From There to Eternity

“The Power of your Testimony”

Hello my name is Kurt Barreto I have had an amazing journey up to this point in my life. And my life is truly only beginning, life with God has changed everything.

I was raised Catholic in Centereach, a small Eastern Long Island town. My childhood was awesome I have no horror stories to report; my parents are still married and raised me with much love. I would classify my youth as blessed. My wife calls it a "Leave it to Beaver" life. My Dad was a hard worker and my work ethic comes from him. Unfortunately this humble existence was the perfect subtle breeding ground for self-reliance to prosper!

I truly believed I had it together. I went to church fairly often, I completed all my sacramental duties as a Catholic and I thought I knew who God was. But I guess you don’t know what you don’t know…. I got married at 24 because I thought I was running out of good luck with my usual sins of going out with girls and drinking. I had to grow up to prove to my dad I could make something out of my life, even though I dropped out of community college. I also had a lot of guilt because at 18, my girlfriend had an abortion, and I was convinced God was mad at me because murder was a “mortal sin”.  I couldn’t even admit that one to a priest in confession!

Once I graduated from high school, my "God Life" centered on Christmas and Easter church obligations. I now look back at my young adult life and think how blessed I am to have survived it with the outcome at hand. I know that sounds dramatic, but when you look back and see how God's footprints were with you, only then can you understand how it happened!

I looked at “normal” every day things like; casual sex, drinking, drugs, divorce, strip clubs, nice cars, fine restaurants, wild parties, private clubs, and well you get the idea... as the meaning of "making it" in life. On top of that, I now realize how many times I "cheated" death as an outcome of the lifestyle I was living.

Knowing what I know now, I was just really spiritually dead. That separation from God only became real to me in 2006 when my world completely fell apart. It was only through truly learning about the love of God, His Grace and Forgiveness did I become spiritually alive.

The Power of our Testimony cannot be over emphasized it is vitally important to how we overcome the things of this world. Jesus after healing a man with 2,000 demons (sounds like me before my conversion) demonstrated how His will for that man once he became healed was for him to share his testimony:

Mark 5:18-20 New King James Version (NKJV)

18 And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him. 19 However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, “Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.” 20 And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled.

Let’s take a look at how satin was ultimately defeated and how scripture shows us the importance of the word of our testimony:

Revelation 12:7-12 The Message (MSG)

7-12 War broke out in Heaven. Michael and his Angels fought the Dragon. The Dragon and his Angels fought back, but were no match for Michael. They were cleared out of Heaven, not a sign of them left. The great Dragon—ancient Serpent, the one called Devil and Satan, the one who led the whole earth astray—thrown out, and all his Angels thrown out with him, thrown down to earth. Then I heard a strong voice out of Heaven saying, Salvation and power are established! Kingdom of our God, authority of his Messiah! The Accuser of our brothers and sisters thrown out, who accused them day and night before God. They defeated him through the blood of the Lamb and the bold word of their witness. They weren’t in love with themselves; they were willing to die for Christ. So rejoice, O Heavens, and all who live there, but doom to earth and sea, For the Devil’s come down on you with both feet; he’s had a great fall; He’s wild and raging with anger; he hasn’t much time and he knows it.

You see the evil one was given what I call, the 1-2-3 punch. We are over comers by following a life in Christ that is comprised of the following POWER KNOCK OUT PUNCH:

1. The Blood of the Lamb (Christ crucified, The Completed work of the Cross)
2. The Word of our testimony (Profession of Faith)
3. The willingness to Die for Christ (Living Sacrifice)

These three components are what the Grace of God has given us to overcome this world.

1.            The Blood of the Lamb; is summarized in 1 John this way:

1 John 5:6-8 King James Version (KJV)

6 This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. 7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. 8 And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.

This represents the whole trinity here it makes for the completed work of the cross. We live under this awesome Grace dispensation that has given us the Power of Christ crucified to overcome the things of this world. Christ in us is the hope of Glory:

Colossians 1:26-29 The Message (MSG)

26-29 This mystery has been kept in the dark for a long time, but now it’s out in the open. God wanted everyone, not just Jews, to know this rich and glorious secret inside and out, regardless of their background, regardless of their religious standing. The mystery in a nutshell is just this: Christ is in you, so therefore you can look forward to sharing in God’s glory. It’s that simple. That is the substance of our Message. We preach Christ, warning people not to add to the Message. We teach in a spirit of profound common sense so that we can bring each person to maturity. To be mature is to be basic. Christ! No more, no less. That’s what I’m working so hard at day after day, year after year, doing my best with the energy God so generously gives me.

2.            The Word of our testimony; is the second part of this knockout punch and it is comprised of three parts also; Word-Revelation-Testimony. First we get the Word (seed) that is what the evil one comes to steel:

Mark 4:14-15 The Message (MSG)

14-15 “The farmer plants the Word. Some people are like the seed that falls on the hardened soil of the road. No sooner do they hear the Word than Satan snatches away what has been planted in them.

He, the evil one knows that if he can take away the Word then our testimony can be stopped. The word or seed starts the whole growth process. Everything starts and ends with the Word. From the Word comes revelation or knowledge, this is important to understand because without the Word we cannot receive knowledge and we will be destroyed without it:

Hosea 4:6 King James Version (KJV)

6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.

The word knowledge in this scripture comes from the Hebrew word “da’as” which is the same word used in John 17:3 for knowing God and Jesus, This is true revelation knowledge of Christ. It is from this knowledge or revelation, which final profession of the Word of our testimony, the Gospel comes from. It is with this understanding of the word we are not ashamed but boldly start to profess the Gospel, Paul puts it this way:

Romans 1:16-17 The Message (MSG)

16-17 It’s news I’m most proud to proclaim, this extraordinary Message of God’s powerful plan to rescue everyone who trusts him, starting with Jews and then right on to everyone else! God’s way of putting people right shows up in the acts of faith, confirming what Scripture has said all along: “The person in right standing before God by trusting him really lives.”

3.            Willingness to Die for Christ; this is the final blow for the evil one. What can you do to someone who will go to death for Jesus? Paul said:

Philippians 1:21 King James Version (KJV)

21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

In Romans we learn about becoming a living sacrifice for God in this way:

Romans 12:1-2 King James Version (KJV)

1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Once you have come to the revelation that living in Gods perfect will is our hearts desire we come to the end of ourselves. This process of going from Self Dependent to Christ Dependent as I will call it happens as we offer ourselves to God and become a slave unto God. Joseph shows us a type and shadow of how God will take us out of a dead life in famine and into a life of prosperity once we are at the end of ourselves and willing to become a slave for God and seek Him first:

Genesis 47:18, 23-25 New Living Translation (NLT)

18 But that year ended, and the next year they came again and said, “We cannot hide the truth from you, my lord. Our money is gone, and all our livestock and cattle are yours. We have nothing left to give but our bodies and our land.

23 Then Joseph said to the people, “Look, today I have bought you and your land for Pharaoh. I will provide you with seed so you can plant the fields. 24 Then when you harvest it, one-fifth of your crop will belong to Pharaoh. You may keep the remaining four-fifths as seed for your fields and as food for you, your households, and your little ones.” 25 “You have saved our lives!” they exclaimed. “May it please you, my lord, to let us be Pharaoh’s servants.”

The Power to overcome the World starts with Jesus and ends with Jesus all we have to do is be obedient and open to live a Christ centered life and he can overcome even the world!

With this revelation we can now enter into a Christ centered life of Eternity. Eternity as expressed in the bible isn’t so much a matter of length of days as it is a quality of life.

The promises of God are awesome and available to us here in this life time. The Love of God for us goes beyond our understanding but we Love Him because he first loved us:

1 John 4:19 King James Version (KJV)

19 We love him, because he first loved us.

Keeping some of these scriptures in mind we can only begin to understand what great lengths God would go to demonstrate His love for us:

John 3:16 New Living Translation (NLT)

16 “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

Romans 5:8 New Living Translation (NLT)

8 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.

John 17:3 King James Version (KJV)

3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

The primary key to this revelation for me was that all of this was done that we might know God and Jesus and have life eternal. The concept of “life eternal” was an awesome revelation for me. I liken it to falling in love and wanting to get to know someone. The desire came from inside of me and I followed it with all my being.

Here is where “Eternal Life” took me from, in my Place Called There:

• Homeless living in a storage warehouse
• Separated from my wife staring at another divorce
• My daughter was rebelling and off dating and acting out with men
• My son left the military and was off on drugs and seeing multiple women
• Bankrupt financially
• Virtually disowned from my extended family
• No relationship with God
• Drinking and drugging myself for peace of mind

Once this revelation became real to me I figured I could get to know God even better than my wife because I could “Know Him like a book”- the bible!

I also understood Jesus was Jewish so when I heard the term “eternal life” I looked toward the Hebrew traditions for a better revelation of that phrase and found what these two English words together where trying to say. This is what I came up with after searching out the Hebrew verse:

Yochanan 17:3 Orthodox Jewish Bible (OJB)

3 And this is Chayyei Olam, that they may have da’as of the only Elohei HaEmes (G-d of Truth, True G-d) and Yehoshua, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach whom You sent.

When we read the line of scripture above (Jn 17:3), it makes us stop and pause. It seems odd that Jesus would define eternal life as knowing him and his Father. Isn't eternal life living forever after we die?

An interesting insight comes from how the term "eternal life", chayei olam (Hi-YAY Oh-LAHM) was understood by Jews in Jesus' time.

While the phrase often had our understanding of life after death, chayei olam often had a different emphasis, when it was contrasted with "chayei sha'ah" (fleeting life). Chayei sha'ah, fleeting life, is living a life that is only concerned about everyday things - working, making money, eating, and sleeping. Chayei olam, "lasting life" or "a life of eternity" refers to living a life focused on matters of eternal importance.

Traditionally, Jewish people have considered the study of the Bible truly living out one's "eternal life." A story is told about a rabbi who spent years in study of the Scriptures, and then walked past farmers tilling their land. He remarked, "they have abandoned lasting life (chayei olam) and involve themselves instead with fleeting life (chayei sha'ah)."

Looking at Jesus' words in this light, his idea of eternal life seems to fit into this second definition. He is saying that knowing God intimately and living with Jesus Christ as your Lord, here and now, is living as if you were already in eternity. This makes a lot of sense - what thing in our lives has more eternal significance that that?

It is fascinating that Jesus also seemed to be commenting on the Jewish idea that the way to live your "eternal life" right now is to study the Scriptures. He says:

John 5:39-40 New King James Version (NKJV)

39 You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. 40 But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.

He is speaking to some of his fellow Jews who did not see that the Scriptures ultimately pointed toward him. Eternal life is not had even in studying the Scriptures, but in finding in them that Jesus is our Lord, and we can live for serving him.

As soon as I recognized this and put Jesus at the center of everything in my life I began to experience what life eternal and all of the blessings from God could do in my life. This revelation lead me out of everyday life and into a restored eternal life, I began to receive the promises of God through salvation. I see Jesus in the Word and that is the gift from God!

Now by Grace through Faith I recognized how to rebuild my entire life. I spent a lot of time keeping up with the Jones's in my past. My status in society and all my wisdom and insights came from comparing myself to others and there was no real focus on eternal things this philosophy was spiritually flawed;

2 Corinthians 10:12 King James Version (KJV)

12 For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.

It didn't take long for me to realize there is a supernatural component that works in my life when I trust in God. Solomon realized this and explains it this way:

Ecclesiastes 9:11-12 King James Version (KJV)

11 I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; *but time and chance happeneth to them all. 12 For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.

*“but time and chance happeneth” derived from the Hebrew "qarah" this phrase give the understanding of a blessing from God as you walk in His will and he places you in the “right place at the right time”.

These days make sure that anything that I do is of Gods plan for me first. Living out life my way left me caught in a cruel net, literally caught off guard along with all the other people following the world, with my financial and business decisions. Now I am no longer acting like the son of men but recognize I am a Son of God and can live a life of blessings to blessings. I understand my walk with the Lord and let him give me direction:

Proverbs 3:5-6 King James Version (KJV)

5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

The Word and I have formed a relationship. A relationship with the Lord in my life has given me more than I could have ever asked for. I have realized nothing is impossible with God and my life is now supernatural:

Ephesians 3:19-20 King James Version (KJV)

19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. 20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

Before Christ was the center of my life, I lived a rollercoaster of ups and downs that eventually left me homeless but now I live spiritually and I enjoy a peace that I could have never imagined possible:

Romans 8:6-7 New Living Translation (NLT)

6 So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. 7 For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will.

I thank God for Jesus and have come to a revelation of God’s love for me. It’s freed me from the addictions and obsessions I struggled so much within my past:

Romans 2:4 New Living Translation (NLT)

4 Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?

 I struggled with guilt and could never free myself to get close to God or see myself worthy:

1 John 3:20-21 New Living Translation (NLT)

20 Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything. 21 Dear friends, if we don’t feel guilty, we can come to God with bold confidence.

If it wasn’t for this freedom I would still be looking towards the business guru’s and self help books to find help for myself. I would have never been able to break the cycle of searching for success to achieve an identity in this world. No business books or mentor could ever come close to delivering the ETERNAL LIFE that I now live:

1 Corinthians 10:31 New Living Translation (NLT)

31 So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

Now I have all of the confidence and faith in the Lord, I move forward with his plans for my life with joyful expectation:

Jeremiah 29:11 King James Version (KJV)

11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

Being Christ focused in my life I eagerly look to share the most valuable gift from God to give this understanding of the knowledge of Him and He whom He has sent. This Everlasting Life way of living on things eternal and seeking first the Kingdom will bless us all with all the other things that we will ever need. God is a god of abundance and blessings:

Matthew 6:30-33 The Message (MSG)

30-33 “If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.

