Fornication

I wrote this the other day in response to an article on a liberal 'Christian' site that said the Bible does not condemn premarital sex. As a believer in Jesus Christ who redeemed me from my sins and eternal judgment in hell I am a firm believer that the Bible is the divinely inspired Word of GOD given to man so that man can understand GOD and His eternal Kingdom.

"My response to this article could be an article itself, but I am going to keep it to a long response. It is going to seem harsh to some, I am not sorry because GOD is true and every man is a liar, Psalm 116:11; John 8:44; Romans 3:4.

If you claim to be a born again Christian and do not believe that the Bible is the divinely inspired Word of GOD then you are already in trouble. If you do not read and study the Bible to know GOD and what He expects of you as a redeemed, by the sacrifice of Jesus, human being then you may be deceived to believe false teachings by others. You may be a goat and not a sheep, study Matthew 7:21-23. The goats are those who believe they are doing the will of GOD but Jesus tells them He does not know who they are and they are cast out because they practice lawlessness!

The Bible, The Word of GOD is very clear on the matter of sexual morality in both the Old Testament and the New Testament; both, in the Law as given to Moses and in the Gospels as spoken by Jesus; then reinforced in the Epistles as they quoted both the Old Testament and Jesus.

Study Deuteronomy 22:13-30; 27:20-23; 30:11-20; Romans 1-2

Remember every sin is the same before GOD, both a liar and a sexually immoral person are condemned to hell, both a thief and a gossip are condemned to hell. It’s not the sin it’s the act of rebellion against GOD’s will and purpose for our life."

Fornication: Unlawful sexual intercourse of an unwed person (1 Corinthians 6:9, 18). It was commonly associated with heathen worship (Jeremiah 2:20, 3:6), and was used as a figure of disloyalty to GOD (Ezekiel 16:3-22).  ‘The New Compact Bible Dictionary’

Porneia, pornos, porneuo, ekporneuo (Greek) “illicit sexual intercourse”, “a man who indulges in fornication, a fornicator”, “to commit fornication”, “to give oneself up to fornication”. Matthew 5:32; 15:19; 19:9; John 8:41; Mark 7:21; 10:19; Acts 15:20, 29; 21:25; 1 Corinthians 5:1, 9-11; 6:9, 13, 18; 7:2; 10:8; 2 Corinthians 12:21; Galatians 5:19; Ephesians 5:3, 5; Colossians 3:5; 1 Thessalonians 4:3; 1 Timothy 1:10; Hebrews 12:16; 13:4; Jude 7; Revelation 2:21; 9:21; 14:8; 17:2, 4; 18:3, 9; 19:2; 21:8; 22:15. ‘Vine’s Concise Dictionary of the Bible’

I Am A New Man in Christ

What GOD Has Done For Me!

In the beginning GOD created me in Adam, in whom He breathed the breath of life.

When I was in my mother’s womb He formed me spirit, soul and body, everything that I am He formed. He gifted and called me for His purpose in the world and His eternal Kingdom. He wrote out the days of my life before I was born, Psalm 139:13-18.

When I was born as a sinner, in the rebellion of Adam and condemned to the eternal judgment of Satan’s rebellion He assigned angels to watch over me and to keep me in all my ways. Jesus pursued me continually intervening in my life to show me how much He loved me.

One day, on my 23^rd birthday He prompted me to go to church. The only person I knew there was my 12 year old cousin who went to her Sunday school class, I did not know anyone there. I did not understand what was being said during Sunday school, worship or the service. But after wards I felt like I belonged there and I just kept going.

Over time I came to understand what Jesus had done for me in His life, death and resurrection. I made a confession of my sins and a profession of faith. I was baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit. I met and married my true love and now wife of 42 years. I grew in grace and understanding, I went to Bible College, I got involved in ministry.

But I did it my way! I did what I had to do most of the time but not always. I did good in ministry because of my gift and calling even though I did not understand that was what I was doing.

Because there was still rebellion in my soul and body I eventually fell away. I felt abandoned by GOD and the Church so I just stopped participating even though for a few years we still went to services.

But GOD! GOD had not left me. He had not forsaken me even though I had kept some sins all the time I served Him. He had not abandoned me during my years of rebellion. Jesus continued to pursue me, to woo me, to show me His love and righteousness, His mercy and justice, His grace and correction.

So one day my wife asked me to go to a church with her to see our old pastor of 25 years. I understood everything that was said and everything that was going on, and GOD began the restoring process in my life. So after 17 years of open rebellion I made a confession of my sins and a profession of faith in Christ Jesus as my Redeemer. I was renewed by His Spirit and I was baptized again. That was 5 years ago and GOD’s gifting and call are at work in my life again. This time I have left all my sins buried in baptism and I am becoming that new man GOD called me to be, actually when I was 16 at a Pentecostal Church (I just did not understand what I experienced and no one explained anything to me. I was not a member and did not go back).

I said all of that so that this next statement will make since. A couple of weeks ago during our home group worship I realized that GOD had done something so miraculous and so not taught in the Church that I was stunned by it. As I have thought about it for the last 3 weeks my Heavenly Father has just overwhelmed me by it.

The words of a song that we sung included the phrase “He rewrote my history”, or something to that effect.

What GOD has done we have heard explained many ways in the scripture, “As far as the east is from the west, so far He has removed our transgressions from us.” Psalm 103:12 NKJV; “…Jesus Christ…To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood.” Revelation 1:5 NKJV; “…For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.” Jeremiah 31:34 NKJV

The understanding GOD gave me is that when I confessed my sins and asked for His forgiveness He did more than just remove my sins so that Almighty GOD the judge could no longer see them. He rewrote my history!

When I was in my mother’s womb He wrote out the days of my life, then I was born and I lived my life as I pleased and as others controlled or influenced me. When I became a believer not only were my sins forgiven and removed from history, but He restored that which He had written while I was in my mother’s womb. So when He looks at my life what He sees is the fulfillment of His gift and call for my life. When I confessed and repented of my sins as a believer and backslider the same thing happened again. My past is what He wrote out my life to be when I was in my mother’s womb.

That is why as a believer I am a new creation, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV emphasis added.

For 43 years I have never understood this in the light of my history and the days of my life that GOD had written out before any of them existed, Psalm 139:13-18.

Now I know that I am who GOD made and called me to be in my mother’s womb and even though I did not always live my life according to His plan that is what He sees when He sees my life.

Amen and Amen!

knowing verses Knowing

“And Jesus answered and said to her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: but one thing is needful.” (Luke 10:41-42 KJV) Oswald Chambers said of this verse “The greatest competitor of devotion to Jesus is service to Him.” ‘My Utmost For His Highest’

That thought made me think of Matthew 7:21-23, where Jesus is talking about the end of time and He is judging the Church. “Many will say to Me in that day, ‘LORD, LORD, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” (Matthew 7:22 NKJV) Study also Matthew 25:31-46

As I was praying for family, I thought of the fact that so many know the truth; they at some point heard the gospel and understood that they needed salvation and Jesus was the source of that salvation; but they never got to know the source of that truth and so they are not free. So close…but so far.

It’s not head knowledge that leads to salvation, it’s revelation knowledge. Knowing about Jesus and what He did for us is not going to save us from eternal damnation. Saying ‘I believe in Jesus’ is not enough, Romans 10:4-13 reveals that personal relationship comes from personal revelation which causes a change of heart and a public profession, this act of faith starts the process of salvation in our life (salvation is not just going to Heaven when we die).

The key is to know Jesus! If we just have the form of Christianity (works of the Kingdom) but do not know the source (Jesus Christ) we will be those who have done the works but are cast out because we did not know the source, Jesus. That is what lawlessness is!

How can this be you ask? It is called religion. Jesus talked of the fact that the Jews had a form of religion but they did not know GOD therefore they did not receive Him. Though they had been waiting for generations for the messiah, when He came they rejected Him because He stood against their religious form of worship that had no love. They had no love for GOD only for rewards and fame, they were blind to GOD’s presence and love because it did not fit what they wanted from their messiah. They rejected the revelation of who the messiah was as revealed in the Law and the Prophets because that would require them to serve the people in humility rather than lording it over the people.

Religion always exalts self rather than Jesus!

Weather or Whether you Believe or Not

Weather or Whether You Believe or Not

The world calls weather disasters, earthquakes, and such an Act of GOD. They blame natural disasters and the destruction, injury and death from them on GOD. Some believers, the Church, blame them on GOD and some on the devil or the spirit of evil that is rampant in the earth. They are sometimes the natural result of evil that is in the world and sometimes the judgment of GOD on a rebellious humanity. Either way all evil is the result of rebellion. The devil cannot make weather he can however influence its destructive effect.

Here is what I know about GOD: He created everything that is and everything is in His control. Nothing happens in creation that GOD does not know about and He either causes or allows it to happen. Here is what I know about the evil one: a created being, he is a fallen angel, an angel in rebellion. He has no power of creation or authority over creation; he is the father of lies and uses deception to promote his rebellion against GOD and His Kingdom. Here is what I know about rebellion: it is self rule, rebellion leads to destruction and all evil in the world is from rebellion, the rebellion of the devil and humanity against GOD. Here is what I know about believers: we are redeemed by the blood of Jesus because of His death on the cross, His resurrection from death and His ascension to Heaven. He gave us authority over principalities, powers and rulers of darkness; but not over creation, he gave us dominion (the right to rule, use and protect) over creation. He gave us victory over sin (rebellion) and the temptation to sin (commit rebellion). Here is what I know about authority: it is the right or privilege to exercise control of or power over. Here is what I know about power: it is the ability or strength to enforce authority.

The devil is the evil one because of his rebellion and all believers have been given authority and power over him in Christ Jesus. Our authority is from seeking our Heavenly Father before everything else and seeking His Kingdom by being yielded and obedient. Our power is exercised as we resist evil, overcome temptation and by not sinning which is rebellion. That is living the holy, righteous life that Christ redeemed us into, then evil will flee from us and the gates of hell will fall back before our life in Christ.

When we have rebellion in our life we have an opening for evil to come in and take control. When we do not have rebellion in our life evil can still affect us but it cannot have control or authority over us.

Creation: John 1:1-5; Colossians 1:9-18; Hebrews 1 & 2; Revelation 21

Authority: Matthew 7:29, 10:1; Mark 1:22, 27; Luke 10:1, 17-20; Titus 2:11-15

Power: Matthew 10:1; Acts 1:8; Romans 1:16-17

Both: Matthew 28:16-20; Mark 16:14-18; Luke 4:36, 9:1; John 5:26-27, 20:21-23; Romans 8:31-39; 1 Corinthians 15:20-28; 1 Peter 3:18-22

Evil: Matthew 13:36-43; Luke 10:17-18; John 8:44, 12:27-33;

Rebellion: Matthew 7:21-23, 15:8-9; Ephesians 5:1-7; Titus 1:10-16; Hebrews 1:8-9;

Judgment: Matthew 13:41-43; 2 Timothy 4:1; 1 John 2:15-17; Revelation 19 & 20

So what does all this have to do with weather disasters? That’s the thought that ran through my mind this morning while I was praying. Something about GOD being blamed rather than the devil, it is the rebellion of the devil that has led to all of the evil throughout history and it is the evil of the devil’s rebellion that will lead to the greatest loss of human life, the total destruction of the earth and the final judgment of all human beings. If you do not believe in GOD and Heaven or the devil and hell that’s really too bad, because you will end up in eternal damnation. If you do believe in GOD and Heaven and the devil and hell that’s a good start, but you must live your life of belief according to GOD’s plan and purpose for your life or you may be with the lawless locked out of His Kingdom. Study Matthew 7:21-23; John 3:16-21; James 2:19; Revelation 21:5-8, 22-27, 22:18-19.

Some may wonder why I only used New Testament verses for this paper, that is because even though Jesus is found in every book of the Old Testament I am writing to people who may barely know the New Testament and know nothing of the Old Testament. I hope that this teaching is clear that it is about your salvation and call to serve GOD if you are a believer in salvation through Jesus Christ. He expects you to know what His Word says, to practice it in your life, and be able to tell others. Not tell people that you are a Christian but why you are a Christian (what He’s done for you) and why they need to know Him as their personal GOD and savior. That will only happen as you study the Bible, ask His Holy Spirit to guide you and teach you, and listen for His voice revealing Himself to you.

If you want to learn more go to my blog, www.robertheadrick.com.

Get To Know GOD

GOD is Love 2

In GOD is Love I talked about some reasons that people have weak faith or a lack of trust in GOD. So what should be my response to people I meet who do not understand who GOD is and what He calls us to in His Kingdom? It should not be to judge or condemn, it should not be to belittle or ridicule or to ignore as if they are not worthy of my expertise. As I know and serve the True and Living GOD – Creator, Sustainer, Redeemer, Provider who is Loving, Righteous, Holy, True, Just, Merciful, Kind, Faithful, Generous, etc., it is my responsibility and privilege to live my life as an example of who He is. As I know and serve GOD I must live my life so that others can get to know Him as I do. Because I know that GOD Loves me I must not only love Him back But I must love His creation, His Word, His salvation by loving His children – humanity. I must live in my life in both private and public so that others will see who GOD is and what He wants for them.

My behavior more than my words must show GOD’s Love, mercy, forgiveness, kindness, faithfulness, generosity, Righteousness, Holiness, justice, truth, etc., so that others can get to know Him as I do. I must be compelled by GOD’s Love to give His Love to everyone I can. Everything about GOD and His Kingdom has given me everything I have. Everything I have is from GOD and is not for me to keep but to give to those who need His Love, kindness, mercy, forgiveness, truth, gentleness, justice, provision, Righteousness, Holiness, salvation, healing, or deliverance. There should be no aspect of my life, no experience, no possession, no hope, no expectation, no trust that I cannot share with someone else, that Holy Spirit cannot use to minister to someone else. I cannot hold onto anything. As GOD gave His all for me through The Father, Jesus Christ, and His Holy Spirit so must I give my all for His use. This is the patience and joy of the saints – believers in Christ.

That said, each believer must read and study the Bible to learn who GOD is from His Word that He gave to us so that we could learn of Him. If you want to know who GOD is and what He expects of you then you must not just read His Word, you must study it, learn what Jesus said, what the Apostles said, what the Prophets said, learn the history of GOD’s creation and interaction with humanity. Then you will begin to know GOD, but you also need to fellowship with GOD, this is generally called prayer and worship. Prayer is not just asking GOD for stuff (that should be very little of your conversation), ask Him what He wants you to know, to do, to say, ask Him to reveal Himself to you as you read and study His Word. Listen to His Holy Spirit, learn to discern GOD’s voice from your own and other voices that want to distract you from His. Worship is about GOD Himself, we are reminding Him and ourself of who He is. Praise is about what GOD has done for us and in general. Thirdly you must fellowship with other believers, go to church, bible study, prayer meetings regularly, If not daily then a couple of times a week, being around other believers is a key to your growth in knowledge and understanding of who GOD is and what He is doing in your life, your family, your church, your place of work, your community, city, state, country, world.

Jesus did not come to earth as a man and die a horrible death in your place so that you can go to Heaven someday. He did not die to make bad men good. He did all that He did to make dead men live*. And He wants us to live in His Kingdom in the earth as it is in Heaven and when we get to Heaven it will be greater than we can even imagine.

*”Jesus Christ did not come to make bad men good. He came to make dead men live!” Ravi Zacharias 2016

Does GOD Love?

GOD Loves You!

Most people do not understand GOD. Their concept of GOD is weak and/or incomplete.

GOD is Love! He Loves everyone! Just as we are He Loves us and wants us to know Him so we can love Him.

GOD Loves us so much that He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ who gave up His Glory to be born and live as a man. He suffered every temptation that we experience and He remained free from rebellion (sin). He was rejected, ridiculed, laughed at, beaten, whipped and crucified so that our sins are removed and we can have a clean heart and a renewed mind; so that we can understand GOD’s Love for us. Only then can we see – understand – know that GOD – our Heavenly Father wants us to be His children – joint heirs of His Eternal Kingdom; freed from rebellion by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and filled with His Holy Spirit who will teach us through His Word – The Bible how to live in and for GOD; to receive His blessings, grace and peace by fulfilling His purpose for our life.

Many people’s concept of GOD is limited because they believe that He is angry at them for whatever reason. GOD is our Heavenly Father and He is not angry He is hurt that we reject His Love and purpose for our life. This is the part that many have a problem with because they believe that if GOD is Love how could He allow sin and then condemn us for being sinners. He does not condemn us to hell because we are sinners, He allows us to go to hell because we reject His gift of salvation through Jesus Christ (rebellion).  What? Why? Because He gives us freewill, He gives us the ability to choose how we will live our life. He does not over ride our will but He tells us what the consequences or benefits will be for the choices we make in His Word the Bible. Some will ask, “‘what if’ I never heard about Jesus?” When GOD formed us in our mother’s womb He put a call on our life for His Kingdom and gave us a conscience awareness of right and wrong. If a person has never heard about GOD and Jesus Christ they will be held accountable to what GOD gave them in their mother’s womb. This will lead to many more ‘what if’ questions, the question is not ‘what if’ the question is ‘what do you believe’ and ‘why do you believe it’, ‘what do you want’ and ‘why do you want it’, ‘how do you live your life’ and ‘why do you live your life that way’?

Many people’s concept of GOD is weak or limited because they do not believe that He made everything that exists. That He made it and it is for His good pleasure and that He gave humanity the responsibility to use and care for the natural creation. If your god did not make everything that exists physically and spiritually, if it does not exist within them than he or she is not a god.

Many people’s concept of GOD is weak or limited because they cannot believe that GOD is triune! Three in One, how can that be? Because He is GOD and He is triune in nature and personality. He is The Father, The Son, The Holy Spirit, yet He is one GOD. He is Spirit, omniscient,  omnipotent, omnipresent,   immutable, invisible, invincible, immortal, eternal; He is Love, Truth, Peace, Rest, Good; He is self existent; He is salvation. He is Father, Son, Holy Spirit.  If your god is not all of these he or she is not a god at all.

Many people’s concept of GOD is weak or limited because they do not believe that the Bible is the Word of GOD to humanity. First there is no other religious book like the Bible, which is not a religious book, it is the Word of GOD. Sixty-six different books or letters written by 40 men over a 2000 plus year period, it is one book. It is the message of GOD to humanity that introduces us to Who He is and why He created us. He reveals His Love for and purpose for creation and humanity, that He understood our weaknesses and inability to live our life for Him without His personal intervention. What that personal intervention was (Jesus Christ) and how that affects our lives. The Bible is everything that we need to know in this life and more than we can know and understand in the natural. No matter what men have done to interpret the Bible they cannot and have not changed its message; that GOD is, that He Loves us, that He sent Jesus Christ to redeem us back to Himself so that we can live eternally with Them as He intended from the beginning. As we study it and live our life by its principles and precepts we will live a fulfilled and complete life of service to Him here in the natural realm and live with Him eternally in His Kingdom.

Every religion requires you to earn their god’s love and blessings with the hope that someday or lifetime you may become a true spiritual being or god. If your god cannot or will not help you to achieve the spiritual goal of your religion than he or she is not a real god! Only the True and Living GOD knows that we cannot redeem ourself or make ourself a true spiritual being or god. So He reveals to us through His Word the Bible that through Jesus Christ we can enter into eternal glory in His Kingdom (Heaven) forever.

The Body

The Body

We are the Body of Christ in the earth, the Body is made up of many parts and organs. Paul describes the body of Christ outwardly; the hands, feet, eyes, nose, and ears. What about the inward parts of the body? Here is how I see it.

Christ is the head, the brains, of the body. The blood is Jesus’ Blood. The Holy Spirit is the nervous system and internal organs. The Gospel is the heart, respiratory and circulatory system. Believers are the flesh and bones. Churches, fellowships and ministries are the eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and appendages (arms, hands, joints etc).

The Word of GOD is our food and the Living Water comes from the Holy Spirit within.

Ephesians 1:22-23; 1 John 5:11-12; Leviticus 17:11; 1 Corinthians 12:12-27; Romans 1:16; 12:4-5; Matthew 26:26-28; Colossians 2:18-19; Luke 4:4; John 4:13-14, 32-34; 6:32-35, 53-58; 7:37-39

Updated 4-3-17 12:48PM