Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
January 12, 2025: SOAP #5519:  Genesis 29-30; Luke 12

(reworked from 2022)

SCRIPTURE: Luke (NIV) 12:29 And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. 30 For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31 But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.

OBSERVATION: Do we need food?  We are instructed to consider the ravens. (vs. 24)   Do we need clothing?  We are instructed to consider the lilies. (vs. 27) 

Why?  Because we are more important than ravens and lilies!  (vs. 24)

To whom are we more important?  To God, but Jesus does not call Him God; Jesus calls Him Father!  (vs. 30)

Whose Father is He?  Jesus says He is “your Father!!!”  (vs. 30)

APPLICATION:  God feeds the ravens. (vs. 24)   God clothes the lilies. (vs. 27-28)   But when it coming to taking care me, Jesus calls Him my Father!  (vs. 30)

The One Jesus called “Father,” is my Father too!  He is my Heavenly Father but I need not wait until I get to heaven to enjoy His loving care! 

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, when I accepted the payment of Jesus on the cross for my sins, I became a member of your family.  You have always been and will always be God.  But through Jesus, you have become my Father!  What a blessing is mine!  Amen.

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!   
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
January 11, 2025: SOAP #5518:  Genesis 27-28; Psalm 4; Luke 11

SCRIPTURE:  Luke (NIV) 11:9 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

OBSERVATION:   Sometimes we have but to ask.  With simple faith believing and receiving from God.  

At other times, it is for us to seek out the answer.   To search the scriptures, to find what God has promised, to find what God has done in similar circumstances, or to see if God will emphasize a verse upon which we can place our faith.  Waiting for an answer can be a good time to search our hearts to see if we have missed something He has spoken to us.    

And there are times some action is required, so we knock.  Some personal involvement comes as we invest our time and resources into the matter for which we need His involvement.  Of course, our involvement is only like knocking on the door.  The opening of the door comes from Him.  The answer in the open door where we find His wisdom, power and resources. 

APPLICATION:  First:  I must not stop asking and believing.  Second:  I must not stop seeking until I find.  Do I desire it enough to seek?  Third:  I must not stop knocking until the door is opened and God is revealed in the situation for which I am praying.  Am I desperate enough to keep on knocking?      

The level of my faith can be seen in how quickly I stop asking Him and stop seeking Him and stop knocking on His door and I start looking elsewhere.  Of course, when God speaks, it is time to quit asking and seeking and knocking and start obeying and doing what He tells us to do.  Obedience leads to answers. 

PRAYER:  Holy Spirit, continue to teach me to pray and how to pray.  May the Heavenly Father enjoy hearing from me in prayer.  Teach me how to ask, how to seek, and how to knock.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!   
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Dear friends, 

This is a praise report and a prayer request.  Yesterday Pastor Andrew went from Sierra Leone to Liberia to meet with Bishop Emmanuel.  The Bishop has vision and plans to spread the SOAPs further on the continent of Africa.  He already has contacts in many countries and friends in the Liberian government.  In the following letters you can catch his African vision to have SOAP conferences, to install computers and printers, and to distribute SOAPs.  Pastor Andrew sent me the following email yesterday and I received the last one from Bishop Emmanuel today.   (personal note continued below…)

———————————————————————————————————————–(received from Pastor Andrew , Sierra Leone 1/9/25)  God bless you Daddy. 

this is the expenditure and the budget of the SOAP MINISTRY conferences in 17 West Africa countries and four East Africa countries, this is the biggest project which the SOAP Ministry is undertaking right now which is going to start on the 10th February to the 31th March 2025.

These are the 17 countries that we will be going in West Africa, (Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo), And also five East Africa countries, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe,

Each of those countries we will be having SOAP MINISTRY conferences, distribution of the SOAPs  and also installation of computers and printers for the SOAP MINISTRY in those countries.

We need $58,000 to on the take this great big projects in the SOAP MINISTRY God have already provided $48,000 to God be the glory Amen 🙏 this money was donated by a group of people which love the Lord, So they.SOAP MINISTRY team still need to raise $10,000 to complete the project in the next two weeks.

This is the breakdown of what we are going to buy for this project:
1. 100 computers, each one cost $250 * 100 is $25,000.
2. 100 printers, each one cost $200 *100 is 20,000
3. 150 cartoon of papers,each one cost $50 *150 is $7,500.
4. 100 button of ink, each one cost $20 * 100 is $2,000.
5. Cost of flight ticket is $2,000.
6. The remaining of $1,500 is for hotel bills and food.

This is the entire project budget, we thank us so much $45,000 have been received for this project so it’s only $10,000 now remain we are trusting God for it in the next two weeks.

I will be leaving for Sierra Leone Freetown tomorrow morning God bless you Daddy pray for us..  

 Yes   Faithfully servant Pastor Andrew

—————————————————————————————————————————(received from Bishop Emmanuel in Liberia 1/1/25) 

Good morning and God bless you sir Pastor Leon and your family. 

To God be the glory Pastor Andrew have left this morning for Sierra Leone but thank God that he came and we have a wonderful successful meeting for the SOAP MINISTRY project and also you meet with the minister and some of the SOAP MINISTRY team members  I was really happy when Pastor Andrew pray for the minister who gave the money.

So i and Pastor Andrew had their last meeting last night before he left this morning, we have a meeting concerning the remaining $10,000 that we need to raise so me and my team here in Liberia we have decided to raise $5,000 to wash the $10,000 and presently we have started raising the $5,000.

So Pastor Andrew said it’s going to meet with the SOAP MINISTRY team in Sierra Leone and also you for the remaining $5,000.

I and one of my pastor will be going to Sierra Leone on the 5th February 2025,to buy the computers and printers, paper and ink to brother Joshua, then me and my pastor will be leaving from Nigeria on the 8th of February 2025 that is where we’re going to start the SOAP Minister conference.

Thank you so much and God bless you Pastor Leon and also God bless Pastor Andrew.

Your Faithfully  Bishop Emmanuel SOAP MINISTRY in Liberia.

———————————————————————————————————————

(continued from above…)  Just like a gust of wind can turn a small flame into a raging fire, so the Holy Spirit blows on the small SOAP flame and is turning it into a mighty fire in Africa!  

So, praise the Lord for what He has done, AND for what He is doing today!!!  Join me in prayer for God to supply the remaining finances.  We pray in faith, for we know that God will provide.  SOAP is His ministry.  It was started at His direction.  It has continued with His provision.  It will grow as He provides.   😊 

Leon
Making friends for time and eternity

Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
January 10, 2025: SOAP #5517:  Genesis 25-26; Psalm 6; Luke 10

SCRIPTURE:  Luke (NIV) 10:1 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. 2 He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. 3 Go! I am sending you…

OBSERVATION:   When God’s people gather to pray, often people are given opportunity to make a “prayer request.”  So many times, those requests are for God to heal a sick relative or friend.  Even personal requests usually are for healing.  If we would stop and ask Jesus what he would have us pray about, His answer surely would be like verse 2 above. 

APPLICATION:  Jesus suffered such great agony in order to make salvation available to anyone who calls on His name—how many people does He want to come into loving relationship with Him?   —how many people does He want to present to the Father?  

We are the ones who should be praying about the harvest.  We are the ones He is sending.  Every day we are walking in the harvest field as we go through our regular daily activities. 

Let us always have someone in our thoughts for whom we are praying for their salvation.  The next time we are in a prayer meeting, let us honor the Lord by praying for His request.  

Then we should not be surprised if He uses us to be a part of the answer to that prayer!

PRAYER:  Heavenly Father, your Son, Jesus, told us to pray for people who will work in your great harvest field.  We pray for those who have taken SOAPs into the streets as a tool for evangelism.  Bless them.  We pray for those who took Jesus as their Savior and committed their lives to you.  Help them grow in their faith.  We pray for you to use us in answer to your prayer request.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!   
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
January 09, 2025: SOAP #5516:  Genesis 23-24; Luke 9

SCRIPTURE:  Luke (NIV) 9:1 When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, 2 And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.  …
6 And they departed, and went through the towns, preaching the gospel, and healing everywhere. …
10 And the apostles, when they were returned, told him all that they had done…

OBSERVATION:   Not all the ministry in the gospels was done by Jesus.  Jesus sent THEM to preach, THEM to heal the sick,

THEY departed, THEY went through the towns, THEY preached, THEY healed, THEY returned, THEY reported back.     

APPLICATION:  Jesus was preparing the disciples for the time He would no longer be with them.  Later in the book of Acts, the church continued the ministry of Jesus.  As Jesus ministered in the power of the Holy Spirit, so the early church ministered in that same Spirit.     

Note how the healing ministry of Jesus continued through the book of Acts.   

Today, Jesus is not present in a physical body to teach and heal.  The leaders of the early church are not here to teach and to heal.  But WE are here.   And WE have the very same Holy Spirit that came upon Jesus when He was baptized by John.  And WE have the same Holy Spirit that came on the early church in Acts 2. 

The Holy Spirit is continuing the same ministry today.  He is looking for people who will follow His lead and step out in faith to minister truth and healing to those nearby.  Let’s be those people!!!  

PRAYER:  Holy Spirit, find me to be an open channel through which you can continue the ministry of Jesus today.  Flow through me, Holy Spirit, flow through me. Speak through me.  Heal through me.  In Jesus Name, Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!   
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
January 07, 2025: SOAP #5514:  Genesis 18-19; Psalm 3; Luke 7

SCRIPTURE:  Genesis (NIV) 18:23 And Abraham drew near, and said, Will you also destroy the righteous with the wicked? 24 Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: will you also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein? 25 That be far from you to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from you: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? 26 And the LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.

OBSERVATION:   The LORD had just revealed to Abraham that HE would destroy Sodom because of their wickedness.  Abraham was greatly concerned because his nephew, Lot, had taken up residence there.  Abraham knew the character of God and began to intercede for the city.  It is good to note how he interceded. 

