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

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Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for September 10, 2010

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

 

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

It was a beautiful Saturday morning!

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

Except Tom’s.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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


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

© 2010 The Arrow’s Tip 
 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-

Shallow Thinking Leads to Shallow People - Apples of Gold - September 9, 2010 -vi-

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Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for September 9, 2010

“Shallow Thinking Leads to Shallow People”

 

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

“Using Facebook ‘can lower exam results by up to 20%.’”

That was a newspaper headline this week,* referring to a new study which didn’t surprise me at all.

Some people say that kids are different these days, that they are used to multitasking and actually thrive on it.  Of course they can study and do Facebook at the same time.

There’s a new book out called “The Shallows:  What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains” by Nicholas Carr.  Listen to what he wrote.

“The news is even more disturbing than I had suspected.  Dozens of studies by psychologists, neurobiologists, educators and web designers point to the same conclusion:  when we go online, we enter an environment that promotes cursory reading, hurried and distracted thinking, and superficial learning.”

“So what?” you say.

Well the “so what” is that shallow thinking leads to shallow people. 

Listen to one of Carr’s important findings.  Experiments show that more distractions equal less empathy and compassion.

Here’s an illustration.  It’s late at night and I am buried in a project.  My daughter walks in, and she has a problem.  I’m distracted by my project, so I quickly diagnose her problem and send her on her way.

But if she comes in with a problem when I’m not busy, I will sit and listen to her and find out what she’s going through.  I will have much more empathy and compassion because I am less distracted.

Distracted thinking leads to less empathy and compassion, as well as lower grades.

UCLA researchers experimented with distracted thinking and multitasking, and here is what they concluded.  It short circuits deeper understanding.  Yes, you get a lot of things done, but you lose the meaning of it all.

This was going on long before Facebook.  I remember doing homework while watching Gilligan’s Island.  Yes, I got the homework done, but I didn’t absorb the full impact of the information.  I was a shallow learner.

By the end of my college career I finally started to get it right.  I studied in the silent stacks of the library and found that zero distractions led to both faster and deeper learning.

Learning in silence.  Pondering.  Contemplating.  Concentrated thinking.  Meditating. 

If shallow thinking leads to shallow people, then deeper thinking leads to deeper people.

Here is one of my favorite scenes in the Bible.  It only takes up half a sentence, so you have to fill in the scene with your imagination.

Genesis 24:63 says, “…Isaac went out to meditate in the field at eventide…”

That’s all it says.  Did he walk out there or ride a horse?  Or a camel?  Was it amber waves of grain or rocky wilderness? 

Have you ever seen the famous painting of George Washington praying beside his horse at Valley Forge?  That’s how I picture Isaac meditating in the field.

Now you might think of meditating as some witless activity where you chant a mantra and let your brain waves flat line.  But when I think of meditating, I think of concentrated thinking. 

When I meditate on something, I take a thought and turn it over and over.  I look at the different angles and nuances and applications.  What does it mean?  Where did it start?  Where is it going? 

I block out all other thoughts and focus my thinking on one thing.  To me, that is meditation.

In Joshua 1:8, the nation of Israel was told, “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.  Then you will be prosperous and successful.”

Of course they were not careful to do everything in it, and much of the time they were not prosperous and successful.  Why not?  One reason is because they didn’t meditate on the Law.

The Psalm writers wrote about meditation, saying things like:  “I will meditate on Your precepts.”  “Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still.”  “I will meditate on all Your works.”  “I will meditate on Your wonders.”  “I will meditate on Your decrees,” and “I will meditate on Your promises.”

Do you want to go deeper in your Christian life?  Then cut out some of the multitasking.  Block out the distractions and take time to meditate on God and His Word and His ways.  Let your thoughts run deep about what He wants and how to put His ways into practice. 

Shallow thinking leads to shallow people, but deeper thinking, deeper meditation on the things of God, leads to deeper people and a more fulfilling life.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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

* http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1309612/Using-Facebook-lower-exam-results-20.html

You can see portions of the book The Shallows here:  http://books.google.com/books?id=9-8jnjgYrgYC&printsec=frontcover&dq=%22nicholas+carr%22+%22the+shallows%22&hl=en&ei=Zo2HTKOgLMP_lgfN9LAG&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCkQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=distracted&f=false


© 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 Pull of Your Possessions - Apples of Gold - September 7, 2010 -vi-

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Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for September 7, 2010

“The Pull of Your Possessions”

 

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

What did you invest your money in as a child?

You probably weren’t buying stocks and bonds and real estate at 12, but most American kids got money from someone for something, and the question is, what did they do with it?

When I was a kid, the girls were spending their money on things like Barbie clothes, while we boys were buying baseball cards.  I would get a dime, or on a good day fifty cents, and would go down to the Red & White store and buy packs of Topps baseball cards with that flat stick of pink bubble gum. 

Over the years I bought a lot of sports cards, and graduated from buying single packs to whole boxes to complete sets.  Then I began ordering my favorite old cards from dealers and suddenly, the magic was gone.  The challenge to obtain certain cards disappeared when I realized you could simply buy any card you wanted.

So when I hit my teen years I stopped buying sports cards and started investing in something much more substantial:  records!

Do you remember the old Columbia House record club?  You could join for just one penny and get like 15 of your favorite albums.  It was a great way to build your collection and I can’t tell you how many times I joined.

So through my teenage years I invested in music – albums, 45s, cassettes and yes, even some 8-tracks.

Now if you’re keeping score, that means by the time I was 20 I had invested my money in two main categories:  sports cards and music.

And then I answered the call to surrender my life to the Lord.  My new life in Christ was so captivating that those old collections lost their meaning to me.

Like the old song says, the things of this world grew strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.

It doesn’t mean we can’t have things in this world, but it does mean that they can’t have us.

First John 2:15 says, “Do not love the world or anything in the world…”

As Christians, we are to love the Lord and our fellowman, but we are not to love the things in this world.

It’s almost like two planets with their own gravitational pull.  We are drawn toward God, but we are also drawn toward the things of the world.

Remember the story Jesus told of the rich young man in Matthew 19?  He was drawn toward God, so he inquired of Jesus – who saw the gravitational pull on the young man.  So He told him to sell all he had, give the money to the poor, and follow Him. 

The young man was torn.  He felt the pull of God, but he also felt the pull of his possessions.  Finally, “he went away sorrowful,” the Bible says, “for he had great possessions.”

I don’t know how great his possessions actually were, but he thought they were great – great enough to pull him away from the exciting adventure of following Christ.

There is a pivotal scene in that story, and I picture it in slow motion.  Jesus told the rich young man what to do, and then there was a pause. 

The moment hangs there, like it’s paused on your DVD player.  Now move your DVD forward one frame at a time – click, click, click – and there it is.  The man’s eyes drop.  He breaks eye contact with Jesus – and do you believe in body language?  Well here the man sends an astounding message in body language to Jesus.  He turns his back on Him.  He moves away from Jesus and toward his possessions. 

I wonder how many times we have done this.  The Lord is pulling us toward something exciting, but then our possessions pull us back toward them. 

The gravity of ball cards and records lost their pull on me, but then came cars and homes and big boy toys.  The more money we make, the more opportunities we have to send that body language to Jesus, to turn our back on Him and move towards our “great possessions.”

So today, let’s take a good look at our possessions and their place in our heart.  Do they come before God and people?  Do we love our possessions?

Think about these two gravitational pulls, then answer this question.

Which will you surrender to:  the pull of the Lord, or the pull of your possessions?

 
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-

Sarcastic Comments and Negative Nicknames - Apples of Gold - September 2, 2010 -vi-

Click here to listen to the radio version.   

Click here to search the AOG archives.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for September 2, 2010

“Sarcastic Comments and Negative Nicknames”

 

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

Yes, Apple is my real name.

And no, no relation to the computer.

A lot of people think that since I’m on the radio, Apple must be an “air name.”  But no, Apple was my dad’s name and his dad’s name and on and on, at least as far back as the Revolutionary War. 

In school, some kids liked to poke fun at the name Apple.  I didn’t like it, but later I realized that some kids are going to find something to make fun of no matter what, and in my case the name was such an easy target it kept them away from more personal things. 

I remember one old guy telling me about his school buddies, and he remembered them all by their nicknames.  And get this, most of them sounded negative, names like shorty or fatty or squeaky or gopher or humpty.

I noticed there was no “Joltin’ Joe” or “Stan the Man,” nothing like “The Iron Horse” or even “Primetime.” 

And that’s the way I remember it.  Nicknames tended to be negative, picking on some less-than-stellar quality.

But that’s just school kids, right?  Only bratty boys make fun of friends.

But no!  I’ve seen this spill over into the church.  I’ve heard pastors poke fun at their deacons or their assistants in front of the congregation, and everyone laughs at the great fun.  I’ve heard Christian businessmen mock their employees.  Of course it goes the other way, too.  Christians mock their pastors and employees mock their boss. 

Yes, I realize that sometimes it can be done respectfully and no one gets hurt, but that is a very fine line.  How do you make sarcastic comments about someone without hurting them? 

I guess it’s possible that someone could be on the receiving end and not be hurt, but I wouldn’t like it.  If my pastor stood in front of the congregation and poked fun at me, or if my wife started mocking me in front of our friends, my disapproval would boil over.

People don’t like to be mocked because it shows disrespect.  People don’t like to be the butt of jokes.  People don’t like negative nicknames and sarcastic comments about them.

It’s one thing to be treated like that in the world.  The world is a rough place where people let their sin nature run amuck. 

But in the church?  No one should be treated like this in the church.  And no Christians should be treating anyone this way.

If you are a Christian, you should not be cutting other people down.  You shouldn’t make negative, sarcastic comments about people just to get a laugh.  You shouldn’t tag people with negative nicknames, and you shouldn’t use such nicknames even if everyone else does.

You know that guy everyone calls Fatty?  Get him alone sometime and ask him what he would prefer to be called.  If he genuinely prefers Fatty, fine.  Some guys probably do.  But some guys probably don’t, and you can find out by asking.

I’ve done this many times, asked people what they preferred to be called.  My favorite response was, “I don’t care what people call me, as long as they call me for dinner.”

Now see, that’s sarcasm that didn’t hurt anyone.  Yes, it is possible to use sarcasm as good humor, as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone in the process.

The church is to be a place of love.  We Christians are to be known by our love.  We should love one another so much that there are no doubts, that even outsiders say, “Boy, those people really love each another.” 

And that should come out in the comments we make, and the names we call each other. 

Ephesians 4:29 says, “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.”

The NIV says we should only say “what is helpful for building others up according to their needs…”

So think about it.  Do you poke fun at people to get a laugh?  Do you make sarcastic comments or toss out little “zingers” or put downs? 

Is it possible, even remotely possible, that those people are hurt in some way by your comments? 

If so, then stop saying them.  Excise them from your vocabulary.

The church is to be a place of love, and we Christians should be known by our love, and that includes the comments we make and the nicknames we call each other.


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-

Be Ye Also Ready - Apples of Gold - September 1, 2010 -vi-

Click here to listen to the radio version.   

Click here to search the AOG archives.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for September 1, 2010

“Be Ye Also Ready”

 

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

“The wrath of God abides on him.”

That is not a place you want to be.  You do not want the wrath of God “abiding” on you.

What does that mean?

It’s something Jesus said in John 3:36.  He said, “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”

If you want to get a glimpse of the wrath of God, check out Revelation 14 verses 9 through 11.  An angel cried out with a loud voice and said, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.”

That’s the wrath of God on those who reject Him and receive the mark of the beast in the end times.  So if you thought of God as the old grandfather upstairs who wouldn’t hurt a flea, think again.  It says that some people will drink the wine of his wrath, and will be tormented with fire and brimstone.

That is not a place you want to be.

Now back to John 3:36.  Jesus said, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.”

You do not want God’s wrath to remain on you, so what can you do?  Believe in the Son.  Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, Jesus said.

After the description of God’s wrath in Revelation 14, the Apostle John heard a voice from heaven say, “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.”

That’s what happens to those who believe in the Son of God; when they die they “die in the Lord.”

So would you rather believe in the Son and die in the Lord, or reject the Son and die under the wrath of God?

Yesterday a young man died suddenly in Tallahassee.  A Rickards High School student was crossing the street to get to his school bus and he was hit by a car. 

Monday a school bus driver in Jefferson County, FL died suddenly.  She was driving along, slipped off the edge of the road and slammed into a tree. 

I was talking to a pastor friend of mine about this this morning and here were his parting words, “Be ye also ready.”

“Be ye also ready?  That must be some kind of Bible thing,” I thought, so I looked it up.

Sure enough, there it was, in Matthew 24.  Jesus said, “Therefore be ye also ready, for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.”

Now you might think that’s talking about the second coming of Christ, and you might think that’s way off in the future.

But listen.  It doesn’t matter if He’s coming for everyone today.  It only matters if He’s coming for you.

Back to Revelation 14; John wrote, “Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and on the cloud sat One like the Son of Man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle.  And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, ‘Thrust in Your sickle and reap, for the time has come for You to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.’  So He who sat on the cloud thrust in His sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped.”

“Aw, Doug, that’s some kind of end times stuff.”

Listen.  It doesn’t matter if He’s coming to reap the whole earth today.  It only matters if He’s coming to reap you.  It doesn’t matter if it’s the final harvest; it only matters if it’s your final harvest.

Be ye also ready.

“So how can I be ready?”

Believe in the name of the only begotten Son of God.  Believe in Jesus Christ.  Believe that He came to earth, shed His blood and died for your sins then rose from the dead.

Repent of your sins and ask God to forgive you and cleanse you from all unrighteousness.

Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, like it says in Acts 2:38, “and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

Then by the Holy Spirit you will be sealed until the day of redemption. 

You don’t know when your personal “day of redemption” will come, so why wait?  Get right with God now.  Today is the day of salvation.

Heed the words spoken by Jesus, and repeated by my pastor friend this very morning.

Be ye also ready.


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-

Make Your Christian Life Come Alive - Apples of Gold - August 31, 2010 ***Happy Birthday to my brother Tim!***-vi-

Click here to listen to the radio version.   

Click here to search the AOG archives.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for August 31, 2010

“Make Your Christian Life Come Alive”

 

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

“Don’t scare the dove away!”

That was the lighthearted banter around our dinner table.

Yesterday I talked about how the Holy Spirit is pictured like a dove in the Bible, and I quoted Ephesians 4:30 which says, “…do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God.”

Just as a grieving person withdraws, I picture the Holy Spirit withdrawing when we grieve Him.

So back to our dinner table – if someone said something harsh or off-kilter, someone else would say, “Don’t scare the dove away!”

That’s not theologically sound, but what we’re saying is, “Don’t grieve the Holy Spirit.”

If you are a true Christian, the Holy Spirit dwells inside of you.  First Corinthians 6:19 says, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?”

God’s Holy Spirit lives inside of us.

When we were saved, God sent us a teacher, a mentor, a guide – the Holy Spirit.  Yes, I realize some nuts out there have hijacked the phrase “spirit guide,” but in essence, that’s what we have, a spirit guide, as in the Holy Spirit of God.

We are to walk in step with the Spirit and bear the fruit of the Spirit.

How does that happen, by magic? 

No, it happens as our mentor, the Holy Spirit, leads us and we follow.  He speaks to us and we listen.

In John 14 Jesus called the Holy Spirit the Counselor or the Helper, and described Him as a teacher.

In John 16 Jesus described the Holy Spirit as one who convicts and one who speaks.

Second Corinthians 13 talks about the fellowship and the communion of the Holy Spirit.

Galatians five talks about being led by the Spirit, and verse 16 says, “…live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.”

So how do we “live by the Spirit”?  This is a super important question because if we do so, we can avoid the traps of sin.

The key is to hear or to sense the voice of the Holy Spirit inside of us. 

“Now hold your horses, Doug.  If everyone just starts listening to the voices in their head, we’re going to go off the deep end real quick.”

Very true.  Not every thing inside your head is the Holy Spirit, just like not every report on the internet is true. 

I went to college to be a news reporter, and one thing we were taught is crosschecking.  You crosscheck your facts.  You don’t just believe one source; you see if the same thing comes from two or three sources.

So, for example, you try to hear the Holy Spirit inside of you, and you crosscheck that with the Bible, and with some Godly wise counsel, such as your pastor.

This is the great thing about having a real, living God.  This is not some made up religion.  He is alive and His Spirit is inside of us to guide us!

Now back to what we talked about yesterday.  If we grieve the Holy Spirit and He withdraws in some way, then how can we hear Him? 

We joked about the dove flying away because of some off-kilter comment, but what if there is some truth to that?  What if the Holy Spirit is deeply sensitive and easily grieved by sins and offenses and anything tainted?

It makes sense, doesn’t it, that if anyone is easily grieved by such things it would be the Holy Spirit, right?

So what if we made it our goal to not grieve the Holy Spirit?  We won’t say anything that grieves Him.  We won’t do anything that grieves Him.  We won’t participate in anything that grieves Him.  We will walk away, we will leave the room.

This is not a rock solid analogy, but what if your sister had just lost a child, and anytime she saw children she was extremely grieved.  If you walked in a room with your sister and she suddenly saw children and wanted to leave, wouldn’t you leave? 

In the same way, when we encounter something that grieves the Holy Spirit, shouldn’t we leave?  Even if it’s in our own thoughts, shouldn’t we leave that thought?  If it’s something we see, shouldn’t we turn away?

What if we made a super-conscious effort to avoid anything that grieves the Holy Spirit?  Would we suddenly have a much deeper fellowship and communion with God?  Would we sense His presence in much greater ways?  Would we start to experience all the joys we read about in the Bible?

Could it all come down to the fact that we have been grieving the Holy Spirit?

So why not do this?  Pray and make a commitment for a certain time, maybe a day, maybe a week, but for a certain time you commit to not be part of anything that grieves the Holy Spirit.  Then listen for His voice, be sensitive to His prompting, His nudging.

And every time you think the Spirit might be grieved, make a move.  Get away from it or stop doing it. 

For a set time, avoid anything that grieves the Holy Spirit, and I suspect that your Christian life will come alive like it’s never come alive before.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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


* The thought occurred to me that this would be like integrity on steroids! – avoiding everything that grieved the Holy Spirit.

© 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-

Find Out What Grieves the Holy Spirit, and Stop Doing It - Apples of Gold - August 30, 2010 -vi-

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Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for August 30, 2010

“Find Out What Grieves the Holy Spirit, and Stop Doing It”

 

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

“From veteran pastor to younger pastor, what is the one piece of advice you would give me?”

That’s what a young pastor asked Dr. R.T. Kendall, who was the pastor for a quarter century at Westminster Chapel in London, and who spoke in Tallahassee this weekend.

So what do you think he said to that younger pastor? 

What advice would you give?

Maybe you would have told him to “stay in the Word,” or “be disciplined in prayer.”  You might have said, “Don’t let worldly ideas creep into your thinking,” or “don’t forsake your family while doing church work.”

Well here is what R.T. Kendall said, his one piece of advice to younger pastors:  find out what grieves the Holy Spirit, and stop doing it.

Here it is again.  Find out what grieves the Holy Spirit, and stop doing it.

Ephesians 4:30 says, “…do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God…”

What does it mean to “grieve” the Holy Spirit?

I like what Charles Spurgeon said.  Grief is a combination of anger and love.* 

Yes, there is anger at the offense, but since there is also great love for the person, the combination becomes grief.  The Spirit of God, who loves us so much, is grieved when we are part of anything offensive, anything unholy or unrighteous; anything that is sin.

What do grieving people usually do?  They withdraw.  They pull away.  You hear from them less. 

Dr. Kendall said it is fitting that the Holy Spirit is represented by the dove.  He said the dove is a sensitive creature, and will withdraw without much provocation.

So if you don’t want the Holy Spirit to withdraw, then don’t grieve Him.

What grieves the Holy Spirit? 

Well the Bible doesn’t include a precise “grief list,” but Galatians 5 gives us some idea.  It says, “…the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature.  They are in conflict with each other…”

Then it says, “The acts of the sinful nature are obvious:  sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like.”

I would say that if you want to make a list of things that grieve the Spirit, that’s a pretty good start.

Find out what grieves the Holy Spirit, and stop doing it.

Do you want God’s blessings in your life?  Do you want His anointing?  Do you want His power flowing through you?  Do you want a living and vibrant relationship with the Lord?  Do you want to be able to read your Bible and get something out of it?  Do you want incredible times of prayer?  Do you want to be able to reach others and change the world in Jesus’ name?

Then find out what grieves the Holy Spirit and stop doing it.

Sin grieves the Holy Spirit.

“But Doug, we can’t stop sinning.”

Jesus told people to stop sinning.  For example, when he healed the man at the Pool of Bethesda in John 5:14.  “See,” Jesus said, “you have been made well.  Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.”

Sometimes I think we have the idea that we can do certain things and it will be okay because, after all, we are children of the King!  We are saved by grace!  Our sins are forgiven, forgotten, forever! 

But if we are casual about sin, about unholiness and unrighteousness, we are in danger of grieving the Spirit of God, and something bad will come of it.

Sin no more lest a worse thing come upon you.

But if we sin, we can repent and ask for forgiveness and be “cleansed from all unrighteousness.”  In a sense, we can “ungrieve” the Holy Spirit.  We can be clean before God and renew our fellowship with His Spirit.

And that’s where we want to be, walking in fellowship with the Holy Spirit.  Second Corinthians 13:14 refers to the “communion of the Holy Spirit.”

Galatians 5:25 talks about keeping “in step with the Spirit.”

We want to be walking in the Spirit, hearing from the Spirit and receiving from the Spirit.  We want the Holy Spirit to bear His wonderful fruit in our lives.

And all the more so if we are in a place of Christian leadership, which brings us back to that great answer by Dr. R.T. Kendall.  When asked what one piece of advice he would give to a young pastor, he simply said this.

