Conspiracy Theory!

For Thursday, May 21, 2026:

John 15:18 NLT, Jesus speaking: “If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first.”

That scripture tells us that the world somehow got turned around, 180º from where it should have been. After all, Jesus was always kind, nice and helpful. He would give of his own time to heal anyone who needed healing, and there seemed to be no end to this gift of healing. Every word he spoke was the truth, and he was religious, teaching from both the Prophets and Torah. What’s not to like about this guy?

Those against Jesus were cursed with greed and the desire for power. Although Rome ruled the country, the citizens were allowed to practice their ancestors’ religion, as long as they didn’t disrupt the Roman government. No riots, no rallies, no protests. Just follow your ethnic religion – quietly!

This left the Pharisees at the top of the pecking order. They were the ones trying to maintain power and resources. If worshipers went with this radical Jesus cult, they were NOT at the Temple! Furthermore, they probably took their tithes with them! So both influence and shekels going to Jesus threatened the Pharisees’ way of life. Jesus, you understand, was just doing what pleased his Father. But Pharisees initiated a conspiracy to have Jesus killed, to take him out permanently. He was that much of a threat to them that they would violate their own religious commandments!

Hatred for Jesus started as a conspiracy by the Pharisees. Israelites were accustomed to looking up to Pharisees for direction and advice. They were the religious leaders to be followed. When Pharisees spoke ill of Jesus, there was an implied obligation that people should follow their thinking. They convinced the surrounding world to hate the Messiah, which is unfortunate. The crowds changed their mantra from “Hosanna,” save us now, to, “Crucify him!, in less than a week.

I’ve said before that I believe Christianity should have been Judaism, the next chapter. It should have been a continuation of the life believers already knew, following God-the-Creator, God who brought them out of Egypt, God who delivered them to the Promised Land, and now God who sent them the Messiah as a redeemer for the sins of the world. Like Paul Harvey would have said, “The r-r-rest of the story!”

We’re presently living in the rest of the story. Jesus was here for us and promised that he’ll be back. Should we die first, he promised to prepare a place for us in his Father’s eternal heavenly Kingdom! Secure your spot today! All it takes is faith!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Prejudice!

May 4, 2026, Monday Message:

Luke 4:22 NLT: “Everyone spoke well of Jesus and was amazed by the gracious words that came from his lips. ‘How can this be?’ they asked. ‘Isn’t this Joseph’s son?’”

Prejudice. It’s a practical word that has taken on a bad connotation. Nowadays, when we think of prejudice, we think of people from one country disliking those of another, simply because they’re from that other country. Racial prejudice is hate based only on skin color. And a number of people always seem to hate the Jews, but I’m never quite sure why.

Prejudice simply means “to pre-judge.” Prejudice could be based on logical assumptions, and not necessarily hateful in nature. In human terms, Jesus was the son of Joseph, so everyone assumed that Jesus would have learned from his father, who was a tektōn, a builder or craftsman. Given the lack of trees in the region and the amount of stone available, it’s more likely that Joseph was a stone mason rather than a carpenter.

But the people are amazed when Jesus reads scripture and speaks in the Synagogue. They hadn’t seen this coming! If he could artfully cut stone, that would have fit their prejudice. But to discover that Jesus could not only read scripture, truly understand scripture, and clearly explain it to others didn’t fit their pre-judged model. Jesus’ gracious words were contrary to what was normal for the time, looking out only for oneself. Again, it wasn’t what they expected.

Jesus is setting the stage for what bystanders around him should expect to see in the future. Friends, prepare yourselves. Expect the unexpected. Watch for problems to be supernaturally resolved. Miracles will be brought to fruition right before your eyes. You can watch it all happen, and wonder, “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” Don’t allow your prejudice to overturn what your eyes can see!

Pastor Norton Lawellin
Jesus In the City Fellowship
The Father’s House
Truth and Freedom Church

Sabbath!

 For Sunday, April 26, 2026:

Luke 4:16 NLT: “When Jesus came to the village of Nazareth, his boyhood home, he went as usual to the synagogue on the Sabbath and stood up to read the Scriptures.”

 Looking at that text, we already know about Jesus, we know about Nazareth, we know about synagogues and the Sabbath. What strikes me as the teachable moment are the words, “as usual.” It was normal and customary to attend a religious gathering, to praise God and worship him on the Sabbath. It would have been far more unusual to NOT attend!

 I know a pastor whose son asked on Sunday morning, “Dad, do we have to go to church today?”

Dad: “That‘s about the dumbest question I’ve ever heard! We don’t HAVE to go to church; we WANT to go to church!”

 Church is where we meet our best friends, like-minded individuals. Church is our community, our fellowship. But most of all, we gather to praise the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, giving thanks for our creation and rescue from sin. We worship God as the head of everything. We’re thankful for the offer of life after this life, and for God honoring us with the offer of eternity in his Kingdom. We get to hear scripture from the Bible to inspire us to face another week!

 Church is a good, safe place to invite others. Bring your new friends. Help make disciples of all nations!

Pastor Norton Lawellin
Jesus In the City Fellowship
The Father’s House
Truth and Freedom Church

Temptations!

For Wednesday, April 15, 2026:

Luke 4:1b-2a NLT: “Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where he was tempted by the devil for forty days.”

This was a major event in Jesus’ life. He must have talked about it, retold the story many times. He had not yet called the 12, and yet they write about it.

It’s the classic battle between good and evil. Satan’s goal is to derail anything God is for. Truth and honesty are prime targets. Lust and greed are high on Satan’s list. He offers authority and influence, worthless because Jesus already has those traits. In the end, Jesus refuses each of Satan’s offers, countering with scripture: “You shall not tempt the Lord your God.”

Satan should have just given up. Was God’s Son ever going to oppose his Father? I think not! And yet Satan has to try. It’s in his job description! Jesus refuses Satan’s offers, and that fits his job description. Our job as Christians is to do what Jesus did. Be nice, be kind, love our neighbors, and most of all love the Lord and all that he stands for!

Many temptations will confront us in this life, and our job is to reject Satan and side with Jesus. He was heaven-sent to deal with mankind’s sin issues. He carried away our sins, leaving believers unblemished, spotless in God’s eyes, and eligible for residence in God’s eternal heavenly Kingdom!

Keep your eyes on the prize!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

Prophecy Fulfilled!

For Wednesday, April 8, 2026:

Luke 24:13 NLT: “The same day as the resurrection, two of Jesus’ followers were walking to the village of Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem.”

The story of Resurrection Day wouldn’t be complete without a look at the walk to Emmaus. The two men were believers, and had traveled to Jerusalem for Passover. But the crucifixion put a damper on things, and the two decided to return home.

Their walk began as the women discovered the tomb open, and the body of Jesus missing. Where was he? Suddenly a third man began walking alongside the first two, and they struck up a conversation. The newcomer asked, “What are you discussing so intently as you walk along?”

The first two looked sad. “You must be the only person in Jerusalem who hasn’t heard about what happened the last few days; bad things that happened to Jesus of Nazareth.” Somehow, they didn’t recognize Jesus. “He was a prophet who did powerful miracles, and he was a mighty teacher in the eyes of God and all the people. But our leading priests and other religious leaders handed him over to be condemned to death, and they crucified him. We had hoped he was the Messiah who had come to rescue Israel. This all happened three days ago.”

Jesus responds by explaining scripture: “Wasn’t it clearly predicted that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering his glory?” Then Jesus took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from the Scriptures the things concerning himself.”

Arriving in Emmaus, it was getting late, and the two invited Jesus to stay the night with them. He agreed. As they sat down to dinner, Jesus blessed the bread, broke it, and... Voilà! Their eyes were opened and they recognized Jesus, who immediately disappeared from sight!

The two did a 180º and headed back to Jerusalem. They felt compelled to share this Good News with the remaining 11 apostles. Jesus is alive! He can walk and talk! He has risen from the dead, just as he said he would!

To Jesus and those who love him, death is not the end!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

God's Top 10!

For Tuesday, February 17, 2026:

Romans 7:1 NLT: “Now, dear brothers and sisters—you who are familiar with the law—don’t you know that the law applies only while a person is living?”

God gave us laws, sometimes called commandments. They are not optional. God’s laws define sin, and help us get along with God and with one another. Laws are for the living. There may be other laws when we reach the next reality of heaven. We’ll find out on a need-to-know basis.

There are 613 commandments in scripture, things God said we should do. Some are to honor God, while others keep us safe and healthy. Some help us interact with others. A few laws were given from the start, from creation. Others were added along the way. Moses received the 10 Commandments on Mt. Sinai as the Jews were relocating from Egypt to the Promised Land. Most Christians only know about God’s Top 10! It’s not a bad start!

A lot of what we call commandments are really common sense nowadays. If we’d stop and think a situation through to it’s logical conclusion, we’d already know the best way to proceed. The New Covenant gave mankind a conscience, so that we’d instinctively know right from wrong. God’s laws are written on our hearts so we can’t forget or lose them. We advise people to “do the next right thing.” You should already know what it is!

If you’re alive, you’re living under God’s laws. As we counsel others to follow Jesus, they too need to know about God’s laws. Once everyone understands that the words in the Bible are God-inspired and are the true, obeying His commandments will make a lot of sense!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

Walk to Emmaus!

For Wednesday, February 4, 2026:

Mark 16:12-13 NLT: “Jesus appeared in a different form to two of his followers who were walking from Jerusalem into the country. They rushed back to tell the others, but no one believed them.”

This would be the walk to Emmaus. It’s another example of a Jesus sighting following the crucifixion. As I said yesterday, these two followers saw Jesus, #1 die on a cross, #2 be pierced with a spear, and finally, #3 laid in a grave. So the last thing they’d expect to see would be Jesus walking alongside them. It’s not surprising that they didn’t recognize him. They never figured on ever seeing him again!

Jesus pretended to not know the recent happenings in Jerusalem, so the two travelers got him up to speed. Our religious mentor had been captured, beaten, endured a kangaroo court and a mock trial, and eventually was crucified and died. This happened just three days ago. How can you not have heard? We had hoped he was the Messiah who had come to rescue Israel!

Then Jesus said to them, “You foolish people! You find it so hard to believe all that the prophets wrote in the Scriptures. Wasn’t it clearly predicted that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering his glory?” Then Jesus took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from Scripture the things concerning himself.

Imagine the surprise, these two men suddenly realizing that they were walking in the company of the Son of God! They had given up on Jerusalem and were headed home when their eyes were opened to the resurrection, the possibility of life after this life!

That’s the same battle we fight nowadays. Since we’ve never seen anyone from the hereafter, it’s hard for some people to believe that there IS a hereafter. That’s where Jesus went to prepare a place for believers. We’re to share that Good News as we make disciples of all nations. There will be room for all who believe!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

Emmaus!

For Saturday, January 3, 2025:

Luke 24:13 NLT: “That same day, (Jesus’ resurrection day,) two of Jesus’ followers were walking to the village of Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem.”

The crucifixion and resurrection were not the end! The risen Jesus now seems to have traits of the Father himself: omnipresence and omnipotence. He could appear at any place at any time and had life-changing power.

(My 2¢...) I believe Jesus was fun to be around. He was often the first invited to a dinner or party. His life always had purpose, but he’d find a fun way to accomplish his goals. He wasn’t against pranking someone, and when the day ended, they’d all have a good laugh!

On resurrection day, our two men were traveling from Jerusalem to Emmaus, a short day’s walk. These believers were returning home after witnessing a brutal crucifixion and the death of their spiritual mentor, when a third person suddenly joined them. The discussion turned to recent events in Jerusalem, specifically the crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth. That third traveler pretended that he hadn’t heard about those events, and the first two quickly got him up to speed. “We had hoped he was the Messiah who had come to rescue Israel. This all happened three days ago.” In their minds, it was over. Jesus was gone forever.

But now the third man had to set the record straight via the scriptures. “Wasn’t it clearly predicted that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering his glory?” He took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining the things concerning recent events.

Darkness was about to fall, and the two encouraged their new friend to stay the night. As they sat for dinner, their guest took the bread, blessed it, and gave some to each person. And voilà, their eyes were opened! That’s when Jesus disappeared from view. Turns out they had been walking alongside Jesus himself! Turns out Jesus was in their house, sitting right at their table! What an honor!

I’ll bet that Jesus left with a hearty laugh and a twinkle in his eye, having further educated these believers with a heavenly prank!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Decision!

Daily message of hope...
For Friday, August 1, 2025:

Luke 16:28 NLT, The Rich Man’s dialog as Jesus concludes the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus: “I have five brothers, and I want Abraham to warn them so they don’t end up in this place of torment.”

Every person living in every nation will get their chance to hear the Good News of the saving grace of Jesus. They will learn about repenting and returning. Everyone will learn about getting a second chance, a time to straighten out their relationship with God Almighty. So what about these additional brothers in Jesus’ parable?

They were told about God, His Kingdom and a life after this life by Moses and the other prophets. Jesus, the Messiah, was prophesied long before he arrived. They should have had all the information needed to make a decision.

In fact they had not decided in favor of Jesus, and those who are not for Jesus are against him. Jesus is saying, “You had your chance, but you turned me down! Don’t keep asking for more chances! You’ll probably just turn me down again!”

Which is why, when offered an opportunity to follow Jesus, our answer should be a prompt, “Yes, Lord!” A positive decision is what God wants. No straddling the fence. We need to pick one way or the other. Wishy-washy is the same as saying ‘no.’

Billy Graham used to have a daily radio show called “Decision Today.” I always liked that name, because TODAY is the best time to settle the question of your eternal destination!

Pastor Norton Lawellin
Jesus In the City Fellowship

Eternal Life!

For Saturday, May 10, 2025:

Luke 10:25 NLT, Religious expert questioning Jesus: “Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?”

That’s a good question, one that we should all have, and this man was knowledgeable in religious matters! So Jesus turned the question back to the alleged expert. “What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?”

The man answered from Old Testament scriptures: “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

"Right!” Jesus told him. “Do this and you will live!”

Loving the Lord is the easier part of that command. He is, after all, God! God, the creator of everything, can easily occupy the top spot in our devotions. God is unchanging, predictable and repeatable, the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. With God, you know what you’re going to get!

But loving your neighbor involves unpredictability. We can show kindness to our neighbors, but we can’t always anticipate their response. Some people can be jerks, and that’s their problem, not ours. Jesus wants his followers to take the high road, always being nice, friendly and helpful, regardless of the other person’s response. Christians can proudly hold our heads up knowing we did the right thing for the right reasons. If we’re OK with what happened and God’s OK with it, we should care little about what others think or say.

Jesus is safeguarding our reward in the next reality!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

God's Word!

For Tuesday, November 12, 2024:

1 Thessalonians 2:13 NLT: “We never stop thanking God that when you received his message from us, you didn’t think of our words as mere human ideas. You accepted what we said as the very word of God—which, of course, it is. And this word continues to work in you who believe.”

Believers should have what’s called a “high view” of the Bible, meaning the scriptures are God-inspired and true. Therefore the theology we teach is not your idea or my idea; it’s all God’s ideas! The Holy Spirit opens people’s hearts, and we fill them with the Good News of salvation through Jesus!

Some preachers motivate their listeners with the fear of hell, and chastise them for wrongdoing. Personally, I’m not good at that. I’m more likely to teach what the Bible says, and assume that the desired action would be self-evident. If we truly believe that the Bible is God’s word, how could we not obey?

If we know what God has spoken, we’ll know what to teach!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Mission Trip!

For Tuesday, November 5, 2024:

Nehemiah 6:8 CJB: “I, Nehemiah, sent Sanballat this answer; ‘Nothing like what you are saying is true. You’re making it all up in your head.’”

Nehemiah was the cup-bearer for king Artaxerxes I. In spite of Nehemiah being his servant, the two had become friends. Nehemiah was sad, having received news that the town of his ancestors, Jerusalem, laid in ruins. The king, sensing the importance of this issue to his friend, offered to help.

In fact, it seems the king was all-in! Nehemiah requested to return to his homeland to rebuild the wall around the city, a small army as a protective escort, timbers and other building supplies from the forests, and letters to foreign governments explaining his mission and requesting safe passage. Every request from Nehemiah was granted by the king, and he was off!

The lesson here is that when God puts a mission on your heart, you need to get going. That’s what Nehemiah did! He could have ignored the whole thing, explaining that he was only a servant in an occupied land, but he did not ignore God’s call. Our lesson is to get going and let God overcome the roadblocks.

Nehemiah not only restored the city; he restored the Law of Moses in Israel. Hearing the scripture, all the people chanted, “Amen! Amen!” as they lifted their hands. Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. Mission accomplished!

May each of us have the heart of Nehemiah when the Lord calls us to a mission!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Forever Words!

For Friday, June 7, 2024:

1 Peter 1:25 NLT: “’The word of the Lord remains forever.’ And that word is the Good News that was preached to you.”

There was old scripture and now there is new scripture. We call that the Old Testament and the New Testament. The ‘new’ begins with the arrival of Jesus. The story of Jesus is called the ‘Gospel.’ Without Jesus, there would be no Gospel, and there would be no purpose in mankind knowing about a Triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Peter started by quoting Old Testament, Isaiah, who wrote down the words of our Lord, explaining that His words remain forever.

But God has given us more Holy words, more inspiration – what we call the New Testament. Peter is saying that these new words are just as Holy as the old words. Therefore the Good News contained in the Gospels will also remain forever. Jesus’ words are just as valid as the words God send down from Mt. Sinai!

Grab some Holy words that you can hang onto. Learn the truth of what the Bible says. Put the Word of the Lord in your mind when you wake up, when you’re eating lunch and as you’re drifting off to sleep. When you’ve mastered that scripture, grab another!

Immerse yourselves fully in the words of God!

Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

God Almighty Wins!

March 04, 2024 Monday Message:

Mark 14:44b NLT, Judas Iscariot speaking: ““The one I kiss is Jesus; arrest him and lead him away under guard.”

The entire scenario played out just as Jesus had predicted. He knew the betrayal was coming, and he knew who would betray him. Jesus was arrested, and fearing the temple guards, the crowd with him dispersed.

Those arresting Jesus had been sent by the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the Temple elders. You’d assume that they would cheer for the Son of God, not try to kill him! Their soldiers were armed with swords and clubs to capture Jesus, who always preached kindness and love. Seems like overkill!

Two thoughts come to mind. #1. Jesus said, “The Scriptures must be fulfilled.” And this distasteful event was fulfilling scripture.

#2. We are blessed to have the complete story of Jesus’ time on earth. It’s called the Bible! Reading ahead, we can see that Jesus’ arrest was not the end. Even hanging him from a cross was not the end. Three days later, when the bad guys assumed that Jesus was dead, he walked out of the tomb! Many people saw him and heard him. And eventually a crowd of believers watched as Jesus ascended into heaven and returned to the Father! The bad guys didn’t win! God almighty always wins!

On the cross, Jesus took the sins of the world to the place of the dead. That way those who put their faith, hope and trust in Jesus as Savior will get to spend eternity in God’s heavenly Kingdom.

Thank you, Jesus!

Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Sola Scriptura!

For Friday, October 27, 2023:

Romans 13:4 NLT: “Who are you to condemn someone else’s servants? Their own master will judge whether they stand or fall. And with the Lord’s help, they will stand and receive his approval.”

We are never to sit in the judge’s seat. Each person on earth serves somebody, and we have been given free choice to decide who that is. There are only two answers: You can serve God, Jesus and everything that is good, or you can serve the dark side, Satan and his minions. Choose wisely!

There are a lot of Christian denominations. My favorite ones use the Bible as their handbook. Christianity got back to the truth in the 1500’s when Martin Luther preached, “sola scriptura,” latin for, “only scripture” or “only the Bible.”

Using the Bible as our “owner’s manual” for life, we need to separate in our minds what the Bible teaches from those things that are just religious traditions.

Following traditions doesn’t save us. Following Jesus does!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship