SOAP 10/15/2011; Acts 4:13

Today's reading: Nehemiah 13; Malachi 1,2; Acts 4

S) "¹³ Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus."

Acts 4:13 (NASB)

O) Oh, how I wish more Christians would realize the implications of this passage! See, preaching the gospel, talking to people about Jesus and God's love, grace, and mercy - even praying for this sick - all of it was done by the early apostles who had no seminary training or official credentials. I'm in favor of furthering education, but in everything eternal (which are absolutely the most important things) the education we need the most is simply spending time with Jesus! Time with Him changes our character, increases our abilities, and opens the door for us to be used in tremendous ways!

A) The Word is an excellent way to spend time with Jesus. He is the manifested Word of God, so studying Scripture might be the easiest way to spend time with Jesus. The second way through prayer. Listening for Him is even more important than talking, and waiting upon His instruction is spending time with Him. But, when Jesus walked the earth, lots and lots of people heard Him speak, they heard His instruction. There were many who even obeyed His call to repentance and returning to God. However, these disciples spent time just being around Him. The best way to do that now, is to spend time entrenched in His Spirit. Usually, that will come through time of worship. The Bible promises that the LORD inhabits the praises of His people. So, if I am committing time to worship, I will begin to feel His Spirit upon me. It almost seems sci-fi, but simply by being in His presence regularly, it will increase my confidence and boldness, even my very ability, to proclaim the Gospel effectively.

P) Father, I want to be used by You. I want to be effective in giving people the Good News. I know that there are lots of ways I can prepare myself and through practice and education, I can become a more effective disciple for You. But God, I know that simply spending time in Your presence will magnify whatever other education or abilities I have. Anoint me for the purposes of showing people Your grace and mercy, God. Holy Spirit, surround me with Your presence daily, so that I am as confident, bold, sure, and able to deliver Your Word, as I can possibly be. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 10/14/2011; Acts 3:19

Today's reading: Nehemiah 11,12; Psalms 1; Acts 3

S) "¹⁹ 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;"

Acts 3:19 (NASB)

O) This is a very familiar sequence to me. Fighting to maintain purity and righteousness is exhausting. The 2 keys that drive the above verse, to me, are the "return" that follows the repentance, and the way it's worded to say that refreshing comes from the presence of the Lord. So first, after we've been struggling with a sin, it's important for us to re-establish our good habits. Hold ourselves accountable to people, get ourselves back to church (as so often, struggles with sin tend to keep us at home Sunday mornings), and put ourselves in position to worship God with our brothers and sisters. That bridges to the second part. True worship puts us in touch with the Lord. The Holy Spirit comes to meet us in times of worship, and that brings the refreshing that is so important to maintaining righteousness.

A) This doesn't have to be anything dramatic. Sometimes, I can feel a little detached from God's presence. It's almost like a dryness. If I'm not struggling against some big, ugly, obvious sin, it's easy to forget that other little sins can sort of pile up and go unnoticed. I need to make it a habit to search out the inconspicuous sins in my life, so that I can repent from every mistake and make my way back into the presence of the Lord and be refreshed.

P) Father, forgive me for my sins, God. I have been selfish with my time, lately. I've been arrogant and careless at work. I've taken my eyes off of the eternal and become obsessed with the temporal. Cleanse me of this unrighteousness that has accumulated on me, God. Holy Spirit, come upon me fresh, God. Be all around me. Help me walk step in step with You, so that I can follow Your lead and walk in the fruit of Your Spirit, Lord. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 10/13/2011; Nehemiah 9:13

Today's reading: Nehemiah 9,10; Acts 2

S) "¹³ “Then You came down on Mount Sinai,
And spoke with them from heaven;
You gave them just ordinances and true laws,
Good statutes and commandments."

Nehemiah 9:13 (NASB)

O) God is good. As simple as that sounds, the implications run deep and in that way, it's a fact that many Christians kind of overlook. God has our best interest in mind. As strict and difficult as the Old Testament law is, the truth of the matter is that those laws are still good for the subjects of God's kingdom. Those laws, ordinances, statutes, and commandments are all designed to preserve life, maintain relationships, cultivate love, and breed compassion. All of those laws are, in fact, a reflection of God's very character. Those laws are aimed at keeping us in the semblence of God's image, the image in which we were created.

A) The law is, however, terribly difficult to uphold. Thank God for sending Jesus! I was a goner a long, long time ago. In fact, contrary to what the world says about the innosence of youth, the Bible rightly teaches that I was born into sin and was guilty simply because I am a descendant of Adam. I certainly did my share of adding to that guilt, though, and it makes God's grace even sweeter when I acknowledge all of the ways I was found guilty. Take it a step further, though. God's grace provides mercy, so I am no longer guilty, but that same grace provides new life. In that new life, I am a new creation. As a new creation, I am now able to keep God's laws! I am able to maintain (at least for stretches), the image of God, being the man He created to be. I am able to bear His image.

P) Father, You are good. Your every motive is for my benefit. Reveal to me, Holy Spirit, all of the ways You are trying to bless me. Let that add to my faith and courage before You, and let that motivate me to uphold the righteousness that You have given to me. Let me honor Your name and Your image, being the man You created me to be. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 10/12/2011; Nehemiah 7:2

Today's reading: Nehemiah 7,8; Acts 1

S) "² then I put Hanani my brother, and Hananiah the commander of the fortress, in charge of Jerusalem, for he was a faithful man and feared God more than many."

Nehemiah 7:2 (NASB)

O) What I noticed about Hananiah, is that he got the job based on his character, not on his experience. There's a reference to his former position, but that's not the qualifier. The qualifier is that he was faithful and feared God more than many. So often, men get caught up in accomplishments and credentials. Here, the fact that Hananiah was the commander of the fortress, was not really a factor in being chosen to to lead the city of Jerusalem with Hanani.

A) I have insecurities about qualifications, sometimes. Particularly in the business world, my lack of college education has felt like a very big, very obvious limitation. In God's eyes, though, any kind of previous position or status pales in comparison to these two simple traits: faithfulness and fear. Thankfully, my ability to fear God and my faithfulness are two things I can directly control, even if it's not always easy. Fearing God is an active humility before Him. Being faithful to God is much more broad and includes things like studying the Bible daily, prayer and fasting regularly, worshiping Him only, etc. Like any education, this kind of character building takes time, and it's never really over. Unlike education, it's free. Simply weighing the cost to the benefit, I guess there's no real question that investing in character is much more wise than investing in education. Don't get me wrong, I want to continue my education eventually, but I can, and will, sharpen my character now.

P) Father, You know, Lord. You know how I need to be prepared to handle what You're calling me to do. You know what kind of character I need. You know what kind of education I need. I'm thankful, God, that You will provide both, as long as I'm willing to put in the work. Holy Spirit, please bless my pursuit of character, even more than my pursuit of education. Remind me to value what You value, God. Show me what to make a priority in my life. Show me what to pursue and when. Thank You for using me, God. Let my lifesong sing to You. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 10/11/2011; Luke 24:32

Today's reading: Nehemiah 5,6; Psalms 146; Luke 24

S) "³² They said to one another, 'Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?'"

Luke 24:32 (NASB)

O) There are several ways a person can hear God. In the Bible we see God speak audibly, as He did with Samuel; we see Him speak through angels, as He did with Abraham; we see Him speak in dreams, as He did with Daniel. Then, as we move into the New Testament, we see references to Scriptures as the Word of God. So, today, the clearest way to know what God is saying, is actually just reading Scripture. If we think we've heard from God in some other way, we need to check it with Scripture, because God is not a liar. At that same time, God can speak directly to our hearts, through the Holy Spirit and our own spirit within us.

A) Each time I am going to read Scripture, I need to prepare my heart, so that I can hear what God is trying to tell me in that moment. Of course all of the verses I read are beneficial (per 2 Timothy 3:16), but sometimes God is trying to show me something specific. He can speak to me however He wants, obviously, but I think sometimes I am better able to understand it through Scripture, which is the whole purpose of doing this SOAP Journal. The above verse is a good reminder that my daily entries are not automatic. I cannot take them for granted. I cannot view them as a chore. Each day this is a powerful opportunity for God to reveal His will to me. I need to respect that for what it is: a divine moment with Jesus.

