Look Beyond the Trial to the Blessing - Apples of Gold - October 10, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for October 10, 2008

“Look Beyond the Trial to the Blessing”

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

We took away his cell phone.

With kids these days, it’s a great form of discipline.  That cell phone is their connection to all their friends.  They think it’s their lifeline.

So when one of the twin 13-year-old boys living with us got in a little trouble at school, he lost his cell phone.

“Until when?” he asked.

I thought about it, then said, “Until you memorize a Bible verse.”

I figured that was a winner.  It’s good for the child to learn the Bible, plus it puts the ball in his court.  Instead of me picking some arbitrary timeframe, he can get the phone back whenever he has a mind to.

“No,” he said.

“Oh really?” I said.  “Fine.  I don’t care if you ever do it.”

That didn’t last long.  Soon enough he said, “When are you going to give me a verse so I can get my phone back?”

So I gave him a verse and he went right to work.  He went over it and over it and before the evening was over he had it down cold.  He got his phone back, and he still knows the verse.

Then his brother infracted and lost his phone, so I gave him a verse.

“Wait…that’s longer than my brother’s!  This isn’t fair.  This is…oh I can’t believe this.  I’ll never learn all that!”

“Fine.  I don’t care if you ever do it.”

And he went right to work.  Actually it was the Lord’s Prayer.  I told him, “Millions of people around the world have learned these verses.  It’s not that hard.”

So he powered through.  He said it over and over, adding line after line.  He didn’t really want to, but he knew he had to if he wanted his phone back.  And before the evening was out, he got it.

Like many teenage boys, these young men are not bookworms.  They are all about action.  So sitting still and focusing long enough to memorize some Bible was, for them, a real trial.

But they persevered.  They did it.  And they were blessed by getting their phone back, and they may not know it but they will be blessed by what they learned in the process.

See, we are always blessed when we persevere in the face of a trial.

Now our human tendency is to run from a trial.  It’s hard and we don’t like it. 

But God’s word tells us to look trials square in the eye and move forward.  We don’t turn from trials, we face them head on.  We do the hard thing.

James 1:2 makes what, on the surface, sounds like a ridiculous statement.  It says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds…”

Well we don’t want to face them at all.  How can we possibly consider it pure joy?

It’s not that the trial itself is pure joy.  It’s what comes afterward.

For the boys, they looked beyond their trial to the moment when they got their cell phones back.  They were able to face the trial and persevere because they saw beyond the trial to the blessing.

And that’s a good word for all of us today.  Look beyond the trial to the blessing.

James 1:12 says, “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial…”

Look what Hebrews 12:2 says about Jesus.  It indicates that He endured the cross because of the “joy set before Him.”

Not that the trial of the cross had any joy.  No, He looked beyond the trial to the blessing.  And in that case the blessing was the salvation of mankind.

So what trial are you going through today?  Maybe you find yourself under the rubble of our economy.  My goodness, the lead article of today’s Wall Street Journal said, “The market rout is rapidly wiping out vast amounts of wealth, casting a pall over households and businesses around the country.” 

So is there a “pall” over your house today?  Are you one of the many facing a severe trial?  How can you possibly apply James 1:2 and consider it “pure joy?”

The key is to look beyond the trial to the blessing.  And if you can’t see the blessing, then look a little further, on to the Blesser Himself.  Back to Hebrews 12:2 which says, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith…”

Maybe it doesn’t sound quite logical, but it is spiritually sound.  Face your trial today, and not with dread but with joy.  Look beyond the trial to the blessing, and beyond that to the Blesser. 

And then we will be able to do the unbelievable.  To persevere under trial and consider it pure joy.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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

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

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

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

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

That Shadow Belongs to Daddy - Apples of Gold - October 9, 2008 ***Welcome to the world nephew Anthony Michael Spracklen!*** -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for October 9, 2008

“That Shadow Belongs to Daddy”

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

A new Daddy was born this week.

He arrived at the same time as Anthony Michael Spracklen, my baby nephew.*

Maybe you don’t know Daddy Spracklen, but he’s going to be huge in the life of little Anthony.

I remember when I first felt the mantle of fatherhood settle on my shoulders.  I was coming home late one night after work.  I approached the door to our apartment building where my pregnant wife was sleeping inside; and the street light cast my shadow ahead of me.

It suddenly dawned on me that soon a pair of little eyes would see that shadow and feel safe.  They would see that shadow and feel love.  They would see that shadow and know that everything is going to be okay, because that shadow belongs to Daddy.

I remember as a kid when my Dad had to work late.  It’s like the house was missing a wheel until Dad came home. 

I think it’s that way for my family.  For a time years ago I spent one night a week out of state where I managed a second radio station.  My family hated it.  The day is unresolved when Dad doesn’t come home.  I didn’t like it either and changed my schedule.

Now it would be easy to be Dad if you were all-powerful.  But we’re not.  We carry this mighty responsibility without the capability.  We can’t possibly be “all that” to our kids.  Sometimes I feel the inadequacy dripping through my paper umbrella.

That’s when I turn to my Heavenly Father.  Sometimes I bow my head.  Sometimes I call out.  Sometimes I fall to my knees, turn my hands up and say, “God, I can’t do it without You.  I don’t know what to do.  I have no idea what is best.  To be a father I need You, Father.”

Right now our economy is tottering.  If you are a dad who provides for your family, every news cycle leaves that match-like odor of fear.

