16 July 2023
Two-Minute Features | 23 July 2023 | 09 July 2023

Life Isn't About 'Special Things' Part 2 (TMF:2140)

Friday, July 21, 2023
Peace to Live By: Life Isn't About 'Special Things' Part 2 (TMF:2140) - Daniel Litton
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       What does all this mean? I think it means that I probably should enjoy the normal, everyday life that I have, even when things aren’t exciting. If I only enjoy the exciting times, then life is going to be pretty drab and boring. So, one day after service at my church my pastor was telling me how she was doing this errand and that errand throughout the week. I told her, “95 percent of life is doing the regular things, and I believe we are to do those things to the best of our ability.” Of course, she already seemed to understand that. But the point is that we are to be doing the right things, to be living that regular life being pleasing to God. If we are familiar with our Bibles, we should already know what God desires from us. This reminds we of what the Apostle Paul told the Ephesians, “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is” (Ephesians 5:15-17, ESV).

Life Isn't About 'Special Things' Part 1 (TMF:2139)

Thursday, July 20, 2023
Peace to Live By: Life Isn't About 'Special Things' Part 1 (TMF:2139) - Daniel Litton
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       I thought a lot last year in 2019 about how short life is, and how important the normal, everyday things of life are for us. I kind of took an inventory and actually tried to come up with a percentage (as regards my own everyday living) of how much time I spend doing normal, everyday activities versus participating in special events. So, what I did was I classified my career-based work in television, my teaching for the radio show, house chores, Bible studies, church-going, and everything else routine into the normal activities. Then, I classified vacations, going out to dinner, purchasing new things and opening them, parties, and the like as special activities. What I concluded was I spend about 93 to 95 percent of my life going through the motions, doing normal, everyday routines. Then I spend about 5 to 7 percent of my life doing special things.

Presuming on the Future, Part 3 (TMF:2138)

Wednesday, July 19, 2023
Peace to Live By: Presuming on the Future, Part 3 (TMF:2138) - Daniel Litton
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       They presume upon the future. That’s why James is adding his correction here. The point here is the heart attitude, of course, as it always is in the Bible. It’s not either that God cannot promise a person something in the future. God can and still does promise people things. I’ve talked about in the past how I believe God has promised me a wife. Can I go around and say, “Well, everyone, I can’t get killed because God has promised me a wife. I know for sure I’m going to live for the next several years.” No, of course, I can’t say that. That’s because the promise is contingent upon greater, grander things. It’s first dependent on the fact that Jesus doesn’t return before that would happen. The second thing, I think you could say, is that it is dependent on the fact I don’t go around boosting about it. That’d just be asking for trouble. Arrogance is tied into self-righteousness. When we are arrogant, we are being disobedient to God, and we are hindering God’s power toward us in a positive direction.

Presuming on the Future, Part 2 (TMF:2137)

Tuesday, July 18, 2023
Peace to Live By: Presuming on the Future, Part 2 (TMF:2137) - Daniel Litton
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       Well, they are presuming on the future. They are assuming that, as Doc Brown taught us in the Back to the Future trilogy, namely the third part, that the course of today will continue into tomorrow. The problem is that, we really don’t know what’s going to happen at any moment after this one, no matter what we really think. To quote Doc Brown again, “[Your] future hasn’t been written yet. No one’s has. Your future is whatever you make it, so make it a good one.” That’s kind of on track to what we’re talking about here. Dr. Brown’s point is that we have freedom, and therefore we have freedom to make choices that directly affect our future, hence, the Law of Liberty. And I would add to that, that in some kind of way we really do not understand, God has bound himself to our freedom. That’s the whole problem with the folks in this passage—the one’s James is talking about. I mean, obviously, since James brings it up, people can and do act like this. They presume upon the future. That’s why James is adding his correction here. The point here is the heart attitude, of course, as it always is in the Bible.

Presuming on the Future, Part 1 (TMF:2136)

Monday, July 17, 2023
Peace to Live By: Presuming on the Future, Part 1 (TMF:2136) - Daniel Litton
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       Go ahead and tap or turn in your Bibles to James chapter 4. We are starting in verse 13: “Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit"-yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that." As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin. (James 4:13-17, ESV). In coming to this text today, what is the overall, arching problem? The person who thinks that he or she’s life will go a certain way, and carry on in a specific linear direction, what are they doing? Well, they are presuming on the future. They are assuming that, as Doc Brown taught us in the Back to the Future trilogy, namely the third part, that the course of today will continue into tomorrow. The problem is that, we really don’t know what’s going to happen at any moment after this one, no matter what we really think.