Whatever You Do, You Are an Example - Apples of Gold - February 5, 2010 -vi-

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Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for February 5, 2010

“Whatever You Do, You Are an Example”

 

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

I was in a huge rush after church.

Back then I was the marketing director for a bank, and the bank had a float in a parade.  I produced the bank’s newsletter, and I wanted a photo of the float for the next edition.  I told them I would take the pictures myself, so I was committed.

But now I was running late.  I couldn’t bear the thought of telling them I didn’t get the pictures, so all I could do was drive as fast as I could.

Of course parades mean free candy, so my young son and his little friend wanted to go.  They were busy goofing off in the back seat while I was hitting the gas in the front.

All of a sudden my son’s friend shouted from the back seat, “Wow, your dad’s going 70 miles an hour!”

“Oh,”  I said, shocked.  And I immediately slowed down.

But at that rate I was going to be late, so when the boys were sufficiently preoccupied I applied a little more pressure to the gas pedal.

And wouldn’t you know it, the same little voice piped up, “Wow, look how fast your dad’s going!”

Oh my goodness, what is this kid, the town crier? 

Well it all boiled down to this.  Yes, I wanted to get to the parade on time, but more importantly I wanted to set a good, law-abiding example for the boys.  So I backed off the speed and kept it there.  And I made it to the parade on time anyway; photos were taken, candy was collected, and everyone was happy.

Now do you see my motivation?  Do you see what my decision finally hinged on?  It was my awareness that at that moment I was setting an example. 

And you know what?  We are always setting an example.

Back in the 90’s, Charles Barkley was one of the top players in the NBA.  He was a bit of a trouble maker, and people put pressure on him to clean up his act.  They told him his behavior was influencing young people. 

He reacted strongly against that pressure and famously declared, “I am not a role model.”

Well the truth of the matter is, we are all role models.  We all set an example for everyone else.

It is important that we keep that in mind, and that we think about the big picture.

For example, I know it is important how I treat my wife because it sets an example for every other husband out there.  And it really doesn’t matter if I treat her well or treat her poorly, I’m still setting an example.

At work, my work ethic sets an example.  Do I work hard or goof off? 

I told my daughter the other day, “There are two important things to keep in mind.  First, you need to work hard.  And second, you need to look like you’re working hard.”

Who cares how it looks as long as you are working hard? 

Well let’s say you come in at midnight and work for five hours, but no one knows it.  Then each afternoon you just sit at your desk for five hours and smoke cigarettes.  Yes, you might be getting the same amount of work done, but the example you are setting is terrible. 

So setting a good example means you do the right thing, and people see you do the right thing.

Yes, there’s a fine line between letting people see your good example and being proud or showing off, but it’s not hard to tell the difference.

The Apostle Paul wasn’t shy about letting people see his example.  In First Corinthians 11:1 he flat out declared, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.”

“But Doug, I don’t want the pressure.  I’ll never tell people to follow my example.”

Well the pressure is there already, and someone is going to follow your example whether you want them to or not.  So be aware of it and crank up your example.  And like Paul said, you can set a good example by following the example of Christ.

First Thessalonians 1:7 includes this little phrase, “…you became examples to all…”

First Peter 5:3 tells the church elders to be “examples to the flock.”

Titus 2:7 says, “In everything set them an example by doing what is good.”

And I especially like the King James Version of First Timothy 4:12, “…be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”

God wants us to be good examples to everyone around us.  What we do, what we say, even how we react . . . it matters.  It affects people.  People learn how to behave in certain situations by observing how other people behave in those situations.

So add this to your decision-making arsenal. 

When the kid pipes up in the back seat, when you’re put on the spot and you have to make a decision, one thing to keep in mind is that, whatever you do, you are an example.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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


© 2010 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 a Dead End? Search Out the Matter - Apples of Gold - February 4, 2010 -vi-

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Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for February 4, 2010

“At a Dead End?  Search Out the Matter”

 

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

A friend of mine videotaped my daughter’s wedding.

I told him, “Just capture the footage, lots of footage, then I will edit it myself later.”

Now I don’t know why I’m using words like “videotape” and “footage” because there was no tape, and no footage.  It was all digital.

He borrowed a nice HD Sony camera from someone, and he gave up most of his Saturday to shoot the video.  That night he gave me the camera and said he needed to hurry up and return it.

So I moved the video files from the camera to an external hard drive and returned the camera.  Then I tried to watch the videos on my computer, and they wouldn’t open.  Not a good sign.

The Sony camera had created .mts files, which is a special kind of file that you apparently can’t just pop open and play on your computer.

Great.  Now what?

What would you do in that situation? 

Well, I have a nice video editing program on my computer, so I figured I could just use it to watch the wedding, but it didn’t work.  So now what? 

Now it’s time to get on the internet and “search out the matter.”

The internet is a great place to do research, if you can find reliable sources. 

Some sources said I needed to convert the .mts files to something else, so I finally found a conversion program that would do the job.  But it was very slow.

It took me several hours to convert all the videos, then I decided to burn a test DVD.

And it looked cruddy.  Great.  All that work for nothing.  We used a Sony HD camera, but the result looked like something from a camera made by Crayola.

Well I was not going to spend hours and hours editing her wedding video just have it come out cruddy, so it was back to the drawing board, back to more internet research.

Ah, another helpful tip.  I can download the videos right into iMovie, at their original quality, but I need to use a “FireWire.”

Great!  I have a FireWire right here! 

But it turned out to be the wrong size, so I needed to either buy one or borrow one.  I drove around Tallahassee.  I sent out text messages.  I tweeted, and I still couldn’t get my hands on what I needed.

So I went back home and did even more research. 

Ah, another tip.  Just use a little feature called “import camera archive.”

So I did, and there it was!  My daughter’s wedding, in the pristine digital glory that I expected all along.

Now, do you see how that worked?  I started out with no idea what to do, not a clue.  But I began “searching out the matter.”  I dug deeper and deeper, got input from one person, then another. 

At different points I thought I had the answer, only to realize I didn’t.  Then I found something that worked, but not that well.  I could have settled for “not that well” but decided to keep searching until I had fully “searched out the matter.”

And that’s today’s lesson.  It’s the lesson of “searching out the matter.” 

You’ll find it in Proverbs 25:2.  It says, “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter.”

I don’t know exactly what King Solomon was thinking when he wrote that proverb, but I do know that there is a certain glory to searching out a matter.

I met a young man this week who said he wants to have a national TV program.  In the last couple of years he has built up a popular cable show, and he said he wants to go national.

But get this.  He doesn’t know how.  However, he has the drive and determination to search out the matter.  At some point he is going to make the leap.  He’ll go from not knowing how to knowing how, and it will come as he diligently searches out the matter.

Now how about you?  Are you standing at a dead end?  Do you have goals and dreams?  Do you even feel like God has given you a vision, but you have no idea how to do it?

Well don’t just stand there waiting for someone to help you.  Make a move, and here is where you can start.

You can start by heeding the words of Proverbs 25:2. 

Get determined, dig in, and begin searching out the matter.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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


© 2010 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 Never Fail In Life - Apples of Gold - February 3, 2010 -vi-

Click here to listen to the radio version.   

Click here to search the AOG archives.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for February 3, 2010

“How To Never Fail In Life”

 

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

How would you like to join a team that never loses?

How would you like to invest in a business that always makes a fantastic profit?

Well I want you to really meditate on these three words in First Corinthians 13:8.

“Love never fails.”

So the more we love, the less we fail, because love never fails.

Now maybe the word “love” sounds weak to you, like cupids and hearts and silly little Valentines.

But how does “never fail” sound?  Does that sound weak?

To me that sounds powerful!  “Never fail” is the team I want to be on.

Love never fails, so the degree to which I love is the degree to which I don’t fail.

Love doesn’t make you a doormat.  Love makes you a powerhouse!

Love is a juggernaut that overpowers everything in its way.

Love is fearless.  Like it says in First John 4:18, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear…”

So you want to be fearless?  Then let love permeate your life.

“Well Doug, I just don’t feel it, man.  I don’t feel all that love you’re talking about.”

Romans 5:5 says, “…God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.”

As Christians, we have the Holy Spirit living inside of us, God’s Holy Spirit.  And through the Holy Spirit inside of us, God pours out His love into our hearts.  That’s why love is a fruit of the Spirit, as it says in Galatians 5:22.

So God’s love is there, in our heart.  We just have to put off the old man, this hard old crusty shell that keeps His love from coming out. 

In this world we learn to put on a crusty exterior just to keep from getting crushed.  But now we don’t need it because we have something far better, far more able to protect us, and that is love.

Ephesians 5:2 says to “…live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us…”

First Corinthians 16:14 says, “Do everything in love.”

Romans 13:10 says, “…love is the fulfillment of the law.”

First Peter 4:8 says, “Above all, love each other deeply…”

First Peter 1:22 says, “…love one another deeply, from the heart…”

Over and over Jesus taught us to love people, including our enemies.  And He set the example by laying down His life.

He gave up His life for us, and told us in John 15:12, “Love each other as I have loved you.”

James 2:8 says this is the “royal law…love your neighbor as yourself…”

Now listen to this.  Do you want to never fail in any relationship?  Then love them.

Every person you look at, every person you encounter is someone you love.

Whenever you are dealing with someone, you should say to yourself, “This is someone I love.”

It’s hard to lash out when this is someone I love.

It’s hard to be racist when this is someone I love.

It’s hard to steal when this is someone I love.

It’s hard to hold a grudge when this is someone I love.

It’s hard to cheat with a man’s wife when he is someone I love.

It’s hard to be quiet about the gospel when this is someone I love.

“But Doug, I don’t know where to begin.  I’m just not the lovey-dovey type.”

Okay, start small.  You don’t have to make any grand world-beating claims.  Start with the people who end up standing right there in front of you.  Just look at their face and think, “This is someone I love.  I will deal with them as if they are someone I love, because they are.”

