May 03, 2018: SOAP #3073: 2Samuel 7; 1Chronicles 17; Psalm 2; Matthew 20

Scripture:  Matthew (NIV) 20:17 Now as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside and said to them, 18 “We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death 19 and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. …

Observation:  Jesus was speaking to His disciples, preparing them for what is coming.  He knows it will be a difficult time, but He wants them to know that He has everything under control.  He tells them about the betrayal and suffering.  But, for the whole truth, one must read the end of verse 19: “On the third day he will be raised to life!”

Application:   Too often we only hear the hard part.  The doctor tells me I am dying and what to expect, but he stops before getting to the good part!  For the good part, I must go to the Bible!  Jesus has prepared a place for me in my Father’s house! (John 14:2)   Circumstances and the world tells me, “I am sick,” “I am weak,” “I am broke”…but that is only half of the truth.  For the whole truth, I must find out what God has to say!

I cannot know the whole truth about anything until I know what God has to say about it!  I must not be satisfied with just part of the truth!  NOTE:  Before it happened, Jesus knew what was ahead.  He knows the same about me.

Prayer:   Holy Spirit, burn your word in my heart.  Let me not forget it.  Then bring it to my memory so I can attach it to the half-truths I hear from the world around me.     Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

May 02, 2018: SOAP #3072: 1Chronicles 16; Psalm 106; Matthew 19

Scripture:  Psalm (NIV) 106:43 Many times he delivered them, but they were bent on rebellion and they wasted away in their sin. 44 But he took note of their distress when he heard their cry; 45 for their sake he remembered his covenant and out of his great love he relented.

Observation:    What an amazing God.  He chose Israel to be His people.  He had great plans for them.  He established them in the land of Canaan.  But they forgot about Him and turned to the gods of the other nations.  Again, and again, God punished them and then delivered them when they repented and cried unto Him.

God was being faithful to His word.  He had promised to send the Messiah to make the once-and-for-all-time sacrifice for sin.  God did not turn a deaf ear to Israel but listened and “took note of their distress.”  God gave them His attention.

Application:  As God’s child, one whose sins are forgiven by the blood of His Son Jesus, and one in whom the Holy Spirit dwells, I am glad to know that God listens and gives His attention when I cry out in distress.

There is no other helper who loves me as God does!  There is no other helper so willing to forgive!  There is no other helper willing to help me a 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th, etc. time!  There is no other helper who can hear my faintest cry!  There is no other helper so able to deliver me from that which distresses me!

Prayer:   Heavenly Father, you have not given up on me, but continue to hear my cry, forgive my sins, and help me.  Your love amazes me!   Your love for me personally amazes me!  I love you!  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

April 30, 2018: SOAP #3070: 2Samuel 6; 1Chronicles 13; Psalm 68; Matthew 17

Scripture:  2Samuel (NIV) 6:6 Why do you harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh did? When he treated them harshly, did they not send the Israelites out so that they could go on their way?

Observation:    In reading the above verse by itself, one might think that this was one of Israel’s prophets speaking to the Israelites.  But, no!  It was a priest, probably of the Philistine god, Dagon.  It had been years, and it was not their personal history, but they still remembered how God destroyed Egypt with the ten plagues to deliver Israel!

From earlier verses, we see the Philistines had gone to their religious people to get some advice as to dealing with the ark they had captured and the trouble it brought to their cities.  The pagan priests remembered what had happened to Egypt; they must do something and do it quickly. They did not want to re-learn the lessons they could learn by the example of others, especially the bad ones!

Application:  It is amazing to me when non-believers have more faith than the believers!   Sometimes they more quickly recall what God has done in the past than God’s people.

I need to remember that “Jesus is the same, yesterday, today, and forever.”  (Hebrews 13:8) What He has done for me in the past, He is able to do now!

Prayer:    Holy Spirit, may my meditation and praise keep your blessings current in my heart and mind.  May I make choices today with the confidence that you will do it again!  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

April 29, 2018: SOAP #3069: 2Samuel 4,5; Psalm 139; Matthew 16

Scripture:  2Samuel (NIV) 5:12 And David knew that the LORD had established him as king over Israel and had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.

Observation:  King David recognized and enjoyed the blessings of God on his life, but he knew that the reason he was so blessed was “for the sake of God’s people, Israel!”

I am sure God enjoyed David’s worship music.  I am sure God enjoyed watching David take care of his father’s sheep.  But God had greater plans for the shepherd boy.  He was to be King of Israel!

Application:   The blessings of God on my life are not just for my own enjoyment.  They are for the sake of blessing God’s children, His present children and His future children—those who have accepted Jesus as their Savior, and those who will accept Him in the future.

Prayer:   Lord, your blessings on my life are intended to make me useful in your kingdom.  May I be found faithful!  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

April 28, 2018: SOAP #3068: 2Samuel 3; 1Chronicles 12; Matthew 15

Scripture:  Matthew (NIV) 15:30 Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them. 31 The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel.
32 Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way.”

Observation:   Jesus did not say to his disciples, “Do not send them away until you take the offering.”  Jesus was more interested in the people’s condition than in the condition of the ministry’s finances.  He was more interested in what He could give them than in what He could get from them.   “Do not send them away physically hungry.”   Jesus had compassion on them/the people, not on the ministry finances.   “They may collapse on their way home,” not, “This is a good opportunity to get some money to further our ministry.”

Application:   Jesus spoke a lot about money, but he never made an issue of people sending Him money.  He never made people feel guilty about giving to motivate them to give more, so that He could do more.  He taught about giving, not for His benefit, but for their benefit.  Jesus was doing the will of His Heavenly Father; His Father provided the necessary resources.  If I am doing the Father’s will, He will provide my resources too!   …and He does!

Prayer:    Heavenly Father, you have taught me to be faithful with the resources you have placed in my hands.  I know I can count on your faithfulness!  As the song says, “Great is Thy Faithfulness!” (Thomas Chisholm) Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

April 27, 2018: SOAP #3067: 2Samuel 2; 1Chronicles 11; Psalm 142; Matthew 14

Scripture:  Matthew (NIV) 14:22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24 but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. 25 During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake.

Observation:    The disciples were in a storm.  Jesus was not in the boat with them, but he was in the storm with them.  He was walking on that which caused them great fear.  Jesus was walking on that which threatened to swamp their boat!   The waves that were threatening to wash over their boat were under His feet!  He was in the position of authority over the waves.  And at His invitation, Peter joined him in walking on the water.

Application:   When I am in a storm and it seems Jesus is not with me as He promised, I need but to look around.  I will find Him in the storm.  He will be walking on the waves that are threatening to swamp my boat.  He may invite me to leave the boat (my place of security) and walk into the storm to be closer to Him!

Prayer:   Lord, I trust you to be with me in the storm.  I know I can trust you to enable me to do what you tell me to do.  I step out of my boat, and into the storm, trusting you!   Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

April 26, 2018: SOAP #3066: 2Samuel 1; Psalm 140; Matthew 13

Scripture:  Matthew (NIV) 13:1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2 Such large crowds gathered round him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed.
Matthew (NIV) 13:36 Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”

Observation:   Much of Jesus ministry happened in the synagogues and the temple.  After all, Jesus is Jewish!  But his ministry did not depend on buildings.  Teaching the people on the sea shore while seated in a boat served Jesus fine.  Then He took his disciples into a nearby home for a small group meeting.  In Acts we see that Paul followed Jesus example, teaching “publicly and from house to house.” (Acts 20:20)

Application:   Jesus had too many people to reach and too little time to accomplish His Father’s will.  Building buildings did not fit into His plans.  The lack of a regular building never hindered Jesus in ministry.  The same was true of the church in the book of Acts.  Buildings can be a blessing, but the lack of a building should never hinder what the Holy Spirit is doing.

Prayer:    Holy Spirit, bring a mighty anointing on the church, the living members of the body of Christ.  May this age be known for what believers do outside their buildings even more than what happens inside their buildings. May I carry the person and ministry of Jesus to my neighborhood, my work, and my community. Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

April 25, 2018: SOAP #3065: 1Samuel 30,31; 1Chronicles 10; Matthew 12

Scripture:  Matthew (NIV) 12:34 You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.
35 The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.
36 But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken.
37 For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Observation:   Like the release valve on a hot water heater, the mouth is the overflow valve for the heart.  When things get stirred up in the heart, something is going to come out the mouth.  What is in the heart is going to come out the mouth!

Application:   I am more likely to think of these verses when I see someone responding in anger or hate.  But, clearly this truth about the heart and mouth can be seen in many ways.  If my heart is full of the love of Jesus, it will be easily seen in the words of my mouth.  If my heart that is full of faith I will speak with confidence.  The more I store God’s Word in my heart, the more my conversation will benefit the hearers and bless God.

Prayer:    Holy Spirit, continually bring to my memory what I read in God’s Word, what I hear from God’s Word, what I meditate on in God’s Word.  Help me keep my heart full of the knowledge of God and The Word.   Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

April 24, 2018: SOAP #3064: 1Samuel 28,29; Psalm 109; Matthew 11

Scripture:  Psalm (NIV) 109:30 With my mouth I will greatly extol the LORD; in the great throng I will praise him.
31 For he stands at the right hand of the needy one, to save his life from those who condemn him.

Observation:   Praising God with his mouth was not just something David did when he was alone with his father’s sheep.  It was not just for quiet times alone with God.  It was not just for times with his closest friends as they recalled what God had done for them.  Praising God is also for times David was surrounded by people, lost in the crowd.  David would “greatly extol” the Lord in the most public of places.  …and he would not just do it quietly.  Everyone around would know that David was excited about His God!

Application:   Like King David, I too should praise the Lord when I am alone in my car or school bus.  I too should praise the Lord when I am with a few of my friends.  AND I should “greatly extol” the Lord when I must raise my voice above the noise of the crowd to be heard.  In a crowd of worshippers or at a busy shopping area, may everyone be able to know that I serve the most wonderful Lord and God.

Prayer:    Heavenly Father, you are worthy of my praise and worship.  I do not want there to be any doubt in anyone’s mind about Who is my LORD!  I want your praise to be “continually in my mouth.” (Psalm 34:1)   Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

April 23, 2018: SOAP #3063: 1Samuel 27; Ps 141; 1Chronicles 9; Matthew 10

Scripture:  Psalm (NIV) 141:3 [David speaking] Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips.
Psalm (NIV) 19:14  May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.
Matthew (NIV) 12:34 [Jesus speaking] …For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.
Matthew (NIV) 15:18 [Jesus speaking] But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man ‘unclean’.

Observation:  David must have known the trouble that could be started when his mouth spoke without giving thought to what was said.  So, he asked the LORD to set a guard and help control the words that passed through his lips.  (NOTE:  If the words of his mouth were to please the Lord, then the meditations of his heart would also need to please the Lord!)

Application:   Not every thought needs to be spoken.  When my thoughts are later proved to be wrong, how sorry I am that I blurted them out and caused hurt.  But, how thankful I am that I kept my mouth shut.  (NOTE:  When I set my heart to meditate on the things that please the Lord, I never have trouble with the words that come from my mouth!)

Prayer:   Holy Spirit, I need you to keep watch over what I am about to say.  IF it needs to be said, may I say it to you first!…and then follow your guidance (Matthew 18:15-17).  But most of all, I pray that my thoughts and words bring joy to you.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!