I can say I remember when you used to tell the attendant to fill the oil
and check the gas. Such were the years of our first cars, and where you and
your buddies all chipped in 50 cents for a night of cruising. One such car was
Bruce’s 1959 Chevy Impala convertible, red with silver, as in duct tape
interior, and no rear floor. A victim of Jersey winters. In those days you
didn’t call the front seat, you fought for it. Or rode with your feet up in the
air or on the rear seats. But not all rides were as custom or unique, but the
one constant was the price of gas. We all knew the cheapest places, when to go
when a friend was working the pumps for the deal, and why Sunoco 260 was better
than Amoco Supreme, or white gas as unleaded was called, before no lead was the
new regular. But when the gas crisis suddenly hit us in 1973, we all could see
the day when none of us would be driving any more. Imagine 40-45 cents for a
gallon of gas, and 50 cents for 260! At that price it took, well it took $5.00
to fill the tank! Over two hours of work just to fill the tank! Cruising
slowed down, as most of the younger guys allowances didn’t go up, but the rates
of the cruising ritual did. Even the days of less than a dollar to fill our
bikes was being threatened, and we all were concerned, would there ever come a
day when we had to quit riding? Gas had been 25 cents for as long I could
remember, the weekly trip to the Gulf station for 25 cents worth for the lawn
mower a ritual in itself. Now being faced with gas twice as expensive, where
was it all going to end? Were all the streets going to become empty soon? And
would we look back at the times fighting over a front seat, as now we would be
lucky to get a seat at all?
But gas wasn’t the only thing rising in price and threatening our life
style. The Marlboro crowd was facing 50 cents packs of cigarettes, and coffee,
long 10 cents a cup was a quarter, with no refills. Coke had gone up 15 cents a
can, Big Macs were 55 cents, and only the toughest, most had core guys could eat
$5.00 worth of McDonalds food. Everything that used to be based on how many
cents was now approaching dollars. Many swore when coffee reached $1.00/pound
they would quit drinking it, same with a buck a pack, but although many
threatened to quit driving, none of us did. Some went the car pool route, some
parking the GTO or SS, some even selling them in favor of some Jap thing we
couldn’t pronounce, but we all kept driving somehow. It seems it is in our
nature, and many will forego the caffeine and nicotine routine, but will
continue to drive while complaining about filling their tank. If gasoline was
God and it took all the king’s men to pay for it, driving it would continue to
be. And as gas prices here nudge $4.00 again, we drive less, plan our trips
better, but still drive. We may hate the prices, but we hate even worse the
prospect of it not becoming available at all. Something the greatest generation
had to face during WWII. May gas be the least of our worries....
A wise man once noted “just because you have rocks in your head don’t take
it for granite.” Some heads may be hard, yet they reflect a harder heart.
While touring Brother Andrew’s facility in Orange County, you learn how many
Bibles must be smuggled into countries because they are illegal. How you face
death, prison, or death just for having one. No pretty covers or arguing over
what version to read, any Bible will get you in trouble. But yet so many
continue to desire one, to read about Jesus and a God that saves. Dollar gas is
no problem as they have no cars, just daily bread is the goal upon waking up,
and the daily bread Jesus delivers each morning that much more precious. One
display has a scenario of a church meeting secretly in a non-descript place.
With look outs around the area in case the government chooses to invade. In
such a case, the pastor is ushered out, and the Bible, if they have one passed
around and hidden. All just for going to church. With one touching tale of how
a fellowship for over 20 years has only had one page from the book of Acts. And
how the pastor has only used one side of the page so far, such is the power of
the holy spirit. As we sit drinking out lattes, reading our i-pads, and
complaining about going to church. Never taking into account how fortunate we
are to have the freedom we have in America, and how truly God has shed his grace
on thee. How a bumper sticker has to identify us as a believer because many
times our actions don’t. How many Bibles do you have sitting around your home
covered in dust from not being used?
An old Parable song tells us “without the word our hearts will turn to
metal, don’t let your Bible gather dust.” Yet we read and read, but became
educated and not delivered. Growing in knowledge of Jesus, but not guided by
his spirit. I hope it doesn’t take a confiscation of Bibles to turn to the
spirit as many do in forbidden lands, for like coffee, cigarettes and gas, we
would give up the Bible other than our other so called freedoms. When the
written word is forbidden, Jesus, who is the word, is still present. He has
written his word on our hearts, no pages to turn, just his spirit to turn to.
As it was in the first century church. Next time the talk comes around to how
good they had it in that church, try putting away your written word, and
allowing the spirit to dictate. They had no New Testament, they were busy
living it, can we say the same? Or is learning about Jesus more important than
being led by his spirit? Have your pastor try teaching without his notes or
Bible to turn to, see how the message changes. Are we Bible driven or spirit
driven?
An internationally known and respected Bible teacher allows how many
believe that the trinity is father, son, and the Bible. Substituting the
written word for the spiritual aspect. Without the spirit, we would not have
been called to Jesus. We wouldn’t understand the mysteries of the word, and
many would only be educated, but not saved. Or saved but never benefitting from
the fruit of the spirit. Jesus left us his spirit until he returns....we will
never return to 25 cent gas or 10 coffee, but we can return to Jesus via his
spirit. We all feared a day of no gas might be coming, for some a day of no
Bibles is here already. But they grow in grace by God’s spirit, just as the
first church did. Does yours? Do you? Or are you waiting in a spiritual line
for refueling like we did for gas?
If you think religion is easy, try it without Jesus. Try it without his
spirit guiding. Try it without your Bible. For the things seen are temporary,
the things not seen are eternal. We will run out of gas and need to refill,
only in the spirit will our tanks never run dry. The spirit, the oil in our
lamps to keep us burning. Full service only....can you say “fill ‘er up
please!” Premium , of course.....
And why do the lines get longer when it isn’t available?
love with compassion,
Mike
mattehw25biker.blogspot.com