The Noble Man Makes Noble Plans - Apples of Gold - November 19, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for November 19, 2008

“The Noble Man Makes Noble Plans”

 

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

Here is an old saying that I love.

“The noble man makes noble plans and by noble deeds he stands.”

Let me say that again.

“The noble man makes noble plans and by noble deeds he stands.”

There are four parts to this old saying.  The first part is “noble man.”

Let me ask you, are you a noble man?

What is a noble man?  He’s a man of superior character and morals.  He is dignified and generous, and has high ideals.

This is a goal to strive for – to be a noble man.

Then it says a noble man “makes noble plans.”

Now let me ask you, are you making noble plans?  Perhaps I should ask if you are making any plans at all.  If not, it’s time to make some.  It’s time to set some goals, then work for them.

It reminds me of what Edmund Burke said, “All that is required for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing.”  It’s up to us to do something or else evil will prevail.

So a noble man makes noble plans.  Well what are noble plans?

Noble plans are idealistic.  You see how things should be, then you plan to make it a reality.

Think of Teen Challenge.  It was an idealistic vision, the idea of taking addicts and setting them free through Jesus Christ.  Now that plan is a reality, with locations all over the world. 

Someone saw the way things should be, then planned to make it a reality.  It was a noble plan.

The noble man makes noble plans.

The next part of that old saying is “noble deeds.”

See, you can be a noble person, with very high morals.  And you can make noble plans, seeing the way things ought to be and thinking about how to change them.  But nothing really happens until you start doing noble deeds.

What are noble deeds?  It’s what you do to carry out your noble plans.

That sounds obvious, but listen.  Sometimes people have noble plans, but then use ignoble deeds to carry them out.  They say the ends justify the means.

Not so for a noble man.  Yes, he has noble plans.  And to get there he uses only noble deeds.

See, everything is the high road with this guy.  His high morals invade everything he does, both his plans and his deeds.

And now the last half of the old saying.  It says, “…and by noble deeds he stands.”

Some people try to cut corners to carry out their noble plans, but what they do is undermine their foundation.  And that leads to a great fall.

But when you make sure all your deeds are noble, that every step in your plan is of the highest moral character, then you will stand.  Nothing can bring you down because your foundation is sure.

Now let me tell you where that old saying comes from.  It’s right there in Isaiah 32:8.  And here it is, one more time.

“The noble man makes noble plans and by noble deeds he stands.”


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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

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

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

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

The Lowly Parking Spot - Apples of Gold - November 18, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for November 18, 2008

“The Lowly Parking Spot”

 

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

It was a decision I respected profoundly.

Just a little thing, but I cannot say how much it meant to me.

Our church was growing and the parking lot was getting crowded.  So the pastor asked the regulars to park farther from the front door, leaving the best spots for the newcomers.

And then you know what he did?  He started parking in the worst spot of all.  It was all the way around the building, off the asphalt and into the gravel.

This was the leader, the pastor, the CEO if you will.  Instead of taking the best spot for himself, which he certainly could have done, he took the worst spot.

Week after week I would arrive at church, look out there at the back forty, and there it was, the pastor’s vehicle in its humble parking spot.

My respect for Pastor Phil Nordstrom went through the roof, simply based on that decision and his consistency in sticking to it.

When I was a kid, my dad managed a grocery store.  He was the boss man.  He could have sat in his big office and bossed everyone around.

But I never saw him doing that.  Instead I remember my dad doing things all over the store.  He helped unload trucks and stock shelves.  I even remember him pitching in during rush hour and helping bag groceries, even taking them to people’s cars. 

He did some of the lowliest work, yet he was the top man.  It wasn’t flashy or glamorous, but it still has a powerful impact on me today.

Now think of Jimmy Carter, the former President of the United States.  Have you ever seen footage of him out working with Habitat for Humanity?  There he is, a former President, in his 80’s, out working with his hands, doing construction.

It’s lowly, and I thoroughly respect him for it.

It’s one of the things I love about Jesus.  Zechariah 9:9 says, “Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem!  Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey…”

You’ve seen the Easter programs.  Here comes Jesus.  The Triumphal Entry.  The King of Kings and Lord of Lords. 

But wait a minute.  A triumphal entry?  Where are the legions of soldiers?  Where are the chariots and trumpets?  Where is the crown of gold and the royal robe? 

Not there.  Instead we simply have Jesus, “lowly and riding on a donkey…”

This is the same Jesus who said in Matthew 11:29, “…I am gentle and lowly in heart…”

This is the same Jesus who wrapped a towel around his waist, poured water into a basin, washed his disciples’ feet, and dried them with the towel.  And when he finished he said, “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.”

Philippians 2 says that Jesus humbled himself, and it says we should do likewise.  Verse five says, “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.”

Verse 3 says, “…in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.”

I love that word “lowliness.”

That’s the way all Christians should be.  Lowly.  Considering others as better than ourselves.

Over my years in Christian radio I’ve been involved in a lot of Christian events.  I’ve seen a lot of Christian “stars.”  Some of them are lowly, and those are the ones I admire. 

