Truth or Else!

For Wednesday, November 6, 2024:

2 John 10 MSG: “If anyone shows up who doesn’t hold to Jesus’ teaching, don’t invite him in and give him the run of the place. That would just give him a platform to perpetuate his evil ways, making you his partner.”

False teachers are everywhere. Satan never takes a day off! To claim to be a religious teacher and not stick with the doctrine of the Son is a sin, an egregious sin. That person not only has the facts wrong, but is trying to lead others down the wrong path. Bad choice for a career!

God doesn’t seem to seek revenge so much as his grace falls only on believers. Those without God’s grace will never see heaven from the inside. There’s God’s way and the wrong way – pick one!

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life.” His way is the only way to heaven. What he taught is 100% truth. And the life he offers is eternity in the presence of our Father!

Jesus – accept no substitutes!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Mission Trip!

For Tuesday, November 5, 2024:

Nehemiah 6:8 CJB: “I, Nehemiah, sent Sanballat this answer; ‘Nothing like what you are saying is true. You’re making it all up in your head.’”

Nehemiah was the cup-bearer for king Artaxerxes I. In spite of Nehemiah being his servant, the two had become friends. Nehemiah was sad, having received news that the town of his ancestors, Jerusalem, laid in ruins. The king, sensing the importance of this issue to his friend, offered to help.

In fact, it seems the king was all-in! Nehemiah requested to return to his homeland to rebuild the wall around the city, a small army as a protective escort, timbers and other building supplies from the forests, and letters to foreign governments explaining his mission and requesting safe passage. Every request from Nehemiah was granted by the king, and he was off!

The lesson here is that when God puts a mission on your heart, you need to get going. That’s what Nehemiah did! He could have ignored the whole thing, explaining that he was only a servant in an occupied land, but he did not ignore God’s call. Our lesson is to get going and let God overcome the roadblocks.

Nehemiah not only restored the city; he restored the Law of Moses in Israel. Hearing the scripture, all the people chanted, “Amen! Amen!” as they lifted their hands. Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. Mission accomplished!

May each of us have the heart of Nehemiah when the Lord calls us to a mission!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Leadership!

November 4, 2024 Monday Message:

1 Samuel 16:1 NLT: “Now the Lord said to Samuel, … ‘Find a man named Jesse, for I have selected one of his sons to be my king.’”

The favored son turned out to be David, the shepherd-boy who eventually conquered Goliath and rose to prominence in Israel. God planned the whole thing!

David was not perfect. You see, God must choose our leaders from the mankind-pool, a flawed, sinful supply! But God will often choose someone who is redeemable, someone who will repent and return to the Lord. You can read about David repenting in Psalm 51.

Tomorrow is election day in the US, and my prayer is that God will have his hand on the election. Compare the candidates with how Jesus lived his life and with God’s commands in the Bible. Don’t vote on just a single issue. Rather consider the entire scenario, the big picture. Whoever is the best fit should get your vote. Ultimately, God will have his way.

Realize that corrupt, immoral leaders can be a judgment on an imperfect nation! Yikes!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Sabbath!

For Sunday, November 3, 2024:

Hebrews 4:9-10 NLT: “So there is a Sabbath still waiting for the people of God. For all who have entered into God’s rest have rested from their labors, just as God did after creating the world.”

God had big plans! When we call God our Creator, we’re typically thinking of our planet and the things it contains, things within the limits of our knowledge. But God is much bigger than that. He designed a sun and set our planet 93M miles from it to facilitate life. God completed our neighboring planets, and then set thousands of stars in the sky, each with its own galactic system, all gravitationally balanced with the others in the sky. Like I said, it was a big job, but God was up for the task!

He completed the work in six days. (Let’s not argue about how long a day is. Our planet didn’t even have days until the sun was in place and the earth started spinning!) On the seventh day, God stepped back, looked at all he had created, and declared it to be “very good.” Following God’s example, we should take a day, temporarily step out of our lives, look in the window and make an honest assessment of how things are going. Most of us won’t find “very good.” Some things will need adjustment, course corrections. The knowledge we gain from a rigorous self-examination allows us to proactively live the Lord’s way rather than simply reacting when something goes wrong!

We can use the Sabbath to get ourselves back on track, back to the Lord’s ways!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Homework Assignment!

For Saturday, November 2, 2024:

Romans 13:1 NLT: “Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God.”

“We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.” There it is, right in our Declaration of Independence. The United States of America acknowledges a Creator! Our government was formed under the watchful eye of that Creator! An important election is being held next Tuesday, although half the country has chosen to vote early. So it’s well past time to get out our Bibles and do our homework!

Q: Do we want a Christian or a non-Christian in the White House? The obvious answer is that a Christian would be best. Christianity is so established in the US that currently it would be impossible for anyone to get elected if they claimed to be a non-Christian. So we need to examine the trends, the behaviors and the actions of the candidates. Who is best living out the “Jesus model?” Remember that Jesus will disavow some who claim to be believers, saying, “I never knew you!” Their actions don’t match what they claim.

Compare the candidate’s positions and their party platforms with the Bible. Which group intends to live out God’s value system? The earth and its people were intelligently designed, and God’s way of living is for our protection and for our own good. God’s laws are his way of loving us.

When you’ve finished your homework, it’s time to vote. Not voting is like casting a ballot for the bad guys, so circle the date on your calendar. Make sure voting is on your agenda.

See you at the polls!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

All Saints' Day!

For Friday, November 1, 2024:

Revelation 7:10 NLT: “Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne and from the Lamb!”

Yesterday was Halloween or All Hallows’ Eve, so today is All Hallows’ Day. In the US, we call it All Saints’ Day. Many churches celebrate this on the following Sunday. Our Mexican neighbors celebrate Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos,) similar to All Saints’ Day.

Christianity was not always a popular and well-established religion. So this feast-day was originally to honor martyrs, those who had given their lives for their faith. Nowadays we honor believers who have returned to the Lord, and that’s a good thing to celebrate!

When our founding fathers came to the US, they were seeking religious freedom, freedom to follow the beliefs of their chosen denomination, which may have been different from their neighbor’s beliefs. Most came from Europe and Great Britain, where governments had mandated a certain religion. Personally, I believe that government and religion should remain separate. We should have the freedom to worship as we choose, or for that matter, the freedom to not worship at all. Now I believe not worshiping is a bad choice, but to be redeemed, one must intentionally choose to follow Jesus. It’s a conscious decision we all need to make.

Note that this day is not about sadness for having lost loved ones. It’s a feast celebrating those who now live in the presence of God Almighty. May we all join them!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship