Let's Lift the Name of Jesus Just As High As We Possibly Can - Apples of Gold - May 21, 2009 -vi-

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Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for May 21, 2009

“Let’s Lift the Name of Jesus Just As High As We Possibly Can”

 

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

As a writer I try to come up with phrases that no one has ever used before.

I know it’s impossible to prove, but with the internet we can at least check.

Go ahead.  The next time you think up a new phrase, Google it.  You’ll find out just how unique it may or may not be.

Well lately I’ve been thinking about a phrase that an old friend used a lot.  Jack Hill used to always say, “Let’s lift the name of Jesus just as high as we possibly can.”

So today I Googled it and guess what?  It’s not there.  Congratulations, Jack – it’s all yours!

Now maybe he heard it from someone else, but all I know is that he said it a lot, I’ve never heard anyone else say it, and I love it!

Here it is again:  Let’s lift the name of Jesus just as high as we possibly can.

Now here’s a word we don’t use very often.  Exalt.

It’s another way to say “lift up.”  Psalm 148:13 says, “…His name alone is exalted…”

Isaiah 12:4 says, “…proclaim that His name is exalted.”

Psalm 34:3 says, “Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt His name together.”

I like this one definition of exalt:  raise in rank.

It’s not that Jesus needs a promotion in rank.  He is already the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

But in the eyes of this old world, Jesus needs a raise in rank.  People need to think more highly of Him.  He needs to be exalted, to be lifted up.

So how do we do that?

Well the most obvious way is with our lips.  We praise Him and lift Him up with our words, including our songs.

But now look at this phrase Paul used in Philippians 1:20.  He said, “…that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body…”

That’s more than just words.  It’s all we say and do and think.  In everything, may Christ be exalted in my body.

Yes, that’s setting the bar high, but come on.  We need to set the bar high!

One reason Jesus has a low rank with some people is because our lives don’t exalt Him.

Lately I’ve been soaking up a song called “His Renown” by Christy Nockels. 

The opening line is, “Who do we say that He is…with our lives?”

Then it says, “Who do we say that He is…for the little eyes are watching you and me.”

How I live declares loudly who Jesus is – especially to the next generation.  Those eyes are watching.  And even if I lift Him up with my lips, the question is, do I lift Him up with my life?  Like Paul said, is Christ exalted in my body?

Now look at Psalm 102:12.  “But You, oh Lord, sit enthroned forever; Your renown endures through all generations.”

That’s another great word:  renown.

It’s in the name of that song I was talking about, “His Renown.” 

That phrase shows up at the end of the chorus, which goes like this:  “So the ones that come behind us will follow in His name and see the greatness of His renown.”

Here’s the thing.  People are watching.  The next generation is watching.  So it is imperative that Christ be exalted.  He must be lifted up in our words and our lives.

Colossians 1:10 says to “…live a life worthy of the Lord…”

Don’t you want that?  Don’t you want Christ to be exalted in your life?

“So the ones that come behind us will follow in His name and see the greatness of His renown!”

So let’s exalt Him with our words and with our lives.

Let’s lift Him up.

Yes, let’s lift the name of Jesus just as high as we possibly can!


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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


© 2009 The Arrow’s Tip 
To subscribe to your own daily “Apples of Gold” e-mail, write dougapple@wave94.com.
If you want to be removed from this e-mail list, simply click reply and type UNSUBSCRIBE on the subject line.
If you want to catch “Apples of Gold” in its original audio format, go to www.wave94.com
To search through the large archive of past articles, go here:  http://www.wave94.com/modules.php?name=Stories_Archive
If you have trouble reaching me at my main e-mail address, try this one:  douglas_apple@msn.com

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

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

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

Leaving High School for the Last Time - Apples of Gold - May 19, 2009 -vi-

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Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for May 19, 2009

“Leaving High School for the Last Time”

 

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

2:44 p.m. – My middle daughter, via Twitter:  “Wow.  Leaving high school for the last time.”

2:49 p.m. – “A lot of years being left behind.”

10:15 p.m. – “Life changes so fast sometimes.”

And then reality sets it.  Once again, via Twitter:  “There is a horsefly in my car!”

Yes, nothing like a horsefly to bring you back to reality.

But high school graduation does bring about a big change in your life.  For the first time you’re not required to go to school.  One of the most consistent things in your life is now over. 

It can be unsettling.  Stressful.  The baton of your life is in your hands now.  What will you do with it?

Of course the stress of change can come at any time in your life.    

Not long after my wife and I were married I came across a stress meter and it pointed out all the changes in your life that cause stress, such as finishing school, getting married, moving to a new town, starting a new job, a new church, having a child, even being short on money.  Then I realized that all of those were true for my wife and me!

Yet we weren’t all freaked out on stress.  Why not? 

I think it’s because, in spite of all those changes, there were some core consistencies in our life.  Over the years our lives have changed a lot, but there are some things you always do, no matter where you are or what’s going on, and these provide a continuity that counters the stress of change.

So this is for my daughter, as you graduate high school and get on with life.  There will be many changes to come, but they won’t be so unsettling if you always do these things.

First of all, always seek the Lord. 

Psalm 105:4 says, “Look to the Lord and His strength; seek His face always.”

In Luke 18 Jesus taught us to always pray and not give up.

Don’t give up when answers are slow to come.  Don’t give up when things are going well.  No matter what happens in your life, always pray and seek the face of God.

Then as you seek Him, always come into His presence with thanksgiving.

Ephesians 5:20 tells us to give thanks to the Father always, for all things. 

So no matter what life brings, always be His grateful child. 

Something else to always do is rejoice.

Philippians 4:4 says, “Rejoice in the Lord always.  I will say it again:  Rejoice!”

So always seek the Lord, give thanks to Him and rejoice in Him.

Another thing to always do is praise Him – and as a singer and praise leader I know this will be easy for you.

Psalm 34:1 says, “I will extol the Lord at all times, His praise will always be on my lips.”

Psalm 70:4 tells us to always say, “Let God be exalted!”

So always seek Him, always thank Him, always rejoice in Him and praise Him.

And no matter what comes your way, remember that in the Lord you always have hope.  The game is never over.  The clock has never run out.

Look at Psalm 71:14.  “But as for me, I will always have hope…”

Some people see their life as a bleak, hopeless dungeon.  But in the Lord this is never the case.  So always seek the Lord and you will always have hope.

But remember, God is not some gift-dispensing Santa Clause.  He is the Almighty Sovereign Lord, and that means two things.  We must always fear Him and we must always obey Him.

Proverbs 28:14 says, “Blessed is the man who always fears the Lord…”

And Deuteronomy 11:1 tells us to “…keep His requirements, His decrees, His laws and His commands always…”

I was so proud the other night at the graduation banquet when they announced that your goal after college was to go into some kind of ministry.  It reminded me of another “always” verse in the Bible.

First Corinthians 15:58 says “…always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord…”

And whatever good thing you set your hand to, always be zealous, working at it with all your might, like it talks about in Galatians 4:18.

And finally, remember to always be generous.  Psalm 37:26 says to always be generous and lend freely.

Yes, life is full of change, and change can be stressful.  But you can minimize that by always doing these certain things.

Always seek the Lord.

Always give thanks and rejoice in Him.

Always praise Him and put your hope in Him.

Always fear Him and obey Him.

Always be full of zeal and devote yourself to the work of the Lord.

And always be generous.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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


© 2009 The Arrow’s Tip 
To subscribe to your own daily “Apples of Gold” e-mail, write dougapple@wave94.com.
If you want to be removed from this e-mail list, simply click reply and type UNSUBSCRIBE on the subject line.
If you want to catch “Apples of Gold” in its original audio format, go to www.wave94.com
To search through the large archive of past articles, go here:  http://www.wave94.com/modules.php?name=Stories_Archive
If you have trouble reaching me at my main e-mail address, try this one:  douglas_apple@msn.com

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

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

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

-vi-

Afflictions Eclipsed by Glory - Apples of Gold - May 15, 2009 -vi-

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Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for May 15, 2009

“Afflictions Eclipsed by Glory”

 

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

Have you ever read the letter to the church in Smyrna, in the book of Revelation?

It’s dreadful.

Go ahead.  Read it and pretend you’re a guy in Smyrna. 

It’s a letter from Jesus, and He begins with great empathy for His people in Smyrna.

“I know your afflictions and your poverty.” 

He also says He knows about the slander being spewed out against them.

At this point, if I’m in Smyrna, I’m encouraged.  “This is great!  God knows about our problems.  Now He’s going to sweep in and everything is going to be great from here on out!”

Now don’t miss what they were going through:  afflictions…poverty…slander.

Okay, Jesus continues.  “Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer.”

What?  I thought our suffering was over!  Now you say there is more?

Jesus says, “I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you…”

The devil?  Wait a minute.  You’re going to let the devil slip in here and “test” me?  I don’t want to be tested.  I want to be delivered!

And prison?  Why would You allow that?

Okay.  Let’s get away from Smyrna for a minute and talk about this.  Why would God allow any of His people to end up in prison?

Well did you know that the apostle Paul was imprisoned when he wrote the book of Philippians? 

And look what he wrote in Philippians 1:12.  “Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel.”

See, advancing the gospel is a goal, and that goal was met by Paul being imprisoned.

Now listen to verse 13.  “As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard…”

Okay, stop right there.  “The whole palace guard.”  Paul’s imprisonment has impacted the whole palace guard.  The name of Christ has come to the whole palace guard because Paul is there.

And now verse 14.  “Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly.”

Now wait a minute.  Paul goes to prison because of Christ, and the others speak more boldly?  You’d think it would have the opposite effect – scare everyone into silence. 

But listen to this.  Don’t miss it!  This is the way God often works.  There is one thing going on on the outside, but because of the Spirit of God in the mix, something else entirely takes place on the inside.

Someone goes to prison for Christ, but instead of being frightened, the others actually speak more boldly. 

Meanwhile, on the outside, it looks like Paul’s ministry is chained down.  Yet, for crying out loud, he’s in there writing big chunks of the Bible!

And at the end of Philippians, Paul writes, “All the saints send you greetings, especially those who belong to Caesar’s household.”

Well it sounds to me like Paul is palling around with people from Caesar’s household. 

And he’s in chains, but somehow he manages to slip the word “rejoice” in there seven times in his letter to the Philippians!

How can you be in chains and still rejoice?  That’s God, my friend, that’s God.

So back to the church in Smyrna.  Jesus just told them that some of them would be put in prison, and He used this phrase, “suffer persecution.”

If I’m in Smyrna, this is not what I want to hear.  Affliction, slander, suffering, persecution, prison and the devil. 

And Jesus tells me, “Do not be afraid.”  I don’t know about you, but when someone tells me not to be afraid, it means there is something to fear!

And then Jesus caps it off.  “Be faithful, even to the point of death…”

Oh great!  Not even a hint of deliverance!  “Be faithful to the point of death.”

And finally some good news.  Jesus says, “Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.”  Then he concludes with, “He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death.”

Wait a minute.  What about the first death?  That’s the one I’m worried about.

So on the outside, as a guy in Smyrna, I have nothing to look forward to, at least not in this life.  The news is dreadful until I die.  One affliction on top of another.

Why would Jesus even send that message?  It’s depressing. 

But then I heard a song called “How He Loves” by John Mark McMillan.  And in it is this little phrase, “afflictions eclipsed by glory.”

And at the moment I felt the Spirit of God, the presence of God sweep over me, and I thought, “That’s it.  That’s what God did for the church in Smyrna.  That’s what God did for Paul in prison, and for Stephen when he was stoned, and for saints throughout the ages.  Sometimes He allows afflictions, but then He sweeps in and, in the middle of it all, He eclipses the afflictions with His glory!

I’ve been there.  I’ve been in pain.  I’ve struggled with money.  I’ve been right in the middle of anguish over something that just wouldn’t go away.  Then out of the blue…the Lord is there. 

The Lord is there, and suddenly my afflictions are eclipsed by glory.

So the issue is not what’s going on on the outside.  Like the church in Smyrna, sometimes the news is just not good. 

But do not…do not discount the glory of God in your situation! 

Draw near to Him!  Enter into His presence!  Open up to His light.

And I know that you will experience what so many of us have experienced over and over.

Afflictions eclipsed by glory.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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

-----

Below are the lyrics to “How He Loves” by John Mark McMillan (also recorded by Kim Walker).  By the way, John wrote this song the day after one of his best friends died.

He is jealous for me
Love’s like a hurricane, I am a tree
Bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy
When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory
and I realize just how beautiful You are and how great Your affections are for me.
Oh, how He loves us so
Oh, how He loves us
How He loves us so.

So we are His portion and He is our prize,
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes
If grace is an ocean we're all sinking
So heaven meets earth like a sloppy wet kiss and my heart turns violently inside of my chest
I don't have time to maintain these regrets when I think about the way

That he loves us,
Woah, how He loves us
Woah, how He loves us
Woah, how He loves

------

© 2009 The Arrow’s Tip 
To subscribe to your own daily “Apples of Gold” e-mail, write dougapple@wave94.com.
If you want to be removed from this e-mail list, simply click reply and type UNSUBSCRIBE on the subject line.
If you want to catch “Apples of Gold” in its original audio format, go to www.wave94.com
To search through the large archive of past articles, go here:  http://www.wave94.com/modules.php?name=Stories_Archive
If you have trouble reaching me at my main e-mail address, try this one:  douglas_apple@msn.com

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

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

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

A Band of Brothers in Pinstriped Uniforms - Apples of Gold - May 13, 2009 -vi-

To listen to the radio version, click here.

 

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Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for May 13, 2009

“A Band of Brothers in Pinstriped Uniforms”

 

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

He stepped up to the plate. 

And with this guy on the mound, he so wanted to yank it, to pull it down the third base line.

But there was a runner on second.

What he should do is hit it behind the runner, to the first base side.  That way the runner could advance, getting closer to home. 

But he had a problem with that.  If he hit it to the right side, he was more likely to get out.  Yes, the runner would advance, but his average would de-vance.  And you don’t get big contracts and big endorsements with shrinking batting averages.

The pitcher rocked and fired, and what do you think he did?

Well that depends on whether he was a team player or not.

See, a team player wouldn’t even have to think about it.  He would automatically do what was best for the team.

And team players were what the Yankees had in the late 90’s, according to their manager Joe Torre. 

I got that from his new book “The Yankee Years.”

Torre said, “It wasn’t the kind of baseball Steinbrenner preferred, but it was smart, unselfish baseball and it was working.”

He said the players were less concerned about individual statistics and more concerned about doing whatever it took to win the game.

And I really liked this one quote.  He said, “…and it wasn’t so much because it was the Yankees…as much as it was because of the band of brothers in those pinstriped uniforms.  And for their unselfishness they were blessed with four World Series titles.”

Yes, the Yankees tried to improve on that by bringing in big stars, but here’s the lesson.  All the stars in the world won’t bring you a championship if they don’t work together as a team.

A team mentality is just different.  It’s kind of unnatural.  It goes against our selfish nature.

And yet a team mentality brings about success in almost every area of life.

Back to Joe Torre.  I like that phrase he used, “the band of brothers in those pinstriped uniforms.”

I think it’s cool to be on a team, with everyone dressed in the same uniform.  That uniform helps you shed your personal identity and take on the identity of the team.  It’s no longer “me” but it’s now “us.”  We are in this together – win, lose or draw.

Now listen.  As Christians, this team mentality is exactly what we are supposed to have.  If you are one of the saints, redeemed by Jesus Christ, then we are on the same team.

In Paul’s letter to the Philippians, he had a lot to say about this.

Philippians 1:27 says, “…stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel…”

In fact, Paul told them it would make his joy complete if they would just do that!

Philippians 2:2 says, “…then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.”

Now look at that last part – being one in purpose.  That means we have the same purpose, the same goals.  We want the same things. 

A team won’t go far if everyone has their own ideas. 

For a team to work, the members have to give up their own agendas.  You have to trade in your goals for the goals of the team.

Now I know this really goes against the grain, especially in America.  We want our freedom and individuality.  And that’s one reason the church is less effective that it could be, I think.  Everyone has their own ideas, and we aren’t willing to give them up in order to hop on board with the team and all pull in one direction.

Look at Philippians 2:3.  “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.”

It’s like that batter with a runner on second.  He can give in to his selfish ambition, or in humility he can lay down his desires for the team.

