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.

Still Keeping His Word

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August 14: Jeremiah 16-17; Psalm 96; John 16

Scripture: Jeremiah 16: 14 ¶ “However, the days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when men will no longer say, ‘As surely as the LORD lives, who brought the Israelites up out of Egypt,’

15 but they will say, ‘As surely as the LORD lives, who brought the Israelites up out of the land of the north and out of all the countries where he had banished them.’ For I will restore them to the land I gave to their forefathers.

Observation: Jeremiah was living in the days of the first saying; Israel had been delivered from Egypt. We are now living in the days of the second: the nation of Israel has been restored! The people both have been and are being restored. God is the Great Promise Keeper!

Application: God, who has been faithful to keep His word to Israel, also keeps his word to me. For me, the present existence of the nation of Israel is a great visible proof that I can trust God to keep His promises to me.

Prayer: Lord, how blest I am to know that the Almighty God is holy and faithful to keep His word. Amen.

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

Bringing joy…

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August 13: Jeremiah 13-15; John 15

Scripture: John 15:11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.

Observation: We always desire to bring joy to the one we love. It becomes our goal. In this verse we see the joy Jesus has and the joy we have. He is the source of our joy, and in a wonderful way, we are the source of His joy. What an amazing thought, that we have the power to bring joy to God. I wonder if there are times when heaven rings with the joyful laugh of God as He watches His children do those things that please Him! (I wonder what the devil thinks when he hears God laugh?)

Application: My goal: to make Jesus smile! May He even get a good laugh from me from time to time!

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 it be a sweet, sweet song in your ear.” (Laurie Klein) Amen.

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

Proof

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August 12: Jeremiah 10-12; John 14

Scripture: John 14:15 “If you love me, you will obey what I command.

Observation: Words are not enough. The only way love can be proved is through actions. People who say they love God but do not do what He says prove that they really do not love him. David Wilkerson said that God proves His love for us by giving; we prove our love for Him by obeying.

Application: People should be able to see proof of my love for God by looking as how I keep His commands. But more important than people seeing my love for God, I want God to see my love for Him!

Prayer: Lord, let your Holy Spirit work in and through me demonstrating my love for you by my obedience to your will. Amen.

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

He sees and hears!

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August 11: Jeremiah 7-9; John 13

Scripture: Jeremiah 7: 11 “Has this house, which bears my Name, become a den of robbers to you? But I have been watching!” declares the LORD….

Jeremiah 8: 6 I have listened attentively, but they do not say what is right. No-one repents of his wickedness, saying, “What have I done?” Each pursues his own course like a horse charging into battle.

Observation: People often act as though God is deaf and blind. But the truth is: God both hears what we say and watches what we do. He is not fooled.

God hears all our excuses, is waiting for us to acknowledge our sin and repent.

This reminds me of the present USA government administration, making excuses for our financial troubles by blaming previous administrations. Then they blame environmental disasters around the world to which we have sent aid. They blame the trouble in the Middle East. They blame the other political party. They blame the financial institutions that have lowered our status. Will there ever be an admission that we have spent too much money with any specifics as to where to make cuts? I keep waiting to hear, but so far …

Application: how foolish to think I can make excuses and hide things from God! May the One who sees everything I do not have to wait long to hear my repentance and see the change in my actions.

On the other hand, knowing that my loving Heavenly Father both sees and hears is a source of peace and comfort. He knows what I am going through and He hears my prayers.

Prayer: Lord, I am so glad that you see and hear. I need you to hold me accountable for sin and to help me in times of temptation. Amen.

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

On account of me?

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August 10: Jeremiah 5-6; John 12

Scripture: John 12: 9 Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead.
10 So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well,
11 for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and putting their faith in him.

Observation: Who has come to Jesus on account of me? God’s working in restoring physical life to Lazarus caused many people to put their faith in Jesus. But Jesus has done an even greater work in me. To Lazarus, Jesus restored his physical life, and he would later die again. To me, Jesus has given eternal life that physical death cannot stop!

If the restoration of Lazarus’ physical life caused many to put their faith in Jesus, then I should expect that the impartation of eternal life into Leon should cause at least some people to put their faith in Jesus.

Application: This life I am living belongs to Jesus. I want to live it for His glory so that others will put their faith in Him.

Prayer: Lord, you did something FOR Lazarus, but you did something IN me. May it be obvious to others that your life is in me. Help me live in such a way that others want what I have. Amen.

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

Lord, if you…

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August 9: Jeremiah 3-4; John 11

Scripture: John 11:32 When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

Observation: Because I know the end of the story, I can say, “But Mary, if the Lord had healed Lazarus, he would not later had the opportunity to raise him from the dead!”

