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Did you ever notice that the 22nd Psalm exhibits "that Great Shepherd of the sheep" as laying down His life for the sheep? And that the 23rd Psalm exhibits "the Good Shepherd" with all His sheep around Him happy and restful, while the 24th Psalm represents "the Chief Shepherd" who shall appear in due time — and when He does appear, then shall His sheep, also, appear with Him in Glory?

The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it. Psalms 24:1

So, child of God, you are in your Father’s house even while you are down here on earth! 

 Just a Guy and His World 

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For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not? 1 Corinthians 4:7

Charles Spurgeon describes the pride of the Corinthians this way, 
"Pride grows like other ill weeds. It will live on any soil. In the natural heart it flourishes, springing up without sowing, and growing without watering; and even in the renewed heart it all too readily takes root when Satan casts abroad a handful of its seed. Of all creatures in the world the Christian is the last man who ought to be proud; and yet, alas, we have had mournful evidence both in past history and in our own observation, and worst of all in our own personal experience, that Christian men may become lifted up, to their own shame. Paul set himself very earnestly to deal with this disease when he saw it raging among the Corinthians. He felt it needful to do so, for it was leading to other mischiefs of the most disgraceful kind. Pride and self-conceit had led the members of the church in Corinth to choose for themselves distinct leaders, and to arrange themselves under separate banners: the followers of this man thinking themselves better than the followers of that. Thus, the body of Christ was divided, and all sorts of ill feeling, jealousy, emulation and envy sprang up in the church of God where all ought to have been mutual helpfulness and loving unity. Paul therefore earnestly, and with great wisdom, assailed the spirit of pride. 
Paul was well aware of one fact, namely, that pride is shallow and superficial. Another truth is also illustrated by Paul’s procedure, namely, that pride is always inconsistent with the true doctrine of the gospel. You may use this test concerning any preaching, or teaching that you meet with: if it legitimately and logically leads a man to boast of himself, it is not true. Our chemists use litmus to discover the presence of acid in any liquid submitted to them, for the paper then takes a reddish tint; and you may use this as your test, that when a doctrine makes you red with pride it contains the acid of falsehood. That which puffs up is not of God " 

Sadly, I can see myself, both past and present, in some of his descriptions. Pride is a most dangerous trait to have since he will lead to more and worse sins. Thankfully, we have the Word of God to provide course corrections along the way! Join me in reading 1 Corinthians 4 and be encouraged!

 Just a Guy and His World 

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Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly —mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. 1 Corinthians 3:1-3

The Corinthians lived in a meritocratic society. They were interested in being upwardly mobile. In some ways they lived to achieve, progress, and grow their portfolios. In the process of climbing the ladder, they were looking for an expression of Christianity that would serve them in their aspirational pursuits. They desired knowledge, rhetoric, and leaders that would set them apart as being wise, mature, and progressive. Paul speaks a difficult but gracious word into this context. 1 Corinthians 3:1

The Corinthians sound a lot like me and those I know. We want to move forward and get ahead. We focus on leaders that can help us do succeed and follow them. I know I take that same view into the church. "Is this pastor going to help me move forward in my walk with God?", I ask myself and if I don't think so, I move on. 

In chapter 3, Paul lets us know that it isn't the preacher, but the Holy Spirit that teaches us, if we're ready. So, join me in reading 1 Corinthians 3 and be encouraged!

 Just a Guy and His World 

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The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures,
 he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Psalms 23:1-3

As Tozer is pondering the great leaders of the bible and church throughout history, he sees many differences, but also surmises there's one great similarity, "Their differences must have been incidental and in the eyes of God of no significance. In some vital quality they must have been alike. What was it?
I venture to suggest that the one vital quality which they had in common was spiritual receptivity. Something in them was open to heaven, something which urged them Godward. Without attempting anything like a profound analysis, I shall say simply that they had spiritual awareness and that they went on to cultivate it until it became the biggest thing in their lives. They differed from the average person in that when they felt the inward longing they did something about it. They acquired the lifelong habit of spiritual response. They were not disobedient to the heavenly vision. As David put it neatly, “My heart says of you, ‘Seek his face!’ Your face, Lord, I will seek” Psalms 23:2

Let's pray the 23rd Psalm and experience God.

 Just a Guy and His World 

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No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 1 Corinthians 2:7

When considering God's wisdom and His ways being a mystery to people, even His followers, AW Tozer writes in Born After Midnight, "God may allow His servant to succeed when He has disciplined him to a point where he does not need to succeed to be happy. The man who is elated by success and cast down by failure is still a carnal man." 1 Corinthians 2:7

Until we're ready to hear and understand, God's wisdom a mystery to us. Join me in reading 1 Corinthians 2 and be encouraged!

 Just a Guy and His World 

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For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written:
 “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” 1 Corinthians 1:18-19

"I have never yet heard that the Cross of Christ was made of no effect by great plainness of speech, nor even by ruggedness of language — but it is the, "wisdom of words," which is said to have this destroying power." Charles Spurgeon
He goes on to say that when men try to tone down a certain message because it might be objectionable to "men's sensibilities", is when words have their destroying power. For example, he states "The doctrine of Atonement by blood, which is the essence of the preaching of the Cross, is objectionable to many minds and, therefore, certain preachers take care not to state it too plainly. Prudently, as they call it — craftily, as the Apostle Paul would call it — they tone down the objectionable features of the great Sacrifice, hoping by pretty phrases to somewhat remove the "offense of the Cross.""
By such actions, they change the very nature of the Cross and its sanctifying power. Instead, it moves Jesus and the Cross from being the source of our salvation instead to it being, "Self-sacrifice is set forth as possessing a high, heroic influence by which we are stimulated to self-salvation, but the Lord’s suffering as the Just for the unjust is not mentioned! The Cross, in such a case, is not at all the Cross by which self-condemned sinners can be comforted and the hardened can be subdued, but quite another matter." 

Join me reading 1 Corinthians 1 and be encouraged!

 Just a Guy and His World 

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1 Corinthians was written by Paul around AD 53-55 when he was near the end of his three-year ministry in Ephesus. He was writing because he'd received reports of a church struggling with immorality, division, idolatry and doctrinal confusion. 
The Setting -
Paul wrote 1 Corinthians during his third missionary journey, near the end of his three-year ministry in Ephesus (Acts 19:21–22). Both Corinth and Ephesus were wealthy port cities steeped in pagan idolatry and philosophy. Corinth benefited both militarily and economically from its strategic location at one end of the isthmus that connected the southern Greek peninsula to the mainland. 
Primary Themes -
1. The folly of human wisdom
2. The power of the Spirit 
3. The body of Christ 
I'm excited to read 1Corinthians. Join me in reading this introduction of 1Corinthians from the ESV Study Bible and let's prepare to hear what God wants us to learn!

 Just a Guy and His World 

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I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon, of the church in Cenchreae.  I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of his people and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been the benefactor of many people, including me. Romans 16:1-2

It is often easy to skim the last chapter of a book. It can seem filled with pleasantries and greetings, really nothing of "substance". However, Charles Spurgeon addresses this train of thought this way:

"This chapter contains Paul’s loving salutation to the various Christians dwelling at Rome. Remember that it is an Inspired passage. Although it consists of Christian courtesies addressed to different individuals, yet it was written by an Apostle and written not as an ordinary letter but as a part of the Inspired volume. Therefore there must be valuable matter in it and though, when we read it, it may appear to be uninstructive, there must be edifying matter beneath the surface because all Scripture is given by Inspiration and is meant to benefit us in one way or another. 

An important point to consider keeping in mind when reading this chapter are the great number of women Paul highlights who are playing key roles in the church and are suffering along him, which reenforces that God doesn't discriminate on the basis of sex, color or heritage! Join me in reading Romans 16 and be encouraged!

I am out for work until 2/25/23. I look forward to starting a new book and will keep you in my prayers.

 Just a Guy and His World 

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May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13


Spurgeon writes about Romans 15:13, "Power is the special and peculiar prerogative of God, and God alone. "Twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God." God is God; and power belongs to him. If he delegates a portion of it to his creatures, yet still it is His power. The sun, although he is "like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run his race," yet has no power to perform its motions except as God directs him. The stars, although they travel in their orbits, and none could stay them, yet have neither might nor force, except that which God daily infuses into them. The tall archangel, near his throne, who outshines a comet in its blaze, though he is one of those who excel in strength, and hearken to the voice of the commands of God, yet has no might except that which his Maker gives to him." 

Join me in reading Romans 15 and be encouraged by God's Word and Power!

 Just a Guy and His World 

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Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister. 14 I am convinced, being fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself. Romans 14:13-14

Kent Hughes writes, "Diversity and unity are in natural antithesis because we humans tend to criticize and censor those who do things differently from us. Judging one another according to our little lists is one of the favorite sports. 
In answer to this problem, Romans 14 tells us three things we need to know if we are to maintain unity amidst diversity. First, genuine acceptance of one another is the only option available to believers. The tendency of the liberated Christian to look down on his less broad-minded brother and the tendency of that brother to judge his less restricted brother must be put away. Second, individual Christians can disagree over customs and social habits and both be perfectly right with God. Third, we must submit to the Lordship of Christ and refrain from judging others because we will all stand before the judgment-seat of Christ and give account of ourselves to him." Romans 14:13
Romans 14 is about unity in the church. Some were concerned about keeping the old law while others accepted that the law had been fulfilled and they had more freedom. This applied especially to food and the Sabbath. So, join me in reading Romans 14 and be encouraged!

 Just a Guy and His World