Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
July 05, 2022: SOAP #4597: Hosea 2-5; Hebrews 2

SCRIPTURE: Hebrews (NIV) 2:10 In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering. 11 Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So, Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers. 12 He says, “I will declare your name to my brothers; in the presence of the congregation, I will sing your praises.”

OBSERVATION:  Considering that Jesus left His perfect heavenly home to be born as a child to grow into manhood then to be crucified…it is difficult to comprehend the full extent of His love for us.  And then we read verse eleven!  The One who made us holy—that’s Jesus, and the ones who are made holy—that’s us/that’s me, we are the same family!!!  Jesus calls me “brother!” 

Jesus said we must be “born again.”  We have been born into a new family.  Jesus is my brother!  

APPLICATION: God is my Father; Jesus is my brother; Heaven is my home.  The Holy Spirit is my constant companion, enabler, and teacher.  What do I have on earth that compares to what is prepared for me in heaven?  If I had to give up everything, it would be small in comparison to what Jesus gave up to come and be the sacrifice I needed. 

NOTE:  As I write this, the citizens of the USA, are celebrating our Independence.  Fireworks are going off continually.  Arial bursts light up the evening sky.  We celebrate a government “of the people, by the people and for the people.”  We celebrate a constitution that does not tell the people what they cannot do, but tells the government what it cannot do!  Indeed it is a good thing to celebrate, BUT NOT NEARLY AS IMPORTANT as being a part of the family of God!  What a God!  What a family!!!

PRAYER:  Heavenly Father, may every word I say and everything I do express my honor and joy in being a part of your great family.  Thank you for including me.  Amen

Pastor Leon
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
July 04, 2022: SOAP #4596: 2Kings 15-16; Hosea 1; Hebrews 1

SCRIPTURE: Hebrews (NIV) 1:4 So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.

OBSERVATION:  Both in being and in name, Jesus is far superior to angels.  We have not been given an angel’s name by which we can have access to heaven.  It is in Jesus name we pray.  Angels serve us in many ways, even more than we know, but it was Jesus who took our sins to the cross. 

God did not send a sinless angel; He sent His Son!  Jesus was not here on a fact-finding trip to report back to his Father about the status of sinful man.  Jesus did not return to heaven to give a report of the sinfulness of man on earth. 

Heaven already knew that every human was infected with sin.  Jesus did not come to investigate; Jesus did not come to find someone who could fix the sin problem; Jesus came to personally fix the problem. 

Jesus was superior to the angels in being as a creator is superior to his creation.  Then He humbled Himself, taking on the form and limitations of a sinless created man.  In living and dying and rising from the dead, Jesus proved he is superior to any angel.

APPLICATION: I have not been given the name of an angel in which to approach the throne; I have been given the name of Jesus!!!   (John 14:13-14)   This is an honor and responsibility. 

PRAYER:  Heavenly Father, I come in the name of your Son, Jesus.  I have come to see your will done in my life and on earth as it is in heaven.  Holy Spirit, teach me to use the name of Jesus in a way that honors Jesus. Amen

Pastor Leon
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
July 03, 2022: SOAP #4595: Isaiah 6-7; 2Chronicles 26-27; Philemon

SCRIPTURE:  Isaiah (NIV) 7:3 Then the LORD said to Isaiah, “Go out… to meet Ahaz [King of Judah]… 4 Say to him, ‘Be careful, keep calm and don’t be afraid. Do not lose heart…5 Aram, Ephraim and Remaliah’s son have plotted your ruin, saying, 6 “Let us invade Judah; let us tear it apart and divide it among ourselves, and make the son of Tabeel king over it.”
[That is what they were saying, BUT WHAT DOES GOD SAY?]
7 Yet this is what the Sovereign LORD says: “‘It will not take place, it will not happen,…9… If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.’”

OBSERVATION:  The kings of Ephriam, Israel and Aram had decided to invade Judah and divide it among their nations.  But what they were saying did not match what God was saying!   Isaiah was sent to tell Ahaz, Judah’s king, what God was saying!  King Ahaz’s faith must be placed in God’s word!  

APPLICATION: How do I know what God is saying to me?  God speaks to me through His Word, through anointed preaching, through teachers, and even through circumstances.  The Holy Spirit grabs my attention and causes me to focus on something I would normally have overlooked.  As it floats around in my thoughts, the Holy Spirit mixes in other thoughts and I quickly realize that God is speaking to Leon.  He wants me to pay attention to what I am seeing, hearing, and/or thinking.  Often the Holy Spirit brings a passage from the Bible to my mind that confirms and supports what I hear Him saying to me.  Many times it is confirmation of something I have already been thinking. 

If I do not stand in faith in what God is saying to me, I too will fall.  It is a learning process.  I learn from the blessing of God when I step out in faith and do what God says.  I also learn from the regret I have when I do not do what He was directing. 

PRAYER:   Heavenly Father, I know you are a living, speaking God.  I know that you talk to people.  You want to hear us, and you want us to hear you.  I move in faith that you will say something to me today. Amen

Pastor Leon
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
July 02, 2022: SOAP #4594: Isaiah 4-5; Psalm 115-116; Jude

SCRIPTURE: Jude (NIV) 18 They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” 19 These are the men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.
20 But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. 21 Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.

OBSERVATION:  In his short letter of warning about various false teachers, Jude ends with some specific things that believers should do.  I doubt if any homes during Jude’s day had a written portion of any scriptures, Old or New Testament. They would only have what they remembered from the sermon at the last gathering. So, their relationship with the indwelling Holy Spirit was a priority.  They needed His inner guidance. 

They could keep an up-to-date relationship with the Holy Spirit by praying in the Spirit. The Holy Spirit would guide their prayers.  The gentle Holy Spirit would be at peace in their hearts as they lived within his direction.  But when they moved into danger, their hearts would be troubled. (Matthew 3:16 and Ephesians 4:30)

APPLICATION: If I want to please my Lord, I must learn how the Holy Spirit speaks to me.  I must recognize His approval or disapproval.  Praying in the Spirit helps me develop a keen sensitivity to the Holy Spirit.

PRAYER:  Heavenly Father, I thank you for the written scriptures that you have made available for me.  But even more, I thank you for the Living Spirit, the author of those scriptures, who dwells inside me.  Amen

Pastor Leon
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
July 01, 2022: SOAP #4593: Isaiah 1-3; Titus 3

SCRIPTURE: Titus (NIV) 3:14 Our people must learn to devote themselves to doing what is good, in order that they may provide for daily necessities and not live unproductive lives. 15 Everyone with me sends you greetings. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be with you all.

OBSERVATION:  Titus had been left behind in Crete to bring order to the new church by recognizing the leaders and giving them responsibility. Paul’s letter was giving Titus instruction. As he closes, Paul gives a short overview of what church people should be like: (1) dedicated to doing good, (2) providing for their own daily needs, and (3) not time wasters/good workers.

Obviously not everyone who starts attending church will be mature in their thinking about life.  They need to learn about being responsible.  But before they can be expected to learn, the church leaders must have a mental picture of how Christians should behave and act.  Paul was making certain that Titus had such a picture.  And the Holy Spirit stops me at this verse to make sure that I get the same picture!  

APPLICATION: Under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, church leaders should teach Bible concepts about living and serving.  And they should also set a good example.  The presence of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the believers will apply the word that is taught and will help them grow in these areas, doing good, providing for family, and being a good worker.  Their lives will become a witness to people living around them and working with them.  The church will have a good reputation in their community. 

(As this works within a church, it should also work in a family.) 

PRAYER:  Holy Spirit, help me communicate your word and to live my life as an example of commitment and diligence.  Amen

Pastor Leon
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
June 30, 2022: SOAP #4592: Amos 7-9; Psalm 104; Titus 2

SCRIPTURE: Titus (NIV) 2:1 You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine. 2 Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance. …
10 and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive.

OBSERVATION:  Also, to older women, younger women, younger men, servants — Paul writes how to behave.  He starts this section stating that these things they are to teach according to “sound doctrine.”  In the middle of this section Paul tells us that we are to act properly “so that no one will malign the word of God.”  The last verse of this section (verse 10) shows that our actions are to make the doctrine of God our Savior look good, make it “attractive.”

APPLICATION: What good is my doctrine if it does not affect my actions, my attitudes, my reliability, my work, my life?  Why should anyone be interested in what I believe if the way I talk and act shows that my faith is not important, or strong enough to affect the way I live? 

What they SEE in me should help them to have faith in Jesus, whom they cannot see!  Jesus wants them to see His life in me. He wants to be seen living in me.  His life is designed to be visible in me. 

PRAYER:  Holy Spirit, help me make my life a good display of the life of Jesus in me.  Amen

Pastor Leon
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
June 29, 2022: SOAP #4591: Amos 4-6; Psalm 86,87; Titus 1

SCRIPTURE: Amos (NIV) 5:14 Seek good, not evil, that you may live. Then the LORD God Almighty will be with you, just as you say he is.
Titus 1:16 (NIV) They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient, and unfit for doing anything good.

OBSERVATION:  What God spoke through Amos to Israel is the same thing God spoke though Paul to Titus 800 years later.  And it is appropriate for today in 2020.  People claim with their words to know God, but their actions prove they only know about God!  They may have said a prayer inviting Jesus to be the Lord of their life, but their actions show that He is not Lord now! 

APPLICATION:  People cannot see my heart; they can only hear what I say and see what I do.  At first, they will generally believe what I say.  Then my actions will either prove or deny my words.  After getting to know me, they will believe my actions.  I want them to see the same thing they heard.  I want my words and actions to reveal a heart that truly loves God.

PRAYER:  Lord, my actions throughout the day are as important to you as the prayers I pray.  When I call you Lord in prayer, help me to live like that is true all day long.  Amen.

Pastor Leon
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
June 28, 2022: SOAP #4590: Amos 1-3, Psalm 80; 2Timothy 4

SCRIPTURE: 2Timothy (NIV) 4:6 For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

OBSERVATION:  In verse 6, Paul writes about his present life.  He is at the end of his ministry.  He is at the point of departure.  In verse 7, Paul writes of his past life as a believer.  It was a struggle, but he faithfully fought for the Lord.  It was a race, but he did not slow down; he kept running.  And he had remained faithful and true to Jesus.  In verse 8, Paul writes about his future life.  He is anticipating personally receiving God’s approval and reward!  

To Paul, the future was just as real as the past he had lived and the present he was living!  The past and the present set the tone for the future.  He had been faithful; he was faithful; and he knew God would be faithful!

APPLICATION: My life began at conception.  Birth did not change who I am, it only gave more opportunity to develop and express who I am.  For the past 74 years, the life that started in the womb has been learning to live out the purpose God set for me.  What started with my parents teaching me to pray, then progressed to the church nursery, then to children’s church and Sunday School classes, then to youth Bible studies, then to Bible college then to the US Navy, then to pastoring, has now progressed to retirement and to writing SOAPs!   Soon that same life will progress to and through death’s door to enjoy the fullness of my heavenly life!  “What a day that will be!”  My future is just as real as my past. 

The same is true for every SOAP reader! 

PRAYER:  Heavenly Father, thank you for allowing me to share in this life.  Thank you for a heavenly home being prepared for me.  Thank you for the Holy Spirit who helps me prepare in this life for the future.  Amen

Pastor Leon
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
June 27, 2022: SOAP #4589: 2Kings 13,14; 2Chronicles 25; 2Timothy 3

SCRIPTURE: 2Kings (NIV) 13:22 Hazael king of Aram oppressed Israel throughout the reign of Jehoahaz. 23 But the LORD was gracious to them and had compassion and showed concern for them because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. To this day he has been unwilling to destroy them or banish them from his presence.

OBSERVATION:  This verse reveals the faithfulness of God!  He had made a covenant with Abraham around 2000BC.  (very rough estimate!)  God remembered His covenant with Abraham in the days of King Jehoahaz 800BC. (not quite so rough estimate)  1200 years later Abraham was off the scene, but God was still on the scene, and still remembering His covenant!   What a God!   

Now it is 2200AD!  (exact date!)  It is 4200 years later.  Abraham is off the scene.  King Jehoahaz is off the scent.  But God is still on the scene.  The land of the covenant now holds the nation of Israel!  What a testimony of God’s faithfulness!

APPLICATION:  I can count on God to keep His promises!   HE is the original PROMISE KEEPER!  The better I know God’s Word, the Bible, the better I will know and understand His promises.  His promises are expressions of His character.  So the better I know HIM, the better I will have faith in His promises. 

PRAYER:  Heavenly Father, to know you is so much better than just knowing about you.  But the longer I know you, the more I learn about you!  You continue to amaze me as you reveal yourself in your word.  Amen

Pastor Leon
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
June 26, 2022: SOAP #4588: Jonah 1-4; 2Timothy 2

SCRIPTURE: 2Timothy (NIV) 2:15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

OBSERVATION:  Paul is writing to his son in the faith.  He obviously loves Timothy and is training Timothy to be a capable and well-respected leader in the church.  In this chapter Paul gives some thing not to do, and some things to do.  In this verse, Paul is setting a goal: “Timothy, do your best, or make every effort, or do not let anything stand in your way…It is God’s approval you need.  If you teach, and present, and interpret the Word of God correctly you will not be ashamed in God’s presence.”

APPLICATION: This verse is specifically for Leon.  The SOAP ministry is God’s assignment and has become a major part of every day.  The SOAP ministry is built around the Word of God.  I must be faithful to correctly handle the Scriptures.  Thankfully, the Holy Spirit is always with me to teach me, to correct me, to keep me focused on the truth.  He guides me in applying the word to my life. 

This verse is specifically for every pastor, every teacher, every parent, and everyone who has a leadership role in the lives of others.  We all must “correctly handle the word of truth!”  Then, when we stand before our Lord, we will hear his words, “Well done!”

PRAYER:  Holy Spirit, You are the One who enlightens our minds and hearts with truth.  We depend on you as the disciples depended on Jesus. May our hearts be sensitive to you. Amen

Pastor Leon
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