cell phone picture messaging.  Whenever I see something interesting, I can snap a picture of it and send it off to anyone on my contact list.  The other day there was an alligator in the pond next to our station’s tower, so I took a quick picture and sent it off.  When my daughter was singing on stage Tuesday night, other people could instantly see what she was doing through a simple “PIX message.”

And then there are web cams.  My brother-in-law has a new baby boy.  They’re in Chicago and we’re in Tallahassee, but the web cam allows us to see the baby and even talk to him.  There are husbands who travel on business who use the web cam each night to stay in touch with their family.

Talking about the importance of communication between a husband and wife – even though my wife and I go to our separate jobs every day, we stay in touch with quick text messages and e-mails.  Like today, when I go to the coast, I will have to take a picture and send it to my wife – so she knows I’m working as hard as she is.

The Bible tells us to love one another.  And a huge part of loving one another is good communication. 

Here’s what I think.  I think you aren’t loving very well if you aren’t communicating very well.  And with our modern technology, there is no excuse for not communicating. 

“But Doug, I’m not a technology person.”

Then this proverb is for you.  It’s Ecclesiastes 10:10 – “If the ax is dull and its edge unsharpened, more strength is needed but skill will bring success.”

So you can communicate the hard way – sure, go ahead and write letters if you want.  Use a quill pen if want.  It’s more work, but it’s still good communication.  However, it’s better to sharpen the ax.  And in this case, sharpening the ax means learning the new, easier forms of communication. 

Do the work now, and you will make communication so much easier.  Then you will communicate more, and you will actually be loving people more, which is what God wants.

I think I can boil all this down into one simple phrase, “Texting says, ‘I love you!’”


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

May God bless you today!  With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
 
Interesting note, my spell checker doesn’t recognize the word “texting,” yet a Google search returns over 7 million hits on the internet.

By the way, you should not send text messages during church or while driving.  And it’s rude to start texting when someone is talking to you.

And for things like Mother’s Day or, God forbid, your wedding anniversary, I don’t think a text message is going to cut it!

© 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-

Lord, Be a Wall of Fire Around Me - Apples of Gold - May 7, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for May 7, 2008

“The Zechariah Zone”

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

It’s time to step into “The Zechariah Zone.”

When I read through the book of Zechariah, a lot of great verses jump out at me.

Like chapter 2 verse 5 when God says that one day Jerusalem will be a “city without walls.”  Then He says, “And I myself will be a wall of fire around it.” 

Man, you don’t need a wall around your city if the Lord is a “wall of fire” around it!  Talk about securing the perimeter.

Since reading that I’ve made that a prayer.  “Lord, be a wall of fire around me.”

But that’s not all.  He goes on to say, “…and I will be its glory within.”

It doesn’t tell me to make that a prayer, but I love the sound of it, the presence of the Lord both around me and within me.  So this is my new prayer, “Lord, be a wall of fire around me, and let Your glory rise within me.”

Now look at verse 13.  “Be still before the Lord, all mankind, because He has roused Himself from His holy dwelling.”

I picture the whole world, prattling on day after day in all its busy-ness and self-centeredness.  But then, a hush settles over the planet.  All of mankind is still before Lord – because He has roused Himself from His holy dwelling.

One of the most quoted verses from Zechariah is chapter 4 verse 6, “‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.”

God was talking about how the temple in Jerusalem would be rebuilt.  It would not be by their natural strength, but through His Spirit.

Now stop and think.  What on earth does that mean?  Because listen, those guys still had to rebuild that temple, block by block.  It was by their strength.  In fact, twice in Zechariah chapter 8 God told them to let their “hands be strong” to build the temple.

This is hard to understand, unless you have ever been involved in a large building project.  Last night my daughter was part of a choir that sang at Bradfordville Baptist Church.  It’s a massive, new facility, absolutely beautiful.  I had nothing to do with it, but I bet it took an amazing number of hours and dollars to make it happen.  There are a thousand things that can stop a big building project.  You can work as hard as you want, but if people don’t work together, it’s not going to happen.  Sometimes all it takes is one person to oppose the project.

On a massive project like rebuilding the temple, what are the odds of everything coming together?  All the workers, the finances, the vendors, even the weather.  And in the case of rebuilding the temple, they definitely had some opposition. 

So God was telling them, “Strengthen your hands for the work, because it is going to happen.  This temple will be rebuilt – not because you are so strong, or so organized, or so well financed – but because I am going to make it happen.”  It’s “by my Spirit” says the Lord.

Another well-known verse is Zechariah 4:10, “Who despises the day of small things?”  This verse makes me look back over my life and I see many small things that turned into big things.  It makes me wonder – when God is involved in our lives – is anything really a small thing?

Here’s another cool verse in Zechariah – chapter 8 verse 3.  God said, “Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth.” 

In fact, truth is a recurring theme in Zechariah.  Chapter 5 has some strong words for anyone who “swears falsely.”  It says God will send a curse into his house.  That curse will “remain in his house and destroy it, both its timbers and its stones.”

That is a great illustration of the rotting power of not telling the truth.  Over the years I have met some tremendous liars.  You can’t believe a word they say.  And their lives are rotting.  They rot in business.  Their social lives are rotten.  Their family relationships are rotten.  To the degree that you don’t deal in truth is the degree that your life will rot.  It’s a curse from God that goes right into your house when you deal falsely. 

In 8:19 God says we should “love truth.”

Verse 16 says, “Speak the truth to each other…”

When it comes to swearing falsely, the Lord declares in verse 17 that He hates it.

If there is anything we can glean for ourselves from the book of Zechariah, this is a big one.  We must work to avoid misrepresenting the truth in all things.  Everything we communicate, even everything we think – let’s try to make it an exact representation of truth.

There a lot of other great passages in the book of Zechariah, including many prophecies of the Messiah.  But I’m out of time, so let me close with this from chapter 8 verse 21, “Let us go at once to entreat the Lord and seek the Lord Almighty.”


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
-vi-

Don't Wreck a Relationship Over Stuff - Apples of Gold - May 6, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for May 6, 2008

“Don’t Wreck a Relationship Over Stuff”

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

Here is something that always makes me sick.

When I hear about relatives fighting over stuff.

It happens when someone dies.  This is the big chance.  Free stuff.  It’s going to be passed out like candy.  Eyes light up at the thought of it.  “What am I going to get?”  It’s Christmas morning, and Santa’s giving away everything.

I know, it’s only human, but people start thinking about what they are going to get.  They think about what they want, and even what they deserve. 

Now listen, to think like this is to manufacture gun powder in your brain.  Every thought you have about that stuff is another ounce of gunpowder.  You think and think, and the gunpowder piles up. 

Then comes the distribution.  This is the lighting of the match.  And unless the distribution goes exactly as everyone wanted, the match falls and the gunpowder goes off. 

If you spent a lot of time thinking about that stuff, you have piled up the gunpowder and you are going to explode.  And the casualties will be family relationships.

But if you spent no time thinking about the stuff, it won’t matter how it’s passed out.  You will be fine with it, and there will be no damage to the family.

“But Doug, I have needs.”

Yes, and the Lord said He would provide for you.  Trust in Him, not in somebody’s will.

“But Doug, there were some things I really wanted, not for the money but for the sentimental value.”

Sentimental value means it gives you good memories about the person.  Please don’t tell me your sentiments are so flimsy that they can be upset because someone else got the trinket.  You don’t need the trinket to enjoy the good memories.

“But Doug, I don’t care about any of the stuff.  It just bugs me that it wasn’t fair.”

You know what?  Let it go.  Don’t think another thought about it.  Remember, every thought like that is an ounce of gunpowder.  And the more you think about it, the bigger the explosion will be someday.

So you were shorted.  Let’s say you were totally cheated.  Robbed.  The biggest rip-off ever. 

Let it go.  No good comes from dwelling on it.

Here is what I think.  I think it all comes down to greed.  We can say it’s the fairness, or the sentimentality.  But it really boils down to what I want.  If I don’t get what I want, I will be upset and people are going to know about it.

That’s the opposite of how a Christian should be.

As Christians we are called to, first of all, love the Lord, and second of all, to love people.  And that includes the people we are mad at about the stuff.  We are to love them, but how can we love them with this division?

We have to take our eyes off the stuff and put our eyes on the Lord.  Then all of our thoughts about the people should be filtered through the love of God. 

When we do this, God’s peace will fill our hearts.  There will be no gunpowder, and no explosions.  There will only be peace and love. 

Now what if you got the stuff that someone else wanted?  You really want to stretch your faith?  You want to do something that will blow everyone’s mind?

Then give it to them.  Just give it to them.

“But Doug, then I won’t have it.”

Yes.  But you know what?  You aren’t going to have it for long anyway.  So what’s worth more, that little bag of earthly treasure, or the brilliance of doing something wonderful and extraordinary in the name of the Lord?

“But Doug, I need this.”

At what cost?  The cost of a wrecked relationship? 

I like what it says in First Corinthians 6:7, “Why not rather be wronged?   Why not rather be cheated?”

So you end up with less.  I’m reminded of the old Gospel song, “I’ve got the Lord, and that’s enough, that’s enough, that’s enough.”

And that’s what it comes down to.  Is God enough for you?  Can He make up for whatever you sacrifice for someone else?

Of course He can.  Like it says in Ephesians 3:20, He is the one who “is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think…”

That is the Lord Almighty. 

So focus on Him.  Ask Him to fill you with His Spirit and drain away any animosity towards the others. 

You will be trading in a life of anxiety and broken relationships for a life of peace and the chance to really love people like God wants us to.


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
-vi-

The Fun-O-Meter - Apples of Gold - May 5, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for May 5, 2008

“The Fun-O-Meter”

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

Kids judge everything by how much fun it is.

If it’s fun, then it’s good.  And if it isn’t fun then, “Why do I have to do it?”

Kids look at adults, and when they don’t see them having much fun, they think, “I don’t even want to grow up if it’s going to be like that.”

And a lot of kids don’t grow up.  They hit their 20’s, and they still judge everything by how much fun it is.  They think life should be like their favorite sitcom, one fun moment after another.

Many people live for the weekends.  Even though most of those weekends don’t quite live up to expectations, “Just think how much fun we are going to have next weekend!”

People stay in college, as long as it’s fun.

People stay married, as long as it’s fun.

People stay friends, as long as it’s fun.

Work is almost never fun, but after all, you need money to have fun, so try to find a job that’s the least un-fun possible.

America’s pursuit of fun is in overdrive. 

No, I don’t think fun is inherently a sin.  But I do think it needs to be shoved down our priority list.

“Why, Doug?  Why can’t fun be at the top of the list?  What’s your problem with having fun?”

Fun is the sugar of life.  But sugar out of control can mess you up and even kill you.

First Timothy 5:6 says, “But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives.”

What an odd thing to say.  What’s wrong with her living for pleasure?  It sounds like it would be…fun.  Yet the Bible says if she does that, she is “dead even while she lives.”

What does that mean?  It’s like the story I heard about some slaves.  One slave found a way to escape.  The other slaves were reluctant to flee with him, so he turned to them and said, “If you don’t leave now, you are dead already.”

See, if we live for fun, we become a slave to fun.  Now some might say, “That sounds like a good thing.”  No, it’s a bad thing.

If you are an employer, do you want to hire someone who is a slave to fun?

If you are married, do you want your spouse to be a slave to fun?

If you are a parent, do you want your child to be a slave to fun?

If you are a friend, do you want your friends to be slaves to fun?

The answer is “no” because if they are a slave to fun, they are as good as dead.  They will be worthless as friends and spouses and employees.  You are not important to them.  Only their fun is important to them.

They will skip work to have fun.  As a friend, they will leave you behind if there is more fun to be had elsewhere.  As a spouse, they will divorce you if someone more fun comes along.

A person who is a slave to fun is a disaster.  A nation that is a slave to fun is too.  Oh, we are prosperous enough for now, but check out Proverbs 21:17.  Those who love fun will become poor.

A desire for fun even keeps some people from receiving the Gospel.  Jesus said so in the Parable of the Sower.  Some seed fell among thorns, and was choked out by life’s pleasures.  In other words, their focus on fun keeps some people from coming to Christ.

Now what about us?  Most of us are not slaves to fun.  We’re not that far down the line.

But when we look at our priorities, where does fun come in?  Is it pretty high on the list?  If so, we need to move it down.  Yes, there is a place for fun, but it can’t be what we live for. 

So what are we to live for?  Jesus said in Matthew 22 that first, we are to love God, and a close second is to love people.

Sometimes loving people means having fun with them.  But sometimes loving people isn’t fun at all.  Sometimes serving God isn’t fun.  Sometimes doing right isn’t fun. 

But that’s okay, because we don’t judge life by looking at the Fun-O-Meter.  We are not living for fun. 

What are we living for?  To love the Lord our God with all our heart and soul and mind, and to love our neighbor as ourselves.


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

-vi-

Do You Feel Like Quitting Today? - Apples of Gold - May 2, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for May 2, 2008

“Do You Feel Like Quitting Today?”

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

I once stood by an old man.

Along came the American flag.

He snapped to attention and saluted.  And partly out of respect for the flag, and partly out of respect for him, I put my hand over my heart.

The flag stopped in front of us, and there we stood.

And stood.

And stood.

The flag should have moved on, but for whatever reason, it didn’t.

The old man maintained his salute, and I kept my hand over my heart.

I started to feel kind of silly.  “What if the flag never moves,” I thought.  “I’m not going to keep my hand here forever.”

