Jesus' Power!

For Sunday, May 31, 2026:

Luke 4:40 NLT: “As the sun went down that evening, people throughout the village brought sick family members to Jesus. No matter what their diseases were, the touch of his hand healed every one.”

Jesus has exceptional healing power. If a human body isn’t working right, odds are there’s a defect that needs to be corrected. That defect is the result of sin in the world, the result of Satan’s efforts. This isn’t to imply that the sick person did anything wrong. But sometimes Satan picks at us, hoping we’ll give up and abandon God.

When Jesus began healing in the Bible, a lot of details is written about the process. “Jesus prayed; he laid hands on the person; he made a paste out of mud, and rubbed it on the blind man’s eyes.” But Jesus’ healing became so commonplace that later accounts simply say, “He healed all those who needed healing.”

Those Jesus sent out were given a mission: Heal the sick, cleanse leprosy, raise the dead and cast out demons. He also gave us instructions to make disciples, baptize and welcome the newcomers into the fellowship. We are to love God and love our neighbors.

As we go about our work, Jesus said we should use his name. Make it a habit!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Choose Me!

For Saturday, May 16, 2026:

John 15:16 NLT, Jesus speaking: “You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name.”

Jesus would only choose people he wants to work with. People who have already chosen Jesus have an edge in this department. If people already love Jesus and want to help increase the number of believers, Jesus will assign them a territory to be their battleground. Your battleground and mine are probably different.

Think of signing on with Jesus like a sports draft. Believers have signed on with the “Jesus” team, doing our best to be forever loyal to his cause. Jesus says that the Father will give us whatever we ask for if we use his name. We are to make disciples of all nations and to do everything Jesus asks. The Father rewards obedience!

Jesus commanded us to heal the sick, raise the dead, cast out demons and preach the Good News. We understand the assignment. Now let’s get to work!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Name of Jesus!

 March 16, 2026, Monday Message: 

John 14:13-14 NLT, Jesus speaking: “You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!”

 When something in the Bible needs extra emphasis, it’s often repeated, written twice. Today’s scripture is a good example. It’s two verses that literally say the same thing. Anything we ask in Jesus’ name is possible. As an extreme example, you could order a mountain into the sea in Jesus’ name, and it would happen. (Mark 11:23)

 Certain rules come into play here, and this is not an exhaustive list. No showing off using Jesus’ powers, and nothing frivolous. His promise is for locked-in believers as they go about the Lord’s work. If we encounter someone who needs healing, we should take care of it. Note that our cry for healing won’t override God’s previous decision to call someone home.

 Satan, the “prince of this world,” is still free to inflict his brand of misery. Don’t take this to mean that he is equal to God, but it does symbolize the influence Satan has over human affairs and sinful choices. Did you ever notice that when Jesus healed someone, he would oftentimes cast out demons, perhaps the root cause of their misery?

 In the same way as Satan is inferior to God Almighty, he is also inferior to Jesus (Godly part of the Trinity). Therefore, Satan’s little demons are inferior to believers when we use the name of Jesus! We can cast them out, send them away using the name of Jesus.

 Luke Ch. 8 describes a group of women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases. They now traveled with Jesus and his other disciples. One woman was Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. That’s a lot of baggage! Those women put their personal resources behind Jesus’ ministry, demons be damned!

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

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

Victory over Evil!

For Wednesday, September 14, 2022:

Mark 5:6-8 NLT: “When Jesus was still some distance away, the man saw him, ran to meet him, and bowed low before him. With a shriek, he screamed, ‘Why are you interfering with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In the name of God, I beg you, don’t torture me!’ For Jesus had already said to the spirit, ‘Come out of the man, you evil spirit.’”

The evil spirit’s name was Legion, which in Roman army terms could mean between 3,000 and 6,000 soldiers. That’s a lot of evil in one guy! Common sense tells us when the man is speaking and when the evil spirits were speaking through the man. Interestingly, the spirits all knew exactly who Jesus was, and the power he had against them. Of course Jesus healed the man, casting out all the demons.

We live in a fallen world. In these modern times people tend to forget that demons are real, that they try to possess individuals all the time and that calling upon the name of Jesus is the best solution to cleanse the situation. Jesus has cast out demons before, and he can and will do it again, so that believers can belong to him, not to Satan!

Jesus is the answer for the evil in our world!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship, 3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406