Understand all these things, I now keep myself always open to hear from the Lord. It is the knowledge He imparts to me as a result of my relationship with Him, that will pave the way for me to stay blessed and be a blessing to others:

Proverbs 18:15-16 King James Version (KJV)

15 The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge; and the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge. 16 A man's gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men.

When it comes to obtaining revelation from God I look toward the Holy Spirit to lead me. I have received the Gift of the Holy Spirit and pray in tongues and ask for interpretation. This by far has been the most effective way for me to hear from the Lord, including prophecy:

1 Corinthians 14:4-5 King James Version (KJV)

4 He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.5 I would that ye all spake with tongues but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying

I recognized that I must keep God focused and sensitive to the Holy Spirit because revelation cannot come to me in my natural senses:

1 Corinthians 2:14 New King James Version (NKJV)

14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

There are also 8 other ways that I have realized in scripture that God has reveled things to me and others, these are the following scriptures that have enlightened me and brought me closer to God when I need to hear what His plans are for me:

1) Have an Open Mind:

John 3:4 The Message (MSG)

4 “How can anyone,” said Nicodemus, “be born who has already been born and grown up? You can’t re-enter your mother’s womb and be born again. What are you saying with this ‘born-from-above’ talk?”

2) Paradigm Shift:

Luke 19:1-9 New International Version (NIV)

Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. 5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. 7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.

3) Have an Ear to Hear:

Matthew 13:9-12 New Living Translation (NLT)

9 Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.” 10 His disciples came and asked him, “Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?” 11 He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets[a] of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not. 12 To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them.

4) Signs and Wonders:

Luke 7:20-23 New Living Translation (NLT)

20 John’s two disciples found Jesus and said to him, “John the Baptist sent us to ask, ‘Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?’” 21 At that very time, Jesus cured many people of their diseases, illnesses, and evil spirits, and he restored sight to many who were blind. 22 Then he told John’s disciples, “Go back to John and tell him what you have seen and heard—the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor. 23 And tell him, ‘God blesses those who do not turn away because of me.’”

5) Natural Validation:

John 20:25-27 New King James Version (NKJV)

25 The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” So he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” 26 And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!” 27 Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.”

6) Intersession:

Luke 22:31-32 The Message (MSG)

31-32 “Simon, stay on your toes. Satan has tried his best to separate all of you from me, like chaff from wheat. Simon, I’ve prayed for you in particular that you not give in or give out. When you have come through the time of testing, turn to your companions and give them a fresh start.”

7) Personal Experience:

Ecclesiastes 12:11-13 New Living Translation (NLT)

11 The words of the wise are like cattle prods—painful but helpful. Their collected sayings are like a nail-studded stick with which a shepherd[a] drives the sheep. 12 But, my child,[b] let me give you some further advice: Be careful, for writing books is endless, and much study wears you out. 13 That’s the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty.

8) Right Place Right Time:

Ecclesiastes 9:10-12 New King James Version (NKJV)

10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going. 11 I returned and saw under the sun that—The race is not to the swift, Nor the battle to the strong, Nor bread to the wise, Nor riches to men of understanding, Nor favor to men of skill; But [a]time and chance happen to them all. 12 For man also does not know his time: Like fish taken in a cruel net, Like birds caught in a snare, So the sons of men are snared in an evil time, When it falls suddenly upon them.

[a] pega qarah; Hebrew for Godly Happening or Godly Occurrence

However revelation comes to me I know that so long as I am placing God first He’s there for me:

Romans 8:26-28 New Living Translation (NLT)

26 And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. 27 And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. 28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

In the past I looked for everything quick, get rich quick schemes are prevalent and I seemed to be the one everybody approached with them. Now with God leading my life I wait and fulfill Gods will in my life with all my heart and He gives me strength to continue:

Isaiah 40:31 New Living Translation (NLT)

31 But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.

With this in mind set I can now rest in patients and receive Gods promises for me in my Life:

Hebrews 6:12 King James Version (KJV)

12 That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

Life with Christ has changed everything. Rev. Robert Schuller asked this question in a book of his I read:

"What Would You Attempt to Do If You Knew You Could Not Fail?"

My answer is:

Philippians 4:13 King James Version (KJV)

13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

And that is exactly what I’m doing!

God bless you all and enjoy the journey God Loves you all.