Christians First!

For Tuesday, April 30, 2024:

Philippians 3:3 NLV: “The act of becoming a Jew has nothing to do with us becoming Christians. We worship God through His Spirit and are proud of Jesus Christ. We have no faith in what we ourselves can do.”

At the time the resurrected Jesus ascended back to the Father, there was no New Testament. It hadn’t been written yet. Those who ministered with Jesus eventually documented what He said and what we should do. But that comes much later.

At that time, those who ministered with Jesus were all Jews who became followers of Christ, hence “Christians.” When they shared the Good News with their friends, those friends were converted Jews as well. So the mistaken notion developed that one needed to first become a Jew to eventually become a Christian. Not so fast!

It was Jesus himself who personally called Paul to itinerant ministry all over Asia Minor. Paul was put in charge of sharing the Good News with Gentiles, the non-Jews. Paul told everyone he met about Jesus – right away! There was no middle step of becoming a Jew first. After considerable prayer and consulting with the Jerusalem elders, the matter was settled. You did NOT have to first become a Jew in order to become a Christian!

God wants people who worship in truth and in spirit. The truth part is obvious, but our spirit needs to also connect with the Lord’s spirit. Each of us needs to accept the free gift offered by Jesus, eternal salvation in the presence of the Father.

By ourselves, no salvation is accomplished; but with God and his Son, everything is possible!

Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Life and Death!

April 29, 2024 Monday Message:

Philippians 2:30 NLT: “Epaphroditus risked his life for the work of Christ, and he was at the point of death while doing for me what you couldn’t do from far away.”

Life was different 2k years ago. Nowadays, if there’s a problem with someone, you call 911 or the police department. Back then, there were no police. People who disagreed would pull out a sword or knife and go after whomever offended them. Violent retribution was the custom of the day.

I mention this because if someone was involved in politics, religion or philosophy, there was a good chance that they might not come home tonight! Paul was writing this message from a prison cell, detained for preaching the Good News. Paul talked about a God, and Jesus, the Son of God. Rome, who policed the world at the time, claimed deity for the current Caesar. They considered Paul’s testimony sacrilege. So even though we know Paul was right, he was jailed for being wrong!

If you’re doing the work of Jesus, it may cost you popularity. That’s OK. I’d rather please God than please pagans. Friends, we can’t be all things to all people. There’s right, and there’s wrong, and we need to choose. God is not wishy-washy about separating the sheep from the goats. Our value system should line up with God’s value system. Those who disagree with God’s value system are on the other side, the wrong side.

We can still love our neighbors, being kind and helpful, even when we disagree. They will know we are Christians by our love!

Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Heaven's Inheritance!

For Sunday, April 28, 2024:

Colossians 3:24 NLT: “Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ.”

Know that there is a plan and that you have a purpose. God didn’t just make a bunch or humans, scatter them around and hope for the best!

Knowing Jesus and accepting his gift deals with our sin problem. But in the hereafter, each of us will come face to face with our Creator as he asks, “How did you do with the work I assigned to you? You are my hands and feet on earth; I put your name on certain things. How did that go?”

Start by identifying your gifts and talents. The Bible says that God will not send you on a mission without equipping you to handle it, and he has most likely equipped you in advance. Your work for the Lord probably involves something in which you can excel!

Next, look for where God is already working, and jump in there. Be kind; be helpful; be joyful! Figure out the next right thing to do, something that adds value to what God has already started.

We should all want to hear our Creator say, “Well done, good and faithful servant!

Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Bright Shining Light!

For Saturday, April 27, 2024:

Philippians 2:15b NLT: “Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.”

In case you haven’t noticed, the world is a mess. There are wars, fighting, and innocent people dying internationally. Locally, each day’s headlines tell of more shootings and more deaths. Two or three every day; sometimes more. There’s also an abundance of crimes that don’t involve killing, but still affect our quality of life.

Lest we become discouraged, let’s all turn to the back of the book to find out (or to remember) who wins. It’s really no contest! Our triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, is the creator of everything. Let me state that another way: No one else ever created anything! No one! The creator who initiated the world holds all the cards for how it all will end. What happens in our life-after-this-life is determined solely by the creator of it all.

Those who repent and return, who acknowledge Jesus as the Son of God, will find their names in the Book of Life. That’s Jesus’ free gift to those who believe. And out of gratitude for that gift of understanding the Good News, we become God’s bright lights shining into an otherwise corrupt world. God want’s Christians to be the bright light that others want to get close to. When people look at Christians, they should like what they see and want to become a part of the action! Christianity grows through attraction.

So shine your light into the dark world. As time marches on, there will be fewer of us on the winning team, but don’t give up. Jesus has your reward waiting for you on the other side!

Blessings as you go about the Lord’s work today!

Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Well Done!

For Friday, April 26, 2024:

Colossians 3:23 NLT: “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.”

We all have earthly work to do. Paul is saying that each of us should endeavor to be the best at our tasks.

Some job descriptions are unique. If you’re a dad, be the best father that you can be for your family. No one else fits that job description as father of your family. Same for moms.

If you work for someone else, do your best. Do a good job. Don’t do shoddy work. It matters not if you work in a field or at a bank. The person paying you should get their money’s worth!

Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance a reward for your time on earth, and that the Master you are truly serving is Christ.

Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Live like Jesus!

For Thursday, April 25, 2024:

Philippians 2:5 NLT: “You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.”

Paul is attuned to Jesus’ mind and attitude. It all happened on the road to Damascus. I jokingly say that Jesus had to slap Paul “upside the head” to get his attention! The truth is that Paul was struck blind until Jesus said otherwise. That got his attention, flipped the script, and turned Paul’s life around 180º!

Paul opened this letter with a series of questions, hoping the reader would “get it.” He states that believers should be like he is, since it was Jesus who personally made a believer out of Paul. But perhaps that’s still too oblique. So Paul points the Philippians directly to the source: “Let the mind of Jesus live in you!” Or in simple words, “Be like Jesus!”

Paul gives this conclusion first, and then goes on to detail several examples of living one’s life like Jesus. This is a text-book teaching method, still being taught nowadays. “State what you’re going to teach, then teach it, and finally summarize what you just taught.” Same thing, three times, three different ways. You don’t want anyone to miss the point of your message!

We all need to know a certain amount about teaching. Jesus commissioned all believers to make disciples of all nations, so we all need the skills to do a good job. Accept the commission and do your best!

Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Marriage!

For Wednesday, April 24, 2024:

Colossians 3:18-19 NLT: “18: Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting for those who belong to the Lord. 19: Husbands, love your wives and never treat them harshly.”

In my experience, these two verses take the #1 spot for creating angst in the reader. Usually the problem is lifting one verse out of context without considering the other. But just like a marriage requires two people, these two verses describing a Christian marriage are designed to fit together.

Let’s get one thing straight: Submission doesn’t imply slavery. Submission means you are part of a group, part of a team. Both husband and wife have agreed to play on the family team. So if the family is a team, the husband is the “designated leader” of the team, but only because the wife grants him that position. The wife has her place alongside the “leader,” and the children have their place in relation to the leader and the wife.

The wife enjoys being on the team because she is loved by her husband who treats her well, who respects her. The Christian husband puts his wife up on a pedestal, and seeing her there brings him joy! The two love one another “as is fitting in the Lord.”

God invented this partnership, so we know that it works!

Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Defenders!

For Tuesday, April 23, 2024:

Philippians 1:27-28a NLT: “Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you.”

Paul teaches that “whatever happens,” we should uphold the value system given to us by Jesus. But the reality is that trouble will probably come, and people in high places will oppose you. Being a champion for Christ won’t be easy.

Remember that Paul was writing this from his prison cell. His crime was preaching the Gospel, and here he is encouraging others to do the same. For them, it may also be a rocky road. (To be forewarned is to be prepared!)

Each believer should be perpetually prepared to be an apologist, a defender of the Gospel. This is about standing up for Jesus, now the main thing in our lives. Any consequences for us are secondary, relatively unimportant to God’s big picture. God will care for those who believe in his Son, either here on earth or in the hereafter. Paul could make a case for living, and a case for dying. Living, he could do more work for the Kingdom. Dying, he’d see Jesus sooner. Paul left that decision in God’s hands.

If we’re believers and still living, we should be clearly recognizable as Christians. We should love our neighbors, show kindness, share our assets, be helpful, and do the next right thing. Observers should be able to assess our behavior, and say with certainty, “Those are Christians!” Christianity’s number will increase through attraction. People will like what they see, and want to experience it themselves. Welcome them with open arms!

Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Living or Dying?

April 22, 2024 Monday Message:

Philippians 1:23-24 NLT, Paul writing to the Philippian church: “I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me. But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live.”

Paul lived during a time when death was a daily possibility. Disputes were settled with violence, executions were a daily occurrence, and Paul was sending this message from prison – not a positive scenario!

Ironically he was imprisoned for preaching salvation through Jesus the Christ. Romans claimed divinity for their current emperor; they considered preaching for Jesus to be preaching against Caesar, a crime worthy of arrest, imprisonment, and who knows what else!

I believe Paul was intelligent and well-educated, a seeker of truth. As a result of his beliefs, he could live or he could die. Paul considered both.

Most people are apprehensive about dying, but Paul’s faith gave him a deep-rooted belief in a heavenly destination in the next life. So to him, death wasn’t to be feared; it was something that we should anticipate joyfully! After all, believers get to spend eternity alongside Jesus in the presence of God! Suddenly dying looks like an attractive option! It doesn’t get any better than that for Paul personally!

But what’s better for evangelism, spreading the Good News about Jesus, and for the church? Paul writes, “To me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. If I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So I really don’t know which is better.” Wisely, Paul is leaving the choice in God’s hands. But clearly he’s looking forward to spending more time with Jesus!

Q: Do you fear death, or regard it as an opportunity? Paul advises that we trust the Lord to make that decision. God always knows what’s best!

Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

All in!

For Sunday, April 21, 2024:

Colossians 3:17 ESV: “Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

The new person, the born-again person, lives life, all of life, for Jesus! If you’re “all in” with the Jesus program, there’s no going back! There’s no changing your mind. Backsliding shouldn’t be an option!

I’ve previously compared a life dedicated to serving Jesus to getting into a swimming pool. The wrong way to do it is to go to the shallow end and put one toe at a time into the water, because you’re still not sure. The right way to do is to approach the deep end, get a running start, jump high in the air, and – ker-splash! If the water’s cold or hot, it doesn’t matter. You’re fully immersed in the Savior, and that’s a good place to be! Furthermore, it’s an “all in” commitment. If the going gets tough, none of us can levitate our bodies up and out of the water. Like I said, there’s no going back!

There is no decision more important than making an “all in” commitment to Jesus!

Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Defender!

For Saturday, April 20, 2024:

Philippians 1:16 GW: “Those who tell the message about Christ out of love know that God has put me here to defend the Good News.”

Paul was the original apologist to the Gentiles. Apologists are charged with defending or proving the truth of Christian scriptures and doctrines. Historically and knowledge-wise, this was a confusing “in between” time. Let me explain.

Paul’s letter to the church in Philippi was written about 60 years after Jesus’ birth, and about 30 years after his death. If it had been written closer to Jesus’ day, eyewitnesses could have testified as to exactly what had occurred and what was said. The truth would have been well-known. If more time had elapsed, Gospels and what we call the New Testament would have been assembled, becoming the textbook for Christianity. But in these “in between” years, the job of defending the Gospel fell to Paul.

Nowadays, since Paul is no longer with us, the job becomes one for all believers. We should each know enough about Jesus to defend the Gospel and put forth the principles we learned from Christ. Be prepared – you never know when you’ll have to testify for Jesus!

Yesterday a man was questioning me about the Bible. Right up front, he stated, “Nothing you say will apply to me, because I’m an atheist!”

We were kind of in the same position; he doesn’t believe in Jesus, and I don’t believe in atheists! I regard them as future believers who haven’t yet seen the light! You might call them, “Pre-saved!” By the end of our conversation, he agreed to try attending a couple of church services to learn more about our faith in the Messiah. I left him with a couple of specific church suggestions.

Since Jesus wants us to share the Good News with all nations, we need to get comfortable evangelizing and defending the faith. Like the hymn says, we all should be prepared to, “Stand up, stand up for Jesus!”

Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Forgive!

For Friday, April 19, 2024:

Colossians 3:13 NLT: “Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.”

We all say the Lord’s Prayer from time to time. But rather than just reciting words we have memorized, I would encourage us all to examine those words more closely. Take it apart line by line.

The Lord’s Prayer, from Matthew 6, asks God to: “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.” So as much as we want God to forgive our sins, we too need to forgive others. Paul is reinforcing God’s command in this letter.

Have you ever heard someone say, “I don’t get mad; I get even!” They think it sounds cool. They think it makes them sound tough. It does neither.

In your mind, flip the script. What if the Lord said to you, “I’m gonna get even!” None of us would stand a chance! God does not judge us vindictively. Thankfully he’s a God of love, mercy and forgiveness. Without God’s grace we wouldn’t stand a chance!

So forgive others as God forgives you. That’s what Jesus did! He even forgave those who put him on a cross!

Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship