10 September 2023
Two-Minute Features | 17 September 2023 | 03 September 2023

Swearing False Oaths, Part 4 (TMF:2180)

Friday, September 15, 2023
Peace to Live By: Swearing False Oaths, Part 4 (TMF:2180) - Daniel Litton
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       You see, God doesn’t like it when people don’t keep their word, keep their commitment. Now, I certainly don’t want to be legalistic about this. There are things, many things, that we as Christians have freedom in. There are even certain instances were divorce is appropriate. What I am talking about is when our word isn’t kept without valid reason, whether big or small. Perhaps we just aren’t ‘feeling it’ anymore. That’s usually not a valid excuse to break our word with whatever it is. I think, deep down, we know when we are violating our conscience in regard to an oath. We can feel the resistance. When we feel that resistance, we need to be careful. We don’t want others upset with us, even condemning us, and we don’t want God upset with us, even condemning us. It certainly is true that sometimes people will condemn us when we really haven’t done anything wrong. The lower a person is on the levels of consciousness the more they will be focused on themselves.

Swearing False Oaths, Part 3 (TMF:2179)

Thursday, September 14, 2023
Peace to Live By: Swearing False Oaths, Part 3 (TMF:2179) - Daniel Litton
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       What are some ways we, today, swear by false oaths? Maybe it’s as simple as a person telling their friend they will help them move, and then when the day comes, the yes actually wasn’t a yes. There’s no valid excuse. The person just doesn’t feel like it. Or, on the opposite end of the spectrum, perhaps it’s the larger, more common thing we are seeing. It’s the decision to divorce without any real, significant reason to do so. Ten years ago, twenty years ago, whatever it was, the yes wasn’t a real yes at all. Much like the weather changes, and the seasons change, some people’s yeses go right along with the flow of their feelings. You see, God doesn’t like it when people don’t keep their word, keep their commitment. Now, I certainly don’t want to be legalistic about this. There are things, many things, that we as Christians have freedom in. There are even certain instances were divorce is appropriate. What I am talking about is when our word isn’t kept without valid reason, whether big or small.

Swearing False Oaths, Part 2 (TMF:2178)

Wednesday, September 13, 2023
Peace to Live By: Swearing False Oaths, Part 2 (TMF:2178) - Daniel Litton
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       So, the background is that basically some Jews back then had the habit of swearing false oaths by other names (names other than God’s name) and thought that that was okay to do. They thought the only oath that you had to keep was when you swore by God’s name. Otherwise, you could tell a lie if it was by any other name, and that wasn’t sinful to do that. Of course, to our minds here in American society we can think of similar ways people do this. The thought comes to mind of a person crossing their fingers behind there back (usually a child) as they are agreeing to something. The random example that comes to my mind is Veruca from the movie Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971). We can remember when Willy Wonka was telling the kids about the Everlasting Gobstopper that Veruca appeared to agree she wouldn’t share the secret of it with anyone, only to be crossing her fingers behind her back. What are some ways we, today, swear by false oaths? Maybe it’s as simple as a person telling their friend they will help them move, and then when the day comes, the yes actually wasn’t a yes.

Swearing False Oaths, Part 1 (TMF:2177)

Tuesday, September 12, 2023
Peace to Live By: Swearing False Oaths, Part 1 (TMF:2177) - Daniel Litton
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       So now we are picking back up in chapter 5. Starting in verse 12: “But above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your "yes" be yes and your "no" be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation“ (ESV). James starts our section here noting that what he is about to say is the most important thing to be said of his recent comments. And notice, as James has done quite a bit in his epistle here, he moves right back to our speech, the things we say with our mouths. Now, in James’ context for his original readers and listeners at the time, he obviously was talking to Jewish believers in Jesus. He even references Jesus’ comments on this topic, and all of this is tied into the Jewish culture. So, the background is that basically some Jews back then had the habit of swearing false oaths by other names (names other than God’s name) and thought that that was okay to do. They thought the only oath that you had to keep was when you swore by God’s name.

The Characteristics of Our Heavenly Father (TMF:2176)

Monday, September 11, 2023
Peace to Live By: The Characteristics of Our Heavenly Father (TMF:2176) - Daniel Litton
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       What is compassionate? Compassionate means benevolent, charitable, sympathetic, pitying, humane, tender, kindhearted, all heart. Let’s define merciful: forgiving, gracious, lenient, easygoing, gentle, forbearing, generous, softhearted, and mild. Yes, these are the characteristics of our loving Heavenly Father. God is on our side, no matter what. He is now, and he always will be. Let’s read a verse from Jesus to finish. This verse goes for Satan, for his demons, and for anyone else who would wish us harm: “Don’t be afraid of people, who can kill the body but cannot kill the soul. The only one you should fear is the one who can destroy the soul and the body in hell” (Matthew, 10:28, NCV). It is God who saves us, and really no other being on the face of this earth can do anything to us that will ultimately, permanently destroy us, or destroy our relationships.