“Read the fine print,” we are told, but we can hardly see it with our
glasses, and when we do, it still contains words and verbage only a trained and
skilled lawyer can understand. Yet while most of us are trusting, read that in
a hurry, we neglect to read it, and suffer for it. For instance, your 3 year,
36,000 mile car warranty. Say you buy it on January 2, 2017, you probably think
it runs out on January 2, 2020, and you would be wrong. The 36 months are up on
January 1, at midnight, 12:01 and you are out of warranty. Try explaining that
to a guy who religiously maintained his car, and thought then got his dates
wrong. Or the ones who try to get by after the stated mileage, one recourse we
did have though was how many miles when you made the appointment? We were
backed up for weeks at one time, and yes, we were able to honor the requests
under warranty. But how do you know when something is going to break? Or
where? You won’t find that in the small print....
Years ago Suzuki offered a 12 month/12,000 mile warranty on their
motorcycles, when the industry standard was 90 days. WOW, how can they do it?
The small print, you must have all scheduled maintenances done at the dealer, no
record, no warranty. Ohhhh....And Suzuki had the best warranty and record on
their bikes at the time. Maybe there is something to maintenance after all.
Years ago when selling to a Toyota dealer, they had the owner come in every 3000
miles for an oil change, which you paid for, instead of the factory recommended
5000. It gave the dealership twice the opportunity to find problems, which they
would ask you to pay for or warranty. One owner told me how reliable his car
was, how they had taken care of problems he didn’t know about, and was bragging
until I mentioned his car was in the shop twice as many times, inconveniencing
him twice as many times, and costing him twice as much for service. And it was
my fault for bursting his bubble. On the flip side, when Mercedes Benz went to
an oil condition reading light instead of miles for scheduled maintenance, some
cars went 20,000 miles or two years between being seen. They quickly adjusted
the system to once a year or 10,000 miles. Or until the low oil pressure light
came on, then it was too late. Again, the small print...
I test rode a Polaris 3 wheeler the other day, not a motorcycle, but could
be fun. When asking about tire replacement, I was told the tires were specific
to the model, in other words, a factory part number, you can only get from them,
and they wear differently, which affects handling, so you need to keep them
fresh. Oh....again the small print. Which leads to the questions not asked at
delivery, or explained and forgotten in the heat of the moment. At one point at
Mercedes Benz we went to catered dinners to invite new customers to learn about
their cars, which brought an immediate response in the service drive, now they
had too many questions, and wanted all the free service they could get. The
worst being a new Mercedes Benz owner who found 43 problems with his new E class
after 200 miles, after attending the classes. All 43 were specious,
non-existent, and he came in angry and left confused. Not sure what the
salesman told him or what he thought the heard, but he was wrong. And I was the
bad guy, telling him the truth.
So read the small print, ask questions, be patient, and if you don’t
understand, ask more questions. Bring someone along with you, be courteous, and
you will find a friend when you do. We are held to the fine print also. But in
religion, when it comes to the Bible, many times we don’t want to be. People
misinterpret it, the Mormons misquote it and rewrite it, the JW’s change the to
an a and deny Jesus as deity. I wonder if a lawyer needed to be there to
represent God when it was published. Can you imagine the small print that may
have been added? “You cannot say you must be born again,” that’s prejudice.
You cannot say if you won’t work you won’t eat, that’s discriminatory. You
cannot say Jesus is the way, because it excludes those who feel different.” But
yet without the truth and the way, we don’t have the life. Jesus said “you must
be born again to inherit the kingdom of God,” not it is suggested. And how it
is a gift you cannot earn. Yet so many try to earn their way, the term born
again has become a joke line and while looking at the physical disregard the
spiritual aspects. Changing words does not change God’s love for us, or what
Jesus did on the cross. You may fervently believe a lie, but it is still a lie.
You may teach there is no hell, but will still go there if not saved. Last
night a man said he questioned the scriptures because they were written by man.
I agreed, they were written by man, but when I informed him they were inspired
by God, he lost his argument. God doesn’t need a lawyer, he is grace, not
legalism. But we do need an advocate on judgment day, and in Jesus we are
provided one.
So God does not allow small print, but he does allow red print, emphasizing
the words of Jesus. No mistaking his quotes, they are in red. God does not
force his love or his word on us, nor his spirit. But when we enter into his
presence, we see the truth, we see the way, we see Jesus for who he is, not an
editorial subject. Not a philosophy to be argued. We are set free in his
truth, the truth, not a truth. There is a difference. He is not a way,
suggesting there are others to choose from, he is the way, a true/false test
instead of multiple choice. The more choices, the more wrong answers, God is
not out to confuse,but save. Lawyers, well you decide.
And you will not find opinions or polls in the Bible either. God doesn’t
need our input, we need his. What is your answer when he asks in Psalms “where
were you when he created the earth?” The problem is being men, we think like
men, and God is trying to get us to think like him. To love and be
compassionate like him, not robotic and programmed for a response for every
situation. But yet some do, and we know who you are. God provides the Bible to
answer questions about every day life, and when read in the spirit, the words
come alive and have meaning. Without him, they are just words on a page, great
words, but with no power until God is part of them. Spirit driven. So while
many study to find an excuse for their sin, seek God and read and be blessed.
You make the call....
God will back you up in love, something no small print ever will. That is
why it is small, so you cannot see it. They don’t want you to. God hides
nothing from you, what do you hide from him? Life can be a test, but it is an
open book test with Jesus. No surprises, but consistent always. If only my car
was that way...
An old Parable song says “take the time to read, Jesus took the time to
bleed, for us all.” Good advice, which only works if taken. Read the book, ask
questions, pray and listen. Jesus loves you, says so, guess where, the Bible.
Red letters in mine, just to remind me, and you. Time is running out, don’t
expire without his lifetime warranty, which includes all, which includes
everything, and excludes nothing. Supreme Court of the US of A says so. Seems
I read that somewhere...
love with compassion,
Mike
matthew25biker.blogspot.com