“Howbeit when He, the Spirit of Truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will shew you things to come. 14 He shall glorify Me: for He shall receive of Mine, and shall show it unto you.” John 16:13-14.

Just to be clear, I believe in the Baptism of the Holy Spirit with evidence of speaking in tongues. When I say this I do not mean the gift of tongues and interpretation as in the gifts of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:7-10) but praying in another language as in Acts 2:4, ” And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” Now all of this being said, I’m not here to argue this point…each person can believe as they wish. Besides, it is too late to tell me otherwise, I have been Baptized in the Holy Spirit with evidence of speaking in other tongues….I have been baptized with fire and am thankful to God for His keeping power.

“John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I comes, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: He (Jesus) shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:” Luke 3:16.

However, we “Pentecostals”, as we are known, have placed our faith in the mighty baptism of the Holy Spirit for victory over sin. When I say sin, I speak of bondage, sickness, acts of sin and the results of sin. In other words, the sin nature that we are all born with because of Adam’s fall is the reason for sin in the world today. When I say sin is the problem, I don’t mean one is sick because they sinned, although in some instances that may be the case, I mean they are sick because of sin in this fallen world. Sin IS the problem. What I want you to understand is that the Holy Spirit was not given to us to overcome sin, Jesus was the One Who defeated death, hell and the grave on Calvary’s Cross…Jesus defeated sin. The Scripture plainly states the Holy Spirit will not speak of Himself, He (the Holy Spirit) will glorify Jesus.

” 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.

You see, “the law of the Spirit” is the law by which the Holy Spirit works and the Holy Spirit will never speak of Himself but glorify Jesus. The Holy Spirit is only commissioned to work through one’s faith in Jesus’ atoning work on Calvary’s Cross, not through our faith in Him (the Holy Spirit) for victory over sin. Again, the Holy Spirit will always point us to Jesus’ work because our faith in Jesus is the only way the Holy Spirit is commissioned to isolate our sin nature…not through our faith in Him. The law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus that makes us free from the law of sin and death is a spiritual law that requires faith in what Jesus has done on the Cross to pay our sin debt to God and give us dominion over our sin nature which allows the Holy Spirit to do what He is commissioned to do in the Believer’s life…free us from the law of sin and death.

I do hope my Pentecostal friends understand that I am in no way saying this to be ugly in any way. However, there is a world out there of Christians who are bound by the powers of darkness. Their faith has been swept to and fro by every doctrine that has come down the pike. Many of these doctrines are Scriptural doctrines, (fasting, communion and in this case, Baptism of the Holy Spirit) but please understand, these doctrines were not given to us for dominion over our sin nature….and again, our sin nature is the problem. Jesus Christ came in the flesh, died on Calvary’s Cross and atoned for every sin and gave us dominion over sin. Knowing this, Who Jesus is and what He has done on Calvary’s Cross, we also know His blessed Ressurrection was NEVER in question. Jesus is alive and sitting at the Right Hand of God. His eyes are running “…to and fro throughout the whold earth to show Himself strong in behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him…” 2 Chronicles 16:9.

“He (Apostle Paul) said unto them, Have you received the Holy Ghost since you believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. 3 And he said unto them, Unto what then were you baptized? And they said, Unto John’s baptism. 4 Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on Him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. 5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.” Acts 19:2-6.

I thank my God everyday for the mighty Baptism of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit endues us with power to witness and serve. At Salvation, the Holy Spirit dethrones the reigning monarch in our heart, the sin nature, and we are born of the Spirit. We become partakers in the Divine Nature through our faith in Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:4) . Our Salvation experience and the Baptism of the Holy Spirit are two separate experiences. At Salvation we are baptized into Jesus, into His Death, our old man is crucified with Him and we are born again. The Baptism in the Holy Spirit is Jesus baptizing the Believer in the Holy Spirit. “…He (Jesus) shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:” Matt. 3:11 and Luke 3:16.

The Baptism in the Holy Spirit was not given to overcome sin, Jesus Christ defeated sin. The Holy Spirit will always point to Jesus, Who He is and what He has done on the Cross, He will guide us into all Truths, He will glorify the Lord Jesus Christ and He will give us dominion over our sin when our faith is placed in Jesus…this is a spiritual law, it is the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus, faith in 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.

“ And there came a man of God unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Did I plainly appear unto the house of thy father, when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh’s house?²⁸ And did I choose him (Aaron) out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer upon mine altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? and did I give unto the house of thy father all the offerings made by fire of the children of Israel?

²⁹ Wherefore kick you at My Sacrifice and at My Offering, which I have commanded in My habitation; and honour thy sons above Me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel My people?

³⁰ Wherefore the Lord God of Israel said, I said indeed that your house, and the house of your father, should walk before Me for ever: but now the Lord says, Be it far from Me; for them that honour Me I will honour, and they that despise Me shall be lightly esteemed.”     1 Samuel 2:27-29.

The sons of Eli had dishonored God’s Sacrifice’s and treated them as worldly which caused the children of Israel to transgress. They no longer wanted to offer sacrifices to God because Eli’s sons would take parts of the sacrifice and not leave any for the feast of the offerer.   “Wherefore the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord: for men abhorred the offering of the Lord.” 1 Samuel 2:17.    Instead of rebuking his sons, Eli honored their will before God’s Will.  Eli became an accomplice to this abomination because of his failure to fulfill his obligation to the work of God.

Was Eli the first seeker sensitive preacher?

“And the Lord said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle.  ¹² In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an end.  ¹³ For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knows; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not.  ¹⁴ And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever.” 1 Samuel 3:11-14.

There is evidence of Eli’s knowledge of his son’s abomination against God but there is no evidence of Eli’s repentance for allowing his sons abomination.  Our Sacrifice, Jesus Christ on Calvary’s Cross , is of no effect without true repentance for our sin.   Knowing our sin and repenting of our sin are two different things.  Compromising and condoning those who attempt to rival the atoning work of Jesus on Calvary’s Cross for victory over sin through philosophy and schemes of man is a sin.  It is placing man’s will above God’s will and is sweeping the church to and fro with doctrines of demons…it is a sin to know this, compromise with this and not repent of this.

Eli knew of his son’s behavior regarding the work of God but did not repent for not restraining them and therefore was an accomplice to their work and not God’s work as he was called to be.  Eli honored man before God.  Sadly, Eli knew the ways of the Lord but did not follow them.  He did not judge according to Scripture, he judged according to man.  It is a tragedy how many Eli’s we have today behind the pulpit.  Many do know the ways of God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, but they in fact honor man before God…they  are seeker sensitive.

“And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15.

“ But when the Comforter is come, Whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of Truth, which proceeds from the Father, He shall testify of Me:” John 15:26.

The modern church will be judged for refusing to judge evil as evil.  Sympathizing, compromising and unifying with the world in order to win the world is not declaring the Gospel of Jesus to the four corners of the world.  Instead it is a cloak of deception which presents philosophies and superstitions as the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Please understand, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is not a method and these vain superstitions and philosophies will not grow a relationship with our Lord Jesus.

“He that has My commandments, and keeps them, he it is that loves Me: and he that loves Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him.” John 14:21.

One of the results of love is obedience to that which is loved…because it is out of love that the obedience is done.  How does one know Jesus, Who He is and what He has done, if philosophies from the hearts of man are taught behind the pulpits?  Harbingers, shemitahs, blood moons, prayer shawls, feasts, festivals and ceremonies appeal to the flesh but are nothing more than superstition.  It is the same seducing spirit behind old Jewish mysticism wrapped in a new package for the modern church to get their eyes off of Jesus, or rather keep their eyes off of Jesus and keep them focused on the ceremonies.   Their ceremonies attempt to rival the atoning work of Jesus as holy.  Please don’t say the ceremonies and festivals are done to honor God because they are not honoring God but bringing reproach upon the work of the Lord.  They distract the Believer by veiling the evil motives of the seducing spirits through their (the Believer’s) reverence for God and cause them to continually look to and depend upon the ceremonies for their perceived holiness.  It would not be called deceit if it wasn’t deceitful.

“ Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto Me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hates: they are a trouble unto Me; I am weary to bear them.  And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide My eyes from you: yea, when you make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.” Isaiah 1:13-15.

It is not a new thing that God’s people are swept to and fro by every wind of doctrine because of seducing spirits.  The Israelites removed their eyes from God and placed them on the ceremonies as well as we see in the above Scripture.  The allurements of the world has not changed and neither has the Lord our God.

“Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes; cease to do evil; Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.  Come now, and let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.  If you be willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land:”  Isaiah 1:16-19.

There is but one way the Holy Spirit is commissioned to open the eyes of our heart and that is the closest thing to a “method” the Word of God gives.  It is through faith in the atoning work of Jesus Christ on Calvary’s Cross that the Holy Spirit is commissioned to free us from sin and death.  The modern church will be judged for not judging that which competes with the work of Jesus for atonement, deliverance and holiness.

“ I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren?” 1 Corinthians 6:5.

Come, let us reason….

-Donna Clark Warren

“ The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delights in his way.  Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholds him with his hand.” Psalms 37:23-24.

