Burley W. Moore-Bible Teacher

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Volume 18, Number 4 October Fall 2023

New Beginnings

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

Introduction

At the time of publication for this edition of “The Traveling Pulpit,” we are nearing the end of another year and approaching the beginning of a new year. We all have experienced new beginnings throughout our lives. Some have been good and some have been not so good. Regardless of what it was, life is filled with new beginnings. For some it has been the adjustment of losing a loved one in death and for others the joy of welcoming an edition into the family, either by marriage or by birth. The greatest new beginning that anyone can experience is the new birth that Jesus referred to as being “born again” (Jh. 3:1-8) by “grace … through faith” (Eph. 2:8-9).

As I “begin” this introduction on the subject, “New Beginnings,” I’d like to inform you that the time for which we have waited over the past year has arrived. That to which I refer is our new move to Stanly County where our family lives. I pastored in that county back in the early 1990’s where two of our children took root, married their spouses, continue to live along with our inlaws, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. We felt that the time had come in our lives that we needed to move closer to them. God laid it upon the hearts of our daughter (Julie) and son-in-law (Billy) to give us the land beside of them with our son-in-law building a house for us. Speaking of “new beginnings,” we’ve never lived in a new house and besides that, God made possible through them along with our grandson, Nathan (wife-Bridgette), and the husbands (Cullen and Cannon) of our two granddaughters (Ashley and Hannah) helping to get the project completed. Needless to say, we are looking forward to living near our family, seeing our great grandchildren (Emersyn and Noah) more often, and becoming a part of Rekindled Church where our son, Wilson, serves as pastor with the support of his faithful wife, Tessa. Their encouragement from the very start has been a major help in planning the move.

Many of you are aware of this change in our lives, but in the event, you are not, I’ve given this “new” update and to let you know the status of COGM. It is kept “up and running” from the computer at my desk which can operate anywhere in the world. Therefore, COGM will continue as long as God keeps supplying the needs for it to function. This little ministry began in 2006 as a 501c3 organization in the State of North Carolina with the publication of what is now, “The Traveling Pulpit.” In 2007, we lauched our first websight and in 2008 we started our ten-year run of “Covenant of Grace Radio,” which concluded with about six stations at the time we decided to go completely internet. Since the beginning, that internet ministry has grown to reach the World with the Word. I’ve heard from people all over the world, but within this past year, a person from one of the Africian nations wrote me and told me how much he was blessed by our ministry and that he had never heard teaching like this. That type of thing is what keeps me doing what I’m doing as God continunes to touch hearts in supporting this little ministry.

From the very beginning, I’ve never taken a salary from the donations to COGM nor have I ever asked a soul for a penny. I remember sharing my vision to start COGM with Gerald Primm (who was one of our first board members and has now gone home to be with the Lord). This was probaby about 2005-2006 (I can’t remember exactly when), but I do remember him asking how I was going to pay for the expenses. I told him that I was not going to make an appeal for funds. He reached into his billfold, pulled out some cash, laid it on the table, and said “here is the seed money to get it started.” As long as God keeps it going, it will continue. I’ve been asked about our new address where donations can be sent. You will find that in the “heading” of this edition and all future editions. Also, my phone listed at the present time is my same cell phone that I’ve had for many years. We will have a landline number that will eventually appear in the heading when it becomes available. I’ll never be able to adequately express my appreciation to all the contributors down through the years. But, I want you to know how much it means to have your support as we try to get the Word to the World. Especially, your prayers as we seek God’s will to “keep on keeping on.” My prayer is that it will be to God’s Glory.

In the Beginning (Gen. 1:1a)

After that above update, I would like to turn our attention to the opening verse of the Bible, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” Being the infallible and inspired Word of God, say what you please, but these ten words are non-debatable and without compromise. People have come up with all types of ideas, suggestioins, beliefs, etc. as to what, when, and where, creation took place. I’m just going to be simple enough to stick with the Word of God without trying to tell God how He created the world as we know it today. I like what Job asks in chapter 38:4, “where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if thou hast understanding?”

I find it mighty strange when it comes to the Word of God, including the Book of Genesis, that mortal theologians like to tell God how He created the world. No one was there, but God and God alone in all three persons of the Godhead (Jh. 1:1-3), so what difference does it make to us how God performed creation. That which I can tell you on the authority of God’s Word is that “in the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” The remaining verses in chapter one of Genesis records how God made the “earth” a beautiful habitable place for us to enjoy.

The name Genesis is most appropriate because it simply means origin, source, birth, or “beginning.” It takes nine months from conception until the birth of a human being. God alone knows how long He spent on creation of the universe, including this “earth.” All I can tell you is that verse one is in the dateless past. In the Greek, genesis comes from the word “Gennao,” meaning to begat or give birth. Genesis is not only a record of man’s genealogy and “the beginning” of “heaven an earth,” but of the new birth itself (Jh. 3:1-3). Immediatelly after the fall of man, God promised ultimate victory through the “seed” of “woman” (Gen.3:15). Herein, we discover the very first prophcy predicting the coming of Christ through the “seed” of “woman.” Although Christ would be wounded in sin’s struggle with a bruised “heel,” He would someday crush and defeat the poisonous “head” of Satan, the serpent’s “seed.”

Genesis is the foundation of all true history, science, philosophy, and divine revelation. This very first book in the Bible records “the beginning” of such things as the universe, the human race, sin, redemption, the home, nations, languagges, agriculture, machinery, music, poetry, and the Hebrew people through which God Incarnate would come in the person of Jesus Christ. It also records such happenings as the first marriage, the first child born, the first murderer, and the first drunkard. Genesis is a key book in the Bible because it unlocks for us an understanding to all of Scripture. The first eleven chapters of Genesis has been called the “seed plot” of the Bible. The story of Jesus and redemption runs like a scarlet thread through the Bible all the way from Genesis to Revelation. In Genesis, we see pardise lost and in Revelation we see paradise regained.

God created the Heaven and the Earth (Gen. 1:1b)

Isn’t it interesting that the creation of the universe is profoundly stated in only a few words? Yet, inquisitive man is not satisfied to rest in “faith” upon this extremely brief statement. No detail or explanation as to how God “created” the world is given. Therefore, why can’t we be satisfied with that which God has said to us? Other passages simply tell us that God spake this universe into exestance, but no explanation as to what was said or done in that speaking nor over what period of time it took (Ps. 33:6-9, Heb. 11:3).

Because of man’s curiousity, many theories have arisen speculating as to how the world came into being. Some of these theories give “God” total credit for creation while others are completely evolutionary in nature. The Bible says, “in the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” The simple truth about the biblical story of creation is that it’s not a theory, but a statement of absolute truth and fact. How God did His work is His business and how long it took Him doesn’t matter nor change the fact that He alone is the Creator. Just as surely as a watch has a watchmaker, this world has a Creator to Whom every person is accountable.

To debate the story of creation will provoke more disagreement than just about any other subject in the Bible. Therefore, let me encourage you to accept the “Word of God” (II Pet. 3:5-8) at face value by “faith.” At this point, I remind you again of Hebrews 11:1,3, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen … Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.” We have already been reminded by Job (Job 38:4) that the only One present at the time of creation was God Himself and who are we to “declare” how it was done? The bottom line is that our universe had a “beginning,” but our “God” never had a “beginning.” That can be said of no other person or created thing. A person can make a chair from a tree, but only God can make the tree from which the chair came.

God has always been and He has always been active doing something. There never was a time when God was not existent and only our imaginations can speculate what He was doing. The only thing that we’re told is what took place in the creation story of the world in which we live. It’s presumptuous for man to claim to know more than is told from Scripture and in fact, idolatrious. The only thing that we can know for sure is that God is the author of creation. To believe the Bible is to believe that God is the Creator of the universe and all things therein (Ps. 8:3). Scripture teaches that “creation” itself proves that there is a God and that man is “without excuse” for not beliving in Him (Ps. 19:1, Rom.1:20).

Closing

The opening verse in the Bible is a majestic verse that opens the door through which one must walk into God’s Word by “faith.” The words “in the beginning” cannot be dated with God alone knowing for sure what He did and when He did it. The simple profound truth upon which we must stand is that “in the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” From this point forward throughout all of Holy Scripture, we must believe by “faith”that which we read. Only God can give you that kind of “faith” (Eph. 2:8-9) and without it we “cannot please God” (Heb. 11:6). It’s interesting to study the Word of God and discover how Scripture will always agree with Scripture. However, we must not be found guilty of trying to take Scripture out of context in trying to fit it into our personal opinion. We must always remember that God is God and we’re not and we’re always fully responsible and accountable to Him. Human life has been filled with changes since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden. Through all those changes (new beginnings) we must learn to trust in Jesus every step of the way Home.

One of these days for a Christian, all of our questions will be answered and it will be worth it all when we see Jesus face to face. That’s a new beginning that I’m looking forward to and in His time it’s going to happen. Until then, His “grace” will prevail and be sufficient to see us through the trials, troubles, sicknesses, and sorrows of this sinful world. Praise His Holy Name because for the born again child of God, THE BEST IS YET TO COME. I don’t know what the future holds, but I know Who holds it in the palm of His Hand! All I can tell you is that there is coming “a new heaven and a new earth” because this “first heaven and first earth” is going to pass “away” (Rev. 21:1).

Because of His Sovereign Grace……….………….BWM