Greetings Saints and all of the children of God,
I start out letting you know that I am not of this world, but I do live in this world and am not oblivious to what is going on around me. I was watching an episode of "The Wire." It is a show about wars in Baltimore. Yes, wars not just gang wars, but soul wars. People just doing dirty deeds from the top of the Socio economic stratosphere, to the very bottom. Any who, there were two characters in a car. One was a female that had transformed herself into a male like killing machine. The other a child in his teens that has had life beat him down to the ground. So much so that he turns to crime and aligns himself with a dark Marshall of the streets. He is about to be killed by the female. He turns the table on her. She knows he is about to kill her and she asks how her hair looks. He tells her in a nonchalant manner that it looks good and he proceeds to kill her.
This struck a nerve with me. The fact that a child is dealing with a situation too rough for an adult to deal with let alone a child was heartbreaking. The second thing that struck me was that they both had no value for life. She took it matter of fact that she was about to be killed. She had taken many lives that she didn't value, and she didn't value her own. Her tough image and pride was more important than her very life. Then the young man killed her in cold blood. He had only spoken with her minutes earlier. He of course was scared and on the run, but he didn't value her life. They didn't take a second to discuss options. The law of kill or be killed was dominant. However, the value of life was zero.
This was a fictional story, however, the story reflects what is happening on the streets everyday. Let's just say that I have had friends from all walks of life. I have seen the violence second hand. No, I wasn't there, but I went to the funeral. I laughed and lived life among some troubled young people. I only saw the jovial fun side of their life. I did not see the pain and the heart ache that these young men endured.
Then I thought about Esau in the book of Genesis (Genesis 25:21-35). Esau was WEARY so he sold his birthright. Now in those days your birthright was very important to yourself and your future generations. It determined your inheritance. Yes, biblical scholars, inheritance brings to mind Jesus and salvation.
Let's bring this to modern day life. I see us trading in our birthright for money, power, and prestige. Our birthright is what Jesus secured for us in the afterlife. Our birthright is also abundance and prosperity in our natural bodies here on earth. Okay, there it is. Think about what our birthright is once we are BORN AGAIN. Oh, yes, when we are born again we have accepted our birthright. Yes, yes, yes, we have a birthright through the blood of Jesus.
However, we are feeding our flesh by denying this birthright and chasing the mighty dollar, we are chasing fame, we are chasing everything and thus trading our birthright for a bowl of stew when it boils down to eternity.
We are giving our very lives as a bowl of stew. If we are selling drugs, if we are swinging from a pole, if we are going for our own wealth with regards to no one else, then we are selling our birthright for a bowl of stew. The good news, is that we can say you know what I don't want the stew, I want the inheritance. I want Jesus. I want Jesus to be my Saviour. I want Jesus I don't want a measly bowl of stew. This life's ill gotten gains are not worth more than a bowl of stew when it gets down to eternity and the beginning of the good life. The good life begins when we accept Jesus. Yes, there will be troubles and problems in the good life. But with Jesus, we get through them and we use those situations to bring MORE glory to God. Because Saints, we should be giving glory to God in all that we do and all that we say.
We need to value our lives first. Then we have a mission fellow Saints. Our mission is to teach sinners about the love of Jesus. Your job isn't to judge that drug dealer, or that pole dancer. Your job is to show that person about the Love of Jesus. Tell them and show them how very valuable that they actually are.
Hold up! Were you like I was early on and you didn't even realize how valuable YOU are to Jesus? We are so valuable to Him. We are all so dear, that he could not bear to spend eternity without us. If we know that we are so valuable to Him and our neighbors are valuable to Him, then we are tasked with letting those He loves know that He loves and values them. They are JUST as precious to Jesus as John the Baptist. The first shall be last, and the last shall be first.
Don't you look at Esau and say wow, how could you trade your birthright for a bowl of stew? I guess, we should have that same feeling when we see someone missing the birthright of salvation. Let's not miss it ourselves, but let's not let anyone else miss it either.
To God be the glory and the honor, and the praise.
Your sister in Christ,
Monique
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