daily word - Alchemy

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Submitted by Dale Cresap on December 30, 2020 - 06:00

Are you familiar with the science of alchemy? This was based on the attempt to turn lead into gold and wasn’t really science and was not successful but was the forerunner of modern chemistry. The premise was that elements could be transformed into other elements by chemical means, which is false. Transformation isn’t easy and you may have discovered this for yourself in the pursuit of your own self-improvement projects. Against this background do you realize the enormity of my promise that your life can be transformed?

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daily word - borrowing hope?

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Submitted by Dale Cresap on December 29, 2020 - 09:55

What do you do when you need something that costs more than your available funds? The most common approach is to borrow the money. Where do you go if you need something that is not monetary in nature? What if you need hope or endurance? These are things you cannot get at the bank, but you can get them from me. I have all the resources you need. The bank you borrow money from has criteria that you must meet to qualify for a loan, and they are very specific about repayment terms. I hand out resources to anyone who asks, and do not ask for repayment.

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daily word - emotional pain

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Submitted by Dale Cresap on December 26, 2020 - 06:00

Do you feel emotional and well as physical pain? Do you feel vulnerable in emotional expression and exposure, and feel wounded and violated if nothing is reciprocated? Would it surprise you to find that I feel the same way? How do you react? The temptation is to put on a suit of emotional armor, to draw back and hold back and avoid the risk of exposure. But doing so would diminish your authentic expression of humanity. How do you see me responding? Do I not still reach out to seek the lost even when they reject me? I know it hurts.

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daily word - stupidity or fear?

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Submitted by Dale Cresap on December 25, 2020 - 06:00

What is the worst insult that can be offered today? Isn’t it that someone is stupid? In a culture that prizes cleverness this is a low blow. But have you found that the lack of cognitive ability is the greatest obstacle people face? You can learn facts more easily than you can change your ability to draw inferences from them. But isn’t it fear and insecurity that hold people back more than their level of intelligence? This isn’t just about earning potential. Fear can dominate your whole perception of reality. But fear is easier to change than intelligence.

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daily word - community

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Submitted by Dale Cresap on December 24, 2020 - 06:00

Are you looking for a community? Everyone needs a place to belong. This desire is deep in the human race. (I put it there on purpose). How fussy are you in selecting a community? You would prefer to find others who are in perfect alignment with you. Have you been able to find that? How close of a fit do you require for acceptance? People are tribal by nature, but I promised those who left their tribe to follow me would have a hundred times as many brothers and sisters in this life (along with their persecutions) and in the world to come, eternal life.

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daily word - wounded?

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Submitted by Dale Cresap on December 23, 2020 - 06:00

Are you wounded? Not all wounds are physical and visible. This is the common experience of humanity. Do you know anyone who has escaped unscathed? If it appears so they may just hesitate to make them public. I was wounded publicly for all to see. What do you do with your wounds? All of them start out as ordinary wounds, but they don’t have to end there. Mine started as an ordinary execution but I transformed them into sacred wounds for the redemption of humanity. Do yours seem mundane in comparison?

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daily word - barefoot?

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Submitted by Dale Cresap on December 22, 2020 - 09:20

Moses saw a burning bush, and watched long enough to notice that the bush was not consumed. He realized that he was encountering me, and I told him to take off his shoes, for he was standing on holy ground, and this was an appropriate response. Have you ever stood on holy ground? Have you ever stood on ground that was not holy? You hold the doctrine of omnipresence. Does that imply that all ground is holy? If that were true, then what response would be appropriate? I don’t expect you to go barefoot everywhere. But you benefit by the awareness that I am with you always.  

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daily word - judge not

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Submitted by Dale Cresap on December 21, 2020 - 06:00

You are familiar with the concept of default states. Do you think the default state of humanity is judgmental or non-judgmental? It is deeply embedded in human thought process to categorize, and to explain by cause and effect. Both of these things favor a judgmental approach. Are you familiar with the Biblical commandments against judging? Have you found these hard to put into practice? You have to overcome habits to avoid reaching judgmental conclusions.

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daily word - learning or winning

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Submitted by Dale Cresap on December 20, 2020 - 06:00

Do you enjoy interaction with other people? Are you secure enough to hold serious discussions with those who hold other viewpoints? What is your objective in these encounters? Are you more interested in learning or winning? You can’t really have it both ways. Do you enjoy winning? Yet you have encountered others whose objective was winning and you did not enjoy this experience. You can learn from others without compromising your own beliefs. Are you willing to change your beliefs on the basis of learning new truth?

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daily word - critical?

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Submitted by Dale Cresap on December 19, 2020 - 06:00

How free do you feel to criticize other faiths and others who disagree with you? How do you go about it? Have you seen a decline in civil discourse in your culture? Have you contributed to it? So many feel free to mock openly anything or anyone that doesn’t belong to their tribe. By this they acquire a bad characteristic that does not serve them well in reaching those beyond their group. You have real and significant differences with other world views and beliefs. This is normal but does not excuse you from loving them.

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