“And He said to them all, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” Luke 9:23.

There is liberty in the Cross of Jesus to live a holy life, not a license to lead a sinful life. We not only turn from something but we turn to something as well.  If we only turn away from our sinful nature and not turn to God’s Divine Nature through faith in Jesus’ finished work, we will fail.  Denying ourselves requires turning from our own power to the power of God.  Without the power of God we are at the mercy of satan.

“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.  It is our faith in His Cross, which broke the power of sin over the child of God, that we turn to which enables us to deny ourselves.  This is the work of the Holy Spirit which gives us the liberty to live a holy life.  If taking up your cross daily results in a license to sin and not liberty from sin, is it possible you have attempted to turn from, to deny yourself,  but have failed to turn to the power of God, your faith in Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ alone?

“Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” Galatians 5:1.  Has your liberty turned to bondage?  When you turned from the bondage, what or Who did you turn to?  Jesus Christ and Him Crucified is where the bondage was broken, turn back to Him.  – Donna Clark Warren

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30.

We maintain our victory by fighting the good fight of faith in Jesus and His finished work (1 Timothy 6:12).  When we fight to gain the victory through our own efforts or self will, we frustrate the grace of God from working on our behalf.

Satan and his minions are forever tempting us into battle because he knows we can’t defeat him on our own self will.  So many wonder how satan will pull off this new world order.  I’ve seen posts regarding mind control and everything else.  Can we not look at the world today and see that satan is already in control of the lost?  Do we not read in the Word of God how sin and satan has dominion over the unbeliever?  Satan doesn’t need all of that “technology” to be evil, he’s been moving on people’s hearts throughout history to be evil…he’s been evil a long time.  What he will do however, is use that man made technology to distract men and women of God and keep them from spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ and Him Crucified.  Satan will continue to up the ante while the Saints of God are distracted.  There is a lost and dying world out there and the only way to defeat sin and satan is by the power of God, which is through faith in the Cross of Jesus.

“Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.” 1 Timothy 6:12.  We aren’t called to fight a fight that Jesus has already won.  The Law of the Holy Spirit, which is faith in Jesus and His finished work, is the only way we have dominion over sin and death (Romans 8:2).  Anything other than faith in Jesus’ work is law.  Jesus Christ was the Sacrifice that atoned for our sin which is our Salvation, but the Lord Jesus Christ was also our Sacrifice which gave us dominion over our sin nature, “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.” Romans 6:6.

Jesus has given us this victory because we couldn’t gain the victory on our own.   Why church, why Saints…why do we continue fighting against the goads?  His Yoke is easy.  Simple faith in Jesus and Him Crucified is the only requirement, nothing more and nothing less. Understand what “Him Crucified” means, which is complete and total redemption to God.  Arise and go into the street called Straight, don’t frustrate the grace of God.  – Donna Clark Warren

“Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein. We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle. For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp. Wherefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with his own Blood, suffered without the gate. Let us go forth therefore unto Him without the camp, bearing His reproach.” Hebrews 13: 9-13.

A heart can only be established in grace by the Lord and never with religious ceremonies. Anything that directs our faith outside of Jesus’ finished work on the Cross will profit us nothing. In the Levitical Order, as part of the Law of Atonement, the Sin Offering was always taken outside of the camp to be sacrificed which symbolized God’s wrath on sin, while the blood was applied to the Mercy Seat.

The camp that rejected Jesus was not the heathen but the religious. As Jesus fulfilled the entirety of the Law of Atonement, He was taken outside the city limits of Jerusalem to be Sacrificed as a Sin Offering to God for our sins. He was not paying a debt to satan for our sins, God doesn’t owe anything to satan. Jesus paid the price to God for our sins by offering up His Body as the Sacrifice.

Jesus was rejected and disapproved of by the religious then and the same holds true today. While we picture in our mind the self righteous Pharisees then, in which they were, today they are self righteous Pharisees rewrapped declaring love everybody. They have made God’s love and grace a law while continuing to reject the Sacrifice. Their hearts are therefore not established in grace but law…which profits them nothing. When man gives grace through law, man can take grace away…such is not the grace of God.

“Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing His reproach.” Hebrews 13:13. As God’s grace establishes our heart, we are able to go forth without the camp and bear His reproach. Come out from among the camp and bear our Lord’s reproach.– Donna Clark Warren

“And they were all amazed at the mighty power of God. But while they wondered every one at all things which Jesus did, He said unto His disciples,  Let these sayings sink down into your ears: for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men. But they understood not this saying, and it was hid from them, that they perceived it not:…” Luke 9:43-45.

The Son of Man, Jesus Christ, was calling His disciples back to the mission at hand.  He was calling them back to the work to be done when He said “Let these sayings sink down into your ears…”.  The Lord was reminding them of the Sacrifice to be made of His body when He said “the Son of Man shall be delivered into the hands of men.”

Today the Lord is reminding us of our Great Commission to “Go ye therefore and teach all nations…” Matthew 28:19.  The Lord is calling us back to the Cross to preach His Gospel.  Jesus wasn’t delivered to man to add man’s portion to His Sacrifice, He was delivered to man for the complete atonement of sin for us.  In other words, we can’t add the Gospel of Jesus and Him Crucified to our current program but we repent of our current “program” and be determined to know nothing but Jesus Christ and Him crucified.  It’s not about what we do when we sin but about where we go when we sin…to the Cross of Jesus and His Finished work.  It is there, at the Cross, where sin was defeated.  There is deliverance of the bondage of religion.  His yoke is easy and His burden is light (Matt. 11:30)…go back to the mission at hand, preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ and Him Crucified and the captives will be set free.  – Donna Clark Warren

As I sit back and take a deep breath regarding the pope’s visit to the United States, I hear him say the following words:

“The cross shows us a different way of measuring success. Ours is to plant the seeds. God sees to the fruits of our labors. And if at times our efforts and works seem to fail and not produce fruit, we need to remember that we are followers of Jesus Christ and his life, humanly speaking, ended in failure, the failure of the cross.” Pope Francis.

As a Blood bought child of God, those words make my blood boil.  Then I realized these words should not surprise me.  There are only two sides and I already knew which side he was on.

Then the Lord brought this scripture to my heart, “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?” 1 Peter 4:17.  There are many, far too many, Blood bought Christians who need to be pointing their/our fingers at our “own” prophets and screaming blasphemy before we point at the enemy’s prophets and scream blasphemy.

We must look in our own house, the House of God, and discern the doctrine before we go marching into the enemy’s camp screaming blasphemy.  We have to get our doctrine in one accord before we can go ironing out their doctrine.  Get rid of the schemes, the motivations and the hirelings and look to the One who has called us to be His and follow Him, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour.

“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” John 10:10.  There is a thief among us but we are scared to offend them.  At the same time we are offending the Lord. – Donna Clark Warren

“That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;” Ephesians 4:14.

Too many preachers are not preaching hell hot and Heaven holy.  The Gospel of Jesus Christ and Him Crucified is about Jesus, WHO He is and WHAT He did, not what we should do.  ” Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15.   We will all give an account to God for how we have divided His Word…divide it justly.

A preacher, teacher, prophet, evangelist or apostle, called of God will preach HIS Gospel, not man’s traditions.  If they are not preaching His Gospel, the Gospel of Jesus Christ and Him Crucified, the Word of God says they are accursed (Galatians 1:8).  Discern the Gospel you are sitting under.  Is it about you plus Jesus or is it about Jesus plus nothing?  Is Jesus the Source and the Subject or is your self will the source with Jesus the Subject?  These are subtle but powerful differences as one is the Power of God and one the power of man.  Study the Word of God out for yourself, not because I or anyone else tells you…you will give your own account, as will I.  These are perilous times.  No one can teach you the Word of God, you must be able to know it yourself, not what man has told you it says.  The Holy Spirit will guide you in to all Truths of His Word if you will “seek ye first the Kingdom of God” (Matt. 6:33.)  The Lord has given us preachers, teachers, prophets, evangelists and apostles and their teachings will line up with the Word of God….and if they don’t, they are accursed.  Pray for discernment.  – Donna Clark Warren

“Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.  For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love. Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?” Galatians 5:1-7.

Just as many in the church today are being pressured by false teachers to embrace the Law of Moses, so too were the Galatian Gentiles.  Not only the Law of Moses but any religious activity that one adds to the Cross of Jesus and His finished work will profit us nothing.   It is not possible to wed the two.  We cannot be wed to our works and His Grace.  The very definition of apostasy is  renunciation of our religious faith.  When our faith shifts from what the Lord Jesus Christ has done, to what we have done (works of the law, Mosaic or modern, no matter the outward holy appearance) we have apostatized and have fallen from Grace.

Apostasy does not bring Salvation.  We are justified through faith in Jesus Christ and Him Crucified and faith in Him alone.  If this is offensive to you, I ask you “who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?” – Donna Clark Warren

“And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, He said, Father, into thy Hands I commend my Spirit: and having said thus, He gave up the Ghost.” Luke 23:46.

