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

May 21: 1Kings 7; 2Chronicles 4; Psalm 98; Romans 2

Scripture: Romans (NIV) 2:29 No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man’s praise is not from men, but from God.

Observation: It is not the flesh that needs to be circumcised, but the heart. Cutting the flesh does not control the heart, but cutting away the pride and selfishness of the heart controls the flesh! When the “heart” work is done, it is not visible to men! But it is visible to God. Our praise and acceptance comes from Him! How we enjoy the praise of men. It is encouraging to know that others appreciate what we do. It lifts us, putting courage in our hearts to continue. When little children perform something that brings a smile to their parents, they often repeat it again and again. The pleasure and praise of their parents is reason enough to repeat it.

Application: How much more should I value the praise of my Heavenly Father! Knowing that I have pleased Him and brought a smile to His face, puts courage in my hearts to do it again! When I receive praise from Him, I have faith that He will also come to my aid. I am doing that which pleases Him. I remember that Jesus mentioned that His Father was pleased with Him or that He only did that which pleased His Father.

Prayer: Lord, to please you, that is my goal! Your praise is much more important to me than the praise of people. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

May 20: 1Kings 6; 2Chronicles 3; Psalm 97; Romans 1

Scripture: Romans (NIV) 1:10 In my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God’s will the way may be opened for me to come to you.
11 I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong

Observation: Paul had a longing to meet his brothers and sisters in Christ who live in Rome. He wanted to see them succeed, to grow, and to be strong. He knew he could be a part in their growth if he could just spend some time with them. Historically, some see evidence that Paul later got to Rome. It is interesting to me to note that we have no cassette tape or DVD or record of his ministry there. It is only in the delay of his going that we are blessed. Out of a heart of concern, a heart of longing to see them, Paul writes this letter, which remains to bless us today! If Paul would not have been delayed in visiting his friends in Rome, we would not have the book of Romans today!

Application: I need to learn to see delay as God does. Like He did with Paul, God wants to use the delays I encounter to make me fruitful. A delay in my plans may be a divine opportunity for fruitful ministry in an unexpected way.

Prayer: Lord, help me to see inconveniences as you see them. Help me turn delays into fruitful times of serving You! Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

May 19: 1Kings 4, 5; 2Chronicles 2; Psalm 101; 2Thessalonians 3

Scripture: 2Thessalonians (NIV) 3:16 Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.

Observation: In closing his letter, Paul ends with a blessing. He desires that they have peace. What a better place from which to receive peace than from the "Lord of peace" Himself! The One with the power to make peace, to enforce peace, to speak peace becomes the source of our peace! Paul’s desire/prayer is that this happen on a continual way, that we always have God’s peace. May it come to us all the time and in every way.

Then Paul reinforces the blessing with, “The Lord be with all of you.” This is in keeping with the blessing God commanded the priests to place on the people of Israel. (Numbers 6:24-27)

Application: I need not depend on the world around me to give me its peace. In John 14:27, the Peace-Speaker Himself promised to give me His peace. He is with me and in His Presence I find peace. Not only does He give me peace, He is my peace!

Prayer: Lord, thank you for your peace which you give to me “at all times and in every way!” Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

May 18: 1Kings 3; 2Chronicles 1; Psalm 78; 2Thessalonians 2

Scripture: 2Thessalonians (NIV) 2:9 The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, 10 and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie 12 and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.

Observation: When people have “refused to love the truth” they open themselves to believe anything. They begin to walk further and further from the truth and in the end “delight in wickedness.” It is even true in our country. When people do not delight in our constitution and do not love the meanings of its words, they try to change the meanings in order to allow all kinds of things the writers never imagined.

Application: I am often amazed at what people believe today. But I too need to be careful to love the truth and especially the One Who is the Truth. He will keep me from delighting in wickedness, in my own life or viewed on TV. I believe that daily delighting in God’s Word will keep me from delighting in wickedness.

Prayer: Lord, I still sing, “Keep me true, Lord Jesus, Keep me true. There’s a race that I must run; there are victories to be won. Give me power, every hour, to be true.” Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

May 17: 1Kings 2: 1Chronicles 29; Psalm 95; 2Thessalonians 1

Scripture: 2Thessalonians (NIV) 1:12 We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Observation: Paul’s prayer for the Thessalonians is for the purpose that God may be glorified in them. God is clearly Paul’s first love. As much as he loves the Thessalonians, Paul loves God even more. Loving God motivates Paul to reach out to those in Thessalonica; Paul has come to love them too. Not only does he desire God to be glorified in their lives, but for them to be glorified in God! Paul prays that God will look good living in the lives of the Thessalonians and that the Thessalonians would look good as their lives are in Christ!

Application: When people see my life, I want them to see the wonderful God living in me. I want them to like God. And I believe He wants people to see how good I look as the fruit of the Spirit grows in me. He wants them to like me.

Prayer: Lord, I want to make you look good. Thank you for working in my life, making me more likeable to others. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

May 16: 1Kings 1: 1Chronicles 28; Psalm 91; 1Thessalonians 5

Scripture: 1Thessalonians (NIV) 5:18 give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Observation: I count 14 specific thoughts Paul given in this section as to how we are to live. Verse 18 is the 10th such statement. In whatever circumstances we find ourselves, we are to be thankful. Paul is not here telling us to be thankful FOR those circumstances, but IN those circumstances. However blessed or troublesome our circumstances are, we have something for which we are eternally grateful. We have His Presence! We have His Promises!

Application: It is the will of God for me to be thankful. It is good for God when I am thankful. It honors God when I declare that He is loving and faithful even when circumstances may seem to say otherwise. It is good for me when I am thankful. It lifts my vision to focus on the source of my strength rather than the source of my frustrations.

Prayer: Lord, you have given me so many reasons to be thankful. I want you to find me ever grateful! Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

May 15: 1Chronicles 25-27; 1Thessalonians 4

Scripture: 1Thessalonians (NIV) 4:14 We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.

Observation: We believe! We are believers! Our faith is founded upon historical fact. We believe Jesus was crucified. He died. But that is not all we believe. We believe that Jesus rose from death. Jesus came back to life. Jesus proved that death is not the end. Jesus passed through death and returned.

Application: AND SO … Believing the first part of the above verse logically leads us to believe the second part. Because we believe Jesus died and rose, we also believe that those who have died while believing in Him will accompany Him when He returns. As Paul wrote in another place, "to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord." {2Co 5:8} They are with the Lord as their body lies asleep in death. They will come with the Lord when He returns to this earth.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the assurance we have that the parting of death for those who die knowing you—it is only temporary! Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

May 14: 1Chronicles

22-24; 1Thessalonians 3

Scripture: 1Thessalonians (NIV) 3:1 So when we could stand it no longer, we thought it best to be left by ourselves in Athens.
2 We sent Timothy, who is our brother and God’s fellow worker in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith.

Observation: To Paul, Timothy was his son in the faith, yet he wanted others to see Timothy as more than just Paul’s son, or disciple, so he spoke of him with words that indicate equality. Timothy was a brother. Timothy was a fellow-worker. Timothy was sent, not only to check on things for Paul and to bring back a report, which he did, but to strengthen and encourage these believers who had been going through some tough times.

Application: When I am speaking to my son or dear friends, I can use common names or nick-names I called them as a child. But when I am speaking to others about my son or friends I need to use terms that show my respect for them. In that way I will help others to see them the same way. I can build the esteem others will have for them.

Prayer: Lord, use my words to build up others in the eyes of those who hear me speak. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

May 13: 2Samuel 24; 1Chronicles 21; Psalm 30; 1Thessalonians 2

Scripture: 1Thessalonians (NIV) 2:4b We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts.

Observation: Paul here states that his work among those living in Thessalonica was not done to please them, but to please God. Two things come to my mind as I think about pleasing God. First is that pleasing God is easy—He knows my heart. Second pleasing God is hard—He knows my heart.

Application: God does not test my efforts by how successful I am, but by how faithful I am. People may judge me as a failure, but God knows my heart. He knows my thoughts. He knows what I was trying to do. On the other side, it takes more than success to please God. Just because something appears successful does not mean I have passed God’s test. He is looking at my heart. He sees my motives. He sees why I did it.

Prayer: Lord, I want to be diligent in serving you. I want my heart to be a place you enjoy living. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

May 12: 2Samuel 21-23; 1Thessalonians 1

Scripture: 2Samuel (NIV) 22:18 He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me.
19 They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the LORD was my support.
20 He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.

Observation: This chapter is David’s song to the Lord when God delivered him from his enemies and from King Saul who was trying to kill David. David’s enemies were too strong for David, but not too strong for the Lord!

Application: My enemies may be too strong for me; my problems may be too tough for me to solve; my burdens may be too heavy for me to carry. But they are not too strong, too tough, or too heavy for my Lord! And since He delights in me, He is inclined to help me! Wow!

Prayer: Lord, I am finding at times you purposefully bring trials and problems too tough for me so that your strength may be seen. Then you receive the glory. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!