Temple Chaos!

For Thursday, September 25, 2025:

Luke 19:45-46 NLT: Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the people selling animals for sacrifices. He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be a house of prayer,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves.

Some bad people just can’t resist the temptation to make money from religion. At the time, Jews were required to offer animal sacrifices to God. Only the best animals were allowed for this purpose. As it happened, no matter how good an animal was, it seems it was never good enough. Conveniently, the Temple leaders had animals for sale (at inflated prices!) Good people trying to be obedient were taken to the cleaners! Furthermore, they often paid with money from their homeland, but “Jerusalem money” was required, and the exchange rate was ripping them off!

Jesus wasn’t having any of it! He tossed out all the vendors and money-changers. The animals were scattered. It appears that Jesus kind of lost it for a minute! He basically went berserk, but in a good way, until the problems had been resolved. The Temple was, after all, His Father’s House!

These actions added to resentment against Jesus by the Temple teachers, leaders and Pharisees. Against all their religious upbringing, they plotted to kill Jesus, but they were in the minority. Jesus had the general population in the palm of his hand. They hung on his every word, as should we! Jesus stood for truth and harmony with the Father, and those traits are always best!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Bitterness and Resentment!

For Wednesday, July 16, 2025:

Luke 15:25b NLT: “When the older brother returned home, he heard music and dancing in the house.”

The Prodigal Son story hasn’t quite ended. We know the father welcomed him home with open arms. But we also must consider his assimilation into the remainder of the household. As Paul Harvey would say, “The REST of the story!”

One of my commentaries titles this section, “The bitterness and resentment of the older son.” In his mind, what mattered is what he wanted. But what really matters is what God wants! In this parable, the father represents our Father in Heaven.

The older son had never lived a prodigal lifestyle. When he heard the celebration, he refused to enter. “I never disobeyed...” he said, and, “You never gave me…,” clues that a deep-seated grudge lived within the older son. How long had he believed himself to be superior to the younger son?

Let’s get back to what God wants. God expects certain decisions to be ‘forever.’ If you want to be part of God’s team, great. That’s a forever decision. If you decide to be the ‘good’ son, you’ve got that position for life. When you ask Jesus to live in your heart and to be Lord and Savior of your life, that’s an eternal decision. Yes, eternal! God won’t come around daily, asking, “Are you still ‘in?’ Do you still believe? Great!” No, you told Him once that you were ‘in,’ and He expects your word to be good. So was the older son ‘in,’ or was he a backslider?

One more thing. The Hebrew word translated ‘repent’ really means ‘to turn,’ as in, “I was headed North but should have been going South!” It’s referring to turning our lives around. Repent and return. Instead of drifting farther from God, we all need to settle in closer to God, and make that permanent, a forever decision. Our word needs to be good.

Notice that heaven’s celebration begins with the radical transformation of even one sinner. “This son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So let he party begin!

When God celebrates, we should celebrate with Him. After all, heaven celebrated when each of us was saved!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Forgive Others!

For Sunday, January 29, 2023:

Matthew 6:12 NIV, Jesus continues teaching The Lord’s Prayer: “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”

Your Bible may read, “Forgive us our trespasses...,” “Forgive our sins...,” or “Forgive us for the wrong things we have done…” Sin is pictured as a debt owed, and we need to square things up!

God arranged to forgive mankind when we sinned. In fact, he was quite intentional about it. He sent his Son Jesus to be the sacrifice for the sins of the world. Those who put their faith, hope and trust in God’s Son can confess their sin and be adopted as a chid of God, a resident of God’s forever heavenly Kingdom. God gave us a second chance at hope!

There is a condition to God’s benevolence. It’s kind of like the Golden Rule. God stands ready to forgive us after the same manner in which we forgive others. “Do unto others as you would have God do unto you,” is the message. It sounds simple, but this is quite serious. If you insist on harboring resentment against a fellow, God may harbor resentment against you, and that can have eternal ramifications.

We’re praying for God to treat us as we have treated others, so treat them well!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship