Monthly Archives: July 2011

Patience with Anticipation

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July 21: 2Kings 18-19; 2Chronicles 32; James 5

Scripture: James 5: 7 Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. 8 You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.

Observation: For an example of patience James has us consider the farmer. In Bible days, once the ground had been prepared and the seed planted, there was not much to do but wait and let the natural processes take place. He waits through the autumn and spring rains. He waits with anticipation for the harvest.

Application: I too need patience and anticipation for seeds I have planted. The storms I dislike so much may be just what is needed to prepare for the harvest. And I need to remember that I am a seed God has planted in this world and The Great Farmer will soon be coming for His harvest. I need to let God work His work in me. He is preparing me for the harvest.

Prayer: Lord, like the farmer, You wait patiently for harvest. Thank you for your patience. Have your perfect way in my life. Amen.

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

The battle inside comes first.

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July 20: 2Chronicles 29-31; James 4

Scripture: James 4: 7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

Observation: Yesterday I noted how that the success of Hezekiah was preceded by his trusting and “holding fast” to the Lord and His commandments. Here in the book of James we the same progressions. Resisting the devil should be preceded by submitting myself to God. Desiring God to come near to me should be preceded by my coming near to God. Being lifted up by God is preceded by humbling myself.

Application: So many of the victories God brings are preceded by having the proper attitude of heart. As I work with the Holy Spirit in winning the battle on the inside, God works in my circumstances to win the battles around me.

Prayer: Lord, I draw near to you by keeping you in my thoughts; I submit myself to you by obeying you; and I humble myself before you by seeing myself as Your servant. Amen.

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

The Starting Place

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July 19: 2Kings 18-19; 2Chronicles 28; Psalm 46; James 3

Scripture: 2Kings 18: 5 Hezekiah trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him. 6 He held fast to the LORD and did not stop following him; he kept the commands the LORD had given Moses. 7 And the LORD was with him; he was successful in whatever he undertook.

Observation: In reading the passage above, I would like to be like Hezekiah, “successful in whatever” I do. But taking a step back in the presentation, I find the reason for his success; “the LORD was with him.” And in taking a second step back I discover the reason the Lord was with Hezekiah: Hezekiah “held fast” to the Lord, keeping His commandments. No wonder God wanted to be with Hezekiah and made him successful and if I want Him to help me be successful, that is where I must start too.

Application: I want to live my life in such a way that God wants to help me succeed. And since He has taken up residency in my life, I want the inside of my life (my heart, desires, attitudes, and thoughts) to be acceptable too.

Prayer: Lord, Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight, Oh Lord and my strength and my Redeemer. (Psalm 19:14) Amen.

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

Vital Signs

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July 18: Isaiah 32-35; James 2

Scripture: James 2: 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did….
26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

Observation: We are saved by faith, by faith in the power of Jesus death on the cross. Yet if our faith is not strong enough to cause us to do anything, then it is not strong enough to save us. Faith is something inside that only God can see. Actions/deeds are something that man can see. Like my pulse, respirations and heart beat for my physical life, deeds are the vital signs that my faith is alive.

Application: How will people today know I am a Christian? Will they see or hear evidence of my faith? I should live my life in such a way that people can clearly see my faith

Prayer: Lord, I want my faith to be visible. Amen.

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

Bite my tongue

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July 17: Isaiah 29-31; James 1

Scripture: James 1: 26 Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. 27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Observation: I am saved by faith, but if that faith is not strong enough to find expression in my life, it is dead and cannot save me. My mouth is a major avenue through which faith expresses itself. Confessing that Jesus is Lord is the first work of faith, but it does not stop there. Faith also demonstrates its presence through words of love and kindness to others. My words are windows through which people can see into my life.

Application: Instead of bragging that I speak my mind, I need to learn to rein in my tongue (as we would say today: bite my tongue.) It is more important that my mouth speaks God’s thoughts.

Prayer: Lord, I want my mouth to be your servant, an instrument you can use to express your truth and love. Amen.

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

Of course…

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July 16: Isaiah 25-28; Hebrews 13

Scripture: Isaiah 25: 1 LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done wonderful things,
things planned long ago.

Observation: God does as only God can. He works in “perfect faithfulness.” “Perfect faithfulness” requires perfect understanding and unlimited resources. God has both!

Application: Of course I will let those around me know of this wonderful God I serve.

Prayer: Lord, “many things about tomorrow, I don’t seem to understand, but I know YOU hold tomorrow, and I know YOU hold my hand.” Amen.

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

He is worthy!

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July 15: Isaiah 22-24; Hebrews 12

Scripture: Hebrews 12: 4 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.
14 Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.

Observation: My faith in the work of Jesus for my salvation does not negate my responsibility to make every effort to live at peace with others and to be holy. Trusting in God’s provision for my righteousness does not set me free to continue to sin. I must resist temptation. That may mean standing true while being persecuted or it may mean resisting temptation the enemy brings my way.

Application: As my father demonstrated by his life, I must remember that living for Jesus may not always be easy, but it is always worth the struggle. I must not be surprised to find that I have an enemy who is actively working to destroy me and I must keep reminding myself that sin is much more serious than he wants me to think. Keeping my focus on Jesus by continuing to praise Him all day long helps me put the struggles I face in proper perspective.

Prayer: Lord, Your sacrifice for me far surpasses any sacrifice I may ever be called to make for you. You are worthy! Amen.

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

Not too short

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July 14:  Isaiah 19-21;  Hebrews 11

Scripture:  Hebrews 11: 39 These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, 40 since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.

Observation:   They were ALL commended for their faith, yet if you read through this chapter you will find those who experienced great success had not yet received the promise.  And those who had experienced great tragedy had not missed it!   They all had something for which to look forward.
Like some marriage promises, some people’s faith is not too weak, it is too short.  It does not last till death.

Application:  God has something for me worth waiting for.  The way I understand this verse is that even those who have preceded me in death must wait until we all arrive before they can enjoy the fullness of the promise.

Prayer:   Lord, “Keep me true, Lord Jesus, keep me true.  There’s a race that I must run, there are victories to be won.  Give me power every hour to be true.” Amen.

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

Being encouraged and encouraging others

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S.O.A.P.

July 13: Isaiah 15-18; Hebrews 10

Scripture: Hebrews 10: 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Observation: There is just no way one who is faithful in reading the Bible can get away from the responsibility to interact with brothers and sisters in the Lord. Thinking about what one can do to encourage others should be a regular pattern of thought. Even in the day this book (Hebrews) was written, some people had the idea that they did not need the church and withdrew from fellowship with other believers. It was important then and even more so today. Being encouraged and encouraging others are not the only reasons to be with the church when it meets, but they are very scriptural reasons. And that makes them important!

Application: Two reasons I go to church are to be encouraged and to give encouragement. Of course church is not the only time we can encourage and be encouraged. This should happen any time our paths cross.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the body of Christ, and thank you for making me a member. Amen.

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

Declared innocent!

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Scripture: Hebrews 9: 24 For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence.

Observation: Jesus does not appear in God’s presence as the prosecutor bringing evidence against me, but as the defense attorney. He appears for me. I am declared innocent, not on the basis of a lack of evidence, but on the basis that the penalty has already been paid in full.

Application: That I am guilty is not the question. My adversary, the devil does not have to look far to find evidence against me. But there is One now appearing on my behalf who still bears the scars in His hands. I would have been found guilty, but I am declared innocent!

Prayer: Lord, forgive me for not telling you every day how much I appreciate what you have done for me! May my words and deeds clearly show my appreciation to you and to everyone around me. Amen.

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!