Hi Brian! 

The word for this week is "mind". There are several words translated "mind" in the Bible. We'll be looking at two of them this week and maybe tackle the others another time! We'll be looking at theses verses:

Matthew 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. KJV

Mark 12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. KJV

Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. KJV

Romans 14:5 One man esteems one day above another: another esteems every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. KJV

In the first two verses we're looking at the Greek word "dianoia". Strong's Concordance says: deep thought, the faculty and it's exercise. Thayer's Greek Lexicon adds: the understanding or thought. Vine's Expository Dictionary says: a thinking through or over, a meditation, a reflecting, the faculty of knowing, This is actually a compound word. The first part is "dia", which Strong's Concordance says means: the channel of an act. Thayer's Greek Lexicon adds: through. The second part of this compound word is actually the Greek word used in the last two verses above. "Nous". Strong's concordance says: The intellect. Thayer's Greek Lexicon adds: the intellective faculty, the understanding, the faculty of perceiving, of recognizing, the power of considering and judging soberly, calmly and impartially. We know that we are spirit beings. When we receive JESUS as Lord and Saviour, our previously dead spirit is reborn, made new and in the image of God. A new creation that never existed before. While we ARE spirit beings, we also possess souls, which consist of our mind, emotions and will. THIS is where all of the decisions and choices are made! In order to make the right choices, we must do what Romans 12:2 above says and renew those minds with the Word of God! By meditating on God's Word as we are instructed in Joshua 1:8, the Word comes alive IN us so that we can obey that Word and then stand upon it in faith! Controlling our thought life by recognizing where the thoughts are originating from, and then either rejecting those thoughts and replacing them with the right thoughts, or accepting them and continuing to meditate on them, will cause us to grow in faith and in knowledge and understanding of God's Word! I love to learn the Word through music. That's one of the reasons that I like to post songs with all of my blogs. Here, for you today, is another kids song from Hillsong Kids' new album Can You Believe It? called "You Know Me":

Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!

Hi Brian!

The word for this week is "plenteous". We find it in these two verses in the Old Testament and in one verse in the New Testament. 

Psalm 86:5 For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee. KJV

Psalm 103:8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. KJV

Matthew 9:36-38 But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. 37 Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; 38 Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest. KJV

In the two verses in Psalms we have the Hebrew word "rab", which, according to Strong's Concordance and the Theological Dictionary, means: abundant in quantity, size, age, number, rank or quality. Then in Matthew we have the Greek word "polus", which Strong's Concordance says means: much, many, largely, and Thayer's Greek Lexicon says means: great , strong, intense, large. Thayer's also says that this word denotes an emotion, a state, which can be said to have measure, weight, force, intensity, size or continuance. So in any and every instance, this word seems to indicate a sense of something more. His mercy is without end and is ever available whenever each of us needs it. (Thank You, JESUS, for that wonderful Truth!) And the harvest, or those needing, and wanting, JESUS as Saviour, is also ever changing as more and more people realize their need for the Saviour. Actually, even as I have been looking into this word, it has become one of my favorite new words! Plenteous just has such a nice, quietly powerful ring to it! I think I will start speaking this word over every area of my life, and those I love! That will definitely include you and Kristine and my four beautiful and unique God-granddaughters! This study also brought to mind this song from Hillsong Young and Free's Youth Revival album called "This Is Real Love":

Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!

Hi Brian!

The word for this week is "assurance". We find it in these four portions of Scripture in the New Testament:

Colossians 2:2 That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; 3 In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. KJV

1 Thessalonians 1:5 For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake. KJV

Hebrews 6:11 And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: 12 That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises. KJV

Hebrews 10:21 And having an high priest over the house of God; 22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. KJV

In each instance the Greek word used is "plerophoria". Strong's Concordance says: entire confidence. Thayer's Greek Lexicon adds: Fullness, abundance. Vine's Expository Dictionary says: A full carrying, full fruitfulness. The Theological Dictionary says: supreme  fullness, certainty. Our Father's plan is to have us SO aware of His presence that we never lack confidence in doing the things that He instructs us to do! In all of these verses we find that there truly is NOTHING that can ever separate us from God and His Love.When we have that firmly established in our hearts, then we can operate in a level of faith that can 'see' the answer as clearly inside as our eyes will see when we have the manifestation of what we believe. That's when we can, by standing on the Word of God, be "fully persuaded", which is also another form of this same Greek word: plerophoreo. We find that in these two verses:

Romans 4:21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. KJV

Romans 14:5 One man esteems one day above another: another esteems every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. KJV

I am in agreement with you, Kristine and your family for everything that you are believing God for! I am expecting that this next year will be the very BEST and most BLESSED of your lives so far! And THIS is only the beginning! Be assured! Here is Hillsong Kids with "Made In Your Image":

Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!

Hi Brian!

What a great win! Especially that DEFENSE! The word for this week is "friend". We'll be looking at these verses:

John 3:29 He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. KJV

James 2:23 And [so] the Scripture was fulfilled that says, Abraham believed in (adhered to, trusted in, and relied on) God, and this was accounted to him as righteousness (as conformity to God's will in thought and deed), and he was called God's friend.  AMP

James 4:4 You [are like] unfaithful wives [having illicit love affairs with the world and breaking your marriage vow to God]! Do you not know that being the world's friend is being God's enemy? So whoever chooses to be a friend of the world takes his stand as an enemy of God. AMP

These are all the Greek word "philios". Strong's Concordance says: a friend, actively fond, friendly. The Theological Dictionary says: friend, loved one. If we are truly the friend  of God, then we will LOVE what God loves and HATE what God hates! In John 3 we are told that the proper attitude all believers should have is the"attitude of gratitude", rejoicing with all who rejoice. That unselfish response will increase out capacity to receive even more! Abraham was called the friend of God because he dared to BELIEVE what God had said about him, and acted on it And then James is showing us that we cannot have the same attitude toward the world that we have toward God. We must love the lost, but never be too attached to the world's way of doing things. And also, good friends are valuable gifts from God into our lives, but there is NO better FRIEND that JESUS, Who can be counted on NO MATTER WHAT! ! I LOVE that! Here is another new song from Hillsong KIds new album, Can You Believe It, called "Ask Seek Knock":

Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!