Monthly Archives: April 2025

Forgive? How? …just as…

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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
May 01, 2025: SOAP #5628:  1Chronicles 14, 15; Psalm 132; Matthew 18

SCRIPTURE:  Matthew (NIV) 18:32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I cancelled all that debt of yours because you begged me to.  33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow-servant just as I had on you?’  34 In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.”

OBSERVATION:   Jesus was telling the story of a servant whose master had forgiven him a huge debt.  Later it was reported to the master that this same servant had refused to forgive a much smaller debt and had his debtor thrown in prison until he paid.   The servant did not consider the master’s generosity sufficient to cover the debt the other servant owed him.  The above verses give the master’s response.      

APPLICATION:   The Holy Father God considers Jesus’ death to be more than sufficient payment to cover all my sins against Him.  It honors Him when I consider Jesus’ death to be more than sufficient payment to cover all the sins of others against me!   Forgiven, I forgive! 

To say, “I cannot forgive just as He forgives,” is to ignore the presence of the Great Forgiver living in me!   He is not requiring of us something He has not done for us nor something He will not do through us. 

REMEMBER: Forgiving is a choice; forgetting is a process!  When I remember an offence, I must remember it as forgiven and use it as an opportunity to give praise to God for what He has done for me.

PRAYER:   Lord, I “show forth your death” when I consider your death as sufficient payment for sins against me.  May you be glorified in my life.   Amen

Pastor Leon
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Bearing My Burdens

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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
April 30, 2025: SOAP #5627:  2Samuel 6; 1Chronicles 13; Psalm 68; Matthew 17

SCRIPTURE:  Psalm (NIV) 68:19 Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. Selah

OBSERVATION:   In this psalm, David presents God as majestic over all the earth and the peoples of the earth.  He has total victory over his enemies.  He is the mighty general leading a great army.  His chariots are tens of thousands and thousands of thousands!    Yet he cares for his people.  He bears their burdens!  

APPLICATION:   While other gods were burdens that their worshippers had to carry, my God daily carries my burdens!   He uses His strength to serve me!    He encourages me to cast my cares on him because he cares for me!    

Worry is a great burden, yet knowing that God is with me and that He has all knowledge and wisdom—and that He loves me and is present to help me and show me what I should do—it makes my worries melt away.  I roll my burdens and worries on Him knowing that the troubles will not be ignored, but He will deal with them in love and wisdom.  And when it is time for me to do something, He will show me what to do and He will be with me to help me!  

PRAYER:   Heavenly Father, you are amazing.  You are so great, yet you care for me—you carry my burdens!  You sent Jesus to bear the burden of my sins to the cross where His sinless blood became the payment for my sins!  He took the burden of my sins and replaced it with His peace and joy.  I am blessed!  Amen

Pastor Leon
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Pleasing God

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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
April 29, 2025: SOAP #5626:  2Samuel 4,5; Psalm 139; Matthew 16

SCRIPTURE:   Psalm 139:23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.

OBSERVATION:   If I really want to please God, then I must know what pleases Him.  I cannot live my life doing what pleases me and just hope that enough of it will please Him that I will make it into heaven. 

APPLICATION:   There are two ways to organize one’s life.  First is to please myself and hope that some of it pleases God.  The second way is to set my heart to please God and discover that it very often pleases me too!  

There are two sources of knowledge about God and what pleases Him.  First is The Word of God which many refer to as the Holy Bible or the scriptures.  In them we read about the character of God and see how Jesus lived in this world.  Second is the Holy Spirit that comes into our lives when we take Jesus as our Lord and Savior.  He often releases joy when we are pleasing God and usually fills our heart with guilt, or remorse, or heaviness when we do what displeases God. 

PRAYER:   Lord, thank you for the joy that fills our hearts when we first invite you to live in our hearts.  And thank you for the peace you bring into our lives.  Teach us from your Word how to please you.  Walk with us, talk with us.  Teach us to recognize your voice.  In Your Name, Lord Jesus, we pray,  Amen

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

Just a note of rejoicing to share with SOAP readers.  Yesterday evening there was a LARGE group of people gathered to hear about Jesus and the SOAPs. (35-40,000) It is reported that 19,000 accepted Jesus as Lord and gave their names and phone numbers to receive the daily SOAPs. 
So, if you had a glad day today, it might have been that the joy of heaven spilled over into your heart!   Please pray for the SOAP team to help these new believers grow in their faith and in the joy of the Lord!   It’s a new day of the Lord!  

It Must Be A Heart Matter!

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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
April 28, 2025: SOAP #5625:  2Samuel 3; 1Chronicles 12; Matthew 15

SCRIPTURE:  Matthew (NIV) 15:4  For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’ 5 But you say that if a man says to his father or mother, ‘Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is a gift devoted to God,’ 6 he is not to ‘honor his father’ with it. Thus, you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition.
7 You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: 8 “‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 9 They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.’”

OBSERVATION:   In these verses Jesus was speaking to the religious leaders about the way they twisted the commands.  They talked like they had it all together when it came to spiritual things, but the most important part to God—their heart—was far from what it should be.    

I hear him saying their worship was useless to God and useless to themselves.  Their teaching should have come from their personal relationship with God, but instead they just mouthed what someone else had said. 

APPLICATION:   It is good to learn from others, but I must personally hear God speaking to me.  And when He does use people to speak to me, the Holy Spirit confirms in my spirit that the message is from God.    That happens more often when I honor God with my lips AND with my heart.

The personal relationship that God desires is for us to accept Jesus offer of forgiveness (made possible by His sinless life and death on the cross) and to make Jesus the Lord of our lives.  We invite Him to live in our lives, not as a guest, but as a permanent, honored resident, as the LORD of our lives.

PRAYER:   Lord, as a child, I used to sing:  “Into my heart, come into my heart, come into my heart Lord Jesus.  Come in today, come in to stay; come into my heart Lord Jesus.”  Amen. 

Pastor Leon
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An Important Link

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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
April 27, 2025: SOAP #5624:  2Samuel; 1Chronicles 11; Psalm 142; Matthew 14

SCRIPTURE:  Matthew (NIV) 14:17 “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered. 18 “Bring them here to me,” he (Jesus) said.  19 And he directed the people to sit down on the grass.  Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves.  Then he gave them to the disciples and the disciples gave them to the people. 20 They all ate and were satisfied and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 21 The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children

OBSERVATION:   The disciples took what was available and gave it to Jesus.  Then they took what He gave them and gave it to the people. 

The disciples were a key link for getting the needed bread from Him who is the bread of life, to those needing nourishment. 

APPLICATION:   Here is a good pattern for me and for any disciple of Jesus.  I take what I have available and give it to Jesus.  Then I take what He returns to me and give it to those around me. 

I become a link to get the message from Jesus to those needing to hear. 

NOTE:  The disciples only gave out what Jesus had given to them! 
ALSO NOTE:  Jesus only multiplied what they had given Him!

PRAYER:   Lord, at your direction, to place in your hands the little I have is the wisest thing I can do!  Lord, I place this SOAP in your hands.  Multiply it and use it for your glory!  I know you will then place this SOAP into the many hearts and hands of those who will distribute it to those hungry for a word from you. Amen

Pastor Leon
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Something Fresh!

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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
April 26, 2025: SOAP #5623:  2Samuel 1; Psalm 140; Matthew 13

SCRIPTURE:  Matthew (NIV) 13:52 He (Jesus) said to them (His disciples) “Therefore every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.” 

OBSERVATION:   One should not throw away something just because it is old.  Neither should one continue to use the old when the new is better.  Wisdom is the blending of the old and the new.  Both have value.   (The principle in this verse can be applied to everything from worship music to using technology.) 

APPLICATION:   To live under the Old Testament law when I understand New Testament grace would be foolish, but if I ignore the Old Testament and only read the New Testament I will miss much of God’s character that can be seen as He interacted with the Old Testament people. 

I continue to enjoy the songs that were written in the 1920’s to the 1970’s.  But if I refuse the songs of today, I miss the joy of hearing a new generation express their love and devotion to the One I love most!  After all, what makes God happy should make Leon happy! 

Oh the joy that comes from daily time reading and meditating on God’s word.  He continues to give me new understanding from the Old Testament and New Testament scriptures and new ways to apply them to my daily life.  God’s word is always fresh in my heart.  

Read your Bible with a pencil and sheet of paper (or a blank page in a journal) with you.  Write the date on the sheet praying for God to show you something fresh for you today.  God responds to faith and your faith has made preparation for you to hear from God!  

PRAYER:   Lord, I want to always appreciate what you have done in the past yet I want to be flexible enough to appreciate what you are doing in the present…what you are doing today.  Amen

Pastor Leon
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In This Together!

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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
April 25, 2025: SOAP #5622:  1Samuel 30,31; 1Chronicles 10; Matthew 12

SCRIPTURE:  1Samuel (NIV) 30:3 When David and his men came to Ziklag [their home at that time], they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. 4 So David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep. 5 David’s two wives had been captured—Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel.  6 David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the LORD his God.

OBSERVATION:   What a verse!  Everything had gone wrong for David, even his men were turning against him, BUT David had a source to Whom he could turn for solace, support and strength.  It is important to note that David did not find strength in the LORD God, but in the LORD HIS GOD!  

God is a never-failing and eternal source.  He avails today as He did then for all who seek His comfort.  God is our refuge, an ever-present help in time of trouble!

APPLICATION:   It may be trouble that causes me to turn to God.  He may be my last ray of hope.  So, in my desperation I call upon Him and find Him to be strength and consolation. 

No, He does not give me strength; He becomes my strength; He is my strength; It is His presence!   He does not give me strength so that I can take it and run away on my own…NO, He becomes my strength!!!  I have strength in His presence! 

PRAYER:   Lord, I am finding that YOU are all I need!  In my relationship with you I have peace and joy.  I have the satisfaction of your approval as we walk through life together.  Surely, we are in this together!   Amen

Pastor Leon
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HIS Yoke!

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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
April 24, 2025: SOAP #5621:  1Samuel 28,29; Psalm 109; Matthew 11

SCRIPTURE:  Matthew (NIV) 11:28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

OBSERVATION:   There are so many good thoughts flowing from this passage.  Here is one I have not used before.  The nature of Jesus words are not given as a command, but as an invitation. 

The farmer would place two oxen in the yoke then lead them off to work in the field.  In this passage, Jesus is not putting the yoke on me; He is inviting me to take the yoke…to take His yoke!  

APPLICATION:   To take His yoke, I may need to shed other yokes that I have walked into, or others have placed on me.  If the yoke I am in is causing me to be weary and burdened, I need to ask, “Lord is this the ministry you have for me?”  The Lord’s yoke is for us should be a place of rest!  

Sometimes I am in the right yoke but pulling ahead of the Lord.  I feel like the whole ministry is depending on me.  I must learn to stay in step with the Lord, for only then will the yoke be easy and the pull light. 

Instead of working hard on my vision which I am doing for the Lord, I need to be working on HIS vision which I am doing WITH the Lord!  

PRAYER:   Lord, your call was not for Leon to work hard to see how successful Leon could be in working for you.  Your call was for Leon to join in what You are already doing.  I want to work in your yoke and keep in step with you.  Amen

Pastor Leon
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My Honor, Privilege, and Joy

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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
April 23, 2025: SOAP #5620:  1Samuel 27; 1Chronicles 9; Psalm 141; Matthew 10

SCRIPTURE:   Matthew (NIV) 10:40 “He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the one who sent me. 41 Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and anyone who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man’s reward. 42 And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward.”

OBSERVATION:   Jesus takes personally how others treat us!  We are His children; we identify with Him.  He is our Lord; He identifies with us. 

For several years in the US Navy, I served on a Commodore’s staff.  When sent by the Commodore to inspect a ship, the Commodore was very interested in how I was received.  When we were not welcome, we did not complain, nor did we try to prove why we should be given permission to inspect the ship.  We merely reported back to the Commodore!  He made the phone call.  He had the ship’s captain come to his office.  He spoke to the captain.  The captain returned to the ship, gave us a call and welcomed us to his ship.  The Commodore took it personally!   Jesus takes it personally!

The Commodore had invested his authority in me; but Jesus has invested His LIFE in me!   If the Commodore took people’s reaction to me personally, how much more would Jesus take personally how people treat me!!!  

APPLICATION:   The Commodore sent me to his ships, but he never accompanied me.  But what a difference with Jesus!   He not only sends me, but He accompanies me!   What people do to me, they do to HIM!  No wonder He takes it personally!  

Knowing that Jesus is with me gives me courage to step out and do what I believe He is leading me to do.  His presence helps me overcome any fear that the enemy tries to put in my heart.  It is such a privilege to represent the omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent Creator of all things. 

PRAYER:   Lord, it is an honor to know that the King of Glory uses me for His purpose.  Be it something great, or something very small, it is my joy to serve you.  Amen

Pastor Leon
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Focusing on Staying Close

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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
April 22, 2025: SOAP #5619:  1Samuel 25,26; Psalm 63; Matthew 9

SCRIPTURE:  Psalm (NIV) 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.  8  My soul clings to you, your right hand upholds me.
Psalm 63:8 (KJV) My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.

OBSERVATION:   Verse 8 brings to mind the toddler just learning to walk.  He stays close to mom.  He clings to her clothes.  Where she goes, he goes.  He is alarmed when he cannot see her.  He is under mom’s feet and she almost stumbles over him.   He is following hard after his mother.  It is his work to stay close.   

APPLICATION:   That is the way I should be with God.  I should cling to Him.  I should follow hard after Him.  In His presence I have protection, provision, and fellowship.    

(This should not be too hard for me to do, seeing that He lives in my heart.  I cannot get any closer than that!  But the way to stay close is to keep Him active in my thoughts.  Thoughts of Him should be a part every consideration.  What are His thoughts about each decision and choice I make.  In my mind and heart I can always have a continuing conversation.)

PRAYER:   Heavenly Father, I want to stay close, where I can enjoy your presence.  I want to be close enough where it is easy for you to speak to me.  May I never grow so big and strong that I think I can make it on my own.  May you always know where I am—right next to you!    Amen

Pastor Leon
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