Baptized!

For Tuesday, April 14, 2026:

Luke 3:21-22 NLT: One day, when the crowds were being baptized, Jesus himself was baptized. As he was praying, the heavens opened, and the Holy Spirit, in bodily form, descended on him like a dove. And a voice from heaven said, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.”

This happened over 2k years ago. I’m amazed that with no telephones or texts, no radio or TV, no internet or Twitter, that somehow a crowd of people would hear that John the Baptist was once again in the Jordan River, advising people to repent and return. The crowd assembled, and John shouted, “The kingdom of God is at hand!” Oh, to have been in the crowd that day!

Jesus was present, and he stepped forward to be baptized. In a semi-private conversation, John said that Jesus should be baptizing him! After all, God’s Son didn’t need his sins washed away! He was sinless! But this was a lesson in obedience, honoring God the Father as Lord of your life. Jesus is said to be fully God and fully human, and the human side of him submitted to the Father as he walked on this Earth.

I wish I could have seen the dove descending upon Jesus and heard the voice of the Father. I imagine God’s voice to be big, booming and bold, but that’s just conjecture, not in the Bible.

Christians are to be baptized in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. It matters little who leads the ceremony. This is a case where Jesus said, “Use my name!” That’s what’s important. Baptism is part of making disciples of all nations, Jesus’ final instructions before ascending into heaven.

He went on ahead to prepare a place for believers! Is your name on his “Things to do” list?

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

Love!

For Saturday, February 14, 2026:

John 13:34-35 NLT, Jesus speaking: “Now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

"They will know we are Christians by our love, by our love.” We’ve all heard the song. Loving one another seems like a good idea, but did you realize that this is a command issued by the one who saves us?

2K years ago, the prevailing attitude was to look out for #1. But the followers of Jesus were different. They looked out for each other. They were kind to their neighbors, even to those who weren’t following the Messiah. This command of Jesus was a new and innovative way of living. It was more gentle and helpful to others. It was doing the next right thing. People liked what they saw and wanted to join. This helped the early church grow through attraction.

The government at the time was the Roman Empire. Rome did nothing to help the people. Citizens had to help each other. The Roman army had two things on its agenda: keeping peace in the region and loyalty to Caesar. Christians were pretty quiet about their dislike for Caesar, and exceeded expectations for keeping peace. So for the most part, the army left Christians alone. Their love for one another meant that they did not fuel conflict in Israel.

So do what Jesus did. Be nice, be kind, be helpful and do the next right thing. These aren’t just good ideas. These are commands from the mouth of Jesus. Out of love for what Jesus did for mankind, we should obey, keeping his commands high on our agenda. In the end, it works out better for everyone. If we love our neighbors, they’re more likely to love us in return!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

God's Way!

For Friday, September 20, 2024:

James 1:27 EASY: “If you want to serve God in a completely good way, do things like this: Help children who have no parents and women who are widows. Help them in their troubles. If you serve God our Father like that, he will be pleased with you. Do not let the bad people in this world make you bad too.”

James was writing to the 12 tribes of Israel. He might as well have been writing to everyone on the planet! The world had fallen into an “eye for an eye” way of living. Most people only looked out for #1, themselves. This revenge-centered “get even” philosophy left the world a bitter place. I believe Satan had a hand in this.

God designed mankind to live in community, to be kind and helpful to each another. Jesus had to re-teach benevolence, loving our neighbors and looking out for one another. Widows and orphans should never have to worry if they can get by. That they’re included in a community of believers should assure not only their survival, but a good quality of life.

Believers are to love their neighbors, and be kind, helpful and useful. Be joyful and smile. Don’t allow the world to extinguish your fire. Like the song says, “They will know we are Christians by our love!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Christians!

June 17, 2024 Monday Message:

Ephesians 6:7-8 NIV: “Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free.”

Christians should be known as “good” people, but we’re not judged as good by trying to earn our way into heaven. In a way, God has set this up kind of backwards. We’ve been given the prize BEFORE we’ve done the good. The prize, eternal life in the presence of the Lord, is the result of knowing who Jesus is and believing everything he said. The prize is forgiveness and grace as a result of our faith.

Now that we’ve been adopted into the Holy Family, we do good out of gratitude for what Jesus did for us. As Christians, we try to live our lives better than non-christians. We’re the carriers of love, kindness and forgiveness. Believers are the hands and feet of Jesus!

Good Christians not only do the next right thing; they seek out the next right thing to do. We forgo worldly agenda in favor of Godly agenda. We do our best, because that’s what Jesus would have done.

Our pecking order in this life is no indication of our pecking order in the next life. Remember, the first will be last, and the last will be first!

Blessings as we begin a new week!

Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Choose Wisely!

August 28, 2023 Monday Message:

Romans 6:16 NLT: “Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living.”

As people live their lives, they inevitably pick sides. Some choose to be good; some choose to be evil. That choice determines how a life will go, and sometimes how a life will end.

Organized crime and even street gangs have their own set of rules and loyalty requirements. Those choosing that life become slaves to those rules or face retribution from the bad guys. Their leader is Satan.

On the other hand, good people including Christians become slaves to Jesus’ instructions – kindness and love for our neighbors The difference being that if we have shortcomings, we are offered love and forgiveness. That’s what Jesus taught.

Choose your associates wisely!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

Baby Christians!

For Saturday, May 27, 2023:

1 Corinthians 3:3 TLB, Paul writing to the church in Corinth: “For you are still only baby Christians, controlled by your own desires, not God’s. When you are jealous of one another and divide up into quarreling groups, doesn’t that prove you are still babies, wanting your own way? In fact, you are acting like people who don’t belong to the Lord at all.”

Most seekers were living in the world, where people sin freely. Then they learn the Good News of salvation through Jesus, become a part of it, but haven’t yet abandoned the ways of the world. Baby Christians.

Paul is looking for what I call a Radical Transformation, a 180º turn-around of a person’s value system. When new believers have God on their mind, Jesus in their heart and the Holy Spirit’s protection, they become a new person, born again.

Believers have been given a fresh start, and it should show!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

Children of God!

For Wednesday, October 19, 2022:

Ephesians 3:6 NLT: “This is God’s plan: Both Gentiles and Jews who believe the Good News share equally in the riches inherited by God’s children. Both are part of the same body, and both enjoy the promise of blessings because they belong to Christ Jesus.”

Paul, leading his posse to persecute Christians, was struck down on the road to Damascus, where Jesus himself called Paul into Christian ministry. Blind for 3 days, Paul was led into the city. His sight was restored and he was baptized by Christians. Paul is the only evangelist in the Bible personally called by Jesus after the resurrection!

While Paul was blind, the Bible says that Jesus questioned his persecution of Christians. At the same time, I believe Jesus also gave Paul a great deal of knowledge and theological detail. We can believe everything that Paul’s preaching, because his new theology came straight from the Messiah!

The Son of God came to the world through the Jews, but he is to be the Savior of ALL the world, and Paul makes this clear. Anyone who is a believer – slave or free, male or female, Jew or Gentile – becomes one of God’s children, a member of the Holy Family, with all the rights and privileges of any family member.

Children of God become residents in the Kingdom!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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

Christians!

June 6, 2022 Monday Message:

Acts 2:38 NLT, Peter responding to the Pentecost crowd: “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

Yesterday we celebrated Pentecost Sunday, remembering the birthday of the church with 3,000 responding to the altar call. Magnificent day!

The path to salvation is the same nowadays as it was back then. #1 Repent and return to the Lord; #2 Baptism, the ‘new’ you coming up out of the water; and #3 Receive the Holy Spirit. Jesus promised, “I will send you the Spirit who comes from the Father and shows what is true. The Spirit will help you and will tell you about me.”

Today is the accepted day to commit or re-commit our lives to Jesus. And we can help others do the same.

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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