Dale Cresap's blog

What types of communication do you find to be most effective? Do you find that those who tie their points to vivid and visible illustrations add impact to their message and make it easier to accept and to remember? Do you try to do this yourself? I certainly did. I said that the Kingdom of God (which is invisible and transcendent) was like lilies of the field, sowing seed, finding a lost coin, and putting a candle on a candlestick. I used whatever was handy to make my point. Yet when you present the gospel do you feel it is so important that it can only be told in abstract theological terms? I tell you it is so important that it can be told in simple terms. 

If church A takes seriously the Great Commission and conducts an evangelization campaign, and many people respond to the gospel message and become believers, and they all go on to attend church B, should church A consider their evangelization campaign to be a success? This depends on their purpose for preaching the gospel. Do not confuse your obedience to the eternal principles of my Kingdom with your program for church growth. Do not create a linkage between these things when I have not. I commissioned you to proclaim my message and promised that I would build my church. If you do your part I will do my part and I will commend you as a good and faithful servant. 

Do you engage in habitual practices of your faith? Hopefully your purpose in doing this was to encounter and engage with my presence. If this was your intention it was probably successful at first, but have you noticed that rituals can take on a life of their own whether they serve their original purpose or not? Ritual can be as much a way to hide from me as it is to find me. You know that habits can be good or bad, but the same activity that started as a good habit can become a bad one without you realizing it. Review the practices of your faith frequently and consider how to keep them fresh and new like my mercies every morning. 

I stated that I came to give you an abundant life. What do you think that involves? Many people think of it in terms of more stuff, but this is what the gentiles seek and I also said that the abundance of a man’s life does not consist of what he possesses. If you examine the lives of people you considered to have spiritual abundance do you find that they are wealthy? Then in what way do they have abundance? Do you see in them a great capacity for intense engagement and experience, not only for joy and ecstasy, but also for pain and sorrow?

Do you think of blood only when it is spilled? Life is in the blood, and your life continues because your blood circulates within you whether you give it any thought or not. Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin, but this has been taken care of for you so it doesn’t require the shedding of your own blood. I have called you to be a living sacrifice. You are mine whether you live or die, and neither death nor life shall separate you from my love. Until your appointed time to step into eternity comes think of yourself as a living sacrifice and your blood circulating to animate your service to me. 

Have you ever encountered a situation in which someone whose prayers are not answered is told that they didn’t have enough faith? Have you ever said this to someone yourself? Isn’t it bad enough that they aren’t getting the healing or other outcome they want without this added burden of condemnation? I chided my followers for having little faith and said that even a mustard seed worth of faith would enable you to cast a mountain into the sea. Do you conclude from this that prayer is a formula and enough effort in the way of faith will guarantee results? This is a misunderstanding of prayer and a way in which you should never judge others. 

My word teaches you to honor the Sabbath and keep it holy. This has created a debate about which day is the Sabbath for conducting worship services. I can resolve this question for you. Worship every day. The original purpose of the Sabbath was not for joining together for worship but for a day of rest. You can’t take every day off, but you can worship every day. I’m not as rigid and dogmatic as you may think. I’m prepared to grant you a great deal of latitude in scheduling your times of joining together with other believers for fellowship. Let each one be convinced in his own mind, and keep meditating on what it means to worship the Father in Spirit and Truth. 

Do you see the Christian world divided into two categories – those who earn their living in full time Christian service and everyone else? Do you see a sharp line of division between these categories, with no question about which one is superior? This distinction matters more to you than it does to me. I see all of my children as being my children all the time. Even the apostle Paul worked to provide his own support when it was appropriate. I don’t want to discourage you from giving generously to support my work, for the workman is worthy of his wages. I just don’t want you to use this as a distinction to divide my body. 

How much attention do you pay to the devil? You do have an adversary who seeks to devour you but if you resist him he will flee from you. He loves attention and you shouldn’t give him any more than you have to. Are you familiar with the creeds of the faith that are concise summaries of doctrine? Have you noticed that the devil isn’t mentioned in them? My word repeatedly tells you to be as little children and to be as innocent as doves. If you want victory over the devil don’t look to him, but look to me. I can fight him more effectively than you can, and I can keep you better than you can keep yourself. 

Have you ever used humor as a weapon? Do you make different jokes when you are angry than when you are not? Is humor a socially acceptable form of hostility? Humor can be harmless, and even used in a positive sense to diffuse tension, but it can also be used to harm. You know this because you have been on the receiving end of cruel jokes. If you would speak words of truth and life then consider how your words will be received, not only by those present, but by those who are absent as well, because word gets around. Don’t use humor as an excuse to speak words without grace and love.