July 09, 2019: SOAP #3505:  Micah 1-4; Hebrews 6

Scripture:  Hebrews (NIV) 6:10 God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.

Observation:   The opening statement of this verse is a declaration of the character of God.  He is not unjust.  He is just.  He is faithful!

And there is something He will not forget!  He will not forget people who have shown him love.

How did they show HIM love?  What was the way they expressed their love for HIM that caught His attention?

They helped His people.  And it was not just a onetime expression of love; they continued to do so!

Application:   If God remembers what I do for others, I want to remember that he takes what I do as an expression of love to Him!  When I want to show my appreciation for what He has done for me, I need only look around and see what I can do for one of “his people.”

Prayer:  Holy Spirit, remind me that Jesus said that what I do for his children I am doing it as unto him. (Matthew 25:40)  Help me bring joy to the heart of Jesus. Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity! 

July 08, 2019: SOAP #3504:  Hosea 13-14; Psalm 100, 102; Hebrews 5

Scripture:  Psalm (NIV) 100:1 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.
2 Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.
3 Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Observation:   In this psalm, we are given some special keys for life.  We are told how to enter the presence of God.  What can be more important than that!

We are to come before him with joyful songs.  We enter his gates with thanksgiving.  We enter his courts with praise.

Application:   Since God is omnipresent, I am always in His presence.  However, I am not always aware of His presence.  When I sing a joyful song of thanksgiving and praise, I become aware of His presence!  Joyful songs of thanksgiving and praise might not change my circumstances, but they will change the focus of my heart and the focus of my thoughts.

Knowing that I can enter the gates of the King of heaven, that I can enter the courts of Creator God, why would I want to stand outside with my mind locked into the hopelessness of the world around me?  Why would I hesitate to use these special keys to enter an awareness of the loving God who gave His Son to die for me?

Prayer:  Holy Spirit, remind me of what is available to me and how to use these keys.  May my joyful songs of thanksgiving and praise bring joy to the courts of heaven.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity! 

July 07, 2019: SOAP #3503:  Hosea 10-12; Psalm 73; Hebrews 4

Scripture:  Hosea (NIV) 11:9 I will not carry out my fierce anger, nor will I turn and devastate Ephraim. For I am God, and not man — the Holy One among you. I will not come in wrath.

Observation:   God did not punish Judah and Israel in wrath, for that would have destroyed them.  He punished them in love, to correct them, to preserve them.  The prophecies of the Messiah still had to be fulfilled.

In the following verses God speaks of a time of returning as He once again gathers His people from the nations.

Application:   I believe there yet remain prophecies to be fulfilled for Israel.  Though people and nations may rant against Israel and threaten to wipe them off the map, that cannot happen.  They still have a prominent place in prophecy as God wraps up His plans.

If I want to be assured of future blessing, I must be a part of the church.  And as a born-again member of the church in whom Christ dwells by His Spirit, I am promised a future of blessing and joy in heaven.  And I am promised His correction when needed.

When God corrects me, He does so in love.  His goal is not to destroy me, but to improve me.  His correction is proof that he believes I can do better.  His correction is proof that He has not given up on me!

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, your love for me, and your plans for me, make you desire only the best for me. I pray that you find me correctible and improvable. Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity! 

July 06, 2019: SOAP #3502:  Hosea 6-9; Hebrews 3

Scripture:  Hebrews (NIV) 3:8 do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the desert, 9 where your fathers tested and tried me and for forty years saw what I did.
10 That is why I was angry with that generation, and I said, ‘Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known my ways.’ 11 So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest.’”

Observation:   It is not enough to know about God.  It is not enough to know that God exists.  It is not enough to know that there is a “man upstairs.”  God wants us to know Him.  He wants to communicate with us.  He wants to love us and to have us love Him.  He wants us to know more than what He does; He wants us to know why; He wants us to know His ways.

Application:   There are people in my life that I have come to know very well.  I do not need to ask them about what would please them.  I know what brings them joy and what distresses them.

God has revealed Himself in His word and the Holy Spirit helps me to grow in knowing God and His ways.   When suddenly confronted with something new, I want to be able to quickly evaluate it and know how God considers it.  I want to know what brings Him joy and what distresses Him.

Prayer:  Lord, I love to sing:
Lord, there’s just one thing; One think I ask of Thee.
Cause me to excel; excel in loving Thee.
There’s nothing in the world, that I would rather be,
Than by thy grace just one, who excels in loving Thee.
Holy Spirit, for this to be true, I need your help to better know God’s ways!  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity! 

July 05, 2019: (reworked from July 5, 2014) SOAP #3501:  Hosea 2-5; Hebrews 2

Scripture:  Hebrews (NIV) 2:18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

Observation:   Love demanded that He help us; holiness demanded that the help come from one who had personally experienced temptation.  God is so HOLY that love cannot be allowed a short cut to help the one loved.  But God is so LOVING that he was willing to do what holiness required.  It is amazing!   It was God’s Holiness and Love that held Jesus on the cross to suffer and die for our sins.

Because Jesus suffered through times of temptation when he was living as a man here on earth, he is able to help those who are being tempted now.  Jesus understands our trials not because someone told him about them, not because he read about them, not because he overheard someone talking about them, but because he experienced them!   He has been here; He has done that!  No one will say to the Judge, “You have no right to judge me; you do not know how bad my life was.”

Application:   Jesus can help me; He has experience dealing with the devil; he knows how to defeat Satan.  Jesus can help me; He has experience dealing with the weaknesses and limitations of being human; he knows I cannot rely on the flesh, so he gives me His Holy Spirit.  Jesus can help me; He is finished dealing with his own trials; Satan cannot distract Him from helping me.   Praise the Lord!

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, you were the only one who could do for me what I needed. In great love, you sent your son to die in my place.  My life is yours.  It is the least I can do. Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity! 

July 04, 2019: SOAP #3500:  2Kings 15-16; Hosea 1; Hebrews 1

Scripture:  2Kings (NIV) 16:11 So Uriah the priest built an altar in accordance with all the plans that King Ahaz had sent from Damascus and finished it before King Ahaz returned.
16:16 And Uriah the priest did just as King Ahaz had ordered.

Observation:   A few days ago, we read about King Uzziah going into the temple to offer sacrifices—which was the priests responsibility. (2Chronicles 26) When the priest, Azeriah, along with 80 priests, stood against the King, God struck the King with leprosy.  In today’s passage, instead of standing against King Ahaz, the priest went along with the king to replace the old altar with a new fancier altar and to re-arrange other items in the temple as the King of Assyria had suggested.

Application:   As the United States pauses for the annual celebration of our independence, we need religious leaders who will boldly speak the word of the Lord to our political leaders.

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, send a Holy Spirit revival to your church today, especially to the leaders.  When political leaders close their ears to what you are saying, embolden religious leaders to speak your word clearly. Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity! 

July 03, 2019: SOAP #3497:  Isaiah 6-7; 2Chronicles 26-27; Philemon

Scripture:  2Chronicles (NIV) 26:7 God helped him against the Philistines and against the Arabs who lived in Gur Baal and against the Meunites.
14 Uzziah provided shields, spears, helmets, coats of armor, bows and sling stones for the entire army.
15 In Jerusalem he made machines designed by skillful men for use on the towers and on the corner defenses to shoot arrows and hurl large stones. His fame spread far and wide, for he was greatly helped until he became powerful.

Observation:   As men have “advanced” and become “more civilized” they have “improved” their ability to wage war.  Having the most “modern” of weapons not only enabled a king to defeat his enemy but also to defend his cities.  Here skillful men under the reign of a righteous Uzziah are credited with designing some of the ancient, defense machines of war.

Application:  The better we can fight an offensive war against the enemy of our souls, the better we will be able to defend our families and homes.

Prayer:  Holy Spirit, keep me alert and awake.  Use me to attack the enemy.  Use me to defend those closest to me.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity! 

July 02, 2019: SOAP #3498:  Isaiah 4-5; Psalm 115-116; Jude

Scripture:  Jude (NIV) 24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,
25 To the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

Observation:   As we live in a world full of temptation, what a blessing to know Someone able to keep us from falling.  How does He do that?  Sometimes he brings a helper alongside.  Sometimes He gives us a prop.  Sometimes He calls out to us.  Sometimes He shows us in His Word.

But the greatest way He keeps us from falling is to live inside each one!   His presence, not just near me, but in me!  It is an inside job!  His presence inspiring, indwelling, and empowering me!

Application:   I must learn to recognize His presence in me.  I need to be listening and expecting to hear His voice.  I need to be in God’s Word daily.  If I have been reading in God’s Word, I will more quickly recognize what He speaks to me personally.

Prayer:  Holy Spirit, thank you for sharing my life.  I need a constant reminder of your presence.  I want you to feel welcome and feel at home.  Keep me from falling and present me faultless before the Heavenly Father.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity! 

July 01, 2019: SOAP #3497:  Isaiah 1-3; Titus 3

Scripture:  Titus (NIV) 3:1 Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, 2 to slander no-one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility towards all men.
AV …shewing all meekness unto all men.
HCSB …showing gentleness to all people.
MESSAGE  …should be bighearted and courteous.
NKJV  …showing all humility to all men.
RSV  …show perfect courtesy toward all men.

Observation:   As I have been reading through the Bible this year, my attention has been drawn to the many times reference is made to humility.  Obviously, it is very important to God.

Above we are instructed to show true humility to all people.  That would include those who to whom I must submit.  I should approach them with humility.  But that would also include those for whom I am responsible.  I should show humility to my boss as well as those who work for me.

Application:  When I stand before another person, I am standing before someone who was made in the image of God.  When I talk to another person, I am talking to someone so valuable to God that He sent His Son to die for them.   How proper it is to show true humility, gentleness, courtesy.  I may not think that they deserve such treatment, but the One I serve does deserve having me walk in humility!

Prayer:  Holy Spirit, work this quality into my life. Bring these thoughts to my mind when you see I need them.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity! 

June 29, 2019: SOAP #3496:  Amos 7-9; Psalm 104:  Titus 2

Scripture:  Psalm (NIV) 104:1 Praise the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty.
2 He wraps himself in light as with a garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent 3 and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters. He makes the clouds his chariot and rides on the wings of the wind.
4 He makes winds his messengers, flames of fire his servants.
5 He set the earth on its foundations; it can never be moved.

Observation:   God is great!  He is clothed with splendor and majesty.  He wraps himself in light.  These are the outer expressions of God, but what is He like at the core.  He stretches out the heavens and he set the earth on its foundations.  This is what he does, but what is He like at the core of His being.

His works show his greatness, but what makes Him good?

At the core, He is holy.  (Psalm 99:9) At the core He is love!  (1John 4:8,16) It is the combination of his eternal holiness and eternal love that make God good.

Application:  I am extremely honored to know God!   To think that one so great and so good would send His son to die for my sins is very humbling.  To have God’s Holy Spirit living in me is also humbling.

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, may my life bring honor and pleasure to you.  May our relationship bring you much joy.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!