January 13, 2021: SOAP #4059:  Genesis 31-33; Luke 13

SCRIPTURE:  Luke (NIV) 13:18 Then Jesus asked, “What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to? 19 It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air perched in its branches.” 20 Again he asked, “What shall I compare the kingdom of God to? 21 It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough.”

OBSERVATION:    Jesus reveals two characteristics of the kingdom with two examples.  First is the tiny mustard seed which grows into such a large tree-like plant that it cannot be overlooked or ignored.  It becomes the dominant garden plant.  And such is the government of God in a person’s life.  It starts small, hardly noticeable, but grows until everyone notices.  The kingdom of God becomes the dominant part of a believer’s life.  One cannot be around them long without noticing the difference. 

The second characteristic is seen in the yeast that is worked through ALL the dough.  The kingdom of God affects every thought and every action.  It affects every attitude and every relationship.  There is nothing in a believer’s life that remains unaffected!  

APPLICATION:  How long does someone need to know me before they notice that my life is different from the kingdom of the world?  How long is it before they hear that Jesus is my Lord?   Does the presence of the Great Creator, the One who sacrificed His life for me—does His presence make any difference in Leon?   Is there a part of my life that the “yeast” of the kingdom needs to be “worked all through?”  It could be a relationship, or a pattern of thinking.     

PRAYER: Lord, keep working in my life until you are indeed Lord of all my life, the parts that everyone sees and the parts that only you see. Amen. 

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity! 

My personal SOAP saga:  Another good day!  The Lord be praised!   The Department of Transportation physical examination for bus driving is scheduled for tomorrow morning.