God's Way!

For Friday, September 20, 2024:

James 1:27 EASY: “If you want to serve God in a completely good way, do things like this: Help children who have no parents and women who are widows. Help them in their troubles. If you serve God our Father like that, he will be pleased with you. Do not let the bad people in this world make you bad too.”

James was writing to the 12 tribes of Israel. He might as well have been writing to everyone on the planet! The world had fallen into an “eye for an eye” way of living. Most people only looked out for #1, themselves. This revenge-centered “get even” philosophy left the world a bitter place. I believe Satan had a hand in this.

God designed mankind to live in community, to be kind and helpful to each another. Jesus had to re-teach benevolence, loving our neighbors and looking out for one another. Widows and orphans should never have to worry if they can get by. That they’re included in a community of believers should assure not only their survival, but a good quality of life.

Believers are to love their neighbors, and be kind, helpful and useful. Be joyful and smile. Don’t allow the world to extinguish your fire. Like the song says, “They will know we are Christians by our love!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Narrow Path!

For Thursday, September 19, 2024:

1 John 3:13 NLT: “Don’t be surprised, dear brothers and sisters, if the world hates you.”

Abel lived a righteous life; his brother Cain did not. He harbored bitterness, jealousy and extreme hatred, so much so that Cain eventually killed his brother.

Don’t confuse living an honorable life with winning a popularity contest. God’s people are repeatedly put down by those living for the world. And yet God’s people are on the right side come judgement day!

God allows us to choose sides. The narrow path is the best choice!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Whose Children?

For Wednesday, September 18, 2024:

1 John 3:10 NLT: “So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God.”

I’ve heard people caution others, “Don’t do that; it’s against the law!” The deed would be contrary to rules legislated by mankind. But are those the rules that really matter?

I almost never hear someone say, “Don’t do that; it’s a sin!” Friends, shouldn’t God’s laws be more important to us than mankind’s laws?

Sin in its simplest form is disrespect for God. God wants what’s best for us, but sinners think they know a better or different way. They don’t. Believers already know right from wrong because God’s laws are written on their hearts. They are children of God. Evildoers are children of the devil.

God allows us to choose sides, and we can easily tell who’s on one side and who’s on the other.

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Holy Spirit Insight!

For Tuesday, September 17, 2024:

1 John 3:1 NLT: “See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him.”

The unceasing battle between good and evil is herein expressed as “Children of God” vs “Satan, prince of the world.” Because believers have the Holy Spirit, they perceive life differently than non-believers. Simply getting by in this world is the short-sighted goal of those who do not know the Lord. But this world as we know it will end, and those who do not know Jesus will end with it.

Believers know a much greater goal: Eternal life in the presence of our Father! The Holy Spirit points out the promises of Jesus to his loyal followers.

Because they lack the insight of the Holy Spirit, non-believers have no idea what they’re missing!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Jesus' Teachings!

September 16, 2024 Monday Message:

James 2:1 NLT: “My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others?”

James writes in order to encourage his readers to live consistently with what they have learned from Jesus. Surprisingly, many who know Jesus’ teaching – guidelines for living our lives – don’t put his instructions into action. When Jesus said, “Love your neighbors,” he meant ALL of them!

Jesus came to the earth through the Jews, but he came FOR people of all races, all countries and all colors. Believers who know the Good News have been designated “teachers” – evangelists challenged to make disciples of ALL nations. Jesus said so!

As a nation, the US has a cloudy past in this area. Over 150 years ago, a civil war was fought and won on the principle that all men (people) are created equal. The law says that everyone in the US should have the same opportunities. Everyone has the same right to be included. Exclusion based on someone’s race or color is now illegal.

In 150 years, we have learned that we can change laws, but it’s a lot more challenging to change hearts. If Jesus was still among us, he’d say that there’s still a lot of work to do!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Golden Rule!

For Sunday, September 15, 2024:

Matthew 7:12 NLT: “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.”

During the Sermon On the Mount, Jesus counseled us to treat others the same way we’d like to be treated. Nowadays we call it the “Golden Rule.” He’s reinforcing the Old Testament command from Leviticus 19:18: “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against a fellow Israelite, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.”

Back then, people were living in a culture with “an eye for an eye” philosophy. People often felt the need to get even. Jesus wanted to change all that. Jesus wants us to turn the other cheek.

In Matthew 22:39, Jesus taught us to “Love our neighbor as ourself.” That means the way we’d LIKE to be treated, not necessarily the way we ARE treated. Be nice, be kind, be helpful, do the next right thing and don’t hold a grudge. Christians no longer try to get even. Christians forgive one another.

That’s what Jesus would do!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Born Again!

For Saturday, September 14, 2024:

John 1:13 NLT: “Believers are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.”

The other day I was trying to write using my computer, and nothing was working right. Files would disappear; unexpected spaces would appear within words; nothing would “save.” Embarrassingly, it had been weeks since I totally shut down my computer, and as you probably already guessed, the solution was to completely shut down and reboot. After that, everything worked fine. I’m sure there’s a technical term, but I think my device just got confused; too much going on!

When new believers give up the world and return to God, he gives us a fresh start, a reboot. The Bible calls it being born again. This is where we get the term Born-again Christians. Making a commitment to follow Jesus is a dividing line drawn in your life. Your standards and value system were one way before Jesus. But after Jesus, everything changed. It’s better this way. Life makes sense this way. Living according to God’s plan is the better way.

We are blessed by being given a do-over, a fresh start at life. Jesus lets us take a Mulligan on the back nine!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

God's Children's Calendar!

For Friday, September 13, 2024:

1 John 2:29 NLT: “Since we know that Christ is righteous, we also know that all who do what is right are God’s children.”

Today is Friday the 13^th. Superstitious people expect bad luck on this day; they fear that things will go wrong. That’s called “triskaidekaphobia.”

But to believers (followers of Jesus,) it’s just another day on the Gregorian calendar, put into effect by Pope Gregory XIII in October of 1582. At that time, the calendar we now know replaced the older Julian calendar. With that change, the days shifted, the numbers shifted, and Friday the 13^th moved on the physical calendar. Therefore the date we curiously note has no real significance.

Interestingly, Pope Gregory got the starting date wrong. He was trying to establish date “zero” as the birth of Jesus. Historians now believe that Jesus was born +/- 4-6 BC, probably in the fall.

So no matter what we choose to name it, this is the day the Lord made; let us rejoice and be glad in it! Praise our God who is holy, his Son who is holy, and cast superstition to the wind. After all, we’re blessed; we’re children of God! Believers have been accepted into the Holy Family! Hallelujah!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

New Covenant!

For Thursday, September 12, 2024:

1 John 2:27 NLT: “But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true—it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ.”

Believers no longer have to memorize long lists of complicated laws and strive to obey them all. That’s the Old Covenant. But Jesus gave us the New Covenant. (Hebrews 10:16) “This is the new covenant I will make with my people on that day, says the LORD: I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.” (Romans 2:15) “They demonstrate that God’s law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right.”

You might say that Jesus invented our conscience, our inherent sense of knowing right from wrong. We receive that gift when we are filled with the Holy Spirit. And since the Spirit is our triune God (Father, Son, Holy Spirit), he cannot lie. He cannot send us in a bad direction. God is our Father, and believers are his children, and parents only want the best for their progeny.

We can count on the guidance of the Holy Spirit!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Obedience!

For Wednesday, September 11, 2024:

Deuteronomy 6:2 VOICE: “You are to fear God and obey His rules and commands, just as I’m teaching them to you now. Do this your whole lives—you, your children and your grandchildren—and you’ll live in the land a long time.”

The Lord, speaking through the Prophet Moses, promises a long life as our reward for loyalty. And in the 10 Commandments, we’re promised a long life if we honor our parents. It seems as if our days may be increased through obedience. But that’s not the end of the story.

Obedient people are useful to God. There is much to be accomplished as we share the Good News of forgiveness and redemption through our Savior Jesus, and we are presently the hands and feet of our Lord. Believers have all been appointed to the “Jesus Team,” because God knows well our capacity for usefulness.

When you’re still accomplishing goals for the Kingdom, your days will be increased. When your work is finished, God will call you home, saying, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Reward!

For Tuesday, September 10, 2024:

1 John 2:24-25 NLT: “You must remain faithful to what you have been taught from the beginning. If you do, you will remain in fellowship with the Son and with the Father. And in this fellowship we enjoy the eternal life he promised us.”

In computer code, there’s an operation called “if, then.” IF we make a certain choice, THEN happens. For example, if we pick “quit,” then that program stops running and is no longer active. It disappears from our screens until the next time we choose to launch it.

Donkeys love carrots. The “Carrot On a Stick” saying shows the rider holding a carrot on a stick just out of the donkey’s reach, motivating it to move forward. “Eternal Life in the presence of the Lord” is mankind’s carrot. That’s our motivation, our reward. Let’s be honest – no one would pursue all this “religion” stuff if there was no reward at the end.

But there IS a reward! The God who loves us wants us to all be together in his Kingdom. Souls go to heaven until Jesus returns, when they’re given glorified bodies to fight for the “Jesus Team.” Eventually God removes sin, creating the New Heaven and the New Earth. Just so you know, faithful mankind’s final destination isn’t heaven; it’s the New Earth, where God will live among us!

Pursue the carrot!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Lukewarm?

September 9, 2024 Monday Message:

Revelation 3:15 NLT: “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other!”

Are you FOR Jesus or AGAINST Jesus? Christians should all be FOR Jesus, participating in the kingdom enthusiastically. The Bible says to not take that Good News lightly!

God has no time for coasting Christians, those who have heard the Good News but are doing nothing WITH that news. He wants us to make a firm decision one way or the other. It’s regrettable if you’d choose “no,” but at least he’d know where you stand. And if you’re on fire for Jesus, that’s the best decision ever! But if you’re lukewarm, God isn’t sure what to think.

My example is to think of getting into a swimming pool. Don’t put one toe at a time into the water to check its temperature. Get a running start toward the deep end, jump, pull your knees up, and ker-splash into the water with a “no turning back” attitude!

Jesus already promised us that the water’s fine!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Sabbath!

For Sunday, September 8, 2024:

Luke 6:9 NLT: “Jesus said to his critics, ‘I have a question for you. Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath, or is it a day for doing evil? Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?’”

Jesus’ character trend doesn’t change with the day of the week. So if your trend is as it should be – being kind, helpful, forgiving, loving, doing the next right thing – keep behaving that way. That’s what Jesus would do.

Q: If you’re driving home from church and you find a mom with two kids in the car at the side of the road with a flat tire, should you stop and help them change the tire? A: Yes. That’s what Jesus would have done.

Q: Isn’t that working on the Sabbath? A: Yes, but it falls under the “loving your neighbor” exception. When Jesus and his disciples needed food, they gleaned grain from the edge of the road. When a man with a deformed right hand showed up at worship, Jesus healed the man. Yes, Jesus was criticized for these exceptions, but he explained, “The Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath!”

So this Sunday and all future Sundays, do what Jesus would have done. Love your neighbor and do the next right thing. See you at church!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Coming Soon!

For Saturday, September 7, 2024:

Revelation 22:7 NLT: “Look, I am coming soon! Blessed are those who obey the words of prophecy written in this book.”

Jesus will return in the manner in which he left. He will come from the sky on a white horse with a 2-edged sword coming from his mouth. The sword is for judgment, for separating the sheep from the goats. His preferred city is Jerusalem, his address is the Mount of Olives.

Souls of those who sleep will join the army of Jesus in new, glorified, forever bodies, not temporary bodies like we have now. Believers will be caught up into the sky, joining Jesus on the Day of the Lord.

Ultimately God will restore a New Heaven and a New Earth, and the New Heaven will descend upon the New Earth, becoming one. So Heaven as we know it now is a temporary residence for souls until the New Earth is restored. Earth is a believer’s final destination, but it will be a much better earth than we presently know. God will be in charge, and God will have his way with the world.

We are called to make disciples of all nations to reduce the number in the lake of fire! Let’s all do what Jesus said!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

 

 

Lifespan!

For Friday, September 6, 2024:

Genesis 6:3b NLT: “In the future, human’s normal lifespan will be no more than 120 years.”

The longer we live, the more time we have to get into trouble. Thankfully, the Lord pulls us out of the fire before we burn up! He limits our exposure to sin and the length of time for us to sin. Mankind as a group seems relentless in its pursuit of sin.

If a motor runs too fast, it could destroy itself. So some manufactures put a “governor” on the motor, limiting its speed. I drove a European van with a top speed of 65 mph. It’s frustrating when interstate highways allow speeds of 70 mph, and I was constantly falling behind others in our group. But it was for my own good. The engine didn’t blow up and the van didn’t tip over!

God put a “governor” on our lives for our own good. Mankind is pulled out of temptation’s way after 120 years. That’s enough sin for one lifetime. Hope we stop sinning and listen to his Son long before that.

Even when people know Jesus and have their eyes focused on heaven, they’re still tempted by sin. Paul noted his frustration with knowing full well the right thing to do, yet still finding himself doing the wrong thing. When you claim Jesus as your savior, temptation is not removed, but forgiveness in locked in place.

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Step up!

For Thursday, September 5, 2024:

Revelation 3:2b NLT: “I find that your actions do not meet the requirements of my God.”

God doesn’t want us wasting our time or his time. The church is Sardis had become lazy, still marching in place but not making any progress. And if we’re not moving forward, we’re falling behind!

This correction is for both the church as a group and its individual members. If you’re not on fire for Jesus, you need a course correction. Only you can make a conscious decision to put it in high gear!

There’s a saying in the Army: “Never volunteer for anything!” So when asked to help with something, we’re conditioned to decline. But church should be different. Within a church, not volunteering is quite a liability, for both the church and the volunteer. A senior pastor told my once that the same 18 people volunteer for everything! That in a church with 3,000 members worshiping just under a thousand each week! There’s something wrong with that picture, something that each of us can help correct.

As we approach the end times, time is growing short to step up and assist with Jesus’ mission. It’s time to get off the bench and get into the game!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship