Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
December 28, 2024: SOAP #5504: Revelation 5-9

SCRIPTURE:  Revelation (NIV) 5:1 Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll…
2 And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” 
3 But no-one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it.  
4 I wept and wept…
5 Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”
6 Then I saw a Lamb…
9 And they sang a new song (to the Lamb): “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.

OBSERVATION:   THE QUESTION:  Who is worthy to break the seals? 
THE ANSWER:  No one in heaven or earth!
I AM PUZZLED:  Why cannot the one sitting on the throne who is holding the scroll open its seals?  Surely He is worthy!   No, not even He!
THE RESPONSE:  Great sorrow    
THE COMFORT:  There is one, the Lamb!
THE SECOND QUESTION:  Why is He worthy?
THE ANSWER:  Jesus is the only one who was born without sin;  who was tempted in every way as all men, yet who never committed any sin, still He  was killed as though He had sinned; now His innocent blood is sufficient payment for sins of those who receive Him as their Savior and Lord!

APPLICATION:   Have you put your trust in the Lord and asked His forgiveness for your sins?  He will forgive you and cleanse you from all unrighteousness!      

PRAYER:  Holy Spirit, Make these truths come alive in my life.  Lord, as you promised in 1John 1:9, forgive and cleanse me.  May your presence be my assurance that all is right between us.  Amen

Pastor Leon
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December 27, 2024: SOAP #5503: Revelation 1-4

SCRIPTURE:  Revelation (NIV) 1:1 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, …
4 John, To the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne,

OBSERVATION:   The revelation God gave to John, was not because John was so special that he would know things that no one else could know.  It was given to him so that he could pass it on, “to show his servants…”  It was not just for John; John was to pass along to others; so he identifies himself: “John,”  and tells to whom he is writing: “To the seven churches in the province of Asia.”

As we consider all the major characters in the Bible, people singled out by God to receive His special consideration, we must come to the conclusion that God was not just working in them, but THROUGH them.  Consider the Virgin Mary!  

APPLICATION:   I believe that it is not just the major Bible characters to which God was speaking to and working in for the benefit of others.  I believe God is still working in that way today.  

God has two expectations from us for what He tells us and what He does for us.  First He expects to receive thanks and praise from us.  And second, He expects us to tell others that He is working TODAY!!! 

PRAYER:  Lord, we take inspiration from the scriptures of what you did in Bible days, but we grow in faith as we see and hear of what you are doing today.  You are God today!  You are my God just as you were the God of Moses and of Mary.  Find me faithful to TELL OTHERS that you are interested in today and what you are doing today.  Amen

Pastor Leon
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
December 26, 2024: SOAP #5502: Psalm 117; 119:81-176; 2John; 3John

SCRIPTURE:  Psalm (NIV) 117:1 Praise the LORD, all you nations; extol him, all you peoples.
2 For great is his love towards us, and the faithfulness of the LORD endures for ever. Praise the LORD.

OBSERVATION:   Everyone should praise and extol the LORD!  He is worthy of our most profound thoughts.  I do not believe that anyone has fully reached their zenith in praising our Creator God, in praising our Sacrifice God, in praising our ever-present God! 

His love is great.  He never says, you used up all my love yesterday. 

His faithfulness is beyond our comprehension and endures forever. He is faithful to Himself.  He is faithful to His holiness.  The wages of sin has always been death, and will always be death.  He is faithful to His word.  The better we know His word, the better we will understand His ways. 

APPLICATION:   Be extravagant in praise.  Make His praise glorious.  Attempt new expressions of praise.  Attempt to speak of that which is beyond description. Sing your own words to your favorite praise chorus.  Look around for things for which you have not thanked God.  Tell Him how valuable they are to you and your family.  Look for new things accomplished with, or in, water and thank Him for water. 

PRAYER:  Lord, no one can measure your worth.  You are ever worthy of my praise.  Your acceptance, forgiveness, and promises are my greatest possessions.  Your constant presence is my greatest confidence booster.  I am what I am because you are who you are.   Amen

Pastor Leon
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
December 25, 2024: SOAP #5501: 1John 1-5

SCRIPTURE:  1John (NIV) 1:1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked on, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; 2 g life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us.

OBSERVATION:   It is interesting to note how differently the four gospels present the birth of Jesus.  Matthew wrote of the birth of Jesus with a short statement followed by the visit of the Magi.  Mark passes over any mention of the birth other than to say that John the Baptist announced His coming.  Luke, the Gentile doctor gives the most detail of the place and the night Jesus was born including the visit of the shepherds.  Finally John simply says:  “The word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.  We have seen His glory…”  (John 1:14)   Above in John’s letter to the church, he says: “The life appeared; we have seen it…”   What they saw made it obvious who Jesus was!  

APPLICATION:   I make the claim that Jesus lives in me.  Now the question is: can He be seen?   Is it clear that Jesus lives in me?  Do my words and actions make His presence obvious to others? 

PRAYER:  Lord, today my gift to you is the celebration of your birth in both my words and my actions.  May they be proof of your Presence.  Amen. 

Pastor Leon
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Christmas greetings to all.  May the Lord’s Presence fill your hearts and homes.  I pray that the SOAPs are used by the Holy Spirit to plant thoughts in your heart.  May it be clear to all who see and know you that you are HIS child.  Amen

Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
December 24,  2024: SOAP #5500: John 19-21

SCRIPTURE:  John (NIV) 19:1 Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. 2 The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe 3 and went up to him again and again, saying, “Hail, king of the Jews!” And they struck him in the face. 4 Once more Pilate came out and said to the Jews, “Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against him.”

OBSERVATION:  Pilate had just declared that he found no fault in Jesus, yet he had Jesus flogged!  (Note: John (NIV) 18:38 “What is truth?” Pilate asked. With this he went out again to the Jews and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him.)

There was no justice for Jesus, even from those who saw that he was innocent and had the power to protect that innocence.

But in reality, justice was being carried out.  Jesus was guilty, not because He had sinned, but because I had sinned; He suffered and died for my sinful actions and my guilt!   It was necessary that Jesus be declared innocent; His death clearly did not pay for His sins; His death covers my sins. 

APPLICATION:   Oh, how important it is for us that the judge, that Pilate declared Jesus innocent.  And even more important that the JUDGE, the Almighty Holy One in heaven saw His innocence and now applies His death to cover my sins, to pay my sin debt!  

PRAYER:  Lord, you were innocent and declared guiltless, yet you willingly suffered and gave your life, taking my place, suffering what I deserved.  In these days, as we celebrate your birth, may I remember why you came.  My life is such a small gift in relation to the gift you have given me.  Amen

Pastor Leon
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
December 23,  2024: SOAP #5499: John 15-18

SCRIPTURE:  John (NIV) 15:4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

OBSERVATION:   Jesus had just told of this unique relationship they had with the Son and through the Son to the Father. (John 14:20) Now He speaks of their responsibility to maintain that relationship. There is no salvation apart from Jesus and His abiding in us is shown as dependent on one thing: our abiding in him!  Ed Cole tells men that it is much more difficult to maintain than to obtain. 

We obtain Christ by faith and on the basis of His completed work at Calvary.  We maintain that relationship by our daily walk of faith and obedience. Fruitfulness in the responsibility of every branch, but fruitfulness is impossible unless it remains attached to the vine.  So it is with us.  We are to be fruitful.  We were created to be fruitful.  Yet the fruit God desires from our lives is impossible to bear unless we are attached!

APPLICATION:  Fruitfulness in the responsibility of every branch, but fruitfulness is impossible unless the branch remains attached to the vine.  So it is with us.  We are to be fruitful.  We were created to be fruitful.  Yet the fruit God desires from our lives is impossible to bear unless we are attached!

PRAYER:  Heavenly Father, it is such an honor in being a part of your plan.  Thank you for sending Jesus to make the perfect sacrifice by dying for my sins.  May my life be fruitful and bring you much glory.  May I be faithful where I m attached.  Amen

Pastor Leon
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
December 22, 2024: SOAP #5498: John 12-14

SCRIPTURE:  John (NIV) 13: 34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you so you must love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

OBSERVATION:   In answer to the question as to which commandment was the greatest, Jesus summarized the first four, saying it was to love God with all our hearts, soul, mind and strength.  Then he continued by giving a second command which summarized the last six which deal with how we treat one another.  He said we are to love one another as we love ourselves.

But in this verse, as He is making final preparations for the cross, Jesus gives a new commandment. This one did not come through Moses.  Moses could never have given this commandment.  Moses did not love the people the way Jesus loved the people.  Moses could not do for the people what Jesus did for the people!

The greatest commandment is to love God; the second is to love one another as we love ourselves. But the new commandment Jesus gave is to love one another as Jesus loves us!

APPLICATION:   I cannot even begin to understand the depths of Jesus love for me.  Obviously, Jesus is giving me something to do that I cannot do in my own strength.  If Jesus does not come and love through me, I will certainly fail.  And that is what Jesus does!  In love He comes to live in me and then He loves through me.  It is wonderfully amazing!

PRAYER:  Lord, you have given me something to do that I cannot do in my own strength, but you can do through me.  Love through me.  Let your love flow into me and through me to others.  Amen.

This SOAP is God speaking through Leon in 2010 to Leon in 2024.

Pastor Leon
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
December 21,  2024: SOAP #5497: John 9-11

SCRIPTURE:  John (NIV) 11:25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; 26 and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”…
John (NIV) 11:39 “Take away the stone,” he said. “But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”
John (NIV) 11:43 …Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The dead man came out…

OBSERVATION:   Obviously Lazarus was not as dead as they thought!  His body was dead; it had been buried for four days.  But death could not stop Lazarus from hearing the voice of Jesus.  Lazarus was alive enough to hear the voice of Jesus even though his body was dead.  

Lazarus did not return to a glorified resurrected body like Jesus. Lazarus was still subject to future death. The stone from Jesus’ tomb was not rolled back to let Him out, but to let us in!  The stone was not removed from Lazarus’ tomb so that he would hear the voice of Jesus, but so that Lazarus could walk out once his life returned to his body.

APPLICATION:   Death will not be the end of my life—only the end of my life in this physical body.  The Apostle Paul wrote that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. (2Corinthians 5:6-8) Standing at a grave prepared to receive the body of my loved one is not an eternal parting, but only a sad “see you soon.”  …until then! 

PRAYER:  Heavenly Father, at my parents’ grave you put a song in my heart: Until then my heart will go on singing:  Until then with joy I’ll carry on; Until the day my eyes behold that city; Until the day He calls me home!”  Amen
Lord, I sense your Spirit leading me to repeat this SOAP from 2017.  It is speaking to me; use it for your glory!   Amen

Pastor Leon
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
December 20,  2024: SOAP #5496: John 7-8

(repeat from 2010, the first year of writing SOAPs)

SCRIPTURE:  John 8:28 So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am the one I claim to be and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me.
29 The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.”

OBSERVATION:   In chapter 8, Jesus reveals a lot about Himself.  Although it is not limited to this chapter, five verses in this chapter give a word that reveals how he viewed Himself.  I was amazed when it caught my attention and even more amazed when I came to realize that most of the times this word is used in the gospels, it is Jesus speaking of Himself.  Here, in verses 16, 18, 26, 29, 42 Jesus uses the word “sent.”  He was here to do the bidding of Another. 

His purpose in life was to fulfill the desires and plan of His Father. 

APPLICATION:   If I am to be like Jesus, then I too must see myself as being “sent.”  Even as the US Government sent me to Viet Nam and I was there to accomplish the assignment they gave, so God has “sent” me into the world to accomplish His will for my life.  His will is my priority. 

My purpose in life is to fulfill the desires and plans of my Heavenly Father.

PRAYER:  Lord, like you I want to be able to say, “I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me.”    Amen.

Pastor Leon
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
December 19,  2024: SOAP #5495: John 5-6

(reworked from 2019)

SCRIPTURE:  John (NIV) 5:6 When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?” 7 “Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no-one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.” 8 Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” 9 At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked. The day on which this took place was a Sabbath,

OBSERVATION:   In John 2 we saw servants filling vessels with water and serving it to the master of the banquet based only on the word of Jesus.  In John 4 we read of a royal officer who, based on the word of Jesus, returned home to find his son healed.  And here in John 5 a crippled man heard Jesus say, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk!”   And, based on the word of Jesus, the man “picked up his mat and walked.”  

APPLICATION:   I can never over-emphasize the importance of recognizing the voice of Jesus and doing what He says!   His words are a good foundation for my actions. 

First: His words are true.  They come from truth.  He speaks what He knows.  Second, His words are backed by His character.  His character is so pure that the Father accepts His sinless death as the payment for my sins and the sins of the whole world!  His character is without a flaw.  He backs His word.  

I must discern what He is really saying from what people claim He is saying.  He is not responsible to uphold any man’s words, even if they claim they are speaking His words. The better we know the scriptures and the character of God, the better we will be able to discern the difference.  The Holy Spirit often works through the gift of discernment.  (1Corinthians 12:10)

PRAYER:  Jesus, you are my key to victory.  You are my key to overcoming temptation.  Speak to me each day as I meditate on Your Word.  And speak to me throughout each day as we walk together.  Amen

Pastor Leon
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