October 28, 2019: SOAP #3616:  Job 19; Mark 1-2

Scripture:  Mark (NIV) 2:23 One Sabbath Jesus was going through the cornfields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some ears of corn. 24 The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?” 25 He answered, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need? 26 In the days of Abiathar the high priest, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.” 27 Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. 28 So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”

Observation:  God, who best knows the nature of man, best understands how evil destroys what He has created.  The laws He gave are for man’s benefit.  They are not meant to limit our enjoyment of life, but to enhance it.  The ten commandments are basic instructions on how to fulfill the two commands that Jesus gave:  Love God AND Love one another.

God did not create the Sabbath and then looked for a way to honor it; He created man on the sixth day then created the Sabbath for rest.  The Sabbath was created for man’s benefit.

Application:  What a blessing to live in a country where the constitution was not designed to protect the government from unruly citizens, but to protect citizens from an unruly government.  People do not exist to serve the government, but the government exists to serve us.  People were granted by the Creator certain rights that cannot be denied or taken away.  Our government and the constitution were created for the people’s benefit.

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, you designed a special day for rest, obviously, rest is important!  You designed the cycle of night and day to provide for rest.  Holy Spirit, help me honor what was designed for my benefit. Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity! 

October 27, 2019: SOAP #3615:  Job 18; Psalm 114; Acts 27-28

Scripture:  Acts (NIV) 27:21 After the men had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said: “Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. 22 But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. …
25 So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me….
34 Now I urge you to take some food. You need it to survive. Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head.” …
42 The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners to prevent any of them from swimming away and escaping. 43 But the centurion wanted to spare Paul’s life and kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land.44 The rest were to get there on planks or on pieces of the ship. In this way everyone reached land in safety.

Observation:   Just like the word of God that came through Paul: … safe but wet!  … safe but beat by the waves!  … safe but hanging onto pieces of the shipwreck!  … safe but cold!  … safe but still in the storm!  …safe and glad to be alive, I am sure!  Everyone’s story was a little different, but they all made it safely to land!

Application:  I can trust God to keep His word.  He may not still the storm, but He will get me through!   He promised to go and prepare a place for me.  He promised to come to take me where He is!   I may go through some storms, but “it will be worth it all, when we see Jesus.  Life’s trials will seem so small, when we see Christ.  One glimpse of His dear face…all sorrow will erase.  So, bravely run the race, till we see Christ!”

Prayer:   Lord Jesus, what a day that will be when we join you before the throne in Heaven!  What a day of rejoicing!  What a day of celebrating your great sacrifice!  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity! 

October 26, 2019: SOAP #3614:  Job 17; Acts 24-26

Scripture:  Acts (NIV) 26:13 About noon, O King, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around me and my companions. 14 We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ 15 “Then I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ “‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied. 16 ‘Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen of me and what I will show you. 17 I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them 18 to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

Observation:  Two surprises for Saul.  First: the being, appearing in light brighter than the sun, was the very one Saul had been persecuting.  He was taking Saul’s persecution of the Christians as personal.  What Saul was doing to the believers, he was doing to Jesus!

Second:  Jesus did not come to Saul with revenge, but with an assignment.

Application:   That is the same way Jesus has treated me!  He has not come with revenge, but with an assignment.  I could easily expect revenge, but with Him it would not be revenge, but just punishment.  However, in His great mercy, he comes with grace and forgiveness…AND an assignment.  Love for Him and appreciation motivates me to fulfill my assignments.

Prayer:  Holy Spirit, anoint me to fulfill my assignments.  Live and flow through me while I am here on earth just as you did through Jesus when He was here on earth.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity! 

October 25, 2019: SOAP #3613:  Job 16; Acts 21-23

Scripture:  Acts (NIV) 23:10 The dispute became so violent that the commander was afraid Paul would be torn to pieces by them. He ordered the troops to go down and take him away from them by force and bring him into the barracks. 11 The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.”

Observation:  Paul was in a precarious situation.  He was being mobbed and had to be rescued by Roman troops.

When the Lord appeared to Paul, He did not speak of Paul’s current troubles.  He did not promise that Paul would soon be restored.  God spoke to Paul about Paul’s future.  God gave him an assignment for his future!  This current situation would be cleared; Paul’s testimony was needed in Rome!  The Jews that were threatening Paul’s life would not be successful.  God had future plans for Paul!

Application:  When I think of God’s promise and assignment, I lose my fear of things around me.  What a waste of time to worry about my present troubles when I know that God has something for me to do in the future.  God does not need to explain to me how He is going to take care of my present difficulties; when I know He has future plans, I know He has a way to get me though the present to where I will need to be in the future!

Prayer:   Heavenly Father, it is good to know that there is no present situation that can hinder you from getting me to my future assignments. Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity! 

Oct 24, 2019: SOAP #3612 (from Oct 24, 2014, #1786):  Job 15; Acts 19-20

Scripture:  Acts 20:36 When he had said this, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. 37 They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. 38 What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship.

Observation:   Paul had just given them some farewell words of encouragement.  In a few minutes he would be boarding a ship and starting his journey back to Jerusalem.  But before leaving, they prayed together.

Application:   It has always seemed appropriate to include prayer in “good-bye” times.  It is a way of acknowledging that God is in control of the “comings” and “goings” of our lives.  I remember my wife, my parents and my brother praying for me in the airport just before boarding the plane for Viet Nam.  I remember the prayers of the Bayview Chapel congregation in the Honolulu Airport as we were leaving to pastor in Kansas.

In prayer we entrust those we love into the hands of God for His protection, His guidance, and His provision.   It is a good way of saying we have done all we can do and now they are in God’s hands. (Parents, be sure you pray for your children as they leave home at key times in their lives.  May your prayers be strong in their minds as they move out into the world.  Give they something to remember!)

Prayer:   Heavenly Father, thank you for the special people who prayed for me when I was leaving.  And thank you for the opportunities I have had to pray for others when they were leaving.  Acknowledging your presence in these times brings peace and comfort.  Holy Spirit, embolden parents to bless their children with their audible prayers.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity! 

October 23, 2019: SOAP #3611:  Job 13-14; Acts 17-18

Scripture:   Acts (NIV) 18:23 After spending some time in Antioch, Paul set out from there and traveled from place to place throughout the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.

Observation:   Paul had a traveling ministry.   He took all opportunities to tell about Jesus.  When there were believers in the area, he would meet with them to strengthen them in their faith.  The early church did not have Bibles but relied on the knowledge of their leaders and the traveling preachers.  Paul, with his great knowledge of the Old Testament, could build their faith that Jesus was indeed the promised Messiah.  And when he was in prison and not able to travel, he wrote the letters we have today.  In person, and by mail, he strengthened the church.   If it was available, surely Paul would have used email!     (Thank you, Missionary Ralph Hiatt for your great example of this ministry.)

Application:   In reading the scriptures for today, the Lord refreshing in my heart His assignment for Sharon and me.  As we move from place to place God will use us to encourage and strengthen believers and churches.  As Paul wrote to young Timothy to stir up the gift that was in him (2Timothy 1:6), so the Lord would use us to encourage senior saints to “stir up the gifts” that are in them.  We cannot allow them to settle to the bottom of our heart and be covered over by disappointment, discouragement, or self-pity.  The gifts of the Spirit are too valuable to be buried.  We must stir them up!   Senior citizens, as we move from place to place we must be about strengthening everyone around us.

Prayer:   Holy Spirit, use us for Your glory and the good of Your church.    Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity! 

October 22, 2019: SOAP #3610:  Job 11-12; Acts 15-16

Scripture:  Acts (NIV) 16:13 On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. 14 One of those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshipper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. 15 When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.

Observation:  Paul and his traveling companions had been in the city several days.  They probably checked out places where they could meet other believers.  Something about this place by the river caught their eye.  So, on the Sabbath, they headed off to that location, “expecting to find a place of prayer.”  They went to “church” with expectations!   They expected to find praying people.  People should expect the same today!

Application:   I remember first arriving at Balboa US Naval Hospital in San Diego.  I had been sent there for medical training.  I knew no one.  The only friends I had were those I had not yet met.  How would I find a Christian friend?  I am sure it was the Lord who put a thought in my mind.  I entered the mess (dining) hall expecting to fine a person who would bow his head in prayer before eating his meal.  Before I was through the line, I saw a sailor bow his head to pray.  I took my food to his table and did the same thing.  And that is how I met Boyd Adams.

What do people expect to find when they join with other Christians.  Do they expect to find a place of prayer?  Prayer is always appropriate when two Christians meet!

Prayer:   Holy Spirit, remind me to pray with and for each believer I meet.  May I be praying when I meet them, may our conversation contain an element of prayer, and when we part, may I continue on my way praying.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity! 

October 21, 2019: SOAP #3609:  Job 9-10; Acts 13-14

Scripture:  Acts (NIV) 14:5 There was a plot afoot among the Gentiles and Jews, together with their leaders, to ill-treat them and stone them. 6 But they found out about it and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and to the surrounding country, 7 where they continued to preach the good news.

Observation:  Their lives were threatened in Iconium where powerful preaching and the ministry of miracles had a great affect on Jews and Gentiles.  Their ministry was so effective that Jewish and Gentile leaders who did not accept their message joined forces and developed a plan to stone them.

So, what did Paul and Barnabas do?  The moved on to another Roman province and continued to do as they had done in Iconium.

Application:   Everywhere Jesus went, He was anointed by the Holy Spirit and He was doing good!  Paul and Barnabas followed the same life pattern.  It is a good pattern for me today.  Wherever I go, I should carry the anointing of the Holy Spirit and continue my ministry to proclaim the good news!

Prayer:   Holy Spirit, help me to be faithful like Paul and Barnabas in continuing the ministry of representing Jesus and inviting people to join me. Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity! 

October 20, 2019: SOAP #3608:  Job 6-8; Acts 12

Scripture:  Acts (NIV) 12:5 So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him…
12  When this had dawned on him [that he was out of prison], he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying….
16  But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. 17 Peter motioned with his hand for them to be quiet and described how the Lord had brought him out of prison. “Tell James and the brothers about this,” he said, and then he left for another place.

Observation:  It was easier for Peter to get out of prison than for him to get into the prayer meeting.  Ha!  Before leaving Peter gave them a message to pass along, “Tell James and the brothers…”  This would not be the apostle James, brother of John because he had just been killed (Acts 12:2).  This is James, the half brother of Jesus who became recognized as the leader of the early church in Jerusalem.

Peter led by the Holy Spirit goes to the home of John Mark’s mother where a prayer meeting was in progress.  Amazingly, the answer to their prayer walked through the door!  (–when they finally opened the door!)  That must have been an exciting prayer meeting!  But the church leaders were not there!   Obviously, the presence of church leaders is not necessary to have a good prayer meeting!

Application:   Jesus said, “Wherever two or three are gathered in my name…”   (Matt 18:20)   It can be in a hospital room, at a dining room table, in the market, in the bleachers at a ball game, over a phone connection, or at an altar in church…wherever I gather with another believer He has promised His presence and we can talk to Him!

Prayer:   Heavenly Father, prayer!  What a special way to communicate with you.  What a faith-building opportunity to join with others at your throne! Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity! 

October 19, 2019: SOAP #3607:  Job 5; Psalm 108; Acts 10-11

Scripture:  Acts (NIV) 11:2 So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him 3 and said, “You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them.” 4 Peter began and explained everything to them precisely as it had happened…

Acts (KJV) 11:4 But Peter rehearsed the matter from the beginning, and expounded it by order unto them, saying…

Observation:  Peter was a Jew and had been raised as a Jew.  He knew the restrictions on mixing with non-Jewish people. When the Holy Spirit told Peter to go with the men asking for him (Acts 10:19), He left out one detail—they were Gentiles!!!   Would Peter break the tradition and obey God’s clear instruction OR would he keep the tradition and refuse God’s instruction?

Peter went.  The Holy Spirit filled the Gentiles the same way He filled the Jewish believers on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:4).  Here in Acts 11, Peter explained to the other Jewish disciples as to why he broke the tradition.  It is not difficult to understand why Peter “explained everything to them precisely” and “expounded it by order.”

Application:  Last night I was at two middle school football games.  A gentleman in the bleachers asked about my cap with “Navy Corpsman” and the symbol of the Third Marine Division.  (In Viet Nam I was a Navy Hospital Corpsman assigned to Golf Company 2/4, Third Marine Division.)  Giving “precise” answers and “expounding it by order” gave opportunity to show the work of God in directing my life.  Many things in my life make no sense if I leave God out of the story!

Prayer:   Heavenly Father, there are so many things in my life that have no purpose or reason if not considered in the light of Your involvement.  You are the reason, my sustainer, and my shield of protection.   Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!