one evening on the side of the road

Too young for Woodstock, BH and I jumped at the chance for the next great event in the summer of 1973.  Summer Jam it was called, in the beautiful area of Watkins Glen, New York.  Mention the Glen and you think of race cars, sights and sounds of the track, and the perfect small town venue for a race.  Add in miles and miles of great riding roads, and the trip can be the destination, which it ended up for us.  Without a 4 laner in sight, these wonderful two lane rides became one long parking lot, for dozens of miles.  It had become another Woodstock based on traffic alone, and we were part of the problem, our only hope that of being on our motorcycles, BH on his CB750, me on my R60/5.  It had been a fun ride from our home in Jersey after work, what were we thinking leaving so late on a Friday for the Saturday show?  But as the traffic slowed, and then stopped, we came to a Y in the road, and like Yogi Berra once advised, we took it.

For in the center of the island of the Y, was another BMW motorcycle, like mine, except his rear wheel was off, and he was trying to fix the flat.  Now BMW’s of the /5 era were easy to fix tires on, the tool kit even came with a patch kit and tire irons, so we stopped to help.  We were stopped anyway...and I helped him patch the tube, then remount the tire on the rim.  Taking a break,  it was after all a warm summer night, and it was the heat and the humidity, we let the tire and wheel sitting next to his bike.  Suddenly out of nowhere a car came driving by us, up into the island between the Y, narrowly missing us, but running over his wheel, then driving off.  How he did it I don’t know, but off he sped, leaving my friend with his tire repaired, but his wheel now bent into a V, our really maybe a U.  A sad faced U.  Held on its side it looked like it was smiling at you, but none of us were smiling.  He was stuck, his bike immovable, the wheel damaged forever.  We had no other choice than to leave him and his broken ride alone, he was going to leave the bike, and hitch hike the rest of the way.  We wished him well and left...I hope he made it to the show.  I hoped we would too.

We never did.  Watkins Glen was overrun with people, cars everywhere, property being damaged-out of control.  It was after midnight, so tired and wasted we rode on, leaving the chaos and confusion behind us.  My first lane splitting experience.  And not on a freeway.  Sleeping on the porch of some summer cabins, until a helicopter woke us up, it was the Grateful Dead!  They had the best way in, we were barely awake, they waved, we nodded, and then nodded off.  And then the rains came...and the ghost of Woodstocks past had come for the weekend. 

The rest of the weekend turned into a long ride, my first adventure of following a direction instead of having a destination.  And across New York state we rode, turning around in Batavia, then riding south to Lewisburg, and bunking at BH’s old college Bucknell.  The weekend was appropriately named, except the Summer Jam of The Dead, The Band, and The Allman Bros. turned into a traffic jam, and but at least I can say we saw the Grateful Dead.  We felt bad leaving our stranded friend at the Y of the road, even though we left at his insistence, I can still see him holding his bent wheel.  And it could have been us...

Do unto others as you would have the do unto you, says the Golden Rule. And not even the contemporary distortion of he who has the gold rules could have helped him that night.  But we stopped, and at least he had someone to suffer with.  And many times in the future would I need help, and someone would stop.  Like angels sent from God, they have always appeared when we needed them.  A loving blend of the Golden Rule mixed with God’s grace.  So often we take scripture as it is written, with no input via the spirit.  The “God says it, I believe it, that settles it” mentality is really just being selfish.  Without love, you may get rescued, but then again you may not.  We never met the Good Samaritan, he of hated heritage, we don’t know who the victim was either.  Maybe his tire had gone flat.  But he was sent help via the spirit, saved or not.  For God loves us even while we were yet sinners, his love doesn’t start when our names become listed in the Lamb’s Book of Life.  But also nothing is said of the innkeeper, who took the wounded man in, and would care for him.  Yes he was paid, but only for the room, his responsibility ending there.  But here we really get to see Jesus in action, and scripture come alive, as it would later be written, that one planted, another watered, but God provided the growth. 

That night the man with the flat was the wounded, we came along and did what we could.  Sometimes as Christians we think we have to do it all, when God just has you do one thing, maybe just get the man to the inn.  Then the innkeeper, who had the place for recovery would take over.  We enact this by inviting someone to church, then it is the pastor’s job to save them, but that is a distortion.  Jesus calls us friends, we aren’t to just bring them in and leave them at the altar, but to love and continue to disciple as the spirit leads.  And only God knows the plan, we don’t.  We need to pay attention, or we could be the next flat tire that gets run over.  Or left for dead....or left behind.  Today you may only plant seeds of love, or you may pour water on them, showing the love of Christ.  Or you may be called to pray with someone, give them a ride, or listen to them, offering the wisdom of God.  Only do what God asks, nothing else.  Only Jesus saves, we are just the messenger.

So although we missed the concert, we were part the 600,000 people traffic jam.  Part of the problem, but yet in the midst of it all, we were able to help.  We did all we could, then it was up to the next guy.  We need to trust God, for my $10 that weekend I expected to see a show, and what I saw was a glimpse of God.  Still unsaved, I was able to later look back and see his hand on us, and already giving me a heart to serve.  To stop and offer assistance.  And to see him in action.  To see the fact that while we were yet sinners, Jesus died for us.  And in a strange twist, I did get to see the Grateful Dead.  Up close from the porch.  But what I really remember, was that bent rim, and the look of desperation on the guy’s face.  Do what you can today, stop when the spirit calls you to stop, and minister as needed.  We had ministered to him just by stopping, we took the time.  You may be in a jam now, he was, and thousands of people never took the time to stop.  Jesus took the time to stop for you, pass it on.  I kept the ticket from Ticketron, still have it.  One evening we were on the way to the show, the next moment on the side of it.  Some call AAA, I find it best to call on Jesus, before the ride.  He is always there for us, and there to get us out of a jam.  Summer or not.  But lastly, we were shown another scripture come to life, as we rode 500 miles in heavy rain.  The rain falls both on the just and the unjust.  But now I see how he protects both.  And in Christ I can now testify.  I wonder what the victim’s first words were when he woke up in the inn?  What would yours be?

love with compassion,

Mike

matthew25biker.blogspot.com

time capsules

Preparing for our trip this summer, I have been getting a newsletter from a little town, less than 5000, in Nebraska.  An hours drive from Omaha, the newsletter actually encompasses the entire county, and is filled with local news about local people.  On the coming events for this weekend is the opening of their time capsule from 1916, 100 years ago.  Of course no one will be around to enjoy how it was back then first hand, but the locals will get to see first hand how it really was, and the things they felt were important at the time.  I hope the next newsletter has pictures and memories from what is seen, and their responses to what is important now, compared to what was then.

Back in 1957, a car dealer in Oklahoma sealed a 1957 Plymouth Belvedere hardtop in a vault underground, to be opened 50 years later, 2007. Upon opening, they found the car, but had neglected to account for weather, moisture, and mud and corrosion had pretty much destroyed the car.  After cleaning it up, it still was a 1957 Plymouth, brand new, but was terribly ruined because of the lack of preparation.  What was hoped to be immaculate, and potentially valuable, turned out to be so worn that attempts to clean it up were stalled due to its deteriorating.  But still a newsworthy and interesting item.  I hope the folks in Plattsmouth, Nebraska had better foresight in 1916, I am looking forward to the results.

Much discussion is still prevalent today about the origins of the Bible.  From did God really inspire it, to who wrote it, to how it got passed down can cause many an argument among church folk, let alone heathens and those trying to discredit it.  But we need to go back to the author, who is God, and how by his spirit it was originally written, how it was passed down, and the responsibility of those it was handed to. First all scripture is inspired by God, not all religious writings.  God chose what he wanted in his word, for edification, knowledge, and to discipline us.  The ultimate answer to what the spirit was telling, it confirms in writing what we believe.  The scribes that had this job were given the mighty responsibility of letter by letter duplication, the Xerox copiers of the day.  Again inspired by God, they knew what they were coping was holy, and to be used for later generations.  Today with so many versions, from King James to New Living to NIV, NAS, and others, it is important to remember that God is not stupid. That only those true to him are the truth, while others who change words for meaning and add on to it are not.  The Book of Mormon and the Jehovah Witness book stand out.  They deny Jesus his place as deity, something God never does.  And from Genesis 1 to Revelation 22, the book is all about Jesus.  As the Alpha and the Omega, he was there in the beginning, and will be into eternity, the last.  A forever last with no end. 

And so we have been given this time capsule by the spirit to guide us.  Contemporary problems from BC to AD, from 33AD to 1916, to 2016, are all relevant today.  God never changes, we do, but sin never does.  And so we always will need a savior, and Jesus is eternal.  His grave is empty, the bones of Mohammed are in Medina, the bones of Confucius are in Shantung, and the cremated bones of Buddha are in Nepal.  Only an empty grave is found where Jesus was laid, and without his resurrection, the Bible tells us we would have nothing to preach on, our words would be hollow, and we would have no hope.  No other religion gives hope but Christianity, as foretold in the Bible, and then recorded as Jesus did.  1 Corinthians 15:12-19 brings the gospel home to us, and the importance of Jesus truly being the son of God.  And our savior.  And only the Bible faithfully, completely, and lovingly confirms it.  From the time the books were written, and contemporarily read, they were authenticated, and still are today.  An eternal time capsule protected by God for us.  Only God could preserve scrolls 3000 years old kept in a cave by the sea, while man 60 years ago couldn’t preserve a car.  Maybe the scripture bears more witness to that, as the things seen are temporal, the things not seen eternal.  Its all gonna burn, or rust, but only the spirit lives on.  And we can live on in it forever too, for with the promise of the resurrection of Jesus, because he did, we can too if we believe.  Our testimonies a time capsule to be shared.

So I look forward to seeing what was important on the prairie in Nebraska 100 years ago.  It has been said that the more things change, the more they stay the same, we’ll see.  Also this summer it is 100 years since the first women rode an Indian motorcycle across the US of A.  Their trip took a lot of extensive planning, and flexibility.  Riding in pants, they were once arrested for not wearing skirts as they rode.   They prepared and had a safe trip.  Are you prepared for the trip of life?  Or are you trusting man made ideas and things to carry you into the future?  The Bible is eternal, so is its author.  Who has given us his spirit to guide us into the future and heaven.  Don’t wait for your time capsule to be opened and find it was too late.  Today is the day of salvation, don’t miss it.  In 100 years, and forever, I will look forward to heaven from there.  Prepare now for the trip.  You will not be disappointed.  When the story of your life is examined, what will it say about Jesus Christ?  Or will you just be a poorly preserved 1957 Plymouth?  Only in Christ can you see into the future, which is where we will spend eternity.  Be prepared, and hope they find your grave empty.  An empty grave tells more about Jesus than a full one.  Absent in the body, present in the spirit....the people in Tulsa imagined a new car would be removed, what a surprise.  Don’t you be, suddenly it’s not 1957!

love with compassion,

Mike

matthew25biker.blogspot.com

what would your second wish be?

Our F150 was called into duty yesterday as a surrogate taxi, taking a friend to the doctor.  For the second time in two days, I was driving a four wheeled vehicle voluntarily, a Sunday afternoon ride through the hills in the Mustang Sunday with the top down, as opposed to being forced by weather, shopping, or people hauling.  But coming home on the freeway during rush hour, my mind kept looking at the motorcycles cruising by in the HOV lane, as I sat maintaining my 20 mph average.  And my mind started wondering, really wandering, and I wished I was riding.  And the catch lines of car ads, old and new started to entertain me.  Was there some subliminal message in them?  Or was I losing what was left of my frontal lobe activity due to non-use in a car?  “Have you driven a Ford lately?”  Yes.  But I rather be riding my motorcycle today.  “There’s a Ford in your future,” again a motorcycle waiting at home.  Passing by a BMW dealer, “the ultimate driving machine,” and suddenly their cars were a sad second to some of their great two wheel rides.  “See the USA in your Chevrolet,” I thought BSA, and the road being the destination, all day long.  Lee Iacocca once advised “if you can find a better made car, buy it.”  So like thousands of others, we did, we rode.  Even those Subaru commercials showing tree hugging flakes who shouldn’t be allowed to drive, they end in love.  How many treat their motorcycles better than their wife?  Kids?  Love?  We ride, because we love to, you drive because you are forced to.  “Wouldn’t you really rather have a Buick?” Not after seeing a few stuck in traffic.  Packard once advised “ask the man who owns one.”  How many ever ask the man who rides one.  GMC tells us their trucks are industrial grade.  Who wants to drive a work truck?  For fun?  Datsun, nee Nissan once told us they had “Major motion.”  They obviously never rode a Hayabusa.  “Oh what a feeling, Toyota?”  Answer me that Ms. Prius after giving up your manhood for mpg.  I’ll show you the feeling...  “Not your father’s Oldsmobile,” ever see a 4 door sedan motorcycle?  Station wagon?  Maybe it is better said “not your son’s motorcycle.”  “Fine Corinthian leather?”  Been wearing it for years.  A Chevy ad in 1969 showing a Corvette, and a 396 Camaro, brag “we’ll take on any two cars in this magazine.”  Notice they didn’t challenge a motorcycle.  And finally a Pontiac, RIP, ad, who used to advise us “we build excitement.”  And they did, with a 1970 GTO ad telling life is what you make it.  We have been making it on two wheels for years.  And suddenly I was home....

