Merry Christmas!

For Thursday, Christmas Day, December 25, 2025:

Luke 2:11 NLT: “The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!”

If we are faithful, God promises that everything will be all right in the end. He will finish what he started, and that includes bringing faithful believers to his forever Kingdom, in spite of their sin. The coming of Jesus is a sign that we’re on the right path.

While sin is a problem, it can be overcome. God can decry the world’s sins while forgiving those who repent and desire to return to the Lord. Jesus will suffer the penalty for mankind’s sins. He is our Savior, our redeemer, our one-way ticket to heaven. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves!

As we shout “Merry Christmas” to one another, understand that the solution has arrived, and that’s good news! Father God will not abandon us if we’re loyal to him. So for today, celebrate the birth of our Messiah. Remain confident in believers being rescued. Believe that we all have a reservation in a better place. Baby Jesus will be very good to believers! That’s what the Bible says!

Merry Christmas!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

Jesus – Proophet-Approved!

For Wednesday, December 24, 2025:

Luke 2:38 NLT: “Anna, a prophet, came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph, and she began praising God. She talked about the child to everyone who had been waiting expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem

Today is Christmas Eve. 2,000 years ago, as Joseph and Mary wrapped up her 9^th month of pregnancy, the couple would complete their sojourn to Bethlehem for Caesar’s census, and improvise sleeping quarters in a stable where the Son of God would make his earthly entrance! Eight days later, the prophet Anna confirmed that Jesus was the one for whom they had been waiting! Let’s see what he has up his sleeve.

Some of the people weren’t too confident about this newborn Jesus. They’d been expecting someone to overpower the Romans, to liberate them from slave-like conditions. A tiny baby just wouldn’t do!

But God’s timing is always best, and it would play out in 30-or-so years. Jesus would have thousands of followers by then. Jesus and his Father understood the Hebrew’s predicament better than they did. The Hebrews were concerned with the Romans being in charge. God and Jesus were concerned with removing sins that could block the path to eternal forgiveness. God’s desire is that everyone would repent and return. Of course, God is always right! Sin problem solved, eternity problem solved. God is good beyond measure!

On the cross, Jesus took the sins of the world to the place of the dead, saying, “Your sins are forgiven.” Only God can forgive sins. Anna was right! Jesus IS the one!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

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

Christmas Eve!

For Sunday, December 24, 2023:

Luke 2:7 Phillips: “So it happened that it was while they were there in Bethlehem that Mary came to the end of her time. She gave birth to her first child, a son. And as there was no place for them inside the inn, she wrapped him up and laid him in a manger.”

We’re on our way to Bethlehem, the city of David. It seems like everyone is going to Bethlehem, since Caesar Augustus required that everyone register for his census in their hometown, and Joseph was a descendant of David. Traveling from Nazareth to Bethlehem was an arduous 70 mile journey as the crow flies, but more like 90 miles after winding through mountains and avoiding parts of Samaria. Thankfully, tradition shows Mary riding a donkey!

While in Bethlehem, it became time for Mary to deliver her baby, but every hotel was flashing “No Vacancy” signs. The couple took refuge in a stable amongst the livestock. Since a stable has nothing to accommodate a new baby, Mary swaddled the newborn and placed him in a feed trough, a manger.

The couple named their baby “Jesus” as the angel Gabriel had directed. “Jesus” is the Greek form of Joshua, which means ”the Lord saves.” Others called him “Immanuel,” meaning “God with us.” Those names define Jesus’ mission statement in coming to earth. In time he would take the sins of the world upon himself, leaving believers sinless and pure, prepared to spend eternity with our father in heaven. Jesus is our Savior, our Redeemer!

So now we take a day to celebrate God’s goodness, God’s rescue of mankind. God’s desire is that none would perish, and Jesus is the one to open the door of forgiveness for all believers! Thank you, Jesus!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

Hope in a Manger!

For Friday, December 24, 2021

Luke 2:5 NIV: “Joseph went to Bethlehem to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.”

So many things could have gone wrong. None did! I’ve always hoped that the couple arrived a day earlier and had time to settle before delivering the baby, but the Bible doesn’t tell us that!

This is the completion of what was foretold by the angel Gabriel. The Holy Spirit was responsible for the baby within Mary. Seeing the ‘No Vacancy’ sign at the inn, the couple found themselves at the stable. In spite of the challenges, a perfect baby emerged that we now know to be the promised Messiah, the Savior of the world! Seeing so many prophesies fulfilled lends great credibility to the entire Bethlehem narrative!

Hope arrived in a manger! Merry Christmas!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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

Bethlehem!

For Wednesday, December 22, 2021

Luke 2:4-5 NIV: “Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.”

Transporting an expectant woman from Nazareth to Bethlehem couldn’t have been easy. It’s about a 70 mile trek. Legend shows Mary on a donkey, but we don’t know that for sure. They both might have walked the entire distance, about a week’s journey. Surprisingly, they made it there in one piece!

Probably without realizing it, they were fulfilling prophesy. The Lord says, “Bethlehem Ephrathah, you are one of the smallest towns in Judah, but out of you I will bring a ruler for Israel, whose family line goes back to ancient times.” (Micah 5:2 GNT) So Jesus had to be born in Bethlehem! This baby was God’s gift of hope, redemption and reconciliation for everyone who would believe.

Believers, those who trusted Jesus, now had the right to become children of God!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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

Prophesy Fulfilled!

For Thursday, December 24, 2020

Luke 2:5 NLT: “Joseph took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged, who was now expecting a child.”

Mankind can't sideline God's mission. When the Roman government demanded that everyone return to their hometown for a census, Joseph obediently transported his fiancée to Bethlehem, because he was of the line of David. I'm guessing this was a difficult trip. It's about 90 miles, and Mary would have been in her eighth month!

Looking back, it turns out that everything happened just as God said it would, just as it was prophesied. “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from ancient times.” “The virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Emmanuel (God with us!)”

God's desire is that none would perish. That's God's intent here, and nothing could possibly derail his mission. The Roman government requiring an arduous journey became part of God's plan to rescue mankind from sin. Jesus arrived, sins of the faithful were forgiven, and we've been given new hope!

Blessings and safety to all this Christmas season!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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

Shepherds

Dec. 16, 2019 Monday Message:

“The night of Jesus’ birth, there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep.” Luke 2:8 NLT

Do you wish you could have been a shepherd back at the time of Jesus’ birth? Probably not! It was tough work. Think of roughing it, camping outdoors perpetually. The sheep were constantly being moved to fresh pasture. So the shepherds didn’t have a house, and often not even a tent. They just lived and slept out in the open. It was dusty and dirty, there were no showers and sanitation was a myth. It got cold at night, and sometimes the best solution was to huddle-in with the sheep. After all, sheep are already wearing a wool blanket! But then soon, the shepherds would smell just like their sheep, which explains why they were social outcasts when they ventured into town. No one wanted to be around them. And since they were known for their barbarism and shenanigans, shepherds could not even be called as witnesses.

But for some reason that only God knows, angels appeared to the shepherds announcing the birth of the Son of God: “The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” Luke 2:11-12

The shepherds decided to go into town and check it out. And sure enough, there was baby Jesus, lying in the manger! The shepherds told everyone about the angels. They were all amazed, and Mary treasured all that had happened. Everything turned out just as the angels foretold!

We know now that God was breaking into our world to rescue mankind from our sin problem. And amazingly, the shepherds found themselves in the same room with their Creator! Now do you wish you could have been a shepherd that night?

Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship meets next Sunday, Dec. 22, 2019, 3249 30^th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406, 10:30 AM. Founding Pastor Michael Pilla teaches from Luke 2 - the birth of Jesus.