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\u201cAnd behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.\u201d<\/i> (Luke 1:31-33)<\/b><\/p>\n
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For the first time, the name of Jesus was mentioned, and this name makes all the difference because it\u2019s not just any name\u2026<\/p>\n
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His name is not great because of his family background \u2014 as a matter of fact, He was born into a humble family.<\/p>\n
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Everyone who would look at Him would not see an ordinary man, but Someone who was different, because of who He was. \u201cThe Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n
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Why the throne of David?<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n
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Because David had a heart that was after God\u2019s Own heart, who did everything to please Him; though he was not perfect, he was permanently willing to sacrifice, to surrender himself, because he prioritised God.<\/p>\n
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He recognised his mistakes, he humbled himself, he paid the price… David never gave up.<\/p>\n
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Many times, people make mistakes and blame God. Their hearts are not after God\u2019s heart.<\/p>\n
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David, on the other hand, is an example of a person who is teachable.<\/p>\n
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\u201cHe will reign over the house of Jacob forever.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n
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Why not the house of Israel?<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n
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Though Jacob was quiet, he had a different spirit.\u00a0He always valued the right of the firstborn \u2014 the blessing of God. His brother, however, made little of it.<\/p>\n
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At the first opportunity, Jacob took possession of it, not because of riches or status, but because he admired the blessing his father, Isaac, had received from Abraham.<\/p>\n
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He was different because he desired to serve God.<\/p>\n
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And it\u2019s over people like Jacob that the Lord Jesus will reign forever. Though they make mistakes, they are willing to pay the price to receive the blessing \u2014 not just a financial or sentimental blessing, but above all the presence of God Himself!<\/p>\n
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Note that neither David nor Jacob was perfect!<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n
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God does not choose \u2018perfect\u2019 people. He chooses people who turn to Him and put Him first; people who value the ‘right of the firstborn\u2019 above all things.<\/p>\n
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And so God will reign over them.<\/p>\n
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What about you? Have you been wrestling with God and with men to take possession of the blessing of the firstborn? Or have you been fighting to conquer other blessings, or maybe to solve a problem?<\/p>\n
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Why aren\u2019t you making a difference?<\/p>\n
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Because you are worried about your material needs\u2026<\/p>\n
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These needs are, in fact, diverting your attention from what really matters; they are making you waste your time with what will not bring eternal results.<\/p>\n
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The right of the firstborn represents the blessing of God \u2014 salvation.<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n
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Many people despise the opportunity to have a close relationship with God, and yet say they want to have a commitment with Him…<\/p>\n
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They exchange their salvation for anything: for a plate of lentils, emotions, a boyfriend who does not care about God\u2026<\/p>\n
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What\u2019s your priority?<\/p>\n
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When we establish our priorities, we find out whether we are ‘Jacob’ or ‘Esau’. <\/span><\/b><\/p>\n
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Perhaps you are strong, active, ready and willing in the church (even your pastor admires you), but your relationship with God is lukewarm, lifeless.<\/p>\n
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Esau was strong on the outside, but weak on the inside.<\/p>\n
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This is why it\u2019s important to prioritise what we cannot see\u2026<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n
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When we prioritise something we cannot even touch, we show our inner strength. This is faith!<\/p>\n
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Faith is a living power!<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n
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I\u2019d like you to meditate on this. I don\u2019t know what attitudes you have taken lately, but they reveal your priorities: Your personal life? Other people? God?<\/p>\n
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Again, this reminds me of Jacob wrestling with God. <\/p>\n
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Jacob was rich; he had a wife and a good life\u2026 Why did he wrestle with God, then? Because he did not accept to be considered a \u2018deceiver\u2019, a \u2018con\u2019, as his name suggested.<\/p>\n
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He did not accept it, and so he was bold. And his life changed completely from that day on.<\/p>\n
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If you do not wrestle with God, your life will not change. You will remain the same \u2014 a \u2018con\u2019, a \u2018deceiver\u2019.<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n
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This is a personal battle between you and God. <\/p>\n
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Meditate on this. Give your life to God. But be sincere. If you do this, your life will change, and you will never be the same again\u2026<\/p>\n
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