Being a Christian does not make us exempt from the issues and pains of life, Or the things that other people say and do. Being a Christian puts us in a position where we can make different choices. And no matter what we are going through or dealing with in our lives, We as children of God have the ability to choose between life and death, and blessing and cursing. The problem for me was once I became a Christian and was desiring to experience the freedom, joy, and peace that the bible talks about. I didn't understand how to make these choices and walk in the things that Jesus has made available for us. I was taught that we are to live by faith and not be moved by what we feel or see. Which is scriptural truth and the way we are to live. But I was continually wrestling with my thoughts and emotions trying very hard not to be moved by them. And one day I started talking to the Lord about it, Asking Him if we are to live by faith and not be moved by what we see or feel. Then why did He create us with emotions and what is the purpose of our emotions as believer's. And for a few years He began to take me on a journey of understanding about our emotions and why we have them. And it has taken me almost 15 years to really understand and get a deeper revelation of these issues. However, it has led me to two of the greatest revelations that God has ever given me that is continually leading me to a place of healing and freedom. It was a twofold revelation because in order for us to experience freedom and healing emotionally we have to understand the process of transformation by the RENEWING OF OUR MINDS. Because our thoughts and perception trigger our emotions and our emotions trigger our thoughts and perception. The way we think and perceive our selfs and others has a very instrumental effect on our emotions. And the way we feel has an effect on how we think and perceive our selfs and others.

One day while reading in the scriptures the Lord spoke very clearly to me and said “ weak is the man who allows his emotions to control his actions. But strong is the man who makes his actions control his emotions”. And we have wonderful examples of this in the bible through the life's of men and woman throughout history. Specially King David. We see more of the lifestyle and attributes of David more than any other person next to Jesus in the bible. And if you read through the Psalms you can clearly see how emotionally expressive David was and how he dealt with his emotions. No matter how David was feeling or what he was dealing with in his life. He ALWAYS went to God and expressed himself openly and freely to Him. And it was as I was reading and studying the life of David that the Lord revealed to me that our emotions are indicators to help us see whether we are reacting or responding to the flesh ( Carnal nature) or the spirit. In almost every psalm that David wrote we can clearly see that as he expressed himself to God he would move into a place where he would talk and reflect on the goodness, mercy, love, and power of God. I personally believe that As he went to God with whatever he was dealing with it was in those places of commuinion with God where spoke truth (revealed) to Him regarding whatever it was. And it was then that God told me that this is how we are suppose to respond to our emotions. And 15 years later He confirmed this truth to me as I was talking and praying with my pastors when through our prayer time the Holy Spirit said that as I went to Him with whatever I was feeling He will speak truth into it. God can only heal what we are willing to feel and take to Him. God does not want us ignoring or suppressing our feelings, He wants us to come to Him with whatever it is we are feeling so He can speak truth and change the way we see things about our self's or the situations we are dealing with. As He changes the way we see things He is transforming us and healing us by renewing our minds. And He changes the way we see things by speaking truth ( His Word) to us.

When people are talking to you or you hear something,You do not see words running through your mind. But you see images. That is because words create images. And the images that we have about our self's, others, and even God dictate the way we feel and the things we do ( As a man thinks so is he). And that is the enemies only weapon against us and how he tries to keep us in bondage emotionally and spiritually. All he can do is speak lies to us and when we believe his lies we remain in a place of bondage. The perfect example of this is in the garden when he deceived Eve. The bible does not say how long Adam and Eve were in the garden before they fell. And you know that they had to see the tree of knowledge with their natural eyes many times. Yet when Satan comes to Eve and starts talking to her about what God said about eating of the tree. It says that “ When Eve SAW that the tree was good for food, That it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise. She took of it's fruit and ate”. She was deceived because the way she SAW (Perceived) within her mind changed and that is what caused her to eat of the fruit. Her perception changed not her natural vision. This is why throughout the bible God tells us to keep His word before our eyes, Read it and meditate on it day and night. Because as we read and meditate ( Think & Ponder) on His word, We are choosing life & blessing because we are giving God something to work with to speak truth (Give Revelation) to. So we can STOP believeing and focusing on the lies that have been holding us in bondage. If we continue to believe lies about our self's and our situations we will never experience the freedom, healing, joy, and peace of the Lord. But as we go to our Heavenly Father completely open before Him with our emotions He will then speak ( Reveal) truth (His Word) to us. And it is as He speaks that His spoken word creates an image in your mind. And now you have something to stand on and exalt in the face of what you are feeling or dealing with ( the weapons of our warfare are not carnal. But mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God; Bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. 2 corintians 10:4-5 NKJV). His spoken word is what we put our faith in. Knowing that what He has revealed (Spoken) to us is truth. And what He has spoken WILL come to pass because His word WILL/CAN not return to Him void. I know that it is easier said than done when we are dealing with all the emotions and thoughts that go on within us at times. But we have the ability and freedom to choose between life and death and blessing and cursing. And as we go before the Lord and talk to Him and embrace His truth we will come to a place of healing and freedom emotionally and spiritually.

I would just like to encourage everyone who may be dealing with depression, anger, fear, guilt, and the many other things that keep us from experiencing the abundant life that Jesus has given us. Inner healing and renewing of the mind is a process. But God is in that process and knows exactly how to deal with us and get us through it. So many times we hear people say that God is in control. And that is the absolute truth. However, We also have a part in our spiritual growth, healing, deliverance and freedom. We are Co-Laborers together with God. We must seek His presence in everything we are dealing with in our life's Because it is only in His presence where we find the answers and help for all of our needs Spiritually, Emotionally, and Physically. Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is Liberty. Go before your Heavenly Father and ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes of understanding and help you express whatever it is you are feeling or dealing with, And wait upon the Lord until He speaks truth into your circumstances and situations. And when He speaks stand on His word until it manifests itself in your situation.

Much Love,

Richard.

Once we experience grace within of ourselves. Changes begin internally which result in changes noticeable externally. As you will see grace impacts our sense of WHOM we are as a human being. Because grace affects our belief system, and our behaviors arise from our beliefs ( As a man thinks so is he). There are many facets and levels of grace, because grace really isn't something that can be summed up in a few words. But I would like to just talk about a few of the basic fundamentals of grace that God has given us to experience.

1) Grace as PARDON-Forgiven our wrongs. This is God’s answer for guilt.
2) Grace as ACCEPTANCE-Reunited with God and our true selves. Accepted, cradled, held, affirmed, and loved. This is God’s answer to shame.
3) Grace as POWER-Provides the spiritual power to shed the heaviness of shame, guilt, fear, feeling unworthy and unimportant. And in lightness of grace we can move toward the true self God created us to be.
4) Grace as GRATITUDE-Gives us a sense of wonder at the lavish generosity of our Heavenly Father. To experience grace is to reconnect with ourselves at the very depth of our being. Grace permits and enables us to accept the actual self. Grace makes self-Knowledge bearable. Grace based people dare to own any motive, drive, sadness, joy, and any of the many emotions that go on within us. By owning our depths we no longer deny those parts of us and we can bring them to God for healing ( God can only heal what we are willing to feel). Grace ALLOWS us to be free to feel and share our feelings with our Heavenly Father. Because as we go to Him with our feelings completely open before Him. He will speak truth into whatever we are feeling, And His truth will heal us and bring a deeper awareness of who we really are.

Once we accept ( Believe) that we CANNOT ever be so unacceptable as to be unaccepted. WE exchange fear of rejection for grace. Because grace says " We are accepted". Not by taking our fear, guilt, shame, regret, failures, etc,etc away. Nor by separating what is healthy and not. But by removing the one thing all these things cause us to fear the most: REJECTION. This lands us on our feet-The experience of being accepted for who YOU ARE is the beginning of healing for the feeling of being unacceptable. Because being accepted is the SINGLE most compelling need of our lives.