BEGENDINGS Week 9

I just made up that word, 'begendings' to relate beginnings with endings. Since I have been quite sick--and I'm nnot completely free of my sickness--I have been thinking of how life is more about beginnings and endings than the long middle years in between.

So I've been wondering what that means. The two famous beginnings in the Bible are of Adam and Paul. Adam was born of God's breadth, Paul was born again of Jesus' word.

Adam was brough down from the Garden by way of sin to a world into which he was not born. It must have been a frightening thought to have to livee where he was not born, to be an alien in a strange land because of what he did in another world
And Paul was jealous for the Lord within traditional Judaism, yet the God whom he thought he served asked him--Why are you persecuting Me, Acts 9.4. This upset Paul's thinking about God and Judaism. Paul had to start all over again, to begin again.


In the endings of our lives, Adam's life ended in the hope of a messiah who was promised. Paul's life ended after the messiah had come, in the summation of God's will. It was his death in Rome that culminated his life as the follower and preacher of Christ.

For Adam, he was given a great deal in the Garden, and had a great deal taken away in the Fall. So he lived in hope that one of his ancestors would be the messiah, the one who would bruise the serpent's head.
Paul living centuries later was misguided until he met Jesus on the road to Damascus. Then, having encountered Jesus, he lived the rest of his life on the basis and understanding of that moment. His preaching and teaching was the understanding of what Jesus did on the road to begin his life again. As the writer to the Hebrews said--in these last days He has spoken to us in His Son, Heb. 1.2.


In between the beginning and ending is the plateau each of us has for a few years or many more.
Paul is aware of this level time and place. In one of his famous phrases, he says--I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Jesus Christ, Philippians 3.14. Paul knows he's on a plateau, although he sees it as an upward call. He may have been thinking of the pilgrimmage to Jerusalem in which the last few miles are upward in altitude until the pilgrim reaches the city gates. Paul says we are headed to Zion, we are on our upward pilgrimmage to the heavenly Jerusalem.


We have had our salvation procured by Jesus; we are on the walk of sanctification which secures our safety from the enemy until we come to the consummation devoutly to be wished, our glorification.
The Holy Spirit is our protection along the way. Joel 2.28 had said the Spirit of the Lord would be upon all mankind. John said we would be baptized by the Spirit, John 3.5. David said Thy word is a lamp unto Thy feet, and a light unto Thy path, Ps. 109.105. David also said God would--make known to me the path of life, Ps. 16.11.

Along the way Paul tells Timothy to--Guard, through the Holy Spirit, who dwells in us, the treasure which has been enturusted to you, 2 Tim. 1.14. Paul hopes the Colossians will--walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God, Col. 1.10.

We persevere as we have been called to do so. In Mark 4.35 Jesus told the disciples to get into a boat--Let us go to the other side. A fierce gale had come up, but Jesus had said they were going to the other side. No matter what comes up, we are going to the other side. Jesus rebuked the winds, saying to the sea--Hush, be still, Mark 4.39. So Matt. 8.28 finishes it off by saying--He had come to the other side...