 
## Who Am I? The Gospel Truth About Mankind

### W.B. Stiles

Copyright 2012 by W.B. Stiles Smashwords Edition

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law. For permissions contact:

W. B. Stiles at wbstiles.com

First Published: July 15, 2012

Revised September 23, 2018

Words: 21,910

Language: English

ISBN: 9781476064888
FOREWORD

I was lying down under the late-night sky not too long ago when I realized if science is correct the light from the stars I saw traveled many years to get to me. It made me feel minute in the immense size of the universe. As I was trying to comprehend this, I saw the lights from a flying jetliner overhead, and I wondered how complicated the lives of each person was on board and if they considered how precious and unique their lives are. There is so much being done today to cheapen the human life experience. The result is men and women do not live life to the fullest.

Life is an adventure and a challenge when think you have it figured out something comes along for which you did not prepare. Life experiences, when exposed in the light of truth, are a great teacher. Because of this, we should go through our life without apprehension and fear. The challenge of living is for those who seek purpose and participate in the vitality of living, and they find it is meaningful to be alive. Your existence is not to be lived with dread and fear. Truth is the key that reveals the way. The fear of a dark room is gone when there is light, and the truth shows what is hidden by the darkness. Likewise, there are undeniable, universal truths about the walk-in life that exposes the dark side in the struggle of living. Knowledge of the truth gives us the freedom to make choices in life that benefits us and those around us.

In many ways, we are the center of the universe on earth. So many things in our world that have happened in the past and even the events of the present will affect the universe, as we know it. We are all an everyday part of this; no man or woman is an island standing alone. Three central questions people have asked since the beginning of human inquiry; who am I? What am I doing here? And how do I live with these people around me? The answers to these questions play a role in justifying our existence. Some part of all men and women reaches out to be fulfilled and find meaning in life.

There is an invisible hand in our lives, one of optimism and hope. This force seeks the best for us. If we could hear and understand this entity like tuning in a radio channel, we would know there are ways to answer the questions of life. Therefore, we must become a child again and listen with our heart and an open mind. Let him who has an ear HEAR.

Chapter 1: In Beginning

Who am I? What am I doing here? Why do we exist? What is death? Why are we born? We live about 60 or 70 years then what? Questions, questions, life is full of mysteries. You may have assumed answers to these, and other essential queries, or are searching for reasons for living. Even so, I ask you to consider some thoughts and illustrations that may help you in your search for knowledge and truth.

"Is that all there is?", That is the question asked by Peggy Lee in a song some years back. It expresses the apathetic, nonchalant, unconcerned, attitude of many people who have stopped looking for answers. They have lost the enthusiasm of childhood. Their world is narrow; it has no depth or meaning. They look in the wrong places for answers, and because of the frustration in living they give up and lose their joy. There are meaningful answers to these queries of life. There is an answer to what, why, when, how, and how much we understand about the world and us. Life is not a meaningless time of existence that happens by chance. There are purposes for being. Everyone has the right to have their life make sense and have meaning.

My desire is not to answer all your personal questions about life, but I want the reader to seek the truth himself. Through several illustrations and revelations shared in this context, I want to bring clarity to your search for the truth. It is my hope through this search in questions of life that you may develop your appetite for truth and knowledge and become what you are meant to be.

To begin with the question "Who am I?", We must consider man's beginning. Did we start in some swamp or ocean as a one cell animal or was the first human-made by God? We must settle in our mind and heart an accurate description of man coming into being.

Is the evolution theory correct? The philosophy in the past and the hopelessness of the future is brought out in the view of some modern biologist and psychologist. In the book Chance and Necessity, Jacques Monod, the French molecular biologist insist that man's existence is due to the chance collision between tiny particles of nucleic acid and proteins in the "pre-biotic soup" on primordial earth. Monod holds that man is alone (as far as a superior being is concerned) in the universes unfeeling immensity, out of which man emerged only by chance. His duty and destiny are nowhere spelled out. ®

Men of science must admit there is no solid proof that man is an evolutionary creature. There is no definite "missing link" across the species of animals to humanity's development today. In fact, there is more proof that any evolution of a species stays within that animal group and cannot jump to another branch of the animal kingdom. So why is it that the evolutionary theories of man are believed by so many in the world today without any concrete evidence? Why is it accepted as truth? There is a belief that man is self-sufficient. The answers to man's problems originate in man. So man must look within himself for the answers to life questions. This humanistic view accepts the theories of learned men because they have Ph. D. or B. A. or M.D. behind their name. These men are qualified and therefore able to tell us the origins of humankind.

These men and women of science refuse to consider the possibility of the existence of a living, loving creator God because they can't see him. They can only see the dead fossils of animals, and the earth and the stars, and things of matter and energy, and all creatures great and small, and they assumed it all just happened by chance. They blind themselves to the architectural beauty of the universe, and they don't see the hand of the author God. They only see with their eyes and limited intellect. There is no grand purpose in man. He is merely a part of the greater whole.

To these men and women of philosophy and science, I would say, there is an invisible force that touches everyone's life. This power points to a better experience with the hope and help of a loving creator God. Humanism is leading humanity away from the revelation that God can help us be better people. It alienates us from the entity that made us. When man destroys God, he demeans himself. Atheism is suicidal. The belief in the Creator is accentual in knowing who the man is.

There is more to existence than the physical world that you see with your eyes. There are much-unexplained phenomena that science does not fully understand. What is the atomic glue that holds the proton and electron together in the atom? Why does the orbit of an electron around the nucleus resemble the planets around the sun? Why is there such order in the universe? Why is the earth of all the planets in the solar system the one most perfect to support life as we know it? What is the force that brings animation and vitality to the living things in this world and why can't men duplicate it in the laboratory? Why are humans of all the animals blessed with superior intelligence and reasoning powers? Why do the swallows come back to San Juan Capistrano every year at the same time? There is much science can do for humanity, and I mean no disrespect to men and women of all the sciences. But, why can't there be a spirit world where God and angels exist, and why can't there be a devil that seeks to steal, kill, and destroy all that is good in the eyes of God?

The answer is there can be and is a world that exists beyond the physical where dreams and prayers may enter. This world is where hope begins, and strength is found to continue living. Faith and true love come from the area called the heart of God. And these truths can only be understood by a man and woman when their soul and spirit reach out to the God of this universe in belief and humility. People in the sciences must give God a chance to reveal himself to them. Understand this, losing one's life is not as bad as never having lived.

In searching for answers, you must have a basis of truth, to begin. In the same way, a person goes to a dictionary for the spelling of a word, or a history book to find an event in the past I use bible scripture as a guideline. It is a light to my path. I make no apology for this, but I ask if this does not sit well with you that you bear with me. I believe it will become apparent to you why use scripture if you read with your mind open. If God exists undoubtedly, he has communicated to us through his Word. It would be a shame to go through life without knowing what God has said to us. What you don't know can hurt you in eternity.

Who was the man in the beginning? From where did he come? What was man's original state of being? The first mention of man in the bible is in the book of beginnings, Genesis," And God said, let us make man in Our image, after Our likeness; and let him have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth. So, God created man in his image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them," Genesis 1:26-27. I hope the words " in the image" and " likeness of God" stirred you as it does me. Adam, the father of humankind, was created in the likeness of God. I know this does not agree with the teaching that we began in some chemical slime and gradually evolved into what we are today. However, God is our heritage never the less.

Psalms 8:4,5 says," What is man that Thou dost take thought of him? And the son of man that Thou dost care for him? Yet Thou hast made him a little lower than (Elohim) God, and hast crowned him with glory and majesty." This interpretation comes from the New American Standard Bible, which correctly uses God for the Hebrew word "Elohim." It is the same word used in Genesis 1:1," In the beginning God (Elohim) created..." What does this mean? It implies God created Adam as God's under-ruler on the earth and he gave him dominion over all God's physical creation. Remember, we are looking at man's original state of being as God created him on the sixth day. God's intent for man was that he should take responsibility for this creation as God's under-ruler. This gift God administered under his thoughtful, loving instructions.

Men of science have said that the mind of the average man or woman uses only 5 to 10 percent of its mental capacity and the psychological genius only 15 to 20 percent. God created the minds of Adam and Eve at full capacity, and they were ready to take all the knowledge God would give and operate at mental levels beyond that of the average man today. Adam showed his ability when he named all the animals in what I believe was a single day, Genesis 2:20. His mind was undoubtedly operating as God intended. God, Himself would walk with Adam and Eve in the cool of the day, Genesis, 3:8. God personally taught and communed with this likeness of Himself, because Adam and Eve were children of God. The physical bodies of Adam and Eve must have been magnificent, as perfect as they were their bodies were able to do with ease activities that would tax the best physical specimen today, because God made them to last.

We must consider the fundamental abilities and areas of influence of this original man. It will help us realize our roots of humanity. The first area of influence man operated in was the physical world. He awoke from creation perhaps first noticing the bright sunlight dancing across the beautiful colors of plants and flowers in the garden. He did this with his ability to see. Then he discovered the delightful fragrant odor of the flowers and fresh air. He did this with his ability to smell. And then perhaps he reached out to feel a leaf or slip his hand in a cool stream and then he felt the warm air from a breeze circulate his body. Adam did this with his ability to feel and touch. Then he perceived the sounds of birds playing a melody of creation, and the leaves of the trees rustling with the winds of beginnings. He did this with his ability to hear. And finally, I am sure with God's instruction, Adam pulled a ripened fruit from a tree and bit into this God made delicacy. As he let the bite of food set on his tongue and began to chew, he realized the sense of taste. Yes, these are man's five physical senses. Without these senses, the man could not communicate with God's physical world. Our abilities to perceive and interact with the world are facilitated through the body God made and designed for us. We inherited these abilities from Adam and Eve, father and mother of humanity.

