I had a dream last night that spoke volumes (no pun intended).  As I was walking down the street, there was an old blue car with a young man driving up and down the road, back and forth with the radio blaring (insert pun).  As I turned to go down another street, he turned as well, as if to “help” me.  Once he began to approach me, I did not acknowledge him and kept on walking.  This young man in the car with the loud, obnoxious music then turned around and drove away silently.  This man in my dream was quite a distraction to many up and down that street but when he realized I was ignoring his clamoring attempt to gain my attention he turned around and left – quietly.

How many people in the church today are distracted?  As far as that goes, how many churches are distracted?  It grieves me to see and know preachers and teachers who have heard the Message of the Cross of Jesus, who know the Gospel of Jesus and it resonates in their heart but then the man with the loud music drives up and they are distracted…they go back into the worldly ways of rehabilitation instead of the spiritual ways of God.   As a Christian, we are stewards of The Gospel of Jesus Christ and Him Crucified.  We are disciples of Jesus and He has given us God’s Word and the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit will always confirm His Word, glorify the Lord and guide us into the will of God.  The Holy Spirit will never lead us into a distraction and He will not confuse us.

In everything we do, discern the spirits.  As long as the devil keeps us busy saying no to him, we will forget to say yes to Jesus.  Every morning we get up and say “Lord, help me to say no, help me not to do this.”, we are asking God to increase our ability, our willpower, to say no to our sin nature.  God does not increase or decrease our will – it is where we place our will that determines our power.   Where our will goes, so goes our faith. We ask God to help us say no to the devil, while all God wants is for us to say yes to Him…and He will take care of the devil’s attempts to tempt.  When we willingly choose God’s plan, which is freedom and liberty for the saints, we place our faith in Jesus’ finished work and understand our victory because of His shed Blood – not because of our will.  We are saved via God’s plan for salvation which is the Gospel of Jesus.  Now we continue in God’s plan for our sanctification by way of continued faith in the Cross of Jesus.  We don’t become sinless but sin no longer has dominion over us.

“Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.  Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.” Romans 6:12-13.  “Yield yourselves unto God” – say yes to God.  Following 40 days of purpose, 12 steps or positive confession is not yielding to God but merely schemes of man.  Schemes of man does not give us victory over bondages but the Cross of Jesus did, does and forever will. 

Distractions – “O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?” Galatians 3:1.  What is resonating in your heart?  Did the Blood of Jesus not break those family curses and soul ties?  Is it possible to deliver a saint  from sin who is oppressed?  Did Jesus ever command us to keep any Jewish Sabbaths?  A prophecy is not a prophecy if it looks backward.  A sign is not a sign in hindsight.  A prophecy is always conditional, depending on response of people.  Think about these things, discern these things, test the scriptures.  How about the church we are attending?  How do they handle sin?  Do they 1) love the sinner enough to tell them what they are doing is wrong and 2) pointing them to the Cross of Jesus for deliverance or to a man made scheme?

“Well, God knows my heart.”  Yes, you are correct and that is why He sent Jesus to save us.  Shouldn’t we be seeking His heart?  We are His disciples and He is our Great High Priest.  He will teach us once the distractions are removed and we are willing to come to the Truth of His Word.  Religion will blind the saints, while at the same time offending the sinners.  Beware of the seducing religious spirits that attempt to keep us distracted.  If they are not bringing you closer to God , they are not of God.   Discern the distractions.  – Donna Warren

As saints of Christ and disciples of His Word we are taught to love thy neighbor has ourselves.  We are taught to speak the truth in love and to walk in love. “And now abides, Faith, Hope, Love, these three; but the greatest of these is Love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13. It is love alone that makes us in the likeness of God.

The love of God is an agape love.  God’s love for His Son, His creation and those who follow the Lord Jesus Christ is a perfect and supreme love.  “Phileo” love is “a fondness of” or “feeling friendly toward” someone.  Love is only recognized by the actions it produces.  The love of God for us is seen in the gift of His Son as a Sacrifice for our reconciliation, redemption and salvation.  God’s “action” in sending Jesus as our Sacrifice and Saviour produced our salvation.

The sugar coated, fake until you make it, motivational gospel is chock full of fondness of one another.  Please don’t misunderstand, we are exhorted to be affectionate one to another with brotherly love (Romans 12:10).  The point in this discussion is to contrast the “fondness or affection” toward one another because we don’t know nor care about their weaknesses, the bondage they may be under or the oppression they are feeling, as opposed to knowing these things and loving them anyway.  We don’t love them because they are successfully denying their problem.  We don’t try to make them comfortable in their sin.  We love them in their problem and pray with them for their deliverance.    God’s love toward us was not complacent but active.  “…freely ye have been given, freely give.” Matthew 10:8 has been mistakenly interpreted as “freely give so we can freely receive”.  This scripture has become a form of works as many do not understand God’s agape love because of their phileo love for Him.

Many in the church today have a phileo love for God because the only requirement for agape love is having no requirement which lays waste our works.  The church today is exhausted and crippled from man trying to rehabilitate the oppressed saint with 40 days or 12 steps instead of pointing them to the place where that bondage has already been defeated…the Cross of Jesus.  These brothers and sisters who are truly seeking God are being led to the slaughter of the psychological gospel by wolves in sheep’s clothing.  The seducing spirits of demonic doctrine will point one anywhere but the Cross of Jesus for deliverance.

The Gospel of Jesus is active.  The agape love of God for us is active.  It is God’s love in us that produces actions.  When we attempt to imitate Christ through our actions, the world loves us.  When God’s love in us produces Christ like actions, the religious, self righteous world will hate you.  God’s agape love for us was shown active in His Son, Jesus Christ and Him Crucified.  We do not have to earn His love as evidence by His action. Once we come to the understanding of the sacrifice made on the Cross of Jesus we will begin to understand the agape love God has for us.  Once we begin to understand what the Sacrifice of Jesus accomplished for us, we will understand our victory over sin, hell and the grave…and then we give freely the Good News of the gift we have been given in Jesus Christ as our Saviour.  – Donna Warren

“…Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.” Luke 23:46.  It was at that moment satan knew he was defeated.  There was no war in hell for the keys to hell.  Revelations 1:18 states “I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.”  Satan never had the keys to hell and has never determined who entered hell.  The sacrifice Jesus made was a debt owed to God for our sins so we could be reconciled with Him.  This debt was not owed to satan.

Our victory over sin, hell and the grave was won by Jesus Christ on the Cross.  Before His crucifixion, Jesus was the only one who believed He would be resurrected.  The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is what makes the Gospel effective.  His Resurrection is our proof that our sin debt was paid in full.  The victory was gained at the Cross of Jesus; in His sacrifice.  God always looks to the sacrifice and not the sinner…praise the Lord!

When our faith lies on the resurrection of Jesus (where our proof of victory is) and not on the sacrifice of Jesus (where our victory over sin, hell and the grave is, where the power of God is and where the price was paid), our faith is shifted from the power of God to the promises of God.  “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:18.  While this may seem of no consequence to our salvation, it is of major consequence to those who need the power of God for healing and breaking strongholds.  I am not talking about the wooden beam where Jesus was crucified.  As horrible and grotesque as Jesus’ suffering was, I’m not talking about His suffering.  We recognize the suffering and can’t begin to comprehend the suffering Jesus endured.  To see how truly bad sin is, all we have to do is  look to the Cross of Jesus.  What I am talking about, is what Jesus accomplished for us on the Cross.  At the moment Jesus gave up the Ghost, our victory was won.   For a Christian, we celebrate His resurrection every day because we understand the effect of His death for our salvation and sanctification!  We understand we are victorious because Jesus already won and we don’t have to go around reminding ourselves we are righteous in Him because we are so thankful for His righteousness.  The only thing we have to do is remind ourselves His payment was and is in FULL and we don’t have to add to it.  Any attempt for us to please God outside of faith in Jesus’ finished work, is an insult to Jesus and in rebellion to God’s plan.

Many Christians have been desensitized to these “small” things which has lead to the church being crippled.  The power and sovereignty of God is slanted when we are taught there was a battle over the keys of hell or Jesus came to pay a debt to satan.  “For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:” Romans 6:5.  For us to truly be planted together in the likeness of His death, we must truly understand His death….then we will also be in the likeness of His resurrection.  He is Risen! Hallelujah!!  – Donna Warren

How many of us have stood in prayer circles, holding hands while sincerely seeking God?  I have.  What about standing in the middle while others have prayed for you?  Yep, me too.  Imagine my surprise when I began to search the scripture for references to prayer circles and found none – zero, zilch, nothing!  Digging a little deeper, prayer circles are actually a form of witch craft with pagan roots.  They are an occult practice which supposedly causes the energy in the body to form a chain.  Prayers circles are indeed another form of paganism that has made it’s way into God’s House.  God’s children who are sincere (as I, myself was) but sincerely wrong!  Before I go any farther with this subject, please don’t misunderstand, I am not talking about prayer meetings.  I am talking about the rituals man has placed on talking to God.  When the great day of Pentecost came in Acts 2:1 “they were all with one accord in one place.”, not in a circle holding hands.

The Bible tells us how to pray but we tend to like “our” way better; it seems more spiritual and holy – you know kind of like the Pharisee and the Publican in Luke 18:9-14.  “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16.  We pray with confidence that we are given authority to come to the throne of God in full consciousness that it was the atoning Blood of Jesus Christ that made this meeting possible.  It is with this humility in the sight of God that He lifts us up (James 4:10), not because we are holding hands in a circle.

Many will say “God knows my heart” when it comes to prayer circles, easter bunnies and the like, but shouldn’t we be seeking HIS heart on the matter?  Look how long and how imbedded the easter bunny is in our Christian religion. Just because “we” have Christianized the easter bunny and other doctrines of demons and made them holy according to our standards, doesn’t mean we have successfully brought God’s bar of Holiness down to our level.  It simply means instead of “Chrislam” we have “Chrisaganism” (Christian with a dash of paganism).  What’s the difference?  Compromise with false doctrine is compromise…it doesn’t matter which false doctrine, they all have the same leader, satan.

In conclusion, I would like to revert back to my study on prayer circles.  As we know, Christianity is not a religion but a relationship; therefore, when in the presence of God, I do not want to hold your hand but I prefer to lift up my hands and pray to the Lord God Almighty.  I may even fall on my face in the presence of the Lord.  The Holy Spirit doesn’t require the holding of hands for “unity in the Spirit”, He is omnipresent and ministers directly to our heart.  What would you do if you were in the literal presence of God (because you are when in prayer), stand in a circle and hold my hand …or lift up holy hands and approach Him with boldness and humility?   “I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, …” 1 Timothy 4:8.  – Donna Warren

Knowing who we are in Christ is knowing our position in spite of our condition.  Truly knowing who we are in Christ produces humility in condition instead of pride of position.  Liberal and convenient Christianity does not understand true condition but only recognizes professed position. Until our position is understood, our Christian walk is stumped.  We cannot stand against the enemy until our position is realized.  “Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” Ephesians 6:11.

The enemy is real.  Satan walks around as a roaring lion, seeking who he can devour (1 Peter 5:8).  To the saints, he is always looking to trap or ensnare and to the sinners…well, he is their god.  The believer must understand their position in Christ which, as I stated, requires recognizing their condition.  “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.” James 2:19.  The demons believe in Jesus but they are not saved, nor do they have the power of God.  As a Christian, we accept Jesus as our Saviour.  We understand He died on the Cross for us.  However, how many Christians do not walk in the power of God?  They have accepted Jesus’ justification but have not accepted their condition.

Once we, as Christians, accept our condition our position is revealed.  By yielding completely to the Lord’s provision and care of our spiritual well being, we understand His power and our condition.  Then and only then, do we have on the whole armor of God; we understand the armor of God is provided by God and His power…and we abide in His power.  To “put on” in Greek is the same word as “abide”.

To understand who we are in Jesus, we will also understand humility.  We will understand God’s righteousness is not ours because we claim His righteousness but because of what Jesus’ did on the Cross.  Once we finally understand our position, we will understand professing our righteousness does not please God, as Joseph Prince and many others like to say, but it is the righteousness of Jesus that pleases God (“…This is my beloved Son, in whom, I am well pleased.” Matt.3:17).  It is our faith in Jesus that pleases God.  Anything else we do to try and please God is called works…and that includes positive confession.  If we have to remind ourselves we are the righteous of God, we don’t truly understand our position.

Too many believers don’t experience the power of God because they don’t believe.  To put on the full armor of God we must understand the power of God.  To understand the power of God we must know our position in Christ which requires accepting our condition.  THEN we will see the lame walk, the blind see and bondages brought down by the power of God. – Donna Warren

“For the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the Law of Sin and Death.” Romans 8:2.  The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus is stronger than the Law of Sin and Death.   Any attempt to live for God by any means other than faith in Jesus is doomed to failure.

My problem is sin.  Your problem is sin.  Renaming sin doesn’t change sin.  A family curse is not a family curse, it is a sin.  Yes, Exodus speaks of family curses but Jesus Christ broke those family curses on the Cross.  A soul tie is not a soul tie, it is a sin.  A demon spirit is not a sin but is behind a sin.  We can’t cast out sin. All of this does not mean a person does not have problems.  More importantly, it DOES NOT mean they are not aGod loving, sincere Christian who is truly seeking help.  Actually the sin being committedis unrecognized and certainly unintentional. The sin is not believing Jesus finished work on the Cross defeated, broke and made a spectacle of every family curse, soul tie and demon spirit.  The sinis misappropriated faith.  Many Christians who profess faith in Jesus and Him Crucified unwittingly fail miserably when it comes to practicing faith in Jesus and Him Crucified.  They are not doing this intentionally but have been mislead by seducing spirits.  It was the Gospel of Jesus Christ who set us free upon salvation and it is the Gospel of Jesus Christ that will keep us free.  While sin will not send a saint to hell, it does give satan a legal right to keep the saint in bondage.  Trust in the sufficiency of God and His plan of salvation.  We must all purposefully place our faith in Jesus’  and His finished work.  When our faithis appropriated correctly in Jesus and Him Crucified the Holy Spirit has latitude to do His work in us.  All of this, as my husband says, “is like learning a new golf swing”.  Many hearts have been deceived and bondages remain. “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” Revelation 3:19-20.  The Lord is knocking….

– Donna Warren