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

September 20: Daniel 5-6; Psalm 130; Luke 3

Scripture: Daniel (NIV) 5:17 The Daniel answered the king, “You may keep your gifts for yourself and give your rewards to someone else. Nevertheless, I will read the writing for the king and tell him what it means.

Observation: King Belshazzar had just promised to give him great wealth and to make him the third highest ruler in the kingdom if Daniel would translate the message that had been written on the wall. Daniel did not want the kings promised riches or position. He would interpret the message: the days of the king were coming to an end; the Babylonian kingdom would be given to the Medes and the Persians. That very night the Babylonian King Belshazzar was killed …”and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom…” (Daniel 5:30) What good could the king’s promises do Daniel with the king being dead?

Application: Who is doing the promising? Upon whose promises am I basing my life? The world can make big promises, but often does not have the power or the will to keep them. If I am going to base my life on someone’s promises, I need to make sure that the one doing the promising has the character to follow through, and the power to make it happen. I need to make sure that they will not be voted out of office at the next election.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, you alone have the will and the power to keep and complete your promises. You are faithful to your word and I can trust your promises! Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

September 19: Ezekiel 47-48; Luke 2

Scripture: Ezekiel (NIV) 48:11 This will be for the consecrated priests, the Zadokits, who were faithful in serving me and did not go astray as the Levites did when the Israelites when astray. 12 It will be a special gift to them from the sacred portion of the land…

Observation: The previous verses give the measurements of a special section of land, at the center of which would be the temple of the LORD. This land surrounding the temple was set aside for the sons a Zadok who had remained faithful when others proved unfaithful.

Application: Remaining faithful is seldom easy; it usually includes times there is temptation to give up and quit. But faithfulness is so important to the LORD. He notices and rewards!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, you are so faithful! I know you are working that character trait in my life and in the lives of those nearby. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

September 18: Ezekiel 45-46; Luke 1

Scripture: Luke (NIV) 1:3 Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.

Observation: Here is the purpose for Luke writing his gospel. It was to help his friend, Theophilus, have a strong foundation for the things he had been taught. Luke’s gospel, along with the other books in the Bible, continues to serve us. By becoming more familiar with the scriptures, we can more easily recognize error. By becoming more familiar with the big picture of the Bible, one can more easily see how the parts all fit together.

Application: The more I read and understand the Bible, the stronger is the foundation of my faith.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, how wise of you to provide a written document containing your revelation! How foolish of us not to read it more! Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

September 17: Ezekiel 42-44; Revelation 22

Scripture: Ezekiel (NIV) 44:15 But the priests, who are Levites and descendants of Zadok and who faithfully carried out the duties of my sanctuary when the Israelites went astray from me, are to come near to minister before me; they are to stand before me to offer sacrifices of fat and blood, declares the Sovereign LORD. … 23 They are to teach my people the difference between the holy and the common and to show them how to distinguish between the unclean and the clean.

Observation: Is it worthwhile to serve God? Is it worthwhile to remain faithful serving God when others serve their own interests? These verses show that God has special honor and assignments for those who prove faithful. Those who remain faithful have special opportunity to minister to the Lord which prepares them for higher ministry to people. The context shows that the Levites who did not remain faithful had ministry at a lower level.

Application: When pressures of life squeeze in on me, my feelings often control my thoughts. It is then I must remember that God is with me and is working through all things for my good and His glory. He uses the pressure to form me into the person He created me to be. Knowing that helps me remain faithful.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, ministering to you gives me strength to minister to others. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

September 16: Ezekiel 40-41; Psalm 128; Revelation 21

Scripture: Revelation (NIV) 21:7 He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son. 8 But the cowardly, then unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.

Observation: The next to the last chapter in the Bible makes it clear: there are not three possible destinations for man, only two!

Application: I do not have three possible destinations for the end of my life. There is not a good one, a bad one, and an in between one. One is to be avoided at all costs. The other is greatly desired. I was headed for the fiery lake, and was helpless to change my destination. But God loved Leon so much that He sent his Son, Jesus, to make the only acceptable payment for my sins. He now lives in me and as I live in His righteousness I can enter the great city described in the chapter above. God changed my destination!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I am amazed at how you love me! Thank you for making the legal provision to cover my sins. Thank you for preparing a place for me. Thank you for being my God and making me your son! Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

September 15: Ezekiel 38-39; Psalm 145; Revelation 20

Scripture: Psalm (NIV) 145:8 The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.

Observation: The LORD is gracious; he is inclined to give even to those who are undeserving. The LORD is compassionate; he is moved to action by the troubles of others. The LORD is slow to anger; his anger is fierce and righteous, but is not his first reaction. The LORD is rich in love; his love far surpasses any other love.

Application: God, being God, could be any way he wants to be. If he was not holy and loving, he could be a terror to his creation. His moral character controls his omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence. But my God is gracious, compassionate, slow to anger and loving! What an honor to serve such a God!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, what can I say but you are amazing! Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

September 14: Ezekiel 36-37; Psalm 110; Revelation 19

Scripture: Ezekiel (NIV) 36:26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.

Observation: If one reads the history of Israel, it becomes clear that by themselves they cannot live in a way that pleases God. They were driven out of their land because they broke God’s laws. But the Lord promised that He would restore the Jews to the land He had given them. But in doing so, He would place His Spirit within them. How important it is for them to have the Holy Spirit living and working in their lives. The Spirit will teach them what is acceptable and motivate them to do what pleases the LORD.

Application: How important it is for me to have the Holy Spirit living in me and for me to learn to hear and follow His voice. I am not able to live up to God’s expectations without Him. In God’s design I can only fulfill His plan by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. Like a car cannot fulfill its planned purpose without fuel in its gas tank, so I can only fulfill God’s planed purpose for me with the Holy Spirit living in me.

Prayer: Holy Spirit, how I need you! Teach me and motivate me to be what I was designed to be. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

September 13: Ezekiel 33-35; Revelation 18

Scripture: Ezekiel (NIV) 34:30 “Then they will know that I, the LORD their God, am with them and that they, the Israelites, are my people,” declares the Sovereign LORD. 31 “You are my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, and I am your God,” declares the Sovereign LORD.

Observation: Here God is speaking to the nation of Israel. He is speaking of a time when they would be gathered to their land and would enjoy its bounty.

It can be a joy, and maybe a cause for bragging, to claim an important person as a friend, but it is an honor when they claim us as their friend. Who is making the claim makes a difference!

Application: It gives me peace to say, “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.” But that is nothing compared to when I hear the Sovereign LORD say, “You are my sheep, and I am your God!”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, to claim you as my Father is special to me. But to know that you claim me as your son means so much more. Indeed, I am highly honored to know you claim me as belonging to you! Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

September 12: Daniel 3-4; Psalm 81; Revelation 17

Scripture: Daniel (NIV) 3:21 So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace….
30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon.

Observation: These verses are speaking of the same men! In the first verse, at the king’s command, they are being thrown into a fiery furnace which had been heated so hot that it killed the men who threw them in. In the second verse, a short while later and at the same king’s command, they are being promoted. What a change! It was a change brought about by God.

Application: The God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego is my God too! I need not fear what man can do to me. God may not deliver me from the fiery furnace, but He is able to sustain and protect me in the furnace. And should God not deliver me, like the three men said above, “If he does not” I will still serve no other god!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, you are able to bring me promotion from the very people who earlier have tried to destroy me! I can trust you to work out things for my good and your glory! Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

September 11: Daniel 1-2; Revelation 16

Scripture: Daniel (NIV) 1:17 To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds…
20 In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom.

Observation: In verse 4 the king sent these men with others to learn “the language and literature of the Babylonians.” But these men who honored God in their diet had a Special Teacher. Not only did they hear what the Babylonian teacher was saying, this Special Teacher helped them with knowledge and understanding of what they were being taught. Yes, God gave them an unfair advantage!

Application: Whether I receive any benefits or not, it is always right to honor God. But I usually find that God honors those who honor Him. As I take pleasure in making Him look good, He takes pleasure in making me look good. He helps me excel.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, sometime today I will have opportunity to honor you. May I speak up clearly and boldly on your behalf. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!