“The Esau Syndrome!"

Grace to you Kingdom citizens! Peace be unto you through the revealed knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord and Blessing.

How has the Word of God been treating you so far this year? We are well along this year and if we are not careful half the year will have flown by. We can be quickly surrounded by one thing after another not recognizing that we have not kept up our spiritual training as we should. If we are not careful we could become victims of what I call the Esau Syndrome. A syndrome is a group of symptoms characteristic of a particular problem. In other words a syndrome can be a group of symptoms all pointing to a particular problem.

Paul says to watch out for certain things that can lure us into stumbling and falling along our walk of faith. Esau fell for one morsel of meat and sold his birthright. Look at the MESSAGE translation.

"Watch out for the Esau syndrome: trading away God's lifelong gift in order to satisfy a short-term appetite." Heb 12:16

I know we have all heard this story from our many years in church but lets look at how Esau got there. If we can identify the cause of a spiritual problem we can and quarantine it and make it bow down to the king of glory!

Paul says earlier in this passage that we are to avoid becoming weary and fainting by considering Jesus the author and developer of our faith. After teaching us on the Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11 he likens us to trained athletes who are to run with patience or discipline.

"Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby." Hebrews 12:11

He goes on to say that no training is fun at first. A father who is training his child to be a champ usually places high demands on them, and puts them through paces that the child will have to overcome to be a champ. God will lead you to training that you may not like at first. You may not understand the way He is leading you. Paul says to expect this so let us look to see why this is. In the next verse he says since you are being trained, don't sit on your hands and no more dragging your feet! He says to run a clear path like a long distance runner and watch out so no one falls, rather help each other out and run for it!

Here is where the rubber meets the road. He says for us to be at peace with each other and watch out for a root of bitterness that can spring up and trouble us where many have been defiled.

"Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;" Hebrews 12:15

A root of bitterness is a slow growing nagging voice that doesn't like the training it's getting from the Lord. We have huge pine trees on our back lawn. Every so often when I walk back there I hit a root that has sprung up out of the ground. If I don't watch out it can really hurt my foot. If a lawn mower runs over it the lawn mower can be seriously damaged. If the root is allowed to grow it can pick up your house and move it's very foundation.

This damage can occur spiritually as well if you don't recognize this root in those around you who don't like the training they are getting from the Lord. They may not understand the reason they are getting trained a certain way and are bitter and defiled - contaminated!

Easu was contaminated because he didn't understand the training he was getting. He was bitter and it caused him not to see straight so he thought nothing of the birthright nor the blessing. Jacob had to leave to get away from this root of bitterness and you might have to do the same. Remember the lesson Paul was teaching here. Don't be dragging your feet and sitting on your hands because of the training. Trust God that you will need all of it for the journey you are about to face. It is a long distance race so don't allow the voices of others who are bitter to contaminate your faith walk! Declare the love of God is shed abroad in your heart by the Holy Ghost and cut the root of bitterness from off of you. Bitterness has no place in your race and it will take you off course. As I stated earlier, a root can travel a long way and cause a whole lot of damage. Lay the ax at that root in Jesus' name by pleading the blood of Jesus against its borders! Pull away from the crowd by your training and stride triumphantly across the finish line considering Jesus, the author and the trainer of your faith! Watch out for the Easu Syndrome. Be a world over-comer!

--"..And This Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached to all the world as a

witness to every nation, and then the end shall come." Matt 24:14

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"..And This Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached to all the world as a witness to every nation, and then the end shall come." Matt 24:14