As saints of Christ and disciples of His Word we are taught to love thy neighbor has ourselves.  We are taught to speak the truth in love and to walk in love. “And now abides, Faith, Hope, Love, these three; but the greatest of these is Love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13. It is love alone that makes us in the likeness of God.

The love of God is an agape love.  God’s love for His Son, His creation and those who follow the Lord Jesus Christ is a perfect and supreme love.  “Phileo” love is “a fondness of” or “feeling friendly toward” someone.  Love is only recognized by the actions it produces.  The love of God for us is seen in the gift of His Son as a Sacrifice for our reconciliation, redemption and salvation.  God’s “action” in sending Jesus as our Sacrifice and Saviour produced our salvation.

The sugar coated, fake until you make it, motivational gospel is chock full of fondness of one another.  Please don’t misunderstand, we are exhorted to be affectionate one to another with brotherly love (Romans 12:10).  The point in this discussion is to contrast the “fondness or affection” toward one another because we don’t know nor care about their weaknesses, the bondage they may be under or the oppression they are feeling, as opposed to knowing these things and loving them anyway.  We don’t love them because they are successfully denying their problem.  We don’t try to make them comfortable in their sin.  We love them in their problem and pray with them for their deliverance.    God’s love toward us was not complacent but active.  “…freely ye have been given, freely give.” Matthew 10:8 has been mistakenly interpreted as “freely give so we can freely receive”.  This scripture has become a form of works as many do not understand God’s agape love because of their phileo love for Him.

Many in the church today have a phileo love for God because the only requirement for agape love is having no requirement which lays waste our works.  The church today is exhausted and crippled from man trying to rehabilitate the oppressed saint with 40 days or 12 steps instead of pointing them to the place where that bondage has already been defeated…the Cross of Jesus.  These brothers and sisters who are truly seeking God are being led to the slaughter of the psychological gospel by wolves in sheep’s clothing.  The seducing spirits of demonic doctrine will point one anywhere but the Cross of Jesus for deliverance.

The Gospel of Jesus is active.  The agape love of God for us is active.  It is God’s love in us that produces actions.  When we attempt to imitate Christ through our actions, the world loves us.  When God’s love in us produces Christ like actions, the religious, self righteous world will hate you.  God’s agape love for us was shown active in His Son, Jesus Christ and Him Crucified.  We do not have to earn His love as evidence by His action. Once we come to the understanding of the sacrifice made on the Cross of Jesus we will begin to understand the agape love God has for us.  Once we begin to understand what the Sacrifice of Jesus accomplished for us, we will understand our victory over sin, hell and the grave…and then we give freely the Good News of the gift we have been given in Jesus Christ as our Saviour.  – Donna Warren

“…Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.” Luke 23:46.  It was at that moment satan knew he was defeated.  There was no war in hell for the keys to hell.  Revelations 1:18 states “I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.”  Satan never had the keys to hell and has never determined who entered hell.  The sacrifice Jesus made was a debt owed to God for our sins so we could be reconciled with Him.  This debt was not owed to satan.

Our victory over sin, hell and the grave was won by Jesus Christ on the Cross.  Before His crucifixion, Jesus was the only one who believed He would be resurrected.  The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is what makes the Gospel effective.  His Resurrection is our proof that our sin debt was paid in full.  The victory was gained at the Cross of Jesus; in His sacrifice.  God always looks to the sacrifice and not the sinner…praise the Lord!

When our faith lies on the resurrection of Jesus (where our proof of victory is) and not on the sacrifice of Jesus (where our victory over sin, hell and the grave is, where the power of God is and where the price was paid), our faith is shifted from the power of God to the promises of God.  “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 1:18.  While this may seem of no consequence to our salvation, it is of major consequence to those who need the power of God for healing and breaking strongholds.  I am not talking about the wooden beam where Jesus was crucified.  As horrible and grotesque as Jesus’ suffering was, I’m not talking about His suffering.  We recognize the suffering and can’t begin to comprehend the suffering Jesus endured.  To see how truly bad sin is, all we have to do is  look to the Cross of Jesus.  What I am talking about, is what Jesus accomplished for us on the Cross.  At the moment Jesus gave up the Ghost, our victory was won.   For a Christian, we celebrate His resurrection every day because we understand the effect of His death for our salvation and sanctification!  We understand we are victorious because Jesus already won and we don’t have to go around reminding ourselves we are righteous in Him because we are so thankful for His righteousness.  The only thing we have to do is remind ourselves His payment was and is in FULL and we don’t have to add to it.  Any attempt for us to please God outside of faith in Jesus’ finished work, is an insult to Jesus and in rebellion to God’s plan.

Many Christians have been desensitized to these “small” things which has lead to the church being crippled.  The power and sovereignty of God is slanted when we are taught there was a battle over the keys of hell or Jesus came to pay a debt to satan.  “For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:” Romans 6:5.  For us to truly be planted together in the likeness of His death, we must truly understand His death….then we will also be in the likeness of His resurrection.  He is Risen! Hallelujah!!  – Donna Warren

How many of us have stood in prayer circles, holding hands while sincerely seeking God?  I have.  What about standing in the middle while others have prayed for you?  Yep, me too.  Imagine my surprise when I began to search the scripture for references to prayer circles and found none – zero, zilch, nothing!  Digging a little deeper, prayer circles are actually a form of witch craft with pagan roots.  They are an occult practice which supposedly causes the energy in the body to form a chain.  Prayers circles are indeed another form of paganism that has made it’s way into God’s House.  God’s children who are sincere (as I, myself was) but sincerely wrong!  Before I go any farther with this subject, please don’t misunderstand, I am not talking about prayer meetings.  I am talking about the rituals man has placed on talking to God.  When the great day of Pentecost came in Acts 2:1 “they were all with one accord in one place.”, not in a circle holding hands.

The Bible tells us how to pray but we tend to like “our” way better; it seems more spiritual and holy – you know kind of like the Pharisee and the Publican in Luke 18:9-14.  “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16.  We pray with confidence that we are given authority to come to the throne of God in full consciousness that it was the atoning Blood of Jesus Christ that made this meeting possible.  It is with this humility in the sight of God that He lifts us up (James 4:10), not because we are holding hands in a circle.

Many will say “God knows my heart” when it comes to prayer circles, easter bunnies and the like, but shouldn’t we be seeking HIS heart on the matter?  Look how long and how imbedded the easter bunny is in our Christian religion. Just because “we” have Christianized the easter bunny and other doctrines of demons and made them holy according to our standards, doesn’t mean we have successfully brought God’s bar of Holiness down to our level.  It simply means instead of “Chrislam” we have “Chrisaganism” (Christian with a dash of paganism).  What’s the difference?  Compromise with false doctrine is compromise…it doesn’t matter which false doctrine, they all have the same leader, satan.

In conclusion, I would like to revert back to my study on prayer circles.  As we know, Christianity is not a religion but a relationship; therefore, when in the presence of God, I do not want to hold your hand but I prefer to lift up my hands and pray to the Lord God Almighty.  I may even fall on my face in the presence of the Lord.  The Holy Spirit doesn’t require the holding of hands for “unity in the Spirit”, He is omnipresent and ministers directly to our heart.  What would you do if you were in the literal presence of God (because you are when in prayer), stand in a circle and hold my hand …or lift up holy hands and approach Him with boldness and humility?   “I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, …” 1 Timothy 4:8.  – Donna Warren

Knowing who we are in Christ is knowing our position in spite of our condition.  Truly knowing who we are in Christ produces humility in condition instead of pride of position.  Liberal and convenient Christianity does not understand true condition but only recognizes professed position. Until our position is understood, our Christian walk is stumped.  We cannot stand against the enemy until our position is realized.  “Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” Ephesians 6:11.

The enemy is real.  Satan walks around as a roaring lion, seeking who he can devour (1 Peter 5:8).  To the saints, he is always looking to trap or ensnare and to the sinners…well, he is their god.  The believer must understand their position in Christ which, as I stated, requires recognizing their condition.  “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.” James 2:19.  The demons believe in Jesus but they are not saved, nor do they have the power of God.  As a Christian, we accept Jesus as our Saviour.  We understand He died on the Cross for us.  However, how many Christians do not walk in the power of God?  They have accepted Jesus’ justification but have not accepted their condition.

Once we, as Christians, accept our condition our position is revealed.  By yielding completely to the Lord’s provision and care of our spiritual well being, we understand His power and our condition.  Then and only then, do we have on the whole armor of God; we understand the armor of God is provided by God and His power…and we abide in His power.  To “put on” in Greek is the same word as “abide”.

To understand who we are in Jesus, we will also understand humility.  We will understand God’s righteousness is not ours because we claim His righteousness but because of what Jesus’ did on the Cross.  Once we finally understand our position, we will understand professing our righteousness does not please God, as Joseph Prince and many others like to say, but it is the righteousness of Jesus that pleases God (“…This is my beloved Son, in whom, I am well pleased.” Matt.3:17).  It is our faith in Jesus that pleases God.  Anything else we do to try and please God is called works…and that includes positive confession.  If we have to remind ourselves we are the righteous of God, we don’t truly understand our position.

Too many believers don’t experience the power of God because they don’t believe.  To put on the full armor of God we must understand the power of God.  To understand the power of God we must know our position in Christ which requires accepting our condition.  THEN we will see the lame walk, the blind see and bondages brought down by the power of God. – Donna Warren

“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.  The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus is stronger than the Law of Sin and Death.   Any attempt to live for God by any means other than faith in Jesus is doomed to failure.

My problem is sin.  Your problem is sin.  Renaming sin doesn’t change sin.  A family curse is not a family curse, it is a sin.  Yes, Exodus speaks of family curses but Jesus Christ broke those family curses on the Cross.  A soul tie is not a soul tie, it is a sin.  A demon spirit is not a sin but is behind a sin.  We can’t cast out sin. All of this does not mean a person does not have problems.  More importantly, it DOES NOT mean they are not aGod loving, sincere Christian who is truly seeking help.  Actually the sin being committedis unrecognized and certainly unintentional. The sin is not believing Jesus finished work on the Cross defeated, broke and made a spectacle of every family curse, soul tie and demon spirit.  The sinis misappropriated faith.  Many Christians who profess faith in Jesus and Him Crucified unwittingly fail miserably when it comes to practicing faith in Jesus and Him Crucified.  They are not doing this intentionally but have been mislead by seducing spirits.  It was the Gospel of Jesus Christ who set us free upon salvation and it is the Gospel of Jesus Christ that will keep us free.  While sin will not send a saint to hell, it does give satan a legal right to keep the saint in bondage.  Trust in the sufficiency of God and His plan of salvation.  We must all purposefully place our faith in Jesus’  and His finished work.  When our faithis appropriated correctly in Jesus and Him Crucified the Holy Spirit has latitude to do His work in us.  All of this, as my husband says, “is like learning a new golf swing”.  Many hearts have been deceived and bondages remain. “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” Revelation 3:19-20.  The Lord is knocking….

– Donna Warren

Sin is the same from Adam and Eve to now and sin is the same for a sinner or a saint.  Sin is sin.  Our sin was paid for by Jesus and washed in His Blood once we ask forgiveness and repent.  The difference is the saint who knows the only way to overcome sin is through the Cross of Jesus.  There are many saints who try to get their sin delivered.  While all sin is demonic there is only one way to overcome the demonic…faith in Jesus Christ and Him Crucified.   There is a difference in expressing faith in a prayer and operating out of faith based on Jesus’ victory 2000+ years ago.

God ordained the sacrificial system.  The Old Testament sacrifices were cut open as God looked to the inside of the sacrifice.  The repentant sinner placed their hands on the head of the sacrifice and confessed all of their sins.  However, the blood of bulls and goats could not cleanse us from sin.  “Wherefore when He comes into the world, He said, Sacrifice and Offering You would not, but a Body have You prepared Me.  In Burnt Offerings and Sacrifices for sin You have had no pleasure.” Hebrews 10:5-6.   God became man and sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the wages of sin; the wages that God had placed against sinners.  Through Jesus, God offered the Perfect Sacrifice on the Cross.  It remains through Jesus that our deliverance is found from our sin nature.  Our faith in His victory over sin, hell and the grave is our deliverance.  It is the Gospel of Jesus that breaks strongholds and oppression; not a method, program or formula.

“Then said He, Lo, I come to do Your Will, O God.  He takes away the First that He may establish the Second.” Hebrews 10:9.  We can’t go back to an obsolete system and make it work.  Our works, no matter how “holy” does not bring us closer to God or give us victory over sin.  We have often heard the term “Christianity is not a religion but a relationship”.  Christianity is a life giving relationship.  Many don’t want to talk about the Cross of Jesus because it requires the crucifying of flesh.  What they don’t realize however, is the life given through the relationship with Jesus causes one to never miss the flesh crucified.  We don’t follow a set of rules but are quickened by the Holy Spirit to do the will of God.  Just as the Old Testament and the New Testament point to Jesus Christ and Him Crucified, so too will the Holy Spirit point us to Jesus and His finished work for our victory.  We discern our quickening by whether or not it agrees with the Word of God.  This discernment is why it is so important to know the Word of God for YOURSELF and not take man’s word only.

“Examine yourselves, whether you be in the Faith; prove your own selves.  Know you not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except you be reprobates? But I trust that you shall know that we are not reprobates.  Now I pray to God that you do no evil; not that we should appear approved, but that you should do that which is honest, though we be as reprobates.  For we can do nothing against the Truth, but for the Truth”  2 Corinthians 13:5-8.  The doctrines of demons will deceive the very elect and their pride can hinder spiritual growth.  Pointing out error in doctrine of man is not judging their doctrine but caring for their soul.  It is “A little leaven that leavens the whole lump” Galatians 5:6.  The grace that is given through the circumcision of the heart is only revealed when the circumcision is allowed; when our faith ascends from our mind to our heart.  – Donna Warren

“For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.” 2 Corinthians 11:4.

Having faith in Jesus and not understanding His work on the Cross is another Jesus.  The Apostle Paul preached Christ and Him Crucified.  Proclaiming faith in Jesus but not practicing faith in Jesus and Him Crucified is in fact, another Jesus.  You will know them by their fruit.  These are the saints that understand the New Covenant is not based on their faith.  They understand the New Covenant is between God and Jesus and cannot be broken.  It is the perfect sacrifice of Jesus that redeemed them to the Father and His resurrection is the proof of the fulfillment.  “For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:” Romans 6:5.  These saints of God, their faith is in His crucifixion because it is there where the Lord’s work was performed and their blessings are in His resurrection.  They are in the New Covenant because of their faith in the one who mediated the New Covenant.

Anything that belittles, dismisses, adds to or takes from the Work (Jesus and Him Crucified) that has redeemed them incites a type of godly jealously which offends others.  Many perceive this as legalism in it’s highest form, when in fact it is the simplicity of Jesus that gives these believers liberty and freedom.  These believers follow the blood trail of their High Priest and not man.  They know one cannot go any further than the Cross of Jesus Christ and Him Crucified for salvation, sanctification, justification and victory over sin, hell and the grave …I know I cannot go any further than the Cross of Jesus Christ and Him Crucified.  Hallelujah! – Donna Warren

“For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.  But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.  And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.” Galatians 3:10-12

My problem (along with every other saint) is sin, this is why Jesus came to save us – to give us victory over sin.  Therefore, my faith remains in what Jesus did and not what I can do.  The Holy Spirit will always point us forward and never back to Egypt.  Fads come and go through churches but the one true Gospel of Jesus is the One that stands.  The Gospel of Jesus will go forward long after the fads have withered.

The Hebraic Movement is another counterfeit gospel aimed at distracting the believer.  It is not being addressed by the church because of the appearance of anti-Semitism.  Being educated in Jewish culture is knowledge but practicing ancient Jewish culture is bondage.  This usually begins as a desire to be educated but morphs into adhering to the Kosher diet, Saturday Sabbaths and observance of festivals and holidays.  As Christians we have been given our Saviour, Jesus Christ, and EVERYDAY is our Passover – praise the Lord!  We are indeed suppose to pray for Israel and the Jewish people, but aren’t we suppose to be praying for their salvation and not compromising with their traditions and beliefs?  Could this compromise or commingling of law and faith not cause the Orthodox Jew to stumble over grace?  Instead of participating in the bondages of which  were indeed God ordained but fulfilled by Jesus to give us freedom and liberty, why don’t we tell them of our grace the Lord Jesus Christ has given us?  Unless of course we are actually already under bondage and this new fad brings a new bondage that seems holier.   Our holiness does not come from our observance of feasts, blowing of shofars or wearing of prayer shawls but from Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ alone.  All of these things are perfectly fine to do but while some choose to do those things keep in mind that saint digging that ditch at the same time is just as holy.

But this is a form of worship to please the Lord and to honor Him, right?  Don’t be mislead – the ONLY thing that we can do to please the Lord is have faith in His Son, Jesus Christ and remain in His will for our lives.  “Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.” 1 Peter 1:21.  We assemble together to honor and worship the Lord because of our love for Him and we can do so freely – praise the Lord!  We go to church and praise Him, we attend Bible studies to learn about Him, we seek Him night and day because of our relationship with Him, our life is a testimony to others  of Him….He is in us and we are in Him!  Rituals, routines, methods and programs don’t get us closer to the Lord.  Being seduced by Hebraic traditions does not get us closer to God and does not honor Jesus but in fact negates His work; negates His Cross.  As a Christian EVERY DAY is Passover – Hallelujah!!

There is nothing in the world wrong with learning the Jewish feasts.  As a Christian our roots are deeply rooted in Judaism and Hebrew culture.  However, to begin to observe these traditions is another gospel.  Having our faith in Jesus and ignoring the Cross ( and His fulfillment of the Law) is another Jesus.  “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.  For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.” 2 Corinthians 11:2-4.  Don’t allow the simplicity of Jesus be over come with tradition.  No where in the Bible does it call for Gentiles to follow Levitical laws.  As Gentiles, we were grafted into the seed of Abraham because of his faith, not the Mosaic Law.  Abraham’s faith was accounted to him as righteousness.

Judgment begins at the House of God (1 Peter 4:17).  Which gospel is the church today preaching?  Please understand the difference in bondage and discernment.  My heart aches for those who are sincerely wanting to please the Lord but sincerely doesn’t understand the only way to please Him is by trusting in Him, believing Him – having faith in His Son’s finished work.  God blessed the Gentiles to provoke the Jews.  Bless the Jews by showing them God’s grace…not by joining in their bondage.  – Donna Warren.

Seeker friendly churches seeking numbers in the pews instead of souls at the altars are the bait of satan for preachers to preach doctrines of demons, albeit pleasing and pretty, instead of the Gospel of Jesus and Him Crucified.  Every doctrine has a spirit behind it.  If the doctrine preached doesn’t have the power of God, it is not the Holy Spirit.  Worldly marketing isn’t church growth.  Doctrine that doesn’t give victory over sin nature but instead attempts to make sin comfortable is a doctrine of demons.  Doctrine can always be discerned by the way sin is addressed.  If sin is not addressed or ignored…it’s a doctrine of demons.  If doctrine points anywhere other than the Cross of Jesus for strongholds to be broken and oppression to be lifted…it is a doctrine of demons.  The same Jesus that saved us is the same Jesus that will keep us if we remain focused on Him.  Don’t give heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils (1Tim. 4:1).

“Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?” Galatians 4:16

-Donna Warren

It seems as though many “mature” Christians may need to go to their children’s and grandchildren’s Sunday school classes to be reminded of the power and sovereignty our God.  Religion has attempted to bring the bar of the Lord’s holiness and glory down to man’s level where man can comprehend even though the Bible clearly states “we walk by faith, not by sight” 2 Cor. 5:7.

I’m beginning to understand what Jesus meant when He said, “… Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.  Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”  Matthew 18:3-4.  God has designed a specific way for us to be reconciled to Him and it is through Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ alone.  Nothing we can do can add to the Lord’s sacrifice.  God has always had His way of coming into a relationship with His creation and His creation has always tried to make another way, starting with Cain, to King Saul to now – we always try to lower His bar of holiness to our level.  It was man’s offense toward God, man’s sin that offended God and cut us off from Him, that caused Jesus Christ to come and redeem us.  JESUS’ SACRIFICE WAS NOT A DEBT OWED TO satan BUT TO GOD.  God doesn’t, didn’t nor ever will owe the devil anything.  We were cut off from God because of  our sin and it was due to His love for us that He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to redeem us.  Satan would have us thinking Jesus’ sacrifice was to pay a debt owed to him, which would denote he has more power than what he actually does. 

Jesus did not die spiritually on the Cross, He died physically to redeem us of all our sins.  “For Christ also has once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:” 1 Peter 3:18.  Jesus’ life was not taken from Him.  Jesus’ beatings and sufferings were Him willfully submitting to God’s will to reconcile Himself (God)  with His people (His creation).  Jesus did not give up His life until the Holy Spirit told Him to die; no man took His life from Him (Hebrews 9:14).

Jesus’ defeat over sin, hell and the grave was for us; it was our victory He won on the Cross.  It was our debt Jesus paid TO GOD on the Cross for our sin.  Jesus defeat of satan was in His sacrifice TO GOD which atoned our sins.  There wasn’t some mythical battle in hell over the keys to hell.  Jesus has the keys to hell because God gave them to Him.  Satan has never determined who enters hell.  Jesus did not go down to hell and defeat the devil by speaking out the Word of God.  Again, the devil was defeated as soon as the sacrifice was made and the sacrifice was made when God, through the Holy Spirit, said it was made…not man and not satan.

It is one thing if we, throughout the body of Christ, differ on some of our beliefs.  For example, speaking in tongues, long hair, no make up, etc. but when we start to diminish the almighty power of God through false teaching such as this it is insulting to God.  Any revelations that are different from what God has provided us in His Word comes straight from the pits of hell.  These are demonic spirits that takes our faith away from the power of God which is in the Cross of Jesus and Him Crucified.   It was there our victory was obtained.

“For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:” Romans 6:5.  We must first understand the fullness of His death before we will ever have “the likeness of His resurrection”. – Donna Warren