July 31, 2016: SOAP #2432: Isaiah 63-64; John 2

Scripture: Isaiah (NIV) 64:3 For when you did awesome things that we did not expect, you came down, and the mountains trembled before you. 4 Since ancient times no-one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him. 5 You come to the help of those who gladly do right, who remember your ways. But when we continued to sin against them, you were angry. How then can we be saved?

Observation: Isaiah was praying to Israel’s God. He was speaking the obvious. God is unique; there is no other god like Him. There is no other god who worked for the good of its followers.   If Isaiah understood how God’s benevolence worked for the good of Israel in his day—how much more eloquently would Isaiah have written after the death and resurrection of Jesus!!!

Application: Satan is not working for my good. He destroys people who carry God’s image—even unborn children! He tries to influence me to speak and act against God. He uses me to express his hatred of God.   But my God loves me! He served me by sending His Son to die for my sins! He still serves me. He still acts on my behalf!

Prayer:   Heavenly Father, I am amazed when I stop to consider how blest I am that you are my God! You have faithfully served me, unworthy though I am. I want to faithfully serve you, worthy you are! Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

July 30, 2016: SOAP #2431: Isaiah 60-62; John 1

Scripture: Isaiah (NIV) 61:8 “For I, the LORD, love justice; I hate robbery and iniquity. In my faithfulness I will reward them and make an everlasting covenant with them.

Observation:  The LORD is speaking of how He is going to bless Israel. And in the middle of it all, He says something about Himself. He reveals His own character. The LORD loves justice; He hates robbery and iniquity.

Application: As it is a priority in my life to know God, not just know about Him, verses in which He reveals Himself are very important. I do not just want to know what He does, I want to know why He does it. (Like Moses in Psalm 103:7.)   If I better know why He does what He does, I will better be able to make choices that please Him. Knowing that the LORD loves justice, gives me understanding in how I should respond to injustice around me. When I take a stand with someone who has suffered injustice, I can expect the blessing of the LORD’s approval.

Prayer:   Holy Spirit, make me aware of injustice. May I truly love justice. Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

July 29, 2016: SOAP #2430: Isaiah 57-59; Psalm 103; 2Peter 3

Scripture: Isaiah (NIV) 57:15 For this is what the high and lofty One says—he who lives forever, whose name is holy: “I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.

Observation: God has a heavenly address and an earthly address. In Heaven He lives in an exalted and holy place. On earth, He lives with the lowly and those who acknowledge and confess their sins.

Application: Pride is contrary to the nature of God. Pride is one of the expressions of Satan’s nature. I must be careful to not let pride have a place in my life. Pride is a form of self-worship. And there is only one worthy of worship.

Prayer:   Heavenly Father, you alone are worthy of worship. May I always see my place in thankful humility at your feet.   Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

July 28, 2016: SOAP #2429: Isaiah 53-56; 2Peter 2

Scripture: Isaiah (NIV) 53:10 Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.

Observation: What a striking prophetic comment about Jesus. “The will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.”   God’s plan for the salvation of man would move forward. Jesus would not shrink back from the suffering and ridicule of those around Him. Salvation’s plan would be in good hands!   And as one reads the gospels, this was proved to be true!

Application: What a worthy goal for my life today: that the will of the LORD will prosper in my hand. He may have something big for me to do, or very small. The size of the project makes no difference. Everyone may see it, or no one may see it. It makes no difference; He sees it!

Prayer:   Holy Spirit, help me to bring joy to my Heavenly Father as His will prospers in my life. Be it one giant step or one baby step, may His purpose for my life move forward today. Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

July 27, 2016: SOAP #2428: Isaiah 50-52; 2Peter 1

Scripture: 2Peter (NIV) 1:20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. 21 For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

Observation: Prophecy is forth-telling. It is giving forth what God is saying. Some prophecy is fore-telling, or telling ahead of time what is going to happen. Prophecy was men speaking or writing “from God” what they heard the Holy Spirit speaking in their hearts. Many times I have received encouragement or direction as people spoke to me “from God.” God has specifically spoken to me through Bible reading, listening to a sermon, hearing a song, listening as someone prayed for me, receiving a verse of scripture that someone thought I should have, and others. Sometimes the one speaking had no idea that they were delivering a message “from God” to Leon.

Application: The scriptures have been completed, but God still speaks. The better I know the Bible, the better I will be able to recognize how He speaks and what He is saying today. I want God to entrust me with His word that I can pass along words “from God.”

Prayer:   Holy Spirit, use me to speak “from God” to someone today. Put something in my spirit that I can pass along to someone nearby. Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

July 26, 2016: SOAP #2427: Isaiah 46-49; 1Peter 5

Scripture: 1Peter (NIV) 5:5 Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility towards one another, because, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.

Observation: If you are looking for an ally, there is no better ally than God. If you want to avoid turning anyone into an enemy, be sure to avoid turning God into your enemy! That would be a major mistake! God becomes the opponent of the proud, and we all know who is going to win that struggle! But to the humble God gives grace. The humble will not need to exalt himself, God will do it in due time.

Application: The greatest expression of humility is when the Creator of the universe humbled Himself, took our sins as His own and died as a sinner on a cross. It is understandable that humility is a characteristic that gets God’s attention.

Prayer:   Holy Spirit, convict me when pride starts creeping into my life. Remind me that my example is the humble Jesus. Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

July 25, 2016: SOAP #2426: Isaiah 43-45; 1Peter 4

Scripture: Isaiah (NIV) 43:16 This is what the LORD says—he who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters, 17 who drew out the chariots and horses, the army and reinforcements together, and they lay there, never to rise again, extinguished, snuffed out like a wick: 18 “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. 19 See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.

Observation: What great things God did for Israel! We enjoy reading about them in the Old Testament. We enjoy reading about God’s hand at work in the establishing of the nation of Israel in 1948. It would be a shame to miss what God is doing today! Fields of fruit and vegetables growing in the desert. Amazing victories as they held off invading enemies. God uses Israel today to show the world that He is still very much interested in man and what is happening on the earth!

Application: The same God at work in Israel is at work in Leon. I too can look back at my history and see how the hand of God moved on my behalf. I enjoy sharing the testimonies. But I should not dwell on the past. God is still at work in my life. He is continually doing new things. It should cause me concern when I run out of current testimonies.

Prayer:   Heavenly Father, thank you for what you have done in my past, but I want to live my life expecting you to be involved in my daily life. May my testimonies be current! Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

July 24, 2016: SOAP #2425: Isaiah 40-42; 1Peter 3

Scripture: Isaiah (NIV) 41:14 Do not be afraid, O worm Jacob, O little Israel, for I myself will help you,” declares the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.

Observation: God gave Israel a reason not to be afraid. It was not because they were so strong. It was not because God was going to raise up a mighty army to defend them. It was not because God was going to send an angel, or a band of angels to protect them. It was because God, Almighty Himself was going to help them!

Application: Today, I need not be afraid because of the same reason. The God who promised to help them, lives in my life! I can trust His counsel because He is omniscient! I can trust His protection because He is omnipotent! I can trust His continued presence because He is omnipresent! I can trust His love because He died for me!

Prayer:   Heavenly Father, I am honored to have your presence in my life seven days each week and twenty-four hours every day! Today I want that truth to accompany every thought that crosses my mind. Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

July 23, 2016: SOAP #2424: 2Kings 20; Isaiah 38-39; Psalm 75; 1Peter 2

Scripture: Psalm (NIV) 75:6 No-one from the east or the west or from the desert can exalt a man. 7 But it is God who judges: He brings one down, he exalts another.

Observation: God, Who has the present and all eternity at His disposal will fully and finally put everyone in their proper place. But in many cases, we see God rearranging people structures today. It is important to remember that God can move people both up and down!

Application: Knowing this truth, helps me in several ways. First, I need to apply myself to my current position with all my heart. I should work worthy of God’s approval and of promotion. People should not be surprised when I am promoted. Second, since promotion comes from God, I can trust Him who loves me to set me in the place that is best for me and will bring Him the most glory. Third, if people do not give me the promotion I think I am due, I must remind myself that I am not working for them, but for God. Fourth, should I be demoted, I must remember that my Boss has not changed, neither has my purpose to bring Him glory!

Prayer:   Heavenly Father, I am working for you! You are my ultimate Overseer, Authority, Boss, and Promoter. I trust you.   Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

July 22, 2016: SOAP #2423: Isaiah 36-37; Psalm 76; 1Peter 1

Scripture: Psalm (NIV) 76:1 In Judah God is known; his name is great in Israel. 2 His tent is in Salem, his dwelling-place in Zion.

Observation: It is good to be in a place where God is known, where His name is respected. It is good to be in a place that is known as His dwelling place.   Oh, how I would like to see the above verses written about the United States of America. There may have been a time, but God and His principles are being pushed out of our government, our military, our hospitals, and even many of our churches.

Application: But the only place in which I can make sure God is known, is in my life and my home. I can set my heart and mind as a place where God feels at home. I can make Him welcome in my life and live in a way that makes Him and those around me know that I count it a great honor to have Him living in me.

Prayer:   Heavenly Father, it is my great honor to have your Holy Spirit taking up permanent residence in my life. I pray that it will be a joy to you. Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!