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

Authorized!

For Saturday, April 11, 2026:

Mark 16:19-20 NLT: “When the Lord Jesus had finished talking with his disciples, he was taken up into heaven and sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand. And the disciples then went everywhere and preached, and the Lord worked through them, confirming what they said by many miraculous signs.”

Jesus had prepared his disciples, saying that he would not be with them forever. He said that he would suffer and die, rise after three days, and eventually return to the Father. Everything happened exactly as he prophesied! It’s now time for these disciples to put Jesus’ final instructions into play.

Remember that “Apostle” refers to the original 12, but “disciple” is a much larger group of people, both men and women, who believed in Jesus, believed he was the Messiah and that his words were God’s words.

Mark just gives us the Reader’s Digest “condensed” version of the Great Commission: “The disciples then went everywhere and preached, and the Lord worked through them, confirming what they said by many miraculous signs.” When Jesus sent disciples on previous evangelistic mission trips, he told them to heal the sick, raise the dead and cast out demons, and it’s no different this time. They would preach the Good News, and God would prove them “authorized” by these miraculous signs!

Those original disciples covered most of Israel, but did not venture far into Asia Minor. God was preparing Paul, Timothy and Silas for that mission field. Where is your mission field? In my previous churches, we supported many missionaries in faraway foreign countries. And each summer, our youth group would lead a VBS in Mexico. I prayed and prayed about this, and finally God sent me to Lake Street in Minneapolis. Turns out He has plenty of work that needs doing right here in town!

So the best place to do ministry is wherever God calls you to do ministry! Pray and then be obedient. Do what Jesus asked you to do!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Holy Spirit!

For Tuesday, June 3, 2025:

Acts 2:4 NLT: “Everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.”

On the Day of Pentecost, the believers were all together in one place. A sound like wind filled the room, but the Bible doesn’t say it got windy – just the sound! Flames which looked like little lapping tongues of fire floated down, settling on each of them. God had big plans for this day, and in preparation was filling the faithful with the Holy Spirit. This was so important that God was making a show of it!

Not that believers hadn’t previously known the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit had been around since before creation. Genesis 1:2 “The Spirit of the Lord hovered over the waters of creation!” Forgive my crude analogy: The Holy Spirit is like the battery in my laptop. I plug it in for a recharge every night. If I don’t, it won’t be ready to go the next time I need it! Aid from the Holy Spirit is available to all believers, but we must top off our Holy Spirit tanks for tomorrow’s adventure! We must stay connected!

Christians believe in a triune God, one God who has made himself known to us in three different forms: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Father sits on heaven’s throne, Jesus walked on earth alongside mankind, while the Holy Spirit is our advocate, encourager and helper until Jesus returns. The Bible says that without the Holy Spirit we can accomplish nothing, but with the Holy Spirit we can accomplish anything! As Jesus sends us out to heal the sick, cast out demons and raise the dead, it’s obvious that we’ll need a heavenly helper.

Not only were believers’ tongues touched to speak in other languages, but their ears were touched as well. Instantly, they could clearly understand languages unknown to Israelites. This would be valuable as this Day of Pentecost unfolds! It’s about outreach and evangelism, about sharing the Good News with others. It’s about doing those things that Jesus commissioned us all to do! Are you “in?”

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Power from Jesus!

For Wednesday, May 7, 2025:

Luke 10:17 NLT, The 72 reporting to Jesus: “Lord, even the demons obey us when we use your name!”

Having been around Jesus, the 72 disciples knew about Satan and his demons. Jesus was casting out demons all the time. But little did they suspect that they too would have the power to derail these pesky critters. The 72 were amazed!

Of course, it’s not their power; invoking Jesus’ name does the trick! Know that heaven always triumphs over hell; God always triumphs over Satan; and good always triumphs over evil.

The Bible says that when sent on a mission, we’ll be well equipped. We’ll be given the tools, the resources and the power to make it all happen. This is God’s promise to us.

