Discussion Biblically Speaking what authority do we have?

com7fy8

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The authority of obedience. Simply by doing what God has us doing, we are acting in His authority and His almighty power guaranteeing we will succeed.

"'In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.'" (Genesis 22:18)

Note how the result of Abraham's obedience has all-loving benefit - - for "all the nations of the earth". Because he obeyed God who is all-loving. So, our authority of obeying God includes having power to get His all-loving result . . . not merely to get something we wish for our own selves.
 
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Jesus has given us authority over sickness, disease and demons. But He has not given anyone authority over brothers and sisters in Christ. The covering, shepherding doctrine is a heresy and carries no authority from Christ. It is a man-made system of authority that gives rise to spiritual bullying and abuse.

A church pastor once demanded that I come under his authority, and I replied, absolutely no way! And I turned around and walked right out the door, never to attend another service in that church. I think he lasted six months, and the church fell apart, and he ended up out of the ministry.

Good discipleship and mentoring is totally voluntary, and a mentor must earn our respect as a godly mature man or woman who shows that they watch before God for us in prayer that our faith doesn't fail. Anyone who demands authority over you is just a puffed up peacock overtaken by his own arrogance and pride.
 
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Presbyterian Continuist

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Matthew 10:8
I use that authority when I assist someone with a medical condition. I have seen some people healed as a result. I am not a name it and claim it person. I can't heal anyone; only Jesus can do that, but He has given us the use of His name to pray the prayer of faith, ie: "Jesus heals you!" Then, the outcome is in His hands.
 
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Biblically Speaking what authority do we have?
I was having a conversation with the Lord about authority and discussed about a church pastor who tried to tell me to come under his authority, and how I gave the puffed up peacock the bum's rush. A verse of Scripture came to me:
"You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men" (1 Corinthians 7:23)

What this means that we have only one master - Christ. This is not to say that we have mentors who give us sound discipleship and confirm our faith in Christ. But the attitude of these ones is "Be followers of me as I am of Christ" (1 Corinthians 11:1). The good discipler shows an example of following Christ, and instead of forcing his own authority on his disciple, he points to the only Master of believers. Jesus Christ Himself.

The bottom line is this:
"No one can serve two masters: Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other" (Matthew 6:24).
I know that Jesus referred to having money as a master instead of God, but the principle is still the same, we cannot have Christ as our Master, and be under the authority of a man or group of men as masters.

If we put ourselves under the authority of men, we are no longer under the lordship of Christ. He is no longer our Master, the man or group of men are our masters instead. It means that as soon as we place ourselves under man's authority, we are no longer following Christ. We are rejecting Christ in favour of men, putting ourselves in a very serious situation concerning whether we are really committed to Christ or not.

This shows the the corruption of the Shepherding Movement, where "disciplers" and "shepherds" exerted their own authority on believers, causing immeasurable harm.

An example was in a New Zealand small town where there was a Pentecostal church. A group of people wanted to plant their own church, and the leader went, out of respect to the pastor of the existing church to inform him that a new Pentecostal church group was being planted and that they could work together in harmony. The pastor said, "This is my town, and I'm going to make sure that your church never gets off the ground". In six months, that Pentecostal church folded, and the pastor was out of the ministry, while the new church grew and flourished. This is an example where a pastor was setting up his own authority and not following Christ. The consequence was that the Holy Spirit took his ministry away from him and probably got into heaven by the skin of his teeth. The tragedy is that by asserting his own authority, he was deceiving his people and getting in between them and Christ.
 
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Blade

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Hi, authority..this is not that easy because were not talking about power. Authority to cast out demons.. I don't believe demons are all gone lol. Some here have posted the word praise God yet are you seeing that happen in your own life? For me it shows how close we are to Him. Thinking of power.. Satan fell still has all the power God gave him just no authority. The gifts of God are "For God's gifts and his call can never be withdrawn". If we look at that then think about how some will stand before Him saying they did this and that in His name yet He never knew them.

Thats not the authority thats the gift where they went...well rogue. Anyway not what were talking about.We still have authority over the land where we are a animal and creepy things. We don't know any more. This is why demons can hang on to some and go right to Church with them yet Christ didn't have to say a word and they spoke up.. authority. Reminds me of this story where this man said two demons were at his door. One was smaller looked scared the other no fear. They would not listen to him. The man said from behind him he hears this huge rush of wind. He said he felt this hand on this shoulder said "I don't know if it was Jesus or an angel I didn't care" haha. Said this boldness just came over him.

The man said I am going to bed.. there's a couch (something like that). They only left because they knew he knew the authority he had. Wanna see this before your eyes see some one sick or has a demon and say "in JESUS Name" and watch nothing happen. The closer we are to HIM..then watch what happens PRAISE GOD GLORY TO JESUS!

Peter and John at the gate. They didn't have anything you and I don't have. They didn't have to pray ask the Father or Jesus to do anything. The said later its faith in that name. They were close to Him. How many times do we talk think about Him during the day? OT they were told to keep that word/law before there eyes day and night to do all that blah blah blah. I am NO expert here and just sharing what I think other parts what I know.

We have authority in HIS kingdom. Go out side HIs kingdom and we don't unless HE gives it. Christ the best example. IF this was my kingdom my servants would not allow you to take me but would fight. Satan is the god of this world and he has rights and authority here.. not everywhere.. why there is a battle always going on in heaven... 2nd heaven I think.
 
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Bobber

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But He has not given anyone authority over brothers and sisters in Christ. The covering, shepherding doctrine is a heresy and carries no authority from Christ. It is a man-made system of authority that gives rise to spiritual bullying and abuse.

I agree with that. What's surprising to me is how many hold to the you must be under someone's covering and the weak scriptures they use to justify it. It's startling how people can just dream things up thinking all scripture is like this is a type of this or that.

One verse I've seen used is Ps 133 which states,

Behold, how good and pleasant it is
when brothers dwell in unity!
It is like the precious oil on the head,
running down on the beard,
on the beard of Aaron,
running down on the collar of his robes!
Ps 133

Their argument is anointing and authority comes from the top and runs down. My gosh it's merely a Psalm describing how beautiful it is for brethren to dwell in unity and that's all but some look for deep hidden meanings to inject within it.

And I turned around and walked right out the door, never to attend another service in that church. I think he lasted six months, and the church fell apart, and he ended up out of the ministry.

On the other hand we're not to rejoice in that. We might consider the man was sincere when entering the ministry and loved God. Perhaps God wants to restore him and does have ministry for him but maybe needs more seasoned with the wisdom of God. Just saying this for we wouldn't want to write somebody off as worthless for future possibilities. Maybe some need to go at it again but with a different way of thinking. I have read from some where they say I used to think this or I used to think that....but no more. Always we should be open to the possibility of cutting people slack.
 
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jiminpa

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I'm very convinced, and it relates to the intent of the OP, that what claims to be the church is suffering from the same condition as that of Matthew 13:58 and Mark 6:5. The thing that really bothers me about that is that most of the so called church actually likes it that way, and in fact, actively opposes belief in what the bible says.
 
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