28 November 2021
Two-Minute Features | 05 December 2021 | 21 November 2021

We are in Weakness, as Christians (TMF:1755)

Friday, December 03, 2021
Peace to Live By: We are in Weakness, as Christians (TMF:1755) - Daniel Litton
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       Continuing along. Verse 26 of Romans chapter 8: “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God” (Romans 8:26, 27, ESV). We are in weakness as Christians because of our sin-nature, and the effects of that. Paul had just been talking about how the sin-nature affects the creation as a whole, and now he focuses on ourselves individually. In view of the sin-nature and the complexity of the world around us, and all the problems we see on this earth, sometimes we don’t know exactly what we should be praying for in our lives, in the lives of others, for our society, our government, our nation, and the earth as a whole. We may pray a prayer, but it isn’t as precise as we would like it be. Or, it doesn’t hit home like we would like it to.

Setting Our Focus on Our Future (TMF:1754)

Thursday, December 02, 2021
Peace to Live By: Setting Our Focus on Our Future (TMF:1754) - Daniel Litton
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       One of the benefits to our salvation is that we believe that throughout our lives, our new lives in Christ, we can have the hope of our glory in being with Christ after this life. We can always be looking forward to that. I know I catch myself thinking about from time to time. It’s especially easier, and more appealing it seems, to think about it when times are rough, in the times things aren’t going the way we want them to. We discern that really, in reality, in the grand scheme of things, this world doesn’t ultimately matter. What matters is that we have a personal relationship with God, that will are seeking to please him, that we are following Jesus. The troubles of this world will come to pass. Now, this has never happened for us. That is, we have never received a new body before. We have never been physically with Jesus before. Nonetheless, we have the hope we will be. Even though there is nothing in the past that can assure for us these things, that is, since they haven’t happened before, we still hope and count on them to happen.

We Will Never be Satisfied with this World (TMF:1753)

Wednesday, December 01, 2021
Peace to Live By: We Will Never be Satisfied with this World (TMF:1753) - Daniel Litton
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       And Paul tells us that the current creation, the one we are in right now, we ourselves, we along with nature, are eagerly awaiting, we are eagerly anticipating these things to come to pass. Even the animal kingdom, in some way, and the earth itself, is waiting to be free from the effects of sin, from the curse on the earth and the universe. That’s what Paul says. And as we know, at the moment Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, back in Genesis chapter 3, God cursed the earth and the universe (see Genesis 3:17-19). That means no matter how hard we try, we can never reach ultimate fulfillment in the things of this world. Before the fall, we could have been totally satisfied with the things of this world. We could of had total enjoyment, perfect enjoyment, from them. But since God cursed it, now we cannot. People will never be perfect here, the environment will never be perfect, animals will never be perfect, society won’t work without problems, and culture will be tainted by sin. And notice that this curse from God on the earth is an Old Testament curse, and Christ’s death and burial did not remove this curse—at least not yet.

We Look Forward to a Future in Heaven (TMF:1752)

Tuesday, November 30, 2021
Peace to Live By: We Look Forward to a Future in Heaven (TMF:1752) - Daniel Litton
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       Indeed, this is what God promised the Israelites would happen for them. Really, this world has them in focus. And we understand that after the Millennial Kingdom, after a short stint from Satan in leading some people astray, God will destroy the current earth and current universe, and set up a New Earth and New Heaven, a new universe. And on this new earth, God himself will dwell with the Lord Jesus Christ. This is where we will live, with our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, with those who knew God from all times, who had a personal relationship with him. There will be all kinds of people there, almost all of whom we never even knew during our earthly lives. We will each have our own residences, and an abundance of possessions. The New Jerusalem will be there, and it will be truly glorious. It will be a wonderful, incredibly large city. It so fun to consider all of these things that are going to come to pass. They are reality. They are really going to happen.

Sufferings Are But for a Short Time (TMF:1751)

Monday, November 29, 2021
Peace to Live By: Sufferings Are But for a Short Time (TMF:1751) - Daniel Litton
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       The good news Paul has to remind of us today in all these sufferings is that this is but a short time, and in the future we are going to ultimately be in glory in Christ. We know quite a bit about this subject. We understand that not only will we receive new resurrection bodies as believers, but we will be with God forever. Our relationships that we enjoy with him now are going to continue forever in the future. We will never be without him; in fact, we will be much closer to him. He will be right there among us. And speaking of where we will be, we understand that before we reach our ultimate destination, we are going to see the 1,000 year Reign of Christ on the earth, after the Battle of Armageddon. This will take place on our current earth, though it will be renovated. It will be restored to a sin-free environment. People will live here and bear children; animals will be here, and they will be at perfect peace with one another. Christ will rule the earth as the only leader, sitting on his throne as a King.