There is another more intangible part of man and woman called the soul. The personality and traits of man's psychic reside in his soul. The real makeup and character of any person are part of the soul. Genesis 35:18 implies that the soul leaves the body at death. The soul is where man's vitality or life is, Genesis 2:7. We experience emotions in the soul, First Samuel 18:1-3. The soul is where Adam processed information his body gave him through his five senses and formulated with his intellect what action to take. Then he used his will to decide what to do in any given situation. Adam's emotions, desires, feelings, conditioned habits, memories, thought patterns, and mental reasoning powers are aspects of his soul. Humanity develops character traits in the soul. The soul is the receiving center for information given through the body and the spirit. It is a living computer and reasoning center and emotional conduit for the mind and personality of all humankind. The proper development of the mind and soul is the key to success in the experience we call life. The soul is where man and woman reach out to the world trying to perceive all things both conscience and sub-conscience in the totality of mental reasoning.

Adam and Eve both were magnificent creatures, but as important as the soul was in their development it could not exist in the physical world without the house called the body. Also, the soul could not learn from and communicate with the Eternal God without the human spirit. The spirit is essential because it communicates life directly from God, who is Life itself to the total man. The spirit part of Adam gave him the ability to commune with God, the being who chose to make man in His image. "The natural non-spiritual man does not accept or welcome or admit into his heart the gifts and teachings of the Spirit of God, for they are folly (meaningless nonsense) to him; and he is incapable of knowing them – of progressively recognizing, understanding and becoming better acquainted with them – because they are spiritually discerned and estimated and appreciated. Yet to us God has unveiled and revealed them through his Spirit, for the (Holy) Spirit searches the profound and bottomless things of God – the divine counsels and things hidden beyond man's scrutiny," I Corinthians 2:14, 10, Amplified Bible. Adam communicated directly with God because he was a spirit being with a soul and mind located in a physical body. All of these integral components of Adam and Eve worked together to form the total person functioning in unison for their life on earth.

Genesis 2:7 says," God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul." Man's first breath was the breath of God. God tied himself to this special creation, man, in a unique way. God breathed His Spirit into man and life was injected into the man's body, and he became a living soul. God formed man out of the dust of the ground, which made him physical. God created in man a soul with man's own will and emerging personality and intellect. Then God animated this form with his breath and gave to man his human spirit, so God and man could be together, and man could learn from the living God. The man was now whole. He was complete, a new creation spirit, soul, and body. These essential components of man are found in I Thessalonians 5:23, I Corinthians 15:44-45, and Hebrews 4:12.

The key to man's success in human life was what he did with his relationship with God, and how well he obeyed God's words and teachings. God created man with a place in his being only God could fill. God intended in his relationship with man and woman to reveal Himself to humankind. For God has, "given us all things that pertain unto life and Godliness through the knowledge of Him..." 2 Peter 1:3. To know God is to understand life itself.

So, the creature man was created by God a perfect being with outstanding abilities. The man was given authority in the earth as ruler over God's creation in this realm. God worked with man and woman to accomplish the heaven-guided purpose of this creation. So, what happened to man God's prize creation? Has he fallen below God's plan for him in the beginning? Before we consider what happens next to man and woman, know this, Adam and Eve were not created as helpless pawns placed on earth in some game that God was playing. They had the ability and knowledge to overcome all things in this realm God created for them. God gave life, joy, peace, and a sense of fulfillment, friendship, and love. God created Adam and Eve as beings to succeed in life. They were to worship God as creator and giver of life, and it was essential they pay close attention to God's instructions in life. So, we can't blame God for defeat. Life is meant to have challenges, but God created in us the ability to overcome if we listen to and trust in Him.

"For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world." 1 John 5:4.

Chapter 2: What Happened?

So, what happened next? Man, who was made by God on the sixth day was placed in the Garden of Eden to dress and keep it as the bible says in Genesis 2:15. The word "keep" in the scripture describing Adams responsibilities is translated from the Hebrew word "Shamar," which also means to guard or protect. Keep in mind Adam had no fear of any creature in the garden, and he was well able to handle any animal or God made being in the world.

Man and woman had certain responsibilities in this new world and many freedoms, but only one limitation placed on their activities. That limitation was placed by God when he said," And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." Gen 2:16, 17 (KJV). The restriction was placed on man and woman because they must learn to exercise their will in a trusting relationship with God. Remember man and woman had their own God-given will. They were not mindless robots of God. Man must learn humility in putting God's word first. Adam and Eve were to develop a trust relationship with God, one that was based on the integrity of God's word. There is nothing in the restriction of God towards the man that suggests God sought man's downfall. It is a fair and simple requirement of the creator. There is instead much to show us that God made obedience easy. He created man without a sinful nature created in innocents; He placed man in an ideal environment, provided for all his temporal needs. He endowed him with strong mental powers, gave him work to engage his hands and his mind, provided a life partner for him, warned him of the consequences of disobedience, and entered in a personal relationship with man and woman. Surely, we cannot blame God for man's failure considering these facts.

But man listened to another voice in the serpent, who perverted what God said and made it sound like God was holding something back from Adam and Eve. The voice of the serpent was the voice of Satan a rebellious fallen angel. Satan wanted to persuade the woman to disobey God's warning. Satan challenged what God said," And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. Genesis 3:4-5 (KJV)." Satan's only power in this situation was deception. "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." I Corinthians 10:13. God will not let Satan tempt his child in a supernatural way or beyond their ability to overcome. Satan must operate under the limitations of the physical world.

Where was Adam when the serpent was tempting Eve? Does scripture tell us? I believe so. In Genesis 3:6, speaking of the woman it says," And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and also gave unto her husband with her; and he did eat." Adam was "with her " as the verse says during the confrontation with Satan, not on the other side of the garden. Adam could have asserted his God-given authority and spoke the word of God in this situation. Adam could have rebuked the serpent for speaking lies and cast him from the garden. I Timothy 2:14 says Adam was not deceived, but the woman was. It was Adam's place to guard this creation of God's against this lying intruder, Satan. The man was god's under-ruler. He did not take his responsibility; he willfully bowed himself to Satan and disobeyed God. To know to do right and not to do it is sin, James 4:17.

Although man and woman's body did not die right away, something died in man and woman the moment of their disobedience. Death came to man and woman's spirit. Instead of man reaching out to God's Spirit of life man and woman's human spirit became spiritually dead through sin. God had said, " In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." God saw man as a total spirit man with his soul in his own physical body. And when God was speaking of death, he referred to the spirit first because it was humanity's personal connection with the life-giving God. For what is death but separation from life, and there is no life apart from God because God is life. This moment of disobedience is the day man became more physical than spiritual. He lost his ability to commune with and deal with God face to face, and his mind was flooded with evil. Man existed now in the physical because he chose to draw his knowledge from the physical instead of the spiritual life-giving God.

Adam and Eve became children of disobedience. The power of sin was not in the tree of the knowledge of good and evil but the disobedience of Adam and Eve. Satan, who is the father of disobedience, because he disobeyed God first, became man's illegitimate stepfather. Adam and Eve listened to the words of the Devil instead of the words of God. Romans 5:19 says," By one man's disobedience many were made sinners..."

To illustrate what happened to Adam and Eve picture man as three circles representing the spirit, soul, and body. These circles are intertwined and locked together and existing in both the spiritual and the physical world, with the soul on the middle. The spirit connected to the spiritual, and the body connected to the physical world and flesh. Man and woman were created to draw knowledge from the spiritual and the physical and make life decisions based on their understanding of what they perceived in their heart and soul. Using the intellect and free will God gave them they needed to cling to the things of life from God's Spirit and not dwell on the physical things of the earth like the forbidden fruit of the tree of knowledge. But man turned to the creation instead of the creator, and the result was spiritual death. Man and woman although biologically alive were spiritually dead and alienated from God. Their guilt and shame made them hide from God in the garden. Creation itself groaned and changed into a death cycle that exists to this day. Adam and Eve eventually died physically and returned to the dirt from which they were made. The earth was cursed and held in a dominion of death, and Satan became the god of this world because man gave dominion to him.

Law governs the universe. God's plan from beginning to end is based on a system of divine justice. It has a legal foundation, God's grant of authority and dominion over the earth was a legal gift. What man did with it was his responsibility. Adam made the wrong choice and lost his position in the universe. God could not lawfully step in and repossess it for him. Without a doubt, Omnipotent God had the power to void Satan's conquest of Adam and his heritage, but that would have violated God's principles.

So, the next illustration of man shows spiritual death stopping the pathway to God and making it hard for a man to communicate with the Spiritual God and man's soul was now overwhelmed with physical knowledge from his body and five senses. He was now incomplete and living with an unbalanced perspective of the spiritual world and the physical world. He had to work by the sweat of his brow. The ground was cursed and would not freely yield fruit to him. And one day his body would return to the ground where he came from, Genesis 3:17-19.

Satan became the prince of the power of the air and began working in the children of disobedience his evil nature, and man and woman became the children of wrath, Ephesians 2:2-3. Man's thoughts of his heart were evil continually, Genesis 6:5. Man learned quickly how to steal, kill, and destroy. He received his knowledge of evil. The first male born to Eve, Cain, killed his brother, Able, because of jealousy. The man became a product of his physical lust and desires with such evil intent that God destroyed the world and all living with a flood with only Noah and his family escaping destruction, Genesis 7:23-24.

Man did not have the power to restore his spiritual relationship with God. And because man was spiritually dead, God did not have ready access to the heart and soul of man as he did before the fall of man and woman. But God's Spirit did not stop striving with man. It was conditional; God still honored any glimpse of faith and trust in the heart of man towards God with his blessing. Therefore Noah, Abraham, Moses and other men are described as men who walked with God and men of faith. Their belief in God and willingness to do what God asks was counted to them as righteousness, and God could deal with humanity through them, but so far-reaching was the sin of Adam that even these men did not go to heaven when they died, because they were spiritually dead and disconnected from the presence of God.

Where did the soul of spiritually dead men and woman go at the time of death after the fall in the Garden of Eden? Jesus tells us what happens to man and woman at death. In Jesus words, he tells us the story of the rich man and Lazarus. "There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day.20 "But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, 21 "desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 "So it was that the beggar died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 "And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 "Then he cried and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.' 25 "But Abraham said, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted, and you are tormented. 26 'And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.' Luke 16:20-26 (NKJV). We know that Jesus based all his stories and parables on fact and truth, so we can be certain that the descriptions in the story are accurate and describe an actual place called Hades. The two main players in this were the rich man and Lazarus. They both died, and their souls or personalities went to a place prepared for the Godless and the faithful. The rich man found himself in a place of torment, and Lazarus was in Abraham's bosom, or Paradise as it is called in other places in the bible. They were separated by a great gulf, which made it impossible to go from the place of torment to paradise. This holding place is the place of the dead or Hades, and it was the holding place for the dead for thousands of years. Those in Paradise were awaiting the full redemption of their souls, and the sons of disobedience were tormented in the place of pain.

There is much misunderstanding about the death experience. The bible is clear what happens to us when death comes to the body. The Bible calls the body the house or tabernacle of the soul. The body without the soul is inanimate or without life. Thus it decays and goes back to the ground from where it came. The reference to death as sleep in the Bible refers to the sleep of the body, and the hope that it will awaken to new life and be reunited with the soul and the spirit and live in the New Jerusalem with God and His Son Jesus.

Acts 3:23 states that the soul can be destroyed, Hebrews 10:39 says the soul can be saved, James 5:20 tells us the soul can be saved from death. David understood what happens to the body and soul when he said in Psalms 16:9-10, (NKJV) "Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; My flesh (body) also will rest in hope. 10 For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption." The Hebrew word Sheol is sometimes called Hades or the place of the dead. The verse infers that the personality of a person or his soul has a place to go to at physical death.

The learned men of scripture did not correct Jesus when he suggested that the personality of a man both rich and poor has a place to go when their body dies. Jesus addressed his disciples and people of that time in the proper Old Testament understanding of death. Jesus came to change that as we will see later in his fulfillment of scripture.

The truth is no man after the fall of man before Jesus came went to God's heaven at death. John 1:18 says," No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him, "(NKJV). "No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. John 3:13 (NKJV). We also know that no man comes to the Father but by Jesus, John 14:6. But I am getting ahead of myself. We will see what part Jesus played in humanity. We will see who Jesus was and what he has to do with us and who we are.

"Thou will not leave my soul in Hell." Psalms 16:10

Chapter 3: The Missing Link

So, we have man in a fallen state no longer in face-to-face communion with God. He owed a debt of life he could not pay, but God did not forsake man and woman. Even at the fall of Adam and Eve, God gave a promise to Eve that her seed would bruise the serpent's (Satan's) head, Genesis 3:15. This edict was a promise of a savior, someone who would battle Satan for humanity and bruise his head and defeat Satan in his effort to enslave God's creation man and woman. The implication is that woman would have a virgin birth because the male supplies the seed in childbearing. Isaiah later predicted," Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel." Isaiah 7:14. Immanuel means "God with us."

God did not go against his word. He said the man had dominion in this world, and even because of mans' disobedience Satan was given a place of power in the earth, God would not force His will on mankind, because it is not God's nature. The will of man and woman is a sacred gift of God, a gift God would not supersede or take back. To do so would alter God's intention toward man and woman to be free moral agents made in God's image. Satan is the one being that wants to dominate the will of man because he hates humanity and wants to control his place in the universe. God would work with the man to bring man back to him. A man would win back life for all humanity; a special man, a complete man, a man who was not spiritually dead but alive with the life of God in him.

God took responsible action, even though God was not able to have a close spiritual relationship with man and woman, He was still in control. He would remain a line of integrity and goodness. God would win over evil with love and the integrity of His word. His promises and covenants with humanity would crush Satan, and the evil Satan wrought in man.

God would deal with man in the physical world. Medical science in the last one hundred years has discovered that the physical life of man was in his blood. It supplies nutrients and life-giving oxygen to all the cells of the body, without it we have no physical life. Genesis 9:4 says, "But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood." The Bible declared the importance of blood and that it was life to the body thousands of years ago. God said the shedding of blood was required for the remission of sin in man's life, Hebrews 9:22. The law and procedures of sacrifice in the earthly temple of God in the Old Testament shed animal blood to cover a repenting man's sin. This had its beginning in the Garden of Eden after the fall of man when they partook of the Tree of Knowledge, Adam and Eve lost the covering of the Glory of God in the childlike innocents God created them. Without this covering, they realized they were naked, Genesis 3:7. The first shedding of blood was to cover their nakedness; God made skins from the animals to clothe them, Genesis 3:21. God postponed the total death of man and woman's being by entering in a blood covenant with those obedient people in the Old Testament.

After the flood, God contacted a man to make the foundational blood covenant between God and man. This man was Abraham the father of faith to the Jews and Christians today. God found a man to have faith in him and trust him. This covenant would demand the life of God or man if it were broken and would provide a way for a man to have spiritual life restored. This Abrahamic Covenant was climaxed at Jesus' death at the cross, 1900 years after Abraham. It truly made way for the child of promise Jesus.

Even though Sarah, who was Abraham's wife, was found to be unable to have children, Genesis 11:30, God told Abram (as he was known then) that his seed or children would inherit the land, Genesis 12:7. Many years went by, and Abraham was still childless. But even at an old age, Abraham trusted God to fulfill his promise to him. "(As it is written, "I have made you a father of many nations") in the presence of Him whom he believed–God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did; 18 who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, "So shall your descendants be." 19 And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah's womb. 20 He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, 21 and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. 22 And therefore "it was accounted to him for righteousness." Romans 4:17-22 (NKJV). After a time with Sarah in her 90's and Abraham about a hundred, Isaac was born the child of promise. God always fulfills his part and continues to work in people's lives.

And then, even as Adam had been, Abraham had a place of proving. Abraham was told by God to offer his son as a sacrifice to God. After Abraham realized it was really God asking for his son, he prepared to sacrifice his only son of promise to God. God told him to go to a place called the Land of Moriah, which is known later as the hills of Jerusalem. Mount Moriah, which is the traditional site where God led Abraham, is also the site of the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem. Sacrifice was made later for the sins of the people of God in the Temple. And not too far from there was to be the crucifixion of Jesus the Nazarene many years later.

Abraham willingly would have obeyed God knowing that God would raise his son from the dead if necessary to keep his promise. As Abraham raised the sacrificial knife to take the life of Isaac God stopped him from offering his son and said, "...because thou has done this thing, and not withheld thy son, thy only son,...in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because thou hast obeyed my voice" Genesis 22:16-18. God would now return Abraham's faith and offer His only begotten Son for humanity through the seed of Abraham, John 3:16. Now God had a people to bring to the world deliverance. The one to set humanity free from spiritual death would come from the seed of Abraham.

Later God through Moses established the Law to reveal man's sin, I John 3:4, and Romans 3:20. And God established the priesthood and the ordinates of animal sacrifice to cover man's sin for a season. God could deal with a repentant man under these sacred conditions. Fellowship with man was important to God and his intention from the beginning. Humanity was made to commune with God. But in all this, they had to obey God's Word. When they obeyed, they were blessed. When they disobeyed, they were cursed. Mankind would know good and evil, blessing and calamity.

Because Satan was given power in this world through man's disobedience; Satan was stopped in his destructive plans when man and woman obeyed God's word. But a spiritually dead man disobeyed God many times, and that made way for Satan and his evil nature to bear fruit in man. There must be a way to make man spiritually alive again, so God could call a man his child again and live with him.

So, God devised a plan before the foundations of creation to bring man back to him, and God would work through man to accomplish it, Ephesians 1:4, I Peter 1:19-20 and Revelations 13:8. This plan involved people throughout the Old Testament that trusted God and gave God access to the heart of man. God would work with the cooperation and the obedience of man. God could not legally by His court in Heaven force himself on the heart of man and woman. A unique complete man must win eternal life back for the man. This is where Jesus completes God's Holy plan. God wanted to bring the kingdom of heaven to earth in the hearts of men. This is why Jesus declared, "The kingdom of heaven is at hand." Jesus told stories and parables about the kingdom of heaven. He knew of this because He understood the kingdom of heaven.

Was Jesus the promised one? Was Jesus the one to bruise Satan's head and win back this world for humanity giving access to the Throne of God in heaven for man and woman? Was Jesus the seed promised to Abraham that would bless the nations of this world? Was Jesus the Messiah (Anointed One)? Was Jesus, Emmanuel (God with us) and our redemption?

In the record of the genealogy of the ancestors of Joseph the earthly adopted father of Jesus we see people like Josiah who lived through the Hebrew exile the Babylon, Solomon, who was the son of David, Also a great king in his own time. There was Boaz who married Ruth. Their story is told in a book in the Old Testament that has Ruth's name. Also, was Judah one of the twelve sons of Jacob, who was the son of Isaac the child of promise to Abraham, Matthew 1:12-17.

In the record of the genealogy of Mary, the mother of Jesus, Joseph and Mary have a common ancestry from King David back to Abraham. This means that Jesus was the seed of Abraham as promised by God. In Micah 5:2 written about 700 B.C. Bethlehem is foretold as the birthplace of the Messiah, and in Luke 2:4-6 Bethlehem is recorded as the birthplace of Jesus. The virgin birth of the Messiah was foretold in Isaiah 7:14, 735 years before the birth of Jesus. The angel Gabriel visited Mary and told her she would give birth to a son and call his name Jesus even though she was a virgin and had never been with a man. This would take place through the power of the Holy Spirit without the aid of any man, Luke 1:26-38.

In Isaiah 53:3 it says men would reject this man of sorrows, over 700 years later Jesus came to his own, and his own received him not, John 1:11. Jesus crucifixion paralleled the descriptions of Isaiah 52:14, Isaiah 53:1-12, Psalms 22:1-18, and Zechariah 12:10. These descriptions of sorrow were prophesied hundreds of years before the Romans refined this way of death.

I want you to realize something here; God, Himself in the manifestation of man, came to earth as the son of man and God. Jesus called himself the "son of man" showing his kinship with Adam. This he got from his earthly mother, but the Holy Spirit was his father. His direct kinship with God made him the first complete man to walk the earth since Adam. His spirit was alive and in communication with the Father God. He was called the last Adam, I Corinthians 15:45. Jesus was the only man born of a woman who could pay the debt of spiritual life. Jesus was spiritually alive all the spheres of being, spirit, soul, and body were alive, and He walked in perfect communion with the Father God as Adam once did. But unlike Adam Jesus was Spirit directed, his mind and body sought the will of God, and that was the redemption of man.

Now God had a physical way into the earth. Jesus was and is the express image of the person of God, Colossians 1:15 And Hebrews 1:3. God was represented personally in Jesus; "He who has seen me has seen the Father", John 14:9. For the first time since Adam, a spiritual child of God walked the earth. As Adam became a child of disobedience, Jesus became a child of obedience. Philippians 2:4-8 tells us Jesus thought it not robbery to be equal with God but put in himself the form of a servant and became obedient unto death.

Throughout the ministry of Jesus, he had to contend with Satan who was the god of the physical world, and in every situation, Jesus defeated Satan in his attempt to compromise his mission. When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness and during the confrontation with the Devil (Satan) in Luke chapter four, Jesus did not correct Satan when he claimed to have all the kingdoms of this world delivered to him. He tempted Jesus by offering all authority if Jesus would worship Satan, but Jesus answered, " Get thee behind me Satan: for it is written, thou shall worship the Lord God, and He only shall thou serve," Luke 4:8. Jesus held tightly to the word of God to defeat Satan, unlike Adam who disobeyed the words of God.

After the study of scripture, you begin to see a plan of God to bring man unto himself. This would give a man and woman a chance to walk free of the bonds of Satan. Like everything God does his plan was perfect. Even Satan did not understand God's plan. 1 Corinthians 2:6-8 tells us that if the princes of this world had known the plan of God, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory. Satan is called in the bible the prince and power of the air.

To man's mind, the situation was hopeless, but God found a way. "But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons." Galatians 4:4-5. Since the Holy Spirit conceived Jesus, he was not a fallen son of Adam. Therefore, Satan had no claim on him. But because he was "made of a woman" he was an authentic human being and qualified as a bona fide member of the human race and able to enter the legal fight to reclaim Adam's lost estate.

Jesus would be the missing link between God and man. Jesus is the door that gives us access to God. Jesus came to break the hold that Satan had on man and he did his job  
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"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me...to proclaim liberty to the captives and opening of the prison to them that are bound." Isaiah 61:1

Chapter 4: Out of the Pit

Jesus came to give God and man the opportunity to fellowship again. He came so God could create in a willing man or woman spiritual life. He came to cancel out the debt of sin and death of humanity. Colossians 2:14 tells us Jesus blotted out the handwriting of the ordinances that were against us, nailing it to the cross. God could not raise life in Adam because of his disobedience, but God could give life back to a child of obedience, Jesus. To do this Jesus would have to give himself to death without sinning in any way in obedience to God. God would accept his sacrifice of life and shedding of blood for the human race.

Understand this, Jesus walked in authority and power as the Son of God. John 10:17-18 says," Therefore doth my Father love me because I lay down my life that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have the power to take it again. This is the commandment I have received from my Father. "Matthew 26:52 says Jesus could have called 12 legions of angels to deliver him but he did not. And so fulfilled the Father's will and plan.

"And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou will," Matthew 26:39. This is Jesus prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane just before he faced his death on the cross. On the surface, it looks like the death that lay before he repulsed Jesus, but in reality, his antipathy goes much deeper than the physical death at the cross. What was the cup that Jesus would have to drink? To answer this question, we must understand that Jesus and the Father God were in perfect communion all the time. Jesus' joy and existence was in the fellowship with life itself, the Father God. Jesus was God and with God from eternity. The cup that he was about to drink was not just physical death separation from God and Spiritual Life. If just physical death was required to pay man's debt, then Able who was killed by Cain could have been man's sacrifice or any other man who died a righteous death. But Able was spiritually dead, and Jesus was life and sinless and the only begotten of the Father spiritually alive qualifying him as the perfect Lamb of God. Jesus forsook His former glory and emptied Himself in the form of a man just for the purpose of redemption of humanity. He was born for this moment in time to change the fate of mankind forever.

Jesus demonstrated his separation from God when he said, "My God why hast thou forsaken me." God alienated Himself from his Son for the first and the only time for our sake. He was alone for our gain. Our judgment was upon Him. Jesus who knew no sin became sin for us. When Jesus said," It is finished" on the cross and gave up the ghost or died physically, the Vail of the Temple of the Jews in the Holy of Holies where the presence of God stayed, was torn from top to bottom. Jesus was declaring the end of things to be done to fulfill scripture concerning his death and the climax of the Abrahamic Covenant between God and man. Jesus was the last Sacrifice. God had given His Only Son.

The trap was sprung. Mankind and Jesus appeared to be defeated at the hand of Satan. Next Jesus the Son of God and the son of man, was taken to the heart of the earth to the place of the dead as Matthew 12:39-40 predicted and his body was buried in a tomb. In his death on the cross Jesus defeated Satan and was loosed from the pains of death, Acts 2:24, for death, could not hold him because he had done nothing to deserve death, "For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption", Psalms 16:10. The price for sin had been paid in full in God's eyes. On the third day, God quickened Jesus back to life; this was when Jesus spoiled principalities and powers making a show of them openly triumphing over them in it, Colossians 2:15. Satan was mortally wounded in his head as God promised Eve in Genesis her seed would bruise the head of the serpent. Jesus overcame the gap between life and death taking the keys to death, hell and the grave with him. He preached deliverance to the captives, Luke 4:18 and I Peter 3:18-19. Jesus arose to his body in the tomb resurrected to life. And the bible says that many of the Old Testament saints were seen at this time, Matthew 27:52-53. It is my belief Jesus cleaned out Paradise in Sheol and took the Old Testament saints to heaven with him when he ascended to God in heaven, John 20:17.

Jesus was the first born again man. He was the first man to be raised from death unto resurrection life. Just as Jesus said to Nicodemus," Except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God," John 3:3. Jesus was speaking of spiritual birth realizing humanity was spiritually dead. In Hebrews 1:5 God says about Jesus," Thou art my Son this day I have begotten Thee. And again, I will be to him a father, and he will be to me a son." For the Father God to be a father again, there must have been a brief crack in time when they were separated. Jesus the resurrected restored the glory of the Son that he once had in his relationship with the Eternal Father, but with the scars of man's sin forever in his body. Colossians 1:18 calls Jesus the firstborn from the dead. Romans 8:29 tells us Jesus was the first-born of many brethren. You begin to understand the importance of what Jesus did. Jesus became the door that man and woman could walk through to eternal life with God.

After his resurrection from the dead Jesus was made known to his disciples through Mary Magdalene, then Jesus ascended to the Father in heaven. There Jesus became our High Priest and entered into the Holy of Holies in heaven and cleansed the heavenly utensils with his own blood the perfect sacrifice, for without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin, Hebrews 9:11-28. A new covenant between God and man was established that day. Hebrews chapter 8 tells us how Jesus became our mediator to God and sets at the right hand of the Father as our High Priest. God instituted a new covenant with man, and God would put his laws into their mind and write them in their hearts. And all men would know him. God would be merciful to their unrighteousness and their sin and iniquities He would remember no more.

If any man or woman would accept the blood of Jesus as the complete cleansing from sin, God would raise their spirit from deadness, and they would become a new creature in Christ, II Corinthians 5:17. For Jesus was made sin for us that we may be the righteousness of God in Jesus, II Corinthians 5:21. The old English word in the King James Bible "righteousness" means right standing. This means that we are in right standing with God and on our way to completeness in Christ. We are restored to communion with the Father through our regenerated spirit.

Man and woman, where have we come from and where are we going? We began in innocence dependent on God who created us. We chose the knowledge of good and evil and listened to the lie that we were gods. We began in perfection in the Garden of Eden. We sinned against God and ourselves then we learned to exist in a world cursed by our actions. We began walking with God and fell to the ground crawling with serpents. We began in trust and responsibility, and then we learned disrespect and how to blame others. God gave us all things that pertain to life, and we chose death and destruction.

We have all been there; we have all fallen short of the glory that God has for us, but our sin can no longer keep us from God and his blessings. Again, it is a choice that God gives us through his Son the Lamb of God. We can choose the redemption that God has provided and inherit eternal life or reject the message of God's Holy Spirit that says," This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. I have so loved the world that I gave my only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Matthew 3:17 and John 3:16. Rejection of this message is the one sin God will not forgive, Matthew 12:31-32, I John 5:16. Just as God said to men of old, set before you is life and death, therefore choose life.

If you have never received Jesus as Lord and Savior, or you are out of fellowship with him, accept Jesus or recommit to him today. There is no peace or true joy till this is done. To know your prayers are heard and understand the Word of God through the Spirit of Life, this is God's will for you. It is God's will that all come to Him and none perish, II Peter 3:9. In John 10:9-11 Jesus says," I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved and shall go in and out, and find pasture.10 The thief (Satan) cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly", (KJV). Accepting Jesus is necessary for a person to have a rich, full life. Romans 10:9 says if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that he was raised from the dead, then God will raise you from spiritual deadness, and then you will be set free from the power of sin and death. Start life anew in the life Jesus gave us.

It is that simple. There is no other qualification for new life, confess, believe and receive. Don't make complicated what God made simple. Let God give you a fresh start in right standing and communion with the God of life. There is nothing you can do to earn new life. Jesus won it; we walk in it. We become more than conquerors, Romans 8:37. The battle is the Lord's; the victory is mine. And nothing can separate us from the love of Christ, Romans 8:35.

