06 August 2017
Two-Minute Features | 13 August 2017

Peace Keeper #2- Having & Using Faith, Part 1 (TMF:710)

Friday, August 11, 2017
Peace to Live By: Peace Keeper #2- Having & Using Faith, Part 1 (TMF:710) - Daniel Litton
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       Number Two: Having faith and taking leaps of faith when necessary. “What is faith? It is the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen. It is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot see it up ahead” (Hebrews 11:1, TLB). A lot of people in our world today are pessimists. Most of the time, they just don’t think the best, or good will happen. And then there are those who call themselves the realists. These are the people who say there are neither optimistic or pessimistic, but that they see things in a realistic light. I am confident to say today that God wants us to optimists, to be full of hope. We cannot have faith if we are pessimists or realists, but only if we are optimists. Saying, “Well, its possible this could happen, and it may or may not happen” is not being hopeful. That’s a realist’s attitude. The best thing to say is, “I believe that the best is going to happen and that everything is going to be good.” That’s a hopeful attitude. Remember what Jesus said in Matthew chapter 8? He said, “let it be done for you as you have believed” (ESV). Now, that’s optimistic and having faith!

Peace Keeper #1- Communing with God, Part 3 (TMF:709)

Thursday, August 10, 2017
Peace to Live By: Peace Keeper #1- Communing with God, Part 3 (TMF:709) - Daniel Litton
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       God always answers our prayers when we have a need. Generally speaking, there are typically three answers that he provides. Yes, no, and often times “wait.” We love the first answer, but not so much the latter two. If we are going to keep our peace while we are waiting on something, we are going to have to spend time talking with God, and trust him as we wait. Again, this can be very difficult when the thing we desire is impressed greatly on our hearts. But our trust in God will overpower the desire to obtain whatever it is that we want. We exercise ‘faith’ that God will provide what we want and need at the right time. God does give us what we want a lot of times; you know that, right? He is our loving Father, and just as parents often give their children the desires of their hearts, so God will often give us the desires of our hearts. The problem is, many don’t believe that, and therefore, do not obtain because they do not believe. No one can serve two masters. Either we will hate the one and love the other, or we will be devoted to the one and despise the other (see Matthew 6:24).

Peace Keeper #1- Communing with God, Part 2 (TMF:708)

Wednesday, August 09, 2017
Peace to Live By: Peace Keeper #1- Communing with God, Part 2 (TMF:708) - Daniel Litton
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       God gives us the strength we need to live out each day of our lives. As David said in the verse I read a little bit ago, the strength God gives us then encourages us as we go about the day. Remember the famous verse which says, “I can do all things through him [Christ] who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13, ESV). Indeed, of all the things we need on a daily basis, God’s strength is of primary importance. When we live our lives out, not everything always goes the way we want it. And we see sin and suffering all around us; we don’t have to look very far. Therefore, Christ’s strength is critical for us, and we get this through having a continual conversation, ongoing throughout our day, with God. The writer of Hebrews reminds us, “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him” (Hebrews 11:6, 7, ESV).

Peace Keeper #1- Communing with God, Part 1 (TMF:707)

Tuesday, August 08, 2017
Peace to Live By: Peace Keeper #1- Communing with God, Part 1 (TMF:707) - Daniel Litton
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       Number one in my list of peace keepers: Staying in conversation with God on a regular basis. “When I pray, you answer me and encourage me by giving me the strength I need” (Psalm 138:3, TLB). Prayer is so essential to living a good life. Paul told us to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17, ESV). The practice of continual conversation with God is so important to have a good day. I have found that on days of which I went about my day without adequate prayer, I find myself suffering in not too long a time. The sole purpose for our existence is to be in a relationship with God. After all, that’s why he created us so that he could be in fellowship with humans who willingly want to be. We, as humans, want to be loved, and God also wants to be loved. When we spend time in prayer with our Heavenly Father, it starts our daily tasks off on the right note. It gets our minds in the right place so that our thoughts will be flowing in the right direction. God gives us the strength we need to live out each day of our lives.

Solomon's Keys to Living a Peaceful Life (TMF:706)

Monday, August 07, 2017
Peace to Live By: Solomon's Keys to Living a Peaceful Life (TMF:706) - Daniel Litton
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       King Solomon tells us in Ecclesiastes the keys to living a peaceful life. Indeed, he himself during his lifetime had considered many of the ways of this world, and tried and experimented with different things in order to try and find the meaning of life. What he concluded was the following: “Well, one thing, at least, is good: It is for a man to eat well, drink a good glass of wine, accept his position in life, and enjoy his work whatever his job may be, for however long the Lord may let him live” (Ecclesiastes 5:18, TLB). So, from this verse two key things stick out, and that is enjoying life as well as being content with what we have been given. The Apostle Peter, in his first epistle, cites Psalm 34:12 through 16, and tells us: “For “Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit; let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil” (1 Peter 3:10-12, ESV).