Dale Cresap's blog

Are you familiar with the passage that says, to him who has more shall be given, and to him who has not even that little he has shall be taken away? Does this seem unfair to you? Does it seem like a spiritual version of the rich get richer and the poor get poorer? Are you also familiar with the phrase, use it or lose it? This is a better explanation of my teaching and you have seen it in effect in your own life. Do the skills you practice improve? Do those you neglect atrophy? This does not add or detract from anyone but you. So the meaning is fair and obvious.

Do you see the spiritual nature of music? Music has been a part of spiritual worship from the beginning, even before the church. Music is also a large part of the secular entertainment business and you have heard criticism of music in church being a form of entertainment. You know it should be more than this, but a purely intellectual and rational age doesn’t know what to do with music or have a basis for comprehending meaning beyond the lyrics. But you who are spiritual should comprehend the meaning of melody.

Do you have a broken spirit and a contrite heart? If this phrase is familiar to you from the Bible you know that it is the sacrifice acceptable to me. Do you know anyone that you would describe this way? Do you find these qualities attractive in others? Do they see them in you? How do you go about acquiring these qualities? Is there a simple progression of steps or a program of instruction that will accomplish it?  Can you imagine that such an outcome is possible without suffering? Is this something that you want badly enough to count the cost and consent to the process and pay it?

Have you ever heard of an arrangement operated ‘on your honor’? For many things legal documents are involved and for others there are visible accountability systems. The concept of being on your honor dispenses with these controls on the premise that the character of those involved is sufficient to assure compliance. Have you heard it said that your true character is revealed in what you do when no one is watching? This is the same concept applied to agreements between people. What do you trust others to do on their honor? What will you do on yours?

Do you think that the advertising industry is only promoting products, or do their messages attempt to influence your values, lifestyle, and worldview? I spoke a lot about money, for where a man’s treasure is, there will his heart be also. So there is a connection between material things and spiritual things. Will an appeal to pursue material things be successful if it isn’t attached to a values and worldview connection that opens the door? I’m not opposed to you making purchases, but are you aware of the linkage between commercial appeals and the value systems that they represent?

Do you hear skeptics say that everything should be based on evidence? Do you feel that premise puts you as a disadvantage as a believer? Have you heard of court cases that pivot on the question of admissible evidence? In these cases the question is no longer about what really happened, but what one side or the other insists on rejecting from the proceedings. In this case is truth being sacrificed for process? What can you afford to exclude in your search for transcendent truth with eternal consequences?

What is your central identity marker? Most people have strong commitments for both faith and politics. In some circles these topics are avoided because they can be polarizing and divisive. Which of the two occupies the top position for you? Does your faith change to accommodate your politics, or do your politics change to accommodate your faith? If you are open to growth and change then it is reasonable to expect transitions and you should know the order of your priorities so you know what direction the changes will flow.

Are you immune to the effects of advertising? Does your faith give you a solid foundation that prevents you from being swayed by messages designed for that purpose? The advertising industry is betting over a hundred billion dollars a year that you are wrong. The Bible speaks of those who are carried about by every wind of doctrine. A modern addition might include cultural trends and fads. Perhaps you are too close to the situation to judge accurately and it would take an outsider to see it clearly.

Can you read? This demanding skill is the first thing you learn in school because it opens the door for the acquisition of knowledge. Once you can read all recorded history, literature, and other written information is available to you. Are you easily threatened and heavily defended? This has the opposite effect of knowing how to read. It keeps you from being open to anything you don’t already know. If you can get over being easily threatened and heavily defended it will open doors for you in much the same manner as learning to read. There are things you don’t already know. Go find them.

Who is the gatekeeper of heaven? Do you know the way? Is it like filling out an application for a job or admission to a school? Is it like buying a ticket for a long journey? You know the way and have applied for admission. You know that your application has been accepted. Does this place you in a position to rule on the applications of other people? If they want to apply on the basis of kindness to the least of these am I able to process their application accordingly? Will you object if I rule in their favor? What would be your standing to object?