We are "Called out of darkness", I Peter 2:9

Chapter 5: To Be or Not to Be

God through his son, Jesus the Christ, has provided a way for a willing man or woman to become a creature of eternity. Not an angel, not a God, not some better version of humanity at the end of evolutionary change, not even a part of the cosmos ever-changing till we get it right, but we are what God has made us, man and woman. In this life we have a choice to be a willing participant in the plan of mankind's salvation written by the Eternal God and performed by His Son Jesus, or we can ignore the hunger and yearning in our heart that reaches out to our creator and accept the lie from Satan that we are in control of our lives without the need for God.

God wanted man and woman to be part of eternity with Him, the scope of which we can only speculate. Adam and Eve set the pace for all generations of humanity. We have all failed to do the right thing in life situations in our own strength. But God through Jesus has given us a second chance to participate in this age of God's grace and blessing toward those born of a woman. " And you he has quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; wherein in times past you walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience; among whom we had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherein he loved us, even when we were dead in sins has made us alive together with Christ, (by grace are you saved;) and has raised us together in heavenly places with Jesus Christ: that in the ages to come he might demonstrate the exceeding richness of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus," Ephesians 2:1-7.

In meditation and reflection of the knowledge God has provided by his Holy Spirit through the Bible, I feel humbled. God has chosen us within the framework of his Word to be part of His eternal plan. We are a major factor in God's cleansing of sin and the works of evil in this earth. As willing regenerated children of God, we prove that God's love works, and it is the strongest force in the universe. God's love did not lose sight of the great potential humanity was created for, to be part of God's eternal destiny. To be part of God's eternity or lost in a world of oblivion and destruction is, in reality, a personal choice. The physical world around you is not all there is in this walk we call life.

There is a physical world we all know about, the sun and the moon and the earth and the air and the water and all things perceived with our mind through the five senses of the body. And we know that natural laws govern the physical world. Laws of physics and mathematics tell us what we can or cannot do in the natural world. An airplane that weighs thousands of pounds can fly by applying these laws. We can go from the bottom floor of a building to the top floor trusting in these laws that operate an elevator. We as people have come to rely on these laws with our very lives.

If we put faith in the natural world because of natural knowledge as we grow to adulthood, then perhaps as we grow to spiritual adulthood we can put faith in spiritual law through spiritual knowledge. If you have realized in your heart and mind what God's love has done for you through Jesus and accept Him as Lord, then what is the next step in your walk with God? "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:1-2. If we are now God's children, then we should seek his will, but it is hard when we live in the same body with the same physical desires and lusts. Our minds are still subject to the same thought patterns that we developed out of a life of mistrust, abuse, guilt, regret, fear, doubt, pain, and undesirable habits that may not please God. The twelfth chapter of Romans in the Bible can help us find God's will in our lives.

The first two chapters of Romans 12 outline an overcoming, successful Christian life in God's eyes. First, we must offer our body as a living sacrifice in worship to God. The human perspective of life as physical only must change. We are spiritually alive now and must develop our spiritual awareness to understand a spiritual God and his will for us. The spirit cannot guide us if our body and physical desires control us. The power of sin lies in the physical world. Remember what happened to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden and their want for something new and different in the Tree of Knowledge. The flesh must not control us seeking for pleasure or satisfaction. Jesus said in Matthew chapter six that if God takes care of the birds of the air and creation itself then how much more will he care for those he calls sons and daughters. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things (cares and needs of life) will be given to you. This is Jesus promise, and it reveals the proper attitude concerning the world around us. Either God is in control, or he is not. God is worthy of our trust by His Word alone because he is God. Our bodies must be dedicated as the temple of His Holy Spirit, which is our heritage given physically and spiritually by Jesus.

At the same time, we must not conform any longer to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of the mind. The mind is the key to becoming an overcoming Christian. If we are not to conform any longer to the worldly patterns of life, then with God's help through the Holy Spirit we must change the conditioned thought patterns of our mind and replace them with the eternal thought patterns from the mind of God. This spiritual exercise is accomplished through the renewing of the mind. Joshua after the death of Moses was at the Jordan River and was told by God to go into the promise land and possess it. As God's new leader of the nation, Israel God told him how to have success and overcome the great adversity in the land. "Be strong and courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or the left that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let the Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful...for the Lord, your God, will be with you wherever you go," Joshua 1:7-9. Joshua was told to be courageous and fear not and be successful by meditating on God's Word and Law. Thus, he would renew his mind to God's eternal way of thinking. The building of faith is made stronger through understanding and obedience of God's Word.

"The Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart," Hebrews 4:12. The Old Testament of the Bible tells us that God's Word never returns void but accomplishes that purpose for which it was sent. God's Word will change your life and build your faith and give you success in life. "So, then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God," Romans 10:17 (NKJV). When the Word of God is received in the heart of a man or woman all things are possible. As we incorporate God's precepts and spiritual laws in into our daily living and become doers of the Word as James 1:22 tells us, then we will renew our mind to the eternal thinking of God. As our understanding is increased, we can demonstrate in our life what is God's good, acceptable, and perfect will.

As we discipline our self to the knowledge of life through the word of God, then God becomes more real in our lives, and it becomes easier to accept an eternity with the God of the universe and we begin to understand what the Old Testament people meant when they said, "the joy of the Lord is our strength." The closer we get to eternity the less we operate in fear and doubt and uncertainty. Our confidence is in the work that Jesus did," There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death, Romans 8:1-2 (NKJV). My worth as a person is made complete in Jesus. My acceptance of the Father God is built on His desire to fellowship with us. I am changed as I obey God's word and teaching.

"Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy–meditate on these things," Philippians 4:8 (NKJV). Do we have control over our thoughts? The mind responds to information we feed it. If we read a book, watch television, listen to the radio, read a paper, see a movie, go to school, attend church, go to work, all these things and other stimuli in the world influence our thoughts. But the knowledge of God is where life is found. Good and evil works both begin as a thought in our mind. If we are consumed with the thought of possessing money, then we might be tempted to steal if the opportunity develops. But if I am thinking of God's Word that says, "The Lord is my Sheppard I shall not want" then I will know that God will provide somehow if I trust Him. I realize there is no need to steal. "Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death," James 1:13-15 (NKJV). The mind is the battlefield.

Satan, the god of this world, would have us fill our minds and thoughts with self-serving pleasures and sinful lust, telling us there is no one to answer to, eternity begins and ends with us. But Jesus tells us that he is preparing a place for us in eternity that where he is, we might also be. Satan's message is one of despair and hopelessness. God's message is one of edification and eternal hope. "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (NKJV). The Word of God is the sword of the Spirit and the major weapon in the war for the mind and soul of man and woman.

As new children of God, we must continue taking baby steps and drinking the sincere milk of the word of God till we can consume meat growing in the knowledge of God and His eternal values. In humility submit yourself to God and begin your walk to eternity learning responsibility as a child of God. Experience the peace and joy that comes from the Father of lights as we walk in the light of the Word. God has many things in store for you. Don't grow weary be encouraged by the Word of the living God. Line upon line, precept upon precept, trust in what the Holy Spirit teaches in the Word of God for out of the mouth of God flow the issues of life.

"God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." "Submit then yourselves then to God, resist the Devil, And he will flee from you." James 4:6-7

Chapter 6: The Adversary

John the Baptist, who was beheaded by Herod the Tetrarch, was the cousin of Jesus. John was born six months earlier than Jesus, and most likely they grew up together, because Mary, the mother of Jesus, and Elizabeth, the mother of John, were very close according to Luke 1:39-56. John was called the voice of one crying in the wilderness, and he prepared the way for the Messiah and told people to be baptized unto repentance and turn from their evil ways. John baptized Jesus in water, and the Spirit of God descended upon Jesus, and he began his earthly ministry in the power of the Holy Ghost. John was very close to Jesus; of all men, John realized who Jesus was.

King Herod had John imprisoned for his wife Herodias' sake. John had declared to Herod that it was unlawful to marry Herodias his brother Philip's wife. Herodias was infuriated and wanted John dead to shut him up. But Herod respected John as a holy man and would not kill him. On King Herod's birthday with many important guests present Herodias' daughter danced for Herod and pleased him so much that he swore in front of his guests to give her anything she asked unto the half of his kingdom. She went to her mother and said what shall I ask of King Herod? Herodias said, the head of John the Baptist. The daughter asked for John's head on a plate. Because of Herod's drunken oath in front of his guests, he regretfully ordered John beheaded, and the head was given to Herodias' daughter on a large plate, and she gave it to her mother.

When John's cousin Jesus was told this horrible story of deceit and murder, he was saddened so much that he departed by ship to a desert place to be alone, and away from the multitudes. But the people followed him by the thousands in the desert because they were confused by the events of the day and looked to Jesus for guidance. Jesus did not reject the multitudes but was moved by compassion and met their needs. Jesus healed the sick, preached deliverance, and then fed them miraculously with only five loaves of bread and two fishes. Every stomach was filled, and every bondage of sickness was healed. Jesus could have reacted in anger toward King Herod and incited the people to revolt and storm the palace of Herod and demand justice for the murder of John the Baptist, but he did not. Why? Because Jesus' true adversary was not King Herod but the spirit that worked evil in the King and his wife as willing accomplices to do the work of Satan. Satan is the adversary to all that is good. God the Father said of Jesus the Son " Thou hast loved righteousness and hated iniquity." Jesus was moved by compassion towards the multitude as Matthew 14:14 says, but he was also moved by his hatred of the bondage of sin and iniquity Satan had inflicted on the people seeking Jesus' help. The kingdom of Satan suffered great loss at the hands of Jesus, that day many were set free from demonic control through sickness and decease, and the truth was preached to the multitudes. Satan paid dearly for taking John's life, and John went to Paradise where all the prophets of God were.

Satan is called the devil and is the chief opponent of God. The name Satan means adversary a name which fits him very well. According to Isaiah 14:12-15, he was called Lucifer, Son of the Morning, and had a place of great responsibility in heaven. He began to think in his heart," I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of the assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High." Satan was the original opposing force against the sovereignty of God as creator and controller of creation. He incited rebellion in heaven. In Revelations 12:4 as the Red Dragon he drew a third of the stars or angels from heaven with him when he fell. He is a fallen angel created by God for the purpose of good. Ezekiel 28:14-17 says about Satan, " 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 all your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you. Through your widespread trade, you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So, I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you, O guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones. Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So, I threw you to earth." Satan became the ruler of darkness spoken in Ephesians 6:12. Jesus said in John 8:44 that Satan was a murderer from the beginning and the father of lies. He is the father of everything that is perverse and wicked in the eyes of God. Satan created a reality that brought disharmony to the universe that God had created, and it brought the swift judgment of God, John 16:11. Satan and his angels are destined for the lake of fire created for them as the final judgment of God, Matthew 24:41.

Satan was the original sinner, an angel who tried to be more than he was. He was not content with the grandeur and high appointment of heaven but wanted to be like God. He did not realize there is and can be only one Eternal God of the universe. To create an opposing force to the will of God is insanity and doomed to failure. He began to think more highly of himself than he should. His self-pride leads to hatred of God and all that is good and pleasing to God. When man and woman came on the scene made in the image of God, Satan wanted to steal their place the world. Lacking the power to take it from them by force he used deceit and lies to worm his way into the earth. Man and woman sinned against God. Now the place God had created for them to dominate was dominated by evil one Satan. Satan had a place of rule in the physical world through man's failure to watch over the creation. Satan tried to entangle his destiny with man's destiny and force God to choose to alter his judgment of Satan and his angels who are destined for the lake of fire. Sin was now a part of humanity's nature; surely God would not destroy man and woman along with Satan in the lake of fire.

Satan never understood the wisdom of God and underestimated God's creative powers. The Father God would create something that never existed before, redemption. God's love for us would create a way for man and woman to partake in eternal life with God. God laid a foundation of redemption in his promises to man and the law of substitution, blood sacrifice, all pointing to the coming of the redeemer and the deliverance of his people. Finally, Jesus lived a sinless life and suffered death in our place and became our ransom. He redeemed anyone who would accept what Jesus did and turn from the evil nature brought upon us by our actions and the works of Satan. Satan is mad; he still deceives man clinging to the idea that he can foil God's plan and alter his final resting place in the lake of fire. As long as Satan can manipulate and deceive man into doing his will he has a place in the earth. But the Bible teaches that the age of grace will not last forever, judgment will come. God will end the growth of cancer called evil in the universe. Satan and his followers will be purged into utter darkness, Matthew 24:41, Revelation 20:15.

In the meantime, we still wage war with Satan for the minds and souls of men and women and suffer the consequences of sin in society. Satan controls aspects of human development that we have not protected by following the instruction of God through his Word. Satan would crush the revelation knowledge that comes from the Word of God because it sets men free from the power of sin and death. We can not afford to be ignorant of the devices of Satan and his intention where man is concerned. Satan must keep the truth of the Word of God from man's understanding to stop conversion; the free will choice of man and woman to become children of God, 2 Corinthians 4:4. Through lies and deception, he confuses and refutes the truth in the Word of God to stop it from being sown in the hearts of men and women, Mark 4:15. Satan uses persecution to offend people and confuse them into thinking God is punishing them, but God is not the persecutor of those he would set free. Satan has set up belief systems and false teachings that persecute people because the Word of God was planted in their heart, Mark 4:17. Satan also uses the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things to terminate the fruitfulness of God's Word in the hearts of people, Mark 4:19.

Satan is a master at twisting God's Word to say his falsehoods, the tempting of Jesus in the wilderness was a good example of that. In Matthew 4 after Jesus had fasted for 40 days, he was hungry. Satan tried to take advantage of his hunger, Satan said," If you are the Son of God, then command these stones to be made bread." Jesus responded with the Word of God and said," It is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God." Satan realized Jesus was going to use the Word of God so he set Jesus on the pinnacle of the temple in Jerusalem and said," If you are the Son of God cast yourself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning you: and in their hands they shall bear you up, lest at any time you dash your foot against a stone."

Jesus understood that Satan was manipulating the Word of God for his purpose and said," It is written again, you shall not tempt the Lord your God." Satan took Jesus to the high mountains and showed him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them, then Satan said," All these things I will give to you if you will kneel down and worship me." Satan tried to compromise Jesus in his mission in the world and get him to accept Satan as the shortcut to the goals in his life. But Jesus said to Satan," ..Get behind me Satan: for it is written, you shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve." Defeated in his attempt to deceive and compromise Jesus in his work, Satan left Jesus in the desert, and the angels of God helped Jesus and ministered to him. Satan then began working in others to stop Jesus in his ministry and incite envy and hatred in others he would meet.

Every human being has been influenced by the kingdom of Satan and his fallen angels. Sometimes it's just a suggestion to compromise ourselves in what we know in our heart is wrong, therefore setting in motion the lies and further distortions of the truth in an attempt to cover the guilt of conscience that tells us we have sinned. Eventually, we begin to believe that it is alright to continue to sin because I deserve it, or I'm not hurting anyone or the people I hurt deserve it, or any other compromising reason to continue to sin. It then becomes not just a moment of weakness but a habit-forming need to sin. It can be in any area of life. It compounds and becomes an area of bondage that can only be broken by the power of God.

Sin is an invisible force originating and emanating from the person of Satan. It impacts the mind and stimulates the brain to think regarding life choices which distract from and destroy one's divine potential. Humanity was created in the image of God, with the capacity and potential toward godliness. Satan entered the debate and said that man and woman should partake of the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil so they could make the right choices to god-hood. Sin came between God and man in the form of disobedience, therefore causing the Zoë life or eternal life from God to die in man and woman. As creatures created with the capacity for eternal life man and woman are discontented and incomplete without the Zoë or eternal life from God. But this is the price for sin. The result is death and total separation from life. The key to deliverance from sin is the truth of God, which the Bible promises to set us free from the power of sin and death.

Zoë or eternal life is an invisible force emanating from the person of Jesus Christ, to which the spiritually unregenerate are insensitive. It impacts the mind of the Christian to stimulate the brain to think regarding life choices which enhance and develop one's divine potential. God has provided the gift of eternal life through his Son and the miracle of our regenerated spirit, and he has provided spiritual armor to protect us from the arrows of Satan.

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of the dark world and against spiritual forces of evil in heavenly realms. Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God, and pray in the spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints," Ephesians 6:10-18.

The belt of truth is mentioned first in the arsenal of God. Truth is important; it holds all the other apparel together. Without the truth, everything would eventually fall apart. Satan would blind men and women from the truth because he knows it sets them free from his power and control. Pilate, the Roman Governor over Judea, asked Jesus, " What is the truth?", he didn't realize that he had the truth standing before him in Jesus. Deception is Satan's primary tool in dealing with the truth. If the Holy Spirit awakens our understanding through the truth of God, then it is impossible for Satan to deceive. Love the truth. Desire the truth that only God can give. As Jesus said, the truth shall set you free.

The breastplate of righteousness is the next part of the armor of God. It guards the heart and all the vital organs of the body. Righteousness is the gift of God given to us by Jesus. Our righteousness in and of itself is as filthy rags before God, but He will not condemn us if we choose to walk in the righteousness of Jesus. Our sin is no longer the devil's business; it's between the child of God and the Father God. If we slip and sin then we confess to God our sin and right any wrong we have done that it is in our power to correct, God is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness, John 1:9-10. But we must not deny the conviction of sin in our heart but deal with it as soon as possible. Any delay can jeopardize our relationship with God and take us farther from Jesus righteousness. You have the power given by Jesus to stay in the right standing (righteousness) with God and therefore keep Satan from having any power over you through sin. When we sin, we should run towards God and his grace not away from God's forgiveness.

The gospel of peace covers the feet of the one wearing the armor of God, and it helps us when the day of evil comes to stand our ground. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. The foundation of that stand against Satan is the good news of the gospel of peace, given us in the tempest of the storms of life. Our oneness with God through Jesus means that he is with us, in and through all things. We can be contented and peaceful because Jesus said, "Lo I am with you even unto the end of the world." We are ready for Satan because the peace of God is ours through the gospel, the truth about Jesus.

In addition to this, we take up the shield of faith, which extinguishes all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Faith has a way of eliminating fear and doubt and confusion, the areas Satan is most proficient in shooting his flaming arrows. Satan will not leave any stone unturned in finding a weakness in human life. Any opening in our faith is vulnerable to his attack. The shield of faith is the first line of defense in the onslaught of the kingdom of darkness.

The helmet of salvation guards the mind and the head of the believer. Thoughts and beliefs that are contrary to salvation by Jesus cannot be part of the mind of the believer. Salvation is of God, and by His Son Jesus, no other way can we find into the kingdom of heaven. Jesus said no man comes unto the Father except by me. We are saved from sin, and it's consequences of death and given life eternal with God by believing in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus the Christ. Hebrews 5:9, calls Jesus the author of eternal salvation to them that obey Him.

Finally, we must take up the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God, an offensive weapon in the armor of God. By His words, God framed the world and created something out of nothing. The word of God spoken in faith by a child of God will change things and create areas of opportunity that did not exist before except in the heart of the believer. The word of God is our final authority in the struggle against evil. The revelation knowledge found in the word of God is so powerful that the gates of hell cannot prevail against it, Matthew 16:18.

Ephesians 6:18 tells us that this armor of God is praying armor. The battle for the hearts and minds of man and woman is done in the spiritual realm through prayer. Prayer is extremely important in overcoming evil. Prayer and fasting can break the bondage of Satan. Truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, salvation, and the word of God are elements of prayer that break the hold of Satan. Prayer must be the discipline and joy of all believers that seek to overcome the evil one.

How can we who call our self humanity stand against the devil, Satan, who knows every devious trick that has ever been done? He incites thoughts and actions that compromise what we know is right. He doesn't try to change our way of thinking all at once but a little at a time till we accept sin as a way of life. We overcome him by living with Christ in our daily lives and in the world by sharing Jesus to the lost and dying. The Holy Spirit works in us to create spiritual life in the spiritually dead world. The word of God must be in our heart so that we may talk life not death or defeat or hopelessness to those needing Jesus. Let our words be few and let them encourage, bless, strengthen, left up, and edify those in need. Let the love of God through us win the world to Jesus.

We must become people of prayer. Communication and worship to God can stop the devil's work in the minds and the hearts of men and women. Seek the will of God in all things. Live life as it is, a gift of God in the fullness of his spirit. " Now have come the salvation and the power of the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers who accuses them before God day and night, has been hurled down. They overcame him by the blood of the lamb and the word of their testimony; and did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.", Revelations 12:10-11. " Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God that gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you.", 1 Corinthians 15:55-58.

Let nothing keep us from the important eternal things of God, not even that renegade spirit called Satan. God has given us the tools to fight him and to stand against him in his evil agenda on the earth. As the church and body of Jesus collectively we can by the power of the Holy Spirit reverse the evil work of Satan to dominate the world of man and keep us in his servitude. Don't let apathy, confusion, or anything keep you from God's best. Shake yourself. Be a man or woman of God in obedience and humility to Abba Father. Do the right thing!!

"I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven." Mark 10:18

Chapter 7: Who is, HE?

Every child growing up comes to a point in life when they realize there must be something more. Something bigger than the problems in life, bigger than our parents more important than the governments in the world and working in the background of our lives influencing the events of every human life. Some part of us wants to believe that there is a supreme being out there somewhere looking out for us and guiding us to Him. But the search for this being has brought us some strange ideas about God and who he is. There is an arrogant, prideful, testimony today of people who call themselves believers assuring us they know all about the being and nature and intent of the God of the universe. In humility, I object to this assertion that we can understand the full majesty of God. How can we being finite physical beings understand completely the infinite God that created the universe and the other planes of existence? The answer is we can't, not fully. To discern God without understanding that he is eternal and far above our ways is to create a god that is in OUR image and only as big as our own experience and comprehension. God is much greater than we can imagine. We have glimpses of him in his Word as the creator, and in Jesus in His nature and the Holy Spirit in His power. Even with these revelations in scripture, we must understand that God can only be known by the understanding that he gave us, and that is created in us. Humanity can only understand within the limits of creation.

Without the Holy Spirit's help, we cannot understand the eternal; it is foreign to us. Learning the infinite is not easy for the finite. It is a process of learning that will take an eternity. We don't even know all there is to know about ourselves and who we are in this world. In spite of the tendencies of man to bring God to our level, it is important to have a biblical understanding of who God is. We should seek God with the respect he deserves as the creator of all things, knowing that we cannot know him without his help because he is God. This is crucial in the search for truth and knowledge of who we are as man and woman and our place in relationship with God. The Bible teaches if we are faithful in our search and truly seek him in his Word we can find and know him  
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From the time we are born we realize we are physical creatures. As children, we learn that we must contend with others for our very existence. We are taught the physical laws of survival of the fittest. So we fight, scratch and claw to understand what it takes to get along in this world. Our sinful nature would flourish and control every aspect of our lives if the God of the universe did not counteract it. Initially, in life, we are incomplete as we search for wholeness in trying to fill the void in our broken nature. Only God has what we need through the gift of His Son sent to earth. He came to show us what God is like and repair our broken relationship with Him and give us the chance to become children of God. Hard as it is to understand why God would even bother to save us in our state of rebellion against him it is even harder to comprehend the eternal attributes of this same God. This is because we live and think in a 3D limited world that is temporary at best and the bible says it will not last forever. This temporary state of existence is hard to understand because all things seem to stay the same from generation to generation. The Apostle Peter understood this when he wrote in 2 Peter 3:1-13 (NKJV);

"Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder), that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior, knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation." For this, they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells."

It is a serious thing to know God. A privilege that should not be treated lightly or arrogantly or without reverence as the lesser being in the relationship. Because of God's love for us we are given this great opportunity to know as much of God that we can understand. Limited as our ability is to grasp the eternal God, he has given a mirror of who He is in his Word. "His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him (God) who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust." 2 Peter 1:4 (NKJV)

Through the knowledge of Him, and by his power God has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness. God wants us to know Him because it is essential to obtain life eternal and complete us as a child of God. Only by getting to know God and partaking of God's precious promises can we be made whole and feel the joy of a loving relationship with Father God. We must have a personal living relationship with Him. The gospel is simple enough for a child to understand but because God is infinite, it will take forever to explore the fullness and glory of God and the gift he gave us when he came to earth as a man in Jesus the Christ. It should be a wonderful journey to seek God in our lives every day. But, the true effort to have a personal relationship with God and earnestly seeking to know Him has somehow been overlooked by many in the church today. For whatever reasons in today's church world, individuals once seeking the face of God have become too busy, or have been distracted, or have other interest in playing church. They forgot the most important purpose in the Christian walk to seek God. God created us for this one thing, TO KNOW AND WALK WITH GOD. It is our greatest need in life. The creator and Father, the obedient Son, and the Holy Spirit, the story never ends of the love that is shown toward us. His majesty is beyond words but must be explored, if for no other reason than to bring the AWE of God back in our relationship with him. A God that we think we understand fully is no God at all. The true God is much bigger than we can visualize. God deserves our fearful respect. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, Job 28:28," Let all the earth fear the LORD; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him." Psalms 33:8. God is AWESOME.

Moses in the wilderness was drawn to the burning bush and began his search to know God. Exodus 3 (NIV), Moses and the Burning Bush, Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the desert and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire, it did not burn up. So Moses thought, "I will go over and see this strange sight-why the bush does not burn up."

When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, "Moses! Moses!" And Moses said, "Here I am." "Do not come any closer," God said. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground." Then he said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob." At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God. The LORD said, "I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey-the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt." But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?" And God said, "I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain." Moses said to God, "Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' Then what shall I tell them?"

God said to Moses, "I am who, I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM, has sent me to you.'" God also said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites, 'The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob-has sent me to you.' This is my name forever, the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation.

Moses asked two questions of God in these verses that are meaningful to us today. The first question was "Who am I, that I should go?" Who am I? Moses asks of God the question asked by all men and women. What can we learn from God's response to Moses? And God said, "I will be with you." It is enough that God is with us in life teaching his ways and walking with us. We can be contented in this. We have all the power of the God of creation walking with us. This is what gives humanity worth, our relationship with God. His favor in us as creatures of worship and reverence. The grace of God has been poured out to all men through the Son.

John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." Jesus when he left the earth and went to set at the right hand of the Father left these words to comfort us, " Lo I am with you always until the end of the world." Jesus gave us the same promise that God gave Moses "I will be with you." God gives us all we need in Him. We are completed in him. Peace, joy, love, are gifts of God brought to us through our walk with God. We are worthy because he makes us worthy. This is hard to understand but never the less true. It comes from the heart of God. This is the foundation of our relationship with God. Our part is to answer when God calls like Moses said: "Here I am." This should be the song of our heart.

"HERE I AM TO WORSHIP, Light of the world, You stepped down into darkness, Opened my eyes, let me see, Beauty that made this heart adore You, Hope of a life spent with You, And here I am to worship, Here I am to bow down, Here I am to say that You're my God, You're altogether lovely, Altogether worthy, Altogether wonderful to me, King of all days, Oh, so highly exalted, Glorious in heaven above, Humbly You came, To the earth You created, All for love's sake became poor, And here I am to worship, Here I am to bow down, Here I am to say that You're my God, You're altogether lovely, Altogether worthy, Altogether wonderful to me, I'll never know how much it cost, To see my sin upon that cross" ,song by Tim Hughes.

God has given all that he could give to us so that we could spend eternity with Him. Like the last lines from the song "I'll never know how much it cost, To see my sin upon that cross." Eternity, I have no idea of what it will be like, but I know it will be with Jesus and that's all that matters to see His face that saved me. To be in the presence of the God that made me, no longer to be influenced by sin and death. Who am I? I am a person who draws all that I am that is worthwhile through my relationship with God. God redeems me through the relationship God forged with me in spite of my sin and rebellion. Who am I? I am loved by God greatly unto the death of his Son, Jesus. How much more should I shout it from the rooftops or at least share the love given to me with others? The tragedies in life are many, but the worst tragedy is a life wasted without God or hope of life everlasting. Moses walked with God. My wish for you is that you know the joy of walking with God and seeking Him.

The second question Moses asked God is "What is his name?" Names are important. Names given in the Word of God have meaning and reveal the nature and intent of the heart of that person, Abraham means the "father of many nations," which is what he was because many nations came from his loins. Jacob means "supplanter" or "deceiver" After his life-changing experience with the Angel of God Jacob's name was changed from "deceiver" to "Israel," which means, "God rules; or strives with God; or a prince of God; or overcomes and prevails, or God's fighter." Jacob was changed forever by his relationship with God. Revelation 2:17 says "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone, a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it." In the Bible, names have great meaning and importance this is why we should pay close attention to the name God gave himself to Moses' ears. "I AM THAT, I AM", EHYEH ASHER EHYEH, Yod-Heh-Vav-Heh (YHVH), the name of God. God said to Moses, "I am who, I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM, has sent me to you." There are many other names of God in the Bible, but none get to the core of who God is like this name.

"I am who, I am" speaks of a being like no other we know. "...There is none other God but one," 1 Corinthians 8:4. "Thou shalt have none other gods before me," Deuteronomy 5:7, "Hear O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord:." We are hearing the name of a unique person. One of a kind of whom there is no equal. "I am who, I am" is self-existent. He relies on no one but Himself to exist. There is no one greater than Him. He has no father or mother. He is The Eternal Being from whom all things were created that exist. They exist because He wills they are in existence. Why he created all things can only be answered by Him. There is nothing we can compare to Him. Nothing we have ever seen, heard, perceived in this world is like Him. If all creation was destroyed, he alone would exist. He is the Alpha and Omega: the beginning and the ending. He is Everlasting to Everlasting. He has no beginning or end. He created time itself, and he is not subject to it but able to see all things at once and comprehend it all. His majesty and grandeur are very hard to put in word as the writers of Revelations, Daniel, Isaiah, know. He is hard to explain because we have no plane of reference to refer to except the Bible.

Romans 11:33-36," Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! "For who has known the mind of the LORD? Or who has become His counselor?" "Or who has first given to Him And it shall be repaid to him?" For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen." God may seem unreachable because the gap between us is too great to breach, but God has provided a way through His Son and his precious promises and the gift of new birth in the spirit if we believe in Him and seek Him and turn from sin. This has been God's will from the beginning, fellowship with man. 1 Corinthians 2:9-11, But as it is written: "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him." But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except for the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so, no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God." The "spirit of the man which is in him" communicates with the Spirit of God by seeking Him with an honest and humble heart before the Lord. We are naked before the lord, he knows us, nothing is hidden from Him. Should we be open with God who knows the number of the hairs on our head and the appointed time of our death? If we have a relationship based on obedience and love, it is easy to be open to a loving God. "For God so loved that He...", John 3:16, this says it all. He created free will knowing that some would reject Him as Lord of their life, but he went through with creation anyway knowing the evil things Satan and other beings would do with the gift of free will life. Evil exists because of opposition to God. God was not and is not ever surprised by anything that happens. He is God and knows the beginning from the ending.

God did not just set things in motion and then watch things happen with no involvement in everyday life. He is the good in the earth. He is hope eternal and life everlasting to us if we acknowledge Him and give Him a place in our life. The Book of James says, " Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures." James 1:13-18. God brought us forth to be His "first fruits." God is not one side of a two-headed coin with Satan on one side and God on the other. Satan is not God's equal. God has allowed all things to proceed as they have since the beginning of time for his own purposes because He is God. We are allowed to be part of God's plan and partakers of His mercy or allowed to reject Him and all His provision. The truth is that straight forth about God. God is in control, and He is perfect in all His ways. We were made to trust Him in all we do.

As James said, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above." The will of men and angels will not reign in eternity; God will. God is sovereign. We must let God teach us all things that pertain to life and Godliness because he is the only one that can. We do this through an obedient personal relationship with Him and his Word. We can't understand God with our human ability to grasp the physical. It goes beyond our five senses and resides in the heart. " But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul. ", Deuteronomy 4:29. Jesus said knock, and it will be open to you seek, and you will find. God has an open door that no man can shut. Only a closed heart can choose not to walk through. Don't close your heart. Be a seeker of truth, God's truth. God loves you and truly wants the best for you.

"You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will, they exist and were created." Revelation 4:11

Chapter 8: What Now?

Betty, my wife, came to the door slurring her words and her face on the left side was sagging. She had trouble walking and was disoriented. She had a stroke, and a brain scan verified it beyond a shadow of a doubt at the hospital. After weeks of therapy and medical help, she was almost back to normal except she had lost the feeling in the tip of her left hand and could no longer work at the insurance company doing the data entry on the computer. Soon after this, we found that she had a large build-up of plaque in her neck arteries that required surgery. It was blocking the blood flow and causing pieces of plague to float to her brain and might have caused another stroke. The surgery was not an easy one but was successful.

A short time later a camera in her arteries revealed three blockages in the valves of the heart. The fix would require open-heart surgery because Angioplasty would not work. It was also successful, but the recovery time took years with many complications. The procedure drained our money and leave time I had at work. It also caused great stress and anxiety among family members.

During this process which took several years I buried my mother from a massive stroke, and four months later my father passed away from loneliness and pneumonia. Recently my wife was diagnosed with advanced dementia because of the stroke she had earlier in life, and we are dealing with that at the moment. Many other things continue to happen, but I tell you this to show that I am one who has been through heartache and pain and bad times.

Where was God through all this and how do you get through times like this? God is where he always is, in the hearts and prayers of those who seek him. Life is not always fair if you look at it in the worldview of "this is all there is." But there is so much more in life than the glamour and pleasure and things of this world. It is very temporary; God is Eternal. How people get through hard times without the hand of God in their life is amazing. They have to be short sided in their view of the world and live for the weekend or that trip or physical pleasure or fun or the next party or affair. The value of their life can be summed up in the toys they have or the money they make or their career or position.

When their worldview lets them down, and trouble comes they turn to alcohol, drugs, excitement, depression, and sometimes suicide. The world has no eternal answers to life because it can only offer physical pleasure, temporary beauty, getting older and death. Everyone has a ticket to ride that train called death, what happens then? Depending on your worldview and belief system you may have many ideas, and you may think that you cease to exist. If you read the other chapters of the book then you know it is the view of this author that if we have a life-giving relationship with the living God, then we go to be with Him when we die. And if we choose not to respond to the call of God's Holy Spirit and reject the Son of God's sacrifice on the cross for our eternal salvation from sin, then we go to utter darkness. The place prepared for the devil and the fallen angels away from God's presence forever.

It is very sobering for us to think this way but a reality none the less. Am I trying to scare you? No not at all because fear is not a reason to follow God. The followers of Jesus did not choose the God of Life because of fear they did it in response to the calling of the Holy Spirit and the love shown to them in Jesus life, death and resurrection. I will make a rational thought built on what I know, but if I do not know the truth of God, then I am lost and without hope of eternity with God. But the followers of Jesus have presented us the very presence of God in Jesus. He called Himself the Way the Truth and Life and then proved it in his life and death and resurrection.

But wasn't that all a fairy tale told to control people and deceive them in a false belief of happiness and peace? Tell that to the early church martyrs who gave their lives because they Knew Jesus. Peter (in his second epistle) wrote: "We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty." Similarly, the apostle John begins his first letter this way: That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ "(1 John 1:1-4 ).

The four gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, each give an account of the life of Jesus. Matthew and John were two of Jesus' twelve disciples. They wrote with firsthand knowledge of what Jesus said and did. Mark wrote about the life of Jesus from the viewpoint of Simon Peter, also one of the twelve. Luke wrote from the perspective of Jesus' mother, Mary. He asserted that his account was based upon the testimony of eyewitnesses.

The four gospels chronicle the ministry of Jesus in a historical setting. Luke, for example, provides the names of the rulers living at the time when John the Baptist, Jesus' forerunner, appeared: "Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, Anna and Caiaphas being high priests, the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness (Luke 3:1,2)." These are historical facts that can be proven through other historical writings.

The Christian belief is reliable and is eternal wisdom from Jesus Himself. If this is true, why do men of great intelligence reject the belief in God? Aldous Huxley born 1894 – died 1963 was an English writer and one of the most prominent members of the famous Huxley family. Best known for his novels including Brave New World and a wide-ranging output of essays, his writings, and remarks about Darwinism and the evolution theory are well known from the mid 20th century. "Darwinism removed the whole idea of God as the creator from the sphere of rational discussion." "Most ignorance is vincible ignorance. We don't know because we don't want to know. It is our will that decides how and upon what subjects we shall use our intelligence. Those who detect no meaning in the world generally do so because, for one reason or another, it suits their books that the world should be meaningless."

When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death, James Chapter One. I know I have shared this verse before, but it is important to understand that our desires sometimes keep us from God. When presented with the truth of the gospel about Jesus we choose to stay in our state of unbelief for our own reasons. The wooing of God's Holy Spirit sometimes is not enough for those who are not ready for whatever reason to accept the truth about Jesus. But we are encouraged if we believe and pray for those who don't know that they will come to know the truth and respond to the calling of God's Spirit.

This is the essence of life with God as we reflect the light from above to those around us even in bad times giving thanks to God through all things. This is a life of victory given to us by Jesus. We hold the things of this world as secondary to be used to glorify God and show the truth that real life comes from the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Your perspective of the importance of earthly things is replaced with the eternal values of God. You begin to filter all your choices through the word of God and seek His wisdom which the bible says that he gives freely to those who ask.

It is that simple, but it is also hard because we wage a war that is spiritual and God lets us participate in this struggle with the flesh, Satan and the world belief system to prepare us for eternity. But as it is written: "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him." 1 Corinthians 2:9. We have no earthly concept of how wonderful God is. The Christian life is so worth the momentary trouble of this earthly life. If you are discouraged, I encourage you right now to seek Godly help from others of like faith and God through prayer and the promises of his Word. If you don't know him as Lord and savior call to Him right now. Turn from the old meaninglessness life of self which will end with selfishness and hopelessness.

We have a special blessing that the early church witnesses of Jesus do not have. Jesus said to him, "Thomas because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." John 20:29. We are blessed by Jesus' words of encouragement and His last words before the ascension into heaven, "I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:20. We are not forsaken, but we are made whole and set free from sin and the world. We are the children of God bought by the blood of His son and destined to walk in new life.

I am blessed because of what Jesus did for me and the world and no matter how much trouble comes my way I am encouraged by His loving words. Happiness is based on events, good and bad in each situation and is subject to change, but the love of Jesus is forever and is the joy that keeps me going and the strength to carry on. It is the reason for my faith in Him. His past, present and future mercies are not in doubt because he lives in my life. My faith is not blind but seen in the relationship I share with the God of the universe. My reasons and meaning for living are in Him, and he is my destiny no matter how much I make a mess of my life because I always come back to Him.

I am in the autumn of my life setting my eyes upon what days I have left to finish the way God has set before me. My work is not done, but when it is, I look forward with all my heart to see the Son of Glory with my own eyes and worship Him for all eternity. Never can I thank Him enough for pulling me out of hopelessness and setting my feet on the "Rock of Ages" Jesus. Gives a whole new meaning of the word "life" to earthly ears, because life with Jesus is the most precious gift God has given to humanity.

"Then I saw "a new heaven and a new earth," for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Look! God's dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 'He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death' or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." Revelations 21.
