Tuesday, May 12, 2009

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

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Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for May 12, 2009

“Knowledge Must Be Constantly Recommunicated”

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

But culture changes.  Language changes.  The media changes.

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

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

I’ll bet it made sense back then.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

See, knowledge must be communicated.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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


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

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

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

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

-vi-

Monday, May 11, 2009

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

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Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for May 11, 2009

“Everything Rides on Hope Now”

 

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

It was one week after Wendy’s college graduation.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I would rather err on the side of hope. 

And it’s not a random, vague hope.

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

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

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

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

Plus, we put our hope in His Word. 

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

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

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

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

And listen to the rest of the verse.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Your hope in the God of hope is enough.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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


http://www.wendyblight.com/

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

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

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

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

-vi-

Friday, May 08, 2009

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

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Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for May 8, 2009

“Wisdom Is One Question Away”

 

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

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

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

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

Before I could answer he jumped in.

“I mean in addition to putting God first.”

I guess that was a given.

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

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

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

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

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

 “Zero,” he said.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

That’s brilliant!  And so simple.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You get the idea. 

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

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

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

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


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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


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

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

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

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

-vi-

Wednesday, May 06, 2009

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

To listen to the radio version, click here.

 

To search archives, click here.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for May 6, 2009

“Love in the Real Nitty-Gritty of Life”

 

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

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

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

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

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

And I think that’s enough of that story.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And what did they do at first?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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


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

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

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

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

-vi-

Tuesday, May 05, 2009

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

To listen to the radio version, click here.

 

To search archives, click here.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for May 5, 2009

“I See You There, Running in the Shadows”

 

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

I see you there, running in the shadows.

Hound of Hell.

Destroyer.

You have no claims on me.

I have been delivered.

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

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

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

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

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

And it is bringing forth fruit everywhere it goes!

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

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

I will not ride it.

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

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

Your teeth are dripping.

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

Why does anyone listen to your lies?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I see you there, running in the shadows…


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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


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

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

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

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

-vi-

Monday, May 04, 2009

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

To listen to the radio version, click here.

 

To search archives, click here.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for May 4, 2009

“My Daughter is Engaged”

 

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

We kept looking at our cell phones.

Yes, we should hear something any minute now.

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

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

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

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

The element of surprise achieved.  Job well done!

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

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

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

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

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

And two words come to mind:  Wonderful Counselor.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wisdom is ours for the asking!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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


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

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

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

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

-vi-

Friday, May 01, 2009

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

To listen to the radio version, click here.

 

To search archives, click here.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for May 1, 2009

“Possess Your Vessel in Honor”

 

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

So I’ve taken up the game of tennis.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Why not?

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

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

“Possess your vessel in honor.”

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

Your “vessel” is your body. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Does our behavior cause outsiders to respect us?

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

Possess your vessel in honor.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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


© 2009 The Arrow’s Tip 
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-

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Tools of Strength - Apples of Gold - April 28, 2009 -vi-

You might want to listen to this one – the music really sets the tone.

 

To listen to the radio version, click here.

 

To search archives, click here.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for April 28, 2009

“Tools of Strength”

 

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

(start music)

In quietness and trust I find my strength.

When I am weak, I am strong.

I am humble before the Sovereign Lord.

I am saved, not by me, but by Jesus.

He dwells in my heart through faith.

I am strengthened by His Spirit in my inner man.

My faith is not in this world, but in the Lord my God.

He gives me strength.

I can do this, because He gives me strength.

I live by truth, I walk in truth, I trust fully in the truth.  The truth makes me strong.

I believe in righteousness.  I am righteous through Christ, and I choose to live in righteousness.  Righteousness makes me strong.

I am ready to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the life-changing, world-altering Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.  The Gospel of Peace is on my lips, and this makes me strong.

I am a man of the Word of God.  I do not take my word for things, but I dig into The Word.  There I find truth, and His Spirit within me confirms it.  This is the Sword of the Spirit, and this makes me strong.

I am a man of prayer.  I pray daily, seeking the Lord, His face, the outpouring of His Spirit, His will to be done on earth.  I pray for saints, for the church, for growth, and for the spread of the Gospel with boldness.  I am a man of prayer, and prayer makes me strong.

My heart is fully committed to the Lord.  Nothing on earth can sway me from Him.  His eyes search the earth for a heart like this, and I want Him to notice mine.  A heart fully committed to the Lord is a heart that He makes strong.

Laughter is a window, a breath of fresh air, but joy is a cornerstone.  Joy comes to stay.  It’s the joy of the Lord, and the joy of the Lord makes me strong.

In me is no despair.  There is no quitting, no giving up, no weariness or fatigue.  My hope is untouchable because it is not here.  My hope is in the Lord, and this hope makes me strong.

These are the tools of strength. 

I sharpen them and keep them clean.  They never age or gather dust.  I learn more daily to use them with skill and precision.

They are mine, and they can be yours.

They are available to all.

They are gifts from the Lord. 

They are tools of strength.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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


Isaiah 30:15 “This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says, ‘In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it.”

2 Corinthians
12:10 “That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.  For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

James
4:10 “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”

Ephesians 6:17a “Take the helmet of salvation…”

Ephesians
3:17 “…that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith…”

Ephesians 3:16 “…that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man…”

Ephesians
6:16 “…take up the shield of faith…”

2 Thessalonians 3:3  “But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one…”

Philippians
4:13  “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”

Ephesians 6:14, 15 “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.”

Ephesians 6:17, 18  “Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.  With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.”

2 Chronicles 16:9 “For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him…”

Nehemiah
8:10 “…for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”

Isaiah 40:31 “…but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength…”

Exodus 15:2  “The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him.”

Psalm 29:11  “The LORD gives strength to His people…”

1 Chronicles
16:11  “Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.”

Ephesians
6:10  “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power…”


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

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

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

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

-vi-

Monday, April 27, 2009

Build on a Layer of Sacrifice - Apples of Gold - April 27, 2009 -vi-

To listen to the radio version, click here.

 

To search archives, click here.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for April 27, 2009

“Build on a Layer of Sacrifice”

 

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

If you want to build something great, you have to build on a layer of sacrifice.

Last week I dropped by the Medart Assembly of God.  Right there in the tiny community of Medart, Florida they are building a sanctuary to seat 500 people.

Yes, at a time in the economy when many churches are shrinking back, the Medart Assembly is moving forward.

Have you ever been part of a church building program?  If so, you know there is one word you hear a lot:  sacrifice.

In one campaign I was a part of we used this phrase, “Not equal giving, but equal sacrifice.”

No, everyone can’t give the same amount, but everyone can sacrifice to the same degree.

If you want to build something great, you have to build on a layer of sacrifice.

That’s the way our country was built.  The signers of the Declaration of Independence knew about sacrifice.  The end of the Declaration says, “…we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.”

They were willing to sacrifice their fortunes and even their very lives.  Why?  Because that’s what it took to build this great nation.

That’s how a great marriage is built.  On your wedding day you make great vows and pledges.  “For richer, for poorer; in sickness and in health; until death do us part.” 

That is a great layer of sacrifice, and on that layer you can build a great marriage.

Have you ever started your own business?  That requires a great amount of sacrifice. 

Do you think you are going to start a great business without a layer of sacrifice? 

Well I guess that is human nature.  We want things handed to us.  We want great things to happen without the sacrifice.

But that’s just not the way things work.  If you want to build something great, you have to build on a layer of sacrifice.

Do you want to build a healthy body?  Then you must have a layer of sacrifice.  You have to sacrifice certain foods.  You have to sacrifice to exercise. 

Do you want to be smarter?  Then you must sacrifice time and money and energy to learn.

Do you want to grow spiritually?  Then there is a layer of sacrifice that includes prayer and fasting and Bible study and obedience.

Recently I started playing some tennis, something I haven’t really done since high school.  And I can tell you right now that I’m not going to grow much in my tennis skills.

Why not?  Because I have no plans to lay down a layer of sacrifice.  I’m not going to get lessons.  I’m not going to hire a coach.  I’m not even going to play very much.

With no layer of sacrifice, I’ll build nothing great.

Think of the early church.  Yes, they spread the Gospel and changed the world.  But it was built on a layer of sacrifice.  Many of them sacrificed their lives.  They sacrificed positions in society and reputations.  Some sacrificed family relationships.  They sacrificed many worldly opportunities for the greater cause of Christ.

Have you ever met a physician?  That is a position no one reaches without building on a layer of sacrifice.

Recently I saw together in one orchestra both Itzhak Perlman and Yo-Yo Ma.  Now sometimes we think guys like that were just born great.

Yes, I’m sure they are gifted, but look at the grueling hours of training and practice.  Both were taught at the Juilliard School, and that is no playground. 

They both built great musical legacies, and they built them on a layer of sacrifice.

The Bible is full of examples of people who did great things, and built them on a layer of sacrifice.

So what great thing do you want to do?  Do you want to start a business?  Build a church?  Raise a family?  Do you want to be a doctor?  An athlete?  A musician? 

If so, don’t think someone is going to just come along and hand you these things.  That’s not the way it works. 

This is how it works. 

If you want to build something great, you have to build on a layer of sacrifice.

So prepare yourself and be ready to do it.  For every great thing you want to do, be ready to lay down a great layer of sacrifice.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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


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

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

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

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

-vi-

Friday, April 24, 2009

Every Time I Dry Off - Apples of Gold - April 24, 2009 -vi-

To listen to the radio version, click here.

 

To search archives, click here.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for April 24, 2009

“Every Time I Dry Off”

 

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

“Every time I dry off I think of something you said.”

“What?  What did I say?”

“When we were little.  One day I was drying off and you told me I was doing it wrong.  You grabbed me and showed me the ‘right’ way to dry off.  And now I think of that every time I do it.”

That was a conversation between my daughters the other day, about a moment that took place many years ago. 

But what a story!  It’s a great example of how powerful our words can be when injected in a specific moment.

A while back I was working out at my house when some middle school boys were there.  I was doing some sit-ups when one of them blurted out, “You’re doing it wrong.”

Now come on.  With abs like these, I’m pretty sure I know how to do a sit-up.  And he didn’t look like he had ever even brushed up against a good sit-up. 

And yet – now don’t miss this – every time I do sit-ups I think of what he said.  It happens when I get down in the sit-up position – the same position I was in when he said that.  I get down to do sit-ups, and blurp, it runs through my head.

Now I’m a communicator.  I’ve been in communications all my adult life.  And we communicators, we want to say things that just pop into your head for the rest of your life.  What an impact!

But you know what?  We can stand in front of you and babble on and on and on and have nothing get through.

But then some kid can throw out a little comment, and it sticks with you forever.

What’s the difference?

It’s the power of the moment.

Think about it in your own life.  I’ll bet there are certain situations that, just being in them, makes you think of something someone said.

Okay, so we know it happens.  We know it works this way.  So what we need to do is take advantage of it.

Sometimes we think we need a big audience to do any good.  But you know what?  You might stand in front of thousands and talk for an hour, and six months later no one remembers a thing you said. 

But in a specific situation you can say something to one person and they will remember it for the rest of their life.

So what we can do is look for those opportunities.  There are thousands of little chances to say just the right thing that will stick with someone forever.

I call this thing I do “Apples of Gold.”  It’s from Proverbs 25:11 which says, “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”

And I love that phrase, “a word fitly spoken.”

To me it means that what is said is a perfect fit for the moment.

And notice this.  It says “a word fitly spoken,” not “a word spoken in a fit.”

It is measured and controlled.  It is wise.  It is timely.

See, we can toss out wise sayings all day, but they don’t really hit home until they fit the moment.

But when we say something that perfectly fits the situation, then we have a bell ringer.  That’s a home run.  That’s when it sticks with them forever.

Now too often it is something negative.  It’s a word spoken in a fit.  In an emotional moment we blurt out something, and it sticks.

Well Ephesians 4:29 has the remedy for that.  It 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.”

See, when these moments occur – and you can’t really plan for them.  They are real life moments that just pop up.  And when they do, we need to be ready to “impart grace.”

Don’t you love that phrase?  “Impart grace.”

It says, “…what is good for necessary edification.”  That means it builds them up.  It strengthens them.

The right words at the right time can build someone up, and keep building them up for the rest of their life.

It’s a word fitly spoken, at just the right time, in real life.

What a powerful impact we can have!

So watch for those moments.  Be ready. 

And when they come up, “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.”


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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


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

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

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

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

-vi-

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

She is My Bride...For a While - Apples of Gold - April 22, 2009 -vi-

To listen to the radio version, click here.

 

To search archives, click here.

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for April 22, 2009

“She is My Bride…For a While”

 

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

Hey men.  Is there a special woman in your life?

Could be your wife, or fiancé, or even a steady girlfriend.

If you have a special woman in your life, then I want you to picture this.

Picture yourself way off in the future, after your life here is done, standing before God.

That’s what Romans 14 says, that “we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.”  Verse 12 says, “…each of us will give an account of himself to God.”

So there you are, standing before God, and one thing you will have to account for is this woman. 

See, she has been entrusted to you.  It’s like an investment God has given you, and one day there will be an accounting.

So you’re standing before God, and now picture Him asking about all sorts of things in your life. 

And then He asks about her.

You turn, and there she is, walking up behind you.

And now listen to this very closely.  Picture yourself presenting this woman to the Lord. 

There He is, in all His majesty and splendor, His purity and holiness.

And you are presenting this woman to Him. 

Now let me ask you, what does she look like – based on your effect on her life?

Now let me tell you what she should look like. 

Ephesians 5 says that husbands should love their wives just as Christ loved the church. 

And look what Christ did.  It says He gave Himself up for her, to cleanse her and make her holy, to wash away all stains and blemishes.

And why?  So that He could “present her to Himself as a radiant church…”

And this is how husbands should love their wives.

Now think about this.  Yes, my wife is my bride – but only for a while, only during our short life here on earth.

But for all eternity she belongs to the Lord. 

I see it like this.  God has entrusted my wife to me as an investment.  And one day I will give an accounting. 

I don’t know exactly how it will go down, but here’s how I picture it.

I will be standing there before God, and he will ask about my wife.  She will step up behind me, and I will take her hand.  Then I will present her to the Lord.

And the question is, what will I be presenting?  A defeated woman?  A broken woman?  A worldly woman?  A bitter woman?  A sinful woman?

Or will I present Him with a holy woman, a Godly woman, a woman without stain or blemish?  Will I present Him with a radiant woman?

See, Christ gave Himself up for the church to make her holy and to present her to Himself as a radiant church.

And I am to love my wife that way.  So what should my big picture goal be for my wife?  That on that day I will be able to present her to the Lord as a holy and radiant woman of God!

And I am to give myself up for her to bring about that goal.

So when it comes to this special woman in my life, this is my goal.  This is what my eyes are fixed on. 

They are fixed on that day, when I will stand before the Lord, and He asks about her. 

And when she steps up there, I want to be able to take her by the hand and say, “My Lord, here she is!  Lord, I led her to be as close to You as I could.  I set the example in my own life.  I encouraged her in every way I knew how.  I loved her like You loved the church.  I took her hand and walked with her toward holiness.  I did not stain her or blemish her.  I did not hurt her or damage her.  I did not lead her down a path of worldliness.  I put up no obstacles between You and her.  And now, my Lord, here is the woman You entrusted me with.  I present her to You…a radiant woman of God!”

Men, get that picture in your mind.  Picture the day when you will present this woman to the Lord.  And do all you can while you can so that one day you can present her to the Lord – a holy, radiant woman of God!


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

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


© 2009 The Arrow’s Tip 
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(Proverbs 25:11 – “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”)

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

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

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