Hi Brian!

I hope Elle had a great time! The word for this week is "virtue". We find it only in these New Testament in these verses:

Mark 5:30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes? KJV

Luke 6:19 And the whole multitude sought to touch him: for there went virtue out of him, and healed them all. KJV

Luke 8:45 And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? 46 And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me. KJV

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. KJV

2 Peter 1:2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, 3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: KJV

In the first three verses we have the Greek word "dunamis". Strong's Concordance says: force, specially, miraculous power, a miracle. Thayer's Greek Lexicon says: strength, ability, power, inherent power, power residing in a thing or which a person exerts and puts forth. The power of performing miracles. Vine's Expository Dictionary says: inherent ability, works of a supernatural origin and character, such as could not be produced by natural agents and means. In the last two verses we have the Greek word "arete". Strong's Concordance says: manliness, valor, excellence. Thayer's Greek Lexicon says: an excellence of person, or of a thing, an eminent endowment, poperty or quality. Vine's Expository Dictionary says:  intrinsic eminence, moral goodness. 

So the 'virtue' that we have IN us is meant, in the first example, to minister to the needs of others. We ARE the Body of Christ in the earth and we represent Him, or should be, in all that we do! People should and will be drawn to us as they see JESUS IN us, and operating through us. The second 'virtue' is a godly character that shines through all that we do, and this, too, points them to JESUS!  It is ALL Jesus! His ability, His Wisdom, His Anointing, His power flowing through OUR HANDS as we dare to believe that WE are carriers of this 'virtue'. This POWER! These miracles! Here, to encourage you in this, is Hillsong Worship with "No One But You":

Love and Shalom from the Swoveys

Hi Brian!

I want to share Rick Renner's "Sparkling Gems From The Greek - Volume 2" today! 

SUPERNATURAL ASSISTANCE

Are they [angels] not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation? — Hebrews 1:14

Today I want to talk to you about the ministry of angels, and how they work to protect and deliver us in times of trouble. Let me begin by retelling a part of a story that I related to you in the May 29 Gem, and I want add a story at the end to demonstrate the point even stronger.

I had long wanted to visit the city of Vorkuta, located above the Arctic Circle in Russia. It was one of the major cities where Joseph Stalin deported believers during a raging period of persecution. There Christians were incarcerated in huge prison camps and forced to work deep under the earth in dangerous coal mines, where they dug the coal that fired the massive coal-burning factories and trains of the Soviet Union.

I sensed that it was a divine assignment to visit Vorkuta at that time. Because of its notorious place in history for Christian believers, I wanted to talk to the TV director that covered that large area in order to obtain a contract for broadcasting our TV program. I also intended to find out how many believers still lived there and what we could do to be of assistance to them.

As I related in the earlier Gem, my seat on the airplane was at the front of the plane near the flight attendant station, and I was seated next to a window, which made it possible for me to see everything happening outside of the airplane. My particular seat faced the tail of the plane, so I could also see everything that was happening inside the aircraft.

First, all the passengers boarded. Then I watched out my window as cargo handlers began to load cargo into the underside of the plane. I was shocked at the amount of boxes, suitcases, and cargo they were putting into the cargo hold. In fact, it was so overfilled that when it came time to shut the doors to the cargo hold, it took several men to shut it, because the overflowing cargo was pressing against the door.

Meanwhile, inside the plane from where I was seated, I watched as airport workers piled boxes, boxes, and more boxes in the tail of the plane, until the rear end of the plane — that is, the kitchen and the toilets — were no longer visible or accessible. After that, they began piling luggage and boxes into empty seats, and then they started stacking them from the back to the front of the center aisle of the plane. The extra cargo filled the cabin all the way from the very back to where I sat in the front of the plane!

Because I was seated close to the flight attendants, I could hear their conversations. I overheard one flight attendant say to another, “I’m getting off this plane, because it’s so severely overloaded that I’m afraid this plane is not going to make it.”

Yet I knew I was supposed to go to Vorkuta. So what should I do? I thought. I bowed my head with those who were traveling with me, and we prayed, “Lord, if this plane is going to crash, please do anything needed to get us off this plane!”

Just as we finished praying, a flight attendant frantically yelled, “Everyone — as quickly as possible — get off this plane! We just received a phone call that there’s a bomb on this plane!”

People started fighting with each other and shoving their way to the airplane door. At last when everyone was off the plane, and we were inside the terminal, a public announcement was made, which declared that the entire plane was being unloaded so the authorities could search for a bomb. After hours of our waiting and wondering what to do next, another public announcement was made over the intercom, saying, “After searching the aircraft, we found no bomb on the plane. It was a false threat. However, we have decided that when we all reboard the aircraft, no extra luggage or boxes will be permitted. Only the suitcases of passengers will be permitted on this airplane.”

My companions and I stepped into the plane and reseated ourselves in the same seats that had been assigned to us. People looked relieved, peaceful, and thankful that the plane was no longer overloaded. I heard the same flight attendant who had earlier threatened to get off the plane tell his colleague, “Now we’ll have a safe flight.”

This brings me to what I want to share today about the delivering and protective ministry of angels — because I asked myself that day, Who was that mysterious phone caller who said there was a bomb on the airplane? Who caused the airplane to be so quickly emptied, leading to the fortuitous decision to remove all that dangerous extra cargo? I wondered, Is it possible that an angel was the unidentified mystery caller?

Hebrews 1:14 declares, “Are they [angels] not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?” According to this verse, angels are “sent forth to minister” on behalf of those who belong to the family of God.

The word “minister” is the Greek word diakonia, a word that depicts high-level service. It is important to note that rabbis in New Testament times used a very similar phrase to describe what they called “angels of service or ministry” — angels whom they believed were assigned to protect individuals and deliver them from harm.

Let us be confident that part of the angelic ministry is to ensure a believer’s safety from dangerous and harmful things. Certainly that day at the airport, something inexplicable happened that saved the lives of my team and everyone else who was on that airplane. There were five believers on my team. I would not be surprised if that event was some type of angelic intervention to spare our lives from tragedy. In fact, I truly believe this is what happened.

Especially during the time period when Hebrews 1:14 was written, believers were often forced to physically move from one place to another and were regularly caught in difficult circumstances. But “ministering spirits” — that is, angels — were sent forth to “minister” to them. These angels provided the highest level of service available to help these believers and protect them from harm as they were en route from one place to another.

The phrase “sent forth” in Hebrews 1:14 is a translation of the Greek word apostello, which describes one who is dispatched on a mission. Therefore, these angels spoken of in this verse are purposefully dispatched on a mission to serve and protect the heirs of salvation. It was, and it remains, the mission of angels to serve the needs of the saints and to provide them protection.

Even as you read this, perhaps you can think of people who were in the direct path of harm until something happened to divert their course, and it was that change of direction that spared them from a catastrophic event. I am reminded of a time when our eldest son Paul had a car accident in Moscow. He hit a pole, and it turned the car over multiple times, totally crushing the vehicle. Yet all three people in that car walked away unharmed! The street-side pole was destroyed; the car was completely crushed. But the three people traveling in the car were unscathed. It was truly miraculous.

When Denise and I saw the car, we cried, because we realized there was no human way that death could have been avoided. It was clear to us that our son and his companions had been protected by angels who were assigned to protect them and save them from harm.

So today I want to encourage you to know that there are angels on assignment, sent to minister to you and to protect you in times of danger. To qualify for this angelic protection, Hebrews 1:14 states that one must be an “heir of salvation” — or one must be a child of God. So if you have made Jesus the Lord of your life, you qualify — and it’s time for you to recognize that angels have been assigned to you and to call upon them as you travel and traverse the twists and turns of your life.

Now every time I enter a plane, I lay my hands on its exterior and thank God for the angels who are traveling with me and who are assigned to keep me and all those traveling with me from harm. Knowing that God has provided such protection has kept me in peace on many occasions when I could have been inwardly disturbed in difficult situations. I keep in mind that 

Psalm 34:7 declares, “The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.”

This is a good day to take a few minutes to reflect on the times when your life has been spared by the divine intervention of God and His angelic hosts. Or perhaps you can think back to times when the lives of people near and dear to you were divinely protected. If they are heirs of salvation and the way they were spared was absolutely miraculous, you can know that they lived to tell the story because of angelic intervention. Angels were sent on assignment to travel with them and to protect them.

Although we certainly don’t worship angels, I think it’s right for us to thank God for providing this high-level service to keep us and protect us from harm!

I am certain that we have all been the recipients of angelic intervention at some point and I am looking forward to watching the replay of that at some point in Heaven! More inportantly, as WE pray, I fully expect that we can count on angelic intervention in the future! MERRY CHRISTMAS to you all! We love you and your beautiful family so much! Here is Hillsong with "We Have A Saviour":

Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!

Hi Brian!

Great game today! The word for this week is "Godward". It's found in these two verses in the New Testament:

2 Corinthians 3:4 And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: 5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; 6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. KJV

1 Thessalonians 1:8 For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing. KJV

 This 'word' is actually a phrase in the Greek. "Pros ton Theon". "Pros" is a preposition of direction, according to Strong's Concordance. It also says: forward to, or toward, pertaining to. Thayer's Greek Lexicon adds this: it is used of close proximity, at, by, with, the relation or close connection entered into by one person with another. According to Thayer's Greek Lexicon, "ton" is a demonstrative pronoun. It also says: The article, in all genders, indicates kinship, affinity, some kind of connection, association or fellowship. "Theon", according to Strong's Concordance, means: a deity, the supreme Divinity. Thayer's Greek Lexicon adds: spoken of the only and true God, used of whatever can in any respect be likened to God. Rick Renner, in his older video series introducing basic Greek, used John 1:1 to teach these Greek words, because the phrase is also in that verse.

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. KJV

Rick, being a Greek scholar, said that further study indicated that this phrase, especially when pertaining to this verse in Luke, means extremely close. Like "face to face", "nose to nose", or "eyeball to eyeball"! JESUS, the living Word of God, was so close to the Father God that there was no space between them! They are one, which means that they are of the same mind . There is NO division among them! The first verses that we looked at REALLY tell us that WE can be of one mind and in one accord with THEM, the Father, JESUS and Holy Spirit! As long as we keep feeding on and obeying God's Word, and spend time in intimate fellowship with Holy Spirit by praying in the Spirit and listening as HE speaks to US, then we can know His will and His ways! That puts us in a higher level of potential victory and success! I LOVE that HE leaves it all up to us! He will never force us to have fellowship with Him, but if we want to, we can know HIM as we are known BY HIM! What a treasure we possess! Here is Hillsong Worship with a new song from their new "Awake" album called "Come Alive":

Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!

Hi Brian!

The word for this week is "notable". It appears three times in the New Testament, each time from a different Greek word. First we have Matthew 27:15-16:

Mathew 27:15 Now at that feast the governor was wont to release unto the people a prisoner, whom they would. 16 And they had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas. KJV

This is the Greek word "episemos". Strong's Concordance says: remarkable, eminent. Thayer's Greek Leixon says: marked; in a good sense: of note, illustrious; in a bad sense: notorious, infamous. In this case it would be in the bad sense as it is referring to the criminal, Barabbas, who the crowd wanted released instead of JESUS! The next one is found in Acts 2:16-21:

Acts 2:16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel 17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: 18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: 19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: 20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: 21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. KJV

This is the Greek word "epiphanes". Strong's Concordance says: conspicuous, i.e. memorable. Thayer's Greek Lexicon adds: illustrious. Vine's Expository Dictionary says: renowned, to show forth, to appear. The Theological Dictionary adds: visible, magnificent. This is quite appropriate for the day this is speaking of, when the Lord Jesus shall stand again in Jerusalem! The last one is found in Acts 4:13-16:

Acts 4:13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus. 14 And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it. 15 But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, 16 Saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it. KJV

This is the Greek word "gnostos". Strong's Concordance says: well-known. The Theological Dictionary says: knowable, known, made known. The sense seems to be "recognizable" in Acts 14:16. This was the account of the crippled man at the gate of the temple who was begging for money when Peter and John told him, in the Name of Jesus, to rise up and walk! And HE DID! The religious leaders were NOT happy with Peter and John, but because the miracle of this man's healing was SO "notable", they really could do nothing to them, except to warn them to stop using the Name of Jesus! We KNOW how that went! From many trusted sources I have heard accounts of very 'notable' things happening again when God's people are unafraid to speak His Word and obey the leading of His Spirit! I am especially excited about the way that He is using children! They are bold, unafraid and ready to believe! I am sure that your lovely little ladies are going to be used mightily in the coming days and weeks! You and Kristine have instilled so much Wisdom into them! This song is for you AND them! Hillsong Kids with "Voices of Freedom":

Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!

Hi Brian! 

The word for this week is "hail". We find it in these verses in the New Testament:

Matthew 26:48 Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he: hold him fast. 49 And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, master; and kissed him. KJV

Matthew27:29 And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! KJV

Mark 15:17 And they clothed him with purple, and platted a crown of thorns, and put it about his head, 18 And began to salute him, Hail, King of the Jews! KJV

Luke 1:28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. KJV

Matthew 28:9 And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him. 10 Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me. KJV

In the first three examples we see the soldiers mocking JESUS with these words. Little did they know that He WAS the King of the Jews AND the soon to be Saviour of the world. They said the words mockingly, but also prophetically! We see this same word used by the angel Gabriel when he approached Mary to give her the message that shew had been chosen to carry the Son of the living God! In the last example we see the resurrected JESUS addressing the ladies who had run to the tomb. These are all the Greek word "chairo". Strong's Concordance says: to be cheerful, calmly happy or well off, especially as a salutation (be well). Thayer's Greek Lexicon says: to rejoice, to thrive. The Theological Dictionary says: Full of joy, rejoice, be merry. There have been other songs that use this word in praise and adoration of JESUS as Lord, but this new song by Hillsong Worship called "Awake My Soul" does it right! "Awake My Soul":

Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!

Hi Brian!

The word for this week is "likeness". We find it in these verses in the New Testament:

Romans 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: KJV

Romans 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: KJV

Philippians 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. KJV

These are all the Greek word "homoioma". Strong's Concordance says: a form, a resemblance. Thayer's Greek Lexicon says: that which has been made after the likeness of something, a figure, an image, a representation. The Theological Dictionary of New Testament words says: what is similar, a copy with the stress on the aspect of similarity, It also says this: "Christ is not just a heavenly being with an external human form; he is fully and truly human, but not a sinner. The point is similar in Philippians 2:7, where Christ, taking servant form, is born in human "likeness." The sense here is closer to that of form, but in the background are the two thoughts that he who is the full image of God becomes the image of man, and that the image means likeness rather than full identity, since Christ differs from all others by his consistent obedience (verse 8). Behind the statement lies the message of John 1:14, namely, that God has entered human history. It is not implied that he has ceased to be God; even in his humanity Christ is at the same time a being of another kind." 

I also want to add this from Rick Renner's "Sparkling Gems From The Greek - Volume 1 (December 23):

Paul goes on to say that Jesus “…was made in the likeness of men.” The phrase “was made” is the Greek word ginomai, which means to become, indicating that this was not Jesus’ original form but it became His new form. This clearly describes the miracle that occurred when God became a man. Jesus had always existed in the form of God, not the form of man. But taking upon Himself human flesh, He was formed in the womb of the Virgin Mary and became a man.

God literally took upon Himself the “likeness” of a man. The word “likeness” is the Greek word homoioma, which refers to a form or resemblance. This refers not only to Jesus’ being made in the visible likeness of men, but also in the human likeness of men. In other words, when Jesus appeared on this earth, He came in the actual form of a man and was just like man in every way.

Jesus was so completely made in the “likeness” of men that Hebrews 4:15 declares He was even tempted in every way that men are tempted. It says, “For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”

So we see that when God the Father sent His Son into the world, Jesus left His heavenly home and took upon Himself human flesh. And because of this great exchange, He has stood in our place; He has felt what we feel; He is touched with the feeling of our infirmities; and He intercedes for us with great compassion as our High Priest.

Every time that I learn a new, seemingly 'little', Truth about JESUS, I realize how much He DESIRES for US to KNOW HIM! Every new thing that we learn about HIM also causes us to learn something more about who WE are IN HIM! For that reason I am going to share Hillsong's "Who You Say I Am" again! Have a wonderfully blessed Thanksgiving celebration with all of your precious family! We can't wait to se the new family photo! We love you all so much! 

Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!

Hi Brian!

WOW! What a comback that was! The word for this week is "access", but I want to use a great Greek scholar's take on it, because it is SO interesting! This is from Rick Renner's "Sparkling Gems From The Greek - Volume 2".

Instant Access

For through him we both [Jew and Gentile] have access by one Spirit unto the Father. — Ephesians 2:18

In today’s technologically sophisticated, interconnected society, it’s so easy to pick up the phone, call anywhere in the world, and make an immediate connection to whomever you are calling. But when my family first moved to the Soviet Union to follow God’s call on our lives, placing an international phone call was quite a difficult task!

First of all, all international phone calls had to be “scheduled” and “ordered” in advance. In the city where we lived, it took three days to order a phone call to the United States. We would call the operator, tell her that we’d like to place a call to America, and give the number we wanted to call. The operator would respond, “Your call will come in three days” — however, she couldn’t tell us what time the call would be placed — so on that third day, we didn’t dare leave the house for any reason, because the call could come at any unknown minute.

If the call came through, and the number was busy, we couldn’t simply say, “Can we try another number?” That call was our only chance! If the line was busy, we had to schedule another call and wait for another three days. The connections were so horrible that often we had to yell and scream for our voices to be heard — if we actually connected to the person we were calling. Furthermore, special agents were on the phone line with us, listening to our conversations in order to monitor what we were saying. They were so obviously listening in that once I asked the agent to get off the phone, and he answered by telling me it was his job to listen!

Connecting was so difficult in those days! Finally, someone suggested that we purchase a satellite phone with a gigantic antenna. I would dial the call on a huge black box, and Denise would hold a gigantic antenna and point it this way and that way toward the sky, trying to figure out its optimal position so we could get the best possible connection. The antenna was huge! Denise and I must have looked like quite the sight as we stood in the front yard with a giant, umbrella-shaped antenna and a huge satellite phone, trying to figure out how to best connect with our families in the United States!

I’ve often thought of those difficult days of poor communication during my morning prayer times — when all I have to do is open my heart, express my faith, and I am instantly and effortlessly connected to Heaven! There are no three days of waiting and no waving of a giant antenna trying to find the correct “channel” that connects me to Heaven. All it takes is a single moment of faith, and an instant connection is made. I call it “instant access” to the throne of God.

This “instant access” is referred to in Ephesians 2:18, where the apostle Paul wrote that through Christ we have “access” by the Holy Spirit unto the Father. Today I want to talk to you about this word “access.”

The word “access” is the Greek word prosagoge. It is a Greek word that was used to describe individuals who had free entrance, access, or unhindered approach to a king’s court. There was no need for pleading or begging and no waiting in long lines to be recognized. It was an unhindered approach at any time and any moment. This means that when you are in Christ Jesus, the Holy Spirit provides a way for you to immediately connect with the Father at any time!

I don’t know the details of what you are facing today, but if you are in Christ Jesus, I can assuredly tell you that you have immediate access to the Father through the Spirit. Thank God, you don’t have to order a heavenly phone call and wait for three days to get through to the throne. You don’t have to worry that your connection will be put off again and again. Your position in Christ guarantees you instant, immediate access to the Father at any time and at every moment!

Isn't that just the most exciting thing? When I was growing up we had a party line. Every home on the line had a different ring so that we would know when the call was for us. We could also tell when some of the nosy neighbors were listening in on our calls! It is such a blessing to be able to communicate one on one with our Father God, instantly AND privately! As an extremely private person, I REALLY value that aspect, along with the INSTANT ACCESS! Here is Hillsong with an older song called  "None But Jesus":

Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!

Hi Brian!

Because I first posted this yesterday and am simply updating today, I can say "what a great win last night"! The word for this week is "oracles". We find it in these four portions of Scripture:

Acts 7:38 This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us: KJV

Romans 3:1 What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? 2 Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God. KJV

Hebrews 5:12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. KJV

1 Peter 4:11 If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. KJV

These are all the Greek word "logoin". Strong's Concoirdance says: an utterance (of God). Thayer's Greek Lexicon says: a little word, a brief utterance. Vine's Expository Dictionary says: a diminutive of logos, denotes a divine response or utterance, it is used of the contents of the Mosaic Law, all thew written uttereances of God through OT writers, the substance of Christian doctrine, the utterances of God through Christian teachers. The Theological Dictionary says: Means saying, pronouncement, oracle.Used for God's Word. Under the Old Covenant the priests had to receive answers from God through the Urim and Thumin in the breastplate. Under our new and better Covenant, we have received the written Word of God, but we also have access to the Spirit of God, Who reveals mysteries and secrets, or oracles, as we pray in the Spirit! All of the Wisdom and Knowledge of Heaven is available to us IF we choose to pursue it! We truly are living in the best and most exciting time to be alive! My prayer for you and Kristine is that God will continue to reveal Himself and His great Wisdom to you every day as you pursue Him AND the things that He has called you to do. Here is Hillsong with "Your Word":

Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!

Hi Brian!

The word for this week is "active". The Greek word we're looking at is "energes". Strong's Concordance says: active, operative. Thayer's Greek Lexicon says: at work, active. Vine's Expository Dictionary says: in work, energetic, powerful, effectual. We find this word translated as these in three Scriptures in the New Testament: 

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. KJV

1 Corinthians 16:9 For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries. KJV

Philemon 6 That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. KJV

Hebrews 4:12 from the Amplified Bible says this:

12 For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power [making it active, operative, energizing, and effective]; it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the breath of life (soul) and [the immortal] spirit, and of joints and marrow [of the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart.

THAT is the POWER of the Word of the Living God! And WE have full accesss! 1 Corinthians 16:9 from the Amplified Bible:

9 For a wide door of opportunity for effectual [service] has opened to me [there, a great and promising one], and [there are] many adversaries. 

Of course there were/are many adversaries operating all around us in this life, but they have NO authority over us IF we ACTIVELY use our EFFECTUAL and OPERATIVE authority over them! Philemon 6 from the Amplified Bible says this:

6 [And I pray] that the participation in and sharing of your faith may produce and promote full recognition and appreciation and understanding and precise knowledge of every good [thing] that is ours in [our identification with] Christ Jesus [and unto His glory].

Actively LIVING our faith is one of the most powerful and effective ways for us to reach people so that they can see and understand clearly the difference that they see in us! All in all, I believe that you and your family are already very active, operative, energizing and effective in sharing the LOVE of JESUS with those in your realms of influence! Here is a new song from the Hillsong Worhip "Awake" album called "He Shall Reign":

Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!

Hi Brian!

I am doing something different again this week! I read this from the devotional "My Utmost For HIs Highest" and I want to share it with you! This is by Oswald Chambers who was a minister in the late 1800s and early 1900s. This one is very good! 

Justification By Faith

For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. —Roman 5:10

I am not saved by believing; I realise I am saved by believing. It is not repentance that saves me; repentance is the sign that I realise what God has done in Christ Jesus. The danger is to put the emphasis on the effect instead of on the cause — “It is my obedience that puts me right with God, my consecration.” Never! I am put right with God because prior to all, Christ died. When I turn to God and by belief accept what God reveals I can accept, instantly the stupendous Atonement of Jesus Christ rushes me into a right relationship with God, and by the supernatural miracle of God’s grace I stand justified, not because I am sorry for my sin, not because I have repented, but because of what Jesus has done. The spirit of God brings it with a breaking, all-over light, and I know, though I do not know how, that I am saved.

The salvation of God does not stand on human logic, it stands on the sacrificial Death of Jesus. We can be born again because of the Atonement of Our Lord. Sinful men and women can be changed into new creatures, not by their repentance or their belief, but by the marvellous work of God in Christ Jesus which is prior to all experience. The impregnable safety of justification and sanctification is God Himself. We have not to work out these things ourselves; they have been worked out by the Atonement: The supernatural becomes natural by the miracle of God; there is the realisation of what Jesus Christ has already done — “It is finished.”

I REALLY love this great message! No one is saved when they pray the Salvation prayer! We were saved when JESUS died and rose again! But we could not possess this great Salvation UNTIL we prayed, believing! The WORK was already done and now the Saviour is sitting at the right hand of God the Father, waiting until He gets the order from the Father to come and get His BRIDE! That's the point we are at in the great history of this world!  {As a side note, we like to use the word 'redemption' rather than 'atonement' because the sacrifice of animals under the Old Covenant was called 'atonement', where sin was NOT done away with, but only covered over.  I did find, after further study, that in the New Testament this word is found only one time.} It is the Greek word "katallage" and was used by Paul in Romans 5:11:

11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. KJV

This Greek word "katallage" is defined in  Strong's Concordance as: exchange, i.e. restoration to the divine favor. Thayer's Greek Lexicon says: exchange, reconciliation, restoration to favor. That IS what New Testament redemption does! JESUS took upon Himself our sin and gave to us HIS Righteousness in its place! We are restored to an even better place in the Kingdom of God because we now have the Spirit of God living IN us, where Adam and Eve only WALKED with God! However we look at this TRUTH, WE are far better off now than God's people ever were throughout the history of mankind! We ARE the Body of Christ, the Church of JESUS CHRIST and the Bride of CHRIST! We are, of ALL PEOPLE, MOST BLESSED! Here is Hillsong Worship with "King of Kings" again!

Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!

Hi Brian!

What a great game again! The word for this week is "ignorance". We find it in the New Testament in these portions of Scripture:

Acts 3:17 And now, brethren, I know that you acted in ignorance [not aware of what you were doing], as did your rulers also.  AMP

Acts 17:30 Such [former] ages of ignorance God, it is true, ignored and allowed to pass unnoticed; but now He charges all people everywhere to repent (to change their minds for the better and heartily to amend their ways, with abhorrence of their past sins),  AMP

Ephesians 4:17 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, 18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: 19 Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. KJV

1 Peter 1:14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: KJV

1 Peter 2:15 For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: KJV

The first 4 examples are all the Greek word "agnoia". Thayer's Greek Lexicon says: want of knowledge, ignorance, especially of divine things. Vine's Expository Dictionary says: want of knowledge or perception, including the idea of willful blindness. The Theological Dictionary says: while used of specific ignorance, could also denote ignorance in general as the opposite of wisdom as well as knnowledge. In the last example we see the Greek word "agnosia". Vine's Expository Dictionary says: denotes "ignorance" as directly opposed to gnosis, which signifies "knowledge" as a result of observation and experience. In 1 Peter 2:15 reprehensible ignorance is suggested. From the beginning there have always been those who had a great desire to really know God and His Word, and those who did not. Regardless of our choice here, we will all be held responsible for the knowledge of His Word because He has made His Word available to us and given us the Holy Spirit as our Teacher. That is the reason for the statement above regarding 'reprehensible ignorance', with the dictionary definition of reprehensible being: deserving of censure or condemnation. With all of the available resources, we are all without excuse for NOT knowing God's Word, which is His will! I have also found that the greatest blessing of pursuing knowledge of God's Word is that with each new bit of knowledge comes a better understanding of God Himself, and of who we are as His children. One of the things that I have learned recently is that there is SO MUCH MORE to know! There is no end to what we CAN learn, as long as we keep desiring more. These two verses are very exciting to me, because I believe that we are in those times!

Isaiah 11:9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. KJV

Habakkuk 2:14 But [the time is coming when] the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

I truly believe that THIS is the most exciting time to be alive! Here is Hillsong Worship with "Your Word":

Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!

Hi Brian!

It was so good to see you and your beautiful family! What a great game! The word for this week is "obtain". We see it in these two verses:

2 Timothy 2:10 Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. KJV

Hebrews 11:35 Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: KJV

Both of these are the Greek word "tugchano". Strong's Concordance says "to hit or light upon (as a mark to be reached), to attain or secure an object or end, to happen. Thayer's Greek Lexicon adds: to hit the mark, to reach, attain, obtain, get, become master of. The Theological Dictionary says:  The fact that man, even though very high demands are made on him, cannot "achieve" salvation on the basis of his own attainments, is unobtrusively brought out. The best message of the new birth is that there is NO possiblity that any one of us could ever 'obtain' eternal salvation on our own! This is not something that can be earned or it would not be God's FREE Gift of Salvation!  His plan was for us to receive His Good News, believe it in our hearts and then speak it over our lives. With all of the freedom that we have as New Testament believers, there are still those who keep trying to BE good enough. Our acting right will NEVER be 'good enough' for us to become righteous by our own works. It takes the miracle of the New Birth for us to have access to the throne of our Father! But once we DO obtain this glorious salvation through FAITH in JESUS and all that He has done for us, we must keep increasing our faith to believe so that we can continue to walk in the TRUTH and see people set free! Here is Hillsong with "Search My Heart":

Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!

Hi Brian!

The word for this week is "earnest". We'll be looking at these verses: 

2 Corinthians 1:21 Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; 22 Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. KJV

2 Corinthians 5:5 Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. KJV

Ephesians 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. KJV

These are all the Greek word "arrhabon". Strong's Concordance says: a pledge, part of the purchase-money- or property given in advance as security for the rest. Thayer's Greek Lexicon says: money which in purchases is given as a pledge that the full amount will subsequently be paid. Vine's Expository Dictionary says: in the New Testament it is used only of that which is assured by God to believers, it is said of the Holy Spirit as the divine "pledge" of all their future blessedness, particularly of their eternal inheritance. "But the word translated earnest also means "engagement ring." In Greece today you would find this word being used that way. But, after all, isn't an engagement ring an assurance - a guarantee - that the promises made will be kept? Our relationship to God through Christ is not simply a commercial one, but also a personal experience of love. He is the Bridegroom and His church is the bride. We know that He will come and claim His bride because He has given us His promise and His Spirit as the "engagement ring." What greater assurance could we want?" The Bible Exposition Commentary.

We know that when JESUS catches the Church up to meet Him in the air, we will then find ourselves at our Marriage Supper, as the Bride of Christ! So at the New Birth, when we received JESUS as Lord and personal Saviour, and were made new creatures in Christ, we were given our "engagement rings"! We each received the Holy Spirit of God to live IN us! He has prommised to NEVER leave us or forsake us! He IS our "earnest" or down payment, on our inheritance, AND our engagement ring to show that we are to be married to the KING of kings! I really like that TRUTH! Here is Hillsong with "Saviour King":

Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!

Hi Brian!

