Philippians 4

Philippians 4:1

Whenever you come to the word “therefore” in Scripture, it’s wise to stop and ask what it’s there for. Here at the outset of chapter 4, Paul refers to the end of chapter 3, wherein he tells us we don’t have to be hopeless as we watch our culture crumble, for when Jesus returns He’ll put all things in order. As was the case with Paul, the people God brings into the kingdom through our sharing with them or ministering to them will be our joy, our crown. In Dan_12:3, we read that those who win souls are wise, for they shall shine as the stars forever. I think the shining refers to the glow radiating from the faces of people when, in heaven at last, they see those with whom they shared and for whom they prayed. In light of the fact that the Lord’s return is at hand, Paul tells the church at Philippi to stand fast, to stand confidently, to stand firmly in Him. More and more, I’m convinced that heaven is the whole dealjust realizing that we’re soon going to be there, and that we have a single job to do: to grab as many people as we can and say, “Come along with us to heaven.” I think we worry far too much about what we’re doing or how we’re feeling. We analyze ourselves endlessly. We scrutinize our situations continually. We ponder our circumstances tirelessly. But in reality, the joy, the crown lies in sharing with people who don’t know Jesus, in praying for folks who will be cut off from Him unless they open their hearts to Him. I believe the reason Paul could talk so much about joy in this epistleeven while he was in chainswas because he was thinking about the people he knew would be in heaven with him eternally because he had shared with them personally.

Philippians 4:2

Who were Euodias and Syntyche? I believe their names indicate who they were: “You’re Odious” and “Soon Touchy”! Notice, Paul doesn’t say, “Let’s find out who’s right and who’s wrong.” He simply says, “The Lord’s coming is near, so there’s no time for squabbling.” Biblical counseling is amazingly simple. To those enmeshed in interpersonal conflicts, we can be like Paul and say, “Even if you’re technically right in any given argument, you’re spiritually wrong because the Lord wants you to be forgiving and gracious and merciful.”

Philippians 4:3

Tradition has it that this yokefellow has been identified as the Philippian jailer Paul led to the Lord, following the miraculous earthquake that set Paul free, but threatened the jailer’s life (Acts 16). This is in reference to Lydia and the other women who were so instrumental in the birth of the Philippian church. After ministering in various areas, the disciples returned to Jesus excited about what they had seen. “Lord,” they said, “even the demons are subject unto us as we share in Your name. It’s amazing what’s happening!” But what did Jesus say? He said, “Don’t rejoice in what you’ve seen. Rather, rejoice that your names are written in the Book of Life” (see Luk_10:20). We should be full of ecstasy and elated continually not because we cast out a demon or saw a healing or were used in ministry. We should be amazed constantly over one thing primarily: the fact that we’re saved. Hell is real, gang. We don’t understand it. It’s still sort of fuzzy to us. But Jesus knew the reality of hell, even as He knew the reality of heaven. That is why He said to His disciples, “Here’s what you should be excited about: Because your name is written in the Book of Life, you’re not going to hell. You’re going to heaven, where you will live with Me forever.” The knowledge that we’re headed for heaven should keep a smile on our faces every day of our lives. Heaven alone should keep praise flowing from our lips perpetually. “I don’t feel good,” we groan. Who cares? We’re not going to hell! “I’m not appreciated at work,” we cry. Who cares? We’re going to heaven! “I won the lottery!” we shout. So what? That’s nothing compared to heaven!

Philippians 4:4

I can’t always rejoice in my circumstances, but I can always rejoice in the Lord. The idea here is to avoid extravagance. Because the Lord is here among us, and because He’s coming back for us, we don’t need to get all caught up in earthly things. The idea of “careful” means “full of care or anxiety.” The way to remain in the place of rejoicing, the way to avoid being caught up in extravagance of any sort is to remain in prayer. In this context, prayer refers to communing with God, while supplication speaks of making specific requests to Him. Both are to be done with a spirit of thanksgiving for the abundance with which the Lord has already blessed us both materially and spiritually (Psa_68:19). The older I get, the more I’m learning that prayer is not a monologue. It’s a dialogue. I’m discovering more and more that the real need in my life is not for God to hear from me, but for me to hear from Him. And I find that as I walk, drive, or get on my knees, if I will pray a phrase or two and then just rest and be quiet, the Lord will bring specific scriptures to my mind or will write His will upon my heart concerning how I am to pray. But if I pray sentence after paragraph after page and then say, “Okay, that wraps it up for prayer time today,” I really miss it. Oh, I know that even that kind of prayer has power. Any prayer is better than no prayer. But I suggest that if you learn to pause and listen in prayer, the Lord will show you how to believe on behalf of another, and how to pray specifically concerning any given situation. The Key to Being Carefree A Topical Study of Php_4:4-7 A godly man and a good king, Hezekiah loved the Lord and had a deep walk with Him. Nevertheless, he found himself in real difficulty when he heard that Sennacherib and his million-man Assyrian army were marching toward Jerusalem. The inventors of the siege strategy and the battering ram, the Assyrians had been unbeatable in battle, and unparalleled in brutality. So what does Hezekiah do? First, he tries to solve his problem financially by attempting to bribe Sennacherib with the gold of the temple. His plan, of course, backfired because the sight of the gold only increased Sennacherib’s determination to plunder Jerusalem. (2 Kings 18) Hezekiah’s next plan was to build an alliance with Egypt. “You guys have horses and soldiers and military might at your disposal,” he said. “Ally with us because if Sennacherib beats us, you’ll be next.” At that moment, Isaiah the prophet comes on the scene and thunders a prophecy in the ears of Hezekiah: Woe to the rebellious children, saith the Lord, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin: That walk to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth; to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt! For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not.Isa_30:1-2, Isa_30:15 In other words, “What God wants from you in this crisis, in this hour of need is to return to Him, to wait on Him, to be quiet before Him.” I wonder if there are good men and women sitting here today who, feeling pressure relationally or vocationally, in ministry or financially, are saying “Help me!” to this counselor, or “Save me!” to that groupwhen all along the Lord would say, “First and foremost, come to Me.” “Oh, I don’t have time to pray,” we say. “I’m late for my counseling appointment. I don’t have time to seek the Lord. I’ve got to strip the temple of gold to pay off Sennacherib.” Yet all the while, Paul says we are not to be anxious, not to be full of care about anything. His, however, is not merely a “Don’t worry, be happy” maxim, for he goes on to tell us how… Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.Php_4:6 “Prayer” refers to general communion with God; “supplication” to specific requests. Thus, Paul is saying, “Be anxious about nothing. Pray about everything. Give thanks for anything.” “That’s easy for Paul,” you say. “His prayers were always answered the way he wanted.” Really? Check out what he said to the Romans… Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ’s sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me; that I may be delivered from them that do not believe in Judaea; and that my service which I have for Jerusalem may be accepted of the saints; that I may come unto you with joy by the will of God, and may with you be refreshed.Rom_15:30-32 As he comes to the end of his letter to the Romans, Paul says, “Pray with mefirst that I may be delivered from my enemies in Jerusalem; second, that my service may be accepted by the Christians; and finally, that I may come to you at Rome with joy.” But what happened? Paul was captured by his enemies in Jerusalem. His ministry was not readily accepted by the saints. And the only way he made it to Rome was as a prisoner. Here’s the deal, gang: God can say “Yes” to my prayers, or He can say “No.” Either way, it’s an answer. How many, many times I have said, “Here’s my supplication, Father…” only to see that, down the road, what takes place is a whole lot better than what I asked for. “If your child asks for bread, which of you would give him a stone?” asked Jesus. “Or if he wants a fish, who of you would give him a scorpion?” (see Luk_11:11-12). Sometimes we think we’re asking for salmon, but the Lord recognizes it as a scorpion. Sometimes we cry for bread, but the Lord sees it’s a boulderand He loves us too much to give us something that would hurt us. So what are we to do? We’re to make our requestand then rest in God’s peace, a peace that passes our understanding (Php_4:7). We say, “Lord, I choose to not wring my hands and try to figure out how I can strip the temple or ally with Egypt. I choose to return to You, to rest in You, to worry about nothing, to pray about everything, and to be thankful for anything You decide to do.” And what happens may just blow your mind. Ask Hezekiah… “Seek the Lord,” Isaiah said. And Hezekiah did just thateven as Sennacherib continued to march. Things looked ominous, when suddenly, hearing of a new war breaking out, Sennacherib diverted his troops to an uprising northeast of Jerusalem. But that didn’t keep Sennacherib’s general, Rabshakeh, from firing off a letter to Hezekiah that said, “If you think we’re through with you, you’re sadly mistaken. We will not be stopped from destroying Jerusalem” (see 2 Kings 18). Ever get a letter like that? Intimidating, threatening, disheartening? “Service will be suspended in five days unless…” This time, however, Hezekiah didn’t say, “Oh no! What am I going to do? Who can I call?” No, having heard the Word from Isaiah, Hezekiah took Rabshakeh’s letter, went into the temple, opened it before the Lord, and said, “Lord, I’m giving this to You,” as he began to worship the One who dwells above all, the One who is greater than all (2 Kings 19). Here on earth, things seem so big. Our mountains tower 29,028 feet above us, and the depths of the Mariana Trench plunge 36,198 feet below us. But from space, our planet looks perfectly smooth. In fact, if our earth was shrunk to the size of a bowling ball, a brand-new unused bowling ball would have more grooves and valleys and peaks than would our earth. It’s all a matter of perspective. When, like Hezekiah, you get above the situation, suddenly the problems that loomed so greatly and threatened so menacingly take on entirely different dimensions proportionately, for as the story goes on, Isaiah comes to Hezekiah, saying, “The Lord has spoken that not one person in Jerusalem shall be harmed. In fact, not one arrow shall enter the city.” The Assyrians did, indeed, come. As was their custom, they surrounded the city. All it would have taken to nullify Isaiah’s prophecy was one soldier to take one arrow and fire it over the wall. But none did. The Assyrians set up their camp around the city, 185,000 soldiers strong. But that night, an angel of the Lord came and smote the Assyrians before even one man could string his bow. One hundred eighty-five thousand men were wiped out in a way Hezekiah could never have orchestrated or predicted, in a way no counselor could have directed, in a way no book would have addressed. That’s the way of the Lord. So what does He say to you and me today? “Take your cares and turn them into prayer.” We all know thisbut do we do it? Do we leave our anxieties and concerns with the Lordor even as we read these words, are we wondering who we can get to help us in the problem facing us? Right now, I ask you to find a scrap of paper and write on it that which concerns you today. It could be a relational stress, a ministry matter, a financial pressure, a family issue. After you write it down, spread it before the Lord and say, “Lord here it is. Like Hezekiah, I hear the footsteps and hoof beats of the mighty Assyrians headed my way. But instead of trying to take them on myself or ally with others, I choose to thank You for whatever You want to do in this situation. These are the matters that weigh me down, Lord. Free me of this burden as I lift it up to You.” Do this, saint, and you will experience the peace of God that comes not from your understanding, but which passes your understandinga peace that will stop the Assyrians in their tracks, and that will leave you rejoicing in the goodness of your Father.

Philippians 4:8

Again, the theme of Paul’s epistle to the Philippians is that the key to experiencing joy in your heart is to have the right thoughts in your mind. So how are we to think? Here’s how: Think on things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, and praiseworthy. Even spiritual men and women become discouraged. You can see it in their eyes. And they wonder why. It’s because they’ve been thinking thoughts that are not true and honest and lovely and good and pure. They stared at David Letterman before they went to bed, and they wonder why they wake up grumpy. If you are prone to depression, do not watch late-night TV. You’ll wake up with a cynicism about life, a tainted twisted perspective on life. Instead, fill your mind with the goodness of God and the wealth of His Word, and, like Paul, you’ll awake with a song in your soul.

Philippians 4:9

I like Paul’s ministry: It was “Show and Tell.” Not only did he tell people what to do, but he showed them by doing it himself. If you think rightly, if you rejoice in the Lord continually, if you think on things that are pure and lovely, the God of peace will be with you as surely as He was with Paul.

Philippians 4:10

This is in reference to the fact that the Philippians had sent Epaphroditus to Paul with a financial gift from them and news about their welfare. But because Paul was always on the move, Epaphroditus had a hard time catching up with him. This is radical, gang. If you want to be a rejoicing, happy person, listen to what Paul is saying: Contentment is learned. Because we are to learn to be content in everything, I do not believe that God uses restlessness or discontentment as a primary means of guidance. Wherever you’re working now, you should learn to be content until God makes it very clear to you that He wants to move you or change your situation. “The Lord is with me,” says Paul, “And I can do everything through Himincluding being content in the situation I’m in.” Either we believe that, or we don’t. Either we’ll take advantage of it, or we won’t. The choice is ours. Learning Contentment A Topical Study of Php_4:10-13 On our way to a mission base in Honduras, my brother Jimmy and I arrived at the La Ceiba Airport. After making our way through Customs, we walked into the small lobby, where before us stood an easel with a poster picturing a home for sale, eight miles from the beautiful Roatan Peninsula. Upon closer inspection, we could see that the home sat on its own one-and-a-half-acre island of white-sand beach, ringed with coconut-bearing palm trees, and included a separate caretaker/guest house. The price? One hundred fifty thousand dollars. Hmm, I started thinking. A guy could easily cash out here and buy his own island. I wonder what it would be like to own your own island. There’s something in each of us that desires to live in a different location, have a different vocation, to be in a different situationsomething in all of us that longs for change. Advertisers know this and capitalize on it, parading an endless stream of images before us that say, “This is where you long to live; this is what you want to drive; this is how you desire to look,” as they pull on the strings of discontent which plague you and me. Paul the apostle gives us a good piece of advice concerning this dilemma when he says, “The key is to learn to be content no matter what state you’re in.” For, you see, if we do not learn to be content in life, we will soon develop contempt for life. So Paul says, “Whether I’m abounding or abased, full or hungryit doesn’t really matter to me. Wherever I am, I have learned to be content.” We must learn that as well, for if we don’t, we’ll be dogged and devoured by discontent. How do I know this? Because of the account in 1 Kings 21… Jezebel and Ahab And it came to pass after these things, that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard, which was in Jezreel, hard by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria.1Ki_21:1 Ahab, king of Israel, had a palace. Next to him lived Naboth. Next to the palace was Naboth’s vineyard. And Ahab spake unto Naboth, saying, Give me thy vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near unto my house: and I will give thee for it a better vineyard than it; or, if it seem good to thee, I will give thee the worth of it in money. And Naboth said to Ahab, The Lord forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee.1Ki_21:2-3 “Give me your vineyard,” said Ahab to Naboth. “Sorry, King, the Lord forbids it,” Naboth answered. Naboth was right. Old Testament law required that inherited properties were to remain in the family (Leviticus 25; Numbers 36). And Ahab came into his house heavy and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him: for he had said, I will not give thee the inheritance of my fathers. And he laid him down upon his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread.1Ki_21:4 His command refused, Ahab went to his palace and pouted. But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said unto him, Why is thy spirit so sad, that thou eatest no bread? And he said unto her, Because I spake unto Naboth the Jezreelite, and said unto him, Give me thy vineyard for money; or else, if it please thee, I will give thee another vineyard for it: and he answered, I will not give thee my vineyard.1Ki_21:5-6 Recounting the incident to Jezebel, Ahab conveniently left out the part where Naboth told him the vineyard was part of an inheritance and therefore couldn’t be sold. And Jezebel his wife said unto him, Dost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel? arise, and eat bread, and let thine heart be merry: I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite. So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name, and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters unto the elders and to the nobles that were in his city, dwelling with Naboth. And she wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people.1Ki_21:7-9 Jezebel ordered the city fathers to call a special meeting, making sure Naboth was in attendance. And set two men, sons of Belial, before him, to bear witness against him, saying, Thou didst blaspheme God and the king. And then carry him out, and stone him, that he may die.1Ki_21:10 Jezebel further instructed the men to hire two sons of Belialor literally, “fools"to lie and accuse Naboth of blasphemy. And there came in two men, children of Belial, and sat before him: and the men of Belial witnessed against him, even against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, Naboth did blaspheme God and the king. Then they carried him forth out of the city, and stoned him with stones, that he died.1Ki_21:13 Falsely accused of blasphemy and treason, Naboth was stoned to death. Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, Naboth is stoned, and is dead. And it came to pass, when Jezebel heard that Naboth was stoned, and was dead, that Jezebel said to Ahab, Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give thee for money: for Naboth is not alive, but dead. And it came to pass, when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, that Ahab rose up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it.1Ki_21:14-16 So it was that Ahab apparently got his waybut the plot thickens, for there was a prophet of God on the scene… And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, which is in Samaria: behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, whither he is gone down to possess it. And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the Lord, Hast thou killed, and also taken possession?1Ki_21:17-19 (a) Although Ahab didn’t know anything about what Jezebel had done, God held him responsible for Naboth’s death because it was his pining over Naboth’s vineyard that caused Jezebel to implement her plan in the first place. Ahab couldn’t be happy until he had his garden. He didn’t know what it meant to be content in the state he was in as king of Israel. He just had to have something else, something more. And it drove his wife into a deadly activity for which he was held equally responsible. And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the Lord, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine.1Ki_21:19 (b) Dogged by discontent, Ahab was going down. But the prophecy didn’t stop there… And of Jezebel also spake the Lord, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.1Ki_21:23 Ahab’s blood would be licked by dogs. Jezebel’s body would be eaten by dogs. And in chapter 22, we begin to see it happen… And a certain man drew a bow at a venture, and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the harness: wherefore he said unto the driver of his chariot, Turn thine hand, and carry me out of the host; for I am wounded. And the battle increased that day: and the king was stayed up in his chariot against the Syrians, and died at even: and the blood ran out of the wound into the midst of the chariot.1Ki_22:34-35 Ahab died in battle, his blood forming a puddle in his chariot. So the king died, and was brought to Samaria; and they buried the king in Samaria. And one washed the chariot in the pool of Samaria; and the dogs licked up his blood; and they washed his armour; according unto the word of the Lord which he spake.1Ki_22:37-38 Just as Elijah had prophesied, as Ahab’s chariot was washed, the dogs weren’t far behind. Time passes. Realizing that a man named Jehu had launched a coup to control Israel and knowing her life might be at risk, Jezebel had a plan… And when Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it; and she painted her face, and tired her head, and looked out at a window.2Ki_9:30 When she heard her life was in danger, did Jezebel fall to her knees, did she lift her voice in prayer? No. She painted her face and fixed her hair. And as Jehu entered in at the gate, she said, Had Zimri peace, who slew his master?2Ki_9:31 Zimri is one who came into power through a coup only to commit suicide seven days later, so Jezebel is trying to both seduce and intimidate Jehu. And he lifted up his face to the window, and said, Who is on my side? who? And there looked out to him two or three eunuchs. And he said, Throw her down. So they threw her down: and some of her blood was sprinkled on the wall, and on the horses: and he trode her under foot. And when he was come in, he did eat and drink, and said, Go, see now this cursed woman, and bury her: for she is a king’s daughter. And they went to bury her: but they found no more of her than the skull, and the feet, and the palms of her hands. Wherefore they came again, and told him. And he said, This is the word of the Lord, which he spake by his servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, In the portion of Jezreel shall dogs eat the flesh of Jezebel.2Ki_9:32-36 What happened to Jezebel? Exactly what Elijah said would happen: Her body was devoured by dogs. When a man or woman has not mastered the principle of learning to be content, he or she will ultimately be devoured by the dog of discontent. You’ve seen it happen… Because she’s not happy, the wife walks away from her family. And it’s not long before she’s splattered emotionally. Constantly looking for something better, the man changes jobs continually, until he’s isolated and frustrated needlessly. “Okay,” you say. “I can see that if a person lives in a state of discontentment, it will destroy him. But how are we to avoid that?” Look at Jesus So in love with me was He, Jesus died on the Cross to save my soul in order that I might be His bride forever. Why He would love me in that way, I don’t have the foggiest idea. But He does. And He proved it on the Cross. Therefore, if He loved me that much, I can be confident that He’ll put me in the place financially, relationally, geographically that will make me into the man He sees I can be. I am so concerned about my present comfort. God, however, is concerned about my eternal state. I pant after ministry or material things, fame or satisfaction. God, however, says, “I want you to be full and happy and useful and blessed for the next zillion years. Therefore, I will allow you to go through difficulties and challenges not because I’m being mean, but because I’m doing a deep work in you that you will never regret for all eternity.” If I invited people to come up after the service so I could slug them in the arm, there wouldn’t be many takers. But if I invited people to come up after the service so I could slug them in the armafter which they would receive a check for ten million dollars, people would be rushing to get in line. So, too, God is saying, “Yes, you’re going to take some hits. Yes, there will be some hurts, some setbacks, some disappointments. But, there’s ten zillion dollars, so to speak, around the bend. And I have allowed you to be in the situation you’re in because it’s preparing you for what’s to come. Will you trust Me? Will you not murmur about your condition? Will you not be always looking for some better situation? Will you learn to be content where you are right now?” The story is told of a Swiss watch on the wrist of a lady in Zurich. It kept time perfectly and allowed her to keep her appointments punctually. One day, however, the watch said, “I’m doing a pretty good job. But why should I be limited to helping just one lady? I want to serve. I want to minister. A watch like me could help the whole city.” So the watch found itself one day high, high above Zurich, fastened to the tallest building in the city. But no one could see it, for it was lost in the position of elevation. Wise is the man or woman who says, “Lord, plant me where You see that I am designed to be. Be it on an island in Honduras, or a city in Oregon, place me in the spot wherein I can most glorify You presently, and that will prepare me for eternity. Teach me to be content, Lord.” And He will. He truly will.

Philippians 4:14

All of the other churches Paul started and tended forgot about him. To their commendation, Paul says to the Philippians, “You remembered me. You communicated with me. You stood by me in the ministry.”

Philippians 4:16

“When I was in Thessalonica,” continues Paul, “you were the ones who came through for me.”

Philippians 4:17

There are a couple of areas I have found to be very, very difficult in the ministry. One is to point out other ministries, or TV evangelists, or teachers who are in errorwhose entire ministry is amiss. Yet if a shepherd only feeds the flock, but never warns the flock about wolves, all he is doing is fattening them up for the kill (Act_20:29-31). So as a pastor, warn I must because I care about the sheep. A second area that is very difficult for me in ministry is to address the subject of finances because it can appear to be so self-serving. Nevertheless, Paul hits this issue head-on by saying, “It’s not that I want a gift. It’s that I want you to have fruit.” When the person who gave the Lord’s tithe and offerings above and beyond that gets to heaven, I guarantee he’s not going to say, “Phooey. I tithed faithfully. If I hadn’t tithed, I could have had a new patio set. And if I had only saved that extra hundred dollars from that offering, I could have had a new barbeque.” No. For the next zillion years, you’ll never regret what you give to the Lord todaythe tithes that are His, and the offering beyond thatfor they will be fruit to your account. The old adage is so true: You can’t take it with you, but you can send it ahead. And there will be some people in heaven who are incredibly wealthy. They’ll have great rewards because they were wise investors on earth. They didn’t rob God of the tithe. They didn’t keep every penny for themselves. Read the Book of Ezra. See the listing of the names verse after verse, page after page, recording the exact amounts people gave for the building of the temple. Why would God “waste” so many verses about what people were giving to that project? I believe it’s because in it He is saying, “I notice what people give to Me, and record it forever.”

Philippians 4:18

Paul calls the gift the Philippians gave him a sweet-smelling, well-pleasing sacrifice to God. We’re all susceptible to believing the lie of the Enemy that we are excused from tithing if we don’t agree with the manner in which the church is using our money. Therefore, I encourage you to find a church you can stand by and identify withthen bring your tithes and offerings through it to God.

Philippians 4:19

This verse is, indeed, a powerful and comforting promisebut notice to whom it’s given. Taken in context, Paul is saying, “Know this, you who are faithful in giving: God will supply all your need.” “Can I borrow your boat?” Jesus asked. “Sure,” said the fishermen. So Jesus pushed out a little ways into the Sea of Galilee, and, using the water as a natural amplifier, He preached to the multitude gathered on the shore. “Thanks for letting Me use your boat,” He said to the fishermen when He was finished. “Go ahead and take it out now.” They didand when they cast their nets into the water, the haul was so great it almost sunk their boat (Luk_5:3-6). If we give, God will supply all of our needs because we just can’t outgive Him. High-schooler, college student, start now. Develop a life of tithingand you’ll be just as amazed as were those fishermen by the Lord’s provision in your life.

Philippians 4:20

The saints in Caesar’s household were the guards who, after being chained to Paul, returned to Caesar’s palace as believers.

Philippians 4:23

And so Paul’s epistle ends as it beganwith the matchless grace of Jesus.