September 3, 2015: SOAP #2100

Scripture: Psalm (NIV) 111: 1 Praise the LORD. I will extol the LORD with all my heart in the council of the upright and in the assembly. 2 Great are the works of the LORD; they are pondered by all who delight in them. 3 Glorious and majestic are his deeds, and his righteousness endures forever.

Observation: When the psalmist gathers with others who share his faith, he praises the LORD “with all his heart.” In the King James Version it reads “with my whole heart.” In other places in the Psalms we read that the psalmist lifted his hands, sang, prayed, shouted with joy, danced, clapped his hands…his wholehearted praise could be easily seen and heard.

Application: When I do something with my whole heart, it should be noticeable by those around me. To do something with my whole heart will not be seen as being a burden, but a joy. It is a joy to serve the Lord. It is a joy to praise Him.

Prayer:   Heavenly Father, I pray that those around me will easily recognize that it is my joy to serve you. It is not a burden to praise and serve you with my whole heart. Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

September 2, 2015: SOAP #2099:

Scripture: Ezekiel (NIV) 18:23 “Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked?” declares the Sovereign LORD.  Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?… 31 Rid yourselves of all the offences you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, O house of Israel? 32 For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent and live!

Observation: A sparrow cannot fall to the earth without God noticing. Of how much more value is human life to our Heavenly Father. (Matthew 10:28-31) Every color of life matters to God! Every age (from conception to death) matters to God! Every condition of life matters to God!

Application: Every life around me matters to God!   I may value some lives more than others, but the Holy Spirit will assure me that all lives matter to God. And if He lives in me, they should matter to me too!

Prayer:   Heavenly Father, help me to look at those around me through Your eyes. May Your compassion be expressed through me on everyone who carries your image. Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

September 1, 2015: SOAP #2098

Scripture: Revelation (NIV) 6:15 Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and every free man hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. 16 They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?” Hebrews (NIV) 10:31 It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Observation: Today’s reading in Revelation 6 seemed to parallel and expand on the thought in Hebrews 10:31. Many times the depth of love can be measured by the response when someone hurts the one loved. It is difficult for us to fully grasp the love the Father has for His Son. He loves Him for who He is: God the Son! He loves Him for what He has done: went to earth to suffer and die that the Father’s prized and greatly loved creation may be brought back into a holy relationship with the Father! No wonder the Father gets angry when people reject His Son!   How could it be otherwise?

Application: Knowing the power of Creator God, how foolish it is for me to ignore His commands and do my own thing. Indeed, when He is angry, “Who can stand?”

Prayer:   Heavenly Father, in your anger, we can trust that you remain Holy and Loving. As your children we can trust that you only discipline us to correct us, not to destroy us. When your destructive power comes upon creation that has rejected you, we know you will provide a place of safety for us. Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

August 31, 2015: SOAP #2097

Scripture: Revelation (NIV) 5:9 And they sang a new song: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. 10 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.”

Observation: The scroll was in the hands of the One setting on the throne while a search was made for someone worthy. Even the One sitting on the throne was not worthy for this assignment. To open the seals which released judgments on the earth required one who had been to earth, lived as a created man, suffered unjustly, and killed for sins he did not commit. Only Jesus is worthy!   He was worthy because…!

Application: Jesus is not only worthy because of Who He is, He is worthy because of what He has accomplished!   He is worthy of my dedication. He is worthy should it be my life that I would give for Him in death. He is worthy should it be a life-time of days that I live for Him.

Prayer:   Lord, you are worthy of my living today for you. You are worthy of both the big struggles and the little inconveniences I may encounter in living for you. Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

August 30, 2015: SOAP #2096

Scripture: Revelation (NIV) 4:8   Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings. Day and night they never stop saying: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.”

Observation: From my understanding of the character of God, there are two over-riding characteristics of God’s nature. First: He is Holy. Second: He is Love. All of the other characteristics are expressions of these two. When Isaiah saw the Lord (Isaiah 6), the heavenly beings were saying, “holy, holy, holy.” Here in Revelation (4) we find the same thing.

Application: My mind tries to grasp something that seems just beyond its ability to understand. I wonder why the heavenly beings say “Holy, holy, holy,” and not “Loving, loving, loving.” Is it for angels to declare His holiness and for redeemed man to declare His love? It is beyond my understanding.

Prayer:   Heavenly Father, I want to be as faithful here on earth declaring your holy love as those around your throne are faithful in declaring your loving holiness. Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

August 29, 2015: SOAP #2095

Scripture: Revelation (NIV) 3:1 To the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds… 7 To the angel of the church in Philadelphia…8 I know your deeds. 14 …church in Laodicea…15 I know your deeds…

Observation: “I know your deeds” a phrase spoken to five of the seven churches. To Smyrna he writes, “I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich.” To Pergamum he writes, “I know where you live…”

Application: Do I really know with Whom I am dealing? Do I really know this one I call my God? Do I think I can get by with anything? Do I think I can hide anything from Him? Do I really think He cannot see and does not know? Do I think I can sneak anything by Him? OR, do I really know with Whom I am dealing? Do I really know this one I call my God? Do I think that He does not see every acts of kindness? Do I think that he will leave my service un-rewarded? Do I really think it is not worthwhile to serve Him?

Prayer:   Lord, you know my deeds. You even understand the motives behind them. I trust you to be both holy and loving.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

August 28, 2015: SOAP #2094

Scripture: Ezekiel 1:3 …There the hand of the LORD was upon him. Ezekiel 3:14 …with the strong hand of the LORD upon me. Ezekiel 3:22 The hand of the LORD was upon me there, and he said to me, “Get up and go out to the plain, and there I will speak to you.”

Observation: Three times this phrase is used in today’s reading. It is used four more times in Ezekiel. I think of my dad putting his hand on my shoulder when as a child I walked with him. His hand reassured me of his presence. His hand encouraged me to move along, to keep going. His hand gave me direction as he would gently turn me in the direction we were to go.

Application: I know God does not place a physical hand on my life, but I am finding that recognizing the presence of the Holy Spirit works the same way. The Holy Spirit makes me aware of God’s presence. The Holy Spirit encourages me to move ahead. The Holy Spirit gently urges me which direction to take.   He brings strong thoughts to my mind and does not let me forget them. At first I may not recognize the thoughts as coming from Him, but when they line up with God’s Word and keep returning to my thinking…I soon learn to recognize that He is talking to me.

Prayer:   Holy Spirit, keep talking to me! Keep it up until I get it! Confirm your words to me with the scriptures I read. Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

August 27, 2015: SOAP #2093:

Scripture: Revelation (NIV) 1:9   I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10 On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet…

Observation: John was exiled on the island of Patmos, but he was in the Spirit. The Roman government could separate him from his family and friends, but they could not separate him from the Holy Spirit. They could keep him from visiting with his family, but they could not keep the Holy Spirit from visiting with John!

Application: Nothing in the world can keep the Holy Spirit from being with me and talking to me!   I am never alone! He is always with me. I always have Someone to talk to. I always have Someone to listen to!

Prayer:   Holy Spirit, what a special ministry you have to me/people today. You are the relationship link that keeps me/us connected to my/our Heavenly Father.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

August 26, 2015: SOAP #2092

Scripture: 3John (NIV) 11 Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God.

Observation: Everyone can learn by watching others. Watching people can inspire us to try to do the same thing, or something similar. We can be inspired either to do good or to do evil. We need to use discernment to imitate the good and reject the evil.

Application: Today, I will look around me to find someone doing something good. Then I will consider how I might be encouraged to do something similar myself.

Prayer:   Holy Spirit, help me learn from watching others. May I be inspired to be a more profitable servant of God and of others. Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

August 25. 2015: SOAP #2091:

Scripture: 2John (NIV) 12 I have much to write to you, but I do not want to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to visit you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete.

Observation: As John does here, several times Paul wrote about wanting to see face to face the people to whom he was writing. It is not enjoyable to be separated, but today we can be very thankful for the times Paul was in jail, and the time John could not be with those he loved. Their love motivated them to communicate. Their absence limited their communication to writing. There are no recordings of their voices but we do have their letters.

Application: Separation from those I love can force me to use various means of communication. I may write down those things I would rather say in person. But the fact that I take the time to get a pencil and paper, the time I take to think through what I need to say, the time to purchase a stamp and place it in the mail—those things can emphasize the importance of what I am trying to communicate. Just because I cannot speak to someone face to face, does not mean that I cannot communicate with them. Maybe the best communication might be some flowers or a gift.

Prayer:   Holy Spirit, show me how to best communicate with those I love.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!