Dale Cresap's blog

Is there an author or teacher that you particularly admire? Do you accept everything they say? If you encounter a statement by anyone that you strongly disagree with, are you prone to reject everything they say? These positions attach too much importance to the individual. They are based on the standard of infallibility which is too high a standard to expect of anyone and following it will cause you to reject things that would benefit you. The standard that I have given you is to prove all things and hold fast that which is good.

Have you ever had anyone else make you feel small? People can act in a way to inflate themselves at the expense of others, and you know how this feels if you have been on the receiving end. Are there any other experiences that make you feel small? What about going to the mountains or canyons or coastline? The vastness of my creation can give you a true perspective and make you feel small, but here it is affirmation rather than rejection. The Psalmist looked to the hills and knew his help came from me.

Do flowers seem like the most delicate and beautiful of structures? You have seen how the blooms unfold when conditions are right. I want to see truth unfold in you the same way. I am meek and lowly of heart. I would not impose truth upon you by force because I want you to embrace it rather than resist it. The more eager you are for truth to unfold in you the sooner it will happen, and this is beneficial for you, but I am patient if that is required. The blossom of a flower is a necessary step in the process of bearing fruit.

In the beginning I said that I created them male and female. Do you think there is anything left that is characteristically masculine or feminine? In your culture of equality everyone can do everything and this tends to erase gender differences. Yet people still live their lives in acknowledgment of these real differences even if it is not politically correct to speak them aloud. A weaker vessel is not an inferior vessel. This area provides rich and vivid illustrations of me and my church, but most believers are too easily threatened and heavily defended to learn from it.

What type of people do you prefer to keep company with? If you are a believer, then you probably enjoy the company of fellow believers and call this fellowship. Yet you also prefer the company of people who are kind rather than those who are mean. If your fellow believers are kind then this is an easy choice, but not all believers are. I am willing to take everyone, and you know those who call upon my name in whom my work is not complete. Does this put you in a dilemma? Do you prefer the company of believers who are mean or unbelievers who are not? Who prefers your company?

Who are the best Christians you know? Perhaps I should rephrase the question. Who are the best people you know? For most people someone comes to mind. What criteria do you use to select one instead of another? Did you pick the one who was the most knowledgeable about scripture, or the one most fervent in belief? Or did you pick the one who had the most loving demeanor and generosity of spirit? If you have trouble deciding revisit my stories about the sheep and the goats and the Good Samaritan. It is normal for you to admire such people and want to be like them.

Have you ever made a deal with me? Have you promised that if I answered your prayer and did something of great importance for you that you would make a certain sacrifice in return? How did that work out for you? Whether you liked the way it turned out or not, was it you or me who proposed the terms of the deal? I will meet you are the level of your faith, and you have my promise that I will answer your prayers. Perhaps the thing that you offered in exchange was a good and beneficial thing. But I don’t want you to be confused about the nature of our relationship.

Have you heard of people who have control issues? Have you encountered any? Are you one? What about churches? Some people perceive the church they have experienced as having control issues, and there may be some basis for this perception. What about me? How do you perceive me? You may think that I have control issues if you consider the way I am represented by others, but what has been your firsthand experience? Have I not entreated you with longsuffering patience?

Your culture operates on the premise that more is better. Is this always true? The King in Proverbs asked me to give him the food convenient for him recognizing that too much or too little both resulted in problems, and you see this same principle at work today. The concept of too much also applies to a load you must pick up. You can only lift so much. You may not have to lift all your possessions at one time, but the concept of too much can still be valid because they can be a burden whether you are physically lifting them or not.

Do you have favorite authors and teachers? Nearly everyone does, and that makes you a disciple of them as well as of me. Whether this is a good thing or not depends on the quality of the truth they present. Paul invited his audience to follow him as he followed me. If following them leads you closer to me then all is well, but realize everyone knows in part, even your favorites. You are less likely to be limited by their limitations if you are aware of them. Prove all things, hold fast that which is good. Cast your net upon the waters, and sort it out on the deck.