July 01, 2020: SOAP #3863:  July 1:  Isaiah 1-3; Titus 3

Scripture:  Titus (NIV) 3:5 He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. … 8 This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.

Observation:  In the light of what Jesus has done for us, we should be devoted to doing what is good.  King James gives this thought as “careful to maintain good works.” 

It honors God when His people make it a part of their thought process to see how they can do good.  But more than just think about it—they should follow through with appropriate action. 

Application:  When I start looking around to see if I can do something that would be a blessing to God, I find that the Holy Spirit joins my looking.  He shows me things that I overlook.  Many times, He shows me small ways I can bless people without them ever knowing.  Then they do not know who to thank and all the glory goes to God!   

When my hand reaches out to give help to someone, I have never had someone thank my hand.  They look into my eyes and give me the thanks.  In the same way, when I see myself as a member of the body of Christ, I should not be bothered if someone forgets to thank me and all the thanks goes to God!   As a member of His body, I did it for His glory; I can rejoice that He is getting the glory!!!  

Prayer:  Lord, use me today for your glory!  May you receive the glory for what I do. It is good to be appreciated but knowing that you are being glorified for what I do is reward enough. You deserve all the glory! Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity! 

June 30, 2020: SOAP #3862:  Amos 7-9; Psalm 104: Titus 2

Scripture:  Amos (NIV) 9:13 “The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when the reaper will be overtaken by the ploughman and the planter by the one treading grapes. New wine will drip from the mountains and flow from all the hills. 14 I will bring back my exiled people Israel; they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit. 15 I will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them,” says the LORD your God.

Observation:  Of the countries present in the Old Testament, only Israel remains.  Though scattered and the target of a plot to eliminate them from the face of the earth, yet there they are, back in the land God promised.     

Application:   Does God keep His promises?   Just look at Israel!   Is God at work in the world today?   Just look at Israel!   Does God forget His promises?  Just read the above scriptures and look at Israel!   Is anything too hard for God?  Just look at Israel!! 

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, you are the God of Israel, AND you are the God of me!!  What an amazing God you are!  You are worth my love and service!  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity! 

June 29, 2020: SOAP #3861:  Amos 4-6; Psalm 86,87; Titus 1

Scripture:  Psalm (NIV) 86: 10  For you are great and do marvelous deeds; you alone are God.
11 Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name.
12 I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for evermore.

Observation:  The psalmist understood that true devotion to God as Lord meant that God alone deserved all his heart-felt devotion.  The psalmist was not proclaiming that he had an undivided heart.  He was not claiming that he could pull his heart all together.  The psalmist was asking God to unite his heart, to give him an undivided heart.   

Application:   God is God every day, not just on the Sunday, and not just six days, but all seven days of every week.  One day is not to be divided off for me to do as I please. 

Every conversation must be pleasing to God.  When I pray, when I sing songs, AND when I talk about people I do not like.  God should be at the center of all conversations. 

All my affections should be pleasing to God.  There should be no section of my heart with an attachment to something unpleasing to God. 

Prayer:  Holy Spirit, like the psalmist, I cannot do this on my own, I need you to give me an undivided heart.  Unite my heart so it is totally yours.  May my one desire be to please you. Amen

Pastor Leon
|Making friends for time and eternity! 

June 28, 2020: SOAP #3860:  Amos 1-3; Psalm 80; 2Timothy 4

Scripture:  Psalm (NIV) 80:1 Hear us, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock; you who sit enthroned between the cherubim, shine forth 2 before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh. Awaken your might; come and save us. 3 Restore us, O God; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved.

Observation:  This psalm is made up of three prayers.  Verses 1-3, 4-7, and 8-19.  Each prayer ends with the same request. (verse 3, 7, and 19)   In those three verses, the request that caught my attention is: “O God; make your face shine upon us…” 

Oh how I want God to make His face shine upon me!  When His face is upon me, I know I have His attention.  I am assured that He is aware of my situation.  I know He hears me.  He looks at me with eyes of compassion.  He listens to me with ears of interest. 

