"Whatever" OR "Whatever IT TAKES?!?!"

Good morning all. God is good all the time, all the time God is good.  TOO BLESSED TO BE STRESSED!!!
   How was your weekend?  Full of many spirit filled things I would pray.  My weekend was quite well, visited with other Christians, shared stories, and fell very comfortable with the Lord's people.
    Heard a sermon that really rang a bell - "whatever" OR "whatever it takes"; which one are you.
A church had their pulpit committee searching for a new pastor.  They received an application with a resume' and one member read it aloud.  It began saying he was interested in the job.  He had preached in the past, never for more than 3 years in any one place; did not get along with the ministerial alliance in the towns, had been accused of many things (none true), beaten, thrown in prison, and seemed to cause riots in many places.  However, he was interested in applying for this position.
    The pulpit committee turned a cold shoulder to this applicant, a raised eye brow, for it was definitely a NO vote.  One member asked the name of the applicant: then they heard "signed by the Apostle Paul".
     Wow!  Paul did whatever it took to take the word of Jesus Christ to the people.  His resume' does not read well, but his works say volumes.  Many times as Christians we turn the other way and say "whatever" when we should be saying WHATEVER IT TAKES!!
    We tend to look at the outside, not seeing what may be on the inside.  On the inside the person may be crying out desperately for help, for Jesus, for salvation; whereas the outside is rough, shoddy looking, and not pleasing to the eye.
   If a really raggedy person came into your church, went to the front, would you greet him/her or shun him/her?
   If the church is having a baked potato paloosa and a man walked in with a beer in his hand, would you greet him, feed him, and share the word OR chastise him by telling him alcohol was not allowed in the church?
   If an unkept person walked in to your church, smelled bad, wreaked of body odor, would you invite him/her to sit with you and share the word OR sit far away because he/she was offensive?
   What would Paul, the apostle have done?  More importantly, what would Jesus have done?  And, now, most importantly---what would you do?  Where is your heart?  
   We can live pretty on the outside, have many "material" things; however, this does not make you a candidate for heaven.  Just as Lazarus and the rich man; Lazarus had nothing in life--the rich man had everything in life; upon death, and for eternity, the rich man had torment and hell while Lazarus had eternal life with God the Father.
   Where are you today my friend?  Judging from the outside- whatever-; OR, whatever it takes - and going the extra step, the extra yard, the extra mile?  To hell you say, OR To heaven and beyond!!!! Love you all!!!
   In Christ's Love and Grace
     Johnny
p.s. Lazarus and rich man Luke 16:23-
tomorrow look at Psalm 73