Thursday, May 22, 2014

Spin Cycle

   The 'Spin Cycle' is a great feature on a washing machine but in our lives - not so much!  Whether it's marriage, end of school year activities, graduations, vacations, weddings, work projects, home remodeling - the spin cycle can take over your life like no other. It's very easy for a "new normal" to be created. The "new normal" is nothing to be desired, in fact it's deadly.
   You put one foot inside, followed by an arm, then your head and eventually your whole body gets inside. You hear the door close behind you, the timer gives a "click" and you hear water and soon the drum is full of water with you inside. Just as you think you are about to drown in it all, the water stops but the fun really is just beginning because round and round you go; back and forth tossed inside. You think it's over; "i've survived… please let me out!". But the water fills again and off you go to the next stage until the next stage when you go into hyper spin mode. It's the Spindle Top at Six Flags all over again; only this time it's for real!
   There's an alternative - Summer Sabbath Rest! I want to encourage you this summer to take a day each week to just turn it all off at home. Leave work 'on time', head home, eat a family meal, sit down to play a game or read a book. The next morning sleep in / get up earlier (do something different) - but more than anything commit that day to the Lord and rest in Him. Look and Listen for His prompting on what to do.
   It's been a crazy spinning hasn't it?! Take the Lord's advice (command #4): Observe a Sabbath day of Rest…

In Christ!

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Fascination with Crime Mysteries

   Ever since the inception of television, broadcasters have picked up on our culture's fascination with criminal mysteries. Some of the earliest TV crime dramas were 'I Spy' (Bill Cosby), 'Dragnet' and 'Police Woman'. Today things have changed a bit; I like to watch 'Criminal Minds'. My all-time favorite however is 'Columbo', not to mention he has a bad-behaving basset hound!
   During the Christmas break I read Bill O'Reilly's (New York Times Best Seller) books 'Killing Kennedy' and then 'Killing Jesus'. This got me to thinking about the famous murders in the Bible. This coming Sunday I begin a series entitle 'REDRUM'. We will start right off the bat with 'Killing Abel'.

   Each week we will study the historical aspects of the main characters, some of the unique Scriptures associated with each event and character, look at what the Holy Spirit is communicating to us and then draw some personal application.
   Of course the Bible already answer's the 'whodunit' question, but the mystery always centers around the message being communicated to us. Life is much like that isn't it? We have facts but there's always a mystery surrounding what those facts mean. I hope to see you this Sunday or if you're not able to join us in person, check us out online.
I hope you have a great week… In Christ!