Dale Cresap's blog

Are you an evangelist? My Great Commission was given to all who follow me. Have you received instruction in evangelical work? Did it include listening? Most approaches to sharing my message have the believer do all the talking. Yet in the Biblical example of the woman at the well I listened to what she had to say, so there was a back and forth dialogue. You may not agree with someone’s perspective on eternal truth, but it won’t hurt you to listen to their story. Do you understand that you are asking them to be accept the transformation of the very foundation of their lives? Would you do that for someone who wouldn’t listen to you?

My word says that a man should examine himself before he takes communion. Do you view this as a grim review of sins? Don’t assume that this is the only appropriate thing to consider. You could think of my goodness and mercy and how often they are active in your life every day. You could think of the times when you were aware of my closeness as well as the times when you were not. You could marvel at the vastness of my creation and also my attention to the tiniest details. When you break bread with your friends don’t you want it to be a joyful celebration? I feel the same way.

Paul knew both how to be abased and how to abound. Do you? If everyone is in one condition or the other would it follow logically that everyone would know how to behave in their own circumstances even if they did not know how to act in unfamiliar circumstances? Yet many do not know how to do either. Having an improper understanding of true wealth will cause the poor to resent their condition and the wealthy to trust in uncertain riches and make an idol of them. Money is the focus in either case. If your focus is on me you can trust me with your needs and not lose sight of me when I meet them. Then you too can be abased and abound, judging all things.

What do fish know about water? You would expect them to be knowledgeable since they live immersed in it, but they have no other conditions to use as a comparison. Are you aware that you are immersed in my goodness, favor, and blessing? This is true of you and everyone else you meet. I make the sun to shine and the rain to fall on the just and the unjust alike. In me you live and move and have your being. This is your permanent and continuous condition so you have nothing else to compare it to, but not everyone is aware of this. Blessed are those who know I am with them always.

Do you expect answers for your questions? I have answers for everything. Then why do you still have questions? Are you used to the query/response method of getting answers, such as a student in school or a top official wanting information of a subordinate? I do not promise to reply as if I were a witness under cross-examination. Yet I will still answer your questions. I reserve the right to weave the answers into your life experiences. Do you see how this method is better? Acquiring information can leave you unchanged, but matters of eternal truth require your transformation to comprehend them. It can be helpful for you to ponder unanswered questions.

How great is your need for certainty? There is a sense of comfort associated with things that are fixed and unchanging but some things are inherently uncertain. Have you ever had your certainties shaken by your life experiences? This is distressing, but it is part of your growth process to release them. My word says that all things that can be shaken will be, so that only that which is unshakable will remain. You will find that you don’t need a lot of certainties if you have the right ones. Don’t be surprised if you find out that only I am unshakable, and that that is enough.

You read in the Bible of certain persons who have direct encounters with me and are awestruck and transformed. Do you assume that such encounters are available only to a select handful and that you are not on the short list? Does this mean that your relationship with me must be secondhand? I invite you to your own encounter with me. Don’t assume that it must involve a burning bush or angelic visitors or visions. Ask me for discernment and the sensitivity to see the transcendent in everyday life. The word ‘awesome’ has been diminished by overuse, but the principle is still valid and is available to you.

Do you hear my voice? Do you understand that not everything I say is verbal? You have heard that much of human communication is non-verbal, so it shouldn’t surprise you that I can communicate the same way. Have you ever felt a profound and inexpressible sense of peace unexpectedly? This is the peace that surpasses understanding, and it is imparted by my spirit to yours. Gratitude and love can work the same way. Eternal truth includes propositional truth but is not limited to it. I want you to look beyond your familiar and accustomed means of communication and consider what I would impart directly to your spirit.

Do you view evangelism with a sharp distinction between the unsaved and the saved with the intent of moving the former into the latter category? There is a broader way to view this activity. Can you see that I was active in your life before you got saved? And after? The same is true for others. Everyone is at a different stage of their spiritual journey. You can minister to everyone you meet by encouraging them to take the next step, whatever that is. Don’t assume that they know what it is. But I do. Ask of me and I will give you discernment that you may know how to minister to everyone you meet.

Do you find it reassuring to know that when you come to me in prayer, that I already know what is on your mind? When you come to me do you know in advance what is on my mind? Then should your prayer consist more of speaking or listening? I am as eager to hear what you have to say as you are to say it. Are you as eager to hear from me as I am to tell you what I want to? Do you think that prayer consists of constant speaking on your part? Ask of me and I will teach you how to pray just as I taught my disciples to pray. Do you know that you can pray very much without saying very much?