Love and Mercy!

For Saturday, October 5, 2024:

Hosea 6:6 NLT: “I want you to show love and mercy, not offer sacrifices. I want you to know me, your God, more than I want burnt offerings.”

About 800 years before Jesus, we find the Prophet Hosea, the first of the minor prophets. From the text, it seems as if the Lord is preparing to abandon the Old Covenant and launch the New Covenant under his Son Jesus. According to God’s inspired words through the prophet, our love for God and our neighbors should take precedence over animal sacrifices, and that’s exactly what Jesus taught! Nothing is more important than loving our Creator God, and right after that comes kindness to our fellows. Everything else is secondary.

This has actually been God’s directive from the beginning. It was mankind’s worship style that emphasized ceremony and ritual rather than absolute love for the Most High. It’s high time we get back to the basics. It’s high time we focus on the Lord rather than mankind’s style of worship!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Roadmap for Life!

For Friday, October 2, 2020 

Psalm 119:19 TLB: “I am but a pilgrim here on earth: how I need a map—and your commands are my chart and guide.”

As a soul destined for heaven, are you often confused by the goings-on around us? I know I am! 

God’s instructions for living help us make sense of it all. We’d be better off if all of mankind could live the way God intended. God sent his plans for us through great prophets and teachers, but it’s up to us to listen and pay attention.

The Bible has been called our “Owner’s Manual” for life. The Gospels tell the story of Jesus coming to earth to redeem mankind. We hold up his sinless life as a standard for our own lives, an extremely worthy goal. If presented with a challenging situation, you can always ask yourself, “What would Jesus do?” 

Knowing that we’re walking in Jesus’ footsteps gives us hope for the future!

Blessings and Hope to all! 

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

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