Recognize the difference in seeking God for Divine direction, which He will always bless, and seeking the Lord to bless our direction.  One will produce good fruit and the other fruit of our flesh.  Now understand this, God cannot bless the fruit of our flesh.  The word of faith doctrine has Believer’s declaring and decreeing that which is not of God which in turn is causing Christians to lie to themselves and God.  How does one seek healing when they refuse to claim they are sick?  God knows we’re sick, everyone else can see we’re sick but if someone asks about what ails us, we quickly rebuke that “word curse”.  I’m sorry to be so blunt but that is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard!    That is superstition not faith!!

Religion is full of superstition and philosophies stemming from man’s intellectual knowledge (the fruit of their flesh) of their perceived God of the Bible.  How in the world can a “word curse” curse a Child of God without God allowing it?  Is that curse stronger than His Blood?  This ritual or ceremony these people go through to break these word curses, family curses and soul ties is an abomination to God.  If we sin, we repent and ask the Lord to forgive us.  We can call it all of the fancy and flamboyant titles we want but the Lord calls it sin and there is only one answer for sin…Jesus Christ and His shed Blood on Calvary’s Cross.  Faith in HIS work is what broke the curse the day we accepted Him as our Lord and Saviour.  Any other method for dominion over our sin nature is at direct enmity with Jesus’ work.  If we sin, it’s not the devil’s fault…it’s ours.  The devil is just being the devil.  He wouldn’t be the devil if He didn’t tempt us to sin.  The problem is, we, in our flesh, don’t want to admit we can’t beat the devil so we concoct some ridiculous ceremony that appeals to our flesh and makes us “feel” better to gain victory over that sin.  However, we still haven’t “beat” the devil.  Satan finds our ceremonies and rituals quite amusing I’m sure because our faith is in those ceremonies…they are in fact rivaling Jesus’ work for victory.

Again, there is only one way we can maintain (not gain) our victory over our sin nature and that is through faith in Jesus’, Who He is and what He has done…for our Salvation and dominion over our sin nature.  The Holy Spirit is only commissioned to isolate our sin nature, thus giving us dominion over our sin nature, when our faith is in Jesus (Romans 8:2), not faith in our self efforts, self will or “our part”.

“ For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.  ⁶ For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. ⁷ Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.  ⁸ So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.” Romans 8:5-8.

There is only one way we receive spiritual knowledge and that is through faith in the work of Jesus on Calvary’s Cross which allows the Holy Spirit to reveal to us the deep things of God, any other knowledge is intellectual knowledge which will always be at enmity with God’s Will.  This intellectual knowledge produces self righteousness and superstition, not humble and taught souls.

” But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him. ¹⁰ But God has revealed them unto us by His Spirit: for the Spirit searches all things, yea, the deep things of God. ¹¹ For what man knows the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knows no man, but the Spirit of God. ¹² Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. ¹³ Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Ghost teaches; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. ¹⁴ But the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. ¹⁵ But he that is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.¹⁶ For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? but we have the mind of Christ.” 1 Corinthians 2:9-16.

-Donna Clark Warren

 ^“And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified.  Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abides alone: but if it die, it brings forth much fruit. He that loves his life shall lose it; and he that hates his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.” John 12:23-25.

When Jesus’ hour had come to be glorified, He told His disciples unless He was sacrificed to pay sins debt, He would abide alone but if He died, He would bring forth much fruit.  For those who accept the Lord’s glorious Salvation, we are His fruit.  When we understand Who Jesus is and what He did for us on Calvary’s Cross, we also understand Jesus’ Resurrection was never in question.  It was and is finished on Calvary’s Cross and Jesus’ Resurrection is proof.

“Whosoever shall fall upon that stone shall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.” Luke 20:18.

The Lord will lead us out to the wilderness so we can fall on that stone and bring forth fruit unto Him.  If you are in the wilderness, praise the Lord for bringing you there…He’s trying to show you the stone, the Rock of your Salvation.  Look to Him for understanding.  Faith in the finished work of Jesus to deliver you, to bring you through the wilderness to the promise land, IS falling on the Rock.  If you are not giving it to the Lord, you are keeping it from the Lord.  Too many are still working for their victory over sin instead of giving it to God and allowing Him to deliver them.

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33.

Fall upon the Rock of your Salvation, Jesus Christ.  Stand still and see the Salvation of the Lord.  Trust Him to bring you out of the wilderness once you fall upon the Rock.  Bring forth much fruit unto God by the word of your testimony.

“And they overcame him because of the Blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.” Revelations 12:11. 

-Donna Clark Warren