STARTING WITH GOD

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1 NKJV).

The Bible begins with God. If we began the year with God like the Bible begins with God life would be better.

The Person in the text – “In the beginning God.” The Bible begins with God. It does not waste time proving the fact of God but just begins with Him. Take God out of the Bible and out of life and you have a vacuum that Satan will fill with poison. Two important things are said of God in this text which cannot be said of any human. Firstly, the Duration of God. God was already here when the beginning occurred. God is dateless. He is, in fact, eternal. The human mind cannot fully comprehend the eternality of God. But if the human mind could fully comprehend God, then God would not be God. Secondly, the Dynamic of God. This speaks of God’s power. God alone created the universe which means that God is extremely powerful. The fact of God in creation is a problem with man who has tried to substitute other theories in order to replace God from being the Creator. Man does not like God as the creator for then man is obligated to God.

The Practicality of the text - The first four words of the Bible are very practical. They tell us if we want to do it right in the New Year, we need to begin with God. If you want to know the origin of our earth, begin with God. If you want to know causes, consequences and cure of the Middle East conflict, begin with God. If you want to know why there are so many languages in the earth, begin with God. If you want to know how to have heaven as your eternal home, begin with God. Leave God out of your life, and you will walk in a quagmire of confusion and frustration.

The Praise in the text – “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” The first verse of the Bible is one of praise as it exalts God for His greatness. Creating the universes is something great and man has never come close to duplicating such an act. We think we are so great when we hit a ball, put a ball through a basket, kick a ball or run with the ball. But that does not compare at all to creation. This year, praise God, not man.

(Adapted from Butler's Sermon Starters - Vol. 7)

Soli Deo Gloria (To God Alone Be The Glory)

Quotation of the Week

“A God wise enough to create me and the world I live in is wise enough to watch out for me!”

Philip Yancey (1949 - )

American Christian Author

Word Study

Endure

In 1 Thess. 3:1 we read, “Therefore, when we could no longer endure it, we thought it good to be left in Athens alone!” (NKJV).

Endure is the Greek word stégō (στέγω =steg'-o). It means to cover, to protect or keep by covering, to bear up against, hold out against, and so endure. In classic Greek stégō originally meant covering closely. In later Greek the word came to mean to ward off, to bear up, sustain, and thence to endure or to resist. This verb form is not found in the Septuagint. In the New Testament, the four occurrences of stégō appears in the writings of the apostle Paul and carries the idea of endure, bear up, and resist.

“Fear Nots” Found in the Bible

“And he said unto him, fear not: for the hand of Saul my father shall not find thee; and thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be next unto thee; and that also Saul my father knoweth” (1 Sam. 23:17 KJV).

Did You Know…

As used in the Old Testament, a “Seer” is another name for a Prophet (1 Sam. 9:9).

Bible Quiz

How much of his wealth did Zacchaeus give to the poor?

**Answer to last week’s Bible Quiz: Where did the angel tell Joseph to take the baby Jesus and Mary to escape from Herod? Egypt (Matt. 2:13).

Names For God Found in the Bible

“YAH”

"Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; for Yah, the Lord, is my strength and song; He also has become my salvation” (Isa. 12:2 NKJV).

1. Meaning – YAH speaks of God being the source of salvation.

2. Insights – This is a shortened form of Yahweh, the personal name of God. It is His redemptive, covenant-keeping name, and is often translated “Lord.” There is no difference in meaning between the full and the shortened form of the name. “Yah” is often included in people’s names. For example, it is found at the end of the name Elijah, which means “My God is Yah (weh).” From this combination of words comes the English word, “hallelujah,” which means “praise the Lord.” The refrain in Isa. 12:2 – “For Yah, the Lord, is my strength and my song; He also has become my salvation” was sung at the Exodus (Ex. 15:2) and at the rededication of the temple in Ezra’s day (Ps. 118:14). It will be sung again when the Jewish nation accepts the Lord Jesus Christ as its King.

Did You Know – Christian History

Charles Haddon Spurgeon was born on June 19, 1834, in Kelvedon, Essex, England. He was an English Particular Baptist preacher, known as “the Prince of Preachers.”

Spurgeon’s formal education was limited; he never earned a university degree. However, he loved to read, and two books captivated Spurgeon as a boy and produced a permanent impact on his faith: Foxe’s Book of Martyrs and The Pilgrim’s Progress. He was trained as a junior tutor at an Anglican school where he gained moderate proficiency in Latin, Greek, and philosophy.

Spurgeon came to faith in 1850 while listening to a primitive Methodist Preacher. Rejecting Congregational teaching, Spurgeon was baptized as a believer and began to serve in a Baptist church. In 1854, before he was 20 years old, he became the pastor of the New Park Street Chapel, a Baptist church in London. Within a few weeks, many conversions resulted from Spurgeon’s preaching, and the church building could not accommodate the crowds. The congregation also outgrew several other venues until finally the Metropolitan Tabernacle, which seated 6,000, was built specifically for this purpose. Spurgeon preached there from 1861 to 1891, shortly before his death. His sermons were printed in the London papers weekly.

In addition to pastoring the church, Spurgeon started a pastor’s college and an orphanage, which are both still in operation today. Spurgeon was also a prolific writer (his collected sermons fill 63 volumes). His books Lectures to My Students and Commenting and Commentaries are still on the reading lists in modern seminaries. Spurgeon also published the Sword and Trowel magazine. His Treasury of David (an exposition of Psalms) is one of his most popular works, as is his devotional Morning and Evening. Most of Spurgeon’s material is still in print and highly recommended.

Spurgeon was unashamedly a Calvinist and a Baptist. He did not shrink from controversy and was outspoken against false teaching and hypocrisy. He attacked both hyper-Calvinism and Arminian theology. He accused evangelical Anglicans of hypocrisy for continuing to use the Anglican baptismal service found in the Book of Prayer. During the “Downgrade Controversy,” Spurgeon accused fellow Baptists of teaching modernist theology, and he eventually withdrew from the Baptist Union over this issue. Spurgeon died in 1892. In his nearly 40 years of pastoring, it’s estimated that he had preached 3,500 sermons to about 10 million people. Through his written works, Spurgeon has left a continuing legacy of love for Christ and His Word that still influences pastors and laymen today.

A Little Humor

In response to the question why he was standing on one leg at midnight on New Year’s Eve? John responded, “I want to start the year on the right foot!”

Thought Provoking Church Sign

“Fear God and you’ll have nothing else to fear!”