Benevolence!

For Sunday, August 24, 2025:

Luke 18:24 NLT, Jesus speaking: “How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God!”

Jesus didn’t say that rich people entering the Kingdom was impossible. But it can be difficult.

Jesus had challenged the man to use his wealth for good. The poor could use a hand up from time to time. The rich man’s choices were #1 helping the poor, or #2 hoarding the sum. Unfortunately, he chose #2. Affluence had overtaken benevolence, caring for his neighbor. Opulence, not God, had become the focus of his worship. Jesus is using the rich man as a bad example!

Jesus wants Christians to know prosperity so that they have the resources to do good. We need to support our local churches and help our brothers and sisters. If we simply hoard the funds, the money won’t help the church, it won’t help people, and it won’t help the miser enter the Kingdom!

God rewards generosity!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Rich Man and Lazarus!

July 28, 2025, Monday Message:

Luke 16:22-23 NLT, Jesus telling the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus: “The poor man died and was carried by the angels to sit beside Abraham at the heavenly banquet. The rich man also died and was buried, and he went to the place of the dead. There, in torment, he saw Abraham in the far distance with Lazarus at his side.”

Just so you know, this is not the same Lazarus, brother of Martha and Mary, who was a close friend of Jesus. Jesus just used this name for a character in a story he was telling.

This poor Lazarus lived alongside the dogs just outside the main gate to a rich man’s mansion. There he begged as the wealthy came and went, transacting their business. As Jesus tells it, Lazarus was sickly and had sores all over himself. Lack of resources had finally taken its toll on his body. Lazarus died, and angels carried him to heaven. The rich man also died and was delivered to the place of the dead, Hades. Here’s where the story gets interesting!

From his place of torment, the rich man caught a glimpse of Lazarus sitting beside Abraham. He pleaded, “Father Abraham, have some pity! Send Lazarus over here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. I am in anguish in these flames.”

Well brother rich man, you made your bed, and now you have to lie in it! “No can do! During your lifetime, you had everything you wanted, and Lazarus had nothing. So now he is here being comforted, and you are in anguish.” The first will be last, and the last will be first! “Besides, there is a great chasm separating us. No one can cross over to you from here, and no one can cross over to us from there.”

Q: Is it possible that part of hell’s punishment is being able to visualize just how great heaven is? Are people in hell confronted daily with their bad decision, having turned their backs on Jesus? They had a chance, but turned down a golden opportunity. The Bible doesn’t say for sure, but Jesus seems to imply that scenario. He also teaches that accepting salvation is a forever decision. Once we reach the next reality, there’s no changing our minds. The chasm is too wide, and no one can cross over in either direction. Repent and return only works in this life!

Today is the accepted day to commit or re-commit our souls to the service of God’s Son. We never know when tomorrow will come, and we must be prepared to embark on the best journey of our lives. Jesus will meet you with open arms!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Rich Man!

For Sunday, February 4, 2024:

Mark 10:23 NLT: “Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God!”

In Jesus’ day, many people put their faith in false, made-up gods. Nowadays many people still put their faith in false, made-up gods. Acknowledging our Creator as the only real God and Jesus as his Son requires conversion away from those other god-concepts and a lot of faith in what actually makes the most sense.

Satan is the one who invents new and different gods, anything to divert our worship from the true God. And sometimes he doesn’t even have to invent a fake religion to capture our attention. Actors, musicians and sports heroes can occupy so much of our life that there’s no time left for God. A vocation resulting in power and money can seem like too much to leave behind. But choosing anything other than God and his Son would be a bad decision with eternal consequences.

"In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!”

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

With God!

June 12, 2023 Monday Message:

Matthew 19:26 NLT: “Jesus looked at the disciples intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.”

Jesus and the disciples were discussing eternal salvation. Who can be saved? Who can enter the Kingdom? Jesus had just explained that it would be easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for the Rich Man to enter the Kingdom. The problem wasn’t his wealth. But those blessed with abundance should be sharing, helping the less fortunate, or as Jesus puts it, “loving their neighbor.” That’s one area in which our Rich Man came up short!

The other problem is he was diligently following the commandments with an expectation. While following God’s commandments is good, no one is perfect at it, and thinking that we can obtain salvation by doing one thing and not doing other things is faulty thinking. We cannot earn our way into heaven by doing anything.

Salvation is a gift, our reward for sticking with Jesus who came to rescue mankind. On our own, heaven is unachievable. But with God, all things are possible.

Jesus promised that believers will see heaven from the inside!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

Psalm 49 - Eternity is calling!

June 20, 2016 Monday Message:

“You cannot buy back your life or pay off God! It costs far too much… You can never pay God enough to stay alive forever.” from Psalms 49:7-9 CEV

Jesus told the story of a rich man who enjoyed such abundance that he considered tearing down his old buildings and putting up larger ones. His short-sighted view was focused on his enterprise, his stuff, his wealth. He wanted to “eat, drink, and be very happy for many more years.” from Luke 12

But Jesus told him, “You fool. Tonight you will die. Then to whom will all these things belong?” We’ve all heard the old saying, “You can’t take it with you,” and Jesus was pointing this out to the rich man in his lesson.

Advertisers bombard us with investment advice each day, telling us to save for our retirement. That’s not bad, but Jesus wants us to be more concerned with investing in our ETERNAL life. He wants us to prepare for the reality after this reality. He wants everyone to repent and return to the presence of the Father, forever and ever.

Eternity is a very long time.

Norton Lawellin

This Sunday, June 26, 2016, Jesus in the City Fellowship (JICF) worships in our new location, the Akina Church, 3249 30^th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406, 10:30am. We’re back to our study of the book of Romans, Chapter 12. See you at church!