John 7:24
“Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.”

Jesus was teaching in the temple at Jerusalem and the Jewish leaders were judging him because he had healed this dude on the Sabbath, and they didn’t think Jesus should be doing that. Of course, they missed the whole point of why Jesus healed the guy and the relationship Jesus had with his father, God. They were judging him on mere appearances and not on the truth of what actually happened and what he was teaching about. Now I don’t know about you but boy I sure have done that, judged on mere appearance and not judged correctly on the truth. And I have been judged on my mere appearance and not correctly on what I had to say.

Two stories, I was in our local watering hole late one afternoon, my son was bartending, and there was one of the locals who had too much to drink and needed a ride home. Now I knew this guy pretty well, he had been out to my house, we have had some great discussions and a few beverages together. Most of the time he’d had too much to drink. Anyway, I gave this friend a ride home and helped him into his house, a simple trailer house, and to my surprise his house was immaculate including the kitchen. We sat down and next to his chair on his end table was an open Bible and a small devotional. We sat there and talked for 2 hours, I know you find that hard to believe with me, but we did. He shared with me his testimony about having cancer and his wife left him because he was going to die, (yeah, she was committed for better or worse and in sickness or health…see ya) and how he got on his knees and committed his live to Jesus. He didn’t make any big promises in asking Jesus to heal him, but Jesus did. The one thing he did do with his personal relationship with Jesus was to read his Bible with that devotional every day. I was shocked and in tears. I had judged this man as a scumbag alcoholic. But here was a simple man whom Jesus had not only healed of cancer but had accepted him into his kingdom. When I left there, after many hugs and tears, I was convicted and mad at myself to judging this man. Was he still an alcoholic? Yeppers, and struggled with it until the day he died which sadly was a few months later. But I believe this man is in heaven now and I look forward to hugging the snot out of him when I get there too.

Second story; one of my profile pictures is of me with a fine Bugatti cigar, a Coors Lite beer in my cozzie and a smile on my face.  Many of my so-called Christian brothers and sisters have judged me by mere appearance and aren’t hearing or listening to my teaching of the truth. Sad but true. Yes, I do enjoy a fine cigar pared with a fine whiskey like Buffalo Trace or Pendleton right next to my wife who also is enjoying a fine cigar and whiskey. We have become quite the aficionados. But it is our quiet time together for an hour or so that we can enjoy each other’s company, talk, solve world problems, solve family problems, etc. So, don’t judge us on mere appearance but judge correctly on our message, the truth.  Blessings.

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