30 August 2020
Two-Minute Features | 06 September 2020 | 23 August 2020

Do We Need to Suffer? (TMF:1450)

Friday, September 04, 2020
Peace to Live By: Do We Need to Suffer? (TMF:1450) - Daniel Litton
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       The disciples during Jesus’ day would often face threats from the Jewish government, and even the Roman government. Really, we face no such threats for us today—God has blessed us very much. Now, some Christians believe because of this, we need to find new ways to suffer, so to speak, since we have this privilege of religious freedom in our country. But I would say that is nonsense. If God has given us this freedom, it is something he has given to us to enjoy. As a matter of fact, many people have given their lives so that we could retain this freedom. To just give it up, and not rest safely in it, is really sin in and of itself. Just because we may not have the same persecution level the New Testament believers had does not mean we are sinning against God and in the wrong. This is not to say that some day we might lose our freedom, or have it to a lesser extent, but right now we do, and we should enjoy it. People have spilt their blood for us to have it.

God's Word & Obedience (TMF:1449)

Thursday, September 03, 2020
Peace to Live By: God's Word & Obedience (TMF:1449) - Daniel Litton
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       Therefore, picking up our crosses and then actually following Jesus, which is making his Word the guide to our lives in being obedient to him—those two things—go hand-in-hand. I think this concept of taking up our cross individually and following Jesus seems pretty foreign for us here in American society. For one, I think that’s because of the current religious freedom that we so definitely enjoy in our country. Our government stands, at least currently, on freedom of religion, the ability to be free in following Christ as we feel called to do so without threat from our own government or fellow citizens. The disciples during Jesus’ day would often face threats from the Jewish government, and even the Roman government. Really, we face no such threats for us today—God has blessed us very much. Now, some Christians believe because of this, we need to find new ways to suffer, so to speak, since we have this privilege of religious freedom in our country.

Complete Devotion to Jesus (TMF:1448)

Wednesday, September 02, 2020
Peace to Live By: Complete Devotion to Jesus (TMF:1448) - Daniel Litton
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       During Jesus’ time, the Roman cross was a form of capital punishment, it was how a person was executed for a severe enough crime. So, a person would pick up his cross—that which he was to be executed on—and carry it toward the place where he was to be executed. In our day and age, we might say a person must sit in his electric chair, take the noose by which he is to be hanged, or walk into his gas chamber, to use some examples. The point is that by picking up our crosses, we are saying that we are so devoted to Jesus that even our own lives are less important than he is. In other words, we are willing to give our lives for him—that is, even to die—if necessary and if in God’s plan and will, for his sake—for the sake of the Good News, the Gospel. That’s how much we love the truth, how much we love Jesus. Therefore, picking up our crosses and then actually following Jesus, which is making his Word the guide to our lives in being obedient to him—those two things—go hand-in-hand.

Not Following the World's Way (TMF:1447)

Tuesday, September 01, 2020
Peace to Live By: Not Following the World's Way (TMF:1447) - Daniel Litton
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       When we believed on him for the forgiveness of sins, we said “I am not going to follow the world’s way any longer. I am going to follow Jesus’ way of doing things.” And, hopefully, that’s what we have done in our lives. This is how we lose our lives, as Jesus said, not becoming severe and ascetic in the Christian life as some might read it. The Gospel shows us the world for how it really is, and we realize its great influence and power from Satan. We seek to align our thoughts, words, and behaviors with Christ, thereby denying our old selves and seeking to live after the new way of the Spirit, in our new selves created in Christ Jesus for good works. Thus, after we have denied ourselves, what’s the next step? Well, Jesus talked about picking up our crosses and following him. Well, let’s stop and think about this for a minute. During Jesus’ time, the Roman cross was a form of capital punishment, it was how a person was executed for a severe enough crime.

Denying Ourselves? Part 2 (TMF:1446)

Monday, August 31, 2020
Peace to Live By: Denying Ourselves? Part 2 (TMF:1446) - Daniel Litton
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       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? We denied our sinful flesh the right to rule over us anymore, and we died to this world and following its ways. When we deny something, we take the opposing side. When Peter denied Jesus, he said he didn’t know him, and he put himself on the other side of the fence in regard to being Christ’s follower. In essence, he said, “No, I am not a follower of Christ.” And he did this to get out of any possibility of being arrested and condemned. Well, we did the same thing in the opposite way when we accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior. When we believed on him for the forgiveness of sins, we said “I am not going to follow the world’s way any longer.