Faith!

February 10, 2025, Monday Message:

Exodus 16:3 NLT: Israelites complaining to Moses and Aaron: “If only the Lord had killed us back in Egypt,” they moaned. “There we sat around pots filled with meat and ate all the bread we wanted. But now you have brought us into this wilderness to starve us all to death.”

The people of Israel think they’re suffering from a lack of food. Actually, they’re suffering from a lack of faith! Time after time, miracle after miracle, God has been on their side. They should have been filled with trust and confidence in the Lord, knowing that he will always provide.

The Israelites don’t seem to have any long-term memory. They’re living day-to-day. Circumstances direct their lives. My advice to them would be to look at the big picture. Look for what I call a “God trend,” something of substance. Think about it – If God sent 10 plagues to get them out of Egypt and opened and closed the Red Sea on their behalf, he can probably take care of lunch too! God’s not going to let them starve out on the desert!

Faith is always what saves us. An extra dose of faith would have helped the Israelites cross the Sinai. Faith is what lets us see heaven from the inside! True believers have an abundance of faith in Jesus, who he is, and confidence that his words are truth.

John 1:12 “But to all who believed the Son and accepted him (put their faith in him,) he gave the right to become children of God.”

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Fickle Faith!

For Sunday, February 9, 2025:

Exodus 15:26 NLT: God said to Moses and the Israelites, “If you will listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in his sight, obeying his commands and keeping all his decrees, then I will not make you suffer any of the diseases I sent on the Egyptians; for I am the Lord who heals you.”

People can live a long time without food, but only a short time without water. God had Moses lead the Israelites into the desert for three days, and they finally came to an oasis with bitter water. God purified the water. Once again the God of provision had met the people of Israel’s needs. He then gave them the covenant in the above scripture. If the Israelites would be his people, he would be their God!

That sounds like a good deal, but it’s also a test of faith. Each time a problem arose, would the people trust the Lord completely or complain about God putting them in that situation? Of course the correct answer would be to leave everything in God’s hands. Turns out the people of Israel weren’t very good at that.

If we are growing in our relationship with the Lord as we ought, we should learn from our mistakes and make corrections. We should also take note when things go right, and intentionally repeat those behaviors. The Israelites had fallen victim to what I call, ‘Fickle Faith.’ They’re believers when things are going well. But at the least sign of trouble, faith goes out the window. Fickle Faith.

Trusting God is something of substance, something with eternal ramifications. Trusting the Lord should not depend upon your current circumstances. Pray that God would fill you with unshakable faith!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Substance vs Circumstances!

August 19, 2024 Monday Message:

1 John 1:3-4 NLT: “We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We are writing these things so that your joy may be complete.”

Happiness may be fleeting, but the Joy of the Lord is permanent!

Earthly happiness is a reaction to circumstances, and circumstances can change, sometimes better, sometimes worse. But the work of Jesus on the cross – the forgiveness of our sins and his promise of salvation – fills us with the Joy of the Lord, a forever solution to mankind’s sin problem.

What really matters? My wife has a label printer, and our grandson loves putting labels on everything. Our living room houses a piano, two guitars and a ukulele, so he labeled it, “Music Room.” I want us all to dig out our mental label makers and separate everything in our lives into one of two categories: substance or circumstances.

The circumstances in which we find ourselves are constantly changing. We’re called upon to interact with other humans. What could possibly go wrong? (Joke! Sarcasm!)

But things of substance have eternal ramifications. Things of substance matter. Their worth is ‘til the end of time! When Jesus set believers up with assurance of salvation, it was both a “now and forever” solution. Gratitude for Jesus’ gift to us – the gift of eternal life in God’s presence – fills believers with joy that can not be taken away.

Laugh off circumstances. Live for things of substance!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Substance!

For Saturday, June 22, 2024:

1 Peter 2:21 NLT: “God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps.”

Jesus suffered doing his work of rescuing mankind, and we also may suffer doing the Lord’s work. In spite of good or bad circumstances, remember that they are just that: circumstances. It’s what happens in life. We may or may not have control over our circumstances.

What we DO have control over is if we live our lives in a good way or a bad way. Are our lives ordered in such a way as to please our maker? Is what we do good, right, fair and honest? If we stop and think, ask yourself, “Should we really be doing this thing? Will the way we live our life make God smile?”

God’s reaction is substance, something of eternal value. Circumstances don’t matter; they change – a lot! But pleasing the Lord is something of substance!

Pray that we will care less about what others think, and more about what God thinks! Blessings as your go about your day!

Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Circumstances!

For Thursday, April 18, 2024:

Philippians 1:12-13 NLT: “I want you to know, my dear brothers and sisters, that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News. For everyone here, including the whole palace guard, knows that I am in chains because of Christ.”

Paul was called to be an evangelist. He was to share the Good News of Jesus with the Gentile world. Pretty big territory, but Paul accepted the challenge!

If I had known Paul back then, I might have grown weary of hearing his story over and over. This guy Jesus – that’s all Paul ever talked about! Although he had trained to be a Pharisee, Paul lost favor within the Hebrew community when he started preaching Salvation and Good News. Although they rallied against him, Paul never ceased his preaching efforts!

Rome also had a problem with Jesus. The Romans were taught that the current emperor was a deity, a god. Loyalty to Paul and his Savior conflicted with that Roman teaching. Therefore Paul found himself writing to the Philippians from inside a prison cell. Did that stop Paul from evangelizing? Certainly not! He looked at this as another opportunity to tell people about Jesus!

By this time, Paul’s guards had figured out that he was non-violent, and in an odd way they all became friends. So why not tell them about Jesus? Paul accepted his circumstances and freely shared the Gospel with other prisoners and with the prison guards, many of whom believed and were saved! Paul’s willingness to relinquish his freedom in order to stand up for Jesus was quite a convincing testimony!

Paul was on a mission trip, and we all should be on a mission trip. Our assignment straight from Jesus’ lips is to make disciples of all nations, in other words to share the Good News and show others the way to salvation. Don’t ever feel unqualified. If Paul can teach, evangelize and encourage while imprisoned, surely we can overcome any obstacle in our path.

Jesus assigned the work; now get going!

Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Forever Convinced!

For Tuesday, October 10, 2023:

Psalm 42:11 CEV: “Why am I discouraged? Why am I restless? I trust you, Lord! And I will praise you again because you help me, and you are my God.”

No matter what goes wrong in this life, you still have your God and his Son and a promise of salvation. Happiness can be fleeting; circumstances can change. Jesus said to expect a few problems. Things will go wrong in this life. But he also said that he has overcome the world, and that’s Good News indeed!

Believers are filled with the Joy of the Lord, and that’s permanent! Knowing that all of our sins are forgiven and that Jesus is preparing our place in the hereafter should put a smile on our faces. That’s why Paul could sing hymns while in prison. He had an encounter Jesus and was forever convinced. That’s something of substance that could never be taken from him. Are you forever convinced?

Throw off discouragement and do what the Bible says. Celebrate Jesus’ rescue of your soul and your reservation in the Father’s house! Know that you are blessed. Tell your face!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

Restoration!

December 12, 2022 Monday Message:

Job 42:12-13 NLT: “The Lord blessed Job in the second half of his life even more than in the beginning. For now he had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 teams of oxen and 1,000 female donkeys. He also gave Job seven more sons and three more daughters.”

Job kept his faith in the Lord through both good times and bad times. Job never faltered in his faith, regardless of his dire circumstances. Circumstances are what currently happens to you, but have no eternal consequences. But faith in our Lord carries forever ramifications. Where you stand with Jesus determines your eternal destination!

Job and God had a conversation, concluding that God is Almighty and Job was just a man, a created being. Job acknowledged that only God could rescue him from his problematic predicament, so he doubled-down on loving the Lord. God not only rescued him, but restored him beyond his wildest dreams!

Job’s wife thought he should just give up. “Curse God and then die.” Job did not do that! He stuck with the Almighty God of rescue and restoration. There is no one like our God!

Pastor Norton Lawellin 

Jesus in the City Fellowship

Choose God!

For Saturday, November 12, 2022:

Psalm 50:15 NLT, God speaking: “Call on me when you are in trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory.”

Problems come and go in our lives. Conflicts arise and disputes raise their ugly heads. Satan is loose in the world, so some of this is to be expected. Our circumstances in the world are constantly changing, oftentimes not in a good way.

It’s time to trade circumstances for substance. The Bible says that “My God is like a rock,” permanent and unchanging. God says we should always call on him when we need help. God is always available - he’s not going anywhere! If fact he invites us to share our lives with him. God desires a personal relationship with each of us. So take him up on that offer!

Your friendship with the Lord can be the stability in your life!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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

Substance vs. Circumstances

April 08, 2013 Monday Message:

Leader: He is risen!

Congregation: He is risen indeed!

2000 years ago, the Israelites were fed up with Roman occupation. They were sick and tired of the rules, the soldiers, the taxes and also sick and tired of being governed by people who did not know God. They prayed and prayed for God to rescue them, to anoint a leader who would free them from Roman oppression.

God did send a Messiah, His own Son Jesus Christ, to rescue the people of God. But Jesus was not sent with a political agenda – rather, he had a theological agenda. The Israelite leaders were worried about the Romans; God was worried about our sin.

Governments come and go. In the US, we have elections every 4 years, and our country often switches directions. So the winds of our political circumstance can easily change direction.

God is more concerned with substance than circumstance, and while we often seek a solution to our circumstances, God wants to give us something more, something of substance, something that really matters. God sent his Son, so that all who would believe in him could have their sins forgiven, become brothers and sisters in the Holy family, and live in the presence of God, for ever and ever. And that’s Good News!

Always choose substance over circumstance.

Norton Lawellin

This Sunday, our lead Pastor Michael Pilla returns to the pulpit, fully healed from 3 types of pneumonia. He’ll teach some Bible, but also include personal testimony about the Lord’s healing. Join us Sunday 10:30am, Jesus in the City Fellowship (JICF), in the North end of the Oliver Ministry Building, 27th Street & Bloomington Avenue, Minneapolis.

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