Day 1207 – A Gift for the Church – Humor Unplugged

September 5, 2019 by H. Guthrie Chamberlain, III Leave a Comment

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 1207 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

A Gift for the Church – 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, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before.

Hello, my friend, I am Guthrie Chamberlain, your captain on our journey to increase wisdom and create a living legacy. Thank you for joining us today as we explore wisdom on our 2nd millennium of podcasts. This is Day 1207 of our trek, and it is time for our 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 provide 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…

A Gift for the Church

Pastor James, who was the new pastor at a City-Center Church, was delighted when he received an anonymous gift of money, which was quite substantial for the small church. During the next church council meeting, Pastor James presented the gift and proposed it should be used to buy a new chandelier for the main sanctuary, since the current lighting had been there for many decades.

Pastor James thought this would be a splendid idea. However, when it was put to a vote Pastor James was disappointed when his proposal was narrowly defeated. Pastor James observed that Sam, the church council secretary, had voted against the proposal and when the meeting was over, he asked Sam why he had not supported it.

Sam looked at Pastor James sternly for a few moments then then said that he had three reasons: “First, I have to write the minutes of the meeting, and I can’t spell the word; second, there is sure to be an argument over who should play it; and finally, if we are going to spend money in the Church, what we really need is some good lighting in the sanctuary.

I hope that brought a smile to your face today. If it did, pass your smile onto some else; we all could use a good smile. Our Thursday Thought is “Many communication misunderstandings arise when you presume that others know what you are talking about.”

Luke [18:34]

But they didn’t understand any of this. The significance of his words was hidden from them, and they failed to grasp what he was talking about.

As you enjoy these nuggets of humor, please encourage your friends and family to join us and then come along tomorrow for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

If you would like to listen to any of our past 1206 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 each day will be downloaded to you automatically.

Thank you for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and most importantly, your friend as I serve you through the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal each day.

As we take this trek together, let us always:

Live Abundantly (Fully)
Love Unconditionally
Listen Intentionally
Learn Continuously
Lend to others Generously
Lead with Integrity
Leave a Living Legacy Each Day

I am Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Everyday! See you tomorrow for Philosophy Friday!

Day 1206 – Disciples Fellowship and Pray – Worldview Wednesday

September 4, 2019 by H. Guthrie Chamberlain, III 1 Comment

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 1206 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

I am Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Disciples Fellowship and Pray – Worldview Wednesday

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 1206 of our trek, and it is Worldview Wednesday. Creating a Biblical worldview is important to have a proper perspective on today’s current events.

To establish a Biblical worldview, you must also have a proper understanding of God and His Word. On our Worldview Wednesday episodes we are in a series in which we are covering another detailed review of a book from one of today’s most prominent Hebrew Scholars Dr. Micheal S. Heiser. We are taking a deep dive and will share Dr. Heiser’s insights into the question, which is also the title of his book “What Does God Want?”

Disciples Fellowship and Pray

Last week we took a broad view of how disciples take care of each other. For the next several weeks, we will drill down and explore what the specific responsibilities are as a disciple.

The first responsibility is disciples fellowship.

“Fellowship” is a New Testament word that describes the activity of the believing community. Taking care of each other is part of Biblical fellowship, because when believers meet together, needs can be discerned and met. That said, we need a short discussion of fellowship to talk about other things disciples do.

Many Christians today equate “fellowship” with having fun together. For sure, doing fun things together strengthens relationships. Enjoying the company of people builds bonds. But that really isn’t biblical fellowship in the sense of becoming disciples.

The basic difference between doing fun things together and biblical fellowship is that fellowship isn’t just about spending time together. It’s much more intentional.

The goal of fellowship is ultimately “becoming one mind” around Jesus so that we can “have his mind in us.” In other words, the goal of fellowship is discipleship. A couple of verses from Philippians capture the idea:

Philippians 1:27 – Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News.

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.

What does it mean to have the mind of Christ and then to be of one mind as a community of believers? Does it mean everyone believes the same things down to the last detail? No. The Bible speaks of unity, not uniformity. A better way to understand “one mind and purpose” is that every member of the community is pursuing the same goal: to be like Jesus. The goal is harmony, not unanimity, in pursuing Christ-likeness and living in community together as believers.

Early believing communities engaged in a number of activities to build toward this goal. They prayed, fasted, worshipped, and studied the Scriptures. Since all of those activities are things disciples do individually as well as together, we will explore each one separately as we continue.

The next responsibility is that disciples pray.

In simplest terms, prayer is talking to God. But that needs some thought. Doesn’t God already know what we’re thinking? He does. So why pray?

Prayer isn’t for informing God. Prayer is a way we can show God (and others) that we depend on God. It is a way to express that we want God to act, that we aren’t relying on ourselves, or that we cannot find a solution ourselves. Prayer fosters our own sense of dependence on, and security in, God alone. In that sense, prayer is worship. The same is true for prayer in groups.

In Luke 11:1 the disciples, referring to John the Baptist and his followers, asked Jesus how to pray. Here is the verse, “Once Jesus was in a certain place praying. As he finished, one of his disciples came to him and said, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.’” Jesus’ response is the now-famous “Lord’s Prayer” (Luke 11:2-4; and Matt 6:9-15). It is important to note that Jesus didn’t tell the disciples what words to pray in the Lord’s Prayer. Rather, he told them to pray “like this” (Matt 9:9). He was giving them a model. We don’t need to use formulas or special words to talk to God. Just talk to God. Also, prayer should never be done for show (Luke 18:9-14).

Jesus’ response is the now-famous “Lord’s Prayer” (Luke 11:2-4; and Matt 6:9-15). It is important to note that Jesus didn’t tell the disciples what words to pray in the Lord’s Prayer. Rather, he told them to pray “like this” (Matt 9:9). He was giving them a model. We don’t need to use formulas or special words to talk to God. Just talk to God. Also, prayer should never be done for show (Luke 18:9-14).

There’s nothing in the Lord’s Prayer that God isn’t already aware of. Again, prayer isn’t about filling in gaps in God’s knowledge. Rather, the Lord’s Prayer is laced with things like worship and honor of God (“may your name be kept holy”), obedience to God’s will (“your will be done”), forgiveness (“forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us”), and requests to be delivered from temptation and evil (“lead us not into temptation, and deliver us from evil”). Prayer is something that is designed to align our hearts with God’s lordship of our lives and build an attitude of dependence on him.

The Bible is filled with prayers, both individual and corporate. If you read them you learn that prayer is also a means by which we can pour out our feelings to God—anger, grief, love, or any other emotion. God isn’t learning anything when we do that. We learn to submit to him, believing he is good and knows best, and asking God for help. Jesus said God would indeed answer in the wider context of his wise will. In other words, God’s answers may not always be what we want, but God knows everything else that’s going on in the course of all human experience and behavior, and is working his greater plan. God may also answer in an unexpected way.

The prayers of the Bible are also not self-focused. Most of their content is aimed at blessing others or asking God’s mercy upon others. Paul’s letters habitually include prayers for those to whom he’s writing. Prayer is not always, or even mostly, about expressing our own needs and wants.

Jesus prayed frequently. He followed his own teaching that prayer should be persistent (Colossians 4:2-6, Luke 18:1-8). Jesus didn’t get every prayer answered, which was acceptable to him, since he was more concerned that God’s will would be done (Matthew [26:36]-46). This is an important reminder about prayer. Jesus taught that God would answer when we pray (Luke 11:9-13), but we cannot assume that God would answer the way we want if we are disobedient to him or not in concert with his own will (James 4:3; 1 John [3:22]; [5:14]).

That will conclude our lesson for this week from Dr. Heiser’s book “What Does God Want?” Next Worldview Wednesday, we will discover two additional responsibilities for disciples which are “Disciples Fasting and Worshiping.” 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 and 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 our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

If you would like to listen to any of our past 1205 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 of all, your friend as I serve you through the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.

As we take this trek together, let us always:

Live Abundantly (Fully)
Love Unconditionally
Listen Intentionally
Learn Continuously
Lend to others Generously
Lead with Integrity
Leave a Living Legacy Each Day

I am Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Everyday! See you tomorrow!

Day 1205 – Success Is Just That Simple – Wisdom Unplugged

September 3, 2019 by H. Guthrie Chamberlain, III Leave a Comment

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 1205 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

***Success Is Just That Simple –* *Wisdom Unplugged***

Today’s quote is from Tim Tebow, and it is, “I want to make sure that every night I go to sleep knowing I’ve done my very best to improve that day. Success, to me, is just that simple.”

Success Is Just That Simple

It is so easy to get wrapped up in the prevalent worldview that the major measure of success is wealth. Although I knew this all along, as I grow older, it is more and more obvious that wealth is only a minor measurement of success. Success is not all that complicated, nor difficult to achieve. We have to have a proper worldview of what true success is. As Jesus taught us in Matthew 16:26, “And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?”

You can gain the entire world of wealth, but what good is it if your life does not positively impact the world? The true measure of a completely successful life is to be successful each day. This is when you are able to lay your head on your pillow at night with the confidence that your actions and words improved your life and the lives of all those who you impacted, either directly, or indirectly.

Let us not overcomplicate life. Let us pursue the building of God’s Kingdom each day by living His precepts and positively impacting the lives of everyone in our world. It is then that your life will be worthwhile. When your life is worthwhile, then you have achieved success, no matter how small or large that achievement is.

1 Corinthians [4:20]

For the Kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk; it is living by God’s power.

That’s a wrap for today’s Wisdom Unplugged quote. If you would like free access to my database of over 11,000 inspirational quotes, the link is available on the main page of Wisdom-Trek.com. As you enjoy these nuggets of wisdom, encourage your friends and family to join us and then come along tomorrow for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

If you would like to listen to any of our past 1204 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 of all, your friend as I serve you through the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.

As we take this trek together, let us always:

Live Abundantly (Fully)
Love Unconditionally
Listen Intentionally
Learn Continuously
Lend to others Generously
Lead with Integrity
Leave a Living Legacy Each Day

I am Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Everyday! See you tomorrow for Worldview Wednesday!

Day 1204 – The Worker Bees of Life – Meditation Monday

September 2, 2019 by H. Guthrie Chamberlain, III Leave a Comment

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 1204 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

The Worker Bees of Life – Meditation Monday

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 1204 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 praying. It is a time, to renew my mind, refocus on what is most important, and make 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.

There are certain people that always seem to be busy, and they accomplish so much. Maybe you are one, or maybe you just sit in amazement as you observe them. In today’s meditation, let us consider…

The Worker Bees of Life

Every organization, church, or family needs a Martha. Actually, they probably need several Martha-type people. I have to confess, that I certainly tend to fall into this category. There is always more to do. More tasks, more chores, more work. Martha’s have the sleeves rolled and ready attitude…They set the pace for an organization. Because of Marthas, the projects get done, goals are reached, income is generated, and everything continues to tick like clockwork. You don’t appreciate Marthas until a Martha is missing, and then all the Marys and Lazaruses are scrambling around looking and wondering why things are so disorganized and not much is accomplished.

Marthas are the Energizer bunnies of an organization. They keep going and going and going. They store strength like a camel stores water. Since many of them really don’t seek the spotlight, they don’t live off the applause. That’s not to say they don’t need it. They just aren’t addicted to it. A job well done is the accolades that they seek.

Marthas have a focus and mission and relentlessly pursues goals. The fact is, though, sometimes they don’t see the beautiful forest because they are so intent on the next tree that is in front of them. It is their tendency to elevate the tasks as more important than the ultimate end result. They lack the long term vision that is so important. Remember when Martha did that? A younger Martha invites a younger Jesus to come for dinner. Jesus accepts and brings his disciples.

The scene Luke describes has Mary seated and Martha fuming. Martha is angry because Mary is, the horror of horrors, sitting at the feet of Jesus. How impractical! How irrelevant! How unnecessary! I mean, who has time to sit and listen when there is bread to be baked, tables to be set, and people to feed? So Martha complained in Luke 10:40, “But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, ‘Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.’”

All of a sudden Martha has gone from serving Jesus to making demands of Jesus. The room falls silent. The disciples duck their eyes. Mary flushes red. And Jesus speaks in Luke 10:41-42, “But the Lord said to her, ‘My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.’”

Apparently, Martha got the point, for later we find her serving again at a much later date in John 12:2-3, “A dinner was prepared in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, and Lazarus was among those who ate with him. Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance.”

Is Mary in the kitchen? No, she is worshiping, for that is what she loves to do. But this time Martha doesn’t object. She has learned that there is a place for praise and worship, and that is what Mary is doing. And what is Mary’s part in the dinner? She brings a pint of very expensive perfume and pours it on Jesus’ feet, then wipes his feet with her hair. The smell of the perfume fills the house, just like the sound of praise can fill a church.

An earlier Martha would have objected. Such an act was too lavish, too extravagant, too generous. But this mature Martha has learned that just as there is a place in the kingdom of God for sacrificial service, there is also a place for extravagant praise.

Regardless of whether you are a Mary or a Martha, you have a place in building God’s Kingdom here on earth. We need both service and praise.

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 our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

If you would like to listen to any of the past 1203 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 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 through the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.

As we take this trek together, let us always:

Live Abundantly (Fully)
Love Unconditionally
Listen Intentionally
Learn Continuously
Lend to others Generously
Lead with Integrity
Leave a Living Legacy Each Day

I am Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Everyday! See you tomorrow!

Day 1203 – Wealth with a Purpose – Ask Gramps

August 30, 2019 by H. Guthrie Chamberlain, III Leave a Comment

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 1203 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Wealth with a Purpose – Ask Gramps

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 1203 of our trek, and it is time for our Philosophy Friday series. Each Friday, we will ponder some of the basic truths and mysteries of life and how they can impact us in creating our living legacy.

As we continue on this trek called life, sometimes we have questions about life, so our Friday trek is a time when we can “Ask Gramps.” Gramps will answer questions that you would like to ask your dad or granddad, but for whatever reason, you are unable to. No matter how old we are, I know that all of us would like the opportunity to ask Dad or Gramps questions about life in many areas.

We may mix it up a bit on our Friday episodes, but 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.

So the question for this week is…

“Hey Gramps, I am trying to be a good manager of the money I earn. We have been frugal and strive to be wise with our spending and investing. The result is that we are nearly debt-free and have started to accumulate a reserve. Is it wrong to pursue more money and accumulate a substantial amount?”

Wealth with a Purpose

First, let me state emphatically, there is certainly nothing wrong with wisely and prudently accumulating resources. The Bible is clear that one of the blessings from God can be gaining material wealth. As with all of God’s precepts, it is what your focus is on.

Let’s start with a basic concept and a straight forward verse, which is 1 Timothy 5:18,“For the Scripture says, ‘You must not muzzle an ox to keep it from eating as it treads out the grain.’” And in another place, “Those who work deserve their pay!” God’s precept here is you should work hard, and when you do, you deserve the pay that you receive. There is nothing wrong or negative with this.

One of the biggest misperceptions in our contemporary culture, even among many Christians, is that there is something inherently evil with turning a profit. The Bible warns us against making wealth an idol in 1 Timothy [6:10], but it does not discourage the responsible accumulation of wealth by God’s people. The keyword here is responsible.

While Scripture may not make a clear case for capitalism, it is apparent that some capitalist principles are rooted and entwined with a Biblical worldview. There are numerous passages in the Bible that encourage us to work hard for honest wages such as 2 Thessalonians [3:10] and 1 Timothy [5:18], which I read above. We should create goods and accumulate wealth that can enrich others (Proverbs [11:25]). We should buy, sell, and make a profit (Proverbs [31:16]-24 and Leviticus [25:14]). We should responsibly invest our resources (Luke [19:11]-26 and Proverbs [11:24]). Of course, we should first of all support and care for our family (1 Timothy 5:8).

Wealth, like any of God’s good gifts, can puff us up and easily become an idol, which is why there are warnings in God’s Word against the full-fledged pursuit of money at the expense of a life focused on knowing God and the building of His Kingdom here on earth. Materialism and greed can sap our spiritual life because it prevents us from “keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith,” Hebrews 12:2.

If we lose our Biblical Worldview about wealth, it will cause our indifference to the poor and needy and result in our denial of the Gospel through wrong actions. We are warned about this in James 2:14-20, “So we should hold our wealth loosely, but not recklessly. We should never feel bad with false guilt if we through our hard work and being frugal, the result is financial gain. We can prayerfully use that gain to bless our family, and to assist in building God’s Kingdom throughout the world. We are blessed, and God is gracious to us, then it is our responsibility to bless and be gracious to others as God’s emissary.”

The bottom line is it is not a sin to have wealth, but it is a sin for wealth to have us.

An excellent passage to consider to end on is 1 Timothy 6:17-18, “Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others.”

I hope these tips will help you have a Biblical Worldview and mindset about wealth. Make as much as you can, so you can help as many as you are able.

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 Mediation 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 our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

If you would like to listen to any of the past 1202 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 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 through the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.

As we take this trek together, let us always:

Live Abundantly (Fully)
Love Unconditionally
Listen Intentionally
Learn Continuously
Lend to others Generously
Lead with Integrity
Leave a Living Legacy Each Day

I am Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Everyday! See you on Monday!

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