Armor Series (1) – Spiritual Warfare

Posted on July 4, 2014 by George Crone

Ephesians 6:12

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

SpiritualWarfare

I woke up this morning with the world unrest heavy on my heart. As we look to celebrate our great nation of America and her bought and paid for independence this July 4th, I couldn’t help but have my heart drawn to the real battle which has nothing to do with lines on a map.

Yes, Satan has drawn us into battle lines of the flesh, culture wars, class wars, economic wars, resource wars and countless selfish, hoarding type behaviors however those are just distractions.

The most telling physical war of them all is the physical and spiritual genocide that the Arab-Jewish war and the desires for complete occupation of Israel and destruction of the Jewish people across the globe represents; that is the physical manifestation of Spiritual Warfare.

This is not just another territorial war, this is a war of biblical proportions, one that has existed for thousands of years and one that has been clearly defined and prophesied for just as long.

As I reflect on the evil principalities at work at the universal level, I am drawn to reflect on that same internal battle that exists inside each of us.

Born of flesh, we are brought into this world fully engaged in spiritual warfare long before we are ever aware of its existence. I have no doubt in my own life that God has always been guiding, protecting, molding and preparing me for these days that are upon us now and are to come.

I couldn’t always say that, I resented my life and the people who raised me. But I see now that God allows evil to mold the character of those He has chosen for the greatest battles, but He will not let them be overcome by those battles but instead strengthened through a higher awareness and reliance upon God Himself for the victories.

It takes no stretch of the imagination to realize the incredible burden each and every Christian on the planet faces as we are called to be God’s spiritual warriors against the evils of immorality, hatred, jealousy, the depravity of addictions, the lusts of materialism, careerism, egotism, the destructiveness of selfishness, entitlements and pride.

The character traits of those who openly deny Christ are no different from the war that rages in the belly of us who are confident in our salvation, for our old self’s natural inclination is toward all those same behaviors and we must intentionally draw on the Spirit within, the Blood that covers, and the Word that sets free.

We will never change the world if we don’t first ourselves become renewed.

We can’t give away what we don’t have.

We must first deal with the logs in our own eye before thinking we are strong enough or carry enough Truth in our hearts (not head) to influence an unrighteous and dying family, workplace, neighborhood, city, state, nation or world.

So how do we do that, how do we protect ourselves and others from our own inner demons of flesh and the outer world of darkness and evil which is gaining momentum?

ArmorofGodMedallionEphesians 6:13-17

 13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Father God, the signs of Your return appear all around us. Help us this day be true to Your calling, helps us to wear Your armor alone and not reach for the comforts and protections of the Liar and Thief who comes to kill steal and destroy. We wear Your righteousness not because of who we are or what we’ve done, but solely because of who YOU are and what YOU’VE done. Thank you Jesus for standing in the gap for all mankind so that we may stand tall, walk proud and speak boldly in the name of God because You are with us, in us, on us, around us; You go before us, stand with us, and prepare the road ahead of us. Bless our politicians with the incredibly frightening awareness of their own selfish ambitions and destructive ways which draw our nation deeper toward that of Sodom and Gomorrah which will leave You God little choice but to allow our destruction and instead have them fight for justice and righteousness in Your name as our forefathers fought for which You gave us in this great nation hundreds of years ago.  Help us each as individuals grow closer to You so that we may love, encourage and direct others toward their own relationship and reliance upon You. Help us to not just know, but live out the truth that it is You who saves and often times we need to just be directing traffic toward You and not trying to paste-up road signs and rule books in the path of those we influence. Thank you Father for my suffering that leads to Your glory. In Jesus’ precious name. 

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50 Days of Promises (38): Victory Through Faith

Posted on June 27, 2014 by George Crone

1 John 5:5
5 Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

break through

It breaks my heart how many Christians believe themselves to be unworthy or no good even after gaining the intellectual knowledge that they’ve been made right with God by The Lambs blood poured out on the Cross.

I know, because for nearly 4 years now I’ve been one of those Christians.

I have been involved in recovery ministry, spent hundreds of hours in prayer both alone on my knees and in fellowship with others. I have been poured out in service, participate as a small group leader in church and recovery, have a phone filled with Christian brothers from church and recovery circles that lean on each other daily for support and encouragement; and the list goes on.

It truly is a life transformed, especially compared to the old life of drugs, alcohol, pornography, depression, over-eating and suicidal thoughts, all of which stem from childhood abuses and a directionless and purposeless adult life.

This morning’s verse however, like so many, serve as a reminder that the price has already been paid. For me to still think “I’m unworthy” or live in fear that “I might fall back in my old ways” or have the thoughts “who am I to speak boldly the truth of God, if you only knew where I came from”.

The terribly sad truth is that we can have all the head knowledge of God’s incredible love and redemption for us but still be plagued by the voices of darkness that claim we are no good, that we haven’t arrived yet, that until I meet all the expectations set before me by God He couldn’t possibly love me.

The world’s systems are built upon earning everything. The harder you strive the better chance of success. For many who grew up in broken home, the desire to meet our mother or fathers expectations became ingrained so deeply we know no other way of looking at authority figures. And if like mine, what you did was never good enough, the internal dialogue of self-loathing is the very definition of a self-imposed prison that doesn’t exist.

That same striving nature is true with all other religions, the better the person, the greater the sacrifice, the better the chance of salvation.

1 John 5:13

13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life. 

There is nothing in this world that can rewrite the tapes of evil that have been feed into the heart of an abused child, but those tapes can and are being rewritten.

The foundational truth in all of this is that if you believe in the Son of God, believe that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior, you are already on the path of righteousness whether you realize it or not.

Yes we fall short, yes the old tapes continue to play, yes we may have already shed a million tears and yes there will likely be a thousand more; but it is that process of healing and our willingness to share that journey with others that becomes our testimony of healing.

It is our shared journey of redemption that is the very thing that points to the glory of God in our lives.

We do not need to wait until we are perfect to then say “now I can speak, now I can share my testimony, now I can get involved in church, now I can look my family, coworkers, friends and strangers in the eye with boldness and proclaim God’s victory in my life”.

That time is now, that time has come.

1 John 5:4

For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith.

It is not only OK to have the assurance of salvation simply because we have faith in Jesus even though we have not yet become fully the person we believe we can or should be, it is our calling.

My guess, this is probably the state we will remain in the rest of our lives, fully human yet fully saved by faith.

Matthew 11:29

Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

If you believe that Jesus is the Son of God, died for your sins and that you are forgiven by His death and resurrection, you have arrived already. Nothing more that we do in this life will add to salvation, for the price was His to pay, not ours.

We are set free and can rest by faith.

Yes there is much work to be done, but we now work and strive as free soldiers for Christ already on the road of salvation, not in pursuit of it.

Father God, you know my heart, you know all of our hearts. We hurt Lord, we struggle to see our worth in the eyes of those around us when all we need is to look at how You see us. Forgive us Lord when in our weakness we let the old voices tell us we’re no good, we listen to that whisper of Satan that says “see, your no different, your no better”. Lord we rebuke that old man inside, he is dead, he is gone, he is buried at the foot of Your cross and we are raised from the dead, completely reborn, rewritten, remade whole and complete in You. We receive the truth that we will always be a work in progress, but Father God help our hearts to also receive that it is You who is doing the work of redemption in us, it is You alone who is re-wiring our thoughts, desires and actions. Help us rest in the fact that our faith is what brings us to You and we can rest in Your arms, it is OK to rest. Help all Your children know this day that it is You who will finish the work You have started as we strive simply to remain faithful to Your calling. Thank you Jesus for Your life poured out for it is no longer us who must save ourselves, but our burden is simply to live out in assurance of the salvation already received. Help us to endure in peace, quiet the voices that tell us otherwise. In your precious name Lord Jesus I pray… 

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50 Days of Promises (37): Access To The Father

Posted on June 25, 2014 by George Crone

Ephesians 2:18

Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us.

Embrace

John 14:6
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

There are no religions on the planet other than Trinity-believing Christianity that offer salvation as a gift, all others must earn through a lifetime of works a chance at salvation; they must struggle their entire lives with no assurances.

It is Christ alone that makes Christianity Christianity. It’s not even open for debate. Either you believe Jesus was man and God and now sits at God’s right hand and you are filled with the power of the Holy Spirit; or you don’t.

And boy, let me tell you, when you come to believe… the power and majesty and awesomeness of the Good News of Christ’s Atonement is overwhelming.

As you feel life well up inside you, you become overwhelmed with new desires, new sensations, new freedoms; release from addictions and strongholds, you experience renewal in relationships, find new passions and visions for the future, receive great rewards of the soul through service to others; you will never question again the critical importance of Christ at the center.

What I especially love about Ephesians 2:8 is that it is referring to both Jew and Gentile, which is basically everyone on the planet. We ALL have access through the same Holy Spirit to The Father if only we believe.

Genesis 15:6
And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.

Acts 15:11
But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.”

Acts 16:31
And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

John 1:12
But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,

Romans 10:9-10
because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

There are 258 instances of the word believe in the ESV translation (according to Bible Gateway) which either talk about the glory to come for those who believe, or the judgment that falls upon those who don’t.

I know in my own life I found this to be personally true. I lived the good life, filled with rewards of riches, parties, nice toys, expensive vacations, great food, women, accolades from my peers in my career.

But I always struggled with true belief that Christ did what He did and that the Good News was even possible. Now I understand in hindsight that is exactly why I was still miserable and dying inside at the heart level more each day, month, year and decades.

I called myself a Christian my whole life but in hindsight I now realize I only had head knowledge of Christ, now I have a heart surrender to Him.

With every new reward in the flesh I became more empty and confused in the soul. “Why is the “stuff” not bringing me happiness” I would say to myself.

Nothing changed my path until I cried out specifically to Christ, to God I proclaimed faith, hope and trust in His Son Jesus and my belief and surrender to Him and His death and resurrection meant I was set free from my suffering.

Without my realization at the time, EVERYTHING changed in that exact moment by a stream on my knees in the early morning of January 3rd, 2011!

This is the glory that awaits all who will just surrender their doubts, surrender their fears, surrender what others may think or say. No parent, or child, or friend, or neighbor can do anything for you, we alone must make the personal choice to believe in Jesus Christ as our Redeemer, Savior and Lord and come to believe The Good News!

And when we do, we are given access to the Father for the veil was torn once and for all.

Father God, that you would come to earth and take human form, suffer among men and pay the ultimate price of humiliation, torture and death just to show us how to live, then to die so we may live. Words cannot describe the ache in my heart that says the price was too high, or the gratitude in my soul that says thank You Abba Father. May all your  children this day be filled with an awareness of what You alone have done for us and in that live today with an outpouring of light and life that shines Your glory on all the earth. May we joyously serve You while we await your glorious return. In Jesus name I pray…

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50 Days of Promises (36): Purchased Inheritance

Posted on June 24, 2014 by George Crone

Ephesians 1:7

He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.

Ephesians 1:11

Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.

Ephesians 2:8-9

8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.

The Cross of Christ

As I opened God’s word this morning I had a sense that there was something specific God was leading me into. I didn’t awake with any agenda, but almost that old familiar friend of anticipation… “what do you have for me this morning Father”.

Clearly “with anticipation” is the greatest way to open the bible for it prepares our hearts to receives the riches of wisdom and mercy found in His Living Word.

And there it was, Ephesians 2:8

Ever since that fateful morning in 2011 when glory met my suffering and the direction of my life turned on a dime I have ached for my friends and family to have the same experience. And that desire in the last 3+ years has grown to include everyone in the world who doesn’t know Christ personally yet.

Do you know Christ personally, or just know of Him?

To that end, I have wrestled with the question, was it me that finally said “yes” to Christ’s pursuit of me, or was it Christ who said “enough suffering my child, it is time to live out your destiny?

If it’s the former then the Good News is whenever we surrender our will and life to the care of God, our life will change. If it is the latter, then the timing as to when someone experiences the inheritance predestined for them is up to God’s timing.

I believe Ephesians 2:8 settles the question.

When you believed…

I knew of God my whole life, but it wasn’t until I spent decades trying everything else first (money, career, expensive vacations, cars, sex , drugs, counseling, self-help books and seminars) and was even rewarded in many of those pursuits that I realized none of it was fulfilling, in fact it all fell agonizingly short in the end. I was hopeless and dying inside even though on the outside my life continued to have the appearance of greater successes each year.

On that morning when I reached the end of myself the prayer that I cried out through tears of hopelessness was a prayer of hope. It was an acknowledgement that my scientific mind couldn’t wrap my head around the hundreds of stories found in the bible that seemed impossible, but in that place of suffering the one thing I did believe in that moment is that Christ died on the Cross and rose again and with that one event throughout all of time, I believe in the promise that He will come in to my life and change everything.

In that exact moment I had no idea that anything had changed, but it didn’t take long at all to realize everything had changed. I was drinking beer, wine and/or tequila almost every night for years leading up to that moment, and from that exact moment I have been 100% clean and sober from all drugs and alcohol, worked off over 70lbs, am off all high blood pressure medicine and am no longer pre-diabetic, my relationships are (over time) being miraculously restored and I find incredible joy and purpose in service to God through my church family.

And the reminder in Ephesians 2:8…

And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God

All we have to do is BELIEVE, and He will do the rest.

Are you on the fence today? Are you wrestling with believing that God is big enough to handle your problems, or powerful enough to restore what you’ve lost, or loves you enough to forgive your past sins, or faithful enough to stay with you for eternity?

Our problem is never God not being there, our problem is always us not trusting Him enough. All we are called to do is believe in Him, and He will do the rest.

