Shabbat Shalom. Please open your Bibles to the book of Philippians, please. We are going today to read from Philippians chapter 4. I'm going to read the first nine verses. Please follow me as I'm reading. Paul, Shaul, continued to write in his letter to the brothers and sisters in Philippi, and he says to them now, Therefore, my brethren, dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved. I beseech Eudius and beseech Sintiach that they be of the same mind in the Lord. And I entreat thee also, true yoke fellow, help those women which labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other, my fellow laborers, whose names are in the book of life.

Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men, the Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing but in everything, by prayer and supplication, With thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God And the peace of God Which passes all understanding Shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus Finally brethren Whatsoever things are true Whatsoever things are honest Whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report if there be any virtue and if there be any praise think on these things those things which ye have both learned and received and heard and seen in me do and the God of peace shall be with you beautiful passage when I read this passage again and again it really speaks volume because here now the letter is towards the end Paul is in prison writing to the Philippian believers and he's just about to close that letter and now he's writing to them you might say almost his final words of encouragement and really the theme of these verses today is the need of God's peace in our lives as we walk here in this world Shlom HaElohim.

The peace of God in the lives of the people of God brothers and sisters you know very well that often time we as believers don't have the peace of God in our lives there are many troubles around us almost everyone that I speak with and you speak with me we share with each other that there are so many challenges that exist in our personal life, in our family life, in our Job life, in our school life, in our fellowship life as believers, and when we look around beyond our own personal life and we look in the world in which we live in, every time you will just turn on the television, turn on the computer, read the newspaper, turn on the radio, you find nothing but trouble all around the world in which we live in and yet the apostle Paul from prison writing to the believers at Philippi desiring from them to have the peace the shalom of God in their lives notice there are two expressions here that I read notice that it says in verse 7.

And the peace of God which passes understanding shall keep your hearts and mind through the Messiah, Yeshua. And in verse 9, at the end, he says, And the God of peace shall be with you. That is the whole thought that the Apostle Paul is now going to present before the believers is really wrapped up by the need of Shlomo Elohim, the peace of God and the assurance that the God of peace, Elohei HaShalom, is going to be with those who are following the instruction that the Apostle Paul is just about to give them in this portion of his writing. Now, let me just say another thing before we're going to go over those verses.

Remember that the book of Philippians has four chapters and the theme of every chapter is the person of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. We said already in our previous ministry meeting that chapter 1, the theme is the Messiah who is alive. Philippians 1 verse 21 says this, for me to live is Christ, is the Messiah, and to die is gain. In chapter 2 again, the theme is the Lord Yeshua the Messiah and the theme there is the Messiah is our example and we read of course. Philippians chapter 2 and verse 5 where he said let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus in the Mashiach Yeshua that is chapter 2 then we have finished in our previous ministry meeting to deal with chapter 3 and the theme of chapter 3 is the Messiah is our object and we read if you remember chapter 3 and verse 10 where the words is saying this notice that I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his suffering being made conformable unto his death he is the object and Paul wanted to know him even more to know the power of his resurrection life he wanted to live as if he already died and rose and he lived in the resurrection power to live for his Messiah his Lord and Savior Yeshua the Messiah so now we in chapter 4 and really the theme is Messiah, Mashiach is our strength.

We didn't read the verse but in verse 13 we read, I can do all things through Christ, Mashiach, which strengtheneth. Me. That's the theme of the fourth chapter. And so what now Paul is writing to the brothers and sisters in Philippi, he wanted to encourage them to have the peace of God in their lives. Imagine how many believers do not have the peace of God in their lives. We can see it in our own life at times. We oftentimes are troubled with so many things. We are anxious about so many things. There are issues to deal with, with our families, with our finances, with our health, with our bosses and our workers, or whatever we have, with our friends, and even among ourselves with the brothers and sisters.

And sometimes we don't even sleep at night because our mind is spinning about what he said, what she said, what he did, what she did, what they have done for me there, and I cannot get that, and I cannot do this. And we cannot even sleep sometime at night because we haven't handed up our problems to the Lord Jesus, Yeshua, our Messiah. And that's why the Apostle Paul is writing this portion of chapter 4 in his letter to the Philippians. Another thing I want to mention here also that is important to distinguish between the peace with God and the peace of God. The peace with God, we have once and for all when we have accepted our Lord, Yeshua the Messiah.

Romans chapter 5 and verse 1 says, notice that, Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord, Jesus, Yeshua the Messiah. The peace with God has been provided for us once and for all when we have accepted Yeshua as our Lord and our Messiah and our Savior. And it is only through Him that we have positionally, once and for all, peace with God. Shalom im ha-Elohim. Once and for all, we don't need to gain it and to earn it because it was prepared for us and provided for us when our Lord Yeshua the Messiah have died for us on the cross, on the tree.

