STOP THAT PITY PARTY!

"David encouraged himself in the Lord his God". 1 Samuel 30: 6. When David and his men came back to their camp in Ziklag they found a sad and disheartening scene. The Amalekites had invaded the camp, taken the women and children captives, taken all their belongings and burned the camp with fire. My friend, it looks like everything lost and utter failure, right? But David encouraged himself. Many people are trying to tiptoe to the grave without ever having a failure. That isn't realistic. Statistics says unsuccessful people fail approximately 3 out of 5 times. Conversely, successful people fail 2 out of 5 times. That's not a lot of difference, isn't it? Hey, the talent God has for you must be discovered, developed and used by you. It could be something you already do or have or something never done and discovered. Your talent is what gives you joy and excitement. The gift that dominates your thoughts and which stimulates your energy. When you discover that and with the anointing of the Holy Spirit, BROTHER, YOU WILL BE ON CRUISE CONTROL. Don't fall into the dangerous trap of looking at anyone else's talent. GOD CREATED YOU TO BE ORIGINAL NOT A CARBON COPY OR DUPLICATE. Brother, Encourage yourself man! If you are grieving: God said "Never will I leave you or forsake you". Hebrews 13:5. If you are guilty: "Now, there is NO condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus". Roman 8:1. Out of work: "In all things God works for the good of those who loved Him". Roman 8:26. Feel hopeless and no way of return: "Who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life". John 3:16. Now: GET UP AND STOP THAT PITY PARTY, You are a champion in making and the LORD OF THE HOST IS WITH YOU! HE NEVER FAILS YOU!!!

STOP BLAMING GAME!!

"The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me". John. 5:7. BLAMING OTHERS WHY HE DIDN'T GET HEALED. Thirty eight years he was there by the pool of Bethesda. He was there when the angel came down and stir up the water. If he moved one inch per day, he could have reached by the water, right? My friend, stop blaming others why you are not getting blessed. Blaming others for what's not going right is often more common than looking in the mirror and taking responsibility for what we have done to contribute or not contribute to our circumstances. Hey, this started from Garden of Eden. Faced with foul odor of a poor decision, Adam tries to deodorize the obnoxious smell of SIN by blaming his wife, who then blames the serpent. Brother- TAKE A TIME-OUT ON BLAMING OTHERS! Did you hear? Stop diving in the dumpster of past mistakes. Stop looking in to the rear view mirror of your past and FOCUS where you are going. Stop bickering over who did it or what was done. We all contributed to the slime where we are now. Some did it and others watched it silently. Delegate who will do what and the goals must be deliverable and attainable. I have discovered that there are ways to getting almost anywhere I want to go, if I really want to go there. To make a difference is not a matter of accident or a matter of casual occurrence of the tides. PEOPLE CHOOSE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. Remember "YOU CAN...IF YOU WILL!! TADA!

HEY, DROP THE CASE!!

"I merely did to them what they did to me". Judges 15:1-11. My friend this is the revengeful attitude of Samson in the Book of Judges. My friend, as long as you hate your enemy or anyone, a jail door is closed and a prisoner is taken. And...the prisoner is YOU! In his chapter three times Samson said "I AM GOING TO GET EVEN". The question is: will harboring the anger and resentment against anyone solve the problem? Will getting even remove the hurts? Does this hatred do any good? Brother, I am not minimizing your hurt or justifying that person's action. May be justice won't come this side of heaven in our life. Immature people react with resentment, anger, and violent outbursts of temper. "A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a WISE man keeps himself under control". Proverbs 29:11. I will tell you the domino affect of immaturity. Immature people nurse their resentment until they become grudges which will lead to offenses and that will dictate their behavior. Hey, demanding that the other person get his or her share of pain will, in the process, be most painful to you. AND YOU ARE EXPERIENCING IT NOW, RIGHT?. HEY HEY DROP THE CASE, DID YOU HEAR? OUR GOD IS A RIGHTEOUS JUDGE, HE WILL HANDLE YOUR CASE! OK!!!!!!

STRAIGHT TALK!

"People's own foolishness ruins their lives, but in their minds they blame the LORD". Proverbs 19:3. " The foolishness of man subverts his way [ruins his affairs]; then his heart is resentful and fret against the LORD". AMPV. My friend, here is the RECIPE why you are failing. TADA. Many Christians know the right thing to do. They have been properly taught the habits and attitudes of maturity and growth. Why and what keeps these people from growing? Well, they are not doing what they know to do. They are armed with correct information but either lazy or resists life changes. Hey, most people who fail in their dreams and assignments is not because of lack of ability but from lack of commitment. It is one thing to know WHAT TO DO, but another thing entirely to DO WHAT YOU KNOW. Brother, it is easier to blame God, the devil, or others for your failures than to accept the fact that your situations are most often the direct result of your own decisions or lack of it. The good news is "STILL" OUR CHOICES can determine whether we will succeed. DON'T FAIL TO MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICES. Did you hear? This what you call "STRAIGHT TALK"! Sorry!!

WHY WE KEEP DADDY AROUND?

"He must rule his own household well, keeping his children under control, with true dignity, commanding their respect in every way and keeping them respectful". 1 Timothy 3:4. My brother, as Christians and especially those who are leadership we are to set the tone for our families by making sure that Christ is put first in our plans, our finances, our time, and things we talk and profess about. Our wives as a counselor and constructive critic, stands in a unique role. She knows us, loves us, she can talk openly to us, she has our best interests at heart, and she knows when and how to approach us. Spend quality time with your wife and children. I know our families have been decentralized by work, school, church, entertainment, and many other influences. Recently I read a statistic that an average time an American father and son had time alone together for an entire week is 8 minutes. Hey Christians, especially the "deeply committed" variety, DON'T NEGLECT YOUR FAMILIES. The insidious thing about overabundance of righteous activities is that you can neglect your family and feel extremely pious all the time you are doing it. After all, it's GOD WORK, RIGHT? Oh yeah.. I heard a pastor quote a scripture to support this argument. "He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me". Matthew 10:37. Many workaholic fathers have convinced themselves that they are sacrificing for the future of their families. But the plain truth is "WORKAHOLISM IS THE EPITOME OF SELFISHNESS". One precocious child asked her mother "Mommy, if the stork is supposed to bring babies, if the Santa Claus brings presents, if the Lord gives us our daily bread, and Jesus is with us all the time, WHY DO WE KEEP DADDY AROUND?" OUCH! MY CASE IS RESTED!!!

FORGIVE MAN, FORGIVE!!

"Then Peter came up to Him and said, Lord, how many times may my brother sin against me and I forgive him and let it go? [As many as] up to seven times? Jesus answered him, I tell you, not up to seven times, BUT SEVENTY TIMES SEVEN! John 18:21-22. Recently in a young beautiful couple's (married 2yrs) counseling session wife told me "I'll forgive him..but never forget", then she added "Uncle it's only natural" - right? "That's the problem"- I replied. When I was in college, one of my extended family couple who were in the middle fifties of age, because of an unresolved disagreement over an insignificant issue, they stopped speaking each other. The culture, society, church, and prestige issue stopped either one of them from moving out. They continued to stay in the same house, eat at the same table, sleep in the same house..all separately. The means of communication was a clip board hanging on the refrigerator. Husband will write "going to the market". Few minutes later the wife will respond with the list of groceries. Very sad situation. Both of them passed away before they made it to age sixty. NEVER SPOKE TILL DEATH. Both were unwilling to take the first step toward FORGIVING and RELEASING whatever was the offense, they coexisted for years in GRINDING SILENCE. Hey, how many Indian churches split often over nitpicky issues, then spin off into another direction, fractured, splintered, and bitterly opinionated? Oh yes, there are ring leaders adding the fuel to divide the church to fulfill their agenda. Recently I saw a sign of a church by the side of the highway "The Original Church of God, Number two". Brother, why can't we release people from guilt and no longer hold the offense over their heads. CANCEL THE DEBT AND UNSHACKLE, and stop saying NEVER! Aren't you big enough to remember the right, and big enough to forgive the wrong? Statistics says, People hold the grudges against each other for the 20 percent they did wrong and absolutely forgetting 80 percent they did right. STOP IT, FORGIVE..FORGET.. and LIVE HAPPILY. LIFE IS SHORT MAN...SHORT.

PROBLEM WITH PRAYER?

"And this is the confidence (the assurance, the privilege of boldness, freedom of speech to tell Him our needs)..that we ask anything according to HIS WILL (in agreement with His own plan) He listen to and hear us". 1John 5:14 AMPV. My friend, as you notice "the name it and claim it" prayer theology is not what John is talking here. First, we need to understand that the purpose of prayer is NOT for God to please us, but for God to CHANGE us. If a father gives into a little child's whiny demands, we know that he is a lousy parent, right? Our God is wise and powerful enough to answer rightly- and on right time. I have a news for you- God won't jump at every loose-lipped confession of yours. Please understand that the PROCESS of prayer is not as important as the ATTITUDE of prayer. Our prayers are a simple act of faith by which we are tuning over our worries to God's care. Buddy, don't worry about not saying the right words or haven't prayed hard enough or often enough or haven't believed deeply enough. When God doesn't answer our prayers according to our will, we get frustrated, and seems like our prayers are floating around the galaxies and it is too insignificant to catch the attention of GOD. My friend, it's time to finally accept the fact that THE PROBLEM WITH PRAYER IS NOT GOD, BUT US!!! You agree! Yeah! GOOOOOD!

AMEN!

My friend, this Sunday morning we are going to church to worship the Lord Almighty. And.. we are going to say "AMEN" several times. Do you know what does it mean? The word "Amen" is a most remarkable word and it has been called the BEST-KNOWN word in human speech. In my study I found that it was transliterated from Hebrew into Koine Greek of New Testament, then into Latin and into English and many other languages, so that it is practically a universal word. Even in secular television broad casts, I have heard the anchor persons say "amen to that". But to us as Christians- "For all the promises of God in Him are yea, and in Him Amen, unto the glory of God by us". 2 Corinthians 1:20. When one believes God, he indicates his or her faith by an AMEN. When God makes a promise, the believer's response always should be "AMEN"..in other words "SO IT WILL BE". Our glorified Lord Jesus in His salutation to Church of Laodicea begins with this remarkable statement "These things saith the AMEN, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God". Revelation 3:14. AMEN IS A TITLE OF CHRIST. Hey, Hey, It is profoundly meaningful that the entire Bible closes with an "AMEN", assuring everyone of us who reads that the whole BOOK (BIBLE) is ABSOLUTELY TRUE AND TRUSTWORTHY. "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. AMEN! Revelation 22:21.

THANK YOU LORD FOR WHAT I HAVE!

"Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income". Ecclesiastes 5:10. Humm. KEEPING UP WITH THE JOHNS! My friend, "you are looking over the fence and admiring the lovely boat parked on your neighbors yard and wish you could own one." Right? CONTENTMENT ISN'T GETTING WHAT WE WANT BUT BEING SATISFIED WITH WHAT WE HAVE. Why then are we so eager to have next, the latest, the largest and luxurious, and the one you saw your neighbor enjoying across the street? Hey the only way to protect yourself from getting trapped in a perpetual cycle of never enough is to always be mindful of what the good Lord already gave you. Don't measure your quality of life conditional upon this fact and to view yourself as totally without choices or resources if we don't have as much money as we'd like or as your neighbors had. THE SECRET OF CONTENTMENT IS THE REALIZATION THAT LIFE IS A GIFT NOT A RIGHT. Buddy, wear a 3D sun glass of thank you to the Lord and look elsewhere. Then you will get a clear picture of what your LORD already gave you. Just a thought. Take it or leave it!!

IT'S NOT YOUR POSITION- IT'S YOUR DISPOSITION!

"All the days ordained for me were written in your Book before one of them came to be". Psalm 139:16. God, you mean to tell me that "When I was formed in my mother's womb you knew me and you had a plan (Blue Print) for me". Then, why I worry? My friend, "It isn't your position that makes you happy or unhappy, it's your disposition". TADA! God looked at your "unformed body and declared, "This child is good". Before you took one breath, he wrote out the order of your days in this world and He wrote a book about you. Do you know that? Some of us playing around the index and spending long years in the table of contents. Buddy, you are 30 years old looking at the table of contents and still don't know the plan of God in your life. Some of you are impatient and jumped over to chapter 20 worrying, when God wants you to go through chapters 2 through 19. Don't move ahead of God's schedule when He wants you to go through the experiences and discoveries of Chapter 2 through 19. Don't miss the opportunity to experience all the chapters while you are getting ahead of God. If you do that you will miss the greater plan of God in your life. Listen to me -You dream about becoming a teacher but God wants you to open a Private School, You want to become a famous Chef, but God want you to open a Restaurant, You want to become a Youth Pastor, but God's plan is to make you a Faithful World Wide evangelist to win millions to His Kingdom. David wants to settle his life to be a doorman when God wants him to own the house. Hey, you want to be a world-class Christian or a worldly Christian? Buddy, God has a plan for you. Be patient, HE WILL TAKE YOU THERE!!

YOU ARE IN RETRACTING MODE!

"We worked hard all night and caught nothing". Luke 5:5. Did you ever had this Peter's feeling! I read somewhere that Albert Einstein flunked out of school. My friend, we cannot become what we want to be by remaining what we are! Do you know millionaires are born out of Bankruptcies? Moses was called to speak but couldn't talk. Hey, Antidotes for Cobra bites is made from the same venom! Our misery should be a catalyst to fulfill our ambition. Our mindset to think that there are crowns without crosses is a direct contradiction to Scripture. The question is "are you willing to give up something you like to do, in order to move on to those things you must do". Brother, I have diagnosed your problem! You have Peter's syndrome- worn out, wet, empty nets? Sleepless fishless night! And you have been casting your net for "Solvency, while your debt is hanging around your neck". Healing?- but I am sick for long! Peace and happiness in the marriage?- Huhh, when my life will slow down to enjoy life! You must be kidding Jesus! Fishing again when I want to get away from the mess I am in called LIFE. Jesus, you mean "It's not too late to try again? well- I will do as you say and let down the nets one more time". My friend, one thing I want to tell you is "WITHOUT GOD, NOTHING WILL HAPPEN IN YOUR LIFE. HE IS WITHHOLDING THE BLESSINGS TO TEACH YOU A LESSON! IT'S A TEST MAN, A TEST. YOU ARE IN A RETRACTING STAGE BEFORE YOUR POWERFUL RELEASE! GOD IS WORKING ON YOU MAN!!

DON'T WORK YOURSELF OUT OF WORK!

"Jesus got into one of the boats,..that belong to [Peter], and asked him to push off a little from the land". Luke 5:3. My friend the secret of achievement is to NOT Let what you are doing get to you before you get to it. Some people are good at "WORKING OUT OF WORK" with excuses after excuses. In this context, Christ didn't fill out an application or asked permission; He simply boarded and began to preach. Hey hey, your boat is where you spend your day, your office, your taxi, your clinic, your ministry assignments. Jesus says to us "Your work is my work". He is watching you drinking coffee, sleeping, surfing the internet whole day where you suppose to do His work. God doesn't offer or owe you an explanation or reason for everything he asks you to do. Understanding can wait, but .. but obedience CAN'T. Instant obedience and the motivation to perform what is your present assignment will teach you more about God and His purpose in your life. God demands "integrity of faith" in our life, the kind of faith that perseveres in persecution, resists temptation, responds obediently to God's Word, overcomes prejudice, produces good works, controls the tongue, avoid impulsive talk, considers God and His presence in all its plans, depends on God rather than wealth and prayer is your spiritual resource. Brother, I know it's a mouthful. But it's true! DON'T WORK OUT OF YOUR WORK! GOD CAN REPLACE YOU AND ME!! TADA!

LEADERSHIP NOT A NOUN, IT'S A VERB!

"I will not leave you nor forsake you". Joshua 1:5. My friend, this Sunday morning I want to encourage you to lead consistently and constantly in the area God has put you to lead. May be in a church or a ministry or or a business or at your home, learning to lead is important, but it may not be what you think it is. Hey, LEADERSHIP IS NOT A NOUN; IT IS A VERB. IT'S NOT AN IDENTITY OR TITLE DEMANDING RESPECT; IT'S AN ACTION. Don't try to become a leader, JUST DO IT. In the Book of Joshua we see the Holy Spirit will work in different ways to help us to lead. We see there that His work is CONTINUAL, He is COMMITTED, His work is MUTUAL, and It's SUPERNATURAL. "Without Him, we cannot; without us, He will not". BRO: NO LEADERSHIP IN THE WORK OF GOD, WHETHER DELIVERANCE FROM BONDAGE OR POSSESSION OF BLESSINGS OR UTTER DESTRUCTION OF THE ENEMY AND HIS TACTICS WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED WITHOUT THE SPIRIT'S HELP. "Have your own way Lord..have your own way, thou art a potter, I am the clay, mold me and make me after thy will, while I am waiting yielded and still". Can you sing it and submit..yeah..GOOOOD!

CONTENTMENT!

"..for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be CONTENT". Philippians 4:11. Contentment isn't getting what we want but being satisfied with what we have! My friend, may I remind you that Paul was not writing this from a Penthhouse or a cruise ship, but from JAIL. If there is one word summarizes the world's obsession that is MORE. More money, more luxury, more success, live for our next raise, next luxury house, and the things how wonderful we have now is PALE in comparison with what we might get, right? People are like leaches, sucking blood through both ends, never satisfied. Recently on a public television program I watched an expert economist explaining our system. "Consumption kept the workers working, which kept the paycheck coming, which kept the people spending, which kept the inventors inventing and investors investing, which meant there was more to consume". But the system is independent of values, and creates more stress, worry, and want more and more. Yes, it is a perfect circle pundit, but EMPTY IN THE MIDDLE. But Paul: He says "he had known abundant labors, frequent imprisonment, close encounter with death, three times beaten with rods, stoned, three times shipwrecked, face death from robbers, from Jews, from Gentiles, and from own brothers. Experienced sleeplessness, hunger, thirst, cold, and nakedness. YET my friend, he says, I LEARNED TO BE CONTENT. During my recent Mission Trip to North Indian villages I found the poor Christian villagers have nothing: no car, no mansion, no air condition, no boat, living in small huts battling the whether. But they are CONTENT and is a thing to see how they are worshiping the Lord. Literally we feel the anointing in the place of worship. Bible says "But Godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out".1 Timothy 6. Buddy, why this "GOLD RUSH"? Why?

WHAT GOD SEES!

"..for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart". 1 Samuel 16:7. My friend, stop looking for recognition and approval from people. In my years of ministry, God taught me some lessons. One of them is "God always SEES what men and women only LOOK AT". Let me prove it to you. In a manger, God saw a king..in a servant, a Savior in a sacrifice, salvation..in a crucifixion, a death..a resurrection, for the world a defeat..for God a victory. God saw a King in a shepherd boy- David, saw a wisest ruler and interpreter of dreams for four kingdoms in a 16 year old captive- Daniel. Hey, don't allow people to manipulate you for their advantage. How can any person know you well enough to discern whether you are talented or will be successful? Do they have any idea what the inventor had in mind when he made the machine-YOU? The question to ask is: are you accomplishing the purpose you were created to perform? It doesn't matter what else you did; if you didn't satisfy the the mandate your creator has in mind, YOU ARE UNSUCCESSFUL. Don't be caught up in the world standard of success. When people other than the creator define success, it becomes idolatry. Whoops! Stay on track with YOUR GOD. Oh yes, There are ditches on the way to your destiny... guess what? YOUR GOD WILL TAKE YOU THERE. HE SEES A SUCCESS IN YOU! CAN YOU SEE, YEAH, GOOD!

VISION WILL COME TO PASS!

"For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry". Habakkuk 2:3. My friend, we have promises of God that are eternal. But the promises are unseen and the physical evidence is seen. What we are doing is we are expert in cooking a POT OF PESSIMISM. Hey, you can dump your bad news in the vat of worry and pull out the spoon. Turn on fire. Stew on it. Stir it. Mope for a while. Brood for a time. Sweat and twitch your thumbs for a while. Hey, very soon you cooked up a POT OF PESSIMISM. Right? Brother, as a Christian we are enveloped in peace when we know that nothing the enemy does can abort the plan of God for our lives. Greater still is the peace that comes from knowing we cannot RUSH GOD'S TIMING either. When God speaks a Word into our lives, it's a seed. Allow time to sprout and germinate.Our confidence is in GOD'S seed. When the promise has grown in the fertile ground of faith-filled heart and reached the time of maturation, it will come to pass. Then you will shake your head and you will say "IT'S ALL GOD". BE patient man! GOD IS FAITHFUL! HE HASN'T FORGOTTEN YOU. IT WILL COME TO PASS. MY GOD CANNOT LIE. Y'ALL HEAR ME!! HEAR ME GOOD?

KNOWING THE OMNIPRESENT GOD YOU WORSHIP!

"..that his master's wife cast her eye upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me...because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and SIN AGAINST GOD?" Genesis 39: 7, 9. My friend, This Sunday morning do you know that we are worshiping an ever- present God? OMNIPRESENT GOD? Look at Joseph's conviction "How can I sin against my OMNIPRESENT GOD? Imagine being tempted to do a particular sin. If God were to walk into the room where you were going to take that action, would it change the way you think about it? Hey, if you understand the omnipresence of God, you understand there is nowhere you can hide. There is no secluded place where you can carry out anything in violation of His law that will be unchecked or unseen. My Bible college professor was pleased when I quoted a Dutch theologian's explanation of OMNIPRESENCE OF GOD. Quote "When you wish to do something evil, you retire from public into your house alone where no enemy can see you. And from those places in your house which are open and visible to the eyes of men, you retire yourself to your room. And even in your room you fear some witness from another quarter and you retire into your heart. And wherever, therefore, you shall end up, THERE HE IS ALREADY". "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9. You ain't fooling him buddy!!

DARE TO DREAM!!

"Where there is no vision, the people perish.. Proverbs 29:18. Some one said " The poorest of all men is not the man without a cent but the man without a dream". My friend, I encourage you to dream BIG. Unless you try to do something beyond what you already are , you will never grow or live beyond where you are right now. A winner presses on to grow, change, and expand, always stretching beyond the ordinary. Hey, Bible is full of dreamers! Eight-year old shepherds don't usually play chicken with Pharaohs...but don't tell that to Moses. Teenage shepherds don't normally have showdowns with giants... but don't tell that to David. I DARE YOU TO DREAM BIG..BIG...BIG. "I HAVE A DREAM"! MARTIN LUTHER KING!

GET UP AND MOVE!!!

My friend, if you find yourself circling the wagons and going NOWHERE but in circles, no motivations, no hopes, no dreams, YOU ARE STUCK and not fulfilling the purpose God has for you. Maan, you don't have to stay where you are. A tombstone read like this " DIED at 21. Buried at 65". Another words that person gave up on his dreams and stop trying to move forwards. Even though he was still breathing, he STOPPED living at an early age. He just drifted and floated like a paper boat in the river. Hey, there are three reasons people don't move and progress from where they are in life: 1) They won't let go of what is holding them back. 2) They never press in to what lies ahead because they fear future. 3) They are lazy and and don't want to put the effort to be successful and productive. Even God told Joshua " Moses my servant is dead; now therefore ARISE, GO OVER THIS JORDAN, THOU, AND ALL THIS PEOPLE, UNTO LAND WHICH I DO GIVE TO THEM.." Joshua 1:2. Now my friend, GET UP...get get gET UP. Only in the dictionary you see the word "success" before "work". Y'all hear me???

DON'T PLAY WITH FIRE!!

"And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost...Then fell she down straightway at his feet , and yielded up the ghost" Acts: 5:5 and 10. Oh no!! My friend, look at the punishments for putting on a lovely "front" in order to conceal the shabby sin in their lives which was energized by satan himself. This sin cost them their lives buddy. YOU ARE PlAYING WITH FIRE WHEN YOU DEAL WITH GOD'S MONEY. Annanias means "God is gracious", and Sapphira means "Beautiful". In the Old Testament, God killed Nadab and Abihu for trying to present "false fire" to the Lord (Lev. 10), He killed Achan for disobeying orders after Israel had entered the promised land (Joshua 7). Achan told Joshua " When I SAW among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of Gold of fifty Shekels weight, then I COVETED them, and TOOK them, and, behold they are HID in the earth in the midst of my tent, and silver under it". Achan thought no body saw it. BUT GOD...Isn't that interesting and worth noticing that the same God judged sin severely at the beginning of a new period in the New Testament also. He killed Annanias and Sapphira also. GRACE AND BEAUTIFUL LOST THEIR LIVES. Satan is using the same method now a days also to drag you in to stealing God' money. "SAW- COVETED- TOOK- AND HID IT". BE CAREFUL MAN!!!!