S.O.A.P.

March 30: Judges 8; Psalm 42; 1Corinthians 15

Swallowed!

Scripture: 1Corinthians 15:54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory."

Observation: In this chapter Paul is writing about what happens to believers when they die and when their bodies are raised back to life. That which can perish and decay is completely taken in and surrounded by that which cannot perish nor decay. When something is swallowed, it disappears, it is digested, and loses its identity in that which swallowed it.

Application: At the end of my life on earth, the great victory that I will experience in entering the Presence of the Living God will totally banish any pain and suffering I may experience in dying. Death will be swallowed up in victory! Death will no longer be the focus as I rejoice in the victory!

Prayer: Lord, I am so grateful that you will be with me when I pass through death. You have already been there! You fully know what to expect! You will give me your strength! And You know the victory that lies ahead! Amen.

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

March 29: Judges 6-7; Psalm 52; 1Corinthians 14

Pleasing God

Scripture: 1Corinthians 14:1 Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy.

Observation: This verse gives us something to desire and something to do. I am to desire spiritual gifts listed in this chapter, but I am to follow the way of love as shown in the previous chapter. Although spiritual gifts are important and something to be desired, it is much more important that I live a life of love.

Application: What I do for God is very important, but how I do it is even more important. Although my actions may be what He desires, unless I do them in love I can never please God.

Prayer: Love through me, Holy Spirit, love through me! Amen.

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

March 28: Judges 4-5; Psalm 39, 41; 1Corinthians 13

Keep loving

Scripture: 1Corinthians 13: 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Observation: “God is love.” (1John 4:8,16) So the truth in these verses can be easily seen in God’s words and actions.

Application: God wants the truth of these verses easily seen in my words and actions.

Prayer: Lord, keep loving me and keep loving through me until it become natural for me to love like you love. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

March 27: Judges 1-3; 1Corinthians 12

I am a part…

Scripture: 1Corinthians 12:15 If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body.

Observation: Confessions in themselves do not make something true. They must be according to truth. The foot is part of the body even if it says it is not.

Application: I may not feel that I am a part of the body of Christ, but I am. At times I may not want to be a part of the body of Christ, but I am. Others may treat me as though I am not a part of the body of Christ, but I am.

Prayer: Lord, your life in me has made me a part of your body. I want that to be obvious to everyone around me. Amen.

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

March 26: Joshua 23-24; Psalm 44; 1Corinthians 11

It’s a Generation Thing!

Scripture: Psalm 44:1 We have heard with our ears, O God; our fathers have told us what you did in their days, in days long ago.

Observation: In reading the whole Psalm one discovers that there is trouble. The nation is under attack. Here the song writer is encouraged because he has heard what God did for the past generation.

Application: It is good to hear what God has done for others. It builds my faith. AND it is good to share with others what God has done for me. That builds their faith. It is good for each generation to make sure their children know how God has guided and provided for them.

Prayer: Lord, my appreciation to you can be shown by faithfully telling the next generation what You have done for me. Amen.

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

S.O.A.P.

March 25: Joshua 21-22; Psalm 47; 1Corinthians 10

Ignorant of History

Scripture: 1Corinthians 10:1 For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea.

Observation: The church needed a history lesson. The lesson in the following verses is that the Israelites who left Egypt and saw the miracles God, died in the wilderness and did not enter the Promised Land because of sin and unbelief. (The promise was fulfilled for their sons and daughters.) Just because we had some great experiences in the past does not allow us to walk in sin and unbelief without any consequences.

Application: Ignorance is not bliss. The United States of America seems to be ignorant of our godly heritage. It contains principles we need today. Paul ended this passage in verse 12 “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” And what is true for the nation is true for the individual—for Leon. How foolish to think that God’s standards have changed.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for what you have done in my past. May I never forget. Help me not to ignore the lessons of history! Amen.

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

S.O.A.P.

March 24: Joshua 18-20; 1Corinthians 9

Living on purpose!

Scripture: 1Corinthians 9:25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.
26 Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air.
27 No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

Observation: Paul was convinced that what he was doing was very important. He was not running just to be running. He was not throwing his fists just to be throwing his fists. There was purpose—eternal purpose. And it was just as important for him as it was for others.

Application: The devil wants me to think that I am wasting my time and not accomplishing much, but what I am doing has purpose—eternal purpose. The encouraging words I speak to someone at the grocery store, the gentle touch and kind word I give to a child getting on the bus, the call or visit to a sick friend, fixing a meal for my family—it all has purpose—eternal purpose.

Prayer: Lord, help me not to take the little things too lightly, thinking they are of little value. May I stay “on purpose” even in the little things. Amen.

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

March 23: Joshua 15-17; 1Corinthians 8

Not pretending!

Scripture: 1Corinthians 8:6 yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.

Observation: In this verse I see that all things came from the Father and we live for His purpose and pleasure. I also see that everything was created through the work of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, through His work in creation and His work on the cross. We are now to live our lives through Him.

Application: This means that I belong to God because He created me and because He gave His Son for me. Living through Him means that I read the scripture and work to apply it to my life. I live my day knowing that He is with me. I do not ignore Him or pretend like He is not with me. I keep Him in my thoughts and talk to Him.
The world may accuse me of pretending that He is with me, but I would be pretending if I acted like He was not with me.

Prayer: Lord, I live my life through you. You are with me and I do not want to pretend otherwise. Amen.

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

March 22: Joshua 12-14; 1Corinthians 7

Responsible

Scripture: 1Corinthians 7:24 Brothers, each man, as responsible to God, should remain in the situation God called him to.

Observation: A few verses earlier, slaves are told if they can gain their freedom, they should, however Christians are not to place eternal importance on their present standing in life. Whatever our position in life, we are responsible to God. It is to God we will answer.

Application: As a SOAP-writer and school bus driver I am responsible to God. As a husband I am responsible to God. As a citizen of the city of Andover I am responsible to God. For whatever I do and wherever I am, I am responsible to God.

Prayer: Lord, I am responsible and will answer to you. I need your Holy Spirit to help me live a life that pleases you. Amen.

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

March 21: Joshua 9-11; 1Corinthians 6

Respecting my body

Scripture: 1Corinthians 6:18 Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body.
19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;
20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.

Observation: I just noticed that Paul jumps over some obvious reasons to keep sexually pure. He did not mention the harm done to the family and especially the spouse. He did not mention the many diseases to which one can be exposed. He simply says that your body belongs to God who lives in you. Honor God by the way you respect it.

Application: If I paid $100 for a used car and it breaks down after six months, I do not feel like I lost much. I got more than I expected. However if I paid $40,000 for a new car and it breaks down after six months, I would be quite upset.
I not only belong to God because He created man, I belong to God because I was “bought at a price”—a great price! A whole lot more than $40,000! God paid a big price for Leon; He expects and deserves the best from my life. I must respect and treat my body for what it really is—nothing less than the temple of the Holy Spirit! Wow!

Prayer: Lord, may the way I live my life demonstrate to the world that I both understand and appreciate how great the sacrifice you made for me. Amen.

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!