Truth = Freedom!

May 31, 2021 Memorial Day Monday Message

John 8:32 CEV, Jesus speaking: “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

In the US, this is Memorial Day, the day we set aside to remember those who went before us, and especially those who died insuring our freedom from tyranny. Freedom is a precious commodity, and we’re blessed to be living in a country that values it.

Jesus talks of another kind of freedom. In his day, Romans had conquered the Hebrew nation, and they were anything but free. But Jesus was teaching the truth about God, about scripture and about life-after-this-life in God’s Kingdom. There’s freedom in being adopted into the heavenly family by believing in Jesus. That kind of freedom can’t be taken from you, regardless of the political climate in a country.

Jesus’ brand of truth and freedom fills us with eternal hope!

Blessings on today’s holiday!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship, 3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406

All Your Might!

For Sunday, May 30, 2021

Psalm 103:1 NLT: “Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name.”

As we prepare to attend church this Memorial weekend, let us remember David, consummate worship leader, excellent musician, composer of praise songs and God’s choice for king over his people. David was a servant of the Lord first, and then king, not the other way around.

The Bible says that David worshiped “with all his might!” No half-hearted efforts, no sleeping in the pews. David was playing his instrument and singing at the top of his lungs, all while dancing in celebration of the goodness of the Lord!

On Memorial weekend we pray for those who have gone before us, and then we celebrate the God who has been so good to us and given us hope for the life after this life. Worship with all your might!

Blessings today!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship, 3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406

Unfailing Love!

For Saturday, May 29, 2021

Psalm 103:8 NLT: “The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.”

It must be challenging, being God over mankind! Some mornings God must shake his head in disbelief. “These humans – there’s no end to their shortcomings!”

That’s why it’s important for us to understand the character of God, what I call the ‘God trend.’ Our God-of-second-chances’ first reaction is always compassion and mercy. Fortunately for us, God’s anger doesn’t come to the surface right away. Our Creator would prefer that everyone repent and return to his care.

Everlasting lovingkindness is how God’s covenant love is described in the Bible. In Hebrew it’s ‘chesed,’ a love and peace so great that it surpasses our ability to comprehend it all.

Knowing God is truly on our side fills us with hope!

Blessings to all today!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship, 3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406

Rescue!

For Friday, May 28, 2021

Lamentations 3:58 NLT: “Lord, you have come to my defense; you have redeemed my life.”

Jeremiah is writing from a place of despair and depression, thanking God for turning things around. He’s lamenting the destruction of Jerusalem as a city, and his personal duels with both human and spiritual enemies.

We now know that our God is a God of second chances. This is just one example. God’s desire is that everyone would repent and return, abandon sinful ways, turn back towards God and take a giant step forward. Knowing that He wants to include us all in the heavenly Kingdom fills us with hope!

God gave us the freedom to make choices, so choose wisely!

Blessings to all today!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship, 3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406

Hope in the Lord!

For Thursday, May 27, 2021

Lamentations 3:24 NLT: “I say to myself, ‘The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!’”

What can we look forward to, both in this life and the next? What is our unchanging rock, our anchor? God Almighty fits the criteria to a ‘T’! Jobs come and go, friends come and go and possessions come and go. The only thing we can really count on with any certainty is God himself!

Fortunately we have a loving and forgiving Creator, who saw fit to redeem mankind in spite of our character going awry. He sent his Son Jesus to make a way for us all to return to the Father when this life ends. Even when some would say that life is over, we can still smile for we have hope! God’s desire is that none of us would perish!

Therefore I will hope in Him!

Blessings to all today!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship, 3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406

Judgment?

For Wednesday, May 26, 2021

John 3:18 NLT: “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in the Son. But anyone who does not believe has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son.”

It seems simple. As we pass from this life to the next, we have a choice. We can be judged, held accountable for our behavior; or we can align with an advocate who will walk us through the transition. Of course the one dealing with our sin-problem is Jesus-the-Christ. Knowing he will welcome us into the next reality with open arms fills us with hope!

Today is the accepted day to choose Jesus as your savior!

Blessings and safety today!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship, 3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406

Eternal Life!

For Tuesday, May 25, 2021

James 1:12 NLT: “God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.”

Most of us will spend fewer than 100 years on earth. That seems like a long time until you compare it with eternity. The Hebrew calendar is at year 5781, and we have written history from all that time. That’s still nothing compared with eternity!

Part of God’s Vast Eternal Plan is to include us. Mankind’s sin separated us from heaven, but God determined that we should get another chance. Jesus himself became the offering for the sins of the world, making it possible for God to move us from this limited life to the eternal life experience in His presence. I would encourage everyone to accept God’s offer of love, forgiveness and eternal life. It’s free!

"I will take you to be with me, that you also may be where I am.” (Jesus)

Blessings and safety to all today!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship, 3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406

New Community

May 24, 2021 Monday Message

Acts 2:47 CEV: “Everyone liked them, and each day the Lord added to their group others who were being saved.”

Yesterday was Pentecost Sunday in most of our churches. That first Pentecost after the resurrection is regarded as the birthday of the Christian Church. 3,000 were added to the group that day! But many of the converts from out of town now found themselves under-resourced. It was up to the church to pool their provisions, to take care of everyone, and they did! They worshiped daily, ate meals together in their homes and celebrated the Lord’s Supper. They shared hope!

I hate to say it, but that kind of caring for one another was a new concept for most in the city. But given an opportunity to witness the behavior, people liked what they saw, and so the church continued to grow through attraction! Others wanted what the believers had!

Jesus taught us to “love our neighbor as ourselves,” and that’s how it all started!

Blessings and safety to all today!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship, 3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406

Pentecost!

For Pentecost Sunday, May 23, 2021

Acts 2:46-47a GNT: “Day after day the believers met as a group in the Temple, and they had their meals together in their homes, eating with glad and humble hearts, praising God, and enjoying the good will of all the people.”

On the first Christian Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit visibly fell onto the believers, Peter preached the best sermon ever, and at the altar call 3,000 came forward and were baptized that day, sold on the idea because they’d been offered hope. They weren’t just signing up to follow Jesus, and then going on their merry way! Everyone was accepted into the community of believers – they worshiped together, ate their meals together and genuinely cared for one another!

It was a big lifestyle shift, from “I’ve got mine,” to “Let’s care for each other!” This fellowship, this love for one another was a new concept at the time. People liked what they saw and “The Way” grew by attraction.

"Every day the Lord added to their group those who were being saved.”

Blessings and safety to all today!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship, 3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406

Trust Jesus!

For Saturday, May 22, 2021

John 14:1 NLT, Jesus speaking: “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.”

Jesus was filling his closest friends with hope. Back then, whether there was life after this life was hotly debated. Jesus reassures them that he’s already provided for them in the hereafter. “There is more than enough room in my Father’s house. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.”

For us, that’s assurance of salvation! Jesus’ word is truth, and his prophecies always come to fruition. He wants us all to join him in the heavenly family.

If you’re a believer, there’s a room in heaven with your name on it!

Blessings and safety today!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship, 3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406

Our Mediator!

For Friday, May 21, 2021

1 Timothy 2:5-6a NLT: “There is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone.”

Jesus said, “No one can come to the Father except through me,” and Paul is echoing those words. I’ve often felt blessed to be born in a country where Christianity is the dominant religion, where it’s comparatively easy to connect with God, with his Son the Mediator Jesus Christ, and with the Holy Spirit. Knowing that I have tied myself to Jesus – the way, the truth and the life – gives me confident hope for the life after this life.

Jesus gave his life to set us free – freedom from sin, from Satan’s control and from eternal damnation. God’s desire is that everyone would join Him in the hereafter.

God’s Son went ahead to prepare a place for us!

Blessings and safety to all today!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship, 3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406

On Our Side!

For Thursday, May 20, 2021

Psalms 149:4 NLT: “The Lord delights in his people; he crowns the humble with victory.”

God is on our side! That’s Good News, and that gives us hope! We are created beings, and our Creator examined his handiwork and declared it to be “very good!”

His desire is that no one would perish, and that all would return. We all want to be among the group that chooses to stay close to the Lord. He sent his Son with the gift of forgiveness for our transgressions; we just have to accept the free gift of salvation. Then we can endlessly remain close to our benevolent Father - forever and ever.

Eternity is a long time!

Blessings and safety to all today!

Pastor Norton Lawellin 

Jesus in the City Fellowship, 3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406

Confident Hope!

For Wednesday, May 19, 2021

Romans 15:13 NLT, Paul speaking: “I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Paul is praying that the promises of Jesus and Father God would fall upon the believers. These believers are in the church in Rome, but the promises could be for believers anywhere. The promises of God are for us today, too!

Friends, in spite of the fact that we will all die someday, there is abundant Good News — we are promised life after this life! Once resurrected, the question becomes, where will you be spending your time? Our hope is in the promises of Jesus, knowing how he paid the price for our sin so we could spend eternity with the Father. That’s where we’ll be – count on it! The Holy Spirit fills us with this confident hope!

Jesus promised us that everything would be OK!

Blessings and safety today!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship, 3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406

Promises Fulfilled!

For Tuesay, May 18, 2021

Romans 15:4b NLT: “The Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled.”

There’s a common misconception that once someone accepts Jesus, their life will be perfect. In fact, life may get worse. Not everyone shares your newfound enthusiasm for the Savior, and the world may throw roadblocks in your path! Still, we persevere.

We ARE given hope! Jesus left us with many promises, all detailed in Scripture, given to us for learning that we might have hope. Our focus shouldn’t be on worrying about today. We should set our sites on the future, on eternity in the presence of God-the-Father. Jesus, through his sacrifice on the cross, forgave the sin of the world and made our salvation possible.

Jesus left us with assurance of salvation – hope for our future in the next life!

Blessings and safety to all today!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship, 3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406

Pentecost!

May 17, 2021 Monday Message

Acts 2:1 NLT: “On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place.”

Next Sunday, May 23, 2021, is Pentecost Sunday in a lot of our churches. There was a traditional wheat harvest festival about this time of year; the Jews celebrated Moses receiving the 10 Commandments Tablets from God on Mt. Sinai; and for Christians, Pentecost is the birthday of the Church!

Jesus told the believers to wait in Jerusalem – to not start anything new until they had received the Holy Spirit. They were meeting, praying, when they heard a sound like a big wind from heaven, like a giant storm coming. They heard the sound, but the Bible doesn’t say it actually got windy! Then what looked like flitting tongues of fire fell onto them, but nothing actually caught on fire! It’s God’s sign that they are now empowered with the Holy Spirit!

Peter then gave the best-ever sermon, which could miraculously be understood in all languages. He used the fulfillment of Hebrew prophecy to prove Jesus was the Messiah! At the altar call, 3,000 people came forward and were baptized that day!

Believers are filled with the Holy Spirit when we accept Jesus as our Savior, and that fills us with hope! Keep the Holy Spirit front-of-mind, high up on your agenda. Use the bright red paraments to decorate your church; wear something red to church next Sunday. Send the Fire; send the Holy Spirit!

Each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved!

Blessings and safety to all today!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship, 3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406