Do you ever get caught up in your feelings? Have you ever been cussing and fussing five minutes after church? How do we follow faith versus feelings when it is so easy to let our feelings just run amuck and control our minds? When feelings are contrary to the Word of God then it is sin! This young brother the other day told me that he grew up in the church and traveled with the Pastor, but when he came of age he “came outâ€. I asked him, “So why did you stop going to church?†He told me that, “I didn’t want to go to a church where 50% of the people believed that what I am, was an abomination.†(Leviticus 20:13) After some more conversation he expressed that now he “…doesn’t really know if he believes in God at all.†The Bible teaches faith comes by hearing (Romans 10:17). He was no longer feeding his spirit so flesh won out. Furthermore, that is the problem when we let our feelings and flesh supersede our faith. If what you feel is right, then if you feel like homosexuality (or any other sin) is right, then in your mind its right. If the Bible says its wrong but your feelings trump Biblical doctrine, then the Bible is wrong in your eyes. If the author of the Bible, Jesus Christ, has erred in the scriptures than He is not infallible.  If God is not perfect then He is not God. If He is not God then I do not have to worship or follow Him or even believe He exists. If he does not exist then I can do whatever I feel like doing with no conviction, in essence I have become my own idol.
When reading Matthew 16:17 Jesus tells Peter that, “…for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.†Peter, operating in the Spirit, received truthful revelation about Jesus Christ from the “Spirit of Truth†(John 14:17). But in the same chapter of Matthew, Jesus tells Peter, “Get thee behind Me Satan! You are an offense to Me.â€(Verse 23) Isn’t it amazing how quickly Peter was able to go from the Spirit to the flesh, from glorification to condemnation? Be watchful.
1st Timothy 4:1 tells us… “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons…†There are a lot of other belief systems that feel right, but are demonic. They make a man feel as if he can work his way to God. If I do enough good, I can feel good about myself, and God will accept me. But the Bible tells us in Isaiah 64:6 “But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags…†We can’t be good enough for God. Just because it feels right to us doesn’t mean it’s worth anything to God. The only way we get to him is by believing in the finished work of the redemptive blood of Jesus Christ. “No man comes to the Father but by Me.†(John 14:6)
In the first quarter of 2016 a Pennsylvania inmate wrote me asking for a Bible, the names and addresses of other ministries, a Bible study, answers to some of his Bible questions, and asked if I would send some money to help his roommate who did not have any toiletries. I sent him the Bible, Bible study, answers, and the names and addresses of other ministries. But I was actually very low on funds at the time and could not send him any money, but I wrote him and told him to remind me to send his roommate some money next time he wrote. Along with the fact that I was low on funds something in my spirit the Lord told me, “Don’t send his friend any money.†He wrote me back a long letter which seemed fine except the fact that he said, “Do not write Pastor Omar Fisher on the return address because then the chaplain inspects the mail.†I wrote him back a letter (with no money) saying I would not follow that request and that I have no problem with the Chaplain inspecting my letter. There is nothing in my letter that is contrary to the Word of God and if the Chaplain is a Bible-reading and a Bible-believing disciple of Jesus Christ he will have no problems with my letter. After that letter Chaplain Jim intercepted it and wrote me. He thanked me for being one of a very few people who “speak the truthâ€. He also told me that the inmate who had written me was running a scam and getting ministries to donate money to him and other inmates unbeknownst to the other inmates. He said all the donated money that this inmate was scamming was being returned to the ministries from which they came. Having constantly fed my faith and crucified my flesh and feelings I was able to hear from the Lord in this situation. He allowed me to be too broke to donate to the scam, so God even used my brokenness as a blessing!! Walk in the Spirit and be blessed!!