30 June 2019
Two-Minute Features | 07 July 2019

Our Minds on the Above Things (TMF:1165)

Friday, July 05, 2019
Peace to Live By: Our Minds on the Above Things (TMF:1165) - Daniel Litton
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       Let us recall what the Apostle Paul taught in Colossians 3, and this is an important verse for us. He said, “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God” (3:1-3, ESV). When we create our list of verses for our identify in Christ, when we think about and speak these verses out loud, and even to God in prayer, that helps us to “seek the things that are above.” That helps us to “set [our] minds on things that are above.” When we set our focus right, it allows us to better accomplish the works that God has for us. It enables us to have more and more victory over sin in our lives. We can keep our minds at a higher level than the natural man, than those who don’t know Jesus. We can have and use wisdom in our lives. As Paul told the Ephesians, we become "“renewed in the spirit of [our] minds” (Ephesians 4:23, ESV).

Remembering Our Identity (TMF:1164)

Thursday, July 04, 2019
Peace to Live By: Remembering Our Identity (TMF:1164) - Daniel Litton
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       Besides helping us with receiving our heart’s desires, speaking God’s Word also encourages us in general to remember our identity in Christ. It can help us to see ourselves in Christ as God see us. We can start a list of Bible verses that talk just to the subject of who we are now as Christians, as new creations in Christ. We might, as our first verse, put something like Romans 3:23, which, as we all know, says, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith” (Romans 3:23-25, ESV). And from there, we might add, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself” (2 Corinthians 5:17-18a, ESV). And so we create a list of Bible verses about our identity in Christ, and this helps us to have a right focus.

Sometimes We Wait, Part 2 (TMF:1163)

Wednesday, July 03, 2019
Peace to Live By: Sometimes We Wait, Part 2 (TMF:1163) - Daniel Litton
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       Now, the farmer can walk outside, get upset, and shake his pitchfork, hoe, or whatever he has in his hand at the field, but it isn’t going to do any good. He can go outside in the storm and shake his fist at God because he doesn’t see his crop, but that’s only going to hurt things. He’s just going to be miserable and God probably wont want to help him with that attitude. And remember, even though we don’t see what is going on under the soil, often times the crop is growing. We have to use our faith that what we are speaking is making a different for the future. Another way you can think of it is like when you are getting in shape. You may walk everyday for one week, and see no results when you look in the mirror. You may even walk for two weeks straight, everyday, and still see no changes back in the mirror. But by the third week of walking, you’re probably going to notice your body taking a healthier shape. And it will get better and better as time continues. And so it is with speaking God’s Word. It just may take longer than ‘weeks,’ but be patient.

Sometimes We Wait, Part 1 (TMF:1162)

Tuesday, July 02, 2019
Peace to Live By: Sometimes We Wait, Part 1 (TMF:1162) - Daniel Litton
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       James taught us to be patient. Again, when he was telling his readers that they had to be patient when waiting for Jesus’ return, he said, “Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient” (James 5:7, 8, ESV). James’ readers we eager for the Lord’s return, and we too can apply James’ illustration to any area of our lives where we are waiting (including for the Lord’s return!). The farmer sows, and then he waits, waits, and then waits some more. Often he will even aid the crop in growing by adding fertilizer (this is what we do when we are speaking God’s Word). Eventually, after he waits long enough, the ground produces a crop. Now, the farmer can walk outside, get upset, and shake his pitchfork, hoe, or whatever he has in his hand at the field, but it isn’t going to do any good. He can go outside in the storm and shake his fist at God because he doesn’t see his crop, but that’s only going to hurt things. He’s just going to be miserable and God probably wont want to help him.

God Works Fast & Slow (TMF:1161)

Monday, July 01, 2019
Peace to Live By: God Works Fast & Slow (TMF:1161) - Daniel Litton
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       There are many things God may be quick to work with you about, but there are also things that take time, and sometimes quite a lot of time. Going back to the story about Abraham, God promised Abraham he would be the father of many nations. But that didn’t happen for quite a long time. It took years for God to call into existence the promise that he had made to Abraham. And sometimes it takes a long time, or at least a long time from our perspective, for God’s promises to be fulfilled in our own lives. Recall, though, that Jesus said that we should always pray and not lose heart (see Luke 18:1, ESV). The verses we have compiled in our hands, the things we are speaking with God about, helps encourage us as we are waiting on God to deliver for us what we believe he wants us to have. It’s important for us to be encouraged consistently so that we do not lose hope. And God’s Word can do this for us. But it is our responsibility to continue to believe, and not be impatient and speak negatively toward our need or situation.