" IN THE BEGINNING " Great beginnings from GOD !

     In the beginning GOD created the heavens and the earth.  The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the SPIRIT of GOD was hovering over the face of the waters.  Then GOD said.....    Genesis 1:1 thru 3a

      GOD's creating everything from nothing begins; first with the heavens and the earth, then light and the division between light and darkness(Day & Night). Then HE divided the firmament from below from the firmament from above(heaven). Then HE gathered the waters together(seas) and created dry land(earth). Then HE created the land coverings such as grasses and trees, herbs and fruit trees. Then HE created the main lights in the sky(Sun and Moon) which would be for signs, seasons, days, years and to give light on the earth. The greater light to rule the day(Sun) and the lesser light to rule the night(Moon) and HE made the stars and placed them all in their place.  Then HE created all the sea life, birds of the air and all animal life that were to be fruitful and multiply on the earth according to its kind.  Then finally GOD created Adam, from the dust of the ground HE created him and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living soul. This was all done in 6 literal days and the LORD rested from HIS work on the 7th day.

      Psalm 111:10  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do HIS commandments. HIS praise endures forever.

          Psalm 119:160  YOUR WORD is TRUE from the beginning, And every one of YOUR righteous judgments endures forever.

         Proverbs 1:7  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.

            Proverbs 8:22-23  The LORD possessed me(wisdom)at the beginning of HIS way, Before HIS works of old. I(wisdom)have been established from everlasting, From the beginning, before there was ever an earth.

           Proverbs 9:10  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the HOLY ONE is understanding.

             Ecclesiastes 3:11-13  HE has made everything beautiful in its time. Also HE has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that GOD does from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives, and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor-it is the gift of GOD.

             Isaiah 64:1-5  OH, that YOU would rend(tear open) the heavens ! That YOU would come down ! That the mountains might shake at YOUR presence--As fire burns brushwood, as fire causes water to boil--To make YOUR name known to YOUR adversaries, that the nations may tremble at YOUR presence ! When YOU did awesome things for which we did not look, YOU came down, the mountains shook at YOUR presence.  For since the beginning of the world, men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eye seen any GOD besides YOU. WHO acts for the one who waits for HIM. YOU meet him who rejoices and does righteousness, who remembers YOU in YOUR ways. YOU are indeed angry for we have sinned--In these ways we continue; AND WE NEED TO BE SAVED.

        John 1:1-3  In the beginning was the WORD and the WORD was with GOD, and the WORD was GOD. HE was in the beginning with GOD. All things were made through HIM, and without HIM nothing was made that was made.

        Ephesians 3:8-9  To me(Paul), who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of CHRIST, and to make all people see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in GOD WHO created all things through JESUS CHRIST.

         Colossians 1:15-18  HE is the image of the invisible GOD, the firstborn over all creation. For by HIM all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. ALL things were created by HIM and for HIM. And HE is before all things, and in HIM ALL things consist. And HE is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in ALL things HE may have the preeminence.

         Revelation 22:13  " I AM the ALPHA and the OMEGA, the BEGINNING and the END, the FIRST and the LAST."

I have picked out only a small portion of Scriptures that have the word " beginning " somewhere in the verses.  GOD HIMSELF has no beginning but HE has made many firsts or beginnings to happen.  Time is HIS creation for us. HE is not governed by time but we plan our whole day by time and HE created it for us to use.  There is no knowledge that anyone has that did not come from HIM.  For HE has all knowledge of all things.  We made computers but HE created the knowledge in man to make them. We made cars and trains, but the knowledge of how to make them came from HIM.  Nothing that our finite minds can come up with are of our own knowledge, but GOD gives the knowledge to whom HE wills. Just remember that, " In the beginning GOD created "

Let us give our CREATOR and SUSTAINER all the glory, honor and praise for all HIS wonderful and many beginnings.  But don't forget this;  that as HIS child our ending will be better than our beginning, because we will be with HIM forever and forever.

Now if you are not a Truly Born Again Believer, then you have a beginning but your end will not be the same as a child of GOD.  For your new beginning you need to become a Truly Born Again Christian and this is how you go about it:

Romans 3:10  As it is written, " There is none righteous, no not one.    Who is good ?  No one

Romans 3:23  For all have sinned, and come shore of the glory of GOD.   Who has sinned ? Everyone

Romans 5:12  Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.  Where sin came from ?   Adam

Romans 6:23  For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of GOD is eternal life through JESUS CHRIST our LORD.  What is GOD's price for sin ? Death

Romans 5:8  But GOD commanded HIS love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, CHRIST died for us.  What is our way out ? CHRIST's death on the cross paid our sin debt in full.

Romans 10:9-11  That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the LORD JESUS, and shalt believe in thine heart that GOD hath raised HIM from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto Salvation. For the Scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on HIM shall not be ashamed.

Romans 10:13  For whosoever shall call upon the name of the LORD shall be saved.

Take GOD at HIS WORD and claim HIS promise for your Salvation, and you too can have a glorious new beginning, in CHRIST JESUS.

Your servant in CHRIST,

Julie

         

REDEEMING the TIME

     For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the LORD.  Walk as children of light, (for the fruit of the SPIRIT is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), proving what is acceptable to the LORD. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret.

       But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light.  Therefore HE says: Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And CHRIST will give you light. See then that you walk circumspectly(carefully), not as fools, but as wise,REDEEMING the TIME, because the days are evil.

Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the LORD is.  Ephesians 5:8 - 17

       We had a guest Missionary speaker at our church last night and he spoke on  " Redeeming the Time " and he gave this example of what this phrase really meant in Paul's day.  In our day, if we had a flea market and sales for the day had been slow, you look up and see a fleet of buses pulling off to the side of the road, you as one of the sellers would put everything you had out for sale, because you knew that this was probably the very best time for you to be able to sell your wares.  You would  " take advantage "  of the opportunity as it was presented to you.  The seller was " redeeming the time ", he was taking advantage of the opportunity that was given to him to sell his wares.

           We as Truly Born Again Believers, are to take advantage of the " time " and " opportunities " that the LORD gives us each day to be a witness. I, like you, seem to fall short of this goal, but I press on towards the mark.  Not looking behind, at my failures, but looking forward, asking JESUS to help me to do better. Satan likes to beat us up and to remind us that we aren't perfect.  But our LORD is perfect and in HIM I take my stand against the fiery darts of the wicked one, the accuser of the brethren.

           One of the things we are also to be is "light" to a dark and evil world. In CHRIST, we are light because in HIM there is no darkness at all.  We are to expose those unfruitful works of darkness, by our testimony. That is why it is  "so important" to keep our testimony as spotless as possible, not to let even a hint of sin be against us and tarnish our testimony and the blessed LORD.  I often think that GOD's children give the cause of CHRIST the biggest black eye because of their hypocrisy.  They speak a good sermon but live a life that would make a prostitute blush.  Exposing the works of darkness may have to start in our own back yards, as it were before we can have any impact on our neighbors, friends and families.

           Paul said in Colossians 4:5 & 6  Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, " REDEEMING the TIME."  Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.   Those who are "outside", are the public, unbelievers, co-workers, bank tellers, grocery clerks, cashiers, taxi cab drivers, anyone who we come in contact with or see on a daily basis. Those who are outside of CHRIST, the unsaved, unbelievers, lost.  The next time you want to blow off steam at someone for cutting you off on the highway, being extra slow in the check-out line, taking too long at the drive-thru window, STOP and look into their eyes and see them as lost forever in the lake of fire where the worm dies not nor are the flames quenched for all eternity, give them a tract and tell them to have a great day in the LORD.  REDEEM THE TIME, for the days are short !

         Now to those who may be reading this that are not saved, unbelievers. Let me tell you that as a sinner, I came to know the LORD JESUS CHRIST as my SAVIOR and so can you.  We have " all sinned and come short of the glory of GOD ".  John 3:36 says, " He who believes in the SON has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the SON shall not see life, but the wrath of GOD abides on him."   But GOD loves you and me and made a way for us to be with HIM where HE is, in heaven. Sin has separated us from GOD and HE sent the LORD JESUS CHRIST into the world to pay our sin debt, in full. Romans 5:8 says, "But GOD demonstrates HIS own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, CHRIST died for us."

           YOU right now can know the love and forgiveness of GOD. YOU right now can admit to the LORD that you know you are a sinner and that you can do nothing to save yourself from your sins. YOU right now can ask the LORD JESUS to forgive you of your sin and to come into your heart and save you. Romans 10:9 says, " that if you confess with your mouth the LORD JESUS and believe in your heart that GOD has raised HIM from the dead (this shows that GOD the FATHER was satisfied with JESUS's sacrifice on the cross as payment for our sin), you will be saved."   So what are YOU waiting for, come to the LORD JESUS, without delay, for today is still the day of Salvation, tomorrow may be too late !!!

Your servant in CHRIST,

Julie

            

" GOD's Mind on Paper "

     There seems to be a lot of versions of the Bible these days.  I myself use the Authorized King James and the New King James because the KJ has been translated from original manuscripts and not a translation done from other translations and etc. There are some translations that I have seen posted that are nearly unrecognizable from the original KJ and I have a hard time knowing where it is pulled from in Scripture because it is translated so completely different from the original manuscripts.

      We need to recognize that GOD's HOLY WORD does not change and should never be translated by a man's own opinion or beliefs as to what it should say in his own eyes.  So, please, be very careful that you are using only a Bible that is translated from original manuscripts, such as the Authorized King James. So much for the warning and now to GOD's WORD or GOD's MIND on paper.

1st.Corinthians 2: 6 thru 16  says:

However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age who are coming to nothing. 

But we speak the wisdom of GOD in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which GOD ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known they would not have crucified the LORD of glory.

But as it is written:

Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor has 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 the spirit of the man which is in him ? Even so no one knows the things of GOD except the SPIRIT of GOD.

Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the SPIRIT WHO is from GOD, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by GOD.

These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the HOLY SPIRIT teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

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.

But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one.

For " Who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct HIM ?"  But we have the mind of CHRIST.

2nd.Timothy 3: 14 thru 17 says:

But as for you, continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the HOLY SCRIPTURES, which are able to make you wise unto Salvation through faith which is in CHRIST JESUS.

ALL Scripture is given by inspiration of GOD, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of GOD may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

2nd.Peter 1:20 & 21 says:

Knowing this first that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but Holy Men of GOD spoke as they were moved by the HOLY SPIRIT.

     What I am getting at is that GOD's WORD is also GOD's MIND on paper.  We can trust it. We can become wise reading it. We CAN KNOW the mind of GOD by reading HIS WORD.

Now I know what you are thinking !  Can we know all of the mind of GOD by reading HIS WORD ?  NO

There are things, which HE states in HIS WORD, that are only known to HIM, such as the exact time of HIS return for HIS Bride, the Truly Born Again body of Believers which is the church. Also, our finite minds could not hold all the knowledge of GOD, it is impossible in the flesh to know everything that GOD knows. But what is written is for our learning, for our maturing in CHRIST, for our growing in the faith and knowledge of our LORD and SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST.     THE BIBLE IS NOT a book of suggestions, it is to be read, believed and put into practice in the life of a True Christian.

     Now if you are NOT a True Christian, then GOD's WORD has something for you as well.  If you are NOT BORN AGAIN, then you have no chance of heaven. Your future is an eternity in a devils hell ( John 3:18 & 36) and just to let you know, all souls were and are created to live forever, somewhere.  It is up to you as to where you want to spend your eternity.

     GOD the FATHER sent GOD the SON, the LORD JESUS CHRIST to earth at a specific time in history, to be put on a Roman cross and crucified, to take the punishment that our sin debt required. We are sinners, born sinners and will die sinners.  The only difference is that I will die a sinner " saved by GOD's grace " which the death, burial and resurrection of the LORD JESUS paid the price for my sin; BUT not only for my sin, BUT for yours also.  Salvation is easy and it is a " Free Gift " given by an ALL HOLY GOD. But as any "Gift", you must receive it for it to do you any good.  Right now, where you are, if you believe in your heart that you are a sinner, and that JESUS came and died and rose again to pay for your sin, then bow your head in prayer. Confess to GOD that you are a sinner in need of a SAVIOR and that you believe in your heart that JESUS died and rose again for your sin, ask JESUS to come into your heart and life to save you, and HE WILL.

     The LORD JESUS CHRIST will never turn HIS back on someone who comes to HIM by faith, for without faith it is impossible to please HIM.  Ask JESUS to come into your heart and save you, for TODAY is still the day of Salvation.  

Your servant in CHRIST,

Julie