Dale Cresap's blog

You have my promise that nothing shall separate you from my love. Yet you can be bound and in prison, afflicted, or taken places in custody against your will. You can be put to death for my sake. You read accounts in my word of these things happening to my servants. The same principle can apply at less severe levels for those who are poor or living in unpleasant situations. How can my promise apply in these cases? I promised that my Kingdom was within you, and that I would be with you always. You have inside yourself a spiritual refuge. You have a safe place here where you can go when the external world attacks you, or even when it doesn’t. 

You know that I am the source of living water. I also said that he who believes in me would have living water issue from him. You refer to flowing water as a stream, and this is the metaphor I give for the ministry you do. It has many parallels in the natural world. What do you notice about streams on a map? They start out as many, and end up as one. For streams run until they converge with another stream. This is as an illustration of unity. As you practice the flow that I have given you, notice that I connect you in relationship with other streams. I want you to see how your streams work together, reinforcing one another for a common purpose.

Come to me all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Come all who are hungry and thirsty and I will give you living bread and water. Come all who are rejected by others that you may find acceptance in me. Come to me those who are wounded with invisible wounds and I will provide healing and comfort for injuries unseen. Come those who are needy and unable to buy their way out of trouble and I will provide everything for you. Come those who are dirty and I will wash you whiter than snow. Come to me all those who are poor in spirit for my Kingdom is yours. 

Have you ever suffered as the victim of injustice? If you have suffered wrong through no fault of your own then you may be tempted to fight back or complain bitterly about such treatment. This is the perspective of the immediate and temporal visible realm. Yet there is another possible perspective that is cosmic and eternal. Suffering makes more sense in this realm because it can be separated from human justice and deserved consequences. Here you can look for higher purpose and find yourself in company with me and those faithful witnesses who were hated without a cause. Blessed are those who suffer according to the will of God. 

Do you see my presence in mighty acts of power? It doesn’t take much faith to see that. Do you see my presence in the poor? This may not be as obvious to you, but I am present in them if you will look. For I have chosen the poor to be rich in faith, and the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to the poor in spirit. When you minister to them you are ministering unto me, and you do not have this promise for ministering to the wealthy. I am with you always, but are you always aware of me? You will be blessed and grow in grace and understanding if you learn to see my presence in the poor as much as in mighty miracles. 

When you pray do you do so aloud or silently? I am aware of all things, so I hear your prayers whether you speak them aloud or not. Yet even if you do not pray aloud for my sake, you may do so for your own. I understand that you are often surrounded by other people and unable to pray aloud, and in these times you can practice silent communion with me. Yet if you are able to speak your prayers it increases your involvement in them and helps you to remain intentional and focused. Spoken words give substance to longing and desire. Strengthen your own awareness of my presence by speaking as if I am with you, because I am. 

When someone narrowly averts a disastrous accident, or even if they are involved in one, what do they say of themselves or other people say about them? That they are lucky to be alive. This may serve as a wake-up call to review their values and order their lives toward things that really matter. Yet shouldn’t everyone think that they are lucky to be alive, even without a near miss or real disaster? Why wait for some calamity to search and try your ways and turn again to me, and do those things that affirm life? You will benefit from doing this routinely and often. Blessed are those who know they are lucky to be alive and walk in the awareness of it. 

Do you find yourself making the same mistakes over and over again? Does this make you angry with yourself and frustrated? You know you can’t blame this on others or on a lack of experience and it is easy to become discouraged with what appears to be a permanent flaw. Don’t be so hard on yourself. You know that I came and carried out my mission of redemption for the forgiveness of your sins. Did you think this was only for mistakes you made in ignorance or momentary lapses? If your understanding of the magnitude of sin is too small then so will be your understanding of the magnitude of redemption. How many times have I declared that my mercy endures forever? Come to me and let us reason together. 

You may not have been attacked physically, but who has not been attacked verbally? How do you respond in such a situation? Who can resist defending themselves? Yet in a defensive posture you resist your opponent’s attacks out of reflex without being open to correction and growth. Have you ever had a friend confront you in love? Can you tell the difference? Your friend loves you and wants to help you in areas where you can’t help yourself. In this case you should be open to receive their correction and the benefits it provides. Those who really love you will offer this and their rebukes are faithful. 

The good shepherd left the 99 sheep safely in the fold to seek and save the one lost sheep. Are you willing to present my message of redemption to 100 that one may be saved? I warned my followers that not everyone would receive them or me, and when this happened to move on. The same principle applies to you. Sow seed extravagantly and be prepared to face the ridicule of the 99 who reject your message. You have no control over the way your audience responds to the good news of the Kingdom and do not know in advance who will. Understand that the value of the one who responds is worth this sacrifice.