Emotional Responsibility And Living a Spirit Filled Life

 I want to talk about living the Spirit filled life. Specifically what emotional responsibility has to do with living a successful and powerful spirit filled life.  The Lord has drawn my  attention to this subject recently.

 Through some classes at work, a recent interview I watched on television, and prayer,  I believe The Lord has confirmed to me the importance of His people learning about the connection between being fully aware and responsible for our own feelings and emotions, and The Spirit Filled Life. He will be able to inhabit His body and demonstrate His manifold wisdom, through His Body, to all the seen and unseen world, when we are able to respond intelligently to His Presence.

 So,  what does it mean to be emotionally intelligent and emotionally responsible?  There are many many articles, studies  and books written on the subject.  If you do a Google search on emotional intelligence or emotional responsibility you will find a wide variety of slide shows, books, articles and many psychological and scientific studies on the matter.  All of them are very good, very informative and all of them offer a deeper understanding of what Emotional Intelligence and Emotional Responsibility is.

  But for the purposes of this article I want to simplify this subject. Because it all boils down to one simple but profound truth. Your feelings are not your emotions.  Your feelings do not automatically dictate what your response should be. Your emotional response, to any feelings that you may have, is a choice that you make, and that you alone are responsible for. Realizing and securing this as truth in your thought processes can set you free from so many things that cause you to get off course in life.

  I want to keep the focus of this article on what emotional responsibility and emotional intelligence has to do with the Spirit filled life. However, it is important to note, that the idea of raising emotionally responsible  and emotionally intelligent children is being recognized by secular psychologist as something that will be critical  in order to prepare this next generation for the world to come. The lack of teaching on emotional intelligence and emotional responsibility, and the fact that many parents are ignorant themselves about their emotions, is being recognized more and more as a major hindrance to raising children into successful well equipped adults.

 Emotional Responsibility starts with us being aware of our own feelings, our own hearts, our own passions, weaknesses and strengths. We must first be 100% honest and open with ourselves and God. We must realize that feelings, whether positive or negative , are not emotions.

So, whether you are filled, or temporarily overcome, with positive or negative feelings, you alone are responsible for how you translate or express those feelings through your God given emotions.

 I want to state that again, whether you are filled, or temporarily overcome, with positive or negative feelings, you alone are responsible for how you translate or express those feelings through your God given emotions. This would be good to put on your desk, on your refrigerator, at the door of your house, anywhere you can see it all the time.

 We are all familiar with with the scripture that states we are not moved by what we feel or see. We apply it to teachings on faith and living a faith filled life, and it is indeed a good scripture to stand on. Most of the time we apply it to standing against negative circumstances or feeling. However, it is just as important, and as deceit grows in The Church and world, it will be critical, that we understand, that we are not to be moved by positive feelings, or positive circumstances either.

 We are told in scripture that the enemy comes as an angel of light. The Spirit Of Anti-Christ is not only revealing himself in the wickedness of man’s heart and systems, he is masquerading as a Christ-less answer to peace, tolerance, cohabitation and world unity. The Oprah’s and the Depak Chopra's of the world offer light, without The Creator Of Light, That is the essence of Anti-Christ.

The Spirit will always align with scripture and exalt Jesus As LORD. Any light that denies either, is Darkness, no matter how good it makes you feel or how positive it may seem. Yet many Christians and even leaders embrace them and their teachings as good and even equal  to scriptural wisdom, their god is their belly(feelings) so they deny The Scripture.

 His children right now, much like the children of the world are not being raised with the knowledge they need to filter feelings and circumstances solely through scripture and The Holy Spirit. They are being tossed about by every wind of doctrine, whether doctrine with minor errors or doctrines of darkness disguised as light.

 Like some secular psychologist warn about natural children, God’s children are not being prepared for the spiritual realities to come. Worse yet, they are not prepared to handle His Glory and Power in a way that brings Him honor and demonstrates His Manifold Wisdom to All Creation! We have been taught for to long a self help, prosperity, best life now, Oprah type Christianity.

But! The Lord has a plan. He has had a plan all along. He has had a system all along. He has clearly laid it out with a specificity that only those attached to the wisdom of The World and The deceptions Of Anti-Christ would miss.

Ephesians 4:11-16 New Living Translation (NLT)

11 Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. 13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.

14 Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. 15 Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. 16 He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.


The scripture is clear. It takes the entirety of Gods Ordained Ministers to bring about a mature people, well prepared for all the lies, tricks and disguises of the enemy and wicked man. We must rebuild a Church that the gates of Hell crumble before. You are The Church, I am The Church, We are The Church. It will be us, or no one, that demonstrates Gods Manifold Wisdom.

 It will take us being mature, emotionally responsible and intelligent to be able to handle His Glory and Wisdom without derailing it with wild emotional outburst and strange physical manifestations because we don’t realize we must choose what we do with what we feel, even what we feel while In The Spirit. 

In the past God had allowed us, to experience His Presence in limited ways, and one thing that has marked these “revivals” is an increasing amount of fleshy outburst and strange and even ungodly behavior, being attributed to The Holy Spirit. Two particular “ministers” would act like they were smoking joints or taking tokes off the Holy Spirit. All under the eyes and approval of the group of “leaders” that were supposed to be raising mature Christians. 

This was obviously an extreme example of a lack of Emotional Intelligence when it comes to  A Spirit Filled Life and The Lords Plan for His Anointing and it’s purpose for His People. But, it is an excellent example of how not understanding these things has hindered The Church, and stunted the growth of His Children. 

We can learn how to intelligently respond to The Lords Presence. We can learn how to behave, more than that, move ,work with and cooperate with The Lord to demonstrate His Love, Power and Manifold Wisdom to a hurting and confused world. The Holy Spirit doesn’t make anyone behave or react in a way contrary to Wisdom and Godly Intelligence. Man chooses to respond to feelings, God wants His Children Emotionally Intelligent and Responsible enough to wield His Gifts,Power and Wisdom to destroy the Gates of Hell

What say you? Are you ready to look back only to The Design Jesus set forth for His Church? The example He set forth for us to follow? Are we ready to learn from our past childish handling of The Lords Power and our infant like responses to His Presence?

We will miss it, and get corrected, but that is okay. Let me end with some examples of How Jesus handled wrong emotional responses by His Leaders and people. He taught, rebuked and corrected, to bring them to maturity.

Luke 10:17-20 New Living Translation (NLT)

17 When the seventy-two disciples returned, they joyfully reported to him, “Lord, even the demons obey us when we use your name!”

18 “Yes,” he told them, “I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning! 19 Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you. 20 But don’t rejoice because evil spirits obey you; rejoice because your names are registered in heaven.”

Luke 9:52-57 New King James Version (NKJV)

52 and sent messengers before His face. And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him. 53 But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem. 54 And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them,just as Elijah did?”

55 But He turned and rebuked them,and said, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. 56 For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” And they went to another village.

Matthew 16:13-27 New Living Translation (NLT)

13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 

14 “Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.”

15 Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?”

16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

17 Jesus replied, “You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being. 18 Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it. 19 And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.”

20 Then he sternly warned the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

21 From then on Jesus  began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised from the dead.

22 But Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things. “Heaven forbid, Lord,” he said. “This will never happen to you!”

23 Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.”

24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. 25 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. 26 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?27 For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father and will judge all people according to their deeds.

A Prophetic Word- An Exhortation- A Warning- A Prayer For Those In Mnistry

 The title of this article says a lot about what is on my heart. My title encompasses all that I believe this article will be. It is in many ways a Prophetic Word. It will definitely be a mighty exhortation for those with ears to hear. Unfortunately there will be some elements of Divine Warning. Altogether this comes from a deep place of prayer and intercession for The Church, Her People and Her Leaders.

 As I write this I am well aware of my own failings in some of the areas I am compelled to confront my brothers and sisters in Christ about. Many of us have heard of the Pastor who committed suicide this week. The issue of depression and anxiety is touching all aspects of society. From the youngest to the oldest. From the richest to the poorest, depression, anxiety and the spirit of suicide has bound humanity and Those in The Church have not escaped the infection.

 The question for us is, Should this be the case? Why have so many, including myself, not been able to walk in the joy and peace of Christ consistently? Why are both Leaders and Laity alike bound and held in the cages of these emotional,physical and spiritual enemies? Why have so many Apostles,Prophets, Evangelist, Pastors and Teachers fallen victim, sometimes fatally, to these enemies of our souls?

 I will not pretend to have THE ANSWER. However, I have what I believe to be AN ANSWER inspired by The Holy Spirit for right now, in this season, and the one to come. I believe I have an answer for those who will hear, who are ordained to hear it.

 All ministry, after all, is called and directed by God. No Prophet is a Prophet to everyone. They are a Prophet to those whom God has appointed them to be a Prophet to. No Pastor, Teacher, Apostle or even an Evangelist is called to all believers and churches, they have been appointed by God to A Place, A People and A Time.

These truths when understood and embraced removes a great burden from the shoulders of both Leaders and Laity alike, especially those who are given to prayer and the Move of The Spirit.  When Leaders are in The Lords Ordained Place, Fulfilling The Lords Ordained Calling in Service to The Lords People that they are called and appointed to, they can be secure and confident that They Will Succeed as The Lord Directs.

All this being true, and it is 100% true because God never fails or makes a mistake, then why is there so much brokenness in The Church? Why do so many churches fail? So many leaders fall? Why are callings abandoned and giftings rejected while there are flocks of sheep wandering, confused and hurt?