P) Father, continue to edify me, LORD. Remind me each day, before I begin reading, that I am just like the disciples walking along the road after Jesus' resurrection. I have a divine appointment with the Son, and the Holy Spirit can work together with my spirit within me, to awaken The Word. Open my eyes, God, and reveal Your will in my life. Unlock the mysteries in the Scriptures that You are trying to convey to me. Educate and discipline me so that I can be an effective man, husband, father, and disciple. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 10/10/2011; Nehemiah 4:14-15

Today's reading: Nehemiah 3,4; Luke 23

S) "¹⁴ When I saw their fear, I rose and spoke to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people: “Do not be afraid of them; remember the Lord who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives and your houses. ¹⁵ When our enemies heard that it was known to us, and that God had frustrated their plan, then all of us returned to the wall, each one to his work."

Nehemiah 4:14-15 (NASB)

O) Reading Nehemiah always reminds me of Facing the Giants, but today I was also reminded that G.I. JOE was right, knowing is half the battle! Simply being aware of who our enemy is, and how he is working against us, goes a long, long way. satan is very subversive and it can be difficult to realize when we are being fed a lie in our own head. Once we identify where the enemy is attacking, we can then pray for specific help and when God fights our battle for us, we will win, and we can get back to the work at hand.

A) I personally don't like it when Christians blame everything on the devil. I got a flat tire? Probably wasn't the devil, so much as I've been driving on the same tires for 90,000 miles! My finances are a wreck? Probably not satan, so much as I've been irresponsible. But, how do we see satan working against people in the Bible? Most often, it's words. he's feeding lies to people, trying to turn their hearts. If I'm inexplicably angry, or anxious, or I suddenly feel like my wife hates me, or I've failed as a parent... these are all the ways satan attacks the mind and heart. So, I need to be aware of my spiritual condition, I need to be communicating with the Holy Spirit, and actively listening for what God is saying throughout my day, so that I can easily identify where we need to attack. Then I can get back to more productive things.

P) Father, I know that we don't battle in flesh and blood, but in the spiritual relm, just as the Word says in Ephesians. Holy Spirit, speak to me throughout my day and help me identify where and how I'm being attacked. Prompt me to faithful, consistent prayer, so that I can fight for my wife and children and home. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 10/09/2011: Psalm 133:1-3

Today's reading: Nehemiah 1,2; Psalms 133; Luke 22

S) " ¹ Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For brothers to dwell together in unity!
² It is like the precious oil upon the head,
Coming down upon the beard,
Even Aaron’s beard,
Coming down upon the edge of his robes.
³ It is like the dew of Hermon
Coming down upon the mountains of Zion;
For there the LORD commanded the blessing—life forever."

Psalm 133 (NASB)

O) I've heard a lot of Christians ask for God to anoint something the way Aaron was anointed (that it was so much anointing oil on his head, that it flowed down into his beard). I don't think I've ever heard of some one pray for unity, in order to receive the same blessing over a ministry or a situation. Yet, there it is, in the last verse, that God has commanded blessings through brotherly unity.

A) I need to value unity among my brothers, both my natural brothers and my brothers in Christ, to the point that I am striving to achieve and maintain it, and also praying for that. I feel like I am a fairly peaceable guy, inasmuch as I try to get along with people and I'm not easily offended. I think, though, that I need to be a little more proactive with this. Any time I ask for God's anointing in an effort, I need to also pray for unity among the people involved. Starting a small group Bible study? Pray that God anoints it, sure, but also that there is unity. Going back to school to be a Christian counselor? Pray that God anoints it, sure, but also that there is unity. So on and so forth. Unity will be a new priority for me.

P) Father, thank You for anointing the things I have already done. We moved to Redding and saw Your anointing along the way in the provision and financial blessing You provided. We started our ministry here and You moved in our youth group in amazing ways and we saw Your redemption, passion, and glory upon those kids. We're moving again next Summer, God, and we ask for Your hand to be over us once more. Holy Spirit, protect us and be manifested in our lives so that we are increasingly aware of the miracles You're providing along the way. Father, I ask You to anoint the new ministry that we're pursuing and also to give us unity in Christ, among our brothers and sisters in Christ. Thank You Lord, for planning our lives for our own good. Help us stick to Your plan, and do things Your way, because we know that You'll bless us through that. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.