Blackberry Church

The online news story read:

“President Obama doesn’t need to step foot in a church to find spiritual inspiration — it comes directly to his BlackBerry.

When he took office, Obama fought vehemently with his security staff to keep that BlackBerry, a highly-secure version of the standard store-bought phone and messaging device that has now become something of a spiritual lifeline.”

I too receive several devotionals every morning on my Blackberry. I get one from the Church of the Nazarene and one from a Catholic devotional group. Both are very rich. One is topical, very brief, (Nazarene) and the other is deep, tied to the Lectionary, and rich with tradition.

Receiving these devotionals, however, is no substitute for assembling myself in community with the people of God. In fact, this example from our president’s life, points out a terrible fallacy; the idea of privatized piety, or the equivalent of Lone Ranger spirituality. It is a shame that he doesn’t have an advisor who could speak truth to power in his life, encouraging him to assemble with the faithful! I admire his continued testimony and that he as recently as this week in the national prayer breakfast testified to his faith as a Christian. I am sorry, however, that he is succumbing to the heresy of our age: one doesn’t need to in communal fellowship with other believers to be a follower of Jesus.

In the meantime, I pray that a true, spiritual friend will step forward and encourage President Obama to find a place with his family in the communion of faith with the people of God.

Grace and peace,
Dave Felter

So, I Might as Well Own Up To It

Most of you have figured out that I am pretty conservative in my perspective. While I am not a fundamentalist, I appreciate respect for the Scriptures as the Church’s authority. I appreciate freedom and value those who serve the country, protecting us and preserving our freedoms. I prefer traditional values while appreciating the progress of civilization. I have more in common with some Roman Catholics than I do with ultra liberal Protestants.

Which leads me to this: I found this on one of the conservative Catholic sites I read…I thought it was worth passing along. If you disagree, I will still be your friend!

What Will Your Child Learn In School?

To feel good - even though he can’t read,
write or calculate?
That’s called “Self Esteem.”

That he should not try to achieve
excellence because he must stick with the
mediocrity of his class?
That’s called “Outcome-Based Education”
or “Cooperative Learning.”

That every behavior or lifestyle is acceptable
and must not be criticized?
That’s called “Diversity” and “Tolerance.”

That America is a bad and oppressive nation?
That’s called “Multiculturalism” or
“National History Standards.”

To make his own decisions, without adult
direction, about which kinds of sex and drugs
to do?
That’s called “Values Clarification”
or “Decision Making.”

To criticize his parents’ morals and religion as
out-of-date?
That’s called “Critical Thinking.”

To guess at words (instead of sounding them
out) and skip over words he doesn’t know?
That’s called “Whole Language.”

That it’s OK to spell words any way he
wants?
That’s called “Inventive Spelling.”

To look to the school to provide all his
medical care?
That’s called “School-Based Clinics.”

To confide in school counselors instead of in parents?
That’s called “Guidance.

Grace and peace,
Dave Felter

Presentation of Our Lord

Today is Candlemas day. And what is the significance of this day? In Roman Catholic tradition it is associated with two themes. First, is the Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord in the Temple, 40 days after his birth. Second, in some Roman Catholic parishes, this is the day when all the candles used in religious service are blessed, along with those candles that might be used in homes during storms, power outages, etc.

We Protestants pretty much ignore many of the special days on the Religious calendar, and in some cases, that’s a pity. Reading more about the Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord, we learn that there were five things that Jewish father must do for his son. I found these on the Internet, so here they are as found:

Joseph and Mary had five obligations to their first-born son:

“The father is required to circumcise his son; to redeem him [referring to the first-born son, as per the Biblical passages in Numbers 18:15-16]; to teach him Torah; to assure that he marries; and to teach him a trade. Some say he must also teach him to swim.”

Every time I see a young couple present their child for Christian baptism or dedication, I think of the presentation of Jesus and the wonderful story of both Simeon and and the prophetess Anna. Simeon knew that he had seen the Salvation of Israel and was content to depart this life in peace.

In the baby dedications and baptisms that I have performed as a pastor, never once did I note these five things in my charge to parents. Perhaps I should have. Too often the Church waits for some fortuitous occasion to arise for the salvation of our children when everything is just right. My mother was raised in the Methodist church in which the church’s expectation was that from her baptism as an infant, her catechism as a child, and her confirmation were more than just rites of passage. The Church, on behalf of our Lord, exercised its claim upon the children of its families in intentional ways marked unmistakeably by events witnessed by the whole church.

