If you are free, walk out of the cell

The other day I was riding my bike past the prison, and I began to think about freedom. Freedom in Christ is a phrase I heard long before I began to understand what it meant (and I don't claim to understand all that it means now). As I rode past the prison, I knew there were men inside who would love to have the freedom to just be free, but they are confined by locks, doors and bars.
In the spiritual world, when we are in sin we are in prison. We are trapped behind locks, doors and bars that we are powerless to open. While we long to be free, we are powerless to escape, but Christ has opened the door for us. The blood of Jesus Christ has destroyed everything that keeps us captive, but we still need to chose to leave the cell.
So many people are comfortable in their little cell of guilt and shame and they are denying themselves the freedom of forgiveness and grace.
When you find yourself trapped by sin, when you find yourself imprisoned by guilt, walk out of the cell - Christ has already opened the door, He has already made a way.
John 8:36
So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
NIV

The Bride

There is nothing like a wedding to remind you of the need for purity.
I love that moment, in the wedding, when the doors at the back of the auditorium open, and there before you stands the bride. She is all dressed in white and in her countenance you can see radiance. I love looking at the groom as he watches his bride come down the aisle, knowing that the next time she goes down the aisle, she will be his wife.
I am reminded, as I sit in a wedding, that this is a picture of Christ and His church.
Brides guard their wedding dresses, they keep them in bags until it is time, they don’t let anyone drink or eat around their dress until after the ceremony and heaven forbid a grimy handed child should come near the wedding dress. It is important to the bride that her gown be white.
As the bride of Christ, we should also care about our purity. I know that our purity comes from Him, but I also know that we are to take off the old dirty clothes of this world and cover ourselves with the new clothes given to us by God.
Colossians 3:12-14
12Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
In Him
J. Tom Washburn

Goal

Recently I went to a hockey game and I found myself thinking about how God works in my life. I know what you are thinking, “how could anyone see how God works while watching hockey?” As much as I like hockey, hockey is not about big men on skates running into each other while holding a stick (club), hockey is about putting the puck in the right place so that “maybe” somebody might have the opportunity of putting the puck into the goal.
I would like to think that life is like a computer (a working computer), if I push this button, input the right data and hit that key, then I will get the result I want. Life doesn’t always work that way. My job, in life, is to press on, put myself in the right place, time and time, again so that God can use me. In hockey, control is relative. In my life control is relative, there is always an enemy that wants to take my life away, but my job is to put myself in right place so that God can use me and ultimately take me to the goal.
Philippians 3:14 “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
So when it feels like you are being pushed around in every direction, press on towards the goal, put yourself under Gods’ control and know that He will take you to the goal.

In Him
J. Tom Washburn

Without Excuse

This past Christmas I got two great gifts, I got a GPS and a NIV.
The GPS is a TOMTOM and if I use it, I should never get lost and I should always be able to find the address of town that I am looking for. This GPS even claims to be able to get me there using the fastest or the shortest route possible, depending on which choices I make. If I get off the path that the GPS has set for me, a friendly voice will try and help guide me back on path. I now have no excuse for getting lost.
The NIV is a new Thompson Chain Reference Bible, the old one is about to fall apart. If I use my new NIV I should be able to navigate through any situation in life and still arrive at my ultimate destination. When I leave the path, The Word can guide me back to the way of God. I have no excuse for getting lost, I only need to listen to the voice of God as He speaks to me through The Word.
Yes, after this Christmas I have no excuses for being lost.
Romans 1:20
"For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse."
In Him
J. Tom Washburn

A Way Of Life

This past week our country set aside a day to give thanks. For many of us, it was a time to be with family and friends. Some of us spent the day at a casual pace, enjoying the free time, while others were busy, working at a frantic pace wishing for more time. The television, if turned on, showed us the parades and the ball games and hundreds of commercials filled with things we can not live without. At some point in the day most of us gathered around a feast and we ate and laughed with those who had gathered.

Those pictures have defined Thanksgiving, for me, for years. Today I have a different picture of Thanksgiving. Today I am grateful not just for the harvest, today I am even more grateful for the harvesters God has placed in my life, those people who show me God. I am grateful for Mike and Sharon who have shown me the faith of a giant this year. I am grateful for my sons who have held Julie and me up this year with their support. Today I am grateful for two churches that have shown me God’s love. I am grateful for new friends and new partners in ministry.

Thanksgiving is a great holiday; it is an even greater way of life.
1 Chr 16:34
34 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.
(NIV)

In Him
J. Tom Washburn

Giving Thanks - Saying Grace

I grew up in a home where we always said a prayer before the evening meal. When it was time for that prayer, we would all bow our heads, we all knew what to do. When we had company, dad would inform everyone what was about to happen, he would say something like "lets all give thanks",or "so and so would you please offer grace".

Lately I have been thinking a lot about giving thanks to God, and I have been thinking about grace. On the surface these two topics are vastly different. Grace is what God offers me and thanks is my humble response of gratitude.

Many years ago, a third grade teacher taught me that grace was unmerited favor, recently a friend told me that grace was unmeritable favor, I think both are right and I think they both only have one reasonable responce, thanks.

When little children pray they give thanks for everything, from little bugs with red wings to mommy and daddy. As adults there are times when we get to busy to thank God for all He has done and we just concentrate on what we consider to be the "big" things, after all we could never thank Him for all He has done can we.

I think that is why we are to "pray continually" (1Thes 5:17)and "always give thanks to God the Father for everything" (Eph 5:20). I think "thanks" should always be on our lips because of the "grace" He has shown us.

We have the right to say "thanks" directly to Him because of His "grace" and there is no other single word left to say if I am His child, unless it is "Father".
I Jn 3:1 says "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!"

So the next time you are ask to say grace, give thanks, because there is no other responce that can be given to grace.

In Him
J. Tom Washburn

New Glasses - New Eyes

This past week I got a new pair of glasses. My last pair of glasses were single vision glasses, these are progressive. Everyone tells me I will love these glasses, but right now I am having to learn how to look at the world differently. You see, every part of the lens has a different focus point so that I can see clearly at any distance. Before I could only see one way, but now I can see more.
The thing I like about these glasses (besides the fact that they make me look cool) is that the easiest place to focus is at the top of the lens. The world is in focus when I look up. There is a great spiritual lesson there.
Ps 121:1-2 "I lift up my eyes to the hills-- where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. (NIV)"
There is another thing I have noticed about these glasses, people are not in focus when I look down on them, I must look straight at them in order to see them in focus. Rom 14:10 "You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? ...(NIV)"
I think I am going to like these progressive lenses, they remind me of the new eyes God wants me to have.
In Him
J. Tom Washburn