What Do You Think When You Hear the Word Repent? - Apples of Gold - March 10, 2009 ***Happy Birthday Ashlyn - 22 today!!!*** -vi-

To listen to the radio version, click here.

 

To search archives, click here.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for March 10, 2009

“What Do You Think When You Hear the Word Repent?”

 

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

When I hear the word “repent,” I picture an angry man shouting in a rage.

I picture Jonah, stomping through the streets of Nineveh, actually hoping they don’t repent.

It’s hellfire and brimstone.  It’s condemnation, a bullwhip slashing your back with fear and guilt.

Repent is a message spoken by religious zealots, and no normal person gives any real thought to their ranting.

That’s the stereotype.

But that’s not what I get from Jesus.

In Luke 5:32 Jesus said that He came to call sinners to repentance.

Now what was the setting when He said that?  Was He standing in the public square, shouting at people to repent, and scaring off more people than He attracted?

Actually, He was at a banquet held in His honor.  Levi the tax collector hosted the party, and he invited a bunch of his friends.

They were all at this banquet, and some Pharisees asked, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?”

Jesus answered, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.  I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

Now did you get that picture of repentance?  He compared it to medicine.

Instead of an angry preacher inflicting pain, he pictured a doctor bringing healing to the sick.

Sunday night I spent several hours in the emergency room at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital – sitting with a friend who was in pain. 

It’s quite a thing to sit and watch the humanity flow through an emergency room.  They’re from all walks of life:  rich and poor, professors and drop outs, beautiful and not so much.

The emergency room is an equalizer.  Everyone is humbled.  They are in pain and they need help.  Everyone wants a doctor to make them better.

This is the way Jesus sees the world – like an emergency room full of hurting patients. 

He has the medicine, and you know what it says on the bottle?

Repent.

The sick need a doctor, He said, and that’s why He came to call sinners to repentance.

Imagine if you were on a medical missionary team.  You go to a remote village where many are sick, and all they need is a shot to make them better.  But the people don’t want to get the shot.  They’re suspicious.  There are rumors. 

What would you do to urge people to get the shot? 

Well you probably wouldn’t explode in a rage.  That would just confirm their suspicions.

No, you would more likely urge them, plead with them, “Please, get the shot.  It’s the cure.  You’ve got to trust me.”

And that, I think, is how we should deliver the message of repentance, just as a doctor would offer healing medicine.

And notice that Jesus didn’t just open up a clinic and invite them in.  He took His medicine out to the people.  Yes, He called them to repent, but He offered it like medicine to the sick. 

Romans 2:4 says that God’s kindness leads us to repentance.

How do you handle someone who needs to repent?  With kindness.

Second Timothy 2:25 says to “gently instruct” them.

Second Peter 3:9 talks about being patient with people, because it says God is patient, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

And when someone does repent, it is not met with indifference.  In Luke 15 Jesus raved about the rejoicing that takes place in heaven when even one sinner repents.

So forget about any negative stereotypes the word repent conjures up. 

We are called to spread the message of repentance and forgiveness of sins throughout the world – not as a curse but as a blessing – like a powerful medicine.

Acts 3:19 says, “Repent…and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord…”

So don’t back off from this powerful little word.  It’s not an unkind word, but rather a healing word.

Remember, Jesus compared Himself to a doctor coming to the sick. 

And this is the wonderful medicine He prescribed for everyone:  repentance.


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-

Forget About It Is Exactly What I'm Not Going To Do - Apples of Gold - March 4, 2009 -vi-

To listen to the radio version, click here.

 

To search archives, click here.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for March 4, 2009

“Forget About It Is Exactly What I’m Not Going To Do”

 

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

A woman who owns an abortion clinic near Miami was arrested yesterday.

No, she was not arrested for all those abortions.

Her problems began when the abortion doctor had a “bleeder.”  He reportedly had to go take care of a patient who wouldn’t stop bleeding. 

That meant he wasn’t at this clinic to finish another patient’s abortion.

So the patient, a teenage girl, was sitting in a room at the clinic.  And now listen to the name of the clinic.  It’s called the “GYN Diagnostic Center.”

So she was sitting there, and the doctor wasn’t showing up to take care of her, to finish off her abortion procedure.

It’s just a procedure, you know.  Just a routine medical procedure.  It’s like having your appendix removed.  The doctor removes it, and it ends up in a red biohazard trash bag.

So the girl was sitting there, waiting for the esteemed Dr. Pierre Jean-Jacques Renelique.  Well she started to cramp, and suddenly she gave birth to a little baby girl, about 10 inches long. 

Okay, now they suddenly had a huge problem, and everyone knew it.  One report said there was pandemonium at the clinic.  The “women’s health” clinic.

When there is pandemonium, that’s when you find out who the real leaders are. 

And the real leader in this situation was the clinic owner, a woman in her 40’s.  She swept in and took charge. 

She grabbed some scissors and cut the baby’s umbilical cord. 

And now what do you think happened?  What would normally happen, in a normal clinic, with normal health care professionals? 

They would kick into emergency mode, clean that baby up, get her on oxygen, whatever it took to make sure her little life out in the big world got off to a good start. 

But this was not a normal clinic.  This was an abortion clinic.  They are not in the business of saving life. 

