Apples of Gold
Apples of Gold contains articles to help you draw closer to God and grow in your worship of Him. It is our desire that these truly will be words "fitly spoken" to encourage you in your walk with the Lord.
Always Abounding in the Work of the Lord
1 Corinthians 15:58 - “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”
What does it mean to be “always abounding in the work of the Lord?” According to Strong’s Concordance, “always” is a Greek word meaning “every when”…in other words, at all times. The word, “abounding” means “superabound in quantity or quality!” What an overwhelming command! We are to all the time be superabounding in the work of the Lord!
Christ's Commencement Address
Mt 28:18-20 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Graduation season is upon us. Each spring as the flowers begin to bloom and the temperatures rise, many families begin planning celebrations for their high school and college seniors that will be graduating. It is interesting that we use the word “Commencement” to describe the graduation ceremony. Often we think of graduation as an ending, and it is. It is the end of the preparation for the next stage of life. So we call it “Commencement” also because the next stage begins from this moment forward.
Strange Birds
My youngest son, Timothy, has recently been set on building birdhouses. As a loving father, I began investigating patterns for birdhouses on the internet and quickly learned several things. First of all, what some people consider “simple plans” are anything but simple! Secondly, we learned that if you are hoping to attract a specific species of bird, you must build a very specific birdhouse and place it in very precise conditions. For a bird called a “cavity nester,” the entrance hole to the birdhouse needs to be a certain distance above the floor of the birdhouse. Some birds like to nest very high, some near water, and some very far from other nests of the same sort! In other words, many types of birds are particular in their needs and habits and unlike “all the other birds.”
Stressful Conversation (When the Fruit Ripens)
Sometimes we cannot discern what type of tree we have until the fruit ripens.
Luke 6:43-45: For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.
The Importance of a Strong Grip
2Samuel 23:9-10 — And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David, when they defied the Philistines that were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel were gone away:
He arose, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clave unto the sword: and the LORD wrought a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to spoil.
Pasdammim was the place where Eleazar and David took a stand against the Philistines in a field of barley after the rest of Israel had fled. According to this passage, Eleazar’s hand wouldn’t open after the battle to release his sword. What a fight that must have been!