“Find out what grieves the Holy Spirit, and stop doing it.”


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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


* http://www.spurgeon.org/sermons/0278.htm

© 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-

If a Man Lies to You, Will He Steal From You? - Apples of Gold - August 27, 2010 -vi-

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Click here to search the AOG archives.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for August 27, 2010

“If a Man Lies to You, Will He Steal From You?”

 

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

Listen to this old saying and see what you think.

“If a man will lie to you, he will steal from you.”

Do you think that’s true?

I realize it’s more of a proverb than a statement of fact, but let’s take a look at it.

If a man will lie to you, will he also steal from you?

Well the risk is higher when stealing.  People make a bigger deal out of it.  They call the police.  They press charges.  Your name ends up in the paper.

So because the risk is higher, a man who will lie to you may not steal from you.

But if he lies to you, you do know this.  He is motivated by something other than high principles and moral character.

If a man steals a pen, will he steal a car?  If he steals a car, will he commit murder? 

Obviously it’s less risky to steal a pen, so a man may easily do one without coming close to the other.

But this is a man you need to keep an eye on!

“What?  A man who steals a pen?”

Yes.  When a man steals a pen, he reveals something of his character.  You know that he is willing to break a solid moral law if the risk is low.

If that is true, what would he do in a Nazi Germany?  Would he stand up to the immoral tide, or would he be willing to break the moral law?

What we are looking at is a man’s core motivation.  What will he do and why?

Some men will do whatever they can get away with.  If they don’t think they can get away with it, they won’t do it.  But if they think they can get away it?  Look out because that is exactly what they will.

But a Christian man does not try to “get away” with things.  He knows that God sees all, and that there’s really no such thing as getting away with things. 

A Christian man wants to do what is right in God’s eyes.  His core motivation is to please God above himself and others.

His constant prayer is, “Will this please You, Lord?”

If pleasing God is a man’s motivation, then what happens when he thinks about stealing that pen?  He will decide not to because it will not please the Lord. 

This is a man who is guided by higher principles and character.  His decisions are not situational; they’re not based on risk and punishment.  His decisions are based on what is right and good, regardless of the cost.

This man will not steal from you or lie to you, because they both displease the Lord.

Paul said in Acts 24:16, “I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men.”

That is the goal, to be clean before God and man. 

We are to do good in all situations, and when we do, God will reward us.  Ephesians 6:8 says, “…the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does…”

So back to the original question:  If a man will lie to you, will he steal from you?

He may or he may not, but either way he is not a man of the highest moral character, and not someone we should imitate.

Instead, we are to be people who seek to please the Lord, who choose to do right and good, no matter who is watching, and no matter what we think we can get away with.


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-

Coach Bowden's Crucible - Apples of Gold - August 25, 2010 -vi-

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Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for August 25, 2010

“Coach Bowden’s Crucible”

 

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

Bobby Bowden was the legendary head football coach of the Florida State Seminoles.

He coached them through a golden era that included two national titles, and he racked up the second most career victories in college football history.

And for his success he was paid millions of dollars.

But the team struggled the last few years, and when the win totals shrink, so does the audience and the money.

And what does a team do when the wins go down?  They fire the coach.

But how do you fire a legend?

Meanwhile, Florida State made Jimbo Fisher the head coach in waiting.  If Jimbo wasn’t the head coach by January 2011, the university would pay him 5 million dollars. 

So it looked like Bobby Bowden’s head coaching position had a built in expiration date.  But when the Seminoles barely broke .500 last season, some university officials had seen enough.  A change must be made, they said.

Bobby Bowden retired early this year, and we didn’t hear much more about it . . . until this week.  Coach Bowden has returned to the spotlight as he promotes his new book, and yesterday he granted an interview to the Associated Press.

When asked about his departure from FSU he said, “I was pushed out, no doubt about it.”

“I didn’t want but one more year,” he said.  “Gosh, I’m 80.”

He said that university president T.K. Wetherell presented him with two options: either become a hands-off “ambassador coach,” or lose the coaching position altogether.

Wetherell later said that it was one of the most difficult things he had to do as university president.  It was more than just a president releasing a coach.  Wetherell had actually played for Bowden in the 60’s, and Bowden knew the Wetherell family.

“He and I were pretty close,” Bowden said in the Associated Press interview.

And then came this line in the article.  “Bowden said his relationship with Wetherell has likely been irreparably damaged.”

Coach Bowden said, “I doubt if I'll have a relationship with T.K. anymore.”

Well who can blame him?  The man basically fired him.  Is that what he gets for his years of loyalty and success?  Well, that and millions of dollars, but anyway…nobody likes to be fired, and all he wanted was just one more year.

Anybody would be upset.  Anybody would write off the other person.  Anybody could conclude that the relationship was damaged beyond repair.

However, Coach Bowden is very outspoken about his Christian faith.  He is one of the better known Christians in the country.  In fact, his new book is entitled “Called to Coach:  Reflections on Life, Faith and Football.”

There is no doubt that Coach Bowden is a classy guy and a man who has kept the faith, but judging by these reports, it appears that Coach Bowden faces a big hurdle.

Can he completely forgive the man who fired him?

Perhaps he has.  He probably has, but these reporters make it sound like he has a chip on his shoulder towards Mr. Wetherell.

And who can blame him, right? 

Probably all of us have felt betrayed, have felt the rug pulled out from under us by someone we trusted.  It’s a nasty bit of business.

But here is where our Christianity is put to the test.  This is the crucible that burns off the dross and reveals the true nature of our faith.

Can we forgive those who betray us?  Can we forgive them, and love them?

This sounds almost impossible, and who would even want to?

But it is possible through the Holy Spirit inside of a Christian, and we should want to out of love and obedience to the Lord. 

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said, “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you…”

Jesus taught in Mark 11:25 that if we hold anything against anyone, we must forgive him.

So if he hasn’t already, Coach Bowden needs to forgive T.K. Wetherell, and I hope and pray that their relationship is not irreparably damaged, but through the love and forgiveness of Christ, Coach Bowden will have nothing but Christlike things to say about his former boss.

It’s one thing to watch these people who are in the public eye (and remember, we only get a small and distorted view of things through the media), but the more difficult thing is to take a look at our own life and say, “Is there someone I must forgive?”

If a reporter stuck a microphone in your face and asked about someone who had hurt you, what would you say?

Well hopefully it would be your chance to really let Jesus shine through – through the love and forgiveness that are cornerstones of the Christian faith.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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


You can read the AP news story here:  http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/08/24/sportsline/main6801523.shtml
You can find some other details about Coach Bowden’s relationship with FSU here:  http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3865923
You can order Coach Bowden’s new book here:  http://www.christianbook.com/called-faith-career-college-footballs-popular/bobby-bowden/9781439195970/pd/195987/1107622227?item_code=WW&netp_id=806251&event=EBRN&view=details#curr


© 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-

He Didn't Want Anyone to Know - Apples of Gold - August 24, 2010 -vi-

Click here to listen to the radio version.   

Click here to search the AOG archives.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for August 24, 2010

“He Didn’t Want Anyone to Know”

 

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

Billy peaked out the window down the drive.

Nobody.

He double checked the calendar.

No one would be home for hours.

Boy, had he been waiting for this! 

He almost pounced toward the kitchen sink.  He opened the cabinet underneath and reached way back, and there it was.

He had been planning for this moment, waiting with great anticipation.

He thought last Monday was the day, but then suddenly someone came home.  She might not have said anything, but he didn’t want anyone to know, not a soul.

People would look down on him if they knew.  It would hurt his “testimony” you might say. 

No good could come from anyone knowing, so he made sure no one would.

He pulled it out from under the sink and took a good, long look.  He was going to savor this.

Finally he unscrewed the lid and took one short sip . . . of poison. 

Yes, Billy drank poison and suffered the consequences.

Of course he knew there would be consequences, but for some dumb reason he thought there would only be consequences if he got caught.  Somehow he missed the point that poison poisons, period, whether anyone finds out or not.

The poison I’m talking about today is sin.

When it comes to sin, we often act like Billy.  It’s okay, as long we don’t get caught. 

But sinning is like drinking poison.  You will suffer, caught or not. 

Hebrews 12:1 talks about “…the sin which doth so easily beset us…”

Beset means “to attack from all sides.”

That’s what sin does.  It attacks from all sides.  It’s a marauder, plundering and pillaging.  It’s a destroyer.  James 1:15 says that sin, when it is full grown, brings forth death.

Why would you want even a little of that in your life?

Here’s why.  Hebrews 11:25 refers to “the pleasures of sin for a season.”

We see that slice of pleasure and we want it – the forbidden fruit.

But we are also smart enough to know that we don’t want other people finding out.  They will make our lives miserable, but the sin?  We can control that. 

But sin besets.  It attacks from all sides.  It never does any good and there is no controlling it.

