Compassion!

For Wednesday, January 14, 2026:

Hebrews 13:2 NLT: “Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!”

How we live our lives on earth is (among other things) a test of our compassion. I hope everyone reading this gets at least 50% on this test. 80 or 90% would be better. Only Jesus scores 100%!

Most of the civil laws and rules to which we conform are manmade laws, not God’s laws. Other than God giving the Promised Land to His Chosen People, I don’t believe he drew any lines on a map. We’re all citizens of planet Earth, and our Creator wants us all to get along. Historically, mankind hasn’t been very good at it!

Jesus said we should love the Lord and love our neighbors. God is always first. Our neighbors could be next door, in our city, state or country, or the country across the ocean. God created a lot of people to populate the planet!

Even when a man-made law is violated, we need to remember that the perpetrator is still one of God’s creations. The ones who appear wrong to us were still made in God’s image, and should be treated with love, kindness and respect.

I remember a scene from a movie. As a couple of religious types walked down the street, they encountered a falling-down drunk begging for food. His clothes were torn, he was dirty, and intoxicated beyond belief. One of the religious leaders commented as they passed, “That man is a disgrace. He needs to get his life together.”

The other replied, “Perhaps the Lord’s testing your compassion!” Guilty!

Dear Lord, please give us more compassion than criticism, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Welcome Seekers!

For Sunday, December 28, 2025:

Hebrews 12:22 NLT: “You have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless thousands of angels in a joyful gathering.”

Seekers are those who have heard about Father, Son and Holy Spirit, but haven’t yet made their decision. But they’re curious. They’re interested. And it’s up to those of us already convinced to “make disciples of all nations.” That’s our assignment from Jesus.

If a church is working right, it should paint an attractive picture for seekers. They should see believers living in harmony with one another. If we’re following God’s plan, he has done away with flaming fire, darkness and gloom. Picture thousands of angels, all with smiles on their faces. God sits at the head-table, accompanied by a flock of believers, all with their names written in the Book of Life! Good times!

We may not have physical angels in our churches, but those present should look like they’re part of the heavenly throng – happy, smiling and conflict free, interested and welcoming, eager to share the Good News, the Gospel.

As believers, we should make it a point to welcome seekers into our midst. Shake their hand, refill their beverage, and invite them back. Do your best to answer their questions, and if you’re not sure, introduce them to someone who does know the answers. Introduce them to your pastor. Say, “See you next Sunday!”

Or say, “See you next time!” Wednesdays work just as well!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Heaven!

 For Wednesday, July 03, 2024:

1 Peter 3:22 Phillips: “Jesus has now entered Heaven and is at God’s right hand, with all angels, authorities and powers subservient to him.”

Q: You’ve told us all about this wonderful Savior. We want to meet him. Where is he now?

A: Jesus told us he’d be returning to our Father (and his Father) in heaven, and now occupies the place of honor alongside God. Everything Jesus predicted has come to fruition, so we would expect this also to be true.

And Jesus told us that he would go to heaven first, to prepare a place for each of the believers. Count on it! Then when we knock on heaven’s door, he’ll be there to welcome us with open arms!

Have the faith to trust the words of Jesus!

Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Second Coming!

For Sunday, February 25, 2024:

Mark 13:27 NLT, Jesus speaking: “The Son of Man will send out his angels to gather his chosen ones from all over the world—from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven.”

Jesus is wrapping up his teaching about the end times. He says that he will return to us in the clouds, in the sky. Trumpets will herald his arrival and be heard around the world. There won’t be any mistaking this event. Angels will then gather the faithful to join their Savior.

Jesus refers to believers as the “chosen ones,” but there’s a certain irony in this. Yes, believers were chosen by heaven, given the invitation, but they (us) in turn must choose to accept God’s offer to become one of his children. Our invitation is to join the family of God!

It’s a good decision! You won’t be sorry you accepted the Lord’s invitation!

Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Return of Jesus!

October 4, 2021 Monday Message

Mark 13:26 NLT: “Everyone will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds with great power and glory.”

Jesus was leaving us with hope, promising that he’d return, and that’s good news for all believers. It’s also very bad news for unbelievers. Jesus’ return signifies a day of judgment, a day of reckoning, a day of accountability for all of mankind. It requires a previous decision – You can say ‘yes’ to Jesus, or you can say ‘no’ to Jesus, but there is no middle ground.

The Second Coming will be no small event. Everyone everywhere on earth will know what is occurring. The sun and the moon will no longer function, and the world will be wracked by cosmic catastrophes. This is the day the Lord separates the sheep from the goats. We have been given the privilege of living our lives as part of that preferred group. Angels will gather believers to be with Jesus. Unfortunately, some will choose the other group, and their wish will also be granted.

Choose wisely – we don’t get a do-over on this eternal decision!

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.

Apostles/Disciples

Oct. 7, 2019 Monday Message:

“You, then, are to go and make disciples of all the nations and baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Teach them to observe all that I have commanded you…” from Matt. 28:18-20 JBP

Today, “disciple” means follower of a teacher, leader or philosopher. Discussing the Bible, we tend to use ‘disciple’ and ‘apostle’ interchangeably, although the true meanings are slightly different. 2,000 years ago, “disciple” simply meant, “student.” The Greek “mathetes” is a compound word: the mental effort needed to think something through; and a leaner or student. That’s a disciple – one who learns from the teacher.

An “apostle” is the one sent to deliver those teachings to others. The apostle is a messenger, in this case, bringing the Good News (Gospel) to all nations. Just as angels bring heavenly messages, apostles spread the message of salvation to their students, their disciples.

So in Matthew 28, Jesus is empowering all the “apostles” to go forth and make more “disciples.” This is why we do what we do!

Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship meets next Sunday, Oct. 13, 2019, 3249 30^th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406, 10:30 AM. Founding Pastor Michael Pilla opens up 1 Cor. 14:1-19.

What's the Deal with Angels?

Oct. 21, 2013 Monday Message:

It’s the top 10 questions about Christianity/heaven, and #8 is: What’s the deal with angels?

When we die, we go to heaven, grow wings, sit on clouds and play harps all day, right? WRONG! That’s what Hollywood and myths and jokes and stories would all have you believe, but that’s not what the Bible says.

First, let’s first get rid of the notion that when we die we grow wings and become angels. Angels and humans are 2 different species, like horses and cows. You can keep both of them on a farm, but they are distinct, unique, and fulfill different purposes. So settle the matter once and for all – angels don’t become humans, and humans don’t become angels.

Next, forget that cute little “Precious Moments” statuette. God’s angels are scary! The Bible refers to our God as, “Lord of the Angel Armies,” and that’s because angles are ferocious. Every time someone in the Bible sees an angel, the first thing the angel says is: “Be not afraid,” because everyone IS afraid when they first see an angel!

What do angels do? On earth, they instruct, protect, guide, and comfort. We won’t need any of that in heaven – no one will need comforting in heaven, and you won’t need protection. Angels can be messengers Luke 1:19 “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you glad tidings.” That was about the birth of Jesus. The Greek word “Anglos” means “messenger.”

And angels will be worshipers. That’s one way we’ll be like the angels, worshiping God, WITH the angels: Rev. 5:11 “I looked again, and I heard the voices of thousands (of people) and millions of angels around the throne…”

Any day you get to worship the Lord is a good day!

Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship (JICF) meets every Sunday at 10:30am in the North end (gym) of the Oliver Ministry Building, 2647 Bloomington Ave., Minneapolis. This Sunday, Oct. 27, Rev. Daisy will open up Luke 17, forgiveness & faith. See you at church!

NL

Angels We have Heard On High!

December 20, 2010 Monday Message:

“Suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying: ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!’” Luke 2:13-14

God taking human form and coming to earth as the baby Jesus is a series of miracles. There are several hundred miracle-prophecies that point to the arrival of our Savior. Jesus fulfilled all of them. We all know the most common predictors: born of a virgin, descendent of David, city of Bethlehem. Other prophecies predicted Jesus’ death, mocking by the soldiers who cast lots for his garments, and his side being pierced while, miraculously, no bones were broken.

But today, I want to consider just one small cause and effect scenario.
Cause: a baby is born on earth.
Effect: Angels praise the LORD.

It wasn’t just a few angels that praised God; the Bible calls it a multitude. I don’t know exactly how many angels in a “multitude,” but I suspect it’s like a mega-church. Hundreds for sure, maybe thousands. And these angels aren’t like the cute little Precious Moments statuettes. “Heavenly Hosts” are the huge angel-army warriors who defend eternal good from the never-ending attacks of the dark side.

And praising God for a new baby on earth isn’t limited to Jesus Christ. In fact, it happens every day. Each one of us is fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God. So yes, God was praised for your creation and your arrival on earth. Creation of a new soul always results in a significant Heavenly celebration. Praise God because he’s awesome!

You are a child of God; you’re family. Join in celebrating the arrival of the son of God, our redeemer, Christ the newborn King!

Norton Lawellin