The Big Six - Apples of Gold - May 23, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for May 23, 2008

“The Big Six”

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

“What does God want me to do?”

Have you ever considered “The Big Six?”

“The Big Six?  What’s the Big Six?”

Jesus gave us The Big Six in Matthew chapter 25.

These are six things God is checking on.  In student lingo, yes, these six are going to be on the final exam.

God is watching to see how we treat people who are in need, and Jesus broke these needs down into six categories.

The first need He mentioned is hunger.  Are we providing food for people who are hungry? 

I think one reason that America has been so blessed is because we are great at this.  We have welfare programs for our citizens, and we send food to the needy abroad. 

The second need He mentioned is thirst.  Are we meeting the needs of the thirsty?

Most of us can’t relate to this because in America, even if food might take a little effort, you can get a free drink just about anywhere.  Just go to the nearest water fountain. 

But that is not the case in other parts of the world.  I read an article in the Washington Post that said about one billion people lack safe water.  It said that we use more clean water in one flush of the toilet than most Africans have to perform an entire day’s washing, cleaning, cooking and drinking.*

Some of the world’s conflicts are over water.  For example, the tragedy in Darfur was driven in part by tensions over water.  Between the warfare and the drought, clean water is an incredible need in Darfur, and many relief agencies are trying to help.

Number three in the Big Six is the need for shelter.  Are we helping people find shelter?

This is a problem in America because adequate shelter is costly.  Most of us have shelter, so the next question is, what are we doing to help those who don’t?

These first three needs are critical in times of natural disaster.  For example, one report I heard said that the earthquake in China left 5 million people homeless.  That’s about like the entire state of Alabama losing their homes.

In Myanmar, after the cyclone, I don’t know how many hundreds of thousands of people are in need of food, water and shelter.  I do know that a $100 gift to World Vision provides one family with a survival kit that includes emergency food with a cooking set, clean water, and temporary shelter.**

No, your neighbors may not be lacking food, water and shelter.  But you don’t have to look far to find millions of people who are. 

Number four of Jesus’ Big Six is clothing.  As far as I can tell, we seem to be doing a great job of clothing the needy.  Clothing is one of those things that you can use yourself, and then share with someone else, and the same item of clothing can end up clothing several people in its lifetime. 

In America we have a great pipeline for used clothing, primarily through thrift stores.  And a good percentage of people drop off their clothing there instead of just throwing it away.

But there are ways you can help someone with their clothing.  For example, someone may have clothes, but maybe they could use some new clothes to help them get a job.  Or you might buy a needy child some new clothes so they won’t be embarrassed wearing their same old, ill-fitting clothes to school. 

Number five on the list is looking after sick people.  We do a pretty good job of that in America, but there is a never ending stream of sick people pouring through our hospitals and doctors offices.  I commend all of those doctors and nurses who have dedicated their lives to caring for the sick.  And I commend our welfare programs that pay for healthcare for the needy. 

But there is something more that sick people need besides medicine.  Sick people need friends.  They need a support group, people who will be there to see them through.  We aren’t all physicians, but we can all do something to look after the sick.

And number six on the list is looking after prisoners.  This seems like it doesn’t belong because, after all, don’t prisoners deserve to be isolated?  They’re criminals! 

Yes, and they are in prison.  They have been humbled and degraded.  They know that they have been placed at the bottom of society.  And now what?  Should we leave them to rot? 

That is not God’s plan.  God’s plan is for us to reach out to prisoners and care for them.  It’s so important that He included it in The Big Six.  And I commend so many great prison ministries, including Chuck Colson’s “Prison Fellowship.”***

So are you asking yourself what God wants you to do with your life?  Well you can’t go wrong when you help people who are:
--hungry
--thirsty
--sick
--in prison
and those who need
--clothing, and
--shelter.

Those priorities come from Jesus Himself, and that’s what I’m calling “The Big Six.”


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

May God bless you today!  With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
 
*  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/19/AR2005091901295.html

**  http://www.worldvision.org/Worldvision/eappeal.nsf/egift-disaster-response-southern-asia-cyclone-relief?OpenForm&campaign=11365555&cmp=KNC-11365555

***  http://www.prisonfellowship.org/site_hmpg.asp

 
© 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-

When Life Delivers the Unexpected - Apples of Gold - May 22, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for May 22, 2008

“When Life Delivers the Unexpected”

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

What do you do when life delivers the unexpected?

That’s exactly what happened to one married couple, Priscilla and her husband Aquila.

They were Jews living in Rome.  Caligula, the Roman emperor, was assassinated on January 24^th in the year 41.  Immediately the Praetorian Guard declared that Caligula’s uncle, Claudius, would take his place.

Before the decade was up, Claudius decided to banish all the Jews from Rome.  That meant Priscilla and Aquila had to pack up and move.  It wasn’t fair.  It wasn’t right.  But you know what?  Sometimes life delivers the unexpected.

Where should they go?  Well they ended up across the sea from Italy, over in a town named Corinth in Southern Greece.  I wish I knew how they made that decision.  I don’t know, but I can speculate that, as God-fearing people, they prayed and asked the Lord to lead them.  And something happened that pointed their way to Corinth.

So there they were, far away from home, and they set up shop as tentmakers in the bustling port city of Corinth. 

Meanwhile, the Apostle Paul was also in Greece, over in Athens.  After preaching there, he decided his next stop would be…Corinth.

So Paul was in Corinth, and somehow he met Aquila, and they had something in common.  They were both tentmakers.  Something must have clicked, because Aquila introduced Paul to his wife Priscilla, and they invited Paul to join them in business, and to live with them.

I imagine Paul was an amazing houseguest.  I am sure he regaled them with incredible stories:  his conversion on the road to Damascus, the riot in Thessalonica, his miraculous escape from the Philippian jail, and on and on.

Every Sabbath Paul went to the synagogue and spoke about Jesus as the Messiah, and I’m sure he spent plenty of time teaching Priscilla and Aquila back at home.  Imagine having such daily access to this great man of God!

Then Silas and Timothy showed up in Corinth.  Paul spent more time preaching and teaching, and many Corinthians believed in the Lord, including Crispus, the synagogue ruler, and his entire household.

For a year and a half great things happened in Corinth.  Imagine all of this activity swirling around Paul!  And Priscilla and Aquila were right there in the middle of it.

Eventually Paul decided it was time to pack up and move on from Corinth.  And who went with him?  Priscilla and Aquila!

They ended up all the way over in Ephesus.  Paul did some preaching there, but before long he was off to his next destination.  Meanwhile, Priscilla and Aquila stayed in Ephesus.

While there, they encountered a powerful speaker, a Jew named Apollos.  He was a native of Alexandria, but was teaching in the synagogue in Ephesus.  He taught about Jesus, but was lacking a few details.  Enter Priscilla and Aquila, who were loaded with details having spent all that time with Paul.  They invited Apollos to their home and taught him more thoroughly about Christ.

When Apollos left, he went on to become a powerful and persuasive preacher of the Gospel.

Priscilla and Aquila must have had the gift of hospitality.  When their names show up in the Bible, so does their home.  It seems like they were always inviting people over.  In both Romans and First Corinthians, Paul mentions the “church that meets at their house.”  Imagine having people in your home like Paul and Silas and Timothy and Apollos.

Isn’t it interesting what happened to them after life delivered the unexpected?

It looks like Priscilla and Aquila eventually returned to Corinth.  In the year 54, the emperor Claudius died, and Jews were allowed back into Rome – and some think Priscilla and Aquila returned to Italy.

Turning to church tradition, Priscilla and Aquila are said to have journeyed to Asia where they spread the Gospel with great zeal.  They discipled new believers, started churches, and destroyed idols. 

In the end it is said that they were martyred as the pagans had finally had enough of this evangelistic couple.  Tradition says they were killed together.

What a life!  So much joy and excitement.  So much action.  So many lives influenced and changed.  So many saved.

And look when it all started.  It all started when they got that terrible news that they were being kicked out of their home.

Sometimes life delivers the unexpected.  Sometimes things look bleak.  Bad things happen, not what we planned at all. 

But the great news is, God is always up to something.  We often don’t see it, but He is pulling things together.  And the end result can be a life far better than anything we would have planned on our own.

So has your life taken a sudden turn?  Remember Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

It may be hard to see, but you can put your faith in the fact that, when life delivers the unexpected, God is right there, somehow and some way, working all things together for good!


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-

God Has the Power! - Apples of Gold - May 21, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for May 21, 2008

“God Has the Power!”

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

Men my age do stupid things.

You think you can do what you did 20 years ago, but baby, it’s just not there.

Like last year when I went to the park with some teenagers.  They all climbed up this huge tree, starting with a branch that was low enough to reach, but too big to grab with your hands.  You had to wrap your arms and legs around it, then twist yourself to the top of the branch. 

They all had a great time while my wife and I watched.  But then they challenged me.  “I bet you can’t get up here!”

“If you can, I can!”

“Prove it!”

“I will!”

And I did.  But somewhere in that motion to wrench myself to the top of the branch, I twisted my knee.

And you old timers know how it goes.  The problem didn’t really show up until the next day.  My knee felt like it was going to fall apart.  With each step I thought, “This thing is gonna buckle right out from under me.”

Your brain dredges up words like “arthroscopic” and “degenerative” and “knee replacement.”

And that’s no good, because they all involve doctors and I’m kind of anti-doctor.  I don’t even take pills if I can help it.

So I decided to fix the knee myself, with my own little homemade rehab.  It involved prayer and exercise.

Now listen, I am not saying this is good medicine.  I’m just telling you what I did.  I figured if it didn’t work I could always go to the doctor later.

I took it easy at first, and it didn’t seem to help.  It was all I could do to walk without a limp.  I became very aware of everyone in public who was limping.  I felt for them, and I prayed for myself, “God, please, I don’t want to walk with a limp.”

It’s kind of humbling, and humility is a good thing.  It takes you down a peg or two. 

But anyway, I worked my legs more and more.  And slowly it got better.  And now, several months later, I hardly notice it.  I go running three times a week with no problems.  Thank you Lord!

I thought of all this when I read Hebrews 12:12 which says, “…strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees.” 

I can relate to that, because I know about strengthening weak knees.

But the Bible isn’t talking about physical knees.  I assume it’s talking about strengthening ourselves spiritually.

So what can we do to strengthen ourselves spiritually?  To find out, I searched the Bible for the word “strengthen.”

I came across this great passage about Abraham in Romans chapter four.  Verse 20 says he was “strengthened in his faith.”

Well I want stronger faith.  So how did Abraham do it?

I think the answer is in the next verse.  It says Abraham was “fully persuaded that God had power to do what He had promised.”

Let me tell you, that is good news for me, because I can do that.  I can believe completely that God has the power to do what He has promised.  I totally know that God has the power.

What I lack is specific faith.  Some people would say that I should have been fully persuaded that God would miraculously heal my knee.  I wasn’t.  Call it a lack of faith, but I was not fully persuaded that God would heal my knee. 

Why not?  I don’t know.  For one thing, I could easily see some benefits from having that limp.  The humility alone is worth a lot.  So who am I to say that God didn’t want to use that limp to make me a better person?  I’m not saying He did.  I’m just telling you where my faith was.

So I admit, I did not have full and specific faith that God would heal my knee.  However, I am fully persuaded that God has the power!  Of course God has the power. 

So the focus was not on my knee, but on God’s power.  My focus was not on my faith, but on God’s power.  My focus was not on my interpretation of certain Scriptures about healing, but my focus was on God’s power.  That is something I totally believe in.

I think Abraham was the same way.  His focus couldn’t be on his circumstances, because it was impossible for people their age to have children.  His focus wasn’t on God’s promise, because in Genesis 17 we read that Abraham doubted the promise.  So how did Abraham strengthen his faith in spite of his circumstances and his doubts?

By focusing on the power of God.  He was fully persuaded that God had the power to do it.

Today, maybe your circumstances look impossible.  And when you read God’s word, maybe you find it hard to believe.  If so, then take your eyes off of all of that, and set your focus on this one thing.  Strengthen your faith like Abraham – by being fully persuaded that God has the power!


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 Gift of Prophecy - Apples of Gold - May 20, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for May 20, 2008

“The Gift of Prophecy”

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

First Corinthians 14:1 says, “…eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy.”

Verse 39 says, “Therefore, my brothers, be eager to prophesy…”

Ephesians 4:11 says that Christ “gave some to be…prophets…”

First Corinthians 12 says that “through the Spirit” each one is given “the manifestation of the Spirit” for the common good.  And what some receive for the common good is called “prophecy.”

Verse 27 talks about the parts of the body of Christ, and some parts are called “prophets.”

Romans 12:6 indicates that some men were given the gift of prophecy.

Acts 13:1 says there were prophets in the church at Antioch.

Acts 11:27 says there were prophets in the church at Jerusalem.

Acts 21:9 says there were four daughters of Philip who prophesied in Caesarea.

Verse 10 mentions a prophet named Agabus.

Acts 15:32 says that Judas and Silas were prophets.

In First Corinthians 14, Paul said it was important to coordinate the prophets and how they spoke during church meetings.

While preaching on the Day of Pentecost, Peter quoted from the prophet Joel who said, “In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people.  Your sons and daughters will prophecy…”

He went on to say, “Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.”

So there are a lot of Bible verses that talk about prophets and prophecy.

Now for the longest time, I admit, I thought prophecy was only about telling the future.  A prophet told you what was going to happen someday.

But I’ve come to realize that a prophet is more than that.  So what is a prophet?

I like the definition of prophecy in my study bible:  “A communication of the mind of God imparted to a believer by the Holy Spirit.”

That’s easy for us to picture in the old days.  Some guy in a robe wondering around in the wilderness, then Bam! he gets a message from God and goes and shouts it all over town.  Kind of a weirdo, but yes, a prophet.

Or maybe we see a prophet like some wizard from the middle ages.  Something like Merlin.  We doubt it’s even true, but it’s a great story.

But the Bible talks quite matter-of-factly about prophets.  And not just in the Old Testament.  And it wasn’t just some spooky thing for strange loners.  It was something to be eagerly desired.

Apparently prophets were not rare, or you wouldn’t have to coordinate them in church meetings.  In fact, they were told to “be eager to prophesy.”

First Corinthians 12 tells us about the body of Christ, the church.  It is a unit made up of many parts.  Verse 28 says, “in the church God has appointed,” among other things, “prophets.”  This is an important part of the body of Christ.

Of course the importance of this part of the body is obvious.  The prophet is someone who hears from God and passes the message along to the rest of the body. 

This is not a message that someone made up.  It’s not cobbled together or imagined.  Second Peter 1:20 says, “For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”

Wouldn’t it be great to hear from God?  Wouldn’t it be nice to know what He would say to us right now, today, for the circumstance we are currently dealing with?

I think that is the role of the prophet, to hear from God and speak to the people.

It sounds like going to a fortune teller, doesn’t it?  Like reading a crystal ball or tea leaves.  But here is what’s happened.  Because of false prophets and nuts and quacks, we have despiritualized the body of Christ.  These days if someone said, “I am going to the prophet to get a word from the Lord,” you might look at them like they were nuts. 

And yet this is a very legitimate part of the body of Christ – the role of prophet.  And it’s not to be a rare person.  There should be many people with this gift – where the Holy Spirit actually reveals God’s will to them and they pass it on to the rest of the body.

Of course, you have to be careful.  Ezekiel 13 indicates that some people “prophesy out of their own imagination.” 

Jesus said to “watch out for false prophets.”  He said we can judge a prophet by the fruit of their life, is it good or bad?  First John warns about false prophets, and says we need to test for truth and falsehood. 

First Thessalonians 5:19 says not to put out the Spirit’s fire and not to treat prophecies with contempt.  But it goes on to say we need to test everything, then hold onto what is good.

First Corinthians 14:29 says, “Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said.”

The most obvious way to test a prophecy is to see if it squares with the Bible.  How can it be a true “word from the Lord” if it contradicts the Word of the Lord?

What is the point of prophecy in the church? 

First Corinthians 12:7 says it’s for the common good.

Chapter 14 says, “…everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort.”  It adds, “…he who prophecies edifies the church.”

Ephesians 4 indicates that prophets are to help “prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up…”

I realize it’s a rather uncommon thing in the American church as a whole.  But in times like these, I want this part of the body active and working.  This is something the church needs – people who will stand in the council of the Lord, then tell us what He said. 

Why should we live without an important body part?  The church needs this – the strength and edification that comes from the role of the prophet.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

May God bless you today!  With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
 
I love this passage from First Corinthians 14:24-25 – “But if an unbeliever or someone who does not understand comes in while everybody is prophesying, he will be convinced by all that he is a sinner and will be judged by all, and the secrets of his heart will be laid bare. So he will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, ‘God is really among you!’”

I think a true prophet, when he hears from the Lord, is compelled to speak out.  I think this happens all the time in the church, whether or not that person is labeled a prophet.  They fulfill the role, whether they have the title or not.

Amos 3:8 says, “The Sovereign Lord has spoken – who can but prophesy?”

Jeremiah 20:9 says, “…His word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones…”

Some people teach that First Corinthians 13 indicates that prophecies have ceased.  Verse 8 says, “…where there are prophecies, they will cease…”  Verse 10 says, “…but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.”  Some teach that the perfection has come, and that is the Bible.  Verse 12 says, “Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face.  Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.”  To me, this perfection has not arrived.  We don’t see “face to face.”  We don’t “know fully.”  We still live our lives here seeing “but a poor reflection as in a mirror.”  I think the perfection comes when Christ returns, when we finally see “face to face.” 

But I must say, some of the people who teach that will, themselves, spend time in prayer, seeking a word from the Lord.  Many pastors who don’t believe prophecy is for today will, nonetheless, pray and seek the Lord each week for a message for their congregations.  To me, that is filling the role of the prophet – to get a word from the Lord and deliver it to the people.

Another thought on that, if prophesies have ceased, what do we do with the two prophets in Revelation 11?  Why would they need to prophesy in the future if perfection has already come?

© 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-

I Must Keep My Word, With No Loopholes - Apples of Gold - May 19, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for May 19, 2008

“I Must Keep My Word, With No Loopholes”

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

If I want to be a good Christian, then I must be a man of my word.

I must be a man of integrity.

If I say it, I must do it.

This applies to the big things in life as well as the small things.

If I tell my wife I will be home for dinner at six, then I better be home by six. 

If I say I will call you back about something, then I’d better call you back.

If I say I will meet you, then I will meet you.

If I say I will pray for you, then I will pray for you. 

If I say I will think about it, then I’d better think about it.

Anything else is of the devil.

“Whoa, that’s a leap.  How did the devil get in there?”

Jesus said it, I didn’t.  In the Sermon on the Mount He said, “Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.”

Why did He say that?  Because people were playing little games with their word.  What they said was true, only if they swore the right way, such as, “I swear by heaven,” or “I swear by Jerusalem.”  If you didn’t swear the right way, then you had a big loophole. 

Jesus closed all the loopholes.  Our word must have 100% integrity.  It must be true to the last drop.

In Numbers 30:1, Moses told the nation’s leaders that they must not break their word.  They must do everything they said they would do.

Sometimes people say they are just so busy.  Oh, is that a loophole?  No.  We must never be too busy to keep our word. 

Here is something that is very hard for some people to do.  Keep your big mouth shut.  It’s so easy to say you will do something.  We do this so often that we don’t think it’s any big deal when we don’t do what we say.

Some people just don’t want to say “No.”  They have no intention of doing it.  They know they probably won’t, but they say they will just so they don’t look bad, or to get you off their back.

This is a lack of integrity.  Better to have the guts up front to just say no, than to even leave the impression that you might do something that you know you probably won’t.

Here’s a popular loophole:  forgetfulness.  Listen, everyone forgets.  Old people forget.  Young people forget.  Everyone forgets. 

But to be a person of integrity means we don’t forget.  So how can we have integrity if everyone forgets?

That’s easy.  When you commit to something, write it down.  Do whatever you have to do to make sure you keep your word. 

I know an old guy who constantly tapes notes to himself on his steering wheel.  He knows he’s not going to forget to drive, so that’s where he leaves his reminders.  I know a woman who uses Post-It notes by the stack.

Now let me ask you, is forgetting your word as bad as breaking your word?  After all, you didn’t mean to forget.

Look at Proverbs 18:9.  “One who is slack in his work is brother to one who destroys.” 

In the same way, the person who forgets to keep their word is brother to the one who breaks their word.  Their motives may be different, but they both lack integrity.

So forgetting to keep your word is no excuse.  It just shows you are slack in your work.

Here’s a big loophole:  “But when I gave my word, I didn’t know it would turn out like this.”

Ah, yes.  It’s suddenly going to cost you more than you thought.  A great time to look for loopholes, right? 

Wrong.  This is a great test of your integrity.  Psalm 15:4 talks about people who keep their word, “even when it hurts.”

First Chronicles 29:17 says, “I know, my God, that You test the heart and are pleased with integrity.”

How does God test our integrity?  By putting us in a costly situation.  If we keep our word, it’s going to cost us.  That is a great test of integrity.

Job was put in a costly situation.  Even his wife said, “Are you still holding on to your integrity?”  But Job’s integrity was solid, and he said that when God was done testing him, he would “come forth as gold.”

Even though it costs us, there are blessings when we keep our word. 

Proverbs 10:9 says, “The man of integrity walks securely.”

When you are a man of integrity, your path in life becomes a lot clearer.  You don’t have as many options to weed out, because most options lack integrity.  Proverbs 11:3 indicates that our integrity acts as a guide.

Galatians 6:4 says we should test our own actions.  We need to look at what we do and ask, “Am I a person of integrity?  Is my word good, all the time, every time?”

Yes, I want to be a good Christian.  I want to be a man of God.  And that means I must be a man of integrity, which means I must always keep my word, with no loopholes.


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-

How Dare You Question My Honor - Apples of Gold - May 16, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for May 16, 2008

“How Dare You Question My Honor”

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

In the old days, men fought to defend their honor.

If someone called you a liar, you said in your best gunslinger voice, “Let’s step outside and settle this.”

Or better yet, just pull out your gun and settle it now.

They called that defending your honor, but I think it’s more like pride.

See, there is a line between honor and pride.  Pride is very touchy, but honor stands strong.

And you know what?  I really don’t think honor has to be “defended.”

If you are truly honorable, it stands for itself, doesn’t it?  Do you really have to fight for your honor?  I think the whole idea of fighting over your honor shows you really don’t have it to begin with.

Where did I come up with that?  From Proverbs 20:3.  “It is to a man’s honor to avoid strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel.”

Have you ever seen someone fly into a rage to defend their honor?  It immediately waters down their honor, doesn’t it?

I’ve seen people go off the deep end to defend the honor of their children or their spouse or other family members.  On the surface, it seems like a really noble thing to do.  “You said what?  Those are fightin’ words!”

But the Bible says it’s more honorable to avoid strife, not rush into it.

So there is a biblical form of honor, and a worldly form of honor.  Worldly honor is almost looking for strife, while biblical honor seeks to avoid it.

We don’t talk much about honor in America today.  We talk about getting ahead and the American Dream, and we talk a lot about our rights, but we rarely talk about honor.

I like what it says in Hebrews 13:18.  “We…desire to live honorably in every way.”

So what does biblical honor look like?

Let me tell you, biblical honor looks a lot like humility.

It starts with humility before the Lord.  He is Master and we are servants. 

Proverbs 22:4 says that humility and the fear of the Lord bring honor.

So to live honorably in every way we must start with humility before the Lord.

When it comes to worldly honor, you don’t see much humility.  It’s hard to be humble when you are cracking on people.

Now imagine the most humble person.  What would the most humble person do if someone questioned their honor?  Would they throw a hissy fit?  Actually, I picture them being very strong, and rather quiet.  I see them like a rock, like a boulder.  You can yell and even push, but the boulder won’t react.  It doesn’t have to.  It’s a boulder.

Proverbs 18:12 says that “humility comes before honor.”

So a key component to true honor is humility before God, and humility in general.

The next time someone dishonors you, can you react with humility?

“Doug, I can’t just stand there and let someone dishonor me or my family.”

I know.  It sounds unnatural, doesn’t it?  And that’s precisely the point.  This is something beyond human nature.  It’s of a higher order.  And that’s what true honor is, something of a higher order.  True honor is something the average man does not have.  We can only do it as we submit to the Lord and then He works within us.

True honor is when the Lord honors us.  Unless we are honorable in God’s eyes, we are not honorable at all.

So how can we be honorable in God’s eyes?

One way is by serving Jesus.  In John 12:26 Jesus said, “My Father will honor the one who serves Me.”

Some who serve Jesus are twice as honorable, according to First Timothy 5:17 – “the elders who direct the affairs of the church…especially those whose work is preaching and teaching.”

Proverbs 27:18 says it’s honorable to look after your master.

Proverbs 13:18 says it’s honorable to heed correction.

If you look closely, you see humility running through all of that.  It’s humble to look after your master – and it’s honorable.  It’s humble to heed correction – and it’s honorable.  It’s humble to be a servant, both a servant of Jesus, and a servant of the church – and it’s honorable.

So the next time someone questions your honor, don’t strike back.  Don’t start an argument and stir up strife. 

Instead, be humble before God and man, for it’s humility that truly proves your honor.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

May God bless you today!  With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
 
Romans 2 gives us another way to be honorable – by always doing good. 

Proverbs 21:21 says that it’s honorable to pursue righteousness and love.

Ecclesiastes 10:1 says that a little folly outweighs honor.

Proverbs 25:27 says that it is not honorable to seek your own honor.

© 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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Did Jesus Mean We Should Cut Off Our Hands? - Apples of Gold - May 15, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for May 15, 2008

“Did Jesus Mean We Should Cut Off Our Hands?”

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

Jesus said, “If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away.  It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.”*

He also said to cut off your foot or gouge out your eye if they cause you to sin.

Now that’s some bloody, horrible imagery.  Why’d He get so graphic?

One reason was to pound home the horrors of “hell” and “eternal fire.”**  He was basically saying, “Hey, whatever it takes, you don’t want to go to hell.”

Have you ever tried to stop sinning?  Have you noticed it’s not easy?  In Romans 7, Paul said that sin was at work in the members of his body.

There is something within us that leans toward sin.  Have you ever driven a car that was out of balance?  You work to keep it straight, but it fights you.  That’s what life is like in this flesh.  Even when we have the best intentions, something just pulls us off course.

So should we start hacking off body parts?

For example, if your eyes cause you to lust, will blinding yourself stop all the lust?  No, because lust doesn’t come from your eyes.  Jesus said in Mark 7 that evil thoughts and immorality come from within, from our hearts.

So sin is not really a body problem, it’s a heart problem.  You can attack your body all day, but you won’t get to the sin problem until you get to your heart.

So what can we do about our hearts? 

Romans 2 talks about an “unrepentant heart.”  So what we need to do is repent of our sins.

Then, in our hearts, we need to believe in Jesus, that He is Lord and that God raised Him from the dead.***

When we put our faith in Jesus Christ, Acts 15 says He purifies our hearts.

Ephesians 3 says that Jesus comes to live in our hearts, and that triggers an avalanche of good things.

Romans 5 says God gives us His Holy Spirit, and pours His love into our hearts.

Second Corinthians 1 says that God’s Spirit is in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.  It’s God’s “seal of ownership” on us.

So the answer to the sin problem is not butchering your body, because sin starts in your heart.  We have to deal with the source of the sin.

We do that by repenting and believing in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Then God’s Holy Spirit comes into our hearts.  It’s God’s way of sealing our future, and we are no longer in danger of hell.

Now I wish that was the end of the story, and we never had to battle sin again.  Unfortunately, even though we have the Holy Spirit in our hearts, our flesh still pulls toward sin.

So now what?  Now do we start cutting off body parts?

No.  Romans 6:13 has a much better plan.  “Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather…offer the parts of your body to (God) as instruments of righteousness.”

If you notice that your eyes are causing you to sin, don’t attack your eyes.  Instead pray this little prayer, “Lord, I offer up my eyes to you as instruments of righteousness.”

What will your eyes be doing as “instruments of righteousness”?  Many things.  They can be used to study God’s Word.  They can be used to look around for needs to meet, for people to help. 

If your hand is prone to sin, don’t cut it off.  Just pray this little prayer, “Lord, I offer up this hand to you as an instrument of righteousness.”

“Well, Doug, that’s a bit of an oversimplification, don’t you think?”

Look.  If you are a Christian, then you already have all the tools you need to overcome sin.  The Holy Spirit within you is the awesome power of God! 

And the battle to overcome sin is not some battle of the titans.  There is only one titan, God.  So this little prayer handles sin like a sledgehammer handles a cell phone – it disables it, to put it mildly. 

So when you feel pulled toward sin, when your flesh wants to drag you down, put this little prayer to work.

“Lord, I offer up my body as an instrument of righteousness.”


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

May God bless you today!  With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
 
 * Matthew 5:30
** Matthew 18:8
*** Romans 10

© 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-

Why Do I Believe in God in a Suffering World? - Apples of Gold - May 14, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for May 14, 2008

“Why Do I Believe in God in a Suffering World?”

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

Many people don’t believe in God because of all the suffering in the world.

They would rather believe in no God at all than believe in a God that would allow so much evil and pain.

I think that’s a legitimate point.  If God is so powerful and God is so loving, why does He allow people to suffer?

Some people say it’s because we have free will, and some people use their free will to hurt others.  But if every human was made perfect right now, we would still suffer through natural disasters.  And if we found a way to protect everyone from that, there is still the suffering that comes when people die.

There is simply a brokenness that runs through all of creation.  It allows people to choose evil.  It allows mayhem in nature.  It allows things to decay.  And it allows death.

Why does God allow it?  You’d think He could just wave His hand and fix it.  We could all just live in a state of perfect bliss from now on, forever and ever.

My thinking backs me into a corner.  Okay, so what if we rule out God because of these things.  How do I explain my existence?  Many turn to big bangs and primordial soups, but I just think that’s silly. 

Take this notion that we evolved from monkeys.  If that’s so, then evolution is stupid.  Look at a monkey’s feet, then look at ours.  Which are more useful?  And who thought it was better that we have no tail?  And look at how fast monkeys get around.  Have you seen a monkey in the zoo just fly around that cage?  Who wouldn’t want that?  Why did evolution evolve away so many cool things? 

And if evolution is true, why wouldn’t we still have gills?  What was evolution thinking when it did away with the gills?  That we would never go back in the water?

I’m saying, if evolution means keeping the best features and shedding the rest, then give me the gills, give me the wings, give me the tail, give me the extra hands instead of feet, give me the speed.  I want to soar through the trees and land on my feet and fly to the sky and change colors with my background and sleep all winter.

Why did evolution take it all away?

Of course it’s silly.  And I realize I’m sidestepping all the science, but what I’m looking for is common sense.   I don’t believe in evolution because if it really works that way, humans would have kept all those awesome traits.

So I’m back in the corner.  How do I explain my existence?  Well, my thinking returns to God.  And I open my Bible and search for answers.

In Genesis 2:9 we read about “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.”  I don’t know why there has to be evil.  Why can’t there just be good?  I don’t know, and I wish it wasn’t so, but there it is. 

Evil is mentioned before Adam and Eve commit their first sin.  When the serpent tempted Eve, surely that was a sin on the serpent’s part.  So sin and evil must have existed before Eve ate from the tree. 

So there is God, the creator, who is good and holy and righteous.  And then there is sin and evil, and we see those forces at work in the serpent.

Why did God allow it?  I have no idea.  I am just trying to figure out the what, because the why seems unreachable.

So Adam and Eve go ahead and sin.  First Corinthians 15:21 says, “death came through a man,” and verse 22 says, “…in Adam all die…” 

We all know that we all die.  And the Bible tells us the source of death:  Adam’s sin.  And through Adam’s sin, something like a genetic flaw was introduced into all creation. 

This genetic flaw brought death, and also decay.  Romans 8 says that the creation itself is in bondage to decay. 

It’s as if, there in the Garden of Eden, sin and evil and death and decay came knocking, and Adam and Eve said, “Come on in”

Sure, some say it’s a fairy tale.  But what’s their explanation?  And where are my gills and wings? 

To me, it makes sense.  I see that jagged tear running through the fabric of creation.

What explains people hurting other people?  I think sin is a great explanation.  We are born in sin.  We have evil desires.  Jesus said evil comes from inside of us, out of our hearts.

And to make matters worse, the Bible talks about evil spirits.  First John 5:19 says, “…the whole world is under the control of the evil one.”  

Ephesians 6:12 says there are “spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” 

Revelation 12:9 describes Satan as the one “who leads the whole world astray.” 

It’s easy to see that the whole world is astray, and I can easily buy the explanation that it’s due to evil desires within and evil beings without.  Call it fantasy if you want, but to me it sure explains a few things.

But that’s not the end of the story.  Revelation 3:14 says that Jesus is the “ruler of God’s creation.”  

Hebrews 2:8 says that, yes, right now not everything is subject to the Lord, but that day is coming. 

First Corinthians 15:24 says, “Then the end will come, when He hands over the kingdom to God the Father after He has destroyed all dominion, authority and power.” 

And finally, as verse 26 says, “The last enemy to be destroyed is death.”

Yes, this is a broken world, and I don’t know why God allows it.  But when I came to Christ myself, His forgiveness and redemption changed the course of my life.  I believe what the Bible says, and it’s more than just a brainwashing.  There is a living hope inside me that there is life after death, and that God, though mysterious, is working all of this toward a wonderful conclusion.

That is the reason for the hope that I have. 

And that is why I believe in God in a suffering world.


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-

Is It Wrong to Date a Non-Christian? - Apples of Gold - May 13, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for May 13, 2008

“Is It Wrong to Date a Non-Christian?”

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

Is it wrong to date a non-Christian?

Here is what one person wrote:  “Date?  No I don’t think it’s wrong, as long as it doesn’t interfere with your morality.  But marriage is another matter.”

Wait a minute.  Since when are dating and marriage separate matters?  This person is looking at just one little piece of the road.  But what about the rest of the road?

Have you ever been on I-4 in Orlando?  If all you know about I-4 is what you see in Orlando, you’ll think it’s a north-south road.  But aha!  Yes, it’s north-south through Orlando, but it’s actually an east-west road.

See, there is a lot more to the road than what you see in Orlando.  And there is a lot more to dating a non-Christian.

So do I think it’s wrong to date a non-Christian?  Here is my advice.  If God is important to you, if you love Jesus and want to serve Him, if you want to be a living sacrifice, and glorify the Lord with all your being, then when it comes to dating, don’t even take a second look at a non-Christian, or even a lukewarm Christian. 

The great thing about being my age is that I’ve lived long enough to see where the roads of life lead.  And here is what usually happens. 

The Christian is attracted to the non-Christian.  It’s a physical thing.  “They are just so cute!” 

Now follow the timeline.

Instead of ruling out the non-Christian as “undateable,” they toy with the idea.  Then the moment comes when they find out the other person is attracted to them.  The fire is lit.  It was lit before the first date.  The moment two people are mutually attracted, the flame ignites.

They begin talking and spending time together.  Everyone is on their best behavior.  No one rocks the boat because it’s just so wonderful.

But that non-Christian is on an east-west road, and you are on a north-south road.  Yes, the roads have intersected for a time, but what happens as you move down the road, down the timeline?  You will want to pull north, and they will want to pull east.

At this point there are three options.  One of you can completely change directions and join the other, but that rarely happens.  Or you can split up and go your separate ways, but that’s hard to do when you’re so attracted.  Or what usually happens is this – compromise.  On the best days, they will go to church with you and support you in your religious stuff.  And they want you to support them in whatever their goals are.

But your goals aren’t the same.  How could they be?  You are going different directions.  You love the Lord, and they aren’t that interested.  Your passion is for the Kingdom of God, and their passion is…whatever, something in this world, something other than the Lord.

Now follow the timeline.  The next thing you know, you have children.  How are you going to raise them?  Do you want them to be fired up for God and love the Lord?  Don’t you wish your spouse would help with this, maybe even lead the way?

But they won’t.  They might even pull against you.  They don’t share your faith, at least not to that level.  And again, there will be more compromising.

What do you allow into your home?  Who will influence the children?  What kind of friends will you hang around with – people who build your faith, or not?  On and on the timeline goes. 

To be unequally yoked is to throw a giant wet blanket on your spiritual fire.  You want to pull north with all your might, but you are yoked to someone pulling east.  And this will happen year after year, decade after decade, on and on and on.

That’s the timeline.  When you think about whom you are going to date, you have to look at the timeline.  You have to realize that each decision leads to something further down.  There are no isolated chunks of timeline, they are all connected.  One piece leads right into the next.

The dating piece of the timeline leads right into the marriage piece of the timeline.  So, if you say you shouldn’t marry a non-believer, then you must realize you cannot date a non-believer.  And if you cannot date a non-believer, then you must realize you cannot even let yourself become attracted to a non-believer.

“But Doug, I can’t control who I’m attracted to.  It just happens.  They just walk in and ‘Wow!’”

Walk in where?  See, that is one way to control the kind of person you are attracted to.  If you are in a place for fired-up Christians, then the person who walks in is at least more likely to share your faith.

But yes, I understand the wow factor.  It’s potent, no doubt.  The wow factor almost ruined the great King David. 

So what can you do with the wow factor?  Just what I’ve said.  Look down the timeline.  Take a realistic look at what the future holds if you spend your life with that person. 

If you are young, it’s hard for you to look down the timeline because you’ve never been there.  So ask a wise, older person for their advice.  They’ve seen where the roads of life lead.

And, of course, pray about it.  The Lord will guide you.  You will be asking for His blessings on your family for the rest of your life, so it’s best to start now, before you take that next step down the timeline.


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-

Can You Hear the Voice of God? - Apples of Gold - May 12, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for May 12, 2008

“Can You Hear the Voice of God?”

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

In John 10 we read about Jesus as the Good Shepherd.

It says that He knows His sheep and He calls them “by name.”

It says His sheep “follow Him because they know His voice.”

John 10:27 says, “My sheep listen to my voice.”

So what is this thing about hearing the voice of Jesus?

How do you know that God is speaking to you, and it’s not just some random, crackpot idea that zapped across your brain?  After all, some nutcases have gone out and killed people, then said that God told them to do it. 

Well, that wasn’t God.  Look at John 10:10.  Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

So if the voice in your head talks about stealing, killing and destroying – that’s not the Good Shepherd.  The Good Shepherd wants His sheep to have life, and have it to the full.

Some people say they have heard the audible voice of God.  I have not, but I do believe that God has spoken to me.

If it wasn’t audible, then how?  I think that God has spoken to me through thoughts that pop into my head.

What makes me think that is God and not just my own thoughts?

Well, I can’t prove it.  I am just believing that John 10 is true, and that I will know the Shepherd’s voice.  Then as I draw near to the Lord in prayer, and I know He is drawing near to me like it says in James 4:8, I believe that He will speak to me.

Now let me say this.  The primary way God speaks to us is through His Word, the Bible.  The Word of God is the foundation for all of this.  God’s communication to us starts there.

I don’t know about you, but I want more than that.  I want and need God’s direction to be more specific.

We constantly run into forks in the road that the Bible alone doesn’t clearly illuminate.  Now what?  We need God’s specific direction.

Is that something God does?  When you read through the Bible you find God often giving people very clear direction.

In John 14, Jesus indicates that this guidance is available to us through the Holy Spirit, also known as “the Counselor.”  He said that the Counselor will teach us “all things.”  John 16:3 says He will guide us into “all truth.”  The Holy Spirit makes things known to us, with the end result being that Jesus is glorified.

So most of us would agree that God wants to speak to us.  The tricky part is learning to discern His voice when He gives us specific directions.

So far I have mentioned a couple of guidelines.  One is that the voice of God will not lead you to steal, kill and destroy, but instead the goal will be abundant life for His sheep.  Another guideline is that when God speaks to you, whatever He tells you to do will glorify Jesus.  

Here is another guideline for discerning the voice of God.  John 16:8 is again talking about the Holy Spirit, and it says, “He will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment…”

I have heard people say that God told them their sin was okay.  But again, that is the voice of the “thief,” not the voice of the Good Shepherd.  When God speaks, there will never, ever be any approval of sin.  Instead, the voice of God will always bring conviction for sin.

Now let’s move beyond the basics.  You come to a fork in the road, and you want to hear directly from God what to do.  For example, let’s say you are a new college graduate, and you have two job offers.  You know that the job you take will affect everything in your life from here on.

You pray, “Lord, I don’t know which job to choose, but I must make a choice.  I will have to pick up that phone and tell them something.  What should I tell them?”

And then you listen for God to answer.  And perhaps all kinds of thoughts come screaming through your head.  “Yes!”  “No!”  “Stay!”  “Go!”

How do you know?

All I can lean on is Jesus’ words that His sheep know His voice.  If we are truly His sheep, then we will know.  We will just know.

I know that’s not very scientific.  But that’s the way I think it works.  In my life, yes, a lot of thoughts bubble through my brain, but then sometimes a thought just jumps out head and shoulders above the rest, and I just know, that’s the Good Shepherd.

The fact that you are reading this Apples of Gold is the result from many years ago when I was praying and suddenly this thought stood clear in my mind, “Write and be creative.”

That was it.  Just four words.  It’s not something I was praying about.  But all of a sudden the deck was cleared and that phrase stood alone, “Write and be creative.”  It didn’t happen immediately, but it was in the back of my mind from then on, that God wanted me to “write and be creative.” 

And I do it for the sheep to live life to the full, to bring conviction for sin, and for Jesus to be glorified. 

I could give you several more examples from my own life, but go ahead and ask the mature believers around you.  I think many will tell the same story, of times that they just knew that they knew that God was speaking to them.

And He will speak to you, because what Jesus said is true.  His sheep will know His voice.


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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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

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