^“Seeing you have purified your souls in obeying the Truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the Brethren, see that you love one another with a pure heart fervently: Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of God, which lives and abides for ever.” 1 Peter 1:22-23

Through the Spirit of God, our souls are purified by obeying the Truth.  By looking unto Jesus Christ, the Author and the Finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2), we are able to love one another with a pure heart.  Our faith being authored is tried by fire, precept upon precept and line upon line, drawing us nearer to our Lord Jesus Christ.  This faith that is birthed from the fire is more precious than gold or silver.  It is falls out to praise and honor unto Jesus Christ as He works all things for our good.

It is through the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, that this work is done in our hearts and lives…not our disciplines, intellect or abilities.  Being born of the Spirit, we are Born Again…a new creature IN Christ Jesus, He lives and abides with us forever; His Word alive in our hearts; His Laws written on our hearts…we know, that we know, that we know, that HE IS ALIVE and that one day soon and very soon that if we don’t go by way of the grave that we will meet Him in the clouds and behold His Face.

THIS is the victory afforded us by Jesus Christ at Calvary’s Cross.  The ministry of the Holy Spirit is to superintend the work of God in our hearts and lives when we are Born Again.  The Holy Spirit will not work outside of the parameters of the Cross of Christ.  When we look to vain philosophies and humanistic psychology cloaked in Scripture for victory, our faith is deceitfully placed in those vanities which invoke our flesh to do something…to be a part of our victory and we make the victory afforded us at the Cross of Christ Jesus of no effect.  We have the same result as the world has when we partake in the world’s methods for victory over the world, the flesh and the devil.

Spiritually defeated by not obeying the Truth through the power of the Holy Spirit but through the power of our own self efforts, our unfeigned love of the Brethren falls short.  It was born of corruptible seed and not of the Spirit of God.

There is a joy unspeakable afforded us by the Cross of Christ.  With our faith placed solely and exclusively in Jesus Christ and Him crucified; not in ourselves, our ability, our intellect, etc., we are afforded the ministry of the Holy Spirit Who creates in us a new heart…a new creature where we are are changed into the same image of Jesus Christ from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

If you are not being constantly changed from glory to glory by the Spirit of the Lord, you are not growing in Grace but are withering…dying spiritually.  Grace, nor sin for that matter, is not stagnant; you’re either growing in one or the other.

Come back to the Cross of Christ.  Deny yourself and pick up the victory the Lord Jesus Christ afforded you at Calvary’s Cross and continue following Him; walking with Him daily…growing in the Grace and the knowledge of Who He is and what He has done for whosoever will believe.  He is Alive; the Word of God is alive and therefore inexhaustible.  Seek Him while He may be found.  Allow the Spirit of the Lord to do the work in your life He is commissioned to do.  Be determined to know nothing else among you save Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

-Donna Clark Warren

“¹From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?

² You lust, and have not: you kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: you fight and war, yet you have not, because you ask not.

³ You ask, and receive not, because you ask amiss, that you may consume it upon your lusts.” James 4:1-3

Operating from self will, intellect and abilities, Believers (NOT unbelievers) desire to have and cannot obtain.  They ask and receive not because they are asking from their own selfish desires and not the Will of God that He may be glorified.

“You adulterers and adulteresses, know you not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.”  James 4:4

Adulterers and adulteresses are married to Christ for Salvation but depend on their own abilities, intellect and self will to obtain the desires of their heart.  Little do they know their desires are evil and their heart is deceitful.  Friends with the world, they continue manipulating in vain the worldly system to obtain and consume upon their own lusts.

Jesus Christ and Him crucified is the Source and the means by which they are Saved but not the Source and the means by which they daily live for God.  Outside of the Will of God, they are asking amiss and are utterly spiritually defeated.  For some, their faith is completely destroyed and they walk away from God.  Others, they remain in Egypt, bound to the world and oppressed by the enemy.  Peace beyond all understanding is something they are constantly trying to obtain instead of maintain.  Joy unspeakable seems so to always pass them by.

^“5 Do you think that the Scripture says in vain, The Spirit that dwells in us lusts to envy?

⁶ But He gives more Grace. Wherefore He said, God resists the proud, but gives Grace unto the humble.” James 4:5-6

As we struggle in vain to usurp the ministry of the Holy Spirit and ‘produce’ the fruit of the Spirit through our many wonderful works, vain philosophies and disciplines, the Holy Spirits “lusts to envy”; He ‘envies’,  if you will, the fallen nature which has control over us and passionately desires to control all of our thoughts and deeds.  He wants to do that which He is commissioned to do, which is superintend the Work of God in our hearts; giving us the desires of our hearts by removing evil desires and replacing them with God’s desires for HIS perfect Will in our lives.  THIS IS the circumcision of the heart without hands (Colossians 2:11); the changing “…into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 3:18).

Spiritual adultery is the problem.  We have become adulterers and adulteresses through our many vain philosophies being taught from the pulpit as Biblical doctrine.   These doctrines direct the Believer’s faith away from the Cross of Christ and to self will and intellect, talent, abilities, etc. as the source and the means by which we obtain.  40 days of purpose, celebrate recovery, 21 days of fasting and various forms of white witchcraft have corrupted the Gospel of Jesus Christ and Him crucified and have made the Cross of Christ of no effect in the Believer’s life.

The Holy Spirit lusts to envy.  He wants to do that which He is commissioned to do but we are fornicating with others ways in order obtain the evil desires of our heart.

“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7

The devil will not flee as long as we are depending on our own abilities.  He will continue to tempt and we cannot resist; therefore submit yourselves unto God.  Be determined to know nothing else among you save Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

-Donna Clark Warren

“Jesus said unto him, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man comes unto the Father, but by Me.”  John 14:6

The Way to God the Father does not change after our Salvation.  Religion attempts to turn our faith away from the Finished Work of Christ Jesus after Salvation unto other religious activities and ceremonies.  Church attendance, small groups, charitable works all become the ‘proof’ if you will of your Salvation in the eyes of the religious elite.  Sunday morning church service is gives the motivational speech for the week, small groups is nothing more than a social event and the charitable works plastered all over social media glorifies the church and not the Lord.

No one is growing in the grace and the knowledge of the Lord  even though they are becoming quite puffed up in their religiosity and recognized among their peers.  Spiritually defeated, they are faking it until they make it as they refuse to confess that ‘bad confession’ and are lying to themselves and more importantly lying to the Lord about their condition.

^“17 Even so faith, if it has not works, is dead, being alone.

¹⁸ Yea, a man may say, you have faith, and I have works: show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” James 2:17-18

Dead faith will produce dead works…even many wonderful works in the Name of Jesus yet the Lord knows them not.  They are workers of iniquity; unprofitable servants.

^“21 Not every one that says unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; but he that does the Will of My Father which is in Heaven.

²² Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your Name? and in Your Name have cast out devils? and in Your Name done many wonderful works?

²³ And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity.” Matthew 7:21-23

Faith that is alive works patience in the Believer because it requires our daily denial of self; denial of our abilities and intellect to overcome the wiles of the devil and trust in the Lord.  Picking up all that Jesus Christ afforded us on Calvary’s Cross TODAY, we choose to follow Him and HE orders our footsteps…not our new found religion.  We do not assume the ministry of the Holy Spirit to circumcise our hearts and remove those things which are not pleasing to God through our own abilities but we humbly look to the Cross of Christ and say ‘I can’t but You can…You did, HELP!”

Precept upon precept and line upon line, old things DO fall away and all things become new.  We are a new creature in Christ Jesus and the Spirit of God is doing a mighty work on the inside which is producing a change on the outside.  The good works ordered by the Lord are birthed of His Spirit and produce fruit unto God which glorifies HIM and not an organization.

^“17 Ye therefore, beloved, seeing you know these things before, beware lest you also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.

¹⁸ But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.” 2 Peter 3:17-18

Jesus Christ and Him Crucified is the Way, the Truth and the Life for our Salvation AND our daily living for God…be determined to know nothing else among you.

-Donna Clark Warren

^“23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: ²⁴ For he beholds himself, and goes his way, and straightway forgets what manner of man he was. ²⁵ But whoso looks into the perfect Law of Liberty, and continues therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.” James 1:23-25

The ear is the organ of response.  It is the ear and not the mind that hears God’s Word.

“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” Romans 8:17

Those who have ears to hear, the spiritually discerned, will hear what the Spirit of the Lord is saying His People. For those whose Lord is Christ Jesus, we have been equipped with the spiritual organ needed to hear God’s Voice; that still small voice which orders our footsteps when we so seek.  The Voice which illuminates the Scriptures gives us understanding of the Word of God.

“To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear? behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: behold, the Word of the Lord is unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it.” Jeremiah 6:10

It is with our ears that the choice of obedience or disobedience is made.  The Word of God will always bring us to a point of decision. The carnal ears perceive with the mind and see only the external; the shiny cup with the filthy inside, and cannot properly evaluate one’s self.  They are hearers but not doers of the Word and they deceive their own selves.

The Word of God, properly revealed to the ear that hears, will reveal one’s own heart.  Our response to the revealed condition of our heart by the Word of God drives us to the choice of humility, which softens the heart, or pride, which hardens the heart.  We hear and we do or we hear and we do not.  The more we ‘do not’, the harder our heart becomes and eventually, we will no longer have ears to hear.  Hearing we hear not and obedience to our Lord becomes disobedience when the Word of God reveals the condition of our heart and pridefully reject.

To be sure, the modern church and it’s seeker sensitive gospel will never bring us to a point of decision when our heart’s condition is revealed but will instead attempt to make us comfortable in our condition by means of humanistic psychology cloaked in Scripture. What we should really be doing when the Lord reveals to us the condition of our heart is thanking the Lord for this revelation, asking Him for forgiveness and seeking Him for deliverance.

^“23 If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.

²⁴ And He said unto them, Take heed what you hear: with what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given.

²⁵ For he that has, to him shall be given: and he that has not, from him shall be taken even that which he has.” Mark 4:23-25

The only way the Word of God can be obeyed is for the Believer to place his or her faith exclusively in the Cross of Christ Jesus.  It is there, that we look into the ‘perfect Law of Liberty and continue therein‘ (James 1:25).  2000 years ago at Calvary’s Cross, the veil was rent and we were given access to the Throne of God through the Blood of Christ Jesus.  It is by and through the Blood of Jesus that we are liberally afforded the Wisdom of God to all who ask (James 1:5).

“For the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the Law of Sin and Death.” Romans 8:2

Once bound by the Law of Sin and Death, the Believer whose faith is set solely and exclusively in the Cross of Christ, is set at liberty by the Law of the Spirit of Life IN Christ Jesus.  Continuing therein, IN Christ Jesus, the perfect Law of Liberty (the rightly divided Word of God),  is quick and powerful…it is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart (Hebrews 4:12).

For those who have ears to hear, the Gospel of Jesus Christ and Him crucified will drive us to a choice.  Decide THIS day in whom you will serve.  Choose Holiness.  Be a doer and not a hearer.  Choose Jesus Christ and Him crucified; be determined to know nothing else among you.

-Donna Clark Warren.

^“8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and forever.

⁹ Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with Grace; not with meats (religious ceremonies), which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.” Hebrews 13:8-9

The heart cannot be rightly established by religious ceremonies.  If such were so, the Cross of Christ was in vain.  Many Believers have been and are currently being swept away with divers and strange doctrines being taught as Biblical Christianity.  Their hearts being established in religion; they are turned in to the image of their church.  The Bible says we will know them by their fruit.

^“15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

¹⁶ You shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?” Matthew 7:15-16

Sadly, many have their hearts established in religion and not Grace.  They love the Lord but their heart belongs to their church.  No matter the Jesus or the gospel being proclaimed from the pulpit, their loyalty is to the church.  They would not recognize another Jesus being lifted up to the congregation because quite frankly they have not searched the Scriptures for themselves to see whether those things being proclaimed are true.

“For sin shall not have dominion over you: for you are not under the law, but under Grace.” Romans 6:14

Friend, a heart established under law; any law, religious ceremony, philosophy, etc. is being established with divers and strange doctrines that will not afford us dominion over sin.  Grace and Grace alone is where we are given dominion over sin.  Sin’s penalty was paid and it’s power broken by Christ Jesus on Calvary’s Cross not some religious ceremony.

^“For by Grace are ye Saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9

There are so many unbelieving Believers in the church that sincerely try to ‘help’ the baby Christian by overloading them with Christianity 101 classes, small groups, celebrating recovery, 40 days of purpose and the list goes on and on.  All of these religious practices sounds good to the new Believer but are in fact divers doctrines which hinder and corrupt the Gospel of Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

This corruption results in spiritual adultery because the ‘unbelieving Believer’ believes in the Cross of Christ for Salvation and thank God for it, but they do not believe the Cross of Christ is sufficient to break the power of sin in their lives so they follow after these divers and strange doctrines which appeals to the lust of their flesh.

“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.” 1 Cor. 1:17

The Holy Spirit does not work outside of faith in Jesus Christ and Him crucified.  No matter the multitude of religious doctrines and ceremonies to which we sincerely consecrate ourselves, our faith in those doctrines for the victory that we seek has made the Cross of Christ of no effect and you..yes, you are an unbelieving Believer.

To be sure, it’s not just ‘you’, it’s every Believer on the face of this earth that must fight this fight daily; the ‘good fight’.  The only fight we are called upon to fight; the fight of faith…faith in Jesus Christ and Him crucified; be determined to know nothing else among you.

“Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto you are also called, and have professed a good profession before many witnesses.” 1 Tim. 6:12

-Donna Clark Warren

Before I dive into the Scripture, I want to make it perfectly clear that I’m not here to debate the timing of the Rapture of the Church.  I believe the Word of God plainly teaches His Church will be raptured before the Great Tribulation.  I do not believe in mid-tribulation or post-tribulation rapture but this is not a matter of Salvation…so let the reader believe what they wish.  However,  I do ask you to consider these questions, if the Church is to be ‘purified’ during the Great Tribulation, because the Word of God does say that Jesus will come back for a Church without spot or wrinkle then:

1.  Is the Blood of Christ Jesus not sufficient to purify His People?  What then did Jesus go to Calvary’s Cross?
2. If it is going to take going through the Great Tribulation, what then happens to Believers who have died since Jesus’ Finished Work on Calvary’s Cross to Save whosoever will believe?

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have Everlasting Life.” John 3:16

Was that a lie?  God forbid no!

If you are a professing Christian who does not believe in the Rapture of the Church then you need to get Saved…and I don’t say that lightly.  The word ‘rapture’ simply means to be ‘carried away’ and is another term we Believers use regarding the Resurrection.  If you don’t belief in the Resurrection, then you don’t believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  The Death and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ is the very foundation of Christianity.  It is proof of life after death for whosoever will accept the finished work of Jesus’ Death, the Sacrifice of His Body, as their payment in full for sin and that three days later He was Resurrected out of that borrowed tomb as proof that every sin was atoned.  Knowing Who Jesus is (God manifest in the flesh, Who came to die on Calvary’s Cross to pay sin’s penalty of death for whosoever will believe [Romans 6:23], we have no doubt as to His glorious Resurrection).  Jesus walked this earth for 40 days after His Resurrection showing many miracles, signs and wonders which all edified God and His Word.  He has ascended unto Heaven (Luke 24:51) and now sits at the Right Hand of the Throne of God where He, through His very presence, makes constant intercession for us who believe.  At Salvation we are IN Christ Jesus, Baptized into His Death, where sin’s penalty was paid and it’s power broken.  The Believer is not longer bound by sin but afforded the ability to walk in newness of life in Christ Jesus.  Being planted together in His physical death, we shall also be planted together in His Resurrection.

^“4 Therefore we are buried with Him by Baptism into Death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

⁵ For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His Death, we shall be also in the likeness of His Resurrection:”  Romans 6:3-5

Being planted together in Christ’s Resurrection this side of glory, in this mortal coil that we now occupy until He comes, sin no longer has dominion over us if our faith remains focused on Jesus as the Source and His Cross (His Death) the means by which sin’s dominion remains under our feet.  When our focus turns to our own will power, abilities, intellect, etc., the Holy Spirit is not commissioned to superintend the Work of God in our hearts and sin’s dominion can quickly regain it’s throne.

The action of sin that we see is the result, not the cause, of sin’s dominion.  When we see ourselves being overtaken by sin, our faith has been moved from the finished work of Christ Jesus to another method.  The focus of the prodigal son was not his father but his father’s promises.  When his heart turned from his father and to his promises, he found himself slipping further and further into sin and it took him eating with the swine before his heart returned to it’s rightful place.  Don’t let your heart mislead you friend.  It is deceitful and wicked.  Recognize these actions of sin in our lives as warnings of our heart’s true condition, repent and ask the Lord for deliverance from whatever pit you may find yourself in.  He is faithful and true and will bring you out from the miry clay and once again set your feet on solid ground.

From glory to glory we are changed into the image of Christ Jesus by the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:18) for HIS Glory and not our own.  We are all appointed a time to die unless the Lord comes to take His Church home, aka the ‘Rapture’, and until then we occupy these mortal coils until He comes.  This flesh decays; it grows weary and will return to dust but our soul and spirit goes immediately to be with the Lord if we are Saved  (2 Corinthians 5:8)  and to hell if they die unbelieving.  The story of Lazarus and the rich man plainly shows us our spirit is fully and eternally conscious of our condition once we die (Luke 16:19-31).  To be sure, once the gates of hell close on the unbeliever, their’s is a conscious eternity in the Lake of Fire.  Purgatory is a lie straight from the pits of hell and has led many into it’s gates.

^“13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that you sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

¹⁴ For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him.

¹⁵ For this we say unto you by the Word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

¹⁶ For the Lord Himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the Trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

¹⁷ Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

¹⁸ Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

This ‘Resurrected Life’ of which we now live in this mortal coil is but a mere glimpse of what Jesus has in store for His Children; corruption has not yet put on incorruption.   Jesus has gone before us and has created a place for us.  He will come again, in the clouds with a SHOUT that will wake the dead, and those mortal coils of believing Saints who have gone before us will RISE UP, glorified; without corruption and those who believe and remain shall be caught up together with them to meet the Lord in the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord!!

“Let not your heart be troubled: you believe in God, believe also in Me.

² In My Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” John 14:1-3

THIS is our hope!!  Jesus Christ!  He came to die on Calvary’s Cross to reconcile us unto God that we may live forever more with the One Who Saved us; the One Who is sitting at the Right Hand of the Throne of God and we will behold the Face of Him Who first loved us!

He would not have us be ignorant Brethren concerning Believers which have gone before us as the lost who have no hope.  Their spirits are with the Lord right now and one day soon and very soon their glorified bodies are going to rise up out of that grave!

Today is the day of Salvation…you don’t want to be left behind in the Great Tribulation.  No man knows the day or the hour that Jesus will come for His Children.  There are no Bible prophecies which must take place before the Rapture.  It could be today.  As a young child I believed there were ‘things’ that had to happen before the Rapture and that I would have some type of ‘warning’.  Well I did, and so do you, it’s between Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21.

As that rich man begs to this day for a drop of water, he cried out to be able to come back and warn his family.

^“28 For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.

²⁹ Abraham said unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.

³⁰ And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.

³¹ And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.” Luke 16:28-31

Today is the day of Salvation my friend.  The only thing a Believer can take with them is souls.  Sadly there are many in hell today crying out to be able to come warn their family of the devil’s hell being a real place of torment.  Just as real as Heaven is, so too is hell.

Have you believed? Jesus is coming soon!

-Donna Clark Warren