Lies!

For Tuesday, April 7, 2026:

Matthew 28:11 NLT: “As the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and told the leading priests what had happened.”

The tomb was discovered open, and the body of Jesus was missing. This is exactly what the Jews didn’t want to happen. That’s why guards were placed at the tomb. But what happened next is even more unbelievable.

The leading priests met with the elders and agreed to pay a large bribe, asking the guards to lie. They told the soldiers, “You must say, ‘Jesus’ disciples came during the night while we were sleeping, and they stole his body.’’’ Religious leaders without truth have no platform on which to stand. Lying violates every commandment that they teach.

Verse 15 concludes this section: “So the guards accepted the bribe and said what they were told to say. Their story spread widely among the Jews, and they still tell it today.”

Question: Why would anyone stick with a religion predicated on a lie? This is one more example of religion getting seriously off-track. God rescued his people from Egypt and gave them the Promised Land. Then God’s Son came to Earth to rectify mankind’s sin problem. Forgiven, the people should reconcile with the Lord, not be fighting over the authenticity of the Son. God had everything worked out until mankind lied. It’s like the Garden of Eden all over again!

God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Love all three and love your neighbor, and the Lord will smile on you!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Off to Egypt!

February 9, 2026, Monday Message:

Matthew 2:13b NLT: “Get up! Flee to Egypt with the child and his mother,” the angel said to Joseph. “Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”

Fortunately, Joseph and Mary had experience with angels. They had experienced heavenly sightings previously, and everything the angel had told them always came true. A trust relationship had been established.

So when this angel told them to flee to Egypt, they quickly packed and got going. Their child was said to be the “King of the Jews.” And the problem was that Herod believed he was king! And Herod doesn’t want any competition for first place!

This all happened right after the Magi’s visit, so the holy family had adequate resources to sustain a trip to a foreign land. The Wise Men outfoxed Herod and returned home via a different route without ever reporting back to him. This angered Herod, and when he couldn’t locate Jesus, he ordered ALL the male children under two years of age to be killed. There was much wailing and sorrow in that part of Israel, all because of one sanctimonious narcissist.

Believers should rejoice that Jesus and family could seek asylum in a nearby foreign country. Nonresident aliens aren’t welcomed everywhere, and Jesus needed to reach adulthood before his ministry could begin. His primary mission was to take away the sins of the world, allowing mankind to mend our relationship with God Almighty, and we’ve seen that!

Thank you, Father God, for ensuring the completion of your Son’s mission. Thank you, Father, for providing your Son for the rescue of all believers. Thank you for Assurance of Salvation!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

Red Sea Challenge!

 For Saturday, November 15, 2025:

Hebrews 11:29 NLT: “It was by faith that the people of Israel went right through the Red Sea as though they were on dry ground. But when the Egyptians tried to follow, they were all drowned.”

I love Hebrews chapter 11 – example after example of faith in action. To these Christian heroes, it made more sense to have faith in a God they could not see rather than to count on anything beneficial from their current situation.

With God, anything is possible. There is nothing you can’t accomplish with the Father and his Son on your side. We willingly join and trust the “God Team,” so that when we need to call out for help, we’re all on the same page with the group that holds all the power. Jesus says that without him, you will accomplish nothing!

Hollywood made today’s scripture into a movie. Charlton Heston, a big, strong, action-movie type, portrayed Moses. Should have been a small, wiry Jewish guy! Oh well... He led the Hebrews out of Egypt, but they reached a dead end at the Red Sea. In the movie, God allows Moses to part the sea, a wall of water on each side, and dry sand underneath. Beautiful! The Hebrews all crossed successfully, and then the waters flowed back together, drowning those in pursuit. Good movie with a happy ending for the Hebrews! Not so much so for the Egyptians.

But remember, the real lesson isn’t in the event itself. It’s about having unwavering faith in the God who would orchestrate such an event in their favor. We all need that confidence in the Lord, unshakable faith that never ends. Believers are saved by grace, God’s gift to us, through faith, God’s assurance of salvation!

Blessings,

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

"All-in" Faith!

November 10, 2025, Monday Message:

Hebrews 11:22 NLT: “It was by faith that Joseph, when he was about to die, said confidently that the people of Israel would leave Egypt. He even commanded them to take his bones with them when they left.”

This is one more demonstration of faith, and a good example for us. Joseph’s story is unique. He was Rachel’s firstborn but Jacob’s 11^th son, and as it turned out, Jacob’s favorite. Joseph was gifted the famous “coat of many colors,” but a better translation might be “a coat with sleeves.” Men who worked outside in cold weather wore thick vests with no sleeves, leaving their arms unencumbered to perform the required tasks. But Joseph’s coat with sleeves meant he wasn’t required to perform physical work. The elder brothers didn’t like that. Jealousy set in, and eventually the siblings kidnapped their younger brother, leaving him in a pit in the wilderness. He was rescued by Egyptians and subsequently became a servant of Pharaoh.

It all fell apart when Pharaoh’s wife took a liking to Joseph. That landed Joseph in prison until he interpreted Pharaoh’s dream. Joseph’s interpretations were given to him by God, so the grateful Pharaoh restored Joseph’s position, making him kind of like “Secretary of State” for Egypt.

When drought resulted in a food shortage in Canaan, the Israelites traveled to Egypt seeking assistance. In a way only God could plan, the person to grant aid was in the line of Israel’s patriarchs. Of course, Joseph would help his people!

To summarize, Joseph had an unshakable belief in God and God’s ability to make things right. It’s called faith! God had protected him while growing up, and protected him as he was kidnapped. God protected him as he was taken to Egypt and given a good job in Pharaoh’s court. Pharaoh’s wife lied, landing Joseph in prison, where he was protected. God’s truth pleased Pharaoh, and Joseph was restored to a key government position, exactly where God wanted him to be when his Israelite brethren needed assistance!

Joseph’s faith never ended. His faith never got wishy-washy. He was “all in,” forever a fan of the Almighty. More about “all in” faith tomorrow!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Passover!

For Sunday, September 7, 2025:

Mark 14:16 NLT: “Two disciples went into the city and found everything just as Jesus had said, and they prepared the Passover meal there.”

We can look at Jesus in two different ways. First, we call him the “Son of God.” After all, he came to earth as a little baby, as if he were somebody’s son. But we can also think of Jesus as God himself, as one-third of our triune God, fully God and fully human!

Now let’s look at Passover. The final plague as part of liberating Hebrew people from Egyptian slavery, was the death of every firstborn in the land. To protect the Hebrews from this plague, they were told to sacrifice a lamb and mark their doorposts with its blood. Then the angel of death would “pass over” those homes. Through Moses, God told them to remember this goodness annually, hence the Passover meal.

Jesus and his associates were obedient to God’s request. Not sharing a Passover feast would have been out of the question. They were welcomed into a home and given the upper room, and God’s goodness was celebrated!

Similarly, Jesus’ blood was shed to free mankind from our sin predicament. Jesus is our Passover lamb. God said that without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness. Jesus’ blood was shed for us, and we are the beneficiaries of his forgiveness. Following that sacrifice, Jesus went ahead to prepare a place for all believers. Hope to see you there!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Hypocrisy!

For Friday, May 30, 2025:

Luke 12:1b NLT, Jesus warning his disciples: “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees—their hypocrisy.”

This was a good analogy. The Hebrew people were all familiar with yeast. As they fled Egypt, God told them to make bread without yeast. It takes time for yeast to rise, and they didn’t have any extra time. When God said to get going, they needed to get going right away. Flatbread, bread with no yeast, isn’t light and fluffy, but it’s fast. When made with einkorn, it’s just as nutritious.

Jesus is comparing the false doctrine of the Pharisees to yeast. A little bit of yeast can raise a big batch of bread. A little bit of hypocrisy can grow into laws, traditions and ceremonies that overtake the fundamental religion. Suddenly, the made-up stuff is the focus, and the foundation is forgotten.

Our Savior is reminding the faithful to stick with what is true. Listen to what Jesus said; read your Bibles. Nowadays, many denominations are peddling yeast – a big show with little foundation, just like the Pharisees did. Religion with yeast may look big and fluffy and attract a lot of attention, but most of it isn’t true. Most of it isn’t required.

Don’t be taken in by a religion full of yeast!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

God vs Calf?

For Wednesday, February 26, 2025:

Exodus 32:1 NLT: When the Israelites saw how long it was taking Moses to come back down the mountain, they gathered around Aaron. “Come on,” they said, “make us some gods who can lead us. We don’t know what happened to this fellow Moses, who brought us here from the land of Egypt.”

Impatient and fickle. Ungrateful and totally wrong! “Please, Aaron, make a god for us.” Dumbest request ever! I can’t believe Aaron fell for it. Moses’ brother should have known better, but it’s hard to oppose mob mentality.

The throng thought God was taking too long. They thought Moses was taking too long. They decided that if the real God wasn’t getting it done, they would make a god of their own. A golden calf. Bad decision. No one can make a God anything like our Creator God!

The Israelites must have short memories, forgetting all God did to get them out of Egypt. They must have forgotten the 10 plagues, culminating with the firstborn of everything in Egypt dying – everything except what was in the Hebrew camp! Had they forgotten the Passover? God said to never forget that and to celebrate it annually!

The behavior of these people disgusts me. If I were God, I’d feel like wiping them off the face of the earth, and he almost did until Moses intervened on their behalf.

Nowadays, “golden calf” is a synonym for anything that may look good but is fake and actually worthless. Idol, graven image, false god, pagan symbol and even the almighty dollar are listed. (Dollars are only valuable here on earth; they have no eternal value!)

So friends, don’t fall for any golden calf stuff. Focus on God Almighty, and as Paul said, “Keep your eye on the prize!”

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

Compassion!

For Wednesday, February 19, 2025:

Exodus 22:21 NLT: God’s words, telling Moses what he must teach the Israelites: “You must not mistreat or oppress foreigners in any way. Remember, you yourselves were once foreigners in the land of Egypt.”

We should all remember where we came from. If you were mistreated in Egypt, resolve to do better than the Egyptians did when foreigners enter your land.

Aliens walk a tightrope. They want to follow the traditions and rules from their homeland, but also honor the laws of the country where they now live. If someone does not follow the rules of their new country, they will not be welcomed.

What is your background? If you were ever in jail or prison, you should show compassion toward those who are incarcerated. If you were delivered from addiction, counsel and assist those still fighting the devil. If your life is pretty good, then freely share the Gospel with your fellows. They deserve to know Jesus just like you do!

You do know Jesus, don’t you?

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Convinced!

For Thursday, February 13, 2025:

Exodus 18:10 NLT: “Praise the Lord,” said Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law and priest of Midian, “for he has rescued you from the Egyptians and from Pharaoh. Yes, he has rescued Israel from the powerful hand of Egypt!”

Moses explained to Jethro all the good things God had done for the people of Israel. Jethro was the priest where Moses had been living before the Lord called him to lead the Israelites. Even though Jethro believed in God and led others in that direction, a sign from the Lord would convince him absolutely. A sign from above would cement his relationship with God.

Jethro continued v11: “I know now that the Lord is greater than all other gods, because he rescued his people from the oppression of the proud Egyptians.” The only thing he got wrong is that there really are no other gods – only the one God!

Q: Are you waiting for a sign from above to know that God’s real? Did God already perform a miracle in your presence, but you missed it, you weren’t watching for it?

God wants us to keep our eyes and ears open. He wants us to see everything he’s doing, and appreciate it! When things happen around me that defy human explanation, I attribute them to God, or at least to angels that God sends. I can’t logically explain why some diseases get cured, why chains of addiction are broken, why misdirected lives suddenly become productive. Some people are born a second time, delivered far from Satan. Their lives are changed forever. These good things must be God things. Watch for them!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Lift Up Holy Hands!

For Thursday, February 13, 2025:

Exodus 17:8 NLT: “While the people of Israel were still at Rephidim, the warriors of Amalek attacked them.”

Joshua’s team was sent to defend the Israelites against Amalek’s attack. Meanwhile, Moses, Aaron and Hur climbed to a mountain top. When Moses lifted his staff toward heaven, God gave the people of Israel the advantage. But Moses was old, weak and tired, soon unable to lift his hands any longer. So Aaron and Hur stood on either side of Moses, each of them lifting one of his hands. As a result, Joshua overwhelmed the army of Amalek.

After they were victorious, God told Moses, “I will erase the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” And I ask you, friends, have you heard of any Amalek people anywhere on the earth nowadays? God’s word is always good! What did the Amalek people do wrong? “They raised their fist against the Lord.” Bad decision, and as you’d expect, God won!

As we follow the people of Israel on their journey from Egypt to Canaan, note the relationship Moses has with the Lord. Whenever a challenging situation arises, Moses runs the problem past God, who always seems to have a solution. And when God’s intervention can assist the Israelites, he contacts Moses. This is a 2-way and yet unequal partnership. Yes, God desires a relationship with his people, but the true beneficiary is always Moses and the Israelites.

Q: Do you have such a relationship with God? Is he your partner, your consultant as you do life? When life drops a roadblock in your path, is God your rescuer? If you maintain a 2-way relationship with your Creator, you and the people around you will be the beneficiaries! That’s how it works!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Water, Please!

For Wednesday, February 12, 2025:

Exodus 16:3 NLT: “In Rephidim, the Israelites continued to argue with Moses. ‘Why did you bring us out of Egypt? Are you trying to kill us, our children, and our livestock with thirst?’”

Moses was frustrated by the people’s lack of faith in the Lord. In desperation, he called out to God: “What should I do with these people? They are ready to stone me!”

“Is the Lord here with us or not?” That was the question of the day. The fickle people are wondering if perhaps God had abandoned them – the same God who said, ‘I will never leave you or forsake you!’ Moses asks it as a rhetorical question. He already knows the answer. God is indeed with them all, directing their every step from Egypt to Canaan. But why can’t these people of Israel show faith, make a decision to trust the Lord, and then stick with it? Good question! It’s no different than what we need to do today – trust God and His Son through faith and then stick with our decision.

Once again God came through for his people. He told Moses to strike the rock on Mt. Sinai with his staff, and water would come gushing out. Problem solved. Everything happened just as God said it would. Would this ignite the faith of the Israelites? We’ll see...

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Celebration!

For Saturday, February 8, 2025:

Exodus 14:31 NLT: “When the people of Israel saw the mighty power that the Lord had unleashed against the Egyptians, they were filled with awe before him. They put their faith in the Lord and in his servant Moses.”

Humans are fickle. One minute they think that God is the greatest thing ever, and the next they forget about him. For all that God had done – all the plagues and now their journey out of Egypt – some Israelites were still wishy-washy about the Lord. But now, with the parting of the Red Sea and all the Hebrews escaping to the other side, but the Egyptian army being crushed by the returning water, the fence sitters were convinced. God had been extremely good to the Jews and all were amazed!

When God has been that good, the proper response would be to exalt the Lord, to lift up his name. Praise and worship are the order of the day, and that’s just what they did. The people of Israel gathered and sang hymns, but that wasn’t enough for Miriam the prophet, Moses and Aaron’s sister. She grabbed a tambourine and led the women as they sang and danced even more before the Lord.

While that celebration was good, we should all be celebrating the Lord every day. God deserves praise and worship whether or not he has done anything spectacular. He is still God, the creator of everything in the universe. He is our creator, our Father in heaven. So grab your tambourine and sing a song to the Lord today! Dance if you’re so inclined!

Psalm 150:3-5 “Praise him with a blast of the ram’s horn; praise him with the lyre and harp! Praise him with the tambourine and dancing; praise him with strings and flutes! Praise him with a clash of cymbals; praise him with loud clanging cymbals!”

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