Access to God!

For Tuesday, September 1, 2026:

John 16:23 NLT, Jesus speaking: “At that time you won’t need to ask me for anything. I tell you the truth, you will ask the Father directly, and he will grant your request because you use my name.”

The “time” about which Jesus is speaking follows the crucifixion. We will not see him for a while. But he will be resurrected from the tomb and we will see him again. After that, he will ascend to the Father, absent from us for a while, but we will see him again as he ushers us into the Father’s Kingdom. He will never leave us of forsake us!

Remember that as Jesus was crucified, the curtain isolating the Holy of Holies was torn from top to bottom, which means God was doing the tearing. Because we’re disciples of Jesus, we no longer need to summon a priest or religious leader to communicate with God. Jesus has given us direct access to the Father. We can ask him directly using the Jesus’ name. Jesus’ name commands great respect in the spirit world. Demons don’t like it when we use Jesus’ name, for they know that he is God’s Son. They know that they are powerless against him.

We can heal the sick, raise the dead and cast out demons using Jesus’ name. Maybe even more! That’s what the Bible says!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

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

Spiritual Healing!

July 6, 2026, Monday Message:

Luke 5:31-32 NLT, Jesus speaking: “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent.”

Yesterday, we looked at physical illness and Jesus’ part in physical healing. Today, spiritual healing is our focus.

Friends, Satan isn’t on vacation. His mission is to disrupt our lives, to instigate turmoil, and he’s good at it. His little demons are constantly putting sand in the gears of our lives. Our ‘machine’ may still run, but not nearly as well!

Spiritual neglect oftentimes results in physical illness, so it can be confusing. In such a case, Doctor Jesus is the only answer. When Jesus would heal people, he’d also cast out the demons at the root of their problem. Demons recognize Jesus as the Son of God, hence their fear of him. Jesus authorized believers to use his name when dealing with such a problem, so we should do that.

With the Son of God on our side, Satan doesn’t stand a chance!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

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

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

Forgive First!

April 13, 2026, Monday Message:

Mark 11:24-25 NLT, Jesus speaking: “I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours. But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.”

That’s verses 24 & 25. Your Bible may not have verse 26. It’s only in some of the original manuscripts, but not all. It reads as follows: “But if you refuse to forgive, your Father in heaven will not forgive your sins.” That fits with the Lord’s Prayer: “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.”

Forgiveness is key to normal Christianity. Forgiveness is what makes everything else work, which makes it #1 on my list. Forgive everyone who has offended you, and hold no grudges. That person who dissed you last year isn’t even in the picture today, so let it go. Don’t dwell on it any longer. Take ‘getting even’ off your agenda, and move on. With a clean slate, you can now approach the Lord!

#2 Be 100% committed and devoted to God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Romantically, we say, “I love you with all my heart.” Paul counsels us to open the eyes of our hearts, our innermost self, not the eyes that see the world, but eyes perpetually focused on God. “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people.” (Eph. 1:18)

#3 Jesus told believers to use his name. It commands respect and authority in the spiritual realm. Demons are afraid of Jesus. When preaching, evangelizing or healing, Jesus said we should use his name. When I die and show up at the pearly gates, I’m going to use Jesus’ name. He said he was going ahead to prepare a place for me!

How about you?

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

Risen!

     For Tuesday, February 3, 2026:

Mark 16:9, 11 NLT: “After Jesus rose from the dead early on Sunday morning, the first person who saw him was Mary Magdalene, the woman from whom he had cast out seven demons. But when she told the disciples that Jesus was alive and she had seen him, they didn’t believe her.”

Thus begins the longer ending of this Gospel. I suspect some writers assumed that once the tomb was empty, the story was complete. Not quite! There will be another 40 days to document. As Paul Harvey used to say, “the r-r-r-rest of the story.” Yes, the tomb was empty, but even more important is the fact that Jesus was alive! People could see him, hear him and follow him around. He proved that there is life after this life.

Before Jesus, Mary Magdalene was a tough case. After all, she was occupied by seven demons. But once freed from Satan’s influence, she quickly assumed the role of “most loyal to Jesus,” sort of a female equivalent of Simon Peter. It actually makes sense that she would be the first to see the risen Christ.

Notice the order in which Jesus did things. Before healing, teaching or including her in the group, he cast out her demons, all seven of them. Wow! She must have been a mess! But Satan’s minions have no power over the name of Jesus. We should learn from what Jesus did. He said believers should use his name!

Humans tend to believe what we expect to see. Our minds fulfill our expectations. In this case, the disciples had watched as Jesus died on the cross, was pierced with a spear, and then laid in a grave. So when Magdalene said she saw Jesus alive, she was doubted.

But it turned out that she was right. When Jesus called out, “Mary,” she knew his voice. Are you familiar enough with Jesus that if he called out your name, you’d recognize His voice?

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

Jesus' Name!

For Saturday, October 4, 2025:

John 14:12-13 NLT, Jesus speaking: “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father.”

When Jesus designates others to be his representatives here on earth, he tells them to do what he did. Use his name to underwrite miracles. In fact, do even greater works than Jesus did, because he’s planning to return to the Father. Someone needs to continue his earthly work, and you’re “it!” Spiritual gifts are for all believers, not just clergy!

I heard a man from Kenya speak about healing in his country. There are still those who first consult sorcerers and witch doctors. When those options yield no results, the inflicted move on to hospitals and doctors. There, they care for the infirm, but seldom do much to heal the person. Their last resort (should have been their first!) is to come to someone who knows Jesus, who knows the Good News. Jesus said we should heal the sick, raise the dead, and cast out demons. That’s most important, because Satan may be the root of many problems! Large tumors growing from arms have disappeared right before their eyes because the Pastor (the Healer) invoked Jesus’ name! The hospital can then put your sore arm in a sling, but only Jesus can remove the tumor, no surgery required! Internal bodily functions are corrected on the spot. Sight is restored, hearing is restored, and lameness is routinely corrected, all in the name of Jesus.

In some scientific and industrial ways, the US appears to be ahead of Kenya. But in knowing and trusting Jesus, they may have passed us. Our fear of trusting what we cannot see has separated us from the grace of the Almighty!

It’s time to rekindle that relationship!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Lives Improved Instantly!

For Saturday, May 17, 2025:

Luke 11:14 NLT: “One day Jesus cast out a demon from a man who couldn’t speak, and when the demon was gone, the man began to speak. The crowds were amazed!”

Life changed, life improved, in an instant! Jesus could make a life better – RIGHT AWAY! He still can today!

But many in the crowd were suspicious of his superpower. Some thought his authority was from Satan, not from God. They were just looking for an excuse to not acknowledge God Almighty. Others thought it was just a one-time fluke, a stroke of luck. They challenged Jesus, “Do it again. Show us another miraculous sign, and maybe THEN we’ll believe.” Apparently, once wasn’t convincing enough!

I’ve said it before, friends: Keep your eyes open and remain alert. Satan isn’t on holiday, and demons weren’t given the day off. Their full-time mission is to divert our focus from God. As we walk through life, they throw obstacles in our paths to trip us up. Demons are happiest when throwing sand into the gears of our lives. Jesus could and would cast out these demons, and believers have been empowered to do the same in Jesus’ name. It’s best to remove the demons before attempting any healing or rehabilitation. In today’s scripture, Jesus cast out the demon who was holding the man’s tongue!

Satan’s demons knew about Jesus and feared him. Jesus knew about demons, but did not fear them. Jesus wants us to take on his attitude!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Power from Jesus!

For Wednesday, May 7, 2025:

Luke 10:17 NLT, The 72 reporting to Jesus: “Lord, even the demons obey us when we use your name!”

Having been around Jesus, the 72 disciples knew about Satan and his demons. Jesus was casting out demons all the time. But little did they suspect that they too would have the power to derail these pesky critters. The 72 were amazed!

Of course, it’s not their power; invoking Jesus’ name does the trick! Know that heaven always triumphs over hell; God always triumphs over Satan; and good always triumphs over evil.

The Bible says that when sent on a mission, we’ll be well equipped. We’ll be given the tools, the resources and the power to make it all happen. This is God’s promise to us.

Jesus first sent the 12 and then the 72 as his advance teams. And now with the Great Commission (see Matthew 28), all believers are commanded to be the hands and feet of Jesus. Just like the 12 and the 72, we are to heal the sick, raise the dead and cast out demons. We are to make disciples of all nations, and baptize them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We are to pull souls out of the pit of hell and point them toward a heavenly path!

Just for fun, you can flip to the back of the Book and see who wins! No surprise there! Isn’t it great to play for a winning team?

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Authorized Believers!

For Saturday, May 3, 2025:

Mark 16:20 NLT: “The disciples went everywhere and preached, and the Lord worked through them, confirming what they said by many miraculous signs.”

Following Jesus’ ascension back to the Father, his disciples didn’t just sit around. They got right to work. Where did they go? This scripture says, “Everywhere!” They went all over Jerusalem, all over the countryside, and eventually all over Israel. What did they do? They preached the Good News, the Gospel, the story of Jesus coming to earth to rescue mankind, to personally pay the price for the sins of the world. They were doing exactly what Jesus told them to do. They were evangelizing! (See Matthew 28.)

How did Jesus respond to the believer’s efforts? Jesus (and God) fully supported their mission with healings and other miraculous signs. (I will never leave you or forsake you.) These lent credibility to their testimonies. If the believers intended to heal a sick person and that person actually got well, non-believers would be convinced. Also the person healed would most certainly be convinced, and would tell others!

Jesus oftentimes authorized believers to perform the same seemingly impossible miracles he did. He made it look easy. He told his followers, “Just use my name!” Jesus sent out 72 in Luke 10, and the 12 disciples in Matthew 10, authorizing them to: “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons.”

Right now, the evil Satan has the run of this world. But Satan is a created being who eventually will have to answer to God. God–Father, Son and Holy Spirit–can bring Satan down faster than the Timberwolves took down the Lakers! In the meantime, we no longer have to suffer abuse from Satan. Jesus gave all believers (how many? ALL believers!) authority over the devil by using Jesus’ name. Say it with me: “In the name of Jesus!”

The name of Jesus instills fear in the heart of the evil one!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship