Contending. Pulling down the inheritance reality of what is in the victorious heart of Jesus Christ.
It is a critical skill to possess in advancing in the Kingdom of God. It is also inevitable that believers will come into seasons where it is vital, basic and key to breakthrough. Our fellowship (Global Kingdom Harvest Ministries) is in a season where contending is key to a wide open advance in the Kingdom.
Contending..... Getting a Heaven view, a prophetic intercession and a clear overcoming faith in Jesus. I John 5:1-5
Rise and stretch into a new mindset
Overcome and breakthrough to a new wide open country.
contend (kənˈtɛnd)
vb 1. (often followed by: with) to struggle in rivalry, battle, etc; vie 2. to argue earnestly; debate 3. (tr; may take a clause as object) to assert or maintain
[C15: from Latin contendere to strive, from com- with + tendere to stretch, aim]
When we contend we are asserting....
the Substance of the unseen
Asserting the assurance and confidence of a living hope.
We learn to do this for ourselves and the basic advances in our lives as we grow and progress in the Kingdom of God. Most believers never learn to contend. In my experience I've seen that most believers do not learn to contend. Many if not most remain with a mindset of challenge and difficulty that does not embrace their full identity as sons and daughters in the Kingdom. We are called to rule and reign with Jesus. Invited into deeper and greater authority and power in increasing measures as we walk with the Lord.
Often, the life we are encouraged to embrace rises and falls in moments. We catch glimpses of it in victory, miracles and answers to prayer.
What we are invited into is more like a river of patient endurance (Rev 1:9). An ever flowing stream that overcomes the world.
Why might we miss the mindset of contending and overcoming?
So much of our energy and efforts appear to be focused on individual pursuits rather than contending for whole ekklesia communities or regions or nations.
We quickly forget the prophetic words, quickened scripture and encouragements of the Spirit and fail to steward the grace of God in faith.
We fall down in the midst of the challenge.
We tire of the spiritual battle and are not yet trained in the way of spiritual war.
We fade under a string of mishaps, bad news, bad days, and troubles mounting like piles of sand.
We are not learners. Picking up new valuable things along the way and changing the way we live to keep us on the Way.
There is so much more.....
Contending can rise to epic proportions when we pull down the inheritance reality in the victorious heart of the Lord Jesus Christ. It can change whole environments and bring promises into reality that shape eternity and the redemption of whole families. An example. Found in those who pray earnestly for their families to come to the Lord. Pray for years and then they do come into the Kingdom. I've seen this. It is amazing. Patient endurance mixed with promise and faith bundled in up with hope produces a crop of righteousness.
When we contend for it.
Of David. Contend, LORD, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me.
To contend we must REMEMBER.....
The favor of God is active and working on our behalf in all situations. Romans 8:28-29 We carry the presence of the Lord everywhere. We are atmosphere changers, life changers, salvation bearers. The presence of the Lord is tangibly in us and with us. Christ in you and I, the hope of glory, is encountered all the time. He is with us all the time. (Col 1:27)
A great shift is required in our mindset to really step into contending. There is an open invitation to ancient ways. The shift is to see that we encounter opposition as a natural part of the Kingdom advancing. That such encounters are designed to bring breakthrough, healing and righteousness. We are like Jesus in this way, we carry the presence and the Kingdom with us. Isaiah 9:7 7There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this. We bear the presence of a Kingdom.
We move in co-laboring authority as throne bearers of the King. If, and its a big if, his words abide in us and we abide in Him.
Jesus is looking to bring the Kingdom everywhere we go and into every situation we encounter. Contending is about the realization of this "mind seed", of living it out in the fallen world.
Contending is not what puts us into direct contact with the enemy. Obedience does that. Contending is the essential activity when we are in direct contact with the enemy and breakthrough. Pouring out the promises of God into the hearts of those who are far from him. Pouring into the world the love of God through the power of the Holy Spirit. Requires contending. Some key things occur when we come into direct contact with the enemy that help us contend.
1) His plans are exposed. The attack reveals the boundless blessing and favor that is in contention. All the enemies cards are played. Remember, the enemy is a pawn of the Father. His distorted heart cannot help but fall into every opportunity to hurt, maim, destroy and kill anything and everything the Father seeks to establish. But he gets set up with his own evil intent. This is where glory and grace and power and freedom enter in and overcome him.
Captives and prisoners are set free where they are in bondage and held in captivity. So the Spirit leads the presence carriers with all the blessings of the Holy Spirit to usher in change.
It is at this moment, this point of understanding and revelation that we can ascend with Christ Jesus and move into deeper understanding of his heart and inheritance. We can step up into the power, insight, wisdom and revelation of the Holy Spirit and OVERCOME our arch enemies deepest plans, strategies, strongholds.
Breakthrough is always eminent.
2) The area or focus for breakthrough is typically seen and clearly understood. It can be focused on with great intention across a whole body of believers or even a regional ekklesia. Together we can smash through and into open new swaths of Kingdom advance. Through united faith filled prayer, relentless focus, tireless energy in the Spirit, and efforts inspired by Jesus' victory, overcoming and breakthrough are inevitable.
The power of unity and oneness with Christ Jesus is undeniable. Carrying forth his word and rhema filled with authority.
Most Believers have never seen this in action or even imagined what it might be like. Sadly, church after church leaves them in a state of unawares.
It is compelling power and grace that heals, sets free, welcomes into the Kingdom and changes the course of the fallen world.
Contending =
Pulling down the inheritance reality of what is in the heart of Jesus Christ. Contending is a throne down reality. It is heaven invading earth. It is birthed in revelation of the Lord, his heart and the inheritance victory - the tangible realities of what he won on the cross. That victory is stored up in him with all it's authority and power and is released in assignment and calling to his beloved. I faith, through faith, by faith we carry it out, bring forth, birth it in the fallen world.
Examples in the LORD.
Jesus. Prophesied through the Spirit to come as Messiah and deliver Israel.
Jesus born of the virgin, driven out into the dessert to contend with the enemy over his assignment (Matt 4), mission, identity and integrity in love over power.
Jesus contended with every opposition and through those points of contact defeated the "strong man" and stripped him bare (Col 2:15).
Jesus acted in the leading of the Spirit and the spirit of worship and laid down his life as a fragrant offering each day moving with the leading of the Spirit in the Father's Heart (John 5;19)
Jesus contended for what was not seen in the dirty gritty ground of the earth.
Every act of Jesus was a brush stroke of love leading to redemptive power and grace. Grace that was unleashed on the hearts of men and women the world over with such enveloping love and purpose that he inherited all good things. All things are in him, through him, for him. (Col 1:15-17)
14having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.
Col 2:15
19Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner.
John 5:19
As the environments expand and more and more believers enter into the streams of grace flowing across the world right now, it is not hard to realize there is a wide open field out in front.
The kingdom is perceived in greater degree as we grasp and come into the more advanced places of....
Seeing the unseen.
Mindsets in the mind of Christ
Wisdom and revelation in the Holy Spirit
Deep compassion and love in action
Obedience and abiding
We learn such "places" as we walk in the Spirit. These are places we learn to contend for and co-labor in with the Lord. As the water mark rises in your life, in the life of a church, of a state, of a nation, people receive invitations to new seeing and wider understanding of the working and operations of the kingdom.
Important to remember. Someone has to walk, contend, move in the living sacrifice of faith and love mixed with hope to see it realized. Someone has to contend like the Lord for the Kingdom to advance. I have observed that when we are called into contending, there are certain consistent outlines to the landscape we find ourselves walking.
1) Clear Opposition - opposition that keeps piling up. The boundaries become very clear and we find our opposition to the breakthroughs. Literally like boundary or wall holding back the pressure of divine breakthrough, we crash up against the enemy.
Oddly, in the unseen, there may be a literal wall that the river of life is flowing up against. All the stuff moving along with us and in the river starts piling up. As the pile up starts happening, we start sensing and often grasp that we are in a difficult challenge or trail. The pressure keeps mounting as another thing is added to the pile up. Now is the time to content. To fight. To Stand.
We react to the pressure and seek ways to relieve it when in fact, the pressure should become our leverage.
Embrace the leverage power of the opposition and press in to that point. It just may be the very weakest point the enemy is protecting. The Lion of the Tribe of Judah does not bow to pressure when there is a clear fight for the advance of the Kingdom. The leverage power of pressure can be turned into incredible resolve, intercession, declarations and breakthrough. Let the opposition clearly focus the points of attack and intercession. Rise up into the leverage and understanding of the opposition.
The temptation of the enemy at this point is to try and get us to focus on the issues verses the promises. To get us to focus on solving the problems instead of breaking through the entire wall. Destroying all the opposition and letting the water flow freely again into a whole new field is what is available to us.
2) Personal assurance - Jesus can become an ever increasing assurance of the things the Father has promised us in every way. Confidence in Kingdom pursuits is generated in contending and under these circumstances. We come into new understanding of the Lord and our connection to him grows more deeply. We gain confidence in the face of his glory and victory. This is essential discipleship. It places us on the veil of faith, hope and love and involves us in the life changing realities of the coming Kingdom.
3) Revelation - as we press in to “uncertain views of the earth” we actually open ourselves up to deeper views of The Lord Jesus and the eyes of the heart can be enlightened. Put that revelation to use. This is key in the process of contending. Our sense of authority derives from our revelation and direct encouragement from the Holy Spirit. The Spirit confirms prophetic words, dreams and ministry action to encourage us to take up personal assurance and understanding of the ways of the Kingdom. These are in turn the ways of the King. Put all revelation to use. It is mind blowing power over the enemy and will impart greater avenues of success and understanding for contending.
4) Word and Spirit become central to our everyday walking in the presence. Follow and sow to the Spirit and drink and sustain in the word. The Word is the water of the Spirit. It was written by the Spirit and it reaches into our being with incredible power. Sow the Word in overwhelming fashion into your life. Don't look for immediate effect. It is a steady process of infusing mind, soul, spirit and the heart with deep waters of understanding and even deeper strength to stand in all circumstances with joy.
All these things actually lay a foundation for even greater things that can be built on top.
The greater things are not entered into without contending.
When we come to understand and see Jesus as the Alpha and Omega, truly the beginning and ending of everything in our lives, we begin the journey to seeing into our inheritance. Our inheritance is what has been set aside, calling forth in us, waiting for us to bring forth, usher it in, participate with the Spirit in for the advance of the Kingdom. In the perfect and complete work of Christ Jesus, now ascended High Priest of the Heavenly tabernacle, is the Father's inheritance heart desires. They stand completed in Christ. Ready to be ushered in when mixed with faith, empowered in grace and Holy Spirit's amazing quickening.
This is contending.
Our inheritance is given to us as we contend in faith. It is imparted in and through perfect relationship with Jesus. Flush with authority, it moves out from to defeat every foe in spiritual realms and see likewise advance in the natural.
This is contending.
Once we understand these things - revelations, prophetic words, assignments, we can begin to contend for them with authority and power. I hope this helps focus a bit on the process we are in when we come into a season where contending is clearly required for great advance. Questions? Comments? What are you learning about contending for the Kingdom? What is he doing in your life? share your story, encouragement. I'd love to partner with you to bring glory to the Lord Jesus. jeffR@gkhministries.com Here are some blog articles that you may be interested in... Supernatural / Testimony / Prophetic / Spirit's Work 1) 2014 What is the Spirit saying? https://draft.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8154761678889975282#editor/target=post;postID=5163393029928222453;onPublishedMenu=posts;onClosedMenu=posts;postNum=37;src=postname 2) An Angelic Visitation https://draft.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8154761678889975282#editor/target=post;postID=6181407195797126360;onPublishedMenu=posts;onClosedMenu=posts;postNum=3;src=postname 3)Time for a Healing Story - Distance Healing Testimony https://draft.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8154761678889975282#editor/target=post;postID=7347375296000899068;onPublishedMenu=posts;onClosedMenu=posts;postNum=30;src=postname Some others regarding Jesus being welcome back to the Center.... Use the search feature for key words 1) You Fascinate me Jesus, So why are you considered so irrelevant? 2) No One Can Love You Like I Do Thank you for reading. Please comment. Let the dialogue begin! Brother Jeff Jeff Reynolds. Apostolic Leader Global Kingdom Harvest Ministries
www.gkhministries.com
jeffR@gkhministries.com
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