Thanksgiving!

For Thursday, November 27, 2025:

Genesis 12:7 NIV: “The Lord appeared to Abram and said, ‘To your offspring I will give this land.’ So Abram built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him.”

The purpose of Thanksgiving is twofold: worship and expression of thankfulness. In the US, today is Thanksgiving Day, a national holiday with a checkered history and a biblical precedent. God established this covenant: “I will be your God, and you will be my people.” Consequently, God took very good care of his people, who then gave thanks to God for all he had done for them, and for all he would continue to do.

 As the US began, George Washington declared a time of thanksgiving, gratitude for our independence from British rule. God had granted them freedom, and saying they were grateful would be an understatement. (I’m sure Washington was also thankful for the ability to remain standing in tLincolnhat boat as his image was captured for posterity!)

The nation grew, and observance of Thanksgiving varied from state to state. It was not always on the same date. President Abraham Lincoln finally declared Thanksgiving a national holiday on the last Thursday of November. During his term, the internal conflict between North/South ended, so there was plenty for which to be thankful.

May the Lord be at the center of your Thanksgiving day events. Have a warm and safe day filled with gratitude. May God’s blessings go with you and your families, not just today, but always! In Jesus’ name...Amen!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

 

Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!

For Saturday, November 1, 2025:

Hebrews 11:11 NLT: “It was by faith that Abraham was able to father a child, even though Sarah was barren and he was too old. They believed that God would keep his promise.”

The thinking was that the opportunity to start a family had passed them by. Abraham was far too old, and Sarah had been barren all her life. That’s when God told Abraham that the number of his descendants would be like the stars in the sky! Didn’t seem possible! But God’s word is always true. Their faith is being tested.

Impatience and second-guessing the Lord can result in missteps on a faith walk. Abraham and Sarah questioned God’s timetable. In their haste, it was decided that Abraham should father a child with Hagar, Sarah’s handmaiden. Problems arose when Hagar started acting like the primary wife, and so Sarah sent her away. But an angel told Hagar to return, and Ishmael, a wild man, was born. Abraham was 89 years old.

God restated his commitment to Abraham and Sarah’s family: “I will make a covenant with you, by which I will guarantee to give you countless descendants.” About a year later, Sarah gave birth to a son, Isaac. By now, Abraham was 100 years old. Imagine being a new dad at 100!

Sidebar: God also told Abraham, “I will give the entire land of Canaan, where you now live as a foreigner, to you and your descendants. It will be their possession forever, and I will be their God.” That’s why, to this day, Abraham’s descendants choose to live in Israel, explaining, “It’s our land – God gave it to us!”

Abraham, Isaac and eventually Jacob are the three patriarchs of world religion. Abraham and Sarah’s faith got them back on track, and God’s promises are always good! Remember, it’s our trust in God, our faith, that opens Heaven’s door to all believers!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

God of the Living!

For Saturday, October 11, 2025:

Luke 20:37 NLT: “As to whether the dead will be raised—even Moses proved this when he wrote about the burning bush. Long after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had died, he referred to the Lord as ‘the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’”

There is only one version of the truth. There is only one Bible, one version of the Holy Scrolls. So everyone had the same information available, yet somehow the Sadducees didn’t understand life after this life. Jesus digs deeper, pointing out the scripture they missed. Think of it logically. There would be no point in being God if your followers were all dead. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob had long ago ended their earthly days, yet they are still referred to in ‘first person,’ as if they are still alive. And they ARE alive, living in the next reality with the God who resurrected them. Jesus said, “He is the God of the living, not the dead, for they are all alive to him.”

So to sum up Jesus’ response to the Sadducees: Yes, there is life after this life. Yes, those who are loyal and obedient will be with the Lord. When believers appear to have died, they will actually be living in God’s presence. People who died long before us will be with God as well. If we’re lucky, we’ll get to meet some of them.

Jesus said He would return to the Father first, so that He could prepare a place for us! People get ready, there’s a train a-comin’… It’s headed for Heaven!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Rich Man and Lazarus!

July 28, 2025, Monday Message:

Luke 16:22-23 NLT, Jesus telling the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus: “The poor man died and was carried by the angels to sit beside Abraham at the heavenly banquet. The rich man also died and was buried, and he went to the place of the dead. There, in torment, he saw Abraham in the far distance with Lazarus at his side.”

Just so you know, this is not the same Lazarus, brother of Martha and Mary, who was a close friend of Jesus. Jesus just used this name for a character in a story he was telling.

This poor Lazarus lived alongside the dogs just outside the main gate to a rich man’s mansion. There he begged as the wealthy came and went, transacting their business. As Jesus tells it, Lazarus was sickly and had sores all over himself. Lack of resources had finally taken its toll on his body. Lazarus died, and angels carried him to heaven. The rich man also died and was delivered to the place of the dead, Hades. Here’s where the story gets interesting!

From his place of torment, the rich man caught a glimpse of Lazarus sitting beside Abraham. He pleaded, “Father Abraham, have some pity! Send Lazarus over here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. I am in anguish in these flames.”

Well brother rich man, you made your bed, and now you have to lie in it! “No can do! During your lifetime, you had everything you wanted, and Lazarus had nothing. So now he is here being comforted, and you are in anguish.” The first will be last, and the last will be first! “Besides, there is a great chasm separating us. No one can cross over to you from here, and no one can cross over to us from there.”

Q: Is it possible that part of hell’s punishment is being able to visualize just how great heaven is? Are people in hell confronted daily with their bad decision, having turned their backs on Jesus? They had a chance, but turned down a golden opportunity. The Bible doesn’t say for sure, but Jesus seems to imply that scenario. He also teaches that accepting salvation is a forever decision. Once we reach the next reality, there’s no changing our minds. The chasm is too wide, and no one can cross over in either direction. Repent and return only works in this life!

Today is the accepted day to commit or re-commit our souls to the service of God’s Son. We never know when tomorrow will come, and we must be prepared to embark on the best journey of our lives. Jesus will meet you with open arms!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Resurrection!

For Saturday, July 5, 2025:

Mark 12:27a NLT, Jesus speaking: “So our God is the God of the living, not the dead.”

Jesus is answering the Sadducees’ questions about resurrection. They were not believers in resurrection.

Jesus reassured them, saying that there is a resurrection, a life after this life. God said so. “I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” But those saints had all died some time ago. The point being that our God is the God of the living. Being God over the dead would serve no purpose. So Abraham, Isaac and Jacob must have been resurrected and live in the next reality alongside the Almighty.

In the resurrected life, we will recognize our families and our fellows. But no one marries in heaven. Children are not born in the hereafter. Just like the angels, believers will live in the life after this life, but no one will procreate. We’ll be too busy worshiping the God who is better to us than we deserve!

Jesus will prepare your place in the hereafter. If that were not so, surely he would have told us! I can’t wait to see the New Heaven and the New Earth, where everything will be perfect, just the way God first intended!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Obedience!

For Saturday, March 22, 2025:

Leviticus 26:1a, 2 NLT: The Lord said to Moses, “Do not make idols or set up carved images, or sacred pillars, or sculptured stones in your land so you may worship them. You must keep my Sabbath days of rest and show reverence for my sanctuary. I am the Lord.”

If you had wood from a tree trunk or stone from the ground, it’s pretty obvious that those things aren’t any kind of God. Yet ancient people would carve the wood or sculpt the stone and proceed to worship the resulting man-made image. God admits that he hosts a bit of jealousy, saying, “You shall have no other gods before me,” – especially man-made pretend gods!

It’s not that hard to get along with God Almighty. First, make the real God #1 in your life. And #2, just be nice. Get along with people. Cut out the gossip. Love your neighbor as yourself. That’s what Jesus said to do.

Because we’re humans with free choice, some will choose to follow the Lord and some will not. For the disobedient ones, there are consequences. God’s punishment will fall on the unbelievers. Diseases, failed crops and losses in battle may befall those no longer protected by God’s hand. In other words, Satan will have a field day when God steps back from protecting his people.

The punishments described in Leviticus ch. 26 get progressively worse. The more you disobey God, the worse the punishment becomes. That’s fair; the punishment should fit the crime. Continued disobedience results in increased punishment. The solution of course is to repent and return.

In spite of the Israelites’ disobedience, God says He will still remember the Covenant made with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. These are his people and He is their God, and that will never change!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

God's Way!

For Tuesday, November 28, 2023:

Romans 15:31a NLT, Paul speaking: “Pray that I will be rescued from those in Judea who refuse to obey God.”

From God’s point of view, there are only two groups: Those who are with him, and those who are against him. Mankind can have little disagreements about minor matters. But when it comes to God, you’re either in or out.

Paul experienced a personal call from Jesus on the road to Damascus, so he was “in.” Those who couldn’t go along with what Paul had learned were “out,” and Paul was praying for personal safety as he traveled throughout the region. This disagreement continues to this day, playing out in the Middle East, but it goes back to Genesis.

Abraham fathered two sons. The first, Ishmael, was from his wife’s servant Hagar. This is what happened when Abraham and Sarah lost faith in God’s timetable. Impatient, they took matters into their own hands, and the results weren’t pretty. Ishmael is thought of as the father of all Arab nations, including followers of Islam. Abraham’s second son, Isaac, was born from his wife Sarah. That was God’s original plan. Isaac followed his Jewish ancestors, which eventually led to Jesus and Christianity. If it’s not God’s way, it’s the wrong way!

These two groups have never gotten along, each believing that they’re right, each believing that they’re doing the Lord’s work, and it’s playing out right now in the conflict between Gaza and Israel. Like Paul, we should pray for personal safety. The war could rapidly escalate. We should pray for peace. Too many little children, babies and everyday people who want no part of the conflict have died. We know this matter will be settled when Jesus returns, so we can pray, “Come quickly, Lord Jesus!”

Have a safe and blessed day!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

Promises!

August 7, 2023 Monday Message:

Romans 4:20-21 NLT: “Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises.”

Abraham (formerly Abram) was the Lord’s target to make himself known on earth. Abraham is considered the father of Judaism, Islam and Christianity. God promised him descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky, and here we are today, all believing what Abraham believed! Abraham believed God’s promise even though he and Sarai were childless at the time. He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises. That’s called “faith!”

Nowadays our faith is in Jesus, who said he would take away the sins of the world. Jesus promised he would go and prepare a place for believers, a heavenly place in God’s Kingdom. Are we fully convinced that Jesus is able to do whatever he promises?

That’s called faith! That’s what saves us!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

The "Promise!"

For Sunday, August 6, 2023:

Romans 4:16 NLT: “So the promise is received by faith. It is given as a free gift. And we are all certain to receive it, whether or not we live according to the law of Moses, if we have faith like Abraham’s. For Abraham is the father of all who believe.”

The “promise” is life after this life in God’s presence. It’s a free gift given to those who believe in the Son. Accept the free gift. Those striving to obey the Law have never seen success. Paul is counseling the Romans to have faith like Abraham’s. It’s a good summary of “how to become a Christian.”

With a Bible in your hand, Jesus in your heart and praise on your lips, you’ll be OK.

Faith matters! Believing matters! Jesus is the answer!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

Ordinary People

July 29, 2013 Monday Message:

God, to Abram: “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household, to the land I will show you.” (Gen 12:1)

Every family has its problems. Families in the Bible are walking examples of dysfunctional behavior.

Can you imagine the conversation between Abram and Sarai?

“Help me pack everything. We’re going to move!”

“Where are we going?”

“Dunno. God said He’s show us later…”

It doesn’t get better:

“God says we’re going to have a son.”

“But you’re 100 and I’m 90!”

“Yeah. Let’s have a good laugh!”

Later, God calls on the elderly Abraham to sacrifice his son. God was testing Abraham’s faith and loyalty. Now God eventually provided the sacrifice, and Isaac lived. But Jewish tradition teaches that Sarah died when she heard the news of her son’s imminent death.

The point is that being a member of this holy family wasn’t always smooth sailing. They had ups and downs, and sometimes seemed to go from one crisis to another. They were, in fact, a normal family.

Today, the names, “Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,” roll off the tongues of anyone who studies Christianity, Judaism or Islam. They’re our Patriarchs of the Bible. But these were not kings; they were fairly obscure, not-well-known people. These trials happened in the lives of ordinary people with little influence - people just like most of us.

Who knows what thing God does with us today might be remembered 3,000 years later.

Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship (JICF) gathers every Sunday at 10:30am in the North end (gym) of the Oliver Ministry Building, 2647 Bloomington Ave., Minneapolis. Sunday, Aug. 04, Jesus talks about money and possessions in Luke 12:22-34. Why would you worry when God is still on the throne? See you there!

NL

Get Going!

October 29, 2012 Monday Message:

“The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.” Genesis 12:1

When Abram was 75 years old, the Lord told him to leave a lifetime behind. “Get going!”

“Where to?”

“I’ll show you later – just get going!”

Can you imagine having to explain that to Mrs. Abram (Sarai,) and the extended family that pitched their tents beside yours.

“Where are we headed?”

“I dunno – God said He’s tell us later.”

This is all about faith and obedience. God will always send you in the right direction, and God has a destination in mind even if you aren’t aware of it yet. The question is, are you willing to get going?

It might be a journey, or it might be a task. God puts good people in key positions, and doesn’t micro-manage. He expects them to get going, to do their thing to put His mission into action.

So even if you don’t know how something will finish, are you willing to get started?

Get going for the kingdom!

Norton Lawellin

Pastor Michael continues our journey through Luke this Sunday. Jesus in the City Fellowship (JICF,) North end of the Oliver Ministry Building, 27^th Street & Bloomington Avenue, 10:30am. C U @ church!

NL