July 21, 2017: SOAP #2787: 2Kings 18-19; 2Chronicles 32; James 5

Scripture:  2Kings (NIV) 18:5 Hezekiah trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. There was no-one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him.
6 He held fast to the LORD and did not cease to follow him; he kept the commands the LORD had given Moses.
7 And the LORD was with him; he was successful in whatever he undertook.  …

Observation:   What a special phrase to describe King Hezekiah: “He held fast to the Lord.”   To me that says in good times and bad times Hezekiah did what brought joy to the Lord.  It says that the Lord’s point of view was priority with Hezekiah.  He did not look back to evaluate how things had gone and asked himself, “I wonder what God would have done.” Before he started he asked, “Lord, what would you have me do?”   To me it says, he did not let things entice him to take an easier way.  His advisors could not convince him that there was a better way than the Lord’s way.  His desire to please the Lord held off temptations to do other than the Lord’s will.

Application: “Hold fast to the Lord!”  That is the way I want to live each day.

Prayer:   Heavenly Father, to hold fast to you is the way I want to live my life.  But I am convinced that my success will be because you held fast to me! Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

July 20, 2017: SOAP #2786: 2Chronicles 29-31; James 4

Scripture:  James (NIV) 4:4 You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred towards God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.
5 Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely?

Observation:   The Holy Spirit has perfect understanding of what Jesus sacrificed for us in leaving heaven to be born as a baby, to live without sin and to die for the sins of man.  He knows the pain that was in the Father’s heart when the Son suffered.  So, when people who have been born again and in whom the Holy Spirit dwells—when God’s children turn their attention to the things of the world and give more time to the things of the world than the things of God…surely it grieves the Holy Spirit.  He is jealous for God the Father!  He is jealous for Jesus!  He “envies intensely!”

Application:  I want Jesus to be always first in my life, not just on Sundays and not just when I am having my devotional time.  Jesus is to be first every day, all day.  Throughout the day, I am to carry on a conversation with Jesus in my thoughts if not with spoken words.  When my thoughts are applied to other things, I can ask myself, “How does Jesus see this?”  I want Him to make me conscious of His presence…but I realize that I must keep myself conscious of His presence!

Prayer:   Holy Spirit, put in my life your passion for loving the Heavenly Father and Jesus the Son.  Speak to me when I give too much time to the world.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

July 19, 2017: SOAP #2785: 2Kings 17; 2Chronicles 28; Psalm 46; James 3

Scripture:  James (NIV) 3:13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.

Observation:  Wisdom and understanding are two characteristics that are not boastfully proclaimed by those who possess them.  Yet they are easily recognized by others.   Wisdom and understanding are seen in the way a person lives their life, conducts their business and the way they treat other people.  Wisdom and understanding naturally lead to humility.

Application:  The source of all wisdom and understanding is God.  When He gives me wisdom and understanding, the logical response is to give Him the glory and walk in humility.  True wisdom understands that there is no place for pride.

Prayer:   Heavenly Father, you are so generous to share your wisdom with me.  You know better than I how much I need your input.  Thank you for understanding me and my needs. Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

July 18, 2017: SOAP #2784: Isaiah 32-35; James 2   

Scripture:  James (NIV) 2:26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

Observation:  Life in a body is easily recognized.  If they are moving, if they are talking, if they are breathing, if they have a pulse (heart beat)—they are alive!

According to James, it is just as easy to identify faith.  We may not be able to properly describe faith, but it is not difficult to determine if faith is alive or dead.  Evidence of faith is seeable!
Application:  There are ways to determine the presence of life.  When I finished Navy boot camp, I was sent to Balboa Naval Hospital for training as a Hospital Corpsman.  Although we never had a class on “life” we were carefully instructed on the vital signs of life.  The two we were able to easily identify were pulse and breath.  Were they breathing and was their heart beating.  We could breath for them and could compress their heart to circulate the blood.  A third vital sign is to check for brain waves, but it takes a special recorder to identify the waves and record them on paper.  Those readers are available in hospitals, but were not available to company corpsmen in Viet Nam, nor were they on the three Navy ships where I served.

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, I pray that my faith will be as easily seen as the life in my physical body.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

July 17, 2017: SOAP #2783: Isaiah 29-31; James 1

Scripture:  Isaiah (NIV) 29:15 Woe to those who go to great depths to hide their plans from the LORD, who do their work in darkness and think, “Who sees us? Who will know?”
16 You turn things upside down, as if the potter were thought to be like the clay! Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, “He did not make me”? Can the pot say of the potter, “He knows nothing”?

Observation:   Isaiah was writing to people who are like many people today.  How foolish it would be for a piece of pottery to claim that the potter did not make it.  It sits on the shelf above the potter’s wheel next to the supply of clay on the floor.  The marks of the potter’s fingers can be seen in the pottery, yet the pottery claims the potter had nothing to do with its creation.

Application:  It is about the same as people who claim that God did not create them.  Man is made in God’s image, but man looks everywhere but to God for evidence that may indicate how he was created.  They follow one theory after another that might explain how man came to be on this earth.  They run away from even considering that God created man in His image.  If they accept that as truth, they will be required to answer to Him for how they lived their lives.

Prayer:   Heavenly Father, what an honor and privilege to be your creation and to carry your image.  I was created for your glory, to bring you pleasure.  Today that is my goal, to make you smile.    Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

July 16, 2017: SOAP #2782: Isaiah 25-28; Hebrews 13

Scripture:  Isaiah (NIV) 26:12 LORD, you establish peace for us; all that we have accomplished you have done for us.
13 O LORD, our God, other lords besides you have ruled over us, but your name alone do we honor.

Observation:   How proper it is for us to recognize God’s part in all we accomplish in life.  His is the breath we breathe.  His is the strength we used for the task.  The brain and physical parts of our body used in the accomplishment were His design and creation.  He deserves the credit and glory for all our accomplishments.

Application:  How good it is when we learn this truth early in life.  “All that WE have accomplished YOU have done for us.”  This is why we tithe.  We give a tenth representing the whole. In so doing we recognize that it all comes from Him!   This why the most logical thing for us to do is to serve Him as LORD!

Living life with this concept protects me against becoming conceited and arrogant.  It keeps me humble and use-able.

Prayer:   Heavenly Father, I appreciate you and the way I can draw upon your strength and wisdom.  What a wonderful privilege is mine today to be one in whom you dwell and one through whom you can accomplish your will.  May my limitations and weaknesses become opportunities for you to receive even more glory.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

July 15, 2017: SOAP #2781: Isaiah 22-24; Hebrews 12

Scripture:  Hebrews (NIV) 12:5 And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, 6 because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.” 7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?

Observation:  Someone said, God loves me just the way I am, but He loves me too much to let me stay that way.  He loves us as his children.  We understand a father desires the best for his children.  He loves them and wants to see them succeed.  He teaches and trains them to be prepared for what they will face in life.

Application:  My claim to be God’s child, obviously implies I expect God to treat me as my Father.  I want Him to use His wisdom and understanding of the future to prepare me for fruitful service.  My future is not as long as it once was.  Yet He is still working on me.  May His work in me bring Him much glory.

Prayer:   Heavenly Father, with your skillful loving hands, continue to shape me for even more future fruitful ministry. Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

July 14, 2017: SOAP #2780: Isaiah 19-21; Hebrews 11

Scripture:  Hebrews (NIV) 11:17 By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, 18 even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.”
19 Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death.

Observation:  By faith we stand beside the casket holding the body of one dear to our hearts, and rejoice through our tears.  Parting is temporary for those in whom Christ dwells.  It hurts, but there is a joy that is deeper, much deeper.  We will meet again!  The sorrow bubbles to the top, but underneath is a deep settled joy.  Underneath the joy is our faith!  And the foundation for our faith is none other than Jesus Christ.

Faith is that mental confidence in something we cannot prove.  Faith is that anchor that holds us steady in the midst of pain and sorrow.

Application:  Three things I have found that cause my faith to grow.  The first is reading God’s Word.  The second is taking a look at the world around me.  The intricacies and the immensities of creation working together!   The third is acting on my faith.  As I see God responding to the little steps of faith I take, I am encouraged to take a little bigger step.

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, the more I know you and about you, the easier it is to have faith in you.  The more I see you at work in creation, the easier it is to have faith in you.  And the more I step out in faith and find you filling in the things I could never provide, the easier it is to have faith in you!  Faith is logical!   Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

July 13, 2017: SOAP #2779: Isaiah 15-18; Hebrews 10

Scripture:  Hebrews (NIV) 10:32 Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you stood your ground in a great contest in the face of suffering.
33 Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times, you stood side by side with those who were so treated.
34 You sympathized with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions.

Observation:   The author of this letter to Jewish believers reminded them of their first days as Christians.  Their faith had been solid and withstood persecution, suffering and insults.  When others were persecuted, they stood with them, even when they were in prison.

One important aspect of being a Christian is how one looks at possessions.  The possessions awaiting them beyond the grave was so valuable that they “joyfully accepted” the loss of their possessions this side of the grave.
Application:  When it comes to possessions, I must keep my focus on eternity.  Like Nate Saint said, “He is not fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”

Prayer:   Holy Spirit, help me invest earthly possessions to gain eternal souls. Help me see the eternal value possible in my earthly possessions.   Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

July 12, 2017: SOAP #2778: Isaiah 11-14; Hebrews 9

Scripture:  Hebrews (NIV) 9:27 Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28 so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

Observation:   Just as all men are destined to die and stand before God in judgment, so Christ came and died.  Christ alone died without sin.  He died for the sins of others.  He returned from the grave alive and returned to His Father in victory!  But that is not the end!   Not even close to the end!  He will come “a second time!” His second coming will not be to die for sin, but to rescue those who have been and are trusting in Him!

Application:  In reading about the last days in the Bible, I find many references to Israel and the surrounding nations.  In watching the news, I find many stories about Israel and the surrounding nations.  Jesus second coming appears to be soon.  I must be ready!  This is not the time to put off until tomorrow what I should do today!

Prayer:   Lord Jesus, I confess my sins and ask you to forgive me and cleanse me from all unrighteousness. (1John 1:9)   I want to be ready when you come the second time.  I want to be ready to go with you.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!