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Ananias and Sapphira

Acts 5: 1-11
1 Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. 2 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. 3 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? 4 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.”
 5 When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. 6 Then some young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him.  7 About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 Peter asked her, “Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?” “Yes,” she said, “that is the price.”  9 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.” 10 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. 11 Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.
To get a good feel for this section of verses, we have to look at the verses prior to this- about the Believers hearing their possessions.  Acts 4:32 “All the believers were one in heart and mind.  No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had.”  34-35 “… From time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.”

So Ananias wanted to be the “big man” he wanted everyone to look at him and say, there is the man that gave everything to God, there is a great man.  But he didn’t want to give it all to God.  He wanted it to appear that he gave it all to God, but really didn’t.  He wanted to look like he was serving the Lord, when in reality, he was not trusting him.  Now, I was not there with them.  I don’t know if this is what was actually going through their heads.  I don’t know what his intentions were, but I can only assume that they were not the best.  They lied to the Holy Spirit and that caused their ultimate death. 

What part of you are you keeping back?  Are you saying that you have given it all to God, but in reality, you are keeping part of it back for yourself?   Are you saying, Lord, you can have this part of my life and that part, but the love part, I am going to keep that to myself.  Lets think about a newspaper.  Not one on-line, but an actual, physical newspaper.  You have this paper and God asks you if he can have it.  You say sure…  But then you remember a comic strip that you really liked, so you keep back that section.  Then you remember that there were scores that you wanted to look at again in the sports section, so you keep that section.  You have given him the newspaper, but he isn’t getting all the news.  He isn’t getting the sense of humor that the paper presents, isn’t getting the sports information that the paper presents…  he is just getting the information that you want him to have. 

What part of your newspaper are you keeping back?  Parenting?  Sports?  Crafts?  Community Life?  Humor?  I don’t want to be like Ananias and lie to the Holy Spirit- when I say that I have given my all to God, I want it to be my all! 

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