Blind!

For Thursday, January 9, 2025:

John 9:25b NLT: “I know this: I was blind, and now I can see!”

This man, born blind, had been given sight by Jesus. He’s being questioned by Pharisees about the miracle. They want all the details. They’re trying to determine Jesus’ source of power. That Jesus healed on the Sabbath just complicates matters.

But they’re all missing the big point, and the man who was healed tries to simplify things. “I was blind, and now I can see!” Get it? If you couldn’t see before, but now you CAN see, little else matters. It’s time to say thanks, praise God and get on with life.

But the Pharisees already had their minds made up. No testimony was going to convince them that Jesus was heaven-sent. They were predisposed to reject eyewitness testimony.

Turns out it was the Pharisees who were blind!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Faith!

For Thursday January 11, 2024:

Mark 5:23 NLT, Synagogue leader Jairus speaking to Jesus: “My little daughter is dying. Please come and lay your hands on her; heal her so she can live.”

Jesus-and-company had returned to the town side of the lake, where a large crowd quickly gathered around him. One person in that crowd, Jairus, had come with a specific agenda. This local Synagogue leader’s daughter was dying, and he believed Jesus could save her. Restoring a person with a death sentence into a vibrant youth was no small ask, but Jairus believed Jesus was up to the task. That’s called ‘faith.’ We all need that kind of faith, unquestionably believing that Jesus was who he said he was and could do what he said he could do.

Jesus’ reputation preceded him. I’m always amazed that with no radio, TV, newspapers or internet, somehow word spread about Jesus, his healing ability and his miracles. As soon as Jesus set foot on the shore, a crowd began to assemble!

The other unusual piece of this story is that Jairus was the Synagogue leader, and yet here he was begging Jesus to intervene on his behalf. You would expect that he would have his own team praying to his own God, not approach some influencer on the beach for help with something as important as his daughter’s life. Little did he know that in asking Jesus for help, he was indeed praying to his own God! Lord God, fill us all with the unstoppable faith of the Synagogue leader!

Another story takes place within this story, and we’ll look at that tomorrow. But for today, remember that we’re all saved by grace – God’s free gift – through our faith in the Redeemer, Jesus the Christ!

Faith is the key!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

Good vs Evil!

For Wednesday January 10, 2024:

Mark 5:2 NLT: “When Jesus climbed out of the boat, a man possessed by an evil, unclean spirit came out from the tombs to meet him.”

Crossing the lake proved to be a defining point Jesus’ evangelistic career. A crowd had been following, they liked what they saw, but making a decision to call Jesus “Lord and Savior” hadn’t happened – yet!

Jesus did nothing unusual to put the miracles in motion. He simply lived out his inherent character, loving everyone he met and doing the next right thing. A man came out of the cemetery, not to welcome Jesus as much as to confront him. This extremely strong, demon-possessed man was well known for violent, insane outbursts. A legion of demons had left his life a shambles. He screamed as those demons negotiated with Jesus. “Come out of the man, you evil spirit.” The demons relocated into a nearby herd of pigs, who then ran off a cliff and drowned in the lake.

The man had been restored before many witnesses who related the incident to others. But did they fully appreciate what they had just seen? No – regrettably, they feared someone with that much power, and begged Jesus to go away and leave them alone!

As Jesus was preparing to leave, the previously possessed man begged to accompany him, but Jesus told him to stay and witness to all the locals. Testify to everyone the miracle he had received! The man was disappointed, but he obeyed and proclaimed the miracles to ten towns in the region. His personal testimony filled with gratitude convinced many to believe that Jesus was the Son of God!

We are all called to be witnesses for Jesus. If we have faith like the man from whom the demons were driven, we can all give a powerful testimony to repent, return and follow Jesus! That’s what Jesus said to do! Tell everyone!

No more pigs need to lose their lives!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

The Main Thing!

For Wednesday, December 13, 2023:

Mark 1:44a NLT, Jesus sternly warning the man he had just healed of leprosy: “Don’t tell anyone about this.”

That seems like an odd request. To understand, we must discern Jesus’ mission in coming to earth. What was his main purpose?

Jesus could teach and interpret scripture. That was useful, but not his primary purpose. Jesus was good at healing. One touch of his hand or even a word from his mouth could change someone’s life for the better – forever. A few times, Jesus would perform the healing even after the person had died! No one had ever seen this kind of power to cure disease and illness, oftentimes driving out the demons who were the source of the trouble. Many wanted to put Jesus up on a pedestal at that point, and he would have deserved the accolades. But that was not his main mission.

But one time, as Jesus was healing someone, he said, “Your sins are forgiven!” There we go! That’s the answer! Mankind had been at odds with God ever since the original sin in the Garden of Eden. Sin had plagued mankind for centuries, destroying the relationship with our Father. Jesus’ job – his mission, if you will – was the reconciliation of mankind with our Creator. Jesus took the sin of the world upon himself, leaving mankind cleansed, purified, suitable for spending eternity in God’s Kingdom. God’s desire is that none would perish, and Jesus came to make it so!

Jesus was the right man for the job! Do you believe?

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

Hypocrites - Not!

For Saturday, November 11, 2023:

Matthew 23:27-28 NLT, Jesus speaking: “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs—beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people’s bones and all sorts of impurity. Outwardly you look like righteous people, but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness.”

Jesus had no time for hypocrites. In Greek, it’s “hypokritai,” describing an actor, someone pretending to be something they are not. But Jesus said to let your “yes” mean yes, and your “no” to mean no. In other words, honesty is always best. And don’t think more highly of yourself than you ought!

I believe the Pharisees didn’t understand the call of their mission. Rigid enforcement of “the law” had become their goal, rather than offering forgiveness, restoration and reconciliation like Jesus did. They purported to do the Lord’s work, but had lost sight of the target. Jesus likened them to “a whitewashed tomb, which outwardly appears beautiful, but within is full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness.”

Read your Bibles – Jesus always gave sinners a chance to straighten things out, no matter the error. He’s known for offering second chances and do-overs to the repentant. And that’s still true nowadays!

There’s a time in each of our lives “before” Jesus, and a time after Jesus. Jesus told us to take a “Mulligan” on the first part. Go through the radical transformation Jesus offers on that dividing line in our lives. We may make more mistakes and need more forgiveness, but now we have a heavenly solution!

Blessings!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

Jesus Relationship!

For Saturday, October 7, 2023:

Mark 2:5 NLT: “Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “My child, your sins are forgiven.””

A very large crowd had gathered to hear Jesus preach God’s word and to witness the miracle healings. Word had spread about Jesus, and many believed. Soon a group arrived carrying a paralyzed man, hoping he could be healed. Unable to get close to Jesus because of the crowd, they climbed onto the roof and lowered the man through a hole they made. As Jesus was restoring the man and seeing their faith, he said, “My child, your sins are forgiven.” Jesus not only healed the man physically. Jesus also healed his soul!

Since sin is disrespecting God’s instructions, only God can offer forgiveness. Therefore Jesus forgiving the man’s sins is akin to Jesus claiming to be God. That displeased the nearby religious leaders, but that’s a story for another day.

Today’s question is, “If Jesus was healing you physically, would he see enough faith to also forgive your sins?” We are saved by grace through our faith. Grace us undeserved favor, and faith is believing everything we know about Jesus – that he is the true Son of God, heaven-sent to rescue mankind from sin. Do you have faith that Jesus is the answer? Do you believe that Jesus went ahead to prepare your place in the hereafter? Do you claim Jesus as your Savior, as your Redeemer?

Nothing you do today is more important than locking in your relationship with God’s Son!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

Faith In – Demon Out!

For Wednesday, May 10, 2023:

Matthew 17:18 NLT: “Then Jesus rebuked the demon in the boy, and it left him. From that moment the boy was well.”

This boy was not doing well. He experienced seizures and frequently fell, sometimes into the fire or the water! Dangerous! He was brought before the disciples, but they were unable to achieve satisfactory results. Turns out that it wasn’t just a medical problem. The unfortunate boy was demon-possessed!

The boy was restored, and we can learn from what Jesus did that day. First, watch out for the demon! Satan’s goal is to take over a person’s life, their health and their entire existence. Don’t ever think you can deal with someone’s medical problem without first dealing with the demon. Second, Jesus is the answer, but invoking his power requires an extraordinary amount of faith. The disciples, who had been traveling with Jesus and learning from him on a daily basis still didn’t have the requisite amount of faith.

Jesus told them, “If you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.” We are saved by grace through our faith, and for mankind, that’s like moving a mountain!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship