peace to live by

Our Relationship with God vs. Others, Part 5 (TMF:2935)

Friday, August 07, 2026
Peace to Live By: Our Relationship with God vs. Others, Part 5 (TMF:2935) - Daniel Litton
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       If we believe are actions as individuals matter, and that all souls are not predetermined in one direction or another, then that puts a greater emphasis for us on sharing the Gospel with others as we want more and more human beings to be with God and with us in Heaven. We can make friends for eternity. And, as some of the New Testament writers tell us, and even Jesus pointed out a minute ago, God desires everyone to be saved. It isn’t that he specifically determines that ahead of time, but a lot of times it is dependent upon their personal choice as well as people’s choice to share the message. Thus, many of us get to be partakers in sharing how one can become saved so that more and more of those we love will hopefully be saved. So, if you look at it that way, it’s not a cold-setup that God has left us with. It’s a great setup where there is hope for anyone who doesn’t believe yet but is still living.

Our Relationship with God vs. Others, Part 4 (TMF:2934)

Thursday, August 06, 2026
Peace to Live By: Our Relationship with God vs. Others, Part 4 (TMF:2934) - Daniel Litton
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       It feels plausible there’s some natural dispensation within us to do so anyway. That’s often referred to as the God-shaped vacuum or hole in our heart. We have to remember in all of this, however, that while we do love God greatly, and grow in our love for God over time, it’s also true that Jesus, as well as the other New Testament writers, often told us to love our brothers, and even those who aren’t. Thus, God himself clearly has it in mind that we will, and should, love other humans. And, we know, that in Heaven, a large amount of them are going to be there with God and us throughout all eternity. In that respect then, while we may love God greater, it is true we will always have fellow humans around us whom we love. It has not been taught in our Colossians series that those who don’t know God when they depart this world will be with God anyway, or will end up being with God. That’s not taught here.

Our Relationship with God vs. Others, Part 3 (TMF:2933)

Wednesday, August 05, 2026
Peace to Live By: Our Relationship with God vs. Others, Part 3 (TMF:2933) - Daniel Litton
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       We do know, or should know by now, that God is the only One who is unchanging in our lives. So, this is a second reason, in that not only do we want to be close to God, but actually, he is the only one who is certain for us. It was mentioned how Paul only had Luke with him by the end of his life, that everyone else had gone somewhere else. But Jesus has also told us in Luke, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26, ESV). Therefore, he draws a firm line. He shows that our love for God will be far greater than for anyone else. It’s not that we must love God, but it seems better to say that we automatically will if we are a true believer. It will well-up from our hearts.

Our Relationship with God vs. Others, Part 2 (TMF:2932)

Tuesday, August 04, 2026
Peace to Live By: Our Relationship with God vs. Others, Part 2 (TMF:2932) - Daniel Litton
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       He wants us to actually draw near to him first, and then he will in turn draw near to us. It isn’t, as has often been taught, that the Father draws us to him, and then we are close to him, It is as Jesus told the Pharisees in John, when he said, “For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day” (John 6:40, ESV). Note that this is the same passage where, just a couple verses later, Jesus says the Father draws people to himself. Though, this drawing can’t be without a person’s will, for Jesus just told us it is the will of God that everyone comes to him. Accordingly, if it was that the Father draw people outside of their individual wills, then everyone would come to God because God would draw all to himself, Obviously, we know that’s not the case.

Our Relationship with God vs. Others, Part 1 (TMF:2931)

Monday, August 03, 2026
Peace to Live By: Our Relationship with God vs. Others, Part 1 (TMF:2931) - Daniel Litton
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       Getting started. It was discussed at the beginning of Colossians 3 how we are to seek the things which are above and to set our minds on them, that all earthly relationships are just that, earthly. Admittedly, that seems kind of cold. Can this be discussed further and about how it relates to those we are close to in this life? This is the call for everyone, really, to be in relationship with God, with the true God of the Universe. And, for us who have become Christians, it looks like that that is where we have found ourselves after some time, that we are very happy that we are now on right terms with God. We find that we love spending time with him, whether we call that meditation or prayer. We want to be close to God, and we discover that what James told us in his epistle, that we must draw near to God in order for him to draw near to us, we find that’s experientially true. The beautiful thing about that is that it shows us that God values human freedom.

Remembering the Grace Given, Part 2 (TMF:2930)

Friday, July 31, 2026
Peace to Live By: Remembering the Grace Given, Part 2 (TMF:2930) - Daniel Litton
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       For making each person’s sin debt erased before God—for anyone who will accept the gift of restitution with God. And we know that Jesus rose from the dead, so that anyone who believes in him can also do the same when they die—so that they can rise to a new life, to eternal life. A life free from the enslavement of sinful flesh, from a body of sin. A life in which correct decisions are always made going forth. Where there is complete peace and harmony with everyone, with everyone in the new world. Heaven isn’t just some place of fantasy, or for children’s stories, but it is an actual place that is to be experienced, one of which comes true living, true life, true experience with God and with others. This is the grace that Paul is referring to, the grace that he wished to be with all the Colossians believers, and it is the grace God wishes to be with us. Anyone can have it. Anyone can make that choice to believe in what Jesus accomplished today.

Remembering the Grace Given, Part 1 (TMF:2929)

Thursday, July 30, 2026
Peace to Live By: Remembering the Grace Given, Part 1 (TMF:2929) - Daniel Litton
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       Even though he currently isn’t experiencing grace, he wants the Colossians to experience it. And so, he leaves us with that familiar salutation, that of grace being with the believers. There is also the aspect in “Remember my chains” wherein we need to remember the reason behind why Paul was doing what he was doing. And that, for sure, is the Gospel. The Gospel of Jesus Christ. That’s why Paul has written this whole letter to the Colossian church to begin with, the remind and further elaborate on what Christ has done for each of the members, indeed, really for everyone, in dying on the cross for the sins of the whole world. For making each person’s sin debt erased before God—for anyone who will accept the gift of restitution with God. And we know that Jesus rose from the dead, so that anyone who believes in him can also do the same when they die—so that they can rise to a new life, to eternal life. A life free from the enslavement of sinful flesh, from a body of sin.

Paul's Problem with His Eyes? (TMF:2928)

Wednesday, July 29, 2026
Peace to Live By: Paul's Problem with His Eyes? (TMF:2928) - Daniel Litton
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       It may have been a problem from him to write his own letters, if his physical alignment he seems to have referenced on other occasions had to do with his eyes. Perhaps he couldn’t see well, or couldn’t see well up close. In another epistle he would note that he wrote with large letters, specifically to the Galatians. Interestingly, if it was the case that Paul had a problem with his eyes, that isn’t what he basically asks prayer for at the end. Instead, he asks the Colossians to remember his chains, to remember that he is in prison. He wants to get out of prison in order to do additional work for the Lord. He doesn’t want to be bought in prison. Recall, he told us this earlier in this chapter, when he expressed, “pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison— that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak” (Colossians 4:3, 4, ESV).

Continuing Along with The Call, Part 2 (TMF:2927)

Tuesday, July 28, 2026
Peace to Live By: Continuing Along with The Call, Part 2 (TMF:2927) - Daniel Litton
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       We are familiar with that as we see some beloved Bible teachers getting older and older, and some whom have passed on to the next life. Too, some who no longer carry along their ministry for whatever the reason, both good and bad. The point though is that if further it is to be carried along, that it is carried along per the Lord’s desire. The statement from Paul insinuates a choice, and it’s a choice that has to be made by the person in question—to fulfill that ministry. Our final verse in our study of Colossians. Verse 18: “I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you.” A lot of times it was Paul’s custom to speak his letter and it would be written down by a transcriber. However, that doesn’t appear to be the case here in Paul’s Letter to the Colossians. Rather, Paul said he wrote it out with his own hand. It may have been a problem from him to write his own letters, if his physical alignment he seems to have referenced on other occasions had to do with his eyes.

Continuing Along with The Call, Part 1 (TMF:2926)

Monday, July 27, 2026
Peace to Live By: Continuing Along with The Call, Part 1 (TMF:2926) - Daniel Litton
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       Went a little down a rabbit hole there. But moving on. Verse 17: “And say to Archippus, “See that you fulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord” (ESV). This is probably the same Archippus as the one mentioned in the beginning of Paul’s Letter to Philemon, which would be Philemon’s son then. Other than that possibility, we really don’t know much else. Paul did say something along the same lines to Timothy, when he was writing him, in his second letter to him, when he stated, “fulfill your ministry” (ESV). Whether this was a divine word Paul had from the Spirit of God, or whether this was by word of mouth in that someone else told Paul what going on (like Epaphras), there is no way to know for sure. Nonetheless, it can be an encouragement to anyone who has a ministry, like a minister or Bible teacher. It’s important for people to continue along doing all that the Lord wants them to do, and to not end it unless the time has come for that. The Lord will guide that process. In reality, all ministries, no matter what they are, have an end.