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Wisdom-Trek / Creating a LegacyWelcome to Day 1392 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to WisdomMy Dad Is the Best – 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, 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 https://wisdom-trek.com/captivate-podcast/day-1392/ (Day 1392) 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 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...

My Dad Is The Best

Johnny, Sammy, Ronnie, and Mikey were on the playground when the subject of what their fathers do for a living came up. Of course, as most little boys do, each one thinks his father is the best. Soon they begin to brag about each of their fathers.

Johnny says, "My dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, he calls it a poem and they pay him $50."

Next, Sammy speaks up and says, "That's nothing. My dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper; he calls it a song; they pay him $100."

Knowing his father was a doctor, Ronnie proudly says, "I got you both beat. My dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper; he calls it a prescription; they pay him $200."

Ronnie could not contain himself and says, "Is that all you got? My dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, he calls it a sermon, and it takes eight people with gold plates to collect all the money!"

I hope that brought a smile to your face today. If it did, pass your smile on to someone else, we all could use a kind smile each day. Our Thursday thought is, “A child, like your stomach, doesn’t need all you can afford to give it.”

Here is our verse for today.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs+19:14andversion=NLT (Proverbs 19:14)

Fathers can give their sons an inheritance of houses and wealth, but only the Lord can give an understanding wife.

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 1391 treks or read the Wisdom Journal, they are all available at https://wisdom-trek.com (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, 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 Philosophy Friday!

Welcome to Day 1391 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.I am Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to WisdomMastering the Bible – Gentile Inclusion and All Things in Common – 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, 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. Today is https://wisdom-trek.com/captivate-podcast/day-1391/ (Day 1391) 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. Our focus for the next several months on Worldview Wednesday is Mastering the Bible, through a series of brief insights. These insights are extracted from a book of the same title from one of today’s most prominent Hebrew Scholars, Dr. Micheal S. Heiser. This book is a collection of insights designed to help you understand the Bible better. When we let the Bible be what it is, we can understand it as the original readers did and as its writers intended. Each week we will explore two insights.

Mastering The Bible – Gentile Inclusion and All Things in CommonInsight Sixty-Five: Gentile Inclusion in the People of God Didn’t Mean Hostility Towards Jews and Jewish Customs

The book of Acts and the ministry of Paul and his companions inform us that the people of God after the cross were not a new theocracy or a revived Israel on Old Testament terms. The family of God included believers, Jew and Gentile. Entrance only required faith in what Jesus accomplished by his death and resurrection.

From antiquity to our own day; however, the non-Jewish nature of the people of God has been misread in negative ways, even to the point of anti-Semitism. It is absurd to think that the New Testament endorses the hatred of the Jewish people. Even after the conference over Gentile inclusion in Acts 15, there is no evidence in Acts that Jews were taunted or prevented from preaching the gospel. The opposite was true.

Paul, a Jew in Philippians 3, addressed this both in word and deed. The gospel, said Paul, was for the Jew first and then the Gentile (Roman 1:16-17). In every place Paul visited on his missionary travels, he went to the synagogue first. If the Jews no longer had a special status, then his pattern seems odd. But Paul longed for the salvation of his countrymen (Romans 9:1-5).

Paul also expressed appreciation and even devotion to Jewish law and customs. He knew that the law was no substitute for salvation. It couldn’t be. Salvation is an unmerited gift (Ephesians 2:8-10; Romans 4:3-25). Nevertheless, he “delighted” in the law in his inner (redeemed) being (Romans 7:22). Paul circumcised Timothy before taking him along on a missionary tour to avoid the young man becoming an obstacle to the Jews that Paul would preach to (Acts 16:3). Upon his return to Jerusalem, Paul visited the temple (Acts 21:26-30), having taken a Nazirite vow of purification (Acts 26:23-36). This would make little sense if Paul believed Israel had been displaced by God, especially when going to the temple was such a dangerous thing for him to do.

Rather than setting Israel aside, the New Testament language should be understood in terms of gentile inclusion. God included the Gentiles into his family; he didn’t exclude Jews. Although modern-day “replacement theology” primarily focuses on the interpretation of eschatology, it has become a trendy excuse for anti-Semitic attitudes and political disdain for modern Israel. Politics is no aid to biblical understanding and should not become a filter for Scripture.

Insight Sixty-Six: The Early Chuch Did Not

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a LegacyWelcome to Day 1390 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to WisdomDo Your Best To Be Faithful – 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 1390 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 Mother Teresa, and it is: Do your best and trust that others do their best. And be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.

Do Your Best To Be FaithfulIn our politically correct, polarized world, especially within media outlets and social media, if we are not careful, we will harbor a spirit of distrust of nearly everyone. This is not what God intends for our life. Yes, I realize that if you open up and begin trusting others, there will be times when where your trust will be betrayed. That should not stop us from trusting others. Let me share with you a personal story when our trust was shattered. When we owned and operated our computer business, we decided to expand through acquisition. First, we acquired a small company, and about a year later, a company that was similar in size. We discovered that in both cases, the information regarding their businesses, and personal lives of the owners, was not as we were told. Through these misrepresentations of their integrity, financial health, and due to economic issues at the time, we ended up having to close our business after nearly 18 years, because we could not financially survive the downturn. Afterward, during a time of reflection, I mentioned to Paula, that “I know our trust was betrayed, but I would still rather trust with the possibility of betrayal than not trust others. A lack of trust leads to a lack of hope. A lack of hope, leads to a life of despair. That is not the kind of life that I choose to live.” Yes, part of the issue was that we did not correctly conduct adequate due diligence, and I take full responsibility for the outcome. That does not mitigate the feelings that we experienced. President Ronald Regan said it well when he said, “trust but verify.” I have adopted this concept in my life as much as possible. We must trust others to do their best. We must be faithful in the small things because that is where our real strength lies.There is One who we can trust, who will never leave us or forsake us, and He will direct our paths. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs+3%3A5-6andversion=NLT (Proverbs 3:5-6) Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.

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 1389 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 in...

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a LegacyWelcome to Day 1389 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to WisdomDealing With The Unchangeable – 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 1389 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.

Most, if all of like to be in control, and change circumstances and events that make us uncomfortable. Today let us meditate on:

Dealing With The UnchangeableDealing with the Covid-19 pandemic has been difficult for nearly everyone. One of the reasons is that, for the most part, it is out of our control, and there is little we can do to change that. We do not like situations and circumstances which we cannot change. When you really think about it, there is probably more we don’t have control over, than what we do have control over.

Many things about your life boil down to the hand you have been dealt. You can’t change the fact that you were born in that place and with certain givens for your appearance, IQ, or physical skills. Education and training can open some doors for you, but they cannot change your past, make you taller and more athletic, or alter the fact that some people are unfair in the way they treat you.

Even though most of our life circumstances are beyond our control, we are all still tempted to fret and complain about things that cannot be changed. Of course, they cause distress. They certainly put us at a disadvantage in certain contexts. They mustn’t be allowed to define or defeat us.

The people who do best with life move beyond the temptation to whine and feel sorry for themselves. They face their disappointments and move beyond them. They acknowledge life’s bad breaks and look for ways to turn them into growth moments. They work from a half-full rather than half-empty glass mindset.

These people have a different attitude than the defeatist and whiner. They have found a way to make lemonade from their lemons. There is a section in John Baillie’s “A Diary of Private Prayer” that reads...

Teach me, O God, so to use all the circumstances of my life today that they may bring forth in me the fruits of holiness rather than the fruits of sin.

Let me use disappointment as material for patience;

Let me use success as material for thankfulness;

Let me use suspense as material for perseverance;

Let me use danger as material for courage;

Let me use reproach as material for longsuffering;

Let me use praise as material for humility;

Let me use pleasures as material for temperance;

Let me use pains as material for endurance.

Your attitude today will make all the difference in everything that matters.

When a given day begins, countless things are headed your way over which you have no control. It may be bad weather or someone’s bad temper, a deadline that won’t budge or a client equally resistant to change. The one factor you can control through it all is your attitude toward them.

Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a LegacyWelcome to Day 1388 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to WisdomLife After Covid-19 Part 1 – 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. This is Day 1388 of our Trek and time for our Philosophy Friday series. Each Friday, we will ponder some of the fundamental 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 where we can ‘Ask Gramps.’ Gramps will answer questions that you would like to ask your dad or granddad, but for whatever reason, this is not possible. No matter how old we are, I know that all of us would like the opportunity to ask dad or gramps questions about life in many areas.

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

So the question for this week is:

“Hey, Gramps, I realize that after this whole Covid-19 pandemic is under control, life will take on some sort of normalcy for most people. I can’t get my head around how life will change with so many people out of work and many businesses not being able to survive. What is your take on how life will be after Covid-19?

Life After Covid-19 Part 1This question is certainly too broad to answer in one segment, so this will be the first of several ‘Ask Gramps’ feature which will analyze various areas of life, and how this pandemic will impact them. Please make sure that you download our Friday podcast sessions to follow the complete analysis. Better yet, subscribe to Wisdom-Trek so you can gain a bit of wisdom five days a week.

While I am not a prophet, nor the son of a prophet, speculation that I have about life after Covid-19 is just that, speculation. Although after nearly 64 years of life and over 40 years as an entrepreneur and small business owner, I have already been through several business cycles. I am also a father of five grown children and seven grandchildren. Throughout the years, I have been very active in church ministries and other community groups. Since my primary career focus has been technology, I have been at the forefront of changes in business and society throughout the years. With that being said, I will try to add some enlightenment to your questions. One thing that sets this pandemic situation apart from all other world events, including the two world wars, is that Covid-19 has impacted all nations of the world and has brought all economies to its knees. In some ways, this may be good. While we may not all be in the same boat, we are certainly all experiencing the same violent storm. Some of the boats are sturdy and well built, and its occupants won’t be impacted significantly. Others are swept away by the raging currents either through the loss of life, or complete financial devastation, leaving them stranded alone, and they will have to start over with nothing. We who are more fortunate must be willing and ready to help those who are devastated. Especially as Christ-followers, this must be our high calling after Covid-19.

Let me offer some perspective. It has been said that crises don’t so much alter the course of history as accelerate changes that are already underway. There has never been a crisis where this has been more true. In many areas, this pandemic will rattle the very fabric of the world economy and infrastructure by compressing what may have taken ten

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a LegacyWelcome to Day 1387 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to WisdomA Cake Dilemma – 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 1387 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 Cake DilemmaWith many of us sheltering in place, we have rediscovered our love for cooking and especially baking sweet treats. The temptation to eat all of these treats has also been a challenge for many. Because of this, a group of friends decided to start a weekly zoom based diet club to help keep each other accountable.

On their weekly call on Monday, the members of the diet club were chatting and encouraging one another to stay the course. When it came time for Margaret to share, she was lamenting, “I gained five pounds since last week. I made the family’s favorite cake over the weekend, and they’d loved it so much that they had eaten half of it after dinner on Saturday.” “Of course, they all raved about it and said they were looking forward to eating the remainder the next day.”

Margaret went on. “Well, the next day I kept staring at the other half until finally, I cut just a thin slice for myself. You know how it is, one slice led to another, and soon the remaining half of the cake was gone.” “I am just so frustrated with my lack of willpower, I knew that John would be as disappointed as I am.”

The other members of the group all commiserated with her, expressing their empathy until finally, Julie asked, “what did John say when he found out?” Margaret smiled and blushingly said, “He never found out. I made another cake and ate half of it!”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, “Oh, you want your cake and eat it too? You bet! What good is a cake if you can’t eat it?”

Here is our verse for today:

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Numbers+15:20andversion=NLT (Numbers 15:20)

Present a cake from the first of the flour you grind, and set it aside as a sacred offering, as you do with the first grain from the threshing floor.

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 1386 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 in 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

Welcome to Day 1386 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.I am Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to WisdomMastering the Bible – Acts and Israelite Culture – 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 1386 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. Our focus for the next several months on Worldview Wednesday is Mastering the Bible, through a series of brief insights. These insights are extracted from a book of the same title from one of today’s most prominent Hebrew Scholars, Dr. Micheal S. Heiser. This book is a collection of insights designed to help you understand the Bible better. When we let the Bible be what it is, we can understand it as the original readers did, and as its writers intended. Each week we will explore two insights.

Mastering The Bible – Acts and Israelite CultureInsight Sixty-Three: The Book of Acts is Both Prescriptive and DescriptiveOne of the most controversial questions concerning the book of Acts is whether it is prescriptive or descriptive. The two options are clear enough. The prescriptive view says that the practices of the early church in the book of Acts are normative. In other words, they should be practiced today. For some, this extends to experiences as well. They argue that believers today should be experiencing displays of power, like speaking in tongues and healing. The descriptive view argues that Acts simply describes what happened. For this view, there is, therefore, no requirement to imitate precisely what the early church experienced or did.

It isn’t hard to discern that there is truth in both positions. The difficulty is one of extent. The book of Acts very obviously prescribes things like believers meeting with regularity, prayer, meeting each other’s needs, and appointing leaders (both Jews and gentiles). But are we to presume the leadership of the church has apostolic authority? Should we meet in house churches daily (Acts 5:42)? Should we expect to perform signs and wonders, and if so, are they only to be performed by apostles and those upon whom they have laid hands (Acts 2:43; 6:8; 8:6, 13; 14:3)? In modern times, when wealth is held in ways outside tangible goods, how can we truly have all things in common (Acts 2:44)? It seems clear that these things are, at least to some extent, only descriptive.

This question is directly related to apostolic authority. While the book of Acts clearly shows the apostles appointing servant leaders in the church (Acts 6), there is no evidence that the office of apostle has continued. There were several kinds of apostles in the New Testament. The Greek word (apostolos) simply means “sent one,” so it generally refers to individuals sent to help other churches. In cases like these, modern translations at times render the term as “messenger” (2 Cor. 8:23; Phil. 2:25) One specific group of “sent ones” were the Twelve (John 20:24; Acts 6:2; 1 Cor 15:5), those who had been taught by Jesus. When choosing a new Apostle to replace Judas, this is what https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+1%3A21-22andversion=NLT (Acts 1:21-22) says, “So now we must choose a replacement for Judas from among the men who were with us the entire time we were traveling with the Lord Jesus— from the time he was baptized by John until the day he was taken from us. Whoever is chosen will join us as a witness of Jesus’ resurrection.”

Paul directly encountered...

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a LegacyWelcome to Day 1385 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to WisdomDo Not Fail One Another – 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 1385 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 Michael Baughen, and it is: Do not let us fail one another in interest, care, and practical help, but supremely we must not fail one another in prayer.

Do Not Fail One AnotherAt all times, but especially in times of crises like the Covid-19, we need to seek out those who are in desperate need. There are so many individuals and small businesses who have been financially and physically devastated. If we are going to live our faith, then we need to be willing to show it by helping those who are in need. I realize that you may not be able to help out financially yourself, but is there some other tangible way to assist? I realize that we are just starting to come out of our shelter in place guidelines, so now is the time to start planning on how you can tangibly make a difference in the lives of your family, your neighbors, your church, or social community. Yes, for a while, we may need to be inconvenienced and continue some social distancing while we are among groups of people, but that should not stop us from making a meaningful impact on the lives of others. We can learn how important this by reading https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James+2%3A14-20andversion=NLT (James 2:14-20)

Faith without Good Deeds Is Dead

What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?

So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.

Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.”

You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless? If you are unable to assist others tangibly, or if you are part of a higher risk group, you can assist even more powerfully through effectual and fervent prayer for those in need.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James+5%3A13-18andversion=NLT (James 5:13-18)

The Power of Prayer

Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises. Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven.

Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none...

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a LegacyWelcome to Day 1384 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to WisdomWhat Are You Planting? – 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 1384 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.

Spring is the time for planting flowers and gardens. Many of us engage in this relaxing and enjoyable past time. Today let us meditate on:

What Are You Planting?Last weekend Paula and I planted our flowers along the edge of the sunporch, in the antique planter beside the back door, in the five large pots adorning the front porch, and in the three hanging pots along the front porch. This year we planted all Impatiens since they grow well in part shade, and their flowers last all summer and into the fall. They take a while to grow out entirely, but are full and pretty most of the summer. Our peonies, which line the outer edge of the front porch, and along the old ‘fence line’ on the backside of our house, are full of buds and will be blooming soon also. In addition to the flowers, we also planted four tomato plants, four sweet red peppers, two each of cucumbers and zucchinis, and a patch of spearmint. We enjoyed it and look forward to reaping the rewards for our efforts.

Our efforts are an example of the Biblical and universal law of planting and harvesting. It is as universal as the law of gravity. This law is mentioned in https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+8:22andversion=NLT (Genesis 8:22). As long as the earth remains, there will be planting and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night.

Planting and cultivating a crop is backbreaking work. Ask any farmer who has done intense farming. It is not for the faint of heart, or those who anticipate instant results. Farmers persevere because they know the joy of the harvest. This emotional rollercoaster of farming is described in https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+126:5-6andversion=NLT (Psalm 126:5-6):

Those who plant in tears

will harvest with shouts of joy.

They weep as they go to plant their seed,

but they sing as they return with the harvest.It does require hard work with no real guarantees, but to anticipate the harvest, you must first do the work. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs+20:4andversion=NLT (Proverbs 20:4)

Those too lazy to plow in the right season will have no food at the harvest.

Another fundamental truth is that you will harvest only what you plant. We will not expect corn from our tomato plants, nor apples from our zucchini plants. We expect to harvest what we planted. The same is true for all aspects of life. This concept is described well in https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians+6:7-9andversion=NLT (Galatians 6:7-9)

Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a LegacyWelcome to Day 1383 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to WisdomInvest Your Time Wisely – 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, 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 https://wisdom-trek.com/captivate-podcast/day-1383/ (Day 1383) of our trek, and it is time for our Philosophy Friday series. Each Friday, we ponder some of the fundamental 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].

So the question for this week is…

“Hey, Gramps, once life and the economy get back to some sort of normalcy after the Covid-19 restrictions are lifted, what is the best way that I can make an impact on my world? I don’t think that the world will be quite the same, and I want to make sure that I can make a positive difference, how best should I approach life after this pandemic.”

Invest Your Time Wisely

After the events of the past couple of months, I think that most of us would like to rush out and make a significant impact on our world…To fix everything that is broken. To help all those who are hurting or may have been devastated. I feel confident that most of us want to do some great things with our lives. But we labor under the illusion that genuinely great things are reserved for a chosen few—those who are heroes, martyrs, and saints. Deep inside us, we probably don’t feel that you and I are the ones who can.

What if the most extraordinary thing is not to go out in a blaze of glory, but to honor God with a life that seeks to do his will in the little things? Not to climb the highest mountain, but to stay on the uneven course that life has marked out for you? Not dying for your faith, but staying true to it over a challenging lifetime? Think of the word I just mentioned, extraordinary. If we break that compound word down, it is extra and ordinary. What if we do the mundane, ordinary tasks of life, with just a little more passion and concern? That ordinary will become extraordinary.

Think of the 24-hour blocks of your daily life as bank-fresh bundles of 24, $100 bills. Your challenge each day is to “invest your time.” You can’t bank it. You can’t save up until you get $50,000 or $100,000. You get a fresh handful of life currency each morning, and any uninvested balance evaporates before tomorrow comes.

You invest life assets when you mentor a new employee or associate who is struggling. You invest when you listen to a friend who is upset or volunteer to help someone who needs just that little extra assistance. You invest when you are laying down your life when you are generous with hard-earned money to help someone who has lost his or her job, or a family that is being drained by long-term illness, or the ministries of your church that help those less fortunate.

If you are a parent or grandparent, you have invested a considerable portion of your life in giving birth, praying through your tears for a struggling child, and investing all the time, energy, and...