Wow! Another exciting chapter, but this one is also rather sobering!
When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened.
Acts 5:5
Wow! If people always died when they lied to God, the churches would all have fired off! Quite sobering!
It seems that as good begins a new era or stage in his work he both increases the supernatural healings and miracles but also increases consequences for wrong doing. When God brought the Israelites out of Egypt he killed many Egyptians who were standing in God's way, when they entered the promised land Akin's sin caused a battle to be lost and Akin and his family to die. Here again there are great miracles but also this situation with Annanias and Saphira.
As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mas so that at least Peter's shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by impure spirits, and all of them were healed.
Acts 5:15-16
God is displaying his power to confirm his presence and words.
The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.
Acts 5: 41 NIV
This is an attitude we rarely have. We usually are afraid, discouraged or angry that we suffer on account of Jesus's name. I think there is something we are missing.
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