Good Intent!

For Wednesday, September 24, 2025:

Mark 14:38 NLT, Jesus speaking to Simon: “Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”

That the body (or the flesh) is weak is an understatement. Romans 7 says it best. “18. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. 19. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. 20. But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.”

Another way of explaining it: “14. The trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin. 15. I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. 16. But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. 17. So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.”

Just because we acknowledge the truth doesn’t mean that we can live our lives perfectly. We need to combine knowledge of God’s Laws with obedience to make it so. It may be time to send a couple of demons packing! At least then we would level the playing field! If sin is cast out, if we’ve been delivered, we have a shot at keeping sin at bay. But if sin still dominates our lives, obedience doesn’t stand a chance.

We can choose to live God’s way, and that’s a good choice!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Passover!

For Friday, February 21, 2025:

Exodus 23:15 CJB: “Keep the festival of matzah: for seven days, as I ordered you, you are to eat matzah at the time determined in the month of Aviv; for it was in that month that you left Egypt. No one is to appear before me empty-handed.”

Passover celebrates the rescue of God’s people from Egyptian slavery. Getting 2.5M people out of Egypt wasn’t going to be easy! So God orchestrated 10 plagues on Egypt, until Pharaoh not only let the Hebrew people go, but insisted that they leave! God said to never forget what he did! Enough with the plagues!

They ate bread without yeast so it didn’t need time to rise, so that it could be prepared quickly. When God said, “Get going,” promptness was the order of the day! The Jews also kept their walking stick by their side, and tucked their tunic inside their trousers so they could run quickly.

Passover was the day the Hebrew people were delivered. Easter, Resurrection Sunday celebrates the day Christians were delivered. We should never forget what a good thing God did for us!

Jesus conquered sin and death on the same day!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Faith Again!

For Friday, February 7, 2025:

Exodus 14:21 NLT: “Moses raised his hand over the sea, and the Lord opened up a path through the water with a strong east wind. The wind blew all that night, turning the seabed into dry land.”

This is the part of the story that everyone knows! The people of Israel walked through the middle of the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on each side! That’s right, all 2.5M of them, safely on the other side!

Soon the Egyptian armies and chariots chased after the Israelites, but God Almighty had two more things in mind. First, he ‘confused’ the Egyptian pursuers. With walls of water on each side, they were directionally challenged, and bent chariot wheels made progress impossible. Finally, God had Moses raise his hand again, the east wind stopped and the waters came back together, covering the Egyptians. God not only delivered the Hebrews out of Egypt, but he also delivered them from being chased down.

And when the people of Israel saw the mighty power that the Lord had unleashed against the Egyptians, they were filled with awe. They put their faith in the Lord and in his servant Moses.

Q: Has God ever helped with a major change in your life? Has he rescued you from a perilous situation? Has he delivered you from demons and similar oppressors?

When you and I see the mighty power of the Lord, it should be obvious that he deserves all our faith and trust. God will never abandon us, so we shouldn’t ever abandon him. Today is the accepted day to commit or re-commit ourselves to the Lord!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Press On!

For Sunday, June 18, 2023:

Philippians 3:14 NLT: “I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.”

Motivational speakers tell their listeners to first set a goal. If it’s not clear where you’re going, how will you know when you have arrived? Define what it is that you’re trying to achieve. Then you can divide that into incremental steps, and check things off as progress is being made.

Everyone knew about Greece’s national foot-races, the forerunner of today’s Olympics. The prize was often a wreath of olive branches, not particularly valuable but extremely coveted. Runners were told to keep their eye on the prize. Imagine yourself wearing the wreath! Picture yourself receiving accolades from your peers!

So Paul is comparing our journey towards heaven with a Greek race, something with which his audience would be familiar. There may be missteps along the way, but that’s not the issue. The Christian prize has eternal ramifications, and we are counseled to not get off on a side track. We’re to keep our eyes on victory, on the big prize. Jesus has already done most of the running for us, so have faith in him and in the Father. Remember that Jesus’ mission was to rescue mankind, and he always does a good job!

Celebrate your progress in the eternity race! Be joyful! Let your face know!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

False Prophets

For Thursday, May 18, 2023:

1 John 4:1 NLT: “Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world.”

John is advising believers to test spiritual occurrences and religious leaders. Many, many false teachers and false prophets stand ready to lead us astray. There are both evil spirits, and spirits from the Lord, and we are being taught to be discerning. This is especially important for congregational leaders.

Believing in Jesus is a prerequisite for all who teach in a religious setting. If the spirit does not acknowledge the Son of God, they are not speaking for God. Also remember that God doesn’t change his position on sin, and God never contradicts himself. If something was wrong yesterday, it’s still wrong today.

Good news: Believers are delivered from the spirit of the Antichrist!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship