"To The Beginning"
Praise the name of our Lord, that He has allowed us to start another year. I�m looking for great things in 2003, with God working through His people. The trials were great in years past and will get harder as we approach the end. God�s people are now and will be tried, but God has not and will not fail us. I myself have been guilty of discouragement in the last year. Yet even in my lowest times God was there with a word of encouragement through one of His messengers. Some were unaware that God was speaking to me through them. The years past are gone with the trials and blessings. Now we have today and hope for tomorrow. You may find this message a bit strange, but the Holy Spirit is speaking to those that will listen. Through trials, tribulation and persecutions, people get discouraged and they lose sight. Sad to say, some backslide and some become lukewarm. They forget their first love! They forget what that relationship with God was in the beginning! I ask that you pray and ask the leading of the Holy Spirit as you turn to the book of beginnings, Genesis. The title of this message is �To The Beginning�.
In the beginning God had a plan for all His creation and He will carry it out! The world around us is in chaos and wickedness is rampant through all the earth. These are perilous times and man has failed God. We have gotten so far away from what God created us for. God knew man would fall. He knew everything that He created was good � He said it 7 times in Chapter 1. Everything He created had a purpose and it completely fulfilled His will and purpose. All that was created was to reflect God�s glory! It was to be a place where mankind would share in His joy and life. He gave man a brain to reason with � man had a choice. Every day we make that choice to live in the image of God, or to let this flesh have its way. As I look at Genesis 1 and 2, God has given me a vision of how beautiful it was. If you just let the Holy Spirit have His way right now, you can see it too. In the beginning the earth was a beautiful place � God had spoken and the earth appeared, the days were beyond compare, not too hot and not too cold. Maybe a gentle breeze blew and that was the breath of God. The waters were beautiful and clean. The waters that God made didn�t need a treatment plant, and there was no danger of anyone poisoning them. Can�t you just see the grass, so green, just swaying in the breeze giving praise to God? The trees stretched forth to Heaven in praise. The apples and other fruits all bright and shiny, always ready to be plucked for man�s enjoyment. Everything grew, the plumpest, most colorful vegetables, all farmed by God. Not one preservative there in that place. Everything was the best with every nutrient man needed to live forever. The lamb and the lion lay together, neither man nor animal had a thirst for blood. No wars, no drive-by shootings, no sickness, no graves. All was at peace. Man had been set in authority over it all. God created man and woman in His own image, full of love, the will to do right, to live holy, without sin and full of Godly wisdom. That was the image of God! He had breathed His life into them! Nothing on earth was like them or equal to them. They were the first family of God! Created perfect, one male and one female in God�s image to form a family. Because they were in the image of God, they had a personal relationship with Him. They constantly spent time with the Father. They had nothing to hide. Many of you had that same relationship when you came to God at repentance. Many still have it today. Many have become weary and heavy laden and just sat down. When sin came into the world it brought ruin and suffering to all creation. For those of you that have lost that relationship or have never had one, there is a way � let�s go �To The Beginning�!
Like I told you earlier, God had a plan for all creation. When God gave man free will, He knew that man would taste the bad (evil) and break that fellowship, that personal relationship with Him. Oh but you see, He already had preparations made for fallen man. He had a Way for man to come back and be in His image again. Look right there in Genesis 2:4, and you�ll see He called Himself the �Lord God�! In Hebrews it is �Yahweh� or �Jehovah� � it has a special meaning for ALL of mankind. This is where God revealed His personal and covenant name to His people! He reveals Himself! This is where God reveals His lovingkindness! His redemptive power and concern for all! His nearness and guaranteed presence, and that He is faithful! Where the words �Lord God� are seen coupled together, it speaks of a special relationship between the Creator and the created (man). It is God�s loving, caring relationship with the promise that He has a way back to Him. Let me tell you, Jesus was there! If you don�t believe me, then take a look at Hebrews 1:2! You can see in John 1, �In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in the darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.� Read all of that chapter and especially verse 14. Yes, the Lord God had a plan and He had the Redeemer standing by, ready to come. In Revelation 1:8 Jesus says, �I am Alpha and Omega.� Friends, He is the Beginning and the End. If you want that perfect relationship today with you living in the image of God, then you must go �TO THE BEGINNING!�
No doubt many of you are discouraged and wondering where the fire is that you had that wonderful day when you bowed before God. That day when you said, �Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned.� You asked for forgiveness through the Blood of Redemption, that Blood of Jesus! You had only one door to come through and that was Jesus. The only Name that man can receive salvation through, is Jesus. At that point let me tell you where you were� At the point you ask forgiveness in Jesus� name, you are at the beginning! Your past all gone and newly born, at the beginning. That �In The Beginning� relationship is restored and you walk in the image of God. Remember His image? Heart full of love, will to do right, sinless, holy and having Godly wisdom! That Godly wisdom is brought by the Holy Spirit. That is the small voice that says turn away from adultery, fornication, indecent dress and unclean things. Most of you know what the Holy Spirit is saying to you right now. Others may not know because they�ve been taught that shaking a hand or a little sprinkle is all it takes. Let me tell you this, when you truly come to God through Jesus, you�ll be broken, convicted and repentant of sin. You�ll know you�re saved and you won�t need to shake a man�s hand and have him tell you you�re saved. The feeling of God�s arms wrapped around you in love, �like a father holding his baby�, will overwhelm you. You won�t be able to contain it! You will have to tell someone or bust! You will have all that Adam and Eve had in the beginning! Some of you know exactly what I�m describing, but you�ve gotten away from it. You�ve lost your first love. Sin has carried you down a path farther and farther away from God. Your prayers don�t reach Heaven anymore and your life has become a great void. Let me tell you the good news, God is there waiting for you � all you have to do is come back home. When you come home, truly sorry for your sins, your Father will meet you, accept you, restore you and give you all you had in the beginning. Friends, do you want to make it through, do you want to take your children to Heaven? Do you want to live a happy, joyful, abundant life? Then you must go �To The Beginning.�
I want all of you to know that I am very aware of how hard the battles are. It seems there is trouble on every hand. Friends, the only thing that keeps me is knowing who my Rock is. That Rock is Jesus, and daily I�m given Word to fight the battles with. I�m given Word to sustain others. I know every one of you are fighting battles just like we are. Jesus stands saying, �Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.� He waits, but it�s up to us to go to Him. You are redeemed and called by name � the purist most innocent Blood bought our freedom. It�s up to each of us to apply it in every situation, daily.
I want to encourage you today to write us and share your trials and cares � your letters will be prayed over and answered. Some of you have expressed how much you need me � well, we need you too! And all of us need Jesus the most� Amen? I see the parole board very soon and I ask that you pray God�s will. Not Don�s or Kim�s or yours, but God�s. As I close I thank all who keep the ministry going by support in prayer, encouragement and financially. This is your ministry, your seeds being sown. The Omega is soon to come, but the Alpha is now. Go �TO THE BEGINNING.�
Love In Christ, Bro. Don George
PARABLE OF A DEAD CHURCH
(Author Unknown)
A person once called a pastor to say he wanted to join the church. But, he went on to explain that he didn�t want to worship every week, study the Bible, visit the sick, witness to non-Christians, or serve as leader or teacher.
The pastor commended him for his desire to join, but told him the church he sought was located in another section of town. The man took the directions and hung up.
When he arrived at the church, the man came face to face with the logical result of his own apathetic attitude. There stood an abandoned church building, boarded up and ready for demolition�
