Wisdom-Trek ©

Welcome to Day 1572 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to WisdomPure and Simple Love – Daily WisdomWelcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! Wisdom is the final frontier in gaining true knowledge. Our mission is to create a legacy of wisdom, seek out discernment and insights, and boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Hello, my friend; this is Gramps; thanks for coming along on our journey to increase Wisdom and Create a Living Legacy. Today is Day 1572 of our Trek, and it’s time for your daily snippet of wisdom, which includes an inspirational quote along with some wise words from Gramps for today’s trek. If you apply the words you hear today, over time, it will help you become healthy, wealthy, and wise as you continue your daily trek of life. So let’s jump right in with today’s nugget:

Today’s quote is from Gayle Roper, and it is: The proof of who we are in Christ isn’t how many folks have come to the Lord through us. It isn’t how much we’ve contributed to the Lord’s work. It isn’t how sweetly we’ve sung his praises. It is, pure and simple, how we have loved each other.

Pure and Simple Love

All of us, in some form or fashion, love to keep score. We think it is the measure of success. As Christ-followers, we count the number of attendees in church. We like to keep track of how many people we have witnessed to, and especially those who have accepted the salvation that comes through Christ. We want to know how much money is given in the offering. We praise those who have beautiful voices when they sing. In the end, none of those statistics are of any value or proof of our walk with God. The only factor that truly matters is the love we have for each other, both those who share a common faith, and those opposed to us, and may even treat us unkind. The resulting fruit of a life cultivated with God’s Spirit are clearly listed in https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians+5%3A22-23andversion=NLT (Galatians 5:22-23), But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

So the next time you find yourself getting puffed up by your righteous acts, or you see someone else who is falling prey to the statistics game, Stop. Remember that Jesus Christ instructed us to follow His example, which is abundantly simple. Christ tells us that the entire law and teaching of the prophets are summed up in two acts, Love God, Love others.

As the old saying goes, ‘The proof of the pudding is in the eating.’ Jesus tells us in https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+13%3A35andversion=NLT (John 13:35) Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.

I have to ask myself continually, how can something so simple, be so difficult to practice each day? What about you? What is your proof of who you are in Christ?

As you ponder this nugget of daily wisdom yourself, I would ask you to please encourage your friends and family to join us and then come along tomorrow for another day of ‘Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.’

If you would like to listen to any of our past 1571 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 that each day will be downloaded to you automatically.

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

As we take this Trek of life together, let us always:

Live Abundantly (Fully)

Love Unconditionally

Listen Intentionally

Learn Continuously

Lend to others Generously

Lead with Integrity

Leave a Living Legacy Each Day

I am Guthrie Chamberlain….reminding you to...

Welcome to Day 1571 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.I am Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to WisdomThe Cloud Rider – Worldview WednesdayWelcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! Wisdom is the final frontier in gaining true knowledge. Our mission is to create a legacy of wisdom, seek out discernment and insights, and boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Hello, my friend; this is Gramps; thanks for coming along on our journey to increase Wisdom and Create a Living Legacy. Today is Day 1571 of our Trek, and it is Worldview Wednesday. Creating a Biblical Worldview is essential to have a proper perspective on today’s current events. To establish a Biblical Worldview, you must have a proper understanding of God and His Word. This week, we will continue reviewing the book from Dr. Michael S Heiser titled “Supernatural.” The book is an abbreviated version of his more comprehensive book, “The Unseen Realm.” I highly recommend both of these books. Creating a Biblical Worldview based on how the Old and New Testaments connect with God’s overall plan for humanity is essential. This book review will help us understand what the Bible teaches about the unseen world, and why it matters.

The Cloud Rider

We closed the last chapter by noting how Jesus began to talk about his death immediately after baiting the powers of darkness at the gates of hell and Mount Hermon. The challenge set in motion a string of events that would lead to the Lord’s trial and his death on the cross. Christians have read about the trial of Jesus many times. But there’s a supernatural backdrop to it that is frequently overlooked.

To understand what finally draws the death sentence from the Jewish authorities and the transfer of Jesus to Pontius Pilate to carry it out, we have to go back to the Old Testament book of Daniel—to a meeting God holds with his heavenly host, his divine council.

The Ancient of Days and His CouncilDaniel 7 begins with a strange vision. Daniel sees four beasts coming out of the sea (Daniel 7:1–8). They’re all freakish, but the fourth beast is the worst. In the dreams interpreted in the Old Testament, both objects and living things always represent something, and in this dream, the four beasts in Daniel’s vision are four empires. We know that because his vision aligns with the themes of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in Daniel 2, which was about Babylon and three other empires to follow. Our focus, though, is on what Daniel describes next in https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Daniel+7%3A9-10andversion=NLT (Daniel 7:9-10):

I watched as thrones were put in place

and the Ancient One sat down to judge.

His clothing was as white as snow,

his hair like purest wool.

He sat on a fiery throne

with wheels of blazing fire,

and a river of fire was pouring out,

flowing from his presence.

Millions of angels ministered to him;

many millions stood to attend him.

Then the court began its session,

and the books were opened.

We know the Ancient of Days is the God of Israel. That’s pretty easy to determine, especially if we compare his throne’s description to Ezekiel’s vision of God’s throne (Ezekiel 1). The fire, wheels, and human form on the throne in that vision are the same as Daniel’s.

But did you notice there isn’t just one throne? There are many thrones in Daniel’s vision (Daniel 7:9)—enough for the divine court, God’s council (Daniel 7:10). The heavenly court meets to decide the fate of the beasts—the empires—in the vision.

It is decided that the fourth beast must be killed and the other beasts rendered powerless (Daniel 7:11–12). Another king and kingdom will displace them. And that’s where things get even more interesting.

The Son of Man Who Comes on the Clouds

Daniel continues narrating his vision in...

Welcome to Day 1570 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to WisdomLive Every Day – Daily WisdomWelcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! Wisdom is the final frontier in gaining true knowledge. Our mission is to create a legacy of wisdom, seek out discernment and insights, and boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Hello, my friend; this is Gramps. Thanks for coming along on our journey to increase Wisdom and Create a Living Legacy. Today is Day 1570 of our Trek, and it’s time for another snippet of wisdom, which includes an inspirational quote along with some wise words from Gramps for today’s trek. If you apply the words you hear today, over time, it will help you become healthy, wealthy, and wise as you continue your daily trek of life. So let’s jump right in with today’s nugget:

Today’s quote is from Vaughan Garwood, and it is: The only way to live your last day as you would want to, is to live like that all the time.

Live Every Day

If you woke up this morning were told that it would be your last day on earth, how would that change how you live that day? That may be a bit extreme of a question, but I would say that we would change whatever plans we had for that day and focus on what is most important. Let’s stretch the time out a bit. Say you only have one month to live, or even one year, and there was nothing you could do to change that fact. Would you live differently? Most of us would certainly make sure we have our affairs in order and then focus on creating a positive impact on our world. Think about it. None of us are guaranteed another day or even an hour. We should start living each day as if our time is finite, which it is. We should be living a legacy each day that would impact others for all eternity because our lives significantly impact our world. You are special, valuable, and unique in the sight of God and humankind. That knowledge should not cause us to be puffed up, but to be grateful to God with all humility that we are created as His image-bearer. Our lives are a shining light on a hill during the darkest of night. We are a beacon to those who are in need. So each day when you rise, after thanking God for another day of life, live each day as if it were your last, and your impact on others will last through eternity. Because your life matters, both to God, and to all the world. Live like it does because you are salt to a flavorless world, and a shining light in the darkest nights.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%205%3A13%2D15andversion=NLT (Matthew 5:13-15)

“You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.

“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.

As you ponder this nugget of wisdom for yourself, please encourage your friends and family to join us and then come along tomorrow for another day of ‘Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.’

If you would like to listen to any of our past 1569 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, I am your friend as I serve you through this Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal each day.

As we take this Trek of life together, let us always:

Live Abundantly (Fully)

Love Unconditionally

Listen Intentionally

Learn Continuously

Lend to others Generously

Lead with Integrity

Leave a Living Legacy Each Day

Welcome to Day 1569 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to WisdomBible Study – Worldview of the Author and Word Meanings – Meditation MondayWelcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! Wisdom is the final frontier in gaining true knowledge. Our mission is to create a legacy of wisdom, seek out discernment and insights, and boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Hello, my friend; this is Gramps; thanks for coming along on our journey to increase Wisdom and Create a Living Legacy Today is Day 1569 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 in prayer. It is a time to renew my mind, refocus on what is most important, and making 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.

We are continuing our series this week on Meditation Monday as we focus on Mastering Bible Study through a series of brief insights from Hebrew Scholar, Dr. Michael S. Heiser. Our current insights are focusing on accurately interpreting the Bible. Today let us meditate on:

Bible Study – Worldview of the Author and Word Meanings· Insight Fifty-Seven: You Can’t Understand the Bible Without Understanding the Worldview of the People Who Wrote It

I’ve talked before about the importance of context for interpretation. The context of the Bible involves many things. Think about the many contexts for anything we write. Our past and present experiences naturally color the way we look at the world. What enters our minds in various forms of media becomes part of how we intellectually process the world. How we were taught to express ourselves informs how we communicate. We are a product of the intellectual climate and resources that we absorb. So were the biblical writers.

Much of what we find in the Bible cannot be understood well (or even at all) unless we see what’s written through ancient eyes. We must be able to think like the ancient writer. Doing that requires sharing his worldview. Obviously, we can’t hope to accomplish that task ultimately. But we providentially live at a time where it’s more possible than ever to get inside the head of biblical writers with respect to their worldview.

The key to discovering the biblical writers’ worldview is to read material that reflects their time and culture. Archaeology has uncovered a large amount of the intellectual output of the cultures that were part of the biblical world. Numerous tablets and manuscripts have been translated into English. That makes it possible for us to think more as they did. We can not only read about what people from Egypt, Babylon, and Canaan wrote and thought, we can read that material ourselves.

Some outstanding resources help us navigate this terrain. The best starting points are two books, Ancient Texts for the Study of the Hebrew Bible and Ancient Texts for New Testament Studies. Both volumes are guides to the background literature produced by the civilizations of the ancient biblical world. The nine-volume Zondervan Illustrated Bible Background Commentary is also a premium reference tool.

Among the many resources these titles will direct you to are anthologies—collections of ancient English translation texts. The most up-to-date scholarly set is the three-volume Context of Scripture. James Pritchard’s Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament is a one-volume anthology. Other volumes focus solely on one writer or collection, such as the Dead Sea Scrolls, Josephus, or Philo....

Welcome to Day 1568 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to WisdomEnlightenment – Daily WisdomWelcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! Wisdom is the final frontier in gaining true knowledge. Our mission is to create a legacy of wisdom, seek out discernment and insights, and boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Hello, my friend; this is Gramps; thanks for coming along on our journey to increase Wisdom and Create a Living Legacy. Today is Day 1568 of our Trek, and it’s time for your daily snippet of wisdom, which includes an inspirational quote along with some wise words from Gramps for today’s trek. If you apply the words you hear today, over time, it will help you become healthy, wealthy, and wise as you continue your daily trek of life. So let’s jump right in with today’s nugget:

Today’s quote is from Vic Braden, and it is: The moment of enlightenment is when a person's dreams of possibilities become images of probabilities.

Enlightenment

We all have dreams, hopes, and expectations for the future of what could be possible. However, dreams will never become a reality unless you are willing to move those dreams to a plan and visualize them as actual probabilities. At that point, your mind will be enlightened, and you can take the first steps towards achieving those dreams. If you never go beyond the dream stage, you will never have those dreams come true. Dreams will become probabilities, and then reality when you turn those dreams into plans and then execute those plans. So my encouragement is to dream big, but do not be satisfied with living in your dream world. After your dream is fully scoped out, create a plan to achieve your dream, and then take action to turn that dream into a reality. Have faith in yourself and your God-given talents and ability. Live fully as God’s imager by impacting your world for the building of His kingdom and His glory.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2073%3A23%2D25andversion=NLT (Psalm 73:23-25)

Yet I still belong to you;

you hold my right hand.

You guide me with your counsel,

leading me to a glorious destiny.

Whom have I in heaven but you?

I desire you more than anything on earth.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=ephesians+1%3A18andversion=NLT (Ephesians 1:18)

I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.

As you ponder this nugget of wisdom for yourself, I would ask you to please 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 our past 1567 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 that each day will be downloaded to you automatically.

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

As we take this Trek of life together, let us always:

Live Abundantly (Fully)

Love Unconditionally

Listen Intentionally

Learn Continuously

Lend to others Generously

Lead with Integrity

Leave a Living Legacy Each Day

I am Guthrie Chamberlain….reminding you to ’Keep Moving Forward,’ ‘Enjoy your Journey,’ and ‘Create a Great Day…Everyday’! See you on Monday for more daily wisdom!

Welcome to Day 1567 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to WisdomMoving Mountains – Daily WisdomWelcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! Wisdom is the final frontier in gaining true knowledge. Our mission is to create a legacy of wisdom, seek out discernment and insights, and boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Hello, my friend; this is Gramps; thanks for coming along on our journey to increase Wisdom and Create a Living Legacy. Today is Day 1567 of our Trek, and it’s time for your daily snippet of wisdom, which includes an inspirational quote along with some wise words from Gramps for today’s trek. If you apply the words you hear today, over time, it will help you become healthy, wealthy, and wise as you continue your daily trek of life. So let’s jump right in with today’s nugget:

Today’s quote is from a Chinese Proverb, and it is: The man who removes a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.

Moving Mountains

No matter how large or intimidating a project or task is, it can be completed with perseverance when it is broken down into its smallest possible component. Many people will become overwhelmed when they are confronted with decisions or choices they face. Instead of just taking each next step one after another, they become paralyzed and make no progress. It is like standing at the bottom of a very long set of stairs and wondering how they will reach the top in a single step. When viewed in that manner, it is impossible. No matter how hard or difficult a journey may seem, to get through the most challenging journey, we need to take only one step at a time, but we must keep on stepping. If your life is in disarray, don’t try to overhaul your life overnight. Instead, focus on making one small change at a time. Over time, those small changes will add up to a significant transformation. Just don’t give up. Just breath in and breathe out and remember that moving forward means taking one step at a time. Even the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. When our children or employees would become overwhelmed with a task, I would ask them. “How do you eat an elephant?” I would then give them the answer, which is, “one bite at a time.” Bringing the conversation back to the quote for today. Persistence is the most potent force on earth. You can move mountains one small stone at a time.

So it is with our spiritual lives. So often, we are thwarted from making progress in our lives because we do not have the faith that God can enable us to accomplish all that we are capable of. We lack faith in our God-given talents and abilities. So my encouragement to you is to have faith and take your trek of life one step at a time. Move your mountains one small stone at a time. All you need is faith the size of a mustard seed, and you can be a mountain mover.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2017%3A20andversion=NLT (Matthew 17:20)

“You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.”

As you ponder this nugget of daily wisdom yourself, I would ask you to please encourage your friends and family to join us and then come along tomorrow for another day of ‘Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.’

If you would like to listen to any of our past 1566 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 that each day will be downloaded to you automatically.

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

Welcome to Day 1566 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.I am Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to WisdomSupernatural Intent – Worldview WednesdayWelcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! Wisdom is the final frontier in gaining true knowledge. Our mission is to create a legacy of wisdom, seek out discernment and insights, and boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Hello, my friend; this is Gramps; thanks for coming along on our journey to increase Wisdom and Create a Living Legacy. Today is Day 1566 of our Trek, and it is Worldview Wednesday. Creating a Biblical Worldview is essential to have a proper perspective on today’s current events. To establish a Biblical Worldview, you must have a proper understanding of God and His Word. This week, we will continue reviewing the book from Dr. Michael S Heiser titled “Supernatural.” The book is an abbreviated version of his more comprehensive book, “The Unseen Realm.” I highly recommend both of these books. Creating a Biblical Worldview based on how the Old and New Testaments connect with God’s overall plan for humanity is essential. This book review will help us understand what the Bible teaches about the unseen world, and why it matters.

Supernatural Intent

In the last chapter, we saw how the Old Testament presents the messiah by hiding him in plain sight. The key to God’s plan to restore Eden and redeem humanity was for the messiah, Jesus, to die on the cross and then rise from the dead.

Only by becoming a man could God ensure that a human king from David’s line would rule over his people without falling into sin and straying spiritually. Only if that king died in the place of his people and rose from the dead could God rightly judge sin and provide salvation all at the same time. Only by the messiah’s death and resurrection would fallen people still have a place in God’s family council, ruling in that renewed Edenic kingdom, as originally planned.

But think about all that required: Jesus had to somehow make sure the supernatural powers of darkness manipulated men to kill him—without understanding what they were doing. As Paul had said to the Corinthians (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Corinthians+2%3A8andversion=NLT (1 Corinthians 2:8)), But the rulers of this world have not understood it; if they had, they would not have crucified our glorious Lord.

The life and ministry of Jesus may make more sense when viewed against that backdrop. It’s easy for readers of the New Testament, for instance, to get the impression that Jesus’ ministry leading up to the cross was somewhat random. After all, the Gospels don’t always present the same episodes—for example, the birth of Jesus is found in only two of them (Matthew and Luke), and only one mentions the wise men (Matthew 2). Sometimes scenes appear in a slightly different order in different gospels. But those acts of Jesus recorded in the Gospels leading up to the crucifixion—healing the sick, preaching about the kingdom of God, forgiving sinners, confronting hypocrisy‌—were more than the random acts of a traveling wise man who occasionally did miraculous things. There’s more going on in the gospel stories than meets the eye. There’s an essential subtext to what Jesus was doing.

Outwitting Evil

The event that marked the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry was his baptism. It was there that God publicly identified Jesus as his Son (Mark 1:11), and there that John the Baptist identified him in https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+1%3A29andversion=NLT (John 1:29) “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! When we read those words from John, we think immediately about the crucifixion. But John’s disciples weren’t thinking about that. Frankly, no one was. When, close to the end of his ministry—over three years after his baptism—Jesus began to speak of his death, his disciples rejected the idea (Matthew 17:22–23; Mark 9:30–32). The...

Welcome to Day 1565 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to WisdomLove Your Neighbor – Daily WisdomWelcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! Wisdom is the final frontier in gaining true knowledge. Our mission is to create a legacy of wisdom, seek out discernment and insights, and boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Hello, my friend; this is Gramps. Thanks for coming along on our journey to increase Wisdom and Create a Living Legacy. Today is Day 1565 of our Trek, and it’s time for another snippet of wisdom, which includes an inspirational quote along with some wise words from Gramps for today’s trek. If you apply the words you hear today, over time, it will help you become healthy, wealthy, and wise as you continue your daily trek of life. So let’s jump right in with today’s nugget:

Today’s quote is from George MacDonald, and it is: The love of our neighbor is the only door out of the dungeon of self.

Love Your Neighbor

If we are honest with ourselves, we realize that most everyone is self-centered, including ourselves. This problem has been with us since the Garden of Eden when after they chose to disobey God, Adam blamed Eve, who accused the Evil One. It is not until we realize our responsibility to seek what is best for those we love will we ever be able to find the keys to the dungeon of self-absorption. We need to learn how to love those who are unlovely. We need to learn to care for others without thoughts of reciprocation. We need to understand that anyone we have the privilege of crossing paths with is our neighbor. Therefore, we need to climb out of the pit of selfishness and love them as we love ourselves. We need to do good to those who have not the ability to do good back to us. The paradox with all of this is that we cannot fully love our neighbor until we understand the love that God has for us. We also need to love ourselves as God loves us. According to our savior Jesus Christ's teaching, God has provided an easy path for us to obey Him completely. God’s precepts are summed up in Luke 10:26-28, Jesus replied, “What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?”

The man answered, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” “Right!” Jesus told him. “Do this, and you will live!”

As you ponder this nugget of wisdom for yourself, please encourage your friends and family to join us and then come along tomorrow for another day of ‘Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.’

If you would like to listen to any of our past 1564 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, I am your friend as I serve you through this Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal each day.

As we take this Trek of life together, let us always:

Live Abundantly (Fully)

Love Unconditionally

Listen Intentionally

Learn Continuously

Lend to others Generously

Lead with Integrity

Leave a Living Legacy Each Day

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!

Welcome to Day 1564 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to WisdomBible Study – Total Objectivity And The Weird – Meditation MondayWelcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! Wisdom is the final frontier in gaining true knowledge. Our mission is to create a legacy of wisdom, seek out discernment and insights, and boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Hello, my friend; this is Gramps; thanks for coming along on our journey to increase Wisdom and Create a Living Legacy Today is Day 1564 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 in prayer. It is a time to renew my mind, refocus on what is most important, and making 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.

We are continuing our series this week on Meditation Monday as we focus on Mastering Bible Study through a series of brief insights from Hebrew Scholar, Dr. Michael S. Heiser. Our current insights are focusing on accurately interpreting the Bible. Today let us meditate on:

Bible Study – Total Objectivity And The Weird· Insight Fifty-Five: Total Objectivity in Bible Interpretation Is a Myth

Everybody likes to think they’re objective. We all want to believe we can render opinions or judgments wholly divorced from any external influence or personal bias. We don’t like the suspicion that we’ve failed to weigh all possibilities about what a passage might mean before landing somewhere. That would make it seem like our position on some interpretation point is somehow premature, careless, or unfair. We can cherish the thought, but it’s a delusion.

Absolute objectivity about anything we enjoy thinking about or are forced to consider is an impossible standard. We can’t hope to jettison altogether every past sight, conversation, or experience from our minds that might nudge our opinions in a particular direction. Even if we’re thinking about something or someone with which we have no prior experience, we have our own presuppositions. We weren’t born with those. They are the cumulative result of all our life experiences, primarily how we were raised as children.

Scholars aren’t immune to this struggle. Dr. Heiser recalls one day in graduate school; his professor lapsed into a mini-lecture on what it meant to be a scholar. One of his points was that “real” scholars approach the Bible with no biases or presumptions. Specifically, they bring no prior belief about the Bible to their analysis of the biblical text. Ideas like inspiration and anything else “confessional” had to be eliminated for the real scholarship to occur.

I appreciated the spirit of the advice. We ought not to filter what we see in the text through any theological grid. But I also had to shake my head. The absence of any religious or theological thought about the Bible is impossible but is a theological statement. The intellectual denial of the idea of inspiration (however defined) will indeed influence how we process the data we glean from the text.

The honest thing to do is to acknowledge the beliefs we have. Every Bible student needs to own up to the fact that they might “believe” something only because the thought was handed down to them. Being upfront with that possibility and letting people know we’re trying hard not to filter the Bible through our beliefs fosters accountability. We shouldn’t pretend we are immune from the experience we’ve acquired through past study or our interaction with others interested in the...

Welcome to Day 1563 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to WisdomFacing Fear – Daily WisdomWelcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! Wisdom is the final frontier in gaining true knowledge. Our mission is to create a legacy of wisdom, seek out discernment and insights, and boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Hello, my friend; this is Gramps; thanks for coming along on our journey to increase Wisdom and Create a Living Legacy. Today is Day 1563 of our Trek, and it’s time for your daily snippet of wisdom, which includes an inspirational quote along with some wise words from Gramps for today’s trek. If you apply the words you hear today, over time, it will help you become healthy, wealthy, and wise as you continue your daily trek of life. So let’s jump right in with today’s nugget:

Today’s quote is from Gramps, and it is: The function of fear is to warn us of danger, not to make us afraid to face it.

Facing Fear

It seems to me that so many people are fearful today. Maybe it has always been that way. Like so much of our news and information, the evidence of fear is exploding through social media. Even much of the division and anger we see on display is rooted in fear. A proper level of fear is required for our safety, but only when the evidence supports that fear, which is rare. We have become so used to fear, if we are faced with an event where we should be fearful, we do not know how to face that fear properly. Most media outlets and online social sites feed on people's fear because it drives eyeballs and revenue to their platform. This happens on all sides of the political spectrum. It is not reserved just for one ideology. Most of what we experience as fear today is False Evidence Appearing Real.

We cannot allow ourselves to succumb to fear. When we do face real fear, we need to face it head-on. Now, if there is imminent danger to our lives or the lives of those we love, then the response should be to remove yourself from that situation as quickly as possible. Otherwise, we need to conquer what is causing fear in our lives. Unfounded fear of success in any aspect of our life is an idea-crippling, experience-crushing, success-stalling inhibitor inflicted only by yourself. We must have the courage to carry on and fulfill our God-given destiny for our life. Courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. As Christ-followers, we need to come to the understanding that the opposite of faith is fear. Let us have faith that God is in control of our lives and all events throughout the world. God’s love will keep us in His arms, and nothing can separate us from His love.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%208%3A38andversion=NLT (Romans 8:38)

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Timothy%201%3A7andversion=NLT (2 Timothy 1:7)

For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

As you ponder this nugget of wisdom for yourself, I would ask you to please 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 our past 1562 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 that each day will be downloaded to you automatically.

Thank you for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and most importantly, I am your