April 14, 2017: SOAP #2689: 1Samuel 15-16; 1Chronicles 5; Matthew 1

Scripture:  Matthew (NIV) 1:18 This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.  … 24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.  25 But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

Observation:   Jesus is the main character in this historical narrative.  Surrounding Him we find several key supporting characters, i.e. Mary, the disciples, the Apostle Paul, etc.  I see them as first circle supporting characters. Then I see a third circle of supporting characters.  Some of them were key in supporting those in the first circle.

Joseph was one of these.  He accepted Mary.  He accepted the angel’s message about Mary.  He respected Mary. He withheld himself from her until her mission was complete.  He was willing to suffer any shame along with Mary.  He was willing to take responsibility for a child that was not his.

Application:  FIRST:  We all need supporting characters to assist us in fulfilling our life assignments.  For these people, we should be thankful.  We should find ways to express our appreciation. SECOND:  we can all be a supporting character to someone else.

Prayer:   Holy Spirit, show me who, and show me how I can support others as so many have supported me.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

April 13, 2017: SOAP #2688: 1Samuel 14; 1Chronicles 4; 2Corinthians 13

Scripture:  1Samuel (NIV) 14:6 Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, “Come, let’s go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised fellows. Perhaps the LORD will act on our behalf. Nothing can hinder the LORD from saving, whether by many or by few.” … 20 Then Saul and all his men assembled and went to the battle. They found the Philistines in total confusion, striking each other with their swords.

Observation:   This great victory over the Philistines started with two.

Application:   Victory does not depend on the size of my army, but the size of my God!   Victory does not depend on my wisdom or strength, but His!

Prayer:    Heavenly Father, with you today, I will never be outnumbered! Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

April 12, 2017: SOAP #2687: 1Samuel 13; 1Chronicles 2-3; 2Corinthians 12

Scripture:  2Corinthians (NIV) 12:12 The things that mark an apostle—signs, wonders and miracles—were done among you with great perseverance….19 Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves to you? We have been speaking in the sight of God as those in Christ; and everything we do, dear friends, is for your strengthening.

Observation:  Verse 12 is a scriptural way to identify an apostle. Their ministry will include signs, wonders and miracles.  From the way this scripture is given, I would believe that if these are not present, then it is not the ministry of an apostle.

Verse 19 further explains an apostle’s ministry.  Everything they do is for others.  And from the context of these verses, an apostle does not exploit or take advantage of those seeking out his ministry.  The purpose of an apostle is for the church, not for selfish gain.  An apostle does not expect or demand financial support from others but is an example of how to depend on God.  An apostle is appreciative of the support God sends through others.

From Paul’s example, we see that an apostle is a personal witness, a church planter, and moves from place to place to encourage the believers.  He disciples future church leaders.

Application:   I am not an apostle, but the purpose of the ministry God has given me is not for my gain, but the strengthening of others.  A gift of ministry has been given to me to make me useful.  If I am useful, I will be used.  If I am used, it is easy to get tired of being used.  But if I cannot be used, I will be useless.  It is much worse to feel useless than to feel used!   With age should come maturity.  It should be easy for people to use me.

Prayer:   Holy Spirit, make me useful.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

April 11, 2017: SOAP #2686: 1Samuel 11-12; 1Chronicales 1; 2Corinthians 11

Scripture:  1Samuel (NIV) 12:21 Do not turn away after useless idols. They can do you no good, nor can they rescue you, because they are useless. 22 For the sake of his great name the LORD will not reject his people, because the LORD was pleased to make you his own.

Observation:  Samuel was giving a farewell address to the nation of Israel.  They had asked for a King and God gave them a King.  Samuel’s plan was to now move into retirement.  He gave a short review of their history, of how God had delivered them so many times.

Then Samuel explains that God is not so much true to Israel as He was true to “His Great Name.”  God will always act according to His character.  God would not reject Israel because He was keeping the promise He made to Abraham.  God had chosen Abraham and his descendants because God was true to the promise He made to Adam and Eve when they had to leave the garden of Eden because of sin.

Application:   I can trust God’s promises because God is true to Himself.  His reputation is on the line.  God is faithful to Himself.  If I harbor sin in my life, God will be faithful to His holiness to judge that sin.  If I repent, God will be faithful to His love to forgive and restore.

Prayer:   Heavenly Father, Your beloved Son, Jesus, the Christ purchased my salvation and brought me into your family as your child.  You are faithful to Him, who lives in me, and you are faithful to me. Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

April 10, 2017: SOAP #2685: 1Samuel 8-10; 2Corinthians 10

Scripture:  1Corinthians 10: 3 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 

Observation:   Often the toughest strongholds to overcome are the arguments and pretenses in the mind.   If not careful, a person can become a captive of thought processes that hurt them.  Thoughts must be taken “captive.” The mind can become a battlefield.

On the battlefield facing Goliath (1Samuel 17), the Israelites were thinking, “How BIG Goliath looked compared to themselves!”  David was thinking: “How small Goliath looked compared to God!”  David’s part was the sling and the rock.  God’s part was the results.

Application:   The biggest battle I will fight today will be in my mind.  I am not a mind, but I have a mind.  I must take control of my thoughts.  I cannot stop thinking about something, but I can start thinking about something else.  The strategy is “thought replacement.”  I must replace thoughts about my big problem with thoughts about my big God!  The Bible never tells me how to feel, but often tells me how to think.

Prayer:   Heavenly Father, thank you for the “helmet of salvation.”  Being your child, and having your Holy Spirit sharing this life with me makes a BIG difference in how I think!   Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

April 9, 2017: SOAP #2684: 1Samuel 6-7; Psalm 72; 2Corinthians 9

Scripture:  1Samuel (NIV) 7:3 And Samuel said to the whole house of Israel, “If you are returning to the LORD with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths and commit yourselves to the LORD and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.”… 6 When they had assembled at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the LORD. On that day, they fasted and there they confessed, “We have sinned against the LORD.” And Samuel was leader of Israel at Mizpah. … 10 While Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to engage Israel in battle. But that day the LORD thundered with loud thunder against the Philistines and threw them into such a panic that they were routed before the Israelites.

Observation:  Israel had tried to defeat the Philistines by bringing the Ark of the Covenant to the battlefield.  The presence of God’s Ark did not help them as they were soundly defeated.   The Philistines captured the Ark and took it to their land where they experienced much trouble.   They returned the Ark, but were still the enemies of the Israelites.  The Philistines came to attack Israel as Israel was gathered for a time of repentance.  But this day was different; God uses His resources on behalf of Israel.

Application:  Sin is turning from God and breaking His standards.  Repentance is being sorry enough to admit I have sinned and changing my behavior.  Sin leads to defeat.  Repentance leads to victory.

Prayer:    Heavenly Father, it is important to you that Your people be holy.  You sent Your Son to die for our sins that we can be justified.  Then You sent Your Holy Spirit to live within us that we live a holy life.  Thank you!  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

April 8, 2017: SOAP #2683: 1Samuel 3-5; Psalm 77; 2Corinthians 8

Scripture:  1Samuel (NIV) 5:1 After the Philistines had captured the ark of God, they took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod.  2 Then they carried the ark into Dagon’s temple and set it beside Dagon.  3 When the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the LORD! They took Dagon and put him back in his place.  4 But the following morning when they rose, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the LORD! His head and hands had been broken off and were lying on the threshold; only his body remained.

Observation:   The Israelites had brought the Ark of the Covenant from its place in the Holiest of Holies to the battlefield.  In this way, they felt there was no way they could lose.  But God could not honor their desire because of sin.   30,000 Israelites died that day, but the greatest loss was that the Ark was captured by the Philistines!   What a great defeat!

But it was Israel that was defeated, not God.  God was not defeated that day.  The Ark of the Covenant was placed in Dagon’s temple and its presence brought glory to God.  The remaining verses in this chapter give further victories God won in the land of the Philistines.

Application:    Clearly God’s desire is to be glorified in the victories he brings for His people.  However, when His people persist in sin, God can be glorified in their defeat.  We must never forget:  God IS God!

Prayer:   Heavenly Father, You are far above the conflicts we face in this world.  Help me live my life in such a way that you can be glorified in the victories you help me win.    Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

April 7, 2017: SOAP #2682: 1Samuel 1-2; Psalm 66; 2Corinthians 7

Scripture:  1Samuel (NIV) 1:27 I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him.  28 So now I give him to the LORD. For his whole life, he shall be given over to the LORD.” And he worshipped the LORD there. 2:1 Then Hannah prayed and said: “My heart rejoices in the LORD; in the LORD my horn is lifted high. My mouth boasts over my enemies, for I delight in your deliverance.

Observation:   Hannah had suffered much ridicule because she was childless.  She had desperately sought the Lord for a child.  When the Lord gave her a son, she raised him until he was weaned, then brought him to the Eli, the priest, and gave him to the Lord!

Her prayer of praise includes the phrase: “I delight in your deliverance.”  It was indeed God’s deliverance.  For her, it was as miraculous as the parting of the Red Sea when Israel left Egypt.  It was a God-thing.  Only God could open a closed womb, and only God received the credit from Hannah.  God did this for Hannah in answer to Hannah’s prayer!

Application:  Any deliverance is appreciated, but that which can easily be identified as coming from God has special meaning.  It assures me that God is personally interested in me.  God personally acts on my behalf.

Prayer:    Heavenly Father, like Hannah, I delight in your deliverance!  I am so blest to be Your child.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

April 6, 2017: SOAP #2681: Ruth 3-4; Psalm 64, 65; 2Corinthians 6

Scripture:  2Corinthians (NIV) 6:16 What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God.  As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.”  17 “Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.”  18 “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”

Observation:   How special to be the temple of the living God.  We are His dwelling place.  But God is particular about where He lives.  He is a holy God and wants His people to be holy.  And God wants more.  God wants more than us being a temple, He wants us to be His family, His sons and daughters.  He wants to be a Father to a big family!

Application:  I am a temple of God.  I am a child of God.  We have a unique relationship.  I am His son.  He is my Father.

Prayer:   Heavenly Father, I am blest to be your son.  May I be a blessing to you today.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

April 5, 2017: SOAP #2680: Ruth 1-2; Psalm 53, 61; 2Corinthians 5

Scripture:  2Corinthians (NIV) 5:6 Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord.  7 We live by faith, not by sight.  8 We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9 So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due to him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

Observation:   The life of the believer is eternal life which has two expressions.  The first expression is being “at home in a physical body.”  The second expression is being “at home with the Lord.”   While at home in the body we “walk by faith, and not by sight.”  While “at home in the body,” we do things for which we will be rewarded when we arrive “at home with the Lord.”  Being “at home with the Lord” is much, much more preferable than being “at home in the body.” But in both expressions of our life, we have one goal: “to please him!”

Application:   My eternal purpose is to make God smile—to bring joy to His heart.

Prayer:    Heavenly Father, my goal for today is to fill your cup with joy.  I want you to be glad I am your child.  As an earthly father takes joy in his child, may you take joy in me. Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!