Source and resource

*Recap of*

*Be Inspired Bible  Study Thursday 13th June 2019*

*Anchor:* Sis Leah Adepeju

*Topic :* Source + Resource

*Text:* and with his wife’s full knowledge [and complicity] he kept back some of the proceeds, bringing only a portion of it, and set it at the apostles’ feet. But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and [secretly] keep back for yourself some of the proceeds [from the sale] of the land? As long as it remained [unsold], did it not remain your own [to do with as you pleased]? And after it was sold, was the money not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this act [of hypocrisy and deceit] in your heart? You have not [simply] lied to people, but to God.” And hearing these words, Ananias fell down suddenly and died; and great fear and awe gripped those who heard of it. And the young men [in the congregation] got up and wrapped up the body, and carried it out and buried it. Peter asked her, “Tell me whether you sold your land for so much?” And she said, “Yes, for so much.” Then Peter said to her, “How could you two have agreed together to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Look! The feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.” And at once she fell down at his feet and died; and the young men came in and found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. And great fear and awe gripped the whole church, and all who heard about these things. At the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders (attesting miracles) were continually taking place among the people. And by common consent they all met together [at the temple] in [the covered porch called] Solomon’s portico. But none of the rest [of the people, the non-believers] dared to associate with them; however, the people were holding them in high esteem and were speaking highly of them. More and more believers in the Lord, crowds of men and women, were constantly being added to their number,

ACTS 5:2‭-‬6‭, ‬8‭-‬14 AMP

https://bible.com/bible/1588/act.5.2-14.AMP

The word source means origin.. and resources is where something is supplied from.
We will most likely be familiar with the story of Ananias and Sapphira.
Above is the story of how they lost their lives.
From the scripture above the church was gathering stuff to have a place of worship. Everyone was selling what they had and bringing the full proceeds, Ananias and Sapphira included.
They went to sell their properties but both connived to lie and put some of the proceed gained from it down and claim that was everything.
When they did that, Ananias came first and Peter said "is this everything?" he said yes. I presume he probably swore he hadn't kept nothing behind.
Then Peter asked him "why did you do this evil? Before you sold the property was it not yours? after you have done so it still from your property, why did you lie?"
And in those days it was instant judgement. Ananias fell down and died. Then his wife Sapphira came and she did just what her husband did that led to his death even though she was questioned if what she brought was indeed all.

In life as a believer no matter how much you become financially established, materially established, academically established, ministerially established, maritally established, you must acknowledge that the main source is God.
There is nothing you can be, can have or can successfully accomplish in life if God is not involved.
If you say 'but I studied hard to get the certificate, what has that got to do with God?' It is grace that even made what you study to be retained in your memory.
What you study can easily fade out if you depend on you reading alone but God is the one who allows your memory to retain vital information.
Can you now see how important it is to know that God is your source?
You may say 'but I have worked hard enough hence my right to promotion.'
The only one who can give you promotion is the main source of heaven and earth.
The Bible made it clear that promotion only comes from God and no one else.
Promotion is from above not from east or west or south or north.

Ananias and Sapphira thought that the proceed was by their power. There are many people who have properties or things they would appreciate to trade by barter and nothing is growing up for them.
Or you know how annoying and frustrating it will be or look like for anyone who has laboured consistently over a thing and only to lose it all in the blink of an eye.
It is also frustrating if what you laboured for and you expect a good report ends up bringing pain than joy.
There is nothing we do in life that is not orchestrated and settled by God.
If He doesn't give the go-ahead we can only try.
Your ability isn't what caused the change but the divine push from God causes change.

God is the main source.
And whatever we get in life is a resource.
So your salary is a resource from the main source.
You may say but I worked for it.. He is the one who gives us power to get wealth.
He said I will make room in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
You cannot promise such if you are clueless.
The God whom we serve is not clueless.
It doesn't matter how it looks to us as human beings, we must stay rest assured that God is our source.
I remember a time I needed some finance and i was pushing myself so much and was praying to God.
I pushed myself too much that I nearly forgot that God had made a means for me to meet that financial situation without me pushing too much.
He made that means even before I asked for it, it was made with ease.
Yet I was pushing myself until He dropped it in my heart that you already have the means.

The source for anything in life is such that if it is not greater than the resource then it is not a source.
No matter how much we claim to be the director in the boat of our lives the fact that we cannot control our breath without Him should show to us that as human beings our main source is the almighty God.
If Ananias and Sapphira had thought deeper they wouldn't have done what they did.
The church did march on even stronger after their death.
Do not die where God wants you to shine just because you are trying to take the wheel off the main source.
God has called us to shine in many ways but we must realise that the source of our shining - that is the light that makes our lights shine brighter and brighter - is the Lord.
But you wouldn't be able to exercise this so well if you do not believe that your source is God.
So even for that interview you still need to know that it is the source that will bring the right utterance to your mouth, no one else does.

My prayer is God will enlighten us more and we will all understand that we only have one main source and that is God.
Every other thing in life is a resource.
Your job is a resource.
Business is a resource.
Marriage is a resource.
Whatever it may be, God is the main source for your life.

Today I want us to reflect, how often do we acknowledge the source?

Even when you join people in prayer and there is a miracle just understand that the resource is who God made you to be and the glory is God's and not yours.
May we not neglect or abandon our source and follow resource in Jesus name.
Do not abandon the source in every aspect of your life.
Trust God too much to give up.
Trust Him too much to fail.
Ananias and Sapphira lacked trust in God.
They believe they earned what they sold and have right to hide some away and claim it is all.
Their light would have not died like that if they declared that they kept some of the proceeds.
It is still their money but they forgot the main provider.
God is my source.
Always remind yourself of that in all aspects of life.

Let us Pray:

Lord I thank you for your word.
Thank you Jesus for the mercy you showered on me daily.
Lord thank you for being my source even when I have acted as an ingrate.
Lord thank you for giving me a new vision of the origin of all resources I possess.
May we not labour in vain in Jesus name.
May we not become ingrate to God in Jesus name.
May our light not suddenly die as a result of disobedience in Jesus name.
Lord thank you for this evening and your word. We worship your name for the word. We ask Lord that you continue to enlighten us more. Let us never be ingrate,  let us always live a life that connects back to the source in Jesus name.

Before we go, do you know that even if you plug a socket on the mains, if the main transformer for light has blown and no solar power to generate there will be no resource of light as anticipated?
So make sure you are always connected to the source, God, and not just the resource.