So they did what they normally do.  They did what they do every day.  They took the byproduct of the medical procedure and threw it into a red biohazard trash bag.

But they didn’t do it fast enough.  The teenage mother reported that she watched in horror as her baby girl gasped for breath for five minutes.   

Then they finally did their thing with the biohazard bag.

Later someone anonymously called the police who investigated and brought the whole thing to light.  They found the body and had a proper funeral.

No, no one was charged for the child’s death.  Dr. Renelique lost his license for falsifying medical records, among other things.  And the clinic owner was arrested yesterday on suspicion of tampering with evidence and practicing healthcare without a license.

To me that’s about like Al Capone being arrested for tax evasion.

This is just another case that illustrates our insane notions about abortion. 

We let the abortion industry go about its business, ending thousands of pregnancies every day.  After all, it’s legal.

It’s legal, but by golly you better keep it under wraps.  Keep it behind those closed doors.

Have you ever seen those nice medical documentaries where they show things like open heart surgery?  Here is one you will never see – a nice documentary on an abortion procedure.

Why not?  Why don’t they run their little cameras up there and capture all the details from various abortions?  Then turn it all into a nice little documentary.

It’ll never happen.  People would see little hands and feet and faces.  They would see that thing moving on its own.  They would see it react to being poked.  The American people just wouldn’t have the stomach for it.

Just like this teenage mother at a Miami abortion clinic.  She approved of having an abortion.  “Just let me close my eyes, do your thing, and thank you – I’m not pregnant anymore.  I dodged the bullet.”

But then she saw it.  She saw what that thing was inside of her.  She saw little hands and little feet.  And when it came out what did it want?  It wanted life!  It wanted to live.  It struggled and gasped for breath.

And no one saved it.  No one called 9-1-1.  No one applied any medical training or knowledge.  No one even applied their own nurturing human instincts.  They only applied the teaching of a pro-abortion nation, and that is, “It’s not really a child.  It’s just a byproduct of a medical procedure.  Just throw it into a biohazard bag and forget about it.”

And forget about it is exactly what I’m not going to do.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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

Today’s story in the Miami Herald:  http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami-dade/story/931447.html

© 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-

Conspiracy Trial for the Murder of the President - Apples of Gold - March 3, 2009 -vi-

To listen to the radio version, click here.

 

To search archives, click here.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for March 3, 2009

“Conspiracy Trial for the Murder of the President”

 

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

So have you taken advantage of Google Books yet?

Google has scanned tons of books and put them on the internet.

Now let me just give you an idea of what that means.

I can be sitting there waiting for someone, and instead of twiddling my thumbs I can access the internet through my cell phone and actually read a book found only in the Harvard University Library.  It might be a book so old and fragile that no one is allowed to read it.  But now we can all read it anywhere thanks to Google.

That’s where I came across this book, and it has a really long title, so here goes:  “The Conspiracy Trial for the Murder of the President and the Attempt to Overthrow the Government by the Assassination of its Principal Officers.”

Now if you like courtroom dramas, this book is for you.  It’s basically a blow by blow, word for word account of the trial after President Lincoln’s assassination.  It was published right after the trial, and it’s hundreds of pages long.

At one point in the trial the prosecution put Lieutenant Alexander Lovett on the stand.  He was asked if he sought for the assassins at the Wilmer’s residence. 

Now listen to this response given by Lieutenant Lovett:

“Yes sir, I went to Mr. Wilmer’s and searched his house – a thing I did not like to do.  I was satisfied before I searched it that there was nothing there because I knew the man by reputation.”

Sometimes when I’m reading I just stop and let things sink in.

Here it is again.  He said, “I was satisfied before I searched it that there was nothing there because I knew the man by reputation.”

You know what?  I want to have a strong reputation like that.  I want to have such a good reputation that even if someone accused me of doing wrong, everyone would just look at them like, “I don’t think so.”

I like what it says in First Peter 2:12, “Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.”

Yesterday I had a lunch appointment with two other men. 

I walked into the restaurant and told the hostess, “I’m meeting a couple of guys.”

She sat me down and I began waiting.

Little did I know that moments later they walked in, told the hostess they were meeting someone, and were promptly seated on the complete opposite side of the restaurant. 

After waiting a while, one of them finally got up and came looking for me.  And sure enough, there I was, just as he suspected.

And I like what he said.  He said he figured I was there somewhere because he just knew that I would not stand them up.

I took that as a high compliment.

Proverbs 22:1 says, “A good name is more desirable than great riches…”

You know the best way to have a good name?  Be a good person.

See, anyone can fake it for a while.  You can build up a good reputation – for a while. 

But that reputation will eventually fall apart if it’s not built on a true foundation. 

That’s one thing I love about being a Christian and following the Lord.  As we do that with all of our heart, a natural byproduct is a good reputation. 

People know you will be honest and true.  They know you will be loving and caring and helpful.  They know you will keep your word.  They know you will go the extra mile.

This is the reputation all Christians should have. 

Unfortunately, some are like Jesus described in Revelation 3:1.  To some He said, “I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.”

Now that is something I don’t want.  I don’t want to have a good reputation on the outside, but not have the real stuff on the inside. 

Jesus said to them, “I know your deeds.”

And that’s what it comes down to.  It’s not just a good PR campaign.  It’s not acting a part. 

In the long run, our reputation will only be as good as our deeds.    

