SOAP 02/18/2012; Acts 25:11

Today's reading: Numbers 3,4; Acts 25

S)"¹¹ If, then, I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die; but if none of those things is true of which these men accuse me, no one can hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar."

Acts 25:11 (NASB)

O) How important is integrity? Just 2 verses before this, we read that Felix wanted to do the Jews a favor, and so he was looking to help them in prosecuting Paul. When he is investigating further, and questioning Paul directly, Paul is able to up the ante, so to speak. Paul is so certain of his innocence, because he was so innocent, that he's able to push back, in a sense. He's basically saying to Felix that he is so sure of his blamelessness, that he's willing to endure every measure of scrutiny and investigation. In doing so, he is also able to avoid another assassination attempt, as described in verse 3.

A) I hope I am never arrested for any reason. Having said that, it is not the motivation for me to uphold the law, so far as it follows the Bible. Obviously, as long as nothing in the Bible becomes illegal, my motivation to uphold the laws of my country are specifically because the Bible tells me to do so. But, even in ways that are less dramatic, I need to continue putting emphasis on maintaining my integrity and honesty. People who hate Jesus or religion will always look to demean or degrade Christians. Part of my purpose as a disciple of Jesus is to show people how being a Christian should be. I cannot do that if I am being a hypocrite.

P) Father, Your ways are good. Your instruction brings life and joy and peace. You don't make arbitrary or random rules for me to follow. Help me live my life out with integrity, Lord. Holy Spirit, instruct me in the ways of the Father. Show me the errors of my ways so that I can repent and be forgiven, but also so that I am giving the world a true reflection of who He is. Forgive me of my sins; help me walk in Your righteousness. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

SOAP 02/17/2012; Acts 24:25

Today's reading: Numbers 1,2; Acts 24

S)"²⁵ But as he was discussing righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix became frightened and said, 'Go away for the present, and when I find time I will summon you.'"

Acts 24:25 (NASB)

O) Felix is described just before this, as one being more familiar with the Way. Yet, when he spends a prolonged period of time with Paul, and specifically, when Paul is discussing what it means to be a Christian, Felix is shaken. Often times, it's hard to find the right balance of sharing the truth and being agreeable. The problem is that the truth isn't circumstantial or relative. It's good to be peaceful, with believers and unbelievers alike. Sharing the truth is important, though, and Paul shows this with his behavior. It's good to let unbelievers come to us with their questions, as opposed to harping on them, harassing them, or using a bullhorn to tell them they're sinful. Even then, though, being "seeker sensitive" is going to be confrontational at times.

A) I can't shy away from any ministry opportunity, especially when I'm being asked questions. I need to always be ready to give the reason for the hope that's within me (1 Peter 3:15), but I need to be prepared for the fact that, even when asked, the truth may not be received. The only thing I can do is be honest and be loving, and I need to be sure to do it at the same time (Ephesians 4:15).

P) Father, thank You for changing my heart so that I could accept truth for what it is. Thank You for calling on the hearts of all people, sending Your Holy Spirit ahead to draw them in to You. Remind me that it's not up to me, at least not me alone, to be sure everyone around me knows all the truth, all the time. Help me minister with my life and let it speak to Your goodness, grace, mercy, and love. Holy Spirit, help me be alert to ministry opportunities and speak the truth in love. Increase my discernment to know when people want to have deeper discussions about You. Give me courage to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me God. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

SOAP 02/16/2012; Leviticus 26:8

Today's reading: Leviticus 26,27; Acts 23

S)"⁸ five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand, and your enemies will fall before you by the sword."

Leviticus 26:8 (NASB)

O) There are a couple of lessons in this blessing. First, God doesn't mention how many people 1 man can chase... it's 5. I don't think we, as God's people, are ever supposed to be fighting alone. Second, look at the simple statement of victory and power that 5 would be able to scare off 100. Outnumbered 100:5 and the enemy won't even engage? Last, there is God's Math. In normal math, 100:5 = 20:1 = 2000:100. But in God's Math, ?:1 = 100:5 = 10,000:100. That's quite a bit better of a return!

A) I don't want to get carried away with specific numbers. The overall point of the chapter is that God's blessings for obedience are both increasingly good, and increasingly fruitful. I need to remember that, even though I live under grace, God still blesses for obedience. If I am following His instructions, it will bring victory in my life. I can face incredible odds, but if I'm doing what He tells me, then His will is going to come about, and that is incalculable good to me.

P) Father, thank You for planning my life for me. You have infinite wisdom and insight and are so much better suited to making plans than I could ever be. Let me continue to trust in Your ways, LORD, regardless of what the odds tell me. Holy Spirit, encourage me to take the longshot when it's the best thing for me. You defy all odds, Lord. Increase my faith to be obedient, irrelevant to circumstance. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

SOAP 02/15/2012; Psalm 25:18

Today's reading: Leviticus 25; Psalms 25,26; Acts 22

S)"¹⁸ Look upon my affliction and my trouble,
And forgive all my sins."

Psalm 25:18 (NASB)

O) King David got it right, here. Too often, our pride makes us want to fix things before coming to God, but that's just not realistic. Sin causes problems and if we could fix those problems and clense our own guilt, we wouldn't need God at all. Trouble is, I think some Christians know one half, but don't accept the other half. We know we cannot attain God's standard of righteousness on our own, but I think sometimes we think we can clean up our own messes. King David knew better, here. He knew that he had made a mess of things and gotten himself into trouble. He knew that it was too much for him. He asked God for forgiveness and help in his mess.

A) One of my favorite lines from Kristene Mueller's song, Trust is when she says about God, "You say, 'I've got you my baby, oh I've got you // It's quite the mess you're in, but it's, nothing love can't fix // so sit here, upon my shoulders and watch as it all unwinds.'" The beautiful thing about God, the thing I need to remind myself is true, is that He already knows it all. He knows how I messed up. He knows I made my own mess. He knows what the problem is and He knows the solution. He knows what's at stake and He knows the cost. In all of my errors, wrongs, and costly or expensive mistakes; in all the ways I've hurt people, broken things, or caused havoc; in all of my sins, He knows it all and He knew it all before Jesus was ever sent to the world. Before Jesus was ever born, raised, educated, revealed; before Jesus ever made wine, broke bread, or multiplied fish; before Jesus ever walked on water, calmed the waves, or passed through the mobs; before Jesus ever healed, forgave, or died on the cross; before Jesus ever defeated sin, conquered death, or rose from the grave, my Father in heaven knew it all. He knew all of my self-inflicted problems. He didn't agree to redeem me. He didn't make some deal with me, or with Jesus, or anyone else. He didn't debate about whether or not this was the right way. There was no discussion or deliberation. All along, He intended to redeem me; He planned to redeem me; He loved, to redeem me. And so there can be no waiting, no hesitation, no question in the wake of my sins. I must immediately return to my Father, confess my sins, ask for His forgiveness, and ask for His help in cleaning up my mess.

P) Father, Your love is too much for me to comprehend! Your goodness is too great for me to behold! Let me never question Your love for me, God; I know what Romans 5:8 says. Holy Spirit, encourage me to return to look to the Father in the middle of my own mess. Remind me of all these truths and let me ask for help. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

SOAP 02/14/2012; Acts 21:14

Today's reading: Leviticus 23,24; Psalms 24; Acts 21

S)"¹⁴ And since he would not be persuaded, we fell silent, remarking, 'The will of the Lord be done!'"

Acts 21:14 (NASB)

O) In the preceeding verses, some prophets have come to Paul and prophesied that if he goes to Jerusalem, he will be captured and bound. They begin urging him not to go, begging him, even driving Paul to tears because he was heartbroken at their sadness. In the end, though, he was not persuaded. Even though it meant his capture, and possible death, he was prepared to go wherever the Lord was calling him to go. The remarkable thing, here, is that these believers were all in direct opposition to the will of God, despite having heard from God (the prophet was right about him being captured), and despite the most pure of motives. They were so moved by their sadness that they missed the will of God in it and instead they were pleading with him to disobey God, without realizing it. In the end, they ultimately see Paul was right, and the will of the Lord must be done.

A) I need to be careful of letting emotions dictate my obedience. Sometimes, it can be difficult to separate a passion from a God-given calling. God is emotional, capable of anger, joy, compassion, etc., and so He made me (everyone) to be emotional beings. He does not me to become a robotic or stoic follower, devoid of passion or emotion. At the same time, His will is still the best and I cannot trust my emotions alone. I need to be careful about using phrases like, "I have a passion for..." or things like, "I feel peace about..." because my emotions are not supposed to be the cause of my actions. The cause of my actions should be obedience. From there, I can use my emotions as motivation, but only after I'm on the way to doing what God is calling me to do.

P) Father, You are so good to me. Your will is perfect and gracious and trustworthy. Help me use my actions to dictate my emotions and not the other way around. Holy Spirit, speak the will of the Father clearly to me, so that I am not being led by what I feel. Open my eyes to see adn my ears to hear so I do not miss what You want for me. Give me wisdom, so that when I hear from You, I'll know what You mean me to do. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

SOAP 02/13/2012; Acts 20:29

Today's reading: Leviticus 20,21,22; Acts 20

S)"²⁹ I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock;"

Acts 20:29 (NASB)

O) It's so important, and Biblically sound, to follow good leadership. There is a spiritual protection that comes from a solid, faithful, and loving leader. Paul, through his teaching, prayers, fellowship, and guidance, was protecting his flock, his followers. Because he was following Christ so devoutly, the rest of them were following Christ as well.

A) Right now, I am under the leadership of a great pastor. He's a godly man who speaks the truth, teaches well, is a good example as a father to his children, works hard, makes sacrifices and gives himself wholly to his congregation... All in all, he does a good job emulating Paul, as he describes himself here at the end of Acts 20. He's going to be a tough act to follow, but I need to find the next leader God has for me when I move to WA. It's important that I recognize just how much protection is over me right now, and prepare myself for difficulties that I will face when that protection is distant and less effective (even non-existant).

P) Father, prepare me for our move, to handle some time outside the protection of my current pastor. Remind me that I am, myself, the priest of my household, and that You've equipped and empowered me for every work that needs to be done for that. Holy Spirit, lead me in being an effective covering for my own family and help me find the one You have prepared to be my covering. Let me quickly find the congregation, the flock, that You're calling me to join. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

SOAP 02/12/2012; Psalm 13:6

Today's reading: Leviticus 18,19; Psalms 13; Acts 19

S)"⁶ I will sing to the LORD,
Because He has dealt bountifully with me"

Psalm 13:6 (NASB)

O) King David was a man after God's own heart (1 Samuel 13:14) and as such, he is the best example of a lifetime and lifestyle of worshiping the LORD. He spent the first 4 verses of this Psalm voicing his anxiety about whether or not the LORD would rescue him this time. But in verse 5, he reflects on God's goodness to him, and how He has saved him. Finally, in the last verse, he determines he will sing to the LORD, not because he is all of a sudden sure that God will save him again this time, but because He has already dealt bountifully with David.

A) It's easy to praise and worship the LORD when He has just delivered me from a struggle. When He has just provided a miracle to save me, it's not usually that hard to offer thanksgiving and glory to God. The hard time is when I am in the middle of a trial. The other tricky part, is that often I am worshiping God as an investment, looking for Him to save me again. Now, there is some merit to giving the LORD my sacrifice of praise, my worship, as an offering to appeal for His salvation. Even better, though, is for me to worship Him with the determination that He is good and worthy of my devotion, even if He chooses not to save me from my present struggle. To say, "I will worship You for the salvation already given, even if this present trial brings me to the grave." I need to make it a habit, a lifestyle, to worship, praise, and honor God for the victories He has already given, so when struggles come, my mind is already on His salvation.

P) Father, You are so good to me! You give mercy and grace to the undeserving, and Your love never fails. Forgive me for sub-par worship. Change my heart and let me worship You for what You have already done, and not only hoping for another saving grace. Holy Spirit, remind me of all that the Father has already given me. Bring it to mind continually, so that my instinct is to reflect on His goodness when I face difficulties. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.