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.

How To Cure Lust

Lusting: Law vs. Grace

That is 100% on point but the natural follow-up question is… HOW???

How do you “cure” lust?

HERE’S A TIP: Joseph lived over 400 years BEFORE The Law was ever given.

He lived under the Abrahamic Covenant of GRACE!

That’s where his power came from.

He knew who he was and who God had made him to be.

He knew it was by God’s divine power and not by his own human efforts.

He told Potiphar’s wife, “How can I do this great evil and sin against God!”

Do you see where his focus was? Not on himself but on his God!

Joseph knew where the source of his power came from… Jehovah!

Today, we live under the New Covenant of Grace, which is a direct continuation of the Abrahamic Covenant of Grace.

So, to effectively deal with lust, you have to trust NOT in the letter of the law but in the Spirit of Grace.

Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ, so as we continue to behold Jesus we are changed more and more into His glorious image.

To “behold” Him means to receive the revelation of all that He is and all that He has done for you.

The Bible says, “But we all beholding the glory of the Lord with open face, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 3:18

Living in victory day by day is NOT about, “Thou shalt not, Thou shalt not” it’s about trusting in the finished work of Jesus Christ for you.

It’s not about what YOU can do but about what HE has already done for you.

Live by faith in the victory Jesus has already provided for you and not by works, trying to manufacture your own victory in the flesh.

As a practical example, if you’re married and have a problem with lust your focus should NOT BE, “Thou shalt not commit adultery” BUT RATHER, “Husbands love your wives even as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself for it.”

The former is the Letter of the Law – Old Covenant, the latter is the Spirit of Grace – New Covenant.

If you concentrate on the former your subconscious will naturally focus on commiting adultery but if you concentrate on the latter your focus will naturally be on loving your wife.

What you feed into your mind is what will dominate and come out of your mind!

Grace vs. Law… Your choice!

I Am A New Covenant lord

What is a New Covenant lord???

“I am a Christian. I am a Disciple of Jesus Christ. I am a lord”

— Everest John Alexander.

“I have said, You are gods; and all of you are children of the most High”

— Jehovah 

As recorded in Psalm 82:6, God made the above statement to Israelites under the Old Covenant.

However, in Hebrews 8:6, He said to Christians, we have a new and better Covenant (than Israel) based upon better promises.

Therefore, as a New Covenant Believer it is entirely scriptural to call myself a lord.

So, what does it mean to be a New Covenant lord???

It means, just as Jesus is, right now, so am I in this world.

“…As he is, so are we in this world.” (1 John 4:17)

It means, day to day I get to live out my own personal Motto –

Embrace The Truth – Live Without Fear – Demonstrate Dominion.

I Embrace The Truth – The Truth is the Person, Presence and Power of Jesus Christ.

“Jesus saith unto him, I am… the truth.” (John 14:6)

I Live Without Fear – Living without fear means completely trusting in and relying on the faithfulness, wisdom and power of Almighty God to keep me whole, in every

area of my life.

I Demonstrate Dominion – Demonstrating dominion

means,  with my thoughts, words and deeds I reflect the nature and character of Christ, who is both the Lord of lords and the Servant of servants.

I serve human beings with the love of God and destroy God’s Enemies with the word of God.

{God’s Enemies are Death, Sickness, Poverty, etc. and every demonic spirit behind them}

I epitomize the One who fully embodies both the nature of the Lion and the nature of the Lamb.

This is what being a New Covenant lord is… Are you???

RE-Think Peace on Earth

Christ Made Peace Between Jews and Gentiles

He made peace between Jews and Gentiles
by creating in himself one new people
from the two groups. Ephesians 2:15

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Re-Think Salvation Through Jesus Christ

Can Someone Who Has Never Heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ be Saved?

The saving work of the cross of Jesus Christ is both Eternal and Powerful. It transcends time, space and circumstance.

The Bible says, “And being made perfect, he (Jesus) became the author of eternal salvation… Hebrews 5:9

Paul said, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes…” Romans 1:16

It is eternal and powerful.

