10 June 2018
Two-Minute Features | 17 June 2018 | 03 June 2018

Anyone Can Have the Benefits the Holy Spirit Gives (TMF:910)

Friday, June 15, 2018
Peace to Live By: Anyone Can Have the Benefits the Holy Spirit Gives (TMF:910) - Daniel Litton
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       And I do realize that there are some people out there who may feel left out, who may feel that they would like these benefits from the Spirit, but that they don’t know God. They feel estranged from him, and they feel like that are not on good terms with him. Well, if I am describing you today, I want you to know that God wants to be in a personal relationship with you. He wants to be your God, and he wants to help you in your life. Remember, we discussed the fact that God is not a mean killjoy of a God. No, he is kind, being the one who has given us our lives, everything we have, and he wants to continue to bless our lives. He wants more blessings in them now, and the wants to give us good things in the future. Many of these things we will see in this life, and many of the good things we will get will be in the next life—in eternity. God gives us Heaven for the future, for those of us who believe in him. We get to be with him forever, having everything we need, and being totally protected from any harm that might come to us.

The Church Members' Harmony Gives God Glory (TMF:909)

Thursday, June 14, 2018
Peace to Live By: The Church Members' Harmony Gives God Glory (TMF:909) - Daniel Litton
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       The harmony in the church that is produced by our following the Spirit individually is for the glory of God. The Apostle Paul said in Romans 15, starting in verse 5: “May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God” (5-7, ESV). We first have to accept each other in the body, for that is what God wants us to do. And this leads us to collectively glorifying God, both in the works we do as a church and in our worship of God. This harmony is only possible when we follow and are obedient to the Spirit in our lives.

Does the Teacher Follow the New Testament? Part 2 (TMF:908)

Wednesday, June 13, 2018
Peace to Live By: Does the Teacher Follow the New Testament? Part 2 (TMF:908) - Daniel Litton
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       John makes things rather simple. He says that whoever follows his teaching, basically whoever follows what the New Testament says, is from God. And, whoever does not, is not from God. So, these would be people who twist Scripture. They are not keeping harmony within God’s people, but are rather causing division. A good and easy example of this would be Mormonism, where its original author, Joseph Smith, just took the Bible and interpreted it to mean whatever came to his mind, which was not already accepted by others in the church. And then he created his own Bible for his followers to live by, claiming it was the Word of God, when it is not. The Spirit wants us to purge these people from our midst because they take away the harmony he wants by creating disorder and error. The harmony in the church that is produced by our following the Spirit individually is for the glory of God.

Does the Teacher Follow the New Testament? Part 1 (TMF:907)

Tuesday, June 12, 2018
Peace to Live By: Does the Teacher Follow the New Testament? Part 1 (TMF:907) - Daniel Litton
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       Let’s turn to 1 John chapter 4. In this text, the Apostle John is talking about false prophets, those who are pretending to speak for God but who really aren’t from God and are speaking error. Let’s pick up in verse 4. John says: “Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error” (1 John 4:4-6, ESV). John makes things rather simple. He says that whoever follows his teaching, basically whoever follows what the New Testament says, is from God. And, whoever does not, is not from God. Pretty simple here. So, these would be people who twist Scripture. They are not keeping harmony within God’s people, but are rather causing division.

Addressing One Another with Scripture (TMF:906)

Monday, June 11, 2018
Peace to Live By: Addressing One Another with Scripture (TMF:906) - Daniel Litton
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       On Sunday mornings, we gather together as members of Christ’s body to worship God and to hear a word from God, a message delivered by one of God’s teachers. Now, Paul doesn’t necessarily mention sermons here, but talks about addressing one another in psalms. Sometimes the worship leader will do this, or sometimes there is a Scripture reading that does not pertain to the sermon—an additional one for encouragement. But, Paul says that Spirit-filled individuals will do these things, which in effect will keep harmony among God’s people. And on top of this, we give thanks to God for everything good he has done in our lives, and this in the name of Jesus. Finally, we submit to one another, or accept and respect each other, as Christ has accepted and respects each of us as genuine, born-again believers. And we do this because we love Jesus, even though there may be individuals we do not personally care for, those of whom it is harder for us to get along with.