So what is your reputation today?  Is it like Lieutenant Lovett said of Mr. Wilmer?  Is it such that, even if someone accused you of doing wrong, everyone else would say, “No way.  I know that man.  He has a sterling reputation.”

Well the good news is, no matter what our reputation is right now, we can improve it.

And Jesus gave us the place the start.

Our deeds.


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-

Who Am I? - Apples of Gold - March 2, 2009 -vi-

To listen to the radio version, click here.

 

To search archives, click here.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for March 2, 2009

“Who Am I?”

 

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

Ted Williams was a baseball star for the Boston Red Sox.

He was also edgy.  For example, for all those years since he was a rookie, he never tipped his cap to the crowd.  You know, when a ballplayer does something great and the crowd goes crazy, it’s nice to recognize the crowd by tipping your cap to them.

So it came down to Ted Williams’ last at bat.  He was retiring.  His illustrious career was over.  It was his last at bat ever, and guess what?  He hit a home run.

Well the crowd went crazy, and Williams, even in this sentimental moment, just walked into the dugout – without tipping his cap.

Bob Costas asked him about it years later.  Williams said that, as he ran the bases for that final home run, he actually thought about tipping his cap.  But then he thought, “No, that just isn’t who I am.”

Isn’t that interesting?  He was running the bases, and it ran through his head to tip his cap, but he decided not to based on his self talk which said, “That just isn’t who I am.”

Have you ever heard the phrase, “Self talk”?

It’s basically your internal communication, and when we talk about “self talk” we are usually talking about that little voice inside you that tells you who you are.

Many motivational speakers try to get you to control your self talk by telling yourself things like “I am a winner,” and “I am successful.”

It’s interesting how this self talk extends into so many areas of our life.

The other day I was killing time at Kohl’s while waiting for my daughter’s practice to end.  I stumbled across some amazing clearance prices on some nice shoes, so I started sending out picture messages on my cell phone to people who might need some new shoes.  I said, “I’ll buy these for you, if you will wear them.”

I sent a picture of a pair of, I don’t know, I call them “skater shoes,” to a friend of my son.  His response?  Well, a few years ago he might have worn them, but not now.  Why not?  “Because that’s not really me.”

I wonder how many of our clothing choices are made based upon that little voice in our head that says, “That’s not who I am.”

On the highway yesterday I passed a biker.  He had just a certain Harley with just a certain helmet.  He had leather boots and chaps and a black biker jacket.  He really had a look – a look that most people would not have.  They would tell themselves, “That’s not me,” while this guy told himself, “That is exactly me.”

I remember watching “The Fonz” on TV when I was a kid.  He could never say he was wrong.  He could only say, “I was wr…wr…wrrr…”

There was just a little voice in his head that said, “That’s not who I am.  I’m not the kind of person who says they are wrong.”

I think it’s important for us to recognize that we do have that little voice inside, constantly telling us who we are. 

Michael Jordan’s voice said, “I’m the one who makes the winning basket.”  Others say, “I crack under pressure.  I always crack under pressure.”

So what does your voice say?  What kind of self talk is going on in your head?

I remember when I took a discipleship class years ago.  We memorized Second Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”

Memorizing that verse helped change my self talk.  Who am I?  I am a “new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”

See, as Christians, our self talk needs to come from God and His Word. 

Here are some things, straight out of the Bible, that the little voice in our head needs to be telling us.

I am loved by God.  (First John 3:1)
I am chosen.  (First Peter 2:10)
I am a child of God (through faith in Christ Jesus).  (Galatians 3:26)
I am a new creation (the old has gone, the new has come.)  (Second Corinthians 5:17)
I am an heir of God and co-heir with Christ.  (Romans 8:17)
I am a part of the body of Christ.  (First Corinthians 12:27)
I am a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in me.  (First Corinthians 6:19)
I am a disciple of Jesus.  (John 13:35)
I am a branch.  He is the vine.  (John 15:5)
I am God’s property.  (First Peter 2:9)
I am a servant of the Lord Jesus.  (Colossians 3:24)
I am a friend of Jesus (as I do what He commands).  (John 15:14)
I am the aroma of Christ.  (Second Corinthians 8:37)
I am God’s workmanship.  (Ephesians 2:10)
I am created in Christ Jesus to do good works.  (Ephesians 2:10)
I am the salt of the earth.  (Matthew 5:13)
I am the light of the world.  (Matthew 5:14)
I am more than a conqueror through Him who loved me.  (Romans 8:37)

Yes, we all have self talk going on in our head.

It’s time we take control of it.

And what should it say?

It should tell us everyday that we are exactly who God says we are.


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-

Have You Noticed This? - Apples of Gold - February 26, 2009 -vi-

To listen to the radio version, click here.

 

To search archives, click here.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for February 26, 2009

“Have You Noticed This?”

 

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

This woman has an awesome ministry.

I don’t even know her name.  I just caught the story on the radio.

She lives near a university that has a couple thousand international students, and many of those students are married.

Now picture this.  Mr. So-and-so from Taiwan (or wherever) decides to go to school in America.  So he packs up and moves – and brings his wife with him.

Now Mr. So-and-so is off to classes and running around here and there, meeting people and doing his work. 

But what about Mrs. So-and-so?  There she sits, a stranger in a foreign land. 

Well this Christian woman notices.  And now don’t miss that word.  She notices.

And when a Christian notices something, look out.  When you notice something, and the Spirit of God begins to stir within you, look out because something great is about to happen.

So she notices the plight of these wives of the international students at the university – and she decides to reach out to them.

She says to them, “You come to me, and I’ll show you how to keep a checkbook, how to shop at Tom Thumb.  I’ll show you how to drive without killing people.”

She helps them with practical things.  And she ends up helping them with personal things like relationships.  And she shows them things in the Bible. 

You see how that works?

And it started with her simply noticing a need, then seizing the opportunity to meet it in the name of Jesus.

So what have you been noticing lately?

Dwight Moody lived in Chicago in the 1800’s.  He noticed – get that? – he noticed that there was a steady stream of young men moving into the city.  They were coming in from the country, either for work or for school, and often found themselves just lost and lonely in the big city. 

Moody said, “A young man...walks the street, and has no one, of all the crowds, to speak to him, and he is miserable.  That is the time when his heart is softest; then, if any one speaks to him or shows him acts of kindness, he never forgets it.  The devil watches for friendless youths like those; and the ensnaring paths of vice seem refuges from loneliness.”

Moody noticed the plight of these young men, and decided to reach out to them.  He made these big posters that said, “Strangers’ Meeting tonight.  All strangers invited to attend.”  And every Monday night 75 to 100 young men would gather to find friends. 

Moody said, “So he goes, and meets a kind look and words of friendship, and it is better to him than anything in the world.”

And about his Monday meetings for strangers, Moody concluded that they were “most blessed.”

And it started with him simply noticing a need, then seizing the opportunity to meet it in the name of Jesus.

So what have you been noticing lately?

I heard a pastor say one time, “What is your calling?  Well, what do you hate to see happening?”

I heard another pastor say, “Where is your place of service?  Become the answer to somebody’s problem.”

So do you find yourself noticing certain problems lately, certain needs that are not being met?

Here’s an event I heard about, and it cracked me up when I heard it.  I said, “Are you serious?”

It’s in Dallas, and it’s called, “Guns, Guitars and Good Friends.”

Yes, believe it or not, it’s a Christian event.

It includes a “shoot out.”  The ad says, “Bring your shotgun, three of your friends, and head out in a golf cart to drive around the course shooting 100 clay pigeons at 18 different stations.  The winning team will receive a new shotgun.  What could be more fun?  It’s like golf with a gun!”

Someone noticed something about guys and guns and decided to bring them together for a Christian event.  Now I can hear some women recoiling in horror, and I hear some men saying, “Sign me up!”  And I just said, “Wow, what a unique way to reach out to men.”

As Christians, we all have a unique part in the body of Christ.  And you know what?  We all notice different things.  We see different needs.  And I think the Lord will empower us to meet those needs, reach people in the name of Jesus, and change the world in the process.

So are you wondering what you are supposed to be doing?  Are you fishing around for God’s calling in your life?

Well the answer might be found in the answer to this simple question.

What have you been noticing?


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-

Experiment With Self Denial - Apples of Gold - February 25, 2009 -vi-

To listen to the radio version, click here.

 

To search archives, click here.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for February 25, 2009

“Experiment With Self Denial”

 

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

Today I want to ask you to do something.

I want you to experiment with self denial.

See, usually we are more about self indulgence.  What do I want?  When do I want it?  What do I feel like having today?

What I’m talking about is the opposite of that.  Yes, go ahead and think about what you want – then deny yourself that very thing.

Now why would anyone want to do that?

Well I’m basing it on Jesus’ words in Mark chapter 8.  It says He called the crowd over, along with his disciples, and said, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”

And now focus on these four words:  “he must deny himself.”

Have you ever done that – just denied yourself?  It means you want something, and you could have it, but instead you deny yourself.

Just try it, experiment with self denial, and let me tell you, today is a great day to start.

See, today is the first day of Lent.  Your church may or may not participate, but I’m sure you’ve heard about people giving up something for Lent, which is this time between now and Easter.

So why not give up something for Lent – as an act of self denial, like Jesus said?

Here is one of my favorite ideas.  Drink only water.  That means you deny yourself every other form of liquid refreshment.  For most people that is a radical change, a major self denial.  No cokes, no coffees, no teas.  No juices or kool-aids or power drinks.  Just water.

Then every time you think of drinking something else you pray, “Lord, I am denying myself all drinks but water.  I am doing this as a way to humble myself and follow You.”

You see, humility is a big part of self denial.  It means we come off the throne and the Lord takes His rightful place.  If we always do what we want, we are on the throne.  But when we deny ourselves, it means we come off the throne.  Our desires no longer rule our life.  We make God the ruler instead.

Here’s a common thing to give up for Lent:  meat.  For some of you that will be really hard, and you are just the person to do it.  Do the hard thing! 

Of course if you really want to do the hard thing you can fast from all food.  One of the things we commemorate with Lent is the time Jesus fasted for 40 days.  Many people have fasted for 40 days, and it’s a very serious, spiritual thing to do.

You may not be ready for a 40 day fast, but here’s a fast that’s still pretty serious but more manageable.  It’s a 72 hour fast, which is three days.  I’ve heard of people fasting from Sunday afternoon to Wednesday afternoon each week.

