Dale Cresap's blog

Have you ever been in a conflict between the leading of the Spirit and Biblical doctrine? Peter had a vision of unclean animals and the Spirit told him to kill and eat. He refused based on his understanding of scripture and tradition. He was told not to consider unclean things that I declared to be clean. After the vision he had the opportunity to minister the gospel to those outside his comfort zone. He responded as I intended and then understood the vision. You are called to walk in the Spirit and be led by the Spirit. Do you trust me enough to follow me even when it conflicts with your understanding of scripture? 

How do you define the essentials of your faith? Are they positive or negative? A surprising number of people are surer of what they are opposed to and what they are not than who they are and what they are for. Believers are in a position to make an affirmative case for their identity and what they stand for. How tragic it is when they define themselves by who they reject and what practices they oppose. Evil is real as is the distinction between darkness and light. Yet you can give artificial support to darkness by defining yourself in contrast to it. You are children of light and of the day. Seek and affirm my Kingdom and let your light shine. 

Do you consider my word to be inspired? Has it occurred to you that none of the authors knew what they were doing? This is not to say that they were incompetent, but they didn’t sit down with the purpose of writing scripture. They wrote their thoughts and accounts of events. It wasn’t until later that it was entered into scripture. Yet the inspiration was there from the beginning. Does your life and even ministry seem mundane to you? Don’t expect your writings to be included in scripture, but I am still able to work according to the same principle. Be faithful with what I give you to do and I will fill it with divine life. 

You have my promise that wherever two or three are gathered in my name that I am present in the midst of them. You also have my promise that I am with you always, and this applies even when you are alone. The promise about two or three is very specific. Have you not experienced this yourself? Do you assume that the passage implies the same effect for an unlimited number of people? That is not stated. Have you ever found your awareness of my presence diminished in a large crowd, even one assembled in my name? Maintain your focus on me, even in a crowd, and your presence will bring my presence. 

Do you have an innate sense of beauty and appreciate the beauty you see around you? Do you think of me as being beautiful or do you only use this term for things you can see? Perhaps you think it is a shallow and superficial concept, as so much of attractiveness is in your culture. Yet my word describes me as beautiful and the Psalmist said the only thing he desired was to inquire in my temple and behold my beauty. If you have spiritual vision and discernment you will see me as more beautiful than anything around you and rejoice to adore me. 

Do you have an innate sense of beauty and appreciate the beauty you see around you? Do you think of me as being beautiful or do you only use this term for things you can see? Perhaps you think it is a shallow and superficial concept, as so much of attractiveness is in your culture. Yet my word describes me as beautiful and the Psalmist said the only thing he desired was to inquire in my temple and behold my beauty. If you have spiritual vision and discernment you will see me as more beautiful than anything around you and rejoice to adore me. 

Do you take the Bible literally? Many people spiritualize scriptural accounts or assign them to myth and legend rather than applying them to themselves. In so doing they explain away the power of my word. Yet nearly all of my teaching was in parables about wheat and tares, lost coins, valuable pearls, and many other illustrations. By taking the Bible literally you can avoid dealing with the truth of it by saying that none of these apply directly to you. Yet these figurative lessons contain the truth of my Kingdom. Start by taking my word seriously and conform to what it would speak to you whether literal or figurative. Blessed is he who trembles at my word. 

What are you afraid of? You may say that you are afraid of nothing, but fear can be a factor in your life without you being aware of it, even as I confronted the Pharisees who were blind without being aware of it. My word says that he who fears is not made perfect in love. You may think that love and hate are opposites but if you accept the incompatibility and exclusivity of love and fear then you can examine yourself for any deficiencies in your expression of love and see if they may be traced to residual fear. Do not be afraid to make this search or of what you may find. Come to me for perfect love casts out fear. 

You have received my love and entered into life. You are in turn called to extend love to others. This means you should be accepting and not judgmental. This is easier if the people you encounter are accepting and non-judgmental toward you, but my commandment applies even if they are narrow, intolerant, and judgmental of you. My word says that everyone loves their friends, but you are called to the higher standard of loving your enemies. This raises you above the level of being reactionary to the place where love is a characteristic. This only occurs through my transforming power.

Do you rejoice that you are under grace rather than under the law? You should, but you should not think that this leaves you free to do anything you want. Consider the contrasts I presented in the Sermon on the Mount. I presented the law as it was written, but went on to present my own standards which were higher and more demanding in every case. I said that unless your righteousness exceeded that of the scribes and Pharisees you would not enter the Kingdom of Heaven. People will do more for love than they will for imposed requirements. Have you ever felt my love constrain you? Yet at the same time it enables you to do more than you could by yourself, and so fulfill the perfect law of love and liberty.