“REJOICE (chairō: be well, thrive) IN THE LORD ALWAYS. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness BE EVIDENT TO ALL. The Lord is near. DON’T WORRY ABOUT ANYTHING; INSTEAD, PRAY ABOUT EVERYTHING. TELL GOD what you need and THANK HIM for all he has done. Then YOU WILL EXPERIENCE GOD’S PEACE, which EXCEEDS anything we can understand. His peace WILL GUARD (phrouros: to guard like a military sentinel) YOUR HEARTS AND MINDS as you live in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:4-7)
Why do our minds need to be guarded? “And even if our gospel is VEILED (kaluptō: to cover up), it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case THE god OF THIS WORLD HAS BLINDED THE MINDS of the unbelievers, TO KEEP THEM FROM SEEING THE LIGHT OF THE GOSPEL of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” (2 Corinthians 4:3-4) Who is the light of the gospel? Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have THE LIGHT OF LIFE.“ (John 8:12) Just when did this light first appear? “Now the earth was formless and empty, DARKNESS WAS OVER THE SURFACE OF THE DEEP, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, “LET THERE BE LIGHT (‘ôr: illumination),” AND THERE WAS LIGHT.” (Genesis 1:2-3) Some will mistakenly say “this was the light of sun” but no, the sun, moon and stars were not created until day 4. This light was the beginning of God’s revelation or illumination. “…as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived”— the things GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM— THESE ARE THE THINGS GOD HAS REVEALED TO US BY HIS SPIRIT. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way NO ONE KNOWS THE THOUGHTS OF GOD EXCEPT THE SPIRIT OF GOD. WHAT WE HAVE RECEIVED is not the spirit of the world, BUT THE SPIRIT WHO IS FROM GOD, SO THAT WE MAY UNDERSTAND WHAT GOD HAS FREELY GIVEN US.” (1 Corinthians 2:9-12)
“That is why I use these parables, for they look, but THEY DON’T REALLY SEE. They hear, but THEY DON’T REALLY LISTEN OR UNDERSTAND. This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that says, ‘When you hear what I say, you will not understand. When you see what I do, you will not comprehend. For THE HEARTS of these people ARE HARDENED, and their EARS CANNOT HEAR, and they have closed their eyes—so THEIR EYES CANNOT SEE, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.’ “But BLESSED ARE YOUR EYES, BECAUSE THEY SEE; AND YOUR EARS, BECAUSE THEY HEAR.” (Matthew 13:13-16)
Your Personal Pastor -Bill Stockham