John 1:1

The Word Became Flesh

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Given that I had some instruction about the bible in my early life and that I had strayed away and was seeking to start all over again, I sought to forget everything I thought I knew and seek a new beginning. John’s gospel did that, starting over with a new way of seeing the creation story.

John 1:3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.

The Word was God and with God the Father, the creator of all things, and together they created everything. This was a cooperative effort, Father and Son building a world that the Son would eventually enter and become flesh. They knew from the beginning what needed to be done to set the stage upon which the Son would step into this creation and show mankind who the Father was and put His plans in motion, at that appointed time.

Given that I was not aware of this at that moment I began again, I had to empty myself of all assumptions and allow the Word, Jesus, His Words, the Bible, to speak to me.

One of the most difficult things to do when starting over, beginning a new life, is to empty oneself of every past understanding, assumption and teaching and to allow only the Word to determine what is to be believed. Having lived a life of mistakes then what needed to happen in this new life is to avoid all those mistakes.

John 1:13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

The concept of seeking God’s will rather than self-will was here in the beginning, even though I did not understand the concept at the time. The method I used at that time in my life was to read, just read and not to use my past to determine my future. I just read the Word and allowed the Word to speak to me, even if I did not understand everything right away.

If we accept that we have repented of a life lived without God, then leaving all that had filled our mind needed to be put away just like God the Father removing my sins from me, as far as the east is from the west. Beginning with a clean slate one must erase all that is on the chalkboard which is our past mistakes. That seems impossible, yet it is needed.

Matthew 18:3 and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Psalm 31:19 Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men!

The word wrought here in this psalm is p̄āʿal, which means made, do, which by implication is workmanship, crafted by our Master.

I related what made me feel special yesterday. If that was the crowning glory of a life spent, that would in the scheme of life seem small, trite, and meaningless to anyone but me. That is the point. Being special should be about what God has done with us.

Habakkuk 2:3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.

These words of a minor prophet held no meaning for me until my time had come. Then!

Habakkuk 2:4 Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.

The time came when I repented of a life that only held one shining moment of achievement in a pop up sacrifice fly to left field. That was my best moment ever. Everything else was a very sad and wasted life. What led me to that moment of earnest tearful regret was the death of my father.

I will not write here today about all of those things I had done which I was ashamed of because they were far too many and painful to admit to anyone by God. That was enough to unleash my Habakkuk 2:3 moment and for the first time in my life God the Father spoke to me and became my Abba Father.

Psalm 103:12 as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.

He wiped the slate clean and said to me “What is stopping you from starting over again?”

So I went home that night and picked up a bible for the first time in decades and began.

Where should I begin? Something in me said to go to the gospel of John because John declared that Jesus loved him best. If John felt special, then perhaps I could find the words that would make me feel special there. I started over.