Hi Brian!


The word for this week is "fascinated". We hear that word a lot in conversation, but it was interesting to know that it isn't found in the KJV Bible at all. I checked for "fascinated", "fascinate", and "fascinating", and couldn't find any of them. When I checked a few other Bible translations, I did find this in Galatians 3:1 in the Amplified Bible:


1 O YOU poor and silly and thoughtless and unreflecting and senseless Galatians! Who has fascinated or bewitched or cast a spell over you, unto whom - right before your very eyes - Jesus Christ (the Messiah) was openly and graphically set forth and portrayed as crucified?


The Greek word here is "bewitched", which means: to malign, to fascinate with false representations in the Strong's Concordance. In Thayer's Greek Lexicon it says: to speak ill of one, to slander, to traduce, to bring evil on one by feigned praise, to charm. The dictionary definition of "traduce" is to expose to shame or blame by means of falsehood or misrepresentation. Vine's Expository Dictionary says: to prate about anyone, to bring evil on a person by feigned praise or to charm. To lead into an evil doctrine. "Prate" means empty or foolish talk, chatter, according to the dictionary definition. 


The concentration at The Spoken Word Church has always been on the Word of God. Pastor has often used the example of the people responsible for recognizing counterfeit money. They don't study every type of counterfeit, they study the real thing. They know every aspect of our money. When they come across something that doesn't fit with what they know, the counterfeit is exposed. The Galatians had been exposed to false teaching that once someone was born again, they must continue in the keeping of the Law. Paul was reminding them of the simplicity of the Gospel and exhorting them not to listen to anything, no matter how enticing or "bewitching", that was contrary to the simple Gospel. No human works could EVER undo the sin nature we inherited from Adam. Only the sacrifice of the sinless Son of God could forever pay the price. Once the price was paid, NOTHING needed to be added to it! Our actions as believers determine the kind of life we must be satisfied with here on earth, but NOTHING will keep us from Heaven once we have received Jesus of Nazareth as Lord and personal Saviour. 


In these last days before Jesus appears for the Church, there will be an increase in false teaching that is meant by the enemy to lead people away from the simple and powerful Gospel. As believers, it is more important now than ever before to understand the Gospel, and the power of it! Romans 1:16 says this:


16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believes; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.


Here is a video of 2 songs by Hillsong: "I'm Not Ashamed" and "Break Free":

Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!