Is God Really in Control of It All?
How can God possibly not be in control? Think about the kings of old. They were in charge of the country, but not in control of every one of their subjects. They had the authority (by rule) and they delegated that authority to officers of the kingdom. Those could be directly under the king (like…
Lies Cause the Strongest False Identities
How many times have you felt like you didn’t know who you were? Did you come up with any answers why you might have felt like that? Of course, we expect adolescents to “find themselves” as they learn who they are and how to respond appropriately. Part of the duties of young people is to…
Did Your Cultural or Religious Upbringing Dictate Your Identity?
Can a relatively neutral source cause a false identity to form? It’s not the source that’s the problem; it all depends on what we do with that influence. We all absorb the culture and traditions of our surroundings, whether we want to or not. The constant exposure to these things make them part of our…
Grief and Anger
Have you ever known someone who, when you try to offer comfort, responds with anger? Maybe you’ve seen this in yourself. I know I have. Why would grief masquerade as anger? There could be several causes. A common one is that feeling grief scares a person. They don’t know how to deal with it; they…
Using Your Authority on Your Own Behalf is Not Selfish
Were you taught as a child to never vote for yourself, to always let others go first, and to not be selfish? Me, too. However, using your God-given authority to help yourself is not only permissible, it’s imperative. And it definitely is not selfish. It’s a powerful, God-given weapon.
Ways to Protect the Innocent by Using Your Authority
In some ways we are just like God. We can’t use our spiritual authority against other people to violate their free will. To try that would be equivalent to witchcraft. It’s flat-out manipulation. So, let’s talk about how we can come against the evil actions of people. Ever wonder why these evil actions seem to…
Don’t Ignore Your Soul Issues – Take Authority Over Them
We often think of authority as applying to outside stuff. But what about on the inside? Do you have a lot of wounded and broken places in your heart and soul? Been there. The good news is this: we have authority to overcome those places. This includes bad habits, attitudes that are less than godly,…
We Inherited Jesus’ Authority. Why Don’t We Use It?
We know Jesus gave us authority. It’s His and He delegates it to us as His joint heirs. It’s our inheritance. So, why don’t we use it? Let’s go further: We don’t know how. So many churches and preachers don’t teach about this. It can be a scary subject, admittedly. But if Christianity is to…
Understanding Authority vs. Power: How Effective Are We?
Being in control vs. being in charge. There’s a big difference. At its essence, God is in charge, we are in control. Of course, we can and do surrender control of some aspects of our lives to either God or the enemy on a regular basis. Even so, it’s our choice and our choice is…
Can We Actually “Lose” Control?
“I just lost it.” “She suddenly went out of control!” “What happened? He just snapped!” These are things you always hear after something tragic happens. I remember the Columbine High School shootings fifteen years ago. Questions flew for days and weeks afterward. Everybody wanted to know how a couple of seemingly normal teenaged boys could…