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The Poor

Dale Cresap's picture

If you are not poor then you probably are aware that there are some places where you don’t see poor people. If you are poor then you know where these places are, and have an even stronger awareness that they are not available to you. Many places have cost barriers to entry, but the doors are not closed to people with money. My church should not be one of these places. If you examine the Christian faith you will see that its elements are of the utmost simplicity in this world, as if it were designed by a God who loves everyone and wants to eliminate all barriers to entry, especially to the poor who he chose to be rich in faith. 

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memory aid?

Dale Cresap's picture

If you forget something your friends may encourage you by saying, ‘it will come to you’. You may use similar words regarding yourself. Note that this concept and terminology are slightly different from saying that you will remember it. Saying it will come to you implies that it comes from without rather than within. Could this be true? What is the source of thoughts and ideas? I promised to send you the Comforter to bring all things into remembrance. This certainly refers to the truth of the Kingdom of God, but the promise implies more than that. You may be getting more help than you realize. If you need help remembering something, ask me and see what happens. 

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deserving poor?

Dale Cresap's picture

Even if you follow my teaching to be generous to those in need, you have a limited amount of money and are surrounded by a seemingly unlimited amount of need. So you have to make some choices. Do you draw a strong distinction between those who are deserving and those who are not? If you do then what you intended as an act of charity becomes an act of judgment. What alternative approach is available? My word declares that those who are led by the Spirit are sons of God. I may want you to give to those who seem the least deserving, but if you follow my lead you will have enough to meet the needs I show you. 

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cheerful giver?

Dale Cresap's picture

Have you ever heard an atheist claim that his donations were completely altruistic while those of believers were motivated by a heavenly reward? How would you answer such a charge? You could start by comparing amounts of giving, but there are generous atheists and the argument is one of principle, not amount. The accusation implies that Christians are calculating in their giving and atheists are not. A better answer would be that your goal is to be transformed into my likeness so that your giving is motivated by pure love rather than reward. I love a cheerful giver, and cheerfulness is not calculating. 

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relational truth

Dale Cresap's picture

The people in my time wondered why I spoke in parables rather than using plain language. My disciples wondered the same thing, as have multitudes throughout history since. You are used to the propositional truth you learn in school that is objective, detached, and dispassionate. The truth of my message was relational. It did not lend itself to an itemized list of assertions although many of my followers have attempted to do this. I presented my stories of the Kingdom of God as an invitation to my audience for further engagement with my ideas. Hopefully this would lead to further engagement with me. Has this happened for you?

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faith and belief

Dale Cresap's picture

Do you make a distinction between faith and belief? Belief is a basis for faith, but faith is greater. Belief is an expression of mental assent to certain precepts. Faith is living a life as if these were true. Acknowledging the truth of the gospel message is a matter of belief and you commonly associate this with a salvation experience. That is the beginning rather than the end of a life of faith. I continue my work in you by transforming your life so that every aspect of it expresses the reality of what you believe. Abraham believed and I reckoned it unto him as righteousness. I do the same for you. Let your belief grow into faith. 

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one body

Dale Cresap's picture

Can you be gracious and accepting of believers who belong to a church other than yours? What about those who used to belong to your church and have departed? Do you find this to be more difficult? Yet leaving your church does not mean they have left my Body. If you see a departure from your church as treason or betrayal then you have not learned to hold your denominational affiliation with a loose grip. If you have then you know that such attachments may not be permanent. Everyone has their own path to walk and seasons in their life. View this process graciously from the perspective of the whole Body of Christ. 

 

[leaving town for a few days]

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community

Dale Cresap's picture

What is a community? The classic definition is people who live in the same neighborhood, but people can live close to one another and not have a sense of community. People that come from various locations to meet for a common purpose can also be considered a community, and this is a stronger basis than just living nearby. Now you have the ability to connect with individuals from around the world with whom you share a purpose and passion even if you have not met them in person. Do you think of this as a community as well? The human desire to belong and build community is great. Seek and you will find. 

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spoiled?

Dale Cresap's picture

Do you like to get your own way? Who doesn’t? yet if children get their own way all the time they are said to be spoiled. Adults are better at managing external appearances and the term is not so often applied to them, but the same principles apply. Spoiled children become selfish adults. When you don’t get your own way, you may feel frustrated, denied, and rejected. These are things you do not welcome, but they are precisely what you need to grow into maturity. Trials are an inevitable part of life. My word teaches you to welcome them as friends. It is easier to do so if you know you need them to grow.

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