[Biblemat] S) "A GRAVEYARD TALE" (2)

[J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com]

Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here.  Here is the second part
of this particular study taken from my ancient files.  Use to the
glory of God.

"A GRAVEYARD TALE"  (2)

     The human pride of Ananias and Sapphira urged them to
make it appear that they were doing just what others were
doing in the Lord's service.  Others were giving all that they
were receiving for certain possessions they were selling.  Ana-
nias and Sapphira wanted to receive the same recognition, but they also 
wanted to keep part of their money.  Hence, they lied in order to receive the 
praise of having given all and
at the same time have some money for themselves.  But what
costly money!  What a high priced little lie!  Reader, view the 
day, if you can, when all money loving vanity seekers shall
have all their false earthly hopes blasted, when they shall be-
hold their money consumed in the fire of God, whe all their
gold shall be melted by the fervent heat that shall burn up the
world and all that is in it!  What would they then give for a 
chance to believe and practice the teachings of the man of
Nazareth?  We had all better seriously ponder now the quest-
ion asked by him: "For what is a man profited if he shall gain
the whole world and lose his own soul?"  This is a very timely
question, with a very timely answer:  NOTHING!  Surely, Anan-
ias and Sapphira, like the rich man who died and went to tor-
ment, know the answer to this question probably better than
any of us can know it.  When Sapphira dropped dead, there 
was still not funeral sermon; no embalming; no flowers, but,
it is simply stated that:  "...the young men came in and found
her dead, and carrying her forth, buried her by her husband."
What a scene!  What a graveyard tale!  Methinks that the fol-
lowing lines would have been appropriate on their tombstone,
if they had one:  Here lies two liars -- a man and his wife.  They loved 
pride and money more than life.  Many not in the
church say, 'We are as good as they', But, what will God say
on the judgment day?  "Alas, fools, hast it not occurred to you That these 
lying hypocrites are going to hell too!"

Modern Ananiases: -- But, we cannot correctly say that Anan-
ias and Sapphira are the only members of the church that 
have lied to God and to the Holy Spirit.  What shall be the end
of preachers of the gospel who talk about what they are sacri-
ficing, when they know full well that they are not sacrificing
anything at all, but are living in luxury and complain if every-
thing is not as convenient as they would like?  Better read the
graveyard tale!

     What will be the end of members of the church who say
tehy are giving as God has prospered them, when they know
tat they are not?  What will happen to us if we say we do not
have the money to build a house in which to worship God, or
tro support a preacher to preah the gospel, or to help the
poor, when at the same time we have money to buy radios,
television sets, automobiles, refrigerators, new houses to live
in, etc?  Had we not all better read the graveyard tale again?

     Sometimes brethren tell the preacher that they could not
make it to a particular worship service when they know full
well that they could have made it had they really tried.  Is not
this lying to God?  Do not brethren lie to God when they say
they do not have time to read God's Word but have time to
read anything else they choose to read.  Such members of the church do not 
know very much about the Bible, and consequently think the preacher is meddling, 
or is being fana-
tical if he tells people what the Bible actually teaches.  Do not
brethren lie to God when they sing, "Oh how I love Jesus", or
"I surrender all", and then drop a nickle, or a quarter, or a 
dollar into the collection basket, when it should be five, ten or
fifteen dollars?  Do not brethren lie to God when they say they seek first 
the kingdom of God, but will forsake the assembling of the saints, even forsake 
the Lord's Supper, in
order to make a few extra dollars by working overtime on their job?  Do not 
brethren lie to God when they say they do 
not feel like attending worship services, but will go to their
job the next day feeling just as bad or worse?  Brother, the 
same God lives now that lived when Ananias and his wife died.  He will be the 
same at judgment.  Do you lie to Him?

     If god were to deal with all liars now, as He dealt with Anan-
ias and his wife, we might have a great decrease in populat-
ion.  How many political offices would be left vacant?  Politic-
ians judge ye!  How many grocery stores would go unattend-
ed?  How many farms would grow up in weeds and bushes?
How many pulpits would be vacant?  Yea, how many pews?!
How many shops would cease to operate?  How many factor-
ies would close down?  How many ships would go undirect-
ed?  How many cars would wreck on the highways?  How 
many babies would cry for food?  How many court rooms
would be silent?  How many colleges would be untutored?
How many would have few students left?  How many radio
programs could be heard?  How many newspapers would be
printed?  How many airplanes would crash?  But..."...all liars,
shall have their part in the lake that burneth with fire and brim-
stone" (Rev. 21:8).  We had better all read the graveyard tale
frequently!  And may we all be constantly reminded of that
scene when two untimely graves were made in one of Mount
Zion's ancient cemeteries.   ------- Basil Overton in The Precep-
tor, Vol. 1, No. 4, Feb. 1952.   </HTML>
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