Is My Home a Deserving Home? - Apples of Gold - September 9, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for September 9, 2008

“Is My Home a Deserving Home?”

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

Let’s say your pastor gets up and announces, “We need to build a home for unwed mothers.”

Everybody claps, right?  It’s a great idea. 

And then we wait for the pastor to do it.  Hopefully he will round up the money and organize a committee and oversee some leaders and it will all fall into place.  Go pastor!

But what happens in the meantime?  Until they have an official home of their own, where is the ministry to unwed mothers?

Now listen to this.  Maybe the home for unwed mothers…is your home.

I’m just thinking here.  Think about all the homes in every church.  Think about all those empty bedrooms.  They’re air conditioned all summer and heated all winter, yet they are rarely used.  Wouldn’t that be a great place to care for and nurture an unwed mother in need?

So why don’t we do it?  I think it’s because somewhere along the line we decided that “this is my home.  It’s my sanctuary.  I can’t have strange people coming in here.”

Now let me share with you a strange Bible story.  In Matthew 10, Jesus called his 12 disciples together, then sent them out to various towns.  He told them not to pack anything, no money, no clothes, nothing.  They were to simply walk into town and stay at someone’s house.

Then in verse 13 Jesus used this ominous phrase, “If the home is deserving…”

Now I’m thinking about my home.  If Jesus’ disciples came to my home, would it be “deserving?” 

What did He mean by deserving?  I’m not sure, but verse 14 separates homes into two groups – those who welcomed the disciples and those who didn’t.

So I think a deserving home is a welcoming home.

And if a home was not a welcoming home, Jesus told them to shake the dust off their feet as they left.

Again, that is ominous.  I know, it sounds sort of petty, but Jesus said nothing petty.  If Jesus told the disciples to shake the dust off their feet as they left your home, that is not a good thing.

In Matthew 25 Jesus described a great judgment day.  And one of the things He will be judging is whether or not we invited people in.

Romans 12:13 says, “Practice hospitality.”

First Peter 4:9 says, “Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.”

You’ve heard of the “Proverbs 31 Woman.”  Verse 20 says, “She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.”

What if I asked you, “What have you spent the most money on?” what would you say?  For most people, it’s their home.  This is our biggest investment. 

And our homes are very personal.  We decorate them and organize them just the way we want.  It’s for us, for our pleasure and comfort.  That’s one reason we hold them so tightly as our own.

In Mark 10 Jesus talks about some people who actually left their home for His sake.  They gave up their home altogether.

But I’m not talking about that today.  Instead, I’m talking about keeping your home, and offering it up for His service.

Do you have some extra space?  How might it be used to serve God and bless people?

Now I’m thinking of Jesus hanging on the cross.  Standing there in front of him were his disciple John and his mother Mary.  Jesus basically told John to treat Mary as if she was his own mother.  And John 19:27 says, “From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.” 

I don’t know how big John’s house was, but I know that it was a “deserving” home, a welcoming home.  He had no problem with Mary moving in.

When I was growing up, my parents made sure our home was very welcoming.  Over the years they invited several people to move in with us, both young and old, just because they needed it.

Now what about us?  Would we have a problem with someone moving in, even for a short time?  Or is our home just that, our home?

“But Doug, I don’t have that gift of hospitality.”

Look, it doesn’t mean you have to serve crumpets and tea on a silver platter.  It just means that you love them, see their need, and want to help.

Now not every home is right for every need.  I wouldn’t send an unwed mother to live with a single man.  I wouldn’t send a paroled embezzler to live with the rich old widow.  So work through your church.  Talk to your pastor.  They know about all kinds of needs, and they will know who will be a good fit for your home.

So I hope this causes you to look at your home a little differently today.  Look at it like a tool God has given you to use for His sake. 

Make it so that if Jesus and His disciples were to walk by your house today, they would point to it and say, “Now there is a deserving home.”


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-

Let Patience Have Its Perfect Work - Apples of Gold - September 8, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for September 8, 2008

“Let Patience Have Its Perfect Work”

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

He tried to open the package with his mouth.

He ended up writhing in pain because he got a zip-tie jammed between his teeth.

Never open anything with your mouth.

Unless you are a 13-year-old boy.  Then you should try everything that occurs to you.

The package belonged to his brother’s new combination lock.  You know, the kind that are preset at 0000, then you reset them to any combination you want.

Of course, the key when resetting is that you actually remember what you set it to.

Unless you are a 13-year-old boy.  Then, honestly, anything could happen.

Let’s say you put on some flip-flops, jump on your bike and ride over to your friend’s house.  And let’s say the flip-flops aren’t yours.  And let’s say your friend’s dog rips them apart. 

Could happen to anyone, right?  But throw a 13-year-old boy in the mix and guess what?  He wore two different flip flops.  So instead of ruining just one pair… 

And this is right after my wife said, “The boys are going to a friend’s house, so you can have your afternoon in peace.”

Last week I went to a middle school open house, and let me say, I salute you people.  I don’t know how you do it. 

One summer many years ago I was asked to teach a junior high Sunday School class.  I don’t think they checked my spiritual gifts inventory.  The word teenager isn’t there, not even in a footnote.

And now we have twin 13-year-old boys living with us.  Yes, it has its joy and laughter.  It’s also a lot of work, and often it is downright trying, as in “You are trying my patience.”

So what is it that tests your patience?  What gets under your skin, and it’s all you can do to keep from lashing out?

