In all the years I have been in the ministry I have never found another issue that was dealt with as ineffectively as the matter of peace. Frankly, I think more unsound advice has been given in this area than any other. And I am talking about what should be the positive side of this issue. When we go by how we feel instead of what our own spirit is trying to tell us we are making a serious mistake. So, pay close attention to this teaching.

This message and the two that will follow have been shortened in length for a definite reason. I am dealing with some very challenging material. It is information you will probably want to listen to several times. I would venture to say this will be brand new insight for most of those who hear it. However, these messages contain the keys to the control we must have over our emotions.

When Jesus taught in the Synagogue and quoted a very familiar passage from Isaiah about being anointed was Jesus talking about our emotions? I think that is a very valid question. Yet, we usually only apply that to our physical well-being. Most of our challenges are the result of the things on the inside of us that need to be healed. Listen carefully about the way this can happen for you.

There are eight major emotions that all of us have that can and do at times hinder us in our walk with the Lord. You know what those emotions are. When I mention them, you will immediately recognize them. You experience them on a regular basis. It may not have occurred to you that they are the reason you hesitate to do what God tells you to do. But it is true. More importantly, if you have gotten that far, you still may not know how to fix this. I can help you. So, listen carefully.

Your emotions will be involved in the decision making process. Just be sure that what you decide is not based strictly on those emotions. You will live with those decisions, but how you feel about what you decided can change very quickly. And the change can be drastic. Emotions are a very important part of our lives. But God did not intend for us to run our lives based on how we feel. The just shall live by faith - not feelings.

Without question, we are all emotional beings. Some show it more than others. However, what matters is how much we allow our emotions to determine how we live. We are spirit beings. Emotions spring from the soul. Our choices should be made based on what we know in our spirit and not what we feel in our soul. This takes years of discipline and determination. Consider the degree to which fear dictates what you do. That is not a criticism. It is just something to provoke you to think.

A favorite Scripture I have often quoted is found in Numbers 23:19 which says: “God is not a human who lies or a mortal who changes his mind.
When he says something, he will do it;
when he makes a promise, he will fulfill it." If we really believe that, then why would we ever attempt to accomplish what God has said He will do. Excitement can provoke us to try to make things come about more quickly. Rest assured, it never works.

You can't live in the past. Don't even try. But sometimes we realize the problems we have today are the result of not listening to what God said to us in the past. So, pay close attention to what God is saying to you (at this very moment) about your future. God knows what lies ahead and He is trying to tell you some things to say and do or maybe to not say and do. This is called walking in the spirit. Try it!

Many people hear the voice of God on a regular basis. However, they are not sensitive enough to the Spirit of God to even know it is God talking to them. They just assume it is their own imagination. This does not mean their conscience is seared. That is an entirely different matter, which I discuss in this podcast. But we can learn things about being sensitive to God by learning what has happened in the lives of those whose conscience is seared.

When we talk about the people mentioned in the Bible we often only recall the good things we know about them. But the good stuff is not the only reason we know their names. Some of them made terrible decisions. The decision to follow God's voice is just the first step. If there is difficulty and you mess things up that does not mean you didn't start out following God. Don't quit! Never quit! Keep listening. Keep following. God is for you and not against you. Never forget that!