DON'T BECOME A VICTIM OF IGNORANCE: Holiness Revival Movement Worldwide

BY PASTOR PAUL RIKA 
(Int'l Director Of Holiness Revival Movement Worldwide) 

DATE: 
SUNDAY,  JULY 14 2019. 

TEXT: 
ISAIAH 9:14-16 

KEY VERSE: John  3:10  Jesus  answered  and  said  unto  him,  Art  thou  a  master  of  Israel,  and knowest  not  these  things? 

Beloved,  know  this  for  certain;  to  be  ignorant  of  biblical  prophecies  is  a serious matter. For  this  reason,  Jesus  called  His  disciples  fools.  Acts  13:  14-16; 14. But when they  departed from Perga, they  came to Antioch in Pisidia,  and went into the synagogue  on the Sabbath day, and sat  down. 15. And after the reading of the law and the  prophets the rulers of the  synagogue sent unto them, saying, Ye men and brethren,  if ye have any word of  exhortation for the people, say on. 16. Then Paul stood  up, and beckoning with his  hand said,  Men  of  Israel, and ye  that  fear  God, give audience.

This text gives an account  of Paul in one of his  missionary journeys. He came to this place and  entered the synagogue of the Jews. They read “the law” and “the prophets” as it  was customary. The Jews  knew that the prophets are  very important but they  were ignorant of what they  were reading.

Their regular reading of scripture was not  for perfect understanding  but something done mechanically and  ceremoniously. After the  reading, the ruler of the synagogue said, “Brethren,  if any of you have any  exhortation.” In  response,  Paul stood up and  said, “Men  and  brethren,  children  of  the  stock  of Abraham,  and  whosoever among  you  feareth  God,  to  you  is  the  word  of  this  salvation  sent.  For  they  that dwell  at  Jerusalem,  and  their  rulers,  because  they  knew  Him  not,  nor  yet  the voices  of  the  prophets  which  are  read  every  Sabbath  day,  they  have  fulfilled them in condemning Him” (verses 26, 27 of Acts 13).

This  is  tragedy  of  ignorance! Every Sabbath they read  the  prophets  and  Paul  is confirming  to  us  that  they  read  it  yet  they  understood  not  what  they  read.  If  they did,  they  would  not  have  carried  out  the  very  acts  in  the  books  (for  the  books prophesied how Jesus  would suffer and be  crucified).

They were reading  it, yet they  couldn't  understand  hence  they  became  victim  of  their  own  ignorance. It is in  the  same  way  that  many  ignorant  Christians  who  have  read  about  the  rapture  in scripture  will  be  left  behind  and  later  lament,  “Oh,  so  it  happened  to  me.”  May that  not  be  your  portion  in  Jesus  name.

From  scriptural  knowledge,  I  can  boldly say  the  next  prophecy to be  fulfilled  is  rapture. Are  you  ready? 

Thought for the  day:
Are you cleansed in readiness for rapture? 

Song for the day: 
Make me ready, make me ready, make me ready oh Lord…… 

Bible reading  for the day: 
Psalm 13-16; Acts 18