19 July 2020
Two-Minute Features | 26 July 2020 | 12 July 2020

Mutilating the Flesh Doesn't Take Away Sin (TMF:1420)

Friday, July 24, 2020
Peace to Live By: Mutilating the Flesh Doesn't Take Away Sin (TMF:1420) - Daniel Litton
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       In other words, mutilating the flesh will not fix anything for a person. If a person where to tear out his eye or cut off his hand, that person would still have evil on the inside. A person may look at his neighbor’s possessions to covet them, but that feeling of covetousness is not in the eye, but in the person’s mind. So, tearing out the eye isn’t going to do any good. Nonetheless, two different approaches are possible for this passage: one that has believers in view when considering it, and another that has unbelievers in view. And I think that both interpretations work to our advantage, and we can learn different things from each perspective. And in the similar passage in Matthew 18:7-9, it seems to fit believers better, while the passage here may fit unbelievers better. Therefore, for the believer in Jesus, we can note in the most basis sense that God wants us to avoid anything in our lives that causes us to sin.

Jesus is Being Overdramatic with this Saying (TMF:1419)

Thursday, July 23, 2020
Peace to Live By: Jesus is Being Overdramatic with this Saying (TMF:1419) - Daniel Litton
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       For are next hard saying, we don’t have to go very far. If we jump down in Matthew chapter 5 to verse 29, we read: “If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell” (Matthew 5:29, 30, ESV). At first glance, this passage of Scripture may seem scary to some. However, I want us to realize that really it isn’t scary it all. Surely, Jesus is being overdramatic here in order to get his point across. He is using right eyes and hands in order to represent many things. He is not actually telling people that they should actually tear out their eye, or cut off their hand. Remember, Jesus clearly taught that it is from the heart that sin comes. Let’s consider that passage quickly. Jesus said, “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person” (Matthew 15:19, 20, ESV).

Consequences for Going Along with the Truth (TMF:1418)

Wednesday, July 22, 2020
Peace to Live By: Consequences for Going Along with the Truth (TMF:1418) - Daniel Litton
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       Before I wrap up this section, I want us to consider what Jesus told his twelve chief disciples when he was sending them out to share the Gospel in Israel (Matthew 10:16-23). Quickly, in considering this passage, note that people will do these things to certain disciples because they don’t like what they have to say—the don’t want to hear the truth. Jesus mentions that people can deliver us to courts, have us whipped or beaten, and even drag us before rulers. But he tells us that this is actually for God’s sake, so that he can witness to them of the truth. Jesus even states that family members will be against family members (more on this next week). And perhaps the key phrase in his whole saying here is, “and you will be hated by all for my name's sake.” Wow, what a dramatic and sobering statement. That’s because of Satan’s tremendous influence on this world in promoting his doctrines through people as the truth that should be followed in contrast to God’s truth.

It's Easy to Go Along with the Crowd, Part 2 (TMF:1417)

Tuesday, July 21, 2020
Peace to Live By: It's Easy to Go Along with the Crowd, Part 2 (TMF:1417) - Daniel Litton
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       We see here, then, that it’s easy to go along with the crowd, to just go along with whatever the latest forthcoming belief in American society is. You get the praise of your fellow people when you don’t go against anything anyone believes. Nevertheless, we must remember that there are absolute truths, and these truths come from God. When you are talking about morality, there is only one way to live, and that is what God says is right. If multiple gods exist, and multiple religions are good, then the God of the Christian Bible is a liar because he said he’s the only true God, and Jesus, whom the Bible says is God, said he’s the only way to God. Consequently, if there are multiple religions which are good, then Jesus is a liar. Some people say, “Why don’t you just accept all religions as good and let people be who they want to be.” But if we were to do that, we would be calling Jesus a liar and letting people go straight to Hell without giving them a chance to believe in the truth of reality.

It's Easy to Go Along with the Crowd, Part 1 (TMF:1416)

Monday, July 20, 2020
Peace to Live By: It's Easy to Go Along with the Crowd, Part 1 (TMF:1416) - Daniel Litton
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       The problem is that those anti-God positions they are proclaiming and fighting for actually come from our arch enemy, Satan himself. Lots of things may be done in the seeming spirit of freedom or acceptance, but they are actually things God hates and things of which he is going to rid the world of when the end of time comes. Later in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said something that supplements this persecution idea. He said: "Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few” (Matthew 7:13, 14, ESV). We see here, then, that it’s easy to go along with the crowd, to just go along with whatever the latest forthcoming belief in American society is. You get the praise of your fellow people when you don’t go against anything anyone believes.