Do Not Judge Outward Appearances

Jesus answered them, "I did one deed, and you all marvel. For this reason Moses has given you circumcision (not because it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and on the Sabbath you circumcise a man. If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath so that the Law of Moses will not be broken, are you angry with Me because I made an entire man well on the Sabbath? Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment." John 7:21-24

Don’t judge according to appearance. How often have you heard of a ragged person appearing in a church and being snubbed? Maybe it was even the Pastor, posing as a derelict? Whatever the case, Jesus tells us that we need to not judge other peoples outward appearance. Even back in the selection of David as King of Israel this was true. But the LORD said to Samuel, "Don't judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The LORD doesn't see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7 NLT. The Lord looks at the heart. God is concerned with the spiritual attitude, not the name brand clothes and flawlessly perfect make-up.

RSVP: Jesus is asking you today…How is your heart? Are you judging others by their outward appearance? Is your own heart ready to be inspected? How will you respond to Him today?

Prayer~ Dear Jesus, create in me a clean heart and renew in me a right spirit (Psalm 51:10).

Friday’s Feast at the Lord’s Table

That old ground hog saw his shadow and we are certainly having six more weeks of winter. Brrrr!
Here’s a chili recipe from a friend at church to enjoy on one of these cold days soon.

White Chili

2 cups cooked chicken (or turkey)

1 can chicken broth (no MSG please)

1 medium onion, chopped and sautéed in a little olive oil

1 can Navy Beans (15 oz) or about 1 cup dried navy beans, soaked and cooked

1 can Great Northern Beans (15 oz) or about 1 cup white beans, soaked and cooked

1 can of green chilies (8 oz)

½ teaspoon each: cayenne pepper, oregano and cumin 

Put all the ingredients into a pot, simmer at least 30 minutes. Serve with a dollop of sour cream or yogurt. Some nice corn bread is tasty with this soup, too.

 

Looking ahead to March...the challenge is to

Pray the Names of God, or His attributes, for 30 days. 

© 2014 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.

All scripture quoted from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) unless otherwise noted.