The Church Is …

From time to time, I can sit in a bible class, and I hear the teacher say something like this, “The church doesn’t …” and some attribute or action follows that statement that scripture says the church should be involved in. Here is what I know to be true, the church is what Christ says it is, and the church does what Christ says it does. The real question is, am I a part of the church that Christ is describing? Am I a part of The Bride of Christ? Luke 6:43-44 "No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes or grapes from briers.” NIV What I want to encourage you to do is be a part of the church. Don’t look for opportunities to criticize The Bride of Christ; look for ways to make her shine in a fallen world. Share with those in need. Encourage the fallen and discouraged. Share the mercy and grace of Christ. Please don’t wait for somebody else to do it. Don’t wait for a ministry to be organized. You can start today being the light in your dark world. The church IS making a difference. Are you a part of that church? In Him J. Tom Washburn

This Is Hard

The call to discipleship is total and complete. You can’t try it out by dipping your toes and giving it a whirl. Discipleship requires everything, all or nothing. Jesus said: “Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Matt 10:37-39 NIV) The reason behind this kind of commitment is that anything less than total and unwavering commitment leaves little areas of our life under the control of the enemy. It requires constant attention and daily correction. We must be willing to admit our failings and trust in His leadership. The path will be difficult at times, but He is ahead of you, beside you, and in you, clearing the way and giving you strength. Are you ready to take your toes out of the water and take the plunge? The blessings are too numerous to count, and the peace you will find is unimaginable. So, make up your mind today to trust God and take the plunge. He is waiting to welcome you with open arms. In Him J. Tom Washburn

Praise God Anyway

When we look at the world without spiritual eyes, we see so many happy accidents. We didn’t get into the college we wanted, and we ended up going to another school where we met the love of our life – happy accident. We forgot our keys and had to go back in the house to find them, and because we were five minutes behind schedule, we missed a giant pile-up on the highway – a happy accident. Our lives seem to be full of happy accidents but are they really accidents at all, or are they blessings given to us by God? As a believer in Jesus Christ, I don’t think we can praise God too much or give Him too much credit for the blessings we experience in life. The next time you get frustrated and things don’t seem to be going your way, praise God anyway. Who knows, you may find your next great blessing at the end of this new adventure. In Him J. Tom Washburn

Next Step

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step" is a common saying that originated from a Chinese proverb. The quotation is from Chapter 64 of the Dao De Jing ascribed to Laozi. I grew up hearing that proverb. The proverb’s meaning is a lesson I have needed to learn repeatedly. To get to where you want to be, you must start from where you are, one step at a time. When we would go backpacking, we would tell the kids that you can make it to the top of the mountain if you kept putting one foot in front of the other. We were always amazed at how much territory we had covered. You have heard us talk about taking the next step in your growth in this church. If you are visiting with us from time to time, start worshipping with us regularly. If you have been worshipping with us regularly, start attending one of our bible classes. If you are attending our bible classes, start showing the love of God to your world. If you are already involved in acts of service, learn to share your faith with everyone who will listen. Lasting growth often takes place one step at a time. The same thing is true in our private spiritual walk with Christ. If you want to be closer to Christ, start by getting to know Him. We do that by reading His word. You could begin with Matthew or Mark. If you have been reading, it may be time for you to carve out a time of prayer every day. If you have been praying, maybe it is time for you to ask yourself, “What do I need to be doing to be obedient to Christ?”. The process of taking the next step in my spiritual walk is never over. As long as I live, my goal should be to grow closer to God in faith and action every day. What is your NEXT STEP? In Him J. Tom Washburn

Re-mis-sion

Yesterday the Doctor told Julie and me that I was now in remission. What a great word, remission. In my case, the word remission means the diminution of the seriousness of my disease. It is not gone, but it is quiet, and it should not be in control of my schedule or my activities as much anymore. It has been a whole year since my pain or my doctor appointments and medicine schedule have not been the preeminent factors in my day. I do not know how long remission will last, but I will enjoy every day it does. Remission, what a great word. The first time I remember hearing the word remission was in Sunday School. Acts 2:38 “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” KJV In Acts 2, remission is defined as the cancellation of a debt. I am blessed. I have experienced the medical and spiritual definitions of remission. We live in a sick and broken world that desperately needs remission. If your world is ever going to experience remission, it may only happen if you live on mission. Will you allow God to use you to share His healing power of the soul? Will you allow Him to use you to share Jesus Christ? In Him J. Tom Washburn

Ready for the trip

This weekend Julie and I are making a one-night trip to go and see a couple of our grandkids, and we will also visit with their parents. It is amazing how much preparation goes into a one-night trip. There are the Mimi cookies that must be made for the grandkids, and there are gifts that must be purchased. There is the packing of clothes, personal items, and all the needed medications. The car must be checked and filled with gas, and snacks must be put in the car for the long 3-hour trip. The dog needs to be washed and his cage placed in the car, and then finally, we are ready to go. I don’t know about you, but we spend a lot of time getting ready for a twenty-four-hour trip. As I sit here and write this blog, I wonder how much time we spend getting ready for the greatest trip of all, that final trip. Are we packing our hearts with the Word of God? Are we filling our hearts with the songs of praise that we want to sing? What are we doing to prepare for the most incredible trip? If you haven’t started getting ready for the trip, it is time to start today. For those who are ready, it is going to be the best trip of all. In Him J. Tom Washburn

Boundaries that don’t do their job

Col 2:20-23 Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: 21 "Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!"? 22 These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. 23 Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence. NIV As a parent, you sometimes know when something bad is about to happen. Something is about to happen when the kids in the car become quiet for no apparent reason. When you hear your kids start daring each other with words like “You won’t, you won’t,” something bad is about to happen. It is good to have boundaries, but rules don’t always keep us from sin. Rules can, at times, draw us toward sin. A sign that says “Don’t look” can be an invitation to look. A sign that says "Don’t touch” can act as an invitation to touch. How many times have you been guilty of ignoring signs? When it comes to our Christian walk and pursuit of The Holy, we need to spend more time working on the things to be and less time coming up with the rules other people should be following. Christ is seldom seen in our rules, but He is easy to see in the life that has been transformed from the inside out. In Him J. Tom Washburn