Dale Cresap's blog

Do you come from a place of great prestige? Some places have a good reputation and those from that location obtain the benefit of association whether they have done anything to earn it or not. You can change your location but you can’t change where you are from. Even in this age of sensitivity one of the last prejudices and biases that can be freely expressed without fear of objection is against small-town and rural people. You are right in thinking that this is unfair, but if you are a victim of it you can take comfort in the fact that I was too. Can anything good come out of Nazareth?

Have you heard the phrase, I’ve got your back? This originated in the military and soldiers would say it when providing covering fire for friendly forces at risk. This is a powerful enough idea that the same phrase has been adopted in the civilian world for the same concept. Have you ever felt the reassurance of having someone do  this for you? Have you ever done it for someone else? Have you ever felt alone, and without anyone to cover for you? Everyone will feel this way at some time, and this happened to me too.

There are many places in the Bible where I refer to my followers as my sheep, such as, my sheep hear my voice. This is a term of endearment. Do you think of it as a compliment? Sheep are known for being docile, dependent, helpless herd animals. People do not consider these qualities as compliments when applied to  themselves. Would you rather be thought of as a predator? Wolves are more widely admired in today’s culture, but the Biblical references are negative, such as wolves who do not spare the flock. The sheep references imply a relationship.

Do you have strongly held political views? Have you noticed that people who are highly ideologically driven feel justified in name calling and being angry, and perhaps hateful? Have you noticed this is true whether they identify with the left or the right? Do you consider your primary allegiance to be to me? Then you should recognize that those with whom you disagree are brothers under one Father and those whom I am redeeming. You may have strong feelings about proper government policies.

Have you ever had a hangover? This is commonly understood as the consequence of having too much alcohol. Even if you don’t drink, could you have had a similar experience? What about an anger hangover? Have you ever given yourself over to an expression of rage? How did you feel afterwards? Have you found that returning to a place of peace and joy is not immediate or automatic? What other emotions or expressions result in a similar reaction? Bitterness? Shame? Hatred? Taking the side effects of your actions into consideration may spare you some unpleasant consequences.

Do you take comfort in the promise of my return? You should. I told you to look for me and love my appearing. How do you do this? You know believers who set dates and try to correlate world events with Biblical prophecy, and to identify the coming Antichrist. Does this make you a better person? People have been setting dates for my return for centuries, and so far none of them have been right, obviously. What is the best way to anticipate my return and prepare yourself for it? You have assignments now and spiritual development work still to complete.

Are you spiritually fussy, or do you hunger and thirst after righteousness? Have you had difficulty in finding a church that is a good fit for you? Everyone has their preferences and depending on how narrow yours are you may not be able to satisfy them all with what is available to you. But your fussiness regarding food will vary depending on how hungry you are, and you will not starve with food available even if it isn’t your first choice. Do you see how the same principle applies spiritually? Is your spiritual hunger great enough to overcome your fussiness?

Do you present the gospel message to those you meet? This is your part of the Great Commission. What responses have you received? You will find some who are hostile and belligerent. Are you tempted to respond in like manner? But this will result in an argument rather than a convert. What should your demeanor be? How often have you been persuaded by someone who is angry and confrontational? Be as wise as a serpent and as gentle as a dove. If you present yourself as a humble seeker then you will have rapport when you find another one, and win a friend and possibly a brother.

Are you familiar with the problem of body image issues? Do you think this only affects adolescent girls? Could it be that everyone has body image issues; that it is so pervasive that you are unaware of it? According to the Genesis account, this was not present at the very beginning, but was the first acquired trait from the Big Mistake. People have worn clothing ever since. Could the underlying shame be a source of self-alienation even for people who are covered? The Big Mistake was a spiritual issue more than a physical one.

Do you expect to one day give an account for your life? What standard would you expect to be used for evaluation? Do you prefer to be evaluated on the basis of correct beliefs and doctrine? But the purpose of the gospel message is to transform your life. Have you not heard it said that this is the evidence of the validity of the message? Would you prefer not to be evaluated by this criteria? Would you cite the Bible passages about the difference between works and grace to support your claim?