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 1146 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?”

On previous weeks, we learned that the only way which God could rescue us from our fallen state and keep the covenants that He made with Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David was to become a human and join His human family on earth. Because God became a man in Jesus, he could die. That was important because death could only be defeated by resurrection. You can’t have resurrection without a prior death.

Since Jesus was also God, he had the power to bring himself back to life in John 10:17-18, “The Father loves me because I sacrifice my life so I may take it back again.  No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded.” Since the death of Jesus was God’s plan, God knew from before the foundation of the world that he would raise Jesus from the dead (Acts [2:23]-24, 32; [3:15]; [10:40]; Galatians 1:1).

Because of the resurrection, our distance from God was bridged. Death was overcome. Those were the effects of the rebellion in Eden. The Adam and Eve problems, caused by the temptation of the serpent (Satan), were solved. Everyone who believes that Jesus’ death and resurrection provided forgiveness of sin and everlasting life will be in God’s family forever (Romans [4:16]-25; [8:10]-11; 10:9-10; 1 Corinthians [6:14]).

Once Jesus rose from the dead, he had to return (“ascend”) to heaven. Jesus ascended to heaven and took his throne next to God the Father (Mark [16:19]; John [20:17]; Colossians 3:1; Hebrews 12:2). This was a precursor to sending the Holy Spirit, who would indwell believers (Acts [2:33]; Romans 8:9- 11). Jesus had to leave so the Spirit could come (John [14:25]-26; [15:26]; 16:7; Luke [24:49]).

The coming of the Spirit was the fulfillment of the new covenant described by Jeremiah and Ezekiel (Jeremiah [31:31]-34; Ezekiel [36:22]-28). It would be the Spirit who would provide victory over depravity (Galatians [5:16]-17), and whose works would be “greater” than Jesus’s own (John [14:12]).

Jesus knew his death and resurrection were key to the new covenant coming to pass. This is why at the Last Supper Jesus told the disciples that his blood was “the blood of the covenant” poured out for them (Matthew [26:28]; Mark [14:24]; Luke [22:20]). Once Jesus ascended back to heaven, and the Spirit descended to earth, humanity was not helpless against depravity.

The bottom line is that for God to clean up the problems with having a human family—the perpetual failures and rebellions—he had to become a man and fulfill all the terms of the covenants himself.

Think about the original question that Dr. Heiser proposed in this book: What does God want? He wants you. God sent his unique Son to earth as Jesus to fix the problem of death and sin, to fulfill his covenants with humanity, so He could bring you home forever. God joined the human family. There was no other way. There are a lot of reasons why the gospel has nothing to do with our behavior—earning God’s love and salvation. This is the biggest of them. It’s insane to think our imperfect behavior could ever be adequate. The coming, death, and resurrection of Christ would never have been necessary if we could earn salvation.

So the question that we need to ask, if our salvation and restoration depended on God coming to earth, dying, resurrecting, and ascending to heaven so the Spirit of God could be sent to us, why did Satan and His Minions push to kill Jesus. Well, it is a classic case of dumb and dumber. They did not understand God’s plan.

There’s one more twist in this story that we don’t want you to miss. You may have wondered something. I know I did (more than once). If the death and resurrection of Jesus overturned the effects of what the serpent (Satan) had done and impeded the wickedness that permeated the world and amounted to taking away the authority of the defiant gods of the nations, why in the world would Satan and the other evil spirits ever kill Jesus? It seems blazingly stupid.

Think about it. The key to everything in God’s plan was Jesus’ death, because you have to have a death in order to have a resurrection that overcomes death. And Jesus could not have gone back to be with God the Father if his mission was not accomplished—which means the Spirit could not have come to deal with depravity. If Satan and all the other powers of darkness had just let Jesus alone, God’s plan would have failed. Are they supernatural idiots?

Dr. Heiser has written a lot about this topic, which can be found in his books The Unseen Realm and Supernatural.  It’s fascinating. The New Testament actually answers this question. In talking about the good news (“gospel”) of Jesus that he preached, the apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 2:7-8, “No, the wisdom we speak of is the mystery of God—his plan that was previously hidden, even though he made it for our ultimate glory before the world began. But the rulers of this world have not understood it; if they had, they would not have crucified our glorious Lord.”

“Rulers” is a word Paul used elsewhere for evil members of the spirit world (Ephesians [3:10]; [6:12]; Colossians [1:16]). The point is simple: Satan, demons, and the rival sons of God didn’t know what God’s plan was. For sure, they knew who Jesus was when he started his ministry. They called Jesus the “son of God” and “son of the Most High” (Matthew 4:1-11; [8:29]; Mark [1:12]-13, 21-24; 3:11; Luke 4:1-13, 31-37; [8:28]).

The Old Testament made it pretty clear that God still wanted a human family to rule with him, just like the original idea of Eden. Satan and his buddies could have guessed Jesus was here to get that ball rolling. But they had no idea how. The logical thing in their view was to kill him. But that was the key to everything. God played them like fools.

It’s easy to chuckle about how much smarter God was than any of his supernatural enemies. But let’s not miss the point. God joined humanity not to make Satan or demons look silly. He did it because he wanted you in his family. He needed no other motive. You were enough.

But there’s still more to the story. Jesus did his part. We need to take a closer look at the Spirit’s role for a simple but significant reason—it’s directly tied to our roles in helping God recruit as many people as possible back into his family.

That will conclude our lesson for this week from Dr. Heiser’s book “What Does God Want?” Next Worldview Wednesday, we will learn that God not only joined His human family, He also continues to pursue His family. 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 1145 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 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 1145 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 Gramps, and it is, “Good luck is a lazy person’s assessment of a successful person.”

There is a natural tendency to attribute success in other people to a stroke of fortune, or good luck. Nothing could be farther from the truth. There is no such thing as good or bad luck. What we consider good luck is when opportunity, preparation, perseverance, and hard work meet at an intersection.

Yes, it does appear that some people are just at the right place at the right time, but that is nearly always an illusion. If that person was not prepared to the opportunity that came to him or her, it would be no more noteworthy than any normal occasion that crosses our paths each day. Opportunities are plentiful, but it is only the prepared, the observant, the hard worker, the one who perseveres that is able to take advantage and exploit those opportunities in order to have a chance of success.

Not every opportunity will be successful, but the more opportunities that we prepare for ahead of time and in which we invest the necessary time and resources to take advantage of, the more success we will achieve. This applies to every area of life.

Thomas Edison, who failed thousands of times is attributed to the quote,  “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” He is a person who is considered one of the greatest inventors of all time, but he also faced thousands of failures along his journey of life, and yet no one considers Thomas Edison a failure. He was prepared, he persevered, he continually worked hard…so when the opportunities crossed his path of life, he was able to take advantage of them over and over again. All of us have the same opportunities if we are prepared.

Proverbs [24:27]

“Do your planning and prepare your fields before building your house.”

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 1144 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 1144 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.

All too often we think, or are taught, that God’s will for our lives is something mystical, or difficult to discern, but it is not. God’s will for us is to utilize our God-given abilities for His glory. It most often corresponds to what we already enjoy doing and are qualified to do.

In today’s meditation, let us consider…

God gives each of us certain talents and abilities in our lives. Through normal or extreme circumstances, God molds those talents and abilities to refine us for His Kingdom. It is no more special to be a pastor or a plumber. What is important is to be using your God-given talents and abilities for His honor and glory to further His kingdom. It reminds me of the parable of the three servants found in Matthew [25:14]-30. The amount of money given to each servant was not important; it was what each servant did with the money that they were judged on.

There is a story about a twenty-year-old marine, just discharged from the military and pondering his future. He bore a square jaw, a forearm tattoo, and a common question. He didn’t know what to do with the rest of his life. He shared his story with a wise man, who relayed it to me. Here is the story…

He told me about his uncle, a New England priest…“What a great man,” the ex-soldier sighed. “He helps kids and feeds the hungry. I’d love to make a difference like that.”

I then asked him, “What were some occasions when you did something you love to do and did it quite well?”

He dismissed the question at first and said. “Aw, what I love to do is stupid.”

“Try me,” I invited.

“Well, I love to rebuild stuff.”

“What do you mean?”

He spoke of an old coffee table he had found in a garage. Seeing its potential, he shaved off the paint, fixed the broken legs, and restored it. With great pride, he presented it to his mom.

“Tell me another time,” I prompted.

“This one is really dumb,” he discounted. “But when I worked at a butcher shop, I used to find meat on the bones others threw out. My boss loved me! I could find several pounds of meat just by giving the bone a second try.”

I tested a possibility with him. “You love to salvage stuff. You salvage furniture, salvage meat. God gave you the ability to find a treasure in someone else’s trash.”

My idea surprised him. “God?God did that?”

“Yes, I said, God. Your ability to restore a table is every bit as holy as your uncle’s ability to restore a life.” You would have thought he’d just been handed a newborn baby. As my words sank in, the tough soldier teared up. His natural inclinations and desires are how God was using him to further His Kingdom.

So I will say to you, see your desires as gifts to heed rather than longings to suppress, and you’ll feel the same joy. Reflect on your life. What have you always done well and loved to do? You may just find that God is using the desires of your heart to fulfill the desires of God’s heart.

Psalm 37:4

Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires.

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 1143 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 of all, 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 1143 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, you 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].

The question for this week is…

“Hey, Gramps, in today’s instant gratification culture how can I gain wisdom to delay what I want most for what I want right now?”

This question has plagued humankind ever since Adam and Eve decided to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. They desired some immediately instead of being content with what they desired most, which was to live with God on earth in the Garden of Eden. There is also another story in the Old Testament that greatly illustrates this point. Remember the story of Jacob and his twin brother Esau? Esau wanted some of Jacob’s stew so badly, to satisfy his immediate desire, he didn’t even hesitate when Jacob asked him to trade his birthright for it. Esau’s reply to his brother is found in Genesis 25:32, “’Look, I’m dying of starvation!’ said Esau. ‘What good is my birthright to me now?'”

In essence, he said, “I am more interested in satisfying my immediate hunger than I am in whatever promise might be in store down the road.” So without a second thought, even though he knew what the birthright actually entailed, he made the deal. A spiritual blessing, a double portion of the inheritance, leadership in the family…traded for a bowl of stew. Sounds ludicrous, doesn’t it?

Unfortunately, the story of Esau is re-lived by many people, including us sometimes. When we focus our time, energy, and resources on achieving and acquiring what feels good now, we miss opportunities to participate in the promises and purpose of God. Think about that…We can miss opportunities to further God’s kingdom, to join God’s work, in the world.

As we are told in Hebrews 12:16, “Make sure that no one is immoral or godless like Esau, who traded his birthright as the firstborn son for a single meal.”

We see in this verse that Esau was not only unwise in his decision, but it was also an immoral decision because it was outside of God’s will for Him. He gave priority to his selfish desires, and by doing so, treated God in a way that was disrespectful. So now I want to ask you a question: Is there an area in your life that you are trading away God’s blessings for something else that you desire right now, instead of delaying it for something that you want most?

A life lived for Christ is a life focused on Kingdom significance, and a life of Kingdom significance will always far outweigh a life of indulgence.

“The chief cause of failure and unhappiness is trading what you want most for what you want right now.”

Let me end with Colossians 1:9-12, “So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding.  Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.  We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power, so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light.”

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 Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

If you would like to listen to any of the past 1142 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 of all, 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 1142 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…

On their way home from church one Sunday morning, Susan commented to John, her husband, “Wow, the choir sounded really bad today, didn’t it?” John thought about that and replied, “Yes you are right, they did sound bad. In addition to that, the pastor’s sermon was way too long and boring. I could barely stay awake.” Susan chuckled and said, “I am not sure you did stay awake.” After a few minutes of silence, little Mary spoke up from the back seat, “Well…you both may be right, but you have to admit, it was a pretty good show for only a dollar.”

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 “Don’t worry when you are not recognized, but strive to be worthy of recognition.”

1 Timothy [5:18]

For the Scripture says, “You must not muzzle an ox to keep it from eating as it treads out the grain.” And in another place, “Those who work deserve their pay!”

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 1141 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 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 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 1141 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?”

Last week we explored how the nation of Israel, God’s chosen people, had continually turned from Him in a constant downward spiral. This concluded in their final betrayal when the nation was taken into exile. God still desired an intimate relationship with His human family, so there was only one choice left for Him…to become human and dwell as one of them.

Most Christians know all about the coming of Jesus. They know he was miraculously birthed by Mary, a young girl who was a virgin (Matthew [1:18]-25). The wider culture is familiar with the image of baby Jesus in the manger, especially in Christmas decorations. Several old, but still popular, Christmas songs celebrate how Jesus fulfilled Old Testament prophecies about a messiah.

The entire focus is typically on Jesus being born into the world to eventually die on the cross. He would be the means of forgiveness for our sins, and thus, our entrance back into God’s family (John [3:16]). In other words, when most Christians think about Jesus, they have the cross in mind. That misses something.

The fact that God became a man in Jesus gets a little lost in focus on the cross. Most Christians don’t realize that it was necessary for God to become human for many reasons: to fulfill all the Old Testament covenants and to overturn the results of the supernatural rebellions we discussed in previous weeks.

The hope that human beings could still one day be with God forever was kept alive by God’s refusal to eliminate humanity or scrap the plan. He kept returning to humanity, offering them forgiveness and a relationship with him. God wanted them to believe and show they believed by living in harmony with him and each other. But God’s children rejected him at every turn. It’s as though every time God said, “You can still be with me— believe that and then show me where your heart’s at,” the problem got worse. The Bible uses the analogy of wandering sheep with no shepherd to describe this propensity (Isaiah 53:6; Matthew [9:36]). That’s pretty much on target.

As was noted last week, God’s children needed new hearts and God’s presence to help them believe. They needed a means to be saved from themselves and from a destiny that didn’t include everlasting life with the God who loved them. There had to be a way for God to honor his covenant promises, to reverse the curse of death, and to help his people continue in their faith.

God’s solution to these problems was radical. He had to become a man. He had to join the human race. This is where Jesus enters the story. Jesus was God become man (John 1:1, 14-15; Colossians [1:15]-20; 2:6-9). He was the solution to every one of these obstacles.

Only by dying on behalf of all humanity could the curse of death upon humanity be reversed. That meant such a death had to be followed by a resurrection, something only God could accomplish. Jesus was the solution for what happened in Eden.

Remember God’s covenant with Abraham? God had supernaturally intervened to enable Abraham and Sarah to have a son. That was the beginning of the nation of Israel. God told Abraham that one of his descendants would bless the nations God had forsaken at Babel. But how could a mere man do that?

Only God himself could be the loyal descendant of Abraham who would fulfill the promise of that covenant to bless the nations outside Israel. Jesus was that descendant of Abraham (Matthew 1:1; Luke [3:34]). He was the promised offspring who would release people in the divorced nations (“Gentiles”) from other gods so they could rejoin God’s family (Galatians [3:16]-18; 26-29). Jesus was the solution for fulfilling the covenant with Abraham.

Jesus was also a descendant of David, so he was the rightful king (Matthew 1:1; Luke 1:32; Romans 1:3). Jesus was the solution for fulfilling the covenant with David. He had the right ancestry and was perfectly loyal to God. He never disobeyed God. He never committed any sin (2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 4:15; 1 Peter 2:22). The fact that he never sinned also meant he was the perfect example of the purpose of God’s law and the covenant made at Sinai. Jesus was the ultimate imager of God (2 Corinthians 4:4; Colossians 1:15). He is the illustration of how to image God; God wants us to conform to Jesus’s example (2 Corinthians 3:18; Colossians 3:10). As we’ll see later, that’s also what being a disciple means (1 Peter [2:21]).

God becoming a man is a difficult idea to grasp. God could become a man because he is more than one person. God is three persons who are completely the same in their nature. The Bible uses the terms “Father,” “Son,” and “Holy Spirit” to distinguish these three persons. Christians call the result of that labeling the Trinity. “God the Son” became a man as Jesus (John 1:1, 14-15). Theologians call that the incarnation, a term that means God coming “in the flesh.” Jesus would be the only human God the Father could rely on to fulfill the covenants.

You might recall that it was mentioned earlier that God knew “from before the foundation of the world” that he would send the Son, Jesus, to bring people back into his family (Ephesians 1:1-14; 1 Peter [1:20]). The amazing thing is that the Son was willing to become a man, be tortured, and die so that God could have a human family. Here’s how one section of the New Testament describes the conversation:

That is why, when Christ came into the world, he said to God,

“You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings.

 Hebrews 10:5-7

It’s a good thing that God the Son was willing to be born as Jesus. Not only were the covenants at risk, but overcoming all the misery caused by supernatural rebellions was at stake as well. We need to understand that those rebellions required God becoming a man—because God joining his human family set the stage for the coming of the Spirit.

That will conclude our lesson for this week from Dr. Heiser’s book “What Does God Want?” Next Worldview Wednesday, we will learn that because of God coming to earth, He was able to fix more than the fall of the humans, He also duped Satan and his minions into killing Him. 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 1140 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 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 1140 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 A. Lou Vickery, and it is, “Four short words sum up what has lifted most successful individuals above the crowd; a little bit more. They did all that was expected of them and a little bit more.”

Little success is based on being talented or gifted in a certain area of life. The most successful people in any area of life are rarely the smartest, strongest, or most talented.  In fact, most who are successful come from very modest backgrounds with limited resources or natural giftedness.

There is a secret ingredient found in the most successful people that has nothing to do with their pedigree, their connections, or their intellect. The secret ingredient can be summed up in four short words…‘a little bit more.’ 

Successful people do all that is expected of them. They complete all that is required, just like everyone else, but then they do ‘a little bit more,’ and it makes all the difference. It is that extra perseverance, that extra push, that extra effort and energy that separates those who are just successful from those who are most successful.

The next time  you think you have completed the task enough to be successful, then push forward and lift yourself above the crowd and do ‘a little bit more’ than what is expected. This is not so you will be successful in the eyes of others, but so that you will know that you have done your very best for yourself and for God.

1 Corinthians [10:31]

So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

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 1139 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 1139 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. 

Life is full of twist and turns. At times we can hardly see our way clear, or know what direction to take on our path of life. Life can seem to be an overgrown jungle, and you find yourself lost in all of the entanglements and pressures of life. It reminds me of the theme song for the detective program “Monk” that aired from 2002-2009.

In today’s meditation, let us consider…

The story is told of a man on an African safari deep in the jungle. The guide before him had a machete and was whacking away the tall weeds and thick underbrush. The traveler, wearied and hot, asked in frustration, “Where are we? Do you know where you are taking me? Where is the path?!” The seasoned guide stopped and looked back at the man for several long seconds and then replied, “I am the path.”

We ask the same questions, don’t we? We ask God, “Where are you taking me? Where is the path?” And He, like the guide, doesn’t always tell us. Oh, He may give us a hint or two, but that’s all. If He shows us the entire path, would we understand? Would we comprehend our location? No, like the traveler, we are unacquainted with this jungle. So rather than give us an answer, Jesus gives us a far greater gift. He gives us himself. He tells us in John 14:6, “Jesus told him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.'”

Does He remove the jungle? No, the vegetation is still thick. Does He purge the predators? No, danger still lurks. Jesus doesn’t give hope by changing the jungle; he restores our hope by giving us himself. And he has promised to stay until the very end. We can be confident of this because Jesus told us in Matthew 28:20, “And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

We need that reminder. We all need that reminder. For all of us need hope.

Some of you don’t need it right now. Your jungle has become a meadow and your journey a delight. If such is the case, praise God for his clear path. But remember—we do not know what tomorrow holds. We do not know where this path will lead. You may be one turn from a cemetery, from a hospital bed, from an empty house. You may be a bend in the road from a jungle.

And though you don’t need your hope restored today, you may tomorrow. And you need to know to whom to turn.

Or perhaps you do need hope today. You know you were not made for this place. You know you are not equipped. You want someone to lead you out.

If so, call out for your guide who is clearing the path as you need it cleared. He knows your voice. And he’s just waiting for your request. He has also given us His Word as a lamp for those dark days when the paths need light. Psalm 119:105, “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.”

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 1138 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 1138 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, you are not able 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].

The question for this week is…

“Hey, Gramps, how is it that we can have access to so much information today, but it appears that we are unable to hold onto true wisdom?”

In the divisive and irrational world in which we now live, it appears that rational thinking, common sense, and certainly sage wisdom alludes our everyday lives. So many are caught up in circular thinking where few are able to hold to sound logic and doctrine. Theories and hypothesis are taught as scientific facts, and very few people study to determine, or even question, whether the conclusions are logical or sound.

This is permeating most in society, regardless of political or religious leanings. Reading social media posts and watching most newscasts today reminds me of what is taught in Isaiah 53:6, “All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all.” It appears to have impacted most Christ followers, as well as deniers. We need to frame all that we take in through the filter of the Bible, so we can stand firmly on a Biblical worldview.

To illustrate how quickly we can lose perspective because we lack ingrained wisdom, let me tell you an old German story that goes like this.

A happy and cheerful man once captured a bird and placed it in a cage. “Give me my freedom, sir!” cried the bird as he shut the door. Startled that the bird was talking to him, the man listened as the bird continued his pleading. “I am no use to you, sir, for I have no beautiful feathers to look at, nor am I able to sing beautiful songs, and I am too small to eat. If, however, you promise to grant me my freedom, I will tell you three wise teachings.”

The man agreed, whereupon the little bird told him, “First, do not grieve over things that have already happened. Second, do not wish for that which is unattainable. Third, do not believe in that which cannot be possible.”

The man thought about these wise teachings for a few moments and replied, “Indeed, these are wise things you have taught me.” As agreed, he opened the door of the cage and set the little bird free. The man sat and pondered the bird’s sayings, and the bird flew up to a branch high up in a tree. After a few moments, the man heard the bird laughing. “Why do you laugh?” he called.

“Because I so easily won my freedom,” replied the bird. “You humans pride yourselves on being the wisest of the creatures, yet I, a tiny bird, have outwitted you. Within my belly lies a diamond the size of a hen’s egg. If you had not let me go, you would be a wealthy man.”

Upon hearing this news, our once happy and cheerful man became angry, sad, and depressed. And the more the little bird laughed, the angrier, sadder, and more depressed the man became.

After some time, the man started hurling abuse at the laughing bird as he attempted to recapture it. But to no avail. The little bird was always beyond his reach. Finally, the little bird called out. “Listen to me O human. When you granted me freedom I gave you three teachings, yet you almost instantly forgot them. Let me review them with you. First, you should not grieve over things that have already happened, but still, you are grieving that you gave me my freedom. Second, you should not wish for things that you cannot obtain, and yet you want me, to voluntarily enter a prison. To me, freedom is my whole life. Third, you should not believe that which is impossible, and yet you believe that I am carrying about inside my body a diamond as large as a hen’s egg, although I myself am only half the size of a hen’s egg.”

And with that, the little bird flew away.

To be truly wise, you must have an understanding heart as we are told in Proverbs 14:33, “Wisdom is enshrined in an understanding heart; wisdom is not found among fools.”

Join us again next Friday for another question on our “Ask Gramps” episode. Our next trek is Mediation Monday, when 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 1137 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 so much for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and most of all, 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 1137 of our trek, and it is time for a 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…

Pastor Jim, a country preacher, is walking down a lane near the Smith farm on an exceptionally hot day. As he is about to pass a hay field, he sees Sam Smith Jr. struggling with all his mite to load a big pile of hay back onto the cart where it had obviously fallen off.

Pastor Jim calls over and says, “You look very hot, Sammy. Why don’t you come on over and rest a moment? I have some fresh cold lemonade, and after you are refreshed I’ll give you a hand.”

“No, thanks,” says Sam Jr. “My father wouldn’t approve.”

“Don’t be silly,” Pastor Jim says. “Your dad is not that harsh, is he? Everyone is entitled to a break. Come and have a drink of lemonade.”

“No, No,” Sam Jr. protests, “my father would be very upset.”

Losing his patience just a little, Pastor Jim says, “Your father must be a real slave driver. Tell me where I can find him, and I’ll give him a piece of my mind!”

“Well,” replies Sam Jr., “you can tell him whatever you like just as soon as I get this hay off him.”

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 “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.”

Psalm 127:2

It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones.

Just 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 1136 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 of all, 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!