Dale Cresap's blog

My word teaches you to pray without ceasing. Does this seem like too much to ask, for your focused attention to be on prayer all the time? Yet there is a way in which you are able to pray always. Are you thinking during all of your conscious hours? You have my promise that I am with you always, and you know this by faith. Let this knowledge register on your mind as a constant awareness of my presence with you. Then as you proceed with your normal daily thought life you will see a shift, that your thoughts are informed by the purposes of heaven, and become a form of prayer without ceasing. 

Have you ever received a gift that someone else received as a gift and gave it to you because they didn’t want it, or bought for themselves and reconsidered their desire for it? Did this seem to be a lower quality of gift than something thoughtfully obtained for you out of deliberate purpose? It really is the thought that counts more than the monetary value of the gift. I give you gifts as well. These are not discards or hand-me-downs, for I make all things new. Even your friends who love you and give gifts with the best of intentions only know you in a limited way, but I know you better than you know yourself. The gifts I give you are perfectly suited to your innermost being. 

Do you expect to have a stronger sense of my goodness to you when the circumstances of your life are pleasant and comfortable than when you are going through difficulties? Yet in your trials I send you reminders that I am present with you and am watching out for you. At these times you are more attentive to such prompts. Do you seek such reassurances when there are no conditions that provoke you to do so? You know by faith that I am good at all times. I want you to know this by experience as well. Then your faith will be steadfast and you will know my presence and peace whether your current situation is easy or difficult. 

Do you find that most of the teaching you receive as a believer serves to reassure you that you are right? This is easy to do. There is a human tendency to surround yourself with those like-minded who will reinforce your views. I told my disciples that I had other sheep who were not of this fold, but were still my sheep. They did not understand this and were not prepared to accept it, but my words were true and as a result you are following me. My words are still true. Do you understand that I still have sheep who are not of this fold, and are you prepared to accept them? Are you prepared to accept the ministry of truth from those who are outside your familiar and traditional circle of believers?

Do you find that more people are describing themselves as spiritual and fewer are explicitly confessing and following me and practicing a traditional Christian faith? You are a spiritual being because you are made in my image. This applies equally to believer and unbeliever. It is not something you decide to do or be. You cannot escape it, and it will influence your life even if you do not acknowledge it. You may respond affirmatively, leading to redemption, transformation, and godliness, or negatively, leading to your destruction. I want your eyes to be open to see the truth that you and all those around you are spiritual beings and that this is your primary identity.

Do you value your liberty over any of your possessions? It is my gift to you, and I tell you to stand fast in it. Men can take it from you by force, but it is more common to give it away voluntarily. I warned you against being entangled in the yoke of bondage. The nobility of liberty depends on how you exercise it. For many it is an open door to self-indulgence and sin. There is no honor in this. I value your liberty so highly that I will not close the door even if you walk the path of self-destruction. Yet I also place before you an open door that leads to life. I made an enormous sacrifice to open this door for you. Exercise your liberty to walk through it and keep walking with me.

Do you allow just enough time to travel from your location to your destination to arrive in time? This is the most efficient use of your time. Yet I may have opportunities for you along the way that you did not expect. Will you have enough time to respond to them? I told a story of a Samaritan who had an unexpected delay while he was traveling. He was commended for his kindness, but it cost him both time and money. This principle still applies even though the modes of transportation have changed. Much of my plan for you occurs in ways you did not anticipate while you are on the way. Don’t be in such a hurry that you can’t respond. 

Do you keep your valuables secured against theft and insure them against loss? What do you have that is most valuable? I taught my followers to lay up treasure in heaven where thieves could not break in and steal, and moth and rust could not corrupt. Do you realize that even now the things that are most valuable to you are inherent within you rather than material objects to be secured? Your education both formal and by experience is irreplaceable, but it can’t be taken from you. Even my material provisions for you cannot be compared to the things you have learned by walking with me and the resulting transformation. 

Different countries have different forms of government and different titles for the head of state. In many countries this is a prime minister. My realm is a kingdom of which I am king, but I am also the prime minister of heaven. A minister is one who serves the needs of others. Did I not instruct my disciples about offices and titles that he who would be great among you should be as one who serves, even as the Son of Man came not be served, but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many? So I am prime minister because I am first among the servants, but you can seek to follow me as second among the servants. 

Do you think of fear as something that is forced upon you by external circumstances? My word teaches against fear and says the fearful and unbelieving are outside my Kingdom. It implies that fear is a choice and a decision rather than a response to a stimulus. Everyone faces some uncertain circumstances, and some are fearful even when there is no threat, and others have peace when facing open hostility and adversity. Recognize that your fears originate within you. This puts you in a position to understand them and deal with them effectively. Do you think that strength and security will triumph over fear? I tell you that love casts out fear.