Jesus Will Heal Your Shame - Apples of Gold - October 28, 2010 -vi-

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Click here to search the AOG archives.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for October 28, 2010

“Jesus Will Heal Your Shame”

 

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

Have you ever felt shame?

Shame is hard to define.  It is similar to embarrassment and humiliation and guilt, but there are differences.
 
Embarrassment and humiliation involve other people, but you can feel shame whether anyone else knows about it or not. 

Guilt can bring shame, but not all shame comes from guilt.

There are different kinds of shame, but listen to this.  I believe Jesus can heal us from all of them.

Shame is never a laughing matter.  Yes, you may do something embarrassing or even humiliating and laugh about it later, but you never laugh about shame.  Shame is never funny, not now, not ever.  If you’ve ever felt shame, you know it’s true. 

Shame runs deep.  It cuts deep.  It scars deep, and there seems to be no getting over it, but I will say it again.  I believe Jesus can heal us from shame.

In Matthew 11:28 Jesus said, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

If you feel the weight of shame, then you are “heavy laden,” and Jesus says to you, “Come unto me.”

We come to Jesus that we may have life.  (John 5:40)

Jesus said He would never reject those who come to Him.  (John 6:37)

In John 10:10 Jesus said, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”

Jesus offers us abundant life, and the abundant life does not include shame.

(play these lyrics from “Lost in You Again” by Fred Hammond:  “…found all the drama…found all the shame…no my search will not end…”)

Perhaps the most obvious source of shame is guilt over our own sins.  We did it.  We know we did it.  Maybe no one else knows, but we know, and we feel shame.

The good news is that Jesus can heal us of our shame from guilt.  First John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Then we need to do like Paul said in Philippians 3, forget what is behind and strain toward what is ahead, toward the goal for which God has called us.

Our guilt will be forgiven and forgotten, and we will be healed of our shame.

(play these lyrics from “God Did a Wonderful Thing” by an unknown elderly gentleman:  “I was a sinner all covered with shame, lost and defiled with no merit to claim.  Somehow God loved me in spite of my sin; saved me, redeemed me and cleansed me within…”)

Another kind of shame is the shame of the victim.  In this case, you are not at fault, yet you feel shame. 

Perhaps your father was the town drunk.  Perhaps your mother slept around.  The shameful behavior of parents can give birth to a deep shame in their children, through no fault of their own.

A crime victim can feel shame.  An abuse victim can feel shame.  If someone has done something wretched to you, making you feel powerless and worthless, it’s not your fault, but you can carry a great burden of shame.

Jesus can heal that shame.  Bring your burden of shame to Him and lay it at His feet. 

And He is going to prescribe a treatment for you.  He is going to ask you to forgive the person that dealt you that shame.  And He is going to ask you to love them.

That sounds impossible, I know.  But it is possible through the power of God’s Holy Spirit working through you.  So once again, the answer is to bring it all to Jesus.

And if there was some kind of secret abuse, I think you should consider exposing that to the light.  Light has a way of killing the spores of shame.  That means telling a reliable, wise person what happened.

It will likely be a process, but I believe that through it, Jesus will heal you of your shame.

(play these lyrics from “You Are My All in All” by Nicole Nordeman:  “Taking my sin, my cross my shame…rising again I bless Your name…You are my all in all…”)

A third kind of shame is the shame of the outcast.  This shame doesn’t come through your sin or the sin of someone else.  It’s just a feeling of shame about your place in this world.

Maybe you aren’t one of the beautiful people.  Maybe you were born with what some would call a “defect.”  Maybe you were injured or disfigured.  Perhaps you bear a terrible scar.  Or maybe you just don’t feel like one of the smart ones or the athletic ones or the cool ones.

There are many reasons why you may bear the shame of the outcast, but Jesus can heal your shame.

First of all, remember that these outward things are not that important.  First Samuel 16:7 says, “The Lord does not look at the things man looks at.  Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

Don’t look at yourself like a failure through the eyes of the world’s failed system.  Instead, look at yourself as a new creation in Christ on whom the Father has lavished His love. 

Ephesians 2:10 says we are His workmanship. 

King Solomon said God has made everything beautiful in its time.

You have been wonderfully made, you are highly valued by your Creator, and there is no shame in Him.

You don’t have to bear the burden of shame. 

Whether it’s the shame of the guilty, the shame of the victim, or the shame of the outcast, listen to me.

Jesus can heal your shame.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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

(close with these lyrics from “I’m Trading My Sorrows” by Israel Houghton:  “I’m trading my sorrow.  I’m trading my shame.  I’m laying them down for the joy of the Lord….”)

 

© 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-

Make This a Foundation for Your Thinking - Apples of Gold - October 26, 2010 -vi-

Click here to listen to the radio version.   

Click here to search the AOG archives.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for October 26, 2010

“Make This a Foundation for Your Thinking”

 

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

“I’m going to build up my business, then sell it for a high price right when it is at its peak.”

“Would you tell them it was at its peak?”

“No, why would I tell them that?”

“Would you want to know if some business you were buying was at its peak, that it was downhill from here?”

“I guess.”

“Then that is why you would tell them.  Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

That’s a real conversation I had with a man, and I hope he takes my advice to heart.

It’s not my advice, of course.  It’s something Jesus said in both Luke and Matthew.  Matthew 7:12 says, “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”

Have you ever read the Law and the Prophets?  That’s pretty much the Old Testament.  It’s really long, and there’s a lot to remember, so when Jesus said He had a simple summary, my ears perked up.  “You’re going to boil it all down into one sentence that’s easy to remember?  Great!  I want to hear it.”

And that was it.  In everything you do, do to others as you would have them do to you.  That sums up the Law and the Prophets.

A lot of people call this the Golden Rule.  There are a lot of rules in life, but this is the golden rule.

Do you apply this in your life?  I think of it a lot.  I can’t say it’s always my knee-jerk reaction, which is why I prefer not to react.  I like situations where I’m allowed to think about it.  Then I often end up considering the Golden Rule.

Jesus gave the Golden Rule in Luke 6:31, but rewind back to verse 27.  There He says, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you…”

What?  That’s crazy talk, isn’t it?  Do good to those who hate me?  Why would I do that?

Because of the Golden Rule.  Do you want others to do good to you?  Do you want those who hate you to do good to you?  Then do good to them.

It is interesting to apply the Golden Rule to business because it can really change the way you operate.  What would I want if I was a customer of this business?  How would I want to be treated if I was calling in? 

My son sold his car recently and I was so proud of him.  I was there when he was talking to the guy, and he told him all the things wrong with it.  He could have been coy.  He could have said, “Well, here it is, take it or leave it.” 

Is that what you want when you buy a car from someone?  Do you want them to cover up its flaws?  Do you want to pay your money and end up with disappointing surprises?

I don’t, and you probably don’t either.  So when you sell something, tell them what you would want to know if you were in their shoes.  That’s the Golden Rule.

My son did it, and he sold the car anyway.  Why?  Because the price fit the product.  It was a less-than-perfect car at a less-than-perfect price.

Now think about this.  These things tend to have a domino effect.  How you treat this guy will influence how he treats the next guy, and so on.  Get enough of that going and pretty soon the whole town is a different place, a better place.

Maybe you haven’t thought about the Golden Rule for a while.  If not, let it become a cornerstone of your thinking.  It may not answer every question or solve every problem, but it will go a long way toward guiding you to do the best you can.

And it’s a God-rule.  It’s not a man-made self-help truism.  It wasn’t dreamed up by Ben Franklin or Confucius or Donald Trump.  It comes straight from our Creator, who knows how things were designed and knows how they work best.  And things work best when we do unto others as we would have them do unto us.

You don’t want people to talk about you behind your back, so don’t talk about them behind their back.

You don’t want people to cheat you, so don’t cheat them.

If you want people to encourage you – encourage them. 

If you want people to help you – help them.

If you want people to be honest and above board in business, and not cut any corners, then treat them that way.

How do you want your neighbor to treat you?  Then that is how you should treat them.

The Golden Rule – it needs to be a foundation for our thinking, a filter for our decisions. 

Before we do or say anything, we should consider these words of Jesus.

Do unto others as you would have them do unto 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-

God Has a Plan for Your Marriage - Apples of Gold - October 25, 2010 -vi-

 

Click here to listen to the radio version.   

Click here to search the AOG archives.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for October 25, 2010

“God Has a Plan for Your Marriage”

 

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

“I had been raised Catholic,” Cheryl said, “And attended Mass nearly every Sunday of my childhood.”

“In the first two years we lived in Dallas, I’d been to church countless times.  Why had I never heard this stuff,” she said.  “Why had the pulpit been devoid of this incredible news?”

Then she said, “Thirty-three years of my life had slipped by without me knowing that God had a design for marriage.”

Well I don’t want that to happen to you.  I don’t want another minute to slip by without you hearing what Cheryl missed for 33 years.  God has a plan for your marriage!

Unfortunately for Cheryl, she found this out after she was already divorced. 

Not that she married a terrible guy.  Jeff was a good guy by all accounts.  He loved his wife and their twin daughters and provided well for them, very well.  He didn’t cheat on her.  He didn’t abuse her.  He wasn’t addicted to anything.

So why did they get divorced?

Because Cheryl grew discontent.  She was not a Christian, there was a hole in her life, and she expected Jeff to fill it.  She hungered for deep companionship.  She read about soul mates and that’s what Jeff should be, right?  They should have deep conversations and be bonding on a deep level, but they weren’t.  All they talked about was their activities and the children, but no deep conversations.

Meanwhile Cheryl’s ego needs were being met at work.  Her job was exhilarating and the men found her attractive.  She found herself dressing for attention and even being flirty with certain men.

It was all innocent, she said.  She was just being playful while enjoying the attention.

But then she found herself away on business one week and got caught up in a conversation with Todd.  Finally, the kind of conversation she had been longing for!  And it gave her an emotional high like she had never known.

She went back home from the conference and there was boring old Jeff.  She loved her daughters, but found herself pulling away from her husband.  Her cup was being filled several times a day with phone calls from Todd.  They would talk up to 10 times a day while she was at work, but her husband was clueless.  He had no idea anything was going on.  Sure, she was moody, he said, but he just chalked that up to woman stuff.

Finally Cheryl dropped the bomb.  She told Jeff she didn’t love him, and in fact, wasn’t sure she had ever loved him. 

He was devastated.  He hadn’t seen it coming, and it was a crushing blow.  He scrambled to work things out, but she was not interested.  They went to counseling, but she was uncooperative; and she told no one about Todd.

Eventually she filed for divorce, and when it was final she thought she would be the happiest woman in the world, but she knew it wasn’t right.  Todd had left his wife and was ready to make a home with Cheryl, but she had a nagging sense that something was wrong with that picture.  Meanwhile, her interest in God picked up.

“I bought a Bible for the first time in my life,” she said, “But didn’t know what to do with it.”  Then a friend got her plugged in to a Bible study.

And she started going to a new church.  “I sat in my same seat every week,” she said, “and the name Jesus was spoken countless times.  But one Sunday, for the very first time, I actually heard it.  It’s hard to explain, but it felt like I heard it in my heart, not just in my head.  I thought I already knew who Jesus was, but I quickly realized there was more to the story.  My friends told me that Jesus wanted my heart.  I didn’t get it but never stopped listening.”

“To tell the truth,” Cheryl said, “I thought some of the people around me were a little kooky.  They seemed to be obsessed with their religion.  I’d never in my life met people like this.  They were all apparently on a first-name basis with Jesus, yet they were so normal.  They were fun people, and they exuded a peace and joy I could not fathom.”

“It slowly dawned on me that this Jesus everyone was talking about could be what I’d been missing.  I learned he could be my Savior and that Savior wasn’t just some fancy religious word; it meant he could literally save my life.”

“I sat on my living-room recliner,” Cheryl said.  “I took a deep breath.  ‘Okay.’  I spoke aloud.  I knew Jesus heard me.  I was giving my life to him, even though I still wasn’t quite sure what that meant.  I felt like a little child when I went on, ‘Jesus, forgive me of my sins and be the Lord of my life.’”

“The best way I can describe what happened,” Cheryl said, “was that it felt like a boulder had been lifted off me.  For months I had existed in a near-constant state of anxiety.  But over the next few days, my body seemed to be moving in slow motion.  At the same time, I felt invigorated and had more energy.  Even my voice was calmer.  Emotionally I moved to a more even keel.  I stopped crying so much.  I felt like I had someone to lean on (Jesus!).  I felt as though I had somewhere to turn with my emotions (prayer!).  In the midst of all the turmoil, I felt peace and joy in a way I’d never experienced in my life.”

“In some ways it felt like a silly stereotype,” she said.  “The hole in my life was being filled for the first time.  It felt like freedom.  I did not understand the path I was about to take, but was willing to walk down it.”

To make a long and exciting story short, Cheryl grew in the Lord, ended up getting remarried to Jeff, and now they help others who are struggling in their marriage.  You can read all about it in their book “I Do Again:  How We Found a Second Chance at Our Marriage – and You Can Too,” published by WaterBrook.

Cheryl had gone through ten disappointing years of marriage and seven painful years of divorce before finally stepping into God’s plan for marriage.

Now what about you?  God has a design for your marriage, and it’s far more fulfilling than any affair or any other distraction you might be toying with. 

Find out more by drawing near to God yourself, by connecting with mature believers, and by reading this book “I Do Again” by Cheryl and Jeff Scruggs.


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 Are Susceptible to the Sin of Saul - Apples of Gold - October 21, 2010 -vi-

Click here to listen to the radio version.   

Click here to search the AOG archives.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for October 21, 2010

“We Are Susceptible to the Sin of Saul”

 

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

By faith, Abraham obeyed God.

Now remove the name Abraham and plug your own name into that sentence.  Is it still true?

It was not true for King Saul according to the story in First Samuel 15.

Verse 18 says that God sent Saul on a mission, and Saul went on the mission; however, he didn’t do everything God told him to do.

So the Lord sent the prophet Samuel to confront the king.  In verse 19 Samuel said, “Why did you not obey the Lord?”

Now what if you plugged your name into that sentence?

I’m now going to ask you a very important question.  If I plugged your name into that sentence, would you know exactly what I was talking about?

Saul did.  King Saul knew exactly what Samuel was talking about when he said, “Why did you not obey the Lord?”

And maybe you do, too.  Maybe you are thinking right now of something God wanted you to do, but you didn’t.  So the question Samuel asked Saul comes down to you today.  Why did you not obey the Lord?

Now listen to Saul’s slimy thinking.  He tried to slither around his disobedience by offering a large sacrifice to God.

Did it work?  Was the Almighty appeased?

No, and the prophet Samuel thundered his response.

“Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord?  To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.”

Don’t miss that powerful phrase, “to obey is better than sacrifice.”  Saul thought God would be pleased with sacrifice, but he chose the lesser thing.  The greater thing is to obey.

But Samuel wasn’t done.  He continued, “For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry.  Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.”

Wait a minute.  Did Saul reject the word of the Lord?  I thought he simply didn’t do quite everything he was told to do.

Well that is rejecting the word of the Lord.  When you know what God wants you to do, and you don’t do it, it’s not a small thing.  You are rejecting His word.

The gravity of the situation finally hit King Saul and he confessed, “I have sinned.”  And then he offered a powerful revelation. 

Now before I reveal this revelation, let’s look at his situation through the world’s eyes.  He was the king of Israel.  He was a tall man, and you know how that can just make you look like a leader.  Well he had the bearing of a leader. 

And he had just won a mighty victory over Israel’s enemy, the Amalekites.  The Amalekites had been a thorn in their side for a long time, and Saul had finally kicked their booty once and for all.

So in a sense he was the newly crowned champion, at the top of his game.  But then Samuel confronted him, hard, and Saul was reduced.  He confessed, “I have sinned,” and then he really opened up.  He gave us a glimpse into his heart, and it was a real eye-opener.  Here is the reason he did not obey the Lord.

Are you ready for this?  Because sin is common to man.  A sin that Saul was susceptible to is a sin that you and I are susceptible to.

So here is why King Saul did not obey the word of the Lord.  He said, “I was afraid of the people and so I gave in to them.”

Oh…my…goodness.  Saul is now sniveling.  He’s not taking full responsibility for his action, but he does offer a glimpse into his motivation.  He was afraid of the people, he said, so he gave in to them.

Now plug your name into that sentence.  Is it true?  Are you afraid of people, and so you don’t fully obey the Lord?  Is your fear of man greater than your fear of God? 

Saul’s was, and it was about to cost him dearly, and he knew it.  It reduced him to begging.  He said to Samuel, “I beg you, forgive my sin and come back with me, so that I may worship the Lord.”

But Samuel said, “I will not go back with you.  You have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you as king over Israel!”

This is a sobering and sad tale, but it should echo through the ages as a warning to us all.  God prefers obedience over sacrifice, and fear of the people is no excuse. 

In Acts 5 we have a positive example, Peter and the apostles who declared, “We must obey God rather than men!”

We must obey God.  That is a lesson the apostles understood, and Saul learned too late. 

And how about you?  Do you know what God wants you to do?  Are you putting it off out of fear, fear of what people might think or say, or fear of disappointing them or making them angry?

Well this is your call to get back on track and do what you know God wants you to do.

And in the end I hope they will be able to plug all of our names into this sentence from Hebrews chapter 11.

By faith Abraham obeyed 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-

Indicators of a Fool - Apples of Gold - October 20, 2010 -vi-

Click here to listen to the radio version.   

Click here to search the AOG archives.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for October 20, 2010

“Indicators of a Fool”

 

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

You don’t want to be a fool.

You don’t need a Bible verse to tell you that, I hope, but if you do, go to Ephesians 5:15 which tells us not to live like fools.

Listen to this list of things found in Mark 7:22, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, pride and…foolishness.

Jesus indicates in Matthew 7:26 that anyone who hears His words and does not put them into practice is a foolish man.

Of course the book of Proverbs is a treasure chest of information about fools, and includes some startling descriptions.

Proverbs 17:12 says that it is better to have a run-in with a mother bear than it is to deal with a fool.

Proverbs 26:6 says that trusting a fool with an important message is like cutting off your own feet.

And listen to Proverbs 26:3, “A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the fool’s back.”

Believe me, you do not want to be a fool!

But how do you know?  How do you know if you are a fool or not?

Well I went through the entire book of Proverbs and compiled the characteristics of a fool, and here is one that shows up repeatedly. 

To find out if you are a fool or not, take a close look at your attitude toward wisdom and instruction and knowledge.

For example, what is your attitude when your parents try to give you advice?  Proverbs 15:5 says, “A fool despises his father’s instruction…”

Other Proverbs say things like:
Fools hate knowledge.  (Proverbs 1:22)
Fools despise wisdom and discipline.  (Proverbs 1:7, Proverbs 23:9)
Fools find no pleasure in understanding.  (Proverbs 18:2)

Instead of these, a fool feeds his mind on trash.  Proverbs 15:14 says that fools feed on folly and foolishness.

According to Proverbs 17:24, a wise man keeps his eyes on wisdom, but what does a fool do?  His eyes wander everywhere.  One bit of information is as good as another.  His eyes wander to the “ends of the earth,” the Bible says.

So what are you feeding your mind on?  What is your attitude toward wisdom and knowledge and instruction?  How do you respond to advice from parents or others who are older or wiser or more experienced?  That is a good indication of whether or not you are a fool.

Perhaps the second biggest indicator, based on how often it shows up in Proverbs, is this.  A fool is known for running his mouth.

Proverbs calls him a prating fool or a chattering fool or a babbling fool. 

Proverbs 13:16 says that a fool exposes his own folly.  Out of his mouth pours foolishness. (Proverbs 15:2)

A fool doesn’t talk to try to come to a deeper understanding.  He just delights in airing his own opinions (Proverbs 18:2).

Listen to Proverbs 18:6.  “A fool’s lips bring him strife, and his mouth invites a beating.”  (See also Proverbs 10:14.)

A fool just can’t shut up!  His mouth is his undoing.  (Proverbs 18:7)

Proverbs 10:18 says that a fool spreads slander.  A fool doesn’t worry about getting his facts straight, he just opens his mouth and lets it fly!

So that’s the second big indicator of a fool in the book of Proverbs.  If you just can’t seem to control your runaway mouth, you may well be a fool.

Here is another big indicator:  a fool just never seems to learn.  A simple rebuke will teach a wise man quicker 100 lashes will teach a fool. 

A fool won’t learn from discipline, and he won’t even learn from experience.  Listen to the graphic language of Proverbs 26:11.  “As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly.”

Proverbs 27:22 says grind him like grain, yet you just can’t separate a fool from his folly.

One reason is because a fool thinks his way is right.  Proverbs 12:15 says, “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes…”  Proverbs 14:8 indicates that fools deceive themselves.

Fools are quick tempered.  (Proverbs 12:16, Proverbs 29:11)

Fools are quick to quarrel.  (Proverbs 20:3)

Fools find pleasure in evil and hate to turn from it. (Proverbs 10:23, Proverbs 13:19)

Fools squander what they get.  (Proverbs 21:20)

So what do you think?  Do you see yourself at all in any of these indicators of a fool?

If so, that is good news!  The first step away from foolish behavior is to recognize it. 

Now you can use this information to seek the Lord’s wisdom and wise human counsel in order to move away from the folly of the fool.


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- 

Seek the Honor That Comes From the Only God - Apples of Gold - October 19, 2010 -vi-

Click here to listen to the radio version.   

Click here to search the AOG archives.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for October 19, 2010

“Seek the Honor That Comes From the Only God”

 

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

“My company is going out of business.”

“Oh really?” I said, as I looked around at the opulence of his home.

He noticed me looking and said, “Oh, don’t worry, I’m not going to lose anything.  Actually I’m going to come out ahead.”

“How does that work?”

“Actually I’ve lost three businesses now, and each time I came out ahead.”

“How did you do it?”

“Well…”  He grinned, then laughed a sly laugh and looked at the floor.  Then he looked up toward the wall away from me and said, “You have to be careful.”

I said, “Was there deception?  Because God won’t honor deception.  If you profited through deception, your profit will crumble beneath you like sand.”

Now stop right there.  Let me ask you this question.  Whose honor would you rather have, God’s or man’s?

It’s quite natural to want the honor of man.  People are all around us and we want them to admire us or at least approve of us.  We often do things simply so other people will think more highly of us.

I read a commentary the other day about Facebook.  The author pointed out how many people cleverly craft their image on Facebook, from their status updates, to the photos they post, even to the sheer numbers of friends that they add.  Everything they do on Facebook is designed to make people admire them or covet their life. 

People who do this are seeking the honor of men, which as I said, is perfectly natural.  We all want people to like us.

But it’s much more important to seek the honor of God.  Jesus pointed this out in John 5:44 when He said, “How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?”

It is more important to seek the honor that comes from God rather than the honor that comes from men.

It’s sort of like a Little League baseball player seeking the honor of his teammates rather than his coach.  So he goes up to the plate and shakes his rear end, much to the delight of his teammates.  Then he switches to bat left-handed (when he is actually a righty), and his buddies roll on the dugout floor with laughter.  Finally he just turns his back to the pitcher and acts like he’s smoking a cigarette – and the team goes into hysterics.

He wanted, and got, the honor of his teammates, but will he receive anything but condemnation from the coach?

That’s a childish version of what we do.  We are more grown up about it, but we are still more interested in pleasing people rather than God much of the time.

But Jesus said to seek the honor that comes from the only God.

How do we do that? 

Here is one way.  Serve Jesus.  That’s what He said in John 12:26.  “If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.”

Another way to seek the honor of God is by honoring Him first.  In First Samuel 2:30 God said, “Those who honor me I will honor…”

Second Timothy 2:21 indicates that if we purify ourselves, we will be special vessels for honorable use.

Of course there is one obvious way to seek the honor that comes from God and that is simply this.  Be honorable.  Be an honorable man or woman of God.

My short version of First Thessalonians 4:4 says, “Possess your vessel in honor.”  That means conduct yourself in an honorable fashion.  That includes what you do with your body, what you say, even your attitudes.  Be honorable in all things.

Hebrews 13:18 includes this phrase, “desire to live honorably in every way.”

First Peter 2:12 says, “…having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles…”
Now back to my story about the man who was losing his business but keeping the money through deception.  That was a dream I had last night, a very vivid dream.  I was sitting in a man’s house I have never met, confronting him about seeking to honor God in all he does, including his business practices.
And I want to challenge you to do the same today.  It’s the same challenge Jesus presented in John 5:44 and here it is.
“How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only 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-

Bliss in the Body: A Colossians 3 Rhapsody - Apples of Gold - October 15, 2010 -vi-

THIS IS ONE YOU REALLY MUST HEAR TO APPRECIATE

Click here to listen to the radio version.   

Click here to search the AOG archives.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for October 15, 2010

“Bliss in the Body – A Colossians 3 Rhapsody”

 

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

“Bliss in the Body – A Colossians 3 Rhapsody”

(begin music)

Bliss in the body. 

Does your church look like this?

One body.

We were called to one body, the body of Christ.

We are the elect of God, and we are one body.

There is neither Greek nor Jew, slave nor free, but Christ is all, and in all.

One body.

We must be kind to one another.

There is no excuse for anything but kindness.  Kind to one another.

And patient.

We are one body and the parts must be patient with one another.

Longsuffering, bearing with one another.

(Bear with each other, and forgive one another.)

This is bliss in the body, people.

(If any of you has a grievance against someone, forgive.)

Does your church look like this?

It starts with you.

Humility.  I am humble and you are humble.  We are not “all that.”

We are not in competition.

We are one.

One body.

Put on love.

Love is the bond of perfection.

(And over all these virtues put on love.)
 
We are one body, and we love one another.

One body.

Love is the bond of perfection.

(Over all these virtues, put on love.)

It perfectly bonds us together, as one.  One body.

Do you have a complaint?  Forgive.

(Forbearing one another and forgiving one another.)

We must forgive one another just as Christ forgave us.

(And forgive whatever grievance you may have against one another.)
 
Forgiveness.  It’s what we do in the body.

One body, with no room for unforgiveness.

Be thankful.

We give thanks in all things, together, for we are one.

We speak to one another.  We don’t turn away.  We speak to one another with joy, in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.

We are the body of Christ.

One body.

It’s bliss in the body, people!

Does our church look like this?

It starts with me.

Put off anger.

There is no room for anger, put it off.

Colossians 3:8 – put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth.

The mouth is clean in the body.  No filthy language, no malice, no wrath and no angry talk.

And no lies.

Do not lie to one another.

We do not lie, we do not deceive.  We deal in truth alone.

We are true.

We are the body.

One body.

We are the elect of God, holy and beloved.

(Holy and dearly loved.)

God loves us.

He wants us to love one another.

Tender mercies.  Put on tender mercies.

Colossians 3:12.

Tender mercies.

And love, which is the bond of perfection.

We love one another because we are the body.

We are thankful.

(Giving thanks to God the Father through Him.)

We give thanks always for all things.

We are not bitter, but thankful to God.

(Do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus.)

We do all in the name of the Lord Jesus.

(Whatever we do, whether it be word or deed, we should do it in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.)

That is how we treat one another.

I treat you thus in Jesus’ name.

It’s bliss in the body people.

Does your church look like this?

It starts with us.


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-

Elisha Carter Gives Up Checkers - Apples of Gold - October 14, 2010 -vi-

Click here to listen to the radio version.   

Click here to search the AOG archives.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for October 14, 2010

“Elisha Carter Gives Up Checkers”

 

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

Elisha Carter loved to play checkers.

This was before video games or even video tapes, so checkers was high on the list of fun things.

In the evenings, Elisha and his brothers would eat, then sit down to a rousing tournament of checkers.

One morning Elisha came to the breakfast table and informed his brothers that he could not play checkers anymore.  They said, “Why in the world…what’s wrong with checkers?”

Now let’s stop the story right here.  What is wrong with checkers?

Of course nothing is inherently wrong with checkers.  Nothing is inherently wrong with most of the games we play.  They are just pastimes for passing the time, for relaxation, for giving our minds a break from weightier matters.

There is nothing wrong with games as long as they stay in their proper place; but for some people, games have a way of creeping up the ladder of importance. 

Have you ever met someone who was consumed with games?  Have you ever met a video game addict?  I read about a mother one time who was charged with child neglect because she was so hooked on some online video game that she forgot about her child. 

I enjoyed video games when I was younger, but I knew guys who would hang blankets on their windows to keep the sunshine out so they could stay in all day and play video games.  They were obsessed with “getting to the next level” and “beating the game.”

You might think that’s the nature of today’s complex video games, but actually it’s just human nature, for some people more than others.  Some people are obsessed with mastering games.

Well that was Elisha and the game of checkers.  He loved the game and looked forward to playing each night with his brothers.  And then came the day when he told them he wasn’t going to play anymore.  They questioned him about it and here’s what he said.

“You know, every night as I go to bed, I spend that time focusing my whole mind and heart on Christ.  I talk to Him.  I go through the things of the day and I think about the next day.  It’s a very special time with Him.  And I vowed years ago that I would never let anything come between me and my relationship with Jesus Christ.  And last night when I went to bed all I could think about was the moves I could have made on a checkerboard.”*

And Elisha Carter never played checkers again.

That story is told by Bill Elliff, Elisha’s great grandson, who is the founding pastor of The Summit Church of Little Rock, Arkansas.  And Pastor Elliff says his great grandfather passed down a great legacy of faith that still resonates in the family today.

Now I would guess that the game of checkers is probably not your problem, but it leads us to ask this important question.  What is coming between us and God?

I was talking to a young pastor the other day and he said that he was spending his time working for the Lord, and not much time with the Lord.

There are so many distractions these days.  You could have a thousand TV channels to watch, and the internet could hog your time from now until doomsday. 

But we must make time to be quiet before the Lord, to talk to Him and listen for the still small voice of the Holy Spirit.  We must make time to pray and to read the Bible.  It’s one-on-one time with the Almighty, and it’s a key to spiritual growth and maturity.

This is something I’ve been blessed to have throughout my Christian life, and it has taken different forms over the years.  I often went to the church alone to pray.  I’ve taken prayer walks in the country.  I’ve circled my yard in the predawn hours.  Thousands of times I have sat down alone with God, with a Bible in front of me and said, “God, I am drawing near to You.”  I’ve fallen asleep a thousand times at night while praying, and that is a really sweet and peaceful way to go to sleep, by the way.

But I can relate to Elisha Carter.  I know what it’s like to have other things come crowding in.  I’ve had momentary obsessions sweep in and try to replace my time with the Lord, and you probably have, too.

And maybe you are in that place right now.  Maybe there is your own version of checkers that is crowding out your relationship with God.  Or like the young pastor, it could even be your own work for God that is getting in the way of your time with God.

“I want to know Christ,” Paul wrote in Philippians chapter three.  “Whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.  What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.”

So don’t let anything get in the way of getting to know the Lord better. 

In the end, you don’t want to be known as a man who loved games.

