SINO IDOL MO?

There was a man from the ancient city of Lystra who was "lame from birth” & "had never walked” (Acts 14:8).

Today's reading tells us how this day became a new start for him. St. Paul saw his faith & said to him, “stand up straight on your feet” (Acts 14:10). Immediately, he "jumped up & began to walk about” (Acts 14:10).
The crowd was amazed with the instant miracle. Sadly, they gave credit to the wrong “gods" when “they called Barnabas “Zeus” & Paul “Hermes” (Acts 14:12). The priest of Zeus even brought oxen & garlands to offer sacrifice their “gods".
How about you? Who do you thank when you receive blessings?

• When you get a job promotion, "that’s because of my hard work."
• When a person gets healed, “he’s lucky to have a good doctor”.
• When a salesman closed a multi-million deal, "he's got super selling skills"

Yes, all these are possible with man’s hard work. But remember that everything comes from God. God may use man to give a blessing in the same way that He used Paul to heal the lame man from Lystra. Unfortunately, we give more credit to “idols” sometimes. This is not because we really believe them. More often than not we just forget.

What does St. Paul say to the crowd who may have forgotten?

He points them back to Jesus. St. Paul said to them "We proclaim to you good news that you should turn from these idols to the living God, ‘who made heaven and earth and sea and all that is in them” (Acts 14:15)

That's your primary role too. You should point people to Jesus & not to anyone or anything else.

Always remember that everything starts & ends with Him.

Jesus is "the Alpha & the Omega, the first & the last, the beginning & the end” (Revelations 22:13)

IT’S ALWAYS JESUS FIRST. EVERYTHING ELSE takes SECOND PLACE

So when you get a job promotion, "thank you Jesus for this blessing!”

When a person gets healed, “thank God for leading that person to a great doctor”.

When a salesman closed a big deal, "God really gave him super selling skills"

I pray that when scientists finally develops a vaccine for Covid-19 that we give thanks to God first before anyone else.

As you start this week, thank God first. Because giving credit to anything else before God is a lame excuse :)

May you have a blessed week ahead! - alvinfabella@yahoo.com