Dale Cresap's blog

Do you recognize other people by the sound of their voice? Do you find it amazing that even though many people may speak the same recognizable words, each one adds their own unique character to the intonation, much like a verbal fingerprint? You can recognize particular voices even over remote means of communication. How do you recognize my voice? For all my sheep hear my voice, even if it is still and small. If you don’t recognize the tone of my voice perhaps you can recognize the content.

Do you make your first impression of people based on their outward appearance? What else do you have to go on? Yet when you get to know people well is their outward appearance eclipsed by your knowledge of their character? The Bible refers to knowing by the flesh in contrast to knowing by the spirit. Do you assume that knowing by the spirit is a rare event that is only available to a select few in special circumstances? That would be incorrect.

Do you consider yourself to be a dignified person? How is that working for you? Dignity is an honor you should extend to every person, for they are made in my image, and this is a regard for their inherent worth. What about claiming it for yourself? Has this ever been a burden for you? Has the desire for dignity ever hindered you from expressing the joy in your heart? Don’t die with your joy still inside you. This is too great a burden to bear. The conventions of your culture confuse dignity with lack of expression. This is a false conception that you cannot arbitrarily correct.

I was a stranger and you took me in. What does this mean? This is important since it is a deciding factor in entering the Kingdom of Heaven. Do you have to take in strangers as overnight houseguests? Some have entertained angels unawares in doing this, but perhaps the threshold is lower than this. Not all strangers require lodging. They do require a recognition of their essential humanity, that they too are made in my image whether they believe in me or not. I called on my servants to go to the highways and byways to seek far and wide to fill my wedding banquet with guests.

If you were to ask a wide variety of people about their least favorite aspect of their job, what would you expect? Would you be surprised to find the answer was paperwork? Who has a passion for filling out forms and writing reports? Have you noticed how little paperwork is involved in serving me? Churches have to keep financial records, but for the most part the things you do for the Kingdom of God don’t require you to fill out forms, relieving you of a tedious burden. Yet you can be sure that accurate records are being kept, even without effort on your part.

Do you make a distinction between natural and supernatural gifts from God? This is an artificial distinction and one that I do not make. For those who do it creates a two-tier hierarchy. Would you expect the ‘supernatural’ gifts to be more highly regarded among those who practice them? You don’t need yet another means to divide yourselves and confer honor and dishonor accordingly. When I walked among you what acts of service did I commend? I said that those who fed the hungry, visited those sick and in prison, and took in strangers were really doing it unto me.

What symbols do you associate with the Christian faith? The most obvious one is the cross, which is universally recognized by believer and unbeliever alike. Less commonly known, and more often by believers, is a simple fish outline. This goes back to the early church. Have you ever seen the Christian faith represented by a butterfly? You know enough about the life cycle of the butterfly to know that the metamorphosis it goes through is a complete transformation. It is reasonable to see this as a parallel to the transformation I offer the believer.

I ask you to give your body as a living sacrifice, and then I go on to draw a parallel and describe my followers collectively as one body, the Body of Christ. You are more than parts in a machine. Is there any part of your own body that you would cheerfully part with? No man hates his own flesh, but loves and cherishes it. You are highly motivated to keep your body intact. Are there those within the Body of Christ that you would be willing to part with? But I put them there for a reason, and they too have their purpose.

Do you understand the meaning of hope? When you want to go somewhere you hope that your car will start, but since you know it is reliable and have every reason to think that it will this may be better described as a reasonable expectation. Wishful thinking is a bias toward things you want to be true, but this is not a proper understanding of hope either. Hope is a spiritual concept and as such it is unexplainable. It touches the transcendent. It can be firm even without wishful thinking or reasonable expectations, in the face of adverse circumstances.

Do you like it when others are on your side? Who doesn’t like support? Is it possible for someone else to be more on your side than you are for yourself? How could this be? Yet it is true of me. Have you ever seen other people engage in self-destructive behavior? As much as this may astound you, have you ever engaged in self-destructive behavior yourself? How can you account for working against your own best interests? This is something I will never do on your behalf. For I have poured out my love and favor and blessing on you. I am on your side, more than you are for yourself.