Or you might consider a Daniel Fast.  There are many variations of the Daniel Fast, but I like to simplify it this way:
Drink only water
Eat no meat
Eat no bread
Eat no sweets
Eat nothing fried

I know one woman who fasted from Facebook for 40 days.  And you know what?  If socializing on Facebook is a great desire of yours, something you do all the time, then yes, it would be a good form of self denial for you.

I know guys who watch the news all the time.  In fact, they stay current with the news as if President Obama might call any minute for their advice.  Well you know, most of us don’t need to keep up with the news.  In fact, it probably won’t make one little difference.  So if you are hooked on the news, a great act of self denial would be to give it up for Lent.

Or maybe you need to give up ESPN.  Or how about television altogether?

Here is one I’ve never heard of anyone doing, but I think it would be powerful – giving up music for Lent.  If you are always plugged into your iPod, how about listening to the birds for a change.

That word change – that’s the end result, you know.  Denying yourself will bring about a change in your life. 

See, it’s all about following Jesus.  We deny ourselves in order to take up our cross and follow Jesus.

So think about it.  Just try it.  Experiment with self denial.  Shove your desires out of the way to make more room for God in your life.

Today is the first day of Lent, and we’re moving toward the Easter season when we remember Christ’s great act of self denial for us. 

Surely we can sacrifice a little something for Him.


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-

How to Be Free From Ungodly Desires - Apples of Gold - February 24, 2009 -vi-

To listen to the radio version, click here.

 

To search archives, click here.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for February 24, 2009

“How to Be Free From Ungodly Desires”

 

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

There are things that I once desired that I no longer desire.

No, it’s not that those desires are still lurking around the corner.

They are just gone.  Nonexistent. 

They have been replaced by new desires, good desires, godly desires.

How did it happen?  How were destructive and generally not-so-good desires replaced by much better desires?

I find the answer in the prophecy of Ezekiel 36:27.  It says, “And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.”

The King James says, “…I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes…”

Now listen to this.  People are pretty much going to do what they want to do.

Have you ever heard the phrase, “power corrupts”?  Why does power corrupt?  Because people are already corrupt, and when they have power, they have the power to carry out their corrupt desires.

Yes, it’s my opinion that people are pretty much going to do what they want, at least what they have the power to get away with.

We can try to change people’s actions on the outside, but the only way to bring about true change is to change people’s desires on the inside.

How on earth can that be accomplished? 

Back to the prophecy in Ezekiel 36.  God will put His Spirit inside of us, and move us to walk in His ways.

Now look at Philippians 2:13.  “…for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure…”

It is God working inside of us.  He changes our desires, which quite naturally changes our actions.

Our desires go from sinful desires to godly desires.

In John 8 Jesus said that everyone who sins is a slave to sin.  Well we sin because we have a sinful nature, and we do what that nature desires.  We are basically slaves to our sinful desires.

Have you ever felt that?  You have desires, you know they are wrong, but you want them anyway.

What you need is a change in your desires.  But how can you possibly change your desires?

Now listen.  You probably can’t.  This is the expertise of the Holy Spirit. 

Another name for the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth.  In fact, First John 5:6 says, “…the Spirit is the truth.”

When the Holy Spirit comes inside of us, He brings the power of the truth of God.  Jesus said in John 16, “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth.”

And what good does that do?

Well as Jesus so famously said, “…the truth will set you free.”

His full statement was, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.  Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

And John 8:36 says, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

Don’t you want that freedom?  You can be free from your sinful desires.  Those desires can be completely replaced by good and proper desires, desires that lead to freedom, not bondage.

Now how exactly does that happen?

The key is to get the Holy Spirit inside you.  That may sound odd, but that’s the way it works.

Second Corinthians 1:22 says God will put His “Spirit in our hearts…”

Ephesians 3:16 indicates that God will strengthen us with power through His Spirit in our “inner man.”

So how do we do it?  How can we get our desires changed by getting His Spirit inside us?

Well the Bible has a lot to say on this subject.  I recommend you study all that the Word says about the Holy Spirit.

But if I had to find just one verse to share on the subject, it would be what Jesus said in Luke 11:13, “…how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”

I think that’s the key.  Ask Him!

So do you want your desires changed? 

Then start with this simple prayer. 

“Lord…please…with all my heart I ask, I invite, I welcome your Holy Spirit to come and live inside me.”

In Jesus’ name…amen!


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-

Keep the Coffee Brewing - Apples of Gold - February 23, 2009 -vi-

To listen to the radio version, click here.

 

To search archives, click here.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for February 23, 2009

“Keep the Coffee Brewing”

 

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

I walked into the Fresh Market for the first time last week, and I was immediately struck by how nice it smelled.  I think it was the coffee.

As I walked in, it appeared to me that they probably keep the coffee brewing all day right there near the front of the store.  It smelled wonderful, and I immediately had a positive reaction to the store.

If I go in again and I don’t get that aroma, I will be disappointed.  But you know what that means?  It means they have to keep the coffee brewing – all the time.

A pleasant aroma is a wonderful thing, but it’s hard to maintain.  You have to continually work at it or it will fade away.

In the Old Testament, the priests of Israel knew all about maintaining a pleasant aroma. 

In Exodus 30 we read about the Altar of Incense.  Verse 8 says the goal was to have incense burning “regularly before the Lord for the generations to come.”

Verse 34 gives some very special ingredients for incense, and it was to be holy to the Lord.  No one could make that same fragrance for their own personal pleasure. 

I don’t know why, exactly, but that’s the way the Lord wanted it.  I think He had this special incense that was particularly pleasing to Him, and He wanted His priests to be providing that aroma continually.

Now keep this in mind as we look at Revelation 5:8.  It’s a heavenly vision of certain beings falling down before the Lamb of God.  It says, “Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.”

In this vision there is a fragrant aroma in the presence of the Lord.  What is it? 

It’s the prayers of the saints.

That reminds me of Psalm 141:2 which says, “May my prayer be set before you like incense…”

I don’t know exactly how this works, but I imagine it like this.  When we pray, our prayers rise to the Lord as a type of incense.

Proverbs 27:9 says that incense brings joy to the heart.

It’s like the feeling I had when I walked into Fresh Market.  I instantly had a good feeling about the store, simply because it smelled so good.

But to keep it smelling good, they have to keep producing the aroma.

To keep the Old Testament altar smelling good, they had to continually burn the incense.

And to keep our own incense rising before the Lord, what do we have to do? 

We have to keep praying.

Of course the Bible says that repeatedly.

Luke 18:1 says we “should always pray and not give up.”

Romans 12:12 says we should be “faithful in prayer.”

Colossians 4:2 says we should devote ourselves to prayer.

First Thessalonians 5:17 tells us to pray continually.

And we have the example of the early church.  Acts 1:14 says, “They all joined together constantly in prayer…”  They prayed in houses and prayed at the temple.  They prayed at the river and prayed at the beach. 

Acts 2:42 says they devoted themselves to prayer.

Acts 6:4 says the early church leadership gave themselves continually to prayer.

First Thessalonians 3:10 says, “Night and day we pray most earnestly…”

Second Thessalonians 1:11 says, “…we constantly pray for you…”

In various places the Bible talks about praying in our heart, praying with our mind, and praying with our spirit.

Ephesians 6:18 says to “pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests…and always keep on praying for all the saints.”

So you get the idea.  Prayer is something we do continually, constantly and faithfully.

We are always talking to the Lord, silently or out loud, wherever we are. 

Our prayers are like incensing rising to the throne of God.

And we don’t want that aroma to fade away.  Just like the priests continually created that fragrance from the incense, we should do the same with our prayers.

So if you appreciate a fragrant aroma, become part of creating one constantly for our Father in heaven.

And we do that by being faithful to pray.


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-

At What Price Will I Compromise? - Apples of Gold - February 20, 2009 -vi-

***You might want to listen to this one – the music enhances the experience.***

 

To listen to the radio version, click here.

 

To search archives, click here.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for February 20, 2009

“At What Price Will I Compromise?”

 

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

Moses was leading the nation of Israel toward the Promised Land.

As they came to the plains of Moab, Moab’s King Balak just about wet his pants.

Israel was larger and stronger and toughened up like a bunch of desert people – because they were.

King B. said to himself, “No way.  We fight – we lose.”

And his people?  Their nice tans lost their coconut glow as the blood drained from them in fear.

Time for a big meeting.  So the joint chiefs of Moab and Midian got together and one of them said, “These Israelites, they’re going to lick us up like a big ox licks up grass.  What are we going to do?”

“I have an idea,” said King B.  “Have you heard of Balaam, son of Beor?  He is a diviner from the East.  Let’s get him over here to curse these cursed Israelites.  That’s our only hope.”

“And send lots of money.”

So they found Balaam, and Balaam said, “Give me time.  Let me see what God says.”

So Balaam talked with God, and God said, “Whatever you do, don’t go.  Don’t even try to curse these people because I’m telling you, they are blessed.”

The next day Balaam sent the big wigs of Moab and Midian packing.  They told King B., “He isn’t coming.”

So King Balak sent some even bigger wigs to deliver this message, “Balaam, I don’t know what’s keeping you from coming, but listen.  I will reward you handsomely.  I’ll do whatever you say, just come and put a curse on these Israelites.”

Well.  The price just went up.  This is unbelievable.  What man in his right mind would pass up this?

So Balaam went back to God, and God said, “Okay, go ahead and go – but only do what I tell you to do.”

So Balaam hopped on his donkey and took off – with visions of riches now dancing in his head.  Oh, all sorts of things ran through his mind, and I think he forgot about God’s word to “only do what I tell you to do.”

Next thing you know, the angel of the Lord stood in the path.  Balaam didn’t see him, but the donkey did and turned off the road into a field.  So Balaam beat her to get her back on track.

This happened a couple more times, and Balaam beat the donkey.  Finally the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth and the donkey said, “Why are you beating me?  What did I do?”

“You’re making me look like an idiot, that’s what!  If I had a sword I’d kill you right now.”

Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes and he saw the angel of the Lord, standing in the road with his sword drawn.

The angel of the Lord said, “I have come to oppose you because your path is reckless before me.  If it weren’t for the donkey I would have killed you by now.”

“Well I go back then,” said Balaam.

“No, go on,” said the angel of the Lord.  “But speak only what I tell you.”

And to his credit, Balaam only spoke what the Lord told him, and right there in front of King Balak he repeatedly blessed Israel instead of cursing them.

Big problem, though.  King B. flew into a rage, slapped his hands together and said, “I brought you here to curse them!  But you keep blessing them!  Now get out of here!  And that handsome reward?  Forgettaboutit!!!  Now git!”

Now you’d think Balaam would just go back home, lick his wounds and forget all about King B. and the Midian/Moab fiasco.

But I think he still found a way to get a hold of that handsome reward, because here’s what he did.  He gave them a key piece of strategy.  If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.

At Balaam’s advice, the Midianites rounded up all their fine looking women.  It’s time to party.  They invited the Israelite men over to sacrifice to their gods, and wouldn’t you know it, there’s plenty of food and the company of these lovely ladies, and I use that term loosely.

Great damage was done to Israel, and it all came back to the advice of Balaam. 

Eventually Israel exacted revenge, and killed the five kings of Midian.  And someone else died by the sword that day – Balaam.

If he would have listened to God the first time, he probably would have been safely tucked in his bed back home. 

But oh, he wanted that money.  Yes, he could be bought.  He had a price.

And a warning echoes down through the ages.

Peter warned about “the way of Balaam…who loved the wages of wickedness.”

Jude called it rushing for profit into Balaam’s error.

And Revelation 2:14 warns against holding to the “teaching of Balaam.”

Balaam was a man of compromise.  Yes, he was willing to compromise for a price.

And now the question comes down to me today.

Would I be willing to compromise my Lord for a price?


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-

Steely-Eyed Determination - Apples of Gold - February 19, 2009 -vi-

To listen to the radio version, click here.

 

To search archives, click here.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for February 19, 2009

“Steely-Eyed Determination”

 

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

Here is a scene I love from the Bible.

The details in Luke 13 are sketchy, so allow me to imagine some details.

I picture Jesus sitting down outside, a little weary and getting some rest.

Disciples are milling around, and a little fire is burning in the background. 

And up walk his favorite people, the Pharisees.

Jesus looks up, purses His lips ever so imperceptibly, and looks back down to a stick He is whittling on. 

The Pharisees have some news for Jesus, news that excites them because it’s a win-win situation for them.  Either a) it will get Jesus out of their hair, or b) it will get Jesus killed.  Either way they would be rid of Him.

In Luke 13:31 they deliver this news to Jesus, “Leave this place and go somewhere else.  Herod wants to kill you.”

At this Jesus stops His whittling and looks up at them.  He tilts His head slightly, looks at one of the underlings who drops his eyes, then looks back at the leader. 

And then something happens around His eyes.  Tiny little muscles constrict ever so slightly.  His gaze locks into focus. 

He speaks.

“Go tell that fox…”

He’s not even really speaking to the Pharisees now. 

“I will…”

He’s speaking to everyone, visible and invisible.

“…reach my goal.”

It’s a declaration of His will.  This is what will happen.  It is set.  It is determined.  It is unstoppable. 

He almost didn’t even have to say it.  You could see it in His eyes.  There it was.

Steely-eyed determination.

And it was summed up in two words:  I will.

I like it when Jesus says “I will,” as in, “I will build my church,” and “I will rise again,” and “I will come back.”

I like bold statements of the will.  I like to make them myself, but I don’t want to make them lightly.  So I look to the Bible for bold patterns I can follow.

And you know where I find a bunch of good ones?  In the Psalms.

Here are just a few of the bold statements of the will, a few declarations from the Psalms that I can make with steely-eyed determination.

I will…seek the face of the Lord.  (Psalm 27:8)

I will…call on Him as long as I live.  (Psalm 116:2)

I will…confess my transgressions to the Lord.  (Psalm 32:5)

I will…listen to what God the Lord will say.  (Psalm 85:8)

I will…meditate on His precepts.  (Psalm 119:78)

I will…remember all His mighty deeds.  (Psalm 77:11-12)

I will…walk in His truth.  (Psalm 86:11)

I will…have nothing to do with evil.  (Psalm 101:4)

I will…keep my tongue from sin.  (Psalm 39:1)

I will…set before my eyes no vile thing.  (Psalm 101:3)

I will…keep His decrees to the end.  (Psalm 119:33)

I will…proclaim the Lord’s mighty deeds.  (Psalm 71:16, 73:28)

I will…teach others the Lord’s ways.  (Psalm 51:13)

I will…make His faithfulness known through all generations.  (Psalm 89:1)

I will…be glad and rejoice in Him.  (Psalm 9:2)

I will…give thanks to the Lord forever.  (Psalm 30:12)

I will…praise the Lord among the nations.  (Psalm 18:49)

I will…extol the Lord at all times.  (Psalm 34:1)

I will…praise Him as long as I live.  (Psalm 63:4)

I will…praise Him with all my heart.  (Psalm 86:12)

I will…praise Him with all my life.  (Psalm 146:2)

I will…sing to the Lord, for He has been good to me.  (Psalm 13:6)

I will…sing of His great love forever.  (Psalm 89:1)

I will…sing of His strength and His justice with all my soul.  (Psalm 59:16, 101:1, 108:1)

I will…sing a new song, and make music to my God.  (Psalm 144:9)

I will…sing praise to my God as long as I live.  (Psalm 104:33)

I will…fear no evil, for He is with me.  (Psalm 23:4)

I will…not be afraid, and I will not be shaken.  (Psalm 56:4, 16:8)

I will…always have hope.  (Psalm 71:14)

I will…perpetuate His memory through all generations; therefore the nations will praise Him for ever and ever.  (Psalm 45:17)

And that’s just a few of the “I will” statements in the Psalms.

Declare them for yourself.  Declare them with power and fervor, to everyone visible and invisible.

Say it strong. 

And say it with steely-eyed determination.


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've Been Ripped Off and Someone's Going to Pay - Apples of Gold - February 18, 2009 -vi-

To listen to the radio version, click here.

 

To search archives, click here.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for February 18, 2009

“I’ve Been Ripped Off and Someone’s Going to Pay”

 

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

Last week someone stole my wife’s purse.

They broke out our van window right there in broad daylight.

Other than paying $242 for a new window, it didn’t seem so bad.  They got her driver’s license, but she didn’t carry her Social Security card.  There was no cash in her purse.  We immediately called and cancelled any bank cards and credit cards and stopped payment on the blank checks.

Problem solved, right?

Wrong.

The thieves tried to cash a huge check anyway, which bounced and the bank charged us for it. 

Then they tried to cash three big checks in my wife’s name, and guess what?  Somehow they were able to drain our savings account, which had nothing to do with the checking account.  And there was nothing in my wife’s purse about the savings account anyway.

Yes, there’s a big fraud going on somewhere and we’re still trying to get to the bottom of it.  Both police and bank investigators are involved, and we have been told that we will get all of our money back…eventually.

The last time I left the bank I told the woman, “Call me when you know something…so I can stop fuming.”

Now I know this isn’t a super-spiritual reaction, but here’s what I feel like.  I’ve been ripped off and someone’s going to pay.

And it’s not even that bad of a rip-off.  Pretty good odds we will get our money back and life will go on.  But still...if I could get my hands on the guy who broke into my van…

But now listen.  That river of anger quickly overflows its banks.  Instead of being pinpointed on the thief, it spills over onto others. 

Now watch this.  Listen.  Guess what question some people have asked me?  About the thief they ask, “What color was he?”

I say, “That has nothing to do with it.” 

You see how quickly anger can become generalized and flow over to innocent people?  No matter what the skin color was of the thief, there is a temptation to take it out on everyone else of that skin color, which is ridiculous.

But I understand it, because when you’ve been ripped off, someone has to pay.  Someone has to become the target of your bitterness.

I spoke to a bank employee this morning.  I had to keep reminding myself to be nice because he was not the cause of my problem.  But I wanted to unleash on him and everyone else at the bank. 

I’ve been ripped off and someone’s going to pay.

That is our human nature, but thank God I have the Holy Spirit within me to guide me and keep my human nature from running amok.

But let me tell you, I can sure relate to anyone who feels ripped off today.

Some people feel ripped off by life in general, so they are making all of society pay.

Some people feel ripped off by their parents, so they are making their parents pay, and anyone who reminds them of their parents.

Some people feel ripped off by their church, so they are making all churches pay, and maybe even all Christians.

Some people feel ripped off by being raised poor, so they are making anyone pay who isn’t poor.

Some people feel ripped off by their employer, so they make them pay by stealing or even by sabotaging product.

Now listen to this.  Some people feel ripped off in their marriage.  They feel cheated in the spouse they are stuck with, and someone’s got to pay.  They justify an affair.  They justify doing their own thing.  They justify leaving entirely because they feel ripped off.

But you know what?  All of this can be remedied by putting our faith in God.

Abraham could have felt ripped off when he went so many years without a son.  But Hebrews 11 says he continued to believe that God was faithful.

Joseph could have felt ripped off when he ended up in prison for something he didn’t do.  But instead of wallowing in bitterness, he maintained his faith in God.

David could have felt ripped off when he had King Saul trying to kill him for no good reason.  David went through many dark valleys, yet this is the same David who wrote Psalm 36:5, “Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.”

Paul suffered much at the hands of men after becoming a Christian, but he didn’t let that ripped off feeling poison him.  In Second Thessalonians 3 he wrote, “…pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men, for not everyone has faith…but the Lord is faithful…”

This same Paul wrote in First Corinthians 10:13, “…God is faithful…”

You know what?  Everyone gets that ripped off feeling.  The question is, what do we do with it?

Yes, strive for justice and work to right the wrongs.  But watch out for the poison of feeling ripped off.  It will quickly overtake you and spill onto everyone else.  Anger turns to bitterness, then hate.  We end up hating people when we are called to love them.

So how on earth can we love people when we feel ripped off? 

I think the key is trusting in the Lord.  Like one guy I know said, “Trust the Lord, even when it don’t make sense.”

So that’s my advice to myself today.  It’s going to be alright.  No matter what happens, I will trust in the Lord to look out for me.  And that allows me to let go of that ripped off feeling.  I can let it go, and breath in the Lord’s peace instead.

Yes, now I can get rid of the chip on my shoulder that says someone has to pay.

Instead I can walk in peace and love, knowing that the Lord is faithful, and I can put all my trust in Him.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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


P.S.  New update.  In the time it took me to write this the bank passed through another $2,000 check and took it out of our savings account.  Our savings account is now almost $2,000 in the RED!  I didn’t even know a savings account could go in the red. 

© 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-