August 16, 2020: SOAP #3909:  2Kings 24; Jeremiah 22; Psalm 112; John 18

Scripture:  John (NIV) 18:10 Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.) 11 Jesus commanded Peter, “Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?” 12 Then the detachment of soldiers with its commander and the Jewish officials arrested Jesus. They bound him 13 and brought him first to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year.

Observation:   Matthew, Mark, and Luke tell us that just before the passage above, Jesus had prayed to His Father asking that the cup be taken from him.  Three times He asked the Father to remove the “cup” before Him, but ended by praying, “Yet, not as I will, but as you will.” 

In the above verses, Jesus acknowledges that it is the Father’s cup that he will be drinking.  Even though He was God’s “only begotten” Son, the Father did not honor His Son’s request to remove the cup.  The Father’s plan went far beyond the suffering of the cross to the glory that the Son will receive when the church is complete.  Jesus surrendered His omnipresence to be born a baby in a manger, then to die on a cross.  Then He ascended to the Father’s side while the Holy Spirit works on earth to complete the body of Christ.  The body is being assembled in heaven and when complete, the Son will receive the full reward for His suffering!  What a day that will be! 

Application:    As I allow the Holy Spirit to work in and through me, I am being prepared for a place in the body of Christ in heaven.  The Holy Spirit working through me is using me to gather and prepare others to be a part of that body.    

Prayer:   Holy Spirit, work in me for the glory of Jesus.  Work through me to make Jesus glorified in others.  We are all working to fulfill the wonderful plan of the Heavenly Father!  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity! 

August 15, 2020: SOAP #3908:  Jeremiah 18-20; Psalm 93; John 17

Scripture:  John (NIV) 17:4 [Jesus praying to His Father] I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.

Observation:  In glorifying the Father, Jesus did not make a big list of the great things He had done so far on the earth.  He merely mentions that He had completed the work the Father had given Him to do. 

Application:  Pleasing God is simple obeying Him.  It is willingly and joyfully doing what He gives me to do.  It is joyfully making the sacrifice to obey even when it is not pleasing to me.  It is doing the little things with the same care as the big things.  It is doing the things nobody sees—the things that only He sees—with the same diligence as the things that everybody sees.      

Prayer:   Heavenly Father, like Your Son, Jesus, today I want to bring you glory here on earth by doing the work you have given me to do.  May my life bring joy to Your heart and a smile to Your face.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity! 

August 14, 2020: SOAP #3907:  Jeremiah 16-17; Psalm 96; John 16

Scripture:  John (NIV) 16:7 [Jesus speaking] But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counsellor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8 When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment…
13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you.

Observation:   It was not what they wanted to hear.  The disciples loved Jesus.  They had been with him for almost three years.  He had taught them.  They had witnessed his miracles.  Surely, He would not leave them!  How could it be good that He go away? 

The “good” was not that Jesus was leaving, but that the Holy Spirit was coming.  Jesus had taken them through Phase 1.  Now the Spirit would take them into Phase 2.  The Holy Spirit picks up where Jesus left off.  They are both working on the Heavenly Father’s plan to establish a redeemed body of believers who learn to live in victory while being tried and tempted by the devil as they are being groomed and prepared to rule and reign with Christ in heaven. 

Application:    My priority is to learn to recognize the voice of the Holy Spirit.  I must treat what He says as being of great importance.  I may need to write down what He says so that I do not forget.     

Prayer:   Heavenly Father, in your great wisdom, you replaced Jesus, who was limited to a human body in one location,–You replaced Jesus with the Holy Spirit, who is omnipresent and can live within all of our physical bodies.  He is always present with us.  Father, I set my heart to listen to the Holy Spirit.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity! 

August 13, 2020: SOAP #3906:  Jeremiah 13-15; John 15

Scripture:  John (NIV) 15:14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 17 This is my command: Love each other. 18 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.

Observation:  Created by God.  Redeemed by the Jesus. Chosen by the Lord.  God chose to forgive me.  He chose to make a home in me.  He chose me out of the world.  He chose me to be a part of His family. 

I could never persuade Him.  I could not force Him.  I could not twist His arm.  If anything were to happen in my life, He would need to choose me—and that is what He did!   

Application:   What an honor to be chosen.   

