“Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of Him in peace, without spot, and blameless. And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is Salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.” 2 Peter 3:14-18. 

The word “wrest” means to twist or pervert.  This scripture says the unlearned and unstable will twist or pervert the scriptures that are hard to understand, just as they do the other scriptures, all unto their own destruction.  Furthermore, it warns us not to be led away with the error of the wicked and fall from our own steadfastness.

Don’t ever be so foolish that you think you cannot be led astray.  I personally was led into the word of faith doctrine and never knew it until one day I asked the Lord to reveal to me if I was sitting under false doctrine and that day during the sermon, God was faithful.  The preacher started telling us how to pay tithes that didn’t line up with scripture.  The Lord then brought Cane and Able’s sacrifice to my mind.  After the sermon, I immediately jumped in the car and told my husband.  Once we got home from church, we started studying the scriptures ourselves – in context.  We began to see the Word of God was about Jesus from Genesis to Revelation.  When we started to look for the Truth of the Word of God, the Lord revealed It to us.

My point is, do not ever think that you are beyond being led away by the unlearned and unstable.  Growing in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ is to learn of Him, Who He is and what He has done, not pythons, blood moons, shemitahs, feasts, breaking soul ties, family curses, etc….that is all a bunch of works designed to keep one busy and distracted so they will never come to the knowledge of Jesus and HIS finished work.  Everything I just named is religion not a relationship taught by the unstable and unlearned who twist (wrest) the Word of God to fit their scheme.

“Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.” Galatians 5:4. When we fall from grace, Christ has become of no effect unto…do not be led away with error.  Ask God to reveal His Truth to you.  He is alive and active in His Church.  Try the spirits, whether they are of God or not.  Seek Him – Jesus Christ.

-Donna Clark Warren

“But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.” 2 Peter 2:1-3.

Chances are if one does not see the false prophets in today’s world, they are sitting under the false prophets and are blind to the Truth.  These false prophets do not come with a red flag proclaiming “I am a false prophet”.  They introduce their twist, thoughts or scheme to the Truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ “And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you…” 2 Peter 2:3.

How many of us, myself included, couldn’t wait to buy that latest book telling us how to “bind pythons” when in reality it was our sin nature which had dominion over us because our faith was placed in our ability to bind that python.  Then there were the blood moons, harbingers and shemitahs.  How much time did the Christians waste looking and waiting on a sign when the Word of God says “But He answered and said unto them, ‘An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:’ ” Matthew 12:39?  These false prophets made merchandise of us by taking Scripture out of context and because we didn’t know the Truth of the Word of God, we were once again “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.

There were and are many other doctrines that have come down the pipe.  The word of faith doctrine will teach us how to “overcome sin” in 40 days through a purpose driven life.  Again, our faith is directed to what we do for those 40 days, which removes our faith from what Jesus did on Calvary’s Cross.

The only way we can overcome sin and have dominion over our sin nature is through faith in Jesus Christ and Him crucified.  “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.  We are all born with a sin nature because of Adam’s fall.  It is not until we accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour that we are born again and the Holy Spirit gives us dominion over our sin nature.  All those family curses, soul ties and other sins that had dominion over us are laid waste by what Jesus Christ did on Calvary’s Cross.  We don’t have to go back and “break those curses again”, Jesus’ work was enough.  Jesus paid the price for our sins and He will break that bondage of sin we have been carrying if we will just believe in HIM and quit trying in our flesh…THAT is what Christianity is all about, faith in Jesus.

Religion will direct our faith into our works, which in turn hinders the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives because He, the Holy Spirit, is only commissioned to dethrone the sin nature in those whose faith is place in Jesus’ finished work (Romans 8:2) …not our own.   Religion will keep us chasing victory over our sin nature through these winds of doctrine because satan knows we will never have that victory over our sin nature until our faith is placed solely and directly on what JESUS has already done.

“But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption; And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you; Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:” 2 Peter 2:12-14. 

Don’t have eyes full of spiritual adultery, we don’t have to…we don’t have to “gain” our victory.  We maintain our victory through faith in Jesus Christ and Him crucified.  Fight the good fight, the fight of faith in Jesus.  – Donna Clark Warren

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16.

Today’s social gospel believes in some sort of “evolutionary salvation” where as one’s salvation is developed.  The light that shines glorifies the organization or the person and not the Lord Jesus Christ.  The good works that people see pertain to oil changes and civic functions to lure the sinner to the church in hope’s Salvation will evolve through imitation.

This is not preaching Salvation, this is psychological manipulation.  Proper faith in Jesus Christ will always produce good works which benefit and glorify the Lord Jesus Christ and NOT the organization.  The social gospels recruit the hirelings to recruit the sinners to convert more hirelings.

“But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.” John 10:12.

A hireling is hired to fleece the sheep, not protect the sheep.  The social part of the social gospel appeals to the flesh.  There may be many that pass through for the event but the only person that is being glorified is the organization and the hirelings. The name of Jesus Christ is never lifted up to the lost, The Gospel is not preached and deliverance is not obtained through Jesus Christ.

We, that includes you and I, cannot change the hearts of people.  There is only One Who can change the heart of the bound and that is Jesus Christ.  The born again experience only comes through accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour.  When we believe in Jesus’ finished work on Calvary’s Cross and understand the price HE paid (death) and the reason HE paid (love) for our redemption, our regeneration…our born again experience, we will no longer try to win souls through imitation and evolution Salvation, which does not present the Gospel of Jesus but a scheme of man, we will boldly proclaim HIS Gospel, the Gospel of Jesus Christ and Him crucified.  “For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.” 1 Corinthians 2:2.

-Donna Clark Warren

“I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron:” Isaiah 45:2.

I woke up this morning with this scripture on my heart.  Immediately I grabbed my coffee and my Bible and commenced to reading the entirety of Isaiah 45.  Imagine my surprise when I read a little further…

” Thus saith the Lord to His anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut; ² I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron: ³ And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the Lord, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel. ⁴ For Jacob my servant’s sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me. ⁵ I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me: ⁶ That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside Me. I am the Lord, and there is none else.” Isaiah 45:1-6.

God’s anointed, whose right hand He held “to subdue nations before him”, was the heathen king Cyrus, whom did not know God (vs.4).  God chose a heathen king to deliver His people.  King Cyrus knew of God, his mother was Queen Esther, but he did not know God.  King Cyrus did mighty things for God’s people that was prophesied 200 years earlier. He was anointed in the sense that he was appointed by God to carry out God’s righteous purposes of delivering the Hebrew people from captivity.

“Woe unto him who strives with his Makers! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the Earth. Shall the clay say to him who fashions it, What do you make? or your work, He has no hands?”  Isaiah 45:9. Who are we to question God’s way?

“Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. I have sworn by Myself, the Word is gone out of My mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.” Isaiah 45:22-23. 

Let us never forget, God moved on the heart of a heathen king to deliver His (God’s) people.  Many of us need to get our eyes off the heathen king’s heathen ways and look to God to see what God is doing through the heathen king.  God’s people were delivered because they were God’s people, not because of the king.  What do you think killed Goliath?  The stone or God?  – Donna Clark Warren

“Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. There is one Lawgiver, Who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?” James 4:11-12.

The Lord is the Judge of good and evil, not us.  There is a difference in judging good and evil and knowing the difference between good and evil according to the Word of God.  Just because a Christian points to evil and calls it evil does not mean they are judging evil, God has already done so.  Knowing the difference between what the Word of God says is good and evil and judging good and evil are two entirely different things.

“Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.” John 7:24.

Righteous judgment is knowing the difference between what God has judged as good and evil; not what we, our religion, our denomination or our traditions declare as good and evil.  “…whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” Philippians 4:8. Whatsoever things are true requires righteous judgment according to the Word of God to determine if they are “true”.  Whatsoever things are just requires righteous judgment to determine if they are “just”.

“Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.” 1 Corinthians 6:9-10.

Fornication is evil according to the Word of God.  “Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?” Galatians 4:16.  No one seems to mind when someone says “But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in Glory by Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19, which is by all means just as true.  It is easy to tell someone they are blessed but not so easy to tell them they are cursed. This is not to judge them but to hopefully point them to repentance.

“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” 2 Timothy 3:1-5. 

We must understand that recognizing those who are covetous, boasters, proud and blasphemers or recognizing those who have a form of godliness but denies the power thereof, is not judging the law or judging the brethren as in James 4:11-12 but is in fact righteous judgment according to John 7:24.  Lack of righteous judgment has birthed hyper grace, word of faith and many other false doctrines that have come down the pipe.  If we are going to know them by their fruit, we must know how to judge their fruit righteously…otherwise we will be taking a bite of that bad fruit as well. – Donna Clark Warren

“But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?” James 2:20.

Dead faith, lack of faith, misappropriated faith – faith in anything other than Jesus Christ and Him crucified results in dead works.  The result of dead faith is faith without works.  Works does not result in proper faith but proper faith will always and without fail result in proper works.  These works will be profitable to the Kingdom of God and glorify HIM; not us, not our church nor our denominations…they will glorify our God.

“Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.” 1 Cor. 3:13.

Religion will keep us busy in unprofitable works…discern who or what is being glorified – the church, denomination, organization or God? – Donna Clark Warren

“Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth He any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. Do not err, my beloved brethren.” James 1:13-16.

