Dale Cresap's blog

You are called to judge yourself. Not everyone does this, and some who take this seriously do it poorly. It is possible to judge yourself too harshly, or too leniently, or to ignore important things and give too much attention to unimportant things. As much as you should be willing to judge yourself, can you judge yourself by yourself? Do you recognize your dependency on me even in this? I gave you a comforter to be within you always and lead you into all truth.

The eternal life I offer you includes the promise of transformation. Do you regard this as necessary and desirable, or are you fairly satisfied the way you are? What do you think transformation consists of? Would you like to be taller, younger, and slimmer? Have supernatural powers? Do you think those would be popular? Consider the promise in my word that you may be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Does a new way of thinking seem mundane in comparison to the alternatives listed above?

In the story of the sheep and the goats, those who provided for the poor and visited those in prison or sick were commended. Do you suppose this was meant to be an exhaustive list? Do you think the list could be expanded to include any form of ministry to those in need? What about the elderly who were not called out specifically in the original story? You don’t have to look very far to find those who are in need of assistance or even just companionship, and everyone is going there someday, including you.

In the beginning I created man in my image. Depending on how you read the account you could conclude that women were not created in my image, but you would be wrong about that. Male and female I created them. This has been a contentious point and a source of friction pitting one half of humanity against the other ever since. It doesn’t have to be this way. You can start by accepting the fact that my image is equally present in men and women. Then you can let go of your defensive positions about which one is better.

Do you refer to the meeting room of a church as a sanctuary? Do you use the same term for a wildlife refuge? These are similar enough that the same term is used and this refers to a safe place. Do you have a sanctuary of your own? Do you have a place where you can meet with me and feel safe, undisturbed by the cares of the world? If you do you should go there often. But I understand the demands on your time and your duties and responsibilities. Yet I am still with you even if you don’t have a place to go.

Are you familiar with the Biblical passages about picking up your cross and following me? And having a thorn in your flesh? Do you understand them to be universal spiritual principles and are you eager to take part in them? Paul was not. He asked me repeatedly to take his thorn from him but I would not. Yet he came to understand the sufficiency of my grace at a higher level so he reached a point where he no longer reacted against it. These things are available for you too. I do not pretend that they are not painful, and I do not expect you to ask for them.

When you go to the movies you see an image projected on a screen. You know that the image has no substance. You use the same terminology about people, that they project an image. Are you aware that this image doesn’t have any substance either? Yet people cling to their crafted presentations as if they were their true identity. In some cases there is deliberate deception involved and in others people fool themselves as well or better than they do others. I promised that if you would abide in me then you would know the truth and be free. What does this consist of?

Do you consider evangelism to be a burden and a task unique to Christians? Everyone is an evangelist for something. Consider your friends who collect stamps. They are enthusiastic about their hobby and would love to recruit you to join them. The same is true of cyclists, pilots, and every other activity that people pursue. They don’t consider it a burden to communicate their enthusiasm to anyone who will listen. Evangelism doesn’t have to be a structured program with an agenda to a desired outcome.

Are you familiar with the concept of ‘buying into’ an idea? This means embracing it and making it your own. You live in a society that has established cultural values. In some cases materialism is more firmly embedded than is beneficial to your spiritual life. Even if you live in a materialistic culture you don’t have to buy into materialism, either literally or figuratively, but it requires deliberate intention to go against the current that carries everyone else along. Come out from among them and be separate.

Have you ever heard of the confession of wrongdoings referred to as ‘coming clean’? This is not Biblical terminology, but it is a Biblical concept. For my word teaches you to confess your faults to one another and pray for one another that you may be healed. Facing reality is the first step in the process of healing and restoration. You do this first within yourself and with me, but the process is not complete without the involvement of other people. You can’t confide in everyone, but you must confide in someone.