Today’s Community Scripture – 5/20/2025

But a man named Ananias—his wife, Sapphira, conniving in this with him—sold a piece of land, secretly kept part of the price for himself, and then brought the rest to the apostles and made an offering of it. Peter said, “Ananias, how did Satan get you to lie to the Holy Spirit and secretly keep back part of the price of the field? Before you sold it, it was all yours, and after you sold it, the money was yours to do with as you wished. So what got into you to pull a trick like this? You didn’t lie to men but to God.” Ananias, when he heard those words, fell down dead. That put the fear of God into everyone who heard of it. The younger men went right to work and wrapped him up, then carried him out and buried him. Not more than three hours later, his wife, knowing nothing of what had happened, came in. Peter said, “Tell me, were you given this price for your field?” “Yes,” she said, “that price.” Peter responded, “What’s going on here that you connived to conspire against the Spirit of the Master? The men who buried your husband are at the door, and you’re next.” No sooner were the words out of his mouth than she also fell down, dead. When the young men returned they found her body. They carried her out and buried her beside her husband. By this time the whole church and, in fact, everyone who heard of these things had a healthy respect for God. They knew God was not to be trifled with.

                                  Acts 5:1–11 (MSG)

– Reflection:

          Ananias and Sapphira

Stepping back into Acts 5, at the beginning, the Apostles and others who received the Holy Spirit were giving away ownership of their possessions, making sure no one was in need while they did the work of Christ. There was a couple that gave a field to the Apostles, but what was not known was that some of the money was held back. God, being who He is, and the Holy Spirit being what it is, spoke to the Apostles, letting them know what happened. You see, God doesn’t care about our possessions; what matters is whether we are giving them completely to Him. Ananias was called before the Apostles and confronted about the deed he had done, and when the Apostles finished speaking to him, he fell dead. We all have told a few little lies, but don’t do it to God. Satan can whisper to us, and if we listen, he can lead us to do his work. This is what I think happened to Ananias and his wife. By the time the younger men returned from burying Ananias, they also had to bury Sapphira, as she helped commit the lie to God and thus had to be removed from the group too. This small passage shows me the protection God had over this group from the beginning, and still has over His followers today. The miracles performed back then are still happening today if we are paying attention. Sometimes we need to have a profound fear of our God to get moving and honor Him as we should.

– Where do we go from here?

This passage from Acts 5 is not just a historical account—it serves as a warning and a spiritual mirror. It challenges us to examine the authenticity of our hearts when we claim to give ourselves to God. Ananias and Sapphira’s story isn’t merely about money; it’s about motive and the condition of their hearts. They desired the appearance of generosity without the sacrifice. They sought the praise of men while withholding from God. What this reveals is that God values truth within us. He doesn’t need our possessions; He desires our hearts. When we pretend to surrender while secretly holding back, we’re not just lying to people; we’re lying to the Holy Spirit. This brings us to a deeper truth: the fear of the Lord is not terror but reverence. It’s the awe that reminds us God is holy, just, and intimately involved in the lives of His people. The early church thrived under this reverent fear, and miracles followed. That same power is available today, but it begins with hearts that are fully surrendered.

So the question is: Are we living with integrity before God? Are we giving Him our whole hearts, or just the parts we’re comfortable with?

– Our Prayer for Today

Father, You see the depths of our hearts. Teach us to walk in truth and integrity before You. Help us to surrender not just what we have, but who we are; fully and without reservation. Guard us from the whispers of the enemy, and fill us with the wisdom and courage to follow Your Spirit. Let awe rise in us, that we may honor You in all we do. In Jesus’ name, Amen.