Not the Same

I copied this from Bryant's Blog
This one goes out to ALL who judge others by what's on the outside instead of what's on the inside...

This is an explanation by Kevin Young of Disciple's song "Not the Same".

I'll never forget the time I saw a street preacher in Knoxville one night. I was so impressed that he was out there, and not ashamed of being heard that I had to go listen. I walked up and stood fairly close to him. As he noticed me, he began to preach in my direction, but not really look at me. He said some very good things. I stood there for a while, and then decided to leave. But before I left I went up to shake his hand and thank him for what he was doing. At this point the man said to me, "Son, how can you be of God when you look, dress, and smell like the world?" I was so shocked by his statement that I had to stop and think. I said "What do you mean?" He replied, "If you're a Christian, I can't tell you apart from any other sinner that is out here tonight." Then I said, "Well I'm sorry that you haven't been around me long enough to see the fruit of my life so you can rightly judge. But if we are going to judge only on appearances, then you look no different than every crooked thief on Wall Street in a suit and tie." Never forget that appearances mean absolutely nothing. Because Jesus is sometimes "disguised" as hungry, naked, in prison, and sick (Matthew 25: 35-36). For "Man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7).