We’ve all heard of pastors who have “fallen.”  You know the ones I respect?  The lowly ones.  The ones who are willing to submit to a plan of restoration.  The ones who don’t think of themselves more highly than they ought.

In Luke 14 Jesus said when you’re invited to a wedding feast, don’t take the best seat.  Instead, go sit in the lowest place.  The lowly place.

Take the lowly parking spot.

Do the lowly task.

We talk about being Christlike, about following Jesus. 

Well if we follow Him, what do we look forward and see? 

We see our King, lowly and riding on a donkey.


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 is First, Everything Else is Tied for Last - Apples of Gold - November 17, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for November 17, 2008

“God is First, Everything Else is Tied for Last”

 

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

“Hey Doug, how are you going to handle the empty nest?”

I’ve been hearing that a lot lately.  My son is getting married in June, my oldest daughter is seriously dating and my middle daughter is preparing for college.  So as you can see, the empty nest is not far off.

People ask me this because they know we are very family oriented.  When you walk through our house you’ll see walls full of photos.  We have been in love with our children from day one.

But now let me say this.  Our children are not our god.  We have not built our lives on the foundation of family.

That may sound harsh, but it’s according to what Jesus said in Luke 14.  He said, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters – yes, even his own life – he cannot be my disciple.”

“Wait a minute, Doug.  Did Jesus just say we had to hate our family?”

Yes, but not literally.  In the next verse Jesus said to carry a cross, but none of his disciples starting lugging wood on their back.  And none of them started despising their family.

It’s not literal, but it makes a strong point.  God is to come first.  He is to be so far in first place that everything else is tied for last, including our family.

So when our family changes, our foundation is not rocked because the family is not our foundation.

I think we Christians get this confused sometimes.  To illustrate I’ll make up a guy named Joe.

Joe is a hard working college graduate.  He loves sports and hanging out with his buddies.  Then he gets married and has a couple of kids. 

Somewhere along the line he comes to Christ.  The Lord begins to make big changes in Joe’s priorities.  Instead of spending so much time working and playing, he turns his attention to his wife and children.  He sees them in a new light, and God truly stirs up a true love in Joe for his family.

What happens is that Joe becomes the consummate family man.  He takes them on vacations.  He sacrifices his own desires for their desires.  He buys them gifts.  He really, really loves his family.

But if Joe’s not careful, they will start to come before God.  Next thing you know, Joe is coaching ball teams instead of helping at church.  Weekends find them away on little trips. 

Now listen to this.  God becomes just a piece of what is most important, which is the family.  God is just sort of patched in there somewhere.  Yes, Joe says God is their foundation, but in reality the family is the foundation.  Joe is known as a family man more than God’s man.

This may sound like a nice thing, but it really isn’t, not for a Christian.  If family comes first, then we cannot be His disciple.

Let’s go back to Luke 14.  Jesus said, “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower.  Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost…?” 

Then He tells another story in verse 31.  “Or suppose a king is about to go to war…will he not first sit down and consider” if he has enough men?

Jesus is talking about counting the cost.  First it was the cost of building a tower.  Then it was the cost of going to war.  Now what’s His point?

In verse 33 He brings it home.  “In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.”

Jesus is saying that there is a cost to being His disciple.  And He is telling us to count that cost.

And what is the cost?  It is putting Him first and everything else last.  Everything else is as if it was hated.  Everything else is as if it was gone.

So do you want to be a disciple of Jesus Christ?  I know I do.

So I must examine the priorities and attitudes of my mind.  The Lord comes first.  He is my foundation.  He is the Master and I am His servant. 

I am not a family man.  I am God’s man.

But now listen to this.  By being God’s man, my family is better off.  My family is not the foundation, but it is built on the sure foundation of Christ. 

So when my children move on and we live in an empty nest, it won’t rock our world because the Lord is still our firm foundation, as always.

And someday, when my wife and I are gone, my children won’t be left with a crumbling family foundation because, again, the foundation is the Lord.

So at your house are you all about the family? 

Would changes in your family truly rock your foundation?

Then now is the time to come back and really put the Lord first in all things.  It’s time to put the Lord so far in first place that everything else is tied for last.


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 Want to Glow with the Radiance of His Glory - Apples of Gold - November 14, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for November 14, 2008

“I Want to Glow with the Radiance of His Glory”

 

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

The Bible says Stephen was full of the Holy Spirit.

Now let me ask you this.  What does a guy like that look like?

Or does it even show?

Well, we get a clue in Acts 7:15 when Stephen is on trial for his life.  It says, “All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.”

What does that mean, his face looked like the face of an angel?  Like we all know what that looks like.

Well here is how I see it.  I see Stephen with a radiance.  Kind of a mix of joy and peace.  Both humility and power.  Not power in himself.  No pride.  But complete confidence in God.  Total faith and trust in God.  In fact, he looks like God is leaking out of him.

That’s what I think Stephen looked like.  They described it as the face of an angel, but what it was was God leaking out of him.  Which makes sense since he was “full of the Holy Spirit.”  He was so full of God’s Spirit he was overflowing.

You know they ended up killing him.  Stoned him to death.  There he was, receiving his death sentence, and shining like an angel.

How can a guy do that?  How can you face a severe trial and still shine like an angel?

The key is that first thing we said about Stephen.  He was full of the Holy Spirit.

And you know, this thing of having the face of an angel isn’t just for Stephen.  It’s for me and you. 

Check this out in Second Corinthians 3:18.  It says that we “…reflect the Lord’s glory…”

It sounds like this is a process that takes place over time.  It says we “are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory…”

And this glory comes from the Holy Spirit within us.

Verse nine says that the ministry of the Holy Spirit is bringing about righteousness in our lives, and this comes with glory.  And this glory actually shines on our faces!

Second Corinthians 3 compares it to an Old Testament story of Moses.  In Exodus 33, just before he received the Ten Commandments, Moses said to God, “Show me your glory.”  And God did.

Then when Moses came down from Mount Sinai, it spooked everyone because his face was literally glowing.  Then over time the glow faded.

Well they bring that story up in Second Corinthians, and it says, yes, the glory on Moses’ face faded, BUT, this glory we are exposed to through the Holy Spirit – this glory will last!

That’s because Moses was exposed to God on the mountain, then he came down.

We, however, are exposed to God on the inside of us, in the form of the Holy Spirit.  God’s glory is inside of us, and the Bible says we are being transformed into His likeness. 

Remember God showing His glory to Moses on Mount Sinai?  Well we are starting to take on God’s appearance, His likeness, as we are transformed by the Holy Spirit.

We see this effect culminated in Stephen, whose face looked like that of an angel. 

Well you know what?  That’s what I want.  I want to be so full of the Holy Spirit that I’m glowing.  I’m radiating the glory of God. 

Second Corinthians 3:9 says that the ministry of the Holy Spirit brings righteousness.  So here is what I think.  I must let the Holy Spirit do His work inside me.  I must let Him bring about righteousness in my life.

I believe that the more I let Him have His way, the more righteous I will become, and the more I will be transformed into God’s likeness. 

And this will bring about that glow, that radiance.  I believe it will literally begin to show on my face, like Stephen. 

As I allow the Holy Spirit to have His way in me, my life will become more and more filled with the Spirit. 

I will become more and more righteous, and look what Psalm 37 says about righteousness.  It can shine like the sun rising in the darkness!

I want that.  I want to be so full of the Holy Spirit and righteousness that everywhere I go it’s like the sun at dawn, bringing God’s warmth and light into every situation.

I’m surely not there.  I have a long way to go.  But this is my prayer today.

“Lord, like Stephen, fill me with your Holy Spirit, fill me with your righteousness, so that no matter what trial I face, I will glow with the radiance of your glory.”


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-

If the Family of God Has a Name, What Is It? - Apples of Gold - November 12, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for November 12, 2008

“If the Family of God Has a Name, What Is It?”

 

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

I’m continuing to memorize the book of Ephesians.

It’s slow going because I’m only doing one verse each weekday.

That gives me time to really meditate on each passage and grind it into my soul.

Here are the practicals.  I have a printout of each verse in Ephesians in my car.  Before I leave for work each morning I read that day’s verse a couple of times, enough so that I can say it without looking at it.  You might say the verse is now in my “random access memory,” but it’s not really recorded to my hard drive.

I keep repeating it until I have a bit of a grasp on it.  Then I go back a couple of verses and repeat it all together.  By the time I am about halfway to work I usually have a pretty good handle on the new verse.

Then I think about how this new verse ties in with the other verses.

For example, I just memorized Ephesians 3:14 and 15, which says, “For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named…”

That’s just two verses, but when you stop and meditate on them, they are absolutely loaded!

But now look at the last part.  It says, “…from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named…”

My first question is, “Who is the whole family?”  It doesn’t really say, but my best guess from the context is that it’s talking about the family of God; we, the people of God.

So I am part of this family of God, but now comes the curious part.  It says “from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named.”

Well…what is that name?

If our family has a name, what is it?

At my house, we are the Apple Family.  I got my name from my father.  When we married, my wife took on my name and became an Apple.  When we had children, they, too, became Apples.  Our family is named after the father.

So back to that Bible verse.  If the family of God is named after the Father, what is that name? 

Now let me say this.  The Bible doesn’t dwell on this point, so I don’t think it’s that important.  It might not even be a literal name.  Maybe it’s more like we were “named” to the team.  But even then, teams have a name, right?

So in my Bible memory time I started thinking back over the previous verses in Ephesians.  Is there any clue as to what our family name might be?

And right out of the gate, in Ephesians 1:1, I got a clue.  It says, “…to the saints who are in Ephesus…”

Then again in Ephesians 1:18 it calls us saints.  In 2:19 it refers to saints as well as “members of the household of God.”  In fact, Ephesians refers to us as saints nine times.

So then I thought, “Well, what does ‘saint’ mean?  How do you define saint?”

So I looked it up.  One definition I liked was this:  “one of God’s chosen.”

