CAC LIVING WATER DEVOTIONAL FOR JULY 31, 2022 : TOPIC – WRONG EXAMPLES TO AVOID (I)
LIVING WATER CAC DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE
Sunday, July 31, 2022.
WRONG EXAMPLES TO AVOID (I)
Read: Acts 5:1-11
But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession,
And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?
Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.
And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things.
And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him.
And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in.
And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much.
Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out.
Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband.
And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.
MEMORISE: This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it (John 12:6).
EXPOSITION
Many wrong examples abound of which the Christian should be aware, to avoid. Severally, had God spoken and acted against such acts, past and present and will be in Future. This is because the Bible makes it clear that no identity is unknown and that every work is recorded against the name of the doer! Just as the Lord Jesus Christ addressed the 7 churches in Asia by their names (Rev. 2 & 3), I know your works.
Unfaithfulness in material things toward God and man is a weighty offence. It carries such penalties as curse, fine (refund), stigmatisation, expulsion/dismissal, condemnation and outright execution and death as being carried out in some nations of the world presently. This is the sin of the couple in today’s devotional reading, Ananias and Sapphira,
which was punished drastically and beyond any imagination, by God Himself. They were even mentioned by their names!
Let us learn from this departed couple who suddenly left their coveted properties behind for others, sometimes, who didn’t know when they were amassing such and trying to ‘trick’ God into believing their hypocrisy. They invoked God’s unchanging fiery judgement. Be warned! Compare the following scriptures: Zechariah 5:1-4; Luke 16:1-13; 19:20-27; Revelation 21:8.
Unfaithfulness to God and others is a wrong attitude that God doesn’t take lightly. He expects us to be faithful in all things (1 Cor. 4:2). Go into history to see how God has dealt with people who have at one time or the other misappropriated church money, and you will see that He doesn’t joke with unfaithfulness. Don’t be another Judas Iscariot. Never you conspire with anybody to defraud God. No one gets away with it.
PRAYER POINT:
1. Thank God the Almighty, the sole Owner and Proprietor of the earth and all that is therein.
2. Pray against the spirit of unfaithfulness.
3. Pray for CAC Olatunde Region, our father in the Lord, the Superintendent, and its officers at the various levels, as led by the Spirit of God.
HYMN FOR THE DAY: CAC GHB 715
1. Thou who art fount of all good things
We want to do Thy will,
What is it we can give to Thee
Thou King of all the earth.
2. Lord, in this world Thou hast the poor
Who are Thine own people
Their names Thou promis’d to confess
Before Thy Father’s throne.
3. And when they cry out in their pain
When we rise up to care for them
We are caring for Thee.
4. Jesus, accept our offer-ing
Bestow Thy blessings there
Pour out Thy blessings on our gifts
Which are given the poor.
Amen.
EXTRA READING FOR TODAY: Isaiah 33 – 36