Power of Jesus!

For Sunday, October 4, 2026:

Acts 4:16 NLT: “What should we do with these men, Peter and John?” the religious council asked one another. “We can’t deny that they have performed a miraculous sign, and everybody in Jerusalem knows about it.”

The religious council has on trial two men who had performed a healing miracle in the Temple. This could be the origin of the saying, “No good deed goes unpunished!” Here we witness the continuation of a conspiracy against Jesus and his followers. Rather than accept what they had seen with their own two eyes, prejudice took over. Prejudice means to pre-judge, and the council’s minds were already made up. A decision had previously been made to quash the upstart religious competition launched by Jesus, and now continued by Peter, John and the others.

Have you ever heard the saying, “Throw off the religion?” Someone saying this isn’t against belief in a higher power. But denominations, religious councils, ceremony and traditions have diverted attention from what should be our primary focus. I recommend that we get back to basics. Get back to what Jesus said and did. He wasn’t fancy and didn’t attach a lot of pageantry to his loyalty to the Father.

While Peter and John were used in the afore mentioned healing miracle, they do not have that power. The council got it wrong. Peter and John can pray for Jesus to intervene in the lame man’s situation, and as it happened, he was completely healed “in the name of Jesus of Nazareth.” Only Jesus has this power, and he told believers to use his name!

This is Sunday, the day most Christians worship. Bring your Bible. It’s a good day to rededicate ourselves to Jesus and his Father. If necessary, throw off the religion!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Solid Foundation!

For Saturday, October 3, 2026:

Luke 6:49 NLT, Jesus speaking: “Anyone who hears me and doesn’t obey is like a person who builds a house right on the ground, without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will collapse into a heap of ruins.”

Jesus compares our spiritual foundation to the foundation of a home. Here in Minnesota, most houses have basements, typically brick and concrete edifices to which the above-ground structure can be anchored. When winter storms hit and the North winds blow, our homes remain in place. Excessive rain and seasonal flooding can also be problematic. Floods can move houses that are not firmly anchored, so a foundation is critical.

Christian life and our religious philosophy also need to be anchored. To build a solid foundation, we attend church every week. We listen to sermon upon sermon. We attend Bible study groups. We listen to Christian music on the radio. The more “Jesus” experience we have, the better our foundation.

We not only need to hear teaching, but we need to believe it and then put it into play. Knowing everything Jesus said sounds good, but it builds no foundation if we haven’t implemented those principles in our personal lives. When in doubt, do what Jesus did!

Satan will be sending storms – count on it! That’s what he does! But Satan and his demons have never been successful against Jesus. So do as Jesus advised. Make sure there’s a solid foundation under your religious house, and if attacked, use the name of Jesus!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Rescue Plan!

For Friday, October 2, 2026:

Mark 1:7 NLT: “John the Baptist announced: “Someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not even worthy to stoop down like a slave and untie the straps of his sandals.”

There are a couple of concepts we humans have trouble appreciating. One is that God is all powerful! Everything supplied to us on earth was made by God. If a human claims that they made something, they made it from parts supplied by God. I saw a beautiful wooden rocking chair in an Amish furniture store. A plaque proudly stated, “Handmade by David Miller.” Mr. Miller may have made it into a chair, but God made the wood!

There’s a story about mankind trying to make more people. They talk about special chemicals, water and dirt, all being mixed together. Add a jolt of electricity, and they almost had it, until someone pointed out, “That’s God’s dirt!”

The other concept is that God’s love for mankind is never-ending. We can’t appreciate the length God would go to to continue loving mankind. But God’s love for us goes deeper than we can imagine, so deep that he would sacrifice his Son to ensure mankind’s rescue.

The rescue plan has been implemented. Have you accepted God’s invitation to be forgiven and saved? Today is the best day to repent and return to the Lord!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church