SOAP: Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer

Scripture: Revelation 8:1 ¶ When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.

Observation: The previous chapters of Revelation show heaven to be a place of continuous praise and worship. Silence seems out of place. That silence is mentioned here indicates how unusual it is. From the following verses, I am wondering if God is not looking at the earth he created knowing that soon it would be destroyed with hail, and fire, and sun storm, and falling stars. This was the place he had created to be the home for his highest creation—man. Man’s sin had so corrupted the earth that it must be destroyed. Is God is thinking about what could have been?
In Genesis we read of God taking the form of a man to check out Sodom from an earthly level. He gave Abraham the opportunity to intercede for the city before destroying it because of its sin.

Application: God is thoughtful before active. He thinks before acting out of anger. His anger is under the control of his holiness. He will not be unjust. Instead of counting to 10, maybe I need to be silent for 30 minutes before letting anger motivate me to action.

Prayer: Loving God, you are perfectly holy. When your love is expressed in repeated mercy that is continually rejected your holiness steps in with judgment. Amen.

September 3: Ezekiel 20-21; Psalm 111; Revelation 8

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

SOAP: Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer

Scripture: Revelation 7:17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

Observation: The Lamb will be their shepherd! Jesus is the only One who could be both the Lamb and the Shepherd. Jesus had been introduced by John the Baptist as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. (John 1) Jesus claimed to be the Good Shepherd who gives his life for his sheep. (John 10)

Application: As the Lamb, he was sacrificed for my sins. Even into eternity I will remember and honor Him for what he did for me. Now in this life, He is my Shepherd. And into eternity He will continue to be my Good Shepherd.

Prayer: Lord, now and for all eternity I will praise you for being the Sacrificial Lamb who died to pay for my sins. Now and for all eternity I will follow you as my Shepherd. Amen.

September 2: Ezekiel 17-19; Revelation 7

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

SOAP: Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer

Scripture: Revelation 6: 9 ¶ When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained.
10 They called out in a loud voice, "How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?"
11 Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the number of their fellow-servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed.

Observation: Entrance into heaven is only by the grace of Jesus and our faith in His sacrifice. However thinking that it makes no difference to God as to how faithfully we live our Christian life is clearly wrong. God is faithful to reward people according to their faithfulness. In these verses we see that God has a special place for those who make the greatest sacrifice of giving their lives for the gospel.

Application: I do not know where my life may lead, but I must be faithful to honor Him in all circumstances. In life or death, honoring Him with my choices brings future rewards for me and present glory for Him! I am blest to see senior citizens who have great faith and have grown in their ability to express God’s faithfulness and love.

Prayer: Lord, when you look at me, I want you to see your love and faithfulness at work through me. Amen.

September 1: Ezekiel 15, 16; Psalm 70; Revelation 6

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

SOAP: Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer

Scripture: Revelation 5:13 Then I [John in heaven] heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!"

Observation: I enjoy music through a good set of headphones. I like to hear stereo and surround sound. I like the crescendo of a combined orchestra. I like to feel music. But what an incredible music experience this will be when every creature in heaven and on earth joins in a song of worship!

Application: “Every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea” surely includes me! I get to be a part. I have enjoyed participating in Junior High, High School, and College bands. I have enjoyed singing in choirs. Surely nothing will compare with what John saw and heard. And I get to be a part!

Prayer: Lord, I am looking forward to being a part of the music in heaven. May you enjoy this day as I practice my part! J Amen.

August 31: Ezekiel 12-14; Revelation 5

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

SOAP: Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer

Scripture: Revelation 4:8 ¶ Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings. Day and night they never stop saying: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come."
…10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:
11 "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being."

Observation: As John is translated in his vision up to heaven, the first thing he sees is the throne and the One sitting on the throne. The passage above gives us the activity of those around the throne. As the Old Testament prophet Isaiah discovered, God’s throne is a place of worship. (Isaiah 6:1-4) The closer I come to God, the more important worship becomes.

Application: In John 4:23-24, Jesus told the woman at the well that God was looking for worshippers. I do not want to be one who worships only when the worship leader starts the instruments and encourages me to join in. I also want to worship when there is no worship leader and when there is no piano or guitar. I want to worship when I am by myself in the middle of the week and going through a tough time. I want to worship because I am a worshipper!

Prayer: Lord, I pray that you find the worshippers you are looking for. I pray that you find one in me. Amen.

August 30: Ezekiel 8-11; Revelation 4

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

SOAP: Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer

Scripture: Revelation 3:6 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches..

Observation: Indeed, the Spirit has something to say to the church. And he continues to prove himself faithful. Today’s SOAP is #1,000 since I started posting them on Facebook and sending them out by email. God has been faithful to give me a fresh thought each day. As I recall, only once has a SOAP has been repeated, and that was because I believed that is what God was saying to me for that day. Several times God has drawn my attention to the same scripture from previous SOAPs, but with a different emphasis.

Application: God has been faithful to speak to me these past 1,000 days, and I have no reason to expect anything different the next 1,000 days. He loves to be involved in the lives of his children. He loves to interact with them.

Prayer: Lord, you taught us to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.” Today I celebrate your faithfulness in providing daily bread. Of course 1,000 days is not much compared to the 40 years you fed the Israelites in the wilderness! You are AMAZING! Amen.

August 29: Ezekiel 4-7; Revelation 3

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

SOAP: Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer

Scripture: Revelation 2:7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches…
Revelation 2:11 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches…
Revelation 2:17 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches…
Revelation 2:29 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

Observation: These four times and three times in the next chapter we read this same phrase. Every day is a day in which God’s people need to hear “what the Spirit says.” This was true in the days of the declining Roman Empire. It is also in these days of the decline of the United States of America. In days of a declining economy or declining health, being able to hear the Spirit is priority!

Application: I have heard it said of people that they have an “ear for music.” I want to have an ear for the Spirit. I need to hear what He is saying today. I love the song that goes, “Tune my heart to the voice of your Spirit; so I may hear all you whisper to me. Shut out the world and its bright temptations; focus my eyes clearly on you. Yes, focus my eyes clearly on you.”

Prayer: Holy Spirit, you are faithful to speak to those who are faithful to listen. May I always take time to listen to you. Amen.

August 28: Ezekiel 1-3; Revelation 2

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

Revelation

SOAP: Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer

Scripture: Revelation 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,

Observation: This is the opening statement in the book of Revelation. We see that this was not something discovered, but something revealed. John did not think it up; he did not dream it up; it was revealed to him. For someone to reveal truth, they must first know truth, and second they must want others to know the truth. God wanted people to know and took the initiative to show John.

Application: God has many ways to reveal truth; to John He sent an angel. God usually reveals truth to me as I read the Bible. Many times God draws my attention to a verse that appears as a rose bud on the rose bush outside my office window. As the bud begins to open and each petal unfolds to reveal a beautiful flower, so the concepts in the verse open to reveal a beautiful truth. I am amazed!

Prayer: Lord, each day my heart rejoices as you reveal your truth to me. Your revelation of the beautiful rose and of the truth in your Word amazes me! Amen.

August 27: Jeremiah 52; Revelation 1; Psalm 143-144

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

SOAP: Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer

Scripture: 3John 1 The elder, To my dear friend Gaius, whom I love in the truth.
2 Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.
3 It gave me great joy to have some brothers come and tell about your faithfulness to the truth and how you continue to walk in the truth.
4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

Observation: John writes to his dear friend Gaius as I would write to one of my dear friends. I want my friends to enjoy good health and that things go well for them. But most of all, I want their soul to continue in good relations with God! When I hear someone talk good about my friends and give a good report, it makes my heart smile. What a great joy to hear that those who have started in their faith continue to believe.

Application: I need to let my friends know I love them, pray for them, and rejoice when I hear people speak well of them. But my greatest joy is to hear that they continue walking with the Lord.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for dear friends. I pray that things go well for them as they grow in faith and love. Amen.

August 26: Jeremiah 50-51; 3John

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

SOAP: Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer

Scripture: 2 John 5 And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another.
6 And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.

Observation: In this second letter, John continues his emphasis on love. In his mine he could probably hear Jesus say, “If you love me keep my commandments.” (John 14:15&23) John was continuing the emphasis of Jesus. So what is Jesus’ commandment? It is to walk in love!

Application: My love for Jesus can be seen in how I love others. People can see how much I really love Jesus because they can see how much I love them.

Prayer: Lord, your presence in my life should be easily recognized by my love for others. Love through me. Amen.

August 25: Jeremiah 37-39; Psalm 79; 2John

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!