Shownotes
Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy
Welcome to Day 899 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.
This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom
Moving Out – Meditation Monday
Thank you for joining us for our five days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. This is Day 899 of our trek, and it is time for Meditation Monday. Taking time to relax, refocus, and reprioritize our lives is crucial in order to create a living legacy. For some, it may just be time alone for quiet reflection. Some may utilize structured meditation practices.
In my life meditation includes reading and reflecting on God’s Word and praying. It is a time to renew my mind, refocus on what is most important, and make sure that I am nurturing my soul, mind, and, body. As you come along with me on our trek each Meditation Monday, it is my hope and prayer that you too will experience a time for reflection and renewing of your mind.
We are broadcasting from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. During the summer months, many people end up moving. College graduates finally move out of their childhood homes, high school seniors move out to college or to start their own lives, many empty nesters downsize to smaller homes. In our Meditation Monday today we will learn about…
Moving Out
One of the marks of God’s people has been their acceptance of “moving out,” that is, following the Father’s lead and journeying to the places and people where He sends His people. Think of Abraham leaving the security of his good life to journey to a place the Father would show him. Remember the children of Israel leaving Egypt to follow Moses into the desert as they journeyed to the Promised Land. Consider David going to face Goliath in a battle he should not have been able to win. Recall Esther going before the king, without an invitation, at the risk of her own life in order to save the lives of God’s people. These are great examples of the “moving out” principle.
In the events in the verses below, you will find three kinds of circumstances that helped instigate Christ’s faithful followers in their “moving out” into a new future that blessed many.
- Obstacles in their paths — the persecution that began with Stephen’s martyrdom caused the believers in Jerusalem to be scattered and moved them to other places, and they shared Jesus’s message wherever they went.
- Opportunities given them — Saul, who later was known as Paul, and Barnabas ministered in Antioch in response to the reports of Jesus’s “grace in action” that moved them to go there and help grow this great multi-cultural group of Christ followers who were the ones first called Christians.
- Outward calls for them — Agabus’ prophecy of a famine moved them to give to those in need.
I want you to look for these same three types of circumstances — obstacles, opportunities, and outward calls — in your spiritual journey. When you find yourself presented with something that seems like one or more of these, prayerfully consider if it is God’s signal for you to be “moving out” with Christ’s grace to bless others! Unfortunately, you can get so busy and distracted by the world’s stuff that you miss God’s purpose for you in these sets of circumstances. Let these circumstances nudge you to bring God’s grace through Christ to the lost, to bring helpful encouragement and growth to those newly saved, and to bring tangible help to the broken and needy.
Christ left the safety and security of being with the Father and the Spirit by “moving out” and coming to earth. He chose “moving out” and living among you and sharing your mortal existence so you could be caught up in His life, eternal life.
Remember those in the early years of Christ’s church “moving out” to bring His grace to others. They didn’t give up in the face of obstacles. They didn’t pass up opportunities because they seemed too challenging. They didn’t ignore outward calls for them to share generously because it was costly. Like God’s people before them, they became a “moving out” kind of people.
Let these examples motivate you. Christ wants you “moving out” into the places where you can be salt and light to the world in decay and darkness. He wants you “moving out” to bring His love and grace to people in desperate need of both. Christ wants you “moving out” to reach those in other cultures as well as those among your own acquaintances who do not know Him. Christ wants you to be a “moving out” people!
As the disciples who were scattered following Stephen’s death spread the good news about Christ, they were helping fulfill His call to “moving out.”
Acts 1:8 – But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
The church in Jerusalem sent Barnabas to the new Christians in Antioch. He then went to Tarsus looking for Saul. When he found him, he brought him back to Antioch to help fulfill Great Commission of Christ to people of all nations. Then in response to Agabus’ prophecy about an impending famine, these new disciples demonstrated they understood Christ’s heart for helping those in need.
The story of the Christ followers “moving out” is found in Acts [11:19]-30.
Meanwhile, the believers who had been scattered during the persecution after Stephen’s death traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch of Syria. They preached the word of God, but only to Jews. However, some of the believers who went to Antioch from Cyprus and Cyrene began preaching to the Gentiles about the Lord Jesus. The power of the Lord was with them, and a large number of these Gentiles believed and turned to the Lord.
When the church at Jerusalem heard what had happened, they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he arrived and saw this evidence of God’s blessing, he was filled with joy, and he encouraged the believers to stay true to the Lord. Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and strong in faith. And many people were brought to the Lord.
Then Barnabas went on to Tarsus to look for Saul. When he found him, he brought him back to Antioch. Both of them stayed there with the church for a full year, teaching large crowds of people. (It was at Antioch that the believers were first called Christians.)
During this time some prophets traveled from Jerusalem to Antioch. One of them named Agabus stood up in one of the meetings and predicted by the Spirit that a great famine was coming upon the entire Roman world. (This was fulfilled during the reign of Claudius.) So the believers in Antioch decided to send relief to the brothers and sisters in Judea, everyone giving as much as they could. This they did, entrusting their gifts to Barnabas and Saul to take to the elders of the church in Jerusalem.
Next week we will continue our trek on Meditation Monday as we take time to reflect on what is most important in creating our living legacy. On tomorrow’s trek, we will explore another wisdom quote. This 3-minute wisdom supplement will assist you in becoming healthy, wealthy, and wise each day. Thank you for joining me on this trek called life. Encourage your friends and family to join us and then come along tomorrow for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.
If you would like to listen to any of the past 898 daily treks or read the daily journal, they are available at Wisdom-Trek.com. I encourage you to subscribe to Apple Podcast and Google Podcast so that each day’s trek will be downloaded automatically.
Thank you for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and most of all your friend as I serve you through the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.
As we take this trek together, let us always:
- Live Abundantly (Fully)
- Love Unconditionally
- Listen Intentionally
- Learn Continuously
- Lend to others Generously
- Lead with Integrity
- Leave a Living Legacy Each Day
I am Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Everyday! See you tomorrow!