Hi Brian!


The word for this week is "exceeding". This is found in both the Old and New Testaments, and from different Hebrew and Greek words. We will be looking at one from each origin. First we have Genesis 15:1 and 17:6:

1 After these things the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.


6 And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.

This is the Hebrew word "me`od". Strong's Concordance says: properly, vehemence, i.e. vehemently; by implication, wholly, speedily, etc. Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon says: muchness, force, abundance, exceedingly. So even under the Old Covenant God operated in an "above and beyond" way for those who would trust completely in Him! 

Then we have Ephesians 1:19, 2:7 and 3:20:

19 And what is the exceeding greatness of His power to usward who believe, according to the working of His mighty power,


7 That in the ages to come He might shew the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.


20 Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

This is the Greek word "huperballo". Strong's Concordance says: to throw beyond the usual mark; to surpass. ("Huper" means over and "ballo" means throwing". Now that makes sense!) Thayer's Greek Lexicon says: to surpass in throwing; to throw over or beyond anything; to transcend, surpass, exceed, excel. So God does not just want to meet our needs, He wants to do it abundantly (Philippians 4:19 AMP). He doesn't just want us to have life ("zoe" - life as God has within Himself), but He wants us to have it to the overflow (John 10:10 AMP)! That makes Him an "exceedingly" GOOD GOD, don't you think? The more you grow in the Word, the better father you become to your children and husband to Kristine, because you become more like HIM everyday! What a treasure you are! Here is Hillsong with "The Greatness of Our God":

Here are the lyrics:

Verse 1:
Give me eyes to see
More of who You are
May what I behold,
still my anxious heart.
Take what I have known
And break it all apart
For You my God, are greater still.

CHORUS
No sky contains,
No doubt restrains,
All You are,
The greatness of our God.
I spend my life to know,
And I'm far from close
To all You are,
The greatness of our God.

Verse 2:
Give me grace to see
Beyond this moment here.
To believe that there
Is nothing left to fear.

That You alone are high above it all.
For You my God, are greater still.

CHORUS 2x
No sky contains,
No doubt restrains,
All You are,
The greatness of our God.
I spend my life to know,
And I'm far from close
To all You are,
The greatness of our God.

Brigde: 2x
And there is nothing
That can ever separate us.
There is nothing that can ever
separate us from Your love.
No life, no death, of this I am convinced.
You my God, are greater still.

2x:
And no words can say, or song convey,
all You are the greatness of our God.
I spend my life to know,
And I'm far from close
to all You are,
the greatness of our God.

Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!

Hi Brian! 


The word for this week is "respect". It is actually the phrase "respect of persons". This is found in Romans 2:11; Ephesians 6:9; Colossians 3:25; and James 2:1.


Romans 2:11 For there is no respect of persons with God.


Ephesians 6:9  And, you masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him.


Col 3:25 But he that does wrong shall receive for the wrong which he has done: and there is no respect of persons.

James 2:1  My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.

This is the Greek word "prospolepsia". Strong's Concordance says: partiality; favoritism. Vine's Expository Dictionary says: denotes "respect of persons, partiality", the fault of one who, when responsible to give judgment, has respect to the position, rank, popularity, or circumstances of men, instead of their intrinsic conditions, preferring the rich and powerful to those who are not so. One of the things I love the most about the Word of God is that the same opportunity is there for every believer to know just as much about the Lord and His Word as we choose to! In natural situations people can try to  hinder or hold you back for various reasons. They can favor there own family and friends over you. They can discriminate against you for any number of reasons. When it comes to the Word of God, though, there are no bounds except the ones we put on ourselves! He welcomes all believers and encourages us to know Him more. Many don't, but YOU are not one of those! Your desire to know more of the Word is putting you in position to walk in greater authority in your life than ever before! You will also be a blessing to more people than you may ever know in this life! We are SO blessed to be a part of that! Hope you enjoy this from Hillsong Kids called "Supernatual":

Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!

Hi Brian!


The word for this week is "intense"! Ephesians 2:4 says this:

4 But God — so rich is He in His mercy! Because of and in order to satisfy the great and wonderful and intense love with which He loved us, 

5 Even when we were dead (slain) by [our own] shortcomings and trespasses, He made us alive together in fellowship and in union with Christ; [He gave us the very life of Christ Himself, the same new life with which He quickened Him, for] it is by grace (His favor and mercy which you did not deserve) that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ's salvation). 

This is the Greek word "polus". Thayer's Greek lexicon says: of multitude, number (many, numerous, great); force, intensity. Strong's Concordance also adds: abundant; plenteous. God's love for us knows no bounds! It is strong, abundant and never-changing! He did what He did because of that great Love! This love is what He requires us to walk in with each other. This is also the love that causes our faith to work (Galatians 5:6)!  Another verse from the Amplified Bible that uses the word "intense" is Matthew 11:12:

12 And from the days of John the Baptist until the present time, the kingdom of heaven has endured violent assault, and violent men seize it by force [as a precious prize — a share in the heavenly kingdom is sought with most ardent zeal and intense exertion]. 

The Dictionary.com definition of intense says: existing in a high degree; acute, strong, vehement; of an extreme kind. 

This verse is saying that we must seize what belongs to us as born again believers in Jesus of Nazareth. Nothing will be just handed to us! We MUST operate in a greater degree of intensity with the attitude that NOTHING will stop us from possessing everything that God intends for us so that we can fulfill the ministry He's called us to! Be unwilling to do without health, prosperity, wisdom, protection, provision, safety and deliverance for you and your family, and in every area of life! HE desires that attitude in us so that we can show His presence on this earth, and He can draw all the unsaved to Himself! It is so exciting to see and hear of your growth in the Word of God! IT SHOWS! Here is Hillsong with "From The Inside Out":

Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!

Hi Brian!


The word for this week is "increase". There are many Greek and Hebrew words in the Bible translated increase. We will be looking at the Greek word "auzano" or "auxano". Strong's Concordance says: to grow; enlarge; give the increase. Kittel's Theological Dictionary says: to grow to the extreme limit; to attain very great power or authority. We find this word in John 3:30 where John the Baptist is speaking of himself and Jesus:



30 He must increase, but I must decrease. 31 He that comes from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaks of the earth: He that comes from heaven is above all.

John's ministry was to prepare the hearts of the people to receive Jesus when He came. The same is true of our own ministries in that people should begin to see more and more of HIS character in us, and less and less of who we USED to be! The more we get to know Jesus through His Word, the more we will think and speak and act like Him! I believe THAT is when we will do those works and greater works that Jesus mentioned in John 14:12! Those will be the evidence of HIS great power and authority working through us! We see "increase" again in 1 Corinthians 3:6-7:

6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God [all the while] was making it grow and [He] gave the increase. 

7 So neither he who plants is anything nor he who waters, but [only] God Who makes it grow and become greater. 

When we sow the Word of God into the lives of our families, and then other people, the power and authority of God causes that Word to come to pass! Then HE gets all the credit! We also see this word in 2 Corinthians 9:10-11 concerning our giving:



10 And [God] Who provides seed for the sower and bread for eating will also provide and multiply your [resources for] sowing and increase the fruits of your righteousness [which manifests itself in active goodness, kindness, and charity].  [Isa 55:10; Hos 10:12.] 11 Thus you will be enriched in all things and in every way, so that you can be generous, and [your generosity as it is] administered by us will bring forth thanksgiving to God. 



Here we can see that our seeds sown will not only be multiplied back into our lives, but HE will cause increase (growth) in our character! The first time we met you we were impressed with your character, the way that you carried yourself and cared for Kristine. That "impression" has only "increased" since then! We love and appreciate you and your family so much and are honored to be a part of your lives! Here is a song from Hillsong London called "In You I Stand". I could only find one video and the I can't figure out why they have a dog picture, but the words are good! I've listed them after the video!

Verse:
I will praise You Lord (with all I have now)
Praise You Lord (I'll sing and shout Your Name)
For all my days

You are Holy Lord (I bow my knee and)
Holy Lord (I pray to You and)
Worship You My King

Chorus:
And I will sing a new song
Songs of hope, songs of love
Enlarge my heart
Increase in You, decrease in me
Let Your grace be my guide
With peace, like new wine
Saving my soul, letting me know
That my life is in Your hands
In You my God I stand

Bridge:
And my hope is in You
And all I want to do
Is to know You more, Jesus

Love and Shalom from the Swoveys! 

Hi Brian!


The word for this week is "inherent". It is found twice in the Amplified Bible. Colossians 1:6:


6 Which has come to you. Indeed, in the whole world [that Gospel] is bearing fruit and still is growing [by its own inherent power], even as it has done among yourselves ever since the day you first heard and came to know and understand the grace of God in truth. [You came to know the grace or undeserved favor of God in reality, deeply and clearly and thoroughly, becoming accurately and intimately acquainted with it.] 

1 Thessalonians 1:4-5:

4 [O] brethren beloved by God, we recognize and know that He has selected (chosen) you; 

5 For our [preaching of the] glad tidings (the Gospel) came to you not only in word, but also in [its own inherent] power and in the Holy Spirit and with great conviction and absolute certainty [on our part]. You know what kind of men we proved [ourselves] to be among you for your good. 

The Gospel, the Word of God concerning salvation through Jesus of Nazareth, has within itself the power to save, heal, deliver, protect, rescue, set free, anyone who believes and receives! 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 believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.


The word "power" here is the Greek word "dunamis". According to Thayer's Greek Lexicon this means: strength, ability, power; universally, inherent power, power residing in a thing by virtue of its nature, or which a person or thing exerts and puts forth. So the Word of God has the power within itself to make what it says come to pass! THAT is why we are told that faith comes by hearing (and hearing and hearing) the Word of God (Romans 10:17)! So as you continue to get more of the Word of God inside of you, faith will continue to grow! Then when YOU speak it out over your family, over situations and circumstances, over every area of your life, you will have the results that you desire and that the Word promises! What a blessing that is! We serve such a wonderful God! Here is a song I have always loved called "This Is Our God" by Hillsong:

Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!