“Lord, if you … ” I wonder how many times the Lord hears questions that start with those words. We often have it all figured out. All we have to do is get the Lord to do “his” part. And when He does not do “his” part, we have questions.

Questions like these come before the story is over; the Lord knows the end of the story. He sees our circumstances from heaven’s point of view. Jesus had healed many people. Now the resurrection of Lazarus would be the key to turning many to believe in Jesus, which then motivated the religious leaders to desire His death. (Note verses 45-48) His death is accepted as the payment for my sin and His resurrection proved that even in death, He had the power to rise again!

Application: I can trust the Lord to see a bigger picture. I wonder how many problems have been averted for me because the Lord did not do it my way.

Prayer: Lord, I can trust you even when you do not do it the way I think you should. You do know what is best. Amen.

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

Come in & Go out

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August 8: Jeremiah 1-2; John 10

Scripture: John 10: 7 Therefore Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep.
8 All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.
9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture.
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

Observation: Gates work two ways, one can “come in” and one can “go out.” Upon release from active duty (ten years in the Navy, six in Hawaii), one thing I missed was being able to drive through the gates to places Sharon, Doron and I had enjoyed. I felt limited. Now there were places on the island I could not go.

Other gates seemed a welcome to a place of safety. And after being refreshed, and restocked, it was through that same gate of Camp Vandergrift that Golf Company, 2/4 would go out to patrol below the DMZ.

Application: Jesus is my gate into the Presence of God. Through Jesus and because of His sacrifice, I have access into the throne room of heaven. Jesus is also my gate back into the world to love the world the way God loves the world.

Prayer: Lord, I am blest that you have made a way for me into your presence! May I not be a stranger there! I am also blest that you send me out into the world you love. May I be useful there. Amen.

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

MY Testimony!

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August 7: Zephaniah 1-3; John 9

Scripture: John 9: 30 The man answered, “Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes.
31 We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who does his will.
32 Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind.
33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”

Observation: The man who had been born blind was called before the religious leaders. He had something to say: ” … he opened MY eyes.” First: A personal testimony is hard to walk away from. We all know what has happened to us. We have personal insight. It is our experience. No one can take that from us. Second: A personal testimony is hard to refute. It was hard for the religious leaders to refute this personal experience. They looked foolish trying. Third: A personal testimony comes with personal convictions. Some things become logical when we go through an experience. This man was amazed at their attempt to discredit what was so apparent.

Application: No one knows better than I what God has done for me. If He is going to get the glory He deserves, it will have to be because I have told others. If others are going to be encouraged to believe what God can do for them, it might be because I tell them what God has done for me.

Prayer: Lord, May my appreciation for what you have done for me be seen in that am quick to tell others. Amen.

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

Free Indeed!

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August 6: Habakkuk 1-3; John 8

Scripture: John 8:36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

Observation: I usually think of this verse as a stand-alone thought. However the context adds depth. In the preceding verse, we are told that relationship of son is permanent while that of slave is temporary. The son is the heir and has authority in the household. A slave would not be authorized to give another slave freedom, but that would not be true of a son. If a slave sets us free, then we are not really free; but if the son sets us free—then we are free indeed! Freedom cannot be given by the slave and here Jesus was claiming to be the Son.

A nation can only spread freedom as long as it is free! If it becomes enslaved, its armies will be used to increase slavery! The armies of tyrants are used to maintain and increase despotism.

Application: What is true spiritually and politically has to be truth in my heart. If I do not use my freedom to protect the freedom of others and to bring freedom to those still in bondage, before long I will soon be in danger of losing my own freedom. The most vibrant Christians are those actively sharing their faith with others.

Prayer: Lord, help me use my freedom to bring freedom to others. Amen.

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

Quenching my thirst and more!

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August 5: 2Kings 23; 2Chronicles 35; John 7

Scripture: John 7:37 On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.
38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.”

Observation: If anyone is thirsty for a more satisfying life, Jesus invites them to come to Him and to drink. They are invited to come and enter into a relationship with Him by “drinking” Him—taking Him into their life. With Him on the inside, our lives become a spring from which water flows to bless those around us. “Coming” to Jesus and “Drinking” in His life, first quenches my thirst and then flows outward to bless others.

Application: God’s presence in my life is better than a cold glass of water on a hot day. Not only does He make my life more satisfying to me, the overflow of His life within blesses others.

Prayer: Lord, how empty this life would be without you! How blest this life is with you! Amen.

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!