Dale Cresap's blog

A promise from back in the Old Testament is that I have a plan for you and that my thoughts toward you are full of peace and not evil, to give you a future and a hope. Do you find comfort in this? Do you know what your future is? It is an act of faith to believe this future exists even if you don’t know what it is. What conclusions can you draw from the trajectory of your life to date? Are you in control of the direction of your life? Have you already seen it unfold in directions that you didn’t anticipate, that were beneficial for you? I still have a future and a hope for you.

Is the subject of money ever mentioned in your church? Is it ever mentioned in a context other than encouraging donations? It is appropriate to talk about money in church, because I had a lot to say about money, but did I ever ask for donations? I said that wherever someone’s treasure was there would be their heart also. So your whole approach to money, which is visible and concrete and real, is a reliable indicator of your innermost values.

Are you a perfectionist? This term is not normally intended as a compliment, but I told you to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect. So it sounds like being a perfectionist is the only acceptable goal. But it is not that simple. I criticized the Pharisees for the way the split hairs over the finest points of the law, but ignored the more important issues of compassion, justice, and generosity. So even within the context of perfection there are priorities and ranked values. Do you think that I have unfairly placed an impossible burden upon you?

What is your view of prayer? Do you see it as communication with me? Do you fill the entire time with your requests and expressions of gratitude? I do not reject this, but would it be better to treat prayer as a two-way exchange, much in the same way you dialogue with your friends? Remember that I am your friend. If you offer me the chance to speak, what do you expect to hear? Do you want answers to your questions? Do you think the exercise is a failure if you only encounter silence?

When you think of authority, do you think of a hierarchy? These are structures of power and dominance, and they exist in nations and armies and navies and economies. The structure is visible and there are titles and ranks and everyone knows where they belong in the power structure. There are also spiritual hierarchies in the government of churches and there was a strong one in effect during my time on earth but I didn’t belong to it. I was outside of the power structure yet my authority was inherent and given by my Father. Do you have a title and an office?

Nicodemus came to me by night and I told him that he must be born again to enter the Kingdom of God. He didn’t understand, marveling at the impossibility of the literal meaning, but this phrase has been adopted by believers universally. Yet it is still a cryptic phrase although it is full of meaning. What does it mean to you? Do you equate it with a confession of belief in me; of key doctrinal elements of the Christian faith? This is widely accepted, but in the story of the encounter no definition is given other than being born of the spirit.

Do you think that faith is mass produced? Mass production is a key to economic prosperity. But can it be applied to faith? Gospel crusades are an effort to make this work, and I spoke to large audiences in my own ministry. But I also told a story of one lost sheep that the shepherd searched for with 99 in the fold, and one lost coin out of 10 that was searched for. Does the task of evangelism seem daunting with multitudes lost in the valley of decision? Don’t let the magnitude of the task overwhelm you or be overcome by questions of scale.

Do you ever get more of me than you bargained for? Have you approached me with limited expectations and found that I had more in mind? Job did. He complained of his treatment and demanded that I show up so he could plead his case directly. I did show up but Job never got the chance to ask his questions, since I had some questions for him. Halfway through my questions Job is ready to tap out but I’m not finished with him. When this encounter is over Job is transformed and doesn’t cling to his questions anymore. Do you have questions for me? Are you prepared to go through this process?

Are you familiar with the passages that promise that you can have anything that you ask for in prayer? These passages are well-known and popular. Have you put this into practice? How has that worked out for you? This is a situation that requires some thought. Do you understand it to mean that I am available for you to command, to carry out your wishes? Can everyone else do the same thing? Do you see what confusion would come about from this? It is important for you to be clear about which one of us is God. Yet within this context the promise is true.

Are you generous? Do you support your church financially? Churches have real financial needs, and most provide strong encouragement, expectations, or requirements for financial support event down to the percentage of your income. If you support your church financially, do you see that as satisfying your duty to be generous? Does your church giving make you more or less generous to other worthy causes or those in need, or in giving tips to those who serve you? If you have internalized generosity as a value then you can be generous both to your church and to others in need.