Jesus is the Son of God - Apples of Gold - September 29, 2010 -vi-

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Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for September 29, 2010

“Jesus is the Son of God”

 

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

 

Jesus is the Son of God.

Do you believe that?  Is that your personal “confession”?

It’s an important confession, according to First John 4:15 – “Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.”

When it comes to biblical Christianity, this is not a disputed doctrine based on a few vague verses.  This is a core belief, and it’s found throughout the New Testament.

Let’s take a look at some of the verses that declare Jesus Christ as the Son of God.

Let’s start with the birth of Jesus.  It was pointed out several times that He was no ordinary baby, but that He was, indeed, the Son of God.

Galatians 4:4 says, “But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman…”

That woman was Mary.  An angel spoke to Mary in Luke chapter one and said, “You will be with child and give birth to a Son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.  He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.”  The angel continued, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.  So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.”

Romans 8:3 says that God sent His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh.

Jesus grew to be a man, and when He was baptized a voice from heaven declared, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17)

When Satan tempted Jesus he tried to incite Him with this phrase, “If thou be the Son of God…” (Matthew 4:3, 6)

Mark 3:11 says that when evil spirits saw Him, they fell down before Him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.”

In Mark 5:7 a demon possessed man cried out, “What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?”

It wasn’t just demoniacs who called Him the Son of God.  John the Baptist said, “I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God.”  (John 1:34)

Nathaniel said, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.”  (John 1:49)

When Jesus calmed the wind, the men in the boat worshipped Him and said, “Truly you are the Son of God.” (Matthew 14:33)

Simon Peter told Jesus, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:16)

Martha said, “I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.” (John 11:27)

At the transfiguration, in Matthew 17:5 a voice came out of a bright cloud and said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.  Hear Him!”

When Jesus was on trial, this was a key question.  Matthew 26 records the high priest saying, “I charge you under oath by the living God:  Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.”  Jesus replied, “Yes, it is as you say.”

In John 19:7 the Jews said, “We have a law, and according to that law He must die, because He claimed to be the Son of God.”

When Jesus was on the cross, His enemies said things like, “Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!”  (Matthew 27:40)

When He died, a Roman centurion said, “Truly this man was the Son of God.” (Mark 15:39)

Romans 5:10 says, “…we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son…”

First John 4:10 says that God loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

First John 1:7 says that the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

His bloodshed and death were part of the plan, but that was not the end.  Romans 1:4 says that Jesus was “declared to be the Son of God with power…by the resurrection from the dead…”

After His resurrection and ascension, the word continued to spread that He was the Son of God.  Saul had his experience on the road to Damascus, and what did he do?  Acts 9:20 says that he “at once began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God.”

Many others preached Jesus as the Son of God, including Silas and Timothy.  (Second Corinthians 1:19)

Philip preached to the Ethiopian eunuch who then declared, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” (Acts 8:37)

John 5:23 says that all men should honor the Son, just as they honor the Father who sent Him.

John also wrote, “And this is His command: to believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ…”  And he said that by believing that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, we may have life through His name. (First John 3:23, John 20:31)

God has called us into fellowship with His Son, His only begotten Son that He sent into the world.  (First Corinthians 1:9, John 4:9)

“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life…” (John 3:36)

“If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”  (John 8:36)

Hebrews 1 says that God made the universe through His Son, and appointed His Son heir of all things.  The Son is the radiance of God’s glory, it says, and the exact representation of His being.  Verse 3 says, “After He had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.”

And First Thessalonians 1:10 says, “…to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead – Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.”

This is a core belief.  This is a foundational truth and our common confession.

That Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

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-

Get the Beam Out of Your Eye - Apples of Gold - September 28, 2010 -vi-

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Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for September 28, 2010

“Get the Beam Out of Your Eye”

 

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

Do I need to ask for God’s help to keep me from watching dirty movies on HBO?

No.

Why not?

Because I don’t have HBO.

That’s a simple concept, isn’t it? 

So what am I going to say to the man who comes to me and says, “I need you to pray for me.  I need God to help me stop watching dirty movies on HBO.”

Yes, I’ll probably pray for the man, but first I’m going to bluntly say, “Get rid of HBO.”

Sometimes people hyper-spiritualize things and turn them into something far more complicated than they really are.

Jesus said to get the beam out of your eye.  Just get it out.

He said it in the context of picking out the small sins of others while having big sins of your own.  It’s like pointing out a splinter in their eye while having a beam in your own eye.  How can you help them with a splinter while you have your own beam?  First of all, get the beam out of your eye, Jesus said, then you can help with their splinter.

Let’s look at this from a couple of different angles.

First of all, the main action point is to get the beam out of your own eye.  What does that mean?

Get rid of the big whopping sins!  That’s what I think it means.

Stop killing.  Stop stealing.  Stop fornicating or committing adultery.  Stop being violent.  Stop being perverted. 

Isn’t that a simple concept?  Get the beam out of your eye, Jesus said.

Did He tell us how?

Look at the very next passage in Matthew chapter seven.  He said, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”

So do you want to get the beam out of your eye?  Do you want to put a stop to your big whopping sins?  Then ask, seek and knock.  Make your requests known to the Lord.  Seek Him and find the answers to your problems.

Jesus hammered home His point by saying, “Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?  If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”

So ask the Lord to deliver you from those sins.

And there’s more.  At the end of chapter seven Jesus said “…everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.”

So that’s another thing to do to remove the beam from your eye; listen to Jesus’ words and put them into practice.

This is a powerful one-two punch for getting the beam out – take it to the Lord in prayer, then hear His words and put them into practice. 

So I think that’s the main action point of Jesus’ teaching in those verses.  Get the beam out of your eye.

Maybe you thought the main action point was to keep your mouth shut about your brothers’ sins, but that’s not it.  It’s not that you let your brother keep on sinning.  It’s that you work on your own sins, then help him work on his.

Years ago, the head of our local Teen Challenge had a drug problem.  With God’s power he got that beam out of his eye, praise the Lord!  And now he spends his time helping other men with their drug problems.

See how that works?  “Then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye,” Jesus said in Matthew 7:5.

Hurry up and get the beam out of your eye so you can help your brother with whatever is in his eye.

Now let me touch on one more angle of this teaching.  What if someone with a beam in their own eye approached me about something in my eye?  My knee-jerk response could be to say, “What?  Why would I listen to you?  You have a beam in your eye!”

That’s like saying I would ignore someone who was covered with spiders who said, “Dude, there’s a spider on your sleeve.”

Would I ignore him because he had a much bigger spider problem than mine?  Not at all! 

Now he may not be a good person to help me with my spider problem, but I am still going to look at my sleeve for a spider.  And if I find one, I’m going to do something about it – and it doesn’t matter where the news came from.

Does that make sense?  If someone points out a speck in your eye, the fact that they have a beam in their eye shouldn’t stop you from checking to see if it’s true.

So check your eyes.  Start by looking for beams, those big whopping sins that are obvious – and get them out.

Get the beam out of your own eye, Jesus said.  Then you will be able to do the important work of helping your brother with whatever is in his eye. 


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-

Worry Blocks the Word - Apples of Gold - September 27, 2010 -vi-

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Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for September 27, 2010

“Worry Blocks the Word”

 

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

Did you hear the Word this weekend?

Did you listen to a preacher or a teacher share a message from the Word of God?

If so, did you get anything out of it?  Did you receive the impact that the Word is meant to have?

Or maybe it’s been so long since you were impacted by the Word that hearing it is no longer a priority.  Maybe you’d rather spend your weekends boating than hearing the Word.

Here is one possible reason for that:  worry.

Did you know that worry blocks the Word?

Worry is like weeds in your soul.  It’s hard for the good seed of the Word to grow when it is choked out by weeds of worry.

In the Parable of the Sower, in Mark 4:19 Jesus said that among other things, the worries of this life come in and choke the Word, making it unfruitful.

You may hear the Word, and it might even fire a little spark in your soul; but then the worries of this life creep in and choke it out, preventing it from growing and bearing good fruit in your life.

If it has been a while since you got something from a sermon, it could be that your worries are blocking the Word.

“But Doug, I have some real worries.  If things don’t go right there’s going to be some real trouble.  Of course I’m worried.”

Listen.  You can take care of business without worrying about it.  You still do your work, but you don’t have to take a big swig of anxiety every time you think about it.  If you do, one of the negative side effects is that you choke the Word in your life.  Worry chokes the Word.

Remember Mary and Martha in the Bible?  Mary sat with Jesus, soaking up the Word, while Martha grew more and more anxious about preparations.  Finally Jesus said in Luke 10:41, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.”  The Word couldn’t get through to Martha because it was smoked out by her anxiety.

Jesus gave an excellent sermon about worry in Matthew chapter six.  He said don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or drink or wear, because your heavenly Father knows what you need and He will take care of you.  Jesus said to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you.

“But Doug, how can I stop worrying?  I don’t do it on purpose.  It just happens when I think about things.”

A main antidote for worry is prayer.  Philippians 4:6 says, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.”

I like how it’s worded in the New Living Translation.  It says, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.”

First Peter 5:7 is a great verse about worry, telling us to cast all our care on Him, for He cares for us.  Verse six talks about God’s mighty hand, which is comforting because one antidote for worry is to focus on God’s power and strength. 

Like the song says, “We are weak but He is strong.”  So what can we do when worry creeps in?  We can cast that worry to the Lord, for He cares for us, and He is strong enough to do something about it, even when we aren’t.

The 23^rd Psalm is a great antidote for worry.  Just listen and see if it doesn’t cool your worry temperature down a degree or two.  Here it is.

“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.  He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.  He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.  Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.  Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.  Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.”

Proverbs 12:25 states the obvious:  worry weighs a person down.

But a less obvious thing is that worry blocks the Word. 

So if the Word has seemed distant to you lately, if you aren’t getting anything out of your Bible reading or sermons or lessons, then look for worry in your life; and if you find it, take it to the Lord in prayer.  Cast your cares on Him and put your faith in Him to provide for you.

And if you ever find that the Word just seems dry or distant to you, remember this.

Worry blocks the Word.


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-

American Boy & Angel - Apples of Gold - September 24, 2010 -vi-

Click here to listen to the radio version.   

Click here to search the AOG archives.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for September 24, 2010

“American Boy & Angel”

 

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

(begin music)

An American boy
A harvest moon
A hay ride
Angel plays a tune

Angel is the girl he loves
A ukulele player
She strums and hums
And tweedle-dee-dums
He’s smitten, layer by layer

She’s sitting by another boy
Her song is meant for him
He charms her back and smiles big
While on the other end

Our American boy
Is making plans
He wants this girl to marry
He holds a flower in his hand
He wants to move, but dare he?

She likes him
That he knows for sure
He saw it in her eyes
But now she plays for Tweedle Dee
The dude who tells her lies

He lies about his grandma
He lies about his grades
He lies about the things he likes about her when she plays

He’s a liar, that is true
This boy called Tweedle Dee
But he is cute and that’s a fact
And Angel’s noticing

Our young man grips his flower
Which is shaking in his hand
She liked him once, he loves her now
It’s time to take command

She rests her fingers
He begins to sing “Time After Time”
She strums the ukulele and begins to harmonize

They sang this song before, you see
One sunset on the beach
When she loved him and he’s the one
Who seemed so out of reach

He liked another girl back then
Who wasn’t quite so nice
While Angel kept her standards high
Not trying to entice

He caught the other girl
And saw the seamy underside
No depth of faith or character
No girl to be his bride

But Angel! Yes, now there’s a girl
A woman he observes
So full of faith and character
And strength and lots of nerve

She sings and plays and reads the Book
And truly loves the Lord
Yes Angel is the girl for him
The girl he’s moving toward

He puts the flower in her hair
And sings “Time After Time”
He whispers, “Let’s get out of here.”
They leap right off the side

A year ahead, with hay below
Above, a harvest moon
American Boy and Angel
Make a lovely bride and groom

(end music)

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-

What Is Your End Game? - Apples of Gold - September 22, 2010 -vi-

Click here to listen to the radio version.   

Click here to search the AOG archives.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for September 22, 2010

“What Is Your End Game?”

 

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

What is your end game?

Have you ever heard that before?

The “end game” is simply the final stages of something.

For example, in the game of chess, the end game comes when most of the pieces are off the board.

A good chess player has planned for this moment.  He was mapping it out from the beginning, thinking several moves ahead.  He knew where he wanted to go and had a plan to get there.

I am not a good chess player.  I don’t have an end game.  I pretty much just take each move as it comes without pondering what the next five moves hold. 

And guess what?  If I play someone with a good end game, I lose.

Yeah, I win sometimes, but winning is unlikely without an end game.

This is true in all of life.  If you don’t have an end game, you are likely to lose.

If you are a parent, what is your end game for raising your children?  I have a three-point end game for my parenting.  I want my children to 1) have their own personal relationship with God, 2) be self-sufficient, autonomous citizens, and 3) become contributing members of society.

When you know the end game, it helps you make decisions.

I was talking to an education official about the new class size rules in Florida.  I said, “What’s the end game?” 

He said, “Fewer students in the classroom.”

I said, “That’s not the end game.  The end game is better educated students.”

My daughter was dropped from a high school honors class because more students signed up than the new class size requirements allowed.  Several students ended up taking “lesser” classes.  Did that meet the goal of better educated students? 

Not in this case.  You can jam a classroom full of honors students and they are still going to soak up the information.  To me, this is a case of losing sight of the end game, which is better educated students, not smaller class sizes.

Husband, if you are flirting with someone at the office, what is your end game?  Is it to get her attention?  If you get her attention, then what?  Will you quit, or will you want more attention?  Do you want to end up in the sack?  Do you want everyone to know?  Do you want to lose your family?  Do you want to be humiliated?  What is your end game?  You need to think it through before you end up with something you don’t want.

Bill Clinton would have had a different presidency if he would have thought about the end game.  Did he picture an impeachment?  Did he imagine a humiliating public confession of indiscretion?  I doubt he gave much thought to the end game when it came to “that woman.”

I guess he got caught up in the moment, and that often leads to trouble.  We think only of this moment and the fun we can have, and turn a blind eye to the end game.  We don’t ask, “Where will I be when the fun is over?” 

But time always goes by, and there will always be an end game, and then what?  Will your chess pieces be aligned for victory or defeat?

When it comes to sin, James 1:15 spells out the end game.  It says “…when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.”

I was recently asked to lead a committee and I said yes, on one condition.  I want a clear end game.  I want to know the final destination so I can point us in the right direction and know where we are headed.  I don’t like vague or indecipherable end games.

Last weekend I spent a lot of time working on my daughter’s vehicle.  Someone said, “Why are you investing so much time in that old thing?”  They didn’t know my end game.  My investment was not in “that old thing.”  My investment was in my daughter, so she could drive something better.

First Corinthians 3 describes the ultimate end game.  It says the work of a man’s life will be brought to light one day, and its quality will be tested by fire.  If what he did survives, he will receive his reward.  If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.

That’s the end game we must all prepare for.  We work now with that day in mind.  We must live in such a way that the quality of our work survives the test.

So what are you planning today?  What are you working on? 

Don’t just blindly move your chess pieces around, thinking only one move at a time.  Instead, ponder where you’re going.  Think about your goals.

Think about your end game.


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-

Have an Eye to God in Every Word You Sing - Apples of Gold - September 21, 2010 -vi-

Click here to listen to the radio version.   

Click here to search the AOG archives.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for September 21, 2010

“Have an Eye to God in Every Word You Sing”

 

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

How long has it been since you just belted out a song to the Lord?

Maybe it was in a church service, or maybe it was in your car listening to the radio, but I’m talking about the kind of singing that rises from within and flows out to God.

Not everyone is a singer, I realize that.  In your case, you may not sing at all, except in church to go along with the crowd.  Maybe you don’t like the sound of your voice, or maybe you’ve been told that you’re not a good singer.  My advice is, sing to the Lord!  Let the song rise from your soul to your Creator.

Or maybe you are a singer.  Maybe you sing all the time.  Maybe you lead the singing at church; but how long has it been since you sang to the Lord, where you really felt connected to Him?

I have an old church hymnal and inside it has “Directions for Singing.”  Have you ever been in church and received directions for singing?  Well this page was written by John Wesley in 1761 and contained seven points.

The last point caught my attention the most.  It says, “Above all sing spiritually.  Have an eye to God in every word you sing.”

It is so easy to just sing along mindlessly and miss the message of the song, especially if you’ve been going to church for a while. 

Wesley went on to say “…see that your heart is not carried away with the sound, but offered to God continually…”

Music is usually a beautiful sound.  There are harmonies and melodies.  There is rhythm and unity.  Music can have a powerful affect on us, but Wesley warns us to not be carried away with the sound, but that our heart should be offered to God continually during the song.

Is that what you do when you are singing?  Are you offering your heart to God?

Most church services feature some kind of singing, led by some kind of song leader.  If you are the song leader, yes, you need to get the song right, and more importantly you need to be offering your own heart to God during the song.

If you are in the congregation, you need to fix your mind on the Lord during the singing.  It’s easy to be distracted, but you miss a great blessing if you don’t sing to the Lord yourself.

Of course, singing to the Lord is not confined to church services.  Some of my most powerful moments of singing to the Lord have occurred when I’m alone in the car.  If you know your Bible stories you’ll recall that Paul and Silas sang to the Lord…in jail. 

James 5:13 says, “Is anyone happy?  Let him sing songs of praise.”

Ephesians 5:19 says to “sing and make music in your heart to the Lord.”

Colossians 3:16 says to “sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.”

Of course the Psalm writers mention singing a lot, saying things like, “I will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High,” and “I will sing unto the Lord because he hath dealt bountifully with me,” and “I will sing praise unto Thy name forever.”

They also include admonitions to sing, such as, “Sing the glory of His name,” and “Sing praises to our King,” and “Come before His presence with singing,” and “It is good to sing praises unto our God.”

Several times it says to “sing a new song unto the Lord.”  The good news is, there are plenty of new songs to sing, and we play some of the best right here on Wave 94. 

Plus, you are invited to write your own songs to the Lord.  What better way to make a special connection with God than to sing your own personal song to Him?

Did you know that King Solomon wrote over a thousand songs?  Did you know that King David actually had a music department for the house of the Lord? 

Music is an important part of being human.  As you can see by the sale of iPods and the ruckus over illegal downloading, music is still one of the most popular things on earth.  It’s popular, and it’s powerful.

So keep this in mind the next time you find yourself mindlessly singing church songs.  Instead of just going through the motions, get engaged.  Sing with some gusto and pay attention to the words.

And above all, like John Wesley said, “sing spiritually.  Have an eye to God in every word you sing…and see that your heart is not carried away with the sound, but offered to God continually…”


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-

God Cares About Carelessness - Apples of Gold - September 20, 2010 -vi-

Click here to listen to the radio version.   

Click here to search the AOG archives.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for September 20, 2010

“God Cares About Carelessness”

 

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

A 20 year old Tallahassee man accidentally shot himself while toying with a loaded gun last week.

He died Saturday.

Friends witnessed the whole thing and said he thought the safety was on.

If there is ever a time you don’t want to be careless, it’s when you are handling a loaded gun.

Officials used the sober occasion to remind people of these important gun handling tips:
--Never point a weapon at anything you don’t want to shoot.
--Treat all weapons as loaded.
--Keep your finger off the trigger.
--Be sure of your target as well as what is behind your target.

Carelessness usually doesn’t cost people their life, but it usually costs something.

You may not be a mean person or a destructive person, but are you a careless person?

Carelessness can result in as much damage as meanness.  If you carelessly drive your car into a man on the street, the result is the same as if you ran him down with hatred in your heart.  If you carelessly break the speed limit, your speeding ticket will be same as if you were driving a stolen Camaro full of hot Mexican weed.

Carelessness is the lack of concern about the consequences of your action.  You do it without thinking of what all might happen.

Some people are careless about time.  They are always late, or they miss appointments entirely.  Yes, they are always sorry, but their carelessness wastes other people’s time just the same as if they did it on purpose.

Most people don’t get sick on purpose, but when you are careless about hygiene, you will get sick just the same as if you drank mild poison.  You shake hands with people, you use the restroom, you don’t wash your hands, you eat French fries, you lick your fingers, and then your belly hurts and you wonder why.  Your carelessness has made you sick.

You buy an appliance and you don’t read the directions.  Who needs those anyway?  You carelessly operate it, you don’t do it right, and it breaks.  Your carelessness has destroyed your appliance just the same is if you hit it with a sledgehammer.

Here is a Proverb we need to pay attention to.  It’s Proverbs 18:9 which says, “One who is slack in his work is brother to one who destroys.”

You don’t have to be a destroyer.  If you are slack in your work, you are a brother to the destroyer.

When you think of “slack in your work” you might think of laziness, but this also includes carelessness.  Everyone who is slack in their work is careless.  They are unconcerned about the consequences.

If you are a stealing worker, you are going to be fired.  If you are a careless worker, you are going to be fired, too, because you are costing the company as sure as the thief is.

Carelessness means you aren’t thorough.  You give little forethought or consideration to what you do.

Careless people are inconsiderate.  They don’t consider other people or their time or their money or even their feelings.

We should be considerate, not careless.

If you are a good athlete, but careless, you will be cut from the team as sure as the guy with two left feet.

Careless people are negligent.  They neglect to think things through.  They neglect to consider the outcome or the consequences for others.

Do you find that other people often have to step in and take care of things for you?  Do you often have to call people at the last minute because you need something?  Those are consequences of carelessness. 

I listen to a lot of sermons, tons of sermons.  I love listening to sermons as the Word of God is proclaimed; but one thing I hear sometimes is careless preaching.  A preacher will get on a roll and just start saying things, things that aren’t in the Bible, or maybe aren’t even true.  They aren’t trying to mislead.  They aren’t trying to spread false doctrine.  They are just being careless, but it confuses people just the same.

You might think that God is not concerned about carelessness, but think again.  In Matthew 12:36 Jesus said, “But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken.”

Maybe you thought you would only have to account for your cussing or taking the Lord’s name in vain or lies you told or gossip or venomous words spoken in hatred and malice; but no.  Jesus said we will have to give an account for every careless word.

God cares about carelessness.  Why?  Because it can result in as much damage as malice.

If you carelessly shoot off your mouth, it can hurt people as much as if you ripped them on purpose.

Here is a good phrase that is the opposite of carelessness.  Psalm 39:1 says, “…I will take heed to my ways…”

Proverbs 27:23 gives another opposite of carelessness:  diligence.

If we do not take heed to our ways, if we are not diligent, then we must brace ourselves for Proverbs 19:16 which says “…he who is careless of his ways will die.”

Carelessness hurts people just as surely as malice, so today, examine your life for carelessness; and where you find it, determine with the help of God to exchange it for carefulness and consideration, taking heed to your ways and being diligent in all matters.


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-

A Good Dad is Like a Center of Gravity - Apples of Gold - September 16, 2010 -vi-

Click here to listen to the radio version.   

Click here to search the AOG archives.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for September 16, 2010

“A Good Dad is Like a Center of Gravity”

 

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

The cutest little girl is sitting in the back seat of the car.

Her mother is speeding down the highway when suddenly police lights flash in her mirror.

The officer asks for the mom’s papers, and while she is fishing them out, he says to the girl, “Hello!  Mummy in a bit of a hurry, was she?”

The little girl whispers, “That’s not my mommy.”  Then she holds up her notebook on which she has printed one word in large capital letters:  HELP.

The officer looks at her cherubic face for confirmation, and while holding the sign she mouths the words, “Help me.”

He finally realizes the gravity of the situation and shouts at the driver, “Step out of the car, madam!  Step out of the vehicle…now!”

The camera cuts back to the little girl who now has a smug look on her face, and the video ends with these words flashed up on the screen, “Born to create drama.”

That’s a short video that’s making the rounds on the internet.  My daughter-in-law sent it to me with the subject line, “Grounded for Life!”

She and my son are expecting our first grandchild in March, and she wrote in the e-mail, “Hopefully my baby will never do this to me.”

Of course that video is a bit far fetched, but when it said “born to create drama,” wow, isn’t that what it seems like sometimes?  These little buggers come along and next thing you know some two-foot-tall person is ruling the roost.

After watching the video I thought, “My kids never would have done something like that.”  Why not?  Because I wouldn’t have put up with it!

I sat with my oldest daughter in church last night and she also had received the video so I asked her, “Would you kids have ever done anything like that?”

“No!”

“Why not?”

She paused for a second, got this mischievous gleam in her eye and said, “Because you would have beat us!”

Of course I never “beat” my children, but they knew there were definitive lines that they crossed at their peril.  These lines were established at an early age, and even though we didn’t have a rule for every single situation, they had a good idea of what would bring the law down on them.

Have you ever seen kids that acted like brats?  All kids act like brats sometimes, but some kids push the envelope and finally just swirl out of control.

When I see kids like that I have one question.  Where’s the father?

Not that Mom can’t take care of things, but right now I’m talking about fathers. 

A good father is like a center of gravity.  His strength, wisdom, rules, love, discipline and guiding hand keep the kids from swirling out of orbit.

First of all, his love keeps them in check because you don’t want to disappoint someone who loves you.  A good father builds strong, loving relationships with his children.  He talks to them and listens to them and spends time with them.

A good father injects wisdom into his children, which means he must be growing in wisdom himself.  A good father is maturing, even as his children mature.

A good father is strong.  That doesn’t mean he’s a body builder, but that he has a strong constitution.  He has self control and dignity.  He’s not just one of the kids, and they know it.  He is Dad.

A good father establishes rules; not things he makes up off the top of his head and changes tomorrow, but rules that are well thought out and are the same the next day and the next year.  A good dad thinks before he speaks, then does exactly what he says.

A good father disciplines his children.  Yes, that involves punishment when they break the rules, and it involves rewards for good behavior.  He encourages them to be the best they can be and works with them to make it happen.

And a good father has a strong, guiding hand which points and says, “This is the way, walk ye in it.”

Yes, moms are super important, too; of course they are.  But lately it seems like the importance of dads is underplayed by some, so let me state one more time the effect I think a father should have on his family.

A good dad is like a center of gravity.  His strength, wisdom, rules, love, guiding hand and discipline keep the kids from swirling out of orbit.


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-

My Refuge - Apples of Gold - September 15, 2010 -vi-

Click here to listen to the radio version.   

Click here to search the AOG archives.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for September 15, 2010

“My Refuge”

 

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

Over and over in the Psalms, God is referred to as a “refuge.”

Have you ever needed a refuge?  Have you ever just felt battered and threatened and needed a safe place to run? 

Have the cares of life ever just crashed down around you and you wished you could just run away and escape from it all?

Psalm 46:1 says that God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Where do you run when you need a refuge?

When I was a little boy, my refuge was my mother.  If I was hurt or sick, I ran to her.  She didn’t necessarily solve every problem for me, but I knew I was in the presence of someone who loved me and who wanted the best for me. 

As an adult, where do I run for refuge?  Well I don’t mind telling you, I run to the Lord.

I could probably come up with hundreds of times when something about life slapped me upside the head and I went running to the Lord for refuge.

Have you ever been squeezed between a rock and a hard place?  Have you ever felt like there was just no good solution for your situation, with compromise on one side and failure on the other? 

I have, and when that happens, I run to the Lord for refuge.

Psalm 91:2 says, “I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God, in Him will I trust.”

Throughout my Christian life I have had a regular prayer time.  This makes it easy to run to the Lord as my refuge because I’m already in the habit of coming to Him.

James 4:8 says, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.”

I often claim that promise as I begin to pray.  I say, “Lord, I am drawing near to You right now, and I know that You are drawing near to me.”

That means, in a sense, you don’t have to run all the way to your Refuge.  He will come to you.

In Jesus’ story of the prodigal son, the father ran out to meet the son.  I think our Heavenly Father does the same.  As we make a move to draw near to Him, He draws near to us.

David wrote in Psalm 9, “The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.”

So how is the Lord my refuge?

First of all, I think it’s just knowing that He’s there, that I’m not alone in whatever I’m going through. 

And I know that He’s up to something.  I may not know what, I may not know how or when, but I believe and trust that God is up to something, and that knowledge is a refuge.

And knowing that He accepts me.  Yes, He hates my sin, but He made a way through Jesus Christ for my sins to be forgiven.  I come to Him in repentance and sorrow for my sin, and He accepts me.  In fact, He welcomes me.  I can come boldly to Him, and I do, just as a child caught in a downpour might boldly dash into a king’s palace to escape the rain.  And not only does the King tolerate me as a mild curiosity . . . He loves me!

God is also my refuge through His Word.  He gives wisdom and insight through the Scriptures which provide a mighty shelter for me in this mixed up world.

One of the great burdens of being adults in this life is having to provide for ourselves.  Has a lack of money or a job, or a financial crisis ever made you wish for a refuge? 

Well for me, God is my refuge, knowing that He is my provider, my “Jehovah Jireh.”  I know that I have my part to play, and I am more than willing to dive in and do the work.  I work with the attitude of Nehemiah – God Himself will provide; therefore we will arise and build.”  Yes, I’ll work to provide for my family, but it’s a great comfort to know that, in the end, God is my Provider.

Another way God is my refuge is when it comes to protection.  Yes, I will work to protect my family, but in the end, God must be my shield.  I take the attitude of David – I will both lie down in peace, and sleep, for You alone make me dwell in safety.

It is a refuge to know that God’s way is the best way.

It’s a refuge knowing that I have a part in God’s family, in the body of Christ.

It’s a refuge to know that God has a calling on my life, and that He is bringing other people into my life. 

No matter what is going on, no matter what storm is swirling around me, I find shelter and peace and rest and tranquility in my Rock, my Fortress and my Deliverer.

Second Samuel 22 says God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.  He is my stronghold, my refuge, and my savior.

So if life has knocked the wind out of you today, here is my advice.  Draw near to God in prayer.  Open yourself to Him and receive from Him.

That is what I do on a regular basis, and I have found great comfort in knowing that I can always run to my Lord and my King…my Refuge.


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-

I Want to Bless the Lord - Apples of Gold - September 14, 2010 -vi-

Click here to listen to the radio version.   

Click here to search the AOG archives.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for September 14, 2010

“I Want to Bless the Lord”

 

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

We sing a song at church that says, “Bless the Lord.”

I’ve heard that line in church songs for years, but lately it’s found a tender spot inside me.

There’s a soft spot that is responding, “Yes, Lord, I want to bless You.”

Sometimes before doing things a voice inside me says, “Will this bless You, Lord?”

I want my life to bless the Lord.  I want my attitude at all times to bless the Lord.  When I encounter trouble, I want to bless the Lord.  When I come to a fork in the road, I want to take the road that will most bless the Lord.

It’s hard to describe the effect when this is bubbling around inside you.  For me, it’s a gracious, humbling effect.  It stills my heart before the Lord, not in fear but in love.  I know He loves me and I want to love Him in return, and bless Him.

So how can I bless the Lord?

To me, the most obvious, tangible way is to bless people.  Jesus indicated that if we do something to others, we’ve done it to Him; so if I bless people, then I’m blessing the Lord.

Opportunities to bless people come up often.  You don’t have to go out of your way to find them.

Here is something I say a lot.  If someone reveals how you can be a blessing to them, and you can easily do it, then do it!

Here is one way I applied that to my own life, and it was somewhat controversial.

I worked for a man who had a beloved little dog.  When he was out of town he would ask me to walk it.

How does that strike you?  How do you feel about your boss asking you to do something personal, especially if it’s on your own time?

You could be offended.  How dare he ask you to do something unrelated to work, something you aren’t being paid for?

Or you could go the other way and think of how to play it to your advantage.  “If I do this for him, then he’s more likely to do something for me.”

Now listen.  I know there are some twisted bosses out there.  I’m not talking about them.  I’m talking about normal situations.

So what did I do?  First of all, I didn’t look at him like my boss.  I just said, “Here is someone who is making it very clear how I can bless him.  It’s obvious.  It’s simple.  I can easily do it, and it will bless him.  Why wouldn’t I do it?”

“But Doug, you can’t give in to the boss like that.  Either you are a weakling or you are a suck up.”

I’m neither, because in the big picture I’m not just doing it for him.  I’m doing it for the Lord, to be a blessing to Him.

Ephesians 6:7 says, “Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men…”

When we bless people, we do it as unto the Lord knowing that doing something to people is doing it to Him.

So do you want to bless the Lord today?  Then do this.  If someone makes it obvious how you can bless them, and you can easily do it, then just do it, because blessing them is blessing the Lord.

Another obvious way to bless the Lord is to obey Him, to do what He already said He wants done.

If your son says he wants to bless you, but he hasn’t taken out the trash that you told him to take out three hours ago, what are you going to say?  You are going to say, “Son, the best way to bless me is to do what I already told you to do.”

In John 14 Jesus said, “If you love Me, you will obey what I command.”  In verse 21 He added, “Whoever has My commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves Me.”

So a great way to bless the Lord is to find out what He said, then do it.

Like I said, this thought has been marinating inside me for days now, and it has affected by attitudes as well as my actions.

I feel a gracious humility before the Lord, and a soft spot in my heart as I bow my head before Him and gently say, “Lord, I want to bless You.”


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 You Think There Is Nothing You Can Do About It - Apples of Gold - September 10, 2010 -vi-

Click here to listen to the radio version.   

Click here to search the AOG archives.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for September 10, 2010

“When You Think There Is Nothing You Can Do About It”

 

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

It was a beautiful Saturday morning!

All the summer world was bright and fresh and brimming with life, and there was a song in every heart!

Except Tom’s.

He stood on the sidewalk with a bucket of whitewash and a brush, and as he surveyed the fence, all gladness left him.  Thirty yards of boardfence nine feet high.

He dipped the brush and ran it along the top plank.  He did it again, then compared his insignificant streak to the far-reaching continent of unwhitewashed fence – and he sat down on a box, discouraged. 

He thought of the fun he had planned for this day, and his sorrows multiplied.  Soon the free boys would come tripping along on all sorts of delicious expeditions and they would make a world of fun of him for having to work – the very thought of it burnt him like fire.

He fished through his pockets to see if he could pay the other boys to do the work for him, but he could not. 

Suddenly, at this dark and hopeless moment, an inspiration burst upon him!  Nothing less than a great and magnificent inspiration!

Do you recognize this story from “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” by Mark Twain?  Tom’s great idea was to make the whitewashing look like fun instead of work so that the other boys would want to do it, and pay him for the chance! 

One boy said to Tom, “Oh come, now, you don’t mean to let on that you like it?”

“Like it?” said Tom, “Well I don’t see why I oughtn’t to like it.  Does a boy get a chance to whitewash a fence every day?”

What you have here is a great example of resourcefulness.  Tom used his resourcefulness to get the fence painted without doing it himself, and without paying someone else.

We don’t hear a lot about resourcefulness these days, but it’s a great character trait.

Resourcefulness means making wise use of what you have, instead of wringing your hands about what you don’t have.

Resourcefulness is problem solving.  It’s finding a way where there seems to be no way.  It’s seeing things in a new light, with an open mind. 

Psychologist Karl Duncker created a test called The Candle Problem.*  You’re given a candle and matches and a box of thumbtacks, then you’re told to fix the candle on the wall in such a way that the wax doesn’t drip onto the table.

What would you do?  Maybe you would try to tack the candle to the wall.  Maybe you would try to use some melted wax to stick the candle to the wall. 

But here is what the most resourceful people do.  They dump the tacks out of the box, then tack the box to the wall.  The box then becomes the candle holder, fixing the candle to the wall and catching the wax. 

The less resourceful people only see the box as a container for the tacks, while the more resourceful people see the box as another tool to be used.

Resourcefulness means having an open mind to new possibilities, beyond what meets the eye.  What immediately met Tom Sawyer’s eye was the idea of paying boys to work for him.  But when he realized he couldn’t pay them, his resourcefulness kicked in.

Here is a great example of resourcefulness on the football field.  The quarterback calls the play in the huddle and the team goes to the line.  Then the quarterback notices something about the defense that he can take advantage of, so he calls an audible.  Instead of sticking with the original play, he resourcefully changes it to something that will work better, based on the new information.

Do you remember Jesus’ Parable of the Talents?  Three men were given money, but weren’t told what to do with it.  Two of them doubled what they were given.  How did they do it, especially with no instructions?  They used their resourcefulness.

An example of resourcefulness on a national scale is the story of Joseph in Egypt.  A famine was coming, so what should he do?  He used his resourcefulness to develop a massive and detailed plan to collect and store vast amounts of grain during the good years.  A less resourceful person may have just thrown up their hands and said, “Well, a famine is on the way and there is nothing we can do about it!”

Tom Sawyer might have said, “Well, I have to whitewash today and there is nothing I can do about it.”

The quarterback could have said, “Well, they’re going to blitz and there’s nothing I can do about it.”

And you might be in a tough spot today and saying the same thing, “There’s nothing I can do about it.”

Well there’s almost always something you can do about it, if you will just open your mind and be more resourceful. 


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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


* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Candle_Problem

© 2010 The Arrow’s Tip 
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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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