Dale Cresap's blog

Are you discouraged by the difficulties in your life? Do you see them as a reflection of your worth? There is an assumption according to human reasoning that bad things happen to bad people and good things happen to good people. Yet I promised to send the sun and the rain, both of which are blessings, upon the good and upon the evil, and my own people experience both abundance and affliction. Don’t be discouraged by the trials you face. In particular don’t see them as an indication of your worth. Your value is based on my love for you and that makes you precious regardless of the circumstances of your life. 

What do you expect out of life? The world is full of change and uncertainty, but you can count on my promises. So what have I promised you?  If you enjoy a life that is comfortable and stable you may think it is normal and take it for granted, but this is not something that I have promised. Attend carefully to what I said and what I did not say. I did promise to meet your basic needs here but I also said that you would have trials and tribulations. Most of my promises pertained to my eternal Kingdom. That does not mean that you have to wait for them, for Kingdom life is available to you now, but it still pertains to those things above, not the wealth and security of this world that the gentiles seek. 

Have you ever been cut off from communication with a friend? What do you do if your attempts to reach them go unanswered? The temptation is to wonder what you did to offend them and think of reasons why they no longer want to talk to you. These are arguments from silence and you can create elaborate negative scenarios that have no real basis. Don’t be quick to assume the relationship is broken. There may be a more innocent explanation. How do you handle the same situation with me?

A man asked me one question and I gave him two answers. He asked what the greatest commandment was and I told him to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. So far so good. Yet I went on to say that the second commandment was similar to it, to love your neighbor as yourself. Why did I add this second commandment? Because it is too easy to claim you are following the first one in the abstract. The real demonstration of how well you keep it is shown in the love you have for your neighbor whom I also love. As my word also says, how can you love God whom you have not seen if you cannot love your brother whom you can see? 

Do you have strong tastes and preferences? Nearly everyone does. Do not confuse these with your identity.  I also encourage you to hold them with a loose grip, and not to criticize the preferences of others. For those without spiritual understanding think that they are the sum total of their preferences, so if you criticize these they take it personally. Then they are offended and you lose the chance to declare my Kingdom to them. Everyone likes their own best, but you cannot prove that yours are better. Hold yours gently, and firmly embrace the identity that you have in me. 

Do you live in a country where you can vote? It is a privilege to exercise this civic duty, even if it is infrequent and you are not confident that your vote has much influence. Yet even if you live where you are unable to vote in a ballot box you can vote in the more profound ways that everyone can. You vote with your money every time you spend it, choosing some things to buy rather than others. You vote with your feet with every step you take, choosing where you will go and what you will do there. You vote with your words every time you speak, choosing what you affirm by what you say.

Have you heard the saying, ‘every man for himself’? In military terms this is the worst possible situation. It implies a complete collapse of unity, coherent and coordinated action, and command structure. It can be considered a disorganized surrender. Yet in the civilian world it is routinely accepted as a rule of life. There are military metaphors in my word and my church has been described as an army. Where do you think it is on the scale of command structure as opposed to every man for himself? Don’t be discouraged. I have things organized better than you may realize. I want to show you this so you can recognize it and act in obedience in unity. 

Can you look back and see that you have grown in the faith since you first believed? You have a greater understanding of the truth. How has this affected your ability to relate to others? Did you have no reason or basis to judge others when you were first saved? Do you now? Your growth and maturity should make you more able to show compassion, understanding, and acceptance rather than less. Being judgmental is the default condition of humanity, but it takes on a particularly bad taste when it is acquired and developed through religious practices. True growth in me will not lead you into this self-righteous trap.

I promised you an abundant life. What do you think this looks like? A life of wealth, fame, and drama? Do you consider your own life ordinary and mundane? Do you disdain your own life in the quest for something magnificent? I am present in the life you currently live. If you look for success by the measures of the world around you how will you find your true life in me? My Kingdom is within you. Look for me now and you will see I am already there, perfecting that which concerns you. Embrace your life that you may cooperate with my efforts and you will have a real eternal life rather than a false fantasy one.