Pointing People Upward

February 18

(Acts 3:12-13 NIV) ““When Peter saw this, he said to them: "Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? {13} The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus.””

(Acts 14:11-15 NIV) ““When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, "The gods have come down to us in human form!" {12} Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes because he was the chief speaker. {13} The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates because he and the crowd wanted to offer sacrifices to them. {14} But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting: {15} "Men, why are you doing this? We too are only men, human like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them.””

(1 Corinthians 10:31 NIV) "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."

Human beings are plagued by the tendency to worship other humans instead of God. “Celebrity worship” is rampant, whether it be for politicians, athletes, actors, musicians, or preachers. Some will always worship the miracle worker instead of the Miracle Maker. Peter nipped this attitude in the bud. He let people know that it was the living Christ who had healed this man. Peter and John understood that who gets the credit is a big deal. It’s the difference between being a disciple and becoming an idol. They pointed people to Christ. They wanted God to get the glory. They wanted the name of Jesus to be praised. This was their mission and purpose in life. The same goes for us. We all have opportunities to glorify the Lord. God is still glorifying Jesus Christ through those who choose to give Him glory. Everything believers do should be done to the glory of God. Point people upward! -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day