“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14

How often do we remember those things which are behind and forget the Grace of God that is for today.

“And He said unto me, My Grace is sufficient for you: for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9.

Whatever weakness afflicts us, we must look to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, knowing that His shed Blood allows the very power of God to rest upon us.  Our faith in His atoning work gives the Holy Spirit latitude to rest upon the Child God.  HIS strength, the power of God that raised Jesus Christ from the grave, is made perfect in our weakness.  Therefore glory…glory in our infirmities so the power of God is manifested and His Grace is shown sufficient.

FORGET those things which are behind and remember in Whom you have believed. Press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus!

“For the Eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him. Herein you have done foolishly: therefore from henceforth you shall have wars.” 2 Chronicles 16:9

Don’t do foolishly…press forward.

-Donna Clark Warren

“²³ For all have sinned, and come short of the Glory of God;

²⁴ Being justified freely by His Grace through the Redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

²⁵ Whom God has set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His Blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

²⁶ To declare, I say, at this time His Righteousness: that He might be just, and the Justifier of him which believes in Jesus.

²⁷ Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the Law of Faith.” Romans 3:23-24

The central core of Christianity seems to be fading away in many of the modern churches.  The preaching of the death of Jesus Christ; the pouring out of His Blood to atone for all sins and to break the power of sin in the Believer’s life is being replaced by activities.  The participation in the activities, which are often religious ceremonies, traditions or even social gatherings, become the means of justification by the Believer. They would never admit this.  Remember the heart is deceitful and often they don’t even realize their faith has been transferred to their activity for justification but try to get them to miss one of those activities and see what happens.

Instead of being justified by faith in Jesus Christ and His atoning work for their position as a Child of God, in their hearts they are justified by their “activity” for their position. They read their Bible to justify themselves, fast 3 days a week to justify themselves, get baptized in water, pray an hour every day, etc., etc..  All of these things are Scriptural and each and every Child of God should do these things…but they do not justify us in the sight of God.

God does not take lightly the price Jesus Christ paid to justify and sanctify whosoever will believe.  Satan uses religion to redirect our faith into our part for our Justification and Sanctification but the Word of God says we are justified by faith and have peace with God through Jesus Christ.

The Cross of Christ is not a mere part of a doctrine, it IS the Head of the Corner of our faith. Jesus Christ is Alive.  He sits at the Right Hand of the Throne of God and makes intercession for us.  Understand this, Jesus is not constantly turning to God the Father apologizing for our actions, His Blood has interceded for us and continues to intercede for us…it is His Sacrifice that makes peace with God through our faith.

“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By Whom also we have access by faith into this Grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the Glory of God.” Romans 5:1-2

Do not take lightly our position with God through our simple faith in the atoning work of Jesus Christ for our Justification and our Sanctification. For those who are perishing this is foolishness but for those of us who are saved, this is the power of God (1 Corinthians 1:18).  Do not take lightly the activities by which we seek justification either.  The devil’s most powerful weapon is deceit and our hearts are too often snared by the devil’s lie. Without knowing we are sincere and zealous but we are sincerely wrong.

Prayerfully consider.

-Donna Clark Warren

“⁸ For by Grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: ⁹ Not of works, lest any man should boast. ¹⁰ For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:8-10

We are saved by Grace through faith.  We are HIS workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto Salvation (good works).  It is our faith in Jesus Christ and His work that allows the Holy Spirit to give us dominion over sin so that we may walk in this good work; in this Salvation that the Lord has so freely given the Believer.

We are HIS workmanship when our faith remains exclusively in HIS WORK.  When the Believer attempts to replace our works for His Work to become HIS workmanship, His Work become of no effect in our lives.  The Holy Spirit is not ordained to free us from the law of sin and death when our faith is in our works (Romans 8:2)…no matter how Scriptural they may be.  There is but one answer for sin and that is the Cross of Christ.

“³ But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

⁴ For if he that comes preaches another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if you receive another spirit, which you have not received, or another gospel, which you have not accepted, you might well bear with him.” 2 Corinthians 11:3-4

The simplicity that is in Christ Jesus through faith in His redeeming work has been corrupted by the modern church.  It is another gospel and another Jesus that has departed from the Word of God in order to be accepted by the world.  The modern church has equated the Believer’s religious works with Jesus’ work and effectively caused the transference of their faith to what they have done.  Many Believers have been beguiled from the simplicity that is in Christ Jesus.  Sadly, the results of their workmanship is not God’s workmanship but the workmanship of our their efforts through religious activities which God has not ordained for us to walk in.

God’s workmanship, which He has before ordained by Grace through faith, is created in Christ Jesus as we deny ourselves daily…deny our works and submit to His Work in order to create in us a new creature in Christ Jesus.  Old things DO pass away and all things DO become new when we are God’s workmanship (2 Corinthians 5:17).

“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which does so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

² Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the Cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the Right Hand of the Throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1-2

-Donna Clark Warren

^“5 Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:

⁶ From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling;

⁷ Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.”  1 Timothy 1:5-7.

Many have turned aside to vain jangling.  Desiring to be teachers but understand neither what they say, nor what they declare….yet they declare it regardless because they are vain janglers. With their many words, they say nothing at all. The conscience of the congregation is soothed and their faith feigned (pretend).  The faith of the people is not authored nor finished by Jesus Christ but by vain janglers which results in every wind of doctrine tossing them to and fro.

“¹⁷ For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the Gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the Cross of Christ should be made of none effect.

¹⁸ 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 1:17-18.

There remains a lost and dying world out there that need to hear Who Jesus Christ is and what He did on Calvary’s Cross to redeem them from this evil and fallen world.  They need the comfort of the Holy Spirit when a loved one dies, the healing that Jesus provided on Calvary’s Cross and to be set free from the sin that has so easily beset them. We, within ourselves, are not able to change the hearts of the lost and bound.  We cannot break the power of sin.

The seeker sensitive church will attempt to make them feel better for a minute. Perhaps soothe their conscience for attending church. Yet they came in bound and they leave bound because Jesus Christ was not lifted up for their deliverance. At best they were distracted from their problems for a couple of hours while everyone else’s ears were tickled by the vain jangling.

Why not just preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ and Him crucified?

“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me.”  Galatians 2:20

Jesus Christ came to die on Calvary’s Cross because He loved us.  He does not love us because He died for us…let that sink in for a moment.  The Lord now sits at the Right Hand of the Throne of God searching to and fro throughout the whole earth to show Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him.  Seek Him and you will find Him.

-Donna Clark Warren

“¹¹ To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto Me? says the Lord: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats.

¹² When you come to appear before me, who has required this at your hand, to tread My courts?

¹³ 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.

¹⁴ Your new moons and your appointed feasts My Soul hates: they are a trouble unto Me; I am weary to bear them.

¹⁵ And when you 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 1:11-15.

God’s feasts, the feasts that were once ordained by Him, had become an abomination to Him.  The calling of assemblies were full of iniquity.  The feasts had become a mere form of worship, emptied of all their significance. This pretense of religious activity reigned in the hearts and lives of the Israelites and had become their religious idols.

“This people draw near unto Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips; but their heart is far from Me.” Matthew 15:8

The heart is deceitful and desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9-10) and will be far away from the precepts and statutes of God, no matter our sincerity.  We do not follow our heart nor our intellect, we follow Jesus Christ.  He has given us His Word and the Holy Spirit to guide us into all Truths.  Jesus did not leave us here to wonder aimlessly.

“²² You worship you know not what: we know what we worship: for Salvation is of the Jews.

²³ But the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeks such to worship Him.

²⁴ God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.” John 4:22-24

The feasts of the Old Testament were all types and shadows pointing the Israelites to their coming Messiah, Jesus Christ.  No where in the New Testament are we told to observe the Jewish feasts.  Every other commandment was mentioned by Jesus in New Testament except the 4th Commandment which dealt with sabbaths and feasts.  All of the other commandments were moral and are written on the hearts of every Believer who loves the Lord. New Testament Believers have the Messiah…Jesus Christ and we observe Him DAILY.  Every day is a day unto the Lord.  It is an insult to the Jewish people for the Christian to observe their feasts, wear the Jewish prayer shawls and run around in yamakas. We are gentiles and considered unclean according to the Orthodox Jewish beliefs.

The hour has come when the true worshippers will worship the Lord in spirit and in truth.  Jesus Christ came to die on Calvary’s Cross as the Sacrificial Lamb of God to pay the penalty of sin for the sinner and break the power of sin for the Believer. Worship Him for Who He is and what He has done…not with new moons, sabbaths and the calling together of assemblies to offer up vain oblations (offerings).  Worship the Lord in spirit and in truth.  He is worthy of our praise.

-Donna Clark Warren

“Because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.” Romans 1:21-23

Many Believers are becoming fools as they are seeking the stars for messages from God instead of His Word.  This September 23rd foolishness is a distraction to the work of the Lord and makes a mockery of God to unbelievers. In the Old Testament these sorcerers would be stoned to death.

Sadly, many Believers flock to these fools giving their hard earned money to support their message because they equate it with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. If you are not giving your money to the work of God, you are giving to the work of the devil and let me be clear…this mess is NOT the work of God.

God speaks to us through His Son, Jesus Christ.  The Child of God follows HIM (Jesus), not the mysticism and stupidity of numerology.  The fleecing of the Body of Christ is not something any Child of God should take lightly.  This is not “to each their own” kind of Gospel that Believers declare.

“¹³ Enter you in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leads to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:

¹⁴ Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leads unto life, and few there be that find it.

¹⁵ Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.” Matthew 7:13-15

Beware of religious idols that are leading you into sorcery.

-Donna Clark Warren

“¹⁷ For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the Gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the Cross of Christ should be made of none effect.

¹⁸ 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 1:17-18

Christianity and all who claim the title have no power to change lives.  No matter the sincerity, good intentions or socialist seeker sensitive programs designed to overtake the community, no change will be effected by Christians.

“And I (Jesus), if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.” John 12:32.

Jesus Christ is the One Who has the power to change lives.  Lift HIM up, Who HE is and what HE did on Calvary’s Cross to pay the penalty of sin for the sinner and break the power of sin for the Saint, and He will draw all men unto Him.

Religious idolatry occurs when God is displaced in our heart and replaced with another authority.  When we equate this authority with Christ, our faith is changed and the Cross of Christ is made of none effect.  This authority sits on the throne of our heart as an idol…a religious idol.  Often it is our particular church or even our denomination that becomes our authority, our religious idol.

“But God forbid that I should glory, save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by Whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.” Galatians 6:14

The Holy Spirit is not commissioned to dethrone that religious idol when our faith is placed in our works or our religious idol’s authority.  When the Name of Jesus Christ is lifted up to the people as the Source and His Cross the means by which every blessing is received and our faith is placed on Him and His redeeming work, we give the Holy Spirit latitude to do that which He desires to do in the hearts and lives of every Child of God…dethrone that religious idol and our sin nature which it continuously feeds and circumcise our hearts with the circumcision without hands.

This is not some theory or philosophy dreamed up by man to overcome the world, the flesh and the devil.  This is God’s Plan of victory for every Believer.  Faith in His Redemption plan, Jesus Christ and Him crucified, for Salvation and Sanctification gives the Holy Spirit latitude in our lives to set the captives free, to heal the sick and break the chains of bondage…even religious bondage.

Consider the authority that sits on the throne of your heart.  Is it a Christian or is it Christ?  One will perish and the other is the power of God.

The Israelites made idols and called them “Jehovah”.  In their minds they were worshipping God, while in fact they were worshipping a thing made with their own hands. In all of their sincerity, they were equating the worship of God with the worship of these idols.

Beware of religious idols.

-Donna Clark Warren

“⁵⁵ O death, where is your sting? O grave, where is your victory?

⁵⁶ The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.

⁵⁷ But thanks be to God, which gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 15:55-57

Death was conquered at Calvary’s Cross.  It was swallowed up in Victory as Jesus Christ declared “…It is finished: and He bowed His Head, and gave up the Ghost.” (John 19:30).

“¹⁴ Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His Cross;

¹⁵ And having spoiled principalities and powers, He made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.” Colossians 2:14-15.

The word of faith doctrine, with Kenneth Copeland leading the way, will say the Cross of Christ was the worst defeat in human history and that it was in hell that Jesus fought and won the battle with satan.  Let me be perfectly clear, the devil wants no part of Jesus Christ.  Satan never had the keys to hell and he does not determine when we die nor who goes to hell…no matter his claims.  He is a lie and the father of all lies.  It is us, each and every one, who determine our eternal destination.  We are all given a freewill to decide in whom we will serve and until each and everyone of us draw our last breath, the Grace of God is available to whosoever will call upon the Name of Jesus Christ.

“For whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved.” Romans 10:13

None know the day nor the hour the Lord will require from us our soul (Luke 12:20-21). We have been given today, while it is today, victory over death, hell and the grave. Whether we choose victory is between us and God.  Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?

“And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom you 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 you dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15

Jesus Christ is risen.  Having swallowed up death on Calvary’s Cross, Jesus Christ gives life and life more abundantly to whosoever will believe.  The hope of Jesus Christ is not only for this lifetime but our eternal life.

^“If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by Man came also the resurrection of the dead.” 1 Corinthians 15:19-21

-Donna Clark Warren

“⁷ Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.

⁸ For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreads out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat comes, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

⁹ The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

¹⁰ I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.” Jeremiah 17:7-10

We have all heard well-meaning Christians say “The Lord knows my heart…”.  Please understand, the Scripture says our hearts are deceitful and desperately wicked and indeed, the Lord does know this sad fact.  It is us, professing Christians, who do not realize how evil and deceitful our heart is truly.

Satan’s weapon is deceit and his playground the church.

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour:”  1 Peter 5:8

The Holy Spirit through Peter warned us of the wiles of the devil.  He does not come dressed in a red cape with horns but as an angel of light.

“¹³ For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.

¹⁴ And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

¹⁵ Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.” 2 Corinthians 11:13-15

Beware of rebellion that manifests in the prideful heart and don’t ever believe sincere ignorance is accepted by the Lord as repentance.

“²⁶ For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the Truth, there remains no more Sacrifice for sins,

²⁷ But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.” Hebrews 10:26-27

The willful sin of the Believer is when our hearts turn away from God and HIS plan for victory, namely Jesus Christ and HIS redeeming work on Calvary’s Cross that broke the power of sin for the Saint.   This is the “why” of the “what” that we do.  For example, religion will begin lifting up humanistic psychology to the congregation.  Just for the record, this is rampant in the modern church but it is wrapped in another gospel and another Jesus and sadly most Christians don’t recognize the difference.  We, as sincere Christians who love the Lord, incline our ear to these “ministers of righteousness” and our faith is deceitfully transferred from Jesus and His finished work for victory in our daily living to another means or another method…man’s method.  Our hope is no longer in the Lord but in our part of victory.

Again, this is the “what” of the “why” we do what we do; the willful sin of the Believer after we received the knowledge of the Truth.  This is the deceitfulness of the heart; the wickedness of the heart.  The “what” we do, that we so often repent of, or at least we should be repenting of, is the result of the “why”.  Our sin nature begins to have dominion over us once again and those curse words start slipping out again, that anger starts rising up, covetous begins to abound, so on and so forth…you get the picture.  These are the things we see and know as sin and hopefully repent.  However, until we understand why sin has reappeared in our life, because of the deceitfulness of our heart, we will continually repent but will never be delivered.  Our struggle will continue and our victory declined.  Mind you, the Holy Spirit is not commissioned to free us from the law of sin and death when our faith is in these other methods (Romans 8:2).

“¹⁶ The face of the Lord is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.

¹⁷ The righteous cry, and the Lord hears, and deliveres them out of all their troubles.

¹⁸ The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saves such as be of a contrite spirit.” Psalms 34:16-18

We must beware of our own heart, it is deceitful and consider the fruit of our doings.

-Donna Clark Warren

“¹⁵ Having abolished in His Flesh the enmity, even the Law of Commandments contained in Ordinances; for to make in Himself of twain (Jews and Gentiles) one new man, so making peace; ¹⁶ And that He might reconcile both unto God in one body by the Cross, having slain the enmity thereby:” Ephesians 2:15-16

God cannot give victories to fallen man.  The modern church is constantly speaking of victory and giving worldly methods to achieve such victory making them, the church, more acceptable to the world.  Let me be clear, when the church is accepted by the world, there is something gravely wrong with the church.

In His Flesh, Jesus abolished the opposition between our sinful flesh and the Mosaic Law so that we may be reconciled unto God.  It is by His Cross and His Cross alone that we are made one body and God is our God and we are His Children.  The Holy Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit, that we are a Child of God (Romans 8:16).

When we begin picking up worldly methods for our victory, we are rejecting God’s prescribed order and picking up another gospel.  God’s plan for our Salvation and Sanctification is by the Cross of Christ.  Jesus is the Source and His Cross the means by which our victory is given.  When we turn to 40 days of purpose or 21 days of fasting to obtain this victory, no matter how Scriptural it may sound, we are not following God’s prescribed order which is faith in HIS Sacrificial Lamb Who atoned for and broke the power of EVERY sin…not some but every.  Sin shall no longer have dominion over us.  We are free from the law of sin and death when our faith is properly anchored in Jesus Christ for not only our Salvation but our day to day living.

Allow me to say it again, God cannot give victories to fallen man.  Somebody said “I’m not fallen, I’m saved.”  Yes, if you are a born again Child of God, amen – you are in fact justified.  Praise the Lord!  However, when we step out of God’s plan for our victory, which is faith in the Cross of Christ for dominion over sin, we are seeking another method to be a “new creation in Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:17) which God will not honor.

Sadly, when we speak of repentance so many repent of their acts of sin… and rightfuly so. However, they don’t realize or understand that it is their rebellion against God and His prescribed order for our victory (faith in the Cross of Christ) that continues to allow these acts of sin to occur.  In other words, all too often we repent of what we did but are blind to why we did what we did.

If we are oppressed, depressed, obsessed or what ever our particular bondage might be, we must seek to understand WHY this victory is not ours.   We often repent of what we do but don’t understand why we do.  At some point rebellion against God’s prescribed order for the victory you seek has occured.  Faith was transferred from the proper object, the finished work of Jesus Christ, to another method to overcome.  This method is and was readily accepted by the world but rejected by God.

God will only give the victory to His Son, Jesus Christ.  Our victory was purchased with His Blood. We must decide daily in Whom we will believe.  As for me, I know in Whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him (2 Timothy 1:12).

Are you persuaded?

-Donna Clark Warren