I watched the old man.  When he put his hand down, so would I.  But he was waiting for a cue of some kind.  I’ve never been in the military, so what do I know?

I should have been looking at the flag, but now I was fixated on his hand, age spots and all.

Have you ever tried holding your arm up for several minutes?  It’s easy at first, but quickly you just wear out.

Soon the old man’s hand was shaking.  It looked like it was all he could do to keep his arm up in that salute. 

“Just put it down,” I thought.  “Nobody will care, and you’re going to give yourself a stroke or something.”

But he didn’t.  He maintained the salute until the flag moved on. 

When it was finally over and I got a better look at him, I noticed that even his legs were shaking.  It cost him something, but he held that salute from start to finish.

Titus 2:2 says, “Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance.”

That old man symbolizes much of that verse.  He was self-controlled, worthy of respect, and he certainly had the endurance.

Those three qualities go together.  It takes self control to have endurance, otherwise you will quit every time things get tough.  But when you have endurance, you automatically earn respect.

Endurance earns respect.

How many times do you start something, then quit?  Yes, it’s the easy way out, but no one respects you for it.

If you have low self esteem, and you are a quitter, then there is an obvious solution for your self esteem problem.  Stop the quitting.

My daughter predicted how a story would end the other day.  She said, “And they will run into problems, but they won’t give up and they will end up as champions.”  “Just like always,” she said. 

“Yes,” I said, “And we love stories like that, when people endure and come out victorious.”

I remember one Sunday afternoon back in ‘93.  I flipped on the TV to see what was happening in the NFL playoffs.  The Houston Oilers were destroying the Buffalo Bills 35 to 3.  I left the TV on and laid down on the couch to take a nap.

Then the Bills scored, and scored, and scored.  I gave up on my nap.  My wife’s a football fan, so I called her in and said, “You gotta see this.”

The Bills ended up winning in overtime, and it was the greatest comeback in NFL history.  Interestingly, the quarterback is an outspoken Christian named Frank Reich, who also happened to quarterback what was at the time the greatest comeback in college football history back in ‘84.

You may not have heard of Frank Reich.  For the Bills, he was the backup quarterback to Jim Kelly when they went to four straight Super Bowls.  He may not be a household name, but he knows all about endurance.

Frank is often asked if there was an awesome halftime speech before that great comeback.  He says, “Not really.  We just took it one play at a time.”

And that’s how endurance happens:  one play at a time.

So do you feel like quitting today?  Well can you make it just one more day?  Can you do your best for just one more play? 

Then do it!  Like the old man holding that salute for just one more minute.  Like Frank Reich doing his best for just one more play.  Don’t give up.  Learn endurance.

And this is how endurance happens:  one play at a time.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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

Frank Reich is a Christian speaker, and you can read more about him at this website:
http://www.outreachspeakers.com/speakers/frankreich.htm

© 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 Sick of Ever-Rising Gas Prices? - Apples of Gold - April 30, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for April 30, 2008

“Are You Sick of Ever-Rising Gas Prices?”

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

Tomorrow I will be praying with the governor at the capitol.

It’s the annual National Day of Prayer event*, and several of us will be praying, including the governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general.  We will be praying for specific areas including education, the economy, churches - and the topics I am supposed to pray for are business and the media.

Now I believe in prayer, and I prove that by praying a lot.  But as I prepare for tomorrow’s event I’m thinking, “Lord, what can I pray for that You will actually answer?”

Because if the Lord isn’t going to answer, then why bother?

So I’ve been praying for a prayer.  “Lord, please tell me what to pray; something that will work, that will actually do something, that will make a difference in our state and our nation.”

Is tomorrow’s public prayer at the capitol any different than what I prayed this morning closed up in a little room by myself?

Of course it is.  The more people you get praying together for the same thing, the better.

Do I have a scripture to back that up?  Not exactly.  I am drawing some conclusions.

For example, in Luke 18 Jesus told the parable of the persistent widow.  She received justice from the judge because of her persistence.  Then He said that principle applies to our prayers – that we should pray persistently.

Well if one widow finally got justice because she was persistent, how much more quickly might the judge have acted if 1,000 widows showed up at his door?

Abraham was just one man interceding for Sodom and Gomorrah, and God destroyed them.  But do you think God would have destroyed those cities if 1,000 of their residents would have prayed?  I think not.

So is there a difference between one person praying for something and 1,000 people praying for something?  I sure think so.

And it’s important what we pray for.  First John 5 tells me I need to pray according to God’s will – then I know the prayer will be effective.

The easiest way to pray according to God’s will is to pray according to the Bible.  For example, First Timothy 2 says we should pray for “kings and all those in authority.”  And what should we pray for them?  That they will rule in such a way that we can live “peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.”

The National Day of Prayer is a great day to pray for those in authority.  But really, we should do that every day.  Praying for our government should be one of our top concerns, because their actions have a tremendous impact on everyone.

Are you sick of the ever-rising gas prices?  Do you wish the government would step in and do something about it?  Well what should they do?  They probably don’t even know the best thing to do.  That’s why it’s a necessity that we pray for those in government.

First Timothy 2 actually gives us a pretty broad range of people to pray for.  Verse one says that we should pray for “everyone.”

Well tomorrow my assignment is not to pray for everyone, but to limit my prayer to the topics of business and the media.  So I’ve been praying for a prayer, and here is what I’ve come up with.  This is basically what I will be praying tomorrow, but you can go along and pray with me now.

“Lord, I am so excited to pray for the media.  It’s the industry You’ve placed me in, and I love it, and I thank You.  But Lord, there is a fatal flaw in our media today.  We want to make money, so we have to draw a crowd.  And to draw a crowd, we pander to our basest human nature.  And because the media is so influential, the stuff we peddle to draw a crowd ends up telling the crowd, “This is the way it is.”  But often that’s not the way it is, and that’s the problem.  Truth is not our measuring stick.  The measuring stick is how many people we can draw and how much money we can make off of them.  Lord, on behalf of our industry, I repent of the sin of clouding truth.  Lord, it is Your will that truth prevail, and as a member of the media, I ask that Your hand will guide our industry.  I pray that all of the editors and producers, the writers and the directors, the talk show hosts and the entertainers – I pray that every one of us will be Your tool to reveal truth to this nation and to the world.”

“Now Lord I ask You to turn Your attention to another topic, the topic of business.  God I am so thankful to live in such a prosperous nation.  What a blessing it’s been to me and my family.  We don’t know anything besides prosperity, and I know a lot of it has to do with the thriving business climate in America.  Because of our success in business, we have an abundance to share with the world.  We have programs for the poor.  Because of our success in business, our people can work and provide for their families.  And in America we can even dream up new businesses.  Lord, I thank you so much for all of that.  It’s business that keeps the wheels of the nation turning.  So Lord, I pray for prosperity for our businesses.  I pray for great, new ideas.  I pray for efficiency and wisdom.  And Lord, I pray for abundant blessings on all those businesses that are doing good.  And for any businesses that aren’t, for those businesses that prey on people and take advantage of them, I pray that they will either get it right, or get out of business altogether.”

“Lord, I love You and I thank You for this opportunity to lead all these people, even our governor, in prayer.  I am humbled.  And I pray all this in Jesus’ name.  Amen.”


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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

*  If you can come to Tallahassee May 1st, the event is on the plaza between the old capitol and the new capitol.  The prayer service starts at noon and lasts for one hour.  There is a prayer walk for the children starting at 11 a.m., where they each receive a little prayer journal and walk around praying with various military and emergency personnel who will be there with their vehicles and equipment.

There will be live music from the Christian Heritage Church worship team, which is one of the best church music groups in the state.  They will start playing at 11:30 a.m.  The emcee will be former legislator and pastor Tim Ireland.  And Wave 94 will have a table set up on the plaza like every year, stacked high with free books!  Come and get ‘em.

© 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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Like a Warrior, Stir Up Your Zeal - Apples of Gold - April 29, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for April 29, 2008

“Like a Warrior, Stir Up Your Zeal”

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

My son was a wrestler, so I spent many hours watching wrestling meets.

You ought to see how these guys get psyched up.  They jump up and down and slap themselves.  They do push-ups.  They jog in place.

And what was the most common form of pre-match self-motivation? 

Music.

There they would be, going through their gyrations, with music cranking from their iPods.

This is not unique to wrestlers.  Athletes in every sport use music to get pumped for competition.  For centuries, armies have used music to set the tone for battle.  What did they sing about during the Revolutionary War?  “Musket, fife and drum.”  That’s an odd set of items, but it illustrates the incredible motivating power of music.

My favorite kind of music, personally, is the kind that motivates me to serve the Lord, to serve Him with passion and zeal.

Romans 12:11 talks about serving the Lord, and it says we should serve Him with “spiritual fervor.”  And it says we should “never be lacking in zeal.”

So what do you do if you aren’t feeling the zeal today?  Well, what do all those athletes do?  They use music to stir it up!

And we can do the same.  We can use music to stir up our zeal for the Lord.

Think of all the songs that get you fired up for God.  Write them down, then get them all together.  Burn a CD.  Put them all in a folder on your computer or mp3 player.  Then when your zeal is lacking, crank up the music!

I was talking about Christian music with my son the other day.  I said, “I don’t like these Christian songs that talk about our weakness and frailty.  ‘Oh, I’m just so weak.  I’m being tempted.  I sure hope I don’t give in.  Uh-oh.  I might.’”  Oh please.  Give me songs with meat.  Give me songs about God’s glory and power, songs that “inspire the fire.”

I love this quote I read recently about songwriter Twila Paris.  It says, “She examined her priorities and determined that Christ had to be exalted in everything she wrote or sang.”*

Why sing about human frailty when you can sing about Christ’s power?

Some songs lead to wallowing in weakness when what we need are songs that motivate us to victory.

I love what Isaiah 42 says about the Lord:  “…like a warrior He will stir up His zeal…”

Isaiah 59:17 says He “wrapped Himself in zeal as in a cloak.”

Some of the Old Testament prophecies end with this phrase, “The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.”

Zeal gets things done - but it has to be stirred up.  Even the Lord Himself stirs up His zeal; like it says in Isaiah 42:13, “…like a warrior He will stir up His zeal.”

How does a warrior stir up his zeal?  One way is with music.

So make that list of songs that stir up your zeal for the Lord.  Write out the lyrics.  Find the recordings.  Fill your iPod.  Make a cassette if you have to.  Burn a CD called, “Songs That Fire Me Up!”  And if you don’t know any songs like that, ask around.  Every Christian has certain songs that pump them up.

Then when your zeal is lacking, or you feel less-than-motivated to serve the Lord, get out those songs and light the fire! 

Like a warrior, stir up your zeal!

 
Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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

(fade out with song “Solid Rock” by Delirious)
 

*  “The Complete Book of Hymns” by William J. Petersen and Ardythe Peterson pp. 28-29 (2006).
 
© 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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Ministry Starts at Home - Apples of Gold - April 28, 2008 -vi-

***Remember, you can always listen to the audio Apples of Gold on our website:  www.wave94.com***

 

 

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for April 28, 2008

“Ministry Starts at Home”

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

I know a man who loves the ministry.

He is all about the ministry.

But I keep reminding him, “Your first ministry is to your wife and children.”

What happens is, sometimes we confuse putting the Lord first with putting ministry first.

It is very tempting for Christian men to put their ministries ahead of their wives.  But I believe our first ministry is to our wives.  There is only one human being that the Bible says we are “one” with. 

First Timothy chapter three puts this in perspective.  One of the prerequisites for ministry leaders is that they do a good job with their families.  That comes first.  Verse five says, “If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?”

See, the family ministry comes before any ministry outside the family.  Until you have the family ministry on a good foundation, you have no business trying to do ministry anywhere else.

Ephesians 5 says, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her…”  Verse 28 says, “…husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies.”  Verse 29 says, “After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church…”

Ministers often quote the words of Jesus who said, “I will build My church.”  If husbands are to love their wives as Christ loves the church, then husbands should say, “I will build my wife, and the gates of hell will not prevail against her.”

But what happens is, many ministers take over Jesus’ job and start saying of themselves, “I will build my church,” and then the gates of hell end up prevailing against their families.

First Timothy 5:4 says if you really want to get into ministry, start by caring for your own family.  Verse 8 says that if you don’t provide for your own family, you have denied the faith and are worse than an unbeliever.

In Mark chapter seven we read about a Jewish tradition called Corban.  That’s when someone had the means to provide for their father or mother, but instead they put the money into ministry.  Jesus set them straight, reminding them of the commandment to “honor your father and your mother.”

Now let me tell you, there are Bible verses that seem to indicate that we should put ministry ahead of family.  For example, take a look at First Corinthians 7:29:  “What I mean, brothers, is that the time is short.  From now on those who have wives should live as if they had none…”

Now that sounds like a license to act like you aren’t married at all!  Why go home?  Why even have a home?  After all, you’re living as if you have no wife, just like it says in First Corinthians 7:29.

Well let’s look at the rest of that portion of scripture.  If you are to live as if you aren’t married, what does that mean?  Verse 32 says, “An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord’s affairs – how he can please the Lord.”  Verse 35 says, “that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord.”

It says the same thing for the unmarried woman, that she won’t be concerned about the affairs of this world, but that she will be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit.

First Corinthians 7:9 can’t mean that it’s okay to stop providing for your family because that contradicts other scriptures. 

So what are we to do?  We married men and women are to serve the Lord with an undivided passion – and that service starts at home.

