Tag Archives: paul

Working things for our good and His glory!

Posted on by
Reply

Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
October 26, 2025:  SOAP #5806: Job 17; Acts 24-26

SCRIPTURE:  Acts (NIV) 26:30 The king rose, and with him the governor and Bernice and those sitting with them. 31 They left the room, and while talking with one, they said, “This man is not doing anything that deserves death or imprisonment.” 32 Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.”

OBSERVATION:  Paul had just made his defense before visiting King Agrippa.  In Agrippa’s mind, Paul’s imprisonment was a miscarriage of justice.  Paul was clearly innocent.  Paul should have been set free.   

But God saw things differently.  God saw the big picture.  In Romans 23:11, when Paul was first arrested, the Lord had told Paul that “he must also testify in Rome.”   God was going to use Rome to provide the transportation and the security for the journey. 

Also, Paul would need some settled, quiet time to write letters which would later become part of our Bible.  That time was provided by the Roman imprisonment as Paul wrote letters from prison.

APPLICATION:  More than once, things that appeared so wrong to me proved to be so right!  Instead of letting things get me unsettled in my spirit, I must remember just Who lives inside me; How powerful He is, He loves me immensely; He can turn what is against me to be for me.   God enjoys working thing out for my good and for His glory!

PRAYER:  Heavenly Father, becoming overly alarmed at how bad things are around us may be proof that we are spending way too much time looking at our circumstances.  We need to gaze on You, your wisdom, your power, your ability, your knowledge, your understanding.    Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!   
On Facebook:  Today’s SOAP from Pastor Leon
Also on:  soapsbyleon.wordpress.com

What A Change!

Posted on by
Reply

8Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
March 10, 2025: SOAP #5576:  Deuteronomy 13-15; Galatians 1

SCRIPTURE:  Galatians (NIV) 1:22 I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. 23 They only heard the report: “The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.”

OBSERVATION:   Paul was writing to the church in Galatia and giving some of his own testimony.  What a change Jesus had brought in Paul’s life!  It was a dramatic change, one that could be easily seen by people around him.  Once they feared Paul as he set about persecuting the church; now they praised God because of him.

From an avid supporter and defender of the Jewish law, one whose life was dedicated to keeping the Law pure, Saul/Paul was changed into one able to present the truth of Jesus from the Old Testament scriptures; into one who could not be stopped by beatings and whippings; into one willing to be in prison to defend Jesus; to one willing to give his own life because of what He believed to be truth!!!   What a change! 

Down through the ages, the change in Saul’s/Paul’s life been a key in bringing people to Jesus.  Like those in Galatia who had only heard about the change, since then people have only read about the change.  Paul’s testimony has been powerfully used by the Holy Spirit to bring change to others. 

APPLICATION:   May people today see the difference in our lives from what we used to be and the difference from those who have not yet had the great blessing of making Jesus the Lord of their lives.  What a change He has made in our lives.  It is a change that cannot be hidden. 

PRAYER:   Lord, you made a great change in Paul’s life (who was later known as the Apostle Paul.)  Now that you are living in me, I know you are still making changes in my life.  Use the changes to demonstrate the great benefit that comes with your Presence in a life.  Amen

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

Oh, what a change!!!

Posted on by
Reply

Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
February 2, 2025: SOAP #5540:  Exodus 33-34; Psalm 16; Acts 9

SCRIPTURE:  Acts (NIV) 9:19 …Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. 20 At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. 21 All those who heard him were astonished and asked, “Isn’t he the man who caused havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?” 22 Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ. 23 After many days had gone by, the Jews conspired to kill him,

OBSERVATION:   What a change!  Paul was on a trip to Damascus to take those who believed in Jesus as prisoner and take them before the religious court, probably to kill them.  That is the way it started, but Jesus interrupted Paul’s trip and Paul came to believe that Jesus was the promised Messiah for which the Jews were waiting.  Before leaving Damascus, he preached powerful sermons proving that Jesus is the Christ.  He even became a target of being potentially killed

APPLICATION:  No one can change a life like Jesus!  When He comes into a person’s life and is given the place as Lord, He makes changes!   Our nation is presently undergoing great changes as we have a new president!   Every day, the news has stories about how President Trump has changed something.  But the political changes are small compared to the changes Christ brings to our lives.  2Corinthians 5:17 says “if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come.  The old has gone, the new is here!”

PRAYER:  Lord, what a special blessing it is to be a “new creation” in you.  Life is not boring with you because every day you have something new for us.  Being faithful in reading your word, in prayer, in consciously being aware of your presence all day long keeps us spiritually alert for a new adventure with you.  Amen.

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