December 05, 2018: SOAP #3289:  Ephesians 5-6; Psalm 119:1-80

Scripture:  Ephesians (NIV) 5:1 Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Observation:   We are His children, His dearly loved children.  He takes joy in us.  And as a little child tries to imitate their parents, so we should set about imitating our Heavenly Father.

We best imitate God by loving.  The best example for us to imitate is that of Jesus Christ who loved us while we were yet sinners.  His love cost, not others, but Himself.  He loved to the point of great personal sacrifice.  That is what we are to imitate!

Application:  My love for God started as a response to the love He had for me.  He loved me before I knew to love Him.  He loved me before I knew how worthy He is of my love and devotion.

If I am going to imitate His love, my love needs to be offered to those around me who may not appreciate or even want my love.  I may need to make a sacrifice for them even while they reject me.

Prayer:   Heavenly Father, I know you are pleased when you see me trying to imitate Your Son, Jesus.  Holy Spirit help me love others like Jesus loved me. Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

December 04, 2018: SOAP #3288:  Ephesians 1-4

Scripture:  Ephesians (NIV) 1:16 I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. 17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18 I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints…

Ephesians (NIV) 3:16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fulness of God.

Observation:  Paul did not just say he was praying for them, he wrote down the words and thoughts of his prayers.  I cannot help but note that Paul’s prayers are quite different than many prayers I hear today.

Paul prayed that people would come to know God and grow in their understanding of His plan.  He did not pray for their physical bodies, but their spiritual lives.  He did not pray for financial success, but revelation knowledge of God’s love.  He did not pray that their lives would be full of enjoyable and successful activities, but full of the fulness of God!

Application: I need to adjust my praying.  It is not wrong to pray for healing and success in life’s activities, but I need to pray more for spiritual growth and understanding.  I should use some of Paul’s thoughts in my prayers.

Prayer:   Holy Spirit, guide my prayers. May my prayers deal with the eternal matters.   Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

December 03, 2018: SOAP #3287:  Romans 13-16

Scripture:  Romans (NIV) 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, 18 because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.

Observation:  Righteousness, peace, and joy are more important than eating and drinking!   So, if my freedom to eat or drink hinders someone’s righteousness, peace, or joy, I should forgo my freedom.   My freedom can be expressed in two ways.  I am free to partake, or I am free not to partake!

Application:  It may please myself when I take advantage of my freedom, but it pleases God when I do not push my freedom that may offend others.

Prayer:  Holy Spirit, keep me aware of how my life influences others.  Forgive my thoughtless words and actions that offended others.  Help me live each day to glorify Jesus and His sacrifice for me.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

December 02, 2018: SOAP #3286:  Romans 9-12

Scripture:  Romans (NIV) 10:8 But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: 9 That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

Observation:  Here Paul says it clearly.  It is a confession with the mouth of what is believed in the heart.

Faith without works is dead, and the confession of the mouth is an expression of the faith in the heart.  It is commonly the first expression of faith’s presence.

This faith accompanied by its confession brings salvation!

The confession is of the Lordship of Jesus.  We surrender to His control and rulership.  Our lives are now His to be lived as He directs.  This is completely reasonable.  He is omnipotent and omniscient and motivated by love died for me.  It would be unreasonable not to surrender to His Lordship!

The belief is that His death as payment for my sins did not end His life.  He is the resurrected Lord with power over death.  His death paid the penalty for the sins I have committed, and now His life within is the power to live in victory over sin!

Application:  I need BOTH!  I need His payment for the penalty of my sins.  AND I need His presence for the power to live each day.  His payment is a historical fact; His presence is an everyday reality!

Prayer:   Lord, help me to live in a way that demonstrates both:  the historical fact that you died for my sins, AND the current reality that you live within me.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

December 01, 2018: SOAP #3285:  Romans 5-8

Scripture:  Romans (NIV) 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Observation:  This verse is not for everyone; it has limitations. It for those who love Him. It is for those who are following the calling “according to His purpose.”

This verse makes no special category for the actions of the devil. The devil’s interference in our lives is lumped in with “all things.” There are no limitations on the “all things.”

It does not say that all things are good. Nor does it say that He only works through the good things.  God is working through “all things.”

For the person who loves God and is pursuing God’s calling, there is absolutely nothing to worry about.  God is in control.

Application: In an uncertain world, it is good to have things that are certain. It is good to have things that I can count on to never change. This is better than having it engraved in stone.  It is here engraved/recorded in God’s Word that God is actively involved in weaving the pieces of my life together that good will ultimately result!

Prayer:   Holy Spirit, thank you for refreshing this verse to me.  Engrave it upon my heart and mind!  You are working through all things for my good and your glory!  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

November 30, 2018: SOAP #3284:  Romans 1-4

Scripture:  Romans (NIV) 4:4 Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. 5 However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness. 6 David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: 7 “Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. 8 Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him.”

Observation:  There are things that I could make for myself.  Those things would be quite evident that I made them.  They would show my limitations.  If I made myself a car, it would be obvious to everyone who saw it. It would not be trustworthy, that is if it would even run.  Ha!   On the other hand, if Chevrolet gave me a car … that car would be totally different.  It would have the look of being professionally made by people with skill.  It would be trustworthy to run at high speeds on the roadways of our country.
–If I am going to earn the best righteousness I can afford, it will be quite lacking to meet my need.  Most of my righteousness would consist of good intentions, but there would be selfish streaks running throughout.
–On the other hand, if God credits righteousness to me, then it will be righteousness with perfect intention at its heart, and perfect performance.
–With my righteousness, I will not have much peace of mind; I will always be worrying if it will suffice for entrance into heaven.  With God’s righteousness, I have peace of mind.  There is no need to worry about whether it will meet His requirements!

Application:  God’s righteous is mine by faith.  I believe that the sacrifice of Jesus covers my sins, and I confess my sins to Him and by faith receive His forgiveness.  I have what I could never earn!

Prayer:   Thank you, Jesus, for perfectly fulfilling the requirements for my salvation.  You have given me what I could never earn!  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

November 29, 2018: SOAP #3283:  1Thes 4-5; 2Thes 1-3

Scripture:  2Thessalonians (NIV) 1:8 He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power

Observation Those who do not know God and do not obey His word have a terrible future ahead of them.  Their punishment is everlasting!  There will not be another opportunity to change destiny. There will be no future hope of spending eternity in the Presence of the Lord.  There will be no hope to experience His majestic power working on their behalf.

It is not enough to know about God.  Many people have read about God, have heard others talk about God, and have even thought about God, but still do not know Him.

Application: To know God is to enter a relationship with Jesus, accepting His death as the payment for one’s sin and making Christ the Lord of one’s life.  Then as one continues in their life, they do so, obeying the Word of their new Lord, Jesus the Christ.

Prayer:  Jesus, I believe you died for my sins and rose again from the dead.  I ask you to forgive my sins.  Make me clean, just as if I had never sinned.  I invite you to live in my life as my Lord.  Thank you for keeping your promise to forgive me.  Thank you for coming to live in my life.  I welcome you to share each moment of my life with you.  I want you to enjoy living in me. Amen
(Romans 10:9-10, 1John 1:9, Revelation 3:20, Romans 8:16)

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

November 28, 2018: SOAP #3282:  Matthew 28; 1Thes 1-3

Scripture:  1Thessalonians (NIV) 3:11 Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come to you.

Observation:  Paul loved the believers in Thessalonica and would love to visit them, but his life was not his own.  God the Father and the Lord Jesus would have to “clear the way” for a visit back to Thessalonica.

Paul’s travel expense account was not in a local bank.  God was his banker and funded Paul’s ministry.  Sometimes Paul worked to not be a burden to others.  (1Thessalonians 2:9)   Sometimes people traveling with Paul took jobs so that Paul would be able to focus full time on ministry.  Sometimes churches send Paul support for his ministry.   God’s funding depended on doing God’s will.  So, Paul needed God to “clear the way” for travel to Thessalonica.  The assurance of God’s authorization comes with the assurance of God’s provision.

Application:  It is important for me to walk in step with God, not to lag and not to run ahead.  Walking in the center of His presence is where I find the fullness of the Holy Spirit’s anointing and the assurance of His full provision.

While in the US Navy, I found that when I obeyed my assignment, I did not have to carry the burden of provision.  Now I am finding that God is a much better provider than the US Navy!

Prayer:   Lord Jesus, as my love and appreciation for you grows in my heart, so grows my desire to live in the center of your will.  Being sure of your will for me brings the assurance of your provision.  You “clear the way” for me to do as you direct.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

November 27, 2018: SOAP #3281:  Psalm 125; Matthew 26-27

Scripture:  Matthew (NIV) 26:52 “Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. 53 Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? 54 But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?”

Observation:  The only thing needed was for Jesus to ask and 12 legions of angels (90,000+ angels) would be sent on a rescue mission for the one who carried the glory of heaven.  A formidable force indeed, especially when one considers what individual angels are reported to have done throughout the pages of the Bible!   (Isaiah 37:36)

Considering this passage, made me wonder if some of those angels standing by were in the host that announced the birth of the Christ-child thirty-three years earlier.  (Luke 2:13)

It must have been tough being an angel.  To announce as Good News that the mighty creator of all the earth was now present as the weakest of all humans—an infant dependent on human parents!   And now to stand back and do nothing as the King of Glory was being disgraced and crucified!

What held them back?  It was the holiness of God demanding a perfectly holy sacrifice to cover the sins of the object of God’s great love!

Application:  As we were taught to pray:  May His will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  May I be faithful as the angels who do His will.

Prayer:  Holy Spirit, help me appreciate what Jesus accomplished for me on the cross.  Find me faithful in carrying out my assignments. Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

November 26, 2018: SOAP #3280:  Matthew 23-25

Scripture:  Matthew (NIV) 25:14 “…A man…who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. 15 To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. 17 So also, the one with the two talents gained two more…
19 “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.’ 21 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ 22 “The man with the two talents also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.’ 23 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

Observation:  In considering the parable of the talents, I have often considered the lessons of the servant who received the one talent.  However today, the Lord led me to consider the other two servants.  One returned 10 talents to the master, the other returned 4, yet they both received the same commendation from the master.  As I wondered why, I was led back to verse 15: they were given talents according to their individual ability!

They were not being rewarded for fruitfulness, but for faithfulness!  (Faithfulness does result in fruitfulness, but God rewards the faithful.)

Application:  How foolish it is to compare my accomplishments to those of others.  God is looking for faithfulness.

Prayer:   Lord, Jesus, there has never been a servant as faithful as you.  Work your faithfulness into my character.  Be your assignment large or small, I want you to find me faithful.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!