Circumstances!

For Thursday, April 18, 2024:

Philippians 1:12-13 NLT: “I want you to know, my dear brothers and sisters, that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News. For everyone here, including the whole palace guard, knows that I am in chains because of Christ.”

Paul was called to be an evangelist. He was to share the Good News of Jesus with the Gentile world. Pretty big territory, but Paul accepted the challenge!

If I had known Paul back then, I might have grown weary of hearing his story over and over. This guy Jesus – that’s all Paul ever talked about! Although he had trained to be a Pharisee, Paul lost favor within the Hebrew community when he started preaching Salvation and Good News. Although they rallied against him, Paul never ceased his preaching efforts!

Rome also had a problem with Jesus. The Romans were taught that the current emperor was a deity, a god. Loyalty to Paul and his Savior conflicted with that Roman teaching. Therefore Paul found himself writing to the Philippians from inside a prison cell. Did that stop Paul from evangelizing? Certainly not! He looked at this as another opportunity to tell people about Jesus!

By this time, Paul’s guards had figured out that he was non-violent, and in an odd way they all became friends. So why not tell them about Jesus? Paul accepted his circumstances and freely shared the Gospel with other prisoners and with the prison guards, many of whom believed and were saved! Paul’s willingness to relinquish his freedom in order to stand up for Jesus was quite a convincing testimony!

Paul was on a mission trip, and we all should be on a mission trip. Our assignment straight from Jesus’ lips is to make disciples of all nations, in other words to share the Good News and show others the way to salvation. Don’t ever feel unqualified. If Paul can teach, evangelize and encourage while imprisoned, surely we can overcome any obstacle in our path.

Jesus assigned the work; now get going!

Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Disciple's Mission Trip!

For Wednesday, March 8, 2023:

Matthew 10:1 NLT: “Jesus called his twelve disciples together and gave them authority to cast out evil spirits and to heal every kind of disease and illness.”

McDonalds could only sell a limited number of hamburgers from one store. But through franchising, authorizing others to use the McDonalds brand, they could sell billions of burgers! Jesus is applying the same principle here. Only one Jesus was walking on this earth, but authorizing 12 others greatly increased his reach. This diverse group had little in common other than their love for the Lord Jesus.

I’m intrigued by the order in which these gifts are listed – first cast out evil spirits, and then heal. This tells me that Satan and his demons are a bigger problem than we acknowledge nowadays, and that healing may not occur while Satan is still at work. Satan’s minions will back off when they hear the name of Jesus! They know who he is!

Jesus is equipping his disciples for their mission trip. When God sends you on a mission, he will always equip you for the task. We need faith! The equipping may not be evident before the mission begins, but it will be evident along the way. So don’t worry about provisions. Just get ready to go when He calls!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

Mission Trip!

February 20, 2023 Monday Message:

Matthew 8:4 NLT: “Then Jesus said to the leper he had just healed, ‘Don’t tell anyone about this. Instead, go to the priest and let him examine you. Take along the offering required in the law of Moses for those who have been healed of leprosy. This will be a public testimony that you have been cleansed.’”

Compare Jesus coming to earth to walk alongside mankind with going on a mission trip. You can do a lot of good, helpful things along the way, but there’s usually a primary mission, the main thing. Jesus healing the leper was good, but that’s wasn’t his primary mission, so don’t tell everybody. Don’t make a big deal out of it.

While on earth, Jesus straightened out misguided teaching of God’s commands. He healed those who needed healing. He could explain Torah with divine inspiration. But I believe that Jesus’ main thing, his primary purpose was to redeem mankind. Jesus was to be the sacrifice for the sins of the world – past sin, present sin and even future sins not yet committed. If a person would confess sinfulness and claim Jesus’ gift of grace as their own, they would be forgiven through their faith in God’s Son. The redeemed person would be given a ticket to heaven, an irrevocable promise of eternity in the presence of the Lord!

Jesus said no one can come to the Father except through him. If we choose Jesus, we become beneficiaries of his earthly mission. God’s desire is that none would perish and that all would return. Jesus went on a mission trip to make that possible!

Mission accomplished!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship