SOAP 07/22/2011; 1 Peter 1:13

Today's reading: Isaiah 36, 37; Psalm 76; 1 Peter 1

S) " ¹³ Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ."

1 Peter 1:13 (NASB)

O) This is instruction and it's very straight-forward, so it's another that can't really be taken out of context, which is nice. I need to be a willing vessell of God's mercy and grace, and that takes some mental preparation. I need to contemplate how God might use me, before I feel like He might be calling me to action. I need to be alert in spirit, "listening" for God to lead me. Maybe a kind word or a timely gift or volunteering for something; God may call me to do a lot of things that I wouldn't ordinarily choose to do. So, I need to be sure to keep myself ready. In the middle of that, and to help prepare my mind and spirit, I need to actively put all of my hope on the grace given to me, through Jesus Christ.

A) I need to fix my mind on His grace, continually. I need to choose, ahead of time, to be obedient to God's commands. I need to tell myself and God, as I wake up each morning, that I am His and my life is dedicated to Him and spreading His Gospel, by any means He deems necessary. And, having prepared myself, and dedicated myself, I need to apply myself and actually be obedient.

P) Father, help me keep my mind on Your salvation through Jesus Christ. Holy Spirit, let that inspire me to action. Help me to be bold and obedient, sharing the Gospel whenever and wherever You give me opportunity. I commit myself to be prepared in my mind, sober in my Spirit, and obedient in my actions. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

SOAP 07/21/2011; 2 Kings 19:14-19

Today's reading: 2 Kings 18, 19; 2 Chronicles 32; James 5

S) " ¹⁴ Then Hezekiah took the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it, and he went up to the house of the LORD and spread it out before the LORD. ¹⁵ Hezekiah prayed before the LORD and said, “O LORD, the God of Israel, who are enthroned above the cherubim, You are the God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. ¹⁶ Incline Your ear, O LORD, and hear; open Your eyes, O LORD, and see; and listen to the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to reproach the living God. ¹⁷ Truly, O LORD, the kings of Assyria have devastated the nations and their lands ¹⁸ and have cast their gods into the fire, for they were not gods but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone. So they have destroyed them. ¹⁹ Now, O LORD our God, I pray, deliver us from his hand that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You alone, O LORD, are God."

2 Kings 19:14-19 (NASB)

O) Hezekiah was a man of deep faith. There was evidence all over his reign that he fully relied on the LORD and trusted in Him always. Here, we see him being rocked to his core. The bold statements of a foreign king, a king who has proven his own might and smashed the gods of foreign lands, his words cut to the quick and what is Hezekiah's response? He goes, in his most doubt-filled moment, to the only place where his faith can truly be restored - he goes before the LORD, God Almighty.

A) My faith is challenged. A lot. Today's society has seen nearly all of the old, historic, and ultimately false religions die off. Christianity is seen almost the same as Norse mythology, and in some of the darker times in my life, it's felt a little that way. But everytime I feel that my faith is being shaken, and I spend time directly with God in prayer and worship, my faith is completely restored. Pastor Britt Merick puts it this way, "Haven't you found that a moment in the presence of God can answer a lifetime of questions?" God's presence puts all of my confusion, anxieties, and uncertainties to rest. He is the God of peace, to be sure.

P) Father, thank Your first for your salvation through Jesus. Because He paid the price, I can enter Your presence in the first place. Lord, keep me close. Only You can save me, only You can deliver me. Holy Spirit, continue to draw me into Your presence. When I am in doubt, remind me of Your goodness, that I may believe You for great things, all the days of my life. Especially then, Lord. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

SOAP 07/20/2011; James 4:17

Today's reading: 2 Chronicles 29, 30, 31; James 4

S) "¹⁷ Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin." James 4:17 (NASB)

O) This is an easy verse to take out of context, but I couldn't very well quote the entire chapter for the sake of this journal entry. This is the summation of the entire chapter before it, though, and it speaks to a continual edification. God is constantly calling us to live sinless, but He's also asking us for self-sacrifice, and sanctity, and maturity. This is often times marking out our spiritual growth. James is saying in this summary, that as God is calling you toward this growth and spiritual maturity, a failure to comply is then a sin. So, God might be prompting me to stop listening to secular music as a means of disciplining me and helping me grow. If I ignore that, it's then sin to me. That means that for another person, it's not necessarily sin for them to listen to secular music.

A) This very blog is a response to God calling me to do something specific. Whether I use terms like, "God impressed on me..." or, "I felt in my heart that God wanted me to..." or simply, "God told me..." - it all amounts to the same thing. I know God wants to mold me into the man He's destined me to be. I need to treat that call just like I treat any of God's commands found in the Bible. Obviously, I can't get carried away with myself. I need to carefully consider everything I think God is telling me, and make sure it lines up with what the Bible says. God will never contradict the written Word, since He cannot lie. I believe the Bible is 100% truth, so I need to be sure I'm balancing whatever I'm feeling/understanding/hearing about His commands. Also, I need to take some counsel from other God-fearing men I know, allowing their wisdom to sharpen me. Once I'm through all of that, if God tells me to do something, I need to do it, or it's just like any other sin. So, I need Him to Chisel Me.

P) Father, please continue to shape me. Mold me to be look like You. I want to be the man you've called me to be. I don't want to miss a single thing. I want to be a blessing to my wife, kids, family and friends. I know that it goes beyond just studying Your Word. Holy Spirit, please continue to speak to me, and direct my steps, so that I can walk as you're calling me to walk. In Jesus' name, amen.

SOAP 07/19/2011; James 3:2

Today's reading: 2 Kings 17; 2 Chronicles 28; Psalm 46; James 3

S) "² For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well." James 3:2 (NASB)

O) This verse changed the way I thought of self-control as a teenager. I'd wager it has shaped my outlook on righteousness as much as any other scripture. It starts by showing that there are myriad ways to sin, and everyone does. By contrast, the author goes on to point out that everyone has trouble with what they say. If they don't, then they're perfect, but only Jesus was perfectly sinless (more on that later), therefore everyone sins in what they say. That makes sense, I think, to most people. But then, James goes on to say that, if you can completely control your tongue, they you have the discipline and self-control to maintain perfect righteousness in all things. That is a huge promise! Therefore, one of the most fruitful ways to exercise self-control, is to do so with what you say (and don't say).

A) Jesus was perfect in His righteousness. As children of God, we should be pursuing His example. As you study the life of Jesus, you can find some amazing things He has said about the words He spoke (John 14:10)and the words we use (Matthew 12:36). Jesus was able to walk completely free from sin, and able to control His tongue, and the two things go hand in hand. I need to be careful with what I say and how I say it, but I also need to be prayerful about my tongue as well. I need to continually humble myself before the Father and let Him direct me.

P) Father, please forgive me for my careless words and help me control my tongue. I know that with my words I can sew life into the people around me. Help me to build up and encourage others. Help me speak the truth in love, especially if I have to rebuke or discipline. I only want to fulfill your will with my words. Holy Spirit, please continue to guide me in what I say and how I say it. God, please bless me with self-control in all areas of my life, through my control over my tongue. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 07/18/2011; James 2:10

Today's reading: Isaiah 32, 33, 34, 35; James 2

S) "¹⁰ For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all." James 2:10 (NASB)

O) This verse is very straight-forward and I can't imagine being able to take it out of context. This is a very sobering truth. This is a reminder that, no matter how good I ever try to be, outside of God's mercy, through Jesus Christ, we are all guilty and unworthy of heaven. God is completely holy and pure; we cannot abide in His presence if we are guilty, even in the least. Maybe you've never assaulted some one, did drugs, stole anything. Maybe you waited until marriage to have sex, waited till you were legally allowed to drink beer. But, have you ever lied? About anything? Even a single lie, just once, is enough to lose our relationship with God. It's not because God is a stickler. It's not because He's vindictive and looking for some excuse to prosecute us. It's quite the opposite, really. It's because God's nature is holy. It's simply not possible for us to be in His presence while guilty. But God wanted relationship with us. He wanted a way to allow us into His presence. There were really only 2 ways to do it. He could either change His nature and become an unjust God, or He could arrange for some one else to bear our guilt. All we have to do is submit ourselves to Jesus, and allow the Christ to be in charge of us. Thank God.

A) This Scripture is still true, even after giving my life over to God. A single, unforgiven sin can disturb my spirit within me, and begin to separate me from God. I'll start to feel distant from Him, kind of dry and depressed in my spirit. Acts 3:19 says, "Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord;" And so, I need to diligently repent, walking out that faith and humility before God, not just day by day or hour by hour, but moment by moment.

P) Father, forgive me. Strengthen me to continually turn away from sin. Holy Spirit, surround me with your presence that I walk in a time of refreshing. I thank you, God, that you provided a way for me to become justified, despite my myriad sins. Let me praise You forever, because of your grace and mercy to me. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 07/17/2011; Isaiah 30:15

Today's reading: Isaiah 29, 30, 31; James 1

S) "¹⁵ For thus the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, has said,
   'In repentance and rest you will be saved,
In quietness and trust is your strength.'
But you were not willing," Isaiah 30:15 (NASB)

O) The first part of God's comment here makes sense, "In repentance... you will be saved," but that middle part (omitted in my quote with the elipses) really stood out to me. In the verses following God furthers His point. Rest. God is commanding rest in this case. And not just the kind of rest you need after a long week at work. Not the kind of rest you might enjoy on a Sunday after church. God calls His people to rest during tumultuous times! He tells them in the verses following, that because they fled, they would be chased, and because they went fast, their pursuers would follow faster. God wanted them to repent, rest where they were and not flee, and to take strength in quietness and trust in Him.

A) I'm not an anxious person. I don't often get restless or feel the need to be doing something. Even when I'm bored, I don't often feel a deep desire to be productive. I'm pretty easy going that way. Unless there is a crisis. If my wife is upset or hurt in some way, I get extremely perturbed. When we have a financial issue come up, I can't concentrate or focus on anything else because I'm so distracted. Sometimes, these sort of trials that come up don't even prompt me toward solving the issue, I just want to go away, play a videogame, watch a movie, go out to dinner, escape. Not only do I need to remember to remain repentant and trust in God, but I need to quiet myself and choose rest. This isn't easy, but it starts in the study of the Word and worship and prayer. If I'm founded in these three, I will find my quiet rest in the midst of my conflict.

P) Father, help me to rely soley on You more and more. Help me to seek You diligently and be completely submitted to Your will. In times of trials or struggles, Holy Spirit, draw me in to find rest and quiet. Help me to discern when You command me to wait. Give me an obedient heart to trust in Your command and to do as You will. Thank you for your refuge and salvation. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.