Application:  And now I know why He drew my attention to these scriptures.  For as I finished writing the above paragraph, God spoke to me:  Just like I want to see God’s face looking at me, God wants to see my face looking at Him!!!   He wants me to look at Him with eyes of love.  He wants me to be interested in what He is saying.  He wants my attention.     

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, forgive me for being so thoughtless.  I am quick to tell you what is important to me, but often too busy to listen for what is important to you.  I want to sing like Keith Green: Oh Lord, you’re beautiful. Your face is all I seek. And when your eyes are on this child. (and when this child’s eyes are on you) Your grace abounds to me. Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity! 

June 27, 2020: SOAP #3859:  2Kings 13,14; 2Chronicles 25; 2Timothy 3

Scripture:  2Chronicles (NIV) 25:6 He also hired a hundred thousand fighting men from Israel for a hundred talents of silver. 7 But a man of God came to him and said, “O king, these troops from Israel must not march with you, for the LORD is not with Israel—not with any of the people of Ephraim. 8 Even if you go and fight courageously in battle, God will overthrow you before the enemy, for God has the power to help or to overthrow.” 9 Amaziah asked the man of God, “But what about the hundred talents I paid for these Israelite troops?” The man of God replied, “The LORD can give you much more than that.” 10 So Amaziah dismissed the troops who had come to him from Ephraim and sent them home.

Observation:  Later in writing to the church in Rome, Paul wrote: “If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31)   Of course the opposite is also true:  if God is against us, who can be for us?  The prophecy from the man of God in the above verses contained the same truth. 

Paul’s instructions to us in 2Corinthians 6:14 is: “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?”  It is a truth that is often applied in marriage counseling, but marriage is not specifically mentioned in the contest of this verse. 

In the above verses, we see that the truth is applied to military strength. 

Application:  I must be careful to choose my partners from among those that God wants to bless.  This is especially true in choosing a marriage partner; but it applies to every endeavor in life.  In joining my life’s goals, my priorities, my world view, and my love for Jesus with another person in life or in a business endeavor, I must take time to see if we are in agreement.       

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, your blessing and favor are extremely valuable in my life.  I do not want to lose them, or to be joined with someone who does not appreciate them.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity! 

June 26, 2020: SOAP #3858:  Jonah 1-4; 2Timothy 2

Scripture:  Jonah (NIV) 4:9 But God said to Jonah, “Do you have a right to be angry about the vine?” “I do,” he said. “I am angry enough to die.” 10 But the LORD said, “You have been concerned about this vine, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. 11 But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?”

Observation:  The book of Jonah could have easily been finished at the end of chapter three, but God was not through working.  God had provided His word to Johan (1:1), sent a great wind (1:4), sent a great fish (1:17), gave the fish a stomach ache (2:10), a second word for the prophet (3:1), and sent a revival to Nineveh (3:10). 

God was not only interested in the city; He was also interested in the prophet! So, to end the list of things God provided in the book of Jonah, God provides a gourd, a worm, and a wind (4:6,7,8).  And God the prophet with a new perspective.  God gives Jonah His perspective.  God lets Jonah see Nineveh from God’s viewpoint (4:11).

Application:  God wants to accomplish His work THROUGH me.  He also wants to accomplish His work IN me.  He wants me to see things as He sees them.  God wants me to love the world the way He loves the world.   He wants me to participate with Him in His great plan of gathering a group of people from the earth to rule and reign with Him for all eternity!  

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, you are always working to enlarge my vision.  Holy Spirit, help me focus my eyes on what you see.  Re-focus my priorities on what is important to you.  In Jesus Name I pray, Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity! 

June 25, 2020: SOAP #3857:  Joel 1-3; 2Timothy 1

Scripture:  2Timothy (NIV) 1:6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

Observation:  This word that Paul writes to young Timothy, is a good word for the church today, especially for senior citizens.  It is our responsibility to “fan into flame,” or as the King James says, “stir up the gift.” We must keep the gift of God activated in my life.

Some people think that they need a special recognized position to use their ministry gift.  Everyone of us already have that position: it is called “servant.”  A true servant does not need recognition, or position, or salary to use God’s gift to benefit the church. 

Application:  Keeping the “gift of God” active in my life is my responsibility.  I should not need a pastor or evangelist to fan into flame the gift God has given me.  I should not need to go to a church service to have the “gift of God” stirred in my life; I should go to church with the gift already stirred in my life.       

Prayer:  Holy Spirit, anoint me to be a useful servant.  Help me keep the gifts active in my life.   Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity! 

June 24, 2020: SOAP #3856:  2Kings 11,12; 2Chronicles 24; 1Timothy 6

Scripture:  1Timothy (NIV) 6:5 Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. 6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.

Observation:  The Apostle Paul is warning young Timothy about people who can cause trouble in the church.  Much of this chapter is given to the subject of money, so it is understandable that the word “gain” in verse 5 includes gaining financial wealth.  Some people may feel that an increase in wealth proves they are living godly lives—proves that they have God’s blessing.  Some people use their relationships in the church to benefit themselves financially. 

Godliness cannot be measured by one’s wealth.  However, being happy in a godly life is truly “great gain.” 

Application:  What a blessing to have peace and joy in the living of a godly life.  What a blessing to live without any self-condemnation.  What a blessing to know that my day has been pleasing to God.  What a blessing to know that God smiles on me.  What a blessing to know that I have made God smile.  What a blessing to know that I have brought joy to God’s heart. 

It is a joy when God brings financial gain into my life…but it is a greater joy to know that I brought joy to HIS heart by the way I managed His gift. 

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, what a blessing to have God-like-ness (Godliness) in my life.  You sent your Son to show me how to live in a way that pleases you.  You sent your Holy Spirit to help me live it.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity! 

June 23, 2020: SOAP #3855:  2Kings 10; 2Chronicles 22,23; 1Timothy 5

Scripture:  1Timothy (NIV) 5:21 I charge you, in the sight of God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels, to keep these instructions without partiality, and to do nothing out of favoritism.

Observation:  In this passage dealing with leaders who sin, we read of some things that God hates: prejudice and favoritism.  This applies to the immediate issue, but also to all areas of life. 

Prejudice is having a preset bias against someone; people are judged as having less value.  Favoritism is having a preset bias for someone; they are judged as having more value than others.  These have no place among God’s people.  Our creator has set our value. We have all been redeemed by the same blood of the sinless Lamb of God. 

Application:   To know that I have been bought with the blood of Jesus, helps me rise above the small prejudices that have come my way.   Knowing that that same blood of Jesus has paid the price for everyone’s sin that I meet, whenever and wherever, causes me to see others as God sees them.  It can remove prejudice in my life. 

Prayer:  Holy Spirit, having you live within me helps me to see other people as you see them: valuable and full of potential.  Check my thoughts and words anytime prejudice arises in me. Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity! 

June 22, 2020: SOAP #3854:  2Kings 8,9; 2Chronicles 21; 1Timothy 4

Scripture:  1Timothy (NIV) 4:14 Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you. 15 Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. 16 Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.

Observation:  Timothy was a young leader being developed by the Apostle Paul and the Holy Spirit.  People may have trouble accepting Timothy’s leadership due to his age, so Paul was careful to instruct in two areas. 

First, Timothy needed to be built up as a person.  Timothy needed to be reminded that God had called him to this ministry.  He needed to watch his life and to make sure his doctrine aligned with truth. 

Second, Timothy needed to be built up as a leader.  Timothy needed to be aware that his life was always on display and that others would be watching. 

Application:  Leadership is not effective if no one is following.  But when people are following (in our home or in the church) more is required.  Not only am I responsible for myself, I am responsible for the effect I have on others.      

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, thank you for the wisdom you expressed through Paul.  Holy Spirit, help my influence on others be useful in building the kingdom.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!