Dale Cresap's blog

Do you care about the purity of the food you eat? Are you as diligent about the purity of the things you say? For you use the same mouth for both purposes. My word says that the same fountain does not bring forth both fresh and bitter water. This was said in reference to a mouth that brings forth both blessing and cursing. In reference to dietary laws I said that it is not what goes into a man that defiles him, for that passes through him, but it is what comes out of his mouth that defiles him. You can consider this principle in a positive light.

Have you ever made a declaration about something you would never do? Did you think of this as an oath or a vow? These things can be made inwardly even if they are not spoken aloud. Do you have confidence in your perfect control of your future actions? Peter swore that he would never deny me, and shortly thereafter denied me with an oath repeatedly. It is better not to make an oath or vow, as I taught my followers, swear not at all. This frees you from making promises that you can’t keep, and opens the door to a broader future lived in the awareness of continual dependence on me.

So much of my teaching on earth referred to awareness. It was after I spoke to the people rather than before that I said let he who has ears to hear, let him hear. Wouldn’t you expect me to say this before my message? But you can hear things and not really hear them. The same concept applies to vision and I declared some to be blind who could see the light of day (but not the light of the Son). Have you ever had the experience of not being able to see what is right in front of you? You are immersed in an invisible spiritual realm.

My word tells you to rejoice evermore. So is it a sin to be sad? This verse was not written to condemn you and there are experiences in life for which being sad is a reasonable response. Emotions are an inherent part of life and your ability to experience them is a gift from me. Your emotions are a reminder that you are alive. Some cultures and faith traditions discourage the display of emotions, but they are mistaken. Consider my own life, how I rejoiced openly, got angry, and even wept as appropriate for the occasion.

How do you regard the Bible passages about the Pharisees? Are you glad that you are not like them in the same way that the Pharisee was glad that he was not like the humble sinner in prayer? You may not have applied to become a Pharisee. This was a short-lived sect and there are no longer any called by that name. Yet they were the dominant religious force in their generation as you are in yours. Those in the same positions are prone to the same faults and errors. On this basis, is there anything in my remarks to the Pharisees that could serve as a cautionary note for you?

Do you like to have the last word? Everyone else feels the same way. This leads to arguments that go on without end, until one party realizes that the cost of continuing the debate is greater than the value of winning. I have called you to follow me. Can you see the example I set on this issue? I answered some of the accusations against me, ignored others, and in the ultimate challenge I refused to speak in my own defense. Even if you are prepared to speak words of eternal truth and wisdom there is no advantage to declaring them to those who will not hear them.

Do you like direct answers to direct questions? Do you prefer them to be quick, clear, and concise? Then you would not like the way that I taught. For I gave answers in abundance, but they were indirect, being embedded in stories called parables. The scriptures report that this was the method I used to teach the people. My own disciples struggled with this and frequently asked me to explain the parables to them. I still use this method to teach. Are you attentive to and aware enough of the stories in your own life to see the embedded answers in them? He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

Do you like my promise that with every temptation you face that I will also provide a means of escape, that you may be able to endure it? Would you like it better if it referred only to escaping and not enduring? Does it seem like a contradiction to you the way it is written? It is if you look only at the temporal, material world, but this passage points to something beyond that. For I always offer you refuge in a transcendent place. I said that my Kingdom is not of this world, and comes not with observation, but it is within you. It is as close as shifting your awareness, and you can go there any time you like.