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

March 18: Joshua 1-2; Psalm 37; 1Corinthians 3

Scripture: Joshua (NIV) 2:11 When we heard of it, or hearts melted in fear and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.

Observation: Before entering the Promised Land, Joshua sent spies into Jericho. Forty years earlier, the Israelites had refused to enter the land God had promised to them because they feared the people who lived there. They did not know that the inhabitants of their Promised Land feared the Israelites even more than the Israelites feared them!

In this verse we see that it was not the Israelites they feared, but the Israelite’s God! They feared Israel’s God more than the Israelites did!

Application: Fear is a form of worship. What I fear holds a place of worth and importance in my life. What a shame it is when the world fears my God more than I do!!! The greatest fear in my life should be that I disappoint my Heavenly Father or bring shame to Him.

Prayer: Holy God, you are the all-powerful creator, the maker of heaven and earth. You alone are to be feared and worshipped. You loved me so much you send your Son to die for my sins. The greatest joy in my life should be to bring you pleasure. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

March 17: Deuteronomy 32-34; 1Corinthians 2

Scripture: 1Corinthians (NIV) 2:11 For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. 13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.

Observation: Teaching is a valid ministry for God has placed teachers in the church. Teachers are a gift from God we should appreciate. Surely one of the main things teachers should teach is how to recognize the Holy Spirit when He speaks. There is no greater teacher than the Spirit of God. Surely one of the greatest bodies of knowledge for maturing believers is how to hear and understand the Spirit as He speaks to us. Unless specifically directed by the Holy Spirit, one does not need to travel to another location or attend a special school; the GREATEST TEACHER actually lives within us!

Application: I am a new creation in Christ Jesus. I have God’s Word in my mind and God’s Holy Spirit living in me! What a powerful combination! Instead of wanting people to honor me for who I am and what I have, I need to be helping them, teaching them to understand who they are, Who lives within them, and what He can do through them!

Prayer: Holy Spirit use me to help people know that you live in them too. Use me to help them recognize your voice. You are speaking to us today! Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

March 16: Deuteronomy 30-31; Psalm 40; 1Corinthians 1

Scripture: Deuteronomy (NIV) 31:7 [Moses speaking to Joshua] “Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the LORD swore to their forefathers to give them, and you must divide it among them as their inheritance. 8 The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

Observation: What an amazing God. He promised to do two things that He could do only if He is really God. He would both go before them AND be with them. When they arrived, they would discover that He was already there. While leading the Israelites in the wilderness—at the same time—He was working inside the Promised Land to prepare for Israel’s victory

Application: With a God like that on my side, there is no reason to be afraid or discouraged!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, You were with Moses and Joshua and the children of Israel when you led them into their Promised Land AND You are with me! You go before me to prepare the way AND You are with me as I go! Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

March 15: Deuteronomy 28-29; Galatians 6

Scripture: Deuteronomy (NIV) 28:47 Because you did not serve the LORD your God joyfully and gladly in the time of prosperity, 48 therefore in hunger and thirst, in nakedness and dire poverty, you will serve the enemies the LORD sends against you…

Observation: God was speaking through Moses to the Israelites. They could either serve the Lord with joy and gladness in prosperity, or they could serve their enemies with human suffering.

Sometimes I play a game with little children where I hide a small object in one of my hands behind my back. Then I move my hands in front where they can see them and ask them to guess which hand contains the prize. God does the same with us, only he never closes his hands. The choice is clear.

Application: It is impossible for me to read the choices God gave to Israel and not think that the same God is giving similar choices to the United States of America. We can either serve God, joyfully enjoying His prosperity, or we can ignore Him and serve mounting debt, growing poverty, increased invasion by illegal immigrants, racial unrest and other things that God can allow or bring.

Prayer: Holy Spirit, open our eyes so that we can clearly see the result of the choices available to us. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

March 14: Deuteronomy 25-27; Galatians 5

Scripture: Galatians (NIV) 5:24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

Observation: It is not those to whom Christ belongs, but those who belong to Christ. I hear in this scripture not an emphasis on me possessing Him, but Him possessing me!

When we belong to Him, He is Lord. He is Master. It is His life we are living. We are no longer our own. We have been bought with a great price. And so we have taken His desires to be our desires. As we walk in the Spirit we discover the joy of belonging to Him!

Application: There was a time when it was just words, two ways of saying the same thing. But as I have grown in Christ, I have learned that there is a great difference between me possessing Christ and Christ possessing me. It is a change from depending on me to depending on Him. It is a change from Jesus being my advisor to Jesus being my Lord! Yes, He is mine, but more importantly, I am His!

Prayer: Jesus, I am yours. All I am and all I have—it is all yours. There is no greater joy than fulfilling your will for my life. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

March 13: Deuteronomy 22-24; Galatians 4

Scripture: Galatians (NIV) 4:4 But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those under the law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.

Observation: At the proper time, a wealthy landowner would free his son from the tutorage and supervision of guardians to be recognized as the son with the full authority belonging to a son. And so there was a proper time when God sent His Son Jesus to free us from the requirements of the law. God’s people would enter into a new aspect of relating to God, not as children needing the protection of the law to keep them from sinning, but as sons and daughters in whom God’s Spirit lives, directing their every thought and deed. This is so much better!!!

Application: This is the “proper time” to be led by the Spirit of God. It is the proper time for me to expect the Holy Spirit to speak to me. When things do not go as I planned, I should be expecting that the Spirit will show me what He has planned. Instead of being disappointed, I should be excited to discover His will.

Prayer: Holy Spirit, this is the day, this is the time for you to walk and talk with me. Please keep working with me until I easily recognize your Presence, your voice, and your direction. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

March 12: Deuteronomy 19-21; Galatians 3

Scripture: Deuteronomy (NIV) 21:9 So you will purge from yourselves the guilt of shedding innocent blood, since you have done what is right in the eyes of the LORD.

Observation: In this passage (verses 1-9), instructions are given as to finding a dead body and not knowing who is guilty of the murder. The issue of innocent blood is also found in Deuteronomy 19. In that chapter, if someone accidently killed another person without any malice or forethought, cities were assigned to which they could run to flee from the family of the dead. If they were guilty of murder, they would not be allowed to stay, but if they were innocent, they could stay in the city of refuge.

Application: This is obviously an important issue to God and should be to us also. The death of even one person was to be respected for it was made in the image of God. How can a nation that has shed the innocent blood of 50+ million aborted babies think that God does not see or care!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, forgive us for we have sinned against you by shedding the innocent blood of those being formed in your image. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

March 11: Deuteronomy 16-18; Psalm 38; Galatians 2

Scripture: Deuteronomy (NIV) 16:16 …No man should appear before the LORD empty-handed. 17 Each of you must bring a gift in proportion to the way the LORD your God has blessed you.

Observation: The clear instruction of verse 16 is that everyone should bring an offering to the Lord. No one is excluded. The next verse lets us know that although the size of the offering is not important, the size is very important.

Application: The size of my offering compared to others IS NOT IMPORTANT. I am not more or less blessed based on how my offering compares to my neighbor’s. On the other hand, the size of my offering IS VERY IMPORTANT! It is to be in proportion to the way God has blessed me! It is not their blessing for which I am responsible, but my blessing. My offering is based on my blessing. To be obedient in tithing is determined by how God has blessed me, not how God has blessed my neighbor.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, what a joy to be able to give to you! Giving is a way of expressing my appreciation for all you have given to me! Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

March 10: Deuteronomy 13-15; Galatians 1

Scripture: Galatians (NIV) 1:3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age according to the will or our God an Father, 5 to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Observation: Jesus was sent by the Father to die. (John 3:16) Jesus died according to the will of the Father. (Galatians 1:4) In the garden of Gethsemane Jesus committed himself to do the Father’s will. (Luke 22:42) On the cross Jesus committed His spirit into the hands of the Father. (Luke 23:46) Obviously, Jesus really loved the Father! What a sacrifice He made to honor the Father and to obtain what the Father so loved! Jesus considered the Heavenly Father worthy of such a sacrifice!

Application: My Heavenly Father loves me so much He sent Jesus to die for my sins. My Lord loved His Father so much He was willing to do His will. I should join my Lord in His love for our Heavenly Father.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, your Son, Jesus, obviously loved you and considered you worthy of the sacrifice of His life to obtain for you what you loved. Today I also love you and consider you worthy of the sacrifice of living my life for your glory. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

March 9: Deuteronomy 10-12; Mark 16

Scripture: Deuteronomy (NIV) 10:14 To the LORD your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it.
17 For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes.

Observation: Here are a couple of verses from Moses farewell message to the Israelites. As they obeyed their God, they had no reason to fear anyone on earth. They had no reason to doubt any promise their God had given them. Their God was more than able to give them the land He had promised to their father Abraham. He is also more than able to keep anyone from taking it from them!

Application: The LORD who owns everything in the heavens and on the earth, the God of gods, the Lord of lords, the great God who is mighty and awesome is not only Israel’s God; He is also MY GOD!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I am your child and you are my God! You created me to serve you. As I walk in obedience to you, I know that you are not only able to save me, but also willing! Wow! Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!