Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
July 28, 2026: SOAP #6081: Isaiah 53-56; 2Peter 2

SCRIPTURE:  2Peter 2:20 If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning.
21 It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them.
22 Of them the proverbs are true: “A dog returns to its vomit,” and, “A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud.”

OBSERVATION:   We rely on doctors to deal with truth.  We want them to discover the truth, reveal the truth and help us deal with the truth.  We are happy when they give us a “good report.”  We may not be happy with a “bad report,” but we should be appreciative.

The Bible is a book of truth, truth about God, truth about man and truth about their relationship.  For the Bible not to tell us about sin is much worse than a doctor not telling us about a fatal disease in our body. 

APPLICATION: It is good to have escaped the corruption of the world.  I know that could only come through a relationship in which Jesus is my Savior and I accept his death on the cross as the payment for my sins. 

It is also good to be warned about the possibility of getting entangled again in the corruption of the world.  I know that I can only remain free through a relationship in which Jesus is my Lord, and I choose to only do what pleases him. 

PRAYER:  Lord, two things I pray: first, thank you for providing the way of escape from sin; and second, help me not get entangled in it again.  Amen. 

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!   
On Facebook:  Today’s SOAP from Pastor Leon
Also on:  https://soapsbyleon.com

Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
July 27, 2026: SOAP #6080: Isaiah 50-52; 2Peter 1

SCRIPTURE:  2Peter (NIV) 1:5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But if anyone does not have them, he is short-sighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.

OBSERVATION:  Christianity is both an outside religion and an inside relationship.  The early church had no Bibles, so God anointed several leaders to write the history of Jesus and the church and others to write letters describing how having Jesus living in our lives would affect our lives. 

Having Jesus living inside makes a big difference.  I want my life to be a comfortable home, so I need to begin aligning my life with His character.  (Like verses 5-7 above.)   It may seem like a very difficult thing to do, but it is not all that hard.  Jesus is more interested in our lives having those characteristic than we are!  And He now lives inside where those changes need to be made.  And as He lives inside and helps us make those changes, the outside of our lives (note: verse 8) began to be seen on the outside.  Others see the changes in our conversation and actions. 

APPLICATION: Verse 8 above tells us that this is a process and we grow in “increasing measure.”  Just having Jesus living inside makes a big difference, but God expects growth.  He designed our physical bodies to grow.  All living things grow.  The church is to grow, and believers are to grow.  We are to become better at expressing love and joy and peace etc. 

PRAYER:  Lord, what a great thing you did for me when you forgave my sins and moved into my heart as my Lord and Savior.  Now I want to do something for you; I want to grow in my response to you.  I want to grow in expressing your life in me.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!   
On Facebook:  Today’s SOAP from Pastor Leon
Also on:  https://soapsbyleon.com

Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
July 23, 2026: SOAP #6076: 2Kings 20; Isaiah 38-39; Psalm 75; 1Peter 2

SCRIPTURE:  1Peter (NIV) 2:21  To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. 22 “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” 23 When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

OBSERVATION:  A thought came strongly to my heart as I was reading this passage.  This letter was written to people who did not have a Bible.  In the Jewish synagogue they would have had access to some scrolls of Jewish scripture.  They may have had access to copies of some letters that had been sent to the early churches. 

Letters like this taught them about the church being the body of Christ in whom the Holy Spirit lived.  Passages like the one above taught them who Jesus is and what He had done for them.  Holy Spirit anointed preachers and teachers used such passages to proclaim truth, but the scriptures had not yet been gathered into one authoritative book. 

APPLICATION: Surely God would have had a plan to help those whose sins had been forgiven to live as His children!  Yes, He did!  He sent the Holy Spirit to live in the heart of each new believer! 

His presence within gets excited when we hear and follow truth.  His presence within draws back when we start to slip into error.  He guides us into truth.  We may not have a Bible, but we all have the Holy Spirit!   We must learn to listen to Him! 

PRAYER:  Holy Spirit, Father God, in His wisdom, sent you to live in our hearts to teach us and help us recognize truth.  Guide my thoughts and my steps.  Show me truth and help me glorify Jesus with my whole life. Oh, the joy of having you in my life. Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!   
On Facebook:  Today’s SOAP from Pastor Leon
Also on:  https://soapsbyleon.com

Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
July 19, 2026: SOAP #6072: 2Kings 17; 2Chronicles 28; Psalm 46; James 3

Scripture:  Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,   though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. Selah

OBSERVATION:  Why is it that we will not fear?  It is not because the reasons mentioned are not frightening.  Surely the earth giving way and the mountains falling into the sea are frightening.  In the natural, it would be impossible not to fear when seeing such calamity.

The reason for not fearing is found in verse one.  We do not fear because we have Someone Who is better than “ever-ready.”  (In the USA “ever-ready” is the brand name of some flashlight batteries.)  I have had some “Ever-ready” batteries that were useless to me because they were home in the drawer when I was stuck on the side of the road with a dead flashlight.  But it is not that way with God!  He is not only “ever-ready,” He is “ever-present!”

APPLICATION: I may have to wait for a police officer, or an ambulance, or a fire truck; but I never have to wait for God to arrive, He is “ever-present!”  I may be called the “first responder” to an emergency, but I can rest assured that the “Ever-present” One is not only with me as I travel, but that He is already there when I arrive. 

PRAYER:  Lord Jesus, You are my “ever-present help.”  Remind me of Your Presence when I get anxious about my limitations to meet what is needed.  Amen. 

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!   
On Facebook:  Today’s SOAP from Pastor Leon
Also on:  https://soapsbyleon.com

Nore #1:  This was my first full day home from the hospital.  I stayed in the house all day.  I have had a few complications but am so much better than yesterday and have improved through the day.  I am looking forward to worship in the morning. 

Note #2:  Jesus is the one who started me writing SOAPs.  I depended on Him to write the SOAP when I was in the hospital.  If you have received any blessing while reading the SOAPs, give all the glory to Jesus!  He died for our salvation and the scriptures tell us that it is by HIS strips we are healed.  The Holy Spirit is present among us to work out things beyond our control and ability.  God alone gets all the glory!  

Pastor Leon’s SOAP: Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
July 18, 2026: SOAP #6071: Isaiah 32-35; James 2

SCRIP6URE: James (NIV) 2:22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.

OBSERVATION: As the pendulum swings from side to side, so the church world has swung from faith to works to faith to works… Even as individuals, we can find ourselves swinging back and forth. However, we must all remember that balance is the key.

Works without faith will not save you; AND faith without works is dead. How important it is for us to grow in these two areas. Unseen faith is made visible by our works. True faith will always find a way of expression in the way we talk and act, and especially how we respond to troubling situations. I do not know of any specific good deed that can be accredited to faith, I do not think there is a list of works that we can check off to prove our faith. It is just doing at the moment what we think would please and honor God.

APPLICATION: Both love and faith are made visible by works/actions. If I want the world to see Jesus in me, it will be through my words and my actions. As Jesus pointed many times to His works, we should do the same. It is one thing to point to Jesus works, but we should also be able to point to our works. (John 10:25, 37-38) (Matthew 5:16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.) How will my faith be seen today?

PRAYER: Lord, prompt me by your Spirit not to forget the works. May others see you working through me. Amen.

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!
On Facebook: Today’s SOAP from Pastor Leon
Also on: https://soapsbyleon.com

Praise the Lord, we made it home today. The doctor told me he was quite certain it was not cancer and no further treatment would be needed. However, I will need to see a pathologist when the biopsy report is ready. Then we will determine what, if any further treatment is needed. The Lord gave many opportunities to witness. If your path requires hospitalization, do not ask the Lord to go with you. Instead tell Him that you are going with Him! Then let Him take the lead! 😊