Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
September 01, 2026: SOAP #6115: Ezekiel 15, 16; Psalm 70; Revelation 6

SCRIPTURE:  Revelation 6:14 The sky receded like a scroll, rolling up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.
15 Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and every free man hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains.
16 They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb!
17 For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”

OBSERVATION:  The Bible which reveals so much about God’s great love and amazing grace also has a lot to say about His wrath.   The personal characteristics that give rise to love also give rise to anger.  A loving mother can get extremely angry when someone or something attacks the child she loves. 

God is love.  Before God ever created a man to love, there was love in the Trinity.  God the Father loves His Son, Jesus.  God the Son loves His Father.  The Father loved the Son and wanted a whole family of sons like Jesus.  God the Son loved the Father and was willing to make the ultimate sacrifice to bring the man He had created into a loving relationship.  So, when man fully rejects Jesus, God the Father gets mad.  And when man fully rejects God the Father, Jesus gets angry! 

Hebrews 10:31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

APPLICATION: If I only know God’s love, I can come to use Him for my purposes.  When I recognize His anger, I respect Him.  He is worthy of my love and my respect because God does not stop being holy to be loving. 

PRAYER:  Lord, I know your anger is held in by your holiness and righteousness.  You will never be angry without proper cause.  I want to live to bring you joy.  Amen. 

Pastor Leon
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
August 31, 2026: SOAP #6114: Ezekiel 12-14; Revelation 5

SCRIPTURE:  Revelation (NIV) 5:1 Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. 2 And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” 3 But no-one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. 4 I wept and wept because no-one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside.

OBSERVATION:  The scroll needing to be opened was in the hand of the one sitting on the throne.  If anyone could open it, the omnipotent, omniscient could open it.  Bu, no he could not.  He was not legally qualified.  Everything in heaven must be holy, perfectly clean. 

SCRIPTURE:  Revelation (NIV) 5: 5  Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”

OBSERVATION:  The scroll of judgment could only be opened by one who had fully endured the temptations to sin yet had resisted.  And only one meeting those qualifications was available:  JESUS!  He had endured every temptation to sin, even unto death, but did not sin!  

APPLICATION: Jesus is the only name under heaven, given among men, by which we can be saved!  He is the only one who has paid the price for our sins!  (Acts 4:12; 1Timothy 2:5)  Those who are still carrying the weight of their sin should hurry to receive the forgiveness He has purchased by His death.  Those who have received His forgiveness and made Him their Lord can walk in the love and freedom He provides. 

PRAYER:  Lord, forgive the sins of everyone who confesses that they are a sinner and surrenders their heart and life to you.  Fill their lives with peace and joy.  And Lord, for all who have already received your forgiveness and made you the Lord of their lives, may they receive the joy and confidence that you will lead them every day for their good and your glory.  Amen 

Pastor Leon
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
August 30, 2026: SOAP #6113: Ezekiel 8-11; Revelation 4

SCRIPTURE:  Revelation (NIV) 4:8  Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings. Day and night they never stop saying: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.”
9 Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: 11 “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”

OBSERVATION:  In the revelation given to him, John is invited into the throne room of heaven.  It is grand beyond description.  Everything there focuses on the throne. The One seated there is the center of all attention.  He is before all things, and He created all things. 

Obviously, if He was before all things and He created all things, then all things were created for His purpose.  (John 1:1-3; Colossians 1:15-17)

APPLICATION: When this life is over, we will be judged according to the perfect life of Jesus living within us.  His death will be the payment for our sins.  We will be rewarded for the service we have done for the kingdom of God. 

For our entrance into heaven, we will be judged according to the life of Jesus.  Once there, we will be rewarded for our deeds of loving service.  God is our faithful Judge; He will be faithful to judge that Jesus’ blood is sufficient to caver the cost of our sins; and He will be faithful to reward each one for their acts of obedience and service. 

PRAYER:  

Pastor Leon
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
August 28, 2026: SOAP #6112: Ezekiel 1-3; Revelation 2

SCRIPTURE:  Revelation (NIV) 2:7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. (Note verses 11, 17, and 29) 

OBSERVATION:  In the first chapter of the first book in the Bible, we see that God speaks.  It is one of the first things we learn about God as we search the scriptures.  Continuing on in the Old Testament we can read pages and pages of God speaking.  John introduces Jesus as the Word.  God is a talker.  Surely He created us with two ears so we could be sure to hear what He had to say. 

And, as we come to the last book in the Bible, we see that God is still speaking.  He is not speaking into the wind but speaks to His people.  He wants them to hear and understand.  

APPLICATION: God has spoken in many ways, but most clearly through His Son, Jesus.  (Hebrews 1:1-2) And, after the resurrection and Jesus’ return into the heavens, God continued to speak.  He spoke through the written gospels and letters sent to the churches. 

God speaking is the main emphasis in the passage above, but just as important is the part about us hearing.  We only get the benefit of God speaking if, and when, we listen.  We must focus our attention and listen to what God is speaking to us.  The presence of the Holy Spirit in our heart will draw our attention to where God is saying something for our benefit.  We must not let the world distract us from what God is saying.   

PRAYER:  Heavenly Father, surely the most important use for our two ears, is to listen to what you are saying.  Thank you for the Holy Spirit who helps focus my attention on what you are saying to me.  May I be so grateful that the God of the universe speaks to me that I am careful to listen and quick to obey.  Amen

Pastor Leon
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
August 25, 2026: SOAP #6108: Jeremiah 37-39; Psalm 79; 2John

SCRIPTURE:  3John (NIV) 3 It gave me great joy to have some brothers come and tell about your faithfulness to the truth and how you continue to walk in the truth. 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

OBSERVATION:  There are many joys in being a Christian.  There is the joy of our sins being forgiven.  There is the joy of the Holy Spirit dwelling in our hearts. 

Some joys are temporary, only lasting a few moments.  But other joys last a lifetime!  One of the greatest joys is to know our children, our family is “walking in the truth” knowing Jesus as their Lord and Savior. 

John had known Jesus, had spent time with Jesus, had been chosen and appointed as a disciple of Jesus.  He was writing to his spiritual children, those who had come to serve Jesus through John’s ministry.  He rejoiced that they were continuing “walking in truth.” 

APPLICATION: We can all rejoice in that many new believers in Guinea-Conakry will be following the commands of Jesus to be baptized in the next few weeks.  Preparations are now being made. 

If you have not been baptized, the Holy Spirit may use this SOAP to stir that desire to follow Jesus’ command. 

PRAYER:  Lord, we pray that there will be a mighty expression of your presence as these new believers follow your command (Matthew 28:19).  Save those who wonder by.  Heal those who are sick.  Be glorified among your people.  Give wisdom to those making preparation for such a large celebration of baptism.  Amen

Pastor Leon
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
August 25, 2026: SOAP #6108: Jeremiah 37-39; Psalm 79; 2John

SCRIPTURE:  2John (NIV) verses 5  And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another. 6 And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.

OBSERVATION:  John is not giving them something new.  He is just repeating what he had heard Jesus say.  Jesus’ command is that we “walk in love.”   So, when we “walk in love” we are walking in obedience to Jesus. 

In the Old Testament the command was to love others as we love ourselves, but Jesus tells us to love one another as He loves us! 

In his gospel, John quoted Jesus, John 13:34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35  By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

APPLICATION: A common characteristic of Christians should be that they love each other.  Our love for each other should be visible; others will recognize us as a Christ-follower by the way we love. 

PRAYER:  Lord, you lift us to a new height of love.  You set yourself as our example of how to love one another.  Lord, you know that this is difficult for us to do, so we really need You to live in us and love your way through us.  Lord, we are thankful that living in us was your plan all along!  Just be yourself living in us, we pray.  Amen

Pastor Leon
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
August 24, 2026: SOAP #6107: Jeremiah 33-34; Psalm 74; 1John 5

SCRIPTURE:  1John (NIV) 5:10 Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. 11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.

OBSERVATION:  When God touches our lives, it is impossible that we do not know that something happened.  We may not understand what, but definitely, something has changed!  When we confess that we have sinned and ask forgiveness from our Lord, and then He forgives us, we often have a sense of a burden being lifted.  The joy that He puts in our heart when He comes to live in us, is so great that others notice the difference. 

Yes, we have a “know-so” salvation. 

APPLICATION: It is impossible not to feel the presence of Almighty God in our hearts!  The joy of His Presence should be noticeable by those around us. 

PRAYER:  Lord, thank you for the joy of my salvation.  Thank you for the joy of having you live in me.  May those that know me want the joy and peace you have given me in their lives also.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!   
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
August 23, 2026: SOAP #6106: Jeremiah 31-32; 1John 4

SCRIPTURE:  1John (NIV) 4:1 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.

OBSERVATION:  John was writing a letter to the church, the gathering of believers.  They did not have Bibles and the few parts of the Old Testament were in the synagogue.  John could not tell them to read the gospels about Jesus.  They had not yet been written. 

So, he gave them a good way to test the spirits and prophets.  What do the prophets say and teach about Jesus!  Some would say that Jesus is just a man.  Others would say that He is just a Spirit-man.  But the truth is that Jesus is God and is man.  That Jesus was born of a woman, Mary, he is fully man.  That Mary was impregnated by the Spirit, He is fully God.  He was born without sin and had no sin for which he must die, so he could then die in payment for our sins.  By resisting every temptation placed before Him, He defeated sin in His death.  He defeated death in His resurrection!  After completing His assignment, He returned to His Father and now awaits our arrival. 

APPLICATION: Jesus is my example.  But He is even more.  He sent the Holy Spirit to live in me and help me live a life pleasing to God.  I must follow the teaching of Jesus in the scriptures and listen to the Holy Spirit apply truth to my life. 

PRAYER:  Lord, thank you for coming to earth at great cost to yourself but for great benefit for me.  Holy Spirit, Show me, speak to me, help me live a life that honors Jesus.  Make my life a testimony to others,  Amen

Pastor Leon
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