There are many Spirit filled Christians who are not necessarily Spirit led.  This does not mean one’s love or zeal for the Lord is any less by any  means.  Often times I write about our faith must be based on the finished work of Jesus and the Cross.  Of course, right?  Jesus is our Saviour and His Cross is the means by which He saved us.  The Lord’s resurrection and glorification is evidence of His perfection.  Due to God’s righteousness, anyone less than perfect is unacceptable.  Jesus did not have to sacrifice lambs to atone for His sin because He was sinless.  The Lord was by all measure of the word – perfect.    Instead, He sacrificed Himself to atone for our sins, our imperfection.  What a gift we have been given!!

As a Christian our salvation came/comes through Jesus.  However, what I see happening many times is once we realize we need a Saviour -Jesus,  we then attempt to sanctify ourselves.  Keep in mind, we don’t do this intentionally but our carnal mind is responsible.   In our carnality we attempt to sanctify ourselves through our self will.  Our carnal mind is motivated by flattery words which are temporal and not spiritual.  Our carnal mind by its very nature is at war with God.

“For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.  Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.”  Romans 8:6-7.   Once we are saved, the Holy Spirit dwells within us.  It is only through the Holy Spirits guidance that life and peace is achieved.  Through the guidance and counsel of the Holy Spirit the process of sanctification is begun; precept upon precept, line upon line, here a little there a little (Isaiah 28:10).

For example, even fasting can be carnal.  (Ouch, don’t pinch me yet!)  I know the beginning of the year is coming up and many churches will begin the 21 Day Daniel Fast.  This is a wonderful thing, it can be a form or way of obedience.  The question is though, obedience to who?  Has the Holy Spirit led you to fast?  What seems to happen is this, we are seeking an answer from God so we fast.  While fasting we have faith and believe that God will answer us after we fast or because of our fast.  Our faith has then been directed to “us fasting” or the fast itself.  Our carnal mind led us to fast, not the Holy Spirit.  PLEASE, don’t misunderstand this.  If the Holy Spirit leads us to fast, we fast.  On the other hand, if our carnal mind leads us to fast, our fast (our sacrifice) is in direct rebellion to God.  A quick example of Spirit led fasting – a couple of weeks ago I felt the need to fast.  I did not mention this because my carnal mind was not wanting to fast.  Within 30 minutes my husband mentioned we should fast.  I knew then, this was Spirit led.  Don’t misunderstand – I have done it the other way around also and without realizing my faith was actually in the fast and not the finished work of Jesus.  I was not Spirit led, but carnal minded.

The same thing can be said for many occasions of man made religious traditions.  (Please note I did NOT just say fasting was a man made religious tradition in any way!) When we allow our faith to be led astray from the finished work of Jesus and the Cross we are being deceived.  The enemy comes to kill, steal and destroy.  What is he trying to destroy – our faith in Jesus’ finished work on the Cross.  The enemy doesn’t care where our faith lies as long as it’s not in Jesus Christ.  “Having disarmed principalities and powers, He (Jesus) made a public spectacle of them (the enemy), triumphing over them in it.” Colossians 2:15.

Faith in Jesus’ and His work on the Cross is what allows the Holy Spirit’s work in us.  Once the Holy Spirit begins His work we must follow Him promptings.  Following the Holy Spirit is what allows our ongoing sanctification process.  Our sanctification process is what builds our faith in the Lord.  The Holy Spirit will never guide us to indirectly or mistakenly cause our faith to be in anything but the Lord.  Through our faith in Jesus the enemy is once again reminded he was made a public spectacle and still is a public spectacle to all who believe in Jesus Christ and His Cross.

Because of our faith in Jesus and His Cross, we are saved.  Through the guidance of His Holy Spirit we are continually sanctified; taking us from glory to glory.  In turn, our faith in Him is made stronger and stronger.  Our shield is made larger and larger.  For all of this to happen, we must not only be Spirit filled but Spirit led.  – Donna Warren

Sin, that is what I want to talk about today.  It seems that no one wants to talk about sin.  No one wants to be accountable for their sin.  Even Christians don’t like to talk about sin.  Our sin is covered by the Blood of Jesus, right?  “He will again have compassion on us, and will subdue our iniquities.  You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.” Micah 7:19.  Please note the word “again”.   Jesus died once on the Cross for all of our sins – past, present and future. 

Jesus was the sacrifice for our sin.  Sometimes I think because the Holy Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit)  is incomprehensible to us, we don’t realize the humanity of Jesus’ suffering for us.  Because of our in ability to overcome the sin nature on our own will, God sent His Son, God sent to us the only representative who could be the perfect sacrifice.  “…Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.”  Hebrews 2:9.  God did not send His Son as a choice for reconciliation.  He sent His Son as the way for reconciliation.  As a matter of fact, before Christian’s were called a Christian they were called people of “The Way”.  Why would God do this?  Because of His love for us.  The Law was fulfilled through the works of Jesus on the Cross.  God did not want the sacrifice of lambs, He wanted US to love Him as He so loved/loves us.   God wanted us to recognize Him; to know Him as He knows us.  Instead, humanity, not being able to overcome the sin nature, chose to sin then sacrifice.  We did not recognize God’s mercy and love, we believed all He wanted was sacrifice.  God wanted us to be reconciled with Him but because of His righteousness and our sin this was not possible.  So He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, for the sole purpose of reconciling us with Him.  Until we recognize the fact that we are sinners who need a Saviour, we will never understand God’s mercy and grace.

Grace is Jesus’ finished work on the Cross which enabled us to be reconciled with God.  Grace is not a “pass” to sin but is “power” over sin…because Jesus’ defeated sin.  It is only through Him we are able to defeat our sin nature.  Jesus’ did not die on the Cross to save us “in” sin but “from” sin.  God loves us as sinners and sent His Son to help us over come our sin nature.

With all of this being said, if we do not acknowledge our sin, are we therefore not acknowledging Jesus’ work on the Cross.  Sin was not recognized as sin until the Law of the Old Testament.  The same way darkness doesn’t recognize light until the light is shown or vice versa.  Again, until we realize our inability to overcome our sin nature by self will, we do not realize our need for our Saviour, Jesus Christ.   Our sin nature is stronger than our will power but it is NOT stronger than Jesus.

To dig a little deeper we must talk a little more about grace.  To understand God’s grace, we must also understand the “hyper grace” movement as another form of law.  Yes, law.  How is hyper grace another form of law?  Well, first and foremost, it leads us down a path of destruction.  The law of grace is often misrepresented as the gospel of grace.  The law of grace teaches us that Jesus died for our sins – past, present and future, which is true indeed.  However, it also condemns us if we feel the conviction of the Holy Spirit to repent of our sins.  According to the law of grace, the Holy Spirit does not convict us of our sins.  Any conviction we may feel is represented as condemnation.   It ignores any guidance by the Holy Spirit to repent, therefore leading us to self will which always results in failure.  It in essence negates the power of the Cross of Jesus which is the ONLY way to defeat the sin nature.  To ignore our sins by claiming the finished work of the Cross of Jesus, seems the equivalent to continually sacrificing a lamb in order to sin.  The only difference is instead of slaughtering a lamb in order to sin, the law of grace slaughters the finished work of Jesus’ Cross by not calling us to repentance for our sin.

There is not a single one of us who would trample on the Blood of Jesus by not acknowledging our sin when we understand why Jesus was sacrificed.  There is also not a single one of us who are without a sin nature.  For us to truly have victory over our sin nature, we must pick up our cross daily.  “Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” Luke 9:23  We meet Jesus at the Cross when we are saved because we realize we need a Saviour.  We realize our sins.  However, we must meet Him daily at the Cross.  We must realize we do have a sin nature and it is only through Him that our sin nature is defeated.  We must realize we need our Saviour everyday!  I’m not trying to preach the Law, condemnation or sin.  However, I don’t want others to be led astray.  I don’t want others to think that repentance is not necessary after we are saved.  We do have power over sin nature through Jesus!  “Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations,” Luke 24:46-47.  This is written in red.  We don’t need to be so sin conscious we live under condemnation by no means.  However, we also can’t use His grace as an excuse to sin.  We can’t be so grace conscious that we forget why we have been granted His grace.   When we finally realize His sacrifice we no longer look for an excuse to sin but understand His power over sin nature and live under His grace. – Donna Warren

“Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and who He wills He hardens.” Romans 9:18

This scripture, along with God hardening the heart of Pharoah, was the subject of conversation this weekend with a friend.  We were trying to understand why God would harden someone’s heart when the Bible tells us of His mercy.  Where is the mercy when He hardens someone’s heart?

We know God wants to prosper us (Jeremiah 29:11).  We know the Lord “…has not given us a spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”  2 Timothy 1:7.  So do we now have to fear He may give us a hard heart?  Absolutely not!  The same sun that melts wax is the same sun that hardens clay.  The same God that softens a humble heart is the same God that hardens a stubborn, rebellious heart.  In other words, it has to do with the condition of the heart.  Accepting Jesus into our heart is what will soften our heart.  Refusing the Lord, His Gospel and the fact that it is His mercy that has allowed us the life we live today, will only harden our heart.   God will soften or harden our heart depending on the condition of our heart.  Is our heart like wax – humble?  Or is our heart like clay – stubborn?  It is our free will, that the Lord gave us, which determines the condition of heart.

The same applies to 2 Corinthians 2:16, “To the one we (ministers of the Gospel) are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to Life…”.  The Gospel of Jesus Christ saves the saints and condemns the sinners.  We all fall short of the glory of God and we all sin. However, for the ones who accept the Good News of the Gospel, Jesus Christ has saved us.  The Lord has reconciled us.  For the ones who reject the Gospel of Jesus Christ, they are condemned by the god of this world, satan.  Jesus died for the sins off all, for the sinners and the saints, for the saved and unsaved.  The Gospel divides good from evil. “Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division.”  Luke 12:51. Christ is not the cause of division but rather the rebellion against the the event of the Gospel brings division.    Jesus Himself IS love perfected.  The acceptance or rejection of the Lord’s finished work on the Cross, the Gospel, is what softens or hardens our heart.

“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9.  Until we repent of our stubbornness and rebellion, not accepting the promises of God only come through God’s plan of salvation – Jesus, we continue to walk in the dark.  As we walk further and further away from the light, the promises seem further and further away.  As the promises seem to fade and hope becomes despair, our hearts become hardened.  The smell of a Christian begins to stink.  Christians are perceived as the self righteous and judgemental.

So the final assessment is this – when you hear the Gospel of Jesus, how does your heart react?  Does your heart soften and you want more?  Or does your heart harden and you want to get away from the conversation as smoothly and quickly possible?  Think about this.  A Christian is always ready to talk about Jesus.  We can’t wait to testify of the Lord!  However, I remember before I was saved if someone brought up Jesus, I would begin to squirm.  I had knowledge of Jesus, but He was not in my heart yet.  I’m telling you I could not get away from a Christian fast enough when they were talking about Jesus.  Shameful but true.

The Gospel of Jesus assesses your heart.  Our Shepherd, Jesus Christ, will separate His sheep from the goats.  I ask you today to take a sincere look at your heart.  I pray we all keep a humble heart and not allow the self wills of our flesh to rebel.  I thank God for His patience with me.  I praise Him for melting my heart like wax once I understood my rebellion and stubbornness.  Is the Gospel of Jesus melting your heart or hardening your heart?  – Donna Warren

While watching Jimmy Swaggart’s Message of The Cross this morning, he posed an interesting question.  He asked in today’s church, would the Apostle Paul be accepted or kicked out?  Good question.  I wonder which denomination he would join?  Which religion would the Apostle Paul choose?  As far as that goes, which religion would any of the Apostles choose?

I began to search the Bible for what it said about religion.  In Acts 25:19 I came across the Romans having certain questions about Jesus in regards to their own religion.  In Acts 26:5, Paul refers to the “strictest sect of our religion” while testifying of how well he knew the Pharisees and how well they knew him.  The Apostle James says in James 1:26 if we think we are religious and unable to bridle our tongue, we are deceived and our religion is useless.

The other day I read a comment asking why 9 out of 10 Christians are so judgemental.  Unfortunately this is the perception of many due to man made religion.   Some have the same view of us (Christians) as we have of the Pharisees.  Man made religion and traditions have tarnished our foundational religion of the Gospel of Jesus.  The judgement between denominations  and of denominations has put the Blood of Jesus on trial.  The fact of the matter is the Gospel of Jesus is not up for debate, nor is It a matter of diplomacy.  The Gospel of Jesus is, to put it bluntly, an ultimatum; a choice between life or death.  The enemy is not afraid of our man made religions, he is afraid of The Gospel of Jesus.  Satan will in fact encourage us to get carried away into man made doctrines, he knows they will fail.

“Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith,” 1 Timothy 1:5.   A pure heart is only acheivable through Jesus.  It is only through faith in His finished work that our religion is undefiled.  When we add “our” traditions and rules to religion, we are adding to Jesus’ finished work.  We are negating His Cross.

There are many churches today who are earnestly trying to correct man made religions and traditions.  They understand how this has driven people away from the church.  When we plant the seed of the Gospel of Jesus to someone and the Holy Spirit convicts them, it is still up to them to choose.  Regardless of their choice, we still don’t judge.  Sometimes we may feel like shaking them and say “don’t you see” but we can’t.  This is not our job.  We continue on our path, doing the job we are assigned and pray for God to send more of His laborers to cross their path again.

The Lord’s mercy is in His patience with us.   He is faithful and patient, wanting all to come to salvation.  So we must trust that, even though our patience may wear thin sometimes, it is because of His patience we, as a Christian, are now saved.  Even though we want to shake them, our shaking will do no good.  It is only the Lord’s shaking, His conviction that turns a heart to Him.  We are reminded by Paul in his epistle to Titus “…to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men.” Titus 3:2.

Would the Apostles be welcome in our church (as a whole) today?  “Of course!”, we say.  What would they be fed if they were sitting in the congregation Sunday morning?   What gospel would they hear?  Who would be convicting them?

There are still Spirit filled churches who are preaching the Gospel of Jesus.  Stay close to them, pray for their pastors and support God’s church.  They are the ones whose religion the Apostles preached.  They are the ones whose religion glorifies Jesus.

“But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, …” Galatians 6:14.

Donna Warren

This is another one of those posts that I don’t like to write.  However, being consumed by a feeling which causes you to seek further into the Word of God must be from God.  However, my discomfort comes from going against what I feel are some of the misconceptions of spiritual warfare and where our authority lies.  So I ask you, as you read to prayerfully consider and allow the Holy Spirit to guide you.

My heart has always been burdened for those who don’t know the love of Jesus.  Once our eyes are unveiled we see and recognize the works of the enemy.  We see the devils work in our lives and in others.  We realize our power through Jesus over the enemy’s works in our lives and take authority.  However, the lost don’t realize this.  In all actuality, until they accept Jesus as their Saviour they don’t have authority because it is only through Jesus that our authority comes.  My point is, without getting too sidetracked, I really felt lead to take authority in Jesus name over the enemy that was oppressing them.  I WANTED them to know their authority through Jesus.

Then as my walk with the Lord continued, I began to delve deeper into spiritual warfare.  I wanted to understand this authority.  I remember hearing people pray and bind spirits of the enemy over districts, cities, etc. and I would get an uneasy feeling.  I can’t quite explain that uneasy feeling but I do know from where it came – the Holy Spirit.  As for me personally, I have been a lot of things but I have always respected authority.  I may not have always liked it, but I did respect authority.

A couple of weeks ago my husband and I came across this teaching by John Paul Jackson.  He was talking about a dream he had of preachers throwing hatchets to the moon.  The video is 30 minutes long so I won’t go in to all of the detail.  After praying for understanding, he felt the Lord was telling him that we, as Christians, were overstepping our authority.  Keep in mind I am summarizing but this teaching witnessed to me regarding authority.  What he discovered after this dream and speaking with other preachers is as they were binding spirits of abortion over their city, ladies in their congregation were having miscarriages.   Another preacher was binding the spirit of rebellion over their city and his own son then ran away.  What was happening is they were engaging in warfare over principalities where they had no authority and in essence inviting these evil spirits into their personal lives.

Not wanting to be led astray, I went where we are suppose to go for guidance – the Word of God.  I was led to our great commission, ” And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.   And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;  they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” Mark 16:15-18.   But what does this have to do with our authority?   According to Matthew 10:1 “…He (the Lord) gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease. ” 

We have been given authority through Jesus to cast out demons and heal the sick.  We have been given authority over all the powers of darkness.  We have not been given authority over principalities and the heavenlies, that is God’s territory.   Yes, the Bible says “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:12.  However, we must also read the verse prior in Ephesians 6:11, “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”

The Lord has given us all of the tools we need to prosper in this world; authority in His name to heal the sick and cast out demons and His armor to stand in the face of the enemy and in no way be defeated.  Our armor for spiritual warfare is both offensive and defensive against the tactics of the devil with the main offensive weapon, the Word of God – the Sword.  Some, but not all, of the enemy’s tactics include deception, temptation and accusation.  All of which are absolutely defeated with our full armor of God.

There are evil forces in the heavenlies who are trying to keep us from reaching God, from hearing God.  We do not have control over these forces but make no mistake who does – the Lord.  There is no evil force that can keep us from the love of God.  However, we are not given sufficient wisdom, knowledge or power to rule a realm for everyone else’s good.  God allowed satan to sift Peter like wheat (Luke 22:31) which ultimately led to Peter’s ministry.  We don’t know God’s ways but we have His Word that He wants to give us all good things and the Lord wants us to prosper and be in good health.  We cannot overstep our authority and bind evil spirits in the heavenlies and principalities in which God is in control…and make no doubt about it, He is in control.  We can bind the evil spirits that have oppressed us or our brother/sister in Christ, we can put on our full armor of God to fight against the principalities of darkness, we can pray for God’s protection, mercy and grace over our cities, states, nations, etc.  and we can pray for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven, for we know His will for His children is to prosper us and not arm us.

When we begin trying to take authority over principalities we are stepping into God’s territory in which we do not have His wisdom to understand.  I am praying for God’s continued mercy on our nation.  I am praying for God’s children to arm themselves with His armor and take up the great commission of preaching the Gospel of Jesus, casting out demons and healing the sick.  These are the laborers of God He wants to send into His harvest.  The Lord has His laborers in the heavenlies who battle for us, He wants His laborers here to pick up our tools here and battle for the harvest that is among us.                 – Donna Warren

Confusion is the lack of understanding or uncertainty.  Chaos is a state of confusion.  God is not a God of confusion but of peace and truth.  As a Christian, we recognize this for what it is – the work of the enemy.  We seek God for guidance, turn to His Word and allow the Holy Spirit to witness to us.  Do we sometimes “miss it”? Absolutely.  Is God still there trying to help us? Absolutely.  That is another way we recognize His faithfulness and patience with us.  When we do “miss it”, He is not condemning but ready to get up and go again until we finally understand; until we are no longer confused.  The key is going back to the Lord for guidance when we do “miss it” and not allow the enemy to condemn us of missing it.

What about the unbeliever who is confused?  Who do they turn to?  Do they turn to their own understanding?  Usually.  Discernment is the ability to distinguish between truth and error.  Without the Spirit of Truth, the Holy Spirit, we are left to our own devices to distinguish.  The Holy Spirit witnesses to the unbelievers spirit but until they accept Jesus as their Saviour, the Holy Spirit does not dwell in them to guide them to the real Truth.

This may sound complicated but it’s not.  It is really quite simple.  Accepting and believing The Gospel of Jesus and His finished work on the Cross is THE  most powerful, yet the simplest step one can take to victory over evil.  When we cast “..down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” 2 Cor. 10:5, we are no longer confused.

The other day I was writing about all of the different “options”, if you will, for people today regarding religion.  We have buddahism, islam, hindu and many others to choose from.  What makes them different?  How do we know they aren’t real?  Is Christianity  just another form of religion in the long list?  Confusion among religions is a reality in this world.  Satan’s goal is to keep us confused.  He knows as long as we are confused we will never know The Truth of The Gospel of Jesus.  Until we pray for God to unveil our eyes, we stay in a state of confusion; a state of chaos as our lives continue on a downward spiral.

This state of confusion, or chaos, is the reason for God’s patience with us.  “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9.  You see, the Lord came to this earth and paid for our sins.  We have been bought with a price because we would never be able to pay that debt on our own.  The Lord did this out of His love for us.  He did not want to see us perish.  The Lord has plans for each of us to prosper (Jeremiah 29:11).  Because He was willingly sacrificed to bear our burdens, He wants us to have victory.  The Lord is on our side.  However, until we willingly concede to God’s plan of salvation through believing Jesus is “…the way, the truth and the light…” John 14:6, we will remain confused.  The Lord’s patience with our weakness is for our sake, not His.

Even as our once broad path of destruction which began at the threshold of confusion begins to restrict us into loneliness and darkness, every sin and evil deed that this confusion caused,  every bad choice we have ever made has all been covered by the Blood of Jesus.  We don’t have to “work” our way back to the light, we just have to accept the fact that we have been deceived all of these years and now we are humbled.  Then humbly we go to the foot of The Cross of Jesus and ask for His forgiveness.  When we accept His forgiveness we are then freely given the Spirt of Truth.  We no longer have to hide under shame or guilt.  We don’t have to work for this liberty, we just have to accept from where this liberty came – Jesus Christ.

The Gospel of Jesus is not confusing.  The Gospel of Jesus is life to the lost.  We can’t dilute it to fit a certain lifestyle.  We can’t sugar coat it to motivate others.  The Gospel is not psycholigical but spiritual.  When we feel the convicting power of the Holy Spirit deep down in our soul, we know Jesus is calling us.  We know He wants to use us, to prosper us, to give us strength and power over the enemy but it is up to us to respond.  Do you hear Him?  Do you hear that still small voice?  He’s calling you.  – Donna Warren

I watched a video the other day of a church drama that I thought summed up the fight we were all once battling in some shape, form or fashion.  In the video there was a young, 20 something year old girl in white who was peacefully walking along with Jesus.  Then a friend of hers, dressed in black depicting evil, begins to tempt her.  Seeing how much “fun” her friend was having, she decided to partake.  Then another friend comes along with another invitation and she again decides to join in the festivities.  On the stage you see Jesus standing at the far left calling for her to come back but she doesn’t hear Him over all the fun and festivities.  Finally, the once peaceful girl is at the far right of the stage partying with the devil himself.  However, there is something different about her now.  She is being tossed to and fro, confused.  She is no longer happy but in deep despair.  It seems as though the bottomless pit of finding the happiness she once had while walking with Jesus is a never ending pit of confusion.  She can’t find the peace that use to accompany the happiness…she can’t hear Jesus calling her.

Finally, when she no longer has anywhere to turn but death she starts running back toward Jesus.  As she begins her run across the stage to Jesus, the devil and his minions do everything they can to keep her from finding Him.  They know, once she finds the Lord this time, they have lost her forever.  The enemy knows once you’ve been through hell on earth and find Jesus you will find what your soul has been seeking.  That emptiness in the pit of your gut becomes a river of living waters.

So she begins to run back toward Jesus and the enemy is fighting her.  She is almost there and they have her pinned down.  She feels like she is not going to escape when Jesus comes to her rescue.  As she is knelt down in despair, Jesus is standing behind her holding back the enemy.  The Lord is giving her room to breathe; to breathe the breath of life.  The Lord saved her over 2000 years ago and she finally accepted Him.  When she needed Him most, even after betraying Him, He lovingly came to her rescue.  The Lord came and clothed her in a robe of righteousness.  The Lord came a gave her peace that can only come from on high.  He was calling her all along but she wouldn’t listen.

I believe this short video struck me because I remember that fight myself.  Although at the time I didn’t realize it was the fight for my life.  I thought it was me fighting the world when in actuality it was the Lord fighting for me.  In reality I was being deceived; hook, line and sinker, by the devil.  I had know idea that Jesus was what I was missing in my life.  My life had become not one of victory but of survival.

The enemy had so distorted the simple yet powerful Gospel of Jesus Christ, I wasn’t sure what to believe.  I knew I could never be “as good” as all of those Christians I saw at lunch on Sunday afternoons.  Seeing them and their families all nice and happy, I would think to myself “join the real world folks, look around you – times are tough”.  The problem was not them but me.  I was judging them, they weren’t judging me.  Fact of the matter is, I was one of the very ones they were praying for and reaching out to.

While wanting the happiness these “Christians” had but not being able to “live up to the standards” I rejected going to church.  Nope, not me.  I thought to myself, “I’m a lot of things but a hypocrite I will not be.” – another great deceit.  There is not one Christian who ever walked into church perfect.  It is only through the Lord that we now have our robes of righteousness.  As Christians, none of us are perfect but we are “…pressing toward the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:14.  The Gospel is written in our heart once we accept Jesus.  Our sin nature no longer has dominion over us.

The simple yet powerful Gospel of Jesus is only realized once we accept Him as our Saviour.  Until then our eyes are veiled by the devil.  All of the questions we once had about “religion” are then answered through His guidance and His revelation not through man’s knowledge.  This is why it is called taking a step of faith.  Just taking that first step of faith becomes the stepping stone to victory.

Today, I may be one of the “Christians” with my family at lunch on Sunday afternoons.   It may seem that I don’t have a care in the world.  You may think I don’t see the storms raging in both my personal life and on the news.  Make no mistake, I do see and I do hear what’s happening in the world.  The difference is I now understand from whom my salvation came and on Him I will stay focused.  The difference is I too, now have victory through Jesus’ work on the Cross.  The difference is I too am one of the ones praying for others to realize the victory they can have through Jesus.  The difference is Jesus.   – Donna Warren

We are beginning to hear more and more about Islam being taught in our schools.  An article in Charisma News caught my attention over the holiday about a marine father being banned from his daughters school in Maryland because he protested her being taught the five pillars of islam.  In this article written by Catherine McMillan, his daughter had to affirm “There is no god but Allah” for her assignment.

As our students and young adults hear more and more about Buddha, Allah and other various religions they are becoming more and more confused.  I was fortunate to have been raised in a small town where Christianity was the main stream religion.  Granted I did not grow up in church but there was never any question in my mind who my Saviour was and is – Jesus Christ.  I knew WHO He was but I was not a follower of the Lord.  To put it bluntly, I was on the same level as satan.  “You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!” James 2:19.

In today’s society tolerance seems to be the acceptable condition of many in the church.  Please don’t misunderstand, I’m not trying to promote strife among religions but I am trying to encourage Christians to press on in their faith in The Gospel of Jesus so others are not led astray…ESPECIALLY our children.

Now that my small town has grown and more diverse the county in which I live has become the least churched county in the state of Alabama with only 14% of our citizens regularly attending church.  Many in my generation have grown up knowing Jesus with no doubt in our mind who is our Saviour.  However, in our knowledge of the Lord have we forgotten or assumed that our children will have the same knowledge with us being scared to even broach the subject of Jesus with them?  Are we going to wait until society has led them to accept other’s religions as part of the norm?  Do we want our children and young adults to lead other’s to The Cross or do we want them to follow other’s into a counterfeit religion being tolerated by society?

Please keep in mind this is coming from someone who has not raised children.  However,  I was a child who was raised in a Christian community and am thankful for the elders in my community who would not tolerate nor dilute the Gospel of Jesus.  They may not have been perfect but they were righteous in the Lord and made no bones about it.  I grew up knowing the Lord and realized His power through their zealousness for Him.  Through many years of temporary victories, self will, veiled eyes and deceit I finally collapsed under the pressures of this world.  I looked back and remembered the elders of my community and realized I wanted some of what they had – some of their God.

As our children and young adults are floating through this life as I did many years ago who are they going to turn to when their world begins to collapse around them?  As parents grow old and self will grows weak, what will their foundation be built on?  Will they remember a community of Christians that depended on the Lord for guidance and strength or will they remember a confused community who tolerated many different gods?  How will they know which god to turn to if they don’t see our God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, if they don’t see Him through us?

We can’t assume just because “we” know the Lord that our children do as well.  When they go out into the world and into our schools they are being indoctrinated into many other false religions and becoming more and more confused.  We must encourage our young to not accept, approve or willingly receive any other gods and provoke them and others to want what we have.  Intolerance to false religions is not legalism or condemnation but  glorifying God for our strength in our struggles and joy in our victories which provokes others to see God’s mercies and grace.

It doesn’t matter how old we are, it is never too late.  The Lord loves each and everyone of us.  He wants to use each and everyone of us to provoke others to seek Him but He can’t do this until we accept Him and His plan of salvation – Jesus Christ.  The Lords wants to use YOU to boast of the Cross of Jesus.  – Donna Warren

After a long day of cooking and cleaning yesterday getting ready for Thanksgiving today, my husband and I had a great dinner, movie and off to bed around 12:30 am.  I told Jim, my husband for all who don’t know his name, I just saw a vision of a white horse with a beautiful mane.  We rolled over and drifted off to sleep with visions of turkey, dressing and lots of desert in our minds.

As a Christian, we all pray for God to use us.  We pray to be His vessel.  Then He calls.  We never know when and we never know how but when He calls there is a decision to be made.  It doesn’t matter the hour nor the day, when the Lord calls it is up to us to respond.

Well…the Lord called on us this morning.  This call came around 2:30 am.  As Jim sat in our living room talking with this person I was laying in bed hearing bits and pieces.  Not intentionally mind you but every now and then their voices would carry.  I began to pray.  I didn’t know if I should go in there or not, besides tomorrow (today) was going to be a long day.  I kept praying.  Finally I realized, this was a divine awakening.  It may have been “inconvenient” but it was divine, so I decided.  I decided to get up and go talk about my Jesus with them; to go talk about our Jesus – our Saviour.

So now it is 6:30 am Thanksgiving morning.  After a couple of hours of talking, we all had a nice breakfast and several cups of coffee.  I have another choice to make now.  Do I limp through this day complaining about our 2 hours of sleep? Absolutely not!  Do I rejoice in the devil meant for evil the Lord turned in to an opportunity for us to minister to someone? Absolutely!!

Today, this day, Thanksgiving day, I am ever so thankful for the time we had with this person.  This time was such a blessing.  This blessing brings a whole new perspective to Thanksgiving.  Last night I was thanking God for my family.  I’m so grateful for my family.  As my husband and his son were sitting down for dinner last night, I finally realized why husbands, wives and parents are so thankful for their families.  I finally realized I now have my own family too.

But that was last night’s blessing.  This blessing, the Divine awakening this morning at 2:30 am, brought an even deeper meaning to Thanksgiving.  What came in a vision as a white horse with a beautiful mane, manifested as an opportunity to talk to someone about their salvation.  Salvation, eternal salvation through Jesus Christ.  This blessing causes me to be thankful not only for my Salvation but to be able to speak to others about their salvation.  It doesn’t matter what time of the day or night it is, Jesus loves them enough to wake up His laborers to talk to them about His love.  The Lord if faithful and patient.  He understands our weaknesses and is willing and able to help.  All we have to do is decide – decide to answer the Divine Awakening.  Today I am thankful for the Lord’s Divine Awakening.  –  Donna Warren

The other night my husband and I was not able to attend our regular prayer meeting.  However, we still prayed with them.  While praying I saw a vision of a large crystal blue eye, a bright white light, an ear, a horse in a pasture and then some leaves.  Sounds kind of random doesn’t it?  We discussed these visions and trusted God to reveal the meaning.

All of this about the Muslim prayer in the National Cathedral has really bothered me.  I know in the Bible it talks about many will be deceived in the end times but to blatantly allow the enemy of God to come in and pray to their god in the House of God is really beyond my comprehension.  I read an article in Israel Today where the author quoted the organizers of the prayer at the National Cathedral as saying “…they hoped the service would ‘help correct some Americans’ misperceptions of Muslims as extremists and reinforce tolerance among faiths.’ ”  I have heard the argument saying allah and God are the same person, just a different name.  Once again, don’t be deceived.  The only way to God, the Sovereign God, my God is through Jesus Christ.  That’s God’s plan for salvation, therefore, that’s the ONLY way.  I choose God’s plan and pray everyone else does as well.

So, back to our prayer and my vision.  After praying and discussing I casually picked up my Bible to read where I had left off in Ezekiel.  The Lord being ever faithful this is what I read:

“Also He brought me by way of the north gate to the front of the temple; so I looked, and behold, the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord; and I fell on my face.  And the Lord said to me, “Son of man, mark well, see with your eyes and hear with your ears, all that I say to you concerning all the ordinances of the house of the Lord and all its laws. Mark well who may enter the house and all who go out from the sanctuary.

 “Now say to the rebellious, to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “O house of Israel, let Us have no more of all your abominations.  When you brought in foreigners, uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in My sanctuary to defile it—My house—and when you offered My food, the fat and the blood, then they broke My covenant because of all your abominations.  And you have not kept charge of My holy things, but you have set others to keep charge of My sanctuary for you.”  Thus says the Lord God: “No foreigner, uncircumcised in heart or uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter My sanctuary, including any foreigner who is among the children of Israel.” Ezekiel 44:4 -8. 

When we seek the Lord, He is always faithful to reveal Himself to us.  I didn’t understand the eye, the ear and the bright light until I read this scripture.  Of course I had an idea but wanted the Lord to reveal what He wanted me to learn and not what I thought.

From what I read in that scripture the Lord doesn’t tell us to “tolerate” different faiths in His House.  The Lord told Ezekiel to “mark well” all who enter the house of the Lord.  In this scripture the leaders of the church did not keep charge of His holy things and allowed others to defile the house of the Lord.

I read on as the Lord tells Ezekiel to “mark well”  who may come and go in the sanctuary and the description of the sanctuary  after the eternal laws are given and ended with this nugget: “Along the bank of the river, on this side and that, will grow all kinds of trees used for food; their leaves will not whither, and their fruit will not fail. They will bear fruit every month, because their water flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for medicine.”  Ezekiel 47:12.  There were my pasture and leaves.

I pray for the leaders of the National Cathedral.  I pray they repent and don’t break God’s covenant and allow His Holiness to be defiled.  I pray they too will see the eternal law of God’s sanctuaries.  I pray they see the pastures on the riverbanks with the trees that shall be for food and leaves that will be used for medicine and never fade.  I pray and stand in the gap for these leaders  that they “mark well” the Lord’s ways and not tolerate defilement but guard His Holiness.  – Donna Warren