With me!

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January 25: Exodus 12-13; Psalm 21; Acts 1

With me!

Scripture: Acts 1:1 In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach
2 until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen.

Observation: It does not take long before Luke introduces the Holy Spirit into the book of Acts. The Holy Spirit is a shared emphasis in both books written by Luke. In the gospel of Luke we see the importance of the Holy Spirit in the life of Jesus. In the book of Acts we see the importance of the same Holy Spirit in the lives of believers.

Application: The disciples walked with Jesus. They were with Him when in HIS location. The Holy Spirit walks with me! He shares MY location! He is always with me! My body is a living temple of the Holy Spirit!

Prayer: Holy Spirit, how amazingly blest I am to have you with me. You are my teacher to give me understanding and my guide to give me direction. I am so blest! Amen.

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

Not as expected…

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January 24: Exodus 9-11; Luke 24

Not as expected…

Scripture: (NIV) Luke 24:2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb,
3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.

Observation: The ladies went to the tomb where they had seen the body of Jesus laid (Luke 23:55). But when they arrived, things were not as they expected. They expected to have trouble getting the stone moved so they could place spices around the body. As it turns out, things were so much better—far better than they could have ever dreamed!!!

Application: When facing the unknown, it almost seems human nature to expect the worst. God is teaching me not to fear the worst and not to worry about how things will work out. Many times I am wonderfully surprised by what I find.

Prayer: Lord, you are amazing, often surprising me with blessings when I am expecting trouble. Amen.

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

My small part

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January 23: Exodus 6-8; Luke 23

My small part…

Scripture: Exodus (NIV) 7:1 Then the LORD said to Moses, “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet.
2 You are to say everything I command you, and your brother Aaron is to tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go out of his country.
3 But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and though I multiply my miraculous signs and wonders in Egypt,
4 he will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and with mighty acts of judgment I will bring out my divisions, my people the Israelites.
5 And the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out of it.”
6 Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD commanded them.

Observation: Moses had a part and God had a part. Moses part was simply to speak to Pharaoh. He was God’s messenger boy. God’s part was to do the rest. As Moses was faithful, God was faithful.

Application: When it comes to working with God, my part is always the small part. At times it may look like my part is useless, but when done in obedience; God takes care of the rest.

Prayer: Lord, find me faithful in being obedient to do the small part you give me; then I can trust you to take care of the rest. Amen.

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

God speaking

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January 22: Exodus 3-5; Luke 22

God speaking

Scripture: Exodus 3:3 So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.”
4 When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” And Moses said, “Here I am.”

Observation: He was not making a sacrifice at some altar. He was doing what he had done yesterday, what he had done last week, last month. Moses was at work tending sheep. Something unusual caught His eye and he went out of his way to take a look. It may not have been unusual for a bush to be on fire in the dessert, but that it did not burn up was very unusual.

Application: I expect God to speak to me in church, but I need to be careful not to miss what He might say to me at work. Unusual things, things that grab my attention, another worker waiting nearby to speak with me, a special opportunity for training—all could provide the opportunity for God to give me a special message.

Prayer: Lord, I want to be a good listener, especially when You are talking. Amen.

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

He’s watching me too!

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January 21: Exodus 1-2; Psalm 88; Luke 21

He’s watching me too!

Scripture: Luke (NIV) 21:1 As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury.
2 He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins.
3 "I tell you the truth," he said, "this poor widow has put in more than all the others.
4 All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on."

Observation: Is giving important? Jesus was at the temple, took note of what people were giving, and made comment. His comments are interesting to me, but what caught my attention this time was just the fact that He was watching the people as they gave.

Application: Obviously, He watches my giving too. My giving is important to Him. The next time I give an offering, although I am not giving for people to see, I do need to remember that He sees the gift; He sees my heart; and He sees what is left.

Prayer: Lord, You are the greatest giver of all! Let the truth that You live in me be seen in my giving. Amen.

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

Children

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January 20: Genesis 49-50; Psalm 8; Luke 20

Children

Scripture: Psalm (NIV) 8:1 O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.
2 From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.

Observation: How easy it is to understand why the Lord’s enemy would want to destroy children.
1. They offer the most pure praise, not yet tainted by sin.
2. Children are made in the image of God.
3. Jesus came into this world as a child.
4. Every hero, every great leader, every doctor, etc. came into the world as a child.
5. We all come to Him as children.
Let’s offer pure praise!

Application: What is important to God is important to me. Children are so important to God that he considers what I do to children as though I did it to Him!

Prayer: Lord, teach me to love children as you do. Amen.

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

“…until I come back.”

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January 19: Genesis 47-48; Psalm 10; Luke 19

“…until I come back.”

Scripture: Luke (NIV) 19: 12 He said: “A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return.
13 So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. ‘Put this money to work,’ he said, ‘until I come back.’

Observation: In Jesus story, a nobleman gave his servants money to be invested. The goal was clear; they were rewarded according to how well they had invested it. The timeline, though indefinite, was also clear; it was to be put to work until he returned.

Application: Like everyone else, The Lord has given me talents. These talents do not belong to me and are not for my benefit; they belong to the Lord and are for His benefit. He has told me what to do with them: “put them to work.” He has told me for how long: “until I come back.” Circumstances change, especially as I grow older, and how I use the talents given me may change, but they are not to remain idle.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for new and fresh ways to use the talents you have given me. Amen.

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

How can I say “Thanks!”

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January 18: Genesis 44-46; Luke 18

How can I say “Thanks!”

Scripture: Luke (NIV) 18:43 Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God.

Observation: Having been blind and now living as a beggar, this man did not have much to leave behind. When he was healed, he began following Jesus. He followed enthusiastically and his enthusiasm was catching. It just would not have been right if he had disappeared quietly into the crowd.

Application: Jesus paid for my sins by His death on the cross. He forgave me and considers me just as if I had never sinned!!! How wrong it would be for me to disappear quietly into the crowd. How right it is for me to follow Him enthusiastically!

Prayer: Lord, like Andrea Crouch sings: “How can I say thanks for the things You have done for me, Things so undeserved, Yet You gave to prove Your love for me. The voices of a million angels could not express my gratitude. All that I am and ever hope to be, I owe it all to Thee.” Amen.

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

Seven times a day…

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January 17: Genesis 42-43; Psalm 5; Luke 17

Seven times a day…

Scripture: Luke (NIV) 17:3 So watch yourselves. “If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him.
4 If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, ‘I repent,’ forgive him.”

Observation: In this verse, Jesus is not speaking to the one sinning. He is not giving permission to repeat the sin seven times a day. Jesus is speaking to the one offended. Healing comes to us as we forgive those who sin against us. And it is so important that even if our brother sins against us seven times in one day, we need to forgive. Forgiveness should be the first step in negating the effects of offences that come our way, especially since Jesus commands it.

Application: I am not given permission to continue sinning. I am being told how I should react when others sin against me.

Prayer: Lord, You are the Great Forgiver and You are with me when I need to forgive! Thank you! Amen.

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!

Not a C.S. Lewis

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January 16: Genesis 39-41; Luke 16

Not a C.S. Lewis

Scripture: Luke 16:30 "‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
31 "He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’"

Observation: Some say that Jesus’ story about the rich man and Lazarus is a parable. I believe it is a true story about real people. But if it is only a story, Jesus never told stories about fictitious people, places, or things. His parables were always true to life. Jesus was not a C.S. Lewis writing the Chronicles of Narnia about a magical land with animals that talk. Here the rich man, tormented in hell, begs for someone to be sent from the dead to warn his brothers.

Application: I need to be careful not to underestimate the power of the Word of God. The rich man was told that the written Word, which at that time consisted of the Books of Moses and the Prophets, was more powerful than someone with a fantastic testimony about being raised from the dead.

Prayer: Lord, help me keep Your Word fresh in my heart, always ready to share it with others. Amen.

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!