Angels & Baby!

 For Thursday, January 8, 2026:

Luke 2:8 NLT: “The night of Jesus’ birth, there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep.”

These are the luckiest shepherds ever! God sent his messenger angel to them with the Good News of Jesus’ birth. It can get quite dark in the countryside away from the city, but – not to be missed – the angel shone with the radiance of God’s Glory! The shepherds were terrified!

But the Angel told them to not be afraid. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” Swaddled, wrapped up tightly in a package improvised from a small blanket. Baby warm, safe and secure!

Turns out that one angel wasn’t enough to herald this colossal event. A host of others showed up, all praising the Lord and declaring Peace on Earth! The angel armies had gathered to share the Good News! And having seen and heard this show of heaven’s strength, the shepherds had to check it out for themselves. “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

In the city, they found Mary, Joseph and the baby in a manger, just as they had been told. Before returning to their flocks, the shepherds told everyone about the angels and that everything was just as the angel said it would be. The angel told them that this was the promised Messiah, and there he is, lying in a manger! Praise God!

This baby was the Redeemer for all time, for those present and for believers 2,000 years later. This baby is our friend, the author of forgiveness. Jesus made it possible for forgiven believers to see heaven from the inside!

Thank you, Jesus!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

Merry Christmas!

For Wednesday, December 25, 2024 – Merry Christmas!

Luke 2:32 NLT, Simeon praising baby Jesus at the Temple: “He (Jesus) is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!”

Who is this stable-born baby? Let’s have a look.

An angel had appeared to both Mary and Joseph explaining the pregnancy even though Mary had never been with a man. Maybe IVF, I dunno... Then an angel and later a chorus of angels spoke to shepherds, telling them to go into town, Bethlehem, and find a baby in a manger. A bright star later led Magi to visit this newborn. Then Jesus was brought to the Temple, circumcised, and as a first-born male, was dedicated to the Lord.

If there was ever any doubt, Simeon pins down the answer. He was a devout believer who had been told that he would not die until he had seen the Messiah, the one to rescue Israel. Sure enough, this all came together at the Temple. Simeon took the baby in his arms, saying he could now die in peace as he had seen the heaven-sent Messiah, the Savior of mankind. The Bible says that the Messiah would come through the Israelites, but that he was the Savior for the whole world, including you and me. We should all rejoice that God, in his wisdom, provided forgiveness for our sins and made a way for believers to return to him in the eternal kingdom.

In spite of their previous spirit-filled encounters, Jesus’ parents were amazed at what was being said about him!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Bethlehem!

For Sunday, December 22, 2024:

Luke 2:4 NLT: “Because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee.”

Augustus, the Roman emperor, ordered a census. Each person was to return to their ancestral home town, and since Joseph was a descendant of King David, the holy family was off to Bethlehem. Augustus had no idea he was causing prophesy to be fulfilled. He was working for the Lord even when he didn’t have a clue!

I’m guessing there was a convention in town, since all the motels had their “No Vacancy” signs on. Joseph, Mary and eventually baby Jesus took refuge in a stable, certainly a humble beginning. In the manger, Jesus was called Immanuel or God with us!

Angels appeared to the shepherds, told them where the Messiah had been born, and a bright star pointed the way. The shepherds dropped what they were doing and went straight to the stable to worship! What would you do if angels appeared?

After baby Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the family returned to Nazareth, fulfilling the prophesy about the Messiah being known as a Nazarene.

Prophesies fulfilled verify the truth of Jesus’ identity: Son of the living God!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Shepherds!

For Tuesday, December 26, 2023:

Luke 2:12 NLT. Angel speaking to the shepherds: “This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Curiosity overwhelmed the shepherds. What just happened would grab anyone’s attention: Angels appearing in the sky, praising God and announcing the arrival of the prophesied Messiah! The shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

In Jerusalem’s society, shepherds represented the low point in the pecking order. The lived with their sheep and probably smelled like them! It’s a fair question to wonder whether shepherds would be welcomed into the stable alongside a newborn. But God had orchestrated this entire scenario, and God sent his angels to invite the shepherds. These men were not shy! After seeing the baby, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child! They told everyone!

Isn’t that what we’re all supposed to do, tell everyone about Jesus? He’s no longer a baby in a manger. He’s the one who conquered sin and death, rising from the dead and ascending into heaven! He’s the one leaving us with assurance of salvation!

The story just keeps getting better and better!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

Savior Arrival!

For Sunday, December 25, 2022:

Luke 2:11 NLT: “The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!”

This was and still is the best news ever! A Messiah, a Savior had been prophesied, and now he’s here! The greatest celebration of all time should ensue!

Thankfully, Luke, our investigative reporter, collected all the details of the virgin birth! An angel shouted the Good News from the heavens, soon joined by a chorus of angels, saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth to all God’s people.”

The shepherds’ flock was down for the night, so they decided to pursue what the angels had told them. They wanted to see the miracle with their own two eyes! “This very day, in David’s town, a Savior has been born for you. He is Christ, the Lord. Let this prove it to you: you will find a baby, wrapped up and lying in a manger.” They found everything just as the angels had told them!

Merry Christmas!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

Hope in a Manger!

For Thursday, December 23, 2021

Luke 2:1 NLT: “At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire.”

Interesting times 2k years ago. Who would have thought that the Roman emperor Augustus, a pagan unbeliever, would be taking orders from our Creator God, the God of the Hebrew people? And yet here was the king, ordering everyone to their hometowns for the census, causing Joseph and Mary to be in Bethlehem where baby Jesus was born, thereby fulfilling prophecy. The fact that everything fell into place just as predicted lends credibility to the Nativity events.

Then the angel brought the Good News to the shepherds, the angel chorus sang in the sky and the shepherds came to town to check it all out. They found everything just as the angel had told them, holy family in a stable, baby in a manger. They worshiped and then told everyone the Good News!

The shepherds had no clue as to the amount of hope that had been delivered to mankind that night!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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

Christmas Hope!

For Wednesday, December 23, 2020

Luke 2:15 NLT: “The shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

Interestingly, when the angels announced the birth of Jesus, they didn't shout from Herod's palace or the Temple or to a gathering of Pharisees. The proclamation came to Shepherds in the field tending their sheep, blue-collar workers just like a lot of us! This unremarkable group was given a personal invitation to come and see the baby born to a virgin!

The shepherds were impressed with all they saw! They left glorifying and praising God for all they had witnessed, and they told everyone the Good News! Everything was just as the angel had told them!

God chose to include the lowly shepherds in this life-saving event, and he wants to include you and me too. The shepherds were shown hope, the same hope we all have in Jesus!

Blessings and safety this Christmas season!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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

Shepherds

Dec. 16, 2019 Monday Message:

“The night of Jesus’ birth, there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep.” Luke 2:8 NLT

Do you wish you could have been a shepherd back at the time of Jesus’ birth? Probably not! It was tough work. Think of roughing it, camping outdoors perpetually. The sheep were constantly being moved to fresh pasture. So the shepherds didn’t have a house, and often not even a tent. They just lived and slept out in the open. It was dusty and dirty, there were no showers and sanitation was a myth. It got cold at night, and sometimes the best solution was to huddle-in with the sheep. After all, sheep are already wearing a wool blanket! But then soon, the shepherds would smell just like their sheep, which explains why they were social outcasts when they ventured into town. No one wanted to be around them. And since they were known for their barbarism and shenanigans, shepherds could not even be called as witnesses.

But for some reason that only God knows, angels appeared to the shepherds announcing the birth of the Son of God: “The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” Luke 2:11-12

The shepherds decided to go into town and check it out. And sure enough, there was baby Jesus, lying in the manger! The shepherds told everyone about the angels. They were all amazed, and Mary treasured all that had happened. Everything turned out just as the angels foretold!

We know now that God was breaking into our world to rescue mankind from our sin problem. And amazingly, the shepherds found themselves in the same room with their Creator! Now do you wish you could have been a shepherd that night?

Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship meets next Sunday, Dec. 22, 2019, 3249 30^th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406, 10:30 AM. Founding Pastor Michael Pilla teaches from Luke 2 - the birth of Jesus.