Mistreated?

For Wednesday, January 21, 2026:

Hebrews 13:3b NLT: “Remember those being mistreated, as if you felt their pain in your own bodies.”

Perhaps TV and the internet have numbed us to what we used to look away from. We can turn on the tube and see people beaten to a pulp, shot and killed every night. Sometimes it’s fictitious as in a movie or TV series. Ironically, law enforcement shows may be the worst. And other times, we may see truth, as in a newscast. We can watch Russia drop bombs on Ukrainian schools, leaving innocent student civilians with no possible escape. People can be shot right here in downtown Minneapolis. It happens almost every day. Drugs and gangs can lead to a lot of violence!

Sorry to start out with the most extreme examples. Mistreating someone can be amazingly simple. Husbands and wives can mistreat one another while living under the same roof. Parents can mistreat their children, and vice versa. We can feud with our neighbors over petty little things! People can be really nice in church, and unruly once they get back in traffic. Are we sometimes our own worst enemy?

Jesus would advise us to never be the source of the mistreatment. And should we witness mistreatment, know that it is bad. We should go to bat for the one being unjustly mistreated, and do what we can to reverse the situation. People should be nicer to one another. Jesus taught us to love God and love our neighbors. That’s what we should do! Pray for those being mistreated, as if their pain were in your own body. Use Jesus’a name!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Thy Will!

For Saturday, September 20, 2025:

Mark 14:36 NLT: “’Abba, Father,’ Jesus cried out, ‘everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.’”

On his journey to the cross, Jesus knew full well the pain and suffering that would be involved. It would not be pretty. The Roman soldiers were good at what they did. So Jesus asked, “Father, is this really necessary? I’d rather skip the ‘whipped and beaten’ part, if it’s all the same to you! But you know me! We’re cut from the same cloth! I’ll be obedient unto death!”

We can learn about prayer by following Jesus’ example. As humans, we don’t always know or understand why something is happening. And we don’t know what is to follow. For example, if Satan is causing an illness, we certainly want to pray for healing. But if someone has lived a good life and God is rewarding them by calling them home, that’s a whole different thing. I would ask Jesus to take charge of the situation.

Two of my children needed a better High School situation. My wife located a suitable private school, but we’d be paying for what had previously been free. I prayed about what to do. About that time, the Billy Graham organization approached me about helping them with a large project. There was no specific deadline, and I could fill all my downtime with their project. It took about five years! By then, my kids were no longer in private school! God is good!

I once lost a church job. The denomination was on shaky theological ground, so while it didn’t break my heart, it never feels good to be out of work. I prayed, “Really, God – is that all there is?” A short time later, another church called me as a pastor and Bible teacher. I was told to teach the truth! Best job ever, but I didn’t know it was coming when I lost the first job. God knew it would all work out.

Obedience and trust in the Lord should be our modus operandi. Pray, “Thy will, not my will!”

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship