Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
July 22, 2023: SOAP #4979: Isaiah 36-37; Psalm 76; 1Peter 1

SCRIPTURE:  1Peter (NIV) 1:7These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

OBSERVATION:  Faith is of greater worth than gold!  So, when I stand before God, it will not be how much money I had, but how much faith!  How foolish to work so hard to make sure that I have enough money for my future, but not make any, or very little, effort toward that which would increase my faith!  

If faith is more valuable than gold, I should make growing in faith a greater priority than growing my finances!   This is not some special revelation, this is simple logic! 

APPLICATION:  I need to apply myself to growing in faith.  Smith Wigglesworth wrote a book titled, “Ever-increasing Faith.”  That should be my goal, to be ever increasing in faith! 

Here are four thoughts about how to increase faith:  1, ask God to increase your faith; 2, read the Bible faithfully; write down what He impressed on your heart and mind; 3, meet with others where the Scriptures are taught and discussed; and 4, obey what God speaks to you—nothing is too small. 

PRAYER:  Heavenly Father, I know that I cannot take money from this life into eternity.  But I am seeing that I can have faith that will carry me to death’s door, through death’s door, and into my eternal life in your presence!  Help me never run short of faith!  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!   
On Facebook:  Today’s SOAP from Pastor Leon

Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
July 21, 2023: SOAP #4978: 2Kings 18-19; 2Chronicles 32; James 5

SCRIPTURE:  James (NIV) 5:14 Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him 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 him up. If he has sinned, he 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 man is powerful and effective.
17 Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. 18 Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.

OBSERVATION:  The first words that caught my attention were “powerful and effective.”  It is prayer that brings the expected results.  The example given in verses 17 and 18 is of Elijah.  He prayed that it would not rain; AND IT DID NOT RAIN.  Then he prayed that it would rain; AND IT RAINED! 

The second group of words that caught my attention: “righteous man,” “earnestly,” and “faith.” They describe the person making the powerful and effective prayer.  He is righteous because his sins are forgiven.  He is living in the forgiveness provided by the blood of Jesus!   He is standing before God covered by the blood of God’s Son, Jesus!  He prays earnestly.  It is a matter of importance to him.  He will pray about it again if he does not see the answer.  This is a matter of concern.   And He prays in faith. He expects God to answer because He knows what God has said in His Word.  He knows how God thinks about such matters.  Of course, God will answer. 

APPLICATION:  Too often, I pray my will and not God’s will.  Too often I do not even consider how God feels about the matter for which I am praying.  I am more concerned about how the matter affects me than how it affects God!  

PRAYER:  Lord, forgive me for being so self-focused when I pray.  Holy Spirit, help me see things from heaven’s point of view.  Help me pray prayers that you want to answer.  When I close a prayer “in Jesus name,” may it truly be a prayer that Jesus would pray!  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!   
On Facebook:  Today’s SOAP from Pastor Leon

Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
July 20, 2023: SOAP #4977: 2Chronicles 29-31; James 4

SCRIPTURE:  2Chronicles (NIV) 29:1 Hezekiah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for twenty-nine years. His mother’s name was Abijah daughter of Zechariah. 2 He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father David had done.3 In the first month of the first year of his reign, he opened the doors of the temple of the LORD and repaired them.

OBSERVATION:  King Ahaz had turned to other Gods to find help.  He reasoned that that since Damascus had defeated Israel they must be more powerful and encouraged the people to make sacrifices to those Gods. (2Chronicles 28:23)  He oblivious to the truth that sin had turned God away from them!    

When Ahaz died, his son Hezekiah became king.  Obviously, Hezekiah had been watching what was happening.  Surely someone had good input into his life.  Someone educated him in the history of Israel and Gods deliverance from Egypt.  In the first month of his reign, he set about to clean and open the temple.  In the second month (2Chronicles 30:13-15) they celebrated the Passover. 

King Hezekiah entered the office of King with an agenda!  He had set priorities to honor God and he wasted no time.  Job #1 was honoring God! 

APPLICATION:  When the opportunity presents itself, I must be quick to do what God has shown me.  Honoring God is my first, no, my only priority.  When Jesus is Lord, He sets the priorities. 

PRAYER:  Holy Spirit, move in my heart to do what pleases my Heavenly Father.  When I am inclined to go contrary to His will, put a hesitancy in my heart.  Use the scriptures to align my thoughts with His.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!   
On Facebook:  Today’s SOAP from Pastor Leon

Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
July 19, 2023: SOAP #4976: 2Kings 17; 2Chronicles 28; Psalm 46; James 3

SCRIPTURE:  Psalm (NIV) 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth gives way, and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, 3 though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. Selah
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. 5 God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day….
7 The Lord Almighty is with us… 11 The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. 

OBSERVATION:  Verse one does not say that the Lord will provide a refuge; He will not show us where to go for safety; He will not send a strong angel to be with us. No. No! NO!   God IS our refuge and strength.  God is our EVER-PRESENT (ALWAYS THERE) help!  

He has not made a fortress for us into which we can run!  NO!  He is our fortress! (vs 11.) 

NOTE: All the promises in this Psalm are tied to His presence!   

APPLICATION:  I do not need to convince God to be present with me.  I do not have the power or authority to force Him to be with me.  He is omnipresent, everywhere present.  He is the ever-present help mentioned in verse one above.  He is with me!!! 

My task is to keep myself aware of His presence!   I must not let my awareness of God be buried under the pressures of the day. 

Memorizing scriptures, singing praise and worship songs, having a conversation with a friend about God and what He has recently done—with these and many other ways I can keep myself aware of the presence of God! 

PRAYER:  Lord, I am not asking for you to go with me today.  I am asking permission to go with you!  Help me walk in an awareness that I am with you.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!   
On Facebook:  Today’s SOAP from Pastor Leon

Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
July 18, 2023: SOAP #4975: Isaiah 32-35; James 2

SCRIPTURE:  James (NIV) 2:21 Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. 24 You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.

OBSERVATION:  We are saved by faith, by faith in the power of Jesus’ death on the cross.  Yet if our faith is not strong enough to cause us to do anything, then it is not strong enough to save us.  Our faith must be strong enough for us to confess our sins, confess that He is now Lord of our lives, and thank Him for His forgiveness.  It is like the movement of a child still in its mother’s womb—it is proof of life!  The baby does not stop moving when it is born!  Neither do we as we grow in our new life in Jesus! 

Faith is something inside that only God can see.  Actions/deeds are something that man can see.  Pulse, respiration, and heartbeat prove I am physically alive, deeds are the vital signs that prove my faith is alive.

James gave some specific deeds that were/are signs of faith, but the list of outward expressions of our faith would be too numerous to list. 

APPLICATION:  My deeds are a witness, strong or weak, of the Christ-life within. 

How will people today know I am a Christian?  Will they see or hear evidence of my faith?  Will it be difficult for them to recognize me as a Christian?  I should live my life in such a way that people can clearly see my faith. 

PRAYER:  Lord, may it be easy for others to see you working through me.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!   
On Facebook:  Today’s SOAP from Pastor Leon

Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
July 17, 2023: SOAP #4974: Isaiah 29-31; James 1

SCRIPTURE:  James (NIV) 1:19 My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. 21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent…
… and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. 22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

OBSERVATION:  The first section above concerns our words.  How we speak is very important.  I know that actions speak louder than words, but words are more prevalent in our lives.  There is always an abundance of words to reveal our character.  And we often use words to try to control or change others or our circumstances. 

The second section concerns God’s Word.  God’s Word is powerful.  We must accept the truth of God’s Word into our minds and hearts to be saved.  We must believe it and apply its truth to our lives.  Proof of our belief is doing what it says!   The fact that we have accepted His Word is that we “do what it says!” 

APPLICATION:  To hear God’s Word, but not apply God’s Word sets me up for self- deception.  Applying God’s word is the proof that I have entered into a relationship with God!  It demonstrates to God how seriously I take His Word; and it demonstrates to the world that I truly belong to Him!  I am a part of His Kingdom!  

His actions are the proof of His Word and the promises He offers me.  My actions are the proof that I believe His Word and have received His promises! 

PRAYER:  Lord, may my life, my words and my actions, bring you joy.  May I be a witness to others of what a wonderful God I serve!   Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!   
On Facebook:  Today’s SOAP from Pastor Leon

Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
July 16, 2023: SOAP #4973: Isaiah 25-28; Hebrews 13

SCRIPTURE:  Hebrews (NIV) 13: 5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” 6 So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”

OBSERVATION:  It is so important to remember what God has said!  When I forget, or do not line up my thoughts and actions with the truth He has spoken to me, I end up living in doubt and worry. 
-Verse 5 above gives us God’s word that he will never leave or forsake us!!!  So, how should that truth affect the way I live?   One way is how I look at money.  I am not desperate for money.  I do not live my life focusing on money.  God is with me; I do not desperately beg others for money. 
-A second way is that I am content with what I have.  I have Jesus and His promise to never leave me.  Why would I want to make Him think that He does not satisfy me?  He is my all.  He is my everything!  His presence is my greatest possession! 
-A third way is that I do not live in fear of what man can do to me!   He can turn what they mean for evil into good for me! 

APPLICATION:  I should make God’s promise, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you,” a banner thought above all other thoughts in my mind.   I will find that the truth of His presence changes how I approach everything!  
-Before I make any decision, I should consider, “God is right here, with me. He has given His word not to leave me or forsake me!”  Before I enter any situation, especially stressful situations, I should read that banner, “God is right here with me…” 

PRAYER:  Lord, today you will be with me in every situation!  I may not be with my family or friends, but I will never be alone; you will be with me!  Amen

Note:  For those who could not be with their loved ones when they died, know that Jesus kept His promise.  He did not leave them nor forsake them!  He was with them, and now they are with HIM! 

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!   
On Facebook:  Today’s SOAP from Pastor Leon

Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
July 15, 2023: SOAP #4972: Isaiah 22-24; Hebrews 12

SCRIPTURE:  Hebrews (NIV) 12:9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! 10 Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

OBSERVATION:  What a thought: “That we may share in his holiness.”  Of course, God’s discipline is for our good!  It is designed to make us more like Him!

His holiness is imputed to us through the sacrifice of Jesus.  Verse 14 says without it “no man will see the Lord.”  It is His holiness.  Jesus died for our sins and imputes His holiness to us, then the Spirit teaches us to live out that holiness in our daily lives.  The Holy Spirit helps us move holiness from the inside to the outside where it can be seen by others. 

We share in it because (first) Jesus is imputed to us, and (second) the Holy Spirit enables us to live it.  As we grow in Christ, the carnal ways that once dominated our flesh are being replaced by spiritual ways in line with the nature and character of Jesus! 

APPLICATION:  Accepting Jesus into my life makes a big change.  I begin to see things differently—from His point of view.  As I am faithful to read and listen to His word, He reveals things to me that need changing.  The Holy Spirit is my resident tutor.  He reveals God’s word to me.  He teaches me, He corrects me.  He makes sure I learn the lesson when God disciplines me.  He becomes to me like Jesus was to the disciples—only better.  He is with me 24 hours every day! 

PRAYER:  Heavenly Father, thank you for loving me enough to discipline me.  Help me be mature enough to know that it is for my good.  I want to respond in a way that brings the greatest good into my life and the greatest glory to the Father!  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!   
On Facebook:  Today’s SOAP from Pastor Leon

Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
July 14, 2023: SOAP #4971: Isaiah 19-21; Hebrews 11

SCRIPTURE:  Hebrews (NIV) 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him….
13 All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. 14 People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15 If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

OBSERVATION:  From the world’s perspective, many of the heroes mentioned in this chapter of faith, were failures.  Some of them died.  Some of then did not accomplish very much.  People of the world might have considered them failures.  But they succeeded in the greatest and most worthy task afforded mankind:  they pleased God!!! 

And even more, in verse 16 we read:  “God is not ashamed to be called their God…”  God liked to be known as their God.  It brought Him joy when they were recognized as His people.  Their actions did not bring God any grief. 

APPLICATION:  Here is a worthy goal for me.  I do not want to make God ashamed of me because of my responses to things around me, or my attitudes, or my comments.  May He not be ashamed to be known as Leon’s God. 

PRAYER:  Holy Spirit, there are times I really need your righteous input into my heart and mind.  Help me respond with a sweet spirit when I think I am being mistreated.  May the kindness and gentleness of Jesus, along with His strength, be seen in me.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!   
On Facebook:  Today’s SOAP from Pastor Leon

Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
July 13, 2023: SOAP #4970: Isaiah 15-18; Hebrews 10

SCRIPTURE:  Hebrews (NIV) 10:35 So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. 36 You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. 37 For in just a very little while, “He who is coming will come and will not delay.

OBSERVATION:  My faith in God reaches two ways.  It reaches to the past, where just as God promised, He sent His son to die for my sins.  God’s promises were true, and He kept His word.  My faith reaches back into the past and brings the truth of what Jesus did into my present.  I am NOW a child of God.  My sins ARE forgiven! 

My faith also reaches to the future.  God has promised a heavenly home.  He has promised me a place in His heavenly kingdom.  God’s promises are true.  God is a promise keeper.  My faith reaches forward into the future and brings the truth of what God has promised into my present!   I NOW live as though this world is not my home and I am just passing through! 

APPLICATION:  In Christ I live in great appreciation for the past joined with great anticipation for the future.  The things of this world loose their attraction when viewed with the perspective of what Jesus did and what God has for me in eternity. 

Sharon and I lived for 10+ years in Hawaii.  When we speak of that time, people often say, “I sure would like to go to Hawaii.”  I always tell them, “If you are going to heaven, you will not feel like you have missed a thing!” 

I am going to heaven; how about you?  If you would like to, pray with me… 

PRAYER:  Lord, looking back over my life, I confess that I have many sins for which I am sorry.  But looking further back, I see that you died for my sins.  I ask, and receive, the forgiveness you provided by bleeding and dying on that cross.  Thank you for forgiving me.  I make you the Lord of my life.  And now I look forward to living eternally with you and those who have set their hearts to live for you here on earth.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!   
On Facebook:  Today’s SOAP from Pastor Leon