Hi Brian!


The word for this week is "freedom". How appropriate! The word doesn't appear in the KJV Bible much, but in several places in the Amplified Bible. We're going to look at three different words translated freedom. The first is the word "redeemed", which is the Greek word "exagorazo" and means: to buy up, ransom, to rescue, in Strong's Exhaustive Concordance. We find this word here:


Galatians 3:13 Christ has purchased our freedom [redeeming us] from the curse (doom) of the Law [and its condemnation] by [Himself] becoming a curse for us, for it is written [in the Scriptures], Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree (is crucified)


Galatians 4:5 To purchase the freedom of (to ransom, to redeem, to atone for) those who were subject to the Law, that we might be adopted and have sonship conferred upon us [and be recognized as God's sons].


The next one is the word "liberty", which is the Greek word "eleutheria" and means: freedom, in Strong's Exhaustive Concordance. We find this word here:


Romans 8:21: That nature (creation) itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and corruption [and gain an entrance] into the glorious freedom of God's children.


Galatians 5:1  IN [this freedom Christ has made us free [and completely liberated us]; stand fast then, and do not be hampered and held ensnared and submit again to a yoke of slavery [which you have once put off].


Galatians 5:13  For you, brethren, were [indeed] called to freedom; only [do not let your] freedom be an incentive to your flesh and an opportunity or excuse [for selfishness], but through love you should serve one another.


The last one is the word "boldness", which is the Greek word "parreesia" and means: freedom in speaking, unreservedness in speech, free and fearless confidence, cheerful courage, in Thayer's Greek Lexicon. This is found here:


Acts 4:31   And when they had prayed, the place in which they were assembled was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they continued to speak the Word of God with freedom and boldness and courage.


Ephesians 3:12  In Whom, because of our faith in Him, we dare to have the boldness (courage and confidence) of free access (an unreserved approach to God with freedom and without fear).


Hebrews 10:19   Therefore, brethren, since we have full freedom and confidence to enter into the [Holy of] Holies [by the power and virtue] in the blood of Jesus.


One of the greatest, and yet simplest, statements I have heard concerning freedom is that "Freedom isn't free"! SOMEONE has to pay a price for freedom! Our service men and women have paid, and continue to pay, the price for our natural freedom. Jesus paid the price for our spiritual freedom, which effects every area of our lives!  Our liberty has come at great expense. We should appreciate it always and honor them by making good use of it! Then we should operate in great boldness, standing up for what is right and letting our voices be heard, in both realms! Boldness to speak up for what is right and boldness to preach the Gospel!   Here is Hillsong United with "In Your Freedom":

Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!

Hi Brian!


Your word for this week is "knowledge". There are a few different words translated knowledge in the New Testament, but we'll be looking at the one found in these verses:



Rom 10:

2 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.

Eph 1:

17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:

Eph 4:

13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

Phil 1:

9 And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;

Col 1:

9-10  For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;

10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

1 Tim 2:

3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; 

4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

2 Peter 1:2-3

 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, 

3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:

The word "knowledge" in all of these verses is the Greek word "epignosis", which is a compound work meaning: recognition, full discernment, acknowledgement in the Strong's Exhaustive Concordance. Thayer's Greek Lexicon says: precise and correct knowledge. The Vine's Expository Dictionary says: exact and full knowledge, discernment, recognition, expressing a fuller knowledge, a greater participation by the "knower" in the object "known", thus more powerfully influencing him. It comes from the Greek word "epiginosko", which is also a compound word. "Ginosko" means: to learn to know, to come to know, to get knowledge, to become acquainted with, to understand, to perceive in Thayer's Greek Lexicon. "Epi" is a primary preposition meaning superimpostion (of time, place, order, etc.) according to Strong's Exhaustive Concordance. 

The example I think of is the section of an anatomy book that shows the human body through pages layered over each other. You can start with the skeleton and add page after page until you have the entire body! That's how our knowledge of the Word of God is obtained!  You learn something new every day and it is added to the layer you have already known! But this knowing can only come through meditating on the Word. Otherwise it is just memorization. This is the knowing that Jesus meant when He said this in John 8:31:

John 8:31

 So Jesus said to those Jews who had believed in Him, If you abide in My word [hold fast to My teachings and live in accordance with them], you are truly My disciples. 

32 And you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free. 

AMP

I LOVE "knowing" the Word more every day, and there is so much more to "know"! What a great adventure!  Here is Hillsong's "To Know Your Name":

Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!

Hi Brian!


The word for this week is "character"! Some of the Dictionary definitions for character are:

• the features and traits that form the individual nature of a person
• moral qualities, ethical standards, principles
• set of qualities that make someone distinctive
• public reputation

The word does not appear in the KJV of the Bible, but it can be found in several places in the Amplified Bible. Most often, in the New Testament, it appears in describing the word "perfect". Matthew 5:48 says this:


48 You, therefore, must be perfect [growing into complete maturity of godliness in mind and character, having reached the proper height of virtue and integrity], as your heavenly Father is perfect. 


Matthew 19:21:


21 Jesus answered him, If you would be perfect [that is, have the spiritual maturity which accompanies self-sacrificing character], go and sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven; and come, be My disciple [side with My party and follow Me].


Colossians 4:12:


12 Epaphras, who is one of yourselves, a servant of Christ Jesus, send you greetings. [He is] always striving for you earnestly in his prayers, [pleading] that you may [as persons of ripe character and clear conviction] stand firm and mature [in spiritual growth], convinced and fully assured in everything willed by God.


James 3:2:


2 For we all often stumble and fall and offend in many things. And if anyone does not offend in speech [never says the wrong things], he is a fully developed character and a perfect man, able to control his whole body and to curb his entire nature.


The word "perfect" here is the Greek word "teleiotes", which means: complete (in various applications of labor, growth, mental and moral character); completeness;of full age (according to Strong's Exhaustive Concordance). Brought to its end, finished; lacking nothing necessary to completeness; perfect (according to Thayer's Greek Lexicon). Comparatively used of the very presence of God (according to Vine's Expository Dictionary). 


The call of God for our lives, and the standard that He sets, is perfection! Ephesians 4:13:


13 [That it might develop] until we attain oneness in the faith and in the comprehension of the [full and accurate] knowledge of the Son of God, that [we might arrive] at really mature manhood (the completeness of personality which is nothing less than the measure of the stature of the fullness of the Christ and the completeness found in Him.


God is pleased when we make that our goal, too! Not that we will EVER attain it in THIS life, but being on the right path that is heading in the right direction - towards HIM and HIS way of doing and being right - is the important thing! WHEN we miss it, get right back up and go again! The key to BECOMING more like Him is spending time in His Word, getting to know Him! Then we have this promise in 1 John 3:2:

2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.  

KJV

In the meantime, we keep heading in the right direction! You already have many of His characteristics in the way you love and provide for your family, operate in integrity at work and in your personal life, have and show compassion for other people, your willingness to learn from the Word of God; and that is just from someone who hasn't spent a great deal of time with you yet! So be encouraged that you are doing well, and exhorted that we can ALL keep getting better and better! Here is a song from Hillsong called "We Will See Him":

Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!

Hi Brian!


The word for this week is "persistence". That's a characteristic that I KNOW you have. Your advancement at Target Corporation testifies to that! The Dictionary definition of "persist" is:

1. To continue steadfastly or firmly in some state, purpose, course of action, or the like, especially in spite of opposition, remonstrance, etc.
2. To last or endure tenaciously, hold firmly and steadfastly to a purpose, state, or undertaking despite obstacles, warnings, or setbacks.

I found three uses of persistence in the Message Bible:

• Proverbs 25:15: Patient persistence pierces through indifference; gently speech breaks down defenses.
• Revelation 2:3b: I know your persistence, your courage in my cause, that you never wear out.
• Revelation 2:19:  I see everything you do for me. Impressive! The love and faith, the service and persistence. Yes, very impressive! You get better at it every day.

Then I found this in the Amplified Bible:


Hebrews 12:1-2:  1 THEREFORE THEN, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [ who have borne testimony to the Truth], let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance (unnecessary weight) and that sin that so readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us, 2 Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leader and the Source of our faith [giving the first incentive for our belief] and is also its Finisher [bringing it to maturity and perfection]. He, for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God.


Jesus is our best example of persistence! He was challenged on every side by people who SHOULD have known the Word of God, but He persisted until He fulfilled what the Father had sent Him to do! He did it all for the "joy that was set before Him"! THAT is US! What remarkable love! 


Persistence is needed in every area of life, but especially as a parent! As you continue to grow in the Word of God, your family will benefit greatly in your "persistence" in it; and God will be pleased with your obedience!


Here is a song by Hillsong United called: Like Incense/Sometimes By Step:

Have a tremendously blessed week!


Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!

Hi Brian!


The word for this week is "fascinated". We hear that word a lot in conversation, but it was interesting to know that it isn't found in the KJV Bible at all. I checked for "fascinated", "fascinate", and "fascinating", and couldn't find any of them. When I checked a few other Bible translations, I did find this in Galatians 3:1 in the Amplified Bible:


1 O YOU poor and silly and thoughtless and unreflecting and senseless Galatians! Who has fascinated or bewitched or cast a spell over you, unto whom - right before your very eyes - Jesus Christ (the Messiah) was openly and graphically set forth and portrayed as crucified?


The Greek word here is "bewitched", which means: to malign, to fascinate with false representations in the Strong's Concordance. In Thayer's Greek Lexicon it says: to speak ill of one, to slander, to traduce, to bring evil on one by feigned praise, to charm. The dictionary definition of "traduce" is to expose to shame or blame by means of falsehood or misrepresentation. Vine's Expository Dictionary says: to prate about anyone, to bring evil on a person by feigned praise or to charm. To lead into an evil doctrine. "Prate" means empty or foolish talk, chatter, according to the dictionary definition. 


The concentration at The Spoken Word Church has always been on the Word of God. Pastor has often used the example of the people responsible for recognizing counterfeit money. They don't study every type of counterfeit, they study the real thing. They know every aspect of our money. When they come across something that doesn't fit with what they know, the counterfeit is exposed. The Galatians had been exposed to false teaching that once someone was born again, they must continue in the keeping of the Law. Paul was reminding them of the simplicity of the Gospel and exhorting them not to listen to anything, no matter how enticing or "bewitching", that was contrary to the simple Gospel. No human works could EVER undo the sin nature we inherited from Adam. Only the sacrifice of the sinless Son of God could forever pay the price. Once the price was paid, NOTHING needed to be added to it! Our actions as believers determine the kind of life we must be satisfied with here on earth, but NOTHING will keep us from Heaven once we have received Jesus of Nazareth as Lord and personal Saviour. 


In these last days before Jesus appears for the Church, there will be an increase in false teaching that is meant by the enemy to lead people away from the simple and powerful Gospel. As believers, it is more important now than ever before to understand the Gospel, and the power of it! Romans 1:16 says this:


16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believes; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.


Here is a video of 2 songs by Hillsong: "I'm Not Ashamed" and "Break Free":

Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!