Pentecost!

For Pentecost Sunday, May 24, 2026:

Acts 2:47b NLT: “Each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.”

Today we celebrate Pentecost. Counting Easter as day 1, Pentecost is the 50^th day, hence the “pente” prefix. A great many people were visiting Jerusalem to celebrate Shavuot, thanking God for the harvest or anticipated harvest, among other things.

The believers were all together in one place, praying. In a visible way, the fire of the Holy Spirit descended on the group, preparing them for what was to come next. God made a sound like a mighty wind, which caused the curious to venture out to see what was happening. The Bible doesn’t say there was wind – just the sound!

With everyone now on the street, Peter got up on his soapbox and started preaching the Gospel, saying the same things that got Jesus crucified! Since the crucifixion was over 50 days in the past, I’ll venture a guess that a lot of the attendees had had time to rethink what had transpired. Peter walked them through all of Jesus’ miracles, his teaching, and his authority over life and death itself! He called Christ the heaven-sent Messiah, and this time the multitude was convinced. “Brothers, what should we dot”

Peter replied, “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.” There were healing pools nearby, so everyone headed in that direction, and the baptisms began! Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day—about 3,000 in all.

It’s good for a church to recruit 3K new members, but assimilating that many could present a problem. But members of “The Way” didn’t mind and gave their all to welcome the newbies. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity—all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people.

And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Love Your Neighbor!

For Wednesday, May 6, 2026:

John 15:12 NLT, Jesus speaking: “This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you.”

Life was not easy 2K years ago. If you wanted to eat, you had to grow food. If you wanted meat, you or someone you knew well needed to butcher an animal, no small task. You could perhaps barter for food by trading your skill, but there was no Cub, Rainbow, Hy-Vee or Aldi. Consequently, the standard modus operandi was to selfishly look out for #1. (or #1’s family.) Daily living became competitive!

When Jesus was asked about the greatest commandment, he answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.” He continued, “The second is like the first: Love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus was setting forth a new paradigm for how to live one’s life. He was teaching mankind to be less competitive in daily living.

Be nice. Be kind, be helpful. Share what you have with others who don’t have anything. Do the next right thing. These commands all fit with Jesus’ goal.

You can see it play out after the Pentecost celebration following Jesus’ ascension. On Pentecost, thousands pilgrimaged to Jerusalem for the celebration. Simon Peter got up on his soap box and said essentially the same things that got Jesus killed. This time, the crowd listened and asked, “What should we do?”

Peter replied, “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.” 3,000 new believers were added to their group that day. Wow! Imagine 3K new members all showing up at your church on the same day! That’s a big problem, but a good problem to have! These newbies didn’t have any place to live, didn’t have more than a day’s food, and didn’t have jobs in Jerusalem. Yeah, big problem. Let’s see how it played out.

Acts 2 concludes, “All the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity — all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.”

Jesus wants us to love our neighbors. It worked out on the first Pentecost, and it can still work out today. Decide today to live Jesus’ way!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Sacrificial Giving!

For Wednesday, July 23, 2025:

Mark 12:44 NLT, Jesus speaking: “Most gave a tiny part of their surplus, but this widow, poor as she is, has given everything she had to live on.”

How much should we donate to our home church? The Old Testament teaches that the first 10% of everything already belongs to the Lord. That’s a good starting point.

The New Testament teaches us about sacrificial giving. People sold their land or their animals and donated the proceeds to the church. On the Day of Pentecost, 3,000 new believers came on board. Most were from out of town and would require food and housing right from the start. The first church, The Way, took care of them. Jesus and many others taught that the Kingdom was at hand; heaven was quite close. And those living in God’s Kingdom would have no need for worldly assets.

So what does God want? Many Christians are blessed with abundance, enabling them to help others. God wants each of us to be successful. Prospective Christians should be able to look at the flock and say, “They’re doin’ OK. They’re having fun. Life for them seems to be good. I want to become part of it!”

It’s good to save for when you can no longer work, and it’s good to have a rainy day fund. But it’s bad to hoard money, to become a miser. A delicate balance is required. It would be easy to prioritize money over God, and that would be wrong.

My advice is to pray about the matter, and then follow through with what God puts on your conscience!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Acts 2 Church!

For Sunday, June 8, 2025:

Acts 2:42 NLT: “All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.”

Christians always seemed to be at odds with the world, so they stuck together. Caesar claimed to be god, and he didn’t like the competition. Pharisees didn’t appreciate this new splinter-group draining their power and resources. Jesus never succumbed to the world, so being on the “outs” seemed normal to the disciples. Therefore, the Christians hung out with each other, forming their own community within Jerusalem. They prayed together, worshiped together and took meals together. Remembering Jesus, they celebrated the Lord’s Supper.

Q: How many people are coming to dinner? A: 3,000 more than yesterday! It’s a good thing that supper wasn’t in the church basement! Many of these new believers were from out-of-town. They didn’t have jobs in Jerusalem or places to live. This proved to be a test of Jesus’ new command, to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. Property and possessions were sold, with the proceeds donated to those in need. The church thrived!

Never forget that the Holy Spirit moved within this group. That’s what made it work! The apostles performed many signs and wonders, healings and miracles. The Holy Spirit had fueled the “Repent and Return Revival,” kicking off the entire Pentecost scenario!

"And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.” In other words, adding 3k believers that first day was just the beginning. Today, there are 2.4B people worldwide who identify with Christianity, about one-third of the world. That number is increasing, but we still have work to do.

Count yourself blessed if your church mirrors the Acts 2 church. Your new members may not look like you or speak your language. That’s OK. Worship together, take meals together and love one another. Be kind, be helpful, be generous and do the next right thing. That’s what Jesus would do!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

PS: Jesus called the Samaritan “good,” even though he was a Samaritan!

Switch Sides!

For Saturday, June 7, 2025:

Acts 2:41 NLT: “Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day—about 3,000 in all.”

When good things occur that defy logic and common sense, I credit God. It could be the Holy Spirit or Angels, but ultimately, God is behind the scenario.

50 days ago, a similar crowd of Jews was shouting, “Crucify him!” Maybe they had time to think about what had transpired. Perhaps Peter’s speech, making a case for Christ, touched their hearts. Or did God simply open their minds to see the truth?

HOW it happened doesn’t matter nearly as much as WHAT happened. Remarkably, 3k people decided to switch sides. Previously, they were at odds with Jesus and his disciples. But now they’re friendly, seeking advice: “Brothers, what should we do?”

Repent and return to the Lord is the answer. Be baptized and receive the Holy Spirit. Abandon the self-serving Pharisees, and sign on with ‘The Way,’ the group following the teaching of Jesus. People of The Way love their neighbors and will welcome newcomers with open arms!

Friends, this is serious business. Making a decision to follow Jesus is life-changing. Nothing will be the same, and most likely will be better. With Jesus setting your agenda, new doors will open and new opportunities will arise. So get out of the driver’s seat, and give Jesus a turn! I predict that you’ll like the result!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Peter's Pentecost Speech!

For Thursday, June 5, 2025:

Acts 2:14, 16 NLT: “Peter stepped forward with the eleven other apostles and shouted to the crowd, ‘Listen carefully, all of you, fellow Jews and residents of Jerusalem! Make no mistake about this. What you see was predicted long ago by the prophet Joel.’”

God made the ‘roaring wind’ sound on the Day of Pentecost, drawing a large, curious crowd. God had tapped Peter on the shoulder to be the spokesperson for the believers. Never one to appear shy, Peter spoke in a loud voice, as if everyone had come just to hear him! He explained that, like so many things in the Bible, that day’s activities were a fulfillment of scripture. The Holy Spirit was in motion. The end result would be a mass ‘repent and return.’ Joel’s prophecy concludes, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

The audience was Jews who were familiar with God, scriptures and religion in general, so Peter’s words came as no surprise. And by now, everyone in Israel had heard about Jesus. Peter connected the dots for them: “God publicly endorsed Jesus the Nazarene by doing powerful miracles, wonders, and signs through him, as you well know.” No surprises. No new information. Just an acknowledgement of what had been going on around them. Yes, Jesus was heaven-sent! Everyone should have concluded as much had they taken the time to think things through. “God released Jesus from the horrors of death and raised him back to life, for death could not keep him in its grip.” How’s that for a God-sized miracle?

Peter continues to make his case for Christ, saying many of the same things that led to Jesus’ crucifixion. But by this time, the Holy Spirit had opened minds. Foregone opinions were cast aside in favor of using brainpower and thinking things through. Peter’s message concludes, “Let everyone in Israel know for certain that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, to be both Lord and Messiah!”

His words touched their hearts, and the listeners asked, “Brothers, what should we do?”

Take a moment and put yourself in Peter’s shoes. If you had been the featured speaker that day, how would you answer their question? All believers are supposed to share the Good News, the Gospel about Jesus. Jesus commanded us to make disciples of all nations. If their hearts are touched and they’re ready to sign up, what should the next step be? We all need to know the best answer, the correct answer!

May the Lord’s blessings go with you today as you fulfill God’s purpose for your life!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Pentecost – God's Day!

For Wednesday, June 4, 2025:

Acts 2:6 NLT: “When they heard the loud noise, everyone came running, and they were bewildered to hear their own languages being spoken by the believers.”

On the Day of Pentecost, God created a loud sound like a roaring wind. The Jewish visitors who had pilgrimaged to Jerusalem to celebrate Pentecost were a curious lot, and had to check it out. They were met by believers, most of whom were from Galilee. The visitors were amazed and confused to hear the believers speaking their own languages! At least that was their perception.

Logic tells me that the disciples, many of whom were simple fishermen, didn’t instantly learn new languages. Besides, the visitors were from all over Asia Minor. How many languages could one person muster? The truth is that this was a God thing. It’s as if God filled the air with a universal translator, giving each visitor the ability to understand what was being said. Simon Peter only spoke one language, but he was working with the Holy Spirit. That’s the big difference!

Speaking of Simon Peter, he was the one who denied Jesus three times on the night before the crucifixion. That was to save his own skin. But believe it or not, that too was a God thing. God had preselected Peter to lead the believers after Jesus’ ascension. God needed Peter alive and well to fulfill Peter’s calling in God’s vast eternal plan!

It was speech-making day for Peter, but he had nothing new to share. He would reiterate what Jesus and John-the-Baptist had said: “Repent and return to the Lord, for the Kingdom of God is at hand.” Many in the audience had shouted, “Crucify him,” on Good Friday. But now they’re having second thoughts about what had happened. God had opened their minds to see the truth. It was time for a mass moment of “repent and return!”

What an exciting day to be on the “Jesus Team!” We need another Pentecost in our country and in our world. Sooner rather than later should be our preference!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Pentecost!

June 2, 2025, Monday Message:

Acts 2:1 NLT: “On the day of Pentecost, all the believers were meeting together in one place.”

The Jewish Pentecost, 50 days after Passover or Pesach, celebrated the upcoming harvest. Also known as the Festival of Weeks, it occurred seven weeks after Passover. Most Christian churches celebrate Pentecost this coming Sunday, so let’s have a look!

The first Christian Community, known as The Way, were a tight-knit bunch. They had all been eyewitnesses to the many healings and other miracles performed by Jesus. They had watched him die on the cross, and yet rise from the grave three days later. Their eyes did not lie; they were 100% committed to the fact that Jesus was God’s Heaven-sent Son.

Opposing The Way were the Roman government and Jewish leadership. Caesar claimed to be god and didn’t like any competition. He taxed all who lived there. The Temple priests and Pharisees led religious matters in the region, and they intended to keep that power. Tithes were brought to the Temple or a local Synagogue, and those leaders didn’t like the idea of tithes going anywhere else. In both cases, it was all about power and money!

So believers met privately in secret places that only they knew. They lived in fear of both opposing groups. This “togetherness” gave them fellowship and a sense of community and safety. When God decided it was time to make his move, he found the believers all together in one place, their minds on the same page, all willing to pull in the same direction. This seemingly residual team would be the start of something big – the birthday of the church! What an exciting day! Don’t you wish you could have been there?

Each of us can help with church growth nowadays. Just invite someone to come to church with you. Offer to pick them up! That’s what Jesus said we should do!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Holy Spirit!

For Saturday, April 26, 2025:

Luke 24:49 NLT, Jesus speaking: “Now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.”

Christians believe in one God, known to us in three forms: Our Father God in Heaven, Jesus Son-of-God who walked on earth alongside mankind, and the Holy Spirit. We know the least about the Holy Spirit, which I believe is why we sometimes overlook the available help. But since there is only one God, it makes little difference which form we’re interacting with. Jesus told believers, “I will never leave you or forsake you.” That’s why, in the absence of Jesus, we have been given the Holy Spirit.

Jesus sent his disciples, two by two, to share the Good News with the Israelites. They were commissioned to heal the sick, raise the dead, cast out demons and encourage everyone to repent and return. Christians are the newly commissioned, sent to share Jesus with the world.

The Holy Spirit has always existed. When the earth was created, Genesis tells us, “The Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.” The Holy Spirit made a big entrance on the day of Pentecost, enabling people from many different lands to understand Peter’s preaching. 3K were baptized and added to ‘The Way’ that day, like church growth on steroids!

So remember that there’s always help and power available. The Holy Spirit was sent to make things go better, so we shouldn’t forget to call on Him. We can always count on Him. He is, after all, God!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

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

Celebrate!

For Tuesday, October 31, 2023:

Exodus 34:22 NLT, God speaking: “You must celebrate the Festival of Harvest with the first crop of the wheat harvest, and celebrate the Festival of the Final Harvest at the end of the harvest season.”

God is good to us. Each year crops grow and we get to reap the harvest. We then have provision for the winter. With gratitude, we should celebrate God’s goodness. Throw a party! It’s called Pentecost, the festival of weeks, 50 days after Easter Sunday.

Most countries have some sort of autumn harvest festival. In the US, Halloween serves that purpose, followed on Nov. 1 by All Saints’ Day when we honor believers who have gone before us. We should leave out the ghosts, goblins and witches, pagan beliefs that somehow crept into our festival.

In Mexico, they celebrate Day of the Dead, or Día de los Muertos. It’s a celebration, a fun festival honoring the dead without the spooky parts. Pan de muerto, a sweet bread and tamales are on the menu. I’m “IN!”

Should Christians celebrate Halloween? Maybe, emphasis on the ‘good’ parts: God and the saints who have gone before us.

Don’t let Satan hijack our holiday!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship