Word Containers

So in the last blog we began with Genesis and laid down the foundation that we (humankind) were created in the likeness of God, and that we were to have dominion or authority over the earth. I would now like to define the word dominion.

1.the power or right of governing and controlling; sovereign authority.
2.rule; control; domination.
3.a territory, usually of considerable size, in which a single rulership holds sway.
4.lands or domains subject to sovereignty or control

God made the earth and everything in the earth for us to have rule, control, dominate, be subject over, and have complete authority over. Did God say He would have control of these things for you? No, He said that we are to have dominion over them.

So then, the next question should be, "How? How are we to do this?" Now the best place to find the answer would be the Bible. Since we are created in the image of God, it would make perfect sense to see how God rules and reigns. Let's go to the beginning.

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. 3 Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. 4 And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day. Gen 1:1-5 (NKJV)

God was looking at the earth. He saw that it looked like a big mess. Light was mixed with darkness, good was mixed with bad. There was confusion. I'm sure we have all had a situation like this before. But, what did God do? He spoke. He spoke to the earth. He spoke to the darkness. And He told the earth how it should be. He said, "Light be." and Light was. God used His words to change what was. The way that God created everything we see is with His words. And we are created in His image. To have authority over our lives and this world.

1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 2 For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. 3 By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. Heb 11:1-3 (NKJV)

There is a supernatural creative force that God used to create everything that we now see. This supernatural force is the Word of God. His words are the most powerful force in the seen and unseen realm. And this power that is in His Word is called faith.

If you are having trouble understanding what I mean picture this. God is out in the heavens somewhere, and He decides to speak. As the words leave His mouth, somehow they can be seen. But, instead of words we are seeing containers. And as the word reach where they were sent the container breaks open to reveal the thing spoken. Now when the words are in the container form they are filled with Gods power. They are filled with His faith. This is the supernatural faith of God. This is how God creates and this is how we are to take dominion over our circumstances. We are to speak God's Word over our lives. We send out the containers (His Word) filled to the full with faith in His Word. They go where we have sent them. They break open and then we see the manifestation of the things that we spoke to.Let's take a look at how Jesus did this.

19 And as He saw one single leafy fig tree above the roadside, He went to it but He found nothing but leaves on it [ seeing that in the fig tree the fruit appears at the same time as the leaves]. And He said to it, Never again shall fruit grow on you! And the fig tree withered up at once. 20 When the disciples saw it, they marveled greatly and asked, How is it that the fig tree has withered away all at once? Matt 21:19-20 (AMP)

Did you catch that? Jesus is speaking to the fig tree. He is talking to a thing. When a fig tree has leaves it is supposed to have figs too, so the tree was lying to Him when it didn't have fruit. So Jesus spoke to it, and cursed it, and His words were containers filled with faith, and the fig tree died. That is dominion. And we know that Jesus was operating as a man, He had to in order to have dominion on this earth. So what was Jesus' response to the disciples?

21 And Jesus answered them, Truly I say to you, if you have faith (a firm relying trust) and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, Be taken up and cast into the sea, it will be done. 22 And whatever you ask for in prayer, having faith and [really] believing, you will receive. Matt 21:21-22 (AMP)

I encourage you to do a study on the way God says we should speak, and study the way Jesus spoke. We are created in His image, to speak like Him. To fill our containers (our words) up with faith so that when we speak our situations change. But, before you can speak you must be filled yourself. You must study, and be filled with, and firmly standing on the truths of God's word. It is a process, but one with great rewards. You will become closer than ever before to God and understand Him better then ever before.

What is Our Place?

I have been working on a new topic. It is the importance of using the authority that God has given us. Let's start by looking in Genesis.

26 Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth." Gen 1:26-28 (NKJV)

The book of Genesis is so vitally important to study because it sets the stage of how God created everything and our position in that creation. Here in verses 26 through 28 we can see that mankind was created in the image of God. And in that image we are to have dominion over all the earth. Yes, God created everything but then gave Adam authority over His creation. And once God had done that, once He decided to give mankind authority or dominion over the earth to mankind, we were free to do what we pleased with it. Let's take another look at scripture.

16 The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord's; But the earth He has given to the children of men. Psalms 115:16 (NKJV)

And we all know what Adam did with his authority. God had given Adam the keys to the planet earth. And Adam handed the keys over to satan. "When did he do that?", one might ask. Adam gave his authority over this earth to satan when he listened and obeyed satan's words about the tree of knowledge, instead of listening to God's words. By heeding satan's lies, Adam forfeited his dominion. God says that He will never break His word. So once He gave man dominion, man was free to do whatever he pleased with it. God doesn't rule directly over the earth. That is why in order to take back the authority that man gave to satan, God became a man. As God, He didn't have the authority to change the earth, but as a man, satan was in big trouble. So let's take a look at what Jesus accomplished.

18 And the Ever-living One [I am living in the eternity of the eternities]. I died, but see, I am alive forevermore; and I possess the keys of death and Hades (the realm of the dead).

Rev 1:18 (AMP)

Praise God! Jesus was fully man, just as He was fully God, and therefore able to take back the keys that Adam had surrendered. Yet, He only operated here on this earth as a man. He operated as a sinless man, who walked in the gifts of the spirit. And now He has given us, His children the keys back. He has delivered us from living a life under the authority of satan, and if we will take the keys He died to give us, we will have victory in this life. However, it is still a choice.

I can see Jesus with His arm outstretched, the keys of authority, dominion, victory, peace, freedom, and eternal life in His hands. Yes, He has gone to battle for you. He has won the victory for you. This is what it means to be more than a conqueror. Let's take those keys that Jesus won for us, and walk in the abundant life that He wants us to have. In the next few entries I will be taking those keys and unlocking some of the wonderful treasures in God's word, so we can walk in the dominion that He wants us to have.