Issue link: https://cp.revolio.com/i/1498196
Are Your Handlebars Stuck? Laz Alba, International President/BSHDFC A few weeks ago I went on an overnight ride with a group of Black Sheep. We got to our hotel a bit later than expected so we got some quick fast-food for dinner and called it a night. The next morning as the group got ready to head out to our destination for the day, one of our members was having some difficulty with his bike. It appeared that he had locked his handlebars the night before and now his ignition switch was stuck in the lock position. With the ignition switch in the lock position, he couldn't get his bike to straighten up, let alone start. We immediately called over another BSHDFC member (who is a mechanic) to help and our fellow Black Sheep brother was more than happy to assist. I watched as they both started working on the bike, trying to unlock the handlebars and ignition switch. As the minutes spent working on the bike increased, I started to feel that this issue was not going to get resolved here at this parking lot and that we would have to get the bike towed to the nearest H-D dealership. In that moment I recalled a similar situation I was in years back (that's a funny story for another time) in which I hesitantly offered to pray over someone's bike to start and it actually did! So, I went ahead and suggested to both BSHDFC brothers that we pray over the bike and the stuck handlebars. Very soon after we finished with our prayer, the ignition switch became unstuck, and the handlebars were then able to be unlocked. Now I'm not suggesting that I'm the Benny Hinn of repairing motorcycles. What I am suggesting is that we don't neglect to seek first the Lord in prayer in all situations we find ourselves in (1 Thess. 5:16; Phil. 4:6; 1 John 5:14; Luke 11:9-13). We almost always seek the Lord when we face major issues and trials, but we fail to seek Him with the minor stuff, as if we would be bothering our God with our trivial situation. Nothing is further from the truth. There's no trivial stuff for the Lord. God is a loving Father (1 John 3:1) and He knows everything about us (Psalm 139). So, next time you find yourself in a situation you might think trifling, or your handlebars are stuck, seek Jesus FIRST. He is our Abba Father, always there to listen. ~Love you all, Laz! b Serving on Empty Tom & Dee Sanchez/BSHDFC National Chaplains I was going through some old notes and came across this statement – "Are you serving on Empty?" It made me stop and think. Do you spend quality time with God daily? Are you feeding your spirit daily? If not, we can dry up and become ineffective as members and leaders. These are some questions we must ask ourselves as front- line servants and leaders. We must stay focused on our own spiritual growth with the same enthusiasm that we have serving others and supporting their spiritual growth. We must be in proper balance and allow God to consistently reenergize us daily. If we serve without reenergizing our spirit through daily bible reading and prayer, we will dry up. God wants to propel us forward to greater levels of ministry and service. We must have a passion and a flame for ministry. So, how do we keep a flame or passion? Joshua 1:8 says, "Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do." Imagine if you had two motorcycles. (Some of you don't have to imagine too hard!) One you wash, change the oil, do regular main- tenance and ride. The other you ride occasionally, maybe once a week or once a month. You can't remember the last time you washed it or changed the oil. You haven't looked at the tires for wear or the cables, plugs or lights. Which one would be in better condition? Which would last longer and serve you well on a cross-country trip? When we serve on empty, our spirit loses strength and the passion we have for the ministry is greatly diminished. This not only affects our ability to serve, but it is contagious and affects the people we are serving. It is more important for us to not serve and feed ourselves than to serve at the expense of being fed. The key to our spiritual success and ministry are our daily routines. We really cannot afford to NOT spend time with God daily and ensure He is a part of our daily life. Our intimate time with God is critical to our service and growth. Make time for the things of God. Deliberately carve out room in your schedule. If it means an hour less of sleep, fine! If it means missing a TV program, so be it. Christ made a priority of spending time with God. So should we. Do what you need to do because making time for the things of God is essential to spiritual growth, to abiding with God, and to bearing spiritual fruit. b