Wisdom-Trek ©

Welcome to Day 1522 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to WisdomA Frog's Tale – Humor UnpluggedWisdom - 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, 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 1522 of our Trek, and 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 give a bit a levity in your life. We are told in https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs+15:30andversion=NLT (Proverbs 15:30) A cheerful look brings joy to the heart; good news makes for good health. We are also encouraged in https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs+17:22andversion=NLT (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:

A Frog’s Tale

Mr. Frog goes into a bank and approaches the teller. He can see from her nameplate that her name is Patty Whack.

“Miss Whack, I’d like to get a $30,000 loan to take a holiday.”

Patty looks at the frog in disbelief and asks his name. The frog says, “my name is Kermit Jagger, his dad is Mick Jagger, and it’s okay to borrow that amount of money because John Smith, the bank manager, and I are good friends.”

Patty explains, “Well, Mr. Frog, we will need to secure the loan with some collateral.”

Mr. Frog says, “Sure, I understand; I have this delicate, scarce tiny porcelain elephant, as you can see, is about an inch tall, bright pink and perfectly formed.”

Very confused, Patty explains, “I will have to consult with Mr. Smith, the bank manager,” and then she disappears into a back office.

She finds Mr. Smith and says, “There’s a frog called Kermit Jagger out there who claims to know you and wants to borrow $30,000, and he wants to use this as collateral.” She holds up the tiny pink elephant. “I mean, what in the world is this?”

Mr. Smith looks at the tiny elephant and hands it back to Patty, and says, “It’s a knick-knack, Patty Whack. Give the frog a loan. His old man’s a Rolling Stone.”

(Come on and admit it, you sang it, didn’t you? Yeah, I know you did.)

I hope that brought a smile to your face today. If it did pass your smile onto some else, we all could use a kind smile each day. Our Thursday thought is, “A knick-knack is a thing that sits on top of a whatnot.”

Here is our verse for today:

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+6%3A19-20andversion=NLT (Matthew 6:19-20)

“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.

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 ‘Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.’

If you would like to listen to any of our past 1521 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...

Welcome to Day 1521 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.I am Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to WisdomThe Unseen Realm: God and the gods – Worldview WednesdayWisdom - 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, 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. Today is Day 1521 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 expand on the past course work as we 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 one or 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 Unseen Realm: God and the Gods

People are fascinated by the supernatural and the superhuman. Just think about the entertainment industry in recent years. Thousands of books, television shows, and movies have been about angels, aliens, monsters, demons, ghosts, witches, magic, vampires, werewolves, and superheroes in the past decade. Many of Hollywood’s blockbuster franchises feature the supernatural: the X-Men, the Avengers, the Harry Potter series, Superman, and the Twilight saga. Television shows like Fringe and, of course, Supernatural and X-Files have dedicated followings even long after filming new episodes end. Haven’t these things always been popular—in tales, in books, in art? Why?

One answer is that they’re an escape from the ordinary. They offer us a world that’s more interesting and exciting than our own. There’s something about good versus evil, magnified on a cosmic scale, that thrills us. The epic struggle by the heroes of Middle Earth (Gandalf, Frodo, and company) against the Dark Lord Sauron in The Lord of the Rings trilogy has captivated readers (and now movie-goers) for over a half-century now. The more otherworldly the villain, the more spectacular the triumph.

On another level, people are drawn to other worlds because, as the book of https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ecclesiastes+3%3A11andversion=NLT (Ecclesiastes 3:11) puts it, Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end. There’s something about the human condition that longs for something beyond human experience—something divine. The apostle Paul wrote about this yearning too. He taught that it comes from just being alive in the world God has made. The creation bears witness to a creator, and therefore to a realm beyond our own (Roman 1:18–23). In verse 18, Paul said the impulse to know more about God was so powerful that the wicked willfully suppressed that knowledge.

Yet we don’t seem to think of the epic story of the Bible in the same way we think of our own tales of the supernatural in books, movies, and legend. There are reasons for that, and they go beyond the lack of special effects. For some, the Bible’s characters are too ordinary or grandfatherly. They don’t feel dynamic or heroic. After all, these are the same people and the same stories we’ve heard since Sunday school as kids. Then there’s the cultural barrier. It’s hard for us to identify with what seems like an endless parade of ancient shepherds and men wearing robes, like so many actors in your church’s...

Welcome to Day 1520 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to WisdomNo Darkness, Loneliness, or Abandonment – Wisdom UnpluggedWisdom - 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, 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 1520 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 Charles Kingsley, and it is: It is not darkness you are going to, for God is light. It is not lonely, for Christ is with you. It is not an unknown country, for Christ is there.

No Darkness, Loneliness, or Abandonment

During times like we face throughout the entire world with the pandemic, unrest, and polarization between people, we may feel that we are shrouded in darkness, in loneliness, and that the world is a bit unstable. From a purely humanistic perspective, there is some truth to this. As a Christ-follower, we have no reason to feel in this manner. First, we are part of God’s kingdom which will last forever. We do not need to depend on earthly government structures for our security. We are sojourners in this world, as citizens of an eternal dwelling. We do not need to feel lonely, because we are one with Christ who promises never to leave us or forsake us. We don’t need to be shrouded in this world's darkness because God has created all the lights of heaven, illuminating our hearts.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James%201%3A17andversion=NLT (James 1:17)

Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews%2013%3A5andversion=NLT (Hebrews 13:5)

Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews%2013%3A14andversion=NLT (Hebrews 13:14)

For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come.

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. Just as you enjoy these nuggets of wisdom, 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 1519 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 1519 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to WisdomBible Study – Prayer and Plausible Interpretation – Meditation MondayWisdom - 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, 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 1519 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 – Prayer and Plausible Interpretation· Insight Thirty-Seven: Prayer Doesn’t Guarantee Your Interpretation Is Accurate

God is not a vending machine. He is not the genie of all genies, in covenant with his people to grant their every wish. No mature Christian, of course, would ever think of God in such terms. We know that God does not always give us what we ask for in prayer. We trust that God has good reasons for such denials. Paul asked the Lord to rid him of the mysterious “thorn in the flesh” three times, but the answer was no (2 Corinthians 12:7-10). Even Jesus was refused when he asked God to deliver him from death on the cross if it was God’s will.

Upon reflection, this pill isn’t so hard to swallow. Perhaps the thing we so desperately want wouldn’t be good for us. Perhaps our motives aren’t entirely upright. Even if they are, maybe God has something better planned. These reasons are hard to fathom, though, when we ask God to illuminate our mind to understand Scripture. Why wouldn’t God want that?

Of course, God wants us to understand the Bible rightly. He desires our understanding as he expects us to kindly treat our spouse, tell someone the gospel, or meet someone’s emotional or financial need when it’s in our power to do so (Proverbs 3:27). But all of these spiritual endeavors depend in part upon our own will, discernment, and ability. Bible study is no exception.

This is transparently obvious when you think about it. We know from their writings that Augustine, Aquinas, Luther, Calvin, and Wesley prayed that they would adequately understand Scripture and believed God had answered that prayer. Yet these famous theologians came to dramatically different conclusions on many topics and in many passages. For example, John Calvin is renowned for his insistence that the salvation of individual believers was predestinated, an idea Wesley rejected. Luther’s judgment that James’s book didn’t belong in the New Testament would have drawn objections from the rest of these theologians. While it’s certainly appropriate to ask God to guide our study, it’s our responsibility to develop skill and experience in studying Scripture. Prayer is no cover for either meager effort or failure to address our own inadequacies as students. Most Bible students accept that until they’re in the heat of a theological joust or feel the urge to explain why their church is better than someone else’s. Resist the temptation

Welcome to Day 1518 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to WisdomCrafting a Futuristic Exponential Mindset – Ask GrampsWisdom - 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, 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. Today is Day 1518 of our Trek, and our focus on Fridays is the future technological and societal advances, so we call it Futuristic Fridays. My personality is one that has always been very future-oriented. Since my childhood, I have yearned for the exploration and discovery of new technologies and advancements for the future. I grew up with the original Star Trek series, and even today, as I am now on my 65th revolution around the sun, I still dream of traveling in space. Each week we will explore rapidly converging technologies and advancements, which will radically change our lives. At times, the topics may sound like something out of a science fiction novel, but each area that we explore is already well on its way to becoming a reality over the next couple of decades.

To keep with our theme of “Ask Gramps,” I will put our weekly topics in the form of a question to get us on track. This week’s question is, Hey Gramps, another type of mindset you mentioned a couple of weeks ago is an exponential mindset. What is an exponential mindset, and how can I craft an exponential mindset?

Crafting a Futuristic Exponential Mindset

Last week I explored some data that will back up why we should have a Futuristic Abundance Mindset. This week we will look at how to have an exponential mindset. I am using some of the information mentioned in Peter Diamandis’s blogs and book “The Future is Faster Than You Think.”

Do you have an Exponential Mindset? What is an Exponential Mindset?

That’s our conversation today…

We’ll discuss the advantages of having an Exponential Mindset and how it can benefit your business and life.

Our brains, the 100 billion neurons, and 100 trillion synaptic connections that shape everything we think and do. God created us as His masterpiece. As we read in https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%20139%3A14andversion=NLT (Psalm 139:14), Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.

For all of civilization, we are primarily “local and linear.” That is to say, we think locally and linearly. We are linear thinkers.

So, here’s an experiment. I will ask you a question, and then you can try with your kids or grandkids.

Choose between the following:

Option #1: I give you $1 per day for the next 30 days;

Or

Option #2: I give you a penny on the first day, two cents on the second day, four cents on the third day, eight cents on the fourth day, and continue to double it each day for 30 days.

Ok – within 10 seconds, choose.

Obviously, option #1 nets you $30… easy to predict, the definition of linear.

But option #2, where we are doubling - that is to say, growing exponentially, goes from deceptive to disruptive.

After the first five days (1, 2, 4, 8, 16 cents) net you just 31 cents -- it’s deceptively dismal.

But after 30 doublings, the situation gets disruptive… now we’ve increased the payout that will quickly reach a billionfold…

So if you, your kids, or grandkids choose option #2, they would end up with a payout of $10,737,418.24 in 30 days and $171,798,691.84 in 34 days!

That’s the promise and power of exponential growth!

One of our biggest challenges as entrepreneurs is to train our brains to think exponentially.

This isn’t easy to do. But it’s necessary if we want to accomplish big and bold things, and empower ourselves with the tools required to have a massive

Welcome to Day 1517 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to WisdomChurch Conflict – Humor UnpluggedWisdom - 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, 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 1517 of our Trek, and 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 give a bit a levity in your life. We are told in https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs+15:30andversion=NLT (Proverbs 15:30) A cheerful look brings joy to the heart; good news makes for good health. We are also encouraged in https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs+17:22andversion=NLT (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:

Church ConflictWhile conflict in the church is no laughing matter, and I really appreciate those who pastor our churches, sometimes we have to sit back, relax, and enjoy a humorous story.

There was a conflict brewing at the Wayside Community Church over several months between Pastor Frank and Dorothy, the song leader. Each week it was becoming evident to many in the congregation that they may not be getting along. As weeks grew into months, this conflict began to spill over into the worship service.

The first week Pastor Frank preached on commitment and how we all should dedicate ourselves to the service of God. At the end of the service, Dorothy led the congregation in the song “I Shall not be Moved.”

The second week Pastor Frank preached on tithing and how we all should gladly give to the work of the Lord. At the end of the service, Dorothy led the congregation in the song “Jesus Paid it All.”

In the third week, Pastor Frank preached on gossiping and how we should all watch our tongues. At the end of the service, Dorothy led the congregation in the song “I Love to Tell the Story.”

Pastor Frank’s frustration continued to grow each week. With all this going on, Pastor Frank became very disgusted over the situation, and the following Sunday, he told the congregation that he was considering resigning. At the end of the service, Dorothy led the congregation in the song, “Oh Why Not Tonight?”

That was the straw that broke the camel’s back. On the fifth Sunday, after Pastor Frank preached, he solemnly said that it was Jesus who led him to the church, and it was Jesus that was taking him away, and he officially resigned. After Pastor Frank sat down, the song leader, Dorothy, led the congregation in the song “What a friend we have in Jesus!”

I hope that brought a smile to your face today. If it did pass your smile onto some else, we all could use a kind smile each day. Our Thursday thought is, “God didn’t create anything without a purpose, but mosquitoes and roaches come close.”

Here is our verse for today:

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews%2010%3A25andversion=NLT (Hebrews 10:25)

And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.

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 ‘Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.’ If you would like to listen to any of our past 1516 treks or read the Wisdom Journal, they are all available at Wisdom-Trek.com. I encourage you to subscribe to Wisdom-Trek on your...

Welcome to Day 1516 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.I am Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to WisdomBelieving The Bible – Worldview WednesdayWisdom - 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, 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. Today is Day 1516 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 expand on the past course work and begin another 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 one or 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.

Believing the Bible

Do you really believe what the Bible says?

To some, that may seem like an odd question to ask about a book likely to be read mostly by Christians. I don’t think it’s so strange. The Bible has some pretty weird, hard to believe things in it, especially in the modern world.

I’m not talking about the big stuff, such as whether Jesus was God come to earth, who then died on the cross and rose from the dead. I’m not even thinking of miracle stories like the exodus, when God rescued Israel from Egypt by making a way for them through the Red Sea. Most Christians would say they believe those things. After all, if you don’t believe in God and Jesus, or that they could do miraculous things, what’s the point of saying you’re a Christian?

I’m talking about the little-known supernatural stuff you occasionally encounter when reading the Bible, but rarely hear about in church.

Here’s an example. In 1 Kings 22, there’s a story about a wicked king of Israel, Ahab. He wants to join forces with Judah’s king to attack an enemy at a place called Ramoth-Gilead. Judah’s king wants a glimpse into the future—he wants to know what will happen if they attack. So the two kings ask Ahab’s prophets and get thumbs up all around. But those prophets are just telling Ahab what he wants to hear, and both kings know it. So they decide to ask God’s prophet, a fellow named Micaiah. What he says isn’t good news for Ahab. This story is found in https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Kings+22%3A19-23andversion=NLT (1 Kings 22:19-23):

Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing beside him on his right hand and on his left; and the Lord said, “Who will entice Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-Gilead?” And one said one thing, and another said another. Then a spirit came forward and stood before the Lord, saying, “I will entice him.” And the Lord said to him, “By what means?” And he said, “I will go out, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.” And he said, “You are to entice him, and you shall succeed; go out and do so.” Now therefore behold, the Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets; the Lord has declared disaster for you.

Did you catch what the Bible’s asking you to believe? That God meets with a group of spirit beings to decide what happens on earth? Is that for real?

Here’s another example, courtesy of https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jude+1%3A6andversion=NLT (Jude 1:6):

And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in...

Welcome to Day 1515 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to WisdomReality – Wisdom UnpluggedWisdom - 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 1515 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 Simon Tugwell, and it is, "It is God's will that is the proper measure of reality, and that is expressed in Christ, who is His will."

Reality

In today’s pandemic driven, politically charged world where you see conspiracy theories, questionable news sources on all sides, and the unhinging of society as we perceived it, what we thought was reality seems to be slipping away. I have to admit; I also have to be very careful that I do not get sucked down the cesspool that drives much of the world’s agenda today.

It seems like many across the world are sliding down a slippery slope toward insanity. It is times like these in which we need a steady stream of reality for our lives. Reality can only come through a Biblical worldview. That is to say, all of that we see, hear, taste, touch, and experience must be filtered through God’s Word and the precepts of truth that are found therein. We must learn to stop the fire-hydrant of false narrative and information which threatens to drown us.

Through God’s will, which is located in God’s Word, we can maintain a firm grip on reality and not be swayed by every wind of false doctrine. God’s will was expressed in human form through Jesus Christ in whom we should ground our reality.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians+4%3A14-16andversion=NLT (Ephesians 4:14-16)

Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.

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 1514 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:

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 1514 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to WisdomBible Study – Formatting Text and Font Styles – Meditation MondayWisdom - 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, 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 1514 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 what the Bible is. Today let us meditate on:

Bible Study – Formatting Text and Fonts Styles· Insight Thirty-Five: Pay Attention to the Formatting of Your Bible Translation

No, I’m not recommending that you need a degree in book design for productive Bible study. I am suggesting that you pay attention to how the biblical text is presented in your translation. Believe it or not, Bible publishers use specific formatting conventions to draw the reader’s eye to the text features that do indeed assist in Bible study.

Let’s start with something every English Bible reader has seen but likely not considered: line breaks and indenting. Look at Psalm 1:1-2 in the ESV:

Blessed is the man

who walks not in the counsel of the wicked.

nor stands in the way of sinners,

nor sits in the seat of scoffers;

but his delight is in the law of the LORD,

and on his law, he meditates day and night.

If you read this in today’s Wisdom Journal, notice how the formatting breaks the poem into stanzas, clearly showing which thoughts are in parallel to each other. Proper formatting is crucial for drawing attention to how Hebrew poetry works. Now look at the same passage in the 1769 edition of the King James Version:

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

There is no formatting, no line breaks, and indentation, to bring out the parallelisms. The text is presented as simple prose like a historical narrative would be. The symmetry of the lines is completely lost.

Here’s another example. Modern translations segment chapters into pericopes, sections of prose that the grammar of the original text marks off as thought units. Observing the pericope divisions helps Bible students discern the immediate context of a verse within that unit.

So, yes, formatting matters. Don’t just read your Bible. Observe it.

· Insight Thirty-Six: Font Styles MattersWhat difference could font style mean in your Bible study? You’d be surprised.

Let’s talk about italics. Did you know that some English translations use italics to indicate words in the translation that have been supplied for the sake of English but for which no word in the original language exists? For example, Genesis 1:2 reads as follows in many editions of the King James Version:

And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of...

Welcome to Day 1513 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to WisdomProof Of A Futuristic Abundance Mindset – Ask GrampsWisdom - 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, 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. Today is Day 1513 of our Trek, and our focus on Fridays is the future technological and societal advances, so we call it Futuristic Fridays. My personality is one that has always been very future-oriented. Since my childhood, I have yearned for the exploration and discovery of new technologies and advancements for the future. I grew up with the original Star Trek series, and even today, as I am now on my 65th revolution around the sun, I still dream of traveling in space. Each week we will explore rapidly converging technologies and advancements, which will radically change our lives. At times, the topics may sound like something out of a science fiction novel, but each area that we explore is already well on its way of becoming a reality over the next couple of decades.

To keep with our theme of “Ask Gramps,” I will put our weekly topics in the form of a question to get us on track. This week’s question is, Hey Gramps; last week, you challenged us to craft a futuristic abundance mindset. What type of data or proof do you have that will provide evidence of a futuristic abundance mindset?

Proof Of An Futuristic Abundance MindsetLast week we drilled down on a futuristic abundance mindset. This week I will explore some data that will back up that mindset. I am using some of the information mentioned in Peter Diamandis’s blogs and book “The Future is Faster Than You Think.”

The world is getting better on many critical fronts. Many of us can’t see this good news because we are constantly bombarded by negative information online, on TV, and in newspapers.

So why are we fed “Negative/Crisis News” 24/7 on every device we own? Since the fall of humanity in the Garden of Eden, our minds have been impacted negatively. Many mindsets view life as if we are surrounded by a world of severe and immediate danger.

To deal with this constant negative presence, our mindset becomes programmed to view much of life as scary and dangerous. It puts us on *red alert.* Because of our worldview, we pay 10x more attention to negative news than to positive information.

Because of this strange phenomenon, nearly every news source puts out 10x more negative stories than positive. It’s purely a matter of marketing for news sources. If they can capture our attention, it increases their advertising revenue.

“If it bleeds, it leads” is the saying. Since every TV news show’s job is to deliver your eyes to their advertisers, negative stories reign. Because of our mindset, we remain glued to the programming.

Do this experiment: Pick up your newspaper or go to any online news outlet and compare the ratio of negative to positive stories. It’s at least 10-to-1.

Last week, I discussed the benefits of a Futuristic Abundance Mindset. Today, we’re going to look at the *data-driven optimism* that comes from the overwhelming evidence as exponential technologies will improve access to well-care, cleaner, and renewable energy, reduce childhood mortality, and reduce global poverty, and many more items.

You may receive pushback from friends, family, even fellow Christ-followers as you talk about a hopeful and abundant future. That’s okay; show them the data below.

My mission is to inspire you, and to provide you with a hopeful, compelling, and abundant vision of the future. It’s essential for me to point out upfront that the world is improving because of exponential technologies --...