March 20, 2016: SOAP #2299:

Scripture: Psalm (NIV) 69:30 I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving. 31 This will please the LORD more than an ox, more than a bull with its horns and hoofs.

Observation: Even more than doing what was required in the law, the Psalmist realized that God desired a personal relationship with His people. If he was going to really please God, he had to bring something from his heart.

Application: God is blest when I choose to please Him and do what is required. He is even more pleased when I do what is required with a willing heart. And He is even more pleased when I going beyond what is required. I want to be like the Psalmist and know the heart of God and know what pleases Him!

Prayer:   Heavenly Father, my desire is to know you, to know your heart, and to know how to fill your heart with joy. Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

March 19, 2016: SOAP #2298:  

Scripture: 1Corinthians (NIV) 4:1 So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God.

Observation:  The Apostle Paul was living his life in such a way that there would be no question as to his status. He wanted people to readily recognize that he was a servant.   Jesus saw himself as the servant of all. Paul was following the example of Jesus. The church today, especially the leaders should be following Jesus example also. Authority is a tool to make one a better servant!

Application: I need to be careful to live my life in such a way that others see me as a servant.  It is not how many people I rule, or dominate, or control; it is not how many people serve me. It is how many people I serve. Whatever authority I have should be used to serve others.

Prayer:   Lord, what is clear to you and to me should be clear to others also. I am your servant! Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

March 18, 2016: SOAP #2297:

Scripture: Psalm (NIV) 37:4 Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. … 23 If the LORD delights in a man’s way, he makes his steps firm;

Observation:  This Psalm intrigues me in that I am to “delight” myself in the Lord. And also it is possible for the LORD to “delight” Himself in me! It is clear that I have a part in delighting the LORD. With choosing to have a right attitude and obeying His commands, it is possible for me to cause God to delight in me.

Application: Here is a worthy goal for Leon. To live my life in such a way that causes the LORD to delight in me. God causes me much joy!   It is my pleasure to serve Him. He is obviously worthy of my attention. I delight in Him because of Him!   I want Him to delight in me because of me. I want my choices to bring Him joy.

Prayer:   Lord, I delight in you! You are awesome. You are perfect in all your ways. I pray that my motives and actions will bring you joy and you will delight yourself in me! Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

March 17, 2016: SOAP #2296:

Scripture: 1Corinthians (NIV) 2:4 My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, 5 so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.

Observation: I think Paul knew it would do no good to persuade the Corinthians to trust in Jesus because of an eloquent message presenting truth in such a way that it could not be denied. When Paul left town, someone would come along and with an eloquent message would convince them to abandon their new faith. Their faith must be founded on God’s power.

Application: My greatest witness to the world may not be the words I speak, but the way I live. When people see God’s power making a change in me, they have hope that God will do the same for them. My life should be a demonstration of how God can lift a person above the trials and struggles of life to live joyfully in victory.

Prayer:   Lord, may your power be demonstrated in my life. Through the troubles and struggles of life may you shine out of me. Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

March 16, 2016: SOAP #2295: 

Scripture: 1Corinthians (NIV) 1:27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no-one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”

Observation: People who are weak and foolish are of great value to God. They are uniquely qualified for God to use. For when He works through them, the glory must go to Him! Obviously they could not have accomplished such a great feat or spoke with such wisdom. So they boast in the Lord!   Actually more is accomplished in one’s weakness because it is then God’s great strength is displayed!!!

Application: When God works through my weaknesses, everyone knows that the success was not gained because Leon was so smart! Everyone knows that Leon had to have help. Someone must have told him what to say. And they are right!   The Presence of the All-Powerful and All-Wise God lives in Leon!   Of course I should use the strength and wisdom God has given me to the best of my ability to honor God. But it is in my weaknesses that God can really shine! There is no way I can take the credit; I can only boast in the Lord!

