Never-ending Faith!

For Sunday, November 23, 2025:

Hebrews 11:38 AMP: “(people of whom the world was not worthy), wandered in deserts and mountains and [lived in] caves and holes in the ground.”

Hebrews has been teaching us about faith, the never-ending belief in God and his Son. Some will rise to greatness and point others to the Lord. Others will be persecuted by nonbelievers, beaten, whipped and sometimes killed. For them, it would be easy to lose faith, but that would be a bad decision.

No matter our lot in this life, our best reward is waiting for us in the next life. Keep your eye on the prize. The only two choices are (#1) spending eternity in God’s presence, or (#2) treading forever in the deep lake of fire. The right choice instantly becomes obvious.

Whatever happens to us in this life is only temporary. We will have whatever blessings God has planned for us, but we never want to lose faith in the blessings God has for believers in the next life.

Stick with God, and he’ll stick with you!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Miracle Babies!

For Saturday, November 22, 2025:

Luke 1:26 NLT: “In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary.”

God was about to deliver a son to Zechariah and Elizabeth, a most unlikely situation. He openly admits that he’s quite old, and she’s well past childbearing years. Only God! As Gabriel instructed, they’ll name him John. We know him as John-the-Baptist.

In a separate, seemingly unrelated event, Gabriel is sent to visit Mary in Nazareth. Yes, our Mary! She was married to Joseph, but marriage was different back then. The husband would leave to arrange a place to live and find a job or start a business. The wife would begin gathering (or making) domestic things the new family would need: clothing, cooking supplies, household items. When everything was in order, the husband would return for his wife, and the two would begin their new life together. Mary and Joseph were still in that “prep” stage; they had not yet come together.

As usual, the angel says, “Be not afraid! You are favored by God!” He further explains, “You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”

Mary asks, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.”

The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God!”

Then Gabriel drops this bombshell, which ties the events together: “Your cousin Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she has conceived a son and is now in her sixth month. The word of God will never fail!”

Remember, Mary’s husband wasn’t living with her yet. So she decided to stay with her relative for a time. They could help each other through their pregnancies and share dreams for their new babies, both under God’s watchful eye!

Some of the most eventful times in Christian history are about to unfold. Christmas is coming!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

Angel

For Friday, November 21, 2025:

Luke 1:11 NLT: “While Zechariah was in the Temple sanctuary, an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the incense altar.”

Luke is setting us up for Advent, preparing us for the arrival of the Messiah Jesus. Z-man was burning incense in tribute to God, when an angel appeared. Friends, angels aren’t like those little statuettes you see at Hallmark. In reality, angels are called Heaven’s Angel-Armies, big, strong and ferocious. Scary.

When someone sees an angel, the first thing they do is tremble with fear. The first thing the angel says is, “Be not afraid!”

The angel brings a message from the Lord: “God has heard your prayer. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him John. He will bring you great joy and gladness!” John? No one in our family is named ‘John!’

Notice that God’s gift to Z & E will also meet the Lord’s needs. “John will be great in the eyes of the Lord, never touching alcohol. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before his birth. He will turn many Israelites to the Lord. John will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord, and he will cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly.” We could use a dose of that nowadays!

Zechariah, like many of us, is quite confused and a little short on faith. “How can I be sure this will happen? I’m an old man now, and my wife is also well along in years.”

The angel seems a little put out with all the queries. I think he’s unaccustomed to his word being questioned. “I am Gabriel! I stand in the very presence of God. It was he who sent me to bring you this good news! But now, since you didn’t believe what I said, you will be silent and unable to speak until the child is born. For my words will certainly be fulfilled at the proper time.” Gabriel’s faith is flawless. He fully expects God to deliver what he promised!

Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah to come out of the sanctuary, wondering why he was taking so long. When he finally did come out, he couldn’t speak to them! Then they realized from his gestures and his silence that he must have seen a vision in the sanctuary.

When Zechariah’s week of service in the Temple was over, he returned home. And soon afterward his wife became pregnant, just like God said. She went into seclusion for five months. “How kind the Lord is!” she exclaimed. “He has taken away my disgrace of having no children.” Back then, women were (unfairly) expected to bring children into the family, and Elizabeth’s burden had been lifted by God.

So we pray, God, please give us more patience than Zechariah. Give us faith like Gabriel. And let us show the gratitude of Elizabeth for all God does for us.

In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church