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

July 15: Isaiah 22-24; Hebrews 12

Scripture: Hebrews (NIV) 12:28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe,
29 for our God is a consuming fire.”

Observation: The previous verses show that what we have received in Christ Jesus is so much better than what the Israelites received when Moses was given the Ten Commandments. If the Israelites were held responsible for how they treated the Law, how much more will we be held responsible for how we treat Jesus!

Application: I have received a great salvation with great joy. But the great joy and intimacy must not diminish the great respect due this great God now living in my life. He has wrapped Himself in my life. The wrapping must be worthy of the treasure wrapped inside.

Prayer: Lord, may others see by my words and actions the great respect I have for you. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

July 14: Isaiah 19-21; Hebrews 11

Scripture: Hebrews (NIV) 11:3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

Observation: People who do not want to accept that God created the world look at what can be seen and try to develop a scenario that would result in our present world. Since God cannot be seen, he is not a part of their thinking. Many of those studying the earth look at the present earth and work backwards. I believe we should start at the beginning with God and work forward. Since no one alive today was present when the earth was formed, each scenario takes faith.

Application: Faith that God created the earth bolsters my faith that God is still able to “create” what I need. Faith that God sent His Son, Jesus, to die for my sins bolsters my faith that God is willing to help me.

Prayer: Lord, you are both able and willing to help me. I know I can count on you! Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

July 13: Isaiah 15-18; Hebrews 10

Scripture: Hebrews (NIV) 10:23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.

Observation: The basis for holding fast to our hope is found in his character. His faithfulness is the foundation of my hope!

Application: The better I know God, the more sure will be my hope. It is for me to get to know God. I cannot depend on someone else’s knowledge; I must know Him myself! First, I get to know Him through his Word as I am faithful to read and He is faithful to give me understanding. Second, I get to know him through applying God’s word to my daily circumstances.

Prayer: Lord, today I want to think and act like you are faithful to yourself and then think and act like you are faithful to me. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

July 12: Isaiah 11-14; Hebrews 9

Scripture: Isaiah (NIV) 11:1 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse, from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.

Observation: This is a prophetic verse about a descendent of Jesse. Jesus is the Branch. At the end of Isaiah 6 we see that when the trees are cut down, stumps will remain in the land. Here, from one of those stumps, a shoot will spring out. The glory of the tree will be removed. It was no longer beautiful. It could no longer provide any shade. But life remained in the stump! New growth was coming!

Application: As I grow older, I have lost some of my branches, some of my abilities. But this “stump” still has the life of God!!! Some have lost branches to sin, or disease, or battle, BUT if the life remains in the stump, there still remains great potential! New expressions of life are yet to be seen!

Prayer: Lord, others may see me as just a stump. They may not yet see the life within! Your life sends forth branches, even from stumps! Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

July 11: Isaiah 8-10; Hebrews 8

Scripture: Isaiah (NIV) 8:9 Raise the war cry, you nations, and be shattered! Listen all you distant lands. Prepare for battle, and be shattered! Prepare for battle, and be shattered!
10 Devise your strategy, but it will be thwarted; propose your plan, but it will not stand, for God is with us.

Observation: The prophet, Isaiah, was speaking to the enemies of God’s people. They could wage war, but they would be “shattered.” They could make their plans but they would be “thwarted.” They could talk big, but their words would “not stand.” Why? Because God was with His people! If anyone should be afraid, it is the enemies of God.

Application: When I am walking with my God, I need not fear what man can do to me. I do not have to worry about what people are planning or saying. If there is anyone I should fear it is God! When I am with Him, I have nothing to fear.

Prayer: Lord, when I fear man, I am giving to man what I should only be giving to you. You are greater than all who oppose me AND you are with me! Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

July 10: Micah 5-7; Hebrews 7

Scripture: Hebrews (NIV) 7:27 Unlike the other high priests, he (Jesus) does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself!

Observation: UNLIKE the High Priests making the sacrifice for the sins of the people in the Old Testament, Jesus did not need to bring a sacrifice for his own sins. AND UNLIKE the Old Testament priests, Jesus did not bring an animal, He gave his own life as the sacrifice. AND UNLIKE the Old Testament priests Jesus did not make a sacrifice in faith that the proper sacrifice would someday be made to reward the faith of the worshippers. Jesus sacrifice was the fulfillment of the faith of all the previous sacrifices. AND UNLIKE the Old Testament priests, Jesus did not make a sacrifice that would need to be repeated. His sacrifice put an end to all future sacrifices for sin!

Application: His “once for all” sacrifice is sufficient to cover all my sins! When He forgave me, He did not just sweep my sins under the rug, He did not say, “Leon, your sins are not very bad; we will just forget about them.” NO, He said, “Leon, your sins are terrible, but my sacrifice is sufficient!” His sacrifice was more than sufficient to cover my sins—and the sins of the whole world!

Prayer: Lord, I am amazed at your holiness and love! I am amazed at your sacrifice for me. You are amazing! Thank you for forgiving me and cleansing me from ALL unrighteousness! Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

July 9: Micah 1-4; Hebrews 6

Scripture: Hebrews (NIV) 6:1 Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, …

Observation: It is God’s plan that everyone should be saved, that not a single one should perish. But God’s also has a plan for those who are saved. He wants them to grow and mature. Growth seems slow and is hard to measure from day to day. However looking back 6 months or a year and seeing how differently we handle difficult situations should show measurable growth.

Application: My maturity is important to the Lord. As God’s Word takes priority in my life, more and more I consider things from God’s perspective. It should take more to anger me than it did a year ago. It should not take me as long to say, “I’m sorry.” Spiritual growth changes my thoughts and vocabulary. My life is becoming more and more like Jesus and more under the control of the Holy Spirit.

Prayer: Lord, help me to grow to be more like you. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

July 8: Hosea 13-14; Psalm 100, 102; Hebrews 5

Scripture: Psalm (NIV) 100:1 Shout for joy to the LORD all the earth.
2 Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.
3. Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Observation: Joy and gladness, shouts and songs are proper expressions in God’s presence. In the above verse, I am told that gladness is to be a part of my worship.

Application: My circumstances may not be the source of my shouts and songs, of my joy and gladness. But I know who created me. I am His. I am a sheep in His pasture. I have much reason for joy. True joy in my heart will find some outward expression.

Prayer: Lord, when circumstances would make me hopeless, unhappy, and gloomy Your presence, Oh God, causes me to shout and sing and worship with joy and gladness! Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

Mixed Together

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

July 7: Hosea 10-12; Psalm 73; Hebrews 4

Scripture: Hebrews (KJV) 4:2 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.

Observation: Yesterday, Sharon made some chocolate chip cookies. Into the mixing bowl she placed things that if eaten by themselves might have made me sick—things like flower, raw eggs and shortening. In good faith, I helped her mix the dough until the individual characteristics of the ingredients were lost in the dough. (I also ate a spoonful of the dough to make sure it was worth baking. It was!) After they had been in the heat of the oven we had some delicious hot cookies! MmmmMmmm good!

Application: My life is a big mixing bowl in which God is making some special pastries for a great banquet he will be giving. Into this mixing bowl, God places a portion of scripture. Various circumstances are added from my environment…victories and defeats, happy times and sad. It is for me to mix it all together with faith. I have noticed that God seldom uses “no-bake” recipes. He fancies the taste of our lives after we have been through the oven of testing and trials. He even lets others enjoy the aroma of the fresh pastries baking in our lives.

Prayer: Lord, may the aroma of my life be pleasant; may it cause people to be hungry for you. May my life be tasty to you and to those around me. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

July 6: Hosea 6-9; Hebrews 3

Scripture: Hebrews (NIV) 3:7 So, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear his voice,
8 do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the wilderness,
9 where your ancestors tested and tried me, though for forty years they saw what I did.
10 That is why I was angry with that generation; I said, “Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known my ways.
11 So I declared on oath in my anger, “They shall never enter my rest.”
12 See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.”

Observation: Wise people would consider it a major crisis when the all-powerful, all-knowing God gets angry! Anger can be as intense as love.

Application: It is nice to read my favorite verses, but what a mistake it would be to ignore all the warnings. God would not love me very much if He knew of trouble lying in my path and did not warn me. I would not trust Him very much if I did not pay attention to His warnings! I need to be careful how I talk and act.

Prayer: Lord, I know that you are always righteous in your anger and that you mercies are new every morning. Thank you for the Holy Spirit that warns me. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!