Forever and Ever!

For Wednesday, May 13, 2026:

Colossians 1:15b-16a NLT: “The Son existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth.”

This scripture lines up perfectly with John’s Gospel account: “Jesus existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him.”

Therefore, we know that Jesus existed long before our world was created, and long before he came to earth in human form. When he showed up, it was big news to mankind. God’s people had been watching and waiting for the promised Messiah. They were excited to meet Jesus and hear him speak! None of this was news to God, whose Son had been around from the beginning.

What we need to remember is that Jesus is a perpetual spirit, just like Father God. The Son was here before the creation of our world, and he’ll be here long after it’s gone. The place Jesus prepares for us will be in the New Heaven and the New Earth. When Jesus’ forgiveness promises to give us eternal life in the presence of the Father, we can’t even imagine how long that is. The Father and the Son have set us up for a life expectancy similar to their own.

We are only on this earth for a very short time – like a blink of an eye! I believe eternity is somewhat beyond our comprehension. I cannot over-stress the importance of being on the right side of things as we transition from this reality to the next. Decide today to live in harmony with God and mankind, until we get a face-to-face meeting with God’s Son! It may happen sooner than you think!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Restoration!

April 20, 2026, Monday Message:

John 14:23 NLT, Jesus speaking: “All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them.”

As his ministry wraps up, Jesus wants to reassure the believers of what’s coming next. First off, there IS life after this life. Death is not the end! Jesus said so, so we know it’s true!

As Christians, we talk of dying and going to heaven, but my Bible says that’s kind of temporary. At the end of this age, God will create the New Heaven and the New Earth. By then, mankind will have really messed up the planet, and God will be the restorer, putting things back to the way they were designed. I’m thinking “Garden of Eden” specs, but only God knows what needs to be done.

The fully restored New Earth isn’t for all mankind. It’s a sanctuary for believers only. Everyone who lives here will have the same God. There will be no false gods. Mankind will all be on the same page, so to speak. There are no more wars. Everyone will love their neighbor. We will know shalom, the peace of God that surpasses our current understanding.

Jesus says, “We will come and make our home with them.” In other words, we’re not going somewhere to live with God. God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – is going to walk the earth alongside us! God has it all planned, and it will be marvelous, beyond all expectations!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Image of God!

For Wednesday, March 18, 2026:

Genesis 1:27 NLT: “God created human beings [adam] in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.’”

In this context, adam refers to mankind or human beings, not Adam the man. We have temporary bodies because we live on earth. God, a spirit being, doesn’t need a body, so don’t start telling people that you look a lot like God!

When we leave this earth, believer’s bodies will remain. We won’t need them. Our soul and our spirit, our eternal essence, will meet Jesus in the hereafter, in heaven. Temporarily. God will remodel our planet to be the New Earth, removing sin and putting things back to his original intent. Then, forgiven and thereby sinless, mankind can move back in. God and his Son will walk alongside us!

Right now, we should think of our planet as a “fixer-upper!” Needs a lot of work! So trust in the Lord. He has a plan; He knows what he’s doing!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Rumors of Wars!

For Friday, January 16, 2026:

Matthew 24:6 NLT: Jesus speaking: “You will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately.”

Jesus is teaching about warning signs, signs that the end times is drawing near. One of those signs is wars and rumors of war. Rumors would be threats from one nation to another before actual fighting takes place. No war seems to start without some words being thrown first.

Some wars are new; some have been going on for thousands of years. Palestine has been upset ever since God settled Jews in the Promised Land. That’s a long time!

More recently, last week, the US took over Venezuela. It wasn’t exactly a war. Venezuela was so disorganized under a corrupt leader that fighting back wasn’t an option, and many in the country welcomed the intervention. Nonetheless, their president was deposed, and the US president is now setting policy for that country.

Afghanistan and Pakistan can’t agree on the border between their two countries. Russia is still trying to annex Ukraine. At least eight countries are undergoing civil wars, unable to agree on a government within their own country. The US did that in the 1860’s. Other governments are threatened by gangs and terrorists, mostly involving drugs. Illegal drugs represent a lot of money, and to find the source of the conflict, just follow the money! By the way, illegal drugs are only valuable because there’s a huge market for them. That’s our country’s problem!

Note that Jesus doesn’t say that these wars are the end. “The end won’t follow immediately.” But each war is a step closer to the end. These are times to lock in our commitment to Jesus and to God’s way. As God reveals the New Heaven and the New Earth, believer’s salvation will also be revealed. If we stick with Jesus, we’ll be given a ticket for eternal life in God’s forever heavenly Kingdom.

All aboard!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

New Heaven – New Earth!

 For Saturday, November 8, 2025:

Luke 21:33 NLT, Jesus speaking: “Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.”

Jesus is teaching about the eternal nature of God and his commandments. The next reality will be different from anything that we now know. Heaven will be replaced by the New Heaven, which will have more residents than ever before. Those who believe in God’s Son will now be included. Having been adopted into the Holy Family, Heaven is their birthright – temporarily. The New Earth will also be completely rebuilt, put back to God’s original specifications for our planet. It’ll be like the beautiful Garden of Eden everywhere. Evil will be sent into the lake of fire, so, lacking anything evil, the New Earth will be a suitable home for all believers. And God can once again live among his people.

The Bible is the best-selling book of all time. Nothing else comes close. As we walk our Christian path, we constantly need the words and advice of Jesus and his Father. God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow, so the Bible’s messages will still be relevant in the next reality. We may no longer need a hard copy, because the New Covenant states that God’s words are written on our hearts! That’s great! Impossible for us to misplace God’s instructions!

If we love the Lord in this life, we shouldn’t have to learn anything new for the next! Believers are good to go!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

New Beginning!

August 18, 2025, Monday Message:

Mark 13:29 CJB: “When you see all these things happening, you are to know that the time is near, right at the door.”

Jesus was taking questions that day. Some asked for clarification of God’s Laws, God’s Commandments. But others wanted more details about the future. Aren’t we all curious about what lies ahead? Since Jesus has all knowledge, let’s ask him!

Jesus said that when it’s time for the End Times, we’ll see signs. Many deceivers, false Christs, will become prominent. We are to look the other way, staying steadfast, paying no attention to any false teaching. There will be wars and rumors of even more wars. Compared to what we now consider normal, the world will seem in disarray, messed up and confused in violent ways.

While we should be ready for Jesus’ return 24/7, God gives us signs to jog our memory into doing the right things prior to Jesus’ arrival. Jesus admits he doesn’t know the exact day or hour when God will press the “restart” button. Only the Father knows.

And “restart” is the keyword in this scenario. We refer to it as the End Times, but it’s actually the beginning of the New Heaven and the New Earth, and believers are included! God is creating a forever world for the faithful!

We’re included because of our faith in God’s Son, the Messiah, Jesus the Christ. Thank God for his grace, the free gift of eternal salvation!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Delivered!

For Wednesday, August 13, 2025:

Mark 13:24a, 26 NKJV: “After that tribulation, they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.”

Jesus said, “See, I have told you all things beforehand.” So we shouldn’t be surprised when we encounter false saviors, false christs. There will be many claiming the title, while in reality only seeking power for themselves. Earth will endure a difficult time as the tribulation unfolds. Believers will be separated from the rest of the world. Then the Son of Man will come in the sky to gather and protect his flock.

When Satan is conquered and subdued once and for all, God will restore the earth to his original plan, calling it the New Earth. As much as we talk about going to heaven, it’s only temporary. Our final destination is the New Earth, where God can walk amongst his people.

Each day we’re one day closer to the end times. Right now, the weather is crazy, and that’s a sign! We’re seeing excessive rains and flooding; a month’s worth of rain in a day. We might expect this in a hurricane, but two days ago it was Wisconsin! We will see wars and rumors of wars. We can’t seem to get Putin out of Ukraine, and the leaders of Gaza never should have attacked Israel, God’s chosen people.

The purpose of the end times is to deliver believers and quash Satan and his demons. You and I, the followers of Jesus, will be delivered to a glorious hereafter. God is good. Thank you, Jesus!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Resurrection!

For Saturday, July 5, 2025:

Mark 12:27a NLT, Jesus speaking: “So our God is the God of the living, not the dead.”

Jesus is answering the Sadducees’ questions about resurrection. They were not believers in resurrection.

Jesus reassured them, saying that there is a resurrection, a life after this life. God said so. “I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” But those saints had all died some time ago. The point being that our God is the God of the living. Being God over the dead would serve no purpose. So Abraham, Isaac and Jacob must have been resurrected and live in the next reality alongside the Almighty.

In the resurrected life, we will recognize our families and our fellows. But no one marries in heaven. Children are not born in the hereafter. Just like the angels, believers will live in the life after this life, but no one will procreate. We’ll be too busy worshiping the God who is better to us than we deserve!

Jesus will prepare your place in the hereafter. If that were not so, surely he would have told us! I can’t wait to see the New Heaven and the New Earth, where everything will be perfect, just the way God first intended!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

New Earth!

For Friday, April 4, 2025:

John 14:23 NLT, Jesus speaking: “All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them.”

If we please Jesus, the Father will also be pleased. Remember, they are of one mind, really just one God. The acknowledgment of our relationship with God is our obedience. When the angel told Mary she’d be delivering a savior into the world, she replied, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” That’s obedience! When Abraham set out to offer little Isaac as a sacrifice to the Lord, that was absolute obedience. (Thankfully, God stopped the sacrifice – the scenario was only a test of Abraham’s devotion and obedience.)

We often speak of going to heaven when we die. We teach only two choices, heaven or hell. Christians choose heaven, but that’s not our final destination. The Bible promises the “New Earth,” fully restored and perfect in every way. I believe God will restore the Earth to “Garden-of-Eden” specs, and the Bible says that the New Earth will be our forever home. Jesus preparing a place for believers includes restoring mankind’s home, planet Earth.

Jesus says that he and the Father will walk among us, and that’s where I want to be. What an awesome community! We may not even have to fill out “change-of-address” forms!

If it’s good enough for Jesus and the Father, it’s good enough for me!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Heaven!

For Wednesday, March 26, 2025:

John 14:2 NLT, Jesus speaking: “There is more than enough room in my Father’s house. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?”

This is one of my favorite scriptures in the Bible. I quote it all the time! This is a case where the Bible says more than the words imply. God gave mankind brains, thinking and reason, and we’re supposed to look behind the curtain to get the whole story.

How big is heaven? If you’ve ever wondered if the hereafter could accommodate all the believers from over the centuries, the short answer is “yes.” Jesus says, “...more than enough room.” In fact, he has gone ahead to prepare a place for each of us. So to summarize, #1 there is a hereafter, #2 it’s larger than we can imagine, and #3 if you’re a believer, there’s a room with your name on it! Jesus said so!

One more bit of Good News is that Jesus is expecting us in that next reality. Followers of Jesus have assurance of salvation. He’s preparing our special place because believers are expected to show up! With tongue in cheek, Jesus asks, “If it were not so, wouldn’t I have told you?” Of course he would!

We talk of dying and going to heaven. That simplifies discussions, but is only partially right. People and sin have messed up God’s creations, but God will remake things the way he originally intended. The Bible calls it the New Heaven and the New Earth. I believe the earth will be restored to “Garden of Eden” specifications. That New Earth is our final destination, where God can walk alongside his people. Nothing better!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Redemption!

For Tuesday, November 26, 2024:

1 Thessalonians 5:10 NLT: “Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with him forever.”

Jesus walking alongside mankind on Earth and then dying on Earth was fulfilling his mission of redeeming mankind. He gave his life as the offering for the sins of the entire world – all sins – past, present and future. It matters not if we’re dead or alive when Jesus returns to take us home. Jesus’ intent is to redeem ALL believers who need redemption, regardless of their physical state. Because of Jesus’ promise, we have confidence in our hereafter destination. Jesus left us with ‘Assurance of Salvation,’ a guarantee of a good life after this life.

We should all look forward to the New Earth!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Second Coming!

For Wednesday, November 20, 2024:

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 NLT: “The Lord himself (Jesus) will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever.”

How is this all going to end – our lives, our souls and this era in which we live? Is there some kind of eternal reward for our faith? This scripture clearly describes Jesus’ second coming.

We typically think that because the earth is round, people on one side have no idea what people on the other side are doing. That will not be the case when Jesus returns. Everyone everywhere will hear the angels’ voices, hear the trumpet of God and see the throng gathering in the sky. Believers will receive instant confirmation that they made the correct decision! Graves will open revealing glorified eternal bodies reunited with their souls. Living believers will be caught up in the air so that Jesus can win the final battle and be our escort as we enter the forever Kingdom.

There will be a New Heaven and a New Earth, God-created for the next age! I believe the New Earth will be a lot like the Garden of Eden, a perfect world existing just as God designed it before mankind messed it up, but that’s just my opinion.

We are given these words as encouragement!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Assurance of Salvation!

For Friday, October 18, 2024:

1 John 5:13 NLT: “I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life.”

Many of the world’s religions teach about a life after this life. Let’s call it Paradise. People live their lives trying to be good and to follow the teachings of their religion, hoping to gain more Paradise Points. But anger, violence and disobedience can subtract Paradise Points. Your qualification for the hereafter can increase or decrease, but their Higher Power never allows anyone to see the scoreboard. A person could live their entire life not knowing if they “made it” or not.

Christianity is different. We have a Savior, Jesus. He took the sin of the world to the place of the dead, leaving forgiven believers forever qualified to take up residence in God’s heaven. Christians have “Assurance of Salvation,” not from anything we did but from what Jesus did in removing the record of our sin from the Book of life. We then try to do good out of gratitude for what Jesus did for us, not to earn Heaven Points.

By the way, heaven isn’t our final destination. In God’s time, he will restore the New Heaven and the New Earth, put back to original specifications the way it was all designed before sin entered the world. Yes, believers will find themselves living in a perfect world! That’s what the Bible says!

Now as a reminder, go sing a chorus of “Blessed Assurance!” (This is my story...)

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship