Flies!

For Sunday, January 26, 2025:

Exodus 8:20b-21 NLT: “Say to Pharaoh, ‘This is what the Lord says: Let my people go, so they can worship me. If you refuse, then I will send swarms of flies on you, your officials, your people, and all the houses. The Egyptian homes will be filled with flies, and the ground will be covered with them.”

Looks like the gnats grew up! Big, nasty, obnoxious flies, everywhere – except the region of Goshen, where the Hebrews lived! Yes, the Jews were exempted from plague #4, the flies.

The Lord did just as he had said. A thick swarm of flies filled Pharaoh’s palace and the houses of his officials. The whole land of Egypt was thrown into chaos by the flies!

Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron. That seems logical. Since Moses was the one who prophesied flies everywhere, it makes sense that he could also remove them. To accomplish this, Pharaoh agreed to let God’s people go into the wilderness to worship their God. Moses warned, “Pharaoh, don’t lie to us again and refuse to let the people go to sacrifice to the Lord.” So Moses prayed for plague #4 to end the next day, and sure enough, the flies disappeared.

But once again Pharaoh changed his mind, reneged on his promise to let God’s people go. His hardened heart took precedence over doing the right thing, over honoring his word.

I’ve heard a pastor challenge his congregation: “Think this through to its logical conclusion.” Pharaoh perhaps doesn’t know who he’s up against – the Creator of the Universe! He will learn soon enough! And logically, Pharaoh, as mighty as he is, will never succeed in a battle against the Lord God Almighty. Pharaoh will soon understand that it’s God’s way or the highway!

When faced with decisions in our lives, we too should understand that it’s God’s way or the highway – and that’s the highway to hell! God’s way is always the right way, and if we’re stubborn and choose to disagree, we won’t win! Think it through to its logical conclusion. God Almighty always wins, and God Almighty is always right! Believers choose to play on God’s team!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Bricks, Schmicks!

For Sunday, January 19, 2025:

Exodus 5:9 NLT, Pharaoh speaking: “Load the Hebrews down with more work. Make them sweat! That will teach them to listen to lies!”

How do you define evil? It was bad enough that Hebrew lives had been reduced to brick-making. Now they were no longer given straw for the bricks. They had to supply it themselves. But the daily brick quota remained unchanged. In other words, assign significantly more work without extending the deadline. That’s evil, cracking the whip while overseeing an impossible task.

Furthermore, the Jews had not been listening to lies. They were hearing the words and commands of God Almighty, our Creator. Our God is incapable of lying. His words are to be highly regarded and respected. Moses and Aaron were doing the right thing, following God’s instructions!

Pharaoh’s anger resulted from the first confrontation with Moses and Aaron, but he retaliated with rage against ALL the Hebrew people, who now blamed Moses for their predicament. “The Lord look on you and judge, because you have made us stink in the sight of Pharaoh and his servants, and have put a sword in their hand to kill us.”

 "Then Moses went back to the Lord and protested, ‘Why have you brought all this trouble on your own people, Lord? Why did you send me? Ever since I came to Pharaoh as your spokesman, he has been even more brutal to your people. And you have done nothing to rescue them!’”

Moses speaks as if this was the end of the story, but we’re not done yet, and God’s not done yet! In fact, this is just the beginning of a scenario leading to the liberation of God’s people. By the end, the Egyptians will beg them to leave, and we’ll all be cheering! We’re on God’s side!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Man of Lawlessness

For Thursday, December 19, 2024:

2 Thessalonians 2:4 NLT: “The man of lawlessness will exalt himself and defy everything that people call god and every object of worship. He will even sit in the temple of God, claiming that he himself is God.”

The evil one is known as the great deceiver, the great liar. He could be sitting right in the temple or in your church, and you could ask, “Are you the One?”

And he would answer, “Yes,” because only untruths come from his mouth.

As we draw closer to the end times each day, false prophets will deceive many. Don’t be one of them! People you once trusted may be led astray. That’s why we’re told to not blindly trust a religious teacher, but rather to test them. Compare what they say to what the Bible says, to what Jesus taught. See that their behavior conforms with the Bible’s instructions.

Those who test what they are told will not be easily fooled!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Kangaroo Court!

For Thursday, March 21, 2024:

Mark 14:60-61a NLT: “Then the high priest stood up before the others and asked Jesus, ‘Well, aren’t you going to answer these charges? What do you have to say for yourself?’ But Jesus was silent and made no reply.”

Imagine being arrested in the middle of the night, and immediate going to trial. No one present would testify on Jesus’ behalf. He had no lawyer and no defense strategy. In fact, everyone in the place was against him.

His accusers presented false testimony; lies! Jesus didn’t answer the charges. If everything being said is a lie, how can you possibly respond to untruths?

Tradition tells us that those against Jesus would have sat in a half circle, facing him. Then the high priest stood, perhaps to be more imposing, more threatening, which tells us that up to that point, Jesus was still considered innocent. Those opposing Jesus hadn’t yet made their case. But someone standing, taking a step forward and yelling appears much more menacing! That’s what the high priest had been reduced to: Putting on a show to support deception; using threats to justify all the lies. I’m glad he’s not my priest!

The conspirators had stacked the deck against Jesus. But it’s not over yet. Remember there are actually six trials, three before Temple leaders and three before Roman leaders. Our place in this is to acknowledge Jesus as the heaven-sent Messiah, God’s Son and our redeemer. Jesus told us he would rise in three days, and we have faith in his words!

Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Peter Denying Jesus!

For Saturday, March 02, 2024:

Mark 14:29 NLT: “Peter declared, ‘Even if all others fall away, I will not.’”

Peter will fall away that very night. Scripture predicts that if the shepherd is struck, the sheep will scatter. Timing is important. Jesus says this will occur before the rooster crows, which signals a new sunrise. So in the few hours remaining in that day, Peter will deny the Savior he loves.

In the courtyard, it was dark. Jesus had already been arrested and the guards didn’t want any more trouble. So Peter was asked, “Aren’t you one of the 12?” To save his own skin, Peter denied it. And again, “Didn’t I see you with him the other day?”

Peter answered, “No, that wasn’t me.” He was believed.

And the rooster crowed!

God knows what he’s doing. With Jesus returning to the Father, the disciples would need a strong leader. Peter fit the job description, a little impulsive maybe, but he was the default leader when Jesus wasn’t with the believers. So by denying Jesus, Peter was preserved for future heavenly assignments.

Of course, when Peter denied the Lord, he was lying. It’s a rare exception when God says it’s OK to deceive others, to tell lies. We are not supposed to tell fibs. But leadership for “The Way” was God’s goal, and this made it happen.

God knows what he’s doing, and today we all get to be a part of it! But don’t you lie and don’t you deny Jesus. You’re not Peter!

Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship