Hi Brian!

The word for this week is "rest". We find it in the New Testament in Luke 10:5-6:

5 And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house. 6 And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you again. KJV

This is the Greek word "epanapauomai". Strong's Concordance says: to settle on, remain or rely. In this verse they are speaking of the peace that only God and His people carry. That peace that is beyond natural understanding. The people you may come in contact with can't understand how you can have that peace when everyone around you is in fear, worry or distress about anything and everything going on around them! That peace of God comes in the presence and person of Holy Spirit within you AND upon you! I believe that HE is making HIS presence known more and more as we expect more! My prayer for you and your family is that the powerful presence of Holy Spirit will be apparent withinand upon each of you as you continue to just BE you, allowing HIM to shine through you! We LOVE you!  Brandon Lake has a song on his new album that calls for His presence more and more! "Rest On Us - LIVE":

Fire and wind
Come and do it again
Open up the gates
Let Heaven on in
Come rest on us
Come rest on us

Chorus

Come down
Spirit when You move
You make my heart pound
When You fill the room
You're here and I know
You are moving
I'm here and I know
You will fill me

Bridge

Holy Spirit
Come rest on us
You're all we want
You're all we want

Verse

Fire and wind
Come and do it again
Open up the gates
Let Heaven on in
Come rest on us
Come rest on us

Chorus

Come down
Spirit when You move
You make my heart pound
When You fill the room
You're here and I know
You are moving
I'm here and I know
You will fill me

Bridge

Holy Spirit
Come rest on us
You're all we want
You're all we want

Refrain 1

We want the Holy Spirit
In the holy city
We want the Holy Spirit
In the holy city

Refrain 1

We want the Holy Spirit
In the holy city
We need the Holy Spirit
Here in the holy city

Refrain 2

I wanna burn I wanna burn
I wanna burn for You
I wanna burn I wanna burn
I wanna burn for You
Not just survival
I wanna revival here

Bridge

Holy Spirit
Come rest on us
You're all we want
You're all we want

Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!

Hi Brian!

The word for this week is "giver". We find it in the New Testament only in 2 Corinthians 9:7.

7 Every man according as he purposes in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loves a cheerful giver. KJV

This is the Greek word "dotes" (dot' ace). Thayer's Greek Lexicon says: a bestower. He who gives cheerfully. Just as WE love because HE first loved us (1 John 4:19), WE can GIVE because HE first gave TO us! The first part of today's Charles Spurgeon evening devotional says this:

"And they gave Him to drink wine mingled with myrrh: but He received it not." — Mark 15:23

A golden truth is couched in the fact that the Saviour put the myrrhed wine-cup from His lips. On the heights of heaven the Son of God stood of old, and as He looked down upon our globe He measured the long descent to the utmost depths of human misery; He cast up the sum total of all the agonies which expiation would require, and abated not a jot. He solemnly determined that to offer a sufficient atoning sacrifice He must go the whole way, from the highest to the lowest, from the throne of highest glory to the cross of deepest woe. This myrrhed cup, with its soporific (inducing sleep or drowsiness, thereby dulling the pain) influence, would have stayed Him within a little of the utmost limit of misery, therefore He refused it. He would not stop short of all He had undertaken to suffer for His people. 

The Classic Amplified Bible says this in 2 Corinthians 9:7:

7 Let each one [give] as he has made up his own mind and purposed in his heart, not reluctantly or sorrowfully or under compulsion, for God loves (He takes pleasure in, prizes above other things, and is unwilling to abandon or to do without) a cheerful (joyous, "prompt to do it") giver [whose heart is in his giving]. AMP

When we give like that, we LOOK LIKE JESUS! You and your family are tremendous givers! You have blessed so many in The Spoken Word Church with your giving! You also give of your time and energy to so many. You have given to us of your beautiful, peaceful and love filled home many times! My prayer is that this coming year will see you all BLESSED beyond measure in every area of life! We love you all SO very much! Here is another song from Brandon Lake's "Tear Off The Roof - LIVE" album called "Your Love Is Strong" with Jon Foreman:

Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!

Hi Brian!

The 'word' for this week is actually one of the Names of Jesus! "Bread of Life". We find this name in John 6:35 and in John 6:38. 

John 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. KJV

John 6:47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. 48 I am that bread of life. KJV

Bread is the Greek word "artos". Vine's Expository Dictionary says "This word stand for literal bread in some passages and nourishment in genreal in others. In these two it refers to Christ as the Bread of Life. "Life" here is the Greek word "Zoe", which means "Life" according to Strong's Greek Concordance. Thayer's Greek Lexicon says: that aboluste fullness of life which belongs to God, life real and genuine.  life as a principle, life in the absolute sense, life as God has it, that which the Father has in Himself, and which He gave to the Incarnate Son to have in Himself and which the Son manifested in the world. So JESUS declared that HE is that Bread of Life which we all NEED and REQUIRE in order to live effectively in this world! We are, of ALL people, MOST BLESSED! JESUS is NOT keeping things from us, but patiently waiting on us to grab ahold of everything that HE is FOR US! Your success in your career, your music, friendships, marriage, parenting and in every other area shows that you are partaking of all that is provided by the BREAD of LIFE! That speaks JESUS without even saying words! Here again is one of my new favorite worship songs. Brandon Lake with "Gratitude":

Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!

Hi Brian!

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

"The people that do know their God shall be strong." — Daniel 11:32

Every believer understands that to know God is the highest and best form of knowledge; and this spiritual knowledge is a source of strength to the Christian. It strengthens his faith. Believers are constantly spoken of in the Scriptures as being persons who are enlightened and taught of the Lord; they are said to "have an unction from the Holy One," and it is the Spirit's peculiar office to lead them into all truth, and all this for the increase and the fostering of their faith. Knowledge strengthens love, as well as faith. Knowledge opens the door, and then through that door we see our Saviour. Or, to use another similitude, knowledge paints the portrait of Jesus, and when we see that portrait then we love Him, we cannot love a Christ whom we do not know, at least, in some degree. If we know but little of the excellences of Jesus, what He has done for us, and what He is doing now, we cannot love Him much; but the more we know Him, the more we shall love Him. Knowledge also strengthens hope. How can we hope for a thing if we do not know of its existence? Hope may be the telescope, but till we receive instruction, our ignorance stands in the front of the glass, and we can see nothing whatever; knowledge removes the interposing object, and when we look through the bright optic glass we discern the glory to be revealed, and anticipate it with joyous confidence. Knowledge supplies us reasons for patience. How shall we have patience unless we know something of the sympathy of Christ, and understand the good which is to come out of the correction which our heavenly Father sends us? Nor is there one single grace of the Christian which, under God, will not be fostered and brought to perfection by holy knowledge. How important, then, is it that we should grow not only in grace, but in the "knowledge" of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

This is why it is so important for us to be continually feeding our spirit and soul on the Word of God. The word "know" in Daniel 11:32 is the Hebrew word "yada". According to Vine's Expository Dictionary, this word means: 1) to know by observing and reflecting (thinking), and (2) to know by experiencing. It also says: In contrast to this knowing through reflection is the knowing which comes through experience with the senses, by investigation and proving, by reflection and consideration (firsthand knowing). In addition to the essentially cognitive knowing already presented, this verb has a purely experiential side. The "knower" has actual involvement with or in the object of the knowing. "To know" God is to have an intimate experiential knowledge of Him. It is still thrilling and amazing to me that after all of these years of studying the Word (44 years!), I am still seeing, learning and knowing something new every time I do! I believe that you have seen the same thing happening for you. As you and Kristine continue to raise your ladies in the Word, new situations will arise and you will have the Wisdom and Knowledge that you need to smoothly go through each one! Here is Brandon Lake and Phil Wickham with "Love Of God":

Love and Shalom  from the Swoveys!