Clay Sikes
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Joined: 02/05/2011
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 120
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Posted: 10/17/2016 at 4:36pm
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Babylon Revealed
("Come Out of her…" Revelation 18:4)
Clay Sikes
God is equipping His remnant people with an understanding of the
times. It is not His desire that His very elect be deceived, thus He is
raising voices in the wilderness to proclaim prophetic truth for this hour
in which we live. This teaching is heavily influenced a number of
prophetic voices, including Joseph Herrin and Arthur Burt, who believe
the mandate in Ezekiel 33:6, "But if the watchman sees the sword
coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the
sword comes and takes the life of one of them, that man will be taken
away because of his sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for
his blood."
This word is a shot across the bow of our proverbial boats to warn us,
to encourage us, but most of all, to awaken us. Let us awaken from the
slumber of self-will, presumption, and apathy that we may follow the
steps that have been ordered for us since the beginning of time. Let us
be willing to share this word with others and not shrink back when
opportunity knocks.
Joseph Herrin wrote, "Babylon is a land of works where man must
accomplish every task and fulfill every mandate. Babylon knows
nothing of rest and faith. Oh yes, Babylon speaks very much about
faith, but it is a faith that is rooted in man's ability. Babylon's faith is
founded upon man's ability to envision some end and to see it through.
Babylon is built with blueprints, planning sessions, organization, fund
drives, pep rallies, and the sweat of untold men and women. Then
when it is all said and done and some project has come to completion,
the people of Babylon feel justified to stand and proclaim: "Is this not
Babylon the great, which I myself have built…by the might of my
power…?" (Daniel 4:30).
"Zion, however, is not seeking to build anything of her own will and
initiative. Zion is a people of faith. Zion knows that salvation is of the
Lord, as is sanctification, and as is glorification. Zion does not labor to
build a city, for she seeks a city not built with hands whose builder and
maker is not man, but God. Zion does not seek to work for the approval
of Yahweh, she works because she is approved by Yahweh…Zion is a
city of rest. This does not mean that those who are of Zion are doing
nothing, it means that they are doing nothing of their own initiative.
They are doing those works that God prepared beforehand for them.
They are not dreaming up their own works, nor are they stretching out
their hands to labor in fields to which they have not been sent."
In April of 1988 God began dealing with me about this very time in
which we now live, and about understanding the difference between the
World's System and the Kingdom of God. He spoke a powerful
prophetic word that has not only sent me on a quest to understand, but
also produced life-changing events as I am learning to walk in the
Kingdom. It is my destiny to continue this search for truth, and share it
whenever possible. A true watchman can not only see through
darkness, but also articulate what is being shown. I pray the voice of
the Lord is heard in this word (John 10:2-4).
It began on an afternoon jog with God speaking clearly, "Forego the
world's system for your reward and gain the Kingdom's method of
receiving. If you engage the world's system you will be dependent upon
it for your reward." Without realizing it at the time, God was speaking
Revelation 18:4 to me, "Come out of her, my people, so that you will not
share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues." I
knew I was being called 'out,' and 'to' something much better than
anything I had experienced, but wasn't sure of what. I also knew I was
being called into something, but wasn't sure of that either. Was it my
business, my church, the town I live in, my group of friends, or simply
my method of doing things? I didn't have a clue. During much of the last
22 years, God has revealed the dichotomous nature of these two
systems, especially in the realm of personal experience. When I
touched one system it produced life, while touching the other produced
death. Experientially, I began to see a pattern.
I have touched the World's System with severe consequences, while
touching the Kingdom with equally drastic results on the opposite end
of the spectrum.
Some are aware of my testimony. You can argue my doctrine, but you
cannot argue my testimony. As stated, one produces death, while the
other produces life and it more abundantly. One is based upon my
goodness, good ideas, good intentions, creative ideas, and motivations,
while the other is based purely upon entering His rest, ceasing from my
own works and being obedient to do what the Father has said.
These two systems are constantly competing for our alliance and
affections. Most of our training, indoctrination, and natural inclinations
are aligned with one, while the spiritual force of God, the peace within
is aligned with the other. One is natural, the other Spiritual. One
requires that we think, analyze, toil and strain to succeed (Genesis
3:17); the other requires prayer, hearing God, and obeying (Genesis
2:15). One requires me to work for things; the other allows things to
work for me. One is based on works, the other based on obedience.
The amount of lordship that we maintain over our lives relegates which
of these two systems we are most tied to. Again, self-will, coupled with
intellectual logic and reason epitomize the World's System, while faith,
trust, hearing, and obeying God are aligned with the Kingdom. In the
World little is accomplished without toil. Toil is work that is
accomplished only with great and painful effort. We labor in the
Kingdom of God, but the Lord's yoke is easy and His burden light. In
His Kingdom, far more is accomplished with less effort. All toil brings
weariness, but the labor in Christ, regardless of whether it is secular or
a Spiritual endeavor will bring rest and refreshment. "Take my yoke
upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and
you shall find rest in your souls" (Matthew 11:29).
The World's System (Babylon) in human form IS ME DOING MY OWN
THING! Babylon is all about me; my ideas, my great works, my
goodness, the righteousness I have attained for myself through my
works. Much of what we see in the Institutional Church today is man
doing man's thing. Much of what we see with most Christians, IS US
DOING MY OWN THING! The system that I engage the most is the
system to which I belong. Does the Spirit lead me, or am I led by my
own ambitions, good ideas, intentions, and conveniences? Make no
mistake about it; at the risk of redundancy, Babylon screams that
righteousness can only come through works. God's word says
something different.
"So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer
live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened
in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of
the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts"
(Ephesians 4:17,18). "Do not deceive yourselves. If any one of you
thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a
"fool" so that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is
foolishness in God's sight. As it is written: "He catches the wise in their
craftiness" and again, "The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise
are futile." So then, no more boasting about men!" (I Corinthians 3:18-
21)
Most are caught short in understanding the Holy Spirit's desire to guide
and lead with specific instruction. There are others who have
progressed beyond the point of the first group, but who will not yield to
the Spirit when it is not convenient. And then there are those who after
hearing God's instruction act presumptuously calling their presumptive
efforts GOD, and blaming Him when things don't work out! This is not
Sonship as described in Romans 8:14 "Those that are led by the Spirit
of God are the Sons of God," nor is it walking in the Kingdom. Those
who truly walk in the Kingdom are completely yielded to the Spirit of
God and will wait patiently upon the Lord to speak or move before they
themselves move. If we are not completely yielded, we are yet
engaging the World's System because we remain dependent upon
ourselves. The instant we divorce ourselves from self-dependency and
self-will is the moment we enter the Kingdom and its benefits. Perhaps
we are beginning to see that Babylon is not a place or even a system
as much as it is a condition of man's heart.
Much of what we call 'the Church' today is an outcropping of Babylon,
just as we could say about other physical evidences of Babylon;
American corporations, the stock market etc., but these are simply
limbs from the tree, not the root of the problem. The root of the problem
is the condition of man's heart, which says, "I don't need God!" It is
man's supreme confidence in himself: his intellectual prowess, his
expertise, his financial might, or political power. We see this spirit in
individuals, institutions, governments, business, armies, churches, and
sports to name a few.
Our ability to hear and obey is dependent upon the depth of our
dependence upon Him. If we are not hearing, we are not depending,
and many unfortunately have yet to learn to completely depend upon
God. How dependent was Christ upon the Father (John 5:30)?
TOTALLY! Here is where the rubber meets the road. It is not enough to
conform to Christ in outward form and actions. OUR CONFORMITY
MUST BE INTERNAL. Without internal conformity we will never see
true Kingdom life upon this earth, and we will be called "lawless" on our
day of judgment. We can act like Jesus and even perform the way
Jesus did, and still be rejected by heaven. What is internal conformity?
Internal conformity is simply doing the will of the Father; seeking God,
hearing His instructions, and obeying.
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the Kingdom of
heaven, BUT HE WHO DOES THE WILL OF MY FATHER who is in
heaven will enter. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we
not prophesy in your name, and in your name cast out demons, and in
your name perform many miracles? And then I will declare to them, I
never knew you; DEPART FROM ME: YOU WHO PRACTICE
LAWLESSNESS." Matthew 7:21-23 in NIV calls those who are not
submitted to the will of the Father "evildoers." How many well-meaning
Christians do you know that are Spirit-filled, but not Spirit-led? God's
word calls them "evildoers." How can you do the will of the Father if you
do not regularly hear His voice? (John 10: 2-4) Have you seen those
with extraordinary gifts to preach, heal the sick, do miracles, and yet felt
no witness to them as strong men of God? Many prophesy, cast out
demons, and perform miracles, yet do not do "the will of the Father."
These men, despite their outward appearance, are not walking in the
Kingdom upon this earth, nor will they enter the Kingdom of heaven
according to Matthew 7:21-23.
We can put on a show for, and even fool man with our external
conformity to Christ, doing miracles, prophesying, and preaching the
gospel, but until we line up inside with an internal conformity committed
to hearing God and obeying, we are lying to ourselves and to the
people we lead. Internal conformity is being the Father's son; being led
of the Father's Spirit: a Romans 8:14 Sonship. Jesus only did what He
saw the Father doing. He realized that of His own self He could do
nothing (John 5:30), which really means that He had a revelation that
any works outside the boundaries of the Holy Spirit's leading would
profit little. Jesus existed to do the will of the Father, and so should we.
Lawlessness is acting on your own initiative independent of God's
Spirit. There are many Shepards leading sheep, who themselves have
never become sons. The spirit of Babylon is alive and well and explains
the chaos and powerlessness that we see in most churches today.
Jesus never did anything outside of hearing from God. He did nothing
on His own initiative while remaining totally submitted to the
government of God. He is our great example of what INTERNAL
CONFORMITY is all about; He is our key to walking in the Kingdom
upon this earth - hearing and obeying. How can we have faith for what
we have not heard God say? Anything that is not done in faith is sin, so
to move without hearing, to act without a confirming word (which often
is the inner witness of the Spirit producing peace), is to act foolishly.
Through God's mercy and grace, many of us have survived being
Spirit-filled, yet not necessarily Spirit-led Christians. For some of us, the
consequences have become greater and greater, the fire of the
consequences revealing the level of importance in taking time to hear
and obey. Those who have experienced these consequences have an
incumbent responsibility to share this word and subsequent testimonies
with those who have not. Let us become that voice in the wilderness
teaching that there is much more to our Christian life than simply being
Spirit-filled, that they too can become Spirit-led.
Sonship is to become an overcomer, to receive the crown of glory upon
this earth, becoming an Ambassador of Kingdom Government, extolling
the virtues of that government in our appointed spheres of influence.
Those who have ears to hear will arise in this hour in the greatest
reformation earth has known - The Kingdom is at hand!
Edited by Ron McGatlin on 10/20/2016 at 10:36am
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Topic: Babylon Revealed
