October 21, 2015:  SOAP #2148:

Scripture:  Acts (NIV) 14:3 So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there [in the city of Iconium], speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to do miraculous signs and wonders.

Observation:   The ministry of the church in the book of Acts followed the example of Jesus.  It consisted of two main parts.  First was the preaching of the gospel of the Kingdom over which Jesus is Lord and King.  Second was the demonstration of the power and authority of that Kingdom seen in “miraculous signs and wonders.”

Application:   In the gospels I see the ministry of Jesus; in the book of Acts I see the same ministry continuing in the early church.  Today I should expect that same ministry to continue in and through my life.   The same Holy Spirit working through Jesus was working in the book of Acts; today that same Spirit dwells in me.

Prayer:   Holy Spirit, today find me a vessel You can work through.   Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

October 20, 2015:  SOAP #2147:

Scripture:  Acts (NIV) 12:5 So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. [Verses 6-11: An angel awakes him and leads him out of the prison. Once outside the prison Peter realizes that it was not a dream.] 12 When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying. 13 Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer the door. 14 When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, “Peter is at the door!” 15 “You’re out of your mind,” they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, “It must be his angel.” 16 But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished.

Observation:  From their response when they heard that Peter was standing at the door, it seems faith was lacking in that prayer meeting.  But they were praying according to God’s will.  God still had plans for Peter’s ministry.  They were praying prayers that God wanted to answer.   John had just been killed.  Peter was important to them.   They may have been lacking faith, but surely they had passion.

Application:  It is powerful when my prayers align with God’s will!   As I pray, I need to be thinking about how Jesus would pray about what is on my heart or in my mind.  I need to remember that I will probably close my prayer with “in Jesus Name, Amen.”  If I am praying in His Name, I should be praying the prayers He would be praying.

Prayer:   Holy Spirit, lead me to pray prayers that align with the will of God.  Lead me to pray prayers that God wants to answer.    Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

October 19, 2015:  SOAP #2146:

Scripture:  Acts (NIV) 10:3 One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, “Cornelius!” 4 Cornelius stared at him in fear. “What is it, Lord?” he asked. The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God.  5 Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. 6 He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea.”

Observation:   God knew Peter’s location and He knew how to tell Cornelius where to find Peter!

Application:    If God has not answered my prayer, it is not because He does not know where I am.  He knows where I am and where I will be tomorrow morning and afternoon, and the next day, and the next…  If someone shows up unexpectedly, I need to keep in mind that they may have been sent by God.  The wrong number call may be someone who needs what God has given me for them.  The person waiting in line behind me may have been directed to the same line so that I can give them something from the Lord!

Prayer:   Lord, of course You know my location; You live inside me!  Today I expect You will send someone my way.  Find me faithful to speak on Your behalf.    Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

October 18, 2015:  SOAP #2145:

Scripture:  Acts (NIV) 9:1 Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. [Then 10 verses later we read:] 22 Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ. 23 After many days had gone by, the Jews conspired to kill him,

Observation:   What an amazing change.  He had been emotionally, physically, and intellectually committed to destroying what he saw as a threat to Judaism.  His encounter with the Lord on the road to Damascus was so powerful that he became emotionally, physically, and intellectually committed to Jesus as his Lord and Savior!  He became such an effective preacher that the Jews looked for a way to kill him!

Application:  The One who appeared to Saul, is my Lord.  He deserves my commitment too.

Prayer:   Lord, it is not just for people we read about in the pages of the Bible to be committed to you.  You, Who never change, are worthy of my wholehearted commitment too!     Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

October 17, 2015:  SOAP #2144:

Scripture:  Acts (NIV) 7:34 I have indeed seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their groaning and have come down to set them free. Now come, I will send you back to Egypt.’

Observation:   God did not tell Moses He was planning to do something about the suffering Israelites.  He did not say He would check it out.  He did not say he would send an angel.  He said, “I have seen; I have heard; and I am here!”

Application:   I can cry and plead in trying to make sure God understands what I am going through, but He has already seen; He has already heard; and He is already present!!!

Prayer:   Lord, as you promised, you have never left me nor forsaken me.  Your Presence is the one thing that is constant!  I can count on You!    Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

October 16, 2015:  SOAP #2143:

Scripture:  Acts (NIV) 5:18 They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. 19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out… 27 Having brought the apostles, they made them appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest.  28 “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.” 29 Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than men!”

Observation:  Whom should they obey?  –the ones who had them arrested and locked in jail OR the One who opened the jail doors in the night without arousing the guards, set them free, and told them “Go, stand in the temple courts and tell the people the full message of this new life.” (vs 19-20).  They were quick to respond; it did not take a lot of thinking!  They did not have to request a moment to discuss what they should do.  Without question, they had to obey God!

Application:  Whom should I obey?  Whom should I believe?  The more I know Him, the longer I serve Him, the more I understand how much He loves me—it does not take too much thought to answer that question!

Prayer:   Holy Spirit, help me put my commitment to you into action.  May my love for you be seen in my commitment to do your will!  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

October 15, 2015:  SOAP #2142:

Scripture:  Acts (NIV) 4:14 But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say… 16 “What are we going to do with these men?” they asked. “Everybody living in Jerusalem knows they have done an outstanding miracle, and we cannot deny it.

Observation:  They had crucified Jesus.  But this well-known lame man had just been healed in Jesus Name!  How could they argue with the obvious?  It was causing a stir among the people.  They could see the man who had been laying at the temple gate day after day for so many years.  Yet he was now healed.  Everyone in Jerusalem knew what had happened.  The religious leaders could not deny the facts.  Truth is reality!  They did not want to acknowledge the truth but the reality of what had happened was now standing before them.

Application:   Facts are hard to deal with especially when they go against our preconceived ideas.  Once people in general accepted that the unborn baby was just a mass of tissues that could be aborted without a second thought.  But now the truth/reality can be easily seen on videos of the developing human child in the womb.  Abortion is the murder of a human.  Planned Parenthood says that they will stop charging for the parts of the aborted babies, but donate them free of charge.  In so doing they are still acknowledging the value of human parts of humans.

Prayer:   Lord, when I am confronted with reality of Your Word, help me to accept it, embrace it, and let it align my thinking with truth.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

October 14, 2015:  SOAP #2141:

Scripture:  Psalm (NIV) 1:1 Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.  2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.  3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.

Observation:   I clearly remember the 30 minute ride from Dodge City, Kansas to our home in the small town of Bucklin.  I had just received my first pair of eye glasses.  It was amazing for me.  I could see things I had never seen before!  I remember commenting to my mom about the trees in a long line across the field from the road.  She told me they were growing along the Arkansas River that could not be seen.   But the evidence of the river could be seen from a far distance.

Application:   Delighting in God’s Word brings changes to my life—noticeable changes.  People near and far can see that God is doing something in Leon.  They may not know what has caused the changes, but there is visible evidence of an invisible Presence in my life.

Prayer:   Lord, I want the evidence of the river of your Spirit in my life to be evident to those who are close and those who are far away!   Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

October 13, 2015:  SOAP #2140

Scripture:  Nehemiah (NIV) 9:31 But in your great mercy you did not put an end to them or abandon them, for you are a gracious and merciful God. … 33 In all that has happened to us, you have been just; you have acted faithfully, while we did wrong. … 35 Even while they were in their kingdom, enjoying your great goodness to them in the spacious and fertile land you gave them, they did not serve you or turn from their evil ways.

Observation:  Nehemiah was leading those who had returned to their homeland in a prayer of repentance.  God is righteous and does what is right.  But the people had turned from Him even in their time of prosperity.  Today Nehemiah could call the citizens of the USA together and lead us in the same prayer.  We are in bondage to debt, to being invaded by open borders, to loss of respect in the world, to loss of jobs, to a dwindling work force, to crumbling infrastructure, to storms, to racial unrest…  Our history seems to parallel that of Israel in so many ways.  That is with one major exception—there was a future plan for Israel while I see no future plan for the USA in God’s plans.

Application:  But there is one thing for which God has future plans—the church!   If I want the promises of God’s protection and provision, I need to be a part of the church.  There are no boundaries of language, race, or nationality for the church.  Anyone can be a part of the church!  His promises for the church go through death into eternity.

Prayer:   Lord, the greatest privilege in the world is to be a part of your church!  You are the Head and we are the body!  With you living in us we are a continuation of your Person and Ministry in the world today!   Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

October 12, 2015:  SOAP #2139:

Scripture:  Acts (NIV) 1:6 So when they [the disciples with Jesus] met together, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Observation:  Jesus said, “I cannot tell you what you want to know, BUT I HAVE SOME BETTER NEWS!   You are going to be empowered by the Holy Spirit.  Your Holy Spirit empowered life will cause you to be my witness!”   Many people today are talking about end time prophecies.  There is a temptation to try to discover what Jesus specifically said was “not for you to know.”

Application:  I need to be content to leave the “times or dates” of end time prophecies in the Fathers care and set myself to live full of the Holy Spirit.   The closer I see we are to His return, the more I should set myself to be full of the Holy Spirit.

Prayer:   Lord, forgive me for not being more concerned about being filled with Your Holy Spirit than in knowing when you are coming back to earth.  If I am walking full of your Holy Spirit, I will be ready whenever the time comes.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!