Jesus' Team!

For Tuesday, October 1, 2024:

1 John 4:6 NLT: “We belong to God, and those who know God listen to us. If they do not belong to God, they do not listen to us. That is how we know if someone has the Spirit of truth or the spirit of deception.”

The Lord separates the sheep from the goats, and the sheep know their Shepherd’s voice and follow him. Goats of the world don’t (yet) know the Shepherd’s voice. They don’t listen to him and won’t follow him – unless God has opened their ears! My church calls them “not yet believers,” but still “potential believers.”

Jesus: “Anyone who has ears to hear should listen and understand.” The irony is that those who really need to hear the Gospel may have closed their minds to any new way of living. Believers can shout Good News at the top of their lungs, but unless the Holy Spirit has opened the ears and the minds of unbelievers, they will never hear or understand the redeeming message.

Jesus: “Whoever is not with me is against me.” It’s generally easy to tell who is on Jesus’ side. Those who adopt his lifestyle and value system are most likely “in.” But we still need to be cautious. Satan will lurk like a snake in the grass, unseen until he strikes out at the most inconvenient time!

So seek refuge in Father God’s lap in his big chair. Just as light and darkness cannot coexist, good and evil cannot coexist. Therefore the closer you are to God, the more you’ll be protected from evil!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship