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Day 1599 – Three Steps of Forgiveness – Daily Wisdom

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Welcome to Day 1599 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Three Steps of Forgiveness – Daily Wisdom

Welcome 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 1599 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 Jay Adams, and it is:  When a person forgives another, he is promising to do three things about the intended wrongdoing: not to use it against the wrongdoer in the future; not to talk about it to others; and not to dwell on it himself.     

Three Steps of Forgiveness

For most people, forgiveness does not come easy. It is hard to let go of the hurt which we have experienced. We have to consider forgiveness from a different angle. First, forgiveness does not depend on whether the other person apologizes, is sorry, or attempts to correct the issue. We must forgive without getting permission from the person who has harmed us, it is not a requirement of forgiveness. Not forgiving someone is analogous to drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die. It will only be harmful to you. When you do forgive another person, three steps must be completed before forgiveness is complete. First, you must never use the offense as retaliation to the wrongdoer in the future. Second, you must not gossip or talk about the situation to others in a malicious manner. Third, you must set the incident aside and not dwell on it. While it may be impossible to forget the incident entirely, and it is wise to remember the lessons learned, you cannot allow it to control you or negatively impact your life. If you can practice the three steps of forgiveness and become a habit in your life, it will help free yourself from the shackles of an unforgiving spirit that keeps you in bondage. Regardless of whether the other person ever repents from their harmful ways, you do not have to remain in the dungeon of unforgiveness. Be free as God intended you to be.

Ephesians 4:31-32

Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

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 1598 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:

  1. Live Abundantly (Fully)
  2. Love Unconditionally
  3. Listen Intentionally
  4. Learn Continuously
  5. Lend to others Generously
  6. Lead with Integrity
  7. 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!

Day 1598 – Understanding Ourselves – Daily Wisdom

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Welcome to Day 1598 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Understanding Ourselves – Daily Wisdom

Welcome 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 1598 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 C. S. Lewis, and it is:  When a man is getting better, he understands more and more clearly the evil that is still in him. When a man is getting worse, he understands his own badness less and less.  

Understanding Ourselves

Humans have the innate ability to deceive themselves and rationalize anything they do as okay, which is also true of Christ-followers. The unusual phenomenon with this tendency is that we judge others most harshly for the flawed character attributes that we have within ourselves. I believe Jesus points this out in Luke 6:37 “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven.

When we can understand what evil resides within our hearts more clearly, we will know when we are committing acts in thoughts, words, or actions that are not in harmony with God’s precepts in His Word. It is also then when we can be more understanding and compassionate with fellow humans who are struggling and may not be aware of the evil that lurks within. That is why it is imperative that we continually check our hearts and minds and daily purge the evil that crops up within. If we allow evil to corrupt our thoughts, words, and actions, it will not be long until we are no longer aware or understand it to be evil. We will be deceiving ourselves and not be aware that we are doing so. As image-bearers of God, let us each day seek to emulate the ultimate and perfect image-bearer of God, Jesus Christ.  We will then be able to see our weaknesses and continue to grow in our wisdom and knowledge of God. Otherwise, we are deceiving ourselves and become insensitive to our current state of mind.

Philippians 2:1-5

Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

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 1597 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:

  1. Live Abundantly (Fully)
  2. Love Unconditionally
  3. Listen Intentionally
  4. Learn Continuously
  5. Lend to others Generously
  6. Lead with Integrity
  7. 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 more daily wisdom!

Day 1597 – Conclusion to Supernatural – Worldview Wednesday

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Welcome to Day 1597 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

I am Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Conclusion to Supernatural – Worldview Wednesday

Welcome 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 1597 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 conclude reviewing the book by 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.

Conclusion To Supernatural

We’ve come to the end of our journey. But it’s probably better to say that we’ve only just begun. We’ve considered some fundamental questions: Do other gods exist? If they do, does that make much difference in how we understand the Bible? What does it mean for our faith if we presume the unseen world described in the Bible is real—not just the familiar and accepted parts, but the unusual and often-ignored parts? Once I started catching the drift of the supernatural plotline of Scripture, I realized I needed to think differently about all sorts of things. But I can sum them up in two words: identity and purpose. I hope you have been challenged in both of those areas as we have reviewed this book. First, let’s review:

Our Identity—We Have a Home in the Family of God

What this book has discussed has significant implications for how we perceive what it means to be a Christian‌—to be “in Christ,” as the New Testament so often puts it. Once we realize the gods of the Old Testament are genuine, then the meaning of God’s command to have no other god before Yahweh, the God of Israel, comes into focus. The command isn’t about not giving attention to money or boats or cars. It’s about God’s jealous love for his people. In other words, the command actually means what it says. The insanity of loyalty to any god other than the God of all gods is hard to miss.

The awfulness of living with the consequences of how God judged the gods and their people (the “nations”) is also pretty obvious. We were once disinherited, enslaved to the corruption and exploitation of other gods. We were, as Paul says, alienated from God and outsiders to his covenant love (Ephesians 2:12). We were lost, enslaved to darkness, enemies of God in the service to unseen overlords (Ephesians 4:18; Colossians 1:21).

Having a grasp of that situation makes doctrinal concepts like adoption and inheritance more meaningful. It gives them context. God was unwilling to void the plan of living on earth with his family, enjoying the created world that came from his own hand. Yes, at Babel, he turned his back on humanity, but in the next moment, he called Abraham to raise up a new family—and to be the conduit through which those disinherited could find their way back to him (Acts 10:26–27).

Embracing the supernatural reality of the spiritual world of the Bible is essential for understanding the Bible. It explains why, as the Old Testament moves forward, the sin of idolatry will not just be like any other sin. It will be the sin. Israel was created to be loyal to God; when she turned to other gods instead, she was sent into exile, cast off like the other nations. This is a central reason why salvation in the Bible is always described in terms of faith. God is not ultimately looking for better behavior. He is looking for faith—for believing loyalty. When we choose to align our hearts with the God of gods, he will save us. When we choose another, we are sowing what we will one day reap.

For us today, believing loyalty means embracing what Jesus did on the cross, because he was God in flesh. Our ethics and behavior (our works) aren’t about becoming loyal enough for God to embrace us. We follow his commands because we’ve already chosen him. And his commands will lead to our happiness and contentment because they steer us away from the destruction of self and others. They provide a glimpse of life in harmony with God and the rest of his family—our family—seen and unseen, in his kingdom, the new Eden. Second, let’s review:

Our Purpose—We All Play a Part in God’s Plan to Restore Eden

Membership in God’s family has only one condition: unswerving faith in the God of gods, come to us in the person of Jesus Christ. That membership not only bestows extraordinary privileges, but also provides us with a clear purpose in life.

The members of God’s family have a mission: to be God’s agents in restoring his good rule on earth and expanding the membership of his family. We are God’s means to propel the great reversal begun in Acts 2, the birth of the church, the body of Christ, until the time when the Lord returns. As evil had spread like a contagion through humanity after the failure of the first Eden, so the gospel spreads like an antidote through the same infected host. We are carriers of the truth about the God of gods, his love for all nations, and his unchanging desire to dwell with his family in the earthly home he has wanted since its creation. Eden will live again.

It’s a scientific fact that the world’s continents move farther apart every year. But the progression of “continental drift” is undetectable to human senses. We only know it occurs because of observations we can make after the fact. So it is with the steady, unrelenting advance of the kingdom of God. We can’t perceive with the naked eye how each day shrinks the domains of the gods, the powers of darkness, or how the gospel liberates, one by one, those held under dominion. But it is an indiscernible certainty.

The key to seeing ourselves in this picture is to firmly grasp that God is still working his plan even when we can’t see it. We cannot genuinely claim to believe in the unseen, supernatural world while not believing that God’s intelligent providence is active in our lives and the affairs of human history. God wants us to live intentionally‌—believing that his unseen hand and the invisible agents loyal to him and us (Hebrews 1:14) are engaged in our circumstances so that, together, God’s goal of a global Eden moves unstoppably onward.

Each of us is vital to someone’s path to the kingdom and the defense of that kingdom. Each day affords us contact with people under the dominion of darkness and opportunities to encourage each other in the challenging task of fulfilling our purpose in an imperfect world. Everything we do and say matters, though we may never know why or how. But our job isn’t to see—it’s to do. Walking by faith isn’t passive—it’s purposeful.[1]

That will finish our study for this week’s worldview Wednesday. Join us again next week we will conclude our book review of Supernatural in our quest to build our Biblical Worldview. Tomorrow we will ponder another bit of wisdom from Gramps. So encourage your friends and family to join us and then come along with us tomorrow for another day of ‘Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.’

If you would like to listen to any of our past 1596 treks or read the Wisdom Journal, they are available at Wisdom-Trek.com. I encourage you to subscribe to Wisdom-Trek on your favorite podcast player so that each day’s trek will be downloaded automatically.

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

As we take this Trek together, let us always:

  1. Live Abundantly (Fully)
  2. Love Unconditionally
  3. Listen Intentionally
  4. Learn Continuously
  5. Lend to others Generously
  6. Lead with Integrity
  7. 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!

[1] Heiser, M. S. (2015). Supernatural: What the Bible Teaches about the Unseen World—And Why It Matters. (D. Lambert, Ed.) (pp. 163–167). Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.

Day 1596 – Second Nature – Daily Wisdom

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Welcome to Day 1596 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Second Nature – Daily Wisdom

Welcome 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 1596 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   Cliff Richard, and it is:   What’s important is that God is so much part and parcel of life that spontaneous mental chat becomes second nature.     

Second Nature

God loves you unconditionally. Yet most of us don’t experience the love of Christ because it is too great to understand fully. God desires for us to yearn for and grasp the power to know His love as we are told in Ephesians 3:18

And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.

God’s attributes need to be second nature to us. Since we are to be bearers of His image, He needs to be so much part and parcel of our lives that we are conscously or subconsciously communicating with Him continually. It may be somewhat challenging to grasp this concept, but we have to come to the full realization that the bodies of each Christ-follower, which means each one of us, has become God’s temple. God’s Spirit now dwells within each believer. If that is true, which it is, then His Spirit is continually communicating with our Spirit. We are united with God through Christ. We no longer have to go to the physical temple, meet with the priest and offer sacrifices. We are continuously in God’s presence.  When we can grasp just a glimmer of what that means, God is so much part and parcel of life that spontaneous mental chat becomes second nature. This is why the Apostle Paul tells us to put on God’s armor so we can stand firm and then encourages us to ‘Pray at all times.’

Ephesians 6:18

Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.

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 1595 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:

  1. Live Abundantly (Fully)
  2. Love Unconditionally
  3. Listen Intentionally
  4. Learn Continuously
  5. Lend to others Generously
  6. Lead with Integrity
  7. 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!

Day 1595 – Bible Study – Strong Numbers and Interlinear Tools – Meditation Monday

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Welcome to Day 1595 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom 

Bible Study – Strong Numbers and Interlinear Tools – Meditation Monday

Welcome 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 1595 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 practical tools for Bible study. Today let us meditate on:

Bible Study – Strong Numbers and Interlinear Tools

·      Insight Sixty-Seven: Learn About Strong’s Numbers and Their Use

It wasn’t until I was in college that I started to be more serious in my Bible Study. I didn’t know how to do that, but through my courses, I discovered a tool called Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. That resource took me to a new level. 

Strong’s Concordance was the creation of Dr. James Strong (1822-1894), an American biblical scholar. Strong was a professor of biblical literature at Troy University in New York (1858- 1861) and Drew Theological Seminary (1868-1894) in New Jersey. He first published his now-famous Concordance in 1890.

What exactly is a concordance? In simplest terms, it is an alphabetical listing of every word in an English translation along with a verse reference for that word. In the case of Strong’s Concordance, the version he used was the King James Version. For example, you could use Strong’s Concordance to look up the English word “love” and quickly see which verses have “love” in the Bible.

Strong’s Concordance is more than a list, though. Strong, and a staff of over a hundred people who helped create the concordance, also created a numbering system for the Hebrew and Greek words behind the English translation. Using the word “love” again as our example, Strong’s numbering system informs us that the Hebrew verb most often translated love’ was assigned tire number 157. The Greek word most commonly translated as “love” received the number 26. These numbers were used to create a dictionary in the back of the Concordance. After finding the number, which appears sequentially, you will find a short definition that Strong and his assistants created for the Hebrew or Greek word corresponding to that number. Therefore, Strong’s Concordance has an index of every word of the Bible in its original language.

Strong’s numbering system has proved so popular and enduring that many biblical reference tools for helping English readers study Hebrew and Greek word meanings have adopted the system. Strong’s Concordance is still in print, as are updated systems like the GK numbers. But in today’s world of personal computers, print concordances have been superseded by digital versions and more powerful tools. Whether you use books or a computer, learning about concordance numbers can move you in a new direction for Bible study.

·      Insight Sixty-Eight: Learn About Interlinear Bibles

Interlinear Bibles are one category of original language resources for Bible study that use concordance numbers. An interlinear simultaneously displays a line of an English translation and the corresponding line of the Hebrew or Greek biblical text.

A traditional interlinear shows the biblical Hebrew or Greek text on the top line and a literal English translation on the line below. Consequently, traditional interlinears follow the original language’s word order, as that is the top line. In our Wisdom Journal for today displays John 3:16 in a traditional interlinear. The numbers are GK numbers, which are—much like Strong s numbers—used in a dictionary that accompanies the interlinear.

Interlinears can be found in book form as well as in computer software. In a digital environment, interlinears are a powerful tool for original language research. English readers can find every occurrence of a Hebrew or Greek word in the Bible in less than one second. From that point, hyperlinks to specialized dictionaries for biblical Hebrew and Greek are one click away.

The disadvantage to a traditional interlinear Bible is that you can’t simply read the English in order. We’ll talk about an interlinear that solves that problem next week: the reverse interlinear.

Joshua 1:8

Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.

That is a wrap for today’s Meditation. Next week we will continue our trek on Meditation Monday as we take time to reflect on what is most important in creating our living legacy. Thank you for joining me on this trek called life. Encourage your friends and family to join us and then come along tomorrow for another day of ‘Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.’

If you would like to listen to any of the past 1594 daily treks or read the daily Journal, they are available at Wisdom-Trek.com. I encourage you to subscribe to Wisdom-Trek on your favorite podcast player so 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.

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

  1. Live Abundantly (Fully)
  2. Love Unconditionally
  3. Listen Intentionally
  4. Learn Continuously
  5. Lend to others Generously
  6. Lead with Integrity
  7. 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 more daily wisdom!