June 28, 2010 Monday Message:
Jesus speaking: “Heal the sick, and tell them, ‘The Kingdom of God is near you now.’” Luke 9:10 Heal the sick? Me? Wow!
Jesus knew his time at the cross was drawing closer, but he didn’t stop ministering. There were many who had not yet heard the Good News, and Jesus-the-itinerant-preacher knew he wouldn’t get to visit all their villages. In fact, there was too much work for even the twelve apostles. But there were many others who followed our Lord, Godly people who knew his teachings well. So Jesus reached not only into the church staff for this mission; he reached into the congregation, commissioning them, empowering them, and equipping them. It was time for the church of Jesus to send 72 on a mission trip. The priesthood of all believers was born.
Jesus said that those who believe in him would be equipped with many supernatural powers: “They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in tongues. They will be able to handle snakes safely, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won’t hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and the sick will be healed.” Mark 16:17-18
Jesus restates the commission as he sends the 12: “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons.” Matthew 10:8a Raise the dead? Me? Wow!
So here’s your take-away for this week:
1. You can heal the sick (with the Holy Spirit, Jesus said so)
2. You can raise the dead (with the Holy Spirit, Jesus said so)
3. If Jesus trusted you to do 1 & 2, your church should trust you with almost anything.
4. It is Jesus, not the church, who calls people into ministry.
For Him!
Norton Lawellin
Monday, June 28, 2010
Monday, June 21, 2010
June 21, 2010 Monday Message:
Three things this week. Thing one:
Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life,” John 14:6a and, “The truth will set you free.” John 8:32b Therefore, Jesus will set you free, and “Truth” is a person. Think about that one!
Thing two:
How do we find truth nowadays? We are told to ask, seek and knock, and we will find truth. Truth won’t just fall out of the sky and hit you on the head. Seeking requires effort, and thorough seeking requires diligence. In 2010, we have more options for seeking than ever before. Because of the Internet, we have worldwide access to the teaching of trusted experts. Podcasts are just a mouse-click away. You can watch on YouTube, or follow the action on Facebook or Twitter. My television channels number over 200. The point is that the local school/university/seminary/church no longer has a monopoly on the truth. People will be fact-checking what they have been told, because it’s surprisingly easy to do. When the church deviated from the truth 500 years ago, Martin Luther read his own Bible and discovered the truth by seeking, just as Jesus recommended. What is said in the pulpit nowadays had better be the truth; people will be checking. It’s a Lutheran thing to do!
Thing three:
Does your church teach a Christian Worldview? When you hear a story on the news, do you run it through your Christian “filter” to form an instant opinion? If Christians have tied their personal character to God’s unchanging character in the Bible, you already know the answer before asking the question. Examples: 1. Is it OK for the Presbyterian Church USA to chide Israel for their “Palestinian resistance?” The Bible says we will be judged on how we treat Israel. 2. If the Qur’an says, “All will worship Allah or die by the sword,” what is the Christian position on Islam? We should love our neighbors and pray for them, but defending ourselves is Biblical too. 3. Should the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania be in harmony with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America? One would think so. See, you already know some of the right answers!
The world is shrinking, or so it seems. More and more, the things we stand for will matter not only in our little local church in our little local neighborhood. We will find ourselves members of an international body of believers joined by our love of the truth, the truth that will set us free. Our love of Jesus is our worldwide bond. Truth is a person.
For Him!
Norton Lawellin
Three things this week. Thing one:
Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life,” John 14:6a and, “The truth will set you free.” John 8:32b Therefore, Jesus will set you free, and “Truth” is a person. Think about that one!
Thing two:
How do we find truth nowadays? We are told to ask, seek and knock, and we will find truth. Truth won’t just fall out of the sky and hit you on the head. Seeking requires effort, and thorough seeking requires diligence. In 2010, we have more options for seeking than ever before. Because of the Internet, we have worldwide access to the teaching of trusted experts. Podcasts are just a mouse-click away. You can watch on YouTube, or follow the action on Facebook or Twitter. My television channels number over 200. The point is that the local school/university/seminary/church no longer has a monopoly on the truth. People will be fact-checking what they have been told, because it’s surprisingly easy to do. When the church deviated from the truth 500 years ago, Martin Luther read his own Bible and discovered the truth by seeking, just as Jesus recommended. What is said in the pulpit nowadays had better be the truth; people will be checking. It’s a Lutheran thing to do!
Thing three:
Does your church teach a Christian Worldview? When you hear a story on the news, do you run it through your Christian “filter” to form an instant opinion? If Christians have tied their personal character to God’s unchanging character in the Bible, you already know the answer before asking the question. Examples: 1. Is it OK for the Presbyterian Church USA to chide Israel for their “Palestinian resistance?” The Bible says we will be judged on how we treat Israel. 2. If the Qur’an says, “All will worship Allah or die by the sword,” what is the Christian position on Islam? We should love our neighbors and pray for them, but defending ourselves is Biblical too. 3. Should the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania be in harmony with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America? One would think so. See, you already know some of the right answers!
The world is shrinking, or so it seems. More and more, the things we stand for will matter not only in our little local church in our little local neighborhood. We will find ourselves members of an international body of believers joined by our love of the truth, the truth that will set us free. Our love of Jesus is our worldwide bond. Truth is a person.
For Him!
Norton Lawellin
Monday, June 14, 2010
Middle of June Monday Message:
We’ve all heard of dying and going to heaven; but have you ever heard of dying and going to Earth? Some Christians say, “The Earth is not my home.” Would they be surprised to learn that the new earth is their destination? This week I promised to look at where we go when we die. The Bible speaks of eternal life and adoption into the holy family to those who repent and claim Jesus as savior. But what’s the specific plan, the destination? What is “the place of the dead?” What is “sheol?” Everyone wants an answer to this first-order question: What happens when I die? I should tell you that this question is shrouded in controversy. You can get different answers from different theologians and different denominations, each of whom can make a case for their position. I’ll do my best to spell this out in plain English, and then give you the scripture so you can check my work. Grab your Bibles - here we go.
The Bible tells us that believers and unbelievers, the sheep and the goats, are treated differently. After death, believers’ souls leave their bodies and, for a time, go to heaven; their sins were already forgiven when they received Jesus as Savior. (John 3:16, 18, 36) Heaven is a good place. Jesus told the thief on the cross, “Today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43) While the souls of believers go to be with Christ immediately after death, the physical body remains in the grave, “sleeping.” In God’s time, the physical body is resurrected, glorified, and reunited with the soul. Those needing one will be given a new glorified body. (2 Cor. 5:6-8) This reunited and glorified body-soul-spirit will be for all eternity in the new heavens and new earth.
For those who do not know Jesus, death means eternal punishment. (Matt. 25:46) Upon death, unbelievers go to a temporary holding place to await their final resurrection, judgment, and eternal destiny. This is not a good place. Jesus spoke of a rich man who, immediately after his death, said, “I am in agony in this fire.” (Luke 16:24) Then the unbelieving dead are resurrected, judged at the great white throne, and then cast into the lake of fire, their eternal destination. (Rev. 20:11-15)
Our Catholic brethren talk about going to a temporary place immediately after death, Purgatory, which they now call a “tradition” since the word Purgatory is not in the Bible. Where the Catholic position differs from Reformation Theology is the belief that an additional “something” could be done here to cleanse sins not yet forgiven, and to speed the person’s journey to the final destination. But that teaching implies that what Jesus did was not sufficient to cover our sin. This is never the right answer. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, we are already cleansed, already declared righteous, forgiven, redeemed, reconciled, and sanctified. Sola Christo. (John 1:12, Romans 10:9)
So after death, we all reside in a “temporary” heaven or hell. Then at the final resurrection, a person’s destination shifts, but their eternal destiny does not change. Believers will ultimately gain entrance into the new heavens and new earth. Unbelievers will find themselves in the lake of fire. “The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” (Rev. 20:14b-15) These final, eternal destinations are based entirely on whether or not the person had trusted Jesus Christ alone for salvation. "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." (Matthew 25:46)
Following the end-times events, heavens and earth will be replaced by the new heavens and new earth. (Rev. 21:1) God will give the heavens and the earth a fresh start, making it all new again, like Eden (unspoiled paradise). The New Jerusalem will be here, along with the pearly gates and streets of gold. (Rev. 21:21) We’ll live in a place free from sin, evil, sickness, suffering, and death. The Earth is our home, and the Father and the Son will live among us. (Rev. 21:22) No matter how badly we humans or our industries damage the earth now, our awesome God will restore everything. Not to worry; He’s a big God, He’s good all the time, He intends for this earth to become paradise restored, and He always wins!
Before we sign off, let’s end a few myths: 1. We don’t become angels. 2. We don’t live in the first heaven forever. 3. Heaven is not necessarily in the sky. 4. We don’t float on clouds. But we might play harps – to accompany the singing of praises to the LORD for all He has done for us. Lift your voices!
God’s blessings to you and your loved ones this week!
Norton Lawellin
We’ve all heard of dying and going to heaven; but have you ever heard of dying and going to Earth? Some Christians say, “The Earth is not my home.” Would they be surprised to learn that the new earth is their destination? This week I promised to look at where we go when we die. The Bible speaks of eternal life and adoption into the holy family to those who repent and claim Jesus as savior. But what’s the specific plan, the destination? What is “the place of the dead?” What is “sheol?” Everyone wants an answer to this first-order question: What happens when I die? I should tell you that this question is shrouded in controversy. You can get different answers from different theologians and different denominations, each of whom can make a case for their position. I’ll do my best to spell this out in plain English, and then give you the scripture so you can check my work. Grab your Bibles - here we go.
The Bible tells us that believers and unbelievers, the sheep and the goats, are treated differently. After death, believers’ souls leave their bodies and, for a time, go to heaven; their sins were already forgiven when they received Jesus as Savior. (John 3:16, 18, 36) Heaven is a good place. Jesus told the thief on the cross, “Today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43) While the souls of believers go to be with Christ immediately after death, the physical body remains in the grave, “sleeping.” In God’s time, the physical body is resurrected, glorified, and reunited with the soul. Those needing one will be given a new glorified body. (2 Cor. 5:6-8) This reunited and glorified body-soul-spirit will be for all eternity in the new heavens and new earth.
For those who do not know Jesus, death means eternal punishment. (Matt. 25:46) Upon death, unbelievers go to a temporary holding place to await their final resurrection, judgment, and eternal destiny. This is not a good place. Jesus spoke of a rich man who, immediately after his death, said, “I am in agony in this fire.” (Luke 16:24) Then the unbelieving dead are resurrected, judged at the great white throne, and then cast into the lake of fire, their eternal destination. (Rev. 20:11-15)
Our Catholic brethren talk about going to a temporary place immediately after death, Purgatory, which they now call a “tradition” since the word Purgatory is not in the Bible. Where the Catholic position differs from Reformation Theology is the belief that an additional “something” could be done here to cleanse sins not yet forgiven, and to speed the person’s journey to the final destination. But that teaching implies that what Jesus did was not sufficient to cover our sin. This is never the right answer. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, we are already cleansed, already declared righteous, forgiven, redeemed, reconciled, and sanctified. Sola Christo. (John 1:12, Romans 10:9)
So after death, we all reside in a “temporary” heaven or hell. Then at the final resurrection, a person’s destination shifts, but their eternal destiny does not change. Believers will ultimately gain entrance into the new heavens and new earth. Unbelievers will find themselves in the lake of fire. “The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” (Rev. 20:14b-15) These final, eternal destinations are based entirely on whether or not the person had trusted Jesus Christ alone for salvation. "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." (Matthew 25:46)
Following the end-times events, heavens and earth will be replaced by the new heavens and new earth. (Rev. 21:1) God will give the heavens and the earth a fresh start, making it all new again, like Eden (unspoiled paradise). The New Jerusalem will be here, along with the pearly gates and streets of gold. (Rev. 21:21) We’ll live in a place free from sin, evil, sickness, suffering, and death. The Earth is our home, and the Father and the Son will live among us. (Rev. 21:22) No matter how badly we humans or our industries damage the earth now, our awesome God will restore everything. Not to worry; He’s a big God, He’s good all the time, He intends for this earth to become paradise restored, and He always wins!
Before we sign off, let’s end a few myths: 1. We don’t become angels. 2. We don’t live in the first heaven forever. 3. Heaven is not necessarily in the sky. 4. We don’t float on clouds. But we might play harps – to accompany the singing of praises to the LORD for all He has done for us. Lift your voices!
God’s blessings to you and your loved ones this week!
Norton Lawellin
Monday, June 7, 2010
June Monday:
Today’s Monday Message is coming to you from the “Faith Lift” conference in Lakeville, Minnesota. They’re teaching about how to take “church” outside the church building, and into our communities. It’s great. The speakers have also referenced world events: the recovery in Haiti, the terrorism attacks on the United States, and the oil spill tragedy in the Gulf of Mexico. Let’s look at that one.
I cannot think of any other environmental disaster that tops the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The oil has already reached Florida, and meteorologists are predicting that it will turn the corner and begin moving up the Atlantic coast. Our stewardship of planet earth has been bungled.
Both the government and BP have told us repeatedly that the mile-down underwater oil leak would soon be under control. They were both wrong – it’s still leaking a month and a half later. So far, the spill has cost BP $1.25 billion, a number that increases daily. Our President spoke last weekend, saying that everything possible was being done. That too is incorrect, because the oil is still leaking. Understand that someone will stop the oil spill eventually, and THAT solution will be everything that needed to happen. Our President further stated that BP would take care of the cleanup. The fact is that this mess cannot be cleaned up, and I wish our government would tell us the truth. The environment is impacted and the damage is done. The truth would be that the Gulf of Mexico is ruined for the remainder of my lifetime.
Fortunately Jesus has a solution. As we approach the end times, the Bible says that there will be, “a new heaven and a new earth.” Rev. 21 The old earth will pass away. He who is seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new.” Praise the LORD! As usual, He knows just what we need, and when we need it. Next week we’ll look at the new heaven, the new earth, and other places to be when we die.
Blessings to you this week!
Norton Lawellin
Today’s Monday Message is coming to you from the “Faith Lift” conference in Lakeville, Minnesota. They’re teaching about how to take “church” outside the church building, and into our communities. It’s great. The speakers have also referenced world events: the recovery in Haiti, the terrorism attacks on the United States, and the oil spill tragedy in the Gulf of Mexico. Let’s look at that one.
I cannot think of any other environmental disaster that tops the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The oil has already reached Florida, and meteorologists are predicting that it will turn the corner and begin moving up the Atlantic coast. Our stewardship of planet earth has been bungled.
Both the government and BP have told us repeatedly that the mile-down underwater oil leak would soon be under control. They were both wrong – it’s still leaking a month and a half later. So far, the spill has cost BP $1.25 billion, a number that increases daily. Our President spoke last weekend, saying that everything possible was being done. That too is incorrect, because the oil is still leaking. Understand that someone will stop the oil spill eventually, and THAT solution will be everything that needed to happen. Our President further stated that BP would take care of the cleanup. The fact is that this mess cannot be cleaned up, and I wish our government would tell us the truth. The environment is impacted and the damage is done. The truth would be that the Gulf of Mexico is ruined for the remainder of my lifetime.
Fortunately Jesus has a solution. As we approach the end times, the Bible says that there will be, “a new heaven and a new earth.” Rev. 21 The old earth will pass away. He who is seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new.” Praise the LORD! As usual, He knows just what we need, and when we need it. Next week we’ll look at the new heaven, the new earth, and other places to be when we die.
Blessings to you this week!
Norton Lawellin
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