Captives Freed!

For Friday, July 3, 2026:

John 8:36 NLT: “If the Son sets you free, you are truly free.”

This is freedom week in the US. July 4^th is Independence Day, but this year, many moved the legal holiday to the 3^rd. Banks were closed, but mail was delivered. I don’t get it! Well, the actual day doesn’t matter as long as we’re celebrating the Son setting us free!

When the Bible says that Jesus set the captives free, it’s not talking about lawbreaking convicted prisoners getting loose. Christian or not, some people are willing slaves to sins, things that will eventually take us down. We all know people who are slaves to addictions, depression, pornography, suicidal thoughts, anger, fear, anxiety, and a whole lot more! (This isn’t an exhaustive list!) Jesus came to bring freedom to people held captive by spiritual demons. Satan writes out the list.

Our country is free from monarchs and principalities. We just need to get better at fighting Satan and his little demon-helpers. We can pray for freedom in the name of Jesus, because he wants believers to be free from Satanic influence. Lose all the bad stuff that can take you down, and live in the pure light that grants us freedom.

Jesus said, “I am the light of the world!” His way is the best way!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Freedom!

For Saturday, July 06, 2024:

Galatians 5:1 NLT: “Freedom is what we have—Christ has set us free! Stand, then, as free people, and do not allow yourselves to become slaves again.”

Earlier this week in the US, we celebrated Independence Day, when the colonies declared themselves separated from the edicts of King George. Our leaders met and decided that we should no longer be slaves. We deserve “free will,” the inalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Freedom is worth fighting for, and fight we did, victorious at the conclusion. The Holy Spirit had moved the minds of our founding fathers to endorse a new, unique system of government! Playing games with semantics, you can call us a Republic or a Democracy or a Democratic Republic. But it all boils down to “Freedom!”

250 years ago, most countries had kings, monarchs, or dictators. This new United States was the exception, espousing freedom. People live all over the world, but we are the ones blessed by being set down in a nation of freedom. God chose us to be here. Comparing the US with living in other countries, our freedom is clearly a gift from above. Therefore it is our duty to uphold that freedom and support the living God who so blessed us.

Have you ever asked a first-order question, like, “Why am I here?” We exist to live as God intended, to write God’s principles of freedom into forever-textbooks. After the US was established, many other countries used the United States’ model to author their own constitutions. Freedom is catching on, albeit slowly.

God wants to spread freedom much faster than dictators want to give it up!

Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Freedom!

For Thursday, July 4, 2024:

Genesis 1:9 NLT: “Then God said, ‘Let the waters beneath the sky flow together into one place, so dry ground may appear.’ And that is what happened.”

God saw that it was good! Depending upon the quantity, we call the dry ground ‘land, continents or countries.’ Upon its creation, the dry land was all thought of as one commodity, created to be the home of mankind, the humans which God would subsequently create. At that time, there were not separate races, separate countries, separate rulers or wars between them. Sinful mankind divided the land through battles, with the victors becoming kings, monarchs or dictators. Regrettably, much of the world is organized that way nowadays.

It seems that each country wants ‘more.’ China wants Taiwan and everything in the South China Sea. Russia wants Ukraine. North Korea wants South Korea. Israel wants all the land occupied by Palestinians, who wish God had never given the promised land to the Jews.

Jealous over our success, many countries resent the United States. Our Declaration of Independence was a new and unique model for a country. If the world was to adopt it, many dictators would be displaced. They perceive the US model as a huge threat. Freedom and equal opportunity are not available in much of the world, but this is the plan GOD gave US! We should guard our system of government and consider its sacred source. We should honor and celebrate God’s gift to us, and today, Independence Day, is a good day to thank our Lord!

Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Freedom & Hope!

For Monday, July 05, 2021

John 8:32 NLT: “Jesus said, ‘My disciples will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’”

Because July 4^th fell on a Sunday, Independence Day is officially observed today. Our country was launched with the Christian principles of truth and freedom. Our founders desired freedom from the British Monarchy. That freedom was such a desirable commodity that they were willing to fight the Revolutionary War – willing to lay down their lives for freedom!

A big part of that was freedom to worship. It’s not that the Anglican church was so bad; but the founders’ desire was that our faith should answer to Jesus and to the Bible, and no other authority. Of course knowing the truth of eternal salvation – the truth about Jesus being the Son of God – is the truth that can set everyone free and fill us with hope, regardless of governments.

Today we celebrate the freedom of knowing Jesus our way – Happy Independence Day!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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