The Crowd Affects the Game - Apples of Gold - April 15, 2010 -vi-

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Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for April 15, 2010

“The Crowd Affects the Game”

 

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

Dan loved playing football.

Then he suffered a career-ending injury.

Now what?

He could have slipped into depression.  He could have been angry.  He could have been jealous of his teammates.

Well he was “bummed out” he said.  It killed him, not being out on the field with his friends.

But then he had a revelation.

“I realized how much the crowd affects the game,” he said.  So he said, “You know what?  Why don’t I lead the charge?”

This was at St. Charles East High School in Illinois – the home of the Saints.

So instead of letting a black cloud envelope him after his injury, Dan did something very proactive.  He formed a group called the Superfans. 

He rallied a couple hundred students and they piled into every game to pump up the team.  They even had weekly strategy meetings.  What could they do to fire up the Saints?

Yes, the Saints still had to work on their game plan.  They did have to go out and actually play the game.

But then there is what some call the 12^th man on the field – the crowd.

Now let me repeat Dan’s quote.  He said, “I realized how much the crowd affects the game.”

And you know what?  I think that applies to all of life.

The crowd affects the game.

I said that to a woman yesterday who was telling me about her husband’s new business venture.

She said it was making her nervous.  She wasn’t sure if it was going to be successful or not.

So I reminded her that she was not simply a passive observer.  As his wife, she could have a very real impact on the success or failure of his business.

Why?

Because the crowd affects the game; and in this case she was the crowd.

Now think back to Dan after his career-ending injury.  He had the choice of either staying at home all dark and gloomy, or he could rally the troops and come out in flying support of the team.

In your marriage you have a similar choice.  When your spouse makes a decision you aren’t sure about, you can choose to be dark and gloomy, or you can come out in flying support of the home team.

This applies to your children.  Think of a dad who loves sports, but then his son loves music instead.  The dad could be all weird about it, but how much better if he’d come running out in support of his son’s music?

I think this happens a lot in church.  A visionary pastor dreams of a powerful, city-changing ministry.  He casts the vision to the members, who proceed to pick it apart.  They cast a black cloud over the pastor’s vision, then feel justified when things don’t work out.

But wait a minute.  The crowd doesn’t just predict the outcome.  The crowd affects the outcome. 

When a pastor casts a vision and the people rally to it, almost anything can happen.

For example, the pastor of the Southeast Christian Church in Louisville decided it was time to do something about the almost 200 sex businesses in the city.  He rallied people to the cause, got people out to hearings and talking to city officials and testifying in cases.  In six years they were able to clear over half those shops out of town.*

Sure, he could have taken up the fight by himself, but how discouraging if no one joins you, if everyone says, “Oh, that’s impossible.  Why even bother?  Good luck with that, preacher.”

Hebrews 10:24 tells us to spur one another on toward love and good deeds.

I like that word “spur.”  It’s like a sudden jolt of energy and enthusiasm. 

Over and over the Bible tells us to encourage and exhort one another and build each other up.

That’s not psychobabble.  It’s Bible!

So don’t forget your part in everything that’s going on around you.  Your words and your attitudes can be a real game changer, so put on your team colors and show your support!

And remember the example of Dan after his career-ending injury.  Instead of sulking at home he started the Superfans. 

And why did he do it?

Because he realized this one powerful truth.

The crowd affects the game.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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

Here is the original newspaper report about Dan and the Superfans:  http://football.dailyherald.com/story/?id=49415

*  http://www.frc.org/get.cfm?i=CM10D08

© 2010 The Arrow’s Tip 
 To subscribe to your own daily “Apples of Gold” e-mail, write dougapple@wave94.com.
If you want to be removed from this e-mail list, simply click reply and type UNSUBSCRIBE on the subject line.
If you want to catch “Apples of Gold” in its original audio format, go to www.wave94.com
To search through the large archive of past articles, go here:  http://www.wave94.com/modules.php?name=Stories_Archive
If you have trouble reaching me at my main e-mail address, try this one:  douglas_apple@msn.com

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

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

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

What If Love is the Final Authority? - Apples of Gold - April 14, 2010 -vi-

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Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for April 14, 2010

“What If Love is the Final Authority?”

 

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

Call the authorities.

What do we usually want when we call the authorities?

We usually want an outsider to step in and mediate a situation.  We need them to provide restraint.

For example, if you see two guys fighting in the street.  They aren’t restraining themselves, so the authorities must step in and restrain them.

Authorities provide restraint within society.  The two guys may stop fighting at the mere thought of the authorities showing up.  But if they keep fighting, then the authorities have the power to break them up, even if it means blasting them with a taser.  They can throw them to the ground, handcuff them and put them in jail. 

Authorities provide restraint through the threat of and the use of physical force.  And if you want to go wild and simply will not be restrained, they have the option of shooting you.

Then on a national scale we have the armed forces.  Our military provides restraint for anyone who wants to harm us.  Would North Korea like to take over America?  Oh that’s right, they can’t, because we have the ability to incinerate them.

Now that’s an effective restraint!

In our world today, nuclear weapons seem to be the final authority, and that’s why we want to be careful who has them.  Unless you want to live in a wretched world, the good guys need to have the final authority over the bad guys.

And that means the good guys need to have the biggest arsenal.  Whether in our little towns or counties, or on an international scale, if you want to have the authority you must have the most powerful weapons and you must be ready to put the hammer down when the time comes.

Maybe it’s a guy thing, but that appeals to me.  The power and the authority and the ability to crush the perpetrators of evil, to wipe them off the map.  If you are doing evil, you can expect the authorities to sweep in and restrain you, even if it means using lethal force.

But then we read the words of Jesus and all his “rhetoric” about loving your enemies and doing good to those who hate you.

What?  What kind of nonsense is that?  If we love our enemies and do good to them, they will simply walk all over us.  They will have the power and the upper hand and we will become their slaves.

If they ask for our shirt and we give them our coat as well, then we will have neither shirt nor coat.  If we give them what they ask for, they will take everything.  Evil will end up with everything and good will have nothing.

It looks like doing things Jesus’ way would cause society to break down into all mayhem.

No, it looks like force is the answer, all the way up to lethal force.  That is the only way to keep society from swirling out of control and falling into the hands of evil.

Unless…

Think about this.  What if love is the final authority?

What if loving people is the display of power?

What if loving people is the show of force?

What if love is the restraint that holds people back?

I’m not saying we dismantle the army and the police force.  I’m just saying we need to take a good, long look at what Jesus said.

His big command is found in John 15.  More than once He emphasizes this command:  “Love each other.”

In verse 12 He said, “Love each other as I have loved you.”

Now think about this.  Have you ever restrained yourself out of deference to someone who loved you?

Here is an example I have heard many times.  Teenagers who want to go crazy end up restraining themselves because they know it would disappoint their parents.  I’m not talking about punishment.  I’m talking about young people who restrain themselves simply because they know their parents love them and they don’t want to disappoint or hurt them.

When you know someone really loves you, it changes you.  It changes your actions.  It sets up boundaries that you will not cross.

I’ll admit, I haven’t really wrapped my head around this concept.  How would this play out in society?  Is it even possible?

I’m not sure, but I do believe that love has an amazing power of restraint that we don’t give it credit for.

I’ll never forget the story of David Wilkerson ministering to the gangs in New York City.  One gang leader, Nicky Cruz, with his threatening switchblade, told David Wilkerson something like, “Preacher, I could cut you up into a thousand pieces.”  And Wilkerson said, “Yes, and every piece would say, ‘I love you.’”

Then there was the story of David having Nicky and his gang take up the offering at one of his meetings.  They could have easily run out with the money, but for some reason Nicky made his gang members give it all to the preacher.

Could it have been the restraint of love?

Could love really be the final authority?

What would happen in our society if we really ratcheted up our level of love for each other?

I think we would find that, instead of being limp-wristed and weak, there really is a restraining power and authority when we love people like Jesus told us to.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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


© 2010 The Arrow’s Tip 
 To subscribe to your own daily “Apples of Gold” e-mail, write dougapple@wave94.com.
If you want to be removed from this e-mail list, simply click reply and type UNSUBSCRIBE on the subject line.
If you want to catch “Apples of Gold” in its original audio format, go to www.wave94.com
To search through the large archive of past articles, go here:  http://www.wave94.com/modules.php?name=Stories_Archive
If you have trouble reaching me at my main e-mail address, try this one:  douglas_apple@msn.com

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

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

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

O Love the Lord All Ye His Saints - Apples of Gold - April 13, 2010 -vi-

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Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for April 13, 2010

“O Love the Lord All Ye His Saints”

 

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

How long has it been since you expressed your love to the Lord?

How long has it been since you just took some time to say, “I love You, Lord”?

If it’s been a while, maybe Jesus is asking you just what He asked Peter after His resurrection.

In John 21 Jesus flat out asked Simon Peter if he loved Him.

“Yes, Lord,” Peter said, “You know that I love You.”

Then Jesus asked him again, “Do you truly love Me?”

“Yes, Lord, You know that I love You.”

And Jesus asked a third time, “Do you love Me?”

And finally Peter said, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.”

Now think about yourself.  Yes, you may love the Lord, and yes He knows all things, but you know what?  Love needs to be expressed!

Jesus could have been satisfied with reading Peter’s mind, with looking into his heart and finding love; but He wasn’t.  He wanted Peter to say it and say it again.

So have you said it lately?  If not, now is a good time.  Just let the Lord know, just like David did in Psalm 18, “I love You…”

In Psalm 31 David wrote, “O love the Lord, all ye His saints…”

In fact, you can just sing out your love for the Lord!  One of my all time favorite love songs to the Lord is “I Love You (Lord Today).”  The first time I heard it was back in the 80’s when I went to hear a Gospel choir on campus.  I had never heard it before, but I’ve been singing it ever since.

I could play a professional version for you, but here’s how a regular person like you and me posted it on the internet – posted their love for the Lord for all the world to hear!

I love You,
I love You,
I love You, Lord, today.
Because You cared for me in such a special way.
That’s why I praise You, I lift You up, and I magnify Your name.
That’s why my heart is filled with praise.

Listen, when you love God, it doesn’t just sit there.  It comes out!

When you love the Lord, there is a response.

Jesus said that those who have been forgiven much, love much.

We love Him because He first loved us.

Are you a writer, maybe a poet, maybe a song writer?  Then use that gift to express your love to the Lord.

Byron Cage did it in his song “We Love You” and here’s a bit of it he recorded with J Moss.

We love You, Lord, we love You,
We love You, Lord, we love You,
We lift our voice to bless You,
We lift our hands to reach You,
We life our hearts to love You,
Holy (holy) is Your wonder,
We present our bodies,
A living sacrifice,
Holy and acceptable to You,
We love You,
We love You, Lord, we love You,
We love You, Lord, we love You.

Maybe you aren’t a writer.  Maybe you are a painter or a sculptor.  Maybe you’re a graphic designer. 

Use those gifts to express your love for the Lord!

James 1:12 says that God has promised a crown of life “to those who love Him.”

James 2:5 says God has promised a kingdom to those who love Him.

Psalm 145 says, “The Lord watches over all who love Him…”

First Corinthians 8:3 says “…the man who loves God is known by God.”

Do you love Him?

First Corinthians 2:9 says, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him.”

Do you love Him?

All things work together for good for whom?

This is our top priority.  Jesus called it the number one commandment, to love the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength. 

So express it!

When you love, there is a response.  There is a giving.  There is a giving of it all!

So give it up for the Lord today!

If you love Him, use your gifts and your talents and your opportunities to express it.

In whatever way you can, communicate that simple but profound message.

“Lord, I love You.”


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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

close with a clip from the Love Medley by God’s Chosen:

I love You, Jesus,
I worship and adore You,
Just want to tell You,
Lord I love You,
More than anything.


© 2010 The Arrow’s Tip 
 To subscribe to your own daily “Apples of Gold” e-mail, write dougapple@wave94.com.
If you want to be removed from this e-mail list, simply click reply and type UNSUBSCRIBE on the subject line.
If you want to catch “Apples of Gold” in its original audio format, go to www.wave94.com
To search through the large archive of past articles, go here:  http://www.wave94.com/modules.php?name=Stories_Archive
If you have trouble reaching me at my main e-mail address, try this one:  douglas_apple@msn.com

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

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

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

Have You Found Your Place in the Body of Christ? - Apples of Gold - April 12, 2010 -vi-

Click here to listen to the radio version.   

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Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for April 12, 2010

“Have You Found Your Place in the Body of Christ?”

 

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

Are you a Christian?

If so, then you are a part of what the Bible calls “the body of Christ.”

Ephesians 4:12 uses that exact phrase, the body of Christ.

The body of Christ is also called “the church,” and Jesus is called “the head.”

For example, Ephesians 5:23 says “…Christ is the head of the church, His body…”

So if you are a Christian today, then you are a part of the body of Christ.

Now you might think, “Well, I’m a member of one church, and you’re a member of another church, and there’s a church across the street and a church down the block and…”

Okay, wait a minute.  Listen to Colossians 3:15.  It says we are members of “one body.”  There is only one body of Christ.

Ephesians 4:25 says “…we are all members of one body…” 

First Corinthians 12:27 says, “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.”

Verse 14 says, “Now the body is not made up of one part but of many.”

Of course the illustration is quite simple – the human body.  Your body has hands and feet and knees and fingers and joints and bones and ligaments – lots of parts, but all working together as one body.

Well in the body of Christ, you are one of those parts, and the rest of us need you to be working efficiently.

“Well Doug, I’m a Christian, and I go to church, but I don’t really know what ‘part’ I’m supposed to be.”

Well first of all you need to know that you really do have a part, chosen by God.

First Corinthians 12:18 says “…God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as He wanted them to be.”

Verse seven says, “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.”

Verse 11 says, “All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and He gives them to each one, just as He determines.”

Romans 12 says, “Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.  We have different gifts, according to the grace given us.”

First Corinthians 7:7 says “…each man has his own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that.”

So listen, God has placed you in the body of Christ as a specific part with specific gifts.

And like it says in First Corinthians 12:7, “…to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.”

That is the part you are to play, to use your gifts for the common good of the body of Christ.

Verse 25 says the “parts should have equal concern for each other.”

Ephesians 4:16 says the body of Christ “grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.”

So are you doing your part of the work?  Are you working for the common good of the body of Christ?

You have been gifted to do so.  Every Christian has.  If you don’t already know, you need to find out what your gifts are, then put them to work for the common good of the body.

“But I don’t know what my part is!”

Well first of all you need to pray about it.  Christ is the head of the church, and it’s God’s Spirit inside of us that gives us these gifts and chooses which body part we will be.

Second of all, you need to work with leaders in the church; mature and more experienced Christians who can help you discover your role in the body.

Ephesians 4:7 says “…to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.”

Then verse 11 continues by saying, “It was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature…”

So there are certain leaders in the church who have been called by God to prepare the rest for their place of service for the common good of the body.

A wise church leader will be able to help you do just that, so if you don’t know what your gifts are, if you don’t know what your part of the body is, then pray about it and seek wise counsel from church leaders.

There are even some good “spiritual gifts tests” out there to help you discover your gifts and callings in the body of Christ.

Maybe you aren’t a pastor or a teacher.  Maybe you aren’t one of those obvious leaders in the church, but know this.  You are an important part of the body of Christ!  God has chosen you and gifted you to do some very important things in the church.

Now you just need to find out what those are and then get to work.