Jesus first sent the 12 and then the 72 as his advance teams. And now with the Great Commission (see Matthew 28), all believers are commanded to be the hands and feet of Jesus. Just like the 12 and the 72, we are to heal the sick, raise the dead and cast out demons. We are to make disciples of all nations, and baptize them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We are to pull souls out of the pit of hell and point them toward a heavenly path!

Just for fun, you can flip to the back of the Book and see who wins! No surprise there! Isn’t it great to play for a winning team?

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Second Coming!

May 5, 2025, Monday Message:

Luke 10:12 NLT, Jesus speaking: “I assure you, even wicked Sodom will be better off than a non-welcoming town on judgment day.”

Jesus sent out 72 disciples to prepare cities for his arrival. If a town welcomed them, his instructions were to “Heal the sick, and tell them, ‘The Kingdom of God is near you now.’” If a town rejected the disciples, they were told to “wipe even the dust of that town from your feet to show that they are abandoned to their fate. And know this—the Kingdom of God is near!”

Think about it – either way, Jesus is coming. The Kingdom of God is near! The question isn’t, is Jesus coming or not? He’s on his way! The question becomes, are you going to welcome him or reject him? This should be an easy decision. In the words of Jesus, “even wicked Sodom will be better off than a non-welcoming town on judgment day.”

When Jesus walked on earth alongside mankind, he spoke of his second coming. So he IS coming again, and the event has been on his agenda for a couple of thousand years – so far! Present-day believers are like the 72 Jesus sent out 2k years ago. We’re to tell everyone that the Kingdom of God is near, and that they need to make a decision – to welcome Jesus, or not. That’s called the Great Commission, a job assigned to all believers.

Jesus seems to delay his return, giving us more time to evangelize more people, all candidates for the Kingdom!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Workers!

For Sunday, May 4, 2025:

Luke 10:2 NLT, Jesus speaking: “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.”

Of course Jesus is speaking metaphorically. He’s not talking about harvesting crops; he’s referring to sharing the Good News, letting everyone know that the Kingdom of God is at hand. So wake up, open your eyes and witness the obvious. This “Jesus of Nazareth” is special, and you should sign up to play on his team!

There were only 12 Apostles, but this time Jesus was sending 72 of the “other” disciples into the field. So the job description for Evangelist isn’t limited to Pastors or church professionals. This task is for all believers, and serving isn’t optional! In his Great Commission, Jesus didn’t exclude anyone!

Jesus intended to visit all the cities first visited by the 72. They were kind of the advance team, piquing everyone’s interest before Jesus’ arrival. The Billy Graham organization always sends an advance team ahead of a Crusade, so they can partner with locals both before and after the big event. If Jesus did this, we should do it too!

I once worked for a church with about 3k members. On average, we’d worship 850 each week. But one day the Lead Pastor said to me, “The same 18 people do everything around here!” Jesus was right! We do need more workers! So if you’re a believer, pray to be shown your task, something you’d be good at. God endowed each of us with different gifts and talents. Where could you best serve the King of kings? And if you’re already serving, delegate something, take the new believer under your wing and make a point of including others as you do the Lord’s work. That’s what Jesus did!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Ambassadors!

April 28, 2025, Monday Message:

Mark 16, Shorter ending, NLT: “Jesus himself sent the believers out from east to west with the sacred and unfailing message of salvation that gives eternal life. Amen.”

Scholars have unearthed Gospels of Mark with different endings. Some end at 16:8, some add a short paragraph, while a few offer an additional dozen verses. Since these are consistent with other Gospel writings and reinforce redeeming principles, they deserve a look.

This shorter ending supports the Great Commission that ends Matthew 28. Jesus said we are to love our neighbors, and that includes sharing the way to heaven with them. There is only one road leading to eternity with the Father. Those of us on that road are told to include all who will come to believe. They can choose to walk with Jesus or not—their choice. But the offer includes ALL who choose to believe.

I especially like these words: “unfailing message of salvation…” Jesus prepaying the penalty of sin for believers actually happened. “It is finished!” It’s guaranteed. If your eyes are on heaven, Jesus will get you there every time. He never fails. We call this Assurance of Salvation.

Jesus commissioned believers to cover the earth with the Good News, the Gospel. Our assignments vary. Some missionaries travel internationally. That’s the mission God assigned to them. For years, I went to Lake Street. Lately, I’ve moved over to University Avenue. God will put on your heart where you are to help spread the Good News.

All believers are Jesus’ ambassadors!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Resurrected!

April 1, 2024 Monday Message:

Mark 16:6b NLT, the angel inside Jesus’ tomb speaking to the women: “You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead!”

Jesus had told his followers that death could not hold him, but rising from the dead? They’d never seen anything like that! But early that Sunday morning, the women brought spices to care for the body. They were the first to see that the stone was already rolled away, and that Jesus had gone missing! The angel told them to inform Peter, the de facto new leader of the believers, that the risen Jesus would meet them in Galilee, just as he promised.

Some ancient manuscripts end there. A few include a short ending, and more include a longer conclusion. Let’s look at that.

Mary Magdalene told the disciples, but they didn’t believe her. Jesus appeared to two followers walking in the country. They quickly returned to tell the others, but no one believed them. Later Jesus appeared to the 11 as they were eating, and rebuked them for their disbelief. He personally told them they should believe what they have seen with their own eyes! He instructed them to “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned.” This is similar to the Great Commission at the end of Matthew, where it says to make disciples of all nations, and baptize the new believers.

Uncompromising faith is commanded for us all. Jesus told believers to both have unshakable faith and to teach others about salvation through Jesus. Share the Good News! Jesus promises that the faithful will cast out demons in his name, lay hands on the sick to heal them, and experience an increased layer of protection.

Therefore the disciples went everywhere and preached, and the Lord worked through them, confirming what they said by many miraculous signs. We should all join them!

Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Cooperation!

For Friday, July 7, 2023:

Romans 1:12 NLT: “When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours.”

Paul was writing from Corinth, but his personal goal was to bring the Good News to Rome, the capital city of the Roman Empire. There were some believers already in Rome, and Paul wanted to join up with them, wanted to include them in his mission of getting the Gospel in front of Roman leadership.

Evangelism always goes better when everyone cooperates. After all, we share a common goal. Jesus’ Great Commission called all believers to take the Good News to all nations, to all people.

Example: When a Billy Graham Crusade is scheduled, they start by including local churches, often up to a year in advance. We see Baptists working with Lutherans, United Methodists working with Presbyterians, with the operative word being cooperation. The goal is to make more believers, more Christians, and not to advance any one denomination.

Your denomination has a lot in common with other Christians. It is only our differences – oftentimes small – that divide us. I pray that we could agree to disagree on our differences but work together to bring salvation to more people.

I believe that’s what Jesus would want!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

Prophesy Fulfilled!

For Wednesday, April 12, 2023:

Luke 24:46-48 NLT: Jesus said, “Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day. It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of his name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: ‘There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.’ You are witnesses of all these things.”

Jesus was reassuring the crowd that what had happened should have been expected. Scripture was being fulfilled right before their eyes! The Messiah, Jesus, had suffered, died and risen on the third day. And those who know Jesus and repent will have their sins forgiven, which is Good News since it assures us of eternity in the presence of the Father. These people were eyewitnesses!

Jesus came to the world through the Hebrew people and the Jewish religion, but his forgiveness and redemption is for all people of all nations. Therefore we are all eligible to receive salvation, the eternal life offered by God’s Son.

The people present that day were told by their Savior what to preach, where to preach it, how to preach it, and even where to begin to preach it. Think of this scripture as a precursor to the Great Commission!

Finally Jesus sends the Holy Spirit, giving the faithful supernatural power to accomplish what he has tasked!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship