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!