Delivered from Demons!

Daily message of hope...

For Sunday, July 19, 2026: 

Luke 6:13 NLT: “The large crowd had come to hear Jesus and to be healed of their diseases; and those troubled by evil spirits were healed.”

 Jesus and his disciples came down from the mountain after the selection of 12 Apostles. A surprisingly large crowd awaited them. People from all over Israel had gathered both to hear Jesus speak and for healing. Word about Jesus was out!

 Luke, our investigative reporter, took notice that many were healed from diseases and sickness. But many others were delivered from the unclean spirits haunting them. Satan is never on holiday, and constantly sends demons to throw sand into the gears of our lives. Jesus knew this was a first-order problem. People could not be physically healed when evil was side-tracking their lives. We know that divine healing includes the casting out of demons. 

 The crowd tried to get close to Jesus and touch him. Healing power seemed to emanate from him. Jesus isn’t a quitter. The Bible says he healed everyone.

 How many were healed by Jesus? (Say it with me:) “EVERYONE!”

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

Multiply Your Efforts!

For Saturday, July 18, 2026:

Luke 6:12 NLT: “At daybreak Jesus called together all of his disciples and chose twelve of them to be Apostles.”

This is similar to how many things are organized nowadays. Think of the Apostles as department heads, helping to organize the numerous disciples. They fit into the chain of command.

Our military works this way. Enlisted personnel report to a Sargent, who is accountable to a Colonel, who looks up to a General. (I left out a few steps, but you get the idea!)

In the past, I did a lot of work for a bank. There was a president, and then four executive vice-presidents. My contact was in charge of mergers and acquisitions. He didn’t concern himself with tellers, investment strategy or retirement income. He didn’t do checking or savings accounts. He just bought other banks and merged them into the existing operations. I watched the bottom line grow to ten times its previous size through his efforts!

There was only one Jesus, and only 24 hours in a day. The way to multiply his efforts was to send the Apostles to different cities, 2 x 2. That way six more cities could hear the Good News each day. The Apostles would also send out some of the disciples, further increasing the impact. Think of it as the McDonald’s method of evangelism. If we want to sell more hamburgers, we need to have more stores, more locations, more salespeople!

Jesus had many disciples, but only 12 Apostles. You and I are today’s disciples! Are you ready to go out and share the Good News? That’s what Jesus said to do!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

God's Purpose!

For Wednesday, July 15, 2026:

John 16:2 NLT, Jesus speaking to believers: “You will be expelled from the synagogues, and the time is coming when those who kill you will think they are doing a holy service for God.”

In religion, things can get twisted around in unbelievable ways. In this case, those who know the Lord and exalt Jesus are thrown out of the worship center by others who think they know better. They do not! Those on the Jesus team will be killed (martyred) by the misled, who think they’re doing the Lord’s work. They are not!

Let’s use Paul as an example. He was loyal to the law of Moses, trained as a Rabbi, and sought to quash these renegade Jesus worshipers. He asked for a letter from the high priest to capture these Jesus-subversives and deliver them to Jerusalem in chains, or even kill them if chains didn’t work out. But Jesus personally tapped Paul on the shoulder on the road to Damascus. Paul was struck blind until he yielded to Christian baptism! He did a 180º, and became one of Christianity’s biggest supporters!

At the time, Pharisees were the religious elite. But they plotted the killing of Jesus by repeatedly lying. Lying is wrong, but plotting murder is even worse! Power and money kept them from accepting Jesus as the Son of God. They arranged Jesus’ crucifixion, and in a turn of events, Jesus took the sins of the world to the place of the dead, leaving mankind forgiven and able to reconcile with the Father. God used their evil ways for a holy purpose!

I’ve said before that God always wins! He can flip a hopeless situation and use it for his purpose. Jesus, who the Pharisees wanted to kill, is now seated at the right hand of the Father. It seems to be working out for him! And everything is also working out for Jesus’ followers, true believers and disciples like you and me!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

P.S. It’s National Hot Dog Day, in case you’re a little short on nitrites and sodium!

Matthew!

 For Sunday, June 28, 2026: 

Luke 5:28 NLT: “Levi got up, left everything, and followed Jesus.”

 Being a tax collector is not easy. It involves making a decision to accept a position with the opposition, with those who have been persecuting your people. In simple words, you’re knowingly working for the bad guys! All your Hebrew friends dislike you because you’re working for the Romans.

 The Bible often describes “sinners and tax collectors” when listing evil people. Tax collectors were thought to be a step worse than regular sinners. Most tax collectors lived an opulent lifestyle. It was well known that they’d add a little extra to the tax, and then skim those shekels for themselves. But in spite of their wealth, most tax collectors were not happy. They had been raised as Jews and would be more content living out their divine purpose.

 So when Jesus said, “Follow me and be my disciple,” Levi was primed and ready to go! He threw a huge banquet at his home to honor Jesus. He invited other tax collectors and government officials. He had previously made a decision to become this tax collector, but today he was making a decision to follow Jesus. He was proud of his new decision and wanted all his friends to know, hence the gathering.

 We all have a “before Jesus” story and an “after Jesus” story. No matter how you lived your life before Jesus, those days are in the past. There is no sin too great that it cannot be covered by the sacrifice made by Jesus. Followers of Jesus are 100% forgiven. God is more concerned with your turning point, when you made your decision to follow the Son. That decision changed everything. Believers are then adopted into the Holy Family. As such, we share all the rights and privileges of those who call heaven home.

 That day, Levi wasn’t just deciding in favor of Jesus. He was locking in his eternal destiny. We know Levi as the Apostle Matthew!

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

Heaven is Expecting You!

For Tuesday, June 9, 2026:

Romans 8:30 NLT: “Having chosen his people, God called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory.”

Disciples of Jesus are part of God’s plan for eternity. You were chosen, earmarked for heaven, from the beginning. Since the Father cannot coexist with sin, he arranged for our sins to be forgiven by the work Jesus did on the cross. In the end, everything works out according to God’s plan, and we’re blessed to be included.

Do you appreciate the size of God’s gift? The Bible says that there is life after this life, and there are only two destinations: God’s Kingdom, or Satan’s place. The Kingdom will be fun, filled with activity, worship and other good things. Satan can only provide a lake of fire, leaving residents miserable – forever! Once we leave this reality, we cannot cross over from one side to the other. The decision to be with Jesus can only be made by humans on earth. So there’s an urgency to lock in our eternal position before passing. Me? I’m with Jesus!

Nothing could be worse than knowing you had a chance to spend eternity with the Savior, but never followed through on it. TODAY is the day to claim your reservation in the hereafter. TODAY is the best day to dedicate or rededicate your life to the Son. He’s already preparing a place for you!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

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

Mission!

June 1, 2026, Monday Message:

Matthew 10:8a NLT, Jesus speaking: “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons.”

There is only one Jesus, one Son of God. He is fully God, but while walking on earth, he’s also fully human. His goal is to share the Good News (Gospel) with all Israel. To multiply his efforts, he sends out the 12, 2 X 2, equipping them with his supernatural powers so the populous will understand the mighty power of God.

Jesus would not have told his Apostles to do these things unless it was possible for them to succeed. Jesus was known for healing, but now Jesus’ FOLLOWERS would be known for healing! Later, Jesus would include other disciples in the groups he sent out to evangelize. Everyone he sent would have power over Satan and his demons if they used the name of Jesus!

Faith can affect the success rate of miracles. We should pray as if the miracle had already happened. Jesus personally gave us this power – now claim it! A couple more things. Loud prayers aren’t necessarily better. Just explain what you need to happen, and use Jesus’ name, calmly. Our God is orderly. And leave out the “justs” and “onlys!” They usually add nothing to the praying. “Oh Father, we just come before you today asking only for mercy.” Bad example.

Jesus authorized proselytization. Believers have been called to make disciples of all nations, so let’s get out there, get busy and work our assignments. Use Jesus’ name. Smile!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Jesus the Socialite!

For Tuesday, May 26, 2026:

Luke 4:38-39a NLT: “Jesus went to Simon’s home, where he found Simon’s mother-in-law very sick with a high fever. ‘Please heal her,’ everyone begged. Standing at her bedside, he rebuked the fever, and it left her.”

Jesus is particularly good at setting things right, putting things back to their intended way, their intended purpose. Satan and his demons, on the other hand, are known for disruption, for sending situations and people in the wrong direction, well off their intended course. Just prior to this, Jesus had cast a demon out of a wild man, creating a ruckus in the Synagogue. The disciples were starting to believe that Jesus could do anything! Now Simon’s mother-in-law was sidelined with a severe fever, and Jesus was asked to intervene. A few words from the Son of God sent the fever on its way. Demons fear Jesus and his name, so the fever is quickly extinguished. Score “one” for Jesus!

Close friendship and a sense of community are benefits for Christians who live the way Jesus intends for us to live. Christians are meant to love one another and share generously. It’s not unusual for a good friend to do a favor for his/her brother or sister. So when Jesus was asked to help Simon’s mother-in-law, it was a given that he’d pitch in.

