trust God-He delivers just what He promises

When Clement Studebaker started making wagons back in 1853, he sold the first three to his brother Peter some 45 miles east in Goshen. Within the week Peter had sold them, and hurried back to South Bend to order more. It was then that Peter accepted the position in the new manufacturing business as Sales Manager, with a simple contract. "I will sell all the wagons Clement can make." And Clement handwrote below it, "I will make all the wagons that Peter can sell." And so the Studebaker Brothers company started, based on a simple agreement that would stupefy the most ardent business attorney today. Two brother-who understood the concept of supply and demand, and would form the foundation of a company that until 1966 would sell wagons, station wagons were their last model, selling the wagon portion of their business in 1919, going with gasoline cars after a brief, unsuccessful stint building electrics. A company that at one time had all the Studebaker brothers-all eight of them involved in the business, and that for over 100 years would be the major industry and employer in South Bend, Indiana. Their motto simple-"Deliver more than you promise."

Sadly they are out of business today, explaining the depression you find there, a mirror image of Detroit. But a town rich in automotive history. Names like Studebaker, Erskine, Churchill, and Hoffman adorn buildings and parks. When the last Studebaker gave over the reins of the business to a non-Studebaker, it was with a verbal agreement to always stay in South Bend, to support the town. Where fathers and sons worked next to each other at the factory, and at one time in 1952 eight brothers worked there at the same time. Devoted to the economy and society of South Bend, even the old test track where the word STUDEBAKER was cut into the forest, still remains today a memory of brighter days. A town rich in tradition, who when aligned with the other South Bend famous name, University of Notre Dame, is still well known. And Knute Rockne, famous coach there, and of the "win one for the Gipper," even had a car named after him, the Rockne, which only lasted a few years. But who is well remembered for giving a speech to the early automotive pioneers, that is said to have brought them to tears. Staid businessmen such as Alfred P. Sloan of GM, and Henry Ford attended and were inspired, eyes filled with tears, based on the speech that day. In South Bend, where the business of building cars, and the Company leaving its mark, delivered more than they promised.

Sadly if you are less than 55 years old you may not know of Studebaker. They left the car business in 1966, building the last Larks in Canada. But along the way leaving such legacies as the Loewy coupes of 1953, Presidents, Skyways, Commanders, the Avanti and Andy Granatelli, STP, and the famous 1950 model which asked, "which way is it going." Which along the way, was partnered with Packard, just before they went out of business. And imported Mercedes Benz automobiles in the 50's and 60's. All gone today, as the cars are absent, but the legacy remains. The town, a mirror image of a ravaged Detroit, but still home to the Fighting Irish. Other than that just another industrial town, where cars are still driven, but are now imported from foreign countries. Where they may be built cheaper, by paying a lesser wage, but without the heart and soul that kept the heartbeat of South Bend alive for so many decades. And wherever you see a vacant lot which used to be a factory, or an empty building in decay, the products are still used, just not made here anymore. Offshore they call it, I call it sad. For with it not only dies the town, but the people who live in it, only shells of what was, but not of what is to be. An industry still delivering what it promised, only the promises are lesser, and so they are easier to maintain. Compromise they call it, when it really is a betrayal of values.

It annoys me when I see two people disagree and then offer to "agree to disagree." What does that mean anyway? Compromise. And it is based on the lowering of values. And when you start to compromise, where do you stop? And as I watch compromise going on within the church, I hope you don't confuse Jesus Christ with the church. He never compromised-He paid it all. He endured the six hours on the cross for us. He rose again and promised we would too, if we repented and believed His promise. No compromise here-when He says all and forever, He means all and forever. Just like the simple agreement between two brothers, He means all. He is there for all who call, and loves you as you are. His promises are yes and amen-delivering far beyond anything you could ask for or imagine. A bar set so high that only in Christ can you attain it. So only He gets the credit. No compromises here-only the best. Something that religion promises, but has never been found to deliver yet. Only in Jesus.

And the reason we see so many old churches empty, the buildings decaying. They mirror what is going on inside, compromise of the gospel. Following a script of doing what the congregation wants to hear, not what God does. No talk of sin, or repentance, can't upset the flock. Teaching a word that is not found in the Word, a church only by definition, not of heart or of the scriptures. Compromise.

If your church looks like this, take the lesson of South Bend. Turn to Jesus before it is too late, before all you have to look to are memories. Keep the gospel simple, like the Studebaker brothers agreement-you trust God, and He'll take care of it all. A promise that He will more than deliver on.

And you thought Studebaker was just a car... and church was just a place to go. It's still all about Jesus.

love with compassion,

Mike

matthew25biker.blogspot.com

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stoppies, wheelies, girls, burnouts and questions not asked

"Anything you can do, I can do better," was the saying of two talented friends. Competitive in everything, they continually sought to outdo one another. So when they noted a new girl moved into the neighborhood, they decided to impress her with their riding skills. For three nights they cruised by as she sat on the porch, and gave approving nods, and waves to their riding skills. Then the fourth night, as they went by right on schedule, they noticed the porch was empty. Who was going to watch their wheelies, stoppies, and burn outs now? Their question was quickly answered when her father appeared on the porch. As they went by slowly, looking, he waved them over.

"My daughter is really impressed with both your guys riding skills. And she loves to ride, too. So when another guy stopped by and asked her if she wanted to go for a ride, she accepted." And their disappointment turned to disgust, when they found out who it was. He rode a lesser bike, has lesser skills, and wasn't nearly as cool as them. And as her dad headed back inside, one blurted out, "why would she go out with a guy like that when we came by every night?"

Her father coolly answering, "he asked, you didn't." If only they had thought of that, instead of feeding their own egos, she would be riding with them too.

Impression is one thing, execution is another. And a great example of how not to walk with God. I hear attitudes from time to time of how "I'm going make God love me more. Or make Him proud of me." And then watch as this fool tries to attend church more, Or go to more Bible studies, or read the Bible through in a year. Maybe even sign up for a missions trip, bragging of what he is doing, but miserable inside. God is not impressed, He already loves you in an agape way-more than you can imagine, and cannot love you anymore than He does. And even when seeing your heart, that doesn't change. You cannot please God by trying to impress Him. It is called pride, and stands between you and Him.

Without faith it is impossible to please God. And so you must trust Him with the situations you are in. And let Him guide you through, not leaning on your own wisdom. Let faith show itself approved in your actions, and as you trust God more, be filled with His joy. Jesus put it simply, "He gives a joy that surpasses understanding." Despite the situation, the health, the money, or the relationship in question, His joy out weighs them all. Even to two proud riders, who missed the object of their affection.

Don't you. Life is not a contest, but it is a race. An endurance race. Don't let one bad event ruin your future. Trust God, leaving the past where it belongs, and looking to the heavenlies for guidance. For where you look, you will follow. Taking the lesson from the lesser rider, who didn't lean on his lesser skills, but took the opportunity to ask for a date. You may not have because you don't ask, but also because you don't listen.

God has a way through your situation right now. And He hears your questions? Will you take the time to listen to His answers? Coulda, shoulda, and woulda are the man's mantra who doesn't trust God. Just ask the two riders-dateless and proud. Just because they didn't ask for what they really wanted.

Trust God. And watch and listen. As the peace that surpasses understanding guides your life. That's love.

love with compassion,

Mike

matthew25biker.blogspot.com

the perfect partsman

The next time you need a special order part for your 19-whatever Whiz Bang Special GT, and the parts man tells you he needs the money up front, have you ever wondered why? Why must we, who are his most special customer, pay up front? I mean, he's the parts department, aren't they supposed to have parts? Why should I pay first before I even get the part? How will I be able to tell if it's the right one? And there you have your answer.

In any parts department, there is an area, where it is filled with special order parts that never were picked up. And some are even paid in full, "I just have to have it by this weekend!" but sit there in a dusty box. Sometimes the parts man was just worn down, and gave in. Sometimes he knew the person, and did it as a favor. But the fact remains, er the part remains there, never picked up or called for. Which creates problems at many levels.

First-the dealer has put money into a part he doesn't need, and has paid for. Second-with today's systems, if the warehouse doesn't have it, they can check dealer's stock online. And if the part is available from another dealer, get it direct from them, usually marked up. And you pay the additional freight. Or what does happen, the part is rare, so the factory has another made, and it sits until it is ordered. And worse yet, with obsolescent systems in place, where the dealer can return these parts on a once a year basis, now the factory has a huge supply of parts, they probably can't use. So...

they sell them off to another source, like a flea market guy, losing money on the deal, and when you stumble upon the part you need, by accident, just because he had one, it may be the one you ordered before, but never picked up. And you think that this flea marketer, now eBay source is great, he has it all, when really he is just trying to sell parts like the dealer, and just happened to have the part you ordered from them in stock. I have seen stranger things happen. All because the parts guy was a good guy, and held up his end of the bargain-he special ordered it, but you didn't-you changed your mind. But have no problem telling others that this parts department is always out of stock of what you need. Be aware-if there ever was an ordering but not picking up most wanted poster, you may be on it-just to warn others! Remember that next time you jut have to have that part-NOW!

James tells us we do not have because we either do not ask or ask with wrong intentions, and this leads to confrontations. Why do even the most hardened parts men know this, but Christians fail to believe it? Like when we pray. Three answers we can get from God-and they may not be the ones we want to hear. But are always the right one. The first is yes. Oh how we love when God says yes, and reveals Himself to be as smart as us in answering our demand. We may even call Him great, thinking He agrees with us, when really we need to agree with Him. The second is no. What can God be thinking? Didn't He hear what I want? C'mon God, let's get after it? And He is-and as I have learned, no can be a better answer than yes. I limit myself in prayer, my parts department stock is low. His isn't. And I find that every no has always brought me to closer to a better yes-if I just wait on Him. His third answer is wait. Yes and no I can deal with, but wait? How long? For what? When? And the one that really tells God I don't trust Him, why? Do I really know better than God?

God's shelves are not empty. He knows what parts, for what situation, when and where it is needed. Think of Him as a "just on time system," He has no back stock from ordered but never picked up parts. His system is perfect, just like He is. And since He made you, knows what you need, and when. So why do we grumble?

Trust God. Get to know Jesus. He know the business. When you ask, listen. When He says yes, rejoice. When He says no, rejoice even more. And when He says wait, wait. Realizing that He promises more than you can even ask for or imagine. Nothing for Him is a special order-except that it is for you. And you will never be obsolete to Him, no matter how many pieces you bring your life to Him in.

And if He can save a soul like you, the rest has to be easy. All you have to do is ask, and then let Him.

Jesus Christ-no restocking fee-He has paid it all. Still need the address to that dealer?

love with compassion,

Mike

matthew25biker.blogspot.com

death...and life on I-40

Somewhere between where you are, and where you are going, is a stretch of road that takes you there. For no other reason, other than if it wasn't there, someone would invent it, it serves its purpose, to take you where you are going along the way. An along the way route, but not a destination. For me, this road is I-40 between Albuquerque and the Oklahoma state line. 400 miles of an are we there yet, that seems to add two miles to each mile ridden. A stretch of road, so non-descript even the Route 66 memories it by-passes are better off forgotten. A road of constant wind-never a tail wind, and bitter cold in winter, and temperatures above 100 all other times.

On our recent I-40 experience, we had planned to stop at the Blake's Lot a Burger in Tucumcari. Tucumcari, which used to be an oasis for weary travelers up until the opening of I-40 which by-passed it altogether, now is a living museum, on life support, to what Route 66 travel was like in the fifties and sixties. Still lined with old motels, advertising American owned, they promise clean rooms for less than $30, except at the iconic Blue Swallow Motel, which for $50/single, will give you a good nights rest, in a clean room, just like your parents would have 50 years ago. Only the murals of James Dean and Brando, who both have nothing to do with Route 66 lore, but do for bikers, remind you of its tourist status. And that its greatest days are long forgotten. And how this time, because of fires in southern New Mexico, the power was out for almost 200 miles along the road-and if we hadn't wanted a burger never would have noticed.

Stopping at possibly one of the last remaining Stuckeys, the owner, wearing a large cowboy hat, and belt buckle with long horns, told us of how it hadn't rained since November, more than six months. Cattle dying and the wind blowing hadn't stopped the tourists from stopping there, as he had an unending supply of shot glasses, rugs, hats, and other priceless memorabilia to remind the traveler of his visit to Texas. Which always reminds me of going to Cancun with Winzer, and how when we returned how Ed Mance's carry on luggage were two over sized sombreros. Cheap, gaudy, and overpriced mementos still rule today.

Why they call it Amarillo, Spanish for yellow, no one knows. But from the aluminum palm trees, to the free 72 oz. steak at the Texan-it must be eaten in an hour, the road still calls. And as Andrew and I ate there one night-food was reasonable, we watched as the packed room-sitting cafeteria style applauded when the latest victim of to much cow and not enough time threw up-he had come within ten minutes of free food. I guess you really had to be there.

And finally Shamrock, before you are greeted by the green, rolling hills of Oklahoma. It is hard to think of Oklahoma as a paradise, but after enduring the Panhandle of Texas, anything looks good. And from the huge Texas rest stops, complete with tornado rooms, to stopping in Shamrock to see the U Drop Inn, made famous on CARS, endurance can now be added to your resume of travel. With the other memory of Shamrock looking for a huge motel you can see from the road, but can't get too, unless you know the back roads to it. And despite the temps of 110, winds of over 30mph, from the south, and the fear of dying along the road, and no one ever finding you, we had endured I-40 again. And no one really seems to care-unless you have done it.

But like the road of life, along the way God gives us hope. Hope along this stretch of road, is not the Cadillac Ranch, where some artists years ago buried Cadillacs from the fifties in the ground, nose first. And where tourists flock to today to spray with graffiti. It is found thirty miles east of Amarillo, in Groom. The world's largest cross, it stands 200' tall, but due to the twist in the road, is only visible when you are almost upon it. But the cross, like in life, is only the drawing card, for the story of Jesus is told via lifelike metal statues, some too lifelike, that tell the story of His crucifixion better than any show I've ever seen. From His trial before Pilate, to the empty tomb, you see the lifelike story. And get to know Jesus personally through it. As you watch the soldiers throwing lots for His clothes, as you watch the nine inch nails hammered into His wrists, and then hanging on a cross, the hopelessness of the road is brought into light, and you are shown hope in Jesus. The final station, the empty tomb, was what gets me-just the burial clothes, and head covering piled neatly, with the angel sitting there, telling the traveler, "He isn't here, He is risen like He said."

Today your road may seem hopeless, your I-40 endless with no hope. Jesus is there to greet you, just like He did Saul, on the Damascus Road. To change your life, to make you a Paul, to give your life value. To meet you right where you are, and take you into His heart-just like you are. And that call is as fresh and new as it was 2000 years ago-but it is up to you to answer. Your final exam in life, and the question is, "who do you say Jesus is?" Notice is, not was. And like Peter answered correctly, "though art the Christ" is the only way to heaven.

And if you think I-40 is hell, you have another thing coming. I ask you to please never find out. Trust God. Accept Jesus. He doesn't promise to take you off I-40, but to ride with you, and help you endure. To fill in all the empty miles with a travel partner. And a best friend who sticks with you even when the roads aren't so tough.

400 miles isn't much when judged by eternity, it may just seem like it. Along the road of life He is just waiting for you. Just look for the empty cross, for just like His tomb, it reminds you that He is risen! And that you can be too.

love with compassion,

Mike

matthew25biker.blogspot.com

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please-just one more rule will set me free

A friend commented to me yesterday how she had attended a meeting of her mom's friends, and all they talked about was what they could and could not do. A meeting of rules. From clothing, to patches, to where they would go, or not go, and who and how they would do it-all they did was discuss rules. Which left her feeling uncomfortable, for what if she didn't know all their rules and violated one? Would they discipline her, she was trying to obey, or would they make a one time exception? What if she wanted to join, would she have to learn all the rules? What if she didn't agree with all of them, but just wanted to visit them once in a while, would that be another rule? And if there was no rule for that, would they make another, based upon existing rules? What if she had just come along for the ride? I think you get the idea.

