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

July 21: 2Kings 18-19; 2Chronicles 32; James 5

Scripture: James (NIV) 5:14 Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord.
15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.
16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

Observation: God created man to live in harmony with Him and with each other. Allowing un-forgiveness and bitterness to remain in our lives is like putting a handful of dirt in the engine of a car. The nature of high speed parts moving against each other does not allow for the abrasiveness of even small particles of dirt. And the nature of the human body does not allow for un-forgiveness and bitterness. So the verses above instruct us to confess our sins to EACH OTHER and pray for EACH OTHER.

Application: My mind plays a big part in my health. I have long known that worry causes a lot of sickness. I know that many drug prescriptions are intended to help people feel and think differently. Forgiveness releases me from the heavy burden of getting even. Owning up to my sin and receiving forgiveness from someone else restores relationship. Forgiveness can up-root bitterness that gets sown in my thinking.

Prayer: Lord, harmony is such a wonderful gift. Thank you for making it possible to have harmony with you. Thank you for helping us to live in harmony with each other. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

July 20: 2Chronicles 29-31; James 4

Scripture: 2Chronicles (NIV) 29:9 This is why our fathers have fallen by the sword and why our sons and daughters and our wives are in captivity.
10 Now I intend to make a covenant with the LORD, the God of Israel, so that his fierce anger will turn away from us.

Observation: Hezekiah has just become king of Judah. Earlier in verse 3 we are told that in the first month of the first year of his reign he repaired the doors of the temple and began cleaning it out. Hezekiah had clarity of understanding. "This is why … " Hezekiah had clarity of intent. "Now I intend … " He understood the problem and set himself to work on the solution.

Application: When I ask God to show me His purpose, I gain understanding as to my problems and what I need to do. This is true about my nation, my family, and my life.

Prayer: Lord, life is all about you! Keep me focused on why I am here and what I need to be doing. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

July 19: 2Kings 17; 2Chronicles 28; Psalm 46; James 3

Scripture: 2Kings (NIV) 17:7 All this took place because the Israelites had sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them up out of Egypt from under the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They worshipped other gods
8 and followed the practices of the nations the LORD had driven out before them…

Observation: God does what He does "because" … There is a reason for God’s actions. He can move in regards to our faith or in regards to our sin. And in all He does, He remains both holy and loving!

Application: At the beginning of our relationship Jesus loved me and died for me before I ever knew Him. I responded to His love by confessing my sins and receiving Him into my life as Lord. I still find Him taking the initiative but now I often find that He responds to me. God loves to reward me when I do His will. He is kind enough to extend mercy when I repent and turn away from evil. He is faithful to punish me when I continue to sin. His primary goal is my salvation, but He also wants to see me mature and see things as He sees them. He loves to reward me as a constructive member of His kingdom.

Prayer: Lord, there are reasons why you work in my life as you do. May I give you good reason to reward me. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

July 18: Isaiah 32-35; James 2

Scripture: James (NIV) 2:17 …faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action is dead.
2:19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder
20 You foolish person do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?
(21-25: examples of Abraham and Rahab)
2:26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

Observation: Some people play God for a fool. They say they believe in Him, but live their lives as if He is unimportant. If faith is not strong enough to affect our actions then it is dead and not strong enough to save us.

Application: Sometimes I want God to have authority over sickness, and over people who oppose me, and over circumstances I cannot control, BUT I do not submit to His authority over ME. Duh! The proof of my belief that God has authority over these areas around me is found in my submission to His authority over me. My faith can be seen in my actions.

Prayer: Lord, today I want my faith to make a difference in some specific thing that I do. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

July 17: Isaiah 29-31; James 1

Scripture: Isaiah (NIV) 31:1 Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in the multitude of their chariots and in the great strength of their horsemen, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel, or seek help from the LORD.
31:3 …the Egyptians are mere mortals and not God; their horses are flesh and not spirit. When the LORD stretches out his hand, those who help will stumble, those who are helped will fall; all will perish together.

Observation: Israel was in trouble because they had turned away from God. They were looking to Egypt for help. But when God sends judgment, there is no one to help. In comparison to God, those giving help are just as weak as those needing the help. There is only one source of help—God Himself! How grateful man should be that God’s mercies are new every morning.

Application: When in trouble because I am reaping what sown, I should be quick to turn to God. (Any time I am in trouble God should be the first one to whom I turn.) He is willing and able to forgive; He has already paid the price on the cross for my sins. He is willing and able to help; He is loving, all-knowing and all-powerful.

Prayer: Lord, You are just the kind of God I need. You are loving and forgiving. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

July 16: Isaiah 25-28; Hebrews 13

Scripture: Hebrews (NIV) 13:15 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.

Observation: A sacrifice is something that costs. It may cost effort. It does not flow out of pleasing circumstances in which everything is going our way. It flows out of a love commitment. It requires a definite choice. Feelings are set aside. The sacrifice of praise is not the fruit of one’s circumstances, but the fruit of one’s lips.

Application: There are times when I praise God because I feel it. My heart is so full that it would be hard not to praise God. But even when my heart feels empty, even when circumstances look bad, even then it is right to praise my God! He is worthy of praise; He is worthy of my praise!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, You are always worthy of my praise. At all times, in every situation, You remain worthy of my praise! Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

July 15: Isaiah 22-24; Hebrews 12

Scripture: Hebrews (NIV) 12:28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe,
29 for our God is a consuming fire.”

Observation: The previous verses show that what we have received in Christ Jesus is so much better than what the Israelites received when Moses was given the Ten Commandments. If the Israelites were held responsible for how they treated the Law, how much more will we be held responsible for how we treat Jesus!

Application: I have received a great salvation with great joy. But the great joy and intimacy must not diminish the great respect due this great God now living in my life. He has wrapped Himself in my life. The wrapping must be worthy of the treasure wrapped inside.

Prayer: Lord, may others see by my words and actions the great respect I have for you. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

July 14: Isaiah 19-21; Hebrews 11

Scripture: Hebrews (NIV) 11:3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

Observation: People who do not want to accept that God created the world look at what can be seen and try to develop a scenario that would result in our present world. Since God cannot be seen, he is not a part of their thinking. Many of those studying the earth look at the present earth and work backwards. I believe we should start at the beginning with God and work forward. Since no one alive today was present when the earth was formed, each scenario takes faith.

Application: Faith that God created the earth bolsters my faith that God is still able to “create” what I need. Faith that God sent His Son, Jesus, to die for my sins bolsters my faith that God is willing to help me.

Prayer: Lord, you are both able and willing to help me. I know I can count on you! Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

July 13: Isaiah 15-18; Hebrews 10

Scripture: Hebrews (NIV) 10:23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.

Observation: The basis for holding fast to our hope is found in his character. His faithfulness is the foundation of my hope!

Application: The better I know God, the more sure will be my hope. It is for me to get to know God. I cannot depend on someone else’s knowledge; I must know Him myself! First, I get to know Him through his Word as I am faithful to read and He is faithful to give me understanding. Second, I get to know him through applying God’s word to my daily circumstances.

Prayer: Lord, today I want to think and act like you are faithful to yourself and then think and act like you are faithful to me. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

July 12: Isaiah 11-14; Hebrews 9

Scripture: Isaiah (NIV) 11:1 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse, from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.

Observation: This is a prophetic verse about a descendent of Jesse. Jesus is the Branch. At the end of Isaiah 6 we see that when the trees are cut down, stumps will remain in the land. Here, from one of those stumps, a shoot will spring out. The glory of the tree will be removed. It was no longer beautiful. It could no longer provide any shade. But life remained in the stump! New growth was coming!

Application: As I grow older, I have lost some of my branches, some of my abilities. But this “stump” still has the life of God!!! Some have lost branches to sin, or disease, or battle, BUT if the life remains in the stump, there still remains great potential! New expressions of life are yet to be seen!

Prayer: Lord, others may see me as just a stump. They may not yet see the life within! Your life sends forth branches, even from stumps! Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!