23 August 2020
Two-Minute Features | 30 August 2020 | 16 August 2020

Denying Ourselves? Part 1 (TMF:1445)

Friday, August 28, 2020
Peace to Live By: Denying Ourselves? Part 1 (TMF:1445) - Daniel Litton
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       “Then Jesus told his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 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? For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done. Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom” (Matthew 16:24-28, ESV). When Christ talks about becoming his disciple, the first thing he mentions here is that a person must deny himself. Now, what does this mean? I think those of us who have become Christians at a later age (not as a child) can easily identify what this means. We know what we were like before we became believers. We know the kind of life that we lived. And what did we do when we became a Christian? Well, we denied ourselves, right?

Every Sacrifice is Reimbursed (TMF:1444)

Thursday, August 27, 2020
Peace to Live By: Every Sacrifice is Reimbursed (TMF:1444) - Daniel Litton
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       Let’s quickly look at a passage in Matthew 19 about this: "And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first” (Matthew 19:29-30, ESV). So, every sacrifice that is made in this life will be reimbursed many times over—a hundredfold, as Jesus has said. And let’s think about what this might look like. If we have given up relationships for Jesus’ name, we know that in the future we will have many more intimate, close relationships for all eternity with fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, and not to mention our intimate relationship with Jesus himself. We will have close relationships with both people we helped lead to Christ, and with other believers, both those whom we know in this life, and those who lived at other times. And not only that, but also we will have our own residence, and abundance in possessions—many things that meet our hearts desires.

Family Troubles for the Christian, Part 2 (TMF:1443)

Wednesday, August 26, 2020
Peace to Live By: Family Troubles for the Christian, Part 2 (TMF:1443) - Daniel Litton
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       Or let’s say a son phones his father from college saying he’s decided he’s gay, and wants to practice homosexuality. The father has a choice to make. He can still love his son, but he has to choose who he loves more. Will he love his son and tell him he doesn’t approve of his homosexuality behavior, or will he just cave into his son and tell him it’s okay that he is now gay—thus loving his son more than Christ. Will the father stand with Christ and denounce his son’s behavior, or will he give approval of it so there are no waves within the relationship? Let us not forget that every sacrifice we give in this life for our Lord’s sake does not go unnoticed by him. Let’s quickly look at a passage in Matthew 19 about this. Jesus said the following to his disciples: "And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first” (Matthew 19:29-30, ESV). This is an incredible statement by our Lord.

Family Troubles for the Christian, Part 1 (TMF:1442)

Tuesday, August 25, 2020
Peace to Live By: Family Troubles for the Christian, Part 1 (TMF:1442) - Daniel Litton
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       Let’s consider a couple examples of what this might look like for practical application. Let’s say a college-aged girl who was raised as a Muslim becomes a Christian while she is away at college. She phones her mother to tell her that she has decided to become a Christian. This undoubtedly is going to cause quite a stir. The girl who has converted is so convinced of her newfound faith in Christ that she is willing to lay everything on the line. Her mother may tell her that unless she renounces her Christian faith, she is no longer welcome at home. So, the new convert to Christ has a choice to make. Will she love Christ more, and be devoted to her newfound Lord and Savior, or will she love her mother more. Or let’s say a son phones his father from college saying he’s decided he’s gay, and wants to practice homosexuality. The father has a choice to make. He can still love his son, but he has to choose who he loves more. Will he love his son and tell him he doesn’t approve of his homosexuality behavior?

Giving Up Friendships for Jesus' Sake (TMF:1441)

Monday, August 24, 2020
Peace to Live By: Giving Up Friendships for Jesus' Sake (TMF:1441) - Daniel Litton
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       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. So, Jesus says, “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” (ESV). What does this mean? Simply put, what Jesus is saying is that he has to be first in the believer’s life. If it comes down to making a particular choice about something, the believer should always side with Christ and not with a fellow, unbelieving family member. The relationship may stay intact just fine, but with this particular choice, the person sides with Jesus. If a person has to sacrifice a relationship with a fellow family member for his name’s sake, then so be it. A Christian should always choose Christ over an earthly relationship, or that person really isn’t fully devoted, or an even truly devoted follower. Again, some people have never had do to this, or have never had this experience. But many Christians have.