The
Son-o-Gram --Motorcycling with Jesus!
Volume 4 Number2 Winter 2004
Greetings....
We're
back! Hello once again out there in Son-O-Gram land. An apology
seems to be our 1st order of business.
The
printed version of the Son-O-Gram was, until recently, in danger of extinction;
leaving the electronic version as our only means of reaching you. But,
(Praise God) just as I was about to throw in the towel, Pastor Scott and the
kind folks at New Vision Fellowship (Madison, NC) stepped forward to rescue our
enterprise by offering to sponsor the Son-O-Gram! Thank You Pastor Scott
and NVF!! However, some of you were left out of our last mailing and for
that we are truly sorry. We try to avoid such mistakes, but occasionally
we fail. Bear with us as we continue to change by adding new features,
articles and editorials on a quarterly basis (or seasonal, if you prefer) in an
attempt to serve you - our readers - better. So with out further adieu - on with
the show.
Dateline
: August 8th 2004
On a
warm sunny Sunday morning, well over 100 motorcyclists and their machines
gathered at Jimmy's Cycle Sales in Bassett, VA for the 2nd annual Jennifer Short
Memorial Ride.
This ride was
established to keep the tragic unsolved murder of Jennifer and her family in the
public’s eye. Hopefully this raised awareness will prod someone with
information to come forward and help solve the case.
In
case you were on Mars or don't remember, the Short family murders dominated
the local news for months and attracted national attention as well.
Jennifer, 8 years old at the time was abducted from her home in Henry County,
VA and murdered. Also, her parents were both killed. Unfortunately
these days, gruesome crimes happen too often, even in Small-town, USA.
This one
happened close to home and Jennifer's body was found near a rural bridge outside
of Madison, NC, where I lived for many years. This ride seemed to be a
tailor made good cause event in which to participate.
Many
others must have had the same inclination as well, because it was a very
diverse group made up of many makes of bikes, all age groups and numerous
law enforcement agents including our own Sheriff, Sam Page.
All the
local TV stations were represented, with about 5 remote broadcast set-ups and
lots of reporters and photographers mingling among the bikes and bikers. They
also filmed us as we cruised down US 220 South to the Jennifer Short Memorial
Bridge (so named because it is where her body was found). Here we all gathered
for a brief but very moving service. My hat is off to all who planned
and co-coordinated this ride - well done.
Riding
along in a group (police escorted or not) is always fun, getting you pumped up
with all the shining chrome, rumbling pipes and - you know, the brotherhood
thing - it always gets to me and probably does you, too, don't it?
(especially when it's a Big procession!)
One
thing can be said for the biker crowd, we may have many different brand
preferences, riding styles, income levels, religious and political beliefs - but
as diverse a group as we are - we always seem to put those differences
aside and ride together to raise money for fallen comrades, charitable
organizations, kids or victims like Jennifer Short.
It makes
me glad to be one among many who love two wheeled travel. If you
haven't ridden in such an event lately, please do - soon. Get involved by
combining your love of riding with a desire to help someone - make a
difference.
That's
what we are trying to do with the Son-O-Gram. We want to make a
difference in your lives by combining our love of riding with our love for
Jesus. Hopefully by getting involved - you, dear reader - will
develop a love for both also (if you haven't already).
We know
you love motorcycles already, now, get on board with Jesus too! It's the
best of both worlds!
--------Soy
He Would Have Ridden A Harley
(Or Would He?)
Some
people say (and I've read articles) that Jesus would be a Harley rider. I
don't want to argue the point or cause a controversy, but read on as I search
the Bible to answer the question "What would Jesus Ride?"
OK, I'm back from digging around in the Bible for some answers to our
question, (trust me, it took awhile). I'm going to give you the
abbreviated list of findings but please look 'em up for yourself. Naturally
there would be no direct reference to motorcycles per/se so we'll examine
related themes.
There are MANY Bible references to 1: ride. 2: rides, 3: rode, 4: wheels,
and 5: chariots of various description, just to name a few. Now get out
your Bibles (you do have one I hope) and go to--
ISAIAH 58:14
- ..."delight yourself in the Lord, and I will cause you to ride on the
high hills of the earth". Hmmm, sounds like fun. Read on.
Turn to--
ISAIAH 19:1
- " Behold, the LORD rides on a swift cloud". Clouds are cool so
go to--
PSALM 68:4
..."Extol HIM who rides on the clouds". If you've been at a high
enough elevation in the mountains, surely you've ridden in the clouds as have I,
but ON the clouds? Now that is some serious riding! Okay, now try PSALM
18:10 ..."And He rode upon a cherub and flew, He flew upon the wings of
the wind". I've never ridden a cherub, have you? Anybody know
who makes cherubs? We should all be able to relate to being on the wings
of the wind!! Now In--
2nd KINGS 2:
11 you read where the
prophet Elijah "went up to heaven on a chariot of fire" with
horses of fire" - sounds like my old Kawasaki. And In--
JOSHUA 17:
18 we find
..."the Canaanites, they have iron chariots and are strong". And
finally go to--
EZEKIEL 1:
16 - 21 (this is one of
my favorites) ..." for the spirit of the living creatures was in the
wheels". Now isn't that the epitome of motorcycling? - for your very
spirit to be in the wheels?!
And here comes the shocker (or maybe not) from all this research -
knowing how strongly we feel about brand loyalty - (now don't stone me) I could
find absolutely NO mention of Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha, Indian, Ducati, Norton, BSA
and no mention of Harley Davidson. I know that last one is particularly
disheartening for a lot of you. As a matter of fact, the closest mention I
could find to anything even resembling "hogs" was in MATTHEW 8: 30-32
- a recounting of some pork-bellies that were demon possessed and considered
crazy. Well, somehow, that seems to fit the image of some bikers I know!
(HA).
And now we come down to--
PSALM 47:1
... "Shout to God with the voice of Triumph". Now we're
getting somewhere! And in
EXODUS 15: 1
we read ... " I will sing to the Lord for He has triumphed
gloriously"... We're almost done - so open up to
1st
CORINTHIANS 15: 57
"But thanks be to God who gives us the Victory through OUR
LORD JESUS CHRIST.."
So there you have it - He rides the clouds, He will Triumph but we
get a Victory through Jesus and that's better than ANY brand bike we'll
ever have!!!
He ate with the hated tax collectors and all kinds of outcasts. He
associated with women of ill repute and people from the wrong side of the
tracks, drank wine with rabble-rouser's, mingled with the sick and chatted with
the loonies and demon possessed (to heal them all), and He died between two
thieves. That leads me to believe He would even hang out (and accept) all
biker types - so do you really think it matters what He would ride, or that it
would matter to Him what you ride?
Folks, GOD is real, heaven and hell are real places, Jesus is real (and
alive!) and coming back one day!!! Therefore you can be lost and get
tossed, or you can be found and get crowned!!! (look it up) Join Jesus and
one day we'll ride some clouds together with Him!!! Now that’s got to be
the ultimate ride.!!!
Reminiscing:
...then there was the time that I was on the old KZ and a young friend -
"Bubba” Gann, was on his dual purpose scoot. We were having a great
Saturday or Sunday afternoon ride in the beautiful, curvy hills of Stokes County
around Hanging Rock. All was
going well until we began our return trip for home. Coming out of Danbury
on Delta Church Road we veered off to the right onto Phillips Road. For
those of you familiar with the area, nothing more needs to be said - but for you
unfamiliar with Phillips Road, lets say it can be challenging in areas even at a
moderate pace. Anyway,
Bubba managed to keep up fairly well and I tried to keep the speed down.
Almost as soon as you get onto Phillips you encounter a really sharp downhill
right hander. I must have been going faster than I realized because as I
began my turn it quickly became clear that me and the Z weren't going to make it
without crossing the yellow into the opposite lane. Grabbing all the
mediocre brakes the Z had did slow us some but not enough to stay in the right
lane. Thank GOD nothing was coming, so I made the turn and got back over
where I belonged. Being
somewhat concerned now about my young riding companion also having trouble, I
slowed to a near stop and gazed into the rear view to observe. Sure
enough, about 20 seconds later here comes Bubba. It became obvious
instantly that his troubles were worse than mine. As I watched in horror,
Bubba went all the way off the pavement on the left, lost control; then both he
and the bike did a couple of flips!!! As quickly as possible I got back up
the hill and rushed to his side. Talk about scary! - Bubba was
unconscious, his eyes rolled back and he began convulsing and flopping like a
fish outta water!! And here we were in the boonies. I cried out to
GOD, "don't let him die - send help"!! In just a couple of
minutes (seemed like forever) a pickup truck came around the bend and stopped.
This dude was an EMT with a two way radio and he called for help. In short
order an ambulance arrived and Bubba was transported to the emergency room at
Baptist Hospital in Winston. After
calling his parents to inform them of the situation the EMT guys and I loaded up
Bubba's scoot and I headed for Winston Salem. As I
came into the waiting room at the ER I saw that Boyce and Karen (Bubbas folks)
were already there, anxiously awaiting word of their sons condition. I'll
never forget the look on her face or the words she uttered as I approached and
we made eye contact - "I should have known Bubba would be out somewhere
with you". (or something similar). Talk about feeling about 2 inches
tall. It's enough to make ya want to bury your head in shame! Anyway,
a little later Bubba was released, cut up, patched up and bruised but with no
serious injuries. Thank you Jesus! (and that ended our riding together). Lets
see, there must be a lesson or a moral here. How’s about - mama's don't
let you babies grow up to ride with soybeans?? NO, no that can't be it,
although it seems to be good advice at times! Try this one instead - when
riding with a group, always stay within your limits. There may be faster,
more experienced riders as well as faster machines in front of you. Don't
feel as though you have to keep up - you have nothing to prove to anyone.
If you're riding with anyone with any manners or experience, you will already
know the pre-arranged stops and they will wait for you at intersections and stop
signs!! So, ride
with a group, but keep your own pace, make some new friends and ENJOY the open
road, safely! --Till next time The
New Organist The minister was preoccupied with thoughts of how he was going
to, after the worship service, ask the congregation
to come up with more money than they were expecting for repairs to the church
building. Then "Brothers and Sisters, we are in great difficulty; the roof
repairs cost twice as much as we expected, and we need $4,000 more. Any of
you who can pledge $100 or more, please stand up." And that is
how the substitute became the regular organist! There
are two kinds of people in the world.
Scott and his Vulcan Merry
Christmas and Happy New Year from
the staff of the Son-o-Gram and
from New
Vision Fellowship And
don’t forget the reason for the holiday, Keeping the Faith by
Michael Leffew
I
am a “child of the 60’s”, the “peace and love” generation. We were
going to be the generation to change the world and change it for the better. One
of the things we were going to fix is racism. Racism and prejudice would have no
place in our brave, new world. I
remember segregation. I remember “Whites Only” signs at public places. Even
though the Supreme Court ruled that segregation in schools was unconstitutional
in 1954, it was 1964 before I had a class that was not all white. Anyone who
remembers these things must admit that we have, indeed, come a long way from
those times, but we’ve still got a ways to go, and anyone who looks at it
truthfully will have to admit that. Maybe my grandchildren’s generation will
finally be the ones to put this behind them and go forth to that time when, as
Dr. King put it, they can “live in a nation where
they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their
character.” Let’s hope so. OK,
this is a Bible study column, so let’s see what the Word has to say about this
subject. To start with, we are ALL (according to the Bible) descended from Adam
and Eve (Gen 3:20), descended from Noah (He and his family were all that
survived the flood Gen 8:23) and of one blood (Acts 17:26) so it follows that we
are all related, hence all of the same “race”.
What “race” was Adam? The Bible doesn’t say, but the Hebrew root
word that is translated “Adam” is the same word that later is translated
“Edom” and means “red”. Doesn’t sound like a “white” man does it?
I hate to shake your beliefs but Jesus was probably not “white”
either. Whatever color someone is,
the Bible says there is only one race, so “racism” itself is a ridiculous
idea. Genesis
6:9 says that Noah was “perfect in his generations”. Some have used this to
say he was “racially pure”. According
to the story of the ark, Noah’s father Lamech and grandfather, Methuselah,
were alive at the time Noah entered the ark. If
“perfect in his generations” meant racially pure, and this was the
reason he was spared when the rest of the “racially mixed” people were
destroyed, explain how his grandfather and father could be racially mixed and he
be pure. Yet, they were destroyed in the flood along with the rest of creation.
(Methuselah died the day of the flood, but the point is this: if he was
“racially pure” and this was the criteria for being spared, why was he not
spared? And if he was not “pure” how could his offspring, Noah, be
“pure”?) What
does the Word say about how we are to treat one another in regards to
“race”? 1 Samuel 16:7 says God looks at the heart while man looks at the
outward appearance. We should try to be more like God. There are many verses
that have been used over the years to justify a position against “mixing
races” that when examined will prove to be not about racial mixing at all, but
about mixing believers and nonbelievers. Exodus 34:10-16 and Deuteronomy 7:1-6
both prohibit the Israelite’s mixing with the peoples that were in the land
before them, but they are clearly for religious, not racial reasons. In the New
Testament, 2 Corinthians 6:14 commands us not to be unequally yoked with
unbelievers. Moses was one of the greatest heroes of the Bible, so important
that at the transfiguration he appeared with Elijah and Jesus. Moses, according
to the Bible, married a black woman. That’s right, she was an Ethiopian, an
African. Another Ethiopian, this time the Ethiopian eunuch, was one of the first
converts to Christianity when Phillip (Acts 8:26-40) baptized him on the road.
Jesus’s parable about the good Samaritan is a study in how we are to act
toward others (Luke 10:30-37). Jesus’s conversation with the woman at the well
is his example of how to treat others, his disciples would not have even talked
with this woman, she was a woman and a Samaritan, both of which, they felt, put
her “below” them (John 4:9-42). There
are many more examples in the Bible concerning this topic, but the bottom line
is we are all created in God’s image and to put someone down for how He
created them is to insult God! And, finally this, Galatians 3:28 says “There
is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one
in Christ Jesus.” (NIV) Vaya
con Dios
References: Gen 3:20 And Adam called
his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living. Gen 7:23 And
every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both
man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they
were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were
with him in the ark. Deuteronomy 7:1 When the LORD thy
God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and hath
cast out many nations before thee, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the
Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the
Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than thou;2 And
when the LORD thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, and
utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto
them:3 Neither shalt thou make marriages with them;
thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take
unto thy son.4 For they will turn away thy son from
following me, that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the LORD be
kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly.5 But
thus shall ye deal with them; ye shall destroy their altars, and break down
their images, and cut down their groves, and burn their graven images with fire.6 For
thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee
to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of
the earth. Luke 10:30 And Jesus
answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell
among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed,
leaving him half dead.31 And by chance there came
down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other
side.32 And likewise a Levite, when he was at the
place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.33 But
a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he
had compassion on him,34 And went to him, and bound
up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and
brought him to an inn, and took care of him.35 And
on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the
host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more,
when I come again, I will repay thee.36 Which now of
these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?
New
Vision Fellowship Praise
Team CD’s Make
Great Gifts! Get
Yours Today!
Minn. Trooper Writes WABASHA, Minn. - With a State Patrol airplane overhead, a
motorcyclist hit the throttle and possibly set the informal record for the
fastest speeding ticket in Minnesota history: 205 mph. On Saturday afternoon,
State Patrol pilot Al Loney was flying near Wabasha, in southeastern Minnesota
on the Wisconsin border, watching two motorcyclists racing along U.S. Highway
61. When one of the riders
shot forward, Loney was ready with his stopwatch. He clicked it once when the
motorcycle reached a white marker on the road and again a quarter-mile later.
The watch read 4.39 seconds, which Loney calculated to be 205 mph. "I was in total
disbelief," Loney told the St. Paul Pioneer Press for Tuesday's editions.
"I had to double-check my watch because in 27 years I'd never seen anything
move that fast." Several law enforcement
sources told the newspaper that, although no official records are kept, it was
probably the fastest ticket ever written in the state. After about
three-quarters of a mile, the biker slowed to about 100 mph and let the other
cycle catch up. By then Loney had radioed ahead to another state trooper, who
pulled the two over soon afterward. The State Patrol officer
arrested the faster rider, 20-year-old Stillwater resident Samuel Armstrong
Tilley, for reckless driving, driving without a motorcycle license — and
driving 140 miles per hour over the posted speed limit of 65 mph. Kathy Swanson of the
state Office of Traffic Safety said unless Tilley was wearing the kind of
protective gear professional motorcycle racers wear, he was courting death at
200 mph.
Nice Chopped Honda 4
“Bare bones” Rat Bike **************************************************************************** ***************************************8 "Take
this Road and Love It"
Welcome to a new feature we're gonna try-- be patient as we
iron out the kinks. The intent is to examine particular roads and rate
them on a scale still being formulated.
Some of these roads you may be familiar with - some maybe not. It's
my desire to motivate you to ride some (or all) of these routes: especially the
ones you may not otherwise come across. So here we go:
First up is a road very familiar to me, (makes it easier to rate!) one of
my nearby favorites. DELTA CHURCH
ROAD is located in the hills of Stokes County, NC. To get to Delta
Church Road from the Piedmont take US 220 North to the “NC 770 West” exit in
Stoneville and follow 770 W to Sandy Ridge where it runs into NC 704. At
the intersection of 770 and 704, take 704 E (left). After only a mile or
so, Delta Church Road will be on your right at - ya guessed it - Delta Church.
Actually Delta United Methodist Church. Or access Delta Church Road via US
311 between Madison and Walnut Cove at Pine Hall Brick - look for NC 772 - it
will take you to Delta Church Road.
OK, now you know where it is and how to get there (maybe). Let's look at
the road itself. Delta Church Road ain't no
"tail of the dragon" as at Deals Gap, but it is smooth, curvy, scenic
and fun - plus a lot closer!
Stretching 9.6 miles between Sandy Ridge and Danbury, Delta Church Road
has approximately 53 curves of varying intensity; a few sweepers, a few
hairpins, a few to make you slow down a bit and some that will tempt you to
attack them at higher speeds (my favorites!)
Many of these curves are actually quite good - enjoy! Stay alert as several of
Delta's curves will "sneak up on you," requiring a little extra
attention as they bend or twist sharply. It's not all curves, there are several
hills, too, with some straights thrown in and one downhill straight that will
allow you to really wind it out until you cross a small bridge, sending you into
a nice sharp, banked right--quick left, uphill S curve. Go in Hard but not with
abandon!
In conclusion, Delta Church Road is rural, smooth (few potholes -
excellent asphalt surface), scenic and conducive either to aggressive riding or
riding at a more relaxed pace. So drag your knee or cruise - Delta Church
Road is highly recommended, try it ; we think you'll like it! Now for our new and not yet
improved rating system: (send your suggestions!) Roads are rated one star to
five stars: * Fair but nothing to get
excited over * * Maybe a little above
average but with a few reservations * * * Pretty good, I'd go
back * * * * Above average,
worthy of being a regular route, fun for most experience levels * * * * * Only for the
brave and experienced pilot, very challenging at anything above moderate speed That's the scale,
here are the categories, for now (again, send in your suggestions) #1 Destination Potential:
Does it take you any where special? #2 Road Mode: What
type of surface will you encounter? #3 Fear/Fun Factor:
Is it challenging or easy? #4 Tractor factor:
How much traffic can I expect? Here's how Delta
Church Road stacks up-- #1 Destination -
"Gateway to the Mountains" home to Hanging Rock State Park several
popular motorcycle roads nearby: NC 89, NC 66, Lynchburg Road etc. all
great!...................................................................................*
* * 1/2 #2 Road Mode - Good asphalt
surface, few
potholes......................................................................................*
* * #3 Fear/Fun
Factor - As stated earlier it's no Deals Gap "tail of the dragon" but
does have its share of really good curves and it won’t take all day to get
there!....................................................................................................*
* * 1/2 Soy ####################################################### I’m
sure you’re all familiar with Jeff Foxworthy’s “You might be a redneck,
if” jokes. This is in the same style as that. Just preface each item below
with You
Might be a Motorcyclist ....... If
you paid more for your bike than you did for your wife’s engagement ring. If
your Christmas cards have a picture of Santa Claus on a motorcycle. If
you ride your bike to work at least two or three days a week. If
you subscribe to three or more motorcycle magazines, and still pick up extras
every week at the newsstand. If
you spent more on tires last year than you did on clothes. If
you check the Weather Channel on Friday, knowing full well you’re still going
to ride no matter what they say. If
you can rattle off the names, model designations and horsepower ratings of all
the newest bikes, but can’t remember your wife’s birthday… If
you ever cut your hair really short so you wouldn’t have to comb it out every
time you took your helmet off. If
you ever grew a beard just to keep your chin warm when riding in the winter. If
your bike(s) is kept in your garage, while your car is parked outside. If
you remember the exact day you bought your first bike, but have trouble
remembering your anniversary. If
you can’t walk away from your parked bike without looking back at least once
to “see if it’s okay”. If
you’re pull into a parking lot or rest area and look for other bikes to park
next to so you can talk to the riders. If
your cell phone’s custom ringer has been programmed to play “Born to be
Wild” or “Bad to the Bone”. If
you ever detoured 100 miles out of your
way just to catch 20 miles of twisties. If
your spouse has ever said to you, “You’re getting awful cranky lately —
maybe you should go for a ride”. If
you use $6.00 a quart oil in your bike, and buy whatever’s on sale for
your car. If
your carry-on luggage on the plane is a tankbag… If
your pet dog/cat/goldfish or whatever is named “Scooter” or “Harley”. If
you ever tried to teach your dog to ride on the bike with you. If
you thought buying your wife a new helmet for her birthday was a good idea. If
you think 8 a.m. is too early to start work, but 7 a.m. is getting to be too
late to start a ride. If
you turn to look every time you hear a motorcycle exhaust. If
you ever went for a ride when you were sick, rationalizing that it might make
you feel better. If
you’ve ever run out of gas for no other reason than you wanted to see how far
your bike would go on reserve. If
you occasionally go out to the garage just to “look in” on your bike. If
you spend more time hanging out in the parking lot, among the bikes, than
actually going inside the place you just rode over 100 miles to get to. If
you ever told your wife that it was too cold (wet, windy, or whatever) outside
to work in the yard, and then went riding instead. If
the first thing to wear out on your boots is the top of the left toe. If
you’ve ever decided it would be easier to just ride the bike than to scrape
the snow off the car. I
can’t take credit for these, I got them from Contact Patch, a column by Fred
Rau in Motorcycle Consumer News. If you’ve never seen MCN, check it out, it is
one of my favorite magazines. It is printed on stock paper and in all black and
white, but it is all articles and information, NO ADS. Now I like looking at
some of the ads as much as the rest of you, but just think, if MCN doesn’t
sell ads, they don’t have to please sponsors, so when they rate an item, they
tell it like it is. Mike
Leffew
Another
Very Cool Old Honda
If
You Think Church
is
Boring... Check
This Out!
New Vision Fellowship 710
Rockingham Square Madison,
NC 27025 336-427-6264 www.newvisionfellowship.net Casual Dress, Contemporary Music, Video Clips, No Pressure Family Friendly Sunday Mornings 9:30 Bible Study 11:00
Worship Service
You’re Invited #*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*##* The
Son-o-gram is the newsletter for the “Motorcycling with Jesus”
Motorcycle Ministry. The Son-o-gram
is distributed free of charge to
any who ask. The
Son-o-gram is strictly an amateur publication. We donate our time and energy because of our love of
motorcycling, our fellow man and, mostly, our love of God.
Praise the Lord and then Praise Him Again!! Phone….336-623-3883(MB)
336-548-3999(ML) 336-427-6264(NVF) Any
thoughts, ideas or opinions expressed in the articles found in this publication
are solely those of the writer(s) of said particular articles and Thank
you and God Bless you
--This is the
Soybean,
he found that the regular organist was sick and a substitute had been brought in
at the last minute. The substitute wanted to know what to play.
"Here's a copy of the service, " he said." But you'll have
to think of something to play after I make the announcement about the
finances."
During the service, the minister paused and said,
At that moment, the substitute organist began playing the opening bars of "The Star Spangled Banner."
There are those who wake up in the morning and say, "Good morning,
Lord,"
and there are those who wake up in the morning and say, "Good Lord, it's
morning."In Fellowship or Solo?
I was riding back from a hospital visit on my trustworthy Vulcan 1500, when I spotted another bike in the
distance on a relatively untraveled stretch of Belews Creek Road. Only a few cars between us and
a beautiful day before me. I decided I could catch him easily enough so I twisted the right wrist, ignored
those white advisory signs, and caught him within a mile or two. Then the ominous sound of an overhead
cam
a Honda Valkyrie. I decided against passing him, or attempting to do so
anyway, and settled in to the mellow rumble of Japan's finest each time
he would accelerate. I followed him for five more miles or so before he peeled off to another destination.
A casual observer would have concluded we were traveling together, though I've never seen him before
or since. The truth is, as nice a day as it was to ride, there is just always something better about sharing
the experience with another biker, even if you've no idea who it is.
Despite how easy that is to understand, I constantly meet Christians that seem quite happy to ride alone
in our faith journey. They claim the name of Jesus, perhaps as a safety net or fire insurance policy. For
whatever reason, they shun the camaraderie of other Christians. The last time I read the Bible, God told us
there was joy in the concept of fellowship. We share each other's burdens and multiply our victories when
we walk, or ride, together. Ecclesiastes tells us that "two are better than one". Matthew tells us that
wherever "two or three are gathered together" that Jesus is with us. I'm pretty sure the Lone Ranger
isn't in God's Army.
I guess I ride more than most people these days. I try to use the bike for commuting and pastoral duties
during the warm months. The "Smiles per gallon" factor is much higher than my normal preacher-mobile.
Still, I enjoy the group rides far more than the daily grind. Maybe it's the knowledge that I'm not alone or the
thrill of sharing in the joy of riding with others. Either way, I know I'd rather head out with a group than make
another solo trip.
What about you? Do you have a church family that can strengthen you on your journey?
New Vision Fellowship has taken over sponsorship of the Son-O-Gram as a way of showing our support
for the biking community and demonstrating to you that we want to make an investment in your life. If you
don't have a church home, drop by and see us. Not everyone will be on a bike, but we will all be
sharing the joyous experience of our
Christian faith with each other as we travel this road together.
In Christ,
Scott Courtney, Senior
Pastor, New Vision Fellowship
15 "Be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in the
land; for when they prostitute themselves to their gods and sacrifice to them,
they will invite you and you will eat their sacrifices. 16 And when
you choose some of their daughters as wives for your sons and those daughters
prostitute themselves to their gods, they will lead your sons to do the same.
.... thou shalt love
thy neighbour as thyself.
1 Samuel 16:7 But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look
not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused
him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward
appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.
37 And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then
said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.
John 4:9 Then saith the woman of Samaria unto
him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of
Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.
Acts 8:26 And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip,
saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from
Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert.
27 And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of
Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians,
who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to
worship,
Acts 17:26 And hath made of one blood all nations of
men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the
Editor Mike
Leffew’s Old
