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

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

No Yeast!

February 3, 2025, Monday Message:

Exodus 12:17 NLT: Then the Lord said to Moses, “Celebrate this Festival of Unleavened Bread (Passover), for it will remind you that I brought your forces out of the land of Egypt on this very day. This festival will be a permanent law for you; celebrate this day from generation to generation.”

Why unleavened bread? Well, making bread with yeast takes a long time. The yeast has to rise to make the bread fluffy. If you don’t allow the yeast to rise, you wind up with a cracker!

Commercial bakers have a “proofer,” which uses heat and steam to drastically shorten the rising time. But no such equipment existed in Egypt. The bottom line is that when God says it’s time to go, he means right now! We can’t be waiting for bread to rise to partake of our Passover meal.

The liberation of the Hebrew people from slavery in Egypt was very important to God, so important that he executed 10 different plagues to secure Pharaoh’s cooperation. As the whole debacle wrapped up, Pharaoh not only allowed the Jews to leave; he insisted that they get out of town! “Get out of here, you guys, and take some silver and gold with you!”

Each of the 10 plagues took time. Pharaoh continued to reject the miracles he had seen with his own two eyes! But remember, this series of events wasn’t just to change Pharaoh’s mind. It was also to showcase the supremacy of Moses’ God, the one true God!

God’s timing is always perfect. Everything worked out in the end!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Locusts!

For Thursday, January 30, 2025:

Exodus 10:3-4 NLT: Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: ‘How long will you refuse to submit to me? Let my people go, so they can worship me. If you refuse, watch out! For tomorrow I will bring a swarm of locusts on your country.’”

There was little left in Egypt, but the locusts would take down anything that remained. Locusts are grasshoppers that arrive in swarms, destroying everything in their path. They would eat any crops the hail hadn’t destroyed. They would eat the leaves off the trees. Locusts would cover the ground, invade homes and crunch underfoot.

Pharaoh’s advisors had had enough. “How long will you let Moses hold us hostage? Let the Hebrews go to worship the Lord their God! Don’t you realize that Egypt lies in ruins?”

Pharaoh put forth another question. “How many of you need to go?”

Moses replied, “We will all go—young and old, our sons and daughters, and our flocks and herds. We must all join together in celebrating a festival to the Lord.”

Pharaoh wasn’t stupid. If he let the Hebrews pack up their wives, babies and livestock, it was obvious they’d be leaving for good. He threw Moses out of the palace.

Pharaoh was quick at promising to change, but also quick on going back on his word, a trap we should all avoid. An oath before God should be a forever promise. Just as God’s word to us is always good, our word before God should also be good. It’s both respect and love. Don’t disappoint your Father!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Boils!

For Tuesday, January 28, 2025:

Exodus 9:8-9 NLT: “Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Take handfuls of soot from a brick kiln, and have Moses toss it into the air while Pharaoh watches. The ashes will spread like fine dust over the whole land of Egypt, causing festering boils to break out on people and animals throughout the land.””

Following the first five plagues, the Egyptians were miserable. First, no water, and then frogs. What was God thinking? Next came pesky insects, and then all their livestock died. What else could go wrong?

Boils! In case you don’t know, a boil is a painful infection of a hair follicle or an oil gland. It grows into a sizable lump as white blood cells gather, attempting to fight the infection. ‘Festering’ means that fluid fills the boil, perhaps even leaking. It was a painful, messy time in Egypt as both the people and their animals suffered.

This is a time when people turn to their governments and say, “Do something!” But Pharaoh could do nothing, and his advisors and magicians could do nothing. The plague of boils would have to run its course. Pharaoh’s ego prevented his hardened heart from admitting defeat, from acknowledging that Moses’ God was the supreme being over everything!

The Egyptians and God seem to have reached a stalemate. God sent a significant plague and the Egyptians did not respond. But as Christians, we’re listening for the voice of God and following his instructions. Hopefully God will not have to cast plagues on our nation to change the rampant disbelief. Regardless, believers stand with the winning team. We’re like the Hebrew people in Egypt. Believers in our land are now God’s chosen people!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Blood!

For Thursday, January 23, 2025:

Exodus 7:19 NLT: Then the Lord said to Moses: “Tell Aaron, ‘Take your staff and raise your hand over the waters of Egypt—all its rivers, canals, ponds, and all the reservoirs. Turn all the water to blood. Everywhere in Egypt the water will turn to blood, even the water stored in wooden bowls and stone pots.’”

Pharaoh was unimpressed with Moses’ shepherd’s-staff changing into a serpent. He had court magicians who could perform a similar illusion. Their staffs didn’t really change, but the perception would have been the same.

It was time to get serious. Turning all of Egypt’s water into blood should get everyone’s attention! Water in little bowls and pots changed. Water in little streams and lakes changed. But the biggest impact was that the Nile River changed into blood. A major water supply was gone, all the fish died so a source of food disappeared and river transportation came to a standstill.

Remarkably, Pharaoh’s magicians concocted a trick yielding similar results. So Pharaoh remained unconvinced. His heart remained hard just as God foretold. More would be required to convince Pharaoh to not only release the Hebrew people but for him to beg them to leave! And don’t forget God’s other purpose, to let all of Egypt witness the glory of the one true God!

More would be required to showcase God’s omnipotence. We serve an omnipotent all-powerful God. What could possibly be next? Frogs? Really?

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship