Benefits of serving

Pastor Leon’s SOAP: Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer

December 12: Hebrews 5-8

Scripture: Hebrews 6:10 God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.

Observation: First: God is just, faithful to repay each person for what they do. Second: God remembers; His memory is perfect. Third: God takes personally what you do to His people. God provides great benefits for those serving Him and His people!

Application: When I serve others, I should do it as though I am serving God because God takes it personally and He will reward me. Those I serve may forget or be unable to repay; God takes it as though I did it for him; He will never forget and will always be able to repay.

Prayer: Lord, how blest I am to serve You and Your people! Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

Pastor Leon’s SOAP: Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer

December 11: Philemon; Hebrews 1-4

Scripture: Hebrews 3:5 Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house, testifying to what would be said in the future.
6 But Christ is faithful as a son over God’s house. And we are his house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast.

Observation: What a truth is put forth so simply yet forcefully! " … we are His house … " That is not what we will be, but what we are! It is not a future possibility but a present reality! If we are in the faith, we are His house!

Application: In John 14:23 Jesus tells me that if I love him and obey him, He and His Father will come and live in me. In 1Corinthians 6:19 Paul tells me that my body IS the temple of the Holy Spirit. I do not have to wait until I get to heaven to enjoy His continual presence. Even if I do not feel His presence, I know He is with me!

Prayer: Lord, we are your “house.” I am your “temple.” Thank you for your continued presence. May you be seen in my speech and actions. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

Pastor Leon’s SOAP: Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer

December 10: 2Timothy 1-4

Scripture: 2Timothy 1:6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.
7 For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

Observation: Gifts from God should be valued. They are given to make us more useful in God’s Kingdom. We “fan into flame the gift of God” by using it. We “fan into flame the gift of God” by stepping out in faith to meet the need before us.

Application: As I walk in an awareness of God’s Presence, the Holy Spirit draws my attention to situations that need the gift He has given me. I may be aware of my limitations, but I need to remember that He is all-sufficient. Then I need to step out in faith that God is leading me to speak or to do what is needed.

Prayer: Lord, I want to use the gifts you have given me. Holy Spirit, embolden me to step out in faith, trusting you to do what only you can do. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

Pastor Leon’s SOAP: Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer

December 9: 1Timothy 5-6; Titus 1-3

Scripture: 1Timothy 5:4 But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God.

Observation: In a 2010 SOAP I emphasized that this verse gives us a way to please God. What caught my attention today is that believers caring for aging parents and grandparents “…put their religion into practice.” Religion that does not affect our actions is worthless. The first ones to benefit from our religion should be those in our family.

Application: As we care for our parents we show that our religion is genuine and we know we are pleasing God.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the privilege of having Sharon’s mother still alive at 95. Give us wisdom as we care for her. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

Pastor Leon’s SOAP: Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer

December 8: 1Timothy 1-4

Scripture: 1Timothy 4:13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching.

Observation: Paul had left Timothy in Ephesus to guide the new church. In this verse Paul is giving young Timothy some directions for his ministry. The church goers in Ephesus very likely did not have personal copies of the scriptures. Public reading, preaching and teaching were necessary for individual believers to understand the scriptures. In the USA where most believers have their own personal copy of the Bible, they should have a daily time of reading it. They should also be faithful to gather with other believers to receive God anointed preaching and teaching. In areas where personal copies of the Bible are not so readily available, the leaders need to make sure the Scriptures are read, and preached, and taught!

Application: I rejoice in what the Lord shares with me every day through these SOAP devotionals. I further rejoice when I hear someone being encouraged in the Lord from what I believe the Holy Spirit has given me to write. But I rejoice even more when I hear these SOAP devotionals have encouraged someone to start or increase their personal time in Bible reading. That is great!

Prayer: Lord, use me and these SOAP devotionals to build others in their faith and to encourage them to read the Bible for themselves. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

Pastor Leon’s SOAP: Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer

December 7: Colossians 1-4

Scripture: Colossians 1:13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves,
14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Observation: The God who so love the world (John 3:16) rescued me out from under the authority of my enemy who was working to destroy me. In freeing me from Satan’s kingdom, God did not leave me out on my own. He brought me into the kingdom of Jesus, His Son.

