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

January 26: Exodus 14-16; Acts 2

Scripture: Exodus (NIV) 15:11 “Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?

Observation: The Israelites had been hopelessly trapped between Pharaoh’s army and the Red Sea. At the Lord’s command Moses had lifted up his staff and God, with a strong wind, parted the waters providing the Israelites a way of escape. After the Israelites were safe on the other side, God instructed Moses to stretch out his hand over the sea and the sea returned to its normal shores, drowning the Egyptian army. No wonder they were singing. No wonder Moses wrote a song containing the above verse. No wonder Moses’ sister, Miriam led the women in dancing with tambourines. No wonder…

Application: There is no god like my God! He is perfect in holiness! His actions are awesome! In perfectly amazing love, He Himself provided the perfectly holy sacrifice to pay for my sin.

Prayer: Lord, I agree with Moses: There is no one like You among the gods. There is no other god like You! You are amazing. No wonder I love You! No wonder I want to tell others about You! Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

January 25: Exodus 12-13; Psalm 21; Acts 1

Scripture: Psalm (NIV) 21:11 Though they plan evil against you, though they devise mischief, they will not succeed.
12 For you will put them to flight; you will aim at their faces with your bows.
13 Be exalted, O LORD, in your strength! We will sing and praise your power.

Observation: God is exalted in His strength. If the LORD was depending on someone else’s strength, he would exalt in their strength. But His strength is more than sufficient for anything needed. His strength far exceeds the strength of any other. He is not just powerful; He is all-powerful!

Application: I do not have to depend on my own strength. I too can exalt in the strength of the LORD! It is important to have Him on my team. It is MUCH MORE important for me to be on HIS team.

Prayer: Lord, I exalt in YOUR strength! You are not only willing to help me; You are more than able to help me. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

January 24: Exodus 9-11; Luke 24

Scripture: Angels here are speaking to the first visitors at the empty tomb. Luke (NIV) 24: 6 “He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee
7 that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.”
8 And they remembered his words…

Observation: “Remember,” the angels told them. …and they remembered! One can only remember what has been previously entered into the mind. If they had not been with Jesus earlier, they would have had nothing to remember.

Application: Remembering is bringing to my active memory what I have previously placed in my memory. If I do not read the Bible, I will not be able to remember God’s Word when I need it. The Holy Spirit will not bring to my remembrance what I have not placed there. It is like having a financial crisis and going to the back to draw out funds from my savings account. I can only withdraw what I have previously placed there. If I have not placed anything there, I will have nothing to draw out. Having God’s Word in my mind is MUCH MORE important than having money in a savings account!

Prayer: Lord, what a wonderful part of creation is memory! When my memory is filled with your Word my memory is a valuable resource. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

January 23: Exodus 6-8; Luke 23

Scripture: Exodus (NIV) 7:20 Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD had commanded. He raised his staff in the presence of Pharaoh and his officials and struck the water of the Nile, and all the water was changed into blood.
21 The fish in the Nile died, and the river smelled so bad that the Egyptians could not drink its water. Blood was everywhere in Egypt….
24 And all the Egyptians dug along the Nile to get drinking water, because they could not drink the water of the river.

Observation: In reading through the book of Exodus, our attention is mainly focused on the plight of the Israelites. It is good to pause and consider the Egyptians. They suffered terribly under the results of the bad decisions of their leader.

Application: Our lives are greatly affected by the decisions of our national leaders. In our nation we presently see many people whose lives are negatively affected by our governments attempt to implement a new health care law. I am sure that every nation can give similar examples. Leaders should help us live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness because this is good and pleases God. (1Timothy 2:1-4)

Prayer: Lord, I pray that you will reveal yourself to our leaders. May they not be able to ignore your presence and your will. I pray that you will be glorified in their lives and decisions. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

January 22: Exodus 3-5; Luke 22

Scripture: Exodus (NIV) 4:29 Moses and Aaron brought together all the elders of the Israelites, 30 and Aaron told them everything the LORD had said to Moses. He also performed the signs before the people, 31 and they believed. And when they heard that the LORD was concerned about them and had seen their misery, they bowed down and worshiped.

Observation: The people were relieved to know that God had seen their trouble and was concerned. God was aware of their trouble. God was not only aware, He was concerned. It was important to Him. Nothing had yet been done to free them from their bondage, but just knowing that God was concerned caused them to bow down and worship.

Application: I know God is omniscient (all knowing) so he is aware of my problems. I know that is truth. But there are those times when He reassures me that He knows. He is concerned and is going to do something about those problems. What a relief it is to be assured that God is aware and concerned.

Prayer: Lord, I sing with relief, “I cast all my cares upon you. I lay all of my burdens down at your feet. And anytime I don’t know what to do, I just cast all my cares upon you.” Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

January 21: Exodus 1-2; Psalm 88; Luke 21

Scripture: Exodus (NIV) 1:6 Now Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died.
7 but the Israelites were exceedingly fruitful; they multiplied greatly, increased in numbers and became so numerous that the land was filled with them.
8 Then a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt.

Observation: Everything changes. And here we read about a change in Egypt. The government changed. There was a new king. The new king was limited in his knowledge of history. The Israelites were a resource and a threat. They were a resource of free labor to build cities. They were a threat in that they had so many children. But God was with them, and God’s future plan included them!

Application: I see a parallel in our nation. We have leaders that seem to have little knowledge or appreciation for our history and for God’s place in our history. God definitely had a plan for the United States. But I think that plan is now a part of history and I am not sure if His future plans include us as a nation. Continuing down the road we are now traveling will bring us to a time when Christians will be oppressed here somewhat like the Israelites were in Egypt. We can already see this happening. I appreciate knowing that people around the world are praying for the USA and the church in the USA.

Prayer: Lord, I am so glad that Your Presence in Your people does not change as governments change. When the saints gather around your throne, may there be many from the USA. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

January 20: Genesis 49-50; Psalm 8; Luke 20

Scripture: Genesis (NIV) 50:18 His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him. “We are your slaves,” they said.
19 But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God?”

Observation: Isaac was dead and now his sons feared that without Isaac’s influence Joseph might remember how they had sold him into slavery and take revenge against them. Joseph understood that God had sent him to Egypt for the salvation of the family. Isaac’s death did not change those facts and did not change Joseph. His authority was a gift from God to enable him to serve his family; he would not use it for revenge or to serve himself.

Application: Authority is the right to make decisions and to hold others accountable. Only God has authority because He is worthy. (Joseph knew he was not God!) Any authority I have is delegated authority which means I must give an account for how I use it. Authority is a gift from God to make me a better servant. It is not to be used to dominate people. It is not to be used for selfish gain or to make things easier for myself. It is to be used to benefit others.

Prayer: Lord, teach me to use authority for Your glory and for the good of others. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

January 19: Genesis 47-48; Psalm 10; Luke 19

Scripture: Luke (NIV) 19:4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.
5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.”
6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.

Observation: It was a big thing that Jesus was coming through his town. Zacchaeus acted like it was a big thing. Here was the One who opened blind eyes, made the lame to walk, fed 5000 people and even raised the dead! This was a big thing. Zacchaeus climbed a tree to make sure he would be able to see Jesus. And when Jesus stopped and invited himself to Zacchaeus’ house, he welcomed Jesus joyfully. He treated Jesus like a most important guest. This was a big thing!

Application: If it was a big thing to Zacchaeus that Jesus was passing by, it should be a MUCH BIGGER thing that Jesus died for my sins, rose from the dead, forgives my sins, and now chooses to live inside me!!! Wow! That is a BIG thing! What Zacchaeus thought about Jesus could be seen in his actions. What I think about Jesus should be seen in my actions!

Prayer: Lord, It is a BIG thing that you live in me. I dedicate my life to live for you. Today, may you be seen in all I say and do. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

January 18: Genesis 44-46; Luke 18

Scripture: Genesis (NIV) 45:4 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come close to me.” When they had done so he said, “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! 5 “And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you…
7 “But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. 8 “So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me a father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt.”

Observation: We serve a God who can take the bad things people do to us and turn them to work for our good. It does not mean that we enjoy the mistreatment, but we can look beyond expecting God to bring good out of it. God’s blessings on Joseph were so amazing that they spilled over onto the brothers who sold him into slavery.

Application: One special blessing in growing older is being able to look back to times when God used for good what people meant for evil. I remember first understanding this process only after I had experienced the good that God brought out of the trouble. Growing in faith has helped me to understand God’s ways earlier in the process. More recently I found myself expecting the good as I was still experiencing the hurt. Faith that God would work it out for good was/is a great help in dealing with the hurt, frustration, and disappointment. It helps me to forgive. I do not sweep the old hurts under the rug; I put them under the blood! They were paid for on the cross!

Prayer: Lord, you have provided forgiveness for my sins against you and others. You have also provided for the sins of others against me. Thank you for forgiving me and helping me forgive others. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

January 17: Genesis 42-43; Psalm 5; Luke 17

Scripture: Psalm (NIV) 5:9 Not a word from their mouth can be trusted; their heart is filled with malice. Their throat is an open grave; with their tongues they tell lies.
10 Declare them guilty, O God! Let their intrigues be their downfall. Banish them for their many sins, for they have rebelled against you.
11 BUT let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you.

Observation: One characteristic of the Hebrew poetry is the contrasting of two different thoughts. Here we see the difference between those whose heart is evil and those whose heart trusts in the Lord. The mouth of one is filled with lies; the mouth of the other is filled with joy. One is headed for a downfall; the other is under the protection of Almighty God. One is walking in rebellion; the other is walking in the love of God. What a difference!

Application: Is it worthwhile serving God? The Psalmist thought so. And I think so too! And when others see me, they should think so too!

Prayer: Lord, may my heart be ever filled with joy and my mouth with praise. May joy and praise be seen as proof of your Presence. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!