Second-Chances!

For Tuesday, December 31, 2024 New Years Eve!

Genesis 3:21 NLT: “The Lord God made clothing from animal skins for Adam and his wife.”

 Genesis 3 – God had barely finished creation when the train went off the tracks! Only one thing God commanded the couple to do – just one thing! Don’t eat fruit from the tree of life. But the serpent, master of temptation, told Eve, “Your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.” Now who wouldn’t want to be “like” God?

 Eve fell into the serpent’s trap, and brought her husband along too. But this New Year’s Eve, as people are making resolutions to do better in the coming year, I want to look at God’s reaction to this whole mess. Let’s consider the character trends of God.

 God made them new clothes from animal skins, much better than the fig-leaf apparatus they had rigged for themselves. After this initial sin, the first disobedience to God’s instructions, God’s initial reaction was to be loving, forgiving and caring. Second chances and do-overs fit with God’s character. And that goes for all of us, not just Adam and Eve! If we confess our sins and admit we have been wrong, God will forgive us and grant us a fresh start in life.

 Draw a line in the sand separating the old you from the new you, and take a Mulligan on the old you. Our God is a God of second chances!

Pastor Norton Lawellin
Jesus In the City Fellowship

Financials!

December 30, 2024, Monday Message:

2 Thessalonians 3:12 NLT: “We command such (lazy) people and urge them in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and work to earn their own living.”

When “The Way,” the first church, was founded, people sold houses and property and donated the proceeds to the church, with a “what’s mine is yours, and what’s yours is mine” attitude. It sounds a little like communism, and mankind isn’t very good at that! Before you know it, people are tempted to take more from the co-op than they’re putting in. Lazy! And in reality, widows and orphans are unable to add resources, so some of us need to contribute extra to care for those needy. That’s what Jesus would have us do!

It’s the same in our churches nowadays. Some will be able to donate large amounts, others much smaller. Churches have very real expenses. I once worked for a church with leaky windows, where paying for heat in January and February was always challenging. We’d often have to launch a “second effort” mid-year financial campaign, but we always survived. Those who could give gave even more!

But there comes a time when it’s obvious that donations will no longer support the amount of ministry to which we’re called. Sometimes the current business plan is unsustainable. Time to increase donations or cut back on ministry, or both!

As leaders, we need to be good stewards of God’s resources!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Holy Spirit!

For Saturday, December 28, 2024:

2 Thessalonians 2:14 NLT: “He (the Holy Spirit) called you to salvation when we told you the Good News; now you can share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Jesus told all of us believers to go and make disciples of all nations. Sounds simple enough, but in practice you can experience widely varying results, which may not depend on whether or not you did a good job!

Q: Did you first ask the Holy Spirit to intervene? Believers can explain the Good News, the Gospel, the truth about who Jesus is. But it’s the Holy Spirit who first opens a person’s mind and heart to salvation. So invoke the Holy Spirit, and use Jesus’ name! Acts 1:8: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

You can also use Jesus’ name to cast out demons, which may be the person’s stumbling block! That’s what Jesus did when he healed, and he gave us permission to use his name. He’d first cast out any demons. Next he’d heal the person, who, through the healing, would then become a believer. They’d understand that Jesus was God’s Son, the Messiah! Being healed is a powerful testimony!

Making new disciples for Jesus requires more than a few casual comments. In fact, it becomes a project. We should do it often enough that we get good at it!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Faithful!

For Sunday, December 29, 2024:

2 Thessalonians 3:3 NLT: “The Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.”

Think about it – Humans make one faith decision to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior of our lives, and in return God walks with us for all of our remaining days on earth, even ushering us into the next reality. Believers eventually get to live in God’s presence in God’s eternal Kingdom! Seems like believers get the better end of that deal!

But that’s the character of our God – far more generous than we deserve. God wants each of us on his team, and once we make that decision, his mercy is never-ending. The Bible says that God and his Son Jesus will never leave you or forsake you. He will give you strength to reject the temptations of the evil one.

Strength comes from a close association with like-minded believers. We support one another. If we’re all of the same mind, pulling in the same direction, it will be far more difficult for Satan to divert us. Satan is never on holiday, but it’s hard for him to accomplish much if we’re true believers and those surrounding us are also true believers.

On Sundays we gather in God’s house! Satan is not welcome there.

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Passover Trek!

For Friday, December 27, 2024:

Luke 2:41 NLT: “Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Passover festival.”

The trek to Jerusalem didn’t involve only Jesus and his family. It probably included most of the people from their local Synagogue – neighbors, relatives and other faithful believers. They’d all travel together. It was one big, long caravan, and as you might expect, children of similar ages would want to be with their friends. Families would meet up when they had reached their destination for the night. So it wasn’t unusual for Jesus to be traveling with another family. But as night began to fall, our seemingly precocious boy was nowhere to be found.

Mary and Joseph decided to return to Jerusalem to search for him there. It took three days to locate Jesus, in the Temple amongst the religious teachers, listening to and questioning them. Mary must have been teary-eyed, wringing her hands. Imagine the grief of any mother whose 12-year-old son goes missing for three days! “Son,” his mother said to him, “why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been frantic, searching for you everywhere.”

"But why did you need to search?” Jesus asked. “Didn’t you know that I must be in my Father’s house, about his business?” His parents were confused. Yes, they had seen angels. Shepherds and later Magi worshiped the heaven-sent child. But this was 12 years later, Jesus referring to the Temple as his Father’s house!

Friends, God’s vast eternal plan had been set in motion, and that plan runs on God’s timetable. Jesus didn’t start his itinerant ministry until about 30 years into his life. I’m sure the question came up as to why it took so long to start if this was all good, all God’s plan. Jesus would teach and heal, but most importantly he would be the sacrifice for the sins of the world, your sin and my sin. Jesus would take the sins of the world to the place of the dead, leaving us forgiven, cleansed and suitable for residence in God’s eternal Kingdom.

So even 2k years later, believers are the beneficiaries of Jesus’ ministry. God knows what he’s doing!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

I'll Be Back!

For Thursday, December 26, 2024:

Isaiah 7:14 NLT: “The Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’).”

It’s Dec. 26^th, the day after Christmas – sort of. Most of you know by now that Jesus wasn’t actually born on Dec. 25. Traditional theories say sometime in April or May. Modern thinking says September, probably between 4-6 BCE. In the dead of winter, little work could be accomplished, so Dec. 25, near the winter solstice, seemed a good time for a major celebration. Does it really matter? This isn’t a redeeming ordinance!

God’s timeline is not our timeline. God, through the prophet Isaiah, promised a Messiah would be arriving soon. It took about 750 years for that to happen. If we estimate a generation to be about 25 years, the Messiah’s arrival took about 30 generations! That’s 30 times people watched, prayed, and eventually had to pass the dream on to their offspring! So when Jesus finally arrived, Israel was filled with skeptics and doubters, among them the Pharisees and Temple leaders! They weren’t about to step away from power, position and financial security to let some youngster get into the driver’s seat!

Remember, when the resurrected Jesus ascended into heaven, he promised to return. Optimists thought he meant perhaps by Friday, or certainly later this month. I’m sure the believers were amazed when a year passed and there was still no sign of the Savior! They’d be astounded that 2k years later, we’re still watching and waiting. Jesus may be busy preparing our place in the hereafter.

Everything Jesus ever said was truth, so we fully expect his return. Each day we’re one day closer!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Merry Christmas!

For Wednesday, December 25, 2024 – Merry Christmas!

Luke 2:32 NLT, Simeon praising baby Jesus at the Temple: “He (Jesus) is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!”

Who is this stable-born baby? Let’s have a look.

An angel had appeared to both Mary and Joseph explaining the pregnancy even though Mary had never been with a man. Maybe IVF, I dunno... Then an angel and later a chorus of angels spoke to shepherds, telling them to go into town, Bethlehem, and find a baby in a manger. A bright star later led Magi to visit this newborn. Then Jesus was brought to the Temple, circumcised, and as a first-born male, was dedicated to the Lord.

If there was ever any doubt, Simeon pins down the answer. He was a devout believer who had been told that he would not die until he had seen the Messiah, the one to rescue Israel. Sure enough, this all came together at the Temple. Simeon took the baby in his arms, saying he could now die in peace as he had seen the heaven-sent Messiah, the Savior of mankind. The Bible says that the Messiah would come through the Israelites, but that he was the Savior for the whole world, including you and me. We should all rejoice that God, in his wisdom, provided forgiveness for our sins and made a way for believers to return to him in the eternal kingdom.

In spite of their previous spirit-filled encounters, Jesus’ parents were amazed at what was being said about him!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Shepherds!

For Tuesday, December 24, 2024:

Luke 2:20 NLT: “The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.”

Have you ever seen an angel? Neither had the shepherds. When angels appear to humans, their first words are typically, “Be not afraid.” That’s because everyone who sees an angel is quite shaken. This isn’t a common sighting!

Angels are not like the cute little figurines you see at Hallmark. The Bible refers to them as the Angel-armies of heaven, defenders of truth. And the Bible later refers to the “heavenly host,” meaning the sky was filled with many of these creatures. The shepherds were told where to go and what to look for when they got there. “The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem. You will find a baby wrapped snugly in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.” Amazed, the shepherds worshiped, and then moved outside the stable to share this Good News with everyone!

The shepherds returned to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for everything they had heard and seen. Reflecting on the scene, they realized everything turned out exactly how the angels told them!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Arrival!

December 23, 2024 Monday Message:

Luke 2:7 NKJV: “Mary brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.”

Birthing a baby is no easy task, especially in a stable! There’s no mention of a midwife or doula assisting the young couple. God’s Son came to earth without pomp and circumstance, a rather mundane event, especially if you consider its colossal significance in mankind’s future!

Do you know how to swaddle a baby? First you lay the baby on a pointy-side-up blanket with that top corner folded down just a little, and then pull a side corner over baby’s body, tucking it tightly under baby. Raise the bottom corner and tuck it in as best you can. Then, wrap the remaining corner of the blanket around everything. Success is when baby and blanket are as one, a warm, secure package. Mary and Joseph must have known that the birth was imminent, since they had packed swaddling clothes for the trip!

Since they had no crib or bassinet, a feed trough or manger would have to do. Baby was safe in there and couldn’t roll out, although newborns don’t tend to roll much!

Now Jesus was in the world. That changes everything!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Bethlehem!

For Sunday, December 22, 2024:

Luke 2:4 NLT: “Because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee.”

Augustus, the Roman emperor, ordered a census. Each person was to return to their ancestral home town, and since Joseph was a descendant of King David, the holy family was off to Bethlehem. Augustus had no idea he was causing prophesy to be fulfilled. He was working for the Lord even when he didn’t have a clue!

I’m guessing there was a convention in town, since all the motels had their “No Vacancy” signs on. Joseph, Mary and eventually baby Jesus took refuge in a stable, certainly a humble beginning. In the manger, Jesus was called Immanuel or God with us!

Angels appeared to the shepherds, told them where the Messiah had been born, and a bright star pointed the way. The shepherds dropped what they were doing and went straight to the stable to worship! What would you do if angels appeared?

After baby Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the family returned to Nazareth, fulfilling the prophesy about the Messiah being known as a Nazarene.

Prophesies fulfilled verify the truth of Jesus’ identity: Son of the living God!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Invitation!

For Saturday, December 21, 2024:

2 Thessalonians 2:13b NLT: “We are always thankful that God chose you to be among the first to experience salvation—a salvation that came through the Spirit who makes you holy, and through your belief in the truth.”

Salvation is living out eternity in the presence of the Lord. It doesn’t get any better than that! We can look at this as a mathematical equation: truth = salvation. So fill yourselves with nothing but the truth, and live your lives according to the truth you have learned.

Yesterday I was counseling a group on making a decision to follow Jesus, to claim him as Lord and Savior of their lives. Normally I’d talk about the process of making a decision, something that WE do. But for some reason, God led me to focus on heaven’s invitation, something GOD does! Never forget that God’s desire is that all would repent and return. He wants every soul on his team! His invitation is for the whole world. But God also designed us with brains and freedom to choose, and he will not stand in our way of making an incorrect decision.

Knowing truth will enable us to make the correct decision, a decision to partner with Jesus, God’s Son!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Oral Tradition!

For Friday, December 20, 2024:

2 Thessalonians 2:5 NLT: “Don’t you remember that I told you about all this when I was with you?”

This is one believer counseling other believers in the same way that Jesus counseled disciples when he walked alongside mankind. Even before there was written language, people learned in this way. It’s called ‘oral tradition,’ one believer sharing with others what he had been taught.

The older teaching is still valid. God’s value system is not about to change. If God said something was wrong 2k years ago, it’s still wrong today. And if God assigned us a task or established a principle, we should still follow those instructions nowadays.

Jesus is the only one to alter a few things. We call his way the “New Covenant.” A couple of examples: 1. We no longer have animal sacrifices because Jesus himself was the ultimate sacrifice for the sins of the world. 2. We celebrate Holy Communion because Jesus said to do this “in remembrance of me.” That’s being obedient!

We still use oral tradition nowadays. Each Sunday your pastor should research a topic and give the congregation the ‘inside scoop’ on that topic. Week by week we increase our knowledge of God, our Savior and the Holy Spirit!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Man of Lawlessness

For Thursday, December 19, 2024:

2 Thessalonians 2:4 NLT: “The man of lawlessness will exalt himself and defy everything that people call god and every object of worship. He will even sit in the temple of God, claiming that he himself is God.”

The evil one is known as the great deceiver, the great liar. He could be sitting right in the temple or in your church, and you could ask, “Are you the One?”

And he would answer, “Yes,” because only untruths come from his mouth.

As we draw closer to the end times each day, false prophets will deceive many. Don’t be one of them! People you once trusted may be led astray. That’s why we’re told to not blindly trust a religious teacher, but rather to test them. Compare what they say to what the Bible says, to what Jesus taught. See that their behavior conforms with the Bible’s instructions.

Those who test what they are told will not be easily fooled!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Desire!

For Wednesday, December 18, 2024:

Deuteronomy 5:21 NKJV, God’s words: “You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife; and you shall not desire your neighbor’s house, his field, his male servant, his female servant, his ox, his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.”

This commandment is related to, “You shall not steal.” Don’t take what belongs to someone else, and don’t long for what belongs to someone else. Desiring what is not yours is a stepping stone to becoming a thief, and in our hearts we all know that’s wrong.

Similarly, coveting your neighbor’s spouse is a stepping stone to adultery. This serves as a reminder for those who didn’t “get it” the first time.

Part of becoming a Christian is adopting God’s value system, God’s definitions of right and wrong. Those who have tried it both ways agree that God’s way is the right way, the only way! Give it a try!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship