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

August 11: Jeremiah 7-9; John 13

Scripture: John (NIV) 13:31 …Jesus said, “now the Son of Man is glorified and God is glorified in him.
32 If God is glorified in him, God will glorify the Son in himself and will glorify him at once.

Observation: To glorify someone or something is to make the best qualities stand out. In a crude way, one glorifies their car when they wash and wax it. The wax makes the best qualities of the paint shine. I glorify God when I do things that make His qualities stand out and be visible to others.

In the above verses Jesus, the Son, was preparing to glorify the Father knowing that Father God would glorify Him. There is no place where Jesus so greatly glorified the Father than when He demonstrated the Father’s love by dying on the cross to pay for the sins of man!

Application: In every situation today, my goal is to make God look good. I can never make Him look as good as He really is, but I want the world to know I serve a wonderful God who is worthy of my life and my devotion.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, like your Son, Jesus, through my life today I want the world to see how special you are. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

August 10: Jeremiah 5-6; John 12

Scripture: John (NIV) 12:13 They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” “Blessed is the king of Israel!”
14 Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written:
15 “Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion; see, your king is coming seated on a donkey’s colt.”
16 At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that these things had been done to him.

Observation: After the resurrection of Jesus, the disciples discovered that they had actually been a part of fulfilling some prophecies concerning Jesus. At the time Jesus was on the young colt, and coats were spread on the road as a walkway for the colt, they had no idea that this had been written by the prophet Isaiah many years before.

Application: I need to be walking close to God at all times because I never know when the Holy Spirit will use me, even when I might not realize it.

Prayer: Holy Spirit, I want it to be easy for you to lead me to say and do what will be a blessing to you and useful to others. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

August 9: Jeremiah 3-4; John 11

Scripture: John (NIV) 11:14 So then he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead,
15 and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”

Observation: Jesus had been told Lazarus was sick. (verse 3). Jesus could have healed him, but Jesus purposefully waited two additional days before going to Lazarus. During that time, Lazarus died! After Jesus knew that he was dead, he starts out to see Lazarus. He tells the disciples, “I am glad…” When Jesus finally arrived, Lazarus’ sisters, Martha and Mary both said, “Lord if you had been here my brother would not have died.” (verse 21, 32) Jesus had missed their deadline by four days. (verse 39). But Jesus was “glad.” This story ends much better than they expected! It does not end with a healing, but a resurrection! (verses 43-44)

Application: There are times when my circumstances go beyond my deadline for Jesus to help. From my view point, I must have help by a certain hour on a certain day. If the answer does not come, I must trust Jesus that my deadline may not be His deadline. His answer may be different than what I expect. When it is all over, I can trust that it will always be better than what I expected!

Prayer: Lord, I trust you to know how to handle my problems. I trust your timing. I know you are working for my good and your glory. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

August 8: Jeremiah 1-2; John 10

Scripture: Jeremiah (NIV) 1:8 “Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord.

Observation: God can command us not to fear, because He is the only one who can promise to never leave or forsake us. He is the single greatest power in the entire universe! The source of Jeremiah’s boldness was the presence of God. If he counted on men, he would have reason to fear. Only if he counted on God’s eternal Presence would he not be afraid. Here God not only promised His Presence but also His deliverance.

Application: When I walk in obedience with my faith in God’s Word and His Presence, I have victory over fear. When the One with ultimate power loves me and is with me, I have no logical reason to fear.

Prayer: Lord, when I really believe you are who you say you are and will do what you say you will do, I have no reason to fear! Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

August 7: Zephaniah 1-3; John 9

Scripture: John (NIV) 9:11 He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.”

Observation: Some religious leaders were questioning this man who had been born blind. They wanted him to tell them something about Jesus and about this healing on a Sabbath day. He told them all he knew. He could not explain who Jesus was, or how the healing worked. All he knew was what Jesus put some mud in his eyes and told him to go and wash. He obeyed, went and washed and now he could see!

Application: I do not have to be able to answer all the questions. I only have to believe in the One speaking to me and obey. It is really that simple. Faith in God expressed in obedience to His Word brings miracles!

Prayer: Lord, thank you for not requiring that I understand how everything works. Thank you for responding to simple faith. My faith in not in my ability to understand, but in your ability to keep your word! Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

August 6: Habakkuk 1-3; John 8

Scripture: Habakkuk (NIV) 3:17 Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls,
18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD! I will be joyful in God my Savior.

Observation: The prophet had asked the Lord what He was going to do about all the wicked people in Israel. God tells him that he is bringing the Chaldeans to punish Israel. Then the prophet is really confused; why would God uses the wicked Chaldeans to punish people who are more righteous than they are? God tells him what is in store for the Chaldeans. They will be destroyed, but Israel will be corrected so that Israel can fulfill its future! Today we read about the Chaldeans in the history books, but we can read about Israel in the daily newspaper. Israel still has a future. At the end of the book, Habakkuk knows that trouble is coming but he commits himself to be joyful and rejoice in God. He knew that Israel would outlast the trouble.

Application: I know that judgment is coming to the United States. God has used the USA but I do not see any promise of a future for this nation. BUT I am a part of the church and I do see a future promised for the church! So like Habakkuk, if our economy falls apart and the stock market crashes, if the grocery stores close and food is rationed, if gasoline is too expensive to purchase and we have to walk, “yet I will rejoice in the LORD! I will be joyful in God my Savior.” I know that the church has a glorious future!

Prayer: Sovereign LORD, you are my strength and I will rejoice in you! Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

August 5: 2Kings 23; 2Chronicles 35; John 7

Scripture: John (NIV) 7:37 On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink.
38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”
39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive.

Observation: Thirsty people coming to Jesus both take in and give out. The water quenches their thirst and then flows from them to bless others.

Application: I have taken a drink from water fountains that disappointed me. The stream of water was so low it was hard to drink. And the water was lukewarm and not very refreshing. In my opinion, a good drinking fountain has a stream of water that lifts the water to where it is easily available. A good fountain gives cool refreshing water. I want my life to be a drinking fountain where thirsty people can be refreshed.

Prayer: Lord, May the “river of living water” that you promised would flow from me bring refreshing to others. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

August 4: 2Kings 22; 2Chronicles 34; John 6

Scripture: John (NIV) 6:57 Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me.
58 This is the bread that came down from haven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.”

Observation: Jesus laid down His life as God the Son to live on earth as the son of man. While here, he lived his life as an expression of the life of the Father. In the same way, His followers are to lay down their own lives and live on this earth as an expression of the life of Jesus. The same Holy Spirit who led Jesus to be an expression of His Father, helps me to be an expression of the life of Jesus.

Application: What a magnificent challenge—to live my life as Jesus would live it. It would be impossible, except that God has placed His Holy Spirit within me to help me. The Holy Spirit directs me in how to live like Jesus. Once I have set my will to do as the Spirit directs, I find that He also empowers or enables me to carry through.

Prayer: Holy Spirit, the challenge to be like Jesus is too much for me, but not for you! May my ear be always tuned in to hear your voice and may I step out in faith to obey, knowing you will be faithful to help me. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

August 3: Nahum 1-3; John 5

Scripture: Nahum (NIV) 1:7 The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him.

Observation: In the middle of a chapter about God’s anger, how refreshing it is to find this verse. It is like an oasis in the dessert. The goodness of God remains even in times of His anger! He responds lovingly to those who trust Him. He is a refuge to which we can run. Even when His anger is stirred, He responds with tenderness to the needs of those trusting in Him. We do not have to wait for Him to "cool" down from that which makes Him angry in order to meet our needs as we trust in Him.

Application: As humans, we often need time to settle down after times of great anger. We cannot just switch it off. It is like a turbo spinning inside our being. But God …What a God!

Prayer: Lord, I need you to help me respond appropriately even when I am angry. Make me more like you! Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

August 2: 2Kings 21; 2Chronicles 33; John 4

Scripture: John (NIV) 4:9 The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)
10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”

Observation: Today the Lord reminded me of a special ministry: the Ministry of Answering Questions. Here are some guidelines for those blest with this ministry:
1. A ministry of answering questions is centered more on what they need to hear rather than what I want to say.
2. It is specifically focused on what the Holy Spirit is emphasizing in their lives at the moment.
3. It is entered into with faith that if God brought me to them, God must know there is something in my life that will benefit them.

Application: Jesus did not treat people with questions as interruptions in His day. Neither should I. A person asking me a question is demonstrating that they are open for me to speak to them. Their question is the door through which I can enter into their life and leave some truth.

Prayer: Lord, when someone interrupts me with a question, remind me of this special ministry! May my answer glorify you and help them know you better. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!