But the peace of God is another story. This we only get as we submit to the word of God and to our blessed Lord Yeshua the Messiah. So look what Paul is now saying to the brothers and sisters here in this passage. Actually verse 1 of Philippians chapter 4 really takes us back to all what he had already said in the previous chapters notice he used the word therefore in other words therefore take us back to what he had already written for us written for the Philippians in the first three chapters in light of what I have already told you in this letter brothers and sisters of the Philippians, therefore, now notice what he tells them, I would want you to stand fast in the Lord Jesus the Messiah.

He says in verse 1, Therefore, my brethren, dearly beloved, and long for my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, My dearly beloved In light of what I have already told you Shaul Paul is saying to these brothers and sisters Listen, I'm longing so much that you will stand fast In other words that we can say That you have spiritual stability in your life Don't be one time in a mountain The next time in a valley And unstable in your walk with the Lord He says, I want you to stand fast. The Hebrew word here, to stand first, is la'amod chazak. To stand sure and fast.

In other words, have spiritual stability in your life. And how sad when many of God's people are not stable in their walk with the Lord. In fact, if you read carefully the book of Ephesians, which we have already studied, The gifts that were given to the body of Messiah, the Apostle Paul said in Ephesians chapter 4, if you remember, he says the reason that the gifts were given, it's because of the perfecting of the saints for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Messiah until we all come into the unity of faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a mature man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of the Messiah.

In fact, in chapter 4, the book of Ephesians, he says that the gifts were given because the people of God have inclined to go with every wind of doctrine and they are not stable. They are like the tree. The wind is pushing it one way, it moves one way. Pushing it another way, wherever the wind coming from, they are not stable in their walk with the Lord. And so Paul is writing and he's saying, brethren, I love you so much. You are, number one, my joy. Number two, you are my crown. You know why he says you are my crown? Because the Philippians were led to come to know the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, through the apostle Paul.

And they become like a crown for him. Another word for crown is a reward. When he's going to stand before his master, Yeshua, the Messiah, He's going to give him crowns, rewards, because of his faithfulness in sharing the gospel, building the brothers and sisters, edifying the believers, and therefore they become a joy for him, but also a crown, a reward from the Lord. Not that he's seeking after rewards, but it is a natural way when we are faithful in our walk of the Lord, he's going to reward his own people, so he desires them to stand fast in the Lord. Notice he doesn't say stand fast for your own rights.

You know, sometimes we're saying, I'm standing firm. This is my right. And I deserve this. And I've earned this. And I worked hard for this. This is my right. He doesn't say so. But he says, stand fast in our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. Learn from this wonderful person, the Lord Yeshua the Messiah, who loved us so much and gave himself for us. You see, this expression, stand fast, is mentioned quite a few times in the epistles. For example, in 1 Corinthians 16 and verse 13, the apostle Paul says, Stand fast in the faith. Stand strong, be stable in your trust and faith in our Lord Yeshua, the Messiah.

In Galatians chapter 5 and verse 1, the apostle Paul says, Stand fast, therefore, in the liberty where wisdom Messiah had made us free. He mentioned this again and again in his letters that he wrote. In Ephesians chapter 6, he said that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. So he wanted the believers in Philippi to stand fast. In other words to have spiritually speaking they will be established not in anything else except that in the Lord Yeshua Jesus the Messiah we need so much the Lord to help us so we can be in other words standing fast in the Lord as we walk with him because there are many things that are coming across in a believer's life and he or she needs so much to stand in a world in which we live in to stay steady in our walk with the Lord there's a verse in the book of Proverbs that Shlomo wrote in Proverbs chapter 24 and verse 10 listen to this if thou faint in the day of adversity thy strength is small this is what Shlomo the king of Israel wrote in Proverbs 24 and verse 10 now I think he was speaking about me he was speaking about you because when the rough time is coming and opposition is coming we have not the spiritual energy to stand true to what we.

Have learned from the word of God now imagine brothers and sisters who is saying this the man that is in prison the man that is sitting there in Rome bound by chain he's telling to the brothers and sisters of Philippa stand fast in the Lord when he was in prison he was not here weeping for himself but he was concerned with the welfare of the local believers in the city of Philippi and in order to stand fast we need to have the peace of God in our lives we need to settle our matters with the Lord and to say listen it doesn't change the Lord has done so much for me he is faithful he is near me he is always going to lead me on other verses that come to my mind in Proverbs 3 verses 5 and 6 trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto thine own understanding in all thy ways acknowledge him and he will direct thy path it's not only a New Testament teaching the people of Israel historically.

