Hi Brian!

The word for this week is "shadow". We'll be looking at these verses from the Old Testament: Psalm 17:8 and Psalm 91:1:

Psalm 17:8 Keep and guard me as the pupil of Your eye; hide me in the shadow of Your wings.  AMP

Psalm 91:1 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

"Shadow" here is the Hebrew word "tsel". The Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament says: In a positive sense "shadow" conveys the idea of shade, protection, and defense. We can see in Psalm 91 that the conditions for being in position for this Godly protection is to "dwell" or live in the "secret place" of the Most High. I believe that this "secret place" is that place, or state, of being aware of His presence, and it comes through prayer, through praise and worship, through study and meditation of the Word, and through intimate fellowship with Him. This brings faith, trust and confidence in His ability and willingness to protect and provide. David had this confidence in Psalm 17, and he got there through obeying the Word and by calling on God. We can see this in verses 5-6:

Psalm 17:5 My steps have held closely to Your paths [to the tracks of the One Who has gone on before]; my feet have not slipped.  6 I have called upon You, O God, for You will hear me; incline Your ear to me and hear my speech. AMP

The verse in the New Testament we'll be looking at is this: Acts 5:15:

Acts 5:15 Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them. KJV

This is the Greek word "skia". Vine's Expository Dictionary of the New Testament says this: a shadow caused by the interception of light, or, in other words, a natural shadow that we all cast when the light is at a certain angle. The word "overshadow" is the Greek word "episkiazo". Thayer's Greek Lexicon says: to throw a shadow upon, to envelop in shadow, to overshadow. The people had confidence that if they could get close enough to Peter that His shadow would touch them, then they would be healed. The power was NOT in the shadow, but within and upon Peter, because He was filled with, and anointed by, the Holy Spirit! It was the presence of God's own LIFE within Peter that healed them, when they had faith to be healed! As you and Kristine stay in the Word of God, in fellowship with Him and filled with His Spirit, YOU can count on His protection, provision and safety, AND, you will have the people YOU come in contact with begin to have faith in coming to YOU for prayer! This will give you the opportunity to show off your God to them! We are living in exciting times! Here is a new song from Hillsong United's upcoming album, Empires, called "Touch The Sky":

Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!

Hi Brian!

The word for this week is "ever". I was actually looking up "forever", but that isn't in the Bible. It is always listed as "for" and  "ever". "For" is a Greek primary preposition "eis", which means: into; unto; to; towards; for; among; according to Strong's Concordance. The Scriptures we'll be looking at are: 

John 14:16  And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

1 Peter 1:23  Being born again , not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which lives and abides for ever.

1 Peter 1:24  But the word of the Lord endures for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

"Ever" is the Greek word "aion". Strong's Concordance says: an unbroken age; perpetuity of time; eternity. So, everywhere WE go, the Spirit of God, our Comforter, goes with us! And He will, for ever! Even the times we may feel most alone, we, as born again believers, are NEVER alone! THAT gives me peace and comfort! Then, when we combine that Truth with the Truth that tells us that the Word of God will also go on for ever, we can have extraordinary confidence that what we have spoken, we WILL see! We know that He spoke the universe into existence, and that work of art is ever expanding! The WORD continually doing the work it was spoken out to do! In that same way, when WE speak the Word into the situations in our own lives, THAT Word continues to produce good and Godly things also! Unless WE dig it up by speaking contrary to the Word that we have previously spoken. THAT, along with Proverbs 18:20, should give us great incentive to watch what we say! 

21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they who indulge in it shall eat the fruit of it [for death or life].

John 15:7 is another promise that we should grab and never let go!

7 If you live in Me [abide vitally united to Me] and My words remain in you and continue to live in your hearts, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you.

HE will watch over it to make certain that it is accomplished and WE can count on it! Every good Word that you speak over your family may not appear to be doing much at the time, but you WILL look back one day and see the amazing results! For her entire life, your father-in-law spoke over Kristine that she was the prettiest girl in the North, South, East and West. Then he added all of the other distant ranges! She went from being a cute little girl to a most beautiful woman (inside and out)! That is NOT a coincidence! I know that you are both speaking great things over your girls because they just SHINE! Keep up the great good work! You are an amazing dad and we love you! Here is a song that that is new to me. Kari Jobe with a powerful resurrection worship song called "Forever":

Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!

Hi Brian! 

As a final goodbye to a pick that most Vikings fans believe was a mistake, { :D } the word for this week is "pondered"! It's found only once in the Bible in Luke 2:19:

19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

This is the Greek word "sumballo". Strong's Concordance says : to throw together; to bring together; to converse; to bring together in one's mind; to confer with oneself. The angel Gabriel had revealed to Mary that the Son she would bear would be called the Son of God, and that He would one day rule as a King (Luke 1). Now these shepherds came saying that angels had spoken to them and declared that a Saviour had been born! She, at that time, could not comprehend what this all meant, but she didn't dismiss it as nonsense. Instead, she set these thoughts off to the side in her mind and would bring them back to think on from time to time. We KNOW that she did NOT understand what all of this meant then because later on in the ministry of Jesus, she and her other children came to bring Jesus home because they were concerned about him (Mark 3:21 and 31. All of her "pondering" helped, though, because she was right there in the upper room to be filled with the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost! As you continue in your study and meditation of the Word, there will be times when something you read or hear being taught doesn't really make sense. If you will "ponder" these things, the Spirit of God will continue to show you what it means, bit by bit, until it begins to make perfect sense and you can stand on it and act on it! Isaiah 28:9-10 tells us that this is how we learn the Word:

9 Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. 10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:

WE are taking it "word upon word"! I love it! Here is an older song by Hillsong called "I Live To Know You":

Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!

Hi Brian!

The word for this week is "exhort". Here are a few verses where we find this word:

1 Thessalonians 4:1 Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.

Acts 2:40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort , saying , Save yourselves from this untoward generation.

1 Timothy 2:1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;

2 Timothy 4:2  Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.

And then "exhorting" in Hebrews 10:25:

25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching .

This is the Greek word "parakaleo". Strong's Concordance says: to call to one's side; to address; to speak to; to entreat, to comfort; to console; to encourage; to strengthen; to instruct. While your Father-in-law operates in the ministry of a Pastor/Teacher, I operate more in the areas of preaching and exhortation. My hope is that this blog is a continual source of blessing, instruction, encouragement, and comfort to you! If it ever becomes too much, or you are just too busy for it, let me know! Until them, Happy Birthday on Thursday! Praying that this will be your best, and most blessed, year ever! Have a wonderful celebration! Here is a song by Hillsong Kids called "Blessed Be Your Name": 

Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!

Hi Brian!

The word for this week is "scandal". We'll be looking at 1 Corinthians 1:22-23 from the Amplified Bible:

22 For while Jews [demandingly] ask for signs and miracles and Greeks pursue philosophy and wisdom, 23 We preach Christ (the Messiah) crucified, [preaching which] to the Jews is a scandal and an offensive stumbling block [that springs a snare or trap], and to the Gentiles it is absurd and utterly unphilosophical nonsense.

This word is a transliterated word from the Greek "skandalizo". Strong's Concordance says this: to put a stumbling block or impediment in the way; to cause a person to distrust; to make indignant; to cause displeasure. Verses 18-19 show how the lost see the Gospel:

18 For the story and message of the cross is sheer absurdity and folly to those who are perishing and on their way to perdition, but to us who are being saved it is the [manifestation of] the power of God. 19 For it is written, I will baffle and render useless and destroy the learning of the learned and the philosophy of the philosophers and the cleverness of the clever and the discernment of the discerning; I will frustrate and nullify [them] and bring [them] to nothing.

The rules and regulations of the religious leaders of that time got in the way of them really seeing the Messiah and recognizing Him! They could NOT believe that eternal salvation could really be that simple! "Only believe" was what Jesus said to do (Mark 5:36 and 8:50)! 1 Corinthians 1:27-31 explain a little further what God's plan was!

27 [No] for God selected (deliberately chose) what in the world is foolish to put the wise to shame, and what the world calls weak to put the strong to shame. 28 And God also selected (deliberately chose) what in the world is lowborn and insignificant and branded and treated with contempt, even the things that are nothing, that He might depose and bring to nothing the things that are, 29 So that no mortal man should [have pretense for glorying and] boast in the presence of God. 30 But it is from Him that you have your life in Christ Jesus, Whom God made our Wisdom from God, [revealed to us a knowledge of the divine plan of salvation previously hidden, manifesting itself as] our Righteousness [thus making us upright and putting us in right standing with God], and our Consecration [making us pure and holy], and our Redemption [providing our ransom from eternal penalty for sin]. 31 So then, as it is written, Let him who boasts and proudly rejoices and glories, boastand proudly rejoice and glory in the Lord.

The God of the Bible desires that everyone KNOW that it is His love that provided salvation (John 3:16-17 AMP), and that the natural efforts of human beings will NEVER be enough! So THAT is the "scandal"! That there is NO WAY that we could EVER be good enough - on our own- to merit Heaven, BUT, HE made the Way! He IS the Way (John 14:6). Through the years many denominations have "added a little something" to the simple Gospel to try to make it more "understandable" to them, but then it was no longer Gospel! The TRUTH is that we did not, and could not, EVER deserve what Jesus did for us! But that was HIS desire! So, as scandalous as this may have been to those religious leaders of that day, AND of  ours, it IS the TRUTH! GRACE! Gods's unmerited favor! Getting what we do NOT deserve and NOT getting what we DO deserve! Children have a much easier time just accepting this than many adults do! That's why it is so important to reach them while they're young with this Good News! You and Kristine have done an excellent job of presenting Jesus to Avery and Elle, and I know that you will do the same for Georgia and Reagan! How exciting to see them and their pure, simple and powerful faith! Well done! Here is Hillsong United with "Scandal of Grace":

Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!