Genesis 3:15

Most people consider Genesis 3:15 to be the first tentative mention of the gospel or the protevangelium.  God speaks a word of promise to Adam and Eve in the middle of the curse placed on the serpent, “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel.”  This is the first inkling that God would provide some form of redemption and it brought hope and a confident expectation to Adam.  Genesis 4 reveals that this couple immediately begins to look for the fulfillment of the promise in their first child, Cain, then Abel and finally Seth.  Yet each of their sons failed to fulfill what God had promised and so they and their descendents continued to look for God’s promise.

It was only with the coming of the Promised One, Jesus, that Genesis 3:15 really makes sense.  First the virgin conception of Christ directly corresponds to the promise that redemption would come from the seed of a woman and not that of the man (Gal 4:4).  Additionally, the wound that the Messiah would receive was not to be permanent.  Indeed, the best that Satan could do was to bruise the heel of seed of the woman.  Yet, the cross was sounding the enemies death-knell and a crushing blow was dealt.  The resurrection is our reminder that the final enemy, death has been defeated (1 Cor 15:54-57).  So, while today Christ’s final victory over Satan is yet to be seen, the cross and the empty tomb are the insurance that it will occur.  As His followers, we serve a victorious King and face a defeated foe whose time and power are limited.   

Back in the saddle

After a long week of packing (well, the movers had a long week…I just stood around and tried to look official), organizing what is left and starting the backbreaking process of cleaning — I’m back online.  Our telephone and Internet connections are cut on the 31st but I plan on the librarian getting used to me asking for a computer to use  

Starting tomorrow, I’m planning on spending quite a bit of time meditating on the cross.  John Piper wrote a great little book a few years back called The Passion of Jesus Christ: Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die.  Click on the link and you can read it online.  My copy has been packed with the rest of my 20,000 pounds worth of books (Lord, I hope not…) and so I won’t be referencing to Piper’s material.  But I think it is a shame that we spend many weeks preparing for Christmas day and yet often barely spend one week preparing for Passion weekend. 

So, join me as together we contemplate the glory of God as seen in the cross of Christ.

Packing

I had hoped to spend some time exploring the reasons why Christianity is more compassionate than many other faith groups but life has stopped at the Lancour house.  Instead, we are knee deep in stuff as the packers arrive to move all this stuff to Mooresville.  So, in the interest of sanity, I will be off-line for most of this week.  Lord willing, I’ll get a chance to put ink to paper (or electrons to plasma screen) and deal with the previous post soon.

 Blessings

Is Christianity Compassionate?

Situation:

I had a great conversation with a co-worker today about the impact of Christianity in the world.  The background of the conversation was that we were discussing socio-political things like taxes and government responsibility to care for the poor.  The conversation turned to the role of the family/community/church (the people, not the community government) to care for those less fortunate.  To understand part of his response, you have to know that he is German, where the government has taken over all aspects of “social compassion”. 

The conversation turned to how traditionally in Western Christianity it was the church that took care of the poor and ensured that type of compassion.  His response — Asian cultures and religions are more compassionate than Christianity.

Your turn

How would you respond to him?  What defense would you give for the faith?  I’ll give my answer later

Moving thoughts

No, not thoughts that are moving but thoughts on moving.  In a single word… painful   We are 7 days away from the packers coming to the house we have lived in for 8 years and putting everything to crates.  Now, if you aren’t military, 8 years in the same house may not seem like a lot.  But for us, it is a lifetime and for some of the children, it has been a lifetime.  So, for the last couple of weeks, Kellie and I have been going through pretty much every part of the house and judiciously deciding to either keep, throw away, give away or recycle everything we see.  I’m amazed at how much stuff we have especially when I remember the time when we didn’t have much at all. 

As a dutiful husband who loves to throw everything away, I have promised not to give in to my base instincts and allow her the final decision on what happens to every item.  Well, except for a pair of extremely large zip-lock bags that I knew for sure she didn’t want.  That is until she found out that I had thrown them away.  I begged grace and being the loving wife she is…she granted it.  I have since then (a few days ago), reformed my ways and will never, never throw out anything again.  At least I will try.

