This came up in our pre-start discussions last week.

How can I be sure God wants to heal me?

Is it selfish to ask God for healing?

Psalm 35:27 Webster’s Bible Translation  “Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favor my righteous cause: yes, let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, who hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.”

Key Point:  prosperity here is sozo…. which includes of course healing and wholeness for the whole body.    So God delights in your health.

3 John 1:2 KJV “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.”

Key Point:  God desires greatly for us to be in health, both body and soul.   This desire was expressed here through His disciples.   

Romans 6:13-22 Revised Standard Version (RSV)  “13 Do not yield your members to sin as instruments of wickedness, but yield yourselves to God as men who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments of righteousness. 14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.  15 What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16 Do you not know that if you yield yourselves to any one as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. 19 I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once yielded your members to impurity and to greater and greater iniquity, so now yield your members to righteousness for sanctification.   20 When you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 But then what return did you get from the things of which you are now ashamed? The end of those things is death. 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the return you get is sanctification and its end, eternal life.”

Key point:   members = body parts….    so this literally can mean do not yield your body parts to be instruments of unrighteousness.

1 Corinthians 6:20 King James Version (KJV)
20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

Key point:   The price Jesus paid to make us whole and healed in our bodies was the torment and torture He went through during his “passion” week.   If God did not want us well, He would not have paid such a Massive price to heal us.

Isaiah 53:4-5 + 10 KJV” ⁴ Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.  ⁵ But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”   + “Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.”

1 Peter 2:24 King James Version (KJV)  “24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.”

Key Point:   It pleased God to bruise Jesus…  Jesus laid down His life for us willingly out of love and allowed his body to be scourged and whipped so that we could be healed physically and mentally and set free from our iniquities.

Psalm 103:1-4 ” Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. 2Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: 3Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; 4Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;”

Key Point:  We are reminded to never forget the things he has paid for.   Who forgives all our sins and heals all our diseases.     In the New Testament, this is repeated in the “communion” “Lord’s Supper” verses.

1 Corinthians 11 “20 When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord’s supper.   21 For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken.  22 What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? what shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not.  23 For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:  24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.  25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, this cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.   26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.  27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.   28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.  29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.   30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.   31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.   32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.”

Key Point:   If we do not discern (perceive as separate) the benefit we receive through the Lord’s body, this is the reason many are sick and weak and have even died.      That worddamnation means from the blueletterbible.com site  and the Strong’s Concordance “κρίμα kríma, kree’-mah; from G2919; a decision (the function or the effect, for or against (“crime”)):—avenge, condemned, condemnation, damnation, + go to law, judgment.”   Anyone who doesn’t receive Jesus is presently condemned because our redemption comes through believing in and accepting that He has indeed paid the penalty for our sins by His shed blood… AND He has paid for the redemption, healing of our bodies, by the scourging and stripes He took for us.  Another way of saying this might be “whoever eats and drinks without perceiving what Jesus did remains under the judgements that they would released from if they believed and received what He has done”.   Why would He pay for my healing through the blood, whipping and torture of His Son if He did not want me to be healed?

John 3:18 ” 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”

My favourite verse on this topic:

Luke 6 KJV “6 And it came to pass also on another sabbath, that he entered into the synagogue and taught: and there was a man whose right hand was withered. 7 And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath day; that they might find an accusation against him.  8 But he knew their thoughts, and said to the man which had the withered hand, Rise up, and stand forth in the midst. And he arose and stood forth. 9 Then said Jesus unto them, I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy it?  10 And looking round about upon them all, he said unto the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he did so: and his hand was restored whole as the other.”

Key Point:  Jesus asked “which is  lawful?”   to do good = to save life = to heal on the Sabbat OR  to do evil = to destroy life = to leave unhealed on the Sabbath.   Jesus provided the answer definitively by healing the man’s hand.    In doing so, He has told us all that to leave the sick unhealed is equivalent to destroying live and doing evil.  For me this couldn’t be more clear!!!!    We can clearly understand even on a purely rational level that leaving a person unhealed especially in the case of a terminal disease, is to leave them in harms way.    This is why we are willing to spend billlions of dollars trying to help people get well as a nation and pay top dollar to those who promise health and wellness to us individually.  Jesus paid an even greater price because God Himself puts an even greater value in our wellness than we do.   Truly receiving our healing and being made whole is a source of delight for the Lord.

Luke 12:32 King James Version (KJV) “32 Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”

Key Point:  The enemy’s desire is for us to remain slaves to sin instead of living in freedom and righteousness.  His main tactic is to get us reject God’s Word.   I believe the story of Moses and Pharoah is a powerful type and shadow of what lengths that Pharoah/the enemy would go to and what extremes he will tolerate and go through to keep his slave nation under his rule…. BUT “He who is in us is GREATER than he who is in the world”.   ” We are more than conquerors” and the enemy has already been “publicly shamed and disarmed”.

1 John 3:8 King James Version (KJV) ” 8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.”

Acts 10:38 King James Version (KJV) ” 38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.”

John 10:10 King James Version (KJV) “10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”

Other verses to consider:  Ezekiel 34 and Psalm 23.  Jesus is the Good Shepherd who goes after, binds up and heals His sheep.  He rebuked the evil shepherds for failing to do these things so certainly will be faithful in not neglecting what He sees.

 

 

 

I get a lot of lightbulb moments with God, here is one from this weekend that I share in case it blesses anyone else.

In our family’s devotional today, we read Psalm 109 and the verses 17 to 19 just hit me square between the eyes.   I will share while it is fresh on my mind as I think this is a key that I have been praying for.  The imagery of course appeals to a child but will make perfect sense to adults as well.  Here is the verse we read.

Psalm 109:17-19 King James Version (KJV)  “¹⁷ As he loved cursing, so let it come unto him: as he delighted not in blessing, so let it be far from him.  ¹⁸ As he clothed himself with cursing like as with his garment, so let it come into his bowels like water, and like oil into his bones.  ¹⁹ Let it be unto him as the garment which covereth him, and for a girdle wherewith he is girded continually.”

Some other supporting verses:

Deuteronomy 30:19 KJV”¹⁹ I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:”

Proverbs 18:21 New English Translation (NET Bible) “21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love its use will eat its fruit.”

Proverbs 6:2 King James Version (KJV) “2 Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.”

Luke 12:3 “Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.”

2 Corinthians 10:5 King James Version (KJV)  “5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;”

Matthew 15:8 King James Version (KJV) “8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.”

Key point:  Our words are powerful, very likely far more powerful than we our actions reflect.   Life and death truly are unleashed by the words we speak and we are releasing blessings and curses on ourselves and others regardless of how aware we are of this truth.  It is in our best interest therefore to guard our hearts with all diligence (Proverbs 4:20-24) and edit every word before it comes out of our mouths.

While words are powerful, insincere words will not release the power of the kingdom into a situation in the same measure as those that are sincere and from the heart.  There is a difference worth noting here.  There is most definitely a place where we know what is true, where we want to believe it and act accordingly but are “unable” to.. that place of I know it up here but need to sink into my heart so that it flows out of me readily and easily.    that is still a sincere heart position.   Just because we don’t emotionally feel something yet does not mean that we don’t sincerely want it and know that it is true and best.

Matthew 12:36 King James Version (KJV)  “36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.”

Key Point:  Our words have genuine creative power and every word we speak is recorded, so we do truly need to monitor and take care about every word we speak.  Scripture takes it further and says that we need to take every thought captive to the Lord.  Our Words come our of our hearts.    Ultimate this boils down to letting God heal our broken hearts and cleanse them of all unrighteousness.      At the end of the day, there is great power in our words.. but even greater power in our words that are backed by our whole heart.    It reminded me of the verse about loving our brothers with unfeigned love.   Sincere words are very powerful indeed.  

 

Matthew 12:34 King James Version (KJV)  “34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.”

Luke 6:37-38 King James Version (KJV)  “37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: 38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.”

What did I see in the PSALM 109 verse?   The law of sowing and reaping is very very real.   The Words I speak literally go out like a garment around others and me….    I can fully understand why the Word warns us to speak few words knowing that this is so.    On a personal note, in the KJV language, this says that word curses I speak over others come back to me like water into my bowels… Having come out of Crohn’s disease that really caught my attention.    A lot of modern medicine points to the facts that our bones are a major player in our immune system and health  and that our bowel health is equally important for our overall wellbeing.   SO INTERESTING therefore that both of these organs are mentioned here as being impacted by the words we speak.   YES, I am motivated more than ever to watch that I am speaking blessings and recognizing that there is absolutely “assignments” of blessings or curses coming back to me in the measure that I dole out.

Consider 2 Corinthians 10:5, which calls us to cast down every high thing and thought that witnesses against God’s Word to us.    Do you remember the white playdough analogy?   If the person we struggle with is white playdough that is being held captive to the food colouring/black playdough and needs to be rescued (by God and His Word not us), then are our thoughts and words reflecting the reality of what God says about who they are really.  OR are we so fixated on the black playdough that we are seeing and hearing that we are actually with our own words and thoughts enforcing their captivity and them with even more black playdough?

The imagery that God illustrated this to me with:

I often give my younger kids playdough to fidget with while we do our studies.   So my son had this lovely green fresh smushy playdough and was pressing into some molds as we read and it came together in my mind.    Every time we speak words and think thoughts about someone, for good or bad, we are in a way, pushing them against a mold.    If they are at all malleable, which many are as they are deeply motivated to please others, these words leave a very deep impression.   Over time, they will actually start to be conformed to whatever it is we say about them.   Others are more like hardened clay.  The harder you push them against the mold, the harder and more resistant they get.   So of course we want to be like soft playdough to the Word and God and like hard clay to wordliness and evil.   Back to the mold analogy, every word I speak to a person or about a person is setting up in a way, an invisible mold around them.  They may not voice it, but they often feel it and respond to it’s pressure.    Perhaps you can think of someone that as soon as you are around them you feel a pressure to act a way that is different than you act when they are not around.   

