Baptized!

     February 2, 2026:

Luke 3:4, 6 NLT: Isaiah had spoken of John when he said, “He is a voice shouting in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming! Clear the road for him!’ Then all people will see the salvation sent from God.”

Today, we’re looking at John the Baptist, who was on a mission trip for God. He was to encourage everyone to repent and return to the Lord, and to be water-baptized as part of God’s plan for forgiveness and reconciliation. And he was privileged to introduce Jesus the Messiah to the world.

Jesus would eventually be baptized by John. Being without sin, Jesus didn’t really need to be baptized, but chose to do so as an example of what others should do and to identify John as one of God’s servants. John protested, “I am the one who needs to be baptized by you!” But Jesus insisted they fulfill all of God’s requirements.

As Jesus came up out of the water, the Holy spirit descended upon him like a dove, and a voice boomed out from heaven: “This is my dearly beloved Son, who brings me great joy.”

Jesus’ ministry just shifted into high gear! What lies ahead will truly be exciting!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

Forgiven forever!

For Tuesday, November 25, 2025:

Romans 5:1 AMP: “Since we have been justified [that is, acquitted of sin, declared blameless before God] by faith, [let us grasp the fact that] we have peace with God [and the joy of reconciliation with Him] through our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed).”

Christians are saved by grace, God’s gift to us, through faith, believing in the Father and his Son, Jesus. On the cross, Jesus took away the sins of the world. Through this monumental miracle, we were given a clean slate, a fresh start, a do-over on living our lives. Prospective believers are asked to commit to a decision of believing and accepting God’s gift of reconciliation. Through Jesus, our sins are separated from us as far as the east is from the west. Our sins are at the bottom of the deepest ocean. In the book of life, the column titled “sin” will be blank. No scratch-outs; no eraser marks; just blank white space.

Believers will find that they have been redeemed, bought back from Satan. Jesus paid the price to rescue us. So now in our minds, we need to discard the image of being a perpetual sinner. We need to look, act and live out the role of someone whose sins no longer exist! Believers are holy. Believers have joined the Jesus Team!

We may not be perfect, but day by day we’ll grow closer to God. Progress, not perfection. Pray to love the Lord more today than yesterday. Accept with gratitude God’s gift of salvation and eternal life. Shout out, “Jesus, I’m with you!”

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

Forgiveness!

January 6, 2025 Monday Message:

John 8:7b NLT, Jesus speaking: “Let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!”

An adulterous woman had been chased down by the Pharisees, and a crowd gathered. The law of Moses says that she should be stoned. Retribution and revenge topped the Pharisee’s agenda that day.

But Jesus had other plans. This was a teachable moment. Repentance, forgiveness and reconciliation always topped Jesus’ lists!

Loving the Lord and loving his neighbors were always #1 and #2 on Jesus’ agenda.

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Happy Father's Day!

For Sunday, June 16, 2024:

Ephesians 6:4 HCSB: “Fathers, don’t stir up anger in your children, but bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.”

Today is Father’s Day in the US. The father, together with his wife and children, should strive to make their ‘home’ what it should be. It’s been said that home is, “When you go there, they have to let you in!”

Yesterday we talked about the prodigal father, who foolishly let his son become the prodigal son. When that son returned home with his tail between his legs, the father would have had every right to be mad, to show anger, to start in with extreme discipline. But there will be plenty of time later to discuss what went wrong. For now, the father showed forgiveness and unconditional love! He put the family ring back on the son’s finger and gave him a fine robe to wear. The father threw a memorable party celebrating the son’s return! This is how to welcome someone home who was lost but now is found!

  In the same way, our Father God welcomes home backsliders. There is a celebration in heaven whenever a soul repents and returns. God, of course, is the author of unconditional love!

Being a father is a unique job description. No other person can fill those shoes! Do your best!

Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Faith!

For Friday, December 15, 2023:

Mark 2:5 NLT: “Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, ‘My child, your sins are forgiven.’”

This is one of my favorite Bible scenarios. Word of Jesus’ ability to heal any malady had spread widely, and this paralyzed man had four friends who totally believed. Besides, nothing else had worked! So the prospect of Jesus healing their friend was promising indeed!

But so many people had come to hear Jesus’ teaching that there was no chance of gaining entrance. The room, the hallways, the paths leading into the building were all clogged with people. That did not deter the friends of the paralyzed man. They devised a plan to carry their friend onto the roof, cut a hole in the roof and then lower their friend into the room, setting him right in front of Jesus! That should get Jesus’ attention!

So the friends did just that, lowered the man on his mat right down in front of Jesus! Believe me, that stopped whatever was going on in the room at the time, and all eyes were now on this paralyzed man and on Jesus. What would you expect Jesus to do? Jesus did the next right thing and healed the man, saying, “My child, your sins are forgiven.”

As it turns out, our lesson here is that the healing was secondary. Jesus’ primary mission was to reconcile mankind’s sin problem, to make forgiven believers acceptable for taking up residence alongside God and Jesus in the heavenly kingdom. God’s desire is that none would perish, that all would repent and return. Jesus alone can dispense this necessary forgiveness which offers us assurance of salvation. Pray that the Holy Spirit would fill you with as much faith as the four friends.

Jesus went ahead to prepare your place in the Kingdom!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

Healing Ministry!

For Thursday, December 14, 2023:

Mark 1:45 NLT: “The man (that Jesus healed) went and spread the word, proclaiming to everyone what had happened. As a result, large crowds soon surrounded Jesus, and he couldn’t publicly enter a town anywhere. He had to stay out in the secluded places, but people from everywhere kept coming to him.”

This is exactly what Jesus did NOT want to happen! In spite of his best efforts to keep the healings private and personal, it seems he was becoming known as someone who could cure all manner of disease and illness, as well as cast out demons, many times the root of the problem. Jesus’ reputation preceded him, and many believers followed! Whereas Jesus’ mission was to reconcile the sin of the world, the crowds only celebrated him for his healing ability.

Think about what you’d want to do if the Son of God had plucked you from death’s grip. You’d want to tell everyone! You’d want to shout the good news from the highest mountain! Tell everybody! And in spite of Jesus’ admonition, it became impossible to contain the enthusiasm of those who were healed!

Do you ever think about why Jesus was born in Bethlehem rather than Jerusalem? Did you ever consider why Jesus’ hometown was Nazareth in Galilee, not Jerusalem in Judah? Our scripture says that crowds surrounded Jesus and that he couldn’t publicly enter a town anywhere without being mobbed! Jesus wouldn’t have had a moment’s peace in Jerusalem!

Have you been healed by Jesus? Perhaps not from a physical ailment, but if you’re a Christian, you’ve been rescued from eternal condemnation. Your sins have been forgiven. God sent his Son to make sure we received a second chance, a do-over on life. Believers have joined with Jesus as children of God himself.

Believers get to see heaven from the inside!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

Reconciliation!

December 4, 2023 Monday Message:

Romans 16:26 NLT, Paul concluding his letter to the Roman church: “Now as the prophets foretold and as the eternal God has commanded, this message (the Gospel) is made known to all Gentiles everywhere, so that they too might believe and obey him.”

We know that the Messiah came through the Jews, but redemption is truly for all people. ALL! The Messiah, the Rescuer, our Savior came to help you and to help me, and that’s Good News! Don’t ever think you don’t deserve being rescued, because God has forgiven you, loves you unconditionally, and has qualified you to take up residence in the heavenly hereafter, and God is always right! His Son Jesus went ahead to prepare your place in eternity!

Forgiveness and reconciliation follow confession, whereby we acknowledge our own sin. That not only works with God; it works with humans too. Pretend that someone offended you, and you’re still holding a grudge. The relationship will remain in that damaged state until one of you makes a move. But if that person comes to you and says, “I’m really sorry; please forgive me,” of course you’ll forgive them. That’s what Jesus said to do. And now the ball is rolling toward rebuilding the relationship, reconciliation.

God’s desire is that everyone would repent and return. He doesn’t want to lose a single soul. Believers are the ones who say “yes” to Jesus. They’ll get to see heaven from the inside!

Have a blessed week as you serve!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

Reconciliation!

For Friday, November 17, 2023:

John 4:16 NLT: “’Go and get your husband,’ Jesus told the woman at the well.”

Turns out she’d been married five times, and was not married to the man with whom she was presently living. Like a prophet, Jesus knew all this prior to her telling him. The Bible doesn’t tell us if her previous husbands died, if they were abusive and she left, or if her husbands divorced her and they left. Theirs was a patriarchal society, and it was difficult for a single woman to get by. How it happened isn’t as important as understanding her current situation.

I’m amazed that with her life a mess and while living in sin, Jesus offered her ‘living water,’ a chance at salvation. But he always said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.” He further explained, “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” The Pharisees, who should have known all about religion, were not on Jesus’ agenda that day. But the poor ‘Woman at the Well’ got his full attention! Jesus didn’t judge or criticize her. He was just kind and offered reconciliation.

Yesterday was “Give to the Max” day locally, and it was promoted on several radio stations. I listened to an interview with a formerly addicted man who had been living on the street. He had hit his ‘bottom,’ and found his way to the Union Gospel Mission. Without judging his past, they cleaned him up, fed him, gave him a warm bed, and offered him counseling and Bible classes. The man accepted their love and assistance, and little by little, saw a radical transformation in his life. Today he’s been sober 18 months, has had a job for over a year and expects to get his own place soon. He now mirrors the love and acceptance he was shown, and is forever grateful for the Christians who treated him like Jesus would have. He now has Jesus living in his heart, and is proud to share the Good News with others.

Jesus wants us all to hear the Good News. He’s in the forgiveness business!

More tomorrow! Blessings!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

P.S. There’s a group of ladies known to the Union Gospel Mission as the “Cake Ladies.” They bake cakes and bring them to the mission, so the residents can celebrate birthdays, sobriety anniversaries or just have a nice dessert. The ladies come every week, and are joyful!