第五章

1有一個人，名叫亞拿尼亞，同他的妻子撒非喇賣了田產， 2 把價銀私自留下幾分，他的妻子也知道，其餘的幾分拿來放在使徒腳前。

3 彼得說：亞拿尼亞！為甚麼撒但充滿了你的心，叫你欺哄聖靈，把田地的價銀私自留下幾分呢？ 4 田地還沒有賣，不是你自己的麼？既賣了，價銀不是你作主麼？你怎麼心裡起這意念呢？你不是欺哄人，是欺哄神了。

5 亞拿尼亞聽見這話，就仆倒，斷了氣；聽見的人都甚懼怕。 6 有些少年人起來，把他包裹，抬出去埋葬了。

7 約過了三小時，他的妻子進來，還不知道這事。 8 彼得對她說：你告訴我，你們賣田地的價銀就是這些嗎？她說：就是這些。

9 彼得說：你們為甚麼同心試探主的靈呢？埋葬你丈夫之人的腳已到門口，他們也要把你抬出去。

10 婦人立刻仆倒在彼得腳前，斷了氣。那些少年人進來，見她已經死了，就抬出去，埋在她丈夫旁邊。 11 全教會和聽見這事的人都甚懼怕。

默想

1. 亞拿尼亞和撒非喇所犯的罪並不是吝嗇或是留下部分金錢；變賣田地以及奉獻多少乃是出於自己的抉擇。他們的罪是欺騙神和神的教會。這種罪行受到那麼嚴厲的懲罰，是因為欺騙和貪婪會破壞教會，影響聖靈工作的效果。他們一心只為了博取別人的認同和讚許，卻未能隨從聖靈的引導，自由和誠實地奉獻，反而要利用捐贈財物來提高自己的聲譽。神不能容許這些動機，來污染聖靈在早期信徒中的大能作為。
2. 撒但會藉著我性格上的弱點，進入我的內心，控制我的行為。我當在那方面警醒，保守自己的行為，思想？

禱告與筆錄：

繼續安靜在神面前，與神對話，並聆聽祂對我說的話。將心中的思想（心得），或是與神的禱告，記錄在“靈程筆記”簿上面。

 

Chapter 5

¹Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. ²With 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.  ³Then 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? ⁴Didn’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 to men but to God.”  ⁵When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. ⁶Then the young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him.  ⁷About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. ⁸Peter asked her, “Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?” “Yes,” she said, “that is the price.”  ⁹Peter said to her, “How could you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.”  ¹⁰At 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. ¹¹Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.

Meditation

1. The sin that Ananias and Sapphira committed wasn’t that they’ve kept some money for themselves.  After all, the sale of the property and the amount to donate were their decisions.  They sinned in deceiving God and His people.  They were severely punished for deception for greed will corrupt the church and the work of the Holy Spirit.  It seems Ananias and Sapphira were bound by their desire for approval or acclaim.  They couldn’t give freely and honestly as led by the Holy Spirit, but rather needed to use their giving to increase their reputation.  God could not allow such motives to pollute the powerful work of his Spirit in this first body of Christians.
2. Satan will use my weaknesses to come into my heart and influence my decisions.  In what ways should I be alert in guarding my actions and thoughts?

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer.  Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell me.  Then write down any thought and/or prayer in the 2011 “Spiritual Journal” book.