World leaders are frantically travelling to world summits for high powered discussions and consultations making mention of anything to do with mother earth but devoid of the Master of the Universe, Jesus Christ, writes Bishop Tutai Pere of the Apostolic Church.

“For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God … But if the gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: in whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.” – 1 Corinthians 1:18; 2 Cor. 4:3-4.

1. God placed humanity in control (Genesis 1: 27 – 31).

After God created Adam in his image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. He blessed them, and said unto them, be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the fowl of the air, over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. Upon every herb bearing seed, every fruit yielding tree, every beast and everything that creepeth upon the earth. And God saw that everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good.

• God creates a wife for man and institutes marriage (Genesis 2: 18 – 25).

God saw that it was not good for man to be alone, so from the side of man, he took a rib and formed woman to be his helpmeet (not his slave, servant, inferior, at his rear but always at his side, to love, support and always in a helpmeet partnership) and brought her to him. Adam said, this is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh, I shall call her woman (Heb. Lifegiver, woman a type of the church, the bride of Christ Eph. 5:25-32). He named her Eve (Heb. Ishsha, taken out of man (Ish). Therefore shall a man leave his father and mother and shall cleave to his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

• Humanity was created in innocence, placed in a perfect environment, subjected to a simple test, and warned of the consequence of disobedience. He was not compelled to sin but, tempted by satan, he chose to disobey God. Both Adam and Eve heeded to the temptation of the adversary satan, committed the first sin of disobedience and therefore needed a saviour (vs. 15, satan is condemned) to restore them back to their former Godly estate (Genesis 3: 1 – 24)
• Pathways was then divinely carved for humanity’s journey to reach Redemption in Jesus Christ: Seven dispensations of time are stipulated: i) Innocence (Gen. 1:28ff); Conscience or Moral Responsibility (Gen. 3:7ff); Human government (Gen. 8: 15ff); Promise (Gen. 12: 1ff); Law (Ex. 19:1ff); Church and Grace (Acts 2:1ff); Kingdom Age (Rev. 20: 4ff) and the eight major covenants: i) Edenic (as above, Gen. 2:16ff);  ii) Adamic (Gen. 3:15ff);  iii) Noahic (Gen. 9:6ff); iv) Abrahamic (Gen. 12:2ff); v) Mosaic (Ex. 19:5ff); vi) Palestinian (Deut. 30:3ff); vii) Davidic (2 Sam. 7:16ff); viii) New Covenant (Heb. 8:8ff). This was the whole Biblical dispensational timeline and covenantal relationship through which God offered the whole of humanity restorative and reconciliatory means to bring them back to his Creator God Jesus Christ.   
• Redemption: Birth of the Messiah and Saviour of Mankind (Gal.4:4ff), “But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of the woman, and made under the law. 5, To redeem (purchase, reclaim) them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons … no more a servant, if a son, then an heir of God through Christ”. “As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” (1 Cor. 15:22).
• Despite God’s free gift of His only Son Jesus Christ to die upon his cross on Calvary hill and blood shed for the remission and forgiveness of humanity’s sins to escape death, to restore and reconcile mankind back to Himself; humanity continues to defy, reject and deny God’s existence as God over all creation and rather live solely to his/her own self. Hence, as it was from the beginning of times, this strong rivalry between satan (adversary to God – worker of evil, darkness and death) and Jesus Christ (God of Light and Life); humanity is left to choose for him/herself life and salvation in Jesus Christ forever or death in satan and eternal death and damnation. Thank God for his word and gospel of truth that we are not left in the dark, ignorance and without hope but in the light of his gospel truth and salvation in Jesus Christ.

In summary, the book of Genesis reminds us that the God of all beginnings is still in the business of ‘recreating’ anything that is in darkness, chaos and death into his marvellous light, life and prosperity. We’re grappling with all our current fears of climate change, environmental negative impacts, sky rising cost of living, threats of nuclear armaments and mass destruction – if it ever occurs –, threats of food shortage and famine and a world with a fragile and volatile economic system. World leaders are frantically travelling to world summit meetings for high powered discussions and consultations making mention of anything to do with mother earth but devoid of the Master of the Universe, Jesus Christ. Despising and ashamed to call on their nations and people to bow down and pray, seek God’s face and turn away from their wicked ways; trust God to hear their prayers, will forgive their sins (like he did to the 120,000 Ninevites in Jonah 1 – 4) and promised to heal their lands according to 2 Chronicles 14:7. The Book of Exodus is all about deliverance. As God delivered the Israelites from slavery, bondage and captivity in Egypt, in that same ‘delivery business’, He extends deliverance to any nation in slavery to sin, through the shed blood of Jesus Christ.

Finally, God in Jesus Christ declares in John 5:39, “Search the scriptures; for in them you think you have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me”. The Apostle Paul confirms in Colossians 2: 9, 10 & 13, “For in him (Jesus Christ) dwelleth all of the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And you are complete in him, which is the head of all principalities and power. And you being dead in your sins…, has he quickened together with him, having forgiven all your trespasses”. “Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, to depart from evil, that is understanding” – Job 28:28. Trust not in the wisdom of humanity, “For all men are liars” – Psalm 116:11, unless humanity live and walk in the Spirit of Jesus Christ.

God save, deliver, protect and prosper our beloved Cook Islands and all nations and people of the world! Amen!