Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
April 1, 2024: SOAP #5233: Judges 11-12; Psalm 50; 2Corinthians 1

(Most taken from past SOAPs)

SCRIPTURE:  1Corinthians (NIV) 1:9 Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. 10 He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, 11 as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.

OBSERVATION: In this letter to the church in Corinth, Paul writes of a great struggle he had to endure.  It was not pleasant   It pushed him beyond his own capacity to endure.  It appears Paul wished he could die.  How did he make it through?  He quit relying on his own strength and ability.  He depended on God.  God had enough power to raise the dead; God had enough power to get Paul through.

Paul remembered how God had delivered him in the past.  God was with him so Paul had confidence that God will deliver him from the present trouble.  And the God who delivered Paul in the past, and is delivering Paul in the present, is the same God who will deliver Paul from yet unknown perils in the future!

APPLICATION:  What God has done in the past gives me faith for the future. What I know about the past builds my faith for the future.  What I have experienced of God’s grace prepares me to expect His grace in the future!  It is my confident expectation that God will not change and will continue to deliver me.  I must always face forward.  I must face the future, but I must not forget the past. As I look to the future, I remember the past!  To move into the future without the lessons of the past is foolish.

PRAYER:  Heavenly Father, I remember singing “Constantly Abiding, Jesus is mine.  Constantly abiding, rapture divine.  You never leave me lonely, You whisper O, so kind, ‘I will never leave thee,’ Jesus is mine!”   Thank you for your continuous presence!   Amen

Pastor Leon
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
March 31, 2024: SOAP #5232: Judges 9-10; Psalm 49; 1Corinthians 16

(from yesterday’s scripture reading)

SCRIPTURE:  1Corinthians (NIV) 15:14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith….
17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.
20 BUT Christ has indeed been raised from the dead!!!

OBSERVATION: Today we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, our Lord and Savior.  It is a day that fulfilled the promises in the Old Testament that a sacrifice would be made for sin. 

Without the resurrection we would have no hope, for in the resurrection we see that the sacrifice of Jesus was acceptable as payment for our sins.  It is proof that Jesus died a sinless death.  He had no sins for which His death would be required.  Death and the grave could not hold Him!

The bloody animal sacrifices were no longer needed for the perfect, sinless blood of a human had been completed. 

APPLICATION:  The resurrection of Jesus is proof that our faith in His death is no misplaced!  The resurrection of Jesus is our assurance that we will again see those who have died believing in Christ!  The resurrection of Jesus is the guarantee that our hope goes beyond this life and into eternity! 

The resurrection of Jesus gives value to our preaching, witnessing, singing, writing SOAPs and whatever we do to spread the truth about God and His love for us. 

PRAYER:  Heavenly Father, you sent your Son as a baby to grow and live among men.  You sent the Holy Spirit to live in Him and anoint Him in ministry.  At your will He died in payment for sins He did not commit.  You accept His death as the payment for our sins acknowledged and confessed to you.  Your Holy Spirit now lives in your children and is available to embolden us and anoint what we do in the name of your Son, Jesus.  Amen

Pastor Leon
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
March 30, 2024: SOAP #5231: Judges 8; Psalm 42; 1Corinthians 15

SCRIPTURE:  1Corinthians (NIV) 15:55 “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

OBSERVATION: Many people have suffered through extremely hard times and then come into a place of great success in which they became very thankful for the hard times. The path to victory was through the hard times. Their troubles were swallowed up in their blessings!

Women go through much pain in childbearing, but all is forgotten as their little bundle of joy is laid in their arms.  The pain is swallowed up in the joy.

Until Jesus comes and calls the church to be with him, the only way to enter heaven is through the doorway called “death.”  Some deaths happen in a clean environment, others in filth.  Some deaths happen in a peaceful setting, others in violence.  Some deaths happen quickly; others take days or weeks, even years.  Whatever the dying process, those who are born again can all have the assurance that death will be “swallowed up in victory!”   The struggle will be forgotten in the rejoicing.

APPLICATION:  So “until then my heart will go on singing.” I know “it will be worth it all when we see Jesus.” “When we all get to heaven” “everybody will be happy over there!” “What a day that will be when my Jesus I shall see!”

PRAYER:  Lord, for you there must be two very special days in the lives of each of your children — the day they made you the Lord of their life (Luke 15:7) and the day they pass through death’s door (Psalm 116:15) into your presence! Amen

Note:  If the above us true, two of the hardest days for our Creator would be the day He is rejected and the day His potential child passes through death into eternal judgment!   In this moment, we each have opportunity in prayer to confess our sins, accept His forgiveness, and make Him Lord of our life. Amen

Pastor Leon
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
March 20, 2024: SOAP #5230: Judges 6-7; Psalm 52; 1Corinthians 14

SCRIPTURE:  1Corinthians (NIV) 14:9 So it is with you. Unless you speak intelligible words with your tongue, how will anyone know what you are saying? You will just be speaking into the air. ,,,
16 If you are praising God with your spirit, how can one who finds himself among those who do not understand say “Amen” to your thanksgiving, since he does not know what you are saying?,,,
40 But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.

OBSERVATION: Throughout this chapter on the operation of the gifts of the Spirit in a church gathering we see two important issues.  First: it is important that people understand what God is saying.  God is a God of light; He brings to light hidden things so that His people can respond appropriately.  God wants us to understand the gifts of the Holy Spirit and understand what He is saying.  

Second:  it is also important that things be done “in a fitting and orderly way.”  The gifts of the Spirit do not fight over time of expression but are orderly.  They wait for each other.  Of course they do, they are the “gifts of the Holy Spirit,” not the gifts of people.  But one must remember that we look to the Holy Spirit to set the order.  

APPLICATION:  So, when the Lord gives me a message, I need to speak it clearly and with enough volume that all can hear.  Sometimes it is proper to ask if people understand, or what they understand. 

And, I should not push my way or interrupt what God is doing.  If God has given me a message, I can trust Him to make the opportunity for it to be presented. 

PRAYER:  Holy Spirit, train me to be wise in how these gifts can be used in ministry to others.  Guide my words as I write these SOAPs.  Use me to build up the body of Christ as I write or speak words to your church.  Amen

Pastor Leon
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
March 28, 2024: SOAP #5229: Judges 4-5; Psalm 39, 41; 1Corinthians 13

SCRIPTURE:  1Corinthians (NIV) 13:8 Love never fails. 

OBSERVATION: What a simple statement, yet it contains within its thought all the verses preceding and following.  

In its simplicity, it can be seen in animals caring for their young.  It can be seen in a young child reaching out to gently caress the face of a new-born brother or sister. 

In its extravagance, it could be seen in my father’s “until death do us part” commitment to my mother with Alzheimer disease.   Most of the time she did not know who he was, but he never forgot who she was!  

But, truly, no greater display of love’s extravagance can be seen then when the Creator suffered and died for the sins of the man he created.

APPLICATION:  It amazes me to think that I am the focus of a love that never fails.   It is unearned, undeserved, and too often unappreciated.  

Every day may I grow in valuing God’s love.

PRAYER:  Lord, oh, how you love me.  I am amazed!    Amen

Pastor Leon
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
March 27, 2024: SOAP #5228: Judges 1-3; 1Corinthians 12

SCRIPTURE:  1Corinthians (NIV) 12:27   Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

OBSERVATION: In this chapter Paul is teaching us about the body of Christ. He is using our physical bodies to teach us about HIS body. Our bodies have many members (hands, feet, ears, etc.) but we have only one body. That is the way it is with Christ. Even though there is  only one body, there are  many members/parts. Paul teaches us that our differences are very important, but we are unified in one body.

Just as each member of a physical body is uniquely different from all other members, so in the body of Christ, a person’s uniqueness makes them useful to the whole body.   None of us are the same.

APPLICATION:  What makes each of us a part of the body of Christ? It is the life of Christ. It is as simple as this: if His life is in us, we are part of His body; if we do not have His life, we are not a part of His body.

Jesus said that we must be born again.  (John 3:7)   We were given physical life from our mother; we receive spiritual life from Jesus.  Having His life within us makes a difference in how we live and see life.  If you have never been born again, or if you are not sure about it, pray with me…

PRAYER:  Lord Jesus, I confess my sins to you.  I ask You, as my Savior, to forgive my sins. Come live in my heart as my Lord. I want to be born anew with Your Life living in me. Make me a part of Your Body. Amen
Lord, I pray,, give your assurance to each one who prayed in faith.  According to 1John 1:9 you forgave their sins and cleansed them from all unrighteousness.  Make your life within them noticeable and enjoyable!  Amen

Pastor Leon
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
March 26, 2024: SOAP #5227: Joshua 23-24; Psalm 44; 1Corinthians 11

(reworked from 2018)

SCRIPTURE:  1Corinthians (NIV) 11:23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.”

OBSERVATION: Paul’s opening remark as he starts to write about communion is full of meaning for us: “I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you.” 
Of all the things we can pass on to others…our children, our friends, our congregation…none are so valuable as what we have received from the Lord!

APPLICATION:  This is my goal as I write these SOAP devotions every evening.  I listen to hear what the Holy Spirit is saying to me.  These SOAPs are fresh.  They are what the Lord is speaking to me … is drawing my attention to … is sparking an interest in my heart … is using to open a new thought in my mind.  They may not be for everyone, but they are for me.

These devotions are not the result of a scholarly study of the scriptures, but the result of open ears to hear what the Spirit is saying to Leon.  I use my knowledge of the character of God and of the Bible to judge if the thoughts agree.  Sometimes He stirs my curiosity to study a word or a passage to see what others have written.  He may remind me of a sermon I once preached or a SOAP I wrote.  He takes something from the past, like a verse from the Bible, and applies it to my life today.

If the SOAPs are a blessing to others, it is only to God’s glory.  If they contain words of wisdom, they came from God, so He gets the credit.  If they contain words of encouragement, receive them as from the Lord.

My prayer is that these SOAPs will spark and interest in your heart to write your own SOAP.  Write down what God is speaking to you.

PRAYER:  Holy Spirit, help me faithfully pass along what you give me.  Help each parent to pass along to their children what they receive from you.    Amen

Pastor Leon
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
March 25, 2024: SOAP #5226: Joshua 21-22; Psalm 47; 1Corinthians 10

SCRIPTURE:  1Corinthians (NIV) 10:12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! 13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

OBSERVATION: What an amazing three-fold promise.  First:  I have not been singled out to be tempted differently than other people.  There are people who understand because they have been through the same thing.  There will be some good examples of overcoming the temptation.  The best example is Jesus!  He shows me how to overcome! 

Second:  The One who knows me best will not allow me to be tempted beyond what I can bear.  That is His promise!   No one needed to convince Him to make that promise.  It was His decision to make that promise!  

Third:  The One who knows me best will provide a way to escape the temptation.  He knows my weaknesses. 

APPLICATION:  Knowing the above is true, when I am tempted, I need to look for God’s escape route.  I need to take it as soon as possible.  It is a mistake to think that I am strong enough to resist the temptation a little longer.  It is a mistake to think that there will be another escape route.  It is a mistake to allow the temptation to become so alluring that I ignore God’s escape route.   Staying in a place of temptation gets me to a place where I am caught, and my thoughts entertain the temptation, and my will becomes entangled in the sin.  I need to take God’s escape route as soon as possible! 

PRAYER:  Lord, you knew I would need a verse like this to guide me through times of temptation.  Thank you for your promise…and thank you for your presence!  Amen

Pastor Leon
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
March 24, 2024: SOAP #5225: Joshua 18-20; 1Corinthians 9 (rewritten from 2011)

SCRIPTURE:  1Corinthians (NIV) 9:24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.  25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.  26 Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air.

OBSERVATION: Paul had just made note of some of the sacrifices he had made in preaching the gospel.  He compared them to the runners preparing for a race.  The runners considered it worth the pain of enduring the strict training as they look forward to the prize of winning the race.   Yet their prize was only a garland of leaves that would soon fade.  Paul was running for an eternal reward, “a crown that will last forever.”

APPLICATION:  The prize is worth enduring discouraging situations, disappointments, and any suffering!   Paul thought so; Jesus thought so; my dad thought so, and so do I.   I remember my dad singing: “It will be worth it all; when we see Jesus.  Life’s trials will seem so small, when we see Christ.  One glimpse of His dear face; all sorrow will erase; so bravely run the race; till we see Christ!”

PRAYER:  Lord, the course set out for me to run has been different from the course for others.  May I faithfully run the race set out before me in a way that will continue to bless others still running when my race is over.   Amen.

Pastor Leon
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
March 23, 2024: SOAP #5224: Joshua 15-17; 1Corinthians 8

SCRIPTURE:  1Corinthians (NIV) 8:9 Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling-block to the weak. 10 For if anyone with a weak conscience sees you who have this knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, won’t he be emboldened to eat what has been sacrificed to idols? 11 So this weak brother, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. 12 When you sin against your brothers in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ.

OBSERVATION: The issue in the above passage is eating meet offered to idols.  I have freedom to eat that meat because I am convinced that the idol is only wood or stone.  But in exercising my freedom I may offend a brother who has not reached that level of understanding and still believes the idol has some power. 

God says that offending them is sinning against Christ.  I must remember that the price paid for me is the very same price paid for every other believer.  They have the same value as I have.  God loves them as much as he loves me!

APPLICATION:  The issue is greater than eating meat offered to idols…the issue is unnecessarily offending a brother or sister.  When I offend them, I am “sinning against Christ” He is the head of the body that includes me AND those I have offended!  

I could list numerous things that might be considered offensive to someone…but the key is being led by the Holy Spirit.  As I walk in close relationship with the Holy Spirit, He will put a check, or a hesitancy, or a block in my spirit not to do or say something.  Only He knows what is offensive to the other in whom He also lives.  If my relationship with the Holy Spirit is active, and he says nothing, I can move ahead in my freedom.  

PRAYER:  Holy Spirit, stay present and active in my life.  May your presence be a key part of my life because I daily need your input.  I trust you to keep me living a life that does not unnecessarily offend others, a life that honors Jesus. Amen

Pastor Leon
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