Acts 5:11 And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.
Ananias and Sapphira had just attempted to deceive their fellow believers. They had sold a piece of land and tried to tell Peter that they were giving the entire proceeds of the sale to the New Testament Church. […]
Acts 5:2 And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
Ananias and Sapphira had seen how several Christians including Barnabas sold their land and gave it to the church for the purpose of taking care of the needs […]
Matthew 6:20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
What is the most important thing to you? Where is your heart? Are you more concerned about your house here on earth than you are about your mansion in heaven? […]
Proverbs 28:13 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.
Adam and Eve sinned when they ate of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Adam and Eve realized that they were naked and that something had changed as a result of their […]
Proverbs 21:3 To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.
There are better ways to please the Lord than bringing sacrifices. It is true that we do not offer sacrifices of animals as the Jews did in the Old Testament. However, this verse is still applicable to our lives today. Have […]
Proverbs 15:3 The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.
Do you live your life as if God is watching your every move? If you desire to live your life according to the fear of the Lord, then you must understand that there is a God who sees everything […]
Proverbs 11:1 A false balance is abomination to the LORD: but a just weight is his delight.
God desires that we do not cheat one another. It does not matter what you do, you must be honest in your doings. Whether you are reporting your hours at work or counting out change for a customer, you […]
Proverbs 6:19 A false witness that speaketh lies,
In this passage Solomon reveals to us seven abominations unto the Lord. This section covers the sixth abomination, one who goes around goes around intentionally telling lies to harm the reputation of another. The second item in the list of abominations was a lying tongue whereas this verse […]
Proverbs 6:17 a lying tongue,
In this passage Solomon enumerates seven abominations unto the Lord. The second item in this list is a lying tongue. Jesus told us that HE is the truth. HE also taught us that it is the truth that will set us free.
When you tell a lie, your actions are not pleasing […]
Acts 5:5 And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things.
Ananias and his wife Sapphira sold a portion of land. They agreed that they were going to keep back a portion of the proceeds and give the rest to the apostles. […]
Acts 5:4 Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? And after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? Why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? Thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.
At this time, many Christians were selling their possessions and giving the proceeds to the apostles for taking care of the needs of the believers. Ananias and Sapphira also decided to sell some land. However, they determined in their hearts that they were going to hold back part of the proceeds and only give to God a portion.
Ananias and Sapphira had no obligation to God to give all of the proceeds to God�s work. The land belonged to them and it was their choice how much they gave to God. However, Ananias and Sapphira desired the praises of man but did not want to give up their security in their possessions. As such, they devised a plan by which they kept some of the money from the sale to themselves but they told Peter that the money they were giving was 100% of the entire sale. They hoped that Peter and the church would thank them and praise them for their sacrificial gift.
Acts 5:9 Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out.
By faith Peter prophesied the death of Sapphira. Do you think Peter enjoyed telling a believer that she was going to die? This was probably not something Peter wanted to do, but because God revealed the news to him, Peter had to obey God.
Walking in faith does not always mean you enjoy mountain top experiences. Sometimes you must walk by faith into the valley of the shadow of death. Faith does not always lead to joyous occasions but can sometimes be somber because God intends to cause those around you to fear HIM. Your relationship with God is not designed for your personal benefit. God never promised you that if you believe in HIM your life would be easy and prosperous. You must remember that you are on this earth as HIS creation and that it is your duty to do HIS will for your life. True happiness and contentment will come when you strive to follow HIS perfect will for your life.
Acts 5:3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?
Peter was able to confront Ananias with the truth because the Spirit revealed to him that Ananias was lying. Peter could have been a peacemaker and avoided confrontation. He could have argued with the Holy Spirit that he did not know all the facts. He did not have any witnesses and he could have argued that the law required witnesses in order to charge an individual. However, by faith, Peter heard the still small voice of God and he confronted Ananias so as to reveal to the church that one cannot hide anything from God.
