Dominion opinion

riverpastor · #1 1st September 2004, 09:20 PM

We have discussed some about the authority of the believer, but I have a question concerning dominion.

As I see it, dominion is exercise of authority within a prescribed domain.

Do most of you see dominion as something that we possess and exercise in the spiritual realm and manifested into the earthly realm? Should the focus of "taking dominion" be in the spiritual realm, the earthly realm, or both?

I'm not sure I really know how to phrase the question...

It seems as though when we major on the spiritual realm in this area, that we shouldn't necessarily have to worry about the natural realm.

Maybe it's because for years in my life, I attempted to have dominion from the natural into the supernatuiral instead of FROM the spiritual realm INTO the natural realm.

Or just give me your opinion on dominion...

jesusisthekeytomyheart · #2 1st September 2004, 09:39 PM

Okay, I will attempt to give my answer.(though , I'm not sure if this is what you're asking about) Take dominion in the spiritual realm over a situation by praying in the spirit.(your spirit knows how to pray over it than your mind) In the physical, by proclaiming God's Word over the situation. (when you know who you are in Christ and you know that the can't defeat you because of Jesus, then you can be confident in any situation) Does any of this sound like what you're asking?

soldout · #3 2nd September 2004, 04:51 AM

It's no secret where I stand on this Riverpastor. IMO before we were Christians everything was according to the natural man, but afterwards everything according to the spiritual man.

There is an OT story (I can't remember where) of a guy who is freaking out because there is an army bigger than his about to really mop the floor with him, and a prophet tells him not to worry. He then opens the guy's eyes to see a huge spiritual army arrayed and ready to fight for him.

So now we seek first the Kingdom of God. I don't think we want to leave it at just seeking the spiritual, because there is wickedness in spiritual places too. That's not to say get all freaked out and worried, but just to say that when we are walking in the spirit we still should be discerning and trusting God.

Andry · #4 2nd September 2004, 05:40 AM

Originally Posted by riverpastor

Do most of you see dominion as something that we possess and exercise in the spiritual realm and manifested into the earthly realm? Should the focus of "taking dominion" be in the spiritual realm, the earthly realm, or both?

I'm not sure I really know how to phrase the question...
...

That's because you've seperated the spiritual from the natural. When God never did that at all. We've bought into secularism - that's a Greek-idea, not a God-idea. So people talk about secular music as though they’re being spiritual and have had a revelation from God. The whole concept of secular comes from Greek mythology.

If you look at the teaching of the Bible there was no division between your natural life and your spiritual life, it was all just life. So whether we were in recreation, whether we were in work, or whether we were in service for God, it was all just life, it was all governed by the same principles, it was all open to the same blessings, because you see if that was not true, God would say, ‘I would bless you in the meeting, and I would bless you in the giving to the poor, and I would bless you in teaching the children in the Word of God.’ But it doesn’t say that. It says, ‘I will bless you in your basket, I’ll bless you in the storehouse, I’ll bless you when you come in, and when you go out. I’ll bless you in the field, and I’ll bless you in the house. I’ll bless you in the country, and I’ll bless you in the city. I’ll bless you wherever you go.’

The blessing of God comes on us, in Deuteronomy 28 you will find that the blessings of God touched every area of our lives because God makes no distinction between natural and spiritual. It’s all spiritual, and it’s all natural.

And we’ve got to get this rubbish out of our heads about our secular life and our spiritual life. You do not have two lives, you have one life to live. From singing songs in the house of God to intimacy with your wife, it’s all spiritual. Are all full of God, are all moments where the Kingdom of God can be manifested in you.

Matthew 6:33 “Seek you first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.”

Now you can search the whole of the Bible from cover to cover, and you will never find, and seek ye second, and seek ye third…. Cause there is no second, third, or fourth, because what we need to understand is everything in my life, is the Kingdom of God. Everything. In the bedroom, to the bathroom, to the boardroom, to the church room, everything is the Kingdom of God. Cause there is not a seek second or seek third. Seek first, the Kingdom of God. And that can be anything that we do, seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.

What are all these things? All the things that are necessary to provide you with all that you need, to do all that it is that you need to do. Well what does that include?

Luke 9:1-2 "Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick."(My emphasis)

To me, 'power and authority over all devils' mean complete dominion in the spiritual dimension. So when we're seeking the Kingdom, all of the things that we need to complete everything that we need to complete - including to have complete dominion in the spirit realm - will be added to us.

riverpastor · #5 2nd September 2004, 07:49 AM

...one life to live...
and it is a soap opera sometimes, andry...

I'm not necessarily trying to separate the two: natural vs. supernatural.
Seeing how we exist in both realms.

My question is about the focus of our dominion.

The supernatural manifests into the natural. I think my question may be at which target do we exercise our authority: manifested or pre-manifested?

soldout · #6 2nd September 2004, 02:50 PM

Originally Posted by riverpastor

...one life to live...
and it is a soap opera sometimes, andry...

I'm not necessarily trying to separate the two: natural vs. supernatural.
Seeing how we exist in both realms.

My question is about the focus of our dominion.

The supernatural manifests into the natural. I think my question may be at which target do we exercise our authority: manifested or pre-manifested?

Well I guess every soap opera needs a villian, so let me offer up this.

When you speak of the natural as here, and the spiritual as there, while that may be true, the spiritual is also here as we learn to walk in the spirit and not the flesh. Therefore; everything we do is first spiritual. If there are Christians who actually think like andry proposes, while they may think they are living in the secular only during the week, everything they do is effectual in the spirit first.

You're a pastor. People don't actually see Christianity as a Sunday thing do they?

riverpastor · #7 2nd September 2004, 04:22 PM

No. Nor do I propose that we do. On the contrary, I preach and teach from the whole standpoint that "the Kingdom is within you."

Secular has nothing to do with the question at all. I wasn't asking about operating our dominion in the secular vs. the spiritual.

I must've hijacked my own thread and wasn't paying attention to it when I did.

I teach others how to enter into the realm of the Spirit by turning inwardly. Far be it from me to declare that the Realm of the Spirit is "out there" somewhere and one day we'll enter into its fullness.

If anyone here has read any of my posts, I believe you'd understand that this isn't where I am coming from.

My question simply has to do with the focus of our inward man and the authority and dominion that we have in Christ. Is that focus more towards what we behold in the natural or the Realm of the Spirit?

Let me redirect the question if I may...

How have you demonstrated or exercised Kingdom Dominion in your life???

soldout · #8 2nd September 2004, 05:37 PM

Originally Posted by riverpastor

No. Nor do I propose that we do. On the contrary, I preach and teach from the whole standpoint that "the Kingdom is within you."

Secular has nothing to do with the question at all. I wasn't asking about operating our dominion in the secular vs. the spiritual.

I must've hijacked my own thread and wasn't paying attention to it when I did.

I teach others how to enter into the realm of the Spirit by turning inwardly. Far be it from me to declare that the Realm of the Spirit is "out there" somewhere and one day we'll enter into its fullness.

If anyone here has read any of my posts, I believe you'd understand that this isn't where I am coming from.

My question simply has to do with the focus of our inward man and the authority and dominion that we have in Christ. Is that focus more towards what we behold in the natural or the Realm of the Spirit?

Let me redirect the question if I may...

How have you demonstrated or exercised Kingdom Dominion in your life???

That's really where I thought you were coming from RP, but I wasn't sure after I read Andry's post. I thought maybe I was missing something that was obvious to everyone else.

I had to think long and hard about this because it is something I practice moment by moment, but I do have a new twist in my walk that I can offer. I travel a lot for work so traffic is a big part of my life and for a while there it seemed like God had taken all the idiot drivers in the world and placed them stratigically in points along my direction just to see how quick I would get in the flesh. It got to the point that I wouldn't get a half a block away from my apartment complex and it would start and I would get in the flesh.
So one day I'm beginning to head down a pretty steep and winding grade adn I see somebody is behind me. I'm one of those guys who practices doing the speed limit, because hey, it's the law. So I'm thinking to myself Oh man, God why did you let some ricky racer get behind me when You know I'm not going to LeMans this course. Well clear as a bell the thought comes to my mind that what if God put me right there to slow this person down so they didn't wreck? Now, whenever I get behind somebody that's not going as fast as I would like, I just figure God has a divine appointment for me that He is setting up the timeing for. And I no longer get in the flesh, I just enjoy His ride.

riverpastor · #9 3rd September 2004, 03:14 AM

Ahhh, I get this.

But, I think what I am facing at times is a lack of confidence in exercising authority. Sometimes, because I'm not sure whether I am acting in the proper jurisdiction.

I tend to believe that we exercise authority in the Realm of the Spirit then give room for the demonstration of that dominion in the earthly, time-temporal realm.

But, I used to actively try to "work up" authority by attempting in my own strength (yes, I know this is sin) to handle dominion from a natural mind standpoint rather than a spiritual mind standpoint. In other words, I was trying to live my authority FROM the natural INTO the Realm of the Spirit instead of taking dominion FROM the Realm of the Spirit INTO th natural, time-temporal realm.

soldout · #10 3rd September 2004, 06:11 AM

Yeah. We read the bible, and because we have to use corrupted language to write the words and communicate the principles, it looks like the disciples are going around like Charleton Heston being these great men of God. When in reality all they are doing is living in agreement with God in His Kingdom. The excersizing of the authority is also passive. Otherwise it too would be a work of the flesh. So we walk in the Spirit and do those things we see our Father doing.