A Word to Christian Communicators - Apples of Gold - August 11, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for August 11, 2008

“A Word to Christian Communicators”

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

Mark 12:37 says that the large crowd listened to Jesus “with delight.”

Can the same be said of us?

If you are a Christian communicator, would you say that the crowd listens to you with delight?

Cicero was one of Rome’s greatest orators, and he said great communication needs three elements.  It should teach, it should motivate, and it should delight.

We Christian communicators are usually pretty good at teaching.  We can pass along facts all day long.  We lecture and preach, and we feel like we are doing our duty as long as we are communicating Godly truth.

But Cicero said in addition to teaching, great communication should also motivate.  He’s saying that it’s not good enough just to state the facts.  We should state them in such a way that it moves people.

Many Christian communicators are also great motivators.  Congregations are moved to action by great preaching.  Millions of Christians have been motivated by great speaking and writing and various uses of the media.

But what about Cicero’s other point?  Yes, we teach and even motivate, but what about this thing he called delight?

When I think of delight, I think of children when they see puppies.  I think of teenagers when they have a crush on someone.  I think of grownups planning their dream vacation.  Or, like it says in Mark 12:37, I think of an audience listening to Jesus.

When was the last time you were delighted by some form of communication?  I am often delighted when I hear a great new song.  I’m delighted when I hear a truth stated in a way that really turns on the light.  I’m delighted when I read a story that is so well written that I’m just sucked into it.  I’m delighted by a clever turn of phrase and by a creative video.  I’m delighted by the painting of Christian artist Ron DiCianni.

Now let me ask you.  If you are a Christian communicator, what are you doing to delight your audience?

When I think about delighting an audience, I think of the shepherds in Luke chapter two.  There they were, watching their flocks by night, and suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared, and the glory of the Lord shone around them.  He announced the birth of Christ, then was joined by a great company of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”

Did God have to go to all that trouble to announce the birth of His Son?  Of course not.  He could have just passed on the facts.  But instead He made it a grand spectacle!

Think of the Day of Pentecost in the upper room, with the tongues of fire and the rushing wind. 

Think of Moses and the burning bush.

Think of Paul on the road to Damascus.

Think of Jesus’ baptism, with heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending like a dove and a voice from heaven declaring, “Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

Let me tell you, God knows how to delight His audience!

And you know what?  So does the world.  In fact, the world thrives on it.  When they make a hit movie, it’s all about delighting the audience.  They are so delighted they can’t wait for the next one.

Is that the way our audience feels about us as Christian communicators? 

Now listen, I’m not talking about watering down the Gospel.  We still communicate Christ in all His glory, and we do it in such a way to delight the audience.

What’s the difference between delighting the audience or not?  I think it comes down to work.

Have you ever had a Sunday school teacher who simply read the book to you?  They did no work on the lesson, and it delighted no one.  And with no delight, is anyone listening at all?

Compare that to a Sunday school teacher who studies the lesson, then thinks of ways to delight the class – while teaching the lesson. 

One time I was asked to teach a seminar for school teachers.  Instead of lecturing them, I took a lot of extra time to write out a skit to illustrate the point.  Then I had the teachers get up and read the script.  It really brought the lesson to life and delighted the audience in the process. 

This applies to preaching and teaching.  It applies to all forms of Christian communication.  If you have a website, does it delight?  If you have a radio show or a TV show, are you working to delight your audience?  If you are a writer, if you’re in a singing group, what are you doing to delight your audience?

Jesus said in Mark 16:15, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.”

We can do that poorly, or we can do that to the best of our ability.  And if we want to do our best, then I think we need Cicero’s three elements of great communication.  We need to teach, we need to motivate, and we need to delight.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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


© 2008 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
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What Should I Look For in a Spouse? - Apples of Gold - July 31, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for July 31, 2008

“What Should I Look For in a Spouse?”

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

“What is the most important thing I should look for in a spouse?”

The question was kind of abrupt, and I answered off the top of my head.

“Faithfulness,” I said.  “Look for faithfulness.  It doesn’t matter how wonderful someone is, if they are not faithful, your life will be a wreck.”

So what exactly is faithful?  I think someone is faithful if, first of all, they consistently love you.  First Corinthians 13 says love is not self seeking.  Instead of always looking out for themselves, a faithful person looks out for you. 

Second of all, someone is faithful if their character is consistent.  They aren’t one way today and another way tomorrow. 

The perfect example of faithfulness is God.  Over and over the Bible describes God as faithful.

Second Thessalonians 3:3 says, “…the Lord is faithful…”

Lamentations 3:23 says, “…great is Thy faithfulness…”

Isaiah 25:1 talks about His perfect faithfulness.

Psalm 33:4 says the Lord is faithful in all He does.

Psalm 108:4 says His faithfulness “reaches to the skies.”

And Psalm 146:6 says the Lord remains faithful forever.

What does it mean that the Lord is faithful? 

To me that means He is looking out for our best interest, and His character is consistent.

God doesn’t change.  In Malachi 3:6 He declared, “…I am the Lord, I change not…”

Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

So when you are looking for faithfulness in a spouse, watch to see if their character is consistent.  If they operate by situational ethics, look out.  If they change their behavior based upon who is watching, look out.  This is not a faithful person.

And when you are looking for faithfulness in a spouse, watch to see if they consistently look out for your best interest – or are they just in it for themselves?  If they spend all their time looking out for number one and don’t seem to care much about looking out for you – look out.  This is not a faithful person.

Why is faithfulness so important?

Because you must marry someone you trust.  If you don’t trust them, to marry them is to pour yourself a heaping bowl of agony.

It won’t matter how good they look or how much money they have.  It won’t matter how smart they are or fun or successful.  If you can’t trust them, you will wake up every day to the feeling of maggots in your gut.

Sound extreme?  Talk to a few people who don’t trust their spouse.  It’s misery. 

That’s why it is so crucial to find this out before you get married.  Can you trust them?  Are they faithful?  If they aren’t faithful before marriage, that little ceremony is not going to change them.

This thing of faithfulness goes beyond marriage.  It’s something to look for in your friends as well, even business partners.

Listen to what King David wrote in Psalm 101.  “My eyes will be on the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me…” 

Who was going to get close to the king?  Faithful people.  People who had his best interest at heart.  People whose character was consistent.

You have to look beyond someone’s words.  Proverbs 20 verse 6 says, “Many a man claims to have unfailing love, but a faithful man who can find?”

Now let me ask this.  Are you a faithful person?  Do you truly care about the interests of others, or are you looking out for number one?  And is your character consistent, no matter who is watching?

The good news is, if you are a Christian, and you let the Holy Spirit work in you, then you will have the fruit of the Spirit which includes faithfulness.*

Like I said, this all goes back to the person who asked me one day, “What is the most important thing I should look for in a spouse.”

My answer came off the top of my head, but the more I think about it, the more I see the truth in it.  One primary quality you absolutely must have in a spouse is this:  faithfulness.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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

 *  Galatians 5:22

© 2008 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
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Get a Job Sha-Na-Na-Na - Apples of Gold - July 30, 2008 -vi-

If you want to actually listen to today’s program, with its featured song, you can do so on our homepage:  www.wave94.com.  

You can also search all of the Apples of Gold scripts.  Just look at the column on the right side of our homepage.

 

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for July 30, 2008

“Get a Job Sha-Na-Na-Na”

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

Dude, you don’t quit your job until you have your next job lined up.

For one thing, all your new employers are going to want to know what happened to your last job.  Who wants to hire a quitter?

The exception would be if you have plenty of money saved up so you don’t have to mooch off anyone.  And that includes mooching off the government.

And when you are looking for a job, treat that like your job.  Start at 8 a.m. and do the hard labor of hunting for work all day.  You should put in a minimum of 8 hours a day of actually looking for a job.  You need to mentally clock in and clock out during your job hunt. 

Over the years I have run into so many people who are out of work, but who spend too little time looking.  They wrap their hopes up in that one manager who said he would call.  “He’s gonna call, I just know it!  Why should I keep looking when this job’s in the bag?”

Because no job is in the bag until you are hired. 

“But I’ve already applied at all the places I want to work.”

Then you better start applying at some places you don’t want to work.  Maybe God has a plan for you there, you never know. 

But whatever you do, if you are physically capable, and if you are old enough, you need to provide for yourself and not mooch off others, including your parents.

The Apostle Paul set a good example in First Thessalonians 2:9.  He said they worked hard in order to “not be a burden to anyone…”

And that’s the goal – to not be burden to anyone. 

Apparently they had a problem with that in Thessalonica.  Paul addressed the situation in both First and Second Thessalonians.

In First Thessalonians 5:14 he wrote, “…we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle…”

In chapter 4 verse 11 he told them to mind their own business and to work.

In Second Thessalonians chapter three Paul wrote, “We hear that some among you are idle…such people we command and urge to…settle down and earn the bread they eat.”

Then Paul told them not to put up with it.  In fact, in Second Thessalonians 3:6 he told them to avoid those people who weren’t prone to work.  Keep away from them, he said.

If someone doesn’t want to earn the bread they eat, guess what?  They shouldn’t get any bread at all!  Second Thessalonians 3:10 says, “If a man will not work, he shall not eat.”

It sounds to me like some moochers were living off the kind-hearted Christians in Thessalonica.

So why does Paul say to stay away from them?  If you have ever dealt with moochers, you know why.  Because moochers are pot-stirrers.  They play on people’s emotions, and when they sense opposition, they know how to stir it up.  Listen to how Paul describes them in Second Thessalonians 3:11, “They are not busy; they are busybodies.”

What do you call a moocher who is not a smooth talker?  There aren’t any!  Who wants to help a rough talker?  Nobody, so to be a good moocher you have to be a good talker. 

So they don’t work, but spend all their time talking.  They get into everyone’s business, then play that to their advantage – anything to get what they want without working.  They will manipulate and lie if they have to.  This is why Paul says to avoid them.  People like this usually won’t change until they realize that if they want to eat, they are going to have to work.

Back when my dad was in high school one of the most popular songs was called “Get a Job” by The Silhouettes.  It went like this:

(play this portion of the song)

“Get a job – Sha na na na, sha na na na na (bah-doo) Sha na na na, sha na na na na”

The song is from the point of view of an unemployed young man. Everyday his mother gets him out of bed with these words, “Get a job.”  One lyric goes like this, “At breakfast every day she throws the want ads my way, and never fails to say ‘Get a job.’”

The guy even says that his girlfriend is hunting down jobs for him!  Then every day he tells his mom there aren’t any jobs out there, so she starts, “Preachin’ and a-cryin’, tellin’ me I’m lyin’ about a job.”

If the Apostle Paul would have had a podcast, I think this is the song he would have used to close out his message to a few of those Thessalonians:

(begin playing more of the song)

Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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

(end program with more of the song)


One more thought.  This is a good reason to get a good education – to put yourself in a better to position to provide for yourself and not end up being a burden to others.
 
© 2008 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-

Is the Way You Pray Biblical? - Apples of Gold - July 29, 2008 ***Happy 30th Birthday to my sister Jennifer!!!*** -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for July 29, 2008

“Is the Way You Pray Biblical?”

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

Just because you see other Christians do it doesn’t mean it’s right.

People do a lot of strange things for a lot of strange reasons.

That’s why I always stress that we go back to the Bible.  If you want to find out how something should really be done, dig into the Word. 

I also stress that you grasp the big picture of the Bible, not just a little verse here and there.  You can come up with all kinds of strange doctrines by picking out one verse and ignoring the rest.

Let’s take a look at one thing we (hopefully) all do.  I’m talking about prayer.

If you grew up in a Christian home, then you learned about prayer from your family and from your church.

At my house growing up we were taught to fold our hands when we prayed.  This was official.  And you closed your eyes.  That was the authorized prayer posture.  The same thing at church, “Fold your hands and close your eyes.”

When and where did we pray?  We prayed at church, of course.  We prayed around the dinner table before we ate, and we prayed wherever we happened to get our “Quiet Time Story,” which might be in bed or the kitchen table or sitting on the living room floor.  And in case of emergency, we prayed wherever we were when we got the bad news.

And to whom did we pray?  As Lutherans we prayed the “Lord’s Prayer” a lot, so we were praying to “Our Father which art in heaven.”  We also prayed a lot to “Dear Lord,” and “Dear Jesus.”

That’s what I learned about prayer growing up, and many of you probably have your own childhood stories.

But just because that’s the way we were raised doesn’t mean it’s Biblical.  To find out the proper way to do things, we have to go back to the Word of God.

First of all, to whom does the Bible say we should pray?

Well, like I said, Jesus taught us to pray to our Father in heaven.  In Matthew 6:6 He said, “…pray to your Father, who is unseen.” 

This is the way Jesus Himself prayed.  In Matthew 26:39 He began His prayer by saying, “My Father…”

Luke 6:12 says that Jesus prayed to God.

In Acts 4:24 the early church prayed together to God, addressing Him as “Sovereign Lord.”

In Acts 7:59 Stephen prayed to the “Lord Jesus.”

So when we pray, we can address God in a variety of ways, from God to Our Father to Sovereign Lord to Lord Jesus.  Any name the Bible uses for the Lord is an appropriate way to address Him.

The next question is, where should we pray?  Let’s look where people prayed in the New Testament.

In Matthew 6:6 Jesus said we should pray in secret.  He said, “…when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen.”

You could easily make that a legalistic rule.  You’ve heard the term “prayer closet.”  However, from there on out you don’t read about people going privately into a little room to pray – not even Jesus Himself.

Mark 1:35 says that Jesus got up early one morning, while it was still dark, left the house and went off to a solitary place to pray.

Luke 5:16 says that “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.”

Mark 6:46 says that Jesus went up to pray on a mountainside.

Luke 6:12 tells of a time when Jesus went to a mountainside and spent the whole night praying to God.

In Acts 10:9 we read about Peter going up on a roof to pray.

So it kind of sounds like you can pray most anywhere, just as long as you are alone, right?

Well, with Bible people as our example, we don’t always have to be alone when we pray.

Acts 12:12 says many people gathered to pray at someone’s house.

Acts 16:13 says some people went out to a river to pray.

Acts 21:5 says they knelt down right there on a beach and prayed.

In Acts 22:17, Paul says he was praying at the temple.

James 5:14 pictures church elders praying at the bedside of a sick person.

Some people only think of prayer going on at a church building.  But in the New Testament, prayer is going on in all sorts of places.

Another question about prayer is, in what posture should we pray?  It’s obvious, right?  Heads bowed, hands folded, eyes closed…

Well, let’s look at the examples of posture from the New Testament.

In the Garden of Gethsemane, Matthew 26:39 says that Jesus “fell with His face to the ground and prayed…”

John 17:1 tells of a time when Jesus “looked toward heaven and prayed.”

Acts 20:36 says they all knelt down and prayed.

In Ephesians 3:14 Paul said he knelt before the Father.

First Timothy 2:8 says, “I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer…”

And oddly enough, I didn’t find anything about folding your hands, closing your eyes and bowing your head.  I think the lesson here is that there is no prescribed posture for prayer, but one thing they all have in common is a reverence for the Lord.

Our next question is, how often should we pray?  Five times a day?  Just during church service?

Again, let’s turn to the New Testament.

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

Acts 1:14 says the early church “all joined together constantly in prayer…”  And, by the way, it was a mixed group of men and women praying together.

Acts 2:42 says the early church devoted themselves to prayer, and Colossians 4:2 says, “Devote yourselves to prayer…”
 
Romans 12:12 says we should be “faithful in prayer.”

First Thessalonians 5:17 says, “…pray continually…”

Ephesians 6:18 says we should pray on all occasions.

First Timothy 2:1 says to pray for everyone.

So if you were taught to “pray without ceasing,” that is Biblical.  Prayers are not something we just toss up at church or when we get in a jam.  We should be talking to our Heavenly Father consistently throughout the day.

Is there such a thing as too much prayer?

Well, there are a couple of times when the Bible says things like, “When Jesus had finished praying…”  And Jesus Himself warned about our prayers turning into incessant babbling.  In Matthew 6:7 Jesus said, “…when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.”

So that’s just an example of what the Bible says about the practice of prayer.  How does that square with your tradition?  Remember, it’s what the Bible says that matters.

So I encourage you, don’t just keep doing whatever you’ve been doing.  Find out what the Bible says.  We should all be willing to remold our habits to fit with the Word of God.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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

 
© 2008 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-

Music Moves You and the Lyrics Point the Way - Apples of Gold - July 28, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for July 28, 2008

“Music Moves You, and the Lyrics Point the Way”

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

Music moves you, and the lyrics point the way.

A lot of people say it doesn’t matter what kind of music they listen to because they don’t pay attention to the lyrics anyway.

But they admit that music moves them.  It touches them at some deeper level.  Maybe it excites them or motivates them.  It gets them going in the morning.  Music can make us happy or sad or goofy or serious.  If you are a normal person, then music moves you.

The question is, in what direction?

Here is what I think.  The music moves you, and the lyrics point the way.

I was flipping through the paper this weekend and saw that the #1 pop song once again is a song entitled, “I Kissed a Girl.”  The title sounds innocent enough, like just another bubble gum pop song. 

The problem is, it’s sung by a girl, Katy Perry.  It’s set to a catchy pop beat as she sings, “I kissed a girl and I liked it.”

This is the number one song on the Billboard Hot 100.  The song has only been on the charts for 11 weeks, so maybe you’ve never heard it – but if you Google the phrases “I Kissed a Girl” and “Katy Perry” it returns about 2.4 million hits.

By comparison, a search of “Billy Graham” returns only 2.8 million hits.

So this song is being enjoyed by millions of people.  Would you say that this song is “moving” people?  I don’t think any song gets that popular if it isn’t moving people at some level.  It’s the beat.  It’s the sound.  It’s the latest catchy thing.  It’s popular precisely because it’s connecting with people.

But what about the lyrics?  Will the millions of girls who like the song suddenly start kissing other girls?  I’m guessing that most of them won’t. 

But here is how lyrics work.  They plant ideas in your mind, and ideas have consequences.  The more you hear an idea, the more seeds you plant in your mind; and the more seeds you plant, the more likely they are to bring a harvest.

Now most of us aren’t robots.  We don’t hear song lyrics and immediately do what they say like mindless zombies.  But here is what happens.  They affect us when we are vulnerable.  When we are vulnerable, we are much more open to the power of suggestion. 

Even in the song the singer admits that, on the day she decided to try kissing a girl, she had been drinking.

When people are inebriated, they are definitely open to the suggestion of song lyrics.  When someone has just been hurt, they are vulnerable.  When someone is at a fork in the road, they are vulnerable.  Even when someone is really excited, they are vulnerable. 

What does a married person do when they find themselves attracted to someone else?  When that happens, they are vulnerable.  I think one thing that will guide their actions will be the lyrics they have been listening to.

If they have been ingesting a steady diet of puppy love songs, or even songs that glorify cheating, they will be far more likely to move in that direction. 

When you encounter a young man on the street at night, what kind of lyrics do you hope and pray he has been listening to?

Some people think it doesn’t matter, but trust me, it matters.  If you don’t think it matters, try crashing your local college keg party and swapping their music for some Christian music.  Even if the music is identical, the lyrics will clear out the party. 

Why?  Because the lyrics would be pointing in the opposite direction. 

And this is where we can take advantage of the power of lyrics in our own life as Christians.  If the evil one starts to throw a little keg party in your heard, then start playing Christian music. 

See, evil thoughts, tempting thoughts, even discouraging thoughts and depressing thoughts – they will all flee when you play music with godly lyrics, with lyrics that encourage and uplift and glorify the Lord.

Let me tell you how we do it at our house.  We don’t allow any secular music.  If it’s not Christian, you can’t play it at our house.  It’s that simple. 

Did you know that we each have a spirit?  First Thessalonians 5:23 says, “May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

So we have this spirit inside of us.  And Second Corinthians 7:1 says we should eliminate everything that contaminates our spirit.

I think song lyrics reach our spirit, and certain song lyrics will contaminate our spirit. 

“So what should I do, Doug?  Just whatever you say?”

Hebrews 12:9 says we should “submit to the Father of our spirits…”

James 4:7 says, “Submit yourselves, then, to God…”

When we submit to the Lord, this includes our music.  And when we submit our music to the Lord, His usual standards apply – leaving no room for any lyrics that are unholy, unrighteous, ungodly or worldly. 

“But Doug, that’ll wipe out most of the songs on my iPod!”

Good riddance.  If they don’t please the Lord, they are poison anyway. 

Did you get that?  If they don’t please the Lord, they are poison.  They will lead you away from Him. 

I’ve heard all the arguments, and they are all full of holes.  Music moves us, which is why we love it so much.

Yes, music moves us – and the lyrics point the way.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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

 
© 2008 The Arrow’s Tip
To subscribe to your own daily “Apples of Gold” e-mail, write dougapple@wave94.com.
If you want to be removed from this e-mail list, simply click reply and type UNSUBSCRIBE on the subject line.
If you want to catch “Apples of Gold” in its original audio format, go to www.wave94.com
To search through the large archive of past articles, go here:  http://www.wave94.com/modules.php?name=Stories_Archive
If you have trouble reaching me at my main e-mail address, try this one:  douglas_apple@msn.com

(Proverbs 25:11 – “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”)

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

Doug Apple
General Manager - Wave 94
Christian Radio for Tallahassee
PO Box 4105
Tallahassee, FL  32315
(850) 926-8000
-vi-

Who Are You to Tell Me What to Do? - Apples of Gold - July 24, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for July 24, 2008

“Who Are You to Tell Me What to Do?”

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

Humility says, “Who am I?”

Pride says, “Who are you?”

In our pride we say, “Who are you to tell me what to do?”  It doesn’t matter if it’s our boss, our spouse, our teachers, or even the government.  As soon as someone wants us to do something we aren’t eager to do, we rebel.  As they say in the south, we “bow up.”

That’s our pride.  Pride says, “I decide what I do.  Who are you?”

How many athletes have stunted their abilities because they would not submit to the coach?

How many children have made their lives more difficult because they would not submit to their parents?

How many employees have blown opportunities for advancement because they would not submit to their boss?

How many families have been broken because nobody would submit to anyone?

This happens in churches as well.  How many Christians have hindered their spiritual growth by not submitting to church leadership?

This seems to be worse in America.  Maybe it’s in our blood as revolutionaries who refused to submit to the king of England. 

But it’s certainly not unique to America.  It’s universal.  We have our pride.  We look out for number one.  We won’t be pushed around.  No one is going to tell me what to do.  No one besides me knows what is best for me.

This, my friend, is not God’s plan.  When we read the Bible we see that God has something else in mind.

For example, look at Hebrews 13:17.  “Obey your leaders and submit to their authority.”

First Peter 2:13 says, “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men…”

So the process is simple.  Identify your leaders, then submit to them.

Who are the leaders in my life?  Well my first leader is God.  If any human leader wants me to sin against God, then I submit to my first leader first.  I obey God rather than men.

Then who?  Well Romans 13 says we must submit to the governing authorities.  For me, that is a host of people, from traffic cops to IRS agents to the commissioners of the FCC.  I submit to all those who make and enforce the laws of the land.

If I don’t, Romans 13:2 says that I am rebelling against what God has instituted, and I will bring judgment on myself.

Another important leader in my life is my boss, the owner of this radio station.  If he wants me to do something, I do it. 

Now I have a great boss, but some people don’t.  Some people have bosses who just don’t belong in that position.  Now what?  Same thing.  Unless it’s a sin, do what they tell you to do. 

Here is your goal.  Hebrews 13:17 says, “Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden…”

What will make their work a joy?  When you get done exactly what they want done with the least amount of hassle possible.  That means no talking back and no talking behind their back.

What if you don’t like your boss?  Well, as a Christian you are supposed to love your boss.  But besides that, look at First Peter 2:13.  It says, “Submit…for the Lord’s sake…”  So if you can’t do it for your boss, do it as unto the Lord.

So the leaders in my life are God, the government and my boss.  Who else?  Well there is the leadership at my church. 

Look at Hebrews 13:17 in the King James Version.  It says, “Obey them that have the rule over you…for they watch for your souls…”

This is a responsibility of church leadership.  They must watch over my soul, over things that affect my spiritual life.  And my part is to submit to their leadership. 

Okay, in addition to God and the government and my boss and church leadership, who else do I submit to?

First Peter 5:5 says, “Young men…be submissive to those who are older.” 

Here is another thing seriously lacking in America, and that is respect for our elders.  We tend to worship youth and look down on the aged.  But God wants me to submit to those who are older than me. 

This includes my parents.  Even though I’m a grown man with a family of my own, I am still called to submit to my elders, including my parents.

And finally there is Ephesians 5:21 which says, “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.”

“Wait a minute, Doug.  That pretty much leaves me submitting to everyone.  When am I ever in charge?”

Look what Jesus said in Luke 22:26.  He said that from now on, the leader should be like the servant.  And he used himself as the prime example.  “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve…”*

So who am I?  I am a servant, submitting to everyone in order to serve them. 

And the key to submission is humility.  Titus 3:2 says that I should show true humility toward all men.

When I am humble, I am willing to submit and to serve. 

And when someone wants me to do something, I don’t say, “Who are you to tell me to do that?”  Instead, in humility I say, “Why shouldn’t I do that?  Who am I?”


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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

*  Matthew 20:28
 
© 2008 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-

Teachers Drunk on the Wine of Error - Apples of Gold - July 23, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for July 23, 2008

“Teachers Drunk on the Wine of Error”

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

Have you ever read The Confessions of St. Augustine?

It was written over a thousand years ago, but I think you’ll be surprised how much those people have in common with us today.

Early on, Augustine writes about his education, and he points out that, from a Christian perspective, his teachers taught him things that weren’t true.  And I love the way he words it.  Listen to this one short phrase:  “…the wine of error which was poured out to us by teachers already drunk…”

He’s saying that their false teaching was like wine.  His teachers were “already drunk” because they had already completely soaked up the false teaching themselves, and now they were forcing this “wine of error” on their students.

Just because I like it so much, let me share that phrase one more time:  “…the wine of error which was poured out to us by teachers already drunk…”

The teachers back then were like teachers today, some of the most intelligent people around.  So why were they teaching error?

Let’s jump into the Bible, to Ephesians chapter two.  Verse two talks about people who are dead in their transgressions and sins.  It says that they follow the ways of this world, and listen to this, they follow the ways of the “ruler of the kingdom of the air.” 

Wow, who is that?  It goes on to say that it is “the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.”

Did you get that?  There is an evil spirit at work in those who are disobedient to God, those who are dead in their transgressions and sins.

So if you have a teacher who is dead in their sins and disobedient to God, then there is an evil spirit at work in them.

If that’s the case, no wonder they are teaching error.  It’s just like Augustine’s day, when the wine of error was being poured out by teachers already drunk.

Now here is the problem.  These teachers are highly respected.  They are doctors of this and doctors of that.  They are super-educated, so when students sit under them, they take it all in, hook, line and sinker.

Now throw some impressionable Christian kids into their classroom.  They’ve grown up in church, they believe in Jesus and all that, but no one taught them about discerning the spirits.

“Whoa, Doug.  You just stepped off the ledge.  I was with you until you said, ‘discerning the spirits.’”

Okay, do you believe in spirits?  You do if you believe the Bible.  It says a lot about spirits.

For example, Hebrews 1:14 says that angels are “spirits.”

The Bible often mentions evil spirits who worked in people and even spoke through people.

In Mark chapter one Jesus was in the synagogue and a man yelled at Him, but the actual speaker was the evil spirit inside him.

In Acts chapter 16, Paul was confronted by a fortune teller.  The spirit inside this girl predicted the future.  But when the Christians came around, the spirit inside her spoke through her and harassed them.

And then there is the Holy Spirit.  There are examples in the Bible when people spoke by the Holy Spirit.  Jesus said in Matthew 22 that David spoke by the Spirit.  Acts chapter 6 says that Stephen spoke by the Spirit.  Acts 11 says Agabus spoke through the Spirit.

So there are spirits, some good and some evil.  And these spirits work through people, and speak through people.

Now let me go back to the impressionable Christian kids in the classroom.  They are sitting under Dr. So and So who is definitely not a Christian, but is highly respected.

Here is the danger.  First Timothy 4:1 warns that “some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.”

These kids are in danger of falling for false teaching, teaching that comes from deceiving spirits, and these spirits are speaking through their teachers.

You wonder why so many kids abandon their faith in college?  You wonder why decent kids slide into immorality when they hit the campus?  Well look at what they are being taught.  And look at who is teaching them. 

First John 5:19 divides everyone into two groups.  There are the children of God, and everyone else – “the whole world is under the control of the evil one.”

Back to the discerning of spirits.  I know it’s radical, but if you believe the Bible, you must see that there are spirits behind the things we are taught.  And either the teachers are led by the Holy Spirit, or they are led by evil, deceiving spirits.

First Corinthians 2:10 says that one of the gifts of the Spirit is “discerning of spirits.”  Someone with that gift will be able to tell if someone’s teaching is God-inspired or inspired by deceiving spirits.

First John 4 says there are many false teachers, and there is a spirit behind their false teaching.  So he says we should test the spirits, and we do that by testing the people.  And the test is where they stand regarding Jesus Christ.  And if they are not right regarding Jesus, then John says the spirit behind their teaching is actually “the spirit of antichrist.”

I know this is deep, and we want it to be simple, to be a matter of flesh and blood and not a matter of this weird spiritual stuff.  But the Bible says it is spiritual.  “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood,” it says in Ephesians 6, “but against…the powers of this dark world and…the spiritual forces of evil…”

If you find this hard to comprehend, then ask God to reveal it to you.  First Corinthians 2:14 says that some things are “spiritually discerned.”  You just can’t learn them in the usual way.

Augustine sat under teachers of error, and didn’t realize it at the time.  It’s a lesson we should all learn.  We must work to avoid false teaching, and that requires that we discern the spirits behind the teachers. 


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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

 
© 2008 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-

Our Mind Is Filled With Whatever Fills Our Schedule - Apples of Gold - July 22, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for July 22, 2008

“Our Mind Is Filled With Whatever Fills Our Schedule”

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

Which comes first, our thinking or our actions?

Do you think about something, then do it?

Or do you do things, then think about them?

Most people probably say they think about things, then do them. 

But what about this?  What about all the things we think about, but don’t get around to doing?

If we think about them, but don’t do them, eventually we stop thinking about them.

We will end up thinking about the things we actually do.

See, we can think about a lot of things, but in the end we will think about the things we do.

Take prayer, for example.  Christians talk a lot about prayer, but how much time do we spend praying? 

Is prayer on your mind a lot?  If it is, then you will end up praying a lot.  But if you don’t pray much, you will eventually stop thinking about prayer – because thoughts of prayer will be crowded out by the things you actually do.

Now let’s talk about taking trips.  Do you take a lot of trips?  If so, then you think a lot about trips, because we think about the things we do. 

Do you go to a lot of movies?  Then movies will occupy your mind, because we think about the things we do.

See, we think our mind controls our actions, but we forget how much our actions dominate our mind.  Our mind will be filled with whatever fills our schedule.

Romans 8:5 talks about having our mind set on what the Spirit desires.  Our brain should be full of thoughts about doing God’s will.

And many Christians would say, “Yes, I think about doing God’s will.  I want to do God’s will.”

But what do we spend our time doing?  This is what will dominate our thinking.

When I was growing up, sports occupied my mind.  I played sports, watched sports, thought about sports, talked about sports.  If you didn’t want to talk about sports, then we had nothing to talk about.  I remember in junior high when a guy told me he wasn’t going to watch the Super Bowl.  I thought he must be an alien.  Who doesn’t watch the Super Bowl?

When I gave my life to Christ, though, my love for sports withered.  I thought about the things of God, I took a job in full-time ministry, and I became active in church work. 

My mind became occupied with the Lord and ministry because that’s what I was doing.  You see, it’s what you do that you end up thinking about.  If I would have kept doing all the sports, it would have eventually reoccupied my mind.

Now let me confess to you a battle I fight within myself.  I am a homeowner.  That means I have to take care of my home, which means I spend a lot of time doing home things. 

Now remember my theory:  we think about the things we do.  So if I spend a lot of time working as a homeowner, what will I end up thinking about? 

But you know what?  I don’t want to think about that.  I don’t want my brain to be all wrapped up thinking about my home.

Why not?  Because if I let this happen, then I will basically be letting my home become my god.  My mind will be set on what my home desires.

But my home is not my god, and I don’t want it to dominate my thinking.  I want what it says in Romans 8:5.  I want my mind to be set on what God’s Spirit desires. 

And the only way to do that is by doing what God desires; or as it says in Romans 8:5, by living in accordance with the Spirit.

Am I saying that God doesn’t want me to take care of my home?  Not at all.  We must take care of our home.  It’s a tool for the Lord.  For example, Romans 12:13 says, “Practice hospitality.”  It’s not very hospitable to invite people to an unkempt home.

So yes, I must spend time caring for my home, but this way it won’t become my god.  My work at home is motivated by what the Spirit desires.

A problem many Christians have is that the things they do all week are disconnected from what the Spirit desires.  And since we think about what we do, they end up thinking about all sorts of things other than what the Spirit desires.

So look at your schedule.  What do you spend a lot of time doing?  Remember, your mind will be filled with whatever fills your schedule. 

And what should fill our mind?  Our mind should be set on God’s will.  And the only way to do that is by filling our schedule with actions that the Spirit desires.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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

This is very circular.  We think about what we do, then we do what we think about.  One perpetuates the other.  That’s how we get in ruts.  As our rut gets deeper, soon all we can see is the rut.  We can’t think of our life being any other way.  The key is to see what the Spirit desires, then focus our thinking on that.  Then our thinking should lead to action.  When that happens, we break out of the rut.  Our mind is set on what the Spirit desires, and our actions are what the Spirit desires.  Once again it is circular.  One perpetuates the other, but now it is for the good.  We are doing God’s will both in our thinking and in our actions.

© 2008 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-

Loving People the Way Jesus Taught Us To - Apples of Gold - July 21, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for July 21, 2008

“Loving People the Way Jesus Taught Us To”

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

Jesus said repeatedly that we should love one another.

But how, exactly, should we do it?

Well, we could make it up as we go, doing whatever seems like love.

Or we could do what Jesus said.

So today let’s take a look at specific, proactive things Jesus told us to do to love each other.

One of the biggest ways Jesus told us to love each other was by forgiving each other.

In Mark 11:25 Jesus said, “…if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him…”

Luke 11:4 indicates that we should forgive everyone who sins against us.

When we forgive someone, we tear down our side of the wall.  Then we go to work on their side of the wall.

Matthew 5:24 says, “…be reconciled to your brother…”

The next verse says, “Settle matters quickly with your adversary…”

Also in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers…”

Jesus wants us to love one another, and that’s hard to do when there are walls between us.  So the first step to loving someone is to tear down the walls, to forgive and to be reconciled; to make peace.

Does that mean we roll over like a door mat every time someone sins against us?  Here’s the thing.  You are not loving someone when you let them get away with sin.  Yes, you forgive them, but yes, you hold them accountable. 

In Matthew 18 Jesus said, “If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you.  If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.”

When you love someone, you try to steer them away from sin.  You don’t let them wallow in it.

Another way Jesus taught us to love people is by being generous.  More than once Jesus said, “Give to the one who asks you.”  He said we should “give to the needy” and “give to the poor.”  In Matthew 26 He said we should give to the hungry and the thirsty, and to those who need clothing and shelter.

And when we give, we should not think about the payback.  In Luke 6 Jesus said we should lend to our enemies without expecting repayment.  In Luke 14 He said when we hold a banquet we should invite people who can’t repay us:  the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind.

In the story of the Good Samaritan, Jesus illustrated how we should even love strangers, people who don’t know us and may not even like us.

Luke 6:38 sums it up in one word, “give.”

Now, how should we love our family?  To love our father and mother, we honor them.  To love our spouse, we stay married.  Of course the teaching about forgiveness and reconciliation really goes a long way when it comes to loving family.

One group of people close to Jesus’ heart is children.  So how do we love children?  By welcoming them – in His name, He said.  If you want to love children, you welcome them.

Another way Jesus stressed we should love people is by showing them mercy.  “Blessed are the merciful,” He said, and “I desire mercy.”

Then there are the spiritual matters.  We can’t love people but let them stay in spiritual darkness.  Jesus told us to let our lights shine before men.

We are to preach the good news to everyone, making disciples, baptizing them and teaching them to obey the Lord.  In Mark 16 Jesus talked about driving out demons, and placing hands on sick people to make them well.

He also taught us to love people by praying for them.  And He stressed praying for those who hate us and mistreat us.

When you boil it down, loving people means serving them.  Jesus taught repeatedly about being a servant, a slave to all. 

On the flip side there are many things we don’t do when we love people, but for this lesson I wanted to focus on the actions, the proactive things we do to love people, according to the teachings of Jesus.  And here they are again:

--We love people by forgiving them and being reconciled – keeping any walls down between us.
--We love people by holding them accountable, steering them away from sin.
--We love people by giving to them, and most importantly giving to people with urgent needs.
--We love people by showing them mercy.
--We love our parents by honoring them.
--We love our spouse by staying married.
--We love children by welcoming them.
--And we love people by helping them with their spiritual needs, by praying for them, by shining our light, by preaching the good news and making disciples, baptizing them and teaching them to obey the Lord.

You can probably think of a lot of other great ways to love people, but these are the ways Jesus taught about.  So as we strive to obey Him by loving people, let’s focus on the ways He said to do it. 


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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


© 2008 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 Made Us for This Very Purpose - Apples of Gold - July 18, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for July 18, 2008

“God Made Us for This Very Purpose”

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

This made my ears perk up.

I was reading the Bible and came across this statement.  “Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose.”

Wow.  I am about to discover my purpose in life; everyone’s purpose in life.  It’s going to tell us the purpose for which God made us.

But it’s not real obvious.  We’re going to have to do some digging. 

Let’s start by looking at that whole verse, which is Second Corinthians 5:5.  “Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.”

Okay, so God made us for a certain purpose, and He gave us the Holy Spirit as a deposit to guarantee what is to come.  That means we don’t have it yet.  He made us for a purpose, but that purpose is still to come. 

But Second Corinthians 5:5 didn’t say what that purpose is.  It says God made us for “this very purpose,” but what purpose?

Well, let’s look for the answer in the previous verse, verse 4.  It says that while we live in this body, we groan and are burdened.  But one day we will have a heavenly body.  One day what is mortal will be swallowed up by life.

So this is talking about when we die, when our body dies. 

Now let’s go back to verse one.  It says this.  “Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.”

When we die, we will leave this body, this earthly dwelling, and we will enter our heavenly dwelling, an eternal house in heaven.  Listen to the way verse four describes this transformation:  what is mortal is swallowed up by life.

The very next verse says that this is the very purpose for which God made us.  And what purpose is that?  That we will have life!  We will no longer be mortal, but we will have life in our eternal home in heaven.

Now look at verse six.  It says that as long as we are at home in this body, we are away from the Lord.  Yes, we have the Holy Spirit as a deposit, but that is only an inkling of what is to come.  Verse seven points out that right now we live by faith, not by sight.  We can’t see exactly what’s coming, but we know it by faith. 

So right now we live in this mortal body, away from the Lord.  But now look at verse eight.  One day we will step away from this body, and we will be at home with the Lord!

This is the very purpose for which God made us – to be at home with Him!  Yes, right now we are sort of with Him.  We have the Holy Spirit, but that is just a down payment.  The fulfillment will come when this body dies and we receive our heavenly dwelling – where we will be with the Lord for eternity!

The real point of it all kicks in when we die.  In John 10:10 Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”  Again, we get an inkling of that in this life, a taste of it.  But the fulfillment comes when what is mortal is swallowed up by life.

Ephesians 4:18 talks about the “life of God.”  This is eternal life with Him. 

In John 11:25 Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in me will live, even though he dies…”

That may sound like a contradiction, but that’s because He is talking about real life, which is eternal life.  Yes, we will die, but that is simply stepping out of this mortal body and into our eternal dwelling where we will have real life with the Lord.

Paul wrote about this in Philippians chapter one.  He said that he was looking forward to the day when he would depart his earthly body and be with Christ.  He said that would be better by far compared to life in this mortal body. 

However, he had a purpose for sticking around.  Philippians 1:22 says, “If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me.”  He goes on to say that it’s necessary for him to stick around because of the good he can do while he is here.

Back to Second Corinthians chapter five.  Again Paul talks about the purpose for living in this body.  He said that God gave them a ministry of reconciliation.  Their mission was to call people to be reconciled to God.  Verse 19 says, “He has committed to us the message of reconciliation.”

So what is the very purpose for which God made us?  To have life with Him in our eternal, heavenly dwelling. 

As a guarantee of that, He gave us the Holy Spirit as a deposit.  Call it a “foretaste of glory divine.” 

If that’s our purpose, why doesn’t He just take us home?  I think it’s so we can reach out to others with that message of reconciliation; to tell them about being reconciled to God through Jesus Christ. 

We are Christ’s ambassadors.  First Timothy 2:4 says that, “God…wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”  And so He leaves us here in our mortal body to share the good news of salvation with others.

But soon the day will come, the day when what is mortal will be swallowed up by life.  We will step away from this body and will be with the Lord forever in our eternal home. 

So when Second Corinthians 5:5 says it is for this very purpose that God made us, this is the purpose:  to have life with Him forever.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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


© 2008 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
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Beware the Midnight Caller - Apples of Gold - July 16, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for July 16, 2008

“Beware the Midnight Caller”

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

There was a knock on the door.

It was creepy.

It’s always creepy to hear a knock this late at night.

The wife and kids were asleep, and Dad was still up, working on a Bible study. 

He went to the door and found a non-creepy looking man standing there.

“I really need a place to stay,” he said.  “It’s a long story, but let me say that it involves my ex-wife and lawyers.  I couldn’t take it anymore, so I took all the money, started hitchhiking, and here I am.”

“I see,” Dad said, “But I’m not going let a complete stranger into my house.”

“Look,” he said, “I’ll pay you.  Cash.  Here’s $500.  No, make it $1,000.  I just need a place to land, to get my head straight.  If you want me to leave tomorrow, fine.  You can keep the money.  But if you change your mind, I’ll make it worth your while.  I’d rather give you the money than my ex-wife.”

He knew he shouldn’t, but he could really use that thousand dollars.  And there might be a lot more where that came from.  Yes, he was taking a chance, but look at the payoff. 

The stranger spent the night, and everything was fine.  The next day he paid to have groceries delivered from the expensive organic food store.  He was actually a nice guy, and seemed to enjoy being around a normal family.

He wasn’t used to watching such a small television though, so that weekend he bought them a home theatre system, with a 65-inch HDTV.  Dad had mixed feelings about this.  He didn’t want TV to play such a big role in his family.  But wow!  It really was a thing of beauty.

Yes, they started watching a lot more TV, especially the kids.  But how could you not, with a TV like that?

The stranger announced that Friday night would be movie night.  Dad said great, he could pick up a video on the way home from work.  No need, said the stranger, he was paying for satellite TV to be hooked up Friday afternoon.  He bought the premium package with every channel possible.  Nothing but the best for his new friends!

The man became like a rich uncle.  The longer he stayed the more he bought.  One week he bought each of the kids their own laptop computers, and had wireless internet put in throughout the house.  And then the weekend trips began.  For example, he took them to Washington DC one weekend just because they had never been. 

Dad noticed that they were skipping church a lot, but hey, who knew when this ride would end? 

When Mom’s old van wouldn’t start one day, he bought her that new Cadillac she had been admiring. Meanwhile, the man was paying them for room and board, all cash. 

One day the man took Dad out to eat.     As they sat in the darkened restaurant, sipping their Margaux, the man said, “I need to ask you a favor.  My ex-wife’s attorneys have been sniffing around, and I have reason to believe they might call you tomorrow.  If they do, just tell them you’ve never heard of me.”

“Well, that would be a lie,” Dad said. 

“No, not really.  You had never heard of me until I knocked on your door, and you still don’t really know me.  You don’t even know my real name.  So when they ask if you’ve heard of so-and-so, you can honestly say no, you don’t know anyone by that name.”

“I don’t know,” said Dad.

“Look.  If they find me, I’ll have to go someplace else.  Is that what you want?  Is that the kind of man you are, to put someone out on the street?”

“No.”

“Okay then.  I didn’t think so.  So if they call, just tell them you’ve never heard of me.”

The first time they called, they bought Dad’s story.  But when they called back, the questions were more explicit.  Dad found himself scrambling to protect his new friend while trying not to flat out lie.

The next call came, not from attorneys, but from a detective.  Now it couldn’t be avoided.  Dad found himself lying, right to a detective.  But he couldn’t put a man out on the street, could he?

No, he knew in his heart it was the money.  He didn’t care about the man really, but he sure did enjoy the money.

Two weeks later Dad was arrested.  Obstruction of justice. 

His pastor came to see him, and Dad poured out the whole story.  Tears ran down his face as he told of all the gifts, and how it had affected his family.  The movies they watched that they never would have watched before.  Their kids with their computers and all that free time on the internet.  The vacations. (“I guess that’s why I haven’t seen you much lately,” said the pastor.)  And his wife, with her new car.  She seemed to enjoy the stranger more than her own husband.  Oh, if he just hadn’t been so dazzled by the money, none of this would have happened.

And with that, Dad put down his pen.  “Yes,” he said, “That will really bring home the point at Bible study tomorrow.”

And just before he closed his Bible and went to bed, he put a little asterisk by Proverbs 15:27.

“A greedy man brings trouble to his family…”


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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


© 2008 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-