February Special: Overflow of the Spirit Training Package & Free Video Event
Learn How to Release All the Gifts of the Spirit in Every Area of Life!

more than these?

Dale Cresap's picture

Submitted by Dale Cresap on October 18, 2015 - 21:03

I asked Peter if he loved me more than these. Theologians still debate about the meaning of ‘these’, but it is clear from the passage that Peter was troubled by my repeated questions. Do you love me more than the blessings I give? You have never been without them, so how can you know for sure? The Psalmist said that he would rejoice in the Lord though the fig tree shall not blossom and there be no fruit on the vine. This passage goes on to indicate a state of total poverty. Blessed are those who reach a sufficient state of detachment from the blessings I give that they don’t have to be deprived of them entirely to know that they love me more. 

Add new comment

friend of sinners?

Dale Cresap's picture

Submitted by Dale Cresap on October 18, 2015 - 01:04

Do you avoid contact with sinners? I was criticized because I did not avoid contact with sinners. So what should you do? There is not a uniform answer for everyone. It depends on your motivation, purpose, and maturity level. The Bible addresses this question with regard to meat offered to idols. One has enough maturity that he can partake without offending his conscience, but this does not make him free to offend his brother who does not. You would be wise to limit your contact with the lost in areas where you still struggle with temptation. Let your light shine in the darkness without offending your brother or yourself. 

Add new comment

know it all

Dale Cresap's picture

Submitted by Dale Cresap on October 16, 2015 - 18:58

Have you ever met someone who is a know-it-all? This would appear to be a desirable trait and a person to be sought out and inquired of, since knowledge has value and confers power. Yet have you ever heard this term used as a compliment? Doesn’t it rather refer to someone who is full of half-truths, opinions, and endless arguments, that you prefer to avoid? Such people are full of pride, contention, and strife, so perhaps it would be better to refer to them as a no-it-all. My word says that knowledge puffs up, and you can see the evidence of it. Yet don’t you also observe that the truly wise and knowledgeable are eager to listen and learn? Blessed are those who know they know in part. 

Add new comment

Anger

Dale Cresap's picture

Submitted by Dale Cresap on October 15, 2015 - 20:59

My word tells you to be angry and sin not. It implies that you can be angry without sinning, but how often does this happen? Little children display their feelings visibly. They can’t help it. Adults learn to be less transparent, except when it comes to anger. Have you noticed how the atmosphere in a room changes when an angry person walks in, even before they slam the door? Anger contains negative energy that is hard to hide, and people respond to it by reflex, erecting defenses or opposing it with anger instinctively. In this way anger can lead to escalating sin before words are even spoken. It is better not to give anger a place to take hold. 

Add new comment

prayer

Dale Cresap's picture

Submitted by Dale Cresap on October 14, 2015 - 21:21

Do you believe in the power of prayer, that it changes things on earth? Yet sometimes you do not see these changes immediately. Would you be surprised to know that prayer changes things in heaven? And that the effect is immediate? How could anything be improved in heaven? Yet my word clearly teaches that the prayers of the saints are like incense in my presence, creating a sweet fragrance in heaven. You will see the results with your own eyes when the time is right. Until then I value them so much that I keep them in my throne room, stored securely in special vials. 

Add new comment

faith and science

Dale Cresap's picture

Submitted by Dale Cresap on October 13, 2015 - 21:16

Do you see science and faith locked in irreconcilable conflict? Does it have to be this way? There are too many Christians and scientists that divide into warring camps and see the battle as a winner-take-all struggle. Christians could acknowledge that when I created the world I didn’t explain how I did it, and that when I wrote the Bible I didn’t include a timeline. Scientists could acknowledge that they can speak with authority only to observable things that yield to generalized explanations. Scientists can admit to having unanswered questions because science isn’t all-encompassing. Humility and charity on both sides would facilitate peace between them. 

Add new comment

sojourn at your own pace

Dale Cresap's picture

Submitted by Dale Cresap on October 11, 2015 - 21:04

Do you see your spiritual life as a sojourn and a pilgrimage? This is a good way to think of it, but do not think that you are taking this journey alone. Even so you are not marching in formation with others. Perhaps it is better to think of it as a caravan. This is a loosely coordinated journey for those with a common destination. They all make progress toward that destination but do not have to march in step. You can expect to find support and encouragement along the way from the fellow travelers you meet because you are going to the same place. You can do this without keeping pace with them or forcing them to keep pace with you. 

Add new comment

Pages