Now think about that while I change the way we look at it.  When something irritates us, we say it is trying our patience.  But the book of James frames it up differently.  It says that it is actually trying our faith.

Do you see the difference?  We say it is testing our patience, but the Bible says it is testing our faith.

James 1 talks about the various trials we face, and it calls them a testing of our faith.

Our faith is when we trust in God.  We trust that He is who He says He is, and that He will do what He says He will do.

So when trials come, do we continue to trust God?

Listen to my definition of trials.  A trial is when we don’t get what we want.  We hoped it would happen one way, but it didn’t.  We wanted one thing but got another.

That tests our faith.  Do we continue to trust God when we don’t get what we want?

If we do, then we have a combination of trials and faith.  When you combine trials and faith, what do you get? 

Patience.

When you combine hydrogen and oxygen you get water.  When you combine trials and faith you get patience.

When you don’t get what you want, but you continue to trust God anyway – then patience is growing within you.

That is what is happening in me (I hope).  I wish these 13-year-old boys were perfectly mature, full-grown Christian men.  But, of course, they are who they are and all that goes with it.

That means at any given minute I will end up with conditions in my house that aren’t what I want.  That is my trial.  I don’t get what I want, now how do I deal with it?

If I am impatient, that is a lack of trust.  I am not trusting God, that He is fully at work in the situation. 

James 1:4 says, “…let patience have its perfect work…”

To me, that feels like a power-grinder working on my soul.  Sparks fly and it’s noisy.  Who wants to hang around for that?  Yet the Bible says, “Let patience have its perfect work.”

When the boys are boys, how do I react?  First of all, I must trust God, that He is involved, that He has a purpose for this, and that He will help me deal with it.  I trust that He will give me wisdom and strength, and that He will never put on me more than I can handle. 

Trusting God in the middle of a trial is exactly what brings about patience.  It’s a combination of trials and faith.  Put the two together, and you get patience.

And look at the rest of James 1:4, “…let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”

So is some situation grinding away at you today?  Are you just not getting what you want?  Then realize it’s a trial you’re going through.  Your faith is being tested.  So trust God through it all.  And as you do, behold the wonderful thing being produced.

Patience.


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-

What If I Lost It All? - Apples of Gold - September 4, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for September 4, 2008

“What If I Lost It All?”

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

Have you ever studied the Great Depression?

After the stock market crash, many people lost everything they had. 

And some of them committed suicide.

Their identity, their sense of self worth was so wrapped up in their possessions that when they lost them they saw their life as worthless.

And that leads to this question.  How would I react if I lost my possessions?  How would that affect my identity?  Would I still be who I am without my stuff?

What if I didn’t have my house or my car or these clothes?  What if I lost it all?  Would I still be the same old me, or would part of me be lost?

What about you?  What if you had to move to a poorer neighborhood?  What if you had to drive a beat up car, would you be lessened somehow?  What could someone take away from you that would really hit you personally? 

Ladies, what if they took your makeup?  Would being forced to go without makeup shred your identity?  What if they cleaned out your closet and you had to wear someone else’s leftovers?

Men, what if they took your tools, or your truck, or your big TV?  Would you be less of a man without them?

This is a good mental exercise, because I think many of us would be rocked to the core if we lost our possessions. 

See, if we’re not careful, what we own can become our identity.  “Who am I?  I’m the one with that house right there.” 

“I’m the one with that car.” 

“I’m the one who always has the latest cell phone.”

Cell phones may not be your thing, but what has its hooks in you?   Take it away and it would tear away a piece of you – and you would grieve the loss.

“Come on, Doug.  What kind of person could be robbed of their stuff and not be shaken?”

Look at Hebrews 10:34.  It’s talking about people who had their property confiscated.  And listen to their reaction.  It says they joyfully accepted it. 

That’s crazy!  How could anyone joyfully accept that? 

Here’s how.  When they lost their stuff, they basically lost nothing.  Oh, they were inconvenienced, but they didn’t grieve the loss.  They didn’t lose part of themselves because their identity had nothing to do with their possessions.

In Matthew 6 Jesus said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.”

So how could those people joyfully accept the confiscation of their stuff?  Because it didn’t hurt.  Their true possessions were actually in heaven.

Back to Hebrews 10:34.  It says they joyfully accepted the confiscation of their property because they knew they had “better and lasting possessions.”

It’s sort of like going to play football and wearing an old ragged t-shirt from the garage.  When your opponent rips your shirt, you don’t care.  Back home you have plenty of shirts, better shirts.  Ripping that rag-of-a-shirt doesn’t phase you.  In fact, it’s kind of funny.

That’s how those people in Hebrews 10 could react joyfully when their stuff was confiscated.  They said, “What?  Those old rags?  Take ‘em.  My true possessions are in heaven.  Who I am has nothing to do with what I own.  My identity is secure as a child of God.”

In our materialistic society, it is so easy to get wrapped up in the stuff.  We pour over catalogs and surf the web.  We walk the malls looking for more.  We invest so much of ourselves in our possessions, they become our treasure. 

Jesus said where our treasure is, that’s where our heart is.  That’s why it’s so disheartening to lose our stuff, because part of our heart goes with it. 

The heart of who we are, our identity, is tied to our treasure.  If our treasure is on earth, and we lose it, we lose our identity.  That’s why some people kill themselves when they go broke.  They see their life as worthless without their possessions.

But as a Christian, who I am has nothing to do with my stuff.  If I lose it all, I will still be exactly who I am, a child of God.  My identity – my heart – is where my treasure is, and it’s rock solid secure, in heaven. 

Anything I have here is simply part of my stewardship, tools to be used for the Lord’s will.  And if they are taken from me, well then I’ll just look around to see what other tools He’ll provide me with.

“Sounds great, Doug.  Great idea.  But if I lost my stuff, I’ll be honest with you, I would grieve.  How can I change that?”

The first step in any change is to change your thinking.

So look at Colossians 3:2.  It says, “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”

That means, change your thinking.  Change the channel in your head.  Turn it from “earthly things” and set it on “heavenly things.”

As you spend more time thinking about the things of God, it will completely shift your outlook.  The stuff that once seemed so important won’t seem so important anymore. 

And eventually your possessions will lose their hold on you.  Your stuff will have nothing to do with your identity. 

Then you’ll be like the people in Hebrews 10.  You could have all your possessions confiscated yet react joyfully, because who you are is a child of God, and you have far better and lasting possessions – a full treasure – in heaven.


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-

I Can't Believe People Still Read Horoscopes - Apples of Gold - September 3, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for September 3, 2008

“I Can’t Believe People Still Read Horoscopes”

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

I can’t believe people still read horoscopes.

I receive news alerts on my cell phone, and the other day one of them had an ad for a daily horoscope text message.

When you Google “horoscopes” you get over 44 million hits, which is more than “Oprah” and “Dr. Phil” combined.

How on earth did horoscopes make the leap into the new century? 

I’ll tell you how.  Because people still want help making decisions.

And they want hope.

A horoscope provides that. 

For example, when it says, “Play your hunches in November,” you think, “Wow, that’s it!  I was wondering when to start my new business.  I’ll do it in November!” 

See, you needed help making a decision, and you got it from the horoscope.

Or when it says, “A new soul will drift into the picture this month – someone you will never tire of,” you think, “Wow, that’s it!  I was hoping for something new and exciting, and there it is.”

Even if you don’t believe in astrology, even if you don’t believe in anything supernatural or metaphysical, you might still benefit from a horoscope just because any sense of direction is better than no sense of direction.

Otherwise horoscopes would have gone the way of…well, I was going to say séances and ouija boards, but they’re still around, too.  Come to think of it, I don’t know of any superstitious (or demonic) tools that have gone by the wayside.

It’s because people want answers.  They want advice.  They want hope.  And they will turn to the most unlikely places to get it.

And you know what?  Many Christians do the same. 

I’ve seen Christians use the Bible like it was some kind of magic 8 ball.  They need advice, so they flop open the Bible, close their eyes, and point.  And wherever their finger lands, that is their divine guidance.

Or they pray, “God give me a sign,” as they drive down the street.  And when they pass the Super China Buffet which is “now hiring” – that’s their sign to quit their job and join “Team Buffet.”

“So what are you saying, Doug?  God doesn’t use signs?”

I’m sure He does, but there is a superior way to receive divine guidance.  Look what it says in Colossians 3:16, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly…”

When I see that word “richly” I think of the word “plenty.”  To me that means to have plenty of the word of Christ within me.  It needs to take up plenty of my mind and plenty of my time.  For the word of Christ to dwell richly within me, it means a lot of my resources are dedicated to the word of Christ.

Then when you need guidance, you don’t dust off the Bible and try the pointing trick.  Instead, you turn to the wisdom of God that is dwelling within you.

So how do we let the word of Christ dwell in us richly?

Yes, you can read it.  You can study it.  But the best way I know is to memorize it.

For me, the Word of God never comes alive more than when I am memorizing it.  As I commit the Word to memory, I meditate on it.  As I dwell on it, it begins to dwell in me.

Now some people get all nervous when they think about memorizing.  It reminds them of some ghoulish school assignment. 

But let me tell you, this is different.  This is the Word of God, and you have the Spirit of God helping you.  Jesus said in John 14 that the Holy Spirit will teach us all things.

God has given you a wonderful brain, and no matter how you did in school, you can memorize the Word of God.  When we don’t, our only real excuse is laziness.  Our brains don’t want to do the work. 

But we must.  We are to let the word of Christ dwell in us richly, and the best way I know is to memorize it.

My son and I have started memorizing the book of Ephesians.  We hold each other accountable.  It’s not really a contest, just a joy to be learning the Word together.

My goal is to learn a new verse each weekday.  That’s not too hard, but by his birthday next March we should have the whole book of Ephesians memorized. 

Look, next March is going to come one way or another.  So think what you could commit to memory between now and then.

And nothing helps you comprehend the Scripture as a whole like memorizing it.  Then you are less likely to take things out of context, and far more likely to do what God wants you to do.

Yes, we all need advice and hope.  And the best place to get it is the Word of God.  And instead of plucking out a verse here and there, it’s best to follow the advice of Colossians 3:16.

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly…”


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-

Stop Sinning or Something Worse May Happen to You - Apples of Gold - September 2, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for September 2, 2008

“Stop Sinning or Something Worse May Happen to You”

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

We don’t think of Jesus as the kind to make threats.

Well, maybe to the Pharisees – but to the average Joe?  No.

He is Jesus meek and lowly, full of love and grace.

But then we come to John chapter 5.  Here Jesus heals a man who was a cripple for almost 40 years.  Then in verse 14 Jesus looks him up at the temple and delivers this ominous message. 

“See, you are well again.  Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.”

Well that sounds terribly old fashioned, doesn’t it?  That doesn’t fit our 21^st century philosophy.  God is love, remember?  He’s not sitting up in heaven waiting to beat us with a stick.

Yes, God is love.  Yes, He is gracious and kind and very patient.  But.

If we keep on sinning, we will be punished.

“Come on, Doug.  That’s not the God I believe in.” 

Well it is if we’re talking about the God of the Bible.

Look again at what Jesus said to this man, a man that He had just healed.  He said, “Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.” 

Does that sound like a threat?  That’s because it is a threat!  It’s a warning shot over the bow.

And I think it applies to us all. 

Look at Galatians 6:7.  It says, “Do not be deceived:  God cannot be mocked.  A man reaps what he sows.”

If we think we can keep on sinning and we won’t be punished, then we are mocking God.  We are looking up to heaven and saying, “Did you see that God?  Did you see what I did?  Well what are you going to do about it?  Nothing.  That’s what I thought.”

God will not be mocked.  Look at Galatians 6:8.  It says, “The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction…”

That’s a strong word:  destruction.  And that’s what will happen in our life if we keep on sinning.  We will reap destruction. 

More than once in the Bible God delivers this terrible phrase, “‘I will repay.”

“But Doug, that doesn’t leave any room for the grace of God.  What about Romans 2:4, that His kindness leads us to repentance?”

The Lord is patient and kind.  That’s why we’re still alive. 

But keep reading in Romans chapter two.  Verse eight says there will be wrath and anger for those who are self-seeking, who reject the truth and follow evil. 

When we sin, that is what we are doing.  We are rejecting the truth and following evil.  And that leads to “trouble and distress,” according to verse nine.  It says, “There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil…”

“But I’m not doing actual evil.  Yes, I have my sins, but doesn’t everyone?  At least I’m not out slashing people.”

The Bible says there are all kinds of evil.  And if we participate in any of it, even evil thoughts, we are setting ourselves up for trouble and distress.  We will reap what we sow.

Does that mean every bad thing that happens is punishment?  No.  In Luke 13 a bunch of guys died when a tower fell on them.  Some people thought it was God’s judgment for their wickedness.  Jesus said, “Were they worse sinners than everyone else?  No.”

But then Jesus punctuated His commentary with this warning, “But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”

Now some want to debate what He meant by “perish,” but you know what?  That’s His part.  I need to take care of my part, which is repentance. 

Most children understand this clearly.  There is a zone in which you are operating under your parents’ patience and kindness.  But if you keep it up, you will enter another zone – the zone of judgment. 

And that’s what Jesus was talking about when he warned the man in the temple.  He said, “Keep it up, and you will enter the judgment zone.”

“God will not be mocked,” the Bible says.

“‘I will repay,’ says the Lord.”

“It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God,” it says in Hebrews 10:31.

“No one who lives in Him keeps on sinning,” it says in First John 3:6.

“Come back to your senses…and stop sinning…” it says in First Corinthians 15:34.

Yes, God is patient and kind.  But His kindness must lead to repentance.  If it doesn’t, beware. 

If you continue to live a self-seeking life, if you continue to sow to please your sinful nature, beware.  I think these words of Jesus are a stern warning for you.

“Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.”


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 of the Permission Givers - Apples of Gold - August 29, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for August 29, 2008

“Beware of the Permission Givers”

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

Sister Susie is struggling with her marriage.

It’s no big thing, really.  They just aren’t getting along.  It’s the little foxes that spoil the vine, they say.

Then along comes Susie’s friend Sally.  They went to high school together and still get together for coffee sometimes. 

So Susie pours out her troubles to Sally in the booth at the Latte Grande.

“You know what?” Sally says, “Life is too short.  When me and Scott weren’t getting along I figured, ‘Why put up with it?’  Divorcing him was the smartest thing I ever did.”

“So you’re saying I should leave Steve?  I don’t know, Sally…”

“Oh, hey, I’m not saying you should leave Steve.  Not at all.  I’m just saying that you don’t have to be unhappy.  I mean, look at me.  I’m dating Alex now and I’ve never been happier.”

“So what should I do?”

“Look, Susie, do what you want.  Do whatever you think is best.  But if you’re looking for permission to leave Steve and start fresh, you’ve got it.”

And that’s the way it goes, a thousand times a day.  One person toys with doing wrong, and someone else gives them permission to do it.

And that leads me to offering this warning:  Beware of the permission givers.

Oh, it’s not always so blunt.  They don’t literally say, “I give you permission.”  No, what they usually say is, “I did it” – with the subtle hint that – “You can too.”

“You mean you run that business out of your garage and never report the income?”  “Nope.  Why would I?”

See, when someone else does something wrong, it has a way of giving you permission to do the same.  Beware of that.

Romans 1:32 talks about people who know right from wrong, yet choose to do wrong anyway.  But they don’t stop there.  It says they also approve of others who do wrong.

See, we are all wired to seek the approval of others, to one degree or another.  And when we have an opportunity to do wrong, one thing we consider is what other people will think.  If our action will be roundly condemned by everyone, we probably won’t do it.

But when temptation comes along, it is usually accompanied by a permission giver.  There will be someone to give you the approval you are looking for.  And that will make it so much easier to give in to the temptation.

So like I said, beware of the permission givers.

Now it doesn’t have to be a friend.  It could be an article in a magazine.  Or a character in a novel. 

For example, let’s say you are bored in your marriage, and now someone else has caught your fancy.  And now you read a bestselling book like “The Bridges of Madison County.”  The characters in that novel become permission givers.  They did it, and so can you.

Song lyrics can be permission givers.  Anything that portrays something wrong as being okay can act as a permission giver.

This is one reason it is so important to spend time with God and His Word.  God’s standards must become our standards.  We must be tuned in to His measurement of what’s right and wrong.  Then when anything comes along that deviates from His standard, we know it.

Now here’s part two of this lesson.  Don’t be a permission giver yourself. 

If someone is tempted to do wrong, don’t ever give them permission to do so. 

Now listen to this.  I think Christians need to be careful about telling grand tales of their past misadventures.  If we aren’t careful, we end up giving permission to others to do the same.

And think about this.  Our current actions always give permission.  Anything and everything we do, right or wrong, is a giant declaration that, “This is okay.”

Romans 14:22 says, “Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves.”

Sure, you may not stand up in church and announce that you approve of something sinful, but listen.  If you do it yourself, you are approving it.  When we do anything, we automatically give other people permission to do the same.

So don’t be a permission giver.  Don’t approve of doing wrong, which means don’t do wrong yourself.

Permission givers have a powerful influence.  They set the standard for right and wrong.  And we are all more likely to do wrong if someone gives us permission to do so.

So if you want to do right, if you want to stay on the straight and narrow, then be careful who is around you.  Be selective of your influences.  Beware of the permission givers.


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-

I Got Gaps, You Got Gaps - Apples of Gold - August 28, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for August 28, 2008

“I Got Gaps, You Got Gaps”

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

There’s a famous scene in the first Rocky movie.

Rocky is talking to Paulie about Paulie’s sister, Adrian.

Paulie says, “I don’t see it.  What’s the attraction?”

Rocky says, “I don’t know.  She fills gaps, I guess.”

Paulie says, “What gaps?”

Rocky says, “I don’t know.  Gaps.  She’s got gaps.  I got gaps.  Together we fill gaps.”

Isn’t that a great way to look at?  Meanwhile it sends us all off looking for someone to fill our gaps.

In the old days your options were limited.  You had to choose a mate from the few people you ran into.

But now with all these dating sites, you can rip through millions of people in minutes.  For example, eHarmony.com has over 15 million registered members.  In fact, a lot of them have millions of members.  One brags that 60,000 new people sign up every single day.

And it’s scientific.  They have sophisticated software to help you find the exact person to fill your gaps.

So shouldn’t the divorce rate be plummeting?  You’re no longer stuck with Jim Bob just because he was the only guy in town you liked.  Now you can choose from millions.  You’d think the marriages today would be stronger than ever.

But that doesn’t seem to be happening.  Back in 1980 about 6% of the population was divorced.  Today that’s more like 10%.*  In America, only 63% of children grow up with both biological parents – the lowest figure in the Western world.**

And while the population is rising, the number of people getting married is falling.

With so many options, why can’t we find the perfect gap filler?

Here’s what I think.  No person can do that.  There is no one person who can fill your gaps.  And you can’t fill someone else’s gaps.

Now I’ve been married for over 20 years, and my wife and I do a good job of filling each other’s gaps – to a degree.  But there is no way she can fill all my gaps, and vice versa.

Here is what marriage is good for.  In Genesis 2:18 God looked at Adam and said, “It is not good for the man to be alone.  I will make a helper suitable for him.”

So your spouse is designed to be your helper, two people working together to help each other through life. 

But what about our gaps?  Shouldn’t a spouse fill our gaps?

A spouse can fill some gaps, but honestly, we all have more gaps than any human can fill.  To ask someone to do so is to ask the impossible.  That’s why so many relationships crash on the shores of “I just needed more.”

So if a person can’t fill my gaps, where can I turn?

I must turn to the Lord.  God is the great gap filler. 

I still remember when I gave my life to Christ.  I literally felt filled up inside.  I didn’t even realize that I had an empty feeling.  I only noticed it by comparison. 

Maybe most people don’t notice that empty feeling, but it’s like a vacuum trying to be filled. 

Then as we listen to thousands of love songs and watch romantic movies, we get the idea that what we need to fill the vacuum is true, romantic love – from our soul mate.

Well, that’s sort of the idea, except that it’s really God we are looking for, because only He can fill that vacuum. 

Ephesians 1:23 describes Him as the one “who fills everything in every way.”

Ephesians 3:19 talks about being “filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

That is how our gaps are truly filled, when they are filled with the fullness of God.

Now listen to this.  This is not just some mechanical filling up that God does.  There is interactivity, there is communication.  This is an actual relationship with God.

The Greek word is “koinonia” which means fellowship, or communion.

First John 1:3 talks about having fellowship with “the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ.”

First Corinthians 1:9 says we have been called into fellowship with Jesus.  The Amplified Bible says we have “companionship” with Jesus.

Second Corinthians 13:14 talks about “the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.”

So, yes, I got gaps, and you got gaps.  We all have gaps.  And we need a special relationship to fill those gaps.  But a relationship with a person just won’t do it. 

To fill our deepest gaps we need a real relationship, that koinonia, that communion with the true living God.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

May God bless you today!  With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
 
*  http://www.divorcemag.com/statistics/statsUS.shtml
**  From The State of Our Unions 2005, a report issued by the National Marriage Project at Rutgers University.

© 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-

4 Simple Prayers to Pray for People - Apples of Gold - August 26, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for August 26, 2008

“4 Simple Prayers to Pray for People”

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

Can you picture little Suzie kneeling by her bed?

I can hear her little voice saying, “God bless Mommy and Daddy, and God bless Grandma and Pappy.  And God bless little Hermie so he won’t come out of his cage and get killed like our last hamster.”

That’s a fine prayer for a small child.  But now let me ask you, what do you say when you pray for people?  Does it go any farther than, “God bless them”?

Now don’t get me wrong.  That’s not a bad prayer.  I like it.  It’s simple.  I hope you pray, “God bless Doug” every single day.

But now let’s go ahead and add some more simple prayers to your repertoire. 

Here is one simple prayer I pray a lot for people.  “God, please draw them to You.”

I get that from John 6:44 where Jesus said no one can come to Him unless the Father draws him.

I like that word draw.  It means to move by pulling.  Think of drawing water from a well.  You move the water by pulling it out.

No one can come to the Lord unless the Father draws them.  So that is my prayer, which I pray for people all the time, “Lord, draw them to You.”

Now here is another prayer I pray a lot.  “Lord, reveal Yourself to them.”

God is spirit and we are flesh.  Our senses don’t reveal Him.  The only way we can know Him at all is if He reveals Himself. 

I like Matthew 16 where Jesus said, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”  In verse 16 Simon Peter said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Well where did Peter come up with that?  Look at verse 17.  “Jesus replied, ‘Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.”

God revealed who Jesus was to Peter.  The Bible is full of people to whom God revealed Himself.  So when I am praying for someone, that is a prayer I pray a lot, “Lord, reveal Yourself to them.”

Now here is a third prayer I pray a lot for people.  “Lord, fill them with Your Holy Spirit.”  Several times in Acts it says the believers were “filled with the Holy Spirit.”  Paul and Stephen were filled with the Spirit.  John the Baptist was filled with the Holy Spirit from birth. 

Well, maybe that’s just for the super saints.  No.  In Luke 11:13 Jesus said to look at it like this.  If we know how to give good gifts to our children, then how much more will our Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.

And now a fourth prayer I pray for people a lot.  “Lord make them the man of God You want them to be.”  (Or woman of God, as the case may be.)

I love that phrase, “man of God.”  It means you are not a man of the world.  You aren’t caught up by the things of this world, but your focus, your identity is in the Lord.  You are a man or woman of God.

So I pray that a lot for people, “Lord, make them the man (or woman) of God You want them to be.”

So how do you pray for people?  Are there certain phrases you say a lot?  Now let me ask you, are they Biblical?  I mean, we can make up all kinds of things to pray, but the goal is that our prayers are effective, right?  So let’s pray according to what we find in the Bible.

Now here again are those four simple, Biblical prayers that I pray a lot for people:

Lord, please draw them to You.
Reveal Yourself to them.
Fill them with Your Holy Spirit.
And make them the man of God You want them to be.

Amen.


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-

Cussing Christians - Apples of Gold - August 25, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for August 25, 2008

“Cussing Christians”

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

I must get a certain look on my face.

I mean, I try not to. 

But when I hear a Christian use foul language, I must just get a certain look.

I know this because sometimes they say, “Don’t look at me that way.”

One Christian man said, “Don’t look at me like that.  I know exactly what I said, and it’s just what I meant to say.”

Another man said, “Oh relax, Doug.  It’s okay to be a little ‘earthy’ now and then.”

In Matthew 12:34 Jesus said, “For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.”

So what does it say about your heart if your mouth speaks foul language?

Here’s a good testimony from my neighborhood.  Tropical Storm Fay dumped about 20 inches of rain on us this weekend, and we had a flood scare on my street as the water crept up to our houses.  Neighbors worked together into the night to keep the water flow away from our homes.  It was dirty work and a bit scary, and yet from not one of my neighbors did I hear a single foul word. 

It reminds me of the old saying, “If you want to find out what’s inside a person, watch what comes out when they are squeezed.”

“Well Doug, I’m just waiting for the Lord to take it away.”

Well, He might, and He might not.  I’ve heard of many people who instantly stopped cussing the moment they came to Christ.  “God just cleaned up my mouth,” they said.

On the other hand, I’ve heard baby Christians use foul language even in their testimony.

The burden to clean up our language is ours.  Colossians 3:8 says we must rid ourselves of filthy language. 

So how can we do that?  Let’s start at the source.  Jesus said it’s out of the overflow of our heart that our mouth speaks.  So we need to change what is flowing in our heart.

Colossians 3:1 says, “…set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.” 

What does it mean to set our hearts on something?  Think about a little girl who has her heart set on getting a new cell phone for her birthday.  That cell phone is her focus, her hope, her joy.  The thought of it excites her.  She thinks about it and imagines it.

So when we set our heart on things above, it is our focus, our hope and our joy.  The thought of heavenly things excites us. 

Then our heart is filled with heavenly things, and that’s what will flow out of our mouth. 

So if you want to obey Colossians 3:8 and rid yourself of filthy language, then set your heart on things above.  Fill your heart with the things of God, and your language will clear up on its own.

“But Doug, I don’t mean anything by it when I use foul language.  It just slips out.  It’s a habit.  I can’t stop it.”

Oh, you can stop it.  I know non-Christians who stopped cursing just to be more professional. 

Here is one trick you can try.  Every time you use a foul word, immediately apologize.  Don’t justify it or ignore it.  Humble yourself and say, “I’m sorry.  I shouldn’t have said that.”  Humbling yourself will put you on the fast track to fixing your vocabulary.

Another trick is to ask your friends to hold you accountable.  Just tell them, “I’m cleaning up my language.  If you hear me get off the straight and narrow, tell me.”

I heard about one man who put a rubber band around his wrist.  Then every time he said a cussword he snapped himself and said, “Lord, forgive me.”

I read about some new parents who wanted to clean up their language before their kids picked it up.  They would catch each other, then the other person would have to remake their statement in 10 different ways without the offending word.

Colossians 1:10 talks about living a life “worthy of the Lord” and pleasing Him “in every way.”  And one way to please the Lord is to rid ourselves of filthy language.

I heard about one lady who said, “But sometimes nothing expresses my true feelings like a good cuss word.”

A Christian should not react to situations by blurting out curse words.  Colossians 3 says we should put to death whatever belongs to our earthly nature, including anger and rage, malice and slander.  Instead it says we should clothe ourselves with gentleness and patience, kindness and humility.

And again, it comes back to our heart.  We need to set our hearts on the things of God, not on the things of this world.  God and His kingdom and His work become our focus.  Spreading the Gospel and making disciples.  Loving our neighbors and helping everyone we can. 

As we fill our hearts with these things, they will take over our vocabulary. 

So how is your language today?  If it’s not what it should be, then take on the Colossians 3:10 challenge – to rid yourself of all filthy language.


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-

A Clean Machine for the King - Apples of Gold - August 22, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for August 22, 2008

“A Clean Machine for the King”

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

“Where are you going tonight?”

“I’m going to the Nut House.  What are you doing?”

“I’m going to the Pumpkin House.”

And that’s the way it was when I was in college.  Students would rent a house together, then tag it with a name.  So instead of saying, “I’m going to Johnny and Billy and Sammy and Wally and Kevin’s house,” you just said, “I’m going to the Flounder House.”

Now my son lives in a house with a name.  It’s called “Simple House.”

Its name comes from the goal of eliminating things that can complicate your life, allowing you to focus on spiritual growth.  For example, they don’t get on the internet or even watch television.  Last night my son told me that they had a meeting and discussed the fact that no one should have any music that they didn’t pay for.  In other words, even the Christian mp3’s you “borrowed” from a friend have to go.

I’m reminded of Hebrews 12:1 which says, “…let us throw off everything that hinders…”

It’s like these Olympic runners.  Notice they aren’t wearing ski shoes and parkas.  To run the best race possible they throw off everything that hinders.

And that’s the way our spiritual life is.  There are things that hinder us, things that slow down our discipleship, and they must go.

I heard a recording of an old sermon by David Wilkerson this week.*  At that time HBO had just come out with The Sopranos.  Wilkerson said how grieved he was that so many Christians were watching that program, and even becoming fans. 

Why was that a problem? 

Wilkerson said it’s watching filth.  How can you draw near to a holy God while being a fan of filth?

Meanwhile, he said, Christians have marriage problems and moral problems as much as non-Christians. 

Why is that?  Back to Hebrews 12:1.  We need to throw off everything that hinders.

Verse two says, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith…”

When our eyes our watching filth, they can’t be fixed on Jesus.

So many of us try to run the Christian race with our eyes not fixed on Jesus.  Then we wonder why we stumble and fall. 

I have been on the Daniel Fast for over a year and a half.  Last week someone asked me what I was fasting for.  I said, “For more of Him and less of me.  He must increase.  I must decrease.”

For me, the Daniel Fast is another way to throw off everything that hinders.  In this case, it sets me free from my appetite.  I am not a slave to every whim of my mouth and stomach. 

When I started the Daniel Fast, I didn’t even know that was a hindrance.  But now, looking back, I can see it.  I was ensnared by impulsive thinking when it came to food.  If I suddenly felt like a Coke, I stopped whatever I was doing and went and got one.  If I suddenly felt like some chocolate or a Big Mac or whatever, off I went. 

No, I’m not saying it was a sin.  I’m saying it was a hindrance.  It hogged up some energies which are better spent elsewhere.

Like the Simple House.  Is it a sin to have an internet connection?  Is it a sin to have a TV?  These are not inherently a sin, but they can certainly be a hindrance.  Like Paul wrote in First Corinthians 6:12, “…not everything is beneficial…”

And what is beneficial?  Whatever helps us fix our eyes on Jesus.  If it pulls our eyes off of Jesus, then it is a hindrance.

Have you seen these signs at the gas pump?  One picture shows your motor all gunked up, and the other shows it all clean.  That’s the way I want to be in my walk with the Lord.  I want to have a clean machine for the King.

I know a guy with a decades-old truck, but it runs like new.  How so?  Because every so often he takes the motor completely apart and cleans it and replaces anything that’s showing wear.  Yes, he’s a fanatic for that old truck, but he sure knows how to run a clean machine. 

Think about this.  How much dirt can you sprinkle into your engine before it seizes up?  It doesn’t take much. 

And how much dirt does it take in your spiritual life to hinder it?  Not much.

So think about these guys at Simple House, then ask yourself, “What do I need to throw off that is hindering me?” 

Not everything is beneficial, so why put up with it?  Why put up with anything that pulls your eyes off of Jesus? 

It’s time to throw off everything that hinders.  It’s time to fix our eyes on Jesus.  It’s time to get serious about running a clean machine for the King!


