Dale Cresap's blog

Are you familiar with the concept of fate? You believe in my sovereignty. Can you explain why Christianity is not a fatalistic faith? Fatalism does not refer to a loving God, but to some unknowable and impersonal universal force. It supports a view of people as passive objects drifting haplessly through time.  In the end it is a doctrine of hopelessness and despair. It may remain a mystery to you how my sovereignty and your free will interact, but my word to you is a call to respond and act. 

My word refers to vessels, such as vessels of honor or dishonor. This term has fallen out of common use, but you think of it as a container and this is a good analogy. It could also be regarded as a conduit or hose, such as a garden hose. Have you ever used a garden hose to water plants? Do you see yourself in the same way? I spoke of living water flowing out of you. Do you understand yourself as a vessel not as a static, autonomous container of living water but as a channel of flow? It is good to understand this as symbolic of Christian doctrine. It is even better to walk in a conscious awareness that living water flows from you wherever you go. 

In the academic world, including science and law, claims are validated by evidence, so books written from this perspective are full of footnotes and references. My audiences marveled at my teachings, as one having authority, and not as the scribes. Yet when I was asked by whose authority I did my works, I declined to give an answer. Have you read a book that made strong claims with no references, yet it spoke to you and was validated by your life experiences? Revelation is a source of truth that does not conform to academic principles. When you encounter it do not reject it for a lack of footnotes and references. 

What word do you normally associate with midlife? Isn’t ‘crisis’ the term that usually follows, and this is the only thing commonly associated with this stage of life? This is a negative view of a growth opportunity. Most of the parameters and conditions of your life were given to you up to this point, and early stage life is characterized by conformity to expectations. If these are not expressions of your own unique identity they will fail. You can view this as a crisis, or you can see it as an opportunity to become who you really are, and live a life consistent with your own true destiny. Walk through this with me and it will be a life-giving transition. 

Do you like to have fun all the time? Do you feel guilt, shame, and regret for your sins? These responses are typical of new believers. Mature believers move on to experience godly sorrow. Guilt, shame, and regret are static and unhelpful. They look to the past with condemnation and paralysis. Godly sorrow is a way to view things in your past that were hindrances. You can’t change events that have taken place, but they don’t have to give you a burden of condemnation. Godly sorrow allows you to acknowledge your past from a perspective of redemption and look to the future with hope. Not everything is fun, but even things that are not fun can be useful. 

When you make a phone call, would you rather talk to a real person or listen to a recorded message? Yet have you ever talked to a real person, even face to face, and felt as if you were listening to a recorded message? Has anyone ever had the same experience with you? It is easy and intellectually lazy to revert back to previous thoughts for familiar questions, and replay them. And so you can in effect have two recorded message machines talking to each other. It is more demanding but also more satisfying to be present in the moment, really listen before you speak, look at things anew, and be willing to go on a path you have not walked before. 

Do you seek out conditions favorable for your spiritual life? Blessed are those who can find the free time, fellowship and solitude to pursue their spiritual development. Yet have you ever found yourself in a hostile environment that disrupted your peace and made it difficult to maintain your awareness of me? You may prefer the former and flee from the latter, but this too is a part of your spiritual growth. For I promised to be with you always, not only when it is easy and you are aware of me, but even when conditions make it difficult to maintain your awareness of me. Blessed are those who know that I am with them even in the valley of the shadow of death. 

Are you familiar with the idea of small talk? Conversation can be held at a very superficial level and this is typical and considered polite when meeting strangers or casual contacts with people met in passing. Yet your heart hungers for something deeper than this and you find it unsatisfying to engage in for long periods of time. Your words reflect the substance of your life. It is no more difficult to speak words of eternal truth than idle chatter. It does require a deeper level of involvement but it also gives greater satisfaction. They that feared the Lord spoke often one to another and the Lord hearkened and heard it and wrote a book of remembrance for those who feared him and thought upon his name. You can speak words worthy to be recorded in this book. 

Have you ever met anyone with control issues? Have you ever had any yourself? When you were first saved did you pray the prayer of every new believer turning your life over to me? I took you seriously. Who wouldn’t want to be in control of their own life? Yet these two principles are in conflict. It is not in man that walks to direct his own steps. How many people do you know with control issues who are effective in directing their own lives, let alone the lives of others? It is better to be led by the Spirit than to find your own way. There is humility in recognizing that your life is influenced by things greater than yourself. If you realize that this greater power is loving and benevolent there is great comfort too. 

If there is a universal symbol of the Christian faith it is the cross. You see it on gravestones, churches, and jewelry, and printed on everything Christian. Does such universal usage rob it of its original meaning? Would a hangman’s noose be as acceptable in the same settings? Yet the cross represented a far more cruel death. The cross is indeed the symbol of the Christian faith. It represents a cruel death but you can see this as the degree of sacrifice I was willing to make for you. It also represents triumph over death and ultimate victory. Don’t let the prevalence and common use of the cross rob it of the real impact it represents.