Here in Florida we do “controlled burns” in the forest to prevent wildfires.  When it comes to sin, though, there is no such thing as a controlled burn. 

It’s like the old saying, “Sin will take you farther than you want to go, cost you more than you want to pay, and keep you longer than you want to stay.”

Is it too simplistic to say “don’t play with sin”?

Romans 6:23 says the wages of sin is death.

Sin attacks what it touches, so the goal is to not let it touch anything in your life.

Romans 6:13 warns us not to yield to sin.  Don’t give it any quarter.

So are you toying with sin?  Do you think it’ll be okay, as long as you keep others from finding out?

That is not true, my friend.  Sin damages everything it touches.  It has nothing to do with getting caught.

So remember this.  Sin is poison, and no one gets away with drinking poison.


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 Silver Bullet of Lawn Care - Apples of Gold - August 23, 2010 -vi-

Click here to listen to the radio version.   

Click here to search the AOG archives.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for August 23, 2010

“The Silver Bullet of Lawn Care”

 

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

I am no landscaper.

I graduated college without a single botany class, and I’m just not terribly interested in plants, though I thank God for them.

So one day I moved my family into a rental house that was formerly occupied by plant people.  The woman told me all the things they had done – planted this here, transplanted that there, on and on. 

Well, I was not a worthy heir of their plant kingdom, and I felt bad about it.  I felt bad for the landlord whose property value was about to drop.

So when he came by one day I simply confessed that I was flora challenged and asked him if there was anything specific he wanted me to do besides keep everything trimmed, and here’s what he said.  He said that all he really wanted me to do was this simple act.

Pull the weeds.

I told him that was easy enough, and that’s what I did.  When I saw anything besides grass pop up in the lawn, I pulled it out by the roots.

Now that may sound routine, but guess what?  I had never done it before.

My lawn care arsenal consisted of a power mower and that was it.  As long as everything was mowed, I was good.

But I admit, my lawns didn’t look that great.  Yes, from the road they were green, but a closer inspection revealed all kinds of yucky looking nongrasslike vegetation.

But now I had the silver bullet of lawn care!  Just pull the weeds.

This also applies to our spiritual life.  For example, Colossians 3:8 tells us to rid ourselves of anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy and filthy language.  That’s a list of spiritual weeds we are to yank from our lives.

First Peter 2:12 says to rid ourselves of all malice and all deceit, of hypocrisy and envy and slander, evil speaking of every kind; again, a laundry list of spiritual weeds.

Ephesians 4:31 says to get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander and every form of malice.

These are weeds in our lives that must be pulled out by the roots.

So what happens if we don’t pull the weeds from our life?

Well remember this:  weeds are competition. 

In your yard or garden, there is a competition for space and light and water and soil nutrients.  The more the weeds get, the less there is for the good plants.

And the same is true in life.  We only have so much time and energy.  We can’t waste it on weeds like wrath and malice, deceit and hypocrisy.

So we need to pull the weeds because weeds are competition.

Something else – weeds are not stationary.  They aren’t like rocks.  If you leave the weeds, they will grow and reproduce. 

One gardening rule of thumb is:  Don’t let weeds go to seed. 

Another old saying is:  One year’s seeding means seven years’ weeding.

If you pull the weeds now, you will spare yourself a ton of work later.  But if you leave them, they will grow and reproduce, both in your life and in the lives of those around you.  One day you will look up and see weeds everywhere that you are responsible for.

So don’t let weeds go to seed.  Start pulling them up today.

Another interesting point about weeds is that they can shelter harmful insects and diseases.  They can harbor and spread plant pathogens that infect and degrade the quality of the good plants.

The same is true for our spiritual weeds.  For example, if you don’t root out the weed of hypocrisy, it will infect and degrade your good spiritual qualities. 

One reason people don’t like weeds is that they are unattractive.  They are a nuisance.  Some have thorns or prickles, they poke you or cling to your clothes.  Some have chemicals that cause skin irritation.  Weeds can be downright nasty – all good reasons to get rid of them.

So what is the first step? 

Look for them.  Simply take time to look for weeds. 

It’s true in your yard, and it’s true in your life.

Often we don’t take any time to look for the weeds in our heart and soul. 

So here is your reminder to do that.  Take some time to be quiet before the Lord.  Open your Bible and contemplate these lists of “weeds.”  Then look for them.

And when you find them, don’t leave them.

Instead, make a determined and consistent effort, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to rid yourself of these ugly, annoying weeds.


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
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