 What are we missing? What erroneous and broken template do we keep using that works for the few  but fails for so many? What yoke of burden is being put on Pastor after Pastor that they were never meant to carry, and were never equipped to handle?

 Some will say that I am posing more questions than I am giving answers, but in these questions lie the answers. They are question with just the right anointing to pull the answers out of the hearts that are longing for truth and freedom. Those longing to know true covenant relationship and ministry, where each one does their part and each ones strengths provides for the others weaknesses.

 Could it be that we have built the structures of The Church in a way that was never meant to be? Could it be that the Business Like Organization Structure is so flawed that only the strong survive, and those who are not strong enough or don't fit into the business image anymore get washed out or feel so much pressure to live up to a well guarded and painted image that they eventually falter?

 Would men like Peter and Paul even make it through the protocols and image cleansing of the modern church? Would Paul be considered to wild, to extreme, to close to those he served? Would Peter be written off as a rebel, a breaker of protocol, one who speaks out of turn, so certainly not worthy of leadership and The High Calling of  Apostleship?

Are there any ministry teams that have a covenant relationship like the picture I posted above and below represents?  And how about the people in The Church?  Do we get it? Do we really get what our responsibility is  to pray and support our leaders spiritually? Of course financially, but lets face it, many that will read this, your Pastor or the Pastors you see in media are living much better off than you financially, so that doesn't carry as much weight as it did for the early church planters and Pastors.

But, if you are from a smaller church with a Pastor who is struggling financially, are you helping him in any way you can? Are you generous, so that they can give themselves to The Word and Prayer for you? Are you behaving like you have a God Ordained Covenant Relationship with them, as long as you call them your Pastor and you eat at that Church?

 How about your words? Are you encouraging and lifting them up in prayer? Are you seeing with Gods eyes and supporting them passionately, so that The Gospel may be Preached, Lives may be Changed and The Devil may be stopped in families and in your community?

 We all need to rethink, reset and relaunch. Leaders and Laity alike, we need a time of Consecration and Prayer, so we can take on the closing of time and be a part of The Remnant that finishes strong and in THE POWER OF HIS LOVE.

 Here is the Exhortation. We can do this! The Lord has a Plan for THIS. He has a PLAN for RIGHT NOW. A Specific and well planned out path He wants His Church to march on. His Love and Covenant Blessing will unite us. Wisdom and Knowledge of His Love and Covenant Blessing will keep us together, in Power, Anointing, Vision and Unity.

 Each member doing its part. Each one in their perfect place, moving in glorious power, fulfilling their part in this incredible End Time Church we have been called to. We see the results of this in the Book of Acts. The Leaders were focused, sober, serious and on The Mission given to them by God. The people were generous, reverent and busy working to establish, build and maintain the fast growing, miracle working and World Changing Church!

 Here is a warning. In this atmosphere, that shall come, both Leaders and Laity alike , need to show great reverence and honor to The Spirit of God and His Holy Name. Dishonor has no place in this atmosphere. Leaders need to honor their place as servants and shepherds of The Lords Sheep. And the people need to honor and show reverence for the The Presence of The Lord working through His Leaders for the benefit of The Church and mankind. All must have a reverential fear of The Lord.

We wouldn't walk up and slap the bride of a man we fear. Yet many of us have slapped The Lords Bride, over and over again. Lord forgive us.

Lord, help us as leaders to honor you among the people, feed your sheep, and tend your pastures the way you showed us, with sacrifice and selflessness. Remove every ounce of a hirelings heart from our souls.

Help us as members and parts of your precious body to act like your children and demonstrate your love toward one another. Help us to fully support our leaders in every way they need it. Help us to praye fervently and in the spirit of wisdom for them. Help us set a guard over our hearts and tongues, so that we may always bless and uplift and never curse or sow discord.

 Teach and instruct us how to do ministry, how to build your church, in the way you wish, so the gates of hell crumble before us. So that we all may walk in your freedom and joy. Lord show us how to build ministry teams called by you, anointed by you, and bound in Covenant , so that we may see your wonderful works again on The Earth!!

Raise up an Epaphras in every Church, in every city and in every nation. Raise up pillars that will stand with The Ministry Gifts they are called to stand with no matter what. Let them fight side by side until all the giants are removed from their land.

Thank you Lord for Anointed Teachers and Words that will reset souls and minds. That will tear down strongholds, and restore peace to your people. Teach us Lord how to command our emotions with Your Word, Name and Authority. We stand as one and will help one another realize the liberty and freedom we have. No burden shall be carried except that which you have empowered each of us to bear.

Finally, In The Name of Jesus we curse the spirit of Depression,Anxiety and Suicide. Flee back to the darkness from which you came. You have no place nor part in The Body of Christ!