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<center>Ignorance
Is Not Bliss</center>
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<td>______________________________________________________ ______________
 Volume 4 No.10                                                                               
December 27, 2002</td>
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<center>This message was first written  by Samuel M. Smith December,
2002 
 ©2002 Up Way Publications.</center>
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<td>We
are often told that "Ignorance is bliss," but that is man's logic. In the
Garden of Eden, while man was ignorant of his nakedness and had not sinned,
he was indeed in bliss, but ever since knowledge has emerged in mankind's
life, God has said, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because
thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou be no
priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of  thy God, I will
also forget thy children," (Hosea 6:4).
Many
years ago, I heard a saying  made by Rev. John B. Jess on WMBI (Moody
Bible Institute) radio in which he said that the largest denomination
in the world is the "Ignorant Brethren", a tongue-in-cheek reference to
the several times that the Apostle Paul writes, "I would not have you to
be  ignorant, brethren," (1 Corinthians 1:13; 1 Thessalonians 4:13).
In
the natural, ignorance of the speed law usually will not prevent you having
to pay the fine if you are caught speeding.
If
you do not know sugar o r honey or maple syrup is sweet, you will never
experience the pleasures of enjoying them.
If
you do not know that cyanide is deadly poison, then you might take several
of someone's heart pills and die from it. 
If
you do not know you have cancer or tuberculosis, you will never be treated
for it and you won't even ask for prayer for healing with the result that
you will likely die a painful death.</td>

<td WIDTH="49%">  
But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant.  (1 Corinthians
14:38KJV). But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant.(1 Corinthians
14:38NIV). Footnotes:    14:38 Some manuscripts: If
he is ignorant of this, let him be ignorant,
5   For
this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens
were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:
(2
Peter 3:5)
30   And
the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every
where to repent: (Acts 17:30).
 (2 Timothy 3:16).
 (Ephesians 4:18).
      16   As also in all his epistles,
speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood,
which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other
scriptures, unto their own destruction.
      17   Ye therefore, beloved, seeing
ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the
error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. (2 Peter 3:16,17).
 8   But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that
one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one
day.(2 Peter 3:8).
 .
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<td VALIGN=TOP>Ignorance
Is Not Bliss  & nbsp;                                                                                      
Page 2
  
  
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 13   Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes
I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto,) that I might have
some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles.(Romans 1:13).
 3   For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going
about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves
unto the righteousness of God.(Romans 10:3)
 5   But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they
were overthrown in the wilderness.
 6   Now these things were our examples, to the intent we
should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.
 7   Neither be ye idolaters, as were so me of them; as it
is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.
 8   Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed,
and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.
 9   Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted,
and were destroyed of serpents.
 10   Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and
were destroyed of the destroyer.
 11   Now all these things happened unto them for examples:
and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world
are come.
 12   Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed
lest he fall. (1 Corinthians 10:1-11).
1   Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not
have you ignorant.
 2   Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these
dumb idols, even as ye were led.
 3   Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking
by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that
Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.
 4   Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
 5   And there are differences of administrations, but the
same Lord.
 6   And there are diversities of operations, but it is the
same God which worketh all in all.
 7   But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every
man to profit withal.
 8    For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom;
to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
 9   To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts
of healing by the same Spirit;
 10   To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy;
to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to
another the interpretation of tongues:
 11   But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit,
dividing to every man severally as he will.
 12   For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all
the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
 13   For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body,
whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been
all made to drink into one Spirit.
 14   For the body is not one member, but many. (1 Corinthians
12:1-14).
  </td>

<td VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="49%">1   Now concerning spiritual gifts,
brethren, I would not have you ignorant.
      2   Ye know that ye were Gentiles,
carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led.
      3   Wherefore I give you to understand,
that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that
no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.
    & nbsp; 4   Now there are diversities of
gifts, but the same Spirit.
      5   And there are differences of
administrations, but the same Lord.
      6   And there are diversities of
operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.
 7   But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every
man to profit withal.
 8   For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom;
to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
 9   To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts
of healing by the same Spirit;
      10   To another the working of miracles;
to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers
kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:
      11   But all these worketh that
one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
      12   For as the body is one, and
hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are
one body: so also is Christ.
      13   For by one Spirit are we all
baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond
or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
      14   For the body is not one member,
b ut many. (1 Corinthians 12:1-14).
 1   Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant,
how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the
sea;
      2   And were all baptized unto Moses
in the cloud and in the sea;
 3   And did all eat the same spiritual meat;
      4   And did all drink the same spiritual
drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that
Rock was Christ
 8   For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our
trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure,
above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life:
 9   But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we
should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:
 10   Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver:
in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;
 11   Ye also helping together by prayer for us, that for
the gift bestowed upon us by the means of many persons thanks may be given
by many on our behalf. (2 Corinthians 1:8-11).
 13   But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning
them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no
hope. (1 Thessalonians 4:13).
 17   And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did
it, as did also your rulers. (Acts 3:17).
 12   Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is
none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
 13   Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and
perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and
they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus. (Acts 4:13).
 22   So he sent into Macedonia two of them that ministered
unto him, Timotheus and Erastus; but he himself stayed in Asia for a season.
 23   And the same time there arose no small stir about that
way. (Acts 19:22-23).
 .
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