Dale Cresap's blog

Are you quick to reject unfamiliar things if you don’t understand them? There are evil influences in the world and some of them are discernable on sight. You are wise to reject them immediately as little children avoiding evil. Other things require more discernment. The gospel message itself was once unfamiliar to you, as were the deep things of the Kingdom of God. In your process of growth I will lead you into new things I want you to accept. If your intentions are pure you can consider new things and accept or reject them without being contaminated by them. Cast your net in the sea, and sort out your catch on the deck. Keep the good and discard the bad and trust me to keep you safe in this process. 

Do you divide the world between the sacred and the secular and consider all economic matters to be secular? Do you earn a living with a sense of destiny and deep purpose? Did you start life with a dream and did economic realities force you to settle for a job? Blessed are those who know who they are and why they are here and have fulfilling work aligned with their sense of purpose and destiny. Don’t be discouraged if this doesn’t describe you. It can. Even in the position you currently hold. Begin by looking at everything from a perspective of divine purpose. Then ask me to show you how you are fulfilling yours. 

When I was crucified the veil in the temple was torn from top to bottom. Why did this happen? The material reality that it signified could not remain intact in the presence of such a profound change in spiritual reality. This changed everything. When it was over most people went about their daily lives as they always had, as if nothing had happened, unaware that they were living in a whole new world. But I really meant it when I said that I was making all things new. You have entered my Kingdom and the post-Calvary world is the only one you have known. Do you have eyes to see its unlimited potential?

My word says that unless you become converted and become as a little child you shall not enter the Kingdom of heaven. Does this sound like a serious challenge to you? Yet you already were a child, so what have you since lost that you need to recover to enter the Kingdom? Children have a natural sense of mystery and wonder. They have the ability to be totally absorbed in a way that multi-tasking adults do not. I illustrated the same point with Mary and Martha, who was careful and troubled about many things. Mary had chosen the one thing that was best, and it would not be taken from her. Open yourself to a childlike sense of absorption in the things I show you. 

Are you familiar with the concept of sacrifice? It is an element of every faith and even understood by secular society. It is giving enough that you feel it, and you understand it in a broader context than just money. Do you expect to get something in return for your sacrifice? This reflects a distorted understanding of the concept. If you buy something that takes all or most of your money, then you feel the monetary cost, but it is still considered an exchange or a transaction in which you get something in return. A sacrifice implies that you get nothing in return, though it may still be a good idea for a worthy cause. How sacrificial are you willing to be in these conditions? 

My word teaches that you will be judged by the same standard that you judge others. Would this be harsh or lenient for you? If you judge others by high standards in an area in which you are guilty, then you are a hypocrite. What about areas in which it is easy for you to follow high standards of conduct? A clear conscience is of great value in declaring the truth, but if you use it to be judgmental then you are a judgmental person whether you are guilty in that area or not. It is far better to follow the commandment to judge not at all, for this puts you in a position to be agent of my redemptive purpose.

I spoke constantly about the Kingdom of God and told my followers to pray that my Kingdom would come and my will would be done on earth as it is in heaven. What does this mean to you? Are you building my Kingdom on earth? Do you have a deep desire to leave this world a better place than you found it? Are you using the natural means available to you to do this, demonstrating kindness and virtue? But this is a mystery, for I said that my Kingdom is not of this world, and this is still true even if you desire to see it come on earth and work for it. What does it mean for my Kingdom to come on earth? 

What do you pray for? Do you keep a list of requests? Do you think it would be a waste of time to pray for something you already have, or for something I am going to do anyway? This concept may go against your usual logic, but you can still pray for these things. You could pray for my presence in every situation, but you already hold it as a basic element of faith that I am with you always. You could ask what my intention is in every situation, what my redemptive purpose is right now, and what your part is in bringing it forth. Go ahead and ask me. I’m really eager to tell you. 

Do you see your faith as a journey? My word describes believers as sojourners. Does this imply a homeless wanderer who is alone? My Kingdom is not of this world so the continuing city you seek has foundations in heaven rather than on earth. Yet at the same time you are not alone. For I have promised to be with you always. Yet even with my presence you are not isolated from the rest of humanity. If you love me, then love people also. If you cherish my presence in solitude, then learn to see my presence in all who I have created in my image. If you have eyes to see and ears to hear then you will see me and hear me through them. 

How much do you depend on the circumstances of your life to sustain your faith? In my word I tell you not to be unequally yoked with an unbeliever. You may ask what situations this applies to. For it implies that you do not need to isolate yourself from the world but certainly it would apply in marriage. Yet my word also addresses the matter of a believer married to an unbeliever. The unbeliever is free to depart in this situation but the believer is not. This commandment implies that I am able to sustain a believer even in this extreme situation. If you understand the true essence of your faith you know that it can stand regardless of the circumstances of your life.