Author Archives: SOAPs by Leon

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About SOAPs by Leon

At the end of my first year in Bible College, the Lord sent me into the US Navy. It was at a serviceman's center in San Diego where I met and married Sharon. During the final years of the ten years I spent in the US Navy, most with the US Marine Corps as a hospital corpsman, I became the pastor of Bayview Chapel A/G in Kaneohe, Hawaii. After 17 years, the Lord sent us back to my birth state, Kansas, where we were pastors of Andover Assembly of God for 20 years. In retirement, the Lord has given me two assignments: first is to write these daily devotions. You are being allowed to eves drop in on what He is saying to me. You will notice the applications are usually in the first person. The second assignment is to drive a school bus. What a privilege to serve others in this practical way and to interact with people outside the church environment. My heart smiles as I continue to joyfully serve my God and others. :) A third assignment from the Kansas Assemblies of God is to be the ministry coordinator for the Kansas Senior Adult Ministries. My wife, Sharon and myself enjoy traveling around the state of Kansas, visiting the churches and encouraging ministry to senior adults and the ministries of senior adults.

My love for God

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August 23: Jeremiah 31-32; 1John 4

Scripture: 1John 4:10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

Observation: God’s love is demonstrated in that He sent His Son, Jesus into the world. Our love is to be expressed, not just in returning it to God, but in loving those around us.

God’s love for us was proved before we were ever able to return it. His love for us took the risk of not being returned. Our love for Him can never reach that level because we are certain of his love before we ever reach out in love to Him.

The God kind of love causes us to reach out to others before we know how they will respond. We love them without any guarantee they will return our love.

Application: The proof of God’s love for me is that He sent His Son. The proof of my love for God is that I love the people around me. My love for the people I can see is proof of my love for the God I cannot see.

Prayer: Lord, I want my love for you to be visible. May it be seen in my love for those around me. Amen.

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

It’s my turn…

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August 24: Jeremiah 33-34; Psalm 74; 1John 5

Scripture: 1John 5:3 This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,

Observation: It cannot be ignored: to love God means that we keep His commands. To some, that thought seems cumbersome. We are willing to say we love God, but when it comes down to actually doing some of the things He says, well that is too inconvenient and we might miss out on something we really like. How can we say we love God and not take time to read His Word, the Bible?

Instead of proving our love for God, we want God to further prove His love for us by overlooking our sins and understanding how tough it is to live by His rules. Instead of thinking about the things we can do to prove our love for Him, we think of all the additional things He can do to prove His love for us!!! And this after He has already given His Son to pay for our sins by His death on the cross!!! Duh!

Application: He has already proved His love for me; now it is my turn to prove my love for Him! If I really love God, keeping His commands is not burdensome. It is a joy to do things for those I really love. It pleases me to do those things that please the ones I love. It makes me smile to make them smile.

Prayer: “I love you Lord, and I lift my voice To worship you, Oh my soul rejoice; take joy, my King, in what you hear; may I be a sweet, sweet sound in your ear.” (Laurie Klein) Amen.

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

What Evidence?

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August 22: Jeremiah 28-30; 1John 3

Scripture: 1John 3:10 This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother.

Observation: God looks at the heart, but we can only see the outside. So John gives us two standards by which we can know is really a child of God. It is not what they say, but what they do. It is not that they say they love God, but that they love their brothers and sisters.

Application: If I was on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict me? Would there be any witnesses that saw me doing what is right and loving my brothers and sisters? There is no way I can live my life for Jesus without others noticing.

Prayer: Lord, may the truth that my life is all about you be evident to everyone around me. May people see what I do and glorify my Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:16) Amen.

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

WWJD?

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August 21: Jeremiah 21, 24, 27; Psalm 118; 1John 2

Scripture: 1John 2:3 We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands.
4 The man who says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
5 But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him:
6 Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.

Observation: The proof is not in what we say, but in the actions that line up with what we say. If we say we are Christians, we are to be walking as Jesus walked.

That being heaven’s goal for us can be seen in that we do not have just one book in the Bible about how Jesus walked on this earth, but four! We call them the gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

That being our goal, it is good for us to regularly read the gospels so we can better understand how we are to be walking here on this earth.

Application: The gospels are so much more than the history of Jesus’ time on earth. They are my guide as to how I am to be living on earth. After all, if I claim to be a Christian, then WWJD (What Would Jesus Do) should be a priority and not just letters on a bracelet.

Prayer: Holy Spirit, as I walk through this day, remind me of something specific I have read in the Gospels. I want Jesus’ life to be my example. Amen.

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

The Flashlight from Heaven

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August 20: Jeremiah 48-49; Psalm 67; 1John 1

Scripture: 1John 1:5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.

Observation: In the first chapter of his gospel, John introduces Jesus as “The true light that gives light to every man…” In considering the many thoughts of “light” in the scriptures, one comes to realize how important this subject is to God. Paul wrote about the “light of the knowledge of the glory of God.” The written Word (the Bible) reveals Our Holy Creator God to us; the living Word (Jesus) reveals Our Loving Heavenly Father. It is wise to walk in the light of both revelations.

NOTE: Not reading the Bible at the start of the day is somewhat like starting to walk at night across a room where a young child has been playing; one never knows what they might step on; it is always best to turn on the light.

Application: I am finding that the Holy Spirit continues to bring light into my life, helping me to understand the scriptures and see how they apply to my daily life.

Prayer: Lord, You are light, like a great flashlight from heaven. Shine on the path where you want me to walk. My commitment to you is to walk in the light and not run into the darkness to try another path. Amen.

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

The Stranger on The Shore

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August 19: Jeremiah 45-47; Psalm 105; John 21

Scripture: John 21:10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.”

Observation: The irony of this verse amuses me. The disciples were out on the lake fishing. To them, Jesus was just some stranger standing on the shore. He called out to them as to how their fishing was going to which they replied they had caught nothing. Jesus told them to cast their net on the other side of the boat and when they did, the net was so full of fish that they could not load them into the boat but had to pull the net to shore. Now Jesus asks them to bring some fish “you have just caught.” The fact is that they had caught nothing! It was not until they had heard and obeyed the direction of Jesus that their net was full.

Application: I must be careful not to limit Jesus to just “spiritual” things. He may speak to fishing, to bus driving (which started this week), to my studies, to my check book, to my life at the office, or to anything concerning my life. I must be listening and quick to obey.

Prayer: Lord, You were that stranger standing on the shore. And you may be speaking to me through that customer across the counter or the voice on the phone. I want to be quick to hear and obey your word. Amen.

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

Accepting His Love

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August 18: Jeremiah 26, 35-36; John 20

Scripture: Jeremiah 26:2 “This is what the LORD says: Stand in the courtyard of the LORD’s house and speak to all the people of the towns of Judah who come to worship in the house of the LORD. Tell them everything I command you; do not omit a word.
3 Perhaps they will listen and each will turn from his evil way. Then I will relent and not bring on them the disaster I was planning because of the evil they have done.

Observation: Here we see the same inner conflict within the heart of God that can be often seen within the heart of a parent. The parent knows that their child needs punishment, but does not want to proceed, so they give their child another opportunity to obey. They hope their child obeys. They want them to obey. They surely do not want to be forced to carry out the threats so they give their child opportunity to make a change.

Application: 2Peter 3:9 says to me that the Lord is not slack concerning his promise to Leon; but is longsuffering to Leon, not willing that Leon should perish, but that Leon should come to repentance.
God loves me as His son; I should respond to Him quickly!

Prayer: Lord, may I accept your love through the rebuke and correction you give me as quickly as I accept your love through the gifts I enjoy! Amen.

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

The Man

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August 17: Jeremiah 23-25; John 19

Scripture: John 19:26 When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Dear woman, here is your son,”
27 and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.

Observation: Ed Cole taught that a man takes responsibility not only for himself, but also for others. Earlier in this chapter after enduring the Roman whipping Pilate had introduced Jesus as “the man.” (Verse 5.) Here Jesus, during the intense suffering of the cross, takes responsibility for his mother. He sets aside His pain to provide care for His mother.

Application: There are times when the pressure of life and the pain of the circumstances have an iron grip on my thoughts. Maturity brings me to a level where I can control my thoughts instead of letting them control me. Maturity helps me set aside that which is screaming for attention and applying my thoughts to more important matters.

Prayer: Lord, you hold me responsible as a man, to reach out and care for those around me. Make me an instrument of your love. Amen.

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

The Big Picture!

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August 16: 2Kings 24; Jeremiah 22; Psalm 112; John 18

Scripture: John 18:36 Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place.”

Observation: Jesus was standing before Pilate, who could condemn Jesus to death. Even there—and especially there, Jesus has the bigger picture in mind. Jesus was in the world, but not of the world.

Application: I have been born again and the life within me, as I live in this world, is eternal life that makes me a part of Jesus’ kingdom. He is my Lord! My time in this world is preparation for my part in His kingdom when my physical life on earth is over.

Prayer: Lord, help me keep the big picture always in my thoughts. Help me to understand the things happening to me in light of Your kingdom. Amen.

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

The “Then” & The “There”

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August 15: Jeremiah 18-20; Psalm 93; John 17

Scripture: Jeremiah 18:2 “Go down to the potter’s house, and there I will give you my message.”
3 So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel.
4 But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.
5 Then the word of the LORD came to me:

Observation: God had a “message;” God had a “there;” and God had a “then.” The timing was based on the prophet being in a certain place.

Application: I do not have to be in church to hear God’s message. Although He speaks to me in church, He speaks even more outside the church.
Like God’s message to the prophet at the potter’s house, many times His message to me is contained in what is happening around me.

Prayer: Lord, my location may be the very place to which you have sent me to receive your message. May I not limit the places you speak to me and may I always be opening to hear what you are saying. Amen.

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!