I Fear My Wife - Apples of Gold - January 28, 2009 -vi-

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Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for January 28, 2009

“I Fear My Wife”

 

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

I will now say something very odd.

I fear my wife.

How do you picture me now?  A 98-pound weakling?  A pathetic shell-of-a-man who gets beat if he forgets to pick up milk on his way home from work?

Well, that’s not the case at all.  I love my wife.  We have a great marriage and a happy home.  We just celebrated the 25^th anniversary of our first date. 

But I do fear her, and here’s what I mean by that.

I fear having to live without her.  She means so much to me, I don’t even want to think about life without her.  And you know, she could pick up and leave at any moment.  She’s not my slave.  This isn’t the dark ages.  She can just up and go.  And that would be a tragedy in my life.  So I fear her and the awesome power she has to hurt me if she really made up her mind to do so.

Now listen to this.  That fear keeps me in line.  I don’t want to hurt her or grieve her or even disappoint her.  I want her to be pleased with me, not displeased with me.

I want her favor.  I want her blessing.  I want the things she provides for my life.  Yes, if she left tomorrow I could stumble along without her, but I don’t even want to try. 

So I try to please her.  I want her to be happy.  I want what is best for her, and I will work to get it for her.  I will sacrifice for her.

And if you are married, you know your spouse can punish you, right?  It comes in many different forms, but it’s still a punishment.

Now you might be thinking, “What kind of whacked out situation is this?  That marriage is messed up.”

Not at all.  It’s a healthy marriage.  And one of the reasons it’s healthy is this one ingredient among many – I fear my wife.

When we hear the word “fear” we picture cowering in the corner while some maniac goes on a rampage.  That’s not the kind of fear I’m talking about. 

It’s more like this.  I fear my boss.  That doesn’t make me cower in the corner, weak and unproductive.  It actually strengthens me.  It makes me rise up and get to work.  It motivates me to do my best.

I fear him because, you know, he could fire me.  He could really mess with my life if he wanted to.  So that fear keeps me in line.  I want him to be pleased with me, not displeased with me. 

I want his favor.  I want his blessing.  I want the things he provides me.  Yes, if he fired me I could go find another job, but I don’t want to.

So I try to please him.  I want him to be happy. 

Now I’m not fearful and afraid.  I’m not scared or chicken.  He’s not a slavemaster.  But I do fear him.

Are you starting to see what kind of fear I’m talking about?

The other day I popped the hood on my daughter’s car.  I checked the tension on the belts.  If there’s no tension, it won’t work.  If there’s too much tension it won’t work.  It needs just the right amount of tension to work properly.

That’s how I see the fear I’m talking about.  It’s a kind of tension that keeps things working right.

With my boss, there is just enough tension to keep me working hard.  With my wife there is just enough tension to keep me striving to be a good husband.

And you know what?  The same is true with God.

Proverbs 9:10 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom…”

First Peter 2:17 says we must “fear God.”

Act 9:31 says the early Christians throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria lived “in the fear of the Lord.”

I know I do.  I fear God.  I am a God-fearing man, and here’s what I mean by that.

I fear having to live without Him.  He means so much to me, I don’t even want to think about life without Him.  That would be a tragedy in my life.

That fear of the Lord keeps me in line.  I don’t want to hurt Him or grieve Him or even disappoint Him.  I want Him to be pleased with me, not displeased with me.

I want His favor, His blessing, the things He provides for me.  So I try to please Him.  I want Him to be happy with me.  I want each day to end with Him saying, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

I fear the Lord, but that doesn’t mean I’m cowering and fearful.  I love my walk with Him, my life with Him.  He fills my life in every way with wonderful things.  I can’t go on without Him.  I don’t want to.  I won’t.

So my fear keeps me in line.  It keeps me on the straight and narrow.  It keeps me away from sin and drawing near to Him.

I fear the Lord, and you know what?

That’s a really, really good thing.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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


© 2009 The Arrow’s Tip
To subscribe to your own daily “Apples of Gold” e-mail, write dougapple@wave94.com.
If you want to be removed from this e-mail list, simply click reply and type UNSUBSCRIBE on the subject line.
If you want to catch “Apples of Gold” in its original audio format, go to www.wave94.com
To search through the large archive of past articles, go here:  http://www.wave94.com/modules.php?name=Stories_Archive
If you have trouble reaching me at my main e-mail address, try this one:  douglas_apple@msn.com

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

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

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

Why Settle For Gravel When You Can Have Diamonds? - Apples of Gold - January 27, 2009 -vi-

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Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for January 27, 2009

“Why Settle For Gravel When You Can Have Diamonds?”

 

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

Absalom hated Amnon.

Amnon didn’t realize it, I guess, because when Absalom invited him over for dinner, he went. 

Absalom hated Amnon because he had attacked his sister.  And now it was time for revenge.

So Amnon went, and what do you know – free wine!

If Amnon had his guard up at all, it didn’t stay up long.  The wine did exactly what Absalom wanted. 

The more Amnon relaxed, the more in danger he became.

And as soon as his tipping reached the tipping point, they killed him.

So how many drinks did Amnon need before his judgment was impaired?

One.

Impairment begins with the first drink.

Because it is so common, and because the alcohol industry spends billions of dollars on advertising, we tend to forget that alcohol is a psychoactive drug.

Now here’s what I’ve noticed.  There are a lot of people who would never, ever use recreational drugs, but they do use alcohol.  Even some Christians.

To me this is like keeping a pet rattlesnake.  Even if you are very careful, everyone in the house is at risk. 

Have you ever read the book “John Adams” by David McCullough?  The Adams’ had alcohol in their home, and their son John Quincy Adams was still an amazing success. 

And their son Charles became a drunk and died at 30 of alcoholism. 

When I read that I thought, “If they could do it all over again, I wonder if they would decide that they could have lived without the alcohol after all?”

Proverbs 20:1 says, “Wine is a mocker and beer a brawler; whoever is led astray by them is not wise.”

How many drinks until the leading astray begins?

The King James says alcohol is a deceiver.  It is “raging.”

Habakkuk 2:5 uses this phrase:  “…wine betrays him…”

A traitor.  A liar.  A mocker.  A brawler.  Who would allow this in their home? 

Have you seen the ads for medicine, with all the disclaimers?

Can you imagine the disclaimer for alcohol?

Yet many Christians drink. 

Now today I’m not going to dive into shoulds and shouldn’ts, what’s a sin and what isn’t.

Instead, here’s what I think.  I think that alcohol is a cheap substitute for being filled with the Holy Spirit of God.

It’s interesting that the Bible contrasts the two – alcohol and the Holy Spirit. 

Ephesians 5:18 says, “Do not get drunk with wine…but be filled with the Spirit…”

“But Doug, I don’t get drunk.”

Forget about the “don’t” right now.  Focus on the “do.”  “Be filled with the Spirit.”

Luke 1:15 talks about John the Baptist.  The angel said, “He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit…”

In Acts chapter 2 the disciples were filled with the Spirit.  And what were they accused of?  Drinking too much wine.  And Peter said no, they weren’t drunk.  It was actually the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy, that in the last days God would pour out His Spirit on all people.

It’s interesting, this contrast between the Holy Spirit and alcohol.

Here is what I think.  Some Christians drink because they hope to get something positive out of it.  However, far and away the better thing, the real thing, is to be filled with the Spirit. 

So I say throw out the bottle and pick up the Bible.

Get rid of the “spirits” and be filled with the Spirit.

Don’t be led astray by the cheap, pathetic substitute, the lying traitorous mocker.  It’s fool’s gold.  It’s settling for gravel when you could have diamonds.

Alcohol has risks for you and your children, maybe especially your children. 

But being filled with the Spirit of God is all positive, all rewards – real peace and love, wisdom and knowledge, joy and no regrets.

So if you think alcohol is okay, then stop settling for okay. 

Clear it out.  Make room for nothing but the best.

It’s time to draw near to God and be filled with His Holy Spirit.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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

First Peter 5:8 tells us to be sober, vigilant, self-controlled and alert, because our enemy, the devil, is on the prowl, looking for someone to devour.  I often say this to Christians who say that one drink is okay:  One drink simply means you are one drink less sober.  You are one drink impaired, one drink less alert.  And if there really is a lion waiting to ambush you, how alert do you really need to be?

© 2009 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 Tomato Fight Could Break Out Any Moment - Apples of Gold - January 22, 2009 -vi-

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Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for January 22, 2009

“A Tomato Fight Could Break Out Any Moment”

 

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

Bash!  A tomato hit me right in the neck.

I turned to hurl a tomato in response but I threw it so hard it broke apart in mid air.

Bam!  Now I could feel tomato soaking down my back.

My vision narrowed in rage, locking on a target.  Every muscle tightened, poised to fire a fastball at my friend.

Yes, my friend.  They were all my friends.  But not anymore.  Not ever again.  I would rather have no friends than this pack of freaks and losers. 

A horn sounded out front.  “Your mom’s here!”

Good.  Get outta here.  I hope you die.

Believe it or not, just the day before, we were all best friends.  Everyone came over for my birthday.  I was nine.

It was a great party, really.  A sleepover.  The problem was…we didn’t sleep.

And you know what happens to 9-year-old boys when they don’t sleep.  They go insane.

Fast forward a few years to the summer of ‘98.  My wife was out in the yard playing wiffle ball with my son and his friends.  Suddenly our usually laid back son was over-the-top competitive.  He was bickering about rules.  He was arguing with his friends.  He finally swirled himself into a tizzy and ran off. 

My wife said to one of the boys, “What is his deal?” 

And the boy admitted that, well, they stayed up all night. 

Of course it’s not just 9-year-old boys.  Have you ever seen little kids who just need to go to bed?  They are liable to throw a fit about anything.

So what should a parent do with a child like that?  Argue with them? 

No.  Why bother arguing or even reasoning with them?  They are overtired and out of control.  The main goal is just get them to sleep.

And you know what?  This applies to grownups, too.

No, we usually don’t throw fits and start tomato fights.  But we do get cranky.  We don’t think straight.  The world gets darker when we don’t get enough rest.

There’s a neat story in the Bible about Jesus and His disciples.  In Mark chapter six, Jesus noticed that his disciples needed a little r-n-r.  In fact, verse 31 says that because so many people were coming and going, they didn’t even have a chance to eat. 

Now Jesus could have just told them to “cowboy up.”  You know, tough it out.  But listen to what He said:  “Come with Me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”

Then verse 32 says, “So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place.”

See, Jesus knows the importance of rest and relaxation.  There is a time for activity, then there is a time for no activity.  There is a time to put your mind and body at ease.

God Himself set the example for us at creation.  Genesis 2:2 says, “By the seventh day God had finished the work He had been doing; so on the seventh day He rested from all His work.”

Years ago I heard Larry Burkett talk about his life as a workaholic.  He worked tons of hours each week in order to get ahead.  But then he started analyzing his work and he came to this conclusion.  The quality of his work suffered the longer he worked each day.  So he found that the best schedule for him was something like a 47 hour work week.

Yes, some people are just lazy.  But this message isn’t for them.  This is for people who don’t know when to stop.  You are the go-go guy.  And anyone who doesn’t go-go-go…well…they’re just annoying.

In fact, you’re probably annoyed by a lot of things.  Can you see the connection with those 9-year-old boys? 

With kids we know that too much action plus too little rest equals cranky children. 

And too much action plus too little rest equals cranky adults, too.

Do you feel guilty when you relax?  Of all the things to feel guilty about, this is not one of them.  Jesus told His disciples to relax.  God Himself rested from all His work. 

So have you been feeling “on edge” lately.  Does it feel like a tomato fight could break out any moment?

Well maybe you aren’t getting enough sleep.  Maybe there’s too much going on. 

Maybe it’s time to listen to these understanding words Jesus said to His disciples. 
 
“Come with Me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

May God bless you today!  With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
 
 
© 2009 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-

Micah of Moresheth - Apples of Gold - January 21, 2009 -vi-

To listen to the radio version, click here.

 

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Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for January 21, 2009

“Micah of Moresheth”

 

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

I love the book of Micah in the Bible.

First of all, did you know that he was actually “Micah of Moresheth”?

Sounds like a character from “Lord of the Rings” or something:  Micah of Moresheth.

He was just a little man in a little country, but the Lord Almighty spoke through him with power.

And listen to the size of his audience.  Micah 1:2 says, “…listen, O earth and all who are in it…”

Micah came on the scene when true prophets of God were not highly regarded.  In fact, there’s kind of a funny moment in Micah 2:11 when he pointed out what kind of prophets were highly regarded.  It says, “If a liar and deceiver comes and says, ‘I will prophesy for you plenty of wine and beer,’ he would be just the prophet for this people!”

Yes, Mr. Prophet, tell us there will be plenty of wine and beer, otherwise, keep your big mouth shut.

But that was definitely not Micah’s way, which is why he ended up in the Bible.

Micah 3:8 tells us what kind of prophet Micah was.  Listen to this:

“But as for me, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the LORD, and with justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression, to Israel his sin.”

I love that!  He was filled with power; filled with the Spirit of the Lord.  And for what purpose?  To declare to the people their sin.

As for a lot of the other prophets, Micah 3:5 indicates that all you had to do was feed them and they would prophecy peace, or probably anything else you wanted them to prophecy.

Because of this crookedness, God pronounced this judgment on them:

“Therefore night will come over you, without visions, and darkness, without divination.  The sun will set for the prophets…  The seers will be ashamed and the diviners disgraced.  They will all cover their faces because there is no answer from God.”

And it wasn’t just the prophets who were crooked.  Micah 3:11 says the leaders judged for a bribe and the priests taught for a price.

Micah 6 says the businessmen were corrupt, the rich men were violent, and the people were liars. 

In verse 19 the Lord delivered this ominous statement:  “Therefore, I have begun to destroy you, to ruin you because of your sins.”

He said, “You will eat but not be satisfied…  You will store up but save nothing…”

So through Micah the Lord tried to get the people to repent.

Micah 6:9 says, “Listen!  The Lord is calling to the city…”

Then I love this line:  “Heed the rod and the One who appointed it.”

God was bringing the rod down on the people because of their sins.

What could be done to turn back the Lord’s judgment?

Micah 6 says, “…Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings…?  Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil?  Shall I offer my firstborn…?”

What kind of sacrifice will make things right with God; to get Him off our back, so to speak?  That’s what the people wanted to know.

And the answer is in Micah 6:8:  “He has showed you, O man, what is good.  And what does the Lord require of you?  To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

I don’t know about you, but I see parallels with our nation today.  We put up with plenty of prophets and spiritual people – except anyone who talks about sin.

Our headlines tell us about crooked leaders and corrupt businessmen. 

This sounds like our country to me – in all of our prosperity, it seems like we eat but are not satisfied.  We store up but save nothing.

And I wonder if this line is true about America today:  “Therefore I have begun to destroy you, to ruin you because of your sins.”

As we continue to use worldly methods to put the lid on our economic meltdown, I think we need to “Heed the rod and the One who appointed it.”

Now listen to some of Micah’s closing comments: 

“…as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.”

“Who is a God like You, who pardons sin…?”

“You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy.  You will again have compassion on us; You will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.”

I can’t say for sure how the Lord is dealing with America right now.  But I know that God never winks at sin, and I believe He brings His rod down on nations that do.

I don’t want be part of the problem.  I want to be one who acts justly and loves mercy and walks humbly with my God.

I want to be filled with power, filled with the Spirit of the Lord, just like that prophet of old…

Micah of Moresheth.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

May God bless you today!  With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
 
 
© 2009 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-

Never Stop Listening to Instruction - Apples of Gold - January 20, 2009 -vi-

To listen to the radio version, click here.

 

To search archives, click here.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for January 20, 2009

“Never Stop Listening to Instruction”

 

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

“Lecturing is the worst form of teaching,” he lectured.

In fact, all he ever did was lecture.

He knew better.  He knew how to be a good teacher, but he lost it somewhere.

No illustrations.  No hands-on instruction.  Not even a flannel graph.  Just lectures.

How can someone go from being a popular teacher to a boring old lecturer?

Easy.  He simply stopped listening to instruction.

He didn’t even listen to his own instruction.

I remember when the pastor announced that he was going to teach a Wednesday night series on marriage.  One older gentleman told me he didn’t need to go.  He’d been married a long time and teaching like that was just for young couples.

That’s a dangerous place to be.  You are asking for trouble in your marriage if you ever stop listening to instruction.

I’ve been a parent for over 20 years now, but I’ve never stopped listening to instruction.  I still soak up radio shows like “Family Life Today.”  

Yes, I’ve heard most of the information before, but now listen.  That’s the point.  Even if I’ve heard it all before, I must keep listening.  I must never stop listening to instruction.

Sometimes older people get out of the swing of going to church.  “I’ve heard it all before,” they say.  So they stay home and watch Turner Classic Movies.

Have you stopped going to seminars in your industry?  Have you stopped reading trade journals? 

I’m a fan of Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols.  He seems to be hyper-focused, so I was surprised when I read about something he does before a lot of games. 

Listen to what he said, “I talk to guys I admire anytime I have the opportunity…about baseball, about family. Just that 5 or 10 minutes before a game is enough. That's how you learn.”

So there’s Albert the MVP, talking to guys before games and saying, “That’s how you learn.”

He’s still listening.  And if he wants to stay on top he will never stop listening.

Now listen to Proverbs 19:27.  “Stop listening to instruction, my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge.”

If we stop listening we will stray.

It’s like we all have a bad GPS unit inside of us.  If we keep listening to instruction, the GPS gives proper directions.  But when we stop listening to instruction, our GPS sends us the wrong way.
 
It reminds me of the lyrics to “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing.”  It says, “Prone to wander, Lord I feel it.”

We are all prone to wander, prone to go astray – even when we know better.

The key is not just to learn something one time.  We have to keep learning it.  We have to go back and hear it again and again – because we are prone to wander.

Recently I read an article about writing radio commercials.  Now I’ve written tons of commercials.  I’ve taught others to write commercials.  You’d think I’d have it down by now.  But I have to keep learning.  I must keep listening to instruction or I will stray from knowledge.

I know a bit about computers, but I still read my daily e-mail from Kim Komando. 

I have to keep listening to instruction about how to take care of my body. 

I need continuous instruction on marriage matters and money matters and spiritual matters.

Plants constantly need water, and we constantly need instruction.  We need to plant ourselves by a steady stream of instruction, lest we stray from the words of knowledge.

So what about you today?  Do you have a steady stream of instruction?  Are there areas in life where you think you’ve heard it all before and don’t need to hear anymore?

Think again.

We are all prone to wander.

So meditate for a moment on these words from Proverbs 19:27. 

“Stop listening to instruction, my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge.”


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

May God bless you today!  With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
 
 
© 2009 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 Was Raised in Whitesville - Apples of Gold - January 19, 2009 -vi-

To listen to the radio version, click here.

 

To search archives, click here.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for January 19, 2009

“I Was Raised in Whitesville”

 

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

I fell down in church yesterday.

You should have seen it.  It was spectacular.

The church has a TV show, and I am a camera man.

Sunday I ran a handheld camera on stage, and it happened just as I turned to step off one of the risers. 

Now keep in mind, it’s not just some guy with a camcorder.  You have the TV camera, plus a headset with a microphone, a communications device on your belt, a metal clip hanging from your pants and a bunch of wires running from you to who-knows-where.  And the camera is strapped to your hand, which is a good thing when you plan to take a flying leap.

So right in the middle of the music, I turned to step off the riser onto a little step, and wouldn’t you know it, the little step tipped over.  I didn’t even know what hit me. 

Bam!  I was instantly flat on my back, thankfully behind the riser where only a few people onstage could see me.  But I went down hard with the little step underneath me.

The next thing I knew two people were helping me up.  Two people not of my race, which is no surprise since over half the people on the stage were not of my race.  Of course that had nothing to do with it.  It had nothing to do with anything.

And that’s the wonderful part of the story, besides the fact that I didn’t break my neck and die. 

Our church is a beautiful blend of race.  If Dr. King had a dream about a church where no one was judged by their color, I think our church would be mighty close to that dream.

Now I was never a racist, but let me start with this.

I was raised in Whitesville.

I wasn’t racist because there was no one to be racist against. 

As a boy my main exposure to black people was when we went to Cardinal baseball games in St. Louis.  Some of them were scary, like the ones lurking out on the streets.  Some of them were helpful, like the ones selling souvenirs.  And mostly they were my heroes on the field, men like Lou Brock and Bob Gibson.  I had their posters on my bedroom wall.

Now I’ll bet there were some homes where that was not allowed, but not my home.  As far as I can remember our home was truly colorblind.  A person’s color had nothing to do with anything.

But like I said, it was Whitesville.

I went away to college, but it was mostly white, the college and the town.  I was friendly with a few African Americans, but we spent no real time together.

Then as an adult I spent many years at a church in Illinois where the pastor had a real heart for integration.  He worked hard to bring the races together and had some success.  But try as he might, Sunday morning remained, for the most part, segregated.

So for most of my life I had very limited exposure to African Americans.

Then I moved to Tallahassee.

The city of Tallahassee is only 60% white, which means you would have to actually work at it to stay segregated. 

Then we chose a church that is only half white, if that.

And let me tell you what this has done for me.  For the first time in my life, it has put me in a situation of true integration.  Sometimes I look around and I’m the only white face in the room.  And it doesn’t matter.

I was never racist, but I noticed.  Now for the first time in my life I walk in a room and it doesn’t even cross my mind. 

And what made the difference was simply time together with many individuals of a different race.  Getting to know them as individuals.  Working with them as individuals. 

Notice I’m stressing the word “individuals.”

Racism means lumping people together, as if “they” are all the same.

Of course, that’s ridiculous.  I sure don’t want to be lumped in with so many nutcase white people.  And I shouldn’t lump other people together. 

Each person should be looked at as an individual.  The color of their skin has nothing to do with it.

I love being part of such a racially mixed church.  It has changed my life.  I didn’t even know it needed to be changed, but it has.

Second Thessalonians 1:3 talks about our love for each other increasing.  In the church, as the body of Christ, our love for one another should just grow and grow and grow.

And that includes an ever-growing love for our brothers and sisters of other races.

The kind of love I felt just yesterday, when my brother and sister rushed over to help me – the poor guy flat on his back, this middle-aged man from Whitesville.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

May God bless you today!  With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
 
 
© 2009 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-

Mandatory Organ Donation - Apples of Gold - January 16, 2009 -vi-

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Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for January 16, 2009

“Mandatory Organ Donation”

 

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

Why don’t we have mandatory organ donation?

People need organs.  Good organs are being buried everyday.  What’s the hang-up?

Is it because people should have the right to say what happens to their bodies?

Not when you’re dead.  Dead people have no rights.

Or maybe the family should choose. 

That’s nice, but not when people die because they make the wrong choice.

Why would someone choose not to donate organs? 

Maybe they are just uncomfortable with the idea. 

That’s not enough to override the needs of others.

Maybe they want to maintain the dignity of the body of their loved one.

Organ harvesting can be as dignified as any other surgery.  And what’s undignified about giving what you don’t need to someone who desperately does? 

It’s creepy. 

Yeah, and so is most everything else that happens in surgery, and, for that matter, everything that happens behind the curtain at the funeral home.

Well what about religious objections? 

First of all, no major religion objects to donating organs.

What about the sacredness of the body or something like that?

Okay, let’s quickly look at what the Bible says about our bodies.  Let’s start with James 2:26 which says, “…the body without the spirit is dead…”

2 Peter 1:13 says we live “…in the tent of this body…”

In 2 Corinthians 5, Paul writes about either being at home in the body – or at home with the Lord and away from the body.

This body is a dwelling place for our spirit, as long as the body is alive.  But when the body dies, our spirit leaves. 

See, the real us is actually our spirit.  For now they are together, but one day they will separate.

When Jesus died, Matthew 27:50 says, “…He gave up his spirit.” 

When Stephen was stoned to death in Acts 7:59 he prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”

Now let me ask you this.  My uncle lost his hand in a farming accident.  Was he suddenly less of himself?  No, he was still 100% himself because his spirit was intact.  People lose all sorts of parts and survive.  And they are still 100% themselves because their spirit, not their body, is the real them.

First Corinthians 15:44 talks about a natural body and a spiritual body.

The point is, the Bible presents no good reason for not donating your organs after you are dead.  At that time it’s no longer even you.  The real you, your spirit, has departed.  The body will simply go into the grave and decay.  If certain parts could have been saved and used for someone else, then it’s nothing but a waste and a shame to bury them.

God tells us to love people.  I think mandatory organ donation shows great love for the people who need organs, and honestly, I see no down side.

“But Doug, we can’t have the government telling us what to do.”

Oh good grief.  The government tells us what to do all the time.  We let them take tons of our money while we are alive, surely we can give up our organs after we are dead. 

And government in this case is simply the organizing mechanism for saving lives. 

What if you were the one in line desperately needing an organ donation?  Do want to just hope and pray that enough kind souls put that little check mark on their driver’s license?  I sure don’t.  People don’t pay attention to that stuff until it hits them.

So I vote for mandatory organ donation.

I think it’s the loving, Christian thing to do.

And until then, please, please, please make sure that you are a registered organ donor.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

May God bless you today!  With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
 
 
© 2009 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-

Advice From The Love Doctor - Apples of Gold - January 14, 2009 -vi-

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To search archives, click here.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for January 14, 2009

“Advice From The Love Doctor”

 

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

Jim and Elisabeth were dating.

They liked each other, maybe loved each other, but Jim wasn’t ready for a commitment.

Oh, he was a good Christian guy.  He just didn’t know if she was the one.  Or maybe he just wasn’t ready to commit to anyone.

But there was no denying the electricity in the air.  The philosopher Agur said he did not understand the way of a man with a maiden, but we all know what it feels like.

And Jim and Elisabeth felt it, like a powerful magnet drawing them together.  Love was in the air.

Now if this was a popular TV show, what would happen later that night?  What kind of advice would these two get from today’s so-called love doctors?

Can you see the advice column? 

“Dear Jill, I really like this guy.  Can we sleep together?  What are the rules?  Signed, Puppy Love.”

“Dear Puppy Love, Go for it!  It’s your body and your relationship.  No one can tell you what’s right for you.  It’s not a question of morals or what anyone else has to say. What matters is that you feel safe and comfortable.”

Now that advice is absurd, but you probably didn’t even blink when you heard it.  This is the kind of thing that is being passed off as good advice these days.

Thankfully, Elisabeth did not turn to Dear Jill for advice.  And Jim’s respect for Elisabeth went through the roof.

Listen to this excerpt from Jim’s journal on September 13^th:

“She has been gone just one hour.  What thunders of feeling I have known in that short time.  I could not read the neon lights as I turned away from the bus, and somehow couldn’t face the people as they passed me.  My lip kept contorting, and I could not seem to look natural without twisting tight together both my lips.  How terrible I sound sobbing.  Not like myself at all, but uncontrolled grating, animal sounds – and tears that trickled over my jaw and to my throat.  Leaving her is terrible.  I remember three times now.  The station in Chicago as she walked alone down the tracks next to a Sante Fe train on her way to Wycliffe.  Then her face in the back window of the taxi on Washington Street behind the Stupe last September.  And now this – her twisted brow, the tragic pain of her glance.  And she goes off – still wondering.”

Wow, what did Elisabeth do to stir up such emotion in this man?  I can assure you, it was not by following the advice of the “love doctors.”

Let’s go back to Jim’s journal from September 13^th.  Listen to this:

“Her uprightness makes it so hard.  She loves, I know, but oh, how bitter is love unexpressed.  And she will not let me hold her, hardly touch her, for she says, ‘I am not mine to give you.’”

Stop right there.  Did you catch that?

Here’s Jim, completely drawn in by this woman, so much so that he was literally grieving her departure.  And what did she do to cause this reaction?

Here are Jim’s words again: 

“…she will not let me hold her, hardly touch her, for she says, ‘I am not mine to give you.’”

Did she want to touch?  Of course, she is human.  She is a woman in love.  She grieves the separation as well. 

So why not just take the advice of the day and go for it?  What held her back?

Here is what held her back.  “I am not mine to give.”

Not mine to give?  What’s that all about?

It’s from First Corinthians 6.  It says, “Flee from sexual immorality.”  It says, “…your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit…”  And it says, “You are not your own; you were bought at a price.  Therefore honor God with your body.”

I’m sure Elisabeth felt the temptation to fall into the arms of Jim Elliot before they were married.  The drawing power of the physical can feel undeniable.  But she denied herself by focusing on this important truth.

It’s a truth that everyone dating needs to pay close attention to.

It’s a truth that when you apply it, you will eventually enjoy love that the “love doctors” can only imagine.

And that truth is simply this.

I am not mine to give.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

May God bless you today!  With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
 
Excerpts from “The Journals of Jim Elliot,” edited by Elisabeth Elliot, published by Revell in 1978 (pp.154, 155).

© 2009 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 Skinny Mirror - Apples of Gold - January 13, 2009 -vi-

To listen to the radio version, click here.

 

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Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for January 13, 2009

“The Skinny Mirror”

 

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

I picked out a handful of shirts and went to the fitting room.

I put one on, looked in the mirror and said, “Whoa, that’s a nice looking shirt.”

I went for the side view and it looked good, too.

Too good.

I checked some other angles and, you know, I’d heard of this before, but there it was, right before my eyes.

A skinny mirror.

Oh I looked tall and lean.  I think it even threw in a tan and biceps.

The mirror was not telling the truth, but it sure made me feel good.

A skinny mirror might sound like a good thing, but it isn’t.

Now listen to this.  If it’s not true, it’s not good.

Here’s a great quote from Thomas Watson in the 1600’s.  He said, “The best mirror is not that which is most gilded, but that which shows the truest face.”

A mirror that is not true will cause you to take incorrect action.

A skinny mirror might cause you to buy clothes that actually aren’t that flattering.

A fat mirror might cause you to starve yourself.

Only a true mirror leads to correct action.

This applies to non-literal mirrors as well.

James 1 talks about the Word of God as a mirror.  But it’s definitely not a skinny mirror.

If you’re fat, the Word says, “You’re fat.”

If you’re corrupt, the Word says, “You’re corrupt.”

Hebrews 4:12 says the Word of God “penetrates.”  It “judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

But here’s the thing.  We don’t want our thoughts and attitudes judged.  Who wants to be judged?  Just leave me alone.  I’m okay, you’re okay – okay?

Since we don’t want to be judged, we look for mirrors that don’t judge us. 

And what we end up with are skinny mirrors. 

Take my reading materials, for example.  James 1:21 says that “moral filth” is “prevalent.”  That means it’s likely that I have some moral filth on me.  So will my reading materials reflect back that moral filth so I can see it?  Or do I read things that don’t really reflect much moral filth, if there even is such a thing?

See, reading material is a mirror.  The question is, is it a true mirror?  Does it accurately reflect back to me the truth about my life?

You know what?  A lot of lives are messed up because something is broken and they take incorrect action to fix it.  And they do that because the mirror they are looking at is untrue.

So what is your mirror?  What are you using to see your life reflected back to you?  Hollywood magazines?  Sports Illustrated?  Vanity Fair?  You’ll see your reflection in these, but is it a true reflection?

No, the true reflection comes from looking intently into the Word of God.  Then we will know the truth.  Then we can make wise decisions.  Then we can take proper action.

So much in this world is just a skinny mirror. 

What we need is more of the true mirror, the true reflection that comes from the penetrating Word of God


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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

© 2009 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 Am the Lord, In Its Time I Will Do This Swiftly - Apples of Gold - January 12, 2009 -vi-

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To search archives, click here.

 

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for January 12, 2009

“I Am the Lord – In Its Time I Will Do This Swiftly”

 

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

Are you waiting for God to come through for you?

Are you praying for a breakthrough, yet it seems like nothing is happening?

Then I have a word for you, from Isaiah 60:22.  It says, “I am the Lord; in its time I will do this swiftly.”

That’s a great message in three parts. 

The first part is “I am the Lord,” which pretty much settles everything.

The third part is “I will do this swiftly,” which is hard to swallow when you keep waiting and waiting.

But the second part clears it up a bit.  It says, “…in its time…”

Yes, it will happen swiftly…when the time is right.

You may not see any progress.  You might feel like giving up, but do not lose heart.  It can all change in an instant. 

God told Noah He was going to flood the earth, but He didn’t, not for a long time.  But then in an instant the floodgates were opened.

God told Abraham and Sarah that they would have a baby, but they didn’t, not for a long time.  But then in an instant Sarah became pregnant with Isaac.

God foretold the coming of the Messiah, but He didn’t come, not for a long time.  But then suddenly He was here.  And in one weekend He shed His blood, died, and rose again for our salvation.

Just before His ascension, Jesus told the disciples to go to Jerusalem and wait. 

Wait?  Why wait?  Why wait for anything?

It’s the waiting that drives us crazy.  It’s like a huge waste of time.

But Jesus told them to wait, so they did. 

Then, in its time, He did it swiftly.  On the day of Pentecost they were suddenly baptized with the Holy Spirit, just as Jesus had said.

Saul was an enemy of the faith, persecuting Christians.  But in an instant, on the road to Damascus, his life was completely changed.  It didn’t happen soon enough to save Stephen before he was stoned.  It didn’t happen before some Christians were arrested.  But it finally did happen, and when it happened, it happened swiftly.  Saul became Paul.  He was quickly and suddenly changed.