Well here is a verse we can cling to, Romans 8:15.  It says, “For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship.  And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’”

As a child of God, I am not a slave to fear.  It has no hold on me, no matter what is happening around me.  Instead I have received the Spirit of sonship, the Holy Spirit of God which bubbles up within me like living water and reaches up to my Father in heaven and says, “Dad!”

No, I don’t know exactly what God is up to.  He’s the Father and I’m the child and His ways are beyond mine.  I can’t even see Him…but I see His shadow.  I see His shadow and I feel safe.  I see His shadow and I feel love.  I see His shadow and I know everything is going to be okay, because that shadow belongs to Daddy.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

May God bless you today!  With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
   
*  Welcome to the world Anthony Michael Spracklen, firstborn son of my little sister Jennifer and her husband Jeff, born Tuesday morning at 11:06, 5 pounds, 11 ounces, and 18 inches.   Or as my wife pointed out, “about half the size of my daughter Bethany!”

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

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

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

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

One Unguarded Moment - Apples of Gold - October 7, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for October 7, 2008

“One Unguarded Moment”

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

The officer kindly gave me a slip of paper.

“69 in a 55.”

“Did you know the speed limit was 55?” he asked.

“No, I didn’t.”

And I didn’t.  We were cruising down I-10 into Jacksonville Saturday, and who knew the speed limit would plunge from 70 to 55? 

I guess the guy who got pulled over behind me didn’t know either.

I looked later and there are actually two signs, as big as life, “55.”

Man.  Lose your focus for one minute and your wallet is considerably lighter.

And this little phrase popped into my mind, “One unguarded moment.” 

How many bad things have happened in one unguarded moment?

Have you ever gotten into trouble because you opened your big mouth in one spectacular unguarded moment?

What about temptation?  Nobody really cares if you don’t give in 99% of the time.  It’s what happens in that one unguarded moment that counts. 

Lives can be wrecked, reputations ruined, families plundered, all in one unguarded moment.

This is one reason I tell people not to drink alcohol.  Even one glass means your guard is one glass lower.

It’s also why I tell young people not to stay up all night.  The longer you stay awake, the lower your guard.

Life is like a minefield.  There are opportunities to blow yourself up at every turn. 

So what can we do?  Two things.

First of all, we take the advice of Ephesians 5:15.  We “walk circumspectly.”

I like that word circumspectly.  It makes me think of circumference and spectator, someone looking all around in a circle. 

That’s what you do in a mine field.  You walk circumspectly, eyes sweeping all around, knowing that one unguarded step could be your last.

Think of a recovering alcoholic.  They say to take it one day at a time.  Sometimes it’s one minute at a time.  You have to be on guard against taking a drink at all times.  Otherwise, if you let your guard down and temptation comes along, you’ve had it.

Are there certain temptations that you think are beyond you?  You don’t have to guard against them because, after all, you’re strong in that area.  Then First Corinthians 10:12 is for you.  “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!”

So walk circumspectly, even watching out for temptations you think are beyond you.

Now this thing of being on guard all the time – does that mean we have to hunker down and stay on the defensive, paranoid of everything and everybody?

That leads to my next point:  walk in righteousness.

Listen to Proverbs 13:6, “Righteousness guards the man of integrity…” 

I don’t have to focus on guarding myself all the time.  Instead, I can concentrate my efforts on being a man of integrity, a man of righteousness.  When I do that, the guarding takes care of itself.  If I am always working to do the right thing, it sort of inoculates me against doing the wrong thing.

I like what it says in Psalm 101:2, “I will be careful to lead a blameless life…”  To me that means that if you poke around in my life, not only will you not find anything terribly wrong, you won’t even find anything suspicious.

Yes, that’s setting the bar high, but that’s how we guard our life.  We are such people of righteousness that there’s no room for the other stuff.

So has your life ever been hammered in one unguarded moment?  It’s happened to all of us.  We let our guard down and bam! 

But the good news is that we can do something about it.  We can keep the guard up and spare ourselves a lot of heartache. 

That doesn’t mean we hunker down and hide.  No, we get out and walk.  And we keep our guard up by walking circumspectly and walking in righteousness.

And when we do that, we can avoid the trouble that comes in that one unguarded moment.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

May God bless you today!  With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
   
Walk Circumspectly means watching for speed limit signs.
Walk in Righteousness means obeying them!

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

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

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

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

Have You Ever met a Real VIP? - Apples of Gold - October 6, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for October 6, 2008

“Have You Ever Met a Real VIP?”

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

“He’s spending time with the President.”

That’s what my wife said about someone she knows.

“The President of the United States?” I asked.

“Yes.  I don’t know what he’s doing, but he’s with the President.”

Wow.  I’ve never even seen the President and this guy’s spending time with him.

Last week a friend of mine was at the vice-presidential debate in St. Louis.  From his cell phone he sent me a close-up photo of Sarah Palin.  I think he shook her hand.

It’s cool to be around important people.  It elevates you.

Even the guy who works at the golf course where Bobby Bowden plays.  “I shook his hand,” he said.

We all have stories to tell about our encounters with important people.  We remember them well because our senses are heightened.  When we get around VIPs, we tune in closely to all they do and say.

Well I just read about some men in the Bible who spent time with one of the all-time great VIP’s, the man named Daniel.

