November 1, 2017: SOAP #2890:  Psalm 121; Mark 9-10

 Scripture:  Mark (NIV) 10:13 People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them.
14 When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.
15 I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

Observation:  Jesus did not say that the children belonged to the Kingdom of God, but that “the kingdom of God belongs to such as these!”  I believe He is saying that they possess it by the simplicity of their faith.  In simple faith, a child believes everything he sees is his.  He can touch it. He can handle it.  He can pick it up.  He can taste it.  If something is in the room with a child, it is in his world and for him to enjoy.  At least that is the way the child sees it!

Application:  Reading God’s Word is like looking around in my world.  As any parent would expect a young child to get involved with anything left in their room, may my Heavenly Father not be disappointed when I believe everything He placed in God’s Word for me.

Prayer:   Heavenly Father, you created this world for man. You loved man so much you sent Your Son to die in payment for his sins.  In simple faith may I take possession of all You have provided for me.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

October 31, 2017: SOAP #2889:  Job 22; Mark 7-8

 Scripture:  Mark (NIV) 7:18 … [Jesus speaking] “Don’t you see that nothing that enters a man from the outside can make him ‘unclean’? 19 For it doesn’t go into his heart but into his stomach, and then out of his body.” (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods “clean”.)
20 He went on: “What comes out of a man is what makes him ‘unclean’. 21 For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22 greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. 23 All these evils come from inside and make a man ‘unclean’.”

Observation:  Whether it is an apple pie at the state fair, or the umpire in a World Series baseball game, it is always to a person’s advantage to know how the judge thinks.

The umpire in the 5^th game of the 2017 World Series seemed to consistently call pitches that were just outside the lower strike zone as strikes.  He did it the whole game and to both sides.  Many batters complained, but he was consistent.  Wise batters made proper adjustments.

Application:  Since all judgment has been given to the Son (John 5:22) I am blest to be given insight in the above verses as to how Jesus thinks.  The inside of my life is of major importance to Him.  He knows my thoughts, and He judges them.  He knows my intentions; he knows them completely.  I can never fool Him!

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, how wise of you to place your Holy Spirit inside me!   Under His guidance, I must be faithful to listen and obey and quick to repent when needed.  Thank you for making my Judge the one who loves me and died for me!  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

October 30, 2017: SOAP #2888:  Job 21; Mark 5-6

 Scripture:  Mark (NIV) 5:41 He [Jesus] took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (which means, “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”).
42 Immediately the girl stood up and walked around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished.
43 He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat.

Observation:  The 12-year-old daughter of Jairus, a synagogue leader, was dying.  Her father personally came to Jesus begging His help.  Jesus’ mission of mercy was interrupted twice.  First by a woman who touched the hem of His garment.  And second by the servants informing Jairus that the young girl had died, and that Jesus was no longer needed.

Jesus reassured Jairus, continued to the home and raised the girl to life…and to health!  Everyone was so excited about what had just happened, that they probably overlooked the obvious.  But not Jesus; He knew children.  He knew a 12-year-old would be hungry.

Application:  Jesus takes care of the big problems, but He is also interested in the small details.

Prayer:   Heavenly Father, thank you for caring for the details in my life. Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

October 29, 2017: SOAP #2887:  Job 20; Mark 3-4

 Scripture:  Mark (NIV) 4:9 Then Jesus said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
Mark 4 (NIV) 4:23 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” 24 “Consider carefully what you hear,” he continued.

Observation:  From the third verse in the Bible (Genesis 1:3) we find that God, our Creator, is a Speaker.  He talks.  He wants us to hear Him. So, it should not surprise us that we have been created with ears, two of them.  He created man with two ears and only one mouth, a good indication that hearing is twice as important as speaking.

He has provided the ears, so man has no excuse for not hearing God’s Word.

Application:  The highest priority for the use of my ears is to hear the words of The Original Speaker!  My hearing is not complete until I have “considered carefully” what I have heard.

Prayer:   Heavenly Father, you did not give me two ears to hear with one and let it go out the other.  You intend that I hear with both ears and “consider carefully” what I am hearing by mixing it together in my thinking with the knowledge that is already present. Holy Spirit, I always need your help with my thoughts.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

October 28, 2017: SOAP #2886:  Job 19; Mark 1-2

Scripture:  Mark (NIV) 2:14 As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed him. 15 While Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house, many tax collectors and “sinners” were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him.

23 One Sabbath Jesus was going through the cornfields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some ears of corn. 24 The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?”

Observation:  Jesus specifically asked Levi (Matthew), a tax collector, to “Follow” Him, but Levi was not the only tax collector who followed him.  In verse 24, we see that Pharisees had followed Jesus and His disciples to the cornfields.

Application:  Where Jesus is known to be present, there are always people around, some who believe, some who are truly interested, and some who are looking for something to criticize.

Prayer:   Holy Spirit, help me to be aware of people interested in Jesus, people interested but not yet committed.  Use me to encourage them to become fully committed.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

October 27, 2017: SOAP #2885:  Job 18; Psalm 114; Acts 27-28

 Scripture:  Acts (NIV) 27:42 The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners to prevent any of them from swimming away and escaping. 43 But the centurion wanted to spare Paul’s life and kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land. 44 The rest were to get there on planks or on pieces of the ship. In this way everyone reached land in safety.

Observation:  For the Roman soldiers, the decision was easy.  If the prisoners escaped, they would pay with their lives.  And since there was no way to control the prisoners in the sea, they should immediately kill them.  But there was one prisoner who had made quite an impression on the centurion in charge.  And to save that one prisoner, the centurion he would not allow any of the prisoners to be killed.

Paul’s presence made a difference!  I am sure that those in danger of being killed were glad to have Paul as one of their number!

Application:  God’s presence in me makes a difference in me.  My presence in the world should make a difference.  I can speak a word of cheer.  I can follow the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Prayer:   Holy Spirit, lead me, guide me.  Shine through me.  May the love of our Heavenly Father be easily seen in me.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

October 26, 2017: SOAP #2884: Job 17; Acts 24-26 

Scripture:  Job (NIV) 17:3 “Give me, O God, the pledge you demand. Who else will put up security for me?

Observation:  Job is defending himself before his friends who are convinced that Job most surely had sinned.  In their thinking, that was the only possible reason Job was suffering so greatly.  Job maintains his innocence and in this verse, makes a remarkable statement.

Job requests something of God that God would later do, not just for Job, but for the whole earth.  The result of sin is death.  And God sent His Son to die in our place and pay for our sins!

Application:  God gave me the pledge He demands when He accepted Jesus death as the payment for my sins and forgave me.  He looks at me as though I had never sinned!!!   Jesus did for me what no other person could do.  Someone else may be willing to die for me, but their death could not pay for my sins; it could not even pay for their own sins.  Only the sinless Jesus did not need to pay for His own sins, and thus His death is received as payment for mine!

Prayer:   Heavenly Father, I confess that I have sinned and am not worthy to be your child.  But your Son, Jesus, died in payment for my sins.  Forgive me and place your Holy Spirit within me to enable me to resist temptation and live a life that pleases you.  Thank you for living your life through me. In Jesus Name I pray, Amen.

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity

October 25, 2017: SOAP #2883: Job 16; Acts 21-23

Scripture:  Job (NIV) 16:19 [Job speaking] Even now my witness is in heaven; my advocate is on high. 20 My intercessor is my friend as my eyes pour out tears to God; 21 on behalf of a man he pleads with God as a man pleads for his friend. 22 “Only a few years will pass before I go on the journey of no return.

Observation:  Job lived before Moses and the tabernacle which reveals so much about God’s plan for man.  Yet, with in the heart of Job there is an amazing conviction that he had a Friend in heaven who was pleading his case.

Application:  Oh what a Friend I have in heaven.  He pleads my case by holding out nail-scarred hands before Father God.  He says, this is what I paid for Leon’s sins.  Father, you have to forgive Leon; his sins have been paid for by my suffering and death.  The Father looks at His Son and forgives me!   How humbling is that!

Prayer:  Jesus, thank you for being my Friend and Intercessor.  Thank you for dying for my sins.  Thank you for your life within me to empower me to live in victory over sin.  Thank you that you are not just my intercessor in heaven, but my ever-present help here on earth.   Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

October 24, 2017: SOAP #2882: Job 15; Acts 19-20

Scripture:  Acts (NIV) 19:8 Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God. 9 But some of them became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way. So, Paul left them. He took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. 10 This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord.

Observation:  The door of ministry in the synagogue was closing so Paul looked for another.  He found it in a lecture hall.  Obviously, God’s blessings were upon Paul and the ministry for in two years everyone living in the province of Asia had been reached with the gospel.  Verse 12 says God did “extra-ordinary miracles” through Paul.

Paul did not see opposition as an indication that his time in Ephesus was finished.  He looked for an open door and continued ministering to the people.

Application:  I need to be careful at how I look at opposition.  Opposition may cause me to look for another open a door.  If I run, I may miss future years of fruitful ministry.

Prayer:   Holy Spirit, guide me.  Help me see opposition through your eyes.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

October 23, 2017: SOAP #2881: Job 13-14; Acts 17-18

Scripture:  Acts (NIV) 18:25 He [Apollos] had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John.
26 He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately.
27 When Apollos wanted to go to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. On arriving, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed.

Observation:  Pricilla and Aquila had such an important ministry!  And although it was to only one person, Apollos, they carried it out faithfully.  Their ministry was so important that it is recorded in the pages of the Bible!

Application:  I must be faithful in ministering to one as I am to many.  The size of the congregation does not matter.  The One I am serving is all important and I want Him to find me faithful!

If it is hard for you to minister to large groups of people, take note that God is also looking for people to minister to individuals!   If you are so busy ministering to the crowds, be careful that you do not miss the opportunity to minister to an individual!

Prayer:   Heavenly Father, find me faithful to do your will. My success is your smile.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!