Think about it.  Who steps over one person who needs ministry to get to someone else who needs ministry?  It makes sense to minister to the first person you come to, and that person is your spouse, then your children and the rest of your own family.

Now what about Luke 18:29, where Jesus talks about leaving your home and family for the sake of the kingdom of God?

There is obviously a time for that, but it must balance with First Corinthians 7:4 which says, “The wife’s body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband.  In the same way, the husband’s body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife.”

So if the husband wants to spend a year in ministry to the Aborigines, and the wife is not in agreement, I don’t think the husband should go.  His body doesn’t belong to him alone, so he can’t make the decision alone to leave like that.  They must be in agreement.

Now I know some men will rebel at that.  They will say, “Hey, this is the ministry the Lord has called me to, so I’m going.  I can’t help it if my wife doesn’t hear the Lord like I do.”

Well, you should have thought of that before you got married.  But once you are married, you have given yourself to your wife, and now those decisions are not yours alone, because your body is not yours alone.

If you leave and she doesn’t want you to leave, how are you loving your wife like Christ loves the church?  What happened to, “I will build my wife”?

Now someone might quote Jesus’ words in Luke 14:26, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters – yes, even his own life – he cannot be my disciple.” 

Some will quote that as a reason to put ministry before family.  Yes, it’s true that Jesus comes before everyone else.  But then, as His disciples, we take up our cross, and we immediately begin pouring ourselves out for other people – starting with the people in our own home.

So do you have a passion for Christian ministry?  That’s a wonderful thing.  And while you think about your ministry, think about this: 

Ministry starts at home.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

May God bless you today!  With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
 
A skeptic wonders about Luke 14:26, why Jesus would say that we should “hate” people.  That statement contradicts so many others in the Bible that say we should love people.  So why did He say it?

It was not literal.  It was a figure of speech, just as the next verse about carrying our cross was a figure of speech.  It was hyperbole.  We all know that Jesus didn’t tell us to literally pick up a real cross and start carrying it around.  He said we should “hate” other people to show the sharp contrast we should have in our devotion.  We should be so devoted to being His disciple that every other relationship seems despicable by comparison.

 
© 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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An Encouraging Thought: There Is a Plot Against Me - Apples of Gold - April 25, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for April 25, 2008

“An Encouraging Thought:  There Is a Plot Against Me”

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

Here is an encouraging thought.

There is a plot against me.

Now why on earth is that encouraging?

Because when things don’t go perfectly, I am neither surprised nor disappointed.  I don’t let it rock my boat because, after all, there is a plot against me. 

Our life on earth is like a garden.  You can plan the nicest garden in the world, but just watch.  There will be many “enemies” pop up to ruin it, from weeds to bugs to small mammals.

Jesus said this world has “weeds.”  In Matthew 13:38 He said, “The weeds are the sons of the evil one…”  In John 8:44 Jesus indicated that, for some people, their father is the devil, and their desire is to carry out their father’s plans.

Yes, the devil has plans, and they flow from his core nature, which Jesus said is to deceive and destroy.  And the devil uses people, his “children,” to do it. 

The devil sows his bad seed to try to ruin things for God’s good seed.  And what is God’s good seed?  Back to Matthew 13:38.  Jesus said the good seed represents the “sons of the kingdom.”

I am one of the sons of the kingdom, and that’s how I conclude that there is a plot against me.

So does Satan really have a “plot”?

Both Ephesians 6:11 and Second Corinthians 2:11 talk about the devil’s “schemes.”

First Timothy 3:7 mentions “the devil’s trap.”

The devil even had the nerve to try to tempt Jesus.

In the Old Testament, First Chronicles 21:1 says that “Satan rose up against Israel…”

We know a lot of the details about Satan’s plot against Job.

In Luke 22:31 Jesus talked about Satan’s plot against Peter, to sift him as wheat.

In Second Corinthians 12:7 Paul said that “a messenger of Satan” was sent to torment him.

First Peter 5:8 says our enemy, the devil, “prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” 

Sounds like a plot to me.

“But Doug, what about James 4:7 – ‘Resist the devil and he will flee…’?”

Yes, we like to hear about the devil fleeing, but the pesky word in that verse is the word “resist.” 

Ask a retailer about “resisting” shoplifters.  Yes, you can resist them and they will flee.  But the job of resisting is never really done.  A shop owner must constantly resist shoplifters.  A gardener must constantly resist weeds.  And we must constantly resist our enemy the devil, because he has a plot against us.

Paul told the people in First Thessalonians 2 that he wanted to go visit them, but that Satan stopped him.  He didn’t do what he wanted because Satan had a plot against him.

Keep in mind that the devil uses people to carry out his plot.

Second Timothy 2:26 says that the devil has taken some people captive to do his will.

Acts 10:38 says many people were “under the power of the devil.”

First John 3:10 describes some people as “children of the devil.”

In Luke 13:16, Jesus said that a certain woman had been kept bound by Satan for 18 years.

In Acts 5:3, Ananias is described has having a heart full of Satan.

John 13:2 says the devil prompted Judas Iscariot to betray Jesus.  Verse 27 goes on to say that Satan even “entered into” Judas.

The devil not only uses people to carry out his will, he also has his own angels.  You can read about them in Matthew 25 and Revelation 12. 

And remember what Jesus constantly ran up against in town after town?  People possessed by demons.

First Timothy 4:1 indicates that demons actually teach people certain things.  It also talks about “deceiving spirits.”

So there is the devil and demons, the devil’s angels and the devil’s people.  Their plot is to deceive and destroy.

First Corinthians 7:5 says that Satan will try to tempt us.

Second Corinthians 2:11 says Satan will try to outwit us.

Second Corinthians 11:14 says one of Satan’s special tricks is to make himself look like an angel of light.

In Luke 8:12, Jesus talked about the devil coming and actually plucking the word right out of people’s hearts to keep them from believing and being saved.

So we have enemies, and there is a plot against us.  Knowing this, we shouldn’t be surprised when life isn’t just happy-go-lucky all the live-long day.

But remember.  Just as there is a plot against us, there is a plan for us.  For the devil’s every maneuver, the Lord has a counter-maneuver.  After all, we are the Sons of the Kingdom!

I know it sounds odd, but to me, it’s encouraging to know that when things don’t go so well, it’s not because God has vacated or that life is just bleak.  It’s because, yes, there is a plot against me.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

May God bless you today!  With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
 
Some “Bible-believing” Christians say there is no actual “Satan.”  It’s more like a metaphor for evil, that is, our sin nature.

For them I have one question.  Who tempted Jesus? 

© 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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Being Right With God vs. Walking With God - Apples of Gold - April 24, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for April 24, 2008

“Being Right With God vs. Walking With God”

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

I don’t want to just be “right” with God.

I want to walk with God.

I see being right with God as a kind of legal standing.  Though my sins were as scarlet, they have been made white as snow.*  I had a debt, but it was paid.  I am right with God.

Our sin stood between us, but through Christ that sin is washed away.  So here is how I look at it.  Being right with God clears the way for me to walk with God.

What does it mean to walk with God?

I compare it to walking with my wife.  For over 20 years we have walked together.  Not literal walking; it’s a figure of speech for sharing our lives.  We make our decisions together.  We share our money.  We share responsibilities.  We are in constant communication. 

Now let me sum all that up into one word:  communion.  As my wife and I walk together through this life, we have communion.

Now compare that to just being “right” with my wife.  To be right with my wife means I don’t cheat on her, I don’t steal from her, I don’t do her any harm or damage.  Now take it up a notch.  It can mean I’m a good provider and a good father to our children and set a good, moral example.  I even remember her birthday.

In all these ways I can be “right” with my wife.  But do you see how that is not the same as walking with my wife?  The difference is the communion.

I think communion has two parts:  communication, and going through things together.

See, my wife and I can go through things together, but it’s not full communion unless we communicate.

On the other hand, two people can communicate a lot, but it’s not full communion unless they go through things together.

So to me, full communion means a lot of communication, and going through things together.

And that is exactly what I want with the Lord – full communion.  I want us to communicate a lot, and I want us to go through everything together.

As we raised our children, we had full communion with them.  There was plenty of communication, and we went through things together.  But as each of them hit their teen years, they started cutting back on the communication.  I remember asking my son questions and he would say, “That’s my stuff, Dad.”  In other words, they were things he didn’t want to talk to his dad about. 

Now get this.  We do the same with God.  Yes, we may be “right” with Him, but are we walking with Him?  Do we hold back communication?  Do we leave Him out of decisions?  If so, it’s our way of saying, “That’s my stuff, God.”

But you know what?  For me, that’s no good.  I need full communion with the Lord.  That means open communication all day long, and it means we go through everything together.

Second Corinthians 13:14 talks about the “communion of the Holy Ghost.”  That’s the King James.  The NIV says, “…the fellowship of the Holy Spirit...”  Or check out what The Message says, “…the intimate friendship of the Holy Spirit…”

That is full communion with God, and that is what I want.

Now what about you?  Which best describes your life?

Are you satisfied just being right with God, or do you want the full communion of walking with God?


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

May God bless you today!  With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
 
*  Isaiah 1:18

© 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-