Fellowship with God only exists in the Atonement.  If we don’t have faith in the Atoning Blood of Jesus Christ, we don’t have fellowship with God.  There is no amount of works, not matter how holy and good they are, that will restore our fellowship with God.

It is impossible for our faith to be in two different things.  Our faith is either in the Atonement or something else (methods, formulas, rituals, etc.) – fellowship with God only exists through one of them and that is faith in the Atoning Blood of Jesus Christ and Him Crucified…be determined to know nothing else (1 Cor. 2:2)!  – Donna Clark Warren

“And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Matthew 16:18.

In the Roman Catholic Church the pope is referred to as the “vicar of Christ”.  Vicar comes from the Latin word vicarius which means “instead of”.  So the pope is referred to “instead of Christ”.  All of this stems from the scripture above when Jesus told Peter, He (Jesus) was the rock upon which His (Jesus’s) church would be built.  There are a few important things to know regarding this scripture and the Roman Catholic belief of Peter being the first pope.  One of which is this…Peter wasn’t even the Apostle to the Romans but Paul was sent to Rome, where in fact he died.

Some other things to note.  In this verse we will find the first time Jesus ever referred to Simon Peter as “Peter”.  In the Greek Peter was “petros” meaning a “piece of a rock” and the word “rock” in the scripture was “petra”,  meaning an immovable rock, Jesus Christ.   “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”, 1 Cor. 3:11.  Jesus Christ is our “Petra”, He alone is our immovable rock.

Lastly, regarding “…and upon this rock I will build my church…”, Jesus is referring to Himself just as He did in John 2:19, “Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this Temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”  In speaking of “this Temple”, Jesus is referring to Himself.  So Peter (petros) was a piece of rock to which Jesus would build His Church with Him (Jesus) being the foundation, the immovable rock…the “Petra”

Sorry to disappoint Francis but what you preach is another gospel.  As a Child of God, we will not be judged by what pope Francis says but what the Word of God says and the Word of God says “I (JESUS) am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man cometh unto the Father but by Me.” John 14:6…not the “vicar of Christ”.  – Donna Clark Warren

“Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.  For he that is dead is freed from sin.  Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over Him. For in that He died, He died unto sin once: but in that He liveth, He liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:6-11.

A believer does not have to obey their sin nature.  Many believe in Jesus Christ for our Salvation but fail to believe or to accept that the Lord’s Sacrifice was for our dominion over our sin nature as well.  Jesus died to save us from sin, not in sin.  For some, Salvation is to save them from hell but not from sin.  Their sin  seems to be more sacred then their Salvation. 

“Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3.  Isn’t the very term “born again” referring to the Believer being “dead unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.”   There is but one way to be alive unto God and that is through faith in Jesus and His finished work.  Faith that the Lord Jesus Christ paid our sin debt, which was eternal death and afforded us dominion over our sin nature (Romans 6:11).  When we know His finished work, understand His finished work and most importantly, have faith in HIS finished work – not our fasting (which is completely scriptural but with the wrong motivation can be turned into works), not our rituals and feasts (Hebraic Roots, soul tie/family curse deliverance sessions, etc.) nor anything else “we” can do, just simple faith in Jesus’ finished work, we are given dominion over sin.

“For the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” Romans 8:2.  The Law of the Spirit requires faith in Jesus and Him crucified to give us dominion over our sin nature.  Without proper faith, we have no dominion over sin.  Such is why you will know them by their fruit.  Do they, whom ever they may be, have dominion over their sin nature or does their sin nature have dominion over them?  If they are a Believer in Christ Jesus and their sin nature has dominion over them, they may be trying to live unto God by their own strength and not His because their faith, as sincere as it may be, has been unknowingly placed on their works, what they must do and not what He has done.  They hate their sin as much as they hate others sin but just don’t know how to gain victory over their sin.  The Law of the Spirit requires faith in Jesus to operate and give us freedom from sin.  The Holy Spirit cannot operate with our faith in shemitahs, harbingers plus Jesus but in Jesus and Jesus alone.  Our faith in anything other is spiritual adultery.

Then of course there are those who are ruled by their sin nature, who don’t hate their sin nor any other’s sin for that matter; yet claim to be a Believer…to them I say,  “You believe that there is one God; you do well: the Devils also believe, and tremble.” James 2:19.  Do you believe or are you born again?  All the sinner has to do is believe in Jesus and Him Crucified but the Saint must be born again. – Donna Clark Warren