The body of Christ will grow and become mature and complete, but only as each part does its work for the common good of the body.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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


© 2010 The Arrow’s Tip 
 To subscribe to your own daily “Apples of Gold” e-mail, write dougapple@wave94.com.
If you want to be removed from this e-mail list, simply click reply and type UNSUBSCRIBE on the subject line.
If you want to catch “Apples of Gold” in its original audio format, go to www.wave94.com
To search through the large archive of past articles, go here:  http://www.wave94.com/modules.php?name=Stories_Archive
If you have trouble reaching me at my main e-mail address, try this one:  douglas_apple@msn.com

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

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

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

Do You Have This Peace? - Apples of Gold - April 9, 2010 -vi-

Click here to listen to the radio version.   

Click here to search the AOG archives.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for April 9, 2010

“Do You Have This Peace?”

 

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

The peace which passeth all understanding.

Do you have this peace?

The Lord bless thee and keep thee.

The Lord make His face shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee.

The Lord lift up His countenance upon thee, and give thee His peace.

Do you have this peace?

David said, “I will lie down and sleep in peace, for You alone, oh Lord, make me dwell in safety.”

David also said, “The Lord blesses His people with peace.”

And he said, “The meek will…enjoy great peace.”

Isaiah said, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee…”

Do you have this peace?

Psalm 119 says, “Great peace have they who love Thy law…”

Proverbs says, “Blessed is the man who finds wisdom…all her paths are peace.”

Colossians 3 says “…let the peace of God rule in your hearts…”

Do you have this peace?

Romans 8:6 says that to be spiritually minded is peace.

Galatians says “…the fruit of the Spirit is…peace…”

First Corinthians says God is the author of peace.

Romans 15 says He is the “God of peace.”

Do you have this peace?

The prophet Isaiah spoke these foretelling words of the Messiah:  He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; and upon Him was the chastisement for our peace.

Isaiah said Jesus would be called The Prince of Peace.

Jesus Himself said in John 14, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you.”

In John 16 He said, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me you might have peace.”

Do you have this peace?

The early church spread the Gospel of Peace.

Acts 10 says they were “telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ…”

Ephesians 2 says Jesus is our peace.

Do you have this peace?

Paul said it’s the peace that “transcends all understanding,” and he told us how to get it in Philippians 4:6-7.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

Do you want this peace?

It is yours through Jesus Christ.  So draw near to God and lay your requests at His feet. 

And don’t forget the key ingredient.  Oh, this is a key to receiving the peace of the Lord.

“With thanksgiving,” Paul said, “prayer…with thanksgiving…”

And the peace of God will guard your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus.

It’s available.  It’s yours.  Your mind and heart and soul can experience this amazing peace that only comes from God Almighty.

So ponder this amazing gift from the Lord as I ask you one more time.

Do you have this peace?


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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


© 2010 The Arrow’s Tip 
 To subscribe to your own daily “Apples of Gold” e-mail, write dougapple@wave94.com.
If you want to be removed from this e-mail list, simply click reply and type UNSUBSCRIBE on the subject line.
If you want to catch “Apples of Gold” in its original audio format, go to www.wave94.com
To search through the large archive of past articles, go here:  http://www.wave94.com/modules.php?name=Stories_Archive
If you have trouble reaching me at my main e-mail address, try this one:  douglas_apple@msn.com

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

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

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

She Popped - Apples of Gold - April 8, 2010 -vi-

Click here to listen to the radio version.   

Click here to search the AOG archives.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for April 8, 2010

“She Popped”

 

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

The man could pick up a grape.

Big deal, right?

Well it was to him, considering the fact that he hadn’t fed himself in 19 years. 

He was a soldier that tragically lost both arms, but now he has new cutting-edge electronic arms, and he can pick up a grape. 

What’s the big deal about picking up a grape? 

The big deal is all the calculations that must be made.  For example, you have to squeeze the grape just the right amount.  Too little and you drop it.  Too much and you pop it.

That’s easy to do with our God-given fingers, but to do it with an electronic hand is a technological marvel.

So let’s call that physical discernment.  Most people can easily discern what it takes to successfully pick up a grape.

Now let’s compare that to a more challenging kind of discernment:  relational discernment. 

We can handle a grape without dropping it or popping it, but can we handle people without dropping or popping them?

How is your relational discernment?

Can you discern how well you are getting along with people?

Can you discern how your words are hitting them?

Can you discern what matters most in your relationships?

For example, I knew a man who had no children, and he was against motorcycles.  He said a motorcycle is a deathtrap on wheels.  Then he said this, “If I had a son, and he bought a motorcycle, I would disown him.” 

I questioned him about it, but he was serious. 

Well if I had to grade that situation for relational discernment, I would give it an F.

Why? 

Because he did not discern what mattered more, which was maintaining a relationship with his son.  In that situation he lacked relational discernment.  His miscalculations would have caused him to “drop” his son.

When our own kids were small, my wife and I had a challenge to our relational discernment.

Like most parents, we applied pressure to our children to do right and not wrong.  That meant they got in trouble when they did wrong.

Now remember the grape.  Apply too little pressure and it drops, apply too much pressure and it pops.

Well getting in trouble was too much pressure for one of our children, so when it looked like she was going to get in trouble, she popped, by which I mean she popped out a lie.

For whatever reason, the other kids were willing to face the music and get on with life, but not this one.  She was going to lie and then lie some more if she thought she could avoid trouble.

This is where relational discernment came in.  We looked closely at her reactions.  We talked with each other about what she did and why she did it.  We analyzed our parenting and made adjustments.

Discernment means being able to see the big picture, and our big picture in this situation was that our child would tell the truth.  So we changed our parenting.  We started saying something that we did not say to the others.  We said, “Look, you aren’t going to be in trouble.  Just tell us the truth.” 

I wouldn’t recommend that line in most situations, but here comes the key word again:  discernment.

Discernment is like a detective looking for clues.  He observes and perceives and distinguishes. 

That’s the way we deal with people, with discernment.  We discern how to relate to people for the best long term results. 

In First Kings 3:9 King Solomon prayed for one thing, “a discerning heart.”

A prayer in Psalm 119 says “…give me discernment…”

Proverbs 2:3 indicates that we should “cry out for discernment.”

Physical discernment comes naturally.  We can all pick up a grape without dropping or popping it.

But getting along with people?  That’s something we need to cry out to God for, and something we need to work on.

We could all use a little more relational discernment.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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


© 2010 The Arrow’s Tip 
 To subscribe to your own daily “Apples of Gold” e-mail, write dougapple@wave94.com.
If you want to be removed from this e-mail list, simply click reply and type UNSUBSCRIBE on the subject line.
If you want to catch “Apples of Gold” in its original audio format, go to www.wave94.com
To search through the large archive of past articles, go here:  http://www.wave94.com/modules.php?name=Stories_Archive
If you have trouble reaching me at my main e-mail address, try this one:  douglas_apple@msn.com

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

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

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

Is This How You Want It to End? - Apples of Gold - April 7, 2010 -vi-

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Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for April 7, 2010

“Is This How You Want It to End?”

 

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

They only scored 12 points.

They played the entire first half and only scored 12 points.

It was a team record for futility, and they did it last night while playing for the national championship.

I’m talking about the University of Connecticut – the UConn Huskies.

Now you need to know that UConn had not lost a game in two years.  That’s two undefeated seasons in a row, a record, and yet halfway through the championship game they were getting clobbered.

So it’s halftime, and what do you say?  What can a coach say that might turn things around in the second half?

One thing he said was something like, “Is this how you want it to end?”

And that’s a great question for all of us.  No matter where we are in life, we can ask ourselves this question.  “Is this how I want it to end?”

If the answer is no, then that should motivate us to change.

But perhaps you feel beaten.  You are battered and bruised and worn out.  You just don’t have the strength to keep going.

Maybe the Huskies felt that way, but then something happened.  Their star player suddenly caught fire, and it strengthened the whole team!  They went from looking disjointed and defeated to looking like the champions they are.

So maybe you are sitting there battered and bruised and worn out, but the good news is, as a Christian you are part of a team – the body of Christ.

And on this team we have a star player, Jesus.  The Bible says He is the “head of the body.”

I am so glad the pressure is not on me.  I don’t have to do all the scoring or make all the big plays.  I am not the head, not the star, not the team leader.  Jesus is.

I put my faith in Him to do the heavy lifting for the team.

Does that mean I just sit back and let Him do it all?

No, because I have my part on the team.  I am part of the body of Christ; not the head, but still an important part.

Now remember the Huskies.  They were down, but then they were strengthened by the team leader.

And if you are down today, you can certainly be strengthened by our team leader!

Luke 24:49 uses this phrase, “power from on high.”

Acts 1:8 uses this phrase, “…power when the Holy Spirit comes on you…”

Ephesians 3:16 talks about being strengthened with might through God’s Spirit inside us.

Ephesians 3:20 says that God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think according to His power that works in us.

I’m sure you remember Philippians 4:13 – “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

I could go on and on, but you get the point.  God gives us power through His Spirit inside of us.  We have all the power and strength and might that we need.

So maybe it’s halftime, and you feel defeated.  If so, I have a question for you.  Is this how you want it to end?

If not, then look to the team leader, the head of the body.  Look to Christ for new strength and motivation.  Put your faith completely in Him.

Then be strong in the Lord!  Allow the power of God inside you, the Holy Spirit, to rise up and have His way in your life.

He will energize you.  He will strengthen you.  He will come up with plays exceedingly abundantly above all you could ask or imagine, according to His power that works inside you.

If this is not how we want it to end, then it’s time for us to be energized by our Team Leader.

It’s time we start looking like the champions we really are!


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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

(close with chorus from The Words I Say by Sidewalk Prophets – “be strong in the Lord…”)


2 Corinthians 2:14  “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him.”

© 2010 The Arrow’s Tip 
 To subscribe to your own daily “Apples of Gold” e-mail, write dougapple@wave94.com.
If you want to be removed from this e-mail list, simply click reply and type UNSUBSCRIBE on the subject line.
If you want to catch “Apples of Gold” in its original audio format, go to www.wave94.com
To search through the large archive of past articles, go here:  http://www.wave94.com/modules.php?name=Stories_Archive
If you have trouble reaching me at my main e-mail address, try this one:  douglas_apple@msn.com

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

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

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

A Brilliant Moment in Joseph's Life - Apples of Gold - April 6, 2010 -vi-

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Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for April 6, 2010

“A Brilliant Moment in Joseph’s Life”

 

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

Here is a brilliant moment from the life of Joseph.

Oh, you can probably think of others, such as when he tore himself from the clutches of Potiphar’s wife, or when he ruled Egypt as second in command only to Pharaoh.

But to me, this is the highlight, the apex.

It’s found in Genesis 41:38.  Pharaoh looked at Joseph and said, “Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?”

That’s what I want.  I have a ways to go, but I would like to reach that apex, that when people talk about me they say, “Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?”

How can we get there?

I think one key is this.  Don’t do things that grieve or quench the Holy Spirit.

First Thessalonians 5:19 tells us not to “quench” the Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 4:30 tells us not to “grieve” the Holy Spirit.

Think of the Holy Spirit as a light shining through us.  When we grieve the Holy Spirit, the light dims. 

Can people tell you are a Christian?  Can they see the light of God shining through you?

If not, perhaps it is because you are grieving the Spirit of God inside you.

Pride will do it.  Pride will dim the Spirit in you as quick as anything.

Joseph was not proud, but he could have been.  He had the interpretation of Pharaoh’s dreams!  He could have puffed himself into some kind of shaman. 

But instead he took no credit.  He told Pharaoh he could not interpret dreams, that only God could.

Joseph knew, “If I don’t have God in my life, I don’t have anything.”

He was humble, and that allowed the Spirit to shine brightly through him.

If Joseph would have sinned with Potiphar’s wife, that certainly would have grieved the Holy Spirit.  It might have derailed God’s plans for him altogether.

If we sin and don’t repent, won’t that certainly quench the Spirit of God?

And when we repent, I think it still takes a while for the Spirit to come back to full brightness.

Meanwhile, we have lost chances to shine the light. 

There are people we should have impacted but didn’t because we dimmed the Spirit’s light.

Let that sink in for a while.  Do you want to impact your family for Christ?  Your coworkers?  Your neighbors?  Have you missed chances to do so by dimming the Spirit’s light?

Here’s how it happens.  We let some sin get a hold of us.  We gave in to some temptation, large or small, and it dims the Spirit’s light.

I don’t want that.  I want the Spirit to shine as brightly as possible through me at all times. 

I want to be part of that shining city on a hill that gives light to the world, but I won’t be if I am in a state of grieving or quenching the Spirit.

Don’t you want this?  Don’t you want the Spirit to shine through you?

Then we have to eliminate things that quench and grieve the Spirit. 

We don’t want to miss opportunities for people to see the Spirit of God in us.

We don’t want to miss opportunities to impact the world.

Joseph didn’t miss his opportunity.  When the time came, he was a bright light to Pharaoh.

And that’s what I want.

I want to live in such a way that when the time comes people say, “Now there is a man in whom is the Spirit of God.”


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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



© 2010 The Arrow’s Tip 
 To subscribe to your own daily “Apples of Gold” e-mail, write dougapple@wave94.com.
If you want to be removed from this e-mail list, simply click reply and type UNSUBSCRIBE on the subject line.
If you want to catch “Apples of Gold” in its original audio format, go to www.wave94.com
To search through the large archive of past articles, go here:  http://www.wave94.com/modules.php?name=Stories_Archive
If you have trouble reaching me at my main e-mail address, try this one:  douglas_apple@msn.com

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

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

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

Yet - Apples of Gold - April 2, 2010 -vi-

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Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for April 2, 2010

“Yet”

 

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

It’s Friday. 

Jesus has died and He has not risen from the dead.  Yet.

It’s 2010.  Jesus hasn’t returned.  Yet.

Abraham was a hundred years old.  God promised him a son, but he sure didn’t have one.  Yet.

No matter what Moses did, Pharaoh just would not let the children of Israel go.  He simply did not fear the Lord God.  Yet.

The Israelites wondered in the wilderness for 40 years.  They had not received their so-called Promised Land.  Yet.

When they got to the Promised Land, Caleb said, “Behold, I am this day 85 years old.  Yet I am as strong today as I was the day Moses sent me!”

Mighty Samson’s hair was cut, his eyes were gouged out, and he was made a slave.  He had no opportunity to rain judgment down on his Philistine captors.  Yet.

The word of the Lord was rare in the days of Eli, and the young man Samuel had never heard a word from God.  Yet.

The giant Goliath taunted the Israelites, and God, day after day, and not one man of Israel dared to stand up to him.  Yet.

“I had many brothers,” David said, “Bigger brothers, yet the Lord chose me to be king over all Israel.”

“We have sinned,” said Ezra.  “We have broken faith and dealt treacherously against our God.  Yet now there is still hope for Israel!”

“The Israelites repeatedly turned from You Lord.”  That’s what Nehemiah prayed.  “They did evil before You.  Therefore You left them in the hand of their enemies.  Yet when they returned and cried out to You, You heard from heaven; and many times You delivered them according to Your mercies.”

Job said of the Lord, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.”

The Psalmist wrote, “I have been young, and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.”

The sons of Korah said, “Why art thou 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.”

Psalm 119 says, “Trouble and anguish have come upon me, yet Your commandments are my delight.”

Yet is the hinge that the big door swings on.  Yet is the sunshine waiting just behind the clouds.  Yet is the breeze that blows the fog away. 

In Isaiah 54 the Lord said, “Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken.”

