New Year - New Thing!

For Friday, December 31, 2021

Isaiah 43:19 TLB, God speaking through the prophet Isaiah: “I’m going to do a brand-new thing. See, I have already begun! Don’t you see it? I will make a road through the wilderness of the world for my people to go home, and create rivers for them in the desert!”

God, in his wisdom, saw fit to rescue us when we could not pay the sin penalty ourselves. Jesus came to earth to take the sins of the world upon himself, so mankind could spend eternity with the Father. Jesus made heaven possible for us. Having knowledge of this assurance of salvation comforts us. If you’re a believer, heaven IS for sure! Stop worrying about the past that you cannot change, and focus on a glorious future with our Lord!

“My God is like a rock!” God’s standards didn’t change. His value system is still in place, and that will never change. But with Jesus in our corner erasing our sins, mankind’s success rate at seeing heaven from the inside is much higher!

Tomorrow is a new year - time for a brand new thing!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship, 3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406

Long-term Solution!

For Thursday, December 30, 2021

Luke 2:38b NLT: “Anna talked about the child (Jesus) to everyone who had been waiting expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem.”

When I read this scripture, my surprise isn’t that baby Jesus is special. We all know that! My surprise is that an entire nation of people would be awaiting God’s rescue!

Living under the Roman government, Israelites we looking for a political solution. Instead, God sent a spiritual solution, a way to redeem their souls, their eternal essence. With Jesus, people could now spend eternity in the presence of the Lord!

Romans occupation was only a short-term problem, whereas the condition of one’s soul is an eternal need. God sent a long-term solution; God sent hope for the world!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship, 3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406

Light of the World!

For Wednesday, December 29, 2021

Luke 2:29-32 NLT: “Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace, as you have promised. I have seen your salvation, which you have prepared for all people. He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!”

Simeon was in the last years of his life, but the Holy Spirit told him that he would not pass until he had seen the Messiah. That’s when Mary and Joseph presented Jesus in the Temple, and Simeon knew he had seen the Lamb of God! Simeon, this stranger they had just met, took the baby in his arms and praised God. He had been shown that he was holding the hope of the world!

Simeon blessed the Holy Family and prophesied to Mary that some things would go well; others would not. Jesus would cause some to fall, but others to rise! He would face stiff opposition at times, but Jesus was a true sign from above!

Since we now know Jesus rose from the dead, he still IS heaven’s hope for the world!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship, 3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406

Trusting God

For Tuesday, December 28, 2021

2 Corinthians 1:9b NLT: “We stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead.”

At the end of Jesus’ ministry, he was crucified by misguided government officials and religious leaders. Three days later, he was up, walking around and speaking. A lot of people saw him and later wrote about this miracle.

Jesus went to the grave burying the sins of the world and rose up proving that there is life after this life. Our problems and our questions about sin and death were answered on the same day! Problem solved!

We should trust God, but it’s hard for many of us to get out of the driver’s seat. But if ever there was a God we should trust, the one who raises the dead gets my vote!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship, 3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406

Wise Men!

December 27, 2021 Monday Message

Matthew 2:11 NLT: “The wise men entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.”

These “Wise Men,” these seekers of truth, apparently traveled quite a ways to worship Jesus, whose name means, “the Lord saves.” They asked Herod, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews?” Herod immediately perceived this as a threat. The bad thing about being king is that someone is always after your job. Kings seem to spend a disproportionate amount of time defending the throne, rather than enjoying their royal position.

These wise men “entered the house” where the family was staying, so this was well past the time of Jesus’ birth, some say as much as two years later. It’s safe to say that the wise men never met the shepherds! After the wise men left their gifts, they returned home by another route.

Apparently Herod was still stewing about the birth of the “king of the Jews!” He thought killing all the Hebrew baby boys would eliminate the “king” competition. But an angel appeared to Joseph, directing his family to Egypt for safety. With the gifts of the Magi, the family had resources to fund this journey until they could return to Israel.

The whole ‘birth of Jesus’ scenario is a series of events that could not have happened if God was not a part of it, always sending angels at just the right moment. Knowing God is “in” it means we should want to learn all we can about these things. That’s why we make such a big deal out of celebrating the birth of Jesus the Christ, who brought newfound hope to all of mankind!

Merry Christmas!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship, 3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406

Wise Men Arriving!

For Sunday, December 26, 2021

Matthew 2:2 NLT: “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose in the east, and we have come to worship him.”

Variously called “Wise Men,” “Magi” or “men who studied the stars,” we know that these were seekers of truth. It was well known that God had gone to bat for the Hebrew people rescuing them from Egypt, and that the Hebrew religion was “Jewish.”

These men from the East had been told there was a new king of these Jews, and they wanted to meet him in the flesh! Their request was quite specific – not the Pharaoh of Egypt, not the Emperor of Rome, but the “newborn king of the Jews.” They carried three valuable gifts for the new king – gold, frankincense and myrrh.

As it turns out, Jesus wasn’t just “King of the Jews.” In fact, Jesus told his followers to “make disciples of ALL nations!” The Messiah came to us through the Jews, but his mission was to redeem the world, to redeem all who would believe!

Think of Jesus as “King of the World!”

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship, 3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406

Forgiveness Arrived!

For Saturday, December 25, 2021 Merry Christmas!

Matthew 1:21 NLT: “Mary will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus,[the Lord saves,] for he will save his people from their sins.”

Today we celebrate a dividing line in history, an event that changed everything – forever! Jesus arrived into a community of devoted Jews who held a deep-rooted belief that only God could forgive sins. So if they’re saying that Jesus will save people from their sins, they’re effectively calling him “God!”

This baby, Son of God, was the focus of a chorus of angels singing in the sky, celebrating the event and sharing the Good News with the Shepherds.

We believers are the beneficiaries of Jesus’ love and forgiveness. He alone can make us right with God. Because of Jesus, we can get to see heaven from the inside! The hope we have been given stretches into eternity!

Merry Christmas!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship, 3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406

Hope in a Manger!

For Friday, December 24, 2021

Luke 2:5 NIV: “Joseph went to Bethlehem to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.”

So many things could have gone wrong. None did! I’ve always hoped that the couple arrived a day earlier and had time to settle before delivering the baby, but the Bible doesn’t tell us that!

This is the completion of what was foretold by the angel Gabriel. The Holy Spirit was responsible for the baby within Mary. Seeing the ‘No Vacancy’ sign at the inn, the couple found themselves at the stable. In spite of the challenges, a perfect baby emerged that we now know to be the promised Messiah, the Savior of the world! Seeing so many prophesies fulfilled lends great credibility to the entire Bethlehem narrative!

Hope arrived in a manger! Merry Christmas!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship, 3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406

Hope in a Manger!

For Thursday, December 23, 2021

Luke 2:1 NLT: “At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire.”

Interesting times 2k years ago. Who would have thought that the Roman emperor Augustus, a pagan unbeliever, would be taking orders from our Creator God, the God of the Hebrew people? And yet here was the king, ordering everyone to their hometowns for the census, causing Joseph and Mary to be in Bethlehem where baby Jesus was born, thereby fulfilling prophecy. The fact that everything fell into place just as predicted lends credibility to the Nativity events.

Then the angel brought the Good News to the shepherds, the angel chorus sang in the sky and the shepherds came to town to check it all out. They found everything just as the angel had told them, holy family in a stable, baby in a manger. They worshiped and then told everyone the Good News!

The shepherds had no clue as to the amount of hope that had been delivered to mankind that night!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship, 3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406

Bethlehem!

For Wednesday, December 22, 2021

Luke 2:4-5 NIV: “Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.”

Transporting an expectant woman from Nazareth to Bethlehem couldn’t have been easy. It’s about a 70 mile trek. Legend shows Mary on a donkey, but we don’t know that for sure. They both might have walked the entire distance, about a week’s journey. Surprisingly, they made it there in one piece!

Probably without realizing it, they were fulfilling prophesy. The Lord says, “Bethlehem Ephrathah, you are one of the smallest towns in Judah, but out of you I will bring a ruler for Israel, whose family line goes back to ancient times.” (Micah 5:2 GNT) So Jesus had to be born in Bethlehem! This baby was God’s gift of hope, redemption and reconciliation for everyone who would believe.

Believers, those who trusted Jesus, now had the right to become children of God!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship, 3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406

Obedient!

For Tuesday, December 21, 2021

Acts 13:22b NLT: “God said, ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart. He will do everything I want him to do.’”

The Lord would call David into service, set for him a goal, a mission, and David always answered, “Yes!” David was far from perfect, but he was always obedient to God. David knew the Lord, loved the Lord, and when God tapped him on the shoulder, David always accepted the challenge, and in return God had filled him with hope for a life after this life.

I think that’s what God wants from all of us. He wants us on his team. He wants to consider each of us a resource for his church. When God calls someone, he’d like to see obedience, not questions, not a push-back. Just do your best for the Lord!

Obedience doesn’t mean perfect!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship, 3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406

Miracle Birth!

December 20, 2021 Monday Message

Matthew 1:20 NLT: “An angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit.”

Wedding traditions were different 2k years ago. After a couple was married, they then went separate ways to prepare everything for their life together. Different Bible translations say Mary and Joseph were “married,” or just “engaged.” It makes little difference. Mary was, in fact, still a virgin; the couple had not yet consummated the marriage. But a divorce would have been required if they were to separate.

Imagine getting everything ready for your new bride, and when you arrive to re-claim her, to start your married life together, you find that she’s already pregnant! Yikes! God knew this would be a problem, so he had an angel appear to Joesph in a dream, explaining that the child was conceived through the Holy Spirit, and counseling Joseph to follow through with the marriage. This requires a huge amount of faith, and a lot of trust in the Lord!

And that’s the point of today’s message. When we hear this miraculous story 2k years later, do we believe? Incredible as a virgin birth sounds, do we truly believe? Do we trust God enough to share this miracle birth of the Son of God with our friends? God wants you to believe because he wants to include you in the Kingdom. “To all who believed ... he gave the right to become children of God.”

It’s not easy being the earthly stand-in father for God’s Son!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship, 3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406

God with Us!

For Sunday, December 19, 2021

Matthew 1:23 NLT, God speaking through the prophet Isaiah: “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’”

Christmas will be upon us in less than a week, when we celebrate the arrival of baby Jesus. The Israelites had been waiting quite a while for this miracle. Isaiah’s prophesy occurred about 800 years before Jesus came to earth!

God, speaking through his prophet, said that we’ll easily identify this Son of God, the only baby ever born of a virgin! Think of him as “God with us.” So the Good News now is that God is not absent from us. God is not far away. God deeply cares about mankind, His creations, and He wants only good things for us. He wants us to know that sins can be forgiven, reconciliation is possible and heaven is an attainable goal through Jesus. We were given hope!

This Christmas, tell someone of the hope you have through Jesus!

Blessings and Merry Christmas!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship, 3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406

Holy One of God!

For Saturday, December 18, 2021

Mark 1:24 NLT, evil spirit in possessed man speaking: “Why are you interfering with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”

There’s a wealth of information in this verse. #1, we learn that there are evil spirits, and that they can take over a person’s life and actions. They are aligned with Satan and his minions.

#2 The evil spirit identifies Jesus as the “Holy One of God.” Somehow the religious elite of the day couldn’t put their finger on who Jesus was, but the evil spirits already know that He is the Son of God!

#3 Evil spirits and God cannot exist together. Evil is not tolerated in the presence of the Lord. So as Jesus approaches the man, the spirit knows it’s time to leave.

I don’t often pray for evil spirits to leave someone; I pray for more Jesus to come in! Evil spirits may not obey me, but they run from Jesus!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship, 3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406