I was going to make the analogy to our Christian walk but I think you can draw that yourself.  So, here’s to cleaning, packing and living life unhindered. 

P.S.  I can’t help it (preacher’s disease)… read Hebrews 12:1-3. 

Playoff weekend

Ok, two posts in a row about football.  Not very spiritual or insightful but this is about the only time of the year when I watch pro football

The Stars and Stripes had an article today about the QB for the Chargers (Philip Rivers).  Seems that he is all ready for the Colts on Sunday.  Now, knowing that Indianapolis will soon be the hometown favorite for my family and that I don’t want to be lynched my first Sunday…I guess I will favor the Colts. 

But, what do think are the chances that the Chargers will upset Manning?

From Stars and Stripes…reporting on the LSU victory over OSU (38-24)

“The top six teams int eh final AP poll all had two losses and Kansas had one.  “I have to give great credit to some divine intervention that allows us to be in this position, ” Miles said.  (Miles is the LSU head coach).

I’m all for atheletes crediting God for their skills and talents.  I also acknowledge the total sovereignty of God over all of human affairs.  But does God really intervene to allow a football team to be number 1 in the polls?

What do you guys think?

Worry

For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life… (Matt 6:25)

 God will always take you to the point where your only choice is to worry or to trust Him.  He is not interested in half-hearted faith or surface level belief.  He will present His children with the opportunity to cast themselves whole-heartily upon His person.  Sometimes this is through a health crisis and sometimes it is financial.  It is in relationships with others and a thousand other areas.  He will put in place the circumstances where the choice is to worry or to trust. 

Oswald Chambers writes,  “Jesus Christ knows our circumstances better than we do, and He says we must not think about these things so as to make them the one concern of our life. Whenever there is competition, be sure that you put your relationship to God first.”   

Christ makes it a point to call us to faith in the one area where we are most likely to worry.  In doing so, He sets up the crisis that we daily face.  Will I look towards the circumstance of life or will I look to the One who is directing that circumstance?  It is our one concern to be diligent to trust.

Instant Obedience

Matthew gives us a picture of Mary’s husband Joseph that none of the other gospels present.  In Matthew’s account, Joseph is seen as more than the adopted father of Jesus or as Mary’s husband.  He is a man that wrestled with a complicated circumstances and sought for a righteous ending to what seemed an unrighteous situation.  While the Scriptures do not expand on the dilemma that Joseph faced with a pregnant fiancee, it does give us insight into his character. 

In reading the first two chapters of Matthew, I was struck by the level of obedience displayed in Joseph’s life.  He twice received a dream from the Lord, giving him specific instructions (Matt 1:20; 2:13).  In each instance, not only did Joseph comprehend what had been revealed to him but he obeyed.  After the first dream, he awoke and “did as the angel of the Lord commanded him…” and took Mary as his wife.  After the second dream, the Scripture records that, “So Joseph got us and took the Child and His mother while it was still night, and left for Egypt.” 

Instant obedience to the revealed word of God is the hallmark of our record of Joseph’s life.  There was no holding back, no holding on nor any touch of self-interest.  Just a confident expectation that somehow, God would be glorified by his obedience. 

Two Years Running

According to the News-Review

 A central Pennsylvania couple have a new tradition for ringing in the new year: spending it in the maternity ward. For the second year in a row, Kyle and Becky Armstrong welcomed the first baby of the year at Gettysburg Hospital.

Faith Lynn Armstrong arrived on New Year’s Day at 5:23 a.m. Her sister, Kaden Skye, was the hospital’s first baby in 2007 – also born on Jan. 1.

Nurse manager Laura Swomley said she’d never seen anything like it in 25 years at the hospital.

“It’s strange,” agreed Becky Armstrong, of Gettysburg. “It’s all very weird.”

From me… They say that timing is everything.  I guess these guys have got the timing thing down pat.