I am assuming the 2nd law of thermodynamics holds across the entire universe. So over eternity, all structures (mechanical, chemical, etc.) would decay to sub atomic nothingness. I don't know what that nothingness is, but it clearly is not what we have now. So matter itself in some eternal series oscillations of bangs/collapses, etc would still end up dark nothingness.
So matter is not eternal. Since it exists now, it had a beginning. It was created by God.
When you break the big laws, you do not get freedom; you do not even get anarchy. You get the small laws.
- G.K. Chesterton, Daily News, 7/29/1905