Wisdom-Trek ©

Creating a Legacy ™

Day 1415 – God Be In My… – Wisdom Unplugged

by Leave a Comment

Welcome to Day 1415 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

God Be In My… – Wisdom Unplugged

Wisdom – 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 1415 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  Old Sarum Primer, and it is:   God be in my head, And in my understanding; God be in my eyes, And in my looking; God be in my mouth, And in my speaking; God be in my heart, And in my thinking; God be at my end, And at my departing.     

God Be In My…

In what areas of your life do you allow God to permeate? Are you shutting God out of certain areas? God is to be integrated into every aspect of our lives.  Jesus Christ reiterated the Old Testament command from God when He declared that the entire teachings of the law and prophets were summed up in these two principles found in Luke 10:27 The man answered, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”  No part of our life is exempt from God’s control and influence. God is to permeate our head through our understanding of Him. God is in what we gaze upon. God is to be in our speech; that is every word that proceeds from our mouths. God is to be in our hearts, which controls how we think. God is to part of every aspect of our life as we both begin and end each day. Ask yourself, has God infiltrated all of my life?

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 1414 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 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 1414 – Unity During Social Unrest – Meditation Monday

by Leave a Comment

Welcome to Day 1414 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Unity During Social Unrest – Meditation Monday

Wisdom – 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 1414 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.

 Today’s world seems to be so unsettled. The vocal minority desire to do destroy, do away or ignore the past. Most of us do seek justice in our own lives and the lives of others. We seek peace and unity in the future. Today let us meditate on:

Unity During Social Unrest

The apostle Paul spoke the truth about God, the Father, Son, and Spirit. Paul wrote about God’s desire for a new covenant people where we are all equal and united in God. Galatians 3:26-28: For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. Significant prejudice is undoubtedly not a new issue. It has been with humanity since the beginning of creation. Let’s look back in the first century, shortly after the time of Christ. Almost everyone in the earliest days of the church was Jewish. Prejudice was a significant problem. Sometimes that prejudice manifested itself toward non-Jews who were coming to Christ and being added to the church, which was the dominant problem addressed in Acts chapters 10-15. However, prejudice was also an issue between sub-groups within the Jewish community. Grecian Jews who were in Jerusalem, and who had become disciples of Christ, made an accusation of discrimination. Their widows who did not speak the native language in Jerusalem were being overlooked and were going hungry while the native-speaking widows were receiving better care and more ample provision as the early Christians shared their possessions. Sharing of provisions is found in Acts 4:32-35.

Rather than denying the accusation of prejudice or ignoring this charge of discrimination, The apostles acted very wisely. Notice what they did:

  1. Openness
  2. The apostles brought all the community of disciples together to discuss this issue — no secret meetings and no sweeping the problem under the rug!
  3. Calling
  4. The apostles pointed out that their primary calling was to proclaim the message they had received from God.
  5. Involvement
  6. The apostles called on the church family to be involved in the solution to this problem — more than just being open with the communication, the apostles were asking for help in selecting men to find a solution.
  7. Direction
  8. The apostles gave clear criteria for selecting those who would be part of the ministry team to the Grecian widows and asked the whole congregation to put forward leaders who fit this description.
  9. Participation
  10. The congregation of believers selected seven men who fit the criteria of being full of the Spirit and wisdom.
  11. Empathy
  12. The congregation recognized the need for those who could understand both the language of the Grecian widows and also their plight as hungry foreigners in the homeland of their ancestors. As a result, they chose men who had Greek names — one was even a non-Jewish proselyte — and who would be familiar with the Greek language these widows spoke.
  13. Appointment
  14. The apostles publicly commissioned or ordained these men for service and publicly prayed for their ministry.
  15. Growth
  16. The problem was overcome, the message continued to spread, and many came to faith in Christ.
  17. Equipping
  18. Some of these men selected to serve the widows later became essential leaders in other ways.
  19. Focus
  20. The apostles devoted themselves to their calling — prayer and sharing the message of Christ. They also encouraged and equipped others to engage in ministry.

Meditate on these ten principles of great leadership and congregational problem-solving that are listed above. These are great principles to put into practice among Christians today. All of society would benefit from them. Every problem has the potential for disaster or development. Led by the Holy Spirit, the apostles turned this potentially crippling problem into an opportunity for the development and growth of Christ disciples.

 Imagine how unaddressed prejudice could have wrecked the growth of the early church. However, the Spirit’s guidance through Godly leaders turned around this potential disaster. Instead of disaster, the actions of the leading disciples became the springboard for more significant growth. It also provided a new group of leaders the opportunity for development and service.

To set the stage for today’s scripture, think about the issue. Things were going well, and the number of disciples was growing. But a problem arose. The Greek-speaking believers became frustrated with the Hebrew-speaking believers. The Greeks complained that the Greek-speaking widows were being discriminated against in the daily distribution of food. The twelve convened the entire community of disciples. Here is how unity was achieved during social unrest.

Acts 6:1-7

But as the believers rapidly multiplied, there were rumblings of discontent. The Greek-speaking believers complained about the Hebrew-speaking believers, saying that their widows were being discriminated against in the daily distribution of food.

So the Twelve called a meeting of all the believers. They said, “We apostles should spend our time teaching the word of God, not running a food program. And so, brothers, select seven men who are well respected and are full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will give them this responsibility. Then we apostles can spend our time in prayer and teaching the word.”

Everyone liked this idea, and they chose the following: Stephen (a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit), Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas of Antioch (an earlier convert to the Jewish faith). These seven were presented to the apostles, who prayed for them as they laid their hands on them.

So God’s message continued to spread. The number of believers greatly increased in Jerusalem, and many of the Jewish priests were converted, too.

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. On tomorrow’s trek, we will explore another wisdom quote. This 3-minute wisdom supplement will assist you in becoming healthy, wealthy, and wise each day. 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 1413 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!

Day 1413 – Life After Covid-19 Part 6 – Reviewing 20 MetaTrends – Ask Gramps

by Leave a Comment

Welcome to Day 1413 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Life After Covid-19 Part 6 – 20 MetaTrends – Ask Gramps

Wisdom – 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 1413 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 guthrie@wisdom-trek.com

Last month, we addressed a question that is too broad to answer in one episode. The answer today is the sixth and in a series on our ‘Ask Gramps’ episodes of how Covid-19 is impacting the long term economic effects in the United States. 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. So here is the question:

“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 mind 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 6

Our analysis so far has been overall Jobs in Manufacturing, Brick-and-Mortar Retail, Restaurant Industry/Future Dining, Commercial Real Estate/Offices, and Education.  As I mentioned in the past five weeks, I do not have a crystal ball nor a prophetic message about life after Covid-19.  That being said, I do have over 40 years of business and nearly 64 years of life experience, which helps me to see what others may not.

The core of the content today comes from a book and companion blog written by Peter Diamandis. His book, ‘The Future is Faster Than You Think,’ was published in January of this year before Covid-19. Peter has recently also stated that Covid-19 would accelerate his predictions significantly. I recommend his book.

Let me once again 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.  Exponential technology has been disrupting traditional industries at an ever-increasing pace.  The pandemic has put these changes into hyperspeed. Never have we had the opportunity to rewrite entire sectors, redefine the problems they address, and reinvent their solutions. This is a scary and also exciting time to be alive!   Any time we have a disaster such as this, there is also unlimited opportunity.

Today’s episode will be considerably longer as we capstone this analysis with 20 MetaTrends for the roaring 20s. Many of these predictions will come towards the end of this decade, but we are trending there even today. The Covid19 pandemic will be a catalyst to speed up these trends.

For the first time in the five-plus years of Wisdom-Trek, I am going to have a guest speaker, my friend Solomon, who will review these 20 MetaTrends for us. I turn the microphone over to you, Solomon.

Thank you, Gramps, for allowing me to share these important Metatrends, which will take place over the next ten years!

In the decade ahead, waves of exponential technological advancements are stacking atop one another, eclipsing decades of breakthroughs in scale and impact.

Emerging from these waves are 20 “Metatrends,” likely to revolutionize entire industries (old and new), redefine tomorrow’s generation of businesses and contemporary challenges, and transform our livelihoods from the bottom-up.

Among these metatrends are augmented human longevity, the surging smart economy, AI-human collaboration, urbanized cellular agriculture, and high-bandwidth brain-computer interfaces, just to name a few.

It is here that master entrepreneurs and their teams must see beyond the immediate implications of a given technology, capturing second-order, Google-sized business opportunities on the horizon.

Welcome to a new decade of runaway technological booms, historic watershed moments, and extraordinary abundance.

Let’s dive in…

20 Metatrends for the 2020s…

(1) Continued increase in global abundance: The number of individuals in extreme poverty continues to drop, as the middle-income population continues to rise. This metatrend is driven by the convergence of high-bandwidth and low-cost communication, ubiquitous AI on the cloud, growing access to AI-aided education and AI-driven healthcare. Everyday goods and services (finance, insurance, education, and entertainment) are being digitized and becoming fully demonetized, available to the rising billion on mobile devices…

(2) Global gigabit connectivity will connect everyone and everything, everywhere, at ultra-low-cost: The deployment of both licensed and unlicensed 5G, plus the launch of a multitude of global satellite networks (OneWeb, Starlink, etc.), allow for ubiquitous, low-cost communications for everyone, everywhere–– not to mention the connection of trillions of devices. And today’s skyrocketing connectivity is bringing online an additional 3 billion individuals, driving tens of trillions of dollars into the global economy. This metatrend is driven by the convergence of: low-cost space launches, hardware advancements, 5G networks, artificial intelligence, materials science, and surging computing power…

(3) The average human healthspan will increase by 10+ years: A dozen game-changing biotech and pharmaceutical solutions (currently in Phase 1, 2, or 3 clinical trials) will reach consumers this decade, adding an additional decade to the human healthspan. Technologies include stem cell supply restoration, wnt pathway manipulation, Senolytic Medicines, a new generation of Endo-Vaccines, GDF-11, supplementation of NMD/NAD+, among several others. And as machine learning continues to mature, AI is set to unleash countless new drug candidates, ready for clinical trials. This metatrend is driven by the convergence of: genome sequencing, CRISPR technologies, AI, quantum computing, and cellular medicine…

(4) An age of capital abundance will see increasing access to capital everywhere: From 2016 – 2018 (and likely in 2019), humanity hit all-time highs in the global flow of seed capital, venture capital, and sovereign wealth fund investments. While this trend will witness some ups and downs in the wake of future recessions, it is expected to continue its overall upward trajectory. Capital abundance leads to the funding and testing of ‘crazy’ entrepreneurial ideas, which, in turn, accelerate innovation. Already, $300 billion in crowdfunding is anticipated by 2025, democratizing capital access for entrepreneurs worldwide. This metatrend is driven by the convergence of: global connectivity, dematerialization, demonetization, and democratization…

(5) Augmented Reality and the Spatial Web will achieve ubiquitous deployment: The combination of Augmented Reality (yielding Web 3.0, or the Spatial Web) and 5G networks (offering 100Mb/s – 10Gb/s connection speeds) will transform how we live our everyday lives, impacting every industry from retail and advertising, to education and entertainment. Consumers will play, learn, and shop throughout the day in a newly intelligent, virtually overlaid world. This metatrend will be driven by the convergence of: hardware advancements, 5G networks, artificial intelligence, materials science, and surging computing power…(6) Everything is smart, embedded with intelligence: The price of specialized machine learning chips is dropping rapidly with a rise in global demand. Combined with the explosion of low-cost microscopic sensors and the deployment of high-bandwidth networks, we’re heading into a decade wherein every device becomes intelligent. Your child’s toy remembers her face and name. Your kids’ drone safely and diligently follows and videos all the children at the birthday party. Appliances respond to voice commands and anticipate your needs…

(7) AI will achieve human-level intelligence: As predicted by technologist and futurist Ray Kurzweil, artificial intelligence will reach human-level performance this decade (by 2030). Through the 2020s, AI algorithms and machine learning tools will be increasingly made open source, available on the cloud, allowing any individual with an internet connection to supplement their cognitive ability, augment their problem-solving capacity, and build new ventures at a fraction of the current cost. This metatrend will be driven by the convergence of: global high-bandwidth connectivity, neural networks, and cloud computing. Every industry, spanning industrial design, healthcare, education, and entertainment, will be impacted…

(8) AI-Human Collaboration will skyrocket across all professions: The rise of “AI as a Service” (AIaaS) platforms will enable humans to partner with AI in every aspect of their work, at every level, in every industry. AIs will become entrenched in everyday business operations, serving as cognitive collaborators to employees — supporting creative tasks, generating new ideas, and tackling previously unattainable innovations. In some fields, partnership with AI will even become a requirement. For example: in the future, making certain diagnoses without the consultation of AI may be deemed malpractice…

(9) Most individuals adapt a JARVIS-like “software shell” to improve their quality of life: As services like Alexa, Google Home, and Apple Homepod expand in functionality, such services will eventually travel beyond the home and become your cognitive prosthetic 24/7. Imagine a secure JARVIS-like software shell that you give permission to listen to all your conversations, read your email, monitor your blood chemistry, etc. With access to such data, these AI-enabled software shells will learn your preferences, anticipate your needs and behavior, shop for you, monitor your health, and help you problem-solve in support of your mid- and long-term goals…

(10) Globally abundant, cheap renewable energy: Continued advancements in solar, wind, geothermal, hydroelectric, nuclear, and localized grids will drive humanity towards cheap, abundant, and ubiquitous renewable energy. The price per kilowatt-hour will drop below 1 cent per kilowatt-hour for renewables, just as storage drops below a mere 3 cents per kilowatt-hour, resulting in the majority displacement of fossil fuels globally. And as the world’s poorest countries are also the world’s sunniest, the democratization of both new and traditional storage technologies will grant energy abundance to those already bathed in sunlight…(11) The insurance industry transforms from “recovery after risk” to “prevention of risk:” Today, fire insurance pays you after your house burns down; life insurance pays your next-of-kin after you die; and health insurance (which is really sick insurance) pays only after you get sick. This next decade, a new generation of insurance providers will leverage the convergence of machine learning, ubiquitous sensors, low-cost genome sequencing, and robotics to detect risk, prevent disaster, and guarantee safety before any costs are incurred…

(12) Autonomous vehicles and flying cars will redefine human travel (soon to be far faster and cheaper): Fully autonomous vehicles, car-as-a-service fleets, and aerial ride-sharing (flying cars) will be fully operational in most major metropolitan cities in the coming decade. The cost of transportation will plummet 3-4X, transforming real estate, finance, insurance, the materials economy, and urban planning. Where you live and work, and how you spend your time, will all be fundamentally reshaped by this future of human travel. Your kids and elderly parents will never drive. This metatrend will be driven by the convergence of: machine learning, sensors, materials science, battery storage improvements, and ubiquitous gigabit connections…[sPause sec=1 ePause]

(13) On-demand production and on-demand delivery will birth an “instant economy of things:” Urban dwellers will learn to expect “instant fulfillment” of their retail orders as drone and robotic last-mile delivery services carry products from local supply depots directly to your doorstep. Further riding the deployment of regional on-demand digital manufacturing (3D printing farms), individualized products can be obtained within hours, anywhere, anytime. This metatrend is driven by the convergence of: networks, 3D printing, robotics, and artificial intelligence…

(14) Ability to sense and know anything, anytime, anywhere: We’re rapidly approaching the era wherein 100 billion sensors (the Internet of Everything) is monitoring and sensing (imaging, listening, measuring) every facet of our environments, all the time. Global imaging satellites, drones, autonomous car LIDARs, and forward-looking augmented reality (AR) headset cameras are all part of a global sensor matrix, together allowing us to know anything, anytime, anywhere. This metatrend is driven by the convergence of: terrestrial, atmospheric and space-based sensors, vast data networks, and machine learning. In this future, it’s not “what you know,” but rather “the quality of the questions you ask,” that will be most important…

(15) Disruption of advertising: As AI becomes increasingly embedded in everyday life, your custom AI will soon understand what you want better than you do. In turn, we will begin to both trust and rely upon our AIs to make most of our buying decisions, turning over shopping to AI-enabled personal assistants. Your AI might make purchases based upon your past desires, current shortages, conversations you’ve allowed your AI to listen to, or by tracking where your pupils focus on a virtual interface (i.e., what catches your attention). As a result, the advertising industry—which normally competes for your attention (whether at the Superbowl or through search engines)—will have a hard time influencing your AI. This metatrend is driven by the convergence of: machine learning, sensors, augmented reality, and 5G/networks…(16) Cellular agriculture moves from the lab into inner cities, providing high-quality protein that is cheaper and healthier: This next decade will witness the birth of the most ethical, nutritious, and environmentally sustainable protein production system devised by humankind. Stem cell-based ‘cellular agriculture’ will allow the production of beef, chicken and fish anywhere, on-demand, with far higher nutritional content, and a vastly lower environmental footprint than traditional livestock options. This metatrend is enabled by the convergence of: biotechnology, materials science, machine learning, and AgTech…

(17) High-bandwidth Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCI) will come online for public use: Technologist and futurist Ray Kurzweil has predicted that in the mid-2030s, we will begin connecting the human neocortex to the cloud. This next decade will see tremendous progress in that direction, first serving those with spinal cord injuries, whereby patients will regain both sensory capacity and motor control. Yet beyond assisting those with motor function loss, several BCI pioneers are now attempting to supplement their baseline cognitive abilities, a pursuit with the potential to increase their sensorium, memory, and even intelligence. This metatrend is fueled by the convergence of: materials science, machine learning, and robotics…

(18) High-resolution VR will transform both retail and real estate shopping: High-resolution, lightweight virtual reality headsets will allow individuals at home to shop for everything from clothing to real estate from the convenience of their living room. Need a new outfit? Your AI knows your detailed body measurements and can whip up a fashion show featuring your avatar wearing the latest 20 designs on a runway. Want to see how your furniture might look inside a house you’re viewing online? No problem! Your AI can populate the property with your virtualized inventory and give you a guided tour. This metatrend is enabled by the convergence of: VR, machine learning, and high-bandwidth networks…

(19) Increased focus on sustainability and the environment: An increase in global environmental awareness and concern over global warming will drive companies to invest in sustainability, both from a necessity standpoint and for marketing purposes. Breakthroughs in materials science, enabled by AI, will allow companies to drive tremendous reductions in waste and environmental contamination. One company’s waste will become another company’s profit center. This metatrend is enabled by the convergence of: materials science, artificial intelligence, and broadband networks…

(20) CRISPR and gene therapies will minimize disease: A vast range of infectious diseases, ranging from AIDS to Ebola, are now curable. In addition, gene-editing technologies continue to advance in precision and ease of use, allowing families to treat and ultimately cure hundreds of inheritable genetic diseases. This metatrend is driven by the convergence of: various biotechnologies (CRISPR, Gene Therapy), genome sequencing, and artificial intelligence…I hope that you have enjoyed my analysis and predictions for this next decade. Even with Covid19’s impact, it is projected to be considered the roaring 20s

Back to you, Gramps!

Thank you, Solomon, I appreciate your assistance with our Wisdom-Trek podcast this week. We may have you back to assist in the future.

Now many of you probably realize that the entire text that Solomon read was actually an Artificially Generated voice. If you realized that it is partially due to the extended length of the text. While there is technology available today where it is virtually impossible to tell the difference, Solomon’s voice was generated with a program that cost only $37.00 with minimal editing of the original text. We are well on our way, where you will not be able to tell the difference.

None of us know for sure what the future will hold; today’s lesson is just a glimpse of the possibilities that are to come. We must be diligent with the work that God has called us to do. As we close out our episode for today, let me share a bit of wisdom from the wisest man who ever lived, King Solomon, from the Old Testament.

Ecclesiastes 11:1-6

Send your grain across the seas,

and in time, profits will flow back to you.

But divide your investments among many places,

for you do not know what risks might lie ahead.

 When clouds are heavy, the rains come down.

Whether a tree falls north or south, it stays where it falls.

Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant.

If they watch every cloud, they never harvest.

Just as you cannot understand the path of the wind or the mystery of a tiny baby growing in its mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the activity of God, who does all things.

Plant your seed in the morning and keep busy all afternoon, for you don’t know if profit will come from one activity or another—or maybe both.

That is a wrap for today’s question. Join us again next Friday for another question on our ‘Ask Gramps’ episode. Our next trek is Meditation Monday, where we will help you reflect on what is most important in life. So 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 the past 1412 daily treks or read the associated journals, 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 of all, your friend as I serve you in 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 on Monday!

Day 1412 – The Missing Gas Cap – Humor Unplugged

by Leave a Comment

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 1412 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

The Missing Gas Cap – Humor Unplugged

Wisdom – 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 1412 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 Proverbs 15:30 A cheerful look brings joy to the heart; good news makes for good health. We are also encouraged in 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:

The Missing Gas Cap

Our friends John and Suzy headed out early one morning for a road trip. The first couple of days went off without a hitch. The weather was great, and they were making good time. On the third day towards evening, John pulls into a gas station to fill up the car for the next day. He paid for the gas and headed on down the road. About 30 minutes later he smacked himself on the forehead and told Suzy; I think I forgot to put the gas cap back on. So John pulls off the side of the road, and sure enough, the gas cap was missing.   John pondered for a few minutes then said to himself, “other people must have done the same thing, I’ll look by the side of the road since even if find my own gas cap, I might be able to find one that fits.”  John walked about 50 yards up the road, and sure enough, after only a short time of searching, John found a gas cap. He carefully wiped it off and slipped it into place with a satisfying click.

As he was getting back into the car, he wipes his hands on his jeans and proudly proclaims:  “Great news Suzy!  I may have lost my gas cap, but I found another one that fits, and it’s even a better cap than the one I had – it locks!…”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, “The bad news: There is no key to happiness. The Good News: It isn’t locked!” 

Here is our verse for today:

Proverbs 18:19

An offended friend is harder to win back than a fortified city. Arguments separate friends like a gate locked with bars.

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 1411 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:

  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 Philosophy Friday!

Day 1411 – Mastering the Bible – Truth from the Epistles and the Apostles – Worldview Wednesday

by Leave a Comment

Welcome to Day 1411 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

I am Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Mastering the Bible – Truth from the Epistles and the Apostles – Worldview Wednesday

Wisdom – 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 1411 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 – Truth From The Epistles and Apostles

Insight Seventy-Three: The Epistles Are the Antidote to the Idea That the Righteous Invariably Prosper

Perhaps the notion will be foreign to you, but I have met Christians who presume that material wealth and personal success are proof of God’s blessing. There are whole ministries that play on people’s emotions that support this unbiblical philosophy.  It doesn’t take much thought to realize how unbiblical that proposition is. Many unbelievers are financially prosperous and quite successful. Conversely, many believers have next to nothing. They aren’t poor or persecuted because they don’t have enough faith or because they haven’t sent money to a ‘television ministry.’ They are poor for a plethora of reasons, some of them quite complex and systemic to their political and cultural situation. But if they are faithful, they are also blessed.

Frankly, the poor and persecuted believers across the world resemble the early church more than believers in the American church. The Epistles don’t portray early believers and their fledgling congregations as unusually prosperous, influential, and relatively carefree. It’s precisely the opposite.

It is hard to miss the early believer’s social status if one invests any time reading the New Testament. Paul started numerous churches. Poverty and personal need was not unusual in them (2 Corinthians 8:1-2: Romans 16:2; Philippians 4:19; Titus 3:14). Paul and the apostles themselves were poor (2 Corinthians 6:10; Philippians 4:11-12). James’s words indicate that poverty was prevalent (James 2:2-6). The church at Jerusalem—surely loved deeply by God—was notoriously poor, so much so that Paul collected offerings for Jerusalem almost everywhere he went (Acts 2:42-47; 3:6; 1 Corinthians 16:1-2; Galatians 2:7-10; cf. Rom. 15:26-28; Acts 24:17).

First-century believers also suffered severe persecution. The New Testament is filled with such descriptions. Despite the claims of modern religious hucksters, the apostles suffered, even though they were the very people one might suppose to be the most prosperous if God’s blessing leads to a life without hardship. The apostles were beaten (Acts 5:27-42), and the godly were martyred (Acts 7:54-60). Paul suffered with almost unbelievable regularity (Philippians 3:8-10; 2 Corinthians 5:21-29). Most of Peter’s first epistle is about enduring suffering for faith in Jesus (1 Peter 2:19-23; 3:14-18; 4:1-19:5:9-10). Perhaps the most poignant contradiction to the notion that wealth and prosperity defines the blessing of God is Jesus himself. Jesus was homeless and dependent on the support of others (Matthew 8:20; Mark 15:40-41). His torture and crucifixion for crimes he did not commit is the highest example of suffering for believers (1 Peter 2:19-23; 4:1; 5:1).

The message is simple but direct: believers can, do, and will suffer for no just cause. Such suffering is no more a reflection of divine disdain than the suffering of Jesus. And an ultimate blessing and reward awaits those who follow in Jesus’s steps.

Insight Seventy-Four: The Apostles Taught That Unrepentant Christians Openly Living in Sin Should Be Expelled from Local Churches

Many Christians will no doubt be surprised, and perhaps disturbed, by this assertion. Yet it is something taught quite clearly in the Epistles. But from the outset of our brief look at the subject, we must be clear that “church discipline“ (as it has come to be called) had restoration of a sinning believer in view, not jaded shunning.

The most obvious instance of this apostolic teaching is found in l Corinthians 5:1–5: I can hardly believe the report about the sexual immorality going on among you—something that even pagans don’t do. I am told that a man in your church is living in sin with his stepmother.  You are so proud of yourselves, but you should be mourning in sorrow and shame. And you should remove this man from your fellowship.  Even though I am not with you in person, I am with you in the Spirit. And as though I were there, I have already passed judgment on this man in the name of the Lord Jesus. You must call a meeting of the church. I will be present with you in Spirit, and so will the power of our Lord Jesus. Then you must throw this man out and hand him over to Satan so that his sinful nature will be destroyed and he himself will be saved on the day the Lord returns.

The idea of “hand him over to Satan” reflects the ancient Worldview that God’s people occupied sacred space, and everywhere else was under the control of evil. Sin belonged outside the believing community, not in it. Though sin leads to self- destruction, the goal was still that the person’s soul would be saved and that genuine repentance would come. In this case, there was a good resolution (2 Corinthians 7:7-10). Though this warning by Paul occurs in l Corinthians, it is actually his second admonition about this problem. In l Corinthians 5:9, Paul says, “When I wrote to you before, I told you not to associate with people who indulge in sexual sin.” Paul had written an earlier letter to the Corinthians that has been lost.

This ‘‘double warning” is actually part of a significant pattern in the New Testament. We see it elsewhere in passages relating to sin problems in churches.

In his letter to Titus, Paul said in Titus 3:10,  If people are causing divisions among you, give a first and second warning. After that, have nothing more to do with them. In his first letter to the Thessalonians, Paul admonished believers who were “idle” (1 Thessalonians 5:14). By the time of his second epistle to the Thessalonians, the problem had not been resolved. Believers who could work to meet their own needs were still mooching off others in the church. Paul gave a second warning and an ultimatum 2 Thessalonians 3:6-10:

And now, dear brothers and sisters, we give you this command in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ: Stay away from all believers who live idle lives and don’t follow the tradition they received from us. For you know that you ought to imitate us. We were not idle when we were with you. We never accepted food from anyone without paying for it. We worked hard day and night, so we would not be a burden to any of you. We certainly had the right to ask you to feed us, but we wanted to give you an example to follow. Even while we were with you, we gave you this command: “Those unwilling to work will not get to eat.”

Church discipline was not conducted flippantly. It was for the good of all concerned. Believers in sin won’t repent if no one tells the truth about their conduct.

That will conclude this week’s lesson on another two insights from Dr. Heiser’s book “Mastering The Bible.” Next Worldview Wednesday, we will continue with two additional insights. I believe you will find each Worldview Wednesday an interesting topic to consider as we build our Biblical Worldview.

Tomorrow we will continue with our 3-minute Humor nugget that will provide you with a bit of cheer, which will help you to lighten up and live a rich and satisfying life. 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 1410 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 in 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!