True Rest

Mark 6:31-32 NASB
31 And He said to them, "Come away by yourselves to a lonely place and rest a while." (For there were many people coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.) 32 And they went away in the boat to a lonely place by themselves.
It's difficult for us to imagine Jesus needing rest. I mean, He's JESUS; the Creator of all things and the One through whom all things consist! However, the human Jesus, "the Son of Man" needed times of rest and relaxation. His body became weary and sometimes His thoughts became grieved.  Mental tiredness is as taxing as physical tiredness. In fact, I have found it much more difficult to relax when I'm mentally tired than when physically exhausted.
Usually, in the Summer we begin making plans to take a vacation.  We long for a place to quiet ourselves and renew our energy. However, most of our vacations take more effort than the work from which we are trying to escape! We travel great distances and fill our itineraries with as much as we can in the short time we have. I have often heard someone remark, after taking a vacation, "I had to come back to work so I could get some rest!"
My wife and I just returned from vacation of visiting our family. We traveled approximately 1,000 miles and had a great time catching up with our family. While at our daughters, I had the great idea that we take the granddaughters to a river that is famous for its tubing. So we packed a picnic lunch and headed out for the two-hour trip to the river. We rented the tubes and walked the fifteen minute path to the landing. Things got exciting right off when we saw a water snake while putting the tubes into the river at the dock. They did get into the tubes and I was the last one to 'launch' and they were already drifting further away from me. Therefore, I made the faithful decision to dive into the water and swim to catch up with them and then get into the tube. Have you ever tried to get into a tube on a swiftly running river? It is impossible to get into the tube, so I just kind of 'hung onto it' as they were all laughing at me hysterically. Then the rain storm came! Thunder and lightening and pelting rain, (like the scene from the Forrest Gump movie). We were able to get out at the next landing and decided to eat our picnic lunch while the storm passed. Once we finished lunch, we did however, complete the river trip and all in all had a great time. Then we had the two-hour drive home! It was indeed a day of making memories, but not much of a day for rest.
Mark tells us that after Jesus and the disciples got away in a boat to a secluded place, "The people saw them going, and many recognized them and ran there together on foot from all the cities, and got there ahead of them" (Mk 6:33). I suspect that you have had such incidents take place in your plans for rest. Some of you know what I am talking about; you try and get away but the problems seem to go ahead of you and meet you at your "secluded destination".
Jesus demonstrates a true rest that is not attached to a secluded place or an Utopian experience. He shows a calm in the midst of chaos. The rest He exhibits comes from His deep abiding relationship with His Father. From this chaotic time, He feeds the multitude with five loaves and two small fishes. This is the only miracle He performs that is recorded in all four Gospels.  He rested in the Belovedness of His Father!
You and I are invited to enter into His rest! He said, "Come unto Me and I will give you rest" (Matt 11:28-29). The writer to the Hebrews also sheds light on this rest in the third and fourth chapters of Hebrews. I will close these musings with his words: "For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His. 11 Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest,  Heb 4:10-11 NASB
So if you want real rest then run to Jesus. Cast your cares on Him and rest in His Strength and Spirit.

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Promises Hidden in Bitter Situations

Scripture Text:  Exodus 3:22-26; Ruth 1:19-21; Luke 22:39-42

These three narratives have a common denominator of the participants facing bitter circumstances. The children of Israel at the bitter waters of Marah; Naomi with Ruth upon returning from the land of Moab as widows; and Jesus, in the Garden of Gethsemane, just prior to His arrest and crucifixion. The children of Israel rejected God's plans at the waters of Marah, Naomi did not understand the affliction of God and the direction God was leading her upon returning to Bethlehem; and Jesus submitted to the Father's will instead of following His own will in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Being a Christ follower does not mean that we will not have trials and situations that are distasteful. I have noticed in scripture, many hindrances following a divine call of God upon a persons life. There is always the temptation to become bitter when facing the bitter cups of which we have to drink.
Moses, fresh off the encounter at the burning bush, finds great hardships from Pharaoh in Egypt. His response was to say to the Lord, "O Lord, why has Thou brought harm to this people? Why didst Thou ever send me? Thou has not delivered Thy people at all" (Exodus 5:22-23). However, as Moses grew in faith and saw the hand of God in the delivering the people, he could confidently say at the Red Sea: "Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever. The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent (Exodus 14:13-14). In other words Moses was saying, "Don't do something, stand there!"
Israel was moved to worship and song after the waters of the Red Sea covered their long time tormentors. However, they were moved to complaint at the waters of Marah. The text suggests that God led them to these waters for indeed Moses was leading at the command of God.  The text also reveals that just beyond these waters was an oasis of twelve springs and seventy date palm trees. Why would God lead them to the bitter waters first? He knew they had gone the maximum time allotted to human beings without water in a hot desert. No doubt you will answer that He did this to reveal that there is always an antidote for the bitter waters in our lives. This was done through God directing Moses to cut a tree and cast it into the waters, causing the bitter chemicals to precipitate to the bottom and the pool of water becoming sweet. I certainly believe that God has already provided a way of escape for each bitter situation we face. However, I wonder if this text is revealing an even greater purpose of God in the lives of these people.
Jamie Buckingham in his book: "A Way Through the Wilderness" writes of these pools of water being laced with magnesium and calcium which are ingredients for powerful laxatives. He proposes that God may have been purging the Israelites of the parasites they were carrying when they left Egypt. He also states that these ingredients are found in a drug called Dolomite which athletes use when laboring in the hot sun. This drug helps give muscles stamina and keeps them from going into spasms. God had taken the children of Israel out of Egypt and now it appears, He is taking Egypt out of them. God was purging them from their past bondage and was preparing them for the arduous journey ahead. However, Israel rejected the bitter pools of water. God's giving them sweet water, in this scenario, would be His second best miracle. Buckingham's commentary on this passage is thought provoking.
When Naomi said, "Call me Mara for I am bitter", she was looking at her present situation, and at the present, had no idea of the grand plan God had for her and her Moabite daughter-in-law, Ruth. Naomi could not see that through Ruth and Boaz's union, her past would be redeemed and her future would be greater than she could ever imagine. Naomi becomes the grandmother of Obed; the great-grandmother of Jesse; and the great-great-grandmother of David. This would be the kingly linage through whom Jesus would one day descend. Unlike the Israelites, who outright rejected God's bitter water; Naomi would began to see God's greater plan and help in bringing this plan to fruition.
In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed for the bitter cup to pass from Him. However, He submitted to the will of His Father and said, "Not my will but thine be done". The writer to the Hebrews states that He was able to endure the cross because of the joy that was set before Him. Joy in drinking from the bitter cup that seems for the moment, most distasteful, but sweet indeed when our eyes are lifted off the present circumstances to see God's greater plan for our lives.
Like Naomi, may we begin to see the greater picture of God's plan for our lives. Like Jesus, may we say, "Not my will but Thine be done!"

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This Is My House

Mark 11:15-17 (NASB)
15 And they came to Jerusalem. And He entered the temple and began to cast out those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of those who were selling doves; 16 and He would not permit anyone to carry goods through the temple. 17 And He began to teach and say to them, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations'? But you have made it a robbers' den."

All four Gospel writers share about Jesus cleansing the Temple. John records that Christ did this at the beginning of His ministry. Matthew, Mark and Luke records Him cleansing the temple at the end of His earthly ministry. Some think that these events are one and the same and that John got his chronology wrong. Others, myself included, believe these were actually two separate events. While there are several similarities in the narratives, there are some differences as well. They all state that this event took place at the beginning of Passover. Each evangelist writes about Jesus' wrath in overturning the tables and driving the moneychangers out of the temple. In John's account Jesus said, "Take these things away; stop making My Father's house a house of merchandise." Matthew, Mark and Luke write that Jesus said: "My house should be called a house of prayer for all nations. But you have made it a robbers den."
John writes about the religious elite asking for a sign and Jesus' response: "destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." The Jews said, "It took forty-six years to build this temple, and You will raise it up in three days?" John states that He was speaking of the temple of His body and after His resurrection, His disciples remembered what He said, and they believed the Scripture.
Matthew records healings taking place in the temple following this cleansing. The blind received their sight, the lame began to walk. Children, when seeing the power of God manifested in Christ, began giving praise. This moment was not lost on the religious leaders, and they asked Christ if He heard what they were saying?
Whether these are two separate events or one event recorded in various ways may be debated but should not be divisive. Our eternity does not hinge on one or the other viewpoint. However, there are some points to these narratives that I think we should seriously consider.
1. Jesus is angry when His house is used more for merchandising than it is for prayer. I remember hearing a sermon many hears ago by Vance Havner, concerning these narratives, in which he said : "What begins as a place of merchandise ends up as a den of thieves." We must remember that the original sin took place in heaven, where Lucifer began to merchandise in his gifts to become like God. Ezekiel 28:16 By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence... 
2. Jesus is angry when His house is not opened to all people. "My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations? There were exclusive measures to keep Gentiles away from the temple. There were legal hoops that other nations had to 'jump through' in order to be somewhat accepted. Jesus never intended that His house be only for a select few. Any barrier that keeps people of different races, ethnicitys, or social standing from the Father's house is appalling to Christ.
3. Jesus is angry when religious practices take place over a vital relationship. The religious were more concerned with children praising God in the temple than they were with unscrupulous men 'ripping off' the parishioners in the outer courts. They were more concerned with the phrase 'destroy this temple' than they were that prayer, healings and praise were not a common occurrence in the Father's House.
I find it encouraging that Jesus declares the church to be "His House". I believe He is coming to His house to do some house cleaning. He will over turn and reveal what is presently hidden.  The results of this cleansing will be a release of the supernatural for healing and an overflowing praise - even from the children.
Jesus' coming may be disruptive at first, but the results of His cleansing His church will be wonderful. Therefore I pray "Even so, come Lord Jesus".

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Identity Crisis

For several weeks now I have been teaching from the book of Ephesians on Identity Crisis. It seems to me that far too many Christians really do not understand who they are in Christ. Because of His victory over death, hell and the grave we are now victorious. This is not the work of our determination or the basis of our intelligence. It is the work of Christ by Grace. It is the gift of God to us through Christ (See Eph 2:4-10).
Satan is trying to usurp God from His kingdom and blind you and me from the truth of the gospel. If he can get us off the hope or ground of the Gospel then he can make it easy for us to fall into various sins. If however, we remain steadfast and secure in Christ, then we can withstand all the attacks that Satan and his kingdom brings to us.
The Apostle Paul takes the first three chapters of Ephesians to emphasize the point of our rest in Christ. He then establishes how this rest will look as we walk in wisdom and the Spirit in this present world. At the end of the letter he talks about spiritual warfare. The truth is, if we have not had the revelation of our 'seated position in Christ' then we cannot walk in wisdom in this earth. If we are not walking in the Spirit, then we are no match against Satan in a spiritual battle.
Most are defeated, at the outset, because they are trying to gain a victory that is already won. Satan has already gotten them off the ground of Christ's completed work. Through their own efforts, many sincere believers are defeated because they are not resting in Christ's work, but setting out to war against Satan in their own energy and determination. That is why most of the warfare armor that Paul mentions is defensive. We must stand firm on the ground of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We war from the victory not to the victory! We are not fighting to win a battle - we are fighting to defend the battle that Christ  has already won.
I pray that God will open our eyes to this tremendous truth. Jesus Christ has won the war - it is finished. We are invited into His work - we are His workmanship.

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Christmas Trees and the Cross

Our family loves Christmas. We love the sight, sounds and smells of this season. We love a candlelight dinner with Christmas music playing in the background. We love hot apple cider and fresh baked cookies. We love the laughter of sharing old Christmas memories. We are traditionalist at heart and the traditions that my wife and I established have carried over to our now grown and married children. When they call about coming home they usually also include some Christmas request. "Dad, have the hot apple cider ready and the Christmas music keyed up on the stereo" they say.
One of our greatest treasurers however, is our Christmas Tree. When our kids were younger we would go to a "Tree Farm" and pick out the perfect tree for Christmas. Some of our favorite memories are of me trying to keep the tree upright after getting it in the house. Or of us stringing the lights (which would invariably go out about half way through the process).  We now have an artificial, 'prelit' tree and my wife and I think it's great. However, it took some time for the kids to appreciate an 'artificial prelit' tree as much as we do. Please understand this is not why the Christmas Tree is a treasure to us. It's not the size or shape of the tree; nor the number and color of the lights that makes it a treasure. No, it's what we hang upon the tree that gives it such prominence.  There is an ornament for "Baby's First Christmas 1979"; one for "Baby's First Christmas 1983"; and "Baby's First Christmas 1987".  These ornaments mark the addition of each child to our family for those respective years. There are other ornaments that mark the passage of time in our family. There are old trucks with "Christmas Trees" in the bed. There is an ornament of an angel playing the flute. There is an ornament of "The Three Stooges" in golf attire. Each of these ornaments were given to our children when they were much younger. One ornament can no longer be placed on the tree since it fell and broke a few years ago. However, we cannot bring ourselves to throw it away because it's the first ornament my wife and I bought when we celebrated our first Christmas together in 1976. There is an ornament from 1978 that says "Every Heart Goes Home For Christmas". That is the year my wife and I spent in Illinois by ourselves and unable to be home with family for Christmas. You probably would look at our tree and not see it as the treasure it is. These sentimental ornaments may mean nothing to you, but to us they are priceless because they 'spark a memory' and they cause us to reflect back over the life God has given us.
This brings me to the real point of these musings. Do you know God has a favorite tree and that He hung the most precious ornament of His Son upon that Tree? The Cross is God's Giving Tree to mankind. Jesus, God's Son was crucified upon that cruel cross and all your sin and my sin was nailed to that cross as well (Col 2:14). He, who knew no sin, became sin that we might become the righteousness of God (2 Cor 5:21). Hallelujah, What A Savior!
Just one more thing about the ornaments on our tree. Each year, as we open the crates which house our treasured ornaments until its time to bring them out for another Christmas, there is one ornament that I place at the top near the trunk of the tree. It's a six to eight inch replica of a Roman Spike with a red ribbon tied to it. It is discretely placed at the trunk of the tree to remind me and my family of the price Jesus paid for our salvation. May we never take it for granted.
I encourage you to "Deck the Halls", "Bring Out the Holly", enjoy the Hot Apple Cider and Candlelight Dinners! But never forget why He came and why we celebrate Christmas. GOD GAVE HIS ONLY SON so that He may receive MANY SONS!
Rom 8:29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren; NASB

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And Be Thankful

Col 3:15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. NASB

Thanksgiving - my favorite holiday. After all it is a time for family, food and football. I mean, what a deal! I remember Thanksgiving Day as a young boy. Our home filled with the aroma of Mama's cooking. She and Daddy preparing the feast while trying to keep four boys out of the kitchen until it is all ready.I remember the smell of the cakes, pies and cookies. And of course there was the turkey with all the 'fixins'. Then after the meal, my brothers and I would join with some of the neighborhood boys for a game of football in the lot beside our home. We were "All Americans" in our eyes on that afternoon. Of course we would then come in for a second round of the Thanksgiving feast. What a day! 

In my adulthood, with my wife and kids in tow, we would make an annual trip to Mama & Daddy's for Thanksgiving and then play football with the kids after the meal. Things have changed drastically over the years. Our family has expanded and our kids are grown and married. Trying to get us all together for this day is a chore within itself. Daddy has been celebrating Thanksgiving in Heaven for the past fifteen years, and I now call my Mama on this day to wish her a happy Thanksgiving. Some of my brothers still make it to her house for the day and she can still put on a Thanksgiving spread. However, the last few years we have created our own Thanksgiving memories with our kids and granddaughters and my sister-in-law. As far as playing football after the meal - well that is completely out of the question. Watching the game is satisfying enough (so satisfying that I find myself snoozing through much of it).

I still love Thanksgiving, even though the way I celebrate it has changed. In fact, Thanksgiving should not be relegated to a season or a special time in the Fall. Thanksgiving should be a way of life. As Christians, we should never forget the tremendous price paid for the peace of Christ that now rules in our hearts. Gratefulness should now flow from us like a mighty river. According to the Apostle Paul, much of the ills of this world can be traced to not giving thanks (See Romans 1:21).

Looking back over my life, I can only pause and give thanks to an amazing God who loves me more than I could ever describe. I am thankful for a Savior, who rescued me from the pits in which I have often found myself. I thank Him for directing my steps, and for the assurance that He does everything well - even if I cannot see the outcome at the moment. I am thankful that His eye is on me and His care is everlasting and secure.

I am thankful for my family - my wife, children, their spouses and grandchildren. I am thankful for Fall evenings and the sound of laughter on the back porch with my family and friends. Life is far too short for us to spend it ungrateful. The world is indeed a rough place but there is always something for which to be thankful. So spend this season Giving Thanks - and make it a habit to be thankful throughout the year.

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The Stronghold of Mammon

Matt 6:24 "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. NASB

Mammon (Mamonas) the comprehensive word for all kinds of possessions, earnings and gains, a designation of material value. In Luke 16:9, 11 it denotes riches. In Matthew 6:24 and in Luke 16:13, the Lord personifies mammon as a strongman: strong enough to keep you from serving God.

Paul wrote that we “wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Eph 6:12-13 NKJV).

• One of these principalities is Mammon. It is a ruler of the darkness of this age. This principle power rules from heavenly or high places.

• I am not saying that money and mammon are the same. Mammon is the stronghold or principality behind money.

1 Tim 6:10 For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith, and pierced themselves with many a pang (emphasis added). NASB

• Mammon is the stronghold or principality that causes one to fall prey to the “love of money”.

Heb 13:5 Let your character be free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, "I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you, NASB

• One of the traits Paul lifts up for an overseer (leader) in the church was to be “free from the love of money” (1 Tim 3:3) NASB

The Spirit of Mammon is what makes money 'godlike'. How is money godlike you ask? (1) Money outlives you (2) Money's circle of influence is greater (3) Money is mysterious (4) Money lives among the things we are tempted to worship (5) Money mimics everything promised in the New Jerusalem (6) Money is an instrument you wield (7) Everything can be economized (Notes taken from a class taught by Jan Couch).

In the book of Acts we can see the strength and danger of the Spirit of Mammon.

Acts 4:32-37

Luke is recounting the exploits of the Holy Spirit within the infant church. Speaking in other tongues that resulted in the salvation of 3000 from the surrounding countries, the miraculous healing of a lame man and five-thousand more converts because of this miracle, a holy boldness that came upon the apostles, even the foundation of a building shaken in which they were praying.

However, at the end of chapter four Luke might well have lifted up the greatest miracle that was taking place. And it is a miracle that is largely overlooked in the modern church. Luke reveals how the Holy Spirit was breaking off the people the 'stronghold of mammon'.

vs. 32 And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own; but all things were common property to them.

• The believers were unified as one heart and soul – The Spirit of Divine Unity prevailed

• Not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own...All things were common property to them - This was not a “communism” as we have come to see it in our lifetime. It was not government sanction or enforced. In fact the wealthy did not divest themselves to the point of poverty so the poor could live better. The wealthier members, who owned property, sold it and brought the proceeds to the Apostles to distribute so that no one was in need. This was as “Spirit-Born Stewardship”. The Holy Spirit was releasing the members of this infant church from the stronghold of “Ownership”.

vs.33 And with great power the apostles were giving witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all. NASB

• This release of ownership – this breaking of the stronghold of mammon brought about a greater anointing of power and an abundance grace.

Vss. 34-35 For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales, 35 and lay them at the apostles' feet; and they would be distributed to each, as any had need. NASB

• The needy were cared for by the selling of property from those with more wealth.
• Since these members were just stewards of God's wealth and property; they sold the houses or property and brought the proceeds to the Apostles to distribute to those who were in need.
• Not a needy person among them! What a miracle! A divine plan to take care of the less fortunate or underprivileged.
• Who better than a Spirit-filled church to take care of the needy?

Vss. 36-37 And Joseph, a Levite of Cyprian birth, who was also called Barnabas by the apostles (which translated means, Son of Encouragement), 37 and who owned a tract of land, sold it and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet. NASB

• Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus was renamed, by the Apostles, Barnabas (Son of Encouragement).
• He also sold a track of land and brought the money to the apostles' feet.
• He would be used in an even greater way by the Holy Spirit in the future as a traveling companion and mentor to Saul of Tarsus (Apostle Paul).
• When you are released from the spirit of mammon; when you are set free from ownership, then God can fulfill greater destinies than you could ever imagine.

(Summation of what we see in these scriptures)

Acts 4:32-37 gives us a glimpse of a church that's had the stronghold of mammon broken off the people. The Holy Spirit was so manifest that the new believers saw everything in light of 'stewardship' and not ownership. They held everything in common – there was no grasping and hoarding – but rather a contentment and a releasing of the things that benefited the Kingdom of God as a whole.

The Holy Spirit was producing a 'new creation' and a new entity called the “ekklesia” – the church or called out ones. This new body of believers were understanding perfectly Jesus teachings that “ones life does not consist in the abundance of things he possesses” (Luke 12:15).

These new “spirit-filled disciples” were being set free from the “stranglehold of mammon”. A principality that manifest itself in:

1. The worries and cares of this world
2. The deceitfulness of riches
3. The pleasures of this life
4. The lust and desire for other things.

This stronghold 'chokes/strangles the word so that it becomes unfruitful or unproductive' (See Mark 4:18-19).

The Message Bible states it this way: “Overwhelmed with worries about all the things they have to do and all the things they want to get. The stress strangles what they heard, and nothing comes of it.”

Acts 5:1-10

From the lofty heights of of this Abundant Grace and Great Power we are introduced to a couple who made a pact with the spirit of mammon.

In the book of Genesis we find a man and a woman listening to the subtle hiss of Satan and disobeying God in the Garden of Eden. The issue was three fold: They fell prey to the Lust of the flesh, The Lust of the Eyes and The Pride of Life and were expelled from the garden and faced death. All of this was transacted in a place where the Divine Presence of God was everywhere. The manifest presence of God came down every day in the cool of the evening to walk with Adam and Eve. However, they still listened and obeyed the tempter.

I find it interesting that Luke writes in the book of Acts a similar story: In the midst of the Divine Presence resting on the Apostles and the new body of believers; Ananias and Sapphira conspire to use the atmosphere created (The marked curve for selling property) for their own purposes. They also had a track of land and used the market that was created by the Holy Spirit, for their own selfish gain. They lied when they brought the money to the Apostles in that they said what they brought was all they got for the property.

• It is a dangerous thing to use kingdom principles and kingdom blessings to advance personal and fleshly purposes!

In Genesis, Adam and Eve, who were surrounded by the blessings and manifest presence of God, choose to disobey and partake of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. They did so because they listened to the devil, “This will make you like God, knowing good and evil”. Eve saw that the fruit of the tree was “good for food – (Lust of the Flesh), and “a delight to the eyes (Lust of the eyes) and desirable to make one wise (Pride of Life). She partook in and cause Adam to partake as well. The result of their disobedience was they were driven from the Garden of Eden and death.

In Acts 5 Ananias and Sapphira also saw an opportunity to build their own portfolio and still be a part of the “new creation” that Jesus was building. However, Jesus said, “You cannot serve God and mammon.”

• Death was a result of their decision.

How dangerous is this Stronghold of Mammon? Let's look at some examples of disobedience in the Book of Acts.

• Earlier in the fourth chapter of Acts, Peter and John are arrested and jailed by the temple guard and brought before the High priests and rulers. They were interrogated and threatened to stop preaching in Jesus name then released. These rulers included Annas and Caiaphas and John and Alexander (vs 6).
• As far as Luke's account, these temple guards and these high priest lived to tell about this encounter.
• Yet Ananias and Sapphira died.
• In Acts 5 the “high priest rose up, along with his associates (that is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with jealousy. They laid hands on the apostles and put them in a public jail” (vs 17-18). They later flogged the apostles (vs 40). They, according to Luke lived to tell about it.
• Yet Ananias and Sapphira died.
• In Acts 7 the deacon Stephen has his life taken from him through a stoning. One of the ones holding the cloaks of the men that was stoning Stephen was Saul of Tarsus. Saul lived to face another day. He eventually has a divine encounter with God on the road to Damascus.
• Yet Ananias and Sapphira died.

My point is, this principality of Mammon was so dangerous that Ananias and Sapphira were stricken with death rather than a chance be giving for this spirit to spread to other believers. Those who openly opposed the Gospel and the Apostles live to fight another day. Ananias & Sapphira died.

Just as Adam and Eve were not allowed to return to the Garden of Eden and eat from the Tree of Life, Ananias and Sapphira were cut off from the living. The Spirit of Mammon is dangerous and there needs to be a deliverance in the Body of Christ.

Conclusion: The Rest of the Story

Acts 5: 11-16

• Great fear came upon the whole church, and upon all who heard of these things (vs 11).
• And at the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were taking place among the people; (vs 12)
• Divine unity was visible to all (vs 12)
• No common acquaintances; Apostles held in high esteem (vs 13)
• Many more believers, multitudes of men and women were constantly added to their number (vs 14)
• Sick carried into the streets so that when Peter passed by his shadow might fall on them and they be healed (vs 15)
• The cities surrounding Jerusalem brought their sick or afflicted with unclean spirits; and they were all being healed (vs 16).

I believe these are the results of the spirit of mammon being broken off God's people! I often hear, “What's holding us back?” Could the answer lie in these passages? Could the spirit of Ananias and Sapphira be present in the modern church? Does their spirit rest on you? Instead of giving all, are you holding back something for yourself? Are you in danger of using Kingdom principles for your own personal gain? If so now is the time to repent. Turn from Mammon to serve the One True God. Come to Jesus. Let the righteousness of God fall upon you and let us see what can happen when a body of people have the cares of this life broken off them and live by faith in the God of all creation. 

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