For the Lord!

For Tuesday, December 23, 2025:

Luke 2:23 NLT: “The law of the Lord says, ‘If a woman’s first child is a boy, he must be dedicated to the Lord.’”

Here’s what the Lord said back in Exodus 13:2: “Dedicate to me every firstborn among the Israelites. The first offspring to be born, of both humans and animals, belongs to me.” Notice that when something is really important and God wants you to “get it,” he says it twice. So the example in Luke is actually the third time God emphasized this principle.

Mary and Joseph were obedient. They had seen and heard angels and had first-hand experience with a mysterious pregnancy. There was no doubt that this baby is special, and that God is “in” these events. Of course, they would dedicate the youth to the Lord. That’s what God said to do! Little did they know that their baby was the great I Am! So … dedicating God to God? Seems kind of silly, kind of redundant. It makes sense, though, to dedicate the God on earth to the purposes of the God in Heaven. They worshiped the Lord, and the baby was named Jesus (by the angel) – God is salvation. They had not yet been told of a Holy Spirit.

Notice that God doesn’t get any one of the kids somewhere down the line. He gets the first. God gets the first-fruits of the harvest. Your tithe should be the first 10%, not the last. And who gets trained to execute the Lord’s work here on earth? The firstborn son. God should always be #1 on our distribution lists.

Also realize that loyal, obedient believers are #1 on God’s list. Believers have their sins forgiven and have been handed a ticket to the hereafter. You see, loyalty and obedience are rewarded, but not always in the way we might expect. The Hebrew people are chanting, “Rescue us from Roman domination.”

Jesus is promising, “Your sins are forgiven.” Romans are a short blip on the screen of Hebrew history. Jesus’ offer puts us in a better place for eternity.

Pick one!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

Path Least Traveled!

For Friday, June 20, 2025:

Luke 13:24 NLT, Jesus speaking: “Work hard to enter the narrow door to God’s Kingdom, for many will try to enter but will fail.”

The question put to Jesus was, “How many will be saved?” Is it a lot, or perhaps just a few? I don’t need an exact number. Perhaps we could get the answer as a percentage? Are 10% saved while 90% perish? Or is it the other way around? Since the gate is narrow, I surmise that not everyone who calls out, “Lord, Lord,” will be rescued.

God is patient. He’s giving us a lot of time to firm up our decision. God wants more and more of the faithful to cement their decisions for Jesus. But friends, time is running out! There will come a day when God says, “No more time!” Our grace period has ended. It’s a real line in the sand. Those who have committed themselves to Jesus will be “IN!” Those who reject Christ will be “OUT!” Unfortunately, fence-sitters will also be out. If you’re not perceived as being “with” Jesus, you may find yourself on the outside. “I never knew you!”

Those who humble themselves before Jesus go to the front of the line. Those who think too highly of themselves will bring up the rear. The first will be last, and the last will be first. It’s exciting to watch your pecking order shift as judgment day draws closer!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Last Become First!

August 12, 2024 Monday Message:

Matthew 5:11-12 NLT, Jesus speaking: “God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way.”

Unfortunately, people tend to take sides. Believers do their best to live in the shadow of the Father and his Son, while those who do not believe poke fun at those who do, even persecuting them in matters far removed from religion.

Jesus promises to straighten things out in the next reality. He taught, “Those who are last now will be first then, and those who are first will be last.” This juxtaposition of pecking order is putting things back the way our Father intended. Heaven rewards loyalty, and Jesus will prepare a special place for believers in his Father’s Kingdom. There believers are blessed with eternal life alongside Jesus. By then we will have been adopted into the Holy Family. Churches that refer to members as “brother” and “sister” have the right idea.

It’ll be a huge family reunion!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Servants First!

For Thursday, February 1, 2024:

Mark 9:35b NLT, Jesus speaking: “Whoever wants to be first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else.”

In spite of traveling with Jesus and hearing everything he taught, even the disciples still didn’t get it. Love, kindness and serving others were central to Jesus’ teaching. But when left to themselves, the disciples’ discussion quickly turned to who among them was the greatest.

It’s natural to want a secure position in the pecking order of life. So we need to align our goals with our Savior’s. He says that the greatest will be the one serving others. The greatest will welcome little children. “Anyone who welcomes a little child on my behalf welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes not only me but also my Father who sent me.”

Therefore love, kindness and serving others is the path to honoring our Lord. We’d best try to do what Jesus taught!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

Pecking Order!

June 19, 2023 Monday Message:

Matthew 19:30 NLT: “Many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then.”

Jesus is pointing out groups of people judged by different standards. When judged by the world, popular people with recognizable names rise to the top: politicians and media people; actors and beauty queens; musicians. Their lives and their activities make daily headlines, even when they’re flaunting God’s rules.

The children of God remain humble and loyal. They’re helpful. They always try to do what is right. They care for their neighbors even when there is no apparent reward. But they are loyal to Father God and his commands.

Their reward comes later. When we transition from this life to the next, Jesus says that the first will be last and the last will be first, a complete reversal of the world’s pecking order. We are then being judged by the Lord’s standards. What the ‘world’ thinks no longer matters!

The most popular people on earth may not even get to see heaven from the inside!

In the next life, everything will be in the proper order!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

Last are now First!

For Friday, June 24, 2022:

Mark 10:31 NLT, Jesus speaking: “Many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then.”

People who seem important to us now may not be important in the next life, if they make it there at all! We look up to actors, musicians and politicians. They make headlines, but oftentimes are poor examples of God’s values.

Jesus said that the first will be last, and the last will be first. He explains it like this: “I assure you that everyone who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or property, for my sake and for the Good News, will receive now in return a hundred times as many houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and property—along with persecution. And in the world to come that person will have eternal life.”

And that’s what we all want – Eternal life with Our Father!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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