So where to from here?

Ephesians 4:1-3

Unity in the Body

4 Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. 2 Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. 3 Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.

Father God I thank you for Your Word this morning which draws me toward the greatest of all heart conditions, one of incredible awe and gratitude for what You alone have done with my life which leads me toward a deep assurance, hope and faith in what you will do in the lives of Your chosen children this day. May we all take the stance of great anticipation and open ourselves to be used by You for Your great commission and see each encounter with every person as a Divine Appointment ordained by You through us to reveal Your glory, mercy and grace. May our lives be salt and light that points others to you this day. In Jesus’ name I pray…

 

 

 

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50 Days of Promises (35): Pursue the Mind of Christ

Posted on June 21, 2014 by George Crone

Philippians 2:4-8

4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

washing feet

If anyone told you becoming Christian meant all your troubles were going to go away and life would become peaceful and easy, you might want to stop reading now.

On second thought, if that is your vision of Christianity and you find yourself reading my blog this morning, then this is probably the very thing you are supposed to hear at this time in your walk.

THE ROAD OF DISCIPLESHIP ISN’T EASY, IN FACT IT’S LIKELY THE HARDEST THING YOU WILL EVER ENCOUNTER IN YOUR ENTIRE LIFE

I’ll give you a minute to get over the initial shock.

As with everything in God’s word, there is a critical perspective and balance point that must be sought out for true understanding.

To be more specific, the pursuit of Christ-likeness will be the hardest thing we will ever encounter however the more success we have in rooting out our own selfishness and living poured out for others, the easier and more fulfilling our life becomes.

Does that make sense?

I spent my whole life in pursuit of the spoils this world had to offer, it was what I saw modeled in the adults around me and through my peers growing up. “If it feels good do it” and “when do I get mine” become the foundation of a young man entering the world if we’re not encouraged toward biblical manhood.

When I talk of biblical manhood, I’m not talking about a warrior called to destroy entire pagan nations as some of the bloodiest battles in the Old Testament portray, but to draw deeper toward the heart and motivations portrayed by not only the men of the bible, but the heart, mind and motivations of Christ Himself.

Abraham showed us incredible patience and obedience, Moses gave up his claim on the easy life for one of incredible hardship and sacrifice, David wrestled with his flesh and found grace and mercy through incredible depths of surrender and humility, Peter battled fear, shame and feelings of unworthiness to become the Rock.

Each man of God had a life-long battle with their human-side at the soul level, but each man continued to turn to God and was rewarded with the mercy to get over themselves and the power to finish the job God placed in front of them.

In this passage (and so many others) Christ’s wields His greatest weapon, love, mercy, compassion, submission to God in Heaven. He Himself being God “did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped”.

 What Christ came to counter was the self-righteous religious people who saw themselves as holy and those wrestling in their weaknesses as something to be rebuked, rejected, judged and condemned.

Matthew 7:5
You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.

The path of following Christ is hard not because we are called to change a broken world, but because we are called to fearlessly face our own weakness, brokenness, fears and failures and LIVE DIFFERENTLY.

We are called to willfully ask God to reveal our own hypocrisy and only from that place can we learn the true meaning of humility and only from that place will we then begin to grasp the heart and mind of Christ and begin to desire a life poured out for others.

If we are in pursuit of Christ through our services to others we will never find Him, but through the pursuit of Christ Himself, we will then find our true purpose and passion in community service to others.

Philippians 2:1-4

Christ’s Example of Humility

2 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others

At any point in Jesus’ life He could have claimed his Deity-ship and destroyed his persecutors and forced compliance to His perfect ways, but instead He died a sinner’s death, wrongly accused and brutally murdered, sacrificial love in obedience to the will of God.

Mark 14:36
And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”

All are called to follow Christ, but few truly answer.

Luke 14:28
For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?

There is a cost.

We must ask ourselves the difficult questions;

Am I’m living out comfortable Christianity or biblical Christianity?

Does following the call of God cause any inconvenience in my life?

Am I picking and choosing how “I” want to serve Him, or is He truly at the helm of my life each day and not just for 1 hour on Sundays?

These are difficult questions, this is a difficult topic that many “feel good” Mega-Church Pastors don’t talk about.

We enter into relationship with Christ by learning about His incredible grace, mercy and sacrifice that covers our sinful selfish lives and we can have great hope in His plans to prosper us, but we are not called to sit complacent in the do nothing cheap seats of vending machine “give me, thank you” shallow Christianity.

We are called to be followers of Christ, not just admirers

Father God, You know above all others how deeply today’s message on my heart cuts inward, how I wrestle with my own desires for easy, comfortable, safe Christianity that finds great joy in sharing the Good News and even pressing into the difficult topics but does little to walk into the sick and broken world and minister directly to the hurting on the streets where they live. I find myself convicted as I sit here sipping coffee at the keyboard feeling all pumped up that “I have a message to share” when I could be in the world showing your love to others.  Thank you for that double-edged sword that when seeking to speak against shallow Christianity it cuts deeper inward than outward. I thank you for the sting of conviction that asks me “what am I doing today” that makes a difference and not allowing self-assurances of lip service to become my badge of passivity in the world. May You press deeply upon all Your children this day Father so that we may truly seek the mind of Christ and in that reveal our own sacrificial calling to love the world as You did. Thank You for the awareness that in Your mercies there is no condemnation at the realization of our shallowness, only in our not responding to that awareness. May we continue to lean on Your mercies and grace, help us to pick up Your sword and shield this day and seek to embrace with courage our sanctification for Your glory. It is in Jesus’ name I pray…

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50 Days of Promises (34): His Choice of You

Posted on June 20, 2014 by George Crone

1 Thessalonians 1:4
knowing, brethren beloved by God, His choice of you;

chosen

 

 

 

 

 

I woke this morning with a bit of anxiety. I didn’t know what was going on under the surface but clearly there was some unrest. As I bounced around bible verses and began to pray I was distracted, grabbing the iPhone to check on my Clash of Clan builds, checking email, clearly the ADD was in overdrive this morning.

Then I ran across those words; “His choice of you”

This is  how I’ve come to know God’s word is alive in my life. It instantly drew me in, the noise around me began to fade as I felt wanted, needed, pursued, CHOSEN; and then the most blessed feeling of them all came upon me;

GRATITUDE

I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m sure many can identify with not being the most popular in school as a child, or struggling as an adult to fit in at times. I have always been introverted, friendly and polite but never really pursued or in pursuit. Wen people tried to get close I kept them at arms length fearing they would get to know too much about my faults or heaven forbid I’d have to hear about and try and solve theirs.

Justification comes at the realization of God’s Character and Sanctification comes at the never-ending realizations of our own. 

God pressed that quote upon my heart a couple weeks ago and I’ve been hanging on to it tightly. What it represents is the simple reminder that God chose us first. He pursues us, it is He who lifts us out of our narrow minded self-willed ego-based lifestyles and gives us a deeper purpose and meaning to our lives.

Romans 1:7

to all who are beloved of God in Rome, called as saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ

It is grace that turned our blindness to sight. I would clearly be dead or institutionalized if I had remained on the path I was on. I was hurting deeply inside and no amount of money, peer recognition, partying or sex was able to fill that soul ache.

That was until I cried out to Christ and He changed everything.

Not that my life flipped on a dime, but my heart shifted from hopelessness to hope, from powerlessness to power. Instead of just thinking “I need to do something different” I was given the courage to stand up and start DOING something different.

It is our revelation of God’s immense love for us, that realization that He chose me personally, not because I deserved or earned it, but because He created me and has been with me my whole life whether I acknowledged His presence and protection or not.

Much like Joseph’s hard life of betrayal by his brothers, being ripped from his family home and his father who he adored and thrown into slavery, surviving all of that only to face persecution for doing the right thing and being falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife and being thrown in prison, and yet ultimately being responsible for saving 100’000’s of lives through preparations for the 7 year famine.

Genesis 45:5

5 And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life.

The very point of transformation in Joseph’s life came at the realization that he was chosen by God for a purpose and that his whole life had been building towards and preparation of that destiny.

We may not be selected to change the world, but we are chosen for a purpose. We can change our world around us. Each day in every person we encounter we are blessed with a divine appointment of biblical proportion, to love others and share the Good News.

Colossians 3:12

So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience

If you are reading this right now, then my life is having impact.  Not that I bring any knowledge or wisdom or worth to the table, but that hopefully simply by risking being known by sharing my weaknesses and glorifying God’s strengths, just one other may be enccouraged, and maybe it is YOU who is meant to reach the world on a grand scale.

Our life’s journey truly begins on a deeper levels once we get this powerfully foundational reality, we are chosen by God for a purpose. Everyone’s strengths are different but the calling is the same…

  Our growth for His glory

Father God, that you would pursue us relentlessly and protect us from ourselves while we stubbornly hang on to our own understandings in blindness is beyond understading. Nobody on earth can model the unconditional love that You have for us, thank You. May my life exhibit a response to Your calling in a way that honors and glorifies Your name above all. Help to soften my heart to the persecutors in my life, to offer grace, compassion and forgiveness on a scale that can only be seen as divine in nature. I believe through the awareness of You in all of my life’s experiences I can carry that heart of gratitude into all situations which says “I am chosen, therefore I am free”. You already paid the price, and you have given me sight into Your great love for me. Help us all this day Lord focus on letting others see You through us. In Jesus precious name I pray…

 

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50 Days of Promises (33): Rich in Mercy

Posted on June 19, 2014 by George Crone

Ephesians 2:4-6

4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, But God5 even when we were dead in o
ur trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

There are so many examples of God’s immeasurable love for us throughout the entire bible but none strike at the core of my own hardness of heart and feelings of worthlessness than the reminders that God does not love us because we are worthy…

HE LOVES US BECAUSE HE IS GOD!

It’s easy when talking about Ephesians 2 to go straight to the Saved By Grace, the “what” He’s done, but for me this morning I feel my heart being mended by looking at the “why” He did it.

Here we are told specifically that He saved us so that “…in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us…”

His nature, His purpose, His desire is that we know Him and be known by Him. I know evangelicals beat up the term “in relationship”, but what is the very thing that the human condition, the fall, Satan himself wants to destroy above all else; our relationships with God and each other.

The “why” He does all things is because of love. It is through God’s merciful relationship and favor that we are healed.

God is love, God’s word is love, The Holy Spirit presses out our own selfishness and draws us towards those same actions of love towards the world around us, as Jesus Himself modeled a sacrificial life of Love above all others.

BUT GOD

His intervention in our lives is His choice for His reasons in His time for His glory.

We are the byproduct of love. His creation, His salvation, His justification, His sanctification.

We are simply to love others as He loves us, to walk each day filled with an attitude of immeasurable gratitude not because of the stuff we have or the easy and comfortable life we may get to experience or long for, but solely because He is our God.

He must fill our vision; our purposes and passions must be centered on His great love for us to the point where we have no other desire than to pour that same healing grace and mercy on others.

Luke 7:47
Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”

It is that very place of brokenness; the shame, unworthiness, mistrust and fear… that old self who lingers that can be the very thorn that keeps us filled with a passionate awareness of what God is doing in every circumstance of our lives, especially the difficult times.

It is Him that is doing, not us. We don’t have to perform for the world anymore, we don’t have to prove ourselves or live up to the impossible standards of others expectations. We simply have the incredible joy of basking in the warmth of God’s great love for us because He chooses to love us. His yolk is light!

The imagery, lyrics and message in this video overwhelms me with emotion every time I watch it, I can’t recommend enough slowing down for just 5 minutes and give yourself the opportunity to glimpse upon the healing grace of God.

Father God, my tears this morning are not of pain, but of overwhelming gratitude. It was less than 4 years ago that you found me by a stream on my knees, broken to the point of giving up, ready to leave this world because I saw no hope, no purpose, no joy in anything this world had to offer. And yet today I am reminded that in the midst of my striving and carrying-on that I am not who I was, that my striving come from a heart that cares, that loves, that desires for others to know Your incredible healing grace, love and mercy which is not influenced by where we have been, but is 100% covered by who You are. Thank you Father for being a father I can learn to trust, and thank You for Your patience and mercy while I battle my way through my own history of thinking there is something I can earn or some action that will make up for my past. Thank you for the reminder this morning Lord that it’s not about me anymore, we have been set free from that,. Today I pray that all Your children be filled with the overwhelming joy that we are here because You loved us first, and that is all that matters. May our lives be a response to Your unconditional and unmerited Love and not in a false pursuit of it. Thank you Jesus, it is in Your precious name I pray…

 

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50 Days of Promises (32): Free Indeed

Posted on June 18, 2014 by George Crone

2 Corinthians 3:17-18

17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

transformed

 

 

 

 

 

 

As I reflect on this passage this morning I am reminded of a self-realization I have had quite often in the last 4 years on this journey of sanctification.

prisonThe image is that of sitting in a jail cell all alone, head down with a posture of brokenness yet the prison door is wide open.

It is an image that can break a heart, for it comes at a time when we know the Gospel, the Good News that Christ sets us free and He will finish what He has started, however in this place at this time, in whatever circumstance that is going on it can feel like the old man and old ways provide an easier and safer way to deal with life. It is that old hopelessness that tries to creep back in.

It’s comes from a place of knowing that my old life is dead, that there is nothing good in the old party, lusting ways; but I have fear of what awaits outside the prison walls, so I hesitate, I wait for some assurances in worldly ways that it will be OK instead of placing my trust in God and stepping into the world.

Can anyone relate? I suspect the answer is a resounding yes. For many, the abuse experienced in childhood, whether severe or not, is at the core of un-empowered Christianity.

We can think God is good, God is powerful, God can do anything but we then disassociate from that when we contemplate serving at the church, or standing against an abusive boss or mate, we feel unworthy, powerless, weak and we slink back into the shadows of silence.

I think focusing on the freedom that I’m “supposed” to have does me little good, however focusing on the supernatural transformation that God is not only fully capable of but is clearly doing in each of us is the very thing that gives us the realization of freedom that we so desperately desire and need to be able to face our greatest interpersonal challenges in life.

It comes down to being aware of what (or who) we are actually looking at. Are we looking at ourselves and the world around us for the evidence of God, or are we looking to God Himself for the evidence of Christ in ourselves and the work He is doing in the world around us?

Where is our focus?

I think one of Satan’s greatest weapons is that of misdirection, to draw our attention away from God an onto anything else. It is when I worry about money that I begin to resent my employers for not giving me raises, begin to feel unfulfilled and without purpose or direction in my career, my whole attitude and demeanor begins a downward spiral and I lose joy.

However if I was to focus on how God is using me at my job, to keep my eyes open on the divine appointments of relationships that both challenge me and encourage me, of tasks that I either think are below me or beyond my capabilities which press me forward, I then gain a kingdom perspective and can become a witness to the mighty things God is doing in my life through my job, no matter what it is that I do.

And this is true with all of life, whether it be serving our church or our family. People and circumstances will rarely be as I would have them but I thank God that He is at work within us, drawing us to those exact people and circumstances for our growth and His glory.

When I focus on God, I realize that it is He who is actually working out my sanctification in every way, in every thing, in every day, through every circumstance. In that I realize that not only does the prison door not exist, but in fact I am in sitting in a beautiful pasture, surrounded by blue sky, wispy clouds, clean air, trees, birds, a stream, a light breeze…

pasture

I AM FREE, AND I HAVE BEEN ALL ALONG

By what God has done, is doing,  and what His word promises is to come.

Thank you Jesus!

 

Father God I thank you this morning for the reminder that it is YOU who is doing the work in me and to stop falling on my old ways of judging myself with a yardstick of perfection. Thank you Father for offering the grace of knowing even though I am human, full of weaknesses and fears, that Your Cross covers the deficit and Your Holy Spirit dwells in me and Your Word is renewing my mind and with all of You I am fully free and alive and born again a new creation empowered, emboldened, capable and willfully supercharged to carry your message of hope and healing to everyone. May all of Your children this day recognize their great and wonderful value based on who You are and not influenced or affected by what we have done or what we wish we could do. Give us the power to do your righteous, loving, perfect and pure will on earth as it is in heaven this day. In Jesus’ precious name I pray…  

 

 

 

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50 Days of Promises (31): White As Snow

Posted on June 17, 2014 by George Crone

Isaiah 53:5

But he was pierced for our rebellion,
crushed for our sins.
He was beaten so we could be whole.
He was whipped so we could be healed.

ThePrice

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hearing, understanding and believing are critically different stages of awareness when it comes to the realities of the cross.

One of the hardest areas I believe on my own personal journey of redemption is moving from hearing to believing; and I think many may get stuck in much the same way.

I had heard of God and Jesus and the Cross my whole life, but they had little affect on my life. Today my son is even taught the basics of many religions in History class. An intellectual knowledge of God is the foundation of faith, but it is not faith.

I find myself in this loop often, trying to figure out which comes first; heart or mind. I think the core truth in all of existence is balance. We must hear the Good News of Christ and on some level understand it so that when our heart and self-will is sufficiently broken we know where to go for healing.

Much like a young seedling in the soil, in darkness and pressed in on all sides it longs to grow. And as it pushes through the dirt, striving and reaching upward, one day it passes beyond the confines of it’s surrounding into the light to draw directly from the source of life, the sun. The roots of its beginning, its past struggles remain the very foundation of its life, the soil. Without the soil the air and sun have no value, nor do the air and sun provide life without the soil

Our lives in The Son are the same. Our past, our journey to get to this place, our suffering, our struggles, our victories, they are all part of God’s ordained path for us.

Much like Joseph who was betrayed by his brothers, convicted and sentenced for a crime he didn’t commit, and in the end became one of the most important in all of Egypt and responsible for saving countless lives through the preparation of the land for the great famine.

The entire catalyst that can change our lives comes not on the day we stop doing drugs, or cutting ourselves, or stop eating unhealthy or vow to live a pure and chaste life and then we get on through self will to struggle in our own sanctification.

No, true freedom comes at the incredible revelation that we are already healed, that the price was paid, that Christ died for our sins and the sins of others and that our lives, all of it, has great meaning in preparation of our heart and strengthening of our soul and spirit for the mighty plans God has through our testimony and His blood.

Hearing that, and even understanding what the Gospel means comes up short if that is all it is. Believing God’s love for us personally at the core of our being, believing in the Son is the only way to make sense of our lives.

It is when the depth of His suffering meets the realities of our own that glory is revealed and we for the first time are able to understand that it is not us who will earn freedom from the bondage of our past, but it is He who has already granted us freedom to live for the future.

1 Peter 2:24-25JesusCarriestheCross

24 He personally carried our sins
    in his body on the cross
so that we can be dead to sin
    and live for what is right.
By his wounds
    you are healed.

25 Once you were like sheep
    who wandered away.
But now you have turned to your Shepherd,
    the Guardian of your souls.

Isaiah 1:18 

 “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool

This shared journey of redemption that we all find ourselves on is a blessed journey, for once we come into the very deep and profound realization that our sins, like all sins, are covered by the cross, when we come into full repentance and surrender our lives to Christ, then the only battle that remains is for our heart to catch fire with the beautiful truth of God’s redemption in our lives, a reality that took place over 2,000 years ago not something we are still waiting on.

Father God, I thank You for Your word which continues to reveal Your truths in our lives. I find so often that my struggles each day are not to get through the details of life, but in remembering at the heart level that You have already overcome, and that my calling as a disciple is simple; to love as You loved first. Help me Lord not only keep my eyes open on the divine opportunities to help and to serve others, but to remember that Your redemption was for my own sinful weaknesses and that shame and self-condemnation is in direct conflict with the Glory of your work on the Cross. I rebuke Satan’s attempt to adorn me with the bloody rags of my past, for You paid the price and never again do we need adorn the clothes of the dead man who was laid to rest at the foot of Your cross. Thank you Jesus, in Your precious name I pray…

 

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50 Days of Promises (30): The Apple of His Eye

Posted on May 20, 2014 by George Crone

Deuteronomy 32:10

“He found him in a desert land,
and in the howling waste of the wilderness;
he encircled him, he cared for him,
he kept him as the apple of his eye.

theappleofhiseye

This concept of being the apple of God’s eye is new for me.

I had always thought to be an apple of someone’s eye was to be treasured, admired, respected. Biblically, that’s not even close to what it means.

The apple is the actual pupil, the gateway into the soul, the receiver of light, and it is to be fiercely protected. 

In this context of Deuteronomy the people of Israel had been lost, broken, rejecting God, rebellious in nature yet Got protected them, guided them, loved them. Not because they deserved it, or earned it, but because that is His nature; to guide and protect those whom He places value upon.

I don’t know about you, but I need to be reminded of this message constantly. His unconditional love means just that, my performance is not the standard by which He will protect me, love me, guide me.

2 Corinthians 12:9

  But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

For me to even consider that I deserve His protection, grace, mercy and love because “I’m so much better today than I used to be” is to put salvation on my own shoulders, my own works. My ego and pride are constantly trying to take credit subconsciously for the miracles only God can perform.

By Grace Through Faith

Ephesians 2:1-10

2 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body[a] and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.[b] 4 But[c] God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

For me, I like that pupil also means student, for isn’t that what we will forever be, a student of Christ, seeking to live and love as He did but unlike Him, we will always come up short. That is not a condemning point but should be a revolutionary freedom of the soul that His price on Calvary is what covers that deficit. We will forever be striving to live up to His call and He will forever extend mercy and grace provided we remain humble in knowing that any goodness we may have comes from Him, and not our own.

Philippians 3:9
and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith

How magnificent is it to be the apple of God’s eye, to know that in spite of our own blundering humanness that we will forever, through faith, be fiercely protected.

Father God, thank you for the so needed reminder that my life is not about me, it is not about how well I perform, how many prayers I say, how many people I do or don’t lead to You, how many days of the week I serve… or don’t. You Lord are my Rock and Salvation and this morning you offered the grace of awareness that I am the pupil of your eye, fiercely protected because you choose to, not because I deserved or earned it. Your grace is sufficient Father, thank You that you love us so much that You gave us Your word, sent us Your Son, and rose Him from the dead that we might have new life alive in Your Spirit within. May our eyes be opened to the divine appointments you place in our path each day, that we may share that same grace, mercy, love and protection you give us with those around us.  

 

[50 Days of Promises is inspired by the list Who I Am In Christ found on page 208 of the workbook 7 Pilllars of Freedom which is the companion guide to the book Pure Desire by Ted Roberts.] 
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