Jesus Direct!

For Friday, February 20, 2026:

Hebrews 13:15 NLT: “Let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name.”

The key words in this scripture are, “through Jesus.” Jesus is our heaven connection. Before Jesus, Jewish priests fulfilled that function. The priests could present our petitions, good or bad, to the Lord. Mankind would seldom hear God’s response.

After Jesus, the process changed. Jesus is part of our Holy Trinity God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. So if we offer prayers through Jesus, we’re already praying directly to God. No middle-man needed! God desires a direct relationship with each of us. (Note: This scripture was written to Hebrews, who would need adjust their beliefs post-Jesus.)

Interestingly, when Jesus died on the cross and took mankind’s sins to the place of the dead, the thick, heavy curtain isolating the Holy of Holies from public areas was torn in half, top to bottom, so God had to do the tearing himself, and mankind was no longer separated from God. Again, this was God’s doing. He decreed that it should be this way.

So we can praise God directly for his goodness, exalt his omniscience and offer confessions and repentance. In return, God can offer us forgiveness and a “mulligan,” a do-over, a second chance. With Jesus, we don’t just have a religion; we have a relationship!

What a friend we have in Jesus!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Psalm 32

February 08, 2016 Monday Message:

“When I kept silent, my bones wasted away…” Psalm 32:3a

God gave each of us a conscience. When we’ve done something wrong - said the wrong thing, lied, cheated, stolen, gossiped, hurt someone else – the incident bothers our conscience. It keeps eating at us until, finally, we’re all-consumed with the situation. We need a way out. We need a solution.

David wrote, “I confessed my sins to the LORD, and He forgave me and took away my guilt.” Good answer! from Psalm 32:5

In fact, God already knows what you did. But confessing before God lets HIM know that YOU know you were wrong. You pray for forgiveness and for God’s help in changing your ways.

The Bible word we translate as ‘repent’ implies a change of direction. We were heading the wrong way, now we want to go the right way. We had been facing away from God, getting farther from God. Now we want to turn back towards God, and come closer to God.

Psalm 32 concludes: “The wicked will have to suffer, but those who trust in the LORD are protected by his constant love. Let the righteous celebrate because of what the LORD has done. God’s people shout for joy!”

Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship (JICF) meets at 10 am every Sunday in the North end (gym) of the Oliver Ministry Building, 2647 Bloomington Ave., Minneapolis. This Sunday, Feb. 14, 2016, Pastor Michael Pilla continues teaching from Romans, and we welcome our guests from New Hope Center. Happy Valentine’s Day!