With it being January and all. And the start of a whole new year for us, I’ve been really into “beginnings” these past few weeks. I bet you have too. At least in the beginning. When everything is new and shiny. When there is this promise of do overs, do betters and do gooders. Okay, Maybe not do gooders.
But I guess we all intend to be do gooders at the first of the year. So with all these thoughts surrounding beginnings, I was reminded over and over or the word beginning in the bible.
I think we’ve all heard the verse, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth,” (Genesis 1:1)
And this one: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.” (John 1:1-4)
I’ve been looking up the word “beginning” and its mentions in scripture. And wow did I find some things! And I had so many questions that I thought I’d answer them for you below.
What questions do you have? Let me know in the comments, and I’ll answer them for you in another post.
What does Alpha and Omega mean in the Bible?
The alpha (Α, α) and the omega (Ω, ω) are the first and last letters in the Greek alphabet. This phrase (the Alpha and Omega) is given as a title of Christ in the book of Revelation when Jesus said, “I am the Alpha and Omega.”
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.” ~Revelation 22:13 (NKJV)
God even describes Himself in this manner in the Old Testament book of Isaiah when He says, “Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: “I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god.” ~Isaiah 44:6 (ESV)
Why is Jesus called the Alpha and Omega?
Jesus is referred to as the Alpha and Omega because He was here in the beginning, and He will be here in the end. He is never ceasing. He is always present. He was and is and will always be here.
Was Jesus there at the very beginning of creation?
Yes. If there was any doubt that Jesus wasn’t present at Creation it is knocked out in the New Testament with these words in John 1:1-4: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.” (emphasis my own)
At the beginning of the Bible, Genesis 1:26 says, “Then God said, ‘Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.'” (NIV, emphasis mine)
This plural of our Heavenly Father ushers in what we understand as the Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This three-in-one concept shows that our God is ONE GOD, but He exists in three distinct persons:
- The Father – The creator of all things. (Genesis 1:1)
- The Son – Jesus Christ. Our teacher. The one God sent to save us and to show us His will and His ways. (John 1:14)
- The Holy Spirit – Our Comforter who came when Jesus had to go. (John 14:26)
This concept further confirms Jesus’s role “in the beginning.” Jesus speaks specifically about the Trinity in Matthew 28:19 when he says, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,…” He further solidifies his everlasting presence among us in the next verse with the words, “…And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”’ (Matthew 28:20)
With Christ, do I have a new beginning?
Yes!
And here’s the scriptures to prove it:
Ephesians 4:22-24 – “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness”.
John 13:34,35 – “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another”.
Ezekiel 11:19 – “I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh”.
Colossians 3:9-11 – “Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all”.
And this next one’s my favorite! 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”
If you made your way to my site and you are asking questions about this whole “Christianity thing,” I am here for you. I don’t have all the answers, but if you need me, please comment below or you can message me by clicking here. Let me know you found me through my blog. If you prefer email, click here to join my email list and we can chat there.
And, if you are ready for your next step, here ya go:
How do I give my life to Jesus?
It’s so simple. All you have to do is ask Jesus Christ into your heart. I found this online and it is credited to the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. Just say these words to Jesus. He hears you. Every word.
Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. Amen!
I did it! Now what? What to do after you give your life to Christ:
I’m going to honest. I’m not an expert on this, but this is what I would do:
Pray and ask God to lead your next steps. He knows you’re new here, and He will show you the way.
Get a Bible or download a Bible app and read it. A lot. I like to start in the New Testament and read the red letters since those are the words attributed to Jesus. Here, you will learn His character and the lessons he came here to teach us. Most Bible apps have hundreds of reading plans to choose from and have them broken down into subject matter. My favorite is the YouVersion Bible app, if you’d like to try it. Click this link and then you’ll see “Get the app” on the top right of the screen. There are also thousands of devotionals available online. I have a few if you’d like to check them out. Click here for the link.
Reach out to friends and family who are Christians. Ask them if you can go to the church with them. Tell them that you accepted Jesus into your heart and let them celebrate with you. This is BIG NEWS to us Christ followers!! And if you don’t have family and friends who follow Christ you are not alone. God puts us in families. (Psalms 68:6) And you have me now. So we will celebrate together!
Find a Bible-believing church and get involved. Go to services, bible studies, lunches. Get to know the people there. There are so many churches and different denominations. I’m quite honesty not sure how to tell you to whittle this down, but maybe visit several and see which worship style works best for you. Some churches are more liturgical (such as Episcopalian) and sing the old hymns while others are more contemporary in their music and worship. Whichever worship style you choose, make sure they are in the Word.
Watch God change your life. He changed mine! I know He will change yours too. As I mentioned above, one of my favorite verses is 2 Corinthians 5:17, which says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”
You are a new creation. You are RECREATED.
Thank you so much for reading. I’ve included the scriptures below that I referenced in case you’d like to read them. And if you’d like to stay connected, please join my email list by clicking here.
Bible Verses to Start the New Year:
Genesis 1:1 – “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (FBV)
John 1:14 – “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (ESV)
John 14:26 – “But the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will cause you to recall (will remind you of, bring to your remembrance) everything I have told you.” (AMPC)
Matthew 28:18-20 – “Jesus came to them and told them, ‘All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. So go and make disciples of people of all nations, and baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Teach them to follow all the commands I have given you. Remember, I am always with you, to the very end of the world.'”
Psalms 68:6 – “God gives those who are abandoned a family to live with. He sets prisoners free with celebration. But those who rebel live in a desert wasteland.” (FBV)
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My name is Dawn Michelle Michals, and I am a wife, mom, Christian author and Child of God. I write short daily devotionals to get you closer to God. These short bible devotional messages are perfect to add to your daily Bible reading and are great for “Vintage” believers as I call them, new believers and Bible study groups. Click here to check them out on my Amazon Author Page. If you’d like to now more about me, click here to read my All About Me page.
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