Another definition said, “one separated from the world and consecrated to God.”

Another one simply said, “a believer in Christ.”

So I don’t know if Ephesians 3:15 is referring to an actual name, but if I had to fill in that blank on a test I think I would write, “Saints.”

In the NKJV the word saint is used 96 times, in both the Old and New Testaments.

Actually, when I first thought of a name for the family of God I thought of the word “Christian,” but that shows up far fewer times in the Bible than saints.

I also thought of the “I Ams” but that was too dogfoodish.

So I guess saints it is.  I like what it says in Daniel 7:27, “the saints, the people of the Most High.”

I also like what it says in First Corinthians 14:33 when it talks about “all the congregations of the saints.”

And that’s what we are, isn’t it?  Yes, we go to our own churches, but aren’t they just little congregations of the saints, little pieces of the whole?

Let me tell you, I’m glad to be a member of the household of God, and it’s a household with a name.  Yes, people, we are the children of the Most High, and we have a name.

We are…the Saints!


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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

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

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

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

The Moment That Changed Michael W. Smith's Life - Apples of Gold - November 10, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for November 10, 2008

“The Moment That Changed Michael W. Smith’s Life”

 

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

We went to the Steven Curtis Chapman and Michael W. Smith concert at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre Saturday night.

For me, the highlight of the evening was the young man sitting behind us.

Yes, he was mentally challenged, and his whole being vibrated with joy at the thought of seeing his absolute all time favorite artist, “Smitty.”

When a song began that he liked, he squealed with joy, “Oh, I LOVE THIS SONG!” 

He wasn’t obnoxious.  He wasn’t rude.  He just responded with great enthusiasm to this singer whose songs he loved so much.

So there was Michael W. Smith – performing.  And there was this young man – responding.

At one point Michael talked about the second most important moment in his life, just behind his salvation.

He said he was looking at himself in the mirror one day, shaving.  And all of a sudden a routine moment became a divine moment. 

Suddenly he sensed the Lord speaking to him.  He said something like, “You know that I love you, but did you know that I like you?  I really do.  And you know what else?  I’m actually quite fond of you.”

Those words, that divine moment, changed the life of Michael W. Smith. 

He said that up until that time he had been performing for God.  If he could just be good enough, just minister enough, be obedient enough – then he could please God. 

After that divine encounter he saw things differently.  Now, instead of performing for God, he is responding to God.

He said that is something we all need to grasp, and when we do, it will radically change our lives.

So what about you today?  Are you performing for God or responding to God?

On the outside Michael W. Smith may not look much different.  He still writes songs and plays concerts.  But the difference is on the inside, his motivation.

Instead of writing Christian music as his required work for God, now he writes Christian music as a response to God, responding to all of God’s love for him.

Do you see the difference between performing and responding?

Let’s take a look at Romans 12:1.  It’s a familiar passage that says we should offer our bodies as living sacrifices.

Now there are two ways to go about it.  One is by performing our duty. 

“Oh boy, here I go.  I have to do this to make God happy.  It’s a pain, but it’s my duty to perform.”

But that doesn’t take into account the first part of that verse.

Here is how Romans 12:1 starts:  “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices…”

Look at the middle part again, “…in view of God’s mercy…”

So first of all, we look at God’s mercy.  We ponder and meditate on God’s great mercy for us.  Ephesians 2:4 says that God is “rich in mercy.”  It also says that God has “great love for us.”

So our thinking begins with God and what He’s done for us and how He feels toward us.  He loves us!  And He has great mercy for us! 

God is the initiator.  He started this relationship.  Through Jesus He forgives our sins and clears the way for us to come to Him. 

He is reaching out to us in love, and we accept Him.  We believe and put our faith in Him.

Then what?  Then many times we turn it into a drudgery.  Serving the Lord becomes a duty we must perform.

Like a child we ask, “Do I have to?” then we tell ourselves, “Yes, you have to.”  And we perform our duty for God so He will be happy, or at least so He won’t be mad.

That is performing for God.

But there is a better way.  It is responding to God.  We realize all He’s done for us, we receive all that He has for us, and we respond.

It’s just like that young man at the concert.  He didn’t leap up and shout for Michael W. Smith because he had to.  It wasn’t a drudgery or a task he had to perform.

Instead, it was his joyful and exuberant response to the artist who had blessed him so many times.

And that is how our Christian life should be.  Yes, we offer up our bodies as living sacrifices, but not because it’s a duty we must perform.  Instead it is our joyful response to the One who has blessed us so many times.


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-

Sick Guy by the Pool - Apples of Gold - November 7, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for November 7, 2008

“Sick Guy by the Pool”

 

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

So there’s a sick guy by the pool.

Crippled, actually.  He can’t get up.

He’s by the pool because of this whacky story about an angel that “stirs the water.”

He has this crazy notion that if he can be the first person in after the water is “stirred,” then he will be healed.

He’s been lame for over 30 years, so I don’t know what makes him think anything’s going to change.

But boy does he have faith in that water.

Sounds dumb, doesn’t it.  Why would he have faith in the water?

Enter Jesus, who walks over and says, “Do you want to get well?”

“Sir,” he says, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred.  While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.”

Freeze that right there.  Look at that man’s face.  Look at his eyes.  It’s almost childlike, this total belief he has in that whole stirring of the water thing.

I mean, he is serious about getting into that water.  And you can see the frustration and disappointment, just because someone else always gets in the water before he does.

Why does he believe in this obvious fairy tale?  Why does he keep trying?

Oh, that’s an easy one.

Because when he can’t get in first, when he looks over and sees someone else’s toes break the surface of the water – they get better.  They are healed.  They walk away, problem solved.

No, it hasn’t happened to him, but he believes because he sees it happening to others.

You know what?  It doesn’t take a mountain of faith to believe it can happen to you when you see it happening to others.

So how is your faith level today?  If it’s low, if it seems like God isn’t doing anything, then go where the water is stirring, where God is changing people’s lives.  Get around those people.

When you get around people who are on fire for God, people full of the Spirit – your faith level will soar!

That crippled man by the pool.  He didn’t need much faith at all.  It was obvious what God was doing for the others, and easy to believe it could happen to him.

So get around people where God is moving. 

Where is that?

Find people who are truly seeking the Lord; people who are drawing near to Him.

These are people who love the Word of God.  The Bible is their bible.  They study it and learn it and do it.

These people pray and spend time with God.  They are humble before Him, grateful.

They surrender their will to God’s will.  Their life is not their own.

Today I heard a radio interview and the lady said, “I was thinking about the past, back when we were more passionate.”

Well let me tell you, there are plenty of passionate, sold out Christians right now!  These people love the Lord with all their heart, soul, mind and strength.

Get around those people and watch your faith grow!

It won’t even take any effort.  That man by the pool didn’t have to muster up faith in the water.  He saw with his own eyes its effect.

And you won’t have to muster up faith in God when you get around fired up Christians.  You will see with your own eyes what God can do in someone’s life, and you will know He can do it for you.

So build your faith.  Find a place where the water is stirring.  Find some people whose God is the Lord and who bow their knees to Him.

And your faith will grow in ways you never thought possible.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

May God bless you today!  With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
 
This Bible story is found in John chapter 5.

© 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-

Passion for the Lord - Apples of Gold - November 5, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for November 5, 2008

“Passion for the Lord”

 

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

The Florida Gators are ranked fourth in the nation after crushing their archrival Georgia.

Gator quarterback Tim Tebow said, “We were playing with passion...and that lasts a lot longer than emotion does.”

See, emotion can get you hyped up before the big game.  But it’s passion that will push you through to the end of the game.

This week I heard that many brides actually cry when find their perfect wedding dress.  See, emotions can get you hyped up before the big wedding.  But it’s passion that will push you through over the long haul of marriage.

Have you ever seen someone weeping at a church altar?  In fact, it’s such an emotional place that many churches keep a box of tissues right there on the altar.  Emotions can lead you to make big commitments to God.  But when you walk away from the altar, it’s the passion that pushes you to keep those commitments.

Emotions are the fireworks on the 4^th of July.  Passion is the soldiers on the wall every day of the year.

My son was a high school wrestler.  Before a match he would get himself psyched up, but he didn’t have a passion for it.  During the summer the passionate wrestlers were pumping iron.  They found places to wrestle all year long. 

Now get this.  They were passionate about wrestling, whether it was wrestling season or not.

Speaking of wrestling, my son broke his arm one time and I took him in to get a cast.  There was another guy in there, and he was all decked out in Gator gear; hat, shirt, shorts – all Gator orange and blue.  And get this.  Guess what colors he wanted for his cast?  I’m telling you, this man was passionate about the Gators, in season and out.

Emotions can pack a stadium when the team is winning.  But it’s the passionate who come out even when it’s painful.

And I think that’s what separates emotion from passion.  It’s how they respond to pain.

Remember when Mel Gibson came out with the movie “The Passion of the Christ”?  What did he mean by “The Passion”?  Well it really just means “the suffering of the Christ,” and if you saw it, you know it truly was all about His suffering.

How did Jesus respond to all that suffering?  Well He didn’t give up.  Instead, He powered through.  John 10 tells us that Jesus had a passion for us sheep, so much so that He was even willing to lay down His life for us.

And now comes the big question.  In return, do we have a passion for the Lord?  Or is it really just emotions?

What’s the difference? 

The difference shows up when the going gets tough. 

It’s easy to be a Christian when God is blessing and things are going well.  You just feel good about God. 

But how do you feel about God when things sour?  When the bank account goes down?  When the next day brings suffering instead of relief?

First Peter 4:19 indicates that when we suffer we should stay fully committed to God.

When I think of having passion for the Lord, I think of Scriptures like Second Kings 20:3 which talks about being faithful with “wholehearted devotion.”

First Chronicles 28:9 talks about serving God with “wholehearted devotion” and “a willing mind.”

First Corinthians 7:35 talks about living in “undivided devotion to the Lord.”

Second Corinthians 11:3 talks about having a “sincere and pure devotion to Christ.”

Romans 12:11 says, “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.”

To me, that’s passion for God.  It’s commitment and devotion, zeal and spiritual fervor.

So the question is, what do we have for the Lord, emotions or passion?

It’s hard to tell during the pregame, when everything is all hype and music.  But when the hitting starts, then we will know. 

If we give up and walk away, it was just emotions. 

But if we stay and dig in – the old blood, sweat and tears – then that’s a good sign that we have a true passion for the Lord.

Passion lasts longer than emotions.

Passion helps us keep our commitments everyday, in season and out, in good times and bad.

So if you feel like giving up today, if your emotional tank is drained, then flip the switch.  Tap into the tank that will push you through over the long haul. 

The wholehearted, undivided passion for the Lord.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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

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

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

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

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

There Will Be No Drinking In My Administration - Apples of Gold - November 1, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for November 1, 2008

“There Will Be No Drinking In My Administration”

 

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

“As president, there will be no drinking in my administration.”

Can you imagine how that would go over? 

“No drinking at our meetings.  No drinking at our fundraisers.  No drinking at our membership drives.  As long as I’m president, we will be an alcohol-free organization.”

Oops, that’s too much “change” isn’t it?  A bit too “mavericky.”

But that’s what I did.  Back in my college days I was elected as the next president of our chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America. 

We had a lot of members, and the way we signed them up was by having membership drives in a bar.  People would drink up, then sign up.  Some of them would be hard workers, you know the old 80/20 rule.  And the rest just helped you look successful by padding the numbers.  They didn’t do much work, but they liked a good party.

Then I became the president.  We had our first big meeting…in a classroom.  We had a good agenda.  Big plans.  It was going to be a great year, starting our own university P.R. firm. 

Oh yeah, and no meetings in bars. 

80% of the people became cows at a new gate.  Eyes got big.  Heads swayed.  They herded away and didn’t come back.

The 20% didn’t really get it either, but they were ready to work, so they stayed.

And, you know, I can’t say it was a big step of faith.  I wasn’t leaping out as God’s man of faith and power.  My decisions weren’t based on a revelation from an angel.  I just thought, “Hey, this drinking and meeting in bars is ungodly and if I’m the leader I’m not gonna do it.”

It sounds really bold and glorious, but let me tell you, it was really just lonely. 

Have you ever been there?  Have you ever made the hard decision that left you outside the circle?

That’s what happens when you take up your cross and follow Jesus.  As you drag that cross down the straight and narrow, the crowd does not join you.  And sometimes they surround you, making you feel like you are the only one walking the holy road.

The prophet Elijah knew that feeling.  In his day there was King Ahab and Queen Jezebel and all the cool swingers in the palace.  And then there was Elijah.

At one point Elijah felt so alone and discouraged he actually prayed that God would just take his life.  He felt like he was the only one left standing for God.

Then God showed up.  And among other things He told Elijah that He was, indeed, not alone.  In fact He said that there were seven thousand others who were also standing for the Lord. *

Here old Elijah thought he was the only one, but there were seven thousand others.

In Romans 11 Paul writes about Elijah and the seven thousand.  Then in verse five he says, “So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace.”

Did you catch that word “remnant”?  I love that word.  Remnant.

Think of a remnant of fabric.  After the bulk of the fabric is sold or used up, what’s left is the remnant.

As a Christian in this old world, I definitely feel like a remnant.  Do you ever feel that way?  Like everyone else is moving in one direction, and there you stand?

Maybe you feel this way in your own family.  You are careful what you bring up because you’re tired of rocking the boat or being “too Christian.”

Or maybe it’s at work.  Maybe they tell you to “leave your religion at home.”  Everyone else hangs out together, and then there’s you, “the Christian.”

Or maybe it’s at school.  Maybe you’re just trying to blend in, tired of feeling like the lone sheep in a cave full of wolves.

Well, my friend, you are not alone.  You are part of the remnant, the thousands who have not bowed their knee.  No, we are not the majority.  Have the godly ever been the majority?  Not in Elijah’s day.  Not in Paul’s day.  And not in our day. 

We are not the majority, but we are not alone.  Together we make up the remnant, what’s left after all the others have rushed off in the ways of the world. 

And we are not part of the remnant by accident.  Romans 11:5 says we were chosen.  Verse 22 says it’s out of God’s kindness.  Then it encourages us to “continue in His kindness.”

So if you feel like the odd man out today because of your faith, don’t go weak on us.  Stand strong, knowing that you are not alone.  You represent us, the remnant, in your little corner of the world.  God chose you to be one of us, and His kindness will strengthen you today; strengthen you to stand tall as a distinguished member of this unique group.

The Remnant.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

May God bless you today!  With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
 
*  First Kings 19:18

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

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

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

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

Save the Date - Apples of Gold - October 29, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for October 29, 2008

“Save the Date”

 

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

My son and his fiancé came by last night.

They showed us little cards they made with their cute little “couple” picture.

