Who Do You Think of as "Those People"? - Apples of Gold - July 15, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for July 15, 2008

“Who Do You Think of as ‘Those People’?”

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

“Shirts and skins!”

It was junior high P.E., and that’s how the boys were divided into basketball teams – shirts against the skins.  In other words, one team took off their shirts.

One of my best friends in junior high was Dennis Fisher.  He was a big old boy, one you definitely wanted on your basketball team.  But even more than that, you wanted him to be on the shirts, because if Fisher was on the skins, you were gonna get slimed.

Honestly, sometimes I would just back off and let Fisher have the rebound.  It just wasn’t worth getting slathered in sweat. 

Fisher was the tallest kid in my P.E. class, except when the kids came in from special ed.  That’s when we’d get Harold Murphy. 

Harold Murphy had the body of a man and the mind of a child.  When he went up for a rebound, he was all man.  When Murphy and Fisher crashed the boards together, it was like Godzilla versus King Kong.  You either got out of the way or you got crushed.  (And slimed, if it was a “skins” day.)

If Fisher grabbed a defensive rebound, you could drop back for an outlet pass.  But if Murphy got a defensive rebound, everyone just sat back and watched.  He never passed.  He only had one thing in mind.  He was going coast to coast! 

Off he would go, bouncing the ball as high as his head.  He bounded down the court, and bam!  He would slam the ball off the backboard, and it would go flying back down the court. 

Harold Murphy was my only contact with the special ed kids at school.  If it weren’t for that, I would have had zero contact with anyone like that.

I thought of Harold Murphy when I was at the library last week.  I was quietly browsing when all of a sudden I heard a loud laugh – a “too loud” laugh.  I turned, and a young man was showing me a video.  I couldn’t understand a word he said, but he was pointing to the video, and he was obviously very pleased at his find.  So I politely nodded and smiled and said, “Yeh, that’s a good one.”

Then I went back to browsing, but the young man wasn’t done with me.  He picked up another video, and was just as thrilled at this one.  “Yes,” I said, “That’s a good one, too.”

I did notice that both of the videos were war movies, so I said, “You like war movies?  Soldiers?” 

He nodded and looked excited, but I don’t know if he understood a word I said.  So I went back to browsing.

He picked up another movie, this one looked scary.  “No,” I said, “I don’t think you’ll like that one.  It’s not a war movie.” 

I talked to him like he was three years old, though he was probably about 16.  I didn’t really know what to say to him, so I was polite, and then moved on.

I guess I’m like most people.  I’m unsure how to act towards people who are different than me.

I went to an all white high school, so when I went to college, my comfort zone was stretched when I made friends with some African Americans.  They talked different and acted different.  Sometimes I didn’t understand a word they said.  But after a while I got the hang of it and made some good friends.

In my life I have met a lot of people who are different than me, and it’s usually uncomfortable.  But then I realize they are just people.  I could have been born in their place, and they in mine. 

I’ve talked about physical characteristics, but what about behavior differences?  What about people whose actions have put them in a category other then mine? 

What I’m saying is, is there ever a time when I can point a finger and say, “Those people”?

That’s easy to do – only when you don’t know any of those people.  But when you really get to know people in that category, it changes your perspective. 

Jesus set the example for us by talking to all kinds of people.  He saw people differently, because when He looked each person in the eye, He could honestly say, “This is someone I love.  I love them so much, I will die for them.”

First Timothy 2:6 says Jesus “gave Himself as a ransom for all men…”  Verse four says that our Savior “wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”

I think Jesus sees us all as the people He died for; one group which includes everyone. 

And that’s how we should see people.  We should see them as Jesus sees them, as people who need a Savior, neighbors who need to be loved.  Can we look each person in the eye and say, “This is someone I love”?

First John 2:6 says, “Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did.”  If we are Christians, we must see people as Jesus sees them.

Let me ask you, is there any group of people that you refer to as “those people”?  Is it someone from a different race?  Is it Mexicans crossing the border?  Is it homosexuals?  Is it Republicans or Democrats?  Conservatives or liberals?  The poor?  The homeless?  Prisoners?  Alcoholics? Maybe it’s charismatics or Catholics or whatever.

I don’t think we should see anyone as “those people.”  Everyone is an individual.  God knit them together in their mother’s womb.  God gave them gifts and abilities.  Jesus loves them and died for them.

And if that’s the way God sees them, then that’s the way we should see them.  There is no room for bigotry.  There is only room for loving our neighbor and sharing the Gospel. 

In Matthew 5:16 Jesus said, “…let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”  Let me tell you, when you point at a group and segregate them as “those people,” it does not lead them to praising our Father in heaven.

Take a moment and think about this.  Is there anyone you think of as “those people?”

If so, pray about it.  Say, “Lord, help me to see people the way You see them.”  Then watch for Him to bring some of those people into your life, because to me, nothing tears down the walls as fast as actually getting to know some of “those people.”


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-

Will I Be Worldly to Get the World's Rewards? - Apples of Gold - July 14, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for July 14, 2008

“Will I Be Worldly to Get the World’s Rewards?”

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

“The more worldliness you embrace, the more rewards of the world you receive.”

That’s what Leo Giovinetti said on his “Real Life Radio” broadcast today.

How many times have you heard of great singers who got their start in church?  Why didn’t they stay in church?  Why did they start singing secular music instead? 

Because the more worldliness you embrace, the more rewards of the world you receive.

Millions of Christians are in business.  Why do many of them camouflage their Christianity while passionately pursuing their business?

Because the more worldliness you embrace, the more rewards of the world you receive.

My son was talking yesterday about some Christian bands that water down their lyrics.  Why do they do it?

My opinion is, they just haven’t caught the fire.  They haven’t really experienced Jesus Christ, because once you have, He becomes everything.  Like Colossians 3:11 says, “Christ is all.”

You no longer embrace worldliness, because you don’t care about the rewards of the world.  Your mind is set on “things above, not on earthly things.”*

Colossians 3:12 says we are God’s chosen people.

Colossians 2:6 talks about receiving Christ Jesus as Lord. 

If Jesus is my Lord, then He is my authority.  I am His servant, all the time. 

Colossians 2:20 says I died with Christ to the basic principles of this world.  So from now on, I don’t embrace worldliness and I don’t care about worldly rewards.  Instead, whatever I do, in word or deed, I do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus.

What this does is it brands you as a Jesus freak.  Jesus keeps popping up in your conversations.  When you sing, He’s in your songs.  When you write, He’s in your writing.  He’s in your business.  He’s in your home.  He’s in your social life. 

When Jesus is your Lord, and when you do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, He permeates everything.

More and more, when people look at us, they see Jesus.  Colossians 3:10 says we are being renewed in the image of our Creator.

Instant of babbling on and on about any old thing, we start speaking the words of Jesus.  Colossians 3:16 talks about the word of Christ dwelling in us richly.  When we speak, we find ourselves teaching and admonishing each other with all wisdom.  When we sing, we sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.  When we work, we know it is the Lord Christ we are serving, as it says in Colossians 3:24.

Why don’t we care about worldly things?  Because we died!  Our life is now all about Christ.  We have no reason to embrace worldliness, because we don’t care about the rewards of this world.  Jesus is our all-in-all.

A woman told me one time that she had spent all of her life serving her children.  Then when they grew up, they moved away and didn’t care about her.  She was bitter, and regretted what she had done.  She said, “I’ve spent my life serving other people.  Now it’s time to start serving myself.”

You know what I said?  I said, “No.  Now it’s time to start serving the Lord.”

Some Christian parents think their children simply must go off to a big university somewhere and get their education.  It doesn’t bother them much that their children might be brainwashed into the ways of the world.  It’s just important that they get that education so they can receive the rewards of this world.

How much worldliness will we embrace in order to receive the rewards of this world?

Yes, our children need an education, but ponder Colossians 2:3.  It says that in Christ “are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

If they go to that university, but walk away from Christ, they actually walk away from a good education.  All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Christ, not in that secular university.

Some parents want their children to enjoy the rewards of this world.  But how much worldliness are you willing to embrace to get them? 

We are told to not set our minds on earthly things.  As Christians, we are dead to this world.  Instead, our life is in Christ.  He is our Lord.  Everything we do, we do in the name of the Lord Jesus.  His word dwells richly in us.  Our work is for Him.  Our songs are for Him.  We have been given fullness in Christ, and “Christ is all.”

Are you tempted by the rewards of this world?  Are you willing to be worldly to get them?  Then it’s time to catch the fire.  It’s time to get a vision of who Jesus really is.  And you can read all about it in the book of Colossians, where all these scriptures came from today. 

Because when we really grasp who Jesus is, we won’t care about being worldly, because the rewards of this world just won’t matter anymore.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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

*  Colossians 3:2

© 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 Weigh 172 Pounds - Apples of Gold - July 11, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for July 11, 2008

“I Weigh 172 Pounds”

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

I weigh 172 pounds.

There aren’t many things I know that precisely about myself.  Most things aren’t that easy to check, but weight – that’s simple.  Just step on the scales and there it is.

If my goal is to lose weight or gain weight, it’s so easy to see how I’m doing.  Just step on the scales.

When I moved to Tallahassee I weighed 190 pounds.  Then I went on the Daniel Fast and I dropped to 165 pounds, which is how much I weighed when I got married.  I weighed 155 pounds in high school. 

In college, when I bought straight legged Levi’s, they were 32 x 32.  When the fashion shifted, I switched to a 32 x 34.  Maybe I’m shrinking, because now I’m back to a 32 x 32. 

See, some things I know precisely about myself. 

Other things are a little harder to measure. 

For example, Galatians 6:4 says, “Each one should test his own actions.”

How on earth does one measure his actions?  I wish there were “action scales,” just step on and see how your actions measure up. 

“Ah, your actions are a 95, that’s weak.  A man your age should be at least 150.”

But, it doesn’t work that way, so how am I supposed to test my own actions?

Well, the first step is to track my actions.  What all do I actually do? 

Sometimes we just ramble our way through each day, paying little attention to all the things we do.  Well, if we are going to test our actions, we have to start by examining them.

I had a radio class in college, and one of our assignments was to pick out a station and listen to it constantly.  We had to track everything they did.  Let me tell you, you learn a lot when you track something that closely.

When someone is trying to get their budget under control, what is one thing they always say to do?  Write down all your expenditures.  Every single time you buy something, write it down.  You learn a lot about where your money goes when you write down every purchase.

So if I want to test my own actions, like it says in Galatians 6:4, a good place to start is to write down what all I do – and how much time I spend doing it.

You can’t test your actions if you don’t know what they are.  Yes, you might think you know, but just like people are surprised when they see where their money actually goes, I think you will be surprised when you see what you actually spend your time doing.

