.
The day had started out like most fall mornings, with frost heavy on the last of the green grass. Lawn chairs now look out of place sitting lonely in the back yard. The vine winding it’s way through the fence is covered in a silvery coat of what is to come.
I sometimes find it difficult to ignore the whispers of winter yet refuse to except it as my future. Then one day I awake to find a cold suffocating blanket of white death has conquered the last warriors of warmth and buried them where they will remain until winter moves on. Now, I am fully aware that this blanket of depression to me is someone else's prize of winter bliss. But I must be honest with myself and those reading this and proclaim that I am a southern boy and don’t mind telling you that winter is a struggle for me. So, this particular morning I am thrilled that the forecast tells me that the sun will hold off winter for yet another day and allow me to roll the bike out of the garage and ride.
A few hours pass while a handful of bikers sit in the clubhouse and sip coffee and share stories and struggles while the suns warmth raises the temps to an acceptable riding level. Then it’s down the road we go, headed to a small cafe that makes a very good bowl of soup. I find myself looking forward to the warmth of the cafe as the east wind creeps its way through my jacket and gloves. The leather vest is little protection from the biting sting of cold as it fights to get to the skin hiding under the layers of leather and cloth. Somehow I still find the ride fun and exhilarating. I always feel so alive and free when I am riding the last few rides of the season. As if I have stolen back the day from the would be thief.
Most of the fields have been harvested leaving the rolling hills lying naked and open. Broken stalks and empty corn husks litter the ground where just a few weeks ago perfectly planted rows of crop stood tall. The ground seems to be waiting for the cold northern air to bring the blanket that will cover it for the next 4-5 months.
As our motorcycles thunder down the road I consider the sowing and reaping ritual of the farmer who prepared the soil and then carefully placed the seed in the ground. Did he consider the orchestrated effort of the soil and seed fighting the elements to yield a crop? Do I consider the orchestration of sowing and reaping that plays out in my life?
I ponder how I spend little time sowing the love of Jesus and then wonder why the harvest is so spars. What seed am I sowing. Am I sowing a crop worth harvesting or am I actually planting those weeds of doubt and thistles of pain in peoples life?
I think we all go through life planting seed of some kind. I'm afraid however, I too often plant seeds of doubt or fear and then drown them with torrential storms of worry and complaints. I question whether I keep my eyes open for good soil that God has prepared where I could plant a seed of hope.
Jesus said we often harvest a crop that we did not labor to sow. What a blessing to share in the harvest. To know that we might play a part in someone finding the love of God in the day is such a blessing.
So in the future, as I travel life's road as it twists through the fields of coworkers and neighbors. I pray that God opens my eyes to see the fields white with harvest. To know when the time is right to plant and when to reap. To water with words of encouragement and hope.
The sun seems warm on my back now as we roll to a stop in the small cafe parking lot. Just inside the door I can see folks sipping coffee and enjoying a hot bowl of soup. I silently ask God for wisdom and the eye of the farmer.
Always ride the narrow road and stop in and see us again.
Larry
.
The weather was a little chilly, but in October you have to get the rides in when you can. At least the wind wasn’t blowing at 30 mph like it had been for the last week.
The ride began with a short ride over to Sarge's under a blue sky afternoon. Sarge was more than pleased to seize the opportunity to ride his new bike. We headed south out of the cities toward farm country.
The ride turned out to be fantastic as we slowly rode through the rolling hills and twisting back roads. The ride couldn’t have been better that day. Why, we even had a bowl of soup in a small town deli. I can honestly say the local folks were as nice as I have ever met and the squash soup; outstanding.
But, I can’t help wondering what I missed. I’m sure there was a missed opportunity out there that day.
I think of how in the book of John chapter 4, Jesus and His disciples were traveling from Judea to Galilee and had to pass through Samaria. The disciples had gone into the city to buy food for the journey while Jesus sat by a well waiting for them. It didn’t take long before a Samaritan woman came to the well to fill her water pot. Jesus recognized the opportunity to minister to her in a way only God could. When the disciples returned they were ready to continue with their plans and complete the journey.
Then Jesus said to them.
“Do you not say, ‘There are four months, and then comes the harvest’?”
Soon after Jesus said this, the Samaritan woman brought many of the town’s people to meet this Man that she had met. The scriptures go on to tell us that many lives were positively changed.
