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Day 1315 – Living By Gratitude – Wisdom Unplugged

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Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 1315 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Living By Gratitude – 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 1315 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  John F. Kennedy, and it is:  As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.

Living By Gratitude

We should always express our gratitude each time that someone does something for us, not just a one-time acknowledgment of it. It is great to verbally express our gratitude, but if it becomes just redundant platitudes without living a life of gratitude, it will not mean nearly as much. The best way to continually show gratitude is to live in a manner that reflects true gratitude. Let me give an example from my childhood. As I mentioned last week, I was one of ten children and grew up poor on an apple orchard. We lived in an old farmhouse with only one bathroom. This was quite a challenge. Although it was difficult at times to show our appreciation for each other and our parents. We learned throughout our lives that we needed to express our gratitude in word and deed. We didn’t always get along, but it was instilled in us from an early age that we also needed to show our gratitude by helping and assisting each other with all of the farm duties, and household tasks.  To survive, it was vitally important for each of us to pitch in our do our part. Our love for and helping each other was a priority that our parents instilled in us throughout our lives. Although my dad is now in a nursing home, with severe dementia, and very acute hearing loss, the nurses frequently make comments on how pleasant and appreciative dad is to everyone there as they care for him. Both verbally expressing and living a life of gratitude is part of the very fabric of dad’s life. We need to make sure that we make it part of the very fabric of our lives also.As Christ taught us in the New Testament, which is referred to as the Golden rule, Matthew 7:12

Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.

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 1314 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 1314 – Weddings and Funerals – Meditation Monday

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Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 1314 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Weddings and Funerals – 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 1314 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.

 Two occasions that bring families and friends together is when we unite to the one we love, and when we have to say goodbye to the one we love in this world. So today, let us consider:

Weddings and Funerals

When a man and a woman marry, the two become one. Those who were separate, are now united. It is a life that is meant to be lived happily ever after. That is, at least, until death once again separates them. We should not fear that death, though, because Jesus promised, not just an afterlife, but a better life. This promise of Christ is found in John 14:1-3: Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.

We who live in the western world might miss the wedding images that are described in this passage, but Jesus’ listeners didn’t. This was a groom-to-bride promise. Upon receiving the permission of both families, the groom returned to the home of his father and built a home for his bride. He “prepared a place.”By promising to do the same for us, Jesus elevates funerals, which is his imminent death, to the same hope level as weddings. From his perspective, the trip to the grave and the walk down the aisle warrant identical excitement.

Weddings are great news! Jesus says, so are burials. Both celebrate a new era, name, and home. In both, the groom walks the bride away on his arm. Jesus is our coming groom. He said, I am going to prepare a place for you, and then “I will come and get you.” He will meet us at the altar. Your final glimpse of life will trigger your first glimpse of him.

But how can we be sure he will keep this pledge? Do we have any guarantee that his words are more than empty poetry or vain superstition? Dare we set our hope and hearts in the hands of a small-town Jewish carpenter? The answer rests in the Jerusalem grave. If Jesus’ tomb is empty, then his promise is not. Leave it to the apostle Paul to reduce the logic to a single sentence in 1 Corinthians 15:23: But there is an order to this resurrection: Christ was raised as the first of the harvest; then all who belong to Christ will be raised when he comes back.

Paul was writing to Corinthian Christians, people who had been schooled in the Greek philosophy of a shadowy afterlife. Someone was convincing them that corpses couldn’t be raised, neither theirs nor Christ’s. The apostle couldn’t bear such a thought. So he wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:1, Let me now remind you, dear brothers and sisters, of the Good News I preached to you before. You welcomed it then, and you still stand firm in it.With the insistence of an attorney in closing arguments, he reviewed the facts in 1 Corinthians 15:4-8: He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles. Last of all, as though I had been born at the wrong time, I also saw him.

Just as we have witnesses at our weddings, Paul lined up the witnesses, he offered. The proof that the bridegroom would return to claim his bride. Paul called them out one by one. Let each person who saw the resurrected Christ say so. Better pack a lunch and clear your calendar, for more than five hundred testifiers are willing to speak up.

Do you see Paul’s logic? If one person claimed a post-cross encounter with Christ, disregard it. If a dozen people offered depositions, chalk it up to mob hysteria. But fifty people? A hundred? Three hundred? When one testimony expands to hundreds, disbelief becomes belief. Paul knew, not handfuls, but hundreds of eyewitnesses. Peter, James, and John. The followers, the gathering of five hundred disciples, and Paul himself. They saw Jesus. They saw him physically. They knew he was alive and had gone to prepare a place for us.

They saw him factually. They didn’t see a phantom or experience a sentiment. Grave eulogies often include such phrases as “She’ll live on forever in my heart.” Jesus’ followers weren’t just saying this. They saw Jesus “in the flesh.” When he appeared to the disciples, he assured them in Luke 24:39, Look at my hands. Look at my feet. You can see that it’s really me. Touch me and make sure that I am not a ghost, because ghosts don’t have bodies, as you see that I do.”

Five hundred witnesses left a still-resounding testimony: it’s safe to die, we need not fear the separation, our bridegroom will return. So let’s die with faith. Let’s allow the resurrection to sink into the fibers of our hearts and define the way we look at the grave. It is the Christ promise that sets us free. Hebrews 2:15, Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying.

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 1313 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 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 1313 – Don’t Rush God – Ask Gramps

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Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 1313 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Don’t Rush God – 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 1313 of our Trek and 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 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

So the question for this week is:

“Hey Gramps, I know I need to be more patient in life, but I find myself wanting to rush ahead. This habit also impacts my spiritual growth. I want to be spiritual, but I want it now, without having to go through the discipline I know in my heart is needed. Can you share some wise advice to help to stay focused on what is most important?

 Don’t Rush God

In our western cultures, and actually throughout the world, we have become so accustomed to having most of our desires fulfilled instantly. Most of us use a lot of “instant” things. Instant messaging. Instant coffee. Instant rice. Instant access. Instant results, instant meals at drive-throughs. You get my drift, right? I suppose I am as bad as many people and worse than many about the desire for quick outcomes. Although, as I age, I am learning to be a bit more patient with others and all of life.

While we may try to defend the value of quick turnaround in many settings, I think it serves us poorly for the most part. It caters to our impatience. In fact, I would say it serves to magnify impatience. Not every destination can be reached by a shortcut, and by attempting to, we fall prey to compromising our values, ethics, and standing before God.

Nearly everyone wants to have a good reputation. Even in our pursuit of a good reputation, if we are impatient, it can lead to the shortcut path of doing a good thing for the wrong reason. That is to say, we support situational ethics, or the ends justifies the means. We may do something just to get noticed. Such as conspicuously giving a sizable gift at church or some other charitable organization. In other words, being conspicuous with a gift for the sake of being honored. Building character as the foundation for a good reputation is a slow process that takes place over time and without calling attention to oneself. It can take an entire lifetime to build and can be destroyed easily by impatient decisions.

Unfortunately, Christ-followers, and even Christian ministries can be the worst offenders of all. We have been given important kingdom-building tasks to accomplish in this world. Just as Rome wasn’t built overnight, neither is God’s kingdom. We have a mission from Jesus himself to tell everybody the good news of God’s love. For many churches, this seems to translate to filling up our church buildings and making a splash in our communities. So we get loud, bully our own members, and elbow our way into the consciousness of people who’ve made it clear they aren’t that interested in what we are doing.Both individual Christians and whole communities of believers seem to fall prey to the temptation. We try to get God’s results in our lives by preying on the fears of others, causing a sense of impatience. We cater to someone’s insecurities and felt needs.

God views our lives from the perspective of all eternity. God is not ever in a rush. It is His desire to purify us like gold, no matter how long that takes.

2 Peter 3:8

But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day.

A Spirit-filled life is created through a personal relationship with God, nurtured through investing time with Him and in churches or communities where people challenge and encourage one another, and brought to maturity through struggle and failure over time. There are no shortcuts. The growth of souls and becoming more like Christ is a slow growth process as our lives reflect the fruit of the Spirit.

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!So be patient with yourself and others. Be skeptical of quick fixes, pat answers, and shortcuts but be open to struggle and questions. Don’t get fixated on programs for your spiritual growth, but focus instead on caring about others and helping them. Right where you are today is where God wants to start to build you into a person who will reflect his nature. He won’t rush you. Be patient with yourself.

2 Corinthians 3:17-18

For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.

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 ‘Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.’If you would like to listen to any of the past 1312 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 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 1312 – A Neighbor’s Concern – Humor Unplugged

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Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 1312 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

A Neighbor’s Concern – 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 1312 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 Neighbor’s Concern

Sue and John, who lived next door to their elderly neighbor, Mrs. Goldbaum, always tried to keep an eye out for her to make sure she was okay. After not seeing Mrs. Goldbaum for three days, Sue started to be concerned for her. Knowing that Mrs. Goldbaum was somewhat hard of hearing and didn’t always answer her phone, Sue wasn’t sure how best to check up on her.

After fretting for several hours more, she couldn’t stand it any longer. Sue realized that Mrs. Goldbaum was quite independent, and she didn’t think she needed anyone to check in on her, so Sue devised a plan. Mrs. Goldbaum seemed to really like their six-year-old son, little Johnny, so she decided to send him over to check on her.

Sue asked: “Johnny, would you go next door and see how old Mrs. Goldbaum is?”

Johnny said, “Sure, I would love to; she always gives me candy when I go over.”

About 30 minutes later, Johnny returned, enjoying the candy bar he was given.

Sue was really anxious to find out, so she met Johnny at the door. “Well, is Mrs. Goldbaum all right?”

Johnny said, “Sure, she’s fine, except that she’s mad at you.”

Sue asked, “Mad at me? Whatever for?”

Johnny said nonchalantly, “She said its none of your business how old she is.”

I hope that brought a smile to your face today. If it did, pass your smile on to someone else; we all could use a good smile. Our Thursday thought is “And in the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.”

Proverbs 16:31

Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained by living a godly life.

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 1311 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 so much 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:

  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 1311 – Mastering the Bible – Theophany and Archaeology – Worldview Wednesday

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Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 1311 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

I am Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Mastering the Bible – Theophany and Archaeology – Worldview Wednesday

What is a Biblical Worldview 1

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 1311 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, it is required that you also 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 – Theophany, and Archaeology

Insight Thirty-Three: God Was Present in Human Form in the Old Testament

The time of Jesus wasn’t the first time in the Bible that God appeared on earth as a man. There are several places in the Old Testament where God comes in human form —even to the point of embodiment. In fact, these appearances became reference points for New Testament writers to talk about Jesus.

For example, in several passages, the “word of the Lord” appears to prophetic figures like Abraham (Genesis 15:1, 4), Samuel (1 Samuel 3:1, 7, 21), and Jeremiah (Jeremiah. 1:2, 4, 11). In these instances, the “word of the Lord” was visible. In other words, the reference is not just to a voice inside the head. In Jeremiah’s case, the “word of the Lord”—identified as God himself in the passage—reaches out his hand and touches the prophet as we read in Jeremiah 1:9 Then the Lord reached out and touched my mouth and said, Look, I have put my words in your mouth!

 These passages and others like them are where the apostle John gets his idea that Jesus was “the word” who was God—the word made flesh. Let me read John 1:1-3, 14

In the beginning the Word already existed.

The Word was with God,

and the Word was God.

He existed in the beginning with God.

God created everything through him,

and nothing was created except through him.

 So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.

Further evidence for God in human form in the Old Testament is the Angel of the Lord. In Exodus 23:20-21, God tells Moses:

 See, I am sending an angel before you to protect you on your journey and lead you safely to the place I have prepared for you. Pay close attention to him, and obey his instructions. Do not rebel against him, for he is my representative, and he will not forgive your rebellion.The word translated “angel” in the Old Testament means “messenger,” and so the “angel of the Lord” is a divine being sent to do a particular task. The key thing to notice in Exodus 23 is that this particular angel has the representation of God in him. Other passages make it clear that this is another way to refer to God himself. For example, the angel with God’s name in him was assigned by God to lead the Israelites to the promised land. Judges 2:1-3 tells us that the angel accomplishes that task. But in Deuteronomy 4:37-38, we read that God took Israel out of Egypt and defeated her enemies to conquer the land through God’s “presence.” In other words, God’s presence was in the angel. Interestingly enough, in the New Testament, Jude 5 shows Jesus delivering the Israelites from Egypt and defeating their enemies! The phrase “The angel of the Lord” appears nearly 80 times in the Bible. Most of these occurrences were in bodily form, the pre-incarnate Christ.

Genesis 48:15-16 makes this explicit. When Jacob blessed Joseph’s children, he prayed:

Then he blessed Joseph and said,

“May the God before whom my grandfather Abraham

and my father, Isaac, walked—

the God who has been my shepherd

all my life, to this very day,

 the Angel who has redeemed me from all harm—

may he bless these boys.

May they preserve my name

and the names of Abraham and Isaac.

And may their descendants multiply greatly

throughout the earth.”

The text doesn’t read, “may they bless the boys,” but “may he bless the boys.” The wording treats God and the angel as one. There are other passages that show God in human form before Jesus. God wasn’t born of a woman in these passages, but they prepared people for that event.

Insight Thirty-Four: Archaeology Can Validate but Not Prove the Bible

Many Bible students are fascinated by archaeology. There’s a certain mystique about recovering something hidden from human eyes for thousands of years. Archaeological discoveries can tell us a lot about the past. Artifacts can tell us something about how people lived. Texts can tell us what they thought or saw. Because archaeology provides these windows into the past, it’s important for understanding the Bible.

Unfortunately, what archaeology can do for the Bible is often overstated. Popular apologetics books talk a lot about how archaeology “proves” the Bible, but that’s misleading. While it’s true that the names of biblical characters have been found on tablets and inscriptions, archaeology has never produced a text or artifact that precisely points to any biblical character before the time of David. For example, finding “Jacob” inscribed somewhere isn’t necessarily a reference to the biblical character. A lot of people at the time could have borne that name.

Does that mean that there is no archaeological evidence for Bible characters like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Gideon, Samson, and Samuel? Yes. But the issue needs to be framed differently. If we ask, “Does that mean that there is no archaeological evidence for the events, historical circumstances, lifestyle portrayals, and religious beliefs of those biblical characters?” the answer would be the polar opposite. Archaeology has produced a lot of evidence that demonstrates the details of biblical stories are quite plausible (e.g., marriage customs and treaty structures). It has also produced artifacts that show a biblical detail about history was correct even though correlating proof was lacking for many years (e.g., Belshazzar’s rule over Babylon). These achievements are important for defending biblical validity.

Something archaeology can never do. though, is prove the theological statements of the Bible. You can’t dig up God. Even if archaeologists find the walls of the biblical Jericho toppled down and burned (and some would say they have), Jericho’s ruins cannot prove that God knocked them down. That’s a theological assertion. Since God’s existence and power is beyond the realm of science, they are also beyond the realm of archaeology. The coherence of the Bible’s truth claims it needs to be defended on other grounds, such as sound logic.

Archaeology is a valuable tool for validating the circumstances of biblical events. It is dangerous, however, to exaggerate its contribution. Claims that overstate evidence are bound to be overturned. Theological truths should not be put in jeopardy by careless apologetics.

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 1310 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!