January 2

Genesis 3 January 2, 2015

 

I love reading the first chapters of Genesis. It tells the story of the sacred romance that defines our lives. It has all of the elements of a blockbuster Hollywood movie with a setting, character development, drama, hopelessness and resolution. It starts with paradise, a love connection with Almighty God, a sinister enemy, heartbreaking choices, catastrophic consequences and finally hope. That would earn 4 stars from every movie critic.

Let me point out just two observations in the story line we read today.

1. We see the origin of the "victim mentality" in the words… "The WOMAN that YOU gave me"… wow!!  In these six words Adam blames his wife and God for the choice he made. It shouldn't surprise us that a victim mentality dominates in our culture today. We are just copying what our first father did.

 

2. There is hope here. Every good story needs a resolution, from the darkness, light must arrive. Every grand story has this hopeless situation, the best of human efforts have failed, the police, the Secret Service, that FBI and the armed forces have not been able to stop forces of evil.  Then just at the right moment, when all is about to be lost, then suddenly from among the crowd some shouts, "Look up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! No, it's Superman!" Hope is restored; the day is saved.

 

Our hope arrives, just in the nick of time, in Genesis 3:15 "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; HE will crush your head, and you will strike his heel."  Embedded within these ominous words of doom is mankind's only hope – A Seed, a Deliverer, Savior, a Messiah.  Our Superhero is going to receive a wound, but it will not be fatal. It will be a wound of the heel. But make no mistake about it, our hero will deliver a fatal and final blow to our arch enemy. This is the first of the 320 prophecies of our mighty deliverer the Messiah.  

 

At the end of the reading today I was thrilled. The story took my breath away again. If following Christ does not take your breath away something else will. So awaken your soul to the grand story we find ourselves. Get involved in the cosmic drama that is unfolding around us. Don't be a victim in 2015, become a victor through Messiah Jesus.  

 

 

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"Multiplying leaders to change the world"