Circumstances!

For Thursday, April 18, 2024:

Philippians 1:12-13 NLT: “I want you to know, my dear brothers and sisters, that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News. For everyone here, including the whole palace guard, knows that I am in chains because of Christ.”

Paul was called to be an evangelist. He was to share the Good News of Jesus with the Gentile world. Pretty big territory, but Paul accepted the challenge!

If I had known Paul back then, I might have grown weary of hearing his story over and over. This guy Jesus – that’s all Paul ever talked about! Although he had trained to be a Pharisee, Paul lost favor within the Hebrew community when he started preaching Salvation and Good News. Although they rallied against him, Paul never ceased his preaching efforts!

Rome also had a problem with Jesus. The Romans were taught that the current emperor was a deity, a god. Loyalty to Paul and his Savior conflicted with that Roman teaching. Therefore Paul found himself writing to the Philippians from inside a prison cell. Did that stop Paul from evangelizing? Certainly not! He looked at this as another opportunity to tell people about Jesus!

By this time, Paul’s guards had figured out that he was non-violent, and in an odd way they all became friends. So why not tell them about Jesus? Paul accepted his circumstances and freely shared the Gospel with other prisoners and with the prison guards, many of whom believed and were saved! Paul’s willingness to relinquish his freedom in order to stand up for Jesus was quite a convincing testimony!

Paul was on a mission trip, and we all should be on a mission trip. Our assignment straight from Jesus’ lips is to make disciples of all nations, in other words to share the Good News and show others the way to salvation. Don’t ever feel unqualified. If Paul can teach, evangelize and encourage while imprisoned, surely we can overcome any obstacle in our path.

Jesus assigned the work; now get going!

Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Brothers and Sisters!

For Wednesday, April 17, 2024:

Colossians 3:11 NLT: “Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.”

Take a moment and think about how much better the world would be if everyone lived according to the teaching of Jesus. I mean everyone, no exceptions!

If all of mankind lived by the words of Jesus, Putin would have never invaded Ukraine. It’s wrong on so many levels. And Hamas would have never attacked Israel. They’re neighbors, probably cousins; they should get along better! And if Israel had never been attacked, they’d have no reason to retaliate against Gaza, where the bad guys live. Making sure Gaza had enough food would be a priority, not a punishment.

How many times can the good guys turn the other cheek when so much of the world is out of step with Jesus’ teaching? Consider our situation from God’s point of view. When the Messiah was coming to earth, God provided a home for him within the Jewish nation. But now that Jesus has come and gone, does any good thinking persist for separating countries and races? Paul, who heard directly from Jesus on the road to Damascus, says ‘no.’

There is no longer slave or free, Jew or Gentile, and no more black or white. The world should be filled with brothers and sisters in Christ. He is our all in all, our best example for how we should live the rest of our lives.

Jesus said that we should even love our enemies!

Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

It Is Finished!

For Tuesday, April 16, 2024:

Philippians 1:6 NLT: “I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.”

Israel is situated along the eastern edge of the Mediterranean Sea. If you sailed north and west over 800 miles, crossing the Aegean Sea and then another 25 miles inland, you’d find Philippi, home of the Philippian church. It’s well over 1,000 miles if you’re walking. I find it remarkable that the Good News would spread that far in Paul’s short lifetime! Keep in mind, though, that the population was primed for worship; they were determined to worship something. They prayed to the sun and the moon. They prayed for good weather and bountiful crops. They built elaborate temples to worship these idols. They knew about worship but had not yet identified the true God. Jesus was the answer, and many were now onboard!

God never starts a project and then abandons it, leaving it halfway finished. Some projects like the church in Philippi or like your church are on a perpetual growth trend. Knowledge increases and growth continues until Jesus returns. We as individuals should also be on a growth trend until Jesus returns or until God calls us home. (Churches are managed by people with human faults, so don’t be surprised if the church takes two steps forward, and then one backward! Churches aren’t perfect! But if you wait to find the perfect situation, you’ll never know fellowship!)

Has God finished his work in you? I suspect not! None of us is better than all the others seeking to be good Christians. But don’t worry – God will never give up on you! In fact, he’ll keep feeding you knowledge every day of your life! The day you’re called home will be the closest you’ve ever been to the Lord!

God always finishes what he starts!

Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship