Baptized!

For Wednesday, October 14, 2026:

Mark 1:9 NLT: “One day Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and John (the Baptist) baptized him in the Jordan River.”

God’s preference is for everyone to repent and return. Backsliding isn’t something we invented in the 21st Century. If you drew a graph of the Jewish people’s relationship with God, it would look like a roller coaster – up and down, closer to God, farther from God, back and forth. As people renewed their commitment to the Lord, baptism was an outward sign of their inward change. The old, defective person would go under the water and emerge figuratively cleaned, leaving sin behind. Renewed!

Most theologians agree that Jesus, being without sin, didn’t really need to be baptized. But it was a teachable moment. He was modeling repent and return for the rest of us.

Notable in this scenario are the two things that followed. First, the Holy Spirit broke open heaven and descended upon Jesus like a dove. And after that, a voice boomed from heaven, saying, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.” That’s a proud Father bragging about his #1 Son! Wouldn’t you have loved to hear that voice?

Believers are adopted into that same Holy Family. Jesus told us to pray to “Our Father.” So we’re all sisters and brothers following the #1 Son. Maybe God has your picture on his refrigerator!

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

Great Commission!

For Tuesday, October 13, 2026:

Acts 4:18 NLT: “The religious council called Peter and John back in, and commanded them never again to speak or teach in the name of Jesus.”

These two Apostles had facilitated a healing miracle in the Temple, and all of Jerusalem knew what had transpired. They had healed in the name of Jesus! While the council couldn’t deny what had happened, they wanted to make sure the topic didn’t crop up again. So the two were told to never again speak or teach in the name of Jesus.

Question: Do you think Peter and John obeyed the council’s edict? No! But the two had quite different personalities. John probably cooled it for a while. Staying out of trouble might be best. He could later continue teaching about Jesus while staying clear of the authorities.

Peter, on the other hand, is the one I nicknamed “Mr. Impulsive!” He often acted before thinking things through to their logical conclusion. Peter might have run out of the meeting telling everyone what had happened and making a case that Jesus was the ultimate healer, like God himself! For his tenacity, God had earmarked Peter as leader of the first church, The Way.

So neither Apostle honored the council’s decree. Jesus said that we are all to continue sharing the Gospel with all nations, regardless of what some council says. But you and your brother or sister may go about it differently. God made us distinct individuals, yet all are created in his image. We have been given different spiritual gifts and talents, which may influence our evangelistic methods.

Pray to be shown your piece of the Good News puzzle, and then put it to work. Some of us will plant seeds; others will harvest. It’s all good if you’re working for the Son!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Firm Foundation!

October 12, 2026, Monday Message:

Psalm 11:3 NLT: “The foundations of law and order have collapsed. What can the righteous do?”

When times are good, David exalts the Lord and thanks him. And in bad times, he’s not afraid to lay the whole situation before God, often complaining verbosely. He writes about the situation as he perceives it. But being a human on earth, defective by definition, his perception isn’t always 100% accurate.

David should have qualified his testimony and said, “The foundations of (earthly) law and order (seem to) have collapsed. What can the righteous do?”

The collapse of earthly law is the result of people neglecting God. Our Constitution and Bill of Rights are based on biblical principles. But when leaders no longer personally uphold God’s value system, domestic laws aren’t valued like they used to be.

Christians need not worry. God is still on the throne of the universe. God is still in charge – of everything! He is our God, and we are his people!

David wraps up the psalm by answering his own questions. He’s a believer, and he already knows the answers. The Lord abhors violence. His prime directive is love, loving the Lord and loving your neighbor. He will punish the wicked, but the virtuous will see his face. Our God loves justice: fairness, honesty and integrity.

That’s our God – I’d know him anywhere!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church