April 10: 1Samuel 8-10; 2Corinthians 10

Not like everyone else!

Scripture: 1Samuel 8:20 Then we shall be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles."

Observation: What a sad day for God who had delivered Israel out of Egypt and had provided leadership for them with priests and judges. Israel was rejecting the leaders God had set in place; they wanted to be like “all the other nations.”

Application: Do I think I know more than God? God knows what is best for me and His timing is perfect. I can trust His work in my life even though it may not be my choice at the time. When I want to be like everyone else I rob God of enjoying the uniqueness He created in me.

Prayer: Lord, because you love me, I can trust you. You did not make me to be like everyone else. Amen.

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

April 9, 2012: 1Samuel 6-7; Psalm 72; 2Corinthians 9

Giving like God

Scripture: 2Corinthians 9:12 This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.

Observation: In this chapter Paul is encouraging people to help the struggling church in Jerusalem by receiving an offering for them. This verse gives two obvious benefits for giving. The first benefit is to those with the need as God provides through our giving. The second benefit is to God as He receives the praise. The third benefit is found in verses 6, 8, 10, and 11 of this chapter. It is the benefit that comes to us; we reap generously, we have all that we need, we have a greater harvest, and we are enabled to be generous. Wow!

Application: I have found many benefits in giving. The greatest is that I become more like God, the Greatest Giver of all.

Prayer: Lord, I pray to be like you in giving willingly and generously. Amen.

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

April 8: 1Samuel 3-5; Psalm 77; 2Corinthians 8

He gave! I give!

Scripture: 2Corinthians 8:7 But just as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us— see that you also excel in this grace of giving.

Observation: In this letter to the believers in the city of Corinth, The Apostle Paul is commending them for their faith, their speech, their knowledge, earnestness and love. They have grown in their Christian life. Now he is encouraging them to excel in another part of Christian living—that of giving.

Application: God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. (John 3:16) When Leon loves the world the way God loves the world, Leon will be a giver too. Leon’s love can be seen in what Leon is willing to give.

Prayer: Lord, You are a giver. If I want to become like you, I must grow in my giving. Remind me that when I give, I am not giving from my resources, but from Yours. Amen.

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

April 7: 1Samuel 1-2; Psalm 66; 2Corinthians 7

Making His Praise Glorious!

Scripture: Psalm 66:1 Shout with joy to God, all the earth!
2 Sing the glory of his name; make his praise glorious!
3 Say to God, "How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies cringe before you.

Observation: The Psalmist encourages everyone on earth to make a loud noise of praise to God. God had done awesome deeds in creation and in bringing Israel out of slavery in Egypt.

Application: If the Old Testament saints had reason to praise God, how much more do I have reason!!! Jesus entered into death and rose victorious. Jesus suffered and died to pay for my sins, and rose from the grave and now lives in my life!!! No Old Testament saint should ever out-shout me! J

Prayer: Lord, I want to make your praise glorious! You are the risen Lord over death, hell, and the grave! And you have chosen to make my heart your home! Amen.

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

April 6: Ruth 3-4; Psalm 64, 65; 2Corinthians 6

It starts by serving.

Scripture: Ruth 2:8 So Boaz said to Ruth, "My daughter, listen to me. Don’t go and glean in another field and don’t go away from here. Stay here with my servant girls.
Ruth 4:13 So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. Then he went to her, and the LORD enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son.

Observation: Ruth was born in the land of Moab. After the death of her husband, she accompanied Naomi, her mother-in-law, back to Israel. Other than Naomi, she had no family, no Israeli heritage, and no knowledge of the culture. So she carefully followed the directions of Naomi. When sent out into the fields, she took a place with the servants. Yet later she became the wife of the owner. She also became the great grandmother of King David and has a place in the ancestry of Jesus. Like many passages in the Bible, here we see that there is always a place in the kingdom for servants.

Application: For Ruth, it started by being a servant. If I can joyfully be a faithful servant, God can use me when and where He chooses.

Prayer: Lord, It is my joy and a great privilege to serve You. Amen.

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

April 5: Ruth 1-2; Psalm 53, 61; 2Corinthians 5

A Relationship of Favor

Scripture: 2Corinthians 5: 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:

Observation: What God did in us He wants to do through us. He brought us back into favor with Him and He wants us to bring others back into favor with ourselves.

Application: God paid for my sins, forgave me and drew me to himself. He now wants to include me in this ministry. He wants me to give favor those whose relationships with me have been broken. He also wants me to encourage others to be reconciled to God.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for favor. May I be quick to give favor to others and show them the way to receive your favor. Amen.

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

April 3: Judges 17-18; Psalm 89; 2Corinthians 3

Full provision

Scripture: 2Corinthians 3:6 He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant— not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

Observation: The “letter” is a reference to the written law that was given to Moses. It included the 10 Commandments. The “letter” can show me what I have done wrong, but it does not help me to do better. God understands that I am incompetent to live up to His standards. But the Holy Spirit living inside me is competent to both help me understand God’s requirements AND help me live them. (Wow!)

Application: When all I see is the law of God and how I have broken it, I live in condemnation. When I accept that God the Son, Christ Jesus died for MY sins, I receive His provision of forgiveness. Forgiven and depending on my own strength, I fall back into sin. But when I depend on God the Spirit living inside me, I have His provision to overcome temptation. (Praise the Lord!)
The law of God the Father gives me understanding of sin! The death of God the Son, Jesus, gives me forgiveness of sin! The indwelling of God the Spirit gives me power over sin!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for understanding me and fully providing everything I need. You are amazing! Amen.

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

April 2: Judges 13-16; 2Corinthians 2

Peace of Mind

Scripture: 2Corinthians 2:12 Now when I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and found that the Lord had opened a door for me,
13 I still had no peace of mind, because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I said good-bye to them and went on to Macedonia.

Observation: There was an opportunity for Paul to minister in the city of Troas, but he was looking for Titus who was bringing news of the church in Corinth. He was concerned; His mind was troubled. He had to move on looking for Titus. Later in the book of Acts we read of ministry in Troas.
Peace of mind—what a wonderful blessing! When we have it, we can face great opposition. When we do not have it, we find it difficult to take advantage of open doors.

Application: Peace of mind—what a special blessing! Sometimes it is simply a gift of God’s grace. Sometimes I may have to make changes to find it. Sometimes I have to fight my thoughts to keep it. It is worth fighting for.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for peace. Thank you for helping me overcome troubled thoughts that blur my thinking. Amen.

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

April 1: Judges 11-12; Psalm 50; 2Corinthians 1

In God We Trust

Scripture: 2Corinthians 1:10 He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us,

Observation: What God has done in the past gives us faith for the future. What we know about the past builds our faith for the future. What we have experienced of God’s grace prepares us to expect His grace in the future! It is our confident expectation that God will not change and will continue to deliver us. We must always face forward. We must face the future, but we must not forget the past. As we look to the future, we remember the past! To move into the future without the lessons of the past is foolish.

Application: Again and again the Lord has proved to be faithful to me, even though I have not always been faithful to Him. As I face the future I find I have less and less confidence in the world, but more and more confidence in God! Like Ira Stanphill, the song writer, “I don’t know about tomorrow…but I know Who holds my hand.”

Prayer: Lord, a bank may be a good place to place my money, but as is printed on our U.S. money, you are the only place to put our trust! Amen.

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!