When Christ Comes

October 27

If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.

2 Corinthians 5:17

Ray wasn’t so much uncaring as he was self-preservation driven. He did what

he thought was best for him. “Look, if we don’t jump on this, we may not get

another opportunity.” He was adamantly defending purchasing stock options

without a thorough background check of the company they were looking at. It

was a merger buyout—the perfect opportunity to make a quick buck—and Ray

couldn’t understand their hesitation. “Why is it so important that you know

how the money is being used?”

“Shelly and I don’t want to unknowingly fund groups whose secular

worldview and agendas don’t align with our biblical worldview,” his brother-

in-law Peter answered. Shelly reminded Ray, “Do you remember when I spoke

to you about our perspective in regard to finances?” Receiving a blank stare, she

continued. “We believe our finances are God-given for the purpose of growing

His kingdom, not for our own personal gain. Anything that goes against His

will is not where we want our money.”

“Whatever.” His condescending attitude was dripping with sarcasm. “Just

don’t cry to me because you missed out on a good deal.”

Peter never hesitated. “Ray, the last thing we would do is blame you for a

poor choice on our part. So until we know what our investment is being used

for, we have no intention of taking part in the merger, huge returns or not.”

h

Until Christ comes into our lives, our decisions are based on selfish choices,

mostly by how those choices relate to our perceived personal desires and pos-

sible accomplishment.

When Christ comes into our lives, our lives are Holy Spirit directed, and

we begin to view things through kingdom lenses. Now we realize our respon-

sibility in making spiritually correct choices.

For the most part, this does not happen automatically; we must perse-

vere in spiritual discipline by asking God for His input in every aspect of our

lives. No issue is too small; no problem is too big. To get rid of the old nature

requires taking an active part in killing the old. Once we understand God’s

sacrifice, it becomes a blessing to do the will of the Lord.

Prayer

“Father, show me what’s right for my life. Teach

me to ask for Your advice and speak to me

through others. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 Self-Imposed Ignorance

October 26

Therefore this generation will be held responsible for the blood of all

the prophets.

Luke 11:50

“Did you hear about the Reager boy?” Janet asked but didn’t pause long enough

to allow Tom time to answer. “Kali told me he missed school this week because

his father beat him, and he doesn’t want anyone to see the marks.”

“Janet, I swear. You listen to too much gossip,” Tom said. “I can’t believe

George would lay a hand on his kids.” What he was actually thinking was, I’m

not about to get involved in some other family’s affairs. It’s none of our business as

far as I’m concerned.

But Janet didn’t let it go. “Tom Sherman! I can’t believe you’d ignore this

to keep from getting involved. Shame on you!”

“What proof do you have anyway? Where did Kali hear about it?” he said

defensively. “And even if it’s true, what are we supposed to do?” he demanded.

“That’s a job for children’s services or the police.”

“If they don’t know about it, they can’t do anything!” Janet said adamantly.

“So why do we have to be the ones to tell them?” he argued.

“Because we’re the ones who know,” she said quietly.

In that final statement, Tom knew she was right and decided that to do

nothing was to allow it to continue. He picked up the phone and dialed chil-

dren’s services.

h

Self-imposed ignorance is a form of denial. If denial lasts long enough, great

tragedy will occur.

In the 1940s, the Germans heard rumors of evil being committed in their

midst, yet they refused to investigate for themselves in order to remain igno-

rant and therefore not responsible to take action. At the end of the war, Allied

troops marched German citizens through concentration camps and also forced

them to look upon mass graves in hopes that they would never again allow

ignorance to perpetuate evil.

In today’s text, God assigned blame for the blood of the prophets on those

who turned a blind eye to brutality and murder.

Self-imposed ignorance is no excuse. We are responsible for the knowl-

edge we possess, and we can only claim ignorance once. Once enlightened, we

have a responsibility to take action.

Prayer

“Lord, cause me to do what is right when I become

aware of wrong. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 Inconsequential

October 25

And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered … you are

worth more than many sparrows.

Matthew 10:30, 31

Bethany was fourteen when she tried to take her own life. She saw herself as a

disappointment and felt she had no choice but to end her life by hanging her-

self from the rafters in the garage. Divine intervention brought her brother to

the garage at the very moment she stepped off the chair. Grabbing her around

the legs, he stepped onto the chair and supported her with one hand while

removing the rope with the other.

Bethany later admitted that she felt inconsequential and unsuccessful—

neither of which was true—and saw everything through a pass or fail lens; in

her mind, there had been no room for error.

Her parents were shocked and horrified to learn their youngest daughter

had thought of herself as a failure or that she believed death was the answer.

h

We no longer allow our children to be average. And because of this mind-set,

our children are choosing to end their lives because they don’t measure up in

their own eyes.

Teen suicide is a growing epidemic and in large part is a result of being sub-

jected to irrational ideals that create irreconcilable dilemmas teens are neither emo-

tionally nor spiritually mature enough to handle.

Irreconcilable dilemmas create depression that, if unrecognized, causes exces-

sive withdrawal and isolation. These symptoms can be misunderstood as a need for

personal space. Quiet withdrawal is not always a downtime thing needed to regroup.

Bethany eventually learned that self-imposed, irrational expectations could

overwhelm anyone. No one person is capable of carrying the weight of such

demands.

Christian counseling brought Bethany to a place where her overwhelm-

ing sense of a need to succeed no longer overshadowed rational thought.

We must not fail to recognize signs of depression. They can be as subtle

as they are destructive. There are abundant resources available; Christian psy-

chiatry can be beneficial; the local library and online medical sites have a

wealth of information.

But as valuable as these are, God’s Word is priceless. Our children must

know they matter. And we must not fail to tell them.

Prayer

“Lord, save our children from the lie of inconsequence. Help

us end this epidemic by revealing Your great love for them

through those who know the truth. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 Absolutes

October 24

Then they can train the younger women to … be self-controlled

and pure.

Titus 2:4

Shania realized she’d made a terrible mistake accepting Reggie’s offer of a ride

home. She grabbed his hand, pulling it away from her breast. “No!” she said

adamantly. “Stop it!” The timbre in her voice left no doubt that she meant what

she’d said. “I want to go home now!”

“Aw, c’mon, Shania. What’s wrong with a little exploration?” Reggie’s hor-

mones were cranked, and he wasn’t going to be easily dissuaded. “You didn’t

mind it when we kissed. What’s the big deal?” he asked, genuinely perplexed.

But as she scooted away, he sensed his expectations dying an emotion-

filled death. This doesn’t make any sense. He thought. After all, she kissed me, didn’t

she? What’s up with that?

“What makes this so wrong?” he said, confusion and frustration driving him.

“I’m a Christian, Reggie,” she stated with conviction. “I made a commit-

ment to Jesus not to have sex before marriage. I want my husband to be the

only man I ever have sex with, and I don’t intend to break that vow. You offered

me a ride home,” she reminded him, “not a sexual encounter. Now, please take

me home.”

Completely baffled but resigned not to push her anymore, Reggie restarted

the car and drove Shania home.

h

It’s difficult for teens to remain pure until marriage while television and block-

buster movies are constantly sending the message, “Everybody’s having sex!”

Society has removed moral absolutes because of their restrictions, yet

refuses to make the connection to the rising rate of teen pregnancy, teen abor-

tion, teen rape, and teen suicide.

When we fail to teach the spiritual reason for abstinence, we remove the

ability to understand why morality matters. The consequences of sex outside of

marriage can run the gambit from disease to unwanted pregnancy, not to men-

tion being open to spiritual assault.

Paul instructed the older women to train the young ones. Sadly, many have

failed in their responsibilities by modeling a life of promiscuity, so the cycle

repeats itself.

The cycle will end when those who understand absolutes step up and show

our young women how to reclaim their purity.

Prayer

“Forgive our turn from moral absolutes, Lord. Help us

reestablish them in our homes so our children might understand

Your purpose for their lives. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 Genuine Reproductions

October 23

As water reflects a face, so a man’s heart reflects a man.

Proverbs 27:19

The three-hundred-foot covered bridge was located on an old railroad bed

turned horse trail that traversed the Mohican River Valley in north central

Ohio. Glen stood on the bridge, taking pictures of the colorful fall foliage.

He leaned through one of the bridge’s windows and directed the camera

toward the water, snapping frame after frame. The scene was breathtaking; all

the colors of the surrounding hillsides were mimicked in reflection, not quite

as brilliant, yet showing two images: genuine and reproduction. The reflection

was marred only by the ripples in the current as the water flowed downstream.

While Glen was drinking in the wild beauty of his surroundings, a bald

eagle soared up the river valley toward his location. As the majestic bird glided

closer, it suddenly dived toward the surface of the water. Glen snapped frame

after frame, hoping to capture the bird’s hunting prowess. In one swift motion,

the eagle grabbed a fish in its talons, disappeared under the bridge, and flew

from sight.

At home, with photos transferred to the computer, Glen was ecstatic; he’d

caught it all! He’d gotten several incredible photos for his portfolio.

As he brought the images up on the monitor, he was fascinated by one

photo in particular. It was the frame in which the eagle’s talons sliced into the

water after its prey. In the troubled water, the eagle’s reflection was anything

but majestic; it appeared distorted and grotesque. Shaking his head in wonder,

Glen catalogued it along with the rest.

h

As Christians, we are the image bearers of Christ. When people look at us, they

should see grace and compassion, love and understanding. Yet, is that what

they see in us? Do we, by the life we live, have a Christlike appearance? Or,

like the image of the eagle, does the reflection appear distorted and grotesque?

The choices we make are reflected in the way we live. What’s sown into our

heart is apparent to the world.

Only by sowing grace and love with the help of the Holy Spirit can we

become a genuine reproduction of Christ’s image.

Prayer

“Father, find in me the likeness of Your Son and

bring it to the surface so my reflection is pleasing

to You and those whose lives I touch. Amen.”

The Greatest Acquisition

October 22

Do not store up treasures on earth.

Matthew 6:19

You could describe the Connor family in two words: scuba fanatics. They spent

much of their free time diving along the Carolina coast, one location in particular.

“Can we go diving tonight, Dad?” Rafe asked.

“Sure,” Logan said. “I was actually thinking about making another dive

this morning. A little more treasure, and we’ll cash in.”

Rafe’s father, Logan, had been a merchant marine when he was younger.

He’d listened closely to his co-workers’ endless tales and folklore of bygone

years as they’d recounted fables of buried treasure along the eastern seaboard.

After several years, Logan decided to take a stab at treasure hunting. On

one of his forays he’d actually found treasure: two pieces of eight, to be precise.

He’d stumbled upon the location quite by accident. He had staked a pseudo-

claim according to maritime law, but lived in fear of someone finding his secret

cache. So far no one had. Weekend dives provided small amounts of treasure

that were kept in the family safe.

On the day they cashed in, the Connor family found out their claim held

no legal bearing. News of the discovery spread quickly. Salvage crews scram-

bled to stake legal claim to the wreckage. One crew managed to procure legal

claim and went on to discover some 2.5 million dollars in treasure, none of

which the Connor family shared.

h

Our devotion to the acquisition of material goods is staggering; we place per-

sonal wealth ahead of the needs of others yet wonder at the broad-based suf-

fering throughout the world today.

As with the Connor family, we can lay claim to future riches only to find

out too late that what we hoped in could be taken away.

Jesus spoke clearly where wealth is concerned, instructing us to invest

heavily in heavenly endeavors, endeavors that cannot be stolen.

By seeking earthly wealth, we stake our future in material possessions

instead of relying on God for our daily needs.

God’s promise is that if we acquire the hope in His Son Jesus Christ, it

will never be taken away.

Prayer

“I like being comfortable, Lord. Help me change

that mind-set to one of helping meet others’ needs

instead of amassing great wealth on earth. Show me

what You’d have me do. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 The Cancer of Greed

October 21

Put to death … sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and

greed, which is idolatry.

Colossians 3:5

Kenny was executor of the estate when his father died. His mother’s passing a

few years before meant the entire estate would now need to be settled. It was

a sizable estate to be settled among the three children: Kenny, his older sister,

Kate, and their younger brother, Kurt.

For years Kenny had dreaded this day, but now that it was here he saw an

unexpected opportunity. With startling clarity, he realized the will was rather

generic in nature, and there was room for interpretation.

Having lost his life savings in a recent securities venture, Kenny was

financially insolvent, completely broke. Here was an opportunity to recoup his

financial losses by siphoning off funds from the estate.

So, deciding to make the most of it, Kenny fudged the books to reflect

fictitious debt his father had accumulated. By filtering the finances to cover

those debts, Kenny would make a substantial amount of money and receive

three times more than his siblings in the settlement.

His plan almost worked. Kenny was unaware that his father had taken

Kurt into his confidence weeks before his death because he was afraid of this

very thing happening. When confronted, Kenny initially denied any impropri-

eties. The resulting feud tore the family apart. Kenny was unremorseful over his

veiled attempt to defraud his own family, and greed claimed another victory.

h

Greed is a cancerous evil. It changes a person’s character, gradually increasing

its grip, claiming more and more of the person’s heart, until finally he or she is

consumed by it.

Greed tells us we are deserving, subtly gaining our allegiance, all the while

making it harder to recognize its influence in our own lives.

And it doesn’t always show itself in a deliberate manner as in today’s story; it

frequently comes cloaked in possessive behavior such as stinginess or entitlement.

Paul tells us to kill it.

Through prayer and purposeful giving, without thought of personal gain,

we can resolve any issues of greed in our lives. By committing random, anony-

mous acts of generosity, we put to death the idol of greed.

Prayer

“Help me hold on loosely to what You’ve given

me, Lord. Teach me to have a giving heart instead

of a selfish one. In Jesus’ Name, amen. “