August 12, 2017: SOAP #2809: Jeremiah 10-12; John 14 

Scripture:  John (NIV) 14:1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.  2 In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.  3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

Observation:  Jesus said, “…if it were not so, I would have told you.”  A few verses later, He identifies Himself as “the way, the truth, and the life.”   The One who is The Truth, wants his disciples to know that there are many rooms where His Father lives and that He will be preparing one specifically for them.  It was important to Jesus that they know this and have confidence in it.   Their faith that God had a special place for them in the future would help them though the trouble just ahead.

Application:  My faith that Jesus is preparing a place for me gives me faith to face the unknown of the immediate future.  Like the song says:
“I’m gonna make it, He’s already said that I would
I’ll keep on trusting that He’s working everything for my good
He walks beside me and heaven is in my view,
I’m gonna make it through.”  (Sisters) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRerh9GYfSY

Prayer:   Jesus, thank you for placing a vision of the future before us.  When we all get to heaven, It will be worth it all!   Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

August 11, 2017: SOAP #2808: Jeremiah 7-9; John 13

Scripture:  John (NIV) 13:3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel round his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped round him.

Observation:  With total confidence is Who he was, and with no doubt about who had sent him to earth and that he would be returning to the place from which he was sent…  With the weight of the Father’s plan now completely received…  The Father’s plan now solely rested on his shoulders…  Knowing that the Father had total confidence in him to carry through his assignment…  so, what does Jesus do?  He takes the role of a servant and washes his disciple’s feet!

Application:  Like, Jesus, I need to be willing to wrap myself in service clothes and pick up the tools of the needed service; to humble myself before someone and minister to their needs.  It must be more than an inner attitude; it must take on actions.  Being a servant is seeable.

Prayer:   Holy Spirit, lead me to be a servant like Jesus.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

August 10, 2017: SOAP #2807: Jeremiah 5-6; John 12

Scripture:  Jeremiah (NIV) 5:11 “The house of Israel and the house of Judah have been utterly unfaithful to me,” declares the LORD.
12 “They have lied about the LORD; they said, He will do nothing! No harm will come to us; we will never see sword or famine.
13 The prophets are but wind and the word is not in them; so, let what they say be done to them.”

Observation:   History is full of people who have underestimated others.  In the above verses, the Jews underestimated the words of the LORD!  What a mistake! They had gotten away with sin for so long that they believed the LORD would never hold them accountable.

Application:  Our nation has had leaders who set ultimatums but never held those accountable who broke those ultimatums.  The world is worse today because they did not follow though.  It seems our present president is more inclined to hold others accountable for their actions.  I think he will back up his words with appropriate action.

Prayer:   Heavenly Father, you are faithful to Your word.  You are faithful to your word to bless.  You are faithful to your word to judge.  Help me to never think of you as one who does not keep your word.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

August 9, 2017: SOAP #2806: Jeremiah 3-4; John 11

Scripture:  John (NIV) 11:33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.
34 “Where have you laid him?” he asked. “Come and see, Lord,” they replied.
35 Jesus wept.
36 Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”

Observation:  As we read through the scriptures, we discover that God has the full range of emotions.  God is not controlled by His emotions, but is greatly affected by them.  I think we find that man is the cause of most of God’s emotional swings.

In the verses above we find that Jesus, although He already knows what He is going to do, allows Himself to experience the sorrow of the moment and weeps with those mourning.

Application:  It is an amazing thought, but I have the power to cause God to be angry, to be sorrowful, or to rejoice and be joyful!  Knowing that and being aware that God is omnipotent, why would I ever want to make God angry?  That would be the height of stupidity!

Prayer:   Heavenly Father, to bring please you and bring you joy; that is my daily goal.  A successful day for me is to make you smile. Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

August 8, 2017: SOAP #2805: Jeremiah 1-2; John 10

Scripture:  Jeremiah (NIV) 1:17 “Get yourself ready! Stand up and say to them whatever I command you. Do not be terrified by them, or I will terrify you before them.
18 Today I have made you a fortified city, an iron pillar and a bronze wall to stand against the whole land—against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests and the people of the land.
19 They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the LORD.

Observation:   God’s call to Jeremiah made several things very clear.  Jeremiah would have reason to be terrified of the people to who he was sent.  He was being sent to the whole nation, the people, the king, government officials, religious leaders, and the whole population!  They would all be against Jeremiah.  And Jeremiah needed to know that God could terrify him too!!!

BUT other things were also clear.  First: the combined efforts of all those against Jeremiah would not defeat him!   Second:  God would be with Jeremiah and rescue him!

Application:  My major goal is to hear God’s voice and obey.  Walking in obedience is walking under His protection.  It makes no difference who or how many are against me!

Prayer:   Heavenly Father, your sheep know your voice. (John 10:27) I am your sheep.  I know your voice.  And I know you are with me and for me.  I count on your presence!  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

August 7, 2017: SOAP #2804: Zephaniah 1-3; John 9

Scripture:  Zephaniah (NIV) 1:4 “I will stretch out my hand against Judah and against all who live in Jerusalem. I will cut off from this place every remnant of Baal, the names of the pagan and the idolatrous priests—5 those who bow down on the roofs to worship the starry host, those who bow down and swear by the LORD and who also swear by Molech,

Observation:   It seems that the people of Jerusalem had several gods from which one could choose.  Some worshiped the planets and constellations in the sky, some worshiped the LORD; and some worshiped Baal or Molech.  They went to the local “god” store and picked out the one that best fit their life style.

If all those gods were idols, it might have not made much difference.  BUT, one of those gods, was the real thing!   One was the Creator!  One was the One who had delivered them from Egypt!

And the real God does not like to share his position with non-gods.  It makes him angry, especially when people should know better!
Application:  I must be careful to honor God as God, the only God!  He alone is to be feared!   He alone is worthy of worship!  He alone can direct my life in the way that is best for me and will bring the most glory to Him!
Prayer:   Heavenly Father, you alone are God!   You are not the best choice among many.  You are the only God!  There is none beside you.  I honor you alone!  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

August 6, 2017: SOAP #2803: Habakkuk 1-3; John 8

Scripture:  Habakkuk (NIV) 2:4 “See, he is puffed up; his desires are not upright—but the righteous will live by his faith—
Romans (NIV) 1:17 For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”

Observation:   It is not just knowing about faith, or having faith to go to church on Sunday.  It is more than that.  It is living by faith.  Faith finds expression in every part of my life.  It affects how I talk.  It affects how I react to others where I work and where I live.

Application:  One of the greatest times living by faith affects me is when I am disappointed—when something is not going the way I like.  It is easy to let discouragement affect the way I talk.  But here is the simple truth:  God is greater than this problem; God is with me; God is for me.  If that is truly an expression of my faith, it will show in how I talk and in what I say.

Prayer:  Holy Spirit, help my speech become a true display of my faith.  Nudge me when I start talking fear and doubt.    Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

August 5, 2017: SOAP #2802: 2Kings 23; 2Chronicles 35; John 7

Scripture:  2Kings (NIV) 23:25 Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the LORD as he did—with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength…
26 Nevertheless, the LORD did not turn away from the heat of his fierce anger, which burned against Judah because of all that Manasseh had done to provoke him to anger.
27 So the LORD said, “I will remove Judah also from my presence as I removed Israel, and I will reject Jerusalem, the city I chose, and this temple, about which I said, ‘There shall my Name be.’”

Observation:  In being faithful to His promises to Abraham, God would later send His Son, Jesus, through Israel to the world to die for the sins of man.  But long before that, the sins of Manasseh had SO ANGERED God, he would send them into exile to the Babylonians.  Yet the heart of Josiah SO PLEASED God, that God postponed the judgment until after Josiah’s death.

Application:  In 2008 I wrote: “This is where America stands today.  We can turn to God and He will postpone punishment, but not remove it.  44+million babies have been sacrificed on the altar of convenience.  Those created in the very image of God have been destroyed and discarded.  Punishment may be postponed, but not escaped. The Lord will bring in an illegal alien into our country, one for every aborted baby.  This can be seen in that our national leaders seem to have their hands tied from some invisible force stopping them from taking any logical and effective measures to close our southern boarders.”

Today (2017) we have a president who stands against abortion and has placed Godly men in key positions in courts and in his administration.  The flood of illegal aliens from our southern border has slowed tremendously.   Unlike Israel, I know of no prophecies about a future assignment for the USA.  When God’s judgment comes on our nation, I fear it will not be to preserve us like Israel, but to punish us like Babylon.

Prayer:    Heavenly Father, although there are no prophecies for the USA, there are many great prophecies for the church!!!   Thank you for making me a part of your church!   Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

August 4, 2017: SOAP #2801: 2Kings 22; 2Chronicles 34; John 6

Scripture:  2Kings (NIV) 22:13 “Go and enquire of the LORD for me and for the people and for all Judah about what is written in this book that has been found. Great is the LORD’s anger that burns against us because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written there concerning us.” …
19 Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before the LORD… 20 Therefore I will gather you to your fathers, and you will be buried in peace. Your eyes will not see all the disaster I am going to bring on this place.’” So, they took her answer back to the king.

Observation:   Josiah set about repairing the temple.  Those doing the work in the temple, found the book of the Law.  Josiah was alarmed for he knew of the wickedness of Manasseh and his father.  He sent to the prophetess Huldah to see if God would hold them accountable for those sins.  Yes, judgment would come, but because King Josiah’s heart was right before the Lord, disaster would be postponed but not removed.

Application:  If God held Judah accountable for the sins during King Manasseh’s reign by allowing the Babylonians to conquer them…  if God held the USA accountable for 388,000 slaves received from Africa, (a number that grew to 3,953,696 by the 1860) by allowing a Civil War claiming 359,528 causalities… surely, we can expect the same God to hold us accountable for the 51,888,303 abortions (1970-2013) of children carrying the image of Creator God.

Prayer:   Heavenly Father, your patience and grace allow us a few more days to reach as many souls as possible.  Holy Spirit, equip and anoint us to reach the lost.   Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

August 3, 2017: SOAP #2800: Nahum 1-3; John 5

Scripture:  John (NIV) 5:24 “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.
25 I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.
26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself.
27 And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.

Observation:   God is so holy that the only one worthy of judging was one who proved He Himself could live it!   He is worthy, not because He is the Son of God, but because he is the Son of Man.  The One worthy to bring judgment is the One who has been tested and tried by the law.  The One worthy is the One who has proved His worthiness by living victorious under the law. He not only kept the law, He fulfilled the laws demands for those who could not keep it.

Application:  To the Father, Jesus is worthy of being the judge over all.  To me, Jesus is worthy of being my Lord.  It is no unreasonable thing to turn over all authority in my life to the One who proved God’s love for me by dying for my sins!

Prayer:   Jesus, You are my Lord!  Holy Spirit, help me live out that confession every moment of my life.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!