The Promise of the Ages

Part One "The Redeemer" by Anthony Barbera

God’s word, revealed in the Bible, is His will and Everlasting Covenant to all of mankind. It overflows with His promises and His heart’s desire for his family.

I find it fascinating when I make new discoveries about my family, both those alive and those who are no longer with us. What kind of people were they? Has my life been influenced by theirs? Have their lives influenced decisions I’ve made in the past, and do I allow their actions to affect what I will do today? What follows is my story, and it’s your story as well. But to begin, we have to look back quite a ways.

A Very Brief History of Your Past

When God created the first man Adam, God gave Adam dominion and rulership over all of the earth.

And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. Gen 1:28 KJV

Adam and Eve were given dominion (rulership) over the earth. They were to repopulate the earth and subdue it, to bring it into subjection. They were to cultivate the garden and prepare it for the humans to follow, and to watch over it.

Then the LORD God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it. Gen 2:15 NASB

They were given free will and were designed by God to live with three vital components to their humanity: body, soul and spirit, the latter being what made them unique among all of God’s creatures. None of God’s other creatures were created and endowed with this special God given component—spirit. God’s man was connected with his creator, and that spirit from God allowed Adam and Eve to speak with God, who is Spirit.

And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where [art] thou? Gen 3:8-9 KJV

God created a woman for Adam. He made them unique and set them above all the rest of His earthly creation. God’s heart for Adam and Eve was simple; He wanted to share in fellowship and communion with them…not much different from what many fathers envision in their own lives with their own children. God wanted to be their provider, their caretaker, and the great source of their livelihood.  Simply put, God wanted to be their sufficiency.

In doing so God asked of Adam one thing, not to eat of the tree that God had not intended for them, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. As Elohim (God the creator) bestowed upon Adam rulership over all the earth, Satan (the one who was determined to overthrow the kingdom of God) was at work scheming. (Now the story of who Satan is and where exactly he came from is a story in itself, but keep in mind, this is a “brief” history of your past.)

Satan beguiled Eve, who then persuaded Adam to disobey God as well. Adam committed treason against God and transferred his rulership over the earth to Satan, God’s archenemy.

That very day Adam and Eve, breaking the judicial law of God, received the death sentence.

Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: Rom 5:12 KJV

First Adam and Eve died spiritually, giving up their spiritual nature from God in exchange for the sin nature of the world (the consequence of partaking of the knowledge of good and evil.) Many years later, after having progeny, they both died physically. Their new nature, infected by sin, was passed to all the children of the earth, and inherited by all mankind. Cast from paradise in order to save all mankind from eternal everlasting death, the Spirit of God was lifted from upon them and they were left without a connection to God. Adam and Eve died, first spiritually and then, many years later physically.

Through the generations, some men upon the earth have called this idea preposterous. Impossible! Yet, they will fully embrace the idea that by chance occurrence, immeasurable by any mathematical axiom because of its impossibility, that mankind was concocted by a impossible meeting of gasses, some of which didn’t exist at the time, and thereafter human beings became a part of a long line of ancestors starting with the amoeba and transforming into an ape, chimpanzee, or an orangutan.

It is unfortunate but true that the first man and woman failed to obey God. The scriptures, (the Creator’s declared owner’s manual for mankind), declares that God, in His great mercy, promised His creation that He would send help for all mankind. The Creator had made man to live forever, but mankind now had a death sentence upon its head. This redeemer would pay the full sentence of death with his own life. Furthermore, the redeemer would be the most valued and cherished creation in God’s kingdom: His only begotten Son, the anointed offspring of God, the only begotten of the Creator, “the Christ.”

Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come. But not as the offence, so also [is] the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, [which is] by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. Romans 5:14-19

Jesus Christ’s life was payment in full for all of mankind’s sins. He died in our place. Born of a woman he paid the ransom placed upon our lives. Jesus suffered what mankind deserved, allowing mankind to receive what Christ earned. Because of his obedience (fulfilling the Old Testament Law and giving his life), great power was bestowed upon him and also to us as part of a free gift, to be filled with holy spirit, to all who would believe in The Father by way of Jesus Christ the son. Jesus Christ was given authority and rulership on his Father’s behalf over all who believe. God elevated His son’s name above all other names in the universe and all knees will bow—in heaven, on earth, and below the earth—to the name of Jesus. He destroyed the power of God’s adversary over the believer, and finally, he will annihilate Satan’s entire evil kingdom. Finally the Son will give back to his Father the kingdom, given to the Son to rule on behalf of the Father.

And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:  That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of [things] in heaven, and [things] in earth, and [things] under the earth; And [that] every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ [is] Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Phl 2:8-11 KJV

The Christ (the anointed one whom God sent) paid the ransom that was placed upon our lives with his own life. He paid the full legal cost for Adam’s treason, so that all of humanity could be pardoned from the sentence of death. The Father set him at His own right hand. To sit at the "right hand" indicates a place of power, authority and honor.

For he [Christ] must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For He has put everything under His feet. Now when it says that "everything" has been put under him, it is clear that this does not mean God himself, who put everything under Christ. When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all. 1 Cor 15:25-28 NIV

Jesus Christ, and only Jesus Christ, is the only way to gain access to God. One may believe the world’s words (there are many roads to God), or the words of God’s Word in the Bible. No other name gives man access to God. Jesus Christ paid the full price and bought with his death, victory over God’s archenemy Satan. He ushered in a new way of life for every man and woman. He made available a new man, a man different than any before, and he gained back all that Adam originally lost, and so very much more.  Jesus Christ always obeyed the Father’s will. In opposition to what many men say, there are not many roads to God.

Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6 NIV

He is the only man ever born who died, was raised from the dead and now lives. That’s correct. He ascended up on high, he led captivity captive and he gave gifts unto men. He made available the gift of holy spirit, the component of life which enables direct communication with God, which Adam lost, now available again to all mankind. He is the head of the one body. Ultimately, he will give the kingdom back to God the Father, our Creator.

Our Story of Redemption

When God created man, He gave man a part of what He is: Spirit.

God [is] a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship [him] in spirit and in truth. Jhn 4:24KJV

Everything was under man’s feet, which is a figure of speech giving it added emphasis. He was given dominion over the earth. He was to steward, protect and cultivate it.

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his [own] image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. Gen 1:26-27 KJV

Man was to replenish the earth and subdue it.

And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.Gen 1:2

God made man a little lower than himself and set him above the angels. He endued him with Spirit.

It’s almost unimaginable, to realize that the love of God for mankind was so great that he made man and placed him right below Himself.

When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained; What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him? Yet, You have made him a little lower than God, And You crown him with glory and majesty! You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, All sheep and oxen, And also the beasts of the field, The birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, whatever passes through the paths of the seas. O LORD, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth! Psalm 8:3-9 NASB

God set His created man and women right beneath Himself. Man was to be blessed and have fellowship with his Creator—within the majesty of what the Creator had made for man. There were no recorded sicknesses or diseases, no fear or worry. They were to look only to Him. He didn’t create men and women to be fatalities of disease, poverty or fear. He didn’t create them to be sickly and downtrodden; weak, afraid and poor. God never made men and women to be victims. They were to look only to Him, to have fellowship and companionship with Him. God would provide for all their needs.

There was no sicknesses or diseases, no fear or worry.

And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. Gen 1:28

God instructed His man and woman to replenish the earth. If Adam was to replenish the earth, certainly something inhabited the earth before Adam arrived. Within the framework of time, there may be a great divide between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2. Within that time period may be untold years filled with diverse creatures, some of which may have looked human. Were they God’s prototypes? Were they corrupted by the fall of Satan and one third of the angels in heaven? We do not know. Some things God keeps secret, and to himself.

The secret [things belong] unto the LORD our God: but those [things which are] revealed [belong] unto us and to our children forever, that [we] may do all the words of this law. Deut 29:29 KLV

However, the Lord has given us “all things that pertain unto life and to Godliness.” Yet, it is peculiar that mankind still groans in agony and obsesses almost exclusively on those “secret things,” which God didn’t wish to reveal. Instead of rejoicing in the ninety-nine percent of “things that pertain unto life and to Godliness” man struggles and complains over the one percent not known.

Now what was Satan doing probing around in God’s creation upon the earth? Was the first heaven and earth destroyed in Genesis by the attempted overthrow of God’s kingdom? Was Satan originally given the job of ruling over the earth? We do not know. But what we do know is this: he was at one time perfect in beauty and wisdom until iniquity was found in him. Remember, Satan was created with free will just as you and I. He was provided the same right to choose between good or evil as you and I. Both angelic beings and human beings were created with intelligence, reasoning ability and the facility to choose whether to obey God, or not to obey. That is what sets reasoning beings apart from animals. We have free will, a God given gift of life. Even the majestic whale does not possess the free will to obey or disobey the Creator. God did not put him, or any other animal, on the same plane as mankind. This certainly strikes at the very fabric of some men’s views. Mankind was to steward and protect the earth at the same time he was also to repopulate, dominate and subdued it.

Some will say—‘how arrogant you are to think that the earth and the universe were created just for you.’ Perhaps we might simply turn to God and thank him for how gracious and loving He is to us. All the created life forms of the earth were not created equal. Man was not created for the earth—the earth was created for man.

Man Was Not Created For the Earth—the Earth Was Created For Man.

Unfortunately Adam and Eve were up against a difficult foe. One who had already beguiled one third of the angels in heaven into following him.

Now the serpent was more subtil [crafty and shrewd] than any beast [living animal] of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? Gen 3:1 KJV

Satan persuaded Eve to accept a lie, convincing her to be rebellious and to disobey God.

You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil. Gen 3:4-5 NIV

With the first lie, Satan convinced Eve that she and Adam would not die; with the second lie, that they would be just like God. Even today, the same lie is perpetrated and believed by most of the inhabited earth. Every man is his own god. All are self-made men. If you’re a god, why do you need another? You can meet all of your own needs yourself. God made man a little lower than himself; the only one greater than man was his creator. Man was to look only to God to have all his needs met. God was to be his only sufficiency. Meanwhile, men and women, for six thousand years, knowingly or not, have been running their own lives. And we wonder why the earth is in constant upheaval.

And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou [art] cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. Gen 3:14&15 KJV

Until Man was Created, Lucifer, the Archangel, was First in Authority

Until man was created, Lucifer the archangel, was first in authority after God. When God made man a little lower than himself the only one greater than man was his Creator. At some point Lucifer (now called Satan) lost his place as chief below God, and instead, man acquired that position. Man, as chief heir of God, was now given dominion and authority over the earth.

Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire." Ezekiel 28:13

The word "cherub" is only used in references to angels. Some have suggested that if God had created a perfect being, how could it fail?

Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Ezekiel 28:15 KJV

The Hebrew word translated perfect is, tamiym תָּמִים. It means to be whole, sound and complete and is used also to indicate a sacrifice which is without blemish.

Unfortunately, in English we associate the word perfect to mean: without imperfection of any kind. We might say for instance that the diamond is perfect, flawless, and without any perceivable imperfection. Yet, if one looks under a microscope at a diamond, the most perfect of all diamonds will still reveal imperfections and flaws. Perhaps a cleared way to think of this English word perfect is this: To be perfect is to be unspoiled, pristine and fully equipped. Yet in the sense of character, God’s reasoning created beings (men and angels) were created with free will. Whatever Satan decided, whatever changed Satan, he became filled with violence, profane speech and became unholy and unrighteous committing injustice and violence. It was so bad that he was cast from heaven. There was war in heaven. Satan wanted God’s position.

You said in your heart, "I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. Isaiah 14:13

The NIV clarifies this further.

You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you. Ezekiel 28:14-15 NIV

The word "covering" is from the Hebrew word cakak (סָכַךְ). It means: to entwine, to fence in, cover over, protect, defend, hedge in. Was Satan’s job initially to protect the very earth he later corrupted? We don’t know, but when Adam lost his dominion of the earth, Satan acquired it.

Job 1:6 One day the angels (sons of Elohim) came to present themselves before the Lord, and (the adversary) Satan also came with them. The Lord said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Satan answered the Lord, "From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it." Job 1:6-7 NIV

The very day Adam disobeyed God he lost his spiritual life in addition to his dominion over the earth.  As Esau gave away his inheritance to Jacob for a bowl of porridge, so Adam gave away his rulership of the earth, through disobedience and rebellion to Satan who became the god of this world; the world that you and I live in today.

Adam was corrupted that day by the knowledge of good and evil. The first thing that he and Eve did was to cover their nakedness and then try to hide from God. Man was now corrupted, without God and without hope. But the devil didn’t know that God had already devised the greatest of all rescue plans. A plan so magnificent and far reaching that it would not overstep the legal parameters of life which God had created in the beginning.

This Mystery Was Hid From Generations.

In rescuing mankind and giving all men a second chance, God would not overrule free will. All of the judicial laws He instituted would be observed. This secret mystery would ultimately be fulfilled in you and me as sons of God and brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ. This mystery was hid from generations and the Devil didn’t know it.

Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known [it], they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.1 Cor 2:8

The Devil Didn’t Know That God had Already Devised the Greatest Rescue Plan of All Time.

Satan and his fallen angels did not know what God had planned. If they had, they never would have crucified Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ passed onto all those that believe the power to disarm the enemy.

And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. Mark 16:17-18 KJV

As Esau gave away his inheritance for a bowl of porridge, so Adam gave away his rulership of the earth through his disobedience.

