Psalms 63 - Lift Up Your Hands!

-->

September 26, 2016 Monday Message:

“I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.” Psalms 63:4 NIV

Psalm 63 finds David in the desert, hiding from his evil son Absalom, who was trying to kill David so that he could be the next king. Turns out it was not his time, but for a while, David needed to leave Jerusalem to regroup, so now he raises his hands to the Lord in the desert.

Have you ever been attending a worship service, and the person next to you suddenly raises their hands like David? Did that confuse you, or did that make you feel right at home? David chose to reach out to God, offering all of himself in worship. It’s an outward sign of how he feels inside.

Each of us had different parents, went to different schools and attended different churches, so it’s not surprising that we would prefer one style of worship over another. If we’re all gathering to lift up the Lord, there are different ways to do that – different, but not necessarily incorrect. As long as we’re loving the Lord, it’s all good!

“Lord, your kind love is better than life, so my mouth will sing your praises.” Psalms 64:3

Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship (JICF) meets at the Akina Church, 3249 30^th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406, 10:30am. This Sunday, Oct. 2, 2016, Pastor Michael Pilla leads us into 1 Corinthians Ch 3.

Psalm 62 - Repent and Return

September 19, 2016 Monday Message:

As Psalm 62 ends, God speaks, and David heard it at least twice. He reports:

a) All power belongs to you, God.

b) With you, Lord, is unfailing love; and

c) God rewards everyone according to what they have done.

(Or, conversely, God disciplines everyone according to what they have done.)

We all know that God is all-powerful, and we frequently sing of his everlasting lovingkindness. But the first step toward salvation, toward becoming a Christian, is acknowledging our defects and recognizing our need for a savior. Unfortunately, many are quick to say, “Ask Jesus into your heart,” without first saying, “Repent.”

It would be easier if Jesus would rescue us, but we could still be in charge of our lives. Redemption doesn’t work that way. God is God and we are not, and submission is on His agenda.

Fortunately, when we put God in the driver’s seat of our lives, God’s love blesses us, and life becomes wonderful, oftentimes in ways we couldn’t have imagined back when we were living without God.

Doing things God’s way is a good decision, and if I had to do it over again, I’d make the same decision. Life is better this way.

Norton Lawellin

Let’s worship together! Jesus in the City Fellowship (JICF) meets at the Akina Church, 3249 30^th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406, 10:30am. This Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, I’ll wrap up 1 Corinthians Ch. 2. See you at church!

Psalms 61 - God Bless our Leaders

September 12, 2016 Monday Message:

“Let our leader be wrapped in God’s presence forever. Give him your kind love and truth to protect him.” Psalms 61:7

It’s important to remember to pray for our country’s leaders. In David’s day, it was “Kings.” In our time, it’s “Presidents” and “Prime Ministers.” And also “Governors, Senators, Representatives, Mayors, Councilpersons and Judges.” They would all benefit from God’s guidance as they lead our citizens.

This November, most Americans will enter a voting booth to help choose new leaders for our country. Some choices may prove difficult. Some of your candidates may win, while others may lose.

Regardless of the outcome, it’s important that we all pray God’s presence into all our leaders. With God’s hand setting our course, everything will be OK. It will be more OK WITH God than without God.

Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship (JICF) meets at the Akina Church, 3249 30^th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406, 10:30am. This Sunday, Sept. 18, 2016, Pastor Retha Dowells opens up 1 Corinthians Ch. 2.

Psalm 60 - Divine Intervention

September 05, 2016 Monday Message:

“Human help is worthless.” Psalms 60:11b

If you were facing a big problem – a major crisis – and for help you could choose between people or the creator of the universe, which would you choose?

3,000 years ago, David and the Israelites were constantly defending themselves, but humans can only do just so much. A little divine intervention would prove beneficial! In those moments, I believe David’s biggest fear was that his people would celebrate their success, pat themselves on the back, and forget about the God who had actually rescued them, the God who brought them safely home.

Things haven’t changed much. There is still constant fighting in the Middle East. It seems that many have forgotten the God who desires love and peace, rather than fighting and killing in His name. We shouldn’t be surprised by any of this. Jesus said that there will be wars and rumors of wars until he returns. One of the best ways to pray for world peace is, “Come quickly, Lord Jesus!”

Like the Middle East, many US cities are in turmoil. Every day there is fighting and killing, usually over some illegal activity like gangs or drugs. And racial prejudice has once again reared its ugly head. In our country, we expect humans to fix these problems - government, police, judges, prisons – but the problems continue and nothing truly gets fixed. As it turns out, human help is worthless. Perhaps a little divine intervention would prove beneficial!

Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship (JICF) meets at the Akina Church, 3249 30^th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406, 10:30am. This Sunday, Sept. 11, 2016, Pastor Michael Pilla continues in 1 Corinthians.