Our very own people needed it for their own lives themselves as they are living here in this world they needed instruction and encouragement to continue to follow the God of Israel in their days before the Messiah, Yeshua, came to this world. So stand fast. But remember, he says, dearly beloved, I love you, my brothers and sisters. You are my joy. You are my crown. What I'm telling you will always benefit you because I'm telling you because I care for you. I love you, you are my brothers and sisters in the Lord Yeshua, the Messiah. I want to just read one more verse in Psalm 27 and verse 1.

Listen to this. This is the Psalmist David said, The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I feel? The Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid? I mean this is amazing to think how David trusted the Lord and he says he is my light he is my salvation he is my strength I'm going to be able to continue with his help to stand fast in the Lord. And so from here on, in the next verse, 2 all the way to verse 9, he gives us four things that he's presenting before the Philippians. The first one is verses 2 and 3, to seek to have peace among God's people.

The second point, verses 4 and 5, he's addressing the Philippians to seek to have peace with all men in this world in which we live in then verses 6 and 7 he is continuing he's saying seek to have peace in your very own heart with your own self and finally in verses 8 and 9 he says seek to think and do things which are right before the Lord four points I would like to now share with you a little bit in these remaining eight verses so the first one of course is the. Exhortation to seek to have peace among God's people this is something that we know very well that is so needful everywhere and I'm speaking now as I'm nearly 40 years in the faith in a Messiah and every time I know that this is a conflict that we constantly have and we really see the struggle that is going among God's people after all, who are God's people?

Sinners that have been saved and now they became part of the family of God and God had saved us and now we are walking here in this world and often time we find ourselves in conflict with other believers and so Paul is now writing and you notice what he says in verse 2 he's speaking about two sisters that were in the city of Philippi see it's not always the brothers who fight sometimes the sisters fight and notice how he's appealing he's not only commending he could have commended he's an apostle but he's beseeching he's appealing to the heart to the conscience and he says listen I beseech Iodias and I beseech Cynthia that they be of the same mind in the Lord And I entreat thee also, true yoke fellow, help these women which labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellow laborers whose name are in the book of life.

He first of all began by dealing with the local assembly at Philippi. And you notice how beautiful, he twice used the word I beseech. I beseech Iodias and I beseech Cynthia apparently there's two women in a local congregation at Philippi that had an issue with each other and we have to realize that whether it is two men or two women whenever we have friction among each other we cannot move along those frictions are not going to build the body of Messiah those frictions are not going to help people grow spiritually you and I know that and we often time expect the other to change his heart or his conscience or the other to change her heart and conscience instead of first of all speaking to my own heart myself and so Paul is beseeching them and by the way it is very interesting because the names of these two women Eodias and Cynthia in the Greek language is a sweet fragrance, Eodias and Cynthia simply means pleasant imagine with a name such as sweet fragrance and pleasant please stop to fight my oldest son his name is shalom he's not always living up to his name.

And you might have a name that means such a sweet name and maybe like sweet fragrance or maybe something such as pleasant. Are we behaving in a pleasant way? Are we a sweet fragrance to our brothers and our sisters? You see, it is interesting with such a name to live up to this name in the midst of the local congregation. And so Paul beseeched them. You see, apparently it may have been known already in the local assembly in Philippi and if there will not be peace, if there will not be shalom among the people of God, you will always be under stress you will not be happy there will not be growth in the assembly in the congregation because all these friction only hurt the spiritual growth not only of the others but of my own self every one of us that is in conflict with another consistently he or she will never enjoy the peace the shalom from the Lord because this conflict need to be judged need to be examined and set aside so they could continue walking with the Lord so Iodius and Cynthia apparently did not have the same mind on certain issues now obviously you know we cannot agree with each other about everything and we cannot always agree with someone else about everything but one thing beloved brothers and sisters this is the responsibility that we have before the Lord that we should seek to have peace among the people of God it's better to sometime.

Take the wrong than to always have our own way and again notice he says have the same mind it always takes us back to chapter 2 and verse 5, let this mind be in you which was in our Lord Yeshua, the Messiah. And as he said, you remember in chapter 2, who being in the form of God, thought not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation. In other words, he didn't make a name for himself in other words the lesson is are we seeking name for ourself reputation for ourself position for ourself you know God gives us those things as we serve him he opened the door for us and the brothers and sisters recognize our gift and give the room for the service but we don't demand it we don't force it we just need to learn from the Lord Jesus from Yeshua the Messiah and to have the mind of the Messiah.

So he said, listen, sweet fragrance. Listen, pleasant. You tell these two sisters that they should have the same mind in the Lord. To have the mind of the Messiah in their life. That will make peace, shalom, among the people of God. That will make peace among the Philippian local assembly if these two sisters will have the mind of the Messiah together and imagine how wonderful it is to go to a local congregation a local church and to see the believers in harmony I mean it's so beautiful it reminds me of the song that we often sing Hinema Tov Uman Naim Shevet Achim Gam Yachad Psalm 133 we sang it in Israel since I was here high behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity that when there is unity among the believers it's pleasant it's good it's a blessing for the people of God but when there is no unity among the people of God it only sow a seed of discord and the whole growth that God intending for the believers you might say shut down until there is a dealing with it and confession and repentance and forsaking of this and moving forward in our walk with the Lord.

And you know, when you think about this among our own people, you remember the time when Israel had been divided into the northern tribes and the southern tribes, when the northern tribe, the ten tribes of Israel, did not want to acknowledge David and David's grandson now as the king of Israel. And the nation was divided. And then they started to fight among each other. Imagine how sad it was in the heart of God. Even though there were 12 loaves on the table in the temple in the city of Jerusalem represent the unity of the 12 tribes of Israel. You went out of the temple and you look at the condition and you see 10 tribes in the north, 2 tribes in the south, and they are not in agreement with one another, and there is conflict, and can look at the way the church is today.

The body of Messiah, all scattered and divided. Not all the divisions that occur among the people of God is because of doctrine. Many times the divisions among the people of God is because the people of God are not broken before the Lord, humble enough to say, not my will, but the Lord's will will be. And most of the time, friction happens among church groups, congregation groups, assembly groups, division and splitting is because we will not learn the mind of our Lord Yeshua, the Messiah. I'm going to get my way or it is the highway. I'm going to do my own thing, we often say. And there is no lesson from the Lord.

And imagine how it grieves the heart of the Lord. Imagine how it breaks his heart when he sees the people who he loves so much and he's saved and he's brought to be part of the family of God. Imagine how he grieves his heart. Paul says in Ephesians chapter 4, There is one body, and yet he says earlier, Endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in bond of peace. It takes effort. It takes exercise of heart. It takes humility. It takes brokenness not to fight among the people of God. So look what he says now in verse 3. After he directly mentioned the name of these two sisters, which are called Sweet Fragrance and Pleasance, Iodias and Cynthia, then he says in verse 3, Paul now requesting from his yoke fellow to help them.

You know, sometimes, instead of helping and binding people together, we are oftentimes adding to the friction. And so, Paul is saying, I entreat thee also, true York Fellow, help those women which labored with me in the gospel. Now imagine, now these sisters were laboring for the Lord. They were serving with the apostle Paul in the ministry of the gospel but they couldn't walk together have one mind together and so they needed help and here we are speaking to you and I listen brothers and sisters are we going to help to bind people together or are we going to help in breaking them even further apart what a beautiful ministry to see a brother or a sister in this case he called him York Fellow and someone suggested that this York Fellow is none other but Apaphroditus the one who was carrying the gift to Paul and he was now going to carry this letter back to the Philippians he says I beseech you also true York Fellow help those women which labored with me in the gospel with Clement also and with other of these fellow laborers whose name are in the book of life now brothers and sisters listen they do not need to seek for name for themselves here because their names are already in the book of life you see they are already registered in the book of life.

We know from Scripture we have the book of life and the Lamb's Book of Life, the book of Revelation chapter 21 used the expression, the Lamb's Book of Life. The Book of Life is the record of all the people that were born into this world. The Lamb's Book of Life is the record of all the believers who not only were born into this world by physical birth but they were also spiritually were born into the new life, receive a new life in the Messiah. And he's saying, listen, their names are already written in the book of Lyme so they don't need to worry about the name for themselves.

And that's why he's saying to them, you fellow, help these women. Do something about it. In other words, add to their unity and harmony rather than allow them to go further and further apart and it's only not going to help the local assembly at Philippi. And you know how many divisions happen in local church and congregations and assemblies because people simply were so headstrong. Instead of humbling themselves and taking the place like the Lord, they wanted to have their own will and many churches. You'll ask around, you'll see how many people are going to say, oh, I know who he and he or she and she could never get along.

And they went at each other and they end up splitting the whole church, the whole assembly, the whole congregation. And so the Apostle Paul requesting from this yoke fellow, and most likely it is Apophroditus of whom we read in chapter 2 and verse 25, Yet I suppose it necessary to send to you, Apophroditus, my brother and companion in labor and fellow soldiers, but your messenger and he that ministered to my needs. Paul saying about Epaphroditus he said listen my yoke fellow he said please help this in this case of course it's two women but in any situation it could be two men we need to help each other we need to make sure that we are peacemakers you remember what the Lord Jesus said in Matthew chapter 5 he says blessed are the peacemakers Those that make shalom among the brothers and sisters Those are the ones that will be such a blessing They will be honored by the Lord We know that from Scripture There will be such a reward for the peacemakers Brothers and sisters I'm encouraging you today And I'm encouraging myself Wherever we are in our local fellowship situation Let ask the Lord to help us to be bridge builders and not those that harm the unity among the people of God.

I can tell you if we will be in such an attitude we are going to be so blessed by our Lord Yeshua the Messiah it's going to reward our hearts going to be satisfied when we are bringing people together. I'm not saying we all need to see everything in the same way to dress with the same clothes to walk in the same way but one thing for sure we are to seek to make peace among the people of God this is so important and so Paul writes in Philippians chapter 4 seek to have shalom among the people of God I want to have one more verse to read to you in John chapter 17 Yeshua praying to the father before he went to the cross to the altar to give himself a ransom for many look what he's saying in verse 20 I do not pray for these alone speaking for the disciples but for them also which shall believe on me through their word then verse 21 the day may be one as thou father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in us that the world may believe that thou had sent me you know that was the prayer of Yeshua the Messiah just before he had gone to the garden of Gethsemane to prepare.

Himself for his death on the altar and so this is what Paul is encouraging the brothers and sisters seek to have peace among the brothers and sisters in the local assembly, local congregation. Well, this is important. I encourage all of us to have this desire to seek to be those that are not fighting and hurting each other, but blessing each other, and not by force, but simply humbling ourselves before the Lord and taking the place that the Lord had given unto us. Well, notice, and I'm continuing now, Philippians chapter 4 and verses 4 and 5, Now he's extending that. He says not only that we are to have peace among each other, it's a great testimony to the world, but now he's saying seek to have shalom, to have peace with all men.

Beyond, you might say, the boundaries of the local congregation. Outside in the world. All of us are doing something here in this world. Some of us are working in one area or another. Carpenters, you might say. Some of us are painters. Otherwise, we're fixing cars, mechanics, in any area. You know, we are all in the area of our life. Well, how is our relationship with our fellow men? What do they think about us as believers? Do they look at us and say, oh, this arrogant believer in Jesus, the Messiah. What does he think himself, or what does she think herself? Well, Paul is saying, notice he began in verse 4, and he says, rejoice in the Lord.

And again I say rejoice, and then he continues in verse 5, he says, Let your moderation or gentleness be known unto all men. The Lord is nigh, is at hand. So now he's saying, look, not only do we want to have peace among God's people, but we also ought to seek peace wherever we are, among all men. Wherever the Lord placed us, at work, at school, we are to be able to seek as much as it is within us, shalom, peace, with our fellow man. And how are we going to be able to do it unless we have the joy of the Lord in our hearts?

And so he began in saying here in verse 4, he says, rejoice, notice again, not rejoice in your circumstances only, but rejoice in the Lord. You remember he already said it earlier in verse 1, stand fast in the Lord. Everything is linked with the person of our Lord, Yeshua the Messiah. And he says, rejoice in the Lord. How many times? Always. And again he says, I want you always to rejoice in the Lord. You know, rejoicing in the Lord does not mean that our problems are going to be over, that everything is going to be fine in our life. This joy is much more than just simply being happy.

I mentioned that before that happiness depends upon how things happen in our life. And if you are like me, I'm happy when things are well. But I'm not so happy when things are not so well. But to rejoice is a cut above. It's a joy that comes of my and your relationship with our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. If our relationship, we are walking with Him and enjoying fellowship with Him, there will be joy in the Lord because of who He is and what He has accomplished and how precious He is to the believer in Yeshua the Messiah. And He reminds us again of the price He paid for us which we don't deserve to receive.

And He reminds us again of what He has done coming from heaven to become the Messiah, the Mashiach, to be nailed to a cross and to be judged by a holy and a righteous God on your behalf and mine because we have sinned and we needed forgiveness of sins. So that produced joy in the person of our Lord Yeshua, the Messiah. And that helps us to be able to, as it says here in the next verse, to let our gentleness be known unto all men. Because the same Lord Yeshua is nigh, he's close to us. In Hebrews he says, I will never leave you. I will never forsake you.

I will be always nigh. You remember he said in Matthew chapter 28, Lord, I will be with you all the way through, even unto the end of the age. You know that right now, even though we don't see the Lord with our eyes, he's right here in the midst of the people of God. He delighted to see you and I reading the Bible, the Word of God. He delighted to see the believers listening to the Word of God. He delighted to hear you and I singing about him. We can rejoice in the Lord. Today we can do it, but also wherever we are found in our lives.

You know, think about some of the older men of God many, many years ago. We have the book of Habakkuk here. Turn with me for a second to the book of Habakkuk in the third chapter. The book of Habakkuk. Just turn there for a moment. Here's the prophet of Israel. Some years ago, he's writing now about his situation in his life. Look at this. Habakkuk is now writing some of the words. I want to read them. Habakkuk chapter 3. And look what he said in the difficult days in Israel history. Although the fig tree shall not blossom. Verse 17 of Habakkuk chapter 3. Neither shall fruit be in the vines.

The labor of the olives shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat. The flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls. And then he said in verse 18 of chapter 3, Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, and I will joy in the God of my salvation. Now you would ask Habakkuk, why is it that you can say that you will rejoice in the Lord? Look at the situation among your own people. They were fighting among each other. And God said, I'm going to send the Kaladins, the Babylonians, to punish the people of God. And yet Habakkuk says, I know God, and He loves our people Israel.

And he says, listen, even there will be all these issues that happen in the life of our people Israel, yet I am going to rejoice in the Lord and I will joy in the God of my salvation. When things are difficult and problems happen in our life and we feel as if God does not seem to be around and if things are going to be difficult in the life of the believer the believer can still turn to the Lord like Habakkuk of old, the prophet of Israel and say yet I am going to rejoice in the Lord. He is the one who gives joy to the heart of the believer you know when everything passes here in this world the only thing that is left for us is to be with our Lord in heaven we were just talking some of us earlier about the verses that is found in 1 Corinthians chapter 13 the love chapter and we're just pointing out to the fact that prophecy will end even faith will turn into sight but the only thing that remains is love love never fail and the love of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah towards us we can experience this today and we can enjoy it today because this is exactly what we are going to enjoy in eternity when the Lord chooses to take a believer back home to be with Him.

Rejoice in the Lord now because the Lord delights to have you rejoice in Him. It will help us in our relationship with the world around us. Turn to Isaiah for a moment also. We want to see the history of the people of Israel. And Isaiah says in chapter 41 and verse 15 it says, Behold, I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth. Then verse 16, Thou shalt fend them and the wind shall carry them away and the whirlwind shall scatter them and thou shalt rejoice in the Lord and shalt glory in the Holy One of Israel. God promised our people Israel that he is going to restore them and ultimately Israel shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.

Isaiah said later on in chapter 61 and verse 10, look at the nation of Israel prophetically speaking in chapter 61 verse 10, I will greatly rejoice in the Lord. My soul shall be joyful in my God, for he has closed me with the garment of salvation. He has covered me with the robe of righteousness. Brothers and sisters, you and I are forgiven people. Our sins have been dealt with. The price has been paid. There is much reason for us to rejoice in the Lord like we are exhorted here by the Apostle Paul. And so there is a blessing for those of us who are rejoicing in the Lord and that will enable us, as it says here in verse 5 of Philippians chapter 4, let your gentleness be known unto all men because the Lord is at hand.

The Lord is near. Notice he used the word gentleness, the word for moderation. Let your moderation should really be gentleness and humility. You know, when the world around us look at you and I, what do they see in us? An aggressive individuals or people who are meek, who are gentle, like we learned from the Lord? You know, one of the things that attract unbelievers is when they see believers who are attractive in their mannerism, in their behavior. And to see this attitude of gentleness and humility is the way in which God attracted the unbelieving world to the person of the Lord who said in Matthew 11, Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly. You know, He is the one that can teach us to be in such a way. So, seek to have peace among God's people. Philippians 4, verses 2 and 3. Seek to have peace with all men. Philippians 4, verses 4 and 5. In Romans 12 and verse 18 said, If it is possible, seek to have shalom with all men. We're not always successful, others not always desire it, but from our point of view, we are to seek to be at peace with others around us, wherever we find ourselves in our life. Well, next it says here, in verse 6 and 7, is another thing that is important, is to seek to have shalom, peace, with our own self.

An inward shalom you might say a personal peace a personal shalom in verses 6 and 7 look at this, it says in verse 6 be careful for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God and the peace of God which passes all understanding shall keep your hearts and your mind through Christ Jesus here is now the third thing that Apostle Paul requesting from these brothers and sisters it is to seek peace now in internal peace everyone every individual to seek an individual peace of God in our own hearts there are so many things that trouble the believer in his or her life issues that rise up in our life life is not easy there are trials there are tribulations there are difficulties yesterday I had a call from a sister we talked about tribulation we have to distinguish between the great tribulation of the prophet Zechariah and Jeremiah and the tribulation that we experience in our life as believers this great tribulation mentioned of course also in Daniel chapter 9 Jacob's trouble.

In Jeremiah chapter 30 that has to do with the period of time in human history at the end last days that there will be trouble here in this world specifically God's judgment going to fall upon the face of this earth that is yet to come in a future day But we as believers have tribulation every day. If any one of you can tell me, Brother Gideon, I don't have any problem. Things are all well with me. I'll kind of question where you are in your spiritual relationship with the Lord. You and I experience problems in our life. It could be in our family situation, in our work situation, our health situation.

Anything in our life, we have problems. In fact, Yeshua said, in this world, at the end of chapter 16 of the Gospel of John, you are going to have tribulation, but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world. So, notice what he says now. In verse 6, to seek to have shalom, peace, within our own self. He says in verse 6, take all your personal cares to the Lord in prayer. You know, when I read this passage, the Lord does not say to be careless. All what he's saying, that share your burden and your cares with the one who cares for you. And so he says, be careful for nothing, but then he reverses.

But in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. Notice the three expressions. Prayer, supplication, thanksgiving. Prayer, tefillah, supplication, thanksgiving, to say thank you to the Lord. And so he's really saying, in everything, share your burdens with the Lord. Years ago, a sister told me, when I first became a believer, Brother Gideon, don't begin the day without to tell the Lord your needs. I remember my grandfather many years ago when I was a very young boy in Jerusalem, getting up in the morning, the first thing he did, he was taking the time to pray. And we have to realize that we need to share with God everything that we are going through in our lives.

He wants to hear it. He wants to have this fellowship with the believer, with his own people. And he says, you know, in everything, Paul, by praying, by supplication, you know, supplication is beseeching God. How many of us have things that we can beseech God for? Paul already says in the earlier verses, I beseech Iodias, I beseech Sintia. And then he says you supplicate, beseech God for certain things, for things in your life. Not only to pray and to ask him for things, but also beseech him on behalf of others. Brothers and sisters, we can beseech the Lord and supplicate on behalf of our own families.

Many of them are lost. And maybe some problems that are existing in our home life, in our Job situation, that we can ask the Lord, Lord, help me. I need your help. I don't have wisdom on how to deal with this problem. Help me, Lord. I need you to help me. And when we go astray, we can say to the Lord, Lord, I fail you, and I confess my sins before you, and I beseech you to restore me back to yourself. How many needs we have in our life that we can supplicate and share this with the Lord. And do you think he doesn't know the problems that we go through?

He knew that before it happened. He knows that when it happened and he knows what's going to happen after it happened. And he says, I want to hear you sharing with me all the challenges that you go in your own life. In order for you to have shalom, the peace of God, we need to turn to the Lord in every situation of our life. How many broken situations exist in the life of the people of God to whom shall we go we can make a phone call to each other we can talk back and forth about everybody else but we fail to take the time to take it to the Lord on our knees in the closet to tell him here is the situation Lord please help I need your help and also notice that he continues And he says that with thanksgiving, not to neglect to say thank you for what you have provided for me, what you have given to me, what you have done for me in my life.

Lord, I thank you in everything by prayer, by supplication, by thanksgiving. And then notice, let your requests be made known unto the Lord. You and I might say, but doesn't he know everything already? Of course he does. But he wants to hear you and I share this with him. He wants that you and I will tell him the situation that exists in our own life. He delights to hear his own people sharing the burdens that they have in their lives. In Matthew chapter 6 and verse 25, Yeshua said, Therefore I say unto you, take no thoughts for your life what you shall eat and what you shall drink, No, yet for your body what ye shall put on is not the life more than meat, and the body is more than raiment.

Behold the fowls of the air, for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into the barn, yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? You know, it's easily said. One brother said many years ago, We trust God for our eternal soul, but we don't trust him for a piece of bread. We trust God for our eternal destiny, but we don't trust God for many of the challenges that we have in our life. I speak for myself. It's amazing how real it is. And so the Lord want to hear us praying. Peter said to the first century Hebrew believers in 1 Peter chapter 5 and verse 7, he said, casting all your cares upon him, for he cares for you.

He cares for you, brothers and sisters. He cares for me. He cares for the people of God. And that's why he's exhorting us. He says, listen, in everything, by prayer and supplication and with giving thanks, let your requests be made known to God. And you know what's going to happen if we're going to do so? There will be shalom in our hearts. Because the next verse, 7, he says, And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and your minds through Christ Jesus, through the Messiah, Yeshua. You see, if we share with the Lord and telling him our problems and share with him the situation in our life, our failure, and whatever we have in our life, what is going to happen is that there will be peace, shalom, in our hearts because we have unloaded, you might say, on him.

We share with him our burden and he can give us that peace that will enable us to continue on to follow him. And notice it says here, and the peace of God, shalom ha'Elohim, which passes all understanding. It will keep your hearts and it will keep your mind, but it is only through the Messiah, Yeshua, Christ Jesus. So precious to see this in this letter of Philippians chapter 3. So, brothers and sisters, seek to have peace among each other. Seek to have peace with all men. Seek to have peace in your own hearts by sharing with the Lord all the things that you are going through in your personal life now finally in verses 8 and 9 he said to them to seek to think right things which will lead us to do the right things you know Solomon the king of Israel said as a man thinketh so he is Proverbs 23 and verse 7 I don't know about you but many many thoughts coming into my mind all day long many things spinning in our own mind you know and the devil is a master in putting all kind of thoughts in your mind and in mine he doesn't want you to think about the things of God so he's putting all kind of things into our mind and of course the sin nature that we have is so sinful that many evil thoughts rise up in our own mind.

Many things that are not honoring to the Lord rise up in our own mind. The way in which you catch a person and you steal from him or her the relationship with the Lord is by capturing his or her mind. Often times the Bible says that the eyes of your understanding in other words God uses the understanding of man to speak to him or her but also the enemy used the mind of man in order to drive us away from the Lord. And so Paul is now saying to the Philippians, he says, listen, have your mind, think on those things that are good and that which will be honoring to the Lord.

And so notice in verse 8, he says, think on good things. And he gives you a list. Look at this verse, it says in verse 8, Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue, if there be any praise, listen, think on these things. You notice the list here? The list is something that which is true, honest, just, pure, lovely, good report, virtue or excellent, and praise. Think on these things. You know, when we watch television, for example, it is amazing how those who send to us all these information through the TV, oftentimes knowing how to get our mind with all kind of garbage, that which is no good.

You don't find some beautiful movies, you might say, of wholesome movies to attract you and to make you think about that which is positive. Most of the time you find things which are drawing our mind into all sort of things which are not right with God. And that's how the world does. That's how the world is working. And that's how Satan works. And that's how the sin nature in us works. And yet God says no. Yeshua said no. Paul is instructing the believer. He says, brothers and sisters, if you are going to have this peace of God, you got to think of that which is number one, true.

Number two, honest. Number three, just. Number four, pure. Number five, lovely. Number six, good report. Number seven, virtuous. Number eight, praise. Think on the things which are honorable to the Lord. I read the remark like this. Listen to this remark. You sow a thought, you reap an action. You sow an action, you reap a habit. You sow a habit, you reap a character. You sow a character and you reap a destiny. In other words, whatsoever man thinks, so he is. As he thinks, so he is. How many times our mind is filled with that which is not honoring to the Lord. And Paul is saying, from prison to the brothers and sisters in Philippi, whatsoever things are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, good report, virtue and praise think on those things and then he says because these things are so important because it will help you in your life Joshua the leader of Israel was told this book of the law shall not depart from your mouth and thou shall meditate upon a day and night meditation thinking of the words of the Lord then you're going to have good success then you're going to progress and you'll have good success in Joshua chapter 1 and verse 8 the first Psalm he speaks about the two men Psalm 1 blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly no standeth in the way of sinners no siteth in the way of scornful but his delight is in the law of the Lord and in his law does he meditate day and night and he shall be like a tree that is planting by the rivers of water that bringeth forth fruit in its season.

Think on those things he says think of that which you think that are wonderful and lovely and so on and then I'm going to close with verse 9 if we have good thoughts in our mind and we think on good things it will help us to do the right thing because immediately in verse 9 it says here those things we just read about those nine things that I mentioned here he says those things which ye have both learned and received and heard and seen in me Paul is saying do them and the God of peace Elohei HaShalom will be with you so what he's concluding here beloved brothers and sisters is not only to think about them but as a man thinks so he will also do and how a time when our thoughts are not right we fell into sin and later on we felt sorry that we haven't had the right thoughts and we end up not being a blessing at the end the Lord is always able to restore us but the Lord wants us to think and to meditate.

On those things which are pleasing to the Lord you notice he closed the word and the God of peace will be with you not only the peace of God Shlom HaElohim but the God of peace the God of the Shalom is going to be with the believer because we have aligned ourselves with his thoughts and we honor him in a manner in which the thought pattern have been in our life well may the Lord just help us in all this to seek unity among the people of God to seek shalom among all men to seek shalom in our own life and to seek to think and to do that which is right