Monday, August 31, 2026

Forgive!

August 31, 2026:

Luke 6:37b NLT, Jesus speaking: “Forgive others, and you will be forgiven.”

Jesus not only encourages us to forgive others, but has commanded us to give others a second chance, a third chance, etc. Here Jesus echoes the words in the Lord’s Prayer: “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who have trespassed against us.” Since God made me aware of the unforgiveness problem, I’ve started noticing it everywhere. It’s far too prevalent in today’s world.

People with problems in their lives are often kept away from solutions because of unforgiveness, sometimes related to the problem, sometimes not. A person may have trouble with relationships because they haven’t forgiven their parents for their sad upbringing. Someone may have trouble keeping jobs because they haven’t forgiven a previous boss who was mean. Is there anyone in your own life you haven’t forgiven?

I believe God gives us a piece of paper each day with ‘Things to do Today’ written at the top, and numbers down the left side. He gave us free will, so we can include anything on our agenda that pleases us. Is ‘Holding a grudge’ on your list? Are you angry at a coworker, a fellow student or just the person driving too slow in fast lane?

Are the same people on your list every day? If so, it’s time to clean house. Let go of the bad stuff and hang on to the good stuff. Don’t make a permanent home for a grudge. Don’t make a home for a demon.

We can live better lives if we let go and let God. Let him have your grudge. Your load will be lighter if the Lord is carrying your problems!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Sunday, August 30, 2026

Judged and Condemned!

For Sunday, August 30, 2026:

Luke 6:37 NLT, Jesus speaking: “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven.”

Jesus says to not judge others. Implied in that command is to not judge harshly. There would be nothing wrong with judging someone’s performance, finding out that they’d done a great job and giving them a pat on the back, an attaboy!

The Golden Rule applies here. If we criticize others all the time, we would be part of a criticizing culture. And in that culture, our own efforts would be subject to criticism by others. Mankind always seems to have advice on how someone else should do something. We should all listen to my mother, who said, “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all!”

We’ll look at forgiveness tomorrow. It’s a huge topic that takes up a lot of space on God’s teaching agenda. May we all be blessed on this Sabbath day!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Saturday, August 29, 2026

Truth!

For Saturday, August 29, 2026:

Acts 4:1 NLT: “While Peter and John were speaking to the people, they were confronted by the priests, the captain of the Temple guard, and some of the Sadducees.”

In these daily messages, a recurring theme is “truth.” The Bible is filled with God-inspired truth. Truth should be the only thing acceptable to our ears.

In this scripture’s juxtaposition of roles, the priests, the Temple guard and the Sadducees weren’t supporting truth. Might as well include the Pharisees in the untruth bunch, since they were a big part of worship at the Temple. Let me be clear: The religious leaders of the day were disseminating misinformation and denying truth, which was beyond unfortunate since the congregation was counting on them for guidance.

Ironically, Simon Peter and John, men with fishing backgrounds, knew the truth. They had lived alongside Jesus, eaten countless meals with him and had memorized words straight from our Savior’s mouth. They had watched Jesus’ crucifixion, saw the spear thrust into his side, observed his death as he was burdened with the sins of the world, and watched in amazement as three days later he walked away from the tomb! Sin and death had been conquered in a single event! Jesus proved that there is life after this life. Death is not the end!

I’m always amazed that the wholHeaworld isn’t cheering for Jesus. Two of the stand-out events for me are the miracle healings and the resurrection. Oftentimes, the healings weren’t small miracles. Sight was restored to the blind. People lame from birth stood up and walked! No surgery, no PT – fully restored instantly! And walking away from the tomb with holes in his hands and feet and a wound in his torso where the spear had been. Friends, there were eyewitnesses! Hundreds of people saw Jesus die, and hundreds saw him walking and heard him speak following his death!

So my advice is to double-check everything you’re told against what the Bible says. Don’t automatically trust spiritual leaders. They may have a personal agenda. Trust instead the eyewitnesses who lived with our Savior. See the amazement in their eyes as they boast about the resurrection. Sense their anticipation as Jesus prepares a place for believers in God’s eternal heavenly Kingdom. God’s desire is that all of us would be a part of it!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Friday, August 28, 2026

Children of God!

For Friday, August 28, 2026:

Romans 9:26 NLT, Paul testifying to the church in Rome: “Then, at the place where they were told, ‘You are not my people,’ there they will be called ‘children of the living God.’”

When Jesus visited us on our planet, it makes sense that he would come through the Jewish people, those who had an existing relationship with Yahweh. But the territory increased greatly after Paul’s encounter with the risen Jesus on the road to Damascus. Paul was called to leave Israel and evangelize Asia Minor, where he planted church after church after church. And the prophet Hosea called those new believers ‘children of the living God.’

John also tells us, “To all who believed Jesus and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.” Once again, ‘children.’ The faithful are adopted into the Holy Family, whereby God is our Father and Jesus is our brother. It’s a good family, and believers can be proud to be part of such a loving and accepting community.

God has opened the offer of eternal life in his Heavenly Kingdom to everyone. He also created us with freedom to choose, and we have the right to choose incorrectly. That’s unfortunate. Eternity is a long time, and we should want to be in the right place forever!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Thursday, August 27, 2026

Call to Serve!

 Daily message of hope...
For Thursday, August 27, 2026:

Acts 3:26 NLT, Peter, preaching in the Temple: “When God raised up his servant, Jesus, he sent him first to you people of Israel, to bless you by turning each of you back from your sinful ways.”

Jesus came to mankind through the Jewish people. It makes sense. They were the ones with the previous relationship with God. But Jesus’ final command was “to make disciples of ALL nations.” Our God is inclusive. His hope is that ALL would repent and return. Because mankind has been given free will, that may not happen, but it’s nonetheless God’s desire.

Where is your mission field? When we speak of a ‘mission trip,’ we think of going to another city, another state or another country. But it doesn’t have to be that complicated. You can minister to coworkers, fellow students and neighbors. There are enough Christians in the US that there’s no excuse for everyone to not have heard about Jesus. The Good News should be common knowledge in our country.

I’ve personally prayed a great deal about this, and the Lord has given me two answers at different times. First, I was elected leader of a church supporting over a dozen overseas missionaries. My piece of the puzzle was to sustain that local church, so that we’d have a strong base from which to send the others. I was also called to preach at a men’s in-patient treatment facility just off Lake Street. I led services for them once a month for over 25 years. My mission field was Lake Street, Minneapolis, where drug use was prevalent, single parents were the norm and poverty was out of control. There was a lot to do, but life was always better with Jesus in it!

Being obedient to Jesus, we all need to identify our piece of the mission puzzle and add action to our conclusions.

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

Wednesday, August 26, 2026

Ancestry!

Daily message of hope...
For Wednesday, August 26, 2026:

Romans 9:25 NLT, Paul testifying to the church in Rome: “Concerning the Gentiles, God says in the prophecy of Hosea, ‘Those who were not my people, I will now call my people. And I will love those whom I did not love before.’”

Early Christians were all Jews. But following Paul’s efforts, the ancestry ratio shifted so that most modern-day Christians originated in the Gentile population. As a group, we were not Jews, “God’s chosen people.” Friends, it matters not. God is God, and he can choose anyone he wants to. He has now chosen us, the faithful believers who love Jesus. (And yes, some believers were Jews!)

Scripture tells us that whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life. And that scripture is speaking of eternal life, having a home in God’s heavenly Kingdom, living in the place Jesus prepared for you.

As it turns out, our ancestry isn’t the deciding factor. It’s our love for the Son and the Father’s love for us that cement the bidirectional relationship. It’s good to have friends in high places!

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

Tuesday, August 25, 2026

Seeing God!

For Tuesday, August 25, 2026:

Colossians 2:9 NLT, Paul writing to the church in Colossae: “For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body.”

We can’t help but be curious about an unseen God. Paul helps pin down the details.

The completeness of God is contained in Christ. Jesus was known for being kind and helpful. When the sick were brought to him, he kept healing until every one had what they needed. He was inclusive, serving the poor as well as the rich, serving Gentiles as well as Jews. Jews never associated with Samaritans, yet Jesus struck up a conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well, the one with five previous husbands, and shared with her the Good News. When the thief on a cross repented, Jesus said the man could join him in paradise – today! Everyone, yes, everyone is eligible for Jesus’ repent and return offer. Remember, God’s desire is that no one would be lost; that ALL would repent and return.

The beliefs, the commands and the value system of God are all present in his Son. Jesus said that if you’ve seen me, you’ve seen the Father. Celebrate our close association with Christ. It’s just like knowing God!

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

Monday, August 24, 2026

Compassion!

August 24, 2026, Monday Message:

Luke 6:36 NLT, Jesus speaking: “You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.”

God went to all the work of creating the universe, the planets, plants, animals, and finally human beings. Then the humans disobeyed, sinned. At that point, God could have thrown in the towel, concluding that the project was doomed. He did not!

God had fallen in love with these little humanoid creatures he had created. In spite of mankind’s shortcomings, God desired the best for everyone. Rather than abandoning the project, he devised a plan to rescue the faithful. He’d send his son Jesus to pay the penalty for mankind’s sinning. In a way, we’d be rescued by God himself. That’s the ultimate example of being compassionate!

Now that we know what all-out compassion looks like, we can emulate the Father and his Son. It’s said that imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, so we endeavor to live our lives with Jesus as our model!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Sunday, August 23, 2026

Love!

For Sunday, August 23, 2026:

Luke 6:35 NLT, Jesus speaking: “Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked.”

We already love those who love us. Jesus is telling us to offer that love to everyone, even those who aren’t on your side. He wants being nice, kind and helpful to become our first response in any situation. In short, we should always do what Jesus did.

While we can’t earn our way into heaven, God will look kindly on those who obey his Son’s teaching. If you stop and think about it, heaven’s response will mirror your own behavior. If you’ve shown love to all, you’ll be welcomed with open arms. But if you’re known as a jerk here on earth, heaven may have second thoughts. Let’s not go there!

Love your friends, and show kindness to your enemies. But most of all, love the Lord!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Saturday, August 22, 2026

Love & Mercy!

For Saturday, August 22, 2026:

Romans 9:16 NLT, Paul testifying to the church in Rome: “So it is God who decides to show mercy. We can neither choose it nor work for it.”

God is good. God looked at mankind, his creation, and declared it to be very good. Not that WE were particularly good, but that his act of creation was very good. God loves us and he’s not about to change his mind. God is merciful, loving us in spite of our shortcomings.

If we could earn our way into the Kingdom, no one would make it because the Bible says that ALL have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory, his goals for mankind. We are saved by grace, undeserved favor. Our faith in God’s sovereignty includes us among the faithful.

But make no mistake. Salvation is a gift from the Almighty. Unlike other religions, we can’t work for God’s acceptance. We can’t earn his love. Our God has chosen us! He’s a merciful God, and believers are the beneficiaries of his kindness and love!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Friday, August 21, 2026

Son of God!

For Friday, August 21, 2026:

Acts 3:22-23 NLT, Peter, preaching in the Temple: “Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from among your own people. Listen carefully to everything he tells you. Anyone who will not listen to that Prophet will be completely cut off from God’s people.’”

Peter was speaking to a Jewish audience at the Temple, so quoting Moses, God’s man to lead the Jews out of Egypt, was normal and customary. It leant credibility to his greater message, that Jesus was the Messiah. These highly respected words of Moses summarized what Peter had been preaching.

Jesus was born to Jewish parents. Even observers who didn’t yet realize that he was the Messiah heard him speak and knew that he was some kind of heaven-sent prophet. Word-of-mouth was sufficient to attract huge crowds when Jesus would teach, so a great many learned the truth.

1 John 5:12 mirrors Moses’ message: “Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life.” The Bible is speaking of eternal life in the presence of out Lord. Basic Christianity is simple, and I would advise you to not overcomplicate it. The quality of your life after this life is dependent upon your relationship with Jesus, end of story.

A forthright decision in favor of our Savior takes only a moment, but has eternal ramifications. Have you made your decision for Jesus?

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Thursday, August 20, 2026

Final Restoration!

For Thursday, August 20, 2026:

Acts 3:21 NLT, Peter, preaching in the Temple: “For Jesus must remain in heaven until the time for the final restoration of all things, as God promised long ago through his holy prophets.”

How are you at planning for the future? It’s not my strength. When I visit the dental hygienist, they always want to set an appointment for next year. How would I know if I might have a conflict a year from now? A serious disease, a car could run a red light... I dunno. Anything is possible! I thank God daily (and fondly remember Steve Jobs) for including a perpetual calendar in my iPhone – with reminders!

On the other hand, God’s memory is flawless. True prophecies from God always come true. We get to watch God’s scenarios play out. The entire plan for planet earth, mankind, the fall, repentance, and forgiveness was conceived over 6K years ago. It will conclude when it’s time for the final restoration. God never forgets his plan!

Here’s what that final restoration will look like. God will first rebuild the New Heaven and the New Earth. Things will go back to the way they were originally designed, the way they should have been if mankind hadn’t loused everything up by sinning. We talk of dying and going to heaven, to the Kingdom, but that’s only temporary. Our final destination will be the New Earth. God can join us here and will walk alongside us. That’s what the Bible says.

Jesus will return at just the right time as a Savior/soldier on a white horse in the sky. The whole world will know when Jesus has returned, and we enter the time of judgment for all. At judgment, Jesus will advocate for the faithful by restating their total forgiveness. Demons will be driven out, and Satan will be cast into the lake of fire. Our old world, as we knew it, will have been transformed into a welcoming, safe eternal residence. If you’re a believer, there’s a room with your name on it! Godspeed!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Wednesday, August 19, 2026

New Miracles!

For Wednesday, August 19, 2026:

John 16:20 NLT, Jesus speaking: “I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn over what is going to happen to me, but the world will rejoice. You will grieve, but your grief will suddenly turn to wonderful joy.”

Jesus is getting the disciples up to speed on what is about to happen. This is prior to the crucifixion. As this scenario plays out, believers will mourn the death of their spiritual mentor, as they should, while the unenlightened chant, “Crucify him!” But Jesus won’t be gone for long. Three days later he’ll walk away from the tomb, and the shouts will change to, “He is risen!” Indeed.

At that time, there were a lot of fake gods in the land. Idols. They couldn’t actually accomplish anything. Jesus is explaining the actions of a true God, a Creator, someone with authority over life and death! This resurrection would be the first time someone was revived following a public crucifixion! God can do that! That’s why it needs explaining. No one has ever seen anything like this!

Jesus compares this series of events to childbirth. As painful as childbirth is, the joy of a new baby triumphs. Believers will be saddened by the crucifixion, but celebrate the resurrection with joy and amazement! Are you as amazed as these disciples were?

You’ll be even more amazed by knowing that Jesus took our sins to the grave and returned without them! It’s all part of God’s plan to rescue mankind!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church


Tuesday, August 18, 2026

Beware Intellectual Babble!

For Tuesday, August 18, 2026:

Colossians 2:8 AMP, Paul writing to the church in Colossae: “See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception [pseudo-intellectual babble], according to the tradition [and musings] of mere men, following the elementary principles of this world, rather than following [the truth—the teachings of] Christ.”

The world is constantly undergoing change. God gave mankind brains and the ability to think up new ideas. That creative curiosity is what moves our world forward. I’m often amazed, not that things change, but by the speed at which they change! That’s good in scientific and technological circles, but a bad idea in religion. As a group, mankind is quick to jump on the bandwagon and investigate new and exciting things, but it’s unnecessary and in this case, undesirable. The Bible says that both God the Father and his Son are the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. God’s value system and commands are unchanging. Truth doesn’t change.

Are all religions the same? On the surface, many look similar. They advise being nice, loving our neighbor and helping the less fortunate. But only one has dealt with mankind’s sin problem. Only one religion has a Savior, a Redeemer, someone who took the sins of the world to the place of the dead. Our Savior rendered us forgiven, pure and unblemished, prepared for residency in God’s Holy Heavenly eternal Kingdom.

As far as religion is concerned, don’t fall for the latest, greatest innovation. Stick with fellows who teach truth from the Bible, tried and true. Paul counsels us to beware of intellectual babble! And most of all, avoid the myths perpetrated by Satan and his demons. He’ll do anything to take you off the Christian pathway.

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

P.S. Satan isn’t taking a vacation this year!

Monday, August 17, 2026

Repent and Return!

August 17, 2026, Monday Message:

Acts 3:19 NLT, Peter, preaching in the Temple: “Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away.”

Paul is giving everyone the Cliff’s Notes condensed version of how to get right with God. You may know it as the Reader’s Digest condensed version. Friends, coming under God’s umbrella may not be as complicated as you think!

Repent and Return.It’s that simple. God already knows you’ve sinned and the Bible says that ALL have sinned, so that’s a pretty inclusive group! What everyone needs to do is realize what has gone wrong, repent for those actions, and then turn back to the Lord. Put God back up on his pedestal. Give him the place in your life that he should have had all along.

In the Hebrew language, the process is described as turning, like we were headed North but should have been going South. Ideally, we should be growing closer to God, but sin left us falling away. We were backsliders. NOW is the best time to turn or (re)turn to God. Closer to God is always better than farther from God.

Adam and Eve were the first to sin, to think they could be like God. They could not. They had to realize their mistake, their sin, and place themselves back under God’s care. Understand that God still loved them. While they had been sinning, God was making clothes for them.

When God’s people were still doubting, (doubting the Lord is a sin…) God sent 10 plagues, convincing Pharaoh to let God’s people go! When God’s people were afraid to trust in Yahweh, (not trusting Yahweh is a sin…) little David decided to take on the mighty Goliath. It was easier to convince God’s people to return after Goliath’s defeat!

If anyone asks you what to do to become a Christian, to square things up with the Almighty, explain “Repent and Return.” Don’t overcomplicate it. Realize that God WANTS everyone to Repent and Return!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Sunday, August 16, 2026

The Golden Rule!

For Sunday, August 16, 2026:

Luke 6:29, 31 NLT, Jesus speaking: “If someone slaps you on one cheek, offer the other cheek also. If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also. Do to others as you would like them to do to you.”

Jesus is throwing his support behind the Golden Rule, a philosophy found in Confucianism and Egyptian and Greek teachings. More importantly, it’s the way God Almighty wants us to treat one another. “Do to others as you would like them to do to you.”

Back then, If a Roman soldier asked for help carrying his shield or weapons, you were required to do that for one mile. Jesus’ advice is to carry the items two miles, what we call going the extra mile. Go above and beyond what is asked of you. If someone wants your coat, give them your shirt too. Do a better job than is required. Do a little bit extra to make the world a better place for everyone.

Following the crucifixion, the first Christian church was known as “The Way.” That church grew by attraction. Observers could clearly observe a group that loved one another and shared generously. It was a new way of living; it seemed good and people wanted to become a part of it.

Nowadays, churches are still called to improve life here on earth. Each body of believers is unique and should take on projects as God inspires their hearts. Following the example of Jesus, churches are seldom about improving their own lot. We are to “do to others.” We can then share with them the greatest gift of all, the forgiveness of our sins through the sacrifice of Jesus. Our churches still grow through attraction!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Saturday, August 15, 2026

See You Later!

For Saturday, August 15, 2026:

John 16:17-18 NLT: Some of the disciples asked each other, “What does Jesus mean when he says, ‘In a little while you won’t see me, but then you will see me,’ and ‘I am going to the Father’? And what does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand.”

When the disciples say that they don’t understand, that’s an understatement! Jesus is about to do what has never been done before! He will be crucified and buried in a tomb. He will not be seen for three days, but will eventually walk away from it all. Everybody will see him again! Then Jesus will ascend into the sky as he returns to the Father, not to be seen for quite some time. But as our lifetimes come to an end, we’ll enter the Kingdom where we’ll see Jesus once again!

Believers will for sure see Jesus! At judgment, he’ll explain how our sins are forgiven. He’ll welcome us into the Kingdom with open arms!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church


Friday, August 14, 2026

Opportunity Knocks!

For Friday, August 14, 2026:

Acts 3:16 NLT, Peter, preaching in the Temple: “Through faith in the name of Jesus, this man was healed—and you know how crippled he was before. Faith in Jesus’ name has healed him before your very eyes.”

The man in question had been crippled from birth. The man was well known, and everyone was aware of his situation. To make ends meet, he begged at the Temple gate. As Peter and John entered, Peter explained that they had no silver or gold, but were willing to share what they had.

Previously, Jesus had sent Peter and John and the rest of the Apostles as well as numerous disciples to other towns in Israel to multiply his evangelistic efforts. They were all told to heal the sick, cure leprosy, raise the dead and cast out demons. These things were to be done in the name of Jesus, the power source for this project.

That day at the Temple, Jesus’ power had not ended. Peter took the man’s right hand and told him to stand up and walk. Everyone was amazed to see the man first walking, then running and finally jumping. They all recognized him as the crippled beggar at the gate. Suddenly, Peter and John were the talk of the town!

Peter allowed his impulsive nature to take over, and he began preaching to the crowd. He exalted Jesus, the one the crowd had handed over to Pilate. Peter called them out on this: “You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. And we are witnesses of this fact!”

Peter never missed a chance to tell others about Jesus. This healing miracle was opportunity knocking, and Peter opened the evangelism door! That’s our take-away from this scripture. Recognize when an opportunity has presented itself, and take advantage of it while the iron is hot. It’s what we do as Christians!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Thursday, August 13, 2026

Get Up and Walk!

For Thursday, August 13, 2026:

Acts 3:6 NLT: “Peter said, ‘I don’t have any silver or gold for you. But I’ll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!’”

It was customary for Peter and John to attend the 3pm Temple Worship. As they entered, a man lame from birth was carried to his spot near the Wonderful Gate. He was in that same spot daily, begging for contributions since begging was his only means of support. People liked him and looked forward to seeing him there.

Enter Peter and John. Certainly they would show compassion for this man, but they had no money. Peter, who I sometimes call “Mr. Impulsive,” approached the man. Peter was known not known for thinking things through and then doing something. He oftentimes does something first, and then thinks later, wondering why it didn’t work out. But this time, everything worked out just fine!

Peter laid hands on the crippled man. “I don’t have any silver or gold for you. But I’ll give you what I have.” What Peter had was a spirit of being helpful, of doing the next right thing, those traits he learned from Jesus. Peter cried out, “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!”

Peter took the man’s right hand and helped him up. His ankles and feet were instantly strengthened and healed. The man walked, jumped and probably danced a jig! Everyone at the prayer meeting knew that this man had been crippled from birth. So this was a huge living testimony before a large group of people! Maybe now more would believe!

Let’s examine the timetable. First, Jesus was crucified and walked away from the tomb on the 3rd day. 40 days later, his crowd of believers watched him ascending into the sky as he returned to the Father. Pentecost, 50 days after Passover, had come and gone. 3,000 were added to the number of believers that day. So at least a couple months had passed without Jesus’ presence, and now, out of the blue, one more healing, something for which Jesus was best known!

Jesus delegated quite a number of things to his followers, then as well as now. As he sent out evangelists 2 X 2, they were told to heal the sick, cure leprosy, raise the dead and cast out demons. They could do these things by using the name of Jesus. With Jesus, anything is possible. Without Jesus, nothing will get done. Believers were also told to share the Good News, the Gospel, with everyone, and let them know that the Kingdom of God is closer than it’s ever been! God had been walking on earth alongside mankind! Hallelujah!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church