July 22, 2020: SOAP #3884:  Isaiah 36-37; Psalm 76; 1Peter 1

Scripture:  1Peter (NIV) 1:17 Since you call on a Father who judges each man’s work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. 18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.
1Peter (KJV)  1 …pass the time of your sojourning here in fear…

Observation:  Having a Heavenly Father who knows me completely and understands my every thought should affect how I live.  Knowing that I will answer to someone who knows me completely, should affect how I live. 

Looking around, I see how He created the earth to be a perfect place for us to live.  Jesus told us that He was going ahead to prepare a place for us in His Father’s house. (John 14:2)   Certainly that place will be even more perfect; it will be a permanent home. 

Application:  I am a sojourner—a stranger while living on the earth.  I am just passing through.  I should not get too attached to things that cannot be taken to heaven. 
–The size of the house I live in now will make no difference when I get to heaven.  But I can get some eternal value out of my house by inviting a guest over for dinner, sharing God’s Word and prayer.   
–My mode of transportation here will make no difference there.  Except the Lord may give me an opportunity to provide a ride for someone who needs encouragement. 
–The only money now in my bank account that will have any heavenly value is what I invest in the Kingdom and give away. 

Prayer:  Holy Spirit, help me keep my focus on my heavenly destination and not get attached to this world.  I am a stranger on earth and my home is heaven.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity! 

July 21, 2020: SOAP #3883:  2Kings 18-19; 2Chronicles 32; James 5

Scripture:  2Chronicles (NIV) 32:6 He [King Hezekiah] appointed military officers over the people and assembled them before him in the square at the city gate and encouraged them with these words: 7 “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him. 8 With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people gained confidence from what Hezekiah the king of Judah said.

Observation:   King Hezekiah was preparing Judah for an attack from the powerful army of the Assyrians.  Hezekiah’s was doing his best to prepare for the battle, but there was no hope.  Two things Hezekiah had on his side.  First; his confidence was in the LORD!  Second; his confidence was catching. 

Application:  Today, our nation, along with all the nations of the world, has been invaded by a virus.  Our leaders, probably like King Hezekiah, have many counselors with suggestions on how to defeat this vast army.  Like Judah, we should do what we can, but we need leaders like Hezekiah who remind us that there is a power greater than Covid-19.  We need leaders whose confidence is in the LORD God.  We need leaders who inspire their nation to have confidence in the LORD.

Prayer:  Lord, we pray for our nation.  Covid-19 has us stumped.  But those of us who know you, we are confident that Covid-19 is no more difficult for you than taking care of the army of 185,000 men outside Jerusalem. Inspire our national leaders to put their faith in you.  Do for us in 2020 A.D. what you did for the nation of Judah around 700 B.C. (2Kings 19:35-36) Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity! 

July 20, 2020: SOAP #3882:  2Chronicles 29-31; James 4

Scripture:  James (NIV) 4:11 Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. 12 There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?

Observation:  Tucked into this passage about how we are to treat other members of the body of Christ is a statement about God, His position and His ability. 

His position is Lawgiver and Judge.  Because He is the creator of all, He has the authority to make the rules.  Because He is Holy and Loving His rules are right and good for all creation.  He made the rules based on His character and He judges and enforces the rules based on His character. 

His ability is that He can save AND He can destroy.  How comforting it is to know that God saves!  So many times, and in so many ways we need His salvation.  And, how foolish it is to forget that He is also able to destroy!  His ability to save and/or destroy is based on the same character from which He gives law and judges—His love and holiness.  In His love for creation and in His holiness He destroys that which is working to destroy that which He fiercely loves.

Application:  The better I know God, the better I understand His ways—the better I understand what he created.  His natural and moral characteristics are seen in His creation.  They are more fully revealed in the Bible, His Holy Word.  They are personally revealed in His presence and work in and through each of us!    

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, it is your deep desire that your holiness and love be known throughout the creation that displays your omnipotence and omnipresence.  May you shine through me.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity! 

July 19, 2020: SOAP #3881:  2Kings 17; 2Chronicles 28; Psalm 46; James 3

Scripture:  James (NIV) 3:17 [The subject of this verse] … is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.

Observation:  What amazing and desirable qualities!   What is it that brings these amazing qualities into my life?  What is pure?  What makes me considerate, even when others are not considerate of me?  What helps me be submissive to the authorities God has placed in my life?  What helps me be full of mercy and good fruit?  What helps me to be impartial and not prejudiced in dealing with others?  What ensures that I am always sincere?  

So, what is it that adds these qualitied to my life?  The first part of verse 17 reads: “But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure…”

Application:  Obviously, wisdom from above is something I cannot afford to overlook.  It would be foolish to ignore such wisdom.   How wise of God to place such wisdom in the Bible!  I need to set my schedule to daily read the scriptures He has provided for me. 

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, my heart overflows with thankfulness for the wisdom you have made available to me in your written word.  And thank you for the many examples of wisdom you gave through your Living Word, Jesus! Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity! 

July 18, 2020: SOAP #3880:  Isaiah 32-35; James 2

Scripture:  James (NIV) 2:8 If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. 9 But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.

Observation:   In the above scriptures we read that favoritism is sin.  There is another word that means the same thing—the word: “prejudice.”  It too is a sin!

It is my opinion that most people can recognize when they are the victims of prejudice.  I know I can recognize it; I do not like it.  To be discriminated against for no reason that I can do anything about.  Helplessly stuck in the mud of another person’s thoughts.  Yes, I know when I have encountered prejudice against me. 

But what I often do not know—when I have discriminated against someone else.  I need others to help me see myself.  I need the help of the Holy Spirit to reveal my thoughts and my heart to myself. 

Application:   I need to wrap my thoughts around the thoughts of Jesus toward everyone around me.  Each one is so special that He gave his life for them.  I need to see myself as God’s servant to express His love for those around me. 

Prayer:  Holy Spirit, flow through me to be an expression of the Father’s love for each one around me.  Use me to reach out to those who may feel rejected or ignored.  Use me to add value to their lives.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity! 

July 17, 2020: SOAP #3879:  Isaiah 29-31; James 1

Scripture:  Isaiah (NIV) 30:1 “Woe to the obstinate children,” declares the LORD, “to those who carry out plans that are not mine, forming an alliance, but not by my Spirit, heaping sin upon sin;2 who go down to Egypt without consulting me; who look for help to Pharaoh’s protection, to Egypt’s shade for refuge. 3 But Pharaoh’s protection will be to your shame, Egypt’s shade will bring you disgrace.

Observation:  God was speaking to His people who were looking to Egypt to help them from being attacked by the Assyrians.  They saw their enemy.  They considered their own strength.  Obviously, they needed help.  So off they went to Egypt.  They did not even take time to check with the LORD God who had a great history of delivering and saving the Israelites!  

Looking back, we wonder how it happened that they did not first have a time of fasting in seeking the Lord’s help.  Looking back, we can easily understand God taking offense at their snub. 

Application:   Looking ahead, I need to make seeking God’s will the first thing I do!   Looking ahead, I need to make sure I do not offend the God who sent His Son to die for my sins! 

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, may your thoughts about me not be offensive to you, but be a source of joy in your heart.  Knowing that I have made you smile is my reward.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity! 

July 16, 2020: SOAP #3878:  Isaiah 25-28; Hebrews 13

Scripture:  Isaiah (NIV) 25:1 O LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done marvelous things, things planned long ago. 2 You have made the city a heap of rubble, the fortified town a ruin, the foreigners’ stronghold a city no more; it will never be rebuilt. 3 Therefore strong peoples will honor you; cities of ruthless nations will revere you.

Observation:  In our world we often see people trying to re-write history.  They do not like some of the things of the past, so they try to erase them—re-writing history as if those things never happened or meant something different.  They re-write history to support their point of view. 

But God deals with history in “perfect faithfulness.”  Two characteristics of God assure us that His version of history is completely true. 

The first is a moral characteristic:  He is holy.  He speaks only truth.  It is impossible for God to lie.  He can be trusted to speak the truth. 

The second is a natural characteristic:  He is eternal.  His is eternally present.  He was there when it happened; He is here to tell us about it.  It was not another God 100 or 1000 years ago.  He was the God present then; He is the God present now!  He was present at creation; He is present now. 

Application:  My mind wonders:  will there be a classroom in heaven where the Holy Spirit will reveal to us the hidden mysteries in the Bible.  A time and place where we will learn why that Greek word was used in stead of another one.  Will there be an explanation of why this was included and that was not included?  I wonder!    

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, You are the eternal and perfectly holy God.  Holy Spirit, you inspired those writing the scriptures; inspire me as I read them.  Reveal truth to me, I pray, Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity! 

July 15, 2020: SOAP #3877:  Isaiah 22-24; Hebrews 12

Scripture:  Hebrews (NIV) 12:18  You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm…
21 The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.”
22 But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, 23 to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, 24 to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

Observation:   The writer of Hebrews reminded his Jewish readers of their time at Mount Saini where God gave Moses the Ten Commandments.  It was a terrifying sight they saw as they stood at the bottom of the mount.  But now through Jesus, we do not come to a terrifying, fiery, smokey Mount Sinai, but we come to Mount Zion and to “thousands upon thousands of angels in JOYFUL assembly!”

Application:  Today Sharon had two small girls in our home.  They had been here in the past but had not seen each other for over a year.  The toys Sharon keeps ready for such times were scattered in the living room, the dining room, and on the kitchen floor.  They played in the spare bedroom and in the basement.  Their laughter could be heard as they ran in the hall from room to room.  And Sharon loved every minute of it.  They filled our house with joyful noise. 

If two young girls, “in joyful assembly,” can make that much noise, I can only imagine how it sounds when “thousands upon thousands of angels” are joined in “joyful” assembly! 

Prayer:  Lord, if anyone deserves a joy filled home, it is You!  Not only in heaven, but here on earth, in my home.  Holy Spirit, help me live today in a joy-filled home.  May I feel right at home when I get to heaven. Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity! 

July 14, 2020: SOAP #3876:  Isaiah 19-21; Hebrews 11

Scripture:  Hebrews (NIV) 11:39 These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised.

Observation:  Each lived in a different time, each had a unique challenge. Yet, they ALL were commended for their faith!  Each one was faithful in their place and time.  God’s plan stretched over the span of time they all lived—and it continues over today.  God is still commending people who are faithful meeting the challenges of today.  Those now in heaven are still waiting.  The full reward will not be received until all who have, and all who are, and all who will be faithful in God’s plan are gathered in heaven!   What a day that will be!!!

Application:   My place in this world is to be faithful in fulfilling my assignment in God’s overall plan.  My part today is just as important as those of other generations.  If I die before Jesus returns for His church, I will join the Old Testament saints in waiting for the full reward God will give to His complete body.

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, find me faithful serving my generation I pray. Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity! 

July 13, 2020: SOAP #3875:  Isaiah 15-18; Hebrews 10

Scripture:  Hebrews (NIV) 10:23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.

Observation:   For hope to be beneficial, it must have a good foundation.  Hope is only as good as the foundation on which it rests.  My hope does not rest on my good works, by my abilities, my understanding. 

Faith is being certain of the specifics God has spoken to us.  Hope is the basic confidence that everything will work out for good.  It is a positive attitude.  It is knowing that God will bring all things together, both good and bad things.  He will bring them together and work them together for my good.  (Romans 8:28)

Application:  Some people cannot carry the weight of hope that others place on them.   At times the weight of hope that I place on myself is too heavy for me to carry.  I must let the weight of expectation rest upon Him.  I must remember, it is not what others expect, but what He expects.  Others with expectations for me may not be able to help me.  BUT God is faithful to help me with the expectations He has for me! 

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, I can always have hope because I know you are faithful.  You have promised to be with me.  You remain true to your character and promises. I may not know the specifics, but I know you!  Amen.

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!