In my opinion, we Protestants still have a lot to learn after all these years. The American church, particularly, with its marketing techniques, emphasis on entertainment, and laissez-faire approach can only blame itself if there is an exodus of our young adults from the church. Obviously, there are no guarantees that either intentionality or laissez-faire approaches will promise intentional discipleship as opposed to nominalism. We must inculcate in the lives of our families, the important assistance the Church plays in partnership with parents when it comes to fulfilling a proper role related to spiritual nurture.

May this day remind you of your commitment to Christ, enriched by your familial and ecclesial experiences, and may it encourage you to partner with young parents as a godly influence to help them present their children to our Lord.

Grace and peace,

Dave Felter

God, Creation, and Tomorrow

My good friend Thomas Jay Oord recently suggested that the idea of creation ex nihlo has outlived its usefulness as a construct by which to understand God and creation. Instead, Oord suggests God creates out of what he has created in love.

It has long been the position of many theologians that the essence of God’s nature is love. Out of this eternal love, suggests Oord, God continuously creates out of that which he has already created. As a philosopher and theologian, Oord builds his case in that gray zone where both proof and dispute are far from definitive. Oord rightly suggests that his theory does not defy the logic with which he proposes it. By the same token, however, a reading of his commentary in this regard, does not completely abolish the creation ex nihlo.

As one who is neither a philosopher nor a theologian, I think of myself as one who enjoys thinking theologically. In thinking about the nature of God, the meaning of creation, and the everyday life of people like myself who have to be at work tomorrow morning, I have a few offhand comments.

When we affirm that God created all things, I do not believe this implies that nothing existed prior to Genesis 1. We simply do not know! We are so accustomed to thinking from materialistic categories, we are hard pressed to think about “something” out of nothing, and that there might have been a moment when nothing as we know it from our materialist perspective, existed.

The nature of the Triune God is fellowship-in-love. We do not fully understand the ultimate potential of this divine fellowship between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Without sacrilege, I would speculate that as the Triune God has always existed, “something” has always existed. Just as Hebrews 11:1 states, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”, (KJV), who is to say that the holy community existing in a fellowship of love did not provide from its own self, all that is needed to create multiple universes.

The “nothing” that existed prior to creation was really what appeared to the Scripture writer as the “chaos” out from which God created. To say God created out of nothing is true for us, because chaos is “nothingness” to us. It is unintelligible, without form, lacking description. Remember this: it is formless, void, chaos to us because it is alien to us. To argue that the chaos that existed in the pre-creation era represents something malevolent is to suggest a dualism that is not true. It is to argue that evil and good are co-existent. There is simply no evidence that is true.

God creates, in my opinion, out of God’s self, not out of his creation as Dr. Oord suggests. Clearly, Oord right when he suggests the primary nature of God is love. (Although I wonder if Dr. Oord fully explores the spectrum of divine love.) Because God is love, God creates. Because God imparts his love to us, we too create, even from the “chaos” that we face everyday.

So, God created…from the “chaos” of possibility and potential because God is love without condition or coercion. We, the children of God, have been given his love and it has changed us. We are not “little gods” but we are being sanctified by which we believe we are being restored in the image of God by the sanctifying work of the Spirit. Tomorrow, we will engage the “chaos” and we have the possibility of “contributing to the well-being” of the world because “In this way, love is made complete among us…because in this world, we are like him.”(1 John 4:17) What appears to be chaos to us is often the raw material from which miracles are made.

From the deluge of Katrina and a broken Superdome, the New Orleans Saints found a new reality out of the chaos and in a few weeks they will play in Super Bowl 44. May we all be saints in the chaos of tomorrow.

Grace and peace,

Dave Felter

Does God Know?

This morning I noted that my good friend Thomas Jay Oord shared this comment on his Facebook status:

“Is wondering: With the latest events in Haiti, the Katrina disaster, and the

Should we be willing to admit God CAN’T do some things?”

Tom’s query is certainly provocative. He raises some very important questions that have teased the minds of humankind since the beginning. Clearly every believer has posed a “why” question at least once. Indeed, the two, being a believer and asking questions, are inseparable. There is little need to ask why if there is nothing larger than one’s self behind the screen of reality. It is the premise that God exists that prompts our questions.

My question is a simple one: What is the nature of the God who exists? And my next question is, from where does the information come that supports the definition associated with the claimed nature of God?

As I grow older, I am trying to simplify. My university experience ingrained in me a penchant for precision in speech. Admittedly, all that precision can obfuscate a declaration in a fog of multi-syllabic words, jargon, and obscurity.

While I accept the desperation that comes with wishing one could find a simple explanation for why things happen as they do, I am experienced enough to know that behind any explanation lies a multitude of variables that probably deserve exploration and consideration. To simply assert that because we’ve witnessed horrific tragedy that beggars both description and explanation, it might be time to admit that God doesn’t know as much as we once thought, seems to miss a critical point.

Dr. Oord suggests that we consider whether there indeed things God can’t do. We all know the challenges of pursuing that line of thought. For example, could God create a rock so large, even God couldn’t move it? Isn’t it funny how fast we can move from the sublime to the ridiculous!

Tom Oord is a great Christian, a wonderful friend, and beloved scholar. I would suggest however, that now is the time to reflect on the whole story of God that includes a terrifying range of truths. God created. God blessed. Humankind experienced relationship, with each other, the larger creation, and most importantly, with God. Unfortunately, the critical vestige of God’s likeness within humankind, the will to choose, offered a venue of supposed freedom and liberation through which the incalculable effects of broken relationships has been witnessed in creation, relationship with God, and with our fellow beings.

The story, thankfully and gratefully, does not end there. The love that God expressed in creation, was expressed once more in the death and resurrection of God’s son, Jesus Christ. In the agony of a parent watching a child die, we see the great heart of God breaking so that his creation could be restored to fellowship with him. The work of redemption is incomplete. Creation groans, so said St. Paul, as it awaits redemption. Humans suffer as they await glorification.

Christians serve because the greatest force in the world is love. Compassion gives love its features and expression. In the sadness of this hour, love works, because love comes from God. Love overcomes. It serves the broken. It rebuilds ruins. It heals the sick and feeds the hungry…because it is Love and love comes from God. In the end, God is still love. God can still do!

Grace and peace,
Dave Felter

Will They Be Remembered

Watching Anderson Cooper tonight describe the horrors at a cemetery in Port-au-Prince was really heart-rending. He spoke of those who brought bodies to the cemetery looking for places to bury or dispose of the bodies of the dead. In some cases, bodies were being shoved into any available space with no markers to indicate who they were burying. Cooper remarked that with the passage of time, there would be no way of knowing who was buried where.

I’ve visited some of the cemeteries where my ancestors are buried. I walked through the woods in upstate New York to touch the stones and markers of my father’s ancestors, stretching back almost 200 years. I’ve walked among the stones and markers of Christ Church cemetery in St. Michaels, MD to touch the stones of my mother’s people.

Not too long ago, I visited the perpetual care cemetery in Florida where my parents are buried. While their markers are only bronze plaques in the ground, the record of their lives is available to be seen by those who visit that site.

This tragedy reminds us that God’s eye is on the most forgotten among us. The Bible says that God sees even the sparrow that falls in flight. The people of Haiti have not been forgotten by God. Though the names of a whole generation may be obliterated by the crushing weight of ruble and dust, God knows who they are. We can only trust in the beneficent grace of God and leave our questions at the foot of the cross. It is only by looking at the cross that see the incomparable love of God who endured the tragedy of the death of his only begotten son.

The thousands who are lost in this incredible tragedy join the incalculable numbers of others lost in other tragedies who are known to God. Only God knows the communications that occur in the final fleeting seconds of life, when time stands still on the threshold of eternity. We can only believe that they are remembered by the One who breathed the breath of life into their beings and gave his only son for their redemption.

Grace and peace!

Dave Felter

Boutique Christianity

There is something very interesting happening in the evangelical pulpit these days. We’re increasingly hearing a new packaging of the Gospel that sounds very similar regardless of where you hear the message preached. I am talking about the packaging of the Gospel in those formats that emphasize social justice. Before anyone suggests that I am opposed to the essence of Jesus’ message, allow me to share a few thoughts about my perceptions.

About 20 years ago (give or take) Tony Campolo launched the evangelical church into a period of self-analysis and serious scrutiny. He wasn’t the first obviously, but his charismatic presence, witticisms, and inimitable style gave him center-stage in the evangelical world. He challenged the evangelicals at several levels.

First, he challenged the church to change the world. He focused his message on re-traditioning and re-purposing the traditional message so that the growing emphasis on moving away from “privatized piety” could find a way to reinterpret Christian holiness as compassion and social justice.

Second, his message often seemed to encourage a sense of embarrassment among evangelicals who were experiencing the “lift” that so often accompanies spiritual transformation. This message induced a sense of shame among those evangelicals that had access to abundant resources by reminding them that so many of the rest of the world’s population had so little.

Simultaneously, a sociological shift was occurring that would produce what some people enjoy calling “post-modernity.” The children of the boomer generation, many of whom were satiated with the excess of success generated by their parents’ upward mobility, sought new ways of finding authenticity through altruism. While the significance and substance of the converging factors cannot be adequately covered in one blog, I believe there is something here that deserves our consideration.

For about the last 20 years, we have heard a new presentation of the Gospel that builds on the descriptions offered above. Students have been discouraged from seeking entrance into those professions or jobs where financial security, material acquisition, and upward mobility might be the result. Instead, there has been an interesting migration of students into “callings” that enable them to go out into the world to “make a difference.” The evangelical church has not only celebrated this, it has encouraged this trajectory.

The result is an exploding motif within the evangelical church wherein the faithful are discouraged from thinking about acquisition, material wealth, and personal success. The faithful have been reminded that the message of Jesus was radical; that it discouraged entrepreneurial behaviors, and had more in common with socialism than capitalism, free enterprise, and democracy.

As a result, there are people who attend evangelical churches listening for a word from the Lord that would affirm discipleship, the values of industry, thrift, and generosity which were derivatives of the lift of the Gospel. Instead of hearing such words, they hear messages about “radical obedience” which is seldom defined, but rather, cast in generalities peppered with liberation themes and jargon.

Admittedly, I am left with more questions than answers. One cannot deny that the early holiness movement interpreted Jesus’ call to radical discipleship as a response to the message of the cross. Such response was preferentially seen to be best expressed an in amphibious life-style; in but not of the world. The unfortunate consequence was a preoccupation with a quantification of holiness that missed the heart of the message, leaving good people who “thought” their way out of fanaticism, with few options. That there was a “brain drain” in the holiness movements is inarguable.

Once again, the evangelical church, and the holiness churches (I’m not sure there is such a thing as “the holiness movement”) are facing an artificial and contrived segmentation of the message of Jesus. Once again, lines are being drawn with the intent to provide a means of quantification of Christian holiness. This time, it’s not “worldliness” but the contrasting of people who believe in the potential for lift, success, and significance that allows generated wealth to be the engine of vision and mission, against those who live in monastic communities, emphasize their resistance to materialism, and manifest selfless altruism.

One preacher I heard extolled the action of Elisha, who upon meeting Elijah, killed all 24 of the oxen with which he was plowing a field, and burned the wooden yokes in order to sacrifice the animals and cook the meat. This action was celebrated as a model for all who would take the Gospel seriously, recognizing, that one must burn all connections with their present lifestyle in order to “go forward” with God. I believe the metaphor of 12 yoke of oxen must be understood like the number 12 in other biblical contexts, e.g. the number of completeness. Whether Elisha was plowing with 2 or 24 oxen simply means that he is being used by the scripture writer to express the idea that he was receiving a unique call in the midst of a satisfying existence, surrounded with a surplus from which his needs were met. And, while I don’t dispute the reality that one may receive such a call, no mention is ever made of the impact of Elisha’s decision. For example, what impact did it have on those who depended on what Elisha was doing?

My point is simply this: preaching the Gospel is always a humbling experience. Somewhere, there has to be a middle way, the ” via media.” Some people are called to kill their oxen and burn their resources. Others are called to manage their resources, invest their talents, and earn the income that can finance the mission of the church so that others who have burnt their bridges may go in God’s name.

Boutique Christianity is always trendy, sounds intriguing, and grabs attention. The question is: Will it stand the test of time?

So, what’s your opinion?

What are the Issues?

Every so often, I get inquiries from people wondering if the Nazarene church is experiencing theological division that could have serious consequences. Let me ask you–how would you answer that question?

It seems “normal” that in the kind of times in which we are living, one sign of a healthy, growing church would be vibrant diversity that would challenge the status quo. Clearly, the culture in which the church exists, has moved beyond automatic acceptance of tradition. Change is the order of the day. And, while change is the order of the day, depending your location on the age spectrum, such change is either the anticipated order of the day, or it is painfully difficult.

I think we’re observing a major shift that will have long term impact on the church. Here’s what I see:

1. The locus of authority is shifting from the Bible to philosophy.

Few voices are saying it out loud right now, but there appears to be a growing segment in the church who have cheerfully discarded both inerrancy and the infallibility of Scripture. There is a growing segment of people who believe the Bible is inspired but not necessarily infallible. In fact some reject even the argument that the claims for the infallibility of the original autographs, that such an argument proves nothing. Others are intent on dispelling any confusion that might suggest we (the Nazarenes) are remotely fundamentalist in our thinking.

So what does God say about his word? Is his word truly accurate, trustworthy, reliable, and infallible, or is it tentative, contingent, and subject to changing preferences? What did Jesus imply regarding both God’s word and written Scripture?

We need to understand that God’s last word is none other than Jesus Christ, his son and our Messiah.(See Hebrews 1:1-4) The Scriptures (the written word) attest to the living word of God through their accurate and inspired description of him, his ministry and his message. Beyond that, the written word of Scripture reveals the character and compassion of God as well as the creation of human community and God’s initiatives to relate, redeem, and restore his creation to its intended purpose.

Most Christians would accept all I’ve said to this point. The rub comes when we begin to look specifically at the nature of the written word, Scripture. I have noticed that many people are willing to grant “authority” to the written word, Scripture. What I am not clear on, is how they define what they mean by “authority.”

Open theism is defined by Thomas Jay Oord in the following manner:

**God’s primary characteristic is love.
**Theology involves humble speculation about who God truly is and what God really does.
**Creatures – at least humans – are genuinely free to make choices pertaining to their salvation.
**God experiences others in some way analogous to how creatures experience others.
**Both creatures and God are relational beings, which means that both God and creatures are affected by others in give-and-take relationships.
**God’s experience changes, yet God’s nature or essence is unchanging.
**God created all nondivine things.
**God takes calculated risks, because God is not all-controlling.
**Creatures are called to act in loving ways that please God and make the world a better place.
**The future is open; it is not predetermined or fully known by God.
**God’s expectations about the future are often partly dependent upon creaturely actions.
**Although everlasting, God experiences time in a way analogous to how creatures experience time.

If one listens carefully, one will discover that these philosophical categories are used by many Nazarenes to describe their faith. Granted, the rank-and-file are still quite conservative and believe that God does indeed know and understand the future. They also believe that he transcends time which in no way impairs his ability to understand the creaturely experience of time. Additionally, many rank-and-file Nazarenes, while acknowledging the necessity for humility when it comes to theological speculation, readily admit their belief that what we can know for sure about God is and has been revealed in the Scriptures.

What seems clear to me is the migration away from our dependence on Scripture as the bedrock of both authority and infallible source for crafting beliefs, theological statements, and doctrines. The description Dr. Oord presents is clearly one-sided. No mention of God’s holiness or his wrath is mentioned. God is posited as a being whose only nature is loving. If this is the extent of one’s perception of God, it will be revealed in other issues, e.g. the challenge of gay and lesbian behavior, same-sex marriage and/or unions, and abortion.

More topics next time!

The prophet once said, “To the law and to the testimony!” (Isaiah 8:20) These are not good times in which to minimize the importance, reliability, and trustworthiness of the Scripture. “Faint praise” of the Scriptures quietly erodes their authority just as much as those who blatantly chuck them from the shelves of libraries. Will the church awaken to tragedy only to find it has lost its message and can no longer speak prophetically to the world?

Strength - 4th of the Seven-Fold Blessing

Everyone has their favorite image or icon of strength. Mythical figures were known for their strength. Hercules was known in Greek mythology for his strength. Today, it might be the world’s strongest man, or it might a very simple image that profoundly conveys the notion of strength. Strength is the fourth of the Seven-Fold Blessing that Christ wants to give to us. Our Scripture reference is a familiar one: “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength!” (Phil. 4:13)

If you wish to do some follow-up studies on your own, here is an array of wonderful Scriptural supports for this concept:

* 2 Cor. 12:9
* Eph. 3:16
* Col. 1:11
* 1 Tim. 1:12
* 2 Tim 4:17

It is important to know that God gives us everything we need through the ministry of His Holy Spirit. This is why it is critically important that we live in the Spirit. Only as we live in the Holy Spirit can we experience connection with God’s infinite resources, including the Seven-Fold Blessing!

Strength is the fourth blessing and to understand it properly, and we can think of it as a complex.

Strength as a complex of connecting, complimentary elements, is given to us by our Lord Jesus to equip us for every need and eventuality! The elements in this complex are mediated to us by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit shares these elements with us in this way:

* He gives us what we need in proportion to our need.
* He gives us what we need in response to specific demands.
* He gives us what we need at the time of our immediate need.

If we look at the elements that make up this complex, we see that there six important elements that revolve around the ministry of the Holy Spirit:

* God gives us grace which is His sufficiency for our inadequacy.
* Patience which is also poise, serenity and steadfastness.
* Endurance which is durability, stamina, and a “2nd wind” when we need it.
* Power which is energy and motivation.
* Service which is the point of application for the strength God is giving us. (The point of our need!)
* Sufficiency which are the resources and the spirit of resourcefulness that we need.

The Holy Spirit knows what every situation in your life needs. If we are living and walking in the Spirit, He will call forth the specific resource that we need at just the right moment in our life! We receive according to our need, beginning with God’s grace so that whatever our need may be, God’s Holy Spirit mediates the precise element of this complex to our experience.

Grace and Peace,
Dave Felter

Wisdom - #3 of the Seven-Fold Blessing

Everyone has had an encounter with the “woulda, coulda, shouldas.” We look back at our decisions and wonder what the outcomes might have been, were we to have demonstrated more wisdom. The Bible speaks of uncommon wisdom that is not the natural province of humankind, but is instead, the gift of God, generously given.

The third blessing in the Seven - Fold Blessing of God which can be ours through Jesus Christ is the blessing of wisdom. Indeed, God is the source of this wisdom. James 1: 5 reads, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt…”

The context of this passage is one of challenge, trial and testing. Isn’t this when wisdom is more sorely needed! Trials require divine wisdom because without such wisdom we may miss:

* The lessons God wants us to learn.
* The new skills and strengths we need for such experiences.
* The chance to go really deep with God in spiritual growth and depth.

Wisdom is needed to properly benefit from faith’s testing times. Every believer has experienced those times when faith is tested. The truth is, God is looking for people wise enough to receive the secret reward that is to be found only in the time of trial. Wisdom is needed because the ultimate purpose or reward that is written into the essence of such times of trial and testing, is never revealed on the face of that testing. Such meaning and reward must be excavated or mined from the experience of endurance if we are to receive its blessing. This is why wisdom and trial are so often associated.

Wisdom strengthens resolve so that our ability to persevere may be revealed. This self-revelation is rewarding because by it we learn something about our own stamina and endurance.

In Psalm 111:10, the Scripture reminds us that, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” There is much to be inferred from this powerful passage concerning God’s gift of wisdom to His children.

First, living irreverently is not conducive to spiritual wisdom. God cannot honor half-hearted devotion.

Second, observing God’s laws and decrees reveals a heavenly wisdom that is not of this world. This is indeed uncommon wisdom, for it recognizes that God has arranged an order into His realm that is efficient and productive. The Ten Commandments, while they are not the source of our salvation, are not restrictive or detrimental to our freedom to live productive lives. Indeed, these laws protect us and shield us from the life that is outside the protective environs of God’s approval.

Loving God with all one’s being reveals a humility and a deference to God’s sovereignty. When we live in this way, we are no longer resisting God’s sovereignty in our affairs. We recognize that God is always working in our behalf, though we may not be able to see it or understand it.

This places us in a receptive position to be led by God and to receive divine guidance. It is wisdom to trust God implicitly, knowing that when we do, we shall be blessed with that uncommon wisdom that receives from God, His special blessing in life!

Grace and peace,
Dave Felter