“The best advice I can give you is never hit a horse on your motorcycle,”my
friend Ted once told me. Out of nowhere, a horse had walked into his path, and
he hit it. As he went down, the horse stood there for a few seconds before
falling over dead. Ted broke his collarbone, and bent up his Virago pretty bad,
but lived to give this great advice. That is why we call them accidents because
they are not preplanned or expected. One night BH and I were riding out late in
the Pennsylvania countryside. A moonless night, the only light was from the
stars above and our headlights. The only sound was the music my Dunstall pipes
were singing from my R90S, and all was well with the the world. When suddenly I
came to a stop, so fast I ended up on the tank. And in front of me was a
freight train, so close I could almost touch it, a train I had not heard, nor
seen, yet in my BC days later I found out God was protecting me. But that
night I had no warning, for in these pre-OSHA days there were no reflective
signs warning of a railroad crossing every 200 feet, nor crossing barriers.
This was way out in the fields, and the only sign was an old wooden sign, in
black and white you’ve seen them, stating “RAILROAD CROSSING” in an X shape.
And underneath a smaller sign telling us to “STOP LOOK and LISTEN!” Were it not
for the grace of God that night I never would have the chance to look back, but
I learned an important lesson that night, a lesson all bikers know, you scan
while riding, and we are always looking for an escape route. If it works while
riding, imagine what it can do for those who don’t?
It has been recorded that people get hit by trains because they don’t hear
them. What corpses testify to that I don’t know, I’m just glad I wasn’t
qualified to answer. But we are living in a world where we are preoccupied by
life, and not looking out as we should. How many times have motorcyclists been
hit by cars who claim “I never saw him,” which means I wasn’t paying attention.
Driving under the influence of children, cell phones, or make up application is
just as deadly as drugs or alcohol. But yet the three simple words on the old
railroad crossing signs, when taken work. Not only on the road, but on the road
with God in daily life. But only work when applied...so let’s apply them.
STOP! When Paul wrote to the Corinthian church, they were much like us
today. Into themselves, and even though they had given their lives to Jesus,
many still lived a life of sin. So Paul wrote them to STOP! Stop the way you
are living, you will not lose your salvation, but you are missing the
blessings. And even sadder your witness to others does not represent Christ,
and how many are fooled to thinking just because you say you are saved, yet act
like a sinner, that they are too? He doesn’t tell us STOP or die, he just says
STOP! Good advice also when facing a moving train. LOOK! As any biker knows,
where you are looking, wherever your eyes go, your bike will follow. I have
seen seasoned riders almost go into ditches looking where they shouldn’t, and
going there. Sadly in the church today many are consumed with the date of
Christ’s return, and who will be the anti-Christ. Their eyes do not follow God,
for Galatians tells us to “set our sights on things on high,” and if you are
looking for the anti-Christ, you may be left behind and find him. Ride like
hell you’ll get there, look for hell you’ll find it. I prefer the heavenlies,
and a loving God who saved me from an early death by train while I was still a
sinner. Grace works even when we aren’t looking for it, and even when not
saved. If not for grace, how many of us would have made it to salvation?
LISTEN! We love to talk, but we don’t listen. We recognize our own voice
before we do the voice of God. How many times has the middle of your sentence
been interrupted by the beginning of someone else’s? We don’t listen, sometimes
because we don’t hear. But sadly when we do hear, we tend to argue and get our
own way. Jesus didn’t tell us “He who has a mouth let him speak,” but rather
“he who has an ear let him hear.” Consider how much of your prayer time is
spent talking, when you should be listening. Even if it is just for an answer
from God, we don’t. So try this tonight before your now I lay me down to sleep
time. Just lay there and listen for God. Let the Holy Spirit start the
conversation. It may save you a lot of wasted words, and take you places and to
a greater depth in the Lord than you have ever been. I do it sometimes, and it
is amazing, so why don’t I do it more often? Listening is the most important
part of prayer, for it is not prayer that changes things, it is God’s answer.
And if you don’t hear it, you miss out. Life isn’t like giant steps and you
take two back when you don’t listen, it can be dangerous. It is like asking
directions and then going your own way anyway. Still lost, whose fault is that,
you were given direction. Again whose fault is that? Not the one telling, but
the one who refuses to listen. Hear that knocking, it may not be your motor low
on oil, but Jesus trying to get your attention. He does it gracefully, I hope
it never takes hitting a train to get your attention.
Three little words that can change your life. From a trinity of three,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Three the number of perfection, so while looking
out for number ne, make sure you don’t step in number 2. The warnings are
there, and Jesus is coming soon. Fortunately God is patient so that none shall
perish. He was patient that night while riding, and today he is just as patient
that you come to him. And he wishes you to follow him. Only he knows what lies
around the next curve, or the path of the next freight train. He knows who
anti-Christ is, and when he will be revealed. He sent Jesus to save us in
person, because we ignored the warnings. He sent his spirit to guide us, to
protect us, and to live within us-but only if we obey and trust do we get the
full benefits. Give both God and you a break today, STOP! LOOK! and LISTEN! for
him, the do the same to him. Our hearing is the last to go, he gives us one
last chance before death. Why wait, when you can be riding and living in him.
Your redemption draws near, and heaven is one day closer than it was yesterday.
We can see behind, only in Christ can we be assured of what lies ahead. You
don’t have to hit a horse or train to know it hurts, if only we listen to God we
may never find out. “Excuse me Jesus, you were saying...”
love with compassion,
Mike
matthew25biker.blogspot.com