August 5, 2012

Beginning: August 2, 2012

TODAYS WORD FOR THURSDAY AUGUST 2, 2012.

BEGINNING

DEFINITION:

A point of coming into existence; a starting point; commence; start; take the first step; origin; source.

SCRIPTURE:

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1.

In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. John 1:1.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

This world and everything in this world has a beginning. Genesis 1:1 states that in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. In the beginning God was there. In John 1:1 it reads that Jesus (the Word) was also there in the beginning. Only our triune God (God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit) has existed from the beginning.

We all begin life here on this earth by being born. Birth is a process by which each of us has our beginning. God in His Word speaks of our need to be “born again.” There are many people in this world that do not understand what it means to be “born again.”

These words --”born again”-- were spoken by Jesus when He was talking to Nicodemus. Although he was a devout Jewish Pharisee, he did not understand what being “born again” really meant. He asked how one can be born more than once. Jesus explained that the first birth is a birth of the flesh, but the second birth is the birth of the Spirit. Our first birth gives earthly life and our second birth gives us eternal life. 

In order to be “born again” we must go through the process of realizing that we are sinners and ask God for forgiveness and then after asking God for forgiveness we need to ask Jesus to come into our heart and then accept Jesus as our Savior. By our first birth we all were born into this world as sinners because of the fall of Adam and Eve. The penalty for sin is death. Because we are born sinners we need to pay the price for our sins. God has provided a way for us to escape paying the penalty by accepting Jesus as Savior. By our faith in Jesus we are made a new creation. In II Corinthians 5:17 it reads, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old has gone, the new has come.” As a new creation we have a new beginning and our heart will be changed and our life-style will be changed. 

First, we must be ready to expect the unexpected. Your own plan for your life is limited because of who you are. You do not know the future or even what will happen later today. God has His own plan for your life and a new beginning. Your new life in Christ is unlimited because of who He is.

It may be God’s plan to change your plan for your life completely. Paul could never have expected how completely God was going to change the direction of his life. Paul was transformed from being a persecutor of those who believed in Christ into a preacher for Christ. Instead of halting the spread of the gospel he would do more than any other individual to spread the Gospel throughout the Roman Empire.

Secondly, we must be prepared to believe the unbelievable. The message of the gospel is the first unbelievable action that we must believe. Jesus did die on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. Jesus was buried in a tomb. Jesus did rise from the dead. Jesus, as your risen Savior, wants a relationship with you so you can spend an eternity with Him no matter how great a sinner you once were.

Thirdly, in our new beginning with Jesus we must discover the undiscoverable. For example as one who puts his or her trust in Jesus you will discover that you can experience joy at the moment you are troubled or in fear. You can express worship to God at the moment you are most vulnerable to the evils around you in this world. And you can find purpose at the moment you are the most confused about any given situation that has changed the direction of your life. When God is in control of our life nothing is impossible.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in 1 Corinthians 3:11.

For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

PRAYER:

I thank You Lord for forgiving all my sins. I thank You Lord for making me a new creation. My prayer is that You will change me completely so that I will be what You want me to be.

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