So I’ve been testing my actions.  I’m doing pretty good in some areas:  prayer, Bible study, church work, time with my wife, exercise, working at the radio station. 

But I noticed a glaring hole – time spent with my children one on one.  Yes, they are a bit older now, and they spend a lot of time away from home – but still, I don’t want to lose touch with them.  So to fill the hole, for example, tonight I am taking my 17-year-old out for a father-daughter date.  The other day I skipped going for my usual run when my 21-year-old wanted to sit down and talk.

Now I don’t want to sound silly, but how do I know that I should spend time with my children?

It sounds obvious, I know – but still, how do we know if our actions are right?  We are supposed to test our actions, but what are we testing them against?

In radio, we broadcast from towers.  You’ve seen them.  They are red and white, which keeps airplanes from crashing into them.  By law we have to keep the paint from getting too dull.  To test the brightness, the government has a little card.  They simply hold that card up to your tower and tell you whether you need to paint or not.

So you test the brightness of the paint by comparing it to colors on the card that you know are correct.

It’s the same with our actions.  Once we write down our actions, now we can compare them to actions we know are correct.  And for that we turn to the Word of God, the Bible.

If our actions line up with the Word, then we’re good.  If they don’t, then we need to change them.

James 1 says we should look intently into the Word.  So we look intently into the Word, and we look closely at our actions, and we compare the two.  That is how we test our actions.

So how do I know I am supposed to spend time with my children?  Well for one thing, Deuteronomy 11:19 talks about teaching children “when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”  And the only way to do that is by spending time with them.

Galatians 6:4 says, “Each one should test his own actions.” 

Second Corinthians 13:5 says, “…test yourselves.”

Lamentations 3:40 says, “Let us examine our ways and test them…”

So testing our actions is important.  And we start by tracking them, then comparing them to the Word of God.  Then we can adjust our actions to line up with the Word, and then comes the big payoff, according to James 1:25 – we will be blessed in what we do.

And the first step to that blessing is the testing of our own actions.


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-

Take the High Road - Apples of Gold - July 10, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for July 10, 2008

“Take the High Road”

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

I finally landed the big fish.

As a rookie salesman in my 20’s, I knew I had to sell one of the big car dealers.

I mean, if you’re in radio sales, and you don’t have at least one big car dealer as a client, you’re a nobody.

It took a while, but I finally did it.  I got the Chrysler dealer to sign a three month contract for $300 per month.  I walked out of that place on cloud nine!

Fast forward six weeks.  Now I was sitting at my desk, in complete misery.  As I looked over my reports it slowly dawned on me that I had messed up the Chrysler account.  When I had written up the schedule, I forgot to include everything in the contract.  We billed them the full price, but did not do everything we promised.

As the old timers say, I was in the horns of a dilemma.

If I told the Chrysler dealer that I had messed up his account, he might cancel, or he might not renew.  He might lose respect for me, “the kid,” and never buy from me again.

If I told my boss, he might credit the account, and take it out of my commission – something I definitely could not afford.

As far as I could tell, no one else knew about the error but me.  Maybe I could fix the schedule, make sure the client got everything he paid for, and not tell anyone.  Yes, that seemed like the best option.  Just keep it all under the radar.  I mean, why stir up trouble if you don’t have to?

So there I sat, in the horns of a dilemma.  What should I do?  Every option felt like a loser.

Have you ever been there? 

How did you decide what to do?

When we come to forks in the road like this, and we have to make a decision, we always base it on something.

Maybe we base it on what will cause the least trouble.

Or we base it on what will cost us the least.

Or we base it on what will make us look good.

There is some kind of core motivation that we fall back on.

Maybe it’s what we think our parents would do.

Have you ever analyzed this about yourself?  Think back to a time when you were at a crossroads.  You made a tough choice, so what did you base it on?

For me, it’s a little phrase that I always seem to fall back on.  I don’t remember the first time I heard it or the first time I applied it.  It’s not in the Bible, though it is certainly a biblical principle.

Here is the phrase:  Take the high road.

When I am faced with a dilemma, I remind myself, “Take the high road.”

Even if it will cost me, even if it makes me look bad, “Take the high road.”

To me, taking the high road means you are honest and true.  Your integrity is solid.  You can’t be bought and you can’t be swayed. 

Taking the high road doesn’t mean you are perfect.  Everyone messes up, but what do you do about it?  Taking the high road means owning up to your mistakes; own up, don’t cover up.

So there I was, sitting at my desk, pondering the Chrysler account.  And I fell back to that little phrase, “Take the high road.”

So I gulped real hard, picked up the phone, and called the client.  I set up an appointment because I wanted to tell him face to face.

In his office I told him what had happened.  Yes, he had caught the mistake.  He was glad that I stopped by and told him.  He appreciated my honesty.  And no, he didn’t cancel.

And you know what?  After three months he renewed his contract.  In fact, he stayed on for several years, becoming one of the biggest clients we had. 

Now I’m not saying taking the high road always ends so nicely.  Sometimes you still have to take your lumps.  But at least you’re clean.  At least you aren’t leaving behind little critters that will come back to bite you.

Deuteronomy 25:16 says the Lord detests anyone who deals dishonestly.  You don’t want to be in that crowd. 

So the next time you are in the horns of a dilemma, the next time you come to a fork in the road and you have a tough decision to make, use this phrase as a guide.  It’s like a little map, a little GPS system.  When you aren’t sure which road to take, let this little phrase be your guide:  Take the high road.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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

Proverbs 15:19 is a Bible verse that comes close to saying “Take the high road.”  It tells us that “…the path of the upright is a highway.”

Proverbs 16:17 says, “The highway of the upright avoids evil…”

© 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 Not Be Anxious About Anything - Apples of Gold - July 9, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for July 9, 2008

“Do Not Be Anxious About Anything”

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

“The older I get, the more I worry about my kids.”

That’s what she said, and I thought it was odd because her children were all grown up.  And there I was, just trying to keep my kids from getting under the sink and drinking poison.

That reminds me of the time when I was a kid and Mom took a bottle out from under the sink and drew an actual skull and crossbones on it.  That just made me want to pop the top and take a big swig.

Anyway, I figured if you kept your kids from killing themselves before they moved out, your worries were over.  Not so, according to this woman.  The older they got, the more she worried.

Now that my kids are a bit older, I think I see what she meant.  The stakes are higher as they become adults and start making major life decisions. 

And this old world, with the shape it’s in, what kind of life will my kids have?  What’s happening to the economy?  What will gas prices be five years from now?  What about terrorists and war?  What about grocery prices and unemployment?  Will they be able to get a good education?  And will it do them any good?

If you want to get stressed out, there are plenty of reasons to do so.  If you sit around and dwell on these things, you can literally worry yourself sick.

However, we are told in Philippians 4:6, “Do not be anxious about anything.”

With so many things to worry about, how can we not be anxious?  I mean, I can just watch the news for five minutes and feel a worry fever coming on.

Fortunately that same passage in Philippians tells us what to do about anxiety.

Philippians 4:6 goes on to say, “…present your requests to God.”

That is huge.  Worry happens when we bottle up our anxieties, letting them swirl around inside us.  The remedy for bottled up anxiety is to pop the lid and pour it out to the Lord.  Take it to the Lord in prayer.  Present your requests to God.

Then verse seven says that the peace of God will guard our hearts and minds.

So that’s a pretty simple formula.  When we feel anxious, we pray about it.  Then God takes our anxiety and replaces it with peace.

Then God gives us a way to avoid future anxiety.  Philippians 4:8 gives us a list of things to think about:  whatever is true and noble and right, whatever is pure and lovely and admirable, “if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things.”

Here are a couple more worry inoculations from Philippians chapter four.  Verse four says, “Rejoice in the Lord always.  I will say it again:  Rejoice!”  Verse six says we should come before the Lord with thanksgiving.

When you feel like you just can’t cope, look at verse 13, “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.”

When you worry about the economy and whether you’re going to make it, look at verse 19, “And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”

Paul wrote that some people have their mind set on earthly things.  But that should not be us.  He said our citizenship is in heaven.

And then he gave us something to look forward to.  He said we eagerly await a Savior from heaven, the Lord Jesus Christ.  He will “transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious body.”

Yes, in this day and age there is plenty to worry about – but it does no good to worry.  So let’s take advantage of the wisdom God is giving us in Philippians chapter four.  And here again is what it says.

When you start to worry, don’t just sit there and marinate in troubling thoughts.  Instead, turn those worries into prayers.  Present your requests to the Lord, and He will replace your worries with His peace.

Then take control of your thoughts, and only think about good things.  Rejoice in the Lord, and thank Him for all His blessings.

Keep in mind that we can do all things through Christ, and that God will meet all of our needs.

And remember, we are citizens of heaven, and we eagerly await our Savior from heaven, who will take these old bodies and transform them to be like His glorious body.

Worry is a big bottle of poison.  Label it with a skull and crossbones, then throw it out for good. 

The Bible says, “Do not be anxious about anything.”

It’s time to take that advice, and enjoy the peace of God “which passeth all understanding.”


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-

Single and Obsessed - Apples of Gold - July 8, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for July 8, 2008

“Single and Obsessed”

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

(open with dramatic music, “Gollum’s Song”)

It was Sméagol’s birthday – and his life was about to change forever.

He went fishing with Déagol, who was pulled into the water by a fish.  When he surfaced he had a ring.

This ring had a powerful effect on Sméagol.  It instantly became his obsession.  He demanded that Déagol give it to him as a birthday present, and when he refused, Sméagol strangled him and took it.

The ring was an evil influence, but Sméagol loved it.  It ruled his life.  Because of the ring, he was driven from his family, and he ended up living underground, hating the sunlight.

One day he lost the ring in the darkness, and eventually it was found by Bilbo Baggins.  For years Sméagol obsessed over the ring.  His life’s goal was to get it back. 

Years later, when the ring was about to be destroyed in the fires of Mount Doom, Sméagol got his hands on it one last time – then fell over the edge.  And even as he plummeted to his death, the last word on his lips was the nickname he had given the ring…

(sfx:  Sméagol saying “My Precious.”)

Now let me talk to some of you single people.  Like Sméagol, do you have an obsession with a ring?  I’m talking about a wedding ring, a symbol of “true love.”

A lot of single people are obsessed with finding “true love.”  Like Sméagol’s ring, it is always on their mind.   

This obsession can lead them into very dark places.  Seemingly good Christian people might find themselves at bars in their search for the ring.  Or there they are, trolling the internet, searching like Sméagol from cave to cave.

Sméagol would do anything to get the ring, and so do some singles.  In their quest for “true love” they end up doing crazy things.  They agree to meet people they shouldn’t meet.  They go places they shouldn’t go.  They put up with things they shouldn’t put up with.  Why?  Because they are blinded by their obsession.  At all cost they must get that ring.

For Sméagol, the ring came first.  It came before family and friends and everything else.  It was his god.

And for some single people, their quest for the ring comes first.  If they have to sacrifice their family, so be it.  If they have to give up their friends, fine. 

But the problem is, the ring, this search for “true love,” becomes their god.  It comes first.

Their decisions are made, not based on what God wants, but based on what will help them in their quest for the ring.

When they get up in the morning, they “dress for the quest.”  They join clubs and churches based on where the best “fishing” is.  Where will they go?  How will they act?  They might even take a new job or move to a new city.  Each decision is motivated by the ring.

The problem for the Christian is, this hunt for true love bumps God off the throne; the same God who said, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”  Jesus said, “Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve.”

The Lord is to be our obsession.  It is Him we seek, not a ring.  When we dress, we dress for Him.  When we decide where to go and what to do, it should be motivated by our passion to worship and serve Him.

In Tolkein’s “Lord of the Rings,” Sméagol was a moody creature.  He had moments of sanity, but then he would be highly agitated, all because of the ring.  He spent a lot of time depressed.

This happens to some singles.  When they can’t seem to find what they so greatly desire, they become agitated and moody.  They feel a surge when they think the ring is within reach, but when it isn’t they are depressed.  Up and down they go.

This is not God’s plan for your life at all.  He wants you to be stable, to build on His sure foundation. 

Hebrews 11:6 says that God rewards those “who earnestly seek Him.”

Jeremiah 29:13 says, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

It is the Lord we should be seeking with all of our heart, not some relationship.  That shiny golden obsession is actually fool’s gold.  It’s deceiving.  It promises things it can’t deliver.

Sméagol’s obsession with the ring destroyed his life.   If you are single, don’t let this happen to you.  Yes, you may want it, but do yourself a favor.  Deny yourself.  Take your eyes off the ring and fix them on Jesus.  He alone is our obsession.  He alone is worthy of preeminence in our lives.  He should be our motivation in all things.

And the payoff?  He is the payoff. 

Does being single make you feel like you have gaps in your life?  Ephesians 1:23 says that He “fills everything in every way.”  The Lord alone can fill all the gaps in your life.

So don’t end up groveling like Sméagol.  You are worth so much more than that.  No one’s value is based on that ring.  Instead, seek the Lord first, and let your value come from being a dearly loved child of God.


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-

Why Didn't I Do Some Big Thing With My Life? - Apples of Gold - July 7, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for July 7, 2008

“Why Didn’t I Do Some Big Thing With My Life?”

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

There was an engagement party for my son last night.

A year from now he will be married.

Also yesterday I helped him move out.

It was a big day, and big days make you think about the big picture of your life.

As we drove along he asked me why I had spent my life working at local Christian radio stations.  Why didn’t I do some big thing with my life, such as join a national ministry, or even start my own.

I told him I didn’t really know.  Here is the way I have lived my life.  I simply try to walk with God, then do what I think He is leading me to do.

I compared it to being a simple private on D-Day in World War II.  Imagine a private that wasn’t too bright, and never did well in school.  General Eisenhower and other brilliant strategists drew up all the plans for the invasion, including all the soldiers and the training and the supplies and the ships and planes and bombs and weather and coded messages.  A million details, and the simple private – just thinking about it made his brain explode.  He literally did not have the brainpower to comprehend it.

However, he knew enough to do what he was told.  “Get off this boat, get across the beach, and take out that machine gun nest,” or whatever.  He couldn’t comprehend the entire plan, but he could do what he was told.

That’s the way I feel when I try to understand what God is doing in the world.  Just thinking about it makes my brain explode.  I can’t comprehend it.  Billions of people all over the planet, all doing things every day.  All those dreams and hopes and hurts and disappointments.  All the love and hate and intrigue.  I know God is up to something in everyone’s life, but I can’t grasp it.  Honestly, I can’t even grasp what He’s doing in my neighborhood, or in my own church.

So God is the brilliant strategist, and I am the simple private.  Who am I to make my own plans?

So I try not to.  Instead I try to walk with God, then do what He leads me to do.

That is how we ended up in Florida.  I believe it was the Lord’s leadership that brought us here.

And that move greatly affected my son.  We moved in the middle of his junior year in high school, and he didn’t like it.  He was uprooted from all his friends, and everything looked bleak.  He didn’t understand why we moved, and all he talked about was moving back. 

And all I could say was, “This is what I think the Lord was leading us to do.”

Of course now he sees things quite differently!  The Lord has done many great things in his life since then.  He is more fired up for God than ever.  He has made great new Christian friends.  He is involved in ministry.  And best of all, he is engaged to a wonderful Christian young lady who shares his passion for the Lord.  They are best friends, and their future is incredibly bright.

And I think that happened because, instead of making our own plans, we were willing to follow the leading of the Lord.

Who knew that things would turn out so well for my son? 

God knew.

What would his life be like if I had done what was wise in my own eyes?

Back to that lowly private.  Picture him standing at the edge of a mine field.  Sure, he could step out and do whatever he thought was best.  But that’s asking to get blown up.  The best thing would be if someone could walk with him, walk him safely through the mine field. 

To me, life is like a mine field.  If we step out and go wherever we think is best, we risk getting blown up.  But when we walk with God, He will lead us exactly where we need to go.

God is the brilliant strategist.  He knows what is best.  I am the lowly private.  The best I can do is walk with Him.

Then the monkey is off my back.  I don’t have to carry the weight of the world on my shoulders.  I don’t worry about things I can’t control, which is almost everything.  God will have to take care of all that.

My part is to simply do my part.  And today that means working at this radio station, helping out at church, and caring for my family.  No, it’s not a “big” thing.  But it’s a “called” thing.  It’s what I’m called to do at this time.

Now a lot of people will ask, “How can I know specifically what I’m called to do?” 

How did Noah know to build the ark?  He knew it because God said it and Noah heard it.

And what put Noah in a position to hear God?  Genesis 6:9 says, “…he walked with God.” 

And that’s the key.  You want the Lord’s leadership?  You want to hear from Him, receive His guidance? 

Then give up your own plans.  Take that map you’ve drawn up for yourself and throw it out.  In a complex world, we simply cannot know what is best. 

Instead, we do like Noah.  We do like Enoch.  We do like all the great ones over the years.   And what did they do?  They simply walked with God.


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 Dress Like a Boy Magnet - Apples of Gold - July 3, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for July 3, 2008

“Don’t Dress Like a Boy Magnet”

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

Don’t dress like a boy magnet.

“But I want to be a boy magnet!”

Oh, you better think about that.  Start by thinking about this:  what percentage of the male population are you trying to attract? 

Probably a very tiny percentage, right?  After all, you’re not trying to attract the dirty old men, are you?  You’re not trying to attract the losers and abusers.  I’m going to guess that the only guys you want to attract are the guys that you are attracted to.  I bet you’re not trying to attract any unwanted attention from guys you aren’t attracted to.

So really, it’s a very small percentage of the male population you are trying to attract, so don’t dress like you’re trying to attract them all.

So how many do you want to attract?  This is important.  I hope your answer is…one.  If you are a single Christian female, then the most you should be trying to attract is one, and that would be your future husband who will become your one and only. 

And what kind of husband do you want?  A strong Christian, I hope.  A good, godly man with high principles and strong morals. 

If this is the kind of husband you want, then how should you attract him?  First Peter 3 talks about how women should make themselves beautiful.  It’s not their hair or their clothes or their jewelry that makes them so attractive.  Instead it’s what’s inside, their holiness, their gentleness, their peace, their hope in God. 

If you want to attract a godly man, then you must be a godly woman.  You need to work on your inner qualities and your walk with God.  And with that comes a de-emphasis on your outward appearance.

“Yes, Doug, I want a good Christian husband someday.  But I want to be attractive.  Is there anything wrong with that?”

I think you need to drill down and see what your motivation is.  Does it make you feel good to get the boys’ attention?  Is your self esteem riding on this?  Is that why you dress like a boy magnet?

Now think this through.  If this is what makes you feel good about yourself, then what will you do when you are married?  After a while, many women fall back into the rut of making themselves feel good by attracting the boys’ attention – even though they are married. 

And what will you do when you get older and lose your attractive edge?  Some women panic with those first signs of old age.  That’s why you see mothers and grandmothers dressing like boy magnets.  Their self esteem hinges on grabbing the boys’ attention.

This is a rotten place to get your self esteem.  It’s fleeting.  It’s never really there. You are always chasing it but never really catching it. 

The problem is that it’s like a drug.  It feels so good to snag the attention of an attractive member of the opposite sex.  It gives you a high that can last all day.  Then like other highs, once it wears off you need another one.  And to get it – now listen – to get it, what will you be willing to do?  Will you wear your clothes a little tighter?  Skirts a little shorter?  Tops a little racier?  What will you do to attract the boys?

Now let’s talk about the attention you are getting.  When you dress like a boy magnet, what you are attracting is the eyes of the boys.  They are looking at your body.  Or let me say this, they are looking at your body parts.  If you wear tight jeans, they are looking at your rear end.  If you wear short skirts, they are looking at your legs, and on and on. 

Now don’t get too excited, thinking they are looking at you.  They are not really looking at you.  They are looking at your parts.  Listen, they may love your chest, but they may not like you at all. 

This is not what you want, is it?  It’s demeaning.  It’s depersonalizing. 

So think about it.  You dress like a boy magnet to draw the attention of the boys, which makes you feel good about yourself.  But in reality, they aren’t even thinking about you as a person.  They are just enjoying the display.  It could be anyone.

So if you think you want to be a boy magnet, you need to think it through.  I don’t think it’s going to bring the results you want.

If your goal is to attract a good, godly husband, then dressing like a boy magnet is not the way to do it.  Instead, work on your inner qualities, such as your holiness and your walk with God.

“But Doug, if I don’t dress to attract, I’m afraid I won’t attract anyone.”

Let’s go back to First Peter chapter 3.  Verse 6 says you should “do what is right and do not give way to fear.”

Yes, I think it’s a legitimate fear to think you might miss out on attracting a good husband.  But do what is right, and don’t give way to fear. 

You don’t have to dress like a little “hottie” to attract a godly man.  In fact, I think a godly man will disrespect that.  It’s more likely to repel than attract.

And you know what?  A man doesn’t want to be married to a boy magnet.  When a man marries, he wants you to himself.  He doesn’t want to share you with the rest of the male population. 

So think this through, and pray about it.  What are your goals?  What is your motivation?  When you get to the bottom of it, I think you’ll find that it doesn’t have any good long term effects. 

It’s just not a good plan to dress like a boy magnet.


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-

Eternal Vigilance is the Price of Liberty - Apples of Gold - July 2, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for July 2, 2008

“Eternal Vigilance is the Price of Liberty”

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

What if China made a deal with OPEC to buy all the oil they had?

What if they sealed it with a threat of invasion?

One little deal like that on the other side of the world would radically change our lives in America.

You think high dollar gas is bad?  Imagine this – no gas.

What would we do, go to war?

Why hasn’t something like this happened?  Is it because we have the power to nuke them off the face of the earth?

Now think about this.  Why haven’t there been any more big terrorist attacks in America after 9-11?  Are you telling me they couldn’t just make up their mind and do it if they wanted to?

Why hasn’t there been another world war?  What’s stopping Russia or China or India or Iraq from marching out and gobbling up their neighbors?

And you can rest assured, if any big thing happens in the world, it will involve us, the United States of America.

At this point we have immense freedom and peace in America.  But there is no guarantee that will last.  If we take it for granted, we will lose it.

One of my all time favorite quotes is this, “Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.”

The only way we can keep our liberty, for us and our children, is by constantly working on it.

Will another country attack America?  It could happen, you know.  That’s why we never stop working around the world.  That’s why, for example, we are part of the Six-Party process regarding North Korea, which brought about that country’s commitment to denuclearize. 

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says the fight for freedom never ends.  Her view is that if we want to stay free in America, then we must work to bring about freedom everywhere.  She calls it “transformational diplomacy,” which means we partner with foreign citizens to better their own lives and build their own nations.  She says, “We must begin to lay new diplomatic foundations to secure a future of freedom for all people.” 

So why do we care if other countries are free? 

One reason is because if they believe in freedom, then they will grant us our freedom and their neighbors their freedom.  When you believe in freedom, you aren’t going to attack your neighbor and take away their freedom.

So spreading freedom is one strategy for keeping our freedom.

Of course not everyone wants to grant their citizens freedom, but we still have to work with all those countries.  We have to work with them in order to maintain our own freedom.

Diplomacy is great, but all some people understand is force.  That’s why we must keep a strong military.  It’s called “peace through strength.”  We must stay so strong that every other country looks at us and says, “No, messing with them is not worth it.”

Keeping our liberty is a job that is never done. 

But now think about this.  Who is doing all this work?  Well a ton of it is done by government officials, people you’ve never heard of.  And let me tell you, I hope and pray that these people know what they are doing!  I hope they are smart and wise and diligent, because our nation hinges on these unknown workers.

A lot of this work is done by our soldiers.  They are stationed all over the world.  This “peace through strength” comes from real people doing their jobs day and night, putting their lives at risk so we can live at peace, without fear of invasion.

And you know what?  We constantly need new people to do these jobs.  People come and people go, and who will take their place?  I hope and pray that good, qualified people are always there to protect our liberty.

Now you might think, “Well, there will always be someone to do it, so I don’t have to.”  Maybe and maybe not.  If enough people take that attitude then we are in trouble. 

Remember Proverbs 18:9, “One who is slack in his work is brother to one who destroys.”  You don’t have to fight against this nation to destroy it.  All you have to do is be slack in your work for this nation.  So think about what part you can play.  Pray about it.  Say, “Lord, what do You want me to do for the good of my country?”

One big thing we should all do is pray.  First Timothy 2 says we should pray for all those in authority so we can live peaceful and quiet lives.  And yes, I think our prayers and God’s answers are one reason why we have kept our liberty so far.

As we prepare for another Independence Day celebration, let us not take for granted the precious freedoms we enjoy.  They come at a great cost, both in the past, and to this very day.  The price for our liberty is never paid in full, because the price of liberty is eternal vigilance. 


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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

Here is a great website to keep current on our dealings with other countries.  It also makes a great prayer list!

 

http://www.state.gov/

© 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-

Being Famous is the Counterfeit of Being Known - Apples of Gold - July 1, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for July 1, 2008

“Being Famous is the Counterfeit of Being Known”

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

How many stars can you name from 1908?

How many great athletes or entertainers or authors from just 100 years ago?

It was a presidential election year.  Do you know who was running?

Honestly, the only thing I know about 1908 is that it was the last time the Cubs won a World Series.  (If they win it this year, I think we’re starting to see a pattern...)

Now here’s the thing.  In 1908 there were so many people working so hard to be somebody, and yet now they are almost entirely forgotten. 

Let me go back to when I was a kid, in the early 1970’s.  Who were the stars in my little mind?  Well there was Wilt Chamberlain, David Cassidy, Muhammad Ali, Johnny Unitas, Lou Brock, Bob Gibson.  I didn’t know any authors.  I shook President Nixon’s pinkie at a state fair.  I saw Billy Graham on TV.  And I liked the Harlem Globetrotters with Meadowlark Lemon and Curly Neal.

Now if I walked in my wife’s first grade class and asked about those names, how many do you think the kids would know?  Maybe Billy Graham and President Nixon. 

Bounce a few names off some kids you know.  It will be an eye opener.  Ask if they know who Michael Jordan is.  As famous as he is, many kids just shrug.  The only people they will know are those who are in the limelight right now.  Tiger Woods is huge…right now.  But can you name a golfer from 1908? 

My point is that fame is fleeting.  Even if you become the best in the world at something, as time goes by you will be forgotten, and new people will come along and take your place.  To become famous is not a worthy goal.

Not everyone wants to be famous.  Most people don’t have that drive.  But do we all have something in common?  I think the common element is the desire to be known.  For whatever reason, we want to be known.

To become famous is a counterfeit to becoming known.  It seems like it gets you there, but it doesn’t.  It doesn’t scratch where it itches.

In their day, everyone knew about Frank Sinatra and Elvis, but did anybody actually know them?

In Jesus’ time we see the Pharisees falling for this counterfeit of being known.  In Matthew 25 Jesus said, “Everything they do is done for men to see.”  He said, “…they love the place of honor at banquets,” and, “…they love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them ‘Rabbi.’”

Why did the Pharisees want this recognition?  I think it’s the desire to be known.  Since that was the goal, they did what it took to meet that goal.  And it worked.  People knew them as the religious stars of the day. 

But being famous is the counterfeit of being known.  Underneath their famous surface the Pharisees were hollow.  All they had was that fame, and when Jesus threatened it, when He began to peel back their whitewashed surface and reveal the dead men’s bones inside, they panicked.  And when they got the chance, they killed Him.

So if being famous is the counterfeit, what is the real thing? 

I think it comes in two layers.  The first is being known by God.  Being known by God is not hollow or fleeting.  It’s not based on your poll numbers or recent victories.  Being known by God is a solid, real thing. 

Galatians 4 says that God knows us.  And not only that, He redeemed us so that we would have full rights as His children.  He even placed His Spirit in our hearts, and from our hearts His Spirit calls out to Him, “Abba, Father.”  He knows us and we are His children and His heirs.

In First Corinthians 13 Paul said, “I am fully known.”

First Corinthians 8:3 says, “…the man who loves God is known by God.”

In Jeremiah 12:3, Jeremiah said, “…you know me, O Lord…”

In Second Samuel 7:20, David said, “…you know your servant, O Sovereign Lord.”

Psalm 44:21 says that God even knows the very secrets of our heart.

Psalm 139:4 indicates that God knows us so well, that He even knows what we are going to say before we say it.

So if there is a desire within us to be known, it is fulfilled in being known by God.

And then there is the second layer, which I think is fulfilled within the body of Christ.  It’s the true fellowship that God designed to take place within the church.

James 5:16 says we are to confess our sins to each other and pray for each other.  Why would we do that instead of just confessing to God?  One reason is that it meets the need of being known.  It shreds the superficial and gets down to the real. 

Here is where the word fellowship blossoms into its full reality.  We become known as we fellowship with God and as we fellowship with each other.

This is God’s design.  It meets our needs.  It scratches where it itches. 

So the root desire is to be known, and that desire is met as we are known by God and known by our fellow believers. 

And that desire to be famous?  Look at the big picture and I think you will see that being famous is just the counterfeit of the real gift of being known.


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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Train Yourself to be Godly - Apples of Gold - June 30, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for June 30, 2008

“Train Yourself to be Godly”

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

My daughter is in training.

It’s summer vacation.  It’s 7 a.m., and she is in training.

The first volleyball game is weeks away, but she is in training.

If the other team isn’t training already, they are falling behind.  When they lose, they may blame a lot of things, but the losing or winning begins right now, in the training.

One thing training involves is hyper-focus.  In volleyball you will spend hours developing the rhythm of “Bump, set, spike.  Bump, set, spike.”  In basketball the coach says, “We’re gonna shoot free throws until you can do it in your sleep!” 

Actors will focus on a scene until they have it down.  Musicians will focus on a solo.  Firefighters practice rescues. 

It’s all training that we do ahead of time, so that when it’s time to perform, we are ready. 

With that in mind, look at First Timothy 4:7.  “Train yourself to be godly.”

We know what it means to “train yourself to swim the 200 meter freestyle.”  But what does it mean to train yourself to be godly? 

What is “godly” anyway?  We are godly when we reflect the characteristics of God.

So how can we train ourselves to be godly?  Well it makes sense to me that we could pick one of the characteristics of God, then work on it. 

For example, God is pure.  So what can we do to be more pure like God?

My son introduced me to a new idea called “Simple House.”  He is talking about moving into a house with other believers, and one of the goals is to purify themselves from worldly influences.  For example, at Simple House there will be no TV or internet. 

This is one example of Christians training themselves to be godly, in this case training toward the godly characteristic of purity.

Let’s pick another characteristic of God:  slow to anger.  How could you train yourself to be slow to anger?

First of all, when are you likely to be quick to anger?  Is it while you are driving?  Are you quick to anger during sports?  Then train yourself to be more godly.  Put a Bible verse on your dashboard if you have to.  Chew on black licorice at the ballgame if you have to.  Whatever you have to do, train yourself to change your behavior.

See, sometimes we want to leave this all up to God.  “Yes, I have a temper problem.  God just needs to take it away from me.”

But the Bible says “train yourself to be godly.”  That puts the ball in our court.  We need to work on it, to go into training.

Here’s the thing.  We will train in all sorts of areas.  Many people spend hundreds of hours in training for everything from track to cello to tracheotomies.    

If you went to a piano contest, then messed up halfway through, wouldn’t you say you should have practiced more?

So why do we leave our godliness up to some kind of osmosis?  Godliness is not some slippery quality that we either have or we don’t.  It’s something we can train for. 

It’s right there in the Bible, in First Timothy 4:7, “Train yourself to be godly.”


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-