(Note date of writing: Saturday, 07 August 2010
In a recent meeting (October 2009) with 99 year old Welch Apostle, Arthur Burt, he kept repeating this new move of God “would not carry the mark, would not carry the mark, would not carry the mark.” As we inquired, “What mark?” He responded saying, “The mark of destruction – this move, unlike all others, would not carry the mark of God’s destruction.” He further explained that we had moved into the third third, the Kingdom of God upon the earth. Many of us who have known Arthur for some time have heard him say, as a young man in his twenties, God promised him enough years to see the emergence of the Kingdom upon the earth. In April of 1988, the Lord spoke to me clearly, “Forgo the world’s system for your reward and gain the Kingdom’s method of receiving.” I have been looking for the Kingdom since that hot spring day.
On June 4th, 2010 I heard the Lord say, “My Rock is falling upon and breaking apart the seed from the husk. I am releasing my seed into the earth, and my wind will take the seed and plant it in the fertile ground of ‘prepared circumstance.’ Allow the rock of separation to break apart the seed from the husk (walls of containment, traditions, preconceived notion, ideology, false witness, religious thinking, associations, geographical limitations, etc.,) that you, my seed, may be free for the planting. My crushing rock is dividing soul from spirit and setting into motion a corporate move of my spirit such as the earth has never seen. Step up and offer yourself now to be ‘crushed’ by my rock (Jesus), which will enable you to be free and available to my Spirit’s direction and flow. Newness of life and new beginnings await those who will offer themselves this day.”
Several days ago (August 2010), the Lord led me to a scripture I somehow had never seen, or if so, I don’t remember. Unless you have been under a rock, you are surely aware that the kingdom’s of men are being ‘crushed’ by a rock not made with human hands; hence, finding this scripture caused me to jump out of my chair.
“In the times of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever. This is the meaning of the vision of the rock cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands – a rock that broke the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold to pieces. The great God has shown the king what will take place in the future. The dream is true and the interpretation is trustworthy” – Daniel 2:44,45.
In interpreting King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream Daniel knew prophetically of a time of God’s Kingdom upon the earth; a time in which God’s Kingdom would replace the devil’s world system. When the stone not made with human hands shatters man’s proud image, then the kingdoms of this world will become the Kingdom of or Lord and of His Christ.
“The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever” – Revelation 11:15.
For years I have anticipated the ‘Kingdom’ upon earth, and always knew that its first evidences would be in the marketplace though I never knew why. I still don’t, but perhaps resources from successful Kingdom marketplace businesses will fuel other arenas of God’s choosing – religion, politics, entertainment, government, the arts, etc., Language controls culture just as testimony (successful action) influences the masses. You can argue a man’s doctrine until you are blue in the face, but you cannot argue his testimony! Testimony shuts the mouth of everything except truth! The World’s System is constantly competing with God’s Kingdom for our daily affections; though now, as the World’s System is in its first real state of decline, the Kingdom (and its sons and daughters) stand at ‘the ready’ to offer strong solutions to today’s problems besieging every aspect of our culture. Now is the time of the Kingdom upon earth! God’s Kingdom is power filled, and fueled with authority. Problems guard power, and as one hears God and obeys, he becomes empowered over the problem he once faced – and greatest of all, he has a testimony – It’s time to walk the talk! The talk is now becoming the walk as those truly marked for ‘forerunner experience’ will impart this overcoming truth from testimony (Revelation 12:11), not theory. Impartation is now taking the earth by storm as testimony is communicative and highly contagious. This highest form of communication in the earth today is spirit to spirit, not intellect to intellect; and the highest form of spiritual communication is testimony from the heart of the overcomer into the heart of the hearer – “Gold and silver have I none but such as I have I give thee; stand up and walk.” Not the first Gloria Copeland teaching tape on healing had this beggar heard. Such will be the same today!
I have recognized being called out of ‘her’ was to be drawn into HIM, and in the process ESTABLISH! The Kingdom of God is being established in the earth TODAY! A key to your future can often be found in your past. For years I have been instrumental in the local market in breaking the mold, establishing change by introducing new ideas and new ways, thereby releasing a new paradigm in our local markets. This preparation and gift, which first started as a natural phenomenon prior to my salvation, has remained; however the ESTABLISHING today is for His glory, not mine! God is establishing a distinct and clear path to His Way, and as with times past, He can be seen and recognized to a greater extent when times of famine and desperation are at hand. As darkness covers the earth, the light of God’s Kingdom will offer bright solutions!
As the Kingdom Age emerges in the marketplace, and certainly it is, there are elements of understanding (characteristics) that must be embraced to fully occupy and possess. First, we must understand we will stand where ‘the giants’ once stood (the promised land). This is applicable to both individuals within the corporate company of forerunners as well as the whole corporate forerunner company (movement) – a wheel within a wheel. As an example, credit, once a strong mechanism of the World’s System, is now practically nonexistent as fear grips the entire credit system (recall the date of this writing). The World Banking System, as a whole, is a product of the world’s system, and stands as one of the most powerful systems man ever created. Credit is a giant ruling (by fear and manipulation) those who serve it; and remember we must pay dearly to serve this giant! The borrower is a servant to the lender. To know that you will no more be a borrower but a lender, the head and not the tail, above and not beneath is to be forearmed ‘to the teeth’ with knowledge of ‘purpose’ in the Kingdom Age. This is but one of many examples of being prepared with Kingdom knowledge (characteristics) so vital to operating the principles of the Kingdom in the marketplace. Let us be found with oil in our lamps. We must adequately prepare for the times at hand, as our wilderness has prepared us for our promise – purpose with power and authority.
Secondly, God is shaping a new wineskin in the marketplace, characterized by the fact that the one-man show is over. The top-down, hierarchical, big me little you structure so prevalent in corporate America, as well as what we call ‘Church’ today, is over. In the new wineskin, core leadership will flow AS ONE (elders at the city gate) within the forerunner companies – those marked for testimony (modeling) the new wineskin.
The single characteristic that distinguishes this model from those of the world, and even those we call Christian businesses today, is the profound unity and spiritual flow in ‘called’ appointed leadership. Hirelings will not exist in leadership roles in these businesses, but rather true called sons and daughters – those led by His Spirit. A single hireling in a single place of core leadership will signal a lack of completeness in the work at hand – a little leaven spoils the whole lump. Many of us have been part of, and hence loathed the organizations of men. This exposure and experience happened for a very defined reason – to contrast darkness from light. The new wineskin will carry the light into the dark world. As stated, the one man, top down, hierarchical corporate structure will not be seen in these business models, but rather a flow of confirming ideas under the leadership of God’s spirit. Each leader will have a specific responsibility in tandem with his gifting, with checks and balances (by spiritual witness) among core leaders. This model is not absent a leader, as leaders have a specific responsibility for all final decisions, but this leader is a servant to those who serve the ‘calling to the marketplace’ as unto the Lord, and not unto the leader himself.
Each member of this core leadership recognizes his assignment as a ‘calling,’ further understanding the vast significance of Acts 17:26. Core leadership never seeks productivity, but rather ‘creativity’ from those associated with the business. Kingdom men will operate in God’s creative power, recognizing that God made us in His image, and He, as the ultimate creator, ultimately made us to create. Core leaders are creative and spontaneously produce ideas that are productive, often defying the realm of possibility, thinking far beyond the arena of logic and reason – having entered the arena of faith. These business models cry for creators, not producers. The connection to, and trust for God allows this core group to continuously walk in the revelation of Romans 8:28. Nothing shakes their faith, even when it looks like sure destruction is at hand. Like David’s mighty men in the cave, these called one’s are settled in their callings and the places this calling takes them – cave or palace, makes no difference; never judging from the outward appearance. The Kingdom of God is forcefully advancing, and violent men take it by force. Defeat and retreat are not in their vocabulary no matter what the world’s conditions may say.
Thirdly, ‘modeled forerunners’ will invite larger numbers to follow into this new place of authority and rule (dominion and power). Kingdom Forerunners are always about testimonial example for the masses. The unions taking place today are examples of radical men and women joining forces, talents, gifting and anointing for His purposes. Nothing can stop the compelling urge to meet and gather IN HIS PRESENCE. The joining of those called will be signaled by a miraculous anointing, which will clearly separate those called from the world’s system into the paradigm of the Kingdom’s Way. The last thing any of us desire is another organization; we abhor the thought, but cannot resist the strong, almost compelling urge to enter the ‘new wineskin;’ the wineskin of the Kingdom – a living organism.
I believe that this new wineskin will be God’s Kingdom instrument to the hurting world and Body of Christ, ministering in great love, compassion, and understanding; and further believe that its strong mission will be the lost world, lost church, and the generations behind us, offering the Kingdom of God in place of the dying world’s system. We are indeed living in Revelation 12 and Isaiah 60 times. What I in the emerging Kingdom is an amazing time of spiritual feeding, coupled with an unparallel opportunity to shape the current generation and the generations following – establishing God’s Kingdom over the deeply rooted world’s system.
Unions are taking place today as radical men and women are joining for His purposes. Nothing can stop the compelling urge to meet and gather IN HIS PRESENCE. The joining of those called will be signaled by a miraculous anointing, which will clearly separate those called from the world’s system to the Kingdom’s Way. Many are convinced that they know what the Kingdom’s Way is, but there is much to be learned as this new model will be constructed specifically by the Holy Spirit for God’s glory. Other characteristics of this company are men who despise not small beginnings, extreme transparency, repentance, praise, worship, prophetic and apostolic leanings, courage, no fear of death, premium time with God, and a strong testimony of overcoming power.
This Age will reveal the miraculous and those called to it as they will live in the world of the supernatural as naturally as a fish swims in the sea. Their testimonies are riddled with occasions of Divine Interference, as the Age will produce another unique characteristic – repeated Divine Interference in the affairs of men. Think it not a strange thing when these things begin to happen, first in God’s forerunners, then to the full remnant, and then with the Body of Christ. God’s time to shine in this dark world is upon us, and He will shine within the skin of men, those obedient unto death, who have exchanged their life for His. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Is God about to offer us heaven’s rule upon earth? I think so.
Clay Sikes
Clay’s Blog