Just by their presence, there is a pressure to be conformed to their expectations of you.   If those expectations are for godliness and expressed in love and gentleness, than this is a great thing.   If those expectations are for failure, letting others down, harming others or in any other way negative, the spiritual pressure is for us to be conformed to that image.  Perhaps you know someone that seems to bring out this side of you.   When you are around them, you feel like you cannot do anything well enough, right or that you will fall short in their expectation.     This can be words and expectations they have projected on us BUT it can just as easily be words an expectations that we have allowed to be established in our hearts and minds by our hearts and words.     What expectations (invisible molds) are our thoughts and words those around us into?

So I am going forward with 2 lessons learned:

1. I will choose carefully which molds I expose myself to and speak into to being over others
2. I will guard my own heart diligently, seeking to be like flint to the ways of the world and the pressures “invisible molds” that others mostly unknowingly speak over my life, and yet remain pliable and moldable to the Master’s hand and plan for my life

Every time I seek God and his Word with a desire to be molded into His likeness, I am choosing to let the Master Potter press me into the mold He made for my life personally. 

Every time I choose to set before my eyes, ears, heart, hands etc things that are of the world and ungodliness, I am helping to construct molds around  myself to conformed to those images.  I recognize i cannot leave the world and therefore must learn how to live with God’s armour on all the time, abiding in his presence so that I am unimpressionable in these things.

Isaiah 50:7 King James Version (KJV) “7 For the Lord God will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.”

Jeremiah 15:19-21 English Standard Version (ESV)
19 Therefore thus says the Lord:
“If you return, I will restore you,
and you shall stand before me.
If you utter what is precious, and not what is worthless,
you shall be as my mouth.
They shall turn to you,
but you shall not turn to them.
20 And I will make you to this people
a fortified wall of bronze;
they will fight against you,
but they shall not prevail over you,
for I am with you
to save you and deliver you,
declares the Lord.
21 I will deliver you out of the hand of the wicked,
and redeem you from the grasp of the ruthless.”

Practically speaking, what do word curses look like?

Most you statements are  form of word curses.  “You always….   You are just so….   You never….    if only you would ……    you drive me crazy…    Isn’t that just like you to ….   

Instead we could say something like “I feel like something is amiss in the atmosphere of our home/ in my own heart  right now.   Could we stop and pray and speak blessings over the situation and shift things back to a kingdom perspective?  I know that we both love the Lord and want what He wants.  I am so thankful that you are a gentle/God/compassionate/loving spouse.” 

Any thought or words that imply that someone is stuck and unable to change and every accusation no matter how subtle.

Sometimes they come in the form of warnings:   If you do that, you will….  this is so so so easy to do with our children.    “Stop doing that, if you do you could _________  (harm in some terrible way) your siblings”  “Stop jumping on the couch, you could fall of and break your______”  instead we can say.   “Stop jumping on the couch, it would be far wiser to jump on the little trampoline.  God bless this child with wisdom and discernment and the ability to chooose that which is wise and will keep him/her safe.”   Same message but one with a curse, one with a blessing.

Yes, it takes effort and work to speak blessings instead of curses.    But we can do all things in Christ who strengthens us.

I was DEEPLY convicted when we read this verse especially in the context of these other verses previously impressed into my heart and head.  Thankfully, even though the enemy can build up his prison  walls over generations, and years, freedom is far more easily obtained, with a few simple minutes of sincere repentance and humility before our God, we can see everything begin to shift and those carefully crafted walls begin to quickly crumble.

Humanly speaking, our natural response to ungodliness and to someone else’s weakness and sin is to take it personally, take offense, let our buttons get pushed, fight back, retreat, stonewall, build up our defenses, get wounded etc…    What sunk in for me that these negative responses are actually driving the struggling one further from God and His flock instead of building them up and strengthening them.    Absolutely, there is a time and place for a gentle and godly rebuke.   If not done in love, than there is a very good chance we are actually building up the prisoners walls instead  of helping to tear them down.  But here is how scripture calls us to respond to the areas of weakness of our brothers and sisters:

Galatians 6:1 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)  “6 Brothers, if someone is caught in any wrongdoing, you who are spiritual should restore such a person with a gentle spirit, watching out for yourselves so you also won’t be tempted.”

Ezekiel 34 ERV “20 So the Lord God says to them: “I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the thin sheep! 21 You push with your side and shoulder. You knock down all the weak sheep with your horns. You push until you have forced them away, 22 so I will save my flock. They will not be caught by wild animals anymore. I will judge between one sheep and another. 23 Then I will put one shepherd over them, my servant David. He will feed them and be their shepherd. 24 Then I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David will be the ruler living among them. I, the Lord, have spoken.”

I confess before you all that I have fallen prey far too many times to being the fat sheep, to responding to the sin in others by taking it personally, seeing their weakness as an intentional willful attack against me, by  pushing them, nagging them, speaking death over them instead of life and blessings and with all gentleness speaking the truth and freedom over their lives.    I have confessed this to my God who is faithful to forgive me and wash me clean as snow and throw my past sins into the sea of forgetfullness.   I am going forward from strength to strength and glory to glory and will from this time forward even more so choose to speak life abundantly and,  set my face and heart as flint against curses and ungodliness, for His glory and Kingdom, with Christ who strengthens me.

 

This is  strong meat.   So if it doesn’t make sense, no worries, move on.  If it is needful for you, the Lord will bring it back to you.   It is something you will very likely have to chew on and meditate on directly from God’s Word.    It is a helpful tool/key of knowledge to have if you regularly intercede for the sick or those held captive to sins.

Key Point:   Scripture or at very least parts of scripture have another name “The Law”.      Since the Word says that we can put ourselves back under “the Law” even as New Testament believers, it is still important for us to understand at least some elements of it. There may well be times when we minister to others that we will need to have understanding of how to legally loose a lawful captive.     Please don’t hesitate to skip this post altogether and if you do read it, just let what sticks sticks and what doesn’t doesn’t and move on.   The goal is simply to bring awareness that this aspect of God’s Word exists.   If you are in the Word regularly, He will explain all that you need to know about this.     Formulas will always fall short, at the end of the day, to effectively minister, the main thing is to learn to hear from and follow the Lord through His Word and through a vibrant relationship established in prayer.

I hadn’t thought about that much until I was praying this year for someone  and I heard the words “courts of heaven”.   In truth, I had heard of the presently trending courts of heaven books a few years ago already but had not felt in any way called to read them.   I would say I was even hardened against this feeling leery of another formula type way of approaching God and healing.    Life and death was hanging in the balance though so I followed through and this word of knowledge ended up being part of the answer to this dear one being healed and delivered from a sure death sentence on her life.  Praise God.   Needless to say, I am now very motivated to understand the courts of heaven for myself through the study of scripture.

Honestly, my knowledge of this is insufficient to do it justice.  My goal is not to answer anything in full but simply to hopefully springboard those who are called to it, into a deeper study and understanding of this scriptural reality.  I do feel that in at least some cases of intercession, understanding these things this will play a powerful and even essential role.  As always, ask for eyes to see and ears to hear and the ability to understand, and that any error in our understanding, any veils or scales or other spiritual blocks would fall away so that we can receive all that God has for us on this topic, in the precious name of our Lord Jesus Christ.  I should say, I think that a lot of people do things already and just use different terms to express what they do.

I will focus on scripture here, but will share that the only books that I have on this topic presently are written by Jeannette Strauss.  I have only just started to read them though.   Her testimony is on youtube for anyone who would like to hear it.   There are no doubt gems of wisdom to be gleaned there.

The essential question:   What is in the Word?   There are many many legal terms and references all through the Word.   Let’s explore some.

Isaiah 49:24-25 King James Version (KJV) “24 Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered?  25 But thus saith the Lord, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children.”

or in the NIV …

Isaiah 49:24-25  “24 Can plunder be taken from warriors,  or captives be rescued from the fierce[a]?  25 But this is what the Lord says:  “Yes, captives will be taken from warriors,  and plunder retrieved from the fierce;  I will contend with those who contend with you,  and your children I will save.”

Key points:  a person can be in legal captivity and Satan considers those in captivity as His plunder.

• God is willing to contend with those who content with us.    God enters into the battles that we engage in.  When we are interceding for someone else, we are entering the battle and can very powerfully bring God into the picture for someone who would otherwise not be benefitting from having God contending for them
• If someone can be a lawful captive, that means there is a law in place that is governing such things and it is to our advantage to understand the systems of that law so that we can navigate through effectively and victoriously

1 Corinthians 15:56 King James Version (KJV) “56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.”

Key point:  sin gets it’s strength from the good Law of God.  If there were no rules and no consequences in God’s good law, then sin would have no power.    The authority that enforces the Law is God.  Sin and Satan are legally enforcing the consequences spelled out in the Law but can also therefore be legally bound by those with knowlegdge and understanding of the Law.

Proverbs 26:2 King James Version (KJV) “2 As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come.”

Key Point:  No curse can come upon a righteous man.   The story of Job illustrates this powerfully.  This is a snapshot of what it looks like in the court of heaven when Satan is accusing the godly.   But before I go there, I will share a few additional verses about this powerful promise of God, that we can actually live in a place of total protection.    Whenever this comes up, the natural thing is to have a number of people we admire pop to mind who are sick, were sick and have died etc.    I get how hard it is to believe this especially.    Here are several other verses expressing equally amazing things.

Psalm 91 tells us that “no plague will come near the dwelling place” of those who abide in the “secret place, in the shadow of the Most High”.    If you work through this line by line, you will find promises that are beyond our wildest imaginations including that we cannot even trip on a stone if we are dwelling with the Lord in this way.

 

Luke 10:19 King James Version (KJV) “19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”

Exodus 15:26 King James Version (KJV)  “26 And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee.”

Exodus 23:25-27 English Standard Version (ESV) “25 You shall serve the Lord your God, and he[a] will bless your bread and your water, and I will take sickness away from among you. 26 None shall miscarry or be barren in your land; I will fulfill the number of your days. 27 I will send my terror before you and will throw into confusion all the people against whom you shall come, and I will make all your enemies turn their backs to you.”

Job 1 KJV “And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?  ⁹ Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?¹⁰ Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.  ¹¹ But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.  ¹² And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord.”

Key point:   By living in fear of the Lord and obedience to God’s statutes, Job lived as a righteouss man and therefore God maintained an impenetrable hedge around his life, his family and his affairs…  So so so encouraging.  For a season, God gave Satan permission to test Job’s resolve and faith.   Take careful note that God gave specific permissions and prohibitions, but he did not approve Satan’s specific plan to tempt/test Job and that Satan had no option to touch Job beyond the permissions specifically obtained by God.  He had to go back and ask God permission to touch his physical health as this was originally approved.    Note also that at the end of the sifting time, Satan was once again barred from testing Job in this way and Job ended His days doubly blessed.

Ok so I can hear the question.. yes, but that was Old Testament, what has that got to do with today.  The New Testament echoes this reality plainly in these verses.

Luke 22:30-32 King James Version (KJV) “30 That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.  31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:  32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.”

Revelation 12:10 King James Version (KJV)  “10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.”

Strong’s tells us Satan in Hebrew means:

Satan !
Σατανᾶ (Satana)
Noun – Vocative Masculine Singular
Strong’s Greek 4567: An adversary, Satan. Of Chaldee origin corresponding to ma’bad; the accuser, i.e. The devil.

and the Greek

Σατανᾶς Satanâs, sat-an-as’; of Chaldee origin corresponding to H4566 (with the definite affix); the accuser, i.e. the devil:—Satan.

From  http://www.blbclassic.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G4567&t=KJV

So the name Satan = the Accuser/ the Adversary

Mark 3:26-28 “²⁶ And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end.  ²⁷ No man can enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house.  ²⁸ Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme:   ^“

Key Point:  Until we bind Satan (by removing his legal right to the lawful captive by repenting and seeking forgiveness on their behalf, and asking for a legal stay against the further enforcement of their deserved punishment) we are powerless to plunder his goods and set the captive free.   Most of us have said the words “be bound in the name of Jesus”.  Is it possible that binding Satan is actually more about taking the correct legal steps as described above ?   We cannot believe unto salvation for anyone, nor can we stay their judgement forever.    God is slow to anger, giving us time to repent from our sins..   But legally He cannot be a perfectly just judge and remove the curse that is deserved indefinitely or permanently.  God wants them to come into repentance.  He has assigned to us the work of being ministers of reconciliation.  He wants to reveal His goodness to all as His goodness brings men to repentance (see below Romans 2:4).   He wants us to receive the propitiation for our sins now so that we can be spared wrath later. 

2 Peter 3:9 English Standard Version (ESV) “9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you,[a] not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”

Roman 2:3-5 BSB “3So when you, O man, pass judgment on others, yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? 4Or do you disregard the riches of His kindness, tolerance, and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you to repentance? 5But because of your hard and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.”

Thank God we also have a heavenly advocate in Jesus Christ.

1 John 2 King James Version (KJV)  “2 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:  2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.  3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.  4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.”

And we are also blessed to present our situations “cases” before a righteous judge.

Luke 18:1-10 King James Version (KJV)
18 And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;  2 Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:  3 And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.  4 And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;  5 Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.  6 And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.  7 And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?  8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?”

Also from Strongs and blueletterbible the definition of judge.   Actually, there are several words used so you do have to look it up each time you see it in the English as the Greek is far more specific.   For example.  The first is more like the administrative office that we think of when we think of judge.   The second is more defined by judge simply meaning one who judges another but not necessarily as an appointed judge with authority.

Acts 10:42 King James Version (KJV)  “42 And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead. ”

Key point:  Jesus is the only Judge of the quick and the dead.  But it is more complicated than that.  There is the White Throne Judgement but there are also ongoing accusations being levelled at us day and night by the accuser of the brethren and ongoing need for us to seek the righteous Lord with petitions and for forgiveness as we go through our days and our lives.

κριτής kritḗs, kree-tace’; from G2919; a judge (genitive case or specially):—judge.

δικαστής dikastḗs, dik-as-tace’; from a derivative of G1349; a judger:—judge.

Matthew 5:25 KJV “²⁵ Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.”

in the TPT “It is always better to come to terms with the one who wants to sue you before you go to trial, or you may be found guilty by the judge, and he will hand you over to the officers, who will throw you into prison.”

Key Point:  How do we settle the case out of court?  So that we will not go to trial and get thrown into prison..  We plead guilty and pay the penalty.   As redeemed brothers and sisters, we take responsibility by agreeing, repenting (changing out thinking and actions to line up with the Word) and accepting Jesus as our payment in full for all of our sins and pleading His blood (our payment in full) over the case so it is stamped, PAID IN FULL.   REDEEMED.  We see this echoed in 1 Corinthians…

1 Corinthians 11: 25 “²⁵ After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, this cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.  ²⁶ For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.  ²⁷ Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.  ²⁸ But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.  ²⁹ For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.  ³⁰ For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.  ³¹ For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.  ³² But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.  ³³ Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another.”

What does this have to do with praying for other people?   Sometimes when we are praying for others, perhaps even often, they are actually experiencing a lawful sentence/curse on their lives for choices and sin in their lives that are in rebellion against God and His Word.   They are therefore lawful captives and Satan is lawfully enforcing the fruit of their sin.  In such a case, the lawful cause must be removed so that the curse can be lawfully removed or stayed for a season so that they can come into repentance.

Practically Speaking:

1. Take the time to familiarize yourself with the different scriptures that instruct us on how and when and what our lawful position is when we approach the Lord as Judge regarding the case of a potentially lawful captive.
2. Take the time to ask God to examine you and be quick to agree with any accusations that come against you and repent for any known sins, especially bitterness before praying for another.
3.  Get equipped with the Word through regular study so that when you present such a situation you can use the Sword (the short sword of the Word) with surgical precision as Jesus modelled for us in the wilderness) to cut off the Adversary’s case lawfully.
4. Know, I mean really KNOW, your identity in Christ so that if the Accuser turns on you, you are equipped to disarm Him with that same sword, knowing per 2 Corinthians (see below) that you have being called to be an ambassador of reconciliation and are approaching the Lord lawfully to grant forgiveness to the one who has sinned (temporarily as if they sin again, another forgiveness is required, possibly why we are called to bring things to God persistenly day and night, see above the parable of the persistent widow and Revelations 12:10, the Accuser is active day and night)
5. Romans 14:22-23 Amplified Bible (AMP)  “22 The faith which you have [that gives you freedom of choice], have as your own conviction before God [just keep it between yourself and God, seeking His will]. Happy is he who has no reason to condemn himself for what he approves. 23 But he who is uncertain [about eating a particular thing] is condemned if he eats, because he is not acting from faith. Whatever is not from faith is sin [whatever is done with doubt is sin.]
6. John 3:18 King James Version (KJV)  ” 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.nful].”
7. A couple of Word Studies to consider.  Unworthily is only used twice in the whole NT.   Per the blueletterbible.com Strong’s Concordance, it means unworthily / irreverently.   That irreverently is a whole different meaning.   From http://webstersdictionary1828.com/Dictionary/irreverent.
   

   Irreverent

   IRREV’ERENT, adjective

   1. Wanting in reverence and veneration; not entertaining or manifesting due regard to the Supreme Being.

   2. Proceeding from irreverence; expressive of a want of veneration; as an irreverent thought, word or phrase.

   3. Wanting in respect to superiors.

James 5:15 King James Version (KJV)  “15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”

Key Point:  Right here in James, it points to the fact that the prayer of the righteous man avails much.  The confess your sins one to another is directed to those who are ministering…  Over and over again we see the call to live blamelessly, and holy before the Lord and that confessing our shortfalls and sins should a continual and consistent experience for those who walk after the Spirit.  Do consider the lives of those who interceded powerfully for others scripturally and I think you will notice some trends in their lives and level of godliness, transparency and sincerity with God.  Think of Jonah, Moses, Abraham etc.

Matthew 6:13-15 King James Version (KJV)  “13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.  14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:  15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

Key point:  Be especially mindful that holding bitterness against others keeps God from forgiving you of your trespasses, so be especially mindful of purging your life of all bitterness and asking to be forgiven.

Never lose track that we are approaching Our Holy LORD.

Habakkuk 1:13 International Standard Version (ISV) “13 Your eyes are too pure to gaze upon evil;  and you cannot tolerate wickedness.  So why do you tolerate the treacherous?
And why do you stay silent  while the wicked devour those who are more righteous than they are?”

I was deeply convicted when I read the verse below.

1 Corinthians 3:16-17 King James Version (KJV)  “16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?  17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.”

Key Point:  We are now the dwelling place, the home of the Holy Spirit.   We are called to live accordingly.   To knowingly sin is to defile God’s dwelling place.   PAUSE AND CHEW ON THIS.   Honestly, there is nothing to inspire working out your own salvation with fear and trembling then to have this particular truth sink in.      Repentance and asking for forginess for our shortfall is simply us cleaning house and maintaining the habitation, house of God in an appropriate state for His presence.    Remember, Habbakuk says that He is Holy and cannot tolerate that which is wicked and perverse.  We are called to ABIDE in His presence continually..  This requires putting ourselves humbly on the shortest leash humanly possible and running to the Lord quickly every time we knowingly miss the mark to restore and cleanse the temple.

In an earlier post I shared the verse about the need for us to die to ourselves, crucify our flesh and follow Jesus.    I know it is far easier to live in the place of believing that we are powerless to overcome our flesh and sin but scripture tells us that we truly can do all things with Christ,(Matthew 19:26) that He who is in us is greater than He who is in the world  (1 John 4:4) and that we are more than conquerors in Christ(Romans 8:37).   We talked a lot this week about the temptation in the wilderness that Jesus faced for 40 days and how He never sinned and resisted/bound the enemy effectively by using the Word of God with power and precision(Luke 4).  We talked about how we do the things He did and greater things several times now. (see John 14:12).     This means that we have the potential to be tempted as Jesus was and resist as effectively as He did.   We have so much more potential than we have presently tapped into.  In the meantime, we can instantly be washed clean as snow with a simple confession of our shortfall.  Praise God, He is truly Wondrous.

 

2 Corinthians 2:10-12 English Standard Version (ESV)  “10 Anyone whom you forgive, I also forgive. Indeed, what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ, 11 so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs.”

2 Corinthians 5:18 King James Version (KJV) “18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;”

 

 

 

 

 

Hello!  So I mentioned this week that comparison and competition were as the sin of accusation….     I have been rethinking this and realized that it is even broader than this.   Of course all of this must be backed with scripture otherwise it has little or no value to our walk.

Scripture calls us to brotherly love and service to one another:

Romans 12:9-13 King James Version (KJV)
9 Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.  10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;  ¹¹ Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;  ¹² Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;  ¹³ Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.”

John 13 NLT “³⁴“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. ³⁵By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

I Corinthians 13 NLT “⁴ Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud ⁵ or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. ⁶ It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. ⁷ Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

Philippians 2:3-4 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)  “3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others.”

And a strong biblical warning against rivalries and contentions:

Galatians 5:19-23 The Passion Translation (TPT) “19 The cravings of the self-life are obvious: Sexual immorality, lustful thoughts, pornography, 20 chasing after things instead of God,[a] manipulating others,[b] hatred of those who get in your way,  senseless arguments, [ESV = rilvaries] [NIV = selfish ambition] resentment when others are favored, temper tantrums, angry quarrels, only thinking of yourself, being in love with your own opinions, 21 being envious of the blessings of others, murder, uncontrolled addictions,[c] wild parties, and all other similar behavior.  Haven’t I already warned you that those who use their “freedom” for these things[d] will not inherit the kingdom realm of God!”

Competition and comparison are part of the fabric of our culture.  From birth, we are encouraged to compare our children to what is “normal” and to take action if they fall outside of these parameters.  They are supposed to weigh a certain amount by a certain age, make certain sounds etc.   We are systematically trained to compare one another to each other.

God places the highest value on loving one another and Him….  Which in part requires us to obey His Word as obedience is the guaranteed outcome of truly loving God.

John 14:15 CSB “If you love me, you will keep my commands.”

Competition and Comparison put the greatest value on our performance and on where we sit in the pecking order.  They put many snares before our feet.   They encourage us to desire to be above others, instead of agreeing with scripture which tells us to think of others as better than ourselves.   They make it difficult for us to rejoice at the successes of others as now the successes of others carry with them the message to us “you are lesser than that one because his/her performance was better”.  Instead of rejoicing in the fact that we are made to be part of the body and that each part has unique gifts and strengths that are to work together in unity and cooperation.      If we saw the other person as part of our own body, we would rejoice as they rise up and thrive and do well.  Competition and comparison set us up to view our brothers and sisters as rivals.  If you are looking for a shorter answer, this is a great place to stop…  If not read on:)

 

We see this very plainly in the account of Cain and Abel.   Have a read through Genesis 4 to see how it plays out

^“2 And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.  ³ And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord.  ⁴ And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering:  ⁵ But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.  ⁶ And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?  ⁷ If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.  ⁸ And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.  ⁹ And the Lord said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper?   ¹⁰ And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground.  ¹¹ And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand;  ¹² When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.   ¹³ And Cain said unto the Lord, My punishment is greater than I can bear.  ¹⁴ Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me.  ¹⁵ And the Lord said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the Lord set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.  ¹⁶ And Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.”

Each son brought an offering to God and each offering was considered in light of God’s standard not man’s.   Cain had nothing to gain from killing Abel.  Yet this feeling of comparison, rilvary, jealousy tempted him to take Abel out of the picture which of course in no way would impact God’s willingness to accept his biblically unacceptible offering.   Our audience is God alone.   Our goal is live in a way that is pleasing to Him alone which will by definition be the best way for us to live with others as well.     Competition and comparison compete with and very often change our heart motivation to vain-glory, pride of life and performace and self-idolatry which set us up for having a spirit of rilvary, strife, contention, offense, jealousy and satisfaction of feeling better about ourselves at the cost of another.

A personal story that illustrates this well.  We had a cat when we first got married.   He was a lovely cat who had a marvelous personality.    He was my cat first and I had raised him as a kitten.  God taught me this lesson one day as my husband and I were sitting together in a room and our kitty came in and jumped on my lap, not my hubby’s.  Do you know, I felt this little thrill of satisfaction that I was the cat’s favourite.    And God immediately spoke to my heart.

First, the playing field was never fair and I honestly didn’t do anything special to make me his favourite.    The circumstances favoured me greatly.    Comparison and competition  pit 2 or more parties against one another who are by nature unequally gifted and able.   So competition by default is unjust and unfair because by genetics, by culture, by giftings someone is better positioned to come out ahead.  It positions the “winner” to be tempted to get satisfaction, self-worth, pride, the praises of man etc and accredit themselves for this accomplishment  instead of being focussed on using those gifts and talents puretly for the advancement and service God provided them for.    It positions the “losers” to be tempted to feel inadequate, unworthy, to strive for and be conformed to things that they were simply not made to do or be and to dislike and even hate themselves as a result, and actually accuse God that His Creation (us) are not of great worth (we are because God made us that way) and that we are deficient (we are not because we are made in His image).

Competition and comparison often turn into thiefs that steal our time, energy and resources from our God given purpose to pursue empty, vainglorious human goals instead.    They can steal our ability to delight in our different strengths, roles and assignments from God  and rejoice in the part of the body that God made us and others to be.  Comparision sets us up to covet something we were never made to do or be and steals our joy and peace in being obedient to and faithful in our calling(s).

2nd.   Competition and Comparison serve no purpose in God’s Kingdom because God’s supply is limitless and infinite.     In God’s economy, we can all finish the race (the unique race He has set before us individually) and receive the crown.    The course that God has set before us is unique to us and is perfectly fair and just and in accordance with our gifts and talents.   That is true for each and everyone of us and a unique crown awaits at the end for anyone who finishes regardess of how many that do.

We only had one cat… the supply was limited.   If we had 2 cats, one in each lap, then of course there was no competition for the one cat.    In God’s economy, their are infinite cats, infinite rewards and infinite supply so to each one who obeys, the blessings and promised outcomes will be given.   Competition disappears when each one understands that they will be rewarded purely based on their willingness to obey God and fullfill their purpose and callings that He has placed on their lives.    The miracles of the loaves and fish illustrates this beautifully.  Each one could eat their fill according to their appetites and the supply still exceeded their needs.     This course actually requires and positions them to want to help others, serve others and encourage others to succeed in what they are called to do as the body of Christ only thrives as each one takes up their God given role.   This releases us to feel great joy and satisfaction in seeing others succeed and thrive.   So really the spirit of unity, cooperation and helping one another is what we really need.

Matthew 6:33  “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

“Winning” defined scripturally is living a life in submission, obedience and in faithfulness to God’s Word and call on our lives.

“Losing” is to spend “our” lives on worthless and worldly things that have no eternal value or purpose.  Philippians summed it up this way “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves”

1 Corinthians 6:20-23 BSB “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God with your body.”

1 Corinthians 7:22-24 King James Version (KJV)  “22 For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord’s freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ’s servant.  23 Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.  24 Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God.”

 

When the Father’s business and kingdom take their rightful place in our hearts and motivations, than our goal becomes simply to be faithful today in investing our lives, time, resources and energy into the work of the Kingdom, while giving HIM all the glory for the fruit and increase these investments bring.  Just as Jesus did, we can learn to set our hearts on only doing what we see the Father doing (John 5:19).

John 4:35-38 English Standard Version (ESV)
35 Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. 36 Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. 37 For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38 I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.”

1 Corinthians 3:6-7 King James Version (KJV) “6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. 7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.”

1 Corinthians 3:10-15 English Standard Version (ESV) “10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled[a] master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. 11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— 13 each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.”

I would round all of this out with saying that our daily routines and lives certainly can be done in a way that has eternal value and represents/reveals the Kingdom of God to others.   If our heart motive is to advance the Kingdom and obey and glorify the Lord according to His Word in all that we do, we have positioned our lives well to hit the mark and produce eternal fruit.

Colossians 3:23-24 King James Version (KJV)
“23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;  24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.”

1 Corinthians 10:31 King James Version (KJV)
“31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”