Through this message board we have looked at dominion and it's necessity if we are to reign and rule with Christ. Where does culture come into dominion?

The truth is you cannot dominate or have dominion in ANYTHING that you do not know. When the apostles went into a region, they were familiar with the culture. They did not go in blindly or believing that God will take care of that which they did not know. It took time and effort on the apostles' part to understand where it was that the Holy Ghost was sending them. Yes, they were going to have favor in those areas that they were sent to but it was up to them to study, research, and learn the culture that they would be entering into. Culture is the interaction of the spiritual realm on man. The apostles were going into territories that were ruled and greatly influenced by demonic spirits. Without understanding the culture and why the people believe what they believe, speak the way they speak, and live the way they live, the apostles would not have been as effective as they were.

Jesus said in Luke 16:10, "He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much." It's important to be consistent with small matters before you can think about having dominion over cities. Without consistency in the small things, how can anyone expect to be given greater responsibility? Taking dominion is aggressive. I believe it is impossible for anyone who is lazy and won't work to ever be in a place of dominion.

Since the beginning, God wants man to be in a place of elevation, possession, and dominion. There are things that set man back from getting to this place. One obvious matter would be the issue of sin in which man needs forgiveness. And thanks be to God, Who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:57).

Another would be the place of the wilderness. The wilderness is the inability to see. There's no vision in the wilderness. There is movement but there is no advancement. So how does one get out? It's by hearing and obeying the Word of the Lord.

As the Lord speaks, we hear Him. Our minds are renewed as we embrace what He is saying and we act accordingly. It's not enough just to HEAR and SEE but there must be ACTION. God always requires a response: a change in the way we think, the way we speak, and in our actions. If this isn't being done, then the wilderness experience either prolongs or it remains (and ultimately the promise is never obtained).

Glory to God! That's the wonderful thing about when God speaks. Whatever God says to do comes with the empowerment to get it done!

When you hear the word 'dominion' you think of not just having authority but exercising it. It involves both exousia (authority) and dunamis (power) of God.

The Lord commanded Adam in Genesis 1:28 to have dominion. He placed Adam in the Garden of Eden and told him to have dominion over "the fish of the sea, and the fowl of the air, and every living thing that moves on the earth." Adam was POSITIONED in a region (or domain) and was told to guard and keep that which was in it. A king rules over land but there must be people in it!

God will never given an assignment without the authority and the power to accomplish! He is gracious and empowers us to do what He says.

To add on to what Danny and Beau said in regards to people allowing God to take care of our situations instead of us taking initiative in being active, we discussed Exodus 14:14 - The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.

This verse does not imply that you should run from your battles or throw your hands in the air to give up or surrender, but that you need to hold your ground in the midst of all that is happening while the Lord fights for you.

When we say "Let the Lord deal with it" we lose:
1.) the opportunity to learn problem solving from a kingdom advantage
2.) the opportunity to see His power manifest as we trust His guidance
3.) the opportunity to learn dominion over situations

I like how Daniel brought up the importance of action. It is very common (where we are) to hear someone say, "Oh, you should pray about that" or "I'm going to leave it to God to handle." This is the absolute wrong approach.

There are some things that are quite obvious require YOUR action, not God's. It is a good thing to get understanding and the Bible says so in Proverbs 4:7. But some things you just need to MOVE on. If you take the initiative and go in the direction you know you need to, then you can ask the Lord to help. God gave us a brain to think, feet to walk, hands to reach, etc. There is no where in the Scriptures where the Lord says He will take dominion and just give it to you. There's something that must be done on our part to go out and take hold of it!

In everything we do, there must be a level of understanding. Throughout our entire lives we are learning (or should be).

For example, we communicate with one another through language / speech. How does that begin? Babes are around adults that speak to them. They take notice of the communication by hearing the voice and seeing the lips move. Then, they begin to emulate what they see and hear. It usually starts off as mimicking and then later begins to take the form of communication. This comes by experience as well as being taught.

If we are going to have dominion in the earth, we have to be willing to learn and understand. It is impossible to master a craft without taking the time to understand as well as experience.

Whenever a person comes to you with a problem, you are being introduced to their darkness. Darkness is a domain, a kingdom. It is a government with rank and order. It has citizens (humans that are bound). Whenever we hear the words "I can't..." it is a sure sign of bondage. That person is prevented from being free.

In learning this, I have become more aware of the words people use and have noticed my compassion for them has increased. It is so important that we understand: 1.) the volume of what we carry, 2.) what will and won't work and 3.) the resources that are available if we are going to be a people that bring God's light into the lives of those that are lost.

How arrogant we can be when it comes to prayer and 'knowing what to do' outside of the Holy Spirit!

As Brother Edwin said, a soldier does not engage the enemy without an order or command from an officer, nor does he shoot randomly. He has a specific target and he must aim to hit it. The same goes for us when it comes to spiritual warfare. When engaging the enemy, we have to ask the Holy Spirit for understanding and direction as to how to deal with the spirit.

The seven sons of Sceva relied on what they had seen believers do to cast out devils (using the name of Jesus). They assumed that using the Name was all that was necessary (Acts 19). They did not have complete understanding as to why devils would come out in the Name of Jesus, and they paid for it (v.16). This is just one example which shows us WHY we need to UNDERSTAND who our God is, who we are in in Him, and what is available to us. It is impossible to take dominion without these.