Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
August 22, 2026: SOAP #6105: Jeremiah 28-30; 1John 3

SCRIPTURE:  1John (NIV) 3:1 How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3 Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.

OBSERVATION:  In His great love, our Heavenly Father has called us His children.  “And that is what we are!”  That is reality.  We are God’s children. 

Yes, He is our creator.  And being the creator, He knows the purpose for which we were made.  And knowing the purpose, He is best suited to be the law giver.  He is God-Almighty!  He is wisdom and full understanding all wrapped into one,

Yet the disciple whom Jesus loved wrote in his gospel “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life!” (John 3:16)  And here he calls Him “Father,” and writes that the Father has “lavished” His love on us!  His extravagant love is seen in that He has called children that had wondered entangled in sin but were now redeemed by the blood of His Son, Jesus—He calls us “children of God!”  

APPLICATION: Through the regeneration of being born again, we are children of God!  We are related in Christ Jesus.  In us dwells a life that is created by God and born-again as children of God!  We are brothers and sisters!  We share the same life source.  We share the same promises of eternity! 

PRAYER:  Lord, what a great family you have, on every continent and in every nation.  May our love for You and for each other cause you much joy and bring you much honor.   Amen 

Pastor Leon
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
August 21, 2026: SOAP #6104: Jeremiah 21, 24, 27; Psalm 118; 1John 2

SCRIPTURE:  1John (NIV) 2:1 My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.
2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

OBSERVATION:  When we receive Jesus into our hearts and He forgives ALL our sins, it is natural that we would want to please Him.  We want to live a life that honors Him.  We do not want to sin.  But everyone who has been born-again for a week, or a month, knows that sin has a strong hold in our lives.  Habits may be hard to break.  Friends have a strong influence to do what we know is wrong. 

How grateful we should be that we have a wonderful Friend who has taken up residence in us—the Holy Spirit!  When we do things that are contrary to God’s desire, we lose our inner peace and have a guilty sense.  We all need to learn how the Holy Spirit speaks to us.  And we need to quickly respond. 

APPLICATION:  How thankful we should be that the same sacrifice that paid for our past sins, also pays for any sins we commit after becoming a believer.  Once we are born into the family of God, Jesus represents us before His Father in heaven.  As we confess our sins, His blood continues to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1John 1:9) and Jesus continues to be our defense counsel before the throne of heaven. 

PRAYER:  Lord, how thankful I am that you forgave my sins when I first accepted you as my Lord and Savior.  What a change you made in my life!   But I am also thankful that you have continued to hear my confessions and continued to forgive me.  I am thankful for your Holy Spirit who lives in my heart and brings conviction when I sin.  Thank you for the confidence you give that I am forgiven.  Amen

Pastor Leon
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
August 20, 2026: SOAP #6103: Jeremiah 48-49; Psalm 67; 1John 1

SCRIPTURE:  1 John (NIV) 1:6 If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

OBSERVATION:  Four verses all beginning with the big word “if.”  They acknowledge choices that we have: 
Verses 6 and 8:  These “ifs” have negative results.  If we claim one thing yet live another we lie.  If we claim to be sinless, we deceive ourselves. 
Verses 7 and 9:  These “ifs” have desirable results.  Walking in the light brings fellowship with others and cleanness of heart.  Confessing our sins brings forgiveness and purity. 

The choices of the Lord are clear and understandable.  He does not give me a choice between two closed hands and then berates me for making a wrong choice.  But He extends open hands, palms up, so that I can readily see the choice before me.

APPLICATION: When I come to a place of choice, I have usually found one of three general scenarios: 
First:  Examining the choice, I may find I already know which choice He would make.  The better I know Him the better I know what He would do. 
Second:  I may find that he has made or shortly will make His will clear through a scripture or input from another source. 
Third:  I may see that it is not a right or wrong choice, so I pray and do what I think would best please Him. 

Everything I know about the Lord convinces me that doing His will and making choices that please Him will always work for my good. 

PRAYER:  Lord, choices are the way I show my love for you.  And choices are the way I can demonstrate my love for you to others.  May even the smallest choices, that no one sees but you, show you my love for you.  Amen 

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!   
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
August 19, 2026: SOAP #6102: Jeremiah 45-47; Psalm 105; John 21

SCRIPTURE:  John (NIV) 21:25 Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.

OBSERVATION:  As John came to the final sentence of the final chapter of his biographical presentation of Jesus, he looks back at the life of Jesus and what he has written.  He realizes that he has left out more than he has included.  It would have been impossible for one man to write everything that Jesus had accomplished in coming to earth. 

I believe the ones who send me reports of what God is doing in West Africa would have a similar thing to say.  It is just impossible to include everything God is doing.  They just do not have enough time to write about all the miracles. 

APPLICATION: When I pause to consider all that God has done for me, I have to acknowledge that God has done more for me than I can even recall.  If I started a list, it would never be finished.  Every morning another thing would come to mind that I should include on the list. 

Starting with His presence now living in me…the peace He has given me…the joy…purpose…future here on earth…promised future in heaven… healing … provision…promises…etc.  There is no end to what Jesus has done and is doing for me!  

PRAYER:  Lord, after all you have done for me…after all you have promised me, how could I ever complain.  May my mouth be filled with your praise all day long.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!   
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
August 17, 2026: SOAP #6100: Jeremiah 23, 25; John 19

SCRIPTURE:  John (NIV) 19:33  But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34 Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. 35 The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe. 36 These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken,” 37 and, as another scripture says, “They will look on the one they have pierced.” Exodus 12:46; Psalm 34:20; Zechariah 12:10

OBSERVATION:  The Old Testament prophecies about the sacrificial death of Jesus were fulfilled while He was dead.  He had no power to affect these prophecies, yet they were fulfilled by others.  Many prophecies were fulfilled in the life and death of Jesus.  They serve as proof that Jesus did indeed come from the Father and that He was who He claimed to be. 

These two prophecies (no broken bones in contrast to the Roman custom, and the piercing of his body to allow blood and water to gush out), these two stand out to me as they were fulfilled when Jesus had no power to bring about their fulfillment.  He had no part in their completion. 

APPLICATION: I have confidence that Jesus accomplished the full payment for sin on the cross.  The knowledge that Jesus is the Son of God, and that His death is accepted as payment for my sin brings me much peace and comfort. 

PRAYER:  Lord, I thank you for dying on the cross as the payment for sin.  I thank you for your willingness to forgive my sins.  I thank you for joining me and living in my body.  Thank you for sharing my life with me.  Most of all, thank you for sharing Your Life with me.  Amen

Pastor Leon
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
August 14, 2026: SOAP #6098: Jeremiah 16-17; Psalm 96; John 16

(I am repeating this devotion from last year.  We have about 200,000 new believers who receive the SOAPs; many who do not have a Bible. It is important that they learn how the Holy Spirit speaks to them.)

SCRIPTURE:  John (NIV) 16:7 But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counsellor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you….
13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you.

OBSERVATION:   Jesus was preparing the disciples for His departure.  After His crucifixion and resurrection, He only remained on earth for 40 days, and then returned to heaven.  He told them that it was good for them that He was going!  That must have been hard for them to accept, but He told them why it would be good for them.  When He left, the Holy Spirit would be sent to them. 

It would be good for them because God the Holy Spirit would not have the limitations that God the Son had to accept in order to be crucified for our sins.  The Holy Spirit would not be limited by a physical body.  He would remain omnipresent and could be with each disciple 24 hours every day! 

They would not have to wait until Jesus arrived, or go find his location, the Holy Spirit would make each believer’s heart His home!   Through the ministry and presence of the Holy Spirit, Jesus is always with us! 

APPLICATION:   When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit comes to live in our hearts.  Jesus spoke of Him as “another counsellor.”  (John 14:16)  Jesus was leaving, but He was not going to leave the disciples without someone like Himself to walk with them through this world.  He had been with them when they were together, but the Holy Spirit would be IN them!   Really, this was so much better. 

PRAYER:   Holy Spirit, I need you to guide my thoughts as I write these SOAPs.  And I pray for each reader.  Speak to them so that they learn to hear your voice in their heart and mind.  Reveal truth to them so that they may grow stronger each day.   Amen

Pastor Leon

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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
August 13, 2026: SOAP #6097: Jeremiah 13-15; John 15

SCRIPTURE:  John (NIV) 15:9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no-one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command.

OBSERVATION:  Who can understand the love of God!  God the Father so loved the world that He gave His only Son!   God the Father so loved His Son that He sent Him to win a family of sons in His Beloved Son’s image.

Amazing!  And here the Son says that He loves us the same way His Father loves Him!   Not only are we loved by the Father, we are also loved by the Son!

In response to being loved, we love.  And we always desire to bring joy to the one we love.  It becomes our goal. 

APPLICATION: And because we love Him, doing His will becomes the source of our joy!

Our goal:  to make Jesus smile! 

PRAYER:  Holy Spirit, you know the Father so much better than I do and have known Him so much longer than I have.  Please help me bring joy to the Father’s heart.  Show me what I can do that will not only please Him but also bring Him much joy.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!   
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