The Christian Biker

This is a great short story: The Outdoor Cathedral – Two Drops of Ink: A Literary Blog via @Linkis_com

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 21 Mar 2016 11:34:00 +0000

There sat the stone. The only remnant of 50 plus years. Raymond stood over the plague style marker and tried with all his might to focus, but the tears welled-up drowning his sight. He sobbed uncontrolled, he no longer cared if anyone else could see him. His shoulders, once the massive and impressive specimens of a young man, now thin and frail, bounced up and down as his grief overcame him. He fell to his knees and then slowly onto his face—prostrated across the remains of his wife.

“Lord, just take me home.”

His body heaved in anguish. He was unable to even lift his head. Bitter, unrelenting heartache controlled him. He was undone.

Continued...

This is a great short story: The Outdoor Cathedral – Two Drops of Ink: A Literary Blog via @Linkis_com: It was in the places of the “in-between” that Raymond had begun to see himself as he was. He was not of the other world, the world of the spirits, he was of this world, and he...

Poetry: Sketch of a Woman – Two Drops of Ink: A Literary Blog

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 21 Feb 2016 01:17:00 +0000

Poetry: Sketch of a Woman – Two Drops of Ink: A Literary Blog

Judgement, correction, and forgiveness: Another way to address these points

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 28 Dec 2015 14:41:00 +0000

While at work last night I was talking to a couple and the subject of “judgment” came up. Now, I`m not talking about judgement from the biblical standpoint, but rather, the world`s general statement about judgement which is exemplified perfectly in the above meme.Veering off the main topic for just a second, let`s just remember that Satan knows and uses scripture too.

So, there we were talking about judgement and, of course, they came from the world`s viewpoint as they attempted to quote scripture, “It says that you shouldn`t judge!” To which I answered, “Yes, Jesus did not give me the authority to judge, He tells me to love my neighbor.” We were unfortunately interrupted, and the conversation went in a different direction. In my reading this morning, I found an answer to this most typical of human conversations.

If we analyze this conversation, we see a one-dimensional aspect of judgement and one that Satan uses to allow Christians to stay in their sin and nonbelievers to throw scripture at Christians. This is such a well-known Scripture and argument; however, it`s an enormous fallacy.

In the first place, Christians should not judge nonbelievers for several reasons, but that does not mean that they cannot give a nonbeliever counsel or correction. We do not have the authority to “judge” another person`s soul—that belongs to Jesus alone. But we should love our neighbor enough to counsel them in love (with a huge emphasis on love).

As I was in my Bible study this morning, I was reading Matthew 18, and I was struck by a deeper dimension of God`s word on this topic. Jesus talks about the master who forgives one of his slaves that owes him tons of money—a lifetime of wages—and how this same slave confronts another man that owes him money but refuses to give the guy a break, and the guy only owed him a minuscule amount of money. The slave was just forgiven by the master, yet, he was unwilling to forgive someone that owed him. Now that is a far deeper example of judgement.

While I was reading this story, it hit me that we often use the wrong arguments when the world says to us, “It says not to judge!” The real argument, or the real counsel at that point, one that is oozing with the love of Jesus, is to tell the story about the master and the slave that he forgave that owed him so much.

If we tell this story, we are not only confronting the matter of judgement, but we are also, and more importantly, discussing the far greater principle of forgiveness.

If I have another opportunity to have this conversation it might go something like this:

Them: “Well you know that even the Bible says not to judge…”

Me: “Yes, it does, but more than that, it tells me to forgive because I have been forgiven for so much myself.”

I might even tell the people I witness to the story about the master and the evil slave that he forgave that was unwilling to forgive others. This goes to a much deeper level of “don`t judge.” Rather than getting caught up in the semantics of judgement, we can go deeper to the subject of forgiveness which discards judgment altogether and shows the love in God`s kingdom.

The Tax Collector: The birth of Christ from a different view

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 25 Dec 2015 15:59:00 +0000

Photo credit: http://newlife.id.au/wp-content/uploads/Christmas-Noroomintheinn.jpg

Zachariah set by the bedside of his uncle as he slept. His uncle was very ill and on his deathbed. He loved his uncle and didn't know what he would do when his uncle was gone. Zachariah would not leave his side. He stroked his uncle`s hair and held his hand. He had lived with his uncle since he was about five years old. The Romans jailed his mother and father as zealots, and he had not seen them since that day. His uncle Eliezer, a wealthy tax collector, took him in.

His uncle had been a tax collector in the city of Bethlehem for many years until something changed him. Zachariah remembered that day a few years back because it was the beginning of a very pleasant and wonderful life with his uncle Eliezer who became a very different man.

Zachariah had always loved his uncle, but his job as a tax collector had made him cold-hearted, shrewd, and friendless. The only thing his uncle Eliezer cared about besides Zachariah was his money and his standing with the Roman leadership in Bethlehem. Zachariah sat by his uncle`s bed that night and recalled the day his uncle came home to tell him a strange story that changed his uncle—both of their lives were never the same from that day forward.

Zachariah`s mind drifted back five years ago to a December night when his uncle came bursting through the front door:

“Zachariah! Zachariah! Are you here?”

“Yes, uncle—I`m here in my room.”

“Come quickly” his uncle replied

“Yes uncle, what is it?”

Zachariah had never seen his uncle act this way. He seemed very excited, his eyes filled with a fiery flair, and he seemed completely consumed with an exuberance that Zachariah never had seen him display before. His uncle was normally a quiet, reserved, and emotionless man. He was usually direct, to the point, and never seemed happy about much of anything, and he certainly never came through the door like this. His uncle worked hard and never socialized much. Their lives were centered around work, money, and more work; his uncle was very attentive to him but was never one to give to compliments or small talk. Eliezer loved Zachariah but consistently stayed on him about his lack of discipline and his work ethic. But tonight, something was different, something had changed, his uncle was acting in a way Zachariah had never seen before—Zachariah was concerned.

“Uncle...are you ok?” Zachariah asked with a slight tremble in his voice.

“Yes, yes Zachariah...I'm okay...I must tell you what I have seen!”

His uncle sat him down and began to tell him a strange story about what he had experienced that night. He told Zachariah that he had been walking from the Tavern in Bethlehem when he saw a group of people staring up at a strange new star that, until that very night, no one had seen before in the skies above Bethlehem. Eliezer told Zachariah that he walked over to the group out of curiosity and began to listen to their questions and theories about this new star in the sky. There were others, his uncle said, who were speaking of a group of people who saw some wealthy dignitaries and wise men from other countries, along with their soldiers, who had come to Bethlehem by following the star. No one knew why they were here, and some even spoke of rebellion against the Roman occupation during the census. Eliezer wanted no part of any zealot plots to overthrow Rome, but he was curious to see what this was all about. He told Zachariah that something drove him outside of his usual comfort level—he felt unusually compelled to go to this cave.

Eliezer said he decided to follow the crowd down the road just outside of town to the cave in the hills. He said that the star seemed to shine right down on this cave and that there was a large group of people standing around the cave. Inside and out, there were Sheppard’s, townspeople, Rabbi`s, and all manner of people. He said that he pushed his way forward through the crowd until he could see in the cave.

“What did you see Uncle...what was in the cave?”

“It was the most extraordinary thing, but I did not yet understand it.” His uncle replied.

“I saw three exotic looking men, very well dressed, almost like they were Kings and a small group of the town leaders standing around a child who had just been born.”

“I was not sure why they were standing there or who this child was.”

“I tried to ask several people about the child, but they did not answer me.”

“He was in a feeding troth, wrapped in ragged blankets, and his mother and father seemed to me to be mere peasants.”

“The people...they were just standing there staring at the child, almost as if in a trance.” His uncle said.

“Was this child someone special?” Zachariah asked.

This question seemed to disturb Eliezer; he turned to the window and was silent for a while—he appeared to be in deep thought. His uncle seemed to fall into a trance, and he remained still and quieted for some time. Suddenly, He turned and looked at Zachariah as if he was petrified, and yet, he said nothing. Zachariah became concerned again and could not figure out what could have frightened his uncle so—he knew his uncle to be a fearless man. He sat with his uncle and did not say a word, but he could no longer stand to see him look this way:

“Uncle, what is it?”

“Are you ok?”

“What happened to you?”

“Uncle!”

Eliezer finally turned to him, his eyes fixed like a laser glaring into Zachariah`s soul, and then, he began to tell him what happened next. He told Zachariah that he was not sure what he was seeing. He asked a few people in the crowd, but they all just shushed him and turned back to stare at the child. He said that finally one man told him the child was a king—the new King of the Jews. He told Zachariah that it made no sense to him, and he decide to leave this nonsense behind him and return home before the Romans came to break up this treasonous gathering. Eliezer had seen once before what happens to zealots and wanted no part of such talk about a “New King.”

He explained that as he walked back up the hill toward town and was suddenly in the presence of a bright light, his body was frozen, and he fell to the ground on his face in total shock and fear. Eliezer said that in spite of his fear he noticed an overwhelming fragrance of beautiful flowers, the night air was suddenly warm as if it were summer again, and the ground he lay on felt almost hot. He said he was terrified and could not move. Suddenly, he heard a voice as loud as thunder:

“Eliezer!”

“Where are you going?” said the voice.

Eliezer said he wanted to run or crawl away but his body was frozen, he could not move a muscle.

“Who...who are you?” replied Eliezer.

“I am an Angel of the Lord your God who is sent to watch over the child.”

“Please, please, don`t kill me...I have done nothing wrong. I am a tax collector, but I have always been fair and honest” said Eliezer.

“Do not fear Eliezer for the Lord God in heaven has chosen to reveal a thing to you tonight that you may be of service unto his Kingdom.”

“Me?—what...what is it I must do?” Eliezer replied in fear.

“The child you have seen this night is the son of the living God sent to take upon him the sins of the world,” said the Angel.

“This night you have seen the Lamb of God, the King of all Kings, the Messiah of whom the Prophets have spoken.”

“Believe in him and you shall have everlasting life.”

“You shall live the remainder of your days in service to God`s people in his land.”

Eliezer told Zachariah that as he lay there, face down and still unable to move, the light slowly faded and was gone. Eliezer said that he slowly stood up, and he knew at once that he must return to the cave. Eliezer said he walked back to the cave and watched as the strangers from foreign lands gave the child gifts and prayed over him and then he left and came home.

“Zachariah...the Messiah has come, and we must be prepared to follow him someday.” His uncle said.

“What is his name?” asked Zachariah.

“His name is Jesus” his uncle replied.

His uncle Eliezer was never the same from that day forward. He never collected taxes again, and he used his wealth to help others in the community. Every year on the anniversary of that day his uncle Eliezer would hold a special dinner in honor of the coming King. His uncle would always give a small gift to those who came to the dinner—he said it reminded him of God`s gift to the world that December night.

Zachariah returned his thoughts to his uncle lying next to him in the bed. He wished his uncle could stay and see the coming King in all his glory.

Suddenly, Eliezer raised his head and grabbed Zachariah with both hands on his cheeks. His eyes were weak and his breath very shallow—slowly, and in a faint voice, he spoke his final words to Zachariah.

“Zachariah, it is time; I go to the Kingdom.” His uncle said.

“You must take your belongings and follow this Jesus when I am gone.”

“He is God`s greatest gift of mercy to mankind...he is the Messiah.”

“Yes Uncle, I will do as you say,” Zachariah replied.

His uncle lay back down, closed his eyes, and passed on.

(Scott Biddulph: Copyright, 2012)

Our Redemption Arrives

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 25 Dec 2015 12:40:00 +0000

Selfishness: I'm not selfish, look at all I do for others!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 21 Dec 2015 16:21:00 +0000

Are you feeling a sense of hurt, loneliness, anger, jealousy, or fear and you can`t quite put your finger on it? Or maybe you see yourself as accomplished regarding the holidays, and yet, something seems amiss. Or try this one, maybe you feel like you`ve done everything you can for those around you and yet they don`t seem to appreciate it. Stop. Grab God`s word. Read it. And then walk to the closest mirror and take a good look at what`s staring back at you.

If we look at the roots of any issue that we are struggling with or fighting through in our lives, often it is our selfishness at the core of the matter. The worst part of selfishness is that we cannot see it most of the time. Others can see it in us, just as we can see it in others like a hawk sees a mouse in a wheat field. Selfishness and self-centeredness are at the root of all of our sins.

Selfishness is the opposite of the attributes of love. It is not patient, kind, loyal, merciful, good, cheerful, helpful, or any other characteristic that true love possesses according to Paul in 1 Corinthians 13:1-13.

Selfishness will keep us from the maturity it takes to look in the mirror and ask ourselves the tough questions. Selfishness says, “Don`t look here” or “look the other way.” Selfishness will cause us to find a scapegoat. It is the root of gossip. Gossip takes the focus off of ourselves and puts others in the spotlight. Gossip also fosters a false sense of security as we build ourselves up by tearing others down. It feeds our ego as others chime in and agree with our assessment of the subject of our gossip. It feeds our core of selfishness. But actually, it takes the focus off of the truth about our lack of love.

If we read Paul`s list of the characteristics of love in 1 Corinthians 13, we can look at each of them and see that selfishness is a direct opposite to them or is in direct opposition to the flow of this attribute from our hearts. If I am finding it difficult to be patient with someone, could it be that I want to get on with my day, my plans, or I want to tell my story but they just won`t shut up? For example, have you seen someone that is so self-centered that their lips are perched, ready to move into action, before the person they are supposedly listening to can finish a sentence? Now, of course, sometimes we are excited, and we are speaking in a quick back and forth with a friend—that`s not the example I mean to give. I`m talking about that person that can never stop their mind long enough to listen to another person, even if that person is a bit annoying or even boring. Sometimes being selfless is listening to others and not speaking. We are just there for them. We just listen because it makes them feel important. It is an example of love. An example of patients.

Paul tells us that “…love is patient…” in the fourth verse of 1 Corinthians 13. In the first three verses he tells us that if we do and say right things and yet do not have love, we are a noisy gong or a clanging symbol. In other words, we are useless and irritating. I pray today that I can look in the mirror, study Paul`s words about the attribute of patience, and pray that God will help me display a real patience, true love, and a true selflessness to my fellow man. Just for today.

Barry Mayson 'Former Hell's Angel'

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 16 Jun 2015 18:22:00 +0000

Hey, what`s with the Red Lizard on your shoulder

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 11 Jun 2015 20:18:00 +0000

My wife has tried to get me to read C.S. Lewis books on many occasions. I have to admit that I have a hard time reading his works. Frankly, they are so deep that I believe I often don`t possess the spiritual maturity to understand his writings; not to mention I need a dictionary at hand to understand the archaic vernacular. Finally, I decided to pick up his book The Great Divorce and read it. I was motivated to do so by my pastor as well because he had read it in one sitting on a Saturday and he absolutely loved the book and its message. He`s an old grey beard biker like me so I figured if he could do it so could I. So I picked the book up and began to read.

While I was reading it my wife`s birthday was approaching and my pastors wife saw that a play of The Great Divorce was coming to Atlanta. As a birthday gift she purchased tickets for the four of us—herself, my pastor, my wife, and I. So we set off to see the show.

The metaphor that the book conveys was portrayed in the circumstances of the several characters in the story. But the Red Lizard, in the end, spoke volumes to me personally. If you haven`t read this book I highly recommend that you do so. However, if you haven`t read it I will give you a synopsis of sorts as I share my thoughts.

Each character in the story is battling with some form of fleshly desire, emotional wantonness, feelings of entitlement, or intellectual superiority (among other things) that is blocking them from the peace of God or the pathway to Heaven. In the book, the people are stuck in a form of purgatory in that they all live in a rainy, grey, depressed city. Every so often a great bus appears and gives them a ride to Heaven—this is not what the story calls the place but it is, I believe, Lewis` intended meaning of the place. When they arrive in Heaven they find out, much to their surprise, that they are ghosts in comparison to the large “Solid People” that greet each of the passengers. Each of the solid people has a particular connection from life to the passenger they are assigned to as a guide into Heaven which is represented by a great mountain range in the distance. As the passengers step off the bus they find that not only are they less “solid” then the people that greet them but also that everything is so much more real that they can`t even stand on the grass below their feet because it hurts them—it`s too solid for their feet. Okay, no more spoilers. *laughing*

The play ends, much like the story, with the main protagonist (I forget if he has a name) and his “solid person” or guiding angel asking for a red lizard which he has hidden and tried to sneak into the solid world. This red lizard is so important to the man that he begs to keep it. When the solid person refuses his request he then begins to justify its existence. The solid person again refuses. The man crumbles into an emotional wreck of anger, pain, fear, and rebellion as he demands to keep the red lizard. The solid person ignores all his drama and toil only to repeatedly ask for permission to take the red lizard. The irony is that the solid person cannot take the lizard…the man must decide to give it up of his own free will. In the end, after much pain and fear, he gives the solid person the lizard and he is made free. He suddenly finds that grass no longer hurts his feet…he has become a “solid person.”

In the book, and in the play, I saw the truth of all truths: nothing on this side of Heaven is worth the pain, the suffering, the fear, the selfishness, the pride, and all the other things we exude from our flesh to keep and protect the thing of this Earth. At one point, the solid person makes a profound statement to the man with the lizard. He says to him, “There are only two kinds of people in the world…those who say `Thy will be done Lord` and those to whom God says, `thy will be done.’” Wow…what an amazing and simple truth. We certainly don`t like it when we are only given two options in terms of our walk with God…do we?

One of the staggering things about this truth is that some of the characters in the book are fighting to hold onto things that, from all appearances, seem moral or righteous. During one scene of the play a woman screams at her solid person for taking her son away at an early age. He had died young. The solid person tries to explain to her that the child was never hers to begin with—he was Gods—and that her anger and resentment are the only thing keeping her from being united with him again in Heaven. She chooses to clutch the memories of her son to her chest and cry out “Mine!” She leaves her solid person and walks away heading back to the bus to, as she calls it, go home. Home is in reality a sad return to the purgatory of the grey city.

Obviously this fictional tale is not Biblical truth in concrete, but rather, a spiritual truth presented in an allegorical portrayal of how we humans fight between flesh and spirit and that this fight, often unknowingly, leads to our pain and lack of joy here on Earth. My pastor says all the time, “It`s what you don`t know that’s causing all your problems.” I used to say, “To know and not to do, is not to know.” God, in His vast mercy, gave us an instruction manual for life in His word—the Bible. But he went further…He gave us a physical example to follow, as our greatest mentor and big brother, in Jesus.

What is your red lizard?

Photo Credit: ryani182.wordpress.com

Waiting For The King by King James OFFICIAL video

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 28 May 2015 20:15:00 +0000

Strip me down Lord

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 06 May 2015 17:28:00 +0000

Photo Credit: http://commons.wikimedia.org/

I was sitting contemplating the multiple failures, hurts, wounds, and disappointments that I have endured over the last 3 years of my life. By the world`s standards—I`m a failure and all washed up. On May 20^th of this year I will celebrate 3 years since I gave my life to Christ. May 27^th will be the third anniversary of my old club kicking me to the curb after 14 years of dedicated brainwashing (laughing).

During the low points, like I`m sure many of us do at times, I began to cry to the Lord—why? Almost every time I began to sink into despair, the Holy Spirit quickened me and I saw the passion of Christ in my mind. We have no right to expect anything more than what our Lord had in His walk on this Earth. That`s the truth. Some of our brothers and sister, especially now in the Middle East, must and will suffer for the name of Jesus.

I believe with all my heart that we are in the last hours (in God`s time) of the human existence. I believe the Lord Jesus will come very soon, possibly in my lifetime, and that He often strips those He loves of anything worldly. Now, having said that, it`s a painful process to be stripped of all of our worldly cares. But…it is vital and necessary. I believe that some Christians can retain wealth, fame, possessions, etc., and still hold the Lord as their number one concern. I also believe that God places His mighty and awesome favor on whom He wishes. However, some of us will be stripped…just as the Apostles, the Prophets, and the martyrs of God were, and continue to be to this day.

I don`t compare myself to these men and women, but I do believe the Lord has stripped me and continues to do so…and I`m coming to a place of peace with this fact.

If I have nothing to show—materially speaking—for all my life`s work…then so be it. If I never attain the goals I have set for my life on this Earth…so be it. Jesus, as far as the word tells us, never owned anything of real material value. He never really had a home once He began His ministry. He died broke in terms of the world`s view of success, yet He is the Mighty King of all creation. He is the first born of the dead.

I`ve decided that I love and trust my Father in Heaven enough that if I die broke and unknown…so be it. I only wish, at this point in my life, to tell people about Jesus. I`ve had some measurable success as a street evangelist and a writer and I`m humbled that God has used a broken wreck like me to touch lives. I was once the king of a mountain built from ego and fear…now I`m a humbled nobody that needs Jesus more than anything else. That is okay by me.

As always, I share these thoughts with the hope that someone out there needs to hear what I have to say for comfort and assurance. I have a nice little house, a lovely wife, a motorcycle, and a couple of cars. I have my health, my family, and my wonderful church family. I have many wonderful gifts from God in worldly or material terms; however, none of them are deserved or assured.

The main point I want to stress is that Jesus told us that the end would be a dark and evil time. He warned us that many would suffer for His name`s sake. The only caveat He promised us in this life was the reward of Heaven in the next life. If we are blessed with some kind of material favor in this life, we should never expect that it will remain with us or that we somehow deserve it. We should remember that in these last days we may be stripped completely of all the things we hold dear—accept Jesus. So be it.

God bless.

Character builds works; works do not build character

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 04 Dec 2014 01:12:00 +0000

Sometimes the simplest words can build a picture in our minds that can transform our walk with Christ.

I remember a friend of mine when I was younger that was a dedicated Christian. I was calling myself a Christian at the time, this was years before I joined the motorcycle club that became my god. His name was Doug and he was a modest, quiet, and kind person but in spite of his claim to Jesus he was noticeably miserable. I remember how self-critical he was. He never seemed happy and he was always refereeing to his inability to satisfy God. I began to associate this image in my mind of a man with a ball and chain around his leg. To me, he wore his Christianity like a small prison. In those days I had little-to-no interest in understanding Jesus so I simply shook my head and believed he was the quintessential Christian.

Eighteen years later I found Jesus. The real Jesus. He transformed my life.

My Pastor gave a sermon a few weeks ago that really spoke to my heart and I wanted to share my thoughts on his topic with my readers. Of all the things he said there was one thing that grabbed me. It was like I was frozen in time for a few minutes. It was, at least to me, a profound statement. He said, “Character builds works; works do not build character.”

I thought of all the times that I did things because I knew God would be pleased with my actions. That`s not to say that He wasn`t, it`s just that my motives were superficial. I know we all shake our heads at the friends we have on Facebook or in our church body that have to tell the world every time they do something good. That`s probably because we are looking in the mirror and we just don`t know it. I know that I`m learning that the very people I criticize are usually just like me. The larger point, however, is that when we really start to build character—you know, that thing that shows up when no one is around—we begin to do right things for the right motives.

I remember a statement that Pastor Johnny Hunt of Woodstock First Baptist (Georgia) said that I`ve never forgotten and it conveys the same message in a different way: He said, “Jesus Christ changed my want to`s.”

I had to sit and think on that one a bit. At the time, I just couldn`t relate to what the pastor was saying. Later in my life, after I rededicated my life to Christ, I began to understand what pastor Johnny meant and it ties into Pastor Marty`s statement as well. The closer we come to Christ, not in our minds but in our hearts, the more we really believe in the Lord—who He is and what He has done for us—the more we act and walk in obedience. This happens without much effort on our part in terms of our thinking. We are truly transformed. We find that the Holy Spirit is standing next to us and guides our every thought, word, and deed. This is truly the definition of “Faith without works is dead.”

I think that so many of us, myself included, think that the clause “faith without works is dead” means that we must show works to show faith; however, if we are doing the works because we want to get some Heavenly brownie points—it is a dead work and it is faithless. A true faith will produce character and character will produce good works that are rightly motivated and pleasing to the Father. Just a thought from a fellow Christian. God bless.

Dirt Road Disciples

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 06 Oct 2014 21:38:00 +0000

Check out this new Christian band--Dirt Road Disciples

Rex discusses the new King James Indiegogo campaign

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 28 Sep 2014 19:33:00 +0000

Hey everybody! This is Rex Carroll, Lead Guitarist from the band KING JAMES.

As many of you know, KING JAMES has been making music for a very long time. What some of you MAY NOT know is that KING JAMES has an amazing new album out called "MAXIMUS!" We're alive and rockin' and currently on tour!

With that being said, we feel that NOW is the right time to make a couple of videos that feature a few of our great new tunes! "MAXIMUS" can be described as classic rock, reminiscent of late 80's era Whitesnake, Scorpions, Santana and Zeppelin then sprinkled with some good old fashioned Southern Rock. Huge, soaring melodic vocals by Jimi Bennett, guitar pyrotechnics and shred by yours truly (Rex Carroll), slamming drums by kit master, Michael Feighan, rounded out on the low end with Benny Ramos grooving on bass.

Continued.....https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/help-king-james-make-music-videos

Like a dog that returns to its vomit is a fool who repeats his folly

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 24 Jul 2014 14:33:00 +0000

I`m a stubborn man that has learned nearly everything the hard way. My question to this Proverb is…why! Why does a dog return to its vomit? Why do we, as conveyed in this Proverb, return to our wicked ways, our addictions, or our folly?

As I analyzed this question in my mind, it hit me that a dog does this by natural instinct. He doesn’t return to his vomit because he`s addicted or knows the difference, he does so because his instinct tells him “Hey…go eat that vomit.” I know this is gross but stick with me here. As I thought about this fact, I realized that we have a natural instinct to sin. I believe this is why Paul says, “Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?” (Romans 7:24).

So many times, I have wondered why Paul said such a thing. I have also heard many Christians try to analyze this scripture. I`m no theologian but I believe he was making the case that we have no way out of this natural instinct to return to our vomit except through Jesus Christ.

Last night I was wondering back toward a pile of vomit (figuratively) and I could not stop myself. I was very curious to find out some news about a past occurrence in my life (one that Christ has freed me from). If I had followed the scriptures and “leaned not to my own understanding,” the Holy Spirit would have quickened me and I would have seen myself returning to the folly of my past. Instead, I wondered forward into the past.

I got some much-needed answers to some old questions. You would think that it was a good thing, right? Actually, I came home feeling like I needed a shower. I was filled with fear, anger, more questions, and a desire to speak to some people that are not good for me. Somewhere deep inside of me is this unexplainable need to set things right with people that don’t care and never will.

In the midst of this experience, a friend I saw last night asked an important question to another person we were talking with. He asked him, “Should we ever ask forgiveness from people in our past like, say, a drug dealer that we ripped off…or someone of that nature in our past?” I remembered asking a dear friend of mine the same question about old playmates and playgrounds that I hung out in before Christ saved me. He said, “that`s like going into a den of thieves and asking them to forgive you for stealing.”

It was then I realized that I had made a mistake ever trying to reach back into the past—back to people in my past—that will never understand my new walk with Christ; nor will they forgive and forget my real, or supposed, past mistakes; and even if they do, it probably won`t be in the way I would like it to be done. I will be in Gods way, and in His time.

The answer is simple. God`s ways are truly simple if we study His word. The answer to this dilemma—the answer Paul spoke of—the way we can keep ourselves from returning to our folly: “trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not to thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

The point is that my understanding of life, situations in life, and the answers to life do not have the omnipotent vantage point of the creator of all things: All Mighty God. I will never see what He sees, know what He knows, or think as He thinks; however, through Christ, I have access to the Father of Lights. I have the ability to seek His ways, to ask for His advice and counsel. Jesus said, “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone?” (Mathew 7:9). In a previous verse (Mathew 7:7) He says, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”

This proves that we can be set free from this body of death, from returning to our folly, and from slavery to our past sins and mistakes if we walk in the spirit and not in the flesh: meaning, we must stay in prayer and lean not on our own understanding. I share these things as a follower of Christ in the hope that my own experiences can help my brothers and sisters as we run to finish the race. God bless. SWB

Photo credit: https://www.etsy.com/listing/102893346/praying-biker

The rubber meets the road—here

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 02 Jun 2014 19:26:00 +0000

Cartoon source: mightymag.org

As a new Christian, I`ve learned a lot about our Lord the hard way. Like so many others, I thought I knew God, Jesus, and what church and religion were all about. I had scales over my eyes and a heart that was fooled into a false sense of security. This is indicative of those that don`t get into the Word enough to know better. That was me. As I continue to walk with the Lord, I continue to see and hear more of his word with ears that hear and eyes that see. My heart of stone has been made into a heart of flesh and I cannot ignore the truth about the way that Jesus calls us to follow Him as a disciple.

One of the hardest things in life is to let go of the human ego. I`ve come to believe that there are two necessary victories in the Christian walk if we are to be more like Jesus: to love the unlovable (and our enemies), and to have no human ego (true humility). I think these two battles are at the core of almost every battle we face in our Christian walk. It`s hard to turn the other cheek when you have busted heads your whole life, or when you have been abused in the past and don`t trust people. It`s hard to love those that hurt us or hate us for no apparent reason beyond the imaginary voices in their heads. Resentments are like our own personal teddy bears that we love to snuggle and hold. It`s so much easier to resent or remain angry than it is to love. We nurture these resentments. We cling to them like a treasure chest. In reality, we drink a poison that we hope kills the person we resent—it kills us, not them.

“But what if I`m right,” you say; this one is the hardest of the hard. I`ve seen people that have been Christians for decades that cannot take an honest look in the mirror and see their own flaws; however, they are darn good at seeing flaws in others. Even if we are right, even if we have been wronged, we must forgive. We don`t have to forget, but it sure helps in the forgiveness department. Justifiable anger is a tough customer; it`s where the rubber meets the road. It`s the hardest thing to forgive someone when we have a justifiable reason to be angry with them. Jesus shows us that this is a true test of maturity. He says even the tax collectors love those who love them (Mathew 5:46).

Jesus says many things about forgiveness. For example, He says we must forgive seventy times seven (Mathew 18:21-22). He says that we shall be forgiven in the same way we forgive (Mathew 6:14). In addition, He left us with two things before He ascended to the Father: we are to share the gospels throughout the entire world (the great commission), and we are to love the Lord our God with all our heart, mind, and soul, and love our neighbors as we do ourselves (The new commandment).

If we are not able to do these things, we are not truly living in the will of the Father or the freedom of Christ.

I`ve had to take a hard look in the mirror at myself. I`m not ashamed to admit this. I`ve been called to share the Gospels of Jesus. I`m a writer and I`ve asked God to show me how to glorify His Kingdom with my writing. His answer to me was to share truth. I`m to share experiences and thoughts that I have dealt with in the hope of helping another brother, sister, or someone that doesn’t know Christ to relate and see the truth.

The wonderful thing about a life of pain, and over indulged pleasures, is that on the other side—when Jesus saves us—we have a lot to share. Our greatest tragedies become our greatest assets in winning people to the Lord. I have been particularly rebellious in my life so I have a lot of mistakes to share. I`ve been through a lot of mine fields and I can show others how to step past the mines in the fields of life.

God has called on me to look in the mirror and make sure that I learn, above all else, to love those who persecute me and to drop my ego at the foot of the cross. Humble pie is very tasty once you see its true nutritional value.

Most people enjoy giving advice; however, they detest taking advice. They like to hold a mirror up to show you your much-needed changes, and yet, they hate to look in the mirror themselves. Being able to admit we are wrong is a great show of maturity in our walk with Christ. Then, when we have learned to use this act of humility to find our true selves, we begin to learn to be more careful to hold our tongues and to watch our actions. We get tired of falling on our face before God asking His forgiveness for the same old garbage and we change our behavior. He is patient and kind. His mercy is beyond my comprehension.

This has been my walk. I`m in the midst of learning how to forgive those people that I may never like but that I have to love. I`m learning to forgive those that have wronged me and to smash resentment. I`m seeing that the only thing that matters in this world is my relationship to Jesus, my wife, and my family; the only goal worth pursuing is to share the Gospel with others. Lord…strip me of all other desires!

To those of you that read this—God bless you. I love and appreciate you. I hope this helped you as much as it did me. I hope you`ll share this post with others. SWB

It`s about our heart

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 27 May 2014 02:37:00 +0000

Photo credit: www.chaplainclutch.com

I was talking with some young people the other day that are not Christians and they were talking about how they love Jesus` sayings but that all religions say the same things, basically. One of the young men said, “It`s like they are all giving directions to a path around the same mountain…it`s a different path to the same place.” I stood and listened intently.

I`m learning as a young evangelist that I need to let others speak their mind, say their piece, or give their opinions before I use apologetic techniques to address their claims or questions. After the young men interjected their opinions about Christianity, and other religions, I said, “There is one big difference…all the other religions of the world, or beliefs, are `works’ based—redemption through Jesus is a gift from God.” I`m not a genius, I stole this line from Ravi Zacharias; however, it`s a very powerful truth about the Gospels that no other religion can make.

I then began to talk about how men—Christians—have hurt our faith more than anyone else has. Jesus was focused on one main point in almost everything he shared—the heart. He made it very clear that we must worship the Father is spirit and in truth. He scolded the Pharisees because of their inner issues of the heart. He told them they were all clean on the outside but full of dead men`s bones and all corruption on the inside.

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness” (Mathew 23:27, NASB).

The longer I walk with the Lord, the more I see the beauty of His ways. The more I feel the peace that only He can provide. The more I worry about my own “heart” and if I`m true to Him in my spirit—not just on the street corner. Cash register honesty is not enough!

I recently stepped down from a leadership position in a ministry I`m involved with. Some people were quite surprised at my decision. Others, I believe, were concerned if I was okay. I didn`t step down because I was in trouble or had a duplicitous issue, I stepped down because I have been in leadership positions in the “world” and it has not yet been long enough for me to forget the old “club” life I used to live. I want to be close to Jesus. I want Him to strip me down and make me a true disciple of His. I`m not quite ready to lead—I want to follow for a while. I want to stay mobile, simple, and free to move about and share Jesus. I want to work on my own heart and make sure it is as clean and pure as humanly possible through my Lord and His grace. I want to learn to make nothing in this world as important as Jesus.

I`ve been rich. I`ve been poor. I`ve been powerful. I`ve been weak. I`ve seen death, destruction, evil, and all the things this world has to offer—nothing compares to the love and peace of Jesus. Nothing.

Trust yo Daddy

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 22 May 2014 19:21:00 +0000

(Dallas Georgia Motorcycle Examiner)

My wife and I went on a Motorcycle run at the beginning of April. We had a horrible time getting home because of torrential rain and my bike broke down. I have a forced air breather on my Heritage and it will not run in the rain. It was sucking water like a thirsty horse. The bolt that holds my floorboard and kickstand fell out and then the main bolt to the crash bar fell out as well. We were soaked and unable to continue. We were forced to get a hotel room. When we stopped, we ran into a couple that are members of our ministry. The Wife, who had ridden a sportster to the event (that had no windshield), had ridden 100 miles in torrential rain as well. All she had was a bandanna on her face. She was close to hypothermic when she stopped. The others in our group had baggers and were able to ride on. My wife and I had very little money for this event, and I had taken a weekend off of work as well; we spent way past our budget, and then some. When I got home, I found out that I had lost two large jobs that I thought were solid—about $1000 worth of income. This set in motion a chain of events that left my wife and I spiraling for weeks. Finally, we realized that we would have to give it to God and stop worrying about our situation. Today, I found out that my main source of income might be in jeopardy. The company that I sell blinds and shutters for may have to shut down. All of this has happened in a few short weeks. I share this because I want those who read this to know that I`m not some rich writer spewing platitudes on the internet—I`m living out my own advice.

Today as I sit on my front porch, the wind is blowing, the sun is shining, and it`s a beautiful 82 degrees outside. The combination of the mild temperature and the wind make it a perfect, sleepy day. I haven`t written here on the blog for quite some time. I`ve been sort of reinventing myself as a writer. I`m finishing my B.A. in English and I had a tough time last semester; however, I`m learning my strengths and weaknesses as a writer. I wanted to write today but I could not muster the energy. Everything I thought about seemed dull. Then a verse from Proverbs popped into my head because it`s the verse I`ve been leaning on lately: “Trust in the lord with all thine heart and lean not to thine own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5).

My wife and I have struggled, as so many others have, in this weird and dismal economy. In spite of this, our Father never lets us go without. If we lean on our understanding—the things we see in the natural—we will have fear, depression, anxiety, and worry; if we lean on Him, on His understanding, He promises to direct our paths. He says His saints will never beg for bread.

I grew up without a father in my life so it`s hard for me to trust in others. I had to learn things on my own, for the most part. May 20^th of 2012 I was saved, or rededicated to Christ, in an old chicken house church in Dahlonega, Ga. I have learned since then to trust in my Heavenly Father. I try to see Him as my big Daddy in the Heavens. In spite of the fact that I never had a father, I became a father, and the one thing I know is that I love my children no matter what. I try to use this analogy to understand how God sees me. I`m His Child and He loves me, no matter what; however, because He is Holy, He expects me to live as a follower of His Son Jesus. He knew we weren’t perfect or He would have never sent a Messiah. Nevertheless, this doesn’t mean that we are free to sin, it means we are free from sin.

If you have found yourself surrounded by fear lately—study Proverbs 3:5-6. Use this verse as a meditation, as I have, over a period of days and let it truly sink into your mind. To those who read this—God bless you. I hope this helps. SWB

The short of it: Trust yo Daddy in Heaven.

Only one tough Man

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 15 Mar 2014 19:23:00 +0000

When I was in the world, my identity as a man was tied to several things: my job, my Karate, my girlfriends, my motorcycle, my club, and most of all—how tough I was and my reputation for that toughness. After I was saved, I struggled to find myself. I had a new identity in Christ but I didn`t understand that at first. I would refer back to the “old man” and the stories of who I was in almost all of my conversations. I thought I was sharing my testimony; however, that was not the case. I soon learned that I wasn`t really sharing my testimony—as I thought—but that I was sharing my old reputation with my new friends.

As I grew in Christ, I began to see that that reputation died on the cross when I kneeled before my King. Yes, It`s okay to delve back into the past to share my testimony with someone—this is an important tool for ministry. That said, I need to make sure what my motives are when I refer back to my past: am I sharing my testimony, or am I sharing my old reputation?

The final nail in the cross for me, in terms of my old reputation, came quite by accident from a man I didn`t know. I was in a group setting with some Christian brothers and we were baring our souls to one another, and to Jesus. There were several men, including myself, that told the stories of their past and their reputations, their anger, their toughness, etc. This one brother spoke up and gave us all a nugget of gold. He said, “There was only one TOUGH man…it was Jesus…he was nailed to a cross for those who didn`t love him—now that`s tough!” Man, I was floored by the simple and powerful wisdom of that statement. I believe it was a word of knowledge from the Holy Spirit for the men in that room, that night.

The Bible says, “As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend” (Proverbs 27:17). I thank God for the Godly men in my life today that truly are “Mighty Men of God.” They sharpen me and teach me and I am grateful. Yes, there was a day when I was a tough man—I`m ashamed of that “old man” today. I thank God that the one true tough man—Jesus—died for me. Jesus was and is one tough man!

The spirit, the flesh, and emotional upheaval

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 04 Mar 2014 18:53:00 +0000

2 Corinthians 10:3

3 For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, 6 being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete (ESV).

I remember early on in my life of going to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings I heard a guy say, “Feelings aren`t facts.” I thought nothing of the statement at the time; I was too busy banging my proverbial head against the wall with the same old mistakes.

When I was in AA we never really addressed the issues of the flesh, at least not head-on. In my humble opinion, the whole “alcoholism is a disease” thing has made addiction an excuse rather than a spiritual and physical malady as the AA founders once described the problem.

When I became a Christian, the world became coherent. Everything made more sense to me. Life`s answers were suddenly more apparent and real. I adore my AA friends and I still attend some meetings on occasion to see my friends and remember my roots: however, I needed the dark red meat of Christ in my life—the spiritual soup one finds in the rooms of AA was becoming a “mother`s milk” in my spiritual walk.

In my Christian walk I have come to understand the real battle in life—the flesh. We can call it alcoholism, addiction, over-eating, gambling, sexual addiction, etc., but the truth is that it all boils down to a battle between the flesh and the spirit, just as the Bible describes.

I do believe that addicts have a particular propensity to fulfill the desires of the flesh and a peculiar repugnance of the spiritual answers that exist. That is why I believe God set forth the circumstances that led to the founding of 12 step groups (starting with AA). That being said, the 12 steps deal with the flesh, but not the issue of Christ as the messiah—the truth, the way, and the life.

The Bible tells us, as we all well know, that if we walk in the spirit we will not fall prey to the flesh. This is the real battle line in life. I have found another link to this hot button, or to this issue of the flesh and its ability to prey on us as humans. This link, this weakness, this doorway to the flesh is found in how we deal with emotions (remember, ‘feelings are not facts’).

If I look at my weakest moments—the moments I find myself falling prey to the flesh most often—it is found in those moments that I allow my emotions to become over charged, i.e.—anger, fear, jealousy, etc. It is in these moments that I will generally default to my old behaviors if I`m not on guard.

As my Christian walk continues to grow and mature, I have found that I must learn to deal with my emotions in a proper and sane fashion as an important key to my ability to walk in the spirit and not in the flesh. The purpose of this blog is to share my personal walk with Jesus, to promote Christian issues, scripture, motorcycle riding, and other Christian news. I have not “arrived” at perfection and I never will. My intent is to share from the heart—not from a pedestal. God bless. WP

King James new CD 'Maximus'

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 27 Feb 2014 01:20:00 +0000

Purchase the hard copy CD: Madison line Records
Purchase the MP3 on Amazon.com
Listen to King James on Reverbnation: http://www.reverbnation.com/kingjamesband
The website: http://www.kingjamesband.com/home
Upcoming LIVE events: http://www.kingjamesband.com/events-media

KING JAMES coming LIVE to a city near you!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 11 Feb 2014 20:22:00 +0000

Spiritual wickedness in high places: Satan is real!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 30 Jan 2014 20:19:00 +0000

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12).

People stand in awe of what is going on in our nation. Even some who voted for the current ruling class are stunned by the actions of Congress, the President, the Media, Hollywood, and some of the large corporations in our nation.

Those who have a Pantheist world view might simply see this as bad Karma. They think if we do good to others that all will be well; they believe that God is in all things and all things are in God—not so! There is good and evil in this world. There is a God in Heaven, His Son Jesus at His right hand, and a fallen angel called Satan who rules this world. God said so in his word when he cast Lucifer to the Earth and out of Heaven: Isaiah 14:12-15 and Revelation 12:7-9 (among others).

There are three powers in this world: human power, a power for good that comes from Almighty God through his Son Jesus, and evil powers—powers of darkness, wickedness, and corruption in high places.

Our God loves us so much, as we do our own children, that he gives us a choice as to which power we will allow to rule our lives. God is a gentleman and never forces himself on us; however, Satan is not, and he will force himself and his demons on your life; sometimes through stark and vivid demonic possession, and sometimes through the simple denial that Jesus is the Messiah.

The final phrase in Ephesians 6:12 says,”…against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Can anyone deny that we are currently seeing this very thing right before our eyes? The headlines are filled with insanity on a daily basis. A verse in the Bible, written centuries ago, predicted our current situation in glaring detail.

I`m currently reading a book called “Demons: The answer book” by Lester Sumrall. This book tells some astonishing stories of real demonic possession that will curl your hair. The very first one tells the story of a woman in the Philippines who was possessed by two demons. One she described as tall, shrouded in darkness with a black robe and a white hood. She said he had long curly hair on his head, chest, and arms, and large feet. She describes his face as having a long beard, pointed black eyes, and two prominent fangs. The other demon—the larger ones accomplice—was about three feet tall, similar in looks, yet more ugly. Sounds like a fairy tale, does it not?

This woman suffered from bits all over her body. Men of science, spiritualists, and even reporters saw these bits appear out of nowhere—they even had saliva around them! Catholic Priests were called in to exorcise the demons, but to no avail. Finally, an evangelist prayed and fasted for two days as he fought these demons ("But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting” Mathew 17:21, NASB). After two days he was able to make them leave, but only after demanding they do so by the Holy Blood of Jesus Christ, and two days of prayer and fasting.

For the sceptic, I understand your inclination to explain these things away with science, spiritualism, and other pantheist world views; however, isn`t it quite ironic that everything the scriptures say—everything Jesus said—has come true during his life, and after his death and ascension to the Father?

If the atheist is right about this world, and the next, then we all have nothing to worry about. Christians are simply living a life that brings them joy, and is harmless. But…if we Christians are right…if Jesus is the one true Messiah as we believe—than the evil we see in this world makes sense, it is coherent, and we have an answer for it—Jesus! He has overcome the world.

The woman in the story above who was the victim of demonic possession was not a believer. She was a prostitute. Now, after witnessing first hand both the powers of Satan and Jesus, she became a believer and lived a joyful life thereafter. The scientist that worked this case—with tears of fear and astonishment—became a believer as well.

We in America are suffering because of “spiritual wickedness in high places.” The darkness that has fallen over this land is because we have wicked leaders in high places: In the corporate world, Hollywood, and Washington. This wickedness in high places is real! I pray for those who have turned a blind eye to the truth of who and what Jesus of Nazareth was and is! I say this in all humility! I`m a man who was wicked, selfish, and lived in darkness and fear. When the Father looks down at me from Heaven, today—he sees Jesus instead of Scott, because I`m covered in the redemptive Blood of the Lamb; a gift I did not deserve—mercy rather than justice.

When I called on Jesus that day in May of 2012, the scales fell from my eyes, and I saw the truth—spiritual truths—that I could never understand before. Christianity—Jesus—makes life joyful and coherent. Amen.

Voices from the Heart: Why Jesus?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 23 Dec 2013 04:19:00 +0000

Why would anyone want to submit him or herself to a religion that, for all practical purposes, seems so dogmatic, hypocritical, stringent, and condescending (or judgmental)? Why believe in the “fantastical” story of creationism, and the resurrection of Jesus in the New Testament? How can a supposedly loving God allow for so much pain in this world? The questions go on and on—believe me—I know from my own experience.

Read the full story and more at: http://www.wattpad.com/32644438-voices-from-the-heart-a-collection-of-short

King James - New Single "Waiting For The King"

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 20 Dec 2013 18:57:00 +0000

Looking back on the past

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 29 Nov 2013 18:26:00 +0000

“But his wife, from behind him, looked back, and she became a pillar of salt” (Genesis 19:26).

The enemy loves to make us look back—don`t look back!

I was riding home yesterday from a great Thanksgiving dinner. I was relaxed. My women by my side. We were laughing and discussing the memories of our Thanksgiving Day. We thought of our grandchildren, our kids (her step kids), and all that God has done in our lives. In comes the enemy.

As we turned into our subdivision, I noticed a car in front of us. I soon realized it was an old club brother of mine. I saw his colors. I saw his face. In a mere moment, all the joy left my thoughts and I went down memory lane. This particular club member was a high-ranking officer that was directly involved in my banishment from the club. It`s been almost two years now since that day. These men have no idea how much my life has changed. When I see them, I can tell they still see the old man—they have no clue.

The truth is that I wish this brother and I could shake hands, trade old laughs, and forget the past; however, that is not the way of that world.

About a year ago, I sent a letter to the International officers of my old club. I prostrated myself in an apologetic letter with the hope that we could all just move along and forget the past. I received no response. I later found out that the letter was read in front of over 100 officers of the club and used as propaganda against me.

Fast forward. I sat there in my car and watched as this ex-brother of mine turned down the next street (his sister lives in my subdivision). My wife looked at me and said something brilliant that I know came from the Holy Spirit. She said, “Lot`s wife turned to salt when she looked back at Sodom and Gomorrah. We should never look back.” Wow—this was exactly what I needed to hear.

Over the last two years I have thought about writing emails, sending letters, writing instant messages on Facebook—and in some cases I have—and her statement made me ask myself, why? Why would I walk into a den of thieves and ask them to forgive me for stealing? I asked God to search my heart and my motives. He revealed to me that it was my ego, my reputation, my desire to be liked, and my longing for acceptance. Jesus is the only acceptance that we need in this world.

I would love to give these old brothers a hug and forgive and forget; however, that will never happen. God took me from that world for a reason. As a former regional officer, it was quite unique how I was kicked out and banished—it had never been done before. I knew ex-members of high rank that were forced into retirement to save face with the club and the general full patch population. I knew guys who had done far worse things than I was accused of, and they were not banished. This was proof that God—not the club—threw me out that day. It was his will and his answer to my prayer the prior week. I was saved on May 20^th of 2012. As I knelt before the alter that morning I said to God, “Lord, take anything from me that stands in the way of my relationship to you.” On May 27^th—the very next weekend—I was kicked out of the club and banished without charges, or a trial by the officers and full patches of my chapter. God answered my prayer. He did it His way, not mine.

After seeing this ex-brother, I came home and prayed that God would forever release me from the desire to look back at that life. I`m a child of the one true King. I`m in college finishing my BA in English/ creative writing and publication. I`m currently working on four separate manuscripts for future books I intend to publish. I have a wonderful wife, family, and church. I`m riding in a motorcycle ministry filled with ex-clubbers who now serve Jesus. Why would I ever need to look back at Sodom and Gomorrah?