We visited Shipshewana, Indiana on our last trip. An Amish colony, which has been turned into a tourist attraction. With the promise that because they are Amish-a group of religious people who traditionally shun themselves from the world, but somehow have opened up to the idea of free enterprise, that all would be OK. No pictures was once the rule-OK here. A simple life-not once you open a business. And where once they had private lives, now they were open to the public, by their invitation via billboards, for all to see their hypocrisy. OOPS, did I say that? Seems an income from being Amish is acceptable, at least to this colony, but will put them at odds with more traditional Amish. More rules-I think you get the idea.

Legalism is what the Bible calls it. When Moses came down with the Ten Commandments, God also gave man over 600 laws to live by-we were so screwed up we had to be told right from wrong. But Moses had the condensed version, and soon that was too many. So Jesus, knowing how confused and immoral we could be, took it down to two. Love God first will all your heart. Simple enough. Then love your neighbor as yourself. And enjoy life, free from rules, which only point out our shortcomings. And that no one can or has ever been able to keep all of.

Keep that in mind next time you invite someone to your meetings, or church. They are already buried by laws, which bring death, according to Jesus. Take riding for instance-do you wish to spend your free time being told how to ride, where to ride, and that you may be too slow, or worst too fast? Where is the freedom in being told what to do? Or when? Or how? Or with who? Do you prefer to be out riding, enjoying the roads and time you are allowed, or arguing over rules?

Simply put-if you have no morals, based on Jesus' commandments, you need rules. So next time a church gives you a book on what it believes, or a set of rules, or a handbook of what the club rules are-I pass. They spend more time on laws than what their initial purpose was. Let nothing get between you and God. I want my freedom, that same freedom Jesus died on the cross for. He didn't die for more rules-but to free us from them-it is called mercy and grace. Try that for a rulebook, based on love. He loved us first, because without Him, we never could have loved at all.

So keep the main thing the main thing. Feel welcome in my church, home, or club. Safe in the knowledge that with fewer rules to break, I have less chance to break them, and so do you. But with one simple law-love, we both have a better chance to keep it.

A simple law, for a simple people. Aren't rules fun?

So you can enjoy your meetings-I'll enjoy the ride. It's called love. The first rule broken when you make other rules. Think about that next time you invite someone over.

And you wonder my many don't return, or come when called?

love with compassion,

Mike

matthew25biker.blogspot.com

being there

In 1967 my father went with the Boy Scouts to Philmont Scout Ranch in Cimarron, New Mexico. He was gone for a month, and this put my mother in charge. She did a great job, and my father had a great trip. I was 13. So did I. It made a huge impact on me, so much that when I took off a month myself in 1975, I used part of his trip for my initial route, seeing for myself things he had shown in the pictures. While talking with them on the last trip, he told us how lucky Theresa and I are to travel together. Admitting, "the sad part of his trip was my mother wasn't with him." He missed her on the trip-which they both knew she couldn't go on, but afterwards he had no one to share it with except the scouts who accompanied him. Who he only saw once a month. And even when sharing the pictures he took, they were his memories, not ours. And the pictures couldn't describe the light, clean air at 11,000 feet. Or the smell of pines and the wildflowers. It is true that one picture may be worth a thousand words, but leaves a void when all the senses are required for the whole story to be told. Including the sense of love and companionship of the heart.

Since our other bikes had sat for over a month, we rode up to see the guys at ECC. Herm, the service manager and I got to talking, and he is going with his wife to the Western Slope of Colorado to mountain bike this month-real Colorado, Denver doesn't count. And he was talking of how the rains cooled everything off in the afternoons of August, and the sweet smells afterward. And I agreed, for having lived at 8300' in the middle of a national forest above Durango, I knew that rain, and those smells. And how everything seemed new after even a short shower. I also knew the sounds of the thunder rolling up the canyon-for 18 miles, and how good it sounded. Emotions and a sensory overload not found in any pictures. And he was enjoying sharing this with someone who knew-had been there, and appreciated it. Oh how I wish I could have two more weeks off to go with him!

Sadly traveling without the one you love can be a lonely ride. No one to share the events with, only like and as to describe them, and then that is a poor excuse. You can't feel the hot ocean water in Tybee Island. Or hear the Southern drawl of the locals. Or smell the subs at Dukes, or explain what it is like riding in the rain, with only a rain suit on. And the isolation of dryness you feel inside, why all hell can be breaking loose outside. That is why I am so blessed to have a great travel partner, best friend, and wife with me. I may have ridden 8800 miles this trip, but so did she. She felt the heat in Oklahoma, and the rain in Mississippi. She enjoyed Savannah with me, and even shared her beignets. And although she has taken thousands of pictures on our trips, without her they are just that-pictures. For without someone to share them with, they lack a depth, a personality, and leave you without words to fully explain them to your audience. No ones face lights up like hers when you mention the beignets at Huey's. Or the taste of a Jimmie's hot dog-which any mention or picture of only makes me want four-I've been there! And like the pulled pork at Arthur Bryant's, you have to try it to believe it. Life can be that personal. And that's the way I like it.

I have many friends who are Bible students. They know all the kings, the battles, have memorized key scriptures,and can recall them all on demand. Like when I tried to find the book of Ruth in the Bible yesterday, I had to sing an old Bible song to remember where she is. But when we sit and share testimonies, they come up dry. Or ask "why does God bless you so much?" Simple-I know the author-personally. They may know the book, but knowing the author makes all the difference. And He rides, and travels with us. And is part of my daily life, not just the trips. Or when it is convenient or I have gotten in trouble-again. He is more than a character in a book, or letters spoken in red. He is alive, and part of my life, for Jesus is the main thing to me. When I say He is all, I mean ALL! And my testimony shares that fact, I hope. Don't be confused by the non-trinity of Father, Son, and the Word. Only when the Holy Spirit is included, will the Word come alive. And only when living in the Spirit, will your life be sweeter, and He is also there when you are alone, to share you trips, trials, victories, and problems with. You are never alone with Jesus.

So get to know Him. Ask Him to be with you before you pick up the Bible. Tell Him you want more than you are getting-you want HIM! And then open your heart, and hang on for the ride of your life. Those who do this, know what I mean. If you don't-you need too.

Travelling is personal to me, but I love to share it. God has made it personal enough to give me Theresa to share it with. But He takes it personal, and wants to go with me. And ever since I have invited Him into my life, He has added life to it. Life you can't see in a photo, or even hear in my stories. He is that personal, and is just waiting to share some time with you.

Jesus Christ changes life. On this trip of life take along this favorite travel partner. There is a reason He tells us to go out, because He too loves to travel, and not be kept in a box. Travel with Him. The road to God may be straight and narrow-only so that it is the shortest way to Him, but getting there the way He guides adds miles of memories, and uses up more of the endless supply of 35mm film our lives come with.

He is not only the only way to heaven, but the best way too. Think of the Spirit guiding you as taking the long way home, a great ride at the end of a long day.

Taste, feel, touch, smell, and see. The book is great, now take the trip with the author. And let us know about the trip-we are waiting to hear-and see the pictures! This time make it personal. Only in Christ.

love with compassion,

Mike

matthew25biker.blogspot.com

Sardis Motorsports

Motorsport at one time was the premier motorcycle dealer in Albuquerque. Selling Suzuki, BMW, and Triumph, they had two stores-one at the main gate at the fairgrounds on San Pedro NE, prime location, and the other, a new, modern store on Montgomery NE. While other brands were in smaller, less modern and efficient buildings, the Bodwells, owners of Motorsport, were ahead of the curve, with the Montgomery location this modern, glass building, which was frequented by UNM architectural students. They rode, but above that were businessmen, and had been since the early fifties-building a solid reputation in the biker community. And at a time when Honda sold everything, in Albuquerque Suzuki was right there with them, we still sold every Triumph we could get our hands on, and BMW-well, they were BMW. A dealership that was a cut above all other stores at the time, a leader in the biker community. And the first to go on computer with a parts inventory. Big news for 1975! That was the Motorsport that I worked for, and remembered. And that was the Motorsport that I bragged to the guys at PJ's Triumph about-which is a much different Motorsport than I remembered. Thirty years later.

PJ's Triumph is perhaps the premier motorcycle store today in Albuquerque. And with Ducati, and Husky, represent the Euro brands well. From PJ offering me a ride on a custom bobber, I was just some guy pulling in on a Tiger, to Aaron fitting me in while on the road, they ride and get it. They are what Motorsport was, catering to the biker and the biker community-I say was because today Motorsport is out of business. A slow spiral down as the elder Bodwells died, and left the shop in the hands of the family. And truly the expression, "no one does it better than you," applies here. As they lost their standing and their customers within the community, bikers went elsewhere. And guys like PJ and others were there to welcome them into their stores. The last time I went by the store on Montgomery, it was abandoned, for sale or lease. The windows filthy, trash in the yard, and weeds. Something that never would be allowed in my memory. And as they drifted into this spiral of decay with no return, they became a blight on the community. So when I told Jonezy or Dylan about working there, they raised an eyebrow, and my reputation with them was based on me-rather than my memories. A Motorsport that didn't exist anymore, and didn't in their memories. And maybe that is how it should be.

Jesus writes one of the seven letters to the church at Sardis. He tells them they have lost their first love. They have abandoned Christ, and although their buildings still stand, and the people are still there, the Holy Spirit has left them. They shut Him out and went their own ways, and lived by their past reputation. Even the church was deceived into thinking they were the same, but God knew better. Religion had taken over, and the numbers looked good, so leave me alone God. And so He did, and the world around them. The church at Sardis was dead, and so was the city. Rarely attacked, because they had become of no value, they died of neglect and abandonment-not realizing it. And just like my memories of Motorsport, the current generation knew better. Their memories were fresher, the older generations were gone, and now they were the latest, and greatest. And without knowing, I had labeled myself with the past-but was living in the present.

Over a period of years, I have seen ministries come and go. All meaning well, all trying to do what they think God is showing them. And many sadly are the church of Sardis within the world. Numbers based, growing the ministry, but neglecting Jesus. Oh, they use His name, even says so on their web site, but they have lost their way, forsaking their first love. And leading others down the path of destruction without knowing it, led by a leadership who only preaches to the choir, the same old tune, but different words. It is all about them, and only the truly spiritual awake see it, and then they become the bad guys when they confront them with it.

Who is your first love? Is He the same one you gave your heart to years ago? Is He still fresh and alive in your heart, and giving you a reason to get up each morning? Or have you forsaken Him, maybe subtly, by following a club, church, denomination, pastor, or teacher? Do you need a back patch, bumper sticker, or t-shirt to tell someone who is your first love, or do your actions reflect it? Are people led to seek God by your attitudes and actions? Or encouraged to join an organization that believes like you?

Check into Jesus today, and see what you have been missing. He is memories to yet occur, and who better to trust tomorrow with than someone who has been there? And holds the future? No one travels to Sardis anymore, the glory is gone. Just like Motorsport. Don't let your life go the same way. Share Jesus. Speak the words He gives you. Be yourself in Him. And ride a fast cycle. Because the truth that sets you free, may be a burden to those of Sardis.

Sardis had a past. Jesus promises a future. Only with Him as your first love will you enjoy the blessings of life. And see the promise of heaven.

Like my old shirts, memories fade. You won't find replacements for them by shopping at Sardis. Look to the heavenlies-I hope to see you there! I know I'll be!

love with compassion,

Mike

matthew25biker.blogspot.com

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