Podcast appearances and mentions of guthrie chamberlain

Welcome to Day 2737 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom Day 2737 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 92:8-15 – Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2737 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day two thousand seven hundred thirty-seven of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. The title of today's Wisdom-Trek is: The Eternal Exaltation and the Flourishing Righteous Today, we conclude our journey through Psalm Ninety-two, the beautiful Song for the Sabbath Day.   We are covering the final, triumphant verses, eight through fifteen, in the New Living Translation. In our last conversation, we affirmed that it is "good to give thanks to the Lord," proclaiming His Unfailing Love in the morning and His Faithfulness in the evening (Psalm Ninety-two, verses one through four).   We wrestled with the temporary flourishing of the wicked—who "sprout like grass"—but concluded that they are destined to be "destroyed forever," for God's thoughts are simply "deeper than anyone can comprehend" (Psalm Ninety-two, verses five through seven). Now, the psalm moves to its magnificent climax.   It declares the eternal nature of God's sovereignty, contrasts the certain ruin of His foes with the flourishing destiny of the righteous, and celebrates the lifelong vitality of those who trust in the Most High.   This final section is a powerful declaration of vindication and blessing, a perfect capstone to the Sabbath celebration. So, let us open our hearts to this triumphant assurance, embracing the destiny of the righteous and the certainty of God's eternal rule. The first segment is: The Eternal Judgment and the Exaltation of the Righteous Psalm Ninety-two: verses eight through eleven But you, O Lord, will remain supreme forever.  Your enemies, Lord, will be destroyed;  all evil doers will be scattered.  But you have made me as strong as a wild ox;  you have poured olive oil on my head.  My eyes have seen the downfall of my enemies;  my ears have heard the defeat of my wicked foes. After acknowledging the fleeting power of the wicked, the psalmist immediately shifts focus to the unchanging reality of God's reign: "But you, O Lord, will remain supreme forever." The "But" is the most important word in the psalm, signaling the ultimate pivot from the temporary to the eternal.   The wicked are ephemeral, but God "will remain supreme forever."   This affirms His sovereignty over all time and space, including His supreme position over the Divine Council, guaranteeing that His justice will prevail. Because God is eternally supreme, the fate of His enemies is sealed: "Your enemies, Lord, will be destroyed; all evil doers will be scattered." This is a prophetic certainty, a final judgment that will

Welcome to Day 2735 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom Day 2735 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 92:1-7 – Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2735 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day two thousand seven hundred thirty-five of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. The title of today's Wisdom-Trek is: A Sabbath Song, The Joy of Proclaiming God's Faithfulness Today, we embark on a journey into Psalm Ninety-two, covering its opening, foundational verses, one through seven, in the New Living Translation. This psalm carries the unique superscription, "A Psalm. A song for the Sabbath Day."   It is a deliberate, joyful declaration of praise and thanksgiving, written specifically for the day of rest. We transition here from the high assurance of Psalm Ninety-one, where we learned that God's faithful promises are our armor and that His angels are ordered to protect us.   Psalm Ninety-two is the natural response to that security: because God is a faithful protector, our lives should overflow with joyful, continuous worship. This psalm invites us to make our lives a perpetual Sabbath, a dedicated time of celebrating God's Unfailing Love and His Faithfulness.   It challenges us to look beyond the temporary flourishing of the wicked and to rest in the wisdom of God's eternal plan. So, let us open our hearts to this song of rest and worship, learning the wisdom of perpetual thanksgiving. The first segment is: The Command and Content of Perpetual Praise Psalm Ninety-two: verses one through four It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to the Most High.  It is good to proclaim your unfailing love in the morning, and your faithfulness in the evening.  Praise him with the ten-stringed harp, with the melody of the lyre.  For you, O Lord, have made me joyful by your deeds; I sing for joy at the works of your hands. The psalm begins with a simple, profound statement of spiritual fact: "It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to the Most High." "Good"   (ṭôḇ) here means more than merely pleasant; it signifies morally and spiritually excellent, the right and proper thing to do.   The focus is squarely on the Most High   (‘Elyōn), the supreme, sovereign God, whose power transcends all earthly and celestial authority, ensuring that our praise is directed to the one true source of all blessing. This praise is meant to be continuous and all-encompassing: "It is good to proclaim your unfailing love in the morning, and your faithfulness in the evening." The psalmist delineates the ideal spiritual rhythm of the day, moving from dawn to dusk.   In the morning, when hope is renewed, we proclaim God's Unfailing Love   (ḥesed), His steadfast,

Welcome to Day 2736 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom – Theology Thursday – The Profound Meaning of "The Name" of the Lord Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2736 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps!   I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2736 of our Trek.   The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Our current series of Theology Thursday lessons is written by theologian and teacher John Daniels. I have found that his lessons are short, easy to understand, doctrinally sound, and applicable to all who desire to learn more of God's Word. John's lessons can be found on his website   theologyinfive.com.   Today's lesson is titled The Profound Meaning of “The Name” of the Lord    Understanding the theology of the Ancient Near East is paramount to fully grasp biblical concepts, and the interpretation of “The Name” of the Lord is no exception. God chose to reveal Himself to Abraham and create the nation of Israel within this culture. Because of this, He revealed Himself in ways that would make sense to believers. In the Ancient Near East, the term “Shem” in Hebrew represents far more than a mere title; it encapsulates the very essence, character, authority, and reputation of God. Let's explore this further and then delve into how this understanding impacts our interpretation of the commandment against taking the Lord's name in vain. “The Name” as Divine Essence   In the Ancient Near East, a deity's name was considered to be the embodiment of the divine essence. Likewise, in the Bible, “The Name” of the Lord represents God Himself. This can be seen in Proverbs 18:10: “The Name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run into it and are safe.” Here, “The Name” is equivalent to God's protective power and presence. “The Name” as Manifested Presence   The Name also symbolizes God's manifested presence among His people. When Solomon built the Temple, he believed it to be a dwelling place for God (1 Kings 8:13). However, God clarified that His Name would dwell there, thus emphasizing that His presence transcends physical boundaries. “The Name” as Divine Authority   Invoking a deity's name in the Ancient Near East was a way of drawing on divine authority. Similarly, in the biblical text, “The Name” of the Lord signifies His authority. The misuse of the Lord's Name is cautioned against in Exodus 20:7, underlining the gravity of disrespecting God's authority. “The Name” as Divine Reputation   In Ancient Near East cultures, a deity's name often represented their reputation. In the biblical context, God's Name is a reflection of His character, faithfulness, and commitment to His covenant. As Psalm 23:3 notes, the Lord acts for His Name's sake, demonstrating consistency between His actions and His reputation. Implications for Understanding the Commandment Against Taking the Lord's Name in Vain   With a deeper understanding of “The Name” embodying the essence, presence, authority, and reputation of God, we can reinterpret the commandment against taking the Lord's Name in vain (Exodus 20:7). This commandment is not simply about using God's Name carelessly or disrespectfully in speech. It carries a much broader and deeper meaning. When we take into account the Ancient Near East understanding of “The Name”, to take the Lord's name in vain could imply denying or diminishing God's essence,...

Welcome to Day 2731 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom Day 2731– A Discerning Life – Distinguishing Truth from Error – 1 John 4:1-6 Putnam Church Message – 10/12/2025 Sermon Series: 1, 2, & 3 John “Distinguishing Truth from Error "   Last week, we continued through the letter of 1 John and explored how to have “A Discerning Life: Not Like Cain, But Like Christ!" This week, we continue through the letter of 1 John, and we will explore how to have “Distinguishing Truth from Error” from 1 John 4:1-6 from the NIV, which is found on page 1902 of your Pew Bibles. Discerning False Prophets 4 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ>has come in the flesh is from God, 3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. 4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 5 They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit[a] of truth and the spirit of falsehood. Opening Prayer Some statements of Scripture haunt us. If we were to dwell on them too long, meditate on them too deeply, or obsess over them too frequently, they would keep us awake at night. It is much like most news sources and social media posts. We must determine truth from error. They warn of impending trouble for believers and alarming developments for the church. The following passages together paint a pretty bleak picture of the deteriorating world around us: “You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers.” ( 24:9) “And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people.” ( 24:11) “Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold.” ( 24:12) “For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God's chosen ones.” ( 24:24) “The time is coming when those who kill you will think they are doing a holy service for God.” (John 16:2) “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” (John...

Welcome to Day 2733 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom Day 2733 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 91:9-16 – Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2733 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day two thousand seven hundred thirty-three of our Trek.  The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. The title for today's Wisdom-Trek is: Covenant Protection and the Voice of the Almighty - Concluding Psalm Ninety-one Today, we reach the powerful conclusion of our journey through Psalm Ninety-one, one of the most magnificent and comforting psalms of protection in all of Scripture.  We are covering the final verses, nine through sixteen, in the New Living Translation. In our last conversation, we explored the psalm's foundation, discovering that our security comes from dwelling in the "shelter of the Most High" and resting in the "shadow of the Almighty."  We learned that God's faithful promises are our armor, shielding us from terrors of the night and disasters of the day (Psalm Ninety-one, verses one through eight). Now, the psalm moves from the human declaration of trust to the divine confirmation of that protection.  The focus shifts dramatically as God Himself speaks, revealing the profound results of such trust, detailing the role of His angels, and promising rescue, honor, and a long life as the reward for unwavering love.  This transition makes the promise absolute; it is a covenant guarantee spoken from the mouth of the Most High. So, let us open our hearts to this divine dialogue, recognizing the immense power of the promise that awaits those who make the Lord their refuge. This first segment is: The Consequence of Covenant Dwelling Psalm Ninety-one: verses nine through twelve If you make the Lord your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter, no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home. For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go. They will hold you up with their hands to keep you from stumbling on a stone. The psalmist begins this section by establishing the condition for the promised protection, a condition rooted in faith and intentionality: "If you make the Lord your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter." This is an active choice.  It's not enough to intellectually acknowledge God; we must intentionally choose Him as our ultimate safe place, making the Most High  (‘Elyōn), the supreme, sovereign God, our permanent sanctuary. The consequences of this choice are absolute: "no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home."  This promise of exemption is comprehensive.  "No evil"  (ra‘) and "no plague"  (nega‘, a striking or affliction) can breach the barrier of God's protection.  This is the ultimate security guarantee...

Welcome to Day 2732 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom Day 2732 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 91:1-8 – Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2732 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2732 of our Trek.  The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. The Title of today's Wisdom-Trek is: The Secret Place of the Most High – Invincible Divine Protection. Today, we embark on a truly magnificent journey into Psalm Ninety-one, one of the most famous and powerful psalms of protection and assurance in all of Scripture.  We are covering its opening, foundational verses, one through eight, in the New Living Translation. In our last conversation, we concluded the Prayer of Moses in Psalm Ninety.  We wrestled with the frailty of human life, the sorrow of its brevity, and ultimately prayed for the wisdom to number our days so we could live with significance.  Now, Psalm Ninety-one provides the covenant solution to that frailty: absolute security found in the eternal refuge of God. While Moses established that man dies under God's righteous anger, Psalm Ninety-one declares that the righteous believer, dwelling in God's presence, is supernaturally shielded from the dangers of the temporal world.  This psalm is an ancient declaration of war against fear, assuring the faithful that they reside in an invincible fortress of divine protection. So, let us open our hearts to this powerful promise, learning how to claim our spiritual citizenship in the Secret Place of the Most High. The First Segment is: The Fortress of Divine Names Psalm Ninety-one: verses one through two Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my fortress, and my God, in whom I trust. This psalm begins not with a request, but with an immediate, unqualified statement of spiritual fact, establishing the location of our security: "Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty." "The shelter"   (sēter) refers to a secret, hidden, or covered place—a sanctuary.  To "live"  (yashab) in this shelter means dwelling there permanently, not just visiting.  This shelter belongs to the Most High  (‘Elyōn), a name emphasizing God's supreme sovereignty over all other powers, spiritual or earthly.  The result of dwelling there is "rest"  (lun)—a profound state of safety and repose—found in the "shadow of the Almighty"   (Shaddai).  The shadow of the Almighty is a powerful image of covering, protection, and cooling relief from the scorching sun of danger. The psalmist then makes this promise intensely personal: "This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my fortress, and my God, in whom I trust." This...

Welcome to Day 2731 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom – Theology Thursday – The Divine Council Worldview and the Nations: A Biblical Perspective Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2731 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2731 of our Trek.   The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Our current series of Theology Thursday lessons is written by theologian and teacher John Daniels. I have found that his lessons are short, easy to understand, doctrinally sound, and applicable to all who desire to learn more of God's Word. John's lessons can be found on his website   theologyinfive.com  . Today's lesson is titled The Divine Council Worldview and the Nations:  A Biblical Perspective.    The Divine Council Worldview, championed by scholars like Dr. Michael Heiser, offers a fascinating lens through which to interpret the biblical narrative. This worldview posits that Yahweh, the God of Israel, presides over a council of lesser divine beings who were assigned to govern the nations. This podcast explores the key aspects of how this worldview explains the relationship between the divine council and the nations.    The Disinheritance of the Nations    A pivotal moment in the Divine Council Worldview is the incident of the Tower of Babel, described in Genesis Eleven verses one through nine. Humanity's attempt to build a tower reaching the heavens was seen as an act of rebellion against Yahweh. In response, Yahweh confused their language, causing them to scatter across the earth. According to this worldview, this event led to the disinheritance of the nations, as articulated in Deuteronomy thirty-two verse eight and nine.   The passage suggests that the Most High divided the nations and assigned them to be governed by lesser divine beings, while retaining Israel as His own portion.    “When the Most High assigned lands to the nations, when he divided up the human race, he established the boundaries of the peoples according to the number in his heavenly court.[a]  “For the people of Israel belong to the Lord; Jacob is his special possession. ” (Deuteronomy thirty-two, verses eight and nine) Psalm 82: Judgment of the Gods    Psalm eighty-two is a critical text for understanding the Divine Council Worldview. In this Psalm, Yahweh stands in the divine assembly and judges the ‘gods' for their failure to administer justice and righteousness among the nations. These divine beings are condemned for their negligence and are warned of their eventual demise.    God presides over heaven's court; he pronounces judgment on the heavenly beings:  “How long will you hand down unjust decisions by favoring the wicked?    I say, ‘You are gods; you are all children of the Most High.  But you will die like mere mortals and fall like every other ruler.'”    (Psalm...

Welcome to Day 2730 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom Day 2760 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 90:10-17 – Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2730 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2730 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. The title of today's Wisdom-Trek is: The Wisdom to Number Our Days – A Prayer for Satisfaction and Significance Today, we reach the conclusion of the oldest psalm in the Psalter, Psalm Ninety, also known as the timeless Prayer of Moses, covering its remaining verses, ten through seventeen, in the New Living Translation. In our last conversation, we explored the sobering first half of this psalm. Moses established the immense chasm between the eternal God—our “home” and refuge who predates the mountains—and the transient life of man, who vanishes like a “dream” or “grass” that is withered by evening. We acknowledged that our fleeting years are often spent under the cloud of God's righteous anger against sin, as He sets our “secret sins in the light of [His] presence” (Psalm Ninety, verse eight). Now, Moses moves from somber theological reflection to a fervent, practical prayer. Recognizing the brevity and the sorrow of a life lived under divine displeasure, he prays for wisdom, mercy, and ultimate significance. This concluding segment is the mature response to our mortality: since our days are numbered, how can we ensure they are counted for something eternal? So, let us open our hearts to this ancient and vital prayer, learning how to redeem the time God has given us. The first segment is: The Frailty of Life and the Plea for Wisdom Psalm Ninety: verses ten through twelve Seventy years are given to us! Some even live to eighty. But even the best years are filled with pain and trouble; soon they disappear, and we fly away. Who can comprehend the power of your anger? Your wrath is as awesome as the fear you deserve. Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom. Moses begins by stating the typical limit of human lifespan, a stark number based on his long experience with the dying generation in the wilderness: "Seventy years are given to us! Some even live to eighty." This lifespan, while a gift, is often limited, but Moses acknowledges that longer life isn't always better: "But even the best years are filled with pain and trouble; soon they disappear, and we fly away." This speaks to a universal truth: even the healthiest and most prosperous years have their share of hardship—a reality that the ancient Israelites knew...

Welcome to Day 2724 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom Day 2729– A Discerning Life – Not Like Cain, but Like Christ! – 1 John 3:11-24 Putnam Church Message – 10/05/2025 Sermon Series: 1, 2, & 3 John “A Discerning Life – Not Like Cain, But Like Christ! "   Last week, we continued through the letter of 1 John and explored how to have A Discerning Life: Discerning the Works of the Devil." This week, we continue through the letter of 1 John, and we will explore how to have A Discerning Life: Not Like Cain, But Like Christ!" from 1 John 3:11-24 from the NIV, which is found on page 1901 of your Pew Bibles. Love One Another 11 For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. 12 Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother's were righteous. 13 Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters,[a] if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death. 15 Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him. 16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. 19 This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: 20 If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 21 Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God 22 and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. 23 And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. 24 The one who keeps God's commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us. Opening Prayer Repeatedly, John urges his readers to love God and to love one another. He warns them against loving the world (2:15–16). And he underscores the danger of embracing a sinful lifestyle (3:10). All these subjects begin to wear on the consciences of Christians who desire to be like Christ but constantly fall short. If we allow the full impact of these words to weigh on us, it'll make us squirm because all of us fall short of the perfect standard of love given to us in Jesus Christ. Considering these convicting truths, some believers might even begin to think, “Am I even saved? Have I loved the world too much? Have I not loved my brother or sister in Christ enough? Are there people in my life whom I hate?” Because these questions...

Welcome to Day 2728 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom Day 2728 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 90:1-9 – Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2728 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2728 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. The Title for Today's Wisdom-Trek is: The Eternal Refuge and the Fleeting Shadow of Man - A Trek Through Psalm Ninety: Verses One through Nine Today, we embark on a profound, philosophical, and deeply spiritual journey as we open Psalm Ninety, covering its opening verses, one through nine, in the New Living Translation. This Psalm carries a rare and significant superscription: "A prayer of Moses, the man of God." Written by the great lawgiver himself, this psalm is widely regarded as the oldest in the Psalter, born from the crucible of the forty years of wandering in the wilderness. It is a sober meditation on the frailty of human life and the eternity of God, composed during a time when an entire generation was dying off due to their rebellion against the divine decree. We transition here from the anguished question of the Davidic Covenant's failure in Psalm Eighty-nine—where the psalmist wrestled with God's apparent abandonment—to a foundational truth: man's mortality is not a failure of God's promise, but an unchangeable reality of human existence after the fall. Moses reminds us that before we can grasp God's promises, we must first confront our own fleeting nature. This psalm is essential wisdom for our trek; it sets the proper scale and context for our brief time on earth. So, let us open our hearts to this ancient prayer, recognizing the immense gap between the eternal God and the transient life of man. The first section is: The Eternal God, Our Dwelling Place Psalm Ninety: verses one through two Lord, through all the generations you have been our home. Before the mountains were born, before you gave birth to the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting, you are God. Moses begins his prayer not by complaining about the hardship of the wilderness, but by affirming God's eternal nature and His relationship to humanity: "Lord, through all the generations you have been our home." The word "home" (ma‘ôn) means dwelling place, refuge, or habitation. Moses is looking back over the entire history of the covenant people—from Abraham to the present wilderness generation—and declaring that God, not a physical tent or a specific land, has been their constant, reliable dwelling place. This concept provides profound security: in a transient world, subject to change and decay, God is the one permanent, unshakeable refuge for His people. Moses then paints a cosmic picture of God's...

Welcome to Day 2727 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom Day 2727 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 89:38-52 – Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2727 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2727 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. The titled of today's Wisdom-Trek is: The Question of Abandonment – Why Did the Unbreakable Covenant Break? Today, we confront the deepest theological crisis in Psalm Eighty-nine, covering its final, devastating verses: thirty-eight through fifty-two in the New Living Translation. This psalm, a Maskil of Ethan the Ezrahite, is built entirely on the unconditional promise of the Davidic Covenant. In our previous treks, we celebrated the eternal assurance given to David: God promised His Unfailing Love, (ḥesed), would never be removed, and that even if David's descendants sinned, God would punish them with a rod, "But I will never stop loving him, nor will I ever be untrue to my promise."  This was the bedrock: an unbreakable oath, secured by God's very holiness, with the moon as its "faithful witness in the sky." Now, the psalmist transitions abruptly and violently from this glorious assurance to the horrifying reality of his present moment: the Davidic throne has fallen, the sanctuary is ruined, and the king is humiliated. This section is a profound communal lament, a desperate cry that asks: "If Your promise is eternal, why is our reality so utterly destroyed? Why did the unbreakable covenant break?" This lament models how the righteous wrestle with the apparent contradiction between God's revealed truth and their crushing suffering. So, let's immerse ourselves in this agonizing confrontation, acknowledging the pain of disappointment and the desperation of clinging to truth when all hope seems lost. The first section is: The Divine Abandonment and the Ruin of the King Psalm Eighty-nine: thirty-eight through forty-five But now you have rejected him and cast him aside, and your anger burns against your anointed one. You have renounced your covenant with your servant and tossed his crown in the dust. You have broken down all the walls of his city and reduced his strongholds to ruins. Everyone who comes by has plundered him; he has become the scorn of his neighbors. You have strengthened the arms of his foes and filled all his enemies with joy. You have made his sword useless and refused to help him in battle. You have ended his glory and overthrown his throne. You have cut his youth in half and covered him with shame....

Welcome to Day 2726 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom – Theology Thursday – When Honor Fails: David, Uriah, and the Call to Covenant Faithfulness. Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2726 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2726 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Today, we are beginning a new series of Theology Thursday lessons. These lessons are written by theologeon and teacher John Daniels. I have found that his lessons are short, easy to understand, doctrinally sound, and applicable to all who desire to learn more of God's Word. John's lessons can be found at on his website theologyinfive.com Today's lesson is titled When Honor Fails:  David, Uriah, and the Call to Covenant Faithfulness. In the world of the Ancient Near East, honor and shame defined the structure of society. A person's standing in the community determined their worth, and shame was not merely personal; it was public, often irreversible, and tied to familial and tribal identity. Kings were at the pinnacle of this structure. They were expected to maintain their honor at all costs and were often considered above moral reproach so long as their image remained intact. This cultural context is essential to understanding the events of 2 Samuel 11–12. David, Israel's most celebrated king, commits adultery with Bathsheba and then conspires to cover up the sin by manipulating her husband, Uriah. Every move David makes is calculated to preserve his reputation. He is not initially concerned with righteousness, justice, or repentance. He is concerned with avoiding shame. It is important to note that this cultural dynamic is not just ancient history. Honor and shame continue to shape many societies today, especially across the Middle East. The need to maintain family honor and avoid public disgrace often overrides considerations of justice or truth. Understanding this helps modern readers appreciate how deeply embedded these values were in David's world and how bold the biblical response to his actions truly is. Uriah: A Foil of Integrity When David realizes Bathsheba is pregnant, he summons Uriah home from the battlefield under false pretenses. David's goal is simple: get Uriah to sleep with his wife so that the pregnancy will appear legitimate. But Uriah refuses. His reason is not based on suspicion or bitterness. It is rooted in covenantal loyalty and military discipline. He declares that while the ark, Israel, and Judah dwell in tents, and his fellow soldiers are in the field, he will not indulge in the comforts of home. This is not mere stubbornness. Uriah was a seasoned warrior, one of David's elite mighty men. He would have recognized the oddity of being called back so abruptly. The king's urgent, repeated encouragements to go home, and later his attempt to intoxicate him, would have made David's intent obvious. And yet, Uriah held firm. He would not be manipulated. Even inebriated, he acted more righteously than David did while sober. In this, Uriah becomes a moral mirror. His unwavering integrity exposes David's corruption. He represents what covenant faithfulness looks like: loyal to his comrades, obedient to higher principles, and unwilling to compromise. He is not just a victim. He is the righteous foil whose...

Welcome to Day 2725 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom Day 2725 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 89:30-37 – Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2725 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2725 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. The Title of this Wisdom-Trek is: Covenant and Correction – The Unfailing Promise Beyond Sin Today, we continue our deep exploration of the magnificent Psalm Eighty-nine, focusing on the pivotal verses thirty through thirty-seven in the New Living Translation. This psalm is a grand meditation on the Davidic Covenant, which we covered in detail in our previous trek. We heard God's unbreakable oath to David, promising an eternal dynasty, an unwavering hand of support, and the title of "firstborn, the mightiest of all kings on earth." The core message was the perpetuity of the throne, guaranteed by God's eternal Unfailing Love  (ḥesed). Now, the psalm addresses the inevitable question that hangs over any covenant involving human beings: What happens when David's descendants sin? This section provides the powerful, compassionate, and definitive answer. God assures the Davidic line that while sin will bring discipline and punishment, it will never break the covenant itself. This distinction between temporary discipline and eternal covenant is the central theological assurance of this passage, and it's vital for anchoring our hope. So, let's open our hearts and minds to this profound divine teaching on the nature of grace, discipline, and eternal commitment. The first section is: The Reality of Sin and the Necessity of Discipline Psalm Eighty-nine: thirty through thirty-two  "But if your descendants forsake my instructions and fail to live by my regulations, if they ignore my decrees and disobey my commands, then I will punish their sin with the rod, and their rebellion with whipping." God, who speaks through the prophetic vision in this psalm, moves directly to the problem of human failure. This is a realistic covenant; God knows that David's descendants, like all human rulers, will be prone to failure: "But if your descendants forsake my instructions and fail to live by my regulations..." The "But if" introduces the conditional clause, the possibility of covenant violation by the human party. The psalmist emphasizes the deliberate nature of their potential disobedience. They don't just forget; they "forsake" God's instructions (tōrôt, the divine teaching or law), and they "fail to live by my regulations" (mishpaṭîm, the divine judgments or legal decrees). This is a profound failure of both heart and deed. They ignore the wisdom that we seek here on the trek! The condition of sin is...

Welcome to Day 2724 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom Day 2724 – A Discerning Life – Discerning the Works of the Devil 1 John 3:4-10 Putnam Church Message – 09/28/2025 Sermon Series: 1, 2, & 3 John “A Discerning Life – Discerning the Works of the Devil. "   Last week, we continued through the letter of 1 John and explored how to have “A Discerning Life: Living in Light of the Lord's Return." This week, we continue through the letter of 1 John, and we will explore how to have A Discerning Life: Discerning the Works of the Devil" from 1 John 3:4-10 from the NIV, which is found on page 1901 of your Pew Bibles.  4 Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. 5 But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. 6 No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him. 7 Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. 8 The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work. 9 No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. 10 This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God's child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister. Opening Prayer When a person today hears the phrase “What you're doing is a sin,” they probably won't hear it as “I love you enough to point out that destructive behavior in your life.” Instead, they hear something like, “I'm judging you.” The idea of loving sinners enough to help them deal with their sin is lost on a world that has increasingly downplayed that three-letter word.  (Bulletin) To understand what sin is, we must explore the root meaning. In both Hebrew and Greek, its root meaning is “to miss the mark” or “to fall short.” It conveys the idea of missing a target, straying from the path, or failing to meet a standard. Let me share two illustrations to understand sin: Archery Picture: Imagine aiming at a target. Even if you shoot an arrow that lands just outside the bullseye, you've missed the mark. That's how the Hebrew root ḥaṭṭāʼ illustrates sin—falling short of God's perfect aim for us. Modern Analogy: If a GPS guides you to a destination but you take a wrong turn, you've deviated from the path. Sin is choosing our own path instead of following God's direction. Whatever happened to sin? When did it get deleted from our cultural lexicon? Why have we been told that it's now one of those “politically incorrect” terms? The word "sin" is obviously no longer in use. Today, it's been replaced by words like error, mistake, tragedy, addiction, sickness, misdeed, faux pas, failure, weakness, or fault. And on that last one, more often than not, it's someone else's fault! However, the Bible presents an entirely...

Welcome to Day 2723 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom Day 2723 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 89:19-29 – Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2723 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2723 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. The Title of Today's Wisdom-Trek is: The Eternal Throne, God's Unbreakable Promise to David  A Trek Through Psalm eighty-nine 19-29 This psalm, a Maskil of Ethan the Ezrahite, is the grand meditation on the Davidic Covenant. In our previous conversations, we've heard the psalmist anchor his hope in God's eternal Unfailing Love and Faithfulness. He established God's cosmic power as the guarantor of this promise, declaring that God rules the oceans, owns the heavens and the earth, and that Righteousness and Justice are the very foundation of His throne. Now, the psalm moves to the actual historical declaration of the covenant itself. God speaks directly to the prophet, recalling the moment He chose David, anointed him, and laid out the spectacular, eternal nature of the promise. This section details the divine foundation of David's kingdom, promising an unwavering presence, decisive victories, and a dynasty that will endure longer than the heavens. This is the unbreakable contract that is meant to sustain Israel's hope, even when all else fails. So, let's open our hearts and minds to this profound divine revelation, recognizing the depth of God's commitment to His chosen king. The first section is: God's Sovereign Choice and Anointing Psalm eighty-none 19-21 You once spoke to your faithful prophets in a vision and said, "I have raised up a warrior who is mighty, chosen him from the people. I have found my servant David; I have anointed him with my sacred oil. I will steady him with my hand; with my powerful arm, I will make him strong." The psalm now shifts to a recollection of the original prophetic vision that established the covenant. The psalmist reminds the people that God didn't make this promise lightly; He spoke in a vision to His "faithful prophets" (or 'saints,' referencing those in the Divine Council who hear and proclaim God's decrees). God announces His sovereign choice: "I have raised up a warrior who is mighty, chosen him from the people." This directly references David's humble beginnings. David was not chosen from a royal line or a place of prominence; he was chosen "from the people," from the fields, as a mere shepherd, defying all human expectation. Yet, God elevates him, recognizing his internal character, describing him as a "warrior who is mighty." God confirms His personal relationship and investment: "I have found my servant David; I have anointed him with my sacred...

Welcome to Day 2722 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom Day 2722 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 89:19-18 – Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2722 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2722 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. The Title for today's Wisdom-Trek is: God's Cosmic Dominion – The Unrivaled Strength of the Almighty - A Trek Through Psalm Eighty-Nine 9-18 This psalm is a grand meditation on God's covenant faithfulness, and this middle section serves to powerfully establish God's absolute cosmic power as the guarantor of that covenant. In our last conversation, we heard the psalmist, Ethan the Ezrahite, begin with an eternal commitment to sing of God's Unfailing Love and Faithfulness forever. He anchored that hope in the Davidic Covenant—God's eternal promise of an unending dynasty—and affirmed God's supremacy over the Divine Council, declaring that no angel can compare with Him. Now, Ethan shifts from the celestial courtroom to the vastness of creation, demonstrating that the God who made that eternal promise is the only One powerful enough to keep it. He is the God who calms the raging sea, defeats the ancient powers of chaos, and possesses all the power, righteousness, and justice necessary to sustain His promise forever. This is a powerful, awe-inspiring affirmation designed to build our confidence in the absolute authority of the Most High. So, let's open our hearts to this declaration of God's universal sovereignty, recognizing the immense power of the One who holds us in His hand. The first section is: Taming the Chaos: The Ruler of the Seas (Psalm eighty-nine 9-12) You rule the oceans when their waves surge high. You are the one who smashed the great sea monster, Rahab, and scattered your enemies with a mighty arm. The heavens are yours, and the earth is yours; everything in the world is made by your hands. You created north and south. Mount Tabor and Mount Hermon praise your name. The psalmist begins by affirming God's absolute dominion over one of the most terrifying forces in the ancient world: the sea. "You rule the oceans when their waves surge high." In the ancient Israelite worldview, the sea was often seen as a symbol of chaos, instability, and raw, untamable power. For God to "rule the oceans" means He exercises complete control over the very forces of chaos and destruction. When the waves surge in fury, God is the supreme authority who limits them and commands their retreat. This dominion over chaos is illustrated by a great historical and mythical allusion: "You are the one who smashed the great sea monster, Rahab, and scattered your enemies with a mighty arm." "Rahab" is often used in the Old Testament as a mythical figure representing primeval chaos, similar to the sea monsters Yam and Leviathan. More practically, it is a symbolic

Welcome to Day 2721 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom – Theology Thursday – “Ruling Over Angels” – Supernatural Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2721 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2721 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Today, we continue with the 16th  and final segment of this series of Theology Thursday lessons. Next week we will begin a new series. Today, I am reading the final chapter of the book "Supernatural," written by Hebrew Bible scholar, professor, and mentor Dr. Michael S. Heiser, who has since passed away. Supernatural is a condensed version of his comprehensive book, ‘The Unseen Realm.' If these readings pique your interest, I would recommend that you read ‘The Unseen Realm.' Today, we will read through chapter sixteenth: “Ruling over Angels” It's crucial to our faith that we understand who we are as Christians. We are the sons and daughters of God, a re-fashioned divine council that already participates in our Father's kingdom. But there's more to it than that. Yes, we are God's family council—but to what end? While we are already in the kingdom (Colosians 1:13), we have not yet seen the full unveiling of that kingdom—we have not seen the world become Eden. This “already, but not yet” paradox runs throughout the Bible in many ways. In this chapter, I want to give you a glimpse of the “not yet” that answers the question “To what end?” Let's look at our Kingdom Participation Now Our participation in God's kingdom isn't predetermined, in this sense: We are not mere robots performing functions programmed for us. That violates the whole idea of being God's imager, his representative. We were created to be like him. He is free. If we do not have genuine freedom, we cannot be like him—by definition, we would not be like him. We are free to obey and worship, or rebel and indulge ourselves. And we will reap what we sow. Our sowing is not programmed. But God is greater than we are. He had a plan and it will come to pass. Its success neither depends on nor is forced to adapt to human freedom. We cannot undermine it—nor can the divine beings who are also free to choose. Think about the heavenly council meeting I showed you in chapter 1. I asked whether you believed the things the Bible says, and then took you to a meeting of God and his heavenly council in First Kings 22. God had decreed (and so it must happen) that it was time for wicked Ahab to die. But God then let the spirit beings in his council decide how to accomplish that (First Kings 22, verses 19–23). Predestination and freedom work hand-in-hand in God's kingdom rule. His purposes will never be overturned or halted. He is able to take sin and rebellion and still accomplish—through other free representatives—what he desires. As C. S. Lewis once said of God (in the book Perelandra), “Whatever you do, He will make good of it. But not the good He had...

Welcome to Day 2720 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom Day 2720 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 89:1-8 – Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2720 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2720 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. The Title for Today's Wisdom-Trek is: The Eternal Song of God's Unfailing Love - A Trek Through Psalm Eighty Nine 1-8 Today, we begin a new, pivotal, and magnificent chapter in our journey through the Psalms: Psalm Eighty-Nine. We are covering its opening, foundational verses 1 through 8, in the New Living Translation. This psalm is a Maskil of Ethan the Ezrahite. Ethan, like Heman from the deeply sorrowful Psalm Eighty-Eight we just concluded, was one of the wise men and musicians of Solomon's time. Yet, where Psalm 88 ended in the absolute darkness of suffering and silence, Psalm Eighty-nine explodes with a powerful, unrelenting declaration of faith in God's two greatest attributes: His Unfailing Love and His Faithfulness. This psalm is the theological answer to Heman's despair! It essentially says, "Even when I feel consumed by darkness, even when God's fury seems heavy upon me, I will still sing of His steadfast love!" Psalm 89 is a grand meditation on the Davidic Covenant, a promise from God that established David's throne forever. The opening verses are a magnificent hymn, celebrating the God whose word is established in the heavens and whose power is unrivaled, even in the Divine Council. So, let's allow this hymn of divine promise to lift our hearts and anchor our hope in the unwavering character of the Most High God. The first section is: The Eternal Covenant of Love and Faithfulness (Psalm Eighty-Nine 1-4) I will sing of the Lord's unfailing love forever! Young and old will hear of your faithfulness. Your unfailing love will last forever; your faithfulness is as enduring as the heavens. The Lord said, "I have made a covenant with my chosen servant; I have solemnly promised David: ‘I will secure your throne among your descendants forever; I will make your dynasty last as long as the skies!'" Interlude The psalm opens with an immediate, resolute, and eternal commitment to praise: "I will sing of the Lord's unfailing love forever!" This is a personal vow, made by the psalmist, that will last for all time. The focus is squarely on God's "unfailing love" (ḥesed), that steadfast, covenant loyalty we've discussed so many times. It is the core quality of God's character that guarantees His adherence to His promises. The declaration to sing of it "forever" contrasts starkly with the finite life and suffering Heman described in the last psalm. Here, the emphasis is on the infinite nature of God's...

Welcome to Day 2719 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom Day 2719 – A Discerning Life – Living in Light of the Lord's Return 1 John 2:28-3:3 Putnam Church Message – 09/21/2025 Sermon Series: 1, 2, & 3 John “A Discerning Life – Living in Light of the Lord's Return. "   Last week, we continued through the letter of 1 John and explored how to have “A Discerning Life: Dealing with Deceivers." This week, we continue through the letter of 1 John, and we will explore how to have A Discerning Life: Living in Light of the Lord's Return" from 1 John 2:28-3:3 from the NIV, which is found on page 1901 of your Pew Bibles. God's Children and Sin 28 And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming. 29 If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him. See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears,[a] we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3 All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure. Opening Prayer The doctrine known as the Second Coming (or the return of Christ) either attracts mockery, strikes fear, or brings comfort.  Many men and women were raised with a respect for the Bible or were brought up in the church, but never fully grasped the gospel of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. As such, they hear about the coming of Christ to judge the living and the dead … and it brings dread. Perhaps there are also some true believers who have strayed so far from the right path that they fear the coming of the Savior as the day they must give an account for their lives of unfaithfulness to the Lord. In both cases, the Second Coming is associated with fear or shame. However, many believers eagerly await their Lord's return with hope and anticipation. They know and believe with longing the words of Paul: For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died[a] will rise from their graves. 17 Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. 18 So encourage each other with these words. (1 Thes. 4:16–18) Invariably, when I have the privilege of...

Welcome to Day 2718 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom Day 2718 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 88:8-18 – Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2718 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2718 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. The Title of Today's Wisdom-Trek is: The Loneliest Road – Despair's Final, Unanswered Cry - Concluding Our Trek Through Psalm 88 8-18 Today, we continue our difficult, yet necessary, trek through the Darkest Psalm, Psalm 88, encompassing its final, unrelenting verses, 8 through 18, from the New Living Translation. In our last conversation, we plunged into the depths of Heman the Ezrahite's anguish. We heard his cries "day and night," his fear of imminent death, and his terrifying conviction that his suffering was caused by God's own hand. He felt consumed by "wave after wave" of God's heavy fury and was "abandoned to the depths where the darkness is complete" (Psalm 88 1-7). He had been physically and socially ostracized, counted among the dead while still living. Now, Heman continues his agonizing lament, focusing on his extreme isolation, his unanswered questions, and the ultimate, grim realization that his prayer, unlike nearly every other in the Psalter, ends in unrelieved darkness. This psalm is a profound space for acknowledging that deep despair is real, and that faith often persists even when hope is absent. So, let's listen to this desperate, final cry, recognizing the absolute honesty of a soul on the brink. Section one is about: The Torment of Social and Divine Isolation (Psalm 88 8-12) You have taken away my companions, making me repulsive to them. I am shut in and cannot escape; my eyes are blinded by my tears. I cry out to you, O Lord, every day. I lift my hands to you for help. Are your wonderful deeds appreciated in the grave? Do the dead rise up and praise you? Can anyone proclaim your unfailing love in the grave? Can anyone tell about your faithfulness in the place of destruction? Can your wonders be seen in the dark? Can your righteousness be known in the land of forgetfulness? Heman begins by detailing the social consequence of his affliction, a pain he attributes directly to God: "You have taken away my companions, making me repulsive to them." . His isolation is absolute. God has severed his social ties, causing his friends and loved ones to view him as "repulsive" (tō‘ēḇâ—abominable, a strong term often used for ritual impurity). In the ancient Israelite world, social isolation often meant a lack of care, protection, and provision, leaving him utterly defenseless. This isolation leads to profound emotional and physical paralysis: "I am shut in

Welcome to Day 2717 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom Day 2717 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 88:1-7 – Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2717 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2717 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Today's Wisdom-Trek title is: The Darkest Night – A Descent into Unrelenting Anguish - A Trek Through Psalm 88:1-7 Today, we take a dramatic, almost jarring turn from the prophetic joy of our last trek. We leave the magnificent vision of Zion, the Mother of All Nations, in Psalm 87, where "All my fresh springs are in Zion," and descend into the deepest, most unrelenting anguish found anywhere in the Psalter. We're beginning our trek through Psalm 88 in the New Living Translation, focusing on its opening verses, 1-7. Psalm 88 is known as the Darkest Psalm; a lament so profound that it offers no resolution, no light, no final affirmation of hope. It is the only psalm that ends entirely in darkness, yet it remains one of the most honest and necessary expressions of faith. It's attributed to Heman the Ezrahite, a name associated with wisdom and music in the time of Solomon. The superscription describes it as a Mahlath Leannoth, which indicates a somber, deeply serious tone, perhaps even associated with affliction. This psalm gives voice to the absolute bottom of human despair, where suffering is so complete that the afflicted can only see God's hand in their misery. It's a crucial reminder that faith is not defined by perpetual happiness, but by honest persistence—crying out to God even when we believe He is the one inflicting the pain. So, let's approach this psalm with reverence and humility, recognizing that it provides a sacred space for the deepest human suffering. This first section is: A Desperate Cry for Morning and Night (Psalm 88:1-3) O Lord, God of my salvation, I cry out to you day and night. Let my prayer come right into your presence. Listen closely to my cry. For my life is full of troubles, and death is waiting for me. The psalmist begins with an immediate and relentless cry, yet he grounds his plea in a recognition of God's character: "O Lord, God of my salvation, I cry out to you day and night." Even in his anguish, he calls God the "God of my salvation," a title that acknowledges God's past role as a deliverer, even if He is not acting as one now. This is a crucial flicker of faith—he addresses God based on who God is, not merely on how God feels to him right now. But his distress is relentless, forcing him to cry out "day and night," indicating unceasing torment and insomnia. There is no rest from his misery. His appeal for divine attention is urgent: "Let my prayer come right into your presence. Listen closely to my cry." This echoes pleas we've heard before, such as in Psalm 86, where David asked God to "Bend down, O Lord, and hear my prayer," but here, the tone is more...

Welcome to Day 2716 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom – Theology Thursday – “Partakers of  the Divine Nature” – Supernatural Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2716 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2716 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Today, we continue with the 15th of 16 segments of our Theology Thursday lessons. I will read through the book "Supernatural," written by Hebrew Bible scholar, professor, and mentor Dr. Michael S. Heiser, who has since passed away. Supernatural is a condensed version of his comprehensive book, ‘The Unseen Realm.' If these readings pique your interest, I would recommend that you read ‘The Unseen Realm.' Today, we will read through chapter Fifteen: “Partakers of the Divine Nature” Do you know who you are? I asked the question earlier, but it's time to raise it again. Yes, we are in the world but not of it. True, we have been saved by grace through faith in what Jesus did on the cross (Ephesians 2:8-9). But that's just the beginning of understanding what God has been up to. God's original intention in Eden was to merge his human family with his divine family —the heavenly sons of God who existed before creation (Job 38:7–8). He didn't abandon that plan at the fall. Christian, you will be made divine, like one of God's elohim children, like Jesus himself (1 John 3:1–3). Theologians refer to the idea by many labels. The most common is glorification. Peter referred to it as becoming “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4). John put it this way: “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are” (1 John 3:1, emphasis added). In this chapter, we'll take a look at how the Bible conveys that message. Sons of God, Seed of Abraham When God turned the nations of the world over to lesser gods at Babel, he did so knowing he would start over with a new human family of his own. God called Abraham (Genesis 12:1–8) right after Babel (Genesis 11:1–9). Through Abraham and his wife Sarah, God would return to his original Edenic plan. God's people, the children of Abraham, the Israelites, ultimately failed to restore God's good rule on earth. But one of those children would succeed. God would become man in Jesus, a descendant of David, Abraham, and Adam. And it was through Jesus that God's promise to one day bless the nations he had punished at Babel was fulfilled. Paul wrote about that in several places. Here are two: According to revelation the mystery was made known to me, just as I wrote beforehand in brief, so that you may be able when you read to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ: … that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, and fellow members of the body, and fellow sharers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.” (Ephesians 3:3–6) For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.… There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is...

Welcome to Day 2715 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom Day 2715 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 87:1-7 – Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2715 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2715 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Today's podcast title is: Zion's Global Citizenship – The Mother of All Nations - A Trek Through Psalm 87:1-7 Today, we embark on a truly extraordinary trek through Psalm 87, covering its entirety, verses 1 through 7, in the New Living Translation. This psalm, though short, contains one of the most magnificent and radical prophetic visions in all of Scripture: the expansion of God's people to include all nations, with Zion as their spiritual birthplace. After the personal laments of David in Psalm 86, where he affirmed that "You alone are God" and prayed for a sign of divine favor, Psalm 87 gives us the cosmic answer. God's universal sovereignty, which David proclaimed, is revealed here as a sovereign plan to bring all the nations that worshiped those "pagan gods" (Psalm 86:8) into the fold of His redeemed people. It transforms the physical city of Jerusalem into the spiritual mother of a global family. This psalm offers a breathtaking vision of inclusivity, unity, and hope. It assures us that God's plan is not confined to one place or one people, but extends to encompass the entire world. So, let's open our hearts to this global, prophetic masterpiece and grasp the meaning of Zion's ultimate citizenship. This first section is: The Foundation of God's Global Home Psalm 87:1-3 On the holy mountain stands the city founded by the Lord. He loves the city of Jerusalem more than any other city in Israel. O city of God, glorious things are said of you! Interlude The psalm begins by firmly establishing the foundation and significance of God's chosen city: "On the holy mountain stands the city founded by the Lord." This refers, of course, to Mount Zion, the site of Jerusalem and the Temple. This city's foundation is unique: it was "founded by the Lord." This wasn't merely a strategic military outpost; it was a sovereign choice by God, making it the center of His earthly operations and the place where He chose to place His name. This Divine choice elevates Jerusalem above every other place. The psalmist emphasizes the depth of God's affection for this city: "He loves the city of Jerusalem more than any other city in Israel." While God certainly loved all His covenant people and their territories, Jerusalem, where His Temple was located, held a unique and profound place in His heart. This divine love is the source of the city's power and destiny. And the result of this divine foundation and affection is its glorious reputation: "O city of God, glorious things are said of you! Interlude" The "glorious things" (niphla'ot) are God's wondrous deeds and promises. This declaration is a prophetic forecast of Zion's future fame, where its status as God's chosen dwelling place would be known and celebrated...

Welcome to Day 2714 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom Day 2714 – A Discerning Life – Dealing With Deceivers 1 John 2:18-27 Putnam Church Message – 09/14/2025 Sermon Series: 1, 2, & 3 John “A Discerning Life: Dealing with Deceivers"   Two weeks ago, we explored 1 John 2:12-17 as we learned how to live a ‘Clean Life' with “Strong Warnings About the World.” This week, we continue through the letter of 1 John, and we will explore how to have A Discerning Life: Dealing with Deceivers" from 1 John 2:18-27 from the NIV, which is found on page 1900 of your Pew Bibles. Warnings Against Denying the Son 18 Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us. 20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.[a] 21 I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth. 22 Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son. 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also. 24 As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is what he promised us—eternal life. 26 I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. 27 As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him. Opening Prayer As we continue in John's first letter, the tone shifts from serious to severe. The warnings against sin and the world in the previous section now give way to portents of spiritual dangers—often invisible—that can lure unbelievers to hell and send a Christian's faith skidding into the ditch. The specter of spiritual deception doesn't have to win. Just as Spirit-enabled fellowship with the Father and the Son produces a joyful life (1:1–10) and a clean life (2:1–17), it also produces a discerning life (2:18–4:6). A close relationship with God requires an understanding of His truth. All too often, though, even seemingly mature Christians struggle to discern between true...

Welcome to Day 2713 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom Day 2713 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 86:11-17 – Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2713 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2713 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. The Path of Truth and the Mark of God's Favor Today, we reach the powerful conclusion of our conversation in Psalm 86, covering verses 11 through 17 in the New Living Translation. In our last trek, we explored the first half of this deeply personal Prayer of David. We heard his desperate cry for God to "Bend down... and hear my prayer," pleading for help based on his covenant loyalty and trust. He grounded his hope in the magnificent truth that God is "so good, so ready to forgive," and that "You alone are God"—unrivaled by any pagan deity. Now, David shifts from affirming God's character to asking for divine instruction, recognizing that a proper relationship with the Most High requires understanding His will. His prayer moves from dependence to direction, culminating in a powerful affirmation of God's steadfast love and a request for a visible sign of God's favor to silence his adversaries. This final section is a masterclass in how to ask God for guidance and how to confidently claim His mercy. So, let's open our hearts to David's earnest request, learning the wisdom of seeking God's path and resting in His enduring love. The Prayer for an Undivided Heart Psalm 86:11-13 Teach me your ways, O Lord, that I may live according to your truth! Grant me singleness of heart, that I may fear your name. With all my heart I will praise you, O Lord my God. I will give glory to your name forever. For your unfailing love is great. You have rescued me from the depths of death. Having established God's greatness and unique power, David's first request is for instruction: "Teach me your ways, O Lord, that I may live according to your truth!" . This is the ultimate expression of submission and discipleship! David isn't praying for wealth or comfort; he's asking for wisdom and direction. He wants to know God's "ways" (derekh—His path, His pattern of acting) so that his life can align with God's "truth" ('emet—His faithfulness and reliability). This is the prayer of the mature believer: Show me how to live in a way that truly honors who You are. He immediately connects this knowledge to internal integrity: "Grant me singleness of heart, that I may fear your name." The Hebrew phrase translated "singleness of heart" (yaḥad lēḇāḇ) means "to unite the heart." David recognizes the divided, often-conflicted nature of the human heart, which pulls us in different directions. He asks God to make his focus singular, eliminating all spiritual distraction, so that his reverence and awe (fear) for...

Welcome to Day 2712 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom Day 2712 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 86:1-10 – Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2712 Wisdom-Trek: The Helpless Plea and the Unrivaled God - A Trek Through Psalm 86:1-10 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2712 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Today, we begin a new, deeply personal, and highly encouraging trek through Psalm 86, covering its opening verses, 1 through 10, in the New Living Translation. This psalm is a Prayer of David, a compilation of fervent pleas and confident affirmations, drawing wisdom and themes from many other laments and hymns throughout the Psalter. It moves from a desperate cry for immediate help, anchored in the psalmist's humility and helplessness, to a magnificent declaration of God's unrivaled greatness and universal sovereignty. In the preceding psalm, Psalm 85, we found the people waiting and listening for God's peace and the divine harmony where love and truth would meet. Psalm 86 is the personal response to that longing: a realization that the first step toward receiving God's peace is to humbly and completely cast oneself upon His mercy. It reminds us that our smallness is precisely what qualifies us for God's greatness! So, let's open our hearts to David's personal plea, learning how our deepest distress can become the foundation for our most powerful declarations of faith. The Urgent Plea of the Helpless Servant Psalm 86:1-5 Bend down, O Lord, and hear my prayer; answer me, for I need your help. Protect me, for I am devoted to you. Save me, for I serve you and trust you. You are my God. Be merciful to me, O Lord, for I cry out to you all day long. Give me happiness, O Lord, for I give myself to you. O Lord, you are so good, so ready to forgive. You are filled with unfailing love for all who ask for your help. The psalm begins with an immediate, physical, and urgent plea for God's attention: "Bend down, O Lord, and hear my prayer; answer me, for I need your help." The image of God having to "bend down" speaks volumes! It paints a picture of the psalmist being utterly low, perhaps bowed down by trouble, while God is high and majestic. It's an urgent request for the transcendent God to condescend, to lean in, and to acknowledge the smallness of the one who prays. David anchors his plea in his current state, identifying himself through multiple titles of vulnerability and faith: "Protect me, for I am devoted to you. Save me, for I serve you and trust you. You are my God." He uses three compelling reasons for God to intervene: Devotion: "I am devoted to you," or "I am holy" (hasid)—meaning he is a loyal, faithful follower of God. Service: "I serve...

Welcome to Day 2711 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom – Theology Thursday – “Not of This World” – Supernatural Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2711 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2711 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Today, we continue with the 14th of 16 segments of our Theology Thursday lessons. I will read through the book "Supernatural," written by Hebrew Bible scholar, professor, and mentor Dr. Michael S. Heiser, who has since passed away. Supernatural is a condensed version of his comprehensive book, ‘The Unseen Realm.' If these readings pique your interest, I would recommend that you read ‘The Unseen Realm.' Today, we will read through chapter fourteen: “Not of This World” In Jesus' well-known prayer in the garden of Gethsemane before he was arrested for trial, he said of his followers, “They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world” (John 17:16). Believers were certainly in the world, specially tasked by God to carry the gospel to every nation (Matt. 28:19–20), but they were not of the world. This paradox—being in the world but not of it—was telegraphed to early Christians in several memorable ways… Sacred Space, Holy Ground, and God's Presence… In chapter 8 we talked about the concept of sacred space. For Old Testament Israelites, God was completely other. The space his presence occupied was set apart from all other space. That wasn't a denial that God was omnipresent—in all places at all times. Rather, it was a way of marking the territory on which he chose to meet with his people. That was one of the purposes for having the tabernacle and the temple. The concept of sacred space was not only the rationale for many of Israel's laws and rituals, but it also reinforced the idea of cosmic geography​—how the world was divided among the lesser gods and the Most High God, the God of Israel… The notion of sacred space gets brought into the New Testament in a dramatic way. All we need to ask is, “Where is the presence of God right now?” While God is everywhere, he specifically dwells within each believer. Believe it or not, you are sacred space. Paul very clearly wrote that “your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit” (1 Cor. 6:19)… The same is true of the ground where believers gather as a group. Writing to the church at Corinth, Paul told them collectively, “You are God's temple” (1 Cor. 3:16). He told the Ephesian believers they were “members of the household of God … a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit” (Eph. 2:19, 21–22)… The implications are startling. Most of us are familiar with Jesus' statement, “Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there in the midst of them” (Matt. 18:20 leb). But viewed in the context of the Old Testament idea of sacred space, that statement means that wherever believers gather, the spiritual ground they occupy is sanctified amid the powers of darkness… Yahweh's final chosen dwelling place in the Old Testament was Israel—the temple in Jerusalem. Israel became holy ground because that's where God's presence resided. But that holy ground was threatened by the nations that surrounded it and their hostile gods. In the same way, believers today are in a spiritual war. We are now...

Welcome to Day 2710 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom Day 2710 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 85:8-13 – Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2710 Wisdom-Trek: The Divine Harmony of Grace and Truth - Concluding Our Trek Through Psalm 85:8-13 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2710 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Today, we reach the powerful conclusion of our conversation in Psalm 85, covering verses 8 through 13 in the New Living Translation. In our last trek, we explored the first half of this poignant communal lament. We heard the people's prayer for revival, anchored in God's past faithfulness: "You have restored the fortunes of Israel," and "You have forgiven the guilt of your people" (Psalm 85:1-3). Yet, their plea was urgent, asking God to "restore us again" and to "show us your unfailing love" (Psalm 85:4, 7). They were caught in the "in-between," that painful gap between the miracle of the return from exile and the full, glorious reality of true national revival. Now, the psalmist shifts from pleading to listening, confident that God will speak peace and provide the perfect vision for their complete restoration. This final section beautifully describes how God's saving presence will transform the land and the people, bringing a divine harmony where love and truth, justice and peace, meet and embrace. This vision of God's saving power is the glorious answer to their cry for restoration. So, let's open our hearts to this prophetic promise, recognizing the divine symmetry that only God can orchestrate. This first section it titled, The Promise of Peace and the Meeting of Virtues (Psalm 85:8-11) I listen carefully to what God the Lord is saying, for he speaks peace to his faithful people. But let them not return to foolish ways. Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him, so our land will be filled with his glory. Unfailing love and truth have met together. Righteousness and peace have kissed! The psalmist makes a conscious, deliberate choice here to stop pleading and start listening: "I listen carefully to what God the Lord is saying, for he speaks peace to his faithful people." This is a pivotal moment in any lament! After pouring out our anxiety and our fears, the next step is to quiet our souls and incline our ear towards the divine. The psalmist expresses confidence that God will speak "peace" (shalom), which, in the Hebrew worldview, is not just the absence of conflict, but total well-being, harmony, and wholeness. This promise of shalom is conditional: "But let them not return to foolish ways." God's people must actively participate in their own revival. The restoration is offered, but they must choose to walk away from the spiritual "foolish ways" that led to their former suffering. The warning is clear: true peace requires sustained obedience and...

Welcome to Day 2709 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom Day 2709 – A Clean Life - Strong Warnings About the World 1 John 2_12-17 Putnam Church Message – 08/31/2025 Sermon Series: 1, 2, & 3 John “A Clean Life – Strong Warnings About the World.”   Last week, we explored 1 John 2:1-11 as we learned the seven rules on how to live a ‘Clean Life' with “Wise Words from a Family Meeting.” This week, we continue through the letter of 1 John, and we will cover 1 John 2:12-17 as we explore how to live a ‘Clean Life' with “Strong Warnings About the World.” Let's read 1 John 2:12-17 from the NIV, which is found on page 1900 of your Pew Bibles.  12 12 I am writing to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name. 13 I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. 14 I write to you, dear children, because you know the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one. On Not Loving the World 15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father[a] is not in them. 16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever. Opening Prayer When danger draws near, a warning is in order. And the greater the danger, the more vital the warning. Let me share a story from a long-time pastor and President of Dallas Theological Seminary, Chuck Swindoll. I will share it in the first person as he did. /When I think of warnings, my mind goes back over sixty years to when I found myself standing on the deck of a massive troopship, seeing the city of Yokohama, Japan, in the distance, just across the Tokyo Bay. Our ship was slowly snaking its way through the bay because there were still some naval mines lurking beneath those waters—leftovers from World War II. As the pilot was guiding us carefully, a full colonel called some thirty-five hundred Marines to an assembly. He called us together to give us a warning. Great danger drew near. Not the physical danger of the naval mines. Those could be easily navigated. He had other dangers in mind … dangers lurking not in Tokyo Bay but in the streets of Yokohama, where thousands of pent-up Marines were about to be unleashed. “All of you, listen up,” he said. “For many of you, you will be the foreigner for the first time in your lives. You're going to be walking in an area you've never walked before. You'll be among people who speak a language you've never spoken before. You'll be...

Welcome to Day 2708 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom Day 2708 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 85:1-7 – Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2708 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2708 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Today, we begin a new and profoundly hopeful conversation, continuing our journey through the Psalms with Psalm 85 in the New Living Translation, encompassing its opening verses, 1 through 7. Psalm 85 is another Communal Lament, a prayer of profound longing for national revival and restoration. It is widely believed to have been written after the return of the Jewish exiles from Babylon, a time when the physical journey home was complete, but the spiritual and political realities were far from the glorious restoration promised by the prophets. The Temple was still being rebuilt, the nation was weak, and the initial burst of post-exilic joy had given way to discouragement and doubt. This psalm is a beautiful and necessary transition from the previous psalms. In Psalm 84, we heard the joyous longing for God's presence, declaring that "a single day in your courts is better than a thousand anywhere else" (Psalm 84:10). Now, in Psalm 85, the people acknowledge that same presence but ask God to complete the work of salvation. They remember God's past faithfulness and use it as an urgent argument for Him to move again in the present. This is the prayer of a people who have seen God move, but whose current circumstances demand a fresh move of divine power. So, let's open our hearts to this fervent prayer for revival, feeling the weight of hope and the desperate need for God's face to shine upon His people once again. Remembering Past Favor, Pleading for Present Peace (Psalm 85:1-3) Lord, you have poured out amazing blessings on your land! You have restored the fortunes of Israel. You have forgiven the guilt of your people— yes, you have covered all their sins. You have withdrawn your furious anger and turned away from your blazing wrath. The psalm begins not with a complaint, but with a confident historical acknowledgment of God's past goodness, a crucial starting point for any plea for revival: "Lord, you have poured out amazing blessings on your land! You have restored the fortunes of Israel." This immediately grounds the prayer in God's proven faithfulness. The psalmist remembers the great work God has already done, specifically the Restoration from exile. God had indeed acted, bringing the people back from Babylon, pouring out "amazing blessings" (literally, "been favorable" or "showed favor") upon their land. He "restored the fortunes of Israel" (shuv shevut), a technical term used by the prophets for the major act of bringing the exiles home and reversing their national calamity. This physical restoration was rooted in a spiritual reality: "You have forgiven the guilt of your people—yes, you have covered all their sins." The ultimate blessing of the return was not just the rebuilding of the walls

Welcome to Day 2707 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom Day 2707 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 84:1-12– Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2707 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2707 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Today's Wisdom Nugget is titled: A Thirst for Your Presence – The Pilgrim's Joyful Journey - A Trek Through Psalm 84:1-12 Guthrie Chamberlain: Welcome to Wisdom-Trek, your compass for navigating the profound landscapes of faith and life. I'm your guide, Guthrie Chamberlain, and today, we begin a new and deeply moving journey, a beautiful pilgrimage through Psalm 84 in the New Living Translation, encompassing its entirety, verses 1 through 12. Psalm 84 is one of the most beloved psalms in the Psalter. It is attributed to the Korahites, a family of Levites who were gatekeepers and musicians in the Temple. It is a psalm of pilgrimage, a song of ascent, meant to be sung by those making their way up to Jerusalem for one of the three major annual festivals—Passover, Pentecost, or the Feast of Tabernacles. This psalm is a beautiful and welcome contrast to the communal laments we've recently explored. After the national despair of Psalm 79 and the urgent pleas for restoration in Psalm 80, Psalm 84 bursts forth with a joyous and profound yearning for God's presence. It shifts our focus from the desolation of a city to the spiritual longing of a soul, reminding us that even in times of national turmoil, the faithful heart finds its ultimate desire in God Himself and in the joy of drawing near to Him. This psalm is a timeless ode to the incomparable value of God's dwelling place and the blessings that flow from His presence. So, let's join the psalmist on this pilgrimage, feeling the heart of a traveler yearning for home, a home found only in the presence of God. The Soul's Deep Thirst for God (Reads Psalm 84:1-4 NLT) How lovely is your Tabernacle, O Lord of Heaven's Armies. My soul longs, yes, faints with longing for your courts. My heart and body cry out for the living God. Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow builds a nest and raises her young at a place near your altar, O Lord of Heaven's Armies, my King and my God! What joy for those who can live in your house, always singing your praises. Interlude Guthrie Chamberlain: The psalm begins with an exclamation of pure admiration for God's dwelling place: "How lovely is your Tabernacle, O Lord of Heaven's Armies." "Tabernacle" here refers to God's sanctuary, the Temple in Jerusalem. "Lovely" (yādîd) implies something dear, beloved, and full of affection. The psalmist is expressing a deep, heartfelt love for this physical space, not for the building itself, but for what it represents—the tangible presence of God. The title "Lord of Heaven's Armies" (Yahweh Sabaoth), used three times in this psalm, is significant. It reminds us that this beloved...

Welcome to Day 2706 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom – Theology Thursday – “The Great Reversal” – Supernatural Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2706 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2706 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Today, we continue with the 13th of 16 segments of our Theology Thursday lessons. I will read through the book "Supernatural," written by Hebrew Bible scholar, professor, and mentor Dr. Michael S. Heiser, who has since passed away. Supernatural is a condensed version of his comprehensive book, ‘The Unseen Realm.' If these readings pique your interest, I would recommend that you read ‘The Unseen Realm.' Today, we will read through chapter thirteen: “The Great Reversal” Aside from stories about Jesus in the Gospels—such   as accounts of his birth, death, and Sermon on the Mount—perhaps the most familiar passage in the New Testament is Acts 2, where the Holy Spirit rushes upon the followers of Jesus at the day of Pentecost. It marks the launch of the fledgling church and the beginning of global evangelism in the name of Jesus. As familiar as the passage is, there's a lot more going on in it than most realize. Acts 2 is in fact designed to telegraph the campaign to reverse the post-Babel cosmic geography of the Old Testament, in which the nations other than Israel were under the dominion of lesser gods. What happened at Pentecost was a battle plan for infiltrating all the nations disinherited by God at Babel with the gospel of Jesus—an ancient strategy for spiritual war. Pentecost What Acts 2 describes as happening on the day of Pentecost was certainly unusual: And when the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in the same place. And suddenly a sound like a violent rushing wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. And divided tongues like fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as the Spirit gave them ability to speak out. Now there were Jews residing in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven. And when this sound occurred, the crowd gathered and was in confusion, because each one was hearing them speaking in his own language. And they were astounded and astonished, saying, “Behold, are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how do we hear, each one of us, in our own native language?” (Acts 2:1–8 leb) Some of the things that take us into the supernatural worldview of the Old Testament in that remarkable passage aren't obvious in the English translation. The “rushing wind” associated with the arrival of the Spirit is a familiar description of the presence of God in the Old Testament (2 Kings 2:1, 11; Job 38:1; 40:6). Fire is also familiar in descriptions of God (Ezek. 1:4; Isa. 6:4, 6; Dan. 7:9; Ex. 3:2; 19:18; 20:18). It's clear from those references that God was present at the event and behind what was going on. His intention was to launch his campaign to take back the nations from the lesser gods he assigned to the nations (Deut. 4:19–20; 32:8–9) but who became his enemies (Ps. 82). God's tool for doing that was the words of the disciples—hence the imagery of tongues. God enabled the Jewish followers of Jesus to speak...

Welcome to Day 2705 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom Day 2705 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 83:9-18 – Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2705 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2705 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Today's Wisdom Nugget is titled: A Prayer for Judgment – That They May Know Your Name - Concluding Our Trek Through Psalm 83:9-18 Guthrie Chamberlain: Welcome back to Wisdom-Trek, your compass for navigating the profound landscapes of faith and life. I'm your guide, Guthrie Chamberlain, and today, we reach the powerful and climactic conclusion of our trek through Psalm 83 in the New Living Translation, encompassing its final verses, 9 through 18. In our last conversation, we plunged into the heart of a national crisis described in Psalm 83:1-8. We heard Asaph, the psalmist, plead with a seemingly silent God: "O God, do not remain silent!" He revealed a malicious conspiracy of nations with "a single purpose: to enter into a treaty against you" and a chilling goal to "wipe out Israel as a nation." He presented to God a coalition of Israel's historical enemies, allied with the powerful Assyria, a threat so formidable that human intervention seemed utterly futile. It was a desperate prayer for God, the ultimate Judge, to break His silence and act. Now, in this concluding section, Asaph moves from a description of the conspiracy to a fervent, imprecatory prayer for God to act decisively against these enemies. He appeals to God to perform a new act of salvation that is as legendary and devastating as His great victories of the past. The goal of this prayer is not just for Israel's survival, but for God's name to be universally known and glorified as a result of His righteous judgment. So, let's listen to this powerful and passionate prayer for a divine repeat of history, leading to an ultimate revelation of God's sovereignty. A Prayer for History to Repeat Itself (Reads Psalm 83:9-12 NLT) Do to them as you did to the Midianites, or to Sisera and Jabin at the Kishon River. They were destroyed at Endor, and their bodies were left to fertilize the ground. Let their princes die as Oreb and Zeeb did. Let all their rulers die like Zebah and Zalmunna. For they said, "Let us seize for ourselves the pasturelands of God!" Guthrie Chamberlain: The psalmist begins his imprecation with a specific, historical plea, asking God to act as He has in the past: "Do to them as you did to the Midianites, or to Sisera and Jabin at the Kishon River." This is a powerful and theologically sound strategy in prayer. When we face a new crisis, we can look to God's past acts of faithfulness and power as a basis for our present requests. Asaph is not asking God to do something new; he's asking Him to be the same God He has always been. The Midianites were defeated by God through the leadership of Gideon, a victory so decisive that it became a standard for divine...

Welcome to Day 2704 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom Day 2704 – Ecclesiastes 3 - "Life isn't Just One Thing - It's Everything" Welcome to Putnam Congregational Church - August 24, 2025! This week, we enjoyed a special speaker, Nathniel Miller, on a lesson from Ecclesiastes 3 - "Life isn't Just One Thing - It's Everything" 1. Walking Through Life's Battlefields 2. The Key isn't control - it's acceptance 3. Simplify, Connect, Be Honest, Stay Present 4. Enjoy the Little Things - They are the Big Things Join us next Sunday, August 31st, at 10:15 a.m., and we will continue our exploration of 1 John. Our message for next week is “A Clean Life – Strong Warnings About The World." Our Core verses for next week will be: 1 John 2:12-17

Welcome to Day 2703 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom Day 2704 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 83:1-8 – Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2703 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2703 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Today's Wisdom Nugget is titled: A Conspiracy of Silence – When Nations Conspire - A Trek Through Psalm 83:1-8 Guthrie Chamberlain: Welcome to Wisdom-Trek, your compass for navigating the profound landscapes of faith and life. I'm your guide, Guthrie Chamberlain, and today, we open a new and urgent chapter in our journey through the Psalms. We're embarking on a trek through Psalm 83 in the New Living Translation, encompassing its opening verses, 1 through 8. Psalm 83, another psalm of Asaph, is a fervent communal lament and an imprecatory prayer, a desperate cry for God's intervention against a specific and imminent threat. After the divine judgment scene of Psalm 82, where God condemned unjust human rulers in a heavenly court, this psalm brings us back to earth, to a very real and present danger: a grand conspiracy of nations with a single, malevolent goal. This psalm is a powerful expression of a people facing a severe existential threat. The psalmist pleads with God, the ultimate Judge and ruler of the nations, not to remain silent in the face of this malicious plot. It reminds us that there are times when the threats are so great, so overwhelming, that the only hope is for a silent God to speak and a hidden God to act. So, let's immerse ourselves in this prayer of national desperation and listen to the psalmist's earnest plea for God's intervention against this formidable conspiracy. The Plea for a Silent God to Act (Reads Psalm 83:1-4 NLT) O God, do not remain silent! Do not turn a deaf ear. Do not stand aloof, O God. Don't you hear the uproar of your enemies? Don't you see the arrogance of those who hate you? They devise crafty schemes against your people, and they conspire against your treasured ones. "Come," they say, "let us wipe out Israel as a nation. We will destroy the memory of its existence." Guthrie Chamberlain: The psalm begins with an immediate, urgent, and almost confrontational plea for God to break His silence: "O God, do not remain silent! Do not turn a deaf ear. Do not stand aloof, O God." This triple appeal highlights the profound distress of the people. God's silence in the face of a terrifying threat is unbearable. "Remain silent" (charash) implies inactivity. "Turn a deaf ear" (al-al) implies a refusal to listen. "Stand aloof" (shalaq) suggests a deliberate distance, an indifference to their suffering. The psalmist is begging God to do the opposite of all these things: to speak, to listen, and to draw near and intervene. This lament stands in stark contrast to the divine pronouncements of judgment in the previous Psalm 82, where God's voice was loud and clear. Here, that same mighty voice...

Welcome to Day 2702 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom Day 2702 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 82:1-8 – Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2702 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2702 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Today's Wisdom Nugget is titled: The Supreme Court of the Cosmos – The Judge of All Judges - A Trek Through Psalm 82:1-8 Guthrie Chamberlain: Welcome to Wisdom-Trek, your compass for navigating the profound landscapes of faith and life. I'm your guide, Guthrie Chamberlain, and today, we open a powerful and dramatic new chapter in our journey through the Psalms. We're embarking on a trek through Psalm 82 in the New Living Translation, encompassing its entirety, verses 1 through 8. Psalm 82, like many we've explored recently, is attributed to Asaph. But after the celebratory festivals of Psalm 81 and the laments for national restoration in Psalm 80, this psalm introduces us to a truly astounding scene: God Himself, acting as the supreme Judge, standing in judgment over all other authorities. It's a divine courtroom, a cosmic tribunal, where God holds human rulers and judges accountable for their injustice and corruption. This psalm, in just eight short verses, provides a breathtaking glimpse into the heart of God's justice. It delivers a withering condemnation of those in power who abuse their authority, while simultaneously issuing a powerful command to defend the powerless. It reminds us that no matter how powerful or esteemed a human leader may be, they are ultimately accountable to a higher authority, the one true Judge of all the earth. So, let's step into this dramatic scene and listen to the verdict from the Supreme Judge of the cosmos. The Divine Tribunal and the Condemnation of the Unjust (Reads Psalm 82:1-4 NLT) God presides over heaven's court; he pronounces judgment on the heavenly beings: "How long will you hand down unjust decisions by favoring the wicked?" Interlude "Give justice to the poor and the orphan; uphold the rights of the oppressed and the destitute. Rescue the poor and helpless; deliver them from the grasp of evil people." Guthrie Chamberlain: The psalm begins by setting a truly magnificent and sobering scene: "God presides over heaven's court; he pronounces judgment on the heavenly beings." The "heaven's court" or "divine council" was a common literary motif in the ancient Near East, but here it is uniquely appropriated to show God's absolute supremacy. The "heavenly beings" (elohim) in this context are not God's divine rivals, but are often interpreted as human judges and rulers, or perhaps even angelic beings entrusted with the oversight of nations, all of whom are ultimately subordinate to God. God is the one and only supreme Judge, and He is holding all other authorities—divine and human—accountable. He is standing over all the judges of the earth, watching every decision they make. The first question God asks is

Welcome to Day 2701 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom – Theology Thursday – “The Cloud Rider” – Supernatural Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2701 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2701 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Today, we continue with the 12th of 16 segments of our Theology Thursday lessons. I will read through the book "Supernatural," written by Hebrew Bible scholar, professor, and mentor Dr. Michael S. Heiser, who has since passed away. Supernatural is a condensed version of his comprehensive book, ‘The Unseen Realm.' If these readings pique your interest, I would recommend that you read ‘The Unseen Realm.' Today, we will read through chapter twelve: “The Cloud Rider” I closed the last chapter by noting how Jesus began to talk about his death immediately after baiting the powers of darkness at the gates of hell and Mount Hermon. The challenge set in motion a string of events that would lead to the Lord's trial and his death on the cross. Christians have read about the trial of Jesus many times. But there's a supernatural backdrop to it that is frequently overlooked. To understand what finally draws the death sentence from the Jewish authorities and the transfer of Jesus to Pontius Pilate to carry it out, we have to go back to the Old Testament book of Daniel—to a meeting God holds with his heavenly host, his divine council.   The Ancient of Days and His Council Daniel 7 begins with an odd vision. Daniel sees four beasts coming out of the sea (Dan. 7:1–8). They're all freakish, but the fourth beast is the worst. In the dreams interpreted in the Old Testament, both objects and living things always represent something, and in this dream, the four beasts in Daniel's vision are four empires. We know that because his vision aligns with the themes of Nebuchadnezzar's dream in Daniel 2, which was about Babylon and three other empires to follow. Our focus, though, is on what Daniel describes next: As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire. A stream of fire issued and came out from before him; a thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened. (Dan. 7:9–10) We know the Ancient of Days is the God of Israel. That's pretty easy to determine, especially if we compare the description of his throne to Ezekiel's vision of God's throne (Ezek. 1). The fire, wheels, and human form on the throne in that vision are the same as Daniel's. But did you notice there isn't just one throne? There are a number of thrones in Daniel's vision (Dan. 7:9)—enough for the divine court, God's council (Dan. 7:10). The heavenly court meets to decide the fate of the beasts—the empires—in the vision. It is decided that the fourth beast must be killed and the other beasts rendered powerless (Dan. 7:11–12). They will be displaced by another king and kingdom. And that's where things get even more interesting. The Son of Man Who Comes on the Clouds Daniel continues narrating his vision: I saw in the night visions, and...

Welcome to Day 2700 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me.This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to WisdomDay 2700 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 81:8-16 – Daily WisdomWisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2700Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2700 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before.Today's Wisdom Nugget is titled: The Heart's Hardness – A Plea for Unwavering Loyalty - Concluding Our Trek Through Psalm 81:8-16Guthrie Chamberlain: Welcome back to Wisdom-Trek, your compass for navigating the profound landscapes of faith and life. I'm your guide, Guthrie Chamberlain, and today, we reach the powerful and poignant conclusion of our trek through Psalm 81 in the New Living Translation, encompassing its final verses, 8 through 16.In our last conversation, we began Psalm 81 with a vibrant, celebratory call to worship, a joyful festival meant to be a perpetual reminder of God's deliverance. The psalmist then recounted a dramatic shift to God's direct voice, recalling His mighty act of removing the "burden from your shoulders" and freeing Israel's "hands from their heavy baskets" of slavery in Egypt (Psalm 81:6). We heard how God answered their cry from the "hidden place of thunder," the awe-inspiring moment at Sinai when He gave them His law.Now, God's direct address continues, moving from a remembrance of His saving acts to a strong command for exclusive loyalty and a heartbreaking lament over His people's persistent disobedience. This section is a profound expression of God's own heart, revealing His deep desire for a relationship of trust and His sorrow over their stubborn rebellion. It culminates in a beautiful, almost wistful, promise of the boundless blessings they would have received if only they had listened.So, let's listen carefully, not just to the words, but to the yearning heart of God as He pleads with His people. A Divine Demand for Exclusive Loyalty(Reads Psalm 81:8-10 NLT)"Listen to me, O my people, if you would only listen to me, O Israel!You must never have a foreign god;you must not worship a foreign god.For I am the Lord your God,who rescued you from the land of Egypt.Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it with good things."Guthrie Chamberlain: God's voice begins with an urgent, repeated, and intimate plea: "Listen to me, O my people, if you would only listen to me, O Israel!" The repetition of "if you would only listen to me" expresses a profound, almost desperate desire for His people to pay attention. He is calling to them as "my people" and "Israel," using covenant names that signify their special, chosen relationship with Him. This is not the voice of a distant commander, but of a personal God who yearns for His people's attention and obedience.The command that follows is absolute and foundational to their covenant: "You must never have a foreign god; you must not worship a foreign god." This is the first and second commandment of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:2-3). God demands exclusive loyalty and allegiance. In the ancient Near East, it was common for people to worship multiple gods, adding a new god to their pantheon whenever they encountered a new nation or experienced a new need. But God, the God of Israel, forbade this practice completely. He is not one god among many; He is the one true God,...

Welcome to Day 2699 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom Day 2699 – “A Clean Life – Wise Words From a Family Meeting.” - 1 John 2:1-11 Putnam Church Message – 08/17/2025 Sermon Series: 1, 2, & 3 John “A Clean Life – Wise Words From a Family Meeting.”   Last week, we explored 1 John 1:5-10 with the focus of “God's Light and Our Blight.” This week, we continue through the letter of 1 John, and we will cover 1 John 2:1-11 as we explore how to live a ‘Clean Life' with “Wise Words from a Family Meeting.” Let's read 1 John 2:1-11 from the NIV, which is found on page 1899 of your Pew Bibles. 1 My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. Love and Hatred for Fellow Believers 3 We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. 4 Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. 5 But if anyone obeys his word,/love for God[a] is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: 6 Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did. 7 Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard. 8 Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and in you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining. 9 Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister[b] is still in the darkness. 10 Anyone who loves their brother and sister[c] lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. 11 But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them. Opening Prayer Books of the Bible are a little like museums. Some are large, focused on several themes treated in a logical, linear manner. Others are small, narrowing in on one particular topic. The book of 1 John is a moderately long letter and follows a meandering path around several themes that are on...

Welcome to Day 2698 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom Day 2698 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 81:1-7 – Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2698 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2698 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Today's Wisdom Nugget is titled: The Sound of Freedom – A Festival of Joy and Remembrance - A Trek Through Psalm 81:1-7 Guthrie Chamberlain: Welcome to Wisdom-Trek, your compass for navigating the profound landscapes of faith and life. I'm your guide, Guthrie Chamberlain, and today, we open a new chapter in our journey through the Psalms, a chapter filled with vibrant celebration and a powerful word from God Himself. We're embarking on a trek through Psalm 81 in the New Living Translation, encompassing its opening verses, 1 through 7. Psalm 81, like many of the psalms in this collection, is attributed to Asaph. But after the months of dwelling in the heavy emotions of lament, communal suffering, and national tragedy from Psalms 74, 77, and 80, this psalm is like a breath of fresh air. It is a powerful, joyous, and liturgical psalm, likely intended for a major national festival like the Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah) or the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot). It is a vibrant call to a nation to gather, to make music, to shout with joy, and to remember the God who delivered them from slavery. This psalm reminds us that while lament is a sacred and necessary expression of faith, so too is exuberant, celebratory praise. It's a powerful transition from a people crying out for restoration to a people actively celebrating the God who is worthy of all worship. The psalm then takes an extraordinary turn, as God himself speaks directly, recalling His mighty acts and warning His people of the consequences of disobedience. So, let's immerse ourselves in this joyful call to worship and listen for the voice of God in the midst of our celebration. The Call to a Joyful Festival (Reads Psalm 81:1-4 NLT) Sing out loud to God our strength! Shout for joy to the God of Jacob. Sing your psalms, beat the tambourine, and play the sweet lyre and harp. Sound the ram's horn at the new moon, and again at the full moon to announce our festive holidays. For this is a decree in Israel, an ordinance from the God of Jacob. Guthrie Chamberlain: The psalm begins with an immediate, energetic command to the entire nation: "Sing out loud to God our strength! Shout for joy to the God of Jacob." This isn't a quiet suggestion for private meditation. The Hebrew word for "sing out loud" (ranan) implies a ringing cry, a joyful shout of triumph. The call is to "shout for joy" (rua), a word often used for a war cry or a triumphant blast of a horn, signifying a full-throated, exuberant, and unrestrained expression of praise. The praise is directed at "God our strength" (Elohim ‘uzzenu), the one who gives us power, and to "the God of Jacob," the covenant-keeping God who has a long and faithful history with His people. The psalmist then...

Welcome to Day 2697 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me.This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to WisdomDay 2697 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 80:14-19 – Daily WisdomWisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2697Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2697 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before.Today's Wisdom Nugget is titled: The Gardener's Return, The Leader's Hand - Concluding Our Trek Through Psalm 80:14-19Today, we reach the powerful and ultimately hope-filled conclusion of our trek through Psalm 80 in the New Living Translation, encompassing its final verses, 14 through 19.In our journey through Psalm 80, we've heard the poignant cry of a people reeling from national turmoil. In verses 1-6, the psalmist, Asaph, lamented God's prolonged anger, asking "How long, O Lord God of Heaven's Armies, will you be angry with our prayers?" He spoke of being fed with sorrow and drinking tears by the cupful, all while being the public scorn of his neighbors. Then, in verses 7-13, the lament intensified through a magnificent agricultural metaphor: Israel as a vine that God Himself had rescued, planted, and nurtured, but whose walls had been broken down, leaving it vulnerable to wild animals and devastation. The central plea was for God to "restore us" and to "smile on us and save us."Now, in these concluding verses, the lament culminates in a final, desperate appeal. The psalmist pleads for the divine Gardener to return to His vineyard and to act on behalf of His people. He then introduces a powerful, messianic plea for God's hand of favor to rest upon a specific leader, "the man of your right hand," a chosen leader who will bring about this restoration. The psalm concludes with a final, three-fold repetition of the central prayer, signifying a persistent, unwavering hope in God's ultimate salvation.So, let's step into this prayer of deep longing and resolute hope, as we witness a people entrusting their future into God's sovereign hands. The Plea for the Gardener's Return(Reads Psalm 80:14-16 NLT)Come back, we beg you, O God of Heaven's Armies.Look down from heaven and see our plight.Take care of this grapevine,this shoot you have planted with your own strong hand!For your enemies have cut it down and burned it.May they be destroyed by your rebuke.Guthrie Chamberlain: The psalmist begins this section with an urgent, heartfelt plea for God's return: "Come back, we beg you, O God of Heaven's Armies. Look down from heaven and see our plight." The phrase "Come back" is a desperate cry for God to reverse His apparent absence. The lamenting community understands their dire situation, but they need God to see it, to "look down from heaven and see our plight" (literally, "our suffering" or "our affliction"). This is an appeal for God to witness their devastation firsthand, a hope that seeing their ruin will compel Him to act. The title "O God of Heaven's Armies" is a reminder that this is not a cry to a helpless deity, but to the commander of all celestial forces, the very one capable of intervening with overwhelming power.The plea for God's attention is then specified to the metaphor of the vine: "Take care of this...

Welcome to Day 2696 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom – Theology Thursday – “Supernatural Intent” – Supernatural Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2696 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2696 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Today, we continue with the 11th of 16 segments of our Theology Thursday lessons. I will read through the book "Supernatural," written by Hebrew Bible scholar, professor, and mentor Dr. Michael S. Heiser, who has since passed away. Supernatural is a condensed version of his comprehensive book, ‘The Unseen Realm.' If these readings pique your interest, I would recommend that you read ‘The Unseen Realm.' Today, we will read through chapter eleven: “Supernatural Intent.” In the last chapter, we saw how the Old Testament presents the messiah by hiding him in plain sight. The key to God's plan to restore Eden and redeem humanity was for the messiah, Jesus, to die on the cross and then rise from the dead. Only by becoming a man could God ensure that a human king from the line of David would rule over his people without falling into sin and straying spiritually. Only if that king died in the place of his people and rose from the dead could God rightly judge sin and provide salvation all at the same time. Only by the messiah's death and resurrection would fallen people still have a place in God's family council, ruling in that renewed Edenic kingdom, as originally planned. But think about all that required: Jesus had to somehow make sure the supernatural powers of darkness manipulated men to kill him—without understanding what they were really doing. As Paul had said to the Corinthians (1 Cor. 2:6–8), if they really knew what the results were going to be, they never would have crucified the Lord. The life and ministry of Jesus may make more sense when viewed against that backdrop. It's easy for readers of the New Testament, for instance, to get the impression that Jesus' ministry leading up to the cross was somewhat random. After all, the Gospels don't always present the same episodes—for example, the birth of Jesus is found in only two of them (Matthew and Luke), and only one mentions the wise men (Matt. 2). Sometimes scenes appear in a slightly different order in different gospels. But those acts of Jesus recorded in the Gospels leading up to the crucifixion—healing the sick, preaching about the kingdom of God, forgiving sinners, confronting hypocrisy​—were more than the random acts of a traveling wise man who occasionally did miraculous things. There's more going on in the gospel stories than meets the eye. There's an important subtext to what Jesus was doing. Outwitting Evil The event that marked the beginning of Jesus' public ministry was his baptism. It was there that God publicly identified Jesus as his Son (Mark 1:11), and there that John the Baptist identified him as the one who “takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). When we read those words from John, we think immediately about the crucifixion. But John's disciples weren't thinking about that. Frankly, no one was. When, close to the end of his ministry—over three years after his baptism—Jesus began to speak of his death, his own disciples rejected the idea (Matt. 17:22–23; Mark 9:30–32). The last thing they...

Welcome to Day 2695 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom Day 2695 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 80:7-13 – Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2695 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2695 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Today's Wisdom Nugget is titled: The Vine from Egypt – A Garden Left to Ruin - A Trek Through Psalm 80:7-13 Today, we continue our deeply moving trek through Psalm 80 in the New Living Translation, encompassing verses 7 through 13. In our last conversation, we heard a desperate communal lament from the psalmist, Asaph. We felt the anguish of a people crying out to God as their Shepherd, questioning, "How long, O Lord God of Heaven's Armies, will you be angry with our prayers?" (Psalm 80:4). We saw the bitter reality of their lives: feeding on sorrow and drinking tears by the cupful, becoming the public "scorn of our neighbors." Their primary plea was for God to "restore us" and to "smile on us and save us" (Psalm 80:3). Now, as we move into this next section, the psalmist continues this prayer for restoration, but he does so through a magnificent and poignant agricultural metaphor. He portrays Israel as a vine, one that God Himself rescued, planted, and tenderly cared for, a vine that once flourished and covered the earth. He then contrasts that glorious past with the vine's present state of ruin and desecration, all to intensify his plea for God, the divine Gardener, to return and care for His vineyard once again. This metaphor would have resonated deeply with the ancient Israelites, a people whose identity and heritage were intrinsically linked to the land and its fruitfulness. It's a powerful picture of a relationship that has fallen into disrepair, and the desperate hope for its renewal. So, let's immerse ourselves in this beautiful and heartbreaking metaphor of a vine planted by God. A Glorious Vine Planted by God (Reads Psalm 80:7-11 NLT) Restore us, O God of Heaven's Armies. Smile on us and save us. You brought a vine from Egypt; you drove out the nations and planted it here. You cleared the ground for it, and it took root and filled the land. The mountains were covered with its shade; the mighty cedars with its branches. The vine spread its branches west to the Mediterranean Sea and east to the Euphrates River. Guthrie Chamberlain: The psalmist begins this section by reiterating the central plea, a refrain that will run throughout the psalm: "Restore us, O God of Heaven's Armies. Smile on us and save us." This repetition serves to reinforce the gravity and single-mindedness of their desire for a complete reversal of their fortunes. They are begging for God's favor to return, for Him to turn His face back to them, for they know that in His smile is their salvation. The psalmist then introduces the magnificent vine metaphor, recounting...

Welcome to Day 2694 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me.This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to WisdomDay 2694 – A Joyful Life - God is Light and Our Blight - 1 John 1:5-10Putnam Church Message – 08/10/2025Sermon Series: 1, 2, & 3 John“A Joyful Life – God's Light and Our Blight.” Last week, we explored “A Joyful Life - God is Life,” from 1 John 1:1-4, and we focused on Communion and Joy with God and each other.This week, we continue through the letter of 1 John, and we will cover 1 John 1:5-10 as we explore “God's Light and Our Blight.” Let's read 1 John 1:5-10 from the NIV, which is found on page 1899 of your Pew Bibles.Light and Darkness, Sin and Forgiveness5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all[a] sin.8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.Opening PrayerAt some point in each of our lives, we transition from childhood to adulthood, from student to teacher, from mentee to mentor. Wisely, my parents had me wait a year after high school before entering college. I needed that extra year to mature and earn additional money. By God's grace and planning, it also allowed me to meet Paula in her first year; otherwise, God would have had to work out our meeting in another way. I remember when I was on my way out, heading to college for the first time, I knew that I would be on my own for the rest of my life. My parents did all they could to raise me right, to instill in me solid values, words of wisdom, and examples to follow. When I had to cross the threshold of the house that marked the moment of my transition from dependent child to independent adult, my parents knew that they had taught me the best they knew how, and now the decisions to continue walking in that knowledge were up to me.I may have been on my own physically, at least for a season—until I began to build my own family and emulate the wisdom and lessons my parents had taught me. But I wasn't on my own spiritually. The words and examples of my parents were always there, becoming increasingly relevant and meaningful as I faced my own real-life situations. As I continued to mature as an adult, I can't remember how many times the words of my mom or dad came back to me, and I thought, “That's what they meant!” They also left me a priceless spiritual legacy, introducing me to the Lord Jesus, a respect for God's Word, and a love for others, especially fellow believers.I imagine something similar happened with Jesus' original disciples. They continued to mature in their understanding of the faith after the Lord Jesus pushed His disciples out of the nest and sent...

Welcome to Day 2693 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom Day 2693 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 780:1-6 – Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2693 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2693 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Today's Wisdom Nugget is titled: The Shepherd's Hidden Face – A Cry for Restoration - A Trek Through Psalm 80:1-6 Today, we begin a powerful and deeply moving trek through Psalm 80 in the New Living Translation, encompassing its opening verses, 1 through 6. Psalm 80 is a communal lament, a desperate and repeated cry for God to restore His people. Like the lament psalms we've recently explored, such as Psalms 74 and 79, it is steeped in national tragedy and the anguish of God's apparent absence. However, this psalm is unique in its focus on God's identity as a Shepherd and its use of agricultural and shepherding metaphors to articulate the nation's pain and their fervent desire for revival. The psalmist pleads for God, the Shepherd of Israel, to remember His flock, to turn His face back to them, and to act with His saving power. This psalm gives voice to that difficult, often-long season of suffering when God's anger feels prolonged, and our pleas seem to go unanswered. It's a prayer for a fresh start, a powerful yearning for divine intervention to reverse a season of national turmoil and public disgrace. So, let's immerse ourselves in this desperate plea for divine restoration, feeling the weight of a people crying out from the wilderness of God's silence. The Shepherd's Call to Action (Reads Psalm 80:1-3 NLT) Please listen, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead the descendants of Joseph like a flock. O God, enthroned above the cherubim, display your glory and power! Stir up your mighty power! Come to our rescue and save us. Restore us, O God of Heaven's Armies. Smile on us and save us. Guthrie Chamberlain: The psalm begins with a tender and intimate plea to God as the Shepherd: "Please listen, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead the descendants of Joseph like a flock." This imagery is both ancient and deeply personal to the Israelite people. God is not just a distant king; He is a caring Shepherd, and Israel is His flock. This echoes the portrayal of God's leadership in Psalm 78, where "he led his own people like sheep through the wilderness." It's an appeal to God's paternal, protective, and nurturing nature. The psalmist specifically mentions "the descendants of Joseph," which refers to the prominent tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh. Given their significance, this might suggest the lament comes from the Northern Kingdom, or it could be a general plea for the entire nation, with Joseph representing all of Israel. Regardless, the appeal is to God's faithfulness as their leader, a plea for Him to remember His flock and return to His shepherding duties. The plea for God to act is filled with anticipation and

Welcome to Day 2692 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom Day 2692 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 79:9-13 – Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2692 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2692 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Today's Wisdom Nugget is titled: For Your Name's Sake – The Ultimate Appeal - Concluding Our Trek Through Psalm 79:9-13 Today, we reach the powerful and ultimately hopeful conclusion of our poignant trek through Psalm 79 in the New Living Translation, encompassing its final verses, 9 through 13. In our journey through Psalm 79, we've plunged deep into the raw agony of a communal lament. In verses 1-4, we witnessed the utter devastation of Jerusalem and the desecration of God's holy Temple, hearing the cries over unburied dead and crushing national shame. Then, in verses 5-8, Asaph, the psalmist, questioned God about the duration of His anger, pleading "How long, O Lord?" while simultaneously redirecting God's wrath toward the pagan nations who did not know Him. He also humbly acknowledged Israel's own past sins, appealing for God's swift mercy despite their unworthiness. Now, in these concluding verses, the lament reaches its climax and finds its resolution in a powerful appeal to God's own glory. The psalmist shifts the primary argument for divine intervention from Israel's suffering or even their partial repentance to the ultimate stakes: God's own glorious name and reputation among the nations. It's a fervent prayer for vindication, not just for Israel, but for the very character of God. The psalm culminates in a profound promise of perpetual praise, even from a people still reeling from catastrophe. So, let's immerse ourselves in this final, desperate, and ultimately hope-filled plea for God to act for His name's sake. (Reads Psalm 79:9-10 NLT) Help us, O God of our salvation! Help us for the glory of your name. Rescue us and purge away our sins for the honor of your name. Why should pagan nations be allowed to scoff, asking, “Where is their God?” Show us your mighty power, and take revenge for the spilled blood of your servants. Guthrie Chamberlain: The psalm opens this final section with an urgent, desperate plea, grounded in God's redemptive character: "Help us, O God of our salvation! Help us for the glory of your name." The psalmist appeals to God as the "God of our salvation," emphasizing His proven track record as a deliverer. The repetition of "Help us!" underscores the extremity of their need. But the key argument here, repeated twice, is "for the glory of your name." This is the ultimate appeal in a lament of national catastrophe. It's not primarily for Israel's comfort, or even just for their justice, but for the sake of God's own reputation and honor among the nations. If Israel, God's chosen people, remains in such utter ruin, humiliated and without recourse, God's glory is diminished in the eyes of the world. This appeal is far broader than mere self-interest; it's a profound concern for the worldwide recognition of God's power and...

Welcome to Day 2690 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom Day 2690 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 79:5-8 – Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2690 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2690 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Today's Wisdom Nugget is titled: How Long, O Lord? – A Plea for Mercy, A Cry for Justice - A Trek Through Psalm 79:5-8 Today, we continue our poignant and urgent trek through Psalm 79 in the New Living Translation, encompassing verses 5 through 8. In our last conversation, we plunged into the raw, unspeakable anguish of Psalm 79:1-4. We witnessed the utter devastation of Jerusalem and the desecration of God's holy Temple by invading pagan armies. We felt the horror of the unburied dead, left as food for wild animals, and the crushing burden of being mocked by surrounding nations, all of which amounted to a direct insult to God Himself. It was a cry born from unprecedented sacrilege and profound national dishonor. Now, as we move into this next section, Asaph, the psalmist, shifts from describing the catastrophe to directly questioning God about the duration of His anger. He then transitions to fervent imprecations—prayers for God's judgment—against the pagan nations who do not know God, acknowledging Israel's own past sins as a contributing factor, yet appealing desperately for God's mercy rather than His continued wrath. This tension between recognizing their own culpability and pleading for justice against their oppressors is a hallmark of communal laments. So, let's immerse ourselves in this anguished yet hopeful appeal, feeling the weight of their desperate longing for an end to suffering and a demonstration of God's righteous power. (Reads Psalm 79:5-6 NLT) How long, O Lord? Will you be angry with us forever? Will your jealousy burn like fire? Pour out your wrath on the nations that don't acknowledge you— on kingdoms that don't call on your name. Guthrie Chamberlain: The psalm begins this section with an agonizing, direct question to God about the duration of their suffering: "How long, O Lord? Will you be angry with us forever? Will your jealousy burn like fire?" This "How long?" is a quintessential lament cry in the Psalms (Psalm 13, 74, 89). It signifies an unbearable continuation of distress and a desperate longing for an end to divine wrath. The psalmist acknowledges that their suffering is perceived as stemming from God's anger, fueled by His "jealousy"—His righteous intolerance of idolatry and unfaithfulness, which burns intensely like consuming fire. This is a theological wrestling match. If God's anger is indeed burning, how long will it last? Will it be "forever"? This expresses the profound fear of a permanent, unending state of divine displeasure and abandonment, a terrifying thought for a people whose very existence depended on God's favor. This very fear echoes the question in Psalm 74:1: "Why have you abandoned us forever?" Here, the focus is on the anger that underpins that perceived abandonment. The psalmist then immediately redirects...

Welcome to Day 2689 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom Day 2689 – A Joyful Life Because God Is Life Putnam Church Message – 08/03/2025 Sermon Series: 1, 2, & 3 John “A Joyful Life - God is Life.”   Last week, we began a new systematic verse-by-verse study of the letters 1, 2, & 3 John, followed by Jude with insights and introduction to 1, 2, & 3 John., This week, we will begin going through these letters, and today, we will cover 1 John 1:1-4 as we explore “A Joyful Life - God is Life.” Let's read 1 John 1:1-4 from the NIV, which is found on page 1898 of your Pew Bibles. That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. 2 The life appeared;/ we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father/ and has appeared to us. 3 We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4 We write this to make our[a] joy complete. Opening Prayer The Old Elder's Sacred Hymnal Imagine, if you will, a community nestled deep in the Appalachian Mountains, where generations had always found their deepest solace and strongest unity in the act of worship. At the very heart of their gatherings was a sacred treasure: the Sacred Hymnal. It was an ancient, hand-bound volume, filled not just with words and notes, but with the very deep and rich hymns of the faith that had been the core of their Christian community for centuries. This Hymnal held the essence of their spiritual identity,> their history with the Lord, their enduring promises, and their profound, unshakeable joy. Its melodies and truths had been intimately given and taught by the Divine Composer Himself, who had shared His very heart in song through His Beloved Son. Now, only a few, very old members of this community, the Original Witness Bearers, had actually walked and sung with the Beloved Son. They had seen Him teach the very first hymns, had heard His voice ring out with divine authority, and had even felt the tangible presence of His Spirit as their hands held the first copies of the Hymnal's truths. Their lives were utterly intertwined with these living songs. But as years turned into decades, and the younger generations grew up, many had begun to rely on distant echoes of the hymns. Some knew the words on the page, but the melody had faded in their hearts. Others listened to flimsy, modern tunes, catchy but shallow, that lacked the profound depth and spiritual weight of the originals. A subtle, lethargic boredom, a kind of spiritual apathy, crept into the community. The initial thrill of shared worship

Welcome to Day 2691 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom – Theology Thursday – “Hidden In Plain Site” – Supernatural Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2691 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2686 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Today, we continue with the 10th of 16 segments of our Theology Thursday lessons. I will read through the book "Supernatural," written by Hebrew Bible scholar, professor, and mentor Dr. Michael S. Heiser, who has since passed away. Supernatural is a condensed version of his comprehensive book, ‘The Unseen Realm.' If these readings pique your interest, I would recommend that you read ‘The Unseen Realm.' Today, we will read through chapter ten: “Hidden in Plain Sight.” Since the fall, God had been trying to revive his original goal for Eden: to live with both his divine and human family on earth. God had told Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply, thereby spreading God's good rule over the rest of the planet. God wanted the whole earth to be a place where heaven and earth met, where humanity could enjoy the divine, and where the divine could enjoy earth and humanity. We know how that went. A History of Failure Humanity sinned and was expelled from God's presence. Eden was shut down. The divine enemy, the Serpent, was banished—cast or cut down—from God's presence to earth, the place where death reigns, where life is not everlasting. He became lord of the dead, and therefore had claim to every human being who would ever live—because they sin, and sin's wages is death (Rom. 6:23). After the flood, God had repeated the goal of Eden to Noah and his family: be fruitful and multiply. It was a do-over. Instead, humanity rebelled. Rather than obey God and spread the knowledge and rule of God everywhere, they would build a tower where God could come to them. Failure again. God wouldn't go for it. He mixed up the nations' languages and turned the nations over to his divine council to rule. Then he decided to start over with a new human family—through Abraham and Sarah. He would get back to the other nations—through Abraham's descendants—once his kingdom rule was revived (Gen. 12:3). This, too, was a failure. So was the next attempt, bringing Israel out of Egypt, then to Sinai, and then finally to the Promised Land. Israel failed. Eventually God raised up David, and then Solomon. But after Solomon died, Israel followed other gods and the Israelites turned on each other. God had to expel them from the Promised Land in exile. The human story, apart from God's presence, is the story of failure. This is because humanity is lost since the fall. All humans are imperfect and estranged from God. No human leader could be trusted with starting and maintaining God's kingdom. They would resist loyalty to God alone. They would go their own way. Humans would sin, fail, and join the lord of the dead, God's great enemy. But God's vision of sharing the blessing of being steward-kings over a new Eden couldn't happen without humans. And the only way humans would ever be able to hold up their end of God's plan would be for them to be made new again. The curse of the fall must be lifted. And for that, God had a plan. The Solution—and a Problem God needed a man who was more than

Welcome to Day 2688 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom Day 2688 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 79:1-4 – Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2688 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2688 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Today's Wisdom Nugget is titled: A City Desecrated, A People Dishonored – A Cry from the Rubble - A Trek Through Psalm 79:1-4 Guthrie Chamberlain: Today, we begin another poignant and heart-wrenching trek, as we open Psalm 79 in the New Living Translation, encompassing its opening verses, 1 through 4. Psalm 79, like so many we've explored recently, is attributed to Asaph. But after the sweeping historical narrative of Psalm 78, which culminated in God's faithful establishment of David as shepherd-king despite Israel's constant rebellion, Psalm 79 thrusts us abruptly back into the darkest depths of national tragedy. This psalm serves as a powerful communal lament, echoing the anguish we felt in Psalm 74, specifically crying out in the immediate aftermath of the devastating destruction of Jerusalem and its holy Temple, most likely by the Babylonians in 586 BC. While Psalm 74 expressed the shock and confusion of the Temple's ruin and God's apparent abandonment, Psalm 79 focuses with a horrifying intensity on the desecration of the sacred city itself, the brutal slaughter of its inhabitants, and the profound, unspeakable shame caused by the unburied dead. It's a desperate, visceral cry for God's immediate attention and vengeance in the face of unprecedented sacrilege and dishonor. For the ancient Israelites, this was not just a military defeat; it was a cosmic catastrophe, an assault on God's very dwelling place and His chosen people, whose identity was inextricably linked to their land, their city, and their Temple. The horror described here was the ultimate nightmare, a complete reversal of all covenant blessings. So, let's immerse ourselves in this raw, agonizing lament, feeling the weight of their despair and the profound pain of utter desecration and dishonor. (Reads Psalm 79:1-4 NLT) O God, your inheritance has been invaded! Your holy Temple has been defiled, and Jerusalem is a heap of ruins. The bodies of your servants and your godly people have been left as food for the vultures and wild animals. The blood of your people has been poured out like water all around Jerusalem, and there is no one left to bury them. We are mocked by our neighbors, scoffed at by those around us. Guthrie Chamberlain: The psalm begins with a cry of profound violation and outrage directed straight to God: "O God, your inheritance has been invaded! Your holy Temple has been defiled, and Jerusalem is a heap of ruins." This is an immediate, gut-wrenching appeal. The psalmist doesn't just say their land has been invaded; he says "your inheritance." This implies God's...