Dale Cresap's blog

The Bible speaks of a peace that surpasses understanding. Is there anything else that surpasses understanding? You live in a rational intellectual culture based on the assumption that all things yield to examination and can be proven, so human understanding can explain all things and is the measure of all things. In ancient times the church was comfortable with the concept of mysteries that could be lived but not explained. The secular culture exerts pressure to abandon this position. Has the church been influenced by this? Are you comfortable knowing things that you can’t explain?

Do you earn your living at a desk or work with your hands? It takes a large workforce to construct the buildings and keep the lights on and the water flowing and the food grown and delivered and everything else essential to modern life, but there is a greater and greater divide between those who work with words, and those who work with their hands. Are those with advanced education capable of being arrogant and condescending toward those who do not? Those who labor may not qualify as the least of these but life as you know it depends on their service.

Do you know of people who describe themselves as spiritual but not religious? In times past how many people do you know who refused to identify with a denomination or even a faith tradition? Yet spiritual independence has become prominent. Is generic spirituality adequate? It is too easy to create me in your image without the structure and tradition of an established faith tradition. Remember that you are created in my image rather than the other way around. Transcendence is a great place to start your spiritual journey, but can you finish there?

Are you familiar with the passage about the Kingdom of Heaven suffering violence, and the violent taking it by force? Do you find this to be a difficult passage? Does it seem impossible that the Kingdom of Heaven would suffer violence? Ponder the potential meanings of this and consider the second part of the passage. Is violence toward the Kingdom of Heaven rewarded? You could rephrase this as spiritually aggressive. Think of this in the context of the promise that you will find if you seek, and the thing of highest value should be your first priority.

Do you think of the Bible as being true? Do you view this as being an accurate historical record of real events? Is there more to truth than that? The Bible claims to be living and powerful. That is a stronger claim than being an accurate historical record. So the question is not just whether it was true when it happened, but how is it continually true and true now? Moses encountered a bush that burned but was not consumed. What does that imply for you? Jacob wrestled with God. So did Job. Have you? I fed five thousand. What does that speak to you now?

Do you like quick and easy results? I offer you the promise of transformation, but I do not promise that it will be quick or easy. Is this something you want? Are you as interested if you know going into it that it is a long and difficult process? How much of your identity can you put up for grabs at any one time? Five percent? Are you willing to stay with it for the duration? Consider my love for you and the magnitude of my investment in making this promise. Are you convinced it is available because you have seen people in whom the change is a reality?

Are you an evangelical? This implies evangelism, and this is the commission of every believer whether they identify as an evangelical or not. Can you be an evangelist and remain in church? Hopefully the people in your church are not in need of an evangelist. This implies that you must go forth bearing the good news of the gospel to those who have not yet received it. And so the Great Commission begins with the word ‘go’. Where will you go? You may not have to travel to distant lands.

Is there a default faith? Atheists would claim it as theirs, for they reject all belief systems. The flaw in this argument is that they are making an affirmative claim for a negative assertion. The rules of reason and logic reject this, because it isn’t possible to prove a negative. A more accurate description of a default faith would be that of one who is seeking, because they do not claim to know. In the absence of a fixed belief they are in a position to examine and consider anything they find. Do you find this concept in the Bible? Seek and you will find.

Are you an apostle? Do you know any? Apostles are rare, and there are only a few who hold this title and office. But even if you don’t you can act like an apostle. Are you willing to be regarded last behind everyone else? Are you willing to be a spectacle unto God, and unto angels, and unto men? If you are cursed do you bless and if you are defamed do you entreat? Is an apostle the highest office? Yet I said that he who was chief among you should be the servant of all. This was not addressed specifically to apostles, but to all my followers.

I was Jewish as were my disciples, but most of my ministry was performed as an outsider. I found much to criticize in the practice of Judaism at the time, and my followers founded a new and distinct faith. Is there a progression in organizations that start out fresh and vibrant and become rigid structures? The Christian Church has been around for hundreds of years now. How true is it, would you say, to the founding vision? In Revelation I spoke to seven churches some of which were already in need of correction, and much time has passed since then.