Dale Cresap's blog

You read in the Bible of certain persons who have direct encounters with me and are awestruck and transformed. Do you assume that such encounters are available only to a select handful and that you are not on the short list? Does this mean that your relationship with me must be secondhand? I invite you to your own encounter with me. Don’t assume that it must involve a burning bush or angelic visitors or visions. Ask me for discernment and the sensitivity to see the transcendent in everyday life. The word ‘awesome’ has been diminished by overuse, but the principle is still valid and is available to you.

Do you hear my voice? Do you understand that not everything I say is verbal? You have heard that much of human communication is non-verbal, so it shouldn’t surprise you that I can communicate the same way. Have you ever felt a profound and inexpressible sense of peace unexpectedly? This is the peace that surpasses understanding, and it is imparted by my spirit to yours. Gratitude and love can work the same way. Eternal truth includes propositional truth but is not limited to it. I want you to look beyond your familiar and accustomed means of communication and consider what I would impart directly to your spirit.

Do you view evangelism with a sharp distinction between the unsaved and the saved with the intent of moving the former into the latter category? There is a broader way to view this activity. Can you see that I was active in your life before you got saved? And after? The same is true for others. Everyone is at a different stage of their spiritual journey. You can minister to everyone you meet by encouraging them to take the next step, whatever that is. Don’t assume that they know what it is. But I do. Ask of me and I will give you discernment that you may know how to minister to everyone you meet.

Do you find it reassuring to know that when you come to me in prayer, that I already know what is on your mind? When you come to me do you know in advance what is on my mind? Then should your prayer consist more of speaking or listening? I am as eager to hear what you have to say as you are to say it. Are you as eager to hear from me as I am to tell you what I want to? Do you think that prayer consists of constant speaking on your part? Ask of me and I will teach you how to pray just as I taught my disciples to pray. Do you know that you can pray very much without saying very much?

Do you have a formal theology? This is learned in church or other structured settings in which Bible concepts are taught as a settled body of knowledge established by scholars through the ages. This is beneficial for you. Do you also have a functional theology? This is how you live your life according to what you have found to work, or not work. Have you ever experienced a difference between these two? Everyone has a functional theology whether they express a belief in me or not. Blessed are those who live according to the principles of the Kingdom of God. Blessed are those who do and teach my commandments.

My word tells you that I made man in my  own image. You are right in thinking  this is good news. Does this influence your image of me? In particular, do you see women as being created in my image in the same way that you see men? You could draw a different conclusion from the story, but you would be making a mistake and missing the point of the story. God is not a man, and you would distort your understanding of the Supreme Being to assign gender characteristics to divinity. This may leave you with some additional questions, but accept the fact that women and men are equally created in my image.

Do you ever wonder what other people think of you? Do you understand that this is none of your business? You may be keenly interested in how you are perceived, but have you ever found out and been deeply hurt or disappointed? Your responsiveness to the opinions of others gives them undue influence over you. Are their opinions congruent with eternal truth? Are they the same as mine? The approval of even one person is subject to immense variability, and since they do not agree with one another, you can’t please all the people any of the time. Do you think I am hard to please? In comparison to this I am easy to please. So it is better not to inquire of how others feel about you. They probably volunteer too much information already.

I gave you the Great Commission, and Christians have taken evangelism seriously ever since, with great results. The Christian faith continues to grow. My apostles asked for great boldness in proclaiming my message, even at the cost of pain and suffering for themselves. Who do you think makes the best evangelist? Do you think that more pushy is more effective? Yet you have met pushy people who only succeed in pushing people away from them. If people scatter when you approach you might want to rethink your approach. It was written long ago that he who is wise wins souls. This is still true.

What is your image of me? Do you see me as stern and exacting? Distant and unapproachable? Disinterested and uninvolved? The image you carry of me has a profound influence in your life, for better or for worse, whether it is correct or not. In the parable of the talents, one servant led a diminished life because he thought his master was hard, arbitrary and unjust. He didn’t know the true nature of his master, and those who hold the above views of me don’t know me either. I am complex with many dimensions and attributes, but it is not difficult to know me. You can start with the understanding that I am looking for friends, as you are.  

Do you belong to a tribe? Ancient Israel was one nation, yet it was still divided into tribes. Even so, my church is one body, but there are valid distinctions within. Do you refer to these as denominations? You may feel more comfortable among those of similar backgrounds; everyone does. Don’t let this reassurance rob you of the vision that I have one body. It is normal to find contact with your tribal members to be life-giving. Even among the twelve I had my inner circle. Can you take this life and share it with those outside your tribe? Don’t let distinctions become divisions.