Does God Hear the Prayers of Sinners?

Debbie Asks:

Is it right to say that a sinner cannot have relationship with God.
And only those that have relationship with God will have their prayers answered?

My Reply:

This is a complex issue and needs to be dealt with meticulously.

The Bible does say, “We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him.” John 9:31

What this means, is that God is not in Covenant with unsaved people, and so, is not under any obligation to hear and answer their prayers but this does not mean that He literally does not ever hear nor answer the prayers of sinners.

Of course not!

If that were the case, nobody would get saved because God would never hear a sinner’s prayer of repentance.

The Bible says, “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13

The Bible also says, “Come on now, let’s discuss this!” says the LORD.
“Though your sins are bright red, they will become as white as snow.
Though they are dark red, they will become as white as wool. Isaiah 1:18

God encourages sinners to repent which involves praying and receiving an answer to that prayer.

Acts Chapter 10 gives a detailed record of one sinner’s interaction with God and his subsequent repentance before God.

The Bible says, “At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of what was known as the Italian Cohort, a devout man who feared God with all his household, gave alms generously to the people, and PRAYED continually to God.

About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God come in and say to him, “Cornelius.” And he stared at him in terror and said, “What is it, Lord?”

And he said to him, “Your PRAYERS and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God. And now send men to Joppa and bring one Simon who is called Peter.

He is lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea. He will tell you what you must do.”

POINTS TO NOTE:

1. Over the years Cornelius must have prayed for much, but God was primarily concerned with one thing… he and his family’s Salvation.
2. Getting a sinner saved will always be God’s chief priority in answering any prayer from a sinner.
3. That’s why when Peter came to Cornelius’ house he was focused on one thing… preaching salvation to him and his household.

IN ADDITION:

As Christians, we need to be mindful that there are circumstances that will hinder even the prayers of those who are in Covenant with God.

The Bible says, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.” James 4:3

God will always hear your prayer as a Covenant Child of God but that does not mean you will always get the answer you want or when you want it.

The Bible says, “In the same way, you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat your wife with understanding as you live together.
She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God’s gift of new life. Treat her as you should so your prayers will not be hindered.” 1 Peter 3:7

The Bible doesn’t specifically say so, but obviously this goes BOTH ways.

A woman cannot be disrespectful to her husband, giving place to the enemy and not expect opposition from that same enemy.

That’s what “giving place to the enemy” means… you give him the right to oppose you.

The Bible also says, “But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.” James 1:6-7

As a Christian, God always hears your prayers but His response is based on your faith… not your prayers.

As an analogy, the purpose of your prayers is to transport your faith from Earth to Heaven.

It is is your faith God actually works with to create the answer you need.

Faith is the substance of what you’re hoping for.

In a practical sense, faith is simply trusting God above all else, to do what He promised.

Bible Knowing vs. Believing

Scriptural Knowledge vs. Belief

Most people have the mistaken notion that the Christian Life is only about “BELIEF” as opposed to “KNOWLEDGE” and they are dead wrong.

While “belief” is integral to becoming a Christian, “knowledge” is how you live a successful Christian life.

It’s the very reason so many Christians are living in defeat… it’s due to their ignorance!

Don’t take my word for it, God said…

My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge – Hosea 4:6

For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge – Romans 10:2-4

Both the Old and New Testaments confirm that knowledge is the key for successful Christian living.

I have written this to you who BELIEVE in the name of the Son of God, so that you may KNOW you have eternal life – 1 John 5:13

Notice how we need to begin by believing but after we have entered Covenant with God He then gives us knowledge to stand on.

God doesn’t leave us standing on belief… He gives us knowledge so our footing may be sure!

I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, would give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him – Ephesians 1:17

Paul prayed for us to have wisdom and revelation in the KNOWLEDGE of Christ.

Some may say that we live this Christian life by FAITH and I agree, but faith is based on knowledge not ignorance.

You cannot trust God to heal you if you don’t know He’s a Healer.

You cannot trust God to save you if you don’t KNOW He’s a Savior.

If that wasn’t the case we wouldn’t need to preach and evangelize.

How can people have faith in the Lord and ask him to save them, if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear, unless someone tells them? Romans 10:14

You can’t have faith in Him unless you KNOW about Him… Faith is based on Knowledge.

Knowledge is so vital for successful Christian living that even at an advanced age Paul was still desiring for more knowledge of God.

He said, “I want to know Christ–yes, to know the power of his resurrection…” Philippians 3:10

The man who wrote most of the New Testament and gave us most of the revelation about Christ and His Gospel still wanted to KNOW more about Christ.

The Bible says, “But if you don’t grow, you are like someone who is nearsighted or blind, and you have forgotten that your past sins are forgiven.” 2 Peter 1:9

You stop growing as a Believer when you forget what you KNOW about your Salvation.

I submit to every Christian that your greatest enemy is NOT the devil but your own ignorance!

The greatest danger with ignorance is this…

There are many Christians who have been taught wrong doctrine so in their minds… they know… but what they know is incorrect.

These unfortunate souls are in the most dangerous position of all… they know… but what they know is wrong, so they are still ignorant but don’t realise they’re ignorant.

They are operating in complete confidence of blissful ignorance, unaware of their own condition.

How To Avoid Deception

To innoculate yourself against deception I recommend you abide by 3 fundamental principles:

1. Love the TRUTH above all else.

A. The Living Truth … The Person Jesus Christ
B. The Written Truth – The New Covenant Word of Christ
C. The Rhema Truth – The Revealed Word of God to You

2. Cultivate HUMILITY above every other virtue.

If you remain humble you can be taught ANY truth and you can be corrected from ANY error

3. Realise that there is NO ONE PERSON or NO GROUP on this Earth that has 100% revelation on ANY DOCTRINE!

God Himself is a limitless revelation!

That’s why it will take an ETERNITY to know Him.

EVERYTHING we know about God right now is only a tiny fraction of a tiny fraction of a tiny fraction of a… you get the picture.

The sum total of EVERYTHING we know about God and His Kingdom is like 99.9999999% ignorance and 0.0000001% knowledge.

Compared to all there is to know about God and His Kingdom, we are all operating from more ignorance than knowledge right now.

Paul the Apostle was wise enough to realize his ignorance and still desire to know God after receiving more revelation about God and His Kingdom than anyone else at that time.

Therefore, ANY Christian Person or Group who acts like they have 100% truth on ANY doctrine and everyone else is wrong, is dancing with deception.

Protect yourself from error by observing the 3 principles above.

Can Someone End Up In Hell Because No One Witnessed To Them?

Understanding the Doctrine of Election

Election is a process which involves the Will of God, the will of Man and the relationship between Eternity and Time.

To Elect, means “To Choose” and there are 2 choices involved in the process:

(1) God’s Choice (In Eternity)
(2) Man’s Choice (In Time)

 

The Gift of Free Will

Psalms 138:2 says, “Thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name” which means God has put Himself under the authority of His own word to fulfill it.

In Genesis 2:28 God said, “Let them have dominion” and gave “free will” to men.

Since then He has never, and CAN NEVER take it back.

This means, accepting salvation is man’s choice because free will is God’s gift and cannot be taken back. (Romans 11:29)

This presents a paradox because the word of God clearly teaches us that we are chosen by God and not the other way around.

Jesus said to His disciples, “You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you” (John 15:16)

Ephesians 1:4 reads, “Even as he (God the Father) chose us in him (Christ) before the foundation of the world”

 

God the Primary Cause

With respect to the redemption of man, God chooses us first (In Eternity) and as such, His choice is the Primary Cause and everything that follows (In Time) is simply a response to His initial choice.

Let’s get some details:

Man in his natural sinful state is an enemy of God and his inherent tendency is to hide and distance himself from God as much as possible.

Adam and Eve basked in the joyful presence of the Lord (Psalm 16:11) in the Garden until the moment Sin entered and they immediately began hiding themselves from Him. Gen 3:6-8

The Bible says He came to them in the garden seeking them and calling their name. Gen 3:8-10

This teaches us that left on their own, men would never seek the Lord and the only reason we have a desire to seek God is because He put that desire in our hearts Himself.

This, in effect, is God first choosing us.

 

God’s Revelation of Grace

The Bible says, The grace of God has appeared to all men. (Titus 2:11)

The Grace of God is the revelation that God loves us and wants a relationship with us… this is Grace in it’s purest form.

There are those who teach that Grace is a Person… The Lord Jesus Christ, and they are entirely correct.

Jesus Christ is the Grace of God because He is the ultimate revelation of God the Father and the only way to a relationship with Him.

However, the Grace of God appeared to men long before Jesus Christ was physically manifested to the world.

Romans 1:20 in the New Living Translation reads, “For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities–his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.

Psalm 19:1-4 in the GOD’S WORD Translation says, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky displays what his hands have made.

One day tells a story to the next. One night shares knowledge with the next without talking, without words, without their voices being heard.

[Yet,] their sound has gone out into the entire world, their message to the ends of the earth.”

This is the Grace of God being shared with the entire world before Christ was presented as the Son of God in Jerusalem.

God revealed Himself to the entire world through His creation so that everyone can respond to His choice to have a relationship with them.

However, not everyone responds to His Grace favorably.

 

Man’s Response to God’s Grace

Romans 1:19 says, “They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them” but Romans 1:21 says, “They knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God.”

Unfortunately, some people choose to respond negatively to the Grace of God thus

sealing their own doom.

Romans 1:22 says, “Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools” and Psalm 53:1 says, “The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”

The destiny of the fool if he remains a fool is sealed because Proverbs 10:21 says, “Fools die for want of wisdom” and Ecclesiastes 10:12 says, “Fools are destroyed by their own words.”

If the fool says there is no God and only God can save him, then as long as he remains a fool he can never be saved.

But to those who respond favorably to God’s Grace, Jesus said, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me.”

So, even when we respond positively to God’s Grace it is God’s primary choice that influences our secondary choice.

The Bible says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.” Ephesians 2:8 (ESV)

Also, “Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.” Ephesians 2:9 (NLT)

 

Primary Choice vs. Secondary Choice

The Process of Election Works Like This… There is a Primary Choice and a Secondary Choice:

1) The Primary Choice occurs in Eternity, when God chose to have a relationship with every human being on earth.

The Bible says, He is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9

He gives everybody an equal opportunity to know Him wherever or whenever they may have lived on earth.

In every nation and through every Dispensation of Time God chooses to know us and make Himself known to us.

Whether through creation or by the preaching of the Cross, God’s desire is to reveal Himself to Humanity along with His desire to have a relationship with us.

This is how God chooses us.
2) The Secondary Choice occurs in Time, when we use the faith available to us to positively respond to God’s Grace.

When we do this, we are simply submitting our will to His Will for relationship.

The essence of salvation is the submission of our will to His and it’s always His will to save.

Receiving Eternal Life is really our Secondary Choice responding to God’s Primary Choice to save us.

When we choose God we’re merely removing our stubborn will out of the way so God’s greater will can prevail and save us.

God inhabits Eternity and we inhabit Time.

Eternity is limitless, Time is finite.

Time has beginning and end, Eternity has neither.

Therefore, salvation is NOT us initiating a relationship with God [In Time] but us allowing God to complete what He started [Before Time].

This is how we choose God.

 

Intercede and Witness

Now, because we have the power of choice we can either accept or reject salvation.

This is where intercession and witnessing comes in.

If we did not actually have the power to influence others to accept God’s free gift of salvation why would God command us to go into all the world and be witnesses?

If everyone would be automatically saved no matter what, why would God give us the Ministry of Reconciliation and tell us to, “save others by snatching them from the fire [of hell].” Jude 1:23

If we can save people by snatching them from the fire of hell, it means that if we DID NOT snatch them that’s where they would end up… in Hell.

So, to answer the question directly… Yes, some people would end up in Hell because someone didn’t witness to them!

How to Prove God Exists

How Can a Christian Prove That God Exists?

 

How can we prove that there is indeed a God who created the universe and all life therein?

Let’s use an illustration:

Suppose there is a child who was abandoned at birth and adopted by people other than their birth parents who both disappeared without a trace.

If someone were to ask the question:

Does That Child’s Birth Parents Exist?

How could we intelligently answer that question?

There is absolutely no trace of their existence and no proof of them ever being alive on planet earth.

Is there any way to prove that these people exist and are real?

Yes, there is!

There is one sure-fire, bullet-proof way to prove beyond the slightest shadow of a doubt that this child’s parents exist.

That proof is… The Child!

The fact that the child exist is absolute proof beyond any doubt that their parents also exist.

Life proves life!

The Law of Biogenesis states that Life cannot come from Nonliving matter but must come from existing Life.

It takes life to produce life.

The fact that this child exists is all the proof anyone needs, to know beyond any doubt that they have parents who exist.

The existence of the child proves the existence of their parents.

How can you prove that God exists… YOU ARE THE PROOF!

Every Born Again Christian is living proof that God exists.

Life must come from life and the eternal life that you have within you must have come from an Eternal, Living Being who gave that life to you.

Christian, when you look inside you and discern the difference before you were born again as opposed to after you were born again, that is the greatest proof that God exists.

If a person is born, it proves their parents exist.

If a person is born again, it proves their God exists.

The problem with this scenario is that most of us Christians live our lives as though there is no change within us.

We live like the world, adopting their customs, their ideologies and habits, so when they look at us and see no change and no difference, this proves to them that there is no eternal life in us, no difference and consequently no God who gave us that life.

Unfortunately, the way the average Christian lives their life strengthens and supports Atheism.

When the world looks at us they must see such a stark difference between us and them that it impacts their senses with the truth that there is a God!

The evidence of the abundant, eternal life within us should inexorably point them to the Author of that Life… The only true and Living God!

The strongest proof of God is the life that a Christian lives.

The most powerful argument against Atheism is the Character and Power of Jesus Christ demonstrated in the life of a Born Again Believer. (Matthew 5:16)

But What?!

But What?!

Author’s Note: I wrote this poem before I got saved and it summed up the cry of my heart and the burning question uppermost on my mind at the time. It represented my call to God for answers. My later Poem, “Answer to My Call” was written as a response.

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Etching out a lonely existence
Searching for some purpose,
Some meaning, 
To all this misery.

Believing in a God
Whose existence sometimes seems
As plain as the Sun in the sky
And yet, at times, 
As ephemeral as the early morning mist.

A God who sometimes seem 
As close as one’s own skin
And at other times, as far away
As a distant star in the horizon.

Trying to plan ahead
But can’t see straight,
Because the pain clouds the mind
And blots out reason.

Looking for a lifelong commitment
From every female that is met
A romantic failure for reasons yet to be acknowledged
Adding to the burning confusion and misery
That eats away at the sanity
Slowly deteriorating the hold on reality.

There must be a reason to all this madness.
Something ordered, Something structured
Must be taking place here…..

But what??!!

Everest John Alexander
Copyright ©1981 Everest John Alexander

Read the Response to this Poem Here

Answer to My Call

Answer to My Call

Glorious light and liberty
Oh Majesty on high
Exuding grace and plenteous power
Thy love dreweth me nigh!

From murky depths and miry clay
Reconciled, I was to Thee
Wash me, cleansed me, in Thy blood
Blessed my eyes to see.

When I, before, was lost and blind
Thou lookedst from beyond
Had pity, mercy on my soul
Made me Thy precious son.

Now should I despise my calling
Nay! Tis’ cannot be!
For whatsoever Thou shouldest speak
That, for me, will ever be.

I am, because You Are, Dear God
Father! This is true!
Lead me, guide me, direct my path
Till I be one with you

.
Everest John Alexander
Copyright ©1989 Everest John Alexander

The Truth In Love

Be Wise and Shine

 

Fallen Human Nature dictates that human beings automatically fear the unknown, distrust the unfamiliar and hate the uncomfortable.

When you become Born Again your inner nature is changed from mere human to incorporate the divine, so you take on an unknown and unfamiliar quality to your being.

Thus the unsaved become uncomfortable in your presence.

This is the reason they naturally hate and distrust you as a Christian… You make them feel uncomfortable in their sinful condition.

This natural animosity from the people of the world should be seen as a stamp of approval and a badge of honor for the Born Again Believer.

It is the unmistakable result of the supernatural transformation you have undergone and should be received with godly pride.

Jesus said, “If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first” and He said “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.” (John 15:18 NLT) (Matt 5:11 NIV)

Notice, He didn’t say, you WILL be blessed, He said you ARE blessed.

The reason you ARE blessed (Present Tense) is because this animosity is evidence of your translation from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light.

Their very reaction to you testifies to your new citizenship and inheritance in glory.

But here’s the sad thing about this…

When average Christians begin to receive negativity from their unsaved co-workers, family and friends, instead of seeing it as something positive, they begin to feel uncomfortable themselves and because their minds are not yet renewed they react like a natural human being to this uncomfortable feeling.

They don’t like feeling uncomfortable so they begin mirroring the habits and lifestyle of their unsaved friends to fit in with them.

They begin dressing like the world and talking like the world in order to appear like them so their non-christian friends will no longer feel uncomfortable in their presence and accept them as one of their own.

In so doing, however, they sabotage their own purpose and derail their destiny.

The Bible says if you love the world, you do not love God and are His enemy. (James 4:4 ) (1 John 2:15)

Average (Carnal) Christians do a great disservice to their unsaved loved ones by not reflecting the glory of God and accurately representing Jesus Christ to them

This is because their testimony might have been the only thing to draw that unsaved loved one into the kingdom of God.

Do you understand, Christian, that when you live like your unsaved friends and when you support their ungodly doctrines and lifestyle you are shutting the Door to the Kingdom of God in their face?

You’re already safe inside but lack the courage to live in such a way that you hold the Door open and invite them to come inside the Kingdom with you.

On Judgement Day they will look you in the eye and call you a liar and a traitor for not living according to the truth inscribed on your own heart and not telling them the truth that could have saved them from Hell.

Millions are pouring into Hell each day and there is something we Christians CAN DO about it… We can live like we really believe the Bible and tell our friends and family members THE TRUTH IN LOVE!

“Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives.” Jude 1:23 (NLT)

“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that wins souls is wise.” Pro 11:30 (AKJV)

“Those who are wise will shine as bright as the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever.” Dan 12:3 (NLT)

Be wise and shine!

May God give us each the grace to fulfill our purpose and destiny… In Jesus Name!

 

Lyrical Theology

What is Lyrical Theology?

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Justified – Shai Linne

Lyrical Theology is basically using artful lyricism to provoke the study and knowledge of God, particularly in the context of hip-hop culture.

This can take many forms, including expounding on biblical narratives, explaining a particular scriptural truth, etc.

What sets it apart from the rest of hip-hop is its explicit biblical, gospel-centered, Christ-exalting focus ~ shai linne
Question asked by Credo Magazine to Gospel Music Minister, shai linne:

In the past you have been criticized for redeeming such a “depraved genre” as hip-hop. What is your response to this criticism?

To those who say, “How can you take that thing that is used for evil and glorify God with it?” My two word answer is “The Cross.”

But my response to that particular criticism is usually to simply re-phrase the objection.

I would say something like, “Are you saying that you have a problem with me taking a medium that has been used to blaspheme God and using it instead as a medium to praise and exalt God’s holy name, proclaim His glorious gospel, speak biblical truth and magnify the infinite worth of the Lord Jesus Christ?”

Arguments against “depraved genres” are ultimately arguments against redemption itself, because depraved genres are the products of depraved human beings, who need redemption.

(In fact, “depraved genre” is a misnomer because it’s ascribing moral value to a medium, which by definition is morally neutral until informed by content.)

Once God has redeemed a person, it’s fitting for the Christian to take the “genres” or vehicles (such as books, cameras, canvasses, the internet, language, musical forms, etc.) that he or she once used for evil and now use them to promote the glory of God.

Those who make the objection (especially as they use the internet to do so) are often unaware that they themselves use “depraved genres” all the time.

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The Basic Gospel Message

Lecrae – Take Me As I Am

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Lecrae – I Did it For You

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Muze One – The Proposal

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In-Depth Bible Teaching

Greatest Story Ever Told – Shai Linne

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Atonement Q+A – Shai Linne  with Stephen The Levite

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Deeper Life Bible Teaching

My Portion – Shai Linne

5 Things Everyone Urgently Needs to Know

5 Facts to Know Before You Leave Earth

1. Evolution never has been and cannot be proven scientifically.

The Scientific Method states that Hypotheses must be observed and measured before they can be considered factually accurate.

The Theory of Evolution, as a Hypothesis cannot be observed nor measured therefore it cannot be quantified scientifically.

It is rather, a belief system that must be taken on faith, and based on the stark lack of verifiable evidence, blind faith at that.

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2. Atheism is a temporary delusional condition.

It’s a delusion for several reasons, two of which are listed below:

A. The Law of Biogenesis states that life must come from life, therefore the First Cause of life in the universe must be, not only a Living Entity but an Eternal Life-giving Entity.

B. Human DNA has been classified as code or information which, by nature must be sourced from an Intelligent Mind.

These two points alone confirm that Human Life must have originated from an Eternal Life-giving Entity with an Intelligent Mind… Now, who does that sound like so far?

Atheism is temporary because at Judgement every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Philippians 2:10-11

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3. The Bible is the only historically and scientifically accurate text that promises the assurance of, and clearly defines the path to Eternal Salvation.

The Bible’s prophetic accuracy, the continuity of it’s text between the Old and New Testaments and the macro and micro codes such as, Equidistant Letter Sequences (ELS) discovered throughout it’s pages confirm it could only have been sourced from and originated in a Divine Mind that exists outside the dimensionality of Time.

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4. Groups, Clubs or Nations don’t get saved… Only individuals do.

Christianity is a personal experience, it would be error therefore, to judge Christianity only by observing other Christians.

Firstly, not everyone who says they are a Christian really is.

Secondly, even among true Christians it takes many years to mature spiritually enough to consistently and accurately represent Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God.

However, it is safe to judge Christianity by the life of Jesus Christ and by the Gospel Message itself.

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5. At your Judgement when you stand before God there is only one salient question you will be asked… What did you do with the free gift of Salvation?

There will be no reasoning, no negotiating, no pleading… Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation. 2nd Corinthians 6:2

For more information about what true Christianity really is visit: DoesChristianityMakeSense.com

Into Joy

She touches a trembling hand to her stomach and is at once transported to another time and place, then back again. Somehow the phrase “wide awake in a dream” dances behind her closed eyelids as she becomes increasingly intoxicated with the aroma that seeps through her pores and fills her very being.

Her consciousness is heightened as she sees sounds gliding on currents of air. Colors merge forming new, impossible hues making everything infinitely bolder, brighter; more uniquely distinct. She’s aware of everything and everyone yet nothing distracts her.

One speck in a human mass, she squeezes his hand for reassurance. Is this really happening? His hug says, “Yes, I feel it too.”

Her heartbeat quickens as she senses the mounting tension and instinctively knows the time is drawing close.

He warms to the realization that he is here. This is real, no rehearsal, no going through the motions but knowing true emotions as he feels more deeply, more passionately than he’s ever felt before.

This is true life, real living.

He remembers the life before, but only just, his role in eternity’s drama and how he performed. With mounting anticipation he ponders his new role, but this present reality consumes it all. There is no anxiety, no confusion, only a profound sense of immediacy.

He wants to run yet he’s rooted with joy.

His body is stationary, his mind is ablaze. New thoughts, new insights, new modes of understanding; an invisible elixir has broadened his ken.

He’s ready.

He embraces the new and the now.

Two of them, in a sea of humanity, contained yet connected to everyone else. A common bond that welds each heart; connecting, uniting every part, a shared consciousness, a single purpose, to celebrate the One who defines “Rapturous”.

Every fiber vibrates in harmony, every member moves in synchronicity, thoughts and emotions coalesce naturally as the atmosphere silently explodes. There’s the hushed rumble of a thousand thunders as a Glory unfolds that both time and eternity has ached for. The soul of the Cosmos weeps with joy as the Son triumphantly ascends His throne.

He begins the welcome.

They stand before Him naked yet clothed, bodies covered, souls exposed. He gazes upon their form as though for the first time. Long and deep His eyes pierce through and it’s as if each tiny thought and every small nuance of emotion rises to the surface of their minds for scrutiny. Individual memories surface, they’re surveyed and purified. Every motive is examined and tried.

What He must think of us, they wonder, then He smiles and their souls launch.

They take flight as every strand of their being soars on wings of ecstasy, basking in the glow of His Glorious Presence.

He stands up and their eyes widen in awe. He descends toward them and they drop to their knees. He draws nigh and they can hear their synchronous heartbeat as though providing musical accompaniment for each footstep.

They sense the warmth of His proximity now; a warmth that is not felt by their skin as it is perceived by their spirit. They dare not look, but their hearts tug at them to steal an upward glance.

They look into His eyes and see visions; they behold a boy of twelve who spoke like an Ancient, a cheeky youth with the soul of a Mystic, a carpenter’s apprentice who taught like a Prophet. A young man who embodied innocence yet wielded the Power of God.

They worship Him.

He stretches His hands to them; they rise. He draws them close and the universe around them disappears as the beating of His heart so close to theirs become their only focus. His hands gently rest on their shoulders as He leans between them and whispers… Thank You.

Life stands still, time rewinds itself and fast forwards again. They relive their entire lives in the blink of an eye, this time with foreknowledge of purpose. Their souls once soaring on high finally alights within them. They are rooted, grounded in secret knowledge, given a new name and advanced to a higher Order.

He steps back now and they look at Him with new eyes.

They see as he sees – Nothing is hid from them! They finally understand, as every former question is answered and a new level of consciousness is attained.

“My good and faithful parents,” He says, “Well done, enter thou into the joy of the Lord.”

 

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