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Day 1594 – Echoes in Eternity – Daily Wisdom

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Welcome to Day 1594 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Echoes In Eternity – 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 1594 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 Maximus, and it is:   What we do in life, echoes in eternity.     

Echoes In Eternity

I have emphasized this point several times on our podcast. What we do every day does matter. Not only does it matter for that day, but it ripples throughout all eternity. Think about it in this manner. If you were able to throw a one-ton boulder into a lake, it would send large ripples cascading out from the point of impact. So a huge boulder will have a huge impact. In the same manner, though, if you toss a pebble into the same lake, it too will send ripples out from the point of impact. The ripples won’t be as evident with the pebble compared to the boulder, but they will impact the lake in the same manner. So it is with our lives. Most days, our impact will be like the pebble, and it will not be as noticeable, but it will still have an impact. There will be a few times in our life, where our lives will be like the boulder, and the ripples throughout eternity will be much more noticeable. Let’s think of this analogy from a different angle. Let’s say that you picked up one pebble every hour each day of your life and put it into this huge container. If you lived until you were 90, you would have gathered up 788,400 pebbles during your life. Now let’s take the huge container the throw it into the lake. The ripples that it would send out would be huge waves that would stretch out for a very long time. The same thing happens in our lives. Just think about the impact that your grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, and siblings have had on your life. Think about the impact that you are having on your children, grandchildren, and anyone else you meet during your life. That impact both on you and from you not only has an immediate impact, but that impact truly echos throughout all of eternity. Each one of us is a bearer of God’s image. Your life is important. Important to God, and to every one that you impact throughout your entire life. Let your life be an echo for good throughout eternity.

Ecclesiastes 3:11

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.

Isaiah 43:13

“From eternity to eternity, I am God. No one can snatch anyone out of my hand. No one can undo what I have done.”

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 1593 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 1593 – What Other People Think Of Me – Daily Wisdom

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Welcome to Day 1593 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

What Other People Think Of Me – 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 1593 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 Cliff Richard, and it is:  What other people think of me is becoming less and less important; what they think of Jesus because of me is critical.  

What Other People Think Of Me

Everyone cares, at least to some extent, what other people think about them. Some people seek that approval more, but we all crave acceptance, approval, and the love of others. Why is that? It is because we seek our creator’s love at its core, but since we fall short of being worthy, we seek it from our fellow humans, or for some, even from their pets. We may fail to realize that God loves us unconditionally because He accepts and loves us through His son Jesus Christ’s redemption. Because of that love God has for me, I do not crave others’ approval as I grow older. God completely accepts me because I accept what Christ did for me when He was willing to sacrifice himself entirely through His death, burial, and resurrection.

My focus has shifted, and I don’t care as much about what others think of me. I do care what others think about Jesus Christ because of what they see in me. How I live my life as an image-bearer of God should reflect God’s perfect image-bearer. That is when God became human and lived among us.  May my life be lived in such a manner as never to bring shame or disgrace on Jesus Christ. Instead, may I be a beacon of faith, hope, and love to all who I come in contact with. I have God’s Spirit dwelling in me, so my life should manifest the fruit that comes through His Spirit. I do care what others think about me from that perspective.

John 13:34-35

So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.

Galatians 5:22-23

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

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 1592 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 1592 – Ruling Over Angels – Worldview Wednesday

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Welcome to Day 1592 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

I am Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Ruling Over Angels – 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 1592 of our Trek, and it is Worldview Wednesday. Creating a Biblical Worldview is essential to have a proper perspective on today’s current events. To establish a Biblical Worldview, you must have a proper understanding of God and His Word. This week, we will continue reviewing the book from Dr. Michael S Heiser titled “Supernatural.” The book is an abbreviated version of his more comprehensive book, “The Unseen Realm.” I highly recommend both of these books. Creating a Biblical Worldview based on how the Old and New Testaments connect with God’s overall plan for humanity is essential. This book review will help us understand what the Bible teaches about the unseen world, and why it matters.

Ruling Over Angels

It’s crucial to our faith that we understand who we are as Christians. We are the sons and daughters of God, a re-fashioned divine council that already participates in our Father’s kingdom. But there’s more to it than that. Yes, we are God’s family council—but to what end?

While we are already in the kingdom (Colossians 1:13), we have not yet seen the full unveiling of that kingdom—we have not seen the world become Eden. This “already, but not yet” paradox runs throughout the Bible in many ways. In this chapter, I want to give you a glimpse of the “not yet” that answers the question “To what end?”

Kingdom Participation Now

Our participation in God’s kingdom isn’t predetermined, in this sense: We are not mere robots performing functions programmed for us. That violates the whole idea of being God’s imager, his representative. We were created to be like him. He is free. If we do not have genuine freedom, we cannot be like him—by definition, we would not be like him. We are free to obey and worship, or rebel and indulge ourselves. We will reap what we sow. Our sowing is not programmed.

But God is greater than we are. He had a plan, and it will come to pass. Its success neither depends on nor is forced to adapt to human freedom. We cannot undermine it—nor can the divine beings who are also free to choose.

Think about the heavenly council meeting we reviewed in chapter 1 covering “Believing the Bible.” I asked whether you believed the things the Bible says, and then took you to a meeting of God and his heavenly council in 1 Kings 22. God had decreed (and so it must happen) that it was time for wicked Ahab to die. But God then let the spirit beings in his council decide how to accomplish that (1 Kings 22:19–23).

Predestination and freedom work hand-in-hand in God’s kingdom rule. His purposes will never be overturned or halted. He is able to take sin and rebellion and still accomplish—through other free representatives—what he desires. As C. S. Lewis once said of God (in the book Perelandra), “Whatever you do, He will make good of it. But not the good He had prepared for you if you had obeyed him.”

To what end, here and now, are we God’s family council? To participate with God in liberating people from darkness. To show people how to live justly and with mercy—imitating God for those who need the illustration. To defend and spread truth about the true God in a hostile world under the dominion of envious divine intelligences. To enjoy life as God intended it.

All these callings are training for the kingdom to come. As Paul asked the Corinthians, who had lost a divine perspective while bickering about the affairs of this world in 1 Corinthians 6:3. Don’t you realize that we will judge angels? So you should surely be able to resolve ordinary disputes in this life. He was serious. Paul was getting at something specific in that statement.

Set over the Nations

The final form of the kingdom is yet to come. When it does, the powers of darkness will be defeated. The demonic gods will permanently lose their dominion over the nations, replaced by God’s glorified human family and council. Look at what Jesus said in the book of Revelation 2:25-28:

Hold tightly to what you have until I come. To all who are victorious, who obey me to the very end. To them, I will give authority over all the nations.

They will rule the nations with an iron rod and smash them like clay pots. They will have the same authority I received from my Father, and I will also give them the morning star!

When Jesus returns to take his throne on a new earth—a new, global Eden—he will share it with his siblings. The principalities and powers will be thrown off their thrones, and we will take their place. Their dominions won’t be given to angels faithful to God—we will outrank the angels in God’s final Edenic kingdom. Jesus will put his human brothers and sisters in charge.

Are you puzzled by that final statement in Revelation 2:28? “I will also give them the morning star”? It does sound odd, but it speaks of our joint rule with Jesus over the nations after the evil powers are dealt with. “Morning star” is used to describe divine beings (Job 38:7). It is also a messianic term. Since the Messiah is divine, “star language” was sometimes used to describe his coming reign. Numbers 24:17 says, “A star will go out from Jacob, and a scepter will rise from Israel.” In the book of Revelation, Jesus describes himself this way: “I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star” (Rev. 22:16).

The wording of Revelation 2:25–28 is powerful. Not only does Jesus say he is the messianic morning star, but he gives us the morning star—he shares his messianic rule with us. Revelation 3:20–21 takes it one step further, so believers don’t miss the point:

 “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends. Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne. 

To what end have we been made partakers of the divine nature? Why does Jesus introduce us in the council as his brothers and sisters? So that God can give us the dominion over the earth, he originally desired. Heaven will return to earth in a new, global Eden.

Eternal Eden

From the first chapters of Genesis, Eden was a focal point of God’s plan for man, the rest of his divine imagers, and his kingdom. So it’s neither a surprise nor a coincidence that the last chapter of the book of Revelation takes us back to Eden in Revelation 22:1–5:

Then the angel showed me a river with the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb.  It flowed down the center of the main street. On each side of the river grew a tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, with a fresh crop each month. The leaves were used for medicine to heal the nations. No longer will there be a curse upon anything. For the throne of God and of the Lamb will be there, and his servants will worship him.  And they will see his face, and his name will be written on their foreheads. And there will be no night there—no need for lamps or sun—for the Lord God will shine on them. And they will reign forever and ever.

Did you notice that the Tree of Life heals the nations? The nations, once dominated by principalities and powers, will be ruled by the new sons and daughters of God—you and me.

This wasn’t the first time the Tree of Life showed up in Revelation. Speaking to those who believe unto the end, Jesus said in Revelation 2:7, 11, “I will grant [them] to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God … [They] will not be hurt by the second death.” The reference to the Tree of Life is clearly Edenic. The first death refers to physical death, brought by Adam’s sin and expulsion from Eden. Since all humans, believers and unbelievers alike, are resurrected before judgment, the second death is the final judgment. (Revelation 21:8). Those who continue to live with God in a new Eden do not suffer the second death.

Why This Matters

Many Christians have an inadequate view of the afterlife. Scripture doesn’t tell us everything about what it will be like, but some aspects are certain. We aren’t going to be playing harps or singing endlessly while floating around on clouds. We won’t just be sitting on celestial couches chatting with departed loved ones or well-known believers from the past.

Instead, we will be living the life Eden offered—we will be busy enjoying and caring for what God has made, side by side with the divine beings who remained loyal to him. Heaven and earth will no longer be separate places.

Knowing our destiny ought to mold our thinking in the here and now. As Paul said in 1 Corinthians 2:9,

That is what the Scriptures mean when they say,

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard,

and no mind has imagined

what God has prepared

for those who love him.”

Knowing this spectacular, glorious outcome helps keep our present circumstances in perspective. After Paul wrote the words we just read, he said this in 2 Corinthians 1:3-9: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction.… For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.  God can preserve us in life. But even in death, we will be raised to sit with Jesus on his throne (Revelation 3:21).

We either live with our destination in view, or we don’t. Our awareness of our destiny ought to alter our behavior. If you knew you’d someday be sharing an apartment or working in the same office as that person you criticize, belittle, and otherwise disdain, you’d invest a little more effort into being a peacemaker, an encourager, and perhaps even a friend to that person. How is it that we treat fellow believers so poorly, then? How is it that we don’t put as much energy into moving the unbeliever toward Jesus as we do into engaging with him or her as an enemy? We either have eternity in view, or we don’t.

How much rule does Jesus need to share with you to keep you happy? The question might seem odd, since any such gift from Jesus would be wonderful. Why, then, do we vie with believers for status? Why do we bicker with each other for advantage, attention, and personal gain? Are we no better than the Corinthians, whom Paul had to remind of their destiny? We’re either content to rule and reign with him, or we’re not. Christian, it’s time to live as though you know who you are and know the plans God has for you.[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 1591 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. 155–162). Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.

Day 1591 – God’s Mercy – Daily Wisdom

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Welcome to Day 1591 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

God’s Mercy – 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 1591 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  David Crosby, and it is:  What I have today I have because of God’s mercy. I did not earn it. I do not deserve it. I did not pay for it. I have no rights to it. I cannot keep it except for one thing — God’s mercy.     

God’s Mercy

With today’s ever-increasing entitlement mentality, a quote like this is undoubtedly contrary to popular thinking and opinion. Nearly all of us feel that we earned all that we have, deserve to have it and that it is an inherent right for us to have it. Most people think that health care, education, a livable wage, firearms, worship, and even our ability to live free is an inalienable right that we deserve. While I love living in a country where we have access to all of these, the only reason that we have anything is because of God’s mercy. It is only by God’s mercy and grace that we have life. As Christ-followers we not only have life, we have abundant life. That abundant life does not include anything that I mentioned earlier. Our abundant life is only given to us through God’s mercy. We are not guaranteed anything in life. Many places in the world do not have the blessings we experience in much of the western world. The fact is, though, we do not earn, deserve, or have a right to anything in this world except for what has been provided to us through God’s mercy and grace.  Because of God’s mercy and grace, we should be forever thankful and, with a heart of gratitude, thank God for all that He has provided. Great is His faithfulness.

