July 23rd, 2023

Questions, Answers & Prayer:

You’re saying that while feelings, themselves, are neither good nor bad; to be controlled by feelings is bad & reliably causes misery?

Correct! Being controlled by feelings is the path of fear.

Preferences may be chosen, on the path of faith, if they are within the loving will of God.

The opposite of faith is fear; doing what you feel like doing.

Righteousness considers feelings & chooses to be guided by wisdom… to do God’s will.

When I sin, I reject the path of fear. I stay on the faith path, run to Jesus with my sincere, confident heart so I can be forgiven, cleansed & restored.

What’s the Christian’s goal?

To be like Jesus & to learn from Him how to serve & lead others & to lead others to serve & lead.

This’s required of all Christians?

Yes! The rich young ruler wanted eternal life but lacked a wholehearted allegiance to God.

Jesus gave the man a chance to surrender to single-hearted devotion & to become a disciple.

The young ruler let his feelings control him, along these lines:

“This feels impossible to me.”

… he was sad… went away (sad) … he had great possessions.”

But the ruler, like everyone, had a choice. He could consider his feelings but, even so, could have chosen to follow Jesus with a single-hearted devotion:

“This feels impossible to me.”

“Even so, I surrender everything to serve you. I want to learn how the great cost of giving up great wealth is somehow going to be more rewarding, better & worth it, when compared to the far greater cost of rejecting Christ & all of His love & blessings.”

Sadly, the ruler walked away.

Then Peter said to Jesus:

“We have left all to follow you.”

Jesus said, “You’ll …receive a hundredfold now in this time… with persecutions… & in the age to come (Mark 10:17-27).”

“Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, & take up his cross, & follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake & the gospel’s will save it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, & loses his own soul. Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul (Mark 8:34-36).”

“Jesus, care for & strengthen us to trust & obey You & open our eyes to see how you work all things for a pattern of good for those who love you & are called according to Your purpose (Adapted Romans 8:28). Amen.”