Dale Cresap's blog

And Abraham believed God and it was accounted unto him as righteousness. And so began the strong Biblical theme of believing. What comes to mind for you on the subject of believing? Creation? Infallible scriptures, virgin birth, sinless life, crucifixion, death and resurrection of Christ? Do you judge people and assign them an eternal destiny based on their response to these few questions? The list of things that are considered essential to the Christian faith is rather short, but Abraham would have had no concept of them.

Do you think breaking the first commandment is a serious matter and a common occurrence today? What do you think of as the first commandment? You shall have no other gods before me? You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength? How about, you shall not eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil? I offered a choice to Adam and Eve, that they could live in relationship with me, or they could figure things out on their own.

I have chosen the poor to be rich in faith. Do you understand this? Have you observed this for yourself? Troubles come to all, but the rich have enough money to buy their way out of it, and they can proceed with their life as if nothing had happened. The poor know that they cannot be their own salvation and when troubles come they have no resources available to deal with them other than to trust in me. By this method the wealthy avoid opportunities for growth and development and the poor become rich in faith. Do you want to be rich enough to buy your way out of trouble?

What do you see as your basic identity? Does being a child of God seem too simple? Do you feel the need to embellish this with group identification, academic and other achievements, titles, offices, successes, skills, and honors? Be careful. Anything you attach your identity to you must defend at all costs, because you must regard an attack on it as an attack on the essence of your being. These are not false or bad things, but they are not the real you either. Don’t you find it tedious to be around those who are so insecure they must spend their time proving they are somebody?

Do you think narcissism is a serious and widespread problem today? Do you find it easy to identify in other people? This is basic selfishness that has gone by various names and has been a characteristic problem of humanity from the beginning. Do you know anyone who thinks it is a problem for them? By inference, would you know if it is a problem for you? My word gives the cure. Deny yourself, lay down your life, and pick up your cross and follow me. But there are more people who can readily identify narcissism in others than those who are eager to embrace the cure for themselves.

Do you expect to go to heaven when you die? Do you think that you went to heaven when you were born? Do you think of this as a fallen world and see only problems? This is a negative and inaccurate view. Consider the conditions that you inherited that are favorable to life. The magnitude of gravity is just right for you. The atmospheric pressure which depends on it is perfect as is the composition of air.

Have you heard that you can’t buy happiness? This has become such a mindless cliché that people do not ask the next obvious question. If you can’t buy happiness, then how do you get it? If the pursuit of happiness is a fundamental right then how can you obtain it? The first premise above implies that it lies outside the realm of commerce. I have a destiny for you that is as unique as your DNA. I don’t intend to keep it a secret from you but you won’t find it if you don’t look for it.

How well do you receive criticism? Do you find it easy to receive correction when it is given graciously in love? What about when it is not? What about criticism that is mean and harsh? Do you find it easy to dismiss correction that is not given in love? Yet it may be just as valid as criticism that is. It takes a greater measure of grace to receive mean criticism, but I call you to a level of maturity that the only thing that matters is whether you will benefit from it. Joseph told his brothers that what they meant for evil God meant for good.

Do you consider it important to be a peacemaker? I said that such people are my children. In what situations would you be able to make peace? How many people does it take to make a conflict? Some people are conflicted within themselves but there is an underlying reality to the proverb that it takes two to tangle. But not just any two. It takes two ungracious people to sustain a conflict. If one gracious person is involved they will go the extra mile and turn the other cheek to avoid sustaining a conflict.

Are you familiar with the concept of going through the motions? This implies that there can be the right movements without deliberate thought or heart engagement. You have heard this phrase. Have you ever done it? The rituals of your faith can be powerful tools to take you to places you could not go without them. They can also be dead and dry and devoid of life. At the end of the Old Testament I said that no one closes a door for no reason. If this tiny action is done for a purpose then how much more should you have a purpose to kindle a fire on my altar or anything else you do for me?