From: Ben Kelley
Subject: In the beginning
Verb tense is something we did back in
school (for some of us, it was wwwaaayyy back). We probably don't think
about it much now, but; it's extremely important in the Word of God. Two
sets of verses we need to read---
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.(JOHN
1:1-2)
In the beginning
God created the heaven and the earth. (Genesis
1:1)
The place in time when the condition or
action spoken of in these verses occurred was, "In the beginning."
The word translated in John 1 means, "commencement," and; the word in Genesis 1
means, "the first time." We see that creation occurred, then, at the first
time, or, the commencement of time. God created "time" for us to have a
framework,or context, to operate within. He Himself is eternal, without
beginning, which we can see from such verses as Isaiah 57:15, "For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth
eternity, whose Name is Holy." God has
no beginning, He's eternal, so; when time started, He
already "was." The John passage tells us
that Jesus, the Word (it identifies Jesus as the Word in John 1:14-18)
"was," along with God. Poor grammar here, but
Jesus and The Father God both "was" already at the very
first second of "time."
I don't mean to ride this horse too long,
but it's vital for you to get this under your belt. The eternal God
always was, is, and will be,
God. God is all-knowing, all-powerful, all-present, all-seeing,
all-sufficient, and always. Since He has always been
(was) God, and therefore, all of those "all" things, we can rest,
since He holds us in His hand (John
10:28-29).
1.He has always been (was)
all-knowing, so He's never "just learned" anything.
No matter what calamitous event or situation has come into your life, God
is not sitting on the throne of Heaven, wringing His hands, and
moaning, "What am I going to do to get my child through this?" Before time
began at creation, He "was" knowing all about
it.
2.He has always been
(was) all-powerful, so He has never had to pump iron or run
miles to become strong enough to handle anything and everything
that comes your way.
3.He has always been (was)
all-present, so no matter where you are when you cry out to Him,
He's already there. When you worry about what your enemies are off
plotting and planning against you, guess what, He's already there,
too. (but even if He wasn't, He already knows all their plans, plus
#4)
4.He has always been (was)
all-seeing, so even if He wasn't all-present, which He is/was, He
would see all your enemies are doing, but then again, even if He wasn't
all-seeing and all-present, He is/was all-knowing! Are you beginning to
get the drift of what I'm telling you??
5.He has always been
(was) all-sufficient, so when I see gas prices soaring, jobs being
cut, savings dwindling, etc., I go to my God. He never has to work extra
jobs, take out a loan, borrow from His neighbors, etc., to build up His
account.
Whenever you encounter situations,
circumstances, or people coming against you; and you think you are going
under, or, you will be very soon, rest in knowing that; no, you
are not!; and, you will not!; because, He Who always is, always
was!