Hi Brian!

The word for this week is "quarrel". We'll be looking at Colossians 3:13:

Colossians 3:13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. KJV

This is the Greek word "momphe. Strong's Concordance says: blame, fault. Vine's Expository Dictionary adds: an occasion of complaint. The Theological Dictionary says: reproach or complaint. I have found over the years that when I deal with contentious people, if I keep in mind Proverbs 15:1 and operate in it, things always calm down and turn out so much better! And that IS how born again believers should act toward other believers! 

Praying that your trip with you wonderful family will be above and beyond all that you can ask, think or even imagine! Also praying for protection, provision, safety, FAVOR with God and man, great food, great fun and and all around WONDERFUL time!!! Here to celebrate with you is Brandon Lake with "Just Like Heaven!"

 

Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!

Hi Brian!

This week I want to share from Joseph Prince's "Daily Grace Inspirations" devotional!

“Abba, Father!”

For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. Romans 8:15–16

I love it when I’m in Israel and I hear little children running around in playgrounds, calling out, “Abba! Abba!”, and jumping into their daddies’ embraces. To the Jews, Abba is the most intimate way in which you can address your father.

It’s a beautiful picture of the truth that through Jesus, you have received the Spirit of sonship by whom you cry out “Abba, Father.” Did you notice that the Holy Spirit refused to translate the original Aramaic word “Abba” into English?

In Abba’s arms, a child is most secure, protected, and loved. No enemy can pull a child out of his or her Abba’s strong arms.

That’s the image God wants us to have when we pray to Him and call Him “Abba.” Of course, you can call Him “Daddy” or “Papa,” or whatever term helps you to see God as a warm, loving, and caring Father.

Unless you can see Him as your Abba Father, you will continue to have a “spirit of bondage again to fear” (Romans 8:15), referring to the Old Testament fear of God. It’s a slavish fear of judgment and punishment that brings you into bondage and makes you afraid of God.

But God doesn’t want you to fear Him. He wants you to have a Spirit of sonship! Too many believers are living with an orphan, fatherless spirit. If you are entangled with all kinds of fears, guilt, and worries today, what you need is a good heavenly dose of the Father’s love for you!

Something amazing happens in your spirit when you see God as your Father. If my daughter, Jessica, has a nightmare, all she has to do is cry out, “Daddy!” and Daddy is there!

Jessica doesn’t have to go, “O Father that liveth and inhabiteth the next room, I plead with thee to come to me at this time of peril, that thou mayest rescue me from this nightmare!” All she has to do is to cry out, “Daddy!” and I’m there.

Similarly, in your moments of weakness you don’t have to approach God with perfect prayers. You just cry out, “Daddy!” and your heavenly Father runs to you!

You are not coming before a judge. You are coming before your Father, your Daddy God, who embraces and loves you just the way you are.

Take time to come to your Abba Father today. Believe that He loves you unconditionally today. See Him welcoming you with a smile on His face and with outstretched arms. Run into His embrace, bask in His perfect love for you, and let it melt away every worry, fear, and insecurity.

When you believe and receive your Father’s love for you, it will put unshakable peace and strength in your heart!

I LOVE this! I never had a close relationship with the 'dad' I grew up with. It is SUCH a BLESSING to me to know that GOD is now my FATHER and that HE loves ME SO VERY MUCH! I know that you have a great dad you grew up with, but I also KNOW that your Heavenly Father is very real to you because YOU are SUCH a WONDERFUL father to your four BEAUFTIFUL young ladies! I just want to encourage you to continue to stay close to your Heavenly Father and there will not be ANYTHING that the enemy can do to take you by surprise or to harm what (WHO) God has blessed your life with ! Here is another song by Brandon Lake called "Kids":

Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!

Hi Brian!

This week I want to share a part of Psalm 68 from our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan! Here are verses 1-11:

1 God is [already] beginning to arise, and His enemies to scatter; let them also who hate Him flee before Him! 2 As smoke is driven away, so drive them away; as wax melts before the fire, so let the wicked perish before the presence of God. 3 But let the [uncompromisingly] righteous be glad; let them be in high spirits and glory before God, yes, let them [jubilantly] rejoice! 4 Sing to God, sing praises to His name, cast up a highway for Him Who rides through the deserts—His name is the Lord—be in high spirits and glory before Him! 5 A father of the fatherless and a judge and protector of the widows is God in His holy habitation. 6 God places the solitary in families and gives the desolate a home in which to dwell; He leads the prisoners out to prosperity; but the rebellious dwell in a parched land. 7 O God, when You went forth before Your people, when You marched through the wilderness—Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!

8 The earth trembled, the heavens also poured down [rain] at the presence of God; yonder Sinai quaked at the presence of God, the God of Israel. 9 You, O God, did send a plentiful rain; You did restore and confirm Your heritage when it languished and was weary. 10 Your flock found a dwelling place in it; You, O God, in Your goodness did provide for the poor and needy. 11 The Lord gives the word [of power]; the women who bear and publish [the news] are a great host.

I REALLY love this Psalm! I especially love the wonderful things that GOD causes to happen to bless US, His people! We can COUNT on HIM! Not because we, in ourselves, are so good, but because HE IS! You can count on Him for FAVOR, for BLESSING, for His anointing within you and upon you, for the leading, guiding and direction that comes to us through Holy Spirit! And verse 11 is especially pertinent to you as a father of BEAUTIFUL daughters! Your daughters are carriers of LIFE, even and especially when they are simply being their best selves! You and Kristine are doing a WONDERFUL job of raising them to be warriors, to be fierce and unrelenting in the face of evil, to be kind and considerate of others, to be hard workers for their goals and dreams, and to LOVE LIFE! Here is a song I really love from a few years ago by Hillsong called "As You Find Me":because at out BEST and at our WORST, HE still loves us and finds ways to BLESS US! 

Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!

Hi Brian!

So here is another word that I can't believe we never covered! "Joyful"! We'll be looking at Psalm 100!

1 Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.
2 Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
3 Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
5 For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations. KJV

This is the Hebrew word "ruwa". Strong's Concordance says: to split the ears with sound, to shout for alarm or joy. Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Concordance says: to shout, to raise a sound, to cry out, to give a blast, to shout a war-cry or an alarm of battle, to sound a signal for war or a march, to shout in triumph (over enemies), to shout in applause, to shout (with religious impulse), to shout for joy. One thing that we can be certain of: we are NOT to be silent! I LOVE praise and worship! Most of my very favorite songs are praise and worship songs! Participating brings me much joy and peace! Greg and I are SO blessed that our Christmas present from our Ewer granddaughters is tickets for us and Jessi to go to the April Brandon Lake concert in St. Paul! 

So hear is one of my favorite songs from one of his concerts called "Rest On Us":

Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!