When Jesus walked on the Earth, he was a social creature, always visiting someone’s house, taking a meal with others, and hanging out with ‘the guys!’ Invite him into your house today. You might be surprised at all the good that could happen!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Come Quickly, Lord Jesus!

For Tuesday, May 19, 2026:

Revelation 22:20 NLT: “He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon!’ Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!”

In the language Jesus spoke, the word was “maranatha,” “surely I will come quickly.” Jesus said he would return, and as the Bible wraps up, his promise is once again confirmed. No longer just prophecy, Jesus’ return will put the End Times scenario in motion right before our eyes!

Those who have read Christian theology clearly understand that life is better when Jesus is with us. So Christians pray, “Come quickly, Lord Jesus!” Please don’t let too much time pass. We need you, and we need you now! There’s always an implied urgency in these prayers. “Come quickly, the sooner the better!”

As we strive to make disciples of all nations, God has started the End Times countdown. It will progress at His pace. God’s timing is always perfect!

Revelation concludes, “May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with all of God’s holy people. Amen!”

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

Changed for the Better!

For Wednesday, April 29, 2026:

Colossians 1:6 NLT: “This same Good News (Gospel) that came to you is going out all over the world. It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about God’s wonderful grace.”

Years ago, (when I was a much younger man,) I wrote “Changed Minds, Changed Hearts, Changed Lives.” Some of it was about evangelism. We needed to change some people’s minds about attending church, who Jesus is and the truth of the Bible. For those already attending, a change of heart was needed. They needed to be “all in” for Jesus, more than just “pew sitters.” With a changed heart, they could then unflinchingly believe in the truth of the Bible, and that Jesus is God’s Son. And as lives would change, many could move into leadership. Their lives were changed permanently!

In this scripture, a word that stands out to me is “understood.” Paul is saying that you may not have been convinced when you first heard about this, but only after you understood deep down the truth of what was being taught.

The other word is “truth.” Remember, Paul was waylaid on the road to Damascus by the risen Jesus, struck blind, and then shown truth by Jesus himself. To him, believing in Jesus was now nonnegotiable. Jesus had commanded believers to make disciples of all nations, and Paul was doing his part. He took the Gospel out of Jerusalem, out of Israel, and was now spreading the Good News throughout Asia Minor. We continue that work nowadays!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Who Is This Guy?

April 27, 2026, Monday Message:

Mark 11:27-28 NLT: “Jesus and the disciples were walking through the Temple area, when the leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders came up to him. They demanded, “By what authority are you doing all these things? Who gave you the right to do them?”

Those posing the question didn’t really like Jesus. They were prejudiced against him. He was a threat to their authority and income. So they asked him kind of a trick question. If Jesus said he was on his own, he wouldn’t possess the authority to demand compliance. If he said he was sent by God, they would demand proof.

Jesus answers their question with one of his own, like the storybook troll asking you to solve a riddle before crossing a bridge. “I’ll answer your question if you can answer mine. What about John the Baptist? Who gave him authority?”

The priests and teachers didn’t know how to answer. They hadn’t obeyed John, so they couldn’t admit that his words were heaven-sent. On the other hand, they didn’t want to say John was merely human, because most people thought John was a prophet. So this collection of the greatest religious minds in all of Israel finally answered, “We don’t know.” Duh!

Consequently, Jesus refused to give them an answer. To him, the answer should have been obvious. Who would know all of God’s laws, the best way for us to live? Who could heal any malady, making people as good as new? Who could raise Lazarus from the dead? Everyone may not have known that Jesus is God’s Son, but they should have been able to discern that his actions were heaven-sent.

Jesus wants us all to answer that question, “Who do you believe he is?” Read and re-read the eyewitness accounts until you get it. Jesus is the heaven-sent Son of the Most High, who was sent here to rescue mankind. His mission was successful!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Sabbath!

 For Sunday, April 26, 2026:

Luke 4:16 NLT: “When Jesus came to the village of Nazareth, his boyhood home, he went as usual to the synagogue on the Sabbath and stood up to read the Scriptures.”

 Looking at that text, we already know about Jesus, we know about Nazareth, we know about synagogues and the Sabbath. What strikes me as the teachable moment are the words, “as usual.” It was normal and customary to attend a religious gathering, to praise God and worship him on the Sabbath. It would have been far more unusual to NOT attend!

 I know a pastor whose son asked on Sunday morning, “Dad, do we have to go to church today?”

Dad: “That‘s about the dumbest question I’ve ever heard! We don’t HAVE to go to church; we WANT to go to church!”

 Church is where we meet our best friends, like-minded individuals. Church is our community, our fellowship. But most of all, we gather to praise the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, giving thanks for our creation and rescue from sin. We worship God as the head of everything. We’re thankful for the offer of life after this life, and for God honoring us with the offer of eternity in his Kingdom. We get to hear scripture from the Bible to inspire us to face another week!

 Church is a good, safe place to invite others. Bring your new friends. Help make disciples of all nations!

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

Vines and Branches!

For Thursday, April 23, 2026:

John 15:4 NLT, Jesus speaking: “Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.”

When Jesus walked on earth, almost everyone was a part of the agricultural industry, albeit on a small scale. If your family had apple trees, you could take some to market and barter for olives or figs. Or grapes and a little meat. Even children would know how to grow things, how to raise a crop. So Jesus uses an example that everyone would understand.

He calls himself the grapevine, and Father God would be the gardener, the one with a lot of wisdom about such things. If a branch no longer produces fruit, it’s worthless, so the gardener cuts it off, and into the fire it goes. Branches producing a bountiful harvest are pruned judiciously, so they can produce even more.

Jesus tells them, “You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you.” Ah, I get it! Believers are the fruit of Jesus’ ministry!

But this isn’t the time to coast. Don’t even consider quitting. There’s still plenty of work to do. Stay connected with Jesus and with fellow believers. A branch cannot produce more fruit for the Kingdom if it’s separated from the vine.

Today, there are about 2.6 billion Christians on our Earth. Every one of them is the result of Jesus being the vine that can support many branches. Just before Jesus left us to return to the Father, he commanded, “Go and make disciples of all nations.” Our work will be done when everyone has had a chance to learn the Good News!

Jesus says the harvest will be plentiful so we could use a few more workers!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Baptized!

For Tuesday, April 14, 2026:

Luke 3:21-22 NLT: One day, when the crowds were being baptized, Jesus himself was baptized. As he was praying, the heavens opened, and the Holy Spirit, in bodily form, descended on him like a dove. And a voice from heaven said, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.”

This happened over 2k years ago. I’m amazed that with no telephones or texts, no radio or TV, no internet or Twitter, that somehow a crowd of people would hear that John the Baptist was once again in the Jordan River, advising people to repent and return. The crowd assembled, and John shouted, “The kingdom of God is at hand!” Oh, to have been in the crowd that day!

Jesus was present, and he stepped forward to be baptized. In a semi-private conversation, John said that Jesus should be baptizing him! After all, God’s Son didn’t need his sins washed away! He was sinless! But this was a lesson in obedience, honoring God the Father as Lord of your life. Jesus is said to be fully God and fully human, and the human side of him submitted to the Father as he walked on this Earth.

I wish I could have seen the dove descending upon Jesus and heard the voice of the Father. I imagine God’s voice to be big, booming and bold, but that’s just conjecture, not in the Bible.

Christians are to be baptized in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. It matters little who leads the ceremony. This is a case where Jesus said, “Use my name!” That’s what’s important. Baptism is part of making disciples of all nations, Jesus’ final instructions before ascending into heaven.

He went on ahead to prepare a place for believers! Is your name on his “Things to do” list?

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

Authorized!

For Saturday, April 11, 2026:

Mark 16:19-20 NLT: “When the Lord Jesus had finished talking with his disciples, he was taken up into heaven and sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand. And the disciples then went everywhere and preached, and the Lord worked through them, confirming what they said by many miraculous signs.”

Jesus had prepared his disciples, saying that he would not be with them forever. He said that he would suffer and die, rise after three days, and eventually return to the Father. Everything happened exactly as he prophesied! It’s now time for these disciples to put Jesus’ final instructions into play.

Remember that “Apostle” refers to the original 12, but “disciple” is a much larger group of people, both men and women, who believed in Jesus, believed he was the Messiah and that his words were God’s words.

Mark just gives us the Reader’s Digest “condensed” version of the Great Commission: “The disciples then went everywhere and preached, and the Lord worked through them, confirming what they said by many miraculous signs.” When Jesus sent disciples on previous evangelistic mission trips, he told them to heal the sick, raise the dead and cast out demons, and it’s no different this time. They would preach the Good News, and God would prove them “authorized” by these miraculous signs!

Those original disciples covered most of Israel, but did not venture far into Asia Minor. God was preparing Paul, Timothy and Silas for that mission field. Where is your mission field? In my previous churches, we supported many missionaries in faraway foreign countries. And each summer, our youth group would lead a VBS in Mexico. I prayed and prayed about this, and finally God sent me to Lake Street in Minneapolis. Turns out He has plenty of work that needs doing right here in town!

So the best place to do ministry is wherever God calls you to do ministry! Pray and then be obedient. Do what Jesus asked you to do!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church