Preaching Good News!

For, June 8, 2026, Monday Message:

Luke 4:43 NLT, Jesus speaking: “I must preach the Good News of the Kingdom of God in other towns, too, because that is why I was sent.”

Early the next morning, Jesus left Simon’s house, preparing to leave the city. People begged him to stay, but he explained, “I must preach the Good News of the Kingdom of God in other towns, too, because that is why I was sent.” Jesus was on a mission trip, sent from God’s Kingdom to planet Earth with a goal, an agenda, a mission.

The Good News is that Jesus himself would pay the penalty for the sins of the world, and that believers would be redeemed. He could explain the Tanakh and Torah, and teach us God’s ways, that God loves us, and that he made a way for us to return home.

There are far too many cities for Jesus to visit himself, so eventually he sent his Apostles and disciples to proclaim the Kingdom on his behalf. And before ascending back to the Father, he told the believers to continue making disciples of all nations. That’s still our mission nowadays. Jesus wants us to share the Good News with as many as possible before his return.

He’ll be returning soon, and that’s our Good News for today!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Kingdom At Hand!

For Saturday, March 14, 2026:

Luke 3:16 NLT, John the Baptist speaking: “I baptize you with water; but someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.”

In Jesus’ day, Hebrews were plagued with Roman oppression. They hung on tightly to a prophecy about a Messiah coming to rescue them. People would come to the Jordan and confess their sins, wanting to live a better life. They desired to get right with God. As John baptized the repentant, they questioned him: “Might you be the Messiah for whom we have been waiting?”

John assures them that he is not that Messiah. According to John, there’s a huge difference. He can only baptize with water. He warns the group that the Kingdom of God is near. They will see it soon, baptism with the fire of the Holy Spirit and the Son of God walking on Earth alongside mankind. It’s kind of hard to explain, as no one had ever seen anything like this before! John had a little inside information, being a cousin of Jesus.

I could repeat John’s message today, and the information would still be correct. We should all repent and return to the Lord, because the Kingdom is at hand. Jesus said he would return. Everything he told us has been true, and we expect that this would be likewise – true! Jesus gave us signs to watch for, hints that his return was imminent. We see more and more of them all the time as the date draws closer.

Churches pray for world peace, but Jesus said there will be wars and rumors of wars until he returns. There are currently about 40 wars in the world, people shooting real bullets at one another. The wars we hear about on the news are the wars in Ukraine and in the Middle East. Russia and communist North Korea are attacking Ukraine with soldiers and weapons. The US and other NATO allies are pouring defense assets into Ukraine. What we have here (just my opinion) is Communist Russia fighting a world war against Democratic countries. It’s just not obvious because the fighting is all on Ukrainian soil! That war is bigger than you think!

As for the Middle East, it’s Islam vs Judaism. Christians come down on the side of the Jews, our ancestors. Russia has been supplying intelligence and weapons to Iran, while Israel and the US intend to halt the proliferation of nuclear weapons. In 2001, when hijacked airplanes demolished the World Trade Center towers, I told my Jewish friends that this was a Holy War. I still believe that.

Jesus said that there will be wars and rumors of wars until he returns. If we read those signs, Jesus should be on the way. With each passing day, we’re one day closer to his return. Friends, the Kingdom of God is at hand!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

Deceivers!

 

For Saturday, January 10, 2026:

Matthew 24:4-5 NLT: Jesus told his disciples, “Don’t let anyone mislead you, for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah.’ They will deceive many.”

Jesus said that no one will know the exact day and hour of his return. Only the Father knows. For believers, that’s the End Times. We have been told signs, things for which to watch, things to keep us on our toes so that when Jesus shows up, we can be prepared. Some theologians believe that we’re in the end times of the End Times. Most think we’re well past the halfway mark of the time until Jesus returns!

Who wants to be King of the World? Probably not you, and certainly not me! But many powerful, money-hungry people think that position was created for them. But those narcissists are only out for themselves. They are not heaven-sent individuals. When the Messiah returns, he won’t have to announce who he is. People will know. He’ll be doing Messiah stuff, things unattainable by any false prophet.

So keep your eyes peeled for the great deceivers. Discerning is more difficult than it first appears, since Jesus says that “many” will try to claim his status, and “many” will be liars. By the time Jesus returns, the world will likely be one big mess! We’ll no longer live securely in the land of the free and home of the brave. There is such division in our country that there may be another civil war.

Believers have confidence that Jesus will return to escort us into the hereafter, a far better place. He said he’d be back, and his word is always good. People will love the Lord, love each other and live in harmony. Life in God’s heavenly kingdom will be the way God intended for us to live from the beginning. There is sunshine on the horizon!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

Holy Spirit!

For Wednesday, December 31, 2025:

John 15:26 NLT, Jesus speaking: “But I will send you the Advocate—the Spirit of truth.”

Jesus is speaking of the Holy Spirit, the third person of our Trinity God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. He’s so helpful and useful that it’s challenging to call him only one name. Bible translators have referred to him as Advocate, Comforter, Encourager and Counselor. In Greek, it’s “Paraclete.” The Holy Spirit is all these things, and more.

Jesus and his Father both said, “I will never leave you or forsake you.” Since Jesus will return to the Father in Heaven, the Holy Spirit is given to mankind to hold things together until Jesus returns. If we find ourselves in a courtroom, the Holy Spirit will be our defense attorney. He will help us when we’re doing good things, and he’ll put us on the right path when we’re not. He cures depression, telling us that everything will be all right in the end. God always wins. When we feel like giving up on life, he’ll keep us going. He’ll define right from wrong in our minds, and help us make the correct choice.

As believers, we seem to not know a lot about the Holy Spirit. Mankind is fine with believing in a God we’ve never seen, and we have eyewitness testimony about Jesus’ time on earth. But the Holy Spirit? I don’t know. We need more info on the Spirit. Believers should live on faith, not just in the Father and the Son, but also in the Holy Spirit. We must trust what the Father and the Son told us: that the Spirit is a part of God, and that he can and will do what they told us the Spirit is capable of doing.

Today would be the best time to lock in your relationship with the Spirit. Become a seeker, not just of God and Jesus, but also of the Holy Spirit. God would not have sent us another helper if we didn’t need one!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

Warning Signs!

For Wednesday, November 5, 2025:

Luke 21:29 NLT, Jesus speaking: “Notice the fig tree, or any other tree. When the leaves come out, you know without being told that summer is near.”

"Sign, sign, everywhere, a sign!” There are good signs, and bad signs. A good sign is a good reminder. If there are far too many signs, no one will pay attention to any of them.

For close to ten years, I helped manage a non-profit organization with nearly 200 signs on the walls of its seven-room complex. “Replace your chairs as you found them. No gossip! Turn the lights out when you leave. Push the water button only once. Switch the coffee machine ‘off’ when empty. Respect confidentiality. Don’t leave trash in the building!” I would counsel them that the large number of taped-up signs made us appear less professional. The good we were doing appeared less competent. I didn’t have much luck with my campaign. Every time something happened that someone else didn’t like, up would go another sign. I can’t say that any of them were ever truly effective!

Jesus didn’t leave us with word signs. We were given prophetic signs so that when we’d see them, we’d know what was happening. Jesus gave us signs pointing to the second coming and the end times, and he told us so. Just as new leaves on a tree tell us that summer is near, the end times signs tell us that Jesus is returning soon. In a way, it’s a warning to get your house in order – or else! The anticipated day of judgment is imminent, and it’s time to claim our promise of salvation.

The prophetic signs are warnings for those who will witness the end times scenario. Those witnesses are the people who can utilize Jesus’ signs, informing them of what’s about to happen. Jesus said that the generation seeing these signs will not pass until the prophesied things have taken place. So keep your eyes open! We may end our lives in a different reality than the one into which we were born!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Prophecy!

November 3, 2025, Monday Message:

John 14:29 NLT, Jesus speaking: “I have told you these things before they happen so that when they do happen, you will believe.”

Sometimes things are so unusual, so out of the ordinary, that a lot of people won’t believe what just happened, even if they witnessed it with their own two eyes.

Here’s an example. Lazarus, brother of Mary and Martha, had died. His body was kept in a closed tomb as it began to decay. Mourners had gathered to console the family. Lazarus was wrapped up like a mummy, a burial tradition.

Jesus was summoned. He dragged his feet getting there, waiting for two extra days, so that what he was about to do would increase in significance. After all, this event was for God’s glory! By the time Jesus arrived, Lazarus had been dead for four days!

Jesus told Martha that her brother would rise again. She thought he meant in the next reality, in the life after this life. But NO! Jesus meant right now! He had workers roll away the stone, Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!,” and out he came, grave clothes and all!

Locally, this incident became the focus of much discussion. Many thought it was a trick, a prank involving a magician. No one had ever seen anything like it, someone brought back to life after being dead four days. So at this point, it made more sense to disbelieve than to believe what they had witnessed.

Our lesson here is about the value of prophecy. Prophecies tell in advance what God is about to do, and when it happens, we can say, “That was God!,” rather than questioning what occurred. Prophecy is advance confirmation of a God-driven event! Jesus had been sharing signs of the end times, so that when it happens, we can easily recognize it and believe.

When you witness signs pointing to the end times, start saying, “That was God!” He has already told you what to expect!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Second Coming!

For Sunday, November 2, 2025:

Luke 21:25 NLT: “Everyone will see the Son of Man (Jesus) coming on a cloud with power and great glory.”

Jesus is referring to the end times scenario. His arrival will not be a secret – everyone on earth will know. This will be a time of great joy for believers and immense fear for those who rejected the Son. In an instant, the world will recognize Jesus as being God’s Son, and our decision to believe will be confirmed.

Up to this point, what believers have is a promise of salvation. But Jesus says that when we see these signs, “Stand and look up, for your salvation is near!” Excited yet? What has been prophesied will occur right before your eyes! If you’re a believer, Jesus has already put your name on a room in heaven. Everything’s ready.

And isn’t that our goal, to live in harmony with our Creator? We are to love the Lord and love our neighbors. That’s why we share this Good News with everyone. God says, “The more, the merrier!” (or something like that!) God’s desire is that everyone would repent and return. He really wants everyone to join him in the hereafter.

So friends, accept Jesus’ invitation. Reject all wickedness. Kick Satan out of your life. Send his demons down the road. I don’t care where they land – they can go into pigs for all I care. (That’s what Jesus did!) Keep your eyes on the light; keep your eyes on the prize – eternity in the presence of the Lord! Hope to see you there!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

I'll Be Back!

October 27, 2025, Monday Message:

John 14:28 NLT, Jesus speaking: “Remember what I told you: I am going away, but I will come back to you again. If you really loved me, you would be happy that I am going to the Father, who is greater than I am.”

Dream with me that we could have been alive back when Jesus was here. We would have been eyewitnesses to Jesus changing the world. After Jesus, everything was different. After Jesus, everything was better!

Allowing demons in our lives is akin to dropping sand into smooth-running gears. Many people suffered life-long illnesses, and Jesus either cured the sickness or cast out the demon responsible for the problem. Sometimes those demons would end someone’s life prematurely, and Jesus would raise the dead, correcting the mistake. Jesus empowered his followers to do as he had done: Heal the sick, cure leprosy, raise the dead and cast out demons. He aided the world in operating according to God’s vast eternal plan.

At this point, Jesus told the believers, “I am going away, but I will come back to you again.” I’m sure that many were distraught when their spiritual mentor said he was leaving. “Don’t go,” they shouted! Those people didn’t realize the benefit of Jesus’ leaving. This act would enable him to take the sins of the world to the place of the dead. Therefore, believers would appear sinless in the Book of Life, eligible to take up residence in God’s Eternal Kingdom. Believers would receive the best gift of all, being Heaven-bound, before they even understood how salvation worked.

Jesus was going ahead to prepare a place for his flock. God allowed a little extra time so that more people could hear the Good News. Jesus promised that He’ll be back. He cannot lie, so, “People get ready...

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Someday Soon?

For Thursday, October 23, 2025:

Luke 21:25 NLT, Jesus speaking: “There will be strange signs in the sun, moon, and stars. And here on earth the nations will be in turmoil, perplexed by the roaring seas and strange tides.”

As we near the end times, our earth will not stay the same. The Paris Climate Accord of 2015 warns of average temperatures increases over 1.5ºC, with 2ºC being the tipping point. Our world briefly passed the 1.5ºC increase last year, and averaged +1.38ºC. Tourists are flocking to Alaska to see the last of their glaciers, many of which have already fallen into the sea. Consequently, the ocean is rising. Several Pacific island-countries are closing up shop, the residents seeking refuge elsewhere. In the US, New Orleans would be totally underwater if not for dams and levees. Today, flooding is threatened in Laredo, McAllen and Corpus Christi, TX. And Galveston, an island, is always at risk. Let me stress that the sun didn’t get warmer. It is our planet that changed, allowing it to absorb and retain more of the sun’s heat.

Discovered in 2025, Asteroid PN7 is known as Earth’s second moon. Kinda. It follows our path around the sun, but doesn’t orbit the earth itself. To astronomers, it’s new!

Scientists keep inventing better telescopes, allowing mankind to see a far larger universe than we ever thought possible. Again, to astronomers, it’s all new!

Jesus said that there will be wars and rumors of wars until he returns. To learn about today’s wars, check any news feed. The US President helped negotiate a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. Less than a week later, it’s already been violated by both sides. Our president has met with Russia’s officials about ending the fighting in Ukraine. Yet the conflict continues, with more killing than ever. The #3 offender may be Syria, with the government defending itself against those who want to be the government! A civil war. There seems to be no end to fighting nowadays.

Are these signs of the end of life as we know it? I can’t say for sure. Jesus said that only the Father knows the exact day and hour he will return. But these are prophesied signs, reminding us that Jesus will be coming again, and with his return comes accountability. Jesus taught that if we knew when the thief was coming, we’d have locked the door! His words are always true, so he IS coming! We just can’t say exactly when! So it’s time to get ready. Time to repent and return!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Wars and Rumors of War!

For Friday, October 17, 2025:

Luke 21:8 NLT: Jesus replied, “Don’t let anyone mislead you, for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and saying, ‘The time has come!’ But don’t believe them.”

We have all heard rumors that the world would soon be ending, that Jesus would be returning on a certain date. The predictions are always wrong. Don’t believe anyone who tells you such things. Jesus said that even he doesn’t know the exact date, that only the Father knows. If someone says they know, they’re lying!

Jesus did give us signs that we’re getting closer to the second coming, and a major sign is the proliferation of wars and insurrections. In case you haven’t heard the news lately, our world currently has wars in spades! The one conflict with Biblical overtones started about two years ago when Hamas attacked Israel, killing over 1,000 and taking 251 hostages. In response, Israel declared war on Hamas, a radical terrorist organization that had taken over Gaza. Hamas would not release the captured Israelis, even as Gaza was reduced to rubble.

Today, two years later, the hostages that were still alive were finally released, and a peace agreement was signed. Israel is still complaining that all the bones of the deceased were not returned. My advice would be just to let it go. When someone has died, their soul no longer occupies a human body. Their eternal essence has (hopefully) gone to be with the Lord. The body is no longer relevant. (That’s the Christian view, not necessarily the Jewish view.)

I said the current conflict started two years ago, but the overall disagreement goes back 3,000 years. After wandering on the desert, God set the Hebrew people down in the Promised Land. A Rabbi once told me, “It’s our land – God gave it to us!” However, those who had previously lived there were displaced. Hence the conflict.

(Just my opinion:) I don’t believe this peace treaty will last, because at its roots, this is a religious war. We can fight over territory, over governments, over countries, but people cannot be forced to change their beliefs. Historically, people will rot in prison while hanging on to their religion.

Jesus is the only one who can straighten out this mess. Our prayer for peace should include, “Come quickly, Lord Jesus!”

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Faith!

For Thursday, October 16, 2025:

Hebrews 10:37-38a NLT: “In just a little while, the Coming One will come and not delay. And my righteous ones will live by faith.”

The “Coming One” refers to the second coming of Jesus the Messiah. He will arrive at the perfect time to fulfill God’s plans for the rescue of the faithful. The Bible speaks of the first Christians undergoing terrible suffering, public ridicule, beatings, losing all their possessions, and even jail. We have been blessed by living in the USA, where Christianity is the prevalent religion, and we are free to openly speak of Jesus. There’s no penalty for being a believer, but it may not always be that way. People on our planet are persecuted daily for their allegiance to Jesus.

We are saved (redeemed, granted eternal life) by grace through our faith, believing that Jesus is who He said he is, and that He will do what He said He can do. When Martin Luther was searching for Assurance of Salvation in the 1500s, he concluded that Habakkuk 2:4b was our key to eternal life: “The righteous will live by their faithfulness to God,” and that is quoted in today’s scripture. Our faith in Jesus opens the door to eternal life until He comes again to personally welcome us into the hereafter!

And that’s why we worship together, to share our faith with one another and to bolster our belief in the Messiah Jesus and the Father’s Forever Heavenly Kingdom. Remember, God always keeps his promises!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

World Peace!

For Sunday, September 21, 2025:

Luke 19:42 NLT, Jesus speaking as he enters Jerusalem: “How I wish today that you of all people would understand the way to peace. But now it is too late, and peace is hidden from your eyes.”

Peace on earth is elusive. When God sends his Son to offer peace, right now is the right time to hop on the peace train. Immediately! If we’re not on board, the train may leave the station without us!

Jesus is prophesying a rough time for non-believers in Jerusalem. But Jesus is personally out of time. He already has “return to the Father” on his agenda. His disciples will have to continue the “eternal peace campaign” in his absence.

This will all happen “because you did not recognize it when God visited you.” That’s why our mission is to tell all people that indeed, the Son of God visited us on our planet. He walked alongside mankind. He died as the offering for all the sins of the world. And he will come again, to announce victory! Expect victory! Expect Jesus to win! Those with him will be ushered into the next reality, God’s Kingdom. Jesus will have a place ready for loyal believers!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

One and Done!

For Tuesday, September 2, 2025:

Hebrews 9:27-28 NIV: “Just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, so also Christ was offered once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him.”

2,000 years ago, the Jewish High Priest would enter the Holy of Holies annually to offer a blood sacrifice for the sins of all the people. Remember that “without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness.” (v22) That is no longer necessary.

Jesus didn’t ascend to heaven, return to earth, and repeat the process over and over. That would amount to Jesus dying repeatedly. But this is a “one and done” event. He has removed sin by his own death as a sacrifice. That’s a permanent solution. When heaven calls us home, believers are good to go!

Christ was offered once as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. The next time we see him, it will be to deliver salvation to the loyal and sincere. Jesus will gather his flock. He has already prepared a place for us. Come quickly, Lord Jesus!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Persistence!

For Wednesday, June 25, 2025:

Hebrews 3:13 NLT: “You must warn each other every day, while it is still ‘today,’ so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God.”

Stick-to-itiveness. That’s what we need. Goofy word, but it’s in my dictionary! This scripture encourages us to help each other stick with what we learned from Jesus. He IS coming back, but we don’t know when. Our hearts need to be right today, because tomorrow may be too late!

If we could graph the Hebrew relationship with God, it would look like a rollercoaster – up and down, up and down, closer to God, farther from God. When God has things going well in our lives, humans tend to say, “Thanks, God, but I can take it from here!” We eventually fail and crawl back to God, whining, “Please, God, help us out of this mess we’ve made.” God again rescues His people, giving them a second chance, a third chance, etc.

Things are no different nowadays. Unfortunately, mankind’s tendency is to grow complacent in our worship and in our devotion to the Almighty, and we begin to let things slide. Christianity gets put on the back burner. It’s not that we completely stopped believing. It’s just that religious matters don’t hold the priority they once did in our lives. People caught up in this are called backsliders!

Some theologians teach that if we can fall away from Jesus, we were never really “in” in the first place. Asking Jesus to be Lord and Savior of your life should be an irrevocable decision.

The Bible says, “If we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ.” We should all strive to be with that group!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship