Daily Reading

Acts 5:1-42; Psalm 37:12-28; Proverbs 10:5

Yikes! A couple falls down dead for attempting to deceive the Lord. What is interesting here is these people owned the property & the money they received from selling the property. It was up to them to give the amount they felt was right. Instead, they tried to make themselves look good by pretending to give it all. They allowed greed & pride to rule their actions. What we need to learn here is that God cares more about your heart & the intent behind your actions than about what you give. So, take careful stock of why you are doing what you are doing.

The church is rapidly growing & gaining a good reputation. Unfortunately, this good reputation serves to further irritate the chief priests & leaders. The apostles are put into jail, they are even flogged, but they continue to obey & serve the Lord. I love what Peter says to the cheif priests, "We must obey God rather than men."

A wise Pharisee cautions the religious leaders to watch & wait. If this movement is of man, it will die out, but if it is of the Lord, it will continue to grow. I would say this movement is of the Lord, for 2,000 years later, this movement is the number one religion in the world. So, praise God that the disciples stood firm in their faith & did not allow themselves to be silenced. Learn from them & do the same. Do not cower, but proclaim the name of Jesus boldly!