Punishment

For Sunday, March 16, 2025:

Leviticus 20:1, 2a NLT: The Lord said to Moses, ““Give the people of Israel these instructions.”

In the Old Testament, under the Old Covenant, those who sinned were to be punished. The most severe penalty was to be stoned to death. For lesser sins, God says the sinner should be punished but doesn’t specify the penalty.

Songwriter Bob Dylan always claims his song that chants, “Everybody must get stoned,” is about this scripture. The Bible says that, “All have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory.” Therefore, all people deserve to be stoned. Bob was raised Jewish. (You decide...)

People were sacrificing children to the idol Molech and consulting mediums. And God seems especially concerned with sexual relations and family systems. If God plainly lays out his rules, mankind will never have to question if a practice is right or wrong. The answer is in the Bible. Seek out the “God Trend.”

The New Covenant gives us a second chance, a do-over. If we confess our sins and claim Jesus as our Savior, he will take away any record of our sin and usher us into the hereafter. Jesus is the only way we can quality for the life after this life!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

"God Trends"

For Saturday, March 15, 2025:

Leviticus 19:1, 2b NLT: The Lord said to Moses, “You must be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.”

If we expect to live alongside God in heaven or on the New Earth, we need to meet his standards. We need to live in such a way that our Father in heaven can be proud of us.

Leviticus ch. 19 reads like someone expositing the 10 Commandments. We are being taught the best ways to please God and to get along with all our neighbors. God lays out these same principles in several places in the Bible. God (obviously) knows right from wrong, and he doesn’t change his mind. If worshiping idols was wrong 3,000 years ago, it’s still wrong today. Jesus stressed loving our neighbors, honesty and fairness. These things still apply nowadays. I call these principles, “God Trends.”

If a situation arises and we can’t find that exact thing in the Bible, look for a parallel. Look for the “God Trend.” Jesus’ command to love our neighbors still applies nowadays, and his Father would be pleased if we supported the Son’s “God Trends.”

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Kindness!

For Saturday, November 5, 2022:

Mark 1:32-34a NLT: “That evening after sunset, many sick and demon-possessed people were brought to Jesus. The whole town gathered at the door to watch. So Jesus healed many people who were sick with various diseases, and he cast out many demons.”

It had been the Sabbath. Jesus had been teaching in the Synagogue when a demon-possessed man disrupted the proceedings. So Jesus cast out the demon, thereby healing the man. They then returned to Simon and Andrew’s home, finding Simon’s mother-in-law in bed with a fever. Jesus immediately brought her to her feet, totally healed! Jesus had been working like this all day, and word spread quickly!

After sunset it was no longer the Sabbath, so the sick could be brought to Jesus for healing. Jesus continued working well into the night, healing all who came. This behavior is typical for Jesus – I call it the “God Trend.”

Jesus is trending towards love, compassion, caring and extreme kindness. He works tirelessly to be helpful, to enable people to receive what only he can deliver. That trend continues for Jesus’ entire life. That trend continues even now that Jesus has returned to the Father.

Jesus is the best model for how we should live our lives!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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

Forever Love!

January 17, 2021 Monday Message:

Psalm 136:1 NIV: “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever.”

The fact that God is good is fundamental to all that he is and does. We know that God is love and that love is an expression of his goodness. The best example of God's love for us is Jesus, who came to redeem the world! This is a most wonderful reason for us to give thanks to the Lord!

God's love for his creation, mankind, isn't just a passing fancy – it's a predictable, repeatable “God-trend!” Forever is a long time, so God's love for us is eternal, and that gives us a lot of hope! God's love for us is as certain in the next life as it is in this life!

We can be confident in the New Covenant love of God – forever!

Blessings to all as we begin this new week - stay safe!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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

The God Trend!

For Wednesday, November 4, 2020 

Hebrews 6:18 NLT: “God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us.”

When someone is honest, we say, “He’s a man of his word.” God, who cannot lie, is therefore, “A God of his word!” Sounds odd, but it’s true! 

God gives us a good way to live, teaches us right from wrong, and isn’t about to change his mind. I call that the “God trend.” We can always count on God, the same yesterday, today and tomorrow!

In his wisdom, God sent his only Son Jesus to take our sins to the place of the dead, thereby making it possible for us to experience heaven, a life-after-this-life in the presence of the Lord. This is a good plan, benefits mankind greatly, and gives us eternal hope. 

God’s not about to change His mind!

Blessings and safety to all this day! 

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406

God Trend!

For Saturday, September 26, 2020 

Psalm 81:10 NLT: “It was I, the Lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it with good things.”

This is God telling us to follow the “God trend.” If He came through for believers once, He’ll be there next time too. If God helped in Egypt, He’s available once again to help us in the United States. That’s the “God Trend!” 

And that’s why, in the midst of a world health crisis, our faith and reliance on the Lord is more important than ever. This isn’t the time to cry, “Woe is me!” This is the time to pray to God for protection, for deliverance from everything that’s wrong in the world. The same God who rescued his people from Egypt can easily see us through this novel pandemic, and that gives us hope!

Talk it over with God and expect results! 

Blessings and safety today,

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406

God is "For" Us!

 For Thursday, August 13, 2020.

Romans 8:31b NLT: “If God is for us, who can ever be against us?” 

Sending his Son Jesus, we know the lengths God went to rescue mankind and equip us for victory over sin and death. Who can doubt that God is for us?

Beware of false prophets, claiming God is on their side, when he is not. Terrorists and cult leaders fall into this category. Just because an evil person claims God is with him does not make it so! The first word in today’s scripture is the key – “IF!” Rest assured that God is not FOR these criminals, and we ALL should be against them! 

Believers have self-worth from doing the right things for the right reasons. We’re good with it, and God is good with it. If Father God is for us, what does it matter if others are against us? One good person plus God makes an unconquerable majority!

It cannot be denied that for those who are in Jesus Christ, God is FOR them! That’s the character of God, the “God-trend!” 

Blessings to you all today!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406

"God Trend"

For Thursday, July 30, 2020.

Matthew 9:36 NLT: “When Jesus saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”

Jesus always showed compassion to those in need. Of course he did. This points to the unchanging character of God, “the same yesterday, today and forever!” I call this a ‘God Trend’ – something we can always count on.

The infirmity didn’t seem to matter - Jesus could help with anything! In he preceding verses, Jesus brought a Synagogue leader’s daughter back to life, cured a woman of bleeding, and then two blind men started following him. What do you think happened? Their faith in Jesus allowed their sight to be restored. Next Jesus cast out a demon from a man who couldn’t speak, and at the end he thanked Jesus personally! Can you see the trend?

The character of Jesus remains the same nowadays, but our problems are a little different. We’re in the midst of a Global Health Crisis and Civil Unrest. Jesus can deal with these problems as easily as the others if we come to him with an ounce of faith. Right now our world looks like the confused and helpless sheep. We need to turn to the Good Shepherd!

Blessings and safety to all today and always!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406

Forever!

Monday Message for July 20, 2020.

Psalm 23:6 ESV: “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord — forever.

If you’ve been following our daily progression through Psalm 23, I hope you spotted what I call a “God trend.” God behaves a certain way, treats us a certain way – that establishes a trend. God treats us with love, care and forgiveness – that a God trend. Fairness and honesty point to the character of God, point to a God trend.

‘Goodness and mercy’ – God’s steadfast love for us – will continue as long as we live – and beyond! We have a Shepherd out front, leading us in both spiritual matters and day-to-day living. The key is to humbly follow that Shepherd, not to try to find a different way on our own. Keep your eyes on the Shepherd.

‘Dwell in the house of the Lord’ refers back to the previous verse, God preparing a table for you. That indicates much more than a casual relationship. If you’re taking meals together, it’s a reference to living together. Remember that on earth, God comes over to your house. In heaven, you’ve gone over to God’s house!

Eternity (or forever) is a long time. We have been given a choice – follow the Shepherd or spend eternity bobbing in a lake of fire! Personally, I’d rather live where things go well, where I can look forward to each day, proudly following my Shepherd! See you there!

Commentary on all of Psalm 23 was available this past week on my personal Facebook page, the JesusInTheCityFellowship.org web site, or the Blogspot link, and I’d encourage you to check it out. Psalm 23 is awesome!

Blessings as we begin this new week!

Pastor Norton

Jesus in the City Fellowship

3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406

Monday Message is also available at:

http://www.mondaymessage-norton.blogspot.com/