1 Peter 2:9-10

But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.

 “Once you had no identity as a people;

now you are God’s people.

Once you received no mercy;

now you have received God’s mercy.”

 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 1590 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 1590 – Bible Study – Conclusions and Affirmations – Meditation Monday

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Welcome to Day 1590 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom 

Bible Study – Conclusions and Affirmations – 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 1590 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 – Conclusions and Affirmations

·      Insight Sixty-Five: Draw Both Positive and Negative Conclusions about What a Verse or Passage Teaches

Have you ever had a hard time putting precisely what you think into words? As a writer and student of the Bible, I’ve experienced that many times. It’s one thing to put the mental energy into studying Scripture. It requires digging into materials that help me try to understand a little bit about Hebrew and Greek grammar, reading background material, evaluating translation choices, that sort of thing. It is another thing altogether to be able to articulate what I’m finding. It can be frustrating.

The problem isn’t writing or speaking: it’s thinking with clarity. Here’s some of the best advice I’ve ever received about clear thinking: to think with clarity, deliberately think about things both positively and negatively. I have read that the best way to come to a clear statement of what you believe is to express yourself in affirmations (positive assertions) and denials (negative assertions).

The exercise of trying to say what you mean and following it by what you don’t mean has a way of separating the mental chaff from the wheat. For example, let’s take the statement in Romans 13:1 that says: Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God.

You could say that you believe the verse teaches that every ruler on earth has been put there by God and should therefore be obeyed. But what exactly does that mean? Do you mean to say there are no exceptions? How could you justify one? Is the verse an assertion of God’s activity (God appoints every ruler) so that to disobey a ruler means rebelling against God’s choice? Maybe it’s just a statement of God’s sovereignty without crediting God for every last tyrant on the planet. Or perhaps Paul is merely expressing a wish (i.e., “everyone . . .”) since he knows people can t change their circumstances under the Roman Empire. If your government allows you to replace a ruler, does this verse forbid that? Why would you want to replace someone God put in charge? What is it that you believe about this verse? What don’t you believe?

An excellent way to sharpen your thinking and clarity in communicating to others is to carefully consider your Bible study results regarding what you think the text means and doesn’t mean. It may take an hour or two—or even weeks—of thinking, but the result will be precision and clarity.

·      Insight Sixty-Six: Affirm the Obvious Without Extrapolating to the Unnecessary.

Have you ever seen one of those shows about how aliens built the pyramids? Or maybe you remember The DaVinci Code—how a Christian sect in ancient Egypt believed Jesus was married, and so that must be a truth that all the other Christians in the world suppressed.

It’s hard not to laugh, but many people can t see the logical flaw in these examples. They may not believe such things, but they can’t necessarily tell you what’s wrong. They’re classic examples of affirming an obvious truth and then extrapolating to unnecessary (and ridiculous) conclusions. In other words, the conclusion dramatically overstates the data. Yes, the pyramids are amazing. Archaeologists don’t know with absolute certainty how they were built. But because they can’t reproduce the feat doesn’t mean aliens from space came here and did it. Some people in the ancient church believed Jesus was married, but that belief doesn’t magically translate to reality.

I’ve talked about the need for logic and clear thinking in Bible study before. I’m not exaggerating when I say it’s a critical tool for Bible study. I’m also serious when I say that its absence is apparent all over the place. The examples above are funny, but these hit closer to home:

  • Paul praised the Mosaic law, so we should keep the Law, observe the Sabbath,

and not worship on Sundays.

  • Early Christians in Acts spoke in tongues, so every Christian needs to.
  • Translations disagree, so we can’t know what the Bible says.

These statements observe something obvious and then propose a far-flung conclusion that extends well beyond the observation. Christians are not commanded to keep the Law, though Paul had something nice to say about it. Christians in Acts spoke in tongues, but there is no command mandating it for everyone. Translations do disagree, but not everywhere, and most disagreements are not contradictory.

When we study Scripture, we will see things in the text. Every conclusion we draw should have a direct line back into the text. If it doesn’t, our thinking goes beyond the text and is flawed.

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 1589 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!