Having spent a night in jail in Gallup, New Mexico, I am no authority on
jails or doing time, but I can tell you I never want to do it again. My crime
of 135 in a posted 55 zone on I-40 may not have made the headlines, but in my
life it did. And although I deal with prisoners, note I have a prisoners
ministry not a prison ministry, I deal with people, I am no authority on it or
them. They are all individuals with their own story to tell, I cannot imagine
how they feel. Maybe the same with rock stars, I like good music, and have been
to many a concert, maybe eaten at the same restaurant. Like the time we walked
in a small hole in the wall in New Orleans, and the talk was of Paul McCartney
and Wings being in town. When we mentioned it to the man taking our order, he
commented “you just missed them, they just left.” The man who looked like Sir
Paul in the back of the limo parked out front that we passed by was in fact Sir
Paul and his band. Missed by that much meeting him. But they did wave to us as
we passed, and we waved back, does that mean I met them? We once slept in the
same bed, 140 years after General Ulysses S. Grant did, when he put the siege on
Vicksburg, Mississippi. Does that make me a Civil War historian? And how about
seeing the infamous Duel truck at a truck show, and even touching it! Does that
make me a target, or the pursuer? Or an authority on old Peterbilits?
A friend once put 150,000 miles on his Harley, all commuting miles, where I
have almost a million riding in 48 states? Who better to tell of the ride on
the open road? Yet he can brag on high miles, just not going anywhere but to
work. You decide who knows better. While one man brags how he survived open
heart surgery, he had stints replaced, which is not open heart surgery, but
still very delicate, I have the scar and the plastic aorta, backed up by
paperwork to prove mine. Who would know what open heart surgery is really
like? I have fathered two sons, yet never gave birth myself, do I know what
labor pains really feel like? I once made the game winning shot in a key
rivalry, but do I know how Reggie felt when hitting three homeruns one night in
the World Series?
I owned a BMW 1600, run that one by Yuppies and see if they ever heard of
it. Back when BMW raised the question of British what?, today it means
something else, at least to me. And to those who drove them for fun, instead of
prestige. So maybe our perceptions of life can be a bit skewed, we want to
relate, and draw upon our experience to relate on the subject at hand. Normal,
close, but not close enough. For unless we are the one in the situation, we
don’t know. We say or think we do, but we don’t, can’t, and many won’t know.
There is nothing like being there. For instance, we were on stage with Alice
Cooper one night, some girls got us back stage passes, and we were stage left
next to Alice during his “Welcome to my Nightmare” tour. We exchanged glances,
a wave or two, a smile or two. But did I know him? Does he remember me?
Hmmmm? Maybe you are starting to get the point....we don’t get it! But we
think we do, I think.
Many walk around with Bible knowledge far superior to mine. You are a
majority. And I am glad you are there to be called on when needed. But a
relationship with Jesus goes much deeper than knowledge, it is that personal.
The following is an excerpt from Ray Stedman, see how you identify with Christ.
Might change your outlook, and who he really is.
It is well for us to remember frequently the
sufferings of Jesus, the sheer physical agony that he went through. Think of the
Last Supper when he said his soul was
exceeding sorrowful unto death(Mark 14:34 KJV); the shadows of Gethsemane among the olive trees; his loneliness, his prayers, his disappointment with his disciples; his bloody sweat, the traitor's kiss, the binding, the blow in the face; the spitting, the scourging, the buffeting, the mocking, the crown of thorns, the smiting; the sorrowful way and the burdensome cross he had to bear. Think of his exhaustion, his collapse, the stripping of his garments, the impaling on the cross, the jeers of his foes and the flight of his friends; the hours on the cross, the darkness, his being forsaken of God, the terrible cry of anguish,
My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?(Matthew 27:46, Mark 15:34 KJV). And then the end at last,
It is finished(John 19:30). This is all seen in anticipation by the prophet and was all fulfilled in Jesus.
Consider those words the next time you pray. The next time you
have a rough day, the next time you think you have been picked on, passed over,
and no one seems to understand. Jesus does. He has been there, and is there
today for us. We tend to think of a resurrected Christ, an Easter Sunday hero,
but neglect what he went through to get there. Good Friday was horrible for
him, but great of us. How many of us can relate better to Easter than to Good
Friday? Or have we seen the suffering servant first hand in our own lives, and
has that brought us closer to him? When we share our testimonies about him,
what part does he play? Stop and think, does this description mean much in your
relationship with him? If not, why not? Is he just another way to get what you
want? A Sunday event you sleep through, a religious experience, or knowledge
you read about, but haven’t experienced? Who is Jesus to you?
We say
a prayer and are saved. Jesus went to the cross so we could be. We get
exasperated waiting for an answer to prayer, he endured the pain and suffering
so we can. He was there, we only read about it. But he is here now, he left
his spirit to guide us, how many pray in the spirit, call on the holy spirit, or
even know there is one? That it wasn’t some preacher that led you to Christ,
but the holy spirit telling you “you need Jesus.” And that only Jesus saves?
Would you go through all the sufferings he did to get to know him? Yet many
suffer needlessly, and never know him. Just about him.
You see
I was on stage with Alice Cooper. I saw him, did he see me? That is the
question. But one good deed, brought us into contact with him and his band. We
had befriended a little 10 year old boy, Billy, who said his dad was the
drummer. When leaving, we were passed by a long, black limo, and the window
rolled down. It was Billy, the car stopped and he waved us in. His father was
thankful for our kindness to his son, and offered a ride. All because we
recognized the son, of a loving father. Can you say the same about knowing
Jesus? And how a loving father wants to bless you for knowing him? No good
deed goes unnoticed by God, nor do our selfish ones. In the tough times we get
closer to God, we need Jesus more. If only we knew what tough times lay ahead,
we might pray different, act different, or even react different. Only in
Christ, guided by his spirit will we know. And the more time we spend with him,
the closer we get, and the more our relationship grows. Maybe it is about time
to know the person rather than just the one in the Bible. The best and only one
to relate to in times of trouble, and also in times of joy. The battles are
tough, but we win the war. Who does your testimony reveal, you or Jesus?
Only
Jesus endured the cross, so we don’t have to. No one else could, did, will, or
has. He offers salvation from sin, joy in the midst of hardship, and eternity
in heaven. A loving father may stop to offer you a ride. Because you took time
to know his son. Read the book, but get to know the person of Jesus Christ. By
his spirit. The way to the father is through the son. And the next time
someone tells you to be like Jesus, or they tell only good things about knowing
him, point them to the above. Suddenly we aren’t so tough anymore.......aren’t
you glad Jesus is?
love
with compassion,
Mike
matthew25biker.blogspot.com