31 January 2021
Two-Minute Features | 07 February 2021

Special Trials Faced by the Christian (TMF:1540)

Friday, February 05, 2021
Peace to Live By: Special Trials Faced by the Christian (TMF:1540) - Daniel Litton
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       We as Christians can also face special trials, unlike the rest of the world, ones that are geared specifically for Christians. Let us be reminded of what Jesus has told us in Matthew chapter 5 and verses 10 through 12: “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (ESV). So, following Christ can bring persecution, suffering. I think here in America we are a little less familiar with this concept for Christian suffering than perhaps those brothers and sisters in other parts of the world. Really, most of the time we have it really easy here. With our government and society the way it is setup, it is generally tolerating of Christian teaching and serving, or people just ignore it.

An Example of Suffering Correctly (TMF:1539)

Thursday, February 04, 2021
Peace to Live By: An Example of Suffering Correctly (TMF:1539) - Daniel Litton
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       I was trying to come up with an example in regard to this topic of suffering. One of my friends about a year and half ago in the Springtime lost his job in the I.T. world unexpectedly. And he began the search for a new job right away. After months and months of trying to find another I.T. job, he eventually ended up taking a lesser paying job at a local department store. He faithfully worked that job for many months without complaining. And after about a year and several months from the time he lost his original job, after lots of praying, God provided him with a bigger and better I.T. job at a better company than the one he worked at before. This worldly trial produced endurance, character, and hope for my friend. Now in the future, he can look back on this trial and take comfort in the fact that God will lead him through, even if it takes God longer than he expects, because he did back here. And those of us who prayed with him can look to his suffering, his trial, as well for encouragement.

Rejoicing in Our Sufferings (TMF:1538)

Wednesday, February 03, 2021
Peace to Live By: Rejoicing in Our Sufferings (TMF:1538) - Daniel Litton
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       Our hope, then, is that we can fasten our anchors to Jesus, who is stable and sturdy, so that the water (which represents the instability of life) won’t be a concern for us. Now, to the part we don’t particularly care for. Romans chapter 5, verse 3: “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Romans 5:3-5, ESV). We rejoice in our sufferings. We rejoice in our sufferings. We know we all experience sufferings, many of which pertain to the normal, daily living of this world. There can be money problems, relational issues, employment hardships, bodily diseases, whatever it be, there can be all kinds of worldly troubles. And sometimes God will use these things to teach us things.

Hope is the Anchor for Our Souls (TMF:1537)

Tuesday, February 02, 2021
Peace to Live By: Hope is the Anchor for Our Souls (TMF:1537) - Daniel Litton
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       The writer of Hebrews has told his Jewish Christian audience, “So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek” (Hebrews 6:17-20, ESV). So, here, one of the illustrations we see for hope is that it is our anchor for our souls. We understand that a ship's anchor is let down through the water and it fastens on the seafloor, in the rocks, so that the ship will not drift away from where it is supposed to be.

The Christian's Hopes for the Future (TMF:1536)

Monday, February 01, 2021
Peace to Live By: The Christian's Hopes for the Future (TMF:1536) - Daniel Litton
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       It is, “seek[ing] the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set[ting our] minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth” as Paul told the Colossians (Colossians 3:1-2, ESV). We understand that our salvation is secure in Jesus. We recognize that when we die, we are going to get our new, resurrection bodies that will be the new homes of our spirits, our new flesh. We will be with our Savior, Jesus, forever. We have these hopes, and no one can take them away from us. Regardless of what happens in life, we can always cling to these hopes. The writer of Hebrews has told his Jewish Christian audience, “So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.”