October 31, 2011 Monday Message:
The Lord said to my lord, “Sit here at my right side, until I put your enemies under your feet.” Psalm 110:1 GNT
In the life after this life, good and evil will not exist together. Good will live in the presence of God, and evil will not be tolerated in the presence of God. Good people will be on one level; evil will be below them, under their feet.
God is taking his time, and God is patient. God’s wish is that none would perish, but we live in a fallen world, and some who rebel will not make it. There will be anger, fighting, bruises and blood spilt on the spiritual battlefield. There will be wars and rumors of wars until Jesus returns. Some of us will be martyred, but God will win.
Each day here on earth, we’re seeing more and more of God’s kingdom and less and less evil. The prayer, “Thy kingdom come,” is coming true, a little at a time. God’s kingdom (Malkuth) is destined for our physical world, and the earth is becoming “as it is in heaven.”
Those indwelt by the Holy Spirit, adopted into the Lord’s family, will be delivered from evil and reside in God’s kingdom, for ever, in this place Jesus is preparing for us.
Happy All-Hallows-Eve!
Norton Lawellin
Monday, October 31, 2011
Monday, October 24, 2011
Reformation — Sola Fide
October 24, 2011 Monday Message:
It’s time for holiday celebrations! Halloween is one week from today. Remember that Halloween, “All-Hallow’s-Eve,” came out of Catholic liturgy. It’s the night before another holiday on our church calendars, “All Saint’s Day.” (Nov. 1.) So they’re kind of the same holiday, following the Jewish tradition that a feast begins at sundown the previous day.
On October 31, our church calendars list one additional holiday – Reformation. It gets far less attention than Halloween, which is unfortunate, since Reformed Theology brings clarity in our journey to the place Jesus is preparing for us.
Here’s how it happened: German-born Martin Luther, a Catholic Monk and Priest, embarked on a quest for assurance of salvation. Sure, he believed Jesus was the Son of God who died to redeem the repentant, but how can you know that you and God are “OK?” How can you be certain?
The answer was Habakkuk 2:4b: “The righteous will be justified by faith.” We’re not saved by anything we do. It’s our faith in God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit that saves us. It’s God’s choice to offer this gift to us; we just need to say, “Yes.”
A similar principle is stated many other places in the Bible. I like Isaiah 55:1 "Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost." You can’t buy salvation — it’s God’s free gift to you.
This is a prime example of God’s everlasting lovingkindness toward us, His khesed, His agape love, how He takes care of us. God offers us a second chance, and our God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. God won’t change his mind about redeeming those who put their faith in his Son.
"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and not of yourselves; it is a gift of God, not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Sola fide,
Norton Lawellin
It’s time for holiday celebrations! Halloween is one week from today. Remember that Halloween, “All-Hallow’s-Eve,” came out of Catholic liturgy. It’s the night before another holiday on our church calendars, “All Saint’s Day.” (Nov. 1.) So they’re kind of the same holiday, following the Jewish tradition that a feast begins at sundown the previous day.
On October 31, our church calendars list one additional holiday – Reformation. It gets far less attention than Halloween, which is unfortunate, since Reformed Theology brings clarity in our journey to the place Jesus is preparing for us.
Here’s how it happened: German-born Martin Luther, a Catholic Monk and Priest, embarked on a quest for assurance of salvation. Sure, he believed Jesus was the Son of God who died to redeem the repentant, but how can you know that you and God are “OK?” How can you be certain?
The answer was Habakkuk 2:4b: “The righteous will be justified by faith.” We’re not saved by anything we do. It’s our faith in God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit that saves us. It’s God’s choice to offer this gift to us; we just need to say, “Yes.”
A similar principle is stated many other places in the Bible. I like Isaiah 55:1 "Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost." You can’t buy salvation — it’s God’s free gift to you.
This is a prime example of God’s everlasting lovingkindness toward us, His khesed, His agape love, how He takes care of us. God offers us a second chance, and our God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. God won’t change his mind about redeeming those who put their faith in his Son.
"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and not of yourselves; it is a gift of God, not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Sola fide,
Norton Lawellin
Monday, October 17, 2011
Do You Want To Get Well?
October 17, 2011 Monday Message:
In John 5, a crippled man waits under the colonnades beside the healing pools of Bethesda. Everyone there was waiting for the “moving of the water,” for they believed that at certain times, an angel came down into the pool and stirred the water, and then the first person who stepped into the water after the disturbance would be healed of the disease from which they were suffering.
The man in our story had been waiting for 38 years. How long have you been waiting for something to be mended in your life?
When Jesus saw the man lying there on his back—knowing that he had been like that for a long time, Jesus said to him, “Do you want to get well again?”
You see, that’s the problem, having to decide that it would be better to make a change. Right now, this man has his “spot” – his “place.” It’s in the shade, and he can lean up against the column. Friends bring him a little food and some cast-off clothing from time to time. If he was healed, he’d have to learn a trade and get a job somewhere. If he was no longer lame, he’d have to find a new place to live and make all new friends. He’d lose his “spot!” It would be scary sailing into uncharted territory. It just might be easier (feel safer) to NOT get well.
So Jesus’ question is for all of us: “Do you want to get well again?”
In recovering from any disease - physical, emotional or spiritual - the first step is to admit that you have the problem, and then decide that you want to get well again. If you want your life to be better, Jesus stands ready to heal. Sometimes it’s physical healing, sometimes it’s casting out demons. Either way, you’ll be restored!
So don’t make excuses that you can’t get to the water in time. Jesus is the living water and he can touch your life, so that you can pick up your mat and walk – to His glory!
In His service,
Norton Lawellin
In John 5, a crippled man waits under the colonnades beside the healing pools of Bethesda. Everyone there was waiting for the “moving of the water,” for they believed that at certain times, an angel came down into the pool and stirred the water, and then the first person who stepped into the water after the disturbance would be healed of the disease from which they were suffering.
The man in our story had been waiting for 38 years. How long have you been waiting for something to be mended in your life?
When Jesus saw the man lying there on his back—knowing that he had been like that for a long time, Jesus said to him, “Do you want to get well again?”
You see, that’s the problem, having to decide that it would be better to make a change. Right now, this man has his “spot” – his “place.” It’s in the shade, and he can lean up against the column. Friends bring him a little food and some cast-off clothing from time to time. If he was healed, he’d have to learn a trade and get a job somewhere. If he was no longer lame, he’d have to find a new place to live and make all new friends. He’d lose his “spot!” It would be scary sailing into uncharted territory. It just might be easier (feel safer) to NOT get well.
So Jesus’ question is for all of us: “Do you want to get well again?”
In recovering from any disease - physical, emotional or spiritual - the first step is to admit that you have the problem, and then decide that you want to get well again. If you want your life to be better, Jesus stands ready to heal. Sometimes it’s physical healing, sometimes it’s casting out demons. Either way, you’ll be restored!
So don’t make excuses that you can’t get to the water in time. Jesus is the living water and he can touch your life, so that you can pick up your mat and walk – to His glory!
In His service,
Norton Lawellin
Monday, October 10, 2011
Can You See Your Future?
October 10, 2011 Monday Message:
Last week, 56-year-old Steve Jobs succumbed to persistent pancreatic cancer. His visions touched your life and my life, and made things easier, faster and more fun. I will miss most learning what this creative visionary genius thought should be our next thing.
He possessed an uncanny knack for looking into the future. He saw a need for personal computers, and started building Apple 1’s in his parents’ house. Nowadays everyone has a personal computer. Some of us have several. Computers used to run on cryptic coded instructions, but now we point and click with a mouse on a graphical user interface; Mac was first.
Steve Jobs put an entire music library in your shirt-pocket with the iPod (275 million.) The biggest check record companies receive comes from the iTunes store. The iPhone (100 million) raised the bar for what a handheld personal electronic device should do. The recent introduction of the iPad (25 million) launched a new category of “notepad” computers. Talk about successful — this past summer Apple had more cash reserves than the U.S. treasury, and Job’s personal net worth hovered around $8 billion.
Tragically, Apple’s website tells us that Jobs was a Buddhist. I can only hope that he, having been raised in a Christian nation, at some earlier time might have worked things out with Jesus.
This is why it’s so important to carry the message of salvation to our loved ones. Their days and our days are numbered, but we never know how many. Heaven is a gift from Jesus, and cannot be bought for $8 billion. No amount of success, prominence or notoriety can open the door. But Jesus is preparing a place for all who call him Lord. "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)
In Christ,
Norton Lawellin
Last week, 56-year-old Steve Jobs succumbed to persistent pancreatic cancer. His visions touched your life and my life, and made things easier, faster and more fun. I will miss most learning what this creative visionary genius thought should be our next thing.
He possessed an uncanny knack for looking into the future. He saw a need for personal computers, and started building Apple 1’s in his parents’ house. Nowadays everyone has a personal computer. Some of us have several. Computers used to run on cryptic coded instructions, but now we point and click with a mouse on a graphical user interface; Mac was first.
Steve Jobs put an entire music library in your shirt-pocket with the iPod (275 million.) The biggest check record companies receive comes from the iTunes store. The iPhone (100 million) raised the bar for what a handheld personal electronic device should do. The recent introduction of the iPad (25 million) launched a new category of “notepad” computers. Talk about successful — this past summer Apple had more cash reserves than the U.S. treasury, and Job’s personal net worth hovered around $8 billion.
Tragically, Apple’s website tells us that Jobs was a Buddhist. I can only hope that he, having been raised in a Christian nation, at some earlier time might have worked things out with Jesus.
This is why it’s so important to carry the message of salvation to our loved ones. Their days and our days are numbered, but we never know how many. Heaven is a gift from Jesus, and cannot be bought for $8 billion. No amount of success, prominence or notoriety can open the door. But Jesus is preparing a place for all who call him Lord. "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)
In Christ,
Norton Lawellin
Monday, October 3, 2011
Sins Erased Here!
October 03, 2011 Monday Message:
There’s good news and there’s bad news! The good news is that there’s life after this life, and Christians get to live forever. After you die you will rise again, just like Jesus did! Hallelujah!
The bad news is that we then have a time of judgment, and the Bible says, “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) So everyone’s in trouble. Kind of – let’s look at what the Bible says.
Jesus left Christians with an advocate, someone to speak on our behalf: the Holy Spirit. At the time of judgment, it’s the Spirit’s job to remind the heavenly assembly that Christians are now wearing the white garment, covered by Jesus’ sacrifice.
God looks at us and sees only the presence of Jesus, not our sin. In fact, in the book of life where our names are written, there is no record of our sin. It’s as if our sin was written on a blackboard, but Jesus came through the room with a giant eraser and wiped it all clean. This is God’s khesed, his everlasting lovingkindness, that that pursues us all the days of our lives, so that we may dwell in the house of the Lord. (Psalm 23:6, paraphrase mine)
In His service,
Norton Lawellin
There’s good news and there’s bad news! The good news is that there’s life after this life, and Christians get to live forever. After you die you will rise again, just like Jesus did! Hallelujah!
The bad news is that we then have a time of judgment, and the Bible says, “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) So everyone’s in trouble. Kind of – let’s look at what the Bible says.
Jesus left Christians with an advocate, someone to speak on our behalf: the Holy Spirit. At the time of judgment, it’s the Spirit’s job to remind the heavenly assembly that Christians are now wearing the white garment, covered by Jesus’ sacrifice.
God looks at us and sees only the presence of Jesus, not our sin. In fact, in the book of life where our names are written, there is no record of our sin. It’s as if our sin was written on a blackboard, but Jesus came through the room with a giant eraser and wiped it all clean. This is God’s khesed, his everlasting lovingkindness, that that pursues us all the days of our lives, so that we may dwell in the house of the Lord. (Psalm 23:6, paraphrase mine)
In His service,
Norton Lawellin
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