What Do You Cling To?

Acts 3:10-12
And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him.
And as the lame man which was healed held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the porch that is called Solomon's, greatly wondering.
And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?

Try to imagine: If the beggar's healing had made today's news headlines -- who would get the credit? How would the world explain his healing? Would God get the credit? It is doubtful God would even get an honorable mention. Many would give credit to the doctors who worked on him or to some new and wonder working drug. There would even be those who would claim it is due to membership is some special group who had been given special powers. Have you ever thought why we don’t see this same kind of miracle today? Ok I know God does work miracles today and He still heals many ailments. Lets look for a moment and see what would happen if you saw your pastor at the mall and there was a man in a wheel chair setting waiting for another to push him around. The pastor stops and talks to the man for a few moments then he speaks as Peter spoke. The crippled man leaps out of his chair and starts running around the mall. Who would get all the attention—the man, the pastor or God? The pastor knows who did the healing but who do the bystanders think did the healing? Right ---just as those in the temple with Peter and John did –everyone would gather around the pastor and stand in amazement at how he had done this great thing. Even the one who is now standing would shout praises for the pastor.

There is a warning given to us in the last sentence of this story: "Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?" Our own power or our own godliness. If we error here then we miss the point as did those at the temple that day. God is the same today as He was then so why don’t we see the same kind of miracles? I feel it is because today man would get the glory over God. Keep in mind Peter had been with Jesus had seen what the power of God was really all about. He knew he was but a simple fisherman but he also knew that having total faith in God would and could do great things. He had seen evidence of how that worked. Maybe our vision is blurred today. Maybe our faith is weak or maybe we are too logical to think God can do what He said He can do. Logic says man can change if he wants to change. Logic says all we need to do is to work hard think right and all will be well. Let me know how that is working for you.
Let us go one step farther. How would you explain how God can save a soul? How does he do that? When I was introduced to Jesus and I prayed the sinner’s prayer was it the one who showed me the way who changed me? Or did he show me some magical logical method that changed me? Not by a long shot. Could anyone on the nightly news explain how I was changed from a drunken lost soul to one God called into His service? I can’t but I know that it did happen. I know I was changed in an instant. It was a miracle that happened in my living room that night. Can you explain how your salvation was accomplished? You are saved aren’t you?
The crowd's focus was on Peter and John, not on Jesus. We need to watch this as well. When God does a miracle, do we take credit for our own power (ignore God), or do we give God the glory but take credit for our own godliness? This is tricky ground. How would you respond? How do you think God wants you to respond?