Hi Brian!

The word for this week is "awe". Psalm 4:4 says this:

4 Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah. KJV

This is the Hebrew word "ragaz". Strong's Concordance says: to quiver with any violent emotion. Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon says this:  to tremble, to be excited. If we are truly passionate about the things of  God, then we WILL find ourselves getting emotional and excited at times! The promises of God, and His very character, are something to be excited about! This verse is speaking of our alone time in fellowship with Him, and then we are instructed to be still. Being excited about Him and about the Word of God will not cause it to come to pass in our lives. There has to be time spent listening to the Holy Spirit as He instructs us in how to act on the Word. This is the "being still" time! When we do this, then the Holy Spirit can lead and guide us in how to put this Word into practice! When we do that, we can have great confidence that God will do His part in confirming the promises of the Word (Mark 16:20)! It is also very exciting to know that you and Kristine can instill this "awe" in your children for the things of God! We love them and love hearing that they love Jesus! You are both doing a great job! Can't wait to see you all again! Here is an "exciting" song from Hillsong United called "Go":

Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!

Hi Brian!

The word for this week is "cover"! We'll be looking at one verse in the Old Testament and one in the New Testament. Psalm 91:4:

4 He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings shall you trust: His truth shall be your shield and buckler. KJV

"Cover" here is the Hebrew word "cabak". Strong' Concordance says: to entwine as a screen, to fence in, to cover over, to protect. Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon adds: to hedge, shut in, to stop the approach. This, of course, is the promise of God's protection from the enemy! The prerequisite for this strong protection is found in verse 1:

1 HE WHO dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall remain stable and fixed under the shadow of the Almighty [Whose power no foe can withstand]. AMP

My own definition of the "secret place" is that place where we are aware of His presence! We can get there through prayer, praise and worship, study and meditation of His Word and fellowship with Him! Learning to spend time in His presence, where His voice becomes clearer, is one of the most important things we can do! WHEN we do that, then we can operate without fear in any and every situation because we KNOW that we are covered, sheltered and protected by HIM! The very best "Bodyguard" anyone could ask for! Now let's look at 1 Peter 4:8:

8 And above all things have fervent love for one another, for love will cover a multitude of sins. NKJV

This is the Greek word "kalupto". Strong's Concordance says: to cover up. The Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament adds: to conceal. The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament also includes: to bury. I believe that when we choose to walk in love with others, then we will NOT expose THEIR sin. We will pray for them, speak to them at the leading of the Holy Spirit, but NOT speak to others about it. I also believe that when we DO this, it is seed sown so that when WE sin, our sins are also covered! The Amplified Bible says  this:

8 Above all things have intense and unfailing love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins [forgives and disregards the offenses of others]. AMP

By staying in His presence and walking in love, HE has got us covered! I  LOVE the confidence that brings! Here is Hillsong United with "Relentless":

Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!

Hi Brian!

The word for this week is "raised". We'll be looking at these verses: Matthew 16:21; Matthew 17:22-23; Luke 7:22-23:

Matt 16:21 From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. KJV

Matt 17:22 And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men. 23 And they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised again. And they were exceeding sorry. KJV

Luke 7:22 Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached. 23 And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me. KJV

In all three of these passages, "raised" is the Greek word "egeiro". Strong's Concordance says: to waken, i.e. to rouse. Thayer's Greek Lexicon says: to arouse from sleep, to recall the dead to life. Jesus warned His disciples ahead of time, but they had no way of understanding Him at that time! Matthew 17:22 adds that "they were exceeding sorry"! If they had believed Him, they would have been excitedly and expectantly looking forward to that third day! They had even seen Lararus "raised" back to life from death after days in the tomb, yet  they weren't expecting Jesus to come back! They couldn't understand because they still had the old sin nature. Until Jesus rose from the dead, and they could be born again, they had no way of understanding the Word because, as 1 Corinthians 2:14 tells us, the Word must be spiritually discerned:

14 But the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. KJV

The Amplified Bible makes it even more clear:

14 But the natural, nonspiritual man does not accept or welcome or admit into his heart the gifts and teachings and revelations of the Spirit of God, for they are folly (meaningless nonsense) to him; and he is incapable of knowing them [of progressively recognizing, understanding, and becoming better acquainted with them] because they are spiritually discerned and estimated and appreciated. AMP

We CAN understand that Jesus was raised from the dead back to life, with a reborn spirit, making it possible for US to do the same! There should be no fear of death for believers, only a determination to NOT have this life stolen before we are able to fulfill our calling here. Once we are satisfied that we have run our race to the finish, then we can look forward to being immediately in Heaven with Jesus AND to having these mortal bodies raised and changed to our immortal, resurrection bodies one day! What a day THAT will be! I am fully persuaded that we will NOT see physical death before Jesus appears for the church, but I am NOT afraid to go the natural way IF He should wait for quite  some time! I have heard it said that only when you are not afraid to die, can you truly live! Glory to God for HIS life in us! Here is Hillsong Live with "God Is Able":

Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!

Hi Brian!

I hope you are all staying warm! The word for this week is "building". We'll be looking at only one selection in the New Testament today. Jude 20-21 says this:

20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, 21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. KJV

"Building" here is the Greek word "epoikodomeo". Strong's Concordance says: to build upon, i.e. to rear up. This is a compound word with the first part being "epi" and the second part being "oikodomeo", which Strong's Concordance says means: to be a house builder, to construct or confirm. Strong's Concordance says of "epi": a primary preposition properly, meaning superimposition (of time, place, order, etc.), as a relation of distribution (over, upon). We see this same word when we speak of the "knowledge" that is from the Greek "epignosis". Where that word means "layer upon layer of knowledge", in this instance the layer that is being built upon layer is referring to our faith! "Faith" is the Greek word "pistis", which The Theological Word Book says means: confidence, certainty, trust, trustworthiness, guarantee, assurance. We know from Romans 10:17 where faith comes from:

17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. KJV

So, we GET faith to handle any situation from the Word of God! THEN, after we GET faith, we can BUILD ON that  faith by "praying in the Holy Ghost (Spirit)". These two actions, studying the Word of God and praying in the Spirit, will help us to get and stay strong in faith! We can stand unafraid, in faith, no matter what is happening in the world, when we do this! That's how HE planned it, and I like His plan! Here is a really old song from Hillsong called "Faith":

Love and shalom from the Swoveys!