Truth!

For Sunday, July 31, 2022:

Psalm 85:10 NLT: “Unfailing love and truth have met together. Righteousness and peace have kissed!”

The psalmist is writing about God’s love for his people. God looked at everything he created – including mankind – and declared that it was “very good.” God’s love, truth, holiness and the peace that surpasses our understanding all walk hand in hand. They are the characteristics of God; I call them the “God-trend!”

God is incapable of lying. He only knows truth and has no patience for deceit and scheming. God will not be amused if we make up excuses for sin, if we try to rationalize it away. But the Lord is loving and forgiving if we repent and return to him. Climb back into your Father’s lap. Then you will know peace!

The closer you are to God, the farther you are from sin!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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

Heaven!

For Saturday, July 30, 2022:

Psalm 84:10a NLT: “A single day in your courts is better than a thousand anywhere else!”

The psalmist is expressing unflinching loyalty to God. After all, if you can be in the presence of the Lord, it doesn’t get any better than that!

By sending his Son to our planet, God made eternity in his courts accessible to everyone. Jesus took away our sins, so that those who believe can access the presence of God for not just a day, but for eternity! We call it ‘heaven!’

The verse concludes, “I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house of my God than live the good life in the homes of the wicked.”

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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

Almighty God!

For Friday, July 29, 2022:

Psalm 84:11 NLT: “The Lord God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory. The Lord will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right.”

From God comes life itself, and while we are alive, God is our protector. He sent his Son to offer us eternal life. We believers are, after all, children of God, and our Father is very, very good to us!

Those on God’s side will know an abundance of goodness. The Bible I knew as a child describes God’s love for mankind as, “everlasting lovingkindness.” There is no end to God’s goodness.

"O Lord..., what joy for those who trust in you.”

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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

Family Business!

For Thursday, July 28, 2022:

Psalm 75:10 NLT: “God says, ‘I will break the strength of the wicked, but I will increase the power of the godly.’”

Satan’s battle with the Lord is futile. Our God is an eternal God, and Satan is a created being who will never be God’s equal.

God gave us free choice to pick one side or the other. Joshua said, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!” That’s the decision all of us should make, to be on the side of fairness, justice and righteousness.

Of course the believers, the followers of Jesus, are adopted into the Holy Family. We are all Children of God. Therefore we should come down on the side of our Father!

The fight against Satan is family business!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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

Father God!

For Wednesday, July 27, 2022:

Psalm 4:3a NLT: “You can be sure of this: The Lord set apart the godly for himself.”

The Bible says, “As many as received Him (Jesus,) to them he gave the right to become children of God.” So if believers are God’s children, he will look after them as any parent would look after their own children. In his mind, God separates the godly from the rest of the world. He considers the believers special, worthy of a little extra attention.

Of course that’s where we all want to be, safely under the Lord’s care. Our faith in the Son ensures us a place in God’s eternity.

"Let your face smile on us, Lord!”

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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

Believers = Holy Family!

For Tuesday, July 25, 2022:

John 17:26 MSG: “Righteous God, I have made your very being known to the believers— who you are and what you do— and continue to make it known, so that your love for me might be in them exactly as I am in them.”

Before the crucifixion, Jesus took time to pray to his Father in heaven. Surprisingly, his prayer isn’t for his own well-being. He’s praying for his followers, the believers.

Jesus said, “I and the Father are one,” and this is one example. Time after time Jesus showered love upon his followers, and he’s asking Father God to love those believers just as much.

It’s about believers being included in the Holy Family. “As many as received Him (Jesus,) to them He gave the right to become children of God.”

Welcome to the Holy Family!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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

Peace!

July 25, 2022 Monday Message:

Philippians 4:7 GNT: “God's peace, which is far beyond human understanding, will keep your hearts and minds safe in union with Christ Jesus.”

In God’s vast eternal plan, each human is here on earth for only a short time. While trying to do our best, we’re constantly bombarded by Satan’s temptations. He’s relentless. It’s not surprising that it’s difficult to focus on God’s peace with the cacophony of sin going on all around us.

The Bible says that true knowledge of God’s peace is beyond human understanding. But Jesus pointed us in the right direction by giving us Assurance of Salvation. If our eyes are on heaven, little that happens on earth truly matters. Earthly events have no residual ramifications if you already have Assurance of Salvation.

We are saved by grace through our faith in the Son of God, and friends, that’s all that really matters!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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

Sins Forgiven!

For Sunday, July 24, 2022:

John 4:44-45 NLT: “Jesus had said that a prophet is not honored in his own hometown. Yet the Galileans welcomed him, for they had been in Jerusalem at the Passover celebration and had seen everything he did there.”

In the people’s minds, nothing authenticates a prophet like an outwardly visible miraculous sign. The unconvinced were waiting for Jesus to supernaturally pull a rabbit out of a hat. THEN they could believe! They would have been right, but for the wrong reasons.

One time when Jesus was healing a man, he said, “Your sins are forgiven!” (Luke 5:20) And friends, THAT is the true miracle! Only God can forgive sins. The people were watching for a magic trick, while Jesus offered them a ticket to eternity. Jesus had the right answer; the crowd simply hadn’t asked the correct question!

That any of us could make it into heaven is the true miracle!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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

Self Worth!

For Saturday, July 23, 2022:

Mark 6:2 NLT: “The next Sabbath Jesus began teaching in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. They asked, ‘Where did he get all this wisdom and the power to perform such miracles?’”

Jesus had returned to Nazareth, his hometown. People there knew him as the boy raised by Mary and Joseph, not as the Son of God. Nonetheless Jesus placed his hands on a few sick people and healed them. That should have been enough to convince the locals, but in fact Jesus was rejected in his hometown.

Jesus did not quit! He was doing the right things for the right reasons, trading self esteem for self worth. He was sent from Heaven on a mission to separate mankind from sin, and these were important steps along the way. It really didn’t matter what others thought. Jesus was doing what the Father sent him to do!

Believers are to model our lives after Jesus. He was perfect and we are not, but it’s a worthy goal. Jesus forewarned us that we’ll face challenges and unbelief, even persecution. But we can hold our heads up high knowing that we’re doing the right things for the right reasons.

When in doubt, do what Jesus did!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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

Kindness and Love!

For Friday, July 22, 2022:

Colossians 2:2-3 NLT: “I want believers to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself. In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

Paul was concerned with the unity of the church. He knows that they’ll be stronger if they’re all on the same page, pulling together in the same direction. If the church is solid in its foundation, the individual members will be stronger as well.

Notice that Paul didn’t advocate rules, procedures and traditions. These new believers should live a new way, not held together by mandates but rather bonded by kindness and love. Knowledge of salvation isn’t hidden in secret books. It’s given freely through faith in Jesus, who has all knowledge and willingly shows us the way to heaven!

Untruths divide, but the wisdom of Christ brings believers together!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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