Pastor Leon’s SOAP: Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer

August 28: Ezekiel 1-3; Revelation 2

Scripture: Ezekiel (NIV) 1:2 On the fifth of the month—it was the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin— 3 the word of the LORD came to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, by the Kebar River in the land of the Babylonians. There the hand of the LORD was upon him.

Observation: On a specific day of a specific month at a specific place God spoke to a specific priest named Ezekiel. The word was to Ezekiel, but not for Ezekiel. It was the word of the LORD given through Ezekiel. Ezekiel was one God could trust to hear His voice and faithfully pass it along. It was through Ezekiel to the nation of Judah—it was through Ezekiel to people who would live in the last days. It was through Ezekiel to people alive today!

Application: I want to be one God can trust to hear His voice and faithfully pass it along.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I pray that you find my ears open to your words today and my mouth faithful to pass along to others what you say to me. Use me to speak your words of encouragement or comfort to someone in need today. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

Pastor Leon’s SOAP: Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer

August 27: Jeremiah 52; Revelation 1; Psalm 143-144

Scripture: Psalm (NIV) 144:14 Our oxen will draw heavy loads. There will be no breaching of the walls, no going into captivity, no cry of distress in our streets.
15 Blessed are the people of whom this is true; blessed are the people whose God is the LORD.

Observation: In verses 12 the people are blest because of their sons and daughters. In verses 13 and 14 they are blest because their barns are full, their herds increased and their oxen are strong. In verse 15 the psalmist sums it all up with one final statement: they are blest because none other than God is their LORD!

Application: Of all the blessings that have come into my life, the bottom line is that God is my LORD! There can be no greater blessing than this!

Prayer: Lord, how blest I am to belong to you. How blest I am to be your servant. My life is yours. Use me as you desire. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

Pastor Leon’s SOAP: Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer

August 26: Jeremiah 50-51; 3John

Scripture: 3John (MSG) 5 Dear friend, when you extend hospitality to Christian brothers and sisters, even when they are strangers, you make the faith visible. 6 They’ve made a full report back to the church here, a message about your love. It’s good work you’re doing, helping these travelers on their way, hospitality worthy of God himself! 7 They set out under the banner of the Name, and get no help from unbelievers. 8 So they deserve any support we can give them. In providing meals and a bed, we become their companions in spreading the Truth.

Observation: Jesus said, “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:35) In the verses above John was commending Gaius for doing just that. My mom, a farmer’s daughter and the youngest of fifteen children, told me that missionaries and preachers traveling through their area often stayed in their home. This is a way to make the faith visible.

Application: I trust that we have been a blessing to those who have stayed in our home, but one thing of which I am certain: they have definitely been a blessing to us! Hosting traveling Christian ministers in our home, or providing a shared meal with them in a restaurant we have always come away blest!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I know there are many ways to bless your people. Show me how I can bless someone today. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

Which side is God on?

Pastor Leon’s SOAP: Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer

August 25: Jeremiah 37-39; Psalm 79; 2John

Scripture: Jeremiah (NIV) 37:9 This is what the LORD says, “Do not deceive yourselves, thinking, ‘The Babylonians will surely leave us.’ They will not! 10 Even if you were to defeat the entire Babylonian army that is attacking you and only wounded men were left in their tents, they would come out and burn this city down.”

Observation: People do not like to hear a negative word from the LORD. But they never think that God does not like to see the people he has blest and prospered ignore him and walk in sin. When God is for us, He brings victory even though the odds are against us. When God is against us, we can be defeated even though it appears we are bound to win. Which side is God on?

Application: There is no question that God has blest the USA. He has used us to spread the gospel to many places. He has used us as a military force to help bring down evil rulers. I believe He has used us more recently to slow down the march to the end times. But there can be no question that God is bringing judgment to the USA. We have aborted 55 million of our children. We have made laws that are contrary to God’s laws. We are not being attacked by wounded men left behind in their tents, but by an unarmed army crossing our southern border.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, in judgment remember mercy. Hear those who repent and call out for your grace. Protect and sustain your people who are scattered throughout this nation. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

Pastor Leon’s SOAP: Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer

August 24: Jeremiah 33-34; Psalm 74; 1John 5

Scripture: 1John (NIV) 5:1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. 2 This is how we know that we love the children of God; by loving God and carrying out his commands. 3 In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands.

Observation: If we love God, we will keep his commandments. One of his commandments is to love each other. If keeping his commandments is proof of our love for God, then loving our brothers and sisters is proof of our love for God, for that is one of his commands.

Application: The love I have for God my Father can be seen in the love I have for His children. They are my brothers and sisters with the same relationship I have with my heavenly Father. Serving them is serving him. What I do for my brother or sister—he takes it personally.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, just knowing that I am pleasing you and bringing joy to your heart encourages me to serve your children around me. Should they not notice what I have done or forget to say, “Thank you,” it does not matter. Knowing that I made you smile is reward enough. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

Pastor Leon’s SOAP: Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer

August 23: 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.
1John (NIV) 4:7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

Observation: John gives a warning that was necessary for his day, and even more necessary for today. Believing that Jesus is God who came to this world in the flesh to die for our sins is key as to faith. Living a life of love is key as to actions.

In considering what is happening in the world today (August 2014), we can see that religions that kill in the name of God clearly are not of God. But neither are people whose speech causes others to riot, even if they are called “Reverend” and speak from a church pulpit. How does that represent Jesus??? Those like Jesus in Ferguson, Missouri are those who set themselves in a place of potential danger and walk with the marchers in the streets to help calm high emotion. They stand between the police and potential rioters. They stand in front of the shops to protect them from looters. It is easy to see Jesus in them.

Application: Manufacturing companies want to have a trademark that is easily recognizable by the public. They want people to recognize their product. God’s trademark for His people is love. He wants people to recognize his ownership of me by the love that can be seen in my life.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, bless the Christians in Ferguson. May their love be easily seen. May their presence in the place of danger be the open door for the Holy Spirit to bring your peace. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

Pastor Leon’s SOAP: Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer

August 22: Jeremiah 28-30; 1John 3

Scripture: 1John (NIV) 3:18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech, but with actions and in truth.

Observation: James (2:20) tells us that “faith without works is dead.” Here John tells us that love without works is dead too! These two essential elements of the Christian’s life are designed by God to be expressed outwardly. They are meant to be seen by others. People should not be surprised when we claim to be a Christian because they have already seen proof in our actions.

Application: My actions should be shaped by love and faith.

Prayer: Lord, today I want my actions to be an expression of the high regard I have for you. May the faith I have in you be seen in how I respond to the things I will face today. And may the love you have put in my life shine through to others today. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

Pastor Leon’s SOAP: Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer

August 21: 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 an advocate with the Father—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: John is writing to the church. His goal is that as believers see how wonderful and loving God is to us through Jesus, they would stop committing sin. However, if we do commit a sin, we are not without hope. The same one, who forgives the sins of the whole world, still forgives the believer’s sins. Praise the Lord!

Application: How thankful I am that God still forgives my sins. He has removed the power of sin from my heart, and is working on the outside for me to walk without sinning. However I cannot count the times He has so graciously forgiven me for things I have done.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for being so gracious to me. When I fall, you pick me up, forgive me, and encourage me to try again. Sometimes you give me a different path where I can learn to resist temptation. Thank you for working in me for my good. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

Pastor Leon’s SOAP: Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer

August 20: Jeremiah 48-49; Psalm 67; 1John 1

Scripture: 1John (NIV) 1:4 We write this to make our joy complete.

Observation: Joy is such an important part of a Christian’s life. As neat fields and healthy herds speak well of the farmer, joy in God’s people speaks well of God. God’s work in our lives brings joy, but joy is not complete until it is shared.

Application: Joy in my life shows other people that I have a wonderful Lord who rules my life with such love. But the joy in my life is only complete as I share it with someone else.

Prayer: Lord, help me not to miss the opportunity I will have today to share with others what you have done for me. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

Pastor Leon’s SOAP: Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer

August 19: Jeremiah 45-47; Psalm 105; John 21

Scripture: John (NIV) 21:3 “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
4 Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.

Observation: After the resurrection, the disciples had some time by themselves. They returned to their old way of life—they went fishing. They fished all night with no success until at the direction from the stranger on the shore they cast their nets on the right side of the boat. Then their net was full. Even in their own profession they could not be successful without the Lord’s input. That night their success was proof of His presence!

Application: I wonder how many times I have tried my best with no success while Jesus watched from a distance. I did not recognize His presence, so I stumbled along doing the best I knew how to do. I need to recognize His presence (He is always with me.) I also need to recognize His voice and follow His direction.

Prayer: Lord, you are the expert at all things. May I be quick to hear and quick to do. May my success be proof of your presence, not my own wisdom and ability. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!