October 6, 2025, Monday Message:
Luke 20:17b NLT, Jesus, quoting Psalm 118:22: “The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.”
Last Sunday, our preacher stated that the death of a martyr often triggers a revival or a revolution. When Jesus was about to face death, He was rejected by all those who should have been his biggest supporters: Priests, Bible teachers, Pharisees and Temple leaders. His (Father’s) foundational principles became the cornerstone of The Way, which became Christianity, the world’s largest religion with 2.3B followers. Turns out that it’s best to NOT reject Jesus!
Any gods prior to Jesus (and his Father) were fictitious, made-up gods. Back then, you could buy a god-statuette – even a nice silver one – at the local market, bring it home and put it up on your mantle. And what you had was a nice decoration, not any kind of a real God. Jesus performed healings and miracles that were well documented. Jesus even raised a few people from the dead, notably Lazarus, the Centurion’s son and the Widow’s Son. After Jesus, there was a significant decrease in fictitious gods, because Jesus’ actions were factually recorded.
Jesus said, “No one comes to the Father except through me.” Every word Jesus said has proven to be true, and this statement is no exception. People who say that all religions lead to heaven are wrong.
Other examples: Martin Luther was trying to get his denomination back to the Bible. He nailed his list of issues to the church door in Wittenberg. He used Gutenberg’s printing method to publish the Bible in his native language. He was never trying to break away from the church or to start a new religion. But when he passed, his followers continued the work, calling themselves “Lutherans,” and Protestant Christianity was born.
In 1964, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for combating racial inequality through nonviolent resistance. He continued on that path while preaching Jesus until his demise. When he was assassinated in 1968, the Civil Rights movement went into high gear. The protests, marches and positive changes increased. His efforts changed our country forever.
I always try to keep these messages non-political. Our topic is Jesus, not politics. But I couldn’t help but notice the many references to Jesus and forgiveness as the news covered Charlie Kirk’s memorial service. Perhaps Jesus will serve as the common denominator to draw our nation back together. Perhaps we will love one another once again! After all, that’s what Jesus said to do!
Pastor Norton Lawellin
Jesus In the City Fellowship
