The Best is Yet to Come!

For Sunday, February 15, 2026:

Hebrews 13:14 NLT: “This world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come.”

If only we could more clearly see the future! The Bible is truth. It tells us not only what happened, but also what lies ahead. History is interesting and important, but we can do nothing to alter what has already transpired. So it might be more beneficial to spend more time on Jesus’ words about what is to come. That’s something that we can change and make better!

Interesting sidebar: I’ve found that most Christians could retell a reasonably accurate version of the Christmas story with only a couple of missteps. They’ve sat through a number of Christmas pageants! The same group isn’t so clear about creation. Some know the Bible version, but don’t necessarily believe all of it. But when I teach about life after this life, I get a lot of blank stares. Our churches seem to teach a lot about what has happened, and very little about what is to come. Friends, I believe that we need to be prepared for the future!

Here’s the deal: If you’re alive today but headed in the wrong direction, there’s still time to set things right. By recasting our behavior, we can positively improve our place in eternity. We can join the group that calls Jesus the Lord and Savior of their lives. We can pray for Jesus to forgive our sins, wipe our slates clean and prepare a place for us in the hereafter. Eternity is a very long time! We want to be in the right place!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Love vs Hate!

December 22, 2025, Monday Message:

John 15:24 NLT, Jesus speaking: “If I hadn’t done such miraculous signs among them that no one else could do, they would not be guilty. But as it is, they have seen everything I did, yet they still hate me and my Father.”

People are fickle. Their attitudes toward others swing back and forth like a pendulum. We excitedly welcome a new baby, but may grow to hate them later in life. Sometimes that behavior is justified; sometimes, not.

On the church calendar, we draw close to Christmas, celebrating the birth of our savior. Believers had waited over 700 years for the prophesied Messiah. Angels told us that Jesus was the one! God doesn’t send His Messenger Angels on a fool’s errand. If the message is heaven-sent, it’s true!

Here’s what’s odd. Fishermen, laborers and even a tax collector became believers. Priests, religious teachers and Temple leaders never got on the Jesus bandwagon. They weren’t prepared to worship a triune God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. That concept was new, a deviation from their present theology. They thought they had it all figured out. They did not!

I believe power and money stood in the way of a sound decision. Yes, Jesus taught at the Temple, but only in the outer courtyards. He was never accepted into the inner circle of Temple leadership. Furthermore, if Jesus taught and people brought tithes, they were supporting Jesus and his disciples, not the Temple treasury.

Jesus is declaring unbelievers guilty, guilty of not using their eyes, ears and the brain God gave them. If you consider all the miracles and healings performed by Jesus, there is only one logical conclusion: That Jesus is indeed the heaven-sent Messiah. We later discern that he is the Son of God, and his mission is the rescue of mankind.

Today is the accepted day to commit or re-commit yourself to following and believing in God’s Son Jesus. If you consider all the well-documented evidence, you can only reach one conclusion: That Jesus is the key to life after this life. He was sent by the Father to bring us home!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

Jesus = Friend of God!

For Thursday, December 11, 2025:

Romans 5:11 NLT: “Now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.”

Christmas is coming! Soon! The time between Christmases seems to grow shorter with each passing year. Jesus’ coming to earth represents a turning point in mankind’s relationship with Father God, so it’s certainly appropriate and worthwhile to celebrate each birthday anniversary.

You may have heard that the date is wrong. Probably. Scholars claim Jesus’ birth was between 6 & 4 BCE, most likely in the springtime if shepherds are staying overnight tending their flocks. I don’t think the exact date matters as much as the fact that we would select an annual date to honor God and celebrate the Heaven-sent Savior’s birth. December 25^th is close to the winter solstice, when there is little to do in an agricultural economy. Great time to celebrate God’s goodness!

Let’s begin by confirming that God and sin cannot coexist. Therefore, if we want to spend eternity in the presence of the Lord, we need to separate ourselves from any manner of sin. Jesus comes to earth with a plan to make it easy for us. When Jesus leaves this world, he will take the sins of the world to the place of the dead. If we believers put our faith, hope and trust in Jesus, our sins stay there, leaving us suitable for residence in God’s forever kingdom, Heaven. Jesus being a Savior for mankind is an undeserved gift from a loving God. Jesus has separated us from sin, making us friends for life with the Almighty!

Come quickly, Lord Jesus! (both then and again...)

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

Advent!

 December 1, 2025, Monday Message:

Luke 1:59b-60 NLT: “They wanted to name Elizabeth’s baby Zechariah, after his father. But Elizabeth said, “No! His name is John!”

As this baby matured, we would know him as John the Baptist. John was the forerunner, opening people’s minds and hearts as he set the stage for Jesus.

We too prepare for Jesus’ arrival with the Christian tradition of Advent, which means the arrival of something of great importance. On the church calendar, Advent is the four weeks preceding Christmas. Yesterday was the first Sunday of Advent, with three more to come. Advent is not in the Bible, although God arranged for John to pave the way for Jesus.

In the US, with Halloween (All Hallows’ Eve) and Thanksgiving behind us, our focus turns to Christmas. We bring trees and decorative branches indoors. We wrap special gifts for the wee ones. We lend extra support to charitable needs in our communities.

But most of all, we should keep Christ in Christmas. Yes, we’re celebrating Jesus’ arrival, his human birthday. But more importantly, we’re celebrating the rescue of mankind and the forgiving of our sins. And having been forgiven, Jesus prepared a place for us in the hereafter, eternity in the presence of the Lord. We’re celebrating the Assurance of Salvation for believers, made possible by his Son!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

Celebration!

For Wednesday, March 19, 2025:

Leviticus 23:1, 2b NLT: The Lord instructed Moses, “These are the Lord’s appointed festivals, which you are to proclaim as official days for holy assembly.”

The first festival appointed by the Lord is kind of a surprise. It’s the weekly celebration of the seventh day or Sabbath. Jews worship from sundown Friday until sundown Saturday. Christians worship on Sunday, the third day after the crucifixion, when Jesus was resurrected. He conquered sin and death on that same day, events worthy of celebration!

Celebrating Passover is a big Jewish deal. It commemorates God rescuing the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. God says that remembering Passover should continue for all time. First Harvest and Harvest acknowledge the God of Provision’s goodness. The Day of Atonement is when sins are confessed and taken away. The Festival of Shelters celebrates construction of the Tabernacle and God living amongst His people.

Christians celebrate Christmas when Jesus came to earth to ultimately rescue mankind. Good Friday is the crucifixion day when Jesus died and took the sins of the world to the place of the dead. Easter or Resurrection Sunday is when Jesus arose from that place of the dead, leaving our sin behind! Pentecost is considered the birthday of the church.

It’s good to gather with our church friends to celebrate the goodness of Father God, His Son our Redeemer and the Holy Spirit, our helper and advocate. Look forward to each Holy Day!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

I'll Be Back!

For Thursday, December 26, 2024:

Isaiah 7:14 NLT: “The Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’).”

It’s Dec. 26^th, the day after Christmas – sort of. Most of you know by now that Jesus wasn’t actually born on Dec. 25. Traditional theories say sometime in April or May. Modern thinking says September, probably between 4-6 BCE. In the dead of winter, little work could be accomplished, so Dec. 25, near the winter solstice, seemed a good time for a major celebration. Does it really matter? This isn’t a redeeming ordinance!

God’s timeline is not our timeline. God, through the prophet Isaiah, promised a Messiah would be arriving soon. It took about 750 years for that to happen. If we estimate a generation to be about 25 years, the Messiah’s arrival took about 30 generations! That’s 30 times people watched, prayed, and eventually had to pass the dream on to their offspring! So when Jesus finally arrived, Israel was filled with skeptics and doubters, among them the Pharisees and Temple leaders! They weren’t about to step away from power, position and financial security to let some youngster get into the driver’s seat!

Remember, when the resurrected Jesus ascended into heaven, he promised to return. Optimists thought he meant perhaps by Friday, or certainly later this month. I’m sure the believers were amazed when a year passed and there was still no sign of the Savior! They’d be astounded that 2k years later, we’re still watching and waiting. Jesus may be busy preparing our place in the hereafter.

Everything Jesus ever said was truth, so we fully expect his return. Each day we’re one day closer!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Merry Christmas!

December 25, 2023 Monday Message:

Luke 2:11 NLT. Angel speaking to the shepherds: “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.”

Today we celebrate Jesus, the Messiah, our Lord coming to earth. Sacred writers like Matthew, Mark, Luke and John have documented exactly what happened. Secular writers also mention Jesus, his healings, the large crowds he attracted and the crucifixion. Over 2,000 years later, we still remember and celebrate every detail. The question is, “why?” Why did God cause all this to happen?

God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – created everything, including mankind. God was pleased with everything he created, and declared it to be very good! But he must have known that mankind would fall into sin, becoming incompatible with heaven. I believe that broke God’s heart. After all, his desire is that no one would perish; that all would repent and return.

Therefore Jesus came to earth to redeem mankind. His knowledge was exhaustive. He taught like no one else. His healing ability could not be ignored. But never forget that the rescue of mankind was his main mission.

Let’s skip ahead to the cross. In the “Great Exchange,” Jesus took the sins of the world to the place of the dead, where they belong. The absence of sin left the believers pure and innocent, suitable to take up residence in heaven alongside God, Jesus and all the saints! This is God’s great gift to mankind, God’s grace, undeserved favor. On the cross, Jesus said, “It is finished,” and then he gave up his spirit. It wasn’t just his earthly life that was finished. He was also saying, “Mission accomplished! I have completed what I was sent to do!”

And now, because of what Jesus did, believers have assurance of salvation. Merry Christmas!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

Prepared for Jesus!

For Saturday, December 23, 2023:

Luke 1:66 NLT: “Everyone who heard about it (the birth of John the Baptist) reflected on these events and asked, “What will this child turn out to be?” For the hand of the Lord was surely upon him in a special way.”

John the Baptist’s primary mission was to prepare the people for Jesus’ arrival.

A Jewish woman needed to pick up an order from my business, and the expected completion day was Friday. I said, “How about 4pm?” She said no. Shabbat, the Jewish sabbath, begins at sundown on Friday, and she was concerned with the late hour. “OK, how about 3 o’clock? What are you doing then?”

“Getting ready for Shabbat.” You see, honoring the Sabbath requires preparation. The holy day was not to be taken lightly!

Soon we celebrate Christmas, Jesus coming to earth to reconcile mankind’s position with God, probably the most important day since creation! And the question is, “Are you prepared? Have you prepared to meet your Savior face-to-face?” Jesus said he would return, and we have already seen many of the signs he told us to watch for. We may be in the last days of the end times!

Of course, “Time is getting close,” could mean next week to us or a thousand years to God. It would be foolish for anyone to think they know the date of the second coming. Nonetheless, we need to prepare for it. Are you “right” with God? Is “repent” part of who you are? Are you a friend of Jesus? Are you saved? Have you received the Holy Spirit?

When Jesus returns the next time, it will be biggest event since he came the first time. Are you ready to be impressed? Have you prepared?

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

Are You Prepared?

For Friday, December 22, 2023:

Luke 1:33 NLT, The Angel Gabriel speaking to Mary: “Jesus will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”

Was Mary prepared to be the earthly mother of the Son of God? I think not! What Gabriel was saying seemed impossible. After all, Mary was a virgin. Soon she expected to marry Joseph and bear children that he fathered. But for now, please, no children!

Understand that Mary believed in God, believed that he had given words to the Prophets, and that God could perform miracles. That’s what this would be – a never-before seen miracle, fulfilling prophesy. And while Mary doesn’t understand why she would be selected for such an honor, she was obedient, willing to serve as God directed. “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.”

Now just a few days before we celebrate Christmas, each of us needs to ask if WE are ready for Jesus’ arrival? Have you asked Jesus into your heart? Have you declared him Lord and Savior of your life? Are you obedient like Mary, open to God’s direction even when you don’t understand his intent? Have you made a reservation in the Kingdom? Is your faith unshakable? Jesus will prepare a place in eternity for everyone who joins his team. God will adopt into the Holy Family everyone who worships the Son. God wants to include you!

Jesus came to earth once, and he will come again!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship