Another great win! The word for this week is "fables". It's found in these verses:
1 Timothy 1:4 Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do. KJV
1 Timothy 4:7 But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness. KJV
2 Timothy 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. KJV
Titus 1:14 Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth. KJV
2 Peter 1:16 For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. KJV
These are all from the Greek word "muthos". Strong's Concordance says: a tale, fiction (myth). Thayer's Greek Lexicon says: a speech, word, saying. A narrative, story. Vine's Expository Dictionary breaks it down a little more! It says speech, conversation. Then it adds: the first
syllable comes from a root mu—, signifying "to close, keep secret, be dumb"; whence, muo, "to close" (eyes, mouth) and musterion, "a secret, a mystery"; hence, "a story, narrative, fable, fiction" (English, "myth"). 2 Peter 1:16 calls them 'cunningly devised' fables. This is the Greek word "sophizo", which Strong's defines as: to form sophisms. {Sophisms are defined in the Dictionary as: an argument that seems true, but is really false and is used to deceive people.}
Basically, these are all referring to those ideas and doctrines that religions have developed that may appear to be true, but are not. Many denominations began with a TRUTH of the Word, but then stressed a particular point of difference from other denominations to the point that this difference became the main focus of their theology. The Catholic church had added so many man-made ideas, rituals and doctrines that are not found anywhere in the Word that Luther's Reformation was needed to get the Word back to the people. He stressed salvation by faith rather than by works to the point that, not understanding the Word, he wanted the entire Book of James deleted from the Bible. Other denominations stressed water baptism to the point that they did not believe that one could be fully saved without it and made it a 'requirement' for salvation. Then their are the Spirit-filled denominations that say that you can't be saved without speaking in tongues. We avoid all of those 'fables' by being students of the Word, as the Bereans mentioned in
Acts 17:10-11:
10 And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.
11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
KJV
Which is why I LOVE The Spoken Word Church, and others like ours, because we are taught the Word, but then given the responsibility to get into the Word ourselves to make sure that what we are hearing is the Truth! The most exciting aspect of the Word over fables and doctrines of men is that the Word itself brings faith. Romans 10:17:
17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
KJV
Meditating on the Word gives Holy Spirit the opportunity to bring the understanding of the Word so that we can put it into practice. Listening to teaching, reading for ourselves, doing Word studies like these, talking with others about the Word, are all ways to meditate. Then we can stand on this promise from Joshua 1:8:
8 This Book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe and do according to all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall deal wisely and have good success.
AMP
I would say that YOUR meditation of the Word has produced much in your life that has resulted in wisdom, success, prosperity, favor and accomplishment, in every area! Now keep letting patience work in your favor, knowing that you are undergirded with a great support system in all of us! We love you and your precious family so much! Here is Hillsong UNITED with an older song called "One Way":
Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!
