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

February 4: Exodus 37-38; Psalm 19; Acts 11

Scripture: Psalm 19:9 NIV …The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous.
10 They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb.
11 By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.

Observation: David, the author of this psalm, had a high opinion of God’s laws. They are trustworthy, right, extremely valuable, pleasant, and very worth the effort to pay attention and keep. God’s laws were important to David because God was important to David.

Application: How important is God to me? My value of God can be easily seen in my value of His word. If He is important to me, then His word is important to me. If His word is not very important to me, then He is not very important to me.

Prayer: Lord, when I take time to think things through, some things become very simple. How I value You can be seen in how I value the Bible, Your Word! Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

February 3: Exodus 35-36; Acts 10

Scripture: Exodus 35:5 NIV From what you have, take an offering for the LORD. Everyone who is willing is to bring to the LORD an offering of gold, silver and bronze;

Observation: When the Israelites left Egypt, the Egyptians were so glad to see them leave they gave them anything they requested. They carried out the wealth of Egypt. Now God is requesting an offering of items to be used in building the tabernacle. Five times in this chapter and several times in the next chapter one reads that God wants the giver to be willing. God is blest when people give willingly. God is so worthy that people who serve him should serve him willingly. God so loves that he can only be pleased when people give willingly. People can only give what God first gave them. God can see himself in people who give willingly.

Application: In serving the Lord, how is just as important as what. How I serve the Lord demonstrates how worthy I believe He is. How I serve the Lord demonstrates how much I want to please Him.

Prayer: Lord, may you enjoy my service and my giving. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

February 2: Exodus 33-34; Psalm 16; Acts 9

Scripture: Psalm 16:7 NIV I will praise the LORD, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me.

Observation: What a comforting thought that even at night our thoughts can be guided by the Lord. Even in our time of rest, we can be receiving instruction from the Lord.

Application: I can evaluate the activities of the day apart from the heat of the moment and the intensity of their surroundings. I can learn as the Holy Spirit directs my thoughts. I can ponder the events of the coming day; the Holy Spirit can prepare me with His divine instruction.
Both my conscious meditations and my unconscious dreams can be Holy Spirit directed!

Prayer: Lord, I am blest to know that you can guide my thoughts even when I am at rest. My days and my nights are yours! Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

February 1: Exodus 30-32; Acts 8

Scripture: Exodus 31:6 … Also I have given skill to all the craftsmen to make everything I have commanded you:

Observation: This verse comes from God speaking to Moses. God was in the process of giving Moses the plans for building the portable tabernacle that they carried in the wilderness for 40 years. To Moses, God gave the plans; to Bezalel, Oholiab and the craftsmen God gave the skill. God did not give the skill to Moses or the plans to the craftsmen. Accomplishing God’s will required they work together.

Application: I am convinced that I cannot accomplish God’s will by walking and working alone. I only hinder God’s plan when I insist on my independence. Freedom is important because then my choices really prove my love (or lack of love) for God. For me to use my freedom to live independent of others would show that I really do not understand the body of Christ. Only when we freely choose to walk and work in a relationship in which we lovingly submit to one another can we accomplish God’s perfect will.

Prayer: Lord, I am free to love you. I am free to use the gifts you have given me for your glory and the good of others. I am free to let others use the gifts you have given them for your glory and my good. I am free to work with them in accomplishing your will. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

January 31: Exodus 28-29; Acts 7

Scripture: Acts 7:6 NIV God spoke to him in this way: ‘Your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and ill-treated for four hundred years.
7 But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves,’ God said, ‘and afterwards they will come out of that country and worship me in this place.’

Observation: Stephen was reviewing Israel’s history. In these verses he mentions that God promised Abraham’s descendants would return to the very land where Abraham was standing. Looking at any map of the world today proves that God keeps His promises! The nation of Israel is exactly where God said it would be. 400 years did not cause God to forget His promises. At times some of the Israelites may have forgotten, or thought God had forgotten, but He remembered and was faithful to keep His word.

Application: God still keeps His promises. I benefit from the promises God made to my ancestors. It may not happen in my time schedule, but I can rest assured that God will keep His promises to me.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for your faithfulness in remembering and keeping your promises. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

January 30: Exodus 25-27; Acts 6

Scripture: Exodus 26:30 NIV Set up the tabernacle according to the plan shown you on the mountain. (also 27:8; 25:40; Acts 7:44; and Hebrews 8:5)

Observation: Moses went up the mountain to spend time with God. Not only did he bring down the Ten Commandments, he brought back plans to build a portable tabernacle. God not only told Moses; He showed Moses. Surely there must have been times when the builders went to Moses with questions about the plans and Moses said, “Here is how I saw it on the mountain.”

Application: When I have questions about living out my Christian life, I can think back to how my dad did it, or how Pastor Shurance did it. Their visual examples help me better understand the written words.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for coming to earth to show us how to live. And thank you for the people you placed in my life to show me how live in my world. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

January 29: Exodus 23-24; Psalm 14; Acts 5

Scripture: Exodus 24:9 NIV Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel went up
10 and saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement made of sapphire, clear as the sky itself.
11 But God did not raise his hand against these leaders of the Israelites; they saw God, and they ate and drank.

Observation: What an amazing verse, perhaps one of the most amazing, to me, in the entire Old Testament. I sincerely doubt that their eating and drinking was something they brought with them. Surely the One who provided manna and water for the millions below could provide for the seventy now with Moses on the mountain. (Even if the only had what they brought with them, it would have been what God provided. That is all Israel had to eat and drink! There was no other food.) But this special meal was provided by God. And what made it special was that they were eating in His Presence. How greatly God desires fellowship!

Application: I do not want to lag behind when God calls me to the mountain for fellowship with Him! For me it is usually searching the scriptures on my laptop computer. I do not want to spend the time grudgingly. I do not want to complain about the climb. If the result is meeting with God, let no mountain path be too rough or too steep!

Prayer: Lord, it is a great privilege and honor to fellowship with you in the Bible. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

January 28: Exodus 21-22; Psalm 12; Acts 4

Scripture: Acts 4:34 NIV There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales
35 and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.

Observation: What politicians want to do by taxing the rich and distributing to the poor became reality in the book of Acts church because the Holy Spirit moved in the hearts of the wealthy to give willingly. The wealthy pay taxes grudgingly when the government makes tax laws. When the Holy Spirit moves on their hearts, they give willingly and joyfully and generously. On the receiving side, the poor are more inclined to receive with thankful hearts what is cheerfully and willingly given. However when they are given what has been taken from others by the government, they often begin to expect it and become dependent on “free” money.

Application: When the government takes the place of the Holy Spirit, everybody loses. The givers lose their joy in giving and the receivers lose their appreciation and joy in seeing God provide.

Prayer: Holy Spirit, lead me into the joys of giving and receiving. I want my appreciation for what I have received to be seen in how I give to others. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

January 27: Exodus 17-20; Acts 3

Scripture: Acts 3:14 NIV You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you.
15 You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this….
19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord,

Observation: Luke, the author of the book of Acts here records Peter’s sermon. Peter is claiming that Jesus is “the Holy and Righteous One” and “the author of life.” This agrees with the apostles John (John 1:9-14) and Paul (Colossians 1:15-20). Jesus is the “Author of life.” He allowed himself to be killed in full faith that death was not the end. He assured his followers the he would return to life after being crucified.

Application: I have that same assurance. The Author of life has blazed the way through death’s door. Death is the end of my existence in a physical body here on earth, but not the end of my existence. In preparation, I must repent, by faith receive His forgiveness, and make Him the Lord of my life.

Prayer: Lord, you are the “Author of life,” and the “Creator of all things.” You know this earthly life because you not only created it, you lived it! I trust your forgiveness and your guidance. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

January 26: Exodus 14-16; Acts 2

Scripture: Acts 2: 1 NIV When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.
2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.

Observation: They had been told to go into the entire world. Then they had been told to wait—to wait in Jerusalem until they received what was promised. (Acts 1:4) But when the right time arrived, the promise was given suddenly. I am reminded of Joseph who “waited” in prison for over two years, yet when Pharaoh had the dream, suddenly, within a day, Joseph was made 2nd in charge of all Egypt! (Genesis 14:14 & 40)

Application: Yesterday the Lord spoke to me about the importance of waiting, today I hear Him telling me that when the time is right, he often moves suddenly. Waiting on Him is never a waste of time. Moving ahead of Him is the real waste of time. When He moves “suddenly” it makes the waiting worthwhile! “My waiting” PLUS “His suddenly” is always quicker than “my running ahead on my own.”

Prayer: Lord, I trust your leading and your timing. I am certain that you know what is best. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!