His Love Endures Forever

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Nov. 24, 2014 Monday Message:

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His Love endures forever.” Psalms 136:1 NIV

This Thursday, Nov. 27, we celebrate Thanksgiving in the US. Psalm 136 is about giving thanks to God for a variety of things. It’s sung responsively, with the leader detailing many good things about our God, and the congregation responding, “His love endures forever.”

In Jewish tradition, this psalm is called ‘The Great Hallel,’ the supreme praise & worship song about the awesome nature of God.

In a word-for-word translation, “Give thanks,” would read, “Give God a hand!” Not like applause, but it means to worship with gusto, hands in the air, dancing, shouting – all-in praise for our Lord, just like David! And “Lord” is actually God’s covenant name, the name he said to use when he agreed to be our God and we agreed to be his people.

“His love” is hesed, God’s unconditional love for us, which the King James translates as “everlasting lovingkindness.”

How long is “forever?” Eternal is a good answer. But most people look at “forever” and “eternity” as moving forward in time, forever into the future. But the Bible’s “forever” extends in both directions - past, present and future. God wanted to redeem you before you were even born. His desire is that no one would perish.

Have a good Thanksgiving, a great holiday, thank God and remember his everlasting lovingkindness! His love endures forever!

Norton Lawellin

Every Sunday Jesus in the City Fellowship (JICF) gathers at 10 a.m. in the North end (gym) of the Oliver Ministry Building, 2647 Bloomington Ave., Minneapolis. This week, Nov. 30, Pastor Michael Pilla begins our Advent journey.

Choose Life!

Nov. 17, 2014 Monday Message:

“Choose life, so that you and your children will live.” Deut. 30:19ba MSG

Becoming a Christian is a 2-part endeavor. God does the first part. He deals with the sin problem in the world. Jesus reconciled the separation of God and mankind by taking the sin of the world upon himself. Good news – your sins are forgiven! In fact, the sin problem of mankind has been reconciled once and for all.

So does everyone have salvation, eternal life with the Father? No, not yet. It’s a choice each of us has to make.

Think about this – when the prodigal son was at his lowest, feeding pigs, it was not the father who kept him away. In fact, the father gazed longingly at the road each day, hoping his lost son would return home.

It’s a choice - that lost one needed to choose to come home to the father. He was fearful of what would happen if he did return. But his fear was misplaced. The father had long ago forgiven him. The father had already settled the son’s sin issue, once and for all. The question now was not about the father – it was about the son, if the son would choose to humble himself before the father, and return home.

Why are you still feeding pigs when you could go home to your father? He loves you so much, has already blotted out your sin and will welcome you with open arms.

Choose life. That’s when heaven celebrates!

Norton Lawellin

Every Sunday Jesus in the City Fellowship (JICF) gathers at 10 a.m. in the North end (gym) of the Oliver Ministry Building, 2647 Bloomington Ave., Minneapolis. This week, Nov. 23, Pastor Michael Pilla leads our Thanksgiving discussion. For what are you thankful?

'This' or 'That?'

Nov. 10, 2014 Monday Message:

“You (who love the Lord) are like a tree, planted by flowing, cool streams of water that never run dry.” Psalms 1:3a VOICE

Another ministry principle is, “If you’re doing ‘this,’ you’re not doing ‘that!’” It’s your choice.

God gives us all a new yellow pad every morning – each page is blank. Write, “Agenda,” or, “Things To Do Today,” at the top. As you plan your day, you’ll see some things that are good to do, and some things that could get you into trouble. Add some more good things to the top of the list – that Bible study you’ve been meaning to attend, volunteering at the church, the school, the food shelf, visiting the elderly – keep adding good things, and put them at the top of your list. You’ll have to re-write it a few times, adding the good things at the top, and pushing down the not-so-good things.

If you do this long enough, your entire agenda will be filled with good things, and the bad stuff will have fallen off the bottom of the page. It’s not hard - you don’t really have to make a conscientious effort to put aside the bad habits if your time is all booked up with the good stuff.

If you’re doing ‘this,’ you’re not doing ‘that’ is a good way to live. Fill your list with good things. Plant your roots near the living water that never goes dry. That’s where you find the good stuff.

Norton Lawellin

Every Sunday Jesus in the City Fellowship (JICF) gathers at 10 a.m. in the North end (gym) of the Oliver Ministry Building, 2647 Bloomington Ave., Minneapolis. This week, Nov. 16, Pastor Michael Pilla teaches from Acts 12.

Plant Your Roots

Nov. 03, 2014 Monday Message:

“You (who love the Lord) are like a tree, planted by flowing, cool streams of water that never run dry.” Psalms 1:3a VOICE

As we minister in the inner-city, I repeatedly tell people, “If you’re ‘in here,’ you’re not ‘out there!’” It’s a choice.

In the inner-city, ‘out there’ is a bad place, full of crime, disease, poverty, and drugs. The Bible calls it ‘the world,’ and tells us, “Do not conform to the patterns of the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Romans 12:2a CEV

Radical transformation occurs when Jesus takes hold of your life, and that happens when you spend time at church with the Bible, and when you hang out with Jesus-like people.

Being in the world is unsafe – you could slip and fall at any moment. But the place we worship our Lord is called a sanctuary, a safe place. If you’re serving at church, doing things for the Kingdom, spending time with your fellow Christians, it will be a lot more difficult for trouble to find you.

“If you’re ‘in here,’ you’re not ‘out there’ is a good plan. Plant your roots near the living water that never goes dry.

Norton Lawellin

Let’s worship together! Each Sunday, Jesus in the City Fellowship (JICF) gathers at 10 a.m. in the North end (gym) of the Oliver Ministry Building, 2647 Bloomington Ave., Minneapolis. This week, Nov. 9, we’ll conclude Acts Ch. 11, The Church in Antioch.