the next sound you hear...

Before the sun rises, even on summer mornings we seek it.  Standing in shadows, we vacate them quickly seeking its warmth.  Something about its warmth and light relaxes us as the day takes form.   But only a few hours later when the temp has risen, we seek the shade again to keep us cool.  It seems that no matter how comfortable we are right now, circumstances as simple as the day marching on change our desires to be comfortable.  When it is 90 outside, 70 feels cold, yet on 50 degree days 70 feels hot.  Maybe we are more like Goldilocks than we care to admit, it seems we are never satisfied, and whatever our situation we are found in look for something better.  General Motors once had it figured out, start with a Chevy, move up to Pontiac as you could afford it, Buick called as you got the corner office, Olds after being a VP, then the Cadillac, showing the world that you had made it. If you were still young enough to enjoy it. How many watched our neighbors move up like that, today they change addresses rather than cars.  For those of us who ride it was all about the size of your engine.  Honda 50’s were the entry for most of us into riding, then big 250’s for the street.  Triumph had a 650, Norton had a 750, and soon Honda matched its size, but surpassed its power.  The Z-1 of 903cc’s made us think it would never stop, only Harley advertised in cubic inches, its 74 a man’s bike, back before electric kick starters opened the door for lesser men.  It seems as far as our dreams, accompanied by our credit ratings and ego would allow we would go.  And today I am faced with decisions about new motorcycles, and selling my old ones to move on.

Blame it on Triumph, I loved my Bonneville, still do, and figured it was a keeper, for 11 years has been.  Then I put 1800 miles on the two first Street Twins in the states, and fell in love, but not quite out of love with my old rides.  So I put them up for sale, something in me wants them to go, the other part says I hope they don’t, but no new without the passing of the old. We should all have such problems....

And even a guy who wanted my bike if ever for sale, turned me down.  Seems I just sold another new bike for Triumph, “if Mike is so impressed he will sell his old rides, I want one too.”  But for sale they are, and as the sun fills the garage with their memories, soon they may be gone.  Shadows of past rides, but with excitement of new ones.  And for the new owners, excitement of new rides on old bikes, or is it just more rides on different bikes?  Too much thinking going on here-I’m going riding....the next sound you hear is me twisting the throttle.

So I find myself in the situation of Proverbs 3:5 writer, trying to figure it all out, on my own, but only turning to God when I run out of experience and ideas.  After 40 years with him you think I would know better...so today with you as my witness here goes, “God it is your problem.  More than what to ride, I turn it over if I ride at all.  Your word says in all ways, and I will try to trust you in them.  You never let me down before...excite my spirit with what you have planned.” The big decisions are never easy, but bring the most blessings.  And the best testimonies.   God I want to hear your voice, I need your help.

Consider Abraham, the father of our faith.  A rich man, maybe the richest in the land and he gets a visit from God.  Telling him to choose between two directions, one rich and fruitful, the other Sodom and Gomorrah.  We know what he chose, but never really got insight as to why.  Maybe the spirit was so real to him, he knew what to do, and trusted God.  Willing to give it all up, based the promise of redemption and resurrection, all foreign terms back then.  No Mosaic law to confuse him, just a wife to baffle him.  But he chose God over all, and although the battles were tough, saw more of God as one man than many churches do today.  He trusted God, and was found righteous, not sinless, just righteous.

Only Jesus can remove sins from us, we trust him to save us, but then live on making the other choices ourselves.  And sometimes bring him in on the big decisions.  But God wants us to trust him in the little ones, so we can trust him in the big ones.  Because like moving up in size on our rides, it is looking back we remember how he brought us along, and still does, and how yesterday has a profound influence on today.  So maybe moving out of the shadows and into the sun can give us some hope.  Moving from darkness into light, or walking with God instead of just talking about it.  Until Jesus entered my life I thought I had it all figured out, after all I was 21...don’t we know it all at that age, and then Jesus found me, and showed me how dependent on him I needed to be.  Situations will come and go, he stays.  And has.  From job to job, address to address, bike to bike,and car to car.  Times I felt like Goldilocks, and was searching, only to find in Christ I had found everything I needed already.  Dark days I seek him more, sunny days I enjoy the day he has provided more, but never forget him.  Yes I may slip, but his mercy catches me.  I have learned, and still learning dependence on him, and although situations don’t always go my way, he sticks with me.  Love it is called, no words for it, as infinity cannot be defined using finite words.  Only in Christ, in the spirit will you ever know.  Still wondering or wandering, Jesus is right there, and knows where you are.  The question is do we?  Can we trust like Abraham did and trust God with a Sodom and Gomorrah ride, or do we want to bask in the sunshine of life.  Cream sang “I’ve been waiting so long...to be where I’m going, in the Sunshine of Your Love.”  The day of waiting is over, make the choice today.   What do you do when you get lonely?  Jesus is waiting by your side. 

So I guess I’ll just ride them until they sell.  The only constant in my life is Jesus Christ.  I am satisfied with that.  Where even the shadows of his love are filled with light, no darkness at all.  So today the best advice I can give is just trust God, and enjoy life.  Knowing he cares for me. So guess what I am doing later.....I feel a Bonneville moment coming on.  In the sunshine of his love.

love with compassion,

Mike

matthew25biker.blogspot.com

the four toughest words in the English language

 Probably the best $1.50 a young motor head could spend was on an AMT car model, a tube of glue, and a bottle of Testor’s paint.  The closest many of us would ever get to the real thing, we lived our dreams of SS396’s, Mustangs, Shoebox Fords, 55 Chevies, and other cars of our childhood dreams.  Many a Saturday morning was spent choosing the right model, then the correct color, salvaging a New Jersey rainy day.  We learned all about cars, engines, interiors, assembly by following the directions, learning why they paint the car then assemble it, why the seats go in, then the dash, and that the arrow pointing forward means front, not the rear windshield.  Why you install the motor as directed, then drop the body onto the chassis, and if you follow the rules, without skipping or rearranging the order, you have a rolling model you can be proud of.  You own a 1965 GTO, a Loewy Studebaker coupe, a 1965 Ramchargers Dodge Hemi, or any other car of your dream.  But if you didn’t you became like a mechanic friend of mine, who always had parts left over after fixing something, and it never was quite right after.  The directions were valuable, and when you strayed you paid, not unlike real life today.  So many a lesson was learned on those rainy days, when building your dream car was almost as good as owning one.  Almost.  Do kids still dream like we did then?  The last I looked the 99 cent models we once worshiped are now $19.95, you cannot buy the glue, and paint is locked behind secured doors.  And a real 1965 GTO will set you back $50,000!  And it still rains almost every weekend in Jersey.

Jesus was good at asking questions, but also good at answering them, many times before they were asked if the disciples were paying attention.  They had to marvel at his words then as we do now, and in one afternoon discussion, asked a question that puzzled them.  Not how to form a committee on tithing, no church board election procedures, not how to finance the Christmas program, or even what carpet is in the sanctuary.  They had been part of many conversations, alone and in group with him, but when given the chance together, they asked “how do we pray?”  Interesting, as priests and rabbis intervened for men at the time, they were the buffer between God and man.  It showed they wanted a more personal relationship with him.  So Jesus answered with what we call the Lord’s prayer, but really the disciple’s prayer of how to pray.  An outline, not exact words, and many volumes have been written about it.  But we find four words within it, four words so basic, that if all we pray are those, we will have the answers we need.  Words that go beyond the might and power of God, beyond any knowledge, or understanding we may have.  Experience may help us relate, but it too is ineffective.  These four words are the toughest words in a Christian’s vocabulary, and tell more about us in Christ than we may wish to admit.  Jesus simply told them “pray thy will be done.”  Thy will, God’s will, not yours.  Something to remember when you fail at understanding, you don’t or won’t trust God, and you feel alone because you call him Lord, but don’t do the things he says.  He gives us a will to follow, then gives us direction.  But for many it is “die” rection, as we rather die than obey.  Four words that when spoken from a true heart to God, will change our lives.  Will bring us closer to God, see more of Jesus, and allow us to walk in the spirit.  To open up the door to all of the wisdom found in the scriptures, and proving who God is, and his love for us.  Four words that humble us, and without them may humiliate us. 

“On earth as it is in heaven,” Jesus goes on.  We get it backwards.  God is in heaven, he is what we want, and we want the things of heaven.  I don’t want earthly things in heaven.  I want Godly things, the best.  No man has gone to heaven and returned, nor wanted to, so we must trust the spirit to guide , his will be done.  Do we really want the things of God, or are all our prayers so selfish we would be embarrassed if we heard them repeated back to us?  Are we so full of our desires, that we don’t desire the things of the spirit?  That we continually set ourselves up for mercy by denying him, and seeking our own way?  Maybe if we listened, rather than spoke, we might hear what we need, rather than what we want.  We call him wonderful counselor, do we take his counsel?  Psalms asks “where were you at creation?  Did I ask you where to put the mountains and the seas?”  Does God need our counsel?  If you never get any further than the first four words of Genesis, “in the beginning God (Elohim), you see a picture of an all knowing, all loving God, who created the beginning because he has always been there.  Whose will was done in creation?  His.  And if he can create a world and you to live in it, shouldn’t his word be enough, just because he is God? 

Thy will be done, the toughest four words you will ever pray.  But the door opener to the things of the kingdom, on earth as it is in heaven.  And we all can use a little more heaven, or heavenly things in our lives.  On earth.  Some days start out like they did shopping for a new model, but ended up a mess by not following the directions.  Thinking I could do it without direction, it looked familiar after all.  Which may explain the glue runs, the overspray, the hoods glued shut, or the broken pieces left over from not doing it as directed.  Or decals not where they needed to go.  Thy will be done, the toughest words, but the first words to a new life in Christ, no matter how many years you have been a Christian.  If you had one question to ask Jesus, what would it be?  And would you accept his answer?  And yet we call him Lord, but don’t do the things he asked...maybe that is why mine never looked like the picture on the box.

love with compassion,

Mike

matthew25biker.blogspot.com

buying a new car-1992

Somewhere between the dreams of what we want and what we can afford lay your next car purchase.  The ads get you in, the salesman try to get you to buy, but there is always the matter of price standing between you and driving your new car.  But more than price, for most of us it is the monthly payment, and how we get to that number.  Until the first payment it is like driving the car for free, then the payments begin, and the time spent in our negotiations become reality.  Did we really get the best deal?  Could I have gotten more off on the price?  Could the interest rate been lower?  All things to consider, but when buying our 1992 Ford Ranger I learned that not only price, but where you buy is important.

Our old 1987 Escort was wearing out, bought as the price leader, it had no options and served its purpose as basic transportation.  When sold of course we are told how great they are, and it was, but at trade in time the dealer acts as if he is doing us favor taking it in trade.  Low balling the Ranger, the trade was low too, but the price seemed right, and the payments were affordable, so we bought.  Drove it home, and the nightmare began.  To start with, pun intended, every time it was put in reverse, it stalled.  Amazing how much time we spend going backward.  Which was fixed after numerous trips to the service department, it seems a wire connecting to the ECM was routed wrong, and when placed in reverse was stretched just enough to pull away, they reseat after shifting out of reverse.  And all was well, then the phone call came...

“Bring the truck back, we cannot get you financed.”  And the battle began.  In California on the contract, they can sell you a car hoping to finance you, and if they cannot they get it back, and can charge for wear and tear.  Or offer you a higher interest rate, all of course after you have bragged and shown your new car to everyone.  They got you by the ego, and they had me for a moment.  Then the battle began, which got heated because they had already wholesaled my trade in, and were offering an unusually high interest rate.  Refusing to cave in, our family attorney referred me to a motor vehicle attorney, yes they do exist, and he handled it.  One stern letter, and all was well, at least for me.  But not for the dealer, as it should be.  It seems this dealer had made a habit of doing this, taking trades, wholesaling them then charging a higher interest.  They also were not paying off the new vehicle they had floor planned right away, making it hard to register because there is a lien on it.  My ruthless attorney had copied Ford, and the Attorney General with his letter, and they were about to investigate.  And it got down and dirty...these guys were crooks, plain and simple, and in a carefully thought out and executed plan were making lots of money selling other people’s trade ins for cash, delaying paying off their note on the new car, and then holding customers hostage for a higher interest rate.  Until I complained...

Bottom line is I kept the truck, the interest rate stayed the same, the dealer made the first few payments, and the state put them on notice, with the threat of rescinding their dealership license.  Ford also put them on notice, and the General Manager threatened me, accusing me of trying to get him fired.  “I didn’t break the law, you did,” I told him, and my attorney placed the info in my file.  No further problems, we enjoyed the truck for 165,000 until a tree stopped it one night, but a lesson was learned.  I hope you can learn from it too.

Peyton Manning when asked about retirement said “I will not make any decision on emotion.”  Something I have been telling my sons and myself for years.  Never make a decision on a high or low, never look back and say I wish I had waited.  Works with God too, as many are drawn into churches with promises of prosperity.  Health, wealth, and days of no problems ahead, just sign up with Jesus, and all will be alright.  And some do, and then the car won’t start.  The baby gets sick, you lose your job, or you buy a new car and have trouble with it.  “Wait a minute Lord, this isn’t what I signed up for?  If you love me why do these bad things happen to me?”  And too many walk away, for what should have been an affair of the spirit, was an affair of the heart, or a spur of the moment decision.  Which is why hospitals do not let people evangelize, who doesn’t want to feel better when they are ill?  Who won’t grasp at the last straw when the doctors say there is no hope?  But is God in it?  Years ago I visited a sister in law in the hospital.  She was afraid of death, and being the Christian in the family, I was invited to talk to her.  As she opened up, I shared the gospel, and she was responding.  She wanted what Jesus had to offer, and I was about to ask her to pray a prayer of salvation when God told me “NO!”  Stunned at first, but God, she wants to be saved.  His answer was more telling, “it will only be emotional for here, not spiritual.  She wants the things of God, not Jesus.  Don’t pray with her, she will think she is saved but isn’t.”  So I didn’t, leaving the room knowing I had heard God’s voice, but a bit confused.  I had witnessed, I had shared Jesus, I had testified to his saving power, but God showed me it was by his spirit we are healed, spiritually and physically.  We don’t save, there is no magic prayer of ceremony, it is between him and us, one to one.  Personally.

And I was to see what God meant a few months later when she gave her life to the Lord for real.  In my zealousness if I had not obeyed God she might have thought she was saved, but no Jesus in her life.  A lesson for all of us, only the spirit saves, we don’t and in times of desperation, we turn to God only for a moment, without any change of heart.  But it is where the change begins, the heart, then reflects on the outer man.  Hastily made promises are expected when buying a car, not when dealing with salvation.  Salvation is simple and free, and only available through Jesus Christ.  No letters, no membership, no classes, and no tithing involved.  That is religion.  Jesus cares about us, and loves us as we are.  He just doesn’t want to leave us that way.

So maybe salvation is easier than buying a new car.  No financing, no qualifying, we all have sinned and fallen short of him, and it can be done anywhere.  We sign contracts when purchasing a car, they have a start and finish date.  Jesus makes a covenant with us, a contract with no ending date, for eternity has no end.  Whether buying a car in 1992, 1996, 2001, 2003, or even today, it pays to shop first, ask lots of questions and don’t rush into anything.  Salvation is something to not rush into, but don’t put it off either.  Ask questions, seek God, and let the spirit guide you, whether sharing or on the receiving end.  Today is the day of salvation for many.  But only in Christ, no matter how good the offer sounds.  Don’t make any decisions based on emotion, but seek the spirit while it can be found.  You will know for sure when you do, and the change inside will show on the outside.  The best trade you will ever make, your sin for his glory.  And if you can find a deal for a car like that, buy it.  In God we trust, all others pay cash.  Or finance.  Only in Jesus is the bill paid in full.

love with compassion,

Mike

matthew25biker.blogspot.com

the parable of two Bonnevilles

Any time you are told “nothing personal” you can be sure that an attack is coming that will be.  For the past few weeks I have been blessed to have ridden the first two 2016 Bonneville Street Twins in the US of A.  The recent replacement for Triumph’s best selling Bonneville series, they are what the riding heads say they are-incredible.  I have over 1800 miles of both highway and curvy back roads on them, and outside of Triumph factory testers I may have more experience than anyone.  We were a bit put off by the specs at first, but the bike is more powerful at all RPM ranges, will pull past 110 mph, is smoother, much better brakes, and gas mileage for me is in the mid 50’s.  Compared to the almost 200,000 miles on older Bonnevilles, they are an incredible improvement in every way.  My old T100 would be hard pressed to do 100, the brakes are OK, but plan ahead when you want to stop in a hurry, and no matter how I rode it, only ever got 37 mpg.  But it has an intrinsic value, a character that makes its owners fall  in love with it, and like Harley riders, would never consider anything else.  It isn’t about the specs, but about the ride, and how the bike makes them feel.  I have ridden both new and old Bonnevilles, and both my old ones are now for sale, I want a new Street Twin.  Red or silver.  Or both.

But yesterday I ran into a man who thinks his Bonneville is the only way to go.  The new are blasphemy, and he proceeded to belittle my Street Twin.  He too had read the the specs, and thought he knew it all, but had never seen one, let alone ridden one.  He proceeded to tell me how they were slower, they’re not, the ABS brakes are no good because you cannot turn off the ABS, he really got upset when I asked “why would you want too?” and stormed away, telling me he owned a website about Bonnevilles, and it wasn’t fair Triumph hadn’t given him one to review.  Only proving Triumph is smarter than him, for after seeing his website, he has set back riding a few years. It was bad, as in not good, but on the internet we all can share our opinions, no matter how far they stray from truth.  But the bottom line was he was forming an opinion, taking an attitude abut something he knew nothing about, and may never know.  Both bikes are Bonnevilles, both exude a certain Triumphness about them, but with his narrow mind he will never fully enjoy the new bike.  And at least unless he buys one, will never get to ride one.

So I pray for this man and his opinions, which he makes based on rumor, innuendo, feelings, and ignorance.  The new Bonnevilles will always be what he wants them to be, prejudice and profiling will do that.  But I have ridden the new ones, and I can say “please buy both my old ones, I want a new Street Twin.”  And I never thought I would be saying that...

Maybe you are amazed, or maybe not, at all the people who think they know all about God, can quote the Bible, can ditz on Jesus, but have never read the book, or met the man. I run into them form time to time, and find the more they speak, the less they know.  And can become quite a target for those who do, in love I hope.  It is not unusual to find someone who has taken a scripture, or part of one, misinterpreted it, and used it to substantiate their life or sin.  They can go on about it, and lately I have let them lead themselves into a trap.  After exposing how the Bible says something, usually what it doesn’t, I ask them a simple question.  “It is evident that you know your Bible.  Maybe you can help me, please explain what Jesus meant when he said you must be born again?  Or Romans where it says all man are born into sin and need a savior?”  Suddenly the mood changes, for they have established their own code of life, a religion, and don’t believe what they don’t know to be true.  They are like my friend yesterday who thought he knew it all, but had never ridden one. And we were all like that once before coming to Christ.  So many misperceptions, so many misquoted scriptures, and not knowing the person of Jesus, let alone anything about him.  It takes the spirit to open our eyes, and when he does, the scales of ignorance do fall away, and we see things through him.  And soon begin to see things his way, and we gain knowledge, and grow in Christ.  But without the spirit to reveal the mysteries of Christ, we are like the man who disputes Jesus after never meeting him.  They talk boldly, but their words condemn them, for they deny the only one can save them, they deny his deity.  And choose to argue and drag others down to their fallen level, based on studying the scriptures.  So here is one for them, and you.  And a lesson to go with it.

Peter in the garden was asked by a little teen age girl, three times about Jesus.  She saw him with him, he talked like him, and she wanted to know if he was with him.  Of course we know how he denied Jesus three times, and left, weeping bitterly, yet maybe we need to have a different attitude to those who ask.  He got defensive, he felt threatened,and he might have been, the soldiers were coming to take Jesus away, but what if she wanted to know Jesus, and Peter was the one she chose to ask about him?  Do we act like Peter when someone accuses of being a Christian, running and hiding, or do we welcome questions so we can share our testimony?  Some just want to argue to show how superior they think they are, maybe the little girl was scared, but had heard about Jesus and wanted to be saved?  Do we rush to judgment too often when we could be a bearer of the gospel?  Do we say we love God, but turn against anyone who doesn’t believe like us when we are to love those who are made in his image?  Maybe the parable of two Bonnevilles can help you, for when someone comes at you, maybe they are seeking, maybe they are lost, and maybe God has appointed you to share Jesus with them.  In love.  Have you ever just walked away knowing “at least I won the argument,” when the person is still going to hell?  Is that all Jesus Christ means in your life?

Peter would later repent, and on the day of Pentecost lead 3000 boldly to salvation.  In the spirit he was bold, loving, and told the truth.  But how many of us are afraid when that little girl asks us about Jesus?  Maybe you need to get out of church more often and practice what you are taught.  For we are known by our love, and that is how the world will know we are different.  That our lives have changed, and that Jesus Christ made the difference.

Or maybe you are the one asking and get put off by the lack of love of some saints.  Don’t use the church as an excuse to deny Jesus.  Don’t confuse the two, Jesus saves, we need to be saved.  We are the church, and for better or worse his ambassadors here on earth.  Only by the spirit will we see Jesus, and only by trusting in him will you be able to witness effectively.  In your Christian walk as in riding, there is nothing like experience.  Don’t be like the guy who knew all about the new Bonneville, but had never ridden or seen one, and had already condemned them.  We are condemned, Jesus saves.  He also rides, and has a common disease, he likes all motorcycles.  And loves all people, even the sinner, or he wouldn’t have died for us while we were yet sinners.

So welcome questions, and if you don’t know say so.  But find out and get back to them.  That lost biker just may be a little girl looking for Jesus, she just happens to ride.  Big bikers too.  1%ers, and others who ride Hondas.  Maybe that is why motorcyclists still wave to each other, a brotherhood the church doesn’t get.  Imagine what a simple answer can mean next time you are asked, you may be the gospel they need to hear.  Someone once told you about Jesus, isn’t it time to repay the favor?

Bikers and Christians, many have wrong attitudes about us.  Don’t add to them by becoming what they think we are.  Love conquers all.  If only Peter had changed his answer that night, we all might be saying “thank heaven for little girls.”  Ride one, then decide. Like the kid’s song, “Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so.”  Do you, or are they just words to a song?  Sorry, I can’t hear you....over the sound of the Street Twin.

love with compassion,

Mike

matthew25biker.blogspot.com