The temptation is not the sin, everyone is tempted when they are drawn away of their own lust. It is when we initially mentally engage the lust that has drawn us away that lust is conceived in our hearts which brings forth sin.  The lust, which is now conceived in our heart, is the sin. “But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.” Matthew 5:28.

An unsaved person is unable to say no to satan, if we could overcome him there would have been no reason for Jesus to pay our sin debt.  We are born servants of satan…no matter how good a person is or their good works.  Sin is not static.  Sometimes it is even fun for a season but it always leads to death.  The weight of a sin will eventually crush the unbeliever.

“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.

As soon as we engage the lust we are no longer engaging the Lord.  These lusts do not come with a red flag.  The only way we recognize these lusts is by conviction of the Holy Spirit and discerning by with the Word of God.  The best way to show a stick is crooked is by laying a straight stick beside it…the straight stick will always lay waste the crooked stick just as the Word of God will always lay waste the lust.

When our faith is placed solely and exclusively on Jesus’ finished work on the Cross, we know that we know that we know that Jesus’ gave us victory over that lust and that we no longer have to engage the lust.  When the lust rears its ugly head we retreat to Jesus and He rebukes, we stand in His Armor.  Many of the religious may be giving a big amen right now because they think I’m speaking of “fleshly” sins, those we can see, without realizing I am also speaking of their self righteous sin.  When the religious engage in the lust of spiritual warfare such as soul ties, family curses and trying to “cast” sin out instead of telling the Saint they are sinning and in need of repentance, they (the religious) are just as much engaging lust as the person who is lusting after that drink.

There is deliverance from that temptation.  “Blessed is the man who endures temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the Crown of Life, which the Lord has promised to them who love Him.  If we love Him, we will keep His Commandments, not because we have to but because we want to and the Holy Spirit will empower us to do so when our faith rests solely on what Jesus has done…not on what we have done, can do or will do but on Jesus, Who He is and what He has done on Calvary’s Cross.  Seek Him, learn of Him and He will deliver you from your temptation.  – Donna Clark Warren

“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.” Matthew 11:29.

Jesus said “learn of Me”.

“ Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death? Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:” Romans 6:3-5.

Please understand, until we learn of Jesus Christ, of what He did and Who He is, and our faith is placed on what His death accomplished on Calvary’s Cross, victory over sin and death, we will never be planted together in the likeness of His death.  As long as we think the written Word of God is about us and not the Living Word, Jesus Christ, we will never see the righteousness of Jesus but the “righteousness” of ourselves…self righteousness.

Until we learn of Him, Jesus Christ, it is not possible to be in the likeness of His resurrection.  Just as our guilt as a sinner is a fact and not a feeling, so too is our forgiveness.  Being forgiven does not constitute perfection but it also doesn’t constitute permission…permission to sin.  Once we realize our guilt, we understand the reason for His death.  Society would have us think we are instinctively good but the Bible tells us we are filthy rags without Jesus. The written Word of God tells us the Living Word, Jesus, came to give us life and life more abundantly for those who believe in Him.

“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” Romans 8:1-2.

If our faith is not placed solely and exclusively of Jesus Christ, until we learn of Him and what He has done, we cannot and will not be in the likeness of His resurrection.  The Holy Spirit can only free us from the law of sin and death when our faith is placed in Jesus’ finished work.  It is then that we experience the likeness of His resurrection.  Learn of Him, Jesus Christ…His yoke is easy and you will find rest for your wary soul.  – Donna Clark Warren

“ But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.  For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.  For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews’ religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it: And profited in the Jews’ religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers. But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace,To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:” Galatians 1:11-16. 

When the Living Word, Jesus Christ, reveals the written Word the response is one of love in which hearts are changed.  When the written Word is revealed by the traditions or schemes of man, the response is one of works which provokes self efforts.  Preaching anything other than Jesus Christ and Him Crucified (positive confession – “I’m not claiming it”, 21 days, 40 days, pythons, shemitahs, rituals, traditions, etc.) engages our flesh not our faith.

“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.  For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” Romans 8:1-4. 

Victory is found in the Cross of Jesus.  The promises of the written Word are given to us by the Living Word, Jesus, and our faith in Him is what allows us access to those promises…not our self efforts.

“Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” 2 Timothy 3:5.

Carnal Christians walk after the flesh teaching traditions of men with an appearance of godliness but deny God’s power, not by their words but by their actions.  Their words are their “godliness” but their actions deny His power. They walk after schemes of man provoking flesh not faith, lifting up every name other than the name of Jesus Christ for victory over sin…from such turn away.  – Donna Clark Warren