This week I want to share something from Joseph Prince's "Grace Inspirations" devotional! 

A BRAND NEW BODY AT THE BLAST OF A TRUMPET!

1 Thessalonians 4:16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.

All over the world, Jews celebrate Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. Occurring usually in the month of September, this feast is celebrated with the blowing of trumpets—the shofar or ram’s horn. That is why it is also called the Feast of Trumpets.

The Jews observe seven feasts: The Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits, Pentecost, Trumpets, Atonement and Tabernacles. The first four have been fulfilled literally by Jesus. He was the Passover Lamb (see 1 Corinthians 5:7), the bread of life (see John 6:35) and the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep (see 1 Corinthians 15:20). And when Pentecost had fully come after His ascension, He sent us the Holy Spirit (see Acts 2:1–4).

So the next feast that we are waiting for Jesus to fulfill literally is the Feast of Trumpets. Why is this feast significant to us? Because when Jesus fulfills it, it means that we are going up to meet Him in the clouds!

I am talking about the rapture of the church. When the trumpet sounds, “in the twinkling of an eye,” we who are alive will be changed. We will put on new bodies that will be like Jesus’! Those who are dead in Christ will rise and also receive new bodies. They will go up first followed by us who are alive, and we will all meet the Lord in the air (see 1 Corinthians 15:51–55).

This means that there is a possibility that you might not see death! The Bible says, “Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air” (1 Thessalonians 4:17). It is one thing to happen to be alive, but quite another to remain alive.

I believe that there is a generation of Christians who know the resurrection power of the Lord. They know how to walk in their inheritance and put off sickness and death until the coming of the Lord. My friend, may you be counted as one of them as you take the Lord Jesus and His finished work as your victory over sickness and death!

I LOVE this! We DO know how to stand on the Word of God to walk in health, but also to slow down the aging process of the body! Many older people have proven that you can still do amazing things by keeping your body healthy and moving, well into the older years. I have seen 70 year old body building women who look amazing and are very fit and active! And WE, who do know our God and His Word, have the added advantage of the supernatural power of God working on our behalf. But, as with any other promise in the Word of God, it will take a determined purpose, discipline, diligence and faith to accomplish it! I do believe that JESUS is appearing for the catching away of the Church sooner than we think, but I do NOT intend to go earlier! I plan on finishing my race WELL and completeing the course that HE has given me! Part of the plan for accomplishing this is to stay young at heart, so I am sharing "Wake" by Hillsong Young and Free for the song today!

Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!

Hi Brian!

The word for this week is "outwent". It's found in only one portion of Scripture: Mark 6:30-33:

30 And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told him all things, both what they had done, and what they had taught. 31 And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat. 32 And they departed into a desert place by ship privately. 33 And the people saw them departing, and many knew him, and ran afoot thither out of all cities, and outwent them, and came together unto him. KJV

This is the Greek word "proerchomai". Strong's Concordance says: to go onward, to preceed (in place or time). Thayer's Greek Lexicon says: to go forward, to go before, in advance of another. Vine's Expository Dictionary says: outgo; of the people who in eagerness reached a spot earlier than Christ and His disciples. What makes this word so important is what it says about the heart of these people who were unwilling to miss being in the presence of Jesus! He and His disciples were in a ship crossing the water and the people RAN to get there ahead of them, and made it! I will always remember what it was like before we had The Spoken Word Church when we had to travel to the Cities to be in meetings where the Word was being taught. Word ministries were putting their teaching on cassette tapes and we would order them as soon as they were available, along with ordering teaching books. We had built such trust with the owner of the Christian book store that was in Rice Lake at the time that we would simply call when we needed something and she would order it and send it out along with the bill and we would send a check back. We were UNWILLING to stop learning and growing! I don't want a day to go by where I don't think about or learn something new about Jesus and His Word. That attitude keeps my fellowship with Him fresh and new and vibrant! It helps increase my faith and stirs up my joy! The most important lesson that I have learned over these years is that there is no standing still in this walk with Jesus. We are either continually growing, or we are slipping back. My life verse has always been Philippians 3:10 from the Amplified Bible:

10 [For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly], and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection. AMP

My prayer for you and Kristine and your beautiful girls is that Jesus will be more real to you every day and that He will continue to confirm His Word in your lives with great favor and anointing and signs and wonders and miracles! Here is Hillsong Kids again with "I Give You My Hallelujah":

Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!

Hi Brian!

The word for this week is "overcome". We find it in these verses:

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

Romans 3:3 For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? 4 God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged. KJV

Romans 12:21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. KJV

1 John 4:3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. 4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. KJV

Revelation 17:14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful. KJV

These are all the Greek word "nikao". Strong's Concordance says: to subdue (literally or figuratively). Thayer's Greek Lexicon says: to conquer, to carry off the victory, to carry off victorious. My very favorite of the above verses is 1 John 4:4! Because JESUS has already 'overcome' the enemy, we have the great confidence that because HE lives in us by His Spirit, we already HAVE the overcoming victory! In fact that verse actually says that we HAVE overcome them BECAUSE the greater One lives in us! This 'overcoming' is NOT something that will happen someday in the future. We are already counted as overcomers. The victory is already ours. Every situation and circumstance that we face is already WON. We simply allow Holy Spirit to guide us through it to the expected end! Doubt will simply fly away when we keep this perpsective! We are not the sick trying to GET healed. We are the already healed ("by His stripes we WERE healed") expecting the manifestation of it. We are not trying to GET God's favor, we ARE favored of the Lord, walking in HIS favor and anointing. Such a powerful and freeing attitude to have! It certainly does away with stress! Here is an old song by Hillsong called "This Is How We Overcome". (By celebrating as overcomers!).

Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!

Hi Brian!

I am going to do something different again this week! I came across this from Rick Renner's "Sparkling Gems From The Greek - Volume 2" about the angels of God and felt led to share it with you! It is rather long, but so encouraging to know that we have this kind of help and protection! 

Ministering Spirits

Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation? — Hebrews 1:14

October 3, 1993. It was our wedding anniversary, and Denise and I were in Murmansk, Russia, located just north of the Arctic Circle. We had been ministering there in one of the largest churches in Russia at the time. After several days of wonderful meetings, we concluded the last evening service and returned to the apartment where we were staying. Our plan was to begin preparing for our trip home early the next morning. As we packed, we decided to turn on the television to see the late-night news.

We sat nearly frozen in disbelief as we learned that there had been a major coup in the city of Moscow! The image of the Russian Vice President appeared on the TV screen before us. Looking disheveled, this man morbidly glared into the TV camera and stated that a coup had begun in Moscow and that Russia’s newly gained democracy was about to be lost. We were stunned when we heard him “beckon” people to go into the streets to fight using whatever they could find from their homes as weapons to oppose the pro-Communist faction — especially in the area near Red Square — that was trying to seize control.

While we had been busy ministering in Murmansk, a major conflict had erupted in Moscow. There was a clash between then President Boris Yeltsin and a pro-Communist political faction that had violently seized control of the Russian White House and had barricaded themselves inside it, refusing to come out.

The Russian White House is situated in front of the massive Novoarbatsky Bridge along the banks of the Moscow River. I found it so interesting that the entire day while we had been busy with church activities in another city, Boris Yeltsin had been busy ordering army tanks to line up on that bridge, point their cannons directly at the Russian White House, and shoot to drive those occupants out of the building! By the end of the day, those tanks had blown the top half of the structure nearly completely off. Although democratic forces shelled the White House with one bomb after another, the rebels refused to surrender their position.

It was late at night, and Denise and I sat in front of the TV dumbfounded and perplexed about what we should do. The mayhem in Moscow was spreading to other locations, and we didn’t know what Moscow airports would be like the following morning. Moscow was our only connection to Riga, Latvia, where we lived at the time. We didn’t know if flights would be canceled — or even if there would be potential attacks at the airport. And God only knew what might develop in the nighttime as we slept!

We arose early the following morning, took a car to the airport, and went inside to see if we could make our flight to Moscow en route to Riga. When the time came for passengers to board the plane, Denise and I were the only two passengers they allowed to embark. Everyone else with tickets for that flight was denied access to the plane!

The airline attendants seated us in First Class on the very front row of the plane. Denise and I were somewhat amused and discussed quietly that it looked like we had the whole plane to ourselves. That’s exactly what we thought as that large Russian aircraft took off from that runway and began to ascend — that we were the only two passengers aboard the flight.

To this day, we still don’t know why we were the only two passengers allowed to board that flight, but that is exactly what happened. We speculated that perhaps the person in charge knew us from our nationwide television program — or that we had received special treatment because of our American passports. All we could do was guess. But for the duration of that flight from Murmansk to Moscow, Denise and I sat alone on what looked to be an empty aircraft, musing over our strange situation.

That entire, very large commercial airliner was completely empty — except for us and the flight crew! At least that’s what we thought until it was time to disembark. When we arose from our seats to leave, the flight attendant abruptly pulled back the curtain that concealed the whole back half of the airplane. To our utter amazement and shock, there stood in front of us 85 Black Berets, Russia’s highest-trained land-combat soldiers!

What a scene that was! It looked like 85 “Rambos” standing there, with machine guns hanging off their shoulders, handguns strapped to their waists, strips of hundreds of rounds of ammo draped around their necks, giant knives fastened to their boots — and their faces completely smeared with greasy black “war paint”!

Denise and I stood there, nearly paralyzed, for what seemed like minutes. As much speculating as we had entertained about why we were alone on that flight, the thought never crossed our minds that we were not alone — and that we had flown all that distance to Moscow with 85 trained killers!

Sitting in the car that transported us from the plane to our terminal, we watched spellbound as those soldiers quickly disembarked that plane in unison and boarded jumbo helicopters that we later learned were assigned to fly them to the Russian White House. By the time we entered the terminal and made our way through passport control, we saw on TV monitors those same 85 soldiers being lowered by ropes onto what was left of the roof of the White House!

We later discovered that those killer troops were ordered to retake the Russian White House, arresting rebels who surrendered and shooting those who didn’t. By the end of that standoff, 124 rebel soldiers had been killed and 348 had been wounded by those Black Beret soldiers — soldiers with whom Denise and I had unknowingly flown on a plane!

At times in life, we’ve likely all been oblivious to what’s happening around us. Had Denise and I known we were flying with 85 trained killers that day, we would have experienced some apprehension about getting on that flight. But we thought we were the only two people on board. We actually enjoyed the experience, laughing and talking during the entire flight to Moscow. We only realized 85 “Rambos” were riding with us when it was time to disembark. By that time, it was too late to worry because we had already arrived safely at the airport in Moscow!

As Denise and I watched the monitors from inside the airport terminal and saw those soldiers being lowered into the remains of the White House, we hardly spoke a word. We were stunned that we had been that close to those armed and trained killers and yet completely unaware of it. As we awaited our next flight, we each sat quietly, pondering the events that had just taken place. It wasn’t until we were securely on board our flight to Riga that we finally began to talk again. Excitedly, we began talking about the situations we all find ourselves in at times, that we don’t fully comprehend until later. And we particularly talked about the ministry of angels — that just as those Russian killer soldiers had been dispatched to restore order and peace, God sends His angels on “covert missions” to oversee and protect us in times of danger and uncertainty.

Hebrews 1:14 says, “Are they not all [angels] ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?” You and I are the heirs of salvation, so this means that angels are sent forth to minister to you and me. But what exactly does the phrase “sent forth to minister for them” mean?

Notice the verse includes the word “minister” in some form twice. It says, “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?” In both cases, the words “ministering” and “minister” are a translation of the Greek word diakonos, which depicts high-level, top-notch service of various kinds. As we look at the ministry of angels in the New Testament, we find that angels provided especially high-level, top-notch service to the saints when they experienced various types of need.

The following is a condensed list of activities that angels perform. Please keep in mind that this Sparkling Gem is about God’s care over us when we are oblivious to things that are happening around us. In such moments, angels step in to provide certain kinds of high-level, top-notch service for us — including the list of angelic assignments that follow in this teaching. Of course, angels also have other roles, but for the purposes of this discussion, we will focus on the role of angels to minister to believers — heirs of salvation.

Angels Meet Physical Needs

Matthew 4:11 and Mark 1:13 tell us that when Jesus concluded His 40-day fast in the wilderness, angels appeared to Him and ministered to Him, thereby meeting Jesus’ physical needs after that 40 days of fasting and being tempted by the devil. In both of these verses, the word “ministered” is a translation of the Greek word diakonos. Wherever this word is used in the New Testament, it pictures a servant whose chief occupation is to meet some kind of physical or tangible need.

Angels Give Strength

The Bible provides many examples of angels strengthening the weary, but the best New Testament example is found in Luke 22:43, where an angel strengthened Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane during the most difficult time of His earthly life. It says, “And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.” This word comes from the Greek word enischuo, a compound of the words en and ischuos. The word en means in, and the word ischuos is the Greek word for might or strength. When these two words are compounded, the new word means to impart strength; to empower someone; to fill a person with physical vigor; or to give someone renewed vitality. In other words, a person may have been feeling exhausted and depleted, but suddenly he receives a robust blast of energy that instantly recharges him.

This means that when Jesus’ disciples and friends couldn’t be depended on in His hour of need, God provided an angel who empowered, recharged, and imparted strength to Jesus, thus renewing His vitality so He could victoriously face the most difficult hour of His life. Thus, Luke 22:43 provides a vivid New Testament example of how angels strengthen the weary.

Angels Can Give Supernatural Guidance

Examples of how angels provide supernatural guidance are abundant in the New Testament. Matthew 2:13 says an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and told him to quickly take Mary and the young Christ Child into Egypt because Herod would seek to kill Jesus. Later when Herod died, an angel appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, informing him that Herod was dead and that he and his family could return to Israel (Matthew 2:19-23). In both of those instances, the supernatural angelic guidance occurred in dreams.

In Act 10:3, we find an example of angelic guidance that also changed the course of history. An angel appeared in a vision to an Italian centurion named Cornelius who lived in Caesarea.

Although Cornelius was unsaved at that moment, God heard this man’s prayers and intervened on his behalf by providing angelic guidance. The angel who appeared to Cornelius instructed him to send his servants to Joppa to summon Peter and his companions to come to him. When Peter arrived at Cornelius’ residence, the apostle preached the Gospel to those who were present. All who heard Peter repented and were filled with the Holy Spirit. At that historic moment, the door to salvation was opened to the Gentiles, and the Gospel message began to go forth into the Gentile world.

Angels Provide Protection and Deliverance

The Old and New Testaments are filled with evidence that God assigns angels to guard and protect His people. For instance, Psalm 34:7 says that angels encamp around those who fear the Lord to deliver them. Psalm 91:11 promises that God will give His angels charge over His people to keep them in all their ways. We see a New Testament example of how angels guard and protect God’s people in Acts 5:17-20. In this account, the high priest rose up against the apostles and had them arrested and thrown into prison. Verses 19 and 20 say, “But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said, Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.”

A few chapters later in Acts 12, we find the story of Peter being arrested and thrown into prison. After Herod ordered the beheading of James (see Acts 12:1,2), he saw that many Jews approved of his action. Therefore, in order to garner more support and popularity with the angry mob of Christian-haters, Herod gave the order for the apostle Peter to be arrested next. The authorities may have recalled the previous time when a group of apostles miraculously escaped from prison because this time Peter was delivered to “four quaternions of soldiers” (Acts 12:4).

A “quaternion” refers to a group of four Roman soldiers. So four quaternions — or four different groups containing four soldiers each — successively took turns guarding Peter throughout the night. Verse 6 tells us that Peter was sleeping between two guards in that prison while two other guards stood watch at the prison door. Suddenly the angel of the Lord came into the prison cell and awoke Peter from his sleep, telling him to rise up quickly and leave the prison. Instantly, the chains that held Peter were loosened and fell to the ground.

Not only did the angel of the Lord set Peter free from the chains that held him, but it seems the angel also temporarily blinded the guards so they were unaware of what was happening. Peter followed the angel through the first and second ward until he came to an iron gate, which supernaturally opened in front of him without anyone touching it. An angel delivered the apostle from the horrible destiny that had awaited him at the hands of Herod.

Angels Perform Superhuman Feats

Perhaps the best New Testament example of angels performing superhuman feats is when the angels rolled away the massive stone that lay before Jesus’ garden tomb. Matthew 28:2 says, “…the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.” The word “stone” is the Greek word lithos, which simply means a stone. It is known, however, that the stones placed in front of such tombs were immense in their dimensions — impossible for a human being to move without the assistance of several people.

Another remarkable example of an angel’s superhuman strength is recorded in Revelation 20:1-3, where John writes: “And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, and cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, And set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.”

At the appointed time, an unnamed angel will seize Satan, bind him with a great chain, shut him in the bottomless pit, and seal it so he can’t escape. No natural human being would ever be able to perform such a feat, but this passage of Scripture clearly states that a day is coming when an angel will single-handedly accom

And to think — such “ministering spirits” are dispatched to “minister” to those who will inherit salvation. That’s you and me! God has specifically sent angels forth to meet our physical needs, to give us strength, to supernaturally guide us at times, to provide us with protection and deliverance, and to perform superhuman feats on our behalf.

Flying from Murmansk to Moscow with 85 hidden trained killers — while Denise and I were completely oblivious to that fact — reminds me that wherever we are and whatever we’re doing, we have a group of “ministering spirits” that are assigned to watch over us and care for us. In fact, looking back on that incident, I realize that a “special-forces unit” of angels is always assigned to Denise and me! And these trained spiritual combatants pose a far more formidable threat to unseen devilish forces than the threat those 85 trained soldiers posed to rebels occupying the Russian White House that day!

If you look back over your own life, I’m sure it won’t be difficult to recall moments when you experienced angelic assistance to help you overcome in the midst of what you were enduring. You may not have seen those ministering spirits with your physical eyes or even felt their presence, but it is certain they were there, for that is God’s promise to you and to me in Hebrews 1:14!

I am sure that we will have many things revealed to us in Heaven that angels did for us that we were not even aware was happening! It gives great confidence, though, to hear testimonies like this, and to know that as God is not a respecter of persons, He WILL do the same for us! No need to ever operate in fear, for there are ALWAYS more that be with us than that be with the enemy! And ours are much more powerful! So, with the child-like faith that God desires us to operate in, here's Hillsong Kids with "As The World Shakes":

Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!