Clay Sikes Overcoming Testimony - A Kingdom Evidence

Date: Jun 5, 2014 7:31 PM

From the current Open Heaven Digest... Overcoming Testimony - A Kingdom Evidence! By Clay Sikes Finally, I am seeing it! What is this new spiritual dimension on earth? Many see it, sense it, know it, and now beginning to identify its chief characteristics. Whoa...we're entering something new - it cannot be seen, but can be felt! Is it the Kingdom, Tabernacles, the New Jerusalem coming down? Is this a new spiritual era? Yes, something incredible is happening within; not visible, yet undeniable. Some, mostly of a religious nature, deny this as fact. Similar to those tardy, well-intended Christians who came too late to convince us about tongues, the mass exodus from organized religion, and other spiritual truths, they too are a bit late! Not only is there spiritual change, but also emerging are specific 'characteristics,' when identified and applied, cause massive change in our lives. Anything growing will change, whether a pubescent child, large corporation, or us, individually, as spirit beings. We cannot evolve without 'change,' as it is the ultimate prerequisite for GROWTH. What is offered here may require some adjustment (change) in your internal assessment process (spiritual discernment), as it surely did with me. I focus here on one of the characteristics of this new season, and share it from the depth of my heart, evidenced by testimony. As with any spiritual word, test it! If it opens something in you, use it. If not, trash it! For me, visiting an old principle required change within, now spawning incredible growth and glorifying, overcoming, testimony. It is being offered at the risk of considerable criticism from many within my own spiritual community. I will be accused of promoting old Word of Faith doctrine, and to some extent that is true. This is my testimony, not my doctrine. The facts surrounding the testimony will follow in subsequent writings, as I will focus here on the WORDS OF DELIVERANCE that spawned the testimony. During 31 years of Spiritual life, my understanding of the word has changed, grown, evolved, and produced multiple testimonies, of which, today's is greatest of all. I have been stripped, broken, rebuilt, broken again, stripped again - in, out, upside down, inside out, over, and under. I have journeyed to a few mountain tops and visited a number of valleys along the way. For me at least, Ishmael seems always to precede Isaac, but when Isaac comes Ishmael must leave the house - first man, then God and man, then God. In a new awareness, I am seeing the word rightly divide my understanding of redemption, revealing that standing against what I have been redeemed of is to 'share in His sufferings.' The magnification of the Word's Power to bring redemption to any situation seems to revisit 'Word of Faith' teachings, but this is different. Similar principles, but different heart as I am not 'using the word to get what I want,' but rather allowing the word to GLORIFY GOD in every situation I face. Admittedly, some of these 'situations' are daunting, yet producing overcoming testimony. "In the world you will have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration...But be of good cheer - take courage, be confident, certain, undaunted - For I have overcome the world - I have deprived it of power to harm, have conquered it for you" (John 16:33). "Giving thanks to the Father, who has (QUALIFIED) you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the Kingdom of light. For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the Kingdom of the Son He loves, IN WHOM WE HAVE REDEMPTION, the forgiveness of sins" (Colossians 1:12,13). Even though your feet are planted firmly upon the earth, as a born again child of God you are already a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven, and that citizenship gives you certain rights - including the right to experience victory over the evils of this world. The victory is attained through the Word - both the knowledge of it and acting on it. "I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of this world, even as I am not of it.Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth" (John 17:14-17). The key to being  spared the tribulation, trials, and distress, and frustration living in this world brings, as described in John 16:33, is found in John 17 - "My prayer is not that you take them out of the world, but that you protect them from the evil one. Sanctify them by the truth; your word IS TRUTH." In other words, the truth of the word is what separates us from the beggarly elements of the world. It was Jesus prayer that we be spared the evil this world brings. It is our job to walk in the light of the word in order to be spared. As John 17 shows us, though we live in the world, Jesus never intended for us to be part of the world's sins, sickness, lack, and perversions - we've been translated into the Kingdom of light. There are two Kingdoms in operation in the earth - darkness and light. As children of God, we are citizens of the Kingdom of light, even though we are surrounded by darkness. The light that we walk in is the word. The WORD separates us from the world's woes. Circumstances often tell us God's Word is not going to work - we are pressured into thinking the problem is impossible. Faith demands that that you TRUST GOD no matter the circumstances. Complete and utter dependence upon God is a Kingdom characteristic. We must reach into the depths of our heart and speak with our mouth, "I CHOOSE TO BELIEVE THE WORD..." Many have not experienced Jesus' words when He said He had "deprived those things of the power to harm them" - see Luke 10:19. You, as a believer, must live in the world, but Jesus never intended that we live as though we belonged to the world. He didn't intend us to share in the world's sins, sickness, poverty, perversions or lack. He gave us promises; His Word to stand on - And the Word separates and sanctifies and gives us an intended inheritance. It is the Word and His Word alone that launches His dream in us. If we will receive it, believe it, speak it, and act on it that word will set us apart from those around us. It take us from trouble to triumph again and again. Another way of saying John 5 is "This is the victory that overcomes the world, even our believing God's Word. Word of Faith says, "Name it and claim it." The new Kingdom Word is "Hear and obey." Faith is believing God's word under any circumstances (and usually in spite of circumstances). It is believing God at all cost. Until you make the word total authority OF your situation, it is not going to be total authority  IN your situation. I believed this many years ago, but tossed it as its motive stemmed around 'getting my stuff from God.' I hated the wrong motive then, just as I do now. Arthur Burt teaches, "It is never about what you do, but rather 'why' you do it!" And if the 'why' cannot be traced back to God said, the motive is wrong. "The Kingdom of God is forcefully advancing and the violent 'take it' by force"  (Matthew 11:12). We have a choice in every situation we face - to become spiritually violent or spiritually passive. To 'take it' indicates a forceful action on our part, usually something radical. Something like 'standing in your pain (suffering), binding yourself to the altar of God's Word no matter what you face circumstantially.' Will everyone choose to do this? No, many live by the traditions of this world and will remain captive to their carnal mind. They will never fully enjoy their citizenship IN THE KINGDOM ON EARTH. "Take it by force" means violently snatching your mind out of the gutter of your old thinking, and with deliberate force pressing into 'GOD'S WORD/WILL.' You must be willing to do battle, breaking out of old concepts - willing to fight the resistance you feel from the devil and your old insufficient mentality. We have to fight to achieve a new level of understanding, realizing that every attack is an opportunity to prove God's Word. When we stand on the WORD against what we have been redeemed of, we will endure some pain and discomfort, requiring courage and endurance: but if we boldly proclaim the Word in the face of circumstances "Joy will come in the morning," as we overcome the death of the circumstance. This is the entrance to the Kingdom - no self-preservation, loving not our own lives unto death (Revelation 12:11). The word made flesh is testimony; OVERCOMING TESTIMONY. Whom the Son sets free is free indeed. His ways are not our ways. As we 'break' our human resistance, through the Kingdom of light, our breakthrough produces a testimony, a witness that Jesus returns for. Our trials are designed to 'make us,' not 'break us,' but we must see what is being revealed and accomplished in us. When we do, deliverance is not far behind. We are weak but He is strong. Being established in weakness is brutal, but is where He takes us to ESTABLISH utter dependency and ultimate deliverance from ALL THAT CAME FROM THE FALL. It is critical as to who you listen to and who is around you when you are in a battle. The last thing we need is well-meaning, but un-renewed carnal minds speaking flesh ruled judgments and opinions into our lives. Never speak of what is happening - speak FAITH or nothing. Our words carry life and death...SPEAK LIFE! Only one voice matters when walking through a trial - The voice of Jesus sitting at the right hand of the Father. He is always right with us. Our responsibility is to become more sensitive to Him than anything else that is screaming for our attention. There are reasons why we go through these attacks - it is where we find God, His Christ, and our Dominion in earth as in heaven. Finding Jesus in the midst of our painful circumstances, not letting the pressure have its way, is to deny Satan and enter into dominion with Christ. As we pass through the veil of our flesh, we will not be moved by the pain of circumstance - painful yes; victorious no! Victory is ours! The Spirit that raised Jesus from death dwells in us to quicken our mortal bodies, anoint us for victory, and accomplish what we cannot as mere humans. The power of His resurrection is the real way through the valley of the shadow of death. The Sons are rising now, and Jesus is their All in All...Spirit, Soul, and Body. We are growing up under great pressure, sweating blood in the garden. The Sons of God are manifesting in victory and overcoming power, being revealed to the groaning creation. This Day We Fight! Clay Sikes www.lighthouse.org