11 September 2022
Two-Minute Features | 18 September 2022 | 04 September 2022

Hard Work Doesn't Beget Us Freedom (TMF:1940)

Friday, September 16, 2022
Peace to Live By: Hard Work Doesn't Beget Us Freedom (TMF:1940) - Daniel Litton
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       This reminds me of what Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount. There, he said, “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him” (Matthew 6:7-8, ESV). This is what we are like when we follow after other gods. If we are eager for this or that, we are liable to do this or that pagan ritual. There are all different kinds of ways the world offers to us to try to get what we want. There is limitation, self-command, self-restraint, hard work, correct maneuvering, manipulation, misrepresentation, falsification, suppression of the truth. Recall in the second message of this study I talked about what I have called the Law of Liberty in our lives. I said that just as God created Adam and Eve in the Garden in the beginning, and gave them an abundance of freedom, so also God, through what he has said, has given us a tremendous amount of freedom.

Enslavement, the Way of the Other Gods (TMF:1939)

Thursday, September 15, 2022
Peace to Live By: Enslavement, the Way of the Other Gods (TMF:1939) - Daniel Litton
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       Let us bring to mind what God said to Jeremiah. He said, “I have sent to you all my servants the prophets, sending them persistently, saying, ‘Turn now every one of you from his evil way, and amend your deeds, and do not go after other gods to serve them, and then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to you and your fathers’” (ESV). Do you see? The way to the promised land, the way to success, is by doing what? It is by following the real God and by paying careful attention to all that he has instructed us in his Word. So, the only way out of any type of current enslavement that we have is to consider what the Bible says. This is how we reach the promised land. This reminds me of what Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount. There, he said, “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him” (Matthew 6:7-8, ESV).

Trying to Control Isn't the Way (TMF:1938)

Wednesday, September 14, 2022
Peace to Live By: Trying to Control Isn't the Way (TMF:1938) - Daniel Litton
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       If you were to take a random sample of people from the world, say half people who didn’t follow any sort of religion and the other half who were Christians, what would you find? Hopefully you would find that it is the Christians who are living in more freedom. Doing whatever we want, without any rules at all sounds really good. It is definitely enticing and appealing. However, we know that doesn’t work because with all things, within the Creation itself, there is order. There has to be order for true freedom. Order begets freedom. And this is what we find in the power of giving up control. When we try to control everything, we are a slave. We are a slave to our own passions and desires. Again, as I’ve already talked about at length, wanting something too much costs us freedom. The key is to be free of attachments. Remember what I said? “Nothing matters but God.” He’s the only attachment that does not hurt our freedom. However, being too strongly attached to all other things will cause us pain because the core essence behind true freedom is no attachment.

The Bible Contains the Living Truth (TMF:1937)

Tuesday, September 13, 2022
Peace to Live By: The Bible Contains the Living Truth (TMF:1937) - Daniel Litton
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       With a negative mindset, how can one really succeed? We can’t persevere. We come to the Bible and immediately become discouraged by what it has to say because we are so negative. Why, the person cannot even get past themselves. They are not in control of their lives. Their lives have them by the horns, and they are just a continual victim to what hands they are dealt. Thus, a sense of freedom in living as God wants us to live is absent. The Law of Liberty, yes, that’s what James is talking about here. Recognizing God’s truth brings us freedom. That’s the bottom line. Some folks think that the Bible actually restricts. Those kinds of people see it as a large manual of rules and regulations, like something that you would read at your place of work. Just one restriction after another. This is restricted and that is restricted. It’s just a bunch of don’ts. Don’t do this and don’t do that. So, the Bible, which is meant to bring freedom for all people, actually then is seen as enslaving those who adhere to it. If this is your view, however, you are missing the whole point.

Negativity Prevents Perseverance (TMF:1936)

Monday, September 12, 2022
Peace to Live By: Negativity Prevents Perseverance (TMF:1936) - Daniel Litton
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       James 1:25: “But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing” (ESV). The Word of God, the Bible, is our mirror. It is where we get the understanding of how are to be, as people. However, a quick glance isn’t going to work for us. Just looking at ourselves in the mirror quickly may make us understand any obvious problems. But if we really want to understand where we are at, as Christians, then we need to “look into the perfect law,” not just glance at it. Notice first our attitude in coming to the Word of God, as James states here. We come to the Word of God, we look at it (that is, we read what it has to say). And then (don’t miss this), we persevere. With a negative mindset, how can one really succeed? We can’t persevere. We come to the Bible and immediately become discouraged by what it has to say because we are so negative. Why, the person cannot even get past themselves.