16 August 2020
Two-Minute Features | 23 August 2020 | 09 August 2020

The Truth Hurts & Can Cause Pain (TMF:1440)

Friday, August 21, 2020
Peace to Live By: The Truth Hurts & Can Cause Pain (TMF:1440) - Daniel Litton
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       But Jesus stands for the truth—and the truth hurts, it causes pain, and goes in contrast with what Satan says in many different ways—because Jesus stands for the truth many people will be divided against one another. And many of us know about this on a personal level. Whether it is division within families, with friends, with coworkers, whatever, we know the pain that can come from our believing in Christ and their not believing in him. Sometimes people become Christians and they are the only Christians in their household. And conflicts definitely erupt as a result of that. Perhaps he or she leads others to Christ within the family, or perhaps they don’t come to Christ. There is that constant push-back from the family members against the person to not follow what the Bible says but to just keep doing what everyone else does. And then there are the friendships that may even end because the person now believes in Christ. The new Christian may have to end them to stay devoted, or the unbelieving person may walk away and give up the friendship.

Does Jesus Wish to Unite Everyone? (TMF:1439)

Thursday, August 20, 2020
Peace to Live By: Does Jesus Wish to Unite Everyone? (TMF:1439) - Daniel Litton
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       Now, let’s leave the Sermon on the Mount and consider our next hard passage, this time found in Matthew 10. Go to verse 34, and we’ll pick up there. The passage states: "Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person's enemies will be those of his own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (Matthew 10:34-39, ESV). A lot of people have a misperception of Jesus that he is all love, and wants to unite everybody in the world. This, however, is a lie from Satan. As we just read, we see here that Jesus warns us that his coming to earth—his fulfillment of the Jewish law—is not to unite everyone.

False Believers Practice Sin, Part 2 (TMF:1438)

Wednesday, August 19, 2020
Peace to Live By: False Believers Practice Sin, Part 2 (TMF:1438) - Daniel Litton
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       Surely, that is a true mark of a believer—one who seeks to eliminate sin from his or her life. And, this is not just done externally, but this is accomplished internally too—in evaluating one’s thoughts, words, and behaviors—and seeking to align those with what God says to be true in his Word. The true Christian doesn’t want to live in sin; he or she wants to be seeking after obedience to God. That’s why we know when a person says he or she is a Christian, but is practicing sin in his or her life—we know that person is either deceived (that is, the person thinks he or she is a Christian but really isn’t) or the person is deliberately telling us a fib (the person really knows, deep down inside that he or she isn’t a Christian). Sometimes it’s also the case that the person hasn’t realized what he or she is doing is sin, especially for a new believer. Nevertheless, as Jesus said also in Matthew 12: “For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother” (v. 50, ESV).

False Believers Practice Sin, Part 1 (TMF:1437)

Tuesday, August 18, 2020
Peace to Live By: False Believers Practice Sin, Part 1 (TMF:1437) - Daniel Litton
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       Back in the Matthew 7 passage, when Jesus tells the people that he never knew them, notice that he calls them “workers of lawlessness.” This reiterates what we have already been talking about, and that is the fact that these people who are rejected from the kingdom of Heaven are not only those who are partakers in false signs and wonders, but who also are practicing sin in their lives. Surely, that is a true mark of a believer—one who seeks to eliminate sin from his or her life. And, this is not just done externally, but this is accomplished internally too—in evaluating one’s thoughts, words, and behaviors—and seeking to align those with what God says to be true in his Word. The true Christian doesn’t want to live in sin; he or she wants to be seeking after obedience to God. That’s why we know when a person says he or she is a Christian, but is practicing sin in his or her life—we know that person is either deceived (that is, the person thinks he or she is a Christian but really isn’t).

Is Exorcism Proof of One's Status? (TMF:1436)

Monday, August 17, 2020
Peace to Live By: Is Exorcism Proof of One's Status? (TMF:1436) - Daniel Litton
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       But what about casting out demons in Jesus’ name? Surely that’s a sign that a person is in Christ. Maybe, maybe not. Recall, the Pharisees had accused Jesus in Matthew 12 of casting out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons. And he told them, “If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?” (v. 26, ESV). We could also consider the passage in Acts 19 where some Jewish exorcists were trying to cast out demons from people by using Jesus’ name, but were attacked by a demon in the process. I think it is obvious that not everyone who professes to cast out demons is actually casting them out. That is, they are putting on a show in front of a crowd in order to get money, or perhaps just attention and fame. They use the name of Jesus when they do this. It could also be that people who are false are using Jesus’ name to cast out demons, but that the demons are actually coming out of the people. Remember, Judas Iscariot was not saved, and yet he casted out demons as we see in Matthew 10:1.