Unconditional Faith!

For Thursday, February 6, 2025:

Exodus 14:9 NLT: “The Egyptians chased after the people of Israel with all the forces in Pharaoh’s army—all his horses and chariots, his charioteers, and his troops. The Egyptians caught up with the people of Israel.”

When word reached the king of Egypt that the Israelites had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds. (Again.) “What have we done, letting all those Israelite slaves get away?” they asked. All the Israelites were to Pharaoh was free labor, and a lot of it, whereas freedom to worship their eternal God was fulfilling a Godly command for the Israelites. God vs Pharaoh – no contest!

But the people of Israel panicked when they saw the Egyptians. They cried out to the Lord and to Moses, “Why did you bring us out here to die in the wilderness? Weren’t there enough graves for us in Egypt? What have you done to us? Why did you make us leave Egypt? Didn’t we tell you this would happen while we were still in Egypt? We said, ‘Leave us alone! Let us be slaves to the Egyptians. It’s better to be a slave in Egypt than a corpse in the wilderness!’”

The Israelite population was short on faith and long on pessimism. They did not share Moses’ confidence in the Lord. They were about to begin a 40 year lesson about trusting God for everything. Jehovah Jireh – The Lord will provide!

Q: Is your faith more like Moses or the Israelites? If something doesn’t go your way, do you panic and say, “God, why did you leave me in this predicament?” Understand that God may have the next steps already worked out if you maintain unshakable faith in Him! If the God of the universe is our God, we need to trust him unconditionally.

The Egyptian soldiers had the Israelites backed up against the Red Sea. You probably all know what will happen next! Moses’ faith in God-the-provider was not misplaced!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

God of Provision!

For Thursday, August 26, 2021

Matthew 6:11 KJ21, Jesus, teaching his disciples to pray, from what has come to be known as The Lord’s Prayer: “Give us this day our daily bread.”

Include prayer for your daily provision. God is the great provider, Jehovah Jireh. Jesus said to ask today for the bread we’ll need tomorrow. Bread, yes, but we can extend that to include all our needs. It should be a prayer about need, not greed. It is for one day at a time, so we pray daily.

God may provide differently than we expect. Father knows best! Having Jesus and the Gospel is a big part of our provision. And God has provided for us in the next reality too!

God does care about everyday things!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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

Treasure in Heaven!

For Thursday, October 22, 2020 

1 Corinthians 1:7 NLT: “Now (that you’re a Christ follower,) you have every spiritual gift you need as you eagerly wait for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

The Bible says that God will always equip you for the journey on which He’s sending you. If you’re a believer, part of a church family, you’re included in God’s family, where the Good Shepherd always takes excellent care of his flock, and that gives us hope! 

Jehovah Jireh, God the provider, will meet both your earthly needs and your spiritual needs. Believers will have everything they need, not everything they want!

In the US, we have Social Security, kind of a savings account for when we get older. Some of us have a 401k retirement plan. Don’t forget to also fund your heavenly 401k. Jesus taught to store up treasure in heaven. You’ll be retired on earth for 20-40 years, but you’ll be in heaven for eternity! 

Blessings and safety to all!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

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

Leftovers

July 30, 2012 Monday Message:

YHWH: “They will eat and have some left over” 2 Kings 4:43b

There was famine in the region of the people of God, and a man brought Elisha twenty loaves. “Give it to the people to eat,” said Elisha.

Now, 20 loaves would feed 20 men, and perhaps allow 40 men to have a taste. But attempting to feed 100 would be out of the question. The men would be expecting a full meal, while all you could supply is the appetizer, and you’d soon have 100 frustrated men casting their anger in your direction.

Nonetheless, God had said, “They will eat and have some left over,” so Elisha did just as God asked, and passed out the bread. And it turned out exactly the way God said. Everyone ate all they wanted, and there were leftovers.

Our God, Yahweh-yireh, will provide. He is a God of abundance; he has thousands of cattle on thousands of hills. He can provide not only all that we need, but also a little extra - leftovers.

God’s provision becomes especially significant as Jesus in the City Fellowship takes on the challenging demographics of urban ministry. We are now in the most diverse neighborhood in the U.S., with over 100 languages spoken. The building where we meet is also home to Spanish-speaking and Ethiopian congregations. Neighborhood residents seem to have little pride in where they live and work; the population turns over every six months. Poverty and crime are out of control, and the police seem powerless to improve the situation. Their only hope is the local church.

As we were praying for the future of this ministry, it occurred to me that Jesus in the City will probably never be self-supporting. Even if we develop a significant number of local worshipers, they won’t have deep pockets. But the Bible says that God won’t send us on a mission without provision, and we’re counting on that! I believe that God will call benefactors, both individuals and congregations, to see the need to keep Jesus in the inner-city, and to step forward with the desperately-needed provision.

Our mission field is just north of Lake Street!

Norton Lawellin

Last week I was privileged to help with music for the Celebration of Life service for Evangelist Lowell Lundstrom. His church credits him with helping over one million people make a decision for Jesus.

Sunday, Aug. 5, Jesus in the City Fellowship worships in the Oliver Ministry building, 27^th Street & Bloomington Avenue, 10:30am. Pastor Daisy is ON, wrapping up Galatians!