What a disappointment it must be to God when those chosen by him out of the world return to live in the world under its principles. 

Prayer:    Heavenly Father, just saying “Thanks” is so inadequate to express my appreciation for Your choosing me.  I want to honor you with my choices, my words, my actions, and my life.  My heart overflows with gratitude.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity! 

August 11, 2020: SOAP #3904:  Jeremiah 10-12; John 14

Scripture:  John (NIV) 14:4 You know the way to the place where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” 6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”

Observation:   Some scriptures I memorized in my younger days are not stored in my memory within their context’s.  I have had verse six in my memory for years, but not verse four.  Jesus had just told them that He was going to His Father house and He told them that they knew the way.  When Thomas spoke up that they did not know where He was going, I hear Jesus saying, “Thomas, yes, you do know the way.  You know me; I am the way!  And knowing me is knowing the Father.” 

Application:  I must grow in my understanding of Jesus.  That the God of the whole universe is with me, watching over me, listening in on every conversation, available to give me direction and provision.  He is not just with me when I am actively thinking of Him, but every moment of the day.      

Prayer:   Heavenly Father, thank you for your amazing Son, Jesus my Lord.  He gives me permission to use His name when I come to you in prayer.  He was faithful in demonstrating your wisdom as He did your will.  I pray that your Holy Spirit will work in and through me as He did in and through Jesus.  Be glorified in me, I pray, in Jesus Name, Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity! 

August 11, 2020: SOAP #3904:  Jeremiah 7-9; John 13

Scripture:  John (NIV) 13:15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

Observation:   Jesus had just taught them a lesson by example and with words.  They called Him “Teacher” and “Lord.”  Yet He had performed the action of a servant.  He had washed their feet.   

It is important for disciples to pay attention to what their teacher says.  They need to know the teachings.  They need to be aware of their teacher’s words. BUT the blessing only comes if they do them. 

For the years to come, they would be able to say, “Jesus washed my feet.”  They would only know the full blessing if they washed someone else’s feet

Application:  How many times has the forgiveness of Jesus washed my heart.  How can I ever thank Him?  How can I return the blessing He has given me?  I can forgive those who sin against me!  
  

Prayer:   Heavenly Father, you have been so gracious to me.  You washed me; you forgave me; you cleansed me from all unrighteousness! –again and again. (1John 1:9).  Help me to find the blessing of forgiving others. Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity! 

Note:  I surely appreciate everyone who has prayed for me.  Thank you!   You have blessed me! 
All the preliminary tests have gone well, the heart catheter to check the blood vessels serving the heart muscle, the sonogram on the blood vessels in the legs, the pulmonary function test.  Praise the Lord!  😊  Tomorrow, I will get my third Covid-19 test and if still negative, I will go to a dentist on Friday to check my teeth.  If everything continues in good manner, soon I will meet with a surgeon for his evaluation.  The plan is to use a computerized robot to repair a valve in my heart without opening my chest.  That is man’s plan; but we will see what God has planned!  😊 

August 10, 2020: SOAP #3903:  Jeremiah 5-6; John 12

Scripture:  John (NIV) 12:23 Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.

Observation:   When we think of someone being glorified, our thoughts include joy and happiness.  We think of celebrating someone’s good character and great accomplishments. 

But Jesus was not headed to some grand celebration, but to a cruel cross.  There is no place where Jesus was more glorified than on the cross.  It is on the cross we see the perfect holiness of God expressed in Jesus.  It is on the cross we see the perfect love of God expressed in Jesus. 

Without the cross, man’s sin would keep the Holy God from reaching to us in love; His love would be stifled.  Or, without the cross, God’s holiness would be tainted if He lovingly brought sinful into His fellowship. 

Oh, what wisdom God displayed through the cross.  The Holy and Loving God could reach out to sinful man and draw him to Himself.  Through the cross, God’s holiness remains perfect as man’s sins are erased.  Through the cross, God’s love is fulfilled in reaching to His prize creation in whom God longs to dwell. 

Application:   Believing that Jesus did this for me, I asked Him to forgive my sins.  I asked Him to live in my heart and be the Lord of my life.  I now live with the goal of pleasing Him.    

Prayer:   Lord, the wisdom, love, and holiness expressed in your cross amazes me.  Thank you for forgiving my sins and accepting me into you family.  May my life honor you.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity! 

August 09, 2020: SOAP #3902:  Jeremiah 3-4; John 11

Scripture:  John (NIV) 11:45 Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, put their faith in him. …
47 Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. “What are we accomplishing?” they asked. “Here is this man performing many miraculous signs. 48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”…
53 So from that day on they plotted to take his life.

Observation:   We have all experienced times in our lives when circumstances seemed to be leaning in a certain direction, but it was not yet sure which way they would go.  And then.  And then something happened that clearly set the course ahead.  The destination was set and there could be no changing. 

The resurrection of Lazarus was one of those events.  The Jewish religious leaders had struggled with how to accept Jesus.  More and more people were following Jesus.  Lazarus had been dead and buried for four days—but now Lazarus was alive and walking around!  Many were believing on Jesus.  “FROM THAT DAY ON they plotted to take his life.”

Application:   Meeting Jesus is a life changing moment.  We can never go back.  Light has broken into the darkness of our heart.  Surrendering to Jesus and making Him to be Lord of our life is another life changing moment!  “From that day on” things are different!

I must keep in tune with the Holy Spirit.  He will make me aware of those times in my life, and in the lives of those around me.  I must make the most of every opportunity to say “yes” to Jesus.  I must make the most of every opportunity to witness to those around me.  Today may be the last day we have.    

Prayer:   Holy Spirit, keep me aware of the urgency of today.  Help me not to put off till tomorrow what I should do today.  “From this day on” I will serve you.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity! 

August 08, 2020: SOAP #3901:  Jeremiah 1-2; John 10

Scripture:  John (NIV) 10:3 [Jesus speaking] The watchman opens the gate for him [the shepherd], and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.”

Observation:   The sheep that belong to The Shepherd listen to the shepherd’s voice.  They follow him because they know his voice.  They do not follow strangers because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.  Their ears have been trained. 

The little lambs hear all the voices around, but they learn which voice is the voice of their shepherd by watching their mama.  They are soon following because the recognize that special voice.  They do not follow the stranger because they recognize his voice, they just know that it is not their shepherd.  Their shepherd does not sound like that! 

Application:   Every few days, someone will post a note on Facebook telling us that we should type in a word as a response, forward that note to 10 or 15 people, and send a copy back to the one who sent it to us.  Supposedly this will demonstrate our love for God, or we will get a prayer answered, or we will receive some blessing. 

My spirit is always troubled by the number of people who follow those directions.  In reading today’s scriptures, the Lord showed me why.  Those who respond want to please the Lord but do not recognize His voice, so they follow anyone who will tell them what to do.  They would not want their children responding to them in such a manner, but they do it to the Lord.   

Prayer:  There are so many voices in the world today.  Holy Spirit, train my ears.  Help me to quickly recognize the voice of my Shepherd.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity! 

For trained ears:  1 Pray every day.  2 Ask God to help you recognize His voice.  3 Include listening time in your prayer time.  4 Always be ready to write down what God says.   5 Read the Bible every day.  6 Pay attention to what God is saying to your pastor and other believers around you.  7 Thank Him for loving you enough to personally talk to you.   

August 07, 2020: SOAP #3900:  Zephaniah 1-3; John 9

Scripture:  John (NIV) 9:8 His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?” 9 Some claimed that he was. Others said, “No, he only looks like him.” But he himself insisted, “I am the man.” 10 “How then were your eyes opened?” they demanded. 11 He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So, I went and washed, and then I could see.”
And verse 15, and verse 17, and 25, and 27.

Observation:   What a change!  Was this really the beggar they had seen before?  He was different!  Some people said that he was the same person; others said, “No, he just looks like him.”   He just told them his story, then he repeated it, and then he repeated it again, and probably again and again.  What Jesus does is worth repeating. 

Application:  God is still making changes.  People are still asking, “Is that the same person who used to…?”  People are still repeating their story.  And I am still praising the Lord and enjoying their story, repeated—again and again!  To God be the glory for the lives He has changed! 

Prayer:  Jesus, the church is full of people who have their stories.  There are senior saints who have not had opportunity to tell their story in a long time.  Use me and my questions to stir up your praise from their lives.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!