Peace of the Lord!

For Tuesday, January 10, 2023:

Matthew 5:4 NLT: “God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”

Death is a curious thing. We grieve. We cry because we have lost a loved one. but if they were a believer, we should be jumping for joy! They have gone to live in the presence of God in his Kingdom! Jesus will meet them with open arms! But we’ll still miss them.

If the person was not a believer, we need to let it go and move on. Nothing we can do postmortem will alter their eternal destination. No prayer, lighting of candles, waving of incense or giving of money can change the outcome. That’s why we all need to commit to Jesus during our lifetimes.

In a broader sense, God can lift people up out of sadness, regardless of the reason for that sadness. Believers know that happiness is fleeting, but the Joy of the Lord is eternal. The peace of the Lord is sometimes more than we can understand, but God bestows it nonetheless. Believers should accept God’s gift of comfort and peace just as we have accepted his gift of eternal salvation.

Trusting in the Lord will always make things better!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

Death Conquered!

For Tuesday, April 19, 2022

Acts 1:3 NLT: “During the forty days after he suffered and died, Jesus appeared to the apostles from time to time, and he proved to them in many ways that he was actually alive. And he talked to them about the Kingdom of God.”

The miracle is this: Eyewitnesses tell us that Jesus was crucified, died on the cross, and had a spear thrust into his side. His body was placed in a tomb. But three days later the tomb was empty, and eyewitnesses saw Jesus walking around, heard him speak, and even ate meals with him – for 40 more days!

Jesus told the believers to wait in Jerusalem until he sent the Holy Spirit. He talked about God’s Kingdom, and aren’t we all curious about God’s Kingdom? Jesus gave them spiritual support for their everyday lives, and hope for all eternity!

Yes, make no mistake: He is risen!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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