Continued Hope!

 For Wednesday, September 30, 2020

Psalm 119:10 GNT: “With all my heart I try to serve you Lord; keep me from disobeying your commandments.” 

Before becoming a believer, lives were typically filled with character defects. But now that you’re a believer, that’s all fixed, right? Not quite…

We became followers of Jesus, but we never stopped being human. From time to time we still might make the wrong decision or say the wrong thing. We have our standards in place, but we sometimes come up a little bit short, so these are shortcomings. 

Today’s scripture confirms our commitment to Jesus and our desire to remain on the right path, and we’re asking God to help keep us there. God has always come through for us in the past, so we have every reason to expect that He’ll help with this too. We look to the God-trend by faith, and that gives us hope!

Blessings to all, 

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406

Joyfully Unburdened!

For Tuesday, September 29, 2020

Psalm 119:1 TLB: “Happy are all who perfectly follow the laws of God.”

We all know the 10 Commandments. They are not only God’s Law – turns out that they’re also a pretty good way to live! Living your life God’s way lets you sidestep many of life’s problems. Adherence to God’s principles smoothes out the bumps in your road and fills in the potholes.

There are actually 613 Commandments in the Bible, but since Jesus, many are no longer necessary. Jesus himself covered most situations with the summary, “Love God and love your neighbor.”

This psalm teaches that following God’s precepts isn’t a burden. We have happier, more joyful lives living in harmony with the Lord and with our fellows. The Message paraphrases it like this: “You’re blessed when you stay on course, walking steadily on the road revealed by God.” And that gives us hope!

Blessings and safety to all today,

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406

Constant Love!

Monday Message, September 28, 2020: 

Micah 7:18 GNT: “There is no other god like you, O Lord; you forgive the sins of your people who have survived. You do not stay angry forever, but you take pleasure in showing us your constant love.”

Our God is a God of second chances! The way Micah perceives it, God actually takes pleasure in helping us set things right and getting us back on track! God’s forgiveness is so great that it can’t even be compared to what often passes for forgiveness among mankind! That’s the God-trend – you can count on it! Spurgeon writes that any thoughts to the contrary are illusions of your brain or delusions of your heart! 

God has proven over and over again that if believers repent and return, he will show great compassion. He loves us enough to rescue us, but he loves us too much to leave us in our sin. That’s why Jesus came to earth, to once-and-for-all deal with our sin-problem. Because of Jesus, we have assurance of salvation, a guaranteed eternity with the saints, and that’s good news!

Believers align their spirit with the Lord’s. 

Blessings and safety this week,

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406

Forgiveness!

For Sunday, September 27, 2020 

Matthew 6:14 NLT, Jesus speaking: “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you.”

If someone sins against you, but later has a change of heart, Jesus is teaching us to forgive them. Give them another chance. None of us is perfect. In life, we all need to take a mulligan once in a while. 

One really good reason to forgive others, is that God stands ready to forgive us! The Bible says that while all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory, believers in God’s Son have a different deal, a preferred exemption to the penalties of sin. In the Great Exchange, Jesus took our sin-problem to the place of the dead, and clothed believers in garments of white – pure and sinless, totally acceptable to heaven! And that gives us hope!

If you’re walking with Jesus, he fully intends to forgive all your sins, just as you should forgive the sins of others. When in doubt, ask yourself, “What would Jesus do?” 

Blessings and safety today,

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406

God Trend!

For Saturday, September 26, 2020 

Psalm 81:10 NLT: “It was I, the Lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it with good things.”

This is God telling us to follow the “God trend.” If He came through for believers once, He’ll be there next time too. If God helped in Egypt, He’s available once again to help us in the United States. That’s the “God Trend!” 

And that’s why, in the midst of a world health crisis, our faith and reliance on the Lord is more important than ever. This isn’t the time to cry, “Woe is me!” This is the time to pray to God for protection, for deliverance from everything that’s wrong in the world. The same God who rescued his people from Egypt can easily see us through this novel pandemic, and that gives us hope!

Talk it over with God and expect results! 

Blessings and safety today,

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406

Forgiven!

For Friday, September 25, 2020 

1 John 2:2 NLT: “Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous, is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.”

Most people don’t spend a lot of time thinking about their sin problem. Unbelievers simply don’t care – They shrug it off, hoping to do a little better next time. But if they keep doing the same things, they’ll see the same results. 

But to believers, sin is something to be avoided. We intentionally alter behaviors, attempting to do better, and we somewhat achieve that. Our path shows progress, but not perfection.

Fortunately Jesus took on our sin problem while on the cross. In the Great Exchange, He took the sins of the world to the place of the dead, and clothed his believers in garments of white. Jesus’ one-time sacrifice lasts forever, and that gives us hope! He awaits his throng with open arms! 

Blessings and safety to you,

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406

Faithful Ones!

For Thursday, September 24, 2020 

Hebrews 10:39 NLT: “We are not like those who turn away from God to their own destruction. We are the faithful ones, whose souls will be saved.”

The evil one will try many things to take our eyes off the cross – disappointment, depression, discouragement and distrust, just to name a few! Knowing this, believers watch out for these problems, avoid them at all costs and remain faithful to the Good News of Jesus! 

Faith fuels our knowledge of God’s Word, his forgiveness and his grace. As long as we’re living on earth, Satan will compete for our attention - but we’re simply not available! Christians have already been claimed by Jesus as his own. He is preparing a place for us in eternity, a glorious place with “forever” on the reservation!

God has shown us undeserved favor by including us in his eternal plan. Keep your eyes on the cross and your Hope in Jesus! Nothing is more important! Good News - He’s expecting you! 

Blessings to all,

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406

Choose Wisely!

For Wednesday, September 23, 2020 

1 John 5:19 NLT, the Apostle John writing: “We know that we are children of God and that the world around us is under the control of the evil one.”

Well, that explains everything! Believers, followers of Jesus, are blessed to live in fellowship with other believers, who do their best to follow Jesus’ commands to love God and love their neighbor. Life is relatively good! 

But the rest of the world is a big mess! For a time, Satan is allowed to do business in our world. This forces mankind to choose. We’re required to make a conscious decision to follow the Lord, and there is no middle ground. Those who are not ‘with’ the Lord are ‘against’ him.

This explains wars, prejudice, riots and killings, none of which are good and all of which are fueled by the evil one. It also explains disaster relief, food shelves and homeless shelters. Christians are always the first to step up when there’s a problem. Choose today whom you will serve. Choose wisely! 

Blessings and safety to all,

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406

Winning the Battle

For Tuesday, September 22, 2020. 

1 John 5:5 NLT: “Who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.”

If you are born again, you are a child of God. And the idea that anything born of God could be defeated by the world seemed strange to the Apostle John, and it should seem strange to us. The key is not only a one-time “come-to-the-altar-and-get-saved” faith, but a consistent faith, an ongoing trust and reliance on Jesus the Christ. 

With the current world health crisis, civil disobedience and political division, it can sometimes feel like the world is out to get you. But Jesus said, “I have overcome the world!” So a better solution is to “Let go and let God!” The Bible says that those who place their faith and trust in Jesus will be the winners in this life, and in the next life, and that gives us a lot of hope!

Blessings and safety to all, 

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406

Resurrected!

September 21, 2020 Monday Message: 

John 6:40 NLT, Jesus speaking: “It is my Father’s will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day.”

Can Jesus really do what he says he can do? Well, He hasn’t disappointed us so far! The blind see again; the lame pick up their mat and walk home; lepers are cleansed. When people are suffering from apparent mental issues, Jesus commands the demons to come out of the person, and they obey! Demons know who Jesus is, the Son of the living God sent from heaven! 

To assure that we’d “get it,” Jesus waited four days before raising Lazarus from the dead. He’d previously raised the daughter of Jarius, the Synagogue leader, and the servant of a Roman Centurion. And following the crucifixion, he himself was resurrected in three days. This power over life and death is uniquely the Lord’s.

Jesus’ followers began to weigh the evidence and consider everything they’d seen, all of which pointed to Jesus being God’s only Son, just as he said! And being like God, every word he utters is the truth! Jesus promised that his followers will be raised up at the last day, because it’s the Father’s will! Are you ready? 

Blessings as we begin this new week!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406

Solid Rock!

For Sunday, September 20, 2020. 

Matthew 7:24 NLT, Jesus speaking: “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock.”

Where Jesus lived, shifting sands were a big problem. It was common knowledge that it would be futile to attempt to erect a permanent structure on sand. The sand could shift and your building would crumble. If your structure is to last, you need a more solid foundation. 

Jesus applies this analogy to our spiritual lives and religious education. In his day, people worshiped many idols, followed many false gods and had a plethora of errant teachers all too willing to disseminate their misinformation. At one time, God had called the Hebrews “His people,” but their religion had become polluted with rituals and traditions having little to do with what God desired.

Then along came Jesus to reintroduce the faithful to ‘loving the Lord’ and ‘loving their neighbors.’ The basics of believing really are that simple. Jesus is the only one with direct knowledge of God and heaven. Therefore his instructions are like solid rock, that unchanging foundation on which we can build our lives! And that gives us hope! 

Blessings and safety on this Sabbath,

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406

Let Go, Let God!

For Saturday, September 19, 2020. 

2 Corinthians 1:3 NLT: “All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort.”

My father taught me to concern myself only with things over which I had control. If you have some degree of control over situations, you can begin setting things right. If you stand no chance of changing things, your worry will result in perpetual anxiety, and the Bible tells us that kind of worry is futile, and to avoid worrying in general. 

So how do we deal with problems, situations and people over which we have no control? I hope you’re familiar with the saying, “Let go and let God!” God has control over everything, so give Him your big problem. You can then stop worrying and get back to living! God will deal with it or not, but it’s no longer YOUR problem! God, after all, should be our ultimate source of comfort! That’s what the Bible says. So “Let go and let God!” That newfound peace gives us hope!

Blessings and safety today,

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406

Healing Grace!

For Friday, September 18, 2020. 

Matthew 8:8 ESV: “The centurion replied, “Lord Jesus, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed.”

Can you find yourself in this story about a centurion asking Jesus to heal his servant? The officer says he’s not worthy, just as none of us is worthy. But Jesus redeems us all by grace, a gift of undeserved favor! 

The centurion is trying to save Jesus the trouble of coming to his home, but that wouldn’t have bothered Jesus. He frequently dined with tax collectors and sinners! “Healthy people don't need a doctor, but sick people do. I didn't come to invite good people to be my followers.”

Finally, Jesus is the Great Healer. Some of us need physical healing, and we ALL need deliverance from our world’s sin-problem. No matter your situation, Jesus is the best answer! He’ll take your hand and walk with you through the valley, and you’ll be better off because of his intervention. That’s what the Bible teaches, that’s Good News, and that gives us hope! 

Blessings and safety to all today,

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406

Eternal Life!

For Thursday, September 17, 2020. 

John 6:47 NLT, Jesus speaking: “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes has eternal life.”

Jesus said that those who are not with him are against him. So like it or not, when we pass from this reality to the next, each of us will be in one of two groups – those WITH Jesus, or those forever separated from God. 

Jesus is speaking of eternal life “in the presence of God the Father,” what we call Heaven. It’s a unique redemption reserved for believers. The other group also lives forever, but in far less favorable living conditions.

Each of us needs to settle the matter in our own hearts, to decide if Jesus really is who he said he was, and if you believe he can do what he said he can do - and decide if you want to be a part of it! If you have not previously given these matters consideration, TODAY is the accepted day to finalize your decision! Hope to see you all in the hereafter! 

