Tag Archives: jesus

A Good Character Trait

Posted on by
Reply

Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
April 01, 2025: SOAP #5598:  Judges 11-12; Psalm 50; 2Corinthians 1

SCRIPTURE:   Psalm (NIV) 50:23 He who sacrifices thank-offerings honors me, and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God.”

OBSERVATION:   This translation speaks to me in a special way.  It says that my thank-offerings are like the return address on my mail.  It shows the avenue for God to send a return blessing. 

It is much easier to give to someone with a thankful heart.  When someone is twisting my arm to force me, or motivate me, or using the scriptures to convince me to give to their need, I resist giving.  But it is so much easier to give to a thankful person. 

APPLICATION:   Thanksgiving is a way of acknowledging that the blessing has been received.  It is now in my possession.  It arrived safely. 

Thanksgiving is a way of showing that we value what we have received.  The gift met a need and is being used. 

Thanksgiving is a way of appreciating what was given to us.  It acknowledges the value of the gift. 

Thanksgiving is a way of valuing the giver.  They may have been motivated by their love for Jesus, but they are worthy of a, “Thank you!”

Thanksgiving gives joy to the giver and opens the heart to receive again.  It is the return address on your communication!  

PRAYER:   Lord, may SOAP readers grow in their faithfulness to be thankful.  May thankfulness be a well=known characteristic of their lives.  Lord, I pray that their way of thanking you will bless your heart and make you even more willing to bless them with your Presence and help.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!   
On Facebook:  Today’s SOAP from Pastor Leon

Inescapable, Universal Law

Posted on by
Reply

Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
March 29, 2025: SOAP #5595:  Judges 8; Psalm 42; 1Corinthians 15

SCRIPTURE:  1Corinthians (NIV) 15:21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man.  22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.     

OBSERVATION:   The eternal laws of holiness rule all that our Holy God created.  They are reasonable and logical laws.  God is holy and he has revealed the holy laws that rule the past, the present, and eternity.  No one can escape the universe, so no one can escape the holy laws. 

The primary law of holiness is that the soul that sins shall die.  It is a law that cannot be changed.  It is a law that condemns every living person to death, eternal separation from the Holy God into a proper place for those who break the holy laws, which is eternity in hell. 

Without breaking, Holy laws allow one out.  If someone of the same eternal value who has not broken any holy laws would be willing to take the guilty party’s place, the guilty could go free! 

The reality is that the Holy God is also a loving God.  He so loved the man He had created that He sent His son (Jesus) to be born as a man, to live a perfectly holy life, and to die for our sins!  His resurrection is proof that there is life beyond the grave!   It is eternal life with two possible destinies, heaven or hell. 

APPLICATION:   In Adam, holiness demands I pay for my sin by spending eternity in hell.  In Christ, my penalty has been paid and I will spend eternity in heaven in the Presence of a Holy and Loving God!   It is truly amazing!    

PRAYER:   Heavenly Father, next month as we celebrate the death and resurrection of Your Son, thanksgiving overflows for your great mercy and grace.  Father, thank you for Jesus!   Jesus, thank you for dying and resurrecting!  Holy Spirit, thank you for leading me to Jesus! Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!   
On Facebook:  Today’s SOAP from Pastor Leon

Lord, may it be your joy…

Posted on by
Reply

Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
March 28, 2025: SOAP #5594:  Judges 4-5; Psalm 39, 41; 1Corinthians 13

SCRIPTURE:  Psalm (NIV) 41:1   Blessed are those who have regard for the weak; the LORD delivers them in time of trouble.
2   The LORD protects and preserves them—they are counted among the blessed in the land—he does not give them over to the desire of their foes. 
3   The LORD sustains them on their sickbed and restores them from their bed of illness.  

OBSERVATION:   The weak are important to God and those who care for the weak are important to God.  God considers those who help the weak as His helpers. 

Of course, He protects and preserves them; they are doing His work.  Of course, He restores them to health so they can continue doing His work.  (This would be like Dorcas in Acts 9:36-41 who was “always doing good and helping the poor.”)

APPLICATION:   I know that God is a gracious God and treats me FAR better than I could ever deserve.  But still, I want to live my life is such a way that God would want to restore my health.  It would be to His benefit, and the benefit of others, to have me continue doing what I had been doing.  

When people are sick and praying for healing, I wonder if God ever wants to ask, “Why should I heal you?”  “Do you want me to heal you so that you can continue complaining, or hating, or hurting others, etc.?” How much better it would be if God could say, “Of course, I will heal you.  It gives me joy to enable you to continue bringing me honor and glory on earth by the way you serve others.  They can easily see that I am living in you!” 

PRAYER:   Lord, help me to be like Dorcas.  I want to please you in the way I live my daily life.  May you smile and may others be blest.  When I am sick, may it be your joy to heal me so I can continue to honor you with the way I live.  Amen.
And, Lord, there are SOAP readers who have used up their strength in serving others.  Help them to know that you take their service personal—they have been serving you; and they can personally take the above verses as your promise to them.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!   
On Facebook:  Today’s SOAP from Pastor Leon

A Notable Difference!

Posted on by
Reply

Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
March 27, 2025: SOAP #5593:  Judges 1-3; 1Corinthians 12

SCRIPTURE:  Judges (NIV) 3:1 These are the nations the LORD left to test all those Israelites who had not experienced any of the wars in Canaan 2 (he did this only to teach warfare to the descendants of the Israelites who had not had previous battle experience): …
4 They were left to test the Israelites to see whether they would obey the LORD’s commands, which he had given their forefathers through Moses.

OBSERVATION:   God had a plan laid out very clearly through Moses that they were to completely drive out all the inhabitants of the land.  However, they did not obey.  Here (verse 1,2,4) we see that God can even use their disobedience.  God is sovereign.  He is never boxed in.  Our disobedience may foil His best plan, but He remains with numberless ways to bring about His plan.  What trouble these remaining Canaanites would cause the Israelites, but God would use them for His glory.

God used these nations to teach the Israelites who had no battle experience how to war.  God would use these nations to bring temptation to Israel, to put a choice before Israel.  Who would Israel choose to serve?  Would they remember what God had done for their nation, or would they forget and make their choices based on present conditions? 

Israel’s choices would be obvious to all; and God’s pleasure/blessings would also be obvious to all.  Not only was God teaching Israel, He was/is also teaching all who would read and learn.

APPLICATION:   The same God has laid the same choices before us today.  If we have lived long enough we should be able to see how God has blest us when we walked close to Him and the difference in how the world treated us when we did not follow God’s ways. 

If you have not been a believer very long, talk to someone who has been a believer and follower of Jesus for years and see if they can give some personal examples of the difference of living close to Jesus verses living without relying on Him. 

PRAYER:  Lord, I want to have a close, daily relationship with You.   Be my best friend.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!   
On Facebook:  Today’s SOAP from Pastor Leon

The Value of Mistakes!

Posted on by
Reply

Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
March 25, 2025: SOAP #5591:  Joshua 21-22; Psalm 47; 1Corinthians 10

SCRIPTURE:  1Corinthians (NIV) 10:11 These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warning for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. 

OBSERVATION:   These things happened TO THEM…as a warning FOR US. In the previous verses, four examples are given:  idolatry, sexual immorality, testing God, and grumbling.  Each was punished by God and recorded so that others would learn.   

APPLICATION:   It is good for me to learn from the mistakes of others.  Although not the only place, surely one of the best places to learn such lessons is in the Bible.  The Bible does not hide the sins and mistakes of leaders.  How I limit my understanding of God’s ways when I neglect reading His Word!   

And it is good to let others learn from my mistakes.  I should not allow the sin of pride to cause me to hide my mistakes from those under my authority or influence, especially from children.  They too will make mistakes, so they need a good example of acknowledging their wrongs.  They need a good example of how to apologize.  They need a good example of how to depend on the indwelling Holy Spirit for the change needed.    

Our lives are too valuable to ignore the lessons to be learned from mistakes.  I can forgive someone their sin against me, but I can also learn from it so that I do not sin against someone else.  And by not hiding my sins, I am allowing others to learn from me. 

PRAYER:   Lord, thank you for the Bible!   Thank you for not covering up the faults of the leaders.  I do not have to be perfect to be used by You.   Lord, may I be a good example of how to repent and apologize to others.  Use me as an example of how to overcome temptation and failure.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!   
On Facebook:  Today’s SOAP from Pastor Leon

He’s my brother…

Posted on by
Reply

Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
March 23, 2025: SOAP #5589:  Joshua 15-17; 1Corinthians 8

SCRIPTURE:  1Corinthians (NIV) 8:12 When you sin against your brothers in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall.

OBSERVATION:   Paul knew that idol gods were really nothing and that meat sold in the market that had been dedicated to those idol gods was good meat; he was free to et that meat.  But if someone believed the idol was really a god and they saw Paul eating meat that had been dedicated to that idol, they may be offended and their spiritual life hindered.  So, Paul would refrain from eating that meat so he would not offend his brother. 

Paul’s love for his brother or sister in the Lord was greater than his desire to exercise his freedom.  Giving up his freedom was not done begrudgingly but willingly and lovingly. 

As I grow in my love for God I begin to value what He values.  If it is important to Him, it is important to me.  Members of His body are clearly important to Him, they should be to me also. 

APPLICATION:   The principle in this verse goes far beyond eating meats dedicated to some idol.  Sacrificing something I am free to do or something that is dear to me should not be a heavy burden when it is for my brother.  I am reminded of the song, “He ain’t heavy; he’s my brother.”  (A phrase popularized by Father Flanagan as the motto for Boy

PRAYER:   Heavenly Father, I want to love my sisters and brothers as you love them.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!   
On Facebook:  Today’s SOAP from Pastor Leon

Just AND Merciful!!!

Posted on by
Reply

Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
March 19, 2025: SOAP #5585:  Joshua 3-6; 1Corinthians 40

SCRIPTURE:  1Corinthians (NIV) 4:2 Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.  3 I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself.  4 My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent.  It is the Lord who judges me.  5 Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes.  He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of people’s hearts.  At that time each will receive their praise from God. 

OBSERVATION:   People who rush to judgment often misjudge because they do not take time to evaluate the hidden motives. 

Some things are judged before their appointed time as being bad, but they are not bad just immature. 

Some things are judged good, but the hidden motives of the heart show that they are not good. 

APPLICATION:   God is the only perfect judge.  He knows me perfectly.  He knows the motives behind my actions.  He knows my weaknesses and immaturities. 

He is a JUST judge requiring full payment for sin.  Yet He is a MERCIFUL judge accepting the death of His own Son, Jesus, as the FULL PAYMENT for my sin!      

PRAYER:   Heavenly Father, I am so thankful that you are my judge.  You know me; you understand me; but best of all, you love me!  You sent your son to die as payment for my sins.  You know my sins, yet when I confess them, you forgive me and give me a clean conscience!  You have forgiven ALL my sins; I give you ALL my life.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!   
On Facebook:  Today’s SOAP from Pastor Leon

God: Working on Two Fronts

Posted on by
Reply

Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
March 17, 2025: SOAP #5583:  Deuteronomy 32-34; 1Corinthians 2

SCRIPTURE:  Deuteronomy (NIV)32:8 When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance, when he divided all mankind, he set up boundaries for the peoples according to the number of the sons of Israel. 9w For the LORD’s portion is his people, Jacob his allotted inheritance.
Ephesians (NIV) 1:18 … the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,
1Peter (NIV) 2:9 …a people belonging to God,…

OBSERVATION:   As Moses was giving his farewell address, he reviewed Israel’s past.  He told them that God is the One who set the boundaries.  Each tribe and people group had their own boundaries.  It defined their possession, that over which they had authority.  Each nation, and each tribe (of Israel) had their assigned area, their inheritance.  BUT where was God’s portion?  God’s portion was His people!  

It is a concept that carries over into the New Testament.  What God gets out of this “earth project” is people. 

APPLICATION:   Today, the Lord is building His church, not a building of wood and stone, but a church of people.  He is preparing a place for us in Heaven, AND He is preparing us for that place where we will rule and reign with Him.  

He is teaching us how to have authority by learning to exercise authority in our own daily lives.  I believe He is preparing us to expand His heavenly kingdom by witnessing and discipling others here on earth.  We are learning the principles of heaven as we learn and exercise kingdom principles in our personal lives, our family lives, and our business lives, or lives interacting with our community. 

God’s portion is us.  He deserves the best portion, a portion well-prepared for eternity with Him!  

God is preparing for eternity by working on two fronts.  Jesus is working in heaven preparing a place (mansion) for me.  AND the Holy Spirit is working here on earth preparing me for that place!  

PRAYER:   Holy Spirit, work in my life, my thoughts, my attitudes, and my actions.  Make me well-prepared for the heavenly place that is now being prepared for me.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!   
On Facebook:  Today’s SOAP from Pastor Leon

Look what the Lord does!!!

Posted on by
Reply

Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
March 16, 2025: SOAP #5582:  Deuteronomy 30-31; Psalm 40; 1Corinthians 1

(The Spirit speaking to me in an old SOAP.)

SCRIPTURE:  1Corinthians (NIV) 1:25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength. … 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no-one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness, and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

OBSERVATION:   Many times, in doing miracles, Jesus gave an assignment to the one(s) in need.  It is notable that Jesus never gave an assignment that proved how wise or how strong they were.  It was always something simple that they were obviously capable of doing.  It was a simple act of obedience proving their faith.  It was washing the mud out of the eyes.  It was having the people sit down in groups of 50.  It was filling the jars with water.  It was casting their net on the other side of the boat.  No one could mistake that their action caused the miracle.  Jesus was the only one receiving the glory. 

APPLICATION:   When a miracle is needed, the pressure is not on me.  He will give me something that I can do.  It might not make any sense to me; it is not designed to make sense to me.  It is designed to demonstrate my faith in Him.  If I hurry and get presumptuous, I get myself in trouble.  I MUST HEAR from Him.  What He says takes priority. 

God did not choose me because of my abilities.  God did not make a list of my strengths and determine where I could best serve Him.  He does not want people to be amazed at what I can do.  He wants them to be amazed at what He can do!

PRAYER:   Lord, I know you are not counting on me to accomplish your will.  You are counting on me being obedient.  You are counting on me listening to your voice and following your Word!  Amen.

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!   
On Facebook:  Today’s SOAP from Pastor Leon

WHAT A CHANGE!

Posted on by
Reply

Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
March 13, 2025: SOAP #5579:  Deuteronomy 22-24; Galatians 4

SCRIPTURE:  Galatians (NIV) 4:7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.

OBSERVATION:   WHAT A CHANGE:  from being a slave to sin, to being a son of God!  From serving sin because I was in bondage, to serving God because I love Him.  And I love Him because He first loved me! 

APPLICATION:   I do not have to serve God—I get to serve God.  It is my privilege to serve Him.  It is my pleasure! 

Because I love Him, I consider myself His servant. 
Because He loves me, He considers me His son! 

Because I love Him and see myself as His servant, I serve Him joyfully. 
Because He loves me and considers me His son, He makes me His heir! 

He is always outdoing me!  That’s just the way He is! 

SOAP Reader: I trust you have found the joy of belonging to the LORD and serving Him out of joy.  He is so worthy; He should never need to twist our arms to serve Him.  We should serve Him willingly and joyfully.  We should consider it our pleasure to be asked to do something for Him. 

PRAYER:   Heavenly Father, I am your creation.  I am your child.  I am your friend.  I am your servant.  I am your son.  I am your heir.  I am blest!  May you be glad that I call you my Father.  May I bring joy to your heart and a smile to your face!  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!   
On Facebook:  Today’s SOAP from Pastor Leon