Choose your audience....choose your applause!

Choose your audience......Choose your applause!

Now when the people saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices, saying in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!” And Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker.  Then the priest of Zeus, whose temple was in front of their city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, intending to sacrifice with the multitudes. But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard this, they tore their clothes and ran in among the multitude, crying out and saying, “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men with the same nature as you, and preach to you that you should turn from these useless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all things that are in them, who in bygone generations allowed all nations to walk in their own ways. Nevertheless He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.” And with these sayings they could scarcely restrain the multitudes from sacrificing to them.Then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there; and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead. However, when the disciples gathered around him, he rose up and went into the city. And the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe.(Acts 14:11-20)

In Acts 12:2-23, we read how Herod accepted the praise of then people, refereeing him as a god. God then stuck himself immediately. Artemis Acts 14, we see Paul and Barnabas mentioned as gods yet they resist the praise, rather they share the Gospel, and the crowd attempts to stone Paul to death!

We have to be careful today. We cannot accept man's applause over God's. God may not kill as He did then, but He does know! He can withhold blessings. He can correct. If we are not connected, we can miss it!

However, the more we honor God, acknowledge God, and yes, talk about Him, the world will surely ignore us, ridicule us, threaten us and even condemn and discipline us. You and I have daily decisions to make.

Man or God . . .We must choose our audience....choose our applause!