Reverence & Joy!

For Friday, October 6, 2023:

Psalm 93:5 GNT: “Your laws are eternal, Lord, and your Temple is holy indeed, forever and ever.”

As Christians, the words, “for ever and ever,” just roll off our tongues. But let’s stop for a minute and think about what we’re saying. God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – created everything, and I do mean everything. He created the planet on which we stand, and the solar system that contains it. Plants and animals – rivers and oceans – even human beings – God created it all! He existed before mankind, and he’ll be here long after we’re gone – for ever and ever – that’s God!

God also taught us right from wrong. God is steadfast in his ways, and gave us a conscience so we’d instinctively know when we erred.

The place where we worship is holy, and worship should balance reverence with joy. In ancient days, they played musical instruments, sang the psalms and danced for joy, all the while honoring the Lord!

What happens at your church?

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

Psalm 80 - Unfavored Nation

February 6, 2017 Monday Message:

Verses 3, 7 and 19 of Psalm 80 all say the same thing, words that are as applicable nowadays as they were 3,000 years ago:

“Turn us again to yourself, O God. Make your face shine down upon us. Only then will we be saved.”

Time after time, God’s chosen people lost their focus and drifted into the ways of the world. Today we live in a country that enforces laws favoring things that the Bible says are evil. Without God’s help, we may be unable to climb out of this pit.

If we are facing the wrong direction, it may require God’s intervention to turn us back the right way. We cannot grant ourselves eternal life, but if God looks upon us with favor, only then can we be saved. That’s what the Bible says.

Pray for God’s intercession on our behalf. Pray for revival in our country. And if you really want peace, pray, “Come quickly, Lord Jesus!”

Norton Lawellin

Come worship with us! Jesus in the City Fellowship gathers next Sunday, Feb. 12, 2017, at the Akina Church, 3249 30^th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406, 10:30am. We’ll continue our study of 1 Corinthians – this week, Chapter 8. See you at church!

God, Why Do You Hide?

September 12, 2011 Monday Message:

“Why, O LORD, do you stand far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?” Psalms 10:1

When the going gets tough, does God really hide? Absolutely not! So let's look at what might be going on.

When the sun goes down each evening, is its light extinguished? No, the earth has simply turned away from the light. God is like that. When we feel that God is distant, oftentimes we have turned away. God is right there, right where He always has been, right where He should be.

"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not My ways,” declares the Lord. We know what we want; but do we know what God wants? A crisis in our lives is sometimes like a pruning in the vineyard. It hurts at the time, but we grow stronger by overcoming the adversity. Isaiah 55:8

God has three answers to our prayers: yes, no and not yet. We would love the answer to be “yes” all the time, but God knows what's best. Sometimes what we think would be a blessing turns out to be a curse. Most lottery winners are not happy a year later. They wanted “yes,” but “no” might have saved their lives; certainly their sanity!

“Not yet” is most challenging for me to get right. Even when something would obviously be good, I want it to happen right away. But God often gives us more time to draw a crowd, build teams and increase financial support. The thing that looks good now will still look good a year from now. It will happen in “God's time,” not our time.

“The successes of evil are only temporary, and in the end, only the righteous will endure.” Artscroll Tehillim p. 14

Blessings,

Norton Lawellin