Idols = Bad!

For Saturday, April 5, 2025:

John 14:24a NLT, Jesus speaking: “Anyone who doesn’t love me will not obey me.”

As Jesus draws closer to the cross, he leaves urgent last-minute instructions and theological details with the believers. (John chapter 14) We’ve been reviewing his thoughts as we draw closer to Holy Week, Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday (Easter.)

Our Father in Heaven freely admits that he’s a jealous God. He has no time for those who pursue idols and false gods. The God we love is the Creator of the universe, while a statuette just sits there doing nothing. The God who gave us brains and reasoning is dumbfounded when people fall for a false god – makes no sense! Nowadays, idols can be work, hobby, sport or some other false religion – anything that competes with the real God for first place in our lives.

If someone has no time for God, God will have no time for them. Love is reciprocal. It’s easy to spot the wolf in sheep’s clothing, someone faking love for the Lord. Jesus instructed his followers to love the Lord and love their neighbors. If someone spends no time with God and/or has no compassion for their neighbor’s predicament, they’re probably not a believer.

Those who love Jesus obey his commands and put his instructions in motion. Believers are filled with the joy of the Lord, and God is pleased with their efforts. Believers have been recruited to play on Jesus’ team! Get in the game!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Offering!

For Tuesday, March 18, 2025:

Leviticus 22:18b, 19a, 20 NLT: The Lord instructed Moses, “If someone presents a gift as a burnt offering to the Lord, whether it is to fulfill a vow or is a voluntary offering, they will be accepted only if the offering is a male animal with no defects. Do not present an animal with defects, because the Lord will not accept it on your behalf.”

The Lord, being God, deserves nothing but the best. We should treat God better than anyone else. It means nothing to sacrifice an animal with one foot already in the grave. Therefore we offer the Lord our finest. He should get our first fruits, not our leftovers.

God admits that he can tend to be jealous. He doesn’t want mankind giving someone or something else credit for his goodness and generosity.

Nowadays we don’t sacrifice animals, but we are called to support our home church. A tithe, 10%, is a good starting place. But at the New Testament church, people would often give sacrificially. They would sell livestock or real estate and donate the proceeds to the church. Don’t lie about doing that. (See Acts ch. 5.) Loving our Lord, we should give joyfully, not begrudgingly.

It’s often said that loving Jesus is a “relationship.” Being a member of the Holy Family should put a smile on your face and joy in your heart!

Pastor Norton Lawellin
Jesus In the City Fellowship

Jealous God!

For Sunday, March 2, 2025:

Exodus 34:12 NLT: God, speaking to Moses: “Be very careful never to make a treaty with the people who live in the land where you are going. If you do, you will follow their evil ways and be trapped.”

God decided to settle the Hebrew people in Israel. God’s decision. A Rabbi once told me, “It’s our land. God gave it to us!”

Of course the people previously living in the land weren’t happy with God’s decision, and we’ve witnessed conflict in the Middle East for over 3k years. Those people worshiped other gods and made idols. God said, “You must worship no other gods, for the Lord, whose very name is Jealous, is a God who is jealous about his relationship with you.” Remember the covenant: “I will be your God, and you will be my people.” God sees this relationship as a marriage. If some other god is worshiped, our God considers that adultery!

God knows his people, their weaknesses and their trends. If they were to intermarry with the locals, idols could be brought into their homes. If they shared a meal sacrificed to a false god, they would be supporting that god. God’s people were told to, “Break down their pagan altars, smash their sacred pillars, and cut down their Asherah poles.“ Our Creator-God has no patience for other-god stuff.

Nowadays we must tread carefully. If we are called to “make disciples of all nations,” we must have some interaction with nonbelievers. But we need to have our feet firmly planted in a Christian community that then sends us to evangelize, and to which we can safely return. We are not to join with the pagans, but they are welcome to worship our God, the jealous God!

Acknowledging our God as the only God isn’t negotiable; it’s a fact; it’s truth. Through His Son Jesus, he’s willing to forgive our past and include us in his eternal Kingdom. Hope to see you there!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship