Hi Brian!

The word for this week is "persuasive". We find it in this portion of Scripture in the New Testament:

1 Corinthians 2:4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: 5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. KJV

The Amplified Bible says this:

1 Corinthians 2:4 And my language and my message were not set forth in persuasive (enticing and plausible) words of wisdom, but they were in demonstration of the [Holy] Spirit and power [a proof by the Spirit and power of God, operating on me and stirring in the minds of my hearers the most holy emotions and thus persuading them], 5 So that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men (human philosophy), but in the power of God. AMP

This is the Greek word "peithos". Strong's Concordance says: persuasive". Thayer's Greek Lexicon adds: skillful.The Theological Dictionary says this: The sense is that Paul's preaching does not derive its power from rhetorical skill. The TRUTH of the matter is that God can and will use anyone (and anything - a donkey comes to mind) to get HIS Truth to the people who need to hear it! Someone can have great speaking skills and end up saying nothing of value, while someone else who has no speaking skills can speak the WORD of HIS POWER and make His Truth known! He revealed to me that you have spoken HIS TRUTH to people in your own way who had no idea that you were actually speaking HIS TRUTH! He desires to do much more of this through you both, so don't be surprised at the new opportunities that present themselves! The peace, joy, love, enthusiasm, hard work, tenacity, caring, interest, support and encouragement of your whole family has touched more lives that you even realize yet! So keep up the great GOD WORK and He will continue to be confirm His Word and be glorifed in and through you all! We love you all so much! Here is one of my favorite worship songs that I just feel led to share with you again. "Every Breath":

Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!

Hi Brian!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY to one of the best father's I know! For this week I want to share with you something that I am sharing for Adult Bible Study today! 

"Thy Redeemer." — Isaiah 54:5

Jesus, the Redeemer, is altogether ours and ours for ever. All the offices of Christ are held on our behalf. He is king for us, priest for us, and prophet for us. Whenever we read a new title of the Redeemer, let us appropriate Him as ours under that name as much as under any other. The shepherd's staff, the father's rod, the captain's sword, the priest's mitre, the prince's sceptre, the prophet's mantle, all are ours. Jesus hath no dignity which He will not employ for our exaltation, and no prerogative which He will not exercise for our defence. His fulness of Godhead is our unfailing, inexhaustible treasure-house.

His manhood also, which he took upon him for us, is ours in all its perfection. To us our gracious Lord communicates the spotless virtue of a stainless character; to us he gives the meritorious efficacy of a devoted life; on us he bestows the reward procured by obedient submission and incessant service. He makes the unsullied garment of his life our covering beauty; the glittering virtues of his character our ornaments and jewels; and the superhuman meekness of his death our boast and glory. He bequeaths us his manger, from which to learn how God came down to man; and his Cross to teach us how man may go up to God. All His thoughts, emotions, actions, utterances, miracles, and intercessions, were for us. He trod the road of sorrow on our behalf, and hath made over to us as his heavenly legacy the full results of all the labours of his life. He is now as much ours as heretofore; and he blushes not to acknowledge himself "our Lord Jesus Christ," though he is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords. Christ everywhere and every way is our Christ, for ever and ever most richly to enjoy. O my soul, by the power of the Holy Spirit! call him this morning, "thy Redeemer."

You are already a great father to your beautiful girls, but my prayer for you is that this year Holy Spirit will reveal more and more of Who JESUS is to you, for you and in you by His Spirit! And then THROUGH YOU and you will become, if it is possible, and even better father, husband, brother, son, uncle and whoever else HE calls you to be! We love you! Have a the very best Father's Day ever! Here is Hillsong UNITED with "Father":

Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!

Hi Brian!

The word for this week is "keep". We covered this word several years ago, but from the Old Testament. This week we'll be looking at some New Testament Scriptures! First we have these:

John 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. KJV

John 15:10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. KJ

John 17:15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. KJV

These are all the Greek word "tereo". Strong's Concordance says: to guard from loss or injury, by keeping the eye upon. Thayer's Greek Lexicon adds: to attend carefully to, to take care of. Vine's Expository Dictionary says: to watch over, preserve. The Theological Dictionary fo the New Testament say: basic: keep in view, to note, to watch over. This word occurs 39 times in the Bible in such phrases as: to aim at, to keep watch, to pay attention, to watch over or for, to observe. There are many many more words translated "keep" in the Word of God and I am sure that we will continue to pursue that knowledge! Here is Hillsong with "Oceans":

Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!

 Hi Brian!

We're back! We had an outstanding vacation and we are now ready to take on summer! This week I want to again share from Charles Spurgeon's devotional! 

"Received up into glory." — 1 Timothy 3:16

We have seen our well-beloved Lord in the days of His flesh, humiliated and sore vexed; for He was "despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief." He whose brightness is as the morning, wore the sackcloth of sorrow as His daily dress: shame was His mantle, and reproach was His vesture. Yet now, inasmuch as He has triumphed over all the powers of darkness upon the bloody tree, our faith beholds our King returning with dyed garments from Edom, robed in the splendour of victory. How glorious must He have been in the eyes of seraphs, when a cloud received Him out of mortal sight, and He ascended up to heaven! Now He wears the glory which He had with God or ever the earth was, and yet another glory above all—that which He has well earned in the fight against sin, death, and hell. As victor He wears the illustrious crown. Hark how the song swells high! It is a new and sweeter song: "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, for He hath redeemed us unto God by His blood!" He wears the glory of an Intercessor who can never fail, of a Prince who can never be defeated, of a Conqueror who has vanquished every foe, of a Lord who has the heart's allegiance of every subject. Jesus wears all the glory which the pomp of heaven can bestow upon Him, which ten thousand times ten thousand angels can minister to Him. You cannot with your utmost stretch of imagination conceive His exceeding greatness; yet there will be a further revelation of it when He shall descend from heaven in great power, with all the holy angels—"Then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory." Oh, the splendour of that glory! It will ravish His people's hearts. Nor is this the close, for eternity shall sound His praise, "Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever!" Reader, if you would joy in Christ's glory hereafter, He must be glorious in your sight now. Is He so?

One of the greatest TRUTHS of the Word of God became so powerfully real to me while we were enjoying beautiful Maui! We cannot even begin to realize how clearly HES sees us as IN HIM! He does not EVER see us in our sins, mistakes, errors, lapses or slip ups! Because JESUS is and always will be ENOUGH!!! So to keep any failure in our own  minds is to actually call HIM a liar!!! HE said that WE ARE FREE! John 8:36:

36 So if the Son liberates you [makes you free men], then you are really and unquestionably free.

This is not a TRUTH I have not known, but it IS one that has become more REAL to me now than at any time before! What freedom, boldness amd joy this brings!!! Here is Brooke Ligertwood with  "A Thousand Hallelujahs!":

Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!