Application: Jesus is now both my Savior and my Lord. There were times when I thought freedom meant that I was free to do my own thing. But now I understand that I use my freedom to choose in which kingdom I will live. Of course, when I choose a kingdom, I have to live by the laws in that kingdom. I live under the authority of its king. I choose the Kingdom of God! Duh!

Prayer: Lord, teach me to live in Your Kingdom, enjoying its fullness and willingly submitting to Your Authority. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

Pastor Leon’s SOAP: Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer

December 6: Philippians 1-4

Scripture: Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Observation: The Bible does not tell us how to feel, but it definitely tells us how to think. This is one of the clearest scriptures about our thought life. We should focus our attention on things that fit these categories. Many hunting accidents do not happen when the gun is being aimed at the desired target, but when there is no specific target. It is bumped while in the car, it is dropped, the hunter stumbles, etc. So it is with our thoughts. They need to be specifically “aimed” at worthy targets.

Application: I am not a mind, but I have a mind. My thoughts should not control me, but I should control my thoughts. With the help of the Holy Spirit it is my responsibility to control my thoughts. I need to “aim” or focus my thoughts on worthy subjects.

Prayer: Lord, as in Psalm 19:14 let the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

Pastor Leon’s SOAP: Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer

December 5: Ephesians 5-6; Psalm 119:1-80

Scripture: Ephesians 6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.

Observation: Paul begins the final section of this letter with an encouragement to be strong in the Lord. In the world today there are endless areas in which one can be strong. A person’s strength may be in the area of agriculture, or engineering, or family relationships, or … Growing strong in each area involves gaining knowledge, and then applying knowledge. Knowledge without application leaves one weak! Being strong in the Lord should be a priority for each of us. As we become strong in our knowledge of Him, our faith in His mighty power grows.

Application: As I grow in my knowledge of God’s word AND then apply it to my life, I grow stronger in my faith AND I learn to depend on His strength.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for your Word. May I have the courage to apply it—to act like it is true! Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

Pastor Leon’s SOAP: Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer

December 4: Ephesians 1-4

Scripture: Ephesians 1:13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,
14 who is a deposit guaranteeing (KJV the earnest) our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.

Observation: It is customary in the USA when making an offer to purchase a house, to give earnest money which is a deposit guaranteeing that the rest will be coming if the offer is accepted. It would be proper for God to require from us a down payment of some type on our heavenly inheritance. But verse 14 says that God gives such a deposit to us!!! And as amazing as that thought is, even more amazing is what that deposit is—the deposit is the Holy Spirit!!! Wow!!!

Application: That God has kept His promise to send the Holy Spirit to live in me here is this world is proof that He will keep the other promises concerning my heavenly future. Entrance into heaven is based only on my trusting the sacrifice of Jesus to pay for my sins. But my usefulness to God in heaven will be in accordance with my usefulness to God here. Faithfulness on earth will be richly rewarded in heaven.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for sending the Holy Spirit! I am far more blest than any person who has won hundreds of millions of dollars in the lottery! Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

Pastor Leon’s SOAP: Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer

December 3: Romans 13-16

Scripture: Romans 15:17 Therefore I glory in Christ Jesus in my service to God.
18 I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done—
19 by the power of signs and miracles, through the power of the Spirit. So from Jerusalem all the way round to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ.

Observation: Jesus demonstrated the power of the kingdom as he proclaimed the truth of the kingdom. The disciples continued in the same manner and here we see Paul doing likewise. The miracles of Jesus were done through the power of the Holy Spirit. Here we see the same is true of Paul.

Application: The lives and ministries of Jesus and Paul were made effective by the works of the Holy Spirit. How much more I need to be open to the working of the Holy Spirit in my life and ministry. I need Him to speak to me and through me.

Prayer: Holy Spirit, please keep working with me until I learn to recognize your voice the first time every time. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!