the Golden Age of motorcycling

There is a very good chance that a few years from now we will look back and find out we were living in the golden age of motorcycling.  Never before have so many great bikes, from so many manufacturers been available, and at prices we may never see again.  Without a doubt, every brand has dealerships overloaded with inventory, some over three years old, that  are priced to move, and with financing available to move them.  Want to have a large touring bike, the new Gold Wing will take you, as will the dresser Harleys and Indians, Yamahas, and BMW’s.  Want to go fast, how about a quarter mile in the tens?  The nines?  Adventure bikes in the 11s.  Want a full on race bike, S1000RR from BMW or the Yamaha R1 are race ready, as are various models of Ducati.  Only have a few thousand to spend, Honda and Yamaha have a whole fleet of bikes under $10 grand, with some as low as $5000.  Entry level bikes with performance of the bigger bikes of only a few years ago, retro bikes with modern features like Triumph and Indian, KTM will take you from the track to the street in one swift move, and a 2005 Suzuki GSXR1000 reincarnated as a standard selling for under $9000.  And that is the new bike side of it, talk about used....but why when you can ride a new one so cheap?

Years ago it was expensive leathers, now textile jackets in many colors with body armor.  Boots, gloves, and helmets to match.  You can have the look even if you cannot ride.  Accessories from headers to computer tunes to add horsepower, adding it to adapt to  your riding style, or to add miles to your tank.  Chrome, high performance tires only found on race bikes previously, touring tires that get over 12,000 and stick like race tires, Ohlins shocks, and the list goes on.  Spend a little or spend a lot, no matter your budget, this is the time to ride.  As if there hasn’t ever been a time not to. 

But yet the inventory is not moving, manufacturers are offering $100-2000 rebates, 0% financing, and free accessories.  Where are the new riders, to replace those of us aging in years and miles ridden?  How can such great deals on such a great sport be passed over?  Sadly we never know what we have until it is gone, so go out, get a new bike, and add miles to your life, while subtracting years.  Or we can be like the townsfolk the Lone Ranger helped, “sorry we never knew you.”  Quite honestly, years from now will your grandkids want to hear what a great crabgrass free yard you had, or the places you rode and the bikes you rode on?  “let me tell you about my minivan or SUV,” will never fill the conversations around the campfires, tales of how far your hybrid went will not impress, and who but the few who are born to lose brag about their Prius?  Kawasaki lets the good times roll, not Toyota.  You meet the nicest people on a Honda motorcycle, not Honda car.  And like the ad says, “ I didn’t know BMW made cars until I passed one.”  What are you missing out on and passing on? If you have read this far and just have to go out and ride, you get it.  For the rest of you, there is still time....don’t delay!

If I were to organize a campaign against Christians, I would make it an easy one.  Just get them to wait, to delay, to tarry.  To do tomorrow what could have been done today. Make them doubt the claims of Jesus, question the authority of the Bible, the accuracy of scripture, and mire them in religion.  Get them debating against each other, rather than uniting in the spirit.  Do anything to keep them guessing, and here you have Satan’s plan put simple.  In baseball whether you swing and miss, or it is a called third strike, you still strike out.  Yet many churches today are like Babe Ruth, they hit a lot of home runs, but also strike out a lot.  But still draw a crowd like the Babe did wherever he went.  But yet in the crowds are people, you and me.  Maybe we need to ask why we go to church, why we are Christians, and where is Jesus in our lives?  Babe is remembered more for his home runs than his striking out, but rarely if ever remembered as an All Star pitcher.  How you remember Jesus will impact your world, and your life.  Yet too many churches are filled with people going nowhere like the new bikes in the showroom, missing the Golden Age of being a Christian.  Which is every age!  And we all can participate! 

Jesus tells us that someday all Christians will be absent from the body and at home with him in heaven.  Yet many are absent of the spirit and leave  home every morning without him.  Missing the day’s blessings, and neglecting to share him with a lost and dying world.  Being a witness for Christ takes on many arenas, just as Paul said he became all things so all men might hear the gospel.  Not all will hear the message at church, but we all work, we all shop, we all play on weekends, and we all have people we meet with on a regular basis.  The audience is there, the message is there, and the spirit is willing?  Where are you?  Better yet, where were you when someone told you about Jesus?  The glory of God is made evident through his people in his love.  Not winning arguments, but in love putting them and their problems before us.  The glory of the Lord is what grips our heart, forgives us, changes us, and encourages us to share his love with others.  When we get it that God loves us as much as he loves Jesus, we can love ourselves and love others.  Enjoying his love today, why would you want to put off his love and joy until tomorrow? 

This is the Golden Age of life for the living.  For the riding.  For knowing Jesus.  Why be stuck inside when you can be out living?  Put something exciting between your legs, get out and live Jesus, not just live for him.  The gospel is free so we can afford it, and easy so we can get it.  Easier than even the best deals out there for riding.  Or you could be bragging about the crabgrass free yard, how many times you read the Bible this year, or how you never miss church.   Where the spirit of the Lord is there is liberty.  You don’t know what you’re missing until you meet the Lord!

And so off I go on my new Street Triple R!  In Christ!

love with compassion,

Mike

matthew25biker.blogspot.com

the Soul of a BMW

It’s 1968 and the world of autos is all about horsepower, big motors, big torque, and big insurance premiums.  When out of Germany BMW introduces the 1600/2002, and the sports car world goes crazy for it.  A small 96 cubic inch or 110 cubic inch engine, with horses to match the cubes, soon the car magazines are raving about them, and dealerships appear, going from old garages to modern facilities almost overnight.  The owners flash their high beams like bikers wave to each other, clubs are formed, performance parts made, and soon they go racing, and win.  They are comfortable, handle great, can get 25 mpg on premium, and have one factor few other cars have, the are fun to drive.  The owners know the B in BMW stands for Bavaria, while everyone else wonders “British what?”  They are the car that put BMW on the map, and are expensive if one is found today, most either were raced to death or rusted away-with more rusting than raced.  I was one of the fortunate ones to have one, a 1969 1600, and I can tell you, many times I wish I had that car back, for just one  more trip through the hills, leaving Corvettes and other sporty cars in my wake...but BMW has changed, and so have I.

This is the year of the road trip by car for me.  5815 miles by Mustang to Jersey in March, and another 6377 miles by Kia in July.  A total of 31 states seen, and our first vacation by car in 41 years of marriage.  We considered the Mustang again, but when we needed another car and bought a Kia Soul, it immediately became the choice for the road trip.  The car that like the 2002 put BMW in the headlines, the Soul did the same for Kia.  With a 1600 cc motor with 130 horses, and all the electronic goodies of the Mustang, it got us 30 mpg, made it over the 9000’ passes in Colorado, across the desert in 108 degree heat, and from the Massabi Range to Lolo Pass never let us down.  Over dirt and mud where road building was going on in Montana, to a surprise monsoon in Albuquerque, it just kept going, was comfortable, and held its own in the Boom Towns of North Dakota.  Add the free trial of Sirius radio, Classic vinyl, and we had all the music from 1969 without all the 8-tracks and their interruptions.  We saw them everywhere, not abused like many Jap cars, but respected, with dealers in remote areas.  But what the Soul was was fun, it had the soul of my BMW and I found the comparisons alike.  Both 1600 cc, both small and sporty, both handle well, and both had a sense of fun.  You may call me crazy, and maybe I am, but the Kia Soul has the soul of the old BMW without all the headaches or heartaches.  It is fun to drive, and we would not hesitate to take it on the road again.  Yes, there were times when I needed more hamsters, ‘er horsepower, but we just learned to time our passes better.  In 50 years cars have changed, so has the road, and so has the driver.  Maybe the BMW 2002 was ahead of its time, or the car for its time, or the Kia just at the right time.  But for a lot less money and hassle, you can have the Soul of a BMW, and a lot more fun.  I may be nuts, but I had both, and can tell from experience, can you do the same?

