Prosperous vs Sorrow!

Daily message of hope...
For Thursday, August 6, 2026:

Luke 6:25a NLT: “What sorrow awaits you who are fat and prosperous now, for a time of awful hunger awaits you.

Jesus is laying out a paradox, a contradiction in terms. We don’t expect to see a word like ‘sorrow’ describing someone who is fat and prosperous! But Jesus is describing ‘now’ vs ‘sometime in the future.’ He’s describing this life vs our next life.

As time progresses, things will change. What surprises me is how quickly things change. Those living a prosperous life tend to have no sense of need. They can’t identify with those who have little. They have had luxury here on earth, but will join the needy in the next life. Then they’ll know. Remember, Jesus said, “Some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”

In the next reality, all people will appear in Jesus’ proper order.

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

Trust in Jesus!

March 2, 2026, Monday Message:

John 14:1 NLT, Jesus speaking: “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.“

Followers of Jesus were worried. First off, all the Hebrews were living under Roman rule, and while the Romans tolerated religion, they really didn’t like it. They believed in all their false gods, like a god for rain, for a bountiful harvest, for the sun and moon and stars. Some Romans even claimed that Caesar was God. Of course, he wasn’t.

Next problem, the followers of Jesus found themselves at odds with the Temple leaders. The Temple wanted to be in charge of Hebrew religion, and didn’t like this relative newcomer Jesus pulling worshipers out of the Temple, which also pulled their tithes out of the Temple. As with many things in life, if you’re trying to figure out what’s wrong, just follow the money! Also, when Jesus claimed to be the Son of God, they considered it blasphemy. The Temple attitude was, “We’ve always done things this way, and we’re not about to change.”

Jesus wants to comfort the loyal believers, put them at ease, have them not worry. Rest assured knowing that Jesus and his Father are in charge. Since they’re the creators of everything, we know their power. We can securely leave everything in their hands. Trust God, and trust his Son.

So friends, don’t worry about the future, in this life or the next. Don’t let your heart be troubled. Don’t give defeat a second thought. Put a smile on your face, a Bible in your hand, Jesus in your heart and optimism in your head. With Jesus at the helm, everything will be A-OK. He said so himself! He promised!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church