Passover!

For Wednesday, April 1, 2026, Passover:

Genesis 17:7 NLT, The Father’s words: “I will confirm my covenant with you and your descendants after you, from generation to generation. This is the everlasting covenant: I will always be your God and the God of your descendants after you.”

The simplified version is, “I will be your God, and you will be my people!” This was God’s promise, God’s covenant with Abram and his descendants. God’s word is always good; God’s word is always truth. God will never renege on his promises. Hence, His commitment to the Hebrew people suffering under slavery in Egypt. It’s a long story, so I’ll jump right to the end,

God called Moses to approach Pharaoh, telling him to “Let my people go!” Pharaoh refused, so God set 10 disastrous plagues loose upon Egypt, the last being the death of the firstborn of everything. That’s right, the firstborn of all – livestock and people – would be visited by the angel of death. This was Pharaoh’s breaking point. He not only let the Hebrews go; he demanded that they get out of town! Of course, he later changed his mind, and most of the Egyptian army was lost in the Red Sea incident.

As for the Hebrews, God told them to have a lamb dinner the night before, and then mark their doorposts with the lamb’s blood. This would be a sign for the angel of death to bypass that house, hence the name, “Passover.” They were told to eat standing up, with their walking-stick in hand and their togas tucked inside their belts. God wanted everybody prepared for when it was time to go.

The Israelites were told to teach their children about God’s goodness as he rescued them from Egypt. Teach about the oppression, the plagues and about God’s eventual deliverance of them back to the Promised Land.

God’s words to Abram: “I will give the entire land of Canaan to you and your descendants. It will be their possession forever, and I will be their God.”

Jesus’ words to believers: “I will never leave you or forsake you!”

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Moses - All In!

For Tuesday, November 11, 2025:

Hebrews 11:26 NLT: “Moses thought it was better to suffer for the sake of Christ than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his great reward.”

Moses had been adopted by Pharaoh’s daughter and was in line to inherit the wealth of Egypt. But after some investigation and using common sense, he knew he wasn’t an Egyptian. He looked more like those who were servants to the Egyptians. He was Hebrew through and through! Now, he could have kept quiet and continued to enjoy the privileges of Egyptian royalty. But he did not! When Moses saw Egyptians unfairly beating a Hebrew, Moses rose to the man’s defense. They fought, the Egyptian was killed, and Moses knew it was time to get out of town!

At that time, Moses had not met the God of his people. Yet he chose to support this unseen God. Having been raised up in the Royal Palace, Moses didn’t have a religious upbringing. That all changed when God spoke to Moses from a burning bush that did not consume itself.

God said to tell Pharaoh, “Let my people go!”

Moses replied, “You’ve got the wrong guy!”

God didn’t change his mind, “Take your brother Aaron with you. He’s better at speaking.”

God didn’t back down, and Moses found himself standing before Pharaoh. “Let my people go!” Despite Pharaoh’s persistent reluctance to let the Hebrews leave, 10 plagues later, they were crossing the Red Sea, on their way to the promised land.

Moses was “all in” for the Hebrew God. He did not renege on the faith question, even when others around him were faltering. It was God who spoke to Moses from the burning bush. He was therefore 100% convinced, and nothing could change his mind. He was “all in!”

Are you “all in” for God? Could anything change your mind? I sure hope not!

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

Omni-present!

For Wednesday, January 22, 2025:

Exodus 7:3 NLT, God speaking: “I will make Pharaoh’s heart stubborn so I can multiply my miraculous signs and wonders in the land of Egypt.”

It’s important for us to understand what was going on in Egypt at that time. God had been telling Pharaoh – through Moses and Aaron – to “Let my people go!” But now God says he will harden the heart of Pharaoh. Therefore Pharaoh won’t comply. On the surface, this action seems contrary to the stated goal. Seems like this could forestall the project’s completion.

But let us not forget that God can multitask, do more than one thing at the same time. The primary goal was to liberate the Hebrews from Egyptian slavery. But while God’s doing that, wouldn’t it be great to let all of Egypt know that there is indeed a God, and to let them know who it is – the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – Yahweh – the creator of all things! The same miracles (plagues) God would use to change Pharaoh’s heart would also convince all of Egypt that there is indeed a God Almighty, since the only explanation for the events about to occur would be divine intervention.

So friends, sit back and relax as God does his thing. We can relax more than Moses since we already know the conclusion. Sit with the faithful, the believers. Be patient. We know that eventually we’ll see the Hebrews leave Egypt!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship