Our Mind Is Filled With Whatever Fills Our Schedule - Apples of Gold - July 22, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for July 22, 2008

“Our Mind Is Filled With Whatever Fills Our Schedule”

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

Which comes first, our thinking or our actions?

Do you think about something, then do it?

Or do you do things, then think about them?

Most people probably say they think about things, then do them. 

But what about this?  What about all the things we think about, but don’t get around to doing?

If we think about them, but don’t do them, eventually we stop thinking about them.

We will end up thinking about the things we actually do.

See, we can think about a lot of things, but in the end we will think about the things we do.

Take prayer, for example.  Christians talk a lot about prayer, but how much time do we spend praying? 

Is prayer on your mind a lot?  If it is, then you will end up praying a lot.  But if you don’t pray much, you will eventually stop thinking about prayer – because thoughts of prayer will be crowded out by the things you actually do.

Now let’s talk about taking trips.  Do you take a lot of trips?  If so, then you think a lot about trips, because we think about the things we do. 

Do you go to a lot of movies?  Then movies will occupy your mind, because we think about the things we do.

See, we think our mind controls our actions, but we forget how much our actions dominate our mind.  Our mind will be filled with whatever fills our schedule.

Romans 8:5 talks about having our mind set on what the Spirit desires.  Our brain should be full of thoughts about doing God’s will.

And many Christians would say, “Yes, I think about doing God’s will.  I want to do God’s will.”

But what do we spend our time doing?  This is what will dominate our thinking.

When I was growing up, sports occupied my mind.  I played sports, watched sports, thought about sports, talked about sports.  If you didn’t want to talk about sports, then we had nothing to talk about.  I remember in junior high when a guy told me he wasn’t going to watch the Super Bowl.  I thought he must be an alien.  Who doesn’t watch the Super Bowl?

When I gave my life to Christ, though, my love for sports withered.  I thought about the things of God, I took a job in full-time ministry, and I became active in church work. 

My mind became occupied with the Lord and ministry because that’s what I was doing.  You see, it’s what you do that you end up thinking about.  If I would have kept doing all the sports, it would have eventually reoccupied my mind.

Now let me confess to you a battle I fight within myself.  I am a homeowner.  That means I have to take care of my home, which means I spend a lot of time doing home things. 

Now remember my theory:  we think about the things we do.  So if I spend a lot of time working as a homeowner, what will I end up thinking about? 

But you know what?  I don’t want to think about that.  I don’t want my brain to be all wrapped up thinking about my home.

Why not?  Because if I let this happen, then I will basically be letting my home become my god.  My mind will be set on what my home desires.

But my home is not my god, and I don’t want it to dominate my thinking.  I want what it says in Romans 8:5.  I want my mind to be set on what God’s Spirit desires. 

And the only way to do that is by doing what God desires; or as it says in Romans 8:5, by living in accordance with the Spirit.

Am I saying that God doesn’t want me to take care of my home?  Not at all.  We must take care of our home.  It’s a tool for the Lord.  For example, Romans 12:13 says, “Practice hospitality.”  It’s not very hospitable to invite people to an unkempt home.

So yes, I must spend time caring for my home, but this way it won’t become my god.  My work at home is motivated by what the Spirit desires.

A problem many Christians have is that the things they do all week are disconnected from what the Spirit desires.  And since we think about what we do, they end up thinking about all sorts of things other than what the Spirit desires.

So look at your schedule.  What do you spend a lot of time doing?  Remember, your mind will be filled with whatever fills your schedule. 

And what should fill our mind?  Our mind should be set on God’s will.  And the only way to do that is by filling our schedule with actions that the Spirit desires.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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

This is very circular.  We think about what we do, then we do what we think about.  One perpetuates the other.  That’s how we get in ruts.  As our rut gets deeper, soon all we can see is the rut.  We can’t think of our life being any other way.  The key is to see what the Spirit desires, then focus our thinking on that.  Then our thinking should lead to action.  When that happens, we break out of the rut.  Our mind is set on what the Spirit desires, and our actions are what the Spirit desires.  Once again it is circular.  One perpetuates the other, but now it is for the good.  We are doing God’s will both in our thinking and in our actions.

© 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-

Loving People the Way Jesus Taught Us To - Apples of Gold - July 21, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for July 21, 2008

“Loving People the Way Jesus Taught Us To”

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

Jesus said repeatedly that we should love one another.

But how, exactly, should we do it?

Well, we could make it up as we go, doing whatever seems like love.

Or we could do what Jesus said.

So today let’s take a look at specific, proactive things Jesus told us to do to love each other.

One of the biggest ways Jesus told us to love each other was by forgiving each other.

In Mark 11:25 Jesus said, “…if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him…”

Luke 11:4 indicates that we should forgive everyone who sins against us.

When we forgive someone, we tear down our side of the wall.  Then we go to work on their side of the wall.

Matthew 5:24 says, “…be reconciled to your brother…”

The next verse says, “Settle matters quickly with your adversary…”

Also in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers…”

Jesus wants us to love one another, and that’s hard to do when there are walls between us.  So the first step to loving someone is to tear down the walls, to forgive and to be reconciled; to make peace.

Does that mean we roll over like a door mat every time someone sins against us?  Here’s the thing.  You are not loving someone when you let them get away with sin.  Yes, you forgive them, but yes, you hold them accountable. 

In Matthew 18 Jesus said, “If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you.  If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.”

When you love someone, you try to steer them away from sin.  You don’t let them wallow in it.

Another way Jesus taught us to love people is by being generous.  More than once Jesus said, “Give to the one who asks you.”  He said we should “give to the needy” and “give to the poor.”  In Matthew 26 He said we should give to the hungry and the thirsty, and to those who need clothing and shelter.

And when we give, we should not think about the payback.  In Luke 6 Jesus said we should lend to our enemies without expecting repayment.  In Luke 14 He said when we hold a banquet we should invite people who can’t repay us:  the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind.

In the story of the Good Samaritan, Jesus illustrated how we should even love strangers, people who don’t know us and may not even like us.

Luke 6:38 sums it up in one word, “give.”

Now, how should we love our family?  To love our father and mother, we honor them.  To love our spouse, we stay married.  Of course the teaching about forgiveness and reconciliation really goes a long way when it comes to loving family.

One group of people close to Jesus’ heart is children.  So how do we love children?  By welcoming them – in His name, He said.  If you want to love children, you welcome them.

Another way Jesus stressed we should love people is by showing them mercy.  “Blessed are the merciful,” He said, and “I desire mercy.”

Then there are the spiritual matters.  We can’t love people but let them stay in spiritual darkness.  Jesus told us to let our lights shine before men.

We are to preach the good news to everyone, making disciples, baptizing them and teaching them to obey the Lord.  In Mark 16 Jesus talked about driving out demons, and placing hands on sick people to make them well.

He also taught us to love people by praying for them.  And He stressed praying for those who hate us and mistreat us.

When you boil it down, loving people means serving them.  Jesus taught repeatedly about being a servant, a slave to all. 

On the flip side there are many things we don’t do when we love people, but for this lesson I wanted to focus on the actions, the proactive things we do to love people, according to the teachings of Jesus.  And here they are again:

--We love people by forgiving them and being reconciled – keeping any walls down between us.
--We love people by holding them accountable, steering them away from sin.
--We love people by giving to them, and most importantly giving to people with urgent needs.
--We love people by showing them mercy.
--We love our parents by honoring them.
--We love our spouse by staying married.
--We love children by welcoming them.
--And we love people by helping them with their spiritual needs, by praying for them, by shining our light, by preaching the good news and making disciples, baptizing them and teaching them to obey the Lord.

You can probably think of a lot of other great ways to love people, but these are the ways Jesus taught about.  So as we strive to obey Him by loving people, let’s focus on the ways He said to do it. 


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 Made Us for This Very Purpose - Apples of Gold - July 18, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for July 18, 2008

“God Made Us for This Very Purpose”

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

This made my ears perk up.

I was reading the Bible and came across this statement.  “Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose.”

Wow.  I am about to discover my purpose in life; everyone’s purpose in life.  It’s going to tell us the purpose for which God made us.

But it’s not real obvious.  We’re going to have to do some digging. 

Let’s start by looking at that whole verse, which is Second Corinthians 5:5.  “Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.”

Okay, so God made us for a certain purpose, and He gave us the Holy Spirit as a deposit to guarantee what is to come.  That means we don’t have it yet.  He made us for a purpose, but that purpose is still to come. 

But Second Corinthians 5:5 didn’t say what that purpose is.  It says God made us for “this very purpose,” but what purpose?

Well, let’s look for the answer in the previous verse, verse 4.  It says that while we live in this body, we groan and are burdened.  But one day we will have a heavenly body.  One day what is mortal will be swallowed up by life.

So this is talking about when we die, when our body dies. 

Now let’s go back to verse one.  It says this.  “Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.”

When we die, we will leave this body, this earthly dwelling, and we will enter our heavenly dwelling, an eternal house in heaven.  Listen to the way verse four describes this transformation:  what is mortal is swallowed up by life.

The very next verse says that this is the very purpose for which God made us.  And what purpose is that?  That we will have life!  We will no longer be mortal, but we will have life in our eternal home in heaven.

Now look at verse six.  It says that as long as we are at home in this body, we are away from the Lord.  Yes, we have the Holy Spirit as a deposit, but that is only an inkling of what is to come.  Verse seven points out that right now we live by faith, not by sight.  We can’t see exactly what’s coming, but we know it by faith. 

So right now we live in this mortal body, away from the Lord.  But now look at verse eight.  One day we will step away from this body, and we will be at home with the Lord!

This is the very purpose for which God made us – to be at home with Him!  Yes, right now we are sort of with Him.  We have the Holy Spirit, but that is just a down payment.  The fulfillment will come when this body dies and we receive our heavenly dwelling – where we will be with the Lord for eternity!

The real point of it all kicks in when we die.  In John 10:10 Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”  Again, we get an inkling of that in this life, a taste of it.  But the fulfillment comes when what is mortal is swallowed up by life.

Ephesians 4:18 talks about the “life of God.”  This is eternal life with Him. 

In John 11:25 Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in me will live, even though he dies…”

That may sound like a contradiction, but that’s because He is talking about real life, which is eternal life.  Yes, we will die, but that is simply stepping out of this mortal body and into our eternal dwelling where we will have real life with the Lord.

Paul wrote about this in Philippians chapter one.  He said that he was looking forward to the day when he would depart his earthly body and be with Christ.  He said that would be better by far compared to life in this mortal body. 

However, he had a purpose for sticking around.  Philippians 1:22 says, “If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me.”  He goes on to say that it’s necessary for him to stick around because of the good he can do while he is here.

Back to Second Corinthians chapter five.  Again Paul talks about the purpose for living in this body.  He said that God gave them a ministry of reconciliation.  Their mission was to call people to be reconciled to God.  Verse 19 says, “He has committed to us the message of reconciliation.”

So what is the very purpose for which God made us?  To have life with Him in our eternal, heavenly dwelling. 

As a guarantee of that, He gave us the Holy Spirit as a deposit.  Call it a “foretaste of glory divine.” 

If that’s our purpose, why doesn’t He just take us home?  I think it’s so we can reach out to others with that message of reconciliation; to tell them about being reconciled to God through Jesus Christ. 

We are Christ’s ambassadors.  First Timothy 2:4 says that, “God…wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”  And so He leaves us here in our mortal body to share the good news of salvation with others.

But soon the day will come, the day when what is mortal will be swallowed up by life.  We will step away from this body and will be with the Lord forever in our eternal home. 

So when Second Corinthians 5:5 says it is for this very purpose that God made us, this is the purpose:  to have life with Him forever.


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-

Beware the Midnight Caller - Apples of Gold - July 16, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for July 16, 2008

“Beware the Midnight Caller”

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

There was a knock on the door.

It was creepy.

It’s always creepy to hear a knock this late at night.

The wife and kids were asleep, and Dad was still up, working on a Bible study. 

He went to the door and found a non-creepy looking man standing there.

“I really need a place to stay,” he said.  “It’s a long story, but let me say that it involves my ex-wife and lawyers.  I couldn’t take it anymore, so I took all the money, started hitchhiking, and here I am.”

“I see,” Dad said, “But I’m not going let a complete stranger into my house.”

“Look,” he said, “I’ll pay you.  Cash.  Here’s $500.  No, make it $1,000.  I just need a place to land, to get my head straight.  If you want me to leave tomorrow, fine.  You can keep the money.  But if you change your mind, I’ll make it worth your while.  I’d rather give you the money than my ex-wife.”

He knew he shouldn’t, but he could really use that thousand dollars.  And there might be a lot more where that came from.  Yes, he was taking a chance, but look at the payoff. 

The stranger spent the night, and everything was fine.  The next day he paid to have groceries delivered from the expensive organic food store.  He was actually a nice guy, and seemed to enjoy being around a normal family.

He wasn’t used to watching such a small television though, so that weekend he bought them a home theatre system, with a 65-inch HDTV.  Dad had mixed feelings about this.  He didn’t want TV to play such a big role in his family.  But wow!  It really was a thing of beauty.

Yes, they started watching a lot more TV, especially the kids.  But how could you not, with a TV like that?

The stranger announced that Friday night would be movie night.  Dad said great, he could pick up a video on the way home from work.  No need, said the stranger, he was paying for satellite TV to be hooked up Friday afternoon.  He bought the premium package with every channel possible.  Nothing but the best for his new friends!

The man became like a rich uncle.  The longer he stayed the more he bought.  One week he bought each of the kids their own laptop computers, and had wireless internet put in throughout the house.  And then the weekend trips began.  For example, he took them to Washington DC one weekend just because they had never been. 

Dad noticed that they were skipping church a lot, but hey, who knew when this ride would end? 

When Mom’s old van wouldn’t start one day, he bought her that new Cadillac she had been admiring. Meanwhile, the man was paying them for room and board, all cash. 

One day the man took Dad out to eat.     As they sat in the darkened restaurant, sipping their Margaux, the man said, “I need to ask you a favor.  My ex-wife’s attorneys have been sniffing around, and I have reason to believe they might call you tomorrow.  If they do, just tell them you’ve never heard of me.”

“Well, that would be a lie,” Dad said. 

“No, not really.  You had never heard of me until I knocked on your door, and you still don’t really know me.  You don’t even know my real name.  So when they ask if you’ve heard of so-and-so, you can honestly say no, you don’t know anyone by that name.”

“I don’t know,” said Dad.

“Look.  If they find me, I’ll have to go someplace else.  Is that what you want?  Is that the kind of man you are, to put someone out on the street?”

“No.”

“Okay then.  I didn’t think so.  So if they call, just tell them you’ve never heard of me.”

The first time they called, they bought Dad’s story.  But when they called back, the questions were more explicit.  Dad found himself scrambling to protect his new friend while trying not to flat out lie.

The next call came, not from attorneys, but from a detective.  Now it couldn’t be avoided.  Dad found himself lying, right to a detective.  But he couldn’t put a man out on the street, could he?

No, he knew in his heart it was the money.  He didn’t care about the man really, but he sure did enjoy the money.

Two weeks later Dad was arrested.  Obstruction of justice. 

His pastor came to see him, and Dad poured out the whole story.  Tears ran down his face as he told of all the gifts, and how it had affected his family.  The movies they watched that they never would have watched before.  Their kids with their computers and all that free time on the internet.  The vacations. (“I guess that’s why I haven’t seen you much lately,” said the pastor.)  And his wife, with her new car.  She seemed to enjoy the stranger more than her own husband.  Oh, if he just hadn’t been so dazzled by the money, none of this would have happened.

And with that, Dad put down his pen.  “Yes,” he said, “That will really bring home the point at Bible study tomorrow.”

And just before he closed his Bible and went to bed, he put a little asterisk by Proverbs 15:27.

“A greedy man brings trouble to his family…”


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-

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

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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
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