Reservation in Heaven!

For Friday, September 30, 2022:

Colossians 1:4-5 NLT: “We have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all of God’s people, which come from your confident hope of what God has reserved for you in heaven. You have had this expectation ever since you first heard the truth of the Good News.”

If you were visiting another town, you’d reserve a room in a hotel. You would want to be assured of having a clean, safe place to stay. And as believers transition from this life to the next, Jesus assured us that we have a reservation in heaven. He said that he would go ahead and prepare a place for us! We have hope!

Our faith in Jesus assures us of a good life after this life. Forgiveness is his gift to all who trust in his name. Salvation is his gift to all who believe the Gospel.

For believers, the next life will be better than this life. We get to spend eternity in the presence of the Lord!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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

Resurrection!

For Thursday, September 29, 2022:

Ephesians 1:19-20 NLT: “I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.”

Never underestimate the power of God Almighty! Never impose human limitations on your understanding of God.

God can overturn death; no human can do that! The Bible tells us of several people who were resurrected. It’s well documented.

The most well-known resurrection was God’s own Son, Jesus, who left the tomb after three days. Hundreds of people saw him up, out, walking around and speaking! Finally a crowd of believers watched Jesus ascend into heaven, to sit at God’s right hand.

None of this is surprising once we realize that God-the-creator made the whole earth and everything in it. And all who believe will be included in a miracle when Jesus welcomes us into the Kingdom with open arms!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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

Self-worth

For Wednesday, September 28, 2022:

Galatians 6:4 NLT: “Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else.”

Mankind seems to count on having others boost our self-esteem. People write thank-you notes and send out congratulations. Our children play sports, and – win or lose – every student comes home with a trophy! Some people expect a framed “Certificate of Participation” just for living!

None of that is bad, but Paul is suggesting trading our self-esteem for self-worth. Self-worth comes from doing the right things for the right reasons, and from doing a good job. Self-worth means you can be proud of what you’ve done, regardless of what others may say, or even if they say nothing at all. If you believe it’s good and God says it’s good, you already know you’re valuable!

Sometimes your reward is in the life after this life. Let God be the one to boost your self-esteem! Then you can truly feel good about yourself!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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

Teach Your Children!

For Tuesday, September 27, 2022:

Deuteronomy 11:2 NLT: “Keep in mind that I am not talking now to your children, who have never experienced the discipline of the Lord your God or seen his greatness and his strong hand and powerful arm.”

The Lord had called Moses to lead the Hebrew slaves out of Egypt. They had all seen the plagues, the miracles and the defeat of the mighty Egyptian army. They understood the greatness of God. But by this time, the rescued have had children of their own, children who were not alive during God’s rescue, and they need to be taught everything about God – his miracles, his provision, his love and caring for those who worship him.

We teach our children to read and write. We enroll them in schools to learn mathematics and science. We must also get our children up to speed on everything about God. Your Bible is your textbook.

Teach your children about creation. Teach them God’s repeated rescue of his people. Teach them about love, forgiveness and redemption through the Son of God, Jesus the Christ. Watch with delight as they become “Children of God!”

Guide your children into the Holy Family!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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

Leadership!

September 26, 2022 Monday Message:

Nehemiah 2:3 NLT, Nehemiah speaking: “How can I not be sad? For the city where my ancestors are buried is in ruins, and the gates have been destroyed by fire.”

Nehemiah had been told, “Things are not going well for those who returned to the province of Judah. They are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem has been torn down, and the gates have been destroyed by fire.” God placed this burden on his heart, and he could not rest until the problem was solved, until the task was completed.

While these scriptures talk about loving the Lord, his Temple and the city of Jerusalem, the deeper lesson is about leadership. The people living in Jerusalem had settled for the status quo, but Nehemiah let them know that things could be a lot better! Under his leadership, they rebuilt the walls and fortified the city. Worshiping the Lord became a priority as the Temple was restored. Civic pride and religious pride were prioritized! But without leadership, the project would never have started!

God called Nehemiah to be the point-person for restoration of the Holy City. With his leadership, the project was a success!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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

God's Love!

For Sunday, September 25, 2022::

Galatians 3:28 NIV: “There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

All humans were created in God’s image. He loves each and every one of us, and his desire is that none would perish. You could be Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female, black or white or any other color. You could be short or tall, have a lot of money or be dirt-poor, it makes no difference. God shows no prejudice when it comes to our inclusion in his Kingdom. Those who are friends of Jesus are friends of God – no exceptions!

Paul writes that our devotion to Jesus is like donning a new set of clothes. Here’s an example: You may do manual labor all week, but pretend that your daughter is getting married. You clean up. If you’re a man, you put on a tuxedo. If you don’t own one, you rent one for the occasion. If you’re a woman, you get a fancy dress for this special event. In other words, we put on special clothes for a special celebration. It’s like that. You’ve been given an invitation to heaven, so it’s time to put on the special “Jesus” clothes!

After all, the church is the bride of Christ, so we ARE going to a wedding!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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

Son of God!

For Saturday, September 24, 2022::

John 10:30 NIV, Jesus speaking: “I and the Father are one.”

Prophets had told the Jews to expect a Messiah. So the obvious question for Jesus was, “Are you the one we’ve been expecting?” The people had seen the miracles and heard the teaching, so the answer should have been apparent. But these same people knew Jesus had been born to Mary (and Joseph) as a little baby, who grew up alongside their own children. Son of God? They’re just not sure.

Claiming to be God or the Son of God was serious business in the Jewish community. Claiming to be God when you weren’t could result in stoning, and these devoted Jews just weren’t too sure about Jesus. “We’re stoning you not for any good work, but for blasphemy! You, a mere man, claim to be God.” They were not his sheep; they had not yet seen the light!

Friends, Christianity has only one God, known to us in three persons, three different forms. God-the-Father rules from Heaven, Jesus walked on earth alongside mankind, and the Holy Spirit is our helper until Jesus returns. But it’s all just one God. We need to understand that God – being omnipresent – could be in many places at the same time.

Don’t try to curtail God’s omnipresence. He knows what he’s doing!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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

Good Shepherd!

For Friday, September 23, 2022::

John 10:11 NLT, Jesus speaking: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep.”

When Jesus walked on earth, a lot of the economy was agriculture-based. Most boys had grown up tending sheep. So when Jesus used this analogy comparing his mission with the job description of a shepherd, most people knew what he was talking about. But while they understood sheep and shepherds, they were slow to understand that Jesus himself would be giving his up his life to redeem mankind.

Jesus further explains: “I sacrifice my life for the sheep. I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd.” Jesus came to the world through the Jews, but his mission is to offer salvation to everyone – to all who believe!

Jesus is describing the life after this life, eternity in the presence of Father God, available to all the sheep from many flocks, including yours!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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

Uniquely Qualified!

For Thursday, September 22, 2022::

Revelation 5:5 NLT: “One of the twenty-four elders said to me, ‘Stop weeping! Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the heir to David’s throne, has won the victory. He is worthy to open the scroll and its seven seals.’”

Jesus, being the Son of God, is unique. In Revelation ch. 5, God, on his throne in heaven, is holding a scroll with seven seals, and no one - even in heaven - is worthy of taking that scroll from God’s hand, breaking the seals and sharing the information. Not the 4 living beings, not the 24 elders and none of the angels. It turns out that only Jesus is suitable for this task!

Jesus was perpetually obedient to the will of the Father. When God wanted to establish a New Covenant with his created souls, mankind, Jesus was the only suitable messenger. The one who lived a sinless life himself was the only one who could forgive all our sins. His sacrifice paid the price to redeem all who would believe.

Jesus still is a friend to believers. When we transition to the next life, he will welcome us with open arms. He’s uniquely qualified to usher us into heaven!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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