Hi Brian!

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

"Exceeding great and precious promises."— 2 Peter 1:4

If you would know experientially the preciousness of the promises, and enjoy them in your own heart, meditate much upon them. There are promises which are like grapes in the wine-press; if you will tread them the juice will flow. Thinking over the hallowed words will often be the prelude to their fulfillment. While you are musing upon them, the boon which you are seeking will insensibly come to you. Many a Christian who has thirsted for the promise has found the favour which it ensured gently distilling into his soul even while he has been considering the divine record; and he has rejoiced that ever he was led to lay the promise near his heart.

But besides meditating upon the promises, seek in thy soul to receive them as being the very words of God. Speak to thy soul thus, "If I were dealing with a man's promise, I should carefully consider the ability and the character of the man who had covenanted with me. So with the promise of God; my eye must not be so much fixed upon the greatness of the mercy—that may stagger me; as upon the greatness of the promiser—that will cheer me. My soul, it is God, even thy God, God that cannot lie, who speaks to thee. This word of His which thou art now considering is as true as His own existence. He is a God unchangeable. He has not altered the thing which has gone out of His mouth, nor called back one single consolatory sentence. Nor doth He lack any power; it is the God that made the heavens and the earth who has spoken thus. Nor can He fail in wisdom as to the time when He will bestow the favours, for He knoweth when it is best to give and when better to withhold. Therefore, seeing that it is the word of a God so true, so immutable, so powerful, so wise, I will and must believe the promise." If we thus meditate upon the promises, and consider the Promiser, we shall experience their sweetness, and obtain their fulfillment.

Knowing what God promises us in His Word is only the first step! REALLY believing that He said what He meant, and meant what He said, and that He was personally speaking to each one of us is key to walking in those promises! Sometimes every day life and the cares of it can cause us to entertain doubts. That is why the instruction to 'meditate much on them' is so important! Also remembering all of the times He has been true to His Word on our behalf will keep that faith strong! My prayer is that you will see more manifestation of God's Word working in your life than ever before! Here is another new song from Brandon Lake's new album, 'King of Hearts', called "Watch This!":

Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!

Hi Brian!

I have been meditating lately on all of the wonderful things that God has done for me, for my family, for the church and for all of the people that I love! It is SO easy when we get busy to push those things to the back of our mind and forget to be SO thankful for them! This may not be the case for you, but I know that I have to remind myself, especially when I'm faced with having to stand strong on the Word when something doesn't happen immediately. Every time I DO remind myself of what HE has done for me in the past, Holy Spirit shows me even more aspects of each answered prayer or miracle! That brought to mind this verse from John 21:25:

25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did. If they should be all recorded one by one [in detail], I suppose that even the world itself could not contain (have room for) the books that would be written. AMP

As you continue through the rest of this year, I am believing for and expecting signs, wonders, miracles, favor, creative ideas, and blessings upon blessings for you and your family! He is a GOOD, GOOD GOD and LOVES to BLESS His kids! And here is a Brandon Lake song to cover that, too! "The Half Has Not Been Told":

Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!

Hi Brian!

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

"When I cry unto Thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know; for God is for me." — Psalm 56:9

It is impossible for any human speech to express the full meaning of this delightful phrase, "God is for me." He was "for us" before the worlds were made; He was "for us", or He would not have given His well-beloved son; He was "for us" when He smote the Only-begotten, and laid the full weight of His wrath upon Him—He was "for us" though He was against Him; He was "for us" when we were ruined in the fall—He loved us notwithstanding all; He was "for us" when we were rebels against Him, and with a high hand were bidding Him defiance; He was "for us" or He would not have brought us humbly to seek His face. He has been "for us" in many struggles; we have been summoned to encounter hosts of dangers; we have been assailed by temptations from without and within—how could we have remained unharmed to this hour if He had not been "for us"? He is "for us," with all the infinity of His being; with all the omnipotence of His love; with all the infallibility of His wisdom; arrayed in all His divine attributes, He is "for us"—eternally and immutably "for us"; "for us" when yon blue skies shall be rolled up like a worn out vesture; "for us" throughout eternity. And because He is "for us" the voice of prayer will always ensure His help. "When I cry unto Thee, then shall mine enemies be turned back." This is no uncertain hope, but a well grounded assurance—"this I know." I will direct my prayer unto Thee, and will look up for the answer, assured that it will come, and that mine enemies shall be defeated, "for God is for me." O believer, how happy art thou with the King of kings on thy side! How safe with such a Protector! How sure thy cause pleaded by such an Advocate! If God be for thee, who can be against thee?

AMEN! Romans 8:31 says:

31 What then shall we say to [all] this? If God is for us, who [can be] against us? [Who can be our foe, if God is on our side?]

And He IS! ALWAYS! What confidence that should ALWAYS give us! Brandon Lake's song "God Is Not Against Me" is SO good! 

Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!

Hi Brian!

The word for this week is "serve". We'll be looking at Joshua 24:15:

15 And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. AMP

 

This is the Hebrew word "abad". Strong's Concordance says: a primitive root; to work (in any sense). Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon adds: to labor, to do work, to serve another by labor, to make oneself a servant. Vine's Expository Dictionary adds: to serve, to cultivate, often used toward God.

When we were first born again and began to go to Bible Studies, most people had the idea that to serve the Lord meant you had to become a Pastor or a Missionary! Those are definitely callings from the Lord for SOME people! But every believer is called to the Ministry of Reconciliation, which is simply representing JESUS to everyone we come in contact with. Many times this is done by our actions and interactions with the people we come in contact with on a daily basis. Sometimes it is random and other times we will have a knowing inside about what we are doing! The main idea here is that GOD is NOT finished with us yet! There is so much more that HE desires to do IN us and FOR us! So the next time you are praying for Kristine and the girls, KNOW that THIS is serving the LORD! Every selfless thing you do is another way that you are PLEASING too the LORD and SERVING HIM! Here is another new song from Brandon Lake called "As For Me and My Home":

Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!