Dale Cresap's blog

Are you aware of your advantages? Do you have an even greater awareness of the advantages of others? Do you take your own blessings in stride as your due and wish you had the blessings of others as well? Perhaps they wish they had yours, and see you as privileged in comparison to themselves. Can you have peace if you don’t have contentment? Those who are aware of their own blessings without being envious of the blessings of others are in a position to be grateful. Do you understand the value of this? Is it more important to get more stuff or to be thankful for what you have?

Do you want to enter eternal life? Do you think you have to wait until you die for this to happen? In a sense you are right, but you may not have to wait as long as you think. An essential feature of the faith is that you need to die before you die so you can live. Didn’t I tell you to lay down your life and pick up your cross and follow me? Didn’t my apostle say that he died daily? Isn’t baptism a ritual of death and resurrection? The good news is that you don’t have to wait for anything. You can do this today.

I said that unless you were converted and became as little children you would not enter the Kingdom of God. But children have undesirable qualities as well as desirable ones. You use the terms childlike and childish to distinguish between these. The qualities I am looking for are trust, wonder, and amazement. I am not looking for immaturity, stubbornness, and willfulness. For I also tell you to put away childish things as you mature. You can see both sets of qualities in adults you know. Can you maintain the desirable qualities of childlikeness even as you put away childish things?

Do you see yourself as being on a spiritual journey? This is the most common metaphor for a life of faith. It includes the elements of movement and progress and destination. Do you see yours as more of a wild ride? Do not be discouraged, for this also is a journey. Do you feel more secure when you are driving instead of being a passenger? Who do you think is driving on this spiritual journey? If it is you will we get to the right destination? You do not know the road ahead, but I do. There is a reason for the curves and starts and stops. I want you to enjoy the ride.

I tell you to stand fast in the liberty in which I have made you free, and not to be entangled again in the yoke of bondage. Paul referred to those who spied out the glorious liberty that believers have in Christ. Do you love your liberty? Have you found that it bothers some people? Have you ever had the same reaction to someone else, that they were a little too free for your taste? Liberty and control will always be in tension, except in the Kingdom of God, where mercy and justice are joined together.

Do you believe in honor? Is honor worth dying for? Does it sound noble minded to say, death before dishonor? Could this be an expression of pride masquerading as honor? Consider my apostles. If they are regarded as the highest office in the church, should they be given the most honor? Yet consider the description of them in the Bible: a spectacle unto God, angels, and men. Being cursed they bless, being reviled they entreat. As far as human dignity they are considered the off-scouring of humanity. Is it possible that this world and my Kingdom have different definitions of honor?

What do you spend your money on? Most people spend most of their money on themselves. This is normal because you have bills and living expenses, so you support yourself with the money available to you. You are fortunate if you have enough to be generous and thoughtful with gifts and donations to others. The more important question is what do you spend yourself on? For your life will pass whether you make a contribution to humanity or not. There is a parallel between spending money and spending yourself. You can spend money on yourself or be generous, and the same is true of you.

Have you had people approach you with suggestions that they claimed were good for you, but you suspected the presentation was because it was good for them? Sales pitches are easy to recognize. But some things are good for both. Do you connect people together, forming a bond between those who also have a bond with you? A good friendship benefits all who are involved. I commend unity between brothers. How does this come about? It doesn’t happen without a connection, and someone has to make the bond. Blessed are those who bring about the unity of brothers. This can be you.

Do you refer to me as the Prince of Peace? This is one of my titles, and my life bore this out. I asked my Father to forgive those who killed me, for they knew not what they did. Have you noticed your fellow believers with a bias toward marital metaphors, battles and warfare and enemies, and weapons and tactics? Do you see a problem here? My word says that the weapons of your warfare are not carnal. The spiritual conflict you are in does not compare closely with the military conflicts you are familiar with.

Have you heard the expression that you shouldn’t sweat the small stuff, and it is all small stuff? This is a glib and trite expression of a spiritual truth. It is not all small stuff. Having said that, I did tell those who would follow me they should not worry about tomorrow, or what to wear or eat or drink, because the body was more than raiment, and their Father in heaven knew they had need of these things and would provide them. Even with my simple illustrations I was always pointing my audience to the transcendent Kingdom of God.