There they were, standing on the bank of the great Tigris River.  The story in Daniel 10 doesn’t say what they were doing, but what does anyone do on the river bank?  You mill around, chit-chat, and see who can skip rocks the farthest.  If you stay long enough, maybe you stop and listen to the water and think deep thoughts.    

And when you’re with a VIP, they are the center of attention.  Even when they aren’t talking, everyone keeps an eye on them.  It doesn’t matter whose event it is, when the VIP walks in it becomes their event.

So there was Daniel, along with the men paying attention to him.  They knew that Daniel was a spiritual man, a man of dreams and visions.  In fact, Daniel had been on a kind of fast.  For three weeks he had eaten no choice food; no meat or wine had touched his lips.  And he’d been in a state of mourning. 

And what do you do when you are with someone who has been mourning?  You try to cheer them up, to lighten their load, to get their mind off whatever is bothering them.

So I imagine those men sort of swirling around Daniel, maybe trying to entertain and amuse him.  Then one of them told a funny story, but Daniel didn’t laugh.

The room gets a little chilly when the VIP doesn’t laugh.

So they all looked at Daniel, looking for cues about what to do next.

Daniel was looking out…at nothing.  Oh he saw something, all right.  But there was nothing there.

It’s creepy when someone stares at nothing. 

And Daniel’s eyes got wide, and his face turned pale as death.  Suddenly he dropped like a rag doll, his face to the ground, his eyes closed.  Daniel was gone.

The men didn’t know what happened, and they didn’t stick around to find out.  That creepy feeling turned into sheer terror and they fled for their lives, running from the river bank and hiding. 

Meanwhile, Daniel had not been staring at nothing, but at a man who was actually a spiritual being above the river, unseen by the rest.  Daniel described him later as “a man dressed in linen, with a belt of the finest gold around his waist.  His body was like chrysolite, his face like lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multitude.”

A real VIP was on the scene.

Have you ever wondered who impresses the important people?  Well it’s the people who are more important than them. 

When Daniel had this encounter with a spiritual being, he was thoroughly impressed. 

And I don’t think this is just some remote Bible story.  I think spiritual beings are alive and well today.  The New Testament talks about angels and demons.  Much like Daniel, Paul in the book of Ephesians wrote about rulers in the heavenly realms.

Yes, I am impressed by this world’s important people.  But what would knock my socks off is an encounter with a spiritual being.  A good one, please, not a bad one. 

It hasn’t happened yet, not in some Daniel or Ezekiel-like vision.  But I’m hoping for it. 

No, I don’t know what I’m asking for.  It’s just that I believe in the spiritual realm and spiritual beings, and I would like to have an extraordinary, life altering brush with one of them; an undeniable encounter. 

I can’t even say that I’m praying for it, because I’m not.  But as I draw near to God in fasting and prayer, soaking up His Word and resisting evil, my mind is more and more captured by spiritual things.

And I look forward to the day when, like Daniel, I’ll have a story to tell. 

The day I spent time with a very real VIP.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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

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

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

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

What Are Your Chances of Getting a Call Like This? - Apples of Gold - October 3, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for October 3, 2008

“What Are Your Chances of Getting a Call Like This?”

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

(telephone)

“Hello Mr. Apple.  This is Philip Bartholomew, Attorney at Law.  I am pleased to inform you that you are the heir of a distant relative.  This gentleman has left you the tidy sum of $600,000.”

Wouldn’t that be great?  Who wouldn’t want to get a call like that?

Unfortunately, most of us never will.  In fact, many folks can look down the road and see that probably no one is thinking about leaving them any kind of inheritance. 

Now imagine if you were a slave.  Your slavery might be someone else’s inheritance, but you will have no inheritance at all, ever.

That’s the way it was for the Jews in Egypt.  Just a bunch of slaves.

Then God redeemed them, bringing them out of Egypt by His mighty power.  Eventually, under the leadership of Joshua, God led them into the Promised Land.  He gave them the land, and get this.  He called it their “inheritance.”

Over and over in the Old Testament that land is referred to as their inheritance. 

Now stay with me here.  If you receive an inheritance, what are you called?  An heir – H-E-I-R – heir.

Now listen to this in Ephesians 3:6.  “This mystery is that through the gospel, the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel…”

Does that mean we get a chunk of real estate in the Middle East?

Actually it’s much better than that.  First Peter 1:4 says that through Christ we receive “an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade.”  That’s because it is kept securely for us in heaven.

Hebrews 9:15 calls this “the promised eternal inheritance.”

Titus 3:7 says that, as heirs, we have “the hope of eternal life.”

Colossians 1:12 says our inheritance is in “the kingdom of light.”

You may or may not have any hope of inheritance in this world, but through Christ we have the hope of an incredible inheritance in the next!

See, the ancient Israelites were God’s heirs, and their inheritance was the Promised Land, a kingdom on the Eastern shores of the Mediterranean.  He prepared that land for them, then brought them into it.

And now, through Christ, we are God’s heirs, and our inheritance is eternal life in the kingdom of light.  It’s a kingdom, and He has prepared it.

Look at what Jesus told His disciples in John 14.  He said He was leaving to go and prepare a place for them.  And verse three says, “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me…”

In Matthew 25 Jesus describes what it will be like when that happens.  Verse 31 begins, “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His throne in heavenly glory.  All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.  He will put the sheep on His right and the goats on His left.”

Now listen to what He says to those on His right.  “Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.” 

What a glorious day that will be! 

So maybe you don’t have any prospects of a great inheritance, no rich relatives anywhere on the horizon who are ready to make you their heir. 

But here’s the good news.  Through Christ we are heirs of God!  He has prepared an inheritance for us, eternal life in the kingdom of light. 

And it won’t be long now until we receive that inheritance.  He says, “Behold, I am coming soon, and my reward is with me.”

And soon we will hear these wonderful words, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world!”


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

May God bless you today!  With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
  
I can imagine a preacher taking this in a slightly different direction.  In my mind I can hear a dynamic sermon based on the comparison of the slaves in Egypt, who had no hope of an inheritance, to we who were slaves to sin, having no hope of any inheritance from God.  I can hear him preaching about our slavery to sin, and our poverty, and our hopeless situation we were in.  And then comes Christ, our Redeemer!  And like the Jews in Egypt, God takes us from having no hope of an inheritance to having a glorious inheritance made by God Himself.

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

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

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

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

Sin in the Camp - Apples of Gold - October 1, 2008 -vi-

This is one you really need to hear on our website:  www.wave94.com.  The music makes it…

 

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for October 1, 2008

“Sin in the Camp”

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

(dramatic music from the old world)

After Moses died, Joshua became the commander of Israel.

And the Lord made some mighty big promises to Joshua.  He said, “I will give you every place you set your foot, just as I promised Moses.” 

The Lord also said, “No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land.  Do not be terrified or discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go!”

Then came the battle of Jericho, when Joshua and the whole army marched around the city.  The priests blasted the horns, and Joshua commanded the people, “Shout for the Lord has given you the city!”  And when the people shouted, the mighty walls of Jericho collapsed!  And Joshua’s fame spread throughout the land. 

But what Joshua didn’t know was that a little man named Achan had kept some of the Jericho plunder for himself, in direct disobedience to the Lord’s command.  And the Lord’s anger burned against Israel.

Well next up on the battle plan was a little town called Ai.  So Joshua sent some men to spy out the land, and when they returned they said, “They have very few warriors.  Why send our whole army?  Two or three thousand will do.  Why wear us all out for such a little place?”

So Joshua sent about three thousand soldiers to take the little town of Ai.  And tragedy struck the armies of Israel.  Not only did they not take the little town, but their soldiers ran for their lives.  The men of Ai chased them down, and many of them were killed.

And Joshua and the elders fell face down before the Lord, tore their robes and sprinkled dirt on their heads, humiliated and dismayed. 

What happened to all those great promises?  “Don’t be discouraged,” He said.  “No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life,” He said.  “I will be with you wherever you go,” He said.  What happened to all that?

Well the Lord God heard them and spoke directly to their leader.  “Get up!  What are you doing on your face?  There is sin in the camp.  Israel has broken my command and kept some of the plunder for themselves.  That is why Israel cannot stand against her enemies.  Tomorrow morning, march them all out tribe by tribe and family by family and discover the man who has disgraced all of Israel!”

So march them out they did, and Achan’s hidden sin was revealed.  Justice was done, the Lord’s blessing returned, and Ai was taken easily. 

And the horns blast a message through the eons of time.  God’s promises are true and He’s true to His word. 

And we…we must make sure there is no sin in the camp.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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

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

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

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

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

The Three Ingredients of Envy - Apples of Gold - September 30, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for September 30, 2008

“The Three Ingredients of Envy”

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

Envy is one of the so-called “seven deadly sins.”

So do you have it?  Can you look in your heart and find envy?

Here’s what to look for.  There are three main ingredients. 

First there is you, the envier.  Second there is the envied, or what we will call “The Rival.”  And third there is what you want that they have, which we will call “The Goods.” 

So there is you, your rival, and the goods.

Now let’s look at where envy begins.  It starts with the comparison.  If we don’t compare, we don’t envy.  But as soon as we start to compare what we have with what others have, we are stepping towards envy.

And it doesn’t have to be a material possession.  It can be anything that our rival seems to have more of, including happiness or contentment.

I asked earlier if you have envy.  Now let me ask you this:  Do you have a rival?  Is there someone that just sort of drives you crazy because they just seem to have it better?

Think about Cain and Abel.  Why on earth did Cain kill his brother?  It happened after God accepted Abel’s sacrifice, but not Cain’s.  At this point the deadly sin of envy grew in Cain’s heart.  All the ingredients were in place.  Cain had a rival, his brother; and his brother had the goods, in this case the acceptance of God.

In reality it had nothing to do with Abel.  Abel didn’t make Cain’s sacrifice acceptable or unacceptable.  Abel only came into the picture when Cain compared himself to him. 

See, it’s the comparison that opens the door to envy. 

So Cain compared himself to Abel and saw that Abel had the goods and he didn’t.  Then instead of spotting the envy and getting rid of it, Cain focused on his rival, and ended up killing his own little brother. 

Here is another way to look for envy in your heart.  Is there someone who makes you feel distress just by thinking about what they have that you don’t?

Proverbs 14:30 says that envy rots the bones.  You can just feel it eating away at you.

This is what the Jewish leaders felt when Jesus came along.  He spoke with authority and did miracles, and the people flocked to Him. 

The Jewish leaders wanted the admiration of the crowds.  That was the goods.  But Jesus had more of it, making him the rival.  Envy finally ate away at them so much that they drug Jesus before Pilate to be crucified.  Now look at what Mark 15:10 reveals.  It says that Pilate knew it was “out of envy that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him.”

Of course envy doesn’t always lead to murder.  Sometimes it just motivates you to keep up with the Joneses.  You end up doing things out of envy, motivated by your rival. 

Listen to what Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 4:4.  “And I saw that all labor and all achievement spring from man’s envy of his neighbor.  This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.”

I wonder how many church initiatives have been motivated, not by the call of God, but by envy, based on something a rival did.  “Uh oh.  First Baptist has a podcast.  Well we’ll get one too…with video!”

In Mark 7, Jesus said that envy is an evil that comes from inside of us, from our heart.

Galatians 5 says that envy is an act of the sinful nature.

First Peter 2:1 says, “…rid yourselves of all…envy…”  How can we do that?

First Corinthians 13 gives us the antidote for envy.  Verse four says, “Love…does not envy…”

When you love someone, you won’t envy them.  They will not be your rival.  You will be glad for the goods they have, whether you have them or not. 

For example, I love my son.  If he ends up more successful, more prosperous, more popular than me, I won’t be envious in any way.  I totally love him, so I can rejoice in his successes with no envy whatsoever.  We will never be rivals because I love him so much.

As Christians we are to love everyone, so that should do away with envy altogether.

And another tip for dealing with envy is to stop the comparisons.  Don’t be looking at someone else’s life to see how yours stacks up.  This is poison and opens the door to envy; or like it says in James 3:14, “bitter envy.”

So take a look in your heart.  Is there someone you would consider a rival?  Someone who has certain “goods” that you want?  Someone who causes you distress just thinking about what they have?

If so, then you might be harboring envy, and it’s time to get rid of it.  You can start with a little prayer like this, “Lord, please help me rid myself of all envy.  Help me stop comparing myself to others like that, and help me to love them as You want me to love them.  Amen.”


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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

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

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

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

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

But God - Apples of Gold - September 29, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for September 29, 2008

“But God”

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

It’s Monday, and problems are coming at you like a 100 miles-an-hour fastball.

What can you do?  Is there any way to turn those problems around?

Well let me tell you, God is the God of the turnaround.

The river can be flowing in one direction, but God can turn it around. 

The flowers may be wilting, but God can make them bloom again.

Now did you catch those two little words I just said?  Here they are again, “But God.”

Many times in the Bible we find these two little words.  Just two little words, but what a powerful meaning!

For example, look at the story of Joseph.  His brothers were jealous of him, so they sold him into Egypt as a slave; BUT GOD was with him.  (Acts 7:9)

Later Joseph told his brothers, “You intended to harm me, BUT GOD intended it for good…” (Genesis 50:20) 

For seven years there was going to be famine in the land, BUT GOD sent Joseph ahead of his family to save their lives.  (Genesis 45:7)

Later the Egyptians turned the Jews into slaves, BUT GOD brought them out of Egypt with a mighty hand.  (Deuteronomy 6:21)

Listen to this prophetic word for King Jehoshaphat:  Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the battle is not yours, BUT GOD’S.  (2 Chronicles 20:15)

The prophet Joel said:  The heavens and earth will shake, BUT GOD will be a shelter for His people.  (Joel 3:16)

Listen to these verses from the Psalms:

My flesh and my heart may fail, BUT GOD is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. (Psalm 73:26)

A righteous man may have many troubles, BUT GOD delivers him from them all.  (Psalm 34:19)

I was pushed back and about to fall, BUT GOD helped me.  (Psalm 118:13)

Listen to what Paul wrote to Timothy:  Everyone deserted me, BUT GOD stood at my side and gave me strength.  (First Timothy 4:16-17)

Ephesians 2 tells us we were dead in our trespasses and sins, BUT GOD, who is rich in mercy and who loves us with a great love, has made us alive.  (Ephesians 2)

Romans 5 says it is rare for someone to die for another, BUT GOD showed His love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.

Men crucified Jesus, the author of life, BUT GOD raised Him from the dead.  (Acts 2:23-24)

Yes, we still face many temptations, BUT GOD is faithful, and will not let us be tempted beyond what we can bear.  (First Corinthians 10:13)

Yes, men may judge us by our outward appearance, BUT GOD looks at the heart.  (First Samuel 16:7)

No, not many of us were wise when He called us, nor influential or of noble birth, BUT GOD chose the foolish things of the world to confound the wise.  God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.  (First Corinthians 1:26-28)

Proverbs 16 says that a man’s heart plans his way, BUT GOD directs his steps.

We know that life has its problems, BUT GOD works all things together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.  (Romans 8:28)

Yes, enemies may rise up, BUT GOD is for me.  Who can be against me?  (Romans 8:31)

Yes, I’m a sinner, BUT GOD is my Savior.

Yes, I am weak, BUT GOD is strong.

Yes, I am lacking, BUT GOD supplies all my needs.

No, I can do nothing on my own, BUT GOD strengthens me to do all things.

Yes, the Red Sea may stand in my way, BUT GOD can part the waters.

Whatever situation we are facing, God can turn it around.  It’s His specialty.  He’s done it before and He’ll do it again.

So no matter what you are going through today, look up.  Fix your mind on things above. 

Yes, your problems may be coming at you like a 100 miles-an-hour fastball.  But a great big bat is ready to take a swing, and on it are these two little words, “But God.”


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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

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

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

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

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

Astonishing Layers of Lies - Apples of Gold - September 25, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for September 25, 2008

“Astonishing Layers of Lies”

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

Hemingway had a great foil for writer’s block.

He said, “Sometimes, I would start a new story and could not get it going.  Then I would stand and look out over the roofs of Paris and think.  I would say to myself, ‘All you have to do is write one true sentence.  Write the truest sentence you know.’”

I love that line, and I think of it often.  “Write the truest sentence you know.”

I think that applies to our conversations as well.  “Say the truest sentence you know.”

And I think that applies to our thinking.  “Think the truest thoughts you can think.” 

Philippians 4:8 tells us what to think about, and first on the list is “whatever is true.”

It sounds easy enough, but the truth is often not obvious.

Like when I was a kid and my parents made me brush my teeth.  It’s true that you should care for your teeth or there will be consequences.  But I couldn’t see that truth…until I had my first cavity.  Then, oh baby, the truth is real obvious when you’ve got a dentist coming at you with a needle in one hand and a drill in the other.

After that you brush your teeth like a madman; for about a week.  Then the truth starts to cloud over again.

Jesus said a powerful thing in the Sermon on the Mount when He said, “Get the plank out of your eye.”

In other words, think true thoughts about yourself.

Sometimes, when I have to deal with something difficult, I will ask myself, “What is the big picture truth of this situation?”

I say “big picture truth” because sometimes there are little truths that can lead you astray.  Like when my girls were little.  One of them accused the other by saying “She pinched me as hard as she could,” which the other was denying.

Now listen.  Both of them were not saying the truest thing they could.  Both of them were slanting things in their favor, so it was my job to find the actual truth of the situation, and here it was.  To the accusation of “she pinched me as hard as she could” my other daughter finally said, “Huh uh, I only pinched her regular.”

Sometimes I use this phrase, “drilling down to the bedrock truth.”  In other words, you drill past all the layers of half-truths and flat-out lies until you get to the rock-solid truth.

Here’s a great quote I read this week, from a book called “Signature Sins” by Michael Mangis.  Listen to this:  “One measure of a family’s health is its capacity for members to tell each other the truth.  This sounds obvious, yet many families live under astonishing layers of lies.”

That should make you sit up and pay attention.  Is your family one of those that is living under an astonishing layer of lies?

I have run into many people over the years who were liars.  After a while they are easy to detect.  And I’ve always wondered why they don’t see it in themselves. 

I remember interviewing a young man for a job, and he sounded like a great applicant.  We hired him, and he did good work, but then little things started popping up.  Certain things he said just didn’t ring true.  Eventually he quit and moved away, and I found out that a lot of what he had said about his life wasn’t true.  Then he moved back, and I foolishly entered into a little business arrangement with him, but then guess what.  It didn’t pan out like he said.  Then another time I ran into this guy at an open meeting where he stood up and pledged to give a certain amount of money.  Everyone cheered except me because I knew there was no way.  He wouldn’t and couldn’t come through with that kind of money.  And of course he didn’t deliver a dime.

Now take a guy like that.  Give him a wife and children, and you think that home will be a home of truth?  No way.  It will be like Mangis said, a family living under astonishing layers of lies.

I have said this a thousand times, “You never know what is going on in someone’s home.”  But here is something that should be going on in all of our homes.  We need to be dealing in truth.

And it starts within ourselves.  Are we telling ourselves the truth? 

The good news is that we don’t have to try to muster this up on our own.  Jesus said in John 16:13 that the Holy Spirit will guide us “into all truth.” 

Yes, the truth can be elusive.  It can be lost under layers of lies and dustings of deception.  But as we draw near to God, the rushing wind of the Holy Spirit will blow that dust away and show us the truth.  And as Jesus said, the truth will make us free.

So make it a point to think true thoughts, the truest thoughts you can think.  And make true statements, the truest statements you can make.  And when you write, make sure you are writing the truest sentence you know.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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

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

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

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

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

His Winnowing Fork Is In His Hand - Apples of Gold - September 24, 2008 -vi-

Remember, you can listen to the original audio version of “Apples of Gold” on our website, www.wave94.com, then click on Today’s Audio in the right column.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for September 24, 2008

“His Winnowing Fork Is In His Hand”

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

(open with music to set the scene)

He turned the light side of his forearm to the sun.

His fingers slowly curled into a fist, and the veins bulged.

Then he rotated his wrist, stretched out his fingers…and took hold of the wooden handle.

The day was waning, and the hired hand had just gone home for supper.  Said he was starving, and after a day of threshing, who wouldn’t be?  His afternoon had been spent beating straw with sticks.  It was dirty hard work, but how else can you separate the grain from the straw?

He squinted directly into the red sun.  A refreshing breeze was blowing in from the sea, perfect for the task at hand. 

He began tossing the grain into the air.  The straw and the husks, the chaff, were carried away in the wind while the more substantial grain fell back to the ground.  Over and over he stabbed the winnowing fork into the pile and tossed the grain into the air.  Off went the chaff and down came the grain.

Soon the threshing floor took on a new appearance.  Off to his right a pile of straw was forming, while the pile at his feet became more and more just the grains of wheat.

As the moon began to take over for the sun, he leaned on his winnowing fork and looked at a job well done.  Well, not actually done.  Now it was time to clear the threshing floor. 

First he scooped up the wheat and stored it safely in the barn – a successful harvest.  Then he walked back out to the other pile, the chaff, and he set it on fire.

(music fades out)

That is a scene that would have been well known to the audience of John the Baptist.  They would have all seen farmers harvesting their crops, threshing and winnowing, gathering the grain and burning the chaff. 

So when John the Baptist used this imagery to describe the coming Messiah, they got it.

Now imagine John preaching out there in the wilderness.  His message was, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 

Not the most attractive message, yet it drew a crowd.  And the message was working.  People were confessing their sins and being baptized.

In Matthew 3:10 we have recorded for us this powerful line from the mouth of The Baptist.  He said, “The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”

When John the Baptist preaches about trees, what is he really talking about?  Well I think he’s talking about people.  And what is expected of these people?  To produce good fruit.  Or be thrown into the fire.  Your choice.

Jesus preached His own message along these lines in John 15, and again the imagery is used of fruitless plants being burned.  The flip side of that is found in verse five where Jesus said, “If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit…”  And then He added this kicker, “…apart from Me you can do nothing.”

So in John the Baptist’s preaching we are expected to produce good fruit.  In Jesus’ teaching we are also expected to produce good fruit…by remaining in Him and He in us, because without Him we can do nothing. 

Now back to John’s sermon about the Messiah – and let’s get back to where we started, with the farmer bringing in his harvest.  Remember the visual of the man separating the grain and the chaff?  Now listen to the words of John about Jesus.

“His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will clear His threshing floor, gather His wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

This is what John the Baptist said Jesus was going to do.  And when he talks about wheat, what is he really talking about?  I think He’s talking about people.  And again, what is expected of these people?  To produce good fruit.

See, God wants us to produce good fruit.  This is what He is looking for. 

And that’s what I want to give Him.  I want to be wheat, not chaff.

The Bible says, “He will clear His threshing floor.”  That means there is no middle ground.  No one can stick around trying to decide whether they are wheat or chaff.  We are one or the other.

Jesus said that if a man does not remain in him, he will be like a branch that is picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.

I don’t want to be that man.  I want to be the man that remains in Him and He in me.  I want to abide in Him, and let His words abide in me. 

I want to bear much fruit, and I can’t do that on my own.  Apart from Him I can do nothing.  So this is my goal today.  To be wheat and not chaff.  To be a tree with good fruit, not a barren tree with the ax at the root.

And I know the Lord is watching.  John did not use the present tense by accident.  He said, “His winnowing fork is in His hand to clear His threshing floor.”

So there He stands, winnowing fork in hand.  The wheat will be separated from the chaff, and my goal today is to make sure that everything I do and say smells like wheat, that I may produce good fruit for the Lord of the Harvest.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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

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

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

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

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

Has God Spoken To You In a Dream? - Apples of Gold - September 22, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for September 22, 2008

“Has God Spoken To You In a Dream?”

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

Aren’t dreams amazing?

Do you dream much?

I know they say that we dream every night, but if I do, I almost never remember it.  I think it’s because I get up at 4:30 a.m. and I’m chronically short of sleep, so when I close my eyes at night, I’m gone.

Have you ever had a dream that you really thought was from God?  I have, and though it’s hard to prove such a thing, it really sticks with you.

Late one night over 20 years ago I was reading in Acts chapter two.  Peter was preaching and he quoted this from the prophet Joel, “In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people.  Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.”

That passage was on my mind as I turned out the light and I prayed, “Lord, it says You will give us dreams.  Please give me a dream tonight, one that I know is from You.”

And that night I did have a dream.  I dreamed I was in a line of people approaching the throne of God.  We were standing there, two-by-two, and next to me was a guy I barely knew named Jim French.  I don’t know whatever happened to Jim French, and I’m not sure if I ever told him this dream.

Anyway, we were approaching the throne of God, and all you could see was this brilliant white light.  Soon it was our turn, and with heads bowed before the Lord, we received our assignment. 

“I’m sending you to the churches.”

And that was it.  We had our assignment.  “Go to the churches.”

And I woke up.  And obviously that dream has been with me ever since.

So the next night I prayed it again.  “Lord, give me another dream.”

The next morning I woke up and…no dream. 

“Lord, why didn’t you give me another dream?”  Then this thought popped into my head, “It says the old men will dream dreams.”

I looked it up and, sure enough, it’s the visions that are for the young men.

But nevertheless, I had my dream, and it has guided me in my work in Christian radio.  In many ways the various churches are separated from one another, but in my work I am able to go to a wide variety of churches and bring encouragement and support.  And my vision for doing that goes back to that dream I think the Lord gave me with the simple instruction to go to the churches.

Of course every dream is not from the Lord.  I’ve had some dreams that were certainly not from God – which brings up the question, how can you tell the difference?

I think the main way is, does it line up with the Word of God?  In Jeremiah 23:28 the Lord makes a strong statement especially for people who are spouting off about their dreams.  He says, “Let the prophet who has a dream tell his dream, but let the one who has my word speak it faithfully.  For what has straw to do with grain?” 

I love that depiction.  “What has straw to do with grain?”  See, the grain is the Word of God, while the straw is the dream.  The Word always takes precedence. 

But does that mean there is no place for dreams?  No, it just means we have to be careful.  I think we can apply the teaching of First Corinthians 14:29, that when someone shares a dream that they think is from God, that “the others should weigh carefully what is said.”

That being said, I think God does use dreams to speak to us, based on what we find in the Bible.

