Happy New Year!

For Saturday, December 31, 2022:

Matthew 3:11b NLT, John-the-Baptist’s prophesy about the coming Messiah: “Someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not worthy even to be his slave and carry his sandals. I baptize with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.”

This is the final day in our calendar year. At midnight everywhere, people will say, “Out with the old; in with the new!” It’s a time to start afresh!

A good start would be including more of Jesus in your life and in your heart. It’s a good time to commit or re-commit to believing that Jesus was who he said he was, could do what he said he could do, and to make him Lord of your life! Seek Jesus’ baptism with the Holy Spirit and with fire. It’s a decision you’ll never regret.

The birth of this one humble man turned out to be so significant that we re-started our calendars with the birth of our Savior. The years after Jesus’ birth are AD, Anno Domini, in the year of our Lord. Before Jesus was BC or before Christ. Secularists have changed that to “Before Common Era,” but Christians know what it really is. Without Jesus, there would be no BC or AD! Now you know what we’re really celebrating!

Happy New Year!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

Prepare the Way!

For Friday, December 30, 2022:

Matthew 3:2 NLT, John-the-Baptist’s message: “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.”

A basic leadership principle is to let people know what’s coming, to get them accustomed to new ideas. Then when you make the final announcement, it won’t be a big surprise to anyone. People will say, “I’ve heard of that – that’s what we’ve been talking about!”

Example: A church needed more room, and they suddenly announced a building campaign. It was voted down. No one had heard of the idea, so the leadership regrouped and talked benefits. A new fellowship hall would accommodate community meals, women’s luncheons, men’s Bible studies and allow growth for the youth group! Everyone benefits! A year later, 90% voted ‘yes!’

The Son of God coming to earth to rescue mankind and the Hebrew people transitioning from a ‘works’ based religion to ‘grace & faith’ religion was monumental, Good News for all of us. The prophet Isaiah cracked open the door 800 years earlier. Now John-the-Baptist was the advance man for our Messiah. Jesus and John were close to the same age, but Jesus didn’t begin his ministry until he was 30. That gave John at least 10 years to prepare hearts to receive Jesus’ message.

"The Kingdom of God is right here, right now!”

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

Nazarene!

For Thursday, December 29, 2022:

Matthew 2:23 NLT: “Joseph’s family went and lived in Galilee, in a town called Nazareth. This fulfilled what the prophets had said: ‘He will be called a Nazarene.’”

Evil King Herod had died, so God’s angel ended the Holy family’s exile in Egypt. It was time to come home! The bad news is that Herod’s son Archelaus was now the ruler, and Joseph assumed “like father, like son!” So obediently Joseph and family returned to Israel, but did not settle in the major city of Jerusalem. A smaller town called Nazareth in the province of Galilee was thought to be safer.

At that time, people told jokes about the people of Nazareth, who were falsely thought to be not as smart or capable as others. That stereotypical prejudice caused Nathanael to ask, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”

Philip replied, “Come and see for yourself!” God chose to have his Son, the Savior of the world, center his life and a lot of his preaching around the Sea of Galilee!

Jesus lived in Nazareth; he died in Jerusalem.

Merry Christmas!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

God of Protection!

For Wednesday, December 27, 2022:

Matthew 2:8 NLT: Then Herod told the Magi, “Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!”

Lies, lies, lies! Jesus, the new baby, the promised Messiah, was purported to be “King of the Jews,” but Herod thought HE should be ruler of that region, and you can’t have it both ways! Since Jesus was a little baby and Herod was already the ruler, he was confident about how this scenario would conclude! He planned to use the Wise Men to pin down Jesus’ location, and then execute his competition.

Being wise men, they saw right through Herod’s plot. After visiting Jesus and leaving their gifts, they returned via a different route and never did report back to Herod, who was furious. His solution was to kill all the Hebrew babies less than two years old. God, who provides everything including solutions for safety, sent an angel to tell Joseph to gather his family and seek refuge in Egypt. The next morning they were off, and tragedy was averted, at least for Joesph’s family. Herod, though, showed his true colors, and the blood of many babies was on his hands.

We worship the Savior who was protected by the Lord. We are proud to have him as our Redeemer and our King!

Merry Christmas!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

Wise Men?

December 27, 2022 Monday Message:

Matthew 2:1-2 NLT: “Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men, Magi, from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east, and we have come to worship him.”

Today is the third day of Christmas. When Jesus was born, the star rose in the east signifying the arrival of the promised Messiah. Wise men from the east began their journey when they first saw the star, but had to travel for quite some time. So they didn’t arrive until much later – as much as two years later! Suffice it to say that they didn’t visit a newborn in a manger! By that time, Jesus’ family would have been living elsewhere.

As a child, I participated in the Christmas pageant at church – and – believe it or not – the Christmas pageant at our school! Picture this: Jesus would be in the center in a manger, with Joseph on one side, Mary on the other, with three shepherds off to one side and three wise men on the opposite side. But friends, it didn’t really happen that way! The shepherds and wise men were never in the same room together! And were they wise? They could be astronomers, the Greek calls them Magi (magicians) and we sing “We Three Kings.” And the Bible never says there were only three of them, so a lot of detail is missing from this beautiful story, or confused by our tradition.

But the arrival of visitors from the east seeking the King of the Jews upset King Herod so much that he felt he had to defend his throne. And this is where it gets ugly – more tomorrow...

Merry Christmas!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

The Lord Saves!

December 26, 2022 Monday Message:

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

Today is the second day of Christmas, when we celebrate the arrival of the Son of God. Back then, given names had specific meanings. The angel of the Lord said to name Mary’s son “Jesus,” which means “The Lord saves.” Imagine naming your son, “Redeemer!”

But for us, this is the best news ever! Mankind had been battling sin ever since Adam and Eve, and we were out of options. But God, who made mankind in his image, loved us so much that he sent his son to personally be our sin-offering, to make us right with God. Finally mankind had a chance to see heaven from the inside! And it was all possible because of Jesus coming to earth!

The Lord had this all planned out for quite some time. If we didn’t need rescuing, God wouldn’t have sent a Redeemer to save us!

Merry Christmas!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

Savior Arrival!

For Sunday, December 25, 2022:

Luke 2:11 NLT: “The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!”

This was and still is the best news ever! A Messiah, a Savior had been prophesied, and now he’s here! The greatest celebration of all time should ensue!

Thankfully, Luke, our investigative reporter, collected all the details of the virgin birth! An angel shouted the Good News from the heavens, soon joined by a chorus of angels, saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth to all God’s people.”

The shepherds’ flock was down for the night, so they decided to pursue what the angels had told them. They wanted to see the miracle with their own two eyes! “This very day, in David’s town, a Savior has been born for you. He is Christ, the Lord. Let this prove it to you: you will find a baby, wrapped up and lying in a manger.” They found everything just as the angels had told them!

Merry Christmas!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

Anticipation!

For Saturday, December 24, 2022:

Luke 1:57-58 TLB: “By now Elizabeth’s waiting was over, for the time had come for the baby to be born—and it was a boy. The word spread quickly to her neighbors and relatives of how kind the Lord had been to her, and everyone rejoiced.”

This was a time of great spiritual activity and anticipation. An angel had visited Zechariah in the Temple. An angel had visited Mary, and then Joseph. Zechariah had been promised a son who would announce the soon-to-arrive Messiah. Zechariah’s son was to be named John. Mary was told that she would be birthing that Messiah, and Joseph was assured that his wife had been faithful. The Messiah-baby was from the Holy Spirit! They were to name him Jesus which means Savior.

As you might expect, everything happened just as they had been told. John-the-Baptist turned out to be a strange fellow, living in the wilderness, wearing clothing made of coarse camel hair and relying on locusts for sustenance. Nonetheless, many people came to hear his message: Repent and return to the Lord, for the Kingdom of God is at hand! Those who agreed were baptized in the Jordan.

At about age 30, Jesus began his public ministry. We celebrate his arrival tomorrow, on Christmas day. After Jesus, everything was different – better! He atoned for mankind’s sin-problem. People are still talking about it 2,000 years later!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

Faith!

For Friday, December 23, 2022:

Luke 1:45 NLT: “You (Mary) are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.”

It’s a common scenario. God promises something, and then the question becomes one of our faith. Do we believe that God could or would do what he said?

Still a virgin, Mary was told that she would have a son, Jesus. That’s hard to believe! Then she was told that the baby would be known as the Son of God! That’s another stretch of faith! But Mary responds with The Magnificat, her Song of Praise, confirming her belief in everything that Gabriel had told her.

As we live our lives, we need that same kind of faith in our creator. The name “Jesus” means “Savior,” and we are saved by grace through our faith in him. Shepherds came to witness the scene with their own two eyes, and they reported that everything happened just as they had been told!

In fact, our trustworthy God did everything just as he said he would, and faith in that puts us in a good place when we knock on heaven’s door!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship