Dale Cresap's blog

Have you read in my word that the Kingdom of God is within you? Read this carefully. Note that it says within you, not about you. You hear people described as being full of themselves or all about them and it is not a compliment, or a Kingdom value. Narcissism has become a common term although the concept is enduring. John the Baptist understood that he must decrease that I may increase. Do you? Do you see your spiritual life being about acquisition, as the other aspects of your life are? I want you to understand that your spiritual life is more about releasing and letting go, that you may be a vessel full of the Kingdom of God and my presence.

Do you believe that revelation is still an ongoing process? What do you think that revelation involves? If you think it means new doctrines then you are correct in being wary of it. But it doesn’t have to mean that. Do you know that I love you as a matter of doctrine that has been handed down to you through the Bible and church instruction? Do you see it as matter of revelation if this becomes a directly experienced encounter for you? I do. This is not a new doctrine but a manifestation of one already established. Is this a revelation that you have received?

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness. Are you fully committed to your faith tradition? Do you find that everyone else feels the same way? Yet if you are convinced that you are right then you think it is normal for others to abandon their familiar practices and beliefs and convert to yours. Perhaps they feel the same about you. Yet you have seen this happen. Do you realize what intense hunger it takes for something you want to be able to let go of everything you have always known? But the blessing for those who hunger and thirst after righteousness is available to all. How hungry are you?

Do you divide the world into good guys and bad guys? This simplistic notion is readily apparent in the movies. In some films these two categories are readily identifiable, and the whole point of the story is to kill off the bad guys. Real life is not so simple, but you do see the same dynamic in place with one nation against another, one political party against another, and one church against another. Even if the point is not to kill the bad guys they must still be defeated. The dynamics of my Kingdom are different. Can you recognize that you once were a ‘bad guy’ and are now redeemed? Don’t boast about that, but see that the point of the story is the redemption of all.

Do you have any regrets? These are usually expressed as wishes, as in; I wish I had done this instead of that. You know you cannot go back and make those choices over again. You know people who claim they have no regrets, and this sounds like an admirable and desirable thing, but this implies that they never made any mistakes, so it is an expression of denial and unreality. It is OK to have regrets and you can bring them to me. In the economy of the Kingdom of God I can restore the years that were lost, and take those things that were meant for evil and turn them into good. Rather than denying your regrets or expressing them as wishes see how I can redeem them.

Some radios are fixed on a single frequency while others can be tuned. Still others are called scanners and cycle between different frequencies looking for a signal. You are familiar with this and know that you must be tuned to a station to hear it broadcast. Do you think of hearing my voice in the same way as listening to a radio? One important difference is that a radio station will normally only transmit on a single frequency while I do not face this limitation. Have you become familiar with hearing my voice on one ‘station’? Do you think that I am silent if you do not hear from me there? Become a scanner so you can still hear me if I am speaking on a different frequency.

What comes to mind when you think of doing the will of God? Do you think of a list of rules to follow? Do you think of a static and rigid burden to carry? This is a common misperception for those who look at this question from outside. My will for you is not written in an old book. It is flexible and dynamic. It is alive, just as you are. Don’t think of following me as finding your way through a maze with hard walls. It would be more accurate to think of it as a dance, which follows a path, but it is a path that is created as you go. Don’t be dismayed if you miss a step. Keep moving, and the dance will continue, even if on a different path.

I said let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify me. In my time a light was an oil lamp. I told another story about wise and foolish virgins with and without oil for their lamps. I also spoke of branches that only bear fruit because they abide in the vine. The modern version of a light that you are familiar with is a light bulb. You know that this type of light only shines while it is plugged in. The common thread here is  that the visible effect depends on connection to an exterior power source. Do you see from this the need for continual connection to me? Stay plugged in, and let your light shine.

Are you susceptible to flattery? Have you ever used it yourself? Honest compliments are given without the expectation of favor, but one who flatters wants something in return for the false compliments. Can people manipulate you with ‘sweet talk’ or ‘buttering you up’? The fear of people works both ways, and both of them are bad. If you are dependent on people’s approval, or fear their displeasure, you are under their control. I said that no man can serve two masters, and this doesn’t just apply to mammon. If you would serve me alone ask of me to make you immune to flattery.

Most people you encounter are awake. Would you say that everyone who is awake is aware? Your awareness can be distracted, clouded or darkened, hence the expression, the lights are on but no one is home. Two people standing side by side can view the same scene and not see the same thing. I made frequent references to those who had eyes to see, and ears to hear. In this case I was not talking about healing the blind and deaf as normally understood. So having your senses intact does not guarantee discernment. I want you to understand the reality of spiritual vision and practice it, that you may be aware to the extent that you are awake.