Deceivers!

 

For Saturday, January 10, 2026:

Matthew 24:4-5 NLT: Jesus told his disciples, “Don’t let anyone mislead you, for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah.’ They will deceive many.”

Jesus said that no one will know the exact day and hour of his return. Only the Father knows. For believers, that’s the End Times. We have been told signs, things for which to watch, things to keep us on our toes so that when Jesus shows up, we can be prepared. Some theologians believe that we’re in the end times of the End Times. Most think we’re well past the halfway mark of the time until Jesus returns!

Who wants to be King of the World? Probably not you, and certainly not me! But many powerful, money-hungry people think that position was created for them. But those narcissists are only out for themselves. They are not heaven-sent individuals. When the Messiah returns, he won’t have to announce who he is. People will know. He’ll be doing Messiah stuff, things unattainable by any false prophet.

So keep your eyes peeled for the great deceivers. Discerning is more difficult than it first appears, since Jesus says that “many” will try to claim his status, and “many” will be liars. By the time Jesus returns, the world will likely be one big mess! We’ll no longer live securely in the land of the free and home of the brave. There is such division in our country that there may be another civil war.

Believers have confidence that Jesus will return to escort us into the hereafter, a far better place. He said he’d be back, and his word is always good. People will love the Lord, love each other and live in harmony. Life in God’s heavenly kingdom will be the way God intended for us to live from the beginning. There is sunshine on the horizon!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

Decision!

For Saturday, June 14, 2025:

Luke 12:57 NLT, Jesus speaking: “Why can’t you decide for yourselves what is right?”

God gave mankind brains. He gave us the ability to reason, to reach a conclusion about something after rigorous examination. Jesus wants us to put those skills to work. Examine everything, make your own decisions and form your own conclusions. No longer is, “We’ve always done it this way,” a valid response.

Jesus, known as the Prince of Peace, doesn’t want us to go along just to get along. The religious leaders of his day had missed the boat on a number of theological points, and Jesus came to shake things up, to set the record straight and to get religion back on track. This would prove controversial enough for those with religious authority to plot his demise.

Therefore, identifying with Jesus’ teaching will result in division, not unification. Adult children may disagree with their parents. Best friends may disagree about whether abandoning the status quo religion in favor of following Jesus is the right thing to do. It is!

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life.” He is the one way to heaven, and the only way to the Father. He can get us to the life after this life. But most importantly, he is truth. Think it through for yourselves. “Truth” is the prize on our scavenger hunt!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

False Prophets

For Wednesday, November 29, 2023:

Romans 16:17b NLT, Paul speaking: “Watch out for people who cause divisions and upset people’s faith by teaching things contrary to what you have been taught. Stay away from them.”

Truth is God’s opinion on everything. With God, there’s no gray area. It’s either black or white, either right or wrong. There is no middle ground. Jesus said those who are not with me are against me. It’s a strong admonition: Those who are not on the same page as God might as well get out. If you’re not going to agree with God, why try to hang out with him?

We’re surrounded by churches with a cross on top and “Jesus” in their name. But the true test is if they have a Bible in their hand and on the lectern, front and center in the church. If the preaching and teaching adhere to the Bible, we have a good start. Many divisions in churches start with errant teaching. A lot of times it’s someone putting their personal agenda on top of God’s teaching. But believers say, “Sola Scriptura,” only scripture, only God’s word determines what we believe and what we do.

We’ll see more false teachers as we draw closer to Jesus’ return. So beware – don’t fall into a theological trap! Teach your eyes and ears to discern truth, and keep a Bible in your hand.

Walk with the Lord today, and have a safe and blessed day!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

Psalm 67 - Pull Together

October 24, 2016 Monday Message:

“Pray for God’s blessings to continue and for everyone on earth to worship our God.” Psalms 67:7 CEV

In Psalm 67, God has shown favor to his people with a bountiful harvest. God has been kind and has blessed his people. Now that we can prove the God-potential, let’s get everyone on-board. Partnering with God is an awesome thing. God’s blessing on a nation will increase when the people are united and everyone is pulling in the same direction, God’s direction.

Jesus taught us to grow Christianity through attraction. Outsiders should be able to easily see the love in our fellowship, and then desire to be a part of what we have. Be joyful! The psalmist writes, “Be pleased and smile. Then everyone on earth will learn to follow you, and all nations will see...” from Ps. 67:1-2

In this time of political division in our country, it would be restorative to turn from our differences and, for a moment, celebrate the good things we have in common. Our country was founded by people who desired religious freedom. Declaring our independence, they wrote, “All men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights…” Our founding fathers acknowledged a creator who was good to us – perhaps we can all agree on that.

So put a smile on your face, sing a joyful song, and let’s all pull together with the positive values we share. Let’s all play for God’s team.

Norton Lawellin

Let’s worship together! Jesus in the City Fellowship (JICF) meets at the Akina Church, 3249 30^th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406, 10:30am. This Sunday, Oct. 30, 2016, we’ll unpack Martin Luther and the Reformation – Getting the church back on track! See you there!