The big laminated poster stuck to the shop window is hard to miss. In big black letters “Matariki is our time for new beginnings” is written on it. Matariki is the indigenous Maori New Year. The Matariki date for this year was the 24th of June. The Matariki date for next year – 2010 – will be the 14th of June. The new moon can be seen for the first time on those dates.

“Time for new beginnings.” I like that. It is good to make a fresh start in life. Not long ago I went into a small office here in Kaitaia without knowing what it was really all about. It was the “Kaitaia Rape Crisis Centre” called “FRESH START”. (Women and Children FRESH START Support Group INC.)

I still remember the day of New Beginnings in my own personal life, when I made a Fresh Start. That was many , many years ago, but I will never forget that time.

The Bible, the Word of the Living God, is also talking about a beginning and a fresh start. We are reading about that in the Old Testament.

A number of years I found a precious book written by D. L. Moody in a second hand shop. If I remember correctly, it was in Moerewa near Kawakawa. (I have bought many of my really good books in second hand shops!)

The book by D. L. Moody is called “Sovereign Grace” and on page 101 he is explaining the verse in the Old Testament, the verse, which is talking about the beginning and the fresh start.

It is verse two of the well known chapter twelve of Exodus, the second book of the Bible. It is “The Passover” chapter.

In Exodus chapter twelve in verse two we read according to the NIV: “This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year.”

On page 101 and 102 D.L. Moody is writing: “In verse 2 (Exodus 12:2) we read, ‘This month shall be unto you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year to you.’

For 400 years they had been serving the king of the Egyptians, but God would not let them count those years. They must make a fresh start, as it were. So all the years that we spend in the service of the devil go for nought. LIFE never really begins until we have been sprinkled with the blood of Christ. Everything dates from the blood, and even the Jew has to own that the death upon the cross was the beginning of days.”

“Life never really begins until we have been sprinkled with the blood of Christ.”

That is also my experience. It happened to me on the second of September 1958, when I was eighteen years of age. It was a new beginning. It was a fresh start. Of course, at that time I did not understand very much, but it was a NEW BEGINNING! I really started to live!

I really started to live on the second of September 1958 and I am living now – more than 50 years have passed since the 2. 09. 1958 – and I am going to live forever with the Lord Jesus Christ in HEAVEN.

How do I know that? I read in the Bible, the Word of the Living God:
“I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may KNOW that you have eternal life.” First John 5:13

DO YOU KNOW THAT YOU HAVE ETERNAL LIFE?

Yes, we can know!!