Eternal Hope!

 For Saturday, October 15, 2022:

John 3:36 NLT, John-the-Baptist speaking: “Anyone who believes in God’s Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God’s angry judgment.”

Christians openly share the goodness of knowing Jesus, but we spend little time on how bad eternity could be without the Son. The two sentences in this verse clearly contrast the differences.

The first sentence echoes John 3:16: “All who believe in the Son will not perish but have eternal life.” Our faith in Jesus brings us eternal hope!

The second sentence tells the opposite side of the story. God has offered mankind a free gift of salvation, and he is not pleased if we refuse his offer. Those who reject the Son will experience “God’s angry judgment.” Your translation may say, “the wrath of God.” To say that God would be displeased would be an understatement!

God set aside his wrath for all who believe in the Son!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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

Holy Family Membership!

For Sunday, March 27, 2022

Matthew 12:50 NLT, Jesus speaking: “Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother!”

Want to be a member of the Holy Family? Want to call Jesus your brother?

As he wraps up this dissertation, Jesus is telling us that he considers believers who follow God’s will members of that Holy Family, his brothers and sisters. Those who repent, return and continue to believe have eternal hope!

This is family business, and you’re now a part of that family!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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

Loving God!

For Wednesday, February 16, 2022

1 John 2:6 NLT: “Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.”

Before Jesus, everyone primarily looked out for themselves. "I got mine; the rest of you can fend for yourself!"

Jesus introduced what, at the time, was a new concept: Loving your neighbor as yourself. Just be nice! This Epistle was written to help people avoid sin, taking the position, "If you say you're a believer, one of God's people, then you should try to live as Jesus did. Believers share eternal hope with a loving God!

When in doubt, just do what Jesus did!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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

Worship!

For Saturday, February 5, 2022

Mark 1:27 ESV: “The people at the Synagogue were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! Jesus commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.”

It was the Sabbath, the Lord’s Day.

Q: Where would you expect to find Jesus?

A: Jesus was at a place of worship, sharing the Good News with other believers.

The attendees were amazed at Jesus’ knowledge, and the authority with which he taught. As we near the Lord’s Day, we should do what Jesus did – make plans to attend a place of worship. You never know what good things you could learn. Or perhaps someone else might be comforted by what you have to say. Church is a community that’s better when all the members participate.

Jesus casting out an evil spirit was almost a sidebar, just one thing that happened at worship that day. But it clearly established his heavenly authority. As Jesus taught that day, all the people were given eternal hope! When you attend worship this week, I pray that you’ll hear the words of Jesus and that you too will be filled with eternal hope!

See you at church!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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

Worship!

For Friday, February 4, 2022

Mark 1:17 NLT: “Jesus called out to Simon and his brother Andrew, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!”

Jesus’ itinerant ministry efforts spoke to the people of Galilee: “The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!” Jesus was a man on a mission, going everywhere he could, telling anyone who would listen that now was time to get right with God!

If Jesus preached one-on-one, the job would never get done. He needed to speak to large groups of people, so that many could receive the Good News at the same time! Remember that one gathering where they fed 5k men? These people had all come together to learn more about the Lord!

It’s a model for churches – we should do what Jesus did! If our pews are full, more people will have eternal hope!

See you at church!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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

Eternal Hope!

For Friday, January 14, 2022

Psalm 103:8 NLT: “The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.”

Familiarize yourself with the character traits of God. Then you can spot the “God-trends” and define your expectations when dealing with the Creator.

Here, David says we can expect compassion and mercy if we humble ourselves before the Lord. Slow to anger, God doesn’t just fly off the handle. His anger is overridden by his unfailing love and compassion for his created people.

If you truly know the Lord, you know eternal hope!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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

Closer to God!

For Tuesday, December 14, 2021

Ephesians 2:13b NLT: “Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ.”

Paul is writing to the church in Ephesus using thoughts and words from the way he was trained. As you may recall, Paul was at one time a zealous Jew. A rabbi once told me that surprisingly, the Hebrew language doesn’t have a lot of words about sinners. Everything is more often described as it relates to God. So a sinner is said to be ‘far from God.’ When one repents and returns, they are said to be ‘closer to God.’

Now that Paul has been shown the truth about Jesus the Messiah, he’s encouraging the members of the church in Ephesus, those who are now closer to God, those who have been blessed with eternal hope!

Paul’s message could have been written to a lot of us. At one point in our lives, we were far from God. But now, as believers, we are closer to God.

Believers share in that eternal hope - heaven awaits!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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

Heaven Promised!

For Wednesday, November 24, 2021

Matthew 5:8 NIV, Jesus speaking: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”

Jesus is continuing “The Beatitudes,” part of his Sermon on the Mount. He’s stating a theological truth, that those who do their best to live up to God’s value system and believe in Him will get to see heaven from the inside. It’s a promise of eternal hope!

Oftentimes mankind erects a mental wall between this life and the next. When someone dies, we hold a funeral and think that their life is over. It is not! We are eternal beings! Jesus promises that there is life after this life! He has gone ahead to prepare a place for you and me. As a person moves from this reality to the next, there is no break in the action from God’s perspective; we just move from one reality to another, but your spirit, your soul, is the same. And when it’s your time, Jesus will welcome you home with open arms!

Do you long for your heavenly home?

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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

Poor in Spirit?

For Friday, November 19, 2021

Matthew 5:3 NIV, Jesus speaking: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Jesus is starting his Sermon on the Mount by teaching the Beatitudes, a state of extreme blessedness or holiness. Life was tough back then, and people could easily suffer from depression. Their spirit was crushed and they felt like there was no hope.

Jesus is telling them otherwise! If you’re a believer, there is always hope! No matter how this life treats you, if your eyes are focused on the heavenly Kingdom, there is perpetual hope – hope eternal! We all have hope knowing that Jesus included us in paradise, the forever presence of the Father, the Kingdom of heaven!

Jesus went on ahead to get your room ready!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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

Eternal Hope!

For Thursday, September 9, 2021

Luke 9:7a NLT: “When Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee, heard about everything Jesus was doing, he was puzzled.”

Herod is the perfect example of “almost a Christian.” He was aware of Jewish tradition, and he had heard Jesus speak, which left him puzzled, curious, anxious and perplexed. He was caught between his love of power, money and social status, vs doing what Jesus taught. Apparently he decided to work for the bad guys – bad choice!

Herod was a “fence-sitter,” but today we know better. When Jesus taps us on the shoulder, we respond by saying, “Yes!” We’re saying ‘yes’ to his gift of forgiveness of sin, ‘yes’ to salvation, and ‘yes’ to spending eternity in the presence of the Father. Christians say ‘yes’ to the eternal hope offered by Jesus.

Herod didn’t know what to think – but we do!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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