Paul gives us the ultimate example in Jesus Christ Himself.  Here He was, the superstar if there ever was one.  “In very nature…God,” Paul said.  “But made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant…”

Remember what Jesus said in the Garden of Gethsemane?  “Not my will, but Your will be done.”

That’s what you do on a team.  You sacrifice yourself for the cause.

Yes, it’s a sacrifice.  You give up some things.  You lose some things.  So be it.

But here’s what you get.  You get to be part of a winning team.  It’s very rewarding to lay it all down for a cause. 

And on a team, you are not alone.  You know the rest of the team has your back.

And together we will be far more effective in meeting our goals of loving people, advancing the Gospel, and exalting Christ throughout the world.

We may not have the pinstriped uniforms, but we should be a band of brothers, ready to lay our own desires on the altar and come together as a team – a winning team – led by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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

Philippians 2:14 has great advice for members of a team:  no complaining or arguing!

© 2009 The Arrow’s Tip 
To subscribe to your own daily “Apples of Gold” e-mail, write dougapple@wave94.com.
If you want to be removed from this e-mail list, simply click reply and type UNSUBSCRIBE on the subject line.
If you want to catch “Apples of Gold” in its original audio format, go to www.wave94.com
To search through the large archive of past articles, go here:  http://www.wave94.com/modules.php?name=Stories_Archive
If you have trouble reaching me at my main e-mail address, try this one:  douglas_apple@msn.com

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

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

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

Knowledge Must Be Constantly Recommunicated - Apples of Gold - May 12, 2009 -vi-

To listen to the radio version, click here.

 

To search archives, click here.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for May 12, 2009

“Knowledge Must Be Constantly Recommunicated”

 

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

I don’t know what kind of parent I would have been without Dr. Dobson and Focus on the Family.

It’s impossible to say, because all those radio shows and books and magazines were a constant presence in my life as a young husband and father.

Here is what Dr. Dobson did.  He collected and crystallized knowledge about the family, then communicated it clearly.

But one day Dr. Dobson won’t be around.  I wonder who will be teaching about the family when my kids have kids of their own? 

Someone needs to do for them what Dr. Dobson did for me – collect and crystallize knowledge about the family, then communicate it clearly.

“Well Doug, can’t your kids just read Dr. Dobson’s books like you did?”

Yes, they can.  But times change.  Communication changes.

No, core knowledge doesn’t change.  Truth doesn’t change.  God’s ways don’t change.

But culture changes.  Language changes.  The media changes.

Illustrations that Dr. Dobson used will grow foggy over time.  What was once crystal clear will eventually leave people scratching their heads.

Have you ever read Shakespeare and thought, “What on earth?  That doesn’t even make sense.”

I’ll bet it made sense back then.

Sometimes I go back and read old books and they just lose me.  It’s just not the way we communicate today.

So this is what each generation needs – people who will collect and crystallize knowledge, then communicate it clearly.

I like this little phrase in Malachi 2:7.  It says “… preserve knowledge…”

See, knowledge can be lost over time, if we don’t preserve it.

It’s like the old saying, “Those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”

But it’s not just a matter of preserving knowledge, like some old moldy book in the stacks.

Go back to Malachi 2:7.  It says “…the lips of a priest ought to preserve knowledge…”

See, knowledge must be communicated.

And it has to be communicated to each new generation in a way that they “get it.”

Yesterday I asked a girl if she had ever heard of 8-tracks.  “No,” she said.

So I could give her an awesome illustration that included 8-tracks, but she wouldn’t get it.

If Jesus walked the earth today, his parables would probably be a lot different.  They might include cell phones and satellites and SUVs. 

Now think about this.  We are all born knowing nothing.  We all have to be taught. 

There are new babies being born every minute, and they all need to be taught.

Who is going to teach them?  And will they teach true knowledge, or will it be bent and twisted?

Well it’s our job to preserve true knowledge for the next generation.  And it’s our job to communicate it to them in a way they understand. 

Knowledge must be constantly recommunicated.  There are new reference points.  New ways of communicating.  New illustrations.  New trends.  There are even new words.

Hosea 4:6 says, “…my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge…”

Is it because knowledge dropped off the face of the earth?

No.  It’s because it wasn’t preserved.  It wasn’t passed on.  It wasn’t recommunicated properly to the next generation.

We can’t just sit back and wait for someone else to do it. 

So pray about it.  Think about it.  See if there is some part you can play in this critical task of preserving knowledge and communicating it clearly to the next generation.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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


© 2009 The Arrow’s Tip 
To subscribe to your own daily “Apples of Gold” e-mail, write dougapple@wave94.com.
If you want to be removed from this e-mail list, simply click reply and type UNSUBSCRIBE on the subject line.
If you want to catch “Apples of Gold” in its original audio format, go to www.wave94.com
To search through the large archive of past articles, go here:  http://www.wave94.com/modules.php?name=Stories_Archive
If you have trouble reaching me at my main e-mail address, try this one:  douglas_apple@msn.com

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

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

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

Everything Rides on Hope Now - Apples of Gold - May 11, 2009 -vi-

To listen to the radio version, click here.

 

To search archives, click here.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for May 11, 2009

“Everything Rides on Hope Now”

 

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

It was one week after Wendy’s college graduation.

She had two roommates, but they were not there – and Wendy inadvertently announced this fact by talking about it in a public place.

When Wendy went home, she thought it was odd that the door to their apartment was locked.  You see, she and her roommates always left the door unlocked for each other.

She had a strange feeling, but she went in anyway. 

Inside, waiting for her, was an armed, masked man.

Unspeakable things were done, then her attacker walked away, never to be seen again.

In Wendy’s words, “My heart grew cold.  I put a wall around myself, not letting anyone or anything penetrate it.  I lived for years cocooned in a prison of fear, despair, and hopelessness.”

She said she searched desperately for answers, but found none.

Finally, one desperate night, she ended up on her bathroom floor with a Bible cradled in her arms.  She cried out to God, “If this book is true, if You love me, if You want the best for me, and if You have a plan and purpose for my life, then You have got to show me.  Because right now, I can’t trust You, and I don’t believe in You.”

Now what about you today?  Can you relate to Wendy?  Do you feel like you are in a prison of hopelessness?

Well look what Wendy did.  Even in her despair, she turned to God.  She even said, “I can’t trust You, and I don’t believe in You.”  She announced that she had no faith, and yet it was an act of faith that she held that Bible and cried out to God.

Maybe you feel like you can’t go on today.  Maybe you feel like giving up, even checking out.

Well I want to say that there is hope, and that hope can be found in the Lord.

Maybe you can relate to Psalm 42:5.  “Why are you downcast, O my soul?  Why so disturbed within me?  Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God.”

See, through Christ our Savior, there is always hope. 

Psalms 71:14 says, “But as for me, I will always have hope…”

Why do bad things happen?  God only knows, but it’s not to leave us hopeless.  Not that we have everything we hope for right now.  Like it says in Romans 8:24, “…hope that is seen is no hope at all.  Who hopes for what he already has?”

No, hope has to do with what’s coming.  Romans 8:25 says that we “hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.”

I’m inspired by the hope of Abraham.  Romans 4:18 says, “Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed…”

I would rather err on the side of hope. 

And it’s not a random, vague hope.

Our hope is in God, the same God that Romans 15 calls “the God of hope.”

First Thessalonians 1:3 says our hope is in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 10:23 tells us to “hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful.”

And remember, our hope is not in some religion or some made-up god.  First Timothy 4:10 says our hope is in “the living God, who is the Savior of all men…”

Plus, we put our hope in His Word. 

Psalm 119:47 says, “I have put my hope in Your word.”

Romans 15:4 says, “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”

Notice what was in Wendy’s hands as she sat in despair on that bathroom floor.  It was a Bible, the Word of God.

So get out your Bible.  Read the Word, and like it says in Romans 15:13, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him…”

And listen to the rest of the verse.

“…so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Yes, it’s possible to go from no hope to overflowing with hope.

Wendy Blight discovered this hope, as you can read in her book, “Hidden Joy in a Dark Corner.”

The Lord set Wendy free from her prison of hopelessness.  She said, “God and God alone accomplished this marvelous work in my life.  His faithfulness, His goodness, His Word, His Truth and His power set me free!”

There’s a line in a song by Addison Road that we’re playing a lot on Wave 94 these days.  It says, “Everything rides on hope now.”

Sometimes everything gets stripped away.  Sometimes our lives are ripped out from under us.  And what do we have left?

Well this might be a word for you today.  “Everything rides on hope now.” 

Hope may be all you have left, but let me tell you, it’s enough.

Your hope in the God of hope is enough.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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


http://www.wendyblight.com/

© 2009 The Arrow’s Tip 
To subscribe to your own daily “Apples of Gold” e-mail, write dougapple@wave94.com.
If you want to be removed from this e-mail list, simply click reply and type UNSUBSCRIBE on the subject line.
If you want to catch “Apples of Gold” in its original audio format, go to www.wave94.com
To search through the large archive of past articles, go here:  http://www.wave94.com/modules.php?name=Stories_Archive
If you have trouble reaching me at my main e-mail address, try this one:  douglas_apple@msn.com

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

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

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

Wisdom Is One Question Away - Apples of Gold - May 8, 2009 ***Happy 18th Birthday Bethany!!!*** -vi-

To listen to the radio version, click here.

 

To search archives, click here.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for May 8, 2009

“Wisdom Is One Question Away”

 

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

“If you had one piece of advice for Rachel and me as we get married, what would it be?”

That’s the question my son has been asking people.

He said he asked his future mother-in-law and she said something like, “Just remember not to take everything too seriously.  Remember to have fun along the way.”

Before I could answer he jumped in.

“I mean in addition to putting God first.”

I guess that was a given.

So I sifted through two decades of marriage in about two seconds and came up with this. 

“Paul said, ‘One thing I do – forget what is behind and strain toward what is ahead.’  I think a key to marriage is to not let yesterday’s problems poison today.  So many people let things build up, like barnacles on a ship.  They hold on to past problems, then whip them out in the next argument.  The key is to forget that old junk.  That’s yesterday.  Let it go.  Forget what’s in the past and strain toward what is ahead, towards what Christ has for you.”

Now what about you?  If you are in a long-term, successful marriage, what one piece of advice would you give my son who’s getting married next month?

Yesterday I heard about a Christian leader who married a woman, then they divorced shortly thereafter.  And he was a Christian leader!

I asked my son, “What is the chance of that happening to you?” 

 “Zero,” he said.

 “That’s right,” I said.  “And when I got married I knew there was zero chance of it happening to me, and here’s the difference.  Wisdom.  You are going into your marriage with wisdom.  I went into my marriage with wisdom, and when you do that, you know it’s all going to work out just fine.”

One guy I know always says this, “You think you have a marriage problem?  You don’t have a marriage problem.  You have a wisdom problem.”

He also says, “You don’t have a financial problem.  You have a wisdom problem.” 

In fact, for any problem you come up with, he says that’s not your problem.  What you really have is a wisdom problem.

Proverbs 4:7 says, “Wisdom is supreme…”

Proverbs 8:11 says, “…wisdom is more precious than rubies…”

Proverbs 16:16 says, “How much better to get wisdom than gold…”

Okay, so wisdom is great, better than gold – but how do you get it?

Well there are a lot of ways to get it, but let’s look at just one.  It goes back to what my son is doing.  He is simply asking successful people, “What is one piece of advice you would give me?”

That’s brilliant!  And so simple.

The man who owns this radio station is a successful business man.  Yesterday he said something like, “Here we are, pretty successful in business, and yet it’s amazing how few people ever ask for advice.  And when they do, and we tell them, it doesn’t seem to register.”

Here’s what I think happens.  We get locked into a certain way of thinking.  Then when someone advises something different, we just stand there like a cow at a new gate. 

Now listen to Proverbs 14:8.  It says that the wise “give thought to their ways.”

See, we need to think about what we do and why we do it.

Then comes Proverbs 13:10.  “….wisdom is found in those who take advice.”

So we need to ponder our ways, then take the advice of others and apply it.

I see my son doing that, and what a foundation of wisdom he is building his marriage on!

And it can be as simple as asking successful people for just one piece of advice in their area of success.

Are you a young parent?  Then ask some older, successful parents for one piece of advice.

Are you new in business?  Then ask an older, successful businessperson for one piece of advice.

You get the idea. 

So think about this today.  Whatever problem you are having, think of it as a wisdom problem. 

Then seek wisdom.  It’s better than gold and more precious than rubies.

Wisdom is supreme.  And it’s not that hard to get.

Just follow the example of my son, knowing that wisdom is just one question away. 


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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


© 2009 The Arrow’s Tip 
To subscribe to your own daily “Apples of Gold” e-mail, write dougapple@wave94.com.
If you want to be removed from this e-mail list, simply click reply and type UNSUBSCRIBE on the subject line.
If you want to catch “Apples of Gold” in its original audio format, go to www.wave94.com
To search through the large archive of past articles, go here:  http://www.wave94.com/modules.php?name=Stories_Archive
If you have trouble reaching me at my main e-mail address, try this one:  douglas_apple@msn.com

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

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

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

Love in the Real Nitty-Gritty of Life - Apples of Gold - May 6, 2009 -vi-

To listen to the radio version, click here.

 

To search archives, click here.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for May 6, 2009

“Love in the Real Nitty-Gritty of Life”

 

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

“I came home and there was blood everywhere,” she said.

“It was all over the kitchen and all over him.  He did it, but I felt sorry for him.  He was just trying to help.”

What he was, was a family member with Alzheimer’s.

She continued, “Before I went to work he asked me what we were having for dinner.  I said, ‘Chicken.’  So he went out and got a real, live chicken, brought it in the kitchen and…”

And I think that’s enough of that story.

You see, it got to the point that he could not be left alone.  That’s what happens with Alzheimer’s patients.  At some point, for safety, they just can’t be left alone.

But that puts a lot of pressure on their caretaker.  Yes, you may love them, and you don’t want to put them in some facility, but sometimes you need a break from the stress.

Well today I read about a church that is doing something for these caretakers.  Lake Ellen Baptist Church is going to provide what they call “respite care.” 

What that means is that if you are caring for someone with Alzheimer’s, then once a week you will be able to drop them off at the church and be free for a while.  The church and its partners will take care of them.  It will be a nice getaway for the person with Alzheimer’s, and a welcome break for their caretaker.

The thing I like about this is that it is love in action.  It’s the kind of thing you do when you love people.  It’s love in the real nitty-gritty of life.

Now listen.  I believe in good doctrine and Bible study and prayer.  I believe in standing up for righteousness.

But look what Jesus said to the church in Ephesus in Revelation chapter two.  They were hard workers who stood for truth.  They even suffered for the name of Christ.

“Yet I hold this against you,” Jesus said.  “You have forsaken your first love.  Remember the height from which you have fallen!  Repent and do the things you did at first.”

And what did they do at first?

Well the Bible doesn’t exactly say.  But it does say what others did at first.

Look at Zacchaeus.  He met Jesus, and what did he do?  He said, “Lord!  Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor…”

What was that?  I think it was an overflowing heart of love – a love from God that flows towards people in need.

Notice that Zacchaeus didn’t give half his possessions to Jesus.  No, he gave them to people in need.

Now look in the book of Acts, at what the early church did at first. 

In Acts 2 we read that, “All the believers were together and had everything in common.  Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.”

What was that?  I think it was an overflowing heart of love – a love from God that flows towards people in need.

Now let me tell you, I really see this love in my mother.  I know Mother’s Day is coming up, so here’s to you, Mom! 

Anyway, my mom does pedicures.  And she does great pedicures, just ask all the women in my family.  But now listen to this.  Listen to her specialty.  She doesn’t cater to the highest clientele.  She doesn’t market her business to the wealthiest people in town.  Even though she may do the best pedicures in town, she mostly reaches out to older folks who truly need someone to take care of their feet.

For her, yes it is a business, but that is only part of it.  For her it is primarily a ministry, an act of love, a way to really reach out and help someone in need. 

And she is constantly telling others about this need.  If you do pedicures, my mom wants you to know that there are people out there who need your help, because at a certain stage in life it’s hard to care for your own feet.

So for you pedicurists out there, think about and pray about whether this might be a calling for you. 

Now Jesus warned the church at Ephesus that they had lost their first love, and to go back and do the things they did at first.

Well what I’ve seen in my mother is that she is still doing those things she did at first.  All of my life she has loved and cared for the needy, especially older folks. 

What is that?  I think it’s an overflowing heart of love – a love from God that flows towards people in need.

It seems to be especially present in the hearts of new believers, but over time that love can diminish.  So called “reality” can set in, and we don’t love people so much.

Well this is our call to get back where we belong.  We need to let God’s love overflow in our hearts and flow out to people in need.

Maybe it’s time to soften our hearts, set some things aside if we have to.  Whatever it takes, we need to be loving people like we should…down in the real nitty-gritty of life.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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


© 2009 The Arrow’s Tip 
To subscribe to your own daily “Apples of Gold” e-mail, write dougapple@wave94.com.
If you want to be removed from this e-mail list, simply click reply and type UNSUBSCRIBE on the subject line.
If you want to catch “Apples of Gold” in its original audio format, go to www.wave94.com
To search through the large archive of past articles, go here:  http://www.wave94.com/modules.php?name=Stories_Archive
If you have trouble reaching me at my main e-mail address, try this one:  douglas_apple@msn.com

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

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

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

I See You There, Running in the Shadows - Apples of Gold - May 5, 2009 -vi-

To listen to the radio version, click here.

 

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Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for May 5, 2009

“I See You There, Running in the Shadows”

 

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

I see you there, running in the shadows.

Hound of Hell.

Destroyer.

You have no claims on me.

I have been delivered.

He has delivered me from the power of darkness, and conveyed me into the kingdom of the Son of His love.

So you can just get thee behind me.  You have no power here.

Here there are no generational curses, no fear, no worry, no cause for concern.

I walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, bearing fruit in every good work.

I am spreading the Gospel of the grace of God in truth.

And it is bringing forth fruit everywhere it goes!

Yes, I see you there, running in the shadows.

It’s a rail of sorrow, joyless and black.

I will not ride it.

You have nothing for me.  I am following the Lord.

We run parallel now, you in the shadows and me in the light.

Your teeth are dripping.

Your days are short.  Your judgment is coming.  And then you will pay for the carnage.

Why does anyone listen to your lies?

In the light, all things are clear, all things are made new.  There is life and life abundant.

You are a deceiver, and I see you as you are.

I resist you at all times.  There is no time you can come near me.  And the resistance only grows.

I submit myself to God and I stand against your schemes.  I am self controlled and alert.

My Savior appeared to destroy your work, and I am His willing servant.

Yes, I see you running in the shadows.  I will not come to you, and you cannot come to me. 

Your destiny is the lake of fire, and that will be that.

Yes, show your fury.  Growl and howl and run like the wind.  But your time is short, and that will be that.

This world is your haunt, but one day soon you will haunt it no more.

Yes, for now you can unleash hell when given the chance.

But when it’s up to me, you will not get the chance.  The door will never be open.  I will be filled with light, and all darkness must flee.

I am not dumb to your devices.  My eyes are wide open and I walk circumspectly.  The Lord is with me and He fills me.  I can do all things through Him who gives me strength, and that includes standing firm against you.

I am running with perseverance the good race marked out for me.  I am running to finish, and I am running to get the prize.  I press on to take hold of that for which Christ took hold of me.

I am running strong, running well, and feeling good.

But I’m not ignorant and I’m not blind and I just wanted you to know.

I see you there, running in the shadows…


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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


© 2009 The Arrow’s Tip 
To subscribe to your own daily “Apples of Gold” e-mail, write dougapple@wave94.com.
If you want to be removed from this e-mail list, simply click reply and type UNSUBSCRIBE on the subject line.
If you want to catch “Apples of Gold” in its original audio format, go to www.wave94.com
To search through the large archive of past articles, go here:  http://www.wave94.com/modules.php?name=Stories_Archive
If you have trouble reaching me at my main e-mail address, try this one:  douglas_apple@msn.com

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

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

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

My Daughter is Engaged - Apples of Gold - May 4, 2009 -vi-

To listen to the radio version, click here.

 

To search archives, click here.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for May 4, 2009

“My Daughter is Engaged”

 

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

We kept looking at our cell phones.

Yes, we should hear something any minute now.

See, my wife and I knew something that our daughter didn’t – that if all went according to plan, she would be engaged before sun down.

And finally the call came.  And the squealing and the pandemonium.  And the rush to tell people before they heard it from someone else. 

My daughter was truly surprised.  She didn’t know he already had the ring, and she didn’t know he already met with me to ask for her hand in marriage.  So she thought the proposal was still dangling out there in the future somewhere.

So there they were, walking on the beach at sunset, and suddenly she saw him go down on one knee.  Emotions exploded out of nowhere.  She covered her mouth, and finally the thought broke through, “You have to say yes.  Say…yes.”

The element of surprise achieved.  Job well done!

Now with both a ring and a date, they are officially engaged.

And for my wife and I that means two weddings this year.  My son is getting married in June, then my daughter in November. 

And let me tell you, I could not be happier about their choices.  They are both marrying wonderful Christians who are passionate about the Lord.  They are all very mature spiritually for their age, and I’m excited about the addition of these young people to our family.

As you can tell, this was a red-letter weekend for the Apple family.  We feel so abundantly blessed. 

And as the excitement from the weekend dies down, I step back and say, “How did we get here, to such a blessed place in life?”

And two words come to mind:  Wonderful Counselor.

I really think it’s due to the Wonderful Counselor in our life.

Throughout our marriage I have always said, “We will go wherever God wants us to go – to the best of our ability to discern where that is.”

Well a few years ago we concluded that God was calling us to Tallahassee.  And when we got here we did not make the rounds of churches. 

