Dale Cresap's blog

Daily Journaling Devotionals

Heavenly Gems in Daily Bites: CWG Ministries Life-Engaging Blogs

Dale Cresap is a Certified CWG Facilitator posting daily devotional blogs of two-way journaling. (What is two-way journaling?) Enjoy and be encouraged!

secure worth

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Where do you get your sense of worth? I told you not to lay up treasure on earth where it is subject to theft and corruption, but to lay up treasure in heaven where it was really secure. Do you think this applies only to accumulated wealth? What about your own sense of worth? You can derive it from your possessions or achievements or the regard that others have for you, but these are an insecure basis for viewing yourself, and can change with your circumstances. If your sense of worth is based on my love and acceptance of you then it is treasure in heaven that is secure against any loss. 

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My Fingerprints

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My word teaches that he who is spiritual judges, or discerns, all things. That is because all things are spiritual. Not all things are divine, for there is one God and you are to worship the Creator rather than the creature. Do you accept the premise that I made all things, and man in my image? Is this obvious or do you just accept it as doctrine by faith? I want you to see it as well as believe it. Peter knew that I was the Christ and I said that he was blessed because flesh and blood did not reveal this to him. I want you to be able to see my fingerprints with your naked eye. If you can do this you will never be bored. 

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enough money?

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Do you think the work of the gospel would benefit from more money, or is hindered by a lack of resources? Do you find any account in scripture of me taking up an offering? My word is silent on this matter except to suggest that Judas was the treasurer for our group. My disciples and I had to eat like everyone else. I spoke about laying up treasure in heaven rather than on earth, and similar statements about money, but money was not a factor in my ministry. It is the task of every believer to trust me for daily bread, and this includes those laboring in the harvest. I will not let the work I have called you to fail for lack of resources, and I love cheerful givers. 

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sense of purpose

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Have you heard of television preached against as a waste of time for Christians? Much of the programming available is of little value, but unless you reject television as an intrinsic evil, you need to exercise judgment about what to watch. Do you have a strong sense of focus, purpose and discipline in your life? Have you noticed that people who do don’t have to be told not to engage in low value activities because they are so focused on their own calling? In this way lesser activities are displaced by greater ones. If you don’t have a sense of mission in life, does it matter how you spend your spare time? 

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picky eater?

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Are you a picky eater? You are blessed if you have available to you a wide variety of food that is fresh and free of pathogens. Even so not everyone eats as wisely as they could. Some faith traditions have strict dietary laws, as my own did. But I made the point that it is not what goes into a man’s mouth that defiles him, but what proceeds from his mouth. For your food passes through you and is eliminated but your words originate from your mind or your heart and indicate the condition of it.  Are you as concerned about what you put in your mind as what you put in your mouth?

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true judgment

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Do you think that justice is, or should be, entirely dispassionate and objective? Do you find that it is easier to pronounce judgment on some unknown stranger for a given set of facts than it is for a friend, even if the same conditions apply? Does firsthand knowledge of the people involved make it easier to render righteous judgment, or harder? Is it easier to have mercy on people you know? Do you think that I am able to render righteous judgment? No one is a stranger to me. I know them all. You have seen how I have lavished mercy upon you. Don’t be surprised at the mercy I offer to others. This is my version of righteous judgment. 

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good judgment

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Do you believe that my judgments are righteous and true? Are you still convinced of this when they are applied to you? Do not mistake my judgments for my wrath. You understand that children need correction, and you are my children. A father chastens every son whom he receives, and the sons understand that this is for their own good even if they don’t enjoy it at the time. Haven’t you already seen that I have led you in a way that was good for you even if you wouldn’t have chosen it at the time? I want you to understand that my judgments are righteous and true even when they apply to you. 

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meaning or comfort?

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What do you expect of the Christian life? Comfort and ease? Have you heard the gospel presented this way? Comfort is highly rated in your culture, and many people make it their life goal, but there are higher things to aim for. Being called to a life dedicated to my purpose is hard but full of significance. Haven’t you already found that you can put in more effort and endure greater hardships for something meaningful than seeking comfort with no real purpose? The gospel message carries this argument to its ultimate conclusion. You can endure a difficult life easier than one that is pointless.

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Vocation?

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Do you think of vocation as the training you get for a job as an alternative to going to college for a profession? This term has not always been understood in this way. In some faith traditions it means the work that you perform in response to a spiritual calling, whether it is paid ministry with credentials or not. Your culture has a commercial bias, which teaches you to think that activities matter if  they make money. Yet haven’t you found yourself drawn to some tasks and find them rewarding and fulfilling whether they make money or not? I will provide your needs. Think of your life’s work as making a difference even if it doesn’t make money. 

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on my way

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My word promises my return and tells my followers to love my appearing. You can do this without arguing about the details of how it will happen. Are you ready for me to return? If you rejoice to see my ongoing work of transformation in your life then you may be concerned that my return would cut it short. You may also be concerned that the service that you do for others will not be completed by the time I come. I have taken all these concerns into account and have perfect resolutions for them. In my love and mercy I will return at just the right time and you can look forward to this without hesitation. 

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