I have struggled for a long time with what Jesus meant by this. But, I think I get it now. You see the disciples were so fixated on getting to Galilee to do good works that they failed to notice the opportunity to be a healing balm to someone hurting right in front of them. Too often I march toward events that may be months away while trampling the seeds around me that have sprouted and are ready to harvest. I must quit fixating on 4 months down the road and return to living each second.
By God's grace I will:
1. Have open ears so I can hear the pain in people’s voices and respond to God's call to action.
2. Return to living each moment with open eyes and watch for the opportunity to be His hands.
3. Be willing to set my own agenda aside and put the needs of others before my own.
4. Be obedient to my heart when it says to be Jesus to someone.
Remember to always ride the narrow road and stop in and see us again.
Your Brother Larry.
.
God has been teaching me and showing a lot lately about the faithful and unseen hand that he has in my life. As I often ponder why he even cares about me, I have come to the realization that no matter how bad I screw up and how bad of a testimony for Christ I can be, that He is right there with me. I have also realized that if I remain faithful to Him and reaching out to others no matter what, God will still use me. I think as Christians we stop at the feelings of failure and never move forward.
We forget that in every aspect of our lives, we exercise faith. We sit on a motorcycle, having faith that it won’t fall apart when we sit on it. When we are pulling up to a green light, we trust that cars coming the other way will stop because those drivers are facing a red light. When we compare that faith to the spiritual realm, however, some of us, including myself feel or think that we have anything really substantial on which to base our trust. No matter how we let the devil rake us over the coals with our thoughts of worthlessness, well simply put – that’s just not the case!
In the book of Hebrews, chapter 11 Paul mentions to the Hebrews in his letters to them about some different men like Noah, Abraham, Enoch, Abel, Moses, Jacob, etc.. and the list goes on, about the unseen faith they had to have to accomplish the things God called them to do. In the first verse of this chapter it says: “FAITH is being sure of what we hoped for and certain of what we do not see”. Somehow in this Western Culture we have come up with a list of things we need to do to be good little Christians, which quite frankly is a box I do not fit into very well. We end up judging ourselves by the list and not by God’s standard.
In many cases we become holier than Christ. The hard thing is, is that certain religions have these lists of what you should do or shouldn’t do, what standards you are lacking, or why bad things happen in your life, and have a million scriptures to back it up with, with there own interpretations. Pastors are very guilty of this as well as the rest of us. The Bible is not a weapon folks, and should be used for encouragement not damnation! I can honestly say that about 70% of
church services I attend make me feel bad and all the things I need to be changing. It makes me sick because I am tired of that. I do not like being manipulated into things. This may sound strange coming from a Pastor, but the point I am getting at here is if we have the hope in the substance we can’t see and have faith, then the way we see ourselves and the way we judge others will have a lot more grace involved. That’s the only way we can change the church and the world. Otherwise the Church will continue to diminish.
I could go on forever about my opinion of the state of our modern day church, but I will stop. I forget that there is a spiritual realm out there that I can’t see. God has given me tons of examples about His power, love, and faithfulness. If you look at nature you can really see the creativity and power of God. If you look at the life and sacrifice of Christ’s life you can gain understanding of what His purpose for us is. Still, faith, by its nature, remains a mystery. The choice to trust Him today, however, is our challenge. We don’t see Him, and we don’t audibly hear Him, but God has given each of us a sense that He is there and that we can trust Him. The more I think I am failing God, the more these thoughts help me stay strong and stay in this fight.
Please remember this, that true FAITH stands on the past and reaches out for the future, trusting that what God did in the past He will do one more time ---- for me .. See you on the road!
Thanks for taking the time,
Will
Aka. Scootman
.
I spent hours tonight struggling with the question “what must I do to be saved.” This question has been asked by many. As a matter of fact I found many times in the New Testament when this question is asked it is answered in a variety of ways.
To one who inquires the answer is “You must be born again.” To another, “You must sell all you have and give the money to the poor.” And yet in another instance Paul tells the jailer “You must believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.”
These are just a few of hundreds of examples. Why is this so confusing? Why can’t there simply be a formula that is clearly spelled out in scripture? I mean, doesn’t this make sense to you? If you want to arrive somewhere you simply follow the directions to get there.
However, I think we must keep in mind that man has found himself owing a debt that he is unable to pay.
You see, the Bible tells us that “….the wages of sin is death.” So, the sin that I find myself living in can only bring death. In other words, if I plant beans I cannot reap corn. If I sow sin I reap death. This is the law of this life. So how do I get around this law of sin and death? The truth is I can’t. This is where Jesus comes in. He lived a sinless life and died for my sins. He literally paid the debt that I owed.
So, this puts us back to the beginning. What must I do to be saved? Well in the book of Luke that I spoke of earlier, it was a rich young ruler that Jesus told “you must sell all you have and give the money to the poor.” Jesus said this to him because He knew the young man trusted in his wealth and felt he needed nothing else. I think when we come to the end of our rope and turn to Him, He will speak very clearly to us. He is a personal savior. He knows where we place our values. He will expose our true self. He will allow us to see ourselves for who we really are. Then, He accepts us while we are dirty, lost and broken. We don’t need to clean up and then come to Him because we cannot clean ourselves up without Him. He will softly whisper to you. “Come to me and I will give you rest.” More beautiful words have never been spoken.
So, take the time now to ask Him to reveal to you what you need to clean up. He waits to join us in the task. He is the best Daddy we will ever know.
Remember to always ride the narrow road and stop in and see us again.
Your traveling companion, Larry
.
A sunny morning with no wind was a temptation stronger than I was able to fight off. So even though the temps were hovering around 45 degrees I found myself straddling my steel horse thundering down the hill toward the river. A quick inspection of the river showed promise that the snow was melting up north. However, this annual melting up north causes the river down here to swell sending the runoff over the riverbanks making the road impassable. It’s a tradeoff I am willing to endure if it introduces our long awaited riding season. So instead of the usual left turn at the bottom of the hill I turned right and rolled to the intersection to wait for my light to turn green. The sun was now putting out some welcome warmth that felt good on the side of my face. For just a second I closed my eyes and enjoyed the Spring warmth.
Before I opened my eyes the warmth disappeared and a chill swept across my face. Opening my eyes I noticed a truck had rolled up next to me blocking out the sunlight and leaving me sitting in the cold shadow of this oversized load. I thought of how sitting in that shadow was uncomfortable and not a fun place to be. As soon as the light turned green I accelerated and broke from the shadow and back into the sun. I thought about how being hit by the truck would have meant certain death. However, swallowed up by the shadow only meant discomfort for a short time. That’s when I thought about the verse in the 23rd Psalm that reminds us to cling to the promise that He will never leave us. “Yes, even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for though art with me.”
You see, Christ died carrying all of the sin of man. The bible tells us He was carrying the iniquities of us all. He tasted death, Hell and the grave so that I don’t have to. If we continue the truck and shadow analogy then we could say. Christ was hit by the truck so that I must only pass through its shadow. It is sin which gives death its power to claim us and God has forgiven my sin through the death and resurrection of His son Jesus who I have accepted as the payment for my sin. When Jesus died on the cross the price of sin was paid once and for all of us.
Isaiah 53:4-6 says:
4.Surely he took up our infirmities
and carried our sorrows,
yet we considered him stricken by God,
smitten by him, and afflicted.
5But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
6We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
Because of Jesus death, death, Hell and the grave has no right to me and cannot claim me. I think Corinthians says it best:
Corinthians 15:54-55
54 Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled: "Death is swallowed up in victory.
55 O death, where is your sting?
Now don’t get me wrong, we all have that date in our future when we will walk through the valley of the shadow of death. However, we don’t have to walk it alone. All we have to do is ask Christ to be our shepherd and He promised he would walk with us.
Thank you Jesus!
Well, for the rest of this ride I am going to try and stay on the sunny side of these big trucks. The sun feels so good after a long cold winter. It’s amazing the thoughts that roll through this bald head as I’m riding. But I am so grateful that God shows His children the path and never stops leading. I just need to pay more attention to Him and stop looking for my own way all the time. As a great man once said, “Patience grasshopper.”
Remember to always ride the narrow road and stop in and see us again.
You riding companion, Larry
.
Some times for me I feel like I am just going through life and nothing I am doing seems to be working. But all of a sudden “Bam”, God keeps his promise to me, which is the same promise he keeps to all of us if we keep our eyes focused on him. It’s not easy, it is very hard. You will not understand this unless you go through some more difficult situations that God allows to happen in your life. One of my most favorite verses in the Bible is found in Isaiah 40:31,
“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint”.
What that tells us is that no matter what the Lord will restore us if we put our trust in him. So why do we have a hard time doing that? The Christian life isn’t a self-help program. (Which I know goes against popular belief) We aren’t given a set of exercises to perform in order to achieve results. Instead, God works in our hearts and changes us from the inside out, transforming our desires and motives so that our new choices in behavior will be genuine and not fake.
For instance, many of you know that the past year and a half or so has been pretty rough financially for my wife and me. We have been pretty frugal clipping coupons, only getting what we need, and standing on God’s promise to us to always provide for our needs. That is not to say that we didn’t do our part. I got advice from a career counselor and put together a smokin’ resume. I put my resume out there and went on a few interviews. A few weeks ago I went on this interview out of state. It was a pretty good chance that I was going to be hired. During the process we could not agree on something and it was abruptly stopped with both of us agreeing that this would not be a job for me.
On my way home God was speaking to me and telling me that he didn’t want this for my life. He showed me that I would not be able to be involved with the motorcycle ministry, and rarely would I have the opportunity to lead people to Christ. I have grown to love and the respect the men that I am involved with. They are like my extended family and I would miss them dearly. Even though I was bummed that the job thing went sour, I was so happy that God was speaking these things into my life. My strength was renewed! Even though I had no prospect of work in the future, I was content that I was doing what the Lord wanted me to.
Wait, literally when I got home I received a phone call from a client that they were purchasing a property and that it would get me and my crews back to work. That’s not all; next week another one is being purchased by another client, and I will be even more busy. Then there is a good chance that in the middle to end summer a project double the size of the two I am working on now I have a good shot at. Wow!! God is so good and always faithful. But I had to do my part by looking, praying, and believing that he would come through for me. Oh, did I mention that we are getting closer to someone buying our home? Jesus loves to bless his children.
My point to telling you this is even though Christ transforms our hearts, we must take responsibility to recognize selfish motives and actions which means making our will, God’s will. When we consider those thoughts or actions to be dead and replace them with God-honoring thoughts and behaviors the Christian life, then, is lived at the moment of choice when we pick life over death and Christ over our selfish demands.
We may be confused from time to time, and we may be disappointed that we aren’t changing as fast as we’d like, but we can take heart that Christ Himself has taken up residence inside us. As we pay closer attention to His instructions and trust Him to use us, we’ll slowly but surely take on more of his character. We’ll love people with His love, serve with His humility, and stay STRONG in HOPE of the future because we remember the promise of the Resurrection.
There are a few thoughts of encouragement I would like to leave you with from some well known Christian authors.
“Failure doesn’t mean God has abandoned you … it does mean God has a better idea!” --Robert Schuller (pastor and author)
“When your number one goal in life is to die to yourself and put God first, you can rest assured you have a goal that will last a life time.” – Zig Ziglar
In closing, this may sound cliché, but God will always be the only steady thing in your life. Every thing else will disappoint you, mislead you, or not always be on your side. God our Father is always in your corner. So the sooner you get with the program the more joy you will have in your life.
God, thank you that you will always be bigger than the challenges in my life.
Your brother in Christ,
Will
.
What is Faith? We sometimes ask that to ourselves or question others or our own Faith. Faith to me is my constant and confident belief in our Lord...without needing any physical proof. It is the trust that my heart and soul hold with conviction of the power of God's will for me even though it is unseen by the human eye both physically and tangibly.
Faith in our Lord, Jesus Christ, enables us as humans to overcome our weaknesses..My Faith in God's will, power, mercy and grace has opened my eyes as if I had been blind. It's opened my heart & soul and enabled me to admit my sins and offer me a life of humility and gratitude. I have been re-born and have awaken to a new day, a new me, a new life with Christ. I have been brought to this place in my life by Faith and it has saved me from the perils of the dark side.
Faith is truly an individual journey from within one's self but given to us as a gift from God. We cannot "give" someone the gift of Faith--only God can. Faith is an ability to connect spiritually with God by truly giving of one's self, by opening our hearts to the world, by taking risks, helping a neighbor, or holding a child's hand. It's the belief in a perfect sunrise, a better tomorrow, or an unseen miracle. It's about asking for forgiveness and listening, listening to the "word"......Romans 10.17...Faith comes by hearing and "hearing" itself, comes by the "word" of God. And thus we call out, from the depth and from consciousness, for salvation. Romans 10.13.....Whoever calls on the name of the Lord, will be saved.
Let our Faith Brothers, be used as an instrument to seek out God's will for us on our journey we call Life. Let us open our eyes as we are blessed to enjoy the open roads we travel mile after mile into the light of days as we ride together. There will be bumps in the road, detours, even dead ends along the way, but our relentless Faith in the Lord above will keep us on the straight & narrow, keep us safe along the way, and when we return home from the roads less traveled, we can look in the mirror, like what we see, and look forward to the coming day.
MP (Michael)
