The Daily Fountain Devotional of the Church Of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) 4 February 2023 – These Times Of Ignorance
Click HERE to Read Previous MESSAGES
TOPIC: These Times Of Ignorance
READ: Acts 17:17-34
17 Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him.
18 Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection.
19 And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is?
20 For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean.
21 (For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.)
22 Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.
23 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, To The Unknown God. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.
24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;
25 Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;
26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;
27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:
28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.
29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device.
30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.
32 And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter.
33 So Paul departed from among them.
34 Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and believed: among the which was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.
The MESSAGE:
It is very unfortunate that our generation will be counted in the times of ignorance of the Gospel more than 2000 years after Jesus left the earth.When Paul arrived in Athens, he was burdened by what he saw-the level of idol worship in the place, to the extent of dedicating an altar to “THE UNKNOWN GOD.”This gave Paul the opportunity to preach about this “Unknown God” to them and many believed. Even some philosophers wanted to find out this ‘new doctrine’ that Paul brought.Are we still like ignorant Athenians in this 21st Century? The way the youths are embracing idolatry, cultural revival, kidnapping, money rituals and cultism makes one wonder if the gospel is being preached. The Word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword…” (Heb. 4: 12).
This is manifested when the Word is spoken in the power of the Holy Spirit. Anything short of this may not make the needed impact in a world that places learning, science, technology and artificial intelligence above God. We must fight this ignorance by preaching the gospel zealously as the Day of the Lord fast approaches. Preach the gospel today.
PRAYER: Use me Lord to pull down every spirit of idolatry in my generation in Jesus Name. Amen.
