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

June 10: Song of Solomon 1-4; Ephesians 6

Scripture: Ephesians (NIV) 6:5 Slaves obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. 6 Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. 7 Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, 8 because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free.

Observation: The instructions in these verses apply to all who owe their time to another. They clearly apply to an employee’s attitude toward their boss and job.
The way we treat someone over us is a testimony of what is happening in our lives. On the basis of our new-birth we have become joint-heirs with Christ and an integral part of the kingdom of heaven. So whatever our job, others should be able to see our devotion to God.
We should treat those over us with appreciation. We should work to please them just as we work to please Christ.
Paul realizes that it is a heart matter. How sad to hear people talk about their boss away from work quite differently than they would if the boss was nearby! There is a lack of respect, which means that there is no sincerity in the heart while they are at work.

Application: As an employer serving the Lord, I must be very careful in how I pay my employees (Colossians 4:1). However as a school bus driver my salary has nothing to do with how I accomplish my task. I am working for the Lord! His smile is my greatest reward! If I am a good servant for the Lord I will be a good servant for my earthly boss. And since I am God’s servant, I am finding how an earthly boss treats this servant of His is more His responsibility than mine.

Prayer: Lord, it is my pleasure to serve you. May I be faithful and diligent is performing the tasks you have assigned me to do. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

Being Wise

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

June 9: Ecclesiastes 10-12; Psalm 94; Ephesians 5

Scripture: Ephesians (NIV) 5:15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.

Observation: Paul’s words to the church in Ephesus are good for any church in any day. We must be wise because the days are evil. Recently I have heard several words of encouragement that God is going to do great things in and through his church. I have a concern in my spirit that as we rejoice in this word we really are not ready for the hard times we are about to face in the world and especially in our nation. As we endure the hard times, we will find God doing miracles in response to our faith. As our economy worsens, we will need to trust God to be our miraculous provider. As the health care systems collapse, we will have to trust God to be our miraculous healer. As religious freedom is taken from us, we will find a worthy God miraculously strengthening us in times of persecution. As world systems fail us, we will find we can trust a miracle working God to never fail.

Application: Wisdom for me is to keep my eyes on Jesus and not let them get focused on the things in the world. Wisdom for me is to keep my ears tuned to the voice of the Holy Spirit. Wisdom for me is to not put off until tomorrow what I believe God wants me to do today.

Prayer: Lord, I believe the troubling days ahead for our nation can be exciting days for your church. Help me to walk in faith ever listening to and obeying the Holy Spirit. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

…a life worthy!

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

June 8: Ecclesiastes 7-9; Ephesians 4

Scripture: Ephesians (NIV) 4:1 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.
2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

Observation: Paul did not see himself as a prisoner of Rome, but a prisoner for the Lord. His ministry continued in prison just as it did when he was out of prison. In fact, Paul had a greater ministry in prison than he did when out of prison. The letters we have today were written in prison. It was there he had time to write. We can all thank God that Paul spent time in prison. His focus was not on himself, but on those to whom he was writing and for whom he was praying. He wanted their lives to demonstrate the honor it is to be a child of God.

Application: It is good for God when those around me can see in my actions and in my speech how greatly I have been honored in being called a child of God. Being called a child of God is not insignificant!

Prayer: Lord, what a high honor is mine—to be your child. May my actions and words show how I value being your child. May I live a life worthy of this honor. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

June 7: Ecclesiastes 4-6; Psalm 18; Ephesians 3

Scripture: Ephesians (NIV) 3:10 His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms,
11 according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Observation: All creation could see that God is mighty, strong and powerful. But God wanted to be seen as loving. This is the high purpose of God in dealing with man! This wise God found a way to raise sinful man, whom He loved, from being destroyed by sin. God made it possible for fallen man to be raised to a place of holiness and honor. He took man’s sin but did not become sinful! He died as payment for the sins of the world yet death could not hold Him!

On judgment day, no one will be able to accuse God of giving any man a special deal. The payment made by God’s Son, Jesus will be clearly seen as more than sufficient to pay for all the sins of those who have accepted him as their Lord and Savior.

Application: With great wisdom, God demonstrated His great love for me in that while I was still a sinner, Christ died for me. (See Romans 5:8)

Prayer: Heavenly Father, What wisdom! What love! What a plan! What a privilege it is for me to be included! Jesus, thank you for dying for my sins. Thank you for saving me from the effects of sin. You are my Savior and Lord! Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

June 6: Ecclesiastes 1-3; Psalm 45: Ephesians 2

Scripture: Ephesians (NIV) 2:6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,
7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

Observation: God’s purpose in working with fallen man is to demonstrate His love. This omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent God needed a way to demonstrate how much He could love. He chose to do it by forgiving and raising a fallen mankind! He created something He loved. His creation broke His heart and set itself outside the boundaries of His holiness. Yet this God, with great wisdom, reached out in love by becoming a man, living free from sin, and paying the perfect price for sin. Then with this great incomparable grace he restored sinful man to a place of guiltlessness and favor. No comparable love can be found in all creation! It is amazing love being expressed in amazing grace!

Application: God uses my sins to demonstrate His loving forgiveness. God uses my weaknesses to demonstrate His strength. God uses my imperfections to demonstrate His completeness. So, should I continue to sin so that God can continue to forgive me? Absolutely not! Part of the proof that God is really living in me is that my character is changing to one of hating sin and loving righteousness.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, your great love is seen by lifting me up and seating me in heavenly places. You are continuing to change my heart to love holiness and hate sin as you do. What great changes! Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

June 5: Proverbs 30,31; Psalm 33; Ephesians 1

Scripture: Proverbs (NIV) 31:30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

Observation: After the introduction to the book of Proverbs in the first chapter, the first proverb given (Proverbs 1:7) has to do with the fear of the LORD. Here in the last chapter, the next to last verse we also read about the fear of the LORD. After all of the wonderful characteristics listed in the previous 20 verses about the wife of noble character, the writer ends with the fear of the LORD.

Application: Characteristics that I see as naturally accompanying the fear of the LORD include: a humble strength; a servant-hearted leader; and a loving resolve to do what is right. Such people are greatly appreciated and often praised. These characteristics bring joy to the heart of the LORD!

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the emphasis you showed me in the book of Proverbs on “the fear of the LORD.” May it be easily seen that I am a person who fears the LORD. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

June 4: Proverbs 28-29; Psalm 60; Romans 16

Scripture: Psalm (NIV) 60:9 Who will bring me to the fortified city? Who will lead me to Edom?
10 Is it not you, O God, you who have rejected us and no longer go out with our armies?
11 Give us aid against the enemy, for the help of man is worthless.
12 With God we will gain the victory, and he will trample down our enemies.

Observation: Israel had sinned and God had rejected their call for help. They learned that they could not depend on man like they used to depend on God. Here the psalmist is saying that the help they had gotten from man was worthless. They needed God, for God’s help is more than sufficient!

Application: When I put too much expectation on man, often something happens that shows me the truth of this scripture. When my trust is in the Lord, if man is able to help me, I can rejoice. But if help does not come from the source I expect, I can still rejoice. God has never run out of ways to help me! With the Psalmist I can say, “My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.” (Psalm 121:2)

Prayer: Lord, You are the only one I can depend on without being disappointed. Stop me when I begin to pressure people to help me; you are my ever-present source of help. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

June 3: Proverbs 25-27; Romans 15

Scripture: Proverbs (NIV) 25:2 It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings.

Observation: Recently a gentleman, who made a large amount of money in dealing with property, started hiding some of it in envelopes around San Francisco then giving out hints as to where it can be found. His purpose in hiding is was not that it stay hidden, but that it be found. He is enjoying the response of those discovering the envelopes.
God conceals things in order to entice us to search. God enjoys our search for His truth. And it is an honorable thing to search for things that are valuable.

Application: I had school teachers who did not give me the answers, but made me search for them. The search was as important to my learning as was the answer. Do I value God enough to search out what he has hidden in His word? Do I take the time necessary to read His word and find what he is saying to me? The intensity of my search for God demonstrates how valuable I believe He is. The intensity of the search increases the joy of discovery.

Prayer: Lord, may you enjoy watching me. May you enjoy my determination to discover You and Your truth. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

June 2: Proverbs 22-24; Romans 14

Scripture: Proverbs (NIV) 22:4 Humility and fear of the LORD bring wealth and honor and life.
Proverbs 23:17 Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the LORD.
Proverbs 24:21 Fear the LORD and the king, my son, and do not join with the rebellious 22 for those two will send sudden destruction upon them, and who knows what calamities they can bring?

Observation: A bully uses fear to manipulate people for his own good. But when we fear God, it works out for our good.

Application: I need to watch my thoughts and not let them become more influenced by people than by God.

Prayer: Lord, continue to reveal yourself to me. May there always be a revelation of your awesome presence in my mind. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

June 1: Proverbs 19-21; Romans 13

Scripture: Proverbs (NIV) 19:23 The fear of the LORD leads to life: Then one rests content, untouched by trouble.

Observation: In this verse I see three benefits from fearing the LORD. First, it is not life, but it leads one to life—it motivates one to get to know the LORD and in knowing God we discover His life. Second, one who fears the LORD becomes content with where God leads and what God provides. With our eyes on Him we are not so concerned about having as much as someone else has. Third, one who fears the LORD may be in the midst of trouble, but it does not get into his heart and spirit. He may be in trouble but is unaffected by it.

Application: My relationship with God and my attitude toward God has great influence on my life. Enjoying life, being content, and not bothered by trouble are very desirable benefits from walking in the fear of the LORD.

Prayer: Lord, help me not use the word “awesome” for anything or anyone else but you! You alone are truly awesome. You deserve to be feared! Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!