| Birthright Pt. 3 Oct. 1, 2008 |
Gen. 25:29-34 NKJV 29 Now Jacob cooked a stew; and Esau came in from the field, and he was weary. 30 And Esau said to Jacob, “Please feed me with that same red stew, for I am weary.” Therefore his name was called Edom. 31 But Jacob said, “Sell me your birthright as of this day.” 32 And Esau said, “Look, I am about to die; so what is this birthright to me?” 33 Then Jacob said, “Swear to me as of this day.” So he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. 34 And Jacob gave Esau bread and stew of lentils; then he ate and drank, arose, and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright. Just like Esau, we have despised and shown disrespect toward our birthright (Our entitlement, Our empowerment, Our power to change, Our power to stop the enemy's advancements). And why? Because it did not serve us at the time. We lost sight of what was important, so we traded our right to prosperity for a bowl of nothing but empty promises. In doing so, we also disrespected the cross. The sacrifice that was made so that we could have a birthright/inheritance. We laid down our right to rebuke sickness and loose healing and restoration. We yielded our right to live victoriously. But alas, this is not a message of despair, but it is one of hope because there is one vital difference between us and Esau. The sale of Esau's birthright was final, ours is not. We have the privilege of repentance. Esau had no opportunity to get his birthright back from Jacob, but if he had the chance to do it over, he would have undoubtedly chosen to keep his birthright (Heb. 12:16-17). If we ask God to forgive us for the disrespect that we have shown toward our birthright and the cross, then he will be faithful and just to forgive us. Just imagine how much more we could accomplish for the Kingdom of God if we all decided to operate in the power we have been entrusted. So the challenge for this week is to ask God to open our eyes to the enemy's attacks and to help us recognize when our actions are disrespecting our birthright and/or the cross. I hope you enjoyed reading the word of God in a new light. Have a Happy Wednesday! God Bless, Minister Tommy and Sister Shatika Gray |