Well, here we are almost finished with August and about to enter the fall. It is hard to believe
that before long summer will be gone. I remember when I was young, back in Missouri, about this
time of year we would start looking forward to fresh apples and apple pick’n time. Now, granted, it
was still a month or two away but that didn’t keep our minds from wandering to that moment in time.
Almost everywhere you would go, people would be talking about the soon to come apples. My wife
always looks forward to that time period even though it has been some time since we lived in
Missouri. I guess the attraction is people know and remember how good those newly picked apples
taste. They have no doubt that inside that outer flesh is pure goodness. As I think about that time
of year approaching, I remember a fictitious story that really brings home the meaning of
“Christian.”

Once upon a time there was to be a county fair. Special prizes were being offered for the best
apples brought to the judging, and circulars had been sent all over the county to let people know
about the contest.

Some folks in the county weren’t impressed and threw the circulars away. But the rest began to plan
how they could produce the prize-winning apple.

Mr. Thompkins was a woodcarver. He chose a piece of pine and carved out his apple. It was exactly
the right shape, and when he had it painted and polished, it looked just like a real apple.

Mrs. Jones hurried to town for some yarn. She knitted her apple. When she was finished, it didn’t
look exactly like an apple, but you could certainly tell that it was supposed to be one.

Some people made their apples of plastic, some crocheted theirs, some stitched them in cloth. Some
used clay or ceramics or glass.

Only a few took their apples off apple trees. Real fruit. When the day of the fair arrived, most of
the apples looked pretty good on the outside. But when the judges tried to cut them open to see
what they were like on the inside, all of the imitation apples were disqualified.

If you want to produce apples, the best thing for you to do is to find an apple tree, or plant one.
And if you want to produce genuine fruit in the Christian life, the best thing for you to do is to
be a Christian. An apple tree bears apples because it is an apple tree, never in order to be one.

And a Christian does what is right because he or she is a Christian, never in order to be one. It’s
what’s inside that counts.

When Jesus was talking about the great harvest to come, he makes a very interesting statement in
Matthew 7:19-23; “Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord shall enter into the kingdom of
heaven...Many will say to me in that day Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name?... Have we
not cast out devils in thy name?...Done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I
never knew you; depart from me, yet that work iniquity.”

Jesus says we have to know Him and He must know us. It is a relationship thing. We can look good,
say all the right things, go to church, sing the hymns, serve in offices and mow the yard for the
lady next door. However, if we do not have a growing relationship with Jesus on the inside we will
never see the kingdom. Every time you read about those who will enter into the kingdom of God,
Jesus points out that it is a knowing thing, not a doing thing that is to the credit of those who
enter. We are just like the apples in our story, It’s what’s on the inside that counts. Soon it
will be “apple” pick’n time for God. When the harvest has come, will your “apple” be passed by
because it’s not the real thing? Why don’t we start today to get to know Jesus on the inside and
not just do what Jesus would do. It’s interesting to note that if you are in a growing relationship
with Jesus on a daily basis, you will automatically be doing what Jesus would do. I am looking
forward to the har!
vest! How about the rest of you apples?