Read Acts 5 – There will be no phony-baloney business before God.
It was a time when the church was being established and believers were freely sharing all of their possessions so that no one lacked anything. Ananias and Sapphira were caught up in the spirit of giving and sold some property, giving part of the money to the apostles, but claiming it was the full amount. They exaggerated to seem more generous, to look good. Why? Why would they do this? Peter was quick to see the heart issue of this lie and called Ananias out on it. He dropped dead in response. Peter then confronts Sapphira and she supports the family lie, testing the Lord as her husband did, and meets the same fate. Beloved, God judges the heart. May the motives of your heart always be pure.
Next, the apostles are arrested for performing miraculous signs and wonders among the people, causing many people to believe. The Sadducees let their judgment be clouded with jealousy (:12-17). But there is a clever Pharisee named Gamaliel, an expert in religious law and well respected. He proposed the phony-baloney test (my paraphrase), saying the men would either fizzle out, as others had, or, if their movement was from God, they would not be able to stop them. Gamaliel was shrewd, but not godly in motive, yet God used his counsel to free the apostles and fuel the message.
Beloved, may your heart always be true. Integrity matters.
Judy in the Sky 