At the top it said, “Save the Date.”

Yes, there still may be other dates on the calendar, but they are all small and fuzzy.  For them there is really only one date.  If you took everything in their life right now and put it in a funnel, it would all pour out on that date.

Meanwhile, I talked to a boy last night who couldn’t care less about my son’s wedding date.  His thinking was dominated by another date entirely – October 31^st.  He was literally giddy at the thought of collecting bags full of candy.  Honestly, I think he had a sugar rush just thinking about it.

Another date dominates most people’s thoughts right now – November 4^th – Election Day.  Millions of dollars and man hours have been geared toward that one day.

And as soon as that’s over, millions of dollars and man hours will be geared toward Christmas Day.

But if you want to know the truth, none of these dates impress me too much.  No, not even Election Day or my son’s wedding.  My own wedding date didn’t impress me that much.

But there is one date that has my full attention.  On my calendar, all other dates are small and fuzzy. 

It’s the day that Jesus simply referred to as “That Day.”

Now “that day” is kind of a mystery.  In Matthew 24:36 Jesus said, “No one knows about that day…not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”

But we do know a little.  For example, in Mark 13 Jesus said, “At that time men will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.”

Jesus goes on to say that “Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left.  Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.  Therefore, keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.  But understand this:  If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into.  So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”

Jesus went on to say, “Be on guard!  Be alert!  You do not know when that time will come.  It’s like a man going away.  He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.   Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back – whether in the evening or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn.  If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping.  What I say to you, I say to everyone:  Watch!”

As you can see, Jesus made a big deal out of this point.  This is a date above all dates.  All other dates are fuzzy and out of focus.  This one date stands out from them all.  And it is simply known as “That Day,” the day when the Owner returns.

If you took everything in our lives and put it in a funnel, it should all pour out on that day.  All of our planning, all of our thinking – all of it should be geared toward That Day.

So what should we be doing between now and then?  Back to Matthew 24 where Jesus indicates that, when the master returns, it will be good for those servants who are taking care of their master’s business.

In Mark 13 Jesus said, “It’s like a man going away:  He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task…”

See, we all have assigned tasks.  We all have our part in the body of Christ.  Between now and That Day we need to be doing our duty, carrying out our assigned tasks.

Then he concludes with this warning.  If the owner comes suddenly, “do not let him find you sleeping.”

That doesn’t mean we never sleep.  It just means we never lose focus.  We never forget that we are His servants, here to do His work until He returns. 

No, we don’t know when that is, but it must be the primary date on our calendar.  We are excited about it and looking forward to it.  All of our life is geared toward it. 

Yes, That Day is coming, so make sure it doesn’t sneak up on you.  Make sure you don’t have anything else going on. 

Make sure you Save the Date.


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-

It's Time to Make a Habit of Prayer - Apples of Gold - October 28, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for October 28, 2008

“It’s Time to Make a Habit of Prayer”

 

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

It was my habit.

I would get up early in the morning before daylight, bundle up and go outside.

There I would pray.  I would talk to God – about everything.

I would walk while I prayed.  I had a flashlight, and I walked the same path around our yard.

We lived in the country, and it was a big yard.  I would walk round and round, drawing near to God in prayer.

I was kind of proud as, over time, I saw a path begin to wear into the grass.  It helped me know that I was meeting one of my goals, to be a man of prayer.

And remember, I don’t pray because I’m wonderful.  I pray because I’m not wonderful, but God is.

I have a keen sense of my need for the Lord.  It’s like someone who knows they can’t swim.  They have a keen sense of their need for a life jacket.  Without Him I would sink like a rock.

If I’ve had any success as a husband and a father, if I’ve done anything right in ministry, if I’ve kept my priorities straight at all, some of the credit has to go to this habit of prayer.

It’s a habit I’ve maintained both when I’ve felt spiritually strong and spiritually weak.  Even when I’ve felt spiritually void, I never stopped praying.  When I felt good and clean, and when I felt foul and rotten, I never stopped praying.

Most people do not have a set time for prayer, and I don’t know how they do it.  How do you keep yourself on track without coming to the Lord?  How can you be involved in ministry at all if you are not faithful in prayer?  How can you run your home, your family, if you don’t consistently seek the Lord’s face, His favor and His will?

One of my favorite Bible characters is a man named Cornelius.  He was a centurion in the Italian Regiment.  Acts 10:2 makes a powerful statement about Cornelius.  It says, “He and all his family were devout and God-fearing…”

Did you get that?  It says he…and all his family…were devout and God-fearing.

If you have a family of any size, you know this is quite a statement.  That’s a bunch of people, each with their own free will.  They can each choose to be devout and God-fearing, or not.  Yes, you might be able to coerce them into going to church, but you can’t make them be devout and God-fearing.

So here was Cornelius, no weak man.  He was a centurion in the Italian Regiment.  That’s sort of like saying he was a Marine.  And he also had a family.  And all of them were devout and God-fearing.

So how did he do it?  How did Cornelius end up with this godly household?

Here is one of the keys.  It says he “prayed to God regularly.”

