How is it that ???

As a moral, person who has attempted to live a clean and life following the truth; it continues to annoys me that some do not! 

I have seen and experienced events which had many wittiness's - yet some will say one thing happened - while the rest of us would state an entirely different account!  Some of this is due to those who pay closer attention, or else those who hold to certain points of view, regardless of the actual occurrences. Sad!

I have tried to keep an open mind and have learned how to be an intelligent observer! Much of this is based upon how self-centered you are.  If you are open to seeking the truth no matter who, what, where or when you find it  - then you will generally succeed!  i.e. Do not attempt to read any alternative motive into the situation at hand!

Yet almost daily I see people who appear to be wandering through this earthly existence or else they are in some type trance or under demonic control!  Much if it from my observations put the problem on short shortsightedness and lack of general knowledge which helps access the truth!

With years of lifetime experience in troubleshooting, engineering and a strong back ground in the hard sciences it behooves me to fathom the truth in every situation! Bur unfortunately I do not see this very often in world.  

What really steams my buns is a situation or presentation of data where I see the whole truth presented ; yet there are some who believe it is otherwise!  
i.e. I see the truth or proper application - but others see failure and falsehood!

This has been the way of the world throughout history.  So knowing this I seek the truth, try to help others see it; otherwise just stay away from those who refuse to accept the truth!

Life is?? Study Guide - Philippians 4:4-7

** Human peace is only experienced in the absence of problems. Therefore, those who only know human peace don’t experience it very often, and to a lesser degree. **

Date:   2/10/2018 .. viewed 51 times
Life For Today Study Bible Notes
Philippians 4:4

Note on Philippians 4:4
This isn’t instructing us to be happy. Paul commanded us to rejoice. Rejoice is a verb; it’s something we do, whereas happiness is a state of being.

We may not always be happy, but we can always rejoice.
We can rejoice regardless of what’s happening to us, or Paul wouldn’t have commanded us to do it.

This sounds so far removed from the way most people think and act that it would lead some to think that surely Paul couldn’t have meant what it sounded like he meant. Therefore, he repeated himself just so no one would think he made a mistake.


Note 9 at Philippians 4:4:
Joy is something we have; rejoicing is something we do (see note 2 at Philippians 3:1).
The reason most people don’t rejoice always, as instructed here, is because they don’t know that they already have joy
(see note 18 at Galatians 5:22).

Note 10 at Philippians 4:4: Notice that Paul instructed us to “rejoice in the Lord” (emphasis mine). Our joy is in the Lord. That means that our joy is in our born-again spirits (see note 18 at Galatians 5:22).

Joy doesn’t come from the outside in response to circumstances; it comes from the inside and is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). We always have joy, but we must choose to rejoice.

Note 11 at Philippians 4:4: Everyone wants to rejoice, and most people do rejoice at times; but Paul commanded us to rejoice in the Lord always. That seems unreasonable and impossible to most people. They think, “You can’t always be rejoicing even through bad times!” But the Lord would be unjust to command us to do something that is unobtainable. Rejoicing at all times is not only possible; it is preferable!

It’s true that we can’t rejoice at all times if we are waiting for our circumstances to be good. Even in the few times when everything seems to be just right, we will have some sorrow because of past tragedies or future fears. Our rejoicing has to be in the Lord
(see note 9 at this verse).

Note 12 at Philippians 4:4: This command
(see note 11 at this verse) differs from the thinking of most people to such an extent that they would think they were surely misunderstanding Paul. So, to leave no doubt that he meant just what he said, he repeated himself. This emphasizes this truth and leaves no room for explaining this away–we are to rejoice in the Lord always.

Note 13 at Philippians 4:4: This is not a suggestion or a request from Paul. It is a command from their apostle, and it was inspired by the Holy Spirit.
It is a command for us too. Those who don’t follow this command are breaking the Word of God just as much as those who don’t follow some of the moral laws, such as not stealing, not committing adultery, and so forth.

This is a law of the Lord.
That removes any doubt we may have about not having authority over our emotions. If emotions were only uncontrollable chemical reactions to circumstances, then the Lord would be unjust to give us an impossible command and then hold us accountable
(Deuteronomy 28:47-48).

But God is not unjust, and we are commanded to rejoice always. Therefore, we can and should control our emotions.

Note 14 at Philippians 4:4: The word “rejoice” is used, in some form, a total of 192 times in Scripture.
Many reasons and occasions to rejoice are recorded in the Scriptures. 
The following are just a few:

- We are to rejoice before the Lord our God (Leviticus 23:40; Deuteronomy 12:12, and 18)

- We are to rejoice in God’s salvation (1 Samuel 2:1)

- We are to rejoice because we are those who seek the Lord (1 Chronicles 16:10)

- We are to rejoice in goodness (2 Chronicles 6:41)

- We are to rejoice in God’s mercy (Psalms 31:7)

- We are to rejoice when we sing to God (Psalms 71:23)

- We are to rejoice because our names are written in heaven (Luke 10:20)

- We are to rejoice in the light (John 5:35)

- We are to rejoice in hope of the glory of God (Romans 5:2)

- We are to rejoice in the day of Christ (Philippians 2:16)

- We are to rejoice in Christ Jesus Himself Philippians 3:3)

- We are to rejoice in sufferings (Colossians 1:24)
Twice in this verse, Paul encouraged the Philippians to rejoice. This is even more unusual when we realize that Paul was in prison at the time of this writing.

Outward circumstances may sometimes be against us, but inward joy can always be ours because we are “in the Lord” (see note 18 at Romans 16:11, note 14 at 1 Corinthians 1:30, and note 7 at 2 Corinthians 5:17).

We may be content in all situations, for God’s Word says, “I will never leave you, nor forsake you”
(Hebrews 13:5) and “in your presence is fullness of joy”
(Psalms 16:11).

No matter what our circumstances, we can always be glad, and take great pleasure in and enjoy the Lord.
Philippians 4:5

Note on Philippians 4:5
Moderation here could be referring to a number of things.
The NIV translates this as “gentleness.” It certainly is referring to restraint of passions or actions or both. And this behavior is supposed to be so dominant in our lives that it is visible to all men.


Note 15 at Philippians 4:5: The Greek word for “moderation” here is “EPIEIKES,” and it was translated “gentle” three times, “patient” one time, and “moderation” one time in the King James Version.

The New International Version translated “EPIEIKES” as “gentleness.”

The New American Standard says, “Let your forbearing spirit be known to all men.”

The Amplified Bible says, “Let all men know and perceive and recognize your unselfishness (your considerateness, your forbearing spirit).”

This word “originally indicated a thoughtful, considerate and decent outlook. Rather than hotly demanding his or her rights, whatever the cost to others, a person with this trait seeks peace in a calm way....

[This word is] opposite of an angry harshness that grows out of personal pride and a dominating selfishness” (Expository Dictionary of Bible Words, pp. 303-304; brackets mine).

Note 16 at Philippians 4:5: Notice that our moderation (see note 15 at this verse) is to be known unto all. In other words, we are to let our light shine all the time
(Matthew 5:14-16).

Those who are only holy at church are Pharisees (see notes 7-8 at Matthew 23:13).
 If we can’t be godly toward our customers or bosses, then we are not fulfilling this command. Our light is not to be put under a bushel but on a candlestick where it can give light to all who are in the house (Matthew 5:15).

Note 17 at Philippians 4:5: Paul gave a reason for letting this godly trait of moderation”
(see note 15 at this verse)
be displayed before mankind: It is because “the Lord is at hand.”

Jesus is coming soon, and that means we will soon be facing our Maker. All of mankind needs to be ready, and we are God’s witnesses to get them ready. Therefore, we need to be about our Father’s business of leading people to the Light.
The way we do this is to let our lights shine, or let our “moderation be known unto all men.”

Note 18 at Philippians 4:5: Paul expressed his belief on other occasions that the second coming of the Lord was imminent.
In 1 Corinthians 7:29-31, Paul told husbands the time was so short that they needed to act like they weren’t married.

James made similar statements (James 5:8-9), and so did the Apostle Peter (1 Peter 4:7). If this was their perspective nearly 2,000 years ago, how much more should we expect the coming of the Lord to be near. One thing is for sure–whether Christ comes in our lifetime or not, this is our last generation to work for the Lord. We need to take it seriously. This is not a rehearsal.

Philippians 4:6
Note on Philippians 4:6
The Greek word “MERIMNAO,” which was translated “careful” in this verse, literally means “to be anxious about” (Strong’s Concordance).

The New International Version translates it as “anxious.” The word “anxious” means “uneasy and apprehensive about an uncertain event or matter; worried.” This is a command for us not to be anxious about anything. How do we do that?

This verse goes on to explain that we are supposed to take our needs and problems to the Lord in prayer. Anxious people are people who haven’t thrown their problems over on the Lord in prayer.

Notice that all our supplications are supposed to be made with thanksgiving. That’s very important. Sometimes people just tell the Lord all their problems and call that prayer.

That’s complaining. But when we voice our needs to the Lord and wrap them in thanksgiving, that moves us over into the realm of faith. If there isn’t thanksgiving in every prayer we pray, then we aren’t abounding in faith
(Colossians 2:7).

Paul said we were to give thanks when we make our requests to God. A request is something asked for but not yet received. We wouldn’t request something to happen that has already happened.

So we are supposed to thank the Lord for doing things before He does them.
That’s what the Bible calls faith.

Notice we are supposed to use prayer and supplication. Many people only think of prayer as supplication; i.e., asking for something. But the Greek word “PROSEUCHE,” translated “prayer” in this verse, means “prayer (worship)” (Strong’s Concordance).

This is saying we need to be praising the Lord, which moves us into faith, and then make our supplication to the Lord.


Note 19 at Philippians 4:6: Today we think of “careful” as meaning to be cautious, but nearly 400 years ago, when the King James Version was translated, it meant to be full of cares or anxiety.

Paul was admonishing these Philippian believers, who had been worried about his imprisonment
(Philippians 1:12) and Epaphroditus being sick (Philippians 2:25-26), to cast all their cares upon the Lord.

There is no better way to do this than to rejoice in the Lord all the time. Rejoicing makes us focus our attention on the Lord and His promises instead of on our negative circumstances.

Note 20 at Philippians 4:6: Most believers realize that anxiety and worry are not good and try to avoid them, but most believers do not believe that it is possible to live a life totally free of care
(see note 19 at this verse).

Paul commanded us to be careful for nothing. That means there is nothing that we should be worried about. There are no limits to the peace of God.

Note 21 at Philippians 4:6: The way we keep from being careful
(see note 19 at this verse)
is to take our needs to the Lord in prayer and give thanks by faith that God has answered. Those who are still burdened have not totally cast their care over on to the Lord. “Casting all your care upon him; for he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7, emphasis mine).

Philippians 4:7
Note on Philippians 4:7
There is a supernatural peace that isn’t related to what happens in our lives. And this supernatural peace keeps our hearts and minds at ease.
The Greek word that was translated “keep” here is “PHROUREO,” and it means
“to be a watcher in advance, i.e. to mount guard as a sentinel (post spies at gates)”
(Strong’s Concordance).

If we will condition ourselves to always walking in peace, God’s peace will protect us. Anytime we begin to lose our peace, we should step back and identify the problem, take evasive action, and always remain in peace. God’s peace acts as an umpire in our lives (Colossians 3:15).

This peace doesn’t just happen, but in context, it is a result of praying about everything and casting our cares over on the Lord (1 Peter 5:7).

The English word “keep” was translated from the Greek word “PHROUREO,” and this Greek word means “to be a watcher in advance, i.e. to mount guard as a sentinel (post spies at gates); figuratively, to hem in, protect”
(Strong’s Concordance).
What a powerful recommendation for walking in peace.

Note 22 at Philippians 4:7: Notice that peace is the result of casting our care upon the Lord through prayer and thanksgiving
(Philippians 4:6).
However, many people are asking God to give them peace so that their cares will leave. It doesn’t work that way. Through faith, we cast our cares on the Lord, and then God’s peace comes.
Christians who are lacking God’s peace have not taken their cares to the Lord and left them there.
All Christians have peace; it is a fruit of the Spirit that is always present in our born-again spirits
(see note 18 at Galatians 5:22).

Care will blind us to God’s peace. When we eliminate the care, the peace flows.
Note 23 at Philippians 4:7: Paul was speaking of God’s peace, not human peace.

Human peace is only experienced in the absence of problems. Therefore, those who only know human peace don’t experience it very often, and to a lesser degree.

God’s peace is independent of circumstances and infinitely greater in supply than any problem we could ever have. God has given us His supernatural peace to enjoy. What a blessing!

Note 24 at Philippians 4:7:
We all have things happen that we don’t understand. Those who are relying on themselves can’t have any peace in a situation like that. They feel things are out of control, and fear takes over. We believers have God’s supernatural peace (see note 23 at this verse) because we don’t have to understand; we trust that God is in control.

This is a wonderful difference between true Christians and unbelievers. Faith in God allows us to experience peace that goes beyond our understanding. Praise God!

Note 25 at Philippians 4:7: The peace of God is what keeps our hearts and minds sound. Those who lack peace will be tormented in those areas. Peace is like a fortress against the devil.

Before Satan can get to our hearts, he has to get us to step out of God’s peace. Therefore, we must let God’s peace protect our hearts and minds. “Let the peace of God rule in your hearts” (Colossians 3:15, see note 18 at that verse).

Life For Today Study Bible Notes
Andrew Wommack's Living Commentary.