In John 17 we find Jesus praying for the unity of the church.  Even then he could see the fractures in the belief system, how some would change the gospel to fit themselves, how religion would change man instead of the spirit, and how many false teachers would appear, and still do today.  As you read through the Bible you find as you get closer to Revelation, the amount of warnings abut false teachers, with Paul mentioning some by name, to increase.  Even throughout the Old Testament God warns us, but few heeded the warning.  Today it seems with a pastor hiding behind a pulpit and feeding a watered down gospel it keeps the congregation tithing, but starving for the truth.  In many cases it is hard to tell Christians from non-believers, the drinking, cussing,and divorce rate are common to the world.  Yet in an isolated church environment they are fed baby food, and many times taught by rote rather than the spirit.  The great promises of God in Jeremiah 29 told, we all love the promises of great blessings, but finish the chapter, it warns of being led astray and the penalties of doing so.  That ought to cheer you up, so it is ignored.  Yet Scripture tells us to be wise as serpents, yet gentle as lambs.  We end up stupid sheep, and bitter at the world, just don’t take me out of my safe environment.  When Jesus talks of unity it is the church one in the spirit, not in the world.  We get it backward, we offer like minded men, and anyone who tells the truth is made to feel not wanted, and usually isn’t.  The world confuses the church with Jesus, and he gets the bad rap the church deserves.  “I in them, and them in me,” Jesus says, do you agree?

Today the one thing missing from the church is fun.  Oh we have programs and processes, and procedures to insure success, but is being a Christian fun for you?  It ought to be, isn’t the promise of heaven enough to bring a smile to your face?  Isn’t being filled with the spirit a joy?  isn’t seeing the words of Jesus coming alive in your life exciting?  Has it been so long between blessings you miss the little ones daily?  Is your Bible only a study tool, with pressure added to keep up, or do you read it unencumbered, as the spirit reveals the mysteries of Christ?  If anyone should be having fun it is us!  Too many are driving a BMW with no soul.  Are we more linked to what we drive than to whom we believe in?

And so a car comes along that is fun to drive, and we flock to it.  But soon it changes, and loses its character.  Don’t let religion ruin your relationship with Jesus.  Question what you are taught, ask the spirit to guide, and don’t be afraid to follow Jesus, no matter what men may say about him or you.  Life on earth is a road trip, and we get to choose, all show and no go religion, or the exciting life of living in Christ.  We never would have chosen a Soul on our own, but God knew, we took a chance and we were blessed.  Like cars, I have tried the denominational route, only to be disappointed.  In one small town in Minnesota with 15,000 people, it had six different Lutheran churches.  If one denomination cannot get along, what message are they sending about Jesus?  Streets lined with churches, but where is Jesus?  He may be right in front of you, only your ego will not let you see him.  The church will always be into numbers, Jesus is into you.  There is a difference, and he tells us it is so, or he would not have told us.  Pick up your Bible and just read it today, enjoy the few seconds alone with God.  Have some fun, we will in heaven, and Jesus promises us “on earth as it is in heaven.”  Be in one Accord, or Kia or BMW, or a motorcycle, but be in Christ first.  Abide in the vine he prepares for us, and see our lives blossom.  Know Jesus from experience, and when someone questions you, you can answer from knowing him instead of knowing about  him.  For it is not what goes into a man, but what comes out of a man that counts. 

The purpose of unity in the spirit is to tell the world who sent us out in it.  That Jesus loves us and the world will see.  That he is the revelation of the living God, of the invisible, of the things not seen yet believed.  You may have the soul of a BMW, maybe it is time to get out and enjoy the ride.  For like the Kia Soul, the gospel is affordable and simple.  So we can get it.  Fun at the same time!  I think maybe a road test will prove it all, see you on the road.  Jesus did....and still does.

love with compassion,

Mike

matthew25biker.blogspot.com

for one brief shining moment...

For one brief shining moment this summer, I was that 14 year old teen playing ball at LaGrande Park.  The summer where soft ball, girls, and the park were the social life of the cool teen in Scotch Plains.  Where I was playing ball everyday, and beginning to hit the long ball.  No matter the heat, humidity, the temptation of girls, or other outside influences, it was playing ball.  That was all that mattered, and this summer I had a chance to relive that summer, if only for a fleeting moment.  It seems there really is a Field of Dreams movie sight in Iowa, and although never having seen the movie, nor having any interest in it, a detour led us to the site, and there I was, bat in hand, hitting fly balls, after a few swings and misses, a soft roller that didn’t make it to the third baseman, and then getting my timing down, after all it was almost 40 years, I started hitting fly balls, some good ones, at least in the eyes of my ego.  Balls over the left fielders’ head, but ones that would have been caught in a game situation.  I was 14 again, and despite the heat and humidity, the dust, and the taxing on my body, 50 years of memories flashed before my eyes in that few minutes.  On a field cut out of a corn field, I had my field of dreams that day.  While some just saw the movie, or paid $20 to tour the house, I was on the field and in the game again.  All for the price of the gas it took to get us there.  Some talk of the 15 minutes of fame, for me that 15 minutes consisted of being a kid again, never taking into consideration that I might embarrass myself, or even get hurt.  I was given that chance we all dream of, a field of dreams, to relive a good time in my life, and all because of a road detour....on a hot summer day.  In Eastern Iowa.

Leaving Dubuque we were on US 52 heading north, when the detour signs appeared.  Which eventually would take us back to Dubuque the long way, sorta like going from San Diego to Los Angeles via Vegas, and it seems the more you don’t know where you are, the longer it takes to get there.  But with the tank full, we knew the road had to come out somewhere, the scenery was beautiful, and we saw these small signs, “FIELD OF DREAMS MOVIE SET 5 MILES.”  The four, then three, and soon a left up another road for 3 miles, and then a right up a driveway, and there we were.  A place we had no intention of going, but yet when the opportunity presented itself, we didn’t turn back.  Too often in life a chance opens up and we pass on it, not this time.  And that afternoon, about 7-8 of us played ball on the Field of Dreams field.  Take that Kevin Costner, sometimes the worst detours take us to the best places, and back in time.  Where reality is much more intimate than the dreams.....

We all know the Jeremiah 29 promise from God where he tells he has the plans for us.  For too many that consists of telling God exactly what  you want and when, then going off on your own, and repenting when you fail.  Never listening to the spirit, an option not taken, and a price paid.  But when led by the holy spirit, you see things in God’s eyes, and his eyes are always open for you.  To guide, and also to spend time with you.  When you come to Christ it is a one time instantaneous event, yet too many leave God there, Jesus is savior, but not Lord.  It is the Lord part of daily life where he leads us, where what appear to be detours to us are really part of his plan, and we get all his blessings, not just our requests.  I could care less abut the movie, but that afternoon my field of dreams was given to me, a chance to go back, but also to look ahead to heaven, where all is well, and it is all about Jesus.  I am at a loss for words for what my heart felt the day, maybe the best thing because when God blesses, it goes way beyond the tangible, and the finite.  If I had been told the highlight of a 6300 mile trip would have ben swinging a bat in a field in Iowa, I would have scoffed, but God knew different.  And I know God, and that makes all the difference.  God took time out of his schedule to bless me that day, in a way only he would know, and hitting a baseball again never felt so good.  To those there I was just the old guy hitting, but for one brief shining moment, I was part of a summer that was one I will always remember.  Our memories may fade, but don’t let your relationship with God fade with it.

We are not of this world, but God has chosen this time for us to be living in it, to give it salt and light.  And he uses all his creation to bless, he operates on the outside of church walls, sometimes more effectively than inside them.  Some only have dreams of him, I can say I know him personally.  And when I follow and let him lead, the reality is always better than the dream, or anything my finite mind  could desire.  I have no desire to be 14 again, not after what I know, but because of who I know I am excited abut the future.  But for now, content in knowing God is a motorcycle fan, and loves baseball.  The first words in the book of Genesis, “in the big inning...” a brief and shining moment to remember everyday.

A lot of things made history that summer, Woodstock, the first moonwalk, and the Mets won the World Series.  God made it personal, and that one small step of knowing him, is my memory.  Bat in hand, in a cornfield in Iowa.  God knows the plans he has for you, do you know him?  Don’t wait any longer, start living today, the reality of Jesus Christ is not a dream.  I know, I’ve been there, and never left.  And I still haven’t seen the movie....

love with compassion,

Mike

matthew25biker.blogspot.com