13 September 2020
Two-Minute Features | 20 September 2020 | 06 September 2020

The Rich Sees No Need to Accept Jesus (TMF:1460)

Friday, September 18, 2020
Peace to Live By: The Rich Sees No Need to Accept Jesus (TMF:1460) - Daniel Litton
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       The rich person sees no need to accept Jesus oftentimes. This is because he or she has everything needed in life. The person perceives no needs. He or she has a nice job, a house, a car, a spouse, a child, whatever the things and people are, and doesn’t see the need for Jesus. Frequently, it isn’t until God permits trouble to enter a person’s life that a person actually sees a need for him. And I think this is particularly true here in American society as most people are rich. Most just don’t see a need for God, and they think they know better. Although, the problem is that everything a person has can be gone at no moment’s notice. Even our very lives can be demanded of us from God at any time, and if we have put all our chips in on this life, we’re going to be in trouble. Really, it’s the next life that matters.

Surrendering All Known Sin & Following (TMF:1459)

Thursday, September 17, 2020
Peace to Live By: Surrendering All Known Sin & Following (TMF:1459) - Daniel Litton
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       You see, in order for a person to come to Jesus, that person has to be willing to surrender all known sin and follow him. The trouble here is that this man had an issue with covetousness. He wasn’t willing to give it up to come to Jesus. He wasn’t willing to tear his eye out for the sake of the kingdom. He wanted to keep his sin and yet have Jesus at the same time. But as we all know, Jesus wouldn’t have it. It doesn’t work that way. And sadly, many people are the same way, no matter what the sin actually is they are keeping. If we continue reading in the passage in Matthew 19, we can see Jesus further elaborate. The text says, “And Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God” (Matthew 19:23, 24, ESV). The rich person sees no need to accept Jesus oftentimes.

Wanting Eternal Life Above All Things? (TMF:1458)

Wednesday, September 16, 2020
Peace to Live By: Wanting Eternal Life Above All Things? (TMF:1458) - Daniel Litton
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       Most Americans are rich compared to the rest of the world. It’s not wrong for a person to be rich provided that he doesn’t value his goods too highly. And that’s where we find the problem with the rich young man. He loved his possessions so much that he was unwilling to part from them to accept Christ. Really, if you stop and think about this passage here, Jesus is putting the man to the test. If the man really wants eternal life the most, above all other things, then Jesus asking him to sell all of his possessions shouldn’t be a problem for him. But it was a stumbling block. Jesus knew the man loved material goods too much. When Jesus was listing commandments from the Ten Commandments and asked the man if he had kept them, one particular command he did not list was one that says, “You shall not covet…” (Exodus 20:17, ESV). You see, in order for a person to come to Jesus, that person has to be willing to surrender all known sin and follow him.

What Jesus is Not Saying about Riches (TMF:1457)

Tuesday, September 15, 2020
Peace to Live By: What Jesus is Not Saying about Riches (TMF:1457) - Daniel Litton
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       We can either seek everything this world has to offer us—the pride of life—or we can seek to make God happy and often have both. In this passage, there are many things about the rich young man that Jesus is not saying. Number one, Jesus is not saying it is the responsibility of a new convert to sell everything he has and give to the poor. If that were true, how would a Christian live life? How could one have a family? How could one even give to the church? Even Jesus himself likely owned things. Number two, Jesus is not making the point that a disciple who sells all he has is greater than one who does not. That may be another way someone may incorrectly interpret this passage. Just selling everything a person has and giving to the poor does not make a person perfect. That’s not what Jesus is articulating here. Number three, Jesus is not saying it is wrong for a Christian to in fact be rich. Many of us who Jesus has called are rich.

Giving Up Sin for the Kingdom, Part 2 (TMF:1456)

Monday, September 14, 2020
Peace to Live By: Giving Up Sin for the Kingdom, Part 2 (TMF:1456) - Daniel Litton
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       Recall, we talked about the tearing the eye out or cutting the hand off from Matthew chapter 5:29, 30. Jesus said there are going to be certain sins that prevent people from accepting him. That is, people don’t want to let go of their sin in order to become a Christian. They would rather keep whatever sin it is in their life, and then end up going to Hell when they die rather than forfeit the sin and yield to Jesus’ way. I think a lot of people are like this in life, and it’s a tremendously unfortunate thing. It’s a shame because Jesus’ actually gives us what we truly want, the desires of our hearts. Sin can only produce a pleasure that is temporary, one that wears off when the sin is over, or when the sin’s season is complete. Jesus’ ways, however, bring fulfillment in life. This also relates to the passage we read last week in Matthew 16. There, Jesus said, “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?” (v. 26, ESV).