So the Lord God banished Adam from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden Cherubim’s and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life. Gen 3:23-24 NIV

Many Humans Come to this Part of the Creation and Stumble Upon their Faces.

• Many humans come to this part of the creation, if they come to it at all, and stumble upon their faces. Rising, they curse God, proclaiming that He has failed; His creation is flawed, even right from the beginning. Following that train of logic, without question there is no purpose for your life.
• If God has erred so horribly in the creation of mankind, then by sheer logic, you have no reason to exist. That is the way of the world: A hopeless, miserable outlook that breeds fear.
• Others herald forth that our need for God is a weakness and all just fantasy. That man is here by chance occurrence—nothing but a product of evolution—a random life form with no meaning or purpose.
• Or, we are simply here to make the world a better place for those to come. That we can live in peace and harmony. We can save this world. When we die we die, we go back to mother earth that is the nurturing life-force.
• Or, they declare that man was brought onto this earth with a powerful enemy, one who was present and prepared to defeat them. Furthermore—what kind of God creates his first children and throws them headway into this type of conflict?
• Beyond that, this God is vindictive, not equal handed and personally responsible for every evil deed reaped upon men by other men. If not that, at least He is responsible for the way in which He dealt with the enemies of Israel in the Old Testament. Besides, why should all of mankind suffer great loss of spirit and connection with their creator because of one man and one woman’s disobedience?

Another man-made reason for a life of hopelessness. Man judges God by man’s own limited, skewed viewpoint. He does the judging with a lack of information and insight, and with an egotism which at best spans about one hundred years out of all eternity. God’s ways are always a blessing, man’s ways most often end in calamity.

For my thoughts [are] not your thoughts, neither [are] your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For [as] the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isa 55:8-9 KJV

This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 1 John 1:5 KJV

Where Were You When I laid the Earth's Foundation?

And God spoke to job out of the whirlwind:

Then the Lord answered Job out of the storm. He said: Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge? Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? Job 38:2-5 9 NI

Adam transferred rulership of the earth to Satan. Satan gained rulership of the earth—not ownership of the earth.

The earth [is] the LORD'S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. Psalm 24:1

Jesus Christ gained back for the believer dominion over the evil power of Satan. The remainder of mankind is still under Satan’s authority. When Christ comes back to gather us together, and there is a resurrection of the just and the unjust. Then we will see the full conclusion of this matter.

For we are His workmanship (masterpiece) created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Ephes 2:10 KJV

This is God’s opinion of you; That He created you, and that you are His masterpiece, fully able to walk in love—with all of His fullness. That you are able to bless, protect and deliver those in darkness. That you are an able minister, walking with His love throughout this world proclaiming His “good news.”  That He is light and that His desire is the same as it was in paradise. That you can look only to Him with absolute trust and confidence. He will provide. His desire is for you to have a life that is more than abundant in every category of life.

Clothe Yourself with the Whole Armor of God

Satan’s chief desire and design is to destroy humans and thereby bring sorrow to the heart of God. He is vicious and wants to unravel and humiliate what God made to be loving, caring and upright human beings. He wants to exhibit you as a mistake of creation, flawed beyond recognition and incapable of being all God has called and enabled you to be. Satan achieves this by appearing as a god of beauty. Beneath his disguise he is a thief, a killer and a destroyer of life. Everything that Satan gives away is temporary. Everything which Satan gives has a great price attached to it. Satan is the author of death. That is why our Father has given us spiritual armor and instructs us to put on all the armor of God.

Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (methods) of the devil. Eph 6:13 KJV

As Satan overthrew Adam and captured the realm, he wants to overthrow you as well. He’d like to confuse you and overthrow you before you accept Jesus Christ as your lord and savior. His desire is to steal the promises which God has for you: your joy, your fellowship and your eternal life with Him. Ultimately, if Satan can’t change you for his own purposes, or if your use by him has become unprofitable, then his desire is to kill you and to destroy your chance for union with your Creator and heavenly Father.

Is that the Plight of the believer today? No! It is not. For we are the children of God and we have overcome Them.

Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. 1 John 4:4 KJV

Satan and a third of the fallen angels are referred to in scripture as evil spirits or devil spirits. They are your enemy. Our citizenship is in heaven. We are no longer under the domination of this present earthly rulership.

But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised [us] up together, and made [us] sit together in heavenly [places] in Christ Jesus: Eph 2:4-6 KJV

Our citizenship is in heaven. We have been transformed from the darkness to the light

Yet, within the world at large, where men refuse to look to God,  His son Jesus Christ and the power that is available to us now, the devil is wreaking havoc and upheaval among its inhabitants. With few exceptions, nation after nation has risen to glory through the conquest of other human beings by pounding them into submission and enslaving them. Satan stands tall upon the earth and points his finger down at the faithful, “They are the ones that have caused all these wars, all this destruction. See, the believers in the Christian God, they are evil. Kill them.” Yet, it is Satan who is manipulating all of the evil power of the earth.

Civilization after civilization has fallen into his ash heap under the power of the current rising star. Behind it all, hides the great puppet master, Satan, the grand manipulator. He has deceived the entire earth. He makes sin appear glorious and majestic, beauty more important than honor; wealth is the measure of success, and self, the center of love. Error and crime reflect as though they were virtues—and deception is the common practice of commerce. He has almost deceived the entire world.

God created life with order and design. He created men and angels with Free will. He does not violate his own Justice.

If you are new to Christ, or if you are considering making him your Lord, you perceive that there is a war going on around you. You don’t always see it, but you know that forces are at work. Lust for power corrupted Satan. The lust for power corrupts most of mankind today. When cast out of heaven, Satan lost none of his brilliance, none of his earthly wisdom. He simply became corrupt. He is the great king of the devil hosts of hell. He is the mighty enemy of God. He is the adversary of angels and of men. He heads up all the evil of all the ages. His whole nature is malignant and cruel. He has dominion over the kingdoms of the earth, and as the chief prince and god of this world, he is the political head of all the nations. As a god, he demands man's worship, reverence and obedience.

The standard of life for most humans is misery and pain.

The standard of life for most humans is misery and pain, as man is totally helpless and deceived without God’s aid to escape the devil’s power. Without God, mankind has no hope. He is defeated by his imminent death and the fear of it. Without God there is no genuine love and no reason for life. Wealth never satisfies man’s inner desire to love. Nor can the love of another person answer all the needs of the heart of a man or a woman. The devil introduced sin into the world [by way of man] and with it death. Today we have the victory through Christ Jesus. However, the devil will not be finally destroyed until he is thrown into the burning lake of fire. What men do is not their greatest problem. What mankind is, that is his real problem. Without God, he is a dead man.

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. Eph 2:1&2 NIV

Without God, mankind has no hope.

Just like Adam, the natural man (the man without the spirit from God) has no spiritual connection to God and will physically die. Each person must choose. Each normal man and woman is endowed with intelligence, reason and choice. Adam forfeited dominion, authority and power over the earth to God’s archenemy, Satan. On earth Satan is running the show. He orchestrates. He conducts his evil army and he plays any part he wishes in his great symphony called “Beguiled and Deceived.” So that today we have a much, much, deeper problem than which men are running the governments of this world, or who is president of your country or mine, for Satan is running the entire world. Satan is the God of this world and you and I are his enemies.

Many inhabitants of the earth justifiably wonder why the world is so unfair and unbalanced. With good intentions they desire to fix the world. They believe that this present world can be repaired, that it is our job to repair it. Certainly we should steward what God has given us to steward; however, this world is unfixable. This present heaven and earth will one day be destroyed. Believe it or not, this earth cannot save you or your next generations.

And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. Rev 21:1 KJV

The Earth is not Your Mother; God is our father.

This present world will never be permanent, right, just, repaired, or in any other way the fair and honorable place where all men can dwell together in harmony and peace, not until God institutes a new heaven and a new earth. This earth is not your mother; God is the Father of those who believe. As followers of Jesus Christ we are not asked to fix this world, we are called to deliver men and women out from the snare of the evil one; to find and to help; to rescue our brothers and our sisters by reintroducing them to their Father, who loves them and who wants them to join His family. As men and women with the Spirit of God within us, we are the Godly lights of the world, equipped to illuminate the darkness and lead people out of the darkness. It is the greatest rescue mission of History. The country of our citizenship is a heavenly one, where there dwells righteousness and true holiness. We are on the greatest rescue mission of all time. We are not to try to take back enemy territory; we are called and commissioned to help rescue the prisoners and reconnect them with their Father. It is the love of God that leads men back to God, not brow-beating and threats.

Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will. 2 Tim 2:25-26 NIV

Our Christian Family

What about the Christian world, where we would expect a united front standing in the face of this God-hating being. Unfortunately, he deceives far too many within the Christian church as well. Many Christians do not believe that they even have an adversary, or that Satan is their enemy. Too many Christians fight in isolated squads without looking to or even recognizing the head of the one body, Christ. Why is this?

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places]. Ephes 6:12

We are instructed to put on the whole armor of God. A warrior does not walk into the middle of a battlefield without his implements of war, without protection, without a means to fight. Do you walk onto the field of battle without the whole armor of God? Our battlefield is one where we must engage our enemy with spiritual weaponry.

We are on the greatest rescue mission of all time.

How many denominations are there in the world? How many divisions within the body of Christ? How many “Christians” refuse to recognize others because of a difference of doctrine, theology or creed? When one member suffers the whole body suffers. Divide and conquer, that is Satan’s method. And yet we are all part of the body of Christ, sons and daughters of God.

Fortunately, Christians more and more are rising together in His wisdom, realizing that Satan exerts more authority in any area where we are divided. Believers are joining forces, remembering that we will live together in eternity and together we must look only to God and put away our petty differences. The victory has been assured, but we are all called to labor together, on behalf of our Father through Jesus Christ His Son in recovering our brothers and sisters from Satan’s prison camp, out of the snare of the devil, who takes them captive at his will, to do his will.

In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And [that] they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will. 2Ti 2:25-26 KJ

Christ, The Hero of the Ages

God created the universe under a judicial rule of law and order. Having originally endowed his created beings, including Satan, with legal rights, even God painfully has to recognize. That is why so many Christian believe death comes from God—instead of where it truly resides: with Satan

The last enemy [that] shall be destroyed [is] death. 1Cr 15:26 KJV

No amount of education or culture will ever change man’s nature. The death sentence has been passed upon all men. Education will never repair mankind. So then the world has this inherently terrible problem. Man is born into a world where he is under the authority and influence of the prince of darkness, the great deceiver. The outlook was inherently bleak: a painful life followed by a painful death.

In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. 2 Cor 4:4

Except that something unforeseen happened in Satan’s kingdom when Jesus arrived and began his ministry. For Christ came with power! Did Satan really think that he had defeated God?

How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him. Act 10:38 KJV

Nonetheless (and this is important), as far as Jesus Christ was concerned, there was no question as to who was the god of this world. At the beginning of Christ’s public ministry the devil took him up into a high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. The devil offered Jesus Christ the power and the glory of them all, if Jesus would fall down and worship him. It was the greatest bribe offering of all time. Who had the dominion, the power and the authority in Genesis? Adam did, now Satan does. Jesus never disputed the devil’s claim. Jesus Christ knew who the legal ruler of the earth was.

And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. If thou will worship me, all shall be thine. Luk 4:5-6 KJV

Until Christ arrived upon the earth, the devil had free reign. Aside from a handful of tremendous believing prophets, and a few great Old Testament Kings, Satan had complete control of the world. Even today, the people of the earth generally believe that God causes all the evil which occurs in this world. The blame for the evil of the world, “acts of God” even death, is cast upon God. The devil runs this world, with his host of evil angels, through the systems of the world, which he has devised and which he manipulates. He is the great counterfeiter and deceiver. The grand inquisitor does his best to remain hidden and to blind men and women to his existence. That is how he operates most effectively. The great deceiver, the author of lies thought that he would overthrow his Creator, our Father in heaven. The Lord God Almighty had a great surprise in store for him, for something even more disturbing was about to happened to Satan’s kingdom.

For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. Romans 5:17

A ransom is given in exchange for someone being held hostage. Jesus Christ was the only man who did not have the sentence of death upon his life. He was born without sin; he was a perfect man. He was innocent. When Satan overstepped his legal right to the life of Christ, Satan in essence committed the same illegal act that he’d perpetrated on Adam, only this time he was the loser.

Death had no right over the life of Christ because he was born with pure blood (like Adam) and without sin, and he lived without sin. Satan had no right to take the life of Christ even though in actuality Christ allowed it. Satan (the author of death) overstepped all legal boundaries of God’s universal justice to all his free will beings by taking the life of Christ. In doing so, he then transferred his legal right (the right that death had on every man or woman who would believe on Christ) back to Christ. Christ then made it available for them to be born again of God’s spirit and have eternal life. This new man, created in righteousness and true holiness, with spirit born within (when someone accepts Christ as Lord) is a new creation—one that had never existed before. This new creation is not under the dominion of Satan. The genus of the new man was the perfect man, the second Adam, Jesus Christ. This new man is now born of incorruptible seed (life that cannot be taken away) which through Christ fulfilled all the requirements, which Adam did not. This new man is always victorious through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Now thanks [be] unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. 2 Cor 2:1

You are Righteous Now

We are righteous, justified and sanctified before God as if we were standing in the garden of paradise before the fall. Better than that, now we have all the fullness of God in Christ in us. We can walk like Jesus Christ did, performing in his stead signs, miracles and wonders.

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater [works] than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. John 14:12  KJV

We are ambassadors on earth, representatives for the heavenly family of God, our Father, the Creator; and you are given the same power as Jesus Christ was given in order to engage the powers of darkness. Oh, many will try to talk you out of it. But you just have to instill within your mind that you are what God says you are. Because when you are a son (child) of God you are a new creation, created in righteousness and true holiness. You are a brand new man or woman, not a rebuilt one.

And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Ephes 4:24

God Stands Acquitted of all Charges

So then God stands acquitted of the charges spewed by the always ungrateful, and you, stand as living proof of the goodness of God. As the grand counterfeiter, the devil has cleverly shifted the blame for the sometimes-dire difficulties of this life, from himself, onto God. Satan has managed even to trick the whole world into believing that God is responsible for death. That God, when he is ready, takes those he chooses to heaven. This is in opposition to the scriptures and negates the truth that Christ is coming back in the fullness of time to gather all that are alive and believe, and that together, we will meet him in the clouds. You are a living testament to the goodness of God!

But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep[die]in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive [and] remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent [precede] them which are asleep [have died in Christ]. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 1Th 4:13-17 KJV

Death is an enemy. Christ is coming back for you, if you except Jesus Christ as Lord and if you are alive at the gathering together. Then you will meet him in the clouds. You will follow those that have died in Christ who will rise first. Then sometime later there will be a resurrection of the just and of the unjust, of which the church of this presents age, will not be judged. Why? The almost unimaginable grace of God is that we already have been judged in Christ Jesus and we have been found blameless. We may walk into God’s living room with great thankfulness. We are his dearly beloved kids. We are holy and blameless before him in love and Christ makes intercession for us.

According to the scriptures there is no one else is in heaven now but God’s angels and Jesus Christ. We need to read what is written, make the Bible our source for truth and not rely upon the words on men, which are sometimes very mistaken.

God’s plan of redemption for you and I was a legal rule of law which has been tested and found true by the supreme judge of all creation.

The reason things are not as they should be is that your enemy is still seeking God's place in man's heart. He demands man's worship, and for the most part he receives it. The charge against God, “that His creation is flawed and that man cannot live righteously or godly,” had to be met. Mankind is born into this life a legal criminal, and if he was ever to stand with God, his redemption had to be completed and accomplished on legal grounds.

Glory be to God.  It has been accomplished, and our redemption is complete! So God stands exonerated before the tribunal of universal human consciousness. He did not leave man after his treason without a means of salvation. Unfortunately, man's penalty for treason still has to be met

If man will not accept God's perfect Son Jesus Christ as his substitute, he will have to suffer the consequences of his rejection.

Man no longer has to yield to Satan unless he chooses to yield. Satan has no power over the believer. All the arguments against God and His Son Jesus Christ's legal redemption of us fall useless. God’s plan of redemption for you and I is a legal rule of law which has been tested and found true by the supreme judge of creation, God Almighty, the creator of the heavens and the earth.

The Justice of God demands, and it requires, judgment; but the love of God provides grace.

The Justice of God demands, and it requires, judgment; but the love of God provides grace. Until Jesus Christ came and paid the legal price for man’s redemption, all men were under the power and authority of the devil. All men had a death penalty upon their heads and there was no way that they could pay the sentence. Those that walk by their own ways still remain a part of Satan’s kingdom; under his rule, knowingly or not.

Having originally endowed all of his reasoning creation with free will, Satan, as well as all angels and men were granted equal rights. If God had not given his reasoning creatures free will, to choose of their own volition, to act as they decided, men and angels would have been mere robots. No reasoning created being of God is required or compelled to follow, to trust, to believe or to act except by their free will choice. It is the love of God that leads men to repentance.

Salvation is complete wholeness and a reuniting of God and man. It is man once again with body, soul and Spirit. It is man in communication with his Creator.

Man could not pay the just penalty for his crime. Man was unable to pay even the interest.

• Man could not save himself. God had to provide a redeemer or mankind was doomed.
• The redeemer was required to adequately meet every demand of justice. It was required that the redeemer be a man like Adam.
• It was required that he be conceived and born in such a manner that he would not be a subject of Satan’s Kingdom. It was required that he walk a perfect walk and fulfill the entire Old Testament law.
• It was required that he have the same dominion and authority that the first man, Adam, had before his fall.
• He must meet all the requirements that justice demands for a substitute, capable of suffering all that men suffer, tempted in all things.

Jesus Christ received what we deserved, that we may receive what Christ earned.

In order to accomplish your redemption and mine, Jesus Christ had to walk a perfect walk under the same conditions which Adam could have done, but did not. Having accomplished that, Jesus Christ did not have to die. He was not born under a death sentence and yet, he gave his life in payment for ours. Born sinless, he chose (by his freewill) to live a sinless life.

Jesus Christ received what we deserved so that we may receive what Christ earned. He suffered the pain, the sting, the agony of sickness, sin and death. Jesus Christ the redeemer experienced death for every man so that every man would have a legal right to eternal life and sonship with God. God stands vindicated and man's mouth is closed forever in silence. Man no longer has a case against God for God sent His only begotten Son; one who came to earth and paid the penalty of man's guilt without asking man to take any part in the awful transaction. He did not have to die; he was the Son of God. He let himself be killed as a legal substitute for our penalty; he paid that penalty with his life.

The New Birth—You Are Righteous Now

The debt against us is not viewed as simply cancelled, but is fully paid. Christ's blood and life, which he surrendered for us, was the "ransom" by which the deliverance of his people from the servitude of sin and from its penal consequences was secured.

And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Col 2:13 KJV

To be born again (the new birth) is a miracle. The new birth offers the only solution to life's mysteries and gives man a reason for existence. It makes life with its burdens, sorrows and grief culminating in death, tolerable. It throws light on the human problems for which we can gain light from no other source. God has surely answered the criticism of every man against His justice. There is no reason for any human being to suffer, for God has vindicated us in Christ Jesus. Man's penalty for treason had to be met. God brought about the only means of rescue, the life of His Son.

But what if some do not believe? Shall their unbelief make the faith of God of no effect? Please, God is true and every man is a liar. The price he paid was unspeakable. In return he gave that which was so dear to him. And still, men protest.

It’s as though a group of people were trapped within a burning building. The roof is about to cave in just as a fireman brakes in through a hidden door. He calls out that he is there to rescue everyone. “Follow me! I will save you. I know the way out.” But instead of following, the people trapped begin to argue and complain. “Well, we want to leave a different way.” Many call out. “There’s got to be more than one way out of this burning inferno!” Instead of following the rescuer to safety, they demand more options. Ultimately the roof caves in and they suffer the consequences of their own folly.

If a man will not accept God's perfect Son, Jesus Christ, he will have to suffer the consequences of his rejection. There is no other means. No other option. Man does not have to yield to Satan unless he chooses to yield. The new birth gives eternal life to all men and the promise of being in the gathering together at the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. It's not enough to just take him as your savior, you must recognize his lordship over your life. Many people would like to have Jesus as a savior, but they do not want him as their lord. They do not want him as the ruler in their lives. The new birth is supernatural. True Christianity is not a religion—it is the Father and His family. Our legal redemption was enacted in the courthouse of heaven.

At the moment you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord, and believe God raised him from the dead, you are then saved and found innocent of all charges and blameless.

True Christianity is Not a Religion—it is the Father and His family.

Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross. [And] having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it. Col 2:14-15 KJV

You are legally adopted into the family of God. Jesus Christ has publicly represented you before the Father and you are legally reconciled to the Father, and thus, you are righteous right now. The old man along with whatever wicked works he did, is now dead. As a son (child) of God, you have a legal right to the Father's protection and to Jesus Christ as your intercessor (defense attorney.) You have become a son (child) in the royal household and family of God. You have been given the rights to a son's inheritance and the right to use the powerful “devil-feared” name of Jesus Christ. You have now passed from death unto life and become a joint-heir with your brother Jesus Christ.

He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me ...is passed from death unto life; John 5:24 KJV

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. [10] For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Rom 10:9-10 KJV

These things have I written unto you...that you may know that you have eternal life.

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. Jhn 16:33

This is reality right now! If any man receives Christ as his savior, that man is a new creation. He is not a rebuilt one, or one who has been refurbished and repaired. He is now begotten not of corruptible seed but incorruptible seed. He is begotten by the will of God, the book of James says. We are not illegitimate children or hybrids or half-breeds or even legally adopted, but legitimately born children of God. The believer is free from the dominion of law, the dominion of sin, the dominion of spiritual death, and the dominion of Satan—because he is under the rule and authority of the grace and power of God, and Jesus Christ is his Lord.

Peace with God

O LORD, I know that the way of man [is] not in himself: [it is] not in man that walketh to direct his steps. Jer 10:23

Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly [places] in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Eph 1:3-4 KJV

Glory be to God!

Anthony Barbera

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2.22.2010