PRESSING INTO THE KINGDOM OF GOD
PRESSING IN AND PRESSING ON INTO THE KINGDOM OF GOD
Holy Convocation 2019 – Houston Conference
May 24, 2019
Pastor Carolyn Sissom
From the moment I preached my first sermon in a Methodist Church in Houma, Louisiana, I came preaching the Kingdom of God. The Holy Spirit has never changed my message; nor have I stopped passionately pressing into that glorious Kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
The first sermon I preached was: Mat 6:33Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
The law of Moses and the revelation of the prophets have prepared you for the arrival of the kingdom realm announced by John and now, when this wonderful news of the Kingdom realm of God is preached, people’s hearts burn with extreme passion to press in and receive it. (Passion Translation, Luke 16:16)
Tonight I am speaking to a company of saints who are well acquainted with the Kingdom of God and those things pertaining to it. Perhaps you want to hear what I feel we are pressing into as we seek to apprehend that which is in Heaven and bring it into earth “as the time is fulfilled.”
All of you are scribes, teachers and preachers who study the scripture and like the Sons of Zadok, you know all that is written about the Kingdom of God. I believe this conference will reveal the “signs of the times” pertaining to the Kingdom of Christ and of God.
What time is it? The powers of heaven are being shaken, according to the prophetic word. Great and momentous spiritual battles are being fought and won in heavenly places. Spiritual hosts of wickedness are beginning to feel the impact of the saints who are pressing in by the spirit and beginning to possess their possessions in “the heavenlies.”
P.T. Mat. 11:12: “From the moment John stepped onto the scene until now, the kingdom of heaven is bursting forth, and passionate people have taken hold of its power. For the prophets and the torah prophesied until John appeared.
I am persuaded we are experiencing Heaven invading earth as we join our praise with the Cherubim, the elders, the angels and the saints who worship at the throne of God. We are to be attuned unto this higher praise as the church in Heaven joins the church on earth as one song.
We who are pressing into the Kingdom are preparing ourselves individually and corporately to receive the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. We are pressing in with prayer, praise, Bible study, preaching, decreeing and declaring the mighty works of God.
On Sunday evenings, we have been studying the Kingdom of Heaven and the ministry of angels of which I am persuaded ten thousands times ten thousands have been released upon the earth. We are not afraid of worshipping fallen angels because we know the Angels of God would not permit us to worship them; nor do we seek such.
The Angels are sent to us with messages, to guide, lead, guard, do warfare, perform the spoken Word of God as quickened by the Holy Spirit.
Ex. 23:20: Behold, I send an Angel before you, to keep you in the way, and to bring you into the place which I have prepared.
Luk 16:16“The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it.
Matthew says it like this: Mat 11:12And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.
The same word used for pressing is the same word used for violent in Strong’s:
( in Matthew 11:12 ἡ βασιλεία τ. οὐρ. βιάζεται, the kingdom of heaven is taken by violence, carried by storm, i. e. a share in the heavenly kingdom is sought for with the most ardent zeal and intense exertion).
¶
Mar 1:14Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
Church of the First Born, we must continue to decree the time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe for no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and of God. (Eph. 5:5)
The Gospel of the Kingdom was preached by Jesus and He told His disciples to preach the Kingdom of God. It is a supernatural Kingdom, a supernatural Gospel, ministered by supernatural ministry. I believe the Kingdom Age has dawned upon the earth in which I will see the Kingdom of God come in its fullness in my life time. Like Anna, we stand in one age and hold the next age in our hand. The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. How do I know this? I had a vision many years ago. I was standing on the tallest mountain of the whole earth. My hand could touch Heaven and a dove was on my shoulder. I saw great waves comes in over the lower mountains and then a mighty wave lifted me up into Heaven. (The Kingdom of Heaven is At Hand). I believe we are moving and living NOW in the principles, benefits, and responsibilities of the life of the Kingdom. There are those who have moved into the transition of two ages. We are walking, living and having our being in Heavenly places, yet living on earth.
Luke 17: 20-21: When Jesus was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation;“nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.”
The Kingdom is a gift. It is ministered to us abundantly through the mercy, love, and grace of God.(Lk. 12:31-32). Although the grace of God offers the Kingdom to us, we must conquer with a violent faith and confession. We must seize the mountain. “Apprehend that for which we have been apprehended.”
Mountains in the bible speak of Kingdoms (Is. 2:2; Mic. 4: 1-2).
Daniel 11:44-45: “In the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all kingdoms and it shall stand forever. Forasmuch as you saw that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it broke the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God has made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter.”
This is the Kingdom of God which refers to God’s end-time people who pursue and obtain this high calling.
The message of the Kingdom will produce a people who are heavenly in culture, in language, in character, in authority, in message and proclamation, and in life style.
The Kingdom demands perseverance (Lk. 9:62) and is marked by power. We who are pressing in are not seeing the “Power” because of the mixture in the Churches.
Jesus told His disciples to pray “Thy Kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.”
On February 18, 2011, the Lord gave me a message written out in a dream. The word was, That which is in Heaven, will be Heavenly on earth.
The Lord spoke that same word to me again on February 18, 2018.
This year our annual conference July 11-14th is “Those Who Inherit Heaven and Earth.”
The Kingdom of Heaven is the government of God in the heavenlies of the realms of the Spirit. There is no difference between the “Kingdom of God” and the “Kingdom of Heaven,” for the “Kingdom of Heaven” shows us where it is from and the term “Kingdom of God’ shows us who runs it. The Kingdom of God is the extension of God’s rule or dominion in the earth and the universe as well as Heaven. What is said about the Kingdom of God is also said about the Kingdom of Heaven.
Jesus said it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. (Mt. 13:11)
The Greek word for mystery is “Musterion,” and denotes those truths, secrets, and hidden things of God which can only be discovered by revelation. These secrets “outside the range of assisted natural apprehension, can be made known only by Divine revelation, and are made known in a manner and at a time appointed by God; and to those only who are illumined by His Spirit.” (Vine) This term speaks of hidden things concerning God’s Kingdom which are now being made manifest by His Holy Spirit. (Mt. 13:11; Mk. 4:11)
Word of the Lord given to Wendy Alec – Visions From Heaven (2013):
“Many have been sued for by Satan in this past season on Earth. Many of My dread champions, both known and unknown: Apostles, Prophets, Seers, and Intercessors. Those called apostolically to take dominion of the mountains of kingdom government. All those that Satan and his principalities and powers recognized My mantle upon---the reason for the season of violent assault upon My Church. Satan himself is terrified. He fears these ones and the next great move of My Spirit greatly. He fears these, My servants, because Heaven is about to invade Earth. Because there is about to come the greatest move of My Spirit released upon the Earth that has ever been known. So Satan sued for many of those who are called to take up position in this outpouring; to launch such cruel attacks that their faith and trust will be totally shaken. Like a heat-seeking Missile. Yes. The heat---the very fire of My call, My favor, My mark upon My sons and daughters in this season caught the enemy’s full attention.
Because of their call to dominion, their books were called up by the accuser of the brethren into the Highest Courts of Heaven---the High Courts of Justice…Because of these ones’ callings to affect entire nations and to bring kingdom government and dominion to apostolic areas of rule in the Earth, these warriors have been anointed by My Holy spirit to apostolically walk through the very gates of hell in the areas of kingdom government to wrest the kingdom of darkness with violence and take it by force.”
Dan.7:27: “The kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him.”
The Glory of the Kingdom is the manifestation of the presence and splendor of God to the spiritual and physical faculties of man. The glory of the Kingdom of God is the life-style of its subjects (those under the rule of God). (Num. 14:21; 22 Chron. 5:14; Lk. 2:9; John 17:5, 22; 2 Pet. 1:3
1 Cor. 15:47-49: “The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthly, such are they also that are earthy; we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. Flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God…”
Luke 12:22-31: “Jesus said unto his disciples, “Take no thought for your life, what you shall eat; neither for the body, what you shall put on….; Rather seek you the Kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto. Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”
What time is it? “It is time”. In January 2011, I had a dream about a white jelly watch trimmed in gold and rhinestones. The watch was on my arm. The message in the dream was, “It is Time.” What time? Time that the Kingdom of God be fulfilled, and those who have to ears to hear and eyes to see are pressing in with ardent zeal and intense exertion.
Luke 9:62: “Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looks back is fit for the Kingdom of God.”
Carolyn Sissom, Pastor
Eastgate Ministries Church