Look how it’s worded in other translations.  One says he “prayed to God always.”  Another says he “prayed continually to God.”  The Message says he “had the habit of prayer.”

And that’s a great example for us, which leads to this question.  Do you have the habit of prayer?

A habit means you do it habitually.  It’s part of your routine.  You brush your teeth before you go to bed.  You fix your hair before you leave the house.  You take your keys out before you lock the car.  These are habits.  You don’t write them into your schedule.  They’re a given.

So is prayer a given; part of your routine?

Hey, if it was good enough for Jesus, it’s good enough for us.

Mark 1:35 says, “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.”

Sounds like a one time event, but now look at Luke 5:16.  It says, “…Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.”

Of course, prayer is found throughout the Bible.  It’s what God’s people do.  They pray.

So do you like what you find in the family of Cornelius?  Do you want the same for your family, that everyone would be devout and God-fearing?

Then one key is to follow his example of prayer.  And I think it’s best to pick a time when you can pray consistently. 

Yes, most Christians pray, but I’m afraid it’s lacking both quantity and quality.  And in turn it will lack the life changing, family changing power.

So make the change.  It’s time to move beyond tossing up prayers just before the pop quiz.  It’s time to follow in the footsteps of Cornelius.

It’s time to make a habit of prayer.


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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But What Does the Scripture Say? - Apples of Gold - October 27, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for October 27, 2008

“But What Does the Scripture Say?”

 

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

I went to the altar in the summer of 1984.

It wasn’t a tearful event.  I didn’t hurl myself down and confess all my sins.

Instead I prayed one simple prayer.  “God (if you are real) I’m going to start reading the Bible, and I ask that you make it real to me.  Make it clear.  Let it just jump off the page to me.”

And that was it. 

And I started reading the Bible.  Now I had read the Bible before, but just didn’t get a lot out of it.

But after that trip to the altar, something was different.  I read the Bible and it started making sense.  The truth and the light started jumping off the page to me.

And over 20 years later it still does.  I open the Bible, start reading, and pretty soon I’m slapping myself in the forehead and saying, “Wow!  Look at that.  That is awesome!”

Sometimes I have to push it away, saying, “Oh Lord, that is too much.”

Sometimes I bow my head in repentance.  I’m challenged.  I’m encouraged.  I’m strengthened.  Crooked priorities are made straight.  And through it all runs a red strand of God’s love.

What happened to me 24 years ago reminds me of those guys in Luke 24:45.  It says, “Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.”

See, people can read the Scriptures all day long, but it just doesn’t make much sense until God opens your mind.

It’s like what it says in First Corinthians 2.  Spiritual truths are spiritually discerned, revealed by the Spirit of God.

So do you find it hard to read the Bible, hard to understand what it’s saying?  Then ask God to reveal it to you.

Yes, God will reveal it to you, but it doesn’t do away with the need to study and to learn.  Second Timothy 2:15 talks about correctly handling the word of truth. 

Our goal should be to be like Apollos, who is talked about in Acts 18:24.  It says he was “a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures.”

That’s what I want to be.  I told my wife the other day, “Some men are pounding economic facts into their brain, or political facts.  Some are full of sports facts.  But you married a guy who is memorizing Bible verses.”

One thing I like is that all those other facts change like shifting sand.  But the Word of God is unchanging.  You learn something from the Bible and it’s good for life.

Galatians 4:30 starts with a question:  “But what does the Scripture say?”

That is a question we should ask ourselves about everything.  Yes, I see the circumstances.  Yes, I hear what the world is saying.  But what does the Scripture say?

In Matthew 21:42 Jesus said, “Have you never read the Scriptures...?”

In Matthew 22:29 Jesus said, “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures…”

Second Timothy 3 says that the holy Scriptures make us wise for salvation, and are useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.

Romans 15:4 says that the Scriptures were written to teach us, encourage us and give us hope.

Some say, “Ah, it’s just another book written by man.”  But Second Peter 1 says that the prophecy of Scripture came from God to prophets “as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”

“But Doug, can’t I just listen to my pastor?  Do I have to read the Bible for myself?”

Well guess what.  Sometimes pastors get it wrong.  Sometimes Bible teachers make mistakes.  And sometimes they flat out distort the Scriptures.  Second Peter 3:16 says that some people distort the Scriptures, “to their own destruction.”

Instead of just taking someone else’s word for it, we need to study the Bible ourselves.  We need to be like the people in Berea that we read about in Acts 17.  The Apostle Paul came and taught them, and instead of just taking his word for it, verse 11 says they “examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.”

The Bible is no ordinary book.  It is full of spiritual truths that must be spiritually discerned.  But the Holy Spirit is ready to discern them for you, ready to teach you all things found in Scripture. 

So pray that simple prayer, “Lord, I’m going to read the Bible.  Please make it real to me.  Help me to understand it and to live it.”

Then dig in and start studying. 

Then when you face a situation in life, don’t ask what your friends are saying or what the world is saying.  The most important question you can ask is, “What does the Scripture say?”

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
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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-