Monthly Archives: March 2025

…just as He said…

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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
March 22, 2025: SOAP #5588:  Joshua 12-14; 1Corinthians 7

(the Lord speaking to me through an old SOAP)

SCRIPTURE:  Joshua (NIV) 14:10 [Caleb speaking] “Now then, just as the LORD promised, he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved about in the desert. So here I am today, eighty-five years old! 11 I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. 12 Now give me this hill country that the LORD promised me that day. You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the LORD helping me, I will drive them out just as he said.” 13 Then Joshua blessed Caleb son of Jephunneh and gave him Hebron as his inheritance.

OBSERVATION:   The land was being divided among the 12 tribes of Israel and Caleb was claiming his portion of the promised land.   He was speaking with a lot of confidence.  Although he was 85 years old, he was still strong and vigorous, and he would drive out the Anakites with their large and fortified cities.   Caleb’s talk was not something he would have to back up.  God would be backing up Caleb’s words. 

Caleb was not depending on his strength and wisdom.  He had a Helper!   He was depending on his Helper and his Helper’s promise.   

APPLICATION:   Caleb’s Helper is my Helper too!  It has been 3700+ years since He helped Caleb take possession of what He had earlier promised Caleb.  Caleb’s Helper is with me and has spoken to me also!  God will do for me, “just as He said!”  

PRAYER:   Heavenly Father, you are Caleb’s Helper!  You are still the omnipresent, omniscient, ever present, all wise and all-powerful Helper of those who trust you.  You are holy and loving, faithful and merciful.  I love you.  Thank you for speaking to me and being my Helper. Amen

Pastor Leon
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On Facebook:  Today’s SOAP from Pastor Leon

Highest Purpose!

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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
March 21, 2025: SOAP #5587:  Joshua 9-11; 1Corinthians 6

SCRIPTURE:  1Corinthians (NIV) 6:13b The body, however, is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body….15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself?     

OBSERVATION:   Although God created man and woman to be sexual creatures, sexual expression is clearly meant to be within the bounds of marriage.   As enjoyable as sexual intimacy was meant to be, that is not the highest purpose of the body.    

APPLICATION:   The primary—the highest purpose of my body is as a holy temple in which the Lord dwells.   My body is the place where My Lord and I enjoy fellowship.  My body is to be a place for God to enjoy.  

In being separate entities inhabiting the same body, we (God and I) enjoy wonderful fellowship.  Do I enjoy His presence?  Does He enjoy my presence? 

And in being joined as one spirit we enjoy expression, purpose and power in ministry.  Do I recognize God as a vital part of everything I do? We are in this together! 

PRAYER:   Lord Jesus, thank you for making my body your dwelling place and for allowing me to be a part of what you are doing in the earth.   Amen

Pastor Leon
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On Facebook:  Today’s SOAP from Pastor Leon

I am Dependent on Him

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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
March 20, 2025: SOAP #5586:  Joshua 7-8; Psalm 69; 1Corinthians 5

SCRIPTURE:  Psalm (NIV) 69:13  But I pray to you, O LORD, in the time of your favor; in your great love, O God, answer me with your sure salvation.
…
16  Answer me, O LORD, out of the goodness of your love; in your great mercy turn to me.

OBSERVATION:   The Psalmist was in trouble and looking for an answer from God.  He was not approaching God on the basis of how he deserved God’s love, but on the basis of God’s character.  He was counting on God’s goodness and love.  He was counting on God to show him favor and be merciful.  

APPLICATION:   It is humbling to realize how holy, just and righteous God is and how unworthy I am.  I have to depend on His mercy and His love for me.  He made a sacrifice so awesome that it more than covers my sins. 

Not only do I need to depend on Him, He wants me to depend on Him.  I must depend on Him when I am in trouble, when I am tempted, when I am tired, when I am disappointed, and when I am happy.  He wants me to depend on Him when things are going my way and when they are not. 

He often sends me into places where I will fail if I do not depend on Him.  He has actually placed His Holy Spirit in me, so it is easy to depend on Him. 

I do not need to go someplace to meet Him or wait until He arrives.  He is an ever-present help all the time. 

My life gives God opportunity to demonstrate how much He loves us and what He can do in response to our faith. 

PRAYER:   Lord, I am so thankful I can count on you. I count on your presence.  I count on you to put your thoughts in my mind.  You help me maintain a life of victory and restore victory to me when I fall.  Amen. 

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

Just AND Merciful!!!

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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
March 19, 2025: SOAP #5585:  Joshua 3-6; 1Corinthians 40

SCRIPTURE:  1Corinthians (NIV) 4:2 Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.  3 I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself.  4 My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent.  It is the Lord who judges me.  5 Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes.  He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of people’s hearts.  At that time each will receive their praise from God. 

OBSERVATION:   People who rush to judgment often misjudge because they do not take time to evaluate the hidden motives. 

Some things are judged before their appointed time as being bad, but they are not bad just immature. 

Some things are judged good, but the hidden motives of the heart show that they are not good. 

APPLICATION:   God is the only perfect judge.  He knows me perfectly.  He knows the motives behind my actions.  He knows my weaknesses and immaturities. 

He is a JUST judge requiring full payment for sin.  Yet He is a MERCIFUL judge accepting the death of His own Son, Jesus, as the FULL PAYMENT for my sin!      

PRAYER:   Heavenly Father, I am so thankful that you are my judge.  You know me; you understand me; but best of all, you love me!  You sent your son to die as payment for my sins.  You know my sins, yet when I confess them, you forgive me and give me a clean conscience!  You have forgiven ALL my sins; I give you ALL my life.  Amen

Pastor Leon
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On Facebook:  Today’s SOAP from Pastor Leon

What a delight!

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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
March 17, 2025: SOAP #5583:  Joshua 1-2; Psalm 37; 1Corinthians 3

SCRIPTURE:  :  Psalm (NIV) 37:4 Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. …
23 If the LORD delights in a man’s way, he makes his steps firm;

OBSERVATION:   This Psalm gives me an assignment.  I am to “delight” myself in the Lord.  This is not something done to me, but something I choose to do.  It is not something that is difficult to do, for God is so amazing!  Our minds will never contain the whole of God.  There will always be something new that will bring joy as discovered. 

Delighting myself in God will definitely change the desires of my heart.  They will change from being temporal things to eternal things!   I will begin to see the eternal value of people and things around me.  I will begin to desire the things that HE wants to do!   It will be His joy to answer my prayers.  Soon I will be living a life that God will delight Himself in me!!!  

APPLICATION:   Here is a worthy goal for Leon.  To live my life in such a way that causes the LORD to delight in me.  God causes me much joy!   It is my pleasure to serve Him.  He is obviously worthy of my attention.  I delight in Him because of Him!   I want Him to delight in me because of me.   I want my choices to bring Him joy.    

Surely, He weeps when He sees the world He created, and the people for whom His Son suffered on the cross…when He sees them ignoring Him and making such self-destructive choices.  May we be the ones to bring Him joy. 

PRAYER:   Lord, I delight in you!  You are awesome.  You are perfect in all your ways.  I pray that my motives and actions will bring you joy and you will delight yourself in me!   Amen

Pastor Leon
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On Facebook:  Today’s SOAP from Pastor Leon

God: Working on Two Fronts

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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
March 17, 2025: SOAP #5583:  Deuteronomy 32-34; 1Corinthians 2

SCRIPTURE:  Deuteronomy (NIV)32:8 When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance, when he divided all mankind, he set up boundaries for the peoples according to the number of the sons of Israel. 9w For the LORD’s portion is his people, Jacob his allotted inheritance.
Ephesians (NIV) 1:18 … the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,
1Peter (NIV) 2:9 …a people belonging to God,…

OBSERVATION:   As Moses was giving his farewell address, he reviewed Israel’s past.  He told them that God is the One who set the boundaries.  Each tribe and people group had their own boundaries.  It defined their possession, that over which they had authority.  Each nation, and each tribe (of Israel) had their assigned area, their inheritance.  BUT where was God’s portion?  God’s portion was His people!  

It is a concept that carries over into the New Testament.  What God gets out of this “earth project” is people. 

APPLICATION:   Today, the Lord is building His church, not a building of wood and stone, but a church of people.  He is preparing a place for us in Heaven, AND He is preparing us for that place where we will rule and reign with Him.  

He is teaching us how to have authority by learning to exercise authority in our own daily lives.  I believe He is preparing us to expand His heavenly kingdom by witnessing and discipling others here on earth.  We are learning the principles of heaven as we learn and exercise kingdom principles in our personal lives, our family lives, and our business lives, or lives interacting with our community. 

God’s portion is us.  He deserves the best portion, a portion well-prepared for eternity with Him!  

God is preparing for eternity by working on two fronts.  Jesus is working in heaven preparing a place (mansion) for me.  AND the Holy Spirit is working here on earth preparing me for that place!  

PRAYER:   Holy Spirit, work in my life, my thoughts, my attitudes, and my actions.  Make me well-prepared for the heavenly place that is now being prepared for me.  Amen

Pastor Leon
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Look what the Lord does!!!

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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
March 16, 2025: SOAP #5582:  Deuteronomy 30-31; Psalm 40; 1Corinthians 1

(The Spirit speaking to me in an old SOAP.)

SCRIPTURE:  1Corinthians (NIV) 1:25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength. … 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no-one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness, and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

OBSERVATION:   Many times, in doing miracles, Jesus gave an assignment to the one(s) in need.  It is notable that Jesus never gave an assignment that proved how wise or how strong they were.  It was always something simple that they were obviously capable of doing.  It was a simple act of obedience proving their faith.  It was washing the mud out of the eyes.  It was having the people sit down in groups of 50.  It was filling the jars with water.  It was casting their net on the other side of the boat.  No one could mistake that their action caused the miracle.  Jesus was the only one receiving the glory. 

APPLICATION:   When a miracle is needed, the pressure is not on me.  He will give me something that I can do.  It might not make any sense to me; it is not designed to make sense to me.  It is designed to demonstrate my faith in Him.  If I hurry and get presumptuous, I get myself in trouble.  I MUST HEAR from Him.  What He says takes priority. 

God did not choose me because of my abilities.  God did not make a list of my strengths and determine where I could best serve Him.  He does not want people to be amazed at what I can do.  He wants them to be amazed at what He can do!

PRAYER:   Lord, I know you are not counting on me to accomplish your will.  You are counting on me being obedient.  You are counting on me listening to your voice and following your Word!  Amen.

Pastor Leon
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It’s the Law!

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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
March 15, 2025: SOAP #5581:  Deuteronomy 28-29; Galatians 6

(an earlier SOAP with minor changes)

SCRIPTURE:  Galatians (NIV) 6:7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8 The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

OBSERVATION:  Here we are given a universal law that affects every aspect of life. 
Verse 6 and 10 show that it applies financially and materially.
Verses 8 and shows that it applies spiritually,
Verse 9 is the application of this truth.  We should always be sowing.  Reaping is assured if we remain faithful. 

God cannot be mocked.  To think that one can sow one kind of crop and reap another is foolish.  When I understand the seriousness of this law, I can greatly appreciate that Jesus took my place to reap the harvest of the sin I had sown.   And by so doing, He set me free to reap the blessings of the seed he sowed in dying on the cross.

APPLICATION: Sometimes my greatest financial need is to understand the truth in these verses.  I need to give with faith that God will bring the reward.  As I sow, God brings the harvest. 

Some people want to reap a harvest by getting others to sow.  But verses about giving in the Bible are not there to be used to motivate others to give to us.  They are there to motivate us to give!  The application of this truth is GIVING. 

Today is too late for me to do more about today’s harvest, but today I can do something about my future harvest.

PRAYER:  Lord, thank you for laws that set order in this world.   Thank you for helping us understand how things work.  Amen

Pastor Leon
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On Facebook:  Today’s SOAP from Pastor Leon

Internal Magnets

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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
March 14, 2025: SOAP #5580:  Deuteronomy 25-27; Galatians 5

SCRIPTURE:  Galatians (NIV) 5:16 This I say then, “Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.”  …
18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law….
25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

OBSERVATION: Removing sexual immorality, hatred, jealousy, fits of rage and other works of the flesh mentioned later in this chapter—removing these from our life cannot be accomplished by focusing on stopping them.  Trying to convince myself that I really do not want to do something just does not work.  Talking myself into being strong and resisting temptation is useless too.  The only way to overcome the tendency of the flesh to succumb to temptation is to focus on what the Spirit is saying and doing.

Thoughts are like internal magnets that draw us to what we are thinking, either to do what the flesh wants, or to do what the Spirit wants. 

APPLICATION: I must give up trying to win victory over the temptations in my own strength.  It is when I walk in the Spirit that I do not gratify the desires of the flesh!  It is when I set my thoughts on the presence of the Holy Spirit and what He is doing in my life that I do not yield to sinful temptations. 

Instead of focusing on how bad sins is and how I really do not want to sin, and instead of focusing on what I should do to resist the temptation, I need to focus my thoughts on the Presence of the Holy Spirit, what He is saying to me, and what I can do to please Him.  The Holy Spirit will be focusing our ears to hear the Word and our eyes to see Jesus.  Listening to and obeying the Holy Spirit assures us of victory.  

PRAYER:  Lord, thank you for your Holy Spirit who lives in me, walks with me, and talks to me.  You knew I would need help in overcoming the temptations around me.  In your wisdom, you gave me your Spirit who refocuses my attention away from what I do not want to do.  And He focuses my thought on what I can do in order to please you.  Amen

Pastor Leon
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WHAT A CHANGE!

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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
March 13, 2025: SOAP #5579:  Deuteronomy 22-24; Galatians 4

SCRIPTURE:  Galatians (NIV) 4:7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.

OBSERVATION:   WHAT A CHANGE:  from being a slave to sin, to being a son of God!  From serving sin because I was in bondage, to serving God because I love Him.  And I love Him because He first loved me! 

APPLICATION:   I do not have to serve God—I get to serve God.  It is my privilege to serve Him.  It is my pleasure! 

Because I love Him, I consider myself His servant. 
Because He loves me, He considers me His son! 

Because I love Him and see myself as His servant, I serve Him joyfully. 
Because He loves me and considers me His son, He makes me His heir! 

He is always outdoing me!  That’s just the way He is! 

SOAP Reader: I trust you have found the joy of belonging to the LORD and serving Him out of joy.  He is so worthy; He should never need to twist our arms to serve Him.  We should serve Him willingly and joyfully.  We should consider it our pleasure to be asked to do something for Him. 

PRAYER:   Heavenly Father, I am your creation.  I am your child.  I am your friend.  I am your servant.  I am your son.  I am your heir.  I am blest!  May you be glad that I call you my Father.  May I bring joy to your heart and a smile to your face!  Amen

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