Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
May 20, 2023: SOAP #4916: 1Kings 6; 2Chronicles 3; Psalm 97; Romans 1

SCRIPTURE:  Romans (NIV) 1:1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God…
5 Through him and for his name’s sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith.
6 And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.

OBSERVATION:  Paul was purposefully chosen and placed in his ministry to the church.  It was through God’s working in Paul’s life and for the sake of glorifying the name of Jesus that Paul was so placed in the body of Christ.  The calling to be an apostle was not of Paul’s workings but an expression of the grace of God.  It was an undeserved act of God in calling and using Paul.

Verse 6 tells us that not only Paul had been purposefully placed in the body of Christ, but those to whom he was writing had also been called to belong to Jesus!  They too were purposefully placed in the body of Christ!   

APPLICATION:  I too have been purposefully called and placed—to be a husband, a father, a pastor, a school bus driver, and a SOAP writer.  It is God’s grace and mercy in working through my strength and weaknesses, my successes and failures, for His glory. 

AND YOU TOO, dear SOAP reader.  You too are purposefully called to be—a ?spouse?, ?parent?, ?student?,  ???.  We have been purposefully called and placed.  Do not despise where you are!   We must let Jesus shine through us—let Jesus be Jesus in us!     

PRAYER:   Lord, your grace has been extended to each of us in allowing us to carry your Presence in whatever circumstances we are.  May those around us see you living in us and may they receive the “calling to the obedience that comes through faith.”  Amen

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

Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
May 19, 2023: SOAP #4915: 1Kings 4, 5; 2Chronicles 2; Psalm 101; 2Thessalonians 3

SCRIPTURE:  1Kings 4:29 God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore. 30 Solomon’s wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the men of the East, and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt.  31… And his fame spread to all the surrounding nations. 32 He spoke three thousand proverbs and his songs numbered a thousand and five. 33 He described plant life, from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of walls. He also taught about animals and birds, reptiles and fish. 34 Men of all nations came to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, sent by all the kings of the world, who had heard of his wisdom.

OBSERVATION:  In 2Chronicles 1:7-12 we read that God told Solomon to ask what he wanted God to give him.  Solomon asked for wisdom to be able to rule God’s people.  The verses above show how God abundantly answered that request!  

APPLICATION:  When our prayers line up with God’s will; when our prayers are to enable us to do His will more perfectly—then I believe God will answer abundantly.  

The truth is this: when we surrendered our will to Jesus and asked Him to forgive us and be the Lord of our lives—at that moment we received more than Solomon received.  He just received wisdom; we have received the source of all wisdom living in our hearts!   (Matthew 12:4; 1Corinthians 1:30)

PRAYER:   Heavenly Father, you blest Solomon with wisdom, but you blest me with your Son!   Help me appreciate what I have been given.   Holy Spirit, reveal the wisdom I need for today!  Amen;

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

Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
May 18, 2023: SOAP #4914: 1Kings 3; 2Chronicles 1; Psalm 78; 2Thessalonians 2

SCRIPTURE:  2Thessalonians (NIV) 2:10 …They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie 12 and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.

OBSERVATION:  What a sad condition man finds himself in when he refuses to believe the truth.  Not having a sure foundation for their belief system, they grope about for anything that they can claim as “their truth.”  Ignoring truth that has a solid foundation, they assert “their truth” which lacks a foundation of reality.  But it is not enough for them that others allow them display “their truth,” they soon want others to accept “their truth.”  And even more, they want others to join them in proclaiming “their truth.”  Soon they want everyone to celebrate “their truth.” 

One does not have to remember very far back when “their truth” is what was considered wickedness!  

APPLICATION:  There are many examples of this truth that can be seen on the television news.  People refusing to believe the truth supported by facts come up with their own explanations. 

But the most dangerous is when a person does not accept the truth about Jesus—that He died on the cross to pay the penalty for sin—that He will forgive those who ask and receive Him as Lord.  Soon they are believing that if they have more good than bad in their lives, they will be OK.  Soon they are believing that a loving God will not punish their sin.  Soon they are believing that they can live however they choose.  Soon they are believing that whatever feels good is acceptable.  Soon they are believing that the Bible is a book of myths.  Soon they are even believing there is no God. 

PRAYER:   Heavenly Father, in your kindness you gave us laws by which we should live.  In your kindness you sent your Son, Jesus, to be the sacrifice to pay for our sins.  In your kindness you sent the Holy Spirit to dwell in our lives and help us to live lives that please you.  I commit myself to live in your kindness.  Amen

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

Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
May 17, 2023: SOAP #4913: 1Kings 2: 1Chronicles 29; Psalm 95; 2Thessalonians 1

SCRIPTURE:  2Thessalonians (NIV) 1:11 With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfil every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith.  12 We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

OBSERVATION:  Thinking about the coming judgment, Paul is always praying for His spiritual children.  His desire is that they receive gracious rewards rather than just punishment on that day. 

Paul wants God to look at the Thessalonians and say, “I am glad I sent Jesus for them.”  He wants God to smile when He sees them on Judgment Day.

Paul wants them to live in such a way that God happily hears their prayers and joyfully answers, and is so doing, fulfils every one of God’s good purposes for them.

Paul wants their faith to be rewarded as they see their efforts succeed.  Of course, we are always called by God to do things that far exceed our abilities.  If we are to succeed, then God must use His power to bring them to fulfillment.

APPLICATION:  Here is a pattern prayer for me to pray for my family and friends.  It is a prayer that looks beyond present circumstances into eternity.  It is a prayer that God will be delighted to answer.   

PRAYER:   Holy Spirit, teach me to pray with eternity in view.  Help me break the habit of praying for earthly blessings and things desirable to make this life easier.  Teach me to pray with eternity in view.  Amen

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

Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
May 16, 2023: SOAP #4912: 1Kings 1: 1Chronicles 28; Psalm 91; 1Thessalonians 5

SCRIPTURE:  Psalm (NIV) 91:2 I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” …
9 If you make the Most High your dwelling—even the LORD, who is my refuge—10 then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent.

OBSERVATION:  The LORD does not recommend a good place to find shelter—He is my refuge!  The LORD does not tell me how to build a safe place—He is my safe place! 

Of course, a shelter is no good unless I am in it.  If I am out from my shelter, then I am in danger of the storm. To stay safe is to stay in the fortress. 

APPLICATION:  So, what am I to do?  I am to make the Most High my dwelling.  I am to make Him my permanent residence! 

It is not for me to convince Him to go with me and protect me; it is for me to go with Him and live under His protection.  As we mature in Jesus, our daily time is more than keeping Him informed of how we will be needing His help.  It will become more of our checking in to see how He would have us fit into His plans for the day. 

There are so many things we can be doing for the Lord but in making Him our dwelling place, we find that ONE thing that HE desires for us.  It is there we enjoy His presence, His provision, and His protection. 

PRAYER:   Lord, more than asking you to keep me safe and well supplied, I commit myself to dwell in your presence, your place of provision and protection.  May I learn to rest in you.   Amen

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

Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
May 15, 2023: SOAP #4911: 1Chronicles 25-27; 1Thessalonians 4

SCRIPTURE:  1Thessalonians (NIV) 4:7 For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.
1Thessalonians (Message) 4:7 God hasn’t invited us into a disorderly, unkempt life but into something holy and beautiful—as beautiful on the inside as the outside.

OBSERVATION:  Paul is telling people how to live in order to please God.  In verses 3-5, he tells us how we should treat our physical bodies.  Verse 6 expands the instructions to how we treat others. 

Verse 7 above summarizes those thoughts.  How we keep the inside of our life has a great effect on God—He has taken up residence in us!  As heaven is a holy place, God is working to make our lives holy.  God does not want us putting on an outward show for people to see on the outside yet being unconcerned about what HE sees on the inside!   

God desires that the outside of our lives reflect the inside.  As attitudes inside are cleaned up on the inside, the outside will take on a new appearance for the world to see. 

APPLICATION:  It is my desire to make God feel at home in my life.  It is my pleasure to have Him in me.  It should be His pleasure also. 

PRAYER:   Heavenly Father, what a privilege it is to have you living in me.  May you enjoy living in me.  And may my life be a demonstration to others of your loving presence.  Amen 

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

Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
May 14, 2023: SOAP #4910: 1Chronicles 22-24; 1Thessalonians 3

SCRIPTURE:  1Thessalonians (NIV) 3:5 For this reason, when I could stand it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith. I was afraid that in some way the tempter might have tempted you and our efforts might have been useless. 6 But Timothy has just now come to us from you and has brought good news about your faith and love. He has told us that you always have pleasant memories of us and that you long to see us, just as we also long to see you.

OBSERVATION:  The people in the church in Thessalonica were special to Paul.  He was aware that they were enduring persecution and was concerned that their faith was stronger than the persecution.  So, he sent Timothy on a personal journey.  Timothy had just returned with the good news that the people had remained faithful and that they remembered Paul.   Such news made Paul’s heart rejoice and he wrote this letter. 

APPLICATION:  Today Paul would have taken out his cell phone and given them a call.  Or he would have opened his computer and sent an email.  It is so much easier to keep in touch with those we love today. 

For those of us who have access to cell phones or email, we need to be faithful to follow through with concerns that the Holy Spirit brings to our heart for a brother or sister.  In a phone conversation, we not only have the privilege of praying FOR our friends; we can pray WITH them. 

For those who do not have access to a phone or to the internet, we still have access to the fastest and greatest communication system known to man.  In prayer we can bow before the throne of almighty God and make our concerns known.  There are times when the answers to our prayers are on their way even before we can put them into words!!   God knows our heart and why we are praying. 

PRAYER:   As Vestal Goodman often sang:  Oh Yes, the answers on the way, this I know. Jesus said it, I believe it, and it’s so. Our Heavenly Father knows our need before we pray.  And we can rest assured the answer’s on the way!   

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

Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
May 14, 2023: SOAP #4909: 2Samuel 24; 1Chronicles 21; Psalm 30; 1Thessalonians 2

SCRIPTURE:  2Samuel (NIV) 24:16 When the angel stretched out his hand to destroy Jerusalem, the LORD was grieved because of the calamity and said to the angel who was afflicting the people, “Enough! Withdraw your hand.” The angel of the LORD was then at the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite. … 18 On that day Gad went to David and said to him, “Go up and build an altar to the LORD on the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite.” 19 So David went up, as the LORD had commanded through Gad…. 25 David built an altar to the LORD there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then the LORD answered prayer on behalf of the land, and the plague on Israel was stopped.

OBSERVATION:  David had sinned.  He has specifically done what God had commanded not to be done.  He had numbered the fighting men.   Now God was bringing punishment on the whole nation.   God loved Israel.  He paused the punishment so that David could make a proper sacrifice.  After the sacrifice, “the plague on Israel was stopped.” 

APPLICATION:  Sometime back I asked the Lord what He was going to do about the 70+ million babies carrying the image of God that had been killed.  He clearly told me that he would be bringing in one illegal alien into our nation for every child that was missing.  God is true to His word!  Anyone who can see the evening USA news can see that God is at work.  Presently, tens of thousands every day are crossing our southern border. 

The United States needs a National Day of Repentance and recommitment to the Lord God who was clearly mentioned in most of our founding documents!   We have turned from God and are reaping the results. 

PRAYER:   Lord, as Nehemiah prayed (Nehemiah 1:5-11), I pray for the United States of America.  We have acted very wickedly toward you.  We have destroyed that which carries your image.  We have made the innocent pay for the sins of the guilty.  Forgive our sins and turn this present-day invasion into a present-day revival for your glory.   Amen

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

Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
May 12, 2023: SOAP #4908: 2Samuel 21-23; 1Thessalonians 1

SCRIPTURE:  1Thessalonians (NIV) 1:6 You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. 7 And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.
verse 1:2 We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers 3. We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

OBSERVATION:  How the good news of Jesus spreads!  -From Jesus to the disciples and Stephen.  -From Stephen to Paul.  -From Paul to those in Thessalonica.  -From those in Thessalonica to those in Macedonia and Achaia.

Paul’s heart was entwined with those in the Thessalonica church.  His heart rejoiced at their commitment.  And their hearts surely rejoiced that they were included in Paul’s prayers.  Paul had special memories of things about this church for which he gave thanks to God. 

APPLICATION:  Here is a good example of praying for other believers.  We can pray for what comes out of their faith, their love, and their hope.  We can pray for their accomplishments, their work, and their endurance. 

And we can rejoice when others see things in us for which they can pray! 

PRAYER:  Lord, what a special assignment we have—to pray for others.  And what a special privilege to be remembered before your throne in the prayers of others.  Bless those who support the SOAP ministries.  Bless those who work to translate, print, distribute, the SOAPs.  Bless Pastor Andrew and Bishop Emmanuel who are presently on a tour to install two laptops and two printers in six West African countries.  (Bissau, Ghana, Guinea, Togo, Nigeria, Senegal)  Thank you for the provision enabling this increase in the SOAP ministry.  Amen

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

Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
May 11, 2023: SOAP #4907: 2Samuel 19, 20; Psalm 55; Matthew 28

SCRIPTURE:  Matthew (NIV) 28:19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

OBSERVATION:  Here Jesus was giving His disciples the Great Commission.  It was their responsibility to carry on the ministry He had started.  They had been with Him from the beginning of His ministry.  He had even sent them out two by two in preparation for His ministry time coming to their area.  Jesus had taken them aside to teach and answer their questions. 

But Jesus was not depending on them to remember everything.  He was depending on His presence, His Holy Spirit! 

NOTE:  Jesus was not commanding them to be with Him; He was promising to be with them!!!  

Of course, they would be able to fulfill His command!  He was going to be with them!  Of course, they would not forget His words; He was going to be with them! 

APPLICATION:  Jesus is not depending on the strength of my hand to keep me close to Him.  Jesus is depending on the strength of HIS hand to keep me close!  

PRAYER:   Lord, I am depending on your promise to be with me “always, to the very end of the age.”  I too, am depending on your strength to keep me close.  I am depending on your presence to guide me in the way I should go.  Lord, I am depending on YOU!   Amen

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