Prayer:   Lord, use me for Your glory and for the good of those around me. Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

March 14, 2016:  SOAP #2293:

Scripture:  Galatians (NIV) 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Observation:  The apples hanging on an apple tree are proof that the nature of an apple tree is within.  Fruit on the outside is proof of the nature that is inside.  Bearing apples is not hard work for the apple tree, it is merely being what it really is.

Application:   The verses above contain the fruit of the Holy Spirit, not the fruit of Leon.  I am helpless to produce this without His life within me.  The presence of this fruit is a good indicator that the Holy Spirit really does dwell in me.  The absence of this fruit can be a good indicator that the Holy Spirit does not dwell inside.

Prayer:   Lord, I have invited You to share this body with me.  As Your Lordship is established in me, may the fruit of the Spirit become dominant in my life.   Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

March 13, 2016:  SOAP #2292:

Scripture:  Galatians (NIV) 4:8 Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods.  9 But now that you know God—or rather are known by God— how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again?  10 You are observing special days and months and seasons and years!

Observation:   It seems that the church in Galatia had believers from two backgrounds.  Some came from Judaism where they worshipped God by keeping the laws of Moses with special days, special foods and special offerings.  Others (known as Gentiles) came from the world in which they worshipped idols.   Serving God is not a matter of keeping a special routine, but of maintaining a relationship in which we know Him and He knows us!

Application:  What a privilege to know God.  Truly that is the greatest knowledge I can have!   But much greater is that He knows me!  Oh how He knows me!   He knows my thoughts and intentions.  He understands my limitations.   Because He loves me, He uses that knowledge to help me rather than destroy me.

Prayer:   Lord, I know I can count on you!  I want to grow in my spiritual life so that You can count on me.  With all my failings and weaknesses and limitations, You alone are my God.     Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

March 12, 2016:  SOAP #2291:

Scripture:  Galatians (NIV) 3:5 Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?

Observation:   Just why is it that God gives us the promised Holy Spirit?  Is it because we have done such an excellent job in keeping the law?  Is it because He owes us for working so hard at keeping the law?  Or does God give us the life of the Spirit because we believe His word?  Obviously the answer, un-given, is clear.  It is because we believe!  The next verse: 6 Consider Abraham: “He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

Application:    God is God.  There is no one above God.  No one can force God to be other than He chooses to be.  God wants to be believed.  He wants people to believe He exists and that He is the rewarder of those who seek Him diligently.  (Hebrews 11:6) God has chosen to respond to faith.  God responds to my faith.  My faith obtains for me what I do not deserve and what I could never earn.

Prayer:   Heavenly Father, I believe you exist and I believe Your Word.  Thank you for the great gift of salvation!  Thank you for sending the Holy Spirit to work in me and through me!    Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

March 10, 2016:  SOAP #2289:   

Scripture:  Galatians (NIV) 1:1 Paul, an apostle—sent not from men nor by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead—2 and all the brothers with me, To the churches in Galatia:

Observation:   Paul saw himself as a messenger sent from God and responsible to carry a special message to the churches in Galatia.  It was a message from a holy God who loved mankind so much that He sent His Son to die in payment for man’s sin!  The Galatians were now acceptable to God solely on the basis of their faith in accepting His death as the payment for their sin!

Application:  The people I meet every day in my work are just as important to God as those in the province of Galatia.  I believe the Lord would have me consider the above verse as follows:  Leon, a bus driver—sent not from men nor by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father…to those he works with every day.

Prayer:   Lord, help me never forget that it You who sends me to the bus barn every day.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

March 9, 2016:  SOAP #2288:

Scripture:  Mark (NIV) 16:20 Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.

Observation:   The life and ministry of Jesus was confirmed by His works—by the miracles and healings.  As Mark ends his epistle, we see that Jesus confirmed the message of His disciples in the same manner.  A read through the book of Acts verifies this.  Jesus continued His ministry through His disciples.

Application:   If Jesus confirmed His word by healings and miracles…if He confirmed the words of His first disciples in the same way…then I should expect Him to do the same today.

Prayer:   Lord, let Your Word to flow through me unhindered.  Then increase my faith to see Your confirmation of Your Word. Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!