Restoration Principles from a Stay-cation

Restoration Principles From a Stay-cation

You may be wondering what is “stay-cation” and how can it relate to “restoration principles?” A stay-cation is what we did on our vacation. Instead of driving a long distance to see something new or have fun; we stayed at home and did things within short distances. You can insert the phrase “due to high gas prices, we decided it was better to spend money doing things instead of just driving.” So what did we do on our stay-cation?

One day we drove to Bowling Green and went to a place called Lost River . Regena pointed out the irony in us going to Bowling Green to do something for we are often in that city. However, we had never been to Lost River . This is a cave in Bowling Green that was at one time used by confederate soldiers. It provided a nice cool place to sleep in the summer and warmth in the winter. For a time it was a night club. They cut out a dance floor, stage for a band, and storage rooms for their night club. At one time some big name entertainers came to this cave and performed in concert. One name mentioned was Dinah Shore . Eventually the night club closed down and the cave became a big dump sight.

In the 1980’s an effort was started to clear out the garbage and have tours. At the present time you walk to the cave and take a boat ride. This is a twenty to thirty minute boat ride while the guide tells you the history of the cave and points out certain rock formations.

One day we went to the Railroad Museum in South Haven, Kentucky . There you can take an old fashion train ride to nearby Boston , Kentucky . To tell you the truth there is not much at Boston except a convenient store. The train ride last almost two hours and is through pretty country. They have some air conditioned cars, but we rode in the old fashioned type with the windows down.

Then another day we rode up to Shoals, Indiana to see Regena’s father’s grave. It had been awhile since all of us had been there and it is also pretty country. We then drove over to West Baden and French Lick, Indiana . Basketball fans may remember French Lick as the home of Larry Bird. The unique thing about West Baden is a Hotel there. It was constructed in 1902 at the cost of $30 million dollars. It is a dome building with a height of 100 feet and diameter of 200 feet. It was the largest domed building in the world until the Houston Astrodome was built in 1963. It contained about 700 rooms on 6 floors. One of its attractions was its mineral springs which could supposedly cure all kinds of illnesses. At one time this was a place for the rich and famous. The Chicago White Sox, Cubs, and Cincinnati Reds had spring training camp on the Hotel’s grounds.

In 1929 the stock market crashed and so did the Hotel. In 1934 it was converted into a Jesuit school. Then the Norwood Institute, a restaurant management and culinary school, used it for a number of years. In 1983 it was abandoned. While preaching in Shoals in 1985 to 87 I visited this building. It was in shambles with paint peeling, walls cracking, water standing in the main atrium, and without heat or air conditioning. In 1996 major renovation started. It is now a plush Hotel with beautiful grounds around it.

So what lessons did I learn from this stay-cation and how do they relate to restoration principles?

I noticed the common theme of every place we visited was the desire to restore it to its original condition. Each place due to time, use, abuse, or normal wear and tear needed to be restored. This is also a common theme in the Bible. Adam and Eve at one time walked with God, but then sinned by eating the forbidden fruit. From that time on, their lives and man in general has needed restoration. Israel received the Law of God at Mount Sinai and later on inhabited the land of Canaan . For a short time Israel was a power nation obeying the Law of God. However, after the time of Solomon we read of Northern Israel and Judah departing from God’s word. At times there were kings in Judah that tried to restore their nation back to God. One of the greatest efforts at restoration was during the reign of Josiah. He tore down the altars of the gods and cleaned out the temple in Jerusalem . He killed the priest of these false gods and set back in order the Levitical priesthood, 2 Kings 22, 23. He also repaired the temple and observed the Passover. The extent of Josiah’s restoration can be seen in 1 Chronicles 35.18 “There had been no Passover kept in Israel like that since the days of Samuel the prophet; and none of the kings of Israel had kept such a Passover as Josiah kept, with the priests and the Levites, all Judah and Israel who were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.”

This theme of restoration is carried over into the New Testament. In Jesus man is restored back to God. 2 Cor 5:18-19 “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.” (NIV) In the preaching of and obedience to the Gospel of Christ, man is restored back into fellowship with God.

Another lesson I learned is the need to check your facts. At the Lost River cave the guide told us the story about a certain spring of water in the cave. At one time the owner of the cave said that Jesse James had been in that cave and drank from that spring, he charged people a nickel to drink from that spring of water. Now I have never heard of Jesse James being in Bowling Green , Kentucky . However, people bought the story and paid a nickel to drink that water. It turns out they tested the water and it comes from a nearby pasture area in which cows graze.

I just wonder how many people buy similar stories in relation to their soul. They trust in their preacher, or parents, or some modern day prophet, but never check the Bible.

Finally, a lot of people asked me about our stay-cation and said they wanted to do the same thing. They live here, but never get around to going seeing the sights here. I wonder how many people will do the same thing with their soul and reading the Bible. They may have the intention of one day studying the Bible and doing the right thing, but right now is not the right time. Let us not over look the value of that which is nearby by looking to far into the future. Rom 10:8 "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith which we preach): 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

The above passage is not the complete plan of salvation, but it points out that God has made the Gospel available to all of mankind. Through our obedience we can be saved. Are you in need of becoming a Christian? If so, do not put if off. – Dennis Tucker

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