January 31, 2017: SOAP #2616:  Exodus 28-29; Acts 7

Scripture:  Exodus (NIV) 29:40-46 Note: 40 With the first lamb offer a tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with a quarter of a hin of oil from pressed olives, and a quarter of a hin of wine as a drink offering.

Observation:  These were the components of the daily sacrifice offered EVERY morning and EVERY evening at the tabernacle of Moses and then at the temple.   Even on special days when special offerings were made, these daily offerings could not be neglected.
1.  The lamb for a consecration offering, all on the altar until completely burnt up.  Spoke of the sacrifice of ourselves to the Lord.
2.  Fine flour spoke of the Word, the bread of life.
3.  Flour to be mixed with oil which spoke of the Holy Spirit.
4.  The wine as a drink offering spoke of our praise and worship offered to the Lord for His pleasure.

Application:   Here is a good outline for my daily relationship with the Lord.  Even on special days like Sundays and holidays, this should be my daily practice.
1.  My whole day is His—everything I do and everything I say.
2.  The Word is a daily part of my life.
3.  The Holy Spirit is with me to apply the Word to my daily life.
4.  I continue through each day with praise coming from a heart of worship.

Prayer:    Heavenly Father, today my I please you as I live my life as a daily offering. Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

January 30, 2017: SOAP #2615:  Exodus 25-27; Acts 6

Scripture:  Acts (NIV) 6:8 Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people. 9 Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called)—Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia. These men began to argue with Stephen, 10 but they could not stand up against his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke.

Observation:   The ministry of Jesus continued.  Like Jesus, Stephen did “wonders and miraculous signs.”  And like Jesus, those arguing with Stephen “could not stand up against his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke.”  Jesus had promised that His followers would do the same works and have the same Holy Spirit as He had.  (John 14:12)

Application:  The church continues today.  The same Holy Spirit continues to indwell the church today.   The ministry of Jesus continues today.  No one can live the life of Leon except Leon.  No one can live the life of Jesus except Jesus.  Since I cannot duplicate Jesus myself, I must let Jesus be Jesus in me.  While on earth, Jesus lived a life full of the Holy Spirit.  Being full of the Holy Spirit—that made Stephen like Jesus—that is my only hope of being like Jesus.

Prayer:   Holy Spirit, live in me as you lived in Jesus.  Live in me as you lived in Stephen.  Make me like Jesus.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

January 29, 2017: SOAP #2614:  Exodus 23-24; Psalm 14; Acts 5

Scripture:  Acts (NIV) 5:16 Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by evil spirits, and all of them were healed.

Observation:   If someone had read the above scripture to me and asked me who was doing the healing, I would have answered, “Jesus.”  I would have thought it was a verse from the gospels about Jesus ministry.  But a look at the reference shows it is from the book of Acts, and after the Day of Pentecost which took place AFTER Jesus had left the earth.  This verse is about the ministry of the apostles.

Application:   I am looking forward to the day when the above verse can be written again about the church.  Like the early apostles, I need to be excited about Jesus.  I need to be expecting His soon return.  I need to be familiar with the scriptures.  I need to be full of the Holy Spirit.

Prayer:   Holy Spirit, keep me excited about Jesus.  May I be looking for His return today.  Give me a fresh anointing every day and keep the scriptures always in my thoughts.  Then do through me as You desire.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

January 28, 2017: SOAP #2613:  Exodus 21-22; Psalm 12; Acts 4

Scripture:  Acts (NIV) 4:24 When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in them.  25 You spoke by the Holy Spirit… 27 Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed.  28 They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. 29 Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.  30 Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”  31 After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

Observation:  Their prayer pleased God and He answered in a powerful way.  The prayer did not begin with an explanation of the need and how they were being oppressed.  It began with the greatness of their Sovereign and Creator God!  They referred to the God who speaks, and what He had said.   The terrible things done to Jesus had worked to accomplish God’s plan.   Now these same leaders were threatening the disciples.  They wanted to be as faithful as Jesus in speaking truth and doing healings and miracles.

Application:   Starting my prayers with the greatness of God builds my faith that He is able to answer my prayers.  Knowing God’s work and speaking it in my prayers, lets Him know that it is important to me and helps me know what to expect from Him.

Prayer:   Heavenly Father, I know that my prayers do not inform you of things about which you have no knowledge.  May my prayers build my faith. Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

January 27, 2017: SOAP #2612:  Exodus 17-20; Acts 3

Scripture:  Acts (NIV) 3:2 Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. 3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money.  4 Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!”  5 So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them. 6 Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.”  7 Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong.  8 He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God.

Observation:   This man was hoping for charity/money.  When he had the attention of Peter and John, he expected to receive some money from them.  But what he received was so much more!   The healing power of the Holy Spirit released by the name of “Jesus Christ of Nazareth,” changed the whole life of this crippled beggar.

Application:   I wonder how many people have asked me for food or money, and that was all they received.  A lack of money or food should never be an indication that I have nothing to give them.

Prayer:   Holy Spirit, help me not to forget that you are with me.  You have resources that far surpass my limited supplies.  Help me give from your resources.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

January 26, 2017: SOAP #2611:  Exodus 14-16; Acts 2

Scripture:  Acts (NIV) 2:1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.  2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.  3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.  4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

Observation:   This would not have been a day to miss the gathering of believers.  It had been ten days since Jesus had ascended into heaven leaving them the instructions to wait in Jerusalem.  During those ten days, they had taken care of business by electing another apostle to take the place of Judas.  I wonder if any thought they were wasting time and had gone home.  But on the day of Pentecost, those who were present were glad they had stayed.  I am sure of it!!!

Application:  When God is moving among His people, when His presence is very noticeable, I often look around to see who is missing.   I know of people who have asked me to pray for them as they are going through such a hard time.  They should have been there, but some excuse kept them away.   They are missing what would have been a tremendous blessing.

Prayer:   Holy Spirit, hold me steady when I get impatient.  Help me to be faithful where You have placed me in your church.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

January 25, 2017: SOAP #2610:  Exodus 12-13; Psalm 21; Acts 1

Scripture:  Acts (NIV) 1:8 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.”  9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

Observation:    Yesterday the Lord drew my attention to the last action Jesus performed as He was leaving earth. (Luke 24:50)   He blest those gathered with Him.  Here in the beginning of the book of Acts, which Luke also wrote, we have the last promise the Lord gave.  Someone would be coming from Heaven to take His place.  He had previously told them about the Holy Spirit.  When He left, they were to wait in Jerusalem until they had received the promise. (Acts 1:4)

Application:   I need to value what Jesus valued.  What was important to Him, should be important to me.  If His last promise was to experience the Presence of the Holy Spirit, it should be my priority to be walking every day with an awareness of His Presence!

Prayer:   Jesus, I call you Lord; what you say is important to me!  Holy Spirit, Jesus promised I would receive power to be His witness when you come upon me.  Let it be true today, I pray.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

January 24, 2017: SOAP #2609:  Exodus 9-11; Luke 24

Scripture:  Luke (NIV) 24:50 When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them.  51 While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven.

Observation:  Jesus had completed His earth assignment.  He had finished what His Father had sent Him to do.  So, what is His last act on earth as He is returning to heaven?   He blesses the people gathered around him.

Application:  What an appropriate, Christ-like action to take when leaving people.  When the purpose of the time together has been accomplished and the time comes to move on, how appropriate to leave a blessing.

Prayer:   Holy Spirit, remind me when the time is appropriate to leave a blessing.  Then guide my words in giving a blessing that will comfort, encourage and uplift the hearers.  May they be truly blest.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

January 23, 2017: SOAP #2608:  Exodus 6-8; Luke 23

Scripture:  Exodus (NIV) 7:3 But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and though I multiply my miraculous signs and wonders in Egypt, 4 he will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and with mighty acts of judgment I will bring out my divisions, my people the Israelites.  5 And the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out of it.”

Observation:  God was preparing to bring Israel out of Egypt to the land He had promised them (Note: Exodus 6:4-8).  There were two nations that interested Him.  Of course, Israel was one.  But the other was Egypt.  The Egyptians were important to Him.  He wanted them to know His omnipotent power.  He was greater than the gods of the Egyptians.  When Israel left, the Bible tells us that some Egyptians accompanied them.

Application:  Many of the things I encounter in life have a dual purpose.  God is working in my life as my faith, patience, and endurance grow through the trials.  But God is also interested in those around me.  He wants them to see my faith as I hold steady in the troubled waters.  He wants them to see His deliverance in my life.

Prayer:   Heavenly Father, you are at work in and through my life.  I want that all your purposes for today be realized in me.   Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

January 22, 2017: SOAP #2607:  Exodus 3-5; Luke 22

Scripture:  Exodus (NIV) 3:7 The LORD said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. 8 So I have come down to rescue them… 9 And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them.  10 So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.”

Observation:    Again and again, God, who is all seeing and all knowing, reassures Moses, and later the Israelites, that He has heard their prayers, He has seen their misery, He is concerned, and He is doing something about it.

Application:   I believe that God is omniscient (all knowing).  I believe that He sees everything.  I believe that He hears every conversation, even those from which I am excluded.  When I am excluded, He goes with me—He also remains behind to hear what is said.  I believe He loves me and works all things for my good.

Prayer:   Heavenly Father, Although my circumstances may seem to be against me, how can I worry when I know You are for me!    Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!