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

May God bless you today!  With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
 
**  http://www.sermonindex.net/modules/mydownloads/visit.php?lid=3843

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

(Proverbs 25:11 – “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”)

Why “The Arrow’s Tip”?  Each morning, after diligently seeking the Lord, I write Apples of Gold.  Then before I release it to the public I pray one final prayer, “Lord, send forth your arrows.”  I envision Apples of Gold as arrows, tips dipped in the river of the water of life that flows from the throne of God (Rev. 22:1), sailing toward the hearts and minds of men and women around the world.

Doug Apple
General Manager - Wave 94
Christian Radio for Tallahassee
PO Box 4105
Tallahassee, FL  32315
(850) 926-8000
-vi-

Is Someone's Sexual Immorality Any of Our Business? - Apples of Gold - August 20, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for August 20, 2008

“Is Someone’s Sexual Immorality Any of Our Business?”

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

“Two please, nonsmoking.”

“Oh, the whole restaurant is nonsmoking.  In fact, you can’t smoke in any restaurant in the state.”

That’s what we heard when we first moved to Florida.  It was a surprise because it wasn’t that way back in Illinois – until this year.  Now they have smoking laws that are tougher than Florida’s.  Kids can’t even smoke in the dorms anymore. 

Now wait a minute.  With so many preaching that we must keep government out of the bedroom, how can we ban kids from smoking in their dorm room? 

Oh well.  These new laws would have thrilled the old time preachers.  They used to preach against smoking with a vengeance, saying it was a subtle device of Satan to ruin mankind.* 

If there would have been late-night TV shows they would have mocked these preachers for their ridiculous stand against smoking.  Now the tide has turned and society at large sees the damage smoking causes and we’re passing laws to restrict it.

On the other hand, we don’t want to restrict anything that has to do with sex.  Keep government out of the bedroom, they say.  (Unless you are a dorm kid trying to sneak a Marlboro.)

Meanwhile, sexually transmitted diseases are taking their toll.  The New York Times reports that the number of AIDS cases has risen “significantly” among a certain subgroup of men in the last few years.**  But you sure don’t want to be the jerk that tells these men to stop doing that.

Another report in the New York Times shows that one in four teenage girls has an STD, and almost half of the African American teenage girls has one.***  But you sure don’t want to be the jerk that brings up abstinence.

And these statistics don’t show the whole picture.  What about the emotional fallout?  All the entanglements.  All this giving yourself away, sacrificing your dignity, anything to make yourself feel good, if only for a moment.

Society is seeing the light about smoking, and we’re passing laws to restrict it.  I wonder how long it will take us to see the light about sexual immorality?

I know, I know.  There is a tidal wave, and it’s going the other way.  Our culture is more hyper-sexed than ever, and clamoring for more.  And if you dare speak out against it, well, aren’t you the prude?  Why don’t you get off your high horse and join the party?

Instead of passing laws to restrict people’s behavior, there is talk of passing laws to restrict people who speak out against it.  And the funny thing is, it’s called hate speech.

Here you are, trying to help people by teaching them how to be sexually moral, which will help them avoid so much pain and sorrow – I mean sexual immorality causes so much damage and trouble – and yet you are accused of hatred.

So why are we restricting smoking and not sexual immorality?  If we are all about the freedom, then what about the freedom to smoke? 

“Oh Doug, you can’t even compare the two.” 

That’s right.  Sexually immorality causes so much more damage to individuals than smoking. 

“But Doug, you can’t legislate morality.” 

No, what you legislate is actions.  You pass laws against actions that are harmful to society. 

“But you can’t control people like that.”

Look at all the people who are in jail for having marijuana.  You don’t even have to smoke it or sell it.  If you just have it.  If it’s just a decorative plant, you can find yourself in the pokey.

“So are you advocating jail time for sexual immorality?”

What I want to do is call attention to it.  First of all, I want to say that there is such a thing as sexual immorality.  We need to call attention to it, and we need to steer people away from it.

Look at Hebrews 12:16.  It says, “See that no one is sexually immoral…” 

That is a huge statement.  “See that no one is sexually immoral.”  Who is it talking about?  People in the church?  People in your family?  The population at large? 

I think it’s talking about anyone you care about, because sexual immorality hurts people.  It causes damage.  When something hurts someone you love, you try to keep them away from it.

Now how to do that, I don’t know.  I’m not ready to lobby for sexual immorality laws, and our nation certainly isn’t ready for that.  The disease rates will have to skyrocket before our society will dare pass any such restrictions.

But that verse in Hebrews is pretty clear.  We must take responsibility to steer others away from sexual immorality.  They may say it’s nobody’s business, but the Bible says it is.  It is our business to see that no one is sexually immoral. 

It starts with us.  Then it goes to our family.  We must work to keep our family members sexually moral.  We need this in the church.  We need to define biblically what is sexually moral, then work to keep everyone on the right side of the line. 

I know our culture is demanding that it’s none of your blankety-blank business.  But so what?  It is.  The Bible says it is.  And not to be prudish and hateful, but to be loving and caring.  To prevent the damage that results from sexual immorality.

Look, if it’s the compassionate thing to restrict smoking, then it is certainly the compassionate thing to do like it says in Hebrews 12:16 – to “see that no one is sexually immoral.”


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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

*  From the book “Good Words” edited by Norman Macleod and Donald Macleod, published in 1880.
**  http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/27/health/research/27hiv.html?scp=3&sq=gay&st=nyt
***  http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9507E6D6113BF931A25750C0A96E9C8B63

© 2008 The Arrow’s Tip
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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
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