Hi Brian!

This week I want to share another Charles Spurgeon devotional. This one really touched my heart as I have been digging in deeper to what Holy Spirit is saying to me about what is ahead for me, at my age, as I am determined to run my race well and finish my course fully! 

"And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them." — Luke 2:20

What was the subject of their praise? They praised God for what they had heard—for the good tidings of great joy that a Saviour was born unto them. Let us copy them; let us also raise a song of thanksgiving that we have heard of Jesus and His salvation. They also praised God for what they had seen. There is the sweetest music—what we have experienced, what we have felt within, what we have made our own—"the things which we have made touching the King." It is not enough to hear about Jesus: mere hearing may tune the harp, but the fingers of living faith must create the music. If you have seen Jesus with the God-giving sight of faith, suffer no cobwebs to linger among the harpstrings, but loud to the praise of sovereign grace, awake your psaltery and harp. One point for which they praised God was the agreement between what they had heard and what they had seen. Observe the last sentence—"As it was told unto them." Have you not found the gospel to be in yourselves just what the Bible said it would be? Jesus said He would give you rest—have you not enjoyed the sweetest peace in Him? He said you should have joy, and comfort, and life through believing in Him—have you not received all these? Are not His ways ways of pleasantness, and His paths paths of peace? Surely you can say with the queen of Sheba, "The half has not been told me." I have found Christ more sweet than His servants ever said He was. I looked upon His likeness as they painted it, but it was a mere daub compared with Himself; for the King in His beauty outshines all imaginable loveliness. Surely what we have "seen" keeps pace with, nay, far exceeds, what we have "heard." Let us, then, glorify and praise God for a Saviour so precious, and so satisfying.

I can truly tell you that I have come to know HIM more intimately than I ever have before and my faith has risen so much! I have been listening to some new praise music and that, too, has inspired me to keep reaching higher! This song called "More" by Brandon Lake says exactly what I have been discovering again! I hope that it blesses you, too! 

Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!

Hi Brian!

The word for this week is "move" and we'll be looking at Acts 20:24:

22 And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there: 23 Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me. 24 But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God. KJV

This is the Greek word "poieo" (poy-eh' -o). Strong's Concordance says: to make or do. Vine's Expository Dictionary says: to do, to make, constructing or producing anything. The Theological Dictionary says: to create, to make, to do, act. Paul is saying here that no matter what he has gone through, or what he will go through, he will not be deterred from his assignment from God. When you have confidence that you are WHERE you are supposed to be, doing WHAT you are supposed to do, then you will be in this same position! I know that you can say that same thing yourself. You and Kristine both have had major changes happen with your careers, your children and their interests, YOUR interests and how you position them when they conflict with your family interests and obligations. You have set your priorities and nothing will move you from that unless it becomes more important at the moment. That attitude brings great stability for your family. There is another kind of "move" that Brandon Lake refers to in this song from his new album called "Nothing New". He is looking to "move" God with his song, creating something that pleases HIM! 

Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!

Hi Brian!

This week I want to share again from Charles Spurgeon's devotional! 

Do as thou hast said." — 2 Samuel 7:25

God's promises were never meant to be thrown aside as waste paper; He intended that they should be used. God's gold is not miser's money, but is minted to be traded with. Nothing pleases our Lord better than to see His promises put in circulation; He loves to see His children bring them up to Him, and say, "Lord, do as Thou hast said." We glorify God when we plead His promises. Do you think that God will be any the poorer for giving you the riches He has promised? Do you dream that He will be any the less holy for giving holiness to you? Do you imagine He will be any the less pure for washing you from your sins? He has said "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." Faith lays hold upon the promise of pardon, and it does not delay, saying, "This is a precious promise, I wonder if it be true?" but it goes straight to the throne with it, and pleads, "Lord, here is the promise, 'Do as Thou hast said.'" Our Lord replies, "Be it unto thee even as thou wilt." When a Christian grasps a promise, if he do not take it to God, he dishonours Him; but when he hastens to the throne of grace, and cries, "Lord, I have nothing to recommend me but this, 'Thou hast said it;'" then his desire shall be granted. Our heavenly Banker delights to cash His own notes. Never let the promise rust. Draw the word of promise out of its scabbard, and use it with holy violence. Think not that God will be troubled by your importunately reminding Him of His promises. He loves to hear the loud outcries of needy souls. It is His delight to bestow favours. He is more ready to hear than you are to ask. The sun is not weary of shining, nor the fountain of flowing. It is God's nature to keep His promises; therefore go at once to the throne with "Do as Thou hast said."

I think that my favorite line above is this:

Our heavenly Banker delights to cash His own notes. 

IF God SAID IT, then HE is waiting patiently for US to declare and decree HIS WORD into our lives so that HE can bring it to pass for us! One of the new songs from Brandon Lake's new album is called "Coat Of Many Colors", just like Joseph! Joseph dared to believe that GOD had something better for him than what he was presently experiencing! This song gave me a better understanding of just what that 'coat' stood for! Here is that song!

Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!

Hi Brian!

The word for this week is one we have used before, but there are so many words translated into this one word: PRAISE! We'll look at Psalm 149 and 150 first of all!

Ps 149

1 Praise ye the Lord. Sing unto the Lord a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints.

2 Let Israel rejoice in him that made him: let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.

3 Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp.

4 For the Lord taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation.

5 Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds.

6 Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a twoedged sword in their hand;

7 To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people;

8 To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron;

9 To execute upon them the judgment written: this honour have all his saints. Praise ye the Lord.

150 

1 Praise ye the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power.

2 Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness.

3 Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp.

4 Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs.

5 Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals.

6 Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.

The very first "praise" in Psalm 149:1  is the Hebrew word "Halal, where we get HALLELUJAH from. It means: to be clear, to shine, to make a show, to boast, to be clamorously foolish, to rave, to celebrate, also to to 'stultify' (cause (someone) to appear foolish or absurd.) In fact, Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon says: to shine, to flash forth light, to boast or be boastful, to make a fool of, to act like a madman! The next "praise" in that verse is the Hebrew word "tehillah". Strong's Concordance says: laduation. Brown-Driver-Briggs says: adoration, thanksgiving. Vine's Expository Dictionary says: glory, praise, song of praise. Some of the verses speak of praising HIM with dancing! Some speak of SHOUTING. Some speak of using instruments, ALL kinds of instruments! The common factor in all of these instructions is that this is ALL to be directed at OUR LORD JESUS! I am really loving all of the new songs coming out lately that are FEARLESS in their praise and worship, POWERFUL with their voices and instruments, WORD of GOD based and FREE! I LOVE THIS SO MUCH! Here is Brandon Lake with another new song called "Praise You Anywhere":

Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!