Monthly Archives: August 2011

He sees and hears!

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August 11: Jeremiah 7-9; John 13

Scripture: Jeremiah 7: 11 “Has this house, which bears my Name, become a den of robbers to you? But I have been watching!” declares the LORD….

Jeremiah 8: 6 I have listened attentively, but they do not say what is right. No-one repents of his wickedness, saying, “What have I done?” Each pursues his own course like a horse charging into battle.

Observation: People often act as though God is deaf and blind. But the truth is: God both hears what we say and watches what we do. He is not fooled.

God hears all our excuses, is waiting for us to acknowledge our sin and repent.

This reminds me of the present USA government administration, making excuses for our financial troubles by blaming previous administrations. Then they blame environmental disasters around the world to which we have sent aid. They blame the trouble in the Middle East. They blame the other political party. They blame the financial institutions that have lowered our status. Will there ever be an admission that we have spent too much money with any specifics as to where to make cuts? I keep waiting to hear, but so far …

Application: how foolish to think I can make excuses and hide things from God! May the One who sees everything I do not have to wait long to hear my repentance and see the change in my actions.

On the other hand, knowing that my loving Heavenly Father both sees and hears is a source of peace and comfort. He knows what I am going through and He hears my prayers.

Prayer: Lord, I am so glad that you see and hear. I need you to hold me accountable for sin and to help me in times of temptation. Amen.

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

On account of me?

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August 10: Jeremiah 5-6; John 12

Scripture: John 12: 9 Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead.
10 So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well,
11 for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and putting their faith in him.

Observation: Who has come to Jesus on account of me? God’s working in restoring physical life to Lazarus caused many people to put their faith in Jesus. But Jesus has done an even greater work in me. To Lazarus, Jesus restored his physical life, and he would later die again. To me, Jesus has given eternal life that physical death cannot stop!

If the restoration of Lazarus’ physical life caused many to put their faith in Jesus, then I should expect that the impartation of eternal life into Leon should cause at least some people to put their faith in Jesus.

Application: This life I am living belongs to Jesus. I want to live it for His glory so that others will put their faith in Him.

Prayer: Lord, you did something FOR Lazarus, but you did something IN me. May it be obvious to others that your life is in me. Help me live in such a way that others want what I have. Amen.

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

Lord, if you…

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August 9: Jeremiah 3-4; John 11

Scripture: John 11:32 When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

Observation: Because I know the end of the story, I can say, “But Mary, if the Lord had healed Lazarus, he would not later had the opportunity to raise him from the dead!”

“Lord, if you … ” I wonder how many times the Lord hears questions that start with those words. We often have it all figured out. All we have to do is get the Lord to do “his” part. And when He does not do “his” part, we have questions.

Questions like these come before the story is over; the Lord knows the end of the story. He sees our circumstances from heaven’s point of view. Jesus had healed many people. Now the resurrection of Lazarus would be the key to turning many to believe in Jesus, which then motivated the religious leaders to desire His death. (Note verses 45-48) His death is accepted as the payment for my sin and His resurrection proved that even in death, He had the power to rise again!

Application: I can trust the Lord to see a bigger picture. I wonder how many problems have been averted for me because the Lord did not do it my way.

Prayer: Lord, I can trust you even when you do not do it the way I think you should. You do know what is best. Amen.

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

Come in & Go out

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August 8: Jeremiah 1-2; John 10

Scripture: John 10: 7 Therefore Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep.
8 All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.
9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture.
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

Observation: Gates work two ways, one can “come in” and one can “go out.” Upon release from active duty (ten years in the Navy, six in Hawaii), one thing I missed was being able to drive through the gates to places Sharon, Doron and I had enjoyed. I felt limited. Now there were places on the island I could not go.

Other gates seemed a welcome to a place of safety. And after being refreshed, and restocked, it was through that same gate of Camp Vandergrift that Golf Company, 2/4 would go out to patrol below the DMZ.

Application: Jesus is my gate into the Presence of God. Through Jesus and because of His sacrifice, I have access into the throne room of heaven. Jesus is also my gate back into the world to love the world the way God loves the world.

Prayer: Lord, I am blest that you have made a way for me into your presence! May I not be a stranger there! I am also blest that you send me out into the world you love. May I be useful there. Amen.

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

MY Testimony!

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August 7: Zephaniah 1-3; John 9

Scripture: John 9: 30 The man answered, “Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes.
31 We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who does his will.
32 Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind.
33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”

Observation: The man who had been born blind was called before the religious leaders. He had something to say: ” … he opened MY eyes.” First: A personal testimony is hard to walk away from. We all know what has happened to us. We have personal insight. It is our experience. No one can take that from us. Second: A personal testimony is hard to refute. It was hard for the religious leaders to refute this personal experience. They looked foolish trying. Third: A personal testimony comes with personal convictions. Some things become logical when we go through an experience. This man was amazed at their attempt to discredit what was so apparent.

Application: No one knows better than I what God has done for me. If He is going to get the glory He deserves, it will have to be because I have told others. If others are going to be encouraged to believe what God can do for them, it might be because I tell them what God has done for me.

Prayer: Lord, May my appreciation for what you have done for me be seen in that am quick to tell others. Amen.

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

Free Indeed!

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August 6: Habakkuk 1-3; John 8

Scripture: John 8:36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

Observation: I usually think of this verse as a stand-alone thought. However the context adds depth. In the preceding verse, we are told that relationship of son is permanent while that of slave is temporary. The son is the heir and has authority in the household. A slave would not be authorized to give another slave freedom, but that would not be true of a son. If a slave sets us free, then we are not really free; but if the son sets us free—then we are free indeed! Freedom cannot be given by the slave and here Jesus was claiming to be the Son.

A nation can only spread freedom as long as it is free! If it becomes enslaved, its armies will be used to increase slavery! The armies of tyrants are used to maintain and increase despotism.

Application: What is true spiritually and politically has to be truth in my heart. If I do not use my freedom to protect the freedom of others and to bring freedom to those still in bondage, before long I will soon be in danger of losing my own freedom. The most vibrant Christians are those actively sharing their faith with others.

Prayer: Lord, help me use my freedom to bring freedom to others. Amen.

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

Quenching my thirst and more!

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August 5: 2Kings 23; 2Chronicles 35; John 7

Scripture: John 7:37 On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.
38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.”

Observation: If anyone is thirsty for a more satisfying life, Jesus invites them to come to Him and to drink. They are invited to come and enter into a relationship with Him by “drinking” Him—taking Him into their life. With Him on the inside, our lives become a spring from which water flows to bless those around us. “Coming” to Jesus and “Drinking” in His life, first quenches my thirst and then flows outward to bless others.

Application: God’s presence in my life is better than a cold glass of water on a hot day. Not only does He make my life more satisfying to me, the overflow of His life within blesses others.

Prayer: Lord, how empty this life would be without you! How blest this life is with you! Amen.

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

Enough, and with left overs!

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August 4: 2Kings 22; 2Chronicles 34; John 6

Scripture: John 6:7 Philip answered him, “Eight months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have A BITE!”
8 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up,
9 “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”
10 Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and the men sat down, about five thousand of them.
11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.
12 When they had all had ENOUGH to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are LEFT OVER. Let nothing be wasted.”

Observation: The disciples considered the need with “a bite” sized mentality. Jesus met the need with an “enough” AND “left over” provision! He took a boys sack lunch placed in His hands and multiplied it into a dinner that fed 5000! WOW!!!

Application: My faith can be as limited as what I have in my hand or as limitless as the One into whose hand I place it.

Prayer: Lord, I am a boy with a “sack lunch”—a short devotional thought. In email, on face book and blogs I release it into your hands. Make it “enough.” And, Lord, may there be “left overs” to share with others. Amen.

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

What An Amazing God!

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August 3: Nahum 1-3; John 5

Scripture #1: Nahum 1:3 The LORD is slow to anger and great in power; the LORD will not leave the guilty unpunished. His way is in the whirlwind and the storm, and clouds are the dust of his feet.

Observation #1: Being “slow” to anger surely does not mean that He does not get angry. Throughout the Bible, especially in the Old Testament and in Revelation, we see the awesomeness of God’s anger. This chapter shows the extent of God’s anger. It is foolish to make the Omnipotent Omniscient Omnipresent Creator of everything angry!

Scripture #2: Nahum 1:7 The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him,

Observation #2: Like an oasis in the dessert is verse 7 in the middle of a chapter on judgment. The goodness of God remains even in times of His anger! He responds lovingly to those who trust Him. He is a refuge to which we can run. Even when His anger is so stirred, He responds with tenderness to the needs of those trusting in Him. We do not have to wait for Him to “cool” down from that which makes Him angry in order to meet our needs as we trust in Him.

Application: I often need time to settle down after times of great anger. I cannot just switch it off. It is like a turbo spinning inside. But God … 🙂

Prayer: Lord, I am so glad you are not like me! No matter how angry the sin in this world makes you, you still respond with love to those trusting in you! Amen.

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

Needed: A Good Example!

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August 2: 2Kings 21; 2Chronicles 33; John 4

Scripture: 2Chronicles 33: 12 In his distress he sought the favor of the LORD his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers.
13 And when he prayed to him, the LORD was moved by his entreaty and listened to his plea; so he brought him back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD is God.

Observation: Here is one of the greatest examples of grace in the Bible.
It is amazing! God answered the prayer of the most sinful king of Judah. He had led his people in to greater sins than the nations surrounding them, nations God had disposed because of their great sins. It was the prayer of a king whom God had sent into captivity. Most amazingly, his prayer reached the heart of God!!! And God restored him.

Application: The United States of America needs to repent and pray like Manasseh! We need to pray prayers that reach the heart of God. We need to pray the prayers that God would be pleased to answer. Only God has answers to the problems troubling us today.

Prayer: Lord, The world does not need the money of the USA as much as it needs an example of a Godly nation who knows how to repent and return to the God of their fathers. Amen.

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!