There were no 394 Olds engines, no 273, 289, or
even 265 or 283 Chevy motors. No 360 Mopar or AMC, no 383 or 472 Cadillac
motors, all like my friend not showing on the clock. How good those numbers
used to sound, The Beach Boys sand of a 409, no romance in a 7.0 litre of
Ford’s. But getting back to waiting to ride, in cc’s, many motorcycle engines
were memorable. Mention 650, you knew it was a Triumph. 1200 meant the big
Harley. 350-550-750 meant Hondas, 850 talked of Moto Guzzi, 903 meant only one
thing, the Z-1. All great bikes filled with great memories, but again those
missing like my friend. 185 Suzuki’s, 160 and 175 Hondas, 860 Ducati’s, another
Suzuki 380, and while Kawasaki’s 636, even my three tigers, 800, 955, and 1050,
all were reflected digitally, 883 Sportsters, and 675 Daytonas left out. The
numbers on the clock reflected the time, but the numbers took me back in time,
to memories of great times associated with great friends surrounded by great
motors in great cars. Just kicking back then, looking back gave them a whole
new meaning. Even rear end numbers, 354, 411’s, and 413’s rekindled memories,
it seemed no matter what time was shown, another time was reflected. Oh to
smell the smell of burning rubber one more time, the squeal of tires, and of the
fun we once had. All because my friend hadn’t show up on time....
Mention Psalm 23, John 3:16, or Romans 3:23 and
almost any Bible reading believer will identify with them. Numbers he can
relate to, scriptures that appeal to his heart. But yet many times we only
remember that which we are taught, in 42 years I have never heard more than a
spattering of Leviticus taught, and never Song of Solomon. Both included in
scripture, but not on the top 10 list. How many have read 1 John 3:16, and
relate it to God? Romans 8, another on the list. Psalm 1, an early teaching
that God still applies to me today. While many can tell you Matthew 6:33, how
many can tell you Matthew 25? Where it talks about us, and was the inspiration
God gave me for ministry? We read of Noah in Genesis 6-9, but what happened
in chapter 11 that we need to know about? The first Proverb
I remember reading was 16:22, read it and see if it means anything to you, it
does to me. But in the process, we take verses from chapters, and let the
meaning be interpreted by us, rather than letting the spirit apply it our
lives. James 5 tells of the righteous man and his prayer, yet Romans reveals we
are all sinners, falling short of being righteous. What are we to believe?
Today a verse in Hosea, in
the Old Testament, tells me so. “I am the LORD your God, who rescued
you from your slavery in Egypt. You have no God but me, for there is no
other savior. I took care of you in the wilderness, in that dry and
thirsty land. But when you had eaten and were satisfied, then you became proud
and forgot me.”— Hosea 13: 4-6 See, we are all mentioned in the OT. Maybe
there is more to scripture than what I am/was taught in church. Is it possible
that by following the spirit’s leading, I can go deeper than ever before? Think
for a minute, if you can go that long, we all study the Bible, but when was the
last time you just picked it up to read? Without study, but just reading it
like a letter from a friend, which it is, from God to you. Maybe see Jesus come
alive instead of just study material, for the only reason we study is to pass
the test, then it is forgotten. But how often reading a letter from a friend, are the words
tenderly remembered. Isn’t God’s word worthy of that intimacy? You study to
find yourself approved, but by who? Does Jesus grade our relationship with him
by how much we know? Do we neglect the spirit who gives us words when we need
them? Do we trust what we know more than who we know?
Try this on for size, later pick up your Bible
and just open it up. Start reading and see where the spirit takes you. That is
the rhema, the spirit inspired scripture just for that time and you. Let him
guide you through, and take you other places, some known, but many unknown.
Escape the book of Hezekiah, if you caught that one, you are better than I
think, for Hezekiah is the most quoted book of the Bible, except it doesn’t
exist. Get personal with Jesus, a letter from home, telling you how much he
loves you and can’t wait to spend time with you again. Homesick for
heaven....maybe it isn’t that personal yet.
Imagine how excited the first church was when
getting a letter from Paul. “Read that part about how we all fall short, and
how at the right time Jesus save us,”the church must have cried out. Read it
over and over, like the letter it was sent and meant to be. We all like getting
mail, how about mail from heaven from our father there? Just might change the
way you see Jesus, and draw you closer. For unlike the numbers of past engines,
God’s word lasts forever. You see when my generation is gone, it is no longer a
302 or 305, but a 5.0. 455’s will be 6.6, even the 327 will be a 5.3. Or is it
5.4? No romance there, is there romance in reading God’s word?
By the way, my friend arrived at 615 for our 300
appointment. Just numbers on a clock to him, but much more than that to me
now. Time and motors take us back, only Jesus gives us reason to look ahead.
George on the corner has a GTO with a 389, I wonder if he wouldn’t mind laying
down a patch for me....no 389 on any clock, but in my mind.....
Ah the sounds and smells.....of running on all
eight cylinders!
love with compassion,
Mike
matthew25biker.blogspot.com