Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
June 28, 2028: SOAP #5686: Amos 1-3, Psalm 80; 2Timothy 4

SCRIPTURE:  2Timothy (NIV) 4:6 For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure.  I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
—–
4:18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom.  To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen. 

OBSERVATION:   In verse 6 above, Paul is ready to die.  He is in prison and expecting to be put to death.  He is satisfied with the way he has lived his life.  Later in the same chapter, in verse 18, Paul is expecting to be rescued.  He is not expecting to be delivered in this life, but from this life.  His deliverance would not return him to the dusty roads of the Roman Empire, but the celestial streets of a heavenly kingdom! 

To Paul, life is one continuum.  What started in the womb was continued on earth.  What was lived on earth is now continued in heaven. 

APPLICATION:  Birth was the doorway through which I entered into this earthly life.  My life started in the womb and has continued these past 77+ years.  Death will not end my life, only this portion of my life.  It will be the doorway through which I enter into the heavenly kingdom of which I was made a citizen when I was born again by the Spirit of God.  

PRAYER:   Jesus, You returned to heaven to prepare a place for me.  Someday You are coming to take me where you are!  What a day that will be!  Amen

Pastor Leon
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
June 27, 2028: SOAP #5685: 2Kings 13,14; 2Chronicles 25; 2Timothy 3

SCRIPTURE:  2Timothy (NIV) 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

OBSERVATION:   Recently many people have come to faith in Jesus through various outreaches of people working with SOAP ministry.  Many live in places where Bibles are not readily available.  It is somewhat like the book of Acts days when the church began.  Many people came to have faith in Jesus, but they had no Bibles readily available.  Old Testament on scrolls were in synagogues, but no one could afford them in their home.  The New Testament had not yet been written.

Of course, they listened to their leaders who had more understanding and had been set as leaders for their church.  BUT MOST IMPORTANT, the Holy Spirit, who was the author of the scriptures had come to live in each believer!  They each had a personal relationship with the author of the scriptures!

APPLICATION:  It cannot be stressed how important it is for each of us to listen to the Holy Spirit speaking.  It was the Holy Spirit that convinced us that what we had heard about Jesus was true.  It was the Holy Spirit that put the compelling thoughts in our mind and heart to pray, asking Jesus to forgive us and make Him Lord!

And as we read the scriptures available to us (like those above) it is the Holy Spirit that convinces our hearts of their truth and puts thoughts in our mind as to how we can apply those truths to our lives.  (Even if one has only a small portion of scripture, prayerfully read it, asking the Holy Spirit to use it in your life.  Even people who have the whole Bible, do not read all of it every day.  Just read the portion available to you in faith that the Holy Spirit will speak to your heart and mind through that part of His Word.) 

PRAYER:   Holy Spirit, you who inspired men to write the scriptures, reveal truth to me.  Show me how to live a life honoring Jesus and my Heavenly Father.  Amen

Pastor Leon
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
June 26, 2028: SOAP #5684: Jonah 1-4; 2Timothy 2

SCRIPTURE:  2Timothy 2:2  And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.

OBSERVATION:   In his ministry to men, Ed Cole, like the apostle Paul does here to Timothy, stressed the importance of faithfulness over ability.  Being reliable, being trustworthy is priority.  There are people with great ability, but since they are not dependable, their ability is useless.  There are men who have the ability to be great dads, but since they are so seldom at home, it does not help their children.  I’ve heard it said that the greatest ability is availability.  Faithfulness is the foundation for the demonstration of one’s abilities. Ability shines best on the pedestal of faithfulness.  An employer looking for a new employee, a ministry looking for a new volunteer should always rank faithfulness above ability.  

How one treats their commitments says nothing about the value of what they have committed to, but everything about them; they made the commitment.  It is their character that is on display. 

APPLICATION:  I need to be faithful in the small matters in preparation for being faithful in the greater matters.  And as I work to improve my abilities, I need to be careful to maintain faithfulness.  I need to be sure to keep my word.  I need to be faithful to my commitments to God as well as to people. 

PRAYER:   Lord, if people cannot count on my word, if my wife cannot count on my word, then you cannot either.  I want you to be able to trust me so help me to live trustworthy.  Amen. 

Pastor Leon
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
June 24, 2028: SOAP #5682: 2Kings 11,12; 2Chronicles 24; 1Timothy 6

SCRIPTURE:  1Timothy (NIV) 6:5a   …people of corrupt mind…who think that godliness is a means to financial gain
6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 
7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 
8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 

OBSERVATION:   Money is an important part of our life and is an avenue through which we can express our priorities.  Earthly money will have no value in heaven.  God did not place us on earth with a given amount of money, and we will not be allowed to take any of it with us.  It is how we use money here that gives it eternal value. 

APPLICATION:  Some of the great challenges of my life have to do with the proper use of money.  One challenge is to get the best value available out of the money I have.  Money is valuable and should not be wasted on unimportant matters.  Money can be used on earth to affect eternal changes we will see in heaven.  Another challenge is to trust God that he has and will provide what I need to fulfill his will.  It is easier to do God’s will with other people’s money rather than believe God can multiply what I already have.  My third challenge is how to invest what I have in ministry that will best enhance God’s Kingdom.  People arriving in heaven will not go to the bank teller to check on the size of their account.  But people arriving in heaven will be greeted by others who are there because of how they invested their money on earth! 

Money counselors often council their clients on how to invest their money to have enough money to take enjoy life before they die.  The Bible counsels us to invest our money to enjoy life after we die!  Hmmm. 

PRAYER:   Lord, I need the help of the Holy Spirit to wisely use the money you have made available to me.  May Your priorities be easily seen in how I use money.   When I get to heaven, I want to look back and rejoice at how I handled your money.  Amen

Pastor Leon
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
June 22, 2028: SOAP #5680: 2Kings 8,9; 2Chronicles 21; 1Timothy 4

(Armor of God #13-last)

SCRIPTURE:  Ephesians (NIV) 6:13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

OBSERVATION:  Here is the last one in this series on the Armor of God.  These verses (10-18) speak to me in seven ways.  They tell me that:
First: …troubled days are ahead.
Second:  …God is aware of what is coming.
Third: …God wants me to be victorious.
Fourth: …God has provided specific things to help me overcome evil. 
Fifth: …it is my responsibility to put on the armor.
Sixth: …I need to be fully dressed, not just with the comfortable items.
Seventh: …I must prepare myself now so that when evil comes, I will stand. 

APPLICATION: Preparation is such an important part of life.  It is a natural part of every day.  A parent prepares meals to be ready for their family.  A pastor prepares a message for the church.  A worker prepares the clothes they will wear to work early the next morning.  We all look ahead and make preparation for what we see coming. 

Troubled days are coming.  Temptations are coming.  I want to be victorious!  God wants me to be victorious!  God has done His part by preparing His armor.  I do my part putting it on! 

PRAYER:   Lord, you are not sending me into battle unprepared.  You have designed your armor for me to be victorious!  AND you have given your Holy Spirit to always be with me!  You have designed me for victorious living.  Amen

Pastor Leon
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
June 20, 2028: SOAP #5678: 2Kings 4,5; Psalm 83; 1Timothy 2

(Armor of God #11)

SCRIPTURE:  Ephesians (NIV) 6:16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

OBSERVATION:   Jesus is our great example of using the Word of God to withstand Satan’s temptations.  (Matthew 4:1-11)   With every temptation that Satan brought to Him, Jesus quoted the Scriptures.  

It is good to remember that when Jesus was being tempted, He had just come from the river where He was baptized by John.  It was there that the Holy Spirit descended on Him in the form of a dove.  And so, when dealing with Satan’s temptations, He used “the Sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

It is quite proper to call the scriptures the Sword of the Spirit because they were written in the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.  (2Peter 1:21)  It is good to know that even if we do not have a personal copy of the scriptures, we do have a personal relationship with the Holy Spirit living inside.  He is the author of all the scriptures!!!  

APPLICATION:  The Word of God is a defensive weapon; it is also an offensive weapon.  It is an offensive weapon when we move out in obedience to what the Spirit of God has told us.  When we know we are moving in accordance with what God has spoken to us, we can move in faith, confident that He is with us and will bring about His desired effect. 

PRAYER:   Lord, speak to me.  Speak to me through the scriptures.  Speak to my heart throughout each day.  Your voice carries your Word.  And when I speak your Word and move out in obedience to your Word the enemy is defeated and you are glorified!   Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!   
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
June 19, 2028: SOAP #5677: 2Kings 1-3; Psalm 82; 1Timothy 1

(Armor of God #10)

SCRIPTURE: Ephesians (NIV) 6:16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

OBSERVATION:   The helmet of salvation is given to us to protect our brain, our thoughts.  The helmet speaks of “know-so” aspect of our salvation that the apostle John wrote about in his first letter. “We know he lives in us because the Spirit he gave us lives in us!” (1John 3:24)

Praise God, salvation includes the brain!  Praise God for peace of mind!  Praise God that our thoughts can be brought in line with the truth that our sins have been washed clean by the blood of Jesus’ death on the cross.  Praise God that I can know that I have been accepted into the body of Christ! 

APPLICATION:  Praise God that I am not a mind and have to live by whatever thoughts cross my thinking.  I am not a mind, but I have a mind that I can use for the glory of God.  My thoughts do not run my life.  Jesus is the Lord of my life and my thoughts. (1Corinthians 10:3-5)  Every thought must be submitted to Him who is the way, the truth, and the life. (John 14:6)

PRAYER:   Lord, how I think is so important in living my life for you.  The enemy knows that and is always throwing thought barbs to get my mind to doubt you and the work you are doing in my life.  Thank you for the helmet of salvation, your word that gives me confidence.   Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!   
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