He DID NOT intercede on the basis of his relationship with Lot and Lot’s family.  He DID NOT intercede on the basis of Lot coming from a good family background.  He DID NOT intercede on the basis of the young children in the city.  He DID NOT intercede on the basis of all the animals in Sodom. 

He DID intercede on the basis of God’s character.  He DID intercede on the basis of God’s righteousness.  He DID intercede on the basis of God’s position of “Judge of all the earth.”

APPLICATION:  I need to start looking at the world around me from God’s perspective and praying with that in mind.  Why should God want to do what I am asking Him to do?  What benefit is there in it for God?  How will answering my prayer show God as holy and loving? 

NOTE:  God knew Abraham’s deepest concern and verse 29 of chapter 19 shows that God answered the heart of the prayer. 

PRAYER:  Lord, You are totally holy and totally loving.  You are that way when you answer every prayer I pray.  In your holy judgments, you do not stop being merciful and loving.  And in your many expressions of love, you do not stop being holy.  Many times I have received the expression of your love because Jesus took the expression of your holiness.  I am forever grateful.  May I not forget that you are as holy today as you have ever been.  I worship you, my Holy and Loving Heavenly Father.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!   
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
January 06, 2025: SOAP #5513:  Genesis 15-17; Luke 6

SCRIPTURE:  Genesis (NIV) 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 28 And God blessed them, and God said to them, Be fruitful, and, and replenish the earth, and subdue it:…
17:5 Neither shall your name any more be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made you. 6 And I will make you exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come out of you.

OBSERVATION:  In Genesis 1 we read that everything God created was to bring forth after its kind.  Plants bring forth more plant; animals bring forth more animals.  Humans bring forth more humans. 

But chapter 17 goes even further: people of faith bring forth people of faith!   Abraham was declared righteous because of his faith.  Later we read that Abraham was not only the father of the children of Israel (as well as the children of Ishmael and Abrahams children born after the death of Sarah [Genesis 25:1-7]) he is declared to be the father of all who live by faith (Romans 4:12-18). 

APPLICATION:   It is to God’s glory that we bring forth fruit.  We need to plant in others what has been planted in our lives. 

PRAYER:  Lord, may I give you pleasure as I pass along to others what you used others to plant in my heart.  As your work in my life has resulted in a measure of fruitfulness, may your work through me result in much fruitfulness in others.  Through it all, may much honor be given to you.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!   
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
January 05, 2025: SOAP #5512:  Genesis 12-14; Luke 5

SCRIPTURE:  Luke (NIV) 5:4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” 5 Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” 6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break.

OBSERVATION:  It is right to consider circumstances in making decisions for our lives.  Peter had much experience in fishing.  He was the expert.  He understood that sometime fishing was an exercise in futility. However, Peter had come to understand something else.  Jesus is Lord. What Jesus says trumps all circumstances.  So Peter proceeded to do some more fishing!  …but with different results! 

APPLICATION:   I am sure when I was a child, I was like so many other children whose favorite question seems to be, “Why?”  I am sure that my parents, like so many other parents I have known, often responded, “Because I said so.” 

Now I wonder if that was not God’s way of training me to respond to Him.  I do not need to understand every aspect of the decision, but when He speaks, I do need to obey Him.   “Because He said so” is a sufficient reason!  

Fifteen years ago I started writing SOAPs, not because I wanted to do it, but simple because God made it clear He was telling me to do it!  I wondered if God would give me something for every day of 2010.  Yes, He did, and He has done so for 15 years.  Some results are as Peter experienced in verse six.    

Yesterday, I received a note from Bishop Emmanuel in Liberia.  78 SOAP MINISTRY team members spent three days, including Christmas day, distributing 89,000 copies of SOAPs in the streets of the capitol city of Monrovia.  They have the names, addresses, and phone numbers of 2,750 people who gave their lives to Jesus!  

PRAYER:  Lord, You are faithful.  I know I can trust you.  “Because you said so” is enough of a reason to obey. Amen. 

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!   
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
January 04, 2025: SOAP #5511:  Genesis 9-11; Luke 4

(reworked from 2010)

SCRIPTURE: Luke (NIV) 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. 20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 And he began to say to them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

OBSERVATION:   Here, in the synagogue, Jesus reads about the working of the Spirit from the book of Isaiah.  Although Jesus will reach out and touch many people, the Spirits anointing on Jesus is to primarily flow through His mouth, through His words.  He has been sent to “preach” and to “proclaim.”   In other scriptures we read that “no man spoke like this man,” and we read of his “gracious” words.  Jesus was known as a “teacher.”  (Note: Luke 4:43-44)  

APPLICATION:   The Holy Spirit’s Presence and anointing is upon me today.  What difference will that make? Although there are other expressions of His Presence, it should make a difference in how I talk and in what I say.  Those closest to me, my spouse and those with whom I work, should be able to recognize the Presence of the Holy Spirit in me by what they hear. 

Do the words from my mouth reveal Who is living inside?      

PRAYER:   Lord, may you be heard through me today.  Use my words to reveal your presence.  May people easily recognize me as a follower of you by the way I talk.  Amen.

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!   
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