Hi Brian!

The word for this week is "grateful". That word is not found in the KJV, but it is found in the Amplified Bible. We'll be looking at these verses:

Psalm 66:8 Bless our God, O peoples, give Him grateful thanks and make the voice of His praise be heard,  AMP

Psalm 145:1 I WILL extol You, my God, O King; and I will bless Your name forever and ever [with grateful, affectionate praise]. AMP

1 Corinthian 8:3 But if one loves God truly [with affectionate reverence, prompt obedience, and grateful recognition of His blessing], he is known by God [recognized as worthy of His intimacy and love, and he is owned by Him]. AMP

We have to look to the dictionary for meanings for this word. Webster's Dictionary says:  Having a due sense of benefits; kindly disposed towards one from whom a favor has been received; willing to acknowledge and repay benefits; as a grateful heart. The reason this word is the one for this week is that I have been meditating on the TRUTHS found in the lyrics to the songs on Brandon Lake's new album. The more I listen to it, the more each song has come to mean to me, in my life. As I was thinking about the beautiful words and sentiments in this song, I thought of you and Kristine and your girls. You have all paid the price to fulfill your dreams and by doing so, mixed with faith in God and His Word, you have seen much favor and success! Nothing is ever accomplished without hard work and discipline, but when you mix GOD and HIS WORD with that, there is no limit to the rewards HE brings! So as you listen to the song, hear, along with the words, when Holy Spirit whispers to your "WELL DONE"! We are so proud of you all and so blessed to be a part of you lives! Brandon Lake with "Country Psalm":

Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!

Hi Brian!

The word for this week is "hands". We'll be looking at these two protions of Scripture from the Old Testament:

Psalm 8:4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? 5 For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. 6 Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet: KJV

Ps 111:7  The works of his hands are verity and judgment; all his commandments are sure. 8 They stand fast for ever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness. KJV

These are both the Hebrew word "Yad". Strong's Concordance says: a primitive word, a hand thr open one indicating power, means, direction. Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew concordance adds: strength, power. The Theological Word Book of the Old Testament adds: the hand symbolized "power" or "strength. WE, having received JESUS as LORD and SAVIOUR, have placed ourselves in the HAND of GOD! THAT is a very safe and powerful place to be! HE will never leave us, forsake us, or let us down. WE can TRUST HIM with every part of our lives. I especially like the encouragement that comes from this song from Brandon Lake's new album, called "Palm Of Your Hand":

Love and Shalom from the Swoveys! 

Hi Brian!

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

Luke 1:15 For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb. 16 And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. 17 And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. KJV

Acts 11:20 And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus. 21 And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord. KJV

Acts 14:15 And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein: KJV

Acts 26:18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. KJV

These are all the Greek word "epistrepho". Strong's Concordance says: to revert. Thayer's Greek Lexicon says: To turn to, to cause to return, to bring back, to turn oneself back, to come back. Vine's Expository Dictionary says: to make to turn towards, to turn oneself around, an immediate and decisive change, consequent upon a deliberate choice, a voluntary act in response to the presentation of truth. I was listening to another Brandon Lake song called "Tunraround" and Holy Spirit reminded me of all the loved ones that I have prayed for and shared the TRUTH of the Gospel with. Some believed right away and others not for some time. The ones who haven't yet, I simply keep praying the prayers of Paul in Ephesians and Colossians, and believe that HE will bring the right people to them that they will be able to receive from. There are so many turning to the Lord all over the world right now and many returning who had turned away! 

My brother Dan was one of those. I had shared the Gospel with him way back when we had first been born again, but he was not interested at all. He actually called himself an atheist. I was told not to share with him anymore, so I asked the Lord to bring the right laborers to him. He believed that there was nothing after this life. When he was in the Veterans Home in Chippewa Falls, simply waiting to die from cancer, I took the opportunity to share a quick suggestion to Him that the Lord had laid on my heart. The next time I visited him, he couldn't hear very well and couldn't speak clearly, either. I went to visit him one last time with Greg and he was sitting up in bed, smiling with clear eyes and a smile on his face. He said that our friend Dave had come to see him and talk to him, referring to Dave Kroening. I knew that Dave would speak plainly to him so I was happy to hear that. On the way home I had a thought that I shared with Greg and when we saw Dave and Anita that night I asked them and they had never been there! Dave DID say that he had been praying for Dan! I truly believe that Dan saw them in the spirit, and listened! Then my nephew Josh, Dan's son, visited him and Dan told him that where he used to believe that there was nothing after this life, he now knew that there was! Dan is now there with the rest of the family who were waiting!

We may never know who we have affected by sharing the Word in this life, but we have the guarantee that God's Word will NOT return to Him 'void' (having no effect)! Isaiah 55:11:

So shall My word be that goes forth out of My mouth: it shall not return to Me void [without producing any effect, useless], but it shall accomplish that which I please and purpose, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

I know that you have shared the TRUTH with family and friends, so I want to encourage you that Holy Spirit will use any and every means to make the TRUTH real to them! They will have a "Turnaround", so here is that song! 

Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!

Hi Brian!

I was thinking of prodigals returning today because of another new Brandon Lake song. I was going to use "prodigal" as the word for this week, but it is not even in the Bible! Then I read today's Charles Spurgeon devotional and saw this:

Your refuge from the avenger of blood." — Joshua 20:3

It is said that in the land of Canaan, cities of refuge were so arranged, that any man might reach one of them within half a day at the utmost. Even so the word of our salvation is near to us; Jesus is a present Saviour, and the way to Him is short; it is but a simple renunciation of our own merit, and a laying hold of Jesus, to be our all in all. With regard to the roads to the city of refuge, we are told that they were strictly preserved, every river was bridged, and every obstruction removed, so that the man who fled might find an easy passage to the city. Once a year the elders went along the roads and saw to their order, so that nothing might impede the flight of any one, and cause him, through delay, to be overtaken and slain. How graciously do the promises of the gospel remove stumbling blocks from the way! Wherever there were by-roads and turnings, there were fixed up hand-posts, with the inscription upon them—"To the city of refuge!" This is a picture of the road to Christ Jesus. It is no roundabout road of the law; it is no obeying this, that, and the other; it is a straight road: "Believe, and live." It is a road so hard, that no self-righteous man can ever tread it, but so easy, that every sinner, who knows himself to be a sinner may by it find his way to heaven. No sooner did the man-slayer reach the outworks of the city than he was safe; it was not necessary for him to pass far within the walls, but the suburbs themselves were sufficient protection. Learn hence, that if you do but touch the hem of Christ's garment, you shall be made whole; if you do but lay hold upon him with "faith as a grain of mustard seed," you are safe.

Now THIS must be what the 'prodigal son' felt when he realized that even his father's laborers were fed better than he was at the time! He had made more than a few mistakes, but His father not only forgave him, but celebrated him! This brings such joy to me because we are waiting for our own 'prodigal' to get back to the Lord! We have seen signs that show that Holy Spirit is working in him! There is ALWAYS forgiveness and restoration found in HIS presence! Here is that song called "I Prophecy":

Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!