Wisdom-Trek © - Archive 4

Wisdom – the final frontier to true knowledge. Welcome to Wisdom-Trek where our mission is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before.

Hello, my friend, I am Guthrie Chamberlain, your captain on our journey to increase wisdom and create a living legacy. Thank you for joining us today as we explore wisdom on our 2nd millennium of podcasts. This is Day 1166 of our trek, and it is Worldview Wednesday.

Creating a Biblical worldview is important to have a proper perspective on today’s current events. To establish a Biblical worldview, it is required that you also have a proper understanding of God and His Word. On our Worldview Wednesday episodes, we are in a series in which we are covering another detailed review of a book from one of today’s most prominent Hebrew scholars Dr. Micheal S. Heiser. We are taking a deep dive and will share Dr. Heiser’s insights into the question, which is also the title of his book “What Does God Want?”

As we continue our book review, as part of God’s forever family, we will first focus on our everlasting identity with God. Today as part of His Kingdom, we are to be imagers of God. That is, others should see God through us. We cannot fully portray God today, but we will someday be transformed and made like Jesus.

1 John 3:2 declares, “Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is.”

The same thought is expressed in different ways in Romans 8:29, “For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.”

Philippians 3:20-21 explains, “But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control.”

2 Corinthians 3:18 also says, “So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.”

Our destiny, which is already in process, is to become completed imagers of God in the manner of the ultimate image of God—Jesus.

The Bible finishes our story with resurrection and transformation. We are raised to everlasting life and given a glorified body, akin to the one Jesus had after his resurrection. Paul refers to it as a ‘‘immortal body” (l Corinthians [15:35]-58).

My favorite passage about our final destiny and glorification is a little more obscure. It’s a scene in the book of Hebrews, where Jesus introduces us to God and God to us. Jesus stands before God and “the congregation,” the heavenly sons of God. He confesses boldly that he feels no shame in having us as siblings in the family and then speaks to God and the supernatural members of the family. This passage is in Hebrews 2:11-12, “So now Jesus and the ones he makes holy have the same Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters.  For he said to God, ‘I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters.

This is your ultimate destiny—becoming a permanent, legitimate member of God’s family. In the end, you belong in God’s family. It’s what he’s wanted from the very beginning. That is what the whole creation is yearning for.

In addition to your everlasting identity with God, He also desires an everlasting partnership with you.

Have you ever had a conversation about what life in the new creation (heaven) will be like? I’ve heard lots of people describe it as an endless worship service, or endless Q & A session with Jesus, or a glorified church meet-and-greet. (That last one frightens introverts like me.)

While we could infer some things by imagining what life in a perfected Eden might entail, the Bible doesn’t say a whole lot about the experience. What it does say defies the sorts of guesses listed above.

Revelations 2:26 says, “To all who are victorious, who obey me to the very end, To them I will give authority over all the nations.”

Revelations 3:21 reiterates, “Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne.”

And I Corinthians 6:3 says, “Don’t you realize that we will judge angels? So you should surely be able to resolve ordinary disputes in this life.”

What do these phrases mean? We can start by asking who rules the nations now? The answer is the fallen sons of God allotted to the nations at Babel. In other words, the nations at this moment have not yet been fully (or even mostly) reclaimed by God. The expansion of the kingdom of God is a gradual process as we’ve noted—a process “already begun but not yet complete.” When the process is complete at the end of days, believers will “judge angels”—we will pass judgment on the fallen sons of God by replacing them. We will rule the nations with Jesus, our King—and brother.

According to Dr. Heiser, when he speaks about this idea, he will get certain inevitable questions: What tasks will we have? Will some believers have more authority than other believers? Will I be another believer’s boss? How can we all be rulers? Do our works dictate who is over whom?

These are all understandable questions from people who live in an imperfect, fallen world. Our perspective is tainted by the flawed, damaged world we experience. But the Bible doesn’t portray our final destiny as a boss-employee relationship. It’s a father-child relationship. We, God’s children, work with him alongside our siblings, whether human or divine. We image God together now the way we were intended to do. The brother we all look up to most is Jesus. All of God’s children have been made like him, the ultimate imager of our Father.

The point is that our rule in the new Eden isn’t about hierarchy; it’s about family partnership. When all the family members are glorified, the need for supervisory hierarchy disappears.

To be honest, we just can’t conceive anything like this. We live in a corrupted world. God wants us—he wants you—to experience life with him the way he intended it to be. And someday we will. As the Bible says in I Corinthians 2:9, “That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, ‘No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.'”

Over the past several weeks, we have explored “What Does God Want?” Now you know what the Bible is really about, and the answer to Dr. Heiser’s book title, He wants YOU! It’s an amazing story.

You’re probably wondering where we go from here. There are some important concepts to think about in light of the story.

Early in the story, Dr. Heiser wrote about Abraham:

The apostle Paul used Abraham as an example of believing loyalty in Romans 4:1-12. Abraham believed and was accepted by God before he obeyed any rules. The rules were about showing he believed. They did not replace belief. Belief (faith) was the one essential thing. Loyalty to that belief—to that God—is something we’ll explore later. Today we call this concept discipleship. Belief and loyalty are two distinct things. They are related but not interchangeable. The same is true of salvation and discipleship.

That paragraph is our road map the rest of the way through Dr. Heiser’s book. The phrase “believing loyalty” will be our guide. Let’s first consider “BELIEVING.”

In the next section, which we will explore in subsequent weeks, we’re going to discuss the gospel. We’ll explore what it is and isn’t. We’ll learn what it means—what the content of the gospel is according to the Bible. That’s important because believing the gospel is how we become members of God’s family. It’s how we are saved. Salvation is by faith. It is the way God has provided salvation, the path he has created for joining his family. That all centers in what Jesus did.

Coupled with believing is “LOYALTY.”

In the last section of the book, we’re going to explore discipleship. “Disciple” is a term that means “follower.” Being a disciple of Jesus means following him—imitating him. Jesus said in John 14:9, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father!”  Jesus lived in a way that showed he loved God —that he was loyal to his Father and his plan. Discipleship is how we show we love Jesus and love God. It’s not about earning God’s love. It’s how we thank Jesus for accomplishing God’s plan to save us. It’s not about replacing or supplementing what Jesus did for our salvation. It’s how we show we believe in what he did for our salvation (James [2:14]-26).

As I said earlier, belief and loyalty are two related, but distinct things. They are not interchangeable. The same is true of salvation and discipleship. We believe the gospel for our salvation. We show loyalty to our Savior by being his disciple!

That will conclude our lesson for this week from Dr. Heiser’s book “What Does God Want?” Next Worldview Wednesday, our focus will turn to practical steps that we can implement as we explore “What Is the Gospel?” (good news). I believe you will find each Worldview Wednesday an interesting topic to consider as we build our Biblical worldview.

Tomorrow we will continue with our 3-minute humor nugget that will provide you with a bit of cheer and help you to lighten up and live a rich and satisfying life. So encourage your friends and family to join us and then come along with us tomorrow for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

If you would like to listen to any of our past 1165 treks or read the Wisdom Journal, they are available at Wisdom-Trek.com. I encourage you to subscribe to Wisdom-Trek on your favorite podcast player so that each day’s trek will be downloaded automatically.

Thank you so much for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and most of all, your friend as I serve you through this Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.

As we take this trek together, let us always:

I am Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Everyday! See you tomorrow!

Wisdom – the final frontier to true knowledge. Welcome to Wisdom-Trek where our mission is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before.

Hello, my friend, I am Guthrie Chamberlain, your captain on our journey to increase wisdom and create a living legacy. Thank you for joining us today as we explore wisdom on our 2nd millennium of podcasts. This is Day 1165 of our trek, and it is time for our 3-minute mini trek called Wisdom Unplugged. This short nugget of wisdom includes an inspirational quote with a little bit of additional content for today’s trek. Consider this your vitamin supplement of wisdom for today. So let’s jump right in with today’s nugget.

Today’s quote is from Florence Nightingale, and it is, “I attribute my success to this: I never gave or took an excuse.”

When we fail at anything in life, the first thing that most of us want to do is to either place blame or create an excuse for why we failed.  We have to realize that ultimately, we have to take responsibility for every time we fall short of the mark.

Yes, there may be mitigating circumstances that make failure inevitable in certain situations, but there is no reason to give or take an excuse. Analyze the situation, determine why the failure occurred, and then set out to try again. There are very few situations in life that require an excuse. Just begin again with the wisdom of what caused the failure.

It may be necessary to retry multiple times if success is not achieved. But as long as you learn from each setback and apply your knowledge to the next attempt, then you will continue to move forward with the additional wisdom that was gained on each previous attempt.

Be patient and forgiving with yourself and others. We don’t have control of every circumstance, but we certainly have control over how we respond to each situation. Love what you pursue, be diligent, persevere, and endeavor to continue on.

1 Corinthians 13:7

Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

That’s a wrap for today’s Wisdom Unplugged quote. If you would like free access to my database of over 11,000 inspirational quotes, the link is available on the main page of Wisdom-Trek.com.  As you enjoy these nuggets of wisdom, encourage your friends and family to join us and then come along tomorrow for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

If you would like to listen to any of our past 1164 treks or read the Wisdom Journal, they are available at Wisdom-Trek.com. I encourage you to subscribe to Wisdom-Trek on your favorite podcast player so that each day’s trek will be downloaded automatically.

Thank you for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and most importantly, your friend as I serve you through the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal each day.

As we take this trek together, let us always:

I am Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Everyday! See you tomorrow for Worldview Wednesday!

Wisdom – the final frontier to true knowledge. Welcome to Wisdom-Trek where our mission is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before.

Hello, my friend, I am Guthrie Chamberlain, your captain on our journey to increase wisdom and create a living legacy. Thank you for joining us today as we explore wisdom on our 2nd millennium of podcasts. This is Day 1164 of our trek, and it is time for Meditation Monday. Taking time to relax, refocus, and reprioritize our lives is crucial in order to create a living legacy.

For you, it may just be time alone for quiet reflection. You may utilize structured meditation practices. In my life, meditation includes reading and reflecting on God’s Word and praying. It is a time to renew my mind, refocus on what is most important, and make sure that I am nurturing my soul, mind, and body. As you come along with me on our trek each Meditation Monday, it is my hope and prayer that you too will experience a time for reflection and renewing of your mind. 

Prayer…how do you know when you have prayed enough for a particular situation? How many times do we need to ask God for something we desire or for the care and concern of a loved one? What does the Bible teach about continuing to pray? Does God get tired of our prayers? These are questions that we all have about prayer. So in today’s meditation, let us consider…

Let’s start our meditation today with the reading of Isaiah 62:6-7,

O Jerusalem, I have posted watchmen on your walls;

How much you pray and what you ask for reveals a lot about your view of God and your relationship with Him. Generally speaking, the more kind and capable you think He is, the more you desire to pray, and the more you will pray honestly, boldly, and expectantly. As I learn more about God and grow closer to Him, the more my prayers become less about what I desire, and the more they become what God desires for me and to work through me. God encourages us to keep praying until His answer is clear to us. He desires us to keep engaging with Him in prayer. As the verses we just read suggest, we should “take no rest, and give the Lord no rest until He completes His work through us.”

Of course, we should not ask selfishly, but for what God desires for us. James 4:3 tells us, “And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.” God, in His wisdom, does not grant us our selfish desires, which would do harm to us or others. This is especially true if what we asked would draw us away from fellowship with Him. He loves us too much to cause us harm. We should ask for what we desire, if we do so with all sincerity. God is able to sort out the good requests, from our misguided requests, and also teach us the difference as we continue to grow in Him.

Think about how children ask for what they want. They may not know the difference between what is good or bad for them in their requests, but as their parents, we should discern the difference and only grant those which are good for them. God is the same with our prayer requests.

God is much more generous than even the best parents. He is not reluctant to bless His children. Our prayer lives should reflect that. As we learn to pray more and do so with sincere hearts, we will discover that investing time with God is the greatest blessing of all, even if we do not receive what we request. Jesus himself encourages us to keep on praying and keep communicating with God, reminding us that He will take care of the answers.

Matthew 7:7-11 reads, “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead?  Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not!  So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.”

The bottom line is that prayer is essential to our relationship with God. He wants His children to come to Him for what they need. What we need most of all is Him.

That is a wrap for today’s meditation. Next week, we will continue our trek on Meditation Monday as we take time to reflect on what is most important in creating our living legacy. On tomorrow’s trek, we will explore another wisdom quote. This 3-minute wisdom supplement will assist you in becoming healthy, wealthy, and wise each day. Thank you for joining me on this trek called life. Encourage your friends and family to join us and then come along tomorrow for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

If you would like to listen to any of the past 1163 daily treks or read the daily journal, they are available at Wisdom-Trek.com. I encourage you to subscribe to Wisdom-Trek on your favorite podcast player so each day will be downloaded to you automatically.

Thank you for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and most importantly, your friend as I serve you through the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.

As we take this trek together, let us always:

I am Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Everyday! See you tomorrow!

Wisdom – the final frontier to true knowledge. Welcome to Wisdom-Trek where our mission is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before.

Hello, my friend, I am Guthrie Chamberlain, your captain on our journey to increase wisdom and create a living legacy. Thank you for joining us today as we explore wisdom on our 2nd millennium of podcasts. This is Day 1163 of our trek, and it is time for our Philosophy Friday series.

Each Friday, we ponder some of the basic truths and mysteries of life and how they can impact us in creating our living legacy. As we continue on this trek called life, sometimes we have questions about life, so our Friday trek is a time when we can “Ask Gramps.” Gramps will answer questions that you would like to ask your dad or granddad, but for whatever reason are unable to. No matter how old we are, I know that all of us would like the opportunity to ask Dad or Gramps questions about life in many areas.

We may mix it up a bit on our Friday episodes, but we will strive to keep them down to earth and enjoyable. If you have any questions that you would like to ask Gramps, please email them to [email protected].

So the question for this week is…

“Hey, Gramps, there are so many circumstances and situations that I face in life, which cause me to worry often. Whether it is my family, my job and finances, my health, or a number of other issues, at times I feel impending doom, although nothing, in particular, is wrong at the moment. Do you have some wisdom to help me change my mindset so that I do not worry and fear as much?”

Although I personally don’t have a significant issue with worry or fear, I realize that most people do. If it continues over a long period of time, and it is to the point of paralyzing you from living a normal life, then you may need to seek professional counseling or medical assistance. That being said, there are certain truths that you need to grasp hold of and apply to your life that will help alleviate most of this unwarranted worry or fear.

Most worry and fear is not real and resides solely in your mind. To change that, you need to change your mindset. We are instructed in Romans 12:2, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

This takes time and focus, but it can be done. Once you acknowledge that you are responsible for your own thinking, then the process can begin. Jesus was (and is) The Master Teacher, but we need to be willing to learn. He often spoke in parables or stories, and although they are not always easy to understand, they are told in such a way as to be memorable. They are told to force us to think. They challenge us to believe more, to exercise our faith more, and to trust Him more, regardless of what we may see or feel. You see, worry and fear is not only a mental issue, but wrong thinking also affects our heart, the center of our emotions.

Jesus’ teachings in Matthew [6:19]-34 is a powerful lesson on worry and how to overcome it. Let me read that for you to help us frame a response to worry.

“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.

Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light. But when your eye is unhealthy, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!

No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.

That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?

And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon, in all his glory, was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?

So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’  These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”

Jesus’ teaching here gives us a prescription to help cure worry and fear. As with any prescription, you may not be instantly healed, but if you continue to apply the medicine, over time, your worry and fear will abate. This whole passage is an antidote to worry and fear, which is one of the most persistent temptations and struggle for so many. Within this passage, Jesus presents that argument as a beautiful analogy between God’s care for the birds and His care for you. Ask yourself, are you not far more valuable to Him than the birds? Yes, you are. If He provides for the birds and takes care of them, how much more will He do for you? Besides that, Jesus points out that worrying will not do us a bit of good anyway.

Instead of worrying or fear, Jesus instructs you to seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and He will take care of the rest. Are you willing to live worry-free and without fear, trusting God to take care of you? The next time you find yourself sliding down that slippery slope of worry or fear, go to the window, or outside and do a little bird watching to get your perspective back in line with God. It will do wonders for your faith.

That is a wrap for today’s question. Join us again next Friday for another question on our “Ask Gramps” episode. Our next trek is Mediation Monday, where we will help you reflect on what is most important in life. So encourage your friends and family to join us and then come along on Monday for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

If you would like to listen to any of the past 1162 daily treks or read the associated journals, they are all available at Wisdom-Trek.com. I encourage you to subscribe to Wisdom-Trek on your favorite podcast player so each day will be downloaded to you automatically.

Thank you for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and most importantly, your friend as I serve you through the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.

As we take this trek together, let us always:

I am Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Everyday! See you on Monday!

Wisdom – the final frontier to true knowledge. Welcome to Wisdom-Trek where our mission is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before.

Hello, my friend, I am Guthrie Chamberlain, your captain on our journey to increase wisdom and create a living legacy. Thank you for joining us today as we explore wisdom on our 2nd millennium of podcasts. This is Day 1162 of our trek, and it is time for our 3-minute mini-trek called Humor Unplugged. Our Thursday podcast will provide a short and clean funny story to help you lighten up and live a rich and satisfying life – something to cheer you and provide a bit a levity in your life.

We are told in Proverbs 15:30, “A cheerful look brings joy to the heart; good news makes for good health.” We are also encouraged in Proverbs 17:22, “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength. Consider this your vitamin supplement of cheer for today. So let’s jump right in with today’s funny, which is titled…

Dr. Milton was anticipating a relaxing Saturday morning at home after a very long and hectic week. As he headed to the basement, he thought he heard water running. Upon further investigation, he saw that one of the main pipes was leaking and water was spewing into the laundry room. With all due haste, he called Sam the plumber, who was the best plumber in town and also one of his patients.

Sam arrived promptly, unpacked his tools, worked his mysterious plumber-type things and within 30 minutes had the leak fixed, and the excess water all vacuumed up. He then presented Dr. Milton with a bill for $600.

Dr. Milton, upon looking at the bill, excitedly exclaimed, “This is ridiculous! I don’t even make that much as a doctor!”

Sam, the plumber, just smiled at Dr. Milton and said, “Neither did I when I was a doctor.”

Well, I hope that brought a smile to your face today. If it did, pass that smile on to someone who really needs it. Our Thursday Thought is “There is a huge difference between the cost of a service and its actual value.”

Proverbs [8:11]

For wisdom is far more valuable than rubies. Nothing you desire can compare with it.

As you enjoy these nuggets of humor, please encourage your friends and family to join us and then come along tomorrow for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

If you would like to listen to any of our past 1161 treks or read the Wisdom Journal, they are all available at Wisdom-Trek.com.  I encourage you to subscribe to Wisdom-Trek on your favorite podcast player so each day will be downloaded to you automatically.

Thank you for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and most importantly, your friend as I serve you through the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.

As we take this trek together, let us always:

I am Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Everyday! See you tomorrow for Philosophy Friday!

Wisdom – the final frontier to true knowledge. Welcome to Wisdom-Trek where our mission is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before.

Hello, my friend, I am Guthrie Chamberlain, your captain on our journey to increase wisdom and create a living legacy. Thank you for joining us today as we explore wisdom on our 2nd millennium of podcasts. This is Day 1161 of our trek, and it is Worldview Wednesday.

Creating a Biblical worldview is important to have a proper perspective on today’s current events. To establish a Biblical Worldview, you must also have a proper understanding of God and His Word. On our Worldview Wednesday episodes we are in a series in which we are covering another detailed review of a book from one of today’s most prominent Hebrew scholars Dr. Micheal S. Heiser. We are taking a deep dive and will share Dr. Heiser’s insights into the question, which is also the title of his book “What Does God Want?”

In last week’s lesson, we ended with a firm grasp on some obvious points. Christ is risen. All those who have put their trust in what he did on the cross and his resurrection as the only means of salvation will have everlasting life. But while we are already members of Christ’s kingdom (Colossians [1:13]), that kingdom has not yet come in its fullness and finality.

The same is true of the defeat and destruction of Satan and various fallen sons of God. It is already in progress, but not yet fully realized. Satan has no claim—no ownership, no power of death—over any member of the kingdom of God. We belong to God through Jesus, and Jesus conquered death so that we might be resurrected to everlasting life with him and God the Father (Romans 6:8-9; Romans 8:11; 1 Corinthians 6:14; 15:42-49). Nevertheless, as we are told in Ephesians 2:2, “You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world.  He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God.”

Likewise, the powers of darkness have been dethroned. But they have not surrendered. They resist, fighting a losing battle. Every person who embraces the salvation offered by God through Jesus has been rescued, and their freedom purchased already. Colossians 1:13-14 says, “For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.” As the kingdom of God grows, the kingdom of darkness diminishes.

It’s easy to get lost in the still-present evil and suffering of the world instead of looking to the future. Sometimes it’s hard to remember that “Jesus gave his life for our sins, just as God our Father planned, in order to rescue us from this evil world in which we live,” Galatians 1:4.

The Bible doesn’t condemn this dilemma. It’s honest about it in Romans 8:19, “For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are.”

In what remains of the story, Dr. Heiser focuses on the amazing ending. Every great epic has a memorable ending. The biblical story is no exception. Although, if you’re expecting harps and clouds get used to disappointment.

We tend to process the final act of the Bible’s story in terms of what we get. For example, we’ll have everlasting life, not death. That’s exciting, but “everlasting life” doesn’t really say much. It’s just a description about duration, not quality.

Quality of everlasting life emerges more in our minds when we process the end of the story as life in a new, global Eden. The book of Revelation, the last book of the Bible, completes the story with imagery from Eden (Revelation 21-22). God is there. Heaven has returned to earth. Jesus is there. The tree of life is there. This Eden is actually better than the original Eden. Evil has run its course. There is no rebellion waiting to explode into the world. Creation is, therefore, perfectly optimized. There is no disease or death anywhere in the plant, animal, or human experience. There is no predation or violence. It’s like nothing we’ve ever experienced.

The “Eden angle” gets us closer to what the Bible itself emphasizes at the climax of its story. The passage from Romans 8 adjusts our thinking just a bit to bring the real pinnacle of God’s plan. All creation is groaning now to be made new, just as we do as believers, but just as with creation, we must wait patiently for that day.

In other words, we are the end game to what God has been doing. Our status as his children permanently fit for his presence, and we will be present with him permanently, which is the forefront of the Bible’s story. Where we live will be more than just spectacular scenery. The book of Revelation’s final vision of the new Eden makes this point for me when it begins the final scene this way in Revelation 21:1-4, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”

That will conclude our lesson for this week from Dr. Heiser’s book “What Does God Want?” Next Worldview Wednesday, we will continue to learn about God’s Forever Family as we explore our everlasting identity and partnership with God. I believe you will find each Worldview Wednesday an interesting topic to consider as we build our Biblical worldview.

Tomorrow we will continue with our 3-minute humor nugget that will provide you with a bit of cheer and help you to lighten up and live a rich and satisfying life. So encourage your friends and family to join us and then come along with us tomorrow for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

If you would like to listen to any of our past 1160 treks or read the Wisdom Journal, they are available at Wisdom-Trek.com. I encourage you to subscribe to Wisdom-Trek on your favorite podcast player so that each day’s trek will be downloaded automatically.

Thank you for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and most importantly, your friend as I serve you through the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.

As we take this trek together, let us always:

I am Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Everyday! See you tomorrow!

Wisdom – the final frontier to true knowledge. Welcome to Wisdom-Trek where our mission is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before.

Hello, my friend, I am Guthrie Chamberlain, your captain on our journey to increase wisdom and create a living legacy. Thank you for joining us today as we explore wisdom on our 2nd millennium of podcasts. This is Day 1160 of our trek, and it is time for our 3-minute mini trek called Wisdom Unplugged. This short nugget of wisdom includes an inspirational quote with a little bit of additional content for today’s trek. Consider this your vitamin supplement of wisdom for today. So let’s jump right in with today’s nugget.

Today’s quote is from Robert Estabrook, and it is, “He who has learned to disagree without being disagreeable has discovered the most valuable secret of a diplomat.”

Being civil with one another seems to be a lost art in today’s divisive world. This is especially true on social media where it is so easy to hide behind the mask of technology. It may be that we just hear from the vocal few who are intolerant on the extreme right and extreme left. With the 24/7 propaganda (i.e., news) outlets, we are bombarded with the same sound bites continually.

Pile on top of that when we include all of the amateur experts on social media, spewing their opinions and hate-filled speech, it fuels intolerance on a much grander scale. We, as a human race, are better than that. Especially if we claim to be Christ followers, we should never become embroiled or participate in such situations.

We will never agree on all issues with others, not even our close loved ones. We need to learn and understand that it is okay if we do not agree on most issues. We need to learn how to disagree, without being disagreeable. We need to restrain our arguments for the sake of love for others. Even if the issue you disagree on is of significant moral consequence, you can still disagree without being ugly about it.

You don’t have to be intolerant to the point that your love for others turns to hate.  Our love should transcend our disagreement. We can never reach others for God’s Kingdom if they see us as hateful, spiteful, and unwilling to accept them as a person, even if we cannot accept their viewpoint or opinion.  In order to promote and grow God’s Kingdom as His image bearers, we need to show His love to everyone that we meet and impact. We need to be diplomats for God’s good news to bring His enemies to the table of salvation.

Colossians 4:5-6

Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.

 1 Peter [3:15]-17

Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it.  But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ.  Remember, it is better to suffer for doing good, if that is what God wants, than to suffer for doing wrong!

That’s a wrap for today’s Wisdom Unplugged quote. If you would like free access to my database of over 11,000 inspirational quotes, the link is available on the main page of Wisdom-Trek.com. As you enjoy these nuggets of wisdom, encourage your friends and family to join us and then come along tomorrow for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

If you would like to listen to any of our past 1159 treks or read the Wisdom Journal, they are available at Wisdom-Trek.com. I encourage you to subscribe to Wisdom-Trek on your favorite podcast player so that each day’s trek will be downloaded automatically.

Thank you for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and most importantly, your friend as I serve you through the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.

As we take this trek together, let us always:

I am Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Everyday! See you tomorrow for Worldview Wednesday!

Wisdom – the final frontier to true knowledge. Welcome to Wisdom-Trek where our mission is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before.

Hello, my friend, I am Guthrie Chamberlain, your captain on our journey to increase wisdom and create a living legacy. Thank you for joining us today as we explore wisdom on our 2nd millennium of podcasts. This is Day 1159 of our trek, and it is time for Meditation Monday.

Taking time to relax, refocus, and reprioritize our lives is crucial in order to create a living legacy. For you, it may just be time alone for quiet reflection. You may utilize structured meditation practices. In my life, meditation includes reading and reflecting on God’s Word and praying. It is a time, to renew my mind, refocus on what is most important, and make sure that I am nurturing my soul, mind, and body. As you come along with me on our trek each Meditation Monday, it is my hope and prayer that you too will experience a time for reflection and renewing of your mind. 

There are times in our lives when it seems that our lives are destroyed as with a raging wildfire through the agony of a death of a spouse or close loved one. Or it may be that your life has crumbled like a building destroyed in an earthquake because of the betrayal of a spouse, and now you have to make it on your own as a single parent. When you are in the dark, it is hard to imagine the light that will ever shine again.

In today’s meditation, let us consider…

Let me share a story of a time when Dan literally experienced beauty from ashes. On June 26, 2012, a wildfire rolled over the mountains and into the city of Colorado Springs. Spurred on by 65 mph wind gusts and fueled by one of the driest seasons on record, the Waldo Canyon fire crested a ridge and drove into the Mountain Shadows neighborhood. In just a few hours, nearly 350 homes burned to the ground.

Dan, one of 32,000 people evacuated from their homes, watched events unfold on TV in a living room across town. Surrounded by his family and closest friends, he waited to see whether his home survived. It did, but his neighbors were not as fortunate.

When Dan’s family was finally able to return home, only a handful of houses still stood on his street. The devastation was shocking. Dan walked his neighborhood, helping those whose homes had been damaged or destroyed. Charred wood and ash coated the area, giving it an ominous black feeling.

But just a few weeks after the tragedy, Dan saw the greenest grass imaginable growing up through the ashes. Vibrant, hopeful new life peeked through the black destruction. Though it may have been just a few blades of grass, it reminded Dan that God brings beauty from ashes.

God brings good news to the oppressed as spoke through his prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 61:1-3,

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me,

I look out my office windows and see the great oaks towering above everything, realizing they have withstood many storms over the years and yet they continue to lift their branches to God. As with each of us, even in the most difficult times, God can create something beautiful and give us hope. So lift your tired hands towards heaven, focus on your heavenly Father, and don’t ever give up. There is always hope with God. We need to hold on to that hope with patient endurance.

Hebrews 10:35-36 encourages,“So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.”

That is a wrap for today’s meditation. Next week, we will continue our trek on Meditation Monday as we take time to reflect on what is most important in creating our living legacy. On tomorrow’s trek, we will explore another wisdom quote. This 3-minute wisdom supplement will assist you in becoming healthy, wealthy, and wise each day. Thank you for joining me on this trek called life. Encourage your friends and family to join us and then come along tomorrow for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

If you would like to listen to any of the past 1158 daily treks or read the daily journal, they are available at Wisdom-Trek.com. I encourage you to subscribe to Wisdom-Trek on your favorite podcast player so each day will be downloaded to you automatically.

Thank you for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and most importantly, your friend as I serve you through the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.

As we take this trek together, let us always:

I am Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Everyday! See you tomorrow!

Wisdom – the final frontier to true knowledge. Welcome to Wisdom-Trek where our mission is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before.

Hello, my friend, I am Guthrie Chamberlain, your captain on our journey to increase wisdom and create a living legacy. Thank you for joining us today as we explore wisdom on our 2nd millennium of podcasts. This is Day 1158 of our trek, and it is time for our Philosophy Friday series.

Each Friday, we ponder some of the basic truths and mysteries of life, and how they can impact us in creating our living legacy. As we continue on this trek called life, sometimes we have questions about life, so our Friday trek is a time when we can “Ask Gramps.” Gramps will answer questions that you would like to ask your dad or granddad, but for whatever reason, are unable to. No matter how old we are, I know that all of us would like the opportunity to ask Dad or Gramps questions about life in many areas.

We may mix it up a bit on our Friday episodes, but will strive to keep them down to earth and enjoyable. If you have any questions that you would like to ask Gramps, please email them to [email protected].

So the question for this week is…

“Hey, Gramps, I desire to be a patient and kind person, but there are times when it seems my anger gets the better of me, and I lash out, only to feel defeated afterward. Do you have any wisdom to help me control my anger?”

I believe that all of us have an issue with anger. There may be times and seasons when it is harder to control, but it still is possible to live a life in which we control our anger or direct our anger in a constructive and beneficial direction. Some people don’t seem to get angry on the surface, but underneath their calm demeanor is a boiling cauldron of rage that is likely to explode. Others become very passive/aggressive with their anger, which can be just as destructive to those who are on the receiving end of it.

There was a man who tried to defend his bad temper by saying, “I explode, and then it’s over with.” It may be to that person, but just like a volcano, that man does not understand or realize that his anger leaves behind a path of carnage.

As Aristotle once wrote, “Anyone can get angry…but to do this to the right person, to the right extent, at the right time, with the right motive, and in the right way, that is not for everyone, nor is it easy.” I would say that is very true. Few are the persons that can fill all of those categories.

The Apostle Paul teaches us in Ephesians 4:26-27, “And don’t sin by letting anger control you. Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry,  for anger gives a foothold to the devil.”

God does permit us to be angry on certain occasions. In other words, it is not always sinful to experience or even display anger, but in the same verse, Paul warns us not to let our anger lead us to sin. Anger can be so destructive because actions taken and words spoken in anger cannot be taken back, nor is the damage easy to repair. Anger gives the devil a foothold in our lives that if allowed to continue will destroy us and those with whom we become angry.

We need to allow God’s Holy Spirit, who resides within us to warn us when our anger becomes sinful, so we can avoid those situations. This is usually more obvious to others, than it may even be to ourselves. We may need to allow those close to us to help us with this. Bursts of temper resulting in rage, lack of control, the desire to hurt another person, and profanity are not righteous anger. Far from it.

So how can we be angry without sinning? In addition to praying for God’s help, there are some things we can keep in mind. First, when we feel anger welling up within us, we need to focus on the problem, not the person. Second, we should reprove the situation without rejecting the person. Third, we should avoid using exaggerated statements like always and never.

Anger is a normal emotion, but we are fully responsible for how we handle it. We need the Spirit’s gift of self-control to help us deal with our anger.

Proverbs [29:11]

Fools vent their anger, but the wise quietly hold it back.

Join us again next Friday for another question on our “Ask Gramps” episode. Our next trek is Mediation Monday, where we will help you reflect on what is most important in life. So encourage your friends and family to join us and then come along on Monday for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

If you would like to listen to any of the past 1157 daily treks or read the associated journals, they are all available at Wisdom-Trek.com. I encourage you to subscribe to Wisdom-Trek on your favorite podcast player so each day will be downloaded to you automatically.

Thank you for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and most importantly, your friend as I serve you through the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.

As we take this trek together, let us always:

I am Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Everyday! See you on Monday!

Wisdom – the final frontier to true knowledge. Welcome to Wisdom-Trek where our mission is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before.

Hello, my friend, I am Guthrie Chamberlain, your captain on our journey to increase wisdom and create a living legacy. Thank you for joining us today as we explore wisdom on our 2nd millennium of podcasts. This is Day 1157 of our trek, and it is time for our 3-minute mini-trek called Humor Unplugged. Our Thursday podcast will provide a short and clean funny story to help you lighten up and live a rich and satisfying life – something to cheer you and provide a bit a levity in your life.

We are told in  Proverbs 15:30, “A cheerful look brings joy to the heart; good news makes for good health.” We are also encouraged in Proverbs 17:22, “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.” Consider this your vitamin supplement of cheer for today. So let’s jump right in with today’s funny, which is titled:

Bill always seemed to have the problem of oversleeping. He set multiple alarms, but he was just not a morning person. He continually showed up for work late, and Frank, his boss, was really starting to get irritated with his continual excuses. It got so bad that Frank finally told Bill that he had to either do something to change his ways or his job may be in jeopardy.

Bill pondered this for quite some time because he was concerned about losing his job. Frank suggested that maybe he should go see a doctor to see if he had a chronic sleep problem or possibly sleep apnea. Bill took his advice and scheduled a doctor’s appointment for that same evening. He mentioned this to Frank, who was pleased that Bill was finally taking some proactive steps to correct his sleep issues.

Doctor Phil gave him a complete checkup and determined that it was not sleep apnea, but that maybe Bill was just not sleeping soundly. He prescribed some new sleep aid medicine that had just been released that should allow Bill to sleep soundly and wake the next day well rested.

Bill took the pills as prescribed right before bedtime. That night he slept better than he ever had and woke up even before the alarm! He had a leisurely breakfast and drove happily to work very pleased with the results.

Bill came in all smiles to the office that day and proclaimed to Frank his boss, “The pill the doctor gave me actually worked!”

“That’s fine,” said Frank, “but where were you yesterday?”

Well, I hope that brought a smile to your face today. If it did, pass that smile onto someone who really needs it. Our Thursday Thought is “Hard work and a clear conscience is the best sleep aid.”

Ecclesiastes [5:12]

People who work hard sleep well, whether they eat little or much. But the rich seldom get a good night’s sleep.

As you enjoy these nuggets of humor, please encourage your friends and family to join us and then come along tomorrow for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

If you would like to listen to any of our past 1156 treks or read the Wisdom Journal, they are all available at Wisdom-Trek.com. I encourage you to subscribe to Wisdom-Trek on your favorite podcast player so each day will be downloaded to you automatically.

Thank you for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and most importantly, your friend as I serve you through the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.

As we take this trek together, let us always:

I am Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Everyday! See you tomorrow for Philosophy Friday!