When you do this, you will feel the power of love grow within you.

Martin Luther said a powerful thing in his 95 theses.  In number 44 he wrote, “…by works of love, love grows and a man becomes a better man…”

So just start.  Start loving people one step at a time.

And watch as defeats become victories, as depressing situations become victorious situations. 

You will begin to walk from victory to victory as love works its way through your life.

So get on the winning team! 

Come to the side of love and learn how to never fail in life because like it says in First Corinthians 13:8, “Love never fails.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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


© 2010 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-

Jesus Existed Before He Was Born - Apples of Gold - February 2, 2010 -vi-

Click here to listen to the radio version.   

Click here to search the AOG archives.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for February 2, 2010

“Jesus Existed Before He Was Born”

 

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

On Christmas Day we tell our children, “Today we celebrate the birth of Jesus.”

But what many people don’t know, and haven’t even thought about, is that Jesus existed before He was born to Mary some 2,000 years ago.

That thought may blow you away.  It certainly blew the Jews away in Jesus’ time, especially during one big showdown in John chapter eight.  In verse 57 they said, “You are not yet fifty years old, and you have seen Abraham!”  And Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, before Abraham was born, I am!”

It blew them away so much that they decided to blow Him away!

So . . . He existed before Abraham, and listen to what Colossians 1:17 says, “He is before all things.”

John the Baptist repeatedly said that, even though Jesus was coming after him, He was actually before him.

Jesus makes a lot of grand statements in the book of Revelation, and here are two of them.  In Revelation 1:8 He said, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”  And in Revelation 21:6 He said, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.”

The prophet Micah delivered this powerful prophecy of the Messiah in Micah 5:2.  It’s a prophecy that the Messiah would come out of Bethlehem, and it says, “…out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”

So there are many indications that Jesus existed before every other person and thing, which makes sense when you consider that all things were created through Him.  That’s what it says in John 1:3, “Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made.”

Colossians 1:16 says, “For by Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by Him and for Him.”

Hebrews 1:2 says that, through His Son, God made the universe.

So Jesus existed before all of creation, since all things were created by Him.

Now, if He existed before He was born, where was He?

In John 6:62 Jesus asked a rhetorical question, “What if you see the Son of Man ascend to where He was before!”

Of course some of them did see Jesus ascend, as reported in Acts chapter one.  It says Jesus was taken up before their very eyes, up into the sky, and a cloud finally hid Him from their sight.  And where did He go?  Well both verse two and verse eleven say He went into heaven.

He ascended into heaven, where He was before.  Before what?  Before He came to earth.

John 1:14 describes it this way, “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.”

And where was the Word before He became flesh?

John 3:13 says, “No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven – the Son of Man.”

That’s Jesus.  Several times in First Corinthians 15 He is described as the “man from heaven.”

John 6 talks about the bread that came down from heaven.  In verse 41 Jesus said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.”  In verse 38 Jesus uses this phrase, “…I have come down from heaven…”

So before Jesus was born, He was in heaven.  In John 16:28 Jesus said, “I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.”

And in John 17:5, before his crucifixion, Jesus prayed, “And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with You before the world began.”

It’s important as Christians that we know who Jesus is, and that we understand what He did.  In this case, He left heaven, and the Word became flesh.  He became a baby in Mary’s womb, was born and carried out His life and ministry, and finally His glorious redemptive work on our behalf.  And then He was taken back up into heaven from where He came. 

Yes, it’s nice to celebrate Jesus’ birth, but there’s much more to the story.  So keep this in mind when you think about the little baby in Bethlehem. 

Jesus existed before He was born.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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


© 2010 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-

We're Blessed, So Let's Just Dig Another Well - Apples of Gold - January 28, 2010 -vi-

Click here to listen to the radio version.   

Click here to search the AOG archives.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for January 28, 2010

“We’re Blessed, So Let’s Just Dig Another Well”

 

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

So you had this good-looking married couple, Isaac and Rebekah.

And they had a food problem.  No, it wasn’t Rebekah’s cooking.  It was a famine.

There was a famine in the land, and as the head of the household, it was Isaac’s job to find food for his family.

Well God made it easy for him.  In Genesis 26 we read that “the Lord appeared to Isaac” and told him where to go.

In verse three the Lord said, “Stay in this land for a while, and I will be with you and will bless you.”

So Isaac went, and when he got there he planted crops.  Now planting crops is always a step of faith.  You are basically taking grain and, instead of eating it, you are sticking it in the ground.

But Isaac had faith because, after all, God Himself said, “I will bless you.”

So Isaac planted crops, and look what it says in Genesis 26:12.  It says that same year he “reaped a hundredfold…”  And then it says why.  It says he “reaped a hundredfold, because the Lord blessed him.”

Isaac had faith to plant in the first place because he trusted the Lord to bless him – because the Lord had said He would bless him.  Then Isaac reaped a great harvest because, as he expected, the Lord did bless him.

And he lived happily ever after, right?

Well . . . no.

Yes, he had quite a winning streak.  Verse 13 says Isaac became rich and grew very wealthy.

But then his neighbors, the Philistines, turned on him.  They committed the sneaky and cruel act of filling in the water wells.

Then the king of that land told Isaac to move away.  “You have become too powerful,” he said.

So in a way, Isaac’s abundant blessings turned into a curse.  It made his neighbors jealous and the king nervous.

Did Isaac argue or fight back?  Did he make a big scene, or start a war?

No.  He did what they requested.  He moved away.

He ended up in a valley, and his servants went out digging, and – good news! – they discovered fresh water.

Then some of the locals came along and claimed the water for themselves.

Did Isaac fight about it?

No, he just went out and dug another well.

But the locals pitched a fit about that one, too.

And what did Isaac do?

He moved on.  Yes, he could have stayed and fought about it, but you know what?  I think Isaac thought to himself, “I know the Lord is with me.  He said He would bless me.  I’m blessed, so let’s just dig another well.”

And finally, no one bickered with him about this one, so he named it Rehoboth, which means “room,” and he said, “Now the Lord has given us room and we will flourish in the land.”

Now what about you today?  Do you feel like the Philistines have filled in your wells?  Do you see your provision drying up and enemies on the horizon? 

Well don’t fret!  Just say along with Isaac, “I’m blessed, so let’s just dig another well.”

“But Doug,” you say, “I’m not blessed.  You should see my position.  Plus, God said He would bless Isaac.  That doesn’t mean He’ll bless me.”

Okay, look at Romans 10:12.  “For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile – the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on Him.”

James 1:25 talks about hearing and doing the Word of God.  The man who does that, it says, “he will be blessed in what he does.”

I could go on and on about how the Lord blesses His people.  If you are His, then you are blessed!

We know Isaac was blessed, very blessed, and yet there he stood, more than once, looking at his hard work ruined, looking at once beautiful wells, now filled with dirt.

But he was blessed, and he knew he was blessed.  So he didn’t get all stressed out and start World War III. 

Instead, he just took the attitude that we can all take as God’s people facing difficult circumstances.

We can rise to the occasion.  We can stand in the face of adversity and declare, “Yes, we are blessed, so let’s just dig another well.”


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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


© 2010 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-

When We Work Together As a Unit - Apples of Gold - January 27, 2010 -vi-

To listen to the radio version, click here.   

To search archives, click here.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for January 27, 2010

“When We Work Together As a Unit”

 

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

FSU quarterback E.J. Manuel was here in the studio yesterday.

And I finally found out what happened on a particular play during the Gator game.

The video is all over the internet, and it’s been seen like a million times.  The play begins, bodies are flying everywhere, and yet one offensive lineman doesn’t move a muscle.  The entire play takes place with that lineman in the exact same position, as if frozen in time.

ESPN did a feature on it, basically mocking the lineman for not moving, for not helping out his scrambling quarterback.

And that’s all I knew about it, until yesterday.  So I asked the quarterback, “What was up with that play?”

“Oh,” he said, “he did what he’s supposed to do,” and went on to describe their special freeze play. 

See, the goal is to draw the defense offside, to get them to jump across the line before the ball is snapped.  So the quarterback shouts a few things, then the center yells “Go!” as if he is hiking the ball.

Then the center watches to see if the defense crosses the line.  If they do, he goes ahead and hikes the ball to the quarterback.  Now this should be what we call a “free play.”  The refs are going to throw the flag and call a penalty on the defense.  But if the offense can somehow make a big play, they would have the right to decline the penalty and take the big gain.  However, if they don’t make a gain, they can take the penalty and still gain yards.  It’s supposed to be a win-win situation.

Now part of the strategy is to make sure the offensive lineman don’t move, don’t even flinch.  If they do, the penalty may go against them instead of the defense.  So, on the freeze play, the lineman are supposed to freeze, to not move a muscle.  That way it will be obvious to the refs who should get the penalty.

So that’s what the Seminoles were doing in the game against the Florida Gators.  The freeze play was on.  The problem was, the center hiked the ball early, messing up the play.  Everyone began scrambling at that point, except one lineman.

And E.J. Manuel said, “He was just doing what he was supposed to do, what they’re all trained to do.”  He said, “He was exercising extreme discipline.”

Well, on that play it didn’t work out.  But I went back and watched film from the North Carolina game and, sure enough, you can see all the linemen, stock still like statues for the freeze play.

That is a great illustration of what can be done when we work together.

In football we call it teamwork.  In the church we call it unity.  As Christians, we are called to unity.  Jesus prayed in John 17, “May they be brought to complete unity…”

Romans 15:5 says, “May…God…give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ…”

Verse six says, “…so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Glorifying God in a spirit of unity.  It reminds me of when I went to Promise Keepers at the Georgia Dome.  There were thousands of men, glorifying God in unity.  And not just in the dome.  Afterwards men spilled into the streets and trains – and broke out in songs of praise!

Ephesians 4:3 says, “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit…”

Verse 13 gives one goal of the church, that we all “reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God…”

This is hard enough to do in one little local church, let alone the entire body of Christ.  But it is God’s desire for us, that we may be brought to complete unity.

We could accomplish so much more if we could just operate in unity! 

Unity is when we operate like a unit.  Think of your body as a unit – lots of pieces, but all moving in the same direction.

Ephesians 4 describes the church as a body, and it says the body thrives as “every part does its share.”

The Seminole offense is called the “offensive unit.”  When they work together as a unit, great things can happen.

And when we work together as a unit in church, great things can happen.  But like the Seminole linemen, it takes great discipline.  Each of us has to exercise discipline, to restrict ourselves to our part of the unit, and to play our part to the best of our ability.

So think about unity today.  It’s God’s desire for the church, the body of Christ, to operate in unity.

And what can we do about it?  We can make sure that we are exercising discipline, to be the best part we can be in this unit we call “the body of Christ.”


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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


© 2010 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-

Don't Say God Unless You Are Talking to Him or About Him - Apples of Gold - January 26, 2010 -vi-

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Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for January 26, 2010

“Don’t Say God Unless You Are Talking to Him or About Him”

 

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

Don’t say “God” unless you are talking to Him or about Him.

That is a line I have repeated many times. 

I say it when I hear people using the word “god” casually or profanely.

There is a god, one God, only one, and anytime we use the word god in a casual way, we bring the whole concept down a few notches.  It lowers who God is in the minds of people when we throw that word around.

I like what it says in Exodus 20:7, in the Amplified Bible.  “You shall not use or repeat the name of the Lord your God in vain [that is, lightly or frivolously, in false affirmations or profanely]; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.”

Now I know, some will say, “That’s in the Old Testament.  We are no longer bound by the Old Testament law.”

I even know a guy who makes a case for using the name Jesus like a swear word, simply because there is no specific chapter and verse that forbids it.

But come on, do you really need a chapter and verse to keep you from taking the Lord’s name in vain? 

Okay, well how about Hebrews 2:9, which says that Jesus was “crowned with glory and honor”?

How about Acts 19:17 that says, “…the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor”?

When the Lord Jesus changes your life, when the Holy Spirit takes up residence inside you, that will be your reaction.  You will hold the name of Jesus in high honor.  God will became very special to you.  Words like God and Lord and Jesus and Christ become words to hold in high esteem – because they represent the Most High, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

So please don’t toss around those words unless you are talking to Him or about Him.

Please don’t say, “Oh my God,” or “Sweet Jesus,” or “Lord, Lord.”  I don’t even like, “lordy, lordy, look who’s forty.” 

Sound extreme?  What is the reluctance to being extreme when it comes to honoring God?

If someone died for me, I would defend the honor of their name.

Think about it.

First Peter 2:17 says, “…fear God…”  You might interpret fear in that verse in a few different ways, but all of them cover the concept of not misusing His name, or any word that points to Him.

I’ve heard preachers and evangelists say, “My God, people, you need to read the Bible.”

I can’t believe they do it.  It sends a powerful message to everyone in the pews that it’s okay to exclaim, “My God!”

Please.  Don’t do it.  Don’t bring Him up unless you are talking to Him or about Him.  In my book, casting His name or any word that points to Him in any other light is profane.

First Timothy 1:17 says, “Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever.  Amen.”

The Lord is that wonderful, that awesome, that incredible.  He is worthy of all of our praise, worthy of all glory and honor.  How dare we bring Him down by using certain words about Him casually?

Yes, I know it’s common.  That’s why I’m bringing it up. 

It doesn’t surprise me when it’s common among non-Christians.  Of course it’s common among them.  Ephesians 2 says there is a spirit, the prince of the power of the air, that works in them.  That spirit urgently desires to downgrade the concept of God.  To me, that is great explanation of why the words that apply to God are such prolific curse words. 

Serious words regarding spiritual matters have been profaned, have been lowered.  God, Jesus Christ, Lord – even hell and damnation – have had the serious edge filed right off them by using them profanely.

Even some of the names of the old saints are used profanely – Peter, Mary, Joseph, even Nicodemus.

And, of all the oddities, the names referring to Satan are not used profanely.  Have you ever heard someone whack their thumb and explain, “Ah devil!” or even “Hitler.” 

They don’t spew out “Hitler, Rommel and Goebbels,” but they will say, “Jesus, Mary and Joseph.”

Why is that?  There is a reason, and I think it’s that spirit of the prince of the power of the air that works in the sons of disobedience.

But that’s them.  It should not be us.  It should not be Christians.

We should honor the Lord God and everything that points to Him.  We need to keep Him high and lifted up. 

Romans 13:7 says we should give respect and honor to whom it is due.  And at the top of the list is the one and only God.

So please, don’t say God unless you are talking to Him or about Him.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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


© 2010 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 Most Important Question You Can Ask Someone - Apples of Gold - January 25, 2010 -vi-

To listen to the radio version, click here.   

To search archives, click here.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for January 25, 2010

“The Most Important Question You Can Ask Someone”

 

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

Mike buzzed me a week ago today.

I’m talking about Mike Floyd, the owner of Wave 94.

He buzzed me through the intercom, from his office to mine. 

“Doug?  Hello.  You know that little thing on people’s radios that says Wave 94 when they tune in?  See if you can make that show our website, Wave 94.com.  Okay?  Thanks.”

Little did I know that those would be Mike’s last words to me. 

That night Mike collapsed unexpectedly.  At the hospital, doctors discovered an aneurism, and before it could be treated, he died.

Five pastors spoke at the funeral Saturday, to honor this great man of faith.  And, fittingly, the service closed with an altar call for salvation.  

I say “fittingly” because that is what Mike would have wanted.  Mike was an evangelist at heart, always sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. 

He shared the gospel during the 12 years he was a pastor himself.  Then as a business owner he shared Christ with people he did business with.  He was even prone to witness to waiters and waitresses and anyone else he came in contact with.

And he went about it with such ease and grace.  He wasn’t condemning or “preachy.”  He would simply slip the Good News into the conversation.

Mike also believed in the power of sharing the Gospel through the mass media.  He had his own radio and television programs, and in 1998 he bought Wave 94 and turned it into a fulltime Christian radio station.

Mike himself was a product of mass media evangelism.  When he was only 13, he trusted in Christ while watching a minister share the Gospel on television.

So in honor of Mike, and for the sake of the souls in attendance, there was an altar call at the funeral.

And then they took it up a notch.  The preacher asked everyone to turn to their neighbor and ask them if they were right with God.  We were to ask those next to us if they were saved, if their sins were forgiven, if they were ready for eternity.

And you know what?  That is the most important question you can ask someone. 

Recently I was talking to a young man and he told me about his life, how he was ready to make a new start, to get back in church, things like that. 

Well I just point blank asked him, “Would you say that you are a born again Christian?  Have you repented of your sins and asked God to forgive you?  Have you accepted Christ as your Savior?”

“Oh yes,” he said.

“So you’ve had a born again experience,” I said.  “There is a time in your life that you can point to and say, ‘Right there.  That is when I became a Christian, a follower of Christ.’”

“Yes.”

“And the Holy Spirit is at work in your life?  You can sense Him leading you and teaching you and convicting you of sin?”

“Yes.”

And then we went on with our conversation.

You see, those are very important questions – eternally important questions – and we can’t be afraid to ask them.

It’s not something we do to condemn people.  We aren’t judging them or being “holier than thou.”  We do it out of love, really caring for them and the condition of their soul.

My son-in-law is a youth leader, and we were talking about the teenagers he picks as leaders under him.

I said, “Do you ask them if they are saved?”

“Well…”

“That’s a question you have to ask,” I said.  “You have the right to ask, you need to ask – if they are going to serve in ministry under your authority.  You must ask them about their salvation, and the current work of the Holy Spirit in their life.”

Pastors, ministry leaders, don’t be afraid to ask your people about the condition of their soul. 

We can’t just assume that people are saved because they go to church or because their religion says Christian on Facebook.

Instead of assuming, we can simply and lovingly ask them.

And we must, because here’s the thing.  A week ago today we had no idea that Mike Floyd would not be with us the next day. 

The same is true about Trey Watson, an 18 year old football player at Lincoln High School here in Tallahassee.

And Jimmy Kalfas, a 59-year-old businessman in Tallahassee.

These were all well-known local people who died unexpectedly in the last few days.

And their passing reminds us, tomorrow is not guaranteed. 

So start with yourself.  What is the condition of your soul?  If you die tonight, do you know where you will spend eternity?

And if you are right with God through Christ, then turn to your neighbor, turn to your family members and friends.  Then follow the example of Mike Floyd and turn to those you come in contact with and ask them, “Are you saved?  Are you right with God?  Are you ready to meet your Maker?”

These are the most important questions we can ask someone.  So, in honor of Mike Floyd, and for the sake of the souls around us, let us not be afraid to ask.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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


© 2010 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-

Compromise Loves to Call on the Weekend - Apples of Gold - January 22, 2010 -vi-

To listen to the radio version, click here.   

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Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for January 22, 2010

“Compromise Loves to Call on the Weekend”

 

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

Okay.  It’s the weekend.

And you’re a Christian.  You’ve experienced God’s cleansing and God’s presence in your life.  You know His forgiveness and His grace.

You are the real deal, a follower of Christ.

And yet…sin is knocking on your door.  Compromise is calling, and it sure sounds like fun.

So why shouldn’t you?  You can always ask for forgiveness later, right?

Well, there is the guilt.  And there is being a hypocrite.  It’s hard to live with yourself when your actions don’t line up with your words.

But what kind of misery is that?  There are things you want to do, but you can’t because you also believe they are wrong.

And then a little voice says, “Well, they’re not THAT wrong.”

Okay, stop right there.  Don’t start justifying and compromising!

Do you want to be strong or do you want to be weak?  Compromise bring weakness. 

Now I know your goal is not to compromise.  Your goal is to enjoy yourself.  You just want to relax and have a good time, and now you are toying with compromise to do it.

Well don’t!  Don’t compromise your righteousness.

And don’t think that kicks you off the good thing train, because listen.  Righteousness itself will give you a lot of good things, far better things.

For example, righteousness will give you stability.  Instead of being tossed here and there by every wind that blows, you will be able steer a steady course.  Your life will be more stable as you become more righteous.

Righteousness will give you more respect.  Compromise doesn’t bring respect, but righteousness?  Even those who don’t like what a righteous man stands for tend to respect him.

Jesus said to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness.  That’s pretty high on the list, when He says to seek that first.  We are to seek His righteousness.

First Timothy 6:11 uses what I call a power word, and that’s the word “pursue.”  It says, “…pursue righteousness…”  It says the same thing in Second Timothy 2, “Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness…”

Romans 6:13 says, “Do not offer the parts of your body to sin…”  Instead we are told to offer the parts of our body to God as instruments of righteousness.

First John 3 talks about practicing righteousness.  And verse 10 says, “Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God…”

I believe deep down all Christians want to practice righteousness, but sometimes it’s hard to do when the payoff for a quick compromise seems so tempting.

But let me tell you, the rewards of righteousness are far better.

Proverbs 11:18 says, “…he who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward.”

That’s what righteousness will bring you, a “sure reward.”

The Bible mentions a lot of rewards for righteousness.

Proverbs 11:5 says righteousness “makes a straight way” for us.

Proverbs 11:6 says that, while the unfaithful are trapped by their evil desires, we are delivered by our righteousness.

Proverbs 13:6 says that our righteousness guards us.

Isaiah 32:17 says, “The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever.”

The Bible even says that righteousness exalts a nation, and that a throne is established by righteousness.

Romans 8:10 says that if Christ is in us, our “spirit is alive because of righteousness.”

The Lord loves righteousness, and Proverbs 15:9 says He loves those who pursue righteousness.

Zephaniah 2:3 says, “Seek righteousness…”

Jesus said in Matthew 5:6, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”

I have always loved that verse because it makes righteousness so accessible.  If I simply hunger and thirst for it, I will be filled.

So, it’s the weekend.  Compromise loves to call on the weekend, but don’t answer!  The payoff is short lived and not worth it.

Instead, seek and pursue the very thing that God loves and rewards.

And all you have to do is just really want it.

For Jesus Himself said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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


© 2010 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-

Training Doesn't Stop at the Potty - Apples of Gold - January 20, 2010 -vi-

To listen to the radio version, click here.   

To search archives, click here.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for January 20, 2010

“Training Doesn’t Stop at the Potty”

 

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

Seventeen years ago this month we added child number four to the family.

They’re all two years apart, and when people asked their ages I would say, “6, 4, 2 and new.”

And each year, when the January baby has her birthday, I just go ahead and roll all their ages up.  So starting next week, when people ask how old my children are, I will say, “23, 21, 19 and 17.”

Now if you’re a parent with little kids at home, my kids sound ancient.  But it wasn’t that long ago they were little tykes like yours, so I want to share with you one little parenting tip that worked for me.  Here it is.

Training doesn’t stop at the potty.

I mention potty training because every parent knows how important that is.  It’s your job, and no one is going to do it for you.  You can’t send your child to kindergarten in diapers, and you’re sick of buying diapers, so you finally buckle down and potty train, and you don’t give up until it’s done.  We all understand the vital importance of potty training.

But somewhere along the line a lot of parents give up training their children.  They leave it up to the school and the church and, heaven help us, their peers. 

So my message today is, training doesn’t stop at the potty.

Now don’t get all knotted up about it, like I just put a 500 pound gorilla on your back.  Training your child doesn’t have to be some terrible burden.  In fact, it can be quite entertaining.

For example, here is something I did a few times when my kids were about 9, 7, 5 and 3.  You know how kids are when you go to the store.  They want this and that and . . . everything.  So here is what I would do.  I would tell them they had five dollars, and they could buy pretty much whatever they wanted, but they all had to agree.

That is a great training exercise!  They are learning cooperation and negotiation and even sales. 

Well they would bicker, then appeal to me and I would say, “You have five dollars.  Buy what you want – but you all have to agree.  If you don’t agree, you don’t get anything.”

What I’m talking about is getting involved, and staying involved in your kids’ lives, and especially in their training. 

Proverbs 22:6 indicates that we are to train up our children in the way they should go.

See, there are ways they should go and ways they shouldn’t – and it’s our job to train them up to know the difference.

There’s another great proverb about child rearing, Proverbs 29:15.  The last part says, “…a child left to himself disgraces his mother.” 

Now let that phrase burn into your brain:  “a child left to himself.”

We are not to leave our children to themselves.  We don’t just let them go and learn things on their own.  It is our job to train them, and that includes all areas of life.

For example, when the kids were small, and I had to do a chore, I would often take them with me.  If I had to go to the basement to fix a pipe, I would grab the nearest child and have them watch. 

Then when they got older, I would actually put the tool in their hand and have them do it. 

Have you ever had to replace the parts inside the toilet tank?  Well yes, you could do it yourself, but why not get one of the kids in there to do it?  No, I’m in no way talking about slave labor.  I’m talking about training up our children.  They will have to fix their own toilet someday – might as well train them now.

My son wasn’t too happy the last time I had him do that, but guess what?  Now he is married and running his own household, and if something goes wrong, he has the confidence to jump in and fix it, instead of standing there helplessly while his wife calls the plumber.

My daughter replaced her own tail light the other day.  No, she wasn’t happy about it, but now she knows how it works.  Someday, if some guy tries to charge her big bucks to replace her tail light, she can simply say, “No thanks, I’ll do it myself.” 

Training our children gives them confidence.

I’ve even done it with other people’s children when they’re staying at our house.  One day I was taking apart something and wanted to save the boards.  There were two young boys at the house, so I got them outside and had them start taking nails out of the boards.  Well guess what?  They didn’t know how.  They had never pulled nails with a hammer before. 

One time there was a boy riding his bike at our house and his handlebars went crooked.  He asked me to fix them and guess who ended up holding the tools?  He did!  And he learned how to straighten handlebars. 

There are so many training opportunities, but we have to keep an eye out for them.  Instead of jumping in and doing everything ourselves, we need to ask, “Is this a training opportunity?”

Kids are all born knowing nothing, and how are they going to learn?

Well it’s our job to train them.

We train them to eat, we train them to walk and we train them to use the restroom.

But it doesn’t stop there, so here is your reminder today.

Training doesn’t stop at the potty.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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


© 2010 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 Kingdom of Heaven Is Like a Net - Apples of Gold - January 18, 2010 -vi-

To listen to the radio version, click here.   

To search archives, click here.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for January 18, 2010

“The Kingdom of Heaven Is Like a Net”

 

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

Jesus said, “…the kingdom of heaven is like a net…”

Have you ever gone net fishing?  You never know what you’re going to catch.  Net fishing is not very specific, you just put the net out and pull it back – then you sort out your catch. 

That’s what Jesus said the kingdom of heaven is like.  It’s like a net that is cast into the sea and catches all kinds of fish.

And inside the net are two categories of fish:  good fish and bad fish.

And don’t miss the point – the fish represent people.

Jesus is teaching about the end.  The King James calls it “the end of the world.”  The NIV says “the end of the age.”

So at the end, a net is cast and both good and bad are brought in.  And Matthew 13:49 says, “…the angels shall come forth…”

And, just like fishermen sorting their catch on the shore, the angels will separate the people into two groups:  good and bad.

Fishermen keep the good fish, you know.  The good fish stay with them, and the good people stay with the angels.

But the primary focus seems to be on the bad people, whom Jesus called “the wicked.” 

Jesus said, “The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” 

The King James says, “…the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”

That’s what will happen at the end.  It’s as sure as you are alive and breathing.  People will be separated, and some will be cast into the furnace of fire.

Those people are on the very, very bad end of the deal, and you don’t want to be one of them.

On the good end of the deal are “the just,” also called “the righteous.”

So, just be a good little boy or girl and you will avoid the fiery furnace, right?  Just as long as your good outweighs your bad – is that the way it works?

Well, there’s one problem with that.  Romans 3 says we are all “under sin.”  Verse 10 says, “…there is no one righteous, not even one…”

So how does that work?  The angels are going to rescue the righteous from the fire, and yet no one is righteous. 

Well here’s how it works.  No one is righteous . . . on their own. 

But thank goodness Romans 3 gives us another route to righteousness.  Verse 21 says, “But now a righteousness from God…has been made known…”

Verse 22 says, “This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.”

Verse 25 says it’s “through faith in His blood.”

And verse 26 says that God “justifies those who have faith in Jesus.”

So we are not righteous on our own.  Under our own power we can never be good enough to make the cut.  At the end, at that great sorting of the fish, we will be cast into the fiery furnace.

Mark 16:16 says, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”

Believe what? 

Ephesians 1 calls it believing the word of truth, the gospel of our salvation. 

Romans 1 says the gospel is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.

So what is the “gospel”?

In First Corinthians 15, Paul wrote, “…I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you.”  And he followed with this summary of the gospel, “that Christ died for our sins,” “that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve,” and then to “more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time…”

And Paul concluded, “…this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.”

This is what we call becoming a Christian.  This is “getting saved.”  It is believing the Gospel of Jesus Christ for yourself.  It is receiving through faith God’s forgiveness of your sins through the blood of Christ, and becoming just and righteous before the Lord.

The believers are the righteous and just.  They are the good fish in that parable.

It’s the parable of the net.  At the end the net will be cast, people will be gathered, and then separated.

We believers, made righteous through Christ, we will stay.

And the wicked, they shall be cast into the furnace of fire where there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

It’s just like Jesus said. 

The kingdom of heaven is like a net. 


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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


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

Doug Apple
General Manager - Wave 94
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