Blessings and safety today,

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406

Adopted by God!

For Wednesday, September 16, 2020. 

Galatians 4:5 NLT: “God sent his Son Jesus to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children.”

We can easily picture one human helping another, and we can probably picture God helping mankind. But adopting us into the Holy Family? I’ll admit I didn’t see that coming! That’s more than we have a right to expect! Nonetheless, that’s God’s intention for those who believe in his Son! 

The author Paul had in mind a Roman model of legal adoption, where adopted children were given equal privileges in the family and equal status as heirs. He’s saying that believers have the same rights and privileges as any other family member, and that’s Good News for all of us!

Our God is a God of forgiveness, mercy, love and second chances. He’s in the redemption business. He wants to reach out, rescue you, and adopt you as one of His own. That’s what the Bible says, and that gives us hope! 

Blessings and safety,

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406

Lasting Hope!

For Tuesday, September 15, 2020. 

Psalm 71:5 NLT: “O Lord, you alone are my hope. I’ve trusted you, O Lord, from childhood.”

Psalm 71 was written by an older man, probably David, speaking from years of heartbreaking persecution. The Bible says not to trust in any person. They’re not God; they can let you down. 

At a young age, David was anointed to be the next king. Instead of mentoring him, Saul felt threatened and tried to have David killed. David’s reign was filled with wars and conflicts, and in his later years, David’s own son Absalom rebelled claiming he should now be king.

Listen to this - What worked for David can work for all of us. He trusted in the Lord from childhood, and now as a senior citizen, he’s still counting on God. Even when others abandoned him, God was always there. David wrote, “My God is like a rock, unchanging.” His hope is forever in the Lord.  

Our hope should also be in the Lord. He won’t ever let us down. God will walk with us through any crisis that comes our way. That’s Good News, and that’s today’s hope!

Blessings and safety to everyone today!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406

Happiness!

Sept. 14, 2020 Monday Message: 

Genesis 1:31a NLT: “God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good!”

Successfully completing a monumental task can be quite rewarding. Did you ever think about how hard God worked to create our world? In a week, He created the earth with its sun and moon, its mountains and oceans, the plants, animals and finally mankind made in his image; also the other planets in our solar system, the Milky Way galaxy, and the entire universe far beyond our eyes. 

Taking a day of rest, God saw that it was all very good. At this point, I picture God having a smile on his face, pleased with the outcome! God was having a good day! Are you having a good day?

The quote, “Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be,” is often attributed to President Abraham Lincoln. While I can’t prove that, what really matters is the truth within the statement. Your happiness is up to you! If you wake up on the wrong side of the bed, full of a bad attitude, you’ll probably have a bad day – a self-fulfilling prophecy. But if you wake up with a smile, full of the joy of the Lord, nothing can ruin your day! Make an intentional decision to be happier than you are right now! If you truly desire happiness, nothing can impede you! 

God is smiling, and so should you!

God’s blessings on everyone as we begin a new week! 

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship, 

3249 30^th Ave. S., 

Minneapolis, MN 55406 

Self Worth

For Sunday, September 13, 2020. 

1 Peter 3:12a NLT: “The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers.”

I oftentimes encourage others to trade their self-esteem for self worth. You have self-esteem when others praise you, when others lift you up. That’s not bad, but understand that with self-esteem, how you feel is dependent upon what others say about you. 

With self worth, you can leave others out of the equation. You do the right things for the right reasons. You’re OK with it and God’s OK with it, end of story. If others choose to praise you, fine, but that’s not part of the deal. You’re on God’s team now, and if He’s smiling, it’s all good! You have self worth! It doesn’t matter what others think.

Looking at today’s scripture, apparently God favors those who do good things. His eyes watch over them, and His ears hear their prayers. God doesn’t send us out alone – He’ll walk with us every step of the way, never far from us, always watching and listening. That’s Good News and that gives us hope! 

Blessings and safety on the Sabbath!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406