~ THE WORD FOR TODAY ~
When Ananias and Sapphira saw others selling their land and
giving the proceeds to the church so the poor could be cared for, they
thought it was a great idea—in theory. However, when they sold some land
they withheld part of the money and then lied about it. They wanted
increased visibility and spiritual status without paying retail for it.
They wanted to ‘look the part’ without having to pay the price. But
Peter exposed their sin, saying, ‘You didn’t lie to people. You lied to
God!’ (Acts 5:4 CEV)
Not only were their motives exposed, they both dropped dead. And as a
result, ‘Great fear gripped the entire church and everyone else who
heard what had happened.’ (Acts 5:11 NLT)
One pastor says: ‘Numerous Sundays I’ve preached a message that deeply
moved the members of my congregation. But ironically I’d “prepared” by
arguing with my wife on the way to church, or making life miserable for
my children. Years of practice came to my rescue and I easily morphed
into “the pastor”, becoming instantly compassionate, holy and spiritual.
I was faking… [because] feeling needed, respected and wanted can become
as great a motivation as love for Christ.’ When it comes to examining
your motives, here are two Scriptures you need to read and consider
carefully and prayerfully: (1) ‘The Lord searches every heart and
understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will
be found by you.’ (1 Chronicles 28:9 NIV)
(2) ‘I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man
according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve.’ (Jeremiah 17:10 NIV)
SoulFood: Hos 11-14, Luke 22:63-71, Ps 55:1-11, Prov 8:17-18
The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright 2016
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