No Exit Strategy - Apples of Gold - March 27, 2009 -vi-

To listen to the radio version, click here.

 

To search archives, click here.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for March 27, 2009

“No Exit Strategy”

 

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

“So do you have an exit strategy for that?”

That’s what my friend asked me.

He was referring to some volunteer work I do for a church.

Not my current church, but a former church.

We were sitting around my dining room table and he said, “You know, you do a lot of work for them.  Do they pay you?”

“I don’t want to be paid.  It’s just something I can easily do, so I do it.  I like doing it.  It’s a service, a ministry.”

“Yeah, but you don’t go there anymore.  You don’t want them to take advantage of you.”

“I don’t think you have to worry about that.”

“So do you have an exit strategy?”

“A what?”

“An exit strategy.  You know, a plan, a way to phase out working for them.”

“Not at all.  If I decide someday to stop, I’ll just tell them I can’t do it anymore.  But I don’t see that happening.  Like I said, I like it.  I like working for the ministry.  It’s the Lord’s work.  It’s a service to His people.  It’s something I can easily do to bless others.  It makes no difference where the church is.  You know, some people use their spare time to watch TV or play golf or go shopping.  I’d rather do something like this to help a church.  So no, there is no exit strategy.”

Now don’t get me wrong.  I understand his point.  I have heard of people getting roped into things at church, or “guilted” into things.  I can imagine people feeling stuck doing something they don’t like, don’t feel called to, and don’t want to do.  My friend just didn’t want me to end up like that.

But I look at it like this.  When it becomes obvious how I can bless someone, when it’s something I can easily do, something that will be a blessing – I figure…just do it.

I lump it all under this heading:  Doing Good.

And you know what?  There is no exit strategy for doing good.

I mean, it’s not like I’m going to do good for a while, then quit.  Doing good goes on forever. 

First Peter 3:13 uses this phrase:  eager to do good.

So it’s not something we do reluctantly until something better comes along.  We should be eager to do good.

First Peter 2:12 says that we should do so much good that it even affects non-Christians.

The King James refers to doing good as “well doing.”

Second Thessalonians 3:13 says, “…be not weary in well doing.”

Galatians 6:9 says, “…let us not be weary in well doing; for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”

So we don’t get weak.  We don’t run out of steam. 

“So Doug, does that mean I can never quit a good thing once I start it?”

No.  It just means you should never quit doing good in general.

I’ve done a lot of things over the years that I don’t do anymore.  Needs change.  Your abilities change.  Your calling changes. 

But here is what happens.  A little voice starts to whisper in our head.  It says, “You know, it’s time I did something for myself for a change.”

You start to think about what you are getting out of it.  Here you are, doing all this good for others, and what good is it doing you?

See, the big temptation is not to switch from one good thing to a different good thing.  The big temptation is to switch from doing good for others to only looking out for number one.

That’s when we start to think things like, “They are taking advantage of me,” and, “Hey, I should be getting paid for this.” 

If we let little seeds of discontent grow, that’s when we are tempted to pull back on our good deeds.

The good news is, we will get something good out of it.  We don’t focus on that, but it will happen.  “In due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”

So be aware of those seeds of discontent, and pull them out by the roots.  Don’t grow weary in well doing.  Stay strong.  Keep doing your good deeds.

Don’t even think about quitting.  Don’t even toy with it, because remember, there is no exit strategy for doing good.


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-

Innocence Lost - Apples of Gold - March 26, 2009 -vi-

To listen to the radio version, click here.

 

To search archives, click here.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for March 26, 2009

“Innocence Lost”

 

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

Milton lost his paradise,
Dorothy lost her way,
Vincent lost his sanity,
Thomas lost his faith,
Hoover lost the second time,
Sigmund lost his friend,
Me?  I lost my innocence,
And I want it back again.

That’s from a song by Susan Ashton entitled “Innocence Lost.”

And I love that last line:  “Me?  I lost my innocence . . . and I want it back again.”

I’ve lived long enough now to see a lot of kids grow up.  I’ve seen them young and buoyant, so full of energy and life and joy – just waking up everyday glad to be here.

And I’ve seen many of them lose their innocence.  They become exposed to dark things.  They get caught in the snare. 

Instead of buoyant, you see them taking on water.  Their innocence is lost, and there’s no going back.

But wait a minute.  There is a way to go back!

Believe it or not, you can regain that lost innocence.

Listen to Ezekiel 36:26, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”

I like that visual of the “heart of stone.”  That’s what happens as you lose your innocence.  Your heart gets hard. 

But look what God can do!  He can take a heart of stone and give you a new heart!

