Dale Cresap's blog

You live in a world of scented products, even those which are sold as unscented. Smell is a primal sense that affects you whether you are aware of it or not, and people react strongly to certain smells. Good hygiene minimizes the scent of a person, and it can also be artificially imparted by perfume. There is a spiritual parallel here and you know people that have a pleasant spiritual aroma and those who do not. If you need a shower you can obtain one easily, but your spiritual aroma is more difficult to change.

Are you familiar with the Great Commission? I commanded my followers to preach the good news of the gospel message to every creature. You refer to this work as evangelism. What aspect of it do you think is most important? Do you place the most emphasis on apologetics? On having your doctrine correct? How important do you think this is to those you encounter? Is that their primary concern? The people you meet are lost in darkness and starved for love. This is something you can give them right now, and will draw them to me.

Have you heard of elections referred to as one man, one vote, one time? The implication is that a people who had obtained enough liberty to hold a free election voted to elect someone who would take that liberty away. Does it amaze you that people would discard something so hard to obtain? My word teaches you to stand fast in the liberty in which I have made you free, be not entangled again in the yoke of bondage. People choose their bondages freely which is similar to voting for a tyrant, and neither one makes any sense.

How strong is your identity? Have you noticed people who must prove themselves right in all their choices, starting with their church and political opinions, and even down to their tastes and preferences? This may seem like a strong identity, but if you craft it for yourself it will inevitably be weak, and therefore need a strong defense. Have you encountered other people who don’t feel the need to prove themselves right? Don’t they seem to be more secure and stable in their identity? If you know that you are held in the palm of my hand you can relax.

Do you care about the purity of the food you eat? Are you as diligent about the purity of the things you say? For you use the same mouth for both purposes. My word says that the same fountain does not bring forth both fresh and bitter water. This was said in reference to a mouth that brings forth both blessing and cursing. In reference to dietary laws I said that it is not what goes into a man that defiles him, for that passes through him, but it is what comes out of his mouth that defiles him. You can consider this principle in a positive light.

Have you ever made a declaration about something you would never do? Did you think of this as an oath or a vow? These things can be made inwardly even if they are not spoken aloud. Do you have confidence in your perfect control of your future actions? Peter swore that he would never deny me, and shortly thereafter denied me with an oath repeatedly. It is better not to make an oath or vow, as I taught my followers, swear not at all. This frees you from making promises that you can’t keep, and opens the door to a broader future lived in the awareness of continual dependence on me.

So much of my teaching on earth referred to awareness. It was after I spoke to the people rather than before that I said let he who has ears to hear, let him hear. Wouldn’t you expect me to say this before my message? But you can hear things and not really hear them. The same concept applies to vision and I declared some to be blind who could see the light of day (but not the light of the Son). Have you ever had the experience of not being able to see what is right in front of you? You are immersed in an invisible spiritual realm.

My word tells you to rejoice evermore. So is it a sin to be sad? This verse was not written to condemn you and there are experiences in life for which being sad is a reasonable response. Emotions are an inherent part of life and your ability to experience them is a gift from me. Your emotions are a reminder that you are alive. Some cultures and faith traditions discourage the display of emotions, but they are mistaken. Consider my own life, how I rejoiced openly, got angry, and even wept as appropriate for the occasion.

How do you regard the Bible passages about the Pharisees? Are you glad that you are not like them in the same way that the Pharisee was glad that he was not like the humble sinner in prayer? You may not have applied to become a Pharisee. This was a short-lived sect and there are no longer any called by that name. Yet they were the dominant religious force in their generation as you are in yours. Those in the same positions are prone to the same faults and errors. On this basis, is there anything in my remarks to the Pharisees that could serve as a cautionary note for you?

Do you like to have the last word? Everyone else feels the same way. This leads to arguments that go on without end, until one party realizes that the cost of continuing the debate is greater than the value of winning. I have called you to follow me. Can you see the example I set on this issue? I answered some of the accusations against me, ignored others, and in the ultimate challenge I refused to speak in my own defense. Even if you are prepared to speak words of eternal truth and wisdom there is no advantage to declaring them to those who will not hear them.