Our Text is taken from the book of Phillippians 4 vs 4-8
You will do well to pay attention to this. Philippians 4 gives us a recipe for not running mad in this generation. It gives you an antidote to insanity, in the insane world in which we find ourselves. And the Bible did not leave us in darkness.
It says “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come”. The word “perilous times” in ancient Greek means mad, difficult to explain. So the world is a madhouse. This passage tells you what to do so that the spirits that harass the soul, the spirits of mental harassment that lead people to the brink of despair do not capture a believer.
Unless you bury your head into the word of God, there are plenty of things around to make people run mad. Plenty of things around to make people lose their minds. Plenty of things that will make a man talk and you think he is normal, but underneath he is a mad man in a three-piece suit.
When you see a woman who will dye her front hair grey, dye the middle red, and the back black, it shows that she is already mad, that there is something wrong somewhere. Phil 4:4 is the first key to not running mad. It says “Rejoice always, and again I say rejoice.”
It did not talk about circumstances because the man who was writing this was inside the Philippian jail at that time. This was written by a man who was in jail, yet in that jail, he could say that the key is “rejoice in the Lord, rejoice always.” The joy of the Lord is permanent, the happiness of the world is temporary.
In verse 5, key number 2 not to run mad is, get the presence of the Lord around you, know that the Lord is around you. Wherever you are, He is there with you. He is not just a faraway old man sitting somewhere, the Lord is at hand (He is there.) “When thou passest through the fire when thou passest through the waters, I will be with you….” means He is there.
Key number 3 in verse 6 means in your life let worry die. Worry will not get you anything. Worry will not get you anywhere. It is like a rocking chair you are sitting on that is moving but is not making progress. By the time you finish allowing the spirits of worry and anxiety to harass your mind, you find out that you have wasted time.
That is why the Bible says “whatever you commit into the hands of God, He can keep it “. So keep your life in His hands. Verse 6 says ‘be careful for nothing…’ Another version says “do not let anything worry your mind”. Key number 4 still in that verse 6 is, by prayer and thanksgiving and supplication, let your request be made known unto God. Verse 7.
In verse 8, it now says “finally”. Meaning, in conclusion. It is like when somebody has been talking and then says ‘now, to conclude’, it means he wants to now summarise everything. So in verse 8, the final key is to take charge of your heart. Take charge of your thinking. Do not allow your thoughts to be harassed by spirits that harass people’s hearts.
WATCH THE REST OF THE MESSAGE IN THE VIDEO BELOW:
