Is It Hypocrisy?

Posted on August 2, 2013 by George Crone

Romans 2:13-24

13 For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. 14 For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them 16 on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus. 

17 But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast in God 18 and know his will and approve what is excellent, because you are instructed from the law; 19 and if you are sure that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, 20 an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— 21 you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? 22 You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23 You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law. 24 For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”

I wrestle with understanding the depth of law and grace at work within me. I am so incredibly grateful for the Holy Spirit that convicts me of my sin, fills my conscience with a voice that says “this is not OK, you need to examine your motives and behavior”.  It is those thoughts and feelings that draw me into a deeper reliance on Christ as I struggle to fully put to death the old man and rise again anew in Christ.

We will always be sinners, we will always fall short. Grace is God’s to give, not ours to earn. Yet verses such as this in Romans cut deeply as a two-edged sword. It is a stark reminder, as it should have been to the self-righteous leaders in Jesus’ day to never think of yourself more than you are.

As someone who enjoys blogging, transparently sharing the convictions and mercy that God presses on me each day, I feel the weight of my sin even greater.

Is it not hypocrisy to declare the importance of righteousness in Christ and then avoid eye contact with a homeless person? Or burn a copy of a music CD for a friend, or load software on a second computer that isn’t licensed? Or go in to work late, take a long break, and leave early. (not that I do these things if my boss is reading this)

The little things we do, the secret sins we carry around are done in plain view of a merciful yet righteous Judge.

My struggles for so many years were wrapped in the feelings that I’m alone and if anybody knew what I did they would reject me. That longing for wanting to be accepted, cared about, known and loved runs deep.

We were created for relationships, and much of sins pleasure comes in the form of trying to fill a God-sized whole in our heart. Whether it is through feeding ego and pride in the pursuit of power, materialism, success (externals) or addictions, cutting, isolation or risky behaviors (internals), they all are an attempt to obtain what only God can provide; purpose, self worth, peace, rest, comfort, joy, meaning, salvation.

Grace_wordle

The good news is, none of us are alone in our suffering with sin.

1 Peter 5:8-9 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.

And there is hope

1 Peter 5:10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.

Romans is definitely a convicting book that reminds me on a profound level that I am nothing more than a man, broken and being healed. My personal struggle to live righteously is a minute-by-minute affair sometimes, thank God for the cross!

Pride is a killer that destroys humility and closes the door on grace. And shame is pride’s first cousin, born of that same perfectionist mentality that says, I should be perfect because I see myself as perfect.

Shame is a killer in my own life. I have spent hours crying to God over my wretched sin, to the point where I clearly felt Him say deep in my heart… I no longer desire your tears, but instead just say thank you.

The NLT Study Bible that I have describes one of the mega-themes in Romans as Salvation and says this about it:

“It is good news that God saves us from our sin. But in order to enter into a wonderful new relationship with God we must believe that Jesus died for us and that he forgives ALL our sin.”

He forgives all our sins, all. We must surrender our pride and shame, accept that we are fallen and then rejoice in the incredible gift of the cross. In that we live free in Him and step free from the bondage of self.

Father God you know my heart. I humbly submit my pride and shame to you, help me to know more completely what it is to be your disciple, to live a disciplined life that heeds the calling of the Holy Spirit within to love more completely myself and those around me. Let me not focus on how short I fall, but on how high You soar. Fill us this day Lord with a profound understanding of just how magnificent Your grace and mercy are and let not our pride or shame overwhelm the cross. Thank you Jesus who You are, what You have done, and what is to come. 

Posted in Addiction, bible study, encouragement, faith, God's story, hope, Jesus, love, Recovery, Salvation, The Cross | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Healing is a choice

Posted on August 1, 2013 by George Crone

Matthew 8:1-4 

Jesus Cleanses a Leper

Jesus_Healing_the_Man_with_Leprosy2When he came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him. And behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. And Jesus said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a proof to them.”

Let the miracles begin!

Leprosy, like Aids today, was an incurable disease that, like today, many were terrified of. It was highly contagious and was almost always a death sentence. It was the priests who would declare a person a “leper” and banish them to private colonies.

Sin is the same for us all, it is incurable now matter how hard we try or wish it would go away. Thanks to the Fall we are all given over to the selfish, prideful, lustful desires of the flesh.

However notice the faith of this man, this sick and dying man. He did not say “can you heal me?”, He said “if you will, you can…”. His belief was solid, he had complete faith that Jesus was the Messiah and that there is nothing beyond His power if only He wills it to be.

leprosyGod can do anything. We as sinners seeking a new life free from the bondages of sin and wanting a new life full of purpose and freedom from the hurts must believe first and foremost this simple truth

Jesus is God and God can heal anything!

It is not a coincidence that I was led to an article and news interview with a baptist pastor a while back commenting on the Chick-Fil-A fiasco. His point was simple and profound. The claim brought up by the counterpoint in the interview said it should not be the comments of the owner saying simply “he believes in man/woman” marriage, it is that their company funds organizations that attempt to convert homosexuals.

The response from the Pastor was clear, these organizations do not go into the homes of gay people and force their beliefs on them. These are organizations that through the healing power of Christ offer freedom from their bondage if that is what they desire.

Much like an alcoholic or drug addicts who wants to overcome their addiction, and under their own free will seek out help, and may go to a rehab where they are given the 12 steps as a foundation for a new life.

Those 12 steps are simple.

Step 1 –  I am powerless. I’ve made a mess of my life. I’ve tried to control my behavior and tried to change a 1,000 times but there is just no hope left,

Step 2 – There is a God. He is all powerful and I am not Him. There is nothing He can’t heal and my pain, sinfulness, and shame is not beyond His mercy and redemption.

Step 3 – I willingly, eagerly and with great anticipation and hope surrender my life to Christ Jesus, that His desires become my desires, His will my will, His glory my goal.

Jesus_Healing_the_Sick_Free_ImagesThe journey of healing in anybody’s life, with or without the 12 steps is exactly the same. We must realize there is a God, we need Him, and then surrender.

For many homosexuals, they want to change, and they can. God can change the heart of the most sickest leper. I know first hand, my sexual addiction led me to horrible things, but I am not that person today. Do old images still haunt me, bad memories from the past, yes.. but I am not the same person and I am no longer in bondage to that lifestyle.

Was I brainwashed? Not in the sense the world would think. My life was a living hell, I was miserable and dying inside. I first stopped drinking by the power of Christ. I didn’t even realize I had a sex addiction until after months of sobriety.

You see, I grew up in a world that gives high fives over sexual conquests, an economy that makes billions annually on the sale of pornographic magazines and movies, an internet that freely serves up hell within the confines of the computer screen which is shrouded in the lie “it’s ok, nobody will know or care; easy and free access to soul death at the click of a button.

By the grace of God alone, he revealed to me that lust was a sin, and the journey to overcome my lustful heart became His next target and I have joyously surrendered to the process. 

Has it been easy, no! But is my heart and life being transformed by the power of Christ, yes! Does my life even resemble a little bit my old ways, not even close!

Many scientists once (and maybe still do) deem that alcoholism is a hereditary disease that one has no control over, that it can’t be changed or healed permanently. How does that definition sound any different than the same scientists who have marked homosexuality with the same stigma.

One of the most hopeless considerations I ever encountered in my own journey was that thought that my alcoholism could not be healed, that it was a disease and I was stuck with it for life. In that context, why even try?

But as I learned, alcoholism is no different than all the sins in the bible, they are the escape hatch we use to hide from painful memories and overwhelming fears. Whether that is sex, drugs, idolatry, materialism, power, fame, work-a-holism; they are all fear based reactions to a fallen world that is void of faith in God.

There are millions of people who choose to remain alcohol and drug addicts, and in fact many are in denial that there is anything wrong with it. Consumption is not a sin, but excess is.

A Christian’s heart breaks, as does God’s, over the wasted life that is being destroyed by their sinful choice to remain in bondage when we as Christians must know we don’t have to remain locked in that self-imposed prison of sin.

Christ set us free, we just struggle to believe it sometimes.

Acts 26:18 to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

That is the Good News of Christ!. We were designed for so much more than bondage, we are image-bearers of God Himself with the capacity for great amounts of love and compassion.

jesus_leper

A homosexual should viewed no differently than a alcoholic whether in denial or seeking restoration. There are no behaviors, beliefs or feelings that cannot be changed if so desired through free will; God can and will grant that to anyone if He is sought. Jesus offers healing to those who call out to Him for that healing.

Jesus did not chase down the sick and force healing upon them, but He showed great compassion and understanding and if sought through faith and then provided the living waters that gives new life, which is knowledge of Him and ultimately the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

We as Christians are called to do the same; love the sick, lost, and broken, no matter the sin. Love ourselves and others to Christ, not play God. For any healing to take place, we must truly believe we are sick, and we must believe He can heal.

The healthy do not need a doctor, and God’s message of healing through the death and resurrection of His Son is for those who know they are sick.

If you are not sick, then reject Him. You have free will, you have a choice. You can live this life under care and control of anyone you like. You can do it alone, in a selfish bubble serving only yourself through will-power and pleasure seeking, you can follow Satan and purposely spread hate and discontent and evil, or you can follow God and find out what the definition of unconditional love, forgiveness, grace and redemption truly is.

Jesus is the greatest healer that ever walked the earth, and He has risen!

Marriage has been between a man and a woman for 1,000’s of years. Christian’s are simply speaking the truth that has been the fiber of family and society since the beginning of time. We are not the ones forcing an agenda, we are defending biblical traditions that have spurred on the growth of our planet since the beginning of time. It is not hate or intolerance, it is a recognition that self gratification at the expense of healthy man/woman parented families doesn’t work, it is not how God designed human reproduction, human connection, human thriving.

If there was a city that was 100% gay, every single person would be dead after one generation. There would be no procreation. You can love the same sex all you want, but to unite in flesh and call it marriage, why? That’s like saying when I’m sitting in my car on the freeway I am fishing; it is apples and oranges.

That’s like saying an illegal alien who sneaks over the border deserves Social Security benefits. Why? Is he an American citizen who has paid into that program his whole life? No, he simply doesn’t meet the criteria of one who is qualified to receive those benefits. But alas I know there are movements by our president to give amnesty to 100’s of thousands of illegals right now, so I guess it’s the same liberal agenda that embraces entitlement to the insane degree.

Much like the extreme liberal Christian’s who think Carnal Christianity is a valid option; that we can come into relationship with Christ and our work is done, we can live any way we choose. Eh, God will forgive me, I don’t need to change.

jm_200_NT1.pd-P16.tiffI was going to continue with Matthew but it appears this morning’s blog turned into a soap box. I was also going to say “sorry if you got offended”… but in reality what I said was in love for anyone who wants a new life regardless of the sin, so I’m sorry if you felt the need to take my words as offensive.

I was not wielding a sword, simply describing my own personal story as an addict seeking healing and restoration.

Healing is possible but only if  we boldly proclaim “God, I am sick and you can heal me if you choose”.

If you were offended by any of this post, the takeaway should be to ask yourself why you felt the need get defensive, for it is not I that convict, I am only sharing hope in love.

God bless.

If you are looking for healing, a great place to start is Celebrate Recovery. Find a meeting place near you. You will find Christ-centered grace, understanding, compassion, hope and healing in those rooms, I did!

Posted in 12-steps, Addiction, alcohol, Celebrate Recovery, drugs, encouragement, faith, God's story, hope, Jesus, love, my story, pornagraphy, Recovery, sex | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Matthew 9:35-38

The Harvest Is Plentiful, the Laborers Few

35 And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

healerOne of the most important foundational Truths to remember as we press on along this road of redemption is that God is the healer of all things, nothing is beyond His capabilities. He reaches to the very cellular level and can miraculously transform a heart, a condition or a disease. He desires restoration, not separation; inclusion, not exclusion. 

Most of Matthew 9 is devoted to this fact, and this passage is no different. Verse 35 he traveled the lands teaching in synagogues, proclaiming the gospel, healing “every” disease and affliction.

He worked in the trenches of life, seeing great crowds of helpless and hurting people and “he had compassion for them“. He did not stand in judgment of the blind and broken, but instead his heart and healing hands reached out to them.

We are called to do the same thing!

But we can only give away what we ourselves have received. And we only receive healing, health, life and purpose when we place our entire being upon the shoulders of the Lord.

When God is what matters above all else, and our gaze is fixed upon His glory and we become purposed to serving His greatest good only then will the byproduct of our life become fruit.

When we truly chase after God, go deeper in His word to learn who He is, draw deeper into His community through the church to be encouraged by and to support others, one can’t help but be transformed. To walk with a renewed heart that seeks out opportunity to share the healing hand of God with others is to truly be alive for the first time. To point other broken & lost souls toward the only one that can truly heal. Jesus.

Our advice means nothing, our thoughts of what we “think” someone should or shouldn’t be doing are pointless if not filled with the heart of Christ. We can only pray for the intercession of Christ into the lives of those we love (which should be EVERYONE); pray that his grace, mercy and purpose will fill not only our lives but the lives of those around us, and when and where He chooses, use us in the process.

We are the hands and heart of Christ, but only if we ourselves are filled with the convictions and boldness of the Holy Spirit. You will know when you are indwelled with the Holy Spirit. Your life looks different, feels different, is different.

For some it was gradual, but for others you can point to a specific time in your life when you were self-centered, caring only about your needs, wallowing in your own pain and then Christ redeemed you and your eyes shifted from an inward view that could only see indignation and hurt caused by others to a purpose-filled heart that increasingly cares more about the needs of others around you instead of holding on to past garbage.

homeless-feet

All of a sudden the plight of the homeless and the oppressed come in to view. You start to recognize the lady pushing the shopping cart, or the child who should be in school but instead is sitting on a street corner, or the person holding a sign. Your prayer life takes on new meaning, your desire to connect with others grows from a place deep within. It is that place where the Holy Spirit indwells the heart of a true Christian.

Christianity is not just a profession, it is an action. It is a response filled life that is consumed with gratitude for the acts of a Savior that did the impossible, which is to bridge the gap between us and God. There is nothing of this earth capable of washing us clean so that God can look upon us, nor one that can remove the shame that allows us to look upon Him. Jesus is that bridge, He is our only atonement and to take our eyes off of Him for even a moment is to abandon that bridge for other paths that lead to nowhere but disappointment and pain.

When our heart truly is fixed on helping others, tossing someone money out a car window is not necessarily the answer. People need connection, validation, hope. We are to pray with them, feed them, listen to them, share with them. To let others know that God has a much greater plan than what they are doing today. We all need the love of Christ in our lives.

None of that is possible however unless we first are in a sincere, heartfelt, intense relationship with the Lord. He must be real, we must know him personally, we must trust Him with our very lives. We must be willing to sacrifice the plan we had for our life so that His higher plans can freely develop within us. We must learn to listen for His direction. Our hearts must be filled with His desires and no longer the desires of the flesh, which only desires prideful selfish things that lead to destruction.

light-on-the-hillWe are to go into the fields and make a difference in God’s planet, among His people, for His purpose alone. We do that at work, at the grocery store, on the freeway, in our homes, churches, sports fields. Every place in every way we can’t help but shine the light of God, because His light is uncontainable.

How is your light shining today?

Posted on July 31, 2013 by George Crone | 2 Comments

By Authority

Posted on July 30, 2013 by George Crone

2 Corinthians 10:7-8

7 Look at what is before your eyes. If anyone is confident that he is Christ’s, let him remind himself that just as he is Christ’s, so also are we. 8 For even if I boast a little too much of our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be ashamed. 

Satan lies.

It’s that simple. For those like me who grew up in a dysfunctional household devoid of Christ, full of unreasonable demands, fed by the horribly destructive lie that our feelings, emotions, desires, curiosities and questions in life had no value; the results can be devastating.

The scars of abuse run much deeper than skin and bones,  they tell us that we are no good, we have no worth. I’m learning that as a young child trying to resolve why the very person who loved me, provided for me, was supposed to be a protector of me would lash out in rage with a belt at seemingly the smallest infractions. It was in those precious years that I was taught, I have no worth.

My whole life before Christ was spent trying to earn the trust, respect, acceptance and love that I never got from him. I sought it out through my career, materialism and relationships. When those didn’t fulfill I tried to escape them through addictions and lustful behaviors, and when that all failed, I was left depressed and suicidal.

If I can be good enough, they will be happy and love me. And if they aren’t happy and don’t love me then I must not be good enough.

Today, after being on a deeply personal relationship with Christ for 2.5 years I am still finding that the biggest struggle I still face on a profoundly deep and unbeknownst level to me, is the lie that I’m no good.

Even in Christ I battle with self worth. My inner insecurities continue to tell me my words are useless, my influence at work, home and on the streets is of no consequence. My opinions don’t matter, my writings are self-seeking; hungering only for self-value in the externals of life.

As a Christian recovering from a lifetime of poor decisions, I must battle through the lies to hear the Truth’s of God’s love for me. We are new creations, set free by the blood of the lamb.

confidence-in-god

We are not defined by our past or potential, but in our present we are given the opportunity to live like Christ.

It is only in Him that we make a difference in the now and that is only because of Him who covers the past and gives promise in the future.

We can live boldly and confidently today,because of what Jesus is doing in our life.

We do not do great things for others to become free, but because Christ has already set us free, we can do great things.  

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ 

We can have confidence that as a Christ follower we not only have the calling, but the authority to proclaim boldly of His love for the world, not because our love is anything amazing but because He is. We can proclaim His ability to heal and protect, not that we have the power to do either, but because He can and will for those who seek out His face.

2 Corinthians 10:17-18  “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” 18 For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.

Lord God, I thank You for the voice that tells me I have value and worth because of You. Because You, in Your indescribable, unmovable, unending grace and mercy chose to take a broken sinner like me and write your words of hope, salvation, promise, and peace on my heart. Help me to grow in confidence that my past is gone and my future is set because of you alone, and in that give me the confidence to continue to speak boldly to those in my circle of influence this day the plan You have for us all, which is unity in Your name to love our neighbors and speak of the promise of eternity. Thank you Lord God for your mercies and provisions that go far beyond anything anyone can fully acknowledge and by Your authority may we feel confident to speak in love what you place on our heart today and not cower to the lies of the accuser who seeks only to shield our eyes to your greatness and our value that comes from being Your follower. 

Posted in Addiction, encouragement, faith, God's story, hope, Jesus, love, my story, Recovery, Salvation, The Cross | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

“I am participating in the ‘Writing Contest: You Are A Writer’ held by Positive Writer.”

w-contest-typeweriter

Am I a writer? I would say that I am still in the stages of discovering whether my writing has any value or impact for others, but I enjoy it.

Writing is my way to get in touch with God. I start with a prayer for guidance, and then open His word and let my heart and head drift through the teachings, filling me with hope, conviction, awareness, joy and greater surrender. My writings are simply an attempt to record the thoughts and feelings that God brings to the surface of my awareness.

Humbly (I hope) I will confess that each “like” and “follow” does add to my confidence, but the jury is still out on whether my ego won’t try and pervert this pure endeavor to share transparently my personal journey of redemption with whomever wants to come along for the ride.

So, where did my writing begin?

As I reflect on my childhood, getting lost in writing short stories was a great way to escape the unfortunate pains of my reality. Growing up in a godless, angry, alcoholic household with physical and emotional abuse the norm, I discovered that I had a wonderful imagination and loved to spend more time there than present in the real world.

I was maybe 6-8 years old, but some of the stories I recall was my own version of The Sword in the Stone, My life as a Flea and My Gramma’s Garden. I remember laying on the kitchen floor while my mom cooked dinner writing away the hours, completely submerged in my fantasy world.

Fast forward 40 years, a lifetime spent in addictions, in pursuit of riches and glory through career, filled with selfish exploits of extravagant vacations, nice cars, and plenty of big-boy toys. By all accounts my life was a great success, but inside I was dead; something clearly was missing, something was wrong. I was drowning in a bottle of tequila a night and beginning to believe that if I died nobody would miss me until the smell of my corpse alerted a neighbor.

But somewhere inside I know that God has had designs on me from the beginning. My whole life I have always had a poster, a plaque, or even a typewritten page with the poem FOOTSTEPS hanging on the wall. Even though my parents were atheists, and I had no Christ-loving mentors, I always sensed there was more, there was order in the chaos. There was protector, a designer, a purpose.

That didn’t prevent a lifetime of misdirection and pain-inducing poor choices, but as it is written, God can use everything to His glory. I believe that is what He is doing with my life, all of my life, including the dark years.

On January 3, 2011 after a 3 day New Year’s binge I awoke broken and hopeless in a campground near Big Sur, California. I wandered into the woods, bible in hand, dropped to my knees near a stream under a canopy of coastal redwoods and cried out to Jesus like I never had before. I had cried out to Him many times over the years in a desperate plea for Him to fix me prior to that day; something like please God take my pains away. But I never cried out in true surrender.

That morning I did just that, I had reached the end, I was done. By His mercy alone He heard me, and responded. Since that day nearly 2.5 years ago I have been completely sober from drugs and alcohol and on fire for Christ. Trust me when I tell you, I still have my struggles and shortcomings, but God in his infinite patience is loving me through this journey of redemption.

Almost immediately since that day I began journaling. Every secular book or counselor I paid over my lifetime to fix me had all said that journaling was a great tool; so I purchased a computer program that helped manage my every once-in-a-while, then weekly, then daily journals. I found my thoughts and passions exploding onto the pages.

They became elaborate letters to God, seeking to unravel the pains and resentments of my past and a guarded journey into the spoils of my own darkened and hardened heart.

I have always believed firmly that God will never give you more than you can handle, I just never realized that in the truest sense of the word that means he won’t reveal the darkness of our own heart more than our level of understanding of the true meaning of the Cross can cover.

Over the months, my heart poured into that journal, and for some unknown reason I began emailing the entries to those whom I now call my brothers, men that were in a 10 month Celebrate Recovery Step Study class with me.

We became know as Band of Brothers to the others in Celebrate Recovery, and my writing was given a name. Band of Brothers Devotional. 

We were growing closer in trust, and it turns out I wasn’t alone, they too were seeking healing and truth, waiting for God’s mercy to wash over our sins and they ached as I did to become the new men in Christ that God promised we’d become.

I expected them to reject my babbling emails, but instead they began bringing up my topics in class, using them as discussion points, offering me words of encouragement and calling me out if I missed a day. God blessed me immensely in those early days.

What started as a personal conversation with God over my inability to grasp grace, adhere to any duration of obedience to the convictions taking over my thoughts, or let go of past injustices done to me, it was now becoming a tool for healing and growth to those closest to me in recovery.

From there I signed up with Mail Chimp and went to work building my readership. Of course it wasn’t really a traditional “building” of a readership (as I’m finding WordPress to be). Instead my mail list growth took the form of me signing up any friend or acquaintance in recovery who was silly enough to give me their email address (without their consent).

At least there was an unsubscribe button at the bottom of the email, they could use it if they wanted!

Surprisingly nobody cancelled. And to the contrary, once I created a Facebook page and linked my mail campaign to twitter I began receiving completely anonymous readers and followers! Now that was a rush, strangers actually care what I have to write about? My hideously low self image hardly knew how to handle that one.

Needless to say, God has been using this platform to heal me, and my true and sincere prayer before hitting send on any campaign, blog, twit or post is that if there is any truth or hope in the words that I wrote then would God please send someone across that post to be touched by Him through it. Just as He is transforming my life through the heartfelt writers of so many talented and God-loving people here on WordPress, could it be true I could participate in that?  I do love this community!

So do I consider myself a writer? Not by a long-shot. In my estimation I’m still just a struggling man plucked from the ashes by a gracious Savior who took way too long to wake up in life and is now realizing that all those years of suffering as a child, and the lifetime of bad choices as a adult has taken me from the gates of hell toward a stairway to heaven.

I don’t know that I would be in relationship with Jesus today if it hadn’t been for the depths of brokenness that I went through all these years, but if my banging on keyboards can offer any encouragement, hope, or inspiration to those struggling to overcome their own hurts, habits or hang-ups in their own life, then my personal journey of redemption will have been well worth the trip.

Thank you for the opportunity to share my story, God bless.

George

Posted on July 25, 2013 by George Crone | Leave a comment

Unity in the Body of Christ

Posted on July 24, 2013 by George Crone

Hands

Ephesians 4: 1-16

1a I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord…

Some of the most powerful words in the bible are not the nouns or the verbs, but the conjunctions. What jumped at me right off is that Paul did not say he is a prisoner “of” the lord, but “for” the Lord.

God does not force us to follow Him, it is an offer, the greatest offer anyone can receive. We can hear the good news from others our whole life and reject it, but when Christ presses on our heart that there is no where else to run and that it is time to step in to the peace of His covenant, there is no greater purpose in the world than to labor for the Lord of all creation.

…urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,

To which we have been called again speaks directly to our free will. If you ever meet a true Christian, ask him if his life in Christ is a burden or a joy. Our surrendered life is voluntary, and most will tell you they wish they came to know, follow and serve Him sooner.

2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 

The call to “bear with one another in love” is I believe one of the hardest and yet most important traits a Christian can develop.

To allow others to be where they are, who they are, to not have to change others to meet our idea of who they should be. To have compassion on the broken and hurting, just as Christ has compassion on us. To reach out to them in understanding and grace, just as Christ did for us. We don’t have to retaliate at the person on the freeway who cut us off, we don’t have to give attitude to the people around us in the long check-out line, we don’t have to lash back or angrily defend our honor at the person who persecutes us. Bear with one another in love. Thank you God.

3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 

Eager, yes, on fire for Christ. When we focus on the kingdom and seek only to fulfill His great purposes of calling all into the Kingdom of God, unity becomes the mightiest pursuit. Much like the apostasy I see going on in the Trinity believing churches of the world, to fight over our differences in definitions instead of unite under the love of The Lord is to focus on the wrong thing. It is only God’s divine plans and purposes that matter. We are to feed His sheep, shelter the cold, fight for the oppressed, comfort the hurting, encourage the lost. Unity does not push away, it draws together.

4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

A few weeks ago I had the experience of meeting someone for the first time. I’m always looking for an opportunity to mention faith to see if it will spark a conversation and before we knew it we were both sharing testimony of the amazing ways God has personally transformed our life, then He uses us to help others. We spoke as if we were best friends and his wife joyfully joined in with stories of mission trips and ministry leadership stories. I originally went over to their house to work on their computer at the request of a mutual friend but instead the Holy Spirit, God in Spirit blessed us with an hour long conversation about Him, and it was incredibly refreshing, empowering, invigorating and affirming.

There is one God, and He is the same and present in all persons who call Him Lord at the same time everywhere in the world. He is a mighty God, a just God, a loving God.

7 But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 

His gift to us, not something we will ever earn. We can get so derailed on thinking greatness, holiness, righteousness is something we do, that we earn by our actions. For me this was a lesson that has taken years to get right, we are given those things at the point of justification and we are simply called to live it out.  We are free to choose righteous living at any time, Christ dwells within us giving us the power, spirit and desire to love others and do what it right. If we live for Christ as a thriving to prove something we’ve missed the mark, we live out our faith in response to His gift, His amazing, unwarranted, unconditional, free gift. Thank you God.

8 Therefore it says,

“When he ascended on high he led a host of captives,
    and he gave gifts to men.”

9 (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? 10 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) 

11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 

He gives these gifts to all who are in service Him, all that He calls. If you believe in Christ Jesus and hunger to serve Him, then you too are called in a mighty way to touch the lives of those around you. If you are seeking where you fit in the kingdom, one tool I highly recommend is a spiritual gifts test.

13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 

There is such a pain in my heart over the division I see in our Christian churches. There are nearly 2 billion self proclaimed Christians in the world, yet there are nearly 41,000 different denominations (resource). Each of those claiming to have the corner on truth that others miss. Since I have come to Christ some have pressured me to “choose” a religion. I have come to almost resent that, for Christ loves all who love Him

15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped,when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

We are called to unity in Christ, to love one another, bearing all things. The pressure on my heart this morning is not to look at those around me and call them out for not doing this, it is to press in close to God, ask Him to reveal where I fall short and ask for the strength, boldness, love and compassion to step into those situations where Christ can help and be His hands, hearts, mouth, eyes, feet… to love others unconditionally and offer grace and compassion as best I can.

Anything we do will always pale in comparison to the grace and mercy the Father bestows upon us, but we can make a difference in drawing people toward His loving arms so they too can be set free by the blood of the lamb.

Father God help us this day look for ways to draw closer to those around us, give us eyes and hearts that seek to unify those we encounter under the hope, peace, joy and expectations of what you are doing in our lives. Give us the power to touch a life today in a way that glorifies your mighty name. 

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Ministers of the New Covenant

Posted on July 23, 2013 by George Crone

2 Corinthians 3 (ESV)

3 Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you, or from you? 2 You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our[a] hearts, to Lawbe known and read by all. 3 And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.[b]

4 Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. 5 Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, 6 who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

7 Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, 8 will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory? 9 For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory. 10 Indeed, in this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it. 11 For if what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory.

12 Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, 13 not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. 14 But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. 15 Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. 16 But when one[c] turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. 17 Now the Lord[d] 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,[e]are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

I have been in a season of heavy personal conviction. I believe it has had some value in that it has brought the many logs in my own eye into greater view which I feel is important in every Christian’s walk. Not until we recognize the true depth of hardness of our own hearts, the fall of man, the darkness in our soul that fights the truth of Christ, will we ever truly enter the journey of redemption; this is the journey of sanctification.

It is a time of inward  condemnation when one truly aches for the death of the old man so that we can rise again in our new life in Christ; to have the courage to face our pride, fear, judgments, addictions, hypocrisy; to take ownerships of the hurts we have caused and becoming willing to make amends for them all; to seek for the destruction of all forms of  selfishness that rules the heart of the saved and unsaved alike is to be born again.

But this season comes with a grave warning, and because I did not know that going in I spent many months wollowing in self condemnation on a level that did not come from Christ. It has been a dark season, but I’m beginning to see the light, and it is a glorious light indeed.

I believe this passage clearly spells out the battle I’ve been facing; a realization that the Laws of God are good and important in that the Old Covenant reveals our need for salvation and life change on a soul-wrenching level (if we are honest with ouselves) but the Great News is that the New Covenenant of Christ sets us free from the law.

The law leads to death in the flesh, but Christ leads to life in the Spirit.

What helped bring this home in my heart was what my pastor said this last weekend.  It was a sermon on the four practices to guard our hearts; Submission, Service, Secrecy and Sacrifice .

In closing prayer his words leaped out at me

“Service to others is not how we become great, it is what great people do” 

In that moment I began reflecting on Jesus’ very first trial by Satan which came the moment he was baptized. In the 40 days of suffering in the wilderness Satan and Jesus used the Word of God to battle one another; Satan tempting Jesus through pride and selfishness and using his knowledge of Christ to warrent it and Jesus rebuking Satan to not twist the Word of God to fit his own agenda.

In that moment I realized that salvationthe battle in my soul had become a battle between The Law of God and the freeing Salvation of Christ; a deep recognition filled me with the healing power of the cross.

It is not what we do for Christ that sets us free, it is what He has done for us. We will never measure up, be good enough, deserve favor… but we are granted those things through our belief and desires for purity and pursuit of holiness.

Not that we will attain it one day, but that we live like that because we’ve already attained it.

Father God, you know my heart, you know that I ask daily for you to search me and reveal to me my shortcomings and weakness so that I may surrender them to you. Today Lord I come to you filled only with a gratitude that you have indeed set me free and I am sorry that I have devalued the cross to the point of thinking I could work my way back into your graces. It was You who pursued me, opened my eyes to Your truths, fed life and hope back into my soul, and that is not by anything I have done or earned. Thank you Jesus for the work of the cross, for a life of sacrifice, service, humility and submission, all of those things you did not have to do, but that you freely chose to do for us, the fallen sinner created in your image but who will always come up way short. Thank You for bridging that gap to salvation so that we may live free from the law by recognizing that the law lives in us, and that only You have overcome, and only in You will we overcome. With praise and gratitude I pray that we all may sing freely Your name of grace to all we encounter this day and forevermore.

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On Account Of These Things

Posted on July 8, 2013 by George Crone

Colossians 3:5-11 (ESV) Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming. 7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. 11 Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.

KingdomOfHeavenFor the person like myself who has been rescued from a life in full pursuit of death through the pleasures of the flesh (addictions, lust, materialism, resentments) for so many decades, the journey of Sanctification is hard, very hard.

Many of the strongholds, in God’s incredible mercy, were removed from me in a Saul to Paul moment of surrender when I made that fateful cross over the line and fell into the arms of a Loving Savior.

In the early days, life was easy, faith came like a new day to a young boy, full of adventure and awe as nearly every breath I took became a new discovery of how God’s sovereign reign over my life had been unfolding, and the beauty of His works was all around me. I was truly blinded to the past and given new sight for the future glory to come.

But as the years roll on, one pervasive stronghold remains in my heart, a fear, a darkness, an emptiness which the devil uses as a siren song to call me back to my old ways. And sadly, I don’t always ignore it. And when I fall, it grieves the Holy Spirit and tears me apart. I am not that old man, but I am terrified he could take hold one day.

Faulty Thinking

I am coming to realize though that I should not fear Satan, for in that moment I give him too much power. There are many beautiful passages such as this one in Colossians that speaks to a Fear of God.

For the Christian in love with Christ, who strives to follow God’s word, who relies on the grace of Calvary, it is the Trinity who is our fighter, our protector, our healer, our guide, our strength, our hope and in the end, our Righteous Judge and Jury.

Matthew 7:21-23 (ESV) 21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

Satan cannot beat God, he has already been defeated. Satan cannot destroy us if we use our free will to choose the path of righteousness.

It is God, who is returning to us one day (soon) and to bring upon His perfect and righteous judgment upon those of His creation who reject His Son, His word, or His Spirit.

And according to His word, the scale of judgment will be on the condition of a man’s heart.

Daniel 9:4 I prayed to the Lord my God and made confession, saying, “O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments,

John 14:15 [ Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit ] “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

John 14:21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”

John 15:10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.

1 John 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.

Justification is the point of entry into our relationship with Christ, that work is complete by our loving God, our sins are forgiven. But those (like myself) who battle old tapes, who struggle to overcome the sins of idolatry, anger, lust, resentments and more, we can find the battle in the mind to be soul wrenching. I often times find myself fearing the next time temptations or resentments begin to rise up, for my reactions seems to be so carnal in that moment that I find myself powerless to overcome and yet again must humble myself, cry out for mercy and repent.

Job 28:28 (ESV) 28 And he said to man, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”

The Good News

Gratefully, God knows our struggles. He knows that Satan has dominion over this world and that our temptations and pride of the fall will follow each man. We will never live to the standards of holiness set before us, but we can take great joy that it is in our passionate pursuit of righteousness that we are indeed working out our own salvation with fear and trembling.

So what then are we to do. Our sin will be judged, how we live our life matters, what can we do today to make a difference in our lives and the lives of others?

Colossians 3:12-17 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

For those of us who call Christ our Savior, there is great hope, for the journey of redemption will lay before us until that day we are called home to be with Him, our Redeemer, our Father n Heaven.

Until then, may we strive to remove the log from our own eye and live free in the pursuit of righteous obedience and washed clean by the blood of Calvary .

Matthew 5:3 “God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.

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Foundations of America – God’s Call for a Nation to Repent

Posted on July 4, 2013 by George Crone

cry-of-prophet-jeremiah-on-the-ruins-of-jerusalem-on-a-bible-subject-1870

Jeremiah 18

This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 “Go down to the potter’s house, and there I will give you my message.” 3 So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel. 4 But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.

5 Then the word of the Lord came to me. 6 He said, “Can I not do with you, Israel, as this potter does?” declares theLord. “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, Israel. 7 If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, 8 and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relentand not inflict on it the disaster I had planned. 9 And if at another time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be built up and planted, 10 and if it does evil in my sight and does not obey me, then I will reconsider the good I had intended to do for it.

11 “Now therefore say to the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem, ‘This is what the Lord says: Look! I am preparing a disaster for you and devising a plan against you. So turn from your evil ways, each one of you, and reform your ways and your actions.’ 12 But they will reply, ‘It’s no use. We will continue with our own plans; we will all follow the stubbornness of our evil hearts.’”

13 Therefore this is what the Lord says:

“Inquire among the nations:
Who has ever heard anything like this?
A most horrible thing has been done
by Virgin Israel.
14 Does the snow of Lebanon
ever vanish from its rocky slopes?
Do its cool waters from distant sources
ever stop flowing?[a]
15 Yet my people have forgotten me;
they burn incense to worthless idols,
which made them stumble in their ways,
in the ancient paths.
They made them walk in byways,
on roads not built up.
16 Their land will be an object of horror
and of lasting scorn;
all who pass by will be appalled
and will shake their heads.
17 Like a wind from the east,
I will scatter them before their enemies;
I will show them my back and not my face
in the day of their disaster.”

18 They said, “Come, let’s make plans against Jeremiah; for the teaching of the law by the priest will not cease, nor will counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophets. So come, let’s attack him with our tongues and pay no attention to anything he says.”

19 Listen to me, Lord;
hear what my accusers are saying!
20 Should good be repaid with evil?
Yet they have dug a pit for me.
Remember that I stood before you
and spoke in their behalf
to turn your wrath away from them.
21 So give their children over to famine;
hand them over to the power of the sword.
Let their wives be made childless and widows;
let their men be put to death,
their young men slain by the sword in battle.
22 Let a cry be heard from their houses
when you suddenly bring invaders against them,
for they have dug a pit to capture me
and have hidden snares for my feet.
23 But you, Lord, know
all their plots to kill me.
Do not forgive their crimes
or blot out their sins from your sight.
Let them be overthrown before you;
deal with them in the time of your anger.

As you may have noticed I posted several themed topics this morning that are pressing on my heart. It is God’s word that continues to call out for our nation, our God-Blessed nation of old to return to it’s founding father’s intent. To honor, glorify and praise our Creator and benevolent Lord who raised up this nation, blessed it with prosperity, and is now watching us throw it all away as so many great nations have in the past.

This is not a warning to others or “them” that pulls down the morals of our nation, but it is a call to us, for we can only remove the log in our own eyes , work out our own salvation, leave our gift at the alter and make amends with our brothers.

This call is a call for us, each, individually within our own hearts to change, and in that the nation will change, the world will change. Let’s make sure our own house is in order before we point the finger at our neighbors.

With love, understanding, compassion and hope I pray this day for the mercies of our Lord to lead us toward repentance and not bring the judgment and wrath that we so deserve.

May God bless all my brothers and sisters in Christ, and may our July 4th celebrations this  day be filled with the foundational understandings that a nation without God is a nation separated from the protection of God.

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Foundations of America – First Prayer of the Continental Congress, 1774

Posted on July 4, 2013 by George Crone

Continental-CongressFirst Prayer of the Continental Congress, 1774

O Lord our Heavenly Father, high and mighty King of kings, and Lord of lords, who dost from thy throne behold all the dwellers on earth and reignest with power supreme and uncontrolled over all the Kingdoms, Empires and Governments; look down in mercy, we beseech Thee, on these our American States, who have fled to Thee from the rod of the oppressor and thrown themselves on Thy gracious protection, desiring to be henceforth dependent only on Thee. To Thee have they appealed for the righteousness of their cause; to Thee do they now look up for that countenance and support, which Thou alone canst give. Take them, therefore, Heavenly Father, under Thy nurturing care; give them wisdom in Council and valor in the field; defeat the malicious designs of our cruel adversaries; convince them of the unrighteousness of their Cause and if they persist in their sanguinary purposes, of own unerring justice, sounding in their hearts, constrain them to drop the weapons of war from their unnerved hands in the day of battle!

Be Thou present, O God of wisdom, and direct the councils of this honorable assembly; enable them to settle things on the best and surest foundation. That the scene of blood may be speedily closed; that order, harmony and peace may be effectually restored, and truth and justice, religion and piety, prevail and flourish amongst the people. Preserve the health of their bodies and vigor of their minds; shower down on them and the millions they here represent, such temporal blessings as Thou seest expedient for them in this world and crown them with everlasting glory in the world to come. All this we ask in the name and through the merits of Jesus Christ, Thy Son and our Savior.

Amen.

Reverend Jacob Duché
Rector of Christ Church of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
September 7, 1774, 9 o’clock a.m.

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