For example, God spoke to Jacob in a dream when he was running from his brother Esau.  God also gave Jacob a dream about how to increase his personal flock while living with Laban.

Then Jacob’s son Joseph was quite the dreamer, as well as an interpreter of dreams.  Daniel, too, was both dreamer and interpreter.

The Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream as he was taking over the kingdom. 

When you read about the birth of Christ in the book of Matthew, you see dreams affecting the story at some very crucial points.  The Lord spoke to Joseph in a dream that he should go ahead and take Mary as his wife.  Then he warned Joseph about Herod in a dream, and they fled to Egypt.  Then in Egypt Joseph had another dream when it was time to return to Israel, and another dream sent them to Galilee.

There are even some critical points in the Bible where the Lord gave dreams to people who weren’t even His people.  In Genesis 20 verse 3 God spoke to the foreign king Abimelech.  In Judges 7 God encouraged Gideon by giving a dream to a Midianite soldier.  And in Matthew 27 we read about the dream Pilate’s wife had about Jesus.

So yes, I believe the Lord speaks to people in dreams.  In Numbers 12:6 He said, “When a prophet of the Lord is among you…I speak to him in dreams.”

On the other hand, we must be careful.  Jeremiah 23:25 points out that sometimes people lie in God’s name saying, “I had a dream!  I had a dream!”

There really isn’t a lot of detail about dreams in the Bible, not a load of guidelines.  But nevertheless, God has used dreams to speak to people at important points in their lives, and I believe He is still doing so today.

So the question of the day is this, “Has God spoken to you in a dream?”


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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

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

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

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

Doug Apple
General Manager - Wave 94
Christian Radio for Tallahassee
PO Box 4105
Tallahassee, FL  32315
(850) 926-8000
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My Friend Was Sputtering and Throwing Smoke - Apples of Gold - September 19, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for September 19, 2008

“My Friend Was Sputtering and Throwing Smoke”

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

“I know someone who has twice cheated on his wife…

“He told me this over coffee…

“He…spoke to me as if I were a priest…confessed everything.

“His body was convulsed in guilt and self-hatred.

“He said he would lie down next to his wife at night feeling walls of concrete between their hearts.  He had secrets. 

“She tries to love him, but he knows he doesn’t deserve it.  He cannot accept her affection because she is loving a man who doesn’t exist.  He plays a role.  He says he is an actor in his own home.”

That’s a story from Donald Miller in his book, “Blue Like Jazz.”

Miller continues:  “Designed for good, my friend was sputtering and throwing smoke.  The soul was not designed for this, I thought.  We were supposed to be good, all of us.  We were supposed to be good.”

Wow.  And I love that imagery, “my friend was sputtering and throwing smoke.” 

Miller indicates that we were designed to be good, and when we aren’t good, things just don’t run right.

The good thing is that we can come to Jesus Christ, confess our sins and He will forgive them, and give us a fresh start.

But then what? 

At this point a lot of people go back to their lives, with the added duty of trying to avoid sin. 

But here is what I get out of what Miller wrote.  It’s not that we were designed to be not bad.  We were designed to be good.

Yes, in a sense Jesus makes us good when He wipes away our sin.  But there is more.  After being made good we need to start doing good.

Ephesians 2 says we are not saved by doing good works.  We can only be saved by God’s grace, “the gift of God.” 

But now look at verse 10.  “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

This is what God created us to do – to do good works.

First Timothy 6:18 says we should be “rich in good deeds.”

Psalm 37:3 says, “Trust in the Lord and do good…”

This is what God made us to do – to spend our time and energy doing good works.

Yes, like the man Miller wrote about, sin will make you sputter and throw smoke.  But it doesn’t have to be outright sin.

Have you ever sat around and watched TV for hours, then got up and thought, “What have I done?”  Or maybe it’s video games.  Or maybe it’s goofing off on the internet.  Hours go by.  Weekends come and go.

Now listen.  If you haven’t spent your time doing good, then you haven’t been doing what you were created to do – which will leave you sputtering.

You see, all those things are things we do for ourselves.  It’s for our amusement and entertainment.  It’s selfish really, and we weren’t designed for that.  Our soul doesn’t work well when it’s being selfish. 

Look at Second Corinthians 5:15.  It says we should no longer live for ourselves, but for Christ who died for us.

Did you catch that?  It says we should no longer live for ourselves.  This calls for a change in our mindset.  We stop thinking about what we want all the time, or what we feel or what we deserve.  Instead, we start thinking of others, and the good we can do for them.

And it can be anyone.  Galatians 6:10 says, “…let us do good to all people…”

Jesus even said to “…do good to those who hate you…”*

We should be so awesome in good deeds that it stands out like a full moon at midnight.  Matthew 5:16 says, “…let your shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”

So it’s not about doing a little secret good deed here and there.  Our good deeds should be outstanding, like the fireworks grand finale.  First Peter 2:12 says that we should live such good lives among nonbelievers that they may see our good deeds and glorify God.  Get that?  Unbelievers will actually glorify God because of our good deeds!

So is your life sputtering and throwing smoke today?  If it’s due to sin, then it’s time to come clean with God and be made clean by Him. 

But if you’re not sure what it is, then maybe it’s this.  Maybe you aren’t filling your life with what your life was created to be filled with.

And what is that?  Just what it says in Ephesians 2:10.  We were created to do good works.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

May God bless you today!  With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
  
*  Luke 6:27

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

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

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

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