December 23, 2020: SOAP #4038:  1John 1-5

SCRIPTURE:  1John (NIV) 4:9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

OBSERVATION:   In these verses we find the purpose of the Christmas story.  The Father “SENT his one and only Son into the world!”  The Baby in the manger was sent with a purpose.   He was sent as “an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

So, why was He sent as a baby?  Why not enter as one among the crowds gathered at the temple?  Why not just appear at the lake as a stranger, calling fishermen to follow him? 

I see two reasons:  First He had to be as human as those whose sins for which he would atone.  He entered humanity as every other human, through the womb of a woman. 

Second, He had to be proved sinless.  He could not just show up and claim being sinless and volunteer to die for our sins.  His was a proven sinlessness.  He was not sinless because he had no temptation to sin, but because he withstood every temptation.  He was sinless as a child.  He was sinless as a teenager.  He was sinless as a young man.  He was sinless as an adult. 

APPLICATION:   The resurrected life that Jesus now shares with me has been proven.  At every stage, He lived in victory.  There is a record!  He is the Only One who can give me the power to resist temptation.  He is willing to live His life through me!   With Him as my Lord and Savior, I too can live in victory!

PRAYER:  Into my heart, into my heart, come into my heart Lord Jesus.  Come in today, come in to stay.  Come into my heart Lord Jesus.  Amen. 

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity! 

My personal SOAP saga:  Hey, everyone.  I’m home!!!  Merry Christmas from home! There had been such minimal draining from yesterday afternoon that the doctor said, “Pull the tube and send him home!”  Maybe not those exact words, but the meaning was the same.  It is hard to say how much Sharon and I felt the covering of your prayers.  Thank you!  Indeed, the Lord did not go with me; I went with Him.  It was my privilege to serve Him there. 

December 24, 2020: SOAP #4039:  John 19-21

SCRIPTURE:  John (NIV) 19:28 Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” 29 A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. 30 When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

OBSERVATION:   Of course, Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus into the stream of humanity.  But Christmas would not be Christmas without the death and resurrection.  Christmas would lose its meaning. 

APPLICATION:   Today, the doctor tried to break it to me that I might not be home for Christmas.  I told him, “Its OK, its not my birthday.”  My location does not affect my relationship with the Christ of Christmas.   A number of years ago, I put some new words to an old song I found myself singing today: 
                      I’ll be here for Christmas, In worship at Your Throne;
                      With a heart of praise, My voice I’ll raise
                      To Him who was and is. 
                      Others at some manger, May pause, then hurry on,
                      But I’ll be here for Christmas, In worship at Your Throne!   

PRAYER:   Lord, when you came to earth, you made it all about us.  Today, in my heart, I want it to be all about You!  Amen. 

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity! 

My personal SOAP saga:  The procedure yesterday showed the leaking lymph vessel, but it was too small to enter it to block the leak.  So, the radiologist blocked an area of the larger vessel that supplied the smaller one, above and below the junction.  The drainage was significantly less yesterday evening and through the night.  It is even less this afternoon!  There are some things too big for man, but they are not too big for God.  AND there are some things too small for man, but they are not too small for God!