Ezekiel 18 says, “Repent…turn away from all your offenses…and get a new heart and a new spirit.”

When we lose our innocence, it’s like we get dirty.  Have you ever seen a homeless person?  This is someone who has no place to bathe or wash their clothes, so they just get more and more dirty.  Most people can’t imagine letting that happen, but it happens one layer at a time.  We would all be that dirty if we didn’t constantly clean up.

Well that’s what happens inside of us.  We lose our innocence, and then the layers start to build up.  Inside we are homeless, with nowhere to get clean.

But now listen to this precious verse in Isaiah chapter one.  “Come now,” says the Lord. 

And don’t you love that already?  When your heart is homeless, it’s a beautiful thing to receive such an invitation.

He says, “Come now, let us reason together.  Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”

That’s a fresh start, my friend!  That dirty, homeless feeling – God will take care of it.

In John chapter three, Jesus introduced a unique phenomenon.  It’s called being “born again.”

Was there ever a fresher start than being born again?  Yet that is exactly what He said.

Second Corinthians 5:17 says, “…if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come.”

Galatians 6:15 says we become this:  a new creation.

In Acts 5:20 they said, “Go…tell the people…of this new life.”

Romans 6:4 uses that same phrase, a “new life.”

So put them all together:  born again, a new creation, a new heart, a new life.

Are you ready for this?  Have you lost your innocence and you want it back again?

Well my friend, this is just the business Jesus is in, trading new lives for old.

Jesus talked about pouring new wine into new wineskins.  I think when we repent of our sins and turn to Christ, I think He makes us into a new wineskin.  He gives us a new heart, and then He starts to fill that new heart with new things, such as His Spirit and His Word, His joy and peace and a host of wonderful things!

You don’t have to spend the rest of your life with your innocence lost.  Your heart doesn’t have to be homeless.

It’s time to come home to Jesus, to be born again, to experience the new life that the Lord is just waiting to give you.


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-

The Invincible Tank of Faith - Apples of Gold - March 25, 2009 -vi-

To listen to the radio version, click here.

 

To search archives, click here.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for March 25, 2009

“The Invincible Tank of Faith”

 

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

When I was a boy I was fascinated with tanks.

You know, like army tanks.

I mean, how could you not love tanks?  They were awesome!

They could drive over anything, and what are you going to do about it?

Go ahead, fire your little guns.  Put up your little road block.

As a kid, if you had a tank, you were king of the sandbox.

Now as a grownup I know there are ways to fight tanks.  But as a kid, they were invincible.

Now take a tank back in time.  Let the savages chuck their spears.  Bring on the Roman legions.  No one is going to beat your tank.

If you had to go from point A to point B, you could simply get in your tank and drive.  The enemy could do nothing about it.

As long as you drove straight toward point B.

So if you were a savage and you were up against a tank, what would your best strategy be?  If you wanted to destroy the tank, you would have get it off course.  You would have to trick the driver into driving it over a cliff or something. 

So that’s one strategy.  Get the driver off course.

Or you could trick the driver to come out of the tank.  Then he would be vulnerable.

As long as the driver stays inside the tank though, and on course, there’s not much you can do but annoy him.

So you either have to get him off course, or trick him to come out of the tank.

Now keep that visual in mind, because I think it’s a good picture of our Christian life.

As a Christian, I am the tank driver.  And now listen to this.  The tank is my faith in the Lord.

My destination is eternity, to stand before God someday and have him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

And the savage?  The savage king?  That is the devil.  That’s Satan, a.k.a. “The Wicked One,” “The Prince of This World.”  He is my enemy.

Now what is my enemy up to? 

First Peter 5:8 says he is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.

In Job 2:2 he said he had been “roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it.”

The Bible says Satan has been sinning from the beginning and he was a murderer from the beginning.

The Bible says he has power, he has schemes and “wiles,” and he is working to outwit us.

First John 5:19 goes so far as to say that he controls the whole world.

In the Bible we read about Satan tempting people, inciting people, and prompting them to do evil.

Acts 10:38 indicates that some people are under the power of the devil.

Second Timothy 2:26 says that some people are in the trap of the devil.  In fact, it says he has taken them captive to do his will.

First Timothy 5:15 indicates that some people actually turn and follow the devil.

A major problem with Satan, though, is that he is a huge liar.

In John 8:44 Jesus said, “There is no truth in him.”

His native language is lies.  In fact, Jesus said Satan is the “father of lies.”

Revelation 12:9 says he “leads the whole world astray.”

That is our enemy.  Is he out to get us?  When you read the Bible I think you’d have to say, “He sure is.”

Yes, he has power, and yes, he has some powerful weapons at his disposal.

But now listen.  He cannot get to us if we stay in the tank and stay on course.  That means we stay inside the tank of our faith in the Lord, and we keep our eyes set on our eternal destination.

I love the visual in Ephesians 6:16.  “Above all, take the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.”

In my mind, I’m seeing that shield of faith as my tank.  As long as I keep my faith in the Lord, Satan can fire all the fiery darts he wants.  They have zero affect on my tank.

As I stand in faith, all temptations bounce off me like nothing.  All the wiles and schemes of the devil are to no avail – as long as I am in my invincible tank of faith.

No, the driver is not perfect.  I am susceptible to the master deceiver.  That is why I must heed the words of Hebrews 12:2.  I must fix my eyes on Jesus.

So don’t forget today that you have an enemy.

He is firing all his fiery darts, but we can quench them all – by staying safely tucked inside our invincible tank of faith.


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-

Invite Someone to Church - Apples of Gold - March 23, 2009 -vi-

To listen to the radio version, click here.

 

To search archives, click here.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for March 23, 2009

“Invite Someone to Church”

 

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

Don’t forget the power of simply inviting someone to church.

See, something wonderful happens in a church service.  What you have is a bunch of believers gathered together in the name of Jesus.  And in Matthew 18:20 Jesus said, “For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.”

Or like the King James says, “There I am, in the midst of them.”

So when the saints gather for a church service, Jesus is there, right there in that service.

And now listen – I don’t think it’s so much about what goes on in the service, though that is certainly part of it.   But it’s not the main part, I don’t think.

The main part is not what the people are doing.  It’s what the Lord is doing.

I know I have walked into church services where those leading the thing were probably just going about their business.  But the Lord had something very special lined up for me.

I have been deeply touched and moved during the course of a church service.  I have walked into services where I would say that I felt the Lord immediately, felt His stirring, His drawing, His wooing.

The Lord was there in the midst, I just knew it.

When a person comes into a church service, and Jesus is in the midst, they can react in two ways.  They can either soften their heart to Him, or they can harden their heart.

When a person hardens their heart in a church service, they are shutting the door on the Holy Spirit.  Acts 7:51 says, “You always resist the Holy Spirit.” 

Coming up, churches all around the world will celebrate the resurrection of Christ, and many people will darken the doors of the church for the first time in a long time.  When they walk in, Jesus will be there, in the midst.  And they can react in one of two ways.  They can harden their heart to Him, or soften it.

Many will harden their heart to the Lord, and look what will happen.  Over and over the Bible says that when someone’s heart is hardened, they will not listen. 

The preacher can preach all he wants.  The singers can sing.  The teachers can teach.  And the person can sit there and observe it all.  But if he hardens his heart, he is not listening.

Matthew 13:15 says, “For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes.  Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.”

When someone hardens their heart, they don’t see, they don’t hear, they don’t understand.  Ephesians 4:18 says that a hard heart leads to ignorance.

But you know what?  That is their responsibility, not yours.  I say, get ‘em to that church service!  Invite them.  Get them in there.  Jesus is in the midst.  Let them deal with Him personally, in their own heart.

Have you ever felt that wooing, that drawing of Jesus in a church service?  Have you felt that stirring of His Spirit calling you to let go of this world and surrender all to Him?

I’m telling you, Jesus will change lives, literally turn them around, in a church service.  No, it’s not the only place it can happen, but it’s a great place for it to happen, because when the saints gather in His name, He is there.

I believe that Jesus Himself literally speaks to people during a church service.  Now they can harden their heart to what He says, or not.  It’s their choice.  But I believe they will hear from Jesus.  He will have something to say to them – if they won’t harden their heart.

I’m thinking now of the rich young man in Matthew 19.  He heard from Jesus, but then went away sad.  He hardened his heart to what Jesus said. 

So many people do that.  They go to a church service.  They hear what Jesus has to say to them.  And then they leave sad.  Or mad.  Or irritated, because Jesus stirred something inside them.  He asked something of them, and they weren’t willing.  They didn’t want to humble themselves, or let go of something in their current life.

And they walk away. 

But you know what?  That’s their deal.  That’s between them and God.  If they want to harden their heart, what can you do?

But don’t let that stop you from inviting people to church.  It’s the old cliché, you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make them drink.  But you should still lead them to water!

And one great, simple way to do that is to simply invite people to church.  Just ask them.  Say, “Hey, you ought to come to church with me.”

And I believe that when they walk in that service, with the saints gathering together in His name, Jesus will be there in the midst, and He will speak to them.

I believe it.

And then it will be up to them, will they harden their heart, or will they soften their heart to the Lord Jesus – and have their lives changed . . . forever?


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-

The Woman Who Would Not Be Discouraged - Apples of Gold - March 20, 2009 ***Happy Birthday Andrew Apple - 20 Years Old Today!!!*** -vi-

To listen to the radio version, click here.

 

To search archives, click here.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for March 20, 2009

“The Woman Who Would Not Be Discouraged”

 

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

It was Easter Sunday and she was scheduled to be baptized.

Then she told someone, “I can’t do this.”

“What?” they said.  “Why can’t you be baptized?”

“I just can’t,” she said.  “I feel so unworthy.”

Her voice cracked.

“This is something good people do.”

Do you ever feel that way in church?  Like there are all these good people, these nice church people – and then there is you?

Maybe you look around and see the gifted people, the beautiful people – all of God’s darling children.  And you just aren’t one of them.

It’s discouraging, isn’t it? 

Well let me tell you about a woman in the Bible, an outsider who had many strikes against her, but she would not be discouraged.

The story starts with Jesus, at a time when He withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon with His disciples.  He basically wanted to get out of the public eye.

This was strike one against the woman.  For whatever reason, at this time Jesus didn’t want to be bothered.  That’s why He was there.

Strike two was the fact that she was not a Jew.  Jewish teachers didn’t have much to do with Gentiles.

And strike three was that she was a woman.  She was a Gentile woman trying to get in to see a Jewish teacher who wasn’t taking appointments.

But she would not be discouraged.  She had to get to Jesus, for her daughter’s sake.

So she got loud.  If there was a perimeter around Jesus, she would break through with her voice.

“Lord,” she said, “Son of David, have mercy on me!  My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession.”

And you know what Jesus said?

Nothing.

Not one word.

Oh He heard her alright.  He just didn’t respond.

Have you ever experienced that?  It seems like everyone else hears from God but you.  You pray and you pray – but nothing?  It can lead you to conclude that you just aren’t one of the special ones. 

But this woman would not be discouraged.

She kept crying out, anything to get Jesus’ attention, anything to get Him to use His well-known healing power on her daughter.

I guess she cried out to the disciples, too.  If she couldn’t get a rise out of Jesus, maybe she could get through to them.

Well it must have gotten on their nerves because they finally said to Jesus, “Please, send her away.  She keeps crying out after us.”

And finally Jesus addressed the matter.

“I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel,” He said.

Another strike against her, right?  I mean, that’s Jesus Himself basically saying, “Gentile, be gone.”

Would that have been the last straw for you?  Would you quit seeking Jesus at that point?

Well not this woman.  This actually encouraged her.  After the initial silence, to even have Jesus speak on the matter was a breakthrough.

She jumped on the opportunity, came to Jesus face to face and knelt down before Him. 

“Lord, help me!” she said.

Did Jesus take her in His arms and make all her problems go away?

No.

It seems like He added to them.  He said, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs.”

Wow.  There are so many ways this woman could have been offended and stomped off in a huff.  She could have told everyone how she was hurt by Jesus.  She could have walked away from the Lord and taken a bunch of people with her.

But you know what?  She knew that her answers were in Jesus.  He had what she needed, and she would not be discouraged.

So Jesus said, “It’s not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs.”  And she replied, “Yes, Lord, but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.”

And finally the fog lifted.  The sky cleared.  I imagine a stern look lifting from Jesus’ face. 

“Woman,” he said, “You have great faith!  Your request is granted.”

And Matthew 15:28 says, “…her daughter was healed from that very hour.”

So are you in that fog today?  Do you feel unworthy, like God has His chosen people and you aren’t one of them.  Does God seem silent and distant?

Well don’t give up!  Don’t stop seeking Him!  Don’t stop trying to press in, to pray through, to get a hold of God.

Learn from the example of this woman today – the woman who would not be discouraged.


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-

It Takes Training to Distinguish Good from Evil - Apples of Gold - March 19, 2009 -vi-

To listen to the radio version, click here.

 

To search archives, click here.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for March 19, 2009

“It Takes Training to Distinguish Good from Evil”

 

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

My daughter plays volleyball. 

Now I’ve played plenty of volleyball, but never with real referees. 

So I watch her games, and sometimes the ref blows the whistle, stops the action, and holds up two fingers.  They do it all the time, and I still don’t get it.

Oh I know what it’s called:  a “double hit.”  But to me a double hit is when a player hits the ball up in the air, then goes ahead and hits it again.

But that almost never happens.  No, this double hit is different, almost imperceptible.  Someone needs to write and tell me why this is even a rule. 

It happens when a player, often a setter, pops the ball upward with two hands.  For all practical purposes, it’s a single hit, a single motion, a single contact with the ball.

But I guess what happens is that the two hands don’t meet the ball at exactly the same split second.  I’m guessing here, because I have seen it called hundreds of times, yet I have never, ever noticed it myself.  To me it is imperceptible.  I don’t even know why it’s a rule, or how it has any impact on the game other than constantly interrupting it.

But all the refs seem to know.  And all the coaches seem to go along with it.  And all the fans. 

And the only thing I can figure is that I don’t get it because I don’t really know the game.  I’ve never studied it, so I can’t tell the difference between a legal and an illegal hit, nor can I even tell why it matters.

And now listen to this.  This is exactly the way most people are when it comes to distinguishing good from evil.

Yes, some evil is obvious.  But much evil is subtle, almost imperceptible.  If you don’t have a trained eye – now listen to this – if you don’t have a trained eye, you will think that some evil is not evil at all.  You just won’t get it.  You won’t even see why it matters. 

And then when someone blows the whistle and says something is evil, instead of agreeing, you will just get annoyed with the whistle blower – because you don’t get it.  You don’t see it, and you don’t get it.

Now here’s my question.  Would you like to get it?  Would you like to be able to distinguish good from evil?

Well let me tell you, it doesn’t come naturally.  It’s not by osmosis. 

Listen to what it says in Hebrews chapter five.  It’s talking about God’s word, and it says that mature Christians, by constant use of God’s word, “have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.”

So how can we tell the difference between good and evil, even when it’s subtle?  It comes by training ourselves with the constant use of the Word.  We study the Word.  We learn the Word.  We memorize the Word.  We apply the Word.  We soak our lives in the Word.

Through our constant use of the Word, we train ourselves to distinguish good from evil.

Let me tell you, in our world today, evil can slip in almost imperceptibly.  The untrained eye won’t even notice. 

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want that.  I don’t want evil slipping in on me or my family.  I want a trained eye that knows the difference.

The Bible talks about the “wiles of the devil” and “spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”  It talks about “the trickery of men” and “the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting.” 

Yes, some evil is obvious, but much of it is cunning, deceitful, almost imperceptible.  It can sneak up on us and we won’t perceive it until the damage is done.

But there is something we can do about it, and it’s found in Hebrews chapter 5.

Through the constant use of God’s word, we can train ourselves to distinguish good from evil.


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-

Armstrong, Driscoll, Mangione, Marsalis - Apples of Gold - March 18, 2009 -vi-

To listen to the radio version, click here.

 

To search archives, click here.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for March 18, 2009

“Armstrong, Driscoll, Mangione, Marsalis”

 

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

I traced a really cool picture of Terry Metcalf.

He was leaping over a defender, and I traced it – for a grade school art class.

It was terrible.

And it was the death knell for my career as an artist.

I figured if you can’t even trace, why bother?.

I went to an art gallery in Orlando the other day, and I think they were trying to sell some of my old tracings.  Judging by some of their “art,” maybe I could have been an artist after all.

But truthfully, I just don’t think I had the ability to be a great artist.

“Oh, Doug, you just didn’t give it a good shot.”

True.  So my backup reason is I just wasn’t that interested.

I was more interested in music, so I joined the grade school band – and learned to play the trumpet. 

See, if you draw badly, it hardly annoys anyone.  But when you play trumpet badly…

But you know what?  Everyone starts by playing badly. 

Lord have mercy on the family with a trumpet-learning child, but that’s where Louis Armstrong started, and Phil Driscoll, and Chuck Mangione, and Wynton Marsalis.  All of them – terrible – at the beginning.

In grade school we started with a lot of trumpeters, but as the years went by, more and more of them quit.  Eventually I even quit.

Recently I reconnected with one of my old fellow trumpet players on Facebook.  He said he had started playing again, was playing at church, and was part of a little combo.  I told him I really wasn’t interested in playing anymore, and that he was always better than me anyway.

He loved playing trumpet.  He was part of various bands and he practiced a lot.  He knew all the scales, and could play equally as well with music or without.

Now listen to this.  He is what I would call a skilled trumpet player.  He played skillfully.

Me?  I was just a trumpet player.  Yes, I had some ability, but I did not play skillfully, not like him.

What was the difference?

Willingness, for one.  He was willing.  He had the desire.  He wanted to play.

And practice.  He practiced a lot, on his own, when no one was making him.

And learning.  He hung around with musicians and they sharpened their skills together.

And here’s my point.  A lot goes into doing something skillfully.  A lot of time and practice and learning and patience and diligence.

Now look at Psalm 33.  It’s talking about making music to the Lord and it says, “…play skillfully…”

Just two little words, but it will take you a chunk of your life to pull it off.  I bet it took half a decade before I could play the trumpet in a way that didn’t make you want to kill yourself.

And that’s just the bare minimum.  And I don’t think this is just for musicians.

I believe God has given us all certain abilities and interests.  We have gifts, but they come as raw material. 

And now it is our calling in life to learn to do them skillfully.  That means willingness, and a lot of practice, and lifelong learning. 

My son taught himself to play guitar, and he is constantly practicing and getting better.  He hangs around guitar players and they share licks and ideas.  And now it’s enjoyable to listen to, even a blessing.

So are you a musician?  Than master the craft.  Learn to play skillfully, and do it for the glory of God.

And if you aren’t a musician – whether you are an artist or a teacher or a mechanic or an administrator – whatever you are, learn to do it skillfully.

Yes, it may look rough to start with, but don’t give up.  Everyone starts rough. 

Keep learning and working at it.  Yes, it will take a chunk of your life to do it, but the goal is to live up to these two little words in Psalm 33:3, “…play skillfully…”


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-

The One I Feed Will Dominate - Apples of Gold - March 17, 2009 -vi-

To listen to the radio version, click here.

 

To search archives, click here.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for March 17, 2009

“The One I Feed Will Dominate”

 

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

Two hearts beat within my breast,
One is foul, the other blest,
One I love,
One I hate,
The one I feed will dominate.

A man on the radio yesterday said that he was previously hooked on porn.  A caller asked if he still had any problems with it, even a little bit.

None at all, he said. 

How did he overcome it?

By not feeding it, he said.  He said it’s amazing how weak something becomes when you simply stop feeding it.

For him that even included not watching women jog down the road.  It was a simple action of looking elsewhere.  But very effective, he said.

The one I feed will dominate.

Galatians 5:17 says, “…the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature.  They are in conflict with each other…”

In war, you can’t just send your soldiers out to fight.  In no time at all, they will run out of ammo.  And food.  And everything else.  To win a war, you must be able to maintain your supply lines.

If you sever the supply lines, the army will weaken and will eventually be rendered ineffective.

The one I feed will dominate.

As Christians, there is a war inside of us.  It’s between the sinful nature and the Spirit of God.  One of these two is going to dominate our lives.  And it’s going to be the one with the best maintained supply line.

Now listen closely.  Here is how we feed them.  We feed them by trying to please them.  Either we are trying to please our sinful nature, or we are trying to please the Spirit of God.  And whichever one we please will grow in our lives.  We will either have more and more of the sinful nature, or more and more of the Spirit.

And now listen to the pay off.

Galatians 6:8 says, “The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.”

See, we are either feeding the sinful nature or feeding the Spirit.  We are either planting seeds of destruction or seeds of eternal life.

How can you tell the difference?

Okay.  Look for these in your life.  The more of these you find in your life, the more you are feeding the sinful nature, and the more destruction you will reap.  This is according to Galatians 5.

First of all, is there sexual immorality in your life? 

What about drunkenness?

What about hatred?

What about fits of rage?

Is there jealousy or envy?

What about selfish ambition?

What about discord and dissension?

Even idolatry and witchcraft?

Are you feeding any of these in your life?  If so, you are planting seeds of destruction, and you will reap the harvest.

It is time to cut the supply lines. 

The one you feed will dominate.

Now, look for these in your life.  The more of these you find, the more you are sowing to please the Spirit.

First of all, is there love in your life?

What about joy?

What about peace?

Do you have patience?

Are you gentle and kind?

Are you good and faithful?

Do you have self control?

These are evidence of the Spirit at work in your life.  As we grow in Christ, we should have more and more of these, and less and less of the sinful nature.

And it comes down to which one we want to please.  We are either sowing to please the sinful nature, or we are sowing to please the Spirit.

Yes, two hearts beat within my breast,
One is foul, the other blest,
One I love,
One I hate,
The one I feed will dominate.


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-

One Good Idea Can Change Your Life - Apples of Gold - March 16, 2009 -vi-

To listen to the radio version, click here.

 

To search archives, click here.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for March 16, 2009

“One Good Idea Can Change Your Life”

 

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

It was the opening day of the United States Supreme Court.

Abortion rights advocates were loudly protesting and waving their signs.

Meanwhile, a group of pro-life advocates stood silent.

Now you’d think that being silent is a good way to get lost in the crowd.

But it was the visual that was arresting.

They were silent, but they all had wide, red tape over their mouths.  And on the tape was one simple word:  LIFE.

An official from the National Organization for Women came over.  She said, “That’s a very effective strategy.”

So how did they come up with this “very effective strategy?” 

Listen to this.  The Lord gave it to one of them in a dream.

That’s what they said.  One of them had a dream of people standing there silently with red tape over their mouths and the word LIFE written on the tape.

You know what?  You could sit around and brainstorm for days and not come up with a great idea like that.  But in an instant, the Lord can give you the most powerful and effective ideas.

It’s been said that one good idea can change your life. 

Have you heard about the professional bowler with a new bowling technique?

Now bowling is a pretty simple concept.  You probably thought there were no new ideas possible with bowling, but here you go. 

He bowls with two hands.

Now this isn’t your little sister’s two-handed bowling.  25-year-old Jason Belmonte of Australia uses both hands to spin the ball like crazy as he heaves it down the lane.  With twice the usual RPM’s, the ball sends pins flying for their life.

He started bowling with two hands when he was a kid.  He was a good enough bowler that his dad decided to take him for some special coaching.  And what did the special coaches tell him?  “Quit bowling with two hands.”

Well he didn’t, and now he is leading a movement of two-handed bowlers that is catching on.   

I bring that up just to point out that there are always new ideas.  There are new ways of doing things.

We went from chisels to quill pens to ball point pens to typewriters to word processors.  We went from cell phones you can talk on to cell phones you can use to text and take pictures and videos and surf the net and on and on.

And there are thousands of great new ideas just waiting to be thought of.

Now I believe that God has instilled into all people His creative abilities.  I believe that’s part of being created in His image.

But as Christians I think we have an advantage in the race for ideas.  Like the idea for the red LIFE tape, I really believe that God will divinely give His people ideas. 

In Daniel chapter 5, King Belshazzar of Babylon called on Daniel to solve a problem for him.  And listen to what he said about Daniel.  “I have heard that the spirit of the gods is in you and that you have insight, intelligence and outstanding wisdom.”

What he was talking about was the Spirit of the one true living God.  Yes, it was God’s Spirit that gave Daniel his great insight. 

Well as Christians, we all have God’s Holy Spirit inside of us.  And I think He will lead us to wonderful, creative ideas.

Do you want to know how to do something better?  Ask the Lord.

Of course we can come up with ideas on our own, but here’s the thing.  We don’t know what’s best – and here is how I define best. 

In John 15:16 Jesus said, “…I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit – fruit that will last.”

So this is what I want.  Yes, I want great new ideas, but not just any ideas.  I want ideas that, when put into practice, will bear much fruit – fruit that will last.

And those ideas come from the Spirit of God within us.  He alone knows which ideas will produce the best eternal fruit possible.

Yes, one good idea can change your life.  It can even change the world.

But don’t just sit around and try to dream one up.  Instead, draw near to God and let His Spirit stir up ideas within you.

Then you will come up with good ideas, and they will be the kind that bears much fruit – fruit that will last.


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-

The Plain of Ono - Apples of Gold - March 12, 2009 -vi-

This one is probably better heard than read.

 

To listen to the radio version, click here.

 

To search archives, click here.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for March 12, 2009

“The Plain of Ono”

 

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

(begin music)

I wiped the dirt off my hand, then wiped the sweat from my brow.

I squinted in the blazing sun, and turned north, toward the Plain of Ono.

“Come again,” I said.

“It’s an invitation, sir.  They want to meet you in one of the villages on the plain of Ono.”

It was no invitation.  It was a plot.

“How should I respond, sir?”

“Respond?  Yes.  Tell them this:  I am carrying on a great work and cannot come.  Why should the work stop so I can meet with you?”

Four times they sent the same message, and four times I sent the same answer:  No.

The fifth time the invitation came with a threat.  “We plan to tell the king that you are planning a revolt.  Come, let us meet together.”

So that’s their plan.  Turn the king against me. 

“How should I respond, sir?”

“Tell them:  Nothing even close to a revolt is happening.  It’s all in your head.”

Yes, the great work would continue.  They were trying to weaken us with fear.  Weaken me with fear.

I bowed my head in the sun, turned my palms toward heaven and said, “Now strengthen my hands.”

Another day I went to the house of Shemaiah.  He said, “Men are coming by night to kill you.  Let us hide in the temple.”

I squinted straight into his eyes.  He looked away.

“Should a man like me run away?” I said.  “I will not.” 

He was a hireling.

I walked out into the dusty, vacant street.  “O my God, remember those who are trying to intimidate me.”

Well, we were not intimidated.  We did not shrink back with fear.  And the great work was finished - in 52 days. 

In just 52 days we rebuilt the great wall of Jerusalem.

“A great work, Nehemiah!”

“Yes, my friend.  A great work – done with the help of our God.”

I walked among my countrymen.  Their world was changing right before their eyes.

“Remember me with favor, O my God, for all I have done for these people.”

I squinted in the blazing sun and turned toward the north.

“Thank You.  For the courage.  For the strength. And for keeping me out of the plain of Ono.”

(music out)

Taken from Nehemiah chapter 6

 

© 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-

Take Hold of That for Which Christ Took Hold of You - Apples of Gold - March 11, 2009 -vi-

To listen to the radio version, click here.

 

To search archives, click here.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for March 11, 2009

“Take Hold of That for Which Christ Took Hold of You”

 

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

Paul said, “…I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.”

Now when Paul says that Christ Jesus “took hold” of him, that was an understatement.

Do you recall when Jesus took hold of Paul?  He was on the road to Damascus when a brilliant light shone from heaven and Jesus Himself spoke to him.

Now the question “Why?”  Why did Jesus take hold of Paul?

In Acts 9:15 the Lord said, “This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel.”

And there’s more.  In Acts 22 Paul was told, “The God of our fathers has chosen you to know His will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from His mouth.  You will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard.”

I’m talking about the Apostle Paul’s specific assignment from God.

And there’s more.  Acts 26 records more of what Jesus told Paul that day on the road to Damascus.  “I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen of Me and what I will show you.”

Now I want you to soak up the awesomeness of all that.  God told Paul that he would see Jesus and hear words from His mouth.  Jesus said He would show Paul things, and then Paul would pass them along to the rest of us.

That is why Jesus took hold of Paul.

Paul knew that, very clearly.  And that became the focus of his life.  And that’s why he said, “I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.”

And now I have a huge question for you.  Why did Jesus take hold of you?

This is important because if you know that, then you know what to focus on.  You can point your life in that direction and press on with all your might.

“How can I know that?” you ask.  “How can I know specifically why Jesus took hold of me?”

Well, for Paul it was easy.  At the point of his conversion, Jesus told him precisely why He was taking hold of him.

And that leads us to this question.  Is that something Jesus did just for Paul, or is it something He does for all of us?

Well I certainly think Paul was unique.  His calling was outstanding.

But the Bible talks about many callings and giftings.  These things are divvied up by Jesus to His people, the church, the body of Christ – us!

And ever since then there are thousands if not millions of testimonies of people whose life was taken hold of by Jesus, and then they discovered why.

I’m currently reading the complete memoirs of Charles Finney.  He talks plainly about his conversion, how Christ took hold of his life.

And then he began preaching.  He knew he was supposed to preach.  He was called to preach. 

His training was as a lawyer, not a preacher.  But when Christ took hold of him he just knew that he was to be a preacher and that’s what he did for the rest of his life.

Now listen.  He didn’t keep dabbling in the law.  He was still offered cases, but he turned them down.  That was not his calling.  That was not why Jesus took hold of him. 

Instead, he pressed on, reaching out to take hold of that for which Christ took hold of him.

I look at it like this.  You are a big bundle of potential.  It includes your calling and your gifts.  This is God’s purpose for your life.  And when Christ takes hold of you, it is so you can fulfill this potential.  From that point on, it is your duty to press on to take hold of that for which Christ took hold of you.

Now some people are saying, “Doug, I have no clue what that is.  I’m nothing special.  I don’t know why Christ took hold of me.  I would press on, but I don’t know what to press on towards.”

First of all, I would recommend you link up with someone more spiritually mature, someone who can mentor you through this process.  They can help you discover God’s purpose for your life.

Second, let me say this.  For many people, including the Apostle Paul and Charles Finney, they knew their purpose from the time of their conversion.  So think back.  Go back to the time when Christ took hold of you.  Could it be that the Lord spoke to you at that time?  Look for the seeds of your calling at the time of your conversion.

And most of all, I recommend that you get alone with God and draw near to Him.  I thoroughly believe He will speak to you as you open yourself up to Him.  Dedicate yourself to prayer and to the Word of God. 

I don’t think God will hide this from you.  You need to get on with your life.  You need to focus your energies.  You need to press on in one direction with all your might.

So if you don’t know already, it’s time to find out.

It’s time to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of you.


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-