Traveling through the south, many churches have signs out front with clever sayings.  They are wanting you to come and visit, to find God, to see Jesus, and maybe join.  An evangelistic tool not seen out  here in Cali, but with entertainment value if nothing else when in the south.  “Walmart isn’t the only saving place.”  One church is “prayer conditioned.”  One advises “God wants spiritual fruits, not religious nuts.”  A Presbyterian church asks “having trouble sleeping?  Come hear one of our sermons.”  Another tells us they “love hurting people.”  Hmmm.... While yet another warns “honk if you love Jesus, text if you want to meet him.”  And finally, “don’t let worries kill you, let the church help.”  Creative, funny, eye catching, and sometimes they work.  But sad to me, for so many have gone the way of the world, trying to come up with ways to get people to church.  When the key to church growth is found in one simple sentence from scripture, “unless God builds the church, they labor in vain.”  Might as well be stuck in a car on the freeway.  You both will get home eventually, but you will never enjoy the ride.  Guess which one will enjoy it?

Have you ever met anyone who woke up one morning and said “today I am going to find God.”  It is the spirit who is calling us to Jesus, who tells us “you need Jesus,” and who brings us to answer the knock on the door that is him.  Ads are designed to get you into the store, then it is up to the sales force to make the sale.  But I wonder, what if the saying on the sign is the best part?  Like a movie trailer, 5 seconds of fun, 2 hours to catch up on sleep, at minimum wage.  Yet many are seeking God,  and come up short.  Fancy sayings, programs, and events are not bad things, but when the entertainment is over, people leave, just like after the movie ends.  It takes the spirit to save, but then to also guide and provide.  Salvation comes once and is instantaneous, we have a lifetime on earth preparing for heaven.  And we never know when we will be called home.  One day stuck in traffic, the next flying the friendly skies of heaven.  So beware of clever come ons, and rely on the spirit.  The same Jesus that saved you, will never leave you, and is always with you.  Just don’t try it in the HOV lane, “honest officer, Jesus is always with me.”  Or get ready for the breathalyzer test. 

The spirit is willing, the flesh is weak.  Salvation is not something that can be fully explained, it must be experienced so you know you are saved.  So the holy spirit can live inside you, and meet your needs.  So it is personal, not religious.  The difference may be as simple as being stuck in a car, and of passing by on a motorcycle.  Four wheels move the body, two wheels move the soul.  But the spirit is the wheels that move the soul, and without him life is a flat tire.  With traffic slowing to look at you.  Your sin may be causing a traffic jam, there is no isolated sin, it effects everyone!  And you cannot lane split your way to heaven, Jesus is the only way.  Jesus is not about clever advertising, but about truth and justice.  Not the American way like another visitor who came to earth with powers and abilities beyond those of mortal men.  And who doesn’t have to conceal his identity....yet he is mild mannered.  Maybe the gospel is out there and we are missing it?  Is it possible like the Bible says, “all things work together for those who love the Lord and are called?”  The spirit is calling...are you listening?

Many are called, few are chosen.  How will you know where you stand?  Go with Jesus, make no mistake then that you are chosen.  Long ago he knew, and has been seeking you.  Lexus may be “the relentless pursuit of perfection,” in Christ you have to seek no more.  You can be riding instead of dreaming.  Don’t pay more for a fancy religion when it is really just a fancy Toyota.  Get what you paid for, and Jesus paid it all.  Prices you cannot afford.  Cadillac may be the standard of the world, why not go with the one who created it.  If Jesus gave you two wishes, what would your second one be?  Don’t let the first one let you down.

love with compassion,

Mike

matthew25biker.blogspot.com

200 channels and nothing on to watch

My sons laugh when I tell them we had only the three major networks for TV growing up, along with three independents, and PBS.  And this was in the New York Metro area, where TV ruled the airwaves.  And it seems there was always something on to watch, we knew Friday nights at 730 pm was Wild, Wild, West, who didn’t love all the James Bond type gadgets?  And it was only after it went off the air we knew it was in color, we didn’t have a color TV yet.  Thursday nights at 830 pm we talked our parents into going where no man has gone before on Star Trek, opposite Bewitched.  Which had those cool Chevies used in the background, but Star Trek would win out as the all time favorite.  ABC nailed us on both Wednesday and Thursday nights with Batman, all the talk at Terrill Jr. High the next morning.  Entertaining, we were still too young to understand how campy it was.  Monday nights was more than the eternal question of Ginger or Mary Ann, it was between Gilligan’s Island or The Monkees.  And just to be reminded how popular they were, in 1967, the year of Sgt. Pepper, they outsold The Beatles. 

Sunday nights was dominated by The Ed Sullivan Show, especially when a rock group was scheduled, but what to watch before 8 o’clock?  Lassie was the choice for years, with predictable outcomes each week.  It seems so much was on, the decisions were tougher, and they made a difference back then.  But for my parents each weeknight from 830 to 1000 pm was The Merv Griffin Show, live from New York.  On channel 5, WNEW, many of us started to watch it, and his guests.  An early alternative, time wise that is to The Tonight Show, we were introduced to Moms Mabley, Rodney Dangerfield, Jack Douglas and his Oriental wife Reiko, and others who have become icons in comedy.  And with no VCRs yet, the decisions were tough, no remotes meant you watched the commercials, which were entertaining them also, and by 10 you were ready for bed, after their famous tagline “it’s 10 pm, do you know where your children are?”  No wonder we watch the old shows...

But today with 200+ channels to choose from, after surfing via remote, it is hard to find something on.  I have watched more Star Treks now than when it was first on.  Monkees reruns, four at a time, an evening of Batman, and even Johnny Carson is now on every night at 8 via reruns.   Miss Adam-12, Dragnet, Rockford Files, or Twilight Zone, they are all on every night, and in just one month you can watch an entire season.  Even if they conflict with today’s reality TV,which is really scripted, or too late at night and you can set you DVR.  And I started watching shows I didn’t watch when first on, and sadly am reminded why I didn’t in the first time around.  Kojak, come on Theo.  Cagney and Lacey, Barney Miller, Car 54, Where Are You? and others.  Set in New York City, how crime shows have changed in 30 years, only crime hasn’t.  So if not for the old shows, it is possible that there is nothing on.  Fortunately CHiPs is on every night when we sit down to dinner. 

These old shows allow us to look back and see how life was when we were kids, at least through the eyes of TV.  To us it was all new then, today too for a new generation.  We talk often of the first century church, the one of the book of Acts, and how it was different, how we wish we could be like it.  We like Acts 2:42, where the church devoted itself to teaching and prayer, and giving among themselves as needed.  A church I would like to attend.  They met in homes, small groups we would call them today, and scripture was shared via testimony, and what the apostles had taught.  No New Testament yet, they were living the New Testament, and I marvel at how they were able to function.  No Bibles to speak of, no internet for gathering information, no myriads of books for study, and no overheads with the words of the songs printed.  They were led by the spirit, who gave them everything they needed, and all they desired.  I have attended churches that take 20 years to go through the Bible, but yet have the same folk not walking in that spirit.  Too much info overload, not enough application of the love of Christ.  A word search on Blue Letter Bible can set up a pastor for weeks, we gain education experience, but maybe lack the spirit.  Too much of a good thing, and when younger we church hopped, based on what church was teaching what.  Just like our TV watching, we went for a certain entertainment value, and if we didn’t like it, went elsewhere.  It seems today too many are motivated by desires other than holy spirit based, rather satisfying the lust of a Biblical flesh rather than a spiritual based one.

But a few years ago when touring Brother Andrew’s Open Doors, I was told about a church where the Bible is forbidden, Christians cannot meet, and they move underground.  How they protect their pastor, because they don’t have any written word, they depend on him for knowledge, and guidance by the spirit.  But one part intrigued me, for this pastor has no Bible, but only one page from it, two sides to read and teach from.  He guards it well, for it is the only Bible he has, no discussion whether King James or NIV is better?  No concordance or index, he has 2 pages on one sheet of paper as his only Bible.  And yet after 20 years, he has only taught from one side of it!  No John 3:16, no Hebrews or Revelation to interest them, only the book of Acts.  He is relying on the spirit just like they did for input and what to teach.  Maybe a true first century church, in the 21st century!  No words in red of Jesus, only the apostles teaching of how they were with him, their testimonies.  Two sides of a page, and something is always on....

For them reading through the only Bible they have can take a few minutes, and they are blessed, whereas we brag how we read through in one year, and don’t live what we read.  Maybe we need to see how humbling, yet rewarding it is to walk in the spirit, instead of walking in the church.  Where Jesus is alive, and being caught can mean jail time or death.  No pretty pictures, no retreats, only lookouts for the police, to protect the pastor, as he has the page of the Bible they learn from.  A true form of less being more we all can learn from.  Maybe we need to ask ourselves, “it is 2016, do we know where our God is?”  Who he is?  And are we guided by his spirit?  Are there too many channels on with nothing worth watching?  If it works in a third world country, can it work in a country who sings “God shed his grace on thee?”  Who is Jesus in your life?  Are you taught to be guided by the spirit, or by a denomination?  By a popular pastor?  How would you describe your church?  Maybe in the words of Jamie Buckingham, years ago when healed by Jesus of cancer, when he was interviewed, the interviewer trying to find something to hype.  Jamie’s answer to all questions was the same, “all I know is Jesus.”  And in one statement, he said it all.  Don’t let it take cancer, open heart surgery, a financial ruin, or divorce to let you say “all I know is Jesus.”  Seek him today, and by his spirit you will be guided and see life anew.  One church has one page, yet there are never any reruns in the spirit.  Do you study the things of God as much as you do the TV Guide? 

Jesus never left you, never forsakes you, and is always new and exciting.  To some just another rerun of religion, to those alive in the spirit life and joy.  It’s 2016, Jesus know where you are, do you know him?  Before DVR’s you had to make a choice of what to watch, is he on your watch list now?

love with compassion,

Mike

matthew25biker.blogspot.com

free parking

Many a rainy New Jersey day was spent playing Monopoly as a kid.  When candy bars were a nickel, and a peek at Betty and Veronica was 12 cents, playing for big money was a big thing to us.  We were budding young land owners and land lords, even if we didn’t know what either meant.  We were out to make all the money we could and beat the other guys.  From 2-4 of us would play, and as we went would make up new rules to gather wealth.  Free parking, that space on the board that meant exactly that, where nothing happened, we changed.  We turned it into an early casino before Atlantic City, starting with $100 in the middle, for every fine paid, it went into the Free Parking fund instead of to the bank.  From $10 poor tax, to $200 big fines, it all went there, and could grow into big bucks.  And the next lucky guy to land there, got it all, tax free.  A huge windfall, before we used the word to describe anything but the willow that fell in our back yard during a storm, it was free money.  And the enterprising ones would add hotels, pay off the mortgages, and soon was on the way to winning it all.  Free parking was more than a rest stop between rival owned properties and paying rent, we turned it into a spot to be desired, with a reward tied to it.  Many a game turned after one of us stopped there, not in the rules of Monopoly, but in our neighborhood, and in many like it, free parking helped pay the rent.

Parking has become a problem in this US of A, as from $8 for 15 minutes in San Francisco, and no multiple bikes parked, to parking meters everywhere that now take credit cards, free parking seems to be a dying concept.  Parking meters, then pay to park lots, and now valet parking at restaurants, sporting events, and now even malls is popular.  Rather than park and hike a mile, we grin and bear the $5 to let some hormone enhanced teen park our precious car for us.  Do you think they are going to walk the mile back?  They rented all the good spots close, no free parking for them either.  Some places are even bending to pressure from motorcyclists, and providing motorcycle only spaces, where we can enjoy the benefits of parking our ride, closer, and with other bikes.  But although paid parking, now $20 to see the Chargers lose, is growing, many free spaces are available.  Like Disneyland for instance, I guess when you spend over $100 to enter the happiest place on earth, you ought to get something for it, besides the opportunity to stand in line all day.  Looking at a picture of the parking lot at Disneyland on opening day, 1955, it occurred to me that where do we park is very important.  And takes up a lot of space.  Drive around Qualcomm, it is more parking lot than stadium.  Same with malls, and funny how we don’t mind walking the malls with packages in hand, but grimace when we have to walk the parking lot to our cars.  So much land that is not revenue producing, maybe that explains the higher mall rental rates for tenants, all we want is a place to park for free.  How cool if they even came up with a Free Parking pot like we did in Monopoly, I bet people would even pay to park, hoping to get some money back.  I’m surprised Vegas hasn’t come up with this, sort of a Wheel of Fortune for parking.  With Vanna an added free feature.  Now if only I could remember where I parked my car?

We talk about freedom in church, talk about giving, then pass the collection plate.  Years ago I read about Ray Stedman passing a bucket on Wednesday nights, and if you needed some cash, reach in and take some.  Be honest, don’t steal, and if more needed, see a pastor.  A pleasant reversal on church themes of today.  And I always wanted to do it, and one weekend in Laughlin, speaking at a Triker rally was able to.  With unpredictable results.

After teaching, I passed the pot, using the example of Mr. Stedman.  Not fully trusting to God, I put in two $10 bills, just in case the first guys needed some, then passed it around.  After we were done, I gave what was left in the bag to the president, tradition says it was for me, for expenses, I was out on a limb here trusting God.  They were blown away, it seems the triker group was very poor, I didn’t know it, but should have guessed by the parking lot.  But later the president of this group came up to me in tears.  Many had only wanted a Sunday speaker as a token for the Christians at the rally, but this had changed many hearts.  And with the money, they had started a benevolent fund, something they had been talking about, but never had enough extra cash to initiate.  Now they did, and many were excited, and were going to use the principal of helping others need, starting at the club level.  A simple desire that God had placed in my heart 30 years earlier had become real, and I was blessed beyond words.  A simple giving, a simple trusting of God, had allowed me to be part of a blessing.  Many who were fussing how they would get home, low on gas funds, now could without worry.  And as the board talked, they were excited on how they now could help others.  In giving, we had all received.  Maybe we could approach our pastors with this story, have them initiate giving to the needy within their ranks, can I hear an AMEN?

Imagine if you would, getting something back from church?  When Jesus fed the 5000, he asked for no money, the food and the parking was free.  All he had was a kid’s meal from some kid, and look what he did.  He fed, ministered, and proved the miracle of giving, and its consequences.  When we give, we truly receive, and pass it on.  But it starts with Jesus, who loved us first, so we could love him.  Pray about giving more, not necessarily at church, but as you go.  Invite a mom and her kids in for a lunch.  Sit with them, maybe wait on them.  Give her a rest, and also a blessing.  Which is huge to her, but even bigger to you.  Free parking may give you a windfall in our version of Monopoly, but Jesus set the example in Matthew 25, feed the hungry, give water to the thirsty, clothe the naked, and visit those in jail and in hospitals.  Give of more than your money, and find if you give to the least of them, you are doing it unto Jesus.  And he never forgets.  What a better way to show the love of Christ than preaching at them.  Ministry should not be a mystery, it is simple meeting needs as we go.  And one Sunday in Laughlin it was for trikers. 

With an interesting payback for me.  When walking across the lot later, a man came up, and had bitterness towards the church, confusing it for Jesus.  He explained God had changed his heart towards him, and he saw a whole new side of Jesus in the giving.  He didn’t need the money, nor had he given, but was anxious to start back to church,and get close to God again.  One step of faith, following an example of giving, had changed his heart.  I call it evangelism, and I didn’t even know I was.  All I wanted to do was give based on a testimony I heard years ago.  And look at the fruit!

Go love on someone today, you will recognize the Lazarus God places before you, and act. You never know the eternal ramifications involved.  For you a few dollars and minutes of your time, for some an eternal decision for Christ.  Ministry is simply meeting the needs, for some salvation, some need a bed, some a meal, some a hug.  Some a place to park.  Jesus offers it all for free, so we can afford it.  He just uses us to minister his blessings.  If a woman can afford a few cents, don’t you think you can afford a few minutes?  Don’t let Jesus have a Monopoly on giving.

love with compassion,

Mike

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