Without Fault!

For Monday, November 30, 2020

Jude 1:24 NLT: “Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault.”

Now that Jesus has rescued us from sin and adopted us into the Holy Family, God wants to keep us there. It's far too easy to become complacent. Therefore His help is available!

God will hold on to us and keep us from falling away. God's desire is that none would perish, and he sure doesn't want to lose those earmarked as Christ's own! With sin washed away, we have been prepared to enjoy eternity with the saints in the presence of the Lord. That, friends, is Good News, and that gives us hope!

Blessings and safety as we begin this new week!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

3249 30^th Ave. S.

Minneapolis, MN 55406

Redeemer!

For Sunday, November 29, 2020 

Mark 10:18 Phillips, Jesus speaking: “I wonder why you call me good. No one is good—only God.”

Jesus is counseling the Rich Man regarding entering the Kingdom of God. I can see the twinkle in Jesus’ eye as he lays it out:

“#1 You call me good;

#2 Only God is good;

#3 Therefore, are you saying that I’m God?” 

Of course Jesus IS God – God in the person who walked on earth alongside us. Jesus said it himself: “I and the Father are one.”

If we claim Jesus as our Redeemer – as Lord and Savior of our lives – he grants us assurance of salvation, the promise of seeing heaven from the inside, and that gives us an abundance of hope! 

Blessings and safety this Sabbath!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

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

Relationship!

For Saturday, November 28, 2020 

Ephesians 1:18 NIV: “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people.”

Paul is teaching the church of Ephesus that God expects more than a superficial commitment, more than the eyes on the outside of your face. We are to love the Lord from deep within, and Paul says to open the eyes of our heart! What a great analogy! 

It’s said that Christianity isn’t so much a religion as it is a relationship, and I believe that’s the intent here. The eyes on your face might recognize someone on the street; but the eyes of your heart would invite them for dinner, maybe even allow them to stay the night!

Paul Baloche wrote a great praise and worship song about this: “Open the eyes of my heart, Lord, I want to see you!”  

Blessings, safety and hope to all!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

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

Wisdom & Hope!

For Friday, November 27, 2020 

Proverbs 24:14 NIV: “Wisdom is like honey for you: If you find it, there is a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.”

God designed mankind to perpetually increase our knowledge. My theory is that it’s difficult to remain in the same place – we’re either gaining knowledge or withering away. Pick one! 

The Bible says that if we’re constantly in knowledge acquisition mode, we have a bright future and we have hope. Furthermore our hope will be with us well into the future, as it will not be taken away!

Right now we’re living through the coronavirus pandemic and we need a lot of hope. Things WILL get better! Know that God is still in charge, his promises are still good, and he has blessed us with a lot of hope for the future! 

Blessings, safety and hope to all!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

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

Thanksgiving!

For Thanksgiving Thursday, November 26, 2020 

Luke 12:31 NLT: “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and He will give you everything you need.”

In the US, this is our day of Thanksgiving, nowadays permanently anchored to the fourth Thursday of November. Our God of abundant provision gives us 46 million turkeys to consume on this holiday! Our God has also provided everything else we need! 

Jesus taught us that God already knows our needs, and has already provided for us. We pray to God for provision so that HE knows that WE understand the source! And we need to thank the Lord for all he does for us. Today would be a good day to do that!

Of course the best gift for mankind was God sending his Son to earth to once-and-for-all solve our sin problem. This opened the doors for us to see heaven from the inside – for eternity! That gives us hope, and for that we’re thankful! 

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

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

Seek First!

For Wednesday, November 25, 2020 

Matthew 6:33 NIV: “Seek first God’s kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

“Seeking” is reciprocal. God is constantly seeking contact with mankind. He’s already doing his part. So the question becomes, “Are we seeking the Lord?” 

Seriously, the most important thing we can do in this lifetime is to establish a relationship with God. If that’s first, the rest of our lives tends to fall into place. In the Bible, people are asking, “What will we eat, what will we drink, what will we wear?” Today’s scripture is the answer, and that gives us hope!

The Message explains it like this: “People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.” 

Blessings and safety to all!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

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

Your Future!

For Tuesday, November 24, 2020 

Jeremiah 29:11 GNT: “I alone know the plans I have for you, plans to bring you prosperity and not disaster, plans to bring about the future you hope for.”

The year 2020 may have been a train wreck in many ways, but God has plans to make our lives better. Are you watching for GOD’s plans for YOUR life? 

Remember that good things come from God, and bad things come from the evil one. God can only give you the good things he has: “…plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

In The Message, God puts it like this: “I have it all planned out — plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.” Our hope is in the Lord! 

Blessings and safety to all!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

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

You're Included!

November 23, 2020 Monday Message: 

John 17:20 NLT, Jesus speaking: “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message.”

In one simple sentence, Jesus included us in the growth plan for Christianity. The original disciples told others, who told others, etc. And before he returned to the Father, Jesus reminded his followers to go and make disciples of all nations. We call that the Great Commission, and it’s intended that all believers would share the Good News with others. 

Hard to believe, but Jesus prayed for us 2,000 years ago. The scripture says he prayed for “all who will ever believe in me,” and that’s us! Appreciate the magnitude of Jesus including you in his prayers for the Holy Family!

This coming Sunday is the first Sunday in Advent, the four weeks leading up to Christmas. What a perfect time to weave the impact of a redeemer coming to rescue mankind into our thoughts and our messages. Jesus WILL come again, fulfilling the prophecies, just as he did the last time! 

Blessings and safety as we begin this week!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

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

Daniel

For Sunday, November 22, 2020 

Daniel 6:23 NLT: “The king was overjoyed and ordered that Daniel be lifted from the den. Not a scratch was found on him, for he had trusted in his God.”

“Daniel in the Lions’ Den” is a classic Bible story we heard as children. The interesting thing is that the king actually liked Daniel – liked him a lot! It was the king’s advisors, his counselors that had it in for Daniel. They had contrived a law preventing Daniel from worshiping the Lord, but he just wouldn’t quit! 

Consequently Daniel was thrown into the lions’ den overnight, but the next morning the king was right there to see if Daniel was OK, to which Daniel shouted, “Long live the king!” As I said, they were friends. The conspirators were then thrown to the lions, and were shredded.

Daniel teaches us that earthly kings and our creator are 2 different things. We can get along with an earthly king if our ultimate faith, hope and trust is in the Lord. God can rescue us from all sorts of ‘lions,’ and that gives us hope! 

Blessings to all on the Sabbath!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

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

Brought Near!

For Saturday, November 21, 2020 

Ephesians 2:13 NLT: “Now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ.”

Paul was writing to the church in Ephesus based on his Hebrew upbringing. People who sinned were said to be “far from God,” and the solution was to “repent and return,” to come “closer to God.” 

The Good News is that believers have been adopted into the Holy Family, included as brothers and sisters with Jesus. God never reneges on his promises; therefore we have assurance of salvation, and that gives us hope to the max!

As we enter the next reality, Jesus will be there to welcome us with open arms!! 

Blessings & safety to all!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

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

Life & Death!

For Friday, November 20, 2020 

Ephesians 2:5 Phillips: “Even though we were dead in our sins, God, who is rich in mercy, because of the great love he had for us, gave us life together with Christ—it is, remember, by grace and not by achievement that you are saved.”

Jesus holds power over life and death, both physically on the earth, and spiritually in the next life. It’s easy to understand the miracle of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. We don’t know how he did it, but we can see what happened. After the crucifixion, Jesus himself was in the grave for 3 days, and then God had him up, walking around where everyone could see him! Again we don’t know how he did it, but we can plainly see what happened. 

Spiritual life and death are a little more difficult to comprehend. In spite of appearances, when we see people living in sin, they are already spiritually dead. But when filled with Jesus, they become alive – raised to life again - not only in this life, but in the life after this life!

This free gift of eternal life is the believer’s reward from Jesus, and knowing that gives us hope! 

Blessings to all!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

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

Fill Me Up!

For Thursday, November 19, 2020 

Philippians 4:8 NLT: “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”

Here are a couple of my favorite sayings:

#1 “If you’re doing THIS, you’re not doing THAT!” Oftentimes the answer to getting one’s life in order is not to concentrate on all the bad stuff you want to eliminate. A better solution is to fill up your life with good stuff! If your calendar is 100% full of loving the Lord and loving others, you’ll no longer have time for the things that were problems. 

#2 is similar: “If you’re in HERE, you’re not out THERE!” If you’re in good places – helping out at church, the food bank, the youth center, etc. – you’re surrounded with good people doing good things, and avoiding situations that used to be problematic.

So fill your life up with good stuff and surround yourself with good friends. It’s a choice you can make every day to add hope to your life! 

Blessings and safety today!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

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

Don't Worry!

For Wednesday, November 18, 2020 

Philippians 4:6 NLT: “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.”

Alfred E. Newman was best known for saying, “What, me worry?” But being concerned about other people and their circumstances, our natural tendency is to do just that, worry; but the Bible counsels us otherwise. 

Worry never solves any problem; it just creates agony in our minds. The saying, “Let go and let God,” applies here. Paul counsels the Philippians to pray about everything, tell God what you need, and then move on to thanksgivings. If we have given the problem to God, it’s time to move on!

Our faith in God and Jesus the Christ allows us to do that. No problem is insurmountable! Our belief that God is bigger than any problem gives us hope! 

Blessings and safety to all today!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

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

Please God!

For Tuesday, November 17, 2020 

1 Thessalonians 2:4 NLT: “We speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts.”

Before Jesus ascended into heaven, he commissioned the believers to carry the Good News to all nations. Therefore when you tell a friend about Jesus, you’re a messenger approved by God, entrusted with the best news ever! We are to share our hope with others! 

Sometimes this goes well, sometimes it doesn’t, but our goal is to please God, not mankind. God not only hears your words and sees your actions, but God knows your heart. He can spot ‘loving your neighbor’ from a long ways away, and that’s what Jesus said to do!

Blessings and safety to all! 

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

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

Love of Money!

November 16, 2020 Monday Message: 

1 Timothy 6:10 NLT: “The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.”

Money – we seemingly can’t live without it, but mankind isn’t very good at living WITH it either!  The Message writes, “Lust for money brings trouble and nothing but trouble. Going down that path, some lose their footing in the faith completely, and live to regret it bitterly ever after.” 

As many point out, money itself isn’t bad. The Bible says the problem is the extreme LOVE of money. At that point, the problem is no longer greed, but becomes idol worship. If the false idol pursued contains only dollar signs $$$, the follower is in for a lot of grief!

The solution, just like many of our problems, is to repent and return to the Lord. Realize that God grants some of us abundance so we can help others. And God also makes sure that everyone has basic provision, so we always have hope! 

Blessings and safety to all this week!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

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

Living Hope!

For Sunday, November 15, 2020 

1 Peter 1:3 ESV: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”

We have hope while we’re alive because of the promise of what happens when we move on to the next reality. Believers are reborn into the Holy Family and get to see heaven from the inside. It will be magnificent! 

Jesus’ resurrection is our guarantee that this promise will be fulfilled. As someone who carried the sin of the world to the place of the dead, and then himself rose from the dead, it’s clear that Jesus has power over all creation and that he can do what he said he could do, and that gives us hope, a living hope!

Blessings to all this Sabbath! 

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

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

Ready for Redemption!

For Saturday, November 14, 2020 

1 Peter 1:13 NLT: “Prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control. Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world.”

Jesus is coming again, and Peter is counseling the believers to roll up their sleeves and get ready for action. Stay sober – focus on what Jesus is doing, although it will probably be such a big deal that no one could miss it! 

Jesus’ rescue of the believers is a gift of grace, something we really don’t deserve. Grace isn’t just for the past, when we first gave our lives to Jesus. It isn’t only for the present, where we live each moment standing in His grace. It is also for the future, when grace will be delivered to us. God has only just begun to show us the riches of His grace!

Grace is the unmerited love of God, who bends down to bless and redeem mankind, 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

Good Shepherd!

For Friday, November 13, 2020 

1 Peter 2:25 MSG: “You were lost sheep with no idea who you were or where you were going. Now you’re named and kept for good by the Shepherd of your souls.”

A lot of people amble through life in a reactionary mode. With no goal and no plan, when something happens they simply react to it. Sometimes it’s a good response, but oftentimes not. The first response is often to lie, minimize and rationalize what occurred. Circumstances dictate their life’s direction. 

On the other hand, God’s people are PROactive. Knowing the Lord, we have a plan for our lives, a heavenly goal in place. God has given us a name, and the Good Shepherd will keep us safe. Believers live for things of substance, things that matter eternally. Setting our sights on heaven gives us a lot of hope in this life!

Blessings and safety to all today! 

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

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