Abraham, Moses, Noah and every Old Testament saint is saved because the redemption Jesus purchased at the cross is an eternal work which traversed time and was applied to each of their lives, imparting salvation to them in their own time period.

Though they all lived and died before Jesus was born, it is still because of His death, burial and resurrection that they could all be forgiven for their Sin.

When each of them individually expressed saving faith, God the Father looked forward in time, saw Jesus’ finished work and applied the benefits to each of them in their respective time and place.

The key to each of them accessing salvation is that they each expressed personal faith in the revelation of God the Father as He revealed Himself to each of them in their time.

This is the same principle which allows present-day people to be saved who have never heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Someone who lives in a remote part of the earth, for instance, who never hears the Gospel can be saved depending on how they respond to the revelation of God the Father through His Creation.

The Bible says, The heavens keep telling the wonders of God, and the skies declare what he has done.
Each day informs the following day; each night announces to the next. They don’t speak a word, and there is never the sound of a voice. Yet their message reaches all the earth, and it travels around the world. Psalms 19:1-4 (CEV)

These scriptures explain that God uses the revelation of Himself through nature to communicate His being and character to those who cannot hear the Gospel and know His revelation through Jesus Christ, His Son.

He does this to make sure that no one has an excuse for rejecting Him and the salvation He freely offers.

That’s why Paul said, “They know everything that can be known about God, because God has shown it all to them. God’s eternal power and character cannot be seen. But from the beginning of creation, God has shown what these are like by all he has made. That’s why those people don’t have any excuse. Romans 1:19-20

When people see the person and character of God revealed in His creation and choose to turn away from this revelation of God they disqualify themselves for God’s saving Grace through Jesus Christ.

On the other hand, when anyone turns in faith toward God through His Self-revelation in Creation this individual qualifies his or herself for the same salvation that you and I experience through faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Receiving Grace for salvation does not depend on you repeating the Sinner’s Prayer like if it were a religious formula.

It actually depends on your heart’s response to the personal revelation of God to you.

In considering this concept it is important to note that Jesus never claimed to be the Destination… Only The Way!

If He is “The Way” then someone else must be “The Destination” and that’s who Jesus was and is still pointing lost humanity to… God the Father – He is the Destination!

That’s why someone who never heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ can still be saved.

It all depends on how he responds to the personal revelation of God the Father to him.

Jesus’ job is to reveal God the Father to fallen man so that if he responds to God’s outstretched Arm of salvation in faith, he will be saved.

God the Father finds His fullest and truest expression in the life and person of Jesus Christ, the Son.

That’s why Jesus said to Phillip, “You’ve been with me all this time, Philip, and you still don’t understand? To see me is to see the Father. So how can you ask, ‘Where is the Father?’ Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I speak to you aren’t mere words. I don’t just make them up on my own. The Father who resides in me crafts each word into a divine act.” John 14:8-10 (TMB)

In one context, Jesus is the means to an End… God the Father is that End!

And for those who don’t have access to the Good News about Jesus, God the Father uses His natural creation to reveal Himself and His saving Grace to them.

In that case, Creation is the means to the End… but God the Father is still that same End!

Salvation means arriving safely back into the secure and loving arms of God our Father… and Jesus is the means to get there.

This does NOT mean that Jesus has a subservient role to that of The father or that He is somehow less than Him. It’s simply a matter of the different Offices of the Trinity.

Each has a specific function and a specific role but each is equally God Almighty, Creator of Heaven and Earth.

To confirm this the Bible says about Jesus, “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” John 1:3

This scripture states that Jesus created everything, so when a heathen responds in faith to the revelation of God through creation he is still responding to the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

In other words, it is still Jesus pointing him to the heart of God the Father, not through the message of the Cross but through the message of creation… different mechanics but Jesus is still the Way.

The Bible further says, “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him.” Colossians 1:16

These scriptures clearly confirm that when someone in a remote part of the earth who never heard about Jesus responds in faith to the revelation of God through His natural creation that person is, in fact still responding to the revelatory work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus is still the Way pointing that person to the Father’s heart.

It is of crucial importance to note that even though someone may be saved without actually hearing the message of the Cross… NO ONE CAN BE SAVED WITHOUT THE WORK OF THE CROSS!

There is a distinct difference between the two.

This is why I began by explaining that the work of the cross is eternal… it transcends both time and space.
Someone may not be able to actually hear or understand the saving MESSAGE of the Cross but once that person responds in faith to their personal revelation of God it is still the WORK of the cross that must be applied to their lives to save them.

This was true for all the Old Testament saints separated from the Gospel by Time, it is equally true for people living in remote areas of the earth separated from the gospel by Space, and it is also true for those separated from hearing or understanding the gospel through Circumstance.

Through no fault of their own someone may be separated by time, space or circumstance from hearing or understanding the Gospel of Jesus Christ, e.g.

Separated by Time – Old Testament Saints born before Jesus died on the cross.

Separated by Space – Someone living in a remote part of the earth who dies without ever hearing the Gospel.

Separated by Circumstance – The Hearing Impaired (literally cannot hear), The Mentally Challenged, Babies and very young Children (who do not have the mental capacity to understand the Gospel message and so, cannot respond to it).

The bottom line is that this information explains the all-encompassing power in the redemptive work of Jesus Christ and stands as a testament to the abundant, unconditional Grace of God to reach even the unreachable with the saving power of His Cross!

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What Does “Support Israel” Mean For Present-Day Christians?

God Promised the Land of Canaan to Israel in an Everlasting Covenant

The Covenant was Made to Abraham AND HIS DESCENDANTS

God said, “No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations.

I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you.

I will establish my covenant as an EVERLASTING COVENANT between me and you and YOUR DESCENDANTS AFTER YOU for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.

The whole land of Canaan, where you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an EVERLASTING POSSESSION to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God.” Genesis 17:5-8 (NIV)

God Confirmed The Covenant

David said, “He remembers his covenant forever, the promise he made, for a thousand generations, the covenant he made with Abraham, the oath he swore to Isaac. He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree, to Israel as an everlasting covenant: “To you I will give the land of Canaan as the portion you will inherit.” Psalms 105:8-11 (NIV)

For those who are hard of hearing or understanding, God explains the permanence of this Covenant in detail:

God says, “I am the Lord All-Powerful. I command the sun to give light each day, the moon and stars to shine at night, and ocean waves to roar.

I will never forget to give those commands, and I will never let Israel stop being a nation.

I, the Lord, have spoken. Can you measure the heavens? Can you explore the depths of the earth?

That’s how hard it would be for me to reject Israel forever, even though they have sinned. I, the Lord, have spoken.” Jeremiah 31:35-37 (CEV)

My Observation: Christians who still align themselves against Israel in this war for their God-given land are willingly ignorant and blind.

Here’s Wisdom: Supporting Israel does NOT mean agreeing with everything they say or do as a nation.

Supporting Israel does NOT mean we as Christians are naive and expect all Jews to see us as their friends or saviors… That’s simply NOT going to happen.

Supporting Israel does NOT mean we believe Israel as a nation is living a life pleasing to God. On the contrary, we know for a fact that many Jews are Atheists, Agnostics and Anti-Christian.

That’s NOT the point!

The point is that we have a mandate from God to support the Jewish people.

Though they have sinned exceedingly, God’s favor has not totally departed from them and eventually they will be saved and inherit everything God promised them under the Abrahamic Covenant, which is an unconditional covenant of Grace.

The wise Christian adopts an eternal perspective and is not swayed by the political machinations of the power hungry and those with demonic ulterior motives and agendas.

What Does “Support Israel” Mean For Christians?

For Bible-Believing Christians living in the 21st century here’s what showing support for Israel should look like:

1) Pray for the salvation of the Jews and for peace from their enemies

2) Evangelize them whenever and wherever you can – Share the Good news that their Messiah has already come and is waiting with open arms of love and forgiveness for each of them to return home to Him.

3) Live exemplary lives so they can actually see what a covenant relationship with Christ looks like.

4) Do not be deceived by the devil’s propaganda machine and be caught doing Satan’s work for him against God’s chosen people.

Pray – Evangelize – Live – Be Wise!

SUPPORT ISRAEL!!!

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