You want to be known like Elisha Carter, as a man who truly loved the Lord Jesus Christ.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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

 
That story is told by his great grandson Bill Elliff, pastor of The Summit Church near Little Rock, Arkansas.  It was shared on Family Life Today:  http://www.familylife.com/site/c.dnJHKLNnFoG/b.6235823/k.809F/FamilyLife_Today.htm?utm_source=radio&utm_medium=radio&utm_campaign=flt

© 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-

You Are a Trajectory Changer - Apples of Gold - October 13, 2010 -vi-

Click here to listen to the radio version.   

Click here to search the AOG archives.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for October 13, 2010

“You Are a Trajectory Changer”

 

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

You don’t have to change the world.

If you think you do, you are going to burn out into a little smoldering ash heap of guilt and failure.

I’m not telling you to give up, not at all; but there is only so much you can do.

Think about this.  Jesus Himself did not live at a breathless pace.  He never went to Rome.  He didn’t shake every hand and kiss every baby.  He even did things like go to the Pool of Bethesda, heal one man, then duck out of there because it was so crowded.

He did His part, and that was it.  He finished the works the Father had given Him to finish.

And that’s all you can do – your part – but have you ever had the feeling that your part wasn’t enough?

Well it isn’t, and that’s okay.  Just keep doing your part, let others do their part, and that’s how the work gets done.  That’s how the world is changed.

Here’s an interesting phrase:  Apollos watered.  That’s what it says in First Corinthians 3:6.  It says that Paul planted, Apollos watered, but God made it grow.

Apollos didn’t have to do it all.  In that verse he simply watered.  He added to someone else’s labor.

Listen to what Jesus said in John 4:38, “…others have labored and you have entered into their labors.”

None of us started this work.  We have simply entered into the labor of others.  And if the Lord tarries, we will eventually leave our labor behind for someone else.

The problem with just doing your part is that it’s hard to see the effect.  You do something, then step back and look and what do you see?  You went to a lot of effort and the world seems no different.

For example, have you ever organized a vacation Bible school?  It’s a ton of work, with volunteers and curriculum and crafts and snacks, and when it’s over you collapse in a heap and what do you get for it?  A list of improvements for next year.

The next day you open the newspaper and the world is the same.  You worked like a maniac and nothing changed.

Well that’s not true, so let me give you a different way to look at it.

You are a “trajectory changer.”

Have you ever fired a gun at a target?  It’s not as easy as it looks.  I mean, you aim, and it looks like you are going to hit the bulls-eye, but then you miss.  How come?

It has to do with “trajectory.”  If you move the gun ever so slightly, it changes the location of the bullet radically by the time it gets to the target.  A tiny change of trajectory at the point of origination causes a big change of trajectory at the point of destination.

Or think about the moon launch.  We have to launch the space capsule at just the right time in just the right direction at just the right speed in order to hit the moon.  A slight change of trajectory on earth can cause you to miss the moon by miles!

This is how I see my work as a Christian.  I am a trajectory changer.  When someone comes in contact with me, I hope to nudge their trajectory closer to God. 

When those kids come to your vacation Bible school, you are a trajectory changer.  You use the time you have with them to give them a serious nudge in the direction of Jesus. 

Those kids may not wake up the next day looking radically different, but that’s always hard to tell at the point of origin.  It’s only as time goes by that you notice a change in trajectory.

In Jesus’ Parable of the Sower, the Word is tossed out like seeds.  It’s hard to tell what will come of them until some time has gone by, but the sower’s job is to keep sowing.

There’s a woman in Tallahassee who is a trajectory changer and a sower of the Word.  Listen to what she does.  Have you ever eaten at a Chinese restaurant and received a little slip of paper with a “fortune” on it?  Well she puts the Word on fancy little scrolls of paper, ties them up in a bow, and they pass them out at certain restaurants. 

It’s a lot of work, and it may not seem worth it if you are looking for a radical change; but here’s the deal.  She is a trajectory changer and every time someone reads her little scrolls they are nudged just a little more in the direction of God.

Jesus told us to let our light shine before men, so let your light shine. 

He told us to do good deeds, so do good deeds.

Love your neighbor.  Speak the truth in love.  Go and make disciples.

And if you feel like it’s not enough, if you feel like you just aren’t changing the world, remember, you can only do your part.  That may not lead to a change in tomorrow’s headlines, but it will do this. 

It will change the trajectory of everyone you come in contact with.  It may seem small, but it can lead to big change over time.

So keep this in mind as you do your little part in the body of Christ.

You are a trajectory changer.


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-