In my own life, many people were praying for me.  It probably seemed like I would never come around.  But then one night at a little church God just reached out and took me for His own.  It may not have happened soon, but in its time it happened swiftly.

The Israelites were slaves in Egypt longer than the United States has been in existence.  I’m sure each generation cried out for freedom.  But in its time, it happened swiftly.

Moses spent 40 years tending sheep in the wilderness.  Forty years is a big chunk of life.  He probably thought that was it; but then – the burning bush.  In its time, Moses’ life changed swiftly.

King Hezekiah turned the nation back to the Lord, and look what it says in Second Chronicles 29:36.  “Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced at what God had brought about for His people, because it was done so quickly.”

Yes, we all want things done quickly, and we want them done right now.  But often God doesn’t work that way.  Often He wants us to wait. 

I remember working in secular radio, and one day I felt the conviction that if I could do my work as a full time ministry, then I should.  So I applied at a couple Christian radio stations and waited for God to hand me a job.

It didn’t happen.

I prayed and prayed, but it didn’t happen.

What’s the deal with this?  I thought God wanted me to serve Him fulltime?  Now I step out and nothing happens?

I wrestled with that for a few months, but I stayed open to God’s plan.  Then, in its time, it happened swiftly.  I was hired by a Christian radio station, got married that Saturday, and our honeymoon was spent moving, starting our new life together in a completely new situation.

So are you waiting on the Lord today?  Don’t give up.  In Luke 18 Jesus said to always pray and not give up. 

It may seem like the Lord’s answers are slow, but Second Peter 3 indicates that the Lord is not slow, He’s just patient.  But then when the time is right, boom!  He is swift, like a thief in the night.

So don’t lose heart.  Don’t give up hope.  Keep the faith and keep trusting in Him. 

And hold onto this word today.

“I am the Lord; in its time I will do this swiftly.”


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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

© 2009 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-

Come On, God - Not Today -- Apples of Gold - January 9, 2009 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for January 9, 2009

“Come On, God – Not Today”

 

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

“Realtor Needs Type A+ Blood Donated Fast”

As soon as I read that on Tallahassee.com this morning I felt the icy hands of dread.

I have A positive blood.  I jokingly brag about it.  “What type of blood do you have?  Well mine is A plus!”

I know this because I have given blood.  But I am definitely not excited about it.  The whole needle-in-your-arm, blood-draining-into-a-bag thing kind of makes me queasy. 

So I stared at that headline and thought-slash-prayed, “No, Lord.  Come on…”

But there was the need, plainly spelled out.  A need I could easily meet.

I have a pretty simple motto.  If I see a need I can easily meet, then I don’t even have to think about it.  Just do it.

I’ve said this many times.  If someone shows you how you can bless them, and you can easily do it, then just do it. 

You don’t have to think about it.  You don’t have to weigh out the pros and cons. 

You see, many times you can’t bless someone easily.  Many times it’s not obvious even how to bless them. 

So when it is easy and obvious, why waste any time?  Just do it.

That’s my motto, anyway.  But this morning that crashed head on into another motto I have. 

Don’t bleed.

“Come on, God.  Not today.  Today I’m…  I’m…”

And for the life of me I couldn’t come up with one single good excuse.

Other than I’m selfish about my blood.

Selfish and fearful. 

Even though it doesn’t really hurt.  Even though it will be totally fine and I know that. 

It’s like eating shrimp.  The act is fine; it’s the thinking about it that gives me a swirly.

I’m memorizing the book of Ephesians and I’m up to chapter 5 verse 2. 

Now this is a stunning verse when you really think about it.

It tells us to “walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us…”

That’s nice and pretty so far.  But it’s the rest of the verse that will blow your mind.  It says Christ has given Himself for us as “an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.”

Ephesians 1 says we have redemption through Christ’s blood.  Chapter 2 says Jesus reconciled us to God in one body through the cross.

Yes, Jesus was an offering.  He offered up His body, He shed His own blood and died on the cross.  He was a human sacrifice to God.

The whole scene is gory and blood-splattered and outrageous.  The sights and smells of what we call “the passion of the Christ” are disturbing.  In our hyper-clean, non-agrarian culture, most of us would have found it disgusting.

And yet Ephesians 5:2 says that it was a sweet-smelling aroma.

In my little mind that is almost incomprehensible.  How could anything so terrible be considered sweet smelling?

Back to Ephesians 5:2.  Look what it says Jesus did.  It says He “has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.”

The emphasis is on what Christ did and why He did it.  He offered Himself as an offering and a sacrifice, and He did it because He loved us.

This was the sweet smelling aroma.  His love and His sacrifice.  He loved so much that He was willing to give up His own body and blood, even to the point of death.

And now we are to love just like that.  Verse one says we are to be “imitators of God.” 

Can I do it?  Can I love like that?  Christ gave all of His blood.  Can I give some of mine?

I can, so I should.

And I pick up the phone to make that call…


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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

© 2009 The Arrow’s Tip
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(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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