Good vs Evil!

For Thursday, May 7, 2026:

Colossians 1:13-14 NLT: “For the Father has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom (with his blood) and forgave our sins.”

The Father rescued us through the Son’s actions, and the Spirit keeps us on the Holy path! We hear about “God’s vast eternal plan,” and this is part of it. The rescue of mankind was no accident. It was well planned out by God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It’s perhaps easier for us to think of them as three separate entities, but they are of one mind. Mankind was living in the darkness of Satan’s world, but Jesus showed us light. The story of Jesus’ actions is called the Gospel or Good News.

Here’s how the story develops: Humans were floundering like fish without enough water. Our lives had no goal, no purpose. Not surprisingly, very few ever made it to heaven. But the Bible says that all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory. All! How’d that happen? I can picture God saying, “What went wrong? What happened here?”

Let me explain. There is good in this world, and there is evil. God is good, and Satan and his demons are evil. Those who have bonded with Jesus belong to God. The rest are subject to constant tempting by Satan. In fact, we’re all subject to the devil’s temptations, and the result is always pain and misery. But Christians have a higher standard, something to live up to. If Christ is our model, we have his reward in our sights, which is eternal life in the Father’s Kingdom. Eternity is a long time!

Paul advised us to focus our eyes on the prize!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Creation, Condensed Version!

For Friday, March 20, 2026:

Genesis 1:31 NLT: “Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good!”

God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – created the planet Earth, made light and darkness, separated land and water, grew vegetation, put the stars, moon and sun in the sky, gave us fish and birds, next land animals, and finally male and female human beings. That all took six days, and God rested on the seventh, designating it as Holy. After each day, God declared his creation “good,” but in its entirety, following the sixth day, God declared everything to be “VERY good!”

We have been given the privilege of living in that well-designed world. At one time, it was all very good. Unfortunately, mankind has done a lot to make that not so. Sin, lust and corruption have tarnished God’s creation. Satan and his demons have done all they can to derail the project. Right now, the world we live in is a big mess!

The Good News is that God promised to fix everything! He sent his Son, our Savior Jesus to take away the sins of the world. He’ll restore the earth to be the New Earth, just the way it was originally designed. He’ll splash total forgiveness on loyal believers so they can join him in the hereafter. God’s desire is for all to repent and return. You and I can sign up for that program!

Let’s all join God’s eternal heavenly Kingdom, where there’s no sin, no sickness or disease, where people love God and love their neighbors. What God wants turns out to be a very good way for us to live! Hallelujah!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Messiah!

For Thursday, January 22, 2026:

Luke 2:28-29 NLT: “Simeon took baby Jesus in his arms and praised God, saying, ‘Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace, as you have promised.’”

It had been prophesied to Simeon that he would not die until the Lord’s Messiah had been revealed to him. And now he’s personally lifting baby Jesus in his arms! Voilà! The Messiah had arrived!

God always makes good on his promises! He promised to send a Savior, a Rescuer, a Messiah for his people. As it turns out, God’s gift was much more important than what the people were expecting. They were frustrated with Roman occupation of their land. They would have been happy just to be free of the Roman Army. God’s almighty gift was forgiveness of sins. Forgiveness opens the door to eternal life and residence in God’s forever heavenly Kingdom! BTW, there is no Roman army in God’s Kingdom! Mission accomplished and then some!

Don’t expect to understand supernatural events. Just accept the results. The Holy Spirit brought Jesus and Simeon together that day in the Temple, and Simeon identified Jesus to the world. This was only eight days into Jesus’ life. So everyone would have known right from the beginning that Jesus was heaven-sent.

His promise to forgive the sins of all who repent and return is as good today as it was 2k years ago. And God’s desire is that ALL would repent and return. His desire is that none would be lost. You can sign up for that program for free. Just acknowledge Jesus as Lord and Savior of your life and repent of past sins. Draw a line in the sand, before Jesus and after Jesus. The after Jesus side of the line will be clean and fresh. Garbage will be left on the other side of the line. It’s easy to make the right decision. The sun will be shining on Jesus’ side of the line. See you there!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

Zechariah's Prophecy!

For Friday, December 5, 2025:

Luke 1:67 NLT: “Then baby John’s father, Zechariah, was filled with the Holy Spirit and gave this prophecy.”

As Zechariah’s voice returned, he was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke prophecy concerning his newborn. This is not something he just thought up. This is God – the Holy Spirit – speaking through Zechariah.

Let’s review the high points. “The Lord has visited and redeemed his people. He has sent us a mighty Savior. God fulfilled his promise, his covenant with his people. We will be saved from our enemies and all who hate us. We will be rescued from our enemies. We can serve God without fear. And baby John will be called the prophet of the Most High, because he will prepare the way for the Lord. He will tell God’s people how to find salvation through forgiveness of their sins. God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven, is about to break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.”

Wow! Those are pretty big tasks, especially for a newborn, but history proves prophecy. We know baby John as John the Baptist, who indeed prepared the people for the ministry of Jesus. Jesus quashed Satan and his demons. Jesus personally died to redeem us. His life was the penalty for the sins of the world, now paid in full. Therefore, our relationship with Father God improved exponentially.

After Jesus, everything was different. After Jesus, everything was better, a lot better!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

Let There Be Light!

For Wednesday, August 6, 2025:

John 12:36a NLT, Jesus, warning about the end times: “Put your trust in the light while there is still time; then you will become children of the light.”

We don’t know what we don’t know. We don’t know how much time remains in our world, because we don’t know the total amount of time left on God’s countdown clock. Jesus said that only the Father knows! Therefore, we must be perpetually prepared to transition into the next reality.

God created mankind with a brain and the freedom to make our own choices.
The Bible frequently speaks of good as being in the light, whereas evil lives in darkness. Jesus is counseling those assembled to trust in the light. Hang out with the good guys. Stay far away from trouble. John’s Gospel tells us that the one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, came into our world. And to all who believe in him and accept him, he gave the right to become children of God.

Believers get to live in the light with assurance of salvation. Those living in darkness have no idea where they’re headed!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Let Your Light Shine!

For Sunday, May 25, 2025:

Luke 11:33 NLT, Jesus speaking: “No one lights a lamp and then hides it or puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where its light can be seen by all who enter the house.”

I don’t just want to SEE the light – I want to ENJOY the light! I want it to light up the world around me so that I can see everything! Let’s be honest. We don’t turn on a lamp to see light. We turn on the lamp because we need to see something else. I want to read my book. I want to eat my food. I don’t want to trip on the rug. Turn on the light!

Light is a great analogy for goodness. Jesus is my light, showing me the way. If I am the light, I can shine before my friends to show them the way. If my friends become light, we can share a brightly lit worship experience!

In the Bible, light is often associated with goodness, and darkness with evil. Light always wins. If light intrudes on darkness, it all becomes light. If darkness tries to encroach on light, it too will become light.

So let your light shine before the world, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven! (Matt. 5:16)

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Walk in the Light!

For Tuesday, April 15, 2025:

John 12:36 NLT, Jesus speaking: “Put your trust in the light while there is still time; then you will become children of the light.”

Jesus, God and heavenly things are light. Satan, demons and all evil are darkness. Addressing the crowd, Jesus shows that he still has a sense of humor, stating the obvious in a “duh” moment: “Those who walk in the darkness cannot see where they are going!”

Ever the evangelist, Jesus is recruiting for his team until the end. For him, sharing the Good News is a 24/7 task. That job has been reassigned to today’s believers. We’re to make disciples of all nations. Jesus has delayed his return so we can add to our number. He wants to give everyone the chance to have an abundant life after this life!

The Apostle John, arguably Jesus’ best friend, said it best: “To all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God,” daughters and sons of the Most High! We’ve been adopted into the Holy Family!

Walk in the light!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Knowledge!

 

For Saturday, November 23, 2024:

1 Thessalonians 5:8 NLT: “Let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation.”

 "Light” in the Bible signifies purity, cleanliness and things that are holy, things that are good, things that are of God. “Darkness,” on the other hand, represents bad things filled with evil, ideas perpetrated by Satan. It’s easy to tell the difference!

This scripture teaches us that those living in the light also have knowledge and confidence. For example, if the second coming was to begin today, a lot of earthly people would be confused by the strange goings-on. Many would be afraid. But believers know what to expect. Believers could witness the end-times events and know exactly what was happening. Jesus told us what to expect, and he’s never wrong! Graves will open and we’ll meet Jesus in the sky. His ultimate goal is to take us back home and live eternally in God’s presence. So no matter how strange things may appear, believers have confidence that everything will be OK.

Everything will be all right in the end; if everything is not all right, it’s not the end!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Hope!

For Wednesday, August 14, 2024:

Matthew 4:15-16 NLT: “In the land of Zebulun and of Naphtali, beside the sea, beyond the Jordan River, in Galilee where so many Gentiles live, the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light. And for those who lived in the land where death casts its shadow, a light has shined.”

This scripture falls under the category of TMI, “Too Much Information,” too confusing. Let’s just call the region, “Gentile Land,” a place where people have no knowledge of our Creator God. Into that dark land, a light will shine: Jesus of Nazareth, Son of God. Remember that Jesus came to earth through the Jewish people, but he came to redeem ALL people, including these Gentiles.

When a light shines into darkness, the area always becomes more light. Darkness cannot extinguish light. Light always wins!

In a way, our cities and our neighborhoods are areas of darkness where death casts a shadow. Since believers are the hands and feet of Jesus, we should now be shining his light into that darkness. Our church should be the light on the hill, shining hope for everyone to see!

If people need hope, we should be shouting, “Come and get it!”

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Salt & Light!

August 5, 2024 Monday Message:

Matthew 5:13a, 14a NLT, Jesus speaking: “You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world.”

Think about your purpose. As Jesus wrapped up the sermon on the mount, he told his listeners, “You are the salt of the earth.” Our ancestors discovered thousands of years ago that sprinkling a little salt on supper made it more tasty. Salt made it better. Like salt, followers of Jesus should make life on earth a little better. Jesus wants us to be kind and helpful. We are to love God and love our neighbors. We are to look for the next right thing, and then do it! Believers should be like salt, making everything better!

Jesus also called us the ‘light of the world.’ Remember that Jesus also referred to himself as the ‘light of the world.’ Therefore we are his ambassadors, sharing the Gospel of forgiveness, the Good News, with all who will listen. Forgiveness via Jesus makes eternal life achievable!

Unfortunately, there is much darkness in our world. But as believers, we are called to shine the light of optimism into our own little corner of the world.

(v16) “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Father God!

For Wednesday, May 22, 2024:

Ephesians 5:20 NLT: “Give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Paul is encouraging believers to live in the light where everything is visible. His analogy is also practical. Light is good; darkness might not be so good! Activities of which you can be proud are displayed in the light for everyone to see! Iffy, questionable activities take place in the dark where illicit acts can be easily hidden.

God will give us provision to ensure our survival. We will have everything we need, not everything we want! We are to pray to God the Father in the name of his Son Jesus. I always begin public prayers with “Father God,” and end with “In Jesus’ name we pray.” But if you’re in a hurry or frustrated and mistakenly pray directly to Jesus, God is smart enough to figure it out! It’s hard to pray incorrectly!

Our triune God created everything. Thankfully He shares with us. Our planet stays alive because the sun keeps shining and the earth keeps spinning. God provides us with necessities we don’t even know we need!

God is good!

Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Have you seen the light?

For Saturday, April 6, 2024:

Colossians 1:13-14 NLT, to the church in Colosse: “For God has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom with his blood and forgave our sins.”

Have you ever been the recipient of a huge gift, an incredible favor, something you didn’t see coming? Before Jesus, even so-called religious people were actually living in darkness. Most were unaware of their condition. They simply lived day-to-day, unaware of God’s purpose for mankind, and that scenario wasn’t good enough for our Creator!

Therefore God initiated mankind’s rescue by sending Jesus to earth, to pay the penalty for our sins with his blood and give us a fresh start. Believers have joined the Holy Family as children of God! I’ll bet no one saw that coming!

Spurgeon writes, “We still are tempted by Satan, but we are no longer under his power; we have to fight with him, but we are not his slaves. He is not our king; he has no rights over us; we do not obey him; we will not listen to his temptations.”

God has moved us from darkness to a life filled with light! He sent his Son to brighten our days!

Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Prince of Peace!

For Friday, March 15, 2024:

Isaiah 9:6 NLT, speaking as a prophet of the Lord: “For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor (or Wonderful, Counselor), Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

Isaiah isn’t all gloom and doom. He speaks of the Lord enlarging the nation of Israel, and its people celebrating, full of joy, like at harvest time. God will bring the Israelites out of slavery and lift burdens from them. The Lord will cause other nation’s aggression to cease.

Verse 5 is one of my favorites: “The boots of the warrior and the uniforms bloodstained by war will all be burned. They will be fuel for the fire.” In other words, wars will end; violence will cease. People will no longer have to live in perpetual fear.

I pray that wars could end. If Russia would just go home, Ukraine could start rebuilding! If Hamas would release the hostages, Israel would lose motivation to continue the fighting. Israel wants to eliminate Hamas, who attacked Israel, killed over 1,100, wounded another 3,400, and captured about 240 hostages, with 130 individuals still being held prisoner. Most Palestinians don’t like Hamas either. Hamas is the reason Israel attacked Gaza resulting in the death of over 31,000, mostly innocent civilians. The rest of the world has condemned all the fighting and killing.

Jesus arrived to shine a light into a dark world. The Bible says that in the end, governments will bow down to Jesus, not the other way around! “Everlasting Father” describes Jesus. The Good News is that he is eternal! He’s also the “Prince of Peace,” Prince of a joyful world!

We should all put our faith, hope and trust in the Prince of Peace!

Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Let Your Light Shine!

 January 8, 2024 Monday Message:

Mark 4:21 NLT: “Jesus asked his followers, ‘Would anyone light a lamp and then put it under a basket or under a bed? Of course not! A lamp is placed on a stand, where its light will shine.’”

In my opinion, Jesus was asking a rhetorical question, one that does not require an answer. Or it could be that the answer is so obvious that everybody already knows. You light a lamp so that you can see in stuff in the dark. Only a fool would light a lamp and then hide it under a basket! The KJV calls it a “bushel.” Baskets into which field workers gathered crops held a “bushel,” meaning eight gallons, often referred to as a ‘bushel basket,’ or simply a ‘bushel.’ Now let’s all sing a chorus of, “This little light of mine…” “Hide it under a bushel?” “NO!” “I’m gonna let it shine…” for Jesus!

Let’s move on. Have you ever read a Bible passage and thought you understood the whole thing; then re-read it later, and discovered a whole new, much deeper meaning? Friends, the scripture didn’t change! But our minds were supernaturally opened to deeper understanding. Jesus said that “The closer you listen, the more understanding you will be given. And you will then receive even more! That’s why I go for total immersion in the Jesus water. We want to be “all in” for the King!

  "To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them.” So listen to Jesus’ teaching; pay attention!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship