Open Hearts!

For Tuesday, October 22, 2024:

1 John 5:20 NLT: “We know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us understanding so that we can know the true God. And now we live in fellowship with the true God because we live in fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God, and he is eternal life.”

Believers are blessed! Our eyes have been opened to truth about our Creator and our path to salvation. Unbelieving prophets and kings may desire to know the Lord, but seeking is as close as they get. Believers need to know that God is far more important than they are. Humble is required!

Christians do our best to make disciples of all nations, but we’d be powerless without the Holy Spirit first opening the hearts of prospective believers. First the Holy Spirit, then the Gospel. That’s the only way evangelism works!

Jesus said, “I and the Father are one,” so knowing Jesus is like knowing God. Their instructions for how we are to live our lives are the same. Their values are the same. Jesus never contradicts our Father in Heaven. Jesus is God’s Son, and like him, believers become children of God. We’re brethren, all on the same team, all loving God almighty and obediently serving!

Our God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – love mankind, so much so that Jesus would sacrifice his human life to redeem our souls. Believers have been forgiven, prepared by Jesus himself for eternal life in the Heavenly realm.

Welcome to the family!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

In Your Light

June 03, 2013 Monday Message:

“No one truly knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” Luke 10:22

When God realized that all humans had fallen short and would continue to do so, He sent His Son Jesus to ransom mankind. Therefore it’s the Son who will open the eyes, mind and heart of a non-believer, and allow him to see the gifts God has offered. Mankind cannot see heavenly things through his own spiritual blindness; the Son must first choose him and open his spiritual eyes.

With open eyes and a clear picture of the truth, mankind can still choose to say, “No.”

Consider the man in Luke 9:59-60 who wanted to follow Jesus, but chose to delay discipleship until he buried his father. Jesus said, “Let the (spiritually) dead bury their own (physically) dead.” (Parentheses mine) Think about it – Following our Lord Jesus would be something of substance, something with eternal ramifications. And while burying the dead, especially your father, would be a good thing to do, on God’s agenda it should be AFTER #1: Follow Jesus. Jesus says, “Your duty is to go and preach about the kingdom of God.” Substance before circumstance.

In Your light do we see light. Psalm 36:9

Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship (JICF) meets at 10:30am every Sunday. We’ll continue with the Martha and Mary story in Luke Ch. 10. We gather in the North end (gym) of the Oliver Ministry Building, 2647 Bloomington Ave., Minneapolis. See you at church!

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