24″Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
 

I have to admit… for many years after I accepted Christ as my savior, I was that foolish man.  I didn’t need God.  He was my backup plan… my security blanket; there only when I needed Him.  *I* was playing God and *I* was without fault.

I was delusional.  I truly suck at playing God.  I have made a lot of BAD choices in my life, and I have paid a high price for it.

It has taken this entire spiritual journey I have been on to come to this point in my life where I understand that I had to go through all of it to allow myself to submit to Him and put Him first.  I also understand that in the midst of all my successes and failures, Jesus was with me.

I was “saved” about 25 years ago.  In truth, I didn’t submit to His authority until about 10 years ago when my first wife told me she wanted a divorce.  Alas, it was already too late for our marriage, despite my best intentions and efforts.  I don’t blame her one bit.  What’s that old saying… “if you love something, let it go…”?

Undaunted, I took advantage of some Christian counseling and honestly committed my life to Christ.

I’m glad that Jesus never gave up on me.  I am glad to survive everything I did.  This is not to say that I don’t regret many of the things I have done, and if I could go back… well, OF COURSE I would do things differently!  But I am a new creation, very different from that person I was when I first accepted Jesus.

My life now is incredibly blessed.  Kym is the love of my life and my gift from God.  Our family is healthy and happy and our house is filled with love.

And that is the beautiful part of understanding something very simple… Jesus wants us to live an abundant life.  Rob has preached about John 10:10 many times so I won’t go into it.  But it’s true.  All you have to do is build your house on the rock that is Jesus.  It is as simple as praying the following, “You’re God.  I’m not.”  There will be trials and temptations, but He will be there with you, just as He has been for me.

This I pray.  Amen.

It was on my heart this morning to write about some things that a short time ago I did not understand. It truly is the ultimate oxymoron where my life is completely upside down, yet I feel so secure in Him. I went to start writing this message in my my upside down office, where 75% has been moved to the new house, but the rest is all over the floor, and low and behold my Internet connection was disconnected! Fortunately, my iPhone was still working (for now)

This will be hard to explain in writing, but it’s worth a try… In the last 10 years I have been running from financial issues that came in waves where I would ‘rob Peter to pay Paul’ and temporarily find a respite from my woes. However, as anything that I sweep under the carpet does, it always returned with vengeance! I haw taken the rest of the week off work (note: very grateful to have a job) so I can start assembling our new residence, and make it our home.

God sometimes needs to get our attention through drastic measures when we’re not listening… Sound familiar? Well, this rime He blessed me with a bankruptcy, and yes I mean that, blessed me as today after filing my Consumer Proposal yesterday (partial bankruptcy) I feel God with me more than ever. With so much to do, yet I feel at peace like I have never known it.

The Master Weaver (God) has been working in my life for the most part without my knowledge; however, today He is blessing me with glimpses into His work in me – ones that bring a smile to my face knowing I am not alone, that He is running my life (when I get out of the way!). Just recently I have experienced several of these moments such as putting the most kind-hearted Christian Financial Counsellor in my path, then it was the Christian solvency Trustee, then it was how He placed my new landlord on the Internet 55 minutes before we had to accept or reject another house rental in Ottawa, then it was Monday when I went to get our new P.O. Box and the box number was the same as our CCBC donations numbers! He is with me every step of the way.

One of the beauties of walking through hardship is knowing God is training me to help others that will walk similar paths. Already several others have come forward asking questions for which I now have answers and possible solutions in areas such as addiction, financial bankruptcy, life in a MC, etc… I am honored that He has chosen me to do a small part of His work on earth.

We only have so much energy each day, and how we distribute it depends on the weight of unnecessary burdens we carry (or run from). My heart was hard as steel when I came to CCBC, and now is starting to soften through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The ex-badass now enjoys serving Him, and learning how to help others Phil 4:3-4

So I sit here this morning with my life upside down, never feeling so content and safe knowing that He will never forsake me, IF, and WHEN I get out of the way and take Good Orderly Direction. Have you issues that avoidance has been the course of action? Well, I want to share with you my experience of the joy that is possible when we step up to the plate of accountability, and follow His way.

———————–
Godspeed,
John Hately

Surrounded by the sound
Of a thousand warriors
Shaking in their armour
Wishing they’d have had the strength to stand

But the giant’s calling out my name
And he laughs at me
Reminding me of all the times
I’ve tried before and failed

The giant keeps on telling me
Time and time again
“Boy you’ll never win!
You’ll never win!”

But the voice of truth tells me a different story
The voice of truth says, “Do not be afraid!”
And the voice of truth says, “This is for My glory”
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I would choose to listen and believe
I would choose to listen and believe the voice of truth
The voice of truth
 
Now, I know that some of you are simply saying to yourselves… “Coincidence!  It was just a song on the Radio Chantal! You are reading way too much into this!” . I understand, and at the time, I really didn’t pick up on the words being spoken to me.  I was still teary eyed, unwilling to move anymore than I had too, and fearful of the day ahead.  Sure, the song was a comfort, but I felt like I still had a long way to go. What happened next however, gave me the courage to take on the day, and has influenced every day since then.
 
You see, after I finished listening to the song, I went to get my coffee at the gas station.  Remember, I have been there every single weekday for at least 2 years now. I walk in, and before the door even closes behind me, I stop dead in my tracks.  There it was – A sling shot! I had NEVER seen it before. It was the only one there, and without a thought, I picked it up, got my coffee, and paid for the two.  I drove to work in slight confusion, but understanding all at the same time the message God was telling me!  Sure, it could be all coincidence, but I don’t think so, Instead I choose to believe!
 
The sling shot now hangs on my wall at work, along with the lyrics quoted above.  When things get a little tough for me, I just need to look over and see that I am armed for anything, because the Voice of Truth, has told me a different story.  He has told me not to be afraid! I am armed, and ready to fight for his glory! God spoke to me that day, loud and clear. He was, and continues to be there for me throughout it all. And when I am weary, I find strength in Him!

Chantal

Gluttony… As Rob explained, I am one of the many people who always thought that this sin was related to over eating. I’m not a huge eater, and so I never thought that I struggled with this, but boy was I wrong…

If gluttony is the excessive need for something, the “oholic” in certain words, then I am definitely a glutton! I’m not addicted to drugs, never done them, never will. I’m not addicted to alcohol… again, not one of my favourite things… Nope… my gluttony is right up there with my need for things… Material things… Not only do I want things, such as a big house, fancy cars, lots of clothes, a pool, toys… but Warrior and I work ourselves sick trying to get everything that we want. Warrior is (and has always been) a workaholic… His addiction has allowed me in many ways to fill my need for wanting more and in turn being able to get more… Don’t get me wrong… lots of the stuff we work so hard for is necessary, especially with 3 children… but some of it is just plain self fulfilment. 

The need for a day at the spa every month for root touch ups, pedicures and facials. That ties into another sin… vanity… The need to drive a relatively nice car… We realised last month that our little nice sports car just doesn’t cut it for our family, and so a mini van is our next purchase.That’s a hard pill to swallow for us bikers… we never thought we’d have to buy one of those… that ties into pride… Could we live with just the one vehicle? Probably… that’s greed… Our society has become one of credit cards and borrowed money. Buy now, pay later… it’s everywhere we look! It makes the sin of gluttony so much easier to fulfil. Bigger tvs, better tvs, tvs in every bedroom… Computers in every bedroom… Land lines, and cell phones… the need and want for more, and going ahead and purchasing these things thinking it will make us feel better.

I’ve learned one important fact during this series… and that is that I am not perfect! Far from it actually… and just when I thought that I wasn’t really afflicted with these top sins, when I really thought about it, I am… God loves me the way that I am, but he also loves me enough not to leave me this way… I think I might finally understand what that really means!

When I pray, which could be once a day or ten times a day, I start by giving thanks.  I do this for no other reason than to acknowledge all the blessings in my life.  After that I just talk to God about things that are happening in my life and the lives of my family and friends.  I ask for wisdom and guidance and for healing.  I invite God into every aspect of my life and lift up my worries and troubles to Him.  Yes, I often take them back only to lift them up to him again the next day.

Prayer has changed my life.  It’s brought me peace, it’s grounded me and it’s brought me closer to God and further along in my journey of Faith.  Some of you may remember the story I told about how I named my dog.  It was through prayer that I received the inspiration to name her Faith.  I believe that God has used her to comfort me and to remind me everyday to not loose hope and to keep the “Faith”.  By naming her Faith I have a constant reminder that God is always with me.  When I’m feeling down and discouraged Faith comes up on my lap to cuddle and there in my lap is my reminder to have Faith.  I’m being comforted by my gift from God.  Some of you reading this may think it’s corny.  I know that over these last four years of having Faith in my life it’s been seeing her and remembering her name and how she got it that reinforces for me the presents of God in my life and to literally “not loose Faith”.  It’s powerful.

My prayers are like having an open conversation with God.  Just like having a conversation with one of your friends.  So remember that just like you need to give your friend time to respond, you need to keep an open mind and heart to hear God’s response.  He will speak to us through many different ways.  He is more creative than we can ever think to be.  At times, He comforts me through Faith.  Don’t limit the possible ways that he could speak to you by being close minded.  He is an awesome and amazing God.

I have this phrase on a patch on my leather vest…Prayer, the ultimate wireless connection.

Have a great week!

I grew up catholic with set prayers and I never understood how God was suppose to hear my voice compared to everyone else, who was praying the same things. I was so confused, what about when a set prayer didn’t cover the things I needed to express, what about when a prayer made no sense to me? One of the first prayers I ever did on my own was actually a prayer for myself. I had cut to deep and was praying for the bleeding to stop, I was pretty sure I was going to die. At that point, I realized God isn’t going to ever understand my intentions behind my prayer unless I told Him myself. God won’t pretend to be a mind reader and assume that what your saying is always directed to Him. He will only hear what you tell Him in prayer. Is a prayer for self really that bad? Will my prayers, unless selfless, go unheard? How will I know when God has answered my prayers? How long will I not believe in Miracles? Will I always feel God isn’t working my life? I set aside a few minutes before  bed every night to tell God what’s on my heart. It’s not always easy, and most nights I just want to go to sleep. But I know He can hear me, and I know He will find away to help while I’m sleeping. My life may not be full of miracles, but it is full of Faith. God will help where and when He can, and that’s enough for me to sleep sound at night.

We are already on a time limit (otherwise we would not be driving the dog for a walk at 6am), when we pull up to the stop lights near our house. And that is when we see it – flashing blue and red lights in the rear-view mirror. The officer nears the window to tell us that our plate sticker have expired been expired for five days. With our information, he heads back to his car. I know we should have renewed them, but who is really thinking about plate stickers instead of their upcoming birthday? Who is looking at the reminder that has been on the fridge for three months? Clearly, not me. It’s only five days expired, I think, is there no one else to ticket at 6am?

We sit and wait patiently to find out the damage this will cause our bank account. Well, as patiently as we could be with an un-walked dog in the backseat and a dozen things to do before seven. The officer makes his way back and to our surprise issues us a warning! No fine? It’s like a Wednesday morning miracle! It’s like the sky is a little bit brighter now. Like my day is only going to get better from here. Thank you, Officer Warning; you’ve just made my day! Sure, we have to make a detour to buy the new stickers, but that doesn’t seem so bad now that we’ve dodged the fine. I’ll even tell a few friends how blessed I am that I didn’t get a ticket.

This being a church blog, I’m sure you can already see the moral coming. I did something wrong and I didn’t get what a really deserved. Just like with God. He doesn’t punish us for our sins. Grace and forgiveness isn’t what we really deserve.

But, it was something else that struck me after that morning. What went through my head the last time I had been awake only five minutes and had already done something wrong? Was it the same? God you’ve forgiven me? It’s like a Wednesday morning miracle! It’s like the sky is a bit brighter now. Like my day is only going to get better from here. Thank you, God; you’ve just made my day! Do I make a detour to make things right? Do I tell a few friends how blessed I am that I was forgiven?

That is probably not what went through my head, but it should have been. How much more incredible is having my whole life saved than getting out of a no-sticker-ticket?

Last week, I had the occasion to meet a few Jehovah’s Witnesses canvassing the neighbourhood on a Wednesday morning.  Seemed like a strange time to be hitting the ‘burbs, but they run on their own schedule.  I’ve learned that God keeps His own schedule too, so maybe it isn’t so strange they were in the area on a day and time when most people would be at work.

I was outside when they came near my yard and I smiled and said “Hello.” to them.

We started conversing, when I apologized that I had some errands to run and couldn’t talk long.  I was offered a copy of their ‘Watchtower’ publication, and asked if I was prepared for the end of times.

I think I took them by surprised when I said ‘Yes’.  I continued that John was my favourite book of the Bible, and that I loved that he was the one who also wrote the Book of the Revelation.  Previously, John had been a physician, so it makes sense that the Book of the Revelation is so detailed and ordered.

It was only then they noticed I was wearing a Bikers Church shirt… one noting our Info Day from a couple years ago.  And I began pouring into these JWs about the ministry of our church in reaching out to a group who are not accepted in most churches, but desparate for salvation.

I mentioned that we had a major event coming up this weekend past and how we had touched souls in previous years and hoped to repeat this year also.

I then asked them if they would keep our event in prayer, and asked if they minded if I prayed for them.  So, there I was, at the end of my driveway standing with my head bowed praying for these three Jehovahs.  To be honest, I don’t understand their interpretation of Christ beyond my limited knowledge gained through hearsay.  I doesn’t matter… they want to reach people who are unsaved, and that in itself is a noble deed.

I wonder how often they see a door slammed in their faces.  Yet that doesn’t deter them.  It only propels them to the next door that doesn’t shut.  Maybe one soul would be saved by their actions.

I’m grateful that God continues to change me.   I’m learning tolerance.  I don’t have to understand or agree with everyone, but I want to learn more from them.  I can’t do that while I am confrontational.  And when I’m genuinely open to receive from others, I’m finding that I can also pour into them.  He proved that when He put these three Jehovah’s Witnesses in my path last week.  I left to run my errands glad in my heart.

Rob is starting a message about Prayer this week.  I pray for tolerance in this World… that we as mankind might get to a place where we can openly be mutually respectful and open to dialogue.  God’s ultimate plan is that all might come to know Him.  That’s where my focus lies.

PS  for those attendees of MAD this past Saturday, I pray that you might find refuge amongst us.  You are welcome here.

 He spoke about how there were times in his life, before he became a Christian, when he was seeking relationships with people, with the church and with God, and how the attempts he made to ‘reach out’ somehow left him wanting, discouraged, jaded. The reason for this, sadly, was because of the behaviour of the people he encountered. And sadder still, the people he encountered likely didn’t even realize that they had caused him harm.  

 In a word, the cause was their insincerity.

 No matter what someone is seeking, when they reach out, they are vulnerable. They are taking a risk. They are exposing themselves in a hope that a connection will be made, a need will be filled. We’ve all been there at one time or another. And when we encounter insincerity, we are caught off-guard. We feel foolish for having ‘believed’ what was said, we feel betrayed, we feel angry.

 I think the church is the type of environment where this can and does happen often. Sometimes in our desire to ‘say the right thing’ or be supportive in every situation, we end up saying things that really don’t come from the heart. What I mean by that is what we say doesn’t always line up with what we do.

 When someone is telling us of a challenge they face, a hurt they have suffered, an illness they are enduring, we will say kind and caring things, almost social graces or ‘niceties’…… words intended to comfort. And they often do. But if we have promised to ‘do’ something and we don’t, we cause more hurt and sadness.  If we forget about the person, forget about the conversation we had, maybe even forget their name (I’m a bad one for remembering names)…. we hurt them. It is a frightening thought, but we may even be the ‘final straw’ that causes the person to walk away from the church, and perhaps even their faith journey for years, if not forever.

 Words like:

I’ll pray for you;   I’ll call you;   Let’s get together for coffee;   We’ll keep in touch;   I’ve got a friend I’d love for you to meet;   Let’s connect again next week at service; … and others.

We say these things with the very best of intentions. And we mean to call, to connect, to help, but somehow the moment passes and we don’t quite get to it. I think with our busy lives many of us are prone to this kind of ‘empty promising’. I know I’ve done it. Unfortunately, the needier a person is, the more vulnerable they are to be deeply hurt if we don’t follow through.

A kind word said but not meant or followed up on is worse than if nothing was said, as trust is broken. Trust is so important, no perhaps it is the most important element in a relationship. It takes time to build and, sadly, seconds to destroy.  

Marty reminded us to be honest, to be caring, to reach out to people with more than just empty promises, platitudes and false pretences. You never know how much it can mean to someone to know that you are ‘real’ and authentic. Your words and deeds can mean the difference between encouraging someone along their faith journey or causing them to doubt and walk away hurt and jaded.

One of the great things about the Motorcycle Appreciation event we do every year, is that it is fully authentic. It is a thank you to the biker community with no false pretences and no strings attached. What you see is what you get. We are there as a church, to serve, to give of ourselves, to show the community what Biker’s Church is like. There is no ‘bait and switch’, we don’t try to coerce people into becoming a church member or even to donate their money.  We don’t make people feel guilty or feel they owe us in any way. The barometer for me to test this out, is that it feels good to do what we do. It is honest and sincere and hopefully people will be encouraged to come closer if they like what they have seen and felt in our midst.

I have been reflecting on who I may have let down by not coming good on my promises and fix what I can.  I’ll also be more careful not to ‘over promise’. If I can’t be sure of what I will be able to do for someone beyond the moment, I’ll just listen, be empathetic, give of my time at the moment, give them an honest and heartfelt hug. I won’t ‘set them up’ if I’m not sure what I can do. I will strive to always be authentic, with God’s help.

  Thanks, Marty.

 –J

It is easy for us to all pull together when we have an organized event like MAD. We each have a role, some more clearly defined, and others do whatever is required. Just look for the people with the volunteer shirts on, and the job gets done. We know what is expected, and how we are to act. As it is always said, the Bikers Church does things with class, and so we demonstrate how tight we are together and we make people feel welcome and appreciated.

Now, as I sit here, a voice is whispering to me “What’s next?”. You see, it’s easy for me to be on my best behavior at times like MAD. I smile, I talk to people, I answer questions, and I try to make sure everyone is having a good time. Now that it is done, have I maintained this attitude? Will I still greet people with a smile and open arms when they walk through our doors? How do I make sure that the incredible work that was accomplished on Saturday live on? The answer is quite simple. Just do it! ( yeah yeah, I sound like a Nike commercial, but this time it works)

The reason I am saying this is because I know how easy it is to fall back into the trap of complacency. Big Events, well, they are a blast! There is an incredible rush that you feel being part of an activity like this. Unfortunately, it is so easy to forget how to keep it going, especially when the rush is gone. I, for one will probably need a reminder of who I am as a Bikers Church member so I am writing some of them down.

1) Smile, you never know who is watching

2) If you see someone who needs something, and you are able, step up and help

3) Always speak with respect, even in private conversations. People over hear

4) Rather than hold a grudge because someone else stepped in, welcome the advise and help

5) Be ready, because you never know how you will influence a stranger

6) Remember that you are serving God, and each guest is to be seen through HIS lenses

7) Just like your Momma says, if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all

As a Bikers Church member I call myself to a higher standard – act accordingly at all times

9) God’s work can be exhausting, deal with it

10) It feels good to have accomplished something wonderful!!!

I’m sure that there are many more reminders to add, so please feel free to comment, I’d love to hear them.

MAD was a fantastic event, but we also need to remember that it is so much more! WE are so much more! We are a family, that share the same Father. We put on the event to say thank you to the motorcycle community, but our actions, our unity, and our passion serve to draw others as well. Will we still be as passionate when a stranger walks in six months from now? I hope so.

We are meant for more folks! We are to walk with others as they discover themselves, and their Faith. We can be the first positive example out there for them. We have a responsibility to help others, at all times. The greatest gift I was given on Saturday was a reminder that I have the opportunity to change a life, simply by taking the time to smile!

Oh, and one more thing. I have also come to realize that anyone I come in contact with can influence me. The same must then be true for me. I can only pray that my influence is positive.

Chantal