May 21, 2016: SOAP #2361: 1Kings 7; 2Chronicles 4; Psalm 98; Romans 2

Scripture: Psalm (NIV) 98:4 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music; … 7 Let the sea resound, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it. 8 Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy; 9 let them sing before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity.

Observation: As he encouraged universal praise to God, the psalmist included the earth itself. Anyone who has walked on the sands of the seashore can testify of the never-ending crescendo as the waves break over the shore. Anyone who has walked on the riverbank as the river meanders in the channel cut through the flat lands or considered the powerful and noisy flow through a canyon can testify that God receives His praise from nature. Anyone who has climbed through the trees standing stately on the side of a mountain and heard the wind moaning through their branches or stood above the tree line on the peak and heard the wind howling across the mountain tops—anyone who has heard the eagle scream, or the new-born robin’s tweet in its nest as it waits for its mother to bring its next meal—and on and on it goes. Everyone has witnessed the praise creation gives its Creator!   All of creation was created for God’s glory and gives praise to God!

Application: How much more should I who can see, and think, and understand, and speak—how much more should I use my voice to praise God. He is not only my Creator; He is my Savior!  He not only sees me in the big picture, He makes me the big picture! He personally treats me as though I am important!

Prayer:    Heavenly Father, I am humbled as I consider who you are and how much you love me! What can I do for you today? I will join my praise with the praise of all nature that surrounds me. Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

May 20, 2016: SOAP #2360: 1Kings 6; 2Chronicles 3; Psalm 97; Romans 1

Scripture: 1Kings (NIV) 6:19 He prepared the inner sanctuary within the temple to set the ark of the covenant of the LORD there. 20 The inner sanctuary was twenty cubits long, twenty wide and twenty high. He overlaid the inside with pure gold, and he also overlaid the altar of cedar. 21 Solomon covered the inside of the temple with pure gold, and he extended gold chains across the front of the inner sanctuary, which was overlaid with gold. 22 So he overlaid the whole interior with gold. He also overlaid with gold the altar that belonged to the inner sanctuary.

Observation: King Solomon was building the temple that his father, King David, had wanted to build. When God told David that Solomon was to do the building, so David prepared by gathering everything needed to make the temple the most beautiful building in the world. The most beautiful part of the temple was the place where the ark of the covenant would be set. Everything in the inner sanctuary was overlaid with pure gold!

Application: The God who had Solomon make a temple in which He would dwell among His people now lives in me!   Since Jesus, through His blood sacrificed on Calvary, cleansed my heart, God has made my heart His dwelling. My heart is the inner sanctuary of my life. God desires that my human heart which is subject to the temptations of greed and selfishness and hatred be transformed and covered with the gold of His character, with His love and holiness.

Prayer:    Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary, pure and holy, tried and true. With thanksgiving I’ll be a living sanctuary for You. Cover the inside of my sanctuary with the gold of your character. Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

May 19, 2016: SOAP #2359: 1Kings 4, 5; 2Chronicles 2; Psalm 101; 2Thes 3

Scripture: 1Kings (NIV) 4:29 God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore. 30 Solomon’s wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the men of the East, and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt. 31 He was wiser than any other man, including Ethan the Ezrahite—wiser than Heman, Calcol and Darda, the sons of Mahol. And his fame spread to all the surrounding nations. 32 He spoke three thousand proverbs and his songs numbered a thousand and five. 33 He described plant life, from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of walls. He also taught about animals and birds, reptiles and fish. 34 Men of all nations came to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, sent by all the kings of the world, who had heard of his wisdom.

Observation: Solomon had asked God for wisdom. God was pleased with his request. In fact, God was so pleased that He went to extraordinary limits to show just how He can answer a prayer with which He is pleased.

Application: I need to pray prayers from God’s point of view. I need to consider what He thinks about a situation, what would best please Him, then I should pray accordingly.

Prayer:   Holy Spirit, guide me in praying prayers that are pleasing to my Heavenly Father. You know Him so much better than I do. I need your guidance in coming before him in prayer.   Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

May 18, 2016: SOAP #2358: 1Kings 3; 2Chron 1; Psalm 78; 2Thess 2

Scripture: 1Kings (NIV) 3:9 So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?” 10 The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. 11 So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, 12 I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. 13 Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for— both riches and honor—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings.

Observation: Solomon did not pray for the things one might expect; he prayed for wisdom. He prayed for wisdom to discern between right and wrong. He prayed for a heart that would recognize how to govern God’s people. To please God in prayer is greatly to the advantage of the one praying. When God was pleased with Solomon’s request, He showed Himself to be extremely generous.

Application: From this prayer I see that I have the potential to please God in my praying. Prayers for myself should be aligned with how God desires to use me in His kingdom. I should reject the temptation to make selfish requests.

Prayer:    Holy Spirit, make me useful. Continue working in my heart and on my abilities to improve my service. Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

May 17, 2016: SOAP #2357: 1Kings 2: 1Chron 29; Psalm 95; 2Thess 1

Scripture: 1Chronicles (NIV) 29:14 “But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand. 15 We are aliens and strangers in your sight, as were all our forefathers. Our days on earth are like a shadow, without hope. 16 O LORD our God, as for all this abundance that we have provided for building you a temple for your Holy Name, it comes from your hand, and all of it belongs to you.

Observation: This prayer comes from the grateful heart of King David. The people had just given a super generous offering in preparations for the building of the temple. They had given gold, silver, bronze, iron, and precious stones. David realized that the reason the people could be so generous was because God had been so generous to them. They were only given what God had given them. It had belonged to God before they received it; it had belonged to God when it was in their hand; now it belongs to God because they had given it.

Application: What a joy to give. God provides for us both to live and to give. We can be thankful that we have sufficient to live. But it is extra special that God is letting us enjoy giving.

Prayer:    Heavenly Father, like David, we know that all we have comes from you. We can only give what we have received from you. We pray that you find us faithful with what you entrust to us. Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

May 16, 2016: SOAP #2356: 1Kings 1: 1Chron 28; Psalm 91; 1Thes 5

Scripture: Psalm (NIV) 91:14 “Because he loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. 15 He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. 16 With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

Observation: It is right and good to serve God, but He longs to be loved. Those who love Him, reach His heart. He has special blessings for those who love him.

Application: My goal. Making God know that I love Him. Living my life in a way that brings joy to His heart. Doing things that make Him smile. Acknowledging His presence throughout the day to those around me.

Prayer:   Heavenly Father, oh how you love me! I am amazed by your great love. What an amazing honor to be loved by you. What a joy and privilege to love You! Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

May 15, 2016: SOAP #2355: 1Chronicles 25-27; 1Thessalonians 4

Scripture: 1Thessalonians (NIV) 4:9 Now about brotherly love we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other.

Observation: As Paul was encouraging the Thessalonians in several matters, he comments that they do well in the area of “brotherly love.” He notes that in this area they have been “taught by God.”   When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, and His Spirit comes to live in our hearts, we learn so much. Even those who do not have a Bible to read find that the Holy Spirit impresses His holy and loving character to be expressed through their lives. They become inclined to be loving. They feel stressed in their hearts when they go contrary to God’ holy ways. When a Bible is available, wherever they read they find something that applies to their lives.

Application: I have had many good teachers, but the Holy Spirit is without equal in being my best Teacher. What He teaches always applies to my life. He makes the lessons clear and shows me how to live out the truth. I do not have to go to a school or wait for classes to start. My teacher is always with me. He does not have a curriculum, but teaches me what I need to know when I need to know it. He helps me remember what I heard or read earlier. He is the perfect teacher!

Prayer:   Jesus, as you promised, you sent the Holy Spirit to be my teacher and to help me remember what You have said. You knew how much I would need His help. Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

May 14, 2016: SOAP #2354: 1Chronicles 22-24; 1Thessalonians 3

Scripture: 1Thessalonians (NIV) 3:11 Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come to you. 12 May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. 13 May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.

Observation: How does Paul pray for those he loves? He prays that he will have opportunity to visit them again. He prays that they will love others as he loves them. He prays not for them to have it easy, but for them to be strong. He prays not for blessing in this present life, but right standing with God when Jesus comes for them.

Application: So often my prayers for those I love is for things to go well in this life. I desire for them a pain free, trouble free life. I could be praying for their eternal life which will never end, but I only pray for this present life which will soon end. Hmmm.

Prayer:   Holy Spirit, remind me to pray with eternity in view. Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

May 12, 2016: SOAP #2352: 2Sam 24; 1Chron 21; Ps 30; 1Thess 2

Scripture: 1Thessalonians 2:18 For we wanted to come to you—certainly I, Paul, did, again and again—but Satan stopped us.

Observation: It was not others who were trying to convince Paul that he should make another visit, but Paul, himself, who greatly desired to visit them again. Although Paul does not go into the specifics as to how he was stopped, yet he clearly gives Satan credit. Various translations give it “stopped,” or “hindered,” or “blocked.”

Satan, who was actively involved in the garden tempting Eve, was actively involved in keeping Paul from another visit to Thessalonica. However, although Paul could not visit them in person, he did write this letter. And though we would have had very little information about what he would have said during such a visit, we do have every thought preserved in this letter. Wow! Paul’s visit would have ministered to those living in Thessalonica in the first century, but Paul’s letter ministers to Leon in the 21^st century! This is just another example that what the Devil meant for evil, God can use for eternal good!

Application: Satan is not omnipresent, so he cannot be present in more than one place at a time. But there are many demons who do his bidding and carry out his attack on God’s children. Many times I have experienced things that Satan meant for evil turned to good by God’s over riding power and authority!

Prayer:   Heavenly Father, it is a great privilege to serve you, the most powerful being in all of the universe. You take broken plans and work them out for my good and your glory! Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

May 12, 2016: SOAP #2352: 2Samuel 21-23; 1Thessalonians 1

Scripture: 2Samuel (NIV) 22:1 David sang to the LORD the words of this song when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. 2 He said: “The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; …

Observation: This song of David is also found in the Jewish song book, the book of Psalms, chapter 18. David had reasons to sing! He had reasons to praise God. In the first verse of the song, there are three personal reasons!   1. The LORD was David’s rock. He was the firm foundation on which David stood.   2. The LORD was David’s fortress. He was the place of safety where David lived. He was the wall around David.   3. The LORD was David’s deliverer. David might have been fighting but he knew the battle belonged to the LORD.

Application: Jehovah, the Creator God, is also Leon’s Foundation, Leon’s dwelling place of safety, and Leon’s Defender and Deliverer! Leon has as many reasons to sing praises to God as did David!

Prayer:   Heavenly Father, you are worthy of my praise! To you belongs all the glory. You are not just God, you are Leon’s God! Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!