many are called, few are riding

If you ride a motorcycle, you’ve seen the face.  You may not know the person behind it, but you know them none the less.  Sitting at a light, the dad looks over at you, wishing he was you, or at least the you riding the motorcycle.  After a few lights his daydreams turn to dreams, and soon he is home....still dreaming.  Maybe at one light it is a couple, and the wife catches him looking, and when the light changes, she yells “go on!” and for a moment he dreams she meant go on, get one.  All hopes fade as she berates those who ride, and what they ride the rest of the way home.  One time it may be a family, with a little boy in the back.  He waves, you nod back, his smile growing.  After a few lights, you’ve become his friend, and then his mother interrupts, “roll up the window and pay attention.”  He rolls up the window, but continues to pay attention, to the motorcycle.  As she texts her friends...paying attention.  And if you know of what I talk, then you know the symptoms, and the people behind the faces.  Better yet, you know of them, for you will never get to meet them, unless the two worlds collide-hopefully not in an accident.

I can remember the ads, “you meet the nicest people on a Honda,” Kawasaki-let the good times roll!”  “Solo Suzuki!”  All of them pointing to a freedom I knew I didn’t have, but wasn’t told about.  And it wasn’t until I started riding, the day I become the guy on the bike, instead of the man or kid in the car, that I began to understand it.  Either you ride or you don’t, no in between to those of us who ride.  Yet there is a whole culture of those who don’t who wish they could, but don’t.  They read all the magazines, know all the facts an figures, they can tell you who won the latest shoot out, and what next year’s models will look like.  They aspire to ride, but aren’t allowed to, or sadder yet won’t let themselves.  A whole untapped group of people, under the false illusion about riding a motorcycle.  Years ago when selling motorcycles, a man would come in once a month on his payday, and sit on a GT750 Suzuki, a Water Buffalo.  He would tell me all about them, and at first I thought he was a prospect to buy one.  But after a few trips that ended with “when Janey says so...” I knew he was a lost cause. And wondered how much trouble he would be in if she knew he stopped by the shop.   This poor guy knew all the terms, the guys in the shop, and I’m sure he did the same at the Honda store, too.  He had a calling to ride, but would never fulfill it.  Sad, because he would never know about a freedom we do.  A freedom that putting on a helmet would also cancel out Janey’s voice to him.  I also remember a 76 year old grandma, a recent widow, who bought an RV, and then I taught her to ride.  She bought an RV110, a big tired dirt bike, Suzuki’s answer to the Trail 90, and then was going travelling to see her kids.  She was excited to surprise them-what a kick her kids would get out of Grandma riding.  I only hoped Janey wasn’t her daughter in law.

In every social group, there are those that aspire to fit in, but are kept out.  It happens in churches to, and to Christians.  We are all at different spiritual levels in our walk with Christ.  Some still drinking the milk that a new believer needs, some the chewable type, and some toothless from many years of eating at God’s table.  But then there are some who don’t know what you are talking about, will nod approval, and then change the subject.  They know the Bible inside and out, they know the Roman’s Road tract, and the Four Spiritual Laws.  They never miss a service, and have occupied the same place in the pew for years.  But they never make it personal, you can tell by their faces.  They are like the man eying your motorcycle, they want to, but are really afraid if they were given the chance to walk in the spirit.  They live a legalistic life, obeying God, rather than trusting Him, and will share Jesus as told, not as inspired.  They live a life never knowing the true freedom in the spirit, of not only knowing the one in scriptures, but the one who wrote them and they are written about.  Some are young, and already entrenched, some caught in middle age, and some seasoned, but still looking.  Wishing they knew what walking in the spirit was all about, but being afraid to trust God and find out.  They keep the Ten Commandments, but live a life of fear.  They maybe have a wife named Janey who keeps them that way, safe and out of harm’s way, but also out of the spirit’s way.  No one ever seeks them out for advice, only they cannot see their blindness.  The spirit of the Lord calls to them daily, yet the hardness of hearing dulls it, or they answer by spending more time in prayer, reading more, memorizing more, or attending more.  More, more, more-but less of God.

Many are called, but few are chosen.  It begins with an invite to know Jesus.  A yes or no answer.  No, you are still being called, He loves you that much.  Yes, He wants more for you.  To abandon all the laws that keep you in bondage, except for the one to love Him first, and your neighbor.  He invites you to meet the Spirit, but here is where many fall short.  They follow a teacher, a pastor, a church, or a denomination.  A substitute for the Holy Spirit, and they look at those walking with God and wonder how.  Why not me?  Why them, are they better?  NO-they just trust, where others don’t.  They never live out their aspirations, their lives based on a set of rules....never feeling the wind in their face.

If you are that man gazing, the little boy waving...stop dreaming and start riding.  Today is a golden age of motorcycles.  Take the MSF course, learn to ride.  Maybe take your kids with you, and your wife.  No communicators on my bike, we don’t need them.  We communicate with signals we don’t even know we have or are using.  In the spirit.  And life can be like that too with Jesus.  Ask him today to guide you, ask “what is your will?”  And then listen, and trust.  Faith turns to obedience, and obedience turns to trust.  And soon the new found freedom only found living in the spirit is your way of life.  Many are called, but few are riding.  Feel the freedom of Jesus I your life today.  Don’t wait until Janey says so.  Trust God, and then follow Him.  Aspire to live a life full in Christ....be one of the few, the humble-the spirit filled.  Be the one at the light who is gazed at, for the light of God is shining in your life.  And if someone offers you a ride to church, say yes.  Few are called and answer yes, I am one, what do you say?  Who are you when the light changes?

love with compassion,

Mike

matthew25biker.blogspot.com

one quick trip accross the reservation will make you a believer

I have had a bad head cold the last two days, preventing me from participating in the human race.  Sneezing, coughing, and generally miserable, I have found refuge in my garage archives, where I keep my old magazines.  Car and motorcycle mags going back to the late 1960’s, over 9000 of them, I have a a supply to keep me going for months if needed.  But yesterday was Road and Track day, from 1969-1975.  An age when I was young, still trying to figure my way through life, and enamored by such names as Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Jaguar.  When according to R&T, there were foreign cars, and other, and I was living in the land that produced the others.  So needless to say, it had a great influence on my car dreaming, and also on my car buying.  So when given the chance, I bought my Dad’s 1969 BMW 1600 from him, only 3 years old, it was in great shape.  I paid $1900 for it, cash from my paper route and summer jobs, exactly what the dealer was going to give him in trade against his new 1972 2002.  I was cool, at least among those who knew foreign cars, but in a world of SS396 Chevelles, Boss Mustangs, Olds 442’s, and AMC Javelins, I was the outsider.  My engine was only 1600cc, or 96 cubic inches-no way I could ever compete against 401, 396, or even 327 small block Chevies.  So at the drag strip, our high school parking lot was just over a 1/4 mile long, with a circle at the start, I was not even in the running.  And each day one of the guys had his turn buying a gallon of bleach, and we did bleach burnouts!  And they eyed me with suspicion-small car, non-American, non muscle.  A BMW, British what?, as no one outside of R&T readers knew what a BMW was, MG’s were the most popular sports car, from England, and VW Beetles the most popular import.  No one drove Toyotas, Datsuns, or anything Japanese, unless it was a motorcycle.  I was a stranger in a strange land, which just happened to be my homeland.  But one afternoon, things were to change....

Few people talked handling in the muscle car era, it was 0-60 and 1/4 mile times that counted, all in a straight line.  But BMW’s handled, and we had just the road to prove it on-Johnson Drive.  A road with 13 bumps in it, that had many scary stories attributed to it, and that emptied out into the Watchung Reservation, parks in the woods for the locals.  After chasing a Corvette across Johnson Drive, and having to slow for him in the corners, we hit the reservation-and I blew past him approaching the first corner.  Scaring him, and myself, as the road was shorter than the distance needed to pass, he braked, I passed, and lost him within a couple of turns, and waited for him at the first round about.  And then did it again, and again, until it was not fun anymore.  And when we stopped and talked, suddenly he was interested in my little engined BMW, that had eaten him alive.  Never again would he take a sucker bet against one-and he warned the others about my car.  Not what he had expected, not what he had wanted, and not what he had hoped for, he now was a believer.  Although true there is no substitute for cubic inches, handling in the curves can overcome speed in the straights, if you have enough turns to help you.

A few memories resurrected by the hours spent in the garage in the magazines.  Reminding me of a day when cars were affordable, sort of, and no one knew of or was impressed by a BMW.  Boy have things changed, as today BMW is luxury, and muscle cars from that era bring 6 figures, the price of your memories being the ceiling of your credit limit.  And I find it funny, not ha ha, but weird how some remember those days, especially after reading about them when they were new.  The good old days were once young, like we all were, only time has faded the memories, or custom tuned them to protect our pride, sometimes at the price of our integrity.  The word remember is found 148 times in the King James Bible, maybe an indicator of how we look back, but need to be reminded of what we are looking back at.  It seems that through out time, we forget, or alter our stories, always to make ourselves look better.  But God loves us anyway, and He knows the real story, which is often times less believable than the truth.  And so it was some 40-50 years after Jesus was crucified, that many had forgotten Him, but the few that did had a hard time sharing.  And of course doubting, but God has integrity, and although we change-our minds, morals, and ideas, He never does.  He is no fool, and although we have many versions of the Bible today, with the exception of a few , Message and the Jehovah Witness Bible, and the Mormon version, they are accurate to God’s word.  He isn’t stupid, and we find those who rewrite His word for their own advantage, blaspheme God and condemn themselves.  When first written and read, many were still alive from the time it happened, and would have been able to dispute it, but didn’t. The Torah, or books of the law were only a few thousand years old at the time, and were honored, read, and memorized.  No printing presses, or Internet to file them, so God wrote them on the hearts of men, and still does today.  And why after many years, so many seasoned believers can recite certain verses that are precious.  And can carry on conversations quoting the Bible with others.  He has written them on the hearts of believers so we can always have them with us, ready to do battle when needed, or correct when misquoted.  Like the old R&T’s I read, they reflect how it was, not how it is interpreted today. 

Today a 396 cubic inch engine seems overkill, but in 1969 it was midsized.  Filling up your car for $2.00 was not a bargain then, but a dream now.  My $1900 BMW is worth 10 times that today, so taken in perspective, things have changed.  But not Jesus.  Or His words.  They remain the same, so we don’t have to relate them to something else.  Just to Him.  Where we find the truth has stood the test of time, and editors, and He still saves today, as He did 2000 years ago.  And sadly where some still try to change His words, His message, and try to manipulate the souls of men for their own benefit.  Maybe some things don’t change with time.

So before you get suckered into a curve by some unknown, know what you are driving.  Know in who you believe, and follow Him, not some new trend.  Don’t believe it just because you have never seen it.  Some lives are built for a straight line existence, others thrive in the curves.  Know your enemy, but know Jesus first.  Keep Him between you and danger, and you won’t get suckered.  Fall back on who you know when a new philosophy comes along.  Test the spirit as we are told in 1John, and anyone who denies the deity of Jesus is lying-and many do, avoid them.

The BMW of 1969 in no way compares with the ones of 2014.  Nor does the Chevy or the Ford.  Times change, laws change, and gas gets more expensive.  Our memories fail, and legend becomes truth at the expense of integrity.  Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever-a model you don’t need to change every year.  Lee Iacocca used to tell us “if you can find a better car, buy it,” I have found the best in Jesus.  What’s in your garage may tell us what is in your heart.  More than old magazines, old memories, and entertainment for a sick day, all things point to Christ-see you in the curves-there is a long straightaway ahead-enjoy the ride.  It is not always the size of the engine, but the size of the heart that drives it.  Lessons learned one afternoon in the reservation will make you a believer. 

love with compassion,

Mike

mattehw25biker.blogspot.com

out like a lamb, in like a lion

March Madness is the only time each year I watch basketball.  I tire of the entertainment value that has taken over sports on both a professional and collegiate level, but make an exception each March.  I know nothing of the teams, but watch as the underdogs battle the favorites, in many cases this year winning.  A true David and Goliath battle, with tears and hugs on both the winners and losers fans.  And from the Sweet Sixteen, when I was 16 she was a girl, to eh Elite 8, the Final Four, and ultimately the finals, I watch.  With magazine in hand, as reading still is more entertaining to the end.  And with local fever hitting a high note, SDSU made the Sweet 16, tomorrow we will either sing their praises, or listen to the excuses of how they lost.  And baseball starts Sunday...which means springtime is officially here, no matter what the calendar says.  And as one season ends, another begins, with each team in first place on opening day, all hopeful, only to change after the first games are over.

When we were in elementary school in the last century, we were taught that April showers bring May flowers.  And if it’s raining, have no regrets, because it is really raining violets, to paraphrase the tune.  But then there was March.  We were told that March comes in like a lion, and leaves like a lamb.  That March enters in winter, and leaves in spring, and that spring is the time of new birth.  Of a time when a young man’s heart turns to fancy, and many of our hearts turn to riding, after being cooped up all winter.  The bikes come out of hibernation, we find the leathers are a bit tighter than when we parked them last fall, and all the trips to the bike shop keeping hopes alive for spring are now being rewarded, with only the promise of newer and faster models making our old familiar ride seem old.  But after one ride, no matter the cold, all is forgiven, and we spring forward to daylight savings time, and we can ride later into the afternoon, even though we take off in early morning darkness.  But soon the lion of winter has given way to the springtime, and March Madness has given over to springtime riding, and all is forgotten.  If only we were that forgiving.

Springtime also brings Easter, the time when the Christian Church recognizes the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Three days after Good Friday, we celebrate with bright Easter colors, and the season that came in like a lion, goes out like a lamb.  Oh, how times change.  For when we get to the heart of Easter, we find that Jesus was sacrificed as the Lamb, the Lamb of God, the only perfect sacrifice for our sins.  Without blemish, sin, or fault, He went to the cross for us.  And for that we celebrate Easter, the mainline church and society overlooking Good Friday.  We call it good, but for Jesus it was terror.  Six hours of hanging, nailed to the cross, after a beating of 39 lashes.  Humiliated, beaten, they even drew lots for His clothes, and mocked Him, “if you are truly the Son Of God, come down and save yourself.”  Instead, He chose to save us.  He went out like a lamb, the lamb He was, allowing doubters to cast Him off as just a religious zealot, and not who He said He was. 

Sadly many choose to only remember Easter, and forget His words before Good Friday.  That after three days He would rise, and that you cannot have an Easter without a God Friday.  And so He did, and so shall we, and those who are still alive wait anxiously for His return.  The time when He will call for His church, and we shall be taken from here in the twinkling of an eye.  And so we find that Jesus is just the opposite of March, He went out like a lamb, and will return like a lion.  He will defeat the devil once and for all, and after the rapture, the worst 7 years ever on earth will take place.  Then this gentle lamb, will bind Satan, and for 1000 years, peace on earth, and the lion and the lamb will once again be at peace.  And then the final battle, Satan gone forever, and we will all worship the Lamb of God.  Both those who believed and trusted them with their lives, and those who didn’t, who will be in hell, for it is written that “every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess, that Jesus Christ is Lord.”  And like the outcome of March Madness, there will be any tears in defeat, but many cheers in victory.  Today you can choose whether you will win or lose.  The outcome is told, and o Vegas odds makers can change it.  We win if we are in Jesus.  The ne who went out like a lamb, and comes back like a lion, will have rescued us from our sin. 

And so when faced with Sweet 16, we find Jesus chose 12, men of no reputation, to be His ambassadors.  The Final four will turn to the Finals, we have had all along the Trinity-Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  And in the finals, it is Jesus by a landslide.  Even by the numbers we win, but when in the spirit, we cannot lose. 

We are told the season of His return, what to look out for, the signs are there.  NO date given, so don’t fall for that one.  You can relieve your March Madness, or any madness today by turning to Christ.  Be on the winning team, celebrate with Jesus forever.  Enjoy the season of His return, and answer His call.  NO overtime for those who choose not to follow Him, He is still patient, but time is getting short.  Don’t be the last one saved at the buzzer, enjoy the victory today.  Celebrate Good Friday, look to the cross.  See where the lamb went out voluntarily, and see the Easter celebration when He rose from the dead.  Seasons come, and seasons go-Jesus left and is returning.  Some call it madness, I call it truth.  Out like a lamb, in like lion.  So when you see clouds upon the hill, soon you will see daffodils.  Whenever April showers come your way. 

love with compassion,

Mike

matthew25biker.blogspot.com

the ballad of Tommie Eddie or when the music's over, turn out the lights, and let the show begin

You may not know it, but you owe a lot to a man named Tommie Eddie.  From New Jersey of all places, he even has a town named after him.  Now don’t go looking for Tommie or Eddie, that’s not it.  And it is not the town I remember growing up by either.  Somewhere in the last century it was changed from Menlo Park to honor him.  Once known as The Wizard, the Wizard of Menlo Park, Tommie Eddie never saw a NASCAR race.  He was no redneck, and eventually became one of the richest men on the planet.  If not all of New Jersey.  If you haven’t guessed by now, we know him by the name of Thomas Alva Edison, I like to call him Tommie Eddie.  The man responsible for putting sound on a film, electrically, the first recording device.  He invented the light bulb as we know it, and was hated by John D. Rockefeller because of it, he felt threatened by Tommie Eddie and the fact it made kerosene lamps obsolete.  But what few remember is that old TE built the first movie studio, the Black Maria, where he filmed the first movie, on the invention he invented, the movies.  Flip on a light, thank old Tommie.  Go to the latest 3D, he is the great grandfather of film.  Listen to the radio or a CD, without him inventing how to reproduce sound on tape, originally foil, you might have to sit and read by a kerosene lamp.  You would miss the Oscars, for no movies would be available, blame Hollywood on him.  And when listening to music on your stereo, that is his fault too, he just never saw Rap music coming I guess.  But this man from Menlo Park, now called Edison, New Jersey, changed all humanity for years to come, all within a short period of time.  Going deaf, maybe too much volume on the old Victrola, he was asked about his failures.  His answer was, “I never failed, but I did find a thousand ways that didn’t work.”  Laying claim to inventing the burnt out light bulb, something we fail to give him credit for.  I like that...a man who never gave up, despite having to live in Jersey, being a wizard, and having his name on the maps today.  Welcome to Edison, New Jersey....we’re off to see the wizard!

We call it the Industrial Revolution, a time in our history where legends were made, and fortunes obtained.  From banking to steel to cars to lights and movies, over 100 years ago these inventions were new to the world.  We went to bed early, got up early, and read by kerosene lamp.  We never traveled far from home, as the horse and buggy took a long time, if you could find the road, and if it was passable.  Rich folk road the rails, but most of America lived on farms, or big cities, no suburbs yet. No Levittowns, no Saturday barbeques, no bikes left in the driveways.  No car pools, no Social Security at age 65, you worked until you died, and many didn’t make it to 57, the average age when Social Security was passed into law.  Consider that fact the next time complain about nothing to do, no where to go , or nothing on TV.  We’ve come a long way baby...and Tommie Eddie was one of those who led us out of darkness into light, out of the cities into the suburbs, and brought us the Academy Awards.  How many stars of today thank him when getting their Oscar?  How many even know who he was?  Yet this man whose name I call him by sounds like a NASCAR hero, remember him at the next night race.  Yeah, he is an influence there too.

But another man, not an inventor, is even more famous, more renowned, and his name used every day.  No towns named after him, no inventions bear his name, and in all the time he spent on the road, I never heard of him travelling to Jersey.  But He is the major influence in the world today-Jesus Christ.  A man that came to separate the sheep from the goats-the saved from the unsaved.  Whose name is held in high esteem, and also used to curse.  A man who did more things with less, but having everything at His disposal.  Who in three short years of ministry, made more of an impact in the world than anyone else has, or ever will.  Before the light bulb He was light, leading us in the way to go.  Before recorded music, He was making music in heaven, and before movies, people stood inline to see Him.  A man like Tommie Eddie, who never failed, but instead showed us thousands of ways to be successful.  Who took the blame for our sin, and still does today...willingly, if only you give Him the chance.  No wizard, but able to do things that no others could.  A man who rose from the dead, the first resurrection...too bad Tommie Eddie hadn’t been born yet, that would have been a sight to see on CNN, imagine the report on that one.  Or the polls taken on where is the body?  And the movies made about it....and yet never being there so many report on Him still today.  Thanks to His word, we have the written evidence, and thanks to the Holy Spirit, He still makes personal appearances today.  With the show not over yet, one big encore to come, the invitations sent, but few RSVP’s received.  Excuses made, lies contrived, and time not left for Him.  And still He is willing to forgive you for your thousands of failures, your thousands of ways that didn’t work.  For He is the way, the truth , and the light.  He will accept the blame for your failures.  Sorry Tommie Eddie, you may have brought us the bulb, that burns out, but He brings us eternal life.  That never will.

So when you turn on the lights tonight, stop and thank Jesus.  Between songs, thank Him.  At the cinema, thank Him, for His coming attractions are way more interesting and exciting than any special effects.  Better yet, let’s stop and thank Him now.  Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, just like He taught His disciples.  Remember His love as He hung from the cross, and remember His promise to resurrect you, if you believe, just like He rose from death Himself.  Old Tommie Eddie made quite an impact on our daily lives, what has Jesus made on yours? 

By the way Tommie Eddie went deaf, no way for the creation to pay back the creator.  Jesus is listening, worship Him now.  That’s the best way for His creation to honor the creator.  In the beginning God said let there be light.  It took almost 6000 yeas after God created it for Tommie Eddie to duplicate it.  You don’t have that long.....don’t waste your time on the creation, when you can spend it with the creator.

love with compassion,

Mike

matthw25biker.blogspot.com

standing and running

When our sons were growing up, we had fun outside birthday parties.  And included in them would be an obstacle course.  We had a big backyard, so we would lay out things they had to climb, run under, roll, and avoid.  And whoever completed the course the fastest won.  And the competition would be fun, and no one wanted to lose, the worst insult was being the slowest.  And all could compete, as the smallest could get through the obstacles faster, but the bigger kids could jump higher.  Making it fun for all, and it was all done in fun, and each year we had to come up with more inventive ways and new obstacles for them.  Perhaps the only time in life that an obstacle would be fun, later to find out life wasn’t the game they played that afternoon.

But kid’s games were a part of growing up.  Three legged sack races, carrying a spoon of water to fill a glass, and the egg toss-I was never good at this one, were all part of growing up as kids.  But one I never liked, was hucklebucklebeanstalk, where the teachers pet would hide an object, then the rest of the class would have to find it.  With the obligatory coaching of “you’re cold,” when you were far away, or “you’re hot,” when you were close to finding it.  Never being told it you were freezing cold, or red hot.  And then when someone spotted it, never me in all my school years, they walked to their seat, trying to decoy where they had seen it, and sitting down yelled “hucklebucklebeanstalk.”  And then it was back to school work, which after this stupid game was almost welcome.  Not sure who named this foolish game, but to this day I still have never been able to explain or exclaim “hucklebucklebeanstalk!”  Another game we played as kids was Giant Step, where you were given a command of giant step or baby step, then you responded “may I?” and you were given a yes or no, and how many steps to take.  A rigged game, as the one giving the commands could say whatever he wanted, only under threat of personal harm or being banned from kickball that night kept them honest, quasi-honest at best.  But we played on, inventing variations including Marco Polo, Red Rover, and Bill Cosby’s favorite, Buck Buck or Johnny on a Pony.  Fun games for kids, and was we got older, they became more aggressive, ending in Gorilla, where one boy stood in the middle of the yard, while the others ran at him, trying not to be tackled.  And as they were, they became the tacklers, until only one kid was left to run, and got creamed pretty good.  Learning early that it is all fun and games until someone loses an eye.

Philippians tells us that life is like a race.  That we are to run it to win, just like we did as kids.  But then Paul goes on to state that we should stand firm, confusing those who think they have this God thing figured out.  Much like running in place, or not like running in place, the life of a Christian is about growing in Christ, and as Jesus becomes more personal in our lives, we understand better what Paul means.  We are told that no one races to lose, and that like in racing, to finish first, we must first finish.  And life is that race, an endurance, not a sprint.  A marathon, that we daily compete in, and winning one day does not exempt us from the next.  The ISDT, International Six Day Trials, a motorcycle competition shows us that even if we do well one day, we still have to face tomorrow, and if we finished last today, we still have a chance to be a winner tomorrow.  Only at the end when the scores are totaled up do we see the outcome.  And this is what Paul is trying to tell us.  Stand firm in the faith, with Jesus Christ.  No matter the speed, run with Him, and stay the course.  Some times you will go less slow, some times rest, and some times sprint, each leg of the race requiring a different pace.  Standing and running, both at the same time-only in God is that possible.  And when running, we are not to run from, but run to Jesus, and into His loving arms, to lean on Him, to let Him bear our burdens.  Standing on the rock that is higher than I. 

I love to ride the cable cars in San Francisco, standing while waiting for them to approach and slow down, then running and jumping on.  And at first called them trolleys, until one local explained how they work, they are cable cars.  For underneath they have cable running over large pulleys, and it is the operator’s job to attach to the cable, allowing them to be pulled.  Both up and down the hills, taking skill timing, and some experience to master the craft.  We are like the operator, Jesus is the cable.  We need to latch onto Him, and allow Him to guide us, clinging to Him when life takes us up or down.  Resting in the in between times, but never letting go, never running on our own.  Always keeping in contact with Him, and always letting Him guide.  The cable or Jesus remaining a constant, just as Jesus is a constant in life, our choice whether to join in and when or not. 

Are you standing or running today?  Have you run to Him and found Him to be all you need, and are you standing firm on His word?  Or are you still looking for that hidden prize in life, still waiting to yell hucklebucklebeanstalk, hoping to win against others?  Have you won the race today, but still not sure what tomorrow brings?  Is your life an obstacle course, and you are just waiting to take a giant step to life?  Life is not a game, although it can be played as one.  And it is one that should be played to win, no second prizes in heaven.  No honorable mentions will get you in, you need to win the war against sin, and Jesus is the way.  You may not win every battle, and winning more than losing doesn’t guarantee heaven.  It is who you call on, who you let rescue you that makes a difference.  Standing firm with Jesus, and running to the prize, heaven.  Only He knows the course laid out ahead, and because He is the great shepherd can He protect you.  Join the team today, can you hear Him crying “Red Rover, Red Rover, send you over?”  Or are you still playing Gorilla, about to be the last kid running about to be tackled by the gang?  Life is full of obstacles, only Jesus is the way.  Run to Him now, let nothing stand in your way.  “Hucklebucklebeanstalk! I found Him!”  A game in which we can all be winners.  Take that giant step today. 

love with compassion,

Mike

matthew25biker.blogspot.com

exercising your tires

More than at any time in history, we have the healthiest people on the planet dying.  Just for sake of argument, say you will live to 75, a fair average for many.  You sleep 8 hours per day all your life, you will be asleep for about one third of your life, or 25 years.  Say you are into working out, 5 hours per week starting at age 21, you just spent another six years a the gym, staying healthy.  And still facing death.  And looking back, I don’t want to have spent six years of my  life sweating, grunting, toiling, and going home tired, just to improve my life.  And when young, do you look forward to the days ahead of exercise, or of retirement?  Can’t wait until I’m 70, and retired, then I can go work out more.  Is that what you worked you r whole life for?  Not me, I believe in being in shape, or more accurately healthy, but I am tired of exercising.  For me I rather be exercising the tires on a motorcycle, and look back with the same fondness I look ahead with, riding until I die. I rather take inches off my tires, and add inches to my memory book of going places, seeing things, and making memories.  A sweaty gym is a poor substitute for a full tank of gas, a twisty road, and the time to do it.  So if I am going to exercise anything , it will be my tires. And my wrist...

Now I am not anti-healthy, but watch in wonder, and sometimes horror as people devote their bodies to their physique.  And just another commercial of a Nordic Track, or some other exercise equipment that promises you great shape with ease will make me sick.  How many homes have you gone into and seen the stuff filling a room, gathering dust, while its owner is waiting for the next machine workout that promises the same thing, and delivers the same thing, as your is emptied.  Compare the mile son your stair climber to the miles on my Tiger.  48 states, memories, beautiful sunsets, and unforgettable meals. What do you have, watching CNN while treading on a treadmill, isn’t life enough of a treadmill already?  I have been in the wind, smelling the fragrances of orange blossoms, of wheat fields, or of the ocean mist.  You have the smell of...yourself.  And others.  While you are building endurance, so am I.  Can you ride 500 miles per day for a month, that takes endurance?  Can you wear all the tire on your exercise bike, I can on any of my bikes.  And how many postcards have you ever sent, or received, saying “having a great time, wish you were here!” from someone at the gym?  Given two weeks off per year, where do you want to spend it, is your idea of cross training crossing as many state lines as you can like mine?  Or time zones?  How many workouts have you had that are unforgettable, and how many of them do you proudly show on your Facebook page? 

So for me, staying in shape is riding as  much as I can.  A daily regimen of miles, smiles, and looking back at roads I look forward to again.  Of seeing how fast I can enter a curve, and how fast I can exit it.  At eating breakfast in San Diego, and diner in Flagstaff.  And lunch the next day in Albuquerque...green chilies instead of powdered paste.  Exercising my mind, as well as my body, and spending time with God, no phones, timers, or personal trainer telling me how I need to increase.  If it’s early, I ride on.  If I want to stop and visit, I do.  With the recipe of repeat the next day the only requirement of tomorrow, and sleeping well, looking forward to more miles, not more reps.   Building endurance that will endure for years in my memories, and stories for both old and young.  Meeting older riders, with stories and of roads yet to travel, how many seasoned citizens do the youth work out with?  No age group criteria when riding, we ride our own ride.  And respect others for theirs.  And you wonder why I rather ride than go to a gym?  Where else can you get a workout like I do, exercising your tires? 

So based on the equation, you have spent 31 of your 75 years already.  Now figure working for 40 years, 50 weeks per year, and add another 38 years of life spent, leaving you 6 years of life left, if you are average.  So what do you do with those six years is important.  But what if you only lived to be 33 like Jesus did?  And what if you were only in ministry for 3 years like Him?  How do you plan on spending your 6 years, can you make them as important and valuable as Jesus did with His 3?  Too many times I listen to people boast of what they are going to do when they retire, and many times find it is things you could be doing now.  Start riding, start living, start being a Christian now.  Why wait for the blessings of God when you can have them now?  Exercise your freedom in the spirit, and you can even do it at the gym, or while riding.  I find Jesus spent most of His time on the road, an example I like to follow.  He ate with new friends, went places no others would go, and had them follow.  He slept every night with the promise of a new tomorrow, another day to show the love of God, another day for salvation for someone.  He made the most of everyday, never missing a chance to spread His love to a lost and dying world.  And we are all dying, Second Law of Thermodynamics proves it, how do you wish to spend your last days, I know how I want to spend mine.  Tomorrow is promised to no man, so start living today, and follow Jesus.  Start exercising the freedom you have that you have never used, and watch as when you get into spiritual shape, your mind will follow.  You will enjoy health you never knew you had, and when tough times come, you can spend it with Jesus, who is the ultimate trainer.  He was physically tough, can you carry a 200 pound cross to your death, after being beaten with 39 lashes?  And hang there for 6 hours nailed to it?  A physical side to Jesus we tend to forget.  but needs to be remembered.  So when He asks you “to pick up your cross and follow Him,” what kind of shape are you in? 

The healthiest people are still dying, are you dying to go to heaven?  Exercise the freedom you have in Jesus.  Some may enjoy the sweat and toil of a good workout, while those of us who ride rather enjoy a good day of riding.  Either way get a spiritual exercise with Jesus, getting in shape for heaven.  Use those 6 years you have to your advantage by following Him.  Long after the sweat has evaporated, the odor of life still remains.  I rather smell of racing castor and miles of sun than hours of seat and the gym.  Wherever you spend your time, Jesus is there.  And realize you will never have a better workout partner, or riding partner.  And you can go where He leads if you follow.  It is your choice for the memories you make, make them with the future I mind.  Where you will spend the future is your choice.   For me and mine we will exercise our tires with Jesus.  Never heard of a workout gym in heaven, but it does speak of roads paved with gold....wonder what that could mean?

love with compassion,

Mike

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