We stopped by one church on a Saturday night.  There was no service.  The sanctuary wasn’t even open.  There was some kind of meeting going on somewhere though, so it was kind of awkward – us standing there in the lobby, strangers in a strange place. 

We knew little about the church, and yet something stirred inside me, “This is it.”

I believe that was the Wonderful Counselor.  It was the Wonderful Counselor who brought us to Tallahassee, and it was the Wonderful Counselor who brought us to that church.

And we knew those were critically important decisions, especially for our children.  We knew that, at our kids’ ages, our decisions would affect whom they would meet and therefore whom they would marry.

And you know what?  Those decisions are just too important for us to make willy-nilly.  I don’t want to make those decisions based on the economy or the highest paying job or the nicest house.  I don’t want to decide based on where I feel comfortable or what I’m used to. 

Listen, friend.  These decisions are important!  Especially when you have children.

You have decided to live somewhere.  What did you base it on?

You go to church somewhere.  What did you base it on?

Your kids go to school somewhere.  What did you base it on?

Please don’t base these decisions on the same things everyone else does.

The far better thing to do is to take the advice of the Wonderful Counselor!  He knows these things.  He knows what’s best for you and your family.

Seek Him while He may be found.  Pray constantly.  Fast.  Listen.

Yes, the Lord gives us free will.  And better yet, He will give us wisdom.

Wisdom is ours for the asking!

I like what it says in Isaiah 28:26.  “His God instructs him and teaches him the right way.”

I believe God will do that for each of us in these critical decisions.  I believe He will instruct us and teach us the right way.

Isaiah 9:6 calls him the Wonderful Counselor, and I’ve seen the Lord be just that in my life. 

At the time it was hard to see whether one decision was better than another.  But now, looking back, I see those places in life where I think the Wonderful Counselor stepped in and pointed the way.

Not every decision was the most logical or the most profitable.  But the key decisions have been surrendered to the leading of the Wonderful Counselor, and He has never failed us.

And now both our daughter and son are getting married this year, to two of the finest Christian young people I’ve ever met.  What a blessing!

And my advice for them as they begin their new lives together?

Take time to listen, to seek the wisdom, and to surrender each important decision to the leading of the Wonderful Counselor.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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


© 2009 The Arrow’s Tip 
To subscribe to your own daily “Apples of Gold” e-mail, write dougapple@wave94.com.
If you want to be removed from this e-mail list, simply click reply and type UNSUBSCRIBE on the subject line.
If you want to catch “Apples of Gold” in its original audio format, go to www.wave94.com
To search through the large archive of past articles, go here:  http://www.wave94.com/modules.php?name=Stories_Archive
If you have trouble reaching me at my main e-mail address, try this one:  douglas_apple@msn.com

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

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

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

Possess Your Vessel in Honor - Apples of Gold - May 1, 2009 -vi-

To listen to the radio version, click here.

 

To search archives, click here.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for May 1, 2009

“Possess Your Vessel in Honor”

 

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

So I’ve taken up the game of tennis.

I’m doing it for the exercise, not the competition, so we don’t keep score.  There’s a lot more action when it doesn’t matter who serves or whether a hit was in or not.  You just keep playing.

But in spite of all that, there are still times when I want to beat my racket to shreds.

I don’t use foul language, but I certainly make loud exclamations.

See, I just want to do better, and when I don’t, it makes me mad.

The good news is that, so far, I have done no violence to my racket.  I haven’t slammed it or hurled it or even called it names.  The worst I’ve done is swished it through the air really fast.

But you know what?  I don’t even want to do that. 

Why not?

Because of these five little words:  Possess your vessel in honor.

That’s a motto of mine.  For years I had it posted by my desk. 

“Possess your vessel in honor.”

It’s my own little paraphrase of First Thessalonians 4:4 which, in the King James, says “…every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour…”

Your “vessel” is your body. 

To me, “possess your vessel in honor” means that you control your body to keep it within the boundaries of honor.

You conduct yourself in a dignified manner.  When you sit and stand and walk, you do so with honor and dignity. 

It’s how I picture George Washington.  I read one time that in meetings he was not fidgety.  He was perfectly poised and self-possessed.  He was calm, collected and confident.

An extreme example is the Queen’s Guard at Buckingham Palace.  They just stand there, perfectly still, in their red tunics and bearskin hats. 

It makes me think of the phrase “in full control of one’s faculties.”

When you do this, you don’t swish your racket.  You don’t throw your golf clubs.  You don’t slam your helmet and swear at the umpire.

Now you women might be thinking about all the men in your life who need to hear this.  But this is for you, too. 

Yes, maybe women are a little less likely to go berserk over a game, but let’s go ahead and bring this home. 

Women, what about your appearance?  What about how you dress?  Do you choose your clothing with “honor” in mind? 

What about the words you speak, or even the look on your face?

See, this little phrase hits us all.  “Possess your vessel in honor.”

For example, I don’t think you can possess your vessel in honor and have your underwear showing.  Or so much skin. 

This means you don’t roll your eyes when someone is talking.  You don’t sneer.

I know in America we are all about freedom of expression, but just because we have the freedom to do something doesn’t mean we should.

First Thessalonians 5:12 says that we should conduct ourselves in such a way as to “…win the respect of outsiders…”

That means when a non-Christian sees how you behave, they respect you.

How do we respond when someone disagrees with us?  How do we act towards certain people?  How do we conduct ourselves when the pressure is on?  How do we behave when things don’t go the way we want, like when we lose the game?

Does our behavior cause outsiders to respect us?

It should.  And it will – as we strive to live up to this powerful little phrase.

Possess your vessel in honor.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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


© 2009 The Arrow’s Tip 
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(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
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