Jeremiah 14 says, “O Lord…our backslidings are many; we have sinned against thee.  Yet thou, O Lord, art in the midst of us, and we are called by thy name…”

Jeremiah 50 says, “The people of Israel are oppressed…all their captors hold them fast…yet their Redeemer is strong; the Lord Almighty is His name!”

Lamentations says, “Though He causes grief, yet He will show compassion.”

Habakkuk said, “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior!”

Yet is the key that unlocks the door.  Yet is the wrecking ball that demolishes obstructions.  Yet is the letter of hope that arrives on the gloomiest day.

Jesus said, “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns…yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?”

Of the man who built his house on the rock Jesus said, “The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.”

Jesus Himself was tempted in every way, just as we are – yet was without sin.

Then while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us!

He was crucified in weakness, yet He lives by the power of God!

After He arose, Jesus told Thomas, “Blessed are they that have not seen…yet have believed.”

Paul wrote, “And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled!”

He wrote, “We do not lose heart.  Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.”

My friend, your road may be rocky, but there is hope!  A yet is just ahead, a fork in the road.  Turn and let it take you closer to God.

John said we are the children of God and what we shall be has not been revealed.  Yet.

And Hebrews 10 tells us to keep up our confidence, and keep enduring, “for yet a little while, and He who is coming will come and will not tarry.”

God is not done. 

Your story is not complete.

Your Savior is not finished with His great work in your life.

Yet.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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



© 2010 The Arrow’s Tip 
 To subscribe to your own daily “Apples of Gold” e-mail, write dougapple@wave94.com.
If you want to be removed from this e-mail list, simply click reply and type UNSUBSCRIBE on the subject line.
If you want to catch “Apples of Gold” in its original audio format, go to www.wave94.com
To search through the large archive of past articles, go here:  http://www.wave94.com/modules.php?name=Stories_Archive
If you have trouble reaching me at my main e-mail address, try this one:  douglas_apple@msn.com

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

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

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

The New National Epidemic - Apples of Gold - April 1, 2010 -vi-

Click here to listen to the radio version.   

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Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for April 1, 2010

“The New National Epidemic”

 

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

“The epidemic of genital herpes.”

I had no idea, but it’s right there in the New England Journal of Medicine.*

There is an epidemic of genital herpes, it says, and then it talks about what the authors call “an especially devastating consequence of the epidemic,” neonatal infection.

They said up to “65% of pregnant women in the United States have genital infection with herpes simplex virus type 1 or type 2.”

So here’s what happens.  Sexually active young women get herpes, which they might not even be aware of.  And remember, there is an epidemic of genital herpes, so millions of women have it.

Then they get pregnant and that’s where the neonatal infection comes in.  The baby can get herpes from his or her mother.  Then the disease may kill the child, but even if it’s caught quickly and treated, it can still cause considerable disability among the survivors.

That’s just one terrible consequence of this disaster called genital herpes. 

It also makes people more prone to get AIDS, and now you may not hear so much about AIDS or HIV anymore, except maybe in Africa, but here’s another statistic from the New England Journal of Medicine.  More than 1 in 30 adults in Washington, D.C. are HIV-infected, which is more than people in Ethiopia or Nigeria or Rwanda.**

Then there is HPV, the human papillomavirus, which the CDC calls the most commonly sexually transmitted infection.  And again, so many of those infected don’t even know they have it, but it can do such wretched things as cause cervical cancer.

Speaking of cancer, one gay publication in Boston reports that according the American Cancer Society, people who engage in homosexual behavior have a higher risk of cancer.  The odds of a gay man getting cancer are 17 times higher than a straight man.

If you want to see the headlines for yourself, just do a Google news search.  A headline for news-record.com says, “Clinic seeks funds to combat local rise in sexual diseases.”  Beloit Daily News.com says STD case numbers high locally. 

TV Channel 6 in Southern California says, “STDs on the Rise in San Diego.”  It goes on to say that April is Sexually Transmitted Disease Awareness Month, and that MTV and Planned Parenthood have launched a nationwide campaign.

And just what would MTV and Planned Parenthood like to tell us about sexually transmitted diseases?

They want everyone to know this.  There is no shame in being treated for an STD.

Today in the Cornell Daily Sun there is an article entitled “Spring Break Mistakes Leave Their Mark.”  Talking about college kids on spring break the author writes, “They descend on these cities with little more than bikinis and a few dollars, and they return to school sunburned and sporting a whopping new case of gonorrhea.”

That may sound funny, but if you follow the news at all then you know that in the last few days they’ve been reporting that there is a new anti-biotic resistant strain of gonorrhea.***

According to Time magazine’s website, it could become a “super bug.”  And then here’s the line that always gets me.  Here is the conclusion of that Time article. “And, of course, it underscores the importance of sexual protection—using condoms diminishes STI exposure in the first place.”

The Carolinian is the student newspaper of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.  A couple weeks ago they had an article about what they called the “sexually transmitted disease epidemic in our country.”

There are those chilling words again, “disease epidemic.”

Now listen closely to this paragraph.  “Sexually transmitted infections are an epidemic in our country.  Millions of people each year are diagnosed and treated for STDs.  However, the prevention of these diseases and infections is very simple…”****

Okay, this is where we talk about abstinence, right?  This is where we talk about morality and purity and saving yourself for marriage then remaining faithful thereafter, right?

I mean, that is the perfect answer for STDs!  God’s way is the right way, the best way.  Abstinence before marriage and monogamy thereafter.

But here is what the article said.  “The prevention of these diseases and infections is very simple:  wear a condom and get tested at least once a year.”

Well for one thing, getting tested once a year isn’t going to prevent you from getting anything. 

But anyway, that was it.  That was all the advice they had for avoiding these wretched diseases, this disease epidemic.

It reminds me of Romans chapter one.  Verse 18 includes this phrase, “…men who suppress the truth by their wickedness.”

Why won’t we ever see MTV and Planned Parenthood roll out an abstinence campaign?

Romans 1:24 says, “Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another.”

Then verse 27 uses this phrase, “…received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.”

Am I saying that God gives people STDs?  No, God is the one telling us how to avoid them!  But we just won’t listen.  We want to do what we want to do, and when our actions cross the moral boundary, there are very real consequences.

This is what we need to teach people.  God has a plan!  His ways are best.  Morality and purity and righteousness.  Living within God’s moral boundaries.

This is far and away the best prevention against this new national epidemic.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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


*  http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/short/361/14/1376
**  http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/short/362/11/967
*** http://wellness.blogs.time.com/2010/03/30/emergence-of-antibiotic-resistant-gonorrhea/
**** http://www.carolinianonline.com/opinions/simple-safe-sex-practices-can-curb-sexually-transmitted-disease-epidemic-in-our-country-1.1261155

© 2010 The Arrow’s Tip 
 To subscribe to your own daily “Apples of Gold” e-mail, write dougapple@wave94.com.
If you want to be removed from this e-mail list, simply click reply and type UNSUBSCRIBE on the subject line.
If you want to catch “Apples of Gold” in its original audio format, go to www.wave94.com
To search through the large archive of past articles, go here:  http://www.wave94.com/modules.php?name=Stories_Archive
If you have trouble reaching me at my main e-mail address, try this one:  douglas_apple@msn.com

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

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

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

I Make a Covenant with My Eyes to Look at No Vile Thing - Apples of Gold - March 31, 2010 -vi-

Click here to listen to the radio version.   

Click here to search the AOG archives.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for March 31, 2010

“I Make a Covenant with My Eyes to Look at No Vile Thing”

 

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

There is a denomination that preaches against television.

You shouldn’t even have a TV in your house.

Why not?

Because there are so many blatant displays of ungodliness on television.

So I was talking to a preacher about this and I asked him, “So what about the internet?  What does your denomination say about that?”

“Well that kind of snuck up on us.”

I guess what happened is that so many members and probably even churches were using the internet that when it finally became apparent that the internet was potentially exponentially more vile than television, it was too late.  

Well what is the point?  Is it that you shouldn’t have a television or an internet connection?

That’s not a bad idea, but that’s only a means to an end.  So what is the end?

The end is that we do not view the displays of ungodliness.

In Psalm 101:3 David wrote, “I will set before my eyes no vile thing.”

Why not?  Because it has a polluting effect.

Eve was told not to eat from a certain tree, but she found herself looking at it.  She found it “pleasant to the eyes,” and the next thing you know, she took a bite.

If you don’t look, you are less likely to bite.

In driver’s ed we were told to be careful what we looked at, because wherever we looked, that’s where we were likely to go.  For example, while you are looking at that billboard you are prone to turn your steering wheel toward it.

It’s human nature.  We tend to steer toward what we look at.

So instead of looking at vile things, David said in verse six, “My eyes will be on the faithful in the land…”

If you keep your eyes on the faithful, you are likely to become more faithful yourself.

Psalm 119:37 recommends that we turn our eyes away from worthless things.

Jesus went so far as to say, “If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away.”

I don’t think his point was to blind us, because a blind man can sin as fast as anyone.  Instead of gouging our eyes, we need to gouge things from our field of vision, things that are vile or unwholesome, things that pollute us and veer us from godliness.

I love what it says in Job 31:1, “I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a girl.”

Now focus on that first part, “I made a covenant with my eyes…”

Combine that with Psalm 101 and you get something like, “I made a covenant with my eyes to look at no vile thing.”

I can make that even shorter. Just look away.

We all know you don’t need a TV or an internet connection to see vile things.  You don’t have to go looking for them, they will come looking for you, it seems, so what can you do?

Just look away.

This is one of the easiest sins to indulge in without getting caught.  What you look at is mostly just between you and God. 

And here is the way many people live.  They just try not to get caught.  “I don’t mind looking at something bad,” they say, “I just don’t want to get caught doing it.”

Well back to Psalm 101.  Verse two says, “I will be careful to lead a blameless life.” 

Some people say, “I will be careful not to get caught,” but what we should say is, “I will be careful to lead a blameless life.”

Verse two goes on to say, “I will walk in my house with a blameless heart.”

There are two powerful things here.  One is “in my house.”  That is an easy place to sin, “in your house.”  And second is an even easier place to sin, in your heart.

If you can have a blameless heart even in the confines of your own house, you have really accomplished something!

So make that covenant today.  And don’t do it so you won’t get caught.  Do it so you can have a blameless heart.

Do it out in public, and do it in your own house. 

It’s a great combination of Psalm 101 and Job 31, and here it is.

I make a covenant with my eyes to look at no vile thing


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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


© 2010 The Arrow’s Tip 
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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
(850) 926-8000
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