Good morning to all on this Sunday morning. Waine and I are in Thomaston and enjoying a lazy Sunday morning. Its so good to wake up next to and with your Best Friend! Its been cold and rainy in Georgia; good days to be in and reading a good book. My beloved is editing his first novel with a diligence that is truly impressive. The practice is going well; Flu season is every pediatricians' friend. Waine and I truly pray that this season finds you and your family healthy and in the comfort of each other's love.
I am continuing my journey in Acts 5 verses 1 - 42, "Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet. Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.” When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. Then some young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him. About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. Peter asked her, “Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?” "Yes,” she said, “that is the price.” Peter said to her, “How could you conspire to test the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.” At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband. Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.
The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon’s Colonnade. No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people. Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number. As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by impure spirits, and all of them were healed.
Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out. “Go, stand in the temple courts,” he said, “and tell the people all about this new life.” At daybreak they entered the temple courts, as they had been told, and began to teach the people. When the high priest and his associates arrived, they called together the Sanhedrin—the full assembly of the elders of Israel—and sent to the jail for the apostles. But on arriving at the jail, the officers did not find them there. So they went back and reported, “We found the jail securely locked, with the guards standing at the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside.” On hearing this report, the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests were at a loss, wondering what this might lead to. Then someone came and said, “Look! The men you put in jail are standing in the temple courts teaching the people.” At that, the captain went with his officers and brought the apostles. They did not use force, because they feared that the people would stone them. The apostles were brought in and made to appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.” Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings! The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead—whom you killed by hanging Him on a cross. God exalted Him to His own right hand as Prince and Savior that He might bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins. We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him.”
When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to put them to death. But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while. Then he addressed the Sanhedrin: “Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men. Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing. After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and led a band of people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered. Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.” His speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah. Amen and may the Lord add a blessing to the reading and hearing of His Word.
What a powerful story! What a powerful message! I was perplexed at the beginning of this chapter with the account of the death of Ananias and his wife Sapphira. It just seemed so harsh to have them die. They did give a portion of their wealth to the church, didn't they? Then I got it. God requires that we freely give of ourselves to Him. When we hold back any portion of ourselves, we deceive ourselves and we experience the "death" of our spirit. God doesn't need our money or our wealth--He doesn't even need us. He made us because He wanted to bestow His vast love to another being--us. He wants us to experience the vastness of His love and we can't experience it when we hold anything back. He is able to supply us with everything we need to be fulfilled. He opens doors that are closed; He covers us with protection; He elevates us to His purpose. We only need to "die" to self and acknowledge His presence and Power in our lives. His angels are dispatched to protect all of us who have professed that Christ is Lord.
He also allows the rain to fall on BOTH the just and unjust. Our job is not to worry about the outcome; our job is to be obedient just as Peter was in proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus the Christ. I think the message of Ananias and Sapphira is clear. Deception will kill the spirit that lives within each of us. Whether a person wants to admit it or not, each of us are born with the Spirit of God within us. That spirit lays dormant and will eventually "die" if we don't get plugged into the Power of God through confession of our sins and acceptance of Christ as the only path to God, the giver of life. There is no other great being out there. The spiritual life and path is made whole through God and He states that the path to Him is made through Christ and Christ alone.
Many prophets have come and gone. When they crossed their own "Jordan" and they awakened into a new reality that there is only one God and His name is Jehovah. At His right hand is Christ who sacrificed all that none should perish. If these prophets died and did not accept Christ as the path to God BEFORE their deaths, the gate is closed forever. What a waste and what a tragedy.
My prayer today is that if you don't have Christ as Lord of your life you make s change today. Don't be like Ananias and Sapphira and lie to yourself. Give your all to God and accept His Gift of eternal life and redemption. To know Him is to Love Him. To love Him is to serve Him. To serve Him is to love you.
Now may the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.
Stephanie
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