Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
July 12, 2024: SOAP #5335:  Isaiah 11-14; Hebrews 9

SCRIPTURE:  Hebrews (NIV) 9:27 Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28 so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

OBSERVATION:    The single sacrifice of Jesus on the cross was more than sufficient to pay for all the sins that have ever been or will be committed.  It is for us to put our faith in that one sacrifice.  To say that something more is needed, would be to lessen the value of what Jesus did for us!  On the cross, Jesus completed the payment for sin!  When He said, “It is finished!” it was finished!!!

As He walked on this earth prior to his death and resurrection, He is coming to earth again, not to die again, but to establish His kingdom. 

And even now, He comes into our hearts as we accept his forgiveness.  He does not come in to die for our sins, but to live as our Lord and to establish His kingdom in our heart!   By living in us, He gives us the strength to say “no” to the word and its temptations.  With impressions and thoughts, He speaks to our heart and mind.  We have continual fellowship with Him!!  

APPLICATION:  Now, with Jesus living in me by His Holy Spirit, I am learning what pleases Him.  Through reading His Word and in fellowship with other believers, my spirit is learning to recognize how He speaks to me.  He is helping me to see my part in the big picture around me. 

PRAYER:  Lord, what a great privilege I have, to have a part in what you are doing in the world around me.  Thank you for being patient with me as I learn to follow what you say.  May I be a useful part of your kingdom.  Amen

Pastor Leon
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
July 11, 2024: SOAP #5334:  Isaiah 8-10; Hebrews 8

SCRIPTURE:  Hebrews (NIV) 8:1 The point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, 2 and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by man.

OBSERVATION:   After years of high priests wearing ceremonial garments and offering token sacrifices for sin, and then dying in office.  After years of offering animal sacrifices that could never properly cover the sins of the people for which they were killed.  After years of going through ceremonies and rituals full of meaning but that could never change any heart.  Wouldn’t it be good to have a real high priest who would not die in office and need to be replaced?  Wouldn’t it be good to have a high priest make a sacrifice that could really pay for sin? 

The point of what the writer of Hebrews is saying is that in Jesus we really do have such a High Priest!!!   We have a High Priest who was sinless and sacrificed His own blood to be the covering for sin!  We have a High Priest who rose from the death of His own sacrifice and will never die again!  He is eternal! 

APPLICATION:  His one sacrifice covers the sins of our grandparents, our parents, us, our children and our grandchildren—generations before and generations after! 

What a day that will be when family generations will join to worship this Great High Priest!   He is worthy of the praise of all generations!

PRAYER:  Lord, you are the Great High Priest who fulfilled all the prophecies we find in the tabernacle built by the Israelites in the wilderness.  You are the Great High Priest who made the one sacrifice that will forever be accepted as the payment for sin.  Every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that you are LORD!   Amen. 

Pastor Leon
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
July 09, 2024: SOAP #5332:  Micah 1-4; Hebrews 6

SCRIPTURE:  Hebrews (NIV) 6:17 Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. 18 God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged. 19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, 20 where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf.

OBSERVATION:    God’s character is that He will never lie.  Yet about His promises for the future, He takes an oath that it will be as He said.  He wants us to be doubly sure!  He is not playing games with us; we can trust Him.  He wants us to trust Him.

His truthfulness is an anchor of our soul.  When the winds of the world in which we live try to push us off track, we have an anchor that holds us steady.  It is His truthfulness and the hope we have for the future.  Our hope and faith are held secure by the anchor of His word. 

“Inner sanctuary” and “behind the curtain” are references to the Tabernacle of Moses when the blood of a sacrificed lamb had to be taken behind the veil into the Holiest of Holies to be placed on the mercy seat.  It was proof to God of a sacrifice.  The blood of Jesus was taken into the real Holiest of Holies in heaven where His sinless blood was placed before Father as the payment for my sins!  

APPLICATION:  Oh, yes.  I can rest assured that an acceptable sacrifice has been made for me!  My future hope is secured. Jesus has already died.  Jesus has already entered heaven with blood, the proof of a sinless sacrifice.  He went before me and entered on my behalf!   I can now face death rejoicing!    

PRAYER:  Father, you see the sinless blood of your Son, Jesus, placed there on my behalf…there is no way that I could ever be worthy of such a sacrifice.  Use me for your glory.  May my life honor you.  Amen

Pastor Leon
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
July 10, 2024: SOAP #5333:  Micah 5-7; Hebrews 7

SCRIPTURE:  Hebrews (NIV) 7:24 …because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. 25 Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. 26 Such a high priest meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. 27 Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself.

OBSERVATION:    Here is the heart of Christianity.  The One who created it all, demonstrated His great capacity to love by inserting Himself into the flow of humanity to become the sinless sacrifice for our sins!!!  “He offered Himself!!!”  He offered His “holy, blameless, pure,” sinless blood to be the payment for our sins!!!

APPLICATION:  The life God put in Adam, the life which Adam and Eve passed on to every person who has ever lived is never-ending life.  Of course, the physical life dies, but the soul/spirit of man lives on—either in heaven or hell. 

On earth, Jesus lived with the purpose of dying for our sins.  Now in heaven He lives to “intercede”/pray for those who have been completely saved by coming to God through His sacrificial death!  He is what I needed!  

He is what you need!  Pray with me…

PRAYER:  Jesus, I accept the sacrifice you offered for me.  Forgive my sins.  Cleanse my heart from all wickedness and evil.  Live in my heart, by your Holy Spirit, as the LORD of my life.  Thank you for taking my place and dying for me.  Now help me to take your place in living this life you have given me.  In your Holy Name, Amen

Pastor Leon
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
July 09, 2024: SOAP #5332:  Micah 1-4; Hebrews 6

SCRIPTURE:  Hebrews (NIV) 6:17 Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. 18 God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged. 19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, 20 where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf.

OBSERVATION:    God’s character is that He will never lie.  Yet about His promises for the future, He takes an oath that it will be as He said.  He wants us to be doubly sure!  He is not playing games with us; we can trust Him.  He wants us to trust Him.

His truthfulness is an anchor of our soul.  When the winds of the world in which we live try to push us off track, we have an anchor that holds us steady.  It is His truthfulness and the hope we have for the future.  Our hope and faith are held secure by the anchor of His word. 

“Inner sanctuary” and “behind the curtain” are references to the Tabernacle of Moses when the blood of a sacrificed lamb had to be taken behind the veil into the Holiest of Holies to be placed on the mercy seat.  It was proof to God of a sacrifice.  The blood of Jesus was taken into the real Holiest of Holies in heaven where His sinless blood was placed before Father as the payment for my sins!  

APPLICATION:  Oh, yes.  I can rest assured that an acceptable sacrifice has been made for me!  My future hope is secured. Jesus has already died.  Jesus has already entered heaven with blood, the proof of a sinless sacrifice.  He went before me and entered on my behalf!   I can now face death rejoicing!    

PRAYER:  Father, you see the sinless blood of your Son, Jesus, placed there on my behalf…there is no way that I could ever be worthy of such a sacrifice.  Use me for your glory.  May my life honor you.  Amen

Pastor Leon
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
July 08, 2024: SOAP #5331:  Hosea 13-14; Psalm 100, 102; Hebrews 5

SCRIPTURE:  Psalm (NIV) 100:4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. 5 For the LORD is good and his love endures for ever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

OBSERVATION:   God’s faithfulness is as eternal as God.  It will continue “through all generations.”  When He blesses, He is being faithful.  And when He punishes,

People in heaven will sing of God’s faithfulness.  They will rejoice in His faithfulness to apply the death of His Son, Jesus to cover all the sins for which they have repented!   They will rejoice in His faithfulness!  

People in hell will also have a fresh appreciation for God’s faithfulness.  God was truthful when He said the wages of sin is death.  God was faithful when He warned them of the torment of hell.  They will have a new appreciation for God’s faithfulness when they look around and cannot find some of their partners in sin.  Their partners had repented, asked and received God’s forgiveness.  God was faithful to “forgive their sins and cleanse them from all unrighteousness!” (1John 1:9) They will appreciate God’s faithfulness when they see people who claimed to have repented but did not make Jesus LORD of their lives and continued to live as though sin did not matter.    

APPLICATION:  God is faithful to Himself.  He is a truth=speaker!   He is faithful to His Word.  My faith comes as I hear what God is saying to me.  (Romans 10:17)

It is so important that I learn to hear HIS voice.  He does not promise to do everything I think He should do.  He loves me and wants our relationship to grow, so I must listen to what He says to Leon.  I can count on His faithfulness to His word!   Ministry activity should not be determined by a brain-storming time to consider what we can do for the Lord, but a time of hearing God tell us what He wants to do and how we can be a part of what He is doing! 

PRAYER:  Heavenly Father, I counted on your faithfulness when I made Jesus the Lord of my life, and I count on your faithfulness every day. 

Pastor Leon
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
July 07, 2024: SOAP #5330:  Hosea 10-12; Psalm 73; Hebrews 4

SCRIPTURE:  Hebrews (NIV) 4:2 For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith.

OBSERVATION:    Two people groups – the same.   Both heard something – the same. 
Both heard the gospel – the same.  One group received no value/benefit – the difference.   Why the difference – faith!  One group did not mix what they heard with faith. 

God is sovereign so He can act independently of man.  However, when God is working with man, He requires our participation. 

Faith is the active ingredient that must be added by man to God’s Word to bring it to life.  Faith is what we add to the mixture of His word that activates it to become what it was designed to be.  Faith is the confidence that what He says is believable and trustworthy.  Faith says, “It is true; it is God’s Word!”  My faith is visible when I live like God’s Word is true! 

APPLICATION:  It is important for me to know what God has said about situations like the one I am facing.  I find that information in the Bible.  Then I need to seek God about doing the same thing today.  Sometimes the scriptures does not tell me what He is going to do today; but it builds my faith to know that He is concerned about what I am facing.   Then armed with the scriptures of what He has done in the past, I go to Him in prayer to plead my cause based on His past actions. 

I go to Him in faith, knowing that He is involved in what I am doing and that I can expect Him to act in accordance with His Word! 

I go to Him ready to obey, to act on His word! 

PRAYER:  Lord, the better I know your word, the better I will be ready to mix my faith with the word you give to me.  The better I know the history of how you responded  to others, the better I will know how to respond to what you say to me.  Amen

Pastor Leon
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
July 06, 2024: SOAP #5329:  Hosea 6-9; Hebrews 3

SCRIPTURE:  Hebrews (NIV) 3:3 Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself. 4 For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything.
5 Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house, testifying to what would be said in the future. 6 But Christ is faithful as a son over God’s house. And we are his house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast.

OBSERVATION:   What a truth is put forth so simply yet forcefully.  ” … we are His house … ” That is not what we will be, but what we are!  It is not a future possibility but a present reality!  If we are in the faith, we are His house!

APPLICATION:  Those in the first century were just as much a part of God’s house as those of us living in the 21^st century.  Believers in America are just as much a part of God’s house as those living in Africa or Asia. 

We are all depending on the Faithful One, Christ, to take care of God’s house.  He may use another believer to help meet our needs, but our confidence is that HE is the Faithful One!  He may provide us something to do to meet our needs, but we give Him the glory and receive it as from Him!  

If HE uses someone else to help me in a time of need, I do not transfer my faith to that one, but keep my faith in HIM!  He may have a different way of providing for me next time.  I do not put any pressure on any person to provide for me.  The Holy Spirit is much better at convincing someone to help!  I put pressure on God by obediently waiting on Him! 

I am confident that the One Who Is Faithful over God’s house will not assign me something to do that I cannot do or that He will not provide what I need to do His will.  If He does not provide what I think I need, I need to use what He has provided to do what I can. 

PRAYER:  Oh, Faithful One, my confidence is in you!  You are faithful to God’s house/church/servant!  Amen

Pastor Leon
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
July 05, 2024: SOAP #5328:  Hosea 2-5; Hebrews 2

SCRIPTURE:  Hebrews (NIV) 2:16 For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants. 17 For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. 18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

OBSERVATION:    Jesus, although God, was fully human (as Philippians 2:6-8 also tells us) for two reasons presented above. 

First; to be a merciful and faithful priest he had to experience life as we do.  Experiencing temptation would cause Him to be able to help us when we are tempted.

Second; when He, who was fully God, died for our sins, he had to die as surely as a human would die.  For His death to be acceptable as a replacement for my death, He must experience life as we live it.  And in living a sinless life and needed no death penalty to cover His sins, His death was acceptable as payment for all who believe in Him and receive His forgiveness. 

APPLICATION:  2Peter 1:11 …and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Having accepted Jesus as my Savior, I have peace in life as I approach death.  My sins are covered by His blood.  I have confidence that He has prepared an eternal home for me.

Having accepted Jesus as my Lord, He has power to help me through the temptations that come my way in this life.    

PRAYER:  Jesus, you are my Lord and Savior.  As my Lord, I thank you for leading me through this life, giving me direction.  As my Savior, I thank you for saving me from the eternal results of my sins.  I want you to be glorified in my life.  Amen

Pastor Leon
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