Intercessors…Thank you for your ongoing prayers for Kathy’s Jan. 15 hip-replacement surgery. It was a success! She is recovering well at home, under Dr. Dea’s care! Pray for a rapid recovery by divine intervention so that both she and I can soon fully return to ministry! Churches in other states are planning to schedule me. For February, I will at least preach locally at my home church:

Feb. 22: Whittier, CA The Crossing Foursquare

 Dea’s New Daily Email Teachings
by Dea Warford

For over a decade, I have sent out daily devotional teachings online. Many of you reading this follow them daily, once a week, or once a month. Some feel that they are too wordy. So, I wanted to make shorter, sweeter devotionals that emphasize one verse of Scripture and one primary truth for earnest seekers to be inspired on an ongoing basis. If you already receive them, I hope they will be another valuable resource for your daily devotions. If you used to read them daily, but opted out because it was just too much with all your other emails, or if you were accidentally removed from the daily list by the problem I have with the company (Constant Contact) that we pay to send these out, after reading the sample teachings below, I hope you will want to opt back in. I can show you how. If you signed up for once a week or once a month, I can also help you switch to daily (if you want). Judge for yourself:

Here are three from just this past week…

 “ Words, yes, Words”  (sent January 19)

 “And they overcome him (the devil) by the blood of the Lamb and by the Word of their testimony” (Revelation 12:11).

When I’ve preached on this verse, I usually interpreted the phrase…

“the Word of their testimony”
as…
the Word = the Bible;
their testimony = the confession of their faith

But I have a revelation!
The way we overcome the devil is summed up by one all-inclusive word…

WORDS!
Every weapon of war that the Lord has given us to overcome the devil either originates with words or culminates with words. Consider some of these weapons…

The Name of Jesus (spoken, not thought!)

The Holy Spirit (revealing Scriptures we quote)

Praise (always involves words)

The Bible (not just read, but put in the mouth!)

Faith (which results in speech)

Think of any other weapon of warfare you see in the scriptures and ask yourself, “Am I intended only to think this…or am I to speak it?”

Learn from how Jesus did it! When the devil tempted Him, our Lord didn’t gently smile and think about the truth. He spoke specific words to Satan…“Get behind me!”

Proverbs 18:21: “Life and death are in the power of the tongue.” Note carefully: Where life and death are concerned, the needed POWER is released by the tongue (and that doesn’t mean using it to eat food!). No! It means using your tongue to speak words out loud!

It’s the last days! Satan is likely attacking you even today. What can and should you do? It’s really simple! Use…

“Words, yes, Words Proof You Believe (sent Jan. 21)

“But since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, ‘I believed and therefore I spoke’ we also believe and therefore speak.” (2 Cor. 4:13). (Continuing our study on the power of the tongue)

So you believe something? Are you sure? How so you know if you believe? Because God’s Word says it? Because you feel confident in your heart, or are doing your best to have faith?

Paul wrote above that when we believe, we act upon it. How? Paul quotes from Psalm 116:10:

“I believed, therefore I spoke.”
Then, like the Psalmist, Paul says:
“We believe and therefore speak.”

You believe? Then you will speak words…period! The words coming out of your mouth are the strongest evidence of your faith! In fact, your words. Paul says, are the very “spirit of faith!” Notice that “spirit” is not capitalized. Why is that? Because it’s not referring to something the Spirit of God does. It is something we do!

This “spirit” is like the metaphor, “the spirit of America”, which speaks of our American ideal of freedom, liberty, and patriotism; things we have always been willing to fight to the death to defend. And we are called to a great fight of faith. The spirit of that faith includes battles to defend it. And, as we learned in Rev. 12:11, the word of our testimony is a primary weapon!

We show our faith when we SPEAK words to the devil, words to God in prayer and praise, words of the gospel to the lost, and in our confession and decrees. You believe God will heal you?  You believe your financial needs will be met?  You believe sinners are going to Hell? If you believe such things the way Paul learned to believe, then you will…

SPEAK!

“Astonish Unbelievers!” (from January 20, 2026)

“Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had been done, being astonished at the
teaching of the Lord” (Acts 13:12).

The above verse is taken from the story in Paul’s life when he was at Paphos, preaching the Word to the proconsul (a governor or military commander of an ancient Roman province: Miriam-Webster). There was a sorcerer, Bar-Jesus, who withstood Paul, trying to turn the proconsul away from the faith. In verses 9, 10:

“Then Saul…filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him and said…you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness…And now, indeed, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you shall be blind, not seeing the sun for a time.”

“You shall be blind.”

It was the revealed word of the Lord, yet this “reverse-miracle” didn’t happen until Paul spoke it himself with his own lips (as we discussed yesterday!). Next, in verse 12, we see what resulted:

“Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had been done, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord” (Acts 13:12).

An unprecedented supernatural event made a believer out of an unbeliever! But first, Paul had to wage spiritual warfare through the guidance of the Spirit and share “the teaching of the Lord.”

2 Things I want to emphasize:

1/ Spoken words (“Be Blind”) resulted in a new and very convincing miracle!
2/ Spoken words (“the teaching of the Lord”) along with that miracle resulted in a salvation!

The Lord is about to do a new thing on Earth. Like Paul, you and I will perform miracles (as we are led by the Spirit to do so). And we will share the gospel with a needy world! At that hour, the millions of unconvinced Americans, whose eyes Satan has blinded, will believe and then join us in the final harvest!

Practice today! Ask the Holy Spirit to inspire you with words to speak to another. Then share “the teaching of the Lord” and all that it entails (healing, deliverance, joy, eternal life). Your words, yes, your words will soon…

Astonish Unbelievers!

(Below is an edited 2025 annual report Nathan gave to the Board of Directors of Warford Ministries. He recently settled back in Osaka after a very successful  furlough  preaching  in  churches, raising missionary funds, and getting some needed R&R. He is focusing on language study and other necessary business to establish a beachhead for ministry in Osaka!)

“January to July, I served weekly with a YWAM church-planting team in Tokyo, participating in a wide  range  of  ministries:  Weekly  Church Services: Assisted every Saturday evening by helping lead communion, praying for attendees, and  organizing  hospitality.  Evangelism  & Discipleship: Participated  in  weekly  street evangelism in local parks and neighborhoods.

I also discipled several Japanese men through one-on-one Bible study, prayer, and spiritual mentoring. Men’s Bible Study: Helped lead a weekly men’s Bible study focused on scripture, prayer,  encouragement,  and  activation  into ministry.

Local Church Support: Assisted a local church through facilities upkeep, sharing my testimony, and encouraging members.

I also evangelized at the pastor’s son’s restaurant, engaging patrons with the gospel.

Encouraging the Body of Christ: Visited other churches and spent time encouraging local believers and long- term missionaries. Mercy Ministry: Participated in prayer walks with ZOE, a mercy ministry serving individuals in Tokyo’s red-light district.

Missions Hospitality: Helped host missions’ logistics and evangelism efforts.

When not engaged in direct ministry, I continued Japanese  language  study  and  remained connected with supporters in the United States.

In July 2025, I returned to California to meet with supporters and ministered in 3 churches:

Acton  Foursquare  –  River  of  Life  Church;

Whittier  Foursquare  -The  Crossing; 

Mercy Church,  Bellflower. 

During  these  visits,  I preached, shared testimonies of God’s work in Japan, led altar calls, prayed for congregants, and invited others to partner in monthly and one- time financial support.

While at Mercy Church, I was honored to receive my ordination as a Licensed Minister of the Gospel, a milestone affirming God’s calling on my life.

After  returning  to  Japan,  I  participated  in a YWAM missionary gathering in September, bringing together missionaries from across the nation. During this time, we engaged in street evangelism,  corporate  worship,  prayer,  and strategic  planning  to  better  collaborate  in reaching Japan for Christ.

It was during this season that God clearly confirmed a calling He had placed on my heart earlier—to relocate to Osaka and serve alongside a Foursquare church and YWAM base.

In October, I moved to Osaka and  began  serving  in  multiple  ministry expressions, including Coffee house ministry; Hosting missions teams; Orphanage and mercy ministry outreach; and also serving in the church’s preschool.

In November,  I  attended  a YWAM  Church Planting Seminar, where we combined street evangelism and discipleship with teaching from experienced  international  missionaries.  This training further equipped me for the church- planting vision God is leading me toward.

In December 2025, I returned again to California for furlough and ministry. I spoke in the same three churches as I did in July, with the addition of the Iglesia Palabra Viva (A Spanish-speaking church), Sylmar, CA.

Across all four churches, I shared  updates  from  Japan,  prayed  for individuals, encouraged missions engagement, and raised needed financial support.