Dale Cresap's blog

My word teaches you that in Christ there is neither male nor female, Jew nor Greek, bond nor free. These distinctions may not hit you where you live, so realize that this list was not meant to be exhaustive. What divisions are more meaningful to you today? Liberal or conservative? Protestant or Catholic? Black or white? Where do you draw a line that places you and yours on the inside and others on the outside? Yet this passage implies that all such distinctions are transcended in Christ. The distinctions still exist, but in Christ they lose their power to divide. Are you ready to see them erased in my love?

Do you think it is an interesting concept, becoming as little children to enter the Kingdom of God, since you were already a child once? This implies that you have lost something you once had to make you who you are now. Do you wonder what you lost and how you may recover it to enter the Kingdom? Children are transparent and authentic, not having had the time to develop a false self for a public image. Just as it is hard for a camel to go through the eye of a needle so it is hard for a rich man and someone conflicted about who they are, who they think they are, and who they want others to think they are to enter the Kingdom of God. 

My word teaches you to speak the truth in love. Can you see that I did this myself? I told the woman caught in adultery to go and sin no more. To the woman at the well I said that she did not understand true worship, correcting her understanding and saying that salvation is of the Jews. These were loving statements but they were not affirmations to proceed without correction. Can you see how both elements are necessary? For the people you encounter are free and their responses are voluntary. Can you present the truth in a way that is so loving that they will voluntarily choose it? 

You have my promise that if you are on trial for your life that I will give you the words that you need at the time; divine wisdom that your enemies will not be able to refute. With this comes the admonition not to prepare your remarks in advance. The purpose is that your prepared speech will interfere with the flow of my Spirit. Have you ever been called on to do this? Do you have the faith not to prepare your defense? Hopefully this is a rare situation, but the power of life or death is in your words whether you are on trial or not. My wisdom is available to you at all times. Are you willing to go with it rather than your own words? 

What do you rejoice in? I have given you many blessings. Do you rejoice in those? There is nothing wrong with receiving my gifts with humility and gratitude, but giving is more blessed than receiving. Do you rejoice in the ministry that you are able to perform, healing people, mending broken lives, and presenting the message of the good news of the Kingdom of God? I am pleased with these things and you should be too. When I sent my disciples out in pairs to perform ministry they returned rejoicing that even unclean spirits were subject to them in my name. Yet I told them to rejoice not in this, but in that their names were written in heaven. You should too. 

Do you find it easy to judge strangers? If someone comes to you presenting facts about someone you don’t know, and those facts paint them in a bad light, do you find it easy to support the condemnation of the accused? What if the third person is well known to you, perhaps even your friend? Does this make you more likely to think of other evidence or extenuating circumstances to temper your judgment? You shouldn’t listen to gossip to begin with. Beyond that you are not called to judge because you are not qualified even if you did have all the facts available to you. Do you find me to be less judgmental than anyone else you know? You should, for no one is a stranger to me and I am rich in mercy, willing to give more weight to anything that could be considered in their favor, just as I have done for you. 

Do you believe in the rule of law? Wars and revolutions were fought to establish the principle that the same rules apply to everyone. This is appropriate in the area of civil government and justice, but do you see the same principle in effect in my Kingdom? For some people in good faith and conscience follow different rules than you do. My word leaves the door open for this in saying that each one answers to his own master and should be fully convinced in his own mind. This should only seem unfair to you if you have a wrong perspective. Don’t look at the rules you follow as a burden, but as something that gives you life. 

In the story of the prodigal son the younger son goes to a distant land to live an irresponsible life of self-indulgence. This choice ended badly for him as you may have expected. At this point the story says that he came to himself and realized that even with all he had done he was better off at home. Have you ever had an awakening of this type yourself, and realized that the choices you made for yourself weren’t working for you? Even if you knew this did you think you were trapped by the path you had taken, with no hope for restoration? Be encouraged and follow the advice of the rest of the story. Your Father is eager to have you come home. 

My word says blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness. Wouldn’t you think the statement would read blessed are those who are righteous or attain to righteousness? But I am willing to call blessed those who hunger and  thirst after it, even before they get it. Do you understand that you cannot obtain righteousness on your own? But the blessing is not spoken to those who are indifferent to it either. Hunger and thirst implies a tension between that which is in hand and that which is desired. Yet if you set your heart upon righteousness and make it your desire you have my promise that you will be filled. 

Have you ever heard a place referred to as God’s Country? This is spoken with regard to the beauty of creation and I take it as a compliment. It is used to refer to natural settings rather than structures built by people. In ancient times I gave direction for altars to be constructed with natural stones not cut with tools to improve their fit. You appreciate the comfort and convenience of places built as houses of worship, and I do not discourage this. I will meet you there. Are you also aware of my presence in my great cathedral not built with human hands? I will meet you there as well.