Hi Brian!

I know you're traveling, so have a safe trip! The word for this week is "covenant". In the Old Testament we see God's promise to Abram here is Genesis 17:6-7:

6 And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. 7 And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. KJV

This "covenant" is the Hebrew word "beryith". Strong's Concordance says: a compact, confederacy, league. Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon adds: alliance, pledge, treaty, agreement. The Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament says: between God and man: a covenant accompanied by signs, sacrifices, and a solemn oath that sealed the relationship with promises of blessing for keeping the covenant and curses for breaking it. This covenant that God made with Abram was a a commitment by God that everything that Abram had belonged to God and everything God had belonged to Abram! It was a blood covenant that brought blessing to those keeping it and cursing on those who did not. If the Hebrew people would have understood the extent of their covenant, they would not have had a care or worry in the world! The One, True God was sworn by His own Word to protect and provide for each of His Covenant members! Their problem, when they had one, was because of ignorance of all that was theirs BECAUSE of the covenant! In the New Testament we have an entirely new and different type of Covenant that includes the Old but adds SO MUCH MORE! Look at Hebrews 8:6:

6 But as it now is, He [Christ] has acquired a [priestly] ministry which is as much superior and more excellent as the covenant (the agreement) of which He is the Mediator (the Arbiter, Agent) is superior and more excellent, [because] it is enacted and rests upon more important (sublimer, higher, and nobler) promises. AMP

This "covenant" is the Greek word "diatheke". Strong's Concordance says: a disposition. Thayer's Greek Lexicon says: an arrangement, a testament, a compact. Vine's Expository Dictionary says: a disposition of property by will or otherwise. When Jesus died and rose again, He became the One overseeing His own Will and Testament! He paid the entire price of this new and better covenant and all that is left for us to do is to receive Jesus as Lord and Saviour. NOW we are a member of this Covenant! It is vital that we find out just what is IN this last "will and testament" of Jesus so that we know what belongs to us as heirs of God and joint (equal) heirs with Jesus (Romans 8:17)! In this case, also, what we DON'T know will most definitely hurt us! Jesus sealed this new Covenant with His own blood! He was the starter and the finisher of this plan to redeem us back from the enemy and give us ACCESS to all that He has! The secret is in the finding! 

We were told a story once about a man who bought a ticket to travel by ship from Europe to America. He had only enough money for the ticket, so he brought along some food for himself because he knew it to be a long voyage. He barely had enough, existing on something like crackers. As they approached the port he began to speak to another passenger who asked why he had never seen him at any of the dinners on board. The man explained his money situation and the other passenger was shocked. "Didn't you know that all of the meals on board ship are included with the price of the ticket?" What a sad situation it would be to get to Heaven and find out that we had missed out on what God had provided only because we didn't do our "homework" and find out what belongs to us, here and now! Being in the Word everyday, attending a good local church, having fellowship with like-minded believers AND having great in-laws that know the Word, puts YOU and your family in a great position to walk in all the fullness of God's plan for you! I LOVE to hear Avery speak about Jesus! She will also know what belongs to her better than very many adults!

Have a safe and very productive rest of your trip! Here is Hillsong United with "In The Mystery", knowing that it will no longer be a mystery for YOU!

Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!

Hi Brian!

The word for this week is "unspeakable"! The only place it's found in the Bible is 1 Peter 1:6-8:

6 Wherein you greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, you are in heaviness through manifold temptations: 7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perishes, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: 8 Whom having not seen, you love; in whom, though now you see him not, yet believing, you rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: KJV

This is the Greek word "aneklaletos". Strong's concordance says: not spoken out, i.e. unutterable. Vine's Expository Dictionary says: unable to be told out. Here are these same verses from the Amplified Bible:

6 [You should] be exceedingly glad on this account, though now for a little while you may be distressed by trials and suffer temptations, 7 So that [the genuineness] of your faith may be tested, [your faith] which is infinitely more precious than the perishable gold which is tested and purified by fire. [This proving of your faith is intended] to redound to [your] praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) is revealed. 8 Without having seen Him, you love Him; though you do not [even] now see Him, you believe in Him and exult and thrill with inexpressible and glorious (triumphant, heavenly) joy. AMP

That's the kind of joy that is so over overwhelming that we just can't explain it! One of the songs we've used before called "You Are More" has a line that says: "You are more than my words could ever say". That's the same idea here! "Without having seen" means that this great joy that we have when we believe comes ONLY from believing what the Word of God says about Him, as the Holy Spirit makes it real! (Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. Romans 10:17). This same unspeakable joy can be ours concerning everything that the Word promises, as we meditate on it. In fact, we will know just WHEN the Word becomes real by the joy that comes with the understanding! My prayer for you, as you continue to study the Word of God, is that He will make the Word so very clear to you that you will be continually filled with THIS joy! What a wonderful way to live! Here is a new song from the Hillsong United album, Zion, called "Up In Arms":

Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!

Hi Brian!

The word for this week is "revelation". We first think of the Book of Revelation as in Revelation 1:1:

1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: KJV

This is the Greek word "apokalupsis" . Strong's Concordance says: disclosure and that it is from the Greek word "apokalupto", which means: to take the cover off. Thayer's Greek Lexicon says of the first one above: a laying bare; making naked and of the second one: to uncover; lay open what has been veiled or covered up; to disclose; make bare. The Amplified Bible says this for Reveltaion 1:1:

1 [THIS IS] the revelation of Jesus Christ [His unveiling of the divine mysteries]. God gave it to Him to disclose and make known to His bond servants certain things which must shortly and speedily come to pass in their entirety. And He sent and communicated it through His angel (messenger) to His bond servant John, AMP

Paul tells us in Galatians 1:11-12 that THIS is how he came to know the Gospel:

11 But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. 12 For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. KJV

So Jesus Himself revealed, disclosed, uncovered, laid open to Paul the Truth of the Word concerning Himself and the Gospel. Paul went on to say that he spent three years separated from the other disciples, learning from Jesus! Galatians 1:15-18:

15 But when He, Who had chosen and set me apart [even] before I was born and had called me by His grace (His undeserved favor and blessing), saw fit and was pleased  [Isa 49:1; Jer 1:5.] 16 To reveal (unveil, disclose) His Son within me so that I might proclaim Him among the Gentiles (the non-Jewish world) as the glad tidings (Gospel), immediately I did not confer with flesh and blood [did not consult or counsel with any frail human being or communicate with anyone]. 17 Nor did I [even] go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles (special messengers of Christ) before I was, but I went away and retired into Arabia, and afterward I came back again to Damascus. 18 Then three years later, I did go up to Jerusalem to become [personally] acquainted with Cephas (Peter), and remained with him for fifteen days. AMP


Everything that Paul learned of Jesus was revealed to him BY Jesus personally! Now, to the REALLY exciting part! He will do the same for us! The prayer that Paul prays in Ephesians 1:17-23 says this:

17 [For I always pray to] the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, that He may grant you a spirit of wisdom and revelation [of insight into mysteries and secrets] in the [deep and intimate] knowledge of Him, 18 By having the eyes of your heart flooded with light, so that you can know and understand the hope to which He has called you, and how rich is His glorious inheritance in the saints (His set-apart ones), 19 And [so that you can know and understand] what is the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His power in and for us who believe, as demonstrated in the working of His mighty strength, 20 Which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His [own] right hand in the heavenly [places], 21 Far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named [above every title that can be conferred], not only in this age and in this world, but also in the age and the world which are to come. 22 And He has put all things under His feet and has appointed Him the universal and supreme Head of the church [a headship exercised throughout the church],  [Ps 8:6.] 23 Which is His body, the fullness of Him Who fills all in all [for in that body lives the full measure of Him Who makes everything complete, and Who fills everything everywhere with Himself]. AMP

I KNOW that that prayer is being prayed for you and your family by your in-laws and by us! When we pray according to His will, He hears us and we have the answer (1 John 5:14-15)! So EXPECT to have more "revelation" of God's Word every day! I do! Here is Hillsong with "You'll Come":

Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!

Hi Brian!

The word for this week is "spoken". Here are two verses we'll be looking at:


John 15:11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. KJV

John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. KJV

This is the Greek word "laleo". Strong's Concordance says: to talk, utter words. Translated as preach, say, speak, talk, tell, utter. Thayer's Greek Lexicon says: to utter a sound; to utter a voice; to speak; to use words in order to declare one's mind and disclose one's thoughts; to speak. When God wanted us to have joy and peace, and any other good thing He has provided, He SPOKE! In the beginning, He SPOKE "light" and light came into being! When the storm came on the Sea of Galilee, Jesus SPOKE to it and it stilled. When Lazarus was dead and in the tomb, Jesus SPOKE and Lazarus came forth, ALIVE! Everything that God has promised us in the Word as our part of the Covenant MUST be spoken into being! We must "speak the Word only" (Matthew 8:8) and it WILL be done! What a blessing that you go to a church called "Speak The Word", where they teach you to do just that! As you and Kristine continue to speak the Word of